Chapter 44
“My mind feels refreshed.”
Having completed his Restoration, Max was steeped in emotion as he recalled the time Before Regression.
“This is a path I have never walked before. The real start is from now on.”
Of course, it might not be a talent comparable to Flora and Ellen, but reaching the 5th-tier at this age was beyond being a Genius.
A growth speed that had never been seen in Steiger.
His heart pounded at the thought that his father, Layton Steiger, would show a good reaction if he knew.
‘They say Steiger’s Previous Family Head reached the 7th-tier, but the current Steiger Family Head is one tier below.’
From the 5th-tier onwards, the difference in capability created by a single tier was like heaven and earth.
It far surpassed the gap in combat between a 4th-tier and a 3rd-tier, and it was a wall against which many people gave up, finding their progress blocked.
It was also the section where the majority of those who revered Martial Arts and magic gave up.
This was because the 5th-tier was the first step in building one’s own world, and the proof that one had begun to break out of the mold.
From this point on, every Mage showed differentiation.
Even if they were born in the same Family and learned the same lineage of magic, the results varied wildly. This was because magic manifested in completely different forms depending on the imagery and the times harbored by the Person manifesting the magic, their personal values and experiences, and the depth of their imagination.
Ultimately, Unique Magic was a blatant expression of how humans viewed the world and the way they had lived.
“…”
Coming out of the room and into the office, Max sat in his chair with a Lollipop in his mouth, which he had been holding back because of Meredith’s visit.
Cherry flavor.
The taste wasn’t bad, and he liked the scent that was stronger than other fruit flavors.
‘There’s an unfamiliar feeling in the 5th-tier circuit, so should I organize my consciousness a bit?’
Max circulated his magical power, which possessed an unprecedented depth and fullness, to make his own world clear.
He redefined the concepts he held to solidify them and recognized the domain his magic reached.
“Impact is a force applied rapidly.”
When the scope was broadened, it didn’t end at physical strikes. It also included the mental stimulation received from an event.
It also encompassed the concept of receiving an Impact after hearing a certain story.
“Severing is the act of cutting or slicing.”
Judging that the essence was to cut off, he considered not distinguishing between the intangible and the tangible to be the most important. He left the definition as open as possible for the sake of expandability.
‘Psychokinesis is the ability to move objects without using one’s hands.’
The basic foundation was interfering with objects without using one’s hands. All sorts of irregular manipulations could be mixed within the interfering movements, depending on the user’s Discretion and capability.
“Because magic is like an earring if you hang it on your ear, and a nose ring if you hang it on your nose.”
That is, as long as one didn’t consider it forced, and the imagery and image were clear enough to be manifested.
It meant that cutting off an intangible lifeline with Severing Magic wasn’t theoretically impossible either.
‘It’s simply that I don’t have the ability to design such a system within my world yet.’
He believed it would be possible someday if he continued to grow.
“Ah, should I report this to the Association?”
After a moment of thought, he made up his mind. This wasn’t a matter to report right now.
It would be impossible to hide it from Flora and Ellen, but it was best to inform the Association as slowly as possible.
Because this speed was unnatural to anyone who looked at it, he wanted to tell them when the next request came in, and Meredith came looking for him.
Creak!
Finishing his thoughts, he leaned the computer chair back to make his posture comfortable.
Even just yesterday, his body had been heavy and he would have dozed off quickly if he had stayed like this, but now his eyes were bright and alert.
“Ah, it feels stifling to just stay still.”
He felt itchy and wanted to move.
It was even harder to hold back since he actually felt that he had escaped the physical condition of needing recuperation as his tier rose.
‘There’s still a long time left until Ellen comes to work. And the customers have decreased. Is now the perfect time?’
The sun was up and the weather was good. He had plenty of time to spare, so there was no reason to hold back.
Max jumped up from the chair, put on his outerwear, and grabbed his phone that had been plugged into the charger.
Finally, grabbing the paper bag he had tossed in the room meant his preparations were complete.
Inside the paper bag was the Specialized Clothing that had become a rag after going through battles.
He planned to go to District 14 and ask for repairs.
‘While I’m out, I should look around for an office space too.’
I should drop by Emmaus Medical Center too.
It was a surprisingly busy schedule.
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“Customer. If you tell us your address, we will send it to you as soon as the repairs are finished.”
“I might be moving soon, so could you just contact me first?”
“Of course.”
Max asked for repairs at Fluid, the brand from which he purchased the Specialized Clothing, and left the department store.
Since it was clothing with a clear purpose, the employees readily accepted the repair request even though it was drenched in blood and torn.
“Good.”
With his hands free, Max shoved his hands into his pockets and leisurely headed toward Emmaus Medical Center.
