Chapter 32: The Devil's Evaluation Report (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 32: The Devil's Evaluation Report (2)
Title: Today, a staff member at our clan beat the shit out of an apprentice.
You guys are all working hard managing the apprentices, right? Most of them have good personalities, but there’s always that one clueless bitch in the mix.
The kind who shows up thinking this is the Villain Alliance or something;;
I can’t say the clan name, but we had one of those crazy bitches join us.
She was a total nightmare to the staff and acted like she was already a top-tier hero.
She was acting all high and mighty because of her stats, but when she got her evaluation report, she flipped out and stormed into the supervisor’s office.
All the staff were there, and she was screaming, smashing desks—it was a total mess.
The crazy bitch was losing her mind, but the supervisor was fucking calm, just sipping coffee and telling her to bring it on.
Honestly, I almost pissed myself when the supervisor said that.
His desk was literally crushed and shoved to one side, but he was so chill.
The crazy bitch looked down on him because he’s a man and started swearing at him, then she brought out a club the size of her own body.
But the supervisor? He just pulled out a single dagger. Lmao.
I was worried the supervisor was gonna die, but holy shit.
The supervisor is fucking strong.
He beat that crazy bitch like a dog until she collapsed on the floor, then he stabbed the dagger—which he hadn't even used until then—into the floor right next to her head and walked out coolly.
Unbelievable, right? Even as I’m writing this, I still can’t believe it.
But it’s real. My pussy is still quivering.
I stared at the printed copy of the internet post with an awkward smile.
Why was I looking at a printout instead of just reading it on a monitor?
Because it was handed to me as an official report. Fuck.
Even if it was anonymous, the brainless staff member who posted it had been summoned to the Clan Leader’s office, and I was next.
It wasn't just one or two people who saw it; the news of my spar with Kwon Ye-jin must have reached Park Sung-jun’s ears immediately.
I thought he was letting it slide since he hadn't called for me, but then some idiot posted it online and all hell broke loose.
The post went viral in an instant, and the clan was bombarded with confirmation calls.
And the result was me, waiting for my turn to be summoned by Park Sung-jun.
Still, you bastards, it’s Jeong Yeon-woo, not Jeong Yeon-yu.
As I let out a sigh, a staff member with a deathly pale face emerged from the Clan Leader’s office.
So it was you. At least it wasn't one of my direct subordinates.
I had suspected Baek Bo-min at first.
She looked like she was part of the apprentice support staff. I wondered how much stress she’d been under to forget her non-disclosure agreement and post that.
The staff member looked at me, startled, then bowed awkwardly and hurried away.
"Manager Jeong Yeon-woo, you may enter now."
The secretary opened the door for me.
This was my second time in this unnecessarily spacious office.
"You're here. Come, sit."
Park Sung-jun, who seemed to have been in the middle of a conversation on the corner sofa, spoke to me.
As I took a seat, the secretary—who had an impressively sharp memory—brought in a cup of coffee, placed it in front of me, and left.
"Manager Jeong Yeon-woo, you're quite 'hot' on the internet right now."
Don't use the word 'hot' at your age.
The phrasing felt strangely awkward, and I gave a sheepish laugh.
"I didn't expect a post like that to go up."
"Indeed. Even for you, Manager Jeong, predicting something like that would make you a prophet."
Exactly. I did nothing wrong.
It was a formal spar with an apprentice, and Kwon Ye-jin has been well-behaved since then, so it’s a happy ending for everyone.
But of course, it wouldn't be that simple.
I took a sip of coffee while gauging Park Sung-jun’s expression.
The aroma was fantastic, likely from high-quality beans, but I was too tense to taste a thing.
If he decided to make this an issue, I had no defense.
I wasn't in the wrong, but since I was at the center of the incident, I couldn't exactly wash my hands of it.
I watched him warily, wondering what kind of nonsense he’d use to nitpick, but Park Sung-jun actually wore a bright smile.
