I Became the Academy’s Genius Shikigami Summoner – Chapter 312

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟏𝟐: 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝟏

After the last Night Parade of a Hundred Demons was over, Korea and the rest of the world tried to overcome the aftermath and gradually restore their original forms.

Of course, not everything could be restored immediately, but now people had hope instead of grief and despair.

At the same time, the Korean Exorcism Headquarters and the leading families, who had gone through a great deal of trouble, began to undergo major changes.

“I heard the head has changed.”

“They are reorganizing to welcome a new era.”

“Everyone must have felt that things could not go on like this after what happened. . . . . . .”

Once the situation had settled down to some extent, the exorcists who had played an active role in the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons incident were given awards for their service.

Those who had taken the lead in protecting civilians, those who had faithfully defended the barrier formation, which was the last line of defense, and those who had died in the incident.

And of course, we were included in that group.

“Ugh. I sometimes think it was a surreal experience.”

“But still, we’re getting such great treatment. . . . . . .”

“. . . I’m getting tired of all this attention.”

Many people still didn’t know the truth about what had happened, but at least those who had fought alongside us or the exorcists in the upper echelons knew the gist of it.

So, we involuntarily began to be spotlighted everywhere as the right people to lead the new era.

We received countless love calls every day, and even the headquarters openly made offers to us.

At the same time, it became an opportunity for us to think about our future once again.

“Hey, what are you going to do in the future, Kang-yoon?”

“. . . Well, I’ve never really thought about it.”

I wasn’t exaggerating or being coy.

After I was born into this world, I had only thought about reaching the point where I am now and had no time to think beyond that.

That’s why I, too, was enveloped in a strange feeling and just blankly spent each day.

However, there was one thing I wanted to do even if I didn’t think deeply about it.

“For now, I think I’ll try to become a special-grade exorcist.”

That became my first goal in the new world.

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

Two years after the end of the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, the Exorcism Headquarters finally set new standards and began to resume the qualification exams for exorcists.

And in the first exam that year, Sophia and I, who had requested a special examination, easily passed it and obtained the title of special-grade.

“How do you feel? I know Kang-yoon has been quite worried about it.”

“I’m fine.”

“Oh. Is that all?”

No matter what she said, I didn’t feel particularly touched or overwhelmed with emotion.

I already had the skills of a special-grade exorcist, so it felt like I had just gotten something I deserved.

“Hmm, that’s a boring reaction. We’ve officially become one of the most famous exorcists in Korea, you know?”

“I’ve never said I wasn’t. I don’t know about you, but you’ve been famous since before.”

Sophia had been famous for her unique talent since she was in the academy and was considered one of the most promising candidates.

And now, there was no one in Korea who didn’t know her name.

Recently, passersby who recognized her on the street would ask for her autograph, and children who aspired to be exorcists would look at her with admiration, so much so that she had to be careful when she went out.

“I appreciate the sentiment, but to be honest, it’s a bit embarrassing. I’m not a celebrity.”

“Well, at this point, there’s no difference.”

“Even you, Kang-yoon?”

Sophia and I continued to talk about the past and the present as we walked through a quiet park.

And after a while, Sophia, who had been smiling softly, quietly opened her mouth.

“Hey, I’m going to go abroad for a while.”

“. . . Abroad?”

“I got a good offer from England, and I think I’ll work there for a while.”

It was a bit unexpected, but it felt like something Sophia would do.

However, Sophia didn’t seem to get the reaction she had expected and began to mumble, letting out a small sigh.

“That’s why. I’ve made up my mind, but it’s a bit sad. I won’t be able to see the others as much, and I’ve gotten too used to this place.”

“. . . I’m sure you will.”

In a way, it was a natural concern. Even in my modern days, there were many people who worried about similar things.

“. . . Should I just refuse?”

Despite her bold statement a moment ago, she didn’t seem very confident.

I smiled wryly and gently patted her on the shoulder.

“Go if you want to go. We can visit each other.”

“Will you really come? Kang-yoon, you don’t really go out much.”

“. . . Not really.”

I just didn’t have the time to relax until now.

At my response, Sophia smiled faintly and ran a few steps ahead, turning her head back.

“Yeah. I think I’ll go. If not, I’ll just come back after my contract is over.”

“Okay.”

After walking around the park for a few more rounds without getting tired and talking, Sophia went back to her house when the night had completely fallen.

After she left, I also fell into thought and began to reconsider the various possibilities that I had been thinking about.

Now, it was time for me to clearly decide on my next course of action.

And in fact, my heart was already leaning towards one place.

