"Are you going to the auction house alone, Teacher?"
"Of course. Why, do you want to come along?"
"Yes! I really want to go!"
"Then we can go together."
As I left the blacksmith shop and saved the hand-drawn map on my phone, Seong Yeon-hwa asked me.
It seemed like she wanted to come along, so when I suggested we go together, she readily agreed.
She must have been curious about what the auction house was like.
Well, I'm curious too.
'It's an underground auction house that doesn't officially exist.'
It smells dangerous.
Well, it's a place that deals with the Japanese government's treasure, the Life-Killing Stone, so it's not exactly a normal place.
But I'll figure it out once I get there.
Now that I have company, the journey won't be boring.
I was thinking that, but then...
"Wait a minute! You two are going to the auction house together?!"
"Why, do you want to come too?"
"No, how can you go to such a dangerous place?! What if you offend the rich people?!"
Lee Ji-han raised his voice.
He seemed quite anxious.
Maybe he has some bad memories related to rich people.
He seems to think of the underground auction house, which only caters to the wealthy, as some kind of den of evil.
But originally...
"I'm rich too, you know? Don't you know what kind of family I come from?"
"Ah..."
I'm the one who spent 11.1 billion won like it was nothing.
Of course, Lee Ji-han and the others weren't there to witness my legendary spending spree.
But as the head of the Cheonho Baek family, I have the image of being wealthy, so Le Ji-han quickly understood.
"I... I want to go too."
"Teacher, me too. It's Saturday today, so it's fine."
"I heard the auction starts at night, so you might end up staying up late and messing up tomorrow's morning class?"
"Eh, we can just stay up all night and handle it."
"Well, you're young, so it should be fine. Isis, what about you?"
"Yeah, I'll come too."
Okay, everyone said they'd come to the auction house.
Going to an illegal facility like an underground auction house with academy students... if we get caught, it'll be a big problem.
Well, as long as we don't get caught.
'I'll just wear a mask.'
Once we're inside, I can take it off, but until then, I'll wear a mask just in case.
As I reached into my pocket to grab a mask, Lee Ji-han spoke to me.
"...Teacher, I think it'll be a bit tough for me."
"Why? Do you have homework or something?"
Lee Ji-han shook his head at my question.
He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and said.
"I have a night part-time job, so I have to go do that."
"Ah, I see. You're working hard too."
"I have to earn my own textbook money."
Hmm, so that's the kind of family he's from.
I think I've heard about this before.
Some parents pay for their children's tuition but make them cover other expenses to give them early life experience and financial responsibility.
It's just hearsay, but it's believable.
If you're a student of Seven Stars, you're valuable, and you can earn a decent wage from part-time jobs.
It's the perfect time and conditions to gain life experience and financial sense at a young age.
I shouldn't interfere with that.
"But Teacher! The auction starts at 9 PM today, so what are we going to do until then?"
"We have a lot of time left. Are we training today?"
"Actually, I didn't plan on going with you."
It's currently 11 AM.
It's almost lunchtime.
Since we have so much time left, the kids asked me about the next schedule.
I had no choice but to reveal what I had planned for this afternoon.
I didn't plan to do it in front of the students, but...
"I have to get my license today. Let's go to the association."
I got a text a few days ago.
It was from Ninetails, notifying me to obtain a B-rank or higher player license within this week.
***
Hunter Association.
This is a global official organization that assigns ranks to hunters based on set standards and issues licenses necessary for their activities.
Each country has a branch, and the Korean branch I arrived at is famous for having one of the most difficult rank tests in the world.
Despite the small land area, it's overflowing with talent.
"Will I be able to advance to C-rank today?"
"C-rank? You? As if!"
"Mom! I passed the B-rank promotion! From now on, I can support our family!"
"...Did I come on a Saturday for nothing?"
It's the weekend, and it's Saturday afternoon.
The building that oversees the player rank tests at the association was packed with people. Maybe I should have made time on a weekday.
"Teacher, that's pointless. I came on a weekday morning a few months ago to get my license and had to wait for 4 hours."
"...License?"
"Yes, I'll show you."
Lee Ji-han rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a license. It was a license with his face, age, and hunter rank on it.
Let's see.
"D-rank? I heard most first-years usually get a C-rank license."
"Don't look at me with those pitying eyes! Only the top prospects with single-digit practical scores get C-rank, most students don't even think about taking the test!"
Ah, I see.
That changes things.
If first-year prospects are C-rank, then D-rank isn't a bad rank.
Lee Ji-han isn't among the top students, nor does he have anything particularly outstanding.
In fact, he's the weakest in the group I'm in charge of.
The original heroines, Seo Yerin, Seong Yeon-hwa, and Isabelle, who are top-tier talents in their respective fields.
Noh Yura, who is in charge of scouting for the group, has sensitive senses and vision, but is also addicted to SNS.
Isis, who wields a chilling aura that even I, who ran around the battlefield naked with a sword in winter, find startling.
