Retire 473

473 A Working Man (2)

In movies and novels, “intelligence agencies” are sometimes depicted with a certain romanticism. Perhaps it’s the allure of organizations that can’t be easily seen into, stirring people’s imaginations.

Daniel didn’t deny it. Back when he didn’t know any better, he’d thought the same way.

Maybe some “agents” really did live those romanticized lives people imagined—undercover work, espionage, that sort of thing. Is that really romantic, though? He wasn’t sure, but let’s just go with the popular perception.

But Daniel’s work was far removed from all that. He’d started as an army doctor, and even now, all he felt was that his position had changed. He still got called in for dungeon breaks and raids, only now there were overseas assignments added to the mix. At most, he patched up those so-called romantic types when they got hurt. That was all he knew, and all he wanted to know.

Knowing more would only mean more responsibilities, more things he’d be expected to do.

“…What exactly happened inside?”

“To be honest, I don’t know.”

“But you cleared it, didn’t you?”

“We cleared it, but I’m not even sure you could call it that.”

“If you cleared it, isn’t that why the dungeon disappeared?”

“I’d explain if I could. And I… No, I don’t even feel like I was part of the raid. I’m not being modest. That’s just the truth.”

Even if he told the truth, he doubted his superior would believe him, and honestly, Daniel himself hadn’t fully grasped what had happened inside the dungeon.

It wasn’t that the others had hidden anything from him. On the contrary, they’d shown him so much it was almost overwhelming.

He couldn’t help but wonder—hadn’t he promised not to report any of it, and yet, this much?

But look how it had turned out. Reporting on things he didn’t understand would only get him accused of spouting nonsense.

Even if that weren’t the case.

Was this information he should share with someone unrelated—or perhaps, someone who might be too closely involved, yet unverified?

No.

Daniel wasn’t so naïve as to think he hadn’t been swept up in something much larger than himself, regardless of his own understanding or intentions. Even if he couldn’t grasp the details, he could tell what kinds of things were connected.

There was no romance in this work. He didn’t have some noble sense of duty to serve his country.

But Daniel was a doctor. Awakened, hunter, healer—before all that, he had always been a doctor.

He had no intention of gambling with lives.

‘…So that’s why they could talk so casually in front of me.’

Unlike the way they’d looked during the dungeon raid, the way they acted with their families and students in Korea was lighthearted and playful. Sometimes they’d let the children prank them, or make a fool of themselves for a child barely waist-high.

He respected that. It was partly forced, but it was also why he hadn’t refused when asked to teach the students. He could see that person genuinely cared for the children entrusted to him.

Whichever side was closer to his true self, one thing was certain: Hong Seok-young was far more formidable than he appeared. Watching him at school only confirmed it. He was endlessly gentle with those he considered his own, but utterly ruthless to everyone else. Having seen that gentleness up close, the contrast was all the more striking.

And once you realized that, even a boss who seemed terrifying became just another human being.

Even as his boss simmered, looking ready to explode at any moment, Daniel found himself oddly indifferent.

Hong Seok-young was scarier than any boss’s shouting.

So, he knew exactly how he needed to act.

“First, with Archmage Kim Chaemin’s help, we learned that the gate was in a place we couldn’t reach.”

Still, reporting was part of his job, so Daniel spoke slowly.

“We tried to find a way to get through with minimal casualties, but concluded it was impossible. According to Archmage Kim, the affinity was all wrong.”

‘If I were alone, maybe I could manage. But what’s the point in that?’

“The gate itself was deep in the lake, so even Hunter Hong couldn’t approach without the mage’s help.”

‘I could probably break through on my own. But the real problem is the poison.’

‘Don’t even think about going in.’

‘Daniel, what do you think?’

‘…If someone was poisoned, I could mitigate it, but that’s all. If we went in, it would be like pouring water into a bottomless jar.’

‘Where did you even learn that expression?’

‘I attended Korean language classes with the students. It’s not a bad way to pick up the language.’

‘Planning to take the college entrance exam?’

‘Not really, but when else would I get to sit in on another country’s regular curriculum? It was interesting to compare it to American education.’

‘This is why model students…’

‘Excuse me?’

…He remembered that somewhat pointless conversation as well.

“We discussed various options, but even if we could get out through the gate, we decided further attempts would be difficult. Since the gate route was already blocked, we chose to clear the dungeon now. However—”

‘No choice, then. Let’s clear it.’

‘But…’

‘The dungeon’s too big.’

‘How are we supposed to find it from here?’

“Finding the core was the biggest problem.”

---

With a tired face, Daniel stopped as he rummaged through his pockets.

After getting caught up in an unexpected dungeon and being dragged from place to place for follow-up, exhaustion had set in. Not physical exhaustion, but mental fatigue.

Out of old habit, his hand reached for a cigarette, but found nothing. He’d been told not to even think about smoking while staying at the training academy.

It wasn’t bad advice, so Daniel decided to use this as an opportunity to quit. Instead of a cigarette, he popped a candy into his mouth, one he’d gotten from a young healer at the academy. The sweetness stung his tongue.

