Chapter 92: Promise (1)
Street No. 27, T-District.
Just yesterday, Puppets had appeared in the Contaminated Zone and killed numerous Fixers, but today, this street was as peaceful as ever.
Well, it wasn’t something to feel particularly wronged or angry about.
After all, that was the nature of being a Fixer.
But still, it was strange.
Even though the City Defense Force and Holy Knights had made a considerable fuss, most people didn’t even know Puppets existed, let alone that such an incident had occurred.
It felt like living in a completely different world.
Despite being in the same time and place...
Jingle, jingle.
Oliver opened the door to the Forest Restaurant and stepped inside.
Even though it hadn’t been that long since his last visit, it felt like ages.
“Welcome, Mr. Dave. Thank you for coming.”
As always, Al came out to greet him warmly.
He was usually polite and kind, but today he seemed especially so. As if he thought more highly of Oliver than usual.
“Yes, hello, Mr. Al... Have things been well?”
“I’ve been as peaceful as ever. Are you here to see the master?”
“Yes, I came to report that I’ve completed the work in the Contaminated Zone.”
Though he could have done it through the communication equipment, he had some questions, so he came in person.
This was the kind of conversation he wanted to have face-to-face.
“I see. If it’s not too much trouble, would you mind waiting for a moment? The master is attending to some business, but it will only take a brief moment.”
Al requested with a level of politeness that bordered on caution.
Oliver didn’t know the reason for it, but he nodded without asking.
“Sure, I understand. He’s a busy man.”
“Thank you for understanding. I will guide you to a place where you can wait.”
Oliver nodded again and followed Al.
The place Al guided him to was a table in the restaurant. Looking around, he noticed that two-thirds of the floor was already filled with people.
Among them were white-collar workers wearing glasses and suits, and even a few who appeared to be Fixers.
It was an odd mix, but somehow it worked. Oliver sat among them.
“Would you like some coffee?”
“Yes.”
No sooner had he answered than Al brought over a cup of coffee.
Oliver tried to pay for it in advance, including the tip, but Al politely refused.
“It’s fine.”
“Really? But...”
“I don’t mean to overstep, but I heard what happened in the Contaminated Zone. Please, I ask that you just drink it.”
Al’s words were sincere.
Oliver nodded and took a sip of the coffee. By the time he had finished about half, Al approached again.
“The master says you can come down now.”
Oliver descended deep into the underground, where the real office of the Forest Restaurant was located.
He was already used to it. Upon arriving at the office, he saw the master, Forest, busy on a call through a communication device as large as a human head.
But that didn’t last long.
When Forest saw Oliver, he quickly wrapped up the call and greeted him warmly.
“You’re here. Welcome.”
“Yes, it feels like it’s been a while.”
“It hasn’t actually been that long, but I feel the same... Are you alright?”
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
“I heard the story. You fought a Puppet, didn’t you? Is there anything wrong with your body? ...Ah, excuse me, I’ve been rude, calling a guest and making him stand. Please, take a seat.”
Oliver tapped the floor with his quarterstaff and sat down.
As usual, Forest poured a drink and handed it to him, but Oliver covered one of his eyes with his hand and looked around.
There was definitely a change.
Even without focusing much on his eyes, he could see beyond the building and sense the emotions of those above ground. As for Forest sitting in front of him, his emotions were far more detailed than before.
He was filled with admiration and pride for Oliver.
It seemed it was because Oliver had survived the encounter with the Puppet, but at the same time, there was a subtle sense of guilt.
Though Forest denied it, emotions were not so easily dismissed.
So Oliver spoke first.
"...There’s nothing wrong with my body, so you don’t need to worry. I didn’t come right away yesterday because I was too exhausted.”
That was true. After the chaos with the Puppet, he hadn’t had a chance to rest, being interrogated for hours.
He was so tired that he had collapsed as soon as he returned to his lodging.
“I understand. You must have been very tired.”
“Well, I’m just glad things turned out well. When the Holy Knights showed up, I thought something big was going to happen, but they let me go more easily than expected.”
