Chapter 31
THE PRISM.
One of the department stores located in District 14.
The entire building was covered in special glass, a place promoted as the pinnacle of aesthetics.
The majority of first-time visitors would admire the exterior and take pictures before entering, but Max headed inside without much thought despite it being his first visit.
He rode the escalator up.
“They said it was on the 9th floor.”
It was a floor that handled both Specialized Clothing and firearms.
Passing the sleek gun shops, stores displaying hanging clothes appeared.
Among them, the brand Max was looking for was Fluid.
The brand logo wasn’t visible on the outside, so it didn’t give off the impression of being Specialized Clothing, and the items themselves had good reviews.
He walked in as soon as he saw the name Fluid.
“Welcome!”
“Please call me anytime if you’re looking for something!”
There were quite a few customers.
AIs were moving along the walls, attending to customers separately from the Employees.
“The Employees are also 1st to 2nd Tier. It must cost quite a bit to run this place.”
An AI attached itself to Max as well.
He had no intention of chasing it away. He would need to use it soon, so he kept it with him while looking around for a moment.
“I’d like to see the Singularity Edition.”
The AI reacted when he spoke to the wall.
─ I will call an Employee for the best service.
As the mechanical voice finished its sentence, an Employee approached and bowed.
“Customer. I heard you are looking for the Singularity Edition.”
“Yes. I’m considering purchasing it.”
He followed the Employee toward the back of the store.
Various styles of clothes were laid out. On the outside, it looked like a normal clothing store.
The Employee held up a hanging shirt and continued the explanation.
“The Singularity Edition is made by weaving Ultra-High-Density Aramid Fiber and Military-Grade Kevlar. Even so, as you can see, Customer, it doesn’t show.”
“Is there any discomfort when moving?”
“It’s naturally soft enough to dance in normally. As you can see here…!”
The Employee put on a performance of vigorously shaking and rolling the clothes into a ball, then neatly unfolded it and continued the explanation.
“Our Fluid’s technology involves embedding a material superior to Non-Newtonian Fluid between the ultra-high-density fibers! It remains flexible during everyday life, but if an Impact is applied by a bullet or a blunt weapon, it instantly binds together and hardens!”
Even without that material, the durability of the fiber itself could easily block a blade.
“I’d like to try it on, so please get me this suit set, a shirt, and this coat.”
When Max stated his size, the Employee immediately brought the clothes.
“Would you like to do a Durability Test?”
The Employee pulled out a gun and a knife with a smiling face, but Max didn’t need unnecessary noise and the smell of gunpowder.
He put on the clothes, gathered magic power in his fist, and lightly went through the Durability Test.
‘It’s sturdy. Comfortable to move in, too.’
It was enough to put the brakes on an attack that would lead to a fatal wound.
“Work really comes down to having good gear.”
Max made his intention to purchase clear, and the Employee bowed deeply.
“Thank you! I will package a new item of this product.”
“Ah, do you have any masks? Something not too flashy.”
“Is there a specific function you are looking for?”
“No. A simple mask is fine. Show me something sturdy and cheap.”
The Employee took out a box, tore the packaging, and pulled out a mask.
It seemed this much could be provided to a Customer buying expensive clothes.
“Then I recommend this product! The durability isn’t bad, and it has a filter inside, so it also functions as a gas mask. It works for 10 minutes in a Contaminated Zone, and you just discard it once it gets contaminated.”
The mask was offered for him to try on. Max didn’t refuse and put it on.
Despite having a gas mask function, there was no discomfort in breathing.
It was pitch black with a simple design, perfect for requests.
“It’s nice. Not stuffy at all. Please add this to the bill.”
He purchased a set containing 10 masks, and received the one he was wearing as a complimentary service.
The clothes went over budget, so he finished by stretching an Interest-Free Installment Plan to the limit.
Having purchased the clothing, Max immediately left the department store so his spending wouldn’t increase.
“…I spent it all without hesitation.”
His wallet was gasping for CPR, but he had no regrets.
It wasn’t a luxury, but a necessary expense.
“Should I just buy some candy in front of the office?”
The plan to buy some luxurious candy since he came all the way out to District 14 was scrapped.
He shoved the mask he had unknowingly kept wearing into his pocket and walked slowly. Having free time for the first time in a while, he planned to take a walk around District 14 before heading to the station.
“To use magic, I need to refresh my mind periodically.”
While enjoying a leisurely walk down an unfamiliar path.
A young voice rang out.
“Ah! Watch out for the ball!”
A soccer ball rolled out of the park right next to Max.
Psychokinesis reflexively caught the ball that was trying to keep rolling forward.
The ball, caught by Max’s magic power, floated into the air and drifted toward its Owner.
