Chapter 56

I stared at the request for a moment, then shook my head.

“Well…”

“Well?”

“I’m not really feeling it.”

“…Is that so?”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong smirked, then spoke to Im Han-na, who was next to him.

“What would you do if someone offered you an S-Rank Skill Book?”

“Anything but murder. Though, depending on the situation, I might even be able to kill someone.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong turned his face back to me.

“Others can’t get one even if they want it. Why aren’t you interested when they’re just handing it to you?”

“The fact that they’re ‘just handing it to me’ is what bothers me.”

There’s no such thing as a free lunch.

And for an S-Rank Skill Book, no less. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what they would demand.

Besides, it’s not like I need a Skill Book.

It might be a different story if it contained Advanced Magic.

I continued, entertaining the ridiculous thought.

“And the details of the request aren’t specific either.”

The request form only stated that it was a contract dispute with the Daehu Group, one of the top five corporations.

It looked like the perfect way to get tangled up in a headache.

As I explained my thoughts, Head of department Kim Yoon-joong nodded with a strange expression.

“Actually, if you had said you’d do it, I was going to try and stop you for the exact same reasons.”

“See? I told you there was no need. Pay up.”

“Damn it.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong took 50,000 won out of his wallet and gave it to Im Han-na.

It all happened so smoothly that I almost didn’t realize what was going on.

So, what? Did they just make a bet on me?

On whether I’d be tempted by an S-Rank Skill Book or not?

“Hey. A rookie should have some rookie-like qualities. What’s with you?”

“It’s good to be seasoned, what’s the problem?”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong looked at me and Im Han-na with suspicion.

“You two didn’t plan this, did you?”

“Choi Gi-woong. Come see me in a bit. I’ll give you 20,000 won.”

“Didn’t you promise me 30,000 won earlier?”

“Oh my. Is that how it was?”

As she answered slyly, Head of department Kim Yoon-joong’s expression soured even more.

Shaking his head, he changed the mood and tapped the towering pile of direct requests.

“Then is there anything else in here that you like?”

“No. There’s nothing I particularly want to do.”

“What? Why?”

This time, unlike with the New Awakening Skill Book, Head of department Kim Yoon-joong’s reaction was one of genuine surprise.

“There aren’t many difficult jobs, and no shady characters involved. Is there really a need to refuse?”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong urged me to reconsider.

“It’s a waste to just throw these away. They’ll be a huge help in building your connections, too.”

“Will they count toward my performance record?”

“Hmm?”

At my question, Head of department Kim Yoon-joong furrowed his brow.

“Well, they won’t be a huge help. They’re not particularly difficult jobs.”

Exactly.

If they were at least B-Rank missions, I might have considered them, but the details of every single one were mediocre.

I might have thought about it if they didn’t take up much time, but things like escort or transport missions were a month long at minimum.

“Still, the rewards they’re offering are more than enough for the work. And it’s a good chance to build connections.”

“Those kinds of material rewards don’t really appeal to me right now.”

“You need performance records, not Items?”

“Yes.”

It’s not like I can call on them for my own use whenever I need them.

I’m not trying to get friendly with the higher-ups just to be their servant, getting called here and there.

“Well, your intentions are good, but if you turn them down for that reason, they won’t look at you too kindly.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong stroked his chin.

“They’re all big shots in their own right. They’ll grumble that you’re too expensive for them. Some might even act all condescending because their pride is hurt.”

That’s what bothers me the most, too.

It would look like I was coldly rejecting their outstretched hand of friendship.

I wanted to refuse as nicely as possible if I could.

“How about a mission related to Demons?”

If it were an ordinary mission, it’d be one thing, but no one would say anything if I was going to hunt Demons.

“Demons? Ah, you. You were incredible recently, right? Taking down five A-Rank Demons.”

After a moment of thought, he spoke with a troubled expression.

“But what to do. It looks like there won’t be any for a while.”

“…Why not?”

