TRPM 430🔐

chapter 430

The reason Kim Eun-yeon was going abroad with Grandma Bok-ja was simple.

One alchemist from a foreign country had offered to teach them alchemy and to share some of the recipes that only he knew.

“That’s something… An alchemist sharing recipes that only he knew?”

It’s common for alchemists not to register their personal recipes in the database of the Awakener system. If a potion made according to their unique recipe outperforms a standard potion made according to public recipes, they can gain a huge profit from it. Sharing such a recipe with someone else is not common at all.

“He… said… it’s because of age… he’s planning to retire… so… sharing it…”

The alchemist wasn’t giving his knowledge and recipes exclusively to Kim Eun-yeon and Grandma Bok-ja. Apparently, he had made the same offer to nearly all alchemists, not just them.

“Meeting… other alchemists… is a little… scary though…”

Come to think of it, Kim Eun-yeon had received proposals from other alchemists to join their ranks because she had made pill-type potions. The term “proposal” is generous—it seemed like if they could have, they might have resorted to threats.

“Still… opportunities like this… don’t come often…”
“Is that so.”

It should be fine. Kim Eun-yeon wasn’t going alone—she was going with Grandma Bok-ja, and naturally, association staff would be assigned as their aides. Besides, if many alchemists gather, those who initially wanted her under their command would hesitate and wouldn’t dare treat her roughly.

“All right, have a good trip.”
“Yeah… I’ll bring back a souvenir…”

There was no real need for her to do that, but seeing the determination in Kim Eun-yeon’s eyes to buy a souvenir, I simply nodded.

“Ha-eun, what are you going to do over winter break?”

Then, the questions shifted to the students who hadn’t yet shared their winter break plans.

The next day.

“If anything happens, contact me. See you when break ends.”
“Yess~.”
“Yes.”

The winter break ceremony was held briefly in the classroom. Once it ended, some of our classmates were up and leaving the room even before the teacher had exited. They were so eager for vacation…

“You heading straight to the airport?”
“Yeah.”
“We don’t have much else to pack anyway.”

Elliot and Elena said this as they showed the suitcase they had brought to school.

“Better not be late for the flight, so we’re going now.”
“All right, take care.”

After seeing them off, I packed my own things and left the classroom. Watching students from other classes, as well as ours, leave the school, I thought to myself:

‘Most of them will probably just go home or hang out somewhere.’

Well, not all, but mostly.

‘I’d like to just rest at home too, since it’s break…’

Unfortunately, I was going to be a bit busy this winter break. As I mentioned yesterday, I intended to help the police and the Night Eagle Guild, but even before that, I had students learning various things from me.

‘Since it’s break now, they requested more training time.’

Not all four of my students asked this, only Ivan, the grandson of Sir Sergei, and the mercenary Ines. I could see the urgency in their eyes.

‘They looked like they wanted to escape work under the pretense of training.’

Both of them were helping the police and the association, and it seemed to be hard work. Learning skills from me wouldn’t be easy either. Though I don’t teach in a strictly Spartan style, everyone ends up exhausted after a session with me. Yet, helping the police seemed even harder than that?

I doubted it…

“Hey! Han Geon-woo! Let’s go play some games!”

Lost in thought as I left the school slowly, someone tapped me on the back and said that. Incidentally…

“Ah! My hand…!”
“…Don’t hit someone’s back casually.”

The one who hit me likely hurt only his own hand because of the self-defense device I was subconsciously wearing. Even without it, my body was solid enough that it wouldn’t have been much different.

“So, what’s up, Ryu A-min?”
“Why, just ‘cause it’s vacation, let’s go have fun.”
“……”

I see. He worked hard in the second semester, but as soon as vacation started, he reverted to his old self. I get that he’s excited because it’s break, but I hope he’ll refocus on studying once school resumes.

“Are you alone?”

I asked after confirming there was no one else around. Normally, if Ryu A-min invites classmates for games, Lee Doo-min or Jin Cheon-ha often joins, or they go with students from other classes. But no one else was around.

