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EP.16 Clover Bloom (1)

A fast food restaurant located in District 8.

As I left the store after a bit of a late lunch, Sinel, who followed me, said in a satisfied voice.

"I ate a lot and I'm full."

"It would be difficult to say that I ate a little even with empty words."

45 credits.

I crumpled the receipt in my hand and put it in my pocket.

When I put my mind to the order, the amount came out larger than I expected.

Of course, perhaps because Sinel's eating speed was fast, Sinel's meal with me ended at about the same time.

It wasn't a bad feeling to see Shinel's contented look though.

"Where are you going now?"

Now that we've finished eating, it's time to move on to our original plan.

Obtain preparations against Greek magic and catch the ice.

That was the schedule for today.

"I'm going to go buy the things I need from now on."

"necessary?"

"I have a picture that I have drawn in my head to some extent, so now I have to experiment to see if it is correct."

Even if it was a necessary item, it was not a grand item.

Because what I wanted was something really simple, something I could get anywhere.

If there were a lot of people, it was a shop that could have been there for a while.

As I walked down the street, I crossed the crossing three times, and around the corner.

I was able to find a shop that looked like it was selling the item I was looking for.

"It's a stationery store."

"okay. Everything you need is here."

"Are you looking for things at the stationery store?"

"It would be quicker to live here."

squeaky.

As soon as I opened the door, I could see toys all around me.

In the middle of the store, a young man sitting on a chair was sitting while watching TV.

The young man saw us entering the store and greeted us with a smile.

"welcome."

"There is something you are looking for."

"What are you looking for?"

"I wish I could guide you to the place where the beads are gathered."

The young man pondered for a moment with a look of surprise, then led us away from the messy rows of toys.

"You can come this way."

"I am here."

Between shelves filled with various items.

In one corner of the store, there was a space where beads of various colors were gathered.

As I reached out my hand to the pile of beads and touched it, Sinel, who was next to me, asked me.

"Is the item you need a marble?"

"He alone is not affected by Greek magic. But wouldn't it be affected by the Greek influence?"

"then… … ."

"If you buy a lot of these, you can see interesting things."

You will need quite a lot of marbles to use it in practice.

I picked up the whole box of marbles.

When I went to the checkout counter with the whole marble on the shelf, the young man looked at me with a surprised expression.

"Are you going to buy them all?"

"I need a little bit more. I wish I could bring a plastic bag as well."

"All right. 12 credits."

beep. Beep.

After the payment, the young man took out a plastic bag and handed it to me.

I tore off all the beads I bought and put them in a plastic bag.

"Let's just go out."

"thank you. Please come again next time."

The beads, which were not heavy when they were lifted one by one, gathered in a plastic bag and felt a considerable weight in their arms.

Just because Sinel is better at fighting than me doesn't mean she has a physical advantage over me.

Carrying the marbles had to be entirely up to them.

I said as I left the store with a plastic bag carrying a heavy feeling.

"The preparations are all over. Now we can find him."

"Do you know where it is?"

"Turn your head around and you will find a way."

Speaking of the radius of action of those guys, they can't get out of this 8 zone anyway.

There was a high possibility that he was avoiding entering the alley he had encountered last time.

In my mind, I draw the destination one by one.

Except for places where Lennon was not able to act openly, he revised the maps in his memory one by one.

It didn't take long for the approximate destination to be decided.

"Let's go, Sinel."

This is the first bounty hunt with Sinel.

If I couldn't find Lennon today, I could just find him again tomorrow.

I raised my magic and started moving towards the place where Lennon might be.

* * * * * *

Ice, Lennon Sirius.

As a second-degree wanted criminal, the young man ripped the leaflet with an unpleasant expression on his face drawn on the leaflet.

Lennon wandering around Area 8 was a young man who originally dreamed of becoming a mercenary.

He obtained magic and became an instant mage, and learned to fight back and forth from a young age.

However, the famous corporations of the cross network did not accept Lennon into the company invariably.

Clearly, you are underestimating Lennon's Greek magic.

Lennon thought so.

So Lennon decided to prove himself.

The first murder he committed was to cut down two mercenaries who had ridiculed him.

'Sah, save me... … .'

'....'

It was very funny to see the mercenaries rolling around the floor uncontrollably and uncontrollably.

see Aren't I far superior to them?

At the time, only those thoughts ran through Lennon's mind.

Of course, just because he felt remorse, Lennon's life did not end there.

No money to live on, a black market bounty from a company, and eventually a chase.

After that, he had no money, so he grabbed a jungle knife and started robbery.

"200 credits. What, it's not much."

Income from robbery is not constant.

Even after earning money, it ran out within a short time, and when the security forces arrived, they had to run away.

When the bounty hunters happened to come, they had to fight for their lives that day.

Just like yesterday when I had a battle with a duo of bounty hunters.

"I… May I go now?"

"go away."

Lennon took the money and said to the man in front of him.

When Lennon removed the jungle knife, the man ran out of the alley to die.

Lennon, who sent the man in that way, felt the texture of the money in his pocket and began to move.

Even at this time, the bounty hunters were hunting Lennon himself.

It is said that a lot of people pass by in District 8, but the probability of encountering them while walking in the same place was by no means small.

So, for a while, I didn't plan to set foot in the place I went to yesterday.

"It's only been one day. Lennon Sirius."

"You… … ."

But the reality was different from Lennon's thoughts.

Two people with familiar faces appeared in front of Lennon as he passed the corner of the alley.

A man with a strong physique was holding a plastic bag. And there is one girl who is smaller than that.

It was Percibal Smith and his bodyguard, Sinell.

It was Lennon who deliberately changed his route so as not to face the bounty hunters, but in the end he ran into it like this.

Lennon immediately raised the jungle knife and glared at the hunters in front of him.

"See you again, you guys. Why the hell are you interested in me?"

"Is there only one more reason to chase criminals?"

