We entered a restaurant near the beach that served food and drinks. It was fortunate that the recent rift incident had cleared the place out. As the only customers in the popular spot, we ordered ribeye steaks, french fries, and beer and sat facing each other.

"Things have certainly gotten easier since the Oracle appeared," Hong Yul said, sipping her beer. "They say they're providing information only to the Alliance, government agencies, and the Hunter Association, all while keeping their identity completely hidden."

I felt a pang of guilt but responded nonchalantly. "So no one knows who they are?"

"Nope. In a way, they're wise. They could reveal their identity and use their power to gain wealth and fame, but the ability to see the future is too great a burden for one person to handle, don't you think?"

"That's true."

"They'd become a target for countless factions around the world, not to mention the demonkin. Forget wealth and fame; they'd probably end up locked in some underground bunker, fed nutrients and water just to keep them out of enemy hands."

"…Haha."

It seemed hiding my identity was the right call. Even if the day came when I revealed the Magic Tower to the public, I would have to keep the Oracle's identity a secret until the very end.

"By the way, you said you were on vacation… were you actually here to hunt?"

"Killing two birds with one stone."

"Why do you work so hard?" I asked.

This was a genuine question. She had already reached the pinnacle of the hunter world. She had earned all the money she could want, along with fame and power. Yet, she traveled the world almost obsessively, fighting monsters.

"Well, it's not like I have some grand cause or sense of purpose," she said, shrugging. "I'm just in a position to do things others can't. So I try to save as many lives as I can."

"…Ah."

"When I know I can save tens of thousands of lives just by stepping in, I can't sleep at night if I back down for reasons like being tired or it not being profitable, you know?"

"I see."

"You've been dispatched to Africa now, so you must have felt something, right?"

I nodded. 'I could still vividly hear the voices of the people who fought for their lives in Tanzania.'

'"Even if the hunters don't come, our Alliance forces and citizen soldiers fight for our lives every single day! We endure day by day, desperately waiting for the hunters to come, holding onto that hope!" Colonel Fredrick had said.'

'"It's a battle of endurance. If you hold on and hold on, sometimes a miracle like this falls from the sky," Lieutenant Squall had said.'

How sad and miserable it must be for the people fighting on the most intense front lines, just hoping for a miracle. Compared to them, I was lucky. At least I was on the side trying to create miracles, not just wishing for them.

"If there's someone I can save by stepping in, I'll gladly do it. And so… that sense of duty has become a habit."

"That's admirable."

"It's nothing to be praised for."

She patted my shoulder. Just then, a red spark fizzled from her hand. I stared at it intently.

"What's wrong?"

"I have a question. About your ability."

"Ah, this?"

She flicked her finger, and a red spark flared. The President's Unique Ability, Scarlet Flare. Among the rarest source-mana abilities in the hunter world, it was a power specialized in tearing and cutting enemies. But…

"Hong Yeon uses almost the same power as you."

"Oh, that? I trained her."

"Trained her? I didn't think Unique Abilities were something that could be learned through training."

"I explained Yeon's Unique Ability to you before, right?"

I nodded. That monstrous power that let her gain a swordsmanship trait just by swinging a tree branch a few times.

"I injected Scarlet Flare into Yeon's body."

"Wait a minute! If you do something like that…!"

"Yeah, an ordinary person would die nine times out of ten. But as you know, Yeon is special. I kept injecting Scarlet Flare into her, just shy of the point where she would die, forcing her to adapt to the power."

For a moment, her gaze seemed incredibly frightening.

"We did that kind of training for months. At first, it was so hard that she would lose consciousness over and over, but little by little, she started adapting to the foreign power. Then, at a certain point, she acquired the trait."

"So that's Scarlet Flare. A power manifested as a trait, not a Unique Ability."

"That's right. But you know what's funny?" Hong Yul looked down at her own hand and gave a strange smile. "The power she obtained as a trait is almost identical to mine, the original."

"How is that…"

"If anything, her potential is even greater. The power Yeon has goes beyond the level of simple learning."

At this point, I was also getting curious. What exactly was that Unique Ability 'Guardian' Hong Yeon possessed?

"Your food is ready."

"It's here!"

Just as the atmosphere was getting too serious, the food arrived. We tasted the steak and seafood. As expected of a restaurant that was the top result in an internet search, everything we ordered melted in our mouths.

The rift incident had been resolved, but people were still too shaken to return to the beach. The owner, saying the ingredients would go bad by tomorrow, gave us several seafood dishes on the house. In return, the president agreed to sign an autograph for the restaurant.

As she was scribbling her signature, the owner looked at me. "May I have your autograph?"

'Huh, me too?'

"You're a mage, right?"

As I stood there dumbfounded, the president laughed loudly and slapped my back. "Of course, of course! You're being recognized overseas now! This is how everyone gets famous! Kahaha!"

I didn't know why she was more excited than I was. But, well, it was a nice, tingly feeling. I also signed a piece of paper and handed it to him. The owner was very pleased and even framed it on the wall. Among the signatures of various celebrities, the president's and mine were hung side by side.

