Star Instructor, Master Baek

After verifying their identity and admission documents at the main gate, the trio finally set foot into the Azure Dragon Academy.

“Oh! I’m really entering the Azure Dragon Academy…!”

“How long is this geezer going to be so touched?”

“Hahaha.”

The enrollment process took place at the main building of the Azure Dragon Academy. With their papers already inspected, registration proceeded swiftly.

The examiner, after checking and re-checking Gongson Su’s age, asked with a bewildered expression, “Are you truly here to apply? You’re not representing your child or disciple?”

Though the examiner’s words were impolite, Gongson Su merely chuckled in amusement, “Hohoho. Indeed, I’m here to apply!”

He then flexed his arm, displaying his muscles to the examiner. “You’re never too old to learn. Feel it. I endured hellish training for this day!”

“Ah, yes…”

“Just out of curiosity, has there ever been an applicant older than me?”

“…In my ten years working here, you’re the oldest.”

“Hohoho! See? I knew it! By the way, how old are you?”

“I’m forty-four, but…”

“You’re young. If you set your mind to it, you can achieve anything you dream of!”

“Oh, uh…”

“Young man, you need to learn to articulate more clearly…”

After surmounting a few hurdles and leaving the examiner speechless, they concluded the enrollment process and departed from the main building.

“Now that you’re done with registration, you two should explore the campus a bit more before leaving,” Hyonwon Kang suggested, his expression akin to a sheep being led to the slaughter. He hadn’t just accompanied the two as their guide to the Azure Dragon Academy; he had other business to attend to afterward.

“Fuck. Why on earth would the Headmaster demand such a thing…” he grumbled.

As a condition for moving out of the dormitory, Hyonwon Kang had to provide regular updates to Mae Geuk-Lyom about his progress. Despite his efforts over the past month to appear confident in front of Mae Geuk-Lyom, it still felt like an impossible task.

“Anyway, I’ll see you guys later.”

“See you at the White Dragon Manor tonight, Senior!”

“Stay safe.”

With a dejected face, Hyonwon Kang reluctantly shuffled toward the dormitory.

Meanwhile, Wiji Cheon and Gongson Su had their sights set on exploring the Azure Dragon Academy.

“Shall we begin with the training grounds?”

“We probably can’t access the library until we’re officially enrolled, right?”

Excitement fueled their pace as they hurried along.

“Wiji Cheon?” An unfamiliar voice suddenly asked.

Wiji Cheon turned to face the speaker. He was a tall, slender boy with narrow, slanted eyes and thin lips that made him seem shifty.

The boy grinned. “Looks like I guessed right.”

Confused, Wiji Cheon tilted his head. “I don’t think we’ve met before… Who are you?”

“You’re Baek Su-Ryong, no, Mr. Baek Su-Ryong’s student, aren’t you?”

“……”

“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Cho Mak-Saeng. I receive martial arts tutoring from Mr. Namgoong Su.” Cho Mak-Saeng beamed, extending his hand.

Surprised, Wiji Cheon clumsily shook it.

Hah, what a clueless bumpkin. He’s nothing.

Cho Mak-Saeng’s eyes flickered coldly for a moment before he casually resumed his smile and nodded towards an expressionless boy and a bored-looking girl standing nearby. “Those two over there are my classmates.”

“Oh, uh… I’m Wiji Cheon. Nice to meet you.” Wiji Cheon felt oddly uncomfortable, but since the three had started their introductions with smiles, he couldn’t just ignore them.

“I heard about you from Mr. Baek Su-Ryong,” Cho Mak-Saeng remarked.

“Me? Why…?”

“What? You really don’t know?”

“No?”

With a chuckle, Cho Mak-Saeng turned to Namgoong Seok and Jin Jin beside him. “It seems Mr. Baek didn’t inform him about the bet.”

“Hmph, he was probably too embarrassed to admit that he had made a losing bet. We’ll be lucky if he doesn’t flee,” Namgoong Seok snorted, even as he silently observed Wiji Cheon.