"Aren't you saying that you are chasing after a sense of justice?"

"Well. If it is, they will see the bounty and move."

Again, the reason was money.

Had I known this, I would have been a bounty hunter.

Such small regrets lingered in Lennon's mind for a moment.

However, Lennon quickly erased the thoughts from his head and focused on the enemies in front of him.

He was just a prey pursued by hunters even when he went to the vicinity of the black market.

It was a waste of time to regret it now.

"… … Well, okay. I'll kill all the chasing guys and rob them of whatever they have."

"You seem to have confidence."

"There were a lot of people who laughed at me, but in the end, they all turned to food for wild dogs. Are you really going to be an exception?"

"is it. I prepared a present for you."

After speaking, Percival put his hand inside the coat.

A black figure held in his hand.

Lennon caught his eye as he saw the pistol moving in the half-open court.

Lennon rushed forward as he tried to pull the gun out of his arms, raising his magic power.

A bright magical light erupted from the hand holding the sword, and a miraculous power that twisted the laws of physics wrapped around it.

"[Greece]."

"… … Sinel!"

A magic that extremely reduces the friction force of the target.

The surrounding ground was under the effect of Greek magic, and it became an area where no one except Lennon could stand on two feet.

Sinel quickly retreated and escaped the Greek sphere of influence, but the Greek-influenced Percival lost his balance and fell to the floor.

And at the same time, the contents of the bag Percival was holding started pouring out.

👌👌👌👌👌👌

Numerous marbles flowed out and rolled around the floor losing friction.

blue. Red. green. purple.

The colorful marbles collided against the wall, collided with each other, and in constant motion spread throughout the street.

There was no way to stop the marble from moving on the floor, which lost friction.

"You brought all the boring toys!"

Lennon ignored the spreading beads and ran towards the fallen Percival.

The marbles that collide with Lennon's shoes spread out and bounce off.

One of the many marbles bounced off the wall and bounced back under Lennon's shoes.

Lennon, who was running for Percibal, did not notice it and stepped forward.

"ah… … !"

Under the influence of Greece, the marble, which lost its friction, slides, and Lennon, who was rushing forward, loses his balance.

A brief moment when you step on a marble and fall on the floor.

A gray-haired girl who stepped on the wall and leaped up came into Lennon's field of vision.

A sharp dagger was held in the girl's hand as she flew towards Lennon.

EP.17 Clover Bloom (2)

Lennon Sirius. He tends to use tactics using Greek magic to live up to his name on ice.

On the surface, it looks like a simple magic trick to slide people, but that one fact had a great meaning only in battle.

So, in order for Sinel and I to defeat Lennon, we had to analyze Greek magic first.

And the first method I devised to break Lennon's Greek magic was to sprinkle marbles on the floor.

Grease impedes the movement of people within the area.

Only Lennon was free to move free of its influence on the ground covered by Greece.

If so, what will happen to the marbles scattered on the ground?

If a marble dropped on the floor is subjected to the effect of grease, the marble will move for a long time in the area where the grease is spread with minimal energy loss due to friction with the ground.

Continuing the Greek-influenced orb and unaffected Lennon.

What will happen if two objects in contradictory states meet?

There were roughly two possible cases.

One is the moment Lennon's foot touches the marble that it is freed from the influence of Greece.

In this case, the kinetic energy remaining in the marble and the friction in Lennon's shoes cause problems.

Most likely, Lennon will lose his balance and fall.

In the other case, Lennon's body continues to be affected by the effects of the grease even if it touches the marble.

In this case, the moment Lennon steps on the marble, the marble will slide and topple Lennon's body.

After that, he had no choice but to be constantly disturbed by the marbles on the floor.

Just like Lennon rolling around in front of her right now.

"You worked hard, Sinel."

If Lennon was equally influenced by Greece, Sinel, who was using Haste, would have the advantage in battle.

That was the thought I had.

And as if to prove my thoughts, Sinel subdued Lennon brilliantly.

Lennon was bleeding from his arm and leg by a dagger.

I got up from my seat and walked towards Sinel.

Lennon's mental state as he rolls on the floor holding his limbs may not have been able to maintain the magic, or the magic on the ground had long since been released.

glance. Sinel looked at me once, and asked me with a voice full of concern.

"Is your back okay?"

"It didn't matter."

To make it as little Greek influence as possible, I telepathically ordered Sinel to kick and move the wall.

Of course, I was lying on the floor while Sinell leaped towards Lennon.

"I didn't know you could use beads like this."

"I thought it would work to some extent. By the way… You made it look worse than I thought."

"If you use Greek magic, you can knock us down and run away."

"Well, that's right."

Whoops!

A jungle knife kicked at my foot and flew into the corner of the alley.

Having removed the dangerous weapon, I approached Lennon, who was lying on the floor.

The appearance of the ice moaning with cuts here and there was not a very good sight, even with empty words.

"Ouch… … ."

"It must be difficult to tie yourself up in an ordinary way."

"Are you going to take me to the police station?"

"no. I plan to take this guy to the black market."

For Lennon, the unofficial bounty of the black market was higher than the bounty of the police.

Of course, it was more beneficial to head to the black market than to be dragged to the police station.

And there were things that you had to get at the black market, so it wouldn't be bad to visit the market once in this opportunity.

He put his hand in his pocket, pulled out his phone, dialed the number and dialed somewhere.

In order to transport him without any noise, an appropriate transport service was required.

- "This is the Winnon office. What is your business?"

"About three people will ride. One is in a bit of a bad condition, and I want it to be moved to the market. It is in Area 8."

- "Do you want to use the delivery service?"

"okay. How much will it cost?"

- "800 credits."

A transport service operated by the Winnon Family in Black Market.

This is the method Usher Hayes, the protagonist of 'War City' used, to move with the bounty criminals on the Black Market side.

They call themselves delivery, but the meaning of the word is very different.

