Chapter 12
“Ellen. How does it feel to have tried cleaning?”
“It’s simple. It’s nothing when I’m the one doing it, cleaning or whatever.”
The unrealistic situation of teaching and making a precious member of a Magic Noble Family do the cleaning.
Max felt like he was dreaming.
“Oppa. Can’t you buy some ice for the Refrigerator?”
“Because of the coffee?”
“You know it! I don’t know about other things, but I really can’t stand lukewarm coffee!”
“Drink it hot. Your insides need to be warm so you don’t get an upset stomach.”
“Ah, seriously! Don’t say things like an Ajje!”
Max was caught up in curiosity even while making small talk.
Her sociability was so good that she seemed likely to exchange greetings with every Cadet at Minerva Academy, from what he felt after briefly observing Ellen.
If so, what was the relationship between his Younger Sibling Flora Crimsonhowl and Ellen Clements like?
“I wonder if the two of them get along?”
Even though Flora had a blunt side, her personality and character made her a Person of unparalleled goodness, rare to see in Haze.
If Ellen’s sociability was added to that, wasn’t there a high chance of them being a Close Friend?
‘Before Regression… I didn’t really have any interest and hadn’t heard any stories. Even though they were famous individually.’
Perhaps everyone who needed to know knew, but it might be information that just hadn’t reached Max.
Since it was the personal affairs of the Upper Class, which he had no connection to.
“There will probably be a day when I naturally hear about it later.”
Even though he was curious, he had no intention of asking directly.
He had no intention of mentioning his Background of Steiger to a Part-time Employee, and suddenly revealing that he was Flora’s stepbrother felt like he was putting on airs, which was creepy and disgusting.
And if by chance Ellen didn’t get along with Flora, it could cause problems.
“For now, the cleaning ends here.”
When he told her to rest after finishing the cleaning, Ellen headed straight for the Refrigerator.
“Right! Later, when you buy ice, let’s add some juice too.”
“This isn’t a cafe. It’s a Mercenary Office. If we run out of juice, you can just serve coffee or water.”
“Tch.”
Ellen rummaged through the Refrigerator, pouting her lips.
Seeing the energy gel Max had piled up in the corner of the Refrigerator, she went blegh! and pretended to dry heave.
“You should buy Energy Jelly that has some flavor. You’re not some machine, why do you go around eating this stuff?”
“There’s barely any difference in the ingredients. The ones with no flavor are the cheapest. I have to save money so I can pay your salary.”
“You didn’t erase your sense of taste? I heard there are tons of people among mercenaries who get weird surgeries.”
“What nonsense. It’s not… a prejudice against mercenaries, but for one, I haven’t.”
Max checked the news on his computer and rummaged through Corporate Data.
Ellen sat on the sofa, holding her Smartphone to pass the time. After about 10 minutes passed like that, she flopped down on the sofa as if she was bored.
“Oppa. How come not a single Customer comes to the office? I finally got a job, so it’d be a problem if it goes under.”
“Not long ago, they swarmed in so much I couldn’t even rest. It’s been quiet only yesterday and today.”
“Hmm~ should I go out and stand there? Men will line up, mesmerized by my face.”
“Just stay put. It’ll be a problem if they swarm in all at once.”
Not wanting to clean up corpses fried by electricity, Max stopped Ellen.
It was a building where guys who lost their fortunes in the 1st-floor Gambling House spawned crying or screaming that they would die, and guys so drunk they lacked the Discretion to know what they were drinking came down from the 3rd-floor Cocktail Bar.
If Ellen went out and just stood there, trouble was more than guaranteed to break out.
“Let me have a candy too.”
“This is also our office’s welfare. Eat as much as you want.”
When he pushed the Container forward with Psychokinesis, Ellen giggled and reached her hand in.
“To pull out a Melon Flavor.”
She knows what’s good.
“Oppa, you use magic really cleanly. Your future is highly anticipated.”
“Wow, to be praised by the Magic Noble Family Clements, I don’t know what to do with myself. Truly.”
“It’s not a joke. Oppa, you really have potential, you know?”
“…Thanks.”
“Ahaha! Are you embarrassed by the compliment? Oppa, you’re really weird. Are you really a Mercenary?”
If nothing else, receiving a compliment on his magic from an incredible Mage like Ellen made him happy.
Because magic was important to me.
So he didn’t know how to react.
“If you have nothing to do, get ready to get off work. Two hours have passed.”
“I don’t want to~ I’m going to fill three hours before I go. Give me something to do.”
“…”
Like that, Ellen stubbornly filled her 3 hours before leaving work, but Max did not leave his seat in the office late at night.
