A Veteran Teaches Very Well

part 42

If not me, then who would protect this world?

“Understood. If that is your wish, please return now.”

“Uh, what? Then what about me? If I go back like this, the president will…”

“That’s for you to figure out.”

“Professor Cha! Please don’t do this!”

Asking for something greater than desired and gradually chipping away at it is the essence of negotiation.

This is the beginning of the main stage.

“If you insist that much… fine. Just give me a sword.”

“A sword?”

Perhaps thinking it was a better offer than teaching swordsmanship, Jo Seong-woong’s eyes sparkled.

“The sword you used when you were active.”

“…Are you talking about Jaybult?”

“Yes.”

The cursed sword Jaybult.

It was a weapon obtained from the nest of the Dragon of Destruction, the most heinous and terrible calamity humanity had ever faced.

The spoils obtained from the nest of the annihilating dragon were distributed fairly—favoring the great powers—among the nations.

The greatest prize that Korea received was the cursed sword, Jaybult.

There’s a saying among swordsmen: a sword is a black life.

For the sword master, Jo Seong-woong, it went without saying.

It wouldn’t be strange to love a sword as much as a lover.

I didn’t expect to receive it gracefully.

Surely, a rough and treacherous path awaited, but I would definitely claim Jaybult…

“Alright, give it to me.”

“I figured as much. But for me… what?”

“Shall I bring it to you right now?”

…What the hell.

What is this?

“Isn’t Jaybult one of the finest swords in the world? To just give it away so easily…”

“What does an old retired man do with a good sword? A renowned sword should be used to slay monsters in a dungeon.”

“Can’t you sell it for a high price?”

“Do I look like I’m in need of money? What would I do with the sale?”

“Then at least you could pass it down to Seo-hu…”

“He’s too kind-hearted to handle a cursed sword.”

Well, Jo Seong-woong was right.

A cursed sword is a weapon that reveals the user’s true nature, and it wouldn’t suit Park Seo-hu.

Wait, does that mean I’m a bad guy who fits a cursed sword?

Hearing that made me feel uneasy.

“Anyway, it was definitely your own words! Don’t think about changing them. If you do, this Jo Seong-woong won’t forgive you.”

“Ah, yes.”

In any case, I had nothing to lose.

There was no reason to be dissatisfied with receiving both Park Seo-hu and Jaybult.

“Ahahaha! I’m glad to have cleared away one headache.”

What bothered me a bit was how strangely fond he was of it.

Somehow, seeing that reaction made me feel like I had lost out.

…It must be an illusion, right?

* * *

“Well, this is the cursed sword, Jaybult.”

What Jo Seong-woong brought was a sword with a rather plain appearance.

Of course, the appearance of the weapon didn’t matter at all.

It wasn’t a decorative item, and what good would a weapon that slays monsters be if it sparkled?

What caught my attention was that the cursed swords I had seen in the game were incredibly ornate.

Doubting whether this was truly the cursed sword, I looked at Jo Seong-woong, and he spoke.

“Jaybult can change its appearance according to the user’s wishes. I find it comfortable to keep it like this.”

That made sense.

Certainly, considering the swordmaster’s taste, it felt more vintage than plain.

“Well then, I’ll be on my way.”

“Since you’re here, why not have a cup of coffee before you go?”

“No thanks… I don’t want to be around that guy any longer.”

I muttered the last part so quietly that I wasn’t sure he heard me.

After Jo Seong-woong left, I grasped Jaybult.

“It’s ordinary.”

The grip felt average.

Well, sword handles, the grip is pretty much the same everywhere. What was I expecting?

【Ordinary? That’s a disappointing remark.】

“……!”

A voice echoed from somewhere.

Who is it?

【What are you looking at? It’s me, right here.】

The voice rang out again.

No, could this even be called a voice?

It felt like it was resonating directly in my head, not coming from my ears.

Could it be…?

“Jaybult…”

【Yes, it’s me.】

The cursed sword, Jaybult.

This guy spoke to me directly.

Could it really be the Ego Sword? It’s not just any cursed blade.

【Sung-woong, seriously, to entrust me to such a rookie. I’m more than a little disappointed.】

The word “rookie” dug into my heart, but it wasn’t wrong.

Even if the Ego Sword was special, it was still just a weapon.

The purpose of a weapon is, after all, to fight against enemies.

So, the Ego Sword would inevitably want a strong master, and I couldn’t even dare to compare myself to the swordsman Jo Sung-woong.

【Sung-woong is an incredible man.】

Once the fourth strongest among Korean heroes.

Of course, he must be amazing.

In my current state, I wouldn’t even be able to exchange a few blows with him.

