The Chairman of the Hunter Association.
Why did he suddenly stand up so abruptly?
From what I heard, it wasn’t bad news for me at all.
On the contrary, he was unleashing his hostility fully toward that government official, not me.
So I listened quietly.
“Do you really think that’s the right approach? Even the contract deposit we put up is already a generous price considering Vulcanus’s Forge’s selling price.”
“This isn’t a place for the Chairman to interfere.”
“What? What did you just say, you greenhorn? You think I don’t know your Minister?”
The conversation was more interesting than I had expected.
“The Minister himself gave the direct orders.”
“When those clueless people upstairs issue bizarre directives, you’re supposed to inform us properly. Instead, you bring us such garbage proposals as they are?”
“That’s a bit too harsh.”
“Too harsh? Do you think I don’t know? You’re the ones who first leaked Vulcanus’s information to Japan.”
“Chairman!”
“And do you think we just accepted Japan’s demands? Do you want me to find out right now how many agreements you snuck in as payment for equipment supply?”
Woah.
Words I barely understood kept flowing out.
More than that, it meant they used me to extract concessions from Japan.
And on top of that, they tried to convince me with a ridiculous official price. Â
As expected, even matters of the country couldn’t be trusted.
If I had silently nodded at that official’s words, I would have become a pushover.
Well, even if I had nodded, Nam Bora would have stopped me.
“That’s your problem. When you have a goose that lays golden eggs, you need to treat it accordingly. Instead, you’re just thinking about using it. You’re even debating whether it’s okay to cut open its belly.”
“Go tell your Minister that immediately. I’ll be watching nearby. Bring back a proper proposal.”
It was hard to believe these words came from someone in the same country.
I thought she would fiercely rebut him, but surprisingly, she just nodded quietly and left the reception room.
“I’m ashamed of all this. Sorry. The world’s like this, and those old fools at the top still only think about their own profits and try to exploit the people.”
“No, but… are you okay with this?”
Even though it’s the Hunter Association, it’s still a government agency.
The Chairman is also a public official.
And yet, he spoke to another government official, even mentioning a Minister, like that.
More than grateful, I was curious about his actions.
But the Chairman just laughed off my concerns as if it was nothing.
“I meant exactly what I said. A goose that lays golden eggs. No, how could we just stand by watching someone stabbing a Hunter in the belly with a knife?”
‘A goose, huh.’
“Haha, it’s just a figure of speech. I’ve come to realize firmly through this incident that Vulcanus the Hunter is Korea’s greatest asset, even more than our team leader Han Yu-ra standing behind me here.”
Rank 1, Han Yu-ra.
Greater than her?
That sounded like an exaggeration, but Han Yu-ra simply nodded silently behind the Chairman. Â
“If anything like this happens again, I will intervene to the best of my ability. Please don’t dislike me too much for that.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m just doing what’s natural as the Chairman. Ah, and that person also only came under orders from that Minister, so if you want to blame someone, just blame that Minister.”
“Haha…”
Calling him ‘that Minister’—up to now, I had only seen him in official settings, always composed.
This must be the Chairman’s real personality.
Well, the Chairman in front of me was no ordinary official.
A first-generation Hunter who awakened when Gates first appeared, who personally tackled Gates and fought Monsters.
That was the Chairman’s true identity.
Having always fought Monsters, he couldn’t help but have a strong character.
“Speaking of which, could you make another thousand sets of the same equipment for our Association? The contract deposit can remain the same as before. No, I’ll even pay a little more.”
“A thousand sets is a bit…”
“Then please just a little. Since these are exclusive Association equipment, it will improve the Association’s image and make managing Hunters easier. Haha!”
As I continued talking with the Chairman, there was a knock.
Jeon Goeun, the Hunter Officer from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, entered the reception room.
“I apologize for my earlier rudeness.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“I’m here to show you the new contract details.”
This time, it wasn’t a phone but a tablet.
Inside was a proper contract, showing a deposit equal to the Hunter Association’s.
Though the deposit was the same, the materials were to be provided by the other side, making it effectively more profitable than the Association’s contract.
The Chairman seemed dissatisfied even with this, but it looked like those above had made considerable concessions.
There was even a clause stating that some byproducts from Monsters blocked using this equipment in Japan would be provided.
Nam Bora, watching silently from behind, nodded quietly.
No problem with the contract—it meant she was letting me handle it as I saw fit.
They had leaked my information to Japan, and at first tried to lowball me with absurd prices.
Though tempted to raise the price just out of spite. Â
“All right.”
No need to look like a pushover, but no need to create a bad image either.
I nodded and accepted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ proposal.
“We will produce and send the equipment within a week.”
“Thank you, Vulcanus Hunter…”
The contract with the government was finalized.  Â
***
“Ugh, this is tough.”Â
After finishing the possession ritual, back in my room.
I shook my head recalling the recent events.
Contracts, the Association, the government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Everything’s complicated.
How would I, a room-locked gamer, understand all these complex matters?
Honestly, if Nam Bora hadn’t been there,  if the Chairman hadn’t shown such an extremely friendly attitude toward me,  I don’t know what kind of loss I might have suffered from this contract. Â
Hammering alone was easier, but the scale is growing bigger and bigger, and the work feels more burdensome.
But.
“I have to do what needs to be done!”
This time too, I got through it somehow.
