It has been a tiring day, and Lennok certainly felt the exhaustion settling in. The originally planned schedule, which should have concluded with a commitment to Antares, seemed to have evolved into its current state. Given the complexity of the task at hand, it was inevitable that unexpected variables would come into play. As always, there never seems to be a specific day when work piles up.
Lennok slightly inclined his head as he gazed up at the robot head standing before him.
“I am here!!!”
A resounding male voice boomed loudly in the bar.
“…….”
Jenny’s expression mirrored Lennok’s feelings, with her hands covering her ears.
“Hey buddy!! It seems you’ve had a tough time. But worry no more. I have come to help you!!”
“Manson.”
Lennok responded casually.
“Cut the crap and get to the point.”
“…….”
After entrusting the injured Weian to Dray and confirming that Jordan had gone upstairs to rest, Lennok turned his attention back.
“Normally, in such a situation, you would promptly suck up to the cartel to leech off their money, you bastard.”
“Oh… You have a ridiculous misunderstanding about me. That truly hurts my heart.”
Manson, shaking his head from side to side and hugging himself with both hands, presented a peculiar sight.
“And you, weren’t you a man?”
Surprisingly, the body beneath the familiar robot head did not belong to a man this time. Manson had arrived at Jenny’s bar in the form of a woman. Not just any woman, but a tall and imposing one, larger than Lennok.
“Gender means nothing at the boundary of body and soul. I always strive for neutrality!”
“…….”
Lennok had harbored suspicions when he learned that Manson had transformed his entire head into a machine to regulate the flow of information to his brain, but Manson was an exceptionally unique individual in many respects.
Perhaps there were unique challenges faced by someone compatible with multiple bodies. Such a constitution was exceedingly rare even in this vast city, and neither Lennok nor Jenny possessed further knowledge about it.
Nevertheless, Manson’s flimsy excuse failed to clarify why he was aligning himself with Lennok at this particular moment.
“Stop the nonsense and tell me why you suddenly want to join us. We’re not that close, are we?”
“Hmm.”
In response to Jenny’s chilly words, Manson silently scratched his metallic head.
“The truth is, after wandering around on my own recently, the jobs coming in here aren’t that great.”
Manson’s explanation can be summarized as follows:
The menace of the dark wizard Craig Tillion, orchestrated around the council’s senator, Reisen.
Manson had undertaken several tasks on behalf of Reisen. However, with Reisen’s downfall amid various allegations and embezzlement, Manson found himself cut off as well.
His eccentric behavior had already eroded the trust of many clients, and his reputation took a steep dive as he became entangled in numerous questionable affairs.
Had it stopped there, some people might have still been willing to hire Manson for his skills. However, he continued to associate with suspicious clients, fueling rumors of his unreliability.
While being motivated by money was one thing, aligning with dubious clients made it natural for potential clients to hesitate.
Even though Manson charged slightly less than other freelancers of comparable skill due to his reputation, there was a limit to how much one could compromise on quality.
“So, even for me, I felt the need to restore the trust that had fallen.”
Many clients inherently had a favorable view of Kaiser, so Manson calculated that his reputation would improve by aligning with Jenny and handling matters for her.
“Besides, the ones you’re dealing with, the cartel, right? I have a bit of a history with them too. If I’m up against those annoying suit-wearers, I think I can exert my full strength!!”
“I see.”
It sounded like, in addition to leveraging Jenny’s connections to enhance his reputation, Manson held a grudge against the cartel.
Now that his relationship with the cartel had soured, he seemed eager to get involved and take advantage of the situation.
Lennok and Jenny exchanged looks and nodded.
“We don’t need you, so get lost.”
Jenny replied with a stern expression.
Manson clutched his head in his hands and lamented.
“No-!! This isn’t going as I expected?!”
“Why would we hire a fool like you, you idiot?”
While he possessed multiple bodies capable of performing various roles depending on the situation, which was a definite advantage, Manson’s trustworthiness, as he himself admitted, was questionable.
“Of course, I don’t plan to charge you the full amount. How about we try working together once and then decide?”
Manson suggested, flexing his muscles with raised arms, though they didn’t appear particularly muscular due to his different body.
“Even so, I am confident in taking lives!!”
“…….”
Jenny glanced at Lennok without saying a word.
Ultimately, since Lennok was responsible for engaging in combat with the cartel members, the decision was his to make.
Honestly, someone like Manson, while challenging to trust in a strategic operation, wasn’t a bad offer.
His skills were undeniable, having been tested by Lennok himself, and his unique personality might prove helpful in unforeseen circumstances.
While he might not be reliable for specific missions, he was certainly capable of being assigned to protect the nearby bar.
However, Lennok wasn’t pleased with agreeing to all of Manson’s terms.
Lennok nodded and continued.
“It’s a waste of money. If you started this to improve your reputation, why not be a little more generous?”
“What, what?”