“Seong Yo-han took them all.”

The one who answered was Im Han-na, who was standing beside me.

The smile she always wore was gone, replaced by a look of displeasure.

“He has a disease where he’ll die if he’s not the center of attention.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“The superstar syndrome, I guess you could call it. He can’t stand it when someone else gets the spotlight in a situation where he’s supposed to be the star.”

Then she shrugged.

“Seong Yo-han boldly declared he would get rid of the Black Market, but then some rookie comes out of nowhere and whips Yang Won-hoon into shape. His pride must have taken a massive hit.”

Seong Yo-han’s words suddenly came to mind.

He had told me not to whip him into shape even if I could.

Back then, I thought there was some grand reason for it. But if what Im Han-na said was true…

It would be hard to see Seong Yo-han in a positive light.

“So he rushed to sweep up all the Demon-related missions. To get back the attention he lost.”

“Well, that’s why Seong Yo-han will be exclusively in charge of Demon-related matters for the time being.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong scratched his head and looked at the pile of direct requests as if they were a nuisance.

“Then what excuse should I give for rejecting these?”

“How have you been lately, Seong Yo-han-nim?”

At the MC’s question, Seong Yo-han smiled brightly and said.

“It’s been hectic. It hasn’t been long since I returned to the Association, but work is piled up like a mountain.”

“Come to think of it, you’ve returned to the Association, right? The reaction from your hubae must have been incredible?”

The co-host next to him acted surprised and made a fuss.

“If I were Seong Yo-han-ssi, I’d be strutting around, telling people to go get me some coffee…”

“Aigoo, stop it. We have a precious guest here, what kind of question is that?”

The main MC, who had been playing along, calmed the mood and asked another question.

“Seong Yo-han-ssi’s missions have always drawn public interest. What kind of missions are you mainly focused on these days?”

“It’s confidential, so I can’t go into detail.”

“Just a little, please?”

“I’m hunting Demons.”

The MC’s eyes widened.

“Demons?! Ah. Right, I have seen a lot of articles about the number of Demons increasing. Isn’t it dangerous?”

“It’s often dangerous, and I often get criticized. But it has to be done.”

“Aah.”

Amid the touching production, the MC subtly spoke to Seong Yo-han.

“Then for our last question, could you please say a word to the hubae who look up to you as a role model?”

“Hmm. I’m in over my head myself, so I don’t have much to say to my hubae.”

After a moment of thought, Seong Yo-han answered with a kind smile.

“I think humility is the most important thing. Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. It tends to come back to you in a bigger way later on.”

The camera turned off.

Seong Yo-han’s smile, which he had used to greet each and every staff member, vanished as he walked down the stairs.

“Team leader-nim. You looked great on screen today. The on-site reaction was good, so I bet the view count will be insane once this airs.”

A team member next to him giggled, trying to read Seong Yo-han’s expression.

“What’s the reaction inside the Association?”

“The best. The rumor is that you’ve already caught over thirty Demons.”

“Is that so?”

“No one’s even talking about Yang Won-hoon anymore. A lot of people still suspect it might be a lie.”

“Yang Won-hoon? Ah.”

As if he had just remembered, Seong Yo-han continued.

“Come to think of it, what’s he up to now? Choi Gi-woong.”

“He’s just twiddling his thumbs since there are no Demon-related missions right now.”

The team member answered as if he had been waiting for the question.

“Just as you said, Team leader-nim, it seems he can’t use his power well unless it’s against Demons.”

The frown on Seong Yo-han’s brow slowly smoothed out.

“From what I saw, you could hardly even call him an A-Rank otherwise.”

“People are making such a fuss. I’ll muddy the waters on that part and put it out there.”

“Come to think of it, there was a weird rumor going around about him being able to raise Potential Ranks. Did you look into it? It’s a lie, right?”

As he spoke, Seong Yo-han continued down the stairs, then suddenly turned his head.

