I Will Save the World and Retire Chapter 9

My nose is broken (2)

There are a few things I have learned while working in society, especially as a civil servant at a management office.

Among them, this is what I consider most important.

Let’s not show off. People should not stand out.

So that my title comes before the three letters of my name in the eyes of others.

It wasn’t difficult. Fortunately, there was a person by my side who stood out more than anyone else. The best hunter in Korea, to whom every Korean owes his life.

If I were to say that I was Chief Woo Hee-jae of the Dungeon Strategy Situation Room of the Ability Management Agency, I would likely be called to a hearing on a false day and get robbed. However, if you say that Hong Seok-young, the best hunter in Korea, is an assistant to the director of the Ability Management Agency, doesn’t your impression become blurred?

Most people are so focused on the three letters of the head’s name that they don’t even pay attention to low-ranking civil servants like me.

“… “Who are you?”

And although the meaning may be slightly different, this can be equally applied when conquering a dungeon or breaking a dungeon.

If you work hard and make your name known, your responsibilities will only increase. You can tell just by looking at Yoo Ji-eun. She felt sorry for the bold woman, her team leader, sitting quietly at her desk writing her report. She said it all for no reason.

Of course, I am not part of the strategy team and will never be called to a dungeon, but sometimes, when I lecture during mandatory safety training for awakened people, such guys always pop out one by one.

These guys think they can do anything and run wild without any skills.

It’s okay if you have the skills to do that. Is there anything wrong with having one more manpower to run things? But usually those with loud voices have no skills and no sense of responsibility. He shouts loudly to leave it to himself, but when the situation becomes urgent, he is the first to jump or the first to die.

It would be better if only he died. But those people don’t just kill themselves. Usually the victims are good-hearted veteran hunters who didn’t see the lesser bastards die.

Kim Chae-min also died like that.

“I am a person passing by.”

So, this is undeniably my mistake. It’s like he just asked me to look at him.

It’s like fighting a large monster like the Minotaur is no closer than 1km.

I should have moved farther away.

“A person passing by?”

These words are nothing short of suspicious. I know it well too.

If I had just shut up and gone to city hall, I wouldn’t have encountered this.

And with the person I hate to see the most right now.

“That’s it now… .”

“Kuuuuuuu!!!!”

The Minotaur, who fell at just the right time, waved his arms. Since it has no legs, it cannot stand up, but it is still a threatening movement due to its large size.

I quickly moved and hid behind the hunter holding the spear.

hmm.

It’s a survival instinct, this.

“… Just wait. “Don’t go anywhere.”

“I was passing by. Can’t I just keep passing by? “I won’t disturb you.”

“Don’t talk bullshit.”

Hunter said, lowering his window at an angle.

“I’ll be back soon.”

The general manager, no. There is no management office now.

Twenty years ago, my adoptive father, Hong Seok-young, who was called the strongest hunter in Korea, rushed towards the Minotaur.

Even if you are the best hunter in Korea, you only have one body, so if you want to run away while holding the guy, you can do it.

But one by one, other hunters began to gather around me. They are all outstanding hunters who were called legends.

“… hello.”

I smiled awkwardly.

If I run away from here, will I become nothing more than a wanted criminal?

I have no choice but to simply submit to fate and leave it to the will of heaven.

Since I have already done good deeds, heaven will be on my side.

… maybe.

* * *

“So what’s your name?”

“… … .”

“Uh huh, let’s get along. “Nothing good will come of holding on like this.”

The investigator said, rolling his pen with a sour expression on his face.

Gloomy lighting and gray walls.

An investigator with a sarcastic attitude. Suspect writhing uncomfortably… No, Awakened. It would be unfair to call him a suspect. I didn’t do anything wrong.

Anyway, this is a typical scene in the Awakened Crime Investigation Office.

Except for the fact that the person being interrogated is me, it is also a scene I know all too well. This remains the same even after twenty years. That’s why I said increase the budget.

… Was it me who cut the budget?

Let’s think positively. Somehow it hasn’t gotten worse. Considering the crude awakening laws of this era, this is a good idea.

“What is your resident registration number?”

“… … .”

“Awakened license number?”

“… … .”

I checked the handcuffs on my wrists. The purpose of handcuffs made for awakened people is to block magical power. It’s not difficult to escape at this level of crudeness, but… .

Even if you escape, there is nothing you can do. You’ll be lucky if you don’t become a wanted criminal. I heard it’s tight in this area.

If he was going to be caught like this, he should have been caught when there were other witnesses. If it had been in front of kids from a demonstration high school, the innocent kids wouldn’t have been eager to testify. Then it would be easier to find a way out.

“Isn’t there any good in hiding it? If an awakened person does that, he or she will be punished severely.”

Yoo Ji-eun’s sword was taken away a long time ago. The same goes for other belongings. The magic clock looked like an ugly clock when it was not in operation, so there was no suspicion.

I was able to barely hide my wallet containing my ID card. The same goes for the head’s dog tag. They are still treated as illegal awakeners, so I didn’t want to add the headache of a time traveler.

“Fingerprints aren’t even registered… . Are you Chinese?”

“no.”

“You’re answering this quickly again.”

“… … .”

“Then where are you from?”

“… … .”

“Oh, you don’t want to answer this again? Then just answer this. Why were you in Myeongdong? “Why were you watching the hunters?”

Why? I somehow ended up in the past, and it was fascinating to see dead people running around.

“If you keep being uncooperative like this, what can I do…” .”

Suddenly.

At that time, the interrogation room door opened. A familiar face came inside.

“Hong Hunter!”

The investigator, whose voice was slowly beginning to raise, suddenly stood up. It is a comfortable outfit that does not match the rigid atmosphere of the investigation room.

