I’ll Retire After Saving the World

Chapter 32: Rotten Meat (2)

TL: SHW

By the time the children were leaving school, the condition of the beef had deteriorated beyond recognition.

When Kim Chae-min had brought it, it had been fresh and red. Now, it was a dark, disfigured mass emitting a foul stench.

“I understand what effect it has, but… isn’t it a bit too effective?”

Kim Chae-min said, grimacing.

“From what the principal said, it wasn’t in such bad condition…”

“It seems the body was brought to the dungeon not too long ago.”

“Don’t you have any more plausible assumptions?”

“I have some more gruesome assumptions.”

“Gruesome?”

I grinned.

“The monsters probably ate part of the body before it completely decayed.”

“Ugh…”

Kim Chae-min grimaced.

“Well, even if that’s not the case, there are too many variables. The meat we used was still dripping blood, and the weather is hot… The rune was also drawn more roughly on the shirt than it was here.”

I flicked the rune attached to the rotten beef.

“To determine when the body was placed in the dungeon, we would need to conduct experiments, but we don’t have that kind of time. For now, knowing the effect is enough.”

And the most important thing has been confirmed.

These guys are really feeding the dungeon.

Artificially cultivating dungeons is something the Ability Management Agency does as well. It’s usually done when the dungeon’s byproducts are valuable despite its low level.

For example, the Daegu Dungeon where Arachne appears.

Arachne isn’t a monster that lives in groups, nor does it take interest in other creatures. As long as it has enough food, it continuously weaves webs, which are incredibly valuable. Despite being docile, the fabric woven by this large monster using its mana is exceptionally strong. Although it’s difficult to process, Arachne’s fabric is highly sought after for Hunter armor.

This practice isn’t limited to our country. It’s the same abroad. In Greece, where Arachne dungeons are common, and similar dungeons operate similarly.

However, this is about not killing the monsters and leaving them be.

Naturally, the laws surrounding this are strict, with double and triple safety measures in place. The management procedures are also complex.

What was Ark planning to do by raising monsters? Was their goal a dungeon break? Or something else? But no matter what, could they really trigger all the dungeons worldwide simultaneously?

I don’t know what will happen in the future, but Kim Chae-min had similar doubts as I did.

“But why would they do this?”

“Who knows? If I knew that, I would have already taken some measures.”

“But didn’t Teacher Woo hear something?”

“If I had heard something, I wouldn’t be here looking at runes with you.”

Kim Chae-min awkwardly laughed, as if at a loss for words.

I briefly looked at the rotten meat, then at the children coming out to the playground with their bags.

Those damn backpacks. It’s not like they’re having classes here anyway.

“Let’s talk after we send the kids home.”

* * *

After dropping off the children.

“I got it!”

“What?”

Kim Chae-min dragged me into a cafe. As the ordered drinks arrived, Kim Chae-min clapped lightly.

“That place Teacher Woo mentioned! Taeguk! That place!”

“Yes. What about it?”

“How about we infiltrate that place?”

“…”

“You said it’s the Ark, right?”

“Yes, but… No. Don’t even think about infiltrating.”

“Why not!”

Kim Chae-min stirred the ice with a straw in protest.

“What’s more certain than going there directly?”

It’s not entirely wrong, but…

No, I can’t let this slide.

When dealing with a stubborn person like this, sticking to the right argument is best.

“Have you done it before?”

“What?”

“I’m asking if you’ve done it before.”

“Uh…”

How old is Kim Chae-min now? Twenty-five? Twenty-six?

A Hunter at twenty-six years old is both young and old. Moreover, Kim Chae-min only started her activities after becoming an adult. It’s a time when the world seems bright and beautiful.

In other words, she lacks experience.

And she herself mentioned it, didn’t she? She lacks experience in dungeon raids. Infiltration investigations are different from dungeon raids, but when dealing with people…

I looked at Kim Chae-min quietly.

Despite her slender limbs, her face still had a youthful look. With her sparkling accessories and bright dress, she looked more like a university student who likes to dress up rather than an Archmage.

Unlike me, wearing the tracksuit that Hong Seok-young roughly picked up from the market. There’s no way I wouldn’t be noticed in such a rural area.

Moreover, the car Kim Chae-min drives is conspicuous enough.

“Teacher Kim, you stand out too much.”

“…Is that an insult or a compliment?”

“Neither. It’s just a fact.”

Even without knowing, Kim Chae-min would already be famous around here.

A woman coming and going at a construction site where Hunters gather for some kind of school project.

If such a conspicuous woman suddenly showed up with a flyer, anyone would be suspicious.

“The same goes for me.”

It’s not just about my attire. The unique location of the pilot high school was also a problem.

One could tell from the reaction of the taxi driver who brought Yoo Ji-eun.

And if you’re taking kids to and from school every morning and evening, you’ll be noticed whether you want to be or not.

Look at it now. A man in a tracksuit and a woman driving a sports car sitting in a cafe with tacky interior…?

What could be more noticeable than this?

Rather…

Hmm.

“What is it? That expression? Do you have a good idea?”

“No.”

I shook my head. There are lines I must not cross, no matter what.

“Why? Just tell me. Don’t make me curious.”

