Chapter 5
#005
1.
I was born with a fundamentally rotten nature and lived by following my innate desires.
But that had its advantages too.
I had gained the nerve and composure to not even blink at most things.
Even I have moments that leave me flustered.
For example, the situation where the older sister who had just been vowing revenge crawled into my studio apartment half-dead.
“Hey.”
......
I lightly tapped her soft cheek, but she didn't budge.
For the time being, I laid her on the bed and covered her with a ragged blanket.
It was a bed cramped even for one person, so I sat on the floor and scrubbed my face dry.
“So the attack was real?”
That seems to be the case.
Arbel must have shaken off her pursuer and crawled to the safehouse late.
Before I let my head get any more tangled up, there was something I had to do.
“Sis, stay still, okay? Don’t suddenly blast magic or anything. I won’t do anything weird.”
First, I took Arbel's clothes off.
If she’d been conscious, I’d have been split in half, but in emergency treatment, disrobing and physical contact are legally exempt from liability.
Her body was hot like a hand warmer, but the clothes soaked in sweat quickly turned cold.
I rolled Arbel around and checked every part of her body.
“Nothing wrong with her?”
Her skin was smooth like porcelain except for a few minor scrapes.
She was smooth everywhere.
Seriously smooth.
“Good.”
It meant there were no real injuries to speak of.
Whether she'd recovered through a mage's monstrous regenerative ability,
or whether this wasn't external damage at all, but internal injuries.
I suspected it was probably the latter, but there was no way an amateur like me would get an answer just by looking.
If I wanted to examine her properly, I'd need to find a doctor or a priest.
But in this shitty city, a doctor? A priest?
Didn't cute little Cedric-kitty have to eat cockroach cat food because he had no food?
“Hah, now I’ve got a dead weight too.”
A deep sigh welled up from my chest.
A first-tier rabbit-eared magical girl, wasn't she....
Wasn't she supposed to have come to save me....
“I should just dump her somewhere.”
Arbel wasn't even my real older sister, and we hadn't even been particularly close.
Honestly, it didn't seem like she had fought to protect me.
She'd probably gone berserk and charged in because her own father was killed.
I was barely keeping my own skin intact, and now I had to drag along a sickly sandbag who couldn't even move?
My survival odds would chart a vicious, towering black candle.
This wasn't a 'oh no, I'm dying' fuss—I'd really die!
Just look at this city's state!
I had already experienced death once.
That pain, that fear, that terror.
That helpless sensation of my life scattering away pointlessly bit by bit.
My self, after death, cast into utter emptiness and slowly crushed and worn away.
It was a horrific feeling I never wanted to experience again.
Even so.
“Well, I guess I’ll do what I can?”
Honestly, if it had been a big brother or little brother with leg hair sticking out everywhere, I would've abandoned them, but Arbel is soft, fluffy, and cute.
Besides, she's my older sister, and a mage, too, right?
Especially the fact that she's a first-tier mage would become the starting capital for my happy-happy casino life.
In other words, a buy-the-dip opportunity.
I wrapped Arbel's completely naked body up in the blanket.
“Arbel, you’d better pay me back later.”
I’ll take this as consent for bunny-girl cosplay, too, got it?
The cheek I poked with my fingertip was also incredibly soft.
2.
“A doctor? Why the hell are you asking that here?”
The city hall employee who'd shown me kindness during today's ration distribution had a cigarette hanging at an angle from his mouth, looking annoyed.
“There’s someone sick at home. As you know, I’ve only recently come to Necropolis.”
“So?”
“Does the city hall perhaps have some kind of medical support program, or anything like that?”
“You’ve got someone sick at home, so you want city hall to send you a doctor? That’s some real bullshit you’re spouting.”
Had I come to the wrong place after all?
This was the only thread of hope I could grab, so I came, but the reaction was lukewarm.
It was like the look on the face of the prettiest girl in school when she'd said a kind word to a pathetic nerd, only for him to start pestering her and make her sick of it.
Not from personal experience.
“Your family’s sick, right? Is it serious?”
“Well, he may not make it through today or tomorrow.”
“Tsk, that’s rough. But we don’t have anything like that. Do you think we would? Use your common sense.”
The city hall employee, coarse-mouthed but unexpectedly sympathetic, shook his head.
“This city doesn’t even have priests. Do you think the Holy See would send priests to a sewer like this?”
