“Shinwoo student! Are you freaking insane?”
“You said I could use any means necessary.”
“So what? Who uses a professor as bait?!”
“On top of that, you threw me in as bait too!”
“Hey, Yuna. You and your professor are pretty hardcore, huh?”
“AAAAAAAH!!!!!”
As soon as the exam ended, Professor Park Mi-ran and Kim Yuna rushed at me to protest.
It seemed they weren’t too thrilled about using mealworms as substitutes.
I thought they should be thanking me for awakening their yuri identities, but surprisingly, they were all fired up.
They screamed loudly, cursing me and saying they’d give me penalties for the exam results.
But, to cut to the chase, it didn’t affect the exam results at all.
There weren’t any violations on my part.
I got high marks for dispatching a high-difficulty monster in a relatively short time, and we proudly scored full marks.
Yuna wasn’t too happy about scoring full marks either, but she let it slide like a settlement paid off with a whip.
[But weren’t the professors the ones grading the scores? How did you get a perfect score?]
‘In the end, grading was done by AI.’
Alphago was right, as expected.
When Alphago’s era arrives, I’ll grease him with some WD40 as a bribe.
Just then, Elcia joined us after finishing her exam.
“Husband! Thanks to you, I did well on my exam!”
“Suddenly?”
“We used a professor too!”
Elcia explained that when the professor entered the exam room, he just huddled in a corner and fell asleep, so they restrained him and tossed him to the monsters as bait.
While the monsters were busy attacking the professor, the group took them down one by one.
This allowed them to wrap things up quickly without anyone getting hurt, resulting in high scores.
At that moment, Hyeji pointed to a screen displaying the exam scene being streamed by a drone.
“Shinwoo, look at that.”
There, another group was seen using the professor as well.
Students grabbed the professor by the ankles and swung him around to beat the monsters, resulting in a strong strike that made a monster explode instantly.
Naturally, this group also went home with high scores.
The reason was proper weapon usage.
As the group using the professor scored higher than those that didn’t, students’ reluctance faded away, and they all began to actively use the professor.
Seeing that scene, I felt an overwhelming rush of emotions.
“Shinwoo, isn’t that beautiful?”
“Min… Minna… Seriously!!”
“The Master has succeeded!”
“Husband! What a magnificent sight!”
‘This is the right academy!’
[You’ve already enlightened the students, huh!]
Everyone finally realized.
A renaissance was coming to this academy.
Today is the day of academic enlightenment.
After all, the professor isn’t even a person.
What’s the problem with using a tool like a tool?
Due to this incident, rules would later be added to prevent professors from being used as tools in exams.
However, as that wasn’t immediately applied, many professors continued to be used as bait in exams.
We quickly moved on, leaving the still ongoing final exams behind.
My exam was already over anyway.
If I didn’t act now, it would be impossible.
*
“Shinwoo, where is this place?”
“Master, I hear the wails of the deceased from somewhere.”
“Husband, it feels so chilling here.”
“……Hey, no matter what, this is still a place where people live.”
We took advantage of the professors being distracted by the final exams and made our way toward the research building.
The research students, who looked dead-eyed in the building, suddenly lit up when they saw me.
Fortunately, it seemed there were no doctoral students around.
“The Messiah has arrived!”
“Kim Shinwoo is a god! Kim Shinwoo’s law is invincible!”
“Lord…”
“He is a god!”
“It’s been a while, everyone.”
After a brief greeting, I got straight to the point.
“I’ll probably be legally considered a person by next year, so please wait.”
“Understood. We believe it will happen soon.”
“And after I’m recognized as a person, I’ll contact you for your help just once.”
“Of course.”
The research students bowed their heads and expressed their gratitude repeatedly.
Meanwhile, the others, excluding me, were bustling around the professor’s office.
“Hey, doesn’t the paper here just scream for a little fire?”
“…Hyeji, if you do something like that, the research students will have a rough time restoring everything.”
“Husband! There are so many fancy snacks and chocolates; can I take some?”
“You guys! If you get caught trying to smuggle that stuff away, you’ll be in big trouble!”
A somewhat green research student hurriedly stopped Elcia.
The reason was that the professors would be returning soon.
“Then, if I put it in my belly, there won’t be a problem, right?”
“……What?”
“Did you hear that! Everyone stuff as much as you can!”
“Got it.”
“Yes! Husband!”
“……I don’t think this is right.”
“Then let’s eat only Jeong Ahyeon.”
“But sometimes a little rebellion isn’t bad.”
In the end, we agreed to stuff our mouths with as many of the professors’ snacks as possible.
And we ate everything.
MVP was obviously Elcia.
As we patted our full bellies and were about to leave the research building, the research students came out to greet us.
“The final exams should be finishing up soon, so we’ll be heading out now.”
“Understood. We’ll see you next time, Messiah.”
“Oh, and…”
Just before leaving, I turned back to the research students.
“No offense, but being called Messiah or God feels a bit burdensome.”
“We’re sorry. We’re just so happy…”
“Instead…”
And I quietly told the research students.
