2

EP.22 Maze (2)

"… … 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.

"president. What should I do."

Sinell, who was standing next to him, asked, stroking the sudden concrete wall.

It is a wall that looks quite thick even to the naked eye.

To move to another place, you must destroy that wall, but it is difficult to even create a crack with a moderate amount of impact.

No matter how much Sinel was a 4th circle wizard who used Haste, there was a limit to what he could solve by increasing his speed.

"I have no intention of doing anything."

"president?"

"Anyway, we don't get along well. It would be better to leave it to the security guards over there."

Having told Sinel the answer, I sat down on a nearby chair.

Nicholas, called the Fortress, can freely create walls through his magic.

Even bullets couldn't penetrate the wall made like that, and just passing through it had to use a lot of force.

Moreover, even if they somehow pass through this wall, somewhere beyond that, Calvin, the so-called runaway tank, is holding up.

At least inside this building, it was impossible for the two of Sinel to pursue Nicholas.

"is that so. That's too bad."

Perhaps Sinel also understood my intentions, or gave up moving and took a seat next to me.

We are not a police force, and we do not have to solve everything ourselves.

Because the raid on the department store was a case that could only be solved with Usher and Nei alone.

However, the security guards over there seemed to have a slightly different opinion.

"… … That is all. We are asking for assistance as quickly as possible."

Nei, who was glancing over here next to Usher, put down the radio and started to approach me right away.

Usher, who was holding Nei, also moved after Nei.

She stopped right in front of me, looked down at me and opened her mouth.

"There, Dark Merchant."

"What is the purpose?"

"I heard you say, you seem to know something about what happened?"

Apparently, he realized something by overhearing our conversation.

The information about the department store raid wasn't something to hide, so it didn't matter if Nei overheard it.

On the contrary, it didn't seem difficult to extort money from Nei if used well.

Although it would be difficult to pay for the information fee with an ordinary security guard's wage, Ney Terdos is one of the most prestigious ladies in the city.

It wasn't impossible to pay the information fee if it was a little overkill.

"okay. You know."

"You know I'm a security guard, don't you? I would appreciate it if you could help me solve the case."

Hearing Nei's words, I snorted.

I wonder if the security forces would ask for cooperation and they wouldn't refuse.

Considering the status of the security forces in this city, her proposal was quite ridiculous.

"… … Are you asking for free now?"

Perhaps that prediction was not wrong, Nei glared at me with a raised expression.

She entered the police force with a noble mission to protect the city.

It was not unreasonable that Nei Terdos could not fully understand the situation in his way of thinking.

"People's safety is at stake."

"Being an information merchant is a job where you risk your life to make money."

"Do you like money that much? To the extent that it doesn't matter if someone else dies?"

"I don't care what you say. But I have no intention of moving without cost."

Of course, even without my information, the two of them can finish this case without any problems.

But it was only going to be a lot of hard work in the process.

Nei sighed and shook her head, her gaze turned to my palm.

"okay. How much is it."

"Eighty thousand."

"Eight thousand? Are you going to play with me now?"

Nei, who heard the price of 80,000, was terrified and backed away.

80,000 credits. It was an amount that Nei could pay only if Nei was overdoing it in moderation.

You don't really understand what's going on yet, and you don't want to spend your money on what I can give you.

But I had enough cards to convince her.

I stretched out eight fingers and looked at Nei with a smile.

"What's wrong with 80 thousand? Mithril may fall into the hands of criminals."

"you… … ."

"For service, the purpose of this crime is to steal Mithril. You know better what a mithril is."

"...."

Nei's face darkened upon hearing the word Mithril.

However, it was a different person unexpectedly who got caught by the bait I threw at Nei.

Usher Hayes.

The protagonist who was standing behind Nei stepped forward.

"Did I say dark merchant?"

"okay."

"You seem to have a fairly rare type of magic. maybe… It must be a magic that works similar to finding out the future."

Usher isn't as sassy as the girl he's after.

Even in the play, he was too good-natured.

It wasn't exactly the magic I had, but his attitude of doubting the source of the information was quite burdensome.

I pretended to be calm and asked Usher.

"What do you mean?"

"There is always an order in the information an information merchant acquires. And there are priorities in the information we collect. Unless you're with them, you seem to have some special magic."

"Well. I don't know what you want or what you're saying."

"Are you just going to pass? Well, if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. Because everyone has a secret."

After speaking, Usher turned to Nei.

And he told her right away.

"Yes. Buy this guy some information."

He was suspicious of me and persuaded Nei to buy information.

Usher's attitude, which was the opposite of that of the previous one, showed Nei a look of embarrassment.

"Usher… … . Aren't you being mean to say it's not your money?"

"If Mithril was really here, it would be the police department that would be troubled with more than 80,000 credits."

"… … ."

"If there is a problem, I take responsibility for it."

"… … okay. I'll give you eight thousand."

At Usher's persuasion, Nei had no choice but to nod her head.

Nei has a deep trust in Usher.

It would be more effective for Usher to give brief advice than to persuade.

I was able to earn 80,000 credits thanks to Usher, but I couldn't help but feel nervous when I got help from someone who doubted me.

"So, can you pay the bill now?"

"It's hard right now. I'll go back and pay it, so please cooperate first."

"I'm sure the security guards won't take a lot of money, so trust me for now."

Nei's personality would not go unnoticed.

Now that I have received a confirmation about money, hand over the information and that's it.

Tock, tock.

I tap the bag next to me with my finger to organize my thoughts.

what to say How far should I say

After arranging my words for a while, I looked at Nei and opened my mouth.

"Then I will give you the information. One is a strength user in circle 5. It's a runaway tank... … ."

"no. Dark Merchant, guide yourself."

But my words were cut off immediately by Usher.

Rather than hearing information about the other person from me, Usher wanted me to guide her.

"Are you telling me to fight with you right now?"

"Aren't you also a bounty hunter? I don't know what the problem is. Do something worth 80,000 credits."

"I have no intention of giving my life for 80,000 credits."

"… … They let me deal with them. Just guide me."

In order to catch them anyway, Usher's existence is essential.

If he takes responsibility and comes to the front and fights, there would be nothing wrong with accompanying them.

It's also safer than running into Calvin when they're not there.

On the contrary, as much as I, who knew information on behalf of Nei, accompanied me, the time might have been shortened.

Having made my decision, I stood up and kicked my tongue.

"But how are you going to get through this wall? Are you planning to tear off the wall with Blink?"

"Why would you do such an inefficient thing? As long as you and I cross this wall, that's it."

"What?"

"The number of people I can take at my level is limited to one person. It is enough for you to follow."

I didn't know about it because Usher took Nei across the 'War City', but it seems that there is a limit of one person who can take Nei with Blink.

If there was only one person to be with, the target was of course fixed.

It was absolutely impossible for me to cross the wall with Sinel.

"Yeah, don't do that. Sinel."

"Yes, sir."

"Guard that girl here."

"yes?"

I handed the bag I was carrying to Sinel.

Sinel blinked and looked at the bag I had given her, then nodded and embraced it dearly.

Usher also approached Nei to solve her problem.

He stopped right in front of Nei and pointed his finger at the scarf he was wearing around his neck.

"Yes. Release the restrictions."

"okay. Do you want to solve it all?"

"He said he was a fifth circle. That would be better."

"Code E172. In the name of Special Inspector Ney Terdos, I request that the level 4 restrictions be lifted."

- "Check Permissions. Approved. This temporary measure will last for 3 hours."

profit. shudder.

With the sound of metal fricatives, dense magical powers swirled in all directions.

The suppression device that lowered the magic output used by the monitoring target to 1 circle has lost its effectiveness.

The magician of the 5th circle, Usher Hayes, had regained his true power.

EP.23 Maze (3)

"Is this really right?"

Sanctuary Nicholas.

He was called the Fortress because of his wall-building magic, looking at Calvin standing next to him in a full-plate outfit.

The full plate, which is frustrating just looking at it, was different from the armor worn by the knights in the literature in its thickness.

Even with the naked eye, it is so thick that it is impossible to even penetrate it with any bullet.

Therefore, only Calvin, who had strength magic, could wear and move.

It may be because that simple, ignorant armor obscures his vision, but in his experience, Calvin had a considerable guiding temperament.

"You seem suspicious again."

"It's weird not to be suspicious. The number of times you went wrong is already out of your fingertips."

"… … It's because you put up a wall around it."

"Thanks to the wall, you are safe."

Calvin let out a short sigh and slammed the iron door hard.

bang!

Calvin's fists slammed into the iron gates, and the iron gates that stood in front of them collapsed and fell.

Behind the door that Calvin had blown up were security guards standing with guns.

Seeing them, Nicholas stepped back and told Calvin.