The most peculiar thing was that the subject was transported to the market without questioning or questioning in any state.

Instead, it was quite expensive.

"No problem. You can come right away."

- "If you call the correct address, we will leave immediately."

I called the agent my current location and hung up.

Now all that remains is to wait for the vehicle to arrive at the market.

Sinell looked at me to see if the conversation I had just had was strange, and then looked back at Lennon, who had fallen to the floor.

Lennon was still lying on the floor with a painful expression on his face.

* * * * * *

Each person has a different opinion on the black market, but there are words that are commonly used to describe the black market.

If there is a cross network in the bright field, there is a black market in the shade.

As such, the black market was one of the places that had a lot of meaning for people staying in the shade.

Numerous organizations are entering the black market wearing the mask of a company, secretly selling numerous goods and services such as weapons, drugs, stolen goods, and mercenaries.

Sometimes even big corporations in cities came to the black market to do dark things, so anyone should know what the status of the black market is at this point.

"How amazing."

The bounty desk located in the market.

Said Shinel, who was standing next to me waiting for the payment to be processed and was looking around the black market.

From the moment she entered the market, she had been watching the market with curious eyes.

The other side of the city is Sinel, who used to build a wall.

It was not unusual to look at the black market with such eyes.

"Is this your first time coming to a black market?"

"I heard only rumors, there was no reason to come here."

"Even if it's a troublesome job, unless it's a big one, it usually doesn't come to this kind of place. There are many ways to deal with stolen goods and voiced funds."

A prime example is James, who runs a junkyard.

Although he does not accept anyone as a customer in his shop, he provides superior service to those recognized by him.

It was better to give James 40% and receive a definite result if he had to spend a fortune on uncertain work in the black market.

In my case, I was lucky to have information about the crippled Bruno from 'War City'.

"The boss knows a lot. He must have worked very hard to get the name of the Dark Merchant."

"...."

Goosebumps welled up in my spine when I heard Sinel's words.

I can't remember how much effort I made with my nails.

In the first place, I have no desire to have such a creepy name.

"I think I am lucky to have met the boss."

"is it."

"yes. You must be lucky."

"So am I. It's not easy to get a reliable colleague."

Upon hearing my words, Sinel bowed her head.

There was no change in his expression, but a subtly different air current was flowing around Sinel.

"A reliable colleague… … . is that so."

"Mr Percival, are you there?"

While I was still watching Sinel, who was still unknown, I heard a voice calling me from the desk.

While we waited and talked, it seemed that the settlement process was over.

I approached the desk and faced the employee who called me.

The employee at the desk handed me a piece of paper and said:

"12,000 credits. Please sign below."

"12,000 credits? It's bigger than anything I've seen before."

"Yesterday another company placed an additional bounty on him. So it will be."

"An extra bounty? Ah, it looks like the bounty was added to the list."

A researcher named Wilson, whom I had encountered before, said he was handling the company's affairs in top secret.

The newly added bounty for him will most likely be provided by Lesser Industries.

Perhaps the contents of the bag that Wilson was carrying were more important than expected.

"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you in detail who placed the bounty."

"I will. I wrote it all down, can I just pay it?"

"Has confirmed. I put the amount excluding fees here. Thank you for always using our market."

I grabbed the black bag that the clerk had offered me.

When I left the desk with my bag and started to move to another place in the market, Sinell came to my senses and followed me.

12,000 credits. 1,800 credits excluding fees.

Even excluding the credits spent on information expenses, today I earned a more satisfactory amount than I expected.

The heart that holds the bag of money is contented.

If you go back to the office, you can order a bunch of take-out food and have a party with Sinel alone.

"Sinel."

"yes."

"Is there anything you want to eat after the schedule is over?"

"Do you mean what you want to eat?"

"okay. You don't have to worry about the price."

At the extravagant question, Sinel shut her mouth and put on a cautious expression.

You must be thinking about what to order.

However, Sinell's happy troubles did not last long.

Someone suddenly jumped out from behind and grabbed Sinel's neck.

"Sinel, long time no see. I didn't know you'd come here."

Gray hair resembling Shinel.

The hazy eyes of the girl with her bangs carefully braided looked at Shinel.

As if she was acquainted with Sinel, she had been talking to him in a friendly manner while hanging on to him.

Startled, Sinel took a hand with the dagger on his thigh, then saw the opponent's face and stopped moving his hand.

"Spinel… … ?"

Spinel. gray hair. The silver blades neatly inserted into the case tied to the thigh.

Through familiar names and various information that came into my sight, I was able to recognize the identity of the girl in front of me.

Skyscraper Wizard, Spinel.

She was the 6th Circle Archmage who could use the Spell Overlord, and was the most wanted person in the city's deepest darkness.

"It's no big deal that you're bringing your companions with you. Who is this person?"

"… … Spinel. Don't touch the boss."

"You are the boss. Ah, was that kind of relationship?"

Archmage. The weight of the word in the war city is never light.

The girl in front of me was one of the monsters lurking in the darkness of the city.

And this time the monster smiled at me and held out his hand.

"I am a Spinel Clover Bloom. Who are you?"

EP.18 Clover Bloom (3)

Archmage. The weight of the word in the war city is never light.

The girl in front of me was one of the monsters lurking in the darkness of the city.

And this time the monster smiled at me and held out his hand.

"I am a Spinel Clover Bloom. Who are you?"

"Is it a skyscraper? I didn't know they were Sinell's family."

When I heard Spinel's name until the end, I couldn't help but be amazed.

It must have been Sinel and his family.

In 'War City', Spinel's castle is not mentioned separately.

Only her nickname, Skyscraper, was mentioned along with the name.

That's why I didn't even think that her last name was Clover Bloom until I heard it from Spinel's mouth.

"Do you know me?"

"This savage city is hard to survive when the news is slow. Nice to meet you. This is Percival Smith."

