“…That was an odd question from me. My apologies.”
“Master, wow… Your response just now was so heroic!”
“Heroic? Anyone would have answered the same way.”
What are these people even talking about?
Honestly.
“And I’m not about to go off recklessly.”
In my previous life, I was on my own.
But this time, I have a family.
The world is still peaceful for now.
Why rush headlong into unnecessary danger?
“I’ll only deal with the executives listed in the ledger, and their demon lackeys.”
“I understand your direction well. I’ll prepare accordingly.”
The conversation wrapped up nicely, but Chief Choi felt conflicted.
‘He’s far more powerful and extraordinary than I imagined.’
Not only the Perfect Clear, but also some unknown ability on par with an A-rank villain.
Kang Hyun’s worth had skyrocketed yet again.
‘I really should have secured that contract back then, no matter what.’
A sense of urgency gripped him.
Perhaps even what Kang Hyun had shown so far wasn’t everything.
He might go even further beyond.
‘I need to lock this down as soon as possible….’
But suddenly, Aden chimed in.
“Chief Choi! If you’re worried about my Master being in danger, why not get him some strong backing?”
“Backing?”
“Yes! If the opponent is from the 5th-ranked guild, we should counter with the 3rd-ranked Seonghwa Guild!”
Wait a minute.
Chief Choi sensed impending doom.
“Th-that’s not necessary—”
“I’ve already told Sister Yoo Chae-young everything!”
“What!?”
Thunderstruck.
Chief Choi’s heart began pounding like mad.
“Sister Chae-young said she’d bring Master into the guild!”
“Huh? Really? She’s letting in an E-rank?”
“Yes!”
That crafty Yoo Chae-young!
‘She started with Aden!’
While Chief Choi remained clueless, Aden eagerly explained all the benefits of joining a guild.
“You’ll be free from all the administrative hassles!”
“The guild can even handle your national affairs! They’ll provide you with a secretary and VIP treatment equivalent to a national assembly member!”
“You’ll get dungeon bonuses on top of a salary!”
“If you become a Hunter in public service, you’ll even get a pension! It’s a guaranteed lifetime safety net!”
“Ugh! But being a public servant comes with too many restrictions!”
“I-I’ll find a way to solve that! Just give me a year… no, two years!”
But Kang Hyun remained uninterested.
“I’m not interested in either option.”
Chief Choi was relieved.
Aden pouted.
“Master! Stick with me and teach me a few things!”
“Hahaha! Miss Aden, it might be a shame to miss out on Kang Hyun’s guidance, but don’t worry! Once you join, the 3rd-ranked guild’s elite training program awaits!”
Fine, then! Go on your own!
Just don’t drag our EX into it!
But ironically, Section Chief Choi’s words piqued Kang Hyun’s curiosity.
“Elite training program?”
Did he just say elite training program?
He had always wondered.
What exactly was this elite course that his comrades used to tease him about?
They would always joke, saying.
‘If you’d trained in a prestigious martial arts school, you’d have rewritten swordsmanship history.’
‘You would’ve received tremendous support and grown even stronger.’
‘If you’d gone to the Magic Tower, you would’ve unified it and monopolized all the resources.’
‘…Fine. If I’ve decided to take the easy growth path, I should do it right.’
He was tired of hitting his head against the wall.
His previous life had been an endless grind.
He had pushed himself so hard that he’d even developed vocal cord nodules.
Right then, Section Chief Choi enthusiastically began explaining.
“Haha! The power of Korea’s top 10 guilds, especially the 3rd-ranked Seonghwa, is extraordinary!”
“Hmm…”
“Even without Kang Hyun-nim, Aden could grow sufficiently on her own!”
“Hmmmm…”
“You’ll have elite corporate colleagues, systematic teamwork, high-level training methods, and the expertise of seasoned veterans!”
“Hmmmmmm…”
“Most importantly, decades of accumulated research materials! The support teams of major corporations elevate the quality of growth for Awakened individuals!”
“…Okay.”
This was too tempting to resist.
“Let’s give it a try.”
“…Pardon?”
“Yay!”
Jubilations and despair unfolded simultaneously.
“Wow! I get to be in the same guild as Master!”
“Wh-why…?”
At that moment, Chief Choi felt a deep sense of defeat toward Yoo Chae-young.
How far had she already advanced her schemes?
‘No, this can’t be happening!’
Though they hadn’t lost Kang Hyun to a foreign power, the balance of power was now tipping entirely toward the guilds.
Moreover, corporate jobs had a much higher turnover rate than public service.
Who knew?
In the future, Kang Hyun might be swayed by the offers of advanced nations.
“Wait—!”
Finally, Chief Choi made a desperate decision.
He began speaking fervently.
“…You still dislike being tied down by contracts, don’t you?”
“Well, yes.”
“There will undoubtedly be some restrictions in the contract with Seonghwa.”
“That’s unfortunate, but it can’t be helped.”
“What if it could be helped?”
“Hm?”
Chief Choi pulled out a piece of paper from his bag and began drafting a contract by hand.
“How about becoming a free mercenary for Korea?”
“Mercenary?”
“I’ll send you to Seonghwa on a temporary basis. I’ll ensure the contract allows for complete freedom and termination at will.”
Oh?
How did he know Kang Hyun was a former mercenary?
‘Let’s hear him out.’
###
The next day, Korea was in a festive mood.
