A Veteran Teaches Very Well

part 68

“The prologue is about to end.”

“Excuse me?”

The main story is about to begin.

Originally, the first scenario should have started much later.

However, with the appearance of Bonivatus, the development of the game I knew has already been somewhat twisted.

Thus, the world is desperately trying to wrap up the prologue, even if belatedly, to follow the distorted narrative.

Lee Ye-eun may not know, but according to the game’s setting, the phrase “a crisis like never before in America” has only been used once.

That was when the catastrophic disaster that turned the world upside down, the SS-class dungeon, the Nest of the Dragon Slayer, emerged.

“A crisis will come soon.”

The end of the prologue.

Originally, this was not an event that players in the academy could get involved in.

Players could only witness the end of the prologue through a cutscene.

It was a unilateral defeat for humanity.

But if I step in now.

As the prologue ends, if I can save the heroes who would originally die without reaching the main story.

Countless possibilities will arise for humanity’s future.

“Ye-eun, get ready.”

“Ready?”

“We have to go to America, so hurry and pack your things.”

“Me too?”

Lee Ye-eun showed a slightly bewildered reaction.

It seemed like there would only be bothersome tasks ahead, so I didn’t look forward to it.

There’s a perfect training method for times like this.

“I’m a bit skeptical about Assistant Cheon.”

“That’s right! Ahem, the only one who can help the professor is his prized student.”

It’s easy, so easy.

Sorry, Assistant Cheon, for throwing you under the bus.

But my skepticism was genuine.

“Let them know you’re going on a business trip to the academy, pack your bags. It’s fine if you don’t have a passport. They said the meeting itself is private, and the American side will take care of it.”

“Yes!”

Lee Ye-eun quickly dashed out.

I should start preparing too.

The first thing I found was a box stored in the corner of the professor’s office.

“Haah…”

A sigh escaped me.

Should I really break the seal on this? I felt a pang of anguish.

But I had received it for times like this.

I closed my eyes tightly and opened the box.

Whooosh—

Inside the box, a trembling white rod.

It was the cursed sword, Jaybult, wrapped tightly in bandages, belonging to Jo Seong-woong.

As I reached for Jaybult to unwrap the bandages, a loud voice invaded my mind.

【New master! How could you do this to me! Isn’t this a bit much?】

Hearing Jaybult’s whimpering made my heart soften a little.

Still, it was a weapon with a consciousness; I wondered if I had treated it too roughly.

【To bind me up tightly and confine me in a small space, making me beg and plead… What a remarkable assistant. Master, you’ve made the sword cry quite a bit, haven’t you? Hmm, I might get addicted to this kind of play…….】

Alright, decision made.

My past self was right after all.

I should just seal this back in the box and find a perfectly fine new sword.

I shoved it back into the box just like that.

Jaybult whined.

【Huh! Wait a minute! I don’t want to be in the box anymore! It’s dark and cramped, and it scares me!】

“Shut up. I hate it even more.”

【I’ll sue! The master guarantees the rights of the sword!】

“Rights? What nonsense. It’s not even a living creature; what rights does a sword have?”

【No, I don’t want to!】

Jaybult struggled to escape from my hand, but it was still just a sword without a master.

Now, even my strength, which rivaled that of mid-level heroes, couldn’t be overcome.

“Get in nicely.”

【I-I don’t want to! Why are you doing this to me!】

“Then promise me. You won’t spout nonsense again.”

【Nonsense? Are you taking away my right to speak now?】

Negotiations broke down.

As soon as I decided to assert my authority, Jaybult finally raised the white flag.

【I know, I get it! I-I lost, so please, just stop with the box!】

It was indeed crucial to establish who was in charge right from the start.

Especially when dealing with a cursed sword.

【Ugh, I’ve surrendered. This isn’t the role of an ego sword, but rather that of a knight…】

* * *

The departure schedule was set quickly.

2 PM.

To head to the United States, I, Lee Ye-eun, and Professor Jo Seong-woong gathered.

The reason Jo Seong-woong was included was due to the consideration of President Ryu Jeong-ah.

“Getting older just means more worries. Seong-woong, I know you don’t want to see an ugly face, but please understand. Still, he’s good with a sword, so he should be able to handle minor disputes.”

“No, sir. Why would I have an ugly face?”

Ryu Jeong-ah clicked her tongue and said.

“Seong-woong, what do you think when you look at that kid’s face?”

“He’s incredibly handsome.”

“Now look in the mirror.”

“There’s a little octopus in there.”

“Exactly?”

Ryu Jeong-ah scoffed at Jo Seong-woong with a bright, fresh face.

At that, Jo Seong-woong was outraged.

“Teacher, how can you compare me to Professor Cha at my age? I was quite the catch when I was younger. You know I had a truckload of confessions from women, right?”

