Chapter 58

Chapter 58: Main Story (1)

Nearly three months had passed since I'd entered the game.

Looking back, a lot had happened.

It started with a professorial inauguration ceremony I understood nothing about.

An auditorium full of strangers.

The fates and grudges that began from that day.

I received my appointment letter from Chancellor Ryu Jeonga and met Professor Yun Seongyeop.

My meeting with Yun Seongyeop was a bad turn of fate, but thanks to it, I was able to meet Lee Yeeun. For that much alone, I was grateful to the man.

Even the reckless plan to become a professor and raise an elite party to clear the game.

Looking back, it was truly reckless.

Gathering Playable Characters through a new professor's lectures -- the only reason that worked out was entirely thanks to An Seri.

My chance encounter with An Seri was nothing short of an Opportunity for me.

I'd started as a brand-new professor nobody even knew by name, but over the past three months, much had changed.

I was no longer an ordinary new professor.

A professor who could exert a certain degree of influence on the world.

That was my current position.

> You are hereby invited.

This morning, an old-fashioned letter had arrived addressed to me.

One might wonder what kind of fool sends a letter in the 21st century, but the emblem drawn on the letter blew that thought away in an instant.

A golden eagle's head, with two crossed rifles behind it.

The emblem of the American Hero Association.

"Oh my god! What could this be about? The American Hero Association looking for you, Professor."

My TA who'd brought the letter, Lee Yeeun, was bouncing on her toes.

I was curious too.

Why would these people come looking for me?

"Hold on. Let me read it first."

Opening the golden envelope, I found an old-fashioned letter inside.

The paper, embroidered at the edges, looked extremely refined. All the more so given who'd sent it.

FLUTTER--

-- Dear Professor Cha Eunwoo,

-- We are those who fight to protect humanity.

"Oh?"

The confidence was overflowing from the very first sentence.

Not protecting a nation but protecting humanity -- quite the grandiose declaration.

Given the sender, it was understandable.

America held the position of the world's strongest nation in this world too -- the police of the planet.

-- Humanity faces an unprecedented crisis.

-- Unity is needed to protect the world. We will be waiting.

"Hmm."

Condensing the letter's lengthy flowery prose, it essentially said this:

A crisis is coming, so please come help.

Lee Yeeun grumbled.

"Pff, that's the standard American pitch. 'Helping us is the same as helping the world's justice.' The nerve."

No.

This time was a little different.

I had an idea why they'd sent this letter.

The time had come.

At last, the wheel of destiny lurking behind the scenes of the world had begun to turn.

"Looks like the prologue's coming to an end."

"Huh?"

The main story was beginning.

Under normal circumstances, the first Scenario shouldn't have started for a long time.

But Bonibatus's appearance had already twisted the game's progression as I knew it to some degree.

So the world was belatedly trying to force the prologue to its end in order to catch up with the twisted progression.

Lee Yeeun wouldn't know, but in the game's lore, America had used the expression "unprecedented crisis" only once.

It was when the SS-rank dungeon Dragon's Roost -- the great catastrophe that had turned the world upside down -- appeared.

"A crisis is going to hit soon."

The end of the prologue.

Originally, this wasn't an event a player at the Academy could be involved in.

The player could only watch the end of the prologue as a cutscene.

It was a one-sided defeat for humanity.

But if the current me stepped in.

If, as the prologue ended, I could save the Heroes who were supposed to die without reaching the main story.

Countless possibilities would open up for humanity's future.

"Yeeun, get ready."

"Ready?"

"We have to go to America, so pack your bags."

"M-Me too?"

Lee Yeeun looked a little dazed.

One glance told me she sensed nothing but hassle ahead and wasn't enthused.

I had just the right trick for times like these.

"TA Cheon's a bit unreliable, after all."

"You're right! Ahem, the only one who can assist you is your top disciple."

Easy. Too easy.

Sorry for selling you out, TA Cheon.

But the part about being unreliable was sincere.

