The Demon Lord of the Swordsmanship Family: Episode 110
Another Monday.
Instead of heading to the Academy today, I’m planning to keep my promise to Yong-jun and go to Kangbaek High School.
“Still, I’m going as a guardian after all…”
Since Yong-jun’s there, I should make a good impression, right?
I picked up the navy suit that Mother bought me ages ago instead of my usual tracksuit. A 100% handmade, tailor-made suit.
Since my body doesn’t fit mass-produced sizes, I had no choice but to go for it, and now, I’m wearing it for the first time.
“It’s kind of tight.”
It seems this body of mine is still growing. No wonder people call me a “giant.” There’s no end in sight.
It’s not something you can joke about; being this tight isn’t comfortable.
Still, maybe it’s because I’m wearing a suit instead of my usual tracksuit—Spring has been ecstatic since this morning.
“Wow! Dad, what’s going on? Dad’s transformed! Too cool! Super cool! The coolest ever!! Berrie, look at Dad! He’s transformed! The best!”
Spring jumps around yelling “Best! Best!” about Dad.
Even Berrie is excited, making sounds like, “Eoong! Eoong!” beside her.
And the reactions from the rest of the family? Well, it’s beyond words.
“Ki-hyuk is here? Let’s quickly get some foo… oh my goodness! What is this? What happened, son?! Is this our son? Why are you dressed so formally? Is this the suit Mom bought you? Wow… I can’t believe it! How does it fit you so perfectly!!”
When Mom, who stopped cooking to come over, saw me, she walked around me in a daze for a while, excited, and then decided, “I need to buy a few more suits.”
“Hoohoo-! Indeed, our son is strong! Look at those pectoral muscles! Just like me!”
Dad praised my developed chest muscles more than the suit.
“Looks good. You should wear it often.”
Hyuk-soo gave me a thumbs-up.
“Whhaaa-… Ki-hyuk- your clothes… Uncomfortable… (slap!) Ah!!”
Minji-nuna came down still sleepy but criticized my outfit saying something useless and got slapped on the back by Mom.
“But why? What’s the occasion that our son dressed up like this?”
“Ah, I have to go to school.”
“School? What kind of school? The Academy?”
“High school.”
“High school? Why there?”
“There’s Yong-jun, a younger sibling from the orphanage. I want to meet his teacher.”
“Grandma! Yong-jun Oppa goes to Kangbaek High School!”
“I see. So it’s sort of a parent-teacher conference?”
“Something like that.”
I said this nonchalantly while eating a donut, but ultimately, it was a mistake.
Mom’s eyes suddenly became sharper.
“Not at all. Not at all.”
Just a minute ago, she was smiling contentedly, but now she wore an expression of dissatisfaction.
“Come here. This won’t do.”
“Wait, let me at least finish my donut.”
“Can you focus on the donut now?”
In the end, I left my meal unfinished and went back upstairs to the dressing room.
And when I came down, there were things I normally never do—wearing a watch, a belt, and some basic makeup whose name I don’t even know. Lastly, all the stuff you put on your hair.
Honestly, I don’t see any difference. I just feel odd with this forced parting in my hair, and it looks even more suffocating.
I don’t understand the point of all this, but arguing about it would be pointless since Mom was so delighted. She looked happier than I’ve seen her in a while.
Then she sighed:
“Indeed, I was right. Pomade. Mmm~ intoxicating. Who is this kid of ours? Why is he so handsome! Mom might faint, seriously.”
Sacrificing myself seems to have satisfied her.
And it turns out this new version of me pleased another special person—my adorable daughter.
“Look! This is our Dad. Isn’t he cool?”
Waahhh!!
In front of the kindergarten entrance, she gathered all the kids around her and started showing off her Dad.
This was the first time I realized how high her nose gets when she says, “Our Dad is THIS cool!” It was as if it almost pierced the sky.
Seems like the way I look is bearable since the reactions were positive.
Even Hyunji, who often sees me, said:
“Wow! Uncle Ki-hyuk, you look awesome! Like a celebrity!”
Hyunji’s mom also exclaimed:
“Omigosh, Ki-hyuk. That suit fits you so well. You should wear fancy clothes like this all the time.”
Even the moms passing by joined in, making me feel engulfed by the crowd from the start of the morning. I almost ended up signing autographs.
Is it really this good?
