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Chapter 151

The textbook example of a retired master.

Finished skimming through her profile, Se-Hoon looked up at Helena, who was sitting across from him.

“...”

Seeing Helena leaning back in her hair with her arms crossed and eyes closed, showing no interest whatsoever in the current meeting, Se-Hoon had to contemplate how to start the conversation. In the end, he decided to ask directly.

“Are you actually going to take on the role of lead professor?”

Even though In-Cheol had asked her to, she might have her own thoughts about it.

Still showing no interest, Helena replied, “I already told him I would, so I will.”

Noticing she was more cooperative than expected, albeit a bit curt, Se-Hoon followed up with another question.

“How do you plan on handling Meisters?”

“I heard there\'s not much to do. I\'ll manage it as well.”

She was even willing to help manage Meisters, a task technically completely unrelated to the lead professor role.

I thought her strict personality would make negotiations difficult... but she\'s more cooperative than I thought.

What had In-Cheol told her that persuaded her to be so proactive? Intrigued, Se-Hoon pondered over it, but he came to a conclusion after only a second.

She must want something from me.

Just as In-Cheol had sought advice on repairing the Fire Heaven Greatsword, she must also want from him. Deciding not to beat around the bush, Se-Hoon directly asked, “So, how can I assist you?”

“...You’re just as he said,” remarked Helena, finally slowly opening her eyes. Observing Se-Hoon, she then turned her gaze to Eun-Ha, who was quietly sitting beside him.

“I\'d like to speak alone with him. Could you step out for a moment?”

“...”

Instead of answering, Eun-Ha glanced at Se-Hoon.

“It\'s alright,” said Se-Hoon.

Nodding at Se-Hoon\'s response, Eun-Ha left the meeting room.

Looking at the closed door, Helena muttered with a peculiar expression, “She didn\'t seem like that type of person before...”

“She\'s probably quite shaken after the recent events.”

“No, that\'s not what I meant... never mind; it doesn\'t matter either way.”

Shaking her head, Helena turned back to Se-Hoon and got to the main topic.

“As I said earlier, I\'ll handle the duties of the lead professor as well as the work you did with In-Cheol or planned to do.”

“By planned, you mean...”

“The joint research and such. I\'ll try to receive the necessary funds from the Chairman, so use that as you see fit. I don\'t care much about that.”

Offering to handle the tedious tasks and even handing over the money? Thinking it was too good to be true, Se-Hoon became suspicious.

What is she going to ask for in return?

Though he tried to guess, Helena soon answered before he could with a gleam in her eyes.

“However, in exchange, I want you to destroy the Barmuths for me.”

He had somewhat expected it, but her request was far more extreme than what Se-Hoon had imagined.

Wanting confirmation, Se-Hoon looked directly at the elderly woman before him.

“And you think I can do that?”

“Certainly better than a washed-up blacksmith stuck in a hardware store can. Don’t you think so?”

At the self-deprecating response, Se-Hoon nodded.

“That is true.”

“Of course, I don\'t expect you to do it overnight. From how you dismantled their position in the mass-produced equipment industry before, I understand you must have your own methods and plans.”

When Helena first heard about Se-Hoon from In-Cheol, she couldn\'t fully believe it. How could one person, in just a few days, come up with so many different blueprints that were all impressive on their own? But upon seeing the mass-produced sword aura at the expo, her doubts were immediately cleared.

This guy is the real deal.

She finally understood that Se-Hoon was not an overconfident fool but a true genius with an overwhelming talent that was rarely seen throughout generations. He was why she had left her hardware store and accepted the position of lead professor even though she wasn\'t fully prepared to avenge herself against the Barmuths.

“Promise me you won\'t come up with any compromises and will destroy them no matter what. That\'s the only condition I have for this deal.”

She was absolutely certain that if the person in front of her wanted to bring down the Barmuths, he would succeed, no matter how long it took.

“...”

