The Civil Servant Who Concealed Their True Strength Turns Out to be a Master of Possession - Chapter 65

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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A Civil Servant Who Hides His Strength Is Exceptionally Good at Possession – Episode 065
It was Ji Won-gil who helped me resolve this problem.
I’d been avoiding contact with him, worried it might cause him trouble, but by a remarkable coincidence, he reached out to me first just as I was wrestling with the Cha Jeon-hyeok situation.
Is there anything I can help you with?
As always, he stated his purpose plainly and directly.
While his bluntness sometimes caught others off guard, he was someone with a strong sense of responsibility.
And loyalty too.
‘That’s why he’s reaching out. The Hunter Investigation Unit situation has the whole world in an uproar.’
I decided to shamelessly accept his goodwill.
Could you do a legal review for me?
I knew that Byeon Gu-do hadn’t helped those grandmothers enter the illegal dungeon with malicious intent.
I’d searched through Byeon Gu-do’s computer based on what I saw in the special side story.
‘It was only possible because they all had their eyes half-closed…’
While he did receive items like sweet potatoes, potatoes, and fatsia shoots, most of them didn’t exceed 500,000 won, and the way he received compensation was sporadic enough to suggest it wasn’t truly transactional.
Selling them on the secondhand market was something I’d consider a shabby move—
‘But he probably never considered the severity of the crime.’
When I explained this far, Ji Won-gil sent back a message that seemed somewhat troubled.
…Hmm. From what you’re saying, it seems difficult to avoid punishment. Can I ask who this is about?
If you say no, I won’t help…
When I sent him an emoticon of squeezing out tears, Ji Won-gil replied.
I had a feeling it was about your team. Besides, our Chief’s mood hasn’t been good lately. Did I mention I started working in the Chief’s office?
You didn’t. But I’d roughly guessed as much.
I saw you getting in the same car as the Chief.
It seems the Chief has been viewing Team 5 unfavorably ever since you ignored his proposal.
Oh, a complaint about a boss with no mercy.
But true to Ji Won-gil’s nature, there’s no profanity.
‘A virtuous fellow.’
Just a plain recitation of facts.
So you can’t help me then…?
This time I sent an emoticon of lying face-down in despair.
Then Ji Won-gil replied with a slight delay.
If that guy who pulled off the scheme gets into trouble, you’ll be in trouble too, right?
That guy.
Strong language flows from Ji Won-gil’s mouth—the usually upright, good-natured one.
I’d prefer it if at least you could get out of this…
…?
Still, if you want it, there is a way to help. It’s a bit underhanded though.
And then Ji Won-gil reviewed hunter-related legal provisions and sent them to me.
It was the clause stating that hunters who receive a disability rating are not treated as hunters.
The reason was simple.
Awakening doesn’t restore a body that had ‘deficiencies’ before the awakening.
Sometimes those with body enhancement abilities can even regenerate lost parts, but that’s an extremely rare case even among body enhancement abilities.
So the theory until now was that it’s very rare for disabilities from before awakening to be recovered.
But these grandmothers that Byeon Gu-do quietly removed from the suspect list were mostly irregulars who awakened after age 65, meaning after aging had progressed.
“My rheumatism got so severe that I couldn’t walk properly, so I got a disability rating.”
“My lower back disc herniation is serious. I can’t even lie down straight.”
“What? I can’t hear! I forgot to take out my hearing aid!”
…And so it was difficult for them to find proper hunter jobs, and they maintained their livelihoods by working in illegal farming dungeons while taking on some risk.
Considering these grandmothers’ circumstances, Byeon Gu-do had been covering for them all this time.
‘Of course, it’s also true that he quietly profited financially from it.’
“So everyone here has received a disability judgment, is that correct?”
When Team Leader of Team 3 called them, a few Team 3 members came running and meticulously checked the documents, then looked at Team Leader of Team 3, who was making an anxious expression in one corner, and shook their heads.
‘Looks like we’re screwed.’
That was the expression on their faces.
Seeing that expression, Byeon Gu-do and Ma Deok-ho quietly held hands under the table, and Pee So-won’s face became triumphant.
Team Leader of Team 3 surely thought this was an opportunity to push out Team 5 and monopolize the results for the Hunter Investigation Unit.
Just as we had done to Team 1.
‘Though the circumstances are a bit different.’
Team 1 got caught up in a conspiracy, and we—
I glared at Byeon Gu-do, who was setting the date for the next game of Go-Stop with the grandmothers.
‘Got caught up in something too pathetic to even call a conspiracy.’
Ugh. I almost got my head chopped off because of that guy.
Of course, one could think that just Byeon Gu-do would get fired, but if one teammate gets cut for accepting bribes from a suspect, the entire team inevitably gets shaken up.