“What about doctors?”
“A proper doctor is out of your league. If you go to the ‘Aquarium Street’ area in C Sector, you might find some quack doctors operating.”
Maybe he remembered the way I'd come to collect rations today, because the city hall employee clicked his tongue.
“Go over to the square next to city hall. There should be work there.”
“Thank you!”
“You’d better work hard. Those quacks have no skill, but they charge filthy prices.”
“Yes, sir!”
I’d hoped that if I made my eyes look as pitiful as possible, he might help with something,
but I guess he wasn’t that much of a pushover.
Even this was already plenty of help.
When I set off, the bleak scenery greeted me as I arrived at a square where not even a single weed grew.
“So this is trash Necropolis....”
The atmosphere was exactly like that Korean-Chinese dog market I’d seen in a movie.
A bulletin board stood among the swarming crowd like a gravestone.
On the crude board made of rusty iron plates, oil-stained printouts hung in tatters like rags.
- Twilight Resource Development Co., coal mine miners wanted, weekly pay 15,000, meals not provided, bring your own gear -
- Ossuary Guild, corpse couriers wanted, weekly pay 8,000 Bios -
- Toad Butchery, fairy-meat processing, weekly pay 6,000, quick-handed experienced workers preferred -
- Steam bathhouse attendants wanted, weekly pay 50,000+, room and board provided, neat appearance, men welcome -
“What’s with these wages?”
Other than the last one, they were pocket change no matter how you looked at it.
Even a factory worker in the ark city could make 100,000 Bios a month.
The pay was worse than I'd imagined.
Is this because there are just so many people that they can drive wages down?
“Ha....”
It stung all over again.
And I’ve got 200 million Bios in the casino.
If I’d had just that money, I could’ve done a Necropolis emperor tour.
How can a situation this fucked up even exist?
Anyway, I needed quick cash right now.
I should skip the weekly-pay jobs for now and check the day labor listings.
Maybe because there were many in the same boat as me, the day labor board was much more crowded.
- Twilight Resource Development Co., recycling plant sorters wanted, daily pay 2,000, protective suits not provided, toxic waste sorting included
- Cheolsan Co., landfill resource collectors (scrap metal, glass), 1,500 per 10 kg, lunch provided -
- Overnus Pharmaceuticals Co., drug clinical trial volunteers wanted, 10,000 per session, 7 sessions, no withdrawal allowed during contract period -
The pay was better, but it looked a little more dangerous.
Come to think of it, the ones with ‘Co.,’ attached to them seemed better off in many ways.
Are they basically the big corporations of this underworld?
I’d learned something.
After carefully taking it all in, I headed for the board next to it.
But....
“Hm?”
Even though it was right next door, the atmosphere was strangely different.
For one thing, unlike the previous board, which had been packed so tightly it was hard to even get up to it, this one was much less crowded.
More than anything, the aura of the job seekers was different.
A man in a stylish coat and a fedora pulled low, with an Italian mafia look, for instance.
Or a muscular man who looked like he was at least 190 centimeters tall.
They were standing there with their arms crossed, dressed much more neatly.
- North Gate Gang (Bukmun Gang), 'Mushroom Factory' fairies wanted, 8,000 per head, x2 per head if captured alive -
- Overnus Pharmaceuticals Co., 'Hotel' B2-floor extermination request, rank 7 fixer or higher, death benefit available -
- City Hall public request, 'Old Sewer' maintenance, compensation varies by individual; see rate sheet -
I had a feeling.
This side was for 'fixers.'
“A fixer, huh....”
As far as I knew, a fixer wasn’t anything particularly grand.
Someone who gets paid to handle trouble.
It was just a fancy word for a mercenary.
“Hold on.”
'Cedric' doesn't have talent or aptitude, but he is still of noble blood.
My body does have 'magic circuits,' after all.
Simply having magic circuits greatly enhances physical ability.
In aristocratic society they'd call him a worthless idiot, but maybe Cedric could still manage the combat ability of a rank 9 fixer?
From what I skimmed, the main job seemed to be going into 'gaps' and beating down monsters, and I did have some real hunting experience myself.
“Hmm.”
Still, it was a bit dangerous.
A pursuer of unknown identity and unknown purpose might still be on my tail.
Leaving aside a wastrel like me, Arbel was still alive, so the pursuit might follow her instead.
It would be better to avoid anything that drew attention if possible.