Facing Helena\'s resolve, Se-Hoon nodded after a moment of contemplation.

“Understood. Let\'s formalize it with a pledge instead of just making a verbal promise. Do you have something that we can write a contract on?”

“I anticipated this and brought one along with me.”

“Let\'s proceed right away, then.”

While watching Helena prepare the pledge, Se-Hoon asked in a more casual tone, “Can I ask one more thing?”

“What is it?”

“What exactly happened between you and the Barmuths?”

“...”

Helena paused and looked up. Her eyes briefly flickered with agitation and her expression hardened, showing how sensitive his question was.

Nonetheless, Se-Hoon didn’t retract his question and never broke eye contact.

I need to know.

An understanding of his client\'s situation often helped him effectively handle unforeseen issues.

Having finally calmed her emotions, Helena closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then, with her now composed face, she looked at Se-Hoon and spoke with as much indifference as possible.

“They killed my son.”

***

With Eun-Ha as the witness, the pledge document was safely carried out. Its essence could be summarized in one line: As long as Lee Se-Hoon fought the Barmuths without compromise, Helena Hunt would use all her power to support him.

There were also numerous other clauses for safeguards in case of unilateral breach or failure to uphold the agreement, but they weren\'t of much concern.

“See you next time.”

Upon completing the pledge, Helena left immediately, leaving behind Se-Hoon in the meeting room.

She certainly handles things cleanly, he thought, glancing at the pledge document.

From just that brief meeting, it was evident she was more adept in administrative matters than In-Cheol. And it was probably that competence that made Michael perceive her as a threat, leading him to eliminate her from the department first.

She mentioned that her son was killed...

Se-Hoon wanted to ask about the circumstances of her son’s death but then decided to save those questions for another time. It would be better to discuss such details when they were closer, and, more importantly, he had other matters to take care of first.

I need to assess the Barmuths’ current situation.

Turning to Eun-Ha, he asked, “Dean, what has Vice Dean Michael been up to lately?”

“He should be on leave right now at his family\'s home. He hasn\'t engaged in any official activities since his eldest son\'s funeral.”

“Funeral...”

Se-Hoon had been planning to teach him a lesson someday, yet Vier had somehow died during the recent incident. According to the investigation, he supposedly died while fighting off demons who tried to infiltrate the Department of Blacksmithing when the investigators found traces of what was assumed to be his battle. And though his body wasn’t found there, he was treated as a war hero.

Even when I think about it now, something doesn’t seem right.

He had seen through the Phantasmal Spyblade that the Barmuths had been in contact with Watchers for a long time. On top of that, the incident that injured Luize was suspected to be related to Dawn. Furthermore, there were quite a few suspicious elements to the recent assault on Babel.

The Offering devices disguised as training weapons and the hidden facility in the basement of the Department of Blacksmithing are both too fishy to overlook.

Although the investigation had been wrapped up with the firing of a few of the staff members, he was convinced it was undoubtedly a cover-up and that the Barmuths were behind both.

And whenever suspicions piled up like this, he always assumed they were all guilty of something and acted accordingly to maximize efficiency.

Well, even without these suspicions, they’re still worthy of being taken down.

While he believed that their act of pursuing profit was understandable, undermining humanity\'s strength and indirectly cooperating with the Demon Force had crossed the line. He would definitely eradicate those cockroach-like creatures from the existence of this planet.

Vrrr-

Taking out his phone at the vibration from his pocket, he read the incoming message.

Ma Kwang-Soo: Let’s meet up if you have time.

This guy only sends a message now, when he needs something.... What about when I was hospitalized?

Annoyed, Se-Hoon sent a short reply before standing up.

“I need to go somewhere for a bit.”

“I’ll accompany you,” Eun-Ha quickly offered.

But Se-Hoon shook his head.

“It’s fine. Most of the reporters were dealt with earlier.”

Given her vigorous efforts to keep him safe, no one would dare to pursue him.

