Kim Mi-Young’s expression clearly meant that she didn’t want me to destroy the youth center. I was sure she was angry as well, but knowing full well that causing chaos wouldn’t solve the real issue here. I could feel like she was trying to hold me back.
‘Well... she’s not wrong.’
There was the question of how I was going to destroy this place, and if I were to suddenly reveal myself here, it'd probably just embarrass her son. The situation was kind of strange.
Considering all these factors, blindly rushing in wasn’t the right move.
‘But can you blame me? It’s annoying.’
The thought that this entire youth center was built because of that kid made the situation almost unbearable for me.
Seeing complete strangers acting like they owned the place was irritating beyond words. However, the emotions I was feeling were a little different from what Kim Mi-Young was most likely feeling at the moment.
I was sure she could only see her child being bullied at school, but in my eyes, it was frustrating that something I built wasn’t fulfilling its purpose at all.
“...”
Meanwhile, Kim Myung-Won grunted and strained just to cast a spell, but it was a pathetic result, most likely due to his low mana reserves. A few seconds later, the fragile light he managed to create exploded with a loud clang. The snickering from all directions was the cherry on top.
“Wow... really?”
“He can’t even cast a single proper barrier spell?”
“He spends ages trying to cast it, and it just falls apart by itself in seconds.”
“The nickname failure really suits him. How has he not improved at all? Even after all this time?”
“The fact that he’s still around proves that he’s completely shameless.”
“Who said you could speak without permission?” Cheon Kwan-Wi suddenly said.
“...”
“What a bunch of idiots. You’re all in the same boat as him, just a bunch of rookies... In my eyes, there’s no difference between Kim Myung-Won and the rest of you. In fact, his fundamentals are a bit better than yours. Instead of wasting time on someone else’s spell, focus on your own spell,” Cheon Kwan-Wi said, criticizing them.
“...”
“Will you still be whining about your comrades’ mana reserves and casting time on the battlefield? Pathetic fools,” Cheon Kwan-Wi added.
“...”
“Kids these days... Whoo... I really shouldn’t say it... No, forget it. Damn it,” Cheon Kwan-Wi mumbled.
“...”
“Good job, Kim Myung-Won. And... next is... Jin Young...” Cheon Kwan-Wi said.
“...”
“...”
“...”
“Jin Young...” he repeated.
“...”
“Actually, you don’t need to demonstrate such a basic spell. You can go back to your seat. You too, Rina,” Cheon Kwan-Wi instructed.
“...”
‘Did he... catch on?’
I hadn’t told him anything, but it seemed like he knew what was going on. There was a hint of myself in Jin Young, but it was amazing how he recognized me at a glance.
Not making a big deal out of it was so typical of Cheon Kwan-Wi. He was certainly quick-witted, and his actions impressed me. I had never been on his bad side, and I never had any interactions with him.
‘He really only said what he wanted to say.’
I considered saying something, but perhaps he didn’t want to get involved, as he announced that class was over and ran out of the room.
I was sure that was the end of today’s scheduled lessons.
Like any other kids, I could see them chatting with their guard down, acting like the long day was finally ending.
“Why didn’t he assign any homework today?”
“I’m not sure... but I’m not complaining. The tournament’s just around the corner...”
Aryl was trying to comfort Kim Myung-Won, who looked clearly exhausted.
The students from the Republic were trailing behind me like ducklings following their mother. The students from the Democratic Country were having a serious conversation, and I had a rough idea of what they were talking about.
I wanted to join in, but unfortunately, I couldn’t do that.
It was because I noticed that Miss Kim Mi-Young was keeping her mouth shut firmly.
I brought Miss Kim Mi-Young here thinking that we’d get to join some exciting adventures inside the youth center, but we ended up facing an unexpected reality.
If I had known that things were like this behind the scenes, I wouldn't have brought her with me. I understood how she felt, but I was worried that she'd say that she wanted to retire to focus on her kids.
‘It’d be nice to have a real heart-to-heart conversation with her over some wine...’
Of course, I waved the little ducklings away.
The important thing now was to talk to Miss Kim Mi-Young about how to handle this situation.
Searching for the rotten members in the Blue Guild and conducting undercover investigations were trivial issues compared to Kim Mi-Young’s retirement, so my priority had changed.
‘Should I offer more money? Maybe a four-day workweek...’
In terms of work, Miss Kim Mi-Young's retirement was more frightening than the retirement of the entire Blue Guild.
A little after the students walked out of the room, Miss Kim Mi-Young finally said, “Sub Guild Master.”
“...”
“I feel like I don't know much about my kids,” Kim Mi-Young said.
‘Please... don’t retire.’
“Miss Kim Mi-Young...” I said.
‘Please... don’t retire. Please stop thinking about it. I’ll take care of Myung-Won, so please...’
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Yes, I’m... fine. I apologize for causing you concern, sir,” Kim Mi-Young answered.
She looked like she was trying to stay calm, but it was clear that she couldn’t stay calm at all. Her mind was clearly broken, and frankly, this was the first time I had seen her like this since we started working together, so I couldn’t get used to it.
“I don’t know what to do... How could something like this happen to Myung-Won? I don’t know how I’m supposed to treat my children now... Have I really been neglecting them all this time?” Kim Mi-Young asked.
