Chapter 33 - Staff Meeting

Chapter 33: Staff MeetingTL: SHW

2029.

“Mister.”

“Hmm?”

“Do you think it’s a good idea to get a Hunter license?”

The man stopped scratching his belly. The boy, neatly dressed in his school uniform, looked at the man with a pathetic expression and asked again.

“A Hunter license. Is it a good idea to get one?”

“…Didn’t you say you didn’t want to become a Hunter? Did someone at school say something? Are they bullying you? Should I go to your school?”

“What are you talking about? That’s not it.”

The boy picked up the remote control that had fallen on the floor and turned off the TV. As the loud sound from the TV ceased, silence filled the house.

The man glanced at the boy and then slowly sat up. The boy took off his backpack and sat on the sofa.

“The competition for government jobs is too fierce.”

“It was like that twenty years ago too.”

“That’s the problem.”

The boy sighed.

“…Should I make a position for you?”

“What are you talking about? If you do that these days, you’ll get into big trouble. Do you want to be dragged to a hearing again?”

“No, um…”

The man mumbled and avoided the boy’s gaze.

“Anyway, I was thinking, I’m an Awakened, right?”

“That’s right.”

“If an Awakened takes the exam, they get extra points, right?”

“Well, Hunters do prefer working with other Awakened rather than non-Awakened.”

“So, wouldn’t getting a Hunter license give me even more points?”

“Uh?”

“If they prefer Awakened over non-Awakened, wouldn’t they prefer a Hunter even more?”

The man blinked his eyes stupidly before answering.

“I’m not sure.”

“You’re the highest authority there.”

“It’s a bit much to say it like that.”

“Isn’t it true?” Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ Nʘvᴇl(F)ire.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

“Well, it’s not wrong but…”

The man scratched his head.

“I don’t handle recruitment, so I don’t know much about it, Hwijae.”

“Mister, what do you know?”

“Fighting is the one thing I’m confident in…”

The boy looked at the man with a disgusted face. The man chuckled and said.

“I’ll look into it. There probably is something.”

“You sound like there’s nothing.”

“Usually, if someone gets a Hunter license, they become a Hunter. They don’t want to be a government official. There are only a handful of Awakened employees.”

“I’m not ordinary.”

“Whose son are you.”

“I’m adopted.”

“Just because we’re not blood-related doesn’t mean we’re not family. And just because we’re family doesn’t mean we have to be blood-related.”

The man reached out to the boy who was pouting. Despite the boy’s complaints, the man ruffled his hair and smiled.

“So, you’re going to get a Hunter license?”

“…We don’t even know if there are extra points yet.”

“There will be. Since you’re getting it, try to get a high rank.”

“No. It’s too much trouble. I’m planning to get just a D-rank.”

“Hey. You’re my son, what’s with a D, a D.”

“Just say that because I’m adopted, I couldn’t inherit your skills.”

The boy scoffed. The man groaned.

“If you say things like that, you’ll get attacked for your character at the hearing.”

“You said you’re confident in fighting. Win at the hearing and come back.”

“The kind of fights I’m confident in aren’t those, kid.”

But seeing his son smiling playfully, the man couldn’t help but laugh too.

“At least get a B-rank.”

“Why?”

“Hunters are too proud to listen to someone weaker than them.”

“…You’re a Hunter too.”

“That’s why I’m in the highest position at the Management Agency.”

* * *

Present.

2021.

“I’m not Hunter Hong’s secretary or anything.”

“Ah. You’re not?”

“No.”

I said firmly.

I know well that Hong Seok-young wouldn’t even pretend to listen to what I say.

But surprisingly, Hong Seok-young responded logically.

“It’s field training. Planning these things is originally the teacher’s job.”

So I responded logically.

“Aren’t I like a student teacher? What school makes a student teacher plan field training?”

“A student teacher? You’re that… that thing.”

“That thing?”

“Homeroom teacher for the magic class.”

“…”

“…”

I really want to hit him.

I always wanted to hit him, but it wasn’t this bad when we worked at the Ability Management Agency. Was he more mellow back then because he was older?

But honestly, he’s not that young now either. He should have some seriousness.

“How can I be a homeroom teacher with only two students in the class?”

“That’s how it is in rural schools.”

“Is this a rural area?”

“It’s not an urban area, is it?”

…This guy is unusually logical today.

“If you’re going to make me a homeroom teacher, at least raise my salary. You have plenty of money.”

“Look, Teacher Woo.”

Hong Seok-young lowered his voice. I glanced at his face. He’s still joking around.

There’s no more testing me, but the joking remains the same.

“Running a school costs a lot of money.”

“But there aren’t many students.”

“We also need to build more facilities.”

“People say that, but they never do it.”

“People don’t want to come here because there are many dungeons nearby. So, we have to pay hazard allowances.”

“Then we should just raid the dungeons.”

“Isn’t that what we’re doing now?”

Surprisingly, the conversation had come full circle.

I looked at the document I was holding. It’s something Hong Seok-young got from Lee Mi-seon.

A brief report and a raid guide on the dungeons near Pilot High School.

It’s one thing to involve her in Ark business, but to make Lee Mi-seon handle even this? Does she have some weakness that Hong Seok-young is holding over her? Or is it thanks to looking after his nephew?

I looked away from the report and back at Hong Seok-young. But my point remained the same.

“If you moved, it would be much faster.”

“No.”

Hong Seok-young shook his head.

“This time, the kids have to do it.”

