I Will Save the World and Retire Chapter 229

Parents’ Sins (1)

The story that Seo Han-seong told is as follows.

It all started five years before Seo Han-seong was born.

“I don’t know if you know, but back then, it wasn’t like now… there were hunters and stuff.”

It can’t be said that dungeon management is well-done in South Korea in 2021, but South Korea at that time… No, this isn’t limited to South Korea. Dungeon and hunter management around the world was like a flea market.

“Ah. Since you are older than me, teacher, you probably know better than me.”

“… I was young too. But I know the gist of it, so keep talking.”

“Yes. So at that time… .”

The line between the Awakened and the Hunters was ambiguous, so it was natural that they were not properly managed. Even when Awakened crimes occurred, it was difficult to detect them, dungeon breaks occurred frequently, and Hunters often abandoned dungeon raids. It was not for nothing that this period was called the Dark Ages.

Of course, there were guilds back then. Seo Han-seong’s father, Seo, was an Awakened who moved around small guilds. To be exact, he was a thief. He stole the belongings of Awakened people who entered dungeons.

“I don’t know if Mr. Seo was still killing Awakened people at that time. Mr. Seo preferred to talk about how he met Mr. Im.”

Mr. Lim.

Seo Han-seong’s mother, Ms. Im, was an employee at a pawn shop in a black market in Jongno at the time.

Of course, this pawn shop wasn’t a proper place either. It did some things that were worthy of its name, but its main business was something else. The pawn shop where Mr. Im worked was a place that dealt with stolen goods. As you might have guessed from the fact that Mr. Seo’s story came first, the stolen goods this pawn shop dealt with were the belongings of the Awakened who died in the dungeon. The belongings of those who were killed by monsters or by other Awakened people.

Thief Seo and pawnshop owner Lim had a fateful meeting at the bakery in front of the pawnshop where Lim worked, and fell in love at first sight.

If Mr. Lim had been a good citizen who had no choice but to work at a pawn shop to make money, the story might have been different. But unfortunately, Mr. Lim was actually the team leader who ran the pawn shop, and he and Mr. Seo were a match made in heaven in every way.

“That’s how Mr. Seo and Mr. Lim joined hands and began to expand their business.”

Five years of fiery love. Seo Han-seong said so.

The fiery romance led to marriage. When Seo found out that Ms. Im was pregnant, he proposed to her with a ring he had stolen from the dead Hunter’s arms.

Seo Han-seong spoke in a dry tone.

“And then I was born.”

Seo Han-seong persistently referred to his biological parents only as Mr. Seo and Mr. Im.

I understand why you don’t want to call those people your parents, and why you don’t want to reveal their names to me.

In fact, if I were to talk about their actions like this, I can’t help but think of the creepy criminal couple that dominated their time. Even if it happened before I was born, if they committed such a crime, they would be famous. And their ending.

But I erased the name I had thought of for Seo Han-seong, who was having a hard time continuing his conversation.

I didn’t say anything and just listened to Seo Han-seong’s story.

“I, so.”

Seo Han-seong’s voice becomes smaller.

“Ever since I was young… I worked at that Seo-ssi’s guild.”

“… How old are you?”

“I’m eighteen. It’s really funny, but even though they’re like that, my parents, Mr. Seo and Mr. Lim, loved me so much. Seriously… Isn’t it ridiculous?”

Seo Han-seong smiled weakly.

“I didn’t play a big role there. I told you that I cared for you. I didn’t… do that to Hyunwook.”

It’s not that their guild has never exploited underage Awakeners, but Seo and Lim didn’t want to put their only beloved son in such danger.

So what did Seo Han-seong do?

“What I did was a kind of… successor training.”

I learned how to run a guild.

How to send children similar to you or younger to be killed by monsters. How to hunt other hunters in dungeons while avoiding people’s eyes. How to bribe or threaten police or politicians. And… many more.

“Then one day, the principal suddenly fell.”

That would have been a bolt from the blue for Mr. Seo and Mr. Lim. It wasn’t much different in the sense that it was a punishment from heaven.

At that time, Seo Han-seong was sixteen years old.

Seo Han-seong was a mature child even then. And unfortunately, he was too kind-hearted to be born to such parents.

Hong Seok-young thought about it and then decided to save Seo Han-seong.

Of course, Seo Han-seong did not express it like this.

“Oh, I helped the principal too… Actually, it’s probably because I’m a minor.”

No, I don’t think so.

It is true that Hong Seok-young is relatively weak towards children, but he is not a mature adult who would care about children who run wild without even knowing it is their own fault.

Since he was a minor, if proper legal punishment was impossible, someone else would have taken care of Seo Han-seong even if it wasn’t Hong Seok-yeong. Even if he went to a juvenile detention center. It’s not something Hong Seok-yeong should be concerned about. Hong Seok-yeong isn’t a real police officer or anything. That old man’s cooperation with the Awakening Crime Investigation Office is close to volunteer work, right?

Nevertheless, why did Hong Seok-young bring Seo Han-seong in, erase the related records, and have him enroll in a model high school?

It must be the same reason why Seo Han-seong is trembling now while talking about Mr. Seo and Mr. Im.

“so….”

I was about to say I was a parent, but then I corrected myself.

“You want to catch people like Mr. Seo and Mr. Lim?”

“Uh… similar.”

