Chapter 33

After the meeting with the madam, the follow-up was quickly carried out. Sebastian realized that Renock had secured the blueprint the moment he did, and swiftly handled all related matters.

"Thank you very much."

The person bowing in Sebastian's office early in the morning was the current vice president of Autoble. He bowed deeply, expressing his gratitude as if he would give his liver, repeatedly bowing to Renock.

"If it weren't for the half-mage, Madison, that bastard, would have taken the project results right before our eyes. Thanks to you, the efforts of all Autoble employees, including myself, were not in vain."

Indeed, if the blueprint had been leaked, the damage would have been significant, so his words were not wrong. Sebastian handed the original blueprint to the vice president and patted his shoulder lightly.

"It's fortunate that everything went well. Every time I take on such tasks, I can't help but feel a sense of fulfillment."

"Without you, Sebastian, how could we have known about this? I never expected Madison to betray us like this... I'm truly grateful for your connection with the headquarters."

Sebastian, skillfully promoting his own worth, received a perfect response from the vice president, whom Renock looked at with a bored expression.

He knew it was necessary, so there was no choice.

The work of a broker inevitably involves dealing with people in such a manner.

"I hope you can convey this matter to the president well."

"Of course. Although he has been busy handling this situation, he said he would definitely arrange a meeting soon. You can look forward to it."

"Hehehe!! I didn't mean to ask for that..."

Sebastian's smile didn't fade as he saw the vice president off to the door. He believed that strengthening his relationship with the president of Autoble through this matter would be a significant gain.

It took some time for him to calm down and sit opposite Renock.

"I apologize for getting carried away. In fact, building relationships with Autoble's executives wasn't easy. Thanks to their strong backing, they have considerable influence in the market but relatively few connections. This incident has made significant progress in establishing connections with figures in the automotive industry."

"Is that so."

Renock's indifferent response prompted Sebastian to change the topic immediately.

"I'm sorry for the boring talk. Did you have something specific in mind? I've gathered all the necessary information."

Saying this, he naturally pulled out a file from under the table and handed it to Renock.

"While selecting companies with intense internal politics and gathering information, I immediately knew where the information on the company you wanted was. Take a look and listen."

Renock flipped through the file as Sebastian had suggested. As Sebastian said, the first page was entirely about the Dike company. He had already figured out that Renock wanted information on Dike while collecting the data.

A brief summary of the company, information about the current president, and introductions to the board of directors. Even a photo of the planning team leader, Panora.

Sebastian spoke as Renock flipped through the pages.

"The Dike company, which once thrived in industrial tool manufacturing, is currently facing a significant internal crisis. The new successor, who took over the management after the previous president retired in disgrace and transferred shares, wants to push out the long-standing board of directors."

"......A power struggle, you mean?"

"Exactly. However, the new president needs noticeable achievements to gain the shareholders' approval, so he plans to expand the business base to the 40s district, led by Panora. Opening a new market always brings explosive sales, so if it succeeds, he can control the direction of this massive company."

"And the board of directors won't just sit and watch."

It wasn't an uncommon situation, even on Earth, so it wasn't hard to understand.

"You catch on quickly. That's right. The board of directors, who hold the existing power, are minimizing support for the project and applying strong pressure. A few employees who have decided to collaborate with Panora, despite the conflict with the board, are the only real strength behind the project."

Perhaps the reason Dike hired a freelancer from the underworld, despite having a large pool of talent, wasn't just for a good reason. It makes sense that Panora had to hire people in such a haphazard manner, given the lack of even minimal support.

'Sure enough... it's definitely different from what it looks like on the surface.'

Renock was glad he came to see Sebastian. Without this information, he could only suspect Dike's incompetence and do nothing else.

While he didn't plan to understand the sloppy strategy, at least he confirmed that Renock could have more control in his relationship with Dike.

And that wasn't a bad thing from Renock's current perspective. If Renock demanded more from Dike, Dike wouldn't be able to refuse.

After quickly calculating, Renock stood up.

"Thanks for the explanation."

"Leaving already?"

"The file is enough to replace the rest of the explanation. I have something to do now."

