An Angel Lives in the Academy
Chapter 22: The Angel Receives Education (3)

Swords imbued with magic are often called 'magic swords or magical swords'. But why are swords imbued with the magic of the heavens specifically called holy swords, instead of being classified as magic swords?

It's because swords imbued with the magic of the heavens are incomparably stronger and more dangerous than swords imbued with other types of magic.

That's why the best swordsmen are all wielders of holy swords. From the legendary swordsman 'Hero' who defeated the demon king in ancient times to Park Jin-ho, currently known as the best swordsman in the human world…

'It's said that the true power of Park Jin-ho's Cheongu Swordsmanship comes out when used with a holy sword. However, Park Jin-ho couldn't find a disciple capable of wielding a holy sword until the destruction of humanity.'

Park Jin-ho put tremendous effort into finding a disciple who could wield a holy sword. But he ultimately failed.

Park Jin-ho lamented.

If there had been just one more person who could use Cheongu Swordsmanship, they could have defeated the demon army's Sword Master, Geomma.

And he recalled the image of him deeply grieving over the lineage of Cheongu Swordsmanship ending with his generation. His apologies to his previous masters... and the tears of the man known as Iron Blood…

As these memories of his past life resurfaced,

Why Park Jin-ho was staring intently at him as he challenged the holy sword, and why the normally stoic assistants were stealing glances at him…

Leffrey finally understood.

'Should I give up now?'

The boy cautiously looked at the other swords. The Fire Devil Sword overflowing with the mana of flames, the Ice Devil Sword with concentrated mana of glaciers, and the Lightning Devil Sword with high-voltage currents flowing through it…

Several students had their hands burned or frozen while grabbing those swords, and some were even electrocuted and carried away to the infirmary.

Seeing a student screaming while clutching his blackened hand... Leffrey broke out in a cold sweat.

'No, even children's raised by guilds and families end up like that... if I grab one of those swords, it won't just end with an injury.'

Then there was only one way out.

Which is? Wielding the holy sword.

"Assistant teacher, I just have to touch it, right?"

"Theoretically, the method is the same as with other magic swords. You need to resonate the attribute core located in your upper dantian with the mana center in the fuller part of the magic sword."

'What does that even mean... upper dantian? Fuller?'

Naturally, Leffrey had never received training as a superhuman swordsman. So he was hearing terms like 'upper dantian' and 'fuller' for the first time today.

Leffrey cautiously reached out his hand towards the holy sword. And he placed his fingers on the hilt one by one.

[Only the chosen ones can wield the holy sword!]

[Judging…..]

[Angels can use the Divine Weapons of Heaven!]

The hilt of the holy sword was warm.

And somehow, it even felt nostalgic.

'...It's like the feeling of entering a warm bath for the first time.'

Leffrey closed his eyes tightly, afraid it might hurt.

'Huh... it doesn't hurt?'

As he felt no pain, his eyelids slowly opened.

"...I grabbed it?"

A white sword was held in Leffrey's hand.

The assistant, witnessing this, was astonished.

He could only mutter the same words,

"He grabbed it."

And Park Jin-ho, who had appeared behind him at some point, smiled and said,

"You grabbed it."

Park Jin-ho patted Leffrey's head and said, his expression not just joyful, but also seemingly filled with emotion.

"A talent worthy of inheriting the true Cheongu Swordsmanship... has finally appeared before this professor."

Professor, but... aren't you a little too close? Leffrey wanted to say. However, he couldn't, because the surrounding space had suddenly been enveloped in darkness.

"Professor, the space suddenly..."

"Ah, don't be surprised. It's just a simple sword barrier."

Sword barrier. It was known as one of the best techniques a swordsman could learn, creating a kind of barrier by cutting through space.

To suddenly use such an incredible technique…

Leffrey was a bit flustered.

"Why all of a sudden..."

"If it becomes known that you can draw the holy sword... many eyes will be on you. And not all of those eyes will have good intentions."

He was definitely right. The demon army would probably be among those watching him.

'But this might be rude to say... but Professor Park Jin-ho's gaze seems a bit like that too?'

There's a saying, 'eyes glued to something'. It's an idiom used when someone is so immersed in something that they have an intense gaze. In that sense, Park Jin-ho's eyes were glued to him.

Leffrey carefully put down the holy sword and said.

"Professor, I've put down the sword, so you can release the sword barrier now..."

"There's still something to do."

"What do you..."

Park Jin-ho declared boldly.

"I will release the sword barrier after you swear to become this professor's successor."

"Your successor?"

"Exactly. That you, Leffrey, are the next successor of the Cheongu Swordsmanship, passed down for two thousand years."

'This is too sudden...'

Leffrey tried to subtly step back. But this dark space... it was quite narrow, restricting his movements.

"Accept this duty. Now."

And Park Jin-ho was too stubborn. As if he needed to hear this oath right now, he didn't release the sword barrier and didn't budge an inch. So Leffrey couldn't help but fall into deep thoughts.

'Inheriting Cheongu Swordsmanship means... becoming the core of the Cheongu Guild, the secret guild that protects Korea from the shadows... that's too dangerous of an offer...'

They called it protecting the country, but the Cheongu Guild was practically the shadow government of Korea. Leffrey in his past life had experienced firsthand how terrifying and powerful the Cheongu Guild was.

'When someone tried to eliminate the Cheongu Guild...'

As far as Leffrey remembered…

A country might have been destroyed.

