Prologue – The Newbie of Hero Management Inc
I mean really, what kind of hunters do not work with management these days?
‘The Ma.s.s Vanishing’ which pretty much flipped the world upside down was 20 years ago and a lot of people started hunting those monsters.
Hunters, The Awakes, Knights, Mutants and recently, The returners.
All those different kinds of people are simply thrown into a big category named ‘Hunters’ right?
I know some people think it’s just a cheesy name, but people still call them that, right?
‘The Ma.s.s Vanishing’ 20 years ago, ‘The Returning’ 10 years after that and ‘Grand Ragnarok’ 5 years after…
There have been a lot of episodes. In the end, the mankind has indeed achieved the grand triumph and turned those monsters into some sort of new resources.
Of course I am really thankful for that, well, at least occasionally. Without those so-called hunters, our race could rally have seen the extinction of our own kind.
But, you know what?
Those hunters are so brilliant at talking about all those resource supplies, battle formations and their ‘special abilities’ and so on… but,
They don’t even know how to make a bank account.
For real, they struggle to just make a booking for an accommodation for a holiday.
You know, have you heard what happened to that A Rank Knight? I don’t even really remember his name but he had to stand there and watch his 6 Million or 8 Million or something just burn after he got played by this fraud. They know it. They can smell it. That’s why they are literally everywhere trying to bait some innocent hunters so they can rip them off.
So,
Yea I mean,
I can already tell by that look on your face. You don’t know how to make a bank account right? Have you ever payed rent for your studio? The younger you got pulled into that hunting business, the less you know about the actual world outside since you get locked up in those Academies and Knight Temples forced to absorb all those knowledge about the hunt, right?
Seriously, I’ve even seen this female Knight who can’t even buy herself a pack of tampons!
But, our management can take care of all that.
Core Zone, Dungeons, Pocket Planes…we look into all that stuff and allocate you to somewhere suitable according to your Rank.
Just follow our guideline, achieving S rank is not even a distant future.
Aether Weapon and Armour Coats? We hook you up with our contracted factories, of course. If you don’t like all the fuss, we can customise it just for you.
Want to take a holiday? From flight, accommodation and day tours, we do everything for you.
Trying to rent a house? Want to get some mortgage? Why should you care about all that? Us, the management can take care of every single step. You move in whenever you want to, move out whenever you wish.
Want to retire and make a happy, cosy family? You have no idea how much of a valuable customer you are to those matching companies.
There are loads and loads of hunters who just went full downhill and broke after they retired without a proper management. You know what they’re doing now? Frying some chicken in a small, oily kitchen. We can open up any kind of trendy business just at the right spot for you. You don’t even need to ask.
All this, by the most reasonable ratio of 7:3.
Of course, you are the 7. We’re not some sort of a scam you know.
Finding the weapon/armour maker you can trust, finding a place to live, making a savings account for you funds, getting prepared to retirement….ain’t n.o.body got time for all that, you know?
Spending all that time on those unnecessary stuff, when are you going to go for a hunt and explore dungeons? When are you going to have dates?
Why should you, such a valuable talent, care about all that?
Sir, have you seen that study about hunters with management using their time more efficiently up to by 80% compared to those without?
Everybody has their own job. Hunters go hunt, management takes care of all the ch.o.r.es.
Seriously, think about it.
What kind of hunters do not have managements these days?
All along, Kang-Joon knew this woman got something confused but he decided to listen to her anyway. After all the talk, he slowly shook his head left and right, making a small frown on his face.
“I’m sorry but I think you got something wrong.”
“Excuse me Sir?”
Kang-Joon then pulled out an advertis.e.m.e.nt from his jacket. Knowing what the advertis.e.m.e.nt is about, the woman tilted her head a little bit.
“This is what I’m here for.”
“That’s manager recruit advertis.e.m.e.nt, right?”
On the piece of paper held by Kang-Joon, it definitely said, “Hero Management Recruiting New Managers”. Although it was far from looking fancy.
“Yes, you were recruiting new managers.”
“Uhmmm…you are right but…aren’t you a hunter?”
Kang-Joon mad a small nod. It was evident that he was indeed a hunter, with a bracelet-looking hunting device on his right wrist.
“Oh, yes, of course I am a hunter but…”
“But…?”
“I quit.”
“hmmm?”
To Kang-Joon sudden confession, the woman behind the desk made a slight frown, as she tilted her head and looked and Kang-Joon as if he was some sort of a lunatic, Kang-Joon again shook the advertis.e.m.e.nt paper, making it flap.
“I’m going to be a manager instead.”
The woman seemed to take a fair bit of time to process what Kang-Joon just really meant. Then, she started scowling at him.
“Excuse me but…what kind of person are you?”
Kang-Joon replied with and awkward smile.
