Chapter 93

Worried someone might see, I quickly turned off the screen.

A moment later.

I turned the screen back on and examined it more closely.

Even without glasses, the woman in the photo was clearly Professor Han.

Her face was flushed with an embarrassing smile.

The bottom half of her attire was definitely the Academy’s gym uniform.

But where exactly was this place?

Looking closer, it appeared to be the staff dormitories.

Ah, it was when we all gathered at the dorms to eat beer and chicken.

Probably everyone had passed out, and she woke up alone to take the picture.

For some reason…

Maybe as a souvenir for coming to the homeroom teacher’s dorm?

If that’s the case, she should have used her own phone. Why use mine?

Perhaps she mixed it up with her own?

Still, why such a pose…

Hmm… I can roughly guess the intention behind it.

Even so, how could she come up with such an idea?

I knew she had a somewhat devious side, but I didn’t expect this.

Both Yu Hye-won and Professor Han could cause big trouble if they make a mistake.

I and the children have nearly a twenty-year age gap, and we have a student-professor relationship in the Academy.

Moreover, the children are all minors.

I know they’re not doing this to defame me, but if something goes wrong in the middle, I will undoubtedly become an unforgivable criminal.

‘Professor of M Academy lures and drugs minors using position and authority.’

It’s a fairly plausible headline.

I need to be more careful.

That’s what I thought as I put the phone back in my pocket.

Then, a moment later, I pulled out the phone again and opened the photo.

This…what is this?

Hmm… really…

* * * * *

On the day of the team capability evaluation.

The dome-shaped Comprehensive Training Grounds were filled with people.

The senior students whose team system education hadn’t changed, the Academy staff, and external representatives had filled the audience seats to capacity.

Moreover, alongside journalists, there were Hero Office personnel coming to check on how the students they had marked had progressed through practical training, making the training grounds incredibly noisy.

I walked in front of the stands and deployed a medium-level physical defensive barrier.

With this, an aura that deviates from its target should not reach the audience.

I carefully examined the audience, wondering if Goshawk might be here, but fortunately, that crazy hero doesn’t seem to have come this time.

He probably woke up regretting his actions after coming down from the influence of the drugs.

Instead, Legalmight, sitting at the front of the audience, waved to me when he noticed me.

Thinking about it, I had promised to buy us all dinner in exchange for taking care of the kids, but I completely forgot.

I need to ask if she has time after this is done.

I glanced upwards.

There, in the VIP seats, were high-ranking officials from the Management Bureau and the Education Ministry.

I also see the Chairman of the Advisory Board, Father of Yu Hye-won.

If there’s a chance, I might be able to meet him and talk about Goshawk.

Next to him sits the Vice Minister, who looks much younger than I expected.

The Dean took the podium to greet the gathered audience.

Due to the current state of affairs changing the education system, and accordingly introducing a new evaluation method, and so forth.

It was a lengthy but contentless speech, after which the Dean declared the start of the evaluation.

Soon, the names of the team members appeared on the scoreboard and the corresponding team entered to take their evaluation.

Various forms of targets flew around, making simulated attacks, and the students suppressed these targets through cooperative combat based on all they’d learned.

Some teams handled them very skillfully, while others collided awkwardly mid-air, causing chaos, and yet others got into scuffles during the evaluation despite having to cooperate.

It’s quite the mess.

Still, it’s impressive that the students are able to showcase coordinated combat in just a few months.

The professors who raised the students to this level are equally commendable.

They truly live up to their title as professors at Graford University, a place not just anyone can enter.

People like me, sent here for other purposes, can’t even dream of reaching their level.

It was our team’s turn soon.

Golden Viper and Gray Fungi.

The scoreboard simply showed “Yu Hye-won, Professor Han, Song Do-yoon,” but those were our unofficial team names.

Yu Hye-won, with her wheat-field-like blonde hair waving in the air and an arrogant expression, Professor Han, wearing goggles instead of glasses, and Song Do-yoon, who looked like he was simply passing time, walked to the center of the training grounds.

Prior to the evaluation, I checked the internet to find many articles predicting our team’s victory.

Yu Hye-won excels in all areas, Han Min-ha rose to stardom after the previous semester’s evaluation, and Song Do-yoon, from the advanced grade, demonstrated abilities far beyond his current year.

Objectively, our numbers were undoubtedly superior.

Combined with the experience I learned from my time in Sikrito, we were sure to take first place in this evaluation.

The audience erupted in cheers when the children appeared.

Han Min-ha didn’t know what to do and clutched her chest, and Song Do-yoon seemed indifferent.

Yu Hye-won didn’t react to the cheers at all and kept glancing around the audience.

Following her gaze, I turned to find the Chairman of the Advisory Board seated in the VIP area.

