The Minister's Intervention
"If you're going that far, I'll make an exception and grant you some leniency. For now."
"Th-thank you."
"Don't mention it."
"Then, I'll report immediately and get back to you. Could you wait just a moment?"
"Of course."
Oh Yoo-hwa disappeared somewhere and returned shortly after.
"Eun-seong-nim, the Minister will be here shortly. Please wait a little longer. About thirty minutes should do."
"Understood."
"Would you like some tea?"
"I had some earlier."
"Then perhaps a simple dessert…"
"I'm fine."
I firmly rejected every one of Oh Yoo-hwa's offers and waited in silence for Ahn Guk-seon. The entire time, she looked half out of her mind. If she'd offered reasonable terms from the start as a negotiation officer, none of this would have happened. Instead, she'd gotten greedy trying to take advantage of me and blown everything up. She must be seeing nothing but darkness ahead.
But did she even realize it? If she didn't fix that habit, she'd end up butchered one day and still get laughed at by other hunters.
You should be grateful to me. If you learn some manners now, you won't have to suffer anything worse.
I sneered inwardly while keeping a mildly displeased expression on my face.
Maybe ten minutes passed. The door opened, and a white-haired gentleman in a crisp suit appeared. True to his nickname Iron Blood, he looked like the kind of man you could stab without drawing a single drop of blood.
"Loyalty!"
Oh Yoo-hwa snapped a salute toward Ahn Guk-seon. I rose from my seat and met his eyes. His gaze burned like a dormant volcano.
"It's good to meet you, Cha Eun-seong. I'm Ahn Guk-seon."
He offered his hand with impeccable courtesy. I took it.
"Cha Eun-seong."
"Have you been waiting long? I came as fast as I could, but I hope I wasn't late…"
"Not long at all. It's fine."
"That's a relief. Haha. Shall we sit and talk?"
"Yes, Minister."
I felt a slight tension. Just as I was a monster, Ahn Guk-seon was one as well. One of the few surviving first-generation hunters, he'd walked through hell just like me. The man responsible for defending an entire nation against monster invasions was never going to be easy to deal with.
"First, I want to thank you sincerely for coming. Even though you're an awakener of a role that never existed before, you reached out to Korea first."
"It's nothing."
"Still, gratitude is gratitude. As Defense Minister, I'm grateful."
Ahn Guk-seon smiled faintly before continuing.
"But I was told there were issues with the contract…"
"The terms Major Oh presented felt unreasonable, so I was about to treat the contract as nonexistent."
"A young man patriotic enough to aim for the navy finds the conditions unreasonable. Major Oh."
He turned to Oh Yoo-hwa.
"What exactly did you offer Eun-seong?"
"H-here it is."
With trembling hands, she handed over the contract.
"Hmm."
Ahn Guk-seon's face twitched violently. Yeah, he had to be speechless. He clearly realized she'd tried to take advantage of me.
"Major Oh."
"Yes, Minister."
"Do you know the saying 'penny wise, pound foolish'?"
"……"
She lowered her head deeply. At least she had the decency to feel ashamed.
"You seem good at haggling, but you have no idea how to invest."
"……"
"I understand your desire to serve the country. I've always been grateful for your results. But don't you think this is excessive? Even I wouldn't sign something like this."
"……I'm sorry."
"Tone it down. This is practically fraud."
"M-Minister!"
"If you make others cry tears, you'll shed tears of blood yourself. Void the entire contract and meet every condition Eun-seong wants. I'll authorize it under my authority."
"Yes, Minister."
Ahn Guk-seon shot Oh Yoo-hwa a look of pure disgust, then apologized to me.
"I apologize on her behalf. Please calm down, Eun-seong."
"It's fine."
"As you just heard, we'll accommodate every condition you want. I hope you'll sign with Korea. No matter what you ask for, this country will invest in you."
"I'll consider it positively."
My words were deliberately vague, but I had every intention of signing with Korea. Just as I wasn't a fool, neither was Ahn Guk-seon nor the Korean government. They wouldn't sit idly by if I contacted another country like Japan or America. They'd interfere, obstruct, and in the worst case, even consider assassination. Since the Minister had personally apologized and promised maximum terms, it was only proper for me to yield a step. At least for now.
"I'll be waiting for good news. Of course, whatever decision you make, I'll respect it."
"Yes, Minister."
"You and Major Oh can continue discussing. Having the Minister around would only make things awkward, so I'll step out."
Ahn Guk-seon stood, straightened his suit, gave me one warm smile, and left.
Oh Yoo-hwa flinched, her legs visibly trembling. Ahn Guk-seon must have given her a death glare as he passed.
