LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 86
I rubbed my eyes and looked back at the monitor screen.
Of course, that doesn’t change the fact.
‘…Is this a promotion targeting academy students?’
It seems like Kang Cheol-min and the guilds are quite diligent.
Guest of the talk show, Ye Do-hyeong.
A message directed to the future Hunters of the magical realm.
He brought a topic that sounded quite plausible and impressive.
‘…Hmph, how ridiculous.’
I admit that his taste in alcohol isn’t bad, but I haven’t forgotten that he’s the enemy of my tongue.
Let’s see how high the level of your talk show really is.
I checked what time Ye Do-hyeong’s segment was scheduled for.
Just then, someone knocked on the professor’s office door.
Knock knock—
“Yes, come in.”
The door slowly opened.
Two women timidly stepped into the professor’s office.
And soon.
“Eek!”
“Ah?!”
Upon discovering the model, they stumbled sideways.
Shaking in fright, they pointed at the goblin model and yelled.
“P-professor! There’s a monster here!”
“Why is there a goblin in the professor’s office?!”
…They say words become seeds.
I thought someone seeing it for the first time might be startled, but I just witnessed it today.
It’s been quite a while since I saw students look so shocked.
Memories of the second lecture day surfaced, and I found myself smiling naturally.
“Phew, it’s just a model.”
“Ah, really? A-a model?”
“That’s right… is that so?”
The female students looked back and forth between my face and the models before they finally let out a sigh of relief.
I watched as color returned to their faces, noticing their faces seemed somewhat familiar. Where had I seen them before?
…Ah, I remember.
They were students from the magical realm who helped with a group project at the café.
The girls who were with Eun-byeol and Ah-reum.
I didn’t expect them to come all the way to the professor’s office.
“Please, take a seat. What brings you here?”
“Um, we noticed the light was on as we passed by. Did we disturb you while you were busy?”
“No, it’s fine.”
First off, their polite demeanor gets a pass.
“We were stuck on our magical realm major assignment and wanted to ask the professor in charge. But since today is the festival, it seems she’s out…”
“So, you happened to see my office?”
“Yes, exactly!”
“Thanks again for the help with our last group project!”
Even on a festival day, their passion for assignments is impressive.
It naturally reminded me that these students seem promising.
The future of the academy looks bright.
“Let’s take a look at the part you’re stuck on.”
“Thank you!”
“Here, here it is!”
I reviewed the books and materials the students handed me.
It didn’t seem like they made much progress since our last meeting.
I hadn’t really looked into the curriculum for the major.
I suppose Ah-reum must be learning at this level too?
By chance, I managed to figure out Ah-reum’s situation.
“Looking at the notes, there’s an error here. Pay attention.”
“Ah, so this is where I went wrong…”
“Wow…”
The two female students nodded vigorously as if they understood.
Their eagerness made me think about giving them a little extra help.
There’s plenty of time, after all.
“I’ll write down a few examples you can reference.”
I swiftly jotted some notes in the blank space of the notebook.
The two looked at me with sparkling eyes.
Seeing their passionate gazes lifted my mood for no reason.
The notes naturally expanded in length.
As I kept writing, one female student spoke up.
“Oh, right! Professor! During our last group project, the major professor asked if it was content I thought of myself. I said I learned it from Professor Jeong Si-hyun, is that going to be a problem…?”
“Oh, no. Just be comfortable with it.”
“Okay! Thank you!”
As I responded to the students’ questions, the notes quickly came to an end.
The two female students, packing up their notebooks and pens, politely thanked me.
“Professor, thank you so much! Thanks to you, the assignment became much easier!”
“If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have enjoyed the festival and would have struggled all night. You’re the best!”
The two girls giggled as they exchanged glances.
Their innocence brought a smile to my face as well.
Plus, just before leaving the professor’s office, how adorable they were glaring at the goblin model.
Maybe I should design the next model similar to the goblin model?
The creative itch was bubbling up. Hehe…
“…Oh right. I should let the manager know about that.”
Suddenly, I realized I had forgotten something.
I needed to tell the manager that there was no longer a need to find additional Momobin goods.
I could get free donating anytime now and enjoy free reactions!
With a broad smile, I sent a message to the manager.
– You don’t need to get Momobin goods for me anymore!
Was the manager holding his phone too?
The reply came back almost immediately.
– Has your favorite changed?
– Huh? No way.
– I happened to get a few more keychains…
– I’ll give those to the manager as a gift!
– Um, okay…
A moment of silence followed in the chat.
Since that was all I needed to say, I was about to leave the chat when another message popped up.
– Now, what should I find for you?
– Apparently, Momobin is about to release new goods! I’m fine now!
– Hmm…
Another pause ensued in the conversation.
For some reason, it felt like the manager wanted to keep chatting, so I waited a bit.
Just as I suspected.
– Do you perhaps have any other hobbies?
– Hobbies? Hmm.
I thought for a moment.
Something immediately came to mind.
– I’m going to smash some dungeons in the local area next week. I’m planning to take a student with me, so please handle that.
– E-excuse me?
– We need to protect our precious author. I’m going to wipe out all the nearby dungeons.
– Ah, I see.
After exchanging a bit more conversation with the manager, I checked my chat list.
In the meantime, Eun-byeol had sent me a message.
