Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant novel Chapter 58

The Earthkeeper Kobolds' mine had indeed been a goldmine. The mining team collected a remarkable amount of magic stones, valued in the billions. But that wasn’t all—there hadn’t been a single injury, not even a minor one, making it a perfect raid.

“President, this is incredible!”

Kim Yi-gang, the office manager, barely contained his excitement as he reported to Bae Dong-hyuk.

Bae Dong-hyuk, who had anticipated great results, couldn’t hide his joy.

“Yes, Hunter Ahn has given us quite a gift.”

Though Suho’s special recruitment meant a shortened contract period, this kind of result was more than enough for Nexus. The reward wasn’t just the financial gain from the mined magic stones; it was also about solving a strategic issue.

The Earthkeeper Kobolds’ mine gate had been a problem for Nexus, as they had struggled to determine how to clear it. The gate, left untouched for too long, risked becoming a high-risk "sealed gate" and could be seized by the government.

‘But thanks to Hunter Ahn’s success in clearing the gate, we’ve made profits and preserved the guild’s reputation.’

The damage to their image from failing to clear a gate and having it seized by the government would’ve been incalculable. Suho had resolved that problem, and for that, Bae Dong-hyuk was deeply grateful. Upon receiving the full report the next day, he immediately summoned Suho.

“Yes, President,” Suho replied, meeting Bae Dong-hyuk in his executive office on the top floor of Nexus headquarters. Bae Dong-hyuk had arranged a private meeting.

As Suho entered, Bae Dong-hyuk greeted him with a smile.

“Hunter Ahn, I just wanted to thank you once again.”

“No need. I didn’t even complete my contract period. This much was the least I could do.”

“Haha, nothing is a given. Many people would simply take what they could get for themselves. There aren’t many like you who value integrity and loyalty.”

“I appreciate the kind words.”

“On that note...” Bae Dong-hyuk took a few papers and handed them to Suho.

“What is this?”

“This is an initial valuation of the mining team’s collected materials.”

Suho took the papers and reviewed them. The amount listed was a staggering 7.2 billion won.

Bae Dong-hyuk continued, “The quality of the magic stones was much higher than expected, and their size increased their value even more. After secondary processing through our guild’s workshop, the net profit could easily exceed 10 billion.”

Indeed, even after deducting all expenses, the profit was estimated to be over 10 billion won. Suho could hardly keep a straight face, especially since the minerals he had personally gathered using Bulgasal far outstripped this amount.

‘Even just the raw ore I collected is worth more than 10 billion.’

Satisfied, Suho reflected on why he had used his Dominion Orb on Bulgasal. Financial security was essential for his plans; until the association underwent reform, his income as a public servant would be modest. Even with reforms, his earnings would be limited compared to other hunters.

‘My own needs are minimal, but I’ll need far more funds to realize my future plans.’

For Suho, Bulgasal’s mining activities were like finding an oasis in the desert.

Bae Dong-hyuk continued, “I’ve given this a lot of thought and decided to give 10% of this gate’s profit to your team, Hunter Ahn.”

“What?”

“No matter the reason for your assistance, it feels wrong not to share such substantial profits.”

Suho quickly declined, “No, thank you, President. Really, I insist.”

“It’s no trouble. Please accept it, Hunter Ahn. It’s the least I can do.”

Suho genuinely wanted to refuse, considering the amount of minerals he had already taken. But Bae Dong-hyuk was equally sincere, offering out of genuine gratitude rather than as a calculated move to curry favor with Suho.

After a bit of back-and-forth, Suho suggested a compromise.

“How about this instead?”

“Oh? What do you propose?”

“I have a favor I was considering asking. Since you insist on a bonus, perhaps you could help me with this instead.”

“Of course. Just name it.”

“You haven’t even heard it yet.”

“You’re Hunter Ahn! Whatever you ask, I trust it’s a reasonable request.”

“Haha, well...” Suho smiled. Bae Dong-hyuk’s straightforward personality was why he had chosen Nexus.

“Actually, this issue is what I wanted to discuss. As you know, I’m soon to be appointed through a special recruitment to the Great Hunter Association,” Suho began.

“Yes, and?”