My Students Regret It After I Retired

55 – One Death

A deep conflict washed over Syrna’s face. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go to Leos. It was that she knew too well that going to him wouldn’t change anything.

“Enas…a lot of time has already passed.”

“I know.”

“Leos is avoiding us. He’s even changed his Distance ID. I heard he even denied it was him when someone from InterRunner contacted him.”

“I know…”

“You know why he’s doing that, right?”

“Yeah…he must be disappointed in us.”

“He must be really disappointed in us for not even sending a petition or a single message back then. And he spent over three years alone, getting hammered by public opinion. Even if we contact him now, it might only make things worse for him.”

“I tried to contact him… but Rek blocked me.”

“In the end, you didn’t contact him, did you? Isn’t that what matters?”

Sirna patted Enas’s back, her expression somber.

“Enas. I miss Leos-nim so much too. I want to go and apologize right this instant. But what would he feel if he saw us? Wouldn’t just seeing us bring back all that disappointment and those memories? In the public eye, and in court, they focused on how he didn’t even have a single petition from his colleagues… they drove Leos-nim into a corner… In a way… we’re accomplices too.”

Enas spoke, tears streaming down her face.

“Then what do we do… I miss Leos-nim…”

“We have to endure it. We have to bear it. At least, if we truly care about him, the best thing is to stay out of his sight.”

“But I don’t think I can. I want to at least apologize. Leaving it like this is nothing but running away.”

“That’s just your selfishness.”

“It’s just doing the bare minimum. It’s just fixing what’s been twisted.”

“…”

Sirna looked at her with pity, then nodded and said,

“Go if you want, Enas. But one thing is certain, for Leos-nim, we aren’t the precious disciples we used to be.”

If only they could go back. Due to various circumstances, they couldn’t be there to cheer and support him. The fact that these things just looked like excuses was excruciating for Enas.

Even she herself was lost and confused.

Her head was spinning. Nausea surged within her. In this situation with no apparent solution, the thought of having to watch Leos from afar for the rest of her life drained all the strength from her body.

They believed him, but also doubted him, even just a little. They wanted to visit, but ultimately didn’t, blaming the circumstances.

More than anything…

[LEO]

[Title: 3 Essential Rules to Follow in a Safe Zone.]

[Body: Do not pillage from others. Do not kill anyone. If a conflict arises, resolve it on your own.]

What tormented Enas more than anything was that Leos was within reach.

Just a few taps on the Distance terminal, and she could contact Leos. She could comment, write, make her presence known. But she knew she couldn’t, shouldn’t, because her existence was a pain to him. So Enas deleted, and typed, over and over.

Enas pulled the dagger Leos had given her from her pocket.

[For Enas, who will become an excellent Gatekeeper]

A gift from Leos upon her induction as Chief Gatekeeper, a dagger too precious to have ever used in combat. It was the only thing left to remember Leos by.

Enas turned it over in her hands, then checked her inrunner, and started walking toward the Red Gate vortex.

“Enas…”

“Don’t stop me, Sirna. I’ve made up my mind. Whatever happens, I’m going to explain things to Leos. It’s okay if he hates me, if he yells, if he’s angry. I at least need to apologize. In person.”

“That’s not it, Enas.”

Sirna called to Enas with a troubled look, and Enas turned to see what was the matter. Sirna showed her his Distance, speaking.

“A summons…it’s come…”

[Sender: Keltazar]

[Message: All Gate Management personnel are to assemble at the Palace. Failure to comply will be considered treason and result in summary execution.]

The message was brief, but it stopped Enas in her tracks.

“We have to go.”

“But…”

“Later… I’ll find him later. We have to go now, Enas.”

Enas stood frozen, and Kozarik, beside her, finally snapped.

“Enas, are you fucking crazy? If we don’t go back now, not only will you die, but we’ll all get wiped out for not keeping you under control.”

Rek added his voice.

“Enas. Calm down and do what you need to do. Focus on your role and mission.”

Enas finally tucked the dagger into her clothes, her head bowed, whispering.

“Okay… Let’s go for now.”

She stared blankly at the post Leos had made, muttering to herself.

“I’ll… I’ll be back soon, Leos-nim.”

*

Leos periodically created safe zones. He sealed off all the upper-level Red Gates and expanded their foothold. As a result, a safe zone with a radius of over 10 kilometers was formed.

