BXBX NOVEL Chapter 81 - Ambush (2)
Chapter 81: Ambush (2)
But honestly, by the time you’re eighteen, shouldn’t you have a decent grasp of how bitter reality can be?
No? Well, if not, there’s no helping it…
Granted, eighteen is still underage. If he were an adult, past the age of twenty, I would have just told him to figure things out on his own. But Lee Seung-yeon is still a student, someone who needs the attention of a guardian…
And he’s my student.
I didn’t choose to become a teacher. But whether I wanted this role or not, if something happens to him, the responsibility falls on me.
If it were just a scraped knee or a small scratch on his heart, I wouldn’t be going to these lengths.
But this is not the kind of issue that ends with the normal turbulence of adolescence.
One misstep, and he could die. Even if I’m not technically responsible, if I see someone walking down a path that clearly leads to death, I’m obligated to say something. That’s what it means to be human.
And Lee Mi-seon feels the same way. If anything, she’s even more committed than I am. Not that I’m saying Lee Mi-seon is some kind of saint. Honestly, even having this conversation about something like this feels ridiculous. It’s really not that big of a deal. I mean, what more do you need to help a kid?
Besides, Lee Mi-seon is family to Lee Seung-yeon. A loving aunt and her adorable nephew.
“So, naturally, I believe it would be better if Hunter Lee explains it to him. It would be less of a shock coming from family, wouldn’t it?”
“If it comes from family, he might feel betrayed. It would be better for him to hear it objectively from his teacher, so he can accept it more quickly.”
I have no intention of backing down. The moment I retreat, I lose the game.
“He’s your adorable nephew, isn’t he? Shouldn’t an aunt take care of him?”
“But you’re his life-saving Teacher, aren’t you?”
“And what does that have to do with this?”
“Well, being his aunt doesn’t mean I can live his life for him!”
At the heart of this argument—though not quite a proper argument—there’s only one issue.
As I’ve said before, no decent adult wants to be the one to shatter a child’s dreams with a dose of reality.
I consider myself a decent person, and I don’t want to be the heartless adult who tells a hardworking kid that he has no talent and should give up.
“…Fine.”
This isn’t going anywhere. The conversation keeps going in circles.
When I called Lee Mi-seon, I genuinely intended to have a serious discussion, like a proper parent-teacher meeting. I even tried to imitate the homeroom teachers who used to talk with the old man.
So why is this ending up like this?
Lee Mi-seon widened her eyes.
“You’re going to tell him, Teacher?”
“No.”
The drop was sharp. Lee Mi-seon didn’t hide her disappointment. Well, she’s no good either, it seems.
I shook my head.
“The one who caused this mess should be the one to handle it, right?”
Lee Mi-seon looked confused for a moment, but then understanding dawned on her face.
“Teacher Hong?”
“Teacher Hong was the one who approved his admission, wasn’t he?”
Then it’s Hong Seok-young who should do it.
Yeah. Hong Seok-young should handle it.
It’s a bit blunt to say this, but under normal circumstances, wouldn’t Lee Mi-seon have been the one to deliver her nephew’s death notice? Telling him to withdraw is much better than that.
Hmm. Is that too cold of an example?
In any case, this isn’t even a school, so it’s not a withdrawal. He just needs to go back to the school he was originally attending, and that would solve the problem. He might feel upset, or get depressed about it, but whatever happens, it’s better than dying. Besides, considering he went behind Lee Mi-seon’s back to get Hong Seok-young to approve his admission to the Hunter Academy, that kid is resourceful enough to make something work.
…I mean this sincerely.
“Oh my. You’re right. Now that I think about it, this really is all Hunter Hong’s fault, isn’t it? Of course it makes sense for Hunter Hong to handle this.”
Lee Mi-seon’s face brightened suddenly. She pulled a small plastic container from her coat and tilted it onto her palm. A sweet scent wafted out.
Lee Mi-seon shook the container in my direction.
“Would you like to chew one too, Teacher Woo?”
