The academic program at Joaquin Academy lasts three years. Three years. And for quite some time, there have been voices expressing doubt about that.
“Did you know some people have been saying that ‘just’ three years isn’t enough?”
“Yes.”
However, the world of heroes has always suffered from a chronic shortage of personnel.
It was common for them to die in combat against demons, and there were also plenty of heroes who, drunk on the taste of power, forgot their true essence.
That’s how dire the situation was. And was there any definitive solution? None.
That’s why Joaquin Academy had to send out young heroes barely of age into the world.
And the consequences of that, unfortunately, fell on the academy, which was forced to release mediocre rookies into society.
Although the situation has improved considerably, Joaquin graduates who cause trouble wherever they go are still abundant.
“That’s exactly why!”
Choi Seol-Ah stood up, agitated.
“How can anyone think of something so cruel?!”
To everyone’s surprise, Choi Seol-Ah had attended graduate school.
It turned out that in order to apply for an instructor position at the academy, one was required to submit a pedagogical thesis. And now, raising her voice, she was proclaiming with conviction—
That graduate school was a true nest of corruption, far worse than any demon dungeon.
And although Choi Seol-Ah often exaggerated, this time she was serious.
“Graduate school is an institution of modern-day slavery!”
That’s when Ryozo, who had made her do squats as punishment, spoke up.
“At Joaquin, grades are strictly based on practical performance. Maybe that’s why so many feel hollow inside.”
To clarify any possible controversy with Ryozo’s “controversial” statement.
When she says “hollow-headed,” she’s referring to those who still haven’t managed to let go of that elitist noble mindset.
When it comes to practical skills, genetics have an overwhelming influence.
And unless that structure changes, the deep-rooted elitism of this world will remain intact.
“So, Geom-Ma, while you were away, I talked with Vixbig and Abel, you know?”
Vixbig, that bastard. The artificial intelligence poisoned the well.
“And well, we thought it would be a good idea to have a higher education institution above the academy. The first thing that came to mind was a graduate school. And since it’s graduate-level, written exams would logically carry more weight too.”
At Joaquin Academy, the director holds enormous influence. Even more now that the Council of Elders serves no real purpose.
That’s why there was no organization or institution that could oppose the director’s decisions when they fully reflected his personality.
It’s worth mentioning that during his student days, Ryozo never lost first place in written exams throughout the three years. He was an Armageddon-level genius. That inclination of hers was quite evident with this proposal.
“Nowadays, even after graduating, it’s hard to find a job.”
Ryozo spoke while gazing through the double windows. She slipped a finger between the blinds and lifted one. The sunlight, measured like by a ruler, cast across her face.
“Joaquin must change too.”
I don’t know how to explain it… he had the aura of a shady character.
“We can’t just be an institution that produces heroes. We need to train real educators.”
A satisfied smile appeared on Ryozo’s lips. Then Choi Seol-Ah suddenly chimed in. Her arms were pinned to her ears like she was ready to march.
“There’s going to be a lot of internal complaints!”
“Doesn’t seem like it.”
Clack. Ryozo let go of the blind.
“I asked the teachers, and they welcomed it with open arms.”
“That’s because they’re the ones in charge! You should’ve asked the officers! That survey is totally biased!”
“The officers were all busy, can’t be helped.”
“Wow… seriously, director.”
“Anyway, it’s already pretty much decided internally.”
“No way! Nothing is decided!”
Choi Seol-Ah raised her voice on behalf of a certain organization.
“You’re going to keep interrupting? Want to go back to grad school?”
Ryozo wasn’t affected in the slightest.
“What a cruel person…”
Choi Seol-Ah cried while serving her punishment. It was clear that graduate school was her weakness and trigger for emotional crisis.
“It’s almost entirely decided internally.”
Ryozo sat at his desk and rested his chin on his hand, spinning a pen between his fingers.
I, who had been listening quietly, asked.
“So, we just go forward with it?”
“Creating a new educational institution isn’t that simple. Realistically, there are two urgent problems to solve. At least two.”
First, the opinion of current students.
You couldn’t rule out the possibility that, once founded, the graduate school would end up completely empty. Since it would be a direct extension of academy education, the opinion of cadets was essential. After all, they were the target audience.
Second, money.
Joaquin Academy, as a top-tier educational institution, was already using its land to the fullest. Securing new space would cost a fortune, and current student fees barely covered the essentials.
“Don’t get me wrong, Geom-Ma.”
Ryozo looked down.
“The truth is, when it comes to money, special students are the biggest problem.”
“Ah.”
“They’re charged much less than the children of nobles, right? When I took over and reviewed the financial records, I saw that even under the previous director the budget was already tight.”
“And the number of special students has increased over the past ten years.”
“Yes.”
Ryozo sighed.
“I can’t increase the budget with my own money because it’s illegal… unless we found a sponsor. But lately, nobles’ opinion of Joaquin isn’t great, and there aren’t many entities willing to fund something this big.”
“What about the G.M. Foundation?”
“Also a no. It was recently revealed to be your private foundation, Geom-Ma. If I, as the director, can’t use my own money, even less could I pull funds from my partner’s foundation.”
I scratched my head. Nothing is easy in the adult world. Ryozo smiled tenderly and approached me. He rested his head on my shoulder.
“Even so, thanks for listening. It gives me strength.”
“Excuse me, but… there’s another person here!”
