Retire 377

377 Playing with Fire (3)

8 a.m.

Normally, this would be the hour when the city bustles into the morning.

Today, it was busy for a different reason.

All the mages and Hunters who could get there overnight had gathered. Honestly, it seemed like overkill, but both sides clearly wanted to show off a little.

It wasn’t just the mages and Hunters—everyone seemed to feel it. It’s rare to get a chance to observe a dungeon break up close like this.

This was less a dungeon break containment than a full-scale dungeon raid. The mages’ spells were coordinated, the area was efficiently divided, the flames controlled, and the broken dungeon sealed off for good.

The seasoned Hunters and mages were nothing like the paper-plane-throwing mages from the streets of Marseille, nor the flustered young Hunters.

I glanced at the cameras, then looked away.

“…One thing to remember when working with mages—”

“Yes?”

“Never take a mage’s word as gospel.”

The Hunters from Dantes, who were supposed to be managing the dungeon but were the least useful in the cleanup, trailed after me.

Not that there were many of them. Only two or three more than the group I’d had with me all night.

These must have been the most motivated members of Dantes.

“Actually, this doesn’t just apply to mages. You should avoid anyone who’s overly confident in their abilities.”

“…Because they might just be a loudmouth idiot?”

“In a dungeon, anything can happen. The ones who know their own limits are the ones most likely to survive.”

I straightened up.

“I think we’re done talking. You can watch, but don’t get too close. You could get caught up in it.”

“Y-yes!”

Kim Chaemin wore a sly smile. She was clearly waiting to tease me.

…What was she planning to say?

But someone beat her to it.

“You tell interesting stories to the kids.”

Jean Robinson.

Eva Robinson’s father.

“Usually, people don’t share that kind of thing with unrelated Hunters, do they?”

“They’ll learn it eventually if they keep working as Hunters.”

I replied casually.

“What’s the harm in teaching them a few years early?”

“…Is that how you see it?”

“Better that than have them run into trouble because they didn’t know.”

“……”

“I don’t believe knowledge should be hoarded.”

“This isn’t just knowledge. It’s wisdom.”

“I learned it, too.”

“From your teacher?”

“And I’m teaching it to my students.”

To become a famous Hunter, you have to clear a lot of dungeons.

A monster’s weakness isn’t a secret. Anyone with a Hunter license can request that information from the Association. The same goes for dungeon characteristics.

But like any profession, Hunters have their own tricks—how to walk quietly in a cave, how to hold your breath longer underwater, how to spot monster tracks in the forest…

Things you can’t learn just from reading. Things I learned from my father and now teach to the kids at Yangseong High.

Just like magic is passed from master to disciple, Hunters’ techniques are passed on too. Not as rare as magic, but the guild system creates its own sense of belonging.

“Students?”

“I’m a teacher.”

Jean Robinson, the ducklings still hovering around, and even the mages pretending not to listen, all flinched.

Hmm. I really shouldn’t get too into this.

“Teacher?”

“High school. For Hunters.”

“H-Hun… what?”

“My teacher didn’t like seeing kids thrown into dungeons with no help.”

I waved my hand dismissively. No one here didn’t know who my teacher was.

As always, the name Hong Seok-young made a good excuse. Or a shield.

“I’m running a pilot program with a handful of kids.”

“…That actually works?”

“Surprisingly, yes. If someone wants to learn, you should help them.”

It was time. Before passing Jean Robinson, I handed him a business card.

Not mine.

“Contact us if you’re interested.”

“……”

Jean Robinson stared at the card, covered in Hangul. Not that he’d be able to read it.

“It’s my school principal’s card.”

“…A Hunter?”

“Of course. I’m sure you’ve heard the name.”

“No way.”

“My teacher’s card.”

I really shouldn’t get too into this.

But seeing the stern Hunter’s jaw drop in surprise—how could I not find it entertaining?

---

Blue flames rose.

The magic was so densely concentrated, it almost felt as if time itself had stopped.

The blue fire snaked along the ground, engulfing the black clumps. The mages’ hands moved busily—twisting, pulling, layering magic atop magic.

