ALL NOVEL Chapter 33 - Pushy Beggar (3)
Chapter 33 – Pushy Beggar (3)
Tutoon briefly came to mind, but the atmosphere between the fierce-looking executive, who gave off the vibe of a loan shark, and Tutoon was vastly different.
Sunal spoke up next.
“Hello. We’re from the Interethnic Grievance Resolution Special Unit.”
Lee Rang also showed his official ID.
“Yes. I’ve been informed.”
The executive smiled gently.
Not deceived by that smile, Sunal asked, “I’d like to know what kind of notice you received.”
“I heard that we made a mistake. They said that two team members would be coming to resolve the issue soon. Your team leader, I believe.”
As expected, Edina’s influence had worked powerfully.
Reading the atmosphere the executive exuded, Sunal spoke firmly, determined not to lose the upper hand.
“Executive, we won’t take much of your time. The matter at hand is quite clear.”
“Please, have a seat.”
The executive offered them seats politely.
Once Sunal and Lee Rang were seated, the executive began speaking.
“Agent Sindel is someone with a lot of enthusiasm. But it seems that enthusiasm went a little too far, enough that it required your visit here. I sincerely apologize for that…”
“It seems the executive believes that this incident was simply a result of Sindel’s overenthusiasm.”
At Sunal’s words, the executive averted his gaze from Sunal and looked at Lee Rang instead.
“You’re from the Goblin race, aren’t you?”
“That’s correct.”
“Then you might understand a bit. Goblins are known to be highly empathetic, right? You understand what it means when someone says their enthusiasm was excessive, don’t you? Your race is renowned for being one of the most enthusiastic when it comes to human relations.”
“……”
Lee Rang was momentarily shaken by those words.
It felt like a borderline discriminatory comment, though not explicitly so, and he pressed his lips together quietly.
Suppressing his discomfort, Lee Rang forced a smile.
“Not everyone is like that. Myself included. I’m not sure if this situation can be summed up merely as ‘excessive enthusiasm,’ as Sunal mentioned.”
“Oh, I apologize. I just wanted to lighten the mood because both of you seemed a bit too tense.”
The executive smiled lightly, expressing his regret.
He then raised his hand to gesture at himself.
“I’m a Slime, after all. I know better than anyone what discrimination feels like. I’m sure the two of you understand how this country treats the Slime race.”
“May I ask you something? Are you aware of how this situation has escalated?”
Sunal was intensely curious about the executive’s intentions.
It was still too early to be certain where he stood.
“Of course. If I didn’t know, I wouldn’t have the right to be here, would I?”
“So, you made those comments knowing full well about the situation?”
“Do you consider this part of cooperation as well?”
The corners of the executive’s lips subtly lifted, and Sunal smiled lightly in return.
“Oh, I haven’t mentioned it yet. I kindly ask for your cooperation, Executive.”
“Your attitude seems a bit high-handed, doesn’t it?”
“How could that be? We’re just carrying out our official duties. Is there something about my demeanor that bothers you?”
“Well, right now…”
“We’ve come here all the way from the construction site, haven’t we? Given the slow progress on resolving the grievance, we’re just a little on edge. I hope you can understand, Executive.”
As the tension between Sunal and the executive intensified, Lee Rang intervened, simultaneously releasing a calming floral scent.
Though Lee Rang also found the executive displeasing, Sunal was fearless—too fearless. He naturally spouted words as if he were picking a fight.
‘Sunal, I didn’t think you were like this, but you’re just a ticking time bomb, aren’t you?’
Lee Rang finally understood why Edina had sent him and what his role in this was.
‘Right. Stopping this is part of teamwork too. Good thing I brought plenty of calming herbs.’
Lee Rang was prepared to use all the herbs he had if necessary to calm Sunal down.
“Ah, I understand. The conversation almost veered off track for a moment.”
The executive inhaled the floral scent and took a step back.
However, Sunal quickly sharpened his tone, pressing the executive again. Regardless of the calming scent, Sunal repelled Lee Rang’s mana with his own, freeing himself from the calming effects.
Now was the time to be more alert.
“No, it didn’t veer off. You might be thinking we’ve come to mess up your construction business like some meddling eels.”
Unlike the composed Sunal, Lee Rang’s mouth fell slightly open, and his hand fumbled towards the pocket containing the herbs.
“I hope you understand that I’m cooperating right now, Mr. Sunal.”
As the executive’s eyebrows twitched and he let out a long breath, Sunal finally flashed a wide smile.
“That’s a relief. I’m glad you don’t think of us as meddlesome eels. I thought you might have called us here just to issue a warning, like Sindel. Who do you think Sindel learned from, anyway?”
