The Assemblyman's Offer
Word of my ability had spread faster than I'd expected, yet not a single parent took the bait the very next day.
It took three full days before the first nibble came.
What they'd been doing with themselves until now was anyone's guess.
Today was Thursday.
A full week had passed since I'd quit the company.
"Eunyoung. You don't look well."
"Of course I don't... Do you have any idea how busy I've been lately? And now parent consultations on top of everything..."
Dark circles that no Awoken should ever have to wear hung heavy under Hong Eunyoung's eyes.
Had the work I'd piled on her worn her down that much?
"So far, about ten people have confirmed they'll go through with it. Every single one of them applied for Stage Three."
The callers were the parents.
Stage Three meant they intended to spend all three of the base points my ability granted for use on another Awoken.
One point raised mana by one stage, so Stage Three was a full three-stage boost.
Since I couldn't raise Synchronization Rate with minors, that was the hard ceiling.
"All of them Stage Three? That means they're absurdly rich."
"They are. Households that rank among the absolute top in the country."
Even outside our industry, corporations were everywhere, and chaebol families produced Awoken just like anyone else.
My goal wasn't simply money.
Building connections this way was just as critical.
From now on I had to deal with them with the mindset of a CEO running his own company.
"So they're all coming today?"
"Yes. Whether it's a rich-person thing or not, they're all impatient. A few signed up for tomorrow as well."
"Good. And the venue?"
"I reserved a privacy room in the business building. We've still got about an hour."
"Then let's head over early. Shall we meet the students first?"
"What? They're in class right now."
"You have their numbers, don't you? Call them over. Just tell them opportunities like this don't come around often. Skipping a few hours of class will net them far more than they'll lose."
Hong Eunyoung let out a long sigh and did as I said.
I gently stroked her hair.
She grumbles every time, but she really is good at her job.
The moment my hand touched her, she pushed her lips out in a pout, so I pinched them between my fingers.
"Mmmp... mmp!! Ow, that hurts!"
"Sorry."
"You're so mean... Always bullying me."
"If anyone overheard, they'd think I was taking you every single night. Is that what you want?"
"No..."
I watched her summon the kids, then we headed to the business building together.
A discreet room prepared on the first basement level.
A high-security space built for people who wanted to keep their Academy visits completely private.
It sat right next to the underground parking garage, so outside visitors never had to risk being seen by students or school staff.
"Self-introduction?"
"...Third-year B-Class tank-type, Kim Areum."
I shook hands with the students in the order they arrived.
The reason I did this beforehand was to check whether any of them had already hit their potential ceiling.
If I wanted to talk big and walk away with fat stacks of cash, I needed to know my ability would actually work on them.
And one more reason.
I wanted to get a read on these brats' personalities.
I was trash myself, but I had zero interest in boosting the mana of absolute scumbags like Min Hyeokju.
I intended to weed out any kids of that caliber.
"Kyaa—!"
The method was simple.
Strip their mana away.
That would force their true nature into the open.
"M-My mana just suddenly..."
Hong Eunyoung and I simply watched without explaining a thing.
A nineteen-year-old girl fidgeting with the expression of someone who had just lost everything she was.
I feel a little bad, actually.
"H-How did you do that?"
"I heard you had a reputation for being rude, so I reclaimed your mana."
"...I'm sorry. I won't do it again. Please give my mana back."
If she could admit her own lack of manners and promise never to repeat it, she passed.
That level was still within acceptable range.
Six families were scheduled to visit today.
In other words, I was currently testing the true natures of six students.
But one of them was nursing a truly spectacular grudge against me.
What the hell is this kid's problem?
"Aaaargh!! Hah, hah... Fuck... Fuck, fuck. You son of a bitch! What the hell did you just do to me?! Give me my mana back right nowww!"
He roared at the top of his lungs and glared at me like he wanted me dead.
Would you look at this little shit.
I'm not going to eat you, you bastard.
High-schooler with a full-blown case of middle-school syndrome, huh.
"Your name is... Na... Seonghyuk?"
"Fucking give me my mana back!"
Even without a drop of mana in his body, he still had the gall to talk back.
