Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant

Chapter 31

Upon hearing those words, Administrator Kim Lee-gang responded instinctively.

“Right.”

He thought Suho must have something he wanted to say.

So, he spoke first.

“Yes, of course, but that only applies while I’m here. A guild that relies on the efforts of a single person can never truly grow. I’ll help Nexus reach its full potential while I’m here. Whether it’s recruiting new guild members or improving training methods. By the way, you know the one who came third in this Hunter exam? He’s from this academy, right? His name is Kang Dae-han.”

At that, Kim Suae immediately responded.

“Yes, we have a Kang Dae-han who took third place this time.”

“Didn’t he suddenly change his weapon? I was the one who advised him on that. He came in to sign his scholarship contract, and I happened to notice, so I helped him adjust his equipment.”

“What? Could it be that the academy contact that time was you, Suho?!”

Kim Suae was genuinely shocked.

It was only natural—after all, Kang Dae-han had been an unexpected windfall in this exam.

Yet there was Suho, quietly responsible for this success.

They had even been searching for this “mystery contact” Kang Dae-han mentioned.

Whoever he was, they felt they should reward him since his guidance led Kang Dae-han to third place.

And it turned out to be Suho.

Suho responded.

“Yes, back then I wasn’t exactly staff; I just presented myself as an academy representative. But by now, my face is fairly well-known, so I thought you might recognize me. With this, I think my ability as an instructor has been somewhat proven, wouldn’t you say?”

“Of course. Originally, our data predicted that Kang Dae-han would hardly pass the exam this year. But thanks to you, he’s achieved third place… Truly remarkable.”

Suho nodded with a smile, then turned his gaze back to Bae Donghyuk.

“So, what do you think? Isn’t this a mutually beneficial strategy? What’s your take, Guild Master?”

Everyone’s attention turned to Bae Donghyuk.

He seemed momentarily taken aback by Suho’s bold proposal, but soon, as the head of a major guild, he crossed his arms and responded coolly.

“If it’s as you say, these are fantastic terms. Refusing such an offer would be foolish. However, I have one question, and if you can answer it, I’ll agree to the contract as you suggested.”

“What are you curious about?”

“You mentioned proving various things through a Sealed Gate, but as you know, Sealed Gates are designated by the government as special management sites, so private bids are nearly impossible. Even for large guilds like ours, acquiring a bid isn’t easy. The government prioritizes public safety over revenue from bids. So how do you plan to secure admission to a Sealed Gate?”

Oh, so that’s all?

Suho answered casually, as if it were nothing.

“I’ll handle that part separately. If I secure admission to a Sealed Gate first, let’s release articles step-by-step after the raid: my guild membership, the raid challenge, and the successful clearance of the Sealed Gate.”

“Ha ha… You have everything planned, don’t you?”

“Of course. So let’s also hold off on the ‘real contract’ for now. As proof of my words, I’ll conquer one Sealed Gate first. That way, you’ll believe I’m not just talking big.”

In response to Suho’s proposal, Bae Donghyuk shook his head in amazement.

“You only give us offers we can’t refuse, Hunter Suho.”

“Well, isn’t that only natural? No matter how hot a rookie I may be right now, and even though I conquered the Tower of Trial, I’m still just an unranked Hunter who hasn’t even reached level 100. At best, I’m still a ‘rookie.’ So I think I should quickly prove myself, shed the rookie label, and establish myself as a true rainmaker of the scene.”

With Suho’s perfect answer, Bae Donghyuk was left speechless.

Not just Bae Donghyuk—everyone around him was left in admiration.

“Then, let’s continue the discussion once I secure admission to a Sealed Gate.”

“Understood.”

As Suho stood up, everyone else rose to escort him to the building entrance.

Soon, Suho left in his red Ferrari, and as it drove off, Bae Donghyuk spoke up.

“Administrator.”

“Yes, Guild Master.”

“From now on, prepare all necessary documents for Hunter Ahn Suho and establish a special team dedicated to supporting him exclusively.”

“Already? But shouldn’t we wait until he has… no, until he clears a Sealed Gate?”

“It doesn’t matter when. But preparing in advance will show Hunter Ahn Suho our sincerity. I have a feeling that he will keep every promise he makes.”

“Is that your intuition?”

“Look at his eyes. Those are the eyes of someone who has already seen the answer. No hesitation at all.”

“Indeed…”

Everyone nodded in agreement with Bae Donghyuk’s words.

***

Korean Hunter Association Building

Jung Chulmin was sitting at his desk, feeling frustrated.

Not long ago, he had received a scolding call from the Vice President, asking why there was still no progress.

‘Ha… How am I supposed to bring Suho here under what pretense?’

Even though the Tower of Trial was publicly operated to nurture rookie Hunters, ultimately, since Suho cleared a gate—a threat to humanity—it was only right to praise him.

