Ishaq gazed at the man walking confidently at the front.
'Indeed, his reputation precedes him.'
He had heard rumors about Osian. And he had seen his photos and read articles about him. Osian was a very striking and handsome man. Like a sculpture carved with great care, without a single flaw.
It wasn't the kind of flashiness shown by young nobles or the wealthy.
He was restrained, and rather heavy, with an atmosphere that seemed like it would sink below the surface. His emotionless eyes made it difficult to fathom their depth or what he was thinking. Even just walking, he had a charm that captured one's gaze.
"Heh."
Ariana Bell's eyes lit up as she stared at Osian. Even she, who had frequently met various high-ranking officials, was momentarily captivated by Osian's appearance. He was rumored to be handsome, but seeing him in person, even the rumors seemed understated. Seeing him in reality felt different.
Probably endless questions would arise in her mind about whether this was really a fixer.
'I'm thinking the same thing.'
It wasn't only Ishaq who had such thoughts. The other branch managers also prepared themselves. They took various forms suited to their individual personalities, but their purpose was the same.
To pierce through the troublemaker before their eyes with sharpness honed to its limits.
'However, there are still elements to be wary of.'
Osian hadn't come alone. He had naturally brought members of [Violet Fox] with him.
'Basilio.'
The one displaying the greatest presence was, as expected, Basilio. Walking almost as if guarding Osian's side, his every step exerted tremendous pressure. He had no intention of suppressing his aura.
'A living legend. The pinnacle of the fixer industry.'
But. The same could be said for this side.
-Whoosh!
A new energy burst forth from one corner of the conference room. It went beyond blocking Basilio's intimidating presence to neutralizing it.
The vision of red and blue mirages colliding in mid-air was visible.
Basilio's gaze behind his mask turned toward one side of the conference room.
"Gulnar."
A special-grade fixer like himself. A man who was likewise evaluated as a legend in the industry. Gulnar was a man who appeared to be in his mid-40s. With an improperly groomed beard, slightly dark skin, and disheveled hair.
His unsightly coat showed signs of age. He would blend in without discomfort among workers. But despite his unkempt appearance, his unique atmosphere was no lie.
The pressure from his gaze looking at Basilio was extraordinary. Those hawk-like eyes turned toward Osian.
Osian also stared at Gulnar.
'So that's Gulnar.'
He knew the name from hearing it. When doing fixer work, one naturally picked up the reputation of those at the top of the industry.
'That large coffin-like thing beside him is his weapon.'
Gulnar had a massive coffin reminiscent of his own height standing beside him. The coffin was a dark color. It really looked like that was all there was to it, but there was no way he would just set something like that up for nothing.
Gulnar crossed his arms and leaned his back against the wall. He had come this far, but his stance was to observe for now.
Gulnar wasn't the only fixer there.
'It's been a while since I've seen that guy.'
Osian stared at a man. The man who was with a fixer wearing a pure white wedding dress. Fernando and Muerte. Muerte recognized Osian and waved his hand cheerfully. However, he didn't go so far as to offer frivolous greetings. It seemed he too had read the atmosphere.
There were several other fixers as well. They were all fixers who had close relationships with the branch managers. First-tier figures in the industry. They showed interest and competitive spirit while looking at Violet Fox.
In that subtle battle of wills, the branch managers watched the other members of Violet Fox. Branch Manager Ishaq had also grasped the personal information of the other members.
'It's not just Basilio who needs to be careful of.'
The mature woman radiating brilliant beauty, Seren Gracia. Diolan, who seemed frivolous but whose actual combat power couldn't be estimated despite his mission success rate. Edgar Low, a genius mage who had reached mastery despite his young age. Loraine Ponk, a former soldier who was once called the Witch of the Battlefield and whose records were deleted.
'And even Mist.'
Mist, who surrounded his body with fog like a curtain, was an unknown variable whose identity and name had yet to be properly revealed.
What they did know was that Mist's fog wasn't ordinary steam. It was the result of ether water vaporizing.
A man who used modern energy resources as his ability. It was challenging in many ways.
'Moreover, there are unfamiliar faces.'