"It looks like you found it well this time."

"I would have said I was right."

"Oh yeah. you were right It's finally true, it's so great."

"It would be better to trust your colleagues a little."

Calvin and Nicholas are arguing bitterly with each other, but the security guards are not waiting for them.

bang! bang! Taang!

The guns of the security guards spewed fire one after another.

Even though numerous bullets were flying towards Calvin, Calvin ignored them and took a stance to rush.

gang. Kaang.

A sharp clash between metals resounded, and the bullets that hit Calvin's armor were crushed and deflected.

The bullets fired by the security guards could not penetrate Calvin's thick armor and bounced off.

"The bullet… … ?"

"Don't stop shooting!"

Embarrassed, security guards opened fire again.

However, despite continuous firing, the bullets leaving the muzzle did not inflict effective damage.

storm truck. That's what Calvin was referring to in this city.

It was partly because of his armor, which was hard enough to be reminiscent of the armor of a tank, and partly because of Calvin's fighting style, which rushed without fear.

Calvin, who had been blocking the pouring bullets, took a deep breath and threw his crouched body.

The joints of the flexible armor received the load, and Calvin's body was fired like a cannon.

Koo!

At the same time as the broken floor tiles scatter in all directions, Calvin's body, which flew away at high speed, met the security guard.

A heavy crashing sound echoed around.

The security guard who collided with Calvin was crushed and screamed.

"Cuckoo!"

Calvin, who had knocked down one in an instant, shifted his gaze.

A nearby security guard tried to pull the trigger, but Calvin's hand was quicker to grab the gun.

right. Woodduck.

The barrel caught in the thick gauntlet bends like a peephole.

Confused, the security guard looked at the rifle he was holding and Calvin alternately.

And Calvin's fist pierced his head.

"...."

With the newly silenced security guard behind him, Calvin turned his head in search of another prey.

The faces of the security guards around them were all drenched in fear.

Even if the opponent is a magician, bullets are likely to be lodged in his body.

The sense of despair they felt toward the opponent, to whom their attack did not work at all, was indescribable.

bang! Wow!

Only after Calvin's heavy fists were active several more times, Nicholas, who was watching from behind, returned to his side.

"Are you organized?"

"It's all over. It's fresher than I thought."

"You did it very splendidly."

Around Calvin, a number of security guards that could not be counted with one hand were lying on the ground.

His strength, strengthened by the strength magic of the 5th circle, is at the level of tearing even an iron plate with his bare hands.

For an ordinary person, even a single blow would be fatal.

Calvin looked at Nicholas as he scraped the blood that had clinged to his armor.

"They aren't even ready to warm up."

"I will. But don't take the security guard lightly. They are hunters who come with specialized equipment."

"Know."

District 3 was different from the outskirts of the city in terms of quality of security.

If you were overconfident in your own strength and made an arrogant judgment, you could end up in a cage in no time.

It was Nicholas who had already witnessed numerous criminals being executed at the hands of the security forces.

Having warned Calvin to remind him of that, he walked forward to gain access to the vault.

"great. Shall we go in then?"

"… … for a moment."

Nicholas opens the door and is about to go inside.

Calvin, who was walking after Nicholas, stopped and looked back.

Nicholas leaned against the door to see Calvin's suspicious look and asked him.

"Calvin. What else is going on?"

"There are guys chasing you."

"Are they chasing them?"

"The numbers don't seem like a lot."

pursuers after them.

and fewer numbers.

After hearing Calvin's information, Nicholas made a decision in his head.

police. bounty hunter. security guard.

Either way, a handful of personnel seemed to be moving to stop them.

"Calvin. Are you going to clean it up yourself?"

"Let's get this done and come back soon."

"Don't die by being careless. It's hard to find a colleague like you again."

"It's a useless worry."

Lightly passing over Nicholas' worried words, Calvin started running towards the concrete wall blocking the way.

thud. thud. thud. thud.

The sound of footsteps from the heavy full plate echoed through the department store.

Nicholas looked at Calvin like that, sighed and turned his gaze back to the safe.

* * * * * *

Shortly after Usher stopped the restraints hanging around his neck, I went with him over the first wall blocking us.

When I crossed the thick wall with blinking at once, a slight dizziness came.

There is a gap between the sense of balance before and after using Blink.

That minutely shifted sense was creating a problem.

The level of dizziness was not severe, but it seemed that a moderate amount of rest was necessary between crossing the wall.

Usher, who was still intact even after using Blink in succession, looked amazing.

"Usher Hayes."

As the dizziness subsided, I called out the name of Usher, who had been looking around me since right after I jumped over the wall.

At that, Usher stopped searching and looked at me with dissatisfied eyes.

The reason was obvious.

Not only Usher himself here, nor Nei, who was with him, never mentioned Usher's full name.

I was surprised that I knew all of Usher's name.

"… … Did you know my name?"

"I am Percival Smith. Please do me a favor."

"You, too, you figured out my name, too. Do you have any hobbies of investigating the security forces behind the scenes?"

"I don't have that kind of hobby. However, it is only simple to get to know the important people in this city."

Asked Usher, who smirked at my words.

"Am I important in this city?"

"You must be in a position to protect the maiden of the Terdos family. Are you saying that it doesn't matter?"

"That's a pretty plausible excuse. Yes, let it be."

"It's not an excuse, it's the truth."

It wasn't completely empty.

Nei Terdos was one of the few who could be called upper class in this city.

She entered the police force with such an identity and was doing her best.

It was also the reason why Usher was guaranteed convenience compared to other hunting dogs.

"So, where do you plan to go now?"

"First of all, we should look for a signboard or something."

"An information board?"

"If the elevator is okay, it's better to ride it down."

Concrete walls created by Nicholas created arbitrary compartments inside the department store.

The mere existence of each wall restricts everyone's access to the department store.

Still, did he dare to break the elevator in the department store?

I figured it probably wasn't.

"Do I have to move to another floor?"

"There are accessories made of mithril in the safe. That is most likely where the raiders are aiming."

"You seem to know the location of the safe now."

"okay. I will guide you there."

"That information must be top secret, how did you get your hands on it?"

Usher was still asking sharp questions.

I answered his question without hesitation while pretending to be calm.

"This is information that even thieves know. Is it that strange that I know?"

"He's a slick guy until the very end."

"That is the essential virtue of first-class business."

"… … I will jump over the wall again. Get ready."

thump, thump.

Having said that, Usher headed to the concrete wall opposite.

I followed him and walked closer to the wall.

When I arrived next to Usher, who followed, Usher grabbed my shoulder and raised my magic power.

"[Blink]."

At the same time as Usher, who caught me, used magic, her view changed once again.

As before, a small roar shook his insides.

I took a short breath and calmed my body.

As his shaky vision returned to its original position, this time two dolls appeared in front of him.

"What are these guys doing?"

A young man with a clean face and a man in a suit standing behind him.

Those who faced Sinel were standing in our way.

Knights of Nighttail. In an era of chaos, a man who claimed to be a knight stared at us with a sharp gaze.

EP.24 Maze (4)

"What are these guys doing?"

A young man with a clean face and a man in a suit standing behind him.

Those who faced Sinel were standing in our way.

Knights of Nighttail. In an era of chaos, a man who claimed to be a knight stared at us with a sharp gaze.

"Is it the Knights of Nighttail?"

"I would have asked for your identity."

The bodyguard did not back down and turned his eyes to this side.

The entire department store is paralyzed by an unknown assailant.

It was natural for them to be suspicious of the person they met for the first time.

Perhaps Usher had finished judging his opponent quickly, took a notebook from his pocket and moved forward.

"This is Usher Heize from the 7th Special Task Force. We are currently acting autonomously with the permission of the supervisor."

This is a handbook for mobile workers issued by the security forces.

The bodyguard stepped forward to check Usher's notebook.

He looked at the notebook in Usher's hand for a moment, then turned back with a sullen expression on his face.

"It was a hunting dog of the security guard. Just pass by."

"Just ask me. Have you met any suspicious guys?"

"none. There must be something for the security guard, so let it go out quickly."

Even within the security guard, the image of a hunting dog is not good.

They commit crimes against humanity in the first place, and instead of serving a sentence, they go out to hunt criminals.

Not to mention if the opponent was a member of the Knights of Nighttail.

From his point of view, looking at the hunting dog, there was never a clear gaze.

To his words mixed with rough thorns, Usher responded as if nothing had happened.

"… … okay. Don't do that."

"...."

Although it didn't show much on the outside, he could see subtle cracks on Usher's face.

However, the current Usher cannot cause friction.

Not only was he wearing a security guard restraint around his neck, but what he was now carrying was the name of Ney Terdos.

But as I watched, I felt something on my chest.

