Chapter 95 - Knock, Knock. It's the National Intelligence Service.

The past few days had been a blur. Time had flown by so fast I could barely remember what I'd done or when. No wonder.

Naturalization offers had poured in from several more countries after the United States and Russia, which had kept me busy. But the biggest reason was that my training had increased to a ridiculous degree compared to before.

Not long ago, Rokan had put me through such intense training that I'd nearly died. Afterward, he'd made the chilling remark, "Looks like I can push you this hard." He hadn't been kidding. For the past few days, he'd trained me relentlessly at about the same intensity. If he hadn't healed me with magic each time, I could easily have ended up in an intensive care unit by now.

I'd worried I'd have to keep up that level of training, but thankfully I got to rest today. Tomorrow was my first time entering an S-rank gate, so Rokan had given me the day off to make sure I was in good condition.

'Come to think of it.' Just how awful would an S-rank gate be? I'd heard plenty of rumors. Supposedly it was on an entirely different level from an A-rank gate. I'd found the rank simulation test difficult enough; thinking this would be even harder was already giving me a headache.

But I'd worry about tomorrow when it came. Today, I'd do nothing and get some proper rest. Worrying wouldn't change anything. I sprawled across my bed like a sloth and relaxed. All the fatigue I'd built up left me pleasantly drowsy. Just as I was starting to drift off, my phone rang.

"Who'd be calling me...?" I was on the verge of falling asleep, so I'd be seriously annoyed if it was a spam call. The number wasn't Sia's or Rokan's. I'd never seen it before. It didn't look like spam, but between the unfamiliar number and my fuzzy head, I decided not to answer. If it was urgent, they could text me.

But just as I'd silenced the ringtone and was about to go back to sleep, the same number called again the instant the first call ended. I didn't know how urgent it was, but they seemed ready to keep calling until I picked up. I had no choice but to answer. This had better be important.

"Hello?"

["Good day, Hunter Yoon Minjun. This is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea."]

"... What?"

The words "Ministry of Foreign Affairs" snapped me wide awake. At the same time, I wondered if it might be a phone scam. A few years ago, I'd received a similar call. Someone claiming to be a prosecutor from some branch office asked if I knew my bank account had been used as a mule account. It was such a textbook scam that I lied and said I knew, just to mess with him, then hung up.

I was wondering how to mess with this caller before hanging up if they gave themselves away as scammers, when they said, ["You've recently received special naturalization offers for hunters from the United States, Russia, France, the United Kingdom, Brazil, China, and several other countries, correct?"] The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I'd told Sia, Rokan, and my family that several countries had made me offers, but apart from the United States and Russia, I hadn't told anyone which ones. That meant this wasn't a prank call.

"Yes, that's... right?" Though I was more than a little startled, I steadied my voice and answered calmly.

["We're calling to confirm the facts. The National Intelligence Service, which handles this matter, will contact you shortly."]

"What? Why?"

Hearing "Ministry of Foreign Affairs" had merely left me bewildered. But at the mention of the National Intelligence Service, I couldn't help feeling a jolt of fear, even though I hadn't done anything wrong.

["You'll find out the details soon."]

The call ended without my learning what they wanted. Less than a minute later, the National Intelligence Service called.

["Hunter Yoon Minjun, this is the National Intelligence Service."]

The voice was so commanding I could feel it through the phone. Goose bumps sprang up all over me. But that only lasted until I heard what came next.

["We've learned that you've recently received naturalization offers from several countries. I'm calling to ask whether you've made any decisions."]

Something about the voice on the other end, its tone and manner, gave me a sudden realization. Ah, they'd called to sound me out. The NIS had probably learned that I'd received the offers, but they couldn't know what I thought of them. If I had to guess, they probably assumed I was considering them seriously. I was young, and I'd gone from an unremarkable D-rank hunter to an A-rank hunter in a short time. To an outsider who knew nothing about me, it might seem obvious I'd take an opportunity to gain wealth and fame. Of course, they'd be wrong.

Hmm. I wasn't particularly fixated on money or fame right now, nor did I have much need for either. Still, I was curious what they'd offer to persuade me. If they'd contacted me openly instead of investigating in secret, they must be planning to win me over directly. For now, I'd pretend I was interested in naturalizing and see how they reacted.

