Retire 315

315 New Family (2)

There was something I hadn’t told Kang Taewoo.

Patrick Kang, the father of Jonathan and Sophia who lived in Hawaii, had lost not only his wife but also his son Jonathan and daughter Sophia in the accident two years ago.

And then, half a year ago, he passed away himself after a long illness.

Hong Seokyoung’s father- and mother-in-law, regardless of their missing son, mourned the death of their relative. When Hong Seokyoung contacted them about the two children, they readily agreed to help.

With the consent of Patrick Kang’s only living relatives, the identities of Jonathan and Sophia could be revived. After that, everything proceeded smoothly. The two of them traveled to Hawaii to help the children, who must have been overwhelmed by their father’s death.

Sohee—now Sophia Kang—had already moved from Boston to Hawaii some time ago. At first, I’d heard, she’d felt awkward around her grandparents, but before long they’d grown close, to the point where they really seemed like a family.

What would happen once Kang Taewoo arrived in Hawaii?

Well, nothing extraordinary. Although only distant relatives, the grandparents would greet their grandson warmly, and the grandson, now grown, would feel a little awkward.

And Sophia would want to be with her brother, while the grandparents, not wanting to call Jonathan back from Hong Seokyoung’s school in Korea, would try to comfort Sophia.

That is, until Imiseon, who accompanied Jonathan as his guardian in place of Hong Seokyoung, suggested that perhaps Sophia could study in Korea as well.

It was a curious thing. I hadn’t even known my father kept in touch with his late wife’s family, and yet here, new families were being formed.

Hong Seokyoung said that if his in-laws agreed, he was fine with it too. Whether he truly felt that way, I couldn’t say, but he wasn’t the type to offer empty words, so perhaps he was even looking forward to it.

“…So that’s how it happened. Got it? When Kang Taewoo comes back, don’t go pestering him with questions.”

“If I don’t ask him, can I ask you instead, Teacher?”

“No.”

“Why not?!”

“Because you’ll just ask pointless things.”

I ignored Lee Seungyeon’s whining. The fact that she was making that noise at all was proof enough that it was pointless.

There was no need to tell the children about the complicated and unhappy family history. It was far too personal for a school teacher to discuss.

So I wrapped it up with a vague explanation: “They got caught up in another crime, and the principal was protecting them under witness protection. Now that’s been sorted out, he can bring his sister over.”

Whether the kids misunderstood or not, what could I do? It was too late to set the record straight now. I wasn’t sure I could, even if I tried.

And honestly, it wasn’t entirely untrue…

“So his real name is Jonathan? Kang Jonathan? Wow, and he never said a word to me?”

When I didn’t take the bait, Lee Seungyeon began grumbling at Kang Taewoo’s absence from the classroom.

Half of it was in jest, but I didn’t think all her disappointment was just for show.

“It’s because it’s dangerous. You know that, Seungyeon, right?”

“Ugh…”

Among the students, only Lee Seungyeon, along with Kang Taewoo, had met Alex Hoff.

It was truly a relief. She might talk back sometimes and play around, but Lee Seungyeon wasn’t the kind of troublemaker who would pretend not to hear a teacher’s request. These well-behaved children wouldn’t go near the monster carcass on the field if told not to, nor would they ask what happened to someone taken to the infirmary.

Considering what Seo Hanseong had said to Sunjin in front of the flower beds—that every school adventure begins with not listening to your teacher—these kids were so good it almost brought tears to my eyes.

I wished the students of Yangseong High would always be like this. But I knew it was a hopeless wish, and it only made my heart ache.

Who knew what next year’s incoming students would be like? Among the later academy students, there were plenty who caused trouble every single day. I had to escape before those types enrolled.

“Anyway, don’t say anything unnecessary to Kang Taewoo. Even if he’s Jonathan now, his Korean name is still Kang Taewoo, so just keep calling him that. As for his sister…”

“I know. Sohee.”

Han Eunyoung giggled as she spoke.

“Right. Kang Sohee. I don’t know if you’ll ever meet her, but if you do, be nice to her.”

“Why wouldn’t we? Isn’t she an Awakened, too?”

“No.”

“But if her brother is an Awakened, won’t she become one, too?”

Yoo Jieun asked. Given that Awakened often appeared in the same families, it wasn’t an unreasonable thought.

Even if, in truth, Kang Taewoo and Kang Sohee weren’t actually related by blood… Still, since Kang Taewoo was unusually sensitive to magic, who knew about Sohee?

“She might. But for now, she’s not, so don’t tease her!”

“We won’t!”

The children burst into laughter.

If only that laughter could last forever. But peace, by its nature, never lasts long.

---

“Erve Schneider?”

Gamble, looking exhausted, lay down on the folding bed in the corner of the lab.

I couldn’t hide my bewilderment as I looked at her.

“…What are you doing?”

“Keep talking. I’m listening.”

Gamble had taken off her glasses and set them by her pillow. Wrapped up in a blanket, she looked more ready to sleep than to listen.

“I’m just resting my eyes.”

“No… never mind. Mr. Kim, did you find anything out?”

