The Management Bureau (3)
The Management Bureau (3)
They say there are two stars shining within the Management Bureau.
Ye-rim Lee and Jae-jun Go.
Of course, no one actually believes that. Because no one in the Bureau would ever place Jae-jun Go on the same level as Ye-rim Lee.
Yet there's a reason this rumor persists within the Bureau.
"I'm the man who'll become the next Unit Captain!"
Because there was a man who went around shouting this absurd declaration while wearing a ridiculous straw hat.
"There he goes again."
"Someone call the Captain to shut him up."
That man's name was Jae-jun Go.
He was hailed as the genius who would lead the next generation of the Management Bureau.
Episode 2: The Management Bureau
Objectively speaking, Jae-jun Go was a truly bizarre individual.
If that doesn't quite convey how strange he was, let me put it this way:
At first glance, everyone mistook him for a mage.
Fortunately, he wasn't one—just completely unhinged. Of course, he was deeply disappointed when he found out he wasn't a mage. He had hoped to bond with his idol, Ye-rim, over their shared connection to magic.
Regardless, with that deranged mindset, Jae-jun began his career at the Bureau. Surprisingly, his insanity worked in his favor, and he quickly rose to become the Bureau's next rising star. But there was one problem.
"Call the Captain! He's going berserk again!"
"I'm not berserk! This is revenge! This bastard dared to insult the Captain!"
His overwhelming dependence on the Unit Captain, Ye-rim Lee.
At first, everyone understood. Ye-rim had saved him, and it was because of her that he had joined the Bureau in the first place. So even if his admiration was excessive, they let it slide.
"Captain! I brought you coffee!"
"Captain! Where are you?! The ice cream I bought is melting!"
"Captain! Captain! Captain! I caught a seagull for you! Didn't you say you wanted to try one last time?"
But after years of witnessing his obsessive behavior, the Bureau agents came to a realization: Jae-jun's insanity was far worse than they had imagined.
"To think he has the guts to act like that in front of that terrifying Captain..."
"Why wasn't a guy with that kind of talent born a mage?"
"If he'd been born with magic, he'd easily be a 7th Class mage by now."
Talent inversely proportional to sanity—that was the hallmark of a true mage. And Jae-jun, despite his rotten mind, possessed extraordinary talent. The Mage Without Magic—that was the nickname he earned at the Bureau.
"What's he done this time?"
True to his unhinged nature, Jae-jun was always stirring up trouble.
"He picked a fight with a mage."
"Seriously?"
If not for his talent, he would've had his memory wiped and been kicked out of the Bureau long ago.
"Who do you think will win?"
"Probably Jae-jun."
This wasn't his first duel. And his opponents were never pushovers. Even against a mage, the odds favored him.
"Should we go watch?"
"Too busy. And why bother?"
"Fair point."
Those who had known him for years had complete faith.
Jae-jun had never once lost.
By nature, Bureau employees faced danger daily—especially field agents, and even the desk workers weren't entirely safe. To survive, they had no choice but to hone their magical skills.
Could this be considered a workplace benefit? To encourage their growth, the Bureau constructed massive training halls and sparring arenas within the building.
Ye-rim had cautiously suggested to the higher-ups that those resources would be better spent on improving protective gear for the agents. But the answer was a firm no.
Even she couldn't argue. The order had come from the Bureau Chief herself. And Ye-rim knew better than anyone—once that senile old crone made a decision, there was no changing it.
In the end, the expanded training facilities proved effective. Many agents significantly improved their skills, and it served as a decent stress reliever.
But there was one small problem.
Occasionally, this happened.
"The victory condition is either the opponent's surrender or incapacitation."
Ye-rim stood between Si-woo and Jae-jun, reciting the rules of the duel. She was used to refereeing these matches. When powerful individuals clashed, she was the only one who could mediate.
"Captain! I'll defend your honor!"
"...Are you ready?"
Ignoring Jae-jun, Ye-rim turned to Si-woo.
He nodded.
"Of course."
"Then—"
She raised her hand toward the ceiling and swung it down.
"—begin."
The duel erupted instantly.
"Hyahah!"
Jae-jun moved first.
"Come at me!"
Clapping his hands together, he summoned a translucent blue-white spirit from a distortion in the air. The spirit shrieked before violently merging into his chest.
I'll observe first.
Si-woo stepped back, waiting for an opening.
"Grahh!"
As the spirit fused with him, Jae-jun's eyes shot wide open—whites fully visible, pupils flashing as they locked onto Si-woo.
"Stay still and you'll regret it!"
His body shot forward like a bullet.
Spirit Medium Art.
A technique where one contracts with a spirit and borrows its power.
But even skilled mediums never absorb spirits into their bodies. For an ordinary human, doing so would mean losing control of their own flesh.
Jae-jun, however, was special.
His unshakable mind and yang-infused body made Divine Possession possible.
An opening!
Do you know when a mage is most vulnerable?
When they're asleep? No.
