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SERIES: Regression of the Cursed Blacksmith
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Chapter 13 - The Blacksmith’s Proposal
At those words, Jung Cheol-min's eyes widened.
“Me?”
“Yes, I heard it from an acquaintance a while ago. That among the civil servant Hunters working for The Association, no one is as honest and handles their work as reliably as you, Examiner.”
“Ah…”
Having caught off guard by the unexpected reason, Jung Cheol-min gave an embarrassed cough.
But it was true.
In fact, Jung Cheol-min would later rise to the position of Vice Chairman of The Association, thanks to his unique integrity and outstanding work ethic.
“For the sake of my future plans, I need at least one person on my side in The Association. And a competent one at that.”
And if I were to choose such a person, it had to be someone with righteous beliefs and deep roots.
That way, there wouldn't be any unpleasant variables going forward.
“I understand. Then, I will call those three aside and proceed with the inspection immediately.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Afterward, as there were no further requests, all the test-takers were dismissed.
The three people Choi Hyun had pointed out were, of course, summoned by Jung Cheol-min and taken aside.
A flicker of anxiety crossed their faces, but that was none of Choi Hyun's concerns.
Just as he left the examination hall, Choi Hyun's phone rang as if on cue.
It was Jang Hae-hyun, the Chairman of Daesan.
“Yes, Chairman.”
- Hunter, did your exam go well?
“Yes, thanks to you, it went very well.”
- Then I suppose the top spot is as good as yours this time as well?
“I believe so.”
- Haha!
He didn't feign modesty.
The results would be announced soon enough, anyway.
Jang Hae-hyun said.
- That's truly incredible. I had a feeling you would take the top spot again, Hunter.
“Thank you.”
- Ah, the reason I called you isn't just about the exam. It's also regarding the consultation you provided last time.
“Did you meet Shuzuo?”
- Yes, I sent a friend stationed in Japan to the teahouse that you mentioned. A man presumed to be Shuzuo was indeed there, and after we put on the act just as you instructed, we received an apology from the Inagawa side, just like magic.
“That's a relief. Since Shuzuo gave his word directly, you likely won't have any more trouble with Inagawa.”
- Yes, on that note, I'll have the remaining balance transferred to you shortly. Are you busy today, by any chance? I know your license hasn't been issued yet, but I'd like to treat you to a meal to celebrate you getting the top score. If possible, I'd also like to discuss the offer I mentioned before.
The offer from before.
The offer to join the Daesan Guild.
“Of course. However, I have a prior engagement, so I'll check on that schedule first and contact you right after.”
- Understood. I'll be waiting for your call then.
After Jang Hae-hyun politely ended the call, Choi Hyun immediately hailed a taxi for his next appointment.
* * *
“What?”
Han Young-min shot up from his seat.
The trio of mercenaries he'd sent in to take care of Choi Hyun had not only failed their mission but were also taken for a magic power inspection under suspicion.
“How could this happen?”
The three he'd hired this time were experts among experts in this line of work.
After all, Han Young-min had occasionally manipulated the results of the top practical exam passers in this very way.
But that wasn't the important thing right now.
“A hundred billion won!”
If the trio was caught, it meant Choi Hyun was the top scorer, and in that case, he would have no choice but to cough up a hundred billion won.
He'd even had it notarized by a lawyer, so there was no way out for him.
Of course, even with notarization, a gambling bet like this wasn't legal in any way.
But the legal validity wasn't what mattered right now.
“….”
A cold sweat ran down his back.
Had he ever been this flustered in his entire life?
Han Young-min's mind went blank.
At the same time, his thoughts converged on a single conclusion.
At the end of that train of thought was Choi Hyun's death.
He would have to hire not just mercenaries for a practical exam, but actual villains who would kill someone for real.
But.
“That bastard is one of Daesan's people, isn't he?”
Just as all sorts of thoughts were tangling in his mind.
“Chairman, you have a visitor.”
“A visitor? Who?”
“He said you would know him if I said his name is Choi Hyun.”
“……!”
The grim reaper had come calling to his door.
And directly to where he was.
In the end, he couldn't pretend not to know him and let Choi Hyun into the room.
Entering the chairman's office, Choi Hyun took out the notarized document, waved it, and said,
“You heard the news, right? Don't even think about skipping out on the payment. If you do, I'll spill everything during my top-scorer interview, including how you snuck mercenaries into the practical exam.”
“…I understand.”
“And a word of advice: don't try anything stupid. If you do, I'll just collect the money from your father. Oh, and I'll give you plenty of time. I need to receive the money after my Hunter license is issued to get the income tax exemption anyway.”
