[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
Chapter 31
Before arriving at Yongmun Mountain, I had doubts about the claim that this mountain was a treasure trove of precious dicinal herbs.
However, upon ascending the mountain, I couldn't help but believe it. From the entrance of the hiking trail to the mountainside, students who had co to gather dicinal herbs could be seen everywhere.
"Due to the fog, no one had set foot here for hundreds of years. Thanks to that, the dicinal herbs seem to have been perfectly preserved," Clentine, who had followed to the mountain, explained.
According to her, the academy Garden was originally a flower bed where dicinal herbs from Yongmun Mountain were transplanted before the fog appeared.
"During the Joseon Dynasty, the Taoist Jeon Woo-chi told the people that the Imugi of the mountain would spread fog, so they should transplant the dicinal herbs to their fields in advance."
Clentine chattered on with a proud look, explaining that the flower bed had beco the Masterclass Garden after several centuries.
I listened quietly and then asked, "But why are you so proud of that?"
"Well... isn't it amazing? It ans that Jeon Woo-chi created our academy Garden. Ironically, Hwadam Seo Gyeong-deok, who founded the academy, was obsessed with capturing Jeon Woo-chi."
In the setting of the Military Chronicle, where myths and legends are recorded as actual history, Jeon Woo-chi and Seo Gyeong-deok appear as longti rivals.
The story of the two Taoist priests constantly fighting.
That story has been passed down to this day, dividing the military into factions, and Clentine seems to be on Jeon Woo-chi's side.
"Of course, Master Hwadam is amazing... but still, isn't Jeon Woo-chi cooler? Free-spirited and cheerful."
"I see."
The words, 'If it weren't for Jeon Woo-chi stealing the Imugi's Divine Pearl and running away, this mountain wouldn't have been covered in fog...' lingered in my mouth, but I decided not to say them out loud.
'Anyway, thanks to that, I have less to worry about.'
With this scale of dicinal herbs, I should be able to find the combination ingredients I need without difficulty.
Murmur murmur-
Just as I was about to explore the mountain, a commotion suddenly arose from below.
"What's that noise? dicinal herb collection is prohibited?"
Students frowned as if they had heard sothing absurd.
The academy staff, facing the students, said with a firm expression, "Who gave you permission to take the herbs? Did you get permission?"
"Permission? Since when did we need permission to pick so weeds on the mountain?"
"From today onwards. A new directive from the Vice Principal was issued today."
"Directive?"
The staff took out a piece of paper and read it out aloud.
"As Yongmun Mountain will serve as the academy’s Garden, the academy will be in charge of managing and supervising all surplus products from the mountain from now on. Therefore, all the dicinal herbs you currently have must be returned."
The students were thunderstruck.
"Suddenly, what... What kind of rule is this!"
"That's right! You should have at least given us prior notice!"
The students vehently protested against the staff who appeared without warning and tried to confiscate the dicinal herbs. The staff seed montarily taken aback by the stronger-than-expected backlash from the students.
Then, a man who appeared to be the leader of the staff stepped forward.
"Prior notice? Didn't you read the academy regulations when you enrolled?"
As the man with the heavy aura stepped forward, the students unconsciously cowered.
The leader of the staff, with an imposing aura that was evident at a glance...
'Of all people, why is he here?'
I frowned as soon as I saw the man's face.
It was none other than Kim Taek-hee, the professor of the Emission Departnt.
"Masterclass Academy Regulation Article 14, Clause 4. Students' use of the Garden must be conducted with the academy’s permission and supervision. Are you all so intellectually deficient that I have to explain this basic rule?"
"B-but this is not a Garden..."
"If the academy says it's the Garden, even if it's the sea or a volcano, it's the Garden. Just think of it as a slight change in the Garden's location."
"Ugh..."
The students were speechless in the face of such overwhelming logic.
They turned pale before Kim Taek-hee, who was so resolute it was as if he could cut a diamond in two with a butter knife.
Clentine, who was watching the situation from a distance, cautiously lowered her voice and said, "Professor Do, hide yourself quickly! It'll be a big problem if Professor Kim sees you!"
"What big problem could there be now? My murder charge has been proven innocent."