"Because of this incident, other clans have become very interested in Break Line."
So you're saying I should take responsibility?
"Specifically, Square Garden asked if we could dispatch Manager Jeong Yeon-woo to them."
Why is Square Garden getting involved?
"Ah, but Manager Jeong is a core figure of our Break Line. We can't just send him away easily, can we?"
"Ahaha... I suppose not...?"
"Where else could I stand tall and say this to a giant clan like Square Garden? 'Manager Jeong Yeon-woo is a vital talent for our Break Line. Don't even think about taking him.' That's what I said."
"... ..."
What? Was he saying Square Garden had actually made an offer to recruit me?
He was talking in such circles that I couldn't quite grasp his point.
As I stared at him, Park Sung-jun, looking quite pleased with himself, leaned back and nodded.
"Still, I do have a bit of a history with Square Garden. We did catch Millionface together at the district office, after all. I couldn't just ignore their request entirely. So, I agreed to let you handle some of their evaluation work."
I was sold... well, not sold, but traded.
"It’s just like how you evaluate our hero Yoon A-young or the other D-ranks. You'll just be evaluating Square Garden’s heroes. It’ll only be two or three trips, so don't worry. You should take this chance to try the food at the Square Garden cafeteria, shouldn't you?"
"I'm... looking forward to it?"
"Ahaha, but don't enjoy it too much. After all, home-cooked meals are the best, aren't they?"
What kind of deal did he make to send me on a business trip when he usually tries so hard to keep me tied down?
He should be worried that another clan might try to scout me behind his back.
"Thanks to you, Break Line even hit number one on the search rankings. It’s all thanks to you, Manager Jeong."
"...What happened to the hero Kwon Ye-jin?"
"Hmm... Since things are awkward with you, we can't exactly keep her in the clan, can we? Even when she was in other clans, her reputation was poor due to friction with party members and her attitude."
No wonder her base stats were so high; she must have bounced around between clans for quite a while.
I thought for a moment, then turned to look at Park Sung-jun.
"Are you suggesting Break Line should take her in? That's an unexpected decision."
Wow—he read my mind just from my gaze.
The man certainly has talent.
"Her skills are good. If she can just hold the frontline, it will make things much easier for the backline attackers."
"You wrote that in the evaluation report as well. But the problem is her personality. She destroys not only the enemy but also her own allies' tactics and formations. It’s a headache. Do you think other clans let her go because they didn't know her worth? It’s because she can't be fixed."
"Then she just needs to be fixed."
Because it’s an attacker-centric world, she’s playing an attacker, but her skills are actually meant for a Defender.
She probably knows it, and others have likely advised her, but since attackers get the best treatment, there’s no way someone with her personality would settle for being a Defender.
If she suppresses her aggressive tendencies and moves for the sake of the party, the attackers will be able to go even wilder.
Since I heard she’s been drifting between clans because of her personality, Break Line might be her last chance.
There’s no other clan quite like ours, barely hanging on as a mid-sized clan.
Besides, her identity has been leaked online, so she’ll have nowhere else to go.
It would be a shame for a talented Awakened to have their career ruined by a single internet post.
Even if she is a bit hot-headed.
"The question is who can fix her. All the instructors in our clan have already given up."
"Then would you like to leave her to me?"
"To you, Manager Jeong?"
"Yes. Anyway, the contract renewals for Jeong I-dam and Park Hae-in from Yoon A-young’s party failed, didn't they? Other clans have their eyes on them."
I was in charge of recruitment, but since we were in the same department, I knew exactly how the hero contracts were going.
Yoon A-young had signed a very long-term contract from the start, and since I was here, she wasn't likely to move.
But the other heroes who had grown alongside her were still uncertain about their contracts.
"If the contracts fail, let's put Kwon Ye-jin in that spot. If you give me the authority, I’ll raise her properly."
"...That sounds like you're saying you'll enter the dungeons."