Renock shook the file in his hand as he spoke.

Sebastian, who had been watching Renock leave with a serious expression, said:

"Do you remember the bike blueprint you brought back?"

"......What?"

"I handed the original to Autoble, but that doesn't mean I didn't make a copy during the process."

"......"

"Come back if you think about it."

Did Sebastian notice that Renock was starting to take a slight interest in it?

Brokers were incredibly perceptive, and their ability to deduce was sharp.

Renock smiled without responding and walked out of Sebastian's office.

The information he gained from helping Sebastian this time was substantial. Of course, Sebastian also benefited significantly, but it was a level that could be tolerated for a smooth future relationship.

Sebastian's method of gathering Dike's internal affairs was unknown, but if he could document such information in a short time, there was plenty of reason to maintain a continuous relationship with him.

The ability to accurately find the right answer from fragmented information and the skill to cleanly extract the internal affairs of a company Renock was curious about were impressive.

Sebastian's expertise and insight in dealing with corporate executives and wealthy individuals were evident.

While Jenny had the advantage of having a wide network and pulling in requests from various places, including companies, mercenaries, and gangs, Sebastian had deeper knowledge and insight in his specialized area.

His abilities were more impressive than his first impression. At least during the ongoing conflict with Dike, he was definitely someone to keep close.

Renock thought this as he headed straight to Jenny's bar.

All the necessary information was gathered. Now, all that was left was to finalize the tedious negotiations with Dike.

Submission

Renock went straight to the bar and asked Jenny to make a copy of the file Sebastian had given him, briefly explaining what had happened.

He knew it was more convenient to handle the negotiations with Dike through her officially.

As expected, a confident smile appeared on Jenny's face after hearing the situation.

"Better than I expected."

"......"

"I suggested it just in case, but I didn't expect you to bring back such good information. Even if half of what's written here about the internal conflict is true, Panora can't refuse our conditions."

"How accurate is it?"

"Hmm... We don't even need to set conditions. If we set the terms first, they'll be happy. In such situations, it's better not to mention the price and just set a meeting. They're likely to offer a much higher price out of fear."

Sebastian's skills were outstanding, but Jenny's insight was also impressive, making Renock nod in agreement.

"Should I send a similar message to Dike?"

"Just inform the headquarters of the meeting time and go. They'll prepare the rest. Remember the minimum price you've set, and if Panora's offer doesn't meet it, don't hesitate to break the deal."

While it seemed unlikely, Renock nodded and stood up.

"Then, can you send the message to Dike? I wasn't planning to work and suddenly pushed myself... I need more rest."

He had overexerted himself to uncover Dike's internal affairs and felt fatigued. With the bruise on his abdomen not fully healed, he needed more rest than usual.

At that moment, Jordan, who had been listening quietly with her arms crossed, suddenly spoke.

"Are you feeling unwell?"

"......No particular issues."

"I've heard you've been very tired lately."

Renock looked at Jenny silently.

Who else could have told Jordan such things?

Worrying was pointless.

Sure enough, Jenny's lips twitched, and she averted her gaze.

"Don't look at me like that, it's a bit scary."

Considering the woman's composure, her words lacked credibility.

Renock sighed and nodded slightly.

"Well... Mental fatigue is common among mages, right? It's part of it."

While Renock's mental strength and magical aptitude made it unlikely for him to be burdened by such things except after a battle, he didn't want to reveal his condition to Jordan and Jenny.

Magical talent wasn't just a matter of mental or spiritual ability. Innate magical power was a physical talent, and the ability to sense and quickly draw magic also involved physical roles.

Even if he wanted to overhaul this fragile, glass-like body, it was undoubtedly a vessel for his magical talent.

Renock didn't want to reveal himself through these fragments.

At least not until he was much stronger.

He needed to ensure his safety before revealing his talent to some extent.

Jordan, who had been staring intently at Renock, spoke again.

"Contusion."

"......Pardon?"

"Lower right abdomen. You must have received a strong impact and been crushed. I thought it might be a leg problem because your gait seemed awkward, but it wasn