Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant - Chapter 72
Chapter 72
Suho’s First Day at Work.
As expected, reporters were lined up at the entrance.
Click! Click!
A barrage of flashing cameras went off.
Along with the voices.
“Sword God!”
“Hunter Ahn!”
“So cool!”
“He’s so handsome!”
In addition to reporters, Suho’s followers crowded the Korean Hunter Association’s entrance to catch a glimpse of Suho’s first day.
Suho recalled Jo Jin-hwi’s request from the day before.
“It seems like you’re usually using a skill or item to conceal your presence, but if possible, please show your face tomorrow when you come to work.”
“Why?”
“People are here to see Hunter Ahn on purpose, so they’ll be pretty disappointed if you don’t show up. Sure, it’s not like they’ll suddenly turn on you, but it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious. Some people might take advantage of this to start a media frenzy.”
That made sense.
It was the kind of advice only Jo Jin-hwi could give.
‘Sticking too strictly to a mysterious image isn’t ideal either.’
Of course, in his past life, he hadn’t intentionally cultivated a rough or mysterious persona.
He simply went with the flow, giving interviews when requested and appearing on broadcasts if invited.
As a result, he avoided much of the controversy other star players faced.
People saw it as “just doing what he was told.”
When Suho entered the Association building, he witnessed an amusing scene.
The Association President, Jang Kyunghwan, and Vice President, Park Kyuman, had come out to greet him.
“Oh, our Hunter Ahn!”
The two greeted him warmly.
It was obvious why.
It must be because of the reporters following behind.
They were eager to put on a show whenever a camera was nearby; typical behavior for former politicians.
Suho greeted them formally.
“Hello, President.”
“Ha ha, yes, Hunter Ahn. Since it’s your first day, of course I had to come out. Let’s go in.”
He hadn’t asked him to, though…
Nevertheless, Jang Kyunghwan enthusiastically emphasized that he had personally come out to welcome Suho, and his grin matched the journalists’ cameras as they flashed again.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Jang Kyunghwan stayed close to Suho, smiling the whole time until the elevator doors fully closed.
Only then did he step back a bit and clear his throat.
Jang Kyunghwan asked,
“So, did you have a good time catching up?”
He switched to informal speech just like that?
He’d been respectful in front of the cameras, but now, alone, he went straight to casual speech.
Suho didn’t mind.
After all, Jang Kyunghwan was his superior now.
Suho replied.
“Yes, thanks to you, I had a great time with some good people.”
“Ha ha, that’s good to hear. By the way, do you know anything about your upcoming schedule?”
“Not yet.”
“Well, the Vice President will explain it to you in detail. Just do your best from now on, and if you have any issues, feel free to come to me.”
“Yes, President.”
When the elevator stopped, Suho exited on the fifth floor with the Vice President.
Jang Kyunghwan headed to his office on the top floor, while Suho followed Park Kyuman into a conference room on the fifth floor.
Unexpectedly, there were other people inside.
It was none other than Pi Seongyeol and Jung Chulmin.
When Park Kyuman arrived, the two stood up, and he patted Suho on the shoulder with a smile.
“They’ll guide you through the details. Alright, good luck today.”
As expected.
No wonder Park Kyuman had escorted him personally.
Once Park Kyuman left, Pi Seongyeol grinned and spoke.
“Ah, our junior has finally arrived.”
“Hello. It’s been a while.”
“The last time was at the appreciation ceremony, right? Well, have a seat. Team Leader Jung, get us something to drink.”
“Yes.”
At Pi Seongyeol’s instruction, Jung Chulmin quickly prepared refreshments.
Though Suho knew Park Kyuman would pass him off to a subordinate, he hadn’t expected Pi Seongyeol and Jung Chulmin to be the ones.
The pairing was unusual.
Pi Seongyeol had a valid reason to bring Suho to the Special Department, but why was Jung Chulmin here?
‘They aren’t even in the same department.’
It was puzzling, but Suho decided to set his curiosity aside for the time being.
Pi Seongyeol then continued.
“Junior.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Haha, did you already change your title? No need for that between us. Once a senior, always a senior. Call me ‘senior’ except in formal settings.”
Suho let out a small laugh despite himself.
Of all people, Pi Seongyeol was particularly sensitive about titles.
‘He must really value me.’
It was understandable.
Suho wasn’t just any skilled swordsman; he had single-handedly cleared several Sealed Gates.
Suho replied.
“Yes, senior.”
“Alright, then. Here’s a question for you, junior. Do you know what your responsibilities are here at the Association?”
The people here didn’t call it the ‘Association’; they referred to it as ‘the company.’
