Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant-Chapter 359

The very next day, everything proceeded like clockwork.

Yamaguchi was in chaos trying to treat the wounded and identify the assailant, while Su-ho met with Vice Minister Miyamoto before noon.

Of course, they didn’t meet at the Paranormal Ability Agency—Su-ho had summoned him to Hiro’s mansion.

Soon enough, Miyamoto arrived at the executive floor, where Su-ho, disguised as Hiro, greeted him.

“Welcome.”

“What business do you have with me in broad daylight?”

“You said it yourself yesterday, Vice Minister. You told me to bring evidence—evidence strong enough to topple Yamaguchi from Sumiyoshi’s side.”

“Are you saying you already have it prepared?”

“Of course.”

Su-ho snapped his fingers.

At once, several attendants waiting in another room appeared, carrying multiple boxes.

Inside, the boxes were packed with neatly bound files. At Su-ho’s nod, Miyamoto began to examine their contents.

They were all Yamaguchi’s criminal ledgers, retrieved from Musashi’s vault.

Realizing what he was looking at, Miyamoto’s eyes went wide.

“Where did you get all this?”

“From the home of Chairman Takeda Musashi. At present, the Yamaguchi chairman is missing, though that hasn’t yet been made public.”

“What do you mean... don’t tell me you’re the one holding him?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Thanks to that, I was rather busy all night.”

“That’s absurd...!”

“Whether you believe it or not is your choice, Vice Minister. But paper doesn’t lie. Right now, I have all of Yamaguchi’s black ledgers. Among them you’ll find records not only of human trafficking but of drugs, items, and illicit magic stone trades—every line of business they’re in. With this much, surely you can mobilize the National Tax Service and the National Police Agency to take Yamaguchi apart, don’t you think? You won’t find another chance this good.”

“...”

Miyamoto fell silent.

But the most important issue still remained.

Before he could speak, Su-ho preempted him.

“Ah, I know exactly what concerns you. The reason Yamaguchi couldn’t be checked until now is because they’re a nationwide syndicate, isn’t it? You needn’t worry about that. Myself and all of Sumiyoshi will provide invisible support. For now, start by raiding Yamaguchi Headquarters, where the leader’s seat sits empty.”

A clean conclusion.

If Miyamoto still failed to seize the opportunity after the board had been set so neatly, he’d have no excuse but to be branded a fool.

Yet still, he hesitated to answer.

It was all proceeding far too smoothly—no, it was nearly a deus ex machina.

And with good reason: the opponent was none other than Yamaguchi.

They were a colossal syndicate with a century of history; one could say Japan’s restrictive policies on the yakuza had all been enacted because of the Yamaguchi-gumi.

And yet, here before him was a man dismantling Yamaguchi overnight.

Su-ho produced another set of documents.

“And these are Union’s finalized papers confirming their withdrawal from Japan. Furthermore, Sumiyoshi will prove once again that we remain a pure guild, with not a single share mixed with Union. I won’t take credit for it. All of this can be recorded as your achievement, Vice Minister. All I ask is that you keep your word.”

Perfect.

No angle to attack, no flaws to exploit.

And what he asked in return was hardly much.

No, not merely small—almost trivial.

In truth, considering both reputation and substance, there was no guild better than Sumiyoshi.

Their origins lay with the yakuza, yes, but the chairman personally raided as a Player, and their operations were conducted more transparently than anyone’s. From the Paranormal Ability Agency’s perspective, there was no reason to dislike them.

And yet... and yet a strange unease lingered, a wordless, instinctive resistance.

“...”

But Vice Minister Miyamoto could not refuse in the end.

The man before him had kept his promise and delivered in precisely the manner he preferred: through papers.

And so, after long hesitation, he could only nod.

For he was a man who dealt not in feelings, but in papers.

“Very well. So be it. And regarding Director Oota and Section Chief Nakamura...”

“I’ve already arranged everything to look like Yamaguchi’s doing.”

“...I see.”

“Then from here on, we’ll be striking Yamaguchi’s subordinate organizations. Please move quickly with the Tax Service and the Police Agency to raid Yamaguchi. Ah, and aside from that, I also ask your support for future gate bids. In particular, we’d like to handle as many Seal Gates as possible through Sumiyoshi.”

“...Understood. But what of the Yamaguchi chairman?”

“I’ll handle him however you wish. If you want him in prison, I’ll send him there. If you want him dead, I’ll kill him. But wouldn’t killing him be better? With a man like the Yamaguchi chairman, even if he’s thrown in jail, his influence inside and outside will be tremendous. Strong rallying points are better off dead.”

“Very well. Then keep him with Sumiyoshi for now, and we’ll deal with him later.”

“Understood. Any other questions or requests?”

“None for the moment. If I need anything, I’ll ask.”

“Then please take care on your way. I’ll send the relevant files wherever you designate.”

The negotiation was over.

Vice Minister Miyamoto left the mansion carrying several Yamaguchi ledgers and Union’s withdrawal papers. Only after he was completely gone did the real Hiro reveal himself.

