I Became The Only Healer In The Academy [EN]: Chapter 168

168

The conversation with the vice president went similarly.

The vice president was also positive about what Seonghyun was going to do and promised full support.

Of course, he had discouraged Seonghyun from going directly to other countries to explain things in person.

There were many other ways, such as inviting representatives to explain the situation or requesting cooperation through official channels.

But Seonghyun’s decision was firm.

He believed there were benefits to be gained by going directly to other countries.

So, not long after returning from his time in the United States, he had to travel abroad again.

Seonghyun, having concluded his conversation with the vice president successfully, headed straight home.

“Mother, I have something I need to do, so I’ll be leaving for a while.”

“Is someone forcing you to do this?”

Even in his mother’s opinion, Seonghyun was far too busy.

Of course, being busy wasn’t inherently bad, but Seonghyun was still an academy student.

Not even a third-year, but a second-year.

At his mother’s words, Seonghyun barely managed to suppress a laugh and replied.

“There aren’t many people who *could* force me to do anything…”

There might not be anyone at all, except for his mother right in front of him.

“Still, the academy will have summer vacation soon, so there’s no need to worry about my studies.”

“Look at this kid… When have you ever attended the academy properly?”

“That’s…”

“Your mother doesn’t interfere with what our son does, but I hope you don’t do anything dangerous.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

His mother was also someone who had lost her husband, Seonghyun’s father.

Regardless of how strong Seonghyun was or what power he possessed, his mother simply hated the thought of him suffering.

It was good to heal others’ wounds and gain their trust.

But why should her son have to bear that pain instead?

Also, when she thought about what had happened to her and her daughter because of his ability, she was starting to think that the existence of family might be a burden to her son.

“I hope our son… doesn’t have any trouble because of us…”

“Mother.”

Seonghyun stared straight into his mother’s eyes, which were filled with guilt.

What was the reason for the guilt in those eyes?

It wasn’t like his mother had tried to exploit Seonghyun’s power for personal gain.

Far from seeking any unfair advantage, she accurately recognized that her son’s world and her own were different and simply lived the life of an ordinary mother.

But why did he see guilt? He thought about it for a moment.

Only one reason came to mind.

The near-kidnapping attempt orchestrated by the Red Eye organization.

His mother wasn’t feeling guilty about her own actions.

She was starting to feel guilty about what had happened to her and her sister, and about their very existence being a potential liability.

“The place where Mother is, is the place I’ll always return to. The same goes for my sister.”

After hesitating for a moment, Seonghyun slowly walked up to his mother and hugged her gently.

His mother, now appearing more resilient than ever, patted Seonghyun’s back and replied in a voice that was slightly relieved of guilt.

“…Okay…”

“I’ll be leaving within the week. You have the things I gave you, right?”

“You mean that elixir thing?”

“Yes.”

His mother wasn’t particularly interested in the details of Seonghyun’s world, but she at least knew the general scope of what he was doing.

From representing the academy in the competition to the events that unfolded in the United States, she was aware of everything.

Saving the lives of 130,000 people.

And taking on a portion of their pain in the process.

“If anything happens, don’t hesitate to use them, although it’s unlikely you’ll need to.”

“Don’t worry and come back safely. As you said, I’ll be in the place where our son will return.”

Seonghyun smiled at his mother’s words and hugged her again gently, replying.

“It’s not just that Mother is *in* the place I’ll return to, but the place where Mother is *is* the place I’ll return to.”

“…”

Seonghyun let go of his mother, who was momentarily speechless.

Then, without looking at her face, he turned around.

“I’ll be back soon.”

Seonghyun headed straight to the guild building.

“Ah, are you really going to keep appearing like that?”

“Get used to it. Humans are creatures of adaptation, right?”

“Haa… okay, I have to. I’m alive today because of that.”

“Professor Seong will be arriving tomorrow.”

“Already?”

Inhwan had heard a basic outline of Seonghyun’s plan, but he hadn’t expected things to move so quickly.

“Didn’t you say there was no need to rush?”

“Being urgent and being fast are different things.”

“So, what do I need to prepare?”

“DNN [a fictional company/organization], the Association [likely referring to a Hunter Association], and the Academy will all be sending representatives, so you need to coordinate opinions with them. Everyone will be working towards the same goal, but the process may involve differing viewpoints.”

“Heh, this makes me feel like the CEO of a corporation.”

“That’s right. You’re the CEO.”

At those words, Inhwan burst into laughter and asked back.

“Then what are you?”

“I’m… an honorary advisor? Something like that.”

“Nice. So, are all the people who will be receiving training going to be integrated into our guild?”

“That’s your decision. What I want is for the average skill level of hunters to rise. That’s all.”

“My decision… I guess I need to relocate the guild headquarters to a bigger place.”

In an instant, Inhwan’s eyes gleamed with the ambition of a businessman, not just a hunter.

“What about the rest? The Academy and the Association.”

“The Academy will be contacting faculty members who have previously worked there. They’ll need more instructors. The Association will handle the logistical problems that arise as we expand.”

“Heh… perfect. There’s no oversight, no institutional checks.”

“This is something that *shouldn’t* be subject to excessive scrutiny. Keep that in mind.”

At Seonghyun’s words, Inhwan nodded resolutely instead of answering.

“What are you doing tomorrow?”

“I’ll be going to the Academy for one of my weekly visits. Tomorrow is one of those days.”

“Are you… coming?”

