Celebration (2)
Celebration (2)
It wasn't particularly surprising at this point.
Even I myself had not only learned Mugong, but had also recently experienced magic. I had been through so much already that I couldn't be surprised by the existence of a shaman who serves gods and wields divine powers.
"So, I hear you've become a 1st Grade Solver?"
"Yes. I was lucky."
Thanks to that, I was able to converse with Choi Ok-chun while smiling calmly. Her affectionate gestures, as if treating a grandchild, and her gentle voice made my own attitude more friendly as well.
"Hmph! What luck? Do you think Miss Mok Hong lost to you because of bad luck? She might look all cute on the outside, but she's a young lady who's made quite a name for herself in this field."
I slightly bowed my head in humility, but Choi Ok-chun merely snorted at my modesty and let out a hearty laugh.
'She's someone who doesn't like pretense or flattery.'
Excessive humility can sometimes become deceit and make the other person uncomfortable. Because lowering oneself to elevate the other can, at times, turn into sarcasm.
And from seeing Choi Ok-chun snort at my modest remark yet acknowledge my achievements, I instantly grasped her disposition.
'She's someone who looks at facts transparently, as they are, and clearly acknowledges what deserves recognition.'
She's the type who will sternly scold you for a mistake and make you take responsibility. At the same time, if you achieve something, she will certainly provide treatment and rewards befitting that achievement.
'The ideal image of a leader who heads an organization.'
I won't have to worry about turning red over office politics. Having finished my thoughts, I swallowed that conclusion inwardly.
Since I would be working on many things with the Management Bureau in the future, the disposition of my superiors was a very important matter.
If my superior had been a completely rotten person, I might have had to coldly reconsider my cooperation with the Management Bureau.
"Anyway, this gathering was arranged to welcome you. Exchange greetings with the faces you'll be seeing often, eat some good food in a nice place, and build some camaraderie."
With that, Choi Ok-chun turned her back. The hem of her modernized women's hanbok fluttered as she left the hall.
"Are you leaving, Branch Manager-nim?"
"At my age, eating such things upsets my digestion. And what help would an old person be at a gathering where young people eat and drink?"
Just to add, make sure you don't drink too much since you have to come to work tomorrow as well.
Even though Kang Yuna tilted her head and discreetly asked, Choi Ok-chun left without any lingering attachment after just that much talk.
Perhaps because the person who arranged the gathering had disappeared, a brief silence swept over the hall, but soon everyone began to move one by one as if such a situation was familiar.
"Before we start eating, shall we do quick introductions? I'm Support Manager Nam Do-kyung. If you get injured or feel unwell, please come find me anytime."
At first, a brown curly-haired man in a white coat approached and offered a handshake. A golden nameplate pinned with a brooch on the left chest of his coat read 'Support Manager Nam Do-kyung'.
"Response Manager, Baek Cheol. Next time we have time, I'd like to learn a few things from you."
The second person to approach was a man in tight black clothes. With a burly build and a diagonal scar across his face, he smiled fiercely, burning with competitive spirit.
Unlike the Support Manager, he didn't have a golden nameplate; when I discreetly asked, he replied that it wasn't there because he was in casual clothes now, and that it was on his reinforced suit worn during missions.
"Ah, hello......."
"Ah, yes. Nice to meet you."
"U-um, I'm Research Manager Song Ha-yul......! Ah, p-please take good care of me from now on......!"
The last person to approach was a woman with purple hair. Judging by her stammering, trailing off, and quiet voice, she seemed to have a timid and delicate personality.
"I'm, um. I could skip this, but let me introduce myself once more: I'm HR Manager Kang Yuna."
Perhaps feeling slightly self-conscious as everyone gave a short self-introduction one by one, Kang Yuna, who had been rolling her eyes silently, looked at me and gave her introduction.
"Nice to meet you all. I'm Kim Sihyeon, and I've become a 1st Grade Solver and will be joining you. When I heard there was a celebration banquet, I thought it'd just be a simple meat meal, but it's much grander than expected, so I'm a little flustered."
I also smiled awkwardly as I introduced myself to everyone. Hoping to lighten the stiff atmosphere, I added a light joke after the introduction, and fortunately, Baek Cheol laughed heartily and played along with my joke.
"Haha! There's plenty of meat here too! Come on, everyone, don't just stand around awkwardly watching each other—let's fill our stomachs first. I skipped lunch today because I was coming here."
He pointed his finger toward the buffet and glanced back at me before moving away. The others, who had been watching his confident back, soon chuckled and followed Baek Cheol one by one.
"As Manager Baek Cheol said, let's start with the meal. This is a place I often visit during vacations, and you'll be quite satisfied."
