How to Take Revenge as an Academy Scoundrel

Chapter 4. Eunwon (Illustration by Astrid Lindell)

Kim Do-jin had many subordinates.

Once, he had even founded a guild called the ‘White Lotus Guild,’ and after joining Cheon Sang-seok’s ‘Heavenly Guild,’ he had commanded an elite unit directly under him.

However, among all those subordinates, only six had earned Kim Do-jin’s trust.

Considering the number of people who respected and followed him, it was a remarkably small figure.

This was due to Kim Do-jin’s cautious nature, and in fact, he had entrusted even his lifeline to those six.

A special magical scientific device that allowed for teleportation in emergencies.

Kim Do-jin always carried this device with him, prepared for any eventuality, but to activate it, the assistance of four or more people was required.

Naturally, he had distributed the six auxiliary devices necessary for the teleportation to his six most trusted subordinates, asking them to carry them at all times.

A year passed in this manner.

Then, the moment came when Kim Do-jin had to use that emergency escape device.

It was the betrayal of Cheon Sang-seok.

Kim Do-jin naturally attempted to use the emergency escape device to evade the crisis, but he found himself unable to do so.

The cunning Cheon Sang-seok had already bribed more than three of Kim Do-jin’s trusted subordinates to betray him.

In the end, Kim Do-jin’s emergency escape device failed to activate, and only at the last moment was he able to escape to another realm using a different artifact.

Here lies the crux: among the six trusted lieutenants of Kim Do-jin, at least three had betrayed him.

The revelation cut deep into Kim Do-jin’s heart, yet, tragically, he could not discern who among those six had turned against him.

At least three, or perhaps even all six, could have conspired against him.

But upon his return to Earth, he discovered one undeniable truth.

Only one among them was not a traitor.

That singular figure was Yoon Si-heon, the deputy commander of the ‘White Lotus Brigade,’ Kim Do-jin’s elite unit. Though he was a full eighteen years older, he had genuinely admired Kim Do-jin’s prowess and shared a bond of friendship with him.

Seven years prior, during that fateful incident, he had been urged by Cheon Sang-seok to betray Kim Do-jin, yet he had resolutely refused, ultimately paying with his life at Cheon Sang-seok’s hands.

It was only yesterday that Kim Do-jin learned this heart-wrenching truth, and he vowed, with a sorrow that ran deep, to repay the debt he owed.

Of course, he could not repay the man who had already departed this world, so he resolved to make amends to the family he had cherished most.

Yet, for now, he needed to adapt to this body of Kim Do-jin, and once the situation stabilized, he would seek to repay that debt. Just then, an unexpected opportunity arose.

Yoon Yu-na.

She was none other than the only daughter of Yoon Si-heon.

‘Indeed, she resembles her father greatly. I’ve seen photos of him from when he was young…’

Kim Do-jin gazed intently at Yoon Yu-na’s profile, feigning ignorance.

‘I tried to distance myself, but this changes everything.’

He did not know what Yoon Yu-na needed or desired, but whatever it was, he was determined to help her.

‘You want to be the top of the Arc rankings?’

He would make it happen.

‘You wish to grow stronger?’

He would ensure that too.

This was his way of honoring Yoon Si-heon, who had died trying to save him.

Of course, given the actions of this body he now inhabited, openly offering help would be problematic.

‘Hmm…’

Kim Do-jin pondered how to navigate the tangled relationship with Yoon Yu-na.

And it was then, after some time had passed.

– Thud!

Suddenly, the classroom door swung open, and a small girl trudged in.

At just 137 centimeters tall, she was doll-like in her beauty, with a youthful face that seemed far too innocent for a high school student.

What business could such a girl possibly have in this classroom?

“…….”

It was a sight that would perplex any stranger, yet the one hundred first-year students gathered in the classroom wore expressions of calm indifference.

The truth was, the girl’s identity was none other than their homeroom instructor, Astrid Lindell.

– Clatter!

Soon, she retrieved a special stepping stool hidden beneath the teacher’s desk and hopped onto it, a sight that was undeniably adorable.

To the eye, she appeared to be merely a ten-year-old girl.

Yet, Astrid Lindell was not ten, but twenty-five years old.

Why, then, did she possess the appearance of a child? It was because, fifteen years prior, at the tender age of ten, she had awakened her ‘Regenesis’ superpower.