“To what?”

“To the meeting. It feels like there’s a significant difference whether you’re present or not.”

“Yeah. I guess I will.”

——————————————–

The next day, Seonghyun went to the Academy and finalized an agreement with the headmaster to visit the Academy once a week according to a detailed schedule.

After completing all the necessary tasks at the Academy, Seonghyun returned directly to the guild building.

“With ample financial resources, we must expand as aggressively as possible.”

“No. The preparation of personnel for that has not yet been completed, so aggressive expansion will inevitably lead to quality control issues.”

“Are you questioning the Academy’s capabilities?”

Listening quietly outside the meeting room, it was clear that the discussion wasn’t progressing smoothly.

‘Should I intervene?’

Just as he was about to open the door, Inhwan’s voice was heard.

“Everyone, this issue is non-negotiable. The DNN side should proceed with aggressive expansion according to DNN’s plans. This isn’t a typical business venture. Personnel concerns? They’re secondary. Secure as much territory and resources as quickly as possible. Of course, the necessary infrastructure is also DNN’s responsibility, so I assume you’ve already accounted for that, correct?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Hakeno-nim [using ‘-nim’ is a Korean honorific] created the basic framework himself, and we simply need to implement it.”

“Were you appointed to this position simply to execute Hakeno-nim’s orders without question?”

“That’s right. But I’m also here to address any unforeseen variables that may arise during the implementation process, using my own judgment.”

“Good.”

It seemed that Inhwan was managing the meeting better than expected.

Although Hakeno, the vice president, and the headmaster all held Seonghyun in high regard, the individuals working under them were a different matter.

“Next, the Association. Is the Association opposing DNN’s aggressive expansion because the Association would be responsible for addressing the resulting problems?”

“Yes? Absolutely not. As I stated earlier, my position is that the personnel issue should be resolved first. Isn’t the quality of the workforce the foundation of everything?”

“That’s correct. With all due respect, I hope the Association will focus solely on its designated responsibilities.”

“…”

“We’re not seeking advice on potential problems. We need solutions to those problems. We’re well aware of the Association’s concerns, and the solution is quite simple.”

“Simple?”

“Yes.”

“What solution do you propose?”

“Don’t accept unqualified applicants.”

“Yes? But that would result in a loss of revenue…”

The representative from the Association, who was about to refute Inhwan’s words, suddenly stopped.

He recalled the instructions he had received at the beginning of the meeting, and from the vice president before arriving.

Money is no object.

Regardless of the cost.

“Hoo, that’s right. I suppose this is my first time dealing with something like this, so I was relying on conventional wisdom.”

“No. Just remember one thing going forward: funds are unlimited.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Now that the discussions with DNN and the Association were concluded, only the Academy remained.

“Lastly, the Academy. This is the most crucial issue. What are the opinions of the retired professors?”

“Well… the Academy will handle it, so there’s no need to worry.”

“Hmm…”

Since Inhwan was a second-year student at the Academy, it would be somewhat awkward for the professor to defer to him.

“Has there been any progress? I’m not questioning the abilities of the Academy’s professors, but you should at least provide us with an estimated timeline.”

“Don’t rush me. Do you think it’s easy to recruit retired professors in the first place?”

“… Please use honorifics, Professor. In this context, I’m not representing my status as an Academy student, but rather exercising the full authority vested in me as the A Guild’s guild leader.”

“Ha, does assuming the authority of the guild leader somehow negate your status as an Academy student? You’re talking nonsense.”

“…”

Inhwan paused for a moment.

The professor wore an expression of triumph, seeing Inhwan’s hesitation.

The reason Inhwan stopped speaking was simple.

Continuing the conversation would only lead to emotional escalation.

“If you have nothing further to add, I’ll take my leave. I need to meet with the former professors anyway.”

With that, the professor attempted to rise from his seat, but he found himself unable to move.

“Wh, who…”

A hand was placed firmly on his shoulder.

No matter how much he struggled to stand, the hand remained unyielding.

It wasn’t pressing down on him, but simply resting on his shoulder, preventing him from moving.

“Will the outcome be significantly different if you meet with them a few minutes earlier?”

“K, Kim Seonghyun Hunter-nim?”

“Wh, who did you say? Kim Seonghyun?”

The professor slowly raised his head to face the owner of the hand on his shoulder.

“Since the former professors are proving so resistant, I can’t simply stand idly by. Professor?”

“Y, yes?”

“Let’s go. Perhaps things will change if you accompany me, right?”

“Ah, yes. It would be an honor.”

“And I’ll speak with the headmaster. It seems that the professor has encountered some difficulties in persuading them.”

“Ah, no, it’s not a complaint, it’s just that…”

“What are you doing?”

“Yes?”

“Why aren’t you getting up?”

At those words, the professor tried to rise from his seat, but the hand on his shoulder remained firmly in place.

“Th, the hand…”

“I said get up?”

“Ah, no, the hand on my shoulder…”

“Hoo… are you going to be so uncooperative?”

The professor looked around with pleading eyes, seeking assistance.

Inhwan tapped the table a few times with his fingers, suppressing his laughter, and the professor, finally understanding Seonghyun’s intention, said.

“Ah, no. I will conclude the meeting first and then depart.”

“It wasn’t over yet. Then please proceed with the meeting.”

After finishing speaking, Seonghyun exited the room again, but then turned back and looked at the professor, adding.

“Cooperatively.”