Lesson 18

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The girl’s face flushed crimson at the mention of spanking her.  

She quickly sent her hands behind her back to cover her bottom.  

“Isn’t there something else you should say to someone older than you?”  

“Older? Are you really a professor?”  

Ho-cheol asked with a puzzled look. If they were a professor, it would explain their grating tone, and why they’d come to pick a fight.  

The girl didn’t answer, but instead made a large gesture.  

In response, the bear swung its fist again.  

The previous attack was both a protest and a test of skill. But because Ho-cheol didn’t show any reaction, the second objective wasn’t fulfilled.  

Was it because he recognized the attack wasn’t truly aimed at him? Or was it simply because he couldn’t react in time? Either way, it needed to be confirmed.  

The bear’s paw flew toward Ho-cheol’s chest.  

But before it could fully extend, Ho-cheol dodged the punch effortlessly.  

“For someone so full of confidence, this is all you’ve got? I can clearly see the average skill level of the academy professors. And as for their students, well, they must be just as predictable.”  

His blatant mockery caused the girl’s face to flush an even deeper red.  

“Fine. I was just planning to test you lightly. But this won’t do. I guess I’ll have to teach you a painful lesson.”  

Her enraged expression made Ho-cheol twist his lips into a smirk.  

Truthfully, he found this attack unremarkable.  

If he’d been truly angry, he would’ve dismantled this stuffed bear into “stuffed/bear/pieces” during the first strike.  

He was slightly annoyed, but only because he’d gotten dust all over himself.  

To be honest, the lack of killing intent was obvious, and it was clear they were attacking cautiously to avoid injuring him. Getting upset over that would hardly be mature.  

From the moment he accepted the position as an academy professor, situations like this were expected. In fact, he welcomed it.  

The girl in front of him, despite her youthful appearance, showed considerable skill even by his stringent standards.  

She possessed a manipulation-based ability rather than augmentation.  

If she could achieve this level of power and finesse without consuming significant energy, she was on par with or superior to most seasoned heroes.  

Where else could he encounter a hero—or even a villain—of this caliber?  

Just minutes ago, he had been wondering how to regain his edge for real combat situations. This was the perfect opportunity.  

Most importantly, he was the clear victim here.  

Attacked right in the middle of the academy, and with the first strike no less. He had every justification. Whatever happened next wouldn’t be on him.  

Of course, it was a little odd facing a kid, but judging by her behavior and skills, she was no kid.  

And she herself claimed to be older. It was probably some trait related to her appearance.  

Whoosh!

The bear’s paw grazed past the tip of his nose.  

Ho-cheol dodged the flurry of attacks with barely the width of a sheet of paper to spare.  

But it wasn’t by chance. Or maybe it was.  

A contradiction, but true nonetheless.  

Ho-cheol was holding back his abilities as much as possible while confronting the bear.  

Even the semi-automatic traits of his powers were being forcibly suppressed.  

At his current restraint, even a single mistake would lead to a fracture—or worse, a limb being sent flying.  

But instead of succumbing to instinct, Ho-cheol slowed himself further, squeezed every last ounce of physical capability from his body, and pushed himself into a state of extreme difficulty.  

Watching him, the girl let out a small sound of admiration.  

Each of his movements reflected an exceptional level of skill and experience in real combat.  

But that admiration soon transformed into another emotion.  

Whoosh!

Ho-cheol tilted his head back, narrowly avoiding the bear’s paw. A few strands of his hair were sliced off and scattered into the air.  

It’s easy to defeat an enemy with overwhelming power.  

But that isn’t true strength. That’s mere domination.  

True strength lies in defeating a powerful enemy with minimal force.  

And what Ho-cheol needed was to reawaken the strength etched into his body.  

To feel a sense of crisis, to push beyond mere tension, to the edge of death’s fear, until his body screamed.  

He dodged attacks that were too fast for the eye to follow—slowly, and with ease.  

Whoosh!  

In the fleeting moment between the bear’s attacks, Ho-cheol found an opening.  

He struck with his fist.  

Thunk!  

Because he was holding back his abilities to their limits, the impact wasn’t immense.  

