I Became an Unknown Professor at the Academy

“I’ll cut off the breath of royalty.”

What an arrogant and disrespectful statement.

“You…”

The boyish figure exuded an aura that was far beyond his apparent age.

Claire’s brows furrowed at the sight of his wild eyes and flickering blue light.

“Analyst.”

The boy, Sean Connery, nodded and spoke in a low voice.

“I thought so. I heard you were dead.”

“As you can see, I’m not.” Sean’s tone was calm, but his eyes still burned with a bright blue magic power.

“I’m bound by a contract, so I can’t answer all your questions. Just accept that I’m not dead, and that I’ve grown younger.”

Claire mumbled, “An artifact… or perhaps a chance encounter?”

Sean smiled like a child, a signal that he couldn’t reveal more.

Sean Connery, known as the Analyst, was a unique awakened one with the ability to perceive and interpret the essence of things he saw, even if it took some time.

Perception and interpretation were essential elements in resolving the gates, and Sean’s ability was unparalleled in understanding the structure of new gates and monsters.

At the same time, Sean, always seeking new knowledge to satisfy his curiosity, had joined the 13th-level gate cracking team when it first appeared 15 years ago and was presumed dead.

The members of the team who returned from the mission unanimously testified to Sean’s death, and his demise was officially announced to the world. But…

“I don’t have the patience I used to have because my body has grown younger. Let’s get to the point.”

The madman, presumed dead, was alive and still held the reins of those thirsty for knowledge.

Claire nodded at Sean’s suggestion.

“You must be aware of the situation.”

“……?”

The boy tilted his head in confusion and turned to Jayden.

“Did you forget to tell me something, you brat?”

“No, Master.”

“Really?”

Jayden nodded and turned to Claire.

“Deputy Professor, Professor Baek instructed me to bring my master here. So, I believe it’s your turn to explain the situation.”

“I understand.”

Claire briefly explained yesterday’s events to the four of them, as it was not a complicated story.

“So, we just need to recreate the incident and repair the damaged facilities?”

“Yes.”

“Hahaha.”

Sean, having heard the situation and the task at hand, laughed like an old man and stood up.

“Let’s go.”

His casual decision-making seemed to bother Jayden, who frowned and said, “Master, this is not something to be decided so lightly.”

“Why? Isn’t this something these two can handle in the blink of an eye?”

Smack!

A wooden staff, seemingly appearing out of thin air, struck Jayden on the head. Sean twirled the staff in the air and said, “Hahaha, I sent you to investigate the barrier, and you’ve become completely useless. Hahaha…”

The boy’s eyes flickered with anger, and Jayden, realizing his mistake, quickly reached out.

“M-Master, there are many things to consider as a professor of the Academy!”

“That’s your problem, not mine.”

Boom!

The wooden staff struck again, shattering Jayden’s magic power shield and hitting him on the head, causing him to collapse to the floor.

Sean glared at his unconscious disciple and clicked his tongue.

“Get up if you don’t want to be hit again.”

“I’m getting old, too, you know.”

“So? Do you know more than I do?”

“……”

At his master’s taunt, Jayden rubbed his head and got up.

“Is it that Professor Baek who asked you to call me here?”

“Yes, Master.”

“What’s the relationship between him and the Executioner?”

“Rumors say they’re living together, so they’re definitely lovers.”

“Hmm, I see.”

Sean stroked his smooth chin and narrowed his eyes.

“Robert.”

“Yes, Master.”

Robert, the ‘former’ chief investigator of the International Awakened Criminal Investigation Organization and the current authority on psychometry.

Sean put the floating staff back into the spatial gap and said, “You called me for such a simple matter?”

“That’s right, Master.”

A disturbing smile appeared on the boy’s face.

“Make sure you handle this well to satisfy the client.”

“Of course, Master. I’ll do my best to see that radiant crystal again.”

“Good.”

As their conversation ended, the door to the laboratory opened as if on cue.

Claire, who had stepped out for a moment, stood at the door, her chin tucked in.

The four of them quietly followed Claire out of the research building.

**

Early lunch.

The sun shone lazily into the dormitory room shared by Baek Hana and Lee Nayoung.

