"Uh? Why are you so fine?" As soon as I entered the tavern, Akyunho spoke those words.
I plopped down across from him and shot him a glare.
"Are you unhappy that I came back in one piece?"
"No, it's not that... but earlier, the student supervisor's expression looked like he was going to break a few of your bones."
Sitting next to him, Myungil-o, who was sipping from his cup, looked me up and down with a surprised expression.
"You came back unscathed after meeting the one known as the Sword Tooth of the Qinglong Academy... Baek-hyung, were you that skilled?"
I looked at him in disbelief.
"Why do you assume I must have fought?"
"Well, you did provoke the renowned teacher Namgung-su, didn't you?"
"That guy is a different case. I'm originally a very gentle and peaceful person."
"Wow, you sure know how to flatter yourself..."
Ignoring Akyunho's words, I took a gulp of the drink Myungil-o poured for me.
As I filled Myungil-o's cup, I asked, "By the way, Sword Tooth? Is that the student supervisor's nickname?"
"Yes? You really didn't know?" Myungil-o's eyes sparkled with intelligence as he spoke.
"Sword Tooth, Maekgeun-ryeom. He was a renowned master in the previous generation, and after suddenly retiring, he has been teaching at Qinglong Academy for over thirty years. In the past, he was famous for being a man of his word and a swordsman who would never compromise with the likes of Samawaido."
Myungil-o was well-versed in the various rumors of the martial world.
Thanks to that, it was never boring to be around him, and it was easy to ask him about things.
"Since taking on the role of student supervisor, he has become known for strictly educating the students. Especially for those who cause disturbances, he is said to be like a death god."
Myungil-o lowered his voice, creating a tense atmosphere as he continued.
"For students who break the rules, it is said that facing a one-on-one guidance session is more terrifying than being locked up in the Murim Alliance's prison. The credibility is quite high, as this is something said by someone who has actually been imprisoned in the Murim Alliance's prison."
At this point, I couldn't help but point something out.
"What on earth did the Qinglong Academy students do to end up in the Murim Alliance's prison?"
"Don't you know? The famous Cheonri Sin-tu is a Qinglong Academy graduate. Rumor has it that during his student days, he ran away from the student supervisor while practicing lightness skills and one day had an epiphany..."
"......"
Should I really get a job at this academy? Akyunho, who had been hearing unbelievable stories one after another, looked at me and said, "See? Coming back in one piece is impressive, isn't it?"
"...... That's true."
"By the way, Myungil, why is the student supervisor particularly strict about disturbances? Young students can date each other, can't they?"
That was a very Akyunho-like question.
But at that moment, a certain face popped into my mind. 'Could it be that reason...'
Myungil-o began to explain, saying there was a reason for everything.
"About thirty years ago, there was a tremendous incident that shook the academy. Two students fell in love, got married, and ran away in the middle of the night."
"Wow. That's amazing!"
"Yes? Anyway, at that time, the senior Sword Tooth said he would kill the male student..."
"Okay, okay. Let's stop with this story now."
I didn't want to hear about my father's glorious past from someone else's mouth, so I quickly filled Myungil-o's cup with alcohol.
"Let's talk about something more constructive."
"This is where it gets interesting..."
I made a frown at Akyunho, who looked disappointed.
"Did we come here to listen to old stories? Huh? Aren't we going to prepare for the practical exam? Don't you think that while we're drinking, our competitors are sweating and training?"
"...... So suddenly?"
As I suddenly pressed him, Akyunho looked at me with a bewildered expression.
I shamelessly ignored him and turned to Myungil-o.
"So, how is the practical exam going to be conducted?"
Although we had briefly strayed into the topic of the student supervisor, our main concern was still the practical exam that would follow the interview.
Myungil-o leaned closer to the table and lowered his voice.
We also leaned in, as if we were plotting something suspicious.
"Based on past exams, this year's practical exam will be evaluated as a comprehensive assessment that combines scores from two events."
Akyunho began to count on his fingers.
"First, a sparring match. You must prove your martial arts level through a sparring match with the existing instructors. You don't necessarily have to win, but winning is definitely advantageous."
