The Civil Servant Who Conceals Her Power Is Too Good at Possession Chapter 65

The one who helped solve this problem was Ji Wongil.

 

I had been refraining from contacting him for fear of causing him trouble, but quite coincidentally, Ji Wongil reached out first just as I was racking my brain over the Cha Jeonhyeok matter.

 

Is there anything I can help with?

 

As always, he gets straight to the point in a very dry manner.

 

Because of that, he often catches people off guard, but he was a responsible guy.

 

He had a sense of loyalty, too.

 

‘That’s probably why he reached out. The HIB’s troubles have been making a lot of noise lately.’

 

I decided to take full advantage of that loyalty.

 

Could you review a legal matter for me?

 

I knew that Byeon Gudo hadn’t helped the grandmothers who entered the illegal dungeons with bad intentions.

 

I had dug through Byeon Gudo’s computer based on what I saw in the Special Side Story.

 

‘It was only possible because everyone was half-dazed…’ 

 

Though he did accept items like sweet potatoes, potatoes, and aster scaber, most of them didn’t really exceed the 500,000 won mark, and the rewards were clearly given at sparse intervals, making it hard to argue true reciprocity. 

 

I do think selling them on a second-hand market was a trashy thing to do, but—

 

‘He probably didn’t consider the gravity of the crime.’

 

When I explained this much, Ji Wongil sent back a chat message looking somewhat troubled.

 

…Hmm. Just hearing the story, it seems difficult to avoid disciplinary action. Can I ask who this is about?

 

If I say no, will you not help……?

 

When I sent a crying emoticon, Ji Wongil replied.

 

I asked because I had a feeling it was about someone on your team. The Commissioner’s mood isn’t great lately anyway. Did I mention I’ve started working in the Commissioner’s office?

 

He hadn’t. But I had more or less guessed it.

 

I saw him riding in the same car as the Commissioner.

 

I think the Commissioner has been looking at Team 5 somewhat unfavorably ever since you ignored his proposal.

 

Oh, standard filtering-free boss-bashing. 

 

But, as expected of Ji Wongil, there was no profanity.

 

‘What a saint of a guy.’

 

It was just a listing of dry facts.

 

Does that mean you can’t help…?

 

This time, I sent an emoticon of someone face-down on the floor in despair.

 

Then, Ji Wongil sent a reply a beat later.

 

If that guy who skimmed money gets in trouble, you’ll get in trouble too, right?

 

That guy.

 

For once, a harsh expression came out of the mouth of Ji Wongil, the well-behaved, good boy. 

 

I’d prefer it if you were the only one to get out of this if possible…

 

……?

 

Still, if it’s what you want, there is a way to help. It’s a bit petty, though.

 

And Ji Wongil reviewed the Hunter-related legal clauses and sent them to me.

 

Specifically, the clause stating that hunters who receive a disability rating are not treated as hunters.

 

The reason was simple.

 

Awakening didn’t mean that a body with a ‘defect’ would suddenly return to normal. 

 

Sometimes, those with physical enhancement abilities can regenerate even defects, but that is considered an extremely rare case even among physical enhancements.

 

Therefore, the prevailing theory was that it was very rare for a pre-awakening disability to be cured.

 

However, most of these grandmothers whom Byeon Gudo had secretly removed from the suspect list were irregulars who awakened after the age of 65—that is, after the aging process had advanced.

 

“My rheumatism had progressed so severely that I couldn’t walk properly, so I got a disability rating.”

 

“My herniated disk is serious. I can’t sleep straight.”

 

“What did you say? I can’t hear you! I forgot that I took out my hearing aid!” 

 

…As such, it was difficult for them to find proper hunter jobs, so they had been making a living by taking slight risks and working in illegal farming dungeons.

 

Byeon Gudo had been looking out for them until now, taking their circumstances into account.

 

‘Of course, it’s also true that he sneakily took some financial gain.’

 

“So, you’re saying that everyone here has been judged as having a disability?”

 

A few members of Team 3, who had rushed over at their Team Leader’s call, scrutinized the documents and then shook their heads while looking at the Team 3 Leader, who was wearing an anxious expression in a corner.

 

Their expressions said, ‘I think we’re screwed.’ 

 

Seeing those expressions, Byeon Gudo and Ma Deokho secretly held hands under the table, and Pi Sowon’s face became triumphant.

 

If it was the Team 3 Leader, he certainly would have envisioned a picture where they’d drive out Team 5 this time and monopolize the HIB’s achievements for themselves.

 

Just as we had done to Team 1.

 

‘The case is a bit different, though.’

 

Team 1 was caught in a conspiracy, while we—

 

I glared at Byeon Gudo, who was sitting next to the grandmothers deciding on the date for their next game of Go-Stop.

 

‘We were caught up in something too pathetic to even be called a conspiracy.’

 

Agh. Because of that man, my neck almost got chopped off for real. 

 

Of course, one might think it’s just a matter of Byeon Gudo getting fired, but if a team member is dismissed on charges of taking bribes from a suspect, the entire team is bound to be shaken.

 

In fact, that was exactly what the Hunter Administration Bureau had intended to do. 

