Episode 2: The Old Soldier Needs a Break.

The St. Basilicia Orphanage is a prosperous orphanage even within the kingdom.

Typically, for an orphanage to become prosperous, it needed a few conditions. It had to be located in a favorable administrative area of the capital or have the political symbolism of being the first orphanage for war orphans when a war-torn kingdom begins its reconstruction. The orphanage director had to have connections with influential people and nobles in society, among other reasons.

By the way, St. Basilicia Orphanage met all of these conditions.

Hmm.

Ivan scrunches up his brow while he casually scratches his arm. His time in the military taught him not to ignore weird vibes.

Kids, throw some salt around.

Yes, sir!

The little ones dash off, giggling, and he lets out a deep sigh.

Its been a good four years since they knocked off the demon king, but this game aint calling it quits. If the endings takin this long, somethins fishy.

Is there some other rule? Is the ending like hero kicks the bucket from old age? Nah, that cant be it. He wants to head back home ASAP.

Right about now, Ivans daydreaming about the good stuff back on Earth, making a list.

Canned brews, hot spicy rice cakes, honey butter chips, nachos with cheese, tuna mayo, and kimchi stew.

Oh, man, kimchi stew deserves three bold lines. Its been a hot minute since he had some kimchi. Cant forget kimchi jjim and stir-fried kimchi either.

And all kinds of booze, except vodka and wine. Hes all in for some liquor from the Far East.

After chowing down with creatures who snack on pickled cucumbers and dried shrooms, even puffed-up snacks start soundin fancy.

Phew

Ivan, walkin like hes got weak knees, suddenly stops.

He hears footsteps in his office, where nobody should be. Grown-up steps, and whats more, from a pro soldier.

Just a moment ago, his chill demeanor turned on a dime. He walks cautiously this time, no more ninja steps, aiming for a more natural approach, and heads straight for the wooden door with Directors Office on it

Theres only one person.

His instincts are dialed up to animal mode. After a few years in a special ops unit, anyone could pull these moves.

The noise behind that wooden door came to a sudden stop. Ivan cautiously reached for his holster and slightly hunched over, positioning his head in a way that would deflect a bullet if the door were to swing open. It was an old habit.

Long time no see, senior!

As the latch on the door turned, an unfamiliar guest cheerfully greeted. That indicated no intention of harm. Hearing the voice, Ivan quickly identified the person and relaxed his stance.

Upon opening the door, a sharply dressed military man stood there, extending his hand for a warm greeting.

How have you been? Oh, I should have visited more often!

You shouldve used the front entrance.

Oh, when have we ever been that formal?

The soldier let out a short laugh, stepped back, and briefly inspected Ivans waist and sleeves.

Its urgent.

No need to rush! Lets have a drink and chat first, and then we can get to business.

Even as he said that, the guest pulled a small letter from his pocket and carefully placed it on the table.

High-quality paper, sealed with wax, and bearing a chrysanthemum-shaped seal. Ivan instinctively took a step back when he saw it.

Wait, isnt that sacrilege?

Why would Colonel Kirilovna want me to?

Shes the Royal Chancellor now. When you retired, she was already a Major.

So, whys she looking for me? As far as I remember, when I left the service, she was quite adamant about me leaving.

Yes, you did follow her advice to retire and live quietly. I admire your trust in that, senior. Her Highness went without food for three days, you know?

(TN: So, its a tsundere type, huh?)

He chuckled and pushed the letter, which had been pushed to the end of the table, back toward Ivan.

Read it. If its a letter from Her Highness, its worth its weight in gold even at an antique auction.

With the same caution hed use to disarm a magical device on the verge of explosion, Ivan carefully reached out to gently break the wax seal, taking great care not to crumple it.

With a satisfying pop, the letter opened smoothly. When the golden-flecked paper came into view, his hand froze.

Whats wrong, Her Highness might just be asking how youre doing.

Hell no.

Elizaveta Kirillovna Krasilov. More familiarly known by her nickname from the front lines, Riza of Steel. This woman, back in the days of the full-scale front, wouldnt send an emissary just to check on someones well-being.

It wouldnt be surprising if the letter was poisoned.

I hope theres no poison in here

Dammit, just read it.

Ivan hesitated once more before gathering the courage to open the letter.

The letter was written impeccably, in precise and elegant handwriting, almost as if it were typed on a typewriter.

[Vanka, how have you been?]

Ivan didnt want to read it anymore. He swallowed hard.

[Ive heard about you from time to time. You seem to be doing well.]

At first, I thought I was fortunate, but that was a while ago.

[Sadly, Im not doing well now.]

Whoever it was, they must be a bastard to have made this woman not do well.

[Do you remember when we worked hard to cultivate the garden? I hoped we could have a banquet together, but you left without looking back.]

The days when you burned down demon colonies and set up military offices to discipline the pacified demons?

Of course, I remember.

[Afterward, I thought like this for a moment. Well, fine. Even if youre not here, the garden you worked so hard to cultivate will not wither away like this. Winter has passed, and when the snow melts, it will be the season of blooming flowers.]

[Then, maybe one day, you might come to visit the garden you created.]

