VROOOM…
As Forrest stated, six vehicles arrived at the sewage discharge plant in District X at approximately 30 minutes.
Three of those vehicles were transporting a significant number of mercenaries, each of whom was armed with a rifle.
‘Are the remaining vehicles here to carry the wanted criminals?’
It appears that the mercenaries are part of a larger organization, possibly the Brokers union, as they were all wearing the same combat uniform with slight variations.
Their actions indicate that there was a clear system and structure in place.
"Are you Dave, Solver from District T?"
Oliver nodded.
"Yes, it's me."
The mercenary, who appeared to be the captain, greeted him with a polite and fitting formality..
"Nice to meet you. I'm Paul of ‘safety guard' employed by the Brokers union. I'm here to take over the wanted criminals you mentioned. Where are they?"
Paul greeted Oliver sincerely.
Oliver studied Paul's emotions, finding them to be genuine.
He replied that the criminals were in the Sewer, and Paul expertly split his team members, keeping some behind and sending the rest to follow with caution.
Unlike the gangsters, each team member moved efficiently, preparing three to four times faster than others.
"Please show us the way,"
Paul said, ready to proceed.
Oliver nodded and led the way into the Sewer passage.
As they ventured deeper into the Sewer, the sound of clucking, clacking, and clicking filled the wet floor. Soon, they spotted Joe and his group, Arthur's party, corpse dolls, and remnants of the Kell Liberation Army.
Paul quickly checked and spoke into a communication device with a stick on its top.
"As requested by the Brokers Union, we found 29 wanted criminals. I am securing them now and will return shortly. Over."
A few words came through the device before it clicked off.
Paul turned to Oliver and asked,
"Where are the disease-type warlock Damon, contaminated creature tamer Allister, and the magic hacker Hewitt? They are the most important."
Oliver pointed to the three individuals lying next to Joe, two people and one corpse.
"This is Hewitt, this is Allister…. They're not dead, right?"
Paul asked, pointing to the unconscious individuals.
"I hit them and knocked them out, then put them to sleep with black magic. They'll wake up in a day or two,"
Oliver explained and Paul nodded,
"Then, is this Damon?" He pointed to the corpse.
"Yes, his face was crushed in the process of overpowering, but it’s him. Is there a problem?" Oliver asked.
"No, there's a way to identify even if the face is ruined. However, the bounty will be cut a little," Paul said.
Oliver nodded in agreement, and Paul began to fulfill his duties diligently.
After putting new restraints on the captured men, he took them outside one by one.
"Good work, Dave. From here on, we will take over at the request of the Brokers union. You’ll receive the reward through your broker,"
Oliver nodded.
"It's great, by the way," Paul said.
"Yes?"
"No one has achieved this much right now. At a single raid, catching nearly 30 people….. Three of them are big names. Half of the fame on this field is a lie, but I guess not yours,"
Paul said, in admiration.
The safety guard Paul pulled a shiny iron case from his pocket on the front of his combat suit.
CLICK CLACK
When he opened it, it revealed several business cards. He took one of them and handed it to Oliver.
"As everyone does, our mercenaries always want outstanding talent. Come and see me if you are interested. Instead of saying nonsense like you make a lot of money, we will protect you with a stable working environment and a place with no pressure from outside."
Oliver received the business card without a word.
He thought he knew roughly what the pressure from the outside meant.
Oliver hasn't experienced it yet, but Warlocks objectively belonged to the socially disadvantaged class.
Nevertheless, he was not particularly interested.
"Thank you for the offer," Oliver said, nodding.
Paul and his men quickly left, leaving only Arthur, Oliver, and Joe underground.
Arthur, who had Golem prosthetic arms in both hands, approached and asked,
"What do you think about my proposal?"
"I'm thinking positively, Mr. Arthur… Can you pass the details through Mr. Forrest?” Oliver replied.
Arthur grinned.
"That's enough."
⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩
After parting ways with Arthur and his group, Oliver left with Joe to retrieve Owen and Sam.
By the way, Allister's spider Parker was put to sleep with [Deep sleep] magic and packed separately through a corpse doll.
According to Allister, Parker had been with him for a long time and he wouldn't take orders from others, but Oliver didn't mind it as he planned to dissect it anyway.
Oliver and Joe left Owen and Sam with an unlicensed doctor in District X.
Fortunately, neither of them was seriously injured.
