Chapter 13

His hand, gripping the sword, tightened on its own. Even though it wasn't the season for sweating, a warm drop trickled down under his chin.

The man stared at the dim field, trying his best to calm his ragged breathing.

'What kind of mana density is that... and they weren't a gunslinger...?'

The precision of the bullet that flew exactly at his shoulder joint. It must have been a non-lethal shooting method meant only for suppression.

It was surprising enough that they made that judgment and fired in such a short time, but that chilling vortex of mana made the hair on his entire body stand on end.

Exceptional ability users create pressure with just their presence alone.

Going further beyond that is the stage of materialization, where will becomes power.

Is that mysterious mage before his eyes also capable of reaching such a realm?

"Huu, huu."

The craving for life produces adrenaline like crazy. His brain, where reason is dying and only instinct remains.

Just as he was about to stomp his foot, caught in a crucible of excitement—the mana was withdrawn like a lie.

Neither the swirling wind nor the piercing cold could be felt at all.

The taut tension snapped, and a sense of powerlessness washed over him. Reason returned, commanding him to ask for forgiveness for his mistake, but.

For some reason, the mage nodded and muttered lowly.

"...Forget it. I'll tell Rahul-ssi myself."

"Ah! Wait! I'm sorry......"

The moment he tried to offer his apology, the mage's traces were nowhere to be found.

The man, who stood blankly for a while under the overpass where only the corpse remained, hurriedly took out his terminal.

Paji-jijik——!

Emul, who had run all the way to the entrance of the Dead Zone, withdrew his mana. He had been using it since the abandoned overpass, so he needed to conserve his power.

He had no intention of fighting in someone else's home, but battles didn't only happen when both sides wanted them.

He took a business card out of his pocket and flipped it over.

'It was that way. I've walked this path a few times, but maybe I didn't know because it was deep inside.'

As he followed the simple map drawn on the back of the business card, he saw a shoddily built steel container.

The bar-like shops lined up next to it also had signs with names hanging on them.

'Mercenary office, brokerage, manpower... this is somewhat familiar. It all refers to the same thing anyway.'

It must be that similar businesses gathered to form a specialized alley.

Emul averted his gaze and entered the container labeled 'Rahul's Mercenary Office'.

Inside, the office was incomparably more sophisticated than its exterior. A faint neon light was lingering.

On the old map attached to the metal wall, red markers were stuck here and there.

As he walked straight past the people pacing in front of it, a man ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sitting at the center table sipping beer waved his prosthetic arm.

"Today's requests are all gone. It'll be the same everywhere, so you'd better hurry if you want to get one."

"I didn't come to take a request."

"Then what is it? Surely you didn't come to have a scrap."

Despite the provocative words, Emul silently brought up his business.

"I came to see Rahul-ssi."

While speaking, he simultaneously raised his mana.

All the people who had been looking at the map behind him were staring at Emul.

'Rahul... is he some kind of focal point?'

He was puzzled for a moment by the atmosphere of the office, which was completely different from what he expected, but the man who had been sitting stood up and put an end to the commotion.

"Everyone, lose interest and get back to work. A mage, huh. A precious guest has arrived... But Rahul-ssi is away. If you tell me where you're from, I'll leave a message."

'There's a hierarchy.'

Emul chewed on this short fact, and was about to answer 'Marvin' again, but shut his mouth.

He had said it by accident earlier because he couldn't think of anything else to say, but it could cause trouble for him.

"...Well, everyone has secrets. So, what's your business? If you're going to stay silent about that too, I'll have to ask you to leave."

The man who said that smiled as if he had no choice.

It was an expression that looked good-natured, but a cold air seeped beneath it.

Emul chuckled and put his hand inside his coat. He didn't forget to deliberately look around at his surroundings.

"Hey, Setrang!"

The man in front of him shouted the name urgently, but mana was already flowing through his entire body.

Ssaek-!

