Episode 226 – Work Experience (1)

Work Experience (1)

“I’ve lost again.”

In the mansion’s living room, Eva spoke. She laid down her cards and sank into the chair, her face etched with frustration.

“Thanks to you, I’m definitely quitting gambling.”

Her lips puckered in annoyance. I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“That’s good to hear.”

“I have no choice but to agree.”

A deep voice flowed in from somewhere.

It was Karlos. He approached with a benevolent smile and kissed Eva on the cheek.

Honestly, it was quite an irritating scene to witness.

Karlos extended the phone towards me.

“Here. It’s Johanna.”

“Ah, yes.”

It seemed like a hostage check. Though calling it hostage was a bit of a stretch given the luxurious treatment.

─……

She was silent.

“Hello?”

I broke the silence.

─…Are you immortal?

Johanna’s voice came through, incredulous yet tinged with relief.

“Yes. I am alive.”

─Karlos will now hand you the share certificate.

“Is that so.”

─……

Johanna paused for a moment before bluntly stating.

─Run away with it, and you’re dead.

Had it been a normal subordinate, they might have taken it as a warning.

Johanna wasn’t known for her humor. She didn’t quite grasp it either.

“Haha. Understood.”

But I laughed. This had to be a joke.

Johanna also let out a pleased sigh.

─…Hmph.

It was a laugh that her humor had landed.

However, I quickly returned to a more serious tone.

“By the way, Lady Johanna.”

─Yes?

“I’d prefer to be excluded from this operation.”

─Not included?

“Yes.”

If Beckman hears about it, there could be trouble. Driven by jealousy, who knows what he might do. Not just Beckman, but all the men under Johanna would be watching me.

Derek would be displeased with me too.

“Let’s say Lady Johanna escaped on her own. It sounds more impressive that way.”

─……

Johanna was silent. But she would have certainly understood the implication of my words.

─Shion Ascal.

“Yes?”

─We’ll see each other soon.

Johanna hung up immediately. I handed the phone back to Karlos and asked.

“Are you leaving now?”

Karlos nodded.

“Did the family agree?”

“Well, there’s still 6% of the shares left. It’s a parting gift for them.”

“……”

Indeed, Karlos seemed genuinely intent on leaving. At first, I thought it was just another gamble, a bluff.

“Where will you go?”

“To a warm island nation. I’ve already bought a mansion there.”

Karlos handed me a certificate adorned with gold leaf.

“Here’s the certificate.”

I took it from him.

[Golden Casino Share Certificate]

“Did you get a promise?”

Whether Johanna will spare him or if it’s just sweet talk to deceive him, I still don’t know, but she at least does not break a ‘promise’ she has made herself.

Faith.

Because she believes in the weight of words.

“……Haha.”

Karlos laughed softly as he sat down in the chair.

“You seem to know Johanna better than I do, even though I’ve been fighting for over a decade. I did receive a promise.”

“That’s a relief~”

Eva grinned and leaned on his shoulder.

Suddenly, I became curious about something regarding them.

“What do you plan to do with your lives?”

Life after retirement.

To me, that is an unknown.

Perhaps, it may not even exist.

Because my retirement would mean death.

“There’s a lot to do.”

Eva answered instead. She smiled faintly, as if already envisioning those days.

“Sunbathing on the beach, eating delicious food, fishing from a boat, surfing… I’d like to try working too. Maybe woodworking.”

I imagined her words.

Cozy days in a warm island nation all year round.

It seemed like it could be an interesting life.

As long as one does not fall terminally ill.

* * *

I returned in Karlos’s limousine. At the meeting place outside the [Golden Casino] jurisdiction, there was only Johanna.

“You’ve returned.”

“Yes.”

Johanna extended her hand to me. I handed her the certificate. She looked at it quietly and then nodded.

“Well done.”

“Thank you.”

“The guy who sold the used hang glider has been caught.”

At Johanna’s words, I hesitated for a moment.

She tilted her head and asked.

“Do you have something to say?”

“……Thanks to him, the outcome turned favoriable.”

Thanks to the guy who sold the used item, Johanna was able to gain an additional 0.5% of the shares without significant loss, and Karlos was able to escape his desperate fate.

“Everything is retrospective.”

So there was no real need to punish him.

No, even if there was punishment, it didn’t have to be severe.

In fact, ‘murderer’ doesn’t have a special meaning.

Someone who commits murder easily.

In that sense, I might be a murderer too, but I don’t particularly want to kill an unrelated civilian.

He must be someone’s family too.

“If you’ve scared him, that should be enough.”

“……”

Of course, Johanna is silent.

I don’t expect her to follow my suggestion.

“I’ll take my leave now.”

I bowed my head.

“……Over there.”

Suddenly, Johanna pointed somewhere. Compared to hers, a somewhat shabby sedan was parked.

“Zia is waiting for you.”

“……Is that so.”

For that person to come looking for me personally was quite unexpected. It was surprising.