Owen had suffered serious bruises and fractures, and Sam had only a concussion and internal injuries.
According to the unlicensed doctor, Joe was advised to rest for at least a few weeks, but Joe shook his head and asked Oliver to let him join them in the big job Arthur was proposing, saying he would recover as soon as possible.
Oliver agreed immediately, and Joe looked relieved.
The job was dangerous, but Joe was happy to have the opportunity to earn more money.
When asked about this, Joe replied,
"You have to earn a lot when you can."
Oliver heard a simple but firm answer.
"But the doctor said you need to take a few weeks off, is that okay?"
Oliver asked Joe.
"I don't care. You can get a potion if you spend some money in the gray or black market. Recently, quality portions have been released little by little. I heard someone signed some secret treaty with the Magic Tower, I guess it's true,” Joe replied.
"So, when you get the reward, can I get it right away? I'm out of emotions now," Joe added.
"Oh, I see. I'll be receiving it tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, so I'll let you know then. Would you like to come pick it up? Or do you want me to bring it to you?" Oliver asked.
Joe pondered for a moment.
"Can you bring it to me if it's okay? To the gym we met last time?" he asked.
"The gym? Okay," Oliver replied.
"And one more thing…. I'm sorry to take your time before the big job, but can you teach me again? The black suit," Joe added.
"Um… well, yes, it's possible. But why suddenly?" Oliver asked.
"Now that I realized I definitely need it….. I'll pay you as much as you want,"
Just as Oliver was about to say he didn't have to, an idea struck him.
"Money is good, but can I be rewarded with something else?” he asked.
"Something else? What is it?"
"Please teach me some exercises. I can feel the limit of what I'm doing now,"
At the unexpected reply, Joe looked at Oliver with a look of real incomprehension.
⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩
"Oh, you're exactly on time,” Forrest said as Oliver arrived.
"Um, is it okay at this hour?" Oliver asked.
"Yes. Originally, I wanted to call you around lunch or dinner to treat you to a meal, but I purposely called you at an awkward time because I was busy with work. I hope you understand. Above all…"
Forrest paused and took out two black briefcases.
"It's too much to eat with such a large sum of money. Check it out. All 100,000 bills. 324 million per bag. 648 million in total. That’s 720 million minus 10 percent commission," Forrest said.
Oliver raised one eyebrow.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Forrest. It's a bit weird. I roughly calculated it, but isn't the reward 600 million at the most? Damon is dead, so it should be lower,” Oliver said.
"That's the right way to calculate it. Damon is dead, so it's probably down to around 100 million, Allister 110 million, and Hewitt 300 million. The other 26 little soldiers. It's less than 600 million even if they are generous enough. In other words, you have received 1.2 times more,"
Forrest explained as a broker, calculating the money.
"Why did they give me 1.2 times more?” Oliver asked.
"It's because you made the city happy. The city is also under pressure from the parliament over this issue. In the meantime, you did a big thing, so they paid you a bonus accordingly. If this happens, other solvers will work with more light in their eyes," Forrest said.
Not sure, but Oliver nodded.
He never thought the city would give him 1.2 times more just because he did a good job.
"Is that all?" Oliver asked.
"Well… First of all, get your money. Then I'll tell you,” Forrest replied.
At Forrest's words, Oliver opened the two briefcases.
Then he took a Glutton bag made of human skin, eyeballs, and teeth, and placed it on the briefcase.
It opened all the eyes one by one and began to greedily swallow the money.
"Each as much as you want," Oliver said.
Looking at the Glutton bag nodding quietly, Forrest opened his mouth.
"Don't you happen to have a big bag the size of a person?" he asked.
"Yes, it's Big Mouth," Oliver replied.
"You even named it," Forrest said.
"It asked me to give one…. How do you know about it Mr. Forrest? I don't think I've ever showed it to you," Oliver said.
"I hear rumors. Dave, a Solver in District T, carries a Glutton bag the size of a person and lets it eat people if he doesn't like them," Forrest said.
"That's not true," Oliver replied.
"The rumors in this place are often twisted and strange," Forrest said.
"Yes, that’s strange. Glutton bag cannot eat a person alive, it can only eat if the person is dead," Oliver said.
"……Is that a joke?"
"No, it isn’t,” Oliver replied.