However, it was a precise and meticulous strike, akin to threading dozens of needles at once. The damage steadily accumulated.  

Thunk!  

He struck the same spot repeatedly, until small cracks began to form where his punches landed.  

Crackle.  

Finally, on the fourteenth punch, as his fist pierced the bear’s side,  

Boom!  

The seams burst open, and stuffing exploded out like a geyser.  

The bear, which had been relentlessly attacking just moments ago, suddenly froze.  

It tilted to the side and collapsed with a loud thud.  

Ho-cheol prodded the fallen bear with the tip of his foot.  

Since it moved via manipulation abilities, its sudden loss of power suggested that maintaining its original form might have been a condition for its operation.  

Ho-cheol turned to the girl and asked, “So, what’s next? Don’t tell me that’s the end of the test.”  

The girl was too stunned to respond. She struggled to even process whether the scene before her was real.  

Her career as a hero, a hunter, and an academy professor—none of it was short-lived.  

Having survived countless battles and life-threatening situations, she was more than qualified to be called a professional in combat.  

As such, she was not one to misjudge her opponent’s capabilities.  

From the recent battle, Ho-cheol’s speed, strength, and reactions were all objectively C-rank—clearly weak, both objectively and subjectively.  

Yet, for the first time, she felt an inexplicable sense of the unknown against a weaker opponent.  

Barely regaining her composure, she shouted in a sharp voice, “Who… who are you!?”  

“I used to be a villain. Now, I’m a professor here. So, is that really all?”  

The girl’s hand went to a device at her waist.  

She had options, but using them would push things beyond a mere protest or test.  

After a brief hesitation, she let go of the device and sighed deeply, as if in resignation.  

“…Fine. It’s over.”  

The thought of being spanked at her age was horrifying. Maybe she should just run away now.  

As she debated internally, Ho-cheol clapped his hands together.  

“Well then, let’s wrap this up.”  

For once, he wore a light smile, as though he was genuinely refreshed. It felt like upgrading from a tricycle to a slightly more challenging bicycle.  

It wasn’t much, but in a fight without killing intent, this was the limit.  

Rolling his shoulders as if warming up, he asked, “You called this a test, right? So, what’s the verdict?”  

“…If I argued otherwise now, I’d just look petty. You’ve got enough skill to teach the kids. I can see why you insist on practical combat being so important.”  

She had reviewed the combat records from the villain attack.  

At the time, she had dismissed his victory as half luck, aided by an ambush and advantageous conditions.  

It certainly seemed that way then.  

But now that he had demonstrated it right in front of her, there was no room for doubt.  

“By the way,” Ho-cheol muttered, glancing around with a faintly troubled expression.  

“What are we supposed to do about this mess?”  

No matter how much he wanted to leave it all to her, the surroundings were in complete disarray.  

The ground was torn up, with three or four massive craters. The bench behind them was split in half, and the grass had been annihilated.  

If an environmental group saw this, they’d likely foam at the mouth and come after them.  

It was that bad.  

The girl crouched down, casually stuffing the bear’s side with more fluff.  

“It’s fine.”  

She spoke nonchalantly, as though it wasn’t a big deal.  

“One of the union chairperson’s privileges is to assess the skills of union-member professors. I’ve already reported this situation in advance, and all bystanders have been cleared. There won’t be any issues.”  

“That so?”  

Ho-cheol accepted her words in an overly calm tone but furrowed his brows slightly.  

Wait. Did he just hear something strange?  

Feeling his gaze, the girl—no, the union chairperson—looked up from stuffing the bear.  

“I told you I’d come find you.”  

“Unbelievable.”  

He had heard about it from a staff member, but who would have guessed it would happen this way?  

“And if you’ve joined the union, at least make an effort to know who the chairperson is.”  

She had already finished restuffing the bear’s side.  

The bear shrank back down like a deflated balloon, its torn parts miraculously mending.  

For some reason, the stuffed bear looked sadder now than before. Was it just his imagination?  

“Anyway, I warned you.”  

Ho-cheol strode forward, stopping directly in front of the union chairperson.  

“Eep.”  

Startled, she hid her bottom with the bear.  

Surely he wouldn’t actually hit her, right?  

