I Became the Teacher of a Troll Tribe

Chapter 19: The Green Root Intelligence Unit (1)

A completely different outfit from usual.

Lactomar was dressed in the uniform of the Green Root Intelligence Unit.

Through the gaps in his clothing, I noticed a tattoo unmistakably shaped like an olive.

“Lactomar…?”

“You’re not the only one surprised. I never expected you to join as a member. It caught me off guard too.”

I was stunned. So this is what “hiding intelligence” meant?

“Isn’t this amusing?”

Morgan grinned.

“...Not even a little.”

What kind of messed-up world is this, full of schemes and secrets?

Did I underestimate this place too much?

Wasn’t this just supposed to be a simple ‘get stronger, find artifacts’ kind of game?

“My real name is something else, but just call me Lactomar. It’s easier, and everyone calls me that now anyway.”

The tone of Lactomar, once a troll as stoic as Stone Grunder, had completely changed.

It was hard to believe this was the same person.

“Were you the one investigating me?”

“Well, not just you. But yes, I’ve been keeping a closer eye on you recently.”

This guy…

The betrayal hit me harder than when Stinson stabbed me in the back on the carriage.

Lactomar had been my oldest colleague at the language academy.

“Krrrk! Starting to understand now? There’s already an agent planted at the academy. And not just any agent, but one of our veterans.”

“...I never even suspected it.”

“Which is why we concluded we don’t need two agents there. You, however, have a different purpose. Krrk! You can wield aura, after all.”

I had a bad feeling about this.

The way they kept emphasizing ‘aura’…

It felt like they were planning to send me to the front lines as some disposable pawn.

Just as I was feeling utterly cornered—

“Jinyu shouldn’t leave the academy.”

Lactomar extended a hand toward me.

Morgan and Boldwin’s faces visibly hardened.

“At the very least, let him keep handling the human class.”

“...Why?”

This was an interesting dynamic.

Lactomar, openly opposing a unit commander’s decision.

He spoke with confidence, not wavering in his stance.

Was this organization more egalitarian than I thought?

“Because he’s human.”

“Explain in detail.”

“What’s been the chronic issue with human slaves?”

“Krrk?”

Lactomar clicked his tongue.

“They’re a highly valuable resource, all possessing unique abilities, yet they’re constantly committing suicide or escaping the moment we look away.”

“...”

“Ever since Seong Jinyu started teaching, the defection rate has dropped significantly. It’s unprecedented in the academy’s history.”

Oh...

That’s true.

I’d been diligent in mentally stabilizing my students early on.

Lactomar had witnessed this more than once.

“With new humans arriving soon, it’s in our best interest to keep him at the academy for now. Besides, the principal won’t let him go so easily. Jinyu is… a clever human.”

“You must have grown attached to him, huh? I’ve never seen you speak like this.”

“I’m saying this for the good of the Green Root Intelligence Unit and the tribe. Boldwin.”

“Krrrk! Morgan, what’s your take?”

“...”

Morgan, as usual, remained silent at a critical moment.

So what’s the verdict?

After a brief pause, Morgan finally spoke.

“We’ll push back the original plan. But he can’t just stay a teacher forever. Once the incoming slaves have settled in, that should suffice.”

“That will do.”

“We’ll inform the principal of the revised arrangement.”

I had no idea what the original plan was or why this compromise was ‘sufficient.’ But it seemed I’d be staying at the academy for now.

A relief... right?

“Anyway, welcome aboard. If you have questions, ask me. Oh, and don’t even think about it at the academy.”

So Lactomar would be my supervisor.

Normally, I’d be annoyed by the idea of someone ‘outranking’ me.

But this version of Lactomar, who wasn’t hiding his intelligence, was surprisingly reassuring.

Boldwin had even mentioned that Lactomar was one of the most powerful mid-tier warriors in the unit.

Still, the sense of betrayal lingered.

“Well, I’m sure you have a lot of questions. Let’s talk.”

With my stay at the academy settled, Morgan and Boldwin left.

I was left alone in the spacious office with Lactomar, ready to unleash a torrent of questions.

At first, we chatted about personal matters.

I still wasn’t used to his sharp, articulate way of speaking.

I started with the obvious:

“Ahem.”

First, what the hell was going on?

What had happened at the academy while Toka and I were away on the delegation mission?

When did he start working for the intelligence unit? Did the principal know?

“The principal? Of course not. I’m just that good at acting. Admit it.”

…Fine.

I’ll give you that one.

Once the initial awkwardness faded, I started asking about the Green Root Intelligence Unit itself.

“Where are the other members? Is this the only base?”

“They’re constantly moving, and their assignments vary widely, so even I don’t know everything. There are three bases within Zul Dron alone. I’ll introduce you to all of them eventually, but for now, just remember this location.”

“What’s the structure like?”

“We’re divided into four divisions, based on mission type. Morgan and Boldwin are the commander and vice-commander of the Green Watchers. That’s us. For the record, there’s very little interaction between divisions.”

The Green Watchers?

I was expecting something cooler.

This world’s naming sense is really lacking.

“So, is it just the four of us in the Green Watchers?”

“Of course not. You’ll meet the others soon enough.”

A sense of dread crept over me. Would I run into someone else I knew?

“...Please tell me Toka isn’t part of this.”

“Krrrk! Relax.”

Whew.

“As I said earlier, you’ll continue working at the academy for now. If the unit assigns you a mission, you’ll be contacted separately. They seemed to be discussing something important earlier.”

