LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 73
Chapter 73: Pre-Release Preparations
Inmates due for release are transferred to Cheonan Open Correctional Facility or other intermediate treatment facilities to undergo social adjustment training. However, this was only true for regular inmates.
Awakened Beings, with their special status, were managed separately, and therefore could not receive adjustment training alongside regular inmates. That’s why the Special Detention Center provided its own Adjustment Room for inmates nearing release to prepare for social reintegration.
“Did you hear? We’re headed to the Adjustment Room today!”
Lee Si-hyun spoke up. He was currently in Room 1. Normally, in the Special Ward, one should never barge into another’s cell like this. Awakened Beings could pose a significant threat even without weapons.
There was a rule that every inmate must be handcuffed when leaving their cell, and it wasn’t made for no reason. Still, Si-hyun didn’t seem to care about breaking the rule as he casually opened the door and walked in.
However, it didn’t look like there was any trouble brewing at all. The inmate in Room 1 was Lee Hae-chang.
He was kneeling, hands politely clasped, head bowed, and staring at the floor. He answered cautiously.
“Yes, I heard.”
“So, Hae-chang, before you head out, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Ah, yes. Please, go ahead. I’ll listen to every word.”
“But first… are you comfortable in that position? Doesn’t it hurt?”
“Yes, no, it’s perfectly fine. I’m completely comfortable. You don’t need to worry about it at all.”
Hae-chang urgently waved his hands.
“Well, if you say so….”
Si-hyun chuckled. He had never instructed anyone to adopt such a position, yet here Hae-chang was, crawling into it all on his own. If that was what he preferred, so be it.
Si-hyun continued, “The thing is….”
“Yes?”
“Start a guild.”
“A guild?”
Hae-chang looked utterly confused.
“A Hunter’s guild.”
“Ah… yes, yes?”
Nodding absentmindedly, Hae-chang suddenly realized what he was saying, his eyes widening.
“Wait, is there a problem?”
“Well, um… I don’t quite understand what you mean….”
“I want you to create a guild in your name. You should meet the qualifications, right?”
He had already checked if he met the requirements to form a guild. As long as one had a Hunter License, they could establish a guild regardless of rank.
One might worry about guilds springing up indiscriminately under such conditions, but that didn’t actually happen. Guilds created by E-rank or D-rank Hunters couldn’t survive in the market anyways. Who would join a guild like that?
Most guilds founded by C-rank Hunters were rather insignificant. The limited pie and the limited number of hunters meant that a small number of powerful guilds monopolized most of the profits. It was just like how a few large corporations dominated the market and took the majority of the profits.
And now he was being told to set up a guild out of the blue. Of course, Hae-chang was dumbfounded.
“Yes, yes… I qualify. But I’m sorry, I don’t have the establishment fee or… various other issues….”
“You don’t have the fee?”
“Yes… I regret to say that I do not. I have some debts….”
“Well, that’s surprising.”
The establishment fee was ten million won. Being a D-rank Hunter, it was expected he’d have that amount. Given the situation, this route seemed unfeasible.
Seeing Hae-chang’s face change to one of panic, he seemingly sensed Si-hyun’s displeasure.
“Huh… I-I’m so sorry! I’ll sell my organs if I have to; please forgive me!”
“No, no. That’s fine. I’ll transfer you the establishment fee later, so just give me your contact information.”
“No! Th-that’s absolutely not okay… I’ll manage somehow, so please don’t say that….”
“Come on, just give me your contact info.”
Si-hyun’s tone was firm, and Hae-chang flinched at the intensity. With a scared expression, he carefully recited his number.
Si-hyun jotted it down in his notebook.
“Alright. I’ll send you the fee, so don’t worry about it; just start the guild.”
“Yes, yes. Understood. But… what should we actually do with the guild?”
Hae-chang asked, glancing anxiously.
Si-hyun looked at him as if to say, “What kind of question is that?”
“Well, what do Hunter guilds do? We go on raids!”
“Yes? But I’m a D-rank….”
Hae-chang trailed off. Nobody would join a guild led by a D-rank Hunter. It wasn’t like he could raid all by himself either—such was the concern.
Si-hyun understood where he was coming from.
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep sending guild members your way.”
“Really? Really?”
“I’ll send them as soon as they’re released, so don’t worry. When they come in, you can raid together.”
“Y-yes…”
“Soon as they’re released?”
So, that meant he was talking about sending inmates from here to the guild? An ex-convict guild?
Hae-chang felt incredulous internally but couldn’t show it outwardly. All he could do was say yes.
“Oh, and.”
Si-hyun seemed to remember something.
“Yes?”
“Do not accept any regular Hunters into the guild. Only the ones I send.”
Regular Hunters were people outside his control. For perfect management of the guild, such individuals should not be involved. A guild made solely of inmates he had overseen—that was the plan Si-hyun envisioned.
