Mist reflected on how things had gotten to this point.
He completed the request, and organized the completion report meticulously to make it look professional. He even prepared it in a document envelope with an attached report.
Using a sealing staff for the seal was the icing on the cake.
Excellent. With just this, he had become quite an 'impressive' fixer.
But Mist was thorough.
He took great care in acting out the role of Mist, who had excellent looks and a cool, chic personality.
He sprayed mist for a mysterious entrance. Just that alone made others look at him with awe.
Of course, at first there were many complaints about not being able to see ahead and questioning what he was doing, but after earning the name Mist, such cases decreased significantly.
Not talking much was also part of the concept.
Wouldn't the atmosphere be ruined if a mysterious man shrouded in mist was chatty?Just disappearing with the mist without saying anything, only making the sound of footsteps.
That was what Mist considered to be 'cool'.
'I successfully delivered the report, and made proper eye contact with Lorraine.'
Lorraine Ponk.
He knew her from crossing paths several times. Of course, it would be strange not to know a fellow fixer from the same office.
However, they had never had a conversation. That wasn't because of Mist's belief that he needed to maintain his reticence even with colleagues.
It was because Mist was too shy to properly speak to pretty women.
While Lorraine's personality and actions diminished her charm, her base appearance was striking to anyone who saw her.
Mist secretly liked her and was looking for an opportunity to get closer to her.
What might seem like 'Why is he looking at me?' from Lorraine's perspective was actually Mist's attempt to get closer.
One might question how making eye contact shows friendliness, but for Mist who couldn't even properly make eye contact with women, it was the result of gathering a lot of courage.
It could have been dangerous if he had done it wrong. If he had maintained eye contact for just 3 more seconds, he might have started planning their wedding venue and number of children.
'Everything was good up until leaving. Now I just need to receive the request fee and relax at home for a few weeks.'
Actually, since the request itself wasn't difficult, he could have pursued another request for additional compensation.
Nevertheless, Mist strictly maintained a break period between requests.
The reason was that doing requests too frequently would reduce his mysteriousness.
'But I discovered this guy.'
Mist's gaze turned toward Osian.
Osian's appearance as he calmly explained what happened during the request was admirably beautiful.
Not only was the content he described extraordinary, but there wasn't a hint of exaggeration mixed in.
'It's not just pretense. I can tell whether someone is acting or not.'
Mist had worn a mask for a very long time. Therefore, he was able to distinguish whether someone's appearance was sincere or not.
The Osian that Mist saw was real.
His natural charisma and dignity were deeply embedded in his actions.
'This isn't acting or anything like that.'
Mist had been hiding himself and wearing masks for over 20 years, even before becoming a fixer.
Looking at Osian's appearance, it didn't seem like he would have done anything like that.
'Literally someone born naturally gifted. Why is someone like this working as a fixer?'
Mist couldn't understand it.
Not only was Osian a fixer, but the fact that he belonged to the same Violet Fox was even more burdensome.
Among other things, if he was such a quiet and cool man, wouldn't his concept overlap with his own?
Mist felt a sense of crisis.
So he tried to observe Osian somehow, trying to identify any weaknesses he might have.
Even the most perfect person would have human aspects, and he could at least find some comfort in such areas.
'I can't see any. He truly has no gaps.'
Good heavens.
Mist felt like the sky was falling.
There were some rookies who tried to copy his cool image.
But none of them ever dared to catch up to him. They were just shells imitating the fixer called Mist.
Mist felt ecstasy at that fact. I am special. I am different from you all. Such conviction flowed through his veins.
That pride completely crumbled now while looking at Osian.
The survival instinct that one feels when facing a clear superior rang alarm bells.
But Mist suppressed that anxiety with cold reason.
'No. This appearance isn't important. What matters for a fixer is how well they complete their assigned requests.'
But thinking about it again, isn't this guy a super rookie? Moreover, he heard that he had successfully completed most requests recently without any failures.
......It didn't seem like this approach would work.
'Right. What's important is ability. People's evaluation differs based on how cool and flashy your abilities are.'
Even with the same power and same request success rate, a mutant handling brilliant light would be treated differently from a dark mage handling gloomy dark magic.
That's how people's perception works.
Mist was confident in his ability. The way he surrounded himself with mist and created a mysterious atmosphere was something that would work even from a third person's perspective.
Meanwhile, all Osian had for a weapon was just one sword.
'Cold steel? Hmm. An excellent choice. These days everyone and their mother shoots guns so it doesn't feel very unique. But if you wield a sword, that alone can create quite a picture.'
Mist's mind rotated quickly.
Since Osian had good proportions, each of his sword-wielding stances would be like a model's pose.
Combined with that handsome appearance, it would be like a photo spread just by itself.
'But that's not enough. It lacks crucial impact. You could add flashiness by giving the sword special functions, but effects brought in from outside lack foundation and are flimsy.'
Upon realizing this fact, Mist had to forcefully suppress his shoulders from perking up.
Whatever it was, he felt certain of his victory in terms of flashiness of ability.
'Phew. That's somewhat relieving. But I can't be at ease. This is the first time someone has pushed me this far.'
Although Osian had no intention of pushing Mist at all and it was all just Mist's misunderstanding, Mist didn't care about that.
To Mist, Osian had already been identified as the factor that needed the most attention.
'I'll need to be careful.'
