Retire 427

427 Field Trip (3)

The moment the word “Mont Saint-Michel” was uttered, Funès’s demeanor changed.

The European gentleman who looked as if he might enjoy coffee at a street café on a sunny day suddenly became as sharp as a well-forged blade.

The reason… well, it wasn’t hard to guess.

A dungeon of the highest difficulty, unconquered for decades—what better way to provoke a Hunter’s pride? When all that came of the attempts was a mounting death toll, the number of reckless challengers finally began to dwindle. That took thirty years after the dungeon first appeared.

And now, at gatherings of Hunters from around the world, association officials go so far as to beg people not to enter.

Funès probably felt the same way.

‘So this guy, who didn’t seem the type, is just another one of those lunatics who tried Mont Saint-Michel?’

The distrust in Funès’s eyes made it clear.

If I wanted to hear his story, I’d have to clear up that misunderstanding first. I had no desire to be lumped in with those foolish Hunters.

“It’s just that… after the Okinawa dungeon, I’ve had a lot on my mind.”

“…About what?”

“I’ve been thinking our school’s curriculum might be lacking.”

……

Funès looked at me with a completely different expression from before.

But the suspicion hadn’t vanished—only shifted direction.

How unfair. It was an excuse, yes, but not a lie. Hong Seokyoung stifled a laugh with a cough. Annoying old man… as if that could hide his amusement.

I coughed as well and continued.

“There aren’t that many fairy dungeons in Asia, after all.”

“…That’s true.”

“Yes. So I vaguely assumed our students would hardly ever encounter fairies after graduation. Unless they worked in Europe, it would be difficult.”

But Funès was an experienced Hunter. To be the master of a guild in a city as large as Toulon, you needed more than just skill.

This capable, seasoned Hunter understood my intent even with so little said. At last, the suspicion in his gaze faded.

“Not every Hunter works abroad… but at least two. Two of our students will become Hunters known not just in Korea, but worldwide.”

“You mean that Oh Hyunwook fellow?”

Funès named him without hesitation. That kind of talent couldn’t be hidden for long.

“Yes. And Park Seohyun.”

“The mage?”

Park Seohyun had the talent to become a great mage. But to someone who wasn’t a mage—and honestly, even I couldn’t fully explain it—it was hard to describe what that meant.

But there was a simple way to sum it up.

“That student’s grandfather is a great mage. Ms. Kim can vouch for her, so in ten years, she’ll be famous in her own right. It might be wise for you to be on good terms with her, Funès.”

“A great mage? May I ask who…?”

“I’m not sure if you’d know him.”

Park Seohyun’s grandfather, the great mage Park Nogyeong, spent much of his career in Europe, like many mages of his era—at least, until he returned to Korea to train his successor.

Judging by the timeline, his active years might have overlapped with Funès’s.

“Great Mage Park Nogyeong. Light magic…”

“The Park who used Guiding Magic?!”

“Yes. Not the same branch of magic, but her grandfather taught her since she was young.”

Funès’s eyes widened.

Even here, the reputation of the great mage was well known.

I gently steered the conversation back on course.

“In any case, even aside from those two, it’s not impossible for students in Asia to encounter fairies. They could appear in unexpected places, like Okinawa. That’s why I want to teach the students about rare monsters they might not otherwise see before they graduate.”

……

“…Of course, there are many types of fairies, but it’s not as if the same species haven’t been found elsewhere. The principal and Mr. Han have both fought fairies, but I wanted our students to hear firsthand accounts from a European Hunter, if possible.”

……

“…I’ve heard that fairies appear in Mont Saint-Michel as well. I admit I’m personally curious, but I’d like to gather as many examples as possible. Even searching through European reports, there aren’t many detailed records on fairies.”

……

“…Mr. Funès? Are you listening?”

“…Ah? Oh, ahem. Sorry.”

Funès hadn’t been listening.

Or rather, he was listening, but his mind was elsewhere.

“There have been many failed attempts to clear fairy dungeons, and many guilds don’t report it even when they succeed. Since just discovering one is S-rank, there’s so much paperwork after a raid that some avoid reporting it on purpose…”

Funès spoke with an apologetic look. His rambling sounded suspicious.

As I watched him, Funès fell silent, lost in thought. It was a bit awkward from my perspective, but the mood wasn’t negative.

…Why Park Seohyun?

Did Funès know her grandfather, Park Nogyeong, personally?

Like Kim Chaemin’s grandfather, Park Nogyeong spent most of his youth working in Europe. Then, when he began training his son as successor, he moved his base to Korea. He didn’t stop traveling abroad entirely, but limited it to nearby places like Japan or China.

After his son’s death, even that came to an end.

But regardless, Park Nogyeong was a great mage. A great mage—far too extraordinary to be easily forgotten.

Of course, even that couldn’t defeat time entirely.

