If There's No Evidence, We'll Make Some (1)
Raban felt wronged. Isn't it because you didn't check thoroughly yourself? This is supposed to be a real test of mettle between contractor and client!
He had a point, in his own way. Black mages and demons had been stabbing each other in the back since time immemorial.
But Raban and Inian had worked together for a while.
"Even so, I trusted you and set a fair price, sawayo! Don't you have any courtesy or conscience toward a business partner, sawayo?"
It was a decision born of certainty that messing with this damn black mage would bring retaliation, but she could package it like this.
Raban averted his eyes from Inian's gaze, burning with anger.
"Come on, Inian. Let's drop the talk about that artifact we already lost and get to something more constructive and practical, shall we?"
"I'm telling you, the dedicated gear I urgently need for fieldwork right now is smashed to pieces, sawayo!"
"There's something even more important than that. What I mentioned at lunch today..."
Lunchtime?
Inian rubbed her chin for a moment, then let out a low exclamation and shot to her feet.
"Nai Hyun!"
"Huh? What's up with our oil field?"
An oil field that sucked out negative thoughts. The metaphor might fly over modern heads, but a demon with experiences across multiple dimensions could easily read the greed and anticipation hidden in the word.
"Oil field my ass, sawayo! The ground's too hard; we can't even break ground, sawayo!"
"Hmph, so that's what it was."
Raban grinned triumphantly. This demon thought he was just another amateur black mage littering the world. Naturally, he'd prepared a way to crack even the toughest spirit.
"We talked about that annoying Charles before, right?"
Inian nodded. The crocodile beast that had dragged her into this ant hell because Raban couldn't handle it right away. Probably the mastermind behind it all. A black mage of exceptional skill who also tried to sacrifice family—average black mage personality, really.
"Trust hurts the most when it's betrayed. If we dramatically expose that Nachalsu tried to sacrifice her, no matter how steadfast the mind, cracks are inevitable."
"Indeed, sawayo. As expected from someone who embodies the essence of black mage personality, sawayo."
"I'll take that as a compliment. Hahaha!"
"But, sawayo?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you have proof that Nachalsu tried to sacrifice Nai Hyun, sawayo? Have you figured out exactly how to expose it, sawayo?"
"Well, the Black Forest's..."
In Raban's mind, the fire in the Black Forest replayed. To neutralize some sacrifice ritual centered on Nai Hyun, he'd lured Salamandine in to start the blaze. The crocodile beast popping out mid-way made it spread beyond control. Everything black magic-related prepped in the Black Forest was smashed.
"Uh?"
Inian looked at him with a sliver of expectation. No way this guy hadn't foreseen this and just tossed her into this heaven-like world with a "come for the fireworks show" invite, right?
"No... evidence?!"
"Hey!!"
Raban was so flustered by the conclusion he didn't even dodge the incoming fist.
It nailed him square on the jaw. The brain-rattling shock sparked something strange in his head!
...
In his joy at the brilliant idea, he expressed it so fully that he ended up looking like an octopus doing tap dance—a cute little mistake. But no one here cared about appearances anyway.
"Cut the crap and get up already, sawayo."
Raban rolled to his feet like a tumbling stuntman and declared energetically.
"If there's none, we'll make it!"
"Is your head only filled with 'scam first, think later' options, sawayo?"
"No! This is a brilliantly rational idea! Socrates himself would give a standing ovation!"
Raban smirked decadently and continued.
In Nai Hyun's eyes, Raban was a "Na Ju Pharma survivor with amnesia from the mana disaster."
"Therefore! It's natural for me to investigate the Na Ju Pharma incident! I don't know what it was exactly, but that annoying Charles bastard's bound to be involved!"
"I'll grant you that's highly likely, sawayo."
"Then I can just grit my teeth, say I dug into my lost past and realized, 'Hey, your uncle shot your family to another dimension and was gonna dunk you too!'"
"All good, sawayo. But where do you plan to get that evidence, sawayo?"
Raban stared blankly at Inian.
"Since I'm embedded with the interdimensional explorers, can't I just borrow some gear for private use?"
"What's this now..."
"I don't need real solid proof. Just some fragments good for a decent bluff. Atmosphere and momentum are what matter."
No skilled gambler could fake a hand with zero cards dealt. Well, they shouldn't. Bluff a royal straight flush before cards are even in play, and you'd lose a hand—or worse.
But once five cards were dealt and surveillance was lax enough, the pro could work miracles.
Raban's point was simple: Set up the board so a moderate scam doesn't raise suspicion.
But can I trust this guy?
Raban was the type who'd grumble "damn, gotta be smarter next time" after losing a hand, regenerate, and peek at another table.
A weird masochist who'd try tricks with only four—hell, two—cards and get himself dragged out. But when it wasn't a hand at stake but his actual head, he'd pull off flawless comebacks no one could question.
Inian finally sighed. She couldn't fully trust Raban's sanity, but he was her only option right now.
"Fine, sawayo. To think I'd be sneaking into someone else's turf at my level."
"It's fine, it's fine. I'll hook you up with vein familiars to pad your record."
...Did he pull this crap back in the demon world too?
Inian, former executive at Ramasut Holdings, felt an urge to report Raban to the Mother Fairy and bail from Hikarius City via plea bargain.
Ding-dong.
"Huh?"
This was weird. No one visited her one-room apartment.
Schne or Papirun would've called first, and the old man handed stuff over at the counseling room if needed. No deliveries either.
Nai Hyun opened the door with mild curiosity.
A smooth black mask with no features save two eye holes. A gentleman in a tidy suit and bowler hat, but the hidden face was downright eerie.
His tailcoat, on the other hand, was pure white, accented with gold thread here and there—not monotonous at all.
Nai Hyun gaped at the masked man.
"Resheph?"
She knew the face—or mask, technically. One of the foundation admins under Chairman Nachalsu.
"Is Uncle Charles here?"
"No. The chairman is focused on external business. But upon hearing the Black Forest and nearby mansion burned down, he dispatched me."
"Yeah, it's a big deal. I called him, but I didn't expect handling it this fast."
"He emphasizes focus in task allocation, but matters tied to your safety come first."
A gloved black hand slipped into the white tailcoat. It emerged holding a few sheets of paper.
"With the fire, he's planning to redevelop the Black Forest and build a Nachalsu Foundation branch on the villa site. He said he's been neglecting his hometown too long. Please sign this confirmation."
"Eh, you need my name?"
"Proof of resident permission."
Nai Hyun signed without hesitation. Resheph nodded gratefully.
"Thank you, I Hyun. If any Lux Tierra High students need foundation aid, recommend them freely."
Nai Hyun waved with a wry smile. No student would take help from Na Ju Pharma's successor.
As Resheph took the papers, he gauged Nai Hyun's mana from their brushing fingertips.
Impressive volume, as expected. The negative thoughts concentrated in that body, and the dream-hope mana she'd taken as the Mother Fairy's proxy warrior.
There was reason he kept an eye on her. Any moment now...
Resheph shook his head. His role now was just to measure her completion and check for damage. She was livestock that didn't recognize her owner yet—time to guide her right.
For proper correction, the foundation had come.