I approached the sedan. The driver’s side window whirred down. Zia was sitting in front of the steering wheel.

Zia driving. It was a sight I had never seen before.

“…I came to pick you up.”

She said. I nodded nonchalantly in response.

“Thank you. I’ll drive from now on.”

“…”

Zia lifted herself from the driver’s seat and moved to the passenger seat. I took the driver’s seat.

“Congratulations on the win.”

“Thank you.”

Zia said. I pressed the accelerator and passed by Johanna, heading onto the highway. Even as we drove, Zia kept glancing at me.

“Do you have something you want to say?”

“…”

Zia was silent. I waited quietly.

Zia is a heavy person. As time goes by, she becomes heavier. Although she may be light in physical weight, she doesn’t open her mouth easily, nor does she move her body readily.

So she must have something urgent to say today, having come to find me in person…

The traffic light turned red.

“…I.”

As if she had been waiting, Zia turned to look at me. Not through the rearview mirror, but directly into my eyes. I looked back at her.

“I want to become the successor of Libra.”

Zia confessed her ambition frankly, as the youngest.

It was such a moment.

“…”

Her grand aspiration, allowed to only a few, was now being conveyed to me as well.

Has she finally come to trust me?

Is it the person that I am that she has come to trust, or is it the abilities I have shown?

“What do you think…?”

Zia asked cautiously. Just then, the light turned green.

“Whatever it is──”

I pressed the accelerator and smiled.

“──if Miss wishes it, I am simply here to fulfill that purpose by Miss Zia’s side.”

“…”

Zia quietly sank back into her seat. I fixed my gaze on the windshield and spoke.

“There’s the prize money from the win. 60 million Ren.”

In that moment, Zia’s eyes slightly sparkled.

Always in need of cash as she operates various businesses under different names.

“I will entrust 50 million Ren to Miss Zia.”

“…Okay.”

Zia nodded shyly. Her face was brighter than ever before.

Zia chuckled bashfully at the joke I tossed out like humor.

“Okay. I’ll make it grow even bigger.”

That statement was surely going to be true.

* * *

I returned to the capital of Edsilla. The smell of the university campus that I hadn’t breathed in for three days. I had missed a few classes, but there was no real harm done.

“Ah, seriously! Shion, where have you been?”

On the other hand, Layla was angry.

“We’ve completed the 15 hours anyway.”

“Still. Shion, it seems like you don’t understand the meaning of teaming! We have to start our group project soon!”

Ranting and raving. Ranting and raving. Ranting and raving.

She was so annoying that I flicked her on the nose.

“Stop it- Ouch! Oww!”

Layla flailed, clutching her nose.

“Ouch! Shion, you hit me!”

“Quiet. What’s this about a group project?”

“…….”

Layla quieted down, touching her nose and looking around.

“We have to do job shadowing.”

“Job shadowing?”

“Yeah! It’s like role-playing.”

“……Ah, right. What about Soliette?”

“No! It’s not about Soliette… Oh, right. Soliette hasn’t been coming to class lately either. Maybe something’s up? No, that’s not it.”

Layla narrowed her eyes.

“Anyway! Look at this.”

She then handed me a bundle of papers.

“We’re detectives!”

“……You’ve got to be kidding.”

“What did you say?!”

“Nothing, nothing.”

Layla cleared her throat and explained to me.

“Look. Case file. A murder happened three weeks ago from today.”

It was a case file. I skimmed through it and frowned.

“……What the hell. This is a real curse murder case?”

A case where someone was murdered through a curse.

There were even actual news links included.

“Yeah. Since it’s job shadowing! We’re magic detectives from today.”

It seems we’re doing various things as part of teaming.

After all, there are various career paths at the Magic University. Knight, mage are the most straightforward, but there are also detectives, doctors, professional fighters, mercenaries, coders, and so on.

“So you chose detective as our teaming job?”

“Of course. You weren’t there that day, Shion, so you don’t get a choice.”

“Well… that’s true.”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“What about the others?”

“The others?”

“Like Elise or whoever.”

“Ah~ Elly is also a detective! It’s so ridiculous, I think Elly originally wanted to be a doctor? But when I chose detective, she followed suit and chose detective too!!”

“……Is that so.”

I tucked the case file into my coat.

“So. Should we head to the police station first?”

Layla smirked and crossed her arms.

“Obviously. I’ve already made acquaintances with the detectives. Just trust me and follow.”

I was about to follow her when I suddenly stopped.

Because of a familiar face that appeared from behind the trees of the campus.

“Wait. You go ahead.”

“What?!”

Layla’s brow furrowed. I waved my hand dismissively.

“I’ve got something to do. I’ll bring something tasty when I come.”

“……What are you going to bring?”

“Berry cream bread.”

“Wow! No way! That’s first-come-first-served!”

Berry cream bread is the biggest hit product of Balance Bakery. It’s a bakery near the university, so popular that it sells out within three minutes of opening—it’s a daily occurrence…

Just like its name ‘Balance’, it’s actually a subsidiary of Libra.

