Chapter 69

< 69. Direct Commission (1) >

Oliver followed as Al guided him. However, for some reason, today he was led to a small side door next to the food storage room, not to the manager's office.

"Here?"

"The manager is waiting for you below."

It was an unusual place...

"...Mr. Forest was waiting for me, you said? Could you tell me why?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Dave. I don't have the authority to answer that. I sincerely apologize."

Al's words were genuine. Even if he wanted to answer, he couldn't.

Under normal circumstances, Oliver would have let it go, but he recalled the bargaining at the market and spoke up again.

"I see."

"Yes, the manager will explain when you go down. I apologize again."

"Hmm... Well, it might be a bit much to ask, but could you answer a different question later?"

"A different question?"

"Yes, could you tell me what the restaurant staff do?"

Al tilted his head, not understanding.

"Yes, of course, it's not difficult... but may I ask why?"

"Oh, I suddenly became curious."

Oliver recalled the old man from the bookstore.

Al looked doubtful but didn't press further.

"Yes, I'll tell you early in the morning or when the evening business ends."

"Thank you."

Oliver sincerely thanked Al for his kindness.

Al returned the greeting and took a key from his pocket to open the side door next to the food storage room. A sign reading "No Entry for Unauthorized Personnel" hung on the door, which opened to reveal a steep staircase leading down, its end not visible.

***

Oliver descended the dimly lit staircase. It was deeper than it looked from above, and it didn't seem like a normal place.

Was it abnormally deep compared to the building?

Still, it wasn't endless, and he finally reached the bottom.

Oliver let out a small sigh of relief, stepped off the stairs, and moved down the narrow corridor that stretched ahead.

He recalled the time he lived in the basement of Joseph's sausage factory. The only difference was that the walls and floors here were well-finished.

He soon reached the end of the corridor.

At the end was a small side door, which seemed quite ordinary compared to the path he had taken down.

Knock, knock.

Oliver knocked on the door.

"Come in."

As soon as he was given permission, he opened the door.

Oliver immediately realized that this basement was not the restaurant manager Forest's office but the office of the intermediary Forest.

There was a table and chairs set up on one side, a large counter, and behind it, file cabinets filled with documents.

How he managed his intermediary work in such a small office was a mystery, but today that mystery was resolved.

"I'm sorry to call you to such a gloomy place."

Forest, who had just taken out some documents from the cabinet, said as he organized them.

"No, it's fine. But what are you doing?"

"I suddenly had something to check. It's not related to you, so don't worry."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, it's not a big deal."

It didn't seem like it wasn't a big deal, but he didn't press further.

In this line of work, asking too many personal questions could make you a target... or had Oliver already crossed that line? Anyway...

"You said you were waiting for me. Could you tell me what it's about?"

After finishing organizing the documents, Forest nodded and took out some money from a drawer.

It was 200 bills of 100,000 lanas each.

"This is?"

"It's yours."

"I already received the payment for the last mission."

"This is additional payment. The client was quite pleased with the ledger, documents, and potion essence you brought. Can we sit and talk for a moment?"

Oliver nodded politely and sat across from Forest.

Forest, as usual, poured a drink and offered it to Oliver, who sniffed it slightly before swallowing.

"Is it good? I chose it because you seemed to drink well."

Oliver, who had a dull sense of taste, nodded without much thought.

"Good... Thanks to the documents and ledger you brought, I indirectly helped the client's business."

"Is that so?"

"Of course. Through the transactions and prices listed in the ledger, I obtained more information on where to supply the magic liquor and at what price. Such information can be sold quite expensively on the black market."

Oh... Oliver nodded again at the new information.

"Originally, I planned to sell it at a high price, but the client offered the money first. As you can see, 20 million lanas."

"What about your commission, Mr. Forest?"

"I'm not taking it this time. There was nothing to do in the first place, and the client offered the money first."

It wouldn't have mattered if he took a commission, but since he said it was fine, Oliver didn't argue.

The money was piling up steadily. It was fortunate. You never knew when you might need money, so you had to earn as much as possible when you could.

A question suddenly came to mind.

"But do you usually give money so easily?"

"Good point. Now, let's get to the main topic. This money is certainly your rightful compensation, but it's also a bribe."

"A bribe?"

"Yes, let me reiterate. This money is your rightful compensation. So, taking it doesn't mean you owe anyone anything."

"Yes, I understand."

"However, the client wants to meet you directly."

"Me? Why does he want to meet me?"

"He wants to express his gratitude in person. But the real reason is that he wants to get to know a skilled black mage. It's good to know."

"A skilled black mage?"

"Yes, you. Why? Is that not enough?"

"No, no. But did he offer this much money just for that?"

It was a valid point. In the previous mission, the client had barely met the minimum payment.

That meant he was either a cheapskate trying to get the job done cheaply or someone short on money.

