The Hunter Registry press briefing was scheduled for two PM.
The Director had confirmed this on Sunday evening.
Park Sung-Jin had confirmed this on Monday morning.
Ms. Yoon had confirmed this via the official briefing agenda document she had sent to all relevant parties at six AM.
Han-Ho's alarm went off at six fifteen.
He got up.
Put on his work uniform.
Picked up his work bag.
Looked at Moru.
"Route first," said Han-Ho.
"Obviously," said Moru.
The Mapo district on a Tuesday morning was the Mapo district on a Tuesday morning.
Except for one difference.
The woman who had posted his photo on Monday — HE'S IN MAPO-GU. HE JUST WALKED PAST ME. HE SAID HE HAS A ROUTE — had forty seven thousand likes as of six thirty AM.
The post had also generated a secondary phenomenon.
People in the Mapo district were looking for him.
Not aggressively. Not in a crowd. Just individually. Commuters glancing up from their phones with the specific alert expression of someone who has seen a face online and is now checking the surrounding environment for that face.
Han-Ho walked past three of them before he reached the first storm drain.
The first person stared.
Han-Ho did not notice.
The second person took a photo.
Han-Ho did not notice.
The third person said: "Excuse me—"
"I have a route," said Han-Ho, not stopping.
Min-Seo, walking behind him, watched all three interactions with the expression of someone who can see exactly what the next several months of Han-Ho's life are going to look like and is processing the implications.
"Han-Ho," said Min-Seo.
"What."
"People are looking for you."
"I know."
"In Mapo-gu specifically."
"I know."
"Because of the Monday post."
"I know Min-Seo."
"It has forty seven thousand—"
"The storm drain," said Han-Ho, stopping. "First one."
He crouched down.
Assessed.
Made a note.
Min-Seo stood behind him and watched three more people notice Han-Ho and take photos of him crouching next to a storm drain on a Tuesday morning in work trousers.
The photos were going to be everywhere by noon.
THE MOST POWERFUL PERSON IN KOREA CLEANS STORM DRAINS IN MAPO-GU.
HE CAME BACK TO THE ROUTE. HE ACTUALLY CAME BACK TO THE ROUTE.
SOMEONE SAW HIM THIS MORNING. HE SAID I HAVE A ROUTE.
Min-Seo looked at his phone.
Looked at Han-Ho cleaning the storm drain.
Put his phone away.
Some things you just accepted.
The second storm drain was fine.
The third storm drain had a new development since Sunday's assessment.
"The source moved," said Han-Ho.
"Moved," said Min-Seo.
"The residue cache I flagged Sunday. It was northeast. Now it's northwest." Han-Ho looked at his notebook. "That means it's not stationary. It's a mobile accumulation. Gate residue that's been picked up by the ambient mana flow and is drifting."
"Is that bad."
"It means it'll contaminate a wider area if I don't address it today." Han-Ho made a note. "It also means there's a mana current in this district I haven't mapped yet."
"Han-Ho the briefing—"
"Is at two PM. It is currently seven forty one AM." Han-Ho looked up. "There is time."
"To map a mana current."
"To address the cache. The mapping can wait."
Min-Seo looked at his watch.
Looked at Han-Ho.
"How long," said Min-Seo.
"Thirty minutes. If I find it quickly."
"And if you don't find it quickly."
"Forty five minutes."
"Han-Ho—"
"There is time Min-Seo. The briefing is at two. The route takes four hours normally. Reduced today because I'm skipping the eastern section. I have time."
Min-Seo did the math.
The math technically worked.
He hated when the math technically worked.
"Thirty minutes," said Min-Seo. "Then we go back."
"Forty five if—"
"THIRTY."
Han-Ho looked at him.
"Thirty five," said Han-Ho.
Min-Seo pressed his lips together.
"Thirty five," said Min-Seo.
Han-Ho started moving northwest.
He found the cache in twenty two minutes.
Behind a different building from Sunday.
Smaller now that it had been drifting. The movement dispersed some of the accumulation but concentrated the core.
He addressed it.
Made a note about the mana current direction.
Filed a report about the current for mapping follow up.
Stood up.
Eight fourteen AM.
