Chapter 122: The Drifter Jet is Surprisingly Useful (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 122: The Drifter Jet is Surprisingly Useful (1)
When Jin dismantled the Tessing organization, he had orchestrated a three-pronged strike.
To Viment, he had sent a letter containing the slave registry; to Zipple, he sent one detailing their illegal transaction ledgers; and to Akin’s newsletter, he sent the complete list of Tessing’s clientele from that period.
He had signed Jet’s name on all of them. Consequently, Jet had been dragged away and interrogated by the investigation squads of both Viment and Zipple. Yet, thanks to Viment’s witness protection laws, he had managed to survive until now.
At the time, Jin had hoped Jet would use the opportunity to start a new life with his young son.
However, seeing Jet arrive in Tikan in such a wretched state, Jin realized he had been far too optimistic.
I think I get the gist of it. Viment’s witness protection must have been flimsier than I thought. He likely ended up here while fleeing from Zipple’s trackers.
Jin didn’t feel particularly sympathetic. In his previous life, Jet had been a lowlife who had stabbed him in the back multiple times in Akin, and in this life, he was the man who had tried to poison Jin’s drink the moment they met.
If it weren't for Jet’s son, who was now barely three years old, Jin would have likely advised Casimir to simply kick him out.
“Let’s hear what he has to say first. Bring him in.”
Burly guards dragged Jet into Casimir’s office.
He was a mess—a complete wreck. His face was covered in scabs and dried blood, as if he had been severely beaten throughout the night.
Standing before Casimir, Jet politely lowered his anxious eyes, while the guards continued to maintain a threatening atmosphere.
Jin remained leaning against the window with his back to Jet, ensuring the man wouldn't recognize him immediately.
“Hmm. You claimed to know the location of one of our secret headquarters, so I thought you might be an old member of the Seven-Colored Bird. But I don’t recognize your face at all. What gutter did you crawl out of?”
Casimir’s tone toward Jet was cold.
As the leader, Casimir couldn't help but be on edge at the possibility that the Seven-Colored Bird’s internal information had been leaked.
“My name is Jet. I used to run an information brokerage in Akin.”
“Akin? Then you must have worked under Tessing. Since Tessing is ruined, I suppose you lost your job? How do you know about our secret headquarters? Your life depends on your answer.”
To this, Jet gave an answer Casimir hadn't expected at all.
“...For an informant, security is as vital as life itself. I cannot reveal that until I become one of your people, Sir Casimir.”
“You rascal! How dare you put on airs in front of me? Speak the truth. How do you know about our headquarters?”
“It is the only leverage I have to bargain with you, Sir Casimir. Even if you beat me to death, I cannot tell you.”
Jet’s eyes were filled with resolve.
“Furthermore, I possess valuable information not only regarding the Seven-Colored Bird’s secret headquarters but also about a certain request your organization has been fixated on lately.”
“What?”
“Please, employ me. If my competence isn't proven within a month, I will humbly accept whatever fate you decide for me.”
“Why, you...!”
Though he shouted, Casimir felt a strange curiosity toward Jet.
Jet’s current attitude wasn't bad at all. A 'heavy mouth' was one of the most important virtues for an informant. In that regard, Jet was showing quite an impressive side of himself.
In the few months since Tessing’s destruction, something had changed. Jet had become a slightly different person from the one Jin remembered.
Despite his shabby appearance, the air of a petty thug was gone; in its place stood a man driven to desperation and resolve.
“If you choose to kill me here, Sir Casimir, I honestly have no way to stop you. I am fine with doing menial chores in the lowest rank, the 3rd-class Intelligence Department. Just give me one month, and you will recognize my worth.”
“You’re quite persistent... And you even know that our intelligence department is divided into three ranks.”
Casimir spoke with a much softer expression.
“This is a deal where you have nothing to lose, Sir Casimir. I intend to be a loyal subordinate, but if I still don't meet your expectations, you can dispose of me at any time.”
“Hmm. Young Master, what do you think? He’s a suspicious fellow, but seeing as he knows the Seven-Colored Bird’s security details, I’m a bit intrigued.”
As Casimir called out to Jin, Jet’s gaze shifted toward him. Jet had been mindful of Jin ever since he was first dragged into the room.
As far as I know, the master of Tikan is definitely Ghost Sword Casimir. But who is this person, to be staring out the window while ignoring Casimir?
The moment Jin slowly turned around, Jet felt his heart drop into his stomach.
“Y-Y-You...!”
“It’s been a while, Informant Jet. I believe I gave you quite a lot of jewels before we parted. Where did you sell them all to end up looking like this?”
“You swindler! What kind of scam are you pulling on Sir Casimir this time?! Sir Casimir, you mustn't be fooled by that man! He’s the one who impersonated Veradin Zipple to destroy Tessing! He’s from the Viment Special Task Force!”
Jet instantly became bloodshot and began screaming at the top of his lungs.
It was understandable. He firmly believed his life had turned into this mess ever since he met Jin.
He wasn't entirely wrong. In Jin’s previous life, Jet had lived a life of luxury as a major informant in Akin. Of course, the Jet of that time was an undeniable villain.
A brief silence followed, and then Casimir and Jin burst into laughter simultaneously.
