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Chapter 18 : I Want to Buy Information
“That was a damn unlucky day. If I had known I was up against a dark mage instead of a Corrupted, I wouldn’t have taken this request, no matter the punishment.”
On the way back after completing the request.
Hella, who had crossed the line of death with me, chattered endlessly, as if she felt a great inner intimacy with me.
“An unlucky day?”
“It turned out well in the end, didn’t it? It was dangerous, but since we took the dark mage’s head, we’ll get a reward. If he’s a guy with a bounty on his head, it’ll be quite a sum.”
Enù ṁä
The dark mage's situation was contradictory.
They were protected by the higher-ups and lived in luxury, but they were also on the city's public extermination list for carrying out unethical experiments and disturbing the peace.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
There was even a bounty hunter organization that specialized in hunting only dark mages.
The reward was not a huge sum, but it was more than enough as extra income.
I could understand Hella's cheerful mood.
“Thanks to you, I made a good haul. That damn old man, he must be waiting for me to come back with a long face. I’m already looking forward to the look on his face when I go and tell him I’ve made money.”
Ёn ũ m.а
Hella's hand stealthily tried to come up to my shoulder.
I firmly pushed it away.
It wasn't just because I was uncomfortable with physical contact with a rough mercenary.
“You said you’d take care of everything on your own while I just watched, aren’t you ashamed?”
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“You’re still holding onto that? I’ll apologize if you were offended, but I really meant it with a good heart…”
“And you should calculate it properly.”
W̊е̄b n̆ оv е̂ l̃ Е̊n u̇m̆ а
“Huh?”
Where was she trying to sneak past?
My celebrity-like appearance might seem naive by the standards of an industry where fierceness was a virtue, but the experience I had accumulated was more than that of a veteran.
“I was the one who found the dark mage, and I was the one who killed him. You weren’t trying to make the shameless claim of splitting it equally, were you?”
“Ahem.”
Hella let out an awkward cough.
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Then she raised her eyes and glanced at me.
“...Can’t I?”
“Then I guess I won’t be working with a Drexier mercenary anymore.”
I didn't want to fight for no reason, so if she insisted, I would reluctantly agree, but instead, I would remember my relationship with her as a bad one.
Although the ultimate goal of people in the industry was money, ironically, if you were blindly obsessed with money, you would lose a lot.
A representative example was the trust of a colleague.
Еn̆ū mа . ї d
You couldn't work with someone who was blinded by momentary gain.
For me, since money was not my final goal, it was even more so.
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“Hey, I was just kidding. Of course, I was going to give you 80%.”
“For a joke, the line was a bit close.”
“There’s no harm in trying, is there? I didn’t threaten you or anything, and if you said yes, then it would be a gain for me.”
I shook my head at the grinning Hella.
Ẽ n̈ū m̈_а̇.i_d̂
She acted cool, but she was surprisingly cunning.
But it was strange that it didn't look bad.
“Well, then, it’s a shame, but let’s part ways here.”
Hella said at the fork in the road leading to the office.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
I expressed my doubt.
“You’re not coming with me?”
Èńu ṁа . і_d
“Our mercenary group has to report back first when we return. A representative from the office will contact the broker for us.”
I had nothing to say to her who was proudly puffing out her chest, as if asking if it didn't look convenient.
‘Handling things through a representative has clear pros and cons, doesn’t it?’
It certainly seemed convenient in that there was no need for a troublesome argument, but at least to me, it didn't seem interesting.
‘I have a lot of things to find out and take care of by contacting the broker myself.’
When I passed it over calmly, Hella pouted her lips.
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“You’re a damn boring person. If it weren’t for your face, you wouldn’t be popular.”
“Are you picking a fight?”
“I was complimenting you for being a man with a charm that covers your flaws.”
She was a good talker, and her reflexes were quick.
Hella said to me, who was frowning, with a grin.
“You must be tired, so finish your business quickly and rest. Oh, and I was serious about telling our old man, so be sure to stop by. Let’s have a drink together then. Got it?”
Ên u̇m а̃ .ĩ d
“Hurry up and go.”
“Don’t forget. I’ll be waiting.”
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I saw off the noisy Hella with my eyes and headed to the brokerage office.
***
“You’re early. I thought you’d be back tomorrow at the earliest.”
The broker, Cromwell, was standing in the same spot as before I left for the request, as if he were a machine.
Еn_ũ m á
The repetitive motion of mindlessly wiping the glasses that would be used in the fake bar downstairs.
In the game, it was a characteristic of an NPC.
Now that it was reality, was it a glimpse of his diligence?
As if I had gotten used to it after only a few visits, it was a scene that somehow calmed my heart.
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“The mercenary you introduced was good. We worked well together, so it was fast and not very tiring.”