A power that allowed her to heal from any wound in an instant, but at the cost of halting her physical growth at that very moment.

Why had she awakened her powers at the age of ten, of all times?

Astrid Lindell considered it a curse, yet to the onlookers, she was undeniably cute.

‘So cute…’

Even now, many students wore wide smiles, calling her adorable, but Astrid Lindell was far from just a cute figure.

No, if one were to choose, she was rather a fearsome presence.

A veteran among veterans, a first-generation awakener who had navigated countless battlefields since she was merely ten, she now stood as a formidable force with an S-rank in magical prowess.

With only about two hundred S-rank awakeners in the entire world, there was no need to elaborate on her level of strength.

Amidst the bright expressions of her classmates, one student wore a distinctly different countenance.

That student was Kim Do-jin.

‘It’s been such a long time…’

In truth, Kim Do-jin knew Astrid Lindell better than anyone else present.

She had been one of his closest confidants when there were only six in the world.

‘Even after seven years, she hasn’t changed. Well, I suppose that’s to be expected.’

Seeing Astrid Lindell after seven years stirred a sense of warmth in Kim Do-jin’s heart.

Yet, he could not allow himself to feel entirely pleased.

Unlike Yoon Si-heon, he could not be certain of Astrid Lindell’s loyalty.

‘Did Astrid betray me, I wonder?’

He didn’t truly believe she would.

Among his six confidants, she had always been particularly devoted and fond of him.

But if that were the case, none of the six should have betrayed him.

Yet, the harsh reality was that at least three had turned their backs on him, making it difficult to completely dismiss his doubts about Astrid Lindell.

He had no choice but to observe her more cautiously and uncover the truth.

‘…But why is Astrid working as an instructor in a place like this?’

It wasn’t that he looked down on the position of instructor at ‘Arc.’

Given that ‘Arc’ was an awakening institution where only the world’s finest could enroll, the caliber of its instructors was also the highest in the world.

Yet Astrid Lindell was a talent that surpassed even those instructors of ‘Arc.’

She could easily secure a position in one of the world’s top ten guilds, receiving all the respect and rewards that came with it.

‘If she had betrayed me from the start, she could have climbed to a high rank in the Celestial Guild or the Order as a price for that…’

Kim Do-jin found himself staring intently at Instructor Astrid, lost in such thoughts.

“Today’s lesson, you all have it down, right? In the morning, we’ll have practical combat against the demon beasts, and in the afternoon… hmm?”

As she turned to finish her opening remarks, Astrid’s gaze suddenly fixed on Kim Do-jin.

“Kim Do-jin, why are you sitting there?”

Hearing his name from Astrid Lindell after such a long time stirred old memories within him.

For a moment, he almost replied casually, as he used to.

But it was clear that she was pointing at him, not the vessel of Kim Do-jin.

Moreover, he had anticipated such scrutiny, so he quickly composed himself and responded as if he were the vessel.

“I’m just trying to get some sunlight because I’m not feeling well.”

The answer felt somewhat absurd, but fortunately, she didn’t press the matter further.

“Really?”

Astrid turned her head slightly to glance at the original owner of that seat, ‘Im So-hee.’

In that instant, all eyes shifted to Im So-hee, and her face flushed a deep crimson.

Her shyness and low self-esteem made it difficult for her to even meet someone’s gaze.

But the amusing part was that this was just the beginning.

– Woom!

As Im So-hee’s face grew redder, she suddenly began to emit light from her entire body.

“Haha!”

Many students burst into laughter at the sight of Im So-hee glowing like a light bulb.

It seemed this wasn’t the first time such a thing had happened.

However, Kim Do-jin’s impression, having witnessed it for the first time, was somewhat different.

‘So she’s a light-type esper.’

Though Im So-hee’s ability to generate light with mana appeared comical at first glance, it was a power with boundless potential depending on its wielder.

After all, the awakening hero ‘Joshua Payden,’ who was regarded as one of the strongest in the world, also possessed light-based abilities.

Of course, the likelihood that Im Sohee harbored such extraordinary light-based powers was slim, and her current control appeared utterly lacking.

‘Is it a structure where she unconsciously emits light when feeling shame?’

