Retire 248
by Cristae248 Safety Device (4)
There was hardly a trace left of the original, flimsy contract Kim Chae-min had brought at first.
Still, in its own way, we had arrived at something everyone could be satisfied with…
……
To be honest, I wasn’t satisfied, but I figured Kim Chae-min felt the same, so I decided to leave it at that.
Before handing the paper over to Kim Chae-min for her review, I read it through one last time. At the very least, yes, I’d succeeded in removing the word “apprentice”… Though I was sure Kim Chae-min would have something to say about that.
“Here.”
Kim Chae-min all but snatched the paper from my hand.
“A lawyer will tidy it up again, but I think this should be enough for now.”
One. Kim Chae-min will work as a guest magician at the Paros research lab affiliated with Guild Mimi.
Two. As long as Kim Chae-min serves as a guest magician, Woo Hee-jae will serve as director or in an equivalent position at the Paros research lab affiliated with Guild Mimi.
Three. Woo Hee-jae will provide Kim Chae-min with information about the Ark and magical theory as requested.
Four. If Kim Chae-min uses this information to publish practical research results or make discoveries in magical theory, the name of the Paros research lab will be listed as a co-author. All rights pertaining to this belong to Paros, but as long as Kim Chae-min is affiliated with Paros, her wishes will be given priority.
Five. If Kim Chae-min discloses this information to outsiders without discussion with Woo Hee-jae and Hong Seok-young, any research results derived from the information will be transferred to Guild Mimi.
Six. Ownership of Kim Chae-min’s unique magic will also be transferred to Guild Mimi.
……
Kim Chae-min stared holes through the A4 paper. Was that the sixth sheet?
It was the compromise we’d managed to reach after hours of heated debate. Even so, Kim Chae-min looked over the paper with a dissatisfied expression.
“But I want to be your apprentice…”
As expected, the first thing she brought up was the apprentice clause. I knew this would happen.
“Why are you so fixated on being an apprentice?”
“Because it’s fun?”
Kim Chae-min looked at me as if to say, why even ask such a thing.
“An archmage who becomes the apprentice of an ordinary combat hunter! It’s like something out of a novel.”
“Ah, yes…”
“If Ms. Kim wants it that much, just let her have it.”
“You think so too, Mr. Hong?”
“I don’t know about fun… No, actually, yes, it does sound fun. Very fun, in fact.”
Hong Seok-young, who had been answering reluctantly, suddenly began to agree with Kim Chae-min.
I glanced at him, wondering why he was acting like this, but the more he spoke, the more convinced he seemed to become.
“If it’s not fun enough, can’t you just make it fun? Isn’t that right, Ms. Kim?”
“Huh? Yes, that’s right?”
Kim Chae-min nodded, though she didn’t seem to understand what Hong Seok-young was saying.
Seeing him look at me like that, I wondered if he was planning to use this for something later.
……
If I think about it in terms of usefulness, well. Maybe it’s not so bad.
After a moment’s thought, I took the paper from Kim Chae-min and added a seventh clause.
Seven. Kim Chae-min will become Woo Hee-jae’s apprentice. This fact will not be disclosed to outsiders unless both parties agree.
“If you were going to accept so easily, why did you refuse earlier?!”
Kim Chae-min cried out, flustered.
If you just insist on becoming an apprentice without even trying to persuade me of the benefits, who would agree? You haven’t even tried to convince me what good it would do to take you as an apprentice.
I had my own things to say, too.
But instead of voicing them, I added another clause.
Eight. The apprenticeship contract can be terminated at any time.
“This is the real unfair clause! Add it properly.”
“What?”
“Only if both parties agree!”
“…Tsk.”
“Did you just click your tongue? Wow, what a swindler!”
Still, I revised it as Kim Chae-min requested. Only then did her expression relax.
Kim Chae-min carefully checked the clauses one more time.
“Mm, mm. Good. So should I change how I address you from now on?”
“…We’ll mostly be at school anyway, won’t we?”
“Still, I learned you have to be clear about these things!”
“From whom?”
I doubted her magician grandfather or father would have taught her that.
“My mother!”
As expected, Kim Chae-min gave a perfectly predictable answer.
She took a photo of the contract with her phone and sent it somewhere. I still thought there were plenty of clauses unfavorable to her, but at least it was better than what she’d first brought us. Maybe her lawyer wouldn’t have to quit after all.
“Just don’t call me ‘Master’ or anything like that.”
“Oh.”
“Don’t.”
“Alright, alright.”
No sooner had Kim Chae-min sent the photo than her phone began to ring noisily.
But our archmage acted as if she didn’t hear a thing, turning to me and holding out her hand.
“Then, I look forward to working with you, Director!”
I never thought I’d hear that title again.
I simply nodded and shook her hand up and down, just a little.
“…Yes. My lab is not a meeting room, so what is it this time?”
“Have you eaten?”
“Yes… The pen thing, didn’t we already finish that last time?”
“That’s not why we’re here.”
“You do realize this isn’t a meeting room, right?”
Sandra Gamble looked at us with clear displeasure.
I was sure she’d offered us the space freely at first, but now she seemed to have grown used to Korean office life, and for some reason, that made me feel a bit sorry.