Regardless of her youthful appearance, she was clearly much older than him. And even as a former villain, spanking her would be ridiculous.  

Contrary to her fears, Ho-cheol knelt down on one knee to meet her gaze.  

He stared at her intently for a moment, then sighed and shrugged.  

“Well, if I offended you, I’ll apologize. Maybe there’s some exceptional educational system I’m unaware of. Honestly, teaching the kids myself has been harder than I expected.”  

Of course, that didn’t mean he was retracting his earlier remark about the professors being subpar.  

He wasn’t wrong, after all.  

“But can you truly say that the current oversaturation of heroes, the decline in overall standards, and the precarious state of society have nothing to do with your faculty?”  

The chairperson’s lips pressed inward.  

The truth was, she had been most outraged by his criticisms because deep down, she shared a similar sentiment.  

As an individual professor, there was only so much she could change.  

She had tried targeting the academy’s principal to completely overhaul its teaching methods, but as someone who was only A-rank, she had failed.  

Her next-best option was forming this union.  

She couldn’t become the principal, but she could wield authority nearly equivalent to one.  

Ho-cheol smirked, though not mockingly.  

“At least you’re self-aware.”  

With that, he raised a hand and ruffled her hair.  

After thoroughly tousling it, he reached into his pocket.  

When his hand emerged, it was holding a single piece of candy.  

“Pardon me for a moment.”  

Grabbing her wrist, he forced her hand open and placed the candy on her palm.  

“If it’s complaints, I’ll listen. If it’s a story, I’ll share it. If it’s an opinion, I’ll discuss it. But don’t take your frustrations out on me.”  

He stood, then paused as a sudden thought struck him.  

“By the way, are you really that much older than me?”  

The chairperson hesitated, then muttered a number.  

Ho-cheol’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpectedly large number.  

He glanced up and down at her attire and style before muttering under his breath.  

“Interesting taste.”  

“…Show some respect.”  

“I respect it. I just don’t understand it.”  

Turning as though their conversation was over, Ho-cheol waved a hand dismissively.  

“Keep teaching the kids well, cut down on these antics, and if you’re really older, treat me to a meal sometime.”  

Before she knew it, he had already walked off into the distance.  

The chairperson watched his retreating figure and slowly unwrapped the candy.  

She typically avoided such treats due to her concern about diabetes, but for today, it might be fine.  

She brought the candy to her lips, savoring its sweetness—  

“Ugh!”  

Her face twisted in misery. Unable to spit it out, she frantically checked the wrapper.  

“C-Cinnamon?! That bastard!”  

The taste was indescribably awful, leaving her tearing up in humiliation and anger.  

***  

In a quiet café, a middle-aged man in a fedora approached Da-yeon’s table.  

Da-yeon, engrossed in her book, looked up as he greeted her.  

“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”  

“Yes, and you, sir?”  

Although they exchanged pleasantries once a month over the phone, it had been nearly half a year since they met face-to-face.  

Even so, their conversation remained strictly polite and formal.  

The butler, seated at the table, retrieved an envelope from his bag.  

“This contains the information you requested about the new professor, Miss.”  

“Thank you.”  

Da-yeon opened the envelope and examined its contents immediately.  

The amount of information was thinner than she expected, and its substance wasn’t particularly meaningful.  

Most of it was either details she already knew or things Ho-cheol would likely answer without hesitation.  

The only worthwhile piece was about his trait, which was quite fascinating.  

Still, it wasn’t what she wanted or needed at the moment.  

With a slight furrow of her brow, she asked the butler, “Is this all there is?”  

“Yes. It seems the Association is controlling the flow of information. With the current methods, this is the limit.”  

Da-yeon drained her teacup, her disappointment evident on her face.  

“When you say it’s the limit with the current methods, does that mean there are other ways to gather more information?”  

“Yes. This is merely the legal and official approach.”  

Da-yeon looked intrigued, her expression softening slightly as she leaned closer to the table.  

“What are the alternatives?”  

“There are two options: one is to be more blatant, and the other is to dig deeper.”  

The butler raised his index and middle fingers.  

“What do you mean by ‘blatant’?”  

