The Academy's Delinquent in Charge - Episode 22
"Wait, haven't I seen this scene somewhere before……?"
Watching the two of them suddenly start a staring contest, Hwangbo Cheolsu felt an inexplicable sense of déjà vu.
Just then, a *crack-* sounded right beside him. It was the sound of something breaking. Startled, Hwangbo Cheolsu turned his head and looked toward the source of the noise.
'What the—!'
The source of the sound was a ballpoint pen, snapped in half and rolling across the desk.
'Isn't that a crystal ballpoint pen?'
Unlike her face, which betrayed not a hint of expression as she pretended to be calm, her tightly clenched hands were trembling as if an earthquake had struck.
'Why is she like this again…….'
His twin intuition told him.
He didn't know the reason, but Hwangbo Sujeong was currently in a very angry state. Hwangbo Sujeong in such a state was dangerous.
Had it been when he was eleven? He had snatched and eaten Hwangbo Sujeong's ice cream while she was like this and nearly died.
'That was the first time I'd ever taken a Magic Missile square in the face.'
Even now, just thinking back on it sent a chill down his spine.
'Ugh, this is uncomfortable. I've got to get out of here fast.'
Leaving Hwangbo Sujeong—who had joined the staring contest before he knew it—behind him, Hwangbo Cheolsu whispered to Baek Iljin.
"Iljin, want to go to the snack bar?"
*Nod-*
The snack bar was right next to the classroom.
Inside, students swarmed together like a colony of ants, all of them munching away on some kind of hamburger without exception.
"What is that?"
"Ah, that? It's a Bulburger. It means a hamburger with a fiery taste, and among the students, they say a Bulburger with strawberry milk is the truth."
"I see."
Baek Iljin nodded, then pointed to a table in the corner of the snack bar.
"But is that Bulburger thing normally eaten like that?"
"Huh?"
Following Baek Iljin's finger to the student sitting at the snack bar table, Hwangbo Cheolsu let out a hollow laugh, as if dumbfounded.
"Ha, seriously…… why is he eating like that?"
The way to eat a hamburger normally sold at a snack bar was very simple. Unwrap it and hold it in your hands to eat.
But Namgung Jongsu was different.
With a white napkin wrapped around his neck, he had placed the Bulburger on a plate—who knew where he'd gotten it—and was slicing and eating it like a steak.
The grape juice in a wine glass was the finishing touch to that ensemble.
'Oh my? Why is he drinking juice with his pinky finger raised?'
Finding it absurd, Hwangbo Cheolsu let out a snort and shook his head as he looked at Namgung Jongsu.
"That Jones guy really sticks to his concept like crazy."
"Concept? What's that?"
"Never mind, it's a thing."
"I see."
"Let's eat quickly too. We have to finish before break is over."
Pulling Baek Iljin by the sleeve, Hwangbo Cheolsu went to the counter and took out his card. Baek Iljin followed suit, pulling a card from his subspace.
"Iljin, want to make a bet?"
"A bet?"
"We both hold out our cards to the noona at the snack bar at the same time, and whoever she picks pays."
"Sure."
Baek Iljin and Hwangbo Cheolsu held out their cards simultaneously, and the result was Baek Iljin's loss. Having paid, Baek Iljin took out a Bulburger and banana milk from the bag.
Hwangbo Cheolsu had recommended strawberry milk, but Baek Iljin—who had never once eaten a fruit called a banana—chose banana milk.
'So this thing called a banana is something I've never eaten before either.'
Baek Iljin took a bite of the Bulburger.
Perhaps because it had been in a heat-preservation magic showcase, the Bulburger was warm all the way through.
The taste wasn't anything extraordinary, but it wasn't bad for a simple meal.
'By the way, this thing called banana milk is really delicious.'
While he was finishing the banana milk, the bell signaling the start of class rang out.
"We're going to be late. Let's hurry."
Baek Iljin nodded and followed Hwangbo Cheolsu back into the classroom.
