Retire 456
by Cristae456 The World Is Peaceful (3)
“…That’s why I’m asking for your help.”
Still unable to shake off his shock, Daniel nevertheless managed to finish his explanation somehow.
In this respect, he really did have the air of a civil servant accustomed to dealing with the public.
What Daniel—and America—wanted from my father was simple.
“You’ve been pursuing Henry Lehmann all this time, Hunter Hong. Just having you in America would put enough pressure on those bastards.”
They wanted him to serve as a kind of living totem.
Of course, he didn’t put it quite like that. There were other reasons tangled up in it as well. But if you summed up everything he’d said, that was the gist of it.
They wanted my father to be like a talisman to drive out evil spirits, or a mosquito coil to ward off pests. When my father didn’t answer right away, Daniel began repeating himself.
The words changed slightly each time, but the meaning was always the same.
You’re already pursuing him—wouldn’t you feel better if you saw it through to the end? What does nationality matter when it comes to clearing dungeons? The more hunters, the better….
After going around in circles, he’d always come back to a note of desperation.
“To be honest, we’re short-handed right now.”
The longer our silence stretched, the more Daniel talked.
I considered whether this was a calculated move, but let it go. Even if it was, the fact that he’d let such weakness show meant things were truly difficult.
“We just don’t have enough people.”
Listening to Daniel’s words, I nodded.
Just as he wanted something from us, we wanted something from him. Since he was the first to show his hand, there was no need for us to do the same.
But listening to the same thing over and over was exhausting. At last, I spoke up.
“You still haven’t finished cleaning up?”
“This didn’t just happen in San Francisco. The entire surrounding area is in chaos. If you look at the population, the regions around San Francisco actually have more people.”
“You said the dungeons were closed, didn’t you?”
“The ones that broke that day, yes. But there are still monsters left. We don’t even know the full extent of the damage. The casualties just keep rising. As for when the city will return to normal… I’m not sure it’s even possible.”
“Didn’t you handle the aftermath quickly? The city wasn’t destroyed, either.”
“Would you want to keep living in a city where the dungeons burst open like that, Mr. Wu?”
“……”
I understood.
San Francisco is one of America’s major cities. Naturally, its defenses against monsters are strong.
But no city is really prepared for an unprecedented disaster like this… Now, the theory dominating the internet is that, like earthquake zones, there are regions more prone to dungeon breaks. Whether or not that’s true, people are leaving the city.
There’s no longer a guild defending San Francisco.
“So now, guilds in other regions are reluctant to leave their own cities. Even if the guilds are willing, the citizens are opposed.”
“Can’t you draft them? There must be a system for that.”
“With the presidential election coming up, politicians are wary of making such unpopular moves.”
People are the same everywhere.
So inevitably, the military—which had been guarding uninhabited but essential places like deserts and oceans—has had to take over. But that just creates new gaps elsewhere….
“It’s also a job just to weed out the guilds we suspect are under Lehmann’s influence. If there’s even a hint of suspicious activity… But in the end, it’s all done by people. Investigating is work, and taking action after the investigation is work too.”
“And you can’t do anything about them right away?”
“They’re Awakened. There’s no guarantee they’ll submit to an investigation. With the West in chaos, we can’t risk a massive outbreak of violence.”
Which is why, once again, they were turning to a foreign hunter like Hong Seokyoung for help.
After all, my father had worked with America for a long time.
I looked at my father.
I’d expected America would ask him through Daniel. Naturally, my father had mentioned it briefly.
There was nothing dramatic in what he said. He hadn’t gone into detail.
Just this:
‘If Daniel asks, I’ll go to America.’
That was all.
America’s problems weren’t ours. Well, not entirely unrelated, but not something for us to step into. It wasn’t something we could do just because we wanted to.
My father drew a clear line. If you show your hand, you lose.
But he did explain what would happen if America did make a request. Or rather, he asked for my permission. No, that’s not quite right either.
It was a notification. A threat. A persuasion. A request. All of those things were woven into that conversation.
My father didn’t discuss this matter with me.
Because it wasn’t my business.
‘I’ll let America know you’re alive.’
‘…Uh. Is that really okay?’
‘Are you asking me?’
‘Then?’
‘I’m asking you. Is it okay?’
Alex Hope, unable to keep up with my father’s words, tilted his head with a blank expression.
“We haven’t just met once or twice, after all.”
Only after Daniel had finished all his confessions, worries, and appeals did my father finally nod in agreement.
He must have realized we were stalling for time to get more information out of him. Still, Daniel’s face brightened. Ever since my father declared me his son, Daniel’s poker face had shown some cracks. This time, too, it was clear he was genuinely relieved.
Well, America was still relying on my father’s goodwill.
But unlike the usual occasions when he helped out without much fuss, this time my father’s price was anything but ordinary. I wondered if Daniel would still be so happy once he heard it.
