I Became a Swordsmanship Genius at the Academy

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“Wow… what is all this…?”

Hanarin muttered as she rummaged through the contents of the bundle.

Her sparkling eyes were brimming with curiosity and anticipation.

Just from what was visible on top, there were quite a few valuable magical tools.

While they weren’t exactly for Kim Il-shin to use directly, if they were taken to the auction house, they’d easily fetch hundreds.

“I thought it was just a gift…”

Upon confirming it, Hazuki’s eyes widened in astonishment.

It was hard to believe that someone she didn’t even know would hand over such unbelievable items just out of goodwill.

Moreover, there seemed to be at least dozens of them.

‘It’s no wonder you’d be surprised.’

I thought it was just going to be another single magical tool like last time, but this was practically a complete gift set.

“I can’t see it well…”

Hanarin made a sound as she shined her phone light while digging inside. It was deep and dark, making it hard to see.

“Let’s take everything out for now.”

Kim Il-shin picked up the bundle and laid all the contents out on the desk.

“Wow, wow, wow…!”

Hanarin’s reaction was huge once she finally saw everything.

She was bouncing up and down on the table like a child who had just received an early Christmas present.

“…This is really amazing.”

Hazuki’s reaction was similar.

She seemed calmer than Hanarin, but her eyes were constantly scanning the gifts.

“This one is a high-grade glowstone, this is a fortune ore, and this is a cold ice stone…”

“There are also rare books. I heard there are only a few in the world… Oh?! It’s the original…!”

Amidst all the expensive items, Kim Il-shin’s gaze wasn’t directed at Hanarin or Hazuki.

‘There it is.’

He picked up a small sphere among the items.

About the size of two finger joints, it was the ‘Mana Bomb’ created by Panhaeyul last time.

An item containing all the know-how of Panhaeyul, who stood at the pinnacle of magic and alchemy.

It looked similar to other bombs, but its power was on a whole different level.

When it came to destructive power, it was more akin to a strategic weapon than a mere bomb.

‘No wonder the faculty would go crazy if someone was trying to give this to a student.’

Just possessing something like this would put you under surveillance. Showing up at an official function with it would make you a suspect for terrorism.

‘But having it isn’t exactly bad.’

Kim Il-shin smiled as he picked up the mana bomb. Then, he recalled Panhaeyul’s note once again.

[You truly have an eye for this. This child is my masterpiece that I poured my heart into.]

What followed was the explanation of the mana bomb and instructions for its use.

From the detailed explanations, one could feel Panhaeyul’s affection for this bomb.

Perhaps sending gifts was a way to deliver this bomb that he had created for the students, now just collecting dust in the storage.

Kim Il-shin tucked the mana bomb into his arms.

‘Just this alone is a significant gain.’

He didn’t yet know where he would use it, but wherever he did, it was certainly a valuable item.

He could use it to signal the start of a battle, or to inflict significant damage to the enemy when the opportunity arose.

Or, it could even be used to destroy something.

‘Other than that… I don’t see anything particularly special.’

Of course, everything had great value, but nothing seemed suitable for Kim Il-shin, the inspector.

“The preservation condition is amazing…!”

Hazuki, who was very interested in books and antiques, seemed thrilled.

It was natural that Hanarin couldn’t contain her excitement as well.

“I’m good with this, so just take what you need.”

Though she didn’t need it immediately, she had no intention of taking it to auction.

There was no way to just dispose of a gift like that, and besides, she wasn’t short on money.

So, it would be better to distribute them to those two.

They would likely use it better than keeping it for herself.

“Really?!”

“Seriously?!”

At that moment, Hanarin and Hazuki turned their heads simultaneously, asking with shining eyes.

Kim Il-shin chuckled and replied.

“Yeah. You can take whatever you need.”

“Oh yeah!”

“Thank you so much!”

There was no hesitation. Immediately, the two reached out and quickly began grabbing the gifts.

“This one, this one, and this too…”

Hanarin and Hazuki were sorting through the gifts at a rapid pace.

However, since there was so much, it seemed like it would take some time.

Thinking that it was a good opportunity, Kim Il-shin spoke up.

“You know it takes a while for food to come, so I’ll go order it ahead. Just finish organizing and come out. One each should be fine, right?”

“I want two!”

“Alright.”

Kim Il-shin left the busy duo behind and went outside.

*

The street was just as usual.

Students were walking around laughing with their friends, and merchants greeted customers with smiles on their faces.

“These days, it’s you who’s getting popular! Be sure to stop by here!”

“That’s Kim Il-shin, right? He was in the news this time…!”

