Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: A New Battlefield
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A month had passed since his return from Russia.
As the bus pulled into the Hunter Management Bureau's parking lot, the team leader addressed the agents.
“You're all dismissed for the day.”
The agents cheered and scattered as if fleeing.
As Wang-sik tried to slip away with them to head home, the team leader called out to him.
“The Bureau Director is calling for you. Come with me.”
“If he just wants to have tea, I'm heading home.”
“I don't think that's it this time.”
Kang Il-seop often called him in for a chat when it was time to leave.
Once they sat down together, he'd be held captive for at least three hours.
“If you know any decent women, you should set the director up. He never goes home because he has no one to go home to. He slept at the Bureau again yesterday, didn't he?”
“I heard he slept on the sofa in his office, not even in the on-duty room.”
“We really should set him up on a blind date.”
They chatted as they made their way to the Bureau Director's office.
“Welcome! My treasures!”
“Even treasures get old if you see them too often. Have you ever considered appreciating them a little less frequently?”
“Hmph. You’ve been saying some rather hurtful things lately.”
“That’s because we’ve been seeing each other so often.”
“My treasure is so bright and shiny, it makes me want to see you more and more. If you keep this up, you'll make my poor heart want to sob and sob.”
For a moment, it was as if all time had stopped. The chief secretary, who was bringing in tea, also froze in her tracks.
“My apologies. I apologize. That was a bit much.”
Time resumed its flow.
“You seem to be in a good mood.”
“That’s because I’ve received a victory report.”
Once the team leader and chief secretary were seated, Kang Il-seop began his story.
“This afternoon, Bang Jin-cheol resigned. He announced his complete retirement.”
“Who’s Bang Jin-cheol?”
“The next in line to be Bureau Director.”
Wang-sik finally recalled the name.
He had heard it during the emergency meeting with the guild leaders.
“You mean the guy the guilds were backing. But is his resignation a victory report? You must have really disliked him.”
“It wouldn’t be a victory report if he had simply resigned. But Bang Jin-cheol’s resignation was due to pressure from the guilds. Well, I’m sure he received ample compensation in addition to the pressure.”
Kang Il-seop placed a few documents on the table.
“These are requests from corporations that want to sponsor the Hunter Management Bureau. Since we're a government agency, some coordination is necessary, but they've said they’ll accommodate us as much as possible. They’ve also promised substantial donations.”
The chief secretary, already aware of the contents, sat quietly while the team leader and Wang-sik checked the names of the corporations.
“These are the companies that used to sponsor the guilds.”
“That’s right. It means they want to drop their support for the guilds and build a relationship with us.”
In a way, it was to be expected.
Sponsoring guilds that couldn’t clear gates was nothing more than a simple donation. Besides, the situation didn't look like it would improve anytime soon.
With many members having already left, the guilds themselves were weakening.
Conversely, the Hunter Management Bureau's reputation was now overwhelming the guilds, so this was a natural outcome.
“Now this is a real victory report.”
“That’s not all. The definitive victory report is this.”
Kang Il-seop retrieved a thick file from his desk and showed it to them.
“These are official documents from the leaders of the six guilds. A list of their overdue taxes and a promise of payment. And a request for tax adjustment.”
“A request for tax adjustment?”
“It's a formal opinion that the current five percent should be raised to ten percent. It also includes a proposal that the Hunter Management Bureau should be the institution handling the gate budget.”
Currently, the Hunter Management Bureau received and operated on an annual budget like any other government department.
Of course, it was just a proposal. Amending laws faced many hurdles, but if the guilds, who had been the opposition until now, threw their weight behind it, there was a high chance of amendments favorable to the Bureau, even if not all proposals passed.
“In short, they’re surrendering.”
“Sounds more like they’re begging for their lives, though.”
“Well, you’re not wrong.”
It was a clear victory report. Yet Kang Il-seop’s smiling face now held a trace of bitterness.
“Civil wars always leave a bitter aftertaste.”
“So, what are you going to do?”