<Perfect Clear Awakened! Ultimately joins Korea! Signs a national contract!>
<Virtually confirmed as an S-rank candidate! A unique talent in the world!>
<Korea steps forward as a gate-conquering powerhouse!>
<Choi Young-ho, the man who uncovered and recruited the Perfect Clear Awakened! Who is he?>
<Choi Young-ho! From a new A-rank recruit to the Perfect Clear Awakened!>
└ The Awakened Management Bureau pulls it off in the end!
└ If the Perfect Clear Awakened had gone abroad, I’d have protested in front of the Blue House myself.
└ You wouldn’t have gone alone! The entire nation would’ve shown up.
The entire country erupted in relief and jubilation.
└Is this the second season of room-temperature superconductors? Is Great Korea really coming?
└If we find an S-rank Word Mage, Great Korea is totally achievable.
└Wow! Tavern keeper, another drink here!
└To the people who said the Awakened Management Bureau doesn’t work—go bang your heads on a wall.
└Look at them scrambling to save face.
└Let’s ride this momentum and find an S-rank Word Mage! I trust the Management Bureau!
The credit for finding Kang Hyun went to Chief Choi.
And rightly so.
‘He handled everything so cleanly, it had to be rewarded.’
This was a small token of appreciation for work beyond expectations.
“Master!”
“Why are you so excited again?”
“Does this mean I can start bragging about you now?”
“No. Keep my identity hidden.”
“Ugh.”
Even the nation decided to keep the information to a select few.
Chief Choi, a few trusted subordinates, and the Director of the Bureau.
That was it.
Even the President and Minister of Defense wouldn’t know about Kang Hyun.
“Do you think that’s possible? Honestly, if the President demands the information, could they really keep their mouth shut?”
“I’ve already taken care of that.”
The news echoed this stance:
<Still a low-ranked Perfect Clear Awakened. Identity withheld due to scouting risks and terror concerns.>
└Of course, they should hide it! He’s a national treasure!
└Please nurture him to S-rank while keeping him hidden.
└Still… I kinda want to see him.
└What for? You gonna stop a terror attack if one happens?
└Do you think he’s handsome?
└God is fair, so probably not.
“Why are they so curious about someone else’s face?”
“That’s just how star Awakened are. From now on, you’re basically a celebrity.”
“I’m not doing that. You do it.”
In reality, Aden was already a celebrity.
It was a common phenomenon.
Newly rising Awakened individuals who drew public attention would inevitably be spotlighted and idolized by the media and masses.
Because it was profitable.
And because promoting Awakened individuals served national interests.
“They’ll all recognize your face when you join Seonghwa, you know?”
“Uh, I don’t like that….”
“Then should we not go?”
“No! Please come with me!”
The two were bubbling with anticipation for their entry into Seonghwa Guild.
###
Awakened Management Bureau.
Chief Choi arrived at work with a buoyant expression.
Even the security guards recognized him at the entrance.
“Good morning, Section Chief Choi!”
“Yes, good morning!”
Was it just his imagination?
The greetings today felt more precise and energetic than usual.
“Thank you for your tremendous service to the nation!”
Ah!
‘It’s not my imagination!’
His cheek muscles nearly cramped from smiling.
Though the compliments were a bit exaggerated and awkward, wasn’t it natural for people in physically demanding jobs to be full of energy and enthusiasm?
‘Overflowing patriotism! Beautiful!’
Even the glances of people passing him in the hallways were different today.
Not just different—intense.
The sheer number of people making eye contact wore him out from returning greetings.
Even his senior colleague, who typically had a gruff attitude, couldn’t resist commenting.
“Choi Young-ho~ First an A-rank, now this? You really nailed it!”
“Your praise is too much, senior!”
Even the usually aloof Lee Kyung-ri, always stationed by the coffee vending machine, chimed in.
“Chief, morning coffee?”
“Ah, sorry, the Director called for me immediately.”
“Aww, I wanted to hear more about it.”
The world was beautiful!
The commute today, though filled with countless greetings, felt much longer than usual.
When he entered the office, the team stood up and clapped.
Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap!
“Our Section Chief is the best! Hooray!”
“I knew he’d pull it off when he said he’d go in person!”
“Section Chief! Are we getting incentives for this? Hehe.”
“Ha! Deputy Kang, what did you even do to earn incentives?”
“Hey, I made the Section Chief’s coffee deliciously, didn’t I?”
Ah!
‘Glorious!’
The realization that he had done something great for his country hit him hard.
He was a proud civil servant of South Korea!
Though he wanted to bask in this patriotic fervor and share tales over coffee, there was no time.
“I’ll go see the Director now!”
“Yes, sir! Take care!”
After dropping off his bag, he headed straight to the Director’s office.
Knock Knock.
“Come in.”
Section Chief Choi stood proudly.
The Director approached, patting his shoulder firmly and shaking his hand.
“I believed in you.”
“It’s all thanks to your trust!”
He bowed deeply in sync with the Director’s gestures.
Before superiors, Chief Choi was endlessly humble.
The two sat down comfortably.
“Whew… Do you know how exhausting it’s been, juggling public opinion and the National Assembly?”
“Indeed. You’ve worked hard.”
“No, the hard work was yours, Chief. Shall we have some coffee? What beans do you prefer? Colombia? Guatemala?”
The Director himself brewing coffee?
This was unprecedented.
Patriotism truly made the impossible possible!
“Just Maxim, please!”
“Huh? Can’t handle bitter coffee, eh?”
Sip.
Coffee meant Maxim.
“Now, let’s hear about this EX recruit you managed to bring in.”
