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201 - Epilogue

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Five years had passed.

[The hero who succeeded the Great Hero Sword King of Korea, the Sword Saint, has captured and arrested the newly formed villain organization Valont…]

[The new sage of Britain has developed a new magic, the four-element combination magic, which has gained new attention in the magic world…]

[The American hero, the Spear Hero, successfully conquered an extinction-level worst-grade dungeon this afternoon…]

[The Rune Mage has discovered new ruins and a new language, along with…]

“......”

“......”

While the others were making various achievements, an uncomfortable silence filled Hajoon\'s house.

The people gathered there were the heads of the hero associations of each country, but they could only kneel politely and sweat nervously in front of a single boy.

It was none other than the hero standing before them.

“I’m retiring.”

“......”

“......”

“......”

The strongest hero of the present day had spoken.

The presidents of the American, Korean, and British associations were all shocked, their mouths agape.

He had just graduated from the academy, at the age of 25, the prime age to bloom as a hero.

Though he had made unimaginable achievements before, and his activities had decreased lately, who could have imagined he was planning to retire?

The hero association presidents, who thought his legend was just beginning, snapped out of their daze and hurriedly asked.

“But why…?”

“What’s the reason?”

“Hero, did we do something wrong?”

While everyone was stunned by his retirement announcement, Hajoon shook his head at Kim Jeongyong\'s question and made an astounding statement.

“Come on, what could you have done wrong?”

“Then why…?”

“I never intended to become a hero in the first place.”

“““?!”””

What kind of nonsense was this?

Honestly, they would have preferred it if they had done something wrong.

At least then, they could apologize and make amends, but to hear that he never intended to be a hero...

“But why are you doing this?”

“Just tell us what we did wrong.”

The American and British presidents, who had rushed to Korea after receiving Kim Jeongyong’s message about Hajoon\'s retirement, were thinking the same thing.

Given how much Hajoon had cooperated with them, they could foresee the huge impact his retirement would have.

Moreover...

‘Surely, if it’s him...’

Andre, the American president, who had seen Hajoon often, suspected that when Hajoon said retirement, he meant completely leaving the industry.

Normally, even if a great hero retired, they could still call for help in emergencies, but Andre, knowing Hajoon, felt his retirement meant he would wash his hands of anything related to heroes.

With the disappearance of major villain organizations and the rise of new ones, the news of his retirement would likely embolden these new villain groups to surface.

The loss of such a deterrent could have serious consequences, so Andre urgently asked.

“Can’t you reconsider?”

Andre asked Hajoon earnestly, with a troubled expression.

Of course, Hajoon understood why they were so desperate to stop his retirement.

But honestly, he wasn’t too worried.

Hajoon replied.

“Even without me, there won’t be any major problems, right?”

“No, that’s not true.”

“Look, there’s a new Sword King in Korea. A sage in Britain, and a mythical artifact user in America. What’s the problem?”

“““......”””

At Hajoon\'s words, everyone fell silent, at a loss for words.

Certainly, those three were widely recognized in their respective countries as symbols of future peace.

Despite Hajoon\'s reduced activity, the villain crime rate had not significantly increased, thanks to those three.

“Because of them, I don\'t feel the need to work.”

“But oppa.”

“Yeah?”

It was then.

Elaine, who had been quietly listening from behind, looked at her brother with a disdainful expression.

Elaine sighed, shaking her head, and spoke up.

“You\'re just quitting because you\'re too lazy to work.”

“…….”

She had hit the nail on the head.

“Because you think you have enough money to play and live comfortably for the rest of your life, right?”

“…….”

She was absolutely right.

Honestly, Hajoon felt no need to work because he had saved enough money.

But saying that in front of the association presidents made the situation awkward.

Hajoon slowly turned his head back to the presidents.

They were glaring at him with disapproval.

They seemed like they had a lot to say (complaints), but were holding back because it was Hajoon.

To smooth over the situation, Hajoon shamelessly made an excuse.

“Sis, do you really think that\'s the case? I\'m quitting because I trust them to take over.”

“Liar! You were just planning to take a year off to relax!”

“Hmm… Well, since I\'ve been resting for five years, I might as well keep resting, right?”

“Hey!”

Elaine shouted at him.

In fact, Hajoon had spent the last five years doing nothing significant and just resting.

For the past five years, he had been lazing around, playing games, and watching TV.

Elaine was already fed up with Hajoon\'s behavior.

How could someone laze around at home for five years?

Was he a mushroom?

“Anyway, just go out, oppa! You\'re going to grow mold on your body!”

At Elaine\'s scolding, the presidents sitting in front of them brightened up and supported her.

Hajoon sighed helplessly.

Considering that he had been lounging around for five years, he understood why she was scolding him. With that thought, he stood up.

“Ugh… So, is there something for me to do?”

“Does that mean the retirement is...?”

“Postponed, I guess.”

At those words, the presidents simultaneously sighed in relief.

President Kim Jeongyong looked at Hajoon again and spoke.

“There isn\'t anything urgent right now, but… Ah! The Rokia Academy has been looking for you, Student Hajoon.”

“I think I refused that yesterday, didn\'t I?”

What was it again? They asked for something like an instructor, I think.

He remembered declining it with the excuse of being busy.

In response, President Kim Jeongyong continued.

“You declined, but Sage Choi Joongwon seemed disappointed.”

