The Civil Servant Who Concealed Their True Strength Turns Out to be a Master of Possession - Chapter 83

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

A Civil Servant Who Hides His Strength Is Exceptionally Good at Possession – Episode 083
I glanced back and forth between the two messages before deciding to simply ignore them both.
‘I give up trying to understand this.’
That’s when it happened.
Ji Won-gil, standing beside me, noticed the shift in my expression as I looked at my phone and spoke up.
“Are you dating someone?”
Out of nowhere?
Did he also see Kwon Ik-seong buying homemade burgers?
Kwon Ik-seong seemed to be deliberately leaving traces of evidence bit by bit.
To figure out who was watching us.
But what was truly surprising was that an actual Gamer had fallen for it.
‘…So he’s not an ace investigator for nothing, huh.’
“If you were dating, your expression wouldn’t look so dark, would it?”
“When you’re dating, your mind naturally gets complicated.”
Ji Won-gil said that with a mysterious expression on his face.
He seemed to have his own complicated circumstances too, but what could I do when I had a predetermined sudden death looming?
Ji Won-gil didn’t seem to have any intention of sharing his complicated story with me, so he continued.
“Right. And while you’re at the Government Office, look into what you mentioned too.”
The incident from eighteen years ago.
“Ah. Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it. I’m part of the Special Team now, so I’m just doing what needs to be done.”
Part of the Special Team.
I observed Ji Won-gil quietly at those words.
The more I looked at him… the more he seemed like someone who belonged in the Heonsu Department rather than the Hunter Management Office.
He was skilled at finding creative solutions rather than just following protocol, and he overflowed with a sense of justice.
“Thanks to the Special Team, I feel like I’m doing something that makes my heart race for the first time in a while. It feels like there’s more fun than exhaustion, you know?”
Yeah, this place suits him better.
I swallowed those words back down my throat.
Either way, staying at the Hunter Management Office was more stable for Ji Won-gil than the precarious Heonsu Department.
Ji Won-gil was the breadwinner of his family.
Though I was too, of course.
…Lee Yu-gyeom seemed like he’d manage just fine on his own.
‘Getting caught in the Heonsu Department’s grasp would be dangerous.’
This is the path to ruining your life.
With those thoughts, I arrived at the Hunter Management Office.