“Yo.”

And then someone sidled up to Daniel.

“What’s with the face? You look terrible.”

“…Hello.”

“Come on, don’t be so stiff! We’re not strangers, are we?”

Not strangers?

Daniel bit back the words that almost slipped out.

There wasn’t really a good way to describe their relationship. Colleagues, maybe. Not that they actually worked at the same place.

…So what, then? Raid team?

Given that everyone but him belonged to the same guild, even that was a stretch….

“But you’re done being dragged around now, right?”

“More or less….”

Hong Seok-young’s guild, Mimi, had its share of people with suspicious backgrounds. Hong Seok-young and Kim Chaemin were actually the easy ones to explain. Hong Seok-young had helped with international criminal investigations for years, so it was only natural he’d have some unexplained activities.

Kim Chaemin? If a mage didn’t have at least one bizarre story, that would be more suspicious.

It was fairly well known that Kim Chaemin worked at the school run by Hong Seok-young. But no one thought he actually taught classes. With all his rune research, people just assumed he was supported by the school’s chairwoman, Dasun.

But what had Daniel seen? Kim Chaemin claimed they weren’t his students, but to Daniel, those two young mages were obviously his disciples.

The higher-ups figured just learning that much was enough of a gain.

But as Daniel saw it, there were people even more suspicious than Hong Seok-young or Kim Chaemin.

There was the disciple of Hong Seok-young, whose past was so spotless it was impossible to find anything at all.

“How is it?” the man in sunglasses asked, smiling.

“…….”

And then there was this man, whose entire past could be checked, yet nothing could be understood.

“Even if you ask…”

“Why? I heard you didn’t really have much to do this time.”

“Well, when you put it like that…”

Daniel looked at him in disbelief. Han Taekyung pushed up his slightly slipping sunglasses and shrugged.

If it weren’t for Woo Hee-jae, Daniel would have assumed Han Taekyung was Hong Seok-young’s disciple. In fact, many people did. Hong Seok-young often brought Han Taekyung along, even though he’d only recently started working as a hunter, and that continued up to now. It was well known that Han Taekyung had quit his original guild and returned to Korea at Hong Seok-young’s call.

In Korea, Han Taekyung was less well known. He’d been active overseas ever since his awakening, so it was inevitable. But anyone working under Hong Seok-young would be investigated.

From what Daniel had heard, Han Taekyung was an outstanding hunter. Those who’d worked with him described him as a spirited young man. Honestly, Daniel hadn’t paid him much attention.

Even when he’d been dragged around by the archmage and the doctor, supposedly as a clue to treating Hong Seok-young’s injury. At the time, he’d been more focused on Sandra Gamble.

“From what I heard, maybe we didn’t even need to send Alex in. Even if the lake looked suspicious, there wasn’t anyone who’d just dive right in, was there?”

“…….”

“My senior might have a rough personality, but he doesn’t take things like that lightly. You saw for yourself, didn’t you, working together?”

Han Taekyung continued, unconcerned by Daniel’s lack of response.

Yes. That was one of the things that made this man so hard to figure out.

Daniel had once wondered if Han Taekyung’s sunglasses were some kind of item. But seeing him change sunglasses every time he entered a dungeon, he’d dropped that suspicion.

If the sunglasses were to hide his eyes, then it was about his eyes. There were hunters who’d had their eyeballs replaced, whether from injury or otherwise. Some used items, some got help from mages. Han Taekyung had probably helped with Hong Seok-young’s leg surgery as well.

But none of the items Daniel knew could let you see inside a dungeon.

There was no way to enter a dungeon without going through the gate. …And he wasn’t even a mage, yet he could teleport? It made no sense.

‘Is there any way to drain the lake?’

‘If I were a fire mage, maybe!’

‘You’re not, so next.’

‘So cold. What about with Mr. Woo’s sword?’

‘You think that thing can do everything?’

‘Just saying!’

Even in such a grim situation, people showed no tension. Daniel just stood there, holding the unconscious Lawton.

“Mr. Han Taekyung.”

“What is it?”

“If you’re here to keep me quiet, I haven’t said anything.”

Hong Seok-young’s warning after the mole dungeon was still in effect.

Thinking about what Hong Seok-young was capable of was frightening.

But if it had been something that truly needed to be reported, Daniel would have done so, warning or not. But the words of the fae from the mole dungeon…

Who was the human that fae had trusted?

Cactus Mirage? Haley Lawton, who was probably being thoroughly interrogated by now? The mages who’d traveled in and out of the dungeon? Or… who else?

At the very least, waiting until he understood what those words meant didn’t seem like a bad choice.

“Hahaha.”

At Daniel’s words, Han Taekyung burst out laughing.

“Keep you quiet? No, hahaha, that’s really not it. Even if you blabbed everywhere, we wouldn’t care.”

“……?”

“This is just—what do you call it? An official scouting offer.”

Han Taekyung laughed and patted Daniel on the shoulder.

“Our Master doesn’t say things lightly. Seriously, think about it.”