I’ll Retire After Saving the World

Chapter 27: A Nonsensical Dream (2)

[Primary Weapon – Sword]

[Ability Management Agency Dungeon Raid Division Team 2 Leader]

[World Unconquered Dungeon Raid Support Council Advisor]

[Conquered Dungeons]

[Gyeonggi-do Hwaseong Dungeon 2 (B)]

[Gyeongbuk Uljin Dungeon 11 (C)]

[Gyeongbuk Gunwi Dungeon 8 (B)]

[Jeonnam Yeonggwang Dungeon 1 (A)]

…

Total 709 cases.

* * *

Yoo Ji-eun’s career had been the subject of much discussion.

It wasn’t negative talk. There weren’t many who spoke ill of Yoo Ji-eun. After all, she was the proud Hunter of the Ability Management Agency, a dedicated disciple of Hong Seok-young, committed to dungeon raids.

It’s just that… many thought Yoo Ji-eun should play in a bigger league than the Agency.

Even Lee Mi-seon would ask every time she met Yoo Ji-eun.

“Did they smear honey at the Agency? A Hunter of Yoo Ji-eun’s caliber should be in a bigger league. How about it? Why not join our guild?”

The conditions Lee Mi-seon offered were updated annually, always for the better.

But Yoo Ji-eun consistently turned down Lee Mi-seon’s scouting proposals. Lee Mi-seon, expecting this, would shrug her shoulders in response.

Many guilds proposed to Yoo Ji-eun each year as well. The uproar when she first soloed an S-Class dungeon was intense.

But as she kept rejecting offers for over ten years, the proposals dwindled. Only those like Lee Mi-seon, who frequented the Agency, persistently asked.

Had Yoo Ji-eun intended to join a guild, she would have done so right after graduating from the Hunter Academy.

However, she did not. Yoo Ji-eun became a second-generation Hunter at the Agency. She wasn’t part of the first generation because the Agency was established during her senior year of high school. Yoo Ji-eun joined the Agency as soon as she could.

Once in the Agency, Yoo Ji-eun never left. Even when it became customary for Academy graduates to work at the Agency for about a year before being scouted by guilds.

Thus, there was much talk.

A promising Hunter was being tied down to the Agency.

But no one forced her; she wanted it that way, so what could be done? Fire her? If Yoo Ji-eun staged a one-person protest for unfair dismissal in front of the Agency, that would be a bigger problem.

And so, Yoo Ji-eun worked tirelessly at the Agency for over ten years.

Consequently, I inevitably came to know a lot about Yoo Ji-eun.

“I heard you saved my sister!”

But there was no mention of her having family in Yoo Ji-eun’s personnel records. Let alone a deceased sister.

There’s no way I wouldn’t remember such a fact.

There’s only one possible lead. The Director.

Considering Yoo Ji-eun’s deceased sister, Yoo Hye-eun, was a student at the pilot high school, the Director must have had a hand in it.

“Thank you, teacher!”

Young Yoo Ji-eun bowed deeply to me, showing the back of her head.

Seeing the back of her head made me feel somewhat uneasy.

I barely managed to respond after a moment of hesitation.

“No, I just did what I had to do.”

“Even so! Nowadays, many people don’t do what they should. Even my dad…”

“Yoo Ji-eun! Don’t say weird things!”

Yoo Hye-eun interrupted, horrified. Yoo Ji-eun glanced at her sister and quietly shut her mouth.

I abhor getting involved in complicated family matters. There’s a reason why future Yoo Ji-eun never mentioned her family, even if her sister wasn’t deceased. I pretended not to hear.

Moreover.

“…You said Yoo Ji-eun, right?”

“Yes!”

I can’t get used to this.

Yoo Ji-eun, whose eyes sparkled with excitement? Yoo Ji-eun, who used honorifics when speaking to me?

Is it okay for such a thing to exist in this world?

I forcibly suppressed the urge to smirk. There were many kids around, including Kim Chae-min. I shouldn’t act suspicious. Be normal. Be normal….

In this situation, how would an ordinary teacher behave?

“What brings you here?”

