I Possessed a Broken Academy Instructor

Chapter 51

– Geumgang Hyuk.

Strange, yet somehow familiar, that subtlety transformed into certainty in no time.

‘Geumyoung Group.’

A pillar of the mega-corporation that had split the Free Planet Alliance into five and swallowed them whole.

The name itself eluded my memory, but given that he led securities and banking, he must be one of the heirs.

“You speak as if you know me.”

Yet, it was not just the imposing figures in white suits guarding him that irked me.

His face, not entirely of Eastern descent despite the name, bore a sharp jaw and deeply set eyes, twisted into a smirk. That face was bothersome enough, but the contemptuous expression, as if he knew exactly who I was and why I was here, was infuriating.

“Well, shall we move to another place?”

As expected.

He shrugged off Jin Crow’s words, nonchalantly tilting his head side to side, chattering away.

“There are many eyes watching. Conveniently, there’s a bar nearby that I frequent…”

In that moment, for reasons unknown, I contemplated whether to down my hip flask right then and there, but I quickly withdrew my hand from my coat.

“Lead the way.”

“It’s an honor.”

He grinned as if he had expected nothing less, striding ahead toward the grand limousine parked at the platform.

I was not pleased.

But this was not just anywhere; it was the capital of the Free Planet Alliance, Mercato, and I could not afford to act recklessly in front of the Geumyoung Group.

‘And they likely feel the same way.’

Assuming he knew who I was, it was not entirely strange to consider.

Whether it be the United Human Synthesis or the Holy Galactic Empire, they had branches scattered across the galaxy, conducting business on a grand scale.

Not to mention, I wasn’t exactly sneaking in; they would have had ample opportunity to catch on.

After about ten minutes in the limousine, my readiness to use either the hip flask or the pentacle, should the situation arise, felt futile as we came to a stop in an alley starkly contrasting the towering skyscrapers.

Then Geumgang Hyuk stepped out, pulled a thick cigar from his pocket, and with his signature sly voice, said,

“Now, shall we go inside, Instructor?”

Was he no longer even trying to hide it?

Jin Crow chuckled softly and walked into the quiet bar, where, perhaps having received prior notice, only an elderly bartender with a splendidly groomed beard awaited us.

Of course, it was a bit surprising to see that the bartender sported an array of tattoos and had an extra arm slung over his shoulder.

“John, a dirty martini, please.”

“Yes, Mr. Geum.”

Though men in white suits trailed behind him, only Jin Crow and Geum Gang-hyeok stepped into the bar.

He settled into the bar table with familiarity, glancing at Jin Crow as if to say, “Aren’t you going to sit?”

Jin Crow scanned the space that could serve as an exit for a moment before taking a seat, addressing the bartender who was wiping a glass with an extra arm draped over his shoulder.

“Godfather. No cinnamon stick, please.”

“Understood.”

“Godfather. A fine old cocktail, indeed.”

He chose not to respond to Geum Gang-hyeok’s remark.

Geum Gang-hyeok, too, seemed to have no expectation of an answer, shrugging his shoulders before snipping the end of his cigar and lighting it.

Sizzle, puff-.

Naturally, Jin Crow could not hold back.

“……”

As the bartender busily mixed drinks, the smoke from the cigarette and cigar intertwined in the air, and soon, as if to shatter the silence, two glasses were placed before them.

‘Godfather.’

Jin Crow looked down at the dark brown liquor before him, swirling it lightly before taking a sip.

The nutty sweetness was followed by a heavy alcohol that pressed down his throat. Not a bad taste at all; as he absentmindedly took another drag from his cigarette, Geum Gang-hyeok, having just popped an olive from his dirty martini into his mouth, spoke up.

“Aren’t you curious? Why the second son of the Geumyoung Group sought you out, of all people?”

“Well.”

Second son, was he?

Not particularly intriguing information.

“Oh, but first, I have a question. How much do you know about this Free Planet Alliance?”

Without even glancing at him, Jin Crow flicked the ash from his half-burnt cigarette.

Given his demeanor, one might expect Geum Gang-hyeok to be offended, yet he continued with calm composure.

“In the Empire or the Synthesized States, they often call us vulgar capitalists, claiming that corporations wield the power of the state behind the scenes.”

“Is that not a falsehood?”

“Surely not.”

Jin Crow had anticipated a denial, but seeing Geum Gang-hyeok nod in agreement made him turn his head, only to find the man wearing an irritating expression as if to say, ‘Finally, you’re paying attention to me?’ He took a drag from his cigar.

“However, let’s rephrase that a bit. Wouldn’t it be unpleasant for the Emperor of the Empire or the Führer of the Synthesized States to hear talk of corrupt feudalism or militarism right to their faces?”

Jin Crow took another sip of his drink, using Geum Gang-hyeok’s words as a pretext, and as he crushed the cigarette that had burned down to the filter, he locked eyes with him directly.

He then pulled a cigarette from his pocket, placing it between his lips as he spoke.

“Your words are lengthy. If you know who I am, you must also know what sort of person I am.”

“Haha, is there any doubt?”

Once again, I felt it—his coarse face twisting into a sickly grin, and the pleasant taste of the drink I had enjoyed moments ago vanished entirely.

Yet before he could utter a single irritated word, Geum Gang-hyeok, who had been rambling with a calm demeanor until now, immediately got to the point.

“The black market. You should make use of us.”

“…….”

“Oh dear, I brought it up because you asked me to get to the point. Was I too blunt?”

In that instant, I couldn’t tell if I had failed to mask my expression or if he had merely caught a fleeting furrow of my brow that revealed my agitation.

But one thing was certain: he knew the purpose of his visit.

‘Should I kill him?’