"Done," said Han-Ho.
Min-Seo exhaled.
"Back to the apartment," said Min-Seo.
"The eastern section—"
"Is skipped today. You said so yourself."
"I said I was skipping it initially. Now that the cache is handled I have—"
"Han-Ho."
"Thirteen minutes before the forty five minute—"
"Han-Ho."
"The eastern section has two flagged locations from last week that—"
"HAN-HO."
Han-Ho stopped.
Looked at Min-Seo.
Min-Seo was using the specific tone. The tone that had developed around day five as the designated serious tone for when Han-Ho needed to hear something that he was going to resist hearing.
"You have a national press briefing in less than six hours," said Min-Seo. "The Director is there. All seven S-Ranks are there. The entire national media is there. The footage has been viewed five hundred million times." He paused. "You need to eat something that is not triangle kimbap, change into your good jacket, and arrive on time."
Han-Ho looked at the eastern section direction.
Looked at Min-Seo.
Looked at his notebook.
"The two flagged locations," said Han-Ho. "Are Class F. Non-urgent."
"Yes."
"They can wait until Thursday."
"Yes."
"Thursday route covers the eastern section anyway."
"Yes Han-Ho."
"So skipping them today is rational not avoidant."
"YES Han-Ho. That is correct. Let's go."
Han-Ho made a note about the Thursday follow up.
Put his notebook away.
"Okay," he said.
They went back to the apartment.
Jin Tae-Yang had sent food again.
Han-Ho came through the door to find the low table set with containers from the same restaurant as Saturday and Sunday with a note that said: For the briefing. Eat properly. — Jin Tae-Yang.
Han-Ho looked at the containers.
Looked at Moru.
"He sent food," said Han-Ho.
"He has sent food every morning since Saturday," said Moru. "He is going to keep sending food. Accept it."
Han-Ho looked at the containers.
"They're going to expect something in return," said Han-Ho.
"They expect nothing," said Moru. "They are doing it because they want to. Because you let them help with the cleanup and they found it meaningful and this is how they are continuing to be helpful in a way that fits into your morning." Moru looked at him with ancient red eyes. "Let people do things for you Master. You have let the Registry reimburse your expenses. You have let Min-Seo manage your break schedule. Let Jin Tae-Yang send food."
Han-Ho looked at the containers.
Sat down.
Opened one.
Ate.
It was very good.
He did not say so out loud.
But Moru knew.
Moru always knew.
At twelve thirty PM Han-Ho changed into his good jacket.
Clean jeans.
Looked at himself in the small mirror by the door.
Looked at his work bag.
"Leave the bag," said Min-Seo.
"I need the notebook."
"You don't need the notebook for the briefing."
"I always have the notebook."
"Han-Ho it's a press briefing not a route assessment—"
"The notebook comes," said Han-Ho, and picked up the bag.
Min-Seo looked at the ceiling.
"Okay," said Min-Seo. "The notebook comes."
River looked up from the counter.
"Are we going," said River.
"You're staying," said Han-Ho.
River looked at the bag pocket.
Looked at Han-Ho.
"The bag pocket is my place," said River.
"Today the bag pocket is staying here," said Han-Ho.
"Master—"
"It's a press briefing River. There are going to be cameras and reporters and—"
"I will be quiet," said River.
"You say that but then something extraordinary happens and—"
"I will be very quiet," said River. "I promise."
Han-Ho looked at River.
River looked back with enormous eyes that had been in the world for two weeks and had somehow already developed the specific expression of something that knows exactly how to make Han-Ho say yes and is using it deliberately.
Han-Ho looked at Moru.
Moru was looking at the wall with great innocence.
Han-Ho looked at Kjor.
Kjor was eating a chip.
"Fine," said Han-Ho. "Quiet."
"Quiet," agreed River, and went into the bag pocket with the composed dignity of something that has gotten what it wanted and is not going to make a big deal about it.
They left.
The Hunter Registry building at one forty five PM looked different from usual.
Media vehicles. Camera crews. The specific contained energy of a large group of people waiting for something significant.
Han-Ho walked up to the entrance.
The crowd noticed him at about fifteen meters.