Though it was just a moment, Osian's potential was truly limitless in terms of threatening(?) his position.
Although he seemed completely unaware of it himself, the moment he realized and properly utilized it, Osian would truly rise to stardom.
Of course, Osian wasn't the type to use it even if he knew about it, but Mist couldn't know that.
'Huh. Well, he is my junior, and this much...is a passing grade I guess. It wouldn't be bad to do requests together.'
He was a threatening rival just before, but once he found a flaw, the evaluation went down to just a passing grade.
Regardless of what Mist thought, Osian's story continued and then concluded.
Of course, he didn't tell all the truth about Rommel, or Gaien's identity.
He just vaguely said that he went to Zero Ground and worked together with the people there to defeat the underground monster.
But even that much was something.
"Wow. You really did all that? Must have been tough."
"It was nothing. And this was just a side thing, my request isn't over yet."
"Right. Flood recovery work doesn't end after just one day. It probably takes over a week, right?"
That was even the minimum estimate. The damage was particularly severe this time, so it was likely to take longer.
Though Osian wouldn't feel the difference since he wasn't directly involved in flood recovery but rather escorting VIPs or eliminating criminals.
"By the way, do you have any plans next ?"
"I'm going to meet someone for a bit."
Since the conversation was over, Lorraine went back to maintaining her guns, and Ronan went upstairs to the second floor to read the report Mist had brought.
Mist also glanced at Osian before quietly getting up from his seat and leaving the pub.
Even when leaving, he didn't forget to spray a faint mist.
Osian moved as well.
The place he headed to was the warehouse that had been converted into a training facility where the knights were training.
When he opened the door and entered, hot air rushed at him immediately.
The thunderous sound of heavy iron being lifted and lowered, and shouts that could be either war cries or screams.
Anyone would be overwhelmed by or feel repulsion towards the atmosphere of this space itself, but Osian rather felt a homely comfort as if he had come to his hometown.
"Good."
The first to approach Osian after seeing him was Asmer.
"Successor! You've come!"
After giving a polite greeting, Asmer glanced briefly at Osian and spoke.
"Somehow, you seem stronger than before."
Osian slightly raised his eyebrow at those words.
It was as he said. After the fight with Rommel, Osian recognized that his starlight power had gotten somewhat stronger.
Asmer had vaguely sensed that Osian's starlight had gotten stronger and said those words.
It was closer to instinct than rational recognition.
'Indeed. Given that he awakened starlight, perhaps he's most sensitive to starlight.'
Whatever the case, since he came with a purpose, Osian brought up the conversation.
"Are the others doing well?"
"Their bodies are almost complete."
As if representing the confidence in Asmer's voice, the bodies of those doing physical training had clearly changed compared to before.
Cracked muscles stood out over bodies that had become thicker and larger than before.
Above all, their personalities had also changed significantly.
To put it nicely they had become full of courage and confidence, but to put it a bit negatively, they had become macho.
But that didn't work in a bad direction.
It was just that they had developed a praise for physical robustness, and their preaching about it was only extreme to the point of being comparable to religion.
"Hmm. Seeing everyone doing well puts my mind at ease."
"Yes. But Successor, why did you...?"
Asmer seemed to instinctively sense that Osian hadn't come just for such a reason.
Osian stared at Asmer for a moment before asking.
"Haven't you been feeling stiff lately?"
"Well, since I'm also constantly training my body while teaching, it's not that bad but..."
There was a slight thirst mixed in Asmer's voice.
As Osian pointed it out, something he hadn't been aware of until now raised its head.
A knight isn't completed by the body alone.
What's important in the end was the sword.
Osian grinned at such an Asmer and said.
"I was just in need of an opponent, would you spar?"
"...Of course!"
Asmer answered with a much brighter face.
The training stopped. When Osian and Asmer went outside the training ground, the aspirants followed in crowds.
Knights crossing swords with knights.
They didn't have many opportunities to witness such a thing.
Osian and Asmer stood with some distance between them.
"As usual, I'll yield the first move."
"Yes! Then I'll go with full power!"
Asmer immediately drew out his starlight.
The aspirant knights let out ‘oooh’ exclamations at that beautiful starlight.
Their eyes were filled with expectations that they might one day emit such beautiful light.
Asmer approached like an arrow and closed the distance with Osian.
And the moment he swung his sword, Osian also drew his sword and counter-attacked.
-Kaang!
The starlight Osian emitted deflected Asmer's starlight.
While Asmer's starlight was beautiful, Osian's was even larger and more brilliant.
"You've become even stronger than before!"
Asmer felt reverence blooming rapidly at that sight.
The fact that the knight he believed in and served had become stronger brought joy along with competitive spirit to Asmer.
"Well, an opportunity came up."
"I'll go one more time!"
Asmer swung his sword, and Osian deflected it.
This was sparring but also teaching at the same time. Asmer also knew this, so he tried to squeeze out his maximum.
Osian felt satisfaction at that attitude and decided to show some of the new power he had learned.
"Try receiving this as well."
Osian's starlight split into two.
At that sight, Asmer's eyes grew wide. The starlight gripped in both of Osian's hands dazzled his eyes.
Asmer barely blocked it and created a large distance.
"That, what..."
"It's a technique I recently mastered. And also something you need to learn."
[Twin Star Swords]
Asmer's pupils fixed on the two starlights as if entranced.