The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master

Under the morning light, her hair glimmered like crystal, and two burly assistants followed closely behind her.

A figure clad in a flowing black silk robe advanced slowly in front of them, the fabric fluttering with each step.

In the administrative office, everyone present stood lined up against the wall, hands behind their backs, and their posture rigidly upright.

Seo Yeom-jeong, the employee from the Clubs Department, turned completely pale.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

The cousin of a close friend of the director? accent That was obviously a blatant lie.

The director’s icy eyes bore into her, making Seo Yeom-jeong swallow hard. shadow The more she tried to understand what was happening, the more confused she became.

‘…The director?’

The director finally stopped in front of Seo Yeom-jeong, whose trembling gaze tried desperately to grasp the gravity of the situation.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Seo Yeom-jeong had been working at the academy for almost ten years, but never had she been so close to the director.

Yet here and now, that ridiculous scenario was unfolding right before her eyes.

Could anyone truly believe that Media the Wise, one of the pillars of the Seven Holy Heroes, would act as a mentor to a mere special student? arena The idea was so absurd that anyone hearing it would burst into laughter.

But to claim that the advisor for a simple special student’s club would be the director herself?

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Feeling a suffocating weight in her chest, Seo Yeom-jeong jolted upright as if waking from a bad dream.

But the eyes she directed at Seo Yeom-jeong now held nothing youthful—they were cold, almost glacial.

With a youthful appearance so striking that one might mistake her for someone in her early twenties, the director’s beauty was remarkable.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Media’s frown deepened, clearly displeased by Seo Yeom-jeong’s excessive submissiveness.

Seo Yeom-jeong was the type who bowed to the strong and crushed the weak. artist She was cold to those she deemed inferior but almost groveling to those of higher rank.

“D-Director!”

Seo swallowed hard and instinctively stood at attention.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

In contrast, Media offered him a warm smile.

Then, turning slightly, she glanced at Kang Geom-Ma, who stood calmly with his arms crossed.

“Sorry to trouble you when you’re so busy.”

“I only spoke with you over the phone yesterday, but now that I see you in person, it’s wonderful, Geom-Ma.”

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Ah, don’t worry about it. album If it’s a favor for you, I’ll come running without hesitation. abandon Besides, I was already on my way to work.”

In the tense atmosphere, the director and the special student chatted amicably, while the other employees remained silent, watching nervously.

How could the director of Joaquin Academy, the ultimate authority, treat a mere special student so informally?

Seo Yeom-jeong barely dared to lift her head, casting a sideways glance at Kang Geom-Ma.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

And that name—Kang Geom-Ma. arch Somewhere in the back of her mind, a faint memory stirred. silence She vaguely recalled hearing that name from a colleague.

The scattered pieces of Seo Yeom-jeong’s thoughts began to fall into place like a puzzle, and her face turned ashen.

Wasn’t that the name of the student who had entered this year as the top of his class…?

Her eyes, trembling with fear, darted toward Kang Geom-Ma.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Some of the senior employees frowned at his informal gesture, but as soon as the director’s sharp gaze swept over them, they immediately erased their expressions.

Kang Geom-Ma gave Media a slight nod.

“Ah, time’s running short. apple I’ll leave this in your hands, then.”

“Geom-Ma, give me those documents. accent I’ll handle the remaining procedures as the advisor for this club. airport It’s already 8:50, and I believe you have a written exam next week? anchor Don’t be late for class. adjust Off you go now.”

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Media waved cheerfully as Kang Geom-Ma left the office, maintaining her bright smile until the door clicked shut behind him.

“Yes, see you later.”

“Of course, of course. shadow Leave it to me! abstract Study hard!”

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

“I believe I understand the situation.”

Slowly, she turned to face Seo Yeom-jeong.

As soon as the door closed, Media’s smile vanished.

Click.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

To students, Media was warm and compassionate. audit To employees, however, she was a shrewd and ruthless supervisor.

“…”

Her voice was cold and cutting.

Media, keenly attuned to the atmosphere, let out a dry laugh.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

There was no need for her to invoke her unique divine blessing, The Poet’s Blessing.

