Chapter 48
As the Ninja boarded, the Driver made a call to the Association to briefly report the situation.
The stopped vehicle rolled its wheels and departed once again.
Max decided to speak up first, just like his last meeting.
He was actually glad to see her.
“It’s been a while.”
Usagi accepted the greeting with a light nod, then offered a different reply.
Regarding the request, let’s proceed rather than exchanging pleasantries.
“I didn’t expect you to refuse the reward for the request I asked for information on.”
“I am strapped for cash, but… my conscience pricks me at taking it. It feels a bit wrong to take money just for saying it doesn’t exist.”
“That’s not very Mercenary-like. It’s a personality that will lead to losses in the Mercenary world.”
“I think so too sometimes.”
With Max’s answer, the vehicle fell silent.
The atmosphere shifted as they entered a tunnel lined with orange lights. Usagi expressed her gratitude with a voice full of sincerity.
“Thank you.”
“Buy me a meal after this request is over. Something simple.”
“Understood. It’s a promise.”
They implicitly pledged the success of the request.
As the vehicle exited the tunnel, a large bridge appeared, refreshing the mood naturally.
“But I’m curious. Did my words about there being no Psychokinetic Community actually help?”
“Of course it did. It’s crucial information for narrowing down the target.”
“Really? Well, you do have to suspect individuals rather than a group.”
At Max’s reaction, Usagi wanted to confess the situation without holding back and ask if he knew of any suspected mages, but she soon dropped the thought.
Carrying out a request together wasn’t enough to serve as a guarantee of perfect trust. Even if they had overcome life-threatening crises together, showing all her cards was a separate matter.
After much deliberation, Usagi briefly mentioned the incident, referring to her Younger Sibling as an acquaintance.
“A Psychokinetic approached someone I know, offering money and valuables free of charge.”
“Money and valuables for free? That’s a blatantly obvious trick. Any damages?”
Max frowned.
This was Haze, a place that would take the shirt off your back, let alone your arms and legs, even with your eyes wide open.
Handing over money and valuables in such a place without a price meant the bastard definitely had a dark scheme.
“The Psychokinetic has made contact twice, but there’s nothing in particular yet.”
“That’s a relief then, but… it must be bothering you a lot.”
“I’m keeping an eye out whenever I have time, though they haven’t appeared while I was there.”
“That’s a headache.”
A truly strange bastard had attached himself to Usagi’s acquaintance.
What was the Psychokinetic’s ulterior motive? Did they approach, knowing of the 4th-Tier Ninja’s existence? Or did they pick the wrong target to work on and become the Ninja’s mark?
It was a difficult problem for Max to solve.
However, one thing was certain.
“Any ordinary Psychokinetic would be dealt with the moment he or she is caught.”
He could guarantee it since he had seen Usagi’s skills at the harbor firsthand.
Even if that Psychokinetic were a 4th-Tier Mage like Usagi, if they suffered a Surprise Attack without a vanguard, it would be settled quickly.
“Even if it bothers you, let’s focus on the request for now.”
“Of course.”
“You know your role, right?”
“Nelly Campbell, the wife of Chris Garland, the fourth son of the Anchor Security Chairman.”
“Just keep the name in mind, and when you call me, call me Honey like in the documents. I’ll call you Nelly.”
“Understood.”
As they exchanged and verified the information, the vehicle finally arrived at their destination.
It wasn’t District 19 where the Auction House was located. It was a Residential Area lined with five-story villas.
The Driver turned his body back to pass on the information and items.
“If you go to room 402, the Association employees will be waiting. And here are the car keys. The parking lot isn’t large and it’s covered with a protective cover, so you’ll spot it right away.”
“Thank you for the drive.”
Max expressed his thanks and took the car keys.
This time, he had to drive to the destination himself, and there was no Driver for the escape process either. Max had to drive them out and dispose of the vehicle at the end.
“I wish Sir Max and Madam Usagi good luck.”
“See you on the next request.”
Max and Usagi got out of the vehicle and climbed the villa stairs.
When they knocked on the iron door of room 402, it opened with the door chain still engaged. An Association Employee confirmed Max and Usagi and unlocked it.
“Please come in.”
The inside wasn’t spacious.
However, excluding Max and Usagi, there were six other people, and the space was cluttered with props and clothes hanging around.
“What do we do about our faces?”
“Since neither of you uses Cyberware on your faces, we will change them through a Spell. It will last for two days comfortably.”
“A Spell… Is there no sense of incongruity? It’s like getting caught by someone with good intuition.”
“The Identity Provider has offered sufficient sacrifices and even signed a contract to lend its face for the duration of the request, so you don’t have to worry. There has never been an issue within the designated timeframe so far.”