Seo Han-seong’s expression was still dark.

It was too complex an expression to simply be the agony of a child whose parents were criminals with whom he could not even get along. Rather,

“… … .”

That’s why. There are other reasons, but this is the real reason why Hong Seok-young sent Seo Han-seong to me.

If you had told me before sending it, I would have prepared to some extent… But it wasn’t that Hong Seok-young didn’t understand.

“I, so… .”

If it was something like this, it would be natural for you not to tell me in advance. After all, Hong Seok-young is the only one who has to admit that he cannot do anything.

“… Mr. Seo told me that before.”

“What did you say?”

“If mom and dad.”

Mom and Dad.

The sincerity felt in the words, which were spoken quickly enough to be barely audible, was not hidden as much as he had wanted.

“When the bully comes….”

longing.

The compulsion not to love.

“What should I do…?”

resentment.

“I told that to the principal.”

* * *

Hong Seok-young started with nothing. He was born with nothing in his hands, started with nothing, and eventually got everything he wanted.

Power and authority. Fame. Honor.

family.

My beloved wife and son. My adopted son. Even my disciple who was like a daughter to me.

But there is something that Hong Seok-young never had.

When a child from an orphanage grows up and becomes successful, his or her biological parents show up and ask for money.

… there is also a story like that. In reality, there were quite a few cases like that.

Hong Seok-young didn’t have that. That might be a good thing. However, my father, who didn’t know his parents’ faces and didn’t receive care from his older brother or adoptive father like me, wanted to confirm the person who gave birth to him.

Hong Seok-young lived a life that most people would envy.

However, although Hong Seok-young was a great father to me, my sister, and my deceased son, he never once became anyone’s son.

What you can say as a parent and what you can say as a child are different.

“Hmph.”

Eventually, Seo Han-seong started crying while speaking.

I gave up. Rather, Seo Han-seong can cry more than the other kids. He deserves it. Let’s see. Is the youngest of the Jaebyeol family the most ordinary past among the students in this school?

“I’m sorry, sir.”

“No… Are you calm?”

“yes.”

Seo Han-seong nodded with his eyes wide open.

Even though he did not agree with what Mr. Seo and Mr. Im were doing and passed on the information, Seo Han-seong missed his parents. Even such people are proof that they loved their children.

They are different from my parents. But I thought of my older brother, not my biological parents.

To some, my brother is a vicious criminal like Mr. Seo and Mr. Lim. But to me… .

“Ugh.”

Seo Han-seong blew his nose into a tissue.

“So… you wanted to join the association?”

“… Yes. I heard that you originally went undercover in a place like that, teacher. So you said there was no record of you as a hunter.”

“what.”

I shrugged.

Well, I don’t know about other kids, but with this kind of background, Seo Han-seong would have noticed right away that my background was strange.

One day, someone suddenly appeared who was suspiciously skilled… What rank did I start with? Was it D-rank? A skilled hunter? That’s ridiculous.

“You can be honest.”

“…yes?!”

Seo Han-seong looked at me with surprise.

“If you tell me honestly, I can give you the right advice.”

“… … .”

Seo Han-seong bit his lip. As expected, they are children. Their true feelings are easily revealed.

Couldn’t my father have just started them off at school with some ordinary kids? I know they’re surprisingly gentle and kind, but isn’t that how they all grow up?

Sisters Yoo Hye-eun and Yoo Ji-eun also seem to have complicated family backgrounds. Soon-sun Jin and Lee Seung-yeon… rather than family problems, their backgrounds are unusual. Han Eun-young has problems with her family members.

Hope is only for Jinwoo Choi. I don’t think Jinwoo Choi will suddenly bring up a headache-inducing story here.

“Because your parents… Mr. Seo and Mr. Lim are criminals? Do you want to atone for that?”

“yes.”

“No, that’s not true.”

“… … .”

Saying that he is a quiet and mature child on the outside means that he thinks a lot. And Seo Han-seong is also a hunter.

Haven’t I said it over and over again?

When a hunter thinks a lot, he comes to a strange conclusion.

Fortunately, Seo Han-seong opened his mouth quickly. He must have already made up his mind when he came to me.

“We have to catch the criminal.”

“why?”

“Because then I will become a righteous person.”

ah.

A strange thing came out.

Look, I told you not to think too much.

“That might mean not having to catch the criminal.”

“no!”

Seo Han-seong vehemently denied what I said.

“It can’t be a petty crime!!”

Seo Han-seong’s eyes roll around.

“Why not?”

“I have to catch people like Mom and Dad. That way I can!”

An explosive energy emanated from Seo Han-seong. It was a violent, unrefined magical power that could make him take a defensive stance in an instant.

Look at this guy?

It was to the point where one could suspect that Hong Seok-young had picked it up not to protect Seo Han-seong, but because he felt it was a precious gem that would be wasted.

“그래야 엄마 아빠를 잡아넣은 개새끼가 아니라 범죄자를 잡아넣은 사람이 될 수 있다고요!!”

BANG!!

The table in the consulting room was smashed. I looked at the floor with regretful eyes as it was broken. It hadn’t been used for long. Who should I talk to if I want it repaired? Yiseon?

Squeak.

Even the windows start to creak. It’s a pain to clean them when they break. I sighed.

Puberty is never easy.

Fantasy, contemporary,