“I’m a manager wanna-be.”
Tired of Kang-Joon’s ridiculous att.i.tude, the woman dropped her head, rolling her eyes a little bit. Suddenly lifting her head back at Kang-Joon, she asked.
“So you know how to make a bank account?”
With a natural smile on his face this time, Kang-Joon replied.
“Nope.”
“You know how to do Word? Excel?”
“Nope.”
“Good with computers?”
“I know how to install and delete games.”
“Any second languages?”
“Well, to a point I’m not so uncomfortable with everyday living.”
“Know how house mortgage system works?”
“Well, you’re to teach me all that, right?”
“Last education certificate?”
“Quit middle school.”
Starting to get p.i.s.sed at Kang-Joon’s nonchalant att.i.tude, the woman could feel her fists slowly shaking of anger.
“So what are you good at then? If you really want to be a manager, you got to be good at something other than fighting like a hunter? Why bother becoming a manger when you can already make a sufficient living as a hunter? There must be something really special about you for me to want to hire you, right?”
Making a serious face all of a sudden, Kang-Joon then slowly lays his chin over his locked fingers on the table and says,
“I’m good at bulls.h.i.tting.”
“…say what?”
“All this ‘management’ stuff, I know it’s a load of s.h.i.t. I tell you I’m going to be exceptional at ripping off those hunters.”
Snorting at Kang-Joon, the woman ask,
“Haha, really? Why don’t you try bulls.h.i.tting me then?”
Kang-Joon makes a small smile.
“You already got fooled by me.”
“What? When?”
After a few seconds, the woman clapped her hands once like she realised something.
“Oh, so you know how to make a bank account?”
“Nope. I told you. I can’t.”
“What is it then?”
Kang-Joon takes off his hunting device, throwing it lightly onto the table.
As the bracelet stopped sliding towards the woman, Kang-Joon moves his eyes back at her and grinned.
“I’m not a hunter.”
“What?!”
“You got fooled by this cheesy bracelet. This thing is no more than a kids’ toy.”
Finally realising where she got fooled, the woman bursts out in laughter.
“Huh…Huh…so you are no more than a fraud yea?”
“Well, you told me to try bulls.h.i.tting you.”
“Wow…Wow what a…yea, it all makes sense now. Of course, what kind of right-minded hunter would even think about becoming a manager instead? Ok, then one more. Try fooling me just one more time then I’ll really think about taking you in. d.a.m.n, you are p.i.s.sing me off by the way.”
The woman slowly crosses her arms around her chest, tweaking her lips a little bit. She seems rather shocked that she totally got played by this young man in front of her. Kang-Joon, noticing the look on her face, slowly grins again, as if all this is a funny prank for him.
“You get fooled by me again, I’m employed?”
“Well, I’ll definitely consider it. Don’t worry. I’m not even going to get fooled like that again anyway.”
“You have to give me your word. My bulls.h.i.t is more expensive than you think.”
Looking at Kang-Joon being all confident, the woman grinds her teeth. There is no way she’d get fooled twice. Then, she comes to decide that she will really take him in if he succeeds to fool her one more time. Thinking she will not believe a single thing Kang-Joon spits out, she gives him nod.
“Ok, I will take you in. I give you my word. Now, try again.”
As soon as she says so, Kang-Joon starts grinning again.
“But you already got fooled again.”
“Huh? Wh….Wh…What are you even talking about?”
Kang-Joon picks up the bracelet from the desk then puts it around his wrist. The woman’s face slowly gets frozen as she realises what is going to happen soon.
“No…No way…”
Rays of blue light comes flashing out of the bracelet. Armour field starts to generate around Kang-Joon’s arms with a half-transparent blue light.
Soon. He pulls out a silver stick from his jacket. As soon as he presses a b.u.t.ton on it, a sharp blade covered in subtle milky-white light pops out. The woman very well knows what this stunt means. Those object belong only to hunters.
“That is an Aether Sword….Are you really…?”
Kang-Joon smiles slyly.
“I am actually a hunter.”
“Yo…You….! Ok, calm down..calm down…”
The woman, pressing against her temples, looks at Kang-Joon.
“You…You fraud…”
“You gave me your word, right?”
The woman, given up, answers with a sigh.
“Yes…”
Whatever they say, leaving the bulls.h.i.t bit to the side, it is true and evident that you need a good mouth to make it out of the management industry.
“Write your contract, you start form tomorrow.”
“Yes! I got a job!”
The woman is about to go insane with Kang-Joon’s bright smile.
“What kind of person is he really…”
Hero Management Inc. is not really that of a big management firm nor is it so small that it can be run by one or two people. The advertis.e.m.e.nt went up because they did indeed need some people to start really doing something.
And in the midst of all that, a hunter with a ma.s.sive mouth gets into the company as a manager.