"To Professor Kim, you've committed a far greater cri than murder, Professor Do. You took the Sword Saint to the Deconstructionist Departnt!"
Ah... Co to think of it, that's right. I hadn't t Kim Taek-hee since I took Seo Su-kyung to the Deconstructionist Departnt.
"Sword Saint is a genius among geniuses, coveted by all departnts. Since you took her away without a word... Professor Kim will surely be holding a grudge."
Clentine urged to keep a low profile, saying that he might find so fault with , so it was best not to stand out in this situation.
However, I couldn't retreat empty-handed like this.
"I'm going to find the combination ingredients and then leave."
"Give up. It's impossible to collect dicinal herbs now. Professor Kim Taek-hee never backs down...!"
I agreed with that opinion.
Because of his upright personality, he was called "Wall-Face" among the students because talking to him was like talking to a wall.
Even if an old man on the verge of death cried and begged, Kim Taek-hee wouldn't bat an eyelid. He was a cold-blooded person who would ruthlessly deduct points for poor attitude.
'That kind of approach will only backfire on him.'
A different approach was needed in this ga. No, in this world, when dealing with soone like him.
***
"Oh...?!"
"It's... Professor D...!"
As I stepped forward, the eyes of the students and faculty all turned towards . Even without looking closely, I could roughly see the emotions in their eyes.
Surprise, discomfort, or fear.
But Kim Taek-hee's eyes were different from the others. His unwavering gaze, fixed on , was filled with only two emotions.
A chillingly large amount of hostility and anger.
"...How dare you show your face so shalessly."
"What reason is there not to? Do I still look like I've committed so great cri?"
Kim Taek-hee pursed his lips as if looking at sothing utterly repulsive.
"Usually, when soone causes such a big disturbance, they tend to self-reflect. Or are you soone who hasn't even learned that level of social etiquette?"
"That's how it might look to our dear Professor Kim. Not only did the person you confidently threw in jail turn out to be innocent, but he even took away your precious disciple."
"...What?"
Suddenly, Kim Taek-hee's eyes were filled with fury. The eyes of the surrounding faculty and students widened as if they were facing a bomb about to explode.
I'm sorry, but I hadn't even properly started yet.
"No matter what, you should separate public and private matters. Since when did a professor beco the caretaker of the mountain behind the academy? Or are you moonlighting as a Korea Forest Service Official?"
"...I thought it was just the students who were clueless, but there's a clueless person among the professors too. Don't you know that managing academy facilities is also the duty of the faculty?"
"If this truly was the Masterclass Garden, then that would be correct."
"What do you an by that?"
I took out my phone from my pocket and uttered a familiar command.
"Caesar, who is the legal administrator of Yongmun Mountain currently?"
A response followed imdiately.
Ding-!
- Yongmun Mountain has been managed by the Korea Forest Service, a governnt agency of the Republic of Korea, since its establishnt in 1948.
"What is the status of ownership?"
- Due to the unique environnt where the fog doesn't disappear, there has never been an application for sale, but recently, the Four Emperors Foundation applied for an open bid. The ownership transfer process is currently underway.
As Caesar's explanation ca out imdiately, a stir arose among the students.
"What kind of AI is that? Which company made it?"
"I want to download one too...!"
"Wait, but didn't it just say that the Four Emperors Foundation is in the process of transferring ownership?"
"If it's the Four Emperors Foundation... then that's our academy’s foundation, right?"
The Four Emperors Foundation, which operated Masterclass.
It was a foundation established by Hwadam's disciple soldiers. There was no one among the students who didn't know its na. It was a foundation established by such famous soldiers that the image of Four Emperors Foundation equals Masterclass was ingrained in everyone.
In other words, Yongmun Mountain was not yet under the jurisdiction of Masterclass.
"But to act like the owner already... is that the kind of common sense they teach in the Emission Departnt?"
"You...!"
Kim Taek-hee's hand reflexively moved towards the sword at his waist.
Both his hands trembled on the hilts of his two swords but he couldn’t bring himself to draw the swords from their sheaths.
'That's right. This is a clear fact, the kind you love so much.'
Kim Taek-hee might think he's been caught off guard, but from my point of view, this was just common sense.