"Notify the Academy we're going on a business trip, pack, and come back. You don't need a passport. Since the meeting is off the record, the American side said they'd handle it."

"Yes!"

Lee Yeeun darted out.

I should start preparing too.

The first thing I reached for was the box stored in the corner of my office.

"Haaah......"

A sigh escaped on its own.

Was it right to unseal this? I could feel the anguish.

But I'd accepted it for moments exactly like this.

I squeezed my eyes shut and opened the box.

BZZZZZ--

Inside was a pure white stick, trembling violently.

Jo Seongung's magic sword Jeivult, wrapped tightly in bandages.

The moment I grabbed Jeivult to unwrap the bandages, a shrill voice drilled into my head.

[New master! How could you do this to me?! Isn't this going too far?]

Hearing Jeivult's whining softened my heart a little.

It was a weapon with its own ego, after all -- maybe I'd been too rough.

[Binding my whole body, locking me in a cramped space, making me beg and plead... you're one hell of a handler. Master, you've certainly made a sword sing before, haven't you? Mmm, I might get addicted to this kind of play......]

Right, that settles it.

Past me was correct after all.

I'll just seal this back in the box and find a normal new sword.

I shoved it right back in.

Jeivult whined.

[Waaah! W-Wait! I don't want the box anymore! It's dark and cramped and scary!]

"Shut up. I hate it more than you do."

[I'll file a complaint! A master must guarantee a sword's rights!]

"Rights, my ass. You're not an animal -- what rights does a sword have?"

[No, I don't want to!]

Jeivult thrashed around trying to escape my grip, but at the end of the day, it was a masterless sword.

Overpowering it was impossible against my strength, which now rivaled that of upper-intermediate Heroes.

"Get in nicely."

[N-No! Why are you doing this to me?!]

"Then promise me. No more nonsense."

[Nonsense?! Now you're even taking away my right to speak?!]

Negotiations collapsed.

When I immediately escalated to force, Jeivult finally raised the white flag.

[Fine, fine! I lost, okay?! Just please, no more box!]

As expected, establishing the hierarchy from the very start was crucial.

Especially when it was a mentally deranged magic sword.

[Ugh, I submitted... This isn't an ego sword's role -- it's a lady knight's......]

***

The departure was arranged quickly.

2:00 PM.

Myself, Lee Yeeun, and Professor Jo Seongung gathered to leave for America.

Jo Seongung's inclusion was Chancellor Ryu Jeonga's consideration.

"Getting old just means more worries. I know you don't want to look at Seongung's ugly mug, but bear with it. He can at least swing a sword, so he'll handle any petty trouble."

"Excuse me, Teacher. What do you mean, ugly?"

Ryu Jeonga clicked her tongue.

"Seongung, when you look at young Cha's face, what comes to mind?"

"He's fucking handsome."

"Now go look in a mirror."

"There's a spear squid staring back."

"Exactly."

Ryu Jeonga mocked Jo Seongung with a cheerful expression.

Jo Seongung bristled.

"Teacher, how old am I that you're comparing me to Professor Cha? I was quite the catch in my younger days. You know I had a whole truckload of love confessions from women!"

"You fool. None of them liked you for you -- they just swarmed for the money. How long has it been since that gold digger bit you, you got divorced and lost everything and cried your eyes out? And then you went into seclusion claiming you were 'retiring.'"

"Argh! S-Stop! Why would you say that in front of the kids!"

A shocking revelation from Ryu Jeonga's mouth.

So that was why this man had gone into seclusion?

Lee Yeeun's image of Jo Seongung seemed to have taken a hit too, judging by her peculiar expression.

His already low standing plummeted even further.

The more you dug, the more dirt you found -- truly a remarkable man.

Don't tell me Jeivult ended up like that because of this too......

Jo Seongung, face flushed red, changed the subject.

"Enough with the nonsense, let's just go to America already! Hurry!"

"Are we heading to the airport now?"

Lee Yeeun asked with an innocent face.