* * *
'So today's lecture is Auxiliary Martial Arts.'
Unlike the other lectures, Auxiliary Martial Arts had no textbook.
The students, all seated before they knew it, waited for the Auxiliary Martial Arts professor, Dan Gyehong. But five minutes, then ten minutes passed, and Dan Gyehong still hadn't appeared.
'He was already inside the classroom.'
Baek Iljin cast his gaze toward the ceiling of the classroom, where an odd sensation could be felt.
It wasn't just Baek Iljin—the top-ranking martial arts track students and the elf students sensitive to the flow of energy also looked up at the ceiling, as if sensing something strange.
However, the magic track students and the written examination track students didn't notice a thing and began laughing and chatting, playing around with one another.
"Ah, I heard the Auxiliary Martial Arts professor is a total old geezer. I don't want to take this class."
"Frankly, we came here to learn magic, not martial arts, right?"
"But you still need to know martial arts to get into the special class. There's even a martial arts test on the placement exam."
"I hate that too. Don't you?"
"……."
"Why aren't you answer—……"
*Thwack- thwack- thwack-*
"Aaaargh—"
"Uwaaargh!"
Dan Gyehong, who had appeared out of nowhere, ruthlessly brought down the bamboo root in his hand on the backs of the chattering students' heads.
"What is it that you find so disagreeable?"
"Ye……? Ah, it's nothing."
"If the Academy's educational policies don't suit you, then get the hell out."
"Ah, no……"
Dan Gyehong swept his gaze over the students clutching their heads and clicked his tongue.
"Those who couldn't adapt and stormed out like you lot have gathered on the streets and are acting like delinquents; perhaps you should join them."
"Ah, no! We're sorry!"
"Tsk, you wicked brats."
After raining down a few more blows on the crowns of the students' heads, Dan Gyehong finally put his hands behind his back and stepped onto the lecture platform.
Dan Gyehong's outward appearance didn't look like a martial artist who had learned martial arts at all.
He was only around 160 centimeters tall, and his face was full of wrinkles. His head was half-bald, and he wore an eyepatch over his left eye.
Yet to Baek Iljin's eyes, Dan Gyehong didn't simply look like a small, frail old man.
'He's strong.'
Among the people Baek Iljin had met since descending the mountain, Dan Gyehong possessed the second strongest aura. Neither Decant nor Karis had an aura that strong.
'If I had to compare, he would be similar to the head of the Hwangbo family.'
He didn't know who would win if Hwangbo Myeong and Dan Gyehong clashed, but at least in terms of condensed aura alone, Hwangbo Myeong was slightly ahead of Dan Gyehong.
Stepping onto the podium, Dan Gyehong—unlike the other professors—didn't lecture with a magical tool, but instead brought out an old-fashioned chalkboard that had been stuck in a corner. Then, using Void Grasp, he wrote [Martial Arts - Auxiliary (Auxiliary Martial Arts)] with chalk.
"H-He's using Void Grasp."
"Did you see that?"
"Wow, it's my first time seeing Void Grasp since I was born."
"Isn't that telekinesis magic?"
"Why would a Martial Arts professor use magic?"
Seeing the students' astonished reactions, Dan Gyehong nodded in satisfaction and muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Magic chalkboards are no fun to use, tsk."
Looking at the students from the podium, Dan Gyehong jabbed his bamboo root at one student.
"You there! Stand up."
"Huh? Me?"
"Of course. Who else would be there but you?"
The student stood up from his seat awkwardly.
Dan Gyehong had one nasty hobby.
Namely, writing everything in Central Plains script and then picking on students who couldn't possibly know Central Plains script.
"What are the words written on the chalkboard right now?"
"Ma…… It says Martial Arts."
"Are your eyes knotholes? Can't you see the characters after it?"
At Dan Gyehong's thunderous roar, the magic track student held back tears and answered in a choked voice.
"I-I'm sorry. I don't really know Central Plains script……"
"Tsk, what kind of magicians or researchers can you idiots become? State your number and name."