Of course, I already knew I looked decent, but this exceeds expectations.
Praise is truly intoxicating. They say it can make even a whale dance, and even a Demon Lord gets a little excited, so it seems.
“Hmm…”
Click.
I took a picture and uploaded it on Cocotalk.
Unsurprising messages flooded in. Most of them are probably from Jin Yu-ri.
I held the steering wheel with a satisfied smile and headed towards Kangbaek High School.
Transformation. Praise. Attention.
A success.
The meeting with Yong-jun’s homeroom teacher.
I was surprised at first—this teacher was unexpectedly young.
Maybe that’s why the voice was so cheerful and the tone so high.
Most of all, they just talked a lot.
“Yong-jun… such a kind, hardworking, and truly outstanding student. Top-notch, I’d say? Heehee.”
“I knew at first glance. Ah, that kid could do anything. Excellent grades, charming personality, exceptional leadership skills, the kids look up to him. Honestly, I secretly hoped Yong-jun would become class president, but he even humbly let another friend have the position. Can you believe how modest he is?”
As expected, all praise.
Of course, it’s deserved—Yong-jun is an upright kid.
Even knowing this, hearing these words still feels good. Something tickles in my chest. My lips curl slightly. I feel proud and honored. My mood naturally improves.
“The kid grew up without parents in a tough environment, yet developed without a single wrinkle. It’s heartwarming, and I attribute it to having a good older brother like you, Ki-hyuk. Personally, I’m very grateful.”
“It’s nothing. Yong-jun is just that way.”
Still, I have many questions.
First, why this teacher feels the need to thank me, I wonder.
Also, how can they be so confident about Yong-jun after he’s been in school for such a short time?
And why does this teacher keep blushing every time they look at me?
However, they’re the teacher. If everything is good, then it’s fine, right? For now, I’ll listen quietly.
Yet…
“Yong-jun is so kind…”
“What a waste looking at his grades. With his scores, he could even get into Korea University…”
“Doesn’t he take good care of his siblings? I’ve seen him a few times coming to see his older brother… such a pretty child…”
…How long am I supposed to listen to this?
It doesn’t look like it will end anytime soon.
What’s confusing is that there’s no proper flow or development. It feels like they’re just repeating similar stories. It feels like I’m in a loop, and I didn’t even drink.
This is not going to work. I looked at my watch and changed the subject.
“As you know, Yong-jun plans to take the Academy entrance exam next year.”
“Oh! I know! We’re preparing him early at our school.”
“Preparation…”
“Such as recommendation letters. Like from our principal…”
Academy entrance is available to anyone who has awakened mana starting at the age of 18.
18 years old. Anyone who has awakened their mana can apply. Submission is free. The exam fee is free. Moreover, for students from rural areas, everything including transportation and lodging is provided by the Academy.
But the acceptance rate is brutally low.
On a side note, there’s also an age limit. Only those aged 18 to 20, for up to three attempts, can apply.
That’s why most students take the exam while they’re in high school. Therefore, schools prepare students accordingly, trying to improve their acceptance rate.
It’s kind of like how they prepare students for prestigious universities.
But do they know… that Yggdrasil calls all those preparations they’ve been making “worthless scraps of paper”?
This teacher is explaining the school’s elaborate preparations with no idea of my thoughts.
Enough. It has to be stopped here.
“We thank you for all the hard work you’ve done for Yong-jun. However, teacher…”
“Please, feel free to ask anything, Ki-hyuk.”
“I’ll speak plainly since you’ve been so kind. Do you know anything about people approaching Yong-jun?”
“Ah… well…”
The teacher’s awkward expression.
If I summarize a long tangent into a short explanation: they know. And cases like this aren’t unique to Yong-jun.
“It happens every year. Newborn agents or parties. Even famous agents approach students. Students who have awakened their mana.”
Once a student becomes affiliated with the Academy, “pre-approaches” are strictly limited. The only proper way to recruit an Academy student is during the recruitment market held during festival periods.
That’s the unwritten rule of the agent industry.
But, some people always find loopholes.
Approaching students before they take their entrance exams isn’t technically against the rules, so many agents use this opportunity to scoop them up early.
“Surely, Yong-jun didn’t…”
“Not really. Just worrying.”
However, I’m not worried about such typical things.
