Chapter 66

Chapter 66

[In Lunar Year 4, 2nd Grade]

The lunar year has changed, and it is now the fourth year according to the lunar calendar. (1)

Eunha is in his second grade of elementary school.

He had grown so tall that his mother said she had to buy him new clothes because he couldnt fit into the ones he wore the previous year.

Sure, he had grown in a year, but not as much as the girls. He was still a head shorter than Minji and Seona.

Captain, what are you thinking about?

Haha.

And Eunhyuk, taller than Minji and a little smaller than Seona.

Eunha sighed when he saw him pop up out of nowhere.

Are you the only one who gets bigger when you eat?

The two of them had been about the same height a year ago, and while Eunhyuk was taller then, it wasnt by a head like it was today.

Huh? Well Ive been training like the captain told me to, so maybe thats why Ive grown?

Thats a lie. I havent grown at all.

Eunha was also training whenever he had time. So he couldnt believe that training made him taller.

How tall was I in my previous life?

Right before I died, I was 174.5, an ambiguous height in the player world, not small, but not tall either.

In this life, I had a goal to surpass 175 and reach 180, but after seeing Eunhyuks growth, I felt less motivated.

Oh, is it because of the juice Hayangs dad made?

Did you go to Happiness often?

Captain told me to stop by Happiness whenever I had time. As soon as I had pocket money, I went to drink the juice, didnt I?

Eunhyuk puffs out his chest.

I am good, right? Praise me.

He was looking at him with wide eyes like a puppy waiting to be petted on the head.

Of course, Eunha didnt meet his expectations. What Eunhyeok said made sense and made him think.

Could it be that it also helps you grow taller?

Huh, captain?

When Eunha consumed mana, he would absorb the mana that dissolved in the atmosphere. The process of absorbing mana into his body was time-consuming and inefficient, but he didnt need to use potions to restore it unless he was fighting monsters.

Eunhyuk, on the other hand, was not used to recovering mana from the atmosphere. If he absorbed it incorrectly, it could cause a mana surge.

So Eunha suggested that he drink Jungs potion whenever he had a spare moment while training.

Sure enough!

Eunhyeok wasnt the only child he recommended potions to.

Minji and Seona, too.

He advised the two kids to drink potions too.

I cant believe its a potion that makes you taller.

Ill have to drink one everyday from today.

Whats wrong with him?

I dont know, hes just not talking to me anymore.

Meanwhile, Minji returned from talking to the kids in her new class.

When she saw him, she frowned and clicked her tongue, Here we go again. By now, he was no stranger to being lost in thought.

Hey, No Eunha, wake up. Are you going to be like this on the first day of the second year?

I wish the potion had fixed your personality, too.

What? What did you just say?

Come on, I didnt say anything, its just that you always act like this when I do something.

Dont try to play dumb. I dont know what you said, but do you think I dont know that youre cursing at me?

Youve been cussing me out since you were a little girl.

Eunha thought back to the first time he met Minji.

Even then, she hadnt known what Mukminji meant, but she had recognized that he was cursing at her.

I cant go anywhere and curse at you.

But Eunha wasnt the type to back down.

Where do you get the nerve to accuse me?

You wont speak straight?

Youre a Gungye, youre not a Mukminji anymore, youre a Gungminji, right? (2)

What is Gungye, and didnt I tell you not to call me by that name?

Eunha raised his voice with a nuance of resentment. The loudest person in the room always won.

Minji wasnt one to be pushed around either. She also raised her voice and strengthened her gaze.

Guys, stop fighting~

Thats right. Is it going to be like this since the beginning of the semester?

Eunhyuk couldnt stop the two who had started arguing, so he sent a distress signal to Hayang and Seona, who had arrived at school just in time.

Were all in the same class this year, are you going to do this?

Hayang had gotten used to their bickering by now. She put her bag on Minjis backseat and made a stern face.

They werent afraid of her puffy cheeks, but they knew when to back off.

Ha, I cant help it.

Youre only putting up with me because its the beginning of the semester, I know.

On the topic of Mukminji

This is so!

The two were still growling, but they werent arguing. Instead, they just glared at each other without speaking.

But its weird. Were all in the same class.

Thats right. I thought we were going to split up.

Seona nodded at the topic Eunhyuk had brought up. She was worried that she might be the only one in a different class.

On the day of the closing ceremony, when they heard the class assignment results, she couldnt help but jump up, not caring about the eyes of others.

Well, it was exciting.

Eunha also expected the kids to be separated into different classes, but contrary to his expectations, only the kids who were close to each other were assigned to the third class of the second grade.

He rubbed the corners of his eyes and carefully polished his monocle.

Report.

He didnt turn his head. Leaning back in his rocking chair, he looked out over the balcony where the sun was beginning to set.

