Chapter 64

It had been a long time since he visited the bank.

Now that the money in his account was gradually surpassing the hundred million mark, the attitude of the bank staff towards him naturally began to change.

Regardless of what he did, a customer handling large sums of money was always a valuable source of funds for the bank.

Renox checked the remaining balance in his account and fell into deep thought.

'The amount from the money I received from Panua and the reward for this mission has just slightly exceeded 400 million.'

Although he had spent a considerable amount of money finding and moving into a new house, the funds from the vault he raided in Siger Bank had more than made up for it.

'Now that I've invested in improving my living environment, there's no need to save a large sum for the time being. I need to find something to do with this money.'

After this operation, the amount he would accumulate would likely easily exceed 500 million.

While this wasn't a huge sum in this vast city, it certainly wasn't a small amount either.

At the very least, it was enough to secure an opportunity in the field he desired.

'Potions or artifacts... I need to find something useful.'

If he asked Evelyn Marcia for advice, she might recommend some good items.

Renox thought this as he withdrew about 20 million and put it in his pocket before leaving the bank.

Ten million bills, ten of them. Although the bank usually wouldn't easily hand over such a large amount of cash, it was surprisingly easy to withdraw, perhaps because they wanted to make a good impression on him.

In any case, he needed cash, and it was fortunate that he could get it so easily.

Hailing a cheap taxi that was rolling around the street, Renox headed straight for District 31.

The largest botanical garden in the giant city of Balkan.

It was also where Plumbe's "Orchard" was located.

It had been several months since he last bought in bulk at the beginning of the year.

Although he still had about ten left, they would run out quickly if he continued to work with the agents.

He suspected that he might be developing a tolerance to Cashburn, so he needed to visit and find a new potion.

"Hmm...."

Unlike the cold winter air outside, the air inside the botanical garden was warm and filled with a soft fragrance.

It seemed that more people were spending their weekends here with their children rather than in the cold outdoors, making it particularly crowded.

Standing alone with a haggard expression and a coat, he couldn't help but stand out among the young children and couples.

"Hey, Ban?"

A familiar voice came from behind him.

It was a slightly lazy but sharp tone. At the same time, the barren landscape of a high plateau flashed before his eyes.

The moment he heard the voice, Renox's synesthesia reacted, showing him the scenery from the moment he met the voice.

The problem was that the identity of the person he discovered wasn't exactly welcome from his perspective.

Sighing, he turned his head and, as expected, saw the familiar indigo hair.

A black leather jacket draped over a green tank top. A striking beauty with loose combat boots and wide-legged pants.

"It's been a while. How have you been?"

Mila approached with a broad smile and waved her hand.

A mercenary from the Antares office. Although they only worked together to catch pollutants in the undeveloped area, she seemed to have already recognized him as a close colleague.

Renox dodged her hand, which was about to pat his shoulder, and replied.

"It's the first time since we met in the undeveloped area."

"That's right. I've been too busy following the boss around."

Suddenly, a playful smile appeared on Mila's face.

"But I heard you've become quite a celebrity in the meantime?"

"......"

"I was surprised to hear your name so much recently. I thought you were a decent guy from the start, but I didn't expect you to be working with corporations and raising your value so quickly."

"Well... a lot has happened."

There were various reasons for his partnership with Dike, but it was clear that one of them was to enhance his own reputation and value.

If the name of the mage Ban had started to reach even her ears, who seemed uninterested in others' opinions, the effect was evident.

While responding, Renox glanced at Mila's face but saw no signs of jealousy or resentment.

"Let's work together sometime. Don't just hang out with Dylan. I can visit the rude woman's bar often, right?"

All he saw was a naive desire to benefit from the elevated status of an old acquaintance.

Considering the people Renox had met so far, she didn't seem particularly bad.

Smirking, he was about to respond when a massive shadow loomed behind her.

"Mila, stop talking nonsense."

A towering man with broad shoulders suddenly appeared behind her.

With a stern appearance and short hair swept back from his forehead, his bulging muscles and various tattoos on his arms were striking.

His bold fashion of exposing his arms even in the cold winter was impressive, but what caught Renox's attention most was the bird-like head, resembling a hawk, with a sharp beak and piercing eyes.

Though it was hard to read his expression because it wasn't a human face, it seemed to convey a straightforward and resolute character.

While Renox was at a loss for words, Mila naturally patted his shoulder and continued.

"Felix, this isn't the time to be formal. How often do you get a chance to build a personal connection with a successful mage like this? You should cling to him like a leech and get every bit of benefit you can..."