The Four Emperors Foundation, famous for being obsessed with money.
What were the chances that those guys would have already bought Yongmun Mountain?
A mountain that has been difficult to access for the past few hundred years because of the fog, at such a high price?
I could confidently say that the possibility is 0%.
"...It seems there has been so misunderstanding in the directive,” Kim Taek-hee said in a calm tone. His voice was low, but the sound of him suppressing his anger couldn’t be hidden.
"We will confirm with the Vice Principal again. Until then, you will not touch the surplus products of the mountain."
As Kim Taek-hee and the staff prepared to retreat, the students wore expressions of disbelief. Although he said that, it was effectively an admission that even Kim Taek-hee couldn't do anything.
"Oh my god, that Wall-Face is just backing down like that?"
"This is the first ti I've seen Professor Kim Taek-hee lose a fight since I started attending this academy...!"
Ding-!
[You have won a debate against Kim Taek-hee, who is famous for his integrity.]
[Do Jin-hak's reputation among students increases.]
[Do Jin-hak's fa stat increases from -22 to 0.]
[Do Jin-hak's fa stat changes from negative to positive.]
'Fa stat turned positive?'
The ssage contained sothing I didn't expect. When the fa score becos positive, various things that were not possible before beco possible.
[People's perception of Do Jin-hak changes.]
[Do Jin-hak can now use the Shop.]
The most interesting thing among those various things was definitely using the Shop.
Because Do Jin-hak's fa score was so terrible, I thought using the shop would be sothing for the future...
'To give this much reward for winning a fact-based argunt against Kim Taek-hee.'
Thanks to this, I was able to go to the Shop faster than expected.
"...And Professor Do."
As I was ntally organizing the list of things to buy at the shop, Kim Taek-hee spoke to as if he had one last thing to say.
"You seem to be getting cocky because you got out of jail, but you'd better enjoy your current happiness while you can. You don't have many days left to do so."
With that, Kim Taek-hee turned his back and quickly went down the mountain with the staff.
'What does he an by that all of a sudden?'
Kim Taek-hee was not a character who bluffed. For him to say sothing like that ant that he's preparing sothing.
"Professor Kim, perhaps... that rumor is true."
Unexpectedly, Clentine muttered with a worried look, as if she knew what it was.
"What rumor are you talking about?"
"I also heard it from other professors, but there's a rumor that Professor Kim is trying to convene a general faculty eting."
General faculty eting.
It's a eting where all 13 departnt professors of Masterclass gather to decide on important matters within the academy. In the original story, I'd only seen it held once.
Right when they decided to expel Vice Principal Oh Ji-sung.
"Then this ti, it will be a eting to decide on my expulsion."
Clentine looked at with a sowhat surprised expression when I ntioned that.
"Th-that's right. Originally, it's a eting that can't be held unless a majority of the professors agree, but this ti, I think it will pass."
"Well, there are still many people who suspect I killed Gianluca."
There's no other reason for Kim Taek-hee to convene a general eting. Clentine nodded at my words.
"If the eting is held, it will be difficult to avoid expulsion. Of course, I will help Professor Do, but this ti, Professor Sarah will actively cooperate with Professor Kim, so..."
"Professor Sarah?"
I felt like I had heard that na sowhere before. As I searched through my mories, I soon rembered.
Professor Sarah is in charge of the Summoning Departnt.
As the head of a major departnt, comparable to the Emission, Defense, and Alchemy Departnts, she is a figure with as much influence in the academy as Kim Taek-hee or Clentine.
"Arche was the most promising talent in the Summoning Departnt. Professor Sarah and Professor Kim don't get along personality-wise, but this ti, they will cooperate with each other."
She was right.
If the two most influential people in the 13 departnts join forces, they could easily take down the professor of the newly established Deconstructionist Departnt.
'But I can't just sit still and wait for the sword to fall on my neck.'
There's a reason why Professor Sarah's na was faint in my mory. Unlike Kim Taek-hee, in my previous playthroughs as a villain, Sarah was not a character who was active on the battlefield.
In other words, Professor Sarah is not a combat-oriented character.
Perhaps, if it was up to right now... I could easily kill her.
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
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