"Oh, right!" the president said, wiping her mouth with a napkin after devouring the seafood. "Now I'll hear your story. A promise is a promise."

"Ah, thank you!"

"I'll say it again, I'll only grant what's within my power, okay?"

"Of course."

The day had been mentally and physically draining, but I pulled myself together. It was time to switch to business mode.

"First, I would like you to simplify the approval process for the guild I'll soon be establishing, so that it can be approved as quickly as possible."

"What, you're starting a guild?"

"Yes, with the concept of a guild for magicians."

"Sounds good." She rested her chin on the back of her hand, thought for a moment, and said, "Hmm, okay, okay. I think I can manage that with my authority. Next?"

"Second, I would like a department dedicated to mages to be established within the Association."

This time, she laughed out loud. "Hey, that seems a bit unreasonable, don't you think? Even for the hero of Africa, asking for a new department within the Hunter Association is a pretty big favor."

"It's not a favor."

I had been waiting for this. I took out documents from my briefcase and spread them out in front of her.

"What's this?"

"This is a formal proposal for the establishment of a department dedicated to mages."

"Hmm."

She took the documents and began to read as I explained. "The Republic of Korea's greatest potential has always been its human resources. That was true before the Overlay, and it's true now."

"Right."

"But Korea has one of the smallest land areas relative to its population. Because our territory is small, there's a limit to the capacity of our hunting grounds and field dungeons."

"True."

"We have plenty of manpower, but the lack of hunting grounds to develop them into hunters is a major bottleneck. Mages, however, are a special case."

I continued with my prepared speech. "Unlike traditional combat-types, who absolutely must grind experience in hunting grounds, mages have the advantage of being able to develop their skills through magical training alone. Given Korea's limited space, I believe it's essential to cultivate mages on a national level."

"The threat from monsters and disasters is constantly growing, but the number of combat players who can 'carry' on the front lines is strictly limited. In this environment, non-combat specialists are a blue ocean—an unscratched lottery ticket. It won't be long before it becomes a global trend. An era is coming where survival will depend on cultivating non-combat specialists, moving beyond the saturated market for combatants."

The words tumbled out of me. 'Am I even making sense? Is any of this getting through to her? I have no idea.' But all I could do now was give it my all, just as I'd practiced.

"Korea has always excelled at education. If we can accelerate a boom in magic, we'll see a flood of high-quality mages within two to three years. And I believe a government agency to manage and support them is essential—for Korea to become a magical superpower."

I paused, gasping for breath, and took a sip of water. My nerves were frayed. She showed no reaction, her eyes just boring into the document I'd handed her.

"Who made this?"

"What? Oh, a colleague of mine put that together."

"They're skilled." She gathered the documents and neatly stacked them. "I'll take these to the Association. They're worth reviewing at the next regular meeting."

"Ah…! Thank you!"

"This is surprisingly persuasive. You can expect good results. Now, you said you had three requests? What's the last one?"

I hesitated. The atmosphere was good, though, so it was worth a shot.

"I want the 'Noncombatant Regulation' rule abolished."

"Oh?"

That damned 'Noncombatant Regulation' had been a thorn in my side, and in Han Yoonjeong's.

"And your reason?"

"The system was created to control young people who were recklessly hunting monsters before the concept of a 'hunter' was even fully established. But now, we have clear hunting guidelines based on individual stats, and you can find detailed raid strategies for any monster online. It's an archaic system, and countless people are suffering because of it."

She nodded. "You have a point. I'm aware it's an old system in need of reform. But if I try to abolish it entirely, there will be fierce opposition."

"What? From who?"

"Who do you think? Everyone who is a non-combatant." The Association President crossed her arms. "The number of players barred from dungeons because of that evaluation is nothing to scoff at. They'll raise hell, complaining that the already crowded hunting grounds will become even more congested if those people are allowed in."

"Even though they have guilds and management companies that get them into expensive private dungeons?"

"Hey, now. You think the masses are that rational? The moment they feel they're at a disadvantage, they'll tear into you like rabid dogs."

I couldn't argue with that.

"I'll bring this up at the meeting, too. But if the internal opposition is too strong, my hands will be tied."

"I understand."

I wasn't expecting to spark a social revolution with a single successful overseas deployment. The guild permit was a sure thing, and I was confident I'd convinced her to establish the magic division. That was more than enough to be happy about. Finally able to relax, I downed several more beers.

"...You know," the Association President, who had been enjoying her wine, said with a curious look.

"Is something wrong?"

"I'm just so proud of you." She suddenly reached out and pinched my cheek.

"Mmph, Ms. Preshident?"

"Watching you reminds me... this kid only says the most admirable things. Any other kid gets a chance to ask me for something, and they're busy begging for promotions, equipment, or cash." She let go of my cheek and smiled. "My greatest joy is watching you and Yeon grow. You know that, right?"

"I-I'm very grateful."

"Alright then, raise your glasses! Cheers!"

We drank deep into the night. It wasn't until the next morning that we boarded a fighter jet at dawn and returned to Korea.

* * *

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