Chapter Title: A Win-Win Deal
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Whew. The view's killer no matter how many times I see it. Must be nice."
The office was on the top floor of the Korea Hunter Association headquarters.
Tae Ihyeon let out a whistle at the lavish atmosphere, like something out of a TV drama where the chaebol group chairman holds court.
Truth be told, it wasn't an exaggeration.
In a world that couldn't survive without hunters, the title of Hunter Association President—representing an entire nation—wasn't something to sneeze at compared to a chaebol chairman.
But.
"What do you mean, all mine? If I step down someday, the next person has to use it."
He was an incredibly down-to-earth guy.
Having been a Legendary Hunter himself, Tae Ihyeon had seen plenty of power brokers who were all facade and no substance up close.
Not that it was just them, really.
Most people wore masks.
But the man sitting in front of him now? Always consistent, through and through.
That was one reason Tae Ihyeon liked the Association President.
Of course, liking someone and wanting to be buddies were two different things.
Tae Ihyeon leaned back on the sofa, already on his second cup of Morning Sun coffee that Park Daehan had offered him.
Watching him with bated breath was a sharply dressed man in a suit—U Do-young, the secretary.
'That guy's the Thunder Emperor? No way...'
The man Park Daehan had introduced to his belatedly returning secretary.
The mystery son of the Tae Jongdae Convenience Store owner, whose identity had been unknown until moments ago... was one of the great heroes who'd saved humanity, a member of the '12 Apostles'!
Now it all made sense why the Association President had made such a fuss.
Among the 12 Apostles, the Thunder Emperor was the one shrouded in the most mystery, for whatever reason.
He was practically the pride and joy of the entire nation—saying every Korean was his fan wouldn't be much of a stretch.
Actually, his popularity topped the charts among the Apostles; finding someone who wasn't a fan would be the real challenge.
Kids, adults, the elderly—men, women, everyone!
Just about everyone had plastered a Thunder Emperor poster on their wall at least once.
Hoo. Hoo.
His heart was pounding.
U Do-young always prided himself on staying cool under pressure, but he was Korean through and through. With the Thunder Emperor right there in front of him, he couldn't help the hammering in his chest.
Stay calm. I'm on the clock...! My name's U Do-young! The cool urban secretary!
He did his absolute best not to show his excitement.
Though he figured he'd snag an autograph later.
Hmm, but still.
'No wonder no one recognized him...'
Now he got why the famous Thunder Emperor had been stopped at the lobby entrance.
The image the world knew was a handsome guy with platinum blond hair and blue eyes.
But the man there now had the classic Korean look: black hair, dark eyes.
Totally different vibe—hell, he looked like a whole other person.
Most folks probably wouldn't clock it.
Apparently, a rare few hunters with wildly skewed stats had their hair or eye color change with their power. The Thunder Emperor must be one of those cases.
Made sense, though—he was Korean, so black hair and dark eyes were the default...
Ahem.
"So, what's this about?"
Park Daehan cut straight to the chase. Honestly, hearing that the Thunder Emperor had come to him first was music to his ears.
But at the same time, after the guy had up and vanished without a trace two years ago, this sudden visit sent a shiver down his spine.
It was exactly like the day he'd announced his retirement.
And yet.
"...What did you just say?"
A dumbfounded look spread across Park Daehan's face.
Like he couldn't believe the words Tae Ihyeon had just dropped.
"Y-You're serious?"
Tae Ihyeon nodded and spoke up.
"Not workable? I thought it was a pretty solid offer."
"No, that's not what I—really, just that and you're good?"
"Yes."
"Ha ha."
The instant reply, without a second's hesitation, left Park Daehan chuckling in disbelief.
"When I was begging and pleading, you wouldn't even hear me out..."
"Pardon?"
"Ahem. Never mind."
Whatever. Who cared about the past!
Tae Ihyeon.
This young man called the Thunder Emperor was one of the 12 Apostles—Korea's treasure, its pride, a living symbol of the nation's power.
As a Korean hunter, he'd saved humanity from the crisis of the 「Chaos Gate」. Perfect, right up to that point.
Then came the retirement announcement from his own mouth.
To Park Daehan, it was a bolt from the blue—a shock and horror rivaling the end of humanity itself, the end of his life.