“That’s only natural. No matter how impressive the Holy Knights are, they’re still tied to the Pater Church. They can’t arbitrarily violate the contract between Landa and the Church. As long as the Broker Association exists, they can’t drag you away without any evidence.”
“Ah, I see. That’s impressive.”
“But don’t let your guard down. On the flip side, it means they can take you away at their whim if there’s even a shred of evidence.”
Oliver nodded.
The Holy Knight named Elton had clearly been waiting for Oliver to slip up.
Then, suddenly, a question came to Oliver’s mind.
“May I ask something?”
“What is it?”
“I’ve heard that Holy Knights are supposed to protect the human world, and their authority is incredibly strong. Why can’t they just take a Fixer like me without any reason? I mean, until they have evidence?”
“As I said before, it’s because of the agreement between Landa and the Church. Even though Landa isn’t particularly religious, the city still donates an enormous sum to the Church every year.”
Oliver asked in surprise.
“It’s all because of money?”
“Yes, because of money. That’s what happens when the sacred meets the secular. It’s not such a bad thing, though. The Church gets ample funding, and Landa enjoys both safety and freedom. It’s the way the adult world works.”
Oliver only half-understood, but he didn’t feel the need to say more, so he just nodded.
Then, Forest spoke up.
“Is that all you wanted to talk about? You’ve handled the Contaminated Zone matter, and you’re curious about the Holy Knights?”
“No, there’s one more thing.”
“Go ahead. I also have something to discuss with you, but you go first.”
Oliver nodded.
“Do you happen to know anything about the Puppets appearing in the Contaminated Zone? I’ve tried asking around, but no one has given me an answer.”
Forest hesitated for a moment as he took a sip of his drink, but soon he answered.
“I’ll tell you. You have the right to know... It’s a complicated story, and nothing is certain, but according to our sources, it seems a high-ranking city official working for Landa’s Ministry of Internal Affairs was bribed by a Puppet.”
“Bribed?”
“Yes. We don’t know if he was aware that the one bribing him was a Puppet, but it seems the official, who recently racked up a massive gambling debt, was bought off. The investigation is ongoing, but it looks pretty clear. Isn’t it interesting?”
Oliver agreed. It was quite interesting. In a way, it was even funny.
Although nothing was certain yet, Oliver had heard that between two hundred and three hundred people, including Fixers and mercenaries, had participated in this cleanup operation.
Yet fewer than a hundred survived, and the entire ordeal might have started because of a single city official’s gambling debt. It was absurd, to the point of being laughable.
It was so nonsensical and irrational that he even wanted to study it.
“I think it’s absurd, too. But that’s Landa’s daily life for you.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, Landa... No, most of the world works like a chorus of fools. The Broker Association will be in conflict with the city for a while over this cleanup. Of course, it won’t come to blows, but there will be negotiations.”
“What exactly will that entail?”
“Compensation for the families of the dead Fixers and reimbursement for the losses suffered by Brokers who lost a lot of manpower. They’ll also likely adjust some of the existing agreements. While the city and the Broker Association are technically in a client-service provider relationship, they still need each other... Every time an incident like this happens, they seize the opportunity to gain an advantage. Since the city’s at fault, they’ll concede to most of our demands as long as they’re not excessive.”
“I see.”
“Internally, the Broker Association will also experience political strife. The Brokers from groups B, H, N, and T, who participated in the cleanup, suffered heavy losses. They’ll be fighting over territory soon enough.”
“Is that serious?”
“For some, yes. Some may lose their competitiveness and be forced into retirement.”
“Will that happen to you, too?”
Oliver asked with concern, having worked with him before.
But Forest’s face lit up, as if he had been waiting for the question.
“No, I’m in the opposite situation.”
“Opposite?”
“Yes. While others lost personnel, I didn’t lose much. Many of the people working with Arthur’s group were on my side.”
Ah, Oliver remembered hearing that some of the Fixers working with Arthur were connected to Forest.