“No thanks. Are you quitting smoking or something?”
“Oh, come on. I was young back then.”
“……”
Is that for real?
“I don’t go into Dungeons very often, but if I had known I’d end up working as a proper Hunter, I wouldn’t have smoked.”
“Ah, I see…”
“Cigarettes leave such a strong smell on your body. Monsters can track you down like it’s nothing.”
“That makes sense…”
After going on for a while about her longing for cigarettes, Lee Mi-seon suddenly glanced at her watch, realizing something.
“Wow, it’s already this late. Seung-yeon said he was hanging out with his friends…”
“Hanging out with friends?”
“He’s probably not, right?”
“Yeah, probably not.”
He stormed out of the classroom like that—no way he’s off playing with his friends now.
Lee Mi-seon gave a sheepish laugh.
“He’s not the type to do anything weird. He said he’d go in with me, so it should be fine.”
“Just make sure to calm him down.”
“…You mean while subtly convincing him?”
“It’d be good if you do. If not, then never mind.”
Lee Mi-seon gave me a light glare.
Well, at least we’ve dealt with one urgent issue.
Now, shall we talk about the less urgent matter?
“Speaking of which.”
“Yes?”
“That rune we discussed.”
“Oh, is there something to fix? Hunter Hong said there wasn’t anything wrong.”
“Huh? No, no. The content is fine. I just don’t remember hearing when the announcement was supposed to be made…”
Lee Mi-seon blinked twice.
“…It’s already been announced.”
“……”
“You didn’t hear?”
“…It’s been announced?”
Lee Mi-seon adjusted her phone screen and handed it to me. It was a domestic article.
“On the 15th, Daseon Guild made a groundbreaking discovery about runes…”
I rubbed my face.
“It’s already been announced.”
“I assumed you knew since you didn’t say anything… Was it not supposed to be announced yet?”
“No, no. That’s not it. I just… left the timing to you, Hunter Lee. It’s just… I can’t believe I didn’t know about this.”
I checked my own phone and did a quick search. There were a few articles similar to the one Lee Mi-seon had shown me, all seemingly copied from the same source…
I asked Lee Mi-seon.
“Did Daseon distribute this article?”
“You really know how to navigate the social world, Teacher Woo.”
“……”
But still, something feels off.
There are too few articles. Most of them came out on the same day. Scanning through the search results, there were only a few reactions saying things like ‘Does Daseon have too much money?’ and ‘Why are they researching something like runes?’
“Does Daseon control the media too?”
“I appreciate that you think so highly of our Guild, but seriously, what do you think we are?”
“……”
Just in case, I checked a few international sites as well. After all, Hong Seok-young had shown me an English version of the booklet.
There’s no way Lee Mi-seon would have only announced it in Korea.
Internationally, the response was a bit more notable than in Korea, but it was still mostly ridicule. Comments like, ‘A Korean Guild is wasting time on nonsense’, or, ‘What a waste of time’, or, ‘I could get the same results using my cat as a totem…’
I looked up at Lee Mi-seon. She smiled sweetly.
“Not the reaction you were expecting?”
“…Well.”
“If we wanted a strong response, we wouldn’t have worded the announcement that way.”
Right, the plan was to let it start quietly.
“The goal was to get mages thinking, ‘Oh, there are runes out there,’ right? Since Hunter Kim is pretty well-known internationally, people will take at least a glance.”
“Are you planning to reveal other runes then?”
“Something like that. We’re gauging when the best time to release them would be.”
“…When that happens, make sure to let me know.”
“It’s not like I intentionally kept you out of the loop. I just thought Hunter Hong had already told you.”
Lee Mi-seon shrugged and checked the time again.
“Hmm… I should go find out where Seung-yeon is and what he’s up to. Do you want to come with me, Teacher Woo?”
“What could I even do if I went?”
“Still, Seung-yeon really likes you, Teacher Woo.”
“That’s because…”
Well, I did use that fact and even went as far as to pull off some stunts to save him.
