Investing in My Crippled Wife: Every Return Makes Me Stronger

”Well, that is certainly something we can help you with. But...” Craig said slowly, resting his forearms on the mahogany desk as his sharp eyes locked onto Soren’s face. ”Why exactly are you doing this, Hunter Soren?”

The silence in the room stretched for a moment, heavy with professional scrutiny. Even Veyra had stopped her typing entirely, waiting to see what drove an E-Rank solo hunter to walk away from a fortune in rare resources just to fund a charity project for strangers.

’They are trying to find a hidden angle or ulterior motive,’ Soren analyzed calmly, keeping his expression perfectly neutral. ’Well, they aren’t actually wrong. Fifty million credits a month is a fixed ceiling. But if the bureau’s screening process hands me even two hidden geniuses who break through their limits using my rooms, the Investment Authority’s returns will pay out many times more than a measly ten percent resource split. He might even discover another Supreme grade investment target.’

Externally, Soren allowed a subtle, quiet shift to touch his features—a look that was grounded, slightly detached, and completely weary of the world’s standard expectations.

”Because I know how the world works, Mr. Craig,” Soren replied smoothly, his voice completely calm. ”When you are at the bottom, stuck behind a wall you can’t climb because you lack resources or a prominent family name, the world simply tells you to give up. I am not interested in opening a business or playing corporate politics with wealthy houses. I simply want to provide a fair path for people who actually have the drive to work hard but lack the means to do so.”

Craig studied him intently, searching for any sign of deception, greed, or hidden malice. He found none. To the director, Soren’s reasoning aligned perfectly with his background. It made complete sense that someone who had been branded the ultimate ’failure’ of the prestigious Valmere family, and who had chosen to marry a crippled former S-Rank hunter, would harbor a quiet, deep-seated resentment toward the elitist system of the hunter world.

’He’s exactly as she described. Honest and benevolent.’

Craig let out a soft sigh, the sharp edge of his suspicion completely melting away into a look of profound respect.

”A noble sentiment,” He said, a genuine smile returning to his face as he tapped the terminal to finalize the text. ”Very well. The bureau will handle the recruitment pool. We will cross-reference candidate performance, behavioral records, and financial backgrounds to create a vetted list for you.”

”Thank you, Mr. Craig,” Soren nodded, though he wasn’t finished. ”However, I do have one final request regarding the selection process.”

Craig raised an eyebrow. ”Go on.”

”It is nothing too demanding,” Soren replied smoothly. ”I just want to meet the final candidates in person before they are officially granted access to the rooms. A brief face-to-face interaction, if possible, whenever a new batch is ready.”

He could use Investor’s Insight on them that way and plan the rest of his actions accordingly.

”We can accommodate that.” Craig nodded slowly, the request sounding entirely reasonable for someone investing their personal resources into a sponsorship project. ”Filtering the candidates down to a final pool will take a bit of time, but arranging a short meeting for your final approval should not be difficult at all.”

”Thank you, Mr. Craig,” Soren said, offering a polite nod. ”This is all I want.”

”Excellent,” Craig said, turning his attention to the administrator. ”Veyra, please update the official contractual documents according to these new clauses and prepare them for our final signatures.”

”Understood, Director,” Veyra replied with a respectful bow, holding the data tablet securely against her chest as she excused herself from the spacious office.

The heavy frosted-glass doors clicked shut behind her, leaving Soren and Craig alone in the sunlit room once more. A brief, quiet stillness settled between them, the hum of the floating holographic display the only sound filling the space.

Craig leaned back in his mahogany chair, steepling his fingers as he looked over at the young hunter. He broke the silence with a tone that was noticeably warmer than before. ”Thank you for your help, Hunter Soren.”

Soren blinked, letting a look of genuine confusion filter through his expression. ”My help, Mr. Craig? I believe we are engaging in a mutually beneficial contract.”

”Ah, right. You wouldn’t know,” Craig said, letting out a soft chuckle as he shook his hair. ”Actually, I am Zoe’s uncle. I have heard a great deal about you from her over the past couple of days. In fact, she was the one who practically nagged me to ensure the bureau treated you well and kept everything completely fair during these negotiations.”

Soren forced a look of brief surprise onto his face before transitioning smoothly into a grateful expression. He nodded quickly. ”I see. I am truly grateful for Sister Zoe’s helpful intervention.”

”...Sister Zoe?”

Craig froze, completely stunned for a brief moment. He stared at Soren with a highly suspicious, squinted gaze, his protective uncle instincts suddenly flaring up as he tried to process the overly casual, familiar title. After a few seconds of tense observation, the director shook his head, running a hand through his neat white beard as he mumbled under his breath, ”Really? She actually let a guy call her that?”

Soren maintained a perfectly blank expression, pretending not to notice the older man’s sudden internal crisis or the mild suspicion rolling off his aura.

”Anyway,” Craig cleared his throat, quickly reclaiming his professional composure. ”I wanted to personally thank you for your assistance. I know you had a hand in her recent breakthrough enlightenment.”

”Ah, that,” Soren replied with a modest nod, downplaying the event completely. ”I truly didn’t do much, Mr. Craig. She was already incredibly close to a breakthrough on her own. I merely offered a minor help.”

”There is no need to be so modest, Hunter Soren,” Craig countered, a small smile returning to his eyes. ”Sometimes, being too humble just robs you of the credit you earned. You have to take pride in your achievements. You gave her the final push, and for that, the Marron family owes you a debt of gratitude.”

”I am just glad I could be of assistance. I hope she can advance without any further obstacles.”

”Me too,” Craig said, letting out a heavy, dramatic sigh that seemed to carry the weight of years of administrative exhaustion. ”As soon as she becomes Sixth-Circle, I can finally rest. I will let her take over all of this bureaucratic nonsense and enjoy my retirement in peace.”

Soren smiled, offering no comment.

’...Well, considering her personality, I highly doubt she will easily agree.’

”Hey!” Craig suddenly leaned forward, his eyes locking onto Soren with an unexpected sharpness. ”Why don’t you join the bureau too? If you’re officially part of our branch, I can pull a few strings and make you her personal assistant or something similar.”

Soren blinked, genuinely caught off guard by the abrupt job offer. He let out a soft chuckle, trying to deflect the sudden intensity in the room. ”You jest, sir. I am merely an E-Rank so-”

”No, I am completely serious,” Craig stated, his voice turning dead-serious as he held Soren’s gaze. ”Rank is just a metric, but insight and character are rare traits. If you are worried about the administrative process or the starting salary, we can negotiate the terms right away. I can create a specialized position for you before Veyra even finishes printing the contract.”

Soren hurriedly raised his hands, shaking them in a polite but firm wave of refusal. ”No, no, please, Mr. Craig. Although I am incredibly grateful for such a generous offer, I must decline.”

He paused, lowering his hands. ”Even if I were to seek such a position in the future, I would want to earn it through my own merits and achievements, rather than relying on an exceptional shortcut.”

Craig stared at him for a long moment, a slow, appreciative smile breaking through his serious facade at the young hunter’s unyielding pride.

”A rare mindset in this day and age,” Craig murmured, just as the glass doors slid open to reveal Veyra returning with the finalized documents.