Chapter 24

"Did he leave?"

"Yes."

Unlike before, Panora quietly watched Renock leave the 10th district on foot from beyond the window.

He looked like someone who had never hit a person, but the records of the deep web and countless testimonies do not lie.

The amount of information Panora collected to prepare for a surefire card was enormous.

Electromage Ban. Although he has only taken on fewer than ten commissions so far, his skills are undoubtedly genuine.

The judgment she felt from the documents and the confidence she felt upon meeting him in person.

While one of the two might often be off, it is never the case that both are wrong.

He was the talent they needed to recruit.

"But does it have to be him? We do have mages on our side, don't we?"

As Kilian said, Dike's side is not entirely without usable mages.

Previously, skilled mages who had secluded themselves in the Mage Tower for long periods have recently begun to join various organizations, moving to fulfill their own desires.

Dike is one of the many companies that have benefited from this trend.

However, if asked whether they possess the skills Panora is looking for, the answer is definitely no.

"Kilian, can you hold your own against Croken Assurus, even for a moment?"

"......It's not an easy task."

Ignoring his ridiculous bravado, Panora continued.

"That mage accomplished it in his first commission. And he did it with just one competent vanguard."

"......"

"Frankly, it's unbelievable that the mage has been working alone all this time. It's strange that no other company has tried to recruit him. He will be the most cost-effective card among the freelancers we can control. I'm certain of it."

Panora took a cigarette from her pocket and said.

Originally, even if Dike wanted to expand their business, they would never have touched the 40th district.

The power dynamics are incredibly complex, and the people who control such profit relationships are not easily dealt with.

Many have rashly entered that market and failed to recoup their initial investment.

However, despite this, Panora decided to restructure the 40th district this time......due to the agreement with the Filenom Autonomous Territory two days ago.

Ultimately, Balkan will inevitably prepare for war someday. The arms industry will enter its golden age.

To prepare for that, they need to increase production in advance, and they need new customers to absorb the increased production.

Moreover, with the city government's attention focused on the agreement with the autonomous territory, the pressure will be relatively less, making the timing almost perfect.

"If we move wisely, we can monopolize the flow of military supplies in one go. It's not impossible to delve deeper into the 'inner circle.'"

The world is changing.

We need to carefully gauge the flow around us and our own abilities and respond prudently.

However, someone who moves boldly might gain more than their due.

Panora laughed sharply.

"Let's end the small talk. It's time to bring him in."

"Who?"

"......I should have asked for the next candidate."

"Oh, you meant that by securing the resume? I just picked one from the emails I received."

"......"

Seeing Kilian scratch his head with a bewildered look, a sigh involuntarily escaped Panora's lips.

Was it a mistake to request his cooperation for this project, given his reputation for good instincts?

A werewolf is certainly not a suitable partner for office work.

Renock briefly summarized the conversation with Panora and relayed it to Jenny.

Since they had been exchanging commissions through her, it was difficult to avoid cooperation this time.

"Big."

After hearing the story, Jenny simply concluded.

"The risks and the gains are both equally large."

"......"

"I also have a rough idea of the value of the five fingers of Enakfil. It's one of the consumable artifacts that high-ranking political figures can't live without. And if they are offering such an item, the risk they are asking you to take is naturally significant."

Jordan, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.

"I can guess why Dike brought Ban in separately for the talk."

"What is it?"

"Isn't it to minimize the enmity that will be created by this commission? If it's known that we are directly involved, things will get complicated. They are trying to set up the board with the minimum variables. At least, Dike seems sincere about it."

"Would they have proposed the deal through the deep web if they were going to back out? I didn't doubt that part from the beginning. The important thing is this."

Jenny said this and looked at Renock seriously.

"If you accept this commission, it will be difficult to wash your hands of this line of work."

"......"

"Until now, you've been working against organizations or plans, but what Dike wants is to create a situation where someone can be beaten and profit can be made. Enmity is inevitable."