“No, it’s completely understandable that he didn’t speak up, and it’s hard for parents to pick up on those things as well,” I answered.
“Pardon?”
“I was bullied a bit as a kid, too, so I think I can somewhat relate. I don’t know if Myung-Won’s going through the same thing I did, but just being ignored and picked on... there’s something about it that’s strangely humiliating,” I explained.
‘Don’t retire.’
“Really? You...” Kim Mi-Young asked.
‘Please.’
“I know I wasn’t the one at fault... I hadn’t done anything wrong, and yet, for some reason, I felt ashamed and couldn’t bring myself to talk about it. I still remember that feeling,” I said.
‘Please don’t retire.’
“How did you...” Kim Mi-Young asked.
“It happened when I was very young, so my memory is a bit hazy. But you had a childhood as well, right? Back then, even the smallest things could feel overwhelming, and school must have felt like your entire world.
"Looking back, it doesn't seem like a big deal now, but kids have their own world, and we, adults, easily forget that and even shrug it all off. However, I believe respecting their feelings and their world is the most important thing to do here,” I explained.
“Then what should I do?” she asked.
I was sure that Miss Kim Mi-Young knew the answer to that question.
“Well, I suppose it depends on the child’s personality... Some kids hope that someone will step in and help, but at the same time, they also want to be able to solve their problems on their own.
"If you intervene in the wrong way, their pride will be wounded. I think Myung-Won’s in a slightly better situation because he has one friend who’s there for him,” I replied.
“Ah! Aryl... She was such a kind girl. Do you think the two of them like each other?” Kim Mi-Young asked.
Kim Mi-Young finally revealed a faint, weary smile. She had to have realized that there were just as many good moments as the bad ones.
‘Honestly, I don’t think it’s as serious as Miss Kim Mi-Young is making it out to be...’
For a brief moment, I felt like perhaps things weren’t as serious as we feared.
From what I saw, her son seemed pretty resilient. He remained focused, casting his spell all the way through, even though people were whispering and laughing at him.
It wasn’t like he was just pretending that he couldn't hear or see them. It looked like he genuinely couldn't care less. Of course, no one could truly know what was going on inside his mind, but people like him were often stronger than they seemed.
Honestly, I felt like he’d make it through without anyone stepping in...
‘But that’s just what I think... and of course, how a mother sees things is bound to be different.’
What mattered most to me wasn’t the boy, but what Miss Kim Mi-Young wanted to do.
“So what do you want to do, Miss Kim Mi-Young?” I asked.
“Pardon?”
“Don’t worry about what others think or how they’ll react. To be honest, the Blue Guild’s Youth Center wasn’t created for the continent; it was made for you... so I can’t say that I’m comfortable knowing that your son is being bullied here...” I explained.
“...”
“We can destroy it. You can assign him a personal tutor. Ha-Yan... might be tough for Myung-Won, so we can leave her out... We could also try asking Miss Jung-Yeon for help. We can expel all the problematic students, and if you’re still dissatisfied, stronger measures can be taken,” I said.
“...”
“...”
Kim Mi-Young remained silent. The thought that the logical Miss Kim Mi-Young was probably thinking about closing the youth center was somewhat surprising.
Soon after, she muttered, “No, I don’t think that would really solve the problem at its core...”
It looked like a clear solution to anyone, but it didn’t seem to be Miss Kim Mi-Young's goal. Since she had gotten younger as well, she seemed to be considering whether it was better to focus on helping him using their social circle.
“I think boosting his magical ability could be helpful. It seems like the biggest issue is being labeled as a failing student. He clearly is talented, but with how things are going in reality... I think he's suffering from some psychological problems, too," Kim Mi-Young said.
“Ah...”
“It’s just a hunch, so no need to be surprised,” Kim Mi-Young commented.
“Myung-Won was casting spells pretty well when he was younger...” I said.
“Really?” Kim Mi-Young asked.
“Yes,” I answered.
‘Or maybe there’s something wrong with his mana circulation.’
I had no idea. Mana circulation failure could occur in many ways. If that were his problem, it'd be easier to fix it than to destroy the youth center. There was also the option of dumping holy power into him.
If it were related to magic, Ha-Yan could easily take care of it.
“He's not experiencing any pain or discomfort, is he?” I asked.
“No, he hasn't been experiencing any of that,” Kim Mi-Young replied.
“I think it's best if we get him examined by a professional. We should call Ha-Yan to take a look at him,” I suggested.
“You really don’t have to do that...” Kim Mi-Young mumbled.
Despite saying that, I was sure she wanted Jung Ha-Yan to take a look at him.
“Anyway, it's clear that there’s a problem... so until then, let’s do whatever we can. You just need to be friends with him...” I instructed.
“Excuse me?” Kim Mi-Young asked.
“As for me... I can... be his rival,” I added.
“Pardon? What do you...”
‘We could whip up a coming-of-age drama just like that.’
It seemed like a good idea to unite the students of the academy with him as the center. He’d go through some crises, have magical duels, and fight villains targeting the academy. He would then get kidnapped during the promotion exam, and the kids would launch their rescue mission without the involvement of any grown-ups.
Cheon Kwan-Wi was correct. Kids these days really ought to experience a real fight.