Retire 362

362 New Employee (4)

Hope looked quite different now that he was human.

It wasn’t as if he’d suddenly started walking around with “human” written across his forehead, but he had dyed his hair jet black. That alone changed his whole aura. The previously flashy, multicolored hair had given him a somewhat frivolous image, but with black hair, he looked unexpectedly cold. Maybe it was because he sat there quietly, without his usual smile.

His hair, grown long while he slept, was now neatly tied back. I studied Hope carefully.

No matter how much his aura had changed, that face wasn’t going to go unnoticed. If he walked around like that, he’d stand out immediately. Just being near Hong Seok-young was enough to draw attention.

It was still impossible to arrange an official identity for him. To get one, I’d have to go through Im Miseon, like I did, and that would mean the Association would get involved. The more people who knew, the more dangerous it became. You never knew where a leak might spring.

After all the trouble I’d gone to hiding Hope, to give up now? Absolutely not. I’d have to stash him somewhere out of sight, or else…

Hmm.

“Let’s put your issues with Mr. Han aside for now and check on other things first.”

“What? That guy is the most important thing!”

“That guy?”

I clicked my tongue openly.

“You should call him ‘senior.’”

Hope scowled at me.

“Seriously? Are we still on about that?”

“We haven’t even started. Didn’t I tell you? This is Korea.”

“I’m not Korean! I’m Australian!”

“What are you talking about?”

I clicked my tongue again.

“You’re dead.”

“When I asked Sandra to show me the funeral video, she scolded me.”

No surprise there.

I looked at Hope with a hint of pity.

“What nationality does a dead person have? You’re stateless now.”

Hope’s eyes went wide.

“Technically, you could say you’re unidentified. Just accept it.”

“Uuugh.”

Anyway, that wasn’t the real reason I’d called him here. I gave him a moment to process reality, then got to the point.

“So, are you really human now?”

“Yeah. But I was human before, too, you know?”

“You know that’s not what I mean.”

“……”

Hope just kept smiling, dodging the question.

He could be stubborn in the strangest ways. I wasn’t even criticizing, just confirming the facts.

Such a child.

But despite the smile, Hope’s eyes were calm. Maybe it was the effect of the newly black hair, but that tranquil face seemed to suggest something else to me.

Perhaps, for Hope, this was something he simply couldn’t compromise on.

So I decided not to press further. I looked at Hope. Nationality was a secondary issue.

“You said you cut off your wings, right? But nothing seems to have changed.”

Most notably, he still spoke Korean perfectly. No matter how good her Korean was, Gamble still sounded like a foreigner.

When I pointed that out, Hope just shrugged.

“No matter what, scars are bound to remain.”

Scars, huh.

“You saw it, didn’t you? After tearing something like that off, how could there not be scars?”

The mass of magic was still in the infirmary. Right after it separated from Hope’s body, it looked… fresh, but it had shriveled a lot since then. Still, Kim Chaemin could see and touch it.

She’d tried several times to move it. She wanted to examine it in the hut rather than the infirmary. But whatever it looked like, it was magic itself. Even if it was slowly breaking down, moving that much magic was no easy task.

“Language is one of those scars. Lucky for me, right? Otherwise, I’d have to study…”

Hope stared blankly at me.

“What?”

“Come to think of it, Sandra obviously speaks English, and you do too, right? So you could have communicated. No need to study.”

That’s what he comes up with…

I really don’t understand why he dislikes Han Taekyung so much. Their mental ages seem about the same to me.

…Still, I can at least understand why Hope acts so childishly. With Han Taekyung, I have no idea what the problem is.

My head was starting to hurt. Caffeine. I needed caffeine.

“What about the other abilities?”

“If you mean abilities…”

“You called it interference, right? The thing that made people feel goodwill toward you?”

“That was already fading before. It disappeared even before I cut off my wings.”

“Teleportation?”

“Hmm…”

That was the ability that made me hesitate to have him cut off his wings.

I expected Hope to say right away that he couldn’t use it anymore, but instead, he scratched his head, hesitating.

“I can’t do it as often or as far as before. Maybe from here… to there?”

He pointed at the counseling room door. From the sofa where he sat, it was about five meters away.

“I can manage that much. If I use it repeatedly, it’ll hurt, though.”

“Hmm.”

“…It’s a relief, right? Don’t you think? I do. If I’d lost it entirely, I’d have to completely change my fighting style. That would have been tough. Of course, when I was in Mom’s guild, I didn’t fight that way, but still, once something’s ingrained in your body…”

Hope trailed off, rambling. I didn’t know why, but I nodded. He wasn’t wrong.

I’d fought Hope, if only briefly. His speed and unpredictability were a real hassle. Even if our skills were evenly matched, his fighting style made him a much tougher opponent. Changing that would be a waste, considering how long it might take.

