Chapter 22

The news that Madreah Palsea had closed her eyes at the end of her life hit Balkan very hard.

Regardless of her siding with the Filenom Autonomous Territory, there were still many who admired and looked up to the Ascender as a being.

The municipal government, which had always seemed to be there but not, quickly took action.

They declared a two-day public holiday and announced that they would simultaneously address the chaos.

In essence, it was a declaration by the municipal government to give everyone a two-day respite and time to keep quiet, but everyone accepted it.

The media, government, citizens, police... everyone had enough time to mourn the Ascender's final moments.

"It's because of that."

After the summons ended, Jenny said as she returned to the bar.

She had already smoked more than five cigarettes in a row, clearly having been under a lot of stress where she was called.

"The excessive mistreatment of the Autonomous Territory's prisoners, indiscriminate discrimination... there were many reasons, but there was a decisive one."

The ultra-secret project 'Black Consumer' that had been carried out in the undeveloped area.

That plan, which was said to have been a direct cause of the creation of the pollutants, was the direct cause that ignited the tension with the Autonomous Territory.

Contrary to the municipal government's inspection team's announcement that no human experiments had been conducted, evidence emerged from within the council that experiments had been forcibly conducted on the Autonomous Territory's prisoners.

From the moment the truth of the experiments, which violated the inter-city agreements and ethics, was revealed, the Balkan municipal government was in a fight it couldn't win.

And with the Ascender even siding with the Autonomous Territory, it's understandable that the municipal government had to give in unconditionally.

"......"

However, Renock couldn't help but wonder if that was the only reason Madreah came to Balkan.

Was what she wanted to see in her final moments really just the victory of the Autonomous Territory?

If, by any chance, Renock's existence had been seen in her foresight that could see both the past and the future...

She wouldn't have sacrificed her life just for that, but Renock couldn't shake off a strange feeling as he recalled their conversation.

It was hard for him to understand the Ascender's emotions, but there were many awkward points that couldn't be dismissed as mere coincidence in that brief meeting.

Did she really fully understand Renock's unique talent?

Perhaps he had lost a potential true ally in a futile manner.

"......"

It was meaningless to think about it for too long.

While rummaging through his pocket for a cigarette, he accidentally dropped another item.

"This is...?"

A mechanical device resembling a white fountain pen.

The laser cutter he had taken from the thugs after escaping the factory.

At first, he often held it for self-defense, but after he gained the ability to use shooting assistance magic, it became less useful.

Renock stretched out his hand to pick up the cutter that had fallen to the floor.

Thud!!

But someone else's thick boot pressed down on the cutter before he could.

"......What is it?"

Renock's voice was tinged with irritation, knowing that someone was approaching but not expecting such a confrontation.

"That's what I'm going to ask, you skinny brat."

A middle-aged man with a fist-shaped nose and a scruffy beard grumbled.

He looked like a failed Santa Claus candidate who had gone off the rails, with a very strong smell of oil emanating from his body and his face flushed red from drinking.

"Who are you to let my things drag on the floor like that?"

"Is this your thing?"

It had been a long time since he had been confronted with such an absurd accusation, but there was no reason to avoid it.

As Renock raised his mana, the man suddenly shouted.

"Shit, you're a mage. Spare me!!"

"......"

Renock was speechless at the sight of the man flat on the floor.

He had released his mana quite overtly out of irritation, and the man had noticed it instantly.

The man handed over the laser cutter, which Renock wiped off with his sleeve.

"What do you mean by 'your thing'?"

If Renock's memory served him correctly, the man wasn't even there when he took the cutter.

Or did the thugs take it from this man?

The man replied with a gruff face.

"No. Since it was made in my shop, it's my thing. Is there any other meaning?"

"This cutter is a product of Dyke Corporation."

Renock showed the brand on the cutter, which he remembered clearly from the thugs' conversation, but the man didn't budge.

"If I modified it, it's my thing."

"Modified...? Ah, then you're the one who..."

Come to think of it, the thugs had mentioned paying an old man.

Did they mean this person? What a coincidence.

Renock put the cutter back in his pocket and chuckled.

"If you sold it for money, it's the customer's thing, not yours."

"Damn... That's why I can't talk to guys who don't understand craftsmanship."

The man sighed deeply and waved his hand.

"Alright. Since you have it, you must be my customer. If you need anything later, come to my shop. Sorry about today."

He disappeared down the hallway without waiting for a response.