“I’ve been thinking about it.”

Unlike the haggard Gamble, Kim Chaemin was dressed as usual in a brightly patterned dress. As the weather warmed, the patterns on her dresses grew more vivid.

She was just as much a fixture in the lab as Gamble, but what set the two apart? Stamina?

“Isn’t this school a bit short on mages?”

“If you find a good one, bring them in.”

“…Teacher Woo, don’t you know anyone?”

“If I did, I wouldn’t have asked you to look into it.”

Kim Chaemin kept her smile for a long while. I wondered if she was even breathing, but finally she let out a sigh.

“You really don’t budge, do you.”

“I told you, you have to ask the right person.”

“Well, you never know. Maybe Teacher Woo got struck by lightning somewhere and turned over a new leaf…”

“Hey. I can hear you, you know.”

Anyway, Kim Chaemin began to speak about what she knew of Erve Schneider.

“There’s not… much information. Maybe it’s something people want to keep hidden?”

She spoke with a doubtful look.

“Six years ago, I think… one of his disciples stabbed the archmage. Since it was his own disciple, he didn’t defend himself. That’s why people say it’s always those close to you that are the most dangerous.”

Schneider’s mentor and grand-uncle, Deneve, was a master of mental magic. Because of its nature, it wasn’t very effective against monsters, but for investigating criminals, there was hardly a more suitable magic. Deneve had taken his fifth cousin, Schneider, as a disciple and intended to raise him as his successor.

The fact that a disciple stabbed his master says enough…

“Deneve was a good teacher, they say.”

“Hmm?”

That wasn’t what I’d expected.

“He was strict and old-fashioned, but… the problem was Schneider’s talent. By all accounts, he just wasn’t very gifted.”

He had the bloodline and the right affinity. But despite Deneve’s hopes, Schneider couldn’t keep up with his master’s magic.

Arguments flared between master and disciple, and when Deneve realized that Schneider, out of frustration, was dabbling in forbidden arts, he expelled him.

“And then he stabbed him?”

“Yes.”

The real problem came after.

“Deneve was researching a magic that could follow the deep structure of a criminal’s mind. It was based on his own unique magic. Schneider stole the whole thing and ran.”

That was what Hong Seokyoung had messaged about, too. He’d said it responded to a person’s thoughts and feelings—even dragged up memories you didn’t want to recall.

“So when Mr. Hong said he saw someone else’s memories…”

“It must have been Deneve’s magic. Schneider was his disciple, after all, so he’d know all about Deneve’s unique magic…”

“He completed the spell?”

“More like he imitated it. He lost control, people’s memories got mixed up, and then the magic ran wild. If it had really been Schneider’s own magic, that wouldn’t make sense.”

Kim Chaemin was firm.

In truth, Schneider’s magic or magical accomplishments weren’t what mattered. Not that they were insignificant, but they weren’t relevant to the issue at hand.

Schneider had murdered Deneve six years ago and vanished. Deneve’s family put a massive bounty on him, but no one had seen him since.

But now, he’d been caught by Hong Seokyoung. If we dug into his movements, there was a good chance we’d find a link to Henry Lehmann. If we were lucky, maybe even a connection to Noah Michel.

I habitually checked my phone.

Hong Seokyoung had said he’d let me know right away if he learned anything new. He added that the interrogation skills of his people could be trusted, so it wouldn’t take long.

I was both curious and reluctant to know what methods they used to get people to talk.

“But even if I look into it, I doubt I’ll find much more than what Mr. Hong already knows.”

“Not even through the mage network?”

“You think that’s a magic bullet? He disappeared six years ago! If there was something to find, it would’ve come up by now.”

Usually, when someone grumbled like this, it meant they were about to reveal some secret information.

But Kim Chaemin just looked frustrated and pouted. That really was all she had.

It seemed I’d have no choice but to wait for Hong Seokyoung.

“…This guy’s no saint either.”

“Pardon?”

I checked a message that had just arrived. What was the time difference with America again? Well, it wasn’t exactly a situation where anyone could sleep easy.

Hong Seokyoung said he’d have to check further for details, but for now, he wanted us to investigate something, and he dropped a completely unexpected name.

[You can ask this Hunter, or use any means at your disposal.]

He was talking about knowledge from the future.

Matters involving mages—especially foreign mages—were hard to track even with the magic clock.

But Hong Seokyoung mentioned the name of an old company.

It was a company notorious in the industry for its potion research, with all sorts of rumors and scandals.

“Teacher Woo? What did Mr. Hong say?”

Why was this name coming up now?

“…Seems he’s got Schneider cornered.”

“Oh my.”

“Do you know Atlas Corporation?”

“Atlas? The potion company?”

Schneider had disappeared six years ago, well before the company’s management was ousted for fraud and embezzlement.

After that, Atlas had no connection to the lab, or to my… biological mother and father. I know. I checked. I investigated everything, already. Even asked my father for help. I was afraid those people might have set up another lab, that maybe my brother was trapped in one of them…!

I composed myself as much as I could before answering.

“If you know anything about Atlas, tell me everything.”