I took her hand and accepted the handshake.

As soon as she grabbed her hand, the atmosphere of the air changed, and a huge sense of pressure was transmitted through her skin.

When you become an archmage, it is possible to press your opponent by moving magic without using magic.

aka pressure. Although the physical influence was not great, it was powerful enough to instill a moderate sense of intimidation.

"Percival Smith. That's the name."

"Do you remember hearing the name?"

"Unfortunately, I have no memory of that."

"I will. By the way, I feel more uncomfortable than I thought, so I want you to take a look at this kind of thing."

Facing Spinel's deep eyes, he gave strength to the grip he held.

Spinel would constantly provoke the opponent in this way, unless it was the one he had acknowledged.

If she inflicted power at an appropriate level so as not to be offended, it captured the energy that Spinel was sending out.

Spinel, who had collected the pressure, pulled out the hand that was holding it and asked me.

"It's a simple test, so don't worry too much."

"I would have just told you. I don't like being tested."

"Didn't you know who I was?"

Spinel looked at me with amusing eyes.

Spinel Clover Bloom. She is a top wanted criminal for whom the security forces have given up half control.

There is a proper treatment for dealing with monsters that are completely out of control.

This city is completely a world of weak meat.

The moment you uncover your bottom line against the monster, the hidden fangs of the predator will be revealed.

If necessary, he had to use even the name of the dark merchant he disliked.

"Of course you know. Everything from where you belong to who you are listening to."

"You seem to know more about it than you think."

"More than you think."

"Then you must understand what I mean."

"Do you want to give a commentary here? About the whereabouts of that famous lame man or the thoughts of his successor?"

Spinel's eyes changed when he heard my story.

At the same time as Spinel's whole body was covered with pure blue magical light, the silver blades began to revolve around her.

She is one of the executives of the Order following the successor.

It was only natural to respond to the story of the true darkness that moves the darkness of the city.

"Are you sure you want to die now?"

"Did you say you're going to kill me here?"

"If you believe in Sinel, you should stop expecting that… … ."

"Is that your own dogma or the will of the heir behind you?"

"...."

"Put your weapons in unless you plan to make a fuss in the market. If you have any questions, I'll take it slow."

No matter how reckless a Spinel was, he was on the lookout for the dark side.

And among the executives of the association, he was the person who could communicate the most.

The blades floating in the air returned back into the case.

Pedestrians who were looking this way also returned to their purpose.

When the surroundings calmed down a bit, I spoke to Spinel as I moved towards my next destination.

"Follow me. I'll answer you as we go."

thump, thump.

Sinel followed me straight to the other corner.

Spinel, who was standing still, followed after Sinel and followed me.

Spinel, who floated in the air and approached the seat next to me, said with her gray hair fluttering.

"I have a question for you."

"A question is asked only once."

"What?"

"No information is provided without payment. Because that is the principle of an information merchant."

This is a principle held by Jackson, an information merchant called drunkard.

Jackson's principles were known to anyone using the city's intelligence services.

Upon hearing the story, Spinel also nodded.

"… … You were an informant. okay."

"What do you want to know?"

"How do you know about him?"

"I am informational. It's not unusual to have some important information."

"It's a pointless answer."

As she said, it wasn't a very meaningful answer.

But since I had nothing to say about it other than this, I chose to brazenly go out.

It was impossible to tell the truth about Spinel, that I possessed it and that I saw it in a book.

"Now it is my turn to ask a question. Aren't you on good terms with Sinel?"

I asked when I arrived at the weapons corner and started looking around.

The reason I brought up this question was simple.

Because Sinel's reaction to facing Spinel did not seem to welcome her.

At that question, Spinel looked a little embarrassed.

"Is that the question you ask about me at all?"

"When it comes to information, there is nothing else I want."

"It's just that we don't understand each other. If one of them compromises, there will be no problems."

"Which one seems better to compromise?"

"Of course it would be better for Sinel to do that. Then this older sister would feed her, put her to sleep, and give her a lot of pocket money."

"is it."

I wish you would do that to me, not Shinel.

Leaving aside such simple wishes, I carefully looked at the weapons of the Black Market.

Most of the firearms on display were of low quality, but sometimes good products made by L'Esert Industries were also seen.

As I went a little further inside, the things I wanted also caught my eye.

"Then it's my turn again. How much do you know about us?"

"When it comes to associations, you probably know more than any other information merchant. But don't worry. Because I have no intention of provoking him."

There is a saying that there is an outside heaven.

The black screen of the city, which we now call the successor, was a suitable existence.

Usher Hayes, the protagonist of the film, later challenges him, but by then the city was already half-destroyed.

If possible, it was better to maintain the status quo without stimulating him.

If it's not, I'd like to take care of it before doing any tricks.

"That would be hard to believe."

"Is it because you know too much?"

"Even a clairvoyant wouldn't know as much as you. That information might get in the way for us."

"Information merchants simply sell information for money. But, I wonder if this city has the money to buy information about him."

It was a story that, no matter what, only information about the successor would not be sold.

Immediately after that, I picked up the smoke grenade from the weapon corner.

Considering the benefits of my telepathy, it was a pretty good fit.

Moreover, when any magic reaches 6th circle, it becomes a fairly threatening ability while maintaining its direction.

This was a good thing to think about for the future.

However, considering the volume and weight of the hand, it seemed difficult to carry too much.

"smoke shell? Are you even buying these things?"

"Is that a question too?"

"...."

Spinel looked at me with dissatisfied eyes.

Seeing it like this, I feel like a talkative Sinel.

No matter what the relationship between the two, it was because they were sisters, there were no similarities at all.

"It's a joke. I also do bounty hunting, so I just decided that something like this was necessary."

"It's a little cheeky."

"So, are you going to kill me if I leave here?"

"no. I will not kill you."

"It looks like there are a lot of dissatisfactions from what Tu is talking about."