“I know.”

【No, the new master wouldn’t know. Every time his hand touched the blade, it was electrifying.】

Is the way he handles the sword different from mine?

I was curious.

What is the difference between me and the swordsman?

“How was it different? Between me and that person.”

【What about technique? Huh… just imagining it excites me.】

“Excuse me?”

Jaybult let out a strangely alluring voice.

Something felt off, but I thought maybe I was just misinterpreting it.

Technique must refer to swordsmanship, right?

“Um….”

【He’s incredibly skilled and has great stamina, able to go all day long. He can make any sword feel good. I wonder what the new master will be like?】

What the hell.

I roughly tossed Jaybult aside.

【Ugh! How can you handle a sword so roughly? Are you jealous? Hmm, I underestimated the new master too much. But I like this too.】

The image of Jo Sung-woong in my mind began to crumble.

From a suave, retired master to an ugly old man, and now, even worse, with a sword…

No way, this must be a misunderstanding, right?

Looking back, Jo Seong-woong felt a sense of relief as he passed the Jaybult.

It felt like the pieces of a puzzle were falling into place in his mind.

Could it really be because of this? This cursed sword, with such a way of speaking.

So it’s not without reason that the cursed sword is frightening.

Woom! Woom!

The cursed sword lying on the floor began to tremble all on its own.

What kind of function is that?

It seems there are restrictions on speaking if there’s no physical contact.

“Where are the bandages?”

After soaking the pure white bandages in holy water, I wrapped the cursed sword tightly and placed it in a long box.

Jaybult tried to say something, but I ignored it all.

I’ll have to take it out later if I need it.

“I should have asked for something else.”

I felt a twinge of regret.

I didn’t know if there was such a setting because Jaybult was not a weapon that players could obtain.

In the game, whenever Jo Seong-woong talked about Jaybult, he always said something similar.

─This is a cursed sword that corrupts the user’s mind. It is not a weapon suitable for a hero, so I will give you something more fitting.

Was that corruption what it meant?

I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

* * *

The first round of selection was over.

As we formed a party centered around Park Seo-hu, the conditions were easily narrowed down.

We would definitely take one healer and one mage, and the rest would be chosen accordingly.

To balance with the other groups, we adjusted the scores moderately.

That left a total of 19 students.

Though it was a significant reduction from the initial 800, considering that everyone would have to go through an interview, it still felt like a lot.

The competition ratio was 5 to 19.

Among them, Park Seo-hu was expected to pass, making it 4 to 18.

“No, to be precise, there’s one more.”

I looked at the profile of another candidate.

Najinsu.

The class is Assassin, and the entrance exam scores are average.

Even in the lecture I’m listening to now, he didn’t show anything particularly special, but he wasn’t falling behind others either.

At first glance, he seemed quite ordinary, but there was one special element.

“Playable character.”

He wasn’t a remarkable one among the playable characters, but having him around wouldn’t hurt.

I hadn’t planned to take him along, but there was no reason to stop someone who insisted on coming.

The more playable characters, the better.

“Looks like we’re getting a rough estimate.”

With the warrior and assassin already decided, the best balance would be to have two wizards and one priest.

So, out of 17, there were 12 wizards and 5 priests.

“Now that it’s over, it’s nothing special.”

I called the teaching assistants to start preparing for the interviews. Upon my call, Assistant Lee Ye-eun and a newly appointed assistant arrived.

“Both of you, sit comfortably.”

“Yes!”

“…Yes.”

Assistant Cheon replied energetically.

Lee Ye-eun seemed to respond weakly, as if she wasn’t feeling well.

Assistant Cheon.

She was one of the researchers who had moved from Yoon Seong-yeop’s lab to mine.

Lee Ye-eun had already been complaining about how tough things were, and with the new students transferring in, things were about to get busier, so I had hired another assistant.

But Lee Ye-eun’s reaction was sulky.

“Why are you hiring another assistant? I’m here, you know.”

“Why? It’s this assistant who said the work was hard. Having one more would make it easier.”

“Forget it… You’re such a fool, Professor.”

I thought she would be a little happy about it.

But her reaction was disappointingly cold.

Assistant Cheon glanced around the professor’s office.

Unlike Lee Ye-eun, who was used to it, she seemed unfamiliar with the place.

“Assistant, could you make some coffee?”

“Sure.”

Drururuk!

What was that?

The sound of grinding beans was anything but ordinary.

If you grind them that roughly, the beans get damaged, and the coffee loses its flavor.

Still, it felt a bit rude to instruct the person making it on such details, so I kept quiet.

