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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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Creak—!
The large door of the conference room opened with a groan, and Vice President Ko Taehyun, the current highest authority figure in the Association, appeared. This meant the meeting was starting, so there was no need for further nerve-wracking posturing.
“…”
The conference room quieted down. Kim Min-hyeok, the secretary, stood at the podium, confirming that Ko Taehyun was seated at the head of the table.
“Thank you for attending on such short notice. Since you’re all busy people, we’ll get straight to the point and proceed with the selection of the guild and hunter for the next Treasure Gate raid.”
At Kim Min-hyeok’s smooth words, the heads of the departments tilted.
“Next?”
“Isn’t that a mistake?”
Having received considerable bribes from each guild, the department heads reacted sharply, questioning Kim Min-hyeok. Ko Taehyun, seated at the head of the table, turned on the microphone in front of him.
“No, Secretary Kim is correct.”
“What?”
While the department heads expressed their confusion, Ko Taehyun continued in a casual tone, “There’s no need to deliberate on the priority raiding rights, is there?”
“…?”
Unable to comprehend Ko Taehyun’s words, the department heads tilted their heads again.
‘What’s going on?’
The executives of the Association, those above the department head level, had never discussed the priority raiding rights for a Treasure Gate. In fact, since the Treasure Gate was just discovered today, there wouldn’t have been time to discuss it.
‘…But the priority raiding rights have already been decided?’
If it had been anyone else as Vice President, they would have suspected that the decision had been made arbitrarily due to bribes. But because it was ‘Ko Taehyun,’ they couldn’t entertain such a thought.
‘Ko Taehyun, the Vice President, would never accept bribes.’
There was a reason why no one complained even though Ko Taehyun held the real power within the association in place of the President.
‘He always makes fair judgments and clearly distinguishes between public and private matters.’
Unlike other executives, he had no weaknesses or scandals, so they couldn’t complain. Thus, the question in the minds of the department heads only grew.
‘Ko Taehyun, the Vice President, made a unilateral decision?’
Although they were bewildered, after some thought, they could understand the situation.
‘…Ko Taehyun has recently started a fight with the Myungye Group.’
A war with a large corporation like the Myungye Group would require a considerable amount of money and manpower. Even Ko Taehyun would have had no choice but to accept corporate lobbying.
‘Which corporation managed to sway the unshakeable Ko Taehyun?’
The department heads quickly exchanged glances, gauging each other’s reactions. But everyone was just watching each other, none showing any composure.
‘There’s no one…? What’s going on?’
The department heads were shaken by the unexpected situation, but it was a natural consequence. They were mistaken in their assumptions. Vice President Ko Taehyun, as always, had made the selection based on fair criteria.
“You all know the selection criteria for the Treasure Gate raid, don’t you?”
Bae Dong-min, the Awakened Management Department Head, answered immediately, as if he’d done his research in advance to promote his affiliated guild.
“As I understand it, the guild or hunter who has made significant contributions to society and maintains a close relationship with the Association is given priority.”
“Then let me ask again, is there anyone who surpasses Hunter Lee Seong-joon in both aspects?”
Ko Taehyun’s eyes were filled with confidence. It was only natural. Hunter Lee Seong-joon’s recent contributions and the benefits the Association had reaped from them were far greater than any other guild or hunter.
“Thanks to Hunter Lee Seong-joon’s interrogation of the Shadow Brothers, the villain apprehension rate has increased by 200% compared to last year.”
Perhaps because it was a time when villains were particularly active, according to recent polls, public trust and approval ratings for the Association had increased by more than 5% compared to the previous year.
“And he participated in the raid gate, defeating Song Seung-jun of Nuri and taking first place. Although initially only the Baekho Guild received the spotlight, with the revelation that he is also affiliated with our Association, our prestige has greatly increased.”
Indeed, even the arrogant and greedy guilds were now keeping their mouths shut and watching the Association’s every move.
“Finally, this time, he not only captured the SS-rank villain Jo Se-hyuk and his followers but also interrogated them, allowing us to conduct additional villain suppression operations. Thanks to that, the apprehension rate has surpassed 300% compared to last year. A few days ago, even the President personally visited to offer encouragement and praise.”
Of course, it wasn’t just empty words of encouragement and praise. The budget allocated to the Hunter Association would be increased by a whopping 200%.