“No, that’s not…”
“Good. As I said earlier, we won’t take up much of your time.”
Not an enemy, you say? Then keep your word.
Sunal pushed forward as he spoke.
“Agent Sindel violated the Interethnic Discrimination Prohibition Act.”
“Are you prepared to take responsibility for those words…?”
“Not only violated, but I also confirmed that such discrimination has become commonplace at the construction site. This can be easily verified by checking the CCTV footage from the site.”
Now that the situation had shifted in their favor, Sunal boldly planted his flag, aiming to seize control.
“And in case you’re thinking of ordering someone to destroy the CCTV footage, let me assure you, it won’t work. I’m a wizard, after all.”
Sunal revealed his red earring, his eyes glinting, and the executive’s fingertips trembled.
“Your reporting system doesn’t seem very efficient. I was kind enough to even mention this to Agent Sindel myself.”
*Crackle.*
A faint sound of sparks flickering somewhere reached Sunal’s ears.
Sunal pushed his glasses up with his middle finger.
“If you’re thinking about filming Lee Rang and me and then cutting and editing the footage to spread around, I suggest you don’t.”
Sunal had known from the moment they walked in.
This wasn’t an ordinary office—it was unnaturally overflowing with mana.
In warfare, brute force might be important, but in today’s age, image was far more critical.
Ruining someone’s image was simple. All you had to do was craft convincing rumors, often referred to as *“chira-shi”* (fabricated reports).
“I did mention that I’m a wizard, didn’t I?”
Even if this place was metaphorically the executive’s stomach, Sunal had neutralized all electronic devices the moment he entered.
Except for the body cams.
Why did no one take his warnings seriously? And why did everyone seem to underestimate a government mage?
“Since the Interethnic Discrimination Prohibition Act was established, there probably haven’t been many cases where such large companies have secretly caused problems behind the scenes. Things are going to get noisy for a while.”
With their weapons rendered useless, the executive faltered, but Sunal continued to speak, sharp as a blade in a dance.
“Logically speaking, there’s no way an agent could pull off all this on their own. This problem has gotten too big to solve by just cutting off one agent. How far are you willing to cut, Executive?”
Sunal slowly tapped his finger on his knee.
“Wouldn’t you call this blackmail?”
The executive smiled, maintaining a sense of composure.
But Sunal could see through him—the man was trembling. The gleam on his skin had faded.
“Then I’ll politely request your cooperation in resolving this matter.”
“My apologies.”
At that moment, Lee Rang interrupted both Sunal and the executive, raising his phone as he asked for a moment.
“Oh, you’re contacting the team leader?” Sunal asked with a smile, and Lee Rang nodded, immediately calling Edina.
“Team Leader, could you send us the footage from the body cam? The one around 11:30.”
Sunal checked his wristwatch and added, “Yes, around 11:30. My footage.”
“Yes, Team Leader. The footage around 11:30, from Sunal’s camera,” Lee Rang repeated as he spoke into the phone.
Only then did Sunal turn his head back to the executive.
“It seems various instances of discrimination at the construction site were unintentionally captured by my body cam. I’m wondering what to do with it. What do you think, Executive?”
“I don’t understand why you’re all being so sharp with your words,” the executive said, detaching himself from the backrest and leaning slightly forward.
His gaze softened.
“I truly regret that this incident happened. I’m fully willing to cooperate. Of course, if necessary, I’m ready to offer support as well.”
Let’s end this here.
That’s what Sunal heard in the executive’s tone.
He clicked his tongue internally.
‘Too late.’
The executive was confident now.
Even if this incident leaked, he’d be fine. It would be troublesome due to the noise it would cause, but cutting ties here and there wouldn’t hurt him much.
Had word already spread that their grievance team was notoriously tough in this area? How did they respond so quickly?
‘No, that’s not it. It’s probably because it was all a disposable game piece from the start. Maybe they were prepared at just the right level for use from the beginning.’
The image of Sindel, confidently chewing his gum, vividly flashed in Sunal’s mind, almost making him laugh.
“Are you saying you’ll provide cooperation and support no matter what the investigation reveals?”
Sunal didn’t forget to probe further.
Promises like this didn’t come easily, so you had to take what you could get.
“Of course.”
“That’s great.”
Sunal pulled out some paperwork from his bag.
“From now on, Hanul Construction will enter a ‘warning’ phase. This document states that we can enter any of your construction sites without prior notice, and you agree to this.”
Talk was cheap. Anyone could say anything.
Now, Sunal had to make sure it was all put down on paper.
While the executive was reading through the documents, Lee Rang took advantage of the moment of silence and, while pretending to make a call, secretly sent a quick message to Edina.