“I have to let them live. Discarding them would be a loss for South Korea.”
Kang Il-seop was a stubborn man, but he would not do anything to endanger the nation.
“We have to continue the special training.”
“Of course. I’m counting on you for the remaining month. However, I will also assign gates to the relevant guilds. We'll start with C and D-rank gates for now.”
It meant that while they wouldn't get high-rank gates like before, he would prevent them from withering away completely. And if the guilds behaved, they would eventually be assigned high-rank gates as well.
“Does this mean the power struggle with the guilds is over?”
“That’s right. Thanks to you all, everything ended well. The guilds will quiet down, and most importantly, our agents have grown significantly.”
Everyone in the room fell silent for a moment.
Each was lost in thought, reflecting on the recent past.
The dispute with the arrogant guilds had once become a fierce battle of pride, escalating into an extreme power struggle.
The crisis for the guilds began when the Hunter Management Bureau, with its back against the wall, started clearing gates on its own. The S-rank gate in Russia was the decisive blow.
The guilds, realizing they could not overcome Wang-sik’s prestige and skill, had declared their surrender.
“Everyone worked hard.”
At Wang-sik’s words, everyone snapped out of their thoughts, their expressions relieved.
As the mood lightened, Kang Il-seop launched a surprise attack.
“Then today, to celebrate our victory, let's have a company dinner…”
“I should get going now.”
“I have a family gathering, so I must be off.”
“I’ll be heading home.”
The three of them stood up reflexively.
A flustered Kang Il-seop called out to them as they tried to leave the sofa.
“Hey, you all! You can’t do this!”
“What can’t we do?”
Wang-sik retorted instinctively, and the chief secretary shot him a look.
*You were supposed to just ignore him and walk out.*
That’s what her eyes said.
Seeing Wang-sik take the bait, Kang Il-seop smoothly continued.
“Do you know what I’ve been preparing lately? I’m going to such lengths to reduce your burden!”
Kang Il-seop skillfully spoke without revealing the main point. He then gave them a look that pressed them to sit back down.
As the three reluctantly took their seats, Kang Il-seop, satisfied, revealed what he had been holding back.
“I’m planning to revive the regular agent recruitment.”
The Hunter Management Bureau’s regular recruitment had been discontinued eight years ago due to a lack of applicants.
Since then, they had switched to hiring on an as-needed basis. Reviving regular recruitment meant there were now many people who wanted to become agents.
“Are there really that many people?”
The chief secretary answered.
“As of now, a total of twenty-three people have applied.”
“That’s amazing. Wasn’t it usually five or six?”
“We selected five out of six applicants.”
“One was rejected for being fifteen.”
The Hunter Management Bureau did not accept minors. Recently, however, there had been talk of aligning with other countries and allowing applicants from the age of seventeen.
“He must be sixteen this year. Did he apply again?”
“Yes. We informed him that he was rejected at the document screening stage.”
“Looks like he plans to apply every year. Is the Hunter Management Bureau that great?”
A hint of regret flickered across the chief secretary’s face as she answered. It was a rare display of emotion from her.
“Director, how about accepting him as a special request? If we leave him be, someone else will snatch him up.”
Wang-sik’s gaze naturally turned to Kang Il-seop. But Kang Il-seop was holding his phone.
“A reservation for four, please. Let's go with the most expensive course today. And prepare some drinks, too. Yes. Thank you.”
Kang Il-seop hung up the phone with a smile.
“What are you doing right now?”
“What do you mean? I made a dinner reservation. Let’s talk about the rest over a drink.”
This time, Kang Il-seop stood up first and walked out of his office.
“He’s probably waiting anxiously right outside the door.”
At the chief secretary’s words, Wang-sik and the team leader sighed.
After finishing the company dinner with Kang Il-seop, Wang-sik returned to the deserted island, took a shower, and went down to the basement.
Oh Min-jae, as always, was at his large desk with several books spread open, busily writing something.
“Hey! You’re back?”