And─
'Lee Ji-han, who has no special skills other than being good at wielding a hand axe. Well, being hardworking could be considered a skill.'
In reality, everyone at Seven Stars Academy works hard, so it's not that significant. It's just that Lee Ji-han's skills are lacking, to say the least.
If he received a rank just below the prospects in the test, then that has its own value.
And after waiting for about 5 hours, Lee Ji-han, looking bored, approached me.
"This is taking too long even for a weekend. It feels like it's taking longer than when I came last time. Is the wait always this long on weekends, Teacher?"
"Don't ask me, it's my first time here too."
"Huh? Then have you been a teaching assistant without a license all this time?"
"Yeah, so what? Is that a problem?"
When I honestly answered his's question, I got an unexpected response.
Do you need a license to be a teaching assistant?
As I pondered this, the students' cold gazes turned towards me.
I didn't even need to ask.
'Ah, I'm a parachute.'
I realized it anew.
It seems that a player license is required for teaching assistant activities at Seven Stars.
No wonder I've been getting dirty looks from other teaching assistants in the faculty office.
"Teacher! You really don't have a license?"
"What if I don't?"
"Of course you need one! All the professors and teaching assistants probably have licenses!"
That means that a license is essential for getting a teaching position at the academy.
Ha, what kind of corruption did the original owner of this body commit to get this job?
No, the real problem is the elders, isn't it?
'Even the developments I knew in my head are twisted, so I can't say for sure, but given the circumstances, it's probably the 5th elder who exiled me from the main family to here.'
I realized something when I had a meeting at the main family and a private meeting with the guild.
He harbored blatant hostility and murderous intent towards me.
It's highly likely that Baek Seung-woo, the family head, is not at the main family but is here as the youngest teaching assistant at remote Seven Stars.
"I was exiled, so what can I do?"
"Exile? What does that mean?"
"I was kicked out of the house. Our family is a mess."
It's a mess like no other.
Despite the family head being young, the sisters below are expanding their influence to take over the family. The elders are backing the sisters instead of the family head, and some extreme elders are plotting to oust the family head and share the real power.
And above all, the family head, who should be reigning supreme, is an incompetent fool.
I didn't have the confidence to explain all this, so I shortened it to "a mess."
Fortunately, Seong Yeon-hwa seemed to understand with just that.
"Ah!"
"So I'm here to take the test. I don't know how difficult it is, but A-rank shouldn't be too hard."
"Wait, Teacher. Are you saying you're taking the A-rank test? Did you get a preliminary inspection?"
"Huh? Can't I just take the A or S-rank test?"
"Teacher, you didn't know that?!"
Lee Ji-han was shocked.
He looked at me with surprise, but honestly, I'm the one who should be surprised.
Why can't you take the A and S-rank tests right away?
I didn't see anything like that on the internet.
"First-time test takers can only challenge up to B-rank."
"Then what if someone with S-rank skills takes the test for the first time? Can they only challenge up to B-rank?"
"Of course. That's the rule."
A and S-rank players are among the top-tier hunters.
They wield immense power in their respective domains. To prevent the powerful from oppressing the powerless, the association requires multiple tests.
Up to B-rank, you can get by with just combat skills, but for higher ranks, additional tests like personality assessments are required.
Only those who pass all these tests can obtain an A or S-rank hunter license.
"Hunters aren't just judged on combat skills. Otherwise, they'd be no different from demons. That's why A and S-rank tests take a long time."
"Even you, Teacher, have to follow the rules."
"Right, no matter who you are, what happens inside the association is practically extraterritorial. So even if you're angry, if you start a fire or something..."
Oh, I learned something new.
I thought positively of the association's system.
But the students seemed to think I wouldn't.
Well, given my reputation, it's understandable.
But I'm not Baek Seung-woo.
What they say doesn't matter much.
I actively ignored it.
It's not worth listening to.
"Good system. Then I'll have to follow it."
"Huh...?"
"T-Teacher, are you serious?"
Everyone looked at me with disbelief.
I realized once again that my reputation has reached many people's ears. Can't I do something about these rumors?
People say if you can't avoid it, enjoy it, but you should avoid it until you can't.
I don't know why they recommend self-hypnosis to enjoy it when you can still avoid it.
But since I have no way to avoid it right now, I just scratched my head.
"What, can't I say that?"
"Ah, no! It's just surprising to hear you say that."
"Right. It doesn't match your image, Teacher..."
"It's very different from how you usually talk."
The students spoke to me as if stating the obvious.
Just then, the speakers around the waiting room called my name.
[Number 427, Baek Seung-woo. Number 427, Baek Seung-woo. Please come to test room 21 now.]
"Ah, they're calling me. Let's go. By the way, if I can't take the test as I please, can't I just start a riot?"
"Let's just shut up and go take the test."
Unable to endure the continuous one-sided assault, I got up from my seat.
I'm going to get hurt at this rate.
Ah, maybe I already have.
***
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