I didn't like the current situation at all.

"Dark Merchant. this one doesn't seem Go wherever you are going."

Even after listening to Usher, I did not move after him.

This city is a world of weak meat.

And the opponent is a strong member of the Knights of Nighttail, located at the top of the food chain.

But that was no reason for me to stand still.

This dangerous city moves nonstop.

If I too do not constantly move, the moving city will someday begin to suffocate my breath.

okay. Don't sit still and be ignored.

"Did you ever see anything there?"

I grabbed Usher's shoulder and stepped forward, speaking to the young man in front of me.

Then the young man leaning against the window looked at me with surprised eyes.

Of course, the eyes of the bodyguard who was guarding the young man next to him were not good.

Lively eyes were illuminating my figure.

"What are you? Please don't talk to the vice president recklessly."

"So what are you? You are the one who does not speak recklessly to me."

"What… … ?"

The bodyguard's face turned instantly into embarrassment.

As he frowned and was about to say something, the young man next to him waved his hand.

The young man who moved his hand smiled and said to the bodyguard.

"haha… All right, Van. It's fun to watch, but what?"

"But, Vice President… … ."

"Unfortunately, I don't remember seeing anyone. I'm sorry I couldn't be of any help."

"is it. Thank you for your cooperation."

Unlike the man he called Van, the young man accepted my conversation with a docile attitude.

I thought it was because of the young man's instructions that a bodyguard named Ban showed such an attitude, but what the young man showed was somewhat unexpected.

He waved his hand to summon the bodyguard and asked me.

"By the way, what's your name?"

"Why are you curious about my name?"

"I want to be someone to remember."

Someone worth remembering

It could be good or it could be bad.

Either way, there was no need to refrain from giving names.

I gladly gave the young man a full name.

"Percival Smith. He is an information trader."

"Dark Merchant Percival Smith. great. I am Regan Herenans. One of the vice presidents of Herenants Bank."

youthful identity.

It was the vice president of Hereanants Bank.

Surprised by Regan's identity, I did the calculations in my head for a while, when I heard a loud sound of a propeller coming from a nearby window.

At the sound of the ringing in my ears, Usher's gaze naturally turned out the window.

A helicopter hovered over the translucent glass of a department store.

"Looks like you just arrived. Nice to meet you."

"… … I'm thinking of escaping."

"Did you say Percival Smith? I hope to see you again if there is a chance next time."

Only then did I understand why Regan was standing looking out the window.

It is money that moves the world.

Someone was locked up in a department store waiting for the rescue of the security forces, but someone else was not.

And Regan Herenants was the latter.

* * * * * *

Inside the elevator moving towards the floor where the safe is located.

Through the tightly closed window of the elevator, colorful lights from lights seep in one after another.

Usher Hayes looked at it with great eyes and called me.

"The Dark Merchant."

"Again, I am Percival."

"It's not very important. Putting that aside, why did you go out earlier?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"The vice president of the bank. An information merchant your size would have known what it was, but why did you do something that might seem hateful?"

It was Usher who was making a huge mistake.

I'm just a person who knows the story's development, not like a directory that tells everyone in the world.

I just thought that a person named Regan would be like a master of a well-to-do family.

In fact, it was a reasonable guess.

However, since it was difficult to elaborate on the inside story, I spit out the words as much as I could.

"It's a whim."

"It's a funny whim."

"why. Did you not like it?"

"no. not bad."

eating. Usher said with a light smile.

Ji-ing. As soon as the brief conversation was over, the elevator door opened.

The elevator travel time was not long enough to have an in-depth conversation with someone.

Usher got out of the elevator and started leading towards the safe, silencing the sound of footsteps.

"… … Is this the right way?"

nod.

He nodded at the faint voice of Usher.

On this floor where we are currently staying, there is a special safe room that holds the mithril.

If he moved while making a loud noise, this location could be discovered by Calvin and his group, who were moving aiming at the mithril.

It was necessary to move more carefully than before.

"… … The number on the wall looks small."

"… … exactly."

When I turned my head to look around, there were fewer concrete walls that caught my eye than the other floors.

Bullet casings and bloodstains that fell to the floor were also noticeable.

It was a sign of a fierce battle.

If you follow the traces of the battle, you will surely find the appearance of the raiders not far away.

"Stand close. I will jump over the wall."

The long trail of blood ended up being blocked by the concrete wall.

Usher leaned against the wall with quiet steps and put her ear to the wall.

Tock, tock.

Immediately after Usher's fist lightly tapped the wall, he moved his hand to signal me.

"I do."

"[Blink]."

Usher on the wall grabbed me with his hand.

Immediately after that, his vision spread and dizziness spread throughout his body.

After experiencing the same phenomenon over and over again, I wondered how much I had adapted to Blink's aftereffects.

The motion sickness that was shaking my head subsided a little faster than before.

As I caught my breath, I looked ahead and saw bloodstains all over the place.

"Why did the rats come here?"

"… … Calvin."

A ferocious voice echoes against the wall.

In our normal vision, a large man wearing heavy full-plate armor was standing in our way.

The culprit in the department store raid we are pursuing was Calvin, the runaway tank.

As I spoke Calvin's name without realizing it, Calvin said, peeking through his helmet, his ferocious eyes.

"Do you know me?"

"For there to be more than one person wearing that crazy armor."

"I do, that's right."

I put my hand in my arms and pulled out a pistol.

shudder. The heavy feeling of the pistol with the safety device released wrapped around his palm.

Facing my pistol, Calvin posed to run at me.

Of course, if his thick full-plate armor was the opponent, the pistol I had could not inflict effective damage.

Of course, the battle had to be fought for Usher, who was next to me.

"For what purpose did you raid this place?"

"I will tell you… … ."

"[Blink]."

Usher rolled over the sleeves of his coat and asked Calvin.

Just as Calvin was about to reply, Usher used Blink to move on top of Calvin.

Embarrassed by the sudden disappearance of Usher, Calvin moved his eyes to find Usher.

"Do the same thing… … !"

Usher, who had shifted above Calvin, fell straight down and reached out.

Usher's hand aimed at Calvin's head.

Calvin, who looked around, noticed something and raised his head, then met Usher's palm approaching him.

However, Calvin was also a first-class mercenary with numerous battle experiences.

He swings his arms with an insane rate of reaction, trying to push Usher away.

At that moment, Usher disappeared again and came back to my side.

"I was aiming for the head, sorry."

Whoops.

The thick gauntlets fell to the ground with a heavy sound.

area bind.

Usher's fighting skills to capture space and transfer it were unfolded.

Calvin glared at Usher, holding on to the cross section of the broken arm.

EP.25 Maze (5)

"I was aiming for the head, sorry."

Whoops.

The thick gauntlets fell to the ground with a heavy sound.

area bind.

Usher's fighting skills to capture space and transfer it were unfolded.

Calvin glared at Usher, holding on to the cross section of the broken arm.

"Ugh… You have some fun magic."

"Fun magic?"

"No, I have to say it was fun to write."

Perhaps he was enduring the pain with extreme mental strength, Calvin bit his lip and moved his bloodshot eyes.

It is a wound that makes it difficult for an ordinary person to even move.

But Calvin went beyond that and showed a habit of stopping bleeding in a radical way.

wow!

It was crushed by grabbing the cut section with the gauntlet on the other side.

Usher looked at Calvin like that, and took advantage of Calvin's fist move and used Blink.

"[Blink]."

"Do you think you will get hit twice?"

At the same time that Usher, who was standing next to him, disappeared, Calvin swung his arm toward the place where Usher appeared.

After using Blink, there is a little time interval until the next Blink is used.

In the case of having magic in a special way like Usher, the gap was twice that of Blink's original.

For some, it was a short period of time, but that brief moment was the moment when Usher became vulnerable to all attacks.

"… … Step back."

Seeing Calvin's arm swinging towards Usher, I pulled the trigger of the pistol that was pointed at Calvin.

Taang! bang!

With a percussion sound, Usher leaned back.

Naturally, the bullets fired hit Calvin's armor and bounced off.

But it was enough to create a momentary break against Calvin.

Usher, who managed to dodge Calvin's fist, returned to my side using Blink again.

"I owe you."

"… … Pay it back later."

"If you allow it. [Blink]."

After speaking, Usher used Blink again.

The first attack is the most intimidating battle using Blink.

If an opponent with a fast reaction speed starts to be wary of it later, even as Usher, he has to enter with tension.

Calvin had strength as well as strength, but he was showing quicker movements than others.

"Ugh… … ."

Calvin frowned and lowered his head, as if he couldn't completely stand the pain rising from his arm.

Usher took the opportunity to move to Calvin's side, but when he saw Calvin swinging his one arm at high speed, he backed away again.

