Chapter 155. The Truth (5)

“Here’s the data. Details on the beasts in this district.”

The gaunt man pulled a sealed document from a cabinet of files and photos, handing it to April.

“Submit this to the 19th district council, and your job’s complete, no issues.”

April’s eyes widened.

“Huh? You knew the job details?”

“Yes. We’ve tracked all freelancer investigations here.”

“Already?”

“Of course. Many ‘rats’ from the fallen underworld are here. Their intel-gathering is unmatched.”

That made sense.

I’d seen the underworld’s rat network’s prowess with Omen.

With such resources, Underground’s swift investigation was no surprise.

Checking her device, April sighed in relief.

“Phew, plenty of time. Even with travel, we’re good. Thank god…”

“Still, you should head out soon.”

The man nodded.

“Hope our data reaches the council. May we survive this incident.”

Incident.

The beastified experiments tied to the rebellion keyword in the 19th district. We hadn’t uncovered specifics.

But their purpose was clear.

A massive force, with physical abilities far surpassing humans.

If conflict arose, even district mages couldn’t handle them easily. Non-mages, even less.

April stared at the file, then looked up.

“Alright, we’re off.”

“If you need an escort out of Underground—”

“No, I’ll guide!”

Someone blocked my path, arms spread familiarly.

Ronto, Nano’s brother.

His volunteering had a reason. Sure enough, he spoke, eyes shining.

“Hey, you’re freelancers, right?”

“Yeah.”

Hesitating, he shook his head, steeling himself, lifting his face.

“…Please, save my sister Nano!”

***

Exiting Underground, walking narrow alleys, a tunnel through a shopping center caught my eye.

Vending machines glowed blue, their cooling hum grating.

At this hour, the place was empty, our footsteps echoing.

April stopped at a machine, grabbing a can.

She handed one to Ronto, then me, leaning against the machine. Its blue light suited her vibe oddly well.

“Thanks, freelancer-nee.”

“This drink’s my treat for the client. So, what’d you mean?”

Opening her can, she asked.

“Save Nano?”

“Get her out of this district.”

April nodded slowly, sensing something.

“Hm, with her skills, she’s too good for this place. Not into illegal stuff, right?”

Tapping her lips, she glanced at Ronto.

“Guess why she’s still here.”

When we asked Nano, she’d looked at Ronto, hinting at her reason.

It wasn’t hard to piece together.

“…Because I’m a non-mage.”

As expected, Ronto bowed his head.

April looked down, puzzled, tilting her head.

“I asked Nano, but you two don’t plan to leave? Honestly, staying’s foolish…”

“Our late parents’ wish.”

April froze, mouth agape.

“…What? P-Parents?! Dead? Oh no!!”

Flailing, she waved her hands.

“No! That’s noble!! Noble!”

I sighed inwardly, watching her backpedal. Ronto, unfazed, continued calmly.

“…My parents wanted me to attend the non-mage school here.”

His words clicked.

The district, akin to the empire’s slums, had many non-mages, with a nominal non-mage school.

That’s what he meant.

But April tilted her head, confused, then frowned, tapping her cheek.

“Hm, don’t get it. School here’s not a great choice.”

Even accounting for non-mage discrimination, the cons outweighed the pros.

Realizing, she flailed again.

“Oh, no! I didn’t mean to insult—!”

“It’s fine, don’t worry. I agree.”

Unlike her panic, Ronto nodded, sharing her view.

“Pointless, but to defend them, my dad was a non-mage. Probably faced discrimination young. He chose this for me. Foolishly.”

“Foolish…”

“I remember them like that. Obsessed with magic engineering. They underestimated the district.”

“Results speaking, maybe?”

He nodded at April’s words.

“Yeah. I get their intent, but it ended like this. A few years ago, Scavengers went wild, and they became victims.”

Biting his lip, he looked up.

“Nano, bright and upright, distanced herself from bad people even more. Always strong-willed.”

“Hm…”

April glanced at me.

Ronto hadn’t said it, but April likely guessed Nano’s choice.

Left alone, Nano vowed to care for her brother, honoring their parents. Her upright nature made it inevitable.