*[The tension is no joke here. It’s chilling. The standoff between the executive and Sunal is intense.]*
*[Team Leader Edina: That’s why your role is super important, Lee Rang. This is what teamwork is all about, right?]*
*[My social anxiety is acting up. I feel like I’m going to die.]*
*[Team Leader Edina: Then you must be thrilled today, huh?]*
*[…Aren’t you the one who’s thrilled, Team Leader?]*
The moment the executive pulled a pen from his pocket, Lee Rang hurriedly put down his phone.
“I’ll make sure to fire Agent Sindel, right here and now. I believe it’s a necessary step for the sake of all those who’ve suffered discrimination under him.”
“Thank you.”
*Sigh,* Sunal thought to himself. They were going to fire him anyway.
Though it was irritating to have to express gratitude for such an obvious move, Sunal watched the executive sign the papers and subtly spoke up.
“Since you’re being so cooperative, there’s something I must tell you.”
The executive’s gaze lifted, and Lee Rang, sensing the tension, prepared himself to release the calming floral scent at any moment, clutching the herb that acted as a medium.
“Are you aware that there’s a serious issue at the construction site under Agent Sindel’s supervision?”
“…A serious issue?”
The executive, who had been about to sign, stopped midway. What could be more serious than the issue of interethnic discrimination?
“Sindel is so skilled that he broke the Interethnic Discrimination Prohibition Act and other regulations just to boost construction efficiency. So much so that he may not even notice if something’s missing in the middle of the building.”
Despite the sarcasm dripping from Sunal’s words, the executive was only focused on the content of what was being said. Given that the person speaking so brazenly had no fear of him, he knew the information couldn’t be a lie.
“Go ahead, tell me.”
“After you sign. I’ll tell you then.”
*Scratch, scratch.*
The executive handed the signed paper to Sunal.
“In a bit of a rush, aren’t we?”
“Isn’t it obvious, given that I’m here?”
“Well, fine. I don’t want to leave things on bad terms with you either, Executive.”
After putting the document in his bag, Sunal spoke up.
“I’m not an expert, so I don’t know the technical terms, but the construction needs to be halted. Right now, they’re holding up a collapsed framework with magic to forcefully continue the project. It’s only a matter of time before someone gets hurt.”
“…Hah.”
The executive’s form briefly wavered. It seemed like maintaining his physical shape was becoming difficult due to the emotional turmoil.
Anger filled his eyes.
“It will definitely collapse.”
Sunal’s words, like a curse, flowed out smoothly.
The executive rubbed his mouth, narrowing his eyes.
The earlier issue was one thing, but this new problem was far more critical. Was Sindel really stabbing him in the back? How much money had he siphoned off?
“I’ll go back and reinforce the magic to buy you some time. But you must halt construction. The structure won’t last more than three days.”
Although he could extend the time, Sunal didn’t feel like putting in the extra effort.
“…Thank you.”
The pen in the executive’s hand slowly melted, likely a result of the Slime race’s secretion, similar to digestive fluid.
It was proof of how furious and shocked he was.
“Well, I’ll take my leave now.”
Having achieved his goal, Sunal stood up without hesitation.
“Goodbye.”
Lee Rang, eager to leave more than anyone, bowed to the executive and was the first to step outside.
As exhaustion washed over him, Sunal turned around to leave but briefly glanced out the window, admiring the clouds slowly drifting by.
“Executive, maybe it’s just my imagination, but I didn’t see any Slime race members on that site. Was this your personal will at play?”
“No one hates discrimination more than I do. That much is truly genuine.”
The executive placed the pen down and stood up from his seat. Perhaps because Sunal had just helped him, his tone had softened slightly.
“One Slime suffering from discrimination is enough—me.”
“Goodbye.”
“Take care. I won’t forget your help.”
As Sunal walked toward the door, he listened to the executive’s words.
‘He says he hates discrimination, but only when it comes to his own Slime race.’
Sunal smirked as he grasped the door handle.
‘What nonsense.’
Favoring only a particular race was just another form of discrimination, and as demonstrated today, discrimination inevitably breeds more discrimination.
It was all nonsense.
* * *
“…Sunal.”
As soon as Sunal appeared, Curzman rushed over to him.
“You really waited for me?”
“Yes, I did.”
“What kind of outcome are you hoping for?”
“Regardless of what I hope for, who knows if it’ll come to pass?”
“Well then, if you don’t get the result you want three days from now, come find me. I have a gift for you.”
Sunal had taken out some insurance, just in case.
If there was a reporter bold enough to confront Hanul Construction, he figured Curzman might be trustworthy.
“See you then.”
Sunal gave a small nod and followed Lee Rang, who was already hailing a taxi.
Now, it was time to go after that arrogant Skeleton.