Master Smith Under Ministry of National Defense

061 – Don’t Need Money

“What?! Huh?! What?!”

Arin, utterly baffled, stammered in a way that made it seem like her language skills had deteriorated.

Myung-jun, observing Arin’s perplexity.

“Although I’ve undergone a multi-language translation implant procedure, allowing me to understand most languages worldwide, you still need to speak in a comprehensible language for me to understand.”

“Ahem! I’m sorry. I mean, are you really saying you’ll give this to me? Really? With no conditions?”

“Well, there are no absolute conditions, but…”

“Sorry, but if it’s money you want, I don’t have it. I’ve already given all my winnings to my parents.”

“Did I look like I needed money to you?”

“So, what’s going on? Why are you making such a generous offer to a high school student like me? And it’s not just regular equipment, it’s an incredible piece of equipment. Is it some kind of temptation?”

Various thoughts swirled in her mind. However, she quickly dismissed the notion.

Myung-jun was not only known as the world’s strongest awakener and the leader of the world’s most prominent private awakener clan, “Liberal,” but he was also famous for the mysterious figure that always accompanied him. Arin had confidence in her looks, but she couldn’t imagine that Myung-jun, a man who left such a beautiful woman behind, would pursue her romantically.

‘Maybe he’s just a pervert who likes high school girls… No, it’s too obvious, and the relationship between them is so openly affectionate that can’t be it… So, what could it be? Why is he making such an extraordinary offer to an ordinary high school student like me?’

Amidst a whirlwind of thoughts, she managed to come up with a single hypothesis.

“Is it a condition for me to join the clan when I become an adult?”

However, Myung-jun shook his head when he saw the expression on her face.

“It’s not even that.”

“Then what is it? If there are no conditions, I could potentially take this drone and join another clan when I become an adult, right?”

Myung-jun replied, “Even if that’s your choice, Arin…”

“Feel free to speak your mind. I’m still young and listening to formal language from the leader of the Liberal Clan has been quite awkward.”

“Well, Arin, I won’t prevent you if you decide to join us. To be honest, I even thought, ‘Isn’t it a given that she’ll come to our clan once she becomes an adult, given this level of favor?’ I also thought, ‘Are they just handing over a relic-rank reconnaissance drone, which is unique to our clan, to a high school girl?'”

“It’s not something I’d take lightly. But why are you setting no restrictions? And why are you openly acknowledging that I have such thoughts?”

“I don’t know, Arin.”

Myung-jun leaned back, resting against the backrest, and spoke openly.

“Frankly, if it’s about a salary or conditions you want, it wouldn’t be that difficult for me to meet your requirements. If you’re interested in high-performance drones, you can join our clan right now with the drone right in front of you. We could even swiftly resolve the issue of non-awakener minors joining.”

“But what?”

“Not me, but I have a strong intuition that you wouldn’t want this.”

“Me?”

“I can tell just by looking into your eyes. You’re similar to me. You’re the type who dislikes being constrained or restricted if it’s not something you genuinely desire.”

At first, Myung-jun did consider the idea of offering her the drone as a condition to join the clan, similar to how awakenings were forcibly triggered by Myung-jun ability. However, as he looked into Arin’s eyes, he had a strong gut feeling that handling her in such a way was not the right approach.

Yet, when Arin heard about the “freedom” condition Myung-jun proposed, it bruised her ego.

“Just a moment. Are you saying that the Liberal Clan currently believes that I’m the only person capable of operating this drone, but you won’t let me join? Are you saying that my abilities don’t meet the standards of the Liberal Clan’s judgment?”

“Frankly, I didn’t even know who you were until today. I discovered you because of Senior Soo-jeong, the CTO of our clan. However, all of the core members of our clan are handpicked by Senior Soo-jeong, and I trust her judgment. So, it’s not that your abilities are insufficient for us, it’s just that I’m waiting for the moment when you decide to join.”

“If I have no intention of joining, will you take the drone back?”

“No, I’m just giving it to you.”

“Then let me make this promise beforehand. I absolutely won’t join the Liberal Clan.”

“Why is that?”

“Can I be honest with you?”

As Myung-jun nodded, she continued, “Although it’s true that the Liberal Clan is currently the strongest among awakener, it’s still just a private clan. Moreover, it operates as a commercial clan that handles all requests based on profit. I want to become more of a hero than the strongest awakener.”

“If you want to be a hero, are you talking about the Heroic Clan?”

