Against the Clock: The Team Leader’s Pursuit of Glory

Cha Gil-joo went deep in thought before he decided to speak.

"After seeing it, I probably won't be able to resist... But isn't it inappropriate to open the wallet first when I can't even eat? The wallet of a public servant is tight. We can't carelessly swipe cards. Especially public servants in an ambiguous position like me. After all, the final approval descends from above."

Following Cha Gil-joo, who pointed his index finger at the ceiling, Kang Mu-hyuk raised his head, then lowered his gaze before speaking, "So, would a menu that's safe for the division head to eat and also decent to display to the higher-ups suffice?"

"I'm not sure such a thing exists."

"Seems like you're already interested in something. I'll take one of your most curious questions."

Cha Gil-joo was taken aback.

Generally, business owners who were awarded government contracts or proposed projects would package everything with all sorts of pleasing excuses, even if they didn't possess the necessary requirements.

Moreover, the guild, although it was a subordinate in name, in reality, held the upper hand. They often pressured the government with a mix of coercion and bluffs under the name of persuasion. Of course, this was a negotiation method that could only be implemented by a large guild.

But the Guild Leader of the Taesung Guild asked him to question outright. And that too, just one question.

In such an unpleasant situation, Cha Gil-joo was already carefully selecting the question he should ask.

This surprised him.

'He works in a strange way.'

Arrogant circumstances, but polite manners. A way of speaking that sparked curiosity first. Somehow, it felt amusing. It was the first time he felt this way while being on this job.

Suddenly, Cha Gil-joo realized why Kang Mu-hyuk, contrary to his initially polite impression, was acting so boldly.

'I shouldn't have mentioned the minister.'

He had mentioned the minister so the other party would feel pressured, but it had rather become his weakness. If the content mentioned earlier was overturned, it would drive Cha Gil-joo into an awkward situation.

If he were to tell the minister that things had now gotten complicated, it would only damage his own dignity.

'I let my guard down because he's a non-Hunter. He landed a polite blow. But then again, he's not an ordinary person since he's a non-Hunter leading a guild.'

For a moment, he had this thought.

Could we also achieve something with this person?

They called it the Guild Cooperation Division, but truthfully, it was just a runner center that catered to the guilds' whims and addressed complaints. No, they were a punching bag that was knocked around without being able to solve anything.

They couldn't even dream of having independent projects or equal negotiation rights as they were overwhelmed by the guilds.

Even worse, when they upset the guilds, incidents and accidents caused by monsters would subtly increase.

This 'subtle' was crucial.

There was no evidence to accuse them of negligence, yet the damage to human life couldn't be ignored.

It was this kind of 'subtle.'

Several calculations complicated his head within an instant.

"Ha, I've become a real public servant."

"Pardon?"

"No, nothing. I was just having various thoughts. So, I'll ask one question. Putting everything else aside, the most important issue is... Pocheon is considerably broad."

"That's right. It's very broad."

"Could your Taesung Guild handle this area with its current power?"

Kang Mu-hyuk admitted with a brisk smile.

"We can't handle it."

"Guild Leader Kang, if you say that... Hmm. I have nothing to say. I can't cover it all by myself. But it's the truth."

Ju Se-ah, seemingly agitated, stood up and then sat down again as she agreed.

"Well... Then, how do you plan to resolve this? If you promote it as the first special hunting ground and then problems arise, it will be tough for the responsible department. Not to mention, it would be a terrible thing for the citizens of South Pocheon."

"When the guild's relocation is announced, many of the current Hunters will likely leave. The scale of the guild will decrease even further."

"What on earth..."

"We don't have the funds or the reputation to recruit skilled Hunters. From supporters to managers and facilities, everything will be downgraded significantly."

"..."

Cha Gil-joo stared at Kang Mu-hyuk as he listed problems instead of solutions.

"Nonetheless. The anxiety of the citizens of South Pocheon... We must definitely solve that problem. I can't guarantee 100%. There's no such thing as a perfect defense plan. But we are going there to create a situation much better than before. To do that, I propose this method."

