Chapter 14 - Witch Park Seo-hyun (3)

Chapter 14: Witch Park Seo-hyun (3)TL: SHW

While the mages Choi Jin-woo and Park Seo-hyun focused throughout the class, the rest of the observers couldn’t maintain their concentration.

It was expected. How much concentration can sword wielders or brawlers, who can’t even draw runes, have? Even Oh Hyun-wook, who had been staring intently, had his arms crossed and was dozing off. Even the pig is still soft in such aspects during its piglet days.

To Hyun-wook’s left sat Yoo Hye-eun. From her fingertips, white mana blossomed like snowflakes before dissipating. It was a training method frequently used by healers to make their fingertips sensitive. Seeing the snowflakes quite large, it seemed she had practiced diligently.

Unlike the kids who were playing around, Hong Seok-young was watching this side with intense eyes, his brow furrowed.

I saw something I shouldn’t have. I turned my gaze, pretending not to notice.

In the front row, Park Seo-hyun and Choi Jin-woo were sweating profusely as they drew runes.

They were drawing the Mana Concealment Rune skillfully. Clearly, even Choi Jin-woo, who struggled to draw runes in Myeong-dong, seemed to have practiced a lot.

As for Park Seo-hyun….

Park Seo-hyun was.

“Hm… this time for sure… correctly….”

I thought about it.

The Hunter job is originally a battle with oneself.

Whether you form a party with other Hunters, join a guild, or even act solo, that fact doesn’t change.

Whether you win or lose in that battle is your own issue, it’s not something I need to worry about.

So strictly speaking, it’s not my fault that Park Seo-hyun ended up like this.

If you become a Hunter, you must have that level of determination. Even family members stab each other in the back inside dungeons. If you collapse from a few betrayals, how can you survive in this harsh world?

Moreover, Park Seo-hyun wasn’t even betrayed by someone she trusted like other Hunters. She just made a mistake that one might make at that age. Thanks to my help, that mistake didn’t lead to irreversible results, so how fortunate is that?

And this is important, but Park Seo-hyun became an Archmage despite her appearance surviving the Myeong-dong incident where forty-one died. She was a woman who laughed gloomily and whose thoughts were incomprehensible, but still, an Archmage was an Archmage.

Even if I pretended not to notice, it wouldn’t be a problem. Isn’t she a guaranteed success? Archmage Park Seo-hyun. Witch Park Seo-hyun.

But.

But….

“How about this time? Teacher, did I draw it correctly?”

The murmuring voice grew louder. Thanks to that, the trembling was very audible.

“I drew it correctly, right? Yes?”

The eyes visible through the disheveled hair were gleaming to an eerie extent.

But soon, like a puppy drowned in water, she looked deflated.

“What? Did I… draw it wrong? Did I make a mistake again?”

Even Park Seo-hyun can’t draw a complex rune perfectly on the first try. Even skilled mages often make mistakes while drawing well.

“I drew it again! I worked hard. This time, it’s definitely correct. Uh… here? Is this part wrong?”

Every time I pointed out the wrong part, Park Seo-hyun redrew the rune.

Again and again.

Over and over.

Continuously.

Even when Choi Jin-woo complained of cramping fingers with a pitiful face

Even when one of the dozing students at the back fell off the chair.

Park Seo-hyun didn’t stop drawing runes.

Seeing that desperate look, I couldn’t open my mouth. No matter how much… I knocked sense in the heads of Hunters while working at the Ability Management Agency, I never berated a kid who couldn’t even be properly called a Hunter.

“Teacher. Did I draw it correctly this time?”

It’s not my fault.

I don’t need to take care of her.

“I can’t be wrong. If I’m wrong…. I… I can’t be wrong. I must not be wrong, I can’t be wrong, not again, focus, you idiot, it’s the part same you got wrong before.”

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I clapped my hands loudly.

“Aagh! Wh-what is it?”

Choi Jin-woo, who was focused on drawing the rune, jerked his head up in surprise. Park Seo-hyun also flinched her shoulders and cautiously raised her face to look at me. Her eyes were red.

When did she even cry?

“The first class ends here.”

“What? Why?!”

“I can still draw more!”

There was strong opposition. But I shook my head and pointed to the clock.

“It’s lunchtime.”

Choi Jin-woo and Park Seo-hyun, who didn’t seem to realize how much time had passed, widened their eyes.

“Come on, go out and eat.”

“B-but…”

“I’m firmly against overtime work, so don’t even think about it.”

Still hesitating, the two finally left the classroom with lingering looks after Hong Seok-young stood up.

I stared at Park Seo-hyun’s retreating figure.

“…….”

It’s my fault for not accounting for Park Seo-hyun’s weak mental strength. What can I do?

Anyway, since I’ve decided to nurture the talents from the start….

When problems arise, it’s the adult’s responsibility to take care of them.

* * *

This lousy school even has us eating packed lunches. Can this even be called a school?

I should have known from the moment Hong Seok-young drove a van instead of the car he first arrived in. I should have realized when I saw the packed lunches in the back seat.

“You seem to know a lot about runes.”

While the kids ate their lunch excitedly, unaware of my feelings.

Poor me was having an awkward meal facing this evil employer.

“Did you make them?”

“The runes? No way.”

I scoffed.

“Someone I know made them.”

We’ve introduced ourselves and talked, so we’re acquaintances now.