Indeed, it was an extremely satisfying meal.
After the satisfying dinner, everyone sat at a round table with plates of desserts and drinks to their taste.
To be honest, it was called a round table, but since all the tables in the hotel hall were typically round, we had simply pulled some chairs around an empty table and sat in a circle.
"Now that everyone seems well-fed, shall we start talking?"
Nam Do-kyung took a sip of black tea to wet his throat and then parted his lips. Perhaps because everyone had eaten their fill, they all nodded with somewhat languid expressions.
"Is there something to discuss?"
Of course, my mind was clear, since I didn't easily feel fatigue or drowsiness after eating.
So when I asked Nam Do-kyung what he was going to talk about, he smiled gently and continued.
"Now that Kim Sihyeon-nim has become a Solver, there are many things to prepare. To receive requests, you'll need to set up a Solver Office that meets the Association's standards, and we need to discuss in which fields you'll cooperate with the Management Bureau."
Indeed, just because you've obtained a Solver license doesn't mean you can recklessly act as one.
Usually, even with an ordinary license, you work by being affiliated with or starting a business; you don't just take on all sorts of jobs just because you have a license.
I nodded at Nam Do-kyung's clear and easy-to-understand explanation. Then Nam Do-kyung looked at Kang Yuna, who seemed slightly sleepy, and asked a question.
"HR Manager-nim, how long do the procedures related to the Solver Office take?"
As if the HR department usually handles all administrative tasks, Kang Yuna's lips twitched and she answered right away.
"Hmm, the procedure itself is simple. You just need to secure a site for the office that can physically enter an independent Otherworld or a space in reality, and then fill out the office name and founder's information according to the form and request the opening of the office to the Association."
Normally, only Solvers of Grade 4 or higher can apply to open an office, but in my case, having started as a 1st Grade Solver from the beginning, it's a condition I don't need to worry about.
Having finished her answer, Kang Yuna glanced at Nam Do-kyung as if to say, 'Is that enough?'
"Then for the office establishment, please proceed by consulting with HR Manager-nim and Kim Sihyeon-nim later. Next, let's discuss what kind of missions we'll carry out with Kim Sihyeon-nim."
As if the awaited topic had come up, Baek Cheol, who had looked bored, suddenly opened his half-closed eyes wide. His eyes, which had been cloudy with drowsiness, cleared up in an instant, and I almost inadvertently laughed.
"But!"
However, to Baek Cheol's disappointment after having regained focus, Nam Do-kyung suddenly changed the direction of the conversation.
"Before we discuss that, there is something I must explain to Kim Sihyeon-nim, who will be working with the Management Bureau."
Something to explain to me. Is he about to reveal some hidden secret of the Management Bureau?
I swallowed that thought inwardly and observed the others; they all showed reactions like, 'Ah, is he talking about that? Well, it had to be explained someday.'
I wondered what on earth it was that caused such a uniform reaction. As if urging him to start talking, I leaned forward slightly.
"Kim Sihyeon-nim."
And finally, the words burst out from Nam Do-kyung's mouth.
"Have you ever thought about what the purpose of the Management Bureau's existence is?"
It was a much grander and weightier story than I had expected.
Organizations are born because there is a reason they must be formed.
Families for reproduction and nurturing, corporations to make money, governments to govern nations.
Thus, every organization has a goal it pursues, and an organization without a goal cannot properly exist.
"The same goes for this industry, which has stepped into the realm of Mysteries."
China's Liangshan Marsh was founded to restore lost Mugong and suppress Mystical disasters in China. England's Clock Tower was formed to study magic and reach the truth. Japan's Association of Shinto Shrines was established to serve the eight million gods and borrow their power easily.
The Holy See of the Vatican was established to eradicate evil Mysteries in the name of the holy God and create a safer and more peaceful world, and the Solver Association was created to efficiently manage civilian Mystery holders who might cause incidents at any time.
"The Mystic Management Bureau also has a reason for its formation and a history accordingly."
Then, what is the reason the Mystic Management Bureau was born? What goal does it move towards?
At the moment I recalled such questions after hearing Nam Do-kyung's words, he let out a short sigh and continued.
"We conceal Mysteries in order to suppress them. We stake our lives and risk danger to postpone."
What are we suppressing? What are we postponing?
At my question, everyone closes their eyes. Only Nam Do-kyung, who had spoken, makes eye contact with me and answers with a grave expression.
"Humanity's Evil, Original Sin."
An inevitable death hanging over the fate of the human species.
The Mystic Management Bureau exists to suppress its awakening and postpone its arrival.