Retire 382

382 Girl of Dreams (5)

Thirty minutes ago.

The Grand Conference was proceeding in a relaxed atmosphere.

According to Alain Richard, there hadn’t been a conference this peaceful in years. In fact, he said it was the first time he’d seen one like this.

European mages, huh…

Well, I can’t say I was surprised. I’d been curious to see what kind of train wreck might unfold.

But I knew why things had turned out this way, instead of the disaster I’d half-expected.

Was it because of the dungeon break we’d just resolved?

Of course not.

“Mr. Woo.”

Kim Chaemin joined me at my table, leaving Noah Michel alone.

Yes, the reason for this atmosphere was the academic debate between Archmage Kim Chaemin and Archmage Noah Michel.

Their conversation was completely open, and mages hovered nearby, hoping to glean even a scrap of their knowledge.

Whether they actually learned anything was unclear, but with the two most talked-about mages at the center, the whole conference took on a scholarly air. According to Kim Chaemin, President Mallet was quite pleased with this.

“See?”

She didn’t say more, but after last night’s conversation, I knew what she meant.

“Mm.”

Noah Michel was left alone at a round table big enough for eight.

The conference had completely gone off script. The schedule was extended, and with the two archmages lost in their own world, even the hall felt more intimate. The tables were decorated with flowers, the drinks were light wines and champagne, the food was finger foods and sweet desserts.

A rose-adorned dessert sat in front of Noah Michel as well.

Still in her white dress, she smiled softly as she tasted her dessert.

“Um, Mage Kim?”

“Yes?”

“I’m from Denmark…”

Though both were smiling, since arriving in Marseille, Kim Chaemin’s smile had always had an edge. Judging by appearances, you’d think she was harder to approach than Michel, but for some reason, the European mages didn’t hesitate to talk to her.

Unlike around Noah Michel, where it was as if an invisible shield kept everyone away.

Why? Did they feel this was their only chance to talk to her?

…Even though Michel worked in Europe, it’s not like she was easy to meet.

Maybe it was as Kim Chaemin had guessed yesterday—something to do with Michel’s upbringing?

Who knows.

“Ah, this isn’t what I came here for…”

After finishing a conversation with a few European mages, Kim Chaemin smiled slyly.

“Mr. Woo, you should talk to Michel, too.”

“…Me?”

I replied just as slyly.

“I’m not a mage…”

“Do mages only talk to other mages? Aren’t you bored just sitting here?”

“It’s my first time seeing so many mages in one place. It’s fascinating.”

“Oh, come on! Don’t act like you don’t have any friends.”

She looked at me with a gaze full of pity.

“…….”

What was this?

To avoid suspicion from the mages listening in with their translators, I tried to act as naturally as possible. I was getting tired of talking, anyway.

But this… what was this?

“Take this chance to make some friends.”

For some reason, I could feel her sincerity…

Was I really so pathetic that even Kim Chaemin worried about me? Really? Me?

Not that she had any more friends than I did!

But before I could protest, she stood up.

“Go on! It’s a good opportunity.”

“No…”

“And so what if you don’t know much about magic? Mages don’t always talk about magic.”

“You’ve been talking about nothing but magic…”

“And you’re good with runes. You’re the one who opened everyone’s eyes to their potential. Michel’s interested in runes—you should talk to her.”

“Uh…”

“Michel! You’ve met Mr. Woo, right?”

“Yes, I remember.”

Michel blinked and smiled gently.

The dreamy atmosphere was unchanged. When I sat at her table, she smiled at me as sweetly as the pink macaron in front of her.

Her soft eyes turned to me, but I couldn’t read what emotion they held.

Did her golden magic flicker?

No.

But Michel did show interest in me.

Maybe it was just because I’d been brought over by Kim Chaemin, or because I’d been introduced by “that” archmage, or maybe it was because I was suddenly “that” Hong Seok-young’s disciple.

Hmm.

And there was another reason for Michel to be interested in me. If I considered that, maybe she was the one eager to talk, not me.

I remembered the moment her golden magic hovered over Yangseong High’s field. The day the magic giant chased my brother.

Ah, that’s right. Noah Michel knows Woo Irok. So of course she’d know about his older brother. I was the one who broke her magic, after all.

I forced myself to smile as naturally as I could.

“Let me introduce myself again. I’m Woo Heejae.”

“Oh… there’s no need to be so nervous.”

Michel’s voice floated gently.

“Mage Kim says you know a lot about runes?”

“I wouldn’t say a lot…”

“She said you helped with the runes I published this time?”

Michel’s eyes sparkled.

---

Yes.

That’s where Noah Michel’s tragic lack of social skills became apparent.