“Let’s have some ramen.”
“Okay!”
Their established routine was to go up to the living room, eat ramen, and chat about various things.
But today was a little different.
“Hey, I have a favor to ask.”
Oh Min-jae spoke cautiously, which was unlike him.
“Go ahead. I’ll grant it.”
“You haven’t even heard what it is.”
“If it’s something I can do, I’ll do it. If not, then I can’t. What is it?”
“Can I go to the Azelan Continent to learn magic?”
Wang-sik’s hand, lifting ramen with his chopsticks, froze.
“No.”
He refused without a second thought.
He had risked his life to barely escape that place. The idea of going back was something he could never permit.
“I’ll be safe.”
“There’s no such thing as a safe place once you cross a gate.”
“I’ve even made a plan. I’ll get a room in the magic city of Magit and attend a private academy. I’d like to get a tutor if I need one, but that’s a bit expensive…”
“Money isn’t the issue. The issue is that you’ll be in danger.”
Though Wang-sik refused firmly, Oh Min-jae did not back down.
“Just hear me out first.”
Seeing Oh Min-jae being uncharacteristically stubborn, Wang-sik decided to listen seriously.
“I found something out while reading the magic books you got me. It seems not just the Magit Magic Guild, but several magic organizations are running gate creation teams. There are many individuals creating them too. Gate development is spreading like a trend. To the point that a profession called ‘Gate Designer’ has emerged.”
“A designer?”
There had been various attempts with the S-rank gate in Russia. This meant things were becoming more systematized.
“You know what happens if gates develop further. Bardash, Vetlekjan, King Death, Richmond, Blood Lord… well, we don’t even need to go as far as dragons. What do you think will happen if creatures like that cross over?”
Most were monsters from myths and legends, but the problem was that they actually existed on the Azelan Continent.
But Oh Min-jae’s imagination didn’t stop there.
“In the history of the Azelan Continent, there was the Divine-Demon War. Since then, the Demon Realm and Azelan have maintained a relationship centered around black mages.”
“So monsters from the Demon Realm could appear too?”
“Think about it. The Demon Realm might covet our Earth, too.”
His chest tightened at the thought of monsters from the Demon Realm.
“If our fate depends on the speed of Azelan’s gate development, then just defending is no different from waiting for the day we die, right? If a Double S-rank gate opened right now, could we even stop it?”
These were the same words Wang-sik had said to Min Ha-na.
Naturally, he had no rebuttal.
As Wang-sik’s silence stretched on, Oh Min-jae, thinking the time was right, stated his reason for needing to go to Azelan.
“They are already taking our knowledge.”
“What do you mean?”
“Gate research has advanced rapidly in the last few years, right? But looking at the magic books, it’s not just gate research that has progressed. The entire field of magic has grown. Research books are being published actively. It’s like new magic is appearing in a competition.”
“And you’re saying that’s because of knowledge from our world?”
“That’s right. To be precise, alchemy and natural sciences have developed by leaps and bounds. It seems this new alchemy is based on our world’s chemistry and mathematics. The same goes for their natural sciences.”
This was a much more serious problem than he had thought.
The knowledge they were taking wouldn’t be limited to just chemistry and natural sciences.
“To win this war, we have to do the same. Now is our chance, while they’re not suspicious.”
“Even so…”
“I’m going to fight too. If you fight with strength, I’ll fight with my mind. There’s no war without risk.”
Wang-sik let out a long sigh.
He didn't want to allow it, but objectively, it was something that had to be done.
“You don’t have to be the one to do it.”
It was the last card Wang-sik played. Oh Min-jae smiled and replied.
“Is there anyone who could do it better than me?”
Oh Min-jae pointed to his own head.
Wang-sik was speechless for a long time.
*We have to fight.*
Oh Min-jae was ready to fight, and he had the ability to do so.
“Trust me. I can do this.”
It was now his turn to answer.
“It will take some time to prepare.”
“Thank you.”
He had no choice but to grant his permission.