Chapter 8

1. Ash Ronmore (7)

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As Ash was about to arrive at Sector 71, the state of the Ronmore Detective Agency was surprisingly peaceful, contrary to his expectations.

Shine, despite the visit of a famous gang boss and his subordinates, greeted the customers as usual, and the customers, despite their status, behaved calmly.

"You're late."

"It's inevitable to take time coming from Sector 63."

Shine, who had initially marveled at the beauty of the woman, Leila Floris, and the giant man, Virey Forton, whose face was covered in scars, making it clear he was no ordinary person, sat calmly and waited.

"Still, this place is quite shabby."

"Yeah. The inside is managed decently, but the outside is messy."

Virey's comment was echoed by Leila. The exterior of the Ronmore Detective Agency, as she saw it, was indeed shabby.

The paint on the building's exterior was peeling, and the sign, which seemed to be homemade, was tilted to one side, as if the part holding it had fallen off. The sign itself looked hastily scribbled.

The two, who were visiting Ash Ronmore's office for the first time, were slightly confused, wondering if they had come to the right place.

"Why is he living like this when he has quite a bit of money?"

"The 'Mad Blade' is known for being eccentric."

"Hmm, I think I've heard of that."

...Is that so? The conversation between the two customers, which subtly drifted over even during business hours, made Shine think of Ash for a moment.

Ash, who was so lazy that he only showed up after the office opened, spent his time in the office watching dramas and movies, and had a particular fondness for alcohol and women.

But to Shine, Ash Ronmore was an unparalleled benefactor.

He had rescued her from the dirty back alleys, provided her with a place to stay and food to eat, and even offered her a good job. He was the best boss she could ask for.

Moreover, despite his rough demeanor, Ash took very good care of his people.

But these were things only Shine knew. Ash's public image was far from positive, and all sorts of strange rumors circulated about him.

The rumors the customers were discussing... were they true? There was a bit of eccentricity, so he couldn't completely deny it. Shine looked puzzled, lost in thought.

Time continued to pass as the two customers conversed and Shine pondered.

*

Ding dong.

The small bell rang as the door opened. Ash, having arrived at his office, walked in without hesitation.

"I'm here."

"Welcome back, boss!"

"Hey."

Shine, who had been reading documents at her desk, looked up and greeted him.

Ash, after acknowledging her greeting, quickly checked her condition, confirmed everything was fine, and then turned his attention to the outsiders.

The giant man and the woman sitting next to him, holding a cup that Shine had given her.

Ash, who had been inspecting the woman, couldn't help but admire her beauty.

"Hi."

The woman, sitting with her scarred companion, waved her hand in greeting.

Ash, without responding to her greeting, sat opposite them and looked at the woman.

Her slightly darkened blonde hair and emerald eyes. Her cat-like, proud eyes, her straight nose, and her red, confident lips.

Her skin, as white as if it had never seen the sun, and her figure, slender yet curvaceous, was a natural weapon that could captivate any man's heart.

Frankly, Ash hadn't seen such a remarkable beauty in a long time. Even after enjoying the company of the beauties at 'Moonflower' the previous night, he was still moved by her charm.

If it had been a trivial matter, Ash would have been annoyed at the disruption of his enjoyable time and would have been ready to teach them a lesson. But seeing the beauty, he managed to control his irritation and sat down awkwardly.

Then, with a tone that conveyed his annoyance, he spoke.

"Are you the 'Vampire' boss?"

"Yeah, but you're not returning the greeting?"

"Because of you, I had my good time ruined, so I'm not feeling very friendly."

He had planned to stay at 'Moonflower' for another day, but the sudden visit not only cut short his enjoyment but also forced him to wake up early and come to work.

Although he felt a bit better after seeing Leila, he still wasn't in a good mood.

Leila, recognizing Ash's clear displeasure, gracefully set aside her pride and apologized.

"Well, I'm sorry. I wanted to take my time, but something came up suddenly."

While she had mentioned over the phone that she would visit soon, she hadn't expected it to be this soon. Normally, she would have contacted him in advance, but the situation was too urgent this time, so she came without prior notice.

If it had been anyone else, she wouldn't have apologized, but Ash Ronmore was a person who deserved respect even from the 'Vampire' boss.

Ash, nodding his head in acknowledgment of her apology, crossed his legs and asked.

"Whatever. What brings you here?"

As usual, Ash went straight to the point, and Leila, seeing this as a good opportunity, answered immediately.

"Sector 63. Hand it over to us."

"Hmm?"

Hand over Sector 63?

Ash was puzzled by Leila's unexpected request.

He had heard rumors that the 'Vampire' had already extended their influence into Sector 63, so why were they now asking him for control of the sector?

They had quietly crept in without a word.

As if reading Ash's thoughts, Leila explained.

