“Damn, this day could’ve turned out real shitty. If I’d known the target wasn’t Corrupted but a black mage, I’d never have taken this job—not even as punishnt.”
On the way back from the mission.
Having crossed death’s line together, Hella seed to feel so kind of forced camaraderie toward , chattering without pause.
“Turned out shitty?”
“In the end, it worked out, didn’t it? Sure, it was risky, but we took the black mage’s head. We’ll probably get a bounty on top of the commission. If he’s on the wanted list, that’ll be a tidy bonus.”
A black mage’s status was contradictory.
So lived openly under the protection of the powerful, but others ended up on the city’s public kill list for unethical experints and disturbing public order.
There were even professional bounty-hunting organizations specializing in hunting only black mages.
The bounty wasn’t fortune-making, but as a side inco, it was more than enough.
I could understand why Hella was practically skipping with cheer in her steps.
“Thanks to this, I’ve got a good payday. That old bastard’s probably waiting for to co back sulking, but when I tell him I earned us money? Can’t wait to see the look on his face.”
Hella’s hand crept toward my shoulder.
I swatted it away, not just because I disliked physical contact with a rough rcenary.
“You said if I stood back, you’d handle everything yourself. You’re not even embarrassed?”
“You’re still hung up on that? If it pissed you off, I’ll apologize. But hey, I ant well—”
“And the payout. We’re splitting it properly.”
“Huh?”
Don’t think you can slide that past .
Maybe my looks made seem naive by rcenary standards, but I had more experience than most veterans.
“I found the black mage, and I killed him. You weren’t planning to suggest an even split, were you? That’d be shaless.”
“Khmm.”
Hella gave a forced cough, then peeked at from the corner of her eyes.
“...That’s not negotiable?”
“Then you’d better accept that you’ll never work with —or anyone tied to Drexier rcenaries—again.”
If she insisted on pulling tricks, I’d give in for the sake of avoiding a fight, but I’d rember her as nothing but a bad connection.
Money was the goal in this industry, but ironically, being blinded by money ant losing more in the long run.
Trust between comrades, for example.
And since money wasn’t my ultimate goal, I valued that even more.
“Fine, it was a joke. I was planning to give you eighty percent anyway.”
“Your jokes skate too close to the line.”
“Testing the waters isn’t a cri, is it? I wasn’t threatening you—if you’d agreed, I’d have benefited. That’s all.”
She grinned slyly.
Clever while pretending to be straightforward.
Sohow, though, it didn’t co off as hateful.
“Well, guess this is where we part.”
At the fork in the road to her office, Hella said her goodbyes.
“You’re not coming with ?”
“Our squad reports in first thing when we return. The office’s agent handles all dealings with brokers.”
She puffed her chest out as if it were a point of pride.
I had nothing to say.
‘Using agents like that… it has clear pros and cons.’
Sure, it saved you from haggling, but to , direct contact with brokers was far more useful.
When I let it slide, she pouted.
“You’re no fun. If it weren’t for that face, no one would bother with you.”
“Are you picking a fight?”
“I said you’ve got charm to make up for it—that’s a complint.”
Her tongue was quick.
When I frowned, she laughed it off.
“You must be tired. Wrap things up quick and get so rest. Oh, and I ant what I said—co see our commander soti. We’ll share a drink then, alright?”
“Go already.”
“Don’t forget. I’ll be waiting.”
I watched the noisy woman leave, then headed for the broker’s office.
“You’re back early. I thought tomorrow at the soonest.”
Broker Cromwell was in the sa place as always, as though he were chanical.
Calmly polishing glasses for the bar disguised beneath his office.
In the ga, that had been his NPC habit.
Now it felt more like a glimpse of his work ethic.
I’d only been here a handful of tis, but the sight already cald .
“The rcenary you introduced was competent. We worked well together, and things went quickly.”
“Drexier’s rcenaries do have a solid reputation.”
“They’re famous?”
“Plenty of contractors want them.”
“That impressive, huh.”
If even those self-centered freelancers acknowledged them, it said everything.
By the ti I’d been active in previous runs, the Drexier rcenaries had already disbanded.
I hadn’t known how they were regarded at this point in ti.
Maybe Hella’s invitation to join wasn’t just empty words.
“All Corrupted have been cleared.”
“Good. I’ll arrange for your paynt to be processed quickly. Since it’s a matter of public security, the city’s offices won’t delay.”
“And there’s sothing else to report.”
I sat down at the bar.
This ti, Cromwell handed a glass himself.
Not alcohol, just cold water—but it ant he no longer saw as a disposable rookie.
“There was a black mage in the lab.”
“…A black mage. You certainly draw interesting assignnts.”
Cromwell shook his head.
First the berserk goblin, now this.
It was rare to see so many unforeseen events outside contract terms.
I almost thought I saw sympathy flicker in his eyes.
“What happened?”
“You know black mages can’t be reasoned with. I killed him.”
“As expected.”
“Black mages are tricky. Not their strength, but their curses. Permanent injuries, sotis death. Plenty of lives ruined because they weren’t prepared. You’re unhard?”
“As you can see.”
“Your skill is greater than I thought.”
It was nearly impossible to clash with a black mage without suffering their curses.
He raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised.
Then quickly composed himself, already calculating.
“I can guess what you’re after. But don’t think you’ll get an increased reward again. Not with the city as the client.”
“I wasn’t expecting that. The bounty will be enough.”
Whether the city had known about the black mage or not, they’d deny everything.
In this world, even the underworld’s rules ant nothing in the face of city authorities.
“Just make sure, if he was wanted, that the bounty doesn’t get skimd.”
