And Then the Ninja Appeared
And Then the Ninja Appeared
The Prism.
It's one of the department stores located in District 14.
The entire building is covered in specialized glass, a spot promoted as the pinnacle of aesthetics.
Most first-time visitors stop to admire the exterior and take photos before entering, but Max, despite it being his first visit, headed inside without much thought.
He rides the escalator up.
'It was on the 9th floor, they said.'
It's a floor that handles both specialized clothing and firearms.
Passing by a series of sleek gun stores, clothing shops came into view.
Among them, the brand Max is looking for is Fluid.
The brand's logo isn't outwardly displayed, so it doesn't scream "specialized clothing," and the products themselves have good reviews.
As soon as he spotted the name "Fluid," he walked in.
"Welcome!"
"If there's anything you're looking for, feel free to call us!"
There are quite a few customers.
On the walls, AIs are moving around, attending to customers separately from the staff.
'The staff are also tier 1 to 2. Running this place must cost a pretty penny.'
An AI also attached itself to Max.
He has no intention of shooing it away. He'll need it soon, so he lets it accompany him while he browses briefly.
"I'd like to see the Singularity Edition."
As he spoke to the wall, the AI responded.
─ To provide the best service, we will call a staff member.
As the mechanical voice finished its sentence, a staff member approached and bowed.
"Customer-nim. I heard you're looking for the Singularity Edition."
"Yes. I'm considering a purchase."
He follows the staff member to the back of the store.
A variety of clothing styles are laid out in a row. From the outside, it looks like an ordinary clothes shop.
The staff member picked up a hanging shirt and continued explaining.
"The Singularity Edition is made by weaving ultra-high-density aramid fibers with military-grade Kevlar. Yet, as you can see, it doesn't look conspicuous."
"Is there any discomfort when moving?"
"Of course, it's soft enough to dance in normally. And look here...!"
The staff member performed a little show, patting the clothes pang pang and crumpling them into a ball, then neatly spreading them out to continue.
"Our Fluid's technology lies in embedding a material superior to non-Newtonian fluids between the ultra-high-density fibers! During daily life, it's flexible, but when impact from bullets or blunt weapons is applied, the material bonds in an instant and hardens!"
Even without that material, the fiber's own durability can easily block blades.
"I'd like to try them on. Please get me this suit set, this shirt, and this coat."
As Max stated his size, the staff member immediately brought the clothes.
"Would you like to test the durability?"
The staff member smiled and pulled out a gun and a knife, but Max didn't need unnecessary noise and gunpowder smell.
He put on the clothes, gathered magical power in his fist, and lightly conducted a durability test.
'Strong. And easy to move in.'
It's enough to halt attacks that would lead to fatal injuries.
'As expected, work relies on gear.'
Max made it clear he intended to buy, and the staff member bowed deeply.
"Thank you! I'll wrap a new product of the same item."
"Ah, do you have masks? Nothing too flashy."
"Is there a specific function you're looking for?"
"No. A simple mask is fine. Show me something sturdy and cheap."
The staff member pulled out a box, tore open the packaging, and took out a mask.
For a customer about to buy expensive clothes, this much seems to be provided as a courtesy.
"Then I recommend this product! The durability isn't bad, and it has a built-in filter, giving it gas mask functionality. It works for 10 minutes in contaminated zones, and once contaminated, you can dispose of it."
The staff member offered the mask to try on. Max didn't refuse and put it on.
Despite being said to have gas mask functionality, breathing wasn't uncomfortable.
The pure black color and simple design make it perfect for commissions.
"Not bad. No stuffiness. Add this to the bill as well."
He bought a set of 10 masks, and the one he tried on was given as a complimentary service.
The clothes went over budget, but he settled on an interest-free installment plan stretched to the limit.
After purchasing the clothing, Max left the department store immediately to avoid further spending.
'...Spent it all in one go.'
His wallet gasped for CPR, but he didn't regret it.
It wasn't a luxury; it was a necessary expense.
'I'll just buy candy roughly near the office.'
He deleted the plan to buy some fancy candy since he was already in District 14.
He shoved the mask, which he had unconsciously kept wearing, into his pocket and walked slowly. Since he had free time for once, he planned to stroll through District 14 and head to the station.
'If I'm going to use magic, I need to refresh my mind periodically.'
And so, while walking this unfamiliar path and enjoying his leisure,
A youthful voice rang out.
"Ah! Watch out for the ball!"
A soccer ball rolled de'gul de'gul past Max, exiting the park.