“……” Jin Jin looked away in apparent disdain.

“Huh? What bet are you talking about?” Wiji Cheon asked.

How is this kid so dopey and naive? Cho Mak-Saeng felt a mischievous urge rising in him. That was his nature. When he saw happy faces, he wanted to make them scream in pain, and when he saw innocent faces, he couldn’t help but want to defile them.

“Hey, I heard you’re quite formidable. Mr. Baek Su-Ryong was boasting about you, saying you’ll definitely be this year’s top applicant.”

“M-Me? N-No, I’m not… Why would Teacher say something like that…” Wiji Cheon stuttered, waving his hands in genuine panic.

Cho Mak-Saeng’s eyes narrowed, his smirk deepening. How should I toy with this small, feeble animal? Make him piss his pants in front of everyone? Provoke him just enough to elicit a response, then beat him up in “self-defense”? Although with the exam merely three days away, blatant provocation would be unwise… Well, there are plenty of tactics left.

“Don’t be modest. Your teacher must have seen something in you, right?” he said with feigned concern, his smile tinged with sadistic glee.

“Haha… Thank you.”

“Hoho, now I remember. Namgoong Su is the Star Instructor of the Azure Dragon Academy, right?” Gongson Su, who had been quietly observing the kids, suddenly chuckled and joined the conversation.

Seeing the unfamiliar old man, Cho Mak-Saeng eyed him with a hint of wariness. “Who might you be, Elder?”

“Hohoho, no need to be so polite. I’m an examinee like yourselves.”

“…Huh? Sorry, could you repeat what you just said?” Thinking he misheard, Cho Mak-Saeng asked again.

Gongson Su burst into laughter and extended a hand to Cho Mak-Saeng. “Since we might soon be classmates, let’s get to know each other in advance. I’m Gongson Su.”

“Eh…” Cho Mak-Saeng dazedly shook hands with Gongson Su in a manner reminiscent of how Wiji Cheon had acted toward him. “Are you really an applicant like us?” he asked hesitantly.

Gongson Su chuckled and patted Wiji Cheon on the shoulder. “I’ve been learning martial arts with this young friend at Mr. Baek Su-Ryong’s place.”

“I’m sorry, but how old are you…?”

“I’m sixty-five this year. Still in the prime of my life!” Gongson Su winked and flexed his muscles.

Caught off guard, Cho Mak-Saeng burst into laughter, “Hahaha… Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh…”

“It’s okay. Aren’t you at an age when you can laugh at anything and everything trivial?” Gongson Su smiled kindly.

Cho Mak-Saeng awkwardly returned the smile, but inside, he was disgusted. What? This old man is a fellow applicant? I heard many rumors about it, but the fact that the Azure Dragon Academy has sunk so low never really struck me until now. I can’t believe they’ve stooped to the level of accepting an old man who wouldn’t be out of place in a coffin anytime soon. Ah, whatever, he’ll fail the test in three days anyway…

“Hohoho!” Gongson Su chuckled as if nothing was amiss.

Cho Mak-Saeng narrowed his eyes. I changed my mind. Torturing this old man will be more entertaining. An old man who, despite his advanced age, is shamelessly eager to learn martial arts. Just the thought of it is pitiful.

“Elder, it seems fate has brought us together. Would you like to engage in a friendly spar to foster camaraderie between future classmates?” he suggested with a friendly smile, though his eyes gleamed like a serpent. There’s no way the geezer will refuse, he’s just another clueless old fogey. These types always gladly accept an invitation to play with the youngsters.

As expected, the old man’s eyes lit up.

“Oho, a spar? Sure, is there a suitable place for a spar here?” Gongson Su agreed. Having sparred only with Wiji Cheon, Hyonwon Kang, and Shadow thus far, a match with a new opponent was indeed intriguing. Though, my reasons for accepting are not just because of that, hoho…

“I know one. I’ve been here a few times before. Wiji Cheon, care to join us?”

“Uhm…” Wiji Cheon hesitated.