"...... Will I choose my opponent? Or will the existing instructors choose?"
I asked, thinking about the external competition with Namgung-su.
Myungil-o smiled as if he had read my thoughts.
"The opponent will be designated by the academy head."
"Hmm..."
The mysterious old master, who was hard to read, would be difficult to predict. 'From the way he was looking earlier, it seemed like he wanted to see me fight Namgung-su.' I wouldn't mind sparring with another instructor, but if possible, I wanted to face Namgung-su.
That way, I could dramatically showcase the emergence of a new top instructor in front of many people.
"The second exam?"
Myungil-o folded his second finger and said, "The second is a demonstration lecture. For about a quarter of an hour, you will give a demonstration lecture on the subject you applied for in front of the students. You need to leave a strong impression on the students and the observing instructors in a short amount of time."
If the sparring match was to confirm the instructor's martial arts level, the demonstration lecture was to assess teaching ability. 'Not everyone who is skilled is good at teaching.' There were many cases where someone with poor communication skills failed to convey their teachings properly or stubbornly insisted that their own method was the only correct way, ruining their students.
Me? I was confident, of course. 'A demonstration lecture is nothing.
I've taught trainees as a martial arts instructor at the Blood Sect for a long time.' I could tell just by looking at someone's eyes whether they were working hard, slacking off, taking care of their bodies, or had been out drinking the night before.
The title of the devil instructor of the Blood Sect was not given lightly.
I could easily dominate the likes of those righteous fools...
Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind. "...... Just out of curiosity, we can't curse or hit the students during the demonstration lecture, right?"
At my question, both of them were taken aback.
"Are you crazy?"
"You're joking, right?"
"No, I'm serious..."
"......"
Akyunho looked at me with a blank expression, while Myungil-o looked at me as if he couldn't tell if I was joking or serious. 'I guess that's not allowed after all.' Yes.
Most of the training I had done at the Blood Sect would not be accepted in the righteous sects.
Light torture, starting with asking about parents, using all sorts of creative insults to break their spirits, or turning them into human weapons who fear nothing through constant brainwashing...
"Hyung, do you know how scary students are these days? If you even lay a hand on them, they'll report you to the Murim Alliance right away."
"The parents are even worse. There are so many overzealous parents. Besides, they are also skilled."
"...... Is it really that bad?"
At Baekmugwan, I thought it was fine since I was teaching kids, but could it be that I had to teach even those over fifteen like that?
"Ugh. Anyway, weak righteous fools are the problem..."
A demonstration lecture.
It seemed a bit different from what I had imagined, but I wasn't overly worried.
"This year, we need to pay a lot of attention to the students. There are rumors that the students' evaluations will account for a significant portion of the demonstration lecture."
Myungil-o spoke with a serious expression.
"Especially, the two major factions of the academy, the student council and the club alliance, need to be paid extra attention."
"The student council, huh..."
Hearing the term student council reminded me of the male and female students who had looked down at us from the dormitory rooftop.
Both of them had exceptional skills, and the female student had let out an unforgettable roar towards us.
- You two! With the authority of the student council, you will pass without question... um, uh!
"Vice president! Are you crazy? ... So they were the student council."
Akyunho seemed to recall the scene with a grin.
"The student council vice president said we would definitely pass, right?"
"Well, I heard that too."
"See, hyung? Half of the students are already on our side!"
Akyunho looked at me with a satisfied smile.
However, Myungil-o's words were not over yet.
"In other words, half of the students are male. As much as you two have support from the female students, there is a high possibility that the male students will dislike you."
"Come on. No way they would be that petty..."
Akyunho looked doubtful, but I agreed with Myungil-o's words.
"That's not wrong. If two guys who look like gigolos monopolize the attention of the girls, I would dislike it too."
Being handsome and pretty gives many advantages in life.
But it also makes it easy to get caught up in rumors or become a target.
As much attention as we received, we could be judged more harshly for minor mistakes or faults.
"In other words, people like us need to think of ways to win over the male students as well."
'People like us?' Myungil-o subtly included himself with us, but I stayed silent, fearing he might get hurt if I pointed it out.
