Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: If We're Doing It, Let's Do It Big!
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Meeting Chairman Han Jae-cheol came together quickly.
And today, out of consideration for us, he'd even come to the Association himself.
For some reason, even though this wasn't an interview, my heart was racing.
"Miss A-yoon, maybe I should've worn something like a suit after all?"
"No, you're fine as you are. Besides, it's them who should be dressing up."
Wasn't that a bit much?
No matter how much they treated me like a precious healer, the head of a massive corporation was on a whole different level.
There was even that half-joking, half-serious saying that if Garam stumbled, Korea would crumble too.
'Whew, calm down. Think like Jin Tae-san.'
Come to think of it, Jin Tae-san was no small fry either.
But because he'd started off so casually, I tended to see him as just the friendly neighborhood uncle type.
Still, why on earth did Han Jae-cheol want to see me?
Was it to recruit me for gate subjugations?
Not long after I waited in a mix of nerves and excitement,
right on the dot at the appointed time, Han Jae-cheol arrived.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Han Jae-cheol."
"Hello, I'm Iroha."
Han Jae-cheol had a stern face that screamed shrewd businessman at first glance.
"You look even younger than I imagined... Heh. I've heard plenty from Minister Jin."
"Yeah... But you wanted to meet me...?"
"That's right. I've been saying it for a while, but the opportunity never came up until now."
Even as he smiled, Han Jae-cheol's eyes remained ice-cold.
After a light greeting, he sat down and pulled out some documents, apparently ready to get straight to business.
"A foundation for orphanages... So you were interested in welfare work like this too?"
"Ah, I've been doing some volunteer work lately."
"I see. As expected from your nickname—such a warm-hearted approach. I'm quite positive about this proposal myself."
"Thank you. Just having your interest means the world to us."
No, money is power.
I just couldn't say that outright for politeness' sake.
"But may this old man ask one thing?"
"Sure? Go ahead."
"Truth be told, with gates making society so unstable overall, spreading resources thin isn't ideal. What does Iroha gain from helping these orphanages? If it's just about helping, donations would be simpler. I'm curious why you're going through a foundation for direct involvement."
Han Jae-cheol's sharp eyes scanned me.
A keen question.
The foundation setup definitely reeked of ulterior motives.
"Hm... People."
"People, you say?"
That's right. What I wanted through the foundation was people.
First and foremost, snagging Min Ji-yeon.
The Federation's manipulation had been exposed quickly not long ago, but they were still holding strong.
The biggest weapons wielded by the two major powers—the Association and the Federation—were healers like me and Chae Jeong-ah.
But what if I could transfer Min Ji-yeon to the Association? I'd be stealing one of their strongest cards.
And since they'd fired the first shot, wasn't it time to hit back?
The Federation was already reeling on their own, but that aside, I wanted the satisfaction of payback with my own hands.
Plus, not just Min Ji-yeon—the orphanage kids would grow up too, and some might awaken as hunters.
Wouldn't they naturally flock to wherever I was? Whether the Association or anywhere else I ended up.
It was a long-term investment.
"People... Yes, the vulnerable are truly in society's blind spots right now."
Han Jae-cheol nodded slowly, his gaze softening just a touch.
"Do you know what Garam's main focus is these days?"
"Mana stone energy development and special military equipment?"
I'd done a little homework.
Especially the mana stone laser gun for gate subjugations—it had that cool sci-fi vibe that caught my eye.
"Correct. Truth is, Garam got into the gate business because of my son."
"...Ah."
"You know, right? My boy awakened as a hunter, then went missing in a gate... That's when we dove into mana stone-based military gear."
Han Jae-cheol's only son, Han Hyo-chang, who once made headlines for awakening as a gold spoon with a summons too.
He'd vanished in a gate subjugation not long after awakening.
"At first, I told him to focus on the family business, but no parent can win against their child... He ended up registering as an official hunter. Said he wanted to be a hero protecting people."
His bitter smile faded wistfully.
"Even that stubborn kid who never smiled much lit up back then—it was a sight to see. Seeing him proud of what I'd built made me realize how little I'd understood him... Now I regret not trying harder to stop him."
Han Jae-cheol stared into the distance, an image flickering in his eyes. I just watched quietly, weighed down by his heavy grief.
