Retire 398
by Cristae398 The Path of Learning (3)
“I’m telling you, I wasn’t like that.”
“The more someone says that, the more you have to be suspicious about their past.”
“There’s nothing wrong with my past.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Truly?”
“…I’m serious.”
“Then why won’t my eyes believe you?”
My father grinned slyly.
“How can you live without trust?”
“It’s because I trust you too much that I’m like this!”
Hong Seok-yeong tapped his fist against the leg he’d propped up on the chair.
A little while ago, Daniel had changed his bandages. They still hadn’t found a way to detoxify him. The American mages hadn’t found a solution either, and neither had anyone here.
The man himself only grumbled about the cast being a nuisance, not seeming to care much otherwise—but that was only possible because he was Hong Seok-yeong. Honestly, for those watching, it was just nerve-wracking.
And since I wasn’t the one suffering, I couldn’t make a fuss. If he was so calm, what good would it do for me to get worked up?
It would just wear me out.
On the other hand, maybe his composure helped us all keep our cool. Whatever he really thought about the situation was another matter…
“What?”
“…Nothing.”
If it was the father I knew, he probably really did just find it a hassle.
“Anyway.”
When I sat there with a dissatisfied look, Hong Seok-yeong changed the subject.
This was actually the main point.
“Ji-eun’s motivated, so you should help her.”
“Don’t talk so easily about something that’s not your problem.”
“How is it not my problem?”
Hong Seok-yeong widened his eyes in mock surprise.
“She’s my daughter!”
“She’s not.”
“They’re all my children at heart.”
“She’s not.”
“How about making it official and going through the adoption process? Change her last name, too.”
“You don’t have to change your last name just because you’re adopted.”
“If you’re going to, it’s better to do it before Irok enters middle school.”
“…I’m telling you, seriously, no.”
I sighed.
“Just Ji-eun alone is a handful right now. She never even cared about spears before—why is she suddenly so interested…?”
“She told you, didn’t she? Kids that age are always influenced by what they see.”
“No, I mean…”
I grabbed my head.
“She should be learning the sword.”
My sister’s main weapon was the sword. For modern Hunters—especially those who, like me, had learned from Hong Seok-yeong—the idea of a “main weapon” didn’t mean much.
The biggest reason I started using the spear… well, there’s no point pretending otherwise now. I just started because my father used a spear, so I followed suit. At the time, my sister was using a spear too.
…Right. My sister only started using the sword as her main weapon after she got that particular sword. I remember her saying it would be a waste not to use such a good item.
Hong Seok-yeong kept grinning.
“Why?”
“……”
“As you said, we teach the kids to handle all kinds of weapons. Ji-eun’s no different. She was satisfied with that, wasn’t she?”
“I never said she was satisfied.”
“But she understood, right?”
“……”
“I’m not just saying this because I use a spear, but it’s a good weapon. Easy to learn, powerful. I agree that the sword is versatile, but if you had to pick just one… well.”
It seemed he wouldn’t be satisfied until he got a straight answer out of me.
Even though he already knew the reason.
I frowned deeply and muttered,
“…yo.”
“Hm?”
Hong Seok-yeong yawned widely, covering his mouth in an annoyingly exaggerated way.
“What? I didn’t catch that.”
“…because.”
“What did you say?”
“…because I want to give her back the sword!!”
I gritted my teeth.
Yes. I wanted to return my sister’s sword.
I knew well enough that little Ji-eun wasn’t my sister, but like with Park Seo-hyun, I knew better than anyone how great a Hunter that kid would become.
Just as Park Seo-hyun and Oh Hyun-wook wouldn’t become the gloomy mage or the overweight Hunter I remembered, little Ji-eun wouldn’t become the infuriating but incredibly skilled Hunter I’d known.
But I also knew Park Seo-hyun would become an archmage, and Oh Hyun-wook would be an S-class Hunter with skills to match.
And the same would be true for little Ji-eun.
That sword might be an extraordinary item, but it wouldn’t turn a talentless Hunter into a great one.
But if it found a skilled enough Hunter, it could be twice as effective.
So it was right to give it to little Ji-eun. I had my brother’s sword, after all.
Hong Seok-yeong nodded.
“Right. But did you ask Ji-eun?”
Then he said something completely unexpected.
“Did you ask her if she actually wants the sword back, Hee-jae?”
“Hyung.”
“……”
“Hyung!”
“……”
“Ah, hyung!!!”
A sharp pain in my shin snapped me out of it.
A little kid, looking just like me, was glaring up at me. Ever since awakening, he’d been going hiking with Grandpa every weekend, and his hands had gotten a lot stronger.
I cleared my throat.
“What?”
“Isn’t Uncle coming today?”
Uirok tried to sound like he didn’t care, but he didn’t pull it off.
If he really didn’t care, he wouldn’t have asked me…
Maybe I could see right through him because he was me. Sometimes I wished I couldn’t. His transparent lies made me feel sorry for him.
