Ghost Logic -1-
Ghost Logic -1-
Ellen Clements, the pride of the Magic Family Clements and the only one considered a rival to Flora Crimsonhowl within Minerva Academy.
Behind the facade of the noble, genius dragon-kin girl who possessed the Thunder Spirit, there existed a hobby called 'Gacha.'
Claw machines, Ichiban Kuji, capsule toys, and so on.
Her joy in life was collecting everything from figures of her favorite characters to cute keyrings and badges to decorate her bag and room.
"You're gonna come out today, right? Big sis believes in you~"
She started with a capsule toy that cost 5,000 credits per pull.
As she gripped and turned the handle, a capsule came rolling out.
Ttogak! She opened the plastic capsule, only to be greeted by a duplicate item she already owned three of.
"Ah, shit, why is my luck so bad lately!"
She couldn't just throw it away, so she tucked it aside for now.
Then, she checked her wallet. The balance was roughly 20,000 credits, all in coins.
It was a surprisingly light wallet for a member of the Clements Family.
"Are you really gonna keep playing hard to get? Don't break big sis's heart."
She inserted 10,000 credits—half of her remaining fortune—into the capsule toy machine and pulled twice more.
The character Ellen wanted did not appear.
"..."
The family card in her wallet caught her eye.
However, she never used it for pulls.
A previous incident where she used the card for a claw machine had been the source of her trouble.
While it wasn't an exaggeration to say the family card had an unlimited limit, the problem was the usage history that followed her like a tail.
Seeing that, several members of the family had remarked:
If she had spent the time she wasted on hobbies on training instead, wouldn't she have surpassed Crimsonhowl long ago?
'I'm never letting that happen again.'
The more she chewed on those words, the more annoyed she got, leading Ellen back to the claw machine. She inserted all her remaining coins.
And the result was, naturally...
"Why is the claw so damn weak! This is a scam!"
10,000 credits vanished in what felt like a 'pet the doll's back' experience.
Her wallet was completely empty.
The items she wanted were scattered all around her, but she had no cash.
"Big sis will come back to get you soon, so hang in there!"
She sent a lingering gaze toward the unresponsive dolls for a long time.
Forcing her feet, which were stuck to the floor in regret, to move, Ellen fell into thought.
'...Should I try to find a part-time job one more time?'
— I believe there will be no issues even if you operate as a one-person office, but registering at least one part-time employee will help with tax savings.
— In the long run, the reduction in income tax will be greater than the expenditure on an employee.
Max mulled over the tip provided by the Bohemian Mercenary Association staff as he stepped out of his signless office.
'An employee, huh? I wonder if there's even work to give someone in an office like this.'
District 27, his new base of operations, had good security.
As long as one stuck to the wide, well-lit paths, even civilians could walk the streets at night.
'The air is nice.'
Deciding to think about the employee after finishing this request, Max boarded the vehicle waiting at the meeting point.
Since the distance from District 27 to the district where Ghost Logic was located wasn't walkable and the subway was about to stop running, the Association had prepared a vehicle.
"Departing now."
The man, who had been driving in silence for a long time, handed over a container from the passenger seat when the car stopped at a red light.
It was a small box secured with cable ties, and something was squirming inside.
"What is this?"
"There's a Neon Shade cub inside."
"Ah, I'll take it."
The fact that he received his first request before even putting up a sign for the office.
This was the advantage of joining the Mercenary Association.
Max tucked the box containing the Neon Shade into his inner coat pocket.
Then, he took out a lollipop and popped it into his mouth.
It was his favorite melon flavor. Perhaps luck would follow.
..
..
"You can head up the path from here."
The vehicle stopped a short distance away from the gathering point.
Max got out of the car and walked up the path.
He encountered the mercenaries gathered at a spot overlooking the Ghost Logic headquarters.
There were five 1st-rankers and two 2nd-rankers. Including Max, that made three 2nd-rankers.
"The last 2nd-ranker is here."
"Before we start, introductions?"
"We don't know how many of us will be left when the job is done, so why bother with introductions. Let's do it among the survivors afterward."
Max quietly scanned the group. Every single one of them had a distinct appearance.
Among the 1st-rank mercenaries, there were two women carrying assault rifles and shotguns. They drew the gazes of the surrounding mercenaries, but as long as they did their jobs well, gender was irrelevant.
'The level of the 2nd-rankers is better than that guy I saw at the Fight Club.'
Judging by their aura, they weren't just random thugs. They all looked like they had a knack for combat.
One of the 2nd-rankers was a middle-aged man with a minigun attached to his right hand. The other was a man wearing a hood and carrying a sword. Stubble could be seen on his chin where the hood didn't cover.
The middle-aged man, making eye contact with Max, approached while checking the minigun on his right hand. The burn scars on his face were striking.