Yong-jun clearly said he was threatened. But would a representative who approached with a contract really force Yong-jun into signing it? Yong-jun is not naive enough to confuse persuasion with extortion.
Therefore…
“This teacher knows nothing.”
It’s time to wrap up.
I stood up to conclude the conversation.
Even as I left, I could see the teacher’s face showing a look of disappointment. To still be unsatisfied even after having said this much is astonishing.
“Oh! I almost forgot…”
“Do you have something else to say?”
“It’s nothing serious. Just a small thing—since we’re on the topic of snacks for the kids, would it be okay if I prepared some snacks to share?”
“Oh… it’s more than alright, on the contrary.”
“Good. I was worried about school regulations, but…”
“Eh, it’s just a snack. That’s fine.”
“Right. It’s just a snack. Haha. The teachers’ portion is already ordered. Enjoy!”
“That’s not necessary…”
Soon after, the snacks I ordered arrived.
A truck full of snacks that filled the entire field. It was a truck with the logo of a chicken holding its drumstick and giving a thumbs-up.
One chicken per person for the whole school.
Don’t most kids snack on a whole chicken sometimes? Though maybe I’m the odd one out.
“So, we’ve had a consultation, given snacks…”
Now all that’s left is to find the bully.
I took off the uncomfortable suit and expanded my senses.
A smell. A strong smell that hit my nose. I turned around and walked in that direction.
The smell of cigarettes.
It goes without saying that the person who knows the internal affairs the best is someone from within the organization.
Then, who knows the school’s situation best?
The teachers? No.
Though teachers are insiders within the institution called “school,” the specific issues affecting students are something the students themselves know best.
From my long experience, the people who have the most information on such matters are those so-called “rebellious” students.
“Yes! This older brother is truly a Sword Master! Look at this picture.”
“Really? Wow… Older brother, you look so much better in person than in the pictures. They were completely out of focus!”
“Older brother, how do you get into Optimum?”
“Older brother, do you have a girlfriend?”
“What are you doing here!! I was going to ask you first!”
The kids who were smoking a minute ago while making a rat’s nest with noodles became rowdy when they used their phones to check who I was.
Personally, I have no business with them.
I turned around and stared at the kids who had their heads bowed deeply.
“Get up.”
Quickly!
The kids who had their heads bowed shot up like lightning.
I had something to ask them—did I criticize them for smoking or pick fights with them? Why insult someone you just met? Huh?
“…”
“Answer me.”
“No….”
“LOUDER.”
“No I didn’t!”
I tapped the stiffened shoulders of the kids.
“Here’s the thing. I don’t care if you smoke or skip classes or do whatever. What relationship do we have? Honestly, if you want to ruin your body, that’s on you. What obligation would I have? None. But…”
Tightening my grip on their shoulders.
“Pick your battles wisely. I’ll let it slide today because this is school, but if you act this way outside, there might come a day when you’ll really take a punch. You’ll regret not listening without using mana. My fists alone hurt pretty badly.”
The kids gulped.
I chuckled and created a bone chair through magic.
Girls nearby were already causing a fuss. Could this be teenage whims? Even in this situation, they were loud.
“If anyone wants to smoke, go ahead. I don’t care.”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Good, you do as you please. Now, I have a question…”
I briefly explained the incidents Yong-jun had mentioned.
“Don’t pretend you don’t know. Especially you two, and you girls over there. Yes, you. You know everyone who awakened mana. So if you say you don’t know, I might get a little upset.”
“The… thing is…”
“Speak freely. I’ll make sure it doesn’t harm you guys. Who am I, after all?”
“T-The Sword Master.”
With that, the students who had been glancing at each other started speaking up one by one.
“These days, seniors come around. Saying there’s a way to make a lot of money…”
“I failed the Academy exam last year. I’m reapplying this year, but they offer to cover training expenses…”
“If there was any intimidation, it was probably those seniors. It’s not something we should say, but those seniors have really bad reputations…”
Exactly as I expected.
Of course, official agents wouldn’t use such thug-like tactics, like extortion. This confirmed my suspicion that they were not legitimate—some organization that was corrupt and not normal.
“Alright, one last question.”
I opened a pocket dimension and pulled out a vial.
Soul extraction fluid. Here, it’s used like a drug.
“Do any of you know what this is?”
A few of them trembled.
Gotcha, you little pests.
