A Noble Person in a Humble Place
A Noble Person in a Humble Place
A few days had passed since Max posted the job opening.
Perhaps because of the gritty nameplate that read 'Mercenary Office,' no applicants for the staff position appeared, but the workload itself was more booming than expected.
"Mercenary-seonsaengnim... please, help me! A ninja stole my family treasure!"
"Calm down first. A ninja? A treasure? What kind of treasure was stolen?"
"A dagger about this big, but it weighs 6kg and──."
There were, of course, requests to find stolen items.
"I left the window open just a crack to air out the room, and my cat ran away!"
"I'll head out immediately. Do you have a photo of the cat?"
"Yes! If you look here, there's a jetpack attached to its waist, right? And lasers shoot out of one eye, so be careful when you pick it up──."
Requests to find runaway cats.
"Th-th-th-there's a cockroach in my house!"
"Calm down. Did you come all the way to a mercenary office for that?"
"A cockroach over 1 meter long is on the ceiling!!!"
"..."
There were also requests to exterminate mutated insects.
"My daughter says she ran into a flasher on her way home from work. This is my favorite revolver; find that guy and just put one bullet in his lower half──."
And requests to mercifully treat owners of sexual predilections that caused harm to others.
Then came a quiet day after that strangely overwhelming rush of requests ended.
Max finished his meditation and stepped out of his private space.
'Maybe I'll eat and sleep for a bit.'
When he was out on requests, he usually made do with energy jellies and lollipops.
But when he was at the office, he would heat up instant rice and have a hearty meal with side dishes.
'The taste is killer.'
The side dishes made by Enri Crimsonhowl elicited admiration every single time.
The flavor was incredible. The rice just slid down his throat.
Just as he finished his meal and sat in his computer chair.
─Tok, tok, tok! The sound of knocking was heard.
"It's open. Come in."
"Excuse me~"
A girl opened the door and stepped inside, looking around the office.
Max also took in the stranger's information in an instant.
Tanned skin, short hair, and a golden engraving situated on a black horn.
Badges and keyrings hanging all over her bag, and headphones draped around her neck.
"What brings you here?"
"Is this the office that said they were lookin' for a part-timer?"
She was a girl with a unique accent steeped in personality.
And more importantly.
'She's a monster.'
An aura of strength wafted from her implicitly.
He felt she wouldn't fall short even if compared to Flora.
'A distinct personality is evidence.'
His consciousness assembled the information.
How many people with a youthful face and that much capability could there be in Heize?
Thus, a single name came to Max's mind.
'Could it be?'
He had no direct experience meeting her, but she was a big shot whose heroic tales were constant in Heize before his regression.
A name that kept reaching his ears even if he paid absolutely no attention.
'...Should I hear it from her directly?'
Max stopped his speculation and spoke.
"It's true we're looking for staff. But are you aware that this is a mercenary office?"
"Ahaha! I came knowin' all that, so don't you worry."
The girl giggled as if it were fun and plopped her bottom onto the sofa.
Her eyes sparkled as she tapped the table with her hand.
"Interview! Let's get the interview over with quick!"
Max stood up while harboring complex thoughts.
He prepared a drink first, according to procedure.
"...There's black coffee and juice."
"Black coffee! Give it to me iced!"
Even if she asked for it iced, there was no ice in the office.
Melting the coffee with hot water and filling the rest with cold water was the best he could do.
"Here it is."
"Mmm..."
The girl's lips pouted at the lukewarm coffee without ice.
'She's drinking it anyway, though.'
Watching her gulp it down, Max scratched his head.
If the girl in front of him was indeed the person he suspected, this was troublesome.
"Are you aware the hourly wage is 15,000 Credits?"
"Course! I came runnin' the moment I heard the pay was just right and the hours were negotiable."
Max's head grew even more complicated at the cool response.
'The pay is just right?'
Is she not that woman from the Magic Family? Is it just my misunderstanding?
"Naturally, you won't be going out on requests with me. Cleaning the office, stocking supplies, and preparing drinks when guests arrive is enough."
"Cleanin'? I've never done it, but ain't I a genius who can do anythin' if I set my mind to it? Ah! Oppaya, you don't gotta use formal speech like a stiff, you can talk comfortably."
She suddenly dropped the formalities and told him to do the same.
However, in Heize, might was right.
Looking at the current situation, one could say the girl's manners were extremely polite.
