The Bureau Chief's Surprise Delivery
"Anonymous, my ass," I muttered as I hung up the phone, then promptly left my room and hopped into the elevator. True to its hotel status, the inside was plastered in dazzling gold, exuding an air of luxury.
"Jeong Tae-san... who the hell is that?" I propped my chin in my hand inside the elevator, racking my brain for names of everyone I'd met in the past month.
......No matter how hard I thought, nothing came up. The people I'd directly interacted with could be counted on one hand—no, two fingers even. And none of them were named Jeong Tae-san. It was such an intimidating, badass name that you'd remember it after hearing it once.... Unless it was someone I knew from my male days? But if you asked if I remembered every single person from 200 years ago, I'd scream "hell no!" loud enough to shatter glass. I'm not some freak with hyperthymesia or anything...
Ding— A soft chime rang from the speaker, signaling my arrival at the 25th floor.
The doors slid open smoothly, revealing soft lighting and cocktail bar tables. The surfaces of various wine glasses reflected the lights, creating a glamorous atmosphere. The only person around was the bartender at the counter. He gave me a light bow in greeting, and I awkwardly bowed back.
After the exchange, I ventured further in and spotted a gray-haired man gazing out at the cityscape.
"That guy..."
He was a rare elderly man with a sturdy build that belied his age. But the mana leaking from him was anything but ordinary. It was overwhelming compared to even my S-rank sister or any other awakener I'd seen so far. Hell, it was more stable than anything I'd encountered even in Triia.
Noticing my stare, the old man turned toward me, our eyes meeting. Then he flashed a kindly smile befitting his age and rose from his seat.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Yoo Ji-na."
"Ah, yes... hello..."
I'd hoped maybe seeing his face would jog my memory, but nope—total stranger.
"Sorry for the sudden visit. Mind if we sit and talk?"
He gestured to the seat opposite his, and I nodded, taking it first. He followed slowly, settling into the sofa.
Whoa... up close, he's not just sturdy—he's built. His face was the handsome kind that must've broken hearts in his youth, a proper silver fox. But in that suit? He looked straight out of a noir film, perfect tailoring and all.
The old man adjusted his tie and spoke.
"Forgive my late introduction. I'm Jeong Tae-san, chief of the Korean branch of the Hunter Management Bureau."
"The chief?"
"Yes."
"Uh... why would someone like you come to see me?"
I had no clue how the bureau's hierarchy worked, but chief sounded pretty damn high up. The front desk guy had called him famous, after all. And that insane mana? No way he was ordinary.
Jeong Tae-san, no longer just some old man but the bureau chief, continued smoothly.
"Miss Yoo Ji-na... or rather, your hunter name is Crimson, correct?"
"How did you—?!"
"Heh heh, I'm the chief, after all. At my level, digging up a hunter's real name—even if they're going anonymous—isn't hard."
Is this what they call anonymous around here? Did the bureau folks not know what the word meant? Soon it'd be "Crimson = Yoo Ji-na" plastered all over search results for anyone to find. My trust in the bureau plummeted in real time.
"Ah, no need to worry. You're the only one who knows besides me."
"......For real?"
"Yes. That's part of why I came personally."
"Phew, that's a relief..."
He looked like the tight-lipped type, so no major concerns there. As I sighed in relief, Jeong Tae-san reached toward the chair to his left. There sat a small shopping bag. Without hesitation, he placed it on the table and slid it toward me.
"This is my business."
"This is..."
"Your license and hunter terminal. Can't have a new hunter leave without them—it'd be trouble for both of us, right?"
License! I'd planned to head back to the bureau tomorrow for it. Talk about lucky. I beamed genuinely.
"Wow, thank you so much. I almost had to swing by the bureau again tomorrow."
"Is that so? Then I came all this way for nothing. Hahaha!"
I'd pegged his voice as cave-deep, but his laugh boomed like a wuxia hero's. I chuckled awkwardly after the fact, but a question popped up.
"Um... did you come just to deliver this?"
