Lunchtime.
Sang-ho queued up at the teachers’ exclusive cafeteria entrance with Seolmi.
He could feel that the students standing nearby occasionally stole glances at him.
Seolmi turned back to him and chuckled.
“Sang-ho, you’re as popular as ever.”
“It feels a bit different from being popular.”
He followed Seolmi, leaning on his cane.
“If I were in better physical condition, they wouldn’t be staring like this.”
“If you were fine, it wouldn’t stop at stares.”
“What do you mean?”
“Now they’re too intimidated to approach you. If you didn’t have that eye patch, girls would be flocking around you, don’t you think?”
Sang-ho shook his head in disbelief as he listened to Seolmi’s words.
The students from the second and third years were more persistent. They were eager to catch a glimpse of the young, new male teacher they’d only heard about in rumors, a teacher who had been secluded in the teachers’ office.
Even now, as they waited in line, it was the same. Students from the second and third years who had already finished their meals were observing him from a distance.
To Seolmi, those girls appeared both pitiable and endearing.
“Ah, those were the days…”
While they conversed, the line for teachers diminished, and soon it was Sang-ho’s turn.
The food at the private school was unlike what he had eaten before, particularly because this prestigious institution charged high tuition fees. The cuisine was exceptionally luxurious, and it made him chuckle wryly, thinking back to the unidentifiable fish sticks he had eaten as a student and the bean soup he had endured during military service.
After obtaining his meal, he settled into the teachers’ eating area. He didn’t enjoy talking while eating, so he quickly finished his meal alone. That’s why he opted for a seat in a secluded corner.
Suddenly, someone placed a tray next to him.
“Teacher!”
He turned his head to see Tae-hwa grinning.
“Can I join you for lunch?”
“Huh?”
Sang-ho glanced around in slight bewilderment. This area was reserved for teachers, and Tae-hwa was the only student present.
Normally, he didn’t care much about what others thought, but causing a commotion now might lead to trouble later on.
However, he couldn’t just dismiss her coldly.
“Just for today. Next time, eat with your classmates.”
“Okay~.”
Tae-hwa responded cheerfully and sat down beside him.
Sang-ho observed Tae-hwa’s wagging devil tail behind her and thought she resembled a puppy. If the tail mirrored her emotions, she appeared to be in a good mood.
“Teacher.”
“Yes?”
“Can I have this?”
Tae-hwa pointed at the fried item on his plate with her chopsticks.
Without much thought, he nodded.
“Go ahead.”
“This too?”
“Yes.”
“And this?”
“Just enjoy everything.”
After devouring all the side dishes, Tae-hwa leaned forward and looked back at Sang-ho.
“So, what’s your favorite, teacher?”
“I find rice the most delicious.”
That was no exaggeration.
He had been on a military operation in the middle of winter during the war. After going hungry for two days, they finally received orders to eat. When they opened the ration bag, they found plain rice seasoned only with salt. At first, he almost discarded it, but it tasted so good they nearly fought over the leftovers.
Since the days when he had to consume bugs and monster meat raw during the war, he refrained from complaining as long as he had rice, whether accompanied by side dishes or not.
As he was scooping up plain rice, a piece of fried food was presented right in front of him.
“Here, have some of this.”
After finishing a mouthful of rice, he was about to express his contentment when Tae-hwa promptly placed a piece of fried food into his mouth.
She chuckled while she playfully sucked on the chopsticks that she had inserted into and removed from Sang-ho’s mouth.
“Is it good?”
There was something about her smile that felt somewhat devious, as if everything was proceeding according to a plan. Although he had no clue about the plan itself.
‘…Young people these days are complex.’
Sang-ho nodded casually.
Tae-hwa hummed a tune, clearly pleased with herself. A heart-shaped tail gently swayed behind her, resembling a dandelion in a spring breeze.
***
On the first day of school, most teachers refrained from conducting lessons. The same held true for the afternoon. However, Sang-ho’s class followed a different approach.
Some teachers believed in gradually introducing students to the school environment for a smoother adjustment, while others preferred a more vigorous start to the school term. Sang-ho’s perspective, however, diverged from these.