And why does his name have to be so similar to mine? It's pissing me off.
I'd love to just thrash him right now, but his parents will be here soon, so I'll hold back.
Or... should I just leave him permanently mana-castrated?
A lunatic like this becoming an Awoken wouldn't do the country a single bit of good.
I stepped in close.
I wasn't planning to hit him or anything.
I just wanted to see how long that confidence would last once I got in his face.
"Uh, Junghyeok-ssi..."
"Stay out of it, Eunyoung."
"W-What...?"
The moment I closed the distance until my fist could reach him, his thrashing stopped.
Then he started slowly backing away.
Ah, I've seen this type somewhere before.
Déjà vu, probably just déjà vu.
I placed my hand on the crown of his head.
I have to give it back. What choice do I have?
His parents are about to walk in.
"Waaaaah—!"
"Hold still, you little shit. I'm putting your mana back."
"Hah... hah... My mana... Fuuuuck!"
"Ah, for fuck's sake. You rude little bastard. Hey, you. You think you're the only one with a temper?"
Bang—!
I used a sliver of mana and stomped the floor.
Not a single crack appeared in the building itself; only the floor caved in the perfect shape of my footprint.
"Try that same shit when your parents get here. I'll kill you on the spot."
"......"
I felt it every time—these types only shut up once you showed them an overwhelming difference in power.
"Junghyeok-ssi..."
"Ah, it's fine. I just got a little heated."
"That's not what I mean... What are you going to do about the floor?"
"Ah!"
I hurriedly dragged a chair and table over to hide the footprint.
Guests would start arriving any minute now.
Time to manage my expression.
The consultations with the parents went smoothly.
If anyone was surprised, it was me.
There was the owner of a fairly well-known corporation, and even the director of a major hospital.
Looking at it this way, being an Awoken really was a good deal.
Even these rich people were steering their children away from inheriting the family business and onto the path of an Awoken.
Then again, not every Awoken was the same.
If their kids were crawling around at the bottom of the Academy, I'd be the first to tell them to quit.
Still, these people clearly loved their children enough to try solving everything with money.
One billion won for Stage One.
Even for the wealthy, that wasn't an easy sum to hand over on the spot.
But there was salesmanship involved.
Stage Three cost two billion won.
Naturally these people weren't Awoken themselves, so they had to file every tax report down to the last won.
Accepting money carelessly from people like that was a fast way to get burned later.
This time, too, payment came in the form of sponsorships.
"I'll put the sponsorship to good use. Thank you, Areum's father."
"Oh no, we're the ones who should be thanking you. I'd heard the rumors, but your ability truly is astonishing. This is the first time I've seen our child this happy since the day she was declared a Mana Manifestor. I'll have the sponsorship transferred to your account immediately."
"Yes. Once it arrives, I'll proceed with Stages Two and Three first thing tomorrow. Take care on your way out."
Making money is ridiculously easy.
But just how much cash do you need to send two billion won in a single lump sum?
Are hospital directors normally that loaded?
I've got a hundred billion sitting in my account and my hands and feet still shake.
Right now my account held the three billion the Diamond Guild had sent on Monday, plus another three billion earned over Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for restoring mana, plus a total of five billion in sponsorships that had arrived from eleven different companies.
All told, nearly eleven billion won.
Barely a week ago I'd been one step away from going into the red.
You really never know what life is going to throw at you.
"Hoo... Just one left, right?"
"Yes... Only the family of that Na Seonghyuk kid who threw the tantrum earlier."
"Family? So not just one person?"
Almost no personal conversation had taken place; everything had moved at breakneck speed.
Networking, CEO mindset—my ass.
I doubt those people will even remember my name.
I was checking my account on my smartphone and talking with Hong Eunyoung when the final guests suddenly flung the door open and walked in.
Without even waiting for a signal to enter.
Well, everyone had looked busy, so we'd moved quickly, but waiting until the very end must have been pretty tedious.
We were already thirty minutes past the scheduled time.
I'd simply put Na Seonghyuk last because the kid was such a pain in the ass.
Barging in without manners—like father, like son.