The Heroic Clan that Myung-jun mentioned was a type of private clan that was the complete opposite of the Liberal Clan. The Heroic Clan didn’t just handle gate clearing, they used the substantial profits from gate clearing to help local residents and repair the damage done by gates. They were content with receiving hero treatment, celebrated by enthusiastic locals whenever they participated in gate clearing. To aspiring awakener, they were the ideal role models.

“Yes. Lately, there are many clans that travel around the world, clearing gates for free, just like the Heroic Clan.”

While watching Arin speak with an expression like she was dreaming, Myung-jun smiled bitterly. The Heroic Clan, which she considered ideal, was essentially just a mutated form of a commercial clan, deep down. Engaging in heroic activities required significant funds.

Each member’s plane ticket, hotel reservation, every single expense—it was all about money. Moreover, they often used equipment from the Liberal Clan, making the actual cost astronomical. All these expenses were covered by the corporate sponsors supporting them.

In the end, the main difference between different clans and their activities boiled down to whether they purchased equipment with the goods obtained from gate clearing or bought supplies for equipment from sponsors. Furthermore, Myung-jun knew well what awaited at the end of such heroic activities.

“Perhaps giving her an opportunity to see reality would be better.”

With that thought, Myung-jun took out a pair of small horn-rimmed glasses from his pocket and handed them to Arin.

“If you feel that way, you can take this drone and join the clan you desire. I won’t stop you.”

“Is this for real?”

“Yes, it is. I have two conditions, though.”

“What are the conditions?”

“The first condition is that you must come to the Liberal Clan headquarters at least once every three months to provide the drone’s flight data. In return, we will charge the crystal batteries for free.”

“I’m okay with that condition.”

“The second condition is that during a gate clearing mission, if you find yourself in a situation where you can’t retrieve the drone using your piloting skills, you promise to let us know about it.”

“During a gate clearing mission? But we can’t communicate with the outside during gate clearings, can we?”

“That’s the case with regular communication equipment. However, the communication equipment on this drone uses a separate network system based on crystal technology, so it allows limited communication. At most, when you press a button on the glasses, it will only display the entry coordinates of your current gate.”

“By the time you reach the gate entrance to retrieve the drone, I will already be dead. If it’s a situation where retrieval is deemed impossible, the pilot’s survival will be in question.”

“Right. Of course, by the time you’ve failed the gate clearing mission, the drone may not be in perfect condition either. Still, since we’re providing this valuable relic-rank equipment for free, we need to recover it, even if it’s in pieces.”

“That sounds reasonable. It’s actually a very generous offer.”

At that moment, as they were finalizing their agreement, Myung-jun’s earpiece received a communication from Soo-jeong.

Upon hearing the transmission, Myung-jun, who had been nodding in agreement, spoke to Arin with the happiest expression on his face.

“Wait a moment, there’s one more thing. This isn’t a condition, think of it as a kind of suggestion.”

“What is it?”

“Whenever and in whatever situation, if you ever feel like your dream-like life as a hero isn’t going as well as you thought, press the hidden button on the side here.”

Myung-jun pointed to the other side of the glasses, and Arin tilted her head.

“But I can’t see the button.”

“That’s because it’s a hidden button to avoid accidental pressing. If you insert your fingernail into this crevice and bend it, the plastic cover will break, and the button inside will pop out.”

“What happens when I press the button?”

However, Arin’s question was met with a genuinely bewildering response.

“I don’t know. I’m not the one who developed this. Our clan’s CTO, who proposed giving you the drone, requested this.”

“CTO? …You mean Han Soo-jeong?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Senior is listening to our entire conversation right now.”

“But without a camera… how…”

“It’s a kind of visual sharing feature, but it’s complicated to explain. In simple terms, within the allowed range set by the other person, you can share your field of view and voice as you please. You can see the designated clan member’s field of view as if it were your own, just like how you receive the drone’s view through the camera.”

At that moment, Arin recalled the image of Soo-jeong secretly watching explicit videos through Myung-jun’s perspective. Seeing her expression change, Myung-jun warned her in a low voice.

“Nothing like that will happen. I mentioned earlier that the person who shares the view has to allow it.”

“I didn’t even think about that!”

“Alright then.”

Myung-jun placed his personal business card on the table. It read, “Liberal Clan Leader, Cha Myung-jun,” along with Myung-jun’s personal contact information.

“Usually, when you call the contact on my business card, a Liberal Clan staff member will answer, but this card has my real personal contact information on it. If you ever change your mind or need help, feel free to reach out. Just keep in mind that very few people know this number, and if you give it out casually, I’ll block it immediately.”

