Chapter 215
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 215
Chapter Title: Surface Commission
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The atmosphere hung heavy.
Jun spoke his prepared words without a care.
"As you all know, the Imperial Family is gearing up for war from here on out."
"Yeah, makes sense. Those bastards openly tried to kill off imperial royals. No way the Empire's just gonna sit back."
"Exactly. The Heavenly Firmament Sect will start their preparations too. But we can't just focus on them."
"What do you mean, hyung?"
Aiden's question drew a direct response from Jun.
"Just what I said. Even excluding the Heavenly Firmament Sect, we have to watch out for folks opposed to this war."
"Opposed to the war...? Who the hell would...?"
Eleanor cleared up Aiden's confusion.
"I think I get the gist. Yeah, not every soul in the Empire is itching for war, like the boss says. Prime example? The noble faction."
War bolsters imperial authority like nothing else.
Naturally, droves of nobles would push back.
"On top of that, the Emperor's gearing up to launch a full-scale war. Meaning, he'll be drafting powerhouses from every territory. Right, boss?"
"Spot on. The issue is, those powerhouses won't exactly be jumping at the chance. If anything, they're neutral at best. They won't pick a fight with us unless the nobles get to them first."
"Um, but why do we need to worry about all that?"
Aiden's question cut sharp.
Like he said, that was the Emperor's headache, not the White Whale Mercenary Corps' problem.
But if only the world worked that simply.
Unfortunately, the odds were slim.
"Aiden, you know as well as I do—the noble faction's hunger for power isn't something to laugh off."
"Mm..."
"To those nobles, this war the Emperor's prepping is something they have to stop, no matter what. But they can't just outright defy him."
"Because the justification's on the Emperor's side?"
"Bingo."
Two royals had been openly attacked. What better excuse could there be?
"So the nobles will look for another angle..."
"And that angle's us? But..."
Out of all the targets, why pick on them?
Even if they wiped out the White Whale Mercenary Corps, no guarantee the Emperor would call off the war.
"The world's never that straightforward. Two reasons, mainly. First, we've already earned way too much trust from those two royals."
Blackout was fundamentally cut off from the surface.
That went for royals and nobles alike.
"And in that setup, we've become the people closest to those two royals."
"But aren't there groups like the Blackguard Knights, directly under the Imperial Family?"
"Different story. The Blackguard Knights carry the title of Imperial Knights, so they can't move completely freely."
The White Whale Mercenary Corps, on the other hand? Totally different. They could roam anywhere, which made them look like the royals' wildcard ace to the nobles.
'In reality, we're just taking commissions like always.'
But given the White Whale Mercenary Corps' track record, the nobles wouldn't buy Jun's excuses for a second.
"Second reason: plenty of nobles tied to the Heavenly Firmament Sect."
"What...?"
Aiden's eyes went wide—he hadn't heard this part.
"Haven't told you guys yet, but Cloi's been tracking the Heavenly Firmament Sect's tails in Blackout and on the surface. Turns out, more than a few suspects among the nobles."
"Have the Empire's nobles fallen that far...?"
"Not as bad as you think. Most probably don't even realize they're tangled up with them. Still not a great look."
"Ah..."
Either way, the nobles had ties—witting or not—to the Heavenly Firmament Sect. And from the sect's view, the White Whale Mercenary Corps was prime target practice.
"So, whether by choice or force, the nobles are highly likely to come after us."
"Can't we ask the Imperial Family for help?"
Eleanor's suggestion this time.
"They're already aware. Said they'd keep eyes on the nobles' moves."
"Directly from the Emperor?"
"Yep."
"That's reassuring."
The Emperor's personal intel network.
No one but him could access their personnel, and they operated in utmost secrecy.
At the very least, if the nobles moved, they'd get word.
"Cloi'll handle intel relay."
"So what do we do?"
"Business as usual on the surface. Keep taking commissions."
"What? Seriously, nothing changes?"
"Pretty much. Except... we're shifting our turf."
"Turf? You mean taking surface commissions?"
"Bingo. Not Blackout—surface gigs."
"Like with the Blackguard Knights last year?"
"Similar."
Eleanor jumped in.
"Got a specific commission in mind?"
"Funny you ask—one of our own brought it to us."
"One of ours?"
"Who?"
Eleanor and Aiden spoke in unison, puzzled.
Naturally, all eyes turned to the last member still at the table.
Maya, chowing down heartily on her meat.
"...? Why the weird looks?"
"Maya actually scouted a commission?"
"Eleanor, your glare's seriously rude."
