Retire 336

336 Smuggling Reports: 125(4)

“They really are real police.”

Hong Seok-young said this abruptly.

“…I didn’t say otherwise.”

“You look like you want to say something.”

“……”

Surprisingly, Hong Seok-young watched me for a reaction.

…Why? Did I do something wrong?

“I’m telling you, they’re real police.”

“I never said they weren’t.”

Hong Seok-young closed his mouth. After that, he didn’t speak again.

We walked quietly down the corridor. The inside of the warehouse was vast. So vast, in fact, that it seemed even larger than it had from the outside.

Of course.

It didn’t just seem large—it truly was.

These lunatics had somehow connected several nearby warehouses underground, using some kind of magic. They might have used actual magic. If you had a skilled and clever enough mage, it wasn’t impossible. I was only surprised because, in this era when the Hunter Academy hadn’t even properly established itself, I wouldn’t have thought the proud magicians would take on work they looked down upon.

As the Academy began producing mages, their presence in society increased. They called themselves New Age Wizards. I thought it was a bit much, but I’d supported them enthusiastically, if only to see the old men at the Association froth at the mouth.

Even without that, it was something to welcome. How could you reject more workers who contributed to society? With mages on construction sites, workers were safer, projects finished faster, and the completed buildings were even more durable.

…Ah. Well. Even now, not every mage shares the Association’s stance. Many rebelled against the old order, and some were cast out by their families. What would mages who couldn’t make it into dungeons do to make a living?

Some of them, like Schneider, probably crossed over to the underworld, doing secret construction jobs.

“I’m telling you, they’re real police.”

“I get it, all right? Why are you so persistent?”

“……”

Hong Seok-young looked at me with a wounded expression.

“You weren’t making that sour face because you didn’t like seeing this Hunter bossing them around?”

“Oh, that?”

I recalled the police who had exchanged greetings with Hong Seok-young so casually.

If you ask whether I liked it or not, of course I didn’t.

After that, the police performed their duties admirably.

As police—the so-called guardians of the people? Well, in any case, this warehouse was basically the Korean branch of Henry Leman, guaranteed by the US government. Investigating it meant the police were doing their job well.

And Lee Mi-seon’s… what should I call them? Her agents? The ones who, whether paid or otherwise, handled the tasks she asked of them… Yes, something like that.

It was absurd that police working in Busan, not even Seoul, would interact with Hong Seok-young so familiarly. Not that it would have been any better in Seoul.

If they were police from the Awakened Crimes Unit, I could understand. But they weren’t. If they’d been imposters in police uniforms, that would be one thing, but they were real police.

When their conversation with Hong Seok-young ended, I remembered how they’d immediately turned and started searching the warehouse with an air of authority.

Whether they were taking bribes from Lee Mi-seon, or had been her plants from the start, or belonged to Da-yeon or the Association—it didn’t matter.

“I’m of the mind not to dwell on things I can’t do anything about.”

“…Huh.”

Hong Seok-young made a sound, as if at a loss for words.

I shrugged.

“Would anything change if I thought about it? Is there anything I could change? In the end, aren’t they listening to you, the Hunter, who heard it from your teacher? They’re not going to stop just because I tell them to. It’s not like this hasn’t been going on for ages.”

“…That’s true.”

“So I’m not going to worry about it.”

Hong Seok-young thought over my words, then nodded.

“That’s probably for the best. I should probably worry less, too.”

But that’s different.

“Aren’t you supposed to worry about it, teacher?”

“Hmm? Even if I told them to stop, would they listen? They’d just do it out of my sight. I’m not this Hunter’s boss.”

Not… exactly wrong.

“I’ve received help from them before, too… You think this is the first or second time I’ve done this? Still, it’s not something I’m proud of, so I told you not to learn it. Honestly, if there were another way, I wouldn’t do it.”

“……”

“I don’t even know what kind of relationship those people have with this Hunter. They probably grew up under Da-yeon’s patronage. They’re spread through more walks of life than you’d think.”

“…Da-yeon? Not the Association?”

“I’d actually prefer it to be Da-yeon rather than the Association.”

I couldn’t say I didn’t understand. At least Da-yeon was a Korean-run, Korean company. The Association… well, that was more complicated. If it were the Association, it would mean they were toying with investigative authority right under Hong Seok-young’s nose. Didn’t I say? This is always how diplomatic disputes start.

So I accepted Hong Seok-young’s reluctance to dig deeper. He was chasing the Ark now, but there must have been other criminal organizations before that. The Awakened Crimes Unit in Korea was likely insufficient for many cases, and no matter how powerful a Hunter he was, there were plenty who didn’t want to grant field command to a mere Hunter.

Even when I was first adopted, I saw so many people ignore my father. And that was during the era of frequent dungeon breaks. People could be so reckless.

Anyway, the police tossed the unconscious gang member into the patrol car and roamed the warehouse at will. With his limbs broken, it didn’t look like he’d be waking up for hours, and despite his earlier call for the team leader, there didn’t seem to be anyone in charge. Even if there was, they probably wouldn’t show their face to uniformed officers.

