In this world, a graduate school is a rather foreign educational institution.
Heroes, after graduating from the academy, usually head straight to the battlefield, so they don’t even go to college—how could graduate school not be even stranger?
That’s why what most worried Ryozo before embarking on the ambitious project of founding one was the “capacity.”
And I don’t mean garden, but admission capacity. That is, the number of students.
‘What if, after the inauguration, the only thing running through the halls is the cold wind?’
“We’d get flooded with complaints.”
‘They might even stage sit-ins, saying what the hell we did with those expensive tuitions…’
That’s already an area where I couldn’t help.
My sword only rises against injustice; if it’s a legal protest, I’d just have to watch in silence.
‘It’s not like I’m a dictator.’
Anyway.
I’ll get to the point—the problem that almost gave my wife a headache took a pleasant turn.
Recruitment of new students went smoothly.
To give a concrete example:
“The enrollment period was one month, but we filled the entire capacity in just two days.”
Ryozo pushed her glasses up to her forehead.
She spun several times in her chair, as if to cool her excitement.
“Of course, there might be a few duds among them, but even with that, I don’t think we’ll have any problem with lack of students.”
“How many spots were there?”
“Initially, not many. Two hundred fifty. But the number of applicants was ten thousand.”
A 400 to 1 ratio?
“Ah, I just checked and we’ve already passed twelve thousand. In that time, two thousand more.”
Correction.
600 to 1.
If Yu Sein were here, he’d have said: “It’s like multiplying modern slaves.”
***
“…It far exceeded our expectations.”
“Yes, and we barely even advertised.”
Ryozo was right.
We didn’t organize any promotional event. It was Ryozo’s idea that instead of spending on that, we invest more in strengthening the internal structure.
“Advertising generates interest, yes. But that’s all. An educational institution shouldn’t become hallway gossip.”
We had to stand out through results. If the output is good, people will gather on their own.
‘Joaquin Academy is the perfect example.’
As far as I know, Seoul National University doesn’t even publish admissions campaigns.
Simply put, everyone wants to go.
Besides.
“The budget issue also plays a role.”
It turned out that producing the educational materials cost much more than expected.
‘And the money I’m pulling from the imperial treasury is already reaching its limit.’
The book “Fundamentals of Magic,” pushed forward by Choi Seol-Ah, had entered a full revision phase with the incorporation of the new faculty.
That new group was led by Valerion, along with high-ranking members of the dragon race.
Once the Lord got involved, the dragons, who had previously been conservative, started extending their hands.
“Thank the Dragon Lord, Geom-Ma. To be honest… I still can’t fully believe it. But grateful I am, that’s for sure.”
Ryozo doubted my first report.
Not until Valerion transformed, just like with Speedweapon, did she believe it.
“Since it fits the purpose of the graduate school, we shouldn’t hesitate to bring in that kind of elite staff.”
And she’s absolutely right. But… everything has a limit.
‘How was I supposed to know the dragons would accept their salary like that?’
To them, money is nothing but paper. Nothing more, nothing less.
In the ecology of Gehenna, if you wanted something, you simply took it.
Although Ryozo tried to explain the concept of “exchange,” they didn’t quite understand it.
***
“You’re telling me that to get what I want, I have to use this yellow, musty-smelling paper?”
“My initial idea was to give you a debit card, but that seems too complicated for you.”
“Hmm… I don’t really get it.”
“What exactly don’t you understand?”
“Isn’t it enough to just take what one wants?”
“…Pardon?”
“In Gehenna, what belongs to the weak naturally passes to the strong.”
“Then…”
“Yes. If you, Celestial Sword, desire something of mine, you may freely take it. It’s clear you’re stronger than me, even as I am the Dragon Lord. If you wish, I’ll even give you my magic eye.”
“Ah, no, no…”
“There’s no reason to be surprised. The First Dragon Lord also gave his Ring Eye to the founding hero in a similar situation.”
Chief… You truly are a mafioso.
Your disciple just learned a great lesson.
***
Thus, the matter of salary payments gave Ryozo quite a headache.
Free labor has its limit.
Also, if you don’t pay fairly, issues may arise later on.
Ryozo, Abel, and I spent nearly a whole week racking our brains over it.
We felt uneasy about not paying them… But they said they didn’t need money.
Just as our worries were deepening, a problem-solver appeared.
Valerion’s granddaughter, Horntail, crossed belatedly from the Demon Realm to the human plane.
“Long time no see!”
She played a decisive role in solving this problem.
“I think we just need to give them that.”
“Huh?”
At that clear response, I slapped my forehead. Though, on the other hand, I was worried.
“You see it that way because you have a pure mind, but will fully grown adult dragons really fall for something that simple?”
“They will.”
“Hmm…”
I let out a silent sigh.
And what if we hand it out without thinking and then they get mad, saying we treated them like fools?
‘If that happens, fixing it would be a nightmare.’
But unlike me, always so concerned, Ryozo is a decisive woman. Typical of an academy director in her twenties.
“Let’s try it first.”
And so it was.
That happened today.
In two days, the graduate school opens. Before that, we had to win the dragons’ hearts.
Only then could we keep them long-term.
I walked with Horntail toward the academy’s special pavilion.
The dragons were camping there, as it was a place with an environment similar to the Demon Realm.