Adaptation was not a matter of choice; one had to adapt as soon as they were exposed to a new environment.
“How does it feel? Are you comfortable?”
Standing on the sports field, Sang-ho gazed at the girls in their gym uniforms and inquired.
Se-hee nodded in agreement.
“Yes, it’s comfortable.”
Her attire was distinct from ordinary tracksuits—an outfit consisting of black tights that clung to her body, topped with a black zip-up hoodie. It was tailored for Se-hee, who would be engaging in close combat, made from flame-resistant and durable materials.
On the other hand, Tae-hwa and Na-bit sported different attire. Tae-hwa wore the same zip-up hoodie but retained her school skirt due to her tail. Na-bit donned a typical, loose-fitting gym suit as she served as a backline support hunter of the faith type.
Se-hee touched the sword secured to her waist with her gloved hands.
“Are we going to spar?”
“Consider the sparring as actual combat.”
Sang-ho tossed a large brown bear plushie onto the dirt floor of the sports field. The bear plushie clutched a toy hammer in its hand.
“This will be your opponent in my place.”
As he extended his hand, the bear plushie autonomously stood up. Due to its substantial size, it matched the girls’ height once it stood upright.
Na-bit widened her eyes, looking astonished.
“Is it a robot?”
“No, I’m controlling it.”
Sang-ho, unable to move himself, had to resort to this method to assess the girls’ agility—manipulating objects using his inner energy.
“Let’s begin with Se-hee. The rest of you, step back.”
“Understood.”
Se-hee stepped forward, while Tae-hwa and Na-bit retreated. Sang-ho also positioned himself beside them, with the bear plushie in the middle.
Standing in the center of the expansive sports field, Se-hee drew her sword.
“You can attack whenever you’re ready.”
Upon hearing that, Se-hee began to circle the bear plushie, her eyes filled with determination. She treated the situation as genuine combat, just as he had instructed.
Sang-ho couldn’t help but smile wryly, recognizing her dedication.
However, to Tae-hwa, it seemed like a futile endeavor.
“Charge, charge!”
She waved her arms and cheered.
Se-hee continued to seek an opening for a moment longer, then made a quick, sliding lunge. She thrust her sword toward the plushie’s jaw like a lightning bolt.
‘She’s sharp.’
Sang-ho admired her skill as he manipulated the bear plushie to evade the sword. A simple sidestep was enough.
Swish.
The toy hammer lightly tapped her head.
Se-hee flinched and rubbed her head in disbelief, as if she couldn’t believe how easily it had dodged.
“Huh…?”
“Don’t be discouraged. I have a broader field of vision, so it’s expected. Right now, I just want to observe your fighting style.”
Sang-ho called out and controlled the bear plushie to launch another attack at Se-hee.
The teddy bear leaped, swinging its rubber mallet down toward her. Se-hee anticipated the trajectory and narrowly dodged to the side.
However, the doll twisted its body mid-air, turning toward Se-hee.
It was a move impossible for a human.
Beep.
The second attack grazed Se-hee’s shoulder.
Tae-hwa exclaimed upon seeing this.
“Ah! That’s cheating!”
“The ones with thick tails move like that. Their center of gravity is different.”
Had they not known this and encountered monsters like lizardmen, they might have been seriously injured at least once. Sang-ho landed the teddy bear on the ground.
At that moment, Se-hee reached out with her left hand and grabbed the teddy bear by the scruff of its neck.
“Ah…”
Seizing the brief moment when Sang-ho appeared slightly surprised, she pulled the doll toward her and thrust her sword with her right hand.
A close-range strike.
Sang-ho acknowledged that most monsters would have had no choice but to succumb to that attack.
‘But this doll is quite expensive.’
Cling.
Se-hee’s sword rang out loudly as it struck the mallet that blocked her blade.
She widened her eyes upon seeing the bluish energy swirling around the mallet.
“Ah…”
“Good job, good job. Let’s stop here. Come here.”
Sang-ho applauded and called her over.
“Next, Tae-hwa.”
This time, Tae-hwa stepped forward. She wagged her tail as she walked and then suddenly vanished, leaving behind a trail of black smoke.
