The Heavenly Sword brandished his blade.
But only against empty air.
That was it.
Creak.
The groan echoed repeatedly in Garyeon’s ears. She swallowed dryly.
She didn’t need to see it—she could imagine the emperor clutching his eyes and groaning. (After all, he always wore a patch, so one tends to imagine a certain image.)
Garyeon felt a strange sensation. She’d served the emperor for more than ten years.
In all that time, had he ever shown such clear signs of life? He was a man so mechanical, it seemed he didn’t even blink.
But now, he was panting. Even though his breath traveled across the sea through the “Transmission Blessing,” his agitation was palpable.
“It’s nothing important. I just severed the connection between this knowledge and the Infinite Library.”
“…Ah, uh… hmm.”
What is he talking about? Garyeon looked bewildered, her cracked lips moving wordlessly.
Kang Geom-Ma offered no further explanation. He knew that no matter what he said, she wouldn’t understand.
Garyeon shifted the focus. She had deliberately revealed the conversion of the Black Dogs to the light to the Heavenly Sword.
‘She must have wagered her life.’
So, if he gave no explanation…
Hmm.
How to put it?
‘Wouldn’t that be a bit too rude?’
A slight twinge of guilt struck her chest. So she subtly filtered the effect of the Sword God’s blessing.
‘Whether he accepts it or not is up to him.’
Kang Geom-Ma sheathed Murasame at his waist.
“Just in case… what’s the code to these suitcases?”
“It’s… 0000.”
“I knew it.”
“…!”
Garyeon shivered. Unfamiliar with the concept of a “default password,” she was genuinely startled.
Later, upon reflection, she would realize it wasn’t such a big deal.
But under the circumstances…
‘The Heavenly Sword is a hero who, with a single slash, struck His Majesty across the continent…’
She could only peek at that thought as if stealing a bite of someone else’s ramen.
‘Can such a person even be called human?’
People revered and feared the Heavenly Sword like a demigod. In terms of sheer strength, he truly was one.
Garyeon wanted to add her own reflection.
Kang Geom-Ma wasn’t “tough on the outside, soft inside.”
‘He’s tough inside and out (5 mm each).’
A perfect embodiment of his name!
Garyeon sighed with admiration, trying not to show it. Her mind started sparking with wrong ideas triggered by that “0000.”
She even subtly removed her patch.
‘To hide anything from the Heavenly Sword is blasphemy.’
Internally, Garyeon began seriously considering joining the Heavenly Divine Cult—devoted to worshiping the Heavenly Sword.
Whether he cared or not.
Clack, clack.
Kang Geom-Ma was opening the suitcases one by one. The smell of mold hit his face.
He pulled out a book and dusted it off. Opening it at random, it contained exactly the knowledge he had requested.
Flap, flap.
The pages turned smoothly. As they were dry prose records, they would need additional processing.
‘Editing these books will also be part of the graduate prep work.’
Naturally, the job of organizing this information into textbooks would fall to Choi Seol-Ah. There was no other reason.
After all, wasn’t Seol-Ah an expert on NouTube?
‘Choi Seol-Ah, accept your original sin.’
Once a grad student, always a grad student. She had muttered that with a scowl just before parting with Yu Sein.
***
I was deeply immersed in reading, which was unusual for me.
I’m aware that I’ve possessed another’s body. Even though this world isn’t strictly just a video game, it still follows a timeline based on one.
And my advantage still stands—basic knowledge of Miracle Blessing M. Though I quit the game halfway, I’d read all the endings and lore on Kkamuwiki out of curiosity.
“This magic here is part of that too.”
—————
8. Configuration
◈ For more details, see the configuration page of Miracle Blessing M.
I used to read it before bed. It was my favorite game, so I was interested in its lore.
‘Though it wasn’t fully written in detail.’
By the way, heroes have no training in magic. Institutions like Joaquin Academy don’t teach it.
Because it’s considered unnecessary—or even if explained, there’s no effective way to counter it.
“And those few who supposedly know it…”
Turned out to be villains. But due to their awful personalities, they became critically endangered.
Who? Me.
The only survivor is Choi Seol-Ah. Maybe there are others hiding like rats, but no one matches her level.