“Oh, thank you for your hard work. I’ll take care of this guy. “There is something else I need to find out.”

“Is that so?”

I frowned.

The appearance of the head of the headquarters itself is not strange. That person often helped with public affairs, which was unusual for a hunter of that level. There was also a lot of interest in investigating Awakened crimes. Burning down the research center I was in was one of those things.

But it’s strange to intervene like this. The investigator familiarly gave up his seat to the head of the department and left the interrogation room.

“I turned off the camera when I came in.”

“… … .”

“So you can talk comfortably.”

I wasn’t naive enough to take the words ‘take it easy’ at face value.

The head of the headquarters looked into my eyes and laughed. Although he seemed like a nice person… . well.

“Shall we start with the name? “My name is Hong Seok-young.”

The general manager extended his hand to me. These are the rough hands of a veteran hunter.

A year after the lab collapsed. The general manager who came to the orphanage also extended his hand and said hello, just like now.

I saw the hunter in front of me.

The hair is still pitch black. There are no gray hairs to be found. Even though she was a slow-aging hunter, there was nothing she could do about her hair.

Looking at the black hair and the face with fewer wrinkles than I remembered, I realized once again that this place was truly twenty years ago.

The way he takes back the extended hand with a shy smile or the way he scratches the back of his neck is the same as the general manager I know. So, will Director Lee save young Woo Hee-jae a year later?

Two years later, you adopt young Woo Hee-jae?

“… “This is Woo Hee-jae.”

I didn’t hold his outstretched hand, but he said my name.

“Woo Hee-jae? real name?”

“… yes.”

“hmm. okay. “Woo Hee-jae.”

The general manager raised his finger and tapped the table.

He may be a bit young, but no one in this world knows him better than I do. I also saved my student, so I won’t pretend not to know. If we can get through this situation safely.

“Do you know what this is?”

The director took out a piece of paper the size of a business card from his pocket. There is a burn mark at the end.

Still, there is no problem recognizing the picture drawn on paper.

A ship capsized on a cluster of black stars. There is no sail. A rusty sword replaces the place where the mast should be.

Know.

Of course I know.

Because that picture was drawn all over the walls of the lab.

“also.”

The general manager grinned.

I squeezed the area around my eyes. The fatigue I had forgotten came to me late.

You shouldn’t show your cards like this. I don’t know what the opponent’s goal is, so I can’t hide what I have… .

“I heard you turned off the camera. You don’t have to be so nervous. “There is no one in Korea capable of secretly eavesdropping while avoiding my eyes.”

That’s right.

“Let’s talk comfortably. “I was worried about you a lot.”

“… yes?”

why? Worried about me?

Do you know me?

We’ll meet again next year, right?

“If things had worked out as planned, we would have met under much better circumstances… . “There’s no fuss right now because of the Myeongdong dungeon.”

I blinked. It was difficult to follow the director, who was strangely friendly.

“Anyway, I’m glad I was able to get out safely.”

“… “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Uh huh, I heard it’s okay.”

no. I really don’t know.

“I am the teacher Kim was talking about.”

Mr. Kim?

“Mr. Kim… I was worried because I lost contact with you because of that. “Didn’t you agree to help us escape?”

“… … .”

“Just like I heard, blue magic, flames, and even a sword. “I understand you want to be careful, but don’t worry.”

I looked at the drawing on paper again.

Now that I am here, I have no regrets about the research institute. Even though it was an experiment, it was nothing special. All I had to do was take some medicine at the right time. Although the researchers scolded me unnecessarily, there were some people who were nice to me as long as I remained calm.

The kids who had been kidnapped outside were crying loudly saying they wanted to see their mom, but I wasn’t one of them.

By the time I was old enough to feel regret, the entire organization, including the research institute, had already been reorganized. You did your best.

The head of the headquarters did not tell me how he broke into the organization. After entering the management office, I could have looked for it myself, but I didn’t feel like doing it. It’s no fun looking through things that have already been done.

However, just once, the drunk head of the headquarters talked about Mr. Kim along with the names of the dead students from the pilot high school.

‘If Mr. Kim had been safe at that time, we could have saved you and the other children sooner.’

‘Kim?’

‘This is the guy who infiltrated there… . He was excited that he had recruited one from within. After Mr. Kim died suddenly and contact with the insider was lost, we became unaware of the internal situation. That’s why it took longer.’

I know everything there is to know.

“You want to catch them, right? So do i.”

I raised my head.

lucky. The timing worked out well.

It was explained why there was no identity, and after listening to what he said, it seemed like the head of the department would also guarantee his identity.

I don’t know what the insider who was actually related to Mr. Kim is doing now, but seeing as I haven’t heard from him since then, there is a high probability that he died along with Mr. Kim.

After all, I’m from there too, so I’m an insider, right? It’s not even a lie. If you search the magic clock, you will find related information, so there is no problem.

“Because of the Myeongdong dungeon incident, we will be busy cleaning up after the incident for a while. It actually worked out better because I was out of my mind. Even if a hunter suddenly appears, no one will care.”

The head of the department packed up the paper and put it away.

“I prepared your identity here in advance. I only knew him as Mr. Woo, so I gave him a temporary name… . “Can I say Woo Hee-jae?”

“… yes.”

“okay. “You’ll be under me for a while.”

“Is it surveillance?”

“You can think like that. Anyway, I can’t just let you go. I understand?”

The general manager scratched his head and held out his hand to me again.

“Anyway, thank you.”

After hesitating for a moment, I took his hand this time.

Head of department… No, not the general manager or my adoptive father.

Hunter Seokyoung Hong held my hand tightly and shook it.

fantasy, modern,