He turned his body halfway, dodged the arm that reached out over his shoulder, and aimed the pistol he had drawn at his forehead.

Ji-ing. The high-tech pistol's gauge fluctuated, spiking right up to the moment of firing.

"Keuk...!"

The sense of frustration in the man who had lunged from behind. He must have realized that the cold muzzle touching his flesh was no toy.

Everyone else, except for him, was watching the situation with interest, arms crossed or leaning against the wall.

They were people who knew what Emul had pulled out, and that he hadn't put any killing intent into it.

In his other hand, the one not holding the pistol, a business card was held.

"...I apologize for the misunderstanding."

The man who admitted his fault retreated obediently.

Only then did the man with the prosthetic arm speak, having wiped away the coldness.

"Mage. I apologize too. Rahul-ssi never told me you were coming."

"We're in the same boat. I didn't contact him before coming either."

"Hmm?"

Emul naturally pulled up a chair and sat down, scanning the faces of the mercenaries.

"How many swordsmen are in this office?"

"Swordsmen...? There are quite a few friends who mainly use swords. Just right now, there are three."

"It was a much younger guy. Late teens at best."

"Hmm. Sounds like you're talking about The Youngest Mercenary. Where did he cause trouble this time? What did he do?"

"I'll talk to Rahul-ssi about that."

The man who had slumped into his chair cracked open a new beer can and gulped it down.

"Huu. You can just tell me. When Rahul-ssi isn't here, I'm his substitute."

"I don't think that's necessary."

"Don't be so guarded. To put it bluntly, from the moment you walked in, you were... your mana...."

Emul stood up and turned around to stare at the door. As he stood up suddenly, suspicious gazes gathered on him.

He waited without caring, and soon the person Emul was waiting for appeared at the entrance.

Short black hair and reddish eyes. He was at least over 190cm tall, with a trained body visible even over his thick coat.

He said, shaking the back of his hair.

"Oh? I didn't expect you to come as soon as I invited you. First... let's go inside and talk. It's a bit noisy outside the office."

It was Rahul, the owner of this mercenary office.

*

Emul's eyes scanned the interior quickly as he entered the private office.

Documents scattered messily on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the desk and a piece of work machinery. There were no windows, so he wondered how they ventilated the place.

"Sit."

"No. I prefer standing."

Emul said that and leaned his body against the side of the entrance, the only exit.

"A quirky answer, fitting for a mage. Sorry for making you stand after inviting you, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠but please wait a moment. As you can see, there's a lot to do when running an office."

Then Rahul sat down and took out his glasses to wear. It looked incredibly awkward with the lenses covering his massive frame.

He found a thick file, read it, finished signing a few times, and stared straight ahead.

"I heard a mercenary from our agency caused trouble. May I apologize on their behalf? They're still an inexperienced kid."

"I didn't intend to hold that against them... I guess they told you themselves."

Rahul didn't answer, but it was clear it was a silent affirmation.

Emul shrugged and said.

"Let's call it even, since I made the office noisy too."

"...This kind of thing isn't like a mage either."

A smirk. The corners of Rahul's mouth went up. He flipped a sheet of paper and said.

"Looks like you have a separate main point. You seem like the type who dislikes beating around the bush. Speak. I prefer it that way too."

"Understood. How strong are you?"

An abrupt question asking for a measure of martial power. However, instead of being offended, Rahul stroked his chin and pondered seriously.

He stared blankly at the corner of the desk as if recalling a memory, then opened his lips.

"That's a very difficult question. If I had to answer... I think I'm strong enough to choose where I'll lie down."

Humility where no bluffing could be found. The density of experience contained in that answer didn't seem like it was telling a lie.

Emul couldn't help but click his tongue inwardly.

Are there monsters stronger than Rahul swarming in this world?

"No need to be disappointed. Looking at you, it seems you haven't learned mana for many years. That level is an absurd amount of talent."