“It involves openly prying into his personal life. Financial records, real estate, personal details—essentially stirring up all related information. Eventually, there will be a reaction. When the Association asks us to back off, we can use that as leverage to negotiate or strike a deal for the desired information. Of course, this method comes with the risk that the target may also find out.”  

Da-yeon immediately shook her head.  

It wasn’t even worth considering.  

If Ho-cheol found out about this, the fragile progress they’d made in their relationship would crumble instantly.  

It was worse than doing nothing at all.  

“What about the second option?”  

“That would involve using the underworld. Illegal brokers and informants specializing in villain information are everywhere. This would avoid conflicts with the Association or the target.”  

After some thought, she shook her head again.  

This wasn’t viable either.  

Judging from Ho-cheol’s behavior and words, he valued professional ethics and morality far more than a hero’s abilities.  

If he discovered she had used such shady methods for personal reasons… that was a future she didn’t want to imagine.  

“If neither option appeals to you, there is one other method. It’s both effective and safe.”  

“What is it?”  

The butler lowered his voice, as if about to reveal a critical secret.  

“You could seek assistance from the Master…”  

But before he could finish, Da-yeon shot up from her seat.  

Her face twisted in anger, and her clenched fists trembled slightly.  

“I told you not to mention him.”  

“Miss, the Master only…”  

“I’m leaving.”  

“Understood. I won’t bring him up again.”  

It wasn’t just a strained relationship.  

To Da-yeon, her father was someone she couldn’t stand to associate with—a wall she needed to overcome, or rather, an enemy.  

She hadn’t returned home even once since enrolling at the academy.  

The rift between her and the Sword Demon ran that deep.  

Ironically, the Sword Demon didn’t seem to care about her defiance.  

Or more accurately, he didn’t care about Da-yeon at all.  

That cycle of indifference and resentment had crossed a point of no return long ago.  

After shooting a glare at the apologizing butler, Da-yeon slowly sat back down.  

“If you keep suggesting I reconcile with him, I won’t see you anymore either.”  

“Understood. I’ll be careful,” the butler said with a nervous chuckle, then shifted the conversation as he reached for something else.  

“And here is the item you requested.”  

Thunk.  

He placed a heavy hard case on the table, one so weighty it took both hands to carry.  

With a soft click, he unlocked the case and opened it.  

Inside lay a gleaming white bow, its pristine surface contrasting sharply with the dark interior of the case.  

It seemed almost as if the bow emitted its own light.  

Da-yeon let out a soft murmur of admiration as she gazed at it.  

The butler, watching her reaction, smirked subtly.  

“This is unexpected. You always insisted on using mass-produced equipment, but now you’ve requested a top-of-the-line piece.”  

“It was time for a change.”  

“You wouldn’t believe the trouble I went through to acquire this. The waitlist was ridiculously long, and the manufacturer…”  

The butler’s recounting of his struggles faded into the background.  

Da-yeon’s eyes were fixed on the bow’s elegant curves, unable to look away.  

She reached out and gently ran her hand along its surface.  

It felt smooth yet simultaneously sturdy.  

How unfortunate that she couldn’t grip it and practice a proper stance in the café.  

“To be honest, Miss, the last time I saw you, it looked as though you’d completely lost interest in archery.”  

“Everyone goes through a slump,” Da-yeon replied, barely holding back a smirk tugging at her lips.  

She carefully closed the case and packed it away with great care.  

‘With this, I can do it too!’  

***  

It was the third session of Ho-cheol’s bi-weekly Saturday one-on-one tutoring.  

Da-yeon proudly unveiled her newly acquired bow.  

Skipping warm-ups entirely, she immediately held it out and strutted around in front of Ho-cheol.  

‘Hurry up and notice it!’  

If he asked where she got it, she planned to proudly brag about how it was a custom-made, top-of-the-line piece.  

“What’s this? Did you get a new bow…?”  

Ho-cheol trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.  

He stared at the bow with a mixture of confusion and distaste.  

After a moment of contemplation, he finally spoke.  

“…Where did you pick up this piece of trash?”  

“What?”  

Caught off guard by the completely unexpected reaction, Da-yeon could only let out a dumbfounded noise.  

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