“Well…”

Kim Chae-min raised her eyebrows. I gave up and spoke.

“There is one way we might not be suspected, but it’s too dangerous.”

“What is it?”

“It’s not us who would do it.”

“Then?”

“…Yoo Ji-eun.”

“Ji-eun?”

It seems Kim Chae-min had gotten close to Yoo Hye-eun’s sisters, as she called Yoo Ji-eun by her first name.

Understanding slowly spread across Kim Chae-min’s face.

“Wow, Teacher Woo, I didn’t expect that from you…”

She looked at me as if I were some kind of scoundrel.

I felt wronged. Did I say we should do it? I said we wouldn’t because it’s dangerous!

But if I think about it calmly, it’s a perfect fit.

A recently Awakened middle schooler. No guardian, living with her sister. If she came claiming she heard rumors online…

Get a grip. The one I’m talking about is young Yoo Ji-eun. If it were adult Yoo Ji-eun, I wouldn’t hesitate to send her, but no matter what, not a minor.

“It’s too dangerous, so I’m not considering it.”

“How could you even think of taking a child into something like this…”

“You’re the one who asked me to tell you. I said we wouldn’t do it.”

I sighed, looking at the grinning Kim Chae-min. In a different way, she troubled me as much as Yoo Ji-eun did.

At the Ability Management Agency, no one treated me this comfortably, so it felt unusual. Apart from the Director or Yoo Ji-eun, everyone seemed to find me difficult.

Ah. Lee Mi-seon also felt comfortable with me.

No, rather than being comfortable…

‘Oh my. Are you that little kid? Hunter Hong bragged about you so much that I was curious… Hmph.’

The first time we met, she had scanned me with meaningful eyes.

It was the same afterward. She wasn’t so much comfortable with me as she was uninterested. She kept pestering Yoo Ji-eun to join Daseon whenever she saw her.

What do I lack compared to Yoo Ji-eun? I’m much better than that woman who only knows how to swing a sword.

Of course, I had no intention of joining a guild as a Hunter, but it still felt bad. Honestly, other guilds would be clamoring to have someone like me…

Recalling unpleasant memories made me a bit agitated.

“Teacher Woo?”

Kim Chae-min and I could now be considered colleagues. It’s certainly better than being awkward with each other.

“Since we’ve talked to the principal, he’ll handle it. Or we might get help from Hunter Lee Mi-seon.”

“From Daseon?”

“Maybe they can send someone suitable to get inside…”

At my words, Kim Chae-min burst into laughter.

“Daseon is a Hunter guild, Teacher Woo. Don’t you think you’re overestimating them?”

Would an ordinary Hunter guild also perform autopsies?

Daseon was like an all-purpose errand runner for the director. For matters that couldn’t be publicly handled by the Ability Management Agency, the director would ask Lee Mi-seon to resolve them.

I used to think it was just because of Lee Seung-yeon, the unfortunate disciple of the director and Lee Mi-seon’s nephew. But it seems their relationship runs deeper. They had been collaborating to track down Ark even before Lee Seung-yeon’s death in Myeong-dong.

I looked at Kim Chae-min with a pitiful expression. It was my job to teach my less experienced colleague.

“Teacher Kim, don’t you think you’re underestimating Daseon too much?”

I figured it couldn’t be helped since she was a Mage.

The number of Mages is already small, and the number of competent Mages is even smaller. Rather than settling in one guild, Mages are often hired as mercenaries by various guilds. Because of this, they are often unaware of internal guild affairs, power struggles, or political conflicts. Mages are always outsiders in these matters.

“Daseon is Daeyeon’s business.”

“Huh? Hunter Lee Mi-seon is indeed from that family. But I heard Daeyeon doesn’t interfere in guild operations.”

So naive.

Well, with this kind of personality, it’s no wonder she died trying to save other Hunters.

“…Teacher Woo, sometimes your eyes look really strange. It makes me uncomfortable. Can you just say what you want to say?”

“What’s wrong with my eyes?”

“It’s the look my dad gave me every time I failed a spell as a child.”

What kind of comparison is that?

“I’ve never seen your father’s expression, so I don’t know what look that is.”

“It’s the ‘I’m teaching this idiot because she’s my daughter, but isn’t this just a waste of time?’ look.”

“……”

“Then he’d smile really kindly and tell me I did a good job.”

“……”

“It makes you feel like the biggest idiot in the world…”

I don’t treat people like idiots to that extent.

It’s just that, well… if someone seems a bit clueless, you can feel pity or sympathy, right?

“Ah, there’s that look again!”

“You’re imagining things.”

“My dad said exactly the same thing.”

“……”

I changed the subject. The longer this conversation went, the more disadvantageous it was for me.

“Continuing what we were talking about, no matter how unrelated they seem, as long as Lee Mi-seon is the guild master, Daeyeon will have a connection.”

“…Because they’re family?”

“Neither Daseon nor Daeyeon are public enterprises. Blood is thicker than water, and judging by the relationship between Lee Seung-yeon and Hunter Lee Mi-seon, they seem to get along well, don’t they?”

“……”

“Consider it at least once, Teacher Kim. There’s a reason so many corporations run guilds.”

Everyone finds a way to benefit somehow.