NOVEL NEXT Chapter 190
Chapter 190: The Rise of the Independence Warrior
“Hey there, you’ve become a celebrity.”
“Huh?”
Lee Si-hyun looked at To-ya as she spoke.
Ever since the incident where she thwarted the Emperor’s conspiracy, her way of addressing him had changed from Correctional Officer to ‘Uncle.’
It seemed to be her own way of showing familiarity.
“I frequently browse the internet, you know.”
To-ya replied, crunching into a potato chip.
Si-hyun made an approving expression.
If she were to name her top three talents, they would be watching TV, browsing the internet, and snacking.
In other words, epitomizing the life of a NEET.
Of course, considering her age, it was the prime time to enjoy life.
“What on earth sites do you visit?”
Si-hyun asked absentmindedly.
“The Correctional Service gallery on DC Inside.”
“….”
To-ya’s answer left Si-hyun with a dumbfounded expression.
That was a community where correctional officer trainees and current correctional officers hung out.
Why on earth would To-ya join a site like that?
DC Inside was definitely not a place suitable for girls her age.
It was a haven for insults and posts asking about parents’ well-being (?).
“But you can’t post anything there.”
Si-hyun spoke with a caring uncle’s concern for his adorable niece.
“It’s fun! They call you the ‘Independence Warrior, God-Si-hyun.'”
Cough, cough.
“Why?”
“…Never mind.”
Si-hyun’s face was completely besmirched.
‘God-Si-hyun’, the very thought of it sent shivers down his spine, making him squirm.
But what was this ‘Independence Warrior’ nonsense?
Reading the confusion on Si-hyun’s face, To-ya spoke again.
“They’re going for an independent branch—so that’s why you became ‘Independence Warrior, God-Si-hyun.'”
“….”
“Why again?”
“Uh, never mind….”
…So that was it.
Now he understood why he was being called such an embarrassing title at the Correctional Service gallery.
About a month ago, he attended a dinner hosted by the President.
When the topic of the difficulties faced by correctional officers came up, he thought it was better to speak candidly than with mere pleasantries, and shared his honest thoughts.
What’s more, he went further and mentioned that correctional officers wanted independence from the Correctional Headquarters.
Frankly, he didn’t expect much from those words.
But the President responded, expressing a thorough understanding of the correctional officers’ sentiments and promising to consider independence for the branch.
And that news quickly made its way into the media, causing a stir about that day’s events.
– “Hero Correctional Officer petitions for independence of the Correctional Headquarters. President grants approval.”
With that news, independence for the branch seemed a foregone conclusion.
In fact, the push for independence had been ongoing at the Correctional Headquarters for a long time.
There had even been attempts made by members of the National Assembly.
However, it had always stagnated without much progress.
And now, with Si-hyun’s single statement, it was becoming a reality.
The President is different from the National Assembly members.
Once the President genuinely promised to push for it, independence for the branch was practically guaranteed.
Thanks to that, the correctional organization was in chaos.
Independence from the Correctional Headquarters had long been a long-awaited wish.
As long as they remained under the Ministry of Justice, the Correctional Headquarters would forever be a subordinate.
The Ministry of Justice operated around the powerful Prosecutor’s Office, after all.
In terms of size, the Correctional Headquarters was a massive organization, coming right after the Police Agency, Fire and Disaster Agency, and National Tax Service.
By size alone, they should’ve been independent long ago.
Yet they remained suppressed by the Prosecutor’s Office.
Although it was an essential organization, there was a significant lack of public perception regarding its importance.
Just as the public’s perception was poor, the organization itself received inadequate treatment.
Some correctional officers even joked about being the Prosecutor’s flunkies.
But finally, independence was right on the horizon.
Independence meant not only being free but also a promotion to a branch.
It meant they could engage in a more autonomous administration and gain power.
While it might seem trivial to the general populace, it was a monumental change that would make over 16,000 correctional officers cheer with joy.
