Mystery Management Bureau (4)

Not long ago, I had this thought.

Perhaps there was a fair chance the Management Bureau wouldn't take a hostile stance toward me. If things worked out well, maybe they'd even treat me as a valuable asset and bring me in.

Back then, lacking sufficient evidence to support it, I dismissed it as nothing more than a comfortable delusion. But now, hearing the proposal from Kang Yuna's lips, that memory inadvertently surfaced.

"So, you're asking if I'd like to join the Management Bureau?"

"That's correct."

To be honest, it was a proposal that gave me some pause. While it was fundamentally a beneficial recruitment offer, there were quite a few sticking points.

First and foremost was motivation. As things stood now, I had no particular reason to join the Management Bureau.

In the past, when living expenses were tight, I'd considered mooching off an organization like the Management Bureau and living comfortably. But now, having received a lump sum of 5.6 billion won, there was no reason to struggle through hard work.

Someone might argue that an organization capable of paying out 5.6 billion in one lump sum must offer amazing salaries and incentives, and they'd eagerly accept. But unfortunately, I'm not someone that fixated on money.

'With about 5.6 billion, I've earned enough to last a lifetime, I guess.'

I could buy a house, a car, do everything I want and live in abundance. It meant I could finally live the eat-sleep-mugong lifestyle I'd only dreamed of.

However, outright refusing felt somewhat awkward too.

From them coming to find me in person like this, to handing over such a huge sum as 5.6 billion won — if you think about it, it was all a gesture of goodwill from the Management Bureau to recruit me.

'Besides, if you ask whether getting entangled with supernatural phenomena is purely a loss for me, that's not exactly true either.'

In the past, I treated it as somewhat of an annoyance, but recently, after encountering Marcel Lacrima, my perspective on supernatural phenomena... or as the Management Bureau calls it, the "mystic," had shifted somewhat.

'Because without those kinds of situations, I'd have no moments to freely use my mugong and test my own limits.'

No matter what it is, practice makes perfect, and among that, real combat is the most valuable experience of all.

This goes beyond just the story of mugong, and is practically a truth that applies to all things in the world.

'Take me for example — ever since the Mount Geumjeong Forked Path, I've unknowingly improved across the board, from the precision of my techniques and Inner Qi manipulation to my body movements.'

And decisively, when I met Marcel Lacrima, I even created a new mugong called the Limit-Transcending Sutra to defeat him.

At the same time, I even extracted a Sword Thread and gained some minor enlightenment. My mindscape grew sturdier than before, bringing me closer to the Transcendent Peak.

'In that sense, the reason to necessarily join the Management Bureau is somewhat ambiguous.'

The reason most people work is ultimately to earn money for a living. Self-actualization or whatever — in the end, you have to earn money to survive.

But having earned enough to live on for a lifetime, I had no reason to join the Management Bureau for money. To put it bluntly, did the Management Bureau even have any mugong masters skilled enough for me to seek their instruction?

In the past, I'd assumed the Bureau had many masters, but judging by Kang Yuna's reactions throughout our conversation, mugong itself seemed to be a very rare power these days.

'If there were masters of high realms like the Transformation Realm or Profound Realm to begin with, they wouldn't have gone to all this trouble and expense trying to recruit me.'

If I had to pick the only reason to join the Management Bureau, it would be that I could come into contact with various mystics more easily than I do now.

'But do I have to? It's not like mystics exclusively appear to the Management Bureau.'

Most importantly, the Management Bureau is still an organization. It might not provide the same conditions where I can freely operate or train in mugong as I can now.

As is typical in the working world, the lower ranks are busy with tasks assigned from above, and the higher ranks are busy reviewing the assigned tasks and distributing workloads.

The idea that things get easier the higher you go, or that you can just laze around — realistically speaking, that doesn't add up at all.

"......I see. I understand your concerns."

I conveyed this chain of thoughts to Kang Yuna. In a way, this proposal was also a form of negotiation.