「. . . . . . .」

The stars twinkling in the clear night sky seemed to be blessing my choice, saying that it was right.

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

“So, you’ve decided to apply for a teachership at the academy?”

“Yes. I think everyone is starting to notice my age.”

“. . . That’s how it felt when we were there.”

In a space that had become all too familiar, the now much more mature Seo Ji-an let out a small sigh.

“But somehow it doesn’t feel strange. I somehow thought you would do that.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. It’s just a feeling.”

Seo Ji-an, who had created several drops of water from her hands and poured them into the plants in the flowerpot, soon looked around the corridor and spoke softly.

“This place has also been here for a long time since then.”

The place where she and I had fought with the warlock Hektel and eventually defeated Gang Cheol-i, who had possessed Seo Ji-ha’s body.

It was a place with a lot of memories, but to be honest, it wasn’t a very good place to live because of the circumstances.

“Haven’t you thought about moving?”

“Of course I have. But. . . . . . I guess the underground likes it here.”

Her younger sister, Seo Ji-ha, had also graduated from the academy and was now working as an exorcist.

When I thought about it, it felt like a lot of time had passed.

“I’m sure she was working for the Defense Corps?”

“Today is the fifth month of her leave. She couldn’t come home because of overlapping shifts.”

It was a pity that I couldn’t see her face after such a long time.

Anyway, since she had gained such great power because of Gang Cheol-i, her skills were already comparable to those of a 1st-grade exorcist.

She would probably become a mainstay of the Defense Corps in no time and gain their trust.

“How are things at Dae-jin Industries these days?”

“It’s been on a steady upward trend. I guess my existence itself has become a kind of signboard after the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, and I gained their trust when I made various items with your help at that time.”

Dae-jin Industries, which had protected people by distributing general-purpose self-defense items such as portable boundary stones and disruption pouches, had now become a trusted national company.

However.

“. . . To be honest, I’m starting to feel like I want to hand over the work to someone else and just relax.”

“What about Seo Do-yoon?”

“He’s the owner of Dae-jin Industries now, but he ran away a long time ago.”

He didn’t seem like that kind of person, but it seemed that he had also gone through big changes over the years.

Seo Ji-an let out a big sigh and pouted, propping her chin up with both hands as she lay face down on the table.

“. . . I really don’t want to work.”

“What do you want to do if you leave the company?”

“Well, I might go on a trip for a while.”

It was a very ordinary and feminine wish for her age.

When it came to Seo Ji-an, it felt quite refreshing to me for some reason.

“Let’s go together if we get the chance. Sophia said she’s staying in England too.”

“She came to me for a consultation last time, and it looks like she’s finally made up her mind. . . . . . .”

Seo Ji-an smiled faintly with a languid expression and nodded, saying that it wouldn’t be bad.

“Actually, I don’t have much attachment to Dae-jin Industries anymore. I’ve stayed until now partly out of inertia.”

After all, she had already achieved all the goals she had set for herself there.

It might be natural for Seo Ji-an to move on to the next stage of her life.

“. . . But since I’ve only done this kind of work all my life, I can’t imagine a different kind of life.”

“. . . . . . .”

In a way, it was a similar concern to the one I had. I, too, had only focused on overcoming the immediate difficulties and had only recently decided on my future course of action.

That’s why I was able to give her a piece of advice without difficulty.

“It’s okay to do whatever you want. That’s how everyone lives.”

“Is that so?”

“Just look around you.”

Jung Han-sol, who had been one of the top five talents in our academy year, had unexpectedly become the guitarist of a newly formed band.

Shin So-ra had worked as an enforcer for the headquarters, but quit, saying it didn’t suit her personality, and opened a pastry shop, and Guilford, who had said he was going to return to his home country, was somehow making a name for himself as an actor.

It was quite a fresh shock to me as well.

The game’s story didn’t shed any light on their stories at all.

In the end, this place was also a world where people lived their own lives.

“But since you’re so famous, people might pay attention to you no matter what you do.”

“. . . There are many ways to hide. I won’t be able to hide forever, though.”

Seo Ji-an, who answered like that, soon had a slightly less worried expression on her face.

“When everything is settled down, I might think about going back to the academy.”

“To apply for a teachership?”

“No, something else.”

In fact, even though she aspired to be a teacher, she had no interest in anything else, so I couldn’t figure out what she meant.

After finishing dinner together, I left Seo Ji-an’s place and went home, and after thinking for about an hour, I went to sleep.

And when I woke up to the sound of my alarm, I got up with a groan, stretched, quickly changed, and went outside.

The first step towards a teachership at the academy was just around the corner.

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