“Alright... but if anything happens, please use the emergency contact device I gave you,” Eun-Ha reluctantly said.

Pulling out a small keychain-like device from his inner pocket, Se-Hoon asked, “This one?”

It was an expensive device used for the security of high-value individuals. If the first one was destroyed, the second device would immediately be alerted.

“Yes. Please keep it with you wherever you go.”

“Got it. Don’t worry too much about me.”

Giving her a reassuring smile, he left the meeting room while examining the emergency contact device.

Now this is overprotective.

He knew that behavior wouldn’t last long, but seeing her worry made him feel a bit different. Putting the device back in his pocket, he headed straight to Kwang-Soo’s lecture room.

***

Creakkk.

Opening the door, Se-Hoon scanned the lecture room, which looked the same as usual, and spotted Kwang-Soo’s back.

“I’m here, professor.”

“...Yes.”

When Kwang-Soo stood up and turned around, Se-Hoon’s eyebrows shot up in shock.

What happened to him...?

The right arm sling and visible bandages around his neck and body indicated severe injuries.

“I heard you were badly hurt, but you seem fine. Did Ludwig give you something for recovery?”

“Huh? Oh... yes, something like that.”

“Hmm...”

Seeing Kwang-Soo scrutinizing his body with a dissatisfied expression, Se-Hoon was prompted to curiously ask about his situation.

“Anyway, what happened to you, Professor?”

At the question, Kwang-Soo realized he wasn’t in good condition himself. “It\'s nothing much. I just had a run-in with Doppelganger after a long time.”

Remember Doppelganger was one of the Ten Evils and a long-time nemesis of Kwang-Soo, Se-Hoon became curious.

I didn\'t know because I only ever saw him after he recovered... has he been beaten up this badly every time?

Seeing a new side of Kwang-Soo, Se-Hoon gazed at his injuries as he asked, “Are you not going to visit the hospital? With your physical abilities, you should be able to recover quickly.”

“Why waste time on that?” Kwang-Soo replied, wiggling his limp right arm.

Then, as if giving a lecture, he added, “If the enemy’s attack is powerful enough to inflict serious wounds, the scars will bear deep traces of the technique they’ve used. In a way, these wounds are also a form of research material.”

“Hmm. That\'s quite an interesting way of looking at them.”

Although Se-Hoon often analyzed an enemy’s general movements, habits, and the form of their equipment, he had never tried reading their technique itself.

That probably requires a bit of talent.

And in his current state, talent was what he had.

Examining Kwang-Soo’s injuries to try it out for himself, Se-Hoon suddenly remembered something.

“How’s your sword?”

Though it was his first time seeing Kwang-Soo injured, he had seen the state of his sword after his battles with Doppelganger countless times. And while Kwang-Soo could have tended to it himself, Kwang-Soo was also aware that it wouldn’t be as good as a skilled blacksmith’s work.

“Why do you ask?”

“Well, since I\'m in the Department of Blacksmithing if it needs some repairs—”

“No, thank you. It\'s not something to be handled by a rookie like you,” he abruptly said, cutting off Se-Hoon sharply.

Se-Hoon’s eyes narrowed. If compared to his previous life, he could accept being called a rookie, but in the grand scheme of things now, he believed that he wasn’t at that level anymore.

Is he worried I might steal his swordsmanship?

The long-time equipment of heroes became like extensions of themselves, having their mana circuits dyed by their mana, techniques, and skills. And the mana circuits of Kwang-Soo’s sword, Celestial Night, in particular, had been dyed quite a bit.

Hence, a talented individual could potentially learn his swordsmanship just by examining his sword.

Nah, no way. He wouldn\'t be that petty.

Although Kwang-Soo was an alcoholic gambling addict who often gave unsolicited advice to much younger heroes, Se-Hoon was certain he wouldn’t belittle a promising young talent out of fear.

“Well, fine.”

“...Are you sulking?”

