Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant novel Chapter 31

After hearing those words, Manager Kim I-gang reflexively opened his mouth.

"Right."

There must be something you want to say.

So, he spoke first.

"Yes, of course, this is only applicable while I'm here. But a guild that relies solely on one person’s performance cannot grow in the long term. I'll do my best to help Nexus expand as much as possible while I'm here. Improvements in member recruitment and training methods, for instance. By the way, do you know the guy who placed third in this Hunter exam? He’s affiliated with the academy here, his name is Kang Dae-han."

Kim Soo-ae responded immediately.

"Yes, that's right. Kang Dae-han, who took the third spot."

"Didn’t he suddenly change his weapon? I advised him on that. I noticed it by chance when he came in to sign the scholarship contract last time, and I helped him adjust."

"Wait, was that 'mysterious academy official' actually you, Suho?"

Kim Soo-ae was truly surprised.

After all, Kang Dae-han was an unexpected find in this exam.

But to think Suho was behind that discovery.

Moreover, she had been trying to figure out who that 'mysterious official' mentioned by Kang Dae-han was.

And now she realized it was Suho.

Suho replied.

"Yes, at the time, I wasn’t officially staff, so I just passed myself off as an associate. But by now, I’m sure my face has become quite familiar. This should verify my abilities as a trainer, don’t you think?"

"Of course. According to our data, we didn’t expect Kang Dae-han to pass this year either. But thanks to you, Suho, he managed to achieve third place... Truly remarkable."

Suho smiled, nodded, and then turned his attention to Bae Dong-hyeok.

"What do you think? Wouldn’t this be a win-win strategy? What’s your opinion, Director?"

All eyes turned to Bae Dong-hyeok.

Though he appeared surprised by Suho's bold proposal, as the head of a large guild, he quickly crossed his arms and spoke with cool detachment.

"These are excellent conditions, just as you described. To refuse this offer would be foolish. However, there is one question I’d like clarified before we proceed as you suggested."

"What question would that be?"

"Earlier, you mentioned you would prove yourself through the Sealed Gate. However, as you may know, the Sealed Gates are designated for special government management, making private bids difficult, even for large guilds like ours. The government prioritizes public safety over generating revenue from bids. So how do you intend to secure access to a Sealed Gate?"

Oh, is that all?

Suho answered nonchalantly.

"I’ll handle that issue separately. Once I bring back the entry pass for the Sealed Gate, we can publish sequential articles—starting with my joining the guild, followed by the challenge, and finally the clearing of the Sealed Gate."

"Haha... It seems you have everything planned out, Hunter Suho."

"Indeed. And with that in mind, let’s hold off on the 'official contract' for now. I'll first prove my words by clearing a Sealed Gate. That should be enough to confirm if I’m bluffing or not."

Bae Dong-hyeok clicked his tongue and said,

"Really, Hunter Suho, you leave us with no room to refuse."

"Well, I think this is just the standard approach. No matter how much of a rising rookie I am in the domestic field or even if I cleared the Tower of Trials, I haven’t reached level 100, and at best, I’m still a ‘rookie.’ I think I need to remove that label quickly and prove myself to be a rainmaker for the scene."

Suho’s flawless answer left Bae Dong-hyeok speechless.

In fact, everyone around him was equally impressed.

"Let’s continue with the specific arrangements after I secure the entry pass for the Sealed Gate."

"Understood."

As Suho stood up, everyone else promptly rose as well, seeing him off to the building's entrance.

Once Suho left Nexus and drove away in his red Ferrari, Bae Dong-hyeok spoke.

"Manager."

"Yes, Director."

"From now on, gather all the necessary documents related to Hunter Ahn Suho and create a special team dedicated solely to him."

"Already? Shouldn’t we wait until he brings back the pass... or perhaps even until he clears the Sealed Gate?"

"Timing doesn’t matter much. However, I’d like to show some sincerity by preparing in advance. From what I can tell, Hunter Suho will fulfill every promise he made."

"Is that an intuition?"

"Look at his eyes. Those eyes... they were the eyes of someone who had already seen the answer. No hesitation."

"I see..."

Everyone nodded in agreement with Bae Dong-hyeok’s words.

***

Korean Hunter Association (KHA) Building.

Jung Chul-min sat at his desk, massaging his temples.

Not long ago, he had received a call from the deputy head, pressing him about why there hadn’t been any news yet.

‘Ha... How am I supposed to bring Suho here?’

Despite the fact that the Tower of Trials was operated as a public gate to nurture new Hunters, it was still a dangerous gate that had been cleared, so it was only fitting that Suho be recognized.

‘Maybe we should give him an award?’

No, that would definitely get shot down by upper management.

They would probably criticize him for arranging an entire award ceremony just for one photo op.

Of course, Jung Chul-min knew the real reason behind this excuse.

Award photos and ‘friendly-looking’ photos without any official award in hand had vastly different impacts on public perception.

‘This is a pain.’

Just then,

Brrr.

An unfamiliar number appeared.

Who could it be?

Jung Chul-min quickly answered.

"This is Team Leader Jung Chul-min of Gate Management, Team 1."