“Of course. And how do you want the payout divided?”
“Eighty for , twenty for Drexier.”
“Generous of them to accept.”
“It was divided by contribution.”
“It’s just your word for now, so I’ll confirm with Drexier’s representative as well.”
“Do as you like. Best to keep things clean so no one complains afterward.”
Since I had already settled things with Hella, it was unlikely she’d go back on her word. Still, rcenary company politics could be a different matter.
“One last thing I want to ask.”
Now we were getting to the real business.
I drained the cold water in my glass and rose from my seat.
“Speak.”
“I want to buy information on Hynax.”
“The company behind the lab from this assignnt?”
“Exactly. Brokers are information dealers too, aren’t they?”
No job was closer to information than brokering.
By default, a broker gathered data through countless connections, and so even ran private networks.
Cromwell was competent enough that I figured he belonged to the latter group.
“I want the identities and whereabouts of the lab’s director, or at least anyone in direct managent.”
Cromwell fixed his eyes on , as though trying to read my intent.
“You’re not just looking to vent after running into a black mage. What’s the real reason?”
“I want to know who sponsored the black mage I t there.”
“I see.”
Soone had to have supplied him with the original spell or at least taught him.
That person might know sothing about the spirit cocoon fragnts or the circuits carved into their surface.
‘If it’s the latter, they could be the true culprit.’
Either way, they were soone I had to track.
“Look into the company itself too. Focus on why they shut down the lab so abruptly.”
From the black mage’s magic, I could tell the research had produced results of so kind.
So why had they suddenly withdrawn?
It wasn’t sothing I could just let go of—it gnawed at .
‘If it were just money, they’d have compromised sohow…’
I had stumbled on a valuable lead by sheer luck. I intended to dig until I found the truth.
Watching Cromwell stroke his beard as though tallying costs in his head, I asked,
“Can you do it?”
“It won’t be difficult. The real question is how much you can pay.”
“Use my share of the bounty.”
“That’ll be more than enough.”
Since it was unexpected inco, I didn’t mind spending all of it.
If it revealed the secrets I was chasing, it was a bargain.
“I’ll have it all ready by the ti you return for your reward.”
“I’m counting on you.”
A week at most, I figured.
I wasn’t planning to take another assignnt right away, so I could rest and co back later.
‘Hopefully Greenwood will put up a job around then too.’
That would be ideal.
Tracing the roots of black magic was one path.
Uncovering the secrets of the spirits, through Greenwood’s contracts, was the other.
‘For now, all I can do is wait.’
I headed back to my hotel with a light step.
Roughly one week.
Not wasted ti, but sweet rest in preparation for what ca next.
“…A black mage?”
The deep voice rumbled through the spacious room, powerful enough to strike the eardrum even without effort.
Facing the hulking, musclebound giant slouched on a sofa, Hella rattled on.
“Yeah, can you believe it? Went in to take down Corrupted and found a black mage instead. One wrong move and I’d be dead! Don’t you have anything to say about that, old man? You’re the one who punished with this job.”
She crossed her arms and glared straight ahead, body language demanding an apology.
Drexier only snorted.
“You look fine enough to . Quit whining.”
“Wow. So you don’t believe ?”
“Either way, you ca back with the black mage’s head. It’s all experience. You should thank for giving you such rare experience.”
“Experience my ass. If it weren’t for my partner, I’d already be six feet under.”
Her rude habit of cursing at her superior was nothing new—hardly worth pointing out anymore.
Instead, Drexier focused on sothing else.
“Was he stronger than you?”
“I don’t know. But it was him, not , who killed the black mage. That’s why he gets eighty percent of the bounty, I get twenty. Handle that with the broker.”
“…Hmmm.”
“What, not enough money for you?”
“No. If that’s your decision, we won’t interfere.”
It wasn’t the money that caught his interest.
It was the man who had earned his promising rookie’s respect.
“How did he fight the black mage?”
“He just… reached out his hand, and the black magic started burning up.”
“…What?”
Drexier hadn’t expected that answer.
“I’m serious. He pulled out so weird vine from his arm, and it burned the magic away. It was so flashy I couldn’t stop staring.”
“…You’d better go back and study before it’s too late.”
“What? What’s wrong with my explanation?”
“Such a simple description doesn’t paint a picture.”
That was the problem with ignorant rcenaries.
Still, Drexier understood one thing: the man had unusual abilities.
“Do you think he’s worth recruiting?”
“I already asked him to visit our office.”
“Well done.”
The Drexier rcenaries, always plagued by chronic understaffing, weighed many conditions when choosing mbers.
If even the prickly Hella approved, his character couldn’t be bad.
A skilled recruit would always be welco.
“We’ll discuss it in detail later. For now, get so rest.”
“Fine. Don’t bother for a while—I’m taking ti off.”
“In one week, you must return.”
“Why?”
“There’s a job. Soone wants an escort back to District 7.”
“Oh.”
The mysterious client, always wandering into the city’s outskirts.
By now, Hella was practically their exclusive rcenary.
‘…Co to think of it, that light that burned the black mage’s fog—it looked like the glow I saw from that client before.’
She hadn’t paid it much attention at the ti, with their face hidden under a hood, but she rembered the shimr in their grasp.
Not certain, but similar sohow.
‘Do they know each other?’
The thought flickered through her mind, then she dismissed it.
‘No way.’
There was no way a highborn lady—her best guess at the client’s identity—would have any link to Allen, a freelancer.
No reasonable connection at all.
‘If it keeps bothering , I’ll just ask later.’
In the end, it wasn’t her concern.
(End of Chapter)
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