I Became the Academy’s Kibitz Villain

Chapter 17: Librarian Of The Library (2)

In this world, ghosts and goblins were not mere low-class monsters.

They were crystallizations of the imagination deeply rooted in human history.

Things that people have thought up and created out of fear or curiosity.

And by making these mystical things their own, those with abilities could become such existences.

[I am the god of the storm!]

[I am the god of the storm!]

Whether it was a myth or folklore, even if it did not exist in reality, those with abilities could become even gods with the power of mana.

[Ah, I have the ability to manipulate electricity…?]

Let’s say there was an electric-class ability user who could manipulate lightning.

[Listen, Mister Han! We invite you to our Greece! You will become Greece’s sole God, Zeus!]

[I’m Zeus? Zeus, who goes around violating women?]

[If you come to Greece, you can actually behave like Zeus! It would be a crime in Korea, but Greece is on your side! Greek women will be with you every night!]

[…Yes?]

[It’s worth it for you! If you seek asylum in Greece, you will have a huge salary, and women will line up for you! First, dye your hair blond and start with plastic surgery!]

What if this man had been exposed to Greek mythology since he was young?

[I am Zeus, reincarnated in the current era!!]

In this way, one could maximize one’s imagination by identifying a god that existed in the past with oneself.

[So Zeus throws lightning directly? Then I should practice throwing a spear.]

The more concrete the data on mythology was.

The more media people had to implement their imagination related to mythology.

[Bring all the Greek-Roman myth-related materials in the world! Books, games, comics, anime, movies! Everything!!]

The stronger the ability of the ability user became.

[I am Zeus! I am the God of Olympus! Anyone who resists me will taste a million volts!]

[What? A Pikachu?]

[Kal! Ah, no. You impudent creature!! I am Zeus, the god of lightning! If I win, I’ll take you!]

[Crazy! He thinks he’s Zeus!]

To put it badly, one could say they were obsessed with a concept.

[Zeus Thunder!]

To put it nicely, there was no need to overthink how to use one’s ability; one could synchronize themselves with the combat methods or how weapons were used in existing mythology.

In the original work, this was called [Synchro].

Whether it was a myth, legend, or folktale, it basically involved identifying oneself with the beings or stories using the imagination.

It might be hard to transform into an entirely new existence, which was like creating a new story, but it was easy to make existing myths or legends your own.

[Zeus! You are the pride of our Greece!]

[No! Zeus should be Jupiter! He is the pride of our Rome!]

[Take me, Zeus! I’ll be your Hera!]

This was the general state of the ability users in this world.

‘This is all a build-up of national pride.’

When I objectively thought about it after coming into this world, this was a kind of trick to stir up national pride.

‘If everyone stirs up national pride, then even if Korea does the same, it’s not national pride.’

What if every country used tradition and myth to establish their national dignity and superimposed it onto ability users?

Especially if it was the mythology or legend of their own country, it would be used for propaganda.

[The new A-rank ability user has become the ‘Maritime War God’!]

[Hold on. Why is that armor? Are you insulting Admiral Yi Sun-shin now!]

[This person’s ability can overlay a turtle ship made of waves onto existing ships! An invincible ship that can protect the main body from other ship’s bombardments is created!]

[Ha, shoot. That’s a bit tempting.]

The act of bringing a being from the past to the future and reincarnating it in the modern age as a new being, an act called [Synchro].

It was completely different from simply dressing a physical enhancement type ability user in a suit in the shape of the national flag and making them fight, naming them ‘Taeguk Commander’, or putting them in a suit symbolizing the national flower and naming them ‘Mugunghwa Guy’.

Making beings from legends their own.

This applied equally to me as a ‘Goblin’ and to what was known as monsters or evil spirits.

Even to a Gumiho.

“May I call you student Iseon? Iseon, do you think it’s important to increase mana, or would it be the ability to use the power… that is, to have a rich imagination?”

“I think both are important. If you ask which is more important, obviously it’s the mana.”

“Yes. Mana. It’s important. However, sometimes, just by having an imagination, humans can become incredibly powerful. You could say it’s a matter of technique. And the subject of that imagination is in human history.”

“…Teacher Do, your words sound like a new theory and a bit complex.”

“Is that so? I am just reciting what is.”

It was just an explanation in my own words based on the original work.

