Chapter 175. Joining (5)
With a leap, Sirocco lightly landed from the top of the beast she had stomped on.
The beast, whose head was not just heavily dented but flattened by Sirocco’s falling attack, was clearly dead, as it no longer moved.
Seeing Sirocco, who had crushed the beast in a single blow, a mixture of astonishment and cheers erupted from the freelancers who had been surrounding them.
- W-wait a minute. Wolf ears? Then that girl is….
- A 10th Rank? And a beast-kin at that?
- Come to think of it, that black hair… So the rumors were true? That a direct lineage of Elsyde was coming to the Victoria Kazimieśi outsourcing district?
Without paying any attention to the various chatter erupting from all sides, Sirocco walked up to Enoch.
Then, she glanced at Enoch’s embrace with coy eyes.
Sirocco, who had come right up to him, seemed to be displeased with something, and she looked up at Enoch and snorted.
“Hmph~”
“Sirocco, is there a problem?”
Just as he asked that, Enoch suddenly realized that a slender voice was coming from within his embrace.
“U-um, direct lineage-niiim…?”
When he glanced down, his eyes met April’s, who was still being supported in his arms. She looked up with a flustered expression, her face flushed red, and muttered softly.
“U-um, I’m fine now…”
“……”
Come to think of it, he had been holding her arm to support her. Enoch looked at April for a while and confirmed that she had no other injuries.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“N-no! I’m really fine!”
But unlike her answer that she was not hurt, April’s condition seemed quite strange.
As soon as he let go of her supporting arm, she scurried away and kept stealing glances at me with her red-rimmed eyes. A strange feeling emanated from her.
Did she realize my identity as a disguised freelancer? A chill ran down his spine, but no matter how much he thought about it, he was certain that he hadn't given any decisive clues anywhere.
Soon, Enoch came to a clear conclusion.
Then there was only one answer.
Such a reaction was surely because April was worried about the loss of fighting strength ahead of the battle with the magical beasts she had been hired for.
It would be putting the cart before the horse if she got injured before the main game even started.
“Ah! Direct lineage-nim, you were here too!!”
Just then, Nano’s refreshing voice was heard from far away, cutting through the crowd.
When he looked to the side, Nano was just raising the metal visor on her head and was running toward me, waving her hand high.
Nano smiled brightly and exclaimed.
“I heard a gunshot and sent the drone with Lady Sirocco clinging to it, and it seems that was the right answer!”
Sirocco, who saw Nano from the side, placed one hand on her hip and held out the drone she was holding in her other arm to her.
“Hmph, you, you’re amazing. This Bzz-Bzz thing or whatever, it was much harder to catch than I thought.”
“Ahaha! Lady Sirocco is also very amazing! It was an artifact equipped with an active evasion system so that it wouldn’t be easily caught by anyone!!”
Nano scratched the back of her head and laughed unassumingly. Apart from her slender and feminine appearance, her tomboyish and refreshing smile seemed to brighten up the surroundings.
Nano approached Sirocco and asked with interest.
“It was really fun! With this, I can not only test it, but also fix a few flaws in Bzz-Bzz’s system!”
“That’s good.”
“Hmm, is the secret to being able to catch Bzz-Bzz so easily physical enhancement magic after all?”
“Huh?”
When Sirocco tilted her head, Nano approached her closely and asked with a look full of interest.
“I heard from Ronto earlier! That beast-kin greatly enhance their bodies with physical enhancement magic!! And Lady Sirocco even uses it as a Unique Magic!!”
Nano pointed to the thin red ring wrapped around Sirocco’s white ankle and her eyes sparkled.
“Ah! Could that be the Unique Magic that those who have reached the 10th Rank use!!”
“That’s right. But I only used about half.”
Sirocco gently stroked the drone floating in the air and glanced at me, adding.
“If I had been serious, it would have broken, no matter what. Then she would definitely hate it.”
Enoch almost chuckled at Sirocco’s words. Was she being conscious of me, who needed Nano?
Meanwhile, Nano took the drone and laughed awkwardly.
“Wow, as expected, I still have a long way to go. I haven’t even manifested a Unique Magic yet!”
“Then, I’ll play with Bzz-Bzz again later, so you should develop it further by then. Because I liked it, okay?”
“Of course!!”
When Nano smiled refreshingly, Sirocco also lifted her chin slightly and smiled coquettishly.
It seemed they had become friends while playing just now, and Enoch, who was staring at the two girls smiling and acknowledging each other, turned his head to the side.
He could feel a presence from April’s side.
“April, I knew you were reckless, but this is an act that devalues the other freelancers in our office.”
A freelancer carrying a mechanically designed axe on his back was approaching. He came up to April and looked down at her.
April glared at him and replied.
“…Uncle Damastes.”
Enoch tilted his head slightly at those words.