Those who knew, knew. But he hadn’t retired on a high note, and what good could come from mentioning someone who’d died so long ago? Hong Seokyoung had told me that now, people only spoke of him quietly, behind the scenes.

His personality was prickly, but it was still a shame his magic had been lost.

…Ah. Was that it?

Because his granddaughter had learned magic from a great mage?

Guiding Magic, like Kim Chaemin’s, wasn’t flashy enough to catch the untrained eye. Kim Chaemin’s magic was impressive—truly remarkable.

But even more than that, Park Nogyeong’s Lamp Magic was like an urban legend. Magic that could find the core of any dungeon?

Could something so convenient really exist?

In the Okinawa dungeon, Kim Chaemin’s ability to locate the core was pure luck. She said so herself. In other dungeons, she wouldn’t be able to repeat it.

In the Okinawa Butterfly Dungeon, knowing the location of the core allowed us to attempt a seemingly reckless strategy. Not only did we face the fairies head-on, but we even split the party. We even sent injured Hunters out through the gate.

All of it was possible because we knew where the core was.

In the end, dungeon conquest is a kind of defense game—only we’re on the offensive.

So, Great Mage Park Nogyeong’s magic is… basically a map hack. Once you’ve experienced it, you can never forget.

“Forgive me, but did you say that Park Seohyun learned magic from Great Mage Park?”

At last, Funès seemed to have finished his reverie and spoke.

I was grateful he hadn’t forgotten about us.

But I was the one eager for information on Mont Saint-Michel, and if Funès knew Park Nogyeong, it might help Park Seohyun or Choi Jinwoo.

Even if Park Seohyun had learned her grandfather’s magic and watched him use it, it was all from her childhood. The magic in question only revealed its true worth inside a dungeon, but her grandfather had never taken her in—

…According to her, she had gone in, but she’d been too young to really understand the magic.

It was true that Park Seohyun knew her grandfather’s magic, and that she was teaching it to Choi Jinwoo. Kim Chaemin was helping, but even without that, Park Seohyun was a good teacher.

Still, explaining a magic she couldn’t properly use herself was a different matter. Because of the situation’s uniqueness, we couldn’t invite another mage who knew Park Nogyeong. Imagine—a great mage’s granddaughter teaching his magic to a fellow novice. What would people say?

Originally, I’d planned to ask Funès if he’d give a talk on guild management, but… maybe I should suggest a seminar on collaborating with mages instead.

“Can she use all of Park’s magic?”

“No. It’s a different branch, so…”

“But she learned magic, didn’t she?”

“Learning magic isn’t everything.”

“Yeah… that’s true. You’re right. I know that, I do.”

Funès grew serious again.

“So, why are you asking about Seohyun’s magic?”

And Hong Seokyoung’s patience finally snapped.

He thumped his leg with his fist, unable to hide his irritation—a habit he’d picked up since his leg was put in a cast.

Perhaps out of respect for a Hunter’s injuries, Funès hid his reaction expertly and didn’t ask. The little duckling, on the other hand, couldn’t hide her surprise.

“Ah, well.”

For all his usual composure, Funès was now thoroughly flustered.

But it didn’t feel like he was hiding something—more like he didn’t know how to begin.

“I was just caught off guard when Mont Saint-Michel came up. Sorry for bringing up a student’s name.”

A veteran Hunter’s strength is that he never hesitates to apologize.

There was nothing I could say to someone who bowed his head in apology. Honestly, I was also hoping that now I’d finally hear about Mont Saint-Michel.

“Ahem, well. If you want to know about fairies, you’ve come to the right place. When Jean arrives, ask him too. I haven’t entered a dungeon since my leg ended up like this, but Jean has kept at it.”

“All right, then…”

“Are you planning to compile your findings?”

“Probably.”

“If it’s all right, could you share those materials with me later?”

Funès asked cautiously. Would those materials go from Funès to Noah Michel?

Probably not. Even if they did… well, if it came to that, I could just provide them to the Association for everyone to access.

“Yes. But I’d like them to be used as educational materials in the training school you plan to establish.”

“Of course. Fairy dungeons are common enough on our side that education is essential.”

Color returned to Funès’s face, which had gone pale with embarrassment.

After a few light remarks and a pause to sip tea and coffee, silence fell.

“Mont Saint-Michel…”

Funès, having finished his tea first, finally began to speak about Mont Saint-Michel.

“I’ve been inside. Long ago. About twelve years back? These days, the government blocks all entry, but back then, there was a nationwide push to conquer Mont Saint-Michel. I joined the last government-led attempt.”

……

It was a much bigger story than I’d expected.

“I apologize again for bringing up your student. After the raid failed, when I spoke with Jean later… Ah, Jean was part of that raid as well.”

Funès’s voice was rough, and he licked his lips as he continued, as if his throat were parched.

“If we’d had Great Mage Park’s Lamp Magic… I wondered if we might have succeeded.”