Chapter 426: Chapter 426

Baek Suryong didn't think getting his father's diploma would be too difficult. As long as Baek Muheun was confirmed to have completed the curriculum, he should be recognized as a graduate, provided there were no disqualifying factors.

I just need to confirm whether his student record says he completed the curriculum.

Contrary to his expectations, though, the father and son ran into a problem the moment they arrived at the administration office. When they said they wanted to check the student record of someone who studied at the Azure Dragon Academy thirty years ago, the secretary frowned.

"That record is too old to check here. The administration office is only required to keep records from the past five years..."

"Are you saying the older student records are gone? Does that even make sense?"

"S-Suryong, let's just go. Don't bother the staff here." Baek Muheun tugged on his son's sleeve in embarrassment, but Baek Suryong didn't budge.

"Just keep quiet and stay put, Dad," he said, before turning back to the secretary. "Sir, are you really saying the records have been lost? This is a very important matter for the future of the Azure Dragon Academy, you know?"

"...What does my diploma have to do with the academy's future?"

"Shush, Dad. Leave this to me."

"......" Cold sweat dripped down the secretary's brow. Baek Suryong wasn't scowling or flaunting his aura, but the Azure Dragon Hero, one of the Ten Supremes, had a stare that packed enough pressure on its own. He stammered nervously, "W-Well... it might still be stored in the archives. All the old records are kept there."

The archives was a warehouse filled with so many documents that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the entire history of the Azure Dragon Academy was contained within.

Damn, of course it's there.

Baek Suryong smiled faintly. He could sense that the secretary was trying to send them away because finding old documents in the archives was a hassle. Still, no matter how many documents were stored there, it shouldn't be difficult to find one if everything was well-organized.

"That's a relief. We'll wait here quietly, so we'd appreciate it if you could find it and bring it to us," he pressed. "Dad, please hand him your identity tag."

Unfortunately, things were not that simple.

The secretary fidgeted anxiously. "Actually... there's a problem with the archives..."

The secretary confessed, "When we were attacked by Deathshroud a while ago, an impact caused the shelves in the archives to topple over, and now all the documents are in a complete mess."

Finally, Baek Suryong understood. The reason the secretary tried to send him away wasn't simply because it was a bother, but because finding an old record in the archives was currently a nearly impossible task.

"This is all because of that bastard Namgung Su again!"

Technically, Namgung Su wasn't the only one who fought the assassins at the Azure Dragon Academy that night, but he decided to blame him anyway.

"We have a lot of backlogged work right now, so we've postponed reorganizing the archives until next month. Even if we all worked on it, I don't know how long it would take. .. If it's not urgent, would it be alright if we found it for you later?" the secretary pleaded pitifully.

Baek Suryong couldn't help but sigh. "Then I'd like to ask just one thing. If we can confirm my dad's course completion from his student record, will there be any problem issuing him a diploma?"

"Of course not! As long as we can confirm that he has the credits needed for graduation on his student record, we can absolutely issue the diploma!"

Baek Suryong fell into deep thought. The administration office said they would find Baek Muheun's student record within a month, but that would be too late. If his father had been expelled or taken a leave of absence due to a "disqualifying factor" instead of graduating, then he wouldn't be able to participate in the Heavenly Martial Festival.

"If it were anyone else, I wouldn't worry, but Dad was a delinquent with a colorful history..."

"Son, can't you save that monologue for a time when I'm not standing right next to you?"

Baek Suryong organized his thoughts and addressed the secretary, "It can't be helped. We'll look for it ourselves. That should be fine, right?"

Who would dare refuse his request? Relieved, the secretary handed over the key to the archives. "No problem. Here you go."

Baek Suryong took the key and headed to the archives, thinking, How messy could a warehouse get?

However, the moment the duo arrived there and opened the locked door...

"...Namgung Su. I'm not going to let you get away with this."

"...Do we really have to find it?"

The father and son pair stared at the chaotic warehouse interior with identical expressions of horror.

"Those guys in the administration office. They just postponed a job ?"

"Don't be so hard on them. They seemed busy with a backlog of work."

"What, are they the only busy people at the Azure Dragon Academy? They should have stayed up all night to organize this. If it were me, I'd never be able to go home leaving a mess ."

"How did my son become such a workaholic..."

The two grumbled, but their hands moved quickly. Checking each scattered document on the floor, sorting them by type, and organizing them neatly was an incredibly tedious task. Although they were both martial masters, the only benefit of that was that they could work faster than others. They still had to check each document one by one.

Of course, being skilled in martial arts allowed for some shortcuts.

Baek Muheun's jaw dropped as he stared at his son and the countless papers floating in the air. "Isn't using telekinesis cheating!?" he complained.

"What have you been doing all this time instead of learning it?"

"...I'll learn it now if only out of sheer frustration."

"Want me to teach you the trick? I think you could do it quickly if you apply the principles of the Revolving Tempest Sword."

Although the task was difficult, the time spent organizing the warehouse wasn't boring because the father and son chatted while they worked.