There was no need to be the guild master. Even if Jang Hak-ki, who had recently been released, managed to get Hunter activities removed from the prohibition list, being the guild master raised entirely different issues.
No matter how one looked at it, it was unreasonable for an active civil servant to be the guild master. He doubted any such proposals would ever pass.
Of course, it didn’t matter to him.
Just being a guild member was enough. Even as a member, he could wield actual power in the guild and make things go his way.
“Understood.”
“Don’t stress too much. When you’re out, you’ll need to live somehow. Plus, it’s not a bad deal. Let’s be real—what guild would accept a Hunter wearing an electronic monitoring device?”
“….”
Hae-chang bowed his head deeply. That hit close to home.
“It’s not just about you, Hae-chang. Ex-convicts need to eat, too. Don’t you agree? So, set up a guild and raid to make a living.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll rehabilitate them all and send them out, so don’t worry. Plus, if the guild grows, the burden might be too much for you as guild leader, but you don’t have to be president forever. If someone more suited comes along when they’re released, just hand over the position.”
“Understood.”
“Great, I’ll reach out to you again after you’re released.”
Si-hyun stood up.
“Ah, um… Director Yoon.”
Hae-chang suddenly called out as a thought struck him.
“What is it?”
“What should we name the guild?”
“Ah, the guild name.”
Si-hyun pondered for a moment. There hadn’t been any set name. Yet it couldn’t just be any random choice. This guild could become a significant stepping stone in his life.
What name would fit?
As he thought, one name suddenly hit him.
“Hmm, let’s go with Yangji Guild.”
“Yangji Guild?”
“Since it’s coming out from the shadows after paying the price, it’s the Yangji Guild! What do you think? Is it good?”
“Of course, it’s great. Truly great! I love it. Let’s go with that!”
Hae-chang exclaimed excitedly.
“Sounds good. I’ll personally take you to the Adjustment Room later, so pack your things and get ready.”
Si-hyun closed the cell door and left.
From behind, Hae-chang’s voice echoed back.
“Yes, I’ll prepare right away!”
◈ ◈ ◈
It had been five months since I arrived at the Special Detention Center. The inmate order had been established early on, and things had gone smoothly since. Work was a breeze for the past five months.
He felt no stress from the job at all. It was as if he was on vacation in Ganghwa Island.
Feeling relaxed, he crafted various plans in the meantime. The idea of forming a guild composed of inmates had also surfaced during this period.
In the Special Ward, there were inmates of varying ranks. From E-rank at the very bottom to A-rank, which barely constituted 1%. Thinking about it, aside from being inmates and Awakened Beings, they had no common ground. No one could possibly exploit them.
But he alone could. He could unite them. He could create a collective out of them, and exploit it.
If he established a guild made of such individuals, it was certain he could build a considerable power that large guilds wouldn’t dare to overlook. Moreover, he could be the one in control. That was why he devised such a plan.
Power was good. It offered more opportunities than being alone in every aspect. It would even allow him to raid gates of much higher ranks, which was beyond his dreams.
Had there been such power when the threat of Black Cross emerged, his anxiety would have significantly decreased. Of course, that remained a distant thought for now. To work in a ward with B-rank and higher Hunters, he needed to build more trust with his superiors.
He also needed further experience from working in the Special Ward. Obviously, it wouldn’t be wise to assign a correctional officer with less than a year of experience to such an important location.
“I’ll aim to transfer to a ward with C-rank Hunters first.”
He heard from his fellow correctional officers that the time for duty changes was approaching. Although he had attracted attention by establishing order right away, there had been no issues in his work. No one had pointed out problems; they said everything was going smoothly.
Though it was impossible to be assigned to a division with higher ranked Hunters, he thought he might still get a placement with C-rank Hunters. He had worked hard to maintain a good impression on the head of the Security Department, trying not to give him any reason to criticize him. He figured he would subtly express his preferences for placements whenever there were any gatherings.
“Director Yoon.”
Just then, Director Yoon’s voice broke his train of thought. It seemed he had entered the Duty Room while Si-hyun was lost in contemplation.
“Yes.”
Si-hyun glanced at Director Yoon.
“Are you aware there’s a gathering for the Security Department today?”
“Oh… is it today? I had completely forgotten!”
Hearing Yoon’s words reminded him that he had overlooked the event.
“I thought I’d remind you in case you forgot,” Yoon said with a chuckle.
“Haha, yes, I appreciate it.”
Si-hyun smiled. This was perfect timing. Although it didn’t fit his personality, he decided he needed to muster the courage to sing and dance today. Maybe drink a little, too.
“Oh, and by the way, I don’t have a car, so could I hitch a ride with you to the gathering?”
Director Yoon mentioned, seemingly having brought up the gathering for that very reason.
“Of course.”
Si-hyun nodded with a smile.