“It’s all Nam Seo-hee’s fault!”

“It’s your fault for punching her!”

“Both of you, shut up!”

Maria raised her hand, silencing Edyn and Nam Seo-hee, who were glaring at each other across the table.

“Well, since a high-ranking person has come, I think things will be resolved smoothly.”

Lee Nayoung, nestled in Baek Hana’s arms like a doll, fiddled with her fingers and offered her first opinion of the day.

“Nayoung.”

“Hmm? Yeah?”

“In reality, things rarely get resolved as peacefully as in ‘The Guild’.”

“I-I’m sorry…”

Baek Hana, seeing Lee Nayoung’s dejected expression, lifted her chin and placed it on Lee Nayoung’s head.

“Why are you making Nayoung feel bad?”

“I was just stating the reality. And why do you look so relaxed when you’re the one involved? Hmm?”

“Ubuuuh.”

Maria, seeing Baek Hana’s bright expression despite the late-night brainstorming, tugged at her cheek.

“You don’t think that just because the Executioner is involved, everything will be resolved, do you?”

“Nope.”

“Then why do you look so carefree?”

“Hmm, it’s just…”

Baek Hana smiled faintly as she rubbed her cheek.

She had experienced something similar in the past.

This situation wasn’t much different from what had happened before.

So, she believed that the person she admired and respected had stepped in to help, and that he was surely watching over her somewhere.

Just thinking about it made her feel warm inside, and she became aware of her feelings once again.

She was indeed…

“Hana?”

“……?”

Baek Hana, lost in thought, snapped out of her daze as her body swayed.

Maria stood in front of her, frowning and placing her hand on Baek Hana’s shoulder.

“Are you really okay, or are you just pretending to be okay?”

“Huh? I’m fine, really.”

“But why are you spacing out? It’s worrying.”

“Sorry. Why?”

Baek Hana asked, and Maria narrowed her eyes as she touched Baek Hana’s forehead.

“No fever… Are you really okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Okay, then. Get up. A notice just came in that everyone involved yesterday should gather in front of the training room.”

“Oh, okay.”

Baek Hana put down Lee Nayoung, who had been nestled in her arms, and stood up.

“Nayoung, you should probably rest.”
“Ah, no. I’ll, I’ll go too.”
“Forget it.”

Seeing the dark circles under her eyes, Baek Hana turned Lee Nayoung around and gently pushed her towards the bed.

“Let’s have dinner together later. Get some rest until then.”
“But….”
“Nayoung.”
“….Okay.”

Only after Baek Hana gave her a slight glare did Lee Nayoung obediently climb into bed.

“I’ll be back.”
“….Be careful.”

And so, the four of them left the dormitory, leaving Lee Nayoung behind in her room.

“By the way, I heard Ian McCullen and Robert came this morning?”
“They’re acquaintances of Professor Jayden.”
“……Wow. Do you think we could ask them for help?”
“Do you think they would? Anyway, I heard they don’t get along with Professor Baek.”

Everyone knew about the incident where Jayden had declared his intention to compete against Baek Woo-jin during his introduction to the faculty—it was so famous that it would be harder to find a student who didn’t know about it.

“By the way, Seo-hee.”
“….Yeah?”

At Baek Hana’s call, the slightly dejected Nam Seo-hee quickly raised her head.

“Are you okay?”
“….What do you mean?”
“You know them all, right?”
“……Yeah.”

Nam Seo-hee nodded, understanding what Baek Hana was worried about.

“I’m fine. I only know them by face and name. And this incident won’t cause a rift between the guilds.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah. Besides, it’s not like they only have one child.”

Although she said that, Nam Seo-hee couldn’t predict how the power dynamics between the guilds would change because of this incident.

But she was confident that, no matter how the dynamics shifted, the impact on her guild would be minimal.

“We’re probably the last ones.”
“….Seems like it.”

Edyn nodded to Maria.

There were a little over ten people gathered in front of the training room on the second floor, which had collapsed. Among them were the children of the ten major guilds, the novice priest of the Luck God, who could be considered the main culprit of this incident, and her supervisor.

-Run.

“Yes, yes!!”
“I’m sorry!!”