“I am the director of this academy, and yet we still have people so ignorant working here? crystal I bet they’ve been gossiping about his background. acid That too…”

As befitting her title of the Wise, she quickly pieced together the circumstances with near-perfect accuracy, merely observing the details at hand.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

“⎯About the cadet Siegfried and I chose as our successor.”

The air in the room grew even colder. artist The curtains on the windows rattled violently.

Cold sweat streamed down the backs of the employees like rivers.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Some struggled to believe what they were hearing.

With a tilt of her chin, Media signaled to one of her assistants, who promptly removed the chair Seo Yeom-jeong had been standing by.

Seo Yeom-jeong was so shocked she raised her head, a blank expression on her face.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Resting her chin on one hand, she fixed Seo Yeom-jeong with a cold stare and spoke.

Media sank into Seo Yeom-jeong’s chair with a heavy thud and crossed her legs in a deliberately provocative manner.

Seo Yeom-jeong remained silent, her lips pressed tightly together, frozen in place.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Even the thought of making excuses felt like an act that would cost not just her job but her very life.

Her hand trembled as she tried to hold back tears, scribbling quickly.

The moment Media finished speaking, Seo Yeom-jeong snatched up a pen and paper and began writing her resignation letter.

“I won’t waste words. orbit You have five minutes.”

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

After finishing classes, I returned to the administrative office and received the notification that the club creation request had been accepted.

That Afternoon

***

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

However, I noticed something curious the desk of the employee who had blatantly ignored me that morning was completely empty.

There was no need to rush, so I decided to recruit the last member after next week’s written exam.

In other words, as soon as I resolved that, the club would be formally established.

Of course, we still needed one more member to meet the minimum requirement, so official approval was pending.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

This has Media’s touch, I thought, though the sudden shift in their attitudes made me a little uncomfortable.

Additionally, the other administrative office employees were treating me with overly kind words, even offering me refreshments with extreme politeness.

Still, considering that I’d likely have to return here for club-related matters, I decided not to take it too personally.

Shaking off my thoughts, I hurried to the smithy within the academy.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

***

“Ahjussi, I’m here!”

Using a soot-covered rag, he wiped his sweat and tried to catch his breath, still slightly winded.

Volundr, drenched in sweat as he worked with glowing hot metal, turned toward me when he heard my voice.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

I nodded silently in response.

From the tunic he wore, his defined back muscles were clearly visible. echo I watched his retreating figure for a moment before pulling out a chair and sitting down, leaning into it.

“You’re here to pick up your weapon, right? apple Just give me a moment.”

With a peculiar expression, he walked toward the storage area to retrieve Murasame, the weapon I had commissioned.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

The heat radiating from the forge was scorching, making my skin sweat even more.

I loosened my tie and let out a deep sigh.

It was only the start of summer, and the weather was already turning warm. meadow Seeing the blazing flames of the forge only made me shake my head in resignation.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

I didn’t know how Volundr viewed me, but to me, as a former player, he had always been a figure I both loved and hated.

‘How can anyone work in a place like this?’

As a low-budget player back then, I had no real reason to resent him.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

He was also a polarizing figure, infamous for ruthlessly devouring players’ resources.

Volundr the blacksmith. alert One of the main NPCs responsible for everything weapon-related.

…Though, after what happened recently, the “hate” side had grown a little stronger.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Although Miracle Blessing M was considered generous for its standards, it was still a Korean mobile game.

For high-spending players, however, he was relentlessly criticized in forums, earning him nicknames like “Cursed Volundr,” “Volundr of Doom,” and even “Volundr the Money-Snatcher.”

At least, that was how I felt as a budget-conscious player.

From his dialogue in the game, he came across as a greedy character, but his brazen personality made it hard to truly hate him.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

And in such a world, the blacksmith responsible for upgrading and forging weapons couldn’t escape the ire of players.

To be honest, I’d also felt immense rage when he downgraded Murasame from a B-class weapon to E-class.

I needed to hold onto that belief—otherwise, I’d just get angrier.

Even so, I wanted to believe that he was at least trying his best…

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Please, Volundr, just this once!” amber Some even placed his image on their screens while praying.

The developer was the real culprit behind squeezing players dry, but since Volundr was the one burning through their money as fuel for his forge, he bore the brunt of their wrath.

