Becoming a Mage of the Special Unit in Another World

Chapter 32 – Pushy Beggar (2)

“…Sunal?”

Lee Rang grabbed Sunal.

“Take a deep breath.”

“I am.”

“Calm down.”

“I said I am.”

“No, why are you being so extreme? If this escalates further, you’re the one who will have a harder time.”

“Me…?”

Sunal’s lips instinctively curled up.

What was harder about this situation when it was already difficult?

“The one having a hard time isn’t me; it’s you, Lee Rang. I already have one big issue. Even if I add more to it, it’ll just be the same exhausting mess.”

Not long ago, he had raided one of the branches of the Wizards’ Association.

Even now, he was busily organizing the mess related to racial discrimination that occurred in that branch, thinking that the police would probably come to ask for his cooperation in the investigation soon.

‘They say it’s for cooperation, but when I go, there’ll probably be someone from the headquarters of the Wizards’ Association. They’ll try to settle things quietly.’

Looking at Lee Rang, who briefly averted his gaze, Sunal spoke kindly.

“Let’s move, Lee Rang. The more time we give them, the more they’ll slip away like eels.”

Sunal thought that he himself probably wanted to go home more than anyone right now.

“Oh, this time, let’s use the back door.”

* * *

“…You can’t go inside!”

As soon as they got out of the taxi, what caught Sunal’s eye wasn’t the towering construction company’s building but the commotion at the front door.

“Please, just let me meet with them briefly. It will only take a moment. Really, just a moment.”

A Lizardman and a member of the Giant race in suits were blocking a man, who couldn’t push through the giant’s massive frame.

‘…Where have I seen this before?’

Sunal, unable to shake off the familiar sight, stepped forward, lost in thought.

“Looks like there’s some kind of trouble here, too. Do you think they’re digging into this case as well?”

When Lee Rang muttered his guess, Sunal shrugged and then paused.

He remembered.

‘That’s the guy.’

A member of the Medusa race who had come as a petitioner. And a reporter.

‘What was his name again?’

Sunal changed direction. He had just thought of a good idea.

“Sunal, this building is massive, isn’t it? It’s hurting my neck just looking up.”

Lee Rang, overwhelmed by the glittering, glass-like exterior of the building, stared up at it endlessly. But when he heard no footsteps beside him, he turned his head.

Sunal was gone.

“Sunal…?”

What was this? He wasn’t a child, so why was he always wandering off like this?

Lee Rang quickly found Sunal and approached him.

“Not that way.”

Lee Rang spoke, laced with frustration.

“I know.”

“Then what’s it this time?”

“I came up with a good idea.”

“What idea?”

“In this situation, who do you think the higher-ups would hate to see the most?”

“…Reporters?”

Lee Rang asked, half expecting the answer. Sunal smiled lazily.

“Sunal.”

Lee Rang grabbed him again. This time, Sunal showed a slightly annoyed expression.

“Why are you doing this again?”

“Have you always done things this way?”

“I’m not sure what you mean by ‘this way,’ but my methods don’t really get caught up in legal issues.”

“No, it’s dangerous. There’s nothing good that comes from making enemies with anyone. If you do this work for a long time, you’ll meet more diverse people and receive all kinds of complaints. If you handle things like this every time, it’s going to be tough.”

This wasn’t advice—it was concern. As someone who had been with the Interethnic Grievance Resolution Special Unit for a long time, it was Lee Rang’s way of teaching him.

“Thank you.”

Sunal accepted Lee Rang’s concern.

“But, Lee Rang, we’ve come this far, and didn’t they say there’s a deep-rooted social illness where you can’t even talk with the top brass?”

“It was… like that.”

“So let me handle it. This is what I do best.”

Because he had no power, he knew better than anyone how to lash out at those who did.

Isn’t it the same now?

Lee Rang looked at Sunal for a moment before releasing the hand that had grabbed him.

“…Then, I’ll assist you.”

Sunal responded with a light smile and approached the reporter, who was arguing with the security guards.

“Excuse me, may I ask what’s going on here?”

The Lizardman guard briefly turned his head toward Sunal’s voice, then hesitated when he saw the government ID hanging around Sunal’s neck.

Tap, tap.