"I'm still thinking it over," I said vaguely. Maybe that was a little too vague. "The terms are better than I expected." A brief, awkward silence followed.

["... I see."]

"But what prompted your call?" I played innocent, testing the NIS agent on the other end.

["We contacted you because we'd like to hear the honest thoughts of hunters who've received naturalization offers."]

So I was right. They had called to sound me out.

["If you have time, we'd like to speak with you in person somewhere convenient for you. When would work?"]

What should I do? I briefly debated whether to meet them, then decided I had nothing to lose. I wanted to hear what they had in mind, too.

"Would six thirty today work?" It was my day off, and I figured I'd just meet them somewhere near home for a bit.

["Yes, that works."]

"See you then. I'll send you the address."

After hanging up, I sent them the address of a café near my house.

'I wonder what they'll say to me.' I didn't know exactly what they'd bring up, but one thing was certain: they'd try to tempt me with some offer to make me abandon any thought of naturalizing. Whatever it was, I'd have the pleasant problem of deciding what I might get out of it. There was plenty of time before our meeting, so for now, I went to sleep.

* * *

When I woke from my nap and checked the time, I had about thirty minutes until our meeting. Luckily, the café was barely a five-minute walk from home. Otherwise, I'd have nearly rushed out with my hair sticking up. I had plenty of time, and the long nap had washed away my fatigue. I quickly got ready and walked to the café.

Even though I'd spoken to them on the phone and I was the one with the upper hand, meeting NIS agents in person still made me a little nervous. Most people hardly ever had reason to meet anyone from the NIS. I went inside and looked around. In a corner sat a man and a woman who practically radiated NIS-agent energy. They were in casual clothes rather than suits, but somehow their commanding presence showed through anyway. As soon as our eyes met, they set down their drinks and came over.

"Are you Hunter Yoon Minjun?"

"Yes."

"Please understand that the nature of our work prevents us from introducing ourselves."

The male agent, whom I guessed I'd spoken to on the phone, dipped his head. The female agent gestured outside.

"This doesn't seem like a suitable place to talk, so we've reserved somewhere else. Do you like tuna?"

"Yes."

"Then please come with us. We'll take you there."

As NIS agents, they apparently weren't comfortable talking where other people could hear. I followed them to a tuna restaurant. It was quite upscale, the sort of place corporate executives or politicians might frequent. If the food was good, I'd bring Sia here sometime. She liked tuna.

"Talking business right away might spoil your appetite. Why don't we eat a little first, then take our time?"

They probably said that so I wouldn't feel pressured, but waiting for them to get to the point was more of an ordeal for me. Sitting face-to-face with strangers who also happened to be NIS agents was far more awkward and uncomfortable. So I got straight to it.

"I'm fine. Let's talk now."

I'd only said it because the atmosphere was awkward, but they seemed to take it differently. Something in their eyes shifted.

"If that's what you'd prefer."

One of the agents took a tablet from a bag and handed it to me. It had a presentation on it. None of the countries that had offered me naturalization had shown me a presentation, so I flipped through it, curious. It listed government programs that could support my career as a hunter.

"We've discussed all of these with the Hunter Association."

They seemed to be assuring me these weren't just empty promises. The food arrived before I could finish the presentation, but even halfway through, I could see plenty that other hunters would find appealing. Other hunters, that was. At least for me, the terms weren't all that attractive.

A few of the perks weren't bad. They'd help arrange regular matches with other famous hunters from around the world, for example, so we could get to know each other. Little benefits like that. On the other hand, some terms that might appeal to other hunters were useless to me. Free loans of S-rank equipment and artifacts were a prime example. The equipment and artifacts Sia had given me as gifts were probably better.

Still, taken as a whole, it was a decent offer. It wasn't as extravagant as what the other countries had offered, but it was something.

"I see." I nodded without much enthusiasm. They seemed to thoroughly misunderstand what I meant.

"Is there anything else you need?"

I'd only nodded to acknowledge what they'd shown me. Apparently, they'd taken it the wrong way.