Ishaq's gaze turned toward Ena Grunt and Lupona. A slightly frail-figured, cute-looking blonde girl and, in contrast, a sharp-featured silver-haired woman. They weren't affiliated fixers. Yet the fact that they had come this far meant they weren't ordinary acquaintances.
'Come to think of it, I heard a witch was staying at that office under their protection.'
One would be the witch, and what about the other? Curiosity arose, but Ishaq forcibly pushed it down.
Now was the time to focus on Osian.
The conference room was large and circular. And the empty seat at its center was exactly where Osian was supposed to sit. Though called a conference room, the arrangement was reminiscent of a courtroom. This too was an intentional arrangement.
To pressure the opponent. To induce mistakes and target their weaknesses.
Loraine frowned deeply at that blatant seating arrangement. Given her personality, it seemed she wanted to lash out immediately. But she held back. She knew it wasn't her place to step forward.
'Now. What will you do?'
Ishaq and the other branch managers stared at Osian. How would Tirna's rising hero deal with this situation where he was already being treated like a criminal?
Would he accept it? Or would he refuse in anger?
Whatever it was, the leash they had prepared would be properly fastened.
Osian stood in front of the chair. Everyone tensed and waited for Osian's next action.
With a scraping sound, Osian's choice as he pulled out the chair was neither acceptance nor refusal, but a non-existent third option.
"Ronan."
Osian pulled out the chair and stepped aside. The one who took that place was Ronan Roland.
Ronan walked out through the fog that Mist had prepared.
'That guy is.'
A pure white suit without a single wrinkle and a red tie. Captivating beautiful blonde hair. And a smile whose inner thoughts were completely unreadable.
Violet Fox's manager, Ronan Roland.
He went and sat in the empty seat.
As naturally as if this had been his place from the beginning.
"Huhuhuh. Nice to meet you all. I'm Ronan Roland, the broker of Violet Fox."
His narrowed eyes swept across the assembly. The branch managers his gaze touched had to feel an odd creepiness.
'I heard he was a broker who ran a gray office, but I didn't expect him to be at this level.'
Ronan's eyes weren't visible due to his narrowed eyes. But he was looking at this side accurately. It seemed like he was trying to unilaterally peek into this side's emotions.
"Thank you for accepting my conference request. Even famous fixers renowned in the industry have attended. It's truly an honor."
Ronan spoke as if he didn't know what to do with himself, saying it was an honor to stand in this place.
-Not even letting his saliva dry while lying.
This was the common thought of all the branch managers.
They thought Ronan was deceiving them. Otherwise, there was no way he would say such things in such a blatant setting. Of course, Ronan was speaking sincerely.
'Hmm. They really are remarkable people.'
Ronan felt the intensified gazes and let out a troubled groan inwardly.
'What started as wanting to succeed as a broker has now become something I enjoy, and I respect fellow industry professionals. Though this is an unpleasant matter, standing in the same place as them is very honorable, but am I still not welcomed?'
Ronan thought they were being wary of him because of the current situation. It wasn't entirely wrong thinking, but if he had to pinpoint the biggest reason, it was Ronan himself as a person. Of course, Ronan didn't know this fact.
Why did he step forward? Naturally, wasn't it to protect his affiliated fixer?
'Hmm. The atmosphere is getting too heavy. I see. I should smile a bit more warmly.'
-Grin.
Ronan's smile deepened. At that sight, the fixers unconsciously shuddered. Some sensitive individuals even placed their hands on the weapons at their waists.
The branch managers were the same. They momentarily forgot even to breathe under the pressure that Ronan emitted.
'It's pressure beyond imagination.'
Ishaq's palms became damp with tension. Before the negotiations even began, he had taken the initiative with just a few words, atmosphere, and a smile. Why had such a person remained relatively unknown until now?
Ishaq realized he had been far too uninterested in the person called Ronan Roland. He was a broker who ran an uncommon gray office. He had even made a contract with Basilio. And what about the fixers he recruited afterward?
'Damn. I was complacent. Focusing only on the fixers, I didn't pay attention to the broker.'
