Returnee's S-Rank Management Guide

The Manager Who Returned (2)

Three years ago, I got caught up in an incident.

The "rift incident" that occurred in an E-rank dungeon I thought was nothing special.

A phenomenon where a gate appears inside the dungeon.

And, of all people, I was the first to notice it.

I urged everyone to evacuate quickly, but my warnings were easily dismissed.

At that time, my position was lowly—just a rookie manager.

No one bothered to listen to me, and each person tried to shift responsibility and sneak off.

Turning a blind eye to a catastrophe that could kill countless people.

'This industry is rotten.'

Hunters, who were supposed to be saving people, and guilds, too—they were the first to run away.

When I was young, hunters who defeated monsters were the idols of everyone.

Even though a lot had changed since then, I believed the essence of saving people had not been corrupted.

But that belief was shaken entirely.

If things had wrapped up as they were, I would have left this field forever.

"Are you the manager who discovered the rift?"

By chance, there was an S-rank Hunter on site.

The great mage, Shin Ah-yeon.

If she hadn't reached out her hand to me.

***

"Phew."

I steadied my breath and looked up at the rather large mansion.

Indeed, it was the house of Shin Ah-yeon, who once made a name for herself as an S-rank Hunter.

'Everything's fine, but...'

I pulled out my smartphone from my suit pocket.

On my phone, the log of calls and messages exchanged today was listed.

To sum up, it was just the records of our conversation about today's promised meeting.

At first, she was curious, but the day of the meeting arrived and she suddenly became silent.

I had come all the way to Shin Ah-yeon's mansion, but even when I called, she didn't answer.

"In that case..."

Unlike the me from three years ago, the person who had been "over there" wasn't rattled by this level of pushback.

I had already considered how Shin Ah-yeon would act.

Why she had ended up like this, and how to resolve it.

Because I was no longer just a low-level manager like three years ago.

Ding dong, ding dong.

"Shin Ah-yeon. I know you're in there."

I pressed the doorbell and shouted.

Had this been an apartment, this would have been a nuisance, but at least it was her mansion.

A rather sophisticated house, befitting a former S-rank Hunter.

But considering Shin Ah-yeon's current circumstances, even maintaining it must be quite difficult.

"I mean, you asked to meet but then lock yourself away—what's the reason for that?"

As I spoke into the intercom, a groan came from the other side.

It sounded like she was hesitating, unsure what to say.

'Is this the aftermath of three years of self-reflection?'

Thinking of the Shin Ah-yeon I used to know, this was utterly unimaginable.

'But I can't just turn back like this.'

If that were the case, I wouldn't have come all the way here.

"Shin Ah-yeon!"

As I kept pressing the doorbell, at last Shin Ah-yeon spoke, unable to bear it anymore.

【Ah, okay. ... Just a moment.】

After saying that, Shin Ah-yeon steadied her breathing and spoke in a slow tone.

【Um, first of all—you really are Park Jung-woo, right?】

"Yes, I am. As I said on the phone."

【But how on earth did you survive the rift...?】

Shin Ah-yeon sounded completely incredulous.

Well, that was to be expected.

I was the only one who had ever survived and returned from a rift.

"Well, a lot happened."

【A lot happened...?】

"Anyway, come out already. We're already thirty minutes past the appointed time."

When I said this, checking my watch, I could feel Shin Ah-yeon's hesitation through the intercom.

【Why... do you want to meet me that badly?】

A halting, subdued voice.

At least it wasn't the absolute worst kind of voice. Given Shin Ah-yeon's situation, it would've been natural for her to be in despair.

That meant there was still time—still an opportunity.

"Rather, why are you avoiding me? Yesterday you said let's meet."

【Yesterday, for a second, I thought maybe it was real...】

"Excuse me?"

【If you really are Park Jung-woo, I just wanted to know how you survived the rift.】

Reasonable enough. Someone who'd been sucked into a rift had suddenly appeared.

【So, are you really Park Jung-woo?】

"I am. Like I said."

【Umm, then if you just tell me how you came back, I—】

She seemed really curious about how I came back.

Trying to get only the good information, huh.

"Come outside and meet me, and I'll tell you."

【... Ugh.】

A conflicted groan.

She wanted an answer to her curiosity, but at the same time, she was very reluctant to meet anyone.

I could guess the reason.

"Are you scared of public scrutiny?"

【......】

Shin Ah-yeon didn't answer.

And that silence meant yes.

'It's almost an obvious reason.'

Once an S-rank Hunter, one of the nation's top Hunters—Shin Ah-yeon.

For her, being cast out by the public must have happened in a flash.

'Just three months.'

After returning here, I'd looked up articles about Shin Ah-yeon.

After the incident three years ago, I needed to find out what happened to her.

The details of her story were truly miserable.

She had stopped a great disaster, but her body was severely damaged, and as a result she could no longer handle magic power properly.

A mage who can't handle magic power is as good as dead.

She was hailed as a hero who stopped the disaster, but that only lasted about a week. Since the incident didn't escalate, people quickly forgot her.

And after a month, her agency—her own guild, future—booted her out.

After three months, her commercials came down, and she vanished from all media.

That's what I found out about Shin Ah-yeon.

'Deeply disappointed, she must have holed up in her mansion.'

Thinking of Shin Ah-yeon in despair left a bitter taste in my mouth.

In some ways, it was my fault she'd ended up like this.

Three years ago, she had generously agreed to my unreasonable requests.

Of all the Hunters I'd met, she was the most heroic.

I couldn't just stand by and watch now as Shin Ah-yeon fell apart.

'You could say it was a motivation.'

After I returned, I'd pondered what to do.

I gained much from the other world.

If I made use of that, gaining wealth or fame wouldn't have been difficult.

But, "what" to do?

That became my biggest concern after returning.

