Chapter 178 – A Peaceful Daily Life (4)
Just as Professor Tak Won-ho said.
The plan only described the basic establishment measures, and the specific timing, scale, support direction, etc. were described as subject to further discussion.
Anyway, since I’m the person involved, it will consist of consultations with me.
Still, as I was carefully reading the plan, I asked Professor Tak Won-ho.
“If it’s a student clan, is it a clan established within the academy?”
“That’s not it. It’s just tentatively called a student clan, the academy can’t establish a clan that pursues private interests due to external agreements. However, this is support provided to you by the Tak Group and Foundation in the form of scholarships.”
At those words, I scratched my head and asked again.
“Still, won’t there be pressure from the foundation? I think it would be more difficult not to interfere with support on such a large scale.”
A puppet clan where the foundation interferes here and there.
If it was such a clan, it was actually a more toxic offer to accept.
However, Professor Tak Won-ho responded firmly to him with a stern face.
“Not at all. As the person in charge of this support project, I guarantee that that will never happen. The management will also be formed by the personnel you choose. In the first place, since it is a business notarized and supervised by the Holder Association, there is not even a slight possibility of that happening.”
“…The Association?”
“Yes. The chairman was very positive about this plan. He said he would unconditionally support the clan created by the national hero.”
…National hero.
How far up does it go?
While the excessive elevation of those around me was burdensome, the feeling of being recognized for my accomplishments wasn’t bad.
As I felt before, the favor of the Korean Holder Association and its chairman towards me seems quite deep.
It wasn’t just because I successfully completed this operation.
‘I must have contributed quite a bit so far.’
8 months since I became a rune Holder.
From the F-grade Holder I started with to the B-grade Holder I became.
The results I produced in half a year were tremendous.
From the underground dungeon of the unreported academy, goblin villages, forest covered by snakes, stained rock piles, nest covered by clouds, field hunting and disaster monster hunting, and more.
While these results became the foundation for my growth, they were also results that made the association, who was in charge, grin from ear to ear.
Just the discovery of new dungeons and magic stone trading results were enough to be selected as ‘Holder of the Year’.
In this situation, playing a key role in subjugating <Villain>… It would have been strange if the association didn’t like me.
‘…Clan establishment, huh.’
I felt excited about the proposal Professor Tak Won-ho handed over.
Establishing a new clan.
It wasn’t something I hadn’t thought about before.
I had thought about wanting to create and run a clan led by me someday, but I didn’t know that vague thing would be brought forward like this.
‘It will be fun.’
And surprisingly…
I didn’t feel afraid of that acceleration.
When I established the <Anti-Villain> Circle, I felt it again, but when I take on something new, I usually feel more passion.
Hunting S-grade monsters, conquering top-tier dungeons, suppressing the worst criminal organizations.
So far, many incidents I have solved contain only unfamiliar and difficult things that seemed difficult.
Establishing a clan was the same.
No matter how much support I receive, it seems impossible at first glance for a first year academy student to establish a clan.
But there I felt enthusiasm again.
I can do it.
I’m sure I can do it.
‘Or what if I fail.’
Failure was not scary.
If it collapsed, it was just a matter of getting up again.
Not only the Holder system, but all things in the world were the same.
I’ve done well so far, and I was prepared to accept the mistakes that would happen in return for that overcompensation.
The excessive sense of burden also seemed to have reached the point where I could now enjoy it as an appropriate tension.
As I folded the plan and put it in my arms, I answered.
“I understand. Then I’ll discuss this part again later. After all, the business start is from next year, right?”
“You know it well. It will be the 2nd semester of next year at the earliest.”
“Then I can discuss it more slowly. Thank you for taking care of me. I only receive help from my Master.”
“Hmm. It’s the opposite, I think.”
Although he speaks so stiffly, there was actually a very subtle smile on his lips.
My Master was also quite weak in emotional control.
When there was a pleasant incident, he couldn’t hide his expression at all.
So I also swallowed my laughter inwardly and got up from my seat.
And then suddenly remembering one point, I tilted my head and asked.
“By the way, how did you know I was interested in establishing a clan?”
A thought that I didn’t tell anyone about, that even I only vaguely had.
How did Professor Tak Won-ho know that?
At that question, he smiled wryly and said,
“How could I, as your mentor, not know what my only disciple is thinking? Just looking at your stance after the Judgement of Fire internship, I could tell even now, let alone later, that you’re not interested in joining a large clan right away.”
“Ah….”
Such deduction is possible again.
To be precise, I wasn’t completely uninterested.
Through the <Judgement of Fire> internship, I had absorbed all the benefits of clan activities, and I could fully understand why they wanted to join a large clan so badly.
It’s just that I wanted to postpone that decision until after I graduated from the academy.
In the meantime, this opportunity came, though.
“Anyway, I’ll take this story to discuss again later.”
“Yes. There are a lot of things to talk about regarding additional compensation as well, but my disciple looks a little busy today.
“Ahaha….”
I awkwardly laughed at his sharp point.
Contrary to appearance, he is quick-witted.
Today I had quite a few appointments scheduled in addition to the interview with Professor Tak Won-ho.
That’s why I came to the academy early in the morning.
“I see. Let’s go then. Later we’ll talk while having the duel we haven’t had in a while.”
“It’s always an honor to duel with my Master.”
I squeezed one fist with my other hand and said jokingly.
The title of Master sticks well in my mouth now.