“Miyamoto was completely at your mercy.”

“He may feel uneasy, but # Nоvеlight # he’ll find nothing to contest in theory. And he’s the sort who always chooses the lesser evil. If there’s no issue on paper, he’ll accept it no matter how uneasy he feels.”

Su-ho spoke matter-of-factly.

But unlike Su-ho’s calm tone, Hiro couldn’t help but feel awe at the way he handled matters.

To think I once dared call myself a genius when a man like this existed.

How shameful his past arrogance seemed now.

Perhaps that was why.

When Su-ho was still Vice President Kim Su-ho, Hiro had shamelessly asked for sparring matches. But now, knowing the truth, he couldn’t bring himself to so casually speak of guided sparring.

The man before him seemed like an entirely different being.

At that moment, Su-ho checked the time, then smiled faintly.

“Looks like all the urgent fires are out... so, since we’ve got some time, how about I give you a guided sparring session?”

“Wh-what?”

“Why so surprised? You said you were my fan. I’ve no need to hide my skills anymore, so I’ll teach you a few things. Last time I saw you, it looked like with just a little more instruction, your abilities would grow rapidly.”

“A-are you serious?”

“Of course. For now, I’ve borrowed your face for convenience, but soon you’ll need to stand at the forefront with the Agency at your back. For that, skill is essential.”

Su-ho spoke as though it were obvious.

He wasn’t saying it to flatter Hiro.

In his mind, since he intended to raise Sumiyoshi into Japan’s number one guild, it was only natural that Hiro should become Japan’s number one Player.

He sincerely hoped for it.

If Hiro grew, Su-ho’s worries and burdens would lessen accordingly.

But from Hiro’s perspective, Su-ho’s words struck deeply.

What might sound obvious to some was often left unsaid—or not even understood—by most people.

Overcome, Hiro was momentarily speechless before finally making up his mind.

With a resolute voice, he said:

“Su-ho-nim.”

“Yes?”

“If you allow it, may I... no, may I serve you as my teacher?”

“...What?”

“Please, grant me this. As one who walks the path of the sword, I have seen your caliber and sincerity through this affair. And I have already received profound lessons from you. I ask for nothing more—no recognition, no publicity. Even unofficially is fine. Please, allow me to serve you as my teacher.”

“...Well...”

Hiro was utterly serious.

Which was why Su-ho scratched his head, caught off guard by such an unexpected turn.

But thinking it over, there was no real downside.

If the representative of Japan’s strongest guild and Japan’s strongest Player became his disciple, then his future activities in Japan would become as convenient as using Union itself.

And, knowing what kind of man Hiro truly was from his past life, Su-ho decided to agree.

“Alright, let’s do that. But there are a few conditions to being my disciple.”

“What are they?”

“First, I don’t use honorifics with my disciples.”

“Oh, that’s only natural. Please speak to me however you like.”

“Good. Then let’s leave it at that. But there’s something else you should know.”

“What is it?”

“I’m stricter than you think. Sometimes I’ll make you do things you won’t understand. Can you handle that?”

“That’s fine. How could a mere mortal hope to grasp a genius’s will? I won’t mind at all.”

“Good. Lastly, unless there’s a special reason, I’ve no intention of taking an official disciple. Things like that only cause trouble if they get out. Since you said unofficial is fine, if you agree to this, I’ll recognize you as my disciple.”

“Of course. Teacher! Official, unofficial, what does it matter? What matters is the heart!”

“Right. That’s enough, then.”

“Thank you, Teacher!”

“Good. Now get ready in the training hall. I’ve had to restrain myself, acting modest all this time, but since we’re bound as teacher and disciple now, I’ll teach you properly.”

“Truly?!”

“Of course. Go on, get ready.”

“Yes, Teacher!”

Thus, their master-disciple relationship was formally sealed.

Overjoyed like a child, Hiro ran off to the training hall.

Watching him, Su-ho couldn’t help but let out a faint chuckle.

*

“Well done!”

The guided sparring was over.

Indeed, without holding back and giving immediate feedback, Hiro’s learning was rapid.

Since Su-ho would be staying in Japan for a few days, he planned to raise Hiro’s level as much as possible during that time.

Unlike Hiro, who was drenched in sweat, Su-ho hadn’t shed a single drop as he set down his wooden sword.

“When the Vice Minister contacts you, send him the files, and keep the others on standby for deployment at any moment.”

“Where are you going?”

“There’s someone I need to see personally before the work begins.”

“May I ask who?”

“No. It’s personal. As for Yamaguchi, start from Tokyo and work your way toward Kobe. Assess their strength accordingly.”

“Yes, understood.”

With that, Su-ho left the mansion.

Then, entering the Subspace House, he addressed Musashi, who sat blank-faced in wait.

“Musashi.”

“Yes.”

“All of Japan’s top four Players belong to Yamaguchi, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Then that includes Suzuki Endo, the current number three?”

“Yes, it does.”

“Where is he now?”

A personal matter.

It was time to finally put an end to an old, bitter entanglement.