The Ranger Offer

Sizzle—

The gopchang on the grill had browned to a perfect golden crisp.

"Please, dig in."

"Thank you. I'll enjoy it."

I'll think about the Rift Bureau's proposal later.

Chomp, chomp.

Mm.

Delicious.

It had a completely different flavor from the beef President Baek had treated me to before.

"Hunter Park. We had a company dinner just yesterday, didn't we?"

"We did."

"The beef was quite excellent, wasn't it?"

Uh, President...

Saying that here is a bit awkward, isn't it?

For a brief moment, Director Jeong Seungil's cheek twitched.

"The gopchang won't lose out in taste either."

"Of course not. This gopchang place is Director Jeong's number-one pick, after all."

President Baek casually popped a perfectly grilled piece of gopchang into his mouth.

"It's delicious."

Wow.

You really shouldn't do that over food.

【Hmm. Aren't you taking too confrontational a stance against him?】

【This is why iron-headed types are no good.】

【What?!】

【Think about it carefully. If Master ends up working with that wooden block of a man, Number One Subordinate is going to be out of a job right away.】

Since when did President Baek become Number ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠One Subordinate?

Well.

It didn't seem like Director Jeong Seungil was going to renew the Rift Bureau recruitment offer again.

They had already talked about it at this gopchang place, after all.

Even so, from President Baek's perspective, it was more than enough to put him on edge.

After finishing the meal in that fiercely heated atmosphere, Director Jeong Seungil slowly parted his lips.

"The reason I wanted to meet today is regarding the Ranger proposal."

"Ranger?"

"I mentioned it once before."

Director Jeong Seungil held out a document.

"Please read it over, and then we can proceed with the discussion."

Something... there's an awful lot of something here.

The black stuff is letters.

The white stuff is paper, right?

It was clearly written in Korean, yet nothing was sinking in.

I could roughly grasp the context, though.

Uuuugh.

"I'll summarize it for you."

Thank you, President!

"Those three clauses are the core of it."

An A4 document of twenty pages summarized into a few lines...

President Baek. You're amazing!

Director Jeong Seungil leaned his upper body slightly forward.

"What are your thoughts, Hunter Park?"

"As I said earlier, please conduct the negotiations through me."

"Representative Baek. Surely we can at least ask for the principal party's opinion?"

"You're going to talk about dedicating oneself to the nation, serving the public, and contributing to society, aren't you?"

"I've already said that."

"Then you won't say it again?"

"I'll have to think about it a bit."

Ugh.

President. Are you okay?

Director Jeong is Korea's only SS-class hunter, you know.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with the Twelve Heroes, and he won't yield even an inch in front of a powerhouse like that.

My heart is in danger.

Heart, please don't stop!

"Regarding the third clause on obligations."

"Three times per quarter means one can refuse a request when it comes."

"And if Hunter Park is in a situation where he cannot respond?"

"In that case, if you send a certificate of proof..."

The two ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠men's negotiations continued until the heat of the grill had completely cooled and gone cold.

【I don't really understand what they're talking about.】

【An iron head can't be helped, I suppose.】

【Explain it a little, magic brat.】

【Hohoho. You're not cool or sexy enough, so I don't particularly feel like talking.】

Neither of you gets it, huh.

Don't worry.

If that conversation was sinking right into your ears, that would be the strange part.

I don't understand a word of it either, you know.

The contract written on the tablet was being revised in real time.

Sip—

The drink is sweet.

After going back and forth for a long while, the two men leaned back in their chairs as if they had made a prior agreement.

"Whew. This isn't easy."

"As long as I'm here, Hunter Park will not take any losses."

"The Rift Bureau prepared this document quite thoroughly in its own way, yet you're utterly merciless."

"Isn't this the kind of work I get paid a salary for?"

President.

That salary comes out of your own pocket, you know.

You're taking care of me at basically minimum-wage levels, so when you put it that way, it stings ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the conscience a little for the one listening.

"Hunter. I've worked hard and corrected every clause that could have been disadvantageous."

"Yes, sir. Well done."

Even without the emphasis, I understand perfectly.

Even if I died and came back to life, I don't think I could pick things apart point by point the way President Baek does.

"Is there anything in particular I should know?"

"There's no major difference from the parts I mentioned earlier."

"Yes, sir."

"Whether to accept or not is for you to decide, Hunter."

Director Jeong Seungil cleared his throat with a low ahem.

"Up until just now, the Representative was handling the negotiations, was he not?"

"That's right."

"Wouldn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it be proper for you to offer your opinion to our Hunter Park?"

"I respect the Hunter's opinion. The discussion just now was solely to ensure he wouldn't take any losses when receiving the proposal."

"If the Hunter refuses, then what becomes of the discussion we just had?"

"It becomes as if it never happened."

Oof.

President.

You don't have to go any further.

I get the feeling.

If it looked like it would be a loss for me, the President would have told me to refuse on the spot.

The fact that he's stepping back a little seems to be for the sake of saving my face.

"The Rangers. How long is the term?"

"It renews in two-year units."

Renewal was possible through mutual agreement, he said.

The Rift Bureau side had apparently listed several items regarding termination, but even though I had clearly looked at the contract, I couldn't remember them.

"Don't worry. I've already corrected any parts that could become problems."