"Hm? Ah, yes, that's the main purpose."
"?"
Before I could ask about other business, the bartender from earlier approached our table.
"Excuse me. Your drinks are ready."
He set down two smoothies for us. Jeong Tae-san thanked him, and the bartender left with a beaming smile, like it was the honor of his life.
Damn, he really is famous...
Witnessing his popularity firsthand made it even harder to grasp why such a big shot would visit me personally. Sure, fewer people knowing my identity was ideal for me, but I'd never dreamed the bureau chief himself would show up.
"I figured you'd get them right away, but they melt fast, so I had them prep on your arrival. Saw it on the menu—my favorite—and ordered the same without thinking... Hope that's okay?"
"Ah, yes! I'll enjoy it gratefully."
Perfect timing; I was craving something sweet. I grabbed the glass and slurped it down.
"Glrk!?"
I'd assumed chocolate smoothie from the color. Chocolate it was... but the aftertaste was way too refreshing. Schlurp— this is mint choco!!!
Mint chocolate. One of Korea's top three love-it-or-hate-it foods, handling dessert duty. Supposedly a fancy treat from the British royals, but mixing chocolate's smooth sweetness with toothpaste-fresh mint? Pure revulsion. I could curse the royals for birthing this demonic combo.
While I suffered, the guy who'd ordered it slurped away happily.
............
He bought it for me on a whim, and leaving it felt rude. Plus, he'd hand-delivered my license. Gritting my teeth, I forced it down without showing my disgust.
As I silently choked it back, Jeong Tae-san grinned proudly.
"Mm! Glad you like it."
I nearly blurted, "No? How about eating chocolate then brushing your teeth right after?" Instead, I smiled with my eyes and nodded positively. Half-gone in one go, I set it back on the table.
"So, you mentioned other business?"
I asked, and he quietly placed his mint choco down too.
"Nothing major. I just wanted to see with my own eyes the person whose mana overloaded the measuring device."
He gave a subtle smile.
......He wasn't gonna demand compensation, was he?
"Ah, no, I'm not here to hold you accountable for what happened. That's on us for underestimating an awakener's potential."
"Ahaha... Whew, good to know."
Guess my anxiety showed. At least he wasn't billing me.
"As bureau chief, I naturally take interest in powerful hunters. And above all..."
He lifted his smoothie again, his demeanor turning a touch serious.
"If someone's drunk on power and threatens the world, it's the bureau's job to nip it in the bud early."
"........."
Not everyone's good. Hunters included. With the right mindset, they could wreck the world with a flick of the wrist. Sure, it varied by individual, but they were far more dangerous than civilians. That's why the bureau set laws restricting reckless mana use, curbing illegal awakener actions to date.
And newbie hunter me was no exception.
"...Do I seem like that kind of person?"
To my question, he replied with his brightest smile yet.
"Would I be saying this if you were? All I see before me is a promising hunter with a bright future."
With that, he downed the rest of his mint choco and stood.
"Well, I'll take my leave. Looking forward to your great activities, Miss Crimson."
He departed, and I watched his back until he was gone.
So, ultimately, he just wanted to gauge if I was a villain or a hero?
......Becoming a hunter's more complicated than I thought.
Once he was fully out of sight, I let out a deep sigh, relaxing into the sofa.
"Eh, it worked out fine in the end. Lucky."
Glancing aside, Seoul's nightscape filled my view. What a day. Eyes spinning from that absurd training method, I stormed up to Seoul on impulse. Caused a scene during the bureau exam, sparking a chase. Tried heading home but missed the last train, so I chilled by the Han River with chicken. Then a random gate popped up—I tumbled in with skeletons and liches. Topped off with a one-on-one with the bureau chief.
All in my first day in Seoul. I patted myself on the back for surviving it.
Time to head back to the countryside and crash.
Slurp— Before leaving, I finished the leftover smoothie on the table.
"Glrk, seriously, who drinks this crap?"
Britain really is the land of weird foods, no doubt.