We exchanged numbers when we went to the market, but it was the first time I received an actual message.
‘Oh, it was about Ye Do-hyeong’s talk show.’
It was nothing much. I was planning to catch it while passing by anyway.
I handled the things I had almost forgotten.
There was still a bit of time until the festival officially started.
I opened YouTube on my laptop.
I entered the live stream of Momobin.
I enjoyed the gaming broadcast that had started without me noticing.
“Aah, if you don’t know, you’re going to die!”
When Momobin’s character died, I realized it was the perfect moment and quickly grabbed my phone.
I sent Si-yoon a personal message.
– You’re supposed to do it like this, not that way.
I echoed a phrase I had noticed often while watching the stream.
The impact was direct.
“That’s not how you do it…? Ah, sis! This is really hard!”
– Hahahahaha
– Hahahahahaha
– Are you watching?
– You two look so close, it’s nice to see lol
– Sis, you’re losing! Hahaha
– Hahahahahaha
– Team! Team!
Momobin was suffering, and the viewers were enjoying it.
I didn’t want to overdo it, so I casually continued to watch the stream.
* * *
As the sun gradually set, the playground was bathed in a red hue.
Sounds of laughter and music filled the air, announcing the start of the festival.
Between the swaying tents, I could already see people eating and drinking.
‘Wow, there are so many people.’
Near the stage set up on the playground, it was already crowded with people.
It seemed not just academy students but also regular folks had come to watch the festival.
I strolled around leisurely and made a full circle around the playground.
I found a spot that allowed an adequate view of the stage while still feeling somewhat spacious, so I settled down there.
One by one, celebrities took to the stage to dance and sing.
Soon, the host appeared and began the talk show, and Ye Do-hyeong stepped up onto the stage.
“Let’s welcome the S-rank Hunter of the Dawn Guild, Ye Do-hyeong!”
Wow——!
Clap clap clap clap!
The warmest applause filled the playground like never before.
Ye Do-hyeong waved lightly and scanned the crowd.
During this time, the host continued with his explanations.
“Today’s theme is ‘Messages for Future Hunters of the Magical Realm!’ Don’t you guys really look forward to what Ye Do-hyeong will share?”
Once again, applause and cheers erupted from the audience.
Taking the mic, Ye Do-hyeong began with greetings and a light conversation.
It wasn’t anything particularly special.
However, it felt different from Kang Cheol-min’s special lecture.
The atmosphere was just right for the festival, and laughter erupted here and there.
People responded enthusiastically to every word he said, enjoying themselves.
“…So, I hope you all don’t fear failure.”
At some point, Ye Do-hyeong naturally brought up a serious topic.
The boisterous laughter quieted down, and Ye Do-hyeong continued speaking in a calm voice.
“Failure is something everyone experiences. What’s important is realizing that it’s not the end. Challenge yourself and don’t be afraid. Learn from your failures and keep moving forward.”
Ye Do-hyeong took a brief pause to breathe.
During a moment of silence, someone clapped, and warm applause began to spread through the crowd.
However, Ye Do-hyeong waved his hands and stopped the applause.
“I won’t just speak about it; I’ll show you.”
He took a deep breath as if he wanted to close his eyes for a moment.
And with a serious expression, he spoke.
“Okay, watch closely.”
In that moment.
Mana flowed from the tips of Ye Do-hyeong’s fingers, and art began to unfold.
The traces of light continuously radiated from his fingertips.
The light of mana twirled above in the sky, delicately unfolding like a painting.
The magical flow spread across the sky, presenting a mystical experience that seemed like a dream, separate from reality.
The crowd held their breath, absorbed in the spectacle.
After quietly finishing his magic, Ye Do-hyeong smiled and said.
“This magic was created for today. There were countless trials and errors leading up to this, but those processes ultimately resulted in this.”
…I stood up from my seat.
The voice of Ye Do-hyeong continuing the talk show from behind me still reached my ears.
“We can handle mana like this, even without the support of a status window. Do you understand, everyone?”
…I’ll admit it.
You’re not a fake.
Ye Do-hyeong, he was the first real wizard I had ever witnessed on Earth.
* * *
As I slowly walked along the path next to the playground, I explored the night market.
I ventured down a direction I hadn’t visited before.
As I reached the end, the crowd began to thin out, and it became quieter.
At that moment, I discovered a shop I liked.
Warm odeng and delicious-looking skewers.
Feeling nostalgic, I took a seat in a corner.
It seemed like there had been customers just a moment ago, but now I was all alone.
“Hey, can I get one odeng and a beer?”
“Yes, coming right up!”
The menu arrived quickly.
It wouldn’t take long in the first place.
I blew on the odeng and savored its taste along with the beer.
Leisurely watching the people passing by, I finished my drink in no time.
‘…Should I have another drink?’
That seemed just enough for a pleasant time before heading back.
Just as I was looking to decide on some snacks again while glancing at the menu.
“Hello. I’ll have a beer too, please.”
“Yes, coming right up.”
“…?”
A sturdy young man stood beside me.
He wore a cap pulled down low.
As he turned to look at me, despite his face being covered by a mask, I recognized him.
It was Ye Do-hyeong.
…He didn’t disturb the talk show, yet here he is.
Why did he come here on his own?