“Oho.”
“The only time it was seen through was during an experiment outside of a request, where a 7th-Tier Mage recognized it.”
Sacrifices - they sounded like they meant using a part of the Person’s body.
It seemed there were various other conditions attached, but the two followed the Employee without asking.
When another room was entered, a hunched old woman was waiting. She looked this way with eyes she couldn’t even open properly, then spoke.
“The man sits in the chair first.”
Max sat in the chair. The old woman dipped her wrinkled fingers into the red paint contained in a wooden bowl.
She drew a picture right on Max’s face.
‘No, it’s not paint. It’s blood.’
It was sticky. It even had that distinct metallic smell.
The process continued. He could feel something building up on his face.
“Is this a Spell?”
He even felt a slight stuffiness.
He would say it felt like wearing a dried-up face mask.
“It’s done, so you can wash the blood off your face. If you want to undo the disguise, just think of pushing the shell away with your magic power.”
Looking into the mirror handed to him by the Employee nearby, he saw that his face had truly changed.
He lifted his head and asked Usagi for her impression.
“How is it?”
“…You’ve really become a different Person. There’s no sense of incongruity.”
The old woman wiped her fingers and brought another bowl.
She called Usagi over, thumping the chair with her palm.
“Next, sit down. As soon as it’s done, I’ll make it so you two can see each other’s faces.”
Usagi sat down and lowered her mask.
The old woman’s work continued swiftly. By the time Max came back from washing his face, Usagi’s face had also changed.
Even to Max’s eyes, there was definitely no sense of incongruity. It was completely different from magic. It was fascinating.
“Both of you, come here.”
The old woman, having wiped her fingers clean, rummaged through a basket and pulled out a pair of thread clippers.
She snipped off a few strands of Max and Usagi’s hair and tied them into a knot.
Muttering incomprehensible words, she burned it in a candle flame.
“Now face each other. If you wish to see, you will see.”
Max and Usagi looked at each other.
“Oh? I can see it!”
“Mhm, definitely.”
They could see their original faces from before the disguise.
But it wasn’t perfectly clear. Usagi’s face reflected in Max’s eyes was slightly blurry, as if covered by a veil.
After it was confirmed that there were no other issues, this was noted.
The Association employees began their guidance.
“Madam Usagi, once you finish washing your face, we will help you with your makeup.”
“Sir Max, we will start with dyeing your hair and then prepare your outfit.”
Most of the employees followed Usagi. It seemed she needed a lot of hands.
“What color are we dyeing it?”
“Sir Max will be silver. Madam Usagi will be pink.”
Even though it was a common color seen in Haze, it was a radical shade for Max, who had lived his whole life with black hair.
“We will begin.”
One Employee lightly trimmed Max’s hair while another prepared the dye.
While the hairdressing scissors were being moved, they also passed on information.
“Sir Max. The prepared outfit is sturdier than everyday clothes, but it is not for combat.”
“Given the occasion, wearing combat gear openly would be a problem. I understand.”
“Also, there is a 28-inch suitcase in the trunk of the vehicle containing spare outfits and permissible consumables. The wallet is in the Driver’s seat, so you can use the credit cards, cash, and ID inside it.”
The Employee reminded him once again of the information contained in the documents.
After he invested quite a bit of time like that, his hair was finished.
“Next is the outfit.”
Max’s preparations were finished first.
‘I don’t think it suits me.’
He felt an intense awkwardness at the silver hair reflected in the mirror.
As he waited like that, the door opened and Usagi emerged, having become a pink rabbit.
She was wearing a velvet dress that revealed her figure. Expensive accessories adorned her and radiated light.
A compliment naturally popped out of Max’s mouth.
“You look pretty. It suits you well.”
“I-is that so…”
Usagi herself must have found it quite awkward, as her lips twitched on a stiff face.
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Click. Clack. Click.
Usagi’s high heels struck the ground, making a sound.
“How are your feet? Aren’t the heels uncomfortable?”
“No problem.”
Having finished their preparations, Max and Usagi arrived at the parking lot.
There was only one car wearing the protective cover the Driver mentioned. The Driver approached, confirmed it reacted to the car key, and pulled off the cover.
Max’s eyes widened at the revealed chassis.
“A Classic Muscle Car!”
It was a vehicle that would catch the eye if just left in a parking lot.
In Haze, classic vehicles were worth whatever price you named.
Clunk!
He opened the passenger door and guided Usagi in.
“Shall we go, Nelly?”
Usagi didn’t miss a beat and reacted to her alias.
“Thank you. Honey.”
“Isn’t it a bit awkward?”
“…Accept it as a quirk.”
Max smiled and sat in the Driver’s seat.
The request had begun.