‘But there’s no guarantee that the Bunny Kid will definitely be out.’
He had no intention of going inside the Hospital to look for him.
He walked along the path with the thought of coming back next time if he didn’t see him.
[Emmaus Medical Center]
Arriving at the park with the signboard, he saw a little boy playing alone with a soccer ball among the sickly patients.
The single remaining rabbit ear was his defining trait.
‘He’s here.’
Max gently moved his magical power.
When he smoothly snatched away the ball he was playing with, using Psychokinesis, the boy’s head whipped his head in this direction.
“Uh…? It’s the Mage Brother!”
“Kid, have your soccer skills improved a bit?”
Max smiled and returned the ball.
The boy hugged the ball to his chest and his eyes sparkled.
“I didn’t think you would really come back!”
“There’s no reason not to come. I promised I’d come back.”
“Because of the superstition?”
“Yeah. Things might have worked out well thanks to it, so I have to keep my promise. That way, there’s no lingering discomfort.”
When Max gestured, the boy placed the ball on the ground and kicked it.
They passed it lightly back and forth.
“Oh, right! Older Sister told me to contact her if you came looking for me!”
“Why?”
“Because I told her I received a soccer ball as a gift, probably to say thank you? Can I go call her right now?”
“It’s burdensome to receive thanks for just one soccer ball, so don’t do it. It’s not like we ran into each other naturally either.”
“It’s hard to just meet her. Older Sister is busy because of me, so she can’t come often…”
“Hmm, is that so?”
The kid’s expression, which had been bright until just a moment ago, darkened.
He felt like he knew what the boy was thinking.
Ignoring the laws of physics, Max dazzlingly moved the ball to catch attention.
“Ah! That’s not fair! That’s magic, right!”
“No, it’s not. Judging it to be magic just because a Mage did something amazing is a prejudice.”
“B-but…!”
Actually, it was true. It was a Psychokinetic Dribble.
The kid’s expression became amusing again.
* * *
The office of the Bohemian Mercenary Association.
The Chairman was letting out deep sighs, making his furrow-like wrinkles even deeper.
“This request is particularly hard to decide on. The personnel selection isn’t easy.”
To the Association President’s sincere lament, Meredith calmly added her words.
“If it’s an Auction House that doubles as a Social Party… a Mercenary is bound to show it in their actions even if they dress up.”
“Right. Even if we dress them in expensive clothes and change their faces, it’s hard to avoid drawing attention if their actions are unnatural.”
“Association President. Wouldn’t it be most appropriate to assign it to Max’s Mercenary Office after all?”
“Hah, Max Steiger, who lived in the Steiger Family, is the optimal talent, but… being 4th-tier is problematic. Looking at the participants, one would find it hard to escape if caught.”
It was a request that Crimson Howl had openly told them to pay attention to.
Since a Magic Noble Family had shown its intent, the Association President thought his neck was on the line for this case and had to make it succeed without fail.
“Hmm…”
The Association President quickly flipped through the documents and checked the personnel again.
It wasn’t that there were no 5th-tier mercenaries with suitable martial prowess.
About one or two were the ones who could move right away. If they included the Escort, Ludwig, it was three.
However,
'These three won’t do.'
In this request, a 5th-tier was needed for the worst-case scenario. If the 5th-tier just acted well, it could be finished cleanly without any scuffles.
But one must always prepare for the “what ifs”. From a changed perspective, it was despairing.
The Conduct of the three available 5th-tiers did not fit the occasion. Thanks to that, the Association President felt like his head was going to split.
“I think it might be right to deploy Usagi as well. Among the 4th-tier mercenaries, she is the fastest on her feet.”
“Usagi has a taciturn side, so it would be perfect to stick her next to Max. She hardly gives off the vibe of a Mercenary either.”
“The Person registered as a participant for the request is also legally a married man. If Usagi takes on the role of the wife, I believe there will be no sense of incongruity.”
“A Ninja… a Ninja, huh…”
“Above all, neither of them has the tendency to be picky about the requests they take.”
He was indeed tempted by Meredith’s opinion.
However, the Association President did not readily spit out the words to proceed. He exercised the utmost caution. There were too many things to weigh.
“What is the physical condition of Max Steiger and Usagi? Are there no aftereffects since the District 41 request?”
“Yes. They are currently recuperating, and since there is more than a month left until Auction Day, they will recover without issue.”
The Association President slowly stood up from his seat.
He placed his hand on the two weapons that had recently come in among the collectibles hanging on the wall.
“For this, I will have to meet the two of them in Person. I need to assess their condition.”
“Association President, I will schedule an appointment in advance, as close as possible to the day your schedule ends.”
“I leave it to you.”
At the Association President’s request, Meredith immediately left the office.