I found out about Shin Ah-yeon right around then.

A Hunter whose life had fallen into ruin because she'd gone along with my request.

It didn't seem a bad thing to repay that debt and help her out.

'Well, there are other reasons, too...'

At any rate, both here and "over there,"

The thing I was best at was being a 'manager'.

"Ah-yeon."

I stared straight into the intercom camera next to the doorbell.

Shin Ah-yeon was likely looking at me through that camera as well.

"Don't you want to be a Hunter again?"

【What?】

"I'm thinking of working as a manager again. Preferably at a new guild where I can move freely."

【... I don't really get what you mean. Besides, I can't be a Hunter. Maybe you don't know since you've only just come back, but I'm really broken.】

"I know."

When I answered firmly, I heard her take a sharp breath over the intercom.

The feeling of confusion over the intercom

It didn't take long before that emotion turned into anger.

【Then why? Did you come here to mock me?!】

"Because I can fix you."

【... What?】

When I responded confidently, Shin Ah-yeon seemed flustered to the core and stumbled over her words.

【S-stop lying. Do you know how much money I've sunk into trying to heal myself? Everyone said it's impossible to fix with modern technology!】

"That's true with modern technology."

I grinned at the intercom.

"If your mana hole is damaged, it's hard to recover. It's only been about a hundred years since 'awakened' people started appearing, and magic power... especially the mana hole is still mostly uncharted territory—a near mystery, if anything."

【... That's right.】

"But not where I was."

A world I'd accidentally arrived in, sucked through the rift.

A land of swords and magic, heroes and demon kings. Even gods and devils exist there.

There, magic power was more familiar than electricity is here in the modern world.

In countless thousands of years, technology had advanced because of magic power.

A broken mana hole?

That barely counted as a minor mishap over there.

Even if the mana hole was totally destroyed, I was confident I could restore it.

It would just take some time, that's all.

"Three months."

I spread three fingers toward the intercom, so Shin Ah-yeon could see clearly.

"I'll have you casting magic again within three months."

"Reviving" the great mage Shin Ah-yeon.

That was my first task upon returning to this world.

***

"Just... just give me a little time to think."

With that, Shin Ah-yeon withdrew her hand from the intercom.

Looking at the camera, she could see Park Jung-woo slowly turning to leave.

He looked similar to three years ago, yet different.

His neat suit and fierce eyes somehow gave the impression of someone living in the underworld, but his tone, filled with warmth, was just as before.

What could have happened in those three years? While pondering that, her phone rang.

Bzzzzzzzt!

"Oh?"

Displayed was the last message Park Jung-woo had sent before he left three years ago.

【I'll come visit again tomorrow. I hope for a positive answer.】

"... Does he not even think I might refuse?"

Unlike her timid words over the intercom, Shin Ah-yeon grumbled to herself, tossing her phone onto the sofa.

"It's definitely a lie, but why is my heart racing like this?"

The words that she could be healed.

At those words, her heart had pounded wildly.

Did she still not give up all hope?

"Magic..."

Her strength, which had meant everything to her.

Since childhood, ever since she'd read a fairy tale, magic had meant everything to Shin Ah-yeon.

When the incident three years ago robbed her of magic, she despaired instantly.

But she didn't regret it.

What she'd done was exactly what a "mage" she'd dreamed of being was supposed to do.

Still...

"I really am a fool."

She thought it was impossible, but somehow she believed Park Jung-woo's words.

And why shouldn't she? He was the only person who had ever returned alive from a rift.

If it really was another world, as he said, maybe there was a way.

Three years ago, he'd been reckless but never a liar.

"Alright."

She didn't debate long.

Picking up the smartphone she'd thrown on the sofa, Shin Ah-yeon sent a text to Park Jung-woo.

"... Let's consider the streaming equipment later."

She laughed quietly and sat lightly at her computer.

***

【Alright. If possible, could you visit again tomorrow?】

Shin Ah-yeon responded positively, much sooner than I'd expected.

I'd guessed a month at the longest, but she agreed within a day.

"And at her house, no less..."

Even today, she had picked her own house as the meeting place, which felt a bit weird.

Clearly, she was reluctant to go outside.

And, having been an S-rank Hunter, she probably lacked a sense of danger as well.

"Well, I'll explain that in due course."

At any rate, cutting down the required persuasion time was a win.

The sooner we start treatment, the faster Shin Ah-yeon will recover.

"The work Hunters do hasn't changed much from three years ago."

I checked the current state of Hunters using internet portals.

Basically, hunters typically work in guilds or under management agencies.

Unaffiliated freelance Hunters usually have a hard time working and must sign with even a small agency.

"Management, huh..."

I focused less on the Hunter-heavy guilds and more on management agencies.

A management agency would be the best new starting point for Shin Ah-yeon.

If her mana hole recovers, joining a tier-one management agency won't be a problem, but I had no intention of doing that.

'I'm not about to repeat the mistakes of the past.'

Tier-one agencies may offer care, but they're also extremely restrictive.

Some people crave that, but not me.

"Let's focus on getting Ah-yeon back on her feet first."

Turning off my computer, I stood up.

Then, I reached out toward the empty air.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, my hand was sucked into somewhere.

If a modern mage saw this, they'd be shocked.

What I'd just done was akin to tearing open space itself.

"Found it."

Grabbing something with a rough surface, I pulled my hand back out of the opened space.

This space was one of the many 'gifts' I'd received from "over there" on my return.

Of course, the thing in my hand was one of those as well.

What I retrieved from that space looked like an ordinary branch, but it most certainly was not.

This branch was the key to healing Shin Ah-yeon's body.

"The branch of Yggdrasil."

Also known as the 'World Tree's Sapling'.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
It appears the usual returner power fantasy. But this time, the MC is a manager.
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】