“Alright, I’ve decided.”
If you've got nothing, you have to stake risk.
If you’re short on seed, you take out a loan; if that’s still not enough, you offer a gift.
That’s how you change the situation.
If I only chose safe options in this situation, I’d just sink like a ship going down slowly.
3.
“A fixer? You?”
“Yes.”
The city hall employee clicked his tongue as he looked me up and down after I came back in ten minutes.
“What the hell are you gonna do?”
“Isn’t rank 9 just a matter of registering?”
“The fee is 5,000 Bios, you brat. You got money?”
“Ah.”
What the hell, there’s a fee?
What kind of government office charges 50,000 won just to issue a document?
“Big brother, please trust me just once.”
“Aw, shit. When did I become your big brother? Get the hell out of here!”
I opened my eyes as pitifully as I could.
Then I dropped to my knees and clung to his pant leg.
There’s a little brother at home who’s sick and wasting away. If I can’t work, he’ll die. Here, let me polish your shoes.
I blew warm breath over the city hall employee’s shoes and polished them clean with the hem of my clothes.
If he told me to lick them, I’d lick them.
Did pride put food on the table?
After quite a bit of back-and-forth.
“Wow, look at that shine. See it? You can practically see your face in them.”
“Ha.... Fine. You're slick, you little bastard, but I can't hate you.”
“Then... could I also get one cigarette, while we’re at it? I’ll pay that back too.”
“Do you even know how much this costs?”
He gave a dry laugh and handed over a cigarette.
“Uh... and a light, too.”
“Here.”
“Thanks!”
-fsssh
Hoo, nicotine.
My head spun as smoke filled my lungs for the first time in a while.
“Well, you do look hard up, so I’ll lend it to you. I’ll lend it, but.”
“Thank you, big brother! Ah, the moment I saw your face I just knew you were someone with the warm heart of a little prince, you know?”
“Listen to the end, you punk. Do you think those people over there are stupid and drinking dirt in mines and busting their asses in factories for fun?”
Honestly, they didn't look all that smart.
“It’s dangerous. They call it rank 9 fixer, but eight or nine out of ten rank 9s who go into the 'gaps' die within a month. You know who goes looking for work like that? Some bastard who’ll starve to death tomorrow anyway, terminal patients, drug addicts. It’s the last stop for guys who’ve gone all the way to the bottom.”
He patted my shoulder.
“You just got here, didn’t you? And you’ve got a sick family member. If you die, who’s gonna feed them? Have you ever fought before?”
“Yes.”
“You have?”
“I’ll show you.”
I took a stance and showed him a light shadowboxing routine before he could ask again in confusion.
“Swish, swish-swish-swish!”
I quit because it got boring, but back in the day I won silver at a youth boxing tournament.
Besides, Cedric's body moved better than I’d imagined.
Is this the noble magic-circuit silver spoon?
It moved with a lightness that was hard to believe for a body that had been lying around for years and doing nothing but wandering taverns.
It was on par with, or even above, me in my prime.
“Oh, you’ve got some moves.”
“Is this good enough, big brother?”
Apparently he saw enough, because the employee nodded with his arms crossed.
“I’ll give you the license. I’ll connect you with a fixer office I know, so go there.”
“Thank you! I’ll definitely repay this kindness!”
I clenched my fist and bowed deeply.
.
.
.
And the next day, I went to the shabby fixer office the city hall employee had introduced me to, 'Big Dick.'
“Good day!!!! New recruit! James Bond! I’m here to bow in greeting to the big brothers who run Necropolis!!!!”
“Hey, so you’re the youngest one who got introduced here this time?”
“Yes, sir! It’s my first time as a fixer, so I’m lacking in many ways, but I’ll serve the big brothers with all sincerity! Boring work! Menial tasks! Please dump all of it on me!”
“Hoho, the youngest sure is lively. So, uh, where are you from?”
“My mother’s womb!!!!”
“Wahahahaha!!! The youngest is a funny one! Hm? Why are you touching my belly?”
“I was holding it so your bellybutton wouldn’t fall off, sir!”
“Kwahahaha!!!”
The tumultuous otherworld life of rank 9 fixer James Bond begins now!
Shiiit.
Making a living is fucking hard.
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::: Challenge (NEW!) :::
- Obtain a rank 9 fixer license. +1pt
- Join a fixer office. +1pt
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