Calvin was on the lookout for a surprise attack from Usher moving into the blind spot.

Did he decide that he couldn't succeed in a surprise attack as easily as before?

Usher pulled a pistol from a holster inside the court and pointed the gun at Calvin.

"[Blink]."

Usher with a pistol started firing bullets, widening the distance with a blink.

bang! bang! bang!

It shoots bullets aiming at the joint of the armor, and when Calvin starts running, it immediately transfers to the other side.

Usher's appearance of firing bullets from various directions was close to a kind of miracle.

But Calvin's armor was too hard to pierce with bullets.

Blink is the only way to finish it.

I needed a gap.

A clear gap in which Blink can be used while in contact with Calvin.

"You're running away just fine."

"Do you want to catch it?"

"Oh yeah! Of course, I really want to catch it!"

Calvin, who had been chasing him, turned around this time, perhaps feeling a little annoyed at playing with Usher.

Then he raised the corners of his mouth and started charging towards me.

It seemed that Usher, who was difficult to catch, would take care of me first.

If Calvin and I had a head-to-head match, there was little chance that this side would win.

There was no reason to accept this fight.

I brought my hand to my waist and pulled out a small smoke bomb hanging from my waist.

At the same time, he moved his eyes to confirm Usher's current location.

Perhaps Usher was trying to protect me from Calvin, so she had moved closer to the concrete wall we had passed over.

click. He pulled out the safety pin and threw the smoke grenade on the floor.

- "Don't move there. I go there."

"… … What?"

tooth profit.

Immediately after the smoke began to spread from the smoke grenade, I ran towards the concrete wall nearby.

It is a space where air flow is not smooth due to the concrete walls surrounding it.

It was an instant when a smoke screen with no room to escape completely blocked our view.

Equally blind, the only means of discerning movement is sound.

I used telepathy towards Calvin, clinging close to the concrete wall.

- "I am here."

- "I am here."

- "I am here."

- "I am here."

- Bang! Taang!

It spreads the voice everywhere with the purpose of disturbing the direction.

I spread the sound in various directions, but I also didn't forget to put more weight on the direction opposite to where I was.

The boy shouted in a bewildered voice at the presence he could feel from all directions.

"How many people are there!"

- "I am here."

- "I am here."

- "I am here."

- "I am here."

- "I am here."

- Bang! bang! bang! bang!

bang! Wow!

A harsh crash sound could be heard as if he was swinging his fists at nearby obstacles.

I took the opportunity to approach Usher, who was attached to the wall.

In the smoke screen, the figure could not be fully identified, but only the outline was vaguely visible.

"Usher Hayes. Take me and carry me through the wall."

"What do you think?"

"I remembered the operation. Transfer quickly."

There was no time for long conversations.

Usher nodded and grabbed me.

"[Blink]."

Usher and I moved across the wall in an instant with the smoke screen surrounding us.

After the metastasis, a slight rumbling turns inside out.

Behind the wall, Calvin was still rioting, something broke and exploded.

As I leaned against the wall to catch my breath, Usher, who returned the pistol to the holster, asked me.

"Dark Merchant, what are you going to do?"

"Stand aside. It will attract attention."

"Are you getting attention?"

I didn't mean to forcefully go out in front of him just because he got attention.

Simply because this side has a positional advantage, it can create a sufficiently menacing gap.

"Probably, if he wants to come this way, he will have to break down this wall."

"then… … ."

"I'll make a gap, and in the meantime, grab his head."

Usher nodded and set a reasonable distance from me.

After confirming that Usher had retreated, I raised the gun toward the sky.

Taang!

While telepathically amplifying the reverberating sound and sending it out, I took a few steps back from where the pistol was fired.

Immediately after that, a crack appeared in the wall, and a metal arm broke through the wall.

"Rats, you were here!"

Calvin's ferocious eyes stared at me through the wall.

It was a terrifying gaze that would not be strange even if the ears were welling up from his eyes.

I quietly pointed the pistol I was holding at him in exchange for a welcome greeting.

At the same time, Usher's hand came out of the smoke screen and grabbed Calvin's head.

Suddenly, Usher entered the smoke screen using Blink and caught Calvin's back.

"… … [Blink]."

Koo!

As Usher's hand on his head disappeared, Calvin's massive body crumbled to the floor.

Calvin's head was still in Usher's hand, who was glaring at me with a ferocious look.

It is said that there is nothing but a helmet, but it is by no means a light weight.

tongue. Degur.

Usher threw what she was holding onto the floor and came up to me, shaking her hands.

Maybe it was because one annoying enemy had disappeared, but the expression on his face seemed a bit sloppy.

"It's pretty good. He's an intelligence trader, and he seems to be good at fighting wizards as well."

"It doesn't matter. There is still one enemy left, so don't slow down."

The opponent is a team of two.

Until the one remaining was captured, this work wasn't completely over.

Usher then looked at Calvin's collapsed face and asked me.

"What kind of guy is the other one?"

At Usher's question, I remembered the person's personal details.

Sanctuary Nicholas.

He has excellent magic for taking control of facilities.

In simple combat, Calvin's side would be better than that, but Nicholas' side was more effective if it was supposed to move with a group.

The reason these guys were able to carry out such a daring operation was because they covered each other's needs.

"Stone wall magic. He's the guy who uses it to make walls."

"Stone wall magic. Was it the culprit who made this wall?"

"okay. If you use Blink, it will be easier to deal with."

If you create a wall, it is enough to jump over it with Blink.

Even so, Usher missed Nicholas in the original.

Naturally, the cause was Nei Terdos.

EP.26 Maze (6)

thump, thump.

The path leading to the vault room where Nicholas is.

Concrete walls were rare in front of Calvin's fall, so he didn't have to use Blink as often as before and jump over walls.

In addition, Usher is still in a situation where one battle is ahead.

For that reason, Usher, who was behind me, spoke to me as I was walking in the lead on behalf of him.

"Hey, Dark Merchant."

"It's almost over. In a little while, the safe room... … ."

"no. I don't mean to talk like that."

"… … What story are you curious about?"

Seeing Usher contemplating something, I stopped and asked.

Although it is said that Usher has the upper hand in dealing with Nicholas, it does not mean that there are no tricky elements when confronted.

If I wanted a countermeasure, I was going to repeat the plan I had in my head just like before.

But what came out of Usher's mouth was the exact opposite.

"In the previous fight, he suddenly started going crazy."

"...."

"From the beginning, he didn't look like a strange guy. You must have done something."

"Well. There was a smoke screen in the wound, so it may have been because of pain."

When I asked what the hell was going on, it seems that there was something that caught my mind while I was replaying the fight with Calvin.

Usher has a reliable advisor who is always by his side.

It wasn't unusual to ask about what happened during the battle.

It was my telepathy that shook Calvin, as he said.

If Sinell asks me about it, it's information that I'll have no problem answering with the truth.

But the problem was that the person who asked the question was Usher.

We are fighting on the same side as Usher now, but no one knows what our relationship will be like in the future.

It was necessary to reduce the exposure of information about oneself to a minimum.

"Don't undo what I said at the beginning. Your magic doesn't seem to see the future."

"Then what?"

"I think it is the kind that disturbs the senses of the enemy. But the knowledge you have... I can't even guess where it came from."

"Is that so?"

Usher seemed to be getting closer to the correct answer just with that little hint.

I still can't figure out where my information came from, though.

Heck, no sane person would think that the person next to him was possessed by a book.

It was only natural that Usher didn't notice.

He continued his story, regardless of my bitter reaction.

"But if you really are a great person with all the information in the world, I have a question for you."

"I am an information trader. The information you give is not free."

"I will pay the price somehow. If necessary, do whatever you ask me to do once."

He was guessing what kind of information Usher was looking for.

Clearly, he is looking for the culprit who killed his younger sister.

After Usher massacred in the middle of the city, it was because of her sister's job that she was living as a hound of the security guard.

A ghost in the shape of a family always wanders around Usher.

It was only natural that he was obsessed with revenge.

"The price is paid only in money."

"It won't be that difficult. Even after hearing the story... … ."

"Then, after I became a free body, I collected them."

"… … Do it."

When Usher's request was dismissed, he shut his mouth.

There are things in the world that you can't easily get out of your mouth even if you know it.

It was even more so if it was the content that drove the opponent to ruin.

There were still many stories left in the war city.

The story of the protagonist, Usher Hayes, should not end here.

"Putting that aside, do you remember the plan I told you earlier?"

I hurried my steps again and said to Usher.

I can't say anything about Usher himself, but I could tell anything about Nicholas.

Usher nodded, reminding her of the previously shared operation.

"You mean to use the blink on the back when the wall goes up."

"okay. Don't hesitate, try it right away."

"I remember it."

