Retire 360

360 New Employee (2)

Dungeon training was a perfect excuse to avoid troublesome matters.

Kim Chaemin seemed to resent that. But what could I do? Managing the mana grass required her. The batch we just collected, and the small, adorable ones to be transplanted—all of it.

In a way, Kim Chaemin was even less able to leave the school than Hong Seok-young. With Hong Seok-young’s extended stay in the U.S., that was being proven in real time.

And for all her grumbling, Kim Chaemin didn’t seem genuinely disappointed. If I’d asked her to come along to dungeon training, she’d probably have been flustered.

With a fascinating, never-before-seen mass of magic left on the infirmary floor, how could she possibly leave?

Still, I didn’t show it, and simply nodded at her with a look of apology.

“I’ll bring back a souvenir.”

“A souvenir from a dungeon?!”

“You shouldn’t be attached to material things. What’s the most valuable thing students can gain at school? The friendship that blooms among comrades who overcome trials together. Friendship, isn’t it?”

Kim Chaemin’s jaw dropped. It was the most dumbfounded expression I’d ever seen on her.

“For a teacher, nothing is more rewarding than seeing students grow.”

“…Are you serious?”

“Of course not.”

I snorted.

“Anyway, I’ll drop Gamble off at the school before I go, so take care of things here.”

---

The uniforms were thick but designed for ease of movement. Every part, from the sleeves on down, was made to avoid getting in the way. If not for the Hunter Training High School emblem on their chests, you’d think they were some kind of special forces unit. Even if their faces were still so young.

Those young faces were all bright with excitement. Like elementary schoolers packing their bags the night before a field trip.

Considering how last year’s dungeon ended, it was almost strange to see them so relaxed. Still, it was better than seeing them trembling with nerves.

I considered warning them, but decided against it.

Last year… so many of the kids were unstable for their own reasons. The school had only just been established, and that raid was more about proving the school’s worth than building the kids’ skills. Looking back, I wonder if the inspector realized I was the one who cleared it. The kids’ morale had been that bad.

But today, the kids brimmed with confidence. The real kind, different from before. They trusted in their own abilities, but didn’t let their guard down.

They’d grown so much in a year. Since Hong Seok-young hadn’t done much to help them grow, I felt proud on his behalf.

And because of that, there was something that made me shake my head.

Even knowing it couldn’t be undone, I still regretted it.

Handling the Ark business at the school, of all places. At the time, I hadn’t thought much of it, and even if I could go back, I know I’d have handled it the same way. Whatever the circumstances, Hope did attack Kang Taewoo. I couldn’t separate the two for the sake of protecting the kids.

So what could I do?

I’d have to deal with the Ark somehow, and keep the school as a school. Whether I created a new Administration Bureau or some other institution.

I was lost in thought about the future when I checked the time. It was about time to gather the kids…

“…?”

The kids fell silent as soon as our eyes met. Pretending not to notice, I looked away, but I could hear their urgent whispers behind me.

My head started to ache.

Honestly, I could guess what they were talking about, and I didn’t want to hear it. But these kids, careless as ever, only lowered their voices at first—soon, they were practically shouting.

“See? Didn’t I say teacher seemed off? Someone definitely attacked, just like that time at your aunt’s pension!”

“But then why did Ms. Kim leave? She’s the archmage, wouldn’t it be better for her to stay?”

“No, she’s protecting the others. If someone tried to take us hostage…”

Even Oh Hyunwook, who usually kept out of these things, was chiming in.

I was starting to feel the need to separate school and everything else more decisively.

I’d hoped they wouldn’t be scared, but I never expected them to be this unfazed… Well, maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing.

But what really left me speechless was—

“But the magic was weird. Maybe Ms. Kim messed up a spell?”

“Then she should have stayed at school. I think it was the runes. Didn’t you see the runes hidden in the hallway? That’s what went wrong.”

“That could be…”

Even Choi Jinwoo and Park Seohyun were joining in the debate.

Seriously… why?

“Mr. Woo always said it—one wrong stroke and a rune can have a completely different effect. It must have been a rune mistake.”

“Could a rune really twist the flow of magic that much?”

“You know what the rune in the auditorium is for. Maybe it malfunctioned and started drawing in magic or something.”

Park Seohyun spoke with rare conviction. Choi Jinwoo and even the other kids looked impressed.

It was a pretty imaginative theory, and not impossible, so I almost wanted to give them credit—if only this were a class.

What did Soon-soon-jin say? Hong Seok-young’s… what? Detective? Private eye? Maybe I’d kept them cooped up at school too long; they were getting fired up over the strangest things. Was I like that at their age? I don’t think so…

“……”

The only one not joining in was Kang Taewoo. The more his friends talked, the more awkwardly he smiled, sneaking glances at me.

Kang Taewoo was actually closest to the truth. I hadn’t explained everything to him, but since he knew who was in the infirmary, he must have figured out what was going on.