* * *
I headed straight to the Audit Team first, while Ji Won-gil made a beeline for the Chief’s office.
Something about the Audit Team made me feel inexplicably nervous.
There are three phrases that civil servants universally dread.
Pay cuts, audits, and disciplinary action.
Pay cuts are similar to what other office workers fear, but audits and disciplinary action are catastrophic because they damage a civil servant’s pension if you get caught.
Without a pension, a civil servant is a corpse.
Yet when I opened the Audit Team door, I found several gloomy-faced civil servants sitting inside.
‘…This feeling isn’t unfamiliar at all.’
What struck me most was that despite my being an obvious outsider, none of them turned their heads past the partition dividers.
Their profiles radiated worry and anxiety—the fear that speaking first would make them the scapegoat.
It felt like I’d returned to my past life.
I approached what was likely the most junior staff member, probably stationed near the hallway, and opened my mouth.
“I’m from the Hunter Investigation Unit.”
At my words, the woman looked up and smiled brightly.
“Ah, that would be handled by the Hunter Investigation Audit Team’s chief clerk.”
Relief washed over me—this wasn’t my responsibility!
Then a middle-aged woman with a gloomy expression emerged from the far end.
“You came from the Hunter Investigation Unit? Sir?”
The title “sir” felt oddly familiar too.
It’s the unwritten rule of civil servants to address all visitors uniformly as “sir.”
I nodded and handed over the documents.
“I was told I need to file these directly here to get a summons issued for Go Cheol-won.”
The reason I came here was to obtain a summons for Go Cheol-won.
While ordinary hunters could be summoned directly by the Hunter Investigation Unit for questioning, elected officials like local government heads required a summons issued by the Hunter Management Office before they could be summoned.
There was also a brief review process involved.
“Yes. You brought all the documents? The statement of reasons, one piece of evidence, and the supplementary attachments….”
The middle-aged woman immediately opened the document envelope and, with an indifferent expression, casually checked the contents while marking circles with her pen.
“Yes. Everything’s here.”
“Will the summons be issued right away?”
“We can’t say. It will go to the investigation team and come out from there.”
“Then how long will it take?”
“We can’t say that either.”
…What exactly do you know?
I wanted to ask, but it felt like my past self was sitting right in front of me.
They just deflect responsibility with “We can’t say”—that’s all there is to it.
I laughed awkwardly as if I understood, bowed my head, and left the Audit Team.
There was no point in pressing the lower-ranking civil servants anyway.
As I was walking down the hallway thinking this,
the Chief appeared at the far end of the corridor, as if by coincidence.
“Oh, it’s not Lee Yu-ji. It’s the Taekwondo Girl~!”
…I realized it watching Ji Won-gil standing beside me with that rotten expression on his face.
This wasn’t a coincidence.
“Aha, things are going well? I heard you’ve been busy lately, even creating a Special Team.”
Why are you asking as if you don’t know?
You’re the one who ordered it.
I felt oddly uncomfortable but nodded awkwardly.
“We’re working hard. We need to catch criminals quickly!”
That was too awkward.
Even in the momentary frozen atmosphere, the Chief smiled skillfully and nodded.
“Exactly! I like that attitude! Lee Yu-ji, that’s really your strong point. Right? Isn’t it, Administrator Ji Won-gil?”
“Yes. That’s correct.”
Ji Won-gil answered without any spirit.
Seeing how his soul was stolen the moment he entered the government office, you’re truly a civil servant through and through.
Thinking that, I tried to quickly escape the office, but I was soon caught by the Chief and forced into a tea time.
Ji Won-gil sent me a quiet message on the way to the Chief’s office.
I’m sorry.
Sorry for what? About what?
For not preventing the tea time with the Chief?
I couldn’t find that document. It’s classified under the Chief’s office.
Ah. Because of the 18-year-old document?
I had somewhat anticipated this, but I asked Ji Won-gil to confirm.
Is it common for civilian death accidents to be classified as confidential documents?
Ji Won-gil
No. It’s not common. That’s why it’s a bit strange.
‘Hmm….’
And shortly after, in the Chief’s office.
“Right. So they said the late Mayor got involved this time, and the scale seems to be getting bigger?”
I felt a strange sensation watching the document I had handed over just 10 minutes ago already in the Chief’s hands.
He had already received the documents beforehand?
And then he called me in?
Looking at the expensive handmade pastries placed before me, I recalled Pee So-won’s words.
‘If they tell you to come because they’re creating another special department at the Hunter Management Office, will you go?’
Is this another such proposal?
Or—
‘Will you crawl into the tiger’s den for a bit more money?’
This time it’s a bribe?
He’s trying to buy me with money?
Did he discover that someone connected to the Chief was among the sorghum field dealers, and now he’s trying to soften me up to exclude that?
Does he really think I’d move for a few extra coins?
I’m loaded now because of the workshop!
It was at that moment when I clenched my fists, burning with a sense of justice.
Unexpected words flowed from the Chief’s mouth.
“With integrity and honesty, we need to expose everything completely. You understand?”
Excuse me?
This person seemed quite far removed from integrity and honesty, didn’t they?
Weren’t they just staging photos and such the other day?
It felt strange hearing the word “integrity” come from someone like that.
“High-ranking public officials, you see. Hunters shouldn’t receive special treatment just because they’re Hunters. Right, Director Ji?”
“Yes. Yes, that’s right.”
Ji Won-gil hesitated before answering.
‘Ah, I see.’
Now I understood why the Chief had summoned me here.
‘He’s going to hedge his bets?’
Seeing that Cha Jeon-hyeok had been arrested and the Special Team was being established, it seemed the dissolution of the Heonsu Department was off the table. If we continued pushing public opinion toward dissolving the Heonsu Department while creating conflict with them, there was a possibility we’d end up as forgotten relics later.
The Hunter Management Bureau Chief was essentially ministerial rank, making them practically a politician.
In situations like this, it’s important to play nice in front of the Hunter Association while secretly maintaining a connection with us as well—that seemed to be the thinking here.
“Then about the summons for Mayor Go…”
I needed to secure what I could while I had the chance.
“Oh, that. I need to approve it right now. I actually just signed it.”
At my words, the Chief handed me the already-signed documents.
Wow. I didn’t expect it to come through this quickly.
I smiled with satisfaction.
There was one more thing I wanted to obtain.
“Um, and just one more thing…”
“Hm? What is it?”
“Could I use the restroom? My stomach is hurting quite a bit… I don’t think I can make it down to the lower floor…”
“Ah… Yes, go ahead! Use it! You need a strong stomach to work well!”
The Chief seemed somewhat flustered but soon smiled brightly and spoke.
Last time they practically threatened me, and now they’re even looking after my bathroom needs.
Politicians really aren’t a job just anyone can do.

* * *
A short while later.
“Lee Yu-ji, that footage you shot in the Heonsu Department courtyard got a decent response. Next time, try to convince the Hunter Management Office to film there too. We’ll prepare special custom wooden boards for our side—”
“…I’m not sure if she’ll listen to me….”
I crawled through the hallway while listening to Ji Won-gil and the Chief converse.
More precisely, I crawled across the ceiling of the hallway, not its floor.
Time remaining: 09:53
That’s right.
[Squish squish….(They said the Confidential Document Reading Room was on this floor….)]
I was a Slime now.

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