After Lennok declared that he would step forward, things progressed quickly.
Panoa didn’t say anything more after his decision, trying to accommodate Lennok as best he could.
In an instant, the wide empty lot in front of the podium was emptied and the surroundings were completely covered with a barrier to prevent damage from leaking out.
Inside, Lennok and Hood stood side by side facing each other.
Dugun was taken aback at first, as if he hadn’t thought that Lennok would accept his offer so meekly, but soon began to smile triumphantly.
“Hey, I know you’re confident, but you made a mistake.”
When I untie the hood that was tightly wrapped around my head, an elongated ear protrudes from within.
“…….”
Lennok narrowed his eyes and stared at it.
A subspecies with pointed ears…. Other characteristics are not so prominent.
Even the apparent magical power seemed closer to that of an innocent wizard than an Ain.
‘It’s a magic that could cause your ears to develop excessively during training… It’s understandable.’
Unaware of Lennok’s thoughts, he strode proudly forward and started talking.
“Of course, you are a skilled magician in your own way as you were hired for a position like this, but you don’t necessarily have the upper hand in a one-on-one confrontation like this. Rather, a confrontation between such magicians requires creative ideas or ingenious techniques that overturn the existing compatibility.”
The man paused for a moment, then suddenly shouted vigorously.
“…..Like this!!”
Wow!!!
With those words, his shouting was mixed with powerful magical energy, and it became a heavy wave that attacked Lennok.
Sound-type unique magic.
It is an anti-personnel magic that amplifies shouting and converts it into physical force that can be hit, and at the same time can cause powerful damage to the target’s hearing.
If it was aimed at ordinary people, it would not be strange if even the eyeballs burst due to the pressure that was crushed along with the eardrum.
Tuong!!
However, the wave of the man’s sound was blocked by Lennok’s shield and disappeared in vain.
Unformed waves collide with the solid, intangible wall, scatter in all directions, and disappear, leaving only a strange noise like the ringing of a tuning fork.
“……!!”
Lennok walked slowly toward the man with his eyes wide open.
jerk jerk.
I can understand why the man said it that way.
In general, it is difficult to prepare for sound-type attack magic, and it is not magic that simply blocks one’s ears.
An attack that outwits the senses would have been very lethal to magicians who were not physically trained.
If Lennok hadn’t dealt with sound-type magic himself, or if he didn’t know the details about its efficacy, it’s possible that he would have been harmed.
“This profit…!!”
Only then did the man, who belatedly realized the reality, draw back his mana with a bluish complexion and inhale, but it was too late.
The impact magic that Lennok shot out bent his left knee in the opposite direction with a futile ease.
Kwajik!
“Ughhhhh!!”
For the second time, there was no magic power in the shouts that erupted from his mouth.
He let out a pitiful moan and grabbed his knees and grabbed the man’s neck as he fell forward.
Lennok’s eyes looked down at him, mixed with a faint sympathy that he himself hadn’t even noticed.
On the topic of one-on-one battle between sorcerers, do you lose your mind and succumb to this level of pain?
I can understand the rumor that there are not many skilled magicians among freelancers.
The match is over.
Lennok’s eyes were already on the other candidates watching this spot.
As if to keep an eye out for the words of the person trying to discuss his qualifications.
An intense electric current burst out between the fingers.
[Volt]
Gripping Jikjik…!!
“Geez, go, go, go!!! Uhhhh!!!”
Lennok turned his back after slowly letting go of the man who shivered and collapsed with foam at the mouth.
Lennok laughed at the sound of his weak body falling to the floor.
“next.”
Naturally, no candidate stood in front of Lennok a second time.
Briefing
“Fined Easel. I am a member of the Arch Office and have learned some magic that confuses the mental system. His specialty is backward disturbance. The weapon used is the SMG. There is also a bit of knowledge in mechanical martial arts…”
As Lennok intended, the candidates in turn introduced themselves, the technique they used and their affiliations, and waited for evaluation.
The staff standing next to me wrote down what they said and created an evaluation form with the figures of the first physical test.
The candidates were very uncomfortable with the employee’s behavior, but after the test was over, they silently backed down when they promised to cancel it on the spot.
