Management Bureau
Management Bureau
"Work Team, this way."
Under Ye-rim's command, agents in yellow hard hats began securing the scene with mechanical precision.
"The head is missing—we can't identify them!"
"Section Chief Park. Call in a shaman to determine their identities."
"Captain! Civilians passing by witnessed the battle."
"Summon the Disposal Team. They'll erase their memories."
""Yes, ma'am!""
The agents saluted sharply, their voices ringing with steel discipline, then bowed deeply to Ye-rim, who stood a full head shorter than most of them. She gave a curt nod, her expression unreadable, before coolly shifting her gaze.
At the end of her line of sight was Section Chief Oh Soo-hyeok, shoulders slumped in grief over the loss of his subordinates.
She approached him with measured, dignified steps.
"Don't take it too hard."
"Captain..."
"It's a miracle only this many died."
At first glance, her words sounded cold—as if she saw human lives as mere numbers. The tone of a ruthless pragmatist.
Si-woo, listening nearby, expected Soo-hyeok to snap in anger.
He had seen the man's expression as his subordinates were carried away, had witnessed his righteous determination to stay behind and ensure no one else was sacrificed. To Si-woo, Soo-hyeok was someone who cared for his team more than anyone.
"You're right..."
But he didn't lash out.
Instead, he nodded calmly, agreeing with Ye-rim's assessment.
And in that brief silence, Si-woo realized why Soo-hyeok hadn't been angry.
"..."
Ye-rim's gaze was fixed, unblinking, on the body bags being loaded into the Bureau's vehicles. She didn't look away—not even for a second—until every zipper was sealed and every door locked.
'I see.'
Her expressionless face and flat tone had made her seem cold. But the weight in her eyes betrayed how deeply she cared for her people.
Soo-hyeok had known Ye-rim far longer than Si-woo.
That was why he hadn't been angry.
Because he knew—better than anyone here—who was swallowing the fiercest flames of fury beneath that icy exterior.
Si-woo watched as Soo-hyeok clasped his hands together in silent prayer and thought:
'A good man.'
He carried a heavier burden than anyone Si-woo had ever met.
There had been a time when Si-woo wished for a superior like him. During his years of grueling manual labor, he'd crossed paths with countless people—but only three left a lasting impression.
A Korean-Chinese foreman.
A former Somali pirate foreman.
And a full-blooded Chinese foreman.
Unsurprisingly, working under them had been hell.
By Si-woo's standards, Soo-hyeok was undeniably one of the good ones.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
When Ye-rim approached him next, Si-woo sensed the same quiet resolve in her.
"Made your decision?"
Si-woo gave a short nod.
Ye-rim had invited him to the Bureau, ostensibly to reward him—but Si-woo knew the truth. It wasn't for him. It was for the Lantern he carried.
Still, he accepted.
There might be a way to cure his sister's illness there.
"How long will it take to get there?"
"One second. Bring the door."
"Yes, ma'am!"
At her command, agents appeared, hauling a massive wooden door between them.
It was an antique piece, weathered with age, its brown surface etched with time. As it was set upright, a faint ripple of mana pulsed through the air.
Having witnessed barriers and domains firsthand, Si-woo immediately recognized the disturbance—a precursor to forcibly bridging two spaces.
"That's...?"
"A door."
"A passage connecting spaces?"
"Ah... Yes. The other side leads directly into the Bureau."
She turned the knob, and blinding white light spilled through the crack.
Before stepping through, Ye-rim stole a sidelong glance at Si-woo, who was scrutinizing the interior with wary fascination.
'To instantly grasp the nature of a high-grade magic tool... As expected of the Lantern's chosen.'
The spatial translocation device used by the Enforcement Division was shielded by powerful mana-dampening fields. Even high-ranking mages mistook it for an ordinary door.
Detecting it required senses sharp enough to pick up the faintest trace of mana.
"Let's go."
"This way."
Then—
"Wait!"
Si-woo and Ye-rim turned simultaneously toward the voice.
"Wh-what about me?"
"You expect a family mage to follow us into Bureau headquarters?"
"But..."
It was Ha-rin, clutching her broomstick nervously.
Though brief, they had fought side by side.
Si-woo knew what she wanted.
"Nice meeting you. See you around."
"Th-thank you! For everything! I'll repay this debt next time!!"
The moment he spoke, her face lit up like the sun.