Ronto clenched his fists, resolute, lifting his head.

“So, I’m begging!”

His eyes shone with desperation.

“Get Nano out of the district!”

His plea was raw, pure. April stared silently.

Ronto, head bowed, continued.

“Nano’s bright, passionate, but naive. Stubborn. She can’t rot here because of me. She deserves her own life!”

April asked quietly.

“What exactly do you want?”

“Nano chose to stay for me. But that makes leaving hard.”

April nodded, understanding.

“Oh, ‘Main House citizenship’?”

“Yeah…”

Ronto’s head dropped.

To run a workshop in a Main House, you need business registration, requiring citizenship.

But Main House citizenship is exorbitantly expensive and time-consuming.

Beyond that, district outcasts face countless hurdles to reach the Main Houses’ light.

It meant one thing.

The empire shunned the underbelly’s filth rising to the surface.

“So, Ronto, what about you?”

He looked up at April’s question.

“I can stand alone now. Kids my age here often do. I don’t want to hold Nano back forever.”

“You’ll stay?”

“Yeah, I’ll run [Bolt & Spanner]. Make it the district’s best workshop, untouchable by Scavengers!”

His eyes blazed with resolve.

But—

“Ow!”

A sharp flick hit his forehead. April had snapped his head.

“Why’d you hit me!”

“Ow! My finger! Your head’s hard!”

Oddly, April seemed hurt too.

Ronto clutched his head, April her finger—a comical scene. Watching longer might’ve been fun.

April spoke first.

“You idiot, you don’t say that to just anyone!”

Rubbing her finger, teary, she scolded.

“Tell that to shady freelancers, and they’ll exploit your weakness. Nano’s naive—spill that, and she’s sold off!”

“B-But you and him are freelancers! You take jobs, right?”

Ronto, pained and indignant, argued.

April glanced at me.

I nodded silently.

She likely understood.

Ronto had no one else to turn to, seeking help from outside freelancers.

To a kid, freelancers seemed omnipotent, free.

But that’s why April was teaching him.

“Your desperation’s clear, but you can’t expose weaknesses like that.”

“…Urk!”

“Could I or him exploit that? In a district with big dreams, be sharper.”

Ronto, stung, bowed his head.

April lifted her chin, resigned.

“Hope you learned.”

“…The job…”

“Freelancers move for pay.”

“…Huh?”

Expecting rejection, Ronto looked up at her unexpected reply.

She looked down evenly.

“We’re contracted. We move for money.”

“Got it. The fee…”

Ronto fumbled in his pockets. April sighed, shrugging.

“Don’t know? We got an advance.”

“Huh?”

She turned away.

“The barbecue you and Nano served at the workshop. That’s payment.”

“Oh, then…!”

“Tch, don’t make me repeat. I’m shy about this stuff!”

Grumbling, she stepped off the machine.

“I’ll think of ways to help Nano.”

“Thanks!! Thanks, nee, hyung!”

What? I tilted my head.

I hadn’t said anything. And I paid for half the ingredients.

“Don’t expect too much. Like you said, it’s tough. Leaving the district outright? Unlikely. Costs a ton, takes forever. Right?”

She glanced at me, her eyes saying, ‘You’re in, right?’

No way.

“Who decided that?”

“What? Hold on! Read the room…!”

Her eyes widened. Obviously, I wouldn’t agree vaguely.

“Your opinion’s it takes time. I’ve got another way.”

I’d planned Nano’s treatment from the start.

“I’ve got connections in Elsyde. I can request citizenship for Nano.”

Their reactions were explosive.

“…What?!”

“Really? That’s possible?!”

I nodded silently.

I’d studied the privileges of Elsyde’s direct line. A citizenship permit was trivial.

Savoring their stunned faces, I reaffirmed my goal.

Talent acquisition.

I knew Nano’s original prowess. She had to be an ally.

Helping her would yield returns.

That’s why I accepted April’s pair request for this district.

My goal was to lay the groundwork for key talent recruitment.

My desperate hold on my direct-line status was paying off.

Watching their gaping faces, I tilted my head under my knight-like visor.

Power was awfully convenient.

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