“You foolish boy. It’s not because they like you; they’re just flocking to you for your money. How long has it been since you got bitten by a gold digger, divorced, and lost all your wealth, crying and wailing? And then you went into hiding.”

“Ugh! Stop! Why would you say such things in front of the kids?”

A shocking statement slipped from Ryu Jeong-ah’s lips.

So that was the reason he went into hiding?

Lee Ye-eun’s expression turned strange, as if her image of Jo Seong-woong had plummeted.

Jo Seong-woong’s already low reputation hit rock bottom even further.

The more you dug, the more curses came out; he was quite the remarkable man.

Could it be that Jay Bilt ended up like this too…?

Jo Seong-woong’s face turned bright red as he changed the subject.

“Enough of this nonsense, let’s hurry to America! Come on!”

“Are we heading to the airport now?”

Lee Ye-eun asked with an innocent face.

Ryu Jeong-ah replied.

“Then when will we even get to America? It takes a whole 14 hours, you know.”

“Excuse me? Then how…?”

Flash!

Light burst from Ryu Jeong-ah’s cane.

The most immense mana I had ever seen surged forth.

It was the power of a witch who had protected Korea for 150 years.

Lee Ye-eun gaped in astonishment.

“Huh?”

“Hehe. It’s too early to be surprised. Teacher’s true power is far beyond this.”

The colossal mana enveloped the three of us.

At our feet, a small magic circle barely big enough to hold a single person appeared.

Yet the amount of mana contained within that tiny circle was as vast as the ocean.

“Tele-tele-teleport!”

The naming sense was the worst, but the power of the magic was extraordinary.

I felt a buoyancy, as if my body was floating.

Eventually, what greeted us was an unfamiliar landscape.

A room completely different from the president’s office we had just been in.

It was an incredibly spacious area, yet there was nothing inside.

A space whose purpose was unclear.

Lee Ye-eun asked.

“…Where is this?”

“Long-distance teleportation boasts tremendous power, but it also comes with a few constraints. Most notably, there’s a tendency for errors in the arrival coordinates, so a medium to serve as a landmark is necessary.”

The one who answered the question was neither I nor Jo Seong-woong.

It was an American who appeared from behind, a familiar face.

“Professor Cha, welcome to America.”

“Unicorn Master.”

Edelin Pierce.

The strongest hero of humanity.

A person who shone as brightly as if the sun had been brought here intact.

“I didn’t expect the Unicorn Guild Master to come out personally to greet me.”

“I’m not someone who moves at any time, but you’re someone worth that effort.”

It was a pleasant remark.

It meant that I had become a figure significant enough to move the world’s greatest hero.

“Uh, uh…”

My disciple beside me couldn’t close her mouth.

Lee Ye-eun whispered, hiding behind me.

“Is, is that really Edelin?”

“Is there a fake Edelin that I don’t know about?”

“Eek! To see the world’s greatest hero up close…”

Lee Ye-eun peeked out from behind me, her face barely visible.

Perhaps finding it cute, Edelin chuckled softly.

“Is she a student of Professor Cha?”

“Yes. She’s my researcher.”

“Oh my.”

Edeline clicked her tongue with a look of regret.

No matter the country, the perception of researchers seemed to be the same everywhere.

“Come here. At least let me get your autograph.”

“R-really?”

Lee Ye-eun stepped forward, her posture stiff.

It was incredibly awkward.

Edeline smoothly pulled out a pen and a sticky note with familiar ease.

“What’s your name?”

“It’s Lee Ye-eun…”

“Here you go.”

“Thank you!”

Lee Ye-eun’s expression brightened.

In this world, heroes had pushed aside all celebrities to claim their place.

For heroes of A-rank and above, there was hardly any concept of privacy, and S-rank heroes were treated with such reverence that even the president couldn’t act carelessly around them.

There was even a joke that to become president, one needed to be close friends with several S-rank heroes.

In such a world, what was the point of even mentioning Edeline’s influence?

While there might be people who didn’t know the name of their own president, everyone knew Edeline’s name.

That was the weight carried by the name of the greatest hero.

Perhaps it was only natural for Lee Ye-eun to react this way.

Beside her, Jo Seong-woong licked his lips with a look of disappointment.

Edeline sensed the atmosphere and suggested first.

“Shall I get an autograph for the professor next to you as well?”

“What’s an old man like me doing asking for an autograph? Well, I can’t ignore the kindness of someone offering, so I’ll graciously accept.”

Still, it seemed a bit pitiful for him to act this way.

He resembled an uncle fan chasing after an idol the age of his daughter.

Edeline turned to me and asked.

“Should I get one for Professor Cha too?”

“I’m fine, thanks.”

However, Edeline’s perception of me was not good.

To put it bluntly, it was the worst.

The reason was due to the way Edeline had conducted herself in the game.

Still, since she had granted me the skill of swordsmanship, I held no personal grudges.