He hit the Giant guard next to him with his hand, almost as if striking him. The Giant, who had been blocking the reporter with an apologetic expression, turned to the Lizardman.

“What’s wrong?”

“…It’s him.”

At those words, the Giant immediately dropped his hands.

His massive frame nearly blocked out the sunlight, but his face looked as innocent as a child’s.

That was a typical characteristic of the Giant race.

“…Well, this person has been banned from entering, but he keeps insisting on coming inside, so we were just stopping him. We didn’t use any violence or anything like that.”

The Lizardman awkwardly smiled at Sunal.

Sunal, in a kind tone, reassured the security guards.

“We’re just here in the middle of official duties, and we happened to notice the commotion. No need to be so tense.”

“Thank you for your assistance…”

The reporter bowed slightly to Sunal, but as soon as he looked up, his face lit up in surprise.

Once you saw Sunal, you couldn’t forget him. He was too striking for that.

It was like seeing the sun after being stuck in the darkness. The reporter felt hope swelling in his chest.

“Su-Sunal! Do you remember me?”

“Of course, Mr. Curzman Lal.”

Sunal remembered the Medusa’s name from the business card and responded warmly.

As the Lizardman and the Giant exchanged glances, Sunal made a request to Curzman.

“Would you mind following me for a moment?”

“Well, I…”

“Would it be alright if I take him with me?”

Sunal cut Curzman off and asked the guards.

“Yes, yes. Please, just keep him away from here.”

The Lizardman waved his tail lazily, hitting the ground lightly as if he was tired of the situation.

“Shall we go, then?”

Sunal gestured to Curzman, creating a bit of distance.

Even as Curzman followed Sunal, he couldn’t shake his confusion.

Why?

That question echoed in his mind. But Curzman didn’t feel anxious.

His instincts as a journalist told him that the situation wasn’t turning against him.

At that moment, Sunal’s voice brushed Curzman’s ear.

“May I take a guess as to why you’re here, Mr. Curzman?”

“Of course.”

Without thinking, Curzman began fiddling with the ring he had received while resolving a complaint. They said rubbing the ring calmed the heightened mana waves, but more than that, it put his mind at ease.

“It’s about the issue at the Hanul Construction site yesterday, right?”

“…Did you receive a complaint?”

“Complaints can’t be disclosed freely. I’m a government official, after all.”

Sunal smiled slightly.

“But it’s fine to listen. That’s part of my job.”

With those words, Curzman realized that Sunal was chasing the same case.

Unlike him, who had been kicked out due to the heavy name of Hanul, Sunal’s status as a public official—and the shield of the Interethnic Grievance Resolution Special Unit—would guide him through.

‘Is this really okay?’

Curzman wanted to ask.

The moment he, a journalist, got involved, things wouldn’t end well. That much was obvious.

But seeing Sunal calmly standing there, Curzman decided not to hesitate any longer and spoke up.

“The incident that occurred yesterday wasn’t something that happened out of nowhere. It was caused by a newly hired monster-like employee, a deputy named Shindel, sent by the headquarters.”

‘That Skeleton is the so-called monster rookie?’

All that arrogance flowing around Shindel… It seemed it was because everyone around him had been clapping in approval.

Sunal suppressed the laugh that almost slipped out.

“Deputy Shindel is a disposable pawn. I’ve tried to request interviews regarding Shindel, but they keep rejecting them.”

“What exactly did this Deputy Shindel do?”

As if unable to resist the curiosity stirred up by Curzman’s initial remarks, Sunal opened his mouth again.

Curzman’s expression became more serious. Behind his glasses, his eyes burned with anger.

“He discriminated against the different races.”

At those heavy words, Sunal didn’t speak rashly. This was something he needed to hear more about.

“He led the discrimination among the workers, creating a system that targeted individuals, and passed that target onto the least capable worker. The main victims were the Giant race. If anyone targeted tried to quit, he’d use Hanul’s name to threaten them, saying things like, ‘Do you think anyone else will hire you after Hanul blacklists you?’”

“What a load of…!”

Lee Rang, who had been listening in silence, couldn’t contain his rising anger and gritted his teeth, raising his voice. Curzman wasn’t finished.