‘Will this really work…?’
My steps grew heavy with concern. Though, honestly, that worry was bought.
The destructive power of that… the “A++ grade Hanwoo” was truly overwhelming.
— O-ohhh…!
The dragon race opened their eyes in unison. They couldn’t take their eyes off the floral marbling of the meat.
Seeing them so amazed was a good sign. It meant it worked.
‘Isn’t it an overreaction to transform…?’
They exhaled so heavily through their noses that they ended up transforming into dragons.
Dragons surrounding a grill with a human in the center.
If someone saw it from outside, it would be quite a strange sight.
But if you get distracted, you lose. So I continued with the mission.
“I’ll begin.”
Since it was a special occasion, I placed the meat on the grill myself.
Sizzle…!
The brilliant sound and aroma stimulated every sense.
The dragons, as if hit by a jolt, twisted their scales.
Their jaws trembled with the tingling of salivation.
‘When I worked at the sushi restaurant, I sometimes served raw meat too.’
Some drunk customer would complain about why I brought raw meat.
So, at the start of my career, I sometimes grilled it for them.
‘Over time I stopped, of course.’
Not because those customers disappeared, but because I learned to deal with them.
—You gonna end up as raw meat yourself, or are you gonna eat it?
I’ll eat it.
Pff.
That’s a good memory too.
Sizzle…!
The dragons focused even on the moment the fat dripped onto the coals.
Suddenly, I had a kind of existential crisis. What are we even doing right now?
I felt emotionally drained. While placing the grilled meat on the edges of the grill.
“I’ll show you how to eat it!”
Horntail split her wooden chopsticks. She rubbed them carefully and picked up a piece.
The tip of the chopsticks soaked in fat.
The dragons’ jaws were drenched in saliva.
Nom!
“Huuugh…!”
The sound Horntail made was a mix of moan and sigh… definitely suggestive.
And she kept eating nonstop, completely out of it.
‘Wasn’t this a taste test? She’s having dinner!’
The dragons, not wanting to be left behind, also grabbed their chopsticks. Though they held them clumsily, they tried to use them… but often crossed them incorrectly.
“Damn it!”
A young dragon, frustrated, cursed aloud.
Forgetting all composure, he stabbed the meat with his chopsticks like a fork.
“Ah…”
His vertical pupils sparkled intensely. The scales around his eyes glistened.
‘Is he… crying?’
The young dragon looked off into the distance wistfully. With moistened corneas, he muttered.
“This… is magic.”
I felt the prestige of the magic that would be taught in graduate school crumble.
In the next instant, the dragons rushed toward the grill, swishing their tails.
I stepped back. A cloud of dust rose.
Within it, the dragon race fought with chopsticks like swords. I watched them.
‘Will the Joaquin graduate school be okay like this…?’
I’ll have to talk seriously with Ryozo and Abel about this.
Anyway.
‘With this, the key staff salary issue is resolved.’
I wiped the sweat from my forehead. Taking advantage of the dragons being distracted, I left the special building.
Looking up at the sky, I headed to the director’s office.
There were more than a few voicing their dissatisfaction with the creation of Joaquin Academy’s graduate school.
But it must be said—curiously, the noble factions that used to fiercely oppose me were silent. Let’s say they were in their “cool-down period.”
Those people don’t attack me all the time.
They only appear when I’ve almost forgotten them, make a scene… and leave with a lesson.
This time, the ones expressing the most displeasure were members of the Association of Special Student Graduates.
I’m in a similar situation to them. So, to some extent, I understand why they act that way.
‘They’re resentful.’
They never had that option. Special students from Joaquin, due to their social origin, often ended up joining the Association out of obligation.
And suddenly, a graduate school appears.
It’s logical they’d feel frustrated by their situation.
Thinking about that, I returned to Ryozo. I told her the dragons were satisfied.
“Good job, Geom-Ma.”
“Hahaha…”
I left out the details. I didn’t want to break Ryozo’s expectations.
So, as we walked toward the director’s office, I voiced the concern on my mind.
“Did you see yesterday’s statement from the Association of Special Student Graduates? What do you plan to do about it?”
“What am I going to do? Nothing. Leave them be.”
“And if tomorrow, at the inauguration, that negatively affects public opinion?”
Ryozo stepped from her main seat to the sofa beside me.
“Having some negative opinion is better than none. The fact that there are people discontent also means, on the other hand, that there are those who support us.”
Ah…
“It’s just that their voices are smaller. Ignoring criticism completely isn’t good either, but if we accept too much, we won’t be able to do what we must. When opening a new path, there’s always a degree of pain one must carry.”
“…”
Ryozo looked at me with just her eyes. Her blue pupils shone brightly.
“You know what I mean, right?”
Of course I do. I’m aware.
Lately, an online current has been forming that fears me and wants to stop me.
Though still small, it’s growing like a snowball.
But there are also those who support me. Even some who were once my enemies.
Ryozo was comforting me indirectly. She knew that if she said it outright, I’d take it awkwardly and brush it off.
‘Truly…’
How lucky you are, kid.
Once again, I was glad to be Heavenly Sword.
***
Finally, two days later.
The Joaquin Academy graduate school opened its doors under the watchful eyes of the entire world.
____
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