“Now, the public is even calling Hunter Lee Seong-joon the future of our Hunter Association. Do you still think there’s a need to deliberate on the priority raiding rights?”
“……”
Unable to refute his words, the faces of most department heads darkened. But not everyone.
“Everything you said is correct, but I believe we need a broader perspective, considering this is the first Treasure Gate to appear in Korea.”
Some, like Moon Seung-hyun, the Magic Management Department Head, had come thoroughly prepared.
“Of course, in terms of short-term results alone, no one can compare to Hunter Lee Seong-joon. But considering that the Nuri Guild has been maintaining order in Korea for years by suppressing villains and clearing gates and monsters, I don’t think they fall far behind Hunter Lee Seong-joon.”
As if they had coordinated in advance, several department heads nodded in agreement.
“I agree with the Magic Management Department Head. Yoon Min-soo, the master of Nuri, has a precedent of capturing the SS-rank villain Ham Hyun-woo.”
“They have continuously carried out gate raids, which are crucial for maintaining order. You could say they’ve made even greater contributions than Hunter Lee Seong-joon, who usually works alone.”
“Hmm… Your arguments are certainly valid.”
As Ko Taehyun slowly nodded, Moon Seung-hyun and the other department heads smiled triumphantly. But then…
“But I doubt you’re supporting Nuri solely for those reasons.”
Ko Taehyun hadn’t chosen Lee Seong-joon without any thought or basis. He had made thorough preparations.
“Secretary Kim, turn on the screen.”
Ko Taehyun smiled leisurely and nodded. Kim Min-hyeok operated the remote control in his hand. Moon Seung-hyun’s face turned pale as he saw the images projected on the hologram in the center of the conference room.
“Th-This is…”
It was a natural reaction. The hologram displayed call logs, records of conversations with the head of Nuri Guild’s personnel team, and even a stack of bills neatly packed in apple boxes in a car trunk.
“Do you have anything to say?”
There was no room for excuses. No, there shouldn’t be any excuses. With this level of investigation, what was revealed was likely just the tip of the iceberg. He would have even more damning evidence ready, just in case.
Moon Seung-hyun immediately bowed his head, bending at a 90-degree angle.
“…I apologize.”
“Not only did you accept bribes as a public official, but you also attempted to gain personal benefits in a selection process that should have been fair. Magic Management Department Head Moon Seung-hyun and three other department heads will be excluded from the selection meeting, and as acting President, I will convene a disciplinary committee as soon as possible. Are there any objections?”
“None.”
“You may leave.”
Moon Seung-hyun and the three other department heads placed their IDs on the table, stood up, and left the conference room.
Silence fell over the room. Ko Taehyun scanned the remaining department heads with narrowed eyes and spoke, “Are there any further objections?”
No one would dare object after witnessing what just happened. Even though they might have to return the bribe money, they couldn’t afford to lose their hard-earned positions.
‘…I give up on this priority raid.’
In the end, the department heads remained silent.
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The South Korean media went into a frenzy. It was only natural. The first Treasure Gate had appeared in South Korea. Naturally, the front pages of newspapers were plastered with news about the Treasure Gate.
Articles about past rewards from Treasure Gates and the changes they brought poured out one after another. As information about Treasure Gates spread rapidly throughout South Korea, and people learned about the incredible rewards, speculation began about who would be granted priority raiding rights.
Among them, the five major guilds representing South Korea – Nuri, Bulsae, Sasin, Baekho, and Hwanseong – were considered the most likely candidates.
Of course, I also saw those articles. It was impossible not to, with news reports pouring out incessantly. But I wasn’t particularly interested. While it would be nice to secure the raiding rights, the chances of me beating out those prominent guilds were slim.
Therefore, I decided it was better to focus on my growth rather than clinging to a slim chance.
It was then that I received a call from Ko Taehyun.
Selection for priority raiding rights for the Treasure Gate. It wasn’t mandatory, but he recommended I participate in the raid if possible.
After my encounter with Baek Mu-jin, I craved greater power, so there was no reason to refuse. In fact, it was what I had been hoping for, so I immediately accepted the offer.
I also added a suggestion. I proposed postponing the raid from the beginning of the month, the 1st, to the end of the month, the 30th.
The reason was simple.
‘There’s no need to share a valuable reward with others.’
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