Chapter 61
Chapter 61
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: A New Job (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Even early in the morning, there were customers in Forest's restaurant.
There were only two or three of them, not many at all. But upon closer inspection, they didn't seem like ordinary patrons.
"They're all fixers."
Al, who was guiding him, quickly explained.
"I see."
"Yes, some diligent fixers come by every morning early to check for any good jobs. Some just come for breakfast. That's why we open the restaurant early in the morning."
"I see. Thank you for the kind explanation."
Oliver spoke with genuine sincerity. It was rare to find someone who explained things so kindly... He seemed like a good person.
"No problem at all. It's my job."
"Hey, Al. Who's that guy?"
Just as Oliver and Al were about to enter the staff corridor, a woman called out to them.
She was sitting alone at a table covered with a white tablecloth.
On the table were a cup of warm tea and pancakes, but she had only eaten half, as if they weren't to her taste.
She was dressed neatly like a proper lady, but the leather corset that accentuated her waist and chest gave off a provocative air somewhere.
Of course, Oliver didn't feel any of that at all.
"Good morning, Miss Coco. This is Dave, the new fixer who arrived yesterday."
"A new fixer?"
"Yes."
"Oh..."
She showed interest with a bright smile.
It was a very radiant smile, but in contrast, her eyes darted about erratically, as if filled with countless thoughts.
"Forest, that picky old man, took on a new fixer... Interesting."
"He has proven sufficient credit and ability."
"Ah... Credit, huh? So you're someone introduced by a trustworthy person? And if you've proven your skills, hmm... Don't tell me you're the one who took down that chimera causing chaos in V District?"
Oliver slightly raised an eyebrow.
It had only been yesterday that he caught the chimera. Was information always this fast?
"Haha, don't be too surprised. This is my job, after all. My name is Coco. What's yours?"
"I'm Dave."
"Nice to meet you, Dave. Let's meet again sometime."
With the soft, graceful movement unique to women, she stood up, placed money for the food on the table, and left.
"...Who is she? A fixer?"
"No, she's an informant who does business with the boss."
"An informant?"
"Yes, she deals in information, literally. She runs various other businesses too... I'll take you back to the boss now."
Knock knock.
When Al knocked on the door, Forest was in the middle of writing up some documents.
Seeing Oliver enter, he finished his signature and organized the papers.
"Well, an unexpected guest early in the morning."
"Sorry if I've inconvenienced you."
"No, it's not that. Just unexpected, that's all."
"Is that so?"
"Usually, after earning tens of millions of randa in a single day, people take at least a few weeks off to rest."
"I slept well last night."
Forest nodded knowingly, raising both hands.
"Good, we've had enough chit-chat. As expected, you're here for work, right?"
"Yes."
"Mm, alright. Before I assign you something, do you have any jobs you want or ones you'd rather avoid?"
Forest asked as he rummaged through the file cabinet.
Oliver thought for a moment before speaking.
"Nothing in particular I want or avoid, but I'd prefer to steer clear of jobs that harm civilians."
"Good to hear. Me too. They're relatively easy and decently profitable, but they can draw investigations unnecessarily. No dignity in it either. Not my style. Glad our temperaments match."
Just as Kant had said.
Brokers picked jobs based on their personal inclinations, which meant the fixers under them varied wildly in personality depending on the broker.
It was only natural; it was hard to work long with a broker whose style didn't match.
"Hmm... I don't have anything suitable to entrust to you yet."
"Is that right?"
"Yeah, well, there are minor things like hunting wanted criminals or capturing and exterminating contaminated beasts, but the pay isn't worth the effort. Just pocket change with no real productivity. That's not what you want, especially since that's not your goal."
Oliver responded to the accurate assessment with silence.
Making money was important, but equally crucial was building connections to get closer to the Black Market.
But had he ever mentioned that?
"Don't give me that look. As you can see, I'm no spring chicken, and I've been around this scene long enough. I know high-level black mages don't do fixer work just for the money. If it was really about cash, they'd make drugs or join a Crime Firm."
"...Impressive."
"Thanks for the praise. Sorry if I overstepped by acting like I know you."
"No, not unpleasant at all. If it's okay, could you keep talking?"
"About what?"
"Your guesses from experience."
Forest stared silently at Oliver.
"......"
"Ah, did I say something wrong?"
"No, you didn't. Just... surprising. Are you always this curious?"
"Seems like it."
Forest gazed at Oliver for a moment before speaking.
"...Most black mages who do fixer work fall into two categories: by force or by choice. The former are the dregs who lack skill or only skimmed the surface and couldn't join a Family."
"I see."
"The latter show more varied motivations. Battle maniacs who enjoy combat itself, or ambitious ones tired of hanging with other black mages and seeking greater power. Prove you're an exceptional black mage, and big shots will reach out. If you're confident in your abilities, it's entirely possible."
"I see."