I only used the title Professor before, but when I had Yoo Eun-seol as my mentor this time, I changed the titles for all three professors… It’s a nice title that I feel more affectionate.
It wasn’t for nothing that Kim Chae-eun kept saying master, master while following Jeong Seon-yeong.
So I opened the door of the professor’s office, and just before I left.
Professor Tak Won-ho called me again.
“Do Jae-hyun.”
“Yes, Master.”
Sitting in his seat, Professor Tak Won-ho.
Without turning his head once, he said.
“Good job. You saved the academy.”
His short but heavy words.
It was an embarrassing compliment that the media had been mentioning over and over, but hearing it from my Master who rarely says such things made me feel refreshed again.
So I also nodded my head vigorously and answered.
“Yes. I think so too.”
“…….”
And the silence flowing in the room.
…Was this too much?
***
Ippotranslation
***
It felt like we only had a brief conversation in the professor’s office, but time passed by in a flash.
11:30am.
It’s already time to eat lunch.
I had a lunch appointment.
“Hurry up – I heard it’s popular so we’ll be late if we’re late.”
Moon Ga-eun, who was waiting for me at the academy front gate.
Seeing me, she grabbed my arm and hurried me along, making me involuntarily laugh.
“What’s the big rush. It’s the vacation period anyway so there won’t be many people.”
“No. That place is more popular with regular people, so we have to line up even if we go early.”
“Is that so?”
Was there such a good restaurant near the academy? With [cooking] as my talent, I thought I had already been to all the good places nearby.
Indeed, the world is wide and there are many good restaurants.
“Ugh, we’re really going to be late. Let’s go quickly.”
“That’s why I told you I’d make it myself. Why do you want to go out and buy it so badly?”
“Pffft – No matter how good you can cook, it can’t beat restaurants.”
“You haven’t eaten the dishes I’m really good at making yet.”
Come to think of it, Moon Ga-eun has never eaten my cooking before.
One of these days I need to treat her to a meal. I really want to see her surprised expression.
“Bullseye! Let’s go there.”
The place we arrived at was a fish cuisine restaurant specializing in pollock, on the outskirts of the academy.
To have an appointment to eat pollock for lunch, it was a very Moon Ga-eun like casual choice.
And like she said, the restaurant was in full swing with people coming in for lunch.
There was only one table left, we had to squeeze our way in.
As soon as we sat down, Moon Ga-eun naturally started ordering food.
“Boss, order!”
“Yes, what would you like?”
“2 servings of braised pollock here.”
“Got 2 servings of braised pollock.”
Listening to that short exchange, I unconsciously murmured.
“Braised pol…?”
“Huh? What’s up Jae-hyun?”
“Ah, nothing.”
…It’s definitely different since it’s a famous braised pollock restaurant.
Anyway, Moon Ga-eun is now naturally calling me by my first name.
Just a few days ago she was still calling me Do Jae-hyun, so this is good progress.
Actually until I became conscious of it just now, I didn’t think much about addressing her by her last name either, but being called by my first name now, it feels a lot more familiar.
“How’s the feeling?”
“Feeling about what?”
“Becoming the academy’s hero. Going from someone only we knew about to a famous domestic awakener reported on the news. The academy’s hero, Do Jae-hyun! A slogan like that.”
“Ugh – Not you too. I’m so embarrassed I could die.”
“Ahaha.”
As if to get back at me for getting teased all this time, Moon Ga-eun kept poking fun at me.
Entering this restaurant, I could feel gazes on me, making me uneasy.
Is this that celebrity disease or something…?
The symptoms were very serious.
Anyway, our conversation mainly revolved around the events surrounding this last mission.
In the middle of that, the topic of Moon Ga-eun’s father, Moon Jung-hyuk came up.
“Dad keeps talking about it lately.”
“About what?”
“When we’ll announce we’re dating.”
“Pfthahaha-“
I barely held back spitting out my drink.
In a flustered voice I asked back.
“He’s, he’s still on about that?”
“It’s not that he’s still on about it, it’s gotten worse. Since you got so famous this time, he got even more excited himself probably. His daughter’s boyfriend is a big shot after all.”
“Ah….”
Thinking about Moon Jung-hyuk’s meddlesome personality, that’s certainly plausible.
It was a meddling of a different kind from Kang Woo-hyun’s.
“So what did you tell him?”
“What could I say. On the contrary I used that as an excuse. Saying it’ll be hard to meet if everyone outside knows since you got so famous. It’s better to keep dating secretly. Think about celebrities and all. Well, something like that.”
“…Nice, that’s a good cover.”
Anyone hearing that would find it believable.
Praising her quick witted response, Moon Ga-eun burst out laughing.
“Ahaha, right, right?”
“Yeah. You seem totally different from the Ga-eun I know. Who are you?”
“Hisss – Do you want to die? Always address me formally.”
“Sorry.”
While joking and laughing together like that.
The food we were waiting for came out.
Various types of clean tasting side dishes and light broth soup.
Flashy yet subtle visuals.
The table setting for this restaurant’s signature menu, braised pollock.
“Thanks for the food!”
With an excited expression, Moon Ga-eun picked up her chopsticks.
Despite my doubts, I also picked up my chopsticks.
Naturally picking up a piece of braised pollock and putting it in my mouth.
And….
“Ah.”
I squeezed my eyes shut.
The familiar flavor filling my mouth.
A taste bringing feelings of familiarity and irritation at the same time.
Ugh…
I knew it, braised pollock.