If the Carla Arlen and Misaki Ai he had seen moments ago were the type unable to control their always-active powers, then Im Sohee was the type who could not manage the activation of her abilities, which depended on specific emotions.

It was quite rare for that specific emotion to be shame, but instances where powers activated or intensified due to feelings like anger or fear were relatively common.

In any case, amidst the clamor, Instructor Astrid finally concluded the briefing.

“Now, prepare for class.”

With those words, Instructor Astrid stepped down from the platform and strode out of the classroom.

“…….”

Kim Dojin stared at Astrid’s retreating figure for a while before suddenly whipping his head to the side.

“……!”

In that moment, Yoon Yuna, thinking he was looking at her, flinched slightly, her body reacting with a subtle jerk.

She seemed to misinterpret that he would finally say something.

But the truth was, Kim Dojin was not looking at Yoon Yuna at all; he was gazing at Im Sohee.

And just then, Im Sohee also turned her head, their eyes locking.

“Ah!”

Im Sohee gasped, her round glasses nearly slipping off her nose, startled, before quickly averting her gaze.

She continued to awkwardly stare down at the empty desk.

“…….”

Kim Dojin watched her for a moment before abruptly rising from his seat.

But at that moment.

“……!”

Yoon Yuna, still under the impression that he was looking at her, flinched again.

Yet, contrary to her expectations, Kim Dojin did not say a word.

He merely trudged back to his original seat, the one beside Im Sohee.

‘…Huh?’

Yoon Yuna glanced back at him with a puzzled expression, while Im Sohee, seemingly tense, held her shoulders rigid, stealing glances as if to gauge the situation.

Time passed in this manner.

– Thud!

Finally, Kim Dojin halted in front of his original seat, right next to Im Sohee.

Creak.

In truth, no such sound ever emerged.

Yet, with a movement that seemed to echo that very sound, Im Sohee lifted her gaze to meet Kim Dojin’s.

And Kim Dojin spoke.

“Come with me.”

It was a phrase that could have slipped from the lips of the possessed Kim Dojin, as if he had been waiting for this moment.

“Eh!?”

Even Kim Dojin himself found the words absurd.

How bewildered must Im Sohee have felt upon hearing it?

“Ah, got it!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Im Sohee sprang to her feet.

Then, without a single glance exchanged, she dashed back to her seat.

“……”

Kim Dojin watched her for a brief moment before finally plopping down onto his original spot.

By some twist of fate, his inexplicable actions had left both women in a state of confusion.

Though a twinge of guilt flickered within him, it ended there.

‘Wasn’t the morning class supposed to be a practical battle against the Great Demon Team?’

With that thought, Kim Dojin pushed aside his concerns and began to prepare for the upcoming lesson.

‘Hmm…….’

Yet, he was not the only one observing him with interest; there was another, besides Yoon Yuna and Im Sohee.

It was none other than his partner, Lee Jinryul.

‘What is this sense of alienation?’

As Lee Jinryul pondered this, he watched Kim Dojin’s actions, and soon, sensing the gaze upon him, Kim Dojin turned his head slightly and spoke.

“What’s up?”

His eyes asked why Lee Jinryul was staring so intently.

Lee Jinryul felt a strange dissonance in that look as he replied.

“Huh? No, it’s just that you seem a bit different today.”

“……”

Kim Dojin offered no retort.

He merely noted that this guy seemed perceptive and continued his preparations for class.

Time passed in silence.

Kim Do-jin made his way to the changing room, moving slowly to change into his training uniform.

‘There must be name tags in the changing room.’

Fortunately, there were, as expected.

Following the other students, Kim Do-jin naturally entered the changing room, and, like the others, he changed his clothes and made his way to the examination hall.

“Um…”

At last, the morning class loomed before him: ‘Team Combat Against Monsters.’

Kim Do-jin leisurely surveyed the layout of the examination hall, but the other students were not so relaxed.

For the past few weeks, they had only engaged in personal training and aptitude tests, and today marked the first real combat class against actual monsters since their enrollment.

“Ha… I wonder what kind of monster will appear? It won’t be dangerous, right?”

“Of course not, you fool. If things go south, the instructor will step in to save us.”

As the students exchanged various conversations to ease their nerves, the door creaked open.

– Clank.

Finally, the instructor for this class revealed herself.