Nicholas' tactics are unusual in many ways.

The tactic is due to the magical nature of being able to build walls only vertically, but it was not difficult to break through with Usher.

The fight between wizards is greatly influenced by the compatibility between magicians.

In the case of Usher, he had a very good match with Nicholas.

Most of the problems come from not being able to get over the wall.

"Hmm."

Thinking about Nicholas and moving around for a while.

I stopped again at the sound of sounds around me.

Click, click.

As I listened, I heard the sound of something shaking violently.

"… … What's going on?"

"Looks like someone is in front of you."

It wasn't the sound of Usher next to him.

Someone other than us was moving around here.

I carefully moved my leg in the direction the sound was coming from.

"Why isn't this hot?"

Beyond the concrete wall, which is narrower than the other walls.

If anyone went around the corner of the suspicious wall, they could see the man shaking the metal box there.

The impression of the man with his long hair tied back matched that of Nicholas seen in the novel.

Sanctuary Nicholas. We met the person we were so looking for.

"...."

Nicholas, who was shaking the box, immediately raised his head, perhaps feeling a sense of popularity.

Nicholas raised his head and Usher's eyes met.

There was no time for long conversations.

As soon as Nicholas saw us, he pulled out a grenade from his pocket.

He was too quick to judge the situation.

"It's a face I've seen even if I can't see it."

"[Stone Wall]."

pick.

A wall rose in front of Nicholas who pulled out the safety pin and threw the grenade.

The wall quickly established itself as a dividing line between us and Nicholas.

A situation in which the front and rear are all blocked by a concrete wall.

To counter the grenade unavoidable situation, Usher used the Blink as previously noted.

"[Blink]."

Kwagwang-!

A roar echoed through the transferred concrete wall.

The aftermath of the transition and the binge sound are mixed to create a tremor stronger than before.

After staggering against the wall for a moment, I regained my balance.

If you spend too much time recovering, there's a chance you'll miss Nicholas.

"There is no time. Go back."

Usher used Blink again.

Nicholas was looking at the traces of the grenade as if he had erased the wall we had built to confirm our appearance.

However, our eyes widened in surprise at our reappearance.

Nicholas, who looked at Usher and me, clenched his teeth.

"this… … ."

"Hurry up and chase him!"

"[Blink]."

Nicholas looked around and immediately began to charge in the direction of the window.

Usher, who was pursuing him, also did not stand still.

Usher moved behind Nicholas and reached out towards him.

Just as Usher's hand moved backwards was about to grab Nicholas's head, the ground Usher was treading on moved.

"[Stone Wall]."

The shape of the pillar rising with the momentum to hit Usher's body against the ceiling.

Even a little later, the pillar that collided with the ceiling would crush Usher's body.

Seeing the moving floor, Usher hurriedly jumped off the pole.

Then he used Blink again to cling to Nicholas.

"Aim for the box first! Content comes first!"

"I think so. [Blink]."

Usher, who was right behind Nicholas, grabbed the box.

Nicholas continued to build walls to ward off Usher, but he struggled not to let the box go.

But the opponent is Usher Hayes, who moves with space.

Usher used the blink towards the place while touching the box.

Usher, who was running, stood still, holding a box with Nicholas's hand on it.

"Ugh, my hand… … !"

It seems that no matter how expensive an item is, it is inferior to life.

Nicholas continued to run, grabbing the severed wrist.

Usher then threw a box at me who was following me from behind.

"Dark Merchant. Take the goods."

"Okay, catch it before you miss it!"

"I think so. Let me take the neck with you."

"Ugh… If it were you, would you just give it to me? [Stone Wall]!"

Nicholas, who was running with all his power, reached the front of the window before he knew it.

Nicholas sprinted towards the window without slowing down.

waggle window. The wall rose and disappeared under the window sill, breaking the window.

Below Nicholas, who charged through the broken window, there was a tall stone pillar platform.

"Usher! Keep chasing! With Blink, it is possible to control the speed of the fall!"

"...."

Nicholas jumped over the window sill and landed on a stone pillar.

As soon as Nicholas got on the stone pillar, it decreased in height and moved downward.

It was like looking at a stone elevator.

But Usher stood still and watched Nicholas go down.

"Usher Hayes?"

"finished."

"… … Is it over already?"

Hearing my words, Usher moved closer to the broken window instead of answering.

Then he quietly stepped on the window sill and climbed up.

Immediately after that, a dry voice resounded heavily around him.

- "warning. Do not deviate from the limits. If the distance from the watcher is too great, the detonator can be activated."

Usher's head was about to disappear if he went out a little further.

EP.27 Finding the Truth (1)

An office in the main office of the police force with all kinds of weapons on display.

The blonde young man in charge of the entire security force sat down and looked at his younger sister.

In front of the young man, Ney Terdos, a special inspector of the security force called in the name of a report, had eyes full of dissatisfaction.

"It's Mithril. It was definitely going to be a thorny problem."

Standing Committee Member, Abel Terdos.

He is one of eight members of the standing committee that decides the city's operating policies.

In addition, according to the rules of the Standing Committee, he also held the post of chief security officer, one of the city's executive bodies.

Abel looked at Nei, who continued to stare at him, then sighed and put the papers he was holding down on the desk.

"Are you sure you recovered the item?"

"For now, it is being kept at the police station for investigation."

"The thought of making something like that with a mithril is a great person. If I just got out of the car, I would be a target for a crime."

"Yes."

At first glance, it seems to separate public and private affairs, but to Abel, it was nothing more than a colder family than others.

The Cold War with her sister, Ney, has been ongoing since Abel stopped the investigation several years ago.

The biggest problem is that the level of conflict is becoming more and more extreme.

It was part of a protest against Abel's decision that Nei borrowed the power of the family to occupy a seat in the security force.

The more they hit each other face to face, the deeper the sediment accumulated between the two of them.

By now, it was no longer possible to understand each other.

"By the way, I've heard reports that it was taken with Usher Hayes."

Nevertheless, Nei and Abel met frequently.

To be precise, Abel kept calling Nei.

This report also happened because Abel, who heard an overview of the incident, called Nei.

Standing in front of Abel, Nei continued to explain while pretending to be as calm as possible.

"It is as reported. Code E172 killed one and recovered the item."

"Then why did you miss this guy named Nicholas?"

"I have already reported it, but because of the limiting distance of the restraint device… … ."

The deterrent continuously transmits various information to the security guard's server.

No matter how much you were, it was impossible to fake the part about the restraint device.

Nei thinks Abel is an incredible family in many ways.

For that reason, Nei was trying to report as much as possible without mentioning the information merchant, but Abel dug into Nei's gaps.

"Isn't it strange you think?"

"that… … ."

"It's not like you. There are a lot of things that don't make sense, and it feels like they're deliberately trying to hide something."

"...."

"Does it seem like there is a secret I don't know?"

Abel's sharp gaze met Nei's green eyes.

Despite his young age, Abel has already established himself in the political arena.

The longer the conversation, the more difficult it was for Nei.

Nei felt the strength in her fists grow stronger from the moment she entered.

Unable to calm her burning hair, she was flustered, and soon decided to leave everything to her own impulses.

"… … Abel. You should have solved it."

"It should have been resolved. i think so too."

It was a stupid answer that didn't suit the security guard, but Abel Terdos didn't hate it.

Rather, he was more welcoming to Nei showing his weakness.

In terms of position, power, and experience, Abel had the upper hand.

Even the people of the Terdos family were following Abel rather than Nei.

Nei now had no means to defeat Abel.

Tired of dealing with him any longer, Nei turned away from Abel.

"The report ends with this. I'll just leave."

If it was anyone else, it would be a behavior that deserves a reprimand.

But you knew very well that Abel would never touch her.

Nei bit her lip and walked towards the door of the office.

"Yes."

Nei, who had arrived at the door, was called by Abel.

"What else is going on?"

"Are you still thinking of quitting the police force?"

"… … If that's the case, then stop."

"Obviously, you are consistently performing as promised. But from her brother's point of view, what her sister often encounters with criminals is… … ."

always edible

You talk about a topic that you don't worry about at all, as if you were seeing yourself as a little sister.

That thought ran through Nei's mind.

And it soon became a nervous voice and burst out of Nei's mouth.

"I told you to stop!"

"… … yes."

"I am just moving my own way. I don't know what you're trying to hide, but I'll come to the truth on my own."

Quang.

The sound of a strong door closing resounded, and Ney Terdos disappeared from the office.

Alone in the office, Abel stared at the door where Nei had disappeared for a moment, then smiled and leaned back.

"Still stubborn."

Each person has their own story.

On the day when all the hidden truths are revealed, what will your younger sister look like?

Abel's green eyes with anticipation lit up the ceiling of the office.