Correctional officer trainees were also thrilled.
Most of them had already concluded they’d pass the exam anyway, thinking they were practically correctional officers already.
In any case, it seemed that such cringe-worthy nicknames had been born from it.
“But why do they keep searching for ‘your mom’ and ‘your dad’ on that site?”
“…Cough, cough!”
To-ya’s words left Si-hyun spluttering in surprise.
…Indeed, that place wasn’t good for education.
“So I told them our mom and dad are raising ‘Qi’ and dogs.”
“Uh, uh… Good job! Just don’t go there again, okay?”
“But why do you go?”
“Uh… me? I, I just… um, information… yeah, I sometimes go to look for information.”
Si-hyun stammered his response.
To-ya looked at him with a dubious expression.
“Hmm.”
“…Oh? Oh? It’s almost time for my appointment! I gotta get going quickly!”
◈ ◈ ◈
Thunk!
A nameplate flew across the room and hit the wall.
“Why are they coming back to life? What the hell is this?!”
Seong-jin, the leader of the Sun Guild, shouted with a reddened face.
He used to worry about the Yangji Guild’s rapid growth.
So he did some investigating and uncovered that they were a guild of ex-convicts, spreading that information to the public.
As a result, the Yangji Guild’s power significantly diminished.
Most of the regular guild members had withdrawn.
Their reputation plummeted, of course.
Since that day, Seong-jin had felt quite good.
He had eliminated the eyesores.
But this time, after the incident involving Choi Gang-hyuk’s escape attempt, the Yangji Guild members had made significant contributions to saving the lives of citizens.
Thanks to that, the Yangji Guild’s reputation soared tremendously.
No, it seemed even better than when they were doing well before.
Due to this, regular guild members were lining up to join again.
For Seong-jin, it was undoubtedly an annoying situation.
He couldn’t think of any way to sully their reputation this time, making it even more frustrating.
“Hey, Secretary Kim!”
“Yes.”
Secretary Kim, who had been quietly observing Seong-jin, replied.
“For the next Abnormal Gate raid, tell them we’re going to do it jointly with the Yangji guys.”
“Understood. However, the probability of rejection from the Yangji side is quite high…”
“Tell them regardless of whether they reject or not!”
Seong-jin yelled.
Just like that, those who had been wronged should be repaid in kind.
He was planning to return the humiliation of the previous joint raid where they had lost the boss to them.
Even if the Yangji Guild was rebuilding their forces, it was still just a matter of squirming for them.
There was still a clear gap between them and the Sun Guild.
Thus, he needed to crush them properly before they grew too strong.
“Understood.”
Secretary Kim bowed deeply.
◈ ◈ ◈
“The Independence Warrior, God-Si-hyun Section Chief… No, not yet, Section Chief.”
“….”
The words that came from Baek Dong-il left Si-hyun speechless with an expression of disbelief.
It seemed To-ya had already spread the news to the guild members.
Si-hyun shook his head and surveyed the other guild members around him.
“…Please don’t call me that. Let’s breathe a little easier.”
“Haha, understood. Section Chief.”
Baek Dong-il responded with a bright smile.
Other guild members also chuckled in agreement.
“Section Chief, you must be feeling good these days.”
Baek Dong-il spoke again.
“Yeah?”
“Well, isn’t it the golden age of correctional officers? They say correctional officer dramas and variety shows and even movies are coming out? Plus, I heard the competition for correctional officer exams has doubled lately? That’s unprecedented! They’re saying there’s been a significant increase in people genuinely wanting to become correctional officers….”
The power of the media is indeed tremendous.
As the media frequently highlighted the hero correctional officer Si-hyun and the unbelievable achievements he had accomplished in rehabilitation, many began to reconsider the role of correctional officers and the importance of rehabilitation.
The fact that rehabilitation might just be a waste of taxpayer money in the eyes of the general public saw a slight shift in perception, which was a significant achievement for a correctional officer.
