Chapter 147. Outsourcing District (2)

The uphill tram to the district’s heart was packed.

Barely boarding before departure, April and I grabbed the handrails.

With a loud bell, the tram jolted, and I surrendered to its gentle vibrations.

Outside, the district’s orange-lit roads emerged in the evening.

Crowds bustled in the passing scenery.

I watched silently.

Street stalls lined the cracked pavement, selling food and trinkets.

Surprisingly lively for a neglected, lawless place.

“Typical district, huh?”

April shrugged beside me, catching my thoughts. Sharp as ever, she grinned.

“Understandable. It’s way different from our 37th district. Especially where this city’s built.”

“You mean the environment?”

“Yup. Didn’t I say when we arrived? No nearby cities, just a huge forest. Like a jungle.”

I glanced around.

Beyond the outskirts, a vast green plain of forest stretched like an ocean of trees.

The endless boundary where city met forest stirred an odd feeling.

Each district had unique traits.

Some were decadent with red-light districts; others, near-abandoned, demanded daily survival.

Utterly varied.

Dangerous and unpredictable, districts were havens for the empire’s outcasts. Their citizens lived as fragments of these cities, like anyone else.

“…”

I turned away, feeling complex.

Enoch, shunned for lacking magic talent, stood in a city of the empire’s rejected.

What if it followed the original history?

A strange thought hit.

In the original, Enoch might’ve been exiled here, killed by Tantalus’s beasts.

No way to know his exact fate. All speculation.

Uncertain, but could uncovering ‘myself’ reveal this too?

Probably.

An instinct stirred.

My musings scattered with the tram’s clatter and sunlight through the window.

***

“So, where’re we going?”

After disembarking, walking with the device’s GPS, April glanced at me.

“Didn’t I say? We need a tech.”

“Right. But is there one?”

“There is. Somewhere I know.”

I stared at the name on my device.

“We’re heading to [Bolt & Spanner]. A renowned tech’s private workshop, even in Victoria Kazimieśi.”

“Not freelancers? Why’s a skilled tech here?”

“Bit complicated. Eccentric.”

“Eccentric…”

“Don’t worry. Their skill’s solid.”

Dismissing her concern, April shrugged.

“Well, being downtown’s nice. Less tense than the outskirts, thanks to the ‘Road.’”

As she said, unlike the mill’s brutal atmosphere, the surroundings were peaceful.

“Need to grab something first.”

“What?”

“Food.”

I said, entering a butcher shop. April tilted her head.

“Suddenly? I know it’s dinner time, but that hungry?”

“No, not that.”

Picking up premium-labeled meat packs, I added.

“Prep for meeting them.”

“Uh…”

“Might wanna get some too.”

“What, me too?!”

Not stopping, I entered a sandwich chain, packing sandwiches and iced drinks.

Ordering, I recalled specifics, adding ingredients and savory-sweet sauces. Bacon’s aroma and bread’s scent tickled my nose.

April, puzzled, followed suit.

A clerk shouted.

“We’re closing early! Last orders here!”

Overhearing residents whisper:

> —Beast sightings causing chaos.

> —Yeah, Scavengers are rampant.

So they’re closing early. Glancing at April, she nodded lightly.

The beast uproar was a big deal district-wide.

Exactly why we came prepared. Shops would close soon.

Collecting our orders, we stepped out, each holding a large bag.

“Ugh, you’re so hard to read. Prep for what?”

Ignoring her grumbling, I’d bought what was needed.

Crossing the city’s fifth street, a hill appeared. Foot traffic dwindled.

Rustling her bag, April spoke dryly.

“So, shopping for groceries in a district. Too peaceful for an investigation.”

I nodded slowly.

“Better than last time’s district.”

“True.”

Grumbling beside me, she smiled, not meaning it.

“Messy as it is, the empire’s rejects have their way of living.”

Spinning lightly, she spread her arms, the district’s skyline behind her.

I paused, watching.

“Life’s got plenty of misery, though.”

Sweeping her pink hair under her cap, she laughed softly.

“Rolling in the district’s mud, doing this? Kinda romantic.”

“Maybe. But last time, you wanted out.”

“That’s part of the hope to escape. I’ll make bank and leave.”

Pulling her device, checking graphs, she added.

“Heh, stocks or bets, I’ll hit it big someday. No worries!”

“…Sounds like an addiction.”

“Tch, I’m good at this! Losses? Calculated risks.”

Proudly, she rambled.

“Doing precise sniping makes you wanna bet on chance sometimes.”

