Inside the interrogation room, the atmosphere was intense. The final words of the mysterious man lingered in Ryan's mind like a haunting ghost.
The choice was easy to make at a single glance. Who would choose the latter option? Only a fool would choose to die. But Ryan was more concerned about the former choice.
Join us?
On the surface, this looked like a recruitment offer, but thinking deeper, why would the mysterious man choose Ryan in the first place? Based on Law Court rules, any Magician outside the organization was recognized as a rogue Magician that needed to be eliminated.
Yet, the mysterious man sitting composedly in front of him was a captain of the Law Court team, offering him a choice.
Because of this, Ryan believed they had a primary motive for inviting him. No matter how much he pondered, he couldn't pinpoint what they wanted.
With gravity in his tone, Ryan said, "Do I have a choice? Of course I'll choose the former option."
The mysterious man looked at Ryan with emotionless eyes and said in a deep voice, "There are two reasons why we are offering you this deal. First, you possess a Magician's power, yet you bring no harm to the people around you.
Second, one of our members died during a mission, leaving us short-handed. So instead of killing you, I want you on our team to replace our loss."
Ryan listened solemnly, several possibilities racing through his mind.
You're recruiting me simply because I'm a Magician... On one hand, that is plausible. Who wouldn't want a Magician under their control? Magicians have both strength and intellect. Even a low-ranking Magician is considered a powerhouse in a small team. But deep down, I'm just a low-ranking asset to them. They could be using recruitment as a cover for a deeper conspiracy...
Ryan neither rejected nor agreed to the proposal. He looked at the mysterious man, who was puffing on his cigar with a grave expression. Ryan was trapped between two deadly paths: submit or die. Both felt like a dead end. One choice was a trap to lure him into an unknown conspiracy; the other was immediate death.
Even if he wanted to escape, he couldn't. Dealing with the mysterious man alone was impossible, let alone his team waiting outside.
The mysterious man puffed his cigar with a calm demeanor, patiently waiting for Ryan's decision. In his heart, he already knew what Ryan would choose.
Ryan sighed softly, a grim look on his face. Knowing he was helpless, he had no choice but to go with the flow. He offered a self-deprecating smile before asking in a low voice, "What benefits do I get by joining your team?"
Anticipating this question, the mysterious man straightened his back and patiently replied, "You'll get a weekly salary of 3 bins. In addition, 3 bins isn't the limit; your pay will rise based on your contributions. To be precise, the better you perform, the more money you make."
He continued, "Aside from the salary, you can move into our company quarters. However, we only provide a place to stay, not living expenses like food. If you don't want to stay at the company, you can live independently.
Additionally, if you die on the job, we will handle your funeral and pay a sum of money to your relatives. Those are some of the main benefits of joining."
Ryan's face twisted slightly at the final statement. "What if I don't have any relatives?"
The mysterious man looked at Ryan with deep-sunken eyes and casually said, "If you don't have relatives, the money will go to the person closest to you. For example, if I am your best friend and you die, the money will simply go to me, and you can rest in peace."
Ryan was at a loss for words at the example, thinking to himself, Why do I feel like you just want me to die?
Shifting his attention back to the proposition, Ryan carefully weighed the benefits. The pay was plentiful. An annual equivalent based on 3 bins a week could allow a normal person to lead a better life, enough to support an entire family of four or five, especially if they owned a home.
Most families couldn't afford their own houses and resorted to renting. Apartments were the best choice for lower-income families. To rent an apartment, you paid a weekly fee rather than buying it outright.
Rent usually cost between 6 and 10 reil for an apartment with two bedrooms, one washroom, a living room, and a kitchen. This was enough for a family of four or five to live comfortably.
Luxury apartments cost between 11 reil and 2 bins. These had numerous rooms and full amenities, functioning almost like a medium-sized house where two to three families could live happily.
Location was another major difference. Standard apartments were located in shabby environments filled with chaos and crime. The mornings were peaceful, but at night, all sorts of noises could be heard: shouting, cursing, and even gunshots.
Luxury apartments were located in the heart of the city and built with high-quality materials, ensuring outside noise couldn't penetrate the walls. Even loud sounds were muffled to a whisper.
The city center was a hub of marketplaces and businesses. Step outside, and you could find everything you needed: breakfast, luxury clothing, fresh vegetables, and heavy police patrols.
Biuosis was just a small town in the country of Ditness. Earning 3 bins meant living comfortably, but Ryan wasn't focused on the money; he was more concerned about the details of the job.
With a neutral expression, Ryan raised an eyebrow and asked, "What will I actually be doing on the team?"
spread across his face, the mysterious man replied, "You will handle supernatural cases alongside the team. Occasionally, you must accept assigned missions. However, if you feel a mission is beyond your capability, you have the right to refuse it. