[Proper Beef Intestines]
A worn signboard that looked older than I was.
CREEEAK—
Director Jeong Seungil opened the door, which seemed to bear the full weight of time.
“Please come in.”
“Ah. Yes.”
His voice was high and clear.
It did not suit his lean build and sharp appearance at all.
【Who is this person?】
“Director Jeong Seungil.”
The only SS-rank Hunter in Korea.
One of the heroes of the Great Cataclysm.
A man called a pillar of Korean public security.
I was actually meeting someone who regularly appeared in questions about the Great Cataclysm in modern history classes.
I was utterly bewildered.
【It seems this world has powerful people after all.】
Oh.
So even the greatest swordsman on the continent acknowledged his strength?
It was the first reaction of its kind I had seen from Sir Isra.
For some reason, I felt proud.
How strong was the Director by Sir Isra’s standards?
【He would be at the level of a Royal Knight.】
What was that?
【They are an Imperial Knight Order composed only of exceptional Knight Order members.】
Oh.
Then that meant he was at the highest level.
【Though he would not match me at my peak.】
Yes, yes.
Of course.
You were truly extraordinary.
“Do you dislike beef intestines?”
“Ah, no. I would eat them every day if I could.”
Oh no.
I had been chatting for too long.
Fortunately, I had been speaking only in my mind.
If I had said it aloud, I would have looked strange.
“It seems you were talking to your summoned creature.”
Ah.
It must have been obvious.
“Yes. It said you looked strong, Director.”
“It is nothing remarkable.”
Hm.
That was excessive humility.
He was always considered one of the strongest Hunters in Korea.
SIZZLE—
The intestines placed on the heated grill cooked to a golden brown.
Their savory aroma filled my nose.
But did beef intestines matter right now?
Korea’s strongest Hunter was sitting in front of me.
I was sharing a table with a living legend. There was no way I could appreciate the taste of beef intestines……
Chew, chew.
“This is delicious?”
Of course I could taste it.
What was this?
This flavor was divine.
“That is why I cannot stop coming here.”
“Wow. I think I will need to come again.”
Perhaps because I had been busy since morning.
I could not stop moving my chopsticks.
Once I had eaten enough, my senses finally returned.
“Ah. I am embarrassed to eat like this in front of you, Director.”
“I am glad you are enjoying it. That makes it worthwhile.”
“It is a place I would like to recommend to my friends.”
【My lord, you had friends?】
Quiet.
Once I put down my chopsticks, Director Jeong Seungil’s eyes changed.
“Thank you for accepting my invitation to eat despite my sudden visit.”
“Ah. Yes.”
“I believe you can guess why I asked to meet you.”
“A recruitment offer?”
“That is correct.”
He wanted me to join the Rift Management Agency’s Response Bureau.
Director Jeong Seungil calmly listed the conditions.
Honestly, they were terrible.
The annual salary was about what I could earn by clearing two Gates.
And after clearing Gates, I would have to surrender 50% of my proceeds to the government.
The average Guild commission was 10%.
This was five times as much.
Still.
How was I supposed to refuse?
He was one of Korea’s strongest Hunters.
Rejecting him directly to his face felt burdensome.
“You must think the conditions are quite poor.”
“Ah, that……”
“I think so too.”
Director Jeong Seungil drank a glass of soju.
When had he brought alcohol over?
【When you were concentrating on your food.】
As expected of an SS-rank Hunter.
His movements had been so quick that even Heavenly Martial Physique had failed to notice them.
【You would have noticed easily if you had not been so absorbed in eating.】
Shh.
Stop that.
“This is how government organizations are. They always say that if you are devoting yourself to the country, what more could you expect?”
“You are one of the high-ranking officials in that organization.”
“Hahaha. It is right for me to work out of patriotism.”
The Hunters representing Korea’s Five Major Guilds were S+ rank.
SS and S+ were only one rank apart.
But the actual difference in combat power was said to be enormous.
I had heard that it took two S+ Hunters working together to gain even a slight advantage over him.
A man capable of building the largest Guild in Korea if he wished laughed casually.
“Hunter Park Minho does not seem like someone I can persuade through patriotism.”
When you put it that directly, I felt a little guilty.
I silently confirmed it, and Director Jeong Seungil continued.
“Before long, there will be a restructuring of the Response Bureau—no, the Rift Management Agency.”
“A restructuring?”
“Something where you remain affiliated with an outside organization while also participating in the Rift Management Agency’s work.”
In other words.
It would be dual affiliation.
“It would be a contract in the form of cooperation. When the Agency sends an official request for assistance, you would help.”
“Like a mercenary.”
—No commission fees.
—Tax deduction benefits apply.
—You must participate in Gate clears when an official request for assistance is issued.
—Requests may be declined. However, once per quarter, you must clear one designated Gate.
“The details may change, but that is the general framework.”
The conditions were quite flexible.
There was little coercion.
And the benefits were substantial.
Still, one question came to mind.
“May I ask why you are telling me this?”
If someone could participate even while affiliated with a Guild.
There was no need to take time to tell me personally. He could have offered it after the system officially launched.
“You have the greatest stake in the creation of this system, Hunter Park.”
“Me?”
“It has been a long time since an S-rank advancement recipient appeared in Korea. Thanks to you, it became easier to push this through.”
Ah.
I understood.
After he explained the new system, we did not speak much more.
I had already eaten enough.
“I will drive you home.”
“No, thank you. I will take public transportation to digest the meal.”
Well.
He already knew my address from my Hunter registration card.
But driving me home was another matter entirely.
My mental state was already in tatters from sharing a meal with one of Korea’s heroes.
“Then I will be on my way.”
Just as I bowed and turned to leave—
“Hunter Park will become a good Hunter.”
“Thank you.”
“I wish you success.”
Director Jeong Seungil held out his hand.
The many wrinkles on it showed the traces of time.
Without hesitation, I shook his hand.
***
The luxury sedan emerged from the shabby alley and merged onto a main road.
Sitting in the back seat, Director Jeong Seungil looked out the window.
“Was Hunter Park Minho a decent person?”
“He was a sound young man.”
“It has been a long time since you gave someone such a positive assessment, Director.”
Manager Jeong, a Response Bureau official, responded.
“What do you mean, a long time?”
“Have you not rarely considered new recruits in the Response Bureau satisfactory?”
“I merely spoke the truth.”
Even while using polite speech toward the other person.
Jeong Seungil’s evaluations remained cold and direct.
“You have always been so sharp.”
“A public servant should be.”
“What did you like about that young man?”
“His talent, effort, and character.”
Manager Jeong, who was driving, turned his head slightly.
“Would that not make him a complete prodigy?”
He was genuinely surprised.
It had been more than twenty years since he joined the Response Bureau and began working under Director Jeong Seungil.
Even Manager Jeong had never heard him praise someone so highly.
“Talent was expected, considering he received an S-rank evaluation. But that young man also works diligently, and even his character……”
“I saw calluses on his hands.”
“Calluses?”
“They were the hands of someone who hammered, carved, and handled things.”
A class shrouded in mystery.
According to the employee responsible for Deep Swamp, it was likely a summoning-type class.
Yet Minho gave off the impression of someone in a crafting profession.
Or perhaps it was both.
Through several pieces of information obtained beforehand and their conversation, Director Jeong Seungil had grasped a considerable amount about Minho.
“I did not expect his character to receive a passing mark too.”
“He seeks his own interests, but not excessively. He does not seem like someone who would harm others.”
It was not because he was naïve.
His own value.
His conduct reflected an awareness of his future.
And yet, he did not become excessively greedy.
That was why Director Jeong Seungil had given him such a favorable evaluation.
“Patriotism did not work, did it?”
“Did you ask that without expecting the answer?”
“I thought there was a chance.”
The offer to join the Rift Management Agency had been cleanly refused.
Too much time had passed since the Great Cataclysm.
Working solely out of duty and patriotism had become difficult.
Even Director Jeong Seungil, who still held those values, did not expect young Hunters to share that mindset.
“At least, I do not think we need to worry about him going abroad for the time being.”
“It seems the Special Task Force proposal caught his attention?”
“He was sufficiently interested.”
The true purpose Minho had not noticed.
It had been successful: mentioning the establishment of a Special Task Force to see how interested he would be.
“Recently, the loss of Hunters overseas has become serious.”
“Yes.”
“It has reached the point where the issue is no longer whether they belong to a Guild or the Rift Management Agency.”
The number of Hunters and their combat power were directly tied to a country’s national competitiveness.
There were political intentions behind the creation of the Special Task Force.
“We should continue to watch Hunter Park Minho.”
“Understood.”
They did not even need to recruit him into the Rift Management Agency.
It would be enough to ensure that a Hunter with outstanding ability, a strong will, and good character did not fall apart.
No.
‘Still, it would be nice if he joined the Response Bureau.’
Director Jeong Seungil kept that final thought to himself.
***
“Ughhh.”
Perhaps because I had met someone important without warning.
My sleep had been restless.
【Why are you shuddering like that?】
“I rejected the Director’s offer right in front of him.”
The aftertaste was not pleasant.
【Then why did you not accept the recruitment offer?】
“Ah. I did not want to.”
The pay was low, and the restrictions would increase.
I could accept the high commission fee if I made enough concessions.
But restrictions on my activities were inconvenient, so I could not accept them.
【Are these restrictions what you mean?】
“What?”
【Lounging around in the morning.】
“Could you call it web browsing?”
Anyone listening would think I was unemployed.
Absolutely not.
I was not idling around because I was still sleepy.
I was performing the important task of looking for materials needed to craft new undead.
【Are you trying to improve the Armed Zombie Warrior’s crafting method?】
“First, I am going to make a Skeleton Mage.”
The blueprint for a Skeleton Mage had been engraved in my mind when the skill was upgraded.
I had acquired the most important part, a Mage’s corpse, in Challenge Zone.
Once I obtained a few additional materials.
“Our party will have a ranged attacker too.”
【You should reinforce the Gale Knight Order instead.】
“Now, now. Be patient.”
Did it think researching undead crafting methods was easy?
I had a lot to worry about lately, so I had not even started yet.
A Great Feat was on the line.
I needed to clear an entire day and research it properly.
While searching Hunter Auction for monster byproducts—
【What?!】
Sir Isra’s sudden shout made my head throb.
“What? Why?”
【L-look at this!!】
I could not see what it was looking at.
And I could not tell what it was pointing to.
Calm down and explain it slowly.
【Directly beneath your finger.】
“Ah. The Twelve Heroes’ Weapon Exhibition?”
The Twelve Heroes.
The title given to the twelve Hunters who saved the world from crisis during the Great Cataclysm.
It was an exhibition that honored their noble spirit and achievements.
The legendary weapons they had used at the time were being displayed to the general public.
“I heard it was on a world tour. It is in Korea this time.”
【That sword.】
“Black Knight Gerard’s beloved sword?”
【It is the sword I used in life.】
What?