Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant - Chapter 113
Chapter 113
Suho received the data from Seo Giwon on his phone, asked Kim Lee-gang to help with Kim Geon’s move, and then headed to his parked car.
Simultaneously, he called Park Gyu-min.
– Yes, Hunter Ahn.
“The article regarding the unfair personnel issue I mentioned before, I just published it. Pick an appropriate timing and go meet the Association President.”
– You published it now?
“Yes.”
– Understood.
With Park Gyu-min in action, that side was handled.
If any follow-up was needed, it would just be a call to Pi Seongyeol.
Afterward, Suho skimmed through the documents sent by Seo Giwon and made another call.
– Yes, Prosecutor Kim Seung-hwan speaking.
The person who answered was none other than an active prosecutor.
Suho chuckled as he replied.
“Hello? This is Hunter Ahn Suho from the Korean Hunter Association.”
– Hunter Ahn Suho?
“Yes, that’s correct.”
– Are you perhaps the Sword God Ahn Suho?
“Yes, that’s right. If you have some time, would you be interested in grabbing a coffee with me today?”
– With me?
“Yes, I have something to discuss regarding former Prosecutor Pi Seongyeol.”
– ……
Former Prosecutor Pi Seongyeol.
Since he was no longer a prosecutor, calling him “former prosecutor” was fitting.
Perhaps that was why?
After a moment of silence, Kim Seung-hwan nodded.
– All right.
“Thank you for agreeing. I’ll decide the time and place and send it to you via text.”
Ending the call, Suho got into his car and started the engine.
There was no time to waste before meeting him.
There was much to prepare in advance of his meeting with Prosecutor Kim Seung-hwan.
***
That evening.
Suho chose a secluded, quiet spot for their meeting location and waited for him.
Not long after, a strange car arrived, and Prosecutor Kim Seung-hwan stepped out.
Seeing him, Suho greeted him warmly with a friendly smile.
“Hello, Prosecutor Kim Seung-hwan?”
“…You really are Hunter Ahn Suho.”
“Haha, did you think I was lying?”
“Honestly, at first, I thought it was a prank call. I mean, I have no connections to Hunter Ahn Suho.”
“That’s true. But now we have one, don’t we? Thanks to a certain Pi Seongyeol.”
Kim Seung-hwan paused in silence.
Then he finally spoke.
“How did you find out?”
“Find out about what?”
“About me and Pi Seongyeol.”
“If one looks, one can find out. Where in the world is there a perfect secret? Besides, there’s no shortage of people who resent and hate someone like former Prosecutor Pi Seongyeol… or Pi Seongyeol himself.”
At Suho’s words, Kim Seung-hwan furrowed his brow slightly and tilted his head.
“Judging by what you said… it sounds like you also have some grievances against Pi Seongyeol?”
“Of course I do. Why else would I have asked to meet you?”
“Are all the reports in the media now part of your plan, then?”
“What, the report that there’s a royal faction within the Korean Hunter Association, leading to unfair personnel decisions?”
“So, it really was you, Hunter?”
“Yes, it was me. Who else would have a reason to tarnish my reputation?”
Suho didn’t hesitate to be candid.
Perhaps because of that?
The one who looked more flustered was Kim Seung-hwan.
“As much as we both dislike Pi Seongyeol, aren’t you being a bit too open with a stranger?”
“Come on, if you were someone who’d get shaken by this, I wouldn’t have bothered meeting you in the first place. Let’s relax and have that coffee. Wasn’t that what we planned on meeting for today?”
Suho handed one of the takeout coffees he had prepared to Kim Seung-hwan.
But as Kim Seung-hwan tasted the coffee Suho handed him, he let out a faint, ironic chuckle.
Only his lips turned up; his gaze grew a bit sharper.
“A café mocha?”
“Yes, a café mocha.”
“Isn’t iced Americano the usual takeout choice? At most, it’d be a warm latte.”
“Usually, yes. But you like iced café mochas, don’t you? Without whipped cream, too.”
Suho took a sip from his own coffee and smiled.
But rather than laughing, Kim Seung-hwan’s expression grew even colder.
“Our Hunter Ahn seems to have a very bad habit. Flexing your power in front of a South Korean prosecutor isn’t the best habit.”
“I didn’t flex any power in front of a prosecutor.”
“What?”
“I didn’t flex my power. I just showed you my information network. What good would it do to flex in front of an ordinary prosecutor?”
“Oh, dear….”
As Suho retorted nonchalantly, Kim Seung-hwan chuckled again.
This time, even his eyes laughed.
It was because he was simply astonished.
Suho continued.
“You already came here knowing everything, so let’s skip the formalities and get to the point. As an Awakened, you have no jurisdiction over me anyway.”
It was exactly as he said.
Both the investigative and prosecutorial authority over the Awakened fell under the Korean Hunter Association.
Specifically, only the Association’s Special Department.
That was why Pi Seongyeol chose the Special Department.
Because he knew just how much power comes with the authority to imprison people.