“How you—no, sorry, that’s rude, isn’t it? But I’m still getting used to the idea of a Hunter drawing runes. Oh! The magic pen—I’m not doubting it, it’s just, you know, it’s what I’m used to. I just have to get used to it.”

Despite also having no friends, Kim Chaemin’s assessment of Michel was brutally accurate.

And I completely lost my ability to predict Noah Michel.

“Runes aren’t used that often in Europe yet. Is it different in Asia? How is it? I hear they’re getting attention in the US, and a lot of guilds are trying to adopt them. I think runes have limitless potential. In the future, mages—no, all Awakened—will rely on runes!”

The Noah Michel I knew, the one Hope described, and the one before me now—

They seemed like three completely different people.

If I’d known nothing, I’d have given the highest marks to the Noah Michel in front of me. I’ve always liked hopeless idealists.

And I’d have given the lowest marks to the Noah Michel of twenty years later. Even now, it’s the same. That calm woman was too artificial for my taste. After years of dealing with politicians who tormented the Administration, even her meaningful smiles just felt suspicious.

What happened in those twenty years to change her?

Well, either way, if anyone was likely to become a dreamer who’d bring about the end of the world with her own bizarre logic, it was the current Noah Michel.

“Yes. Using runes in dungeons should lighten the burden on mages.”

That was basically saying runes would take away mages’ jobs.

“I think so, too!”

But Michel didn’t get my meaning at all. She nodded, eyes shining.

“If something can be replaced by runes, it should be. That way we can invest in other areas!”

“Invest? Like what?”

“Practical magic, of course!”

Michel’s voice rose.

“Not all magic is useful. The magic we need changes with the times. In the past, when there weren’t so many dungeons, it was enough to have gentle, helpful spells, but not anymore. With more dungeons and more frequent breaks, magic needs to change. That’s why I’m working to redefine magical theory—small magic, big power. You know? Oh, I guess you wouldn’t, Mr. Woo. I published a theory last year…”

I glanced at Kim Chaemin, silently begging her to rescue me from this conversation.

But she just smiled and ignored me.

…It wasn’t that the conversation was hard to follow, or that Michel was saying anything strange, but just… it was… exhausting.

“…That’s how it works. I wonder if you can understand? But it’s not really that hard! Kim, you get it, right?”

“Yes, of course. I looked it up as soon as you published it.”

“I wanted to make it more complete before releasing it… but the conference president and everyone else kept pushing me to publish sooner. It wasn’t up to my standards, but there’s no point in hiding things. The more people see it, the more data we get.”

Naturally, Michel shifted the topic to her noble mission of wanting to help as many people as possible.

Maybe the other mages weren’t avoiding her just because they didn’t want to hear this speech? It was a reasonable suspicion.

“That’s right. I agree.”

Ignoring my silent plea for help, Kim Chaemin chimed in from time to time.

“That’s why I keep researching, too. My grandfather always told me to use magic to help people.”

And each time, she skillfully rattled Michel’s magic.

She was efficient. Almost enough to make me want to learn from her.

“And…”

Her hands, resting on her knees, curled into fists, then relaxed.

Michel was chatting away as if nothing was wrong, then suddenly fell silent.

“Yes?”

“You’re Hunter Hong Seok-young’s disciple, right?”

“I’m honored to be called that.”

“I’ve always been curious!”

Both Kim Chaemin and I were caught off guard.

No matter how awkward she seemed, Noah Michel was still Noah Michel. I’d made a mistake. My surprise showed too clearly.

I changed my approach in an instant. If I couldn’t play dumb, I’d lean into it.

“…About my teacher?”

A Hunter’s teacher isn’t as sensitive a topic as it is for mages, but it’s still not something to bring up lightly.

A disciple wary of people’s nosy curiosity about their famous teacher. It was a believable lie.

“Oh, no, it’s not that.”

Michel smiled gently, as if to say she meant no harm.

“I’d heard about the school, but only recently learned it’s really operating?”

“…Yes.”

I’d been talking about Yangseong High to everyone I met since Toulon. I nodded.

“If it’s a high school… does that mean from age fifteen?”

“About that.”

“So you don’t plan to educate younger Awakened? I think that’s where education is most urgently needed! Young Awakened often get hurt because they don’t know how to use their powers.”

“Well…”

I frowned.

It was a perfectly reasonable question. My father had agonized over the age range when he first started the pilot school.

But the school my father wanted to build was for Hunters. Not just for Awakened.

As I answered, a thought occurred to me.

The reason Noah Michel tracked Woo Irok.

…Maybe it wasn’t because she was looking for a connection to the Ark, but because there was a defenseless child near Hong Seok-young?