Day by day, people confirmed that this place was indeed safe. They brought wood and straw to create living spaces, and some even used artifacts to build houses.

In a short amount of time, an area resembling a village formed, and their own rules and regulations arose. Of course, these rules were all based on what Leos had said in the Interrunner.

Above all, the most important unwritten rule was to not cause trouble within the zone.

“Hey, that’s mine, you know?”

“What are you talking about! I was about to grab it first! There’s plenty of firewood around, so just go get something else!”

“You son of a b*tch, you wanna go right now—”

Someone would raise their voice and get ready to fight, but as soon as Leos passed by, they’d shut their mouths and end the dispute.

“Haha…take it…take it.”

“No, no. You take it; I can just cut something else.”

Leos hadn’t intimidated them with force. It was just that the people in the safe zone tried their best not to appear ‘evil’ in front of Leos.

The way Leos had behaved up to this point was that he was utterly merciless towards those deemed evil.

Naturally, he would shatter the limbs of monsters, the core of evil, and kill them. And the looters and riffraff who sometimes charged at him would die more horribly than the monsters, at the mercy of Leos’s chain blade.

The common thread among those who died was that they had tried to kill or plunder.

“Haha…I guess I’ll be heading back now. I hope happiness fills your day.”

“Y-you too…”

And so, people were incredibly careful not to take anything. Of course, they didn’t think badly of Leos while doing so.

-Thud-

Leos tossed two hunks of meat onto the ground. And left without a word.

“W-what luck! Meat…it’s a Hedelake’s leg!”

“L-let’s share it, since there’s two.”

Among the monsters, there were some that had exceptionally good textures, and the Hedelake was one of them. Leos could catch them effortlessly, but they were extremely difficult for ordinary people to kill. In a place like this with no food, a chunk of Hedelake meat was considered a great delicacy.

As they each held a Hedelake leg, one or two people started to trickle in from around them.

The two men panicked and waved their hands.

“Leos-nim threw it near us.”

At just that one sentence, those who had gathered scattered as if they’d seen a ghost. Of course, no one dared to ask why only they had received it.

Leos showed mercy, but did not engage with them. Therefore, they feared Leos, yet were also grateful to him; received his help, but desired nothing more. Leos’s help was a one-way offering. They knew it too. That if they crossed the line, their space would vanish.

The people in the safe zone were growing more and more used to this order.

To them, Leos was someone frightening, but also their most reliable ally.

“Leos, where did the Hedelake leg go? I gave it to you because it’s the tastiest part.”

Lacart asked, and Leos replied without emotion.

“I was full so I gave it to someone else.”

“He really is an unusual one.”

Lacart asked, tearing off a piece of meat.

“Leos, you don’t have to go out of your way to help those b*stards. Just making a safe zone is an act of incredible charity as it is. Think about it. In this world, to offer a place safe from monsters, for free. Most people would charge a fortune or at least extort labor.”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

“Do you still have those old memories?”

“…”

Leos’ face twisted, and Lacarte waved his hand, apologizing.

“I didn’t mean it in a bad way. I was just asking if you still remember that time when you used to care about people. I looked into your past actions. You went into countless deadly situations for the sake of the Empire’s people, and for your fellow Gatekeepers. That’s not something you can do just for money or fame. You need a sense of duty. And not just a simple sense of duty, but an immense…”

“That’s in the past. And I don’t pity or feel sorry for them. I don’t have any desire to help.”

“Don’t give your heart to strangers. The more people you have to protect, the harder it becomes to get revenge.”

Heresia, who had been listening to their conversation, fidgeted and shoved a hunk of Hedileik meat into Leos’ mouth.

“L…Leos-nim! You must be hungry! Please try this!”

Leos, who she thought would resist, surprisingly accepted it readily, and Heresia stared blankly before grinning.

“Is it good? Should I feed you some more?”

“That’s enough.”

As Leos chewed the Hedileik meat, Pharon approached Lacarte and whispered something.

“Really? Is that solid intel?”

“Yes, Lacarte-nim. It’s information we just obtained.”

Hearing their whispers, Leos asked.

“What is it?”

“Gate Management Headquarters personnel.”

“…?”

Lakart spoke slowly.

“They say your former disciples, by Keltazar’s order, have returned to the palace.”

And the man added a shocking statement.

“And just now, one of them was reportedly killed by Keltazar.”