Kim Seung-hwan spoke.
“Didn’t you investigate my personality while you were digging into me?”
“I know it well. You’re one of the most righteous and upright people. Honest and incorruptible, too. But so uncompromising that you broke.”
“Yes, I’m a person who broke from being too rigid. Did it never cross your mind that I might tell Pi Seongyeol about what happened today?”
“Yeah, like you would.”
“What?”
“I know you don’t care about internal politics and only do your job. But that’s exactly why Pi Seongyeol managed to ensnare you. You took on the case that Pi Seongyeol’s faction requested against all odds.”
“…What are you trying to say?”
“You broke from being too rigid, so now it’s time you learn to bend. In fact, after your demotion to Gyeonggi Province, you haven’t been able to put the same energy into your work as you once did.”
“…….”
It was true.
He had been a man determined to live more righteously than anyone else.
But after being shattered by Pi Seongyeol, he suffered intense burnout, and afterward, his morale fell, leading to a state of indifference.
To the silent Kim Seung-hwan, Suho said.
“Have you ever seen my interview?”
“…Which interview?”
“The one where I explained why I wanted to join the Korean Hunter Association.”
“That… yes, I saw it. You joined to end the Gate phenomenon, right?”
“I meant every word of it. I genuinely joined the Association because I wanted to end the Gates.”
Suho’s words made Kim Seung-hwan tilt his head.
“What does the Gate phenomenon have to do with a state institution? If you want to end it, wouldn’t it make more sense to join a mega-guild?”
“They’re different. State institutions exist for public welfare, while guilds exist for private profit. Guilds prioritize their own interests over the security of humanity. That’s why I joined the Korean Hunter Association. Being part of it grants the qualifications to enter any Gate within the country faster than anyone else.”
“…What are you trying to say?”
“I just wanted to tell you that I meant what I said in that interview. Also, ending the Gates isn’t something I can achieve on my own. A war can’t be won with a single skilled soldier, after all.”
“So?”
“There are a lot of bad people in this country. Instead of uniting to overcome disasters, they disrupt and delay peace. So, I thought I’d start a bit of a cleansing operation.”
“Is Pi Seongyeol one of your targets?”
“He’s one of the cancerous masses that must be removed to reform the Korean Hunter Association into a proper institution. While some may see him as a capable man, he’s someone who uses the Association as a means for his own power. You know this well, having experienced it firsthand.”
Kim Seung-hwan paused in silence before asking again.
“What happened to you, Hunter?”
“I lost my family.”
“Your family?”
“Yes, I’m an orphan from a Gate incident. For a long time, I believed that Gate Shock was an unstoppable disaster, but by chance, I found out that the incident I experienced was man-made.”
“…No way?”
“Yes. The Gate Shock I endured, it was an incident that could have been anticipated and prevented. But they didn’t prevent it because of real estate interests tied to the area. You know, once a Gate appears in a place, another Gate won’t form there. That’s why the ‘Safe Zone Premium’ exists in the real estate market.”
Hearing Suho’s explanation, Kim Seung-hwan instantly grasped everything.
After a long silence, he finally responded.
“Then, is this just a personal revenge?”
“Of course not. If it were personal revenge, why would I go through all this hassle? I’d just be prepared to get caught and kill everyone connected to that incident. You know my reputation, right?”
The Sword God Ahn
Suho.
A man who held the rare record of solo-conquering multiple Seal Gates, something no one else had achieved.
There was no doubt about Suho’s level of power.
Suho continued.
“I truly wish to end the Gates. And to achieve that, the Five Disasters Gates must be conquered. Frankly, I can’t trust foreign hunters who are unknown and uncontrollable. So if possible, I’d prefer to work with verified hunters from within the country.”
“So, is that why you mentioned this ‘cleansing operation’ earlier?”
“They say clear waters come from clean sources. That’s the order of things, isn’t it? And isn’t that what you also believe, Prosecutor Kim Seung-hwan?”
Kim Seung-hwan couldn’t refute Suho’s question.
He, too, believed that the upper ranks should set an example for others to follow.
“I know that not everyone has the same values. A sword of power changes depending on who wields it and how. So I intend to take hold of that sword. At least while I’m at the top, people will avoid harboring malicious intent because of my scrutiny.”
“…Aren’t you dreaming too high?”
“Dreams are meant to be dreamt, not broken.”
“Then why me? What if I get a taste of power and end up corrupt?”
As he listened to Suho’s story, this was what puzzled him the most.
Why him, out of all the prosecutors in the country?
Just because of Pi Seongyeol?
It sounded ridiculous.
And Suho agreed on this point.
Even as a regressor from the future, he knew that people’s hearts could change unpredictably.
Suho smiled as he spoke.
“True, nothing lasts forever. So, I’m choosing to trust you for now. Among the people I researched, you stand most in opposition to Pi Seongyeol. And…”
Suho took another sip of his coffee and grinned.
“If you want to avoid fearing me, I’d say live a life of integrity.”