Jenny immediately understood Lennok’s words and responded with a sly smile.
“Let’s do it for free. If you promise to help us without taking a penny, I will personally connect you with clients after this is over.”
“That’s…”
“Be honest, you want to take advantage of my connections. If you do, I will do my best to help you.”
“…….”
For the first time, Manson was speechless.
The idea of working without payment seemed to be a significant concern for him. Having his name associated with this side without compensation, especially in a potentially endless conflict with the cartel, appeared burdensome.
But for Lennok and Jenny, this wasn’t a major concern.
Once Manson stirred up trouble at the bar and reached out to the cartel, his options became limited.
While it would have been advantageous to have someone as skilled as Manson lend a hand, it wasn’t a make-or-break situation if he declined.
They could part ways amicably if he decided to walk away, and if he agreed to work without compensation, it would only bolster the credibility of the reasons he had presented.
After much hesitation, Manson finally nodded reluctantly.
“Okay… but you have to keep your word, woman.”
“Would I not?”
Jenny grinned.
“First, go upstairs to the office. I think I have a rough idea of how to deal with the cartel after this.”
With those words, she gestured to the others gathered at the bar.
“Let’s discuss how we can make those guys bow down and come to us.”
***
There are certain advantages that come with differences in size.
Jenny was actually relieved that the cartel had acted swiftly before their business had officially taken off.
Even if their strengths weren’t precisely equal, as long as they were comparable, there were countless possibilities.
Listening to her explanation, it became evident that completing the plan would require a bit more time.
Lennok attended to the remaining tasks and prepared to leave the bar.
He had rushed over hastily due to Jordan’s kidnapping, but there was still much for Lennok to handle.
Balancing the lives as Van and Lennok was a challenging task, but he couldn’t afford to neglect either now.
After signaling to Jenny that he would return, he was about to exit the bar when he noticed a familiar young man holding a newspaper.
It was one of the twin mercenaries who had substituted for Dylan and Mila at the Antares Mercenary Corps. Was his name Velber?
There had been opportunities for conversation, but both had been unusually quiet, so even now that the situation had settled, Lennok had no particular memory of conversing with them.
Just as he was about to pass by without much thought, Lennok inadvertently caught sight of a headline in the newspaper that piqued his interest.
World Affairs.
[Clash between Blaiver and Pandemonium. The authority of the Blaiver Tower is shaken by the grip of a criminal organization… Is this really okay?]
The article’s title was too significant to ignore, causing Lennok to involuntarily halt in his tracks.
“Hmm?”
The young man, Velber, noticed Lennok’s presence and turned his head.
Ignoring his gaze, Lennok read the article with a serious expression but sensed Velber’s eyes on him and stepped back slightly.
“If I made you uncomfortable, I apologize.”
“No, it’s fine. Are you interested in these kinds of articles, Van?”
“Hmm… You could say that.”
He didn’t voice it, but he was primarily interested in gauging how far the repercussions of his actions would extend.
‘Too much success can also be a problem.’
Handling everything flawlessly under the guise of his identity as Byzen had been fine. However, the problem lay in the involvement of forgotten alchemy technology from World 1.0, with both the Pandemonium and the Blaiver Tower actively in motion.
Consequently, the flames of war were rapidly spreading across the volcanic region of Claoronis, where the Blaiver Tower’s headquarters were situated.
Lennok concealed these thoughts and casually changed the topic.
“You seem very interested in world affairs.”
“Of course.”
Velber nodded calmly.
“The Blaiver Tower supports various industries that require all sorts of flame technologies, including the steel industry. Isn’t it natural for related stocks to fall when such events occur?”
“…….”
Lennok blinked, not entirely comprehending.
“Related… What did you say?”
“Stocks, I’m talking about stocks. To make money, one naturally has to pay attention to this kind of news. Aggressive investing is the shortcut to success.”
“…Is that so?”
“It’s good that you seem interested too, Van. How about we have a drink and discuss our investment views? My twin has no interest in such matters, so I don’t have anyone to talk to about this…”
Crack!!
Just as Velber adjusted his posture to engage Lennok in conversation, his head jerked forward suddenly. Velber’s twin, Velita, emerged from behind him.
She swiftly positioned herself in front of Velber, blocking his path and offering a sweet smile to Lennok.
“I’m sorry~ My brother is a bit stupid and can’t read the room. He loves to waste the money he earns on bizarre ventures, so please don’t take it too seriously.”
“…….”
“Velita, what are you talking about? I have never failed in an investment. All the losses so far have been just the foundation for success.”
“Do you want to die? How many people have you swindled into losing money with that talk, and you’re still spouting such nonsense? I want to get along with the wizard, so don’t try any funny business.”
After casually delivering a warning, Velita confidently extended her hand to Lennok first.
“This is the first time we’re properly introducing ourselves, isn’t it? I’m Velita. I’ve heard a lot of good things about you from the boss.”