This was his living space, and the customers who visited a Mercenary Office didn’t often care about the time.
“I should keep it open as long as possible.”
He made a cup of coffee and sat on the sofa.
This time, he continued his Information Gathering using his Smartphone instead of the computer.
He couldn’t find a single news article related to Ghost Logic, which he had raided the other day.
Was it because it was a small Company in the 70-range in the districts, or was it someone’s intention?
“Next.”
He searched for Gaia Food, which was presumed to be Ghost Logic’s destination.
No special movements were visible. It was probably the timing that would overturn their Corporate Value when they were pouring their efforts into New Product Development.
“Hmm…”
No matter how he mixed the revealed information with his Past Memories, he couldn’t read the connection between the corporations.
Even though he was a Regressor, since he was in a position where he had nothing in his past life, he lacked a lot.
He felt anxious in many ways.
“First is power. I need to reach the 5th-tier quickly.”
The stage Max had reached in the past was the 5th-tier. The stage where one was just forming their own Unique Magic System.
It would be similar to the current Flora or Ellen.
“The method to open the circuits is in my head. If I can just do something about my mana capacity, the path will open…”
Max’s fingers tapped the desk. Tap! Tap!
His Smartphone vibrated, matching the impacts. It was a phone call.
“Yes. This is Max.” - sir Max. This is the Bohemian Mercenary Association. I apologize for the late hour, but are you available to talk?
A familiar voice.
It was the female Employee who had arranged his requests.
“No problem. What is it?” - it’s a request. I was wondering if you could depart immediately. We will also send a vehicle.
Max’s eyes turned toward the window.
It was a night with a brightly shining moon. It was easier to move than during the day.
“I can move right away. Still, I want to hear the details first.” - this time as well, it is a matter related to a Corporation.
“Ah.”
It was the same as last time.
Since he was still in a position lacking trust with the Association, he couldn’t back out once he heard the details.
Even so, there were questions he could ask to gauge the difficulty.
“The compensation?” - the compensation is 25 million credits, the upper limit for a 2nd-Tier Mercenary request fee. If it were a Long-term Request, it would have been set at a higher amount, but according to the Association’s Judgment, it has been finalized as a Short-term Request.
It was excessively lucrative. That was why it made him cautious.
There was no guarantee that he would regress again if he died. He had to think of himself as having only one life.
“Will a large group be moving?” - no. You must go alone.
“Just tell me why you contacted me. There must be plenty of highly skilled mercenaries in the Association. I’m curious if there’s a valid reason for choosing a 2nd-Tier Mage.” - …
“Isn’t this much worth telling me?”
He could feel the hesitation from the other end to speak. - first of all, the primary reason is that your body has not been replaced with machinery.
“Oho.” - included in that is the fact that you do not use a Tangible Weapon.
It was an unexpected condition.
It might be a request related to infiltration. - to be honest, this request is a matter that our Association also considers important, so we were planning to deploy other personnel we deemed suitable. However…
“However?” - Max-nim. Have you ever perhaps met our Chairman?
“I don’t even know who that is.”
There was no information on the Bohemian Mercenary Association President. Since nothing was revealed to the outside, he didn’t know their name or face.
Even Within the Association, there would be very few people who knew who the Association President was.
“The Bohemian Association Head is a Person who has never stood in front of the Public, even in the past.”
The size of the Bohemian Mercenary Association could be seen as situated somewhere between a small and medium-sized enterprises and a large Corporation.
Therefore, the power of the Association President was by no means low.
It was enough to walk with their shoulders squared anywhere in Haze. - …I see.
“Why is the Association President suddenly coming up?” - the Association President instructed us to send Max-nim on this request.
“Excuse me?” - I apologize. We do not know the detailed reason either. Therefore, it is difficult to explain any further than this.
“…”
It was an unexpected reason that easily exceeded Max’s imagination.
“Why would the Mercenary Association President want me?”
Even if Max was a Mage, he was only at the 2nd-tier. He wasn’t at a level to catch the eyes of the great figures of Haze.
If they made up their mind to kill him, they wouldn’t even need a complicated procedure like a Trap Request. - you may refuse. There were no instructions to force you to deploy or push you into it.
“Setting aside the Association President’s words. Are the conditions you mentioned earlier actually true? The point about it being important that there are no machines in the body.” - yes. That part is the truth without any lies.
Sweetness was what was needed when his head was complicated.
Max put a Lollipop in his mouth and savored the sweet taste.
“I’ll do it. Please send the data.” - we will load the data and send it along with the vehicle on its way. Please return safely.
“Let’s hope we meet again alive.”
Max stood up from his seat and packed Energy Jelly and lollipops.
After turning off the Office Sign, he headed outside.