Three generations of it, apparently.
"Ah... Hello. Which of you is Na Seonghyuk's father?"
"That would be me. This gentleman is Seonghyuk's grandfather."
"Ah, yes... How is it that even Grandfather came all the way out here..."
Why the hell did the grandfather suddenly show up?
Even if the kid ran and tattled about me roughing him up a little, there shouldn't have been enough time for them to get here.
On top of that, another man in a suit had followed them in.
Father, grandfather, and now an uncle? Did they bring the whole clan?
"Pleasure to meet you. I am Seonghyuk's grandfather."
Looking again, he seemed vaguely familiar.
A bit young to call "Grandpa"... around fifty.
But why was his tone so arrogant?
Hong Eunyoung nudged my side.
I turned and read her mouthed words. What? Assemblyman?
Ah. I remembered.
The National Assembly member whose district covered the Cheonjidong area that had been completely devastated not long ago.
I'd seen him giving interviews on television.
Still, though.
A busy man like him coming all the way to see me?
"Uh, to what do I owe..."
"To what? Ha, are you joking? You made a busy man wait thirty whole minutes."
"Ah, my apologies. That was because..."
"Spare me the useless talk. Let's see that famous ability of yours for ourselves."
"Excuse me?"
"Hurry up!"
Where does this guy get off giving orders?
Who does he think he is?
Just because he's an assemblyman?
From the moment I quit the company, I had decided I would never bow and scrape to anyone again.
"I'm sorry, but I can't do it for free. As I'm sure you've heard, this is a capitalist society, isn't it?"
"You insolent little thief."
"Ah, Father."
"Be quiet."
The assemblyman gave a signal with a sour twist of his face.
The man in the suit behind him set a briefcase on the table and unlocked it.
"Five hundred million. No more."
Suddenly smacking me in the face with cash?
I never thought I'd actually see a bag stuffed with fifty-thousand-won bills with my own eyes.
Is this for real right now?
"I'm sorry to say this, but five hundred million doesn't even come close."
"What did you say?! Is five hundred million some dog's name?!"
"Even so, no means no. I can't give special treatment. The other parents paid the proper amount... Don't tell me you're doing this just because you're wearing an assemblyman's badge?"
"You insolent little... Do you even know who I am?!"
"Of course I do. Assemblyman Na Ilpyo, aren't you?"
"Young man, your manners are atrocious. Do you have any idea how long our father has served in the National Assembly? Show some respect."
"You're the ones who should be showing respect. If you're thinking of strong-arming me with political power, you're making a serious mistake."
"Y-You... you little..."
"The second your name starts circulating in the Awoken community, losing the next election will be the least of your problems. Got it?! If you're an assemblyman, go do your damn job properly instead of throwing your weight around wherever you please! You picked the wrong person to mess with!"
Even back when I had zero mana, I'd still talked shit to Awoken.
I wasn't about to flinch just because one assemblyman showed up.
With my ability I can contribute a thousand times more to this country than a guy like you, old man.
The moment I brought up the Awoken community with its hundreds of thousands of members, all four men fell silent like they'd swallowed honey.
Even that little shit Na Seonghyuk, who'd been throwing a fit in front of me earlier, couldn't get a word out.
Scared after all, are you?
Well, that community's collective power really isn't something to sneeze at.
They were all trembling with expressions like they'd just chewed shit, pride keeping their mouths shut, until the man who seemed to be Na Seonghyuk's father finally spoke first.
"Ahem... This has become rather awkward. As you know, an unfortunate incident recently occurred in our father's district, so campaign funds for the next election are already tight. I hope you can understand. Father... you should say something. You didn't come here today just to do this, did you?"
"Hmm... I've heard plenty about your ability. Word is you've been making quite a splash here and there."
"Father!"
"You stay quiet. I'll handle this. Your name was Kang Junghyeok, was it? Why don't you come work under me? With that ability of yours, the entire landscape of South Korea would change. Once I rise to a higher position, I'll arrange a seat for you. Yes. How does the position of head of that Awoken community sound?"
What the hell kind of bullshit is this now?