I had nothing left to say, so I just stood up. Lee Mi-seon, not sure how to interpret my action, smiled lightly and rose from her seat as well.
“Teacher Woo, what do you do after classes are over? Have you picked up any hobbies?”
“Where would I find the time for that?”
I just lie down and sift through the Mana Watch. I look for any information on Ark, and at the same time, I browse data on the students from the Hunter Academy, hoping I might stumble upon something, even if it’s by chance. If there’s nothing, so be it, but if I do find something, it would be helpful.
We left the café and started walking toward the lodging. Lee Mi-seon walked beside me, fiddling with her phone.
“I’ll make sure we build a proper teacher’s dorm when we construct the new building. It’ll be much more convenient for you.”
“Are you really going to build that building?”
“By the time we admit new students next year, the school needs to look proper.”
“Let’s get it officially recognized as a school first.”
“That’s not a problem.”
Lee Mi-seon frowned as she stared at her phone.
“Seung-yeon isn’t picking up his phone again.”
“Maybe he really is hanging out with friends.”
“Didn’t you just say he wouldn’t be?”
“How am I supposed to know what kids are thinking?”
Lee Mi-seon kept trying to call Seung-yeon.
At his age, it’s natural not to want to hear his aunt nagging him. I used to avoid calls from the old man all the time too. After all, I’d see him when I got home anyway…
“…So, speaking of which.”
Lee Mi-seon’s voice trailed off.
I looked at the ground. Mana particles were scattered there. They’re not supposed to be floating this close to the ground. Mana is light. It usually flows slightly above my eye level.
And the color is unusually thick. A faint red hue. Someone’s manipulating the Mana.
…Who?
My fingers twitched.
Damn it. Yoo Ji-eun’s sword. I left it at my lodging, just lying around. Since I’m the only one who can wield it, I didn’t worry too much about security. If Yoo Ji-eun found out, she’d have cursed me out, calling me a ‘crazy bastard’.
“Hunter Lee.”
“Seung-yeon is… Yes?”
“A weapon.”
“Sorry?”
“Do you have a weapon on you? Just give me anything.”
Lee Mi-seon’s expression twisted in confusion.
“You might not know, but Hunters get fined for carrying weapons in public. Your license could get suspended too.”
“I know. It’s urgent, so just give me one. I left my sword behind.”
The wallet connected to my subspace pocket is still safely in my pocket, and my spear is inside, but I can’t exactly pull it out here.
Lee Mi-seon stared at me for a moment before opening the bag slung over her shoulder.
Out came an ornate silver sword adorned with a green jewel. Thin and light. Even lighter than Yoo Ji-eun’s sword.
But it’ll do.
“Why are you asking for this?”
“Something…”
The red Mana suddenly surged forward. I left Lee Mi-seon behind and chased after it.
“Teacher Woo!”
Lee Mi-seon hurriedly followed behind me.
As I chased the Mana, I realized something strange—there were no people around. The café across the street had been bustling with people just a moment ago.
In my head, I heard the old man’s voice.
‘Hwijae. You know, bad premonitions usually turn out to be right.’
‘And?’
‘So when something feels off, don’t hesitate. Do something, anything.’
‘Too bad, but I’ve got no choice.’
I recognized the scene from the CCTV and black box footage Lee Mi-seon had shown me.
The same outfit as in the footage. Loose black clothes. A hat. Red, bobbed hair.
But this time, the car they’d crushed with a casual wave of their hand wasn’t in front of them. Instead, it was Kang Tae-woo and Lee Seung-yeon.
“I still have one more stop to make today… I’ve told you quite a bit, haven’t I? Let’s finish this quickly.”
Quickly.
Faster.
I stomped on the pooling Mana underfoot and lunged forward.
“Huh?”
The figure noticed me.
At the same moment, I swung Lee Mi-seon’s ornate silver sword. The tip of the blade pierced the gathered red Mana, and with a loud pop, it burst. The red Mana scattered like droplets of blood.
Through the Mana, I locked eyes on the figure.
“You… What are you?”
*****
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