Chapter 36

After Renock declared that he would personally take charge, things progressed rapidly.

Panora made no further comments after his decision and instead focused on facilitating Renock’s convenience as much as possible.

In an instant, the wide open space in front of the dais was cleared, and barriers were set up around it to prevent any leaks.

Inside, Renock and the hooded man stood facing each other.

The hooded man, who initially seemed surprised that Renock had so readily accepted his proposal, soon began to grin smugly.

“Hey, I know you’re confident, but you’ve made a mistake.”

As he untied the tight band around his head, a long, pointed ear protruded from inside.

“......”

Renock narrowed his eyes and stared at the figure.

The pointed ears suggested an Ain, but the other features were not particularly distinctive.

The visible mana also seemed closer to that of a pure mage rather than an Ain.

‘A magic that could cause the ears to develop excessively during training... I see.’

Unaware of Renock’s thoughts, the man stepped forward confidently and began to speak.

“Of course, you must be a capable mage to be hired for such a position, but that doesn’t mean you can dominate in a one-on-one duel. In such a confrontation, it often requires creative thinking to reverse the existing advantages or ingenious spell formulas.”

The man paused for a moment, then suddenly shouted forcefully.

“...Like this!!”

Zzzzzzzzzz!!!

With his shout, a powerful mana mixed in, creating a heavy wave that enveloped Renock.

A sound-based innate magic.

By amplifying the shout, it could be converted into a physical force capable of causing damage, while simultaneously inflicting severe auditory harm on the target.

If aimed at an ordinary person, the pressure could burst their eardrums and even their eyeballs.

Boom!!

But the wave of sound from the man was blocked by Renock’s shield and vanished futilely.

The formless wave scattered upon hitting the solid, intangible wall, leaving only a strange noise like a ringing bell.

“......!!”

With his eyes wide open in shock, the man watched as Renock slowly approached him.

Thud, thud.

Renock understood to some extent why the man had spoken in such a manner.

Generally, sound-based attack magic is difficult to defend against, and simply covering one’s ears is not enough.

Attacking the senses of mages who are not physically well-trained can be extremely fatal.

If Renock had not personally handled sound-based magic before or did not know its effects in detail, he might have been caught off guard.

“Grrr....!!”

Realizing the situation belatedly, the man, with a pale face, began to draw mana and take a deep breath, but it was too late.

The shock magic Renock had cast folded the man’s left knee backward effortlessly.

Crack!

“Uuuuuuugh!!”

The second scream that erupted from the man’s mouth contained no mana.

Clutching his knee and falling forward, Renock grabbed the man’s neck.

A faint trace of sympathy, unnoticed even by Renock himself, was mixed in his eyes.

To lose his composure and submit to such a level of pain in a one-on-one battle between mages...

It made him understand why there were few skilled mages among the freelancers.

The battle was over.

Renock’s gaze was already on the other candidates watching the scene.

It was as if he was telling them to observe closely how he would handle their qualifications.

Intense electric currents burst between his fingers.

[Bolt]

Zzzzzzzzzz....!!

“Ggggggggggg!!! Ahhhh!!!”

After convulsing and foaming at the mouth, Renock slowly released the man and turned away.

The sound of the man’s limp body hitting the ground was accompanied by Renock’s laughter.

“Next.”

Of course, no one stepped forward as the second candidate.

Briefing

“Finny Izal. I belong to the Arch Office and have learned some mind-affecting incantations. My specialty is rear disruption. I use an SMG and have some proficiency in mechanical unarmed combat....”

Following Renock’s instructions, the candidates introduced themselves, stating their specialties, spells, and affiliations, and waited for evaluation.

An employee standing nearby wrote down what they said and compiled it into an evaluation sheet along with the results of the first physical test.

The candidates were quite uncomfortable with the employee’s actions, but they silently stepped back when promised that the documents would be destroyed after the test.

Perhaps the bigger reason was that they were reluctant to make a fuss in front of Renock.

After the seventh candidate, a middle-aged woman, finished her introduction, Renock turned to Panora and Manya.

The two approached him, naturally understanding his intention.