The problem was that Renock didn't know who he was or where his shop was.

'Maybe I'll ask Jenny if I remember later.'

Come to think of it, he had decided to gather information but had been standing around doing nothing.

He couldn't rely solely on Jenny or Jordan, so he needed to find a way to do it himself... it seemed he would have to do some legwork.

Shaking his head, he headed home.

Two days passed, and as soon as Renock received a call from Jenny, he stepped out of his studio apartment again.

[Right after your name was registered on the Deep Web, a request came in. But this time... you'll have to judge for yourself.]

Dyke Corporation

Her tone was quite serious, indicating that the situation was quite serious.

"......"

"Ban, this way."

As they entered, Jordan immediately led him to the inner office.

It was the same place they used when dealing with Amnac Pharmaceuticals.

Two people were sitting in plush chairs, waiting for him.

Jenny, who was sitting opposite, and a man in a suit with his back to Renock.

Uniquely, his hair was dyed a vivid light green, and his ears were adorned with numerous earrings.

The man turned around and waved as the door opened.

"Ah, you're here."

Despite being impeccably dressed in a suit and polished shoes, he exuded a rather casual air.

No mana was leaking from his body, but Renock didn't underestimate him.

There are plenty of people in this line of work who don't openly display their mana.

Whether it was due to a congenital condition like Maoren or a vast difference in level like an Ascender, it was unknown.

As Renock sat down next to Jenny, Jordan quietly closed the door and disappeared down the hallway.

He definitely avoided unnecessary interference in such matters.

The man stared at Renock for a while without saying a word after they sat down.

The strong interest in his eyes piqued Renock's curiosity in return.

"Is this your first time seeing a mage?"

"Yeah, it is."

An answer beyond imagination.

The man finally smiled. It was a peculiar smile that stretched from ear to ear.

A sharp and piercing aura that made his skin tingle. Not the kind of attitude a client would show.

"Really amazing."

"......"

"Among the lone wolves, I've picked out a few good fighters, but this is the first time I've seen a real mage. And not just a half-baked one, but a proper one."

"Hey."

Renock said with a blank expression.

"Huh?"

"Do you know me?"

"......What?"

"Why are you using such informal language with someone you just met?"

Whoosh!!

He stood up and immediately raised his mana.

He pressed the man in front of him with his mana, which had grown to the point where it could actually interfere physically when he used it to the fullest.

As the man's face turned pale, Renock slowly pulled out the cutter from his pocket.

Zzzz...!!

He held the cutter, which was sparking, in front of the man and said softly.

"If you want to hire me, you need to speak properly. Not subtly provoking and testing me."

Renock wasn't very familiar with this type of person, but he knew roughly how to handle them.

They constantly test to see if the other is stronger or weaker, and once they decide they have the upper hand, they maintain that attitude.

Instead of sitting and watching how the other would react, it was better to press down hard from the start to prevent any resistance.

And Renock already had the ability to do so.

Jenny didn't say a word from the moment Renock stood up.

Renock looked down at the man and suddenly released the mana that was choking his neck.

Phew!

The man, who had been stiff, turned his head slightly and nodded at Renock.

"....Alright, I apologize. You're more spirited than I heard."

Despite having his neck choked just moments ago, he didn't flinch and even sent a smirk back.

It was a more cheerful response than expected, but Renock ignored it.

This man was a different breed from someone like Dylan.

The fact that he showed such an attitude when coming to issue a request was evidence that the line between enemy and ally was blurred.

He seemed more like a beast than a human just by his outward appearance.

'Beast...'

As he thought this, Renock had a rough idea of who the man was.

As Renock was about to sit down again, the man cracked another joke.

"By the way, that cutter, did you get it modified by that old geezer? I thought he was dead, but it seems he's still alive and doing that kind of work."

"What?"

"If you don't want to answer, that's fine. Just pass on my regards. Our security chief is really looking forward to meeting him."

The man winked and pulled out a business card from his pocket, placing it on the table.

"Even though things turned out this way, I should introduce myself, right? I'm Kilian. I'm part of the support team at the company that made the cutter you were holding."

Caught off guard by the unexpected words, Renock looked down at the cutter still in his hand.

Dyke.

The brand, written in elegant cursive, shone brightly.

The man looked down at him with a pleased expression and said.

"Dyke Corporation's headquarters wants to hire you directly. How about it, are you interested in hearing the terms?"