No one knew why.
It was just a habit everyone had.
Suho replied.
“I understand that I’ll first go through a probationary period.”
“Correct. For most civil servants, that means several months of managerial training and a stint at a local government office. Even those promoted to fifth grade follow this path. But we’re different. We’re the Association, handling matters related to Awakened Ones.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“So, our system’s a bit unique. Instead of external training, we do our rotations within the company, working in each department for a couple of months.”
Once Jung Chulmin returned with the drinks, Pi Seongyeol picked up a cup and added.
“But don’t worry too much. I’ll make sure that promise from last time is taken care of. The formalities just need to be followed, so you’ll have to complete the training. You’ve become quite popular.”
This meant they needed to follow proper procedures under public scrutiny.
Suho had expected this much.
In his previous life, Suho had briefly held a fifth-grade civil service position.
Having finished his explanation, Pi Seongyeol introduced Jung Chulmin.
“The two of you know each other, don’t you? That’s why I appointed Team Leader Jung as your overall supervisor. Although each department has its own evaluators, it’s good to have someone to go to with general questions. Feel free to rely on him.”
At this, Suho gave a formal greeting.
“Please take care of me.”
“Yes, I look forward to working with you as well.”
“Well, since I’ve now seen you, I think I’ve done my part. Team Leader Jung, take care of our junior.”
With that, Pi Seongyeol stood to leave.
Right.
He had no real reason to be here.
But he’d come solely because of Jung Chulmin.
‘This was a subtle warning: Don’t even think about bringing him over to the Gate Department. We have a close bond.’
Of course, a Special Department Head like Pi Seongyeol didn’t need to go this far.
There was a vast power difference between Pi Seongyeol and Jung Chulmin.
But he had done so anyway, simply for his own amusement.
‘What an interesting character.’
Once Pi Seongyeol left, Jung Chulmin chuckled awkwardly.
“It’s been a while.”
“Yes, it has. How have you been?”
“Oh, the same as always. I never imagined I’d be your overall supervisor.”
“Indeed. But I think it’s a good thing. I look forward to working together.”
“Likewise! Well, let me explain the training process now.”
Jung Chulmin pulled some printouts from his bag and handed them to Suho.
“Are you familiar with the departments in the Association?”
“Yes, there are five: Special, Operations, Awakened, Gate, and Resources.”
“Do you know what each department does?”
“I believe the Operations Department handles HR and promotions, the Awakened Department manages both Awakened and non-Awakened personnel, the Gate Department oversees Gates, and the Resources Department manages items and skill books. The Special Department handles unique tasks like dealing with player-related crimes.”
Satisfied, Jung Chulmin smiled.
“You’ve done your homework. As Director Pi mentioned, you’ll rotate through each department as part of your training. Oh, and while you were hired as a fifth-grade special appointee, remember to mind your tone during your probationary period.”
It was all information Suho already knew.
But he nodded as if learning it for the first time.
“Yes, I understand. Which department will I start with?”
“The first department is the Awakened Department. The schedule begins with them. As Director Pi said, each department has evaluators who will assess you, and you’ll need to pass the assignments and tests they give you. Shall we head to the Awakened Department now?”
With that, the two rose and headed toward the second-floor Awakened Department.
‘The Awakened Department…’
It had been a long time since he’d been there.
All new employees, including fifth-grade hires, underwent internal training in each department.
‘And if I recall, a certain person should be in the Awakened Department right now.’
Though Suho had never worked there, he knew of key figures and incidents.
Especially now, he couldn’t help but look forward to meeting this person.
When they arrived on the second floor, Suho entered the Awakened Department’s manager’s office.
The department head, Lee Wan-ik, rose to greet them.
“Oh, welcome! I’m Lee Wan-ik.”
Awakened Department Head, Lee Wan-ik.
He was aligned with Association President Jang Kyunghwan and, like Jang, was a regular non-Awakened individual.
Suho nodded slightly to himself.
‘The last time I saw him was just before he retired… He looks the same.’
His hair, a mix of black and white, slicked back, with a strikingly villainous mustache.
Suho hadn’t seen Lee Wan-ik often.
A few years from now, he would leave the Association for another company.
But Suho knew Lee Wan-ik all too well.
And with good reason.
Long after his retirement, it was discovered that Lee Wan-ik had secretly engaged in “human trafficking” within the Association.
This was no secret within the Association, though it never became public knowledge.
Due to the severity, revealing it could have jeopardized Jang Kyunghwan’s position.
‘In short, Jang covered it up.’
But things would be different this time.
Much had changed since then.
Suho’s lips curved into a smile as he looked at Lee Wan-ik.