Yes, sir.

Truly reliable.

In short, it was like a mercenary contract with the Rift Bureau.

My deliberation wasn't long.

"I'll do it."

Becoming a Ranger wouldn't cost me a single thing.

It wouldn't interfere with freelancing either.

As long as I responded to mobilizations three times per quarter, the rest was pure benefits like tax exemptions.

"Thank you. Hunter Park Minho."

Having passed through negotiations hotter than the grill itself, I had now one foot in the Rift Bureau as well.

"Do I become a Ranger right away?"

"The official contract will be carried out tomorrow at Rift Bureau headquarters."

Aha.

I see.

They even showed me the contract, so I thought signing was all that was left.

"Can you come to the Rift Bureau building by ten o'clock tomorrow?"

"Hunter Park has no other schedule, so he is available."

He doesn't even give me a chance to answer.

"Very well. We'll send a protocol vehicle, so I'll see you at the building."

Whew.

Now I can finally catch my breath.

The negotiations went well, so nothing else should happen.

Right?

The next day.

"We've come to escort you."

"Yes."

The Rift Bureau employee politely opened the car door.

"Is the gentleman beside you accompanying you?"

"I am Baek Seonghyeon of Seungcheon Agency, representing Hunter Park."

"Confirmed."

Our President.

He parked near my place from early dawn and waited for me, he said.

"You said there was nothing wrong with the contract, didn't you?"

"You must not let your guard down until the moment the seal is stamped."

"Come on. It's a government agency, though."

"You don't know what you're talking about. It's always the people you know who do more."

That isn't about yourself, is it?

The distance from my studio apartment to the Rift Bureau building in Gwacheon was considerable.

By public transit it would have required several transfers, but with a car sent for us, it was quite comfortable.

"We've finished appraising and disposing of the monster byproducts as well."

The total amount was around two billion won.

It was said to be a bit on the low side compared to the magic stone profits.

Two billion is low?

No, wait.

I spent about five hundred million shopping yesterday, so it is a little low.

My sense of money seems to be crumbling little by little... that must be my imagination, right?

"You'll handle it well, President."

"Thank you for trusting me."

"Please take a bit of a bonus for yourself too."

"For one year, this is fine as is."

I already confirmed the President's guts and ability more than enough yesterday, you know?

I really thought I was going to die of fright and stop breathing.

The vehicle stopped in front of the Rift Bureau building.

I was about to open the door when President Baek shook his head.

"You'll experience situations like this often from now on."

"Y-you mean protocol treatment and such?"

"I mean you need to get used to this kind of reception."

【A valid point.】

【Because Master is going to become even greater!】

Please don't expand my nearly ordinary-citizen worldview however you like.

Still, I waited for them to open the door as the President instructed.

Click—

"This way, Hunter Park Minho."

We walked past the lobby and deeper inside.

"Jeungpyeong C-rank gate elevated to break risk group!"

"Any guilds nearby?"

"Helicopter is ready."

Hunters rushing off on emergency deployment.

"Yes. That competition you mentioned. We're on our way now, so please wait."

"There's a fight at the site?"

"Why is that place like that again."

The voices of people busy with their respective duties echoed here and there through the lobby.

It wasn't even an office, yet it was this noisy.

I had heard that Rift Bureau work was murderous, but seeing it in person, it was brutal.

As expected.

I'm glad I only put one foot in.

"Isn't this the press conference hall?"

President Baek asked the employee.

"That's correct. Director Jeong Seungil instructed us to guide the two of you there."

"Ah, I see."

The President accepted it immediately.

When you ask like that, it makes me nervous, you know.

I decided to relax, figuring that if anything serious was going on, he would have said so right away.

Following the employee's guidance into the press conference hall—

Click! Click!

The shutter sounds I had grown fairly used to by now rang in my ears.

Should I call this fortunate?

The one drawing the media's attention wasn't me.

"This is Choi Jiung, Commissioner of the Rift Bureau."

"I've seen his face a few times on the news, so I recognize him."

The highest-ranking person in the Rift Bureau was briefing on something.

"The increased frequency of variant monster appearances in recent times is greatly threatening the security of the people."

Hmm.

I thought it was just my personal feeling, but apparently not.

If a government agency was announcing it, that meant there was basis for it.

President Baek lowered his voice.

"I heard the Guui-dong incident was also caused by a variant monster."

"Yes. A zombie warrior variant that grew by eating corpses, apparently."

"The guilds will be keeping their heads down for a while."

His calculations are really fast.

Commissioner Choi Jiung continued the briefing after that.

"It seems the purpose of this press conference is the launch of the Rangers."

"I agree."

They would officially announce it today, then proceed with the contract.

Well, there's no rush, so let's wait until the press conference ends.

I folded my arms and listened at my leisure as the Commissioner's explanation continued.

"The Rift Bureau intends to pursue a collaboration project with external personnel for smoother gate management."

"What is the name of the project?"

"It is the Ranger Project."

Mm-hmm.

Up to here, it's as I already knew.

"And to all of you, I would like to introduce the first Ranger."

Huh?

"The Guui-dong Necromancer, and the rookie who has claimed S-rank twice. Hunter Park Minho."

At the Commissioner's glance, the reporters' gazes turned not toward the briefing Commissioner, but toward me waiting in the back.