* * * * * *

the day after the incident.

Ney Terdos came to my office with Usher.

The purpose of this visit was to pay me the overdue payment.

While she was away for a while due to a sudden phone call, I asked Usher, who was leaning against the window and burning a candle.

"The lady over there seems to be in a bad mood."

"Because I recently met someone I don't like."

"Is that me?"

"Even if you don't like it, you probably won't."

"Then I don't care."

Nei has a bad relationship with her brother Abel.

Beyond the bad, they were anxious because they couldn't eat each other.

There's a lot of hidden behind the scenes between the two, but it's not good to dig deep into either one.

Maintaining an appropriate balance between the two fighting was the position I had to take now.

"You seem to know more about Nei, don't you?"

profit.

Usher said, rubbing the burnt tobacco into the ashtray.

Information about Nei Terdos.

As he is the main heroine of the work, I know it in detail, but when I say it literally, it becomes a strange feeling.

I faltered in my answer and went back to my seat.

"At least as far as I know."

"I wish I knew as much as you."

"Well. Sometimes it's better to know nothing."

Perhaps the call ended just in time, Nei, who had gone out, came back into the office.

Usher, who had burned all the tobacco, also took a seat next to Nei.

Nei put her bag on the table and said as she turned her head to look around the office.

"I think I heard that you are a great information merchant. The office is in a more remote place than I thought."

"It's because the monthly rent is cheap."

There were not many people passing by, and life was moderately good.

Of course, this is not a place that was created for this purpose.

However, it may be difficult to understand from the point of view of a young lady from a prestigious family.

Did I feel embarrassed by my answer?

Nei grabbed the coffee that was placed in front of her, shook her head, and held out the bag on the table to me.

"It's the credit I promised. It's good to check it out."

shudder.

Open the lock of the bag and briefly check the contents.

The contents of the bag were all filled with checks from the Herenants Bank, just like the ones I had received from Mr. Trillo the other day.

There doesn't seem to be any problem with the content.

I closed the bag back and set it down under the table.

"Confirmed. There seems to be no problem."

"Of course it is. How did the security force become like this... to get help from an information merchant... … ."

"It would have been nice to have kept things though."

"That's it, but… you are a little surprised Isn't it much better than 80,000 credits to catch them alone and quietly take the mithril?"

I laughed out loud at Nei's question.

The value of Mithril is incomparably higher than 80,000 credits.

Considering the face value alone, she might have been right.

However, Mithril had a big blind spot.

The point was that the price of Mithril itself came from excessive rarity.

"If you take such an object, you cannot use it or dispose of it properly. It would be better to leave it to the police."

A very rare item stands out on its own.

Even if it was James, a junk dealer I had taken care of before, it would not be easy to dispose of items containing mithril.

It was a problem even if I failed to dispose of the item and used it myself.

The moment someone recognizes Mithril and the story starts to circulate, there will be a pursuer, whether it's a security guard or a criminal.

Nei spoke as if tired of my detailed explanation.

"I mean, that's what I thought. He is also a cunning person."

"But thanks to that, I gained trust from the Lady of Terdos."

"What is trust? I don't trust you yet."

Whatever the mithril, 80,000 credits is not a small amount of money.

At least, the equipment cost at the department store was more than enough.

If necessary, it would be possible to summon a suitable mercenary for a while.

I looked at today's guest with satisfaction.

"Well, that's unfortunate."

EP.28 Finding the Truth (2)

gloomy and gloomy

A world where only you exist.

The dark night sky was shining in the trembling space.

The twinkling of stars shining through the thick darkness creates a landscape.

After staring blankly at the sky for a while, I soon realized that this was my dream.

"ah… … ."

There is no place in this city where you can see a sky like that.

But I have never been out of town even once.

It is a landscape that can only be seen because it is a fake.

This time, he looked down and looked around.

As I lowered my gaze, I could see the shoreline where the waves were constantly crashing.

"It's the sea."

bum bum, bum bum.

I walk on the beach where I am alone, stepping on the sand.

Every step you take is engraved in your footprints on the white sandy beach, and the sound of waves approaching echoes in your ears.

A white beach is visible in the dark evening sky. It is a contradictory landscape that goes against the rules of the world.

As I walked blindly forward without a destination in my lucid dream, I was able to find something contrasting with the pure white sandy beach.

"...."

black and dark

An abyss-like darkness that swallows up all light floats in the air.

Naturally, I stopped in front of him.

Then he reached out to the darkness that appeared in the air.

At that moment, a strong voice came into his head.

- "You fool. What is magic?"

A voice emanating from the darkness in front of me.

Even though he had no mouth, the voice he could hear was as if he was facing his own telepathy.

I stopped the hand that was reaching out in front of me, and listened to the voice I heard.

"Magic?"

- "The power to make the impossible come true. It is a miracle that reverses the world, and it is the immutable truth that all humans have been searching for."

"you are… … ."

- "I am the agent of mystery. It is the oldest magic in the world, and it is the guardian of the oath that leads false wizards."

Agent of mystery

I can't remember seeing that name even in a book.

I don't know what his true identity is, and I don't know how to deal with him.

I could only understand clearly what this situation meant now.

- "Human. Do you have the courage to defend yourself amidst overflowing mysteries?"

I am now being tested on my qualifications to reach new heights.

Judging from the overall content of War City's work, the proportion of the 4th Circle Wizard was by no means small.

In the case of Usher, I do not know what the exact conditions are because it was 5th circle from the start, but the test to move on to 4th circle will not be too difficult.

He looked at the darkness in front of him and pondered for a moment, then nodded his head and said.

"If it's a test you have to face anyway… … ."

The magic of this world is basically self-contemplation.

It is a process of looking inside yourself and establishing your true self.

Of course, the content of the test given to each person was different.

There is no such thing as an absolute correct answer.

The only process was to come up with the right answer after thinking and agonizing on his own.

"I will try."

After making that decision and starting to look into the darkness, the darkness in front of him grew bigger and swallowed him up.

In the endless darkness, a faint light flashes around.

darkness covered all sides.

There is neither sky nor earth in it.

Even though I had completely lost the sense of balance that supported my body, I did not fall.

Is this possible because it is a dream? Or is it called a dream because this is possible?

I don't know which one is correct.

- "A strong miracle inevitably produces a strong recoil."

- "This is a test to see if you can keep yourself wielding it in the flow of such a mystery."

As soon as the agent finished speaking, voices began to flow in from all directions.

boy. Young kid. female. old man.

Different voices were telling their own stories.

Some people talk about things they enjoyed.

Another is talking about a sad breakup with a lover.

'It was fun today.'

'Why did he forsake me?'

Each subject has a different subject.

sadness. pleasure. anger. despair.

The emotions of joy and sorrow were contained in one short voice.

Among the countless voices I heard, I tried to find the voice of the agent.

'Do you think the company will go back without me?'

'I don't know what I was hoping for.'

'I will kill them all.'

'Why did you do that?'

'I want to eat pizza tomorrow.'

'I hate poverty.'

overwhelming density of information.

His thoughts begin to follow the voice he hears.

You cannot control your own thoughts.

The flow of thought was being swept unilaterally.

The head, which ran wild with the reins loose, soon lost its original purpose and began to wander.

- "I will ask you according to the oath of the beginning. Who are you?"

Mixed in a torrent of emotions, the voice of the agent was heard.

But it was quickly swept away by the waves of voices that followed.

I couldn't even recall the content of the question anymore.

In the constant echo of the stream of thoughts, I tried to get my voice out of my mouth.

"I… … ."

A short word that was not uttered until the end.

That was the last dream I faced.

* * * * * *

"Ha, ha… … ."

He let out a rough breath and got up.

When I woke up, I moved my heavy eyes and immediately looked around.

The office is still in darkness because the lights are off.

On an extra bed in the corner, Sinel was sleeping curled up next to him.

"… … What the hell happened?"

It's not a dream now.

I was sitting in my office, waking up from my dream.

Then why are you afraid of your dreams?

The reason could not be explained in detail.

Obviously, he understands that he has taken the exam, but he cannot remember the exact details of the exam.

Just because it's a dream doesn't mean you can't remember it.

No matter how much the content of the dream was, it was bound to remain in my mind to some extent immediately after waking up.

Even now, I couldn't recall the contents of the dream at all.

It felt as if someone had artificially blocked the memory.

"...."

I reach for my phone and check the time.

5:30 in the morning.

It was not long before the sun came up.

The wizard's test returns every time he goes into a deep sleep.

In order to take today's exam again, it was necessary to wait until night came again.

"… … president?"

As I looked at the time and held down my pounding hair, Sinel, who was sleeping next to me, got up and looked at me.

Dark gray eyes staring blankly at him.

