Chapter 67
Returning to the District 14 office, Max was welcomed by Flora and Ellen.
“Oppa!”
“Oho~ Oppa. You managed to keep your arms and legs intact somehow?”
Seeing the two of them looking full of questions, Max sat down in the office chair without even getting to change his clothes.
First, for Flora, whose face still hadn’t lost its worry despite his safe return, he offered a positive and concise impression of his meeting with Eisen Crimsonhowl.
“He was a good Person.”
“…What did you talk about with Father?”
“Don’t beat around the bush and tell us already!”
The stories Max could bring up were limited.
Flora and Ellen were Minerva Academy students and had not yet been assigned to Family Affairs.
“Were there no customers at the office while I was gone?”
“Yeah. It was quiet.”
“None yet. Zero sales!”
“Wow, we just opened. I wonder if we’ll starve to death at this rate.”
He felt it every time, but self-employment really wasn’t easy.
He had just handed out business cards, so he would have to wait a bit longer. However, he couldn’t completely erase the blooming impatience.
Anyway, back to the main point.
“The Family Head didn’t call me to say something important. Even though my position is a bit ambiguous to be called a Steiger, I get along well with Flora, who became Family, so I think he was just curious.”
“I see…”
“Then that’s it! Coming back alive is proof that you’ve been acknowledged!”
Because Max and Ellen’s words had an effect, Flora let out a sigh of relief and relaxed her stiff expression.
“Oppa, should I make you some coffee?”
“Please.”
“A cold one?”
“Yeah. My throat is a bit dry.”
Flora moved with a soft smile.
Ellen stared at the ceiling, pondering something deeply, before turning her head toward Max and fixing her gaze on him.
Meeting Max’s eyes, she opened her mouth.
“Can I ask a sensitive question?”
“What is it?”
“Your saying your position is ambiguous for a Steiger makes me curious. Why is your relationship with Steiger so bad, Oppa? Tell me in detail.”
What Flora hadn’t been able to ask and had only roughly grasped through context, Ellen asked outright.
A straightforward question without even an attempt to beat around the bush.
Flora was so startled while making coffee that she stopped her hands, but the atmosphere wasn’t ruined.
Max didn’t feel offended.
He answered calmly and coolly, as if it were not something to hide.
“It’s a simple issue. I can’t use Shooting Magic.”
“Why is that a problem? You use other magic well.”
“Steiger doesn’t acknowledge anything other than Shooting Magic because it lacks legitimacy.”
Max’s answer presented Ellen with a clear image.
“Ah~ I roughly understand what kind of vibe it is. There are families like that sometimes.”
Steiger wasn’t the only one in the Family with conservative and closed-off tendencies.
Even if their justifications for pursuing legitimate lineage and Bloodline Purity differed, suffocatingly rigid groups were scattered all over Haze.
“To explain further, I only found out which Magic School I had a talent for after leaving the Family. Oh, thanks for the coffee.”
Max took the coffee Flora handed him and quenched his thirst.
Flora took a seat and joined the conversation.
“The Family doesn’t know your tier, right?”
“Right. If they knew, they’d probably approach me to use me this way and that, though I have no intention of being quietly manipulated.”
“…”
Still, Flora and Ellen were Unrelated to it, so there was no need to worry.
Even if Steiger’s method was to grab Max’s leash by touching completely Unrelated people, those people would desperately avert their eyes from the children of a Magic Noble Family.
“I’ll go change my clothes first, so let’s go eat. Forward the office phone to my cell.”
Flora volunteered to operate the office phone.
Ellen’s eyes sparkled as she showed her vitality.
“Oh! A Company dinner for a zero-sales office!”
“If you don’t want to, never mind.”
“Who said I didn’t want to? I was just admiring Oppa’s generosity.”
As Ellen jumped up and hurried to get ready, Max chuckled and changed into comfortable clothes.
Hanging the business card box in front of the door, the three of them finally enjoyed a relaxed meal.
··
··
Less than a week after Max was called in by Eisen Crimsonhowl.
Ellen came to work early as usual, bringing a Customer along with her.
It was an Old Man in a suit. He wore a monocle and had his white hair neatly tied back in a small ponytail.
However, he was an Old Man whose benevolence could be felt from his face; he possessed a sturdy build and a straight, unbent back.
Sensing that he was no ordinary Person, Max stood up from his seat and offered a polite greeting.
“I am Max of Max’s Mercenary Office.”
“I am Domingo Clements of the Clements Family.”
There were a voice and movements that exuded dignity. Max rummaged for the Old Man’s name in his head, but no Person came to mind.
“Is he not a Person who operates outside? Or is Domingo an alias?”
While Max continued his thoughts, Ellen couldn’t erase the sour expression next to him.
Domingo continued his greetings to Flora as well.
“Flora-nim. It has been a while since I last greeted you.”
“It’s been a while… But what brings you here?”
Flora sent Ellen a look demanding an explanation.
