Ch.6723. Ainz Alumni Association (1)

“Why would the Secretary-General choose me?”

Even though Flame is an S-rank guild, strictly speaking, it’s not a guild that would warrant even a moment of the Secretary-General’s time.

Without Yuri and Soso, it would be just another S-rank guild in the Secretary-General’s eyes. Even SS-rank, or top-tier guilds like Mansong and Sigurd, defer to the Secretary-General.

Yet the person he actually addressed was me. He called me by name. Even Yuri and Soso tensed up at that moment.

Not only that, but I could feel the elite teams from Mansong and Sigurd seated elsewhere, as well as the hunters from the Special Division, all turning their attention toward us.

I stood up and bowed to him.

“Hello, Secretary-General.”

Naturally, we had no particular acquaintance, but as someone with an official hunter’s license, I couldn’t ignore him when he addressed me.

To use a crude analogy from the world before my possession, as a B-rank hunter, I’d be equivalent to a captain at best.

But Choi Seung-hoon was nothing less than a four-star general in the hunter world. Nevertheless, he casually accepted my greeting.

“No need for formalities. I simply wanted to check on your well-being.”

It wasn’t just empty words. He continued speaking.

“It’s been nearly three years now, but the combat technique you demonstrated at the exchange tournament is still vivid in my memory. If that incident at Ains hadn’t happened…”

At that moment, I understood why he had greeted me first instead of Yuri or Soso. The exchange tournament wasn’t limited to Korea.

It was an international competition where academies from around the world competed. I had participated as Yuri’s partner and won.

And at the award ceremony, it was Choi Seung-hoon himself who had placed the winner’s medal around my neck.

‘The exchange tournament was that significant of an event.’

Still, I never expected him to remember me. It must have been just a brief moment in his extremely busy schedule.

‘The Association’s Secretary-General remembers me?’

Moreover, he seemed well aware of the tragedy at Ains and the severe injuries I had sustained.

“It was truly unfortunate how things turned out. Otherwise, you would have been in our Association’s Special Division by now.”

Yuri flinched at those words. I was surprised as well.

The Association’s Special Division, which we were working with on this mission alongside the elite teams from Mansong and Sigurd.

Although the Association is now a government entity, the Special Division is the successor to Light, the most prestigious guild in hunter history.

Even Yeon Se-hwi’s Cheonma Cult and Grand Duke Andrei’s Snow Knights would defer to Light’s elite team.

‘There’s a reason the Association serves as an international organization.’

That’s the level of reputation and skill the Association possesses. And the Special Division represents the Association’s military might.

They handle not just domestic or Far East hunter missions but actively intervene in contaminated zones and conflict areas worldwide—a truly top-tier military organization.

“In fact, Minsu’s special appointment had already been confirmed. If not for that injury.”

At that moment, I had to control my expression. It was that shocking.

If the tragedy at Ains hadn’t occurred, I had planned to join Mansong’s elite team.

‘I wanted to establish a solid position there… to earn the right to stand alongside Yuri.’

For someone like me with no background, the surest way to make a name as a hunter was to join an elite team of an established guild with a solid system and reputation.

‘But the Special Division…’

I hadn’t even considered the Special Division. Obviously, it wasn’t a place one could enter just because they wanted to.

They didn’t have open recruitment like corporate guilds. They only recruited those who had already established high reputations as hunters through special appointments.

‘Even Siwoo from the original story wasn’t qualified to enter the Special Division directly. Perhaps after Justice had made a name for itself.’

I’d never heard of a case where a fresh academy graduate was admitted there. But Choi Seung-hoon revealed the surprising truth that I had been confirmed for special recruitment.

‘But what meaning does that have now?’

As the Secretary-General said, I had suffered serious injuries. Though I had returned to the hunter’s path now.

I now had a disqualifying factor that prevented me from joining the Special Division—a collection of elite individuals with both exceptional intellect and combat skills, meant to lead the Association’s future.

And for my current self, Flame was more important than any guild or organization. So while the revelation was surprising, I didn’t feel regret.

“Although your connection with our Special Division never materialized due to that injury, I recently happened to see your name. In an article about the capture of A-rank villain Jang Gye-shin, that petty thief, I noticed your name.”

Jang Gye-shin was certainly not a petty thief by any standard, but considering who Choi Seung-hoon was, “petty thief” was an accurate description in his presence.

No, more importantly, he had noticed my name in that article.

“My name, sir?”

“Yes. The article mainly focused on Miss Soso’s achievements, but still.”

Both Yuri and Soso made subtle expressions at that remark. Soso’s reaction was understandable as the subject, but Yuri’s expression was puzzling.

‘No, rather…’

That article had clearly favored Soso. It was only natural. She was the daughter of the Five Great Families, a skilled hunter, and not far from becoming an S-rank hunter.

Add to that her outstanding appearance and figure, and it was obvious which angle would sell more papers. But even Soso affirmed the Secretary-General’s words.

“That’s right. The article was inaccurate… Minsu actually contributed much more.”

Her speech pattern was different from usual. Even Soso couldn’t use her distinctive Cheonma speech pattern in front of the Secretary-General.

“So Miss Soso thinks so too. After seeing Minsu’s name by chance, I became curious. I looked up the combat records from the Pyongyang branch and found that despite being away from the hunter world for two years, his skills remained intact. No, they had even improved.”

Since we had captured an officially wanted villain, combat record reports were mandatory for the reward and follow-up procedures.

The Secretary-General had apparently reviewed those records.

‘Did he recognize the new combat technique I developed with Elder Yeon Mun-woo’s secretary?’

As expected of the highest authority in magical combat studies. He seemed to have discerned from the brief combat record that I hadn’t captured Jang Gye-shin through simple firepower from flame spells.