“Missions, huh…”

“Krrk! You’ll get busy soon. There’ll be nights you’ll work without sleep and still have to show up at the academy. That happened to me too. We mostly operate at night.”

So that’s why you’d occasionally nod off in the staffroom. I just thought it was a troll thing.

“Still… I believe you’ll do well.”

“...”

“I called you a clever human because I truly think you are one.”

I see.

Even though his cover had been blown, Lactomar was still the friend who understood me best.

***

“Great job, everyone!”

Returning to the classroom for the first time in about two weeks, I was met with an unusually enthusiastic group of students.

After enduring the principal’s tedious lessons, the human class seemed full of energy. How about that? I bet they realized I was a blessing.

“Teacher! It’s been a while!”

Evelyn greeted me warmly.

Come to think of it, she didn’t have much time left before graduating.

Based solely on her proficiency in Trollish, she could have graduated long ago.

But humans, unlike trolls, had a mandatory education period to complete.

“Alright, I’m heading out! Thanks for the gift!”

Our brief reunion ended with me handing her a souvenir—a high-quality handkerchief made by dwarves.

I figured we could catch up more over the weekend.

When I brought my meal to the staffroom, I found Toka and Lactomar waiting for me.

Since the delegation mission, both had gained a noticeable presence for their own reasons.

“Welcome back, clever human Seong Jinyu!”

‘Does he have to be this shameless…?’

“Lactomar… How’ve you been?”

“Krrrk! Don’t get me started! The students weren’t the issue; the principal was worse! His teaching methods are still stuck twenty years in the past. Even the students know it, and I’m sure he does too! What’s left for him now is retirement!”

“Ahem, Lactomar?”

The principal himself walked in.

“Your words are quite harsh.”

“P-Principal!”

“I’d like to retire as well, you know. Isn’t farming all the rage these days? But alas, I can’t seem to find a suitable successor. I’m hoping you’ll take over soon.”

“Krrrk! That’s not what I meant—”

“Jinyu, could you come to my office after your meal? I’d like to have a word.”

“...Understood.”

“Principal! It’s a misunderstanding!”

The principal didn’t even look back as he left the room.

* * *

‘Man, this feels like heavy labor after such a long break.’

I returned home after a sparring session with Stone Grunder.

Somewhere along the line, our lessons had turned into full-blown combat training.

I should probably stop once I sort out my tax situation.

Flop—

I collapsed onto my bed, replaying the day in my mind.

The principal’s points had been simple:

A reward from the Central Tribal Council would soon arrive for my recent achievements.

I would only be teaching the human class moving forward, with my afternoons spent assisting Morgan in Central Tribal Council affairs.

The reward didn’t matter much.

But the second point showed how quickly Morgan was moving.

‘This all happened in just two days.’

To think he could so easily reduce my teaching hours.

Morgan’s influence was clearly more significant than I’d imagined.

I wondered if the principal still believed Morgan was part of the Central Tribal Council.

I picked up the book beside my bed.

[Intermediate Dwarvish]

Toka had given it to me as soon as I returned.

I could probably learn faster through weekend tutoring sessions, but…

Saturdays were for my regular meetings with Evelyn.

Besides, with [Master of Languages!] boosting my learning speed, I’d been picking it up by asking Toka questions as needed.

‘I have a feeling this will come in handy someday.’

As I thought about the pleasant memories of Iron Jesro—

Thud—

An envelope slid under the door.

‘...’

It was suspicious.

Delivered in the dead of night, it practically screamed “trouble.”

Instinctively, I knew.

This was my first mission.

Rustle—

I picked up the envelope and opened it.

The paper inside felt strange, unlike anything I’d touched before.

Shhh—

‘Look at this handwriting.’

The Trollish text was scrawled in a chaotic, almost illegible way.

It didn’t seem like Morgan’s work.

I began reading it carefully.

About twenty seconds passed.

Suddenly, the letter burst into flames, disintegrating without leaving a single ash behind.

* * *

“Wow, it’s been so long since I visited your house! Hohoho.”

Saturday came, and Evelyn arrived.

She had tied the handkerchief I’d given her around her head and was wearing modern clothes I’d never seen before.

Combined, she looked unmistakably like a British woman.

“So, shall we talk about everything we didn’t get to before?”

“...I think I’ve already said most of it.”

“Really? You don’t have anything to tell me?”

We’d chatted almost every night through TrollPods near the end of my time in Iron Jesro. There wasn’t much new to share.

“You’re hiding something, aren’t you? Aren’t you?”

Evelyn’s eyes narrowed sharply.

This wasn’t a good sign.

And yes, I was hiding a few things.

“I just don’t understand... Why wouldn’t you tell me? Is it because you don’t trust me? Or were you worried I’d hold you back?”

What had she picked up on?

“Come on, you know who I’m talking about. That man.”

“Who?”

“Kim Nam-cheol. The worst traitor. A fellow Korean, like you.”

Oh, him?

It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Evelyn—it’s just that his similarities to me made me cautious. I guess she had every right to feel upset.

“So, it’s about him? I just missed the timing to bring it up. I’ve actually been meaning to discuss a few things with you about—”

“Kim Nam-cheol is back.”

“What?”

‘…’

I’d assumed he was either dead or had returned to the real world.

But Kim Nam-cheol was alive?

“And he brought back a Primal Artifact.”