Statistics worldwide illustrated that merely enforcing harsh penalties or rehabilitation alone was not enough.
Utilizing both approaches properly was essential for efficient correctional administration.
However, while people recognized the need for strict punishment, they questioned the necessity of rehabilitation.
To ensure the rehabilitation policy thrived and succeeded, they needed to address that doubt at least a little.
And Si-hyun managed to accomplish that.
The notion that the current atmosphere of the Correctional Headquarters was the best since the founding of the country wasn’t just a saying.
“It is indeed good.”
Si-hyun nodded in agreement.
His co-workers mentioned that the positive perception of correctional officers was rising.
After being forgotten, they were finally gaining some recognition.
But the embarrassment remained solely his share.
“Eh? Section Chief, you don’t seem too pleased….”
Baek Dong-il stared at Si-hyun with wide eyes.
“…No, I am genuinely happy, but it keeps making me squirm these days.”
“Aha, I get it. Haha.”
Baek Dong-il chuckled knowingly.
Just then, Cheol-hyung walked in.
“Ah. Good day, Section Chief.”
Cheol-hyung greeted as he noticed Si-hyun’s face.
Si-hyun returned the greeting with a smile.
“Just in time, Section Chief.”
“What’s going on?”
Si-hyun asked in response to Cheol-hyung’s words.
“The Sun Guild has expressed their interest in joining us for the next Abnormal Gate raid.”
“Oh? I think we can just handle it the way we’ve been doing….”
This was not the first time the Sun Guild had expressed interest in joint raids.
After the truth about them being an ex-convict guild came out and the number of their members plummeted, they had continually requested joint raids.
However, the Yangji Guild had repeatedly declined.
It was obvious that they wanted to take revenge for the humiliation endured during the joint raid.
There had been no need to comply.
Yet, this time, Cheol-hyung was bringing it up again.
“Recently, we’ve also seen a significant increase in new guild members, and I felt that continuously rejecting their requests might give off an overly evasive impression.”
Cheol-hyung explained his reasoning.
Si-hyun nodded as if he understood.
The guild’s image is extremely important.
The reason the Yangji Guild recovered was precisely due to their improved image.
In such a scenario, if they refused another joint raid at the Abnormal Gate, there would surely be some negative fallout.
“I understand what you’re saying, Cheol-hyung. But do we really need to engage in a childish competition?”
The Sun Guild would likely come ready for a fight.
Surely, competition over boss loot would ensue.
The power dynamics between the Yangji Guild and the Sun Guild were still disparate.
There was no need to partake in such a disadvantageous and exhausting contest.
“I initially thought the same. But earlier today, a new guild member joined us.”
“Oh? Who is it?”
Si-hyun looked puzzled at the somewhat abrupt mention.
“A B-rank healer named Rachel…”
A B-rank healer?
Is that all…?
But oddly enough, the name sounded familiar.
Rachel, Rachel, Rachel.
Huh? Rachel?
Si-hyun opened his eyes wide.
“Yes, that Rachel is correct.”
Cheol-hyung confirmed as if to reassure him.
“…She’s joining the guild?”
“Yes, she’s planning to stay here for a while and has expressed a desire to offer her help….”
“But to participate in a raid, she’ll need confirmed status, won’t she?”
Si-hyun assumed that Rachel must have come to Korea in complete secrecy.
“She already received her visa.”
“Huh, really?”
So she had openly entered Korea, it seemed.
It made sense that a top paladin of the Church of Illyria would have some recognized status worldwide.
Given that she was a B-rank healer, it seemed they may have hidden her Hunter license somewhat.
“Well, that is interesting….”
Si-hyun paused momentarily before a smile spread across his face.
“I should’ve been more careful with my words earlier. You are all warriors who returned alive from battles against countless Undead without losing a single member. I believe in the experiences and skills you have amassed so far. Let’s go and give them a good fight.”