Hope glanced at me, then mumbled,

“…Aren’t you going to say anything?”

“Why would I?”

“Uh, this is, um, something humans can’t do…”

Why does he get self-conscious in the weirdest ways?

I really couldn’t figure him out. Maybe he should just be as shameless as Kim Chaemin…

I leaned my head back and looked up at the ceiling. When it was the kids, I was fine. They’re my students, after all, so it’s my job to look after them.

But Han Taekyung? Hope? Am I really supposed to manage the minds of grown adults? They should handle it themselves. Hope even has that so-called “externalized humanity.” What about Gamble?

…No. If I left Hope to Gamble, he’d end up even more spoiled. From what I’ve seen, she has a soft spot for him. She’d deny it, but she’d always let him do what he wanted.

In the end, as the only one here with even a shred of maturity, I had to step in.

Let’s just pretend the person in front of me is a student. A kid with no confidence in himself.

“But you’re still human. That hasn’t changed.”

Just say what he wants to hear.

“There are humans with special abilities, after all.”

Hope blinked.

“If anyone asks, just say you’re a mage. If you run into the students, say you’re Ms. Kim’s assistant. Though it’s best to avoid them if you can.”

“Do I have to be with Han Taekyung—that guy?”

“Call him ‘senior.’ For now, you should help Ms. Kim… Later, you might have to stick with Mr. Han instead.”

“Ugh.”

Hope made no effort to hide his disgust.

Of course, nothing’s decided yet. But seeing how much he hated the idea made me want to stick them together even more.

Actually, maybe it’s better if they keep thinking each other is weird.

Imagine if Han Taekyung and Hope actually got along and started running wild together. Forget worrying about Kim Chaemin’s stomach ulcer—I’d be the one needing antacids. Han Eunyoung might even threaten to drop out again…

Yeah. It’s better for their futures if they keep thinking the other is strange.

“Anyway, don’t let the kids see you. That’s the most important thing.”

“Your students?”

“Call me ‘senior.’”

“Uuuu.”

Hope booed at me.

Among the kids, Kang Taewoo and Lee Seungyeon know Hope’s face. Kang Taewoo is one thing, but Lee Seungyeon worries me too.

Just look at what happened during dungeon training. They pretended not to care, but the kids were clearly looking out for Lee Seungyeon. They wouldn’t admit it, but they treated him as their guild master.

“Don’t go to the lab without a reason during work hours.”

“Why not?”

“Gamble’s working. Don’t disturb her.”

“Uuuuuu.”

Hope booed at me again.

“Just… try to avoid everyone as much as possible, except me, Ms. Kim, and Mr. Han.”

“Everyone?”

“Yes.”

Im Miseon had promised to turn a blind eye, but I couldn’t expect the same from the other Hunters. I had to keep Hope as inconspicuous as possible.

“Don’t worry. I’m good at that!”

Not exactly a reassuring claim.

“No, really! I was always good at sneaking around, you know?”

“That was when you still had wings.”

“Even with just this much movement, I’ll be fine in a small school like this!”

Hope kicked at the floor a couple of times. The moment I thought the motion looked familiar, he vanished.

“Ta-da!”

Hope was standing at the door, waving.

“Ow!”

Then he clutched his shoulder, wincing. Idiot.

I took a potion from my pocket and tossed it to him. His clothes were stained red. I pointed to the drops of blood on the floor.

“There are cleaning supplies in the hallway. Clean up before you go.”

“Ugh, making a patient do chores.”

“You brought it on yourself.”

“……”

Hope grumbled as he trudged back to the sofa and sat down.

“Anyway… I’ll try to get your identity sorted out as soon as possible. Michel or Lehmann are probably keeping an eye on the school, so you’ll have to keep a low profile for now.”

When I spoke without a trace of humor, Hope nodded back with the same seriousness.

He really isn’t clueless. In some ways, he’s a lot like Han Taekyung. Han Taekyung dodged responsibility by feigning headaches, while Hope, as the one involved, simply couldn’t avoid it.

I shook my head.

Alex Hope. Now twenty-three, with a Taiwanese mother and Australian father, once a promising Hunter with Australian citizenship.

His true nature: a monster from another world. A fairy who possessed the body of a Hunter who entered his dungeon and was reborn as a human. A child desperate for love.

Add to that Korea’s strongest Hunter, the archmage from a prestigious magical family, a teacher from twenty years in the future, and a genius magic engineer…

…And, well, a talented Hunter obsessed with a pink cat.

Is this really a proper guild? Is it really okay for a school run by a guild like this?

And the guild’s name is Mimi. Is that really all right?

I looked up at the ceiling again. My father and sister would probably like these people. Strange, but determined, and as long as what they want is to save people…

That’s enough.

I felt oddly cheerful. With these people, maybe…

“……”

It must be because I haven’t had any coffee. I’m losing my mind.