Felix frowned at Mila's blunt words and pressed her head down with his hand.

His hand, as large as a pot lid, instantly covered her head and silenced her mouth.

With a more relaxed expression, he looked down at Renox and extended his other hand for a handshake.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Felix Olman. I work at the same office as Mila."

"Ban. I'm a mage."

The size difference in their hands made it hard to say if the handshake was proper, but Felix seemed satisfied.

Though it was hard to read his expression, he probably was.

This was the first time Renox had seen an Ain race, a non-human, since Croken, which was a bit surprising, but he quickly calmed his thoughts and extended his mana to gauge Felix's level.

One of the insights he had gained from countless battles was that the size of mana often didn't correlate with combat ability.

This was true not only for mages but also for warriors who fought using their physical bodies.

Except for truly exceptional mages like Aris and Madrea Falcy, Renox had never been deeply impressed by anyone's mana quantity in this line of work.

Even Beck Clinton, who he met during this operation, had a mana quantity similar to Renox's.

What mattered was not the size of the mana but the speed at which it flowed and the pattern of its structure.

To determine how internally complete a person was, a keen eye was necessary.

And Renox was gradually developing that discernment.

'Slow and stable. Moreover, very... intricate.'

The branches of mana flow were finely divided and flowed gracefully around his body.

In terms of stability alone, it was on par with Beck Clinton's.

Compared to the burly man with an indifferent expression he met during this operation, Felix was on a different level.

Though he didn't show any outward signs of power, it was clear that Felix Olman was a highly skilled warrior like Dylan or Mila.

While Renox was assessing his opponent, Felix seemed to have been observing him closely and spoke with a deep voice.

"Indeed, just as I heard."

"What?"

"Even if we set aside the potential for further growth, your stance is already that of a complete warrior. Impressive."

"......"

He could dismiss it as idle talk, but Felix's comment that he was a warrior was quite striking.

Perhaps he had noticed that Renox was more than just a mage in this brief encounter.

If he had as sharp an eye as his piercing gaze, it wasn't impossible.

Orchard

Renox had intended to brush it off with a casual smile, but Felix shook his head seriously.

"High-ranking nobles or renowned martial artists from famous schools would likely react similarly. Such sharp and stable mana is not common. It would easily earn you favor, so it's good to know."

Nobles or martial artists.

Those born into blessed families with innate special mana or members of organizations that systematically share and teach mana application techniques.

"Thanks for the advice. But I doubt it will have much significance."

Both groups held considerable social status in this city.

While nobles were naturally born into high status, martial artists also found it difficult to join prestigious schools without innate talent.

In a sense, encountering a mage affiliated with the Mage Tower was equally rare.

Of course, there were many strong individuals like Dylan and Mila who weren't part of such prestigious schools, but no one could deny the importance of systematically honing one's talent.

However, Renox's words made Felix shake his head immediately.

"It's just that you haven't met them yet, but you will encounter quite a few soon. If you continue to rise as you have, it will happen eventually."

"......"

"I started hearing about a capable mage from Dylan not long ago, and now there's no one in our office who doesn't know your name. With your talent and judgment, the places looking for you will only increase."

"Is this a recruitment offer?"

When Renox asked, Felix laughed as if it was absurd.

"Hahaha...!! If you had wanted to join our office, you could have seen my face on the first day you met Dylan. A skilled mage is always welcome, but... I'm not thick-skinned enough to keep pestering you after seeing your path. At least, I'm not."

He smiled and looked down at Renox.

"However, since you seem to get along well with Dylan, I'll give you some advice. If you like him, he's probably not a rotten person."

"Thanks for the compliment."

"Dylan and Mila have probably already told you, but come visit the office sometime. Antares is curious about you."

Despite his initially intimidating appearance, he spoke in a very logical and coherent manner.

He seemed to be the type with a well-trained body and a well-stocked mind.

A bird-headed person... quite different from the typical image.

Considering that he called Antares by name without hesitation, unlike other mercenary offices, he was clearly a formidable opponent.

Renox, who had been watching Felix and Mila, who was grumbling about talking too much, finish their conversation, ended his thoughts and turned to leave.

Was it a coincidence that a mercenary from the mercenary office happened to be at the botanical garden at this time?

If they weren't on a date in a sunny spot filled with citizens, their purpose for being here was likely not much different from Renox's.

'It seems the Antares office is also a customer of the Orchard....'

Was it for selling or buying?

Renox stored this unknown information in his mind and immediately headed to the Orchard.