"Weapon? Don't tell me you're a martial artist?"
"Mage."
"Oho...!"
At Max's answer, the mercenaries' attention converged on him.
A small murmur broke out.
"Then will our mage friend be handling the tactical command? Having even a little bit of rules and purpose in our actions increases the chance of survival."
"They say mages are smart, right? Then we can feel a bit more at ease."
"Please keep us 1st-rankers alive!"
The idea that mages were smart was a complete prejudice, but there was no need to correct it.
The reason they were talking like that and setting the mood was obvious. Max had spent years at Cheonmyeong Pharmaceuticals, where power struggles were endless.
'The flow is to use the 1st-rankers as meat shields.'
Max neither confirmed nor denied the suggestion to lead and walked toward the spot where Ghost Logic was visible.
He observed the building while recalling the blueprints he had memorized.
Despite it being late at night, lights were on on every floor.
'That's where the truck is.'
The mercenaries who followed Max looked down and threw in their two cents.
"Aren't you curious what's in the truck that they want us to blow it up?"
"Might be money!"
"Ghost Logic is a company that openly does shitty things. It's probably something filthy."
"I wonder if there'll be time to open it before blowing it up~"
A few 1st-rankers seemed distracted by potential loot.
That wasn't desirable.
"You die when you try to do stupid shit during a mission."
Max drew the line, and the two 2nd-rankers agreed, saying he was right.
"Right, right. Let's just finish what we have to do and get out of here quickly."
"Agreed. The enemy outnumbers us."
Max looked back at the mercenaries to divide the minimum roles.
"Method for blowing up the truck? It won't be an ordinary truck."
"I'll handle it. I've got a grenade launcher attached here. I brought an expensive one that can blow up most armored vehicles."
The man with the minigun showed his other hand.
There was a large hole in his palm. He closed the muzzle after showing it to Max.
Thanks to that, Max had more information to work with.
'That's likely a personal request with an additional fee as well.'
Perhaps they had come with their roles already decided before even starting.
..
..
The noise never stops in the 70s districts, even in the middle of the night.
From screams and gunshots to the sound of explosions following traffic accidents, everything could be heard.
Thanks to that, it was easy for Max and the mercenaries to move.
"Mage friend. How shall we start?"
"Block the exits from the building. After that, play it by ear according to the situation."
"Haha! Good. I like it. You're fine with that too, right?"
When the minigun man asked the hooded man, the hooded man gave a slight nod while holding his sword.
"The enemy will be expecting an ambush."
"That's obvious."
While engaging in minor small talk, they approached the building.
Max, who was leading the way, gave a hand signal and stopped walking.
He wove mana on the spot.
[Wire]
A 2nd-rank cutting magic. It manipulates sharp threads.
It's mainly used as a trap, and an ordinary person would be shredded just by passing through. Even for a 1st-ranker, it's a fatal wound if they realize they've touched it too late.
"Hmm..."
Max aimed at the Ghost Logic headquarters next to the garage.
He installed the wires low in front of the main entrance. The target was the ankles.
The more the enemies lost their cool and rushed out frantically, the better the results would be.
"Ooh~ Can we start?"
The minigun man, sensing the change, let out an admiring whistle.
Max warned the five 1st-rankers.
"Don't go near the main entrance."
They all nodded desperately and scattered.
The minigun man chuckled and pulled a bomb from his belt. He wanted to get closer to minimize the process, but the security system was a nuisance.
"Alright! Let's get this started!"
He threw it straight at the Ghost Logic garage.
The bomb, flying at a tremendous speed, stuck to the garage shutter and exploded.
Kwaaaaang!!!
Simultaneously, the security system's alarm rang loudly.
As if they had been expecting it, a crowd of people poured out from the headquarters.
1st-rankers armed with guns and blades rushed out the main entrance. Their ankles were sliced off in succession.
"W-What! My feet!"
"Kuaaak!"
"Move, you fucker! You're heavy!"
"The back door! Go out the back door!"
Bullets rained down on the guys who were piled up like a disorganized mess.
Jjaeng-grang!
A 4th-floor window shattered, and a 2nd-rank mercenary hired by Ghost Logic appeared. It was a guy wielding a spear.
The hooded man gripped his sword and dashed forward to tie one down. The sound of their blades clashing rang out in a rhythmic metallic tone.
"Let's go for the truck right away!"
While the minigun man aimed his left palm at the hole-ridden garage.
Max tried to turn his body to complete his personal request. However, there was a gaze that felt particularly sticky.
Sswaeeeek!
A projectile tore through the air.
Max caught it with Psychokinesis.
'Water?'
What stopped in mid-air was a long spear made of liquid.
The other side had a mage too.