Chapter 43
Before long, it was Christmas Eve, the end of December.
The weather was growing colder by the day.
The bitter wind had swept away every last fallen leaf, and now it was preparing to scatter snow.
Though the world had changed so that snow rarely fell even in December due to global warming and various other problems, Jonghyeon had preferred it that way.
‘A cold winter, huh…’
In Jonghyeon’s childhood, the orphanage itself had been quite poor. It was a time when they barely managed to scrape by on government support.
Moreover, as dungeons began to run rampant, those financial difficulties only worsened, and that fact remained unchanged until the day Jonghyeon left the orphanage.
To protect the children from the cold as best they could, the orphanage had used electric mats and heaters that were now long discontinued.
Only now had magic become widespread, with most households using magic orbs to regulate temperature, but back then, those heating appliances had been so scarce they couldn’t even be sold.
And the reason Jonghyeon recalled those days so vividly was that, almost despite himself, this was the first time he was spending a winter warmly at home.
‘When I was young, even sitting in the warmest spot in the orphanage, my hands and feet felt frozen solid.’
It had also been winter when Jonghyeon first ran away from the orphanage and picked pockets.
At the time, he had nowhere to call home, let alone a car, so he had slept wherever he could. If Jonghyeon hadn’t been able to use ki, he surely would have died that winter.
Later, when he had worked as a mercenary while establishing a foothold in life, he earned money that an ordinary person couldn’t save in a lifetime.
But precisely because of that, Jonghyeon lived tirelessly without rest, and the time he spent at home didn’t amount to even one day a month.
‘After becoming a Fixer, it actually got even worse.’
It hadn’t even been two years since an organization called Dungeon Management was established.
Before that, the world had been a cauldron of chaos, with countless monsters from dungeons spilling out into reality and attacking people.
Dungeons appeared anywhere, and the light hordes within them grew stronger until, after a certain amount of time, they exploded and monsters flooded into reality.
But in the early days, when there were no proper countermeasures or systems, there was no way to respond to all those dungeons.
Jonghyeon, who had become a Fixer in that chaotic beginning, had in fact been busier dealing with monsters outside dungeons than inside them. Likewise, days when he was home even once a month had been rare.
Even until last year, Jonghyeon had been forced to shiver in the cold while dealing with monsters discovered in Gangwon-do.
But who would dare ask him to do such things now?
The dungeon exploration system was well established, so there were hardly any outbreaks.
And the biggest reason Jonghyeon had hated winter all this time was precisely this.
“Happy birthday!”
Bori came to Jonghyeon’s room holding a large cake and said.
That’s right. It was his birthday.
“How did you know it was my birthday?”
Jonghyeon never went around telling people his birthday. It was an inherent issue of being an orphan. Frankly, he wasn’t even sure if the date was correct—how could he accept congratulations so casually?
“The orphanage director told me. I’ve been volunteering there lately.”
He couldn’t help but be impressed. It was clearly an attempt to score points with him, but even so, the daughter of a conglomerate chairman doing volunteer work?
It was rare to see such a thing in this day and age.
These were times when even the daughter of a C-Rank ranker could live as comfortably as the daughter of a small-to-medium enterprise CEO.
“Well. Anyway, thank you. I had no idea you were volunteering.”
Jonghyeon couldn’t quite hear Bori’s chattering.
He kept getting lost in other thoughts.
“Are you listening to me? There are so many Hunter hopefuls at the orphanage.”
Though Bori’s expression as she spoke in a seemingly aloof manner was rather cute, Jonghyeon said with a blank face:
“Bori. I want to be alone with my thoughts for a moment. I’ll go down to the first floor later, so could you wait downstairs?”
Jonghyeon had spoken as gently as he could, but Bori answered quietly, seemingly quite upset, and left his room.
‘Sigh. Why am I like this?’
In truth, he had never properly celebrated his birthday even once since leaving the orphanage.
Even at the orphanage, he had thought it a mere formality and had never truly been happy about it.
After sighing several times, Jonghyeon went down to the first floor, thinking he should comfort Bori. Bori was watching TV with Secretary Jang and the two bodyguards.
‘Come to think of it, the household has grown…’
Including himself, Secretary Jang and the two bodyguards all lived in Jonghyeon’s house.
There were three rooms on the first floor, so he had given them all space.
He had returned the driver to Chairman Yi long ago, as a chauffeur was absolutely unnecessary.
“Ahem.”
When Jonghyeon came down to the first floor and made his presence known, everyone greeted him gladly.
“Ah, you’re down now? What would you like to do for dinner?”
Since coming to this house, they had mostly eaten at home.
At first, when Secretary Jang and the two others had arrived, Jonghyeon had been slightly intoxicated by the fun of spending money, going out to buy tasty things.
But that too gradually became a hassle, and he often cooked at home or boiled ramyeon instead.
Now that two bodyguards were also living there, he couldn’t just throw meals together carelessly. No, to be exact, those two were incredibly good at cooking.
Jonghyeon still remembered that day vividly.
“We’d like to cook and eat at home, but… we don’t have ingredients…”
“Hey, I told you not to say that.”
Watching their conversation, Jonghyeon had Secretary Jang buy cooking utensils and various tableware so they could properly eat at home.
“Use this to buy whatever groceries or anything else you want to eat.”
Jonghyeon held out his card.
Since they had become his family, Jonghyeon saw no need to spare money for them.
The two ran out with cheerful expressions and soon returned with four bags in each hand. The quantity was one thing, but after tasting their cooking skills, he even caught himself thinking, ‘Just what sort of food gods did I bring home?’