I glanced at Yoo Hye-eun.

“Did you come to see your sister?”

“I did come to see my sister!”

Yoo Ji-eun said cheerfully.

“I also wanted to say hello to you, teacher. Ah! At times like this, I should have brought a drink or something! I’ll make sure to bring one next time.”

“No, it’s fine.”

Eating something Yoo Ji-eun bought would definitely make me sick. One hundred percent.

“Ah, but, um, that? What was it? Counseling? Can I get something like counseling?”

“Counseling?”

Yoo Ji-eun nodded vigorously.

“Yes!”

I looked at Yu Ji-eun like an idiot. When our eyes met, she started to laugh sheepishly.

I feel dizzy.

No, I shouldn’t be like this here. I have to consider this Yoo Ji-eun as a completely different entity from the Yoo Ji-eun I know.

“Yes! I awakened, you see!”

“What?!”

The scream came from Yoo Hye-eun beside me. Yoo Ji-eun looked at her sister and repeated.

“I had an Awakening!”

“Awak… When?!!”

“This morning!”

“You… you…!”

Yoo Hye-eun was at a loss for words, her mouth opening and closing in silence.

Awakenings are generally hereditary. If parents are Awakened, the children have a high chance of Awakening too. It’s not uncommon for siblings to both be Awakened.

“I Awakened during PE class this morning.”

“Is that why the teacher told you to see your sister?”

“Yep! They told me to talk to my sister and register quickly.”

Yoo Ji-eun chattered away to her sister about the Awakening. She said that she kicked a soccer ball and it tore apart into pieces.

Other kids began to slowly gather around Yoo Ji-eun, asking her questions. Since she was the younger sister of their friend, they seemed to already know each other. Yoo Ji-eun answered without any awkwardness, laughing brightly.

“You tore apart a soccer ball? Then you’re probably not a healer.”

“That’s fine, I can’t do stuff like my sister anyway!”

“You do seem more suited to physical stuff.”

Han Eun-young and Yoo Ji-eun laughed together. Then Yoo Ji-eun turned her head and asked Oh Hyun-wook.

“How was it when you Awakened, oppa?”

Oppa? Oppaaaa?

Yoo Ji-eun calling Oh Hyun-wook “oppa” instead of “piglet”?

“Me? Mine was pretty ordinary.”

Oh Hyun-wook, who rarely talked to me and only spoke brusquely when he did, answered quite kindly. It gave me goosebumps.

What’s going on? Yoo Ji-eun and Oh Hyun-wook didn’t get along, right? Is it one of those things? They got along well as kids but grew apart, that bittersweet relationship?

I felt sick to my stomach.

Yeah… Yoo Ji-eun could have had a youth too. When I first met her, she was gloomy and haggard.

Ah. I see.

If her sister had died, it would have been enough to turn her world upside down. Is that why she joined the Agency?

Yoo Ji-eun had never answered the question of why she didn’t leave the Agency. Having watched her for a long time, I guessed it was because she wanted to stay close to the Director.

That might not have been a completely wrong guess.

If Park Seo-hyun failed to manage her mental state after Myeong-dong and became a witch, Yoo Ji-eun, who was smiling brightly now, must have also been deeply affected.

The guild that managed the Myeong-dong Dungeon collapsed because of their wrongdoings, but Yoo Ji-eun’s desire for revenge for her only family didn’t stop. Considering how she was fervently involved in exposing the guilds’ illegal activities as well as raiding dungeons, it seems correct. By staying close to the Director and the Agency, she could handle everything legally.

It’s just my guess. It might not be true. There’s no one to ask if it’s right anymore.

“But when registering as an Awakened, minors must be accompanied by a guardian.”

Seo Han-seong joined the conversation. Yoo Ji-eun looked at her sister at his words.

“Who did you go with back then, unnie?”

“Me? I went with the principal….”

“I went with the principal too.”

“I went with my master.”

Soon Soon-jin added.

“It doesn’t have to be a guardian. If a Hunter ranked C or higher goes with you, it’s fine. It doesn’t have to be a relative.”

“Really?”

