Chapter 106

After cleaning up and heading down to eat breakfast, the director of the office approached me and informed me that the Chairman of the Advisory Board was waiting for me.

“We’ll be right here. We have somewhere to go.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to meet with student Hye-won’s father. There’s something I couldn’t address during our previous meeting.”

“Well then, see you later.”

Professor Han let out a gentle laugh, making Yu Hye-won mimic retching as if she were utterly disgusted.

Cute, both of them.

Following one of the staff members, I moved toward where the Chairman of the Advisory Board was located.

A large building stood at the center of the sprawling garden, the place where the Chairman of the Advisory Board and Hye-won’s mother reside.

As with the homes of the wealthy, the chairman’s study resembled an entire administrative office of the Organization transported here.

For someone like me, who has never lived extravagantly, the very presence of such an opulent study in a house felt quite awkward.

Upon entering the study, the Chairman greeted me.

“Welcome, Professor Hyun. Are you enjoying your time here?”

“Yes. But aren’t you supposed to be at work?”

“I have a bit of time today to talk. Please, take a seat.”

Sitting on the sofa, the Chairman began.

“First, about Gos Hawk.”

“What’s the status?”

“The Organization has begun an investigation regarding the incidents during the field training. However, it doesn’t seem to be progressing smoothly.”

“Did he refuse to cooperate?”

“Does it seem like he would? On the contrary, our people were even physically restrained from entering his office.”

“Insanity. Against the Organization?”

“He was always a mad hero. But now, thanks to the Organization’s current roster of heroes, he’s behaving more peacefully. We’ll handle him, so don’t worry too much.”

“In that case, I won’t concern myself further, provided he doesn’t come causing trouble again.”

“Understood. Besides, it seems he suffered quite a blow from you.”

“Is that so?”

The Chairman paused to look at me before asking.

“What technique did you use?”

When I explained the techniques used during the two duels, the Chairman shook his head.

“Even so, it was excessive. Just against an A-Ranked Hero?”

“But I had no choice. Gos Hawk took the duel very seriously. If I hadn’t countered, Chairman, instead of sitting here with me, you’d be in the ICU.”

“When did you become so adept at jokes?”

With a not-so-amused expression, the Chairman continued.

“Judging by the techniques you used, if you had gone just a bit further, Gos Hawk would be dead. Instead of the ICU, you’d be conversing in the Organization’s interrogation room.”

“Hmm…”

“Moreover, you know better than anyone else that we can’t equate a Sikrito’s rank to those of frontline heroes.”

The Chairman gave me a reprimanding tone.

“Furthermore, you aren’t a Sikrito operative anymore. You’re a professor at the Academy. It’d be problematic if you kept attacking everyone like a mad dog as you used to.”

“That won’t happen. It all stems from Gos Hawk’s instigation for the duel.”

“Yes, I understand that. But you could have avoided the fight. Even without retaliation, you could have prevented him from harming you.”

“But Gos Hawk placed one of my guidance students in danger. No professor, seeing that, could simply stand by.”

“Even so, the severity of punishment depends on who commits the violence—regular citizens or a martial artist. Professor Hyun, you nearly killed Gos Hawk.”

“Yes.”

“Next time, if you have any trouble with anyone, exercise restraint. I don’t want all the effort it took to place you at the Academy, without any official credentials, to go to waste.”

“I’ll try. Provided the Organization properly manages Gos Hawk.”

“That’s assured. However, there’s probably something else you’re curious about, isn’t there?”

Indeed, he had noticed.

Of course, it would be natural.

A certain clue in the footage provided to the Academy’s Doctrine Development Center involves green clouds.

And I, being closely related to it, am an Academy professor.

It was only natural that the Chairman would answer me if he knew more.

“If you already know, enlighten me about what I’m curious about.”

“Let me ask you first. Are you planning to take revenge?”

“Yes.”

At my firm reply, the Chairman fell silent and fixed a steady gaze on me.

“There’s no reason not to. It’s been years. What’s the point now?”

“Sometimes, time only intensifies what doesn’t fade.”

“Things have changed. You’re no longer a Sikrito, but a professor guiding students.”

