I’ll Retire After Saving the World

Translator: FenrirTL
Editor: KYSOIWDI
================
[ Chapter 7: Even Falling Backwards (3) ]

The buffalo don’t immediately attack humans. After all, they’re scared of the Minotaur.

But that doesn’t mean they’ll let a human loitering in front of them just pass by. It just means they won’t eat right away, but storing food isn’t a bad idea. The same goes for monsters.

“How about going to the rooftop?” Park Seo-hyun suggested, looking up.

Myeong-dong is an old district. The gaps between buildings aren’t wide. A Hunter could easily cross them, but…

“How do you plan to move forty people? It will take longer.” I shook my head.

“What if the boss catches us on the way? The whole building will collapse.”

If I remembered correctly, there was about an hour left until the boss would be caught.

From here to Seoul City Hall, it was roughly 1km. On a straight road, it wouldn’t take more than 10 minutes under normal circumstances.

“Then… Then…”

I looked sympathetically at Park Seo-hyun, who was struggling to come up with an idea. Compared to the Park Seo-hyun I knew, this seemed like a different person. She was so unfamiliar that it was hard to look at her face.

No, come to think of it, it was almost the first time I had seen Park Seo-hyun’s bare face… She wasn’t gloomy from birth, after all.

“I got it!”

At that moment, the esteemed chaebol grandson raised his hand high.

“It’s the expression my teacher often makes!”

Lee Seung-yeon pointed at my face.

“The answer is already decided, and you’re finding it amusing that we’re spouting nonsense, right!”

Sharp…

All eyes turned to me. I was planning to speak up soon anyway. It was a task that required prior preparation, so there was no time to waste.

“Do you remember what I said about them earlier?”

“……”

How could these so-called Hunters be so inattentive? Even if they lacked experience, this was disappointing. How did the headquarters manage to raise such kids?

None of the five responded.

“Um…”

Instead, the man who had grumbled earlier cautiously raised his hand.

“Didn’t you say they have a good sense of smell?”

“Yes. Though they’re more sensitive to magic power…” I tapped my nose lightly.

“Their sense of smell is extremely sharp. If fresh raw meat passes right in front of them, they won’t miss it. That’s why they keep gathering around this area.”

That was the reason most of the people here had died back then.

In fact, the reason so many monsters had gathered around was partly because I had used Yoo Ji-eun’s sword to prove I was a Hunter earlier. It’s not that I didn’t control my power… But would I have called them sensitive for no reason? It was impossible to avoid detection.

And to be honest, I had intentionally drawn them in. It’s good to be a lifesaver, but if everything is too smooth, people might not realize you saved them. A bit of tension adds good vitality to life.

What does it matter if there are one or ten buffalo? I was going to save them all anyway. It was the bureaucrats who had to worry about the process. Now that the Ability Management Bureau was gone… well.

“So, if you go out unprepared, you’ll end up attracting all the ones wandering around nearby.”

“Ah, this is frustrating! Then what do you suggest we do, Hunter?”

The man slapped his chest as he spoke.

“Didn’t you suggest going to City Hall because you had some kind of plan?!”

So impatient.

I looked at the kids. Oh Hyun-wook uses his fists, and Park Seo-hyun uses magic.

The others…

“What’s your specialty?”

Oh Hyun-wook and Park Seo-hyun answered as I expected.

“I’m a mage too.”

Choi Jin-woo. Mage. But he couldn’t compare to Park Seo-hyun.

“I’m a healer.”

Yoo Hye-eun. A rare healer. Unfortunately, not useful right now.

“I’m a swordsman!”

Lee Seung-yeon… It didn’t matter what he was. His role was already decided.

I marked the route on the map. It led to City Hall.

“We’ll go this way.”

“Hunter…”

“Let me finish explaining.”

I suppressed the complaint that was about to burst out.

“Although their sense of smell is keen, those creatures can’t see well. Their other senses aren’t much better. Being starved, they’ll follow fresh meat instinctively. But…”

Where had I seen this theory? Was it on an overseas Hunter community?

It was a theory that got heavily criticized for requiring an experienced Hunter. No, calling it a theory was probably too much.

“But?”