In fact, it must have been a bigger reason than his reluctance to make a claim in front of Lennok’s eyes, rather than such a promise.
After introducing the middle-aged woman who remained as the seventh candidate, Lennok turned to Panoa and Mana.
Two people who naturally read his intentions approached him.
“Have you decided?”
“Except for the three, I don’t see any particularly useful sorcerers.”
A druid who communicates with animals. Agria Noto, a sorcerer who has specialized in curse spells, and Cybrid Echo.
The rest of the spells themselves were ambiguous or didn’t seem to have the combat ability to use in direct combat.
First of all, there are not many magicians who are capable enough to help in the operation.
If it didn’t directly help with the execution of the operation, the special ability you had would have to be that rare or have a certain effect, but the magicians gathered here weren’t like that.
Right now, even the hood was only used for attack purposes, let alone search or tracking, with sound-type magic.
Thanks to that, I had to knock out the man who said he would sing me a song once more.
Panoa answered calmly, as if it was not surprising.
“I think it would be fortunate if we could pick out about six people, including the half-mage. Tests are also being conducted on the Killian side, so there will be no shortage of personnel.”
“What if I had to filter out one of those three?”
“yes?”
Lennox pointed at one of the candidates with a chin gesture.
A young man with a refreshing impression with a smile on his face.
A unique atmosphere with an animal similar to a squirrel on the shoulder and wearing loose clothing.
He is a versatile druid who uses various natural techniques, including real communication with animals and sensory sharing, but… he is a person who should not be chosen in this position.
Lennok whispered in a low voice, surrounding the three of them with the noise magic once more.
“Looking at the belongings he has, it is possible that he belongs to the city government.”
“…You mean that young man is an agent?”
Lennok silently turned his gaze to the young man’s waist.
The druid wore a small, seemingly featureless dagger, but Lennok’s powerful mana stress easily penetrated the camouflage beyond.
Intense green waves wriggling as if they were about to explode at any moment.
It was only seen once, but Lennok didn’t miss it.
An unknown mechanical device Evelyn was holding when she entered the battle with Croken.
The wave he felt at that time was being felt in the same way as the druid’s single rod.
“……..”
Is it a coincidence?
Encountering the wave that I saw only once while wandering around this floor for more than half a year, here and now?
Lennok had no intention of brazenly betting on the slim odds.
Although he did not elaborate, Panoa agreed with Lennok’s decision anyway.
In the end, all the other candidates were sent back, and the last thing left was the witch doctor with a pale impression.
The druid looked at Lennok with a strange expression for a moment, but immediately greeted him with a smile and left the hall.
It seemed as if there was no lingering attachment to this test right now.
While Lennok was lost in thought as he watched the druid’s back, the remaining witch doctor approached.
The sorcerer with a strange face whose age is hard to tell confirmed that he had been selected and smiled and shook hands.
“This is Allen. Let’s do our best together in the future.”
“Half. Details will be discussed after the other team members have decided.”
“of course. Personally, I was very coveted for the success fee offered by the planning team leader. If so… well?”
Allen looked like he had a lot to say to Lennok, as if he was quite happy with the fact that he passed, but when he saw Agria approaching right next to him, he silently backed away.
“Can we talk for a moment just the two of you wizards?”
Agria, who had taken Lennok to the common solitude, pulled something out of her bosom.
“This is a private gift from us to the wizard.”
“…A gift?”
“I heard that in the last operation, our new recruit showed a shy appearance during the day. Even if it has nothing to do with the status of the organization, I hope that the wizard will not have any prejudice.”
In other words, is it close to a bribe to look after him in the future?
Lennok looked down at the object in her hand.
A wristwatch designed simply to be worn on the hand.
It is an impressive product with a blue display on a pure white background.
It’s not like he really wanted to give Lennok a wristwatch as a gift.
Agria must have noticed Lennok’s gaze as well, so she immediately started explaining.
“This time, it is a new product that we are developing through collaboration with Balitz. Basically, it can replace all the functions of a mobile phone, and in case of emergency, it can be used for various purposes by changing its appearance.”