‘He’s an all-rounder, so this method would have been much more familiar to him.’

And that method of combining flame spells with trap spells was inspired by the Secretary-General’s own writings.

The Secretary-General continued.

“After seeing that combat record, I was so intrigued that I looked up all your recent combat records. I found that you had also participated in the intern dispatch program our Association recently introduced. And sure enough, your intern team ranked first every time and even completed the program early.”

With each continued compliment, Yuri’s expression grew increasingly serious.

While Yuri had been endlessly happy when Zerfield praised me, now she was clearly afraid of something.

“Indeed, even from your combat technique at the exchange tournament, I could tell your insight into combat was quite special. It’s not surprising that you could perform such high-level operations.”

After a brief silence, Choi Seung-hoon revealed his true intention.

“I’m tempted. The Special Division always needs exceptional talents like you. Right now, even.”

“That’s absolutely not happening!”

At that moment, Yuri shouted. Her voice was so loud it echoed throughout the conference hall.

***

Choi Seung-hoon’s expression turned cold.

A young woman of just 22, and though she was an S-rank hunter and a guild leader, compared to him, Yuri was just an ordinary hunter.

Sure enough, everyone at the conference turned their attention to us. Yuri pulled me behind her protectively.

“Hmm. Has the young lady from the Tarkovsky family developed some grievance against me?”

He spoke in a low voice. Though no mana movement could be felt, just his lowered voice seemed to change the surrounding air.

‘In terms of mage hierarchy, he’s someone who has surpassed even the 6th circle.’

The 7th circle, the highest realm for mages. A realm said to be attainable only by becoming a Tower Master or Elder at the Magic Tower, the source of magic.

But Yuri seemed unwilling to back down. I could feel the surrounding air cooling.

She hadn’t attacked the Secretary-General, but it felt like a new barrier was forming around me.

‘This is dangerous. Even at this level, it’s a serious breach of etiquette for a rookie hunter like Yuri to manipulate mana in front of the Secretary-General.’

Still, Yuri didn’t care at all. It was a mana movement that conveyed an intense determination not to let me be taken away.

Sensing this flow, Choi Seung-hoon’s eyebrows raised slightly.

But realizing that Yuri’s attitude wouldn’t change, he took the initiative to calm her down.

“There’s no need to be so defensive. And if Yuri disapproves, well, I can’t just take away her guild member. Chairman Andrei’s face must be considered as well.”

At those words, the mana that had been cooling the surrounding air calmed down.

“What’s happening, Secretary-General!”

Wondering what was going on, hunters from the Special Division quickly rushed to his side. But Choi Seung-hoon raised his hand, dismissing it as nothing.

“I was just greeting some hunters I’m acquainted with. Nothing to worry about. You may return to your positions.”

“Understood.”

All of them were famous hunters whose names and faces I knew. But they all returned to their places without a word at Choi Seung-hoon’s command.

Choi Seung-hoon smiled slightly and said to me.

“Well, it seems I’ve violated business ethics today. Let’s end the conversation here. But since this is a connection, Minsu, let me say one thing.”

“What is it…”

“A big fish, no, a dragon cannot live in a pond. Young people’s play-pretend isn’t bad, but if your skills remain, someday…”

And with that, Choi Seung-hoon turned away. Yuri and Soso’s expressions hardened.

‘Indeed, compared to the battlefields he’s been through, even an S-rank guild’s work must seem like child’s play.’

But since the person who said those words was a living legend in the Korean—no, the global—hunter world, neither Yuri nor Soso could talk back.

Perhaps the initial assignment of Flame to Zone C was because they viewed the daughters of the Five Great Families as hothouse flowers.

But I didn’t think so. I called out to Choi Seung-hoon as he was about to walk away.

“Then would it suffice to prove that this isn’t just play-pretend?”

At that moment, Choi Seung-hoon turned back to look at me.

***

The first Friday of March.

It was the day of the Ains alumni reunion. As Seo Ha-eun headed toward the hotel hall where the reunion was being held, she couldn’t help but recall what had happened a few days ago.

‘The task force meeting. There, Minsu…’

Right after the meeting ended, not only the elite team of Sigurd that Seo Ha-eun belonged to, but all participants were focusing on one guild’s attendee.

Korean Hunter Association Secretary-General Choi Seung-hoon.

A B-rank hunter had boldly addressed him.

‘For this cooperative mission, Flame will take on the reconnaissance of Zone A.’

And Minsu had volunteered his guild, Flame, to take on Zone A—the most dangerous reconnaissance area in this mission.

Everyone was surprised. Though no one could say it openly, Ha-eun also thought that Flame had been assigned to the safest zone as a favor to Yuri and Soso, daughters of the Five Great Families.

But neither Guild Leader Yuri nor Soso, who served as the guild’s main dealer, denied Minsu’s words.

‘Do Yuri and Soso trust Minsu that much?’

A mere guild member had stepped forward to reject special treatment. And the Secretary-General looked at Minsu with great interest.

What the Secretary-General said next surprised everyone even more.

‘If Minsu is willing to step forward like this, I can expect good things. I look forward to excellent reconnaissance results.’

That was coming from a mage known for being cold and extremely strict with his subordinates.

It wasn’t just empty words. The Secretary-General genuinely seemed to expect something from Minsu.

‘Minsu hasn’t changed at all.’

Seo Ha-eun recalled Minsu from their days at Ains Academy. Though she hadn’t witnessed his third year.

From the public safety volunteer activities. The Minsu who had made her heart flutter for a moment back then. But just then.

‘Soso and… Minsu?’

Seo Ha-eun instinctively hid herself. Soso and Minsu. The two of them were entering the hotel hand in hand, looking like a couple.