“All the corps commanders died, except Lycan. There are virtually no demons left to form contracts. And dragons—the highest-ranked demons—have no interest in the human world, except for Horntail.”
There’s no one to replace that information. It’s clear Seol-Ah is the best one to verify it.
Even so, I thought it’d be good to check some things myself first.
And in the end, that judgment proved correct.
“This is pretty good.”
I closed the book and looked at Garyeon. She stood with her hands neatly folded.
“Why did you take off your patch?”
“Because I don’t want to hide anything—not even what’s on the ceiling. And if you’d like me to show more…”
“Please stop saying things like that!”
It was just then the reception room door opened. The sound of high heels echoed ominously.
Ryozo, with her petite face and eyes glittering like crystals carved from ice, blue as silence itself. Abel, her skin pale and translucent, with visible veins.
My two wives entered quietly.
Garyeon froze. Her body stiffened in shock.
First, because of their appearance. Then, because of their status. And they weren’t even using their personal licenses!
Still, Garyeon had served the emperor for a decade. Her twitching eyelids quickly settled.
“It’s an honor to meet Director Saki Ryozo of Joaquin Academy, daughter of the Absolute Archer, and Lady Abel von Nibelung, flower of the hero society.”
Garyeon used the most refined formal speech possible.
“……”
“……”
Even so, Ryozo and Abel kept their expressions cold. Garyeon grew uneasy, wondering if she had made a misstep.
The two scrutinized Garyeon as if assessing her. Then, at my signal, they shifted their demeanor. I, out of habit, took a sip of pear juice.
“How nice. You’re from the Imperial Palace, right? It must’ve been a long journey.”
Ryozo extended her hand for a handshake. Garyeon accepted it, slightly awkwardly.
“It’s not something the Director should worry about, but I appreciate the hospitality. Thanks to your kindness, Joaquin’s future seems even brighter.”
“The honor is yours as well, Officer Garyeon. I’m sure the Palace recognizes your talents. As Director, I apologize for not offering a more proper welcome.”
Abel chimed in.
“Ryozo, shouldn’t we offer her something special? According to noble etiquette, it would be shameful to treat a Palace guest coldly.”
“Indeed, very true.”
Ryozo nodded like a wooden doll.
“We can’t let such a remarkable guest stay in an ordinary room. Why don’t we go to our favorite seafood restaurant?”
“U-um… I…”
Faced with such excessive kindness, Garyeon didn’t know where to look. She smiled awkwardly and glanced at me—only for me to look away. I was also mentally parched.
“I sincerely appreciate it, but… I’m afraid I must return to the Imperial Palace at dawn. I apologize…”
“Oh, I see. No worries at all.”
“Of course, Ryozo. She works for the Palace. She must have many pending matters.”
Wow. I could taste the charcoal in the air.
They say even hell has hierarchy. My sashimi skills can’t compete with this.
“I sincerely thank you. Every member of Joaquin seems to embody the spirit of a hero. I must reinforce training at the palace when I return.”
Garyeon subtly adjusted the ribbon of her patch. The gazes fixed on her now turned toward me with intensity.
And the one who broke the silence was—
“I’m really curious… how exactly did we set an example as heroes?”
Of course, it was Ryozo, in her usual sarcastic tone.
“The Heavenly Sword displayed extremely aggressive behavior… in the best sense, of course.”
Garyeon responded calmly. Covering her eyes gave her a certain advantage when speaking.
“How kind of you to interpret it that way.”
Abel commented disdainfully.
“The strange thing would be for someone to speak ill of the Heavenly Sword. I know there’ve been rumors lately, but those who think like that are simply shortsighted.”
The official’s sharp tongue wasn’t adorned with gold, but with pure survival instinct. Garyeon continued.
“And, well… what can I say? The Heavenly Sword possesses all the virtues a true hero should have. So perhaps there was a bit of involuntary admiration…”
“Virtues like a passion for women?”
“That too… huh?”
“Eh?”
Oh no! Garyeon had stepped on the hidden mine in Ryozo’s comment.
“Ah, n-no, that’s not what I meant…”
“Just kidding, just kidding. Hahahaha.”
“Ha-ha…”
“Does it seem like a joke to you?”
“…”
The interrogation, full of subtle jabs, lasted about another hour.