"That's a relief. Then your joking skills would have been beyond disastrous and terrible. That's just creepy, so don't talk like that again," Forrest said.
Oliver didn't know what part of it was creepy,
"Be mindful of your actions, as your identity may be recognized from that bag. This could lead to potentially dangerous situations."
"Yes. But it's a little strange that the identity could get exposed because of a glutton bag."
"It's rare to see a glutton bag the size of a person. Speaking of which, is that Big Mouth okay? When a glutton bag is that big, it tries to fight its master.”
"No. That's what the maker said, but he's a good boy."
"That's great, then. While glutton bags are useful, their unique characteristics can make them difficult to produce and use. However, if the maker is able to create a high-quality bag of that size, it may attract the attention of black market production departments.”
"Production department?"
"The large company that controls distribution often uses their power to exploit skilled craftsmen. They may lure them in with promises of good working conditions and benefits, while secretly exerting control over their work and limiting their freedom."
"Um…"
Oliver let out a sigh of disappointment.
He realized that if this was true, he needed to visit the maker more urgently.
As his glutton bag was reaching its limits, he thought it would be wise to ask for improvements and to learn the skills himself.
Meanwhile, the glutton bag had finished consuming cash several times its size and looked very satisfied.
Oliver picked up the glutton bag and placed it in his pocket. He then sat down across from the Forrest and began to inquire.
"Um, can you answer the question now?"
Oliver asked, as Forrest picked up the empty briefcase from the floor.
"It seems like the city wants you to collaborate with Arthur," Forrest replied.
"Mr. Arthur?"
"Yes, I told you before that that guy might have got the backing of the city, right?" Forrest explained.
He went on to say that Arthur and his colleagues may have the support of the city, and appear to have been given the mission to prove their abilities so that they can be part of the city official's project of creating a separate armed force.
In the process, they seem to have been supported with equipment, and honestly, it was not a bad choice.
Forrest hadn't figured out exactly what kind of position they might get from the city official's project, but it was inferred to be a public official or a quasi-public official, and they have to act as the city's dog in return for that much support.
"Of course, the salary may be lower than when they were a Solver, but it would not be a small salary," Forrest said.
"The only people who get paid the minimum are those who perform replaceable work. Those who have their own areas and specialties will receive surprisingly high salaries."
"Um, but what does that have to do with me getting paid a lot?" Oliver asked.
"It matters a lot. They just want to give the impression that it would be better to participate in the city's project through this mission. In fact, if you participate, they will provide you with the necessary equipment," Forrest said.
Oliver gave a sour reaction.
He wasn't interested in the project in the first place and didn't feel much need for equipment either.
"Oh, so Mr. Arthur proposed to collaborate with me to get additional equipment?"
"That's right. If the size of the work increases, the support increases. Even more so if the target is Willes," Forrest said.
"You mean Willes you mentioned last time?" Oliver asked.
"Yes, like I said earlier, he's a great target. That's how annoying he is from the Empire's point of view. I don't know if he's really in Landa, but if he gets caught, the city could go beyond being bullied by the Parliament and negotiate with them on other things," Forrest added.
Oliver listened and nodded.
"…but why is the Kell Liberation Army fighting against the Empire? According to the newspaper, there are problems with mine use and workers, but nothing is clear and understandable,” Oliver asked.
"Well……, if you dig into the details, you have to go back to history, and then you need a lot of time,” Forrest replied.
"History?"
"Yes, I'd rather recommend you reading a book. History books written in Northland and history books written in Britain. It's understandable when you look at it from both sides," Forrest said.
"Thank you for your advice," Oliver said.
"Don't mention it. So, how do you intend to collaborate with Arthur? It's a dangerous opponent, but it's not bad to engrave your presence among City councilors," Forrest said.
Oliver thought it over and nodded. There was no particular reason to refuse.
"Yes, then I’ll accept it," Oliver said.
"All right. Well, I'll notify Arthur's broker and the city. They're the ones who got the location of Willes, so they'll have the initiative, but I'll bring you fair pay," Forrest said.
"Okay," Oliver replied.
"Do you have any requests? If it’s from you, they might help if it’s not too difficult," Forrest asked.
Oliver answered after pondering.
"Um……By any chance, could I get some potion?"
(To be Continued)
OR
$5/month5 chap ahead$15/month9 chap ahead$30/month15 chap ahead$45/monthAll advance chap + 7 chap/week
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