"Magic Track, Number 200. I'm Jack."
"You've earned demerit points. Keep that in mind."
"Excuse me? P-Professor!"
Before the placement exam, freshmen were in an adaptation period, so professors generally avoided giving demerit points. But Dan Gyehong was different.
"Tsk, from now on my classes will be conducted entirely in Central Plains script, so memorize all of it. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Good, then. Everyone stand up in formation by your numbers. We are moving to the training grounds immediately."
The moment he finished speaking, Dan Gyehong charged at the students and thrashed the slow ones with his switch.
"Aaack—!"
"Ack—!"
"Hurry up! I'm getting hit because of you! Aaack—!"
Thanks to Dan Gyehong's thrashing, the students were able to line up and move quickly.
The training grounds were outdoors and several times wider than the auditorium they had been to during combat magic class last time.
"I don't like the term 'Auxiliary Martial Arts.' Martial arts is martial arts, so what the hell is auxiliary martial arts, tsk. But the higher-ups order it, so I have no choice."
After grumbling for a while, Dan Gyehong continued his explanation.
"Anyway, during Auxiliary Martial Arts class, I teach stealth techniques, concealment techniques, movement arts, footwork, and methods of striking acupoints. What you will learn today is footwork."
Dan Gyehong pointed with his chin at the wooden platforms installed here and there around the training grounds. The wooden platforms were installed quite high, appearing to be roughly over 3 meters.
Each platform had a number written on it. There were platforms from Number 1 to Number 188, and the sizes varied slightly.
Some were so narrow one could barely stand on them with the tip of one foot, while others were wide enough to stand on comfortably with both feet.
"The shapes of these platforms are modeled after the footmarks of a footwork called the Wandering Drunken Steps (漫醉步) of the Beggar Sect. Is there anyone who knows why this footwork is called Wandering Drunken Steps?"
"I've heard it's a footwork modeled after a drunkard's gait."
Hearing the answer, Dan Gyehong laughed with a *kekeke*, as if something was funny. Suddenly bursting into laughter, he cackled for quite a while before continuing.
"That's right. I don't know where those beggar bastards got the money to buy alcohol and create such a footwork, but the Wandering Drunken Steps is in no way inferior to the footwork of the Five Great Families and the Six Great Sects. From the perspective of footwork alone, it's truly excellent ascending footwork."
Having said that, Dan Gyehong stepped onto Wooden Platform Number 1.
"I shall demonstrate just once. The method is very simple. Just step on them in order. However, you must absolutely not use internal energy."
Dan Gyehong stepped across the wooden platforms in order. His movements did not simply end with stepping on the platforms and moving.
Moving as if about to step yet not, he swayed his upper body in all directions, while simultaneously cushioning every impact upon landing with a spring-like waist. Movements that scattered like the wind were soft, as if shedding all things, yet the ankles that anchored his feet as solidly as steel were as immovable as Mount Tai.
'So that is footwork.'
When Dan Gyehong's foot finally stopped on the last platform, Number 188, not a single student among the many gathered wasn't gaping in awe.
"Kekeke— this is the Wandering Drunken Steps. If you mages learn it, you'll save your lives at least once in close combat, and if you martial arts kids learn it, it'll add to your accomplishments."
As he laughed, Baek Iljin came into Dan Gyehong's view, nodding slightly.
'Keke— look at this kid. He probably doesn't understand even half the movements, yet he's pretending to have realized something.'
In an instant, Dan Gyehong charged to stand before Baek Iljin and asked, pointing at the platforms.
"Why aren't you wearing your uniform?"
"It was torn."
"Is that so? I see. But you were nodding after seeing my Wandering Drunken Steps; have you realized something?"
"Yes."
Dan Gyehong grew interested in Baek Iljin, who showed no fear despite standing right before him and instead stared right back into his eyes as he spoke.
"Is that so? Then can you come out first and show me what you've realized?"
Baek Iljin swept his gaze over the platforms once and nodded.
"Yes, I understand."