"By the way, are you sure you should be here doing this?" Baek Muheun asked abruptly. His son was already famous for being the busiest person at the Azure Dragon Academy, and he was concerned about him wasting time on something unnecessary.

Baek Suryong shrugged, his eyes quickly scanning the documents floating all around him even as he replied, "I don't have any classes today. Besides, I'm the one who suggested coming here, so I can't just leave it all to you, Dad. If you're busy, you can go on ahead. I'm getting the hang of it, so I think I can find it by myself before sunset."

A few documents floated gently in front of Baek Muheun, though far fewer in number than his son's.

This time, it was Baek Suryong's jaw that dropped at the sight.

"How did you learn that so quickly?"

"Hm? Didn't you just teach me the trick a moment ago?"

"I know, but still... This is unbelievable, really." Baek Suryong stared at his father, flabbergasted. He had heard that his father was exceptionally talented, but was still taken aback at the extent of it.

Just how depressed was he before?

Baek Muheun quickly grew accustomed to telekinesis. He gently waved his hand in the air, and the documents recording the history of the Azure Dragon Academy flipped past with a rustle.

"So, do you have a girl you're interested in?"

"...Why are you suddenly asking me about it?"

Baek Muheun subtly tried to probe his son's feelings. "I'm asking because you're not lacking in looks, you have a respectable job, and it's not like there are no women around you. Just nearby, there's..."

Unfortunately, his son was an impenetrable wall.

"You sound just like Grandpa. I'm not interested right now," Baek Suryong said firmly.

Baek Muheun clicked his tongue. "You shouldn't be so complacent just because you inherited a handsome face. You only get better at dating with practice. If you act like a fool when you finally meet a woman you like and lose her, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

"Wow, you're bragging about yourself and nagging at your son at the same time?"

"This is what you call the wisdom of an adult."

The father and son shared some trivial conversation while organizing the warehouse.

To Baek Muheun, the fact that his son was one of the Ten Supremes didn't mean much. Mundane problems like whether he was eating well, getting enough rest, progressing in his career, and if there was a woman he was seeing were far more important.

"My lifelong wish was for you to be healthy, but now that you are, it feels strangely bittersweet. I feel like you don't need your aging daddy anymore..."

"If you're lonely, why don't you remarry? I think Mom would allow it."

"Hey. Don't say such ridiculous things."

"No need to get so serious..."

The quiet warehouse was filled only with the voices of the two men talking and the sound of paper rustling.

Suddenly, Baek Muheun chuckled. "Doing this reminds me of the old days."

Baek Muheun flipped an old document over with his hand. "When you were little, you loved it when I read books to you. You especially liked the sound of the pages turning, and you'd fall asleep listening to it, just ."

Baek Suryong closed his eyes and listened quietly to the sound of his father turning the pages. The sound of the paper rubbing together was soothing.

"Then, when I thought you'd fallen asleep and stopped reading, you'd open your sleepy eyes and whine, asking me to read more, haha. You probably don't remember, but..."

The hand turning the page stopped. Baek Muheun turned to his son, surprised. "You... remember that?"

Baek Suryong chuckled and nodded. "Yes, I'm slowly regaining my childhood memories. I think I was five. I tried to imitate you because I liked the sound of the pages turning, but I cut my finger on the paper. You scolded me so fiercely back then. I cried so hard I got the hiccups."

"Y-You really remember." Baek Muheun gazed at his son, his eyes trembling.

He knew that his son had recalled memories of a past life after coming back from the dead, and that the past life was so intense that it had changed his son's personality and made him forget most of his current life.

Baek Suryong added, "Yes, the memories are coming back one by one. I can't quite remember everything yet, but sometimes I even recall things from my childhood."

"Haha! That's wonderful! Just wonderful!"

Watching his happy father, Baek Suryong recalled more memories from his childhood. His father's face when he was much younger. The kind, deeply worried face that held his small hand, stayed by his side all night, and read him books.

"Do you remember anything else? Like that time you wet the bed when you were seven..." Orıginal content can be found at novel_fіre.net

"You made that one up, didn't you?!"

Baek Muheun giggled mischievously, "Haha! It seems you don't remember that one yet!"

A short while later, Baek Muheun found an old student record in a corner of the archives. He immediately exclaimed, "This is...!"

Baek Suryong came closer. "Did you find it?"

Baek Muheun nodded with a strange expression. "I found something, but it's not my student record."

"It's Yakbing's student record."

"Really?" Baek Suryong's eyes darted toward the document. He swiftly skimmed through the page, until his eyes landed on the ❬Behavioral Characteristics and Overall Opinion❭ section.

Mae Yakbing has a lively and enthusiastic personality, causing her to frequently clash with other students.

She shows great interest in various club activities and academy events, but frequently plays hooky, resulting in poor class attendance.

However, she is an excellent student. With intensive guidance and encouragement, she will have a promising future ahead of her.

"Hahaha! As expected of the little spitfire."

Baek Muheun stared at Mae Yakbing's student record for a long time, a smile never leaving his lips.