The skyscraper's wizard doesn't carelessly touch the people he recognizes.

The whole series of conversations was meant to make Spinel think of me as a tycoon.

Fortunately, Spinel had changed his mind to some extent and declared that he would not kill me, except for the rules of the black market.

For the time being, it was good not to have to worry about being assassinated by a blade that flew through the window.

"It is true that there are many complaints, but for the time being, I will be watching you."

"You are very generous."

"First of all, if I kill you, Sinel will become a beast, right?"

"… … Spinel."

Sinel's expressionless eyes stared at Spinel.

EP.19 Clover Bloom (4)

A lot happened after meeting Spinel, but the schedule at the Black Market went without any problems.

The most positive of these is that Spinel doesn't seem to want to deal with me even though he has heard of me.

To be precise, the disposition against me was withheld for a later time.

As I said to her, it wouldn't be a story about looking into the eyes of the successor.

It seems that Spinel himself decided that I would be helpful in handling the affairs of the association.

So Spinel Clover Bloom said that he would keep an eye on me, and saw me and Sinel leaving the black market.

Of course, Sinell remained blunt until he left the market and returned to the office.

"...."

An office with two people left.

As I was ordering dinner on my cell phone, I kept seeing Sinel sitting on the sofa blankly.

Obviously, the incident with Spinel at the black market was the cause.

Because Sinel and Spinel didn't seem to have a good relationship.

Spinel's younger brother. And my assistant, Cinell Clover Bloom.

I don't know the details of her situation yet.

It might have been better to just keep an eye on it, rather than bring up the story of Sinell's family affairs in a clumsy way.

"Sinel."

"Yes, sir."

"I just ordered pizza."

"… … Is it pizza?"

Even after hearing about the pizza, Sinell's expression was not bright.

After all, the depressed mood doesn't seem to subside like a pizza.

I sighed and brought up the next topic.

"It is a premium pizza that is twice as expensive as a regular pizza."

"… … This is a premium pizza."

"Of course, we also ordered spaghetti as a side menu."

"… … Is it spaghetti?"

"Besides, I also ordered French fries."

"… … No Coke?"

"Hmm… … ."

It seems that he was worried about something.

I smiled sadly and laid down on the chair.

The back of the chair reclined and the ceiling of the office caught my eye.

white ceiling. And densely embroidered lights.

With only one telepathic magic, he made this place his own.

It's a new feeling, but I've accomplished a lot in a short period of time.

The Great Dark Merchant, Percival Smith.

With no evidence to back it up and no achievements to show, that was her name now.

"Sinel."

"yes."

"I am an information trader."

"I know."

"And I love hearing people's information."

"yes."

"So, if there is anything you want to say, feel free to tell me. I'll listen to anything."

"… … is that so."

profit.

As soon as he finished speaking, the door opened.

With the smell of pizza stinging our noses, a delivery man who came with a pizza was welcoming us.

I got up from my seat and went to the delivery man and offered the food.

He checked the amount written on the receipt, and immediately handed me a pizza and thanked me.

"thank you. Bon appetite."

The heavy feeling of food is transmitted through the hands.

78 credits. It's a decent amount to make a fancy dinner for just the two of you.

The delivery man slipped out of the office, with the hinges making a loud noise, just as when he came in.

I laid out the food that had arrived on the table and took a seat across from Sinel.

"Do you like pizza?"

"I don't hate it."

"Then eat well."

Unpack the food and pick up the pizza inside.

Then he took a bite of the hot pizza and looked at Sinel.

Sinel picked up the pizza with her white hands and bit the pizza with her tiny mouth.

The pizza in Sinel's hand vanished into her mouth in an instant.

It was unbelievable even when I saw it with my own eyes.

Sinel, who ate up a whole slice of pizza, opened her mouth with oily lips.

"It's delicious."

"okay. to eat a lot."

"yes."

"Leave the amount left for me to eat."

profit. I opened the beer can with a steaming sound.

As I washed away the aftertaste of the oily pizza with beer, Sinel, who was eating pizza in front of me, stared at me.

silence for a while.

After that, Sinell put the pizza down and said:

"president."

"Why?"

"The boss is a great information trader, so this is all just in case."

"… … Of course."

It seemed that he had finally decided to talk about his worries.

I nodded and waited for her next words.

After taking a sip of Coke, Sinell looked me in the eye and spoke.

"Spinel is my sister."

"Know."

"And the spinel I've seen… I've been good at everything since I was little."

"It seems that your understanding of magic is not for nothing."

"So I've never beat a Spinel with my skills."

The Wizard of Skyscraper is a genius of unearned money.

At a very young age, he came close to the 'inner truth', and as a result, he became an archmage of the 6th circle, shaking up the city.

His understanding of magic was also on the high side, so even before he became an Archmage, he used her magic to play around with the security guard.

It was for this reason that the successor brought Spinel into the Order.

"I liked that kind of spinel. It was such a kind and proud family."

"Well."

"Even when the accident left the house difficult and it was just the two of us, I believed that that moment would last forever."

"is it."

"But at some point, the spinel started to change. Precisely, since people came to pay her parents' debts."

As Sinell's words continued, I felt the story start to fall apart.

The 'war city' in the story is never a happy place for everyone.

Where there are criminals, there are victims, and when there are happy people, there are unhappy people.

Sadly, it seems that Sinel was the latter.

"They talked about ridiculous amounts of money because they said they were paying interest on their parents' debts."

"...."

"Spinel said it was fine with me and tried to pay off my bounty hunter job… From then on, he slowly began to obsess over money... … ."

"I have become a criminal."

"Right. In the end, I killed them all and turned into a completely different person."

Everyone has a little darkness in their heart.

Even the genius Spinel is no exception.

Gradually get used to the feeling of killing people.

He becomes even more intoxicated by his magic that wields people.

In that way, a person is swallowed up little by little by the malice within him.