"Yes. If necessary, I’ll have to. I don't have much on my plate right now anyway. I can handle going into a dungeon for a business trip every now and then."
And I could pick up some experience points while I was at it.
Park Sung-jun watched me silently, deep in thought, before speaking.
"Are you planning to become a hero?"
"We'll see. I'm still preparing."
"If you do become a hero, it will be with Break Line, of course?"
"We'll see about that too."
I gave him a thin smile and fell silent.
Park Sung-jun returned the smile and agreed, promising to recruit Kwon Ye-jin into Break Line.
He then delegated all authority over her training and management to me.
Between the business trip to Square Garden and managing Kwon Ye-jin, I had suddenly taken on a lot of work, but I was satisfied since it meant more opportunities to enter dungeons.
I also needed to prepare for recruiting B-rank heroes, so I’d have to leave a lot of that to Han Ju-hee.
After informing Han Ju-hee of my added duties and adjusting the recruitment schedule, I was resting in my office when I heard a knock.
I wasn't the CEO, so usually people just knocked and walked right in, but the door didn't open.
"Come in."
Only then did the door open, and Kwon Ye-jin walked in, looking anxious.
"What brings you here?"
"... ..."
"Have a seat first. It’s a new sofa, so it feels quite nice."
Since it was the office she had trashed, Kwon Ye-jin gave a small bow and sat on the sofa.
It wasn't a sofa meant for receiving guests or holding meetings; it was just a three-seater tucked in the corner for short breaks.
"Coffee? Or what else do we have? Anyway, there’s a variety of drinks, so what would you like?"
I stood up and leaned against my desk as I asked. Kwon Ye-jin said nothing, merely biting her lip as if hesitating to speak.
"I'm not that idle of a person. If you can't think of what to say, would you like to come back later?"
In truth, I had nothing to do other than circulate my mana spheres.
"I... I heard from the Clan Leader that the person who recommended he recruit me was Yeon-yu... no, Manager Jeong Yeon-woo."
"Yes, that's right."
When I answered nonchalantly, Kwon Ye-jin looked up at me with hollow eyes.
"Why... why me..."
"Because you have good skills. My request for re-training was a suggestion that the clan should redesign your training plan."
"... ..."
Kwon Ye-jin realized she had been too hasty and bit her lip again.
Is she frustrated? Good mindset.
For someone who fights on the front lines, it’s better to burn with a fighting spirit in this situation rather than feeling wronged, sad, or regretful.
Still, I’d have to temper that impulsive personality of hers.
"But you know the situation isn't great, right? Of course, our staff member was in the wrong, but thanks to that, you have nowhere else to go."
"...I know. But thank you for giving me a chance."
"It’s not a confirmed recruitment yet. It’ll be a two-year short-term contract with a two-year option after your apprenticeship ends."
"Yes, I accept that."
Her expression said she didn't accept it at all, but she nodded anyway.
"And one more thing. You are going to be a Defender."
"What?"
"A Defender. If you can't accept that, you're free to walk away from the contract. We are betting on your talent as a Defender."
At the suggestion of giving up being an Attacker to become a Defender, Kwon Ye-jin couldn't make a quick decision.
As long as the Jewel of Life existed, the spotlight always fell on the Attackers, and they received better treatment.
There were many high-ranking heroes who were Defenders, but if you asked someone to name one, they’d have to think for a long time.
With her hot temper and desire for fame, she was bound to hesitate.
No role in a party is unimportant, but it’s the hardest, most thankless job that silently supports the party, so it didn't suit her personality.
"Could you... could you give me some time to think?"
"Yes, that's fine. Think it over carefully until your apprenticeship ends. Your future depends on it."
Kwon Ye-jin left the office with a dark expression.
Rather than coaxing her with words, I had to make her submit and come to me on her own.
Only then would she have the will to learn and focus on her role.
And if she didn't come? Well, then there was nothing I could do.
If she chose to walk a bad path of her own volition, what did it matter to me?