So, would such a person offer the same amount as the barely met payment? Just to meet and get to know someone?

That didn't make sense.

"Of course, no. It's all for show, and he has a specific reason for coming. He has something to ask and something to request."

"Something to ask and something to request?"

"Yes, don't be too bothered. When a skilled problem solver appears in this line of work, all sorts of organizations and intermediaries get involved."

Oliver nodded silently. It seemed he was gradually gaining recognition as a skilled problem solver. After all, he hadn't failed yet.

"What does he want to ask?"

"It's not a big deal. Since you inspected the magic liquor production facility, he wants you to describe it roughly."

"Since I brought Professor Hubert, wouldn't it be faster to ask him?"

"You're right. The problem is that trust in him has hit rock bottom after being betrayed once. He needs something to compare it with. Even an illegal distillery costs a lot of money."

That made sense.

"I think I can do that."

"Good. But the second request might not be so easy."

"The second request?"

"Yes, it's not a request but a commission."

"What kind of commission?"

"To guard the magic liquor production facility until it's fully operational. The duration is about a month."

"But why meet me to ask? If it's a formal commission, shouldn't Mr. Forest relay it?"

"I refused."

"Refused?"

"Yes, the conditions were unacceptable to me."

Oliver was intrigued.

What conditions were unacceptable to Forest? And why did he bring this up to him?

"Are the conditions too harsh?"

"For someone who took down three Fighter Crew members. Your name has spread during your absence. You're a dark horse, but you've gained quite a bit of attention."

Forest spoke without exaggeration or understatement.

Well, Knuckle Joe, Nico, and Big Jaw were indeed tough opponents. It didn't seem strange.

"The client offered a down payment of 15 million lanas for a month of guarding the facility. If the job is completed successfully, he will give the same amount as additional payment. In other words, 30 million lanas if you guard it successfully for a month, or 15 million lanas even if you fail."

"To me, it seems quite good."

"Of course, in a normal case, it would be. Do you remember? The client is affiliated with the Crime Firm, a subordinate organization of many large organizations."

"Yes, I heard."

"As you know, being affiliated with the Crime Firm is quite good. You can receive protection and assistance from other affiliated organizations. But sometimes you get involved in internal competition."

Oliver nodded. He knew from Kant that the many organizations affiliated with the Crime Firm competed with each other, and you had to navigate carefully.

"The magic liquor industry is a profitable business. Demand always exceeds supply, so it's profitable, and where there's money, there's conflict."

"Does that mean the magic liquor production facility could be attacked by other Crime Firm-affiliated organizations?"

"Not necessarily, but the probability is quite high. There are many people who want to check the client. And that's not all."

"What do you mean, that's not all?"

Forest took a round glass bottle from his pocket. It had a seal on it, which, upon closer inspection, was the item Oliver had given him before.

"Isn't this the potion I gave you last time?"

"Yes. This is a Magic Tower item."

"Magic Tower?"

"Yes, this seal is proof. It's stamped on items under the management of the Magic Tower, and it's specially processed, so I can tell. I investigated it."

Oliver thought for a moment and asked.

"Why was a Magic Tower item there?"

"There are two possibilities. Professor Hubert either raided and looted items being transported to the Magic Tower or secretly traded with someone inside the Magic Tower."

"The latter, I guess."

"Yes, if the Magic Tower items had been raided, it would have caused a stir in this line of work, but there was no sign of it, so it must have been smuggled. It's not a rare occurrence."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, the Magic Tower, as its name suggests, handles a vast amount of magical knowledge and resources. If you have a bit of a bad intention, you can easily smuggle items from the warehouse or manipulate documents. That's why, from time to time, bold professors and students are caught in such activities. Surprisingly, the Magic Tower, the pride of this country and the elite of Landa, is also a major trading ground in the back alleys."

Forest seemed to be enjoying it.

"Does that mean, in addition to the competing gangs, the Magic Tower personnel could also be attacked?"

"The probability is low, but it's not impossible. From the ledger I examined, a significant amount of money went to unknown individuals, who are likely Magic Tower insiders."

Oliver nodded, recalling the potions he saw in the magic liquor production facility.

"Of course, unless they are reckless, Magic Tower personnel would withdraw from this, but in this line of work, nothing is certain. Professor Hubert's magic liquor was quite popular, and the money they received was substantial. Also, the nature of mages, with their pride and competitiveness, makes their actions hard to predict."

"In other words, while the probability is low, it's not impossible that the client could be attacked."

"Yes, that's why I refused. Aside from the danger of fighting a Magic Tower mage, 30 million lanas to fight a mage is a bit much. It's a large sum, but with a bit more effort, you could earn more comfortably and safely. That's why I refused."

Oliver nodded. Forest's words were sincere. Kant had said that he assessed the capabilities of problem solvers and assigned them the safest and most efficient tasks, and it seemed to be true.

Still, there was