Lennok finally understood what Evelyn meant when she said the timing was bad.
If the atmosphere inside the fortress was calm, becoming a representative of one of the eight families would not be a problem at all.
It would simply mean comfortably completing the auction and leaving the fortress.
However, in the current situation, where a fierce power struggle is ongoing among the families, what does it mean to become a representative of one family?
Evelyn was warning that one could get caught up in the disputes inside the fortress.
“Not bad.”
“What?”
Having heard that, Lennok was more determined.
Following the traces of the order. Entering the auction to learn about the ruins and time magic.
If both these goals were related to the internal struggle in the fortress, avoiding the conflict would be a poor strategy.
It would be more efficient to actively jump into the fray.
“It won’t be hard to at least keep myself safe, no matter what happens.”
Lennok said, putting the ticket in his pocket.
“If things go south, I can just use my position as an external director of Cartel as a shield and escape. There are plenty of ways out, so there’s no reason not to step in.”
“….The board of directors will surely love that decision.”
Evelyn shook her head with a wry smile at Lennok’s grinning face.
“If you’re still planning to go after hearing all this, I won’t stop you. It’s not like you’re new to this kind of work, having been around here for a day or two…”
“Good.”
“But even I don’t know much about how the struggle is unfolding inside the fortress. Information about the Eight Strongholds Fortress is hard to come by, and if it’s not necessary, I rarely touch it.”
“Jenny said the same thing. Understood.”
Indeed, after expressing his intention to visit the Eight Strongholds Fortress and seeking the necessary information, it was said that even the deep web had no immediate answers.
It seemed better for Lennok to go in himself and scout around, as it would take at least a week to get the information or updates he needed.
Having heard about the ticket, it would be better to check which family issued it and participate in the auction.
While Lennok was organizing his next steps in his mind, suddenly a thick voice came from behind.
“Team Leader Marcia!”
A robust middle-aged man strode up and offered a handshake to Evelyn without hesitation.
The various ornaments and artifacts he wore indicated the thickness of his wallet.
Evelyn immediately recognized the man and smiled awkwardly.
“President Tucker. Long time no see.”
“Indeed, it’s been a long time! What brings you here, Team Leader? Do you have business in the fortress?”
The man called Tucker, without waiting for an answer, started talking about himself.
“…Thinking back, that was a really big deal. If it weren’t for your help, we would have ended up as fodder for the contaminants in the desert outside the city.”
“Oh, yes.”
“But after overcoming that crisis and delivering goods to our client, things went well, and now we’ve expanded our business to supply materials to the Eight Strongholds Fortress!! All thanks to you, Team Leader.”
Marcia smiled awkwardly at Tucker’s hearty laughter and his protruding belly.
Even Lennok, watching from the side, found the man excessively talkative. Such an energetic person could establish supply chains and clients everywhere.
“But who is this…?”
After a while, Tucker’s gaze finally fell on Lennok, standing behind Evelyn.
Evelyn then introduced Lennok to Tucker.
“This is Van. He’s a mage who also serves as an external consultant for the agency.”
“Ah, Van…! I’ve heard that name before!!”
Tucker excitedly reached out for a handshake.
“Everyone knows the ‘Steadfast Thunder’ of District 49. You’re famous for being buried in work. I never thought I’d meet you here.”
“…?”
Steadfast Thunder. Lennok had never heard of such a title.
He glanced at Evelyn, who nodded with a resigned expression.
It seemed that she knew roughly what Lennok was called in this field.
“Meeting the two of you in front of the passage to the fortress… Do you have business in the Eight Strongholds Fortress?”
“Oh, it’s not me, but Van’s matter.”
As Evelyn stepped back, Tucker approached more eagerly.
“I see! If Van is having trouble entering the fortress, I think I can help…”
Lennok, instead of responding to that, just quietly stared into Tucker’s eyes.
His face, rounded into a friendly smile, seemed genuinely kind, but Lennok could read something more behind his words and demeanor.
‘So he knew who I was from the start.’
Though he had been chatting with Evelyn for a while, the words Tucker just threw out seemed to be his main point.
At first glance, it might look like Tucker was offering kindness to Lennok, but the reality was different.
If Lennok accepted his help and accompanied him, it would create an impression among the people inside the Eight Strongholds Fortress that Tucker and Van were traveling together.
Naturally, this would also make it easier for Tucker to secure his safety and receive better treatment within the fortress.
Hiring a freelancer from District 49 like this, who would usually be unaffordable, seemed like a profitable deal to Tucker.
‘It’s not that I need help, but…’
Entering the Eight Strongholds Fortress is a process involving stringent procedures and verifications, but with the ticket Evelyn gave, entering the fortress itself wouldn’t be too difficult.
The ticket, issued by one of the eight families, essentially served as proof that the holder was a representative of the family.
Just showing it off and throwing around some weight would be enough to pass the strict inspection of the fortress.
However, Lennok, guessing this, still smiled and nodded.
“Thanks, I was having some trouble. Would it be okay if I join you?”
“Of, of course! I will bring my team and belongings right away!”
Watching Tucker’s back as he walked away with a beaming face, Evelyn frowned.
“We got in touch during an external trip last month, but despite appearances, he’s not that good a person. Are you sure it’s okay?”
“It’s fine.”
Lennok answered leisurely.
“He seems to want to use my name as a shield… If I can hide the ticket when entering the fortress, it would be beneficial for me too.”
The ticket Lennok had was proof of being a representative of the Oryun family.
Conversely, showing this ticket at the entrance of the fortress would immediately inform the high-ranking officials inside that Lennok was a representative of the Oryun family.