It came from the thought that rather than firmly shutting it down as a definite no, it would be better to talk things through and fine-tune them.

And then, a rather unexpected answer came back.

"Actually, you don't necessarily have to join the Management Bureau. Being part of the Management Bureau isn't the only way to work with us."

"Is that possible?"

"In regular corporations, don't they often subcontract certain tasks or collaborate with other companies to pull off large-scale projects? It's a similar context."

So I didn't need to join the Management Bureau.

"Even in this world hidden from the public eye, there exist various factions and groups just like the Management Bureau. But since it's ultimately a world run by people, they repeatedly join hands and let go depending on each other's interests."

After that explanation, Kang Yuna moistened her throat with water and continued speaking.

"Are you familiar with the profession called Solver?"

"I know what it is, but I imagine it's not the kind of ordinary Solver I'm thinking of."

She nodded and spoke about Solvers.

"In our industry, there's a profession called Solver that handles tasks related to the mystic. They're like independent contractors who don't fully belong to any specific group and take on work as it comes — similar to mercenaries."

I nodded silently. Thanks to her simple and concise explanation, I could easily grasp what Kang Yuna was getting at.

"You're saying that if I become a Solver, I can collaborate with the Management Bureau even without officially joining it?"

"Yes, that's right. At the same time, it's an option that can resolve most of the concerns you've been having."

It certainly was. Hearing the rough explanation of what a Solver does, there was no need to worry about the various issues I'd been pondering just moments before.

The problem was how to become a Solver. For starters, being a Solver is a legitimate profession, and moreover, it involves handling mystics that must not be disclosed to the public.

It couldn't be a job just anyone could easily take up on a whim. Most likely, you'd need to obtain some kind of qualification or go through separate procedures like certain steps.

"Originally, to become a Solver, you must apply and undergo screening through the Solver Association, which has branches in each country. However, the Management Bureau can assist you with that aspect."

But this part wasn't something I needed to worry about either. As if saying she hadn't brought up the Solver topic for nothing, Kang Yuna explained the solution in a calm voice.

"You have established achievements, after all. The Management Bureau can handle all the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠cumbersome administrative procedures. Ah, though you'll still need to fill out the application and handle some steps yourself."

Saying that, Kang Yuna finished the remaining water in her cup. Perhaps because the conversation with me had gone well, her expression as she set down the empty cup seemed much more relieved.

"May I borrow your mobile phone for a moment?"

"My phone?"

"Yes. I'll be contacting you regarding the Solver and Management Bureau matters going forward, but per regulations, I can't just casually provide you with a Management Bureau communication line. So, I'd like to at least give you my personal contact."

I nodded and opened the phone app on my mobile before ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠handing it to her. Kang Yuna took my phone and skillfully tapped the number pad with practiced ease. Soon, a soft melody accompanied by a vibration flowed from her pocket.

"You may save it under whatever name is comfortable for you. Just, I'd prefer if you'd avoid words that could reveal my affiliation, like the Management Bureau."

"How about saving it as 'HR Manager Kang Yuna'?"

"That should be sufficient. The title of HR Manager is something commonly used in regular companies, after all."

The conversation ended on a rather amicable note. It had been a reasonably successful negotiation where both the Management Bureau and I achieved our desired goals satisfyingly.

"Well then, I'll be taking my leave now. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via the number I gave you."

"Are you sure you don't have any other questions for me?"

Rather than going back and forth unnecessarily, wouldn't it be more convenient for both sides to take care of everything at once? With that thought, I subtly asked if there were any other questions.

"Confirming whether Kim Sihyeon-nim had truly learned mugong was one of my goals as well. But honestly, after seeing you control Void Grasping so freely like that, there wasn't much need to ask. Not to mention you subtly mentioned I have no dantian as you mentioned in passing when getting off the bus."

But at my question, Kang Yuna let out a soft chuckle with a gentle smile.

"Besides, at this moment, I am merely a guide. Your fellow students should soon be finishing their meals and returning. If it were discovered that I was alone in the same room with you, wouldn't that invite some rather troublesome scandal?"

