Between the Wolf and the Dragon -1-
Between the Wolf and the Dragon -1-
"···What?"
"Who're you?"
Flora Crimsonhowl and Ellen Clements.
The scions of the Mado Myeongga, the origin of Megacorp that holds and shakes Haze.
To outsiders, they are figures with absolutely no connection to District 27. No, even looking at each other, it's the same.
"I came to see family. Not following you down."
At Flora's words, Ellen's eyebrows arch.
That high-and-mighty Crimsonhowl decided to meet family of all places in District 27? Even if you try to understand, you absolutely can't, but if it's true, what an incredible coincidence.
Of course, whether that's truth or lie, Ellen doesn't care. Because it's a matter unrelated to her.
"I came 'cause I got business. Like I'd follow ye down."
At Ellen's words, Flora lowered her gaze and looked at the clothes she was wearing.
She still gives off a smell that stimulates the sense of smell. Her wariness doesn't subside.
"···Then let's each go our own way."
"'Course not. Like we're buddies, walkin' together."
Flora and Ellen walked with their heads turned away.
Desperately ignoring each other, they move in the same direction. Then they exit through the same door and walk facing the same way.
Even trying not to be aware, it keeps bothering them.
Despite Flora, feeling uncomfortable with the awkward atmosphere, deliberately crossing an alley to move, they met again at the same place.
"···."
"Huh?"
"What."
"Nothing."
They exchange curt remarks and move again as if nothing happened.
Again heading to the same place.
'No way.'
'It can't be.'
Right. Like they said, they have business.
How vast is District 27··· following this, they'll go different directions. There's no way they're heading to Max's Mercenary Office.
Ttokak.
The footsteps that stop like that.
The two stopped in front of the same building.
"Didn't you say earlier you were going to see family?"
"···That's right, I came to see family. You said you were going for work."
"I came for work too."
At this point, each is certain.
They can't be customers of the gambling arcade on the first floor or the cocktail bar on the third floor.
Flora and Ellen move simultaneously and step onto the stairs.
—Teop! Ellen, who took the inside, grabbed the wall.
—Teong! Flora, positioned on the outside, grabbed the railing.
As they climb the narrow stairs, they push each other with their bodies.
"You girl! Hey, move your ass! Bragging how big it is or what!"
"Don't say obscene things! It's not even that big···!"
As Flora screamed with a face red like her hair, Ellen pushed even harder.
"You're really a cow that learned to walk on two legs! It's so narrow, I'm dying!"
"If it's narrow, just move aside···! And I'm a wolf, not a cow!"
"In the class, I don't know anyone with bigger boobs than me except you!"
"Wha, what do you want me to do···!"
Neither of them knows why they're acting so childish.
It's just that they felt they didn't want to let the other go first.
For the two now, the awareness that they must not damage the office wall or stair railing was the bare minimum of conscience.
Tak!
The two stepped onto the second floor with a difference so close it was hard to tell who arrived first.
However, contrary to expectations, there was no sign of anyone in the office.
"Uh, the light inside···?"
"What the. Came all the way up and it's empty."
The office is dark, even the lights are off.
It looks like Max is out.
"···."
Flora pouts and takes out her phone. Seeing that, Ellen smirks.
She doesn't know what victory it is, but she's sure of victory.
"Ha, move aside!"
Ellen pushes Flora away and places her finger on the machine.
Bbiroli- ring!
The fingerprint is recognized and the lock of Max's Mercenary Office unlocks.
"···!"
Ellen passes the astonished Flora and walks in proudly.
No matter what the circumstances turn out to be from now on, Ellen will never forget Flora's expression.
Now that Flora and Ellen have arrived at the office.
Unfortunately, Max has already taken a request.
They say during sewer construction, a crocodile appeared.
Living in the sewer, whatever it ate made its hide so hard that even bullets don't penetrate. It's twice the size of a normal crocodile and swallowed a worker during construction.
Max judged it would be a quick request and came out for the job.
But it's taking longer than expected.
Because the construction workers are struggling to lure the crocodile.
"I see the tail! Poke it!"
"Youngest! Bring a longer skewer."
"If that damn crocodile tries to turn around or you hear it cry, just lie down! If you're late, your head disappears!"
As soon as he arrived, Max tried to pull the crocodile with telekinesis or kill it with impact and cutting, but since there's a risk of the sewer collapsing from magic backlash or the crocodile's thrashing, he accepted additional payment from the construction company and is waiting.