"That's why I've been following your activities closely lately, Iroha. Your reckless steps somehow remind me of my boy."
Whoa, that's too much.
Hero? I'd never had such grand intentions. It was just a fluke that got blown out of proportion.
Han Jae-cheol's nostalgic gaze made me uncomfortable.
"People... In the end, that's what matters most. And it's what folks like me, the government, and guilds have overlooked while claiming to care about them."
"No, you're all doing plenty."
Heavenly Flame Guild was, and the Association was fighting hard behind the scenes.
There had to be decent guilds overshadowed by the Federation too.
Above all, if anyone had impure motives, it was me for bringing up the foundation in the first place.
"But you're the only one looking out for the places eyes don't reach—no, the ones deliberately ignored. So, I'll actively cooperate with your proposal."
"Ah, thank you."
I didn't know what to do with his misunderstanding, but I thanked him for Garam's cooperation all the same.
This meant we could help way more orphanages than I'd planned—great news.
"Truth be told, the foundation's already set to collaborate with Seong Ji-na, the office director. I just wanted to meet you out of personal curiosity. Still, talking with you has eased my heart."
"Already...? Thank you for your help, Chairman."
"Heh heh, that smile suits you. My boy used to grin just like that."
His eyes carried a faint sorrow, and before I knew it, words slipped out.
"Um, if you ever need someone to talk to, I can be there... Just call anytime."
"...Thank you. Heh, now I see why Jin Tae-san's so smitten. I nearly called my lawyer to update my will just now."
"Huh?"
Will? Why?
Jin Tae-san was one thing, but elderlies' jokes always had parts I couldn't quite get.
"Never mind. Heh heh, oof. I should get going. Here's my contact. We'll keep in touch with the office director on foundation matters, but call if you need anything else."
"Thank you. And sorry for making you come all this way."
"It's a nice walk. See you next time."
I saw Han Jae-cheol off with his noticeably lighter steps, then sank into the sofa in a daze.
Suddenly, I'd landed a massive backer.
In those viral balance game memes, picking a corporate chairman over an idol must lead to this.
If someone asked if I had good news, obviously yes.
And my choice hadn't been wrong.
Lost in a fluffy haze for a while, I snapped out when Seol A-yoon and Seong Ji-na came in and showed me a tablet.
Garam's huge sum plus my modest contribution to the foundation.
"Is this for real?"
"Yes, a donation from Garam. With this, we can support all the orphanages and the foundation will run itself."
I double-checked the amount at Seong Ji-na's words.
Countless zeros. And a three.
Three hundred billion felt utterly unreal.
The chairman sure didn't hold back.
"But this foundation name...?"
And one more thing.
Wingless Angels.
Next to the WA Foundation name was Min Ji-yeon's foundation listed too.
"We're pushing to absorb and merge Min Ji-yeon's foundation. Same goal, so it's more efficient to manage together."
Smooth operation.
Seong Ji-na was fleshing out a mere concept at lightning speed.
Then I could leave it all to her... I brought up what I'd been mulling over. This part needed their buy-in.
"How about consolidating the orphanages?"
"The orphanages?"
"Easier to protect and manage that way. Put them in a big building with all the facilities they need."
Move them straight to guild territory.
The facilities were so rundown they'd need major renovations anyway—this could be cheaper.
And it'd get them fully out from under guild influence.
Of course, the practical folks would need to crunch the numbers, but it didn't sound bad.
Seong Ji-na started calculating the number of orphanages and kids in Seoul at my suggestion.
Then Seol A-yoon's phone blared.
Her face turned grave as she took the call.
"What happened?"
"Miss Iroha, um... Seoul Hospital sent a rescue request to the Association."
Seoul Hospital?
That was where Seol A-yoon's niece had been hospitalized.
But why there?
"A landslide hit, injuring and trapping a bunch of hikers out for autumn leaves. Rescue teams and medevac choppers are in, but terrain collapse is making it tough... Could you help with the critical patients—?"
"Let's go now."
My body moved on instinct, and Seol A-yoon quickly requested a chopper pickup and followed.
"I'll come with you."
"Roughly how many?"
"Confirmed so far... about 60."
Peak foliage season.
A massive natural disaster that swept up crowds of leaf-peepers.