“Young Master... Pwahaha! I never knew you were part of the Viment Special Task Force.”
“Jet, it seems you’ve been mistaken about me being a member of the Special Task Force. Well, I suppose it’s possible. But do you really think Sir Casimir would be with me without knowing my true identity?”
As soon as Jin finished speaking, Jet’s face turned deathly pale.
“Th-Then... could it be that Tessing’s collapse was also orchestrated by Sir Casimir sending that man...?”
At that moment, Murakan kicked the door open and strode into the office.
“Hey! Lowly creature! Where are those erotic books I told you to get? It’s already been several days... Huh? Who’s this guy?”
“Uh...?”
“Isn't this the punk who poisoned our drinks in Akin? Lowly creature, why is he here?”
“Hieek!”
Jet’s mind was thrown into a complete state of chaos.
H-He’s calling Sir Casimir a 'lowly creature' and treating him like an inferior?!
And as far as Jet remembered, this boorish and terrifying man was definitely that swindler’s subordinate.
Jet’s brain began to spin at a frantic pace.
Casimir is the master of Tikan. But this boorish guy treats the master of Tikan like an inferior. And the boorish guy is the swindler’s subordinate. Then, who is the highest-ranking person here?
The swindler he had resented so much in his heart.
The person Jet should have been bowing his head to, begging for a job, was Jin.
Thud!
Jet fell to his knees, almost collapsing forward.
“Aigo! My Lord! This foolish servant failed to recognize your greatness, both then and now. Ha, haha. Viment Special Task Force? A swindler? Preposterous! Please forgive this lowly one for failing to fathom your deep intentions!”
“Oho, now you’re acting more like the Jet I know.”
“Aigoo, aigoo. You might not know, My Lord, but the hardships I’ve faced since leaving Akin have been immense! Yet, thanks to you, this Jet, who was nothing more than a back-alley thug, has been reborn as a hero for the public good of Akin!”
In Jet’s heart, as he performed a sudden about-face, hope was surging just as it had when he first believed Jin was Veradin Zipple.
I have no idea what his true identity is anymore! I really don't! But regardless, he’s someone who can order Casimir around. If I can get under his wing, my life can turn rosy again!
— I knew you were an extraordinary person from the start! To think you were a scion of the Zipple family. My Lord, please give me a chance to show my loyalty in the future. I will follow any command.
Those were the words Jet had uttered when Jin impersonated Veradin at Tessing’s underground auction house.
Let’s forget about the hardships I suffered because I was tricked by him. Didn't he hand me a heap of jewels when we parted, anyway? He’s not a heartless man!
Jet rubbed his hands together and looked up at Jin.
“Hmm, you do look like you’ve suffered quite a bit, just as you said. I’ll offer my sympathies for that... So, you want to join the Seven-Colored Bird?”
“Yes! As you know from experience, My Lord, this Jet is quite a useful fellow. Didn't you use me quite effectively in Akin?”
“Well, that’s true... Things did go smoothly back then thanks to you. Fine. If Sir Casimir allows it, I’ll let you work as a low-ranking member of the Seven-Colored Bird. But before that, answer a few of my questions honestly.”
“Ask me anything!”
“First. How do you know about the Seven-Colored Bird’s secret headquarters?”
“When I was running my information brokerage in Akin, I happened to obtain a notebook belonging to a member of the Seven-Colored Bird. I figured out the location of one secret base while decoding the ciphers in it for fun.”
“Ha! You said you wouldn't tell me even if I beat you to death, but you spill everything the moment the Young Master asks. Are you saying I’m not scary, but he is?”
Casimir said this, but he didn't actually hold a grudge against Jet for confessing to Jin.
Rather, what surprised Casimir was the fact that Jet had decoded the Seven-Colored Bird’s ciphers on his own. That was something impossible for anyone who wasn't truly 'useful.'
“Hmm, good. Then second. What happened to your son? You didn't sell him off somewhere or lose him while you were on the run, did you?”
“I must have looked like a bottom-tier thug to you, My Lord. And that was the truth, but this Jet! I care for my son more than anything. My son is currently in the Tikan Daycare. I spent the last of my money there.”
The reason Jet had sought out Casimir while prepared for death was his certainty that he wouldn't be able to feed his son once the daycare period ended.
“It’s embarrassing, but I was going to beg Sir Casimir to look after my young son if he decided to kill me... Since I heard Sir Casimir is a man of compassion.”
Jin inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
If something had happened to Jet’s son, it would have been a consequence of his regression, and he would have found the guilt hard to bear.
“Finally, the third question. If your answer to this is satisfactory, you might just become a member of the Seven-Colored Bird.”
“Please ask, My Lord!”
“Earlier, when you were talking to Sir Casimir, you said you had good information regarding a request the Seven-Colored Bird has been fixated on lately. What request is that?”
A smile finally touched Jet’s lips.
The Seven-Colored Bird request he knew of was highly likely to be related to Jin.
“The leader of Tessing, whom you brought down... Spider-Hand Alu. I noticed the Seven-Colored Bird has been digging for information on him lately. And I happen to know a bit about that bastard’s past.”
Jin nodded, satisfied.
He had found the key to a long-standing mystery at an unexpected moment.