Was that axe-man’s name ‘Damastes’? For some reason, he was convinced by the powerful visual that matched the nuance of the name.
April did not back down a single step, and with her sniper rifle held askew, she stared at Damastes.
“So?”
“Doing jobs for free like just now is not our style. Not only our office, but any freelancer in the outsourcing district should be the same.”
Damastes, with his axe on his shoulder, slowly shook his head.
“…You’re definitely disqualified as a freelancer.”
“It’s better than being disqualified as a human.”
April shot back without losing.
“If you’re so steeped in egoism just because you’re a freelancer, what’s left at the end? What’s so bad about protecting others within reach?”
“Are you preaching that being egoistic is wrong?”
“Yes. Especially since they’re still kids, even if they’re non-mages. It’s okay to protect children who are still powerless, whether they’re mages or non-mages, isn’t it!”
The freelancer with the axe let out a deep sigh.
“…Even though we’re from the same office, I can’t say that our directions are a good match, even with empty words.”
“I agree.”
“In any case, with your meager strength, it’s impossible to carry out that direction, April.”
“Ugh.”
As if he had been hit where it hurt, April’s gaze wavered at Damastes’ words.
“If it weren’t for that noble direct lineage-nim just now, you might have been eaten by that monster along with the kids you were trying to save.”
April couldn't refute and lowered her head. Damastes looked down at April and added, as if driving a nail.
“Strength doesn’t just come from magic rank or combat sense. For scumbags like us in the outsourcing district, knowing how to take advantage of situations like this is directly related to survival.”
“A way of survival.”
Just then, Enoch walked out from beside April and replied calmly.
“It sounds quite interesting.”
For a moment, April’s eyes, who saw the black-haired boy passing by her, widened. She muttered softly.
“Ah, direct lineage-nim…?”
Enoch, unconcerned, stood in front of April and stared at the large man with his dark blue eyes.
“Although it’s temporary, April is in my squad for this operation. To discuss survival methods in that context, does that mean you have a complaint against the leader who has the command authority?”
Damastes glared at Enoch for a moment, and then, as if he hadn't expected him to come out like this, he laughed fiercely.
“Direct lineage…. You’re tougher than I thought.”
Enoch tilted his head.
“At least within this operation, I will decide whether April’s survival method is right or wrong. Damastes, it’s not for someone like you to interfere.”
Enoch stood in front of April and replied to Damastes nonchalantly.
Damastes, who was looking down at me for a moment, then clicked his tongue as if he had no choice and turned his back.
Then, he spat out sarcastically.
“Alright. Let’s see what happens when we stop the magical beasts’ attack, April.”
“…”
“Let’s see if your noble hypocrisy, along with the direct lineage-nim, can survive and defeat egoists like us on the battlefield.”
He added without looking back, as if it were ridiculous.
April, at the man who had turned his back, stuck out her tongue, saying, “Bleh-,” and then glanced at me.
Then, she suddenly bowed her head deeply.
“Thank you so much for saving me! Direct lineage-nim!!”
April’s pink hair, who was suddenly expressing her gratitude, danced in front of Enoch’s eyes, catching the sunlight and rippling brightly.
As he was looking at her with a little puzzlement, April, with her head bowed low, opened her mouth in a very apologetic voice.
“I wanted to save the injured children earlier, and I thought I could do it by myself. But when I actually tried, it was such a reckless act!”
April said, glancing behind her.
Seeing the children who had almost been killed by the beast trembling but clinging to each other and disappearing into the crowd, she let out a small sigh of relief.
“And in retrospect, I put you, my client, in danger as well.”
“……”
“…And, in fact, according to my contract with the direct lineage-nim, I shouldn’t have acted like this.”
“You shouldn’t have?”
“Yes! Of course!”
April opened her eyes slightly and averted her gaze to the side, hugging her sniper rifle tightly.
“Well, my magic gear, the sniper rifle, is specialized for long-range, and I don’t have any proper auxiliary weapons or artifacts for close combat…”
“……”
“I was just being reckless for no reason, and I almost died before I could even properly carry out the request.”
April glanced at me, and then, hugging her sniper rifle with her arms, she put her hands together and exclaimed as if begging for forgiveness.
“Anyway! I’ll officially apologize again, direct lineage-nim! During the mission, from now on, I will! Never! Act rashly!”
Enoch smiled faintly as he saw her apologizing with her eyes squeezed shut.
Certainly, April was very affectionate for a freelancer.
Strictly speaking, her contract was to fight the magical beasts under Enoch’s squad in this battle.
Even though she was in a hired position, it would have been fine if she had just glossed over it without any particular apology.
There was no way that a seasoned freelancer like April didn’t know that, but to bow her head and apologize right away like that. Should I say that this reaction was also consistent if it was consistent?
Enoch slowly nodded his head.
“Certainly, listening to you, it could be seen as a breach of contract.”
“…Ugh.”