“Anyway, their primary diet is magic power. If we release a lot of magic power, they will be drawn to it.”

The Hunter who wrote that post could never have imagined his theory would be used during the Myeong-dong Dungeon incident.

“So, I will be the bait.”

“What?”

“Starting from the front of the building, you know the Currency Museum? I will release magic power and circle around from this point… then head towards Namsan.”

I drew the route I would take on the map.

“The area around City Hall will have a defensive line of Hunters… Even if there are a few remaining monsters, here… What building is this?”

“It’s a hotel. Goryeo Hotel.”

A guild staff member quickly answered.

“If we can just reach this area, the Hunters will come to meet us. So you guys go ahead.”

The kids straightened their shoulders when they were mentioned.

“Mages, how fast can you cast shields?”

“Three seconds.”

“Four point two seconds…”

Three seconds and 4.2 seconds. Park Seo-hyun was not inferior even compared to active Hunters twenty years later, and Choi Jin-woo was excellent for his age.

“Oh Hyun-wook will take the lead. Mages will deploy shields from both sides. Even if there are remaining monsters, block them with the shield first, and you finish them off. Aim between the eyebrows. Even if you can’t kill them in one shot, they won’t be able to move.”

Oh Hyun-wook nodded with a determined expression.

“Healer, swordsman. You two will be at the rear. Check and finish off any monsters that fall in front. If they don’t look like they’ll get up, ignore them. I’ll be following anyway.”

I made eye contact with each of them as I spoke. I wasn’t sure if they fully understood.

I clicked my tongue inwardly and addressed the civilians.

“You will follow behind them. Run for your lives.”

“But… if we all move at once, won’t the monsters turn back and see us?”

“They will.”

I nodded.

“Then…?”

“That’s why the next step is important.”

I looked at the two mages.

“Do you know how to draw runes?”

*         *         *

At this point in time, runes were useless.

Perceptions of runes changed six years later when a kind-hearted Archmage from France revealed the Magic Concealment Rune.

“You just have to draw it on your forehead. Since you’re not hunters, you don’t have any magic….”

I asked the civilians.

“If anyone has ever awakened, speak up quickly.”

“…….”

No one answered.

“Oh dear. Mages, you drew that wrong.”

“Ugh….”

“Does this really hide magic?”

Despite my words, Park Seo-hyun and Choi Jin-woo continued to draw runes, but they seemed very doubtful.

Given the status of runes at this time, it couldn’t be helped. I pretended not to notice their looks of suspicion. After all, I had no intention of explaining properly, nor could I.

“Since it’s drawn on your forehead, if it’s magic connected to you, it will conceal the casting but not the casted spell.”

I considered drawing it myself…. But it was troublesome to explain the magic pen. While I could pass off knowing about runes by claiming there was a knowledgeable mage, the magic pen was a tangible object. If they took it apart, they’d immediately realize it was a manufactured product. Explaining it would be very awkward.

Moreover… it’s easier to manage if the kids make mistakes rather than if I do, right?

I shrugged as I watched Park Seo-hyun drawing a rune on Lee Seung-yeon’s forehead. It might cause a bit of trauma, but hunters are meant to grow strong.

Finally, Choi Jin-woo drew a rune on my forehead.

“You know how to activate the rune, right?”

I poked Lee Seung-yeon’s forehead with my finger. It was easy to ruin a rune.

“Touch the rune with a magic-infused hand. Activate it as soon as I leave.”

“Yes!”

“I’ll circle around and pass by here again. Start moving once I’ve gone. I’ll follow behind after sending them off.”

There were still about twenty minutes left until the boss was captured. Although we struggled with drawing the runes, it was enough time.

“Let’s go.”

I took Yoo Ji-eun’s sword, opened the window, and jumped out.

At most, it was a three-story height. I landed softly and silently.

“Grr.”

“It would be better if I had a red cloth to wave.”

I shrugged my shoulders and started to move.

*         *         *

“What is that guy…?”

“Are you curious about that now?”

Oh Hyun-wook looked incredulously at Park Seo-hyun, who was biting her lip.

“N-no…”

Park Seo-hyun lowered her hand that had been touching her forehead. Despite her worries about whether the rune could really produce such unbelievable effects, she couldn’t sense any magic from her friends.