The specific ripple of recognition moving through a group of people who have been watching footage for four days and are now seeing the person from the footage in person.
Someone said his name.
Then someone else.
Then several people simultaneously.
Han-Ho walked through the entrance.
The receptionist looked up.
"Mr. Kang," she said.
"Yes," said Han-Ho.
"The fourteenth floor conference room. They're ready for you."
"Thank you," said Han-Ho.
He looked at the lobby floor.
The residue smudge he had cleaned on Monday was still clean.
He nodded with quiet professional satisfaction.
Got in the elevator.
The conference room was full.
Not the same configuration as Wednesday. The long table was gone. Chairs in rows. A podium at the front. The presentation screen. The window with the clean lower left corner.
All seven S-Ranks were seated in the front row.
The Director was at the podium reviewing his notes.
Ms. Yoon was to the side with her file and her coffee and the expression of someone who has been preparing for this specific moment for four years and two additional days and is ready.
Park Sung-Jin was by the wall with his folder.
Han-Ho came in.
The room noticed him the way rooms notice someone when everyone in the room has been waiting for that someone and is trying to look like they have not been waiting.
He sat in the seat that had been reserved for him.
Next to Ms. Yoon.
"Mr. Kang," said Ms. Yoon.
"Ms. Yoon," said Han-Ho.
"Are you ready."
Han-Ho looked at the podium.
Looked at his bag.
Looked at the window.
"Yes," said Han-Ho.
"The format is: Director opens. I present the four year summary. You speak. Then questions."
"What do I say."
"What you told Min-Seo," said Ms. Yoon. "Rank F. One skill. Stain Removal. The work needs doing."
Han-Ho looked at her.
Ms. Yoon looked back with the steady composed expression of someone who has been right about something for four years and is two hours away from the entire country finding out she was right.
"That's enough," said Ms. Yoon.
"Okay," said Han-Ho.
The media were let in at two PM exactly.
The room filled.
Cameras. Reporters. Recording equipment. The concentrated attention of a country that had been watching footage for four days and had assembled here to understand it.
The Director stepped to the podium.
Cleared his throat.
"Good afternoon," said the Director. "Thank you for coming. My name is Choi Byung-Soo. I am the Director of the Hunter Registry. Today we will provide a full briefing on recent events including the Yeouido entity emergence and the Registry's response." He paused. "Before we proceed I would like to acknowledge that the situation you are here to understand has been developing for considerably longer than last Friday. Ms. Yoon, our Senior Registry Analyst, will present the full context."
Ms. Yoon stood up.
Walked to the podium.
Put her file on it.
Looked at the room.
She had been preparing this for four years.
She presented it in twelve minutes.
Clean. Clear. No unnecessary detail. Just the facts in order. The status window error filed four years ago. The forty three million four thousand three hundred zero residue sites. The forty seven monster evacuations. The Frost Giant incident. The Yeouido emergence. The three word system classification.
CLEAN. UNKNOWN. DANGEROUS.
She put her file down.
Stepped back.
"The subject of this briefing," said Ms. Yoon, "is Kang Han-Ho. Registered Mana-Janitor. Rank F. Registration number 4471-B. He will now speak."
She sat down.
Han-Ho stood up.
Walked to the podium.
Looked at the room.
Five hundred and forty million views of footage.
Every camera in the room pointed at him.
The Director. The seven S-Ranks. Ms. Yoon. Park Sung-Jin.
Moru on his shoulder.
Kjor on his other shoulder.
River very quietly in the bag pocket.
He looked at the podium.
Then at the room.
"My name is Kang Han-Ho," he said. "I am a registered Mana-Janitor. Rank F. My skill is Stain Removal. I have one skill. That is the only skill I have ever had."
The room was very quiet.
"I have been cleaning Gate residue and mana contamination sites in Seoul for ten years. I clean thoroughly. I file reports. I follow up when reports are not responded to within the mandatory window." He paused. "The mandatory window was not always followed. That is being addressed."
A small sound from Ms. Yoon's direction that was not quite a laugh but was adjacent to one.
