I’ll Retire After Saving the World - Chapter 45

[ Chapter 45: The Duty of a Teacher (2) ]

“Oh, teacher!”

Little Yoo Ji-eun’s eyes widened when she saw me.

“What brings you here?”

Her nonchalant response somehow made me even more annoyed.

The presence of the suspicious lady who was eyeing me while pretending not to was worsening my mood.

“……”

What should I do with her?

I came here intending to stop her from doing anything foolish, but seeing her innocent face, I couldn’t find the words.

Should I really interfere in Yoo Ji-eun’s life?

I prevented the death of Yoo Hye-eun, who would have significantly influenced Ji-eun’s personality. With that alone… maybe I had done all I could for her. Would further interference in Ji-eun’s life be right? Am I doing the right thing?

I’ve said it before. Ji-eun will grow up fine, whether without her sister or me. Anyway, by next year, Uncle Hong Seok-young will take care of her….

“Are you perhaps the student’s teacher?”

The suspicious lady approached with a bright smile.

Soft-spoken, smiling face, clothes adorned with cheap sparkling cubic decorations.

A look so ordinary that you wouldn’t glance twice if you passed by her on the street.

Alright. I just need to confirm that little Yoo Ji-eun isn’t being lured by a cult and then back off.

I steeled myself.

“Yes. And who might you be?”

Pretending to be a young girl’s guardian, there’s nothing better than being her teacher. It’s not a complete lie, after all.

“Oh my, look at you, teacher. What kind of teacher are you? You seem athletic… Are you a PE teacher?”

Given that my students are aspiring hunters, PE isn’t too far off. I do teach them how to move efficiently.

Since I didn’t deny it and remained silent, the woman seemed to interpret it positively and continued speaking animatedly.

“Oh my, with such a handsome teacher, no wonder your student looks so pretty and smart. You must enjoy teaching such a delightful student!”

“…Who are you?”

I asked again.

The woman covered her mouth and laughed softly, as if she had just remembered something important.

“Oh, my bad. I’m not a suspicious person, I just saw the student looking worried and wanted to help….”

It’s usually the suspicious ones who claim they’re not.

From her cubic-decorated wallet, the woman pulled out a business card. I glanced at it to see what was written.

Korea New Mind Spiritual Association. Gyeonggi Branch. Team Leader Jeong Yeon-hwa. Phone number.

“By the name alone, it’s hard to tell what we do, right?”

Hard to tell? It’s obviously a cult.

“We primarily conduct various activities for children.”

“What kind of activities…?”

“You know, things like experiential activities, volunteer work, summer camps….”

The woman smiled brightly at Ji-eun.

“With so many dungeon breaks happening these days, a lot of people are struggling, right? Both adults and children. So we also offer counseling. These things require professional help, don’t they?”

She was very articulate.

“Oh, and it’s not just for kids. We have many people like you, teacher, coming to us as well.”

“Like me?”

“People who work with children often visit us, wondering how they can better help the kids.”

Her words flowed like water.

If I didn’t know her true intentions, I might have been charmed and lost in thought. Normally, I wouldn’t entertain such nonsense.

But.

“……”

But still.

“The world is a dangerous place these days, so there are many strange places out there. I know that. But we’re really not one of those places. See here? This says ‘Gyeonggi Branch.’ We have branches all over the country, and we receive government support.”

As I watched her passionately talking, I began to wonder if I could use this somehow.

The last time I talked to Grand Mage Kim Chae-min, I half-jokingly mentioned using Yoo Ji-eun. Something about sending her to the training center.

Of course, knowing what might happen, I wouldn’t send this innocent and proactive young Yoo Ji-eun. I had no intention of actually doing it.

However, if it was me instead of little Yoo Ji-eun, it would be a different story. I’m not saying I’d infiltrate, but it’s not like I couldn’t use this situation.

I fiddled with the business card while half-listening to the woman. If she was someone doing cult missionary work, she would quickly notice the small signals of my interest.

“Yoo Ji-eun.”

“…Yes?”

First, I needed to send her away.

The woman had been talking to me, not Yoo Ji-eun, since earlier. From Bangju’s perspective, a school teacher would be more appealing than a sixteen-year-old girl.

“Didn’t your sister tell you to come straight home after school?”

“Uh, um….”

“Don’t take any detours and go straight home.”

“O-okay….”

“Hurry up.”

Yoo Ji-eun subtly hid the paper she was holding behind her back. Really, that girl….

I felt a surge of frustration but held it back. Keeping her away from this woman was more important now. I could tell Hong Seok-young or Grand Mage Kim Chae-min later. If necessary, I could call her to the school and pretend to teach her. Kids her age were all the same.

“Goodbye….”

Yoo Ji-eun looked at me and the woman with lingering regret in her eyes before she disappeared. I let out a sigh.

The woman, who had been watching my reaction, hesitantly spoke up.

“You must care a lot about your student?”

“…She’s not my student.”

“Oh, you’re not her teacher?”

“She’s the younger sister of one of my students.”

“Really? The way she was so happy to see you, I thought you were her teacher.”

The woman laughed in an exaggerated manner.

“That age is the most beautiful. I see a lot of kids that age in my work, and it’s such a wonderful time. It really breaks my heart to see them struggling.”

When she first approached Yoo Ji-eun, it was with a ridiculous claim about purifying blood vessels with magic, but now the topic had completely changed.

I pondered what position this woman held within Bangju. Was she just an ordinary civilian entranced by the suspicious organization called the Korea New Mind Spiritual Association? Or was she connected to Bangju within it?

Though the business card identified her as a team leader, it didn’t clarify her exact position. I didn’t even know which team she led.

Perhaps interpreting my silence in her own way, the woman pulled a tablet PC out of the bag slung over her shoulder.