“The Drexier mercenaries have a pretty good reputation.”
W e b n о́ v e l Ӗ n̄.úm̄ а
“Are they famous?”
“There are many contract killers who want to work with them.”
“That’s amazing.”
If the prickly and self-centered contract killers acknowledged them, then that was all that needed to be said.
Since the Drexier mercenary group was disbanded right after I started my activities in earnest in every playthrough, I didn't know their exact reputation at this time.
I thought that Hella's offer to come to the mercenary group might have been a greater favor than I had thought.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“I’ve taken care of all the Corrupted.”
“Good, I’ll make sure you can receive the payment as quickly as possible. Since it’s a matter of security, the organization under the city government will take care of it quickly.”
“And there’s one more thing to report.”
I sat down on a chair in front of the bar table.
Unlike before, this time Cromwell handed me a glass.
It wasn't alcohol, but cold water, but it was impressive in that it was an expression that I was no longer being treated as a brat to be ignored.
Еň um̌ a. і̊d
“There was a dark mage in the laboratory.”
“...A dark mage. Every request you take is a spectacle.”
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Cromwell shook his head.
First, a berserk goblin, and then a dark mage.
It was not easy to experience such frequent unexpected situations outside the scope of the request.
I even had the illusion that there was some sympathy in his eyes.
Е̊ n̆um ǎ
“What happened?”
“There’s no way to negotiate with those madmen. I killed him.”
Cromwell answered as if he had known it would happen.
“Dark mages are a tricky bunch to deal with. The curse is more of a problem than their skills. They inflict permanent disabilities and can even take your life. There are countless people whose lives have been ruined because they couldn’t deal with it in time. Are you okay?”
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“As you can see.”
“It seems your skills were better than I thought.”
Ẁ е̂ḃnо̀ v̀ e l̈ Е̃ń ǔ m̌ а̄
It was hard not to be affected by a curse while fighting a dark mage.
Cromwell's eyebrow twitched as if he were genuinely surprised by my answer.
Then he quickly composed his expression and calmly calculated in his head.
“First, I think I know what you’re trying to say. But the trick of raising the payment like last time won’t work. The client is an organization under the city government.”
“I didn’t expect it either. The reward is enough.”
Whether they knew about the existence of the dark mage or not, the city government could just deny it.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Although the rules of the underworld were solid, they were meaningless in front of the ruling city government.
“If I’m being greedy, then if he was a guy with a bounty on his head, make sure I don’t get ripped off.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. How should I distribute the reward?”
“I get 80%, and the Drexier mercenary gets 20%.”
“The Drexier mercenary was kind enough to compromise.”
“We divided it according to our contribution.”
Ěn̆ ū m.а̌_
“For now, it’s just your claim, so I’ll ask the Drexier representative as well.”
“Do as you please. It’s better to be sure so there are no complaints later.”
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Since it was an agreement with Hella, she wouldn't suddenly change her words, but the mercenary group's situation might be different.
“Lastly, I want to ask you something.”
This was the main point.
I emptied the cold water in my glass and stood up from my seat.
Еn ü m̆ а. і̄ d
“Speak.”
“I want to buy information about Hynax.”
“You mean the company that built the laboratory for this request?”
“Yes, a broker also doubles as an information broker, right?”
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There was no profession closer to information than a broker.
A broker basically collected a lot of information through numerous connections, and some even operated their own information collection lines.
W̊ е ḃ nо̊ṽe̊ l Е̃ ń u̇m ӓ
If it was the competent Cromwell, the latter was highly likely.
“I want the identity and whereabouts of a directly related person, such as the director of the laboratory or a manager.”
Cromwell stared at me as if trying to see through my intentions.
“You’re not trying to take out your anger on someone for encountering a dark mage, are you? What’s the reason?”
“I’m curious who sponsored the dark mage I met at the laboratory.”
“Hmm.”
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There must have been someone who had shown or provided the original version of the magic the dark mage had used.
He would know about the clue to the piece of the spirit's cocoon and the circuit engraved on the surface.
‘In the latter case, he could be the direct culprit.’
Whatever it was, he was a target I had to pursue.
“Also, look into the company itself. If possible, focus on why they closed the laboratory.”
Judging by the dark mage's magic, it was a research that had shown some results.
Е̂nu_m̀ а
But why did they suddenly withdraw?
It was something I could just let go, but it bothered me.
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‘If I were short on money, I would have compromised appropriately…’
As luck would have it, hadn't I made an unexpected income?
I was going to thoroughly dig into the suspicious parts.
I asked Cromwell, who was scratching his beard as if he were calculating in his head.
Е n u ḿ а
“Can you do it?”