Well, some might say she isn’t truly used to it since she doesn’t care about the boss’s opinion, but once you realize the boss can’t fire you, you can afford to be bold. That’s probably what being settled in really means.
She’d probably have to be forcibly dragged back even if she begged to be let go. I wondered when Gamble would realize that.
Hong Seok-young laughed heartily at Gamble.
“That’s not why we’re here. We wanted to introduce you, since we’ll be working together from now on.”
“Work… together?”
“Hello!”
Kim Chae-min waved brightly at Gamble.
For some reason, Gamble’s guard went up.
…It wasn’t as if Kim Chae-min had done anything in particular.
“Ah, pardon me. I’ve never had good experiences with magicians.”
“You’re a magic engineer, so that makes sense.”
Kim Chae-min laughed merrily.
Gamble looked at her with a strange expression, then seemed to realize something and her mouth dropped open.
The two of them had never really crossed paths, but they weren’t complete strangers either. The fact that we’d gone out of our way to arrange this introduction seemed to tip Gamble off. This is why you need to work with perceptive people.
Of course, being perceptive might mean she’ll figure out what’s coming and try to run away… But as I said, we can’t fire Gamble, and she can’t quit. At least not until Noah Michel is dealt with, and even if we do solve the Ark problem, it would be a problem if she thought she could just move on.
So let’s make sure to read and sign the employment contract properly.
“I think we should introduce you formally…”
“Formally.”
“Since you’ll be working together from now on.”
“Working… together?”
“What was the name of the lab again? Paros? Yes, I’m Kim Chae-min, guest magician at the Paros research lab. I look forward to working with you, Doctor.”
Kim Chae-min took Gamble’s hand and shook it with a bright smile. Gamble looked at her with a sour expression.
“Guest… Sorry, but if I’m mistaken, weren’t you an archmage?”
“That’s right!”
“Then why…?”
“I haven’t signed yet since the lawyer is still reviewing the contract, but I’ve agreed to work as a guest magician!”
“…So why?”
“Oh, well, I’ll be teaching the kids here anyway.”
……
Kim Chae-min waved her hand and laughed.
Which is stranger: an archmage working as a guest magician, or an archmage working as a high school teacher?
Well, there’s no need to wonder. Archmage Kim Chae-min is doing both.
It’s truly a combination of words that shouldn’t go together.
And it seemed I wasn’t the only one thinking that, as Sandra Gamble eyed Kim Chae-min, who was settling into the lab, like a cat watching a puddle.
…Was Kim Chae-min not around when Gamble joined the guild? I seem to remember she was there during the first video call, but after that, Kim Chae-min was away for a long time.
No, but she was properly introduced when she transferred to the training school, and they’d seen each other a few times, hadn’t they? Why so wary?
“Ah, dust! Should I put up some runes here? Something like a ‘Clarity Tonic’ rune, like in the auditorium, would be perfect!”
“…That’s not a Clarity Tonic rune.”
“It has a similar effect!”
“Sorry, but there are a lot of devices here that are sensitive to magic power, so using magic is a problem…”
Gamble spoke up cautiously, her shoulders hunched, but her voice surprisingly firm.
Kim Chae-min’s eyes grew round.
“Oh. Really?”
“Yes.”
“Well, Mr. Hong said his bank account was drained filling this place up, so I guess everything here is expensive. If something broke, it’d be a real problem!”
“…Yes. So I’d appreciate it if you could refrain from using magic in the lab. There’s even a warning sign.”
“Really?”
Kim Chae-min looked at the warning sign near the entrance. It was written in big, bright red letters.
“No Magic Power Use”
But Kim Chae-min’s eyes only sparkled more.
Not all magicians like research or developing magical theory.
Until now, Kim Chae-min hadn’t seemed interested in that side of things, either. Even after declaring her new territory at the training school, she’d been busy digging with a hoe and planting seeds…
I blinked.
How had Kim Chae-min ended up joining the demonstration school? It was because of the rune Hong Seok-young had shown her.
So she hadn’t been uninterested from the start.
“How does it react to magic power? What kind of magic power does it respond to? Are the devices sensitive enough to detect the magic power used in runes? In what way? What are they for?”
“Wait, w-wait, hold on!”
“There’s so much interesting stuff! I hardly ever get to talk to a magic engineer! Actually, I’ve wanted to come in here for a while, but the director kept nagging me not to bother you… What’s this? Gamble? Sandra? What should I call you? Oh! Come to think of it, your Korean is really good!”
“Ah, th-thank you…? Ms. Magician?”
“Haha, Ms. Magician. I’m not someone who needs to be treated so formally! Just call me whatever you like.”
“Whatever…?”
“My name, just my name.”
Kim Chae-min burst out laughing. Gamble, flustered, scurried after Kim Chae-min as she wandered around the lab, then looked over at me, clearly overwhelmed by the archmage’s curiosity and silently pleading for help.
I nodded and spoke to Hong Seok-young.
“Don’t you think those two will get along?”
“An archmage and a genius magic engineer? I’m looking forward to it.”
Hong Seok-young gave Gamble a thumbs-up, and I nodded in agreement.
A guild made up of three members and one guest magician. To guarantee proper legal working days…
If I brought in a few more hunters from the Association or Dasun, would Imi-seon get angry?