A boy in a Hospital gown stared blankly before catching the ball. Looking at his expression, he seemed fascinated by the magic.
“Th-thank you…!”
Seeing the ears poking out through his black hair, he was a boy with the blood of a Rabbit Beastman.
For some unknown reason, one of his ears appeared to be severed.
The Hospital name written on the gown caught Max’s eye.
[Emmaus Medical Center]
The park where the boy stood was itself on the grounds of Emmaus Medical Center. Patients in the same attire were wandering around here and there.
And that grand building behind them was the Hospital.
“The largest Hospital in District 14.”
It was the kind of Hospital where the admission fees were unaffordable for ordinary people.
Max observed the boy.
“Is he a Young Master from a Wealthy Family?”
To say that, he didn’t even have a Bodyguard. On top of that, the ball he was playing with was a ragged mess.
Only one likely scenario came to mind: a patient who lacked the wealth to bring a Bodyguard but had to be admitted to a large Hospital.
What proved this was his expression.
‘It’s too dark.’
It was a face that had seen rock bottom.
From Max’s perspective, it wasn’t an expression he wanted to see right before an important request.
“Do you like soccer?”
“Yes! I love it!”
“Kick it.”
It was just a whim.
Max lightly passed the ball back and forth with the boy across the boundary line of the Emmaus Medical Center entrance.
“You’ve got good leg strength.”
“Really?”
It wasn’t empty praise. True to being a Rabbit Beastman, he used his legs well.
The boy got excited and started putting more power into it. His face brightened a little.
While passing the ball, the boy showed his curiosity.
“Are you a Mage, older brother?”
“Yeah. I’m a Mage.”
“This is my first time seeing a Mage!”
“It’s not a common profession, after all.”
The boy sent the ball toward Max.
Unlike before, it rolled over weakly.
“Can Mages… cure sickness too?”
Max briefly debated whether he should offer some empty words of comfort.
But he just couldn’t. His intuition told him he shouldn’t, at least not to this boy.
“Sorry. Magic isn’t that omnipotent. Still, I can at least make a little kid feel better.”
“How?”
“Wait a moment.”
Leaving the blinking boy behind, Max headed to a mart he had seen on his way here.
He bought a soccer ball. The price was 30,000 credits.
Since he had made a huge expenditure today, this didn’t even feel like an expense.
“Here, take it. Just the feel of it makes you feel good, right?”
“Why are you buying this for me? My Older Sister said I shouldn’t accept things like this…”
So he has an Older Sister.
However, the boy’s eyes were already glued to the new soccer ball.
Being unable to hide his emotions in his actions and gaze - only now did he look his age.
“Normally, I have the kind of personality that would never do something like this even if I died, but I have an important job coming up, so I tried pretending to be a good Person.”
“Were you the type to believe in superstitions, older brother? You don’t look like it.”
“You’ve got quite the mouth for a little kid… I just started believing a little recently.”
This was all because of that Old Man, the Association President.
Experiencing the nonsensical event of regression was also a big factor.
“Everything will go well for you, older brother! I guarantee it! My Older Sister also said that if I say it’ll work out, it all works out!”
“Yeah. Thanks. If things go well, I’ll come back and play with you again.”
“Mage Brother! Thanks for the soccer ball!”
Not knowing what illness he had, Max couldn’t even tell him to get treated well.
Max lightly waved his hand, saying he’d see him next time, and left.
··
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The day of the request.
Max put on his newly prepared clothing and mask, packed some candy in his inner pocket, and left the office.
He boarded the vehicle prepared by the Association.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the Driver who had taken him to the emergency room before.
“How long will it take to get to District 41?”
“If there’s no traffic, it will take about 5 hours. And we plan to pick someone up on the way.”
“I guess it’s one of the Comrades going on this request with me.”
“That’s correct. The other Person will be using a different vehicle since the route doesn’t align.”
Max closed his eyes and fell into thought.
He had no intention of sleeping.
‘5 hours? That’s far, too far.’
He continued to mull over the Request Details in depth.
District 41 was sustained by its marine logistics business, taking advantage of bordering land and sea that far exceeded the average of other districts.
‘Even looking at the photos, it wasn’t a sea like a bathing beach.’
He also ran simulations to see if there was a way to utilize the advantages of magic in that environment.
‘The other two I’ll be coordinating with are also important.’
The vehicle, which had left District 27 and was driving through the District 30s, came to a stop.
The backseat door opened.
The Mercenary who was supposed to travel with him got in.
“…”
It was a woman. Moreover, sharply raised rabbit ears poked through her black hair.
The left arm that closed the vehicle door appeared to be a prosthetic.
The cloth covering her nose and mouth made her purple eyes look even more intense.
“A Kunoichi?”
A Ninja had boarded next to Max.