It was complicated, but in the end, I only had one job.
[Using Crafting Skill.]
All I had to do was swing the hammer.
[Please select the shape of the item to be crafted.]
Item shape.
I thought I could just make the same as before, but the basic equipment used by the Japanese side was quite different from Korea’s.
As Geomsu Seoksang had called it, ‘the king of all diseases,’ Koreans mainly preferred swords. Â
Japanese Hunters, however, preferred ‘do’ more than swords. Â
There were differences in armor as well.
Though I couldn’t do much about the acquired equipment, most of the standard equipment produced by blacksmiths looked different from Korea.
Like samurai armor from manga, perhaps?
Of course, it was further modernized and adapted for use in Gates.
“Then, let’s start with the weapon.”
[Please set the detailed shape of the ‘do.’]
Starting with the ‘do.’
[Please select the material of the ‘do.’]
Previously, I had used quite a bit of materials mined from the mines to make a thousand sets of equipment.
I was still at a reasonable level, but it was a little short to make another thousand sets.
So I needed new materials.
[‘Magic Stone’ has been transmitted.]
[‘Magic Stone’ has been transmitted.]
Fortunately, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent materials promptly.
I heard they sent them through the Hunter Association, and Japan would supply even more materials afterward.
And periodically, at that.
Anyway, I placed the transmitted materials as needed.
[Crafting has started.]
“Bang!” Â
I started crafting immediately.
I didn’t intend to make it perfect anyway.
What mattered now was quantity over quality.
It wasn’t equipment for Korea, but for Japan, so no need to make amazing items.
Just maintain the level of mass-produced equipment I sent to the Hunter Association.
[Crafting complete.]
[‘Japanese Medium-Grade Sword’ obtained.]
[Japanese Medium-Grade Sword]
Type: Do
Rank: SS
Requirement: Level 150 or higher
Description: Standard supply equipment produced by Vulcanus’s Forge.
Attack Power: 1,350
Abilities:
1. Sharpness – increases attack power and cutting ability.
2. Swiftness – increases attack speed.
3. Association – increases these abilities when wearing equipment bearing the ‘Association’ name.
4. Association – item stats increase in proportion to the number of ‘Association’ equipment nearby.
Only the name was different; the attack power and abilities were exactly the same as the equipment provided to the Association.
Actually, the attack power was slightly lower.
Not intentionally.
Because I focused more on speed this time, swinging the hammer faster than before.
“See? Let’s just make it like this.”
“Yes.”
I showed the crafted weapon to the Production Team.
They immediately began work.
I proceeded to craft other basic weapons and armor pieces, and the Production Team started mass-producing items upon seeing them.
A thousand sets.
Since one set consists of four pieces, that meant a total of 4,000 pieces of equipment to make.
“Let’s finish this quickly!”
I had done this before.
This time, I thought I could finish the work even faster than before.
***
“So that’s what the Chairman said?”
“Yes. As I mentioned, it was an unavoidable situation.”
“Shouldn’t have put some guy who can only follow orders in that position. Jeez.”
At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A familiar face entered the Minister’s office, the highest place there.
It was Jeon Goeun, the Ministry’s Hunter Officer.
“Why did you bring the Chairman along in the first place?”
“If it weren’t for the Chairman, we wouldn’t have been able to contact Vulcanus Hunter. It was the only way for now.”
“Can we find out Vulcanus’s true identity? That way, we wouldn’t have to go through all this trouble again.”
“He’s never revealed his identity once. All actions are carried out through the system and intermediaries, so it’s impossible to find out.”
“Then can’t we dig into the intermediary?”
“There doesn’t seem to have been direct contact with the intermediary either. We checked tailing records from other departments, but still couldn’t discover Vulcanus Hunter’s identity.”
She was talking with the Minister.
Or rather, reporting.
“Working for the country while hiding his identity and just looking for money. Greedy people. Tsk.”
The Minister clicked his tongue.
Even a famous blacksmith Hunter was still a normal person at heart.
If you pressured them using the government’s name, they’d nod out of fear.
But the Chairman ruined everything. Â
Since the alternative proposals were lame, they had to put unexpectedly large sums in the contract.
“When’s the contract deadline?”
“It specifies delivery within a week.”
“A week. A thousand sets in a week. So four thousand pieces of equipment, huh?”
“Yes.”
“Count the time precisely from the contract date. If there’s any delay, impose penalties immediately.”
“How much should we claim as a penalty?”
“As much as possible. If asked why, say the delay caused major contract issues with Japan. Also charge for the materials already sent.”
“That will incur Vulcanus Hunter’s resentment.”
“What does that matter? As a citizen of Korea, would he dare to go against his country?”
“Rankers being scouted and naturalizing in foreign countries is common too.”
“Before naturalization, we’ll hold him legally responsible and drag him back. He can’t leave. That way we can even put a leash on him.”
Jeon Goeun lowered her head.
She knew.
This wasn’t right.
But she was a public official.
Even though she had risen to the Hunter Officer position, she couldn’t object to the Minister’s words.
She quietly nodded and left.
Hoping the thousand sets would be finished within the week, she exited the Minister’s office.
“Knock knock.” Â
“Come in.”
Not even three days later, she came back to the Minister’s office.
“What is it?”
The Minister’s annoyed tone.
“Vulcanus Hunter has sent the equipment.”
She answered proudly.