“Hmm… I don\'t particularly mind, is it okay?”

Hajoon was asking if there was anything more urgent.

President Kim Jeongyong shook his head and continued.

“Our worst-case scenario is the absence of the hero. It would be enough if you occasionally showed the public that you are still active.”

Hajoon roughly understood what he meant.

In other words, because he had been inactive for the past five years, the citizens were anxious, so he needed to show them that he was still around.

Well, could he do it as if he were taking a walk?

“So, I just need to go to the academy and do something like an instructor, right?”

“Instructor?”

“I think that\'s what they asked for.”

“Ah! It seems there\'s been some confusion.”

With those words, Kim Jeongyong smiled kindly and continued.

“What the academy requested was to accompany the students on a field study as their sidekick.”

“A sidekick?”

He remembered.

It must be the field study he did in his first year.

Hajoon nodded and immediately prepared to go to the academy.

At that moment, the presidents who had followed him out of the house spoke.

“Then we will be going now.”

“We also have urgent matters to attend to.”

It was surprising that such important figures had come just because he was retiring.

Well, to be exact, they had come because President Kim Jeongyong had requested their help.

Anyway, after sending off the American and British hero association presidents, Hajoon looked at Kim Jeongyong.

Kim Jeongyong looked at Hajoon and spoke.

“I\'ll give you a ride. Please get in.”

“Sure.”

He could have taken a gate to get there instantly, but since it had been a while since he\'d been outside, Hajoon decided to ride with President Kim Jeongyong and take in the surroundings.

“Have a safe trip, oppa!”

With Elaine seeing him off, Hajoon got into President Kim Jeongyong\'s car and headed to the academy.

As they drove, President Kim Jeongyong spoke to Hajoon.

“Oh, by the way, did you know, Hero Hajoon?”

“Pardon? About what?”

“It seems you haven\'t heard the news yet.”

With a kind smile, he continued.

“The heroes invited to this sidekick field study are people you know well.”

“People I know?”

“Yes, this sidekick field study is a bit special.”

Rokia Academy\'s special class.

While all the students were preparing to leave for their sidekick field study, a girl entered the faculty office.

Her name was Han Ari.

As the top freshman of Rokia Academy, she was the number one candidate for this sidekick field study.

Han Ari faced her homeroom instructor, Instructor Han Eeseul, with a face full of anticipation and spoke.

“Instructor, has he… arrived?”

Instructor Han Eeseul, with a slightly apologetic look, hesitated before speaking.

“You said you wanted to be the sidekick of the Sword Saint, right?”

“Yes!”

“But unfortunately, you were not selected by the Sword Saint.”

“...Really?”

Han Ari looked visibly deflated at those words.

She had been eagerly anticipating it, but not being selected was a big letdown.

During the nomination period, many heroes from various guilds had selected her, but the one she wanted the most, the Sword Saint, had not.

She had waited until the last day just in case, but...

Seeing her disappointed face, Instructor Han Eeseul spoke.

“It\'s really strange... that no one nominated you for this sidekick field study.”

That ‘no one’ referred to the four heroes who had excelled in the golden generation of Rokia Academy.

The Sword Saint, the Sage, the Spear Hero, and the Rune Mage.

This made the current sidekick field study of Rokia Academy special.

For some reason, these heroes who had experienced the colossal dimensional dungeon a few years ago and were now active worldwide had collectively supported the sidekick program.

‘Still, I never expected not to be nominated by even one of them...’

Lee Jooah, a disciple of the Divine Master.

Lee Joohee, active in the field.

Even those kids had not nominated her.

At this point, Instructor Han Eeseul couldn\'t help but feel suspicious.

“Did you do something to make them dislike you?”

“What?! There\'s no way! I\'ve never even met them!”

“Hmph- Anyway, today is the last day, so there\'s no choice. You\'ll have to select from the guilds that did nominate you.”

Han Ari, with teary eyes, looked even more dejected at those words.

Instructor Han Eeseul also felt pity for his outstanding student being treated this way.

At that moment.

The door to the faculty office opened, and a young man walked in.

He was wearing a white short-sleeved T-shirt and black shorts.

At first glance, the young man appeared quite shabby, but Instructor Han Eeseul could never forget his face.

“You...?!”

“Oh, it\'s been a while, Instructor. How have you been?”

At the sight of the famously composed Instructor Han Eeseul visibly shocked, Han Ari slowly raised her bowed head.

Seeing the young man, Han Ari tilted her head in confusion.

Who is he?

“What brings you here?”

“The principal asked me to help with this sidekick field study.”

“Huh, after being holed up at home for five years, you finally decided to come out?”

Instructor Han Eeseul felt a sense of delight at seeing his student after a long time and smiled.

The young man also smiled at Instructor Han Eeseul and then looked at the girl in front of him.

“Is she the academy’s top student?”

“Yes.”

“That\'s strange. She\'s the top student, yet none of those four nominated her?”

“Indeed... wait.”

At that moment, Instructor Han Eeseul finally understood why none of the four had nominated Han Ari.

Realizing the reason, Instructor Han Eeseul chuckled to himself.

‘So that\'s what it was.’

Indeed, there was no hero more suitable to train Han Ari than this young man.

“If no one has nominated her, can I take her?”

“Of course.”

Instructor Han Eeseul nodded readily.

Still not understanding the situation, Han Ari looked at the young man with a bewildered expression.

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