"Mana... are you also a mage like the mercenaries outside?"

"Ha. The Youngest said you tell unfunny jokes. It was true. No, no. Maybe it works between mages...."

Rahul muttered and immersed himself in paperwork again.

Emul's mind became more complicated than before.

'That guy, this guy. They all felt my mana.'

When ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he first encountered Rahul at the fence's shop, he immediately saw through that Emul was a mage.

The man with the prosthetic arm who was talking outside the office was the same.

He had even come in without wearing his hood to prevent prejudice in advance.

He felt the urge to quickly resolve his doubts, but asking straight out was a bad move.

If he were caught being ignorant of even basic common sense, the balance of power, which was already tilted toward Rahul, would completely shift.

The mercenary office is also part of the Dead Zone. The moment you show a gap, you get bitten.

While he was agonizing over that, Rahul, who had neatly organized the pile of documents, stood up.

"Is that the end of your questions? It's fine if you ask more as a way to make up for the mistake the youngest made. But things like how to run a mercenary office, that's difficult. I'm a businessman, after all."

Emul, who had been agonizing while brushing off Rahul's chatter, asked the question he had been holding onto.

"Academy City. Is it livable there? It seemed like an expensive neighborhood."

Limited information that couldn't be found on the public network. Beyond the simple wealth gap and the outskirts that seemed intentionally underdeveloped, there was a sense of isolation as if a transparent wall existed.

He couldn't fully trust the fence, and he couldn't show his ignorance to Camellia.

It's hard to show it to Rahul too, but the way the two look at Emul is different.

A high-ranking mage and a young mage who just happens to have outstanding talent. The latter can be packaged as inexperience, but the former loses trust.

That's why Emul waited for Rahul's answer.

"I knew long ago that you weren't a mage from there... It's a cozier place to live than the outskirts. The crime rate is significantly lower, and sunlight rights are guaranteed. Surely you aren't asking about things like that. Let me ask. How much do you know about that place?"

When Emul couldn't answer easily, Rahul continued.

"Then I can't tell you. Sometimes it's better not to know."

"You're playing hard to get."

"Oh my, did you catch me?"

Rahul smiled sheepishly and personally opened the office door for him. A consideration that meant he should leave. Emul knew that, so he didn't ask twice and moved his feet.

"If you help with the request, I'll try my best within the limits of what I can say. It's been hard to find mages lately."

"I'll consider it positively. What's the request?"

"That friend over there will tell you. Take your time and think about it for a long time. It's happening in a week."

At the entrance Rahul pointed to with his chin while closing the door, there was a young man standing at attention, looking very nervous.

Emul sent him a look to follow him out and left the container.

"I was truly sorry!"

The young man bent his waist at a right angle as soon as he came out. Emul's gaze, looking down at him, was fixed on the sheathed sword.

A single sword stroke that deflected a bullet. Unless they were wearing cyberware, it didn't make sense.

"Are you a bio-machine? For the record, that's not a joke."

"...No. I haven't received any modification procedures."

Emul nodded and pointed to the young man's waist.

"I'd like to inspect your swordsmanship once. Is that okay?"

"Swordsmanship? Uh, aren't you going to hear about the request?"

"Swordsmanship first. I want to see how you deflected that bullet."

Perhaps it was because it was the first time he'd been asked such a question. The young man's expression changed subtly, and soon he drew his sword.

It looked like a box cutter stretched out long. It definitely wouldn't be ordinary metal.

"Huu. I'm going."

He held the handle with both hands and exhaled slowly.

Swish-.

A blade that cleanly struck diagonally upward.

'Fast. But....'

Emul, frowning at the result that was different from his expectations, said.

"Can you do it one more time? Very slowly. As if showing a child."

"Understood. Huu. Here I go...!"

The young man showed the path of the sword, breaking down every single movement.

However, this time too, contrary to Emul's thoughts.

The energy that martial artists use instead of mana.

Qi was not felt.