“Based on thoughts and concepts of the beings in myths and legends, make that being your own. There’s no need to follow the original exactly. Why not make the materials in the existing medium your own? Just like the students develop their abilities based on the materials on the 1st and 2nd floors.”

“It feels like you’ve given an answer from a completely different world than my question.”

“……Perhaps, that might be the case.”

Oops.

I got carried away talking about the original setting because I was excited to meet a heroine from the original work.

“I apologize. I just had these thoughts usually, and I spoke without thinking. Making a contract with a devil or monster. Hehe, please forget it.”

“If.”

Hmm?

If?

“If I were to make a contract with such a being… no, precisely, if I were to make such a being my own as Teacher Do said, what god would suit me?”

“Gumiho.”

Let’s respect the original work.

There was no need to say anything strange unnecessarily.

“I think a Gumiho would suit you.”

“But a Gumiho is a monster that eats human livers.”

“That depends on how you think about it. A Gumiho is a being that encompasses all of the East, and in China and Japan, it’s in a position somewhat like a ‘god’.”

“I know about that. Like the white-faced golden fur. But that’s a monster-god.”

“What about a Korean, modern-style Gumiho?”

At my words, Yoon Iseon opened her eyes wide in surprise.

“Modern… Gumiho?”

“Yes. Something like… throwing a bead created with mana and retrieving it, creating foxfire around you to attack enemies, or instantly transforming into a fox to make foxfire while sprinting.”

The most representative Gumiho I knew had such an image.

“It seems a bit excessive to have a concept of eating livers in the modern era.”

“Eating livers? That sounds a bit like an old-fashioned Gumiho. And while you might think that because it’s a monster, there can absolutely be heroes in the form of beasts, right?”

Like a conglomerate-owning batman.

“Just because something was a monster or beast in ancient times, doesn’t mean it has to be a villain in the modern era.”

“A monster becomes a hero?”

“Becomes a hero. It’s a good resonance, but just because you want to be a hero doesn’t mean you become one.”

I raised a fist to my chest.

“Can’t we say that the one who resonates with this is a hero?”

“The person who thinks of themselves as a hero is a hero?”

“No.”

Because there were psychopath villains who think that way, pass.

“Isn’t the hero, not one who is made, but one who many people believe to be a ‘hero’, regardless of their appearance.”

“……Interesting.”

Yoon Iseon smiled faintly and subtly checked her Taeguk Watch.

“Um… I understand. I’ll take that into consideration. Although it feels weird to call it an interview, thank you.”

Yoon Iseon packed all the books into her backpack and bowed deeply to me.

“Take care.”

“Yes, be careful on your way.”

I waved my hand to send off Yoon Iseon.

Afterward.

I thought perhaps another heroine might visit, but none came.

“Super lucky.”

Thanks to that, I was able to read the book I borrowed to my heart’s content.

A strange rhetorician.

A man immersed in his own world.

That was Yoon Iseon’s conclusion about the man wearing a name tag that read Do Ji-hwan.

“I wonder if he thinks he’s some kind of academy professor.”

Professors sometimes had that sort of demeanor.

Especially those deeply engrossed in their studies.

“I wonder if he plans to go into a professorship after being a librarian. He was quite an unusual person.”

She just wanted to hear opinions about mana, but the conversation seemed to go beyond what was expected. It felt as if it was crossing dimensions.

Could people normally be like that?

Or was it because he was stuck underground without anyone to talk to, causing his social skills to dwindle?

“… It’s rather pitiful.”

Despite it being a Saturday, seeing him working and guarding the desk seemed a bit pathetic.

But…

“……A contract with the devil.”

What he said was definitely a unique perspective and an interesting one at that.

What was a hero?

“Regardless of appearance and origin, it’s about exerting a positive influence on others. Something like that…?”

It felt like she had heard a clear answer to why those studying at the academy attended the academy and what kind of hero they should become after graduating from the academy.

“What an interesting person.”

Sigh.

“And….”

Yoon Iseon wet her lips as she looked at herself in the mirror.

“A gumiho.”

The figure of Yoon Iseon reflected beyond the mirror was a Gumiho with an incredible figure, fox ears on top of her head, and nine fox tails behind her hips.

However…

“…Could I become like that?”

The reality was just-

Thud.

Yoon Iseon stepped on two AAA batteries that were rolling on the floor.