I felt my presence moving, and it seemed that Sinel had woken up.

The large T-shirt he was wearing instead of his pajamas looked at Shinel, who had reached his shoulder, and eventually put his cell phone back on the nightstand.

"It's still a good time to sleep."

"Ha ha. is that so."

dump.

Without hesitation, Sinel lay back on the bed.

I watched Shinel like that for a while, then got out of bed and got up.

Numerous thoughts bloom within themselves and repeat themselves to be disturbed.

I may not have fully woken up yet.

Cooling your head with cold water might make you a little cooler.

Tub. Tub. Tub.

I grab a towel and walk to the bathroom.

Only the sound of his own footsteps echoed through the dark hallway.

squeaky. When I opened the door and entered the quiet bathroom, the light in the bathroom that recognized a person turned on.

As I looked around the bathroom with the lights on, I immediately took off my T-shirt and turned on the water in the sink.

"Ugh… … ."

As the cold water touched his hand, he reflexively retreated back.

The blood circulated rapidly along with the heartbeat, and the sleepy mind was awakened in an instant.

He puts his hand gently to adjust to the temperature of the water, then gets the water with his hand and starts washing his face.

You wake up earlier than usual and wash your face since early morning.

It was by no means a familiar landscape.

"Will it be the 4th circle soon?"

Unknowingly, he met the conditions to become a 4th circle.

Since the conditions are different for each person, I could understand the fact that they were suddenly called to the test.

However, having to retake the test without knowing the contents of the test was more fatal than expected.

Opportunities to cross the 4th circle are not permanent.

Maybe it is possible to keep the memory of the exam as long as the moment that exists in the dream.

I had that thought.

"Even a wizard can't eat anyone."

When the wizard reaches the 6th circle, he receives what is called a mission.

There are no exceptions.

Mission is the direction of life that is inherent in the wizard himself.

The mission best suited to the wizard's own personality is given, and his actions inevitably follow his mission.

It was reasonable to view all of the series of tests before that as a process leading up to receiving the mission.

"… … It's funny to be a wizard with a body like this."

Look at your body reflected in the mirror.

Percival Smith. He was an extra with little magic, but his body was quite good.

There are solid muscles all over the body that are not overdone.

It's a body that seems more suited to intense hand-to-hand combat than magic.

Of course, wizards in this world are often accompanied by gunfire or close combat.

It's a world where physics wizards have become the standard.

At the sight of the cruel world that had long been thrown away by children, a smirk leaked out without realizing it.

EP.29 Finding the Truth (3)

"Can I go out for a while?"

The warm sunlight began to penetrate the window in the morning.

When I was eating a sandwich I bought from the bakery for breakfast, Sinel, who was also breaking the sandwich, asked.

Except when I go out, it's Synel who's been in the office for quite some time.

I couldn't help but wonder if Sinel suddenly went out alone.

"Are you going out and coming?"

"yes."

"Anything to do outside?"

"It's the day the blackbird is discharged."

Is the time already like that?

He was hospitalized at the veterinary hospital and was diligently emptying Sinell's wallet.

Now that I am out of the veterinary hospital, I thought that Sinel's expenses would decrease a little.

It won't reduce the amount of money you spend to feed your cat, though.

"It must be a nice day."

"I can finally see the blackbird."

"By the way, where do you plan to grow blackbirds?"

"...."

Sinel's eyes stared blankly at me.

I looked around the office all the way, then looked back at Sinel's face.

Her eyes never moved from me.

It's still the character of Ahn Ha Mu-in.

I think that such a personality has its own charm, though.

"… … Well, having at least one cat in the office will make the atmosphere better."

"thank you."

"You have to do all the food and maintenance."

"It is. Of course I have to do that."

Seeing Sinel, already full of anticipation, I couldn't help but say no.

Isn't it a cat that gives up and brings home?

Strictly speaking, the house had been flying before that, though.

"That's it, Shinel. How old were you?"

After conceding the cat's job, the important thing right now was the magic.

When you reach the 4th circle, you can expect some improvement in output.

In the initial stage, there are many magics that are ambiguous, but when they reach the 6th circle, they show their value in their own way.

The same goes for my telepathy.

If any magic can grow up to 6th circle, anyone can use it in combat.

Reaching the 6th circle is the premise, though.

It is by no means a level that anyone can reach.

So, first of all, it was necessary to pass the test in order to reach the 4th circle as quickly as possible.

"Is it magic?"

"Of course, it's a magical story."

"Hmm. Four circles."

Sinel is a Haste user in the 4th circle.

I do not know what kind of test was given to Sinel, but it is said that he passed the test of the 4th circle.

How the hell did you become a 4th circle?

Knowing about that might be of some help.

"It's the 4th circle. Then how did you get to the 4th circle?"

"The way I got into circle four."

"okay."

"I do not know. I don't remember it."

Sinell tilted her head and took another bite of the sandwich.

The memory of the exam is erased the moment you get out of the dream.

It would make sense to look at it that way.

In this way, even if you ask another wizard, there is a high possibility that it will not be of any help.

Because all I know is how Usher passed the 6th Circle exam.

"under. It's a thorny problem."

He sighed and shoved the rest of the sandwich into his mouth.

crisp. crisp.

The lettuce in between the sandwiches is chewed and mixed with the egg.

I think it tastes good enough to eat.

It didn't feel like I'd be buying it often, though.

"Then, I'll just go."

Soon after, Sinell, who had all the sandwiches empty, stood up.

Then he put the goggles on the table on his head.

It's something that Sinel doesn't keep from his head whenever he goes out.

When I saw Synel's goggles reflecting the sunlight above my head today, I suddenly thought that it would be inconvenient to wear goggles every day.

"Goggles, isn't it hard to wear them every time?"

"This is a secret… In fact, it has night vision."

Sinel tapped his goggles and said.

It's a night vision feature.

It was more practical than I thought.

If it were a dark night now.

"It is daytime now."

"When pressed, the goggles light up."

"… … That's great."

I calmly sent off Shinel, who was wearing shiny goggles.

Looking back, it was still a taste that was difficult to understand.

* * * * * *

Maybe it was because the time I spent with Sinel was longer than I thought.

Alone time was quite free.

A cup of coffee. one cookie.

And the morning news that filled the big TV.

These were my companions to pass the time without Sinel.

I took a sip of the coffee in my hand and put it down on the table, and just then the door opened and I heard a human voice.

"This is the dark merchant's office."

"...."

A visitor came to this office where there were no customers.

I turned my head to look at the door, and there was a girl with gray hair standing there.

It's a familiar hair color, but it's not Shinel.

Spinel came in, looked at me and smiled.

"Even if you can't see it, you've seen it."

"Because I never thought that you would come."

"Is there anything strange? There is nowhere in this city that I cannot go."

Having said that, Spinel took a seat across from me.

On the outside, she looks like a free-spirited girl, but she is actually a wanted criminal pursued by the security forces.

Her gaze naturally went to the case tied to her thigh.

This is where the blades used by Spinel are located.

The spinel's blade, which was custom-made by Lessert Industries, was difficult to even scratch with any weapon.

"I will. Who will stand in the way against the Wizard of Skyscraper?"

"I know you well."

The cookie that had been placed on the table floated in the air, and then landed on Spinel's palm.

Spinel's magic, Levitation, has grown in circles, and has come to have characteristics that are close to telekinesis.

Simply throwing an object is a lethal attack for most people.

That was the background for Spinel Clover Bloom to remain as one of the most wanted criminals in the city.

"So, what did you come here for?"

I asked as I watched the spinel cracking the cookie right in front of me.

The way he sits on the chair looks very cocky, but the way he eats is quite similar to Shinel.

Hearing my question, Spinel stretched out a finger and pointed to Sinel's bag.

"I heard the news."

"News?"

"The news that my sister is wandering because she is homeless."

"Did you come to see Sinel? Sadly, if it is Sinel, he is going to the veterinary hospital."

Then Spinel shook his head.

"It is not for that reason. I just wanted to see where they live, and I was curious about what kind of person they were with, so I researched it."

"So, did you check well?"

"Dark Merchant Percival Smith. Although it is said that he came in after making a name for himself as an information merchant from another place... There was not much information about it."

It was relatively recently that I started working under the name of the Dark Merchant.

No matter where I look, I can't find any relevant information.

There seems to be no disagreement about the evaluation of my information power, but that part seems to have caught Spinel's heart.

He seemed to know more about me than I thought.

"It is difficult to obtain detailed information in the first place."

"okay?"

"The more you try to dig deeper, the easier it is to lose the other person's trust."

"He's a suspicious person, but he's a good talker. [levitation]."

Spinel, who finished the cookie, moved his hand.