“…Is there a reason?”

Hong Seok-young stood up from the sofa. He poured coffee mix into a paper cup and filled the kettle with water, pressing the button familiarly.

“This is Pilot High. It’s an experimental school.”

“Well… right.”

“I used my name to create this school. Honestly, there were many who questioned why Hunters even needed a school.”

In twenty years, no, if we hold out for just three years, things will change. Maybe five years, considering the establishment of the Hunter Academy.

“People backed down because I insisted on it. But there’s still a long way to go.”

Unaware of that fact, Hong Seok-young twitched his lips in dissatisfaction and scratched his chin.

“In short, we need results.”

Hmm.

“You think raiding dungeons will help the school’s survival?”

“Even though the number of Awakened increases each year, the number of skilled Hunters doesn’t. Mages are becoming more closed-off… Ordinary Hunters are heading in a similar direction. We can’t let things continue like this.”

“You think one teacher can change that?”

“I don’t think of myself that highly. That’s why I created the school. At least to protect the kids who are just starting to Awaken.”

The kettle made a click sound. The water had boiled.

“So, we need results, even if it’s just for show.”

Hong Seok-young glanced at me briefly before pulling out another paper cup and pouring in the coffee mix.

“This school must not fail.”

A sweet aroma filled the air. Hong Seok-young handed me a paper cup. I’ve gotten used to the taste of this cheap coffee.

“Actually, there is a simpler method.”

“What is it?”

“We could announce that the new runes will only be taught at Pilot High.”

I was momentarily breathless.

“That’s a bit…”

“Right?”

It wouldn’t be a matter of results but would cause a different kind of uproar. It would disrupt my plan to release the runes and step back.

I picked up the report I had been reading.

“Do the kids just need to raid the dungeons?”

Understanding my willingness to calmly accept the task, Hong Seok-young chuckled.

“We need evidence that the kids are learning well. No one knows what happens inside a dungeon, so even if I go in and say the kids did it… you get it, right?”

Even if Hong Seok-young raids the dungeon and says the kids did it, there would be no proof.

But that’s not Hong Seok-young’s goal. He genuinely wants to raise these kids to become Hunters.

“Of course, people aren’t fools, so if I go in with them, they’ll think I did it.”

“So you want me to go in with them?”

“You. You’re a Hunter.”

“…Thanks to you.”

It was Hong Seok-young who threw the Hunter license at me along with my resident registration card.

Hong Seok-young clicked his tongue.

“Renew it.”

“I need time to renew it.”

“Want to renew it now? I can take you.”

“No, thanks.”

Hong Seok-young laughed.

“If you’re a D-rank Hunter, no one would think you could solo raid a dungeon.”

“You want me to raid it?”

“No. That’s not it.”

Hong Seok-young said seriously.

“The kids will raid it. I just don’t want to raise unnecessary suspicions. If the guide is a D-rank Hunter, what amazing feat can be expected in a C-rank dungeon?”

Hong Seok-young grinned mischievously.

“Actually, Daseon already cleared it once.”

“Isn’t that cheating?”

“We can’t leave a dangerous dungeon as it is, so it’s for the public good.”

“And for the public good, the students will raid the dungeon?”

Hong Seok-young ignored my words, shrugged his shoulders, and continued.

“Daseon checked it once, and they also took down the dangerous boss. We’ve identified the dungeon core location, so… even if it’s labeled C-rank, it won’t be that tough.”

“Does the guild master do such trivial tasks? It’s not related to Ark, is it?”

“It’s related to the education of her nephew.”

“You could have done the clearing. Isn’t that the teacher’s role?”

“You’re a teacher too.”

“And there’s Teacher Kim Chae-min.”

I didn’t really care if Lee Mi-seon was helping out of concern for her nephew or for some other reason.

It’s better for my mental health to live without knowing. After all, twenty years from now, Lee Mi-seon was still the old man’s diligent… errand girl.

“An inspector will come on the day of the training.”

“That’s serious.”

“They won’t enter the dungeon. You’ll go in with the kids and help them raid it. If, by any chance, something dangerous happens, you’ll step in.”

“As I am now?”

I tapped my knee, where the mana restraint was.

“I’ll release it for that day.”

“Releasing my mana… and leaving me with the kids? Without any supervision?”

Hong Seok-young shrugged with a nonchalant expression.

“I trust you.”

“……”

“You’re not so weak that a mana restraint would prevent you from handling the kids. If you had any bad intentions, you would’ve caused trouble long ago.”

I felt an itch inside.

I bit my lip, holding the paper cup, and then asked as if I’d just remembered.

“By the way.”

“Hmm?”

“That dungeon in Bangi-dong, did you find any clues? You left so suddenly.”

“Unfortunately.”

Hong Seok-young shook his head.

“As Teacher Kim said, there was someone.”

“…There really was?”

Then there’s a clue, isn’t there?

“But they had taken their own life.”

“Was it to avoid getting caught?”

“No. They were already dead before we found them.”

Hong Seok-young shook his head with a bitter expression.

“The more we chase Ark, the less we understand what they’re doing.”

“……”

“Daseon said they’d investigate further, so we have to wait for now. And we need to prepare for the dungeon raid.”

The topic shifted back to the kids’ dungeon raid.

I looked away from the Daseon report I was reading to one of the documents spread on the table.

‘Field Training Plan.’

There was a date below.

June 15th.

It’s a tight schedule to prepare for their first dungeon raid.