When they're careless? Not that either.
The answer is—right before casting magic.
Magic always has a tell. And for someone like Jae-jun, with senses honed to a razor's edge, detecting those tells was child's play.
When a mage chants, they're vulnerable. It's such a well-known weakness that most mages prepare countermeasures—but to Jae-jun, the next captain of the Disposal Unit, those defenses were as flimsy as paper.
So he lunged before Si-woo could even begin his incantation. His plan was simple: strike the moment Si-woo tried to cast.
"You'll regret not using a Magic Tool!"
Demon Hand Summoning.
Jae-jun's fingers, sharpened by magic, lashed toward Si-woo.
I'll crush this mage and finally earn the Captain's recognition.
It had been his dream for so long.
To stand side by side with his idol, Ye-rim.
Everything he had done—acing promotion exams, exceeding quotas like it was nothing—was for that goal alone.
I can tell. You're a powerful mage.
Those who wielded the Mystic emitted a faint mana field.
The amount of mana that leaked out varied with their skill level.
The more that seeped out, the higher their realm.
And through his enhanced vision, Jae-jun could see the waves of mana radiating from Si-woo's body. A level impossible to ignore—no, among all the mages he'd faced, this was top-tier.
That's what makes this worthwhile. If I can make him kneel, the Captain will finally—!
No matter how hard he worked, Ye-rim never acknowledged him.
He didn't know why. He could only console himself that he wasn't strong enough yet and keep pushing forward.
But today, his chance had come.
Will she recognize me now...?
Jae-jun remembered. The sight of Si-woo walking beside Ye-rim, chatting casually.
And in Ye-rim's eyes as she watched him—recognition. The very thing Jae-jun had always longed for.
I'll show her how much I've grown!
He was no longer the helpless child waiting to be saved.
"Take this!"
Jae-jun's arm shot out as he closed the distance.
Then—Si-woo moved.
He's acting! I'll subdue him before he chants!
But Jae-jun had overlooked a few things.
First, unlike magic, he couldn't detect the tells of sorcery.
And talismans? They were sorcery.
Too late, he noticed the talisman in Si-woo's hand.
A talisman?
He'd seen Ye-rim hand it to him before the duel. But he never expected Si-woo to actually use it. Mages relying on sorcery instead of their innate magic was practically unheard of.
Even better!
This was a boon for Jae-jun. That talisman was just a simple freezing charm—useless against someone in a state of Divine Possession.
But when Si-woo began channeling mana into it, Jae-jun froze. No—he had to freeze.
"Huh...?"
His body locked up. No matter how hard he struggled, it wouldn't obey. The reason was obvious.
Si-woo.
Bzzzt—
Through his enhanced vision, Jae-jun saw the mana field erupting from Si-woo's body. But this was different. An overwhelming torrent of mana surged forth, taking the shape of a demon that glared straight at him.
Screeee—!
A terrified shriek escaped—not from Jae-jun, but from the spirit possessing him.
Right now, Jae-jun was seeing through the spirit's eyes.
He acted fast. Dispelling the possession, he reverted to human sight. The demon vanished instantly—and his body was free again.
What the hell was that?!
No time to think. Si-woo flung the talisman.
Jae-jun reinforced his body with mana.
"A talisman won't—!"
But this was no ordinary talisman.
Crack-crack-crack!
The shattered ice fragments in the air reassembled instantly, forming a massive shape.
"What is that...?"
A colossal ice bird, its feathers gleaming like frozen blades.
Jae-jun, still in a defensive stance, could only stare as it swooped down.
The frozen avian let out a piercing cry before engulfing him.
Crunch!
The bird solidified into a block of ice, trapping Jae-jun with only his head exposed.
"Damn it...! I can't move!"
As he struggled uselessly, Si-woo approached.
Jae-jun looked up with trembling eyes.
Behind Si-woo, the vanished demon seemed to flicker back into view.
What he was seeing now was an illusion. And he knew exactly what had created it.
The overwhelming gap in talent.
"Ah..."
He couldn't speak.
He was too afraid.
His body shook as he stared at the space behind Si-woo.
No magic had been used. Just a single talisman—a common freezing charm, at that.
Is this what real talent looks like? Amplifying a basic talisman to this degree?
"Ugh..."
Shudder.
Thoughts raced through Jae-jun's mind.
Don't mess with him.
Don't even think of crawling under his radar.
Jae-jun, who had lived like a reckless brute, relying solely on his own talent.
Now humbled before a power beyond the heavens.
"As expected, one move was enough."
The talisman, unused for so long, hadn't disappointed.
I turned to Ye-rim.
"The duel is over! We have a winner."
She couldn't hide the shock on her face.
Glancing around, I checked the expressions of the Bureau staff watching the match.
"Was that magic...?"
"No, talisman sorcery."
"...Does that mean mages don't even need magic to crush sorcerers?"
"He completely overwhelmed that Jae-jun!"
Without exception, everyone was stunned.