The door of the refrigerator in the corner opened, and a Coke inside came flying into Spinel's hand.

Spinel grabbed the can of Coke with his hand and began to drink from the can.

As I looked at the appearance of such a spinel, a thought came to my mind.

Even if it looks like that, Spinel is an Archmage of the 6th Circle.

If I asked her about the exam, I thought she might get a meaningful answer.

"Spinel Clover Bloom. If it's okay with you, I'll ask you one."

"It's okay to call me Spinel. It seems that even an information merchant has a question."

"Information gathers because we are curious about more things than others."

"okay. What do you want to know?"

"Do you know anything about the growth of circles?"

Upon hearing my question, Spinel tapped her knee with her finger.

The gray eyes passed over me in an instant.

Immediately after that, the corners of Spinel's lips rose slightly.

"You are taking the exam now."

"You seem to have noticed."

Since I suddenly asked about the circle, it is not unreasonable to notice.

Spinel, who was watching me quietly, closed her eyes and fell into thought for a moment.

one minute. Or a little shorter than that.

Spinel, who had been quietly immersed in his own world, opened his eyes again and said to me.

"Let's make a deal, Dark Merchant."

"deal?"

"I will teach you how to preserve the memory of that place. Instead, hand over the information I want."

EP.30 Finding the Truth (4)

one minute. Or a little shorter than that.

Spinel, who had been quietly immersed in his own world, opened his eyes again and said to me.

"Let's make a deal, Dark Merchant."

"deal?"

"I will teach you how to preserve the memory of that place. Instead, hand over the information I want."

Spinel's proposal was quite shocking.

How to keep your memories.

I don't know if what she said is still true, but if it does, I can definitely strategize for the exam.

Unless there is a problem with the information you need to pass to Spinel.

"What information do you want?"

Obviously you're not trying to ask me for any information.

Even about information I do not know, most of the information can be easily obtained through other information merchants.

There is no reason to listen until you pass important information to me.

What she really wants is information that most people in this world are unaware of.

"Now is not the time to ask for information."

"Are you thinking of getting rid of the debt?"

"yes. That's it. It's enough to let me know when I think it's necessary, in any way you see fit."

"I heard that he is a suspicious person, is it okay to trust me?"

It's right after I said something like that a while ago.

I threw a simple joke at Spinel, and Spinel put down his drank Coke can and said:

"It would be good to trust the information. Do you know what will happen if you eat them?"

"i get it. Don't let the debt hang."

I don't know what information Spinel might ask for.

However, if the information Spinel said was true, it could be said that it was certainly of considerable value.

There was absolutely no reason for me to refuse.

I nodded and set aside the coffee that was blocking my way.

"great. I will show you how."

An oral contract was made simply.

Spinel got up from his seat and floated in the air and approached me.

It's not the first time I've seen a spinel fly, but the scene of a human flying in the sky wasn't something I could easily get used to.

Since the gaze of the floating spinel was higher than the seated me, I naturally had to raise my head and look up.

"Before that, let me ask you one thing. What does it mean to keep a memory?"

"The agent of the mystery erases the memory of that place when the test is over. So, I'm going to show you a quick way to get out with the information you need."

"Let's hear it."

"Some are easy and some are difficult. Which one is more convenient?"

It's a difficult choice to start with.

what is easy and what is difficult

Most of the time, I think the hard way is certain, but if I don't have the talent, I may have to choose the easy way.

"Can you hear both?"

"It doesn't matter, though."

"What is the first one?"

"An easy way is to use magic to record information."

"You say you use magic?"

"Because even when you are asleep, your magic power moves. We use it to physically record content."

It continuously transmits telepathy to the outside and stores the contents of the test.

It was a simple yet easy way.

The premise is that Sinel has to stay awake all night.

I nodded and asked her what to do next.

"second is?"

"The second way is… … ."

Spinel whispered the second method in his ear.

And immediately after that, I looked at the spinel with a blank slate.

* * * * * *

The day after the second exam.

Briefly about what happened last night, I failed the exam.

But what I was able to find out about the exam was a good income.

After meeting the agent of the mystery in the dream, the memory until the end of the test remained in my head.

The second method Spinel told me seemed to be working to some extent.

"Damn. Do I have to listen?"

"Nyaan-."

The morning scenery, which has become a bit noisy with the addition of a cat, welcomes me.

I don't know much about the cat, but the cat named Kaman was more docile than I thought.

In a lively atmosphere, he ponders while looking at Sinel, who is trying to communicate with the cat.

How can I get a valid result in the next exam?

The best thing to do is to filter out all the miscellaneous thoughts that come into your head, but I don't think it's that easy.

There must be a better way.

First, it was necessary to calculate for him.

Tock, tock.

As I was thinking while holding the pen, the blackbird next to Sinel flew in and landed on my lap.

"...."

"Nah."

I stroke the hair of the crying boy looking at me.

The feeling of the frizzy hair touching your hand comes to you in a pleasant way.

Perhaps the stroking hand seemed more satisfying than expected, Blackie closed her eyes with a relaxed face.

Then Sinel followed me in front of me and looked at the black man sitting on his lap.

"It seems that blackbird likes the boss."

"I don't know."

"… … When I pet him, he immediately runs away."

The accident happened while escaping from Sinel.

I don't think it's too strange to be afraid of Sinel.

In fact, since I entered the office, I've never allowed Synel to pet him.

But I wondered why he was so gentle only to me.

I made up a rough piece of plausible advice for Sinel and threw it away.

"You can practice getting closer to each other little by little."

"is that so?"

"Where is the person who is good from the start? I was rejected several times by the staff in front of me."

"I needed a lot of money back then."

"Isn't that still the case?"

"Yes. It is still very difficult."

She reached out and stroked Sinel's droopy head.

The feel of the gray hair in his hands was more pleasant than I expected.

Seeing Sinel staring blankly at the hand stroking her hair, I felt as if I had two cats.

Sinel, who was standing in front of me and gently stroking me, asked me only after I lowered my palm.

"By the way, you haven't been to the department store for a few days."

"There are problems to be solved, and there are things to wait."

"Are you waiting?"

"I just got a call."

Jiying. jig.

The phone in my pocket rings violently.

When I took out my cell phone and answered the call, I heard a familiar man's voice over the speaker.

- "It's me, Brian."

The main character of the call was Brian Rail, one of the information merchants he had met before, and the number one contributor to the legend of the dark merchant.

He was a long-time assistant under Lehman Caberant.

And now, after leaving Lehman's office, he has his own office in a remote alley.

When I heard that he was leaving Lehman, I left a message asking him to contact me when the office opens.

Judging from the fact that the call came only now, it seems that the office manager took quite a long time.

"It looks like the office is slowly being cleaned up."

- "It was not easy to set up a store by myself. Sometimes I may miss my old boss."

"Did you get along well with Lehman?"

- "At first, I looked a little sad, but I'm not the only one there."

"Hey, Lehmann has quite a few subordinates."

Brian was only one of Lehman's assistants, but Lehman was still an intelligence trader with numerous assistants and employees under his command.

The only difference is that, unlike Lehman, Brian is in a hurry right now.

It is said that he left Riemann's office, but most of the intelligence ships that were collecting information on his behalf are probably still alive.

If Brian was only suited to the field of information handling, he had the advantage of being able to trade various types of information without complicated procedures.

The price will also be cheaper than buying from Lehman.

- "So, I kept my promise to call you when we move. Is there any information you would like to obtain separately?"

"You seem in a hurry to sell information."

- "Since the store has just opened, there are no customers, only flies. You have to hold on to one of them."

"Then it would be appropriate to increase sales a little."

I was thinking about going on a bounty hunt soon.

Although Usher and I were able to catch the first-degree wanted criminals, it was created by Usher, not Sinell and I.

We still needed enough combat experience.

If you asked Brian for information about the bounty, he was more likely to find someone who met the criteria.

Of course, you need to prepare at least before that.

"Before I buy any information, I would like to ask you a favor."

- "Request?"

"There will be times when we urgently ask for information from outside. In that case, if you set an information fee, we will pay it separately later."

- "Are you asking for information in arrears now?"

"okay. If you are concerned, put a limit on the amount. In case of emergency, it is okay to obtain information from other information merchants."

- "Because I am not in a position to cover the guests who come now. okay. Even though his name is a dark merchant, he won't eat them all."

This created a means to quickly supply and receive information from outside.

Connecting with Brian will be of great help to me if I need information about the other person urgently.

Brian willingly accepted the request for deferred payment, and immediately after that, he asked me as if to urge him.

- "The deferred payment problem has been resolved, and what kind of information does your brother want to buy?"

"Among the most wanted criminals of level 2 or higher, I want to buy information about those who specialize in close combat."

EP.31 Finding the Truth (5)