Retire 543
by Cristae543 (Hunter Academy Side Story 10) Additional Personnel_2
The policy regarding Mont Saint-Michel was reaffirmed once again.
Nothing had changed. Hong Seok-young made it clear, yet again, that he would not yield on this issue.
Everyone knew about the existence of the bomb called Mont Saint-Michel… No, the whole world knew it was a bomb.
But only a handful of people knew that bomb could become a catastrophe beyond imagination. The anxiety was the same for all.
But as the guild members chanted like a mantra—and as he himself had told Woo Hee-jae—all you could do was what you were able to do. Such actions, gathered together, would become a river and flow into the sea.
And what Kim Chae-min could do right now…
“Ugh. A contract?”
If only there were a way to interfere with the dungeon from the outside.
It wasn’t as if Mont Saint-Michel was the only dangerous dungeon in the world. Noah Michel had seized control of the dungeon using a monster’s organs.
Whether it was finding the core or something else, as long as it was possible by any means.
“Yes. There’s nothing special in it.”
It might take years. He could never do it alone. But he couldn’t just bring in some random riffraff, either.
He’d called in people whose potential was more than sufficient—overflowing, even—and whom he could trust almost as much as his guildmates.
“It’s a standard mage employment contract. I’ll explain it, but if there’s anything you don’t understand, ask right away, all right?”
Park Seo-hyun and Choi Jin-woo hunched their shoulders as they looked at the contracts placed before them. For kids just out of high school, these were daunting words.
Seo-hyun chewed on the end of her pen, hesitated, then looked up.
“Um… We don’t really have to do this… If we could just learn more from you, Teacher…”
“You! Don’t ever say that in front of another mage, you hear?”
Recalling the outrageous apprenticeship contract Seo-hyun had once offered Jin-woo, Kim Chae-min rubbed his forehead.
Strange. He was sure Teacher Woo had covered standard Hunter contracts in class…
After seeing Woo Hee-jae’s curriculum, Kim Chae-min had hurriedly added a lecture on mage contracts too—what to watch out for when a mage contracts with a guild, and vice versa.
He’d worked hard to put together guidelines by rank, and even handed them out, so what were these kids saying now!
“You have to be even more thorough with people you know well!”
“Ugh…”
“If Teacher Woo heard you, he’d scold you so badly! Now, look at the contract!”
“What if I do hear it?”
“Do you want to retake Teacher Woo’s class?”
“…No.”
“What is it?”
Woo Hee-jae looked confused, but when it was clear no further explanation was coming, he shrugged and went over to Sandra.
Seo-hyun and Jin-woo looked back and forth between the contract, Kim Chae-min, and Woo Hee-jae, then seemed to decide it was better to focus on Kim Chae-min’s words.
Despite the grand start, the contract itself wasn’t anything special. Originally, he’d considered making them guest mages in Guild Mimi, like his own former position, but he abandoned that idea—having such young mages join the guild would only attract unnecessary attention.
Instead, Sandra Gamble of Pharos would hire them as personal assistants. It might have been a bit of a fig leaf, but that’s how these things worked. Woo Hee-jae had said so.
“Uh, um, wait. Salary? We get paid?”
“Of course.”
Woo Hee-jae, who’d been talking with Sandra, jumped in with an incredulous look.
He clicked his tongue at Jin-woo, who gaped in astonishment.
“You’re not students anymore. Helping Dr. Gamble and Teacher Kim is honest labor. If the project produces results, your names will be on it, so don’t take it lightly.”
“This… this isn’t an apprenticeship contract, right?”
Seo-hyun, hands trembling, double-checked the contract. Woo Hee-jae snorted—not at the kids, but at Kim Chae-min.
They’re not your disciples!
Even if it looked that way for some reason!
Kim Chae-min shot Woo Hee-jae a glare. Fortunately, the kids were too absorbed in the contract to notice the teachers’ exchange.
“Well, it’s more like being a grad student, I guess? Not that I’ve ever been to grad school!”
“Oh, I have, and the working conditions here are way better.”
That drew attention from another direction.
“At least here, they buy you everything you need…”
“If you have any more questions, or want to add anything, let me know. If everything’s fine, just write your name and sign at the bottom!”
Before Sandra could spook the kids with her odd remarks, Kim Chae-min got their signatures.
It left him with a strange feeling.
There wasn’t a single false statement in the contract, and despite how it sounded, he’d help the kids as much as they helped him.
‘So why do I feel like I’m pulling a scam?’
It was all Woo Hee-jae’s fault. Watching that man work up close lately…
Kim Chae-min took a moment to reflect on his actions.
Did he include any unfair clauses in the contract?
Was he offering a ridiculous salary?
Were there any bizarre vacation policies?
Was he just looking to exploit the kids’ labor?
None of the above.
With a gentle smile, Kim Chae-min checked the contracts the kids had signed.
“All right. Let’s do our best together, okay?”
“Yes, Teacher!”
One step at a time, starting with what was right in front of them.
With a confident gesture, Kim Chae-min welcomed the new members to the lab. It was the first step in the remote dungeon closure project.
Park Seo-hyun and Choi Jin-woo. And the two first-years from America, former Ark kids.
Maybe because the school was so small, but even just four more people made the atmosphere feel completely different.
“Wow. What’s this, senior?”
“Huh? What are you curious abou—no! Don’t touch that with your bare hands…!”