When Tae-hwa reappeared, she was positioned behind the teddy bear. A purplish aura gathered between her red horns.
“Yah!”
With a shout, a purple beam shot toward the doll.
‘So it’s a kind of magic I’ve never seen before.’
Sang-ho bent the doll at the waist to dodge the beam.
Demon hybrids used magic differently from humans. They instinctively harnessed mana and mixed in curses to create unique spells.
As a result, ordinary human wizards chanted spells when casting magic, but demon hybrids didn’t require such an incantation process.
Following the trajectory of Tae-hwa’s swinging hand, a spear made of black crystals flew out.
Pop pop pop.
The doll skillfully evaded the spears while charging at her.
However, landing a decisive blow appeared to be challenging. Tae-hwa could teleport at will, making her a difficult target. But her spells were too slow to hit the doll.
She briefly paused her hopping and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.
“Sigh…”
Tae-hwa sighed, glared at the doll, and then began circling it while dispersing black smoke. Soon, a ring of red flames erupted from the path she had traversed.
The fiery circle gradually closed in on the doll.
Tae-hwa leaped above the flames, accumulating a purplish aura between her horns.
“Oh-ho.”
Black smoke billowed from the flames, obscuring Sang-ho’s view, causing his reaction to be delayed.
‘Did she plan this?’
He observed with great fascination as Tae-hwa fired a beam at the doll.
“Hii-yaaah!”
Ka-boom!
A purple explosion rocked the middle of the field.
The ground shook with a thunderous noise. Sight, hearing, touch – it was impossible to miss the explosion unless one was deprived of all three senses. Students flocked to the windows of the main building.
“What’s happening? What’s going on?”
“Which class is that? Who are they?”
“Do they have classes on the first day?”
Sang-ho glanced at the bustling school building behind him, then shifted his attention back to the field. Soon, the veil of smoke and dust dissipated, revealing a substantial crater and an unscathed doll.
Tae-hwa appeared to have miscalculated her landing and was lying face down on the ground, her rear end elevated.
Her tail drooped listlessly.
“Ugh… Teddy is too strong…”
Her tail spasmed once before going limp.
Sang-ho approached her, extended a hand, and helped her up. Brushing off the dirt, it seemed she hadn’t sustained any injuries.
“Are you okay?”
“Be careful, teacher. I may look cute, but I’m incredibly skilled.”
“I know, take a break. Well done.”
“Hehe.”
Tae-hwa grinned and stood beside Se-hee.
The last person remaining was Na-bit. She walked toward Sang-ho.
However, Sang-ho raised his hand to halt her.
“Stay there, Na-bit. This time, you’ll do the opposite.”
“The opposite…?”
Na-bit blinked her gray eyes in confusion. He gestured toward her feet.
“This time, you’ll protect the doll with a barrier. I’ll attack.”
Na-bit nodded.
“Okay.”
“Let’s begin.”
Sang-ho unsheathed his sword.
A very faint blue aura enveloped the blade. He had infused it with as little inner energy as possible. While adjusting his sword energy, he looked at Na-bit.
She closed her eyes and clutched the emblem of faith hanging from her necklace.
A translucent golden barrier materialized in front of the teddy bear. It was a shield formed with the divine power of a faith-based hunter—a barrier capable of easily deflecting bullets.
He gently moved his sword toward it.
Ka-ga-gak.
The sword merely grazed the golden barrier and couldn’t penetrate it.
As the barrier held strong, Sang-ho gradually increased his energy. The once faint blue aura began to grow more pronounced.
Yet, the sword remained halted in front of the black barrier.
Na-bit’s barrier proved surprisingly resilient.
‘Is it holding up well?’
Sang-ho thought he could apply a bit more force. Blue flames flickered slightly on his sword.
The instant he exerted his sword energy.
The blade sliced through the barrier as if it were made of tofu.
“Ah!”
Surprise emanated from both his and Na-bit’s mouths simultaneously.
The swinging sword cleanly severed the teddy bear in two.
Chya-ah-ahk.
“Ahh! Teddy!”
A desperate scream from Tae-hwa echoed through the sports field.
Cliche Novel 