‘Should I suggest giving him a commendation?’

No.

He was sure his superiors would immediately reject that.

Why would they give a commendation just to take a photo?

Jung Chulmin knew the truth behind the excuse.

The perception effect is completely different when taking a publicized photo with a commendation in hand versus without it, creating an impression of closeness.

‘This is a real headache.’

Just then.

Bzzz.

An unknown number appeared on his phone.

Who could it be?

Jung Chulmin answered quickly.

“Yes, this is Team Leader Jung Chulmin from Gate Management Team 1.”

– Team Leader, hello? It’s me, Ahn Suho.

“S-Suho?!”

The caller was none other than Suho.

At Suho’s unexpected call, Jung Chulmin shot up from his seat like a spring.

Noticing his subordinates staring, he hurriedly left the office for a quieter spot.

“Suho, what’s with this number? Did you get a new one?”

– Yes, my previous number was getting too many calls, so I created a secondary one. You can contact me here from now on.

“Oh, I see… Thank you for reaching out. I honestly thought I’d never hear from you again after the Tower of Trial.”

– Oh, come on. By the way, do you have time now?

“Now?”

– Yes, I haven’t eaten yet. How about we meet at Songrae Gukbap in front of the Korean Hunter Association? Since I passed the exam and became a Hunter, isn’t it okay for us to meet like this now? If you’ve already eaten, we could just grab coffee…

“Oh, no! I was skipping meals due to a lack of appetite! I’ll see you at Songrae Gukbap. I’ll reserve a room under my name and wait.”

– Thank you.

After the call ended, Jung Chulmin stared blankly at his phone.

He looked bewildered, as if he couldn’t believe what just happened.

‘Alright, let’s meet him first.’

With that thought, Jung Chulmin hurriedly prepared to meet Suho.

***

Songrae Gukbap

The Korean Hunter Association’s go-to restaurant and a frequent spot for Suho and Jung Chulmin.

The place had private rooms, which was why they both loved it.

Jung Chulmin reserved a small room and waited. Soon, Suho arrived.

Seeing him, Jung Chulmin stood up and welcomed him.

“You’re here?”

“Yes, I was nearby, so I came quickly. It’s been a while since I’ve been here.”

“Oh? You know this place?”

Of course, he did—he often stopped by for a meal when pulling an all-nighter or working late on documents.

However, he couldn’t say that, so he gave a vague answer.

“I used to come here often when I was working nearby. Shall we order? Their boiled meat set is quite good. I’ll have that.”

“I’ll have the same.”

“Two boiled meat sets, please!”

After placing the order, Suho poured water and spoke first.

“Have you had any trouble recently? For instance, with the Association, about bringing me in or something.”

“Pffft! What?”

Jung Chulmin almost spat out his water.

He stared at Suho with wide eyes.

“Wh-what are you…?”

“After I cleared the Tower of Trial, I wondered why you insisted on bringing me to the Association. Normally, even if someone clears a hard gate, they don’t usually get summoned to the Association. After looking into it, I found that such invitations often happen for taking promotional photos with the President or Vice President.”

Suho wasn’t just making an educated guess.

A quick look at the President’s promotional materials showed plenty of photos with star players who had cleared hard gates.

Caught off guard, Jung Chulmin stammered.

“Well, um…”

“I don’t mind. You could have just told me openly. It’s not a big deal for me, you know.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Jung Chulmin’s face flushed with embarrassment.

He felt like his clothes had been stripped off.

Suho hadn’t wanted to bring it up this way, but his plans were more important than Chulmin’s pride.

Suho continued.

“So I was right. But I’m still grateful to you, Team Leader. I found out that in cases like this, they often bring Hunters in under false accusations. But you treated me with respect.”

At this, Jung Chulmin gave a nervous laugh.

“Ha ha… Well, I didn’t want to be too forceful.”

“So, I’m thinking of visiting the Association. I appreciate your help, and as someone aiming to work with the Korean Hunter Association, wouldn’t it help if I established rapport with the President or Vice President?”

“Oh… That would… make sense, yes?”

“Shall we visit after this meal? Or would you prefer to schedule another time?”

“No, after the meal is fine! Just a moment!”

With that, Jung Chulmin quickly stood up to grab his phone.

He looked as though he had been under immense pressure.

Suho felt sympathy for him.

‘Just hold on a bit longer, brother. After this year, I’ll make sure everything works out for you.’

A short while later, after notifying the Association about Suho’s visit, Jung Chulmin finally relaxed.

“They said we can visit after we finish eating. I’ll cover the meal today, ha ha.”

“Shall we?”

The two enjoyed a hearty meal together.

Jung Chulmin, relieved of his burden, and Suho, savoring a meal at Songrae Gukbap with his friend.