Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant novel Chapter 73

Lee Wan-ik smiled warmly.

“A national superstar has graced our department first. Oh, by the way, I’ll be your evaluation officer, Suho. So, I’ll be counting on you.”

Lee extended his hand with a grin, and Suho shook it with a polite smile.

“Of course, I’ll be counting on you as well.”

“Team Leader Jeong, you can head out now. I’ve received the President’s instructions, and if we need anything, we’ll contact you.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll take my leave.”

With that, Jeong Cheol-min exited.

This didn’t mean Suho was left without guidance. Jeong’s role was as a general overseer, managing Suho’s overall progression. For each department, however, there were specific trainers responsible for his onboarding.

After Jeong’s departure, Lee picked up the phone and called someone. A few moments later, the door to his office opened.

“Ah, Officer Eom.”

“Yes, Director. I heard Suho was here, so I came right away.”

Officer Eom Jun-seong—he would be Suho’s direct supervisor in the Awakening Division.

Lee introduced him with a gesture.

“Allow me to introduce you. This is Officer Eom Jun-seong, who will be overseeing your time here in the Awakening Division.”

“I’m Ahn Suho. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Eom Jun-seong. Pleased to meet you.”

The two exchanged greetings before Lee continued, “I’ll leave the specifics to Officer Eom. I’ll see you again later.”

With that, Lee offered a casual goodbye.

*Well, that’s expected.*

As the evaluation officer, Lee wouldn’t personally handle Suho’s daily activities. In bureaucratic circles, such positions were typically reserved for higher-ups, while the actual work was delegated to subordinates.

Eom led Suho to a small meeting room. Sitting down, Eom spoke, “I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s a bit surreal to be working with someone so high-profile.”

“Haha, I’m not sure about that.”

Eom Jun-seong, like other officers below the rank of team leader, was addressed simply as "Officer" in Daehyeonhyup.

This might explain why Suho had no clear memory of Eom.

*Different departments, no direct overlap. No wonder.*

Eom chuckled at Suho’s modesty.

“Come now, someone like you is definitely a big deal. Anyway, don’t worry too much about the details. Just get a sense of what the Awakening Division does. Everyone already knows where you’ll end up, right?”

“Where I’ll end up?”

“Haha, no need to play coy. The rumors are all over the place.”

*Hmm.*

If even a departmental supervisor like Eom knew about this, Pi Seong-yeol must have been rather blatant in spreading it around.

Not that Suho minded. In fact, it worked in his favor. Having someone as influential as Pi build his reputation within the Association would only make things smoother.

*“Never thought I’d get the royal treatment.”*

In bureaucratic slang, "royal" referred to those who had strong connections with influential figures. Currently, Suho was undeniably "royalty."

Smiling at the thought, Suho nodded.

“Well, I’ll leave myself in your capable hands.”

“Haha, likewise. To start, here are the condensed manuals for our Awakening Division. Normally, there would be several thick volumes, but we trimmed it down for you.”

It was true. Manuals in departments like this were usually lengthy enough to fill entire bookshelves. However, Suho’s "royal" status had earned him a neatly summarized version.

As Suho flipped through the materials, Eom continued, “You probably know that our Awakening Division is divided into two main sections: Awakening Resources and Non-Awakening Resources. Beneath those, there are multiple teams.

“For your training, you’ll take a theory test based on the condensed manual, then complete one field training session in both sections. That’s all you need to pass your evaluation, so don’t stress too much. Here.”

Eom handed Suho additional printouts.

“Wow... you really went through that without hesitation. I’ll let you know the results by tomorrow at the latest. In the meantime, take a break before lunch, and this afternoon you can start your field training in either the Awakening Resources or Non-Awakening Resources section. You can choose which one you’d like to start with, so take your time deciding.”

“Understood.”

“Oh, do you know where the cafeteria is?”

“Yes, I do. And you don’t need to worry about me. I already have lunch plans.”

“Ah, I see.”

Eom wasn’t surprised or offended by Suho’s response. Someone like Suho having pre-arranged plans for lunch was expected.

Eom smiled and stood up. “Alright, then. I’ll see you this afternoon. Enjoy your lunch.”

“You too, Officer Eom. Have a good meal.”

After Eom left, Suho waited briefly before pulling out his phone to call Jeong Cheol-min. The call was answered almost immediately.