“So…”

“Help is a phone call away. Think it over carefully and manage it wisely.”

As Arin gazed at the card, she finally realized the tremendous favor she had received without any conditions. Moreover, the fact that she had received an incredibly rare piece of equipment, which was one of a kind in the world, even though she might become a member of a competing clan. Overwhelmed by the unexpected proposal and filled with doubt, she felt genuinely embarrassed.

In the end, Arin grabbed Myung-jun’s sleeve as he was about to leave and, with a trembling voice, expressed her gratitude.

“Um… thank you very much. Please let Ms. Han Soo-jeong know that I’m sincerely grateful.”

In response, Myung-jun smiled and teased Arin.

“Well, you should tell her yourself.”

“Me?”

“In my opinion, even if you don’t feel like it right now, I’m pretty sure you’ll eventually join our clan.”

“I have no such intentions.”

“Not right now, maybe. Well, let’s see. For today, though, it’s time to go. You’ll get the drone anyway. There’s nothing else to see here, right? You probably want to go and test the new drone’s performance.”

Listening to Myung-jun’s words, which felt as if he was reading her thoughts, Arin nodded her head enthusiastically.

“Yes! Yes!”

“Then go and have fun with it. It’s like a super high-spec toy, so be careful and enjoy it.”

With that, Myung-jun handed the drone to Arin as if he were passing a toy to a child, then headed upstairs.

In response to Myung-jun’s actions, Arin, who was overwhelmed by the dream-like situation and felt dazed, was left alone.

Holding the relic-rank drone, which could potentially fetch tens or hundreds of billions of won if auctioned now, she jumped out of the clan building as if she were a mad person.

Arin’s first encounter with Myung-jun after he handed over the relic-rank drone was about a week later. She had become a national sensation as a high school awakener hero in Korea, despite being an ordinary non-awakener person at the time she received the drone. The story revolved around her single-handedly clearing the most challenging “Survival” gate, even challenging veteran hunters. Using the drone to locate the positions of monsters, she picked the safest routes and explained that as long as she could buy time, clearing the gate wasn’t particularly difficult since it was essentially a survival game.

Myung-jun, splattering coffee on his monitor upon hearing this absurd interview, turned to Soo-jeong and asked, “Isn’t this insane?”

“Why? Theoretically, it’s possible, isn’t it?”

“Theoretically possible means it’s practically impossible. If it’s a survival-type gate, even the lowest-level rank 1 monsters fill the horizon. Moreover, each of those monsters is faster than most sports cars. No matter how great the drone is, surviving on foot is…”

“You think I’m crazy? I, on the other hand, like it more.”

“If you like it, you won’t like the next article. It says the crazy kid that Senior likes is going to Europe.”

“Europe, huh…”

“ServiHum Clan.”

The clan that Myung-jun mentioned, ServiHum Clan, was the largest private heroic clan in the EU, based in Paris, France. Their name was derived from Latin, “Servium Humanitatis,” meaning “Serving Humanity.” They took on gate conquests on behalf of militarily weaker nations worldwide, portraying themselves as saviors.

“Weren’t they sponsored by Hermes at least?”

“Maybe Renault was also a sponsor.”

“At the very least, she won’t have to worry about luxury brands and cars. An 18-year-old high school student entering the hero clan that saves the world. She could make a lifelong living just from advertising fees.”

Even though he heard Soo-jeong’s words, Myung-jun only smiled mysteriously. If Arin’s goal had been money, she would have joined the Liberal Clan immediately. He felt like he understood what she truly wanted.

“Maybe it’s not a façade but a genuine desire to save someone.”

In that sense, she had chosen the wrong clan to join. Because what was essential was the “power” to save lives, not just the “heart” to save them. And the current ServiHum Clan, in Myung-jun’s view, was lacking in that power.

“At any rate, let’s do our best in our respective positions. Until the day she decides to come to us herself.”

With a sense of composure, Myung-jun continued reading the news.

Apart from the news about the high school student who became an awakener at the age of 18, there were several other matters that Myung-jun needed to pay attention to. Myung-jun soon found the article he had been searching for:

“The Largest Gate Overflow Ever Recorded in Amazon, Brazil Government Fails to Respond.”

This article discussed the increasing difficulty in handling the overflow of unexplored gates, which was becoming a challenge that humanity’s awakener beings alone couldn’t effectively manage.

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