"But you don't seem like either. The vibe is different. You can't hide that kind of thing. Just asking out of curiosity—no need to answer if you don't want to. Why do fixer work? ...I mean it, skip it if you like. I prefer to keep some distance from my clients."
Oliver pondered briefly before replying.
"...I want to use the Black Market."
"Black Market?"
"Yes. Do you know it?"
"No, I know similar places, but not much about the Black Market specifically. Why do you want to use it?"
"Nothing special. I want to buy black magic books. I want to study black magic, but I don't want to join an organization. I'd have to do jobs I don't like, and they'd take my time."
"I see..."
Forest nodded slowly. He seemed like he wanted to ask more but held back.
Oliver suddenly wondered if he'd made a mistake.
Kant had advised maximum caution, and here he was spilling a lot just the morning after yesterday's efforts.
But it couldn't be helped. Forest's words were quite interesting.
"Didn't expect you'd open up like that after just two days. Glad you trust me."
"I can't help myself with interesting things."
"Seems that way... Black Market, huh... How about this job then? Not great profit-wise, but if you approach it as networking, it could work."
With that, Forest handed Oliver a file folder.
It was a stiff brown paper folder with "OF-M" written in elegant script on the cover.
Oliver opened it.
One side had a black-and-white photo of a chubby middle-aged man, and the other had information about him.
"Target's name: Herberton. Former associate professor of alchemy at the Magic Tower. The request is for recovery?"
"That's right. Note that the client is from a Crime Firm."
Crime Firm.
He knew from Kant.
A massive criminal organization spanning Celland, including Randa.
They effectively dominated Celland's underworld.
Of course, internal conflicts and clashes with unaffiliated gangs prevented total control, but their numbers and scale were overwhelming enough to call them rulers of the shadows.
Kant had said to avoid jobs that could spark friction with them if possible, and if unavoidable, ensure a solid backer who could protect him.
"I'm not sure what 'recovery' means exactly. Could you explain?"
"Of course, I was about to. The guy in the photo is, as the documents say, a former Magic Tower associate professor."
"Former meaning he's not anymore?"
"Yeah, he quit. Or rather, got fired. He didn't like being stuck as associate professor for so long, so he stole Magic Tower supplies to make illegal magic liquor and got caught."
"I see."
"But life's full of surprises. Turns out he had unexpected talent; his product was pretty good. The client approached him first with a business proposal for magic liquor."
Magic liquor.
A general term for alcohol processed with added potions.
Botch it, and people die or suffer aftereffects—a dangerous brew.
Done right, it offered flavors and addictiveness no normal booze could match: an illegal good.
Banned for moral reasons, manufacturing and consumption risks, and the sanctity of potions.
But precisely because it was illegal, it fetched high prices, as Kant had said.
He'd enjoyed it in his younger days.
"The professor had some social experience, so he didn't bite right away but tested the waters. In the end, the eager client paid a hefty advance and signed the contract."
Oliver could guess how the story went.
"But soon after the money changed hands, they called him in for production issues, and poof—he vanished. Fled with the cash. The client searched tirelessly and finally pinpointed him a few weeks ago."
Oliver checked the file. Location...
"X District."
"Yeah, even the Crime Firm can't claim X District as their turf. It's a lawless zone crawling with unaffiliated gangs and mercenary groups. Smart and bold of the professor to think he could run his own operation there."
Oliver fell into thought. A certain lightning mage came to mind.
"One question?"
"What?"
"Do a lot of people get kicked out of the Magic Tower like this?"
Forest thought for a moment before answering.
"Mm... Lately, yeah. Mages' status, prestige, and economic influence have skyrocketed, but so has the competition. That's flooding our scene with mages, causing all sorts of chaos. That's why I'm suggesting this job."
"Some sharp underworld ambitious types and power players have caught on that the shadows will soon see as much upheaval as the light. Two sides of the same coin—opposites, yet intertwined. With mages spilling into the dark, they think they need to prepare accordingly. So they're scouting capable fixers."
"Doing this could get me noticed?"
"Not guaranteed, but possible. At least you'd have a connection to a Crime Firm member, even if low-level. He's desperate now, so helping would earn real gratitude."
Forest's words rang true, and logically sound.
"But I'm not pushing. Honestly, it doesn't balance out financially."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, 20 million randa pay sounds nice, but it's a solo mission with no real support, and X District alone makes it high-risk. Bare minimum compensation."
"......"
"Plus, the conditions are tricky. Easy if it was just kill or destroy, but they want the professor brought back intact as possible. Some injury they might overlook, but disability or death? No."
"Similar to the chimera job."
"Differences too. Chimera was solo, but he's not. He used the magic liquor profits to hire local gangs, and investigations suggest pro mercenaries too. Merc in question is a black mage."
"A black mage?"
"Yeah, black mages are on the rise lately. Don't know why exactly... Makes it riskier."
"......If I take this, will future jobs get easier?"
"Word spreads, your name value rises—probably. I'll help too."
Sincerity. Oliver replied.
"Then I'll give it a shot."