Correct Me
Correct Me
Leaving behind the flattened corpse that couldn't withstand the shock delivered by the virtual mass, and the bystanders who were enjoying the spectacle,
Max returned to the second-floor office and bit into a lollipop.
The candy was vanilla flavor.
The scent was pleasant. Perfect for forgetting the vulgar smell left by the bikers.
He called Flora right away.
_─ H-hello?
Her voice was startled, as if she hadn't expected a call so soon.
"Is something wrong?"
_─ Well, isn't the gift you gave me too expensive···?
The price was 3.1 million credits.
Even though it was money Flora could spend without hesitation, it was indeed a large amount for Max, a mercenary in District 27.
Given that he had even been seen eating energy gels to save a few credits on meals, it was natural for the gift to seem excessive.
"Expensive? It's exactly the right price for the item."
_─ That's not it··· uh···.
Given Flora's personality, it wouldn't be easy to ask whether spending 3.1 million credits wasn't too much for a District 27 mercenary who lived in his office without a home.
It would be hard for her to say it indirectly too.
_─ The thing you gave me isn't an ordinary pair of sunglasses, right.
"That's right."
As Flora said.
The product from Rose Bud was a smart goggle equipped with functions beyond just protecting the eyes from sunlight.
When synced with a phone or tablet, it could capture what was reflected on the lens, and also pull up data from the gallery.
Most students at Minerva Academy likely used smart goggles to attend theory classes.
'The academy students would probably use brands much more expensive than Rose Bud. Still, Rose Bud products are the best in thermal resistance.'
Of course, Flora would graduate with overwhelmingly high grades that would be considered unprecedented in Minerva Academy's history, even without this.
But after graduation, when she entered society, she started using smart goggles for work.
Since he remembered seeing in Hayes News that she used the simplest model because she didn't know what would suit her, Max picked a more daring design.
'Someone that pretty would look good in anything.'
Max gently comforted Flora, who couldn't shake off the burden.
"I thought it would be convenient for you when studying."
_─ It would certainly be convenient, but···.
"I've been getting a lot of requests lately, so it's not a burdensome price. If I go broke later, I won't be able to buy you things like this, so just take it."
Realizing the conversation would go in circles, Flora made up her mind.
_─ Thanks, oppa. I'll use it well.
"Stay strong until you graduate from the academy. I hope it helps even a little. You might not need it right now, but after graduation, you might have use for it."
_─ Yeah. It'll be a big help. I'll get used to it in advance.
Max curled the corners of his mouth in satisfaction.
Her subtly excited voice was pleasant to hear.
This must be an ideal family. A dreamlike form.
_─ But the design is so distinctive, I'm not sure it suits me. Will it be okay···?
"I bought it because I thought it would suit you the moment I saw it. Isn't it similar to your eye color? Since your hair is red, I thought orange would go well with it."
_─ Ah, my eyes···.
Flora's voice rapidly shrank, and only after a long while did it return to normal.
Max chatted with Flora for over thirty minutes.
_─ It might be my imagination, but your voice sounds happy. Did something good happen?
He thought he hadn't shown it, but her intuition was sharp.
Max debated whether to tell her he had become 4th rank, but held back.
He wanted to see Flora's expression change when they met in person.
He changed the subject.
"I was feeling lonely, and you asked if you could call. How welcome it was."
─ R-really? Hmm, I see ···_.
Their call ended after roughly over an hour.
··
··
The next afternoon.
Ellen, having finished her classes at the academy, came to work cheerfully.
"What's that vulgar mark in front of the office... Huh!?"
Ellen noticed the change as soon as she saw Max.
The power from the change in rank was transparently felt.
"You came to work later than usual today. Well, there were no guests anyway."
"No, is it important that there were no guests! You went up to 4th rank without even telling me!"
"···It is important that there were no guests. And becoming 4th rank was natural since the Association gave me a good item."
"What nonsense? I've used it too, so I know. The Diamond Spike is absolutely not that amazing. Did your ancestors draw the circuits for you?"
Ellen said. That our liquid metal isn't that good.
Of course, since Max couldn't say he was a regressor, the best response was to say 'the result is what it is, what can you do?'
"Good is good. Congratulate me first."
"Okay. To celebrate, let's go out and eat meat. That place last time was good."
"Oh, talking about meat when guests might come!"
"Last time you went out just fine."
"That was then."
Ellen pouted her lips and took out a candy.
