The atmosphere inside the conference room froze coldly. It was an event caused by only one person.
Ronan Roland, the manager and broker of the Violet Fox tavern.
Just by opening his eyes that had been closed, that alone had tremendous impact.
Ronan's pupils that had been hidden beneath his half-closed eyes were revealed. It was like looking at amber with a subtle golden light. When that mysterious gleam swept over the audience once more, everyone stiffened.
It was a kind of instinct. Like how a frog's muscles stiffen and body freezes when standing before a snake.
Those born with instinctive senses felt it even more keenly.
"I apologize for this. Our fixer acted emotionally."
Osian pretending to step forward in anger. Ronan restraining him. And uttering these words while opening his eyes.
All of it was flowing according to plans made in advance.
'This was supposed to just overwhelm the atmosphere moderately, but it seems to have frightened them instead.'
Fixers are those whose grit won't be pushed back anywhere they go. The fixers of the Broker Union are veterans who have achieved high ranks among them. Those who could brush off ordinary pressure like a gentle breeze were overwhelmed by Ronan.
'They say there's nothing scarier than when someone who doesn't usually get angry gets angry.'
It was Osian who had suggested the idea of telling Ronan to open his eyes. He thought it wouldn't be bad as a final decisive blow, and Ronan had reluctantly agreed to do so.
He had trusted that Ronan would handle it well on his own, but wasn't this beyond expectations? He felt like he had unsealed something that shouldn't have been awakened.
"Ugh, I'm scared to death, really."
"I'm getting goosebumps."
Lorain and Diolan whispered quietly among themselves.
"Grrr."
Lupona also raised her fur and was wary of Ronan. Ena naturally hid her body behind such Lupona while pretending not to.
Osian thought it was fortunate that Ronan couldn't see that scene. If he had seen it, he would have surely been hurt.
'Whatever it is, since we've shaken the scene itself, it's more effective than expected.'
The person in question, Ronan himself, seemed quite flustered.
'What? I just opened my eyes and looked straight at them, so why are they avoiding eye contact?'
For Ronan, it was something he absolutely couldn't understand. Isn't conversation something that should be shared while making eye contact? He wanted to ask the Violet Fox members right away what was going on.
But Ronan Roland is a professional. He knew better than anyone what he should do in this situation. Eyes that can read the flow were his greatest weapon as a broker.
"Hehe. Now it seems like proper conversation will be possible."
Since the situation itself was flowing smoothly, Ronan immediately brought up the main point. He didn't know the reason, but since the situation was flowing well, he decided to think positively for now.
"I know why you all arranged this meeting. However, I'd like to start by saying that the target is wrong."
Ishaq clenched his fist and his eyes lit up. It was because he realized why Ronan was sitting in that seat. His anxiety became conviction.
"I am the one who instructed Mr. Osian here to recruit new subordinates."
The audience stirred at Ronan's shocking statement. The branch managers frowned, and the high-ranking officials belonging to the Broker Union murmured among themselves asking what that meant.
"Are you telling us to believe that now?"
Ishaq shouted, striking the desk with his fist.
"There's nothing to believe or not believe. Everything I said is the truth."
Ronan lied without even wetting his lips.
"Certainly, he showed us how tightly he grasps that fixer named Osian over there."
"Just looking at the fixers who followed behind. For fixers who do everything alone, it's hard to see them as having stepped forward to save a colleague."
Ironically. People didn't believe it when Ronan told the truth, but when he lied, they began to believe it plausibly.
Ronan felt considerable sadness at that fact.
"So what exactly are you trying to say?"
Kaiser Schulz asked directly. He didn't like beating around the bush from the start.
"I know why you all arranged this meeting and what you intend to say to Mr. Osian. I came to tell you there's no need for that."
"No need?"
"Yes. Because the creation of the Starlight Knights was something I ordered."
"Nonsense."
The cyborg, Bartolomeo Rus, spoke as if scolding.
"Don't speak carelessly. Are you trying to deceive our eyes with such joke-like words? We know that the creation of the knights was the doing of that fixer over there."
"Hehe. How could that be? Mr. Osian merely gave guidance. It was I who permitted and ordered it."
Ronan claimed that all of this incident was something he had ordered. At his appearance that looked so righteous, the branch managers let out sighs.
This was something not in their calculations. A broker stepping forward barefoot for a fixer's crisis. In their work in this industry, this was the first time they had seen such a scene.
"That statement sounds like you're saying you'll take responsibility for this incident."
Ishaq asked in a grave voice. It meant don't show off unnecessarily, and if you don't want to suffer big losses, back down on your own.
"Is there something to take responsibility for?"
Ronan laughed as if he didn't understand.
"A fixer creating a private organization goes against the will of the Broker Union. But there's no case of a broker being told not to do so, is there?"
Ishaq tapped the table with his finger. His hawk-like sharp gaze turned toward Ronan.
'From the moment he stepped forward saying he did it, our justification for pressuring them has decreased.'
Then what would happen if they ignored justification and crushed the people gathered here with the logic of force? They have Gulnar, a special-grade fixer, here too. Besides that, renowned strongmen in the industry have gathered.
But Ishaq boldly dismissed this thought.
'No. The opponent is a hero of District 17. Moreover, Basilio is there, and even Mist is there. Our side would also suffer great damage. Furthermore, if we try to suppress someone treated as a hero with force, public opinion won't favor us.'
Even ignoring that and trying to crush them with force, it was questionable whether that would even be possible.
Ishaq's mind worked rapidly. There was absolutely no justification to target Osian. He was currently acting thoroughly like Ronan's attendant.
'There's only one reason this happened. Because of the man named Ronan Roland.'
Ishaq knows that this incident wasn't something Ronan ordered. The other branch managers aren't fools either. They couldn't not know. The other guys are being swayed because of Ronan's atmosphere, but the experience of reaching this position can't be ignored.