Having said his piece, Choi Hyun immediately left the room.
There was no need to linger, so he just said what he had to and left.
Then, he immediately called Jang Hae-hyun.
It was to arrange the simple celebratory dinner party he had been invited to earlier.
A magnificent restaurant had been prepared.
Guided by a staff member, he opened the door to a private annex to find Jang Hae-hyun, who had arrived there first, waiting for him.
“You've arrived.”
“We could have eaten somewhere simple, but to think you've prepared such a wonderful place. Thank you.”
“Not at all. With so many happy occasions overlapping, it's only right that I host you somewhere nice.”
The meal was served right away.
“Would you care for a drink with your meal?”
“I would.”
“Is wine alright with you?”
“I'm not picky. I'll have whatever you're serving.”
Choi Hyun liked to drink.
He really wasn't particular about the type of alcohol.
However, after the apocalypse descended upon the world, he had barely been able to drink at all.
Most of it had been lost to the monsters.
Soon, a sommelier appeared with the wine. As he took a sip from the poured glass, a thrill ran up to the crown of his head; it had been so long since he'd had wine.
“This is nice.”
There was no greater joy than being reunited with something he had once loved.
And so, as he drank that first glass, Choi Hyun made a vow.
This time, he would stop everything before it was too late and create a world where everyone could drink and laugh together without any worries.
Soon after, the meal began.
For a while, the two of them didn't speak a word about the exam or work, talking only about the food that was served.
It wasn't a conscious decision so much as Jang Hae-hyun guiding the conversation that way.
Was that why?
He was once again reminded of what a truly good person Jang Hae-hyun was.
Because most people would be itching to get the urgent matters out of the way first.
As they moved past the main course and dessert was about to be served, a second bottle of wine was opened.
Jang Hae-hyun poured the second wine himself and said,
“If you don't mind me asking, may I inquire about your future plans?”
Choi Hyun took a sip of the wine Jang Hae-hyun had poured and savored it.
Then, he slowly offered his answer to the question.
“Before I begin my activities as a Hunter in earnest, I intend to make several preparations.”
“Preparations?”
“Do you perhaps happen to know what my class is?”
“I'm afraid I don't.”
“The class I chose is Blacksmith.”
“…What?”
Jang Hae-hyun's eyes widened.
A blacksmith?
And not a combat class?
But when Choi Hyun summoned the Hammer of Repair and placed it on the table, Jang Hae-hyun's eyes grew even wider as he recognized it.
It was only natural, as Daesan had more production-class guild members than combat-class ones.
“I have a specific growth path in mind. I may be a blacksmith, but I will be clearing dungeons and gates myself. Rather than focusing on crafting, I plan to develop my traits in a different direction.”
“Ahh…”
A unique plan that defied common sense.
He decided not to ask why.
He felt he wouldn't understand the answer even if he were to hear it.
Jang Hae-hyun was an objective person.
In that sense, he was well aware that he was a non-Awakened and merely an ordinary man, not a genius.
So, he was good at simply trusting people.
Especially when it came to the man before him; he believed that whatever choice this man made, he would produce results that he himself could never even imagine.
Jang Hae-hyun said.
“That's fascinating. But even so, my desire to bring you into Daesan remains unchanged, Hunter.”
At those words, Choi Hyun gave a faint smile.
That's Jang Hae-hyun for you.
Although he wasn't an Awakened, he was certainly no ordinary man.
“An ordinary person would have tried to persuade me, asking why I would purposely choose such a path.”
But Jang Hae-hyun didn't do that.
He simply trusted his intuition and trusted the other person.
That was all he did, but that small difference was the very thing that set him apart from others.
“Thank you. I originally had no such plans, but thanks to your offer, Chairman, I've given it a great deal of thought. And so, I'd like to make you a different proposal.”
“What kind of proposal?”
“Instead of hiring me as a guild member, I would like you to appoint me as an advisor at Daesan, so we can move forward in a partnership where we can help each other out.”
“An advisor?”
“Yes, not as an internal executive like a regular Hunter's guild contract or an outside director, but as a partner advisor.”
Advisors can be appointed from within a company, but they are usually brought in from the outside.
At the same time, they hold no official legal status within the company and, unlike outside directors who are appointed at shareholder meetings, can be appointed by the chairman or the board of directors and cannot be involved in the company's management.
“But they won't have any responsibility, either.”
That was why he had requested the advisor position.
Company advisors, especially in a large, publicly-listed corporation like Daesan which must disclose all sorts of information, were not subject to public disclosure.
At the unexpected proposal, Jang Hae-hyun's gaze began to deepen.
“An advisor you say…”
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