But that didn’t lighten her heart. Lowering her voice as if worried others might hear, Park Seo-hyun asked, “Hyun-wook, what if that guy doesn’t come back?”

Oh Hyun-wook, who had also activated his rune and was lightly stretching, froze for a moment. It was something he had been worried about too.

“To be honest, I’ve never even heard of a rune that can hide magic.”

“Why didn’t you say that earlier?”

“Didn’t you see him?! The principal said never to get close to a hunter holding a weapon!”

That… was true. It was hard to argue with someone walking around with a sword without a sheath.

“He knew about the dungeon boss. He might be one of the hunters who came to raid the boss.”

Choi Jin-woo, who had been listening quietly, chimed in. Park Seo-hyun’s face brightened at his words.

“Oh! Right. That makes sense. He knew unusually detailed information.”

“He might have gotten separated while driving the boss to Namsan.”

“If he fainted there, he’s not a very impressive hunter, is he?”

“It’s a Minotaur. Minotaurs are S-rank. And it’s a dungeon boss, so it might be even stronger.”

Lee Seung-yeon and Yoo Hye-eun joined the conversation.

“Anyway, we have no choice but to trust that guy for now. Whether he comes back or not, it’s true that he took the monsters that were in front of the building away.”

“…That’s true.”

“There was nothing he said that didn’t make sense. It’s probably true that we just need to get to City Hall. There’s no reason for him to deceive us.”

Oh Hyun-wook hid his anxiety and reassured his friends.

“Everyone, keep your wits about you. Got it?”

“Ahem. Excuse me, students.”

The people who were also getting ready to descend the road hesitated and approached the kids.

Oh Hyun-wook took a deep breath. The teacher had said hunters must always maintain their composure.

“Yes, are you all ready?”

“Oh, um… yes. We’ll run as hard as we can, so, ahem. Please take care. Don’t push yourselves too hard, either.”

“We have to give it our all to survive.”

“They’re coming!”

“Everyone, get ready! There won’t be any signal, so follow us as soon as we start moving!”

Oh Hyun-wook headed towards the main entrance of the building with Park Seo-hyun and Choi Jin-woo. From a distance, the hunter recognized the three of them and waved.

“…I forgot to ask his name.”

“Ask him when we get to City Hall.”

Oh Hyun-wook bit his lip nervously.

There were about a hundred monsters in the horde. If that many had broken off from the main group, how many were there originally? Were there any other survivors in Myeong-dong besides themselves?

The man in the lead quickened his pace with a calm expression. He reached the intersection where the people were gathered in one swift movement, then spun his body while dragging the tip of his sword across the ground.

Blue flames danced on the asphalt. The heat was palpable, but the asphalt didn’t melt. How he managed that was a mystery.

The flames created a barrier between the people and the monsters. The man swung his sword again. The flames shifted direction according to his gestures, moving towards Namsan. The fire followed the road.

The man activated his rune and pointed towards City Hall. Oh Hyun-wook hunched forward and ran. Park Seo-hyun and Choi Jin-woo followed, and behind them came forty civilians. Despite the road being a mess, they gritted their teeth and ran.

At the very end of the group were Yoo Hye-eun and Lee Seung-yeon. The man checked to see if the monsters were following the flames.

“…Huh?”

“Seung-yeon?”

Lee Seung-yeon hesitated.

“Grrrr.”

One of the monsters, turning away from the flames, snorted upon seeing Lee Seung-yeon.

Lee Seung-yeon froze in an instant, paralyzed by the monster’s intimidating presence. Yoo Hye-eun called out to her friend in panic.

However, the monster, maintaining its momentum, charged towards the small student.

Whoosh.

“Run!”

“Ah, mister?”

The man stabbed the monster in the neck. The monster was engulfed in blue flames.

The man vigorously rubbed his forehead, erasing the rune.

“Run!”

“Mister!”

The man grabbed the nape of Lee Seung-yeon’s neck and threw him. Reflexively landing safely, Lee Seung-yeon looked up at the man.

His sword was ablaze. He was deliberately unleashing his magic.

Just before being swept away by the horde of monsters, the man looked directly at Lee Seung-yeon and said,

“Run.”