“Have you made your decision?”

“Only three of them seem useful.”

A druid who communicates with animals, a mage specialized in curse spells, and Agria Nota, a cybrid Echo.

The rest either had mediocre spells or lacked combat skills that could be useful in direct combat.

There were not many mages capable of significantly contributing to the operation.

If they could not directly aid the operation, they would need to have rare or clearly effective special abilities, but the mages gathered here did not have such qualities.

Even the hooded man used sound-based magic only for attacks, not for exploration or tracking.

As a result, Renock had to knock out the man who offered to sing for him again.

Panora answered calmly, as if it was nothing surprising.

“I think it would be fortunate to select about six, including the half-mage. Tests are also being conducted on Kilian’s side, so there shouldn’t be a shortage of personnel.”

“What if we need to eliminate one more from those three?”

“Pardon?”

Renock silently nodded toward one of the candidates.

A young man with a cheerful smile and a squirrel-like animal on his shoulder, dressed in loose clothing with a unique aura.

A versatile druid who can communicate with animals, share senses, and use various nature spells, but... he was not someone to be selected for this mission.

Renock, who had surrounded the area with a sound spell again, whispered in a low voice.

“His belongings suggest he might be affiliated with the city government.”

“...You mean this young man is an agent?”

Renock silently turned his gaze to the young man’s waist.

The druid carried a small, seemingly featureless wand, but Renock’s powerful mana sensing ability easily penetrated the disguise.

A strong, green wave, ready to burst out at any moment.

Renock had only seen it once with his own eyes, but he did not miss it.

The unknown device Evelyn held during the battle with Kroken.

The same wave he felt then was now emanating from the druid’s wand.

“......”

Was it a coincidence?

To encounter that wave, which he had seen only once in over half a year, again in this place?

Renock was not willing to take a risk with such a low probability.

Although he did not provide a detailed explanation, Panora accepted Renock’s decision.

In the end, all other candidates were dismissed, leaving only a pale-faced curse mage.

The druid glanced at Renock with a peculiar expression for a moment but soon smiled and left the area, as if he had no lingering attachment to the test.

While Renock was lost in thought, watching the druid’s back, the remaining curse mage approached.

The curse mage, with an ageless, mysterious face, confirmed his selection and smiled, extending his hand.

“I’m Allen. Let’s work well together.”

“I’m Renock. We’ll discuss the details after the other team members are decided.”

“Of course. Personally, the success bonus offered by the planning team is quite tempting. If possible... Hmm?”

Allen seemed quite pleased with his selection and had a lot to say to Renock, but he stepped back silently when he saw Agria approaching.

“Sir, can I have a word with you alone?”

Agria led Renock to a secluded spot in the area and took out an item from her pocket.

“This is a private gift from our side to you.”

“...A gift?”

“During the last operation, one of our new agents showed an unseemly appearance. Although it’s not a significant issue for the organization, we wouldn’t want you to hold any unnecessary biases.”

In other words, it was a bribe to ensure good treatment in the future.

Renock looked at the item she placed in her hand.

A wristwatch designed for easy carrying.

A striking product with a white background and a blue display.

It couldn’t be a simple wristwatch.

Agria, noticing Renock’s gaze, immediately began to explain.

“This is a new product we are developing in collaboration with the Balits Corporation. It can replace all the functions of a phone and can transform into various forms for different uses in emergencies.”

As she pressed a button on the side of the wristwatch, it flipped and transformed into a steel glove on her left hand.

Swish!!

“This is how it works. It’s quite durable and can easily block bullets. Besides the defensive form, it has various patterns programmed for emergencies.”

The watch transformed into a dagger, then a wand, and then a telescope and a magnifying glass, continuously showcasing its versatility.

“.........”

A multi-tool, or a Swiss Army knife, in a sense.

While the other features were not particularly appealing, the ability to replace a phone and serve as a telescope seemed useful to Renock.

Agria, misinterpreting Renock’s silence, began to speak again.

“Of course, personal data protection is strictly adhered to according to Balits Corporation’s basic software regulations, so you can rest assured. If you have any concerns, you can have it checked