Gongson Su grabbed the boy’s sleeve and pulled him closer. “It should be fun. Why not come along?”

”!!!” In that moment, Wiji Cheon noticed it. The smile Gongson Su directed at him. Unlike the warm and gentle smiles he’d seen before, this one felt like a sharp blade against his throat.

Wiji Cheon gulped in terror. One thing was certain: Gongson Su had something up his sleeve. Something sinister and scary.

“O-Okay…” he said meekly.

Cho Mak-Saeng laughed, “Hohoho! Excellent! Then let me guide you to the arena! Are you two coming too?”

“Are you crazy? Why would I go there?” Jin Jin retorted bluntly.

With a shrug, as if expecting such a response, Cho Mak-Saeng departed with Wiji Cheon and Gongson Su.

Watching their retreating figures, Jin Jin grumbled in annoyance, “What’s gotten into him all of a sudden? Even though he’s the weakest among us… Hey, Seok-orabeoni. Do you want to go watch them?”

“……” Namgoong Seok ignored Jin Jin. After a brief moment of contemplation, he silently followed after the others, his gaze fixed on Wiji Cheon.

“Eh? W-Wait for me!” Jin Jin hurriedly chased after him.

“Why is such a beautiful Miss drinking here alone? Did something bad happen to you?”

“……” This must be the fifth time, Shadow sighed as a sleazy-looking man approached her.

“Looks like you’ve had your heart broken. Tell me, who’s the idiot who made this beauty cry?”

“……”

Without waiting for permission, the man plopped down next to Shadow. Then, glancing at the people outside the window, he started rambling, “…So, I defeated those five villains and saved the kids. See this scar on my arm? It’s from that time…”

As the Azure Dragon Academy entrance exam approached, the city buzzed with visitors. Some came for the exam, some to find temporary work, and some to scam or flirt.

“I’m tired, please leave,” Shadow coldly replied and resumed drinking.

However, the man was persistent. Snatching Shadow’s bottle, he spoke earnestly, “Trying to drown your sorrows in alcohol is like drinking poison. Why don’t you share your worries with me instead? I’ll listen to everything…”

Subtly, he wrapped his arm around Shadow’s shoulders. Then, seeing that Shadow didn’t resist, he slowly slid a hand down to her buttocks.

“Haa…” With lightning speed, Shadow broke the man’s wrist and slammed his head down on the table.

THUNK!

Before the man could even scream, he was silenced by a bottle to the back of his head.

Leaving the man foaming at the mouth, Shadow stood up and strode out of the tavern. Why do these pests keep bothering me when I just want to think quietly? Was it a mistake to buy new clothes from the market? The merchant strongly recommended this red dress, saying that it suits me, but…maybe it’s a little too flashy? Sigh, I miss my black martial arts uniform already.

As a special agent, Shadow was trained to perfectly disguise herself as anything from peasants to courtesans. However, since becoming Gongson Su’s guard, she had worn only the black martial arts uniform for years and had become accustomed to her daily routine.

“Shadow, if you feel uncomfortable, I’ll give you an order. Take the day off today.”

It was her first-ever day off. She had no idea what to do.

“Go eat anything you want, buy some pretty clothes and accessories, and go tour any places you’ve been wanting to visit.”

She did as she was told. She ate snacks, bought clothes, dressed up, and drank alcohol she hadn’t touched in years. Still, she didn’t feel like she was enjoying herself, more like she was being abandoned.

Ever since he started learning martial arts at the White Dragon Manor, he relies on me less and less… No, thinking like this is disrespectful. I need to go back to his side.

“If you disobey me, you’re fired.”

So be it. If I get caught by a master from the Azure Dragon Academy… I’ll commit suicide to avoid causing trouble for him.

Her decision made, she turned a corner, only to bump right into the person she least wanted to see right now.

“Shadow?” Baek Su-Ryong stared at her in shock. As if he had just finished shopping, he had bags on his shoulders and in his hands. “Where’s the elder? And you… What’s with the clothes?”

“……” Shadow suddenly wished she could just disappear.