Yes.

Mr. Kim replied briefly. (3)

There are signs that KK Pharmaceuticals is trying to get involved in the administration of Doan Elementary School. Apparently, theyre trying to prevent Ms. Jung from being in the same class as the children.

I see.

KK Pharmaceuticals.

The old man muttered to himself. He tapped his fingers on the armrest.

If its KK Pharmaceuticals, was it run by Kim Geons bloodline?

The old man recalled the shareholding structure of KK Group in his head. KK Pharmaceuticals was a small company that didnt have much weight in KK Group. It was probably not an affiliate controlled by the immediate family of the chairman of KK Group.

And yet, they were trying to interfere with a child he loved like a granddaughter?

The old man couldnt believe it.

As far as he was concerned, KK Pharmaceuticals was nothing more than a neighborhood pharmacy, and he didnt like the fact that such a company was trying to interfere with the Doan Elementary School, which he sponsored.

The world has certainly become much better.

To think they would challenge me in a fight over money.

He was someone who would sell even land to buy the books he desired.

While youre at it, deal with the teachers who took money from KK Pharmaceuticals. As for KK Group let that Kim Geon know what I have to say.

Yes, understood. The next agenda is about Jin Seona Yang

Hmm, whats going on?

Apparently, theres been a spate of demands from some parents to expel Jin Seona Yang

The old man frowned.

Jin seona was a little girl who lived in the church he sponsored. He had actively pushed for her admission to Doan Elementary School when he heard of her coming of age.

And he thought he hadnt made a bad choice.

She was as good and sincere as he had heard.

Why? Is it because shes an ain child?

The old man asked.

Mr. Kim said nothing.

The old man clicked his tongue as he rocked in his chair.

Even he, who was over 60 years old, looked at humans and monsters separately.

He thought it was foolish to treat children as monsters.

The future must be led by children.

And it was children like Seona who would rebuild the world once destroyed.

Since the world has been destroyed, I cant say that education should be provided equally to all children, but a child with talent should be given the opportunity to showcase that talent, which is the most necessary thing.

Foolish people who only believe in what they can see.

Tell them that will never happen, the old man sighed, closing out the agenda.

Phew. The childrens school life will be tough. Kim, what about that matter?

I handled it well.

In April last year, the old man couldnt forget the Bukhansan incident that stirred up public opinion in South Korea.

Children had been injured in the fight against the monster.

I cant say that it wont happen again. We have to think that it could happen in the future.

The world is crazy.

Besides, there was the Dawn Department Store attack a few months ago.

Eunha was involved in a succession battle at Dawn Department Store.

The old man couldnt help but worry about his children being caught up in such a toxic event.

In the end, he chose to hire a former player as their teacher.

Although retired due to injuries, the player still holds a reputable position in the players world.

Is he trustworthy?

He retired from Regulus.

I see.

Regulus was one of the seven clans that received the S-grade in South Korea. It was also the clan to which Park Hye-rim, the Twelve Chairs <Holy Mother>, belonged.

Hmm.

The old man picked up the book and stood up.

Stepping out onto the balcony, he watched the sun set and recalled what had happened not long ago.

With who do you want to be in the same class when you enter the second grade?

Well, I want to be in the same class as my friends, but my dad said it would be hard for me to be in the same class as all of them.

Huh. Well, thats not going to happen. Grandpa will make your wish come true.

Heh. Im fine, Grandpa. Im not a little kid anymore. Im nine years old.

Hehe! Im sorry. Grandpa must have thought you were a child, then lets see if you can make a prediction.

A prediction?

Yes. You will be in the same class as your friends in the second grade.

Hehe.

Goseogwang, the one who would sell land to buy the books he wanted. (4)

When did this child get a place in his heart?

Its amazing, isnt it?

The old man called someone who was no longer in this world. He gently stroked the thickly bound book.

It was a book with a silhouette of a rabbit wearing a monocle and holding a pocket watch.

Notes!

(1) The lunar year is a different way of measuring time based on the moons phases. It has 12 months, but they can be shorter than in our regular calendar. Sometimes, an extra month is added to match it with our calendar. Different cultures use the lunar calendar for special holidays.

(2) In this context, the term noble () is used metaphorically to refer to someone who is elevated or distinguished in some way. It doesnt necessarily imply literal nobility, but rather a higher or privileged position. Of course, Eunha was joking.

(3) Mr. Kim: I dont know if you guys remember but I wasnt sure about whose name was it. Now I want to know the grandpas identity

(4) Goseogwang is a term that refers to someone who is willing to sell their land or property in order to acquire books. It is often used to describe a person who values knowledge and books above material possessions. In the given context, it is mentioned as a characteristic of the old man, indicating his deep love for books and willingness to go to great lengths to obtain them.