Once Ahn Guk-seon took charge, the contract moved at lightning speed. Where I wanted the house, what kind of vehicles, how much monthly salary—everything. I listed every demand I had, and Oh Yoo-hwa wrote them into the contract.
1. One-year contract term, three mandatory deployments, 10:0 loot distribution ratio
2. 100-pyeong Tier-1 penthouse in Seocho District plus vehicle support
3. 100 million won monthly salary plus various benefits
4. Security detail for my father's memorial and family
5. Maximum support from the military and Defense Strategy Department upon request
These were conditions a rookie hunter could never even dream of. If I'd awakened as a supporter like before, it would have been impossible. But now everything was different. As the first of a completely new role, I had every right to these benefits. It was an investment either way. From the government's perspective, there was little to lose. If they watched me for a year and decided I wasn't worth it, they simply wouldn't renew.
"I'd also like to add a special clause stating that Korea cannot demand information about me, and that any unauthorized surveillance or tailing will immediately void the contract."
"Th-that's…"
"The Minister said…"
"I understand. Fine."
Oh Yoo-hwa clearly didn't want to, but when I mentioned Ahn Guk-seon, she gritted her teeth and revised the contract. Even after the Minister had ordered her to accept every demand under his direct authority, the fact that she still tried to push back made me wonder if her vicious negotiating style wasn't calculated but instinctive.
Being stingy is her instinct, huh.
I shook my head inwardly, read the contract over and over, and pointed out every problematic clause.
"This wording here is bothering me."
"I-I'll fix it."
"This part too."
"Ugh."
Thanks to me, she had to call in the legal officer and was clearly dying inside while revising the document. After nearly six hours and nine minutes of marathon negotiations, I finally signed.
"Congratu…lations."
Oh Yoo-hwa looked so exhausted that the whites of her eyes were showing.
"Yes. You worked hard too, Major Oh."
I treated her with a smile, showing no trace of displeasure.
"You'll receive official orders to attend training soon. You must attend."
"I'll keep that in mind."
The training she mentioned was the program run at the Special Forces Training Center. I didn't need any training after ten years as a hunter in my previous life, but I planned to go through it anyway. If someone who'd never received training suddenly acted like a veteran, it would definitely raise suspicions.
"Then I'll be going."
"Eun-seong-nim, this way please."
I left the half-dazed Oh Yoo-hwa behind and followed Captain Im to the helipad.
"Where should I take you, Hunter Cha?"
"I haven't even done training yet, so calling me 'Hunter' feels off. I'd appreciate it if you just called me Eun-seong-nim."
"Understood."
"Before going home, I'd like to buy a few cars. My family doesn't have any vehicles."
"I'll escort you."
Captain Im had soldiers load Doo-hyun's delivery motorcycle onto the Black Hawk and seated me inside.
"It's a military helicopter, so there's no door. Please sit toward the inside…"
"It's fine."
I skillfully fastened the harness, clipped the safety line, and let both legs hang outside the helicopter as if sitting on a railing.
"You're quite experienced."
"My father is a soldier, so I've had a few chances to ride helicopters."
"Ah, I see. Makes sense for someone who aimed to be a naval special forces officer."
"Not at all."
"Then we'll depart."
Captain Im waved his hand, and the helicopter lifted off.
Thududududududu!
The Black Hawk carrying Doo-hyun's motorcycle headed toward Gangnam, where car dealerships were concentrated.
A few hours later.
Thududududududu!
The Black Hawk landed in an empty lot near the refugee camp. Beside it, three Chinook helicopters—nicknamed "rubber shoes"—gently set down the vehicles they were carrying before landing in a wider area.
"Maintain strict perimeter security!"
"Strictly!"
A platoon from the 88th Special Mission Battalion under the Capital Defense Command secured the surroundings.
"You really don't have to go this far…"
"It's nothing."
When I gave him an apologetic look, Captain Im spoke firmly.
"Eun-seong-nim, you are a critical asset to Korea. This level of protocol is not excessive for escorting someone like you."
"Still, please don't do this next time. It's a bit much…"
"I'll keep it in mind. Then I'll take my leave. If you need anything, feel free to contact me anytime."
With those words, Captain Im boarded the helicopter and departed. I headed toward the refugee camp with the soldiers of the 88th Special Mission Battalion.
"Cha Eun-seong, you son of a—! Huh!"
Doo-hyun started to curse but snapped his mouth shut. He must have come out after hearing the noise and spotted me, then froze upon seeing me surrounded by armed soldiers.
"Doo-hyun!"
"Y-yes…?"
"Come here."
"Ah, yes."
Doo-hyun approached with hesitant, awkward steps.