She bit into one and showed curiosity.
"Ah, does that girl also know that oppa went up to 4th rank?"
"Who?"
"Who else? Oppa's younger sister."
"I didn't tell her on purpose. I have to surprise her."
"Oppa knows how to have fun. Your skills are much better than those snobbish guys at our academy."
"Except for you and Flora?"
"You're stating the obvious."
The average graduate of Minerva Academy is 2nd rank.
Graduates evaluated as geniuses and receiving concentrated family investment are at the 3rd rank level.
Even if they are filled with mana by administering plenty of good things, it takes too much time for other conditions required to rise in rank.
From that alone, you can see how absurd the levels of Flora and Ellen are.
In terms of speed alone, they are geniuses that will adorn Hayes history.
The future Max remembers is clearly the same.
"Ah! Speaking of oppa's younger sister."
"You can just call her Flora."
"Are you crazy! It's cringey, how can I call her that?"
Ellen shuddered as if to say she absolutely couldn't do that.
A hard-to-understand feeling.
Max brushed it off and listened.
"Anyway, why Flora?"
"For some reason, she even brought a colored smart goggle, saying she wanted to look stylish. I thought she'd use a plain transparent lens with black frames since she usually doesn't decorate and only wears plain clothes."
"From the way you say that, it must have suited her well."
"···It's not a compliment, so don't tell that girl I said this. Got it?"
At Ellen's warning, Max nodded with a smile.
Only then did the follow-up words continue.
"She always wore only achromatic clothes, making even the people watching feel suffocated. Now it seems she's found a color that suits her."
"Is it that bad?"
"Even oppa sees what that girl wears every day. All the time, it's a gray hoodie or a black hoodie."
"So what? She's pretty."
"Ha!"
Ellen shook her head as if they couldn't communicate.
Then she headed to the water purifier to prepare coffee.
Max also stood up and put on his outerwear.
Because he noticed a guest was coming.
"Max-nim. Excuse me."
Meredith, an employee of the Association, entered the office and politely greeted Ellen as well.
Max welcomed her with a smile.
"I didn't expect you to come in just one day."
"I have no way of knowing the Association President's intentions either. He is such a capricious person."
So it was the named request that the Association President had asked to prioritize.
Max sat facing Meredith on the reception sofa.
"Here~ Eonni, black coffee, right?"
"Thank you."
When Ellen handed the coffee, Meredith quickly stood up and received it with both hands.
"Oppa, one cup too."
"Thanks."
Max received the coffee while seated, and Meredith took out a tablet and documents from her bag.
Ellen moved away from the sofa and sat on the computer chair, fiddling with her phone.
"You must depart tomorrow."
"So I have a day's leeway. I'll keep it clear even if other requests come in."
"Thank you. The reason I'm giving you the information in advance is so that you can familiarize yourself with the request by tomorrow. Of course, you must not leak the information outside."
The treatment is better than when they used to send him on the same day.
Perhaps he has gained quite a bit of trust since aligning with the Association.
"First, I'm curious about the request fee."
"The fee is 60 million credits, the upper limit for a 3rd-rank mercenary. Of course, it's a short-term request, not a long-term one."
Thanks to that, Max realized.
So even that old fortune-teller Association President couldn't see how the opponent would grow.
'Well, he's not omniscient, I suppose.'
Maybe it's a form that only shows the big things vaguely.
Anyway, it's likely he can't see the detailed parts.
"Meredith-nim. I have a correction regarding the fee."
"I will listen attentively. Please tell me."
Meredith was preparing to emphasize that there was no justification to increase the fee, and that the amount at the upper limit was an unprecedented special treatment.
Because she had become accustomed to this part while dealing with mercenaries.
But Max's words completely deviated from expectations.
"I am not 3rd rank, but 4th rank. Please correct the information."
"···Yes?"
"Thanks to the Association President giving me a good item before leaving, I was able to see a higher place. Do you happen to have the item that measured my rank last time?"
"Th-that measuring device is currently··· Have you truly risen to 4th rank···?"
As Meredith blinked in confusion, Ellen spun around on the computer chair and guaranteed.
"Oppa is really 4th rank. I was surprised too."
Meredith stammered for a long while without giving a proper response.
In the end, thinking it wasn't a matter for her to handle, she asked for understanding.
"I'm sorry, but may I step out to make a quick call?"
"Of course."
Meredith went outside the office.
Max and Ellen looked at each other and grinned.