If anyone could see the magic woven by dozens of mages in perfect unison, they’d be dazzled. It would look like a tapestry, intricate as a spider’s web, sparkling in the light.

But even if you couldn’t see it, you could feel it.

Hunters aside, it was rare for so many mages to cast the same spell together. Maybe it had never happened before. Magic resonated, and the air trembled. Even those who couldn’t sense magic felt a low, humming vibration.

The air grew heavy. Trees and grass fell still. Even the clouds seemed to stop moving.

The mages standing here today would never forget this moment, even twenty years from now.

They would never forget this beautiful resonance of magic.

Some might spend their lives trying to recreate it, seeking out other mages. Others might begin research into magic that required so many people.

It wasn’t a particularly grand spell, and in truth, it wasn’t. All it did was keep the fire and smoke from spreading and feed magic to the flames to keep them burning.

But when dozens of magical powers are intertwined, it becomes something else entirely. Not a single spell, but dozens woven into one…

A new kind of magic.

“You’re doing well.”

A young woman’s voice rang out, clear and strong.

“Wait, Alpha Team! That’s too much magic. Ease up a little!”

She balanced the flow of magic with ease.

Only mages could appreciate how impressive—and frightening—that was. If anyone had secretly scoffed at the young archmage, thinking she only got there because of her parents, today would put an end to that.

“Good, keep going.”

But magic is invisible.

Even if people sensed something was off, the cameras broadcasting live to all of France couldn’t capture it.

On TV, it would just look like a bunch of mages standing around, waving their hands.

So the cameras moved.

There was a more visually striking scene to capture.

The monster that had forced Marseille’s citizens to evacuate didn’t look like a typical monster. Its mold-like appearance only made it more repulsive.

But now, that filthy mold was being devoured by blue flames.

Blue fire burning away the mold that had contaminated the city?

It was hard to imagine anything more visually satisfying.

One by one, the cameras focused on the flames. The magic kept the fire from spreading, but even so, it was more than enough.

The cameras then panned to the Hunters standing guard, just in case.

Specifically, to the man standing at the very front.

A man from Asia, from Korea, holding a plain, undecorated sword. He moved with elegance, conducting the flames like an orchestra. The blue fire rippled and danced at his command.

It looked like magic…

‘Magic, my ass.’

If it were that sophisticated, my sister wouldn’t have been able to use this sword.

You can stop the fire from spreading, but not the heat. Sweat poured down my face, my throat parched.

Still, I kept my expression calm. With the cameras rolling, I couldn’t let it show. That image would be broadcast around the world. There’s a reason Hunters wear full gear.

I shook my head and drank some water. It was taking longer to burn than I’d expected. Not my fault—the monster just took a long time to burn.

Still, after a few tries, I got the hang of it. The mages, too, got used to working under Kim Chaemin’s direction.

“All right, let’s keep going!”

After a short break, the flames rose again. At this rate, we’d be done by tomorrow.

Noah Michel arrived that evening.

It was the second day since we started burning the monster—half a day earlier than expected.

“Ah, everyone. Hello.”

A calm voice, slow and melodic, almost like a prayer.

Golden hair, shining like the sun, tumbled down. The blue flames devouring the monster and the red glow of sunset made her hair shimmer brilliantly.

“I tried to come as soon as I could… I’ll take over from here. You’ve all worked hard.”

Noah Michel smiled serenely, her whole figure haloed in light.

“Leave it to me.”

Without a breeze, her hair stirred. She gathered her white skirt and bowed gracefully, as if performing on stage.

Even as I watched, she seemed strangely insubstantial. It didn’t feel like a real person was standing before me.

The Noah Michel Hope described was annoying, capricious, fond of scolding people.

The Noah Michel I’d met in the future was closer to this—like gentle sunlight floating through the air.

But the younger… the younger Noah Michel felt like a girl wandering through a dream. Maybe it was the way she smiled like a child, despite being in her mid-twenties.

Or maybe…

Maybe it was the golden sparkles that danced around her.

“I’m here to help you all.”

Golden sparkles clung to the black eggs as flames rose. White fire, like a purifying light, instantly consumed the monster.

Noah Michel turned away from the flames and smiled innocently. Our eyes met.