As she said that, she pressed the button on the side of the watch, and the watch flipped out of place in an instant, turning her left hand inside out and turning into an iron glove.
charleuk!!
“…..in this way. It is very durable and can block bullets without difficulty. In addition to the form for self-defense, various patterns are entered in preparation for emergencies.”
The watch that turned into a glove changes into a dagger, a dagger into a dagger, a dagger into a telescope and a magnifying glass, etc., constantly appealing to oneself.
“………”
Multi-purpose tool If you have to ask, is it a multi-tool?
The other options didn’t appeal to him too much, but being able to replace a cell phone and function as a telescope seemed fine to Lennok.
Agria began to speak differently, perhaps understanding Lennok’s silence differently.
“Of course, in terms of personal information protection, you can rest assured that we are strictly following the basic software regulations of Balitz. If you have any concerns, you can leave it to the A/S point to check and there will be no problem. Then I’m done…”
Lennok said, turning around and staring at her as she walked towards the podium.
Lennok, who glanced at Panoa, who had followed the two before he knew it, asked.
“What exactly do you want in return over there?”
“The head office wanted the cutting method used when manufacturing industrial tools. On our side, it’s a technology from a generation ago, so it’s not such a big loss… but it’s quite persistent, so we’ve been holding off on offering it as an advance payment.”
After saying that, Panoa looked at Lennok with a surprising look.
“Surprisingly, Agria doesn’t seem to have any feelings for you. I was surprised.”
“The person who ran away wasn’t even himself, so what… I don’t hold a grudge for that.”
Lennok replied with a sullen face.
To be precise, it would be true that Agria Noto’s existence itself did not bother her.
After he was able to properly handle magic and consider himself a full-fledged wizard, Lennok had very few companions who could help him.
Even Dylan, who is a skilled mercenary in his own way, was of no help when dealing with the Croken Asilus.
We are cooperating in selecting team members according to Dyke’s request, but the same is true for this request.
At some point, Lennok was getting used to solving everything alone.
After Lennok finished the test and walked around for a while, it seemed that the physical test, led by Killian, was also over.
It looks like he didn’t fight after transforming into a wolf, but the test process was not easy, so he came to the podium with three people.
Kilian, with his hands in his pockets, looked up at Lennok and said.
“finished.”
Lennok didn’t answer, but glanced over at the three people standing behind him.
Contrary to the taciturn young man, a stocky physique and a young woman wearing a black hood.
If they passed Killian’s test, they would have been physically completed to some extent, but on the outside, there seemed to be few trained people.
“There are only three people here that are worthy of my standards. If this is the case, there will be fewer things to hold on to your ankles in future operations.”
“Are you sure?”
“…..I did my best.”
“………”
The three of them did not show any reaction while receiving Lennok’s blatant stare.
You’ve probably already heard about handing over the chain of command to Lennok beforehand. The hood that was fighting against him earlier must be a rather unusual case.
Rather, there was an unknown, faint anticipation in the eyes of the three people.
He was a skilled mage, so he wondered what his level was.
It was hard to see a high-level sorcerer working as a freelancer on this floor.
On the other hand, Lennok was deeply troubled when he saw the successful candidates gathered in this way.
‘Three people…’
Five in total, including the witch doctor he just selected.
Six, including Lennok.
Three in front and three in rear doesn’t seem to be in short supply, but one of them is a witch doctor who will be of little use in combat.
No matter how much I don’t expect from my teammates, can I say that this composition of people is the correct answer?
“Whoa…”
Lennok sighed and pondered while Panoa looked around at the group and said calmly.
“Now that the selection of team members is complete, we will immediately begin explaining the second operation. Follow me to the conference room.”
A conference room large enough to accommodate hundreds of people at once.
A tiered structure. While Panoa turned on the screen on the podium located at the bottom, the others found their seats and sat down.
As soon as she confirmed that everyone was seated, she immediately started explaining the operation.
She spoke quickly, pointing to the three pictures that appeared on the screen.
“Currently, it is the collaboration of these three organizations that accounts for the largest share of the weapons business in the 40th District. The scavenger of the Plato Mercenary Office, a gangster in District 48.”