They say her line of work involves little personal interaction, but she wasn't so oblivious as to miss the particular gaze that views another as a member of the opposite sex.

With those words, Kang Yuna slowly rose from the chair she had been sitting in.

'Hmm, there were indeed several club members who had their eyes on her.'

As she said, if we didn't part ways now while no one was around, quite the awkward rumors might spread later.

"That's true. Take care. HR Manager-nim."

"Yes. I hope you rest well, Kim Sihyeon-nim, and make wonderful memories with your fellow students."

And so, Kang Yuna and I parted ways with light farewells, in an atmosphere that had grown much softer compared to when we'd started.

After finishing the negotiation with Kim Sihyeon, Kang Yuna returned to her own room.

"Phew, I'm so glad things worked out well......"

She had originally been dispatched undercover in the role of a guide, but now that she'd accomplished her goal of making contact and negotiating with Kim Sihyeon, there was no longer a need to tediously maintain her cover identity.

It meant that even though she'd still act as a guide in front of the university students brought to the resort, she no longer had to thoroughly act the part of a guide even in her private time.

'There'll be a bit more work to handle regarding the Solver application, but that much I can easily endure.'

As the HR Manager, the accommodations the Management Bureau assigned her were impressive, being a suite room.

To begin with, this very resort had been carefully selected from the finest in Busan to curry favor with Kim Sihyeon, who had succeeded in restoring mugong.

Being a premium room in such a resort, the quality of the accommodations couldn't be bad even if it tried.

"Phew......"

Kang Yuna, who had neatly taken off her dress suit jacket and hung it on a hanger, collapsed onto the sofa after unbuttoning the shirt that had been tightly constricting her chest.

Even though the room's overall temperature wasn't high, her shirt was damp and soaked with sweat from nerves. The shirt, once white as snow, was already half transparent, starkly revealing her pale, fair-skinned complexion.

"Mugong, huh."

Sitting vacantly on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the sofa, Kang Yuna turned her head to look outside. But without taking in the night view at all, she clenched her fist as she recalled the memory of what had happened a short while ago.

'That... was real mugong.'

She had expected it to be impressive. Even in old oral traditions and legends, the power of mugong was often depicted at absurd levels.

The mystic is inherently something that grows stronger the further back you go from modernity, toward ancient times and the so-called Age of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Gods. Naturally, modern martial art secrets that clumsily imitated mugong were far lacking in the stature of the mystic, even setting aside completeness — they fell far short in the depth of accumulated history.

But the mugong she had witnessed today was different. Even though she'd only faced it for a brief moment, the mugong Kim Sihyeon displayed far surpassed her imagination.

'With a gesture, he flung open the door. Without lifting a single finger, he freely manipulated various objects in the room and showed not the slightest sign of strain.'

Had she not known he was someone who used mugong, she would have mistaken him for a magician.

Because short of the Insect's Mystic — a grimoire capable of commanding invisible vampires — there was no way to reproduce the sight of an invisible person personally attending to someone.

But Kang Yuna knew. She couldn't help but know. Because the moment she witnessed Void Grasping before her eyes, her body — which had learned the Breathing Technique and martial art secrets — responded.

'If only... that power could be learned......'

Then surely, fewer Management Bureau agents would die. In the absence of information, they would gain the strength to shake off the clutches of the strange and supernatural.

'Incidents like those bastards back then would never—'

The moment her thoughts reached that point, Kang Yuna squeezed her eyes shut. Clenching her teeth, she shook her head and laboriously pushed the thought away.

Because it was far too painful of a thought. No matter how much she thought about it now, it was already a past that could never be undone.

'......Let's not think about it.'

Having composed her shaken emotions, Kang Yuna's expression returned to its usual emotionless state. With a blunt and tired face restored, she finished discarding her clothes and fled into the bathroom to wash up.

After all, everyone in the Management Bureau had moments where they had to not look back.