The team member, who had been so confident just a moment ago, looked like he was being choked, gasping for air.

“What’s wrong?”

“That is…”

“?”

“Ah, it’s not certain yet, but…”

Seong Yo-han licked his lips.

“It was real?”

Seong Yo-han’s indifferent face contorted with surprise.

Much more so than when he heard about Yang Won-hoon being whipped into shape.

“…This is a bit unexpected.”

“Yes. It is, but you know how it is. People just make a fuss over nothing. Even if it is real, the conditions are bound to be incredibly strict. Otherwise, he would have recruited a whole bunch of team members.”

Seong Yo-han, only half-listening, crossed his arms.

“I was just going to end it with a light warning.”

Deep in thought, he suddenly spoke.

“You said he received some direct requests, right?”

“Yes. He did, but…”

“What would happen if I said I’d do them?”

The team member’s eyes went wide.

“T-Team leader-nim.”

“Still, isn’t Seong Yo-han more trustworthy than Choi Gi-woong?”

“If you do that, it won’t be good for your image, Team leader-nim. The atmosphere will get messy, with people saying you have no business ethics.”

The team member’s lips moved as he continued.

“No matter how much momentum Choi Gi-woong has, he’s not yet at a level you need to worry about.”

“Do you think I’m doing this because of a mere Choi Gi-woong?”

“Pardon?”

“This isn’t about Choi Gi-woong. This is me sending a warning to the Association President.”

“…The Association President?”

“That I can do this, too. So don’t let your eyes wander.”

Is this what they call getting slapped when you wanted to cry?

—Aigoo, Squad Leader Choi. I’m so sorry, what should I do?

“It’s alright.”

—I hope you don’t take it too hard.

“This is all my fault for being inadequate.”

I spoke coldly on purpose, and the person on the other end didn’t know what to do.

—Just say I owe you a big one. Won’t that work?

“No, it’s fine. Why go that far? People can change their minds while working.”

—If you ever need my help, just let me know anytime. Okay? I’ll go out of my way for anything for you, Squad Leader Choi.

“I understand. Please don’t worry too much. I’m really okay.”

After loosening the reins a bit and ending the call, Im Han-na, who was in front of me, looked impressed.

“Have you ever thought about going into politics?”

“Politics?”

“Your people skills seem to be no joke.”

I feel like I’ve heard this somewhere before.

In any case, when I said I had no intention of doing so, Im Han-na grinned.

“I don’t know if I should say this is a good thing, but I’m relieved.”

“I know, right? I was worried about how to turn them all down one by one.”

Seong Yo-han took care of it all himself.

Forcibly, at that.

Maybe it was because I was still just Choi Gi-woong, and my opponent was Seong Yo-han.

As soon as Seong Yo-han called, they all shamelessly canceled their requests.

Still, it seems they had some business ethics, as they each left me with a hefty IOU.

“It’s a case of stumbling upon a lucky break, but what’s wrong is wrong.”

Across from me, Head of department Kim Yoon-joong clicked his tongue.

“Seong Yo-han crossed the line this time. Stealing a hubae’s job. Did you do something to get on his bad side? He doesn’t usually resort to such petty tricks.”

“I’m not sure either.”

Still, this made one thing clear.

It might be like hitting a rock with an egg for now, but I wasn’t going to just sit back and do nothing.

Someday, I will return the favor.

“Then is this the only one left?”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong pointed to a single request form with a stiff expression.

It was the one that offered an S-Rank Skill Book.

The New Awakening Skill Book Workshop.

“This place is strange, too. If Seong Yo-han offered to solve their problem, shouldn’t they be bowing and running to him?”

“They said they specifically wanted to entrust it to Choi Gi-woong-ssi.”

Maybe it’s because they chose Choi Gi-woong over Seong Yo-han.

I didn’t think much of it until yesterday, but now I find it a little commendable.

And I’m curious.

“I’ll go check it out.”

Let’s at least hear what it’s about.