Accepting the favor, he dropped the honorifics.
"What are your desired working hours?"
"If I come after the Academy ends, maybe two hours a day on weekdays? Three at most? I dunno about weekends."
"Academy? Are you saying you're a student at Minerva Academy?"
"Surprised? My face is pretty, and my specs are no joke, right?"
Max felt his breath hitch at the girl's behavior as she grinned while flashing a V-sign.
"...Student ID."
When Max gestured for her to show something to prove her identity, the girl rummaged through her bag.
She grumbled about not looking too closely because she didn't like the photo, then handed over the ID.
[Ellen Clements]
On the student ID covered in stickers, the eight letters symbolizing the Magic Family were clearly written.
It was a name that made it incomprehensible why she would come to Sector 27 to find work.
Max muttered to himself in bewilderment.
"Clements..."
"I know what you're thinkin', Oppaya. But I'm here to work as an individual, regardless of my family."
How does that make any sense?
Even if she said so, there was no telling what would happen to this place if a problem arose.
"...You must have more than enough money, and there must be many places you need to spend your time. Why do you want to work for 15,000 Credits an hour?"
"There's somethin' I wanna buy with my own money, not the family's. Can you understand that?"
But that attitude of insisting on standing alone regardless of the family.
Because Max had run away from the Steiger Family, it resonated deeply. Empathy surged down his spine.
"Ha."
Max let out a short breath.
His head throbbed. A headache as if his mana was being forcibly squeezed out.
Ellen Clements was an enormous connection on par with Flora.
Not only was her skill guaranteed, but every single word she uttered during a conversation could potentially be valuable information.
But what if a problem occurred?
'Whether I have Steiger blood or not, my head would roll. Regardless of Ellen Clements' own will.'
The pros and cons of hiring her were stark.
"Hmm..."
To Max, who seemed more than halfway convinced but had yet to make a decision.
Ellen reminded him of a crucial piece of information to end the conflict.
"Oppaya. Do you know what the most important thin' in business is?"
"Hm?"
"It's havin' a pretty employee like me. That's how customers get hooked and open their wallets!"
"..."
A law that seemed irrelevant to a mercenary office no matter how one looked at it.
However, Ellen's confidence alone shone brightly. To the point where he let out a hollow laugh at the absurdity.
'I lose.'
Max used Psychokinesis to grab a contract and pen he had prepared in advance.
He pushed them toward Ellen, telling her to fill them out.
"Like it says on the sign, my name is Max. This office is too humble to be called a Boss, so call me whatever you want."
Max continued his introduction, omitting the surname Steiger as always.
"Ellen Clements. You can call me the World's Greatest Beauty."
Max ignored the request and spoke her name.
"Ellen. When do you plan to start?"
"Stop! That's enough!"
"The winner is Ellen Clements!"
One of the biggest topics at Minerva Academy.
The win-loss record between Flora Crimsonhowl and Ellen Clements.
"Booyah!"
Today, by a hair's breadth, it was Ellen Clements' victory.
The win rate, which had been maintained at exactly fifty-fifty, tilted once again.
"Today's class ends here. Students who suspect they are injured should head to the infirmary."
And so, at the time Minerva Academy ended along with the conclusion of the match.
Flora steeled her heart.
She chewed on her resolve while packing her bag at her seat.
'I mustn't be shaken by provocations. Calmly, as always...'
Soon, Ellen would come running over to boisterously enjoy her victory.
Based on experience so far, she would run wild with high tension until the next match. She might even appear doing backflips.
She mustn't be swayed by that.
If her concentration wavered, it would lead straight to a losing streak.
She was aware that a bland response, as if she didn't care, would conversely become an attack that broke Ellen's flow.
However, it was unexpected.
'Eh?'
Contrary to Flora's expectations, Ellen, who had returned to the classroom, packed her bag and left immediately.
As if she had something busy to attend to.
The students also buzzed in surprise at the lack of her usual behavior.
"What's up with Ellen? I thought she'd fire celebratory shots into the sky since she won."
"Dunno. From what I heard earlier, it sounded like she had an appointment."
"If she's running off like that, didn't her family call for her?"
"That's a world we don't know about."
The students scattered.
Flora resumed her paused movements and continued preparing to go home.
'As I thought, this is good. The silence.'
It was a fortunate thing for Flora.
Probably.