Most of the foreign workers inside, who had been packing something, didn’t speak Korean. When Hong Seok-young and I followed the police inside, they greeted us awkwardly and returned to their work. Seeing that, I understood what Hong Seok-young had meant.

So this is why he said it’s easier to report things to the police.

Such is the power of authority.

“They probably knew I was watching from somewhere. But you never know.”

And while the police actually checked the warehouse, we slipped deeper inside.

Hong Seok-young immediately pinpointed a suspicious spot, and when he moved the box there, a door leading to a basement appeared.

Open the door and go down the ladder? And there, as if by magic, was a secret passage connecting to the neighboring warehouse!

“I might have been taken out before I even got involved.”

“But you stopped it.”

“I told you, they’re real police, right?”

“……”

Hong Seok-young gave a bitter smile.

“They’re not Awakened. No matter how quick and convenient a method is, there are some things you shouldn’t do.”

But Hong Seok-young had used that method.

Because it was quick and convenient.

There wasn’t much I could say to the suddenly downcast Hong Seok-young.

“I won’t learn that.”

So I just said the first thing that came to mind.

“…What?”

Hong Seok-young, who had been walking ahead, stopped and turned.

In the underground corridor, the only light came from a flickering bulb wired in by force. Under that faint light, Hong Seok-young couldn’t hide his surprise.

Surprise, and a strange sense of pride.

“You told me not to learn it. I won’t.”

“…You won’t?”

“Why? Should I? Should I learn it?”

“No. No… No. I hope you don’t.”

“Exactly.”

I pulled my hat down low. I’d scribbled the rune in a hurry to catch up to Hong Seok-young, so I’d worried it might not work, but thankfully it was fine. Even when we’d passed through the warehouse earlier, I’d worn the hat with the shadow rune. It was funny watching the police rub their eyes. Knowing I was there but not being able to see me must have been a strange experience for them.

It was the same for Hong Seok-young. When I put on my hat, he gave a small smile and reached out as if to ruffle my hair. I quickly stepped back.

“Are you embarrassed right now?”

“No.”

“Then why the hat?”

“There’s a door over there. Gotta be careful.”

“There’s no one up there.”

“There could be CCTV. Luckily, there wasn’t any in the hallway.”

“Since when are you so cautious?”

“I’m always careful.”

I walked past Hong Seok-young. There was a door lock. You had to enter the code from this side.

Just as Hong Seok-young said, there was no sign of anyone on the other side. Should I just break it down?

“Didn’t you want to learn this before?”

Hong Seok-young asked, watching me examine the door.

“…It wasn’t so much that I wanted to learn it, but if I was to be your successor, I would have had to.”

“Mm.”

Hong Seok-young let out a small, ambiguous sound.

A beat later, I realized what I’d just said.

“There are plenty of other things I want to teach you.”

“…I already learned everything I could.”

“Really? If you’re that confident, I’ll have to check for myself.”

Instead of touching the rune-engraved hat, Hong Seok-young patted my shoulder.

“When this is all over, how about we go hiking together, Hee-jae?”

---

“Ack!”

“Aaah!!”

“Aaaargh!!!”

“Aaaaaaaah!!!!!”

“Oh my, children, you shouldn’t be screaming like that!”

“But, Grandma!”

“But, Grandma!”

A boy and a girl, not related by blood, both frowned and lifted their heads at the same time.

Isabella Blake found them so adorable she couldn’t stop smiling. Goodness, where had her son-in-law found such cute children?

…Of course, she had some idea where they’d come from. She hadn’t heard the details, but if these children had family to care for them, her son-in-law wouldn’t have asked for their help.

But whatever pain they’d experienced, the two children glaring at each other now looked just like any brother and sister at that age, squabbling.

Isabella Blake checked the time and urged them on.

“It’s almost time to leave for school. Are you going to keep Grandpa waiting?”

“Uh…”

“No!”

“Then hurry and get your bags. You’re not forgetting anything, are you?”

“No!”

Sophia had finished the transfer process to Woo I-rok’s school.

Now that his older brother was away on a business trip, Woo I-rok was staying at his grandparents’ house, and it seemed he wasn’t happy about having to spend all day with Sophia. The way they shouted and bickered from morning, not realizing that to adults, it just looked like they were getting along.

“Oh, my puppies. Are you both ready?”

Robert Blake herded the children to the front door like a sheepdog. Before putting on his shoes, Woo I-rok ran over to his grandmother.

“Grandma.”

“Yes?”

“Have you heard from my brother?”

Woo I-rok asked with wide eyes. Isabella shook her head.

“Why, are you worried?”

“Yes… You haven’t heard anything from him?”

“Grandma only heard that something urgent came up and he wouldn’t be back for a few days… He must be very busy.”

“But…”

Woo I-rok sighed, clutching his backpack straps tightly.

“Whenever he goes on a business trip, my brother always calls me at least once a day. But…”

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s been three days and I haven’t been able to reach him… He hasn’t even read my messages.”