Instead, pretending to be part of Tucker’s group and keeping his affiliation with any family secret seemed more appealing to him.
Of course, once Lennok started his activities in earnest, this information would quickly be uncovered, but using the temporary imbalance in information was also part of Lennok’s plan.
“Being with me doesn’t necessarily mean safety.”
Evelyn shook her head at Lennok’s sly smile.
* * *
After a brief farewell with Evelyn, Lennok followed Tucker into the fortress.
Tucker maintained a respectful attitude towards Van even after Evelyn had left.
“Haha, this isn’t my first time supplying materials inside the fortress. It probably won’t be too difficult to pass through even with Van accompanying us.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course. Actually, this is something I shouldn’t be saying here…”
Tucker looked around and then whispered into Lennok’s ear.
“Most people in the fortress don’t really care about the outside world. I’m sorry to say, but they might not even know who Van is.”
As expected, the fortress’s gatekeeper scrutinized the new companion but didn’t recognize who Lennok was.
Had he managed to conceal his mana well enough to be mistaken for an ordinary wizard?
If he had shown the ticket, the reaction would have been much more intense.
Joining Tucker turned out to be a much better decision than expected.
Passing through the over ten-meter-high cement walls, Lennok entered the fortress, greeted by an open street.
What stood out most were the buildings, completely different from the typical style of a giant city.
Thick wooden pillars, wide floors, and curved tiles marked the distinctive houses and buildings.
The attire of the people walking the streets also gave off a slightly different impression from the modern clothing of the giant city.
And the gazes that poured out every time Tucker’s large truck sped down the road.
Just one thick cement wall made such a difference in atmosphere; it was undoubtedly a fascinating place.
“It seems like the people here are quite interested in outsiders.”
“Even though many people line up outside the fortress, only a limited number can actually enter.”
Tucker replied, looking somewhat proud.
Indeed, having established and maintained a trade network inside the fortress, Tucker’s business acumen must be considerable.
Sitting next to the driver, Tucker, holding the steering wheel, began to boast about how he started trading with the fortress and how well he packaged and delivered the goods.
Lennok thought Tucker was talking so much just to draw him in, but it seemed to be his natural disposition.
The expressions of the other employees sitting in different seats of the truck suggested this wasn’t their first time experiencing such chatter.
Lennok slightly turned his head and focused on deciphering the structure of the barrier erected nearby.
The structure was so intricate that even Lennok, who had some knowledge of barrier magic through Liberation Arts and Primary Barrier Patterns, couldn’t grasp it immediately.
Perhaps the fortress itself was conceptualized as one entity, with various conditions and constraints sustaining the barrier.
If he could understand these conditions and constraints, Lennok’s own skills in barrier magic could advance further.
Lost in these thoughts, Tucker addressed Lennok again.
“Just accompany us to the client, that would be sufficient. After that, you can go wherever you wish.”
Since he had already used Tucker’s help to get inside, it was only fair to accompany him to his desired destination.
After parting with Tucker, Lennok planned to change his appearance and gather information about the eight families nearby.
Especially important was to find out the position of the Oryun family in the power struggle of the fortress, and how much they could assist Lennok.
As Lennok was about to nod in agreement, he suddenly sensed a presence rapidly approaching from beyond his sensory range.
“…!”
Magic users. More than ten of them were converging on Tucker’s truck from all directions.
Paba-paba-pabat!!
The swift movements of people running across rooftops in all directions.
In the midst of this, Lennok frowned as he felt a faint sense of danger.
Koo-woong!!
In an instant, over a dozen dark figures surrounded the truck in the middle of the road.
Sharp flashes of light from within the truck coincided with blades piercing through the windows.
Crash!!
There was no time to ask questions.
As a magic user, Lennok quickly caught and twisted the incoming attacks, then launched a counterblast, forcing the assailants to retreat.
“Aaaah!!”
The pale-faced employee drove the truck frantically forward.
The truck veered off the road into a narrow alley, driven almost recklessly by the visibly shaken driver.
The alley, barely wide enough for a single vehicle, was fortunately empty.
Lennok muttered, looking out the window.
“It would have been better to keep driving on the road.”
“What, what?”
“This way, we’re only giving our pursuers an advantage.”
These were people who didn’t hesitate to attack even amidst a crowd.
Without the public’s gaze in the alley, their aggressiveness could only escalate.
Lennok wasn’t particularly surprised by this sudden attack, having entered the fortress without concealing his identity as Ban.
“This, what is this!! Why is this happening to us!!”
Tucker shouted, trembling.
Ignoring his words, Lennok immediately turned his attention to the chasing figures behind them.
Running effortlessly along the walls of the alley, they were quickly closing in on the truck.
Dadadadada!!
Unlike the truck, confined to the narrow alley, the pursuers moved three-dimensionally, rapidly closing the distance.
If this continued, everyone except Lennok was in grave danger.
If he wasn’t planning to let the pursuers go, it was better to help them out and demand a price.
“I’ll intercept them. Keep driving.”
Lennok quickly made a decision and reached for his left sleeve.
Click!!
A revolver sprung out as the shrinking spell was released.
However, its appearance was entirely different from Lennok’s usual equipment.
A white barrel gleaming and a smooth cylinder emitting a faint blue magical glow.
This was Lennok’s new equipment, custom-made at great expense from Palmer.
Holding the shining white revolver, Lennok looked back at Tucker.
Though he had feigned goodwill, Tucker’s intention to use Van’s name for his safety wasn’t exactly noble.
Saving his life was worth a higher price than Lennok initially thought.
Lennok asked Tucker with a faint smile.
“An incentive will be necessary. That’s okay, right?”
(To be Continued)