“I didn’t call him, but my mom attached him to me!”
“Isn’t your usual behavior the problem? The Family Head must be anxious.”
“What are you saying, you wench! What did I even do!”
During the two’s conversation, Domingo was chuckling with a benevolent smile, but Max obtained a useful hint.
‘Domingo Clements is a Person Flora has also met before. Judging by what they’re saying, is there a high probability he’s someone the Family Head of the Magic Noble Family keeps close?’
A subtle tension flowed through Max’s entire body.
Max quickly guided Domingo.
“Please have a seat. We have coffee and drinks.”
“I will have coffee, please.”
“Stay put. I’ll make a killer cup for you.”
As Ellen moved, saying she would make the coffee, Domingo was quite surprised, even stuttering his words.
“…Ah, the Young Lady is making coffee? Personally?”
“Why are you so surprised? I’m an Employee too, so I can do this much.”
“This Domingo… truly realizes that time has passed anew.”
“Please, stop being so dramatic!”
When Domingo lifted his monocle and showed himself wiping away tears, Ellen was genuinely appalled.
“Hah… I’m already tired. Coffee for you too, Oppa?”
“Please.”
Sitting opposite him, Max hadn’t finished grasping the situation yet.
As Flora guessed, did the Clements Family Head attach an Escort and monitor because he was anxious? Or did he simply come to see if Ellen was doing well?
Ellen brought two cups of coffee, placed them on the table with a thud! Thud! and glared at Domingo.
“Here, drink it quickly and go!”
“This is the coffee made by the Young Lady! I must send this to the Family Head.”
When Domingo manipulated his monocle to take a picture, Ellen touched her head as if getting a headache and let out heavy sighs.
Domingo finished his photoshoot of the “coffee crafted by Ellen Clements” and raised his head. His evaporated dignity returned.
“I apologize for visiting without notice.”
Since Domingo had grasped the relationship between Max and Flora, he didn’t forget to show his manners.
“It’s fine. If you came to check on Ellen’s situation, you are welcome.”
“Since it’s obvious I’ll be hated by the Young Lady if I stay long, I plan to deliver a request to Max-nim and withdraw immediately.”
Ellen didn’t have much of a reaction, as if she already knew.
However, it was something Max and Flora couldn’t help but be surprised by.
“A request… you say?”
“Not in the name of this Domingo, but the Clements Family wishes to submit a request to Max’s Mercenary Office.”
It was a request he absolutely had to do.
Being short on money wasn’t the issue; it was a request from a Magic Noble Family, so he had to do it. Ending in failure might have room for compromise, but refusal was not an option.
Of course, it wasn’t only filled with unreasonableness. If it was successful, great fame would follow.
“Before carrying it out, may I hear the details?”
“Very well. Does Max-nim also carry out work outside of Haze?”
“If you are talking about the Wasteland, it is possible.”
“You will need to dispose of Salazar, the Godfather of the Valve Family, located in Oil Sink, one of the junk towns.”
“Understood.”
Max accepted with an immediate answer. Asking why he had to kill him was a luxury.
Inwardly mourning how this Family somehow became the Clements' target was all he could do.
“Salazar of the Valve Family is a Soldier raised by Newman’s Agency. He deserted with his comrades during a mission and settled in a Junk Town. His current age is 48, and it is said he recently reached the 5th tier and became the Ruler of Oil Sink.”
“Do you have the location of the Junk Town called Oil Sink figured out?”
“Of course. The data is right here.”
Domingo took out a data storage device the size of a fingernail from his suit’s inner pocket.
He placed it on the table and pushed it gently. Max pocketed the device and asked him for understanding.
“I’ll have to look at the map for the details, but if it’s the Wasteland, I expect it will take quite a bit of time.”
“I know the distance, so I understand.”
“Thank you.”
“Instead, there is a condition.”
So the main point is finally coming out.
As Max adopted a listening posture, Domingo immediately recited the condition.
“For this request, you must be accompanied by Young Lady Ellen.”
“!”
Max couldn’t easily give an answer and kept his mouth shut.
The moment a startled Flora jumped up from her computer chair, Domingo’s next words followed right on its tail.
“The Family Head also suggested how it would be if the Young Lady Flora accompanied you as well. She mentioned she had spoken with Eisen Crimsonhowl-nim too.”
“Me too? The Head of the Clements Family spoke with Grandfather…?”
“Of course, that is if you wish to.”
Having seized the flow, Domingo continued speaking.
“I heard that the appropriate Request Reward for a 5th tier Mercenary’s Short-term Request is 300 million credits.”
“That is the upper limit designated by the Association.”
“Since this request will take quite a bit of time just based on the distance, if Max-nim moves accompanied by the two of them, we will pay 500 million per Person. The total is 1.5 billion credits.”
In a situation where Hundreds of Millions were going back and forth, he boldly added Flora to the mix as if paying for a meal.
Max’s thoughts grew complicated.