"So you did snag it?"
"Beats me. What's that supposed to mean, leader? Did I?"
Even Maya herself was clueless.
Jun pulled a letter from his pocket and showed it around.
"It's Maya, alright. Technically, the Atlas Adventurer Corps is the client."
"Atlas Adventurer Corps...? The ones Maya teamed up with recently?"
"Yep. They sent us an official request."
"What's the job?"
"Help them find some item."
"Huh? That's it? Kinda vague."
As Eleanor said, the commission was anything but standard.
"What kind of item, exactly?"
"They didn't specify. All we know? It's on the surface."
"And they need our muscle for that?"
Obviously, the Atlas Adventurer Corps dwarfed the White Whale Mercenary Corps in size.
Nearly ten times the members, all top-tier talent.
"Same reason Maya went there before. They need spirit communication skills. Plus magical knowledge."
"Huh. So calling you in is a bonus? It's not like mages are one per corps."
"Half and half, probably. They've heard the rumors about me, though."
Eleanor snapped her fingers.
"Rumors, huh? Oh, right—the Magic Academy beatdown?"
"Beatdown's harsh. Anyway, details when we hit their city."
"City, huh. Where?"
"Stunheim, up north."
"Ugh, that's a trek."
A voyage by ship, no less.
They might not arrive till the new season kicked in—but luckily, no need.
"Hold up... Isn't that the Ranes Mage Tower's carriage?"
Jun's connections plus Cloi's funding made it happen.
* * *
Next morning, in front of the Gilenoi Merchant Guild building.
"Thanks a ton. That thing... I can't even say I want one myself..."
Jun eyed Cloi, her envy practically radiating, with a sheepish look.
"Your grandpa's gift?"
"Yeah... Trade-off for getting imperial approval on mana flow research."
"Whoa. The Emperor greenlit that?"
"What choice? His precious grandkid begged."
"Ah, Javier."
"Spot on. Third Prince pushed hard. Info on mana flow went straight to the Tower Lord, though."
"Gotcha..."
Jun inspected the carriage.
Well-worn but meticulously maintained.
"Shylock made this one too, they say. Why not ask your sponsor?"
"For real? He built it?"
"Yup. Though Ranes Tower's version's been tweaked."
"Ughhh..."
Cloi wrestled with it, then regretfully shook her head.
"God, I want it bad... But no. Shylock's swamped right now."
"Huh."
Regret dripping from her face, yet she reined it in.
That resolve probably let her outpace her older siblings to her current spot.
"Sigh... Anyway, fresh off the surface and you're grabbing another commission? Empire's northlands this time?"
"Yep."
"You got a 'die without commissions' curse or something?"
Her expression screamed why the rush?, laced with genuine worry.
"You know the Imperial Family's stirring."
"True. But Grandpa's mobilizing for real now. Isn't this rushing it?"
"Money can't fix everything."
"Urgh. Hate to admit it, but yeah."
Cloi knew better than most—plenty in the world cash couldn't touch.
"So, Atlas Adventurer Corps... Schmoozing the Ron family?"
The Ron family.
Home to Atlas's leader, Ron Kyler—and currently headed by her brother, Ron Camillo.
"Good read. Ties there would smooth a lot."
"Oh yeah, you asked about the Kyler family before?"
Since the day Maya joined Atlas for the 4th layer, Jun had dug into Kyler and her kin.
"Yep. Detailed intel—surprised me."
"Old bloodline. Tons of public records. Scaled back lately, though."
Still no pushover family.
A count's house on the central continent's fringe—but a count's all the same.
"Heard they've kept steady trade with the western continent. Good ties to south, east, north off that."
"Right. Great-great-grandpa pulled it off. Linked trade with those isolationist outer continents."
Earned the Ron family a count's title from viscountcy.
"I'm after the frontier nobles."
"...War-related."
"Bingo. Sway them, and the Emperor gains leverage."
"And you're handling it personally?"
Cloi was imperial-adjacent now, but she still hated Jun tangling deeper.
Not royalty—direct Emperor ties were risky as hell.
"Already in too deep. Backing out now's laughable. Might as well go all in."
"Sigh... Fair point."
Headache-inducing, but Cloi dropped the劝阻.
Too late for that nonsense.
"Don't sweat it. Not expecting a quick fix. We'll scout, test the waters, probe for openings."
"Got it. Just don't rush. Botch the first step, and it'll bite you."
Their talk dragged into the late hours.
Future plans, mana flow dev updates, subordinate org moves.
All critical—no filler. Meeting wrapped past midnight.