“…”

When I didn’t reply, she whispered slyly.

“I see that spark in you too.”

“Spark?”

“You’re a gambler too. Last time, today—attacking Scavengers head-on?”

“So?”

“You’re like me!”

I didn’t respond.

Maybe she was right.

As a gacha game fan, I couldn’t deny loving gambles.

I fished for excuses. Why’d I love Atlas of the Magic Empire?

Wait…

I widened my eyes slightly.

A strange disconnect hit.

I vaguely recalled something.

But nothing more came.

Then, something appeared before me.

“This building.”

“Here?”

A dilapidated building with cracked gray walls. I doubted the GPS, but it was correct.

Climbing the creaky, elevator-less stairs, we reached a small workshop with a sign reading “Bolt & Spanner.”

“Really here?”

April asked skeptically. Staring at the door, I said calmly, “Probably.”

The once-white walls were cracked, stained, and graffitied.

A rusty brass bell, likely a doorbell, hung beside it. I nudged it.

Ding-dong.

The door flew open, revealing a small boy.

Checking our faces, he shouted boisterously.

“Damn, what’s this?!”

White-blonde hair, oversized industrial jacket. I added.

“Nano’s brother.”

“I’m Ronto! And clients for my sister need gear or payment first!”

He was this brazen, huh? I stopped recalling. Didn’t matter. He wasn’t my target.

“Well, business doesn’t seem that booming.”

Tapping the wall, paint and dust crumbled.

“Pay’s good. Worth a chat, no?”

“Urk!”

Seeing him waver, I pulled my trump card from the bag.

Ronto’s eyes widened.

His stomach growled loudly.

“Tch, san… sandwich…”

“Payment enough? Heard your stomach. Your favorite flavor.”

Drooling, he snatched it, tearing the wrapper, biting in.

Entering the workshop, he shouted.

“Sis! Clients!”

Following, the smell of metal and oil hit me.

The interior was spacious, tidy.

Magical tools, repair gear, and lit monitors lined the space.

Unlike the grimy exterior, the workshop felt modern.

A corner had piled instant noodle cups and junk food wrappers, but it wasn’t unsanitary. Just cluttered.

Then, something moved under a lift with an unknown machine.

A woman, half-visible, climbed a ladder, engrossed in repairs.

Ronto approached, saying, “Sis, clients. Pause work.”

“Sho? Gimme a sec,” came her unique drawl.

Seconds later, she raised the lift remotely, revealing her face.

Familiar.

Tall, white-blonde hair flowing to her back, blue eyes, striking features.

A cropped tee bared her slim waist, paired with tight gray leggings and sneakers.

“You here for me?”

She stepped off the ladder, but slipped, arms flailing toward me.

“W-Woah!”

Reflexively, I caught her as she fell.

Her long hair fanned out, blocking my view, soft warmth enveloping me.

A faint mix of maintenance oil and shampoo hit my nose.

“Eek!”

Panicking, she stood, scratching her head.

Boyish despite her looks, she grinned.

“Haha, sorry. Been starving, working non-stop, slipped. Thanks for catching me.”

Her stomach growled, and she blushed, touching it sheepishly.

Looking at us, she said.

“Late intro. Call me Nano! Electric magic specialist, genius tech.”

“Wow, calling yourself a genius…”

April muttered, taken aback. Nano laughed.

“Haha, gotta advertise!”

Her high energy was as she said.

An original character, excelling in crafting and repairs, not combat—a classic tech nerd.

> “Genius All-Rounder Engineer - Nano”

She often appeared in episodes fixing freelancers’ artifacts or gear in the 19th district.

Her skill was undeniable.

Smiling sheepishly, she wiped soot from her cheek.

Roughly my age, maybe a year or two older. Tall for a woman, her head reached my chin.

“Well, you found me. But I’m swamped with a job—”

Her stomach growled again.

Blushing, she rubbed it, sweeping her hair, saying apologetically.

“Ugh, been working three days straight, no food. Gotta eat quick…”

Checking the wall clock, her blue eyes widened.

“Oh, shoot! Shops are closing! Too late for dinner!”

Looking crestfallen, nearly teary, I raised my bag.

“Maybe this’ll do?”

Opening it, she saw sandwiches and premium grilling meat.

Her eyes sparkled as she exclaimed.

“Really?”

“Of course.”

“Wow, you’re awesome!”

Her face lit up.

Beside me, April stared at her bag, realization dawning.

Genius tech.

Surprisingly, easily swayed by food.

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