“We have some time until the meeting, so let’s head to the hotel first.”

We followed Edeline to the vehicle.

“Get in.”

The car Edeline guided us to was a limousine from a brand everyone had heard of.

We opened the car door and stepped inside.

The interior was spacious and cozy.

It could easily be mistaken for the living room of a small studio apartment.

I had never ridden in such a car before.

Though I didn’t show it outwardly, it was an incredibly refreshing shock.

Lee Ye-eun seemed to share my feelings, whispering to me.

“Wow. The cushions here are softer than those in the professor’s office.”

Lee Ye-eun pressed her finger into the cushion.

It sank in, looking much better than the sofa in my professor’s office, just as she said.

However, Jo Sung-woong and Edeline appeared quite dissatisfied.

“No, is this American style? What kind of work does the American Association do to present such a shabby car? They welcome guests with just this cheap vehicle?”

“I agree. They say it’s to prevent information leaks, but the treatment of state guests is far too inadequate, so I came out to personally escort you.”

“Indeed, as expected of the world’s greatest hero, you’re quite wise.”

To call this a cheap car was a different sense from us common folks.

Jo Sung-woong looked a bit different.

“Tsk. When I was young, three thousand people gathered at the Japanese airport to welcome me with placards.”

“Really? Wow!”

Lee Ye-eun looked at him as if she were seeing someone extraordinary.

Every time Jo Sung-woong shared a story from his active days, he seemed like a different person.

He had once been the fourth-ranked hero in Korea.

Had I underestimated him all this time?

I truly didn’t understand why such a remarkable man had been wandering around like that.

The voice of Jay Bult crept into my mind.

—

“Yeah. Seong-woong was impressive.”

I glared at the handle, wondering if he would spout more nonsense, and Jaybult hurriedly defended himself.

“Oh, no. I didn’t mean it that way… He was remarkable as a prosecutor. There were only a few who could draw out more than 70% of my capabilities.”

Seeing me in a staring contest with Jaybult, Jo Seong-woong chuckled softly.

His expression seemed to convey that he had many things he wanted to say as Jaybult’s former master.

“Hey, it’s noisy, isn’t it?”

“A little bit.”

“A little? Oh dear, putting on airs in front of your new master. You’re going to taste hell soon. Tsk tsk.”

I felt that I had indeed threaded the first button well.

I was glad I had sorted out the hierarchy earlier.

No matter how much he pretended to be pitiful, the fact remained that this was a harmful cursed sword.

The car we were in moved smoothly.

Before we arrived, I decided to ask something I was curious about.

“Unicorn Guild Master.”

“Yes, Professor.”

“I want to know what’s happening in America. I’m curious about the crisis of humanity mentioned in the letter.”

I understood that this matter was related to the main quest, but that was all I knew.

This was not an event that players could normally participate in. Therefore, there was almost no information about the event.

Since my greatest weapon was my knowledge of the game, the lack of information was troubling.

Edelin replied in a low voice.

“It’s classified information that can’t be known unless you’re involved.”

It felt like she was being mindful of Lee Ye-eun and Jo Seong-woong, who were with me.

This was something that definitely needed to be addressed.

Lee Ye-eun was a clever NPC who was friendly towards players.

There was no way she would betray or unnecessarily blab about anything.

“You don’t need to worry, Ye-eun. This girl is my assistant, and if you need my cooperation, it will inevitably reach Ye-eun’s ears as well. And Professor Jo…”

This was a big deal.

I really didn’t trust this guy.

Still, I felt that if I pressed too hard after saying this much, he would sulk, so I made up something appropriate.

“…was an S-rank hero affiliated with Korea.”

—

“Hey, you! Why are you brooding like that? And why is that all you have to say about me?”

Jo Seong-woong was angry, but I chose to ignore it.

This was enough to paint a thin layer of gold over his face.

Edelin smiled softly.

“No, of course I trust the professor’s party. The problem is over there.”

Edelin gestured toward the driver’s seat.

“That person is an association staff member, but they don’t have the position to access the information.”

“Hah, so the American Association looks down on Professor Cha. They only sent a lowly subordinate?”

As Jo Seong-woong grumbled, the staff member broke into a cold sweat and explained.

“That was never the intention. I’m somewhat of an executive at the association, but the matter is so serious that only those at the director level and above can access it.”

“Oh, really?”

Jo Seong-woong’s tone softened a bit.

It seemed he was pleased that the prestigious Hero Association, especially the American one, had sent an executive as a driver.

The limousine smoothly made its way to the hotel.

It was a space more luxurious than the Baekje Hotel I had visited before.

As the association staff handed us the key card, they said, “The meeting is scheduled for tomorrow at 11 AM. I will come to pick you up at 10.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

The staff member got back in the car and left.

Edelin said, “I’ll go in first. I hope you all have a comfortable night.”

“Yes.”

She immediately entered the hotel.