“Huh?”
“Daniel, teacher!! Ji-eun, go get Daniel!!”
“Ow… Did this thing have thorns?”
He hadn’t expected that with more people, he’d be able to do elegant research in the lab. Research is never elegant. Especially when it involves magic, monsters, or dungeons, it requires more physical labor than you’d ever imagine.
Still, after the long, quiet spell since the start of term, he’d gotten used to it. The only first-year, Kim Abel, was naturally quiet, which helped.
Among the remaining students, Ji-eun was the most energetic, but with so many teachers, it was hard for anyone to get into trouble. Kang Tae-woo’s diligent watch over Ji-eun helped, too.
Maybe, because of Kang Tae-woo, both Kim Chae-min and Woo Hee-jae, as well as the new first-years, had a bit of a preconception. Not exactly prejudice against the kids, but a sense that, given their backgrounds, they’d need extra care to adjust to school life.
In fact, Woo Hee-jae had spoken to Daniel about the kids’ health, sharing related stories.
But what none of the adults, including Woo Hee-jae, had expected was the kids’ resilience. Sandra had said she’d checked as much as possible before bringing them from America, and it showed…
“Oppa! I brought Daniel, teacher!”
“What’s going on, kids?”
“It’s Ye-won. She touched this without any protective gear…”
Daniel frowned at the red-stemmed plant in first-year Shin Ye-won’s hand.
“Ugh, Shin Ye-won, I knew you’d get into trouble.”
“Shut up!”
The two first-years started poking each other in the ribs and bickering. Daniel sighed and checked Ye-won’s hand.
She wasn’t cowed like Tae-woo had been when he first arrived, nor did she seem nervous. She did need to learn to be more careful, but compared to Ji-eun’s first year, this was nothing.
Hong Seok-young laughed, saying you needed this much confidence to be a Hunter, and Woo Hee-jae, looking tired, reassured himself that at least they seemed healthy.
Seeing Ji-eun and Daniel crossing the field, Kim Chae-min followed them to the greenhouse, clutching his head.
It was good that they were lively, but was this really a good thing? Kim Chae-min resolved to emphasize the school’s safety rules in a special lesson. If he said so, Woo Hee-jae would take care of it.
He was sure they’d gone over all this on the first day.
“Do you have a container for the thorns?”
“Hold on! Abel, the one next to you…”
“Here!”
“…The one on the right. Teacher! Abel touched the cave aloe sap!!”
“What?”
“What?”
“……”
Kim Chae-min buried his face in his hands. Even Abel, who hadn’t been like this before, seemed dazed with the arrival of the other first-years. Maybe it was just his personality, or maybe, being so sensitive, he was easily swept up by others.
If the three first-years hadn’t gotten along, it would have been a problem, but fortunately, that wasn’t the case. The two from America were so energetic that Abel sometimes felt awkward, but at this rate, they’d make a good team.
Of course, that was that, and this was this.
“Teacher Kim, don’t just stand there—give us a hand.”
“Yes… Tae-woo, take Ji-eun and Baek-min, what’s your next class? The field?”
“Ji-eun and I have the principal’s class, and the first-years have basic fitness training with Woo teacher.”
“Head out to the field for class, and explain to Woo teacher what happened.”
With a wry smile, Tae-woo led the kids out of the greenhouse. At last, it was quiet inside. Shin Ye-won and Kim Abel hunched their shoulders. As first-years who hadn’t even had rune class yet, Archmage Kim Chae-min must have seemed intimidating.
“Teacher Kim, didn’t you explain the greenhouse safety rules?”
“I did!”
“Ye-won, so why did you just touch it?”
Ye-won’s eyes went wide at Daniel’s question.
“Uh, well, the teacher just touched it, so…”
Oops.
“Teacher Kim.”
“Ah—no, I’m a mage!”
“There are no exceptions to basic safety rules. As a teacher, you should set an example for the students. Don’t use magic shortcuts. Understood?”
“Yes… I’m sorry…”
No excuse would do. He’d lazily protected his hands with mana, and now it had come back to bite him. If Woo Hee-jae found out, he’d get an earful for hours.
While Kim Chae-min, chastened, cleaned up the contaminated plant sap, Daniel sighed as he looked at the kids.
“Didn’t I tell you to get permission before touching anything in the greenhouse?”
“Yes…”
“Did your senior say it was okay to touch it?”
“…I was just curious.”
“About the plant?”
“……”
Ye-won rolled her eyes. Normally, she was outspoken, so her hesitation was obvious.
Since Daniel’s Korean was still a bit stiff, Kim Chae-min gently prompted her.
“You can speak freely. You’re not in trouble. If you’re interested in dungeon plants, I’ll be happy to teach you.”
“Ah, no, it’s not that I’m not interested in plants…”
Ye-won hesitated, glanced at Abel, then spoke carefully.
“It’s just… when I go into the greenhouse, I feel weird. It’s hard to explain, like I get dizzy, and it’s a little hard to breathe, but at the same time, my mind gets strangely clear.”
“……”
“I couldn’t keep still, and that thing caught my eye. I’m sorry, teacher.”
As Ye-won bowed her head, Daniel and Kim Chae-min exchanged glances over her.
After Kang Tae-woo, now Shin Ye-won. Maybe the Ark’s experiments, wild as they were, hadn’t been a complete failure after all.