 

However, as the grandmothers were proven not to be ‘hunters’ managed by the Hunter Administration Bureau, this matter became something that couldn’t even be booked—meaning it became an issue that didn’t even fall under the jurisdiction of the Hunter Administration Bureau’s investigation. 

 

You’re exploiting a loophole in the law. Like I said, it’s a bit of a petty method.

 

A guy who studied for the civil service exam is indeed different in one way or another. 

 

Evaluating Ji Wongil like that, I immediately placed individual calls to the grandmothers. 

 

‘Hello. This is Investigator Lee Yuji from the HIB.’

 

[Mhm~ I don’t take voice phishing calls~ My grandson told me not to take calls like this~ You must be working hard to make a living, sorry~]

 

…When direct communication didn’t work for some reason, I asked to speak to their grandsons and had the conversation.

 

Once I explained the situation to one person, all the grandmothers who had escaped the suspect list thanks to Byeon Gudo stepped forward proactively, saying they would go to the hospital.

 

They said they hadn’t even thought about getting a disability rating because they’d heard you couldn’t get one once you awakened, but they were thankful I’d let them know.

 

“Thanks to this young lady, I got a hearing aid for cheap, too. Until now, I’d spent all the money I made from selling greens picked in dungeons to pay off my eldest son’s debts, so I couldn’t even afford a hearing aid.”

 

After the matter was settled, the grandmother in the yellow sun visor held my hand and looked at me gratefully.

 

“Ah… Yes, well.”

 

I scratched the back of my neck, feeling inexplicably awkward. 

 

Team 3 withdrew for the time being to report back to their superiors, and we decided to have the grandmothers simply write statements under our jurisdiction and send them home.

 

Ma Deokho and Pi Sowon sat in the office and helped the grandmothers, who were wearing magnifying glasses, write their statements.

 

“No, not there, you have to write your name here! Your name!”

 

“Goodness, my eardrums are gonna burst! I’m wearing my hearing aid right now~!”

 

In the meantime, Byeon Gudo was called into the Investigation Unit Chief’s office for a moment.

 

I thought he’d be in a foul mood after getting chewed out, but he sat down next to me with an ambiguous expression—not quite dark, but not bright either.

 

“I heard you contacted the grandmothers in advance?”

 

I recited the answer I had prepared.

 

“Ever since we found Yeo Hyeongse’s body, I thought something felt fishy no matter how much I thought about it, so I did some digging. When I cross-referenced the suspect list, the number of arrests was a bit off.”

 

“Why did you do it?”

 

Byeon Gudo asked in a surprisingly serious voice.

 

Why, he asks.

 

Well, obviously…….

 

“…Because I didn’t want the sparks to fly toward me. I want to survive as a civil servant for a long time….”

 

Byeon Gudo frowned at my answer.

 

“If that were the case, you would have from the moment the Commissioner made the proposal…”

 

Byeon Gudo started to say something but then shut his mouth.

 

He had an expression that seemed to say, “What’s the point in asking you?”

 

What.

 

It was just as I thought that.

 

An affinity window popped up above Byeon Gudo’s head.

 

[Byeon Gudo’s affinity increases by 20.]

 

Well… is it only natural?

 

Since I saved his neck, it makes sense. 

 

“I lived with my grandmother for a long time when I was young.” 

 

Just then, Byeon Gudo spoke. 

 

I looked at Byeon Gudo with a uncomfortable expression. Then, Byeon Gudo spoke as if understanding.

 

“I know you aren’t curious about your boss’s family history, but I’ll keep it short.”

 

“…Yes. Please do….”

 

I’m busy as hell, man.

 

“I lived a life doing a lot of petty thievery, but every single time, I was caught by one particular investigator.”

 

One investigator.

 

He must be talking about Han Sueop.

 

I instinctively looked over at Pi Sowon.

 

Pi Sowon’s old partner.

 

“After Investigator Han passed away, it didn’t feel bad that there was a vacancy in Team 5. It just felt like a bit of the guilt was being lifted. So when you joined, I don’t think I was very fond of it.”

 

Oh. I’m starting to feel… some sincerity.

 

Especially in that he’s admitting he used to poke at me on purpose.

 

“But from a certain point, I felt like I should act like Investigator Han Sueop, so I tried to look out for you too.”

 

Hmm. I didn’t feel that at all.

 

“And after all that, I end up being the one getting help from you instead……”

 

I was subtly getting drawn into his words.

 

Then, a chat popped up on the internal messenger app.

 

My face scrunched up at the name appearing for the first time.

 

Kwon Ikseong

Would you like to have a meal together today?

 

…It’s Ikseong, right? 

 

And in that moment, Byeon Gudo’s chirpy voice drifted over from beside me.

 

“Team Leader! Our team’s youngest just got a date request!”

 

You absolute b*stard……!

 

And a short while later.

 

Far from a date, I was sitting in an interrogation room with blood sausage soup placed in front of me again.

 

I even had the special handcuffs on my hands.

 

And soon, an incredible question followed.

 

“Investigator Lee Yuji. Why did you steal my body?”

 

…The question is strange!