As a Chaser for Libra, I could command them to produce the bread even if they were out of stock.

“There’s always a way. I have my connections.”

“…Just try coming back without it.”

“Go on ahead, I’ve got it covered.”

Layla looked skeptical but moved on, and I headed behind the trees.

There, with a familiar face—Bell Moore was present.

“Ah.”

“What brings you here?”

He asked, smoking a cigarette.

“Benedict. You’re sure you took care of it?”

“Yes.”

“As expected, there’s no Lunatic quite like you. Anyway, the body has been taken care of. It’s been officially ruled as an unexplained death, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

Bell Moore gestured at me with his chin.

“Stay away from the Intelligence Agency for a while.”

“…”

It’s an unavoidable situation.

As a Chaser, I had to cut off the head of the team at the Intelligence Agency. Benedict’s underlings would harbor ill feelings towards me.

“It might be dangerous for you.”

It’s the fate of a whistleblower. Some factions will genuinely try to kill me, and there will be absolutely no sharing of information.

Of course, it doesn’t concern me.

I can handle it alone.

“Also, we need to start preparing our performance reports soon, you’re getting ready, right?”

A Chaser is a freelancer concept affiliated with Libra. Each season, individuals prepare their own reports and submit them to the higher-ups.

Therefore, a Chaser without achievements can be easily dismissed.

“By the way, you can’t include internal investigation work.”

But when I think about it, the tasks I’ve done as a Chaser have been too easy so far.

The only things worth recording are cutting off the arm of a researcher who leaked Libra’s information and rescuing Sonya?

Extreme mana stone, internal investigator, gambling are not part of my Chaser duties, and rescuing Johanna should not be reported to the higher-ups.

“Do you have any other achievements?”

I’m lacking in the ‘quantity’ of achievements due to balancing university.

Of course, the higher-ups will take that into account, but to become a Balancer, you need to be perfect from the start.

If ‘quantity’ is lacking, I’ll have to make up for it with ‘quality.’

“Achievements. I have them.”

“…You do? Then save some for later. If you use them all up in the first half, you’ll have nothing left for the second half—”

“Vancheon.”

Vancheon.

Bell Moore’s expression hardened when I mentioned the group that was raising a rebellion against the system of Libra and, of course, this Edsilla regime.

“I am tracking one of their executives.”

The word ‘executive’ painted his entire expression with desire.

“…Executive.”

Within Vancheon, there is a traitor selling information.

I know one of those bastards.

Before regression, there was one I really wanted to kill. A baldy as detestable as Libra itself.

“Are you certain?”

Bell Moore asked with a serious expression. I nodded.

“Yes.”

“…If that’s the case, man, you need to form a team. A team.”

Bell Moore subtly pushed his own agenda.

It wasn’t a bad idea for me either.

Bell Moore still had his uses, and the baldy in question, being an executive of 「Vancheon」, was at least twice as strong as I am now.

“I’ll contact you later.”

“Okay. I’m off then.”

Ding-

A text message arrived on my smartphone.

[Layla: Don’t forget to buy it!!! Berry cream bread!!]

“Mr. Bell Moore.”

I called out to Bell Moore as he was turning to leave. Bell Moore turned around with a spin.

“Yeah, what is it?”

“Could you please buy some Berry cream bread? It seems I’m not ranked high enough yet, they won’t make it for me since it’s sold out.”

“…”

A bread shuttle. I had wanted to try ordering someone around at least once.

Bell Moore looked in disbelief, but he nodded eventually.

“Fine. But in return, include me in the team.”

“Yes.”

“Then wait here. I’ll be back after I go there.”

Bell Moore changed his route toward the bakery.

Vrrring─

Just then, my phone vibrated.

“Why is she so impatient?”

I naturally thought it was Layla and answered the phone, but──

“Hello?”

─Yes.

My shoulders flinched at the sound of that voice.

A husky female tone.

I looked at the smartphone screen again.

[Unknown Caller]

I swallowed and quickly adjusted my voice to be more business-like.

“…Yes. I’m listening.”

─The prize money should have been deposited by now.

It was Johanna.

I didn’t expect her to call me like this.

“Thank you.”

─As you said, I kept that guy alive. In the end, I didn’t suffer any loss.

She was probably talking about the guy who sold second-hand goods.

“Yes. But may I ask why you are calling me-”

─I have an internal investigation I’d like to request from you.

“…An internal investigation?”

─Yes. I don’t want to overlook a betrayal like the last time.

Rustle- I could hear the sound of papers being turned over the receiver.

─I will give you a list of my subordinates. Judge in detail who might be harboring what intentions and report back to me. It’s your duty as a Chaser.

She was asking me to monitor her own people.

─Will you do it?

In other words, a legal opportunity to surveil important figures within Libra.

“…Yes. I will take on the task.”

There was no reason for me not to.