The thorough cruelty they showed at that time... the Cheongu Guild's ruthless execution methods... the terrifying things that happened in the name of protecting the country…

Park Jin-ho was Iron Blood itself. And so were the Cheongu Guild members under him.

'I want to live a quiet and comfortable life. I really don't have the confidence to be around such scary people...'

That's why he really wanted to refuse Park Jin-ho's offer. But if he refused, would he let him out of here? Honestly, imagining this made Leffrey scared of the current situation.

Park Jin-ho, feeling sorry for Leffrey.

Gently patted his head.

'He's such a cute and kind child. He's perfect as the successor of our guild.'

Park Jin-ho quietly opened his mouth.

"I knew it from the moment you saved the young witch."

"Knew what?"

"That you would be able to draw the holy sword."

He continued in a kind tone.

"Only the chosen ones can wield the holy sword. And the heavens choose those who are truly just and have conviction."

Do you have the right to say that after ruling our country from the shadows and committing so many atrocities? Leffrey muttered to himself.

"You have been chosen. Fulfill your duty as the chosen one."

There was no escape route.

The opponent was one of the strongest superhumans in humanity and the leader of the Cheongu Guild, which ruled the country from the shadows. He was not someone an orphan with no connections could handle.

"Could I have some time to think..."

"No, tell me now. Wait..."

That was the moment.

The dark space began to tear apart, and numerous scratches appeared as if a cat had clawed at it.

And those scratches all burst into flames.

And through the gaps in the scratches, a pink-haired beautiful girl appeared. It was Hongwol. She held a crimson dagger in each hand.

"Aha, there you are?"

"What is this?"

"No, it's just... what are you doing, isolating this child here alone in such a dark place?"

"...We were in the middle of a special lesson."

Kikkikkik-

That was the sound of Hongwol's laughter after hearing those words.

A clear sneer.

It wasn't an attitude one should show in front of Park Jin-ho.

"Kiki, you sound like a s*x offender disguised as an educator. Those kinds of people also lure their victims with things like 'special lessons'."

But Park Jin-ho wasn't someone who would fall for such a cheap provocation. Without showing any change in expression, he said to Hongwol,

"What do you want? Speak briefly."

"I'm curious about something. You said earlier that the evaluation would differ depending on which sword we drew... so how will you evaluate someone like me who drew two swords?"

With the conversation between Hongwol and Park Jin-ho, the other students' attention turned towards them. Under the pressure of their gazes, he eventually had to release the sword barrier.

"Leffrey. Let's talk later."

"...Ahaha. Yes."

Phew- Leffrey sighed inwardly. The Central Academy was hard enough to keep up with in terms of classes, and dealing with the professors was also difficult, he muttered.

'That being said, Hongwol... was she strong enough to tear through Park Jin-ho's sword barrier?'

If he gathered famous superhuman swordsmen right now and told them to tear through Park Jin-ho's sword barrier... most of them wouldn't even be able to scratch it before exhausting all their energy. But Hongwol had just easily ripped through Park Jin-ho's sword barrier?

As expected, Hongwol was a monster too.

'This world is full of scary people...'

Leffrey shook his head. There were truly many scary people in the world.

"Boy."

"...Ah."

"What's with the 'ah'?"

To think he would meet Hongwol while thinking about her. Leffrey couldn't help but be a little surprised, feeling as if he had done something wrong even though he hasn't.

Hongwol, as if she had a complaint.

Slammed her tail on the floor in annoyance.

"Hmm, what is this? The unpleasant scent of a filthy fairy... I don't like it. Not one bit......"

"...I showered today."

"No, no. It's not that."

As she said that, Hongwol naturally rubbed her cheek against Leffrey's chest.

"Maybe the smell will get better if I do this?"

"Hongwol, w-what are you doing?"

Rub rub- Leffrey slowly stepped back. He couldn't help but blush at the soft sensation.

Rub rub-

It was something she often did with her favorite dolls and belongings. It felt quite good to leave her scent like this. It was like claiming ownership.

"What am I doing? I'm leaving my scent so that... wait."

However, she had never done this to another human before. And to do this to a man of the opposite s*x...? Hongwol's face also turned as red as a tomato.

"What am I doing...!"

With those words, Hongwol ran away. Leffrey could only mutter as he watched her,

"...What was that?"

And so, Park Jin-ho's swordsmanship class ended.

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After class.

Park Jin-ho stood on the podium and watched the assistants clean up. The magic swords that had been scattered around were being collected, and the holy sword, in particular, was being placed inside a box after being sealed with multiple layers.

Watching this, Park Jin-ho quietly declared.

"Assistants... no, children of Cheongu, listen."

At that moment, the assistants scattered throughout the gym knelt before Park Jin-ho on the podium.

"Send a message to the other guild members. The content of the message is as follows: The next successor of Cheongu Swordsmanship has been chosen. I will send the successor's information, so treat that child with utmost respect."

"As you command!"

Not many people heard this news. The heads of conglomerate families, the leader of an American guild, the leaders of large Korean guilds, a few Korean elected officials and ministers…

And the Cheongu Guild swordsmen hidden in the shadows, waiting for orders…

There weren't many, but each and every one of them carried significant weight.

And the strange thing is... all those who received this message showed the same reaction.

They all bowed towards the message, holding back tears.

"Finally... finally, the new successor of Cheongu..."

In the end, these terrifying adults learned about Leffrey.

Loyal and ruthless adults who would do anything for Cheongu's orders...