"The Frost Giant incident two weeks ago occurred because the Frost Giant was on a road I had cleaned that morning. The Yeouido emergence last Friday occurred because the entity woke up and came looking for the source of what woke it. Both situations required cleanup. I handled the cleanup." He looked at the room. "That is what I do. I clean things. The classification of the thing does not change whether it needs cleaning. The rank of the person cleaning it does not change whether the cleaning is done correctly."
He stopped.
Looked at his notes.
He had not brought notes.
He did not need notes.
"I am Rank F," said Han-Ho. "There are other Rank F registered professionals in Korea. They are doing work that the system does not always support adequately. The Registry is addressing this. The report response protocol has been revised. The expense reimbursement process has been reviewed." He paused one final time. "The work needs doing regardless of who is watching or what the rank says. That is all."
He stepped back from the podium.
Sat down.
The room was silent for approximately three seconds.
Then everyone started talking simultaneously.
The questions lasted forty minutes.
Han-Ho answered them the way he answered everything.
Directly. Without drama. Without performance.
"What are you exactly?"
"A Mana-Janitor. Rank F. One skill."
"But the system said CLEAN UNKNOWN DANGEROUS—"
"The system ran out of numbers. That is a display limitation not a description."
"The Frost Giant. You just walked up to it."
"He was on my road."
"The oldest entity in the world moved because you asked it to."
"The cleanup logistics were better from the river bank."
"Are you human?"
Han-Ho looked at the reporter.
"Yes," said Han-Ho.
"But your power level—"
"Is whatever the system cannot measure. I am still human. I have a basement apartment in Mapo-gu. My refrigerator has eggs and tofu and green onion. My laptop takes four minutes to load Netflix." He paused. "I am very human."
From the front row Lee Soo-Bin made a small sound.
Jin Tae-Yang put a hand over his mouth.
Oh Kyung-Soo looked at the ceiling.
"What happens next? Are there more threats?"
"There is always more residue," said Han-Ho. "That is the nature of the work. Gates open. Mana spreads. Things need cleaning. I clean them. Then they need cleaning again." He looked at the reporter. "That is not a threat. That is a job description."
"One final question. The footage. Five hundred and forty million views. What do you think when you see it?"
Han-Ho thought about this.
The room waited.
"I think the road was clean that morning," said Han-Ho. "And now it needs cleaning again because the entity walked along it. I have it on my Thursday route."
The room was quiet.
Then someone laughed.
Not mean laughter. The laughter of a room that has just understood something about a person and found it unexpectedly wonderful.
The laughter spread.
Han-Ho looked at the laughing room.
Looked at Ms. Yoon.
Ms. Yoon was smiling. The controlled professional smile of someone who has been right about something for four years and is now watching a room full of reporters laugh because the thing she was right about is exactly what she said it was.
Han-Ho stepped back from the podium.
The Director closed the briefing.
It was three forty two PM.
Han-Ho picked up his bag.
Looked at Min-Seo.
"The eastern section," said Han-Ho.
"Han-Ho—"
"The two flagged locations. They were Class F this morning but the mobile cache I addressed changed the local mana flow. The classification might have shifted."
"It is three forty two PM—"
"It'll take forty minutes."
"Han-Ho—"
"The Thursday route covers the eastern section but if the classification shifted we should address it today before—"
"HAN-HO."
Han-Ho stopped.
"Tomorrow," said Min-Seo. "Wednesday. You have the Yoo Chae-Won brand consultation. After that. The eastern section."
Han-Ho looked at him.
"The classification probably hasn't shifted," said Min-Seo. "The mobile cache moved northwest away from the eastern section. If anything the eastern section is less contaminated now not more."
Han-Ho thought about this.
It was logical.
Correct even.
He made a note.
"Wednesday," said Han-Ho. "After the consultation."
"After the consultation," said Min-Seo.
They left.
In the bag pocket River had been extremely quiet for the entire briefing.
Had not said extraordinary once.
Even when the room laughed.
Even when Han-Ho said the road was on his Thursday route.
Very quiet.
Until they were in the elevator.
Then very softly, to nobody in particular:
"Extraordinary," said River.
Han-Ho looked at the bag pocket.
"Yes," said Han-Ho.
The elevator went down.