“If I’d known it would turn out like this, I should have talked to him earlier…”

Due to the recent announcement of Kim Il-shin’s achievements, some recognized him.

Contrary to the unsettling external situation, this place seemed peaceful.

Kim Il-shin walked slowly toward the restaurant.

He looked around, occasionally glancing at the people passing by and the scenery of the street.

Then suddenly, he made eye contact with a man in a black suit wearing glasses.

The man sitting at the first-floor outdoor terrace of a café was unfolding a newspaper and had red eyes.

The moment their gazes met was brief.

The man lifted his cup, drinking its contents before looking back at his book.

Huuk—

At that moment, Kim Il-shin’s vision blurred.

It felt like he blinked for a moment, and when he opened his eyes, he was seated across from the man.

“Hmm.”

Facing the man, Kim Il-shin casually straightened his clothing.

He brushed the dust off his sleeves and buttoned his shirt.

“Is this our first meeting?”

There was no answer, but it was not a question that he expected a reply to in the first place.

“It must be our first meeting. Just for you.”

Kim Il-shin said, crossing his arms.

His gaze was directed outside rather than at the man. The street was still peaceful.

After surveying the beginning and end of the street, Kim Il-shin finally looked at the man’s red eyes.

“……Isn’t that right? Master of the Jeokcheon Cult.”

At that moment, everyone on the street froze in place. They stood still like mannequins in a showroom.

Crack.

At last, their necks were harshly twisted. The gazes of everyone around were fixed solely on Kim Il-shin.

However, Kim Il-shin’s gaze fixed on the head of the Jeokcheon Cult, the Master, remained unshaken.

Everyone had expected this.

“How did you figure it out?”

The Master’s mouth opened, and a chilling voice followed afterward.

Setting down the book on the table, he spoke with the same expression as always.

“It was perfect. The only thing that changed was the space; everything else was the same. Where did you find the clue?”

“There’s nothing perfect in this world.”

“I agree. Perfection is permitted only to Him. However, from a human’s perspective, this space was perfect.”

“He is not perfect. Just looking at the records he left behind shows the truth. Oh, but you wouldn’t know since you haven’t seen it, would you?”

As he spoke provocatively, the Master raised one corner of his mouth in a mocking smile.

“That’s merely your criteria as a nonbeliever. To Him, we find perfection.”

‘Foolish brat.’

The Master had no idea what the world would be like after the plans of the Jeokcheon Cult had succeeded, and their God had descended.

The disaster of a demon with twisted madness would not distinguish between friends and foes.

In the first place, a God cannot exist without believers.

Thus, a God is created according to the wills of his believers and fulfills their desires.

However, the demon had ascended to divinity purely for its own goals.

To bring forth their world by summoning the demon, the wishes of the Jeokcheon Cult believers would be nothing but vile waste in his eyes.

But Kim Il-shin knew that persuasion was a waste of time.

He decided to reveal what the other side desired.

“The gaze is different.”

“The gaze?”

“In human gazes, emotions inevitably reveal themselves, and those emotions change moment by moment. But those guys over there… their emotions are too simplistic.”

When he first entered this space, he hadn’t felt any discomfort, but after observing slowly, he could notice the difference.

Though the space and interior were filled, people’s emotions had not been properly reproduced.

“When friends meet, they all share the same joy, and everyone feels the same anticipation when buying delicious food. Isn’t it strange?”

When meeting friends, one might just feel happy, while another could feel tired.

When purchasing something delicious, one could feel excitement over the taste, while another could feel worry and regret about dieting.

Perhaps one could even smile thinking about their family or loved ones waiting at home.

“The complexity of human emotions divides even a single situation into thousands of threads. Now do you understand?”

“Indeed, that was my misjudgment. I didn’t expect you to have the ability to see through emotions.”

“Even if it’s just observation, you don’t need my abilities to discover it. It may be hard for you who lack understanding of human emotions.”

The Master didn’t respond to Kim Il-shin’s mocking words.

Instead, he tapped his fingers on the table and spoke again.

“May I ask one more thing?”

“Feel free to ask.”

Kim Il-shin didn’t mind the time spent lingering.

Even though he was caught in the enemy’s trap and stuck in their midst, that allowed him a clear insight into their intentions.

Moreover, this situation was distinctly favorable for Kim Il-shin.

“How did you learn that I was the Master?”

“How could I not know?”

It was an incredibly easy question to answer. Kim Il-shin pointed at the Master’s eyes.

They were red, even more vivid than the bishops, the highest-ranking officials within the Jeokcheon Cult.

Though the Master had concealed that color with illusions that confused the mind, it was clearly visible to Kim Il-shin.

“If you didn’t want your identity revealed, you should have covered those eyes.”