"....I see."

The content of this commission is different from the ones he has taken on before.

Jenny was delicately hinting at this fact.

Renock understood.

Most of the commissions he had taken on so far were straightforward, with little ripple effect from their execution.

Even if he got involved in a major incident, the fire never spread to the point of affecting Renock.

But this time is different.

Dike is targeting a drug dealer in the 40th district, which undoubtedly holds a significant share in the complex profit structure of the outer districts.

Anyone whose money flow is threatened will inevitably be enraged.

This time, it won't end with just completing the commission and receiving the payment. There is a high possibility of retaliation or getting entangled in deeper power struggles.

"Are you prepared to take the risk to get what you want?"

"......Prepared?"

Perhaps she is worried about him. Renock knows.

Jenny probably sees Ban as just a training mage who came down from the wilderness.

But Renock couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh at her words.

Where was the time to prepare in this place?

His environment has always been harsh, and Renock has always made choices to move forward.

From the moment he pulled the trigger at the supervisor's forehead, he resolved never to stop.

Even if it means embracing the paradox of risking death to live—

"Once you start running, you have to see it through."

".....Ban?"

"I'll take the commission."

The meeting with the Ascendant, whether intentional or not, significantly changed Renock's thinking.

Prioritizing safety and minimizing risk alone will not get Renock what he wants.

Precious relics, rare elixirs. These are not things that can be obtained simply by having a lot of money.

Eventually, he had to climb higher, and Renock needed the opportunity.

He wants higher fame and qualifications.

Increasing enmity, decreasing time, approaching danger.

The time given to him is too short to assign meaning and fear to each of these.

Don't overthink it. If the stakes are greater than the risk, take the leap.

That's the only thing that matters in this line of work.

Perhaps sensing something from Renock's expression,

the two of them did not say another word.

Port

As soon as Renock expressed his willingness to take the job, things moved quickly.

Panora, as if she had been waiting, sent Renock the information on the first target.

Jenny entered the office and briefed him, while Renock silently bit down on a cigarette.

"The first target set by Dike is a drug dealer, Paul Ackerman, who operates mainly in the 48th district."

A photo immediately appeared on the prepared screen.

A plump, red-haired man in his middle age, with freckles and a beard.

"He started his activities two years ago and quickly expanded his sales routes and business. There has been a lot of talk about his unknown capital, and there's a rumor that he is one of the arms of the Juice Master. If that's true, you need to be careful."

Drug king Dominic Caravaro, known as the Juice Master.

The leader of a super cartel that directly leads inter-city drug trafficking and even sells drugs to the defense forces.

Recently, his name has even appeared in the Demon Extermination List, and there are speculations that he has entered Pandemonium with his cartel.

"That's why Paul Ackerman's personal guards are quite formidable. It seems he employs a war mercenary who has made a name for himself in the underworld. His name is Jude Russell, a well-known and skilled mercenary."

A young-looking black man's face appeared on the screen next to the screen. A sharp and rough appearance, quite handsome, with a large sword strapped to his back.

"According to the information provided by Dike, Paul Ackerman is scheduled to hold a meeting with distributors at the port in the 48th district in three days."

"Is the information reliable?"

"Cross-checking revealed that access to a specific port has been blocked, so it's likely not false."

"Hmm....."

Renock, who had been silently reviewing the commission outline sent by Dike, finally spoke.

"I'm curious why they want me to kill a drug dealer to promote the arms industry."

"It seems he has been continuously investing in illegal arms trading with the money earned from selling drugs. He is one of the major investors. They probably want to cut off a source of money first. It's not a bad plan."

"What about the others?"

"Five people in total will participate in this job. They likely chose people with similar evaluations to you. I've given you the time and place. Everyone will gather then."

Understood. It wouldn't be possible to succeed with just Renock in such a project.

They probably hired additional people in similar positions or with similar treatment to change the situation all