Swoosh—

Lee Ye-eun held a bag over the finished coffee and poured in the sugar.

How much did she put in? The cup was overflowing with the contents spilling out.

Normally, Lee Ye-eun’s coffee always had sugar, but this was something else entirely.

She didn’t even stir the coffee.

What on earth is this?

And so, two cups of Lee Ye-eun’s special coffee were completed.

“Here you go.”

They were placed in front of me and Assistant Cheon.

Is this even safe for a person to drink?

Assistant Cheon and I exchanged glances, unsure.

Lee Ye-eun smiled sweetly, but her expression was frightening.

“Aren’t you going to drink it?”

I wanted to respond with a no, but the words wouldn’t come out.

Reluctantly, I closed my eyes and took a sip.

Mumble mumble—

Mmm.

What can I say?

It tasted like sugar. Not even sugar water. This was just sugar.

I struggled to swallow the coffee, forcing it down my throat.

“Why aren’t you drinking, Assistant Cheon?”

“Eek!”

When Lee Ye-eun shot a glance at Assistant Cheon, he too forced it down.

We managed to empty our cups with great difficulty.

Lee Ye-eun asked.

“Would you like another cup?”

Both I and Assistant Cheon shook our heads simultaneously.

I was tired of coffee now. It was time to get to the point.

I pulled out the prepared documents of the students.

“Since you’ll be interviewers too, take a look. We’ll be selecting 5 out of these 19.”

Lee Ye-eun and Assistant Cheon slowly reviewed the students’ profiles.

Lee Ye-eun was the first to ask a question.

“This looks strange, doesn’t it?”

“Really? What do you mean?”

“Why are they all wizards and apprentices? If we form a group with just these kids, Group A will be a mess.”

I pulled out the two profiles at the bottom and showed them to Lee Ye-eun.

“Aha, so there was an insider.”

Lee Ye-eun quickly answered.

“If it’s Park Seo-hu, he definitely qualifies. He’s the top freshman, after all.”

As Lee Ye-eun praised Park Seo-hu, Assistant Cheon nodded in agreement.

“That’s right. I heard he scored the highest ever on the entrance exam. I don’t think I could do that well if I took the exam again. He’s impressive in many ways.”

“But what about this one?”

Lee Ye-eun pointed to Na Jin-soo’s profile.

Assistant Cheon seemed curious too and nodded.

I pulled out the excuse I had thought of in advance.

“It’s to balance the party. With Park Seo-hu in the mix, the physical damage ratio of the party becomes too high. So, I figured Na Jin-soo would be a suitable physical dealer.”

“Aha.”

The assistants seemed satisfied and didn’t ask any further questions.

“Then let’s get ready.”

* * *

Dungeon Research and Practice Lecture.

Most students didn’t even know such a lecture existed, and those who saw the name during the registration period avoided it after reading the course description.

—Wow… No matter how much it’s a pass/fail system, this is a bit much, isn’t it?

—Dungeon practice? Ugh. Just thinking about it makes me want to throw up. Why would they include something like that in a freshman course?

It was an unpopular class that could only fill half of its maximum enrollment when it was first opened.

The number of students was so meager that it seemed almost pathetic for a liberal arts course.

Such evaluations vanished within a month.

─Isn’t that professor the one who wrote that paper?

─My mom knows the professor’s name too. He must have been in the news a lot.

─Damn, I should have signed up back then.

All previous tactical models had fallen behind.

The latest tactical model adopted by the world’s major guilds.

Its excellence was unanimously acknowledged by all the guilds.

However, the research content was still too limited.

Everyone knew it was good, but not many guilds knew exactly how to use it.

Guilds collaborated to conduct independent research, but it was still only in the initial stages.

That’s why every guild was desperate to meet Cha Eun-woo, who had authored the paper.

But no one could meet him.

Rumors circulated that he had unofficially contacted the Unicorn Guild, but it was just that—rumors. Only the parties involved knew the truth.

In such a situation, being able to attend Cha Eun-woo’s lecture was a privilege exclusive to the Florian students.

In front of the professor’s office, students were huddled together.

These were the students who had passed the first round of applications.

They looked at each other in surprise.

“Wait? You passed too?”

“You did?”

“Wow, even Kim Young-cheol passed? Is our department actually that high-level?”

In the same class, many familiar faces had passed the first round, having similar scores.

As they exchanged delighted greetings, a student with glasses voiced an opinion.

“Aren’t there a lot of first-round passers? So they’re splitting us up for interviews, and since we’re in the same department, we got grouped together.”

“Oh, that makes sense.”

“That sounds right.”

As the student with glasses puffed up with pride, another student interjected.