"We know you don't care about territory management. But we're saying this because we're about to make a big move."

Leila briefly explained the 'Vampire's' plan.

The 'Vampire' was about to launch a large-scale operation, unlike their previous stealthy approach, to end the ongoing conflict and take over Sector 63 in one fell swoop.

Although she didn't go into the details, the fact that they had come to Ash to request the transfer of the sector was enough to convey their intentions.

They probably didn't want Ash to interfere with their plans.

As Ash had guessed, Leila continued.

"We don't need your help. We just don't want you to get involved in our business."

The 'Vampire' had already gathered intelligence on the existing forces in Sector 63. The stragglers from 'Omar's Hammer' and a few minor gangs.

The power of these forces, suppressed by the name 'Ash Ronmore,' was no match for the 'Vampire.' The moment the 'Vampire' decided to act, the ownership of Sector 63 would change.

The only variable was 'Ash Ronmore.' That's why she had come to remove this variable.

After finishing her explanation, Leila waited for Ash's response, and after a moment of thought, Ash spoke.

His answer was a refusal.

"That's not possible."

"...Why?"

Leila asked, not surprised by Ash's response. She and Virey, along with their subordinates, had gathered information on Ash Ronmore, but it was impossible to fully understand him just from that.

But she wanted to know the reason. Based on the information they had, she thought he wouldn't care, yet he had refused.

To her question, Ash replied.

"I have no ill feelings towards you. But I have a principle of not making double contracts."

"Double contracts?"

Leila was puzzled. What was he talking about? Could there have been others who had approached Ash Ronmore first?

Ash pondered for a moment, considering whether to tell her about the contract with 'Moonflower.'

As he looked at her, their eyes met. Her emerald eyes, sparkling with curiosity, were incredibly beautiful.

And her perfect beauty, like a work of art, was beyond words.

"What do you mean by double contracts?"

While Ash was thinking, she asked again.

Ash felt his resolve weakening at the sound of her voice. With such a beauty, it wouldn't hurt to share a bit of information, right? She wouldn't go around spreading it, would she?

Should he tell her or not?

"Hmm…."

After much deliberation, Ash, driven by impulse, finally spoke.

"Since you're a rare beauty, I'll tell you this: it's best not to step into Sector 63 for a while. I plan to clean it up in a few days."

"So it's not a contract with another gang?"

"Who knows."

"……"

He neither confirmed nor denied it. His goodwill towards the beauty ended there. He wouldn't reveal the contract with 'Moonflower,' but he could share this much.

This was Ash's advice and warning to Leila.

Surprised by his unexpected words, Leila was momentarily speechless.

Then, the scarred man, Virey, who had been silent until now, spoke.

"Are you working alone?"

"Yeah."

Ash answered casually.

He usually completed most of his jobs alone unless there were special circumstances. This was true regardless of the scale, and the current request from 'Moonflower' was no exception.

He didn't need help for tasks that required simple brute force. His skills were so overwhelming that it would be a miracle if his so-called 'partners' didn't get in the way.

The only people he had ever truly considered partners were experts in completely different fields.

"Quite the confidence."

"Ha, confidence?"

Was it even a matter of confidence?

Ash laughed at Virey's comment. Of course, it was a common reaction.

How could one person take on hundreds of armed soldiers? That was probably what he was thinking.

Despite constantly proving himself, Ash always received this reaction. And when he succeeded, they would be surprised and ask how it was possible.

Each time, Ash would respond:

"It's nothing special, really."

Just as he said now, it was nothing special.

"……"

Virey couldn't say anything more in response to Ash's matter-of-fact attitude.

Even during their first meeting, he had sensed something special about Ash Ronmore. Whatever he said seemed genuine, and listening to him made it feel like it was the most natural thing in the world.

A sensation he had never felt from anyone, not even from his boss. What should he call it? Leadership? Charisma?

Their short conversation ended with Virey's silence. Ash had answered his question, but he had no intention of initiating further conversation with the intimidating man.

While they were talking, Leila, having finished her thoughts, spoke again.

"Then, what about after that job is done?"

"Well, if there's no other issue, there's no need to worry."

Ash answered straightforwardly.

His job was to clean up the area around the center of Sector 63. After that, it didn't matter who crawled in.

However, if there was another incident affecting the center, where 'Moonflower' was located, he might step in again. After all, he was known for his excellent after-service.

"Alright, I understand. Thank you for telling me."

Leila sincerely thanked Ash. What seemed like a casual remark to him was actually very important information. If they had continued to rush in without knowing, her 'Vampire' group might have suffered significant losses.

Fortunately, they had received this valuable information and could now make the right decision for their current situation. Although it was a waste of their previous efforts, if Ash was going to clean it up, there was no need for her to continue getting involved.

This would give her some breathing room, allowing her to focus on the issues at the back.

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