“He created an atmosphere of fear, ensuring that no complaints reached him directly, all while using the system he’d set up to grind down the workers. As a result, construction efficiency skyrocketed, and they even managed to shorten the overall project duration. Naturally, Hanul Construction would have made a significant profit from this, wouldn’t they? It’s… incredibly unjust.”

“Thank you… for telling me.”

Sunal slightly bowed his head to Curzman.

As just a deputy, there was no way Shindel could handle all of this alone.

It wasn’t something that surprised him based on what he’d seen at the construction site, but hearing it come from the mouth of a brave reporter made it all the more shocking.

‘These bastards, always creating more work.’

Sunal felt exhausted.

He didn’t know how this case would unfold, but one thing was certain: another major incident had landed in his hands.

“Sunal.”

Before he could take a step, Curzman called him.

A person who had once been his petitioner.

Meeting him outside felt strangely new.

Maybe it was because of how he had once encountered the twin vampires, Keron and Loren, outside as well.

“What is it?”

“I’ll wait here until you come out.”

“You mean you’ll just stand there quietly?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know what result you’re expecting, but it might not come out the way you want.”

Sunal wasn’t sure what choice he’d make once he was inside.

Like with the Wizards’ Association, he might just bring the whole thing crashing down, or he could let it sit for a while and strike hard later.

“It’s fine. I’ll wait patiently.”

“Understood.”

Leaving Curzman behind, Sunal headed into the building.

“Sunal.”

“Don’t try to stop me.”

“I’m not trying to stop you.”

“Then what is it?”

“I feel like I’m going to get a promotion soon. I had a good feeling about today’s fortune.”

Lee Rang looked genuinely happy.

In this situation, a joyful face?

Sunal couldn’t understand, so he asked, “Were you that interested in a promotion?”

“Of course. If I get promoted, there’s more I can do.”

“The higher you go, the more responsibilities and tasks you’ll have.”

“Given the nature of our department, it’s the same whether I get promoted or not. The team leader is way too high up. I’ll never catch up.”

“You’re awfully carefree about this.”

“That’s because I’m not alone. I have a very reliable team member.”

Lee Rang’s black eyes were full of determination.

With a wizard who had earned a battle certification (magic) for the first time in over a decade, what was there to fear?

“Don’t tell me you think I’m going to solve this with some special method just because I’m part of the Special Unit?”

Sunal, now in sight of the reception desk, casually held his government ID and asked, “Look at the team member you have now, not at my past.”

Lee Rang shifted his gaze sideways while walking ahead. The wizard, who looked as though he carried the weight of all the world’s bothers, was striding forward.

Lee Rang’s steps slowed, almost as if he felt guilty for some mistake.

Forcing a smile, Sunal approached the reception desk and spoke to the staff.

“Hello. We’re from the Interethnic Grievance Resolution Special Unit. I believe we have an appointment.”

Hearing the uninterrupted flow of Sunal’s words, the staff blinked for a moment before responding in a somewhat slow tone.

“Pl…please hold on a moment.”

One of the staff members made a call somewhere and then immediately stood up.

“Please follow me. I’ll guide you.”

“Where are you taking us?” Sunal asked, and the staff hesitated briefly.

Depending on who they were about to meet, Sunal would get a sense of how seriously the construction company was treating this case. He was curious about what the staff would say.

“We’re heading to the Executive Director’s office.”

‘Wow. That’s pretty high up. I like it.’

Sunal was satisfied.

The Executive Director—wasn’t that right below the Vice President?

One reason they had gotten this far was probably because of Edina Ross.

“…Whoa.”

Sunal heard Lee Rang audibly swallow behind him but didn’t let it show on his face.

‘Executive Director…? Did she say the Executive Director?’

Lee Rang couldn’t believe it. Wasn’t that too high of a rank for a mere civil servant to meet?

He looked at Sunal with silent astonishment.

To think that something he hadn’t been able to accomplish in his years at the department had been done so quickly.

‘…Who was it that was so excited about getting a promotion?’

Lee Rang now realized just how arrogant his earlier words had been.

Maybe, at this rate, he’d end up getting demoted before he even got promoted.

* * *

“…Good day.”

As Sunal and Lee Rang entered, the Executive Director stood up to greet them.

One look at his plump, almost elastic appearance was enough for Sunal to recognize that he was a Slime.