“Most importantly, you came back alive, didn’t you?”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. Among the Fixers I manage, you’re the best. The fact that you survived has spared me a great loss. Plus, the rumor that you fought a Puppet and survived is already spreading, so I’m actually in a good position.”
“A good position?”
“Yes, many influential people have started to take an interest in you because you survived after encountering a Puppet... In this business, skills matter, but having a noteworthy incident tied to your name helps too. Ironically, because of the Contaminated Zone cleanup, which everyone dreads, your name is gaining recognition.”
“Ah... That sounds good, but I don’t understand. I didn’t win, I barely escaped with my life.”
“People don’t care about those details. What matters is that you survived a fight with a Puppet... On that note, I’ve received a direct request for you.”
“A direct request?”
“Yes, up until now, you’ve been handling general requests, where tasks and payment are randomly assigned by Brokers. But a direct request is different.”
“How is it different?”
“In a direct request, the client specifically requests you. They think their job is important and difficult, so they choose a skilled Fixer. The work is harder, more dangerous, and more complicated, but the pay is significantly higher. It typically ranges from ten million to sometimes even up to hundreds of millions.”
“...But haven’t I already been doing jobs in the ten-million range?”
“That’s because you’ve taken on difficult tasks... You’re an unusual one. Sometimes sharp and unpredictable, but usually too easygoing.”
“Am I?”
“Yes. I don’t dislike it, but be careful. There will be people who try to take advantage of you because of it. I could be one of them.”
“You’re too kind.”
Forest laughed.
“When you say things like that, it makes people trust you more. All the cunning ones act like this, so be cautious.”
“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you again for the kind advice.”
“...In any case, direct requests offer high pay. In some cases, you can even negotiate for more. You can simply ask for more money, or you could request something else.”
“What else can you request?”
“Useful items, information, potions... Things like that. Of course, just because you ask doesn’t mean you’ll get them, but sometimes they agree. For example, you might find out about the Black Market, or even get your hands on a book of black magic.”
“A black magic book?”
“Yes. Surprisingly, there are quite a few wealthy people who collect black magic books. You could ask for one.”
Money was important, but the second option piqued Oliver’s interest more.
It felt more certain than dealing with random clients.
“That sounds appealing.”
“But the risks are just as high.”
“You said earlier that the work would be difficult.”
“I’m not just talking about that. Direct requests are often important to the client, and they’re often political as well. You might unintentionally uncover the client’s secrets or crimes, and in the process, Fixers sometimes end up taking the fall. That’s why Brokers like me exist, but to be honest, we can’t protect you from everything.”
At first glance, it might seem like an irresponsible statement, but in reality, it wasn’t.
Through the Contaminated Zone incident, Oliver had learned that the world was driven more by lies than he had thought.
When lies were exposed and the situation escalated, they hurried to clean it up, but there seemed to be no intention of eliminating the lies themselves.
It was easier to cause incidents and then clean up the mess afterward.
And this was no different for Brokers or Fixers.
In the end, it was all just work to make a living.
Even when incidents made a mockery of professional ethics, the reality was that with enough power and profit, people would submit.
What was impressive was Forest’s ability to point this out so clearly.
At least, that’s what Oliver thought.
“Yes, I understand.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Mr. Kent also warned me about this to some extent. I hope it doesn’t happen, but being cautious is part of my job.”
“...Direct requests mean the people you’ll meet will be more dangerous. They may not be high-level criminals like Puppets, but there are still many powerful individuals in this world. To put it simply, you’ll be moving from a river full of minnows to one with piranhas.”
“I see. That’s fine.”
Forest looked somewhat deflated by Oliver’s response.
“I expected that reaction, but hearing it still drains me a bit. Well, since you’re here, would you like to hear a story?”
Oliver declined.
“No, I’ll pass today.”
“Really? That’s unexpected. I thought you’d ask to see it right away, but I won’t rush you.”
“Yes, if I didn’t have a prior engagement, I would have asked to see it, but I have an appointment soon.”
“An appointment? That’s unusual. May I ask who with, if it’s not too much trouble?”
Oliver stood up and answered.
“With someone who gave me some good advice.”