But I couldn’t just say so. If I did, I’d be admitting how my father and sister had looked at me all those years.
So I just repeated the answer I’d given him so many times before.
“He’s busy this month, so he can’t come.”
“Didn’t his business trip to America end? I heard Hunters in America have mandatory rest periods after a dungeon!”
Spending more time with Isabella and Robert had made Uirok suspiciously well-versed in the American Hunter system.
I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. Well, it couldn’t hurt to learn.
“Sorry, but he’s a Korean citizen.”
Uirok glared at me, dissatisfied.
“Is it because he hurt his leg?”
Sharp kid.
“He’s got a dedicated healer, so…”
I really didn’t want to drag Uirok into this mess. Kids are best left to be kids.
But this troublesome brat wouldn’t take “you don’t need to know” for an answer. If there’s one thing I learned from my unexpected stint as a teacher at Yangseong High, it’s that kids actually handle the truth pretty well. They grow up fast.
Of course, it’s not good to be too blunt. It’s important to give them just enough information to feel respected. Kids hate being treated like they’re too young to understand.
Look at Ji-eun. If I’d just told her no about learning the spear, she wouldn’t have backed down so easily. I’d have to teach her other weapons too, while steering her toward the sword…
Hong Seok-yeong’s words echoed in my mind. My sister was gone now—how could I know if Ji-eun even wanted the sword back?
“The healing’s going slowly, but it’s nothing you need to worry about.”
I ruffled Uirok’s hair.
His social skills were growing as fast as his sass. So was the frequency with which he found me annoying.
When I first brought him out of the orphanage, he’d cling to me, afraid I’d leave. Where had that kid gone?
“Is that what you were worried about?”
“I wasn’t worried!”
“Then were you worried about Uncle? Because he got hurt?”
“…No!”
“You have his number, right? He’d love it if you called.”
As I said it, I felt like I was missing something. He had to know that. With Isabella and Robert around, he could ask about Hong Seok-yeong anytime, even if I wasn’t home…
He could just ask himself, couldn’t he?
I looked at Uirok. He turned his head away, pretending not to care, but I knew him well enough to see he was hiding something. The fact that he used to be me didn’t matter anymore. He wasn’t going to become me.
So what was it? Why had he waited for me? He sometimes found me annoying, but he still called if I didn’t come home, nagged me to reply to texts faster.
…Why wait for me?
No, not just wait—why did he have to ask me directly?
I watched him closely.
Uirok glanced at me, then, startled when our eyes met, turned his head and even his whole body away, running off.
“Grandma! I’m hungry!”
“Oh, my dear, you’re hungry? Want a snack?”
“What do we have?”
“We have everything.”
…What is it? What’s going on?
“Ooh! Snack! Grandma, me too!”
“Anything you want?”
“Are there any cookies left from yesterday? I love your cookies, Grandma!”
“Cookies? Want some milk with that?”
Isabella smiled kindly, as if two kids clinging to her were nothing at all.
Seriously, what is it?
That little head was clearly up to something, but I had no idea what.
Honestly, little Ji-eun was easier. She was a headache in her own way, but at least I could tell what she was thinking.
And if I talked to her, she’d listen.
But little me… I could never imagine Uirok being that obedient. If I’d been that good a kid, my father’s hair might have stayed black a little longer.
But I couldn’t just grab him and demand to know what he was up to. I was sure he was plotting something, but…
“Hee-jae.”
I flinched at the unfamiliar way of being called.
There weren’t many people who addressed me by name alone. When I turned toward the voice, I saw Robert sitting on the sofa, reading a newspaper.
He folded the paper and set it on the table, then patted the seat beside him.
“Got a minute?”
“…Yes.”
My mouth felt dry for some reason.
I found myself reviewing my recent actions. Had I done something wrong?
I’d never felt this way when my father called me. Now I understood why he always looked so nervous when I called him over.
So this is what it feels like? Feeling guilty even when you haven’t done anything wrong.
I hesitated, then sat on the sofa.
Robert, having called me over, sat in silence for a while. But his eyes were gentle. I could at least tell that much.
“Hey! That’s mine!!”
“First come, first served!”
“You little—!!”
“Kids, there’s plenty, don’t fight.”
Noise drifted from the kitchen. Not the kind of sound you’d hear in the house I’d shared with my father…
…Or maybe not.
Robert and I both looked toward the kitchen, and then he let out a small laugh.
“So.”
“…Yes.”
“I’ve spent a lot of time with the little ones, but not much with you. I’ve been busy, too.”
“Uh… yes. Sorry…?”
“What? No, you’re working, why apologize?”
Robert laughed heartily.
“I heard you’re off this weekend. Right?”
“…Yes.”
He continued in a gentle tone, but what followed was anything but gentle.
“So, tell me—do you like hiking?”