“Maybe… it’s not that?”

“What? Do you know something?”

Park Seohyun shot him a sharp look.

Kang Taewoo ducked behind Lee Seungyeon, though she was too small to really hide him.

He hunched his shoulders and spoke timidly.

“Maybe it was a gas explosion or something…”

“……”

I covered my eyes with my hand.

I know he was trying to help me out. But really? A gas explosion? In front of two mages who could sense that bizarre flow of magic?

Park Seohyun spoke up.

“All right, that’s enough!”

I didn’t miss my cue to step in.

“Teacher! What’s going on at school? We have a right to know!”

Park Seohyun turned her attention to me. I answered with a perfectly straight face.

“Gas leak accident.”

“Huh?”

“That’s all you need to know. Did everyone check their gear? Double-check. We’re going in on the hour.”

“Teacher!”

“I’m really not going to help you this time.”

Only then did the kids tense up.

I checked them over thoroughly. They were truly one step closer to being Hunters now.

But they were still students. I was their teacher, responsible for teaching and caring for them. As long as I could, I wanted to look after them. I checked to make sure nothing was missing, that their plans were sound, that they understood everything.

Even so, dungeons are always full of the unexpected. This was still a class, so I had to make sure nothing went wrong.

My job was to help them find their own path within that care.

That’s what I had to do.

“All right, who wants to do it?”

I met each of their eyes in turn. Some flinched, some tensed up, some even smiled back at me.

But none of them looked away. Last year, at least half would have dropped their gaze to the floor.

The kid who’d once frozen before a monster, waiting for me to save him, now glared at me with a fierce look. Well, maybe not at me, exactly. He’d always had a surly face, but now, skinny as he was, he looked even more severe. Still, there was a kind of resolve in his tightly pressed lips and furrowed brow. What kind of resolve, I’d find out in time. Both of us would.

Last year’s dungeon raid had ended in disaster, but Oh Hyunwook was still the group’s leader—in skill and in grades. I didn’t really understand it, but whenever the others hit a wall, I often saw them go to him for help.

So I expected Oh Hyunwook to step up again.

But instead, he stepped back.

I blinked. Oh Hyunwook had made way for someone I hadn’t expected. Han Eunyoung pushed Lee Seungyeon forward, and Soon-soon-jin started giggling.

“Uh, um, am I really supposed to do it?”

Lee Seungyeon stepped forward, hesitantly.

“If not you, then who?”

“Hyunwook, or… Eunyoung, or… Seohyun?”

The boy who’d been all smiles just a moment ago was now twisting his whole body, trying to avoid the attention.

I watched Lee Seungyeon for a moment, then realized—

He was embarrassed.

Lee Seungyeon looked to me for help.

“Mr. Woo, you could do it! You did it last time! Teacher, you do it!”

I shrugged.

“Not this time. From entry to clear, it’s all on you.”

“See? So you have to do it!”

“Why?!”

Lee Seungyeon’s face turned bright red. The Dasun Hunters watching in the back snickered. When Lee Seungyeon glared at them, the laughter turned into coughs, but their eyes still sparkled with amusement. It was a shame Im Miseon wasn’t here—she’d regret missing this.

“That’s right.”

Even Kang Taewoo was grinning.

He gave Lee Seungyeon a hard slap on the back. Whack! It sounded painful. Lee Seungyeon jumped.

“Ow!”

“If not you, then who?”

“There are plenty of others!”

“But you’re our master.”

Lee Seungyeon froze, his face turning even redder.

“Uh?”

A strange sound escaped his throat.

“What’s with that reaction? The leader’s supposed to do it.”

“…Ugh.”

“Don’t make weird noises. Everyone’s waiting.”

I handed him the recorder. He took it, still blushing furiously.

Whack! Kang Taewoo hit him again, this time with a fist, judging by the sound.

Finally, Lee Seungyeon managed to speak.

“Cough, cough.”

“……”

“O-okay, I’ll start over!”

This time, the laughter couldn’t be hidden by coughs. With a face about to burst, Lee Seungyeon began.

“T-this is June 14, 2022…”

“It’s the 15th.”

“Y-yes! June 15, 2022… Chungnam Gongju, 2022, 82, 8… 43? Dungeon 0006… E-entry personnel, total…”

He looked around, counting everyone.

It was funny, and touching, and a little sad, but also something to be proud of.

If I did it, the entry declaration wouldn’t take a minute, but I waited patiently. At last, Lee Seungyeon declared:

“Current time! 2:00 p.m. sharp!! Entering the dungeon!”

I’d never understood why my father and sister clung so tightly to their academy work. How did such busy people always make time to go to the school?

But if what they saw at those schools was a scene like this—

…I think I finally understood why they tried so hard to be there.

Dungeon raid party: Lee Seungyeon and nine others. Entry personnel: Teacher Woo Heejae of Yangseong High, three Hunters dispatched from Guild Dasun. Fourteen people in total.

Raid, safely completed.