“When we meet next time, please call me Führer.”
“…….Hail!!!!”
When I closed the door and left.
One research student, staring blankly at me, quietly wept and muttered.
“Mein Führer…”
*
“Husband! You said you have no plans for this break!”
“Why do you ask?”
“This time, we have a place to go together!”
“Where?”
As we came out of the research building and walked back to the dormitory, Elcia held my hand tightly.
“Forest of Elves!”
“…….Suddenly?”
[Something feels off.]
‘Yeah, right?’
The Forest of Elves.
The homeland of the Elves, where countless Elves reside.
And simultaneously, the place where the World Tree is located.
“Can’t we just not go?”
“They said this time you MUST come along!”
“Who said that?”
Then Elcia smiled brightly and replied.
“The World Tree wants to see you!”
“……Why?”
I’m purely 100% human.
I have no connection to Elves whatsoever, and the only Elf I know well is Elcia.
But suddenly, the World Tree is calling for me?
Something feels very fishy.
Then Hyeji, who was listening, chimed in on our conversation.
“Hey, Kanp, does it have to be just you and Shinwoo?”
“Uh… Not necessarily.”
“Then I want to go too.”
Elcia lowered her head and murmured.
“……This changes everything.”
“Elcia?”
When she heard my words, Elcia looked at me with a longing gaze.
With an almost desperate look in her eyes.
“……Husband, what will you do?”
She probably wanted to go alone for some mood thing.
I didn’t know exactly why.
But I still thought going alone would be dangerous.
The Forest of Elves is home turf for the Elves.
As an away team, we don’t know what situation we might end up in.
[Don’t you have a few sins of your own to bear?]
‘Why is that my fault? It was the Ear Goblins that acted like idiots.’
“We should at least take Hyeji for safety.”
“……Fine, okay.”
“Master? What about me…”
Jeong Ahyeon subtly sent me hints as if she also wanted to be considered.
She seemed to be too proud to ask directly, but the protagonist didn’t heed her at all.
“You? Why risk it? You’re going to the Martial Artist guild anyway. You’d better work hard and see you later.”
“Stop it, Master! Please take me along!”
Jeong Ahyeon tossed aside her pride, now desperately wanting to go.
“You, what about your guild work?”
“They said they’d let things slide if I have a special reason.”
“Oh? Seems like you have nothing but reasons to go to the guild.”
“Please take me with you! I’m so sick of cleaning statues!”
The youngest seemed to have no intention of coming, and Jeong Ahyeon was the only one suffering at the Martial Artist guild.
Exhausted from the ongoing teasing and bullying, Jeong Ahyeon was making her last-ditch effort to avoid going to work.
I grinned at Jeong Ahyeon.
“Beg like a dog.”
“W-What do you mean?”
“Beg like a dog. Say, ‘Please take this lowly servant with you.’”
“Ugh…”
Jeong Ahyeon knelt, trembling.
“Mi…”
“Say it properly. ‘Please take this lowly servant with you.’”
“Mi, mi…!”
“Hurry up, you little brat.”
“You crazy idiot!!!! Go die!!!”
“Oh, f*ck.”
[……I knew it would end up like this.]
With Jeong Ahyeon’s patience finally reaching its limit, she summoned her beast and charged at me.
The summoned beasts bound and bit my limbs while Jeong Ahyeon was landing punches in my abdomen.
I had no choice but to take a beating.
I never expected such a situation.
In the end, after five minutes of dramatic negotiation, we agreed to take Jeong Ahyeon along.
*
The day came to depart for the Forest of Elves.
We gathered early in front of the gate at dawn.
While I and Hyeji were still shaking off sleep, Elcia and the Escort Elf looked completely fine.
“I actually stayed up all night!”
Upon closer inspection, Elcia and the Escort Elf’s eyes were red and puffy.
Jeong Ahyeon was the first to arrive and wait for us.
Looking at her bright eyes, I could tell how much she didn’t want to go to the guild.
At that moment, Hyeji called out to Elcia.
“Hey, Kanp. Go and announce the coordinates for the Forest of Elves.”
“Yes! I’ll go tell them right now!”
Elcia went to speak with the gate staff to announce the coordinates for the Forest of Elves.
The way Elcia returned with those coordinates looked a bit unusual, but I shrugged it off, thinking she might be just tired.
Not long after, the gate activated.
Watching it, Elcia grabbed my sleeve.
“Husband! Let’s hurry up!”
Without delay, Elcia pulled me toward the gate.
Then Hyeji grabbed my other sleeve and followed behind, with Jeong Ahyeon hurriedly chasing after us.
Last to come casually was the Escort Elf.
Thus, we headed to the Forest of Elves…
‘What the f*ck.’
[……Where the hell is this?]
This was NOT what one would expect when hearing “Forest of Elves.”
It should be dense with grass and trees.
However, the place we emerged from the gate was inside a massive, white-only building.
The antique decorations suggested that this wasn’t just any ordinary place.
My companions looked just as bewildered as I was.
Before we could process our surprise, a threatening voice came from behind us.
“Who are you people?”