Even after Si-woo and Ye-rim vanished beyond the door, Ha-rin's gaze lingered on the empty space where he had stood.
The young Witch, Ju Ha-rin, would never forget the salvation she found in him today.
"Whoa."
The exclamation slipped out before he could stop it.
"It's... empty?"
Because there was nothing.
"The Bureau's chronically understaffed. And this area is restricted to all but a handful of authorized personnel."
Following her, Si-woo scanned the surroundings carefully.
Ceiling and floor—both blindingly white, as if scrubbed clean by obsessive hands.
And in the distance, a single black door stood alone.
"Let's head—"
Ye-rim reached for the keypad but suddenly froze, turning back to him.
Her brow furrowed sharply, her voice rising a notch.
"Wait. You're seriously carrying that grimoire uncovered?"
Whoosh.
She pulled out a smooth white cloth from her coat and thrust it at him.
"Wrap it in this. There are non-field agents ahead—civilians. If they so much as glimpse that book, they'll suffer mental contamination on the spot."
He obeyed without protest.
The forbidden tome groaned ("Uuung—") as he tightly bound it in the cloth, muffling its protests.
"You're a good superior."
At his offhand remark, Ye-rim whipped her head around to stare at him.
"This is standard containment protoc—Eek!"
Right then, the Lantern—previously resting docilely in his palm—suddenly shot into the air, hovering inches from her face.
Ye-rim paled instantly, beads of cold sweat forming on her forehead.
"Stop flying around."
He snatched the Lantern's handle and yanked it back down.
"Sorry. It's got a mind of its own."
"...Let's just go."
The door opened, revealing the interior.
Ye-rim, momentarily dazed, hurriedly ushered him inside. The space beyond was a vast office—rows of desks where suited employees hunched over monitors, eyes glued to data streams as they worked.
"Huh? Captain? Back already?"
"Who's the guy with her?"
A few glanced over curiously. Ye-rim acknowledged them with the barest nod before quickening her pace.
Si-woo fell into step beside her.
"Got a question."
"What is it?"
"Why are you so scared of this Lantern?"
Click.
Her footsteps halted.
"...Are you seriously asking because you don't know?"
"Yeah."
"...Haah. I don't even know where to begin."
She shook her head incredulously, eyeing him like he'd grown a second head.
"We already debriefed the necromancer. We know what happened inside the world the grimoire created—and that you obtained the Lantern there."
"Right."
"But that Lantern shouldn't have been there."
Si-woo stayed silent, waiting for her next words.
After a wary glance around, she leaned in and whispered:
"Too many ears here. Be patient. You'll understand when we reach our destination."
"Alright."
He shelved the topic for now.
"Let's hurry."
Matching her stride, he continued:
"I heard you took down a Calamity-class Aberration and sealed an Angel. Someone of that caliber should be in the Bureau's database, yet you're unregistered. Are you from a branch family?"
"No, nothing like that."
"Then were you active overseas?"
"No. I only recently learned magic even exists."
"What?!"
Her eyes widened in shock.
"Have you manifested your Unique Magic?"
"Not yet."
"...You were chosen by the Lantern without even awakening your Unique Magic?"
Her face stiffened, lips pressing into a thin line as if grappling with something unfathomable.
Just then, a group blocked their path—glaring with razor-sharp hostility.
Unlike the civilian staff, these men carried weapons on their backs.
"You! How dare you speak so casually to the Captain?!"
The leader—a decent-looking guy—jabbed a finger in Si-woo's face.
"You're new, right? Never seen you before. What, no respect for your seniors?"
His lackeys jeered on cue.
"Tch. Look at this pretty boy."
"Think you can sweet-talk the Captain and climb the ranks? Dream on!"
"Careful, he's a mage."
"So what? The Captain's a mage too."
"Well, as long as he's not from a family, it's fine."
"Like some young master would slum it in a place like this."
"You!! I won't tolerate you cozying up to the Captain just because you're both mages!!"
Baffled, Si-woo turned to Ye-rim.
"...This is beyond standard talent. There's no other explanation..."
She was still lost in thought, utterly detached from the commotion.
'Seriously? She's tuning this out?'
'What a carefree personality.'
'Would be nice if she mediated, though.'
'Before this Lantern loses its temper—'
Bzzzt—
The Lantern vibrated ominously in his grip.