April squeezed her eyes shut. Enoch looked at her, who seemed to be prepared for a reprimand, and added.
“Then, I’d like to get a promise from you now.”
“Huh? A p-promise?”
April lifted her head with a start, as if it was an unexpected remark. Enoch slowly nodded his head.
In the first place, he had no intention of being so strict with April’s contract. On the contrary, if he could get her to make a promise with this incident, that was enough.
“Yes. At least, whether it’s temporary or whatever, as long as you’re active in my squad, follow my instructions from now on. If you promise just that, there’s no problem.”
“R-really? Then you’ll forgive me!”
For a moment, April’s eyes widened as if she was moved. Then, she stared at Enoch with her eyes sparkling with emotion.
“An angel…!”
Enoch tilted his head to the side without a word.
Her reaction was quite strong, more so than he had expected. Well, a freelancer who values reliability might be sensitive to such a breach of contract.
Anyway, if this incident could solidify who the commander of this temporarily formed squad was, that was enough for him.
It was a preventive incident to avoid such a situation where he would lose control in a real combat situation where they would cross the line between life and death. If he thought of it that way, it was actually a big gain.
“By the way, so what on earth is this monster?”
Enoch changed the subject and shifted his gaze.
The strange creature that had been flattened by Sirocco was bleeding profusely from its crushed body onto the floor. April, who was looking at it for a moment, also lowered her head slightly as if in thought.
“I know, right? To think it would charge like that even while being continuously burned by fire magic. I didn’t expect that.”
April said, looking down at her sniper rifle.
“Seeing that it was flustered when I hit it, it didn’t seem like it had no sense of pain, even if it was a strange creature. To have this much hostility despite the pain of being burned…”
Enoch nodded his head.
As she said, the beast had charged forward as if enraged, even while feeling the pain of the flames.
April thought for a moment, and then she approached a freelancer who was nearby, tapped him on the shoulder, and asked.
“Hey, so, what happened?”
“I don’t know the details either. But.”
The freelancer who was asked the question pointed to the magical beast that had been flattened by Sirocco and added.
“That, it’s hard to believe, but it was a person.”
“A person? That monster that just died?”
“Yeah. But then he suddenly got into a fight with someone, and his head was half-crushed… and then his body twisted and he mutated like that…”
“What? What on earth…?”
When April asked blankly, the freelancer shook his head as if asking, how would I know?
“It’s probably something like a black mage’s Unique Magic. I don’t know any more than that.”
“That, what…”
April seemed to want to ask something more, but he just shrugged his shoulders as if he really had nothing more to say.
Enoch, who was listening to that, slowly walked over and approached the strange creature in front of him.
“…”
The more he looked at it, the more creepy its form was. It was impossible to think that it had once been a human.
“Could this be a mutated experimental magical beast too?”
When he looked to the side, April had approached. Enoch shook his head quietly.
“It’s different. At least creatures related to magical beasts quickly crumble into black ash after they die. But this wasn’t like that.”
April bit her finger slightly in thought and muttered in a low voice.
“Hmm. I heard that there was a fight earlier, there are black mages among freelancers too. There are many cruel ones. Could it be their doing?”
Enoch shook his head. He couldn’t be sure of anything yet. But he had a hunch.
“Well, at least one thing is certain.”
“Yes?”
“I don’t know what on earth is going on in this outsourcing district…”
Enoch lifted his head.
Outside the outsourcing district, where a vast sea of endless trees spread out. He stared at the border of the outsourcing district, which was far away, and added calmly.
“…At the very least, I can’t say that it has no connection to the swarm of magical beasts that are gathering somewhere in that forest.”
He didn’t know exactly who was controlling Tantalus’s experimental subjects that were gathering in the forest.
However, he knew for sure who the black mage with a Unique Magic that could ‘change the form of a person’ like this was.
In an instant, the Vendetta Annihilation Officer with a black plague doctor mask and a unique tailcoat came to mind.
In the end, only one thing was certain.
He was not the only one joining up.
The army of experimental subjects that were gathering at the border of the outsourcing district. The forces behind them, who were related to them, must also be gathering at this moment.
In the darkness of that forest, the enemy chess player was also gathering powerful chess pieces and slowly revealing himself on the huge game board.
Enoch stared into the darkness cast by the forest at the border.
The veiled existence that was gathering the magical beasts. It was surely there somewhere, even now.
He didn’t know exactly who it was, or how many there were…
At the very least, it was certain that this situation was deeply related to the ‘experimental subjects,’ which were no different from the remnants of Tantalus.
If so, he had to not only solve this case, but also delve into its end.
Because it was surely a problem that was also related to the future of Enoch Elsyde, who had been killed by Tantalus’s experimental magical beasts in the Official History.
And perhaps…….
He had a hunch that at the end of finding the clues connected in that way, he might be able to find a clue about the original Enoch Elsyde.