Nevertheless, there's no clear evidence and the Violet Fox side is denying it like this.
'Well now. We've been properly hit.'
Ishaq slowly closed his eyes.
Ronan's behavior was honestly incomprehensible. He's a broker. It's said that when fixers have problems, they step forward to help, but where in reality is there such a broker? It's possible to help to a moderately non-bothersome extent. But there's no case of stepping forward as if taking the blame upon oneself like that. Because there's no such obligation.
Why? For what reason exactly?
'Has he been caught with some weakness by the fixer? If not, is one of his family members held hostage?'
But looking at Ronan's righteous attitude, it wasn't like that at all. It's not behavior achieved through coercion. The momentum of one who chose of his own free will because he wanted to. That's what was being felt from Ronan.
'A broker voluntarily taking risks to help a fixer.'
They called him the serpent's tongue that beguiled Basilio, but in reality it was the opposite.
Ishaq suddenly recalled the old days. It was when he was doing fixer work. It was so long ago, even before the Broker Union was created.
At that time in Tirna, fixers received no protection from any organization. The profession of fixer was like a small boat navigating a sea swept by typhoons.
It was an age of barbarism and chaos.
In that, Ishaq had worked together with his friend who was his broker.
Ishaq's broker was his longtime friend. They had been together since childhood, and no matter what happened, they shared dangers together.
But in that turbulent era, his broker was kidnapped by gangsters and died after torture. It was the work of gangsters targeting Ishaq. They kidnapped his broker friend and asked for his whereabouts, but his friend foolishly didn't open his mouth until the end.
Ishaq, who lost his only friend, was greatly shocked. Brokers are too vulnerable. They needed organizational protection. A cozy fence just for them to embrace brokers.
That was what led him to create the Brokers Union.
Individual freelancers cannot protect themselves from the dangers of external organizations. Not even their precious people.
To protect that, he created an organization. He gathered like-minded people and solidly grew the organization. He poured everything he had into that.
But his dead friend never returned.
'And when the organization was created, people changed too.'
What should one call the old fixers and brokers? Their relationship was rough, but precisely because of that, there was something called romance.
It wasn't a relationship formed by simple monetary transactions, but there was some kind of strong affection. But it's not like that now. Due to the thoroughly systematized brokerage system and the organization backing them, the relationship between brokers and fixers is thoroughly business.
From a macroscopic perspective, that was right, but Ishaq sometimes missed the rough old days.
But now, in this place, Ishaq was seeing a scene he missed.
He's a veteran who has long held his position in the Broker Union. He possessed the insight to see not just appearance when looking at people, but their unique atmosphere and inner nature.
'Violet Fox. Their relationship reminds me of me and my friend from the old days.'
Ishaq opened his closed eyes.
"Right. Ronan Roland. As you said, if a broker did that, it would be difficult for us to hold them responsible."
At those words, the other branch managers looked at Ishaq in surprise. They hadn't expected Ishaq, who compromises with nothing, to back down so softly.
'That stubborn old man backed down? This is unexpected.'
'If this is the case, we don't need to sharpen our blades and press them either.'
The branch managers' minds worked rapidly. They also hadn't stepped forward hoping for true justice to be realized. They moved because of justification as leaders of organizations. The thought that it would be better if there was something to pick up along the way was all.
Kaiser Schulz and Ariana Bell nodded with silent agreement. But not everyone had the same thought.
"That won't do. Do you think we moved our heavy bodies and gathered here to be played by a few face-saving words like this?"
The cyborg, Bartolomeo Rus, stepped forward as if protesting. Osian's gaze turned toward Bartolomeo.
'Unlike the other branch managers who withdrew amicably, he's holding out to the end. Is he the one who led this?'
When Bartolomeo opposed, several executives who had been watching Ishaq's mood also rose up.
"That's right. This needs to be properly judged for right and wrong."
"It won't work just because we slip by like snakes!"
Opinions began to divide and Ishaq's eyes contorted grimly. He's an excellent tactician so he noticed something in this series of flows.
"Bartolomeo. Then what is it you want?"
To Ishaq's question, Bartolomeo answered.
"To firmly establish order through the discipline of the Broker Union."
"We have no legal right to force Ronan Roland."
"Didn't we stand here to decide that?"
"So hasn't the conclusion already been reached?"
"That would be your conclusion alone."
Neither gave an inch. Naturally, the atmosphere inside the conference room was divided in two.
The supporting faction led by Ishaq and the opposing faction centered on Bartolomeo. Bartolomeo is a veteran branch manager who doesn't lose to Ishaq. When he stepped forward to defend, several executives and branch managers stepped forward thinking this was their chance.
"Mr. Ishaq! This is clearly wrong! Trying to just pass it over can only be seen as dictatorship!"
"What? Are you done talking! Mr. Ishaq is someone who works hard for the Broker Union! What kind of nonsense is that!"
The arguments were heated, and in the overheated atmosphere, sharp emotions toward each other flew like bullets. The Violet Fox members had suddenly become borrowed barley sacks.
Ishaq tapped the table with his hand.
"Right. Since it's come to this, let me ask. Who is it? Who exactly is putting pressure on our Broker Union like this?"
Ishaq chose a frontal approach to check the forces trying to pressure the Broker Union to attack Osian.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Bartolomeo spoke as if he really didn't know. If that was acting, he would have truly won an acting award.
However, several executives showed reactions of being slightly pricked. They were those who had received lobbying.
Then Osian, who had been quietly standing, walked forward with the clanking sound of armor. When Osian in Starlight Armor moved, everyone's attention was focused.
Osian silently looked around, then stared at one direction and burst forth with blue light.
"There was one disgusting rat bastard."