“Yes. The magic teacher or Teacher Woo should be fine too, right? I’m not sure about Teacher Woo’s rank, but judging by his vicious hand movements, he’s definitely not D-rank.”

Vicious hand? That’s harsh.

“It’s just your teacher’s kind consideration for your future.”

Seo Han-seong and Soon Soon-jin looked at me as if they had heard something bizarre.

I kindly explained.

“You’re still walking, aren’t you?”

“…Anyway! Tell teacher kim so you can register quickly. If you don’t do it within a week, you’ll get fined.”

“There’s a fine?!”

Yoo Hye-eun asked, surprised, turning to Soon Soon-jin.

“I registered way later after Awakening? I didn’t hear anything about a fine?!”

“Didn’t you say you went with the principal?”

“Y-Yes.”

“The principal must have taken care of it. Seo Han-seong, didn’t the principal handle your situation too?”

“Yeah. He sued the guild and got the settlement money.”

The kids, who were talking about Yoo Ji-eun’s Awakening registration, started sharing their own stories that Hong Seok-young had handled for them.

Listening to their stories with one ear, I looked at Kim Chae-min.

Kim Chae-min also looked at me.

I mouthed to Kim Chae-min.

‘Please take her to register.’

Kim Chae-min mouthed back.

‘Me?’

‘Then should I go?’

‘I’m a mage….’

‘What does that matter? Just get her registered properly.’

Kim Chae-min’s hand moved deftly. With hand signals frequently used among Hunters, our conversation continued without issue.

‘I’m S-rank, you know?’

Is she bragging?

‘If my name appears as a guarantor, it might attract attention. Journalists are good at finding this stuff…. Hunter Hong told us to avoid drawing attention while at the pilot  school.’

Kim Chae-min drew a circle on her palm. It was a hand signal for runes among mages.

…I understood what Kim Chae-min meant.

Drawing attention would lead to talk about runes, and it might disrupt Lee Mi-seon’s plans.

That’s why I suggested using Hong Seok-young’s name….

‘Teacher Woo, you should go.’

But….

Isn’t this woman too comfortable with me now? Does she really see me as a genuine colleague?

I mean, it’s good that she’s letting her guard down, but is this really okay? She’s an Archmage, after all. Shouldn’t she be more, well, think a bit more?

I sighed and made the hand signal for runes, then mouthed.

‘Ark.’

I also need to avoid drawing attention.

Besides, I still don’t know how my status is officially handled.

Although Hong Seok-young vouched for me, I don’t know if he just guaranteed me or if he created a new identity for Hunter Woo Hwijae.

I definitely don’t want to put my name down and mess up the future of a promising S-rank Hunter.

Kim Chae-min seemed to realize this belatedly, showing an apologetic expression.

‘Should we wait until Hunter Hong returns?’

‘He should have been out of that dungeon by now. Try contacting him.’

‘But it feels like we might disturb him….’

‘Is he raiding the dungeon? Even if he is, he should be out by now.’

‘Teacher Woo, you should try contacting him.’

‘I can’t. You do it, Teacher Kim Chae-min.’

‘Why do I have to do it if you can’t?’

‘I don’t have a phone.’

‘….’

Kim Chae-min apologized to me again.

“……”

And before I knew it, the surroundings had become quiet.

I realized it belatedly. The kids were looking at the two of us with peculiar eyes.

“…What?”

“Nothing… Just continue your comfortable conversation.”

“……”

“……”

While the kids exchanged glances that made no sense, Yoo Ji-eun continued to look at me with her sparkling eyes.

“Um, teacher.”

“…Yeah. What is it?”

“I was thinking on my way here.”

Yoo Ji-eun is Hong Seok-young’s prized disciple. Naturally, just like her teacher, thinking too much usually leads to bad conclusions.

“Uncle Hong… I mean, the principal said only high school students can enroll here.”

Of course. The school is named as such.

“But I’m still only sixteen….”

According to the plan, Yoo Ji-eun would enter the pilot high school next year.

“So, um…”

This feels ominous.

“Could you come with me to register?”

“Student, wait….”

“And please accept me as your disciple!”