Ryu Jeonga answered.

"At that rate, when would you get to America? It takes a whole fourteen hours."

"What? Then how......"

FLASH!

Light erupted from Ryu Jeonga's cane.

The most enormous mana I'd seen in this world surged forth.

It was power befitting a witch who'd protected Korea for 150 years.

Lee Yeeun's jaw dropped in shock.

"Huh?"

"Hoho. It's too early to be surprised. Teacher's real power is far beyond this."

The massive mana enveloped the three of us.

Beneath our feet, a magic circle appeared -- just barely big enough to hold one person.

But the amount of mana contained in that tiny circle was as vast as the ocean.

"Tele-tele-teleport!"

The naming sense was the worst, but the spell's power was outstanding.

I felt a floating sensation, as if my body were being lifted off the ground.

What greeted us was an unfamiliar scene.

A room completely different from the Chancellor's office we'd been in moments ago.

An extremely spacious area, but with nothing inside it.

A space of unknown purpose.

Lee Yeeun asked.

"...Where are we?"

"Ultra-long-range teleportation boasts tremendous power, but it also comes with certain limitations. Most notably, the arrival coordinates are prone to error, so a medium to serve as a landmark is needed."

The one who answered wasn't me, nor was it Jo Seongung.

An American appeared from behind us -- a familiar face.

"Welcome to America, Professor Cha."

"Unicorn's Master."

Edelin Pierce.

The strongest Hero in humanity.

She was a person who shone as bright as the sun itself transplanted.

"I didn't expect the Unicorn Guild Master to come welcome us in person."

"I don't move for just anyone, but when someone worth it arrives, I make exceptions."

A pleasant remark.

It meant that the current me had become a big enough figure to move the world's greatest Hero.

"Wh-What......"

My student beside me couldn't close her mouth.

Lee Yeeun hid behind me and whispered.

"I-Is that really Lady Edelin?"

"Is there a fake Lady Edelin I don't know about?"

"Eeeek! Seeing the world's greatest Hero right in front of me......"

Lee Yeeun hid behind me, peeking out with just her face.

Finding the sight cute, Edelin let out a small laugh.

"Is this Professor Cha's student?"

"Yes. She's my researcher."

"Oh dear."

Edelin clicked her tongue with a look of pity.

Apparently, the perception of researchers was the same regardless of country.

"Come here. I'll at least give you an autograph."

"R-Really?"

Lee Yeeun stepped out stiffly.

It was incredibly awkward.

Edelin naturally produced a pen and a Post-it note with practiced motions.

"What's your name?"

"Lee Yeeun..."

"Here you go."

"Thank you!"

Lee Yeeun's face lit up.

In this world, Heroes had completely displaced celebrities and taken their place.

A-rank and above Heroes had virtually no private life, and even the president couldn't treat S-ranks carelessly.

There was even a joke that to become president, you needed to be friends with a lot of S-rank Heroes.

In a world like that, why bother explaining Edelin's influence?

There might be people who didn't know their own president's name, but everyone knew Edelin's.

That was the weight the name of the greatest Hero carried.

In that light, Lee Yeeun's reaction was only natural.

Beside us, Jo Seongung licked his lips with longing eyes.

Edelin read the room and offered first.

"Shall I sign one for you too, Professor?"

"An old man asking for an autograph, how pathetic. Ahem, but it'd be rude to refuse when you're being so gracious, so I'll humbly accept."

Even so, watching this man act like that was a little cringeworthy.

He looked like one of those uncle-fans chasing after an idol young enough to be his daughter.

Edelin turned to me.

"Shall I give you one too, Professor Cha?"

"I'm fine."

However, my personal perception of Edelin was unfavorable.

To be precise, it was the worst.

The reason was Edelin's behavior in the game.

Still, she'd helped me obtain the swordsmanship now, so I bore no personal grudge.

"There's time before the meeting, so let's head to the hotel first."

We followed Edelin and moved by vehicle.