At Claire’s shout, which contained irresistible power, Edyn and Maria sprinted forward, feeling nauseous, while Baek Hana and Nam Seo-hee moved at a pace that matched theirs.

“Is everyone here?”

Ian McCullen, a handsome middle-aged man with blond hair, asked Claire.

Claire checked the faces of the people gathered there.

The children of the ten guilds, unable to hide their anxiety.
The novice priest and high priest of the Luck God, pale as a sheet.
Jayden Martel, who happened to be at work, and the head of finance, who would act as a notary.

“Let’s begin.”
“Okay.”

Ian placed his hand on the wall of the training room.

“Wow…….”
“That’s amazing.”

In this frozen space, where everyone was immobilized, Baek Hana and Edyn, the direct participants in this incident, marveled at the phenomenon unfolding before their eyes.

Kkak, kaka-gak.
Drrrr.

The debris that had been broken and collapsed floated in the air and flew towards the cracks as if time were rewinding.

“Hoo, the Academy sure knows its spells.”

After perfectly restoring the training room, Ian sighed softly and stepped back.

“Go inside.”
“Oh, yes. Everyone, please come in.”

Claire led the way, and the rest of the group, including Kim Sungwon, climbed up to the problematic second floor.

“I guess it’s my turn?”

Robert stepped forward, standing next to Jaden.

Edyn, who was watching from behind, poked Maria’s ribs.

-…Why are they helping us?
-How would I know?
-……I’m gonna die later at the hands of the Executor.
-If you know, then shut up.

And right next to them.

-Is he famous?
-Yeah. He’s the best in this field.
-Oh, I see.

Baek Hana was also whispering to Nam Seo-hee without any particular tension.

“It’s been a while since I’ve used my ability outside of a crime scene.”

Robert spread his hands, and a subtle magical power emanated from his palms, quickly covering the entire space.

Then, something astonishing happened once again.

The second floor turned gray, and colorful particles became visible. As Robert moved his hands, the scattered particles gathered according to their respective colors.

The particles gradually came together and soon took the form of over a dozen students.

“I’ve rewound it to the point where those kids entered. Let’s play it back.”
“Go ahead.”

Tak―!

Robert snapped his fingers, and the students made of magical power began to move. They fiercely fought each other, brandishing weapons.

A boy with a sword wound on his shoulder fell, and the novice priest, Nam Minseo, stepped forward to heal him.

At that moment, Edyn’s magical power entered the scene, pushing through the crowd.

After finishing the healing, Nam Min-seo stood up.

Tak―!!

Robert snapped his fingers again, stopping the playback.

“This is the problematic scene, right?”
“That’s what I heard.”
“Let’s see.”

Robert stretched out his hand once more, releasing his magical power towards the playback figure of Nam Minseo, which was made of yellow magical power.

The color began to overlay on Nam Min-seo’s playback figure, which had been composed of only yellow magical power.

A white robe, brown hair, and a peach-colored complexion.

“Let’s continue.”

Tak―!!

The paused playback figures began to move again.

Nam Min-seo and Edyn’s playback figures faced each other.

And in the quiet training room, Nam Min-seo’s voice rang out clearly.

[Hey, didn’t that professor hook up with that Executor guy?]

[She was acting all high and mighty, but she’s just a woman after all.]

[She was acting like she’d devote her life to her God, but she fell for some random guy and didn’t even show up at the event. Thanks to you, we had it easy.]

[Oh, and I heard a rumor that she’s living with him these days.]

[That rumor must be true. Maybe even now, she’s writhing in bed with that unheard-of professor―]

Pwak―!!

Edyn’s fist struck Nam Min-seo’s face.

The playback stopped.

In the frozen atmosphere.

Maria, her face flushed red, whispered as she tightly held Edyn’s hand.

-Did she really say that?

Hearing such words and only throwing a single punch… Maria was both amazed and apologetic about Edyn’s self-control.

-Edyn?
-Huh?

Maria asked, noticing that her friend seemed a bit off.

-Did I miss something?
-Huh? No, no… I mean, no, there’s nothing. Yeah, nothing.

Edyn shook her head and swallowed hard.

‘Just shut up.’

Something was amiss.