“But on one condition.”
“Yes?”
“This time, I’m bringing my guild members.”
“Your guild members, Hunter Hong?”
Daniel’s face was still bright.
But who did my father have in his guild? Gamble, despite being an Awakened, was just a researcher and didn’t count.
So then?
Just me—his son and disciple. And the famous grand magician, Kim Chaemin.
Maybe Daniel was thinking of Han Taekyung as well, but just Kim Chaemin alone would be more than enough.
“Yes. Here—our Heejae and Ms. Kim.”
As soon as the expected names were mentioned, Daniel’s face grew even brighter. He’d only asked for Hong Seokyoung, but now a grand magician was coming too. Of course he was pleased.
Besides, my father’s guild didn’t have any rookie hunters. He must have calculated that there’d be no trouble from inexperienced newcomers.
My father didn’t mention Han Taekyung. But he’d probably bring him along. Han Taekyung wouldn’t like it, but he was invaluable at noticing things neither Kim Chaemin nor I could spot.
“There’s one more.”
“Do you mean Dr. Gamble?”
“No. He’s just a researcher—why would I take him somewhere that dangerous?”
“Ah, yes. S-sorry…?”
“There’s one more, not yet officially in the guild.”
“Is it… a student?”
Hmm.
Right. Among the students, there was one who would catch America’s eye—a grand magician’s granddaughter.
“Student? They’re skilled enough as hunters, but why would I take them somewhere so dangerous!”
“S-sorry….”
“There’s a hunter I’m protecting for certain reasons. If things go well, I’ll officially add them to the guild. A bit of a handful, but their skills are useful.”
Daniel’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
It was rare for my father to give such praise to a hunter. He wouldn’t want to miss out.
If only that person were American, things would be easier. But since that wasn’t the case, even Lee Miseon had expressed reluctance. She’d begged us to handle it without her involvement.
So, to be honest, this was more like outsourcing a troublesome issue.
“You know the face.”
Of course he would. That person had been on literally every news broadcast in the world for a while.
“I’m not asking you to do anything right away, but if I take them to America, it’ll make things easier for me, and maybe for them too.”
I wasn’t sure about that.
But the person in question agreed.
‘Wait a second. If you do that, Michel might not know, but Lehmann could find out Alex is alive!’
‘Yes.’
‘Really?’
‘Idiot! You think there’s no one in US law enforcement on Lehmann’s payroll? If he hears you’re alive, of course—!’
Hope, who had been blinking with a clueless look, finally understood after Gamble’s outburst.
Sometimes, Hope acted so clueless it was frustrating, but he wasn’t actually stupid. He skipped several steps in his thinking and asked my father directly.
‘So you’re waiting for Lehmann to go after your mom and dad?’
‘If he’s got any sense left, he’ll definitely go for it.’
‘Yeah… that sounds right. Lehmann was always like that. When I supposedly died, he left my parents alone because he didn’t want attention on himself. When I was alive, he was afraid of me, but once I was dead, he wouldn’t make a move.’
‘But now he’s desperate. He won’t care if he draws attention.’
‘And if he’s busy fighting with Noah… If he can draw Noah’s attention away by dragging me out, he’ll think it’s worth it.’
Hope thought for a moment, then nodded.
“Yeah. Fine. You can tell them I’m alive.”
“Alex!!”
Gamble, on the other hand, was horrified.
“What are you saying?!”
“Ah, but—”
Hope glanced at me.
“It wouldn’t be fair to say the kids are gone and leave out my mom and dad.”
Is that really the issue here?
I sighed, and at the same time, Gamble clutched his head.
“And our master wouldn’t have brought this up without thinking. Right? …Right?”
“Yes.”
My father’s voice was utterly serious, unlike when he’d spoken to Hope before.
“It’s bait. But there’s no guarantee the bait will be taken.”
“You’re trying to lure Henry?”
“With the way you’ve described Noah and Henry, they’ll definitely take a shot at it.”
Gamble let out a strangled noise beside us.
He looked like he wanted to jump up and shout, but I stopped him. Not that he would have listened, but Hope had enough time to signal with his eyes. Gamble bit his lip and sat down.
“And if things go well, it’ll be easier to restore your identity.”
Gamble sagged in his seat. Hope didn’t care much, but for Gamble, it was a big deal.
As for what Hope would say next, it was obvious.
“My mom and dad are hunters too.”
“Right. But this hunter will be watching over them.”
“Just don’t let them get away.”
“That’s why I’m taking you to America this time.”
Hope grinned, baring his teeth. Despite his pretty features, it was a wild, animalistic smile.
“Alex.”
At my father’s call, the boy dropped out of thin air.
His hair color was different, but Daniel recognized the face at once.
Daniel turned pale as if he’d seen a ghost and shot to his feet.
“A-A-Alex Hope?!”
“Hi!”
Alex Hope waved with a bright smile.