“Look, I understand your concern given how dangerous the world is, but check this out. This is our association.”

An impressive website appeared on the screen. There were many affiliated organizations.

“These are our sponsors. Many well-known companies support us. They always know how to find places that do good work.”

Don’t be fooled. Government or corporate sponsorship doesn’t guarantee legitimacy. The fact that she talked so confidently meant they were connected in some way. But wherever humans manage things, there are always gaps, and there’s plenty of blind money.

I kept my doubts to myself, merely tapping on the tablet screen while browsing the Korea New Mind Spiritual Association’s homepage. As if I were considering her words.

Then, I blurted out,

“I’m not originally a teacher.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“I ended up teaching, but originally, hmm.”

I pretended to ponder my words.

“Have you heard of the Hunter Training Pilot High School? You know, training young Awakened ones….”

“I’ve seen it on the news! Are you a teacher there?”

“Somehow, I ended up teaching, though it wasn’t in my destiny. Since some of the kids have gone through rough times from an early age, taking care of them isn’t easy.”

“Oh, I understand. You must have had a hard time, young teacher. So, are you a Hunter too?”

“Yes, well… I’m not very high-ranked.”

“What does rank matter in teaching? Caring for the kids is what’s most important!”

She smiled brightly.

“Let’s see… could you get me a coffee over there? I can explain what kind of activities we do and how we help students….”

“Taking the kids is a bit much.”

“I mean, it would be good for you to receive some education to help the kids, right? Like child psychology. We’re specialized in that.”

She held my hand gently, smiling.

“We need more people like you. Listen to my explanation, and let’s discuss what could be best for the kids.”

* * *

An inexperienced young Hunter of a low rank.

It had been just over a month since I unexpectedly became a teacher at the pilot high school. It still felt awkward and unfamiliar to be called a teacher.

From a cult’s perspective, how could I be anything but a prime target? Even if I were Bangju, I wouldn’t want to let someone like me go.

What? A Hunter directly connected to the strongest and greatest Hunter in Korea?

The man had been operating as a one-person guild for over ten years. For a time, his primary activities were overseas, limiting his domestic influence. Even now, it wasn’t much different. It was only because of the pilot high school that he began to establish a foothold domestically.

Think from Bangju’s perspective. Isn’t this an opportunity to extract information about the Hunter who’s chasing him? Even if Hong Seok-young didn’t know they were being pursued, he wouldn’t want to easily let go of a connection to Hong Seok-young.

Well, it was impossible for him not to know from the start. The fact that Mr. Kim, who infiltrated Bangju’s organization, got caught and killed was something he couldn’t be unaware of.

It didn’t matter even if the woman named Jeong Yeon-hwa wasn’t a Bangju associate. No matter how much Bangju operated as a point organization, where each part acted independently, there had to be a place where information was gathered and a central figure.

Just as Bangju wanted a connection to Hong Seok-young, I would also end up with a connection to Bangju….

What use is that, you ask?

One never knows how things will turn out. It’s better to hold all the cards in your hand.

Of course, there were some concerns.

“National… what?”

Hong Seok-young frowned and looked up at me.

“Korea New Mind Spiritual Association.”

“Right. That place.”

Hong Seok-young looked at the business card I handed him.

“Why do you have this?”

“I picked it up on the street.”

“…I know, but this wouldn’t be lying around on the street like trash.”

“Oh. Do you know where this is?”

I spoke nonchalantly.

“Where did you get it?”

“A lady on the street handed it to me.”

I finally frowned.

“You know Yoo Hye-eun’s younger brother? I intercepted it when he was talking.”

“What? Ji-eun did?”

“Take better care of him. Aren’t you his guardian?”

“To be exact, I’m more like the representative of his guardian.”

“Anyway.”

I tapped the business card.

“Well, they were concerned about the kids’ mental health and all, so they handed it over easily. They even gave me a lecture schedule and told me to drop by if I had time.”

“Hmm. You said you mentioned you were a teacher at the pilot high school?”

“What’s the point of pretending to be a proper teacher when I’m not one?”

Hong Seok-young stroked his chin.

“So, you’re asking for permission to contact the Korea New Mind Spiritual Association?”

“Korea New Mind Spiritual Association.”

“Right, whatever.”

I shrugged.

“Well, that’s part of it, but since I made the connection, I thought it might be better to send someone else. I mentioned I was a Hunter teaching kids at the pilot high school….”

“Why? You should continue. You made the connection.”

“I’m on probation right now.”

“Right?”

Why is he questioning that?

When I frowned openly, Hong Seok-young scratched his head.

“No, I mean, if you just give me a heads-up like this, it’s fine, even though it’s inconvenient if you disappear without notice because of classes.”

“……”

Does he… trust me? If so, I’m grateful, but still. Isn’t he trusting me too much?

Unable to hide my uneasy expression, I stared dumbfoundedly at Hong Seok-young. He looked puzzled seeing my face.

“Is there a problem?”

“No… it’s just that.”

When I started hesitating, Hong Seok-young frowned again, seemingly thinking another problem had arisen.

“Well, it’s just that I’m not good at this kind of thing.”

“This kind of thing?”

You know, sneaking around behind people’s backs… that sort of thing.

My job was to analyze dungeons and produce strategy guides, not this kind of physical work. I didn’t even do this kind of infiltration work at the Bureau.

“Why? Why can’t you do it?”

Is there a reason I can’t do it? I can’t do it because I can’t.

I answered honestly.

“Because I don’t have the talent for it.”

“…….”

“…….”

Hong Seok-young looked at me silently. I also looked at him silently.

“……Pfft.”

Hong Seok-young’s face twisted strangely, and then an unpleasant sound escaped from between his tightly pressed lips.