Though the Broker Union was a union formed by brokers gathering together, that was just the surface name. Overall, fixers made up the highest percentage of the Broker Union. And they were the most active.
Ishaq always focused on the fixers to solve problems in the union because they were essentially the blood and flesh that breathed life into the union.
Hot-blooded fixers caused many incidents. As a union branch manager, he had no choice but to pay more attention to the fixers.
Therefore, Ronan's existence was like a blind spot. A low priority for attention. An unexpected variable had emerged from a place he had paid relatively little attention to.
'This meeting was created to interrogate the fixer named Osian. But that empty seat is now naturally occupied by a mediator.'
Needless to say, the assembly's attention was focused on Ronan. Ronan's unique atmosphere played a part in this.
Then why did Ronan sit there instead?
'Could it be?'
Ishaq tried to deny the uneasy thought that flashed through his mind. His eyes swept over the other branch managers.
'Though they're all trying to hide it, their agitation is showing.'
They too had apparently reached similar thoughts with quite serious faces. Perhaps the mastermind behind all this was the mediator named Ronan Roland.
-Crunch.
Edgar Low bit the corner of the candy in his mouth with his teeth. The sugar flowing in through his tongue actively awakened his brain.
'For now, as planned, the atmosphere itself isn't bad.'
The attention of the most troublesome branch managers was all focused on Ronan.
'As expected. Not just at a decent level, but beyond expectations.'
Edgar and the other Violet Fox fixers had made plans in advance.
No matter what explanation Osian gave, the Broker Union would definitely press him. From the beginning, you could tell from the flowing atmosphere that there was no room for negotiation.
So instead of sending Osian, they decided to put Ronan forward. The one who had recruited Osian and was the real ruler of Violet Fox.
'Even if fixers have an affiliated office, they aren't greatly bound by it. So they don't extend a fixer's problems to the broker’s problems. But looking at Ronan, could they really think that way?'
They were planting doubt in their minds. That Osian was, in fact, Ronan Roland's puppet.
For this, all members of Violet Fox had stepped forward. The reason they deliberately created an atmosphere like a demonstration was for this purpose. To make it look like Ronan had brought them all.
"So, what's the reason for you, a broker, to sit in that seat? We understand we called fixer Osian."
Ishaq, who had regained his composure, asked. As expected of a branch manager, his recovery was quick. Moreover, he deliberately ignored Ronan and directly targeted Osian. He had given up on hiding his true intentions.
To support Ishaq's words, the surrounding fixers displayed their aura. The hostility and fighting spirit in their eyes bound both Ronan and Osian.
It was as if they intended to punish those who hadn't followed their orders. Edgar realized what they were aiming for. They were trying to provoke Osian's pride and make him deliberately jump forward.
Naturally Osian didn't avoid the confrontation.
-Whoosh!
Pure white flames rose along Osian's body and engulfed his entire form. Brilliant starlight colored the interior of the conference room. As the light dimmed, a snow-white knight revealed himself.
Most of those gathered were surprised by the spectacle, but at the same time thought: that guy too, being a fixer, couldn't help but act emotionally.
It would be even better if Osian caused a disturbance here. The more he did, the more solid the Broker Union's justification would become.
It was when everyone was thinking this.
"Stop."
When Ronan raised one hand, Osian, who seemed about to charge out immediately, withdrew his aura.
'He withdrew his killing intent?'
Disbelieving gazes turned toward Ronan. Fixers that powerful had strong pride. They often didn't even listen to mediators' words. But Ronan had pulled Osian's leash as if it were the most natural thing.
'Hmm. This is troublesome.'
Ronan let out a troubled groan inwardly at the attention focused on him once again. This too was part of Edgar's plan. The atmosphere had sufficiently shifted with just this, but they still lacked a decisive blow.
'In the end, I have to do that, as you said?'
Ronan recalled the advice Osian had given him. As a last resort, to drive the final nail into the atmosphere, do that.
When he asked why, Osian just told him to do it without questioning the reason.
'I suppose now is that timing.'
It seemed like it was finally time to do that.
Ronan relaxed the strength in his eyes that usually wore a smile.
His narrowly squinted eyes began to slowly open.