However, because of that, there were many executives with conservative tendencies who occupied positions for long periods without any particular abilities. They were the so-called stagnant water of the Ability User Headquarters.
They were filled only with thoughts of enjoying their own interests and maintaining stable power. They occupied their seats doing nothing proper, so skilled and competent employees couldn’t rise up.
“Stop, stop—! Everyone stop! Please save some face!!! What are you all doing! Please calm down and talk.”
At some point, as harsh words began flying around the meeting room, Chairman Lee Inyeong, seated on the left among the chairmen at the front, demanded restraint.
Under Chairman Lee’s coldly glaring gaze, the executives cleared their throats and caught their breath.
Chairman Lee Inyeong, known among the chairmen for being cool-headed and strict, didn’t have as much influence as Choi Taehyeon, but had many followers due to his fair and impartial decision-making and unique charisma.
“Ahem, Guide Choi Hyerin, being the person involved in this incident, should not only have penalties applied but also face disciplinary measures. However, she is an A-rank Guide, isn’t she? We need to consider that to some degree. Especially in this situation where we’re already struggling with a Guide shortage, don’t you think?”
Among the somewhat calmed executives, Director Kim Hyeonjae stepped forward again.
“Ha! A Guide is only as good as their performance. I checked Guide Choi Hyerin’s track record so far. She hasn’t been doing proper Guiding from before. What good is being an A-rank Guide when her performance is rock bottom? I don’t think she’s such a necessary talent.”
“I heard about that too. She’s quite famous for it.”
An executive who had been neutral while observing the situation casually opened his mouth.
“Isn’t it also a problem that such a Guide has had a pair contract with an S-rank Esper for 5 years? Even though her matching rate barely exceeded 40%, which was the only reason, Esper Seo Gangwoo is a highest-risk-grade ability user—this was too complacent.”
“That’s right. At the very least, they should have managed her Guiding performance records thoroughly.”
“Why wasn’t such important information reported all this time? Hasn’t Center 1 been negligent in managing ability users?”
The executives’ voices began to grow louder again. Someone stepped forward at the voices criticizing Center 1’s ability user management.
“Center 1 reported to Headquarters several times, both officially and unofficially. They also periodically issued advisory measures to Guide Choi Hyerin. But the Headquarters Personnel Management Department ignored the reports. Besides that, records remain showing they reported to the Investigation and Evaluation Department and the Strategy Department as well.”
“Is that true?”
“Since when has Headquarters work been this sloppy? My goodness, it’s getting worse and worse.”
Exasperated sighs burst out from here and there. Those directly or indirectly involved just kept their mouths shut.
“It seems we need to reform Headquarters with this opportunity. Because of such gaps, isn’t this the situation where pair contract termination gets approved without others knowing?”
“Haah… Really, I’ve lived long enough to see everything. To use even Headquarters to blackmail an S-rank Esper with a pair contract.”
“Still, she’s one of the few A-rank Guides.”
“What does it matter if she doesn’t even do Guiding?”
“No, high-grade Guides are so important. Just their existence alone is a huge benefit to the nation.”
“Since she’s one of the few precious A-rank Guides, how about making Guide Choi Hyerin’s punishment greatly increasing her mandatory Guiding hours? Then, as Director Kim Hyeonjae said, she can fulfill her A-rank Guide role to her heart’s content. Haven’t most of Guides’ illegal acts been handled with penalties until now? Let’s apply that extensively.”
At one executive’s words, several people came forward in agreement.
“That’s good. We’re short on Guides, so we need to make use of her like this. Don’t you think? Even if we detain her, she won’t get much of a sentence anyway.”
“The courts will be satisfied too. Since they’re reluctant to detain Guides. During the penalty application period, she can’t leave the country, and penalty performance isn’t included in additional allowances either. Isn’t it great to have her do Guiding service for life?”
“Sounds good. I agree too. Rather, at this level, it’s the same as the punishment being light. There are charges of document forgery, obstruction of official duties, failure to fulfill pair obligations, and bribery suspicions too. If she weren’t a Guide, this would be impossible.”
As opinions flowed toward punishing Guide Choi Hyerin this way, someone hastily opened their mouth.
“Still, imposing mandatory performance too excessively…”
“Good grief! Please stop already. This was done with an Esper’s life at stake. It’s practically attempted murder. We can’t let this slide easily.”
“Attempted murder! That’s too extreme a thought…”
“By punishing this incident thoroughly and setting a precedent, won’t we prevent such absurd things from happening in the future!”
The executives from Choi Taehyeon’s line tried somehow to downplay this incident, but one side’s justification was too clear, so they were blocked at every turn.
