Chapter 3

1. Ash Ronmore (2)

* * *

“Gasp!”

“Crazy knife-wielder…!”

“Who’s calling who a crazy knife-wielder?”

Subtle ash-gray hair and deep blue eyes that shone even in the darkness. These were the features of a certain fixer who had already become a legend in the slums, and no one dared to imitate his style.

So, if you saw that distinctive color, it meant it was Ash Ronmore himself.

In front of a business establishment in the entertainment district of Zone 63, surrounded by people, Ash kicked away a few unconscious thugs rolling on the ground and nodded at the ones still standing.

“What are you doing? Why aren’t you taking them away quickly?”

“T-thank you.”

The man and his companions, instead of the usual “we’ll see you later,” left with words of gratitude, dragging their comrade away.

The position of Ash Ronmore, the fixer, was not so low that a mere thug could talk about revenge.

Ash glanced at the people who were disappearing into the crowd and said to the onlookers surrounding the business establishment.

“What are you doing, not going on your way? You’re disrupting business, so clear the path.”

“Oh….”

The crowd that had gathered to watch the fight and admire Ash gradually dispersed.

Ash casually slung his sword, which he always carried, over his shoulder and asked the employer approaching him.

“Do these kinds of thugs come often?”

“…Sometimes, ignorant ones pop up.”

Thugs who were barely worthy of being called gang members. Ash shook his head at the client’s answer.

It had been about two and a half years since the ‘Hammer of Omar,’ which dominated the entertainment district of Zone 63 and the slums of Zone 71, disappeared at his hands.

While Ash had completely dismantled the ‘Hammer of Omar,’ he hadn’t taken over the areas they managed.

He detested troublesome things, and managing two zones would have been more troublesome than anything he had ever experienced, so he left them alone.

Thanks to this, while Ash might be a source of fear for ordinary residents, the business owners in the entertainment district of Zone 63 liked him very much.

The money they used to pay to the ‘Hammer of Omar’ was gone, yet other gangs couldn’t run rampant.

But now, that’s becoming an old story.

Humans are creatures of forgetfulness, and two and a half years is a longer time than one might think. Even those who had been cowering in fear when Ash was at his peak have started to forget.

Ash didn’t care if someone collected protection money in the areas he had cleaned up, but he didn’t like the idea of the area becoming noisy due to gang turf wars.

However, he didn’t want to move on his own accord…

“‘Vampires’ are supposed to be coming, but why are there so many thugs swarming around?”

“…That’s what I was thinking too.”

After the thugs in the daytime, Ash had chased away a few more who were disrupting business. Since he had already been paid, it was only natural to do his job, but during this time, he realized that the situation had progressed more than he had thought.

He had expected the cowering ones to start lifting their heads, but seeing these thugs running rampant, the real gangs might already be eating away at the periphery.

If left alone, they would soon reach the heart of the entertainment district.

For the business owners, the problem would not only be the external large gangs but also these ones.

While casually sipping a drink, Ash suddenly asked the employer sitting opposite him.

“Is everything okay with the other gangs lately?”

“Huh? Oh, yes. Apart from the thugs causing trouble, there’s nothing much.”

There were many conflicts in the entertainment district, and relying on the protection of a gang that collected tribute was insufficient. Especially in a situation where there was no large gang covering everyone.

Therefore, all the business owners had their own weapons, and even without Ash, the thugs wouldn’t have been a problem.

“Hmm…”

Ash stroked his chin, deep in thought at the employer’s answer.

The abnormal increase in thugs suggested that the existing gangs were testing the waters, seeing if Ash was moving or not.

Or if the strength the business owners had accumulated from the tribute they used to pay to the ‘Hammer of Omar’ was enough to pose a threat.

“Is something going to happen?”

“Something will happen soon.”

In response to the employer’s question, Ash answered. Ash himself had no interest in the entertainment district of Zone 63 or the slums of Zone 71. As long as it didn’t affect him, he didn’t care.

From the employer’s account, the testing had been going on for a while, and they had probably become confident.

That Ash Ronmore wouldn’t interfere no matter what they did.

Then, there would be more chaos. The ownerless land, the back alleys of Zones 63 and 71, would become a battlefield, and perhaps even external gangs would get involved.

The ‘Vampires’ who had reached the employer’s business establishment were no different. They were also showing their greed for the empty land.

While the existing gangs were cautious, not extending their reach to the heart of the entertainment district, the large gang ‘Vampires’ with their own confidence were different.

A very bold choice.

“Huh? What do you mean…?”

“You should be prepared.”

“R-really…?”

“Almost 100%.”

Ash answered the employer, who understood his short response, with a light voice. The employer’s expression turned serious, and Ash chuckled to reassure him.