“Of course not. If the professor calls me a rookie, what more can I say?”

Making a smile, Se-Hoon then changed the topic. “So, what did you call me here today for? I just got out of the hospital, and I\'m really tired.”

“Ahem. Right, I see.”

Although Kwang-Soo had prevented his swordsmanship from accidentally being stolen, he had a feeling he might have lost out on a bigger opportunity.

Shaking it off, he went straight to the point, “Do you remember when you asked me to protect the non-contracted blacksmiths for you?”

“Yes, I remember.”

“One of the people who helped me with that asked if you could meet with one of her family members.”

Se-Hoon raised an eyebrow. If it was the person who had helped, it must have been the Visionary Ha Baek-Yeon.

Is she interested in me for some reason?

Baek-Yeon had always been selective, but she wasn’t stingy about teaching someone if they met her criteria.

And if it\'s someone in her family...

Having figured out who was waiting, Se-Hoon nodded.

“Sure. Considering I owe her, that’s the least I can do.”

“Then follow me; I\'ll introduce you to the person,” Kwang-Soo said before directly heading toward the training hall.

When they arrived, Kwang-Soo opened the door with his left hand, revealing the person waiting inside: a young man with dark blue hair in a neat black suit—Ha Seon-Woo, whom Se-Hoon had met in the hospital the previous day.

“Good to see you again, Lee Se-Hoon.”

“Yes, Investigator.”

Although Se-Hoon had felt that something was off when Seon-Woo tried to use his Enhanced Vision, he hadn\'t realized Seon-Woo had another agenda beyond his suspicion.

Seon-Woo smiled. “You don’t need to refer to me as Investigator today. I’m here as the grandnephew of Baek-Yeon, the Visionary.”

Seon-Woo was the eldest grandson on Baek-Yeon’s younger brother’s side. And since Baek-Yeon had no children of her own, she treated Seon-Woo like her own grandson, teaching him archery.

Though I remember that it didn’t end well for him...

Pressing down the memory of how Seon-Woo had died before the regression, Se-Hoon looked at him and asked, “Can you tell me why you called me here today?”

“My great-aunt told me that she sees great potential in you. I\'ve come to assess that talent more thoroughly.”

“Hmm... How do you plan on assessing it?”

It was quite different from what Seon-Woo expected. Despite being told that he was acknowledged by the Visionary, Se-Hoon showed no hint of surprise.

With his curiosity about Se-Hoon’s true capability growing, Seon-Woo replied, “There’s a training method that we call ‘kite flying’ in our family. It’s a basic exercise, so it shouldn\'t be too difficult.”

At this, Se-Hoon realized Baek-Yeon herself was testing him. And while he was unsure if he could meet her stringent criteria, he had nothing to lose regardless.

Even if I fail, nothing changes. If I succeed though, I’ll earn the favor of another Perfect One.

Content, Se-Hoon was about to tell Seon-Woo that he would comply, but a peculiar sense of regret stopped him.

Why?

Was there some additional benefit he could gain from this? Trying to figure it out, his gaze fell upon Seon-Woo.

...Wait a minute.

Considering he had to track and attack various organizations from now on, including the Barmuths, having connections within the globally influential Heroes Association wouldn’t be bad.

However, just any insider wouldn’t be enough; his connection needed to possess two key traits: inflexibility to the point of being uncompromising and a strong backing that made them immune to external pressure.

If those were the criteria, then who would be a better fit than the kin of the Visionary? To Se-Hoon, such connections were no longer shackles; they were now high-quality restraints made of excellent material.

The perfect material was right in front of me.

With a newfound appreciation for Seon-Woo, Se-Hoon’s eyes sparkled as he asked, “It would be an honor... but don’t you think that might be a bit boring?”

“Excuse me?”

“I believe I perform best under pressure. So, I’d like to make a suggestion...”

Trailing off, Se-Hoon smiled widely.

“How about we make things a bit dicey with a little wager?”