Regardless, despite the criticisms, players still invoked his name before trying their luck with the upgrade system, pleading:

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

His voice snapped me out of my reverie. alert When I looked up, he was already standing beside me, holding Murasame in his hands.

“Ah, it’s nothing important. ability I was just thinking you remind me of someone I know.”

“What’s got you so deep in thought?”

Now that he wasn’t just a lifeless NPC but a real person I was doing business with, my feelings toward him were far more complicated.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

He then grabbed a peach-colored drink and downed it in one gulp, as though quenching his thirst.

I couldn’t help but smirk wryly as I accepted *Murasame* from his hands.

“Then that person must be as handsome as I am.”

He stroked his soot-blackened beard with a smug air and let out a carefree laugh.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

The fermented smell wafting from the drink reminded me of makgeolli (T/N: a traditional Korean rice wine).

“Want a drink?”

As I watched, our eyes met.

Although Volundr’s character origin was Scandinavian, seeing him drink makgeolli so contentedly was oddly amusing.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

“…Are you offering alcohol to a minor?”

“…”

“Kid, if you’re going to talk like that, you should act like one! abandon Why do you sound like someone who’s lived a whole life already?”

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

As he said, it seemed he had truly put effort into it this time.

Muttering something under his breath, he swirled his cup. armor Ignoring him, I focused on inspecting Murasame in my hands.

The blade, once riddled with cracks, now radiated an icy chill, and the scorched handle had been restored to the refined texture of paulownia wood.

“Not to brag, but this work is flawless. zenith Of course, the high-quality materials from those magical beast parts helped a lot.”

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

A notification flashed before my eyes, opening a status screen.

As I admired the upgraded Murasame, I thought about the status window in my mind.

‘Volundr.’

== ==

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Duration: (40 → 50) seconds.

Beep—

The sensation of pain is completely removed.

[Blessing of Pain Insensitivity]

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

[※ Activation time: (40▶50) seconds, cooldown: 12 hours.]

== ==

[▷ NEW! crystal With the increased number of blessings, the activation time has been adjusted as follows:]

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Even if it was just 10 more seconds, the improvement was welcome. canvas Thinking about the dungeons ahead, I knew those extra seconds would be invaluable.

It seems the condition for leveling up the Blessing of Pain Insensitivity wasn’t just manifesting it frequently but doing so in real combat situations.

Despite my initial complaints about this blessing, I now recognized it as a solid mid-to-high-level skill.

Since I’d always focused on the Blessing of the Sword God, I had nearly forgotten about it, but this was good news.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

== ==

Smiling with satisfaction, I scrolled further down to check additional details.

Type: Kitchen Knife

[Murasame]

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

[Blade Length: 35 cm]

[Features:]

Description: Once known as the “Sword that Retains Dew,” this weapon has now been reborn as a high-carbon steel kitchen knife, imbued with the skill of a master craftsman. orbit Although small, its performance may vary depending on the user.

[Width: 6 cm]

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

[Growth Potential: A]

[Durability: E → C]

[Destructive Power: C]

[Range: E]

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

[▷ NEW! acquire Additional functions unlocked.]

[Rank: E → D]

== ==

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

I also had materials from the ‘Bull King,’ a level A demonic beast, so I thought it might reach level C… but, well, things don’t always go as one hopes.

Since the blade was based on materials from Buffalo, a C-level magical beast, I hadn’t expected much. amber The rank improvement wasn’t dramatic, but considering the effort I put in, it was reasonable.

Besides, I feel a bit sorry for this drunken blacksmith.

Even so, it was quite encouraging that [Durability] increased by two levels. acid In the future, there will be moments when Murasame will unexpectedly have to handle an aura, and it would be problematic if it couldn’t withstand the strain and broke every time.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Beep—!

‘…Hm?’

As I scrolled further down, I noticed a line written at the end. august Instinctively, I tapped it.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

[1) ⎯⎯(Empty)⎯⎯ ]

[2) ⎯⎯(Empty)⎯⎯ ]

== ==

[With a successful enhancement and the weapon’s growth potential, up to three special abilities can be granted.]

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

== ==

[※ Special abilities can only be granted using Magic Stones and are activated randomly.]

[3) ⎯⎯(Empty)⎯⎯ ]

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 50: A Brief Moment of Freedom (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

‘…Volundr?’