Choi Seol-Ah stuck out her tongue. Ryozo gave her a cold, sharp look.
“Instructor Kim, out.”
“…I didn’t do anything wrong.”
I added,
“Graduate school?”
“Have mercy, please!”
“Effective immediately.”
Just before crawling out of the director’s office, Choi Seol-Ah launched one last protest.
“You two!”
As if she wouldn’t leave without a final jab, she raised her index finger sternly.
“Don’t do anything weird in the director’s office!”
“…”
“…”
Ryozo broke the silence.
“Should a secretary’s salary be 500? Sounds excessive, doesn’t it?”
“It really does.”
“Let’s make it 200.”
“Yes.”
A small smile blossomed.
For once, there was warmth in the air.
‘At this point I’m just curious. What the hell is it about graduate school that makes Choi Seol-Ah, who’s usually the epitome of shamelessness, react with such rejection and horror? I’ll have to ask Yu Sein.’
The role of a graduate university in this world must be different from that on Earth. That’s why Yu Sein, who had the point of comparison, was the right person to ask.
Perfect. I already had my afternoon itinerary planned.
Now it was time to ease Ryozo’s worries a bit. Since I’m a terrible husband who’s always away, I should at least earn some points in moments like this.
“This time I came back from the mission, didn’t I?”
I pulled out my trump card.
“I think that could solve the money problem.”
It was time to empty the emperor’s wallet.
With a market capitalization in the trillions, the East India Company wouldn’t notice a few hundred billion disappearing.
…Or would they? Well, who cares. If he messed with me, he pays the price.
Once I finished the meeting with Ryozo, I went to see Yu Sein.
A luxurious apartment near the academy.
I passed by Welter, the priest who now was nothing more than Yu Sein’s slave, as he did recycling in a corner of the building.
‘How can a person’s eyes look that sad?’
I had déjà vu. Choi Seol-Ah’s eyes, when she spiraled into a crisis just hearing the word “graduate school,” sometimes showed a similar emotion.
There was an unexpected guest in Yu Sein’s house.
A PlayS****on 5 Pro sat elegantly beneath a massive TV.
It was a luxury item that cost over ten million won because the manufacturer had gone insane.
Yu Sein was sitting on the couch, completely absorbed in the game.
She usually ignored me when I visited, but today she was particularly zoned out.
She looked like she might dive right into the screen. As someone who’s possessed bodies before, I totally understood that feeling.
Click.
So I unplugged the cable.
“Aaah—!”
Yu Sein reacted immediately.
“Hey, Heavenly Sword. Can I curse you out with two voices right now?”
“Gladly. But in exchange, I’ll have that console date my sashimi.”
“Did you go insane after seeing the emperor?”
“I’ve always been insane. And anyway, Abel and Ryozo bought that for you, right? With the academy’s budget issues, we can’t afford luxuries.”
“Tch.”
Even with that sound, Yu Sein turned to pay attention. Everyone has their weakness.
Choi Seol-Ah’s is grad school. Yu Sein’s is video games.
For someone with a conscience, ten million isn’t nothing.
Besides, despite the terrible reviews, that console was selling like crazy.
It was such a rare item that if I broke it in two, they wouldn’t get a replacement for months.
“I’m ready.”
Once Yu Sein set the controller down like it was a sacred relic, I explained the situation.
Patiently, she listened in silence. Her expression was so serious that it made me nervous to speak.
A while later, she gave her opinion.
“You’re insane.”
Bluntly.
“You’re going to start a graduate program?”
“Yes.”
“You really are nuts, huh?”
Was that reaction really necessary?
“What’s so bad about it that everyone reacts like this?”
“What do you mean? Don’t you know what grad school is?”
“In my past life, I only finished elementary school.”
I had a complicated academic background. Dropped out of high school.
“Ah… right.”
“Don’t pity me. And you, Yu Sein, did you even set foot in a grad school?”
“What are you saying? I finished my doctorate.”
I blinked. What kind of betrayal was this?
“You’re not lying about that past life stuff, right?”
“If you want, I can print my thesis again. I have it memorized.”
“What was your field?”
“Mechanical engineering. I was the goddess of the department.”
I wanted to tell her that I was a literal god, but… Even I felt that was pathetic, so I held back.
“…”
“Anyway. I get the idea. It’s not a bad one. If Ryozo’s behind it, he must have his reasons.”
Even though it was a positive take, Yu Sein emphasized once again:
“Still, it doesn’t change the fact that graduate school is a den of evil.”
“Drop it already.”
“Anyway, to start a graduate school, there’s something more important than money.”
“Knowledge.”
Yu Sein tapped my forehead.
“Even if you have enough professors, graduate-level content needs to be on another level. You need knowledge. And that’s not something you can buy with money. It’s not easy to come by. If the quality or level of the knowledge is low, you’ll crash from the first step trying to convince students.”
“Knowledge…”
I felt the weight of that word. I lifted my gaze. I met Yu Sein’s languid eyes.
“I think it’s possible.”
When I spoke confidently, Yu Sein looked at me like I was crazy. I was used to being treated that way. Sad, but true.
Anyway, I ignored it all and took out my phone.
— Imperial Palace, good afternoon.
“Tell the emperor…”
I didn’t think I’d be contacting this guy again so soon.
“I want my payment from the deal we made. Right now.”
— …Excuse me?
From the other end of the line, Garyeon’s discomfort was palpable.
____
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