Hunters were national power. A Legendary Hunter? Even more so.
But the Thunder Emperor—one of the 12 Apostles and a Legendary Hunter—had retired.
It wasn't just retirement; it upended the country's standing.
Sure, the nation wouldn't collapse overnight without him.
No way.
But there were political angles: position, influence, power on the world stage.
And the one who regretted it most? Park Daehan himself.
The gap between an Association President with one of the 12 Apostles and one without was like night and day.
After the Thunder Emperor retired, the rumors and speculation exploded. A 12 Apostles member quitting? Must mean Korea treats its hunters like crap. Doubts about Park Daehan's competence as Association President. All of it.
And on days like today, at international gatherings, he'd be caught in power plays between the world's Hunter Associations—like a shrimp between whales, hunching and shrinking.
Of course, he didn't regret accepting Tae Ihyeon's retirement request.
A hunter's will to keep going was paramount.
Even a Legendary Hunter was a citizen with the right to choose their own path.
So he couldn't—not wouldn't—strong-arm him with national mandates.
Instead, he'd offered gifts, perks, endless persuasion and coaxing...
'No thanks.'
'Ihyeon! Come on, just hear me out one more time! Please!'
'I've made up my mind. Sorry.'
'Ah, ah... nooooo!!'
Nothing worked.
In the end, Tae Ihyeon retired amid Park Daehan's wails, and two years passed.
In hindsight, Park Daehan had relived that nightmare every night since—that moment Tae Ihyeon declared his retirement.
But now.
'Is this a dream or reality?'
Out of nowhere, Tae Ihyeon shows up on his own and says he's coming back.
Conditionally, sure.
The condition was:
「The Korea Hunter Association and Park Daehan will fully support Tae Ihyeon's research needs for his writing career. In return, Tae Ihyeon will diligently respond to one request per month from Park Daehan and the Association. However, he may refuse requests that are anti-humanitarian, illegal, or interfere with his writing.」
On the surface, not the most favorable deal for Park Daehan.
But dig deeper, and it wasn't so one-sided. Accepting meant Korea (conditionally) regained a Legendary Hunter.
Park Daehan had to clamp down hard to keep his butt planted on the sofa instead of leaping up in joy.
"One thing, though."
A bit uneasy at the cryptic proposal, Park Daehan asked cautiously.
"Mind if I ask what kind of requests you're expecting?"
"Nothing major. Just dispatch me to places I want to go for some hands-on experience with various jobs. Keep my identity secret, of course."
Huh?
Park Daehan's eyes went wide. Wait, so basically...
"You want to build experience... just hide your identity?"
"Pretty much."
"Like job shadowing?"
"You could see it that way."
"Fieldwork immersion...?"
"...What's that?"
Tae Ihyeon tilted his head at Park Daehan's repetitive questions, then stood up.
"Uh, if it's no good, forget I said anything..."
"W-Wait! No! I'll do it! I swear I'll make it happen!"
"Oh, you'll do it?"
"Of course! Man, you're impatient too! Haha!"
No way he'd say no. Not a chance. Park Daehan didn't need a nanosecond to decide.
He had to seize this opportunity! By any means!
Besides, the conditions Tae Ihyeon brought were a cakewalk for them—almost too good to be true.
Sure, other nations' Association Presidents treated him like dirt these days, but domestically? No chaebol or politician could touch his influence.
Granting 'let me try out some jobs' was like lying down for rice cakes.
For that?
'The Thunder Emperor! He's coming back!'
Two years of bitterness welled up, tears pricking his eyes.
"...Are you crying right now?"
"Mr. President?"
Tae Ihyeon looked baffled; U Do-young, concerned.
Back off. Let me savor this!
"Why the sudden grin? It's creepy."
"Mr. President, are you okay?"
Whatever.
Park Daehan grinned through misty eyes, wheels turning.
How to announce this joyous news to the world!
As grand and flashy as possible.
Let's see... What would work? ...Ah, perfect! That thing.
A cooperation request had just arrived at the Korea Hunter Association.
From Denmark, calling for aid worldwide.
"Great! Let's kick off the deal right now."
Park Daehan handed Tae Ihyeon his first assignment without hesitation.
Beaming brightly.
And so, Tae Ihyeon set off for Denmark's Goblin Haven.