Ivan muttered without realizing it.

Me? Back to the military? Why?

[But the seasons have come full circle, and winter is approaching again. The idlers who are well-fed and lazy no longer care about the garden. No more wild flowers grow among the gardens, where weeds and wild beasts thrive.]

This winter would certainly be colder and quieter than the last.

[Somewhere, I see it covering the branches of the barely surviving bushes.]

Only now did he grasp the purpose of this letter.

Before reading the last paragraph, Ivan let out an automatic sigh.

[Vanka, my most trusted gardener.]

[If you have a wish, I will surely repay it threefold. If the price is not enough, we will pay with our friendship. If that is still not enough, we will pay with our memories.]

[The kingdom still needs your dedication.]

[As it has been until now, and as it will be in the future.]

[With fondness, Kirillovna.]

After rereading the relatively short letter multiple times with great care, he pressed the corners of his eyes that had stiffened and turned his head.

Tap, tap, tap.

He drummed his fingertips on the table, lost in thought for a moment.

Your answer?

First, tell me about the situation.

Its very complicated. The military keeps pestering us every day for assignments, and Crown Prince Alexander is dead set on dividing and selling the country. Our Great King remains silent.

The man continued with a sigh.

But guess what! Do you remember St. Jans Academy? The international academy that was established during the war?

Why?

I got an early peek at the list of this years new students and faculty, and guess what? The Saintess is among the faculty, teaching theology. And then these names, theyre pretty darn familiar, arent they?

Hero Maximilians daughter, Isabelle.

Knight Jills son, Oscar.

Mage Veolgrins daughter, Elpheira.

Paladin Einars daughter, Ecdysis.

Rogue Enriques apprentice, Lucia.

And to top it off, Saint Patricia herself has become a professor this year.

Its like something out of a storybook, the Hero Party Members.

And here we are, thanks to our Great King, who abolished the age limit for admission to St. Jans Academy, saying age doesnt matter, as long as you pass the entrance exam, youre in. This is the result!

St. Jans Academy, a renowned institution in the entire United Kingdom, doesnt care about the age of its students from this otherworld.

Whether theyre super young or, well, very mature.

As long as they ace the insanely tough entrance exams, interviews, and meet other conditions, including a guarantors recommendation, anyone can enroll.

This is where things get tricky.

After slaying the Demon Lord, the Hero Party returned to their respective hometowns.

Some became nobles, others went into hiding. But they all shared something in common.

Each member of that party became a legendary hero in their hometowns.

This means that their actions could lead to international conflicts, especially for those who sent their kids to study abroad.

Our prince wants to sell the country, oh my goodness. This happening right in the capital? Whats gonna happen?

If someone from that group dies or gets hurt, it could spell doom for the kingdom.

What should I do?

Weve got a spot reserved for you on the faculty. Not as a professor or teaching assistant, but as a gardener. Well, academies have trees too, right?

The man pointed to the list in his notebook as he spoke.

Keep an eye on these folks until they make it back to their home countries without a scratch. It might even be shorter if they drop out.

At this point, Ivan had it all figured out.

Colonel Kirilovna I mean Her Highness, the Royal Chancellor, urgently needs an operative not currently tied to the military.

Using an active-duty agent would leave a trail that the princes faction could uncover, and hiring any retired agent without knowing their allegiances wasnt a safe bet.

But voila! The perfect candidate was right near the capital.

Loyalty was unquestionable, skills were proven, and the person had retired quietly with no political ties, easy to locate and contact.

The miraculous candidate was none other than Ivan himself.

Ivan, whod been waiting quietly for the end to come, ready to head back to Earth and relish the joys of modern life, suddenly grasped an astounding truth.

It wasnt the kind of scenario where the Demon Lord gets defeated, and the Hero Party rides off into the sunset with a happily-ever-after ending.

Amidst the turbulent international scene and the ominous domestic politics, the abrupt appearance of the International Academy, where world-famous figures eagerly enrolled their kids

After 30 long years, a genre that any South Korean would instantly recognize came to mind.

Damnit!

Yes?

Kim Sunwoo, who had been napping for many years, suddenly woke up.

Damn it. Is this turning into a school setting?

Senior?

The man stared at Ivan with beads of cold sweat forming on his brow.

This was a sight that had been scarce even during Ivans active-duty days: that intense expression of suppressed anger.

And naturally, as someone who had known him from those active-duty days, the man was taken aback by the fierce and controlled fury in Ivans demeanor.

With a cold sweat, he wondered what Ivan meant by those words.

By the time he had finished pondering, Ivan had forcefully repressed the sudden eruption of Kim Sunwoos seething rage.

With beads of sweat forming on his own forehead, Ivan closed his eyes and spoke.

Ivan Petrovich I accept Her Highnesss command.

Now, lets get going.

Three years.

He had already waited 30 years, so what was another three years in the grand scheme of things?

If he could just hold on for three more years, he would finally reach the ending.

And thats how a gardener found himself working at the Academy.

Authors Note:

In Russia, they enjoy pickled mushrooms and cucumbers as accompaniments to vodka

A truly unique culture!

See you in the next episode.