“Someone you know? Well, you’re not a mage. You know so much about runes. That’s impressive for a non-mage.”

“…….”

The probing that seemed to have quieted down started again.

I decided not to respond this time. Usually, people interpret silence as they please.

The fact that they don’t know much about this side’s insider information is something I can use too. Let’s add some flavor to the story.

Avoiding eye contact, I looked down diagonally, lowering the corners of my mouth. Be careful not to smile. My voice, slightly… melancholic.

“…It was for just in case.”

“Hmm.”

“It’s knowledge too precious to let disappear.”

Hong Seok-young started to say something but closed his mouth. I could almost hear the gears turning in his head.

After giving him some time to let his imagination run wild, I spoke again.

“About those two mage students.”

“Oh. Right. What do you think after teaching them? I was going to ask anyway, have you ever taught anyone before? You seemed quite skilled at teaching.”

“I’ve done similar work before. How are you teaching those two magic?”

“Magic? I’ve been getting them any common magic books I can find….”

Hong Seok-young stroked his chin.

“Seo-hyun learned magic from her grandfather, so she’s fine. But Jin-woo is the problem. He doesn’t seem to lack talent, but finding a teacher has been tough.”

Hong Seok-young’s eyes sparkled.

“Why, do you know any magic?”

No matter how capable I am, magic is out of my reach.

…Does the Mana Watch have magic books?

No, there aren’t any magic books. You can’t dataize those like that.

“I told you, I’m not a mage.”

“You know runes so well despite not being a mage, so I thought maybe.”

This is why you shouldn’t stand out.

But there’s a lesson here.

If you’ve already stood out, you should do it properly. That way, they don’t take you lightly.

I had been pondering since I was told to teach runes and, seeing Park Seo-hyun just now, decided to reveal my thoughts.

“I’ll teach those two everything I know about runes.”

My words must have been unexpected because Hong Seok-young couldn’t hide his surprise.

“Is that really okay? Those runes aren’t ordinary. Can you just teach them like that?”

“You told me to teach the kids.”

“I thought you’d teach a couple of runes and boast about it. Honestly, the Mana Concealment Rune you taught in Myeong-dong alone is incredibly valuable….”

“…….”

“And what about that mage you know? Did they say it’s okay to teach runes to others?”

“Isn’t it good if I teach the kids?”

“It’s good, of course.”

Hong Seok-young answered promptly.

“It’s so good that it’s suspicious.”

He added honestly.

In return, I decided to be honest as well.

“They’re just kids.”

Ah, this is honest enough, isn’t it? It’s not a lie. So it’s not deception either.

What was my setting again? A righteous person who risked their life to save children even in an urgent situation?

“The runes will help the kids until they can at least call themselves mages. If they supplement the common magic with the runes I know, they won’t be worthless wherever they go.”

Having a setting of being weak to children can’t hurt.

That’s how… a reason to trust an escaped insider is created.

“Hmm.”

To shape Park Seo-hyun to my liking, I need to expand my influence.

“Of course, there are conditions.”

“Conditions?”

Hong Seok-young frowned.

“I originally planned to teach a few runes and be done with it. But after seeing the kids, I can’t. They will die if left as they are.”

Since one out of two died, the mortality rate is quite high, isn’t it? It’s as high as 50%! Half of them died!

“I don’t like seeing kids die.”

“……What are the conditions?”

He’s as good as convinced already.

“When the time is right, make the runes public.”

“…What?”

“I’m asking you to make all the runes I know public. Under your name, of course.”

“Wait, wait, wait, wait!!!”

Hong Seok-young was panting. He rubbed his face repeatedly with a complicated expression before asking again.

“So, you’re saying to make the runes public? That’s your condition?”

“It’s a bit much to do it under my name, don’t you think?”

“What about the mage who created the runes?”

“They’d be happy if it saved even one more life.”

This is actually what the Archmage said when the Mana Concealment Rune was made public.

If it had been made public a few years earlier, it would have saved more lives as desired.

“…You mean to make them public immediately? Aren’t these runes created by ARK?”

Oh. That’s a good backstory? Let’s add it.

“I’m asking you to make them public when the time is right. Not now. Um… If you find a trustworthy mage, you can let them use it too.”

Despite my continuous speech, Hong Seok-young couldn’t hide his confusion.

He must be genuinely flustered, judging by how poorly he’s managing his expression. Though I don’t know him well, seeing his reaction made me feel like I had scored a point.

Ah.

Since it’s come to this, let’s push one more thing. Since it involves the kids, I can bundle it together.

“And there’s one more condition.”

“…What is it?”

Somehow his voice became cautious.

If I mess up here, it’ll only raise suspicion.

But who am I? I know what this old man’s weakness is.

I recalled the report I had examined last night.

“Do you like kids?”

“Huh?”

“I’m asking if you like kids.”

Hong Seok-young blinked like a toad.

He can’t keep up with the rapidly changing subject. Despite his crazy acts during fights, he’s weak in this area.

In such cases, it’s best to just push forward. He’ll eventually do everything while stammering.

Though it’s not really necessary.

This old man is genuinely weak when it comes to kids.

“I know a place with lots of kids.”

Cold packed lunches don’t taste good.

But I ate it anyway. Compared to the meals at the research lab, it’s not inedible.

“I need you to go there.”

Young Woo Hwijae will be saved a year earlier.