“Don’t worry too much. I’ll provide after-sales service until the final payment is made.”

“Thank you!”

“Don’t thank me, just send the money.”

“Yes!”

The employer’s face lit up at Ash’s assurance. While it was uncertain for the entire vast area, protecting a single business establishment meant no worries. The gang members would likely retreat, knowing that Ash Ronmore was protecting the place.

They had no reason to risk a conflict with Ash Ronmore over a single business establishment.

The 3 million credits was a painful amount, but thinking about being protected by ‘Ash Ronmore’ for five years, it might not be such a high price.

Just as the employer, feeling better, was about to open an expensive bottle of alcohol, a sound caught Ash’s ear.

Tap, tap!

Ash heard the footsteps of someone running towards the room where he and the employer were.

“They’re here.”

“Huh?”

Before the employer could express his confusion at Ash’s muttering, the door was roughly opened, and a panting man shouted.

“Boss! The ‘Vampires’ are here!”

“Is that so?”

“How….”

Ash reacted calmly, and the employer looked at him in surprise. The basic feature of such a business establishment was soundproofing, yet Ash had detected the arrival of the employer’s confidant before he even reached the place.

Without answering, Ash stood up.

“It’s time to get to work. Let’s finish the rest when I come back.”

*

“Where’s the boss?”

“He’s on his way.”

“On his way? He seems quite relaxed. I hope he gives us the answer we want.”

Or else, he won’t have a good time.

A man with worn-out clothes and a rough appearance, clearly a gang member from the slums, was threatening the employees with his subordinates. However, they didn’t act directly, as this place could become one of their business establishments.

They didn’t want to ruin a place they would use.

The confident gang members. But the employees, though trembling with fear, didn’t back down. Not only because the boss was a good employer, but also because they knew.

That the fixer ‘Ash Ronmore’ was currently in the same building.

The fixer they had hired for a huge sum would perform as expected.

Thud, thud. The sound of footsteps descending the stairs echoed softly between the employees and the gang members.

Everyone’s attention in the lobby turned to the stairs where the third party’s footsteps were heard.

“Oh, they’re not just ordinary thugs.”

“Please, take care of it, Fixer sir.”

Three men were walking down the stairs.

One was the boss, whom the gang leader had seen earlier.

Another was the employee who had gone to call the boss.

And the man walking behind them, with ash-gray hair and blue eyes, was…

“Fixer? Ash Ronmore?”

“Is that the crazy knife-wielder?”

“Silver hair and blue eyes, indeed.”

The gang members murmured at the distinctive features known to anyone active in the underworld of the slums.

The man at the forefront looked at Ash with interest. Ash, in turn, scanned him once.

Two large-caliber pistols visible through the worn-out clothes, a few military-grade swords.

Scars that spoke of many battles over a long time.

The large pistols, clearly illegally modified, were one thing, but the man’s aura suggested he was not just a low-level gang member.

The lack of rifles suggested he wasn’t here for a full-scale fight.

While Ash was roughly assessing the scars, the scarred man smiled and spoke first.

“Are you the famous Ash Ronmore?”

“So what?”

“I’m Billay Forton of the ‘Vampires.’”

Billay Forton of the ‘Vampires.’ The scarred man introduced himself. Ash nodded indifferently at the information he didn’t really care about and asked playfully.

“So? Why did your vampire ladies leave their cozy homes to come here?”

“…That brat.”

“Hold it. That brat is the crazy knife-wielder.”

Ash’s taunt made Billay’s subordinates bristle, but Ash smiled calmly.

Billay, finding Ash’s attitude amusing, replied with a sinister smile.

“We heard there was ownerless land, so we came to claim it.”

“Oh, you must have heard a wrong story. This is my territory.”

“Huh, your territory?”

“Yes. So, would you please leave? I don’t want to hurt your precious ladies.”

“Fixer sir….”

“What?”

Ash’s continued taunts made Billay’s subordinates restless. The employer, sensing the tension, called out to him with a worried voice, but Ash dismissed it.

Billay, still smiling sinisterly, said.

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Ash Ronmore. You dismantled the ‘Hammer of Omar’ all by yourself, right?”

“Yeah, I did. I’m kind of famous.”

“I couldn’t believe a single person could do that. Frankly, I even felt admiration.”

“Really? Should I sign something for you on the way?”

Ash responded playfully, but Billay continued his story regardless of Ash’s reaction.

“But….”

Billay’s eyes glowed red through his sinister smile. An unnatural, artificial light.

“The person in front of me now doesn’t look like the legendary fixer but a regular civilian, thin like a toothpick.”

* * *

Oh