Although she’d said she’d stay nearby for the night, Garyeon ended up calling for the imperial emergency aircraft. Night flying was dangerous—but less so than the aura of Ryozo and Abel.
Once Garyeon left, I was detained for another five hours in that room for what was essentially a hearing.
At least, since I hadn’t done anything blameworthy in the eyes of the “Palace,” I was granted absolution.
“You know I love you, right, Geom-Ma?”
“My Geom-Ma would never do such a thing.”
“…Yeah…”
Ryozo and Abel clung to my arms on either side, resting their heads on my shoulders. In that moment, I thought:
‘So this is what it feels like to be a grad student trapped by their advisor…’
I finally understood why Choi Seol-Ah fled so desperately from that life.
Gulp.
A shiver ran down my spine to my glutes—a zone of intense nerve concentration.
‘What if…?’
What if my name ended up recorded among the greatest criminals in the kingdom?
Accused of a single crime: contributing to the founding of the graduate program.
I could already hear the wails of future modern-day slaves, wandering through the afterlife.
***
I had already secured the most important resource.
From there, everything flowed smoothly. The next day, Abel summoned the president of one of Korea’s top construction firms to the academy.
Just like on Earth, Korea is a global leader in the construction industry. That’s an undeniable fact.
“What an honor for us!”
Upon hearing the basic plan, the president was moved to the brink of tears.
He felt proud to be part of a historic moment.
“And about the construction costs…”
“Hmm, roughly… this much?”
Pride was one thing, but negotiations were another. There were no discounts.
“It’s not a favor, but we’ll provide all our manpower.”
“Will you charge the same?” Abel asked.
“We’ll cover any extra charges ourselves. After all, investing in educational institutions isn’t something we skimp on.”
Although, based on what they said, the figures were dizzyingly high.
‘They really don’t care?’
Well, either way, the idea was to take the money from the emperor’s pocket, so the hit to the budget wouldn’t be too bad.
“We’ll use the best construction materials. Of course, I promise the buildings won’t ruin Joaquin Academy’s beautiful landscape.”
While biting into a piece of yokan, Ryozo said.
“We’ll also ensure that the invoices are written in a way that your company can receive favorable tax benefits. So please, prioritize safety, safety, and again—safety in the design.”
“Of course. And we’ll also take aesthetics into account. If you’d like, I can present a design proposal right now.”
“Please do.”
The president moved his teacup aside and placed a tablet on the table. With a tap, it emitted a glow.
A 3D model floated above our heads. The president asked for opinions. Ideas were exchanged, and as they were incorporated, the building’s form took shape.
“Do you have any particular building in mind as a reference, Director? You can say anything. We’ll calculate the budget—so don’t hold back.”
“…Hmm. Considering Joaquin Academy is located here, I’d like it to have some Korean elements. But I’m not sure it would fit well with the Western-style architecture typical of an academy.”
“No problem. The architectural styles of Greek temples and traditional Korean houses actually share some similarities. For example…”
The pile of raw data began to take on a more defined shape. Like clay being molded on a potter’s wheel.
I crossed my arms and simply observed.
Though I was physically present, mentally I felt separated from the other three.
‘How curious.’
I suppose the right word is strange.
Ten years ago, in this same place, I was the one being lectured by Media.
And now, here I am, imagining Joaquin’s future alongside Ryozo and Abel. All to honor the legacy of my adoptive father, Balor Joaquin.
‘If he could see this… what would he say?’
The man I knew—he’d probably grunt for no reason, like always.
And in the end, he’d drop a dry, emotionless compliment. He was the typical patriarch unable to be honest with his feelings.
Maybe that’s why.
I…
I longed for a reunion I knew would never happen. I had so much to tell him. And things I wanted to hear.
Above all, I wanted to tell him how I feel now. That thanks to him, my life has meaning. If I ever get the chance, I must say it.
‘If that chance ever comes…’
As I listened to the adults’ conversation, I glanced out the window. The weather was a bit cloudy today.
Even so, planes streaked across the sky. Contrails tore through the dark clouds.
And the sunlight, pooled behind them, spilled down on our home.
‘Glory to the founding hero.’
My heart beat loudly. For some reason, even dimples formed on my cheeks.
____
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