Kang Mu-hyuk took out a document he had prepared in advance and handed it over.

"This is..."

<Taesung Guild Personnel Recruitment Project>

"The title is, as you can see, grand. But it should be a good menu to show off."

Inside the car returning to the guild.

Ju Se-ah, who was driving, grumbled, "Damn, I'm speechless. It should be a good menu to show off? You acted as if you were in a movie."

"I didn't say it in a funny way."

"It's not about being funny or not! Should you show that plan so easily?"

"I made it with the intention to display."

"No, more than that, did you prepare it in advance knowing he would ask? How?"

Instead of replying, Kang Mu-hyuk opened his briefcase.

Inside, files filled with documents were visible.

"Do you think I'm a newbie? Of course, I prepared everything."

"Huh? You're a total scammer. I thought you were laying a mat."

'Well, I knew he would mention that problem first.'

Kang Mu-hyuk recalled the profile of Division Head Cha Gil-joo.

Since the Titan era, he had thoroughly kept tabs on the Guild Cooperation Office.

Although there was no opportunity to work together due to the guild's stingy policy on government quests, he had always viewed Cha Gil-joo favorably.

'He was a civil servant who volunteered for the Guild Cooperation Division, a place everyone else loathed. He started at the bottom, unearthing the corruption within the organization, going as far as ousting his superiors.'

Even though he had done the right thing, his past actions garnered him the sort of reputation that drew resentment within the civil service system.

Whistleblowers were always in an awkward position, regardless of the system they were in.

That said, despite all the hostility, he ended up as the head of the Guild Cooperation Division.

Kang Mu-hyuk had suspicions that the corruption scandal itself could have been Cha Gil-joo's plan.

'Opportunist or idealist? Looking at his past actions, he certainly moves according to a plan he has drawn up for himself. And all his plans have always been...'

Human-centered.

In that respect, Kang Mu-hyuk had always considered Cha Gil-joo as someone he could work with.

"If that was the case, you should have just shown everything. Why did you ask him to choose one?" Ju Se-ah questioned.

Snapping out of his train of thought, Kang Mu-hyuk answered, "I wanted to see what he would check first. Even if I don't know everything about a person, I can get a glimpse of their work style and perspective."

"And?"

When Ju Se-ah probed further, Kang Mu-hyuk glanced at her.

"I didn't answer why I didn't show him all of the plans, did I? I'm not the type to make such a fuss just to figure out one thing."

"No gambler shows their hand, right? Especially in the Hunter industry, where stakes are people's lives. If you reveal everything all at once, you never know where you might be hit from."

"So you're saying you don't trust Division Head Cha?"

"In guild matters, you can't trust people."

"Then what?"

"You have to trust the system. While Chief Cha Gil-joo is the head of the Guild Cooperation Division, he does not have the final authority. He must report to his superiors and get their approval, which is the system. And at the peak of that system, there's always a person."

"So you're saying you can't trust the system either."

"Yes, don't trust anything."

Ju Se-ah, still unaccustomed to Kang Mu-hyuk's speech and way of handling things, shook her head.

"Anyway, tonight the inauguration article will be out. Starting from tomorrow, there will be a lot of chatter. Tch! I'm going to receive a lot of annoying calls. Just thinking about the noise is giving me a headache already."

"You're the Guild Master, you'll manage."

"Why the sudden praise?"

"That's your specialty, isn't it?"

"Specialty?"

"Being a Tanker."

"You're saying I'm a punching bag."

"How about being hit with words instead of fists?"

"Honestly, I'd prefer fists."

"You have the highest physical and magic resistance, don't you? Use this opportunity to build up some resistance to verbal attacks as well."

"After all, if we're talking about damage done by tongue, the Guild Master is not any less than an average dealer. I'd really love to go on a raid with you once."

"The opportunity will come."

It was then, when Ju Se-ah was stewing over Kang Mu-hyuk's remarks.

Ding!