Their appetites and passion for food were so tremendous that, by extension, Jonghyeon too unintentionally ended up with quite a healthy diet.
‘That’s how it was.’
As that memory suddenly came to mind, a smile formed at Jonghyeon’s lips, and since he was feeling hungry, he decided to eat with them.
The five of them sat around the table, chatting softly as they ate.
Jonghyeon himself didn’t say much, but he was always the topic of conversation.
“Jonghyeon-nim. They say they’re recruiting a team to clear an A-Rank dungeon in Korea.”
“Hmm. Is that so? I suppose they’ve made contact?”
Jonghyeon wasn’t one to talk much during meals, but Secretary Jang’s topic this time was quite interesting.
“Yes, that’s right. Our side was contacted unofficially by the manager.”
By now, Jonghyeon had entrusted all his affairs to Secretary Jang.
From financial management to dungeon-related contacts, Secretary Jang handled and managed everything.
“Whew. Is that old-timer still giggling away everywhere he goes?”
Jonghyeon spoke in jest, and Secretary Jang replied with a bitter smile.
“Well. He seemed that way over the phone. Come to think of it, the manager asked me the same thing. He asked if Jonghyeon-nim still goes around with that sulky expression disguised as a blank face…”
At those words, Jonghyeon tried hard to remain silent, but instead, Bori beside him burst into loud laughter.
In the end, Jonghyeon snickered along as well, and at the same time, they all finished the meal laughing together.
Soon, teatime followed. Teatime saw the same simple banter as dinner, but it was a slightly more serious occasion.
“So. That A-Rank dungeon clearing team you mentioned earlier. What exactly are the details?”
To Jonghyeon’s question, Secretary Jang looked at his phone for a moment and spoke.
“Hmm. It’s here. I think it would be better for you to see for yourself.”
Written on the phone Secretary Jang showed him were the approximate conditions and outline.
They would form a team of about seven elites, and Jonghyeon was invited as an assassin.
Profit distribution would be 30 percent to the state, 70 percent to the rankers. Artifacts and magic weapons would all be handled through auction, with auction profits distributed to the rankers. Additionally, rankers could pay a preset price before the auction to pre-empt items.
It wasn’t a bad deal.
The 30 percent taken by the state was essentially tax. No fool would nitpick over mana stone profit distribution for an A-Rank dungeon.
The condition that found items belonged to the rankers was also favorable.
‘The state’s intention must be to show off their capability to clear A-Rank dungeons.’
Korea was already notorious among nations as a wasteland of talent.
No team had yet cleared an A-Rank dungeon, so if this team succeeded, it would be the first.
And current national power was centered on the abilities of rankers.
“Well. Let’s think it over carefully for now. It doesn’t look like the team will be filled quickly anyway.”
Jonghyeon concluded that he needed to look into it more and set the matter aside.
“But there is something more important remaining. It is the end of the year, after all.”
Of course it was the end of the year. It was December 24th.
“Hmm. You haven’t picked up something strange again, have you?”
“Ahem. I’m sorry… but a year-end and New Year event has been scheduled. It was awkward to refuse outright.”
Secretary Jang spoke with an apologetic expression. If even he, who was as competent as they came, said it was an event he couldn’t refuse—
“It’s Chairman Yi.”
“That’s right. The Chairman personally called me to say he wished Jonghyeon-nim would definitely attend. It was awkward to refuse.”
In fact, Secretary Jang was now almost entirely on Jonghyeon’s side.
At first, he had thought he was merely dispatched as Chairman Yi’s contact point, but the more he saw of this person called Jonghyeon, the more charm he had.
And without realizing it, Secretary Jang had vaguely decided that his master was Jonghyeon.
But because it was difficult to completely break free from Chairman Yi, refusing had been awkward.
“Well. I understand that.”
Jonghyeon didn’t want to refuse Chairman Yi’s request either. It was a bit bothersome, but he had no intention of showing off just by attending a simple New Year’s event.
“Huh. Master, are you really going there?”
But surprisingly, it was Bori who asked in shock.
Sensing that Bori’s delight was unusual, Jonghyeon looked at her with a curious expression and asked.
“Why. Can’t I go?”
“It’s exactly the kind of place Master would hate. It’s a gathering with lots of political and business figures, so I always ran away from it too.”
“Well. That’s fine. I’m not interested in government officials, but there are probably quite a few old clients of mine among them?”
Jonghyeon unexpectedly laughed it off as if it were no big deal.
Having met all sorts of people during his mercenary days, his clients had especially included many political and business figures.
He needed to show them his changed appearance and draw a clear line anyway.
He was not the Jonghyeon of old.
Just showing them clearly that they couldn’t use him—Jonghyeon thought that alone would be unexpectedly entertaining.
Jonghyeon began to grin at his own thoughts, while the others looked at him with puzzled expressions.
Around evening, Jonghyeon visited the orphanage at Bori’s insistence. She had been so stubbornly persistent that he had no confidence he could win.
Leaving behind the bodyguards and Secretary Jang who tried to follow, the two of them went out together for the first time in a while. They got in the car before anyone could recognize them; mobilizing bodyguards just to go to the orphanage would have made for a strange sight.
“So you’ve come.”
Facing the director who welcomed him gladly, as if having received Bori’s contact beforehand, Jonghyeon felt inexplicably embarrassed.
‘I really shouldn’t have come. What’s my birthday to come all the way here for?’
But unable to show such thoughts, Jonghyeon forced a professional smile and followed the director inside.
---------= Author's Afterword ---------=
A secretary is an extreme job…