As the ball kept rolling without stopping, his telekinesis reflexively grabbed it.
The ball caught by Max's magical power floated in the air and drifted dungsil dungsil toward its owner.
A boy wearing hospital clothes stared blankly before catching the ball. His expression showed that magic intrigued him.
"Th, thank you...!"
Seeing ears poking out through his black hair, he was a boy with rabbit beastman blood.
For some reason, one of his ears appeared severed.
The hospital name written on his hospital clothes caught Max's eye.
[Emmaus Medical Center]
The park where the boy was located was itself part of Emmaus Medical Center's grounds. Patients in similar outfits were wandering around everywhere.
And behind them stood that grand building—the hospital.
'The largest hospital in District 14.'
A hospital where hospitalization costs are impossible for ordinary people.
Max observed the boy.
'A young master from a wealthy family?'
But if so, there were no bodyguards. And the ball he was playing with was a rag.
One plausible case came to mind: a patient who doesn't have the wealth to afford bodyguards but needs to be hospitalized in a big hospital.
What proved this was his expression.
'Too dark.'
It was the face of someone who had seen rock bottom.
From Max's perspective, it wasn't a face he wanted to see before an important commission.
"Do you like soccer?"
"Yes! I love it!"
"Try kicking it."
It was just a whim.
Max stood at the boundary of the Emmaus Medical Center entrance and passed the ball tuk tuk back and forth with the boy.
"You've got good leg strength."
"Really?"
It wasn't empty praise. True to his rabbit beastman nature, he used his legs well.
The boy got excited and started putting more force into it. His face brightened a little.
As they passed the ball, the boy showed curiosity.
"Hyung, are you a wizard?"
"Yeah. I'm a wizard."
"It's my first time seeing a wizard!"
"It's not a common profession."
The boy sent the ball toward Max.
Unlike before, it rolled ttoreureu weakly.
"Can wizards... also heal pain?"
Max hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should say something comforting.
But he couldn't. He had a gut feeling he shouldn't, at least not to that boy.
"Sorry. Magic isn't that versatile. But I can at least cheer up a kid's mood."
"How?"
"Wait a moment."
Leaving the blinking boy behind, Max headed toward the mart he had passed on the way.
He bought a soccer ball. Price: 30,000 credits.
After today's big spending, this didn't even feel like an expense.
"Here, take it. Feels good, doesn't it?"
"Why are you buying this for me? Noona said I shouldn't accept things like this..."
So he has a noona.
But the boy's eyes were already locked onto the new soccer ball.
His actions and gaze failing to hide his emotions finally made him look his age.
"Normally, I'd never do something like this, but I have an important job coming up, so I'm pretending to be nice."
"Hyung, are you the type to believe in superstitions? You don't look like it."
"For such a small kid, you sure talk back... I've started believing a bit recently."
It's all because of that old Association Head.
The fact that he experienced something as absurd as regression also plays a big part.
"Hyung, I guarantee you'll do well! Noona also said that if she says something will work out, it always does!"
"Yeah. Thanks. If things go well, I'll come back and play with you again."
"Wizard hyung! Thanks for the soccer ball!"
He didn't know what illness the boy had, so he couldn't even tell him to get well soon.
Max lightly waved his hand, saying "see you next time," and left.
··
··
Day of the commission.
Max donned his newly prepared clothing, wore his mask, stashed some candy in the inner pocket, and left the office.
He boarded the vehicle prepared by the Association.
Unfortunately, it wasn't the same driver who had taken him to the emergency room before.
"How long to District 41?"
"If there's no traffic, about 5 hours. We'll also pick up one person along the way."
"Must be one of the colleagues on this commission."
"Correct. The remaining party member will use a different vehicle due to the route."
Max closed his eyes and sank into thought.
He didn't think much.
'5 hours? That's far, far away.'
He mentally chewed over the details of the commission.
District 41 boasts land and sea far exceeding the average of other districts, and its maritime logistics business supports the district.
'Even from photos, it wasn't the kind of sea you'd see at a beach resort.'
He also simulated whether there was a way to leverage magic in the environment.
'The other two I'll be working with are also important.'
The vehicle, which had left District 27 and traveled through the 30th districts, stopped.
The back door opened.
The mercenary who was to travel together boarded.
"..."
It was a woman. Moreover, rabbit ears jutted sharply through her black hair.
Her left arm, which she used to close the door, appeared to be a prosthetic.
The cloth covering her nose and mouth made her purple eyes even more striking.
'A kunoichi?'
A ninja had boarded next to Max.