Of course, I had never spoken to anyone about my destination toward the Free Planet Alliance.

Nectar (Νέκταρ).

If he knew I was searching for that, where had it all gone wrong?

Whether he was aware of Jin Crow’s internal struggle over whether to take his life or not, Geum Gang-hyeok continued to smile cheerfully.

However, that didn’t last long; sensing an unusual tension, he took a sip of his dirty martini and said,

“……Haha, please don’t misunderstand. In truth, stimulants are inseparable from soldiers, aren’t they? And maintaining regulars is merely part of the business.”

Yet soon, Jin Crow realized that there was something oddly peculiar about Geum Gang-hyeok’s words, and he fell silent.

As if he had found the answer, Geum Gang-hyeok continued, even though I hadn’t urged him to speak further.

“I was actually surprised. The one who always entered anonymously now using their real name, boldly seated in a military-exclusive business class… I thought it was some sort of gesture. It seems that wasn’t the case after all.”

“…….”

I wet my dry lips with the drink for no reason.

As I began to overlap my past actions with Geum Gang-hyeok’s demeanor, I could only belatedly realize the mistake I had made.

‘Damn it.’

Thinking back, how could Jin Crow have smuggled in alcohol containing stimulant ingredients?

Until now, I had assumed he had requested it from a faction, but upon reflection, the paranoid Jin Crow would never have entrusted such a significant weakness—one that could become his leash—to another.

Thus, the answer was simple.

He had sought out the black market himself.

And with forged identity.

In truth, if he wished to keep his destination hidden, it was only natural.

‘It was complacent. No, it was closer to sheer foolishness.’

Clearly, the allure of the oparts had clouded his mind, leaving it in disarray.

If not that, then perhaps the relentless drinking, smoking, and caffeine consumption had turned his brain cells into a gas chamber, executing a mass slaughter.

Gulp-.

He downed the remaining shot of father’s brew in one go, forcing his sluggish brain cells to churn, seeking the best possible answer in this dire situation.

“Such a bother.”

He took another drag from his cigarette, as if to say he had never shown a flicker of distress, and at that moment, as the sudden shift in demeanor narrowed Kim Gang-hyeok’s brow.

“Pardon?”

“Pass.”

Jin Crow twisted his pale cheeks into a sardonic grin.

“I’ll guide you to the finest black market on your side.”

Silence hung in the air.

So, he decided to brazenly move forward.

……Well, what of it.

*

“Haha, indeed, you are the instructor. If it were up to me, I would guide you myself, but alas, time is of the essence, so please accompany this fellow.”

Kim Gang-hyeok left those words behind, attaching a thin man with glasses who sat in the driver’s seat of the limousine.

“Haha, greetings. I am Min-soo, the president’s assistant.”

Despite his frail appearance, he possessed a rather cheerful demeanor, busily rummaging through his pockets to present a plastic-coated business card.

Yet, he bore features that hinted he was not a pure human; his eyes were slightly slanted, and his ears had a hint of length.

The name didn’t quite… fit either.

However, Jin Crow couldn’t outright say something like, “Say, where’s your father from? Surely not an elf? I hope not. The only good elves are dead elves.” So he simply stated.

“Lead the way.”

“Yes! Just follow me.”

He guided Jin Crow down an alley with a bar, winding through the path until they reached a shabby warehouse.

After a brief wait, the warehouse door creaked open, revealing guards in white suits, their faces contorted as muscles rippled beneath their skin.

Just as he pondered whether this was a trap, they promptly straightened their stiff backs.

“Welcome! Esteemed customer!”

“Please, this way!”

And it didn’t take long for him to realize that the grotesque expressions were, in their own way, smiles.

“Ha ha, though the expression is fierce, they are trustworthy. They all belong to the Geumyoung Security, you see. Especially that friend on the left, he’s my colleague from when I joined…”

This half-elf was quite the chatterbox.

Yet, perhaps due to the incessant noise made by Obiana Dokoran, it was bearable, albeit with a bitter taste.

How long had they walked like this?

As his patience began to wear thin, trudging through the tunnel that resembled an underground sewer, the distant sound of hyper-pop music grew louder at the end of the corridor.

“Oh, I almost forgot this.”

Minsu pulled something from the briefcase he was holding and handed it to him.

As Jin Crow lowered his gaze to inspect it, he found himself holding a mask emblazoned with a smiley face in LED lights.

“This is officially the ‘Black Market.’ You weren’t planning to go in barefaced, were you? Ha ha.”

The absurdity of the laughter left him without the will to retort, so Jin Crow silently donned the mask.

Minsu grinned and flipped on a mask with X’s for eyes and mouth, then cheerfully turned down the crooked corridor, speaking with enthusiasm.

“Welcome! You’ve arrived at the Free Planet Alliance!”

At last, following the slender fingers of Minsu, Jin Crow’s vision was engulfed by the scene before him.

“Khahaha! Kill! Kill them!”

A coliseum where androids and cyborgs, all manner of races, were mixed together.

“Hey there, brother! Want to get a glow-in-the-dark tattoo? A body tattoo? Of course, it’s possible!”

A tattoo artist shook a fluorescent liquid that was confusingly ink-like.

“Hey, I’ll give you a discount for a full-body procedure! Hehe.”

A reaper doc called out with a voice laced with metallic clinks.

“In this treacherous world where you never know when you’ll be backstabbed! First, smash your opponent’s skull! Tactical exosuits smuggled from the Synth Republic—Titan—for just 1,000 credits! We accept Synth Republic dollars or Imperial francs!”

Even the smugglers were present.

It was truly a chaotic mess, filled with all sorts of light pollution, noise, and the depraved company of people.