"But if I get stronger and earn enough money to satisfy Spinel. At that time, I think I will be able to bring back Spinel by force."

The story of Sinel and Spinel's past ended there.

I turned my eyes away from Sinel, and stared at the darkness outside the window for a moment.

No matter how hard you try, there are some things you cannot achieve.

It is an effort that is headed in the wrong direction from the start.

Hearing the story of a dream that couldn't come true, mixed with the magic of the moonlit night, it became a strange feeling.

"It's a good dream. Let me cheer you on."

He emptied the beer can in his hand and put it down.

Today, I am not a reader who only watches other people's stories.

He was another character who made the story of himself and the people around him with his own hands.

Even in a rough world, let's give a happy ending to me and my colleagues.

That determination began to bloom in my heart.

"So, I want to get a high salary."

"Puffy… … ."

And then it faded away in an instant.

Cole, cole.

The beer that had passed through my throat refluxed and I heard a sarray.

After snoring and coughing for a while, Sinel, who brought me a tissue, tapped me on the back.

I covered my mouth with a tissue and managed to calm the condition.

"Are you okay?"

"okay."

"I'm glad you seem to be okay."

"… … Thanks for your concern."

My heart, which I thought was a sad story, sank into the abyss.

At the end of the heartbreaking story, there was a story about asking for a higher salary, so the emotion that came from the front disappeared for a moment.

Is this the boss's mindset?

It feels like the way I see the world has changed.

"president."

When the coughing had completely subsided, Sinel, who had been patting me on the back, sat down next to me.

She brought a piece of French fries she ordered along with pizza to her mouth, and spoke to me, who was awake.

"I am listening."

"One in one. It is the principle of information merchants that there is no information without payment."

"There is such a principle."

"So now, please tell me your story."

It was Sinel who gave me back what I had told Spinel.

Of course, she's not an intelligence trader, and answering one piece of information for another was not an exact principle.

Still, there was one reason why Sinel brought up this story.

Now that I've finished telling my story, I meant to tell my story.

"Sinel."

"yes."

"I bought a pizza."

"...."

"The information fee has already been paid."

Sinel's blunt eyes looked at me.

But I had nothing to say.

what would you say

All my stories are lies from one to ten.

EP.20 Clover Bloom (5)

"...."

When I woke up, I blinked and looked up at the ceiling.

Last night I had a rather eerie nightmare.

Even if it was a nightmare, it was not enough to remember the details of the dream.

However, only the scene where he was caught by a monster and could not move was clearly revolving in his mind.

Maybe the hangover from last night was still there, and my whole body felt heavy.

I wanted to feel better after washing my face, so I rolled up the blanket to get up.

"Ummm… … ."

When I removed the blanket covering the bed, I saw Sinel holding my body tightly.

Sinel, who took off her goggles, was sleeping while clinging to me.

Only then did I understand why I had a dream that I had been captured by a monster last night.

If he had been caught in this way by Sinel all his sleep, it would have been strange not to have nightmares.

"under… … ."

What the hell was he thinking, sleeping next to him?

Anyway, she was a really great girl.

He reached out and grabbed Shinel's cheek while he was sleeping.

The soft cheeks held by his fingers stretched greatly, and Sinel, who had been sleeping comfortably, woke up.

"Ah… … ?"

"Sinel."

"… … president?"

I said as I let go of the hand that was holding Sinell's cheek.

"Are you awake?"

"Neep."

"This is my bed. Isn't it?"

"Right."

"But what is this situation?"

short silence.

Sinel's eyes alternately looked at the blanket and me.

She moved her gaze for a moment as if thinking deeply, then looked at me and opened her mouth.

"It was a little cold last night."

"therefore?"

"It was cold."

"...."

Does it mean that the weather was cold and he crawled into my bed?

okay. It is understandable that a blanket is needed when the weather is cold.

Still, I would usually go in the direction of looking for a blanket to cover, or something to use in place of the blanket.

But why did he leave the sofa and crawl onto my bed?

When I looked at Sinel with doubts, the answer that came back was the same as before.

"It was cold."

"… … okay."

"thank you."

I don't know what I'm thankful for, but it seemed clear that it wasn't a story that could be concluded by asking.

I got up from my seat with a sad smile.

Then, I picked up the shampoo and soap I had kept in the corner for cleaning.

"Are you going to wash up?"

"Prepare yourself. I'll have breakfast and go out."

"You're going out."

"I'm going to buy a present for you."

At the word "gift", Sinel made a mysterious expression.

Are you happy to give a gift, or do you not know why you are giving a gift?

It was still a face whose true intentions were not clearly known.

Sinel fiddled with the blanket nearby, then lifted her head again and looked at me.

"gift… … . What a gift."

"Well. We'll have to go see what exactly we'll be presenting. But, there is no doubt that it is an essential item for you."

"Is this something I need?"

"right. Sinel, where have you been, do you think I can call you?"

I have telepathic magic that allows me to communicate my intentions widely.

Therefore, as long as it did not go beyond the scope of the magic, it was possible to continuously give orders to Sinel.

Sinel nodded in affirmation to my question.

"yes. Because the boss has magic."

"But the role will be difficult."

"Yes."

"So, I'm going to set up a way to contact me."

Even if Sinel and I grew a little farther apart, there was no problem for me to give orders to Sinel.

But what if it's the other way around?

In all circumstances, it is impossible for me and Sinel to stick together.

There will always be situations in which Sinel, who is acting alone, has to report to me.

Even in such a situation, I was planning to give him an item that would allow him to quickly communicate with him by remotely confirming his location.

"Are you going to the black market?"

"Such equipment is quite expensive. If you plan to use it for a long time, it would be better to live in a certain place."

"then… … ."

"I plan to go to the department store in the central district."

Lessert Industries handles a variety of items besides firearms.

And among them, they were also supplying items that could be used by civilians to department stores.