Kang Mu-hyuk checked his phone that vibrated in his pocket.

[Cho Chung-hyun, Strategy and Tactics Team Leader]

Training is ready.

He read the message with a meaningful glance and said, "Aside from the raid, there's something else I'd like your help with, Respected Guild Master."

"What? Why the sudden formal 'Respected Guild Master?' It makes me nervous. Just call me the old-fashioned 'Guild Master.' It suits me better. So, what do you need help with?"

"Training."

"Training? Out of the blue?"

"Hunters have gathered in the training hall. While they're there, how about helping our guild's promising recruits train?"

"Why are they doing something they've never done before?"

<Kim Gwi-nam. C-Rank. Tank. 3 years since joining.>

"Exactly. We thought the new Guild Leader might do something special, but suddenly training? Ah, this new Guild Leader is doomed too."

<Hong Ju-il. C-Rank. Dealer. 3 years since joining.>

"But... If we don't train, we'll stay at C-Rank forever."

<Min Dae-hyun. C-Rank. Supporter. 1 year since joining.>

"Dae-hyun, training is just training. We have to face reality. The reason we're stuck at C-Rank is because the guild hasn't been capturing gates properly."

<Seong Jin-soo. C-Rank. Mage. 3 years since joining.>

"What's all this fuss about? It's just training, why are we wearing full gear?"

<Yang Soo-jin. C-Rank. Dealer. 2 years since joining.>

Kang Mu-hyuk and Ju Se-ah were watching the rookie Hunters, who had joined within the past three years, from the waiting room of the underground training room.

"17 people in total, all within three years of joining. So, those five are the central figures among the rookies."

"Rookies are to die for. I told them to warm up, and they're just sitting around. Ah, these guys really have no room for improvement. I should just get rid of all of them."

Watching the rookies through the monitor, Kang Mu-hyuk shook his head.

"I wonder... Is there really no room for improvement?"

"The basics aren't even there. Their hunting style probably won't be much different, right?"

"In that case, let's see them hunt."

"Where? Is there a nearby gate we could use?"

"Here."

"We haven't prepared any monsters, though?"

"They're ready."

Kang Mu-hyuk grinned, manipulating the controller to turn off the lights in the training room. The sudden darkness caused the rookies to buzz with confusion. Switching the camera to infrared mode, Kang Mu-hyuk grabbed a microphone.

"I'm transmitting the situation. We're in a dark forest. An ogre has appeared. Detain the ogre until the main forces arrive. They'll be there in five minutes. Good luck surviving."

Looking at the flustered Hunters on the monitor, Ju Se-ah asked Kang Mu-hyuk, "When did you prepare an ogre? It must have cost a pretty penny to capture it alive. Besides, can C-Rankers even withstand an ogre? That sounds dangerous."

"Our budget for this month is pretty tight. Where would we find the funds to prepare an ogre?"

"Then how is the ogre..."

"Guild Master. Please go ahead."

"...Me? Why do I have to... Could it be, I am the ogre?"

"You have a short reach, so just take a weapon like a mace with you. Try to fight with a little less strength, say around the level of an ogre."

Ju Se-ah flared up, incredulous.

"What? How can you ask a woman to play the role of an ogre? What! Do I look like an ogre to you? Despite my looks, I've won five beauty pageants among Hunters..."

"Weren't you the one who claimed to have beaten an ogre bare-handed in your prime? There's even a video of that. Doesn't that make you stronger than an ogre? I thought you'd be perfectly capable of playing its stand-in. Haven't you forgotten clause 3, paragraph 2 of the contract?"

"Clause 3, paragraph 2? What was that..."

"It's about training requests. The Guild Master can be called upon to serve as a training instructor at any time at the request of the Guild Leader. If the request is denied without any special schedule or reason..."

"Enough. Okay, I got it."

Speechless, Ju Se-ah obediently picked up a mace with a chain from the weapon display at the entrance, gripping it firmly in both hands.

"Alright. The woman stronger than an ogre is going in. Bang!"