“Jin Cheon-ha stayed at school. The others all went home.”
“…The others, fine. But why did Jin Cheon-ha stay?”
“You know, for the demerit points. He had to do school service.”
“Oh, the thing we talked about yesterday?”
“Yeah, he’ll probably be cleaning at school until this afternoon.”

Well, he brought it on himself. Wearing a hanbok instead of a uniform was his choice. Nobody forced him with a knife to act like a Taoist. Anyway…

“I’m not going. Just two people playing games isn’t fun anyway.”

Nowadays, games are only fun if about five people gather. Otherwise, better play alone.

“Guess so… sigh, can’t help it. See you later then.”

Ryu A-min didn’t specify meeting after vacation. Since we lived in the same neighborhood, it was likely we’d meet by chance anyway.

“All right, take care.”

I continued walking with Ryu A-min after seeing him off. But the place I was heading wasn’t home, nor was it the clearing halfway up the hill where I usually met my students.

Ding~.

I entered my usual dessert shop near the school.

“…Lots of girls.”

After the break ceremony, many female students had come to the dessert shop. All seats were occupied, and some were standing to pick up desserts to go.

“Where are they?”

Looking around inside the shop, I spotted the people who had brought me here.

“Arthur, Rachel noona.”
“Hello, Artist.”
“You came?”

Arthur, known as the Aura Master of England, but in reality, a magic-powered automaton. Rachel, the puppeteer who made Arthur and married him.

“…That child?”
“That’s Arthur and my child.”

And now sleeping in the stroller beside Rachel, their child…?

“…Excuse me?”
“I said, it’s Arthur and my child.”
“Oh, yes…”

I didn’t ask how a child could exist between a human and a puppet. Seeing the child, I could immediately tell what kind of being they were.

“A homunculus?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”

I recalled the time Rachel had asked Kim Eun-yeon to create a homunculus.

[…No, just this once! Arthur and I cannot have children!]
[So Rachel gave up on pregnancy and decided to raise a homunculus as her child.]

Back then, I hadn’t created a homunculus for underage Kim Eun-yeon since I didn’t want her to handle male sperm and female eggs. But it seemed Rachel went to another alchemist to request the homunculus. The male sperm was likely artificially created using Arthur’s data, and the alchemist would have assumed it was just a regular infertile couple requesting assistance.

‘No, better not think about the details.’

Anyway…

“What brings you to Korea?”

Had they come just to introduce their child to me?

“Not exactly. Let’s sit first. Looks like our desserts are ready too.”

Arthur said as he brought the ordered desserts to our table.

“We came to Korea for a vacation. Thanks to the new detection software you developed for hidden dungeons, we didn’t need to spend time gathering related data, so we finally have some free time.”
“It’s not exactly an improvement… By the way, Morris and everyone else, why do so many people come to Korea for vacations?”
“Because Korea is the safest.”

I shook my head at that.

“That used to be the case, but lately there have been too many incidents. I wouldn’t recommend it.”
“Even so, Korea seems safest. There are always police-monitored incidents, but no large-scale terrorism, right?”
“……”

What’s law enforcement like in other countries then?

“So while incidents might happen, neither Rachel nor I would get hurt, so we decided to vacation in Korea.”
“I see…”

Then…

“Want me to recommend some fun places? I know a resort.”
“Oh, really?”

I could recommend the resort we visited last time with the Legiones Guild. Since it’s peak season, it might be crowded, and room prices would be higher than the off-season.

“But won’t you be resting, Artist?”
“Right now I have students and I plan to help the police with ongoing incidents… so rest might be difficult.”
“I recommend making time to rest, even if it’s hard. If a high-ranking person doesn’t rest, people below will hesitate to rest too.”

Not wrong, but just because I’m high-ranked through force doesn’t mean anyone notices me and refrains from resting—it’s an exaggeration.

“Oh, right. You’re not leading any organization now, are you?”
“I don’t know why you assumed that, but I’m not someone to lead others.”

Even after graduating from the academy and joining the Iron-Blooded Guild, I have no intention of becoming a guild master. Why would I bother with that? I took a bite of my dessert. Rachel smiled awkwardly at me.

“Hahaha… recently, a fanatical group called the ‘Artist Cult’ has appeared, worshipping you.”
“…Kuh!”

I almost spat out my dessert.