If you don't need weapons, it's definitely better to go to a department store rather than a black market in terms of quality.

"It's a department store… It's something I haven't heard in a long time."

"If you understand, prepare quickly."

As I was thinking about going to the department store, there was an incident that flashed through my mind for a while.

I reached for the phone on the table and checked today's date.

Fortunately, there was still a lot of time until the attack on the department store that took place in the movie.

Even if we move today, we will not get caught up in the incident.

maybe.

* * * * * *

A dark alleyway.

Calvin, who had been leaning quietly against the wall inside, opened his eyes.

When they see him in the public domain, they say 'Calvin the Runaway Tank'.

Wearing a specially made full-plate armor and moving around, he was a well-known wanted criminal in the behind-the-scenes world.

And in front of such Calvin was a customer wearing a mask.

"You seem to be doing well."

Calvin nodded quietly at the masked man's words.

I don't know the name. I don't even know the face.

Nevertheless, the man in front of him was Calvin's customer.

He always gave Calvin's team a job with a huge down payment, and paid a hefty paycheck when the job was done successfully.

The man wearing the mask is quite suspicious, but in the first place, the backstreets of the city were all full of suspicious humans.

As long as the money was paid properly, Calvin had no reason to accuse him.

As always, suppressing the curiosity of the guest's face, Calvin asked the masked guest.

"Why did you contact me this time?"

"You have an urgent personality. It would be nice if we could talk comfortably."

The masked man made a funny gesture and said:

Calvin's eyes could not see the expression of the man behind the mask.

But Calvin, who was facing the mask, somehow felt as if the customer in front of him was laughing at him.

A person who does not like it on a scale of one to ten.

If it wasn't for the money, I would have shoved my fist into that mask once before.

"Because I'm not very talkative. Isn't it the neatest thing for each of us to just talk about our business and break up?"

"Isn't it fun to live like that? Calvin, you'd better be with people a little bit more."

"I don't like to talk for a long time with people I don't even know."

"It is a sad story that you are not being trusted. Well, that's good. So let's talk about what you've been waiting so long for."

Immediately after that, the man took out a piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it.

A silver-white earring was printed on the paper the man opened.

Although it has a luxurious design, except for that fact, it looked just like an ordinary earring.

Calvin looked at the man's open paper and said to him.

"what? They look like earrings."

"The earring is correct. It's not just an ordinary earring."

"Isn't this an ordinary earring?"

"These are earrings made with mithril."

Mithril. Even a small piece of metal bids an exorbitant price.

Calvin's expression hardened upon hearing the story from the man.

Mithril retains enough beauty to be processed into ornaments, but its true value lies elsewhere.

That's why Calvin couldn't understand the fact that he made earrings with mithril.

"Earrings with mithril? What kind of crazy person makes such a thing?"

"I do not know. There are quite a few people in the world where money rots. Surely there are people out there who want to show off their wealth in this way."

"So you're telling us to bring this thing?"

"I'm slowly getting used to it, so I understand the story quickly. you're right. That is what I am entrusting to you this time."

Bring me an earring with mithril.

Hearing the man's request, Calvin quickly tapped the calculator in his head.

The pay that men usually paid was not small at all.

However, if the item to be brought was a mithril, the profit that could be obtained, excluding the reward, was considerable.

Even if you don't give it to a man, many people are looking for it.

If information and the possibility of stealing were certain, it was not a bad story for Calvin himself.

"Where are the things?"

"It's in the safe in the department store in District 3. Of course, I do not know the exact location."

"Are you telling me to go through the department store until you find something?"

"But it would be a great opportunity if we could just find things. Of course, we will definitely pay the price."

"It is not a pay issue. The central area is too risky."

"If you and the Sanctifier work together, it's not completely impossible to get away with the security guard, isn't it?"

"...."

A once in a lifetime opportunity.

Will you take the risk and turn your life upside down at once, or will you give up your job and miss the customer in front of you?

Calvin, who had been contemplating, made a firm decision and looked at the man.

"How much can you give me?"

EP.21 Maze (1)

District 3, close to the central district, is one of the places where you can feel the splendor of the city.

Endless skyscrapers are lined up everywhere, crowds of people crowd the streets, and various electronic billboards are shining in the sky.

And the department store located at the center of those three districts was today's destination.

Sinell entered the department store with me and began to look around with curious eyes.

"It's just something that looks expensive… … ."

Said Sinell, who was looking around the luxurious department store.

Sinel has always been brought up in a poor environment.

It did not seem that she, who had been struggling with even paying the monthly rent, would have a hobby of shopping at department stores.

If I have such a hobby, I am definitely being deceived by Sinel.

If there are necessary items, most of them can be purchased nearby, so it seems that he did not come to the central district often.

"Is there anything you would like to have?"

"I want that."

I saw where Sinel's finger was pointing.

There, I could see the cat tower standing tall.

I looked at Sinel and the cat tower alternately, and got on the escalator with an expression that I didn't hear anything.

"It doesn't seem like it."

"… … president."

"The items you are looking for are upstairs."

The escalators going up smoothly were different from those in the outer districts.

Taking the escalator to the upper floor, the electronics section that fills the floor caught my eye.

New electronic products from well-known electronics companies in and outside the city were on display.

Among them, the products I was looking for today were also available from Lessert Industries.

As I was about to step towards the Lesser Industries, a young man in light clothes and a bodyguard in a suit passed by me.

"...."

A security guard passing in front of me made eye contact for a moment.

He wore a badge engraved with a piercing sword on the top of his suit.

The bodyguard, who looked at me for a short time, immediately started walking forward as if nothing had happened.

I opened my mouth as I looked at the young man and the bodyguard who were starting to get out of sight.

"The Knights of Nighttail."

A sword that pierces the wings.

It is rare in the city that people do not recognize that pattern.

This was because it was a symbol of the Knights of Nighttail.

The Knights of Nighttail is a bodyguard company that has combat personnel ranked among the top in the city.