Despite his daughter stepping onto the field, the Chairman neither waved nor reacted but was instead in conversation with the Vice Minister.

That man is as cold as ever.

I’m grateful that he recommended me, someone with lost memories, as an Academy professor, but given his usual character, that was close to a miracle.

He’s originally the type who wouldn’t flinch while deploying operations that could harm innocent civilians.

This is why Legalmight couldn’t endure and left Sikrito.

He also entered Sikrito deceived by the absurd lie that it worked for justice, like Han Tae-woo did.

The evaluation began.

As expected, my students demonstrated better skills than any other team so far.

The synergy from Yu Hye-won’s killing beam, Han Min-ha’s aura charge, and Song Do-yoon’s fluid dynamics complemented each other perfectly.

“Wow… Professor. How exactly did you teach them?”

Professor Jin whispered in amazement.

Moments later, all the targets were destroyed and crashed, concluding the evaluation.

It was the shortest time on record.

As the children landed on the ground, the audience stood up, clapping and cheering.

I smiled and applauded for the kids’ hard work.

“Professor. That’s incredible?”

“This is basically a lock for first place, no need to watch anything else.”

The other professors were all complimentary.

Good. We’ve truly achieved the year’s goals.

If we keep this up until graduation, they’ll certainly reach the B rank at their first evaluation.

In Yu Hye-won’s case, if luck is on her side, she might start at A rank.

Of course, since she has no experience yet, she won’t be able to move on equal footing with seasoned A-rank field agents immediately, but it will drastically shorten her journey toward the S rank.

Well done, children.

* * * * *

After the evaluation, I hurried to meet the Chairman of the Advisory Board.

At just the right moment, I spotted him standing near where the school president and other high-ranking officials were conversing.

He fortunately wasn’t actively participating in their discussion but was standing a little away, his face serious as he examined something on his phone.

“Good to see you, Chairman.”

“Oh, Gray…” He started with my old code name out of habit but then corrected, “Professor.”

“I haven’t seen you in a while. How have you been?”

“I’ve been busy but no serious issues. You did great today with the evaluation, I see all your guidance students are on the team with Hye-won. They’re fully adopting the Sikrito method, aren’t they?”

“Cooperative combat doesn’t get better than the Sikrito style. Did you notice the student with goggles? That child…”

“That’s right. Clearly the child of Bioserton and Velvet Butcher, the similarity in aura color and the way they manipulate it is uncanny. Did you teach them that way intentionally?”

“It wasn’t deliberate, but their genetic traits are exceptionally strong, so it seemed natural.”

The Chairman shared a few words about our team’s cooperative combat.

He praised the textbook mobilization in the Sikrito manual and the appropriate combination of each member’s characteristics.

However, he didn’t mention Yu Hye-won at all throughout the conversation.

Was it humility due to having an accomplished daughter, or perhaps he thinks his daughter still has a long way to go to match his own abilities?

Anyway, it was time to move to the main issue.

“Thank you, Chairman. There’s actually something I need to discuss with you.”

“Go ahead.”

“Did you know that Goshawk caused a disturbance at the Academy recently?”

“Yes, I know. I’m unsure why, but I heard there was some conflict between you two.”

“Yes. There was a clash during the practical training.”

“Understood. I’ve read the official report where you accused him of putting a training student alone against a villain.”

“Yes, fortunately, I was present for supervision, or it could have turned into a serious issue.”

“So it eventually led to a duel, didn’t it? Naturally, Goshawk ended up in bad shape.”

“Yes.”

No wonder someone who reached the top at Sikrito knows everything.

“How did you manage to provoke Goshawk to such an extent?”

“During an argument, I cited some statutes of the current law, and I believe he took it as a form of disrespect.”

“Given your Third Training Center background, he must have thought you were confusing him with complex language.”

“Yes, that eventually led him to challenge me to a duel after losing and being bent on revenge.”

The Chairman nodded as if comprehending everything.

“Alright then, what’s troubling you?”

“I believe Goshawk will come back to the Academy and create more trouble.”

“Hmm, that’s possible. He has a strong obsession and a twisted personality. But what’s the issue? You can handle Goshawk easily.”

“No, I’m not afraid of Goshawk coming here. I’m just worried because it seems like he’s not in his right mind. That hero appears to be on drugs.”

At the mention of drugs, the Chairman furrowed his brow and stroked his chin.

“Hmm… You say… drugs…”

“Excuse me, Professor. Isn’t that the famous Professor Hyun?”

At that moment, someone addressed me in a kind and gentle voice.

Vice Minister stood there, flashing a set of pristine white teeth.

Then, I noticed the Chairman subtly signaling to me by uniquely touching his nose and lips.

A Sikrito-style hand signal meaning “key figure” or “watch out.”

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