The Hunter Management Office was actually trying to do exactly that.
But once it was determined that the grandmothers weren’t ‘hunters’ managed by the Hunter Management Office, this case couldn’t even be formally charged—meaning it didn’t even become a subject of investigation for the Hunter Management Office.
Exploiting loopholes in the law. Like I said, it’s a pretty underhanded method.
A guy who studied for the civil service exam really is different in every way.
I evaluated Ji Won-gil that way and immediately started calling the grandmothers one by one.
‘Hello. I’m Lee Yu-ji, an investigator with the Hunter Investigation Unit.’
[Oh~ I don’t take voice phishing calls~ My grandson told me not to take calls like this~ I’m sorry you’re having such a hard time making a living~]
…For some reason, when direct communication didn’t work, I asked to speak with their grandson instead and had a conversation that way.
Once I explained the situation to one of them, all the grandmothers who had been removed from the suspect list thanks to Byeon Gu-do eagerly came forward saying they’d go to the hospital.
Until then, they’d heard that disability ratings don’t apply after awakening, so they hadn’t even thought about getting one, but instead they thanked me for letting them know.
“Thanks to you, young lady, I even got my hearing aid fitted cheaply. All this time I couldn’t afford one because I was selling vegetables I dug up from dungeons to pay off my oldest son’s debts.”
After everything was settled, the Yellow Cap Grandmother held my hand and looked at me gratefully.
“Ah…. Yes, well.”
I scratched the back of my neck, feeling oddly embarrassed.
Team 3 left to report back to their superiors, and we decided to have the grandmothers simply fill out statements under our jurisdiction and send them home.
Ma Deok-ho and Pee So-won sat down in the office and helped the grandmothers write their statements while wearing magnifying glasses.
“No, not there! You need to write your name here! Your name!”
“Oh my goodness, you’re going to burst my eardrums! I’m wearing a hearing aid right now!”
In the meantime, Byeon Gu-do was called to the Investigation Chief’s Office for a moment and came back.
I thought he’d return completely shattered and in a foul mood, but he sat down beside me with an enigmatic expression that was neither dark nor bright.
“You contacted the grandmothers in advance, didn’t you?”
I recited the answer I’d prepared.
“Ever since we discovered Yeo Hyeong-se’s body, something felt off no matter how much I thought about it, so I conducted some investigation. When I cross-referenced the suspect list, the number of arrests seemed a bit low.”
“Why did you do that?”
Byeon Gu-do asked in an unusually serious tone.
Why, you ask.
Well, obviously…
“…I was worried the backlash might hit me. I want to survive as a civil servant for a long time, you know…”
At my answer, Byeon Gu-do furrowed his brow.
“If that were the case, from the moment the Chief suggested it in the first place…”
Byeon Gu-do started to say something but closed his mouth.
It was the kind of expression that said, why would I ask you anything.
What.
Just as I was thinking that.
A favorability window appeared above Byeon Gu-do’s head.
Byeon Gu-do’s favorability has increased by 20.
Well… that’s natural, isn’t it.
I saved his neck, so it’s only natural.
“I lived with my grandmother for a long time when I was young.”
That’s when Byeon Gu-do spoke.
I looked at Byeon Gu-do with an uncomfortable expression. Then he spoke as if he understood.
“I know you’re not curious about your boss’s family affairs, but I’ll keep it short.”
“…Yes. Please do…”
I’m dying busy here, you bastard.
“I stole a lot as a kid, and every single time, I got caught by one investigator.”
One investigator.
That must be referring to Han Su-eop.
I unconsciously turned to look at Pee So-won.
Her former partner.
“When the investigator passed away and there was an opening in Team 5, it wasn’t bad. It was more like the guilt eased up. So when you came in, I didn’t seem very keen on it either.”
Oh. Something… feels sincere about this.
Especially in the way he’s admitting that he’d been subtly antagonizing me quite a bit.
“But at some point, I started thinking I should be like Investigator Han Su-eop, so I tried to look after you too.”
Hmm. I didn’t feel that at all.
“And then instead, I ended up receiving help from you…”
I was getting drawn into his words when it happened.
A message popped up on the internal messenger app.
My face crumpled at the unfamiliar name appearing before me.
Kwon Ik-seong
Would you like to have dinner together?
…It’s Ik-seong, isn’t it?
And in that moment, I heard Byeon Gu-do’s cheerful voice from beside me.
“Team Leader! Our team’s youngest just received a date request!”
This damn bastard…!
And shortly after.
Instead of a date, I found myself sitting in an Interrogation Room with a bowl of sundae soup placed before me once again.
And to make matters worse, special restraints were locked around my wrists.
And then an absolutely absurd question followed.
“Investigator Lee Yu-ji. Why did you steal my body?”
…That question doesn’t even make sense!

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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