At the very least, there were rumors that no crimes took place near the Nighttail headquarters.

"Nighttail?"

"A company specializing in factor security. It's a place where only well-tested guys are hired as bodyguards."

"I've heard of it."

It was even said that it was more certain to believe in Nighttail than to believe in the city's security forces.

Of course, no one could apply for Nighttail's security service.

The fact that Nighttail's bodyguards were following him was proof that the young man he had just passed by was quite precious.

Since it is a very different place from the outskirts where we lived, it was not unusual to see young people who just passed by.

As I watched the young man disappearing, I turned my head again and started walking again.

"It is best not to get entangled. They are the ones who put trust first, so if they are wrong, they will fight the security forces."

"That would be great."

"They are literally crazy about security."

thump, thump.

The place where we moved and arrived was the place where the logo of Lessor Industries was hung.

exploration supplies. communication supplies. Electronic devices of L'Esert Industries with various names were lined up around it.

Among the equipment, cheap ones cost hundreds of credits, and expensive ones cost tens of thousands of credits.

As Sinell and I began to browse the equipment, a nearby employee came and greeted us.

"This is Lesser Industries. Is there something you are looking for?"

"I am looking for a communication device with good portability. If possible, I would like to be able to track the location."

"You are looking for a communication device. If so, I recommend you take a look at this stand."

"Do that."

Various types of communication equipment were provided at the stand guided by the clerk.

There were a variety of items, from fairly large satellite communication equipment to small but long-distance radios that could communicate.

As I looked at the various objects lined up on the shelf, I found a small piece of equipment in one corner.

Small earsets that were written to continuously emit a location tracking signal were on display.

"It's an earphone."

"The battery life is 76 hours. It is quite long."

"It's a small thing, could it help?"

I picked up one of the boxes with the earphones in it.

Then he pulled the hair near the nape of his neck and brought it closer to Sinel's ear.

It is an item that matches the color of Sinel's goggles.

It felt like it would fit pretty well when I unpacked it and put it in my ear.

"It suits you well."

"… … is that so."

For some reason, Sinel's ears felt a little warm.

I waved what I was holding and called the clerk again.

The clerk who approached me gave me detailed instructions on how to use it, starting with the advantages of the product.

When I heard the story, when I bought a terminal and connected a channel, it seemed to relay the current location of the earphone to me.

7,000 credits for the handset. Anything else was 5,000 credits each.

Although it was by no means a small expense, it was an investment for himself and for Synell's future.

Without investment for development, it was never possible to survive long.

"Let me count."

I picked up the red, green, and black earphones.

One is an object for Synel to use.

And the other two were for myself and my future subordinates, which I'll be using temporarily for the time being.

The clerk who received the goods I brought brought them to the checkout counter.

"thank you. Please use it again next time."

The total purchase cost for the equipment was 22,000 credits.

Of course, it was the price including the terminal.

As soon as I finished paying for the earphones, I unwrapped the package and handed one to Sinel.

Sinel took the green earset and looked at it for a moment, then put it in her ear to check the fit.

"It seems like a good fit."

"When you go out, take it with you. Don't forget to charge it while you're at the office."

"yes."

There was nothing urgent enough to use the equipment right now.

Connecting a separately purchased terminal to a channel will be fine later.

After checking the appearance of Sinel wearing the earphones, I lifted the bag containing the rest of the items.

This is the first department store I visited after becoming Percival's body.

It would be nice to see what the world's department stores look like, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to try the high-end food sold at the restaurant.

Today, I was thinking of taking Sinel and looking around a bit more and enjoying the department store.

"So, Usher. I'm quietly saying... … ."

However, I came face to face with an unexpected person and stopped my steps.

A girl with golden hair fluttering brilliantly was passing in front of her.

The girl's identity was a person I and Sinel knew well.

Perhaps the woman who was passing right in front of me had also found me, so she immediately stopped and looked at me.

"you… … ."

Nay Terdos.

A special inspector belonging to the National Security Agency was here.

Naturally, behind her, the protagonist of the work, Usher Hayes, stood with a dissatisfied face.

As our eyes met, Usher's sharp gaze passed me by.

"What a wonderful coincidence. I will meet you in a place like this."

"What did you come here for?"

When I talked to Nei, who had a puzzled face, she came to my senses and showed a calm face and asked me.

The question was, what purpose did you come to the department store?

Looking back, it was also a really stupid question.

"I don't know if there is more than one thing I will come to the department store. Of course, the purpose is shopping."

"Ugh. Yeah, that's right... … ."

"What is your purpose here?"

"It's a matter of the security guard. I have no reason to tell you."

As soon as I heard Nei, I realized that something was wrong.

The content of the work and the time period of the event were out of line.

And as if to prove it, alarms began to sound from all directions to indicate a fire.

Usher rushed towards Nei amidst the piercing noise.

"Yes! stand back!"

"Usher… … ?"

thud. With a heavy sound, the concrete wall rose from where Nei was.

The thick wall that rose in an instant reached the ceiling and completely blocked the road.

Fortunately, thanks to Usher, who used the blink in one beat, Nei didn't get crushed.

However, the concrete walls rising from the ground were not all there.

thud. thud. thud. thud.

Concrete walls ascending one after another divided the divisions within the building, creating the appearance of a maze.

"Yes. Is your body okay?"

"I'm okay. But what's happening now... … ."

There is only one wizard that closes a space in this way.

Sanctuary Nicholas.

An instant mage of 4 circles using a 'stone wall'.

He, who was one of the culprits in the raid on the department store, is here.

"… … Something annoying has happened."

Unfortunately, it seems that we were caught up in a department store raid.

I sighed and looked at Usher and Nei.

Sanctuary Nicholas. And the chariot Calvin.

This duo of raiders was not overly compatible with most of the 'weapon' mages in battle.

EP.22 Maze (2)