"Do you have any good ideas?" At my question, Myungil-o smiled as if he had been waiting for this moment.
"Before going into battle, one must first scout the enemy's camp, right?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"To understand the students' hearts, we should go where there are many students."
Myungil-o pulled out a thin booklet from his bag, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Coincidentally, the student council is holding an outdoor event."
When we arrived at the festival site, it was already packed with people, so much so that there was hardly any space to step.
[Qinglong Academy Winter Semester Festival] A banner with bold letters fluttered in the wind.
Akyunho, standing to my left, whispered in my ear, "There are way more people than I expected. I can even see some ordinary folks."
"True."
"Haha. It's a festival that anyone can participate in, not just Qinglong Academy students. It's almost like a city festival."
Myungil-o, who was leading us, turned around and said.
We wandered around the festival, taking in the sights.
The festival was lively.
Vendors had set up stalls selling food, and there were many accessories that young female students liked.
Some club students were selling goods or demonstrating martial arts.
"This isn't something you see every day! A vitality tonic made from the essence of the Tang family! Just for..."
I couldn't help but click my tongue at the sight of someone boldly selling vitality tonics under the Tang family's name.
"Is that even allowed?"
"Haha. It's just for fun."
I heard it was an event that had been going on for quite some time.
Therefore, as long as they didn't cause any trouble, the academy wouldn't impose strict penalties on the students.
As we walked around, there were students who recognized us.
"Look over there. Aren't those the handsome instructors from earlier?"
"Wow! It's really them!"
"Should we go say hi first?"
There were many glances thrown our way, but no one came up to speak to us first.
Of course, there were attempts to do so.
"Excuse me, instructors..."
When a female student approached, shyly tucking her hair behind her ear, suddenly, twin male students who looked remarkably alike appeared on either side of her and restrained her arms.
"Ah, why, why are you doing this?"
"I'm sorry, but you need to come with us."
The one on the left said.
"I-I was just trying to say hello to the instructors!" The female student protested, trying to pull her arms free, but she was already overpowered and couldn't move.
"We'll hear your excuses later."
"First, to the student council."
The ominous-looking twins said in unison.
"Let go! Let me go!"
As I watched the female student being dragged away with her arms restrained, Akyunho looked slightly pale.
"The student council is scary..."
I felt the piercing gazes from all around.
Students wearing yellow armbands labeled 'Guidance Department' were glaring at us.
Some of them glanced our way with slightly relaxed eyes, but every time they did, the ominous twins warned them.
'What strange fellows there are.'
Since it was quite a large city festival, I occasionally spotted other new instructor applicants.
I noticed a familiar face from a distance and tapped Akyunho on the shoulder.
"Look, he's here too."
"Who... oh, the chubby guy?"
It was Kwak Duyong, the chubby guy who had embarrassed us twice, now boasting about an amount of food that was impossible to eat alone at a stall.
His face was already flushed, likely from drinking too much.
"Hahaha! When I was studying at the Zhuozhu Academy..."
"Wow!"
"That's amazing!"
Several students around him chimed in, and it looked like he was about to get taken for a ride.
"Kids these days are scary."
"Yeah..."
We tightly held onto our bags and continued to wander around the festival.
Eating, drinking, and occasionally greeting students who came to say hi, we observed the students' behavior.
'It's peaceful.'
The sudden incident occurred as the sun began to set, and I started to think about returning to the tavern.
- Crash!
Suddenly, the stall in front of me shattered.
A bloodied student was rolling on top of it, groaning in pain.
"Ugh..."
A long shadow loomed over the suffering student.
"What did you say? Say it again, you bastard."
The moment the guy opened his mouth, the smell of alcohol wafted through the air.
He took a swig from a flask in one hand and slapped the fallen student's cheek with the other hand.
Fortunately, the weapon was still sheathed.
His gait and expression screamed 'delinquent.'
"Is that him again?"
"I really dislike him..."
Some students who recognized him began to back away slowly.
But I stood frozen in place, not because I thought I should stop the students from fighting.
Rather, I couldn't help but mutter, "The Mad Demon?" as I looked at the face that appeared before me.