The pictures of the hundreds of members of the organization and the pattern of the scavenger on the signboard of Plato’s mercenary office passed by one after another, and Panoa continued his explanation.
“When cigar bangers illegally bring in weapons from outside, the Plato Mercenary Office distributes them and the scavengers are in charge of sales. Among these, the most important core is the gangster Ciger Bang, who imports weapons.”
The other two photos disappear, leaving only the photos of the gang members.
Rifles piled up like a mountain rising with him. All of them are military firearms with the National Guard’s mark stamped on them or heated with fire.
“They are bringing a huge amount of weapons intact into the city through deals with soldiers who are nearing retirement. It is a de facto defense corruption.”
“I don’t think the upper echelons of the National Guard don’t know about this.”
Just looking at the amount of firearms shown in the picture, it is absurd that there is an administrative omission when that amount is lost.
“There are rumors that the boss of the gang has connections with the general of the defense front. That’s why the Cigar Bangs are a small part of the arms industry compared to the other big gangs in the 40th District.”
That’s the reason we can attack them, too,” said Panoa, then immediately passed the screen.
“The conclusion is simple. All incidental costs related to distribution are borne by the Plato Mercenary Office, and instead of scavengers selling their feet, Ciger Bang takes the most dangerous risk.
“Effective.”
Joad muttered, sitting in front of Lennok with his arms crossed.
Hearing those words, Panoa turned her head and her eyes glistened coldly.
“Until now, I have maintained that precarious balance, but this kind of money-making goes downhill with the slightest twist.”
Railroad Station
“With the death of Paul Ackerman and the lack of outside investment, this is the only money the gang can count on. If we can attack this place, Ciger Bang will collapse in an instant.”
Beep.
The screen changes and a photo of a remote place is revealed.
An old railway station where people don’t come and go.
A rusty train lies obliquely between completely closed tracks.
Panoa continued, pointing to the photo.
“They said that a deal with veterans would be done here at the end of the coming month. The place is Area 59. It is like bringing in weapons from the edge of the undeveloped district.”
“Is this information reliable?”
Panoa immediately answered Lennok’s question.
“This is definitive information that I paid a fortune for Mirror Diver. Cross-validation has been completed through the gang’s internal network, so there will be no such thing as the last time. Let’s see.”
Several more pictures popped up on the screen.
All of them were portraits of people’s faces taken from the front.
“This is the identity of the gang’s arms trade team and the veterans who deal with them. While living in a satellite city, it seemed that they were constantly receiving cash and daily necessities from the gang.”
Panoa continued to speak with a cold expression.
“Veterans dealing with gangs. The goal of this operation is to completely cut off the route that supplies weapons. Once they get a hot taste, they will be afraid to do business with the gang any more.”
A low silence fell in the middle of the room.
Lennok glanced at the other members of the team.
I thought the reaction would be quite intense, but except for Agria, who has a slightly crumpled complexion, the others are surprisingly calm.
It seems that he already knew who he was going to collide with in advance.
At least among the team members, there seemed to be no problem with their attitude.
Lennok raised his head slightly and asked.
“Who could be a threat in this operation? If it’s a transaction that the gang also considers important, it wouldn’t be strange if a strong person followed suit.”
“There is one gang leader who sticks around, but it’s not something to be alarmed about. What we need to be more concerned about is the whereabouts of this man who is well known as the boss’s closest aide.”
“…”
Lennok’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the picture Panoa had uploaded. It was a face he already knew.
“Beck Clinton. Among over a thousand gang members, he is by far one of the strongest fighters with one hand and is said to be quite famous on the floor. Now that he is leaving the Balkans to establish a new trading network for the gang, there probably won’t be much of a problem.”
Did he completely rip out the gang’s information network, thoroughly categorize dangerous people, and calculate the possibility of successful operation?
At this point, Lennox also admitted that Panoa had come prepared really well.
I don’t know, but I must have poured a lot of money to create this result.
It was as if she and other factions within the company were putting their lives on the line for this project.
“I will now go into a detailed operational description for that goal. We have given you a notice in advance, but the conversations we had here must never leak out. You just need to keep that in mind. Then, let’s take a look at the list of veterans visiting the Balkans in order.”