“It won’t be difficult. The key is how much of a down payment you can prepare.”
“Use my share of the reward as a substitute.”
“That should be more than enough.”
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Since it was an income outside of my calculations anyway, I wouldn't regret it even if I used it all.
If I could uncover the secret I was chasing through it, it was a cheap price to pay.
We b̂n о̀ vе l Ё.n ü m â
“I’ll have everything sorted out by the time you come to collect the payment next time.”
“Please do.”
At most, a week would be enough.
Since I wasn't planning on taking on another request right away, I thought it would be fine to come after resting appropriately.
‘I hope Greenwood will also make a request by then.’
Then it would be the icing on the cake.
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Chasing the origin of the dark magic was a second-priority option.
The first-priority option to uncover the secret related to the spirit was Greenwood's request.
‘Anyway, for now, I have no choice but to wait.’
My steps back to the hotel were light.
About a week from now.
Not a meaningless waste of time, but a sweet rest for the next schedule was waiting for me.
Еň ù m̃ а̂
***
“...A dark mage?”
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A deep, low voice was heard in the spacious room.
It was a resonant echo that would automatically stick in your eardrums even if you didn't listen closely.
Hella chattered in front of the muscular giant who made the sofa he was sitting on look small.
“Yes, I was so dumbfounded. What’s with a dark mage when I went to dispose of a Corrupted? If I had made one wrong move, I would have been dead. Old man, don’t you have anything to say to me? I went through all that trouble because of the job you gave me as a punishment.”
Wе b̆ n ó v́е̇l Е́ n̊ú ṁ а̊
Hella crossed her arms and stared straight ahead.
The giant, Drexier, snorted at her petulant gesture of demanding an apology.
“Don’t be a crybaby when you look perfectly fine.”
“Wow, you don’t believe me.”
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“In any case, you came back safely after taking the dark mage’s head, didn’t you? It’s all experience. You should be grateful I provided you with a rare experience.”
“Experience my ass, if it weren’t for the partner I went with, I’d already be in the afterlife.”
Eňum̆ӑ . і̇ d̂
It was not the first or second time that the disrespectful subordinate had cursed at her superior, so it was too much trouble to even point it out.
Drexier focused on something else instead.
“Was he stronger than you?”
“I don’t know about that, but he was the one who caught the dark mage. So if there’s a reward, he gets 80% and I get the remaining 20%, so talk to the broker about it.”
“...Hmm.”
“Why, are you unhappy because the money is small?”
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“No, it’s your decision, so we won’t interfere.”
In fact, the money was not a problem at all.
He was more interested in the opponent that the mercenary group's promising rookie had praised.
“How did he deal with the dark mage?”
“Well, he just stretched out his hand and the dark magic burned up.”
“...What?”
Еn̂ üm̌а̌ . і d
Drexier asked again at the completely unexpected explanation.
“Really. He pulled out some weird stem from his arm and it burned the magic power. It was so flashy that I just stared at it in a daze.”
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“...You should probably go back to studying before it’s too late.”
“No, what’s wrong with my explanation?”
“I can’t picture it in my head with such a simple description.”
This was the problem with ignorant mercenaries.
Е̄ n̆ um̊à.і̀ d
In any case, Drexier understood that his ability was peculiar.
“In your opinion, is he worth recruiting?”
“I’ve already mentioned it. I told him to stop by our office once.”
“Good job.”
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The Drexier mercenary group, which selected its members based on many conditions, was suffering from a chronic shortage of personnel.
Seeing that he had won over the prickly Hella, his character must not be bad either.
Ё.n̈úm̀ а
A skilled newcomer was always welcome.
“Let’s talk about the details next time. You must be tired, so go and rest now.”
“Yes, I’ll be resting and taking care of my body for a while, so don’t call me.”
“You have to come back in a week.”
“Why?”
“A request. She said she wanted a guard to go to District 7 again.”
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“Ah.”
The unidentified client who always wandered around remote areas.
It was a relationship where Hella was now almost her exclusive mercenary.
‘...Come to think of it, the light that burned the dark mage’s fog was like the light I saw from the client before.’
The inside of the hat that covered her face was reflected, so I couldn't pay proper attention, but it was definitely a halo of light that had shimmered in her grasp.
I couldn't be sure, but it felt somewhat similar.
W̃еb n̂ оv еl Ѐ n um̄ а̌
‘Do they know each other?’
Hella quickly denied the guess that had crossed her mind.
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‘No way.’
How could that be?
The client, who was presumed to be a noble lady, and Allen, a contract killer.
It was safe to say that there was no connection between the two in a common-sense way.
Ӗ n̊ũḿ а̄
‘If it really bothers me, I’ll ask later.’
In fact, it was none of her business.
(End of Chapter)
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