“That’s right. Not only penalty performance, but we should also calculate the financial gains obtained while being paired with an S-rank Esper and impose fines!”
“Since it’s the same as obtaining unjust profits, we need to discuss that part too.”
“The punishment is too harsh!”
“Too harsh, you say? Not at all. Isn’t it lenient enough that we’re not making her spit out all the special treatment she’s received until now? Shall we examine everything one by one?”
The dissenting voice someone raised was quickly buried.
“If we hand it over to the courts, just the penalty fees and compensation Guide Choi Hyerin will have to pay Esper Seo Gangwoo will be enormous, won’t they?”
“Since it’s an S-rank pair, an astronomical amount will come out. Ah, they could file a separate lawsuit too. If Headquarters doesn’t handle this matter properly, the Esper side won’t just let it go easily. If it were me, I absolutely wouldn’t let it go.”
“The Center already mentioned that. They said if anything happens to themselves or those around them, they’ll go to another country.”
“!!!”
“What did you say?!”
“What?”
At one executive’s words, everyone was shocked. Some were so startled they suddenly stood up, knocking over their chairs.
Even Chairman Choi Taehyeon, who had arranged for the executives to set the mood appropriately beforehand and then stepped back to sit silently since the meeting started, opened his eyes wide.
He had heard that the meeting of the three people became known and that the attempt to persuade his granddaughter Choi Hyerin had failed. But this was the first he’d heard that Esper Seo Gangwoo and his new pair Guide said they would go to another country.
“Is that really true? Did Esper Seo Gangwoo say that?”
“Why are you only mentioning this now!”
“Ah, I…”
The executive who had brought it up without much thought was flustered by the intense attention focused on him.
“Everyone please calm down! Is that true?”
Chairman Lee Inyeong organized the meeting room and asked.
“…Yes. You know that Guide Choi Hyerin met with those two at the Center, right? It seems Guide Choi Hyerin threatened them at that time. Asking if they knew who her family was… asking if they knew who her grandfather was and whether they could handle it…”
As the executive spoke, he glanced at Chairman Choi Taehyeon, then with a ‘what the hell’ attitude, just continued speaking to the end.
And the people in the meeting room who heard those words sighed and lamented while sneaking glances at Chairman Choi Taehyeon. Chairman Choi Taehyeon’s face was frozen cold.
“At that time, the pair Guide said this. If anything happens around them, they can just go to another country, and then because of Guide Choi Hyerin and her family, Korea would lose an S-rank Esper and an A+-rank Guide, so from now on if anything happens, they’ll know it was done by Guide Choi Hyerin’s side.”
“Good heavens…! The new pair Guide has backbone.”
“Hey you, is now the time to say such things?!”
At the frivolous remark, someone rebuked him, and the meeting room became quiet for a moment. In the even more serious atmosphere, the discussion resumed.
“This is serious. At this rate, we might really lose an S-rank Esper and an A+-rank Guide overseas. We need to devise countermeasures.”
“That’s why I’m saying we need to punish those involved thoroughly first. If we handle it half-heartedly, they might be disappointed.”
“Let’s verify the facts first!”
“We need to contact Center 1.”
“I know Center Director Kim Taekjun is at Headquarters right now. I’ll put in a call.”
The executives couldn’t hide their concern at the sudden emergency situation.
An S-rank Esper’s departure! And with a matching A+-rank Guide at that.
If that really happened, it would be an enormous national loss.
A short while later, Center Director Kim Taekjun, whom everyone had been waiting for, appeared opening the meeting room door.
“Please come in.”
“Hurry and come in. Over here!”
Everyone looked only at Center Director Kim Taekjun with urgent expressions.
“Hello.”
Center Director Kim Taekjun politely greeted the chairmen and executives in the meeting room.
“Center Director Kim Taekjun. When those three people met and talked at the Center recently—is it true that they said if problems arise around them, Esper Seo Gangwoo and the new pair Guide might go overseas?”
A question flew at him before the greetings were even finished.
“It’s true.”
“Heo!”
“Oh my.”
“This is serious, serious.”
“Everyone stay still. Center Director Kim Taekjun, does it seem likely to you? What is the new pair Guide like, having seen them directly?”
At Chairman Lee Inyeong’s words, the meeting room that had become chaotic quieted down again and waited for Center Director Kim Taekjun’s words.
“Guide Kim Jiwon, Esper Seo Gangwoo’s new pair, is an extremely cooperative ability user with the Center. Rather than being that way because he hasn’t manifested for long, his personality itself is sincere and responsible. Since he manifested late at age 22, he’s not just young, and you can think of him as the typical gentle on the outside, strong on the inside type.”