As he waits for the crocodile to appear, passing time leisurely.
Max's phone vibrates consecutively.
[Flora Crimsonhowl: Oppa, I came to the office]
[Ellen Clements: Where'd you go? Came for work and it's empty]
"!?"
At the messages arriving without even a gap, Max's eyes widened.
'Isn't it time for both of them to be at the Academy?'
The current time is morning, and it's a weekday.
Wondering if his memory had a hole, he checked the calendar, but it's not a holiday either.
Not even Minerva Academy's founding anniversary.
Anyway, the situation means the two are together at the office.
Considering the time, it's hard to see it as a coincidence.
'So Flora and Ellen's relationship is actually fine?'
Just from the fact that I heard nothing before the return, maybe I was worrying for nothing.
'Did I get too soaked in Haze's ecosystem? It was prejudice.'
Right. Even between Mado Myeongga families, they can be close.
Because they are two of the three families that founded Genesis Bio Solution.
It's a plausible story.
— Kwooooo!!!
The crocodile that suddenly burst out of the sewer stopped just as it was about to swallow a worker.
Because an invisible multitude of hands grabbed the crocodile. Max was maintaining vigilance and focus even while checking messages.
[Manipulate Hands]
The crocodile, caught in Max's 3rd-tier telekinesis, floats in the air and struggles. Unable to close its jaws, it drools.
Its short, chubby legs, unsuited to its massive body, move frantically.
— Keung, geureung, keoeeee!
The crocodile expels air and makes a dinosaur-like sound.
From how many people it has eaten, there are stuck flesh, blood, and tangled clothing near its mouth.
If not for that, the struggle might have seemed a little cute.
'As expected, creatures without mana have weak resistance, so it's nice.'
The worker who almost got eaten in the crocodile's jaws collapses, his legs giving out.
"Hee, heeeeek!!!"
He has only now realized he was at death's door.
Around him, workers rush over and pull the fallen worker away.
"You stupid bastard! Get out quick! Wanna die?!"
"Master Mage! Please take care of it!"
Max finishes gesturing for the workers to move farther back.
He weaves mana delicately. What forms the system is a 3rd-tier cutting spell.
[Ripper]
Max's mana takes the form of a blade and flies toward the crocodile.
The crocodile's tough hide and muscles are slashed and torn.
Jet-black blood spills onto the floor in streams.
'The hide is certainly hard. Maybe it picked up some strange drug inside.'
So the claim that normal firearms didn't work wasn't a lie.
Max throws the crocodile, its head and body separated, onto the ground. As soon as the work ends, the site supervisor runs over.
"Thank you, Master Mage! Here is the payment. Good work!"
"Such jobs are always welcome."
Pocketing a decent day's pay, Max quickly leaves the site. He sent replies to the two at the office, but there's no response.
Instead of walking back leisurely as usual, he catches a taxi to return.
The way back feels strangely tense.
"···They're alright, right?"
He just hopes they're peacefully chatting while eating lollipops from the desk.
Flora and Ellen, too busy chatting up a storm to check their phones. Isn't that an easy and understandable situation?
"Sir. That'll be 6,900 credits."
"Card, please."
After paying and getting out of the taxi, Max looks up and checks the building first.
Fortunately, there are no signs of fire or lightning strikes.
Tadadak!
He bolts up the stairs.
He opens the door to the office.
""···.""
Flora and Ellen's gazes simultaneously turn to Max.
The two are sitting facing each other on the reception sofa, but they have no drinks and aren't smiling.
'What kind of atmosphere is this?'
Max shakes off the sensation of his body freezing and forces himself to move.
He fumbles along the wall and turns on the office light first.
"Why are you sitting in the dark?"
The air inside is so heavy that 'oppressive' is an apt description. It feels suffocating.
Max calmly heads to his computer chair and takes off his outer coat.
"Did you do your work well?"
"Is the request done?"
Flora and Ellen ask simultaneously and glare at each other.
Thanks to that, Max revises his thoughts.
Maybe their relationship isn't what he predicted. He starts to think they might have truly met here by chance.
"···."
Max drags his wheeled computer chair and moves.
Deureureureu──.
Instead of sitting on the reception sofa, he occupies the center. Flora and Ellen, facing each other, are clearly visible.
Max somehow endures the piercing gazes of the two on him.
Calmly, he opens his mouth.
"Shall we three talk a bit?"