“That’s correct. Times have changed.”

At my agreement, the Chairman’s expression relaxed slightly.

But my agreement wasn’t genuine.

“Your intentionally blocked past has already been uncovered by you. Entirely, things have shifted.”

“Professor Hyun… Come to your senses. Why disrupt the life that has been guaranteed at such cost?”

“Given that I now know everything, I can no longer live peacefully. No, rather…”

As I stared straight at the Chairman, I continued.

“Living peacefully now requires me to take vengeance.”

After a brief silence, the Chairman spoke.

“Is it because of Han Tae-woo’s daughter?”

“Yes.”

“That child is one I personally took care of. I ensured the missing payment for the dependents of the deceased Han couple and recommended her to the Academy. And now, she’s under your wing. Even though she lost her parents, Han Min-ha has been provided everything she needs, and by guiding her, you are relieving the guilt you felt towards the Han couple. They, in fact, would be grateful to you.”

“No, Chairman. That’s not true.”

The Chairman flinched slightly at the title.

It’s a cover, used by Sikrito operatives to conceal their true identities from the outside world.

“There’s an undeniable weight on my shoulders that I can never shed.”

Holding my left shoulder, which had artificial joints from an accident, I continued.

“Senior Han Tae-woo and Seo Ji-a died because of me. I, their supporter, failed them.”

“That’s not your fault. The hero who filmed the footage sent to the Academy couldn’t get closer due to the poison. It was an incredibly strong gas that overtook both of you. No team could have survived such a situation.”

“Even so, I could’ve sacrificed myself to save the senior couple.”

“Professor Hyun, why persist like this?”

Why indeed?

It’s obvious—because of Min-ha.

Had it not been for Min-ha, I would’ve continued living obliviously as an Academy professor, convinced I’d been transposed into a failed web novel and imagining that I had an incurable lung disease, endlessly coughing while trying to find answers that didn’t exist on how to return to my original world.

But everything changed the moment Min-ha handed me a handkerchief at the back of the auditorium during the opening ceremony.

All that I thought I knew was turned upside down, and now I have three guidance students instead of a solitarily empty life.

Yes, as the Chairman said, living as an Academy professor with all guarantees—sufficient salary, a secured pension, and guiding adorable students like bunnies—is not bad at all.

And leading them to graduate successfully with excellent grades would surely bring a sense of fulfillment.

But that’s only true if I were an ordinary hero.

I am a former Sikrito operative.

A tainted unofficial hero who dealt with dirty work in the shadows.

A despicable person who wiped out my entire team with a single mistake and then used the grotesque technique known as the Mental Barrier to shield myself from everything.

And now, watching the daughter of my fallen comrades, I feel guilt.

Min-ha tells me to let go, but I can’t.

Her urging only makes the burden on my shoulders heavier.

Seeing her face, I’m reminded of Seo Ji-a’s, making the memories I’ve tried to forget resurface vividly.

And if I ever see Min-ha cry again, I doubt I can bear it.

Rather, if I hadn’t known Min-ha, or at least felt nothing for her, I could’ve survived with the “only the living must live” mentality, despite feeling apologetic towards her parents.

But no, if I felt nothing at all for Min-ha…

The cold-hearted Mental Barrier blocks willpower and emotions unrelated to the user’s intent.

However, for Min-ha, and for the children, I feel something.

A profound sense of duty and deep affection.

That’s why.

Because Min-ha told me to let go of my guilt and stop suffering, so I could be the person she thought I was.

Because Min-ha has become someone important to me, I can’t let go of this guilt.

Because you are too precious to me, Min-ha, I want to seek vengeance.

For the sake of fully confronting you after completely settling this matter and putting an end to it.

And because being a professor with a sound mental state, rather than a mentally deteriorated person ruminating over regrets, would be better for you and your friends.

For the sake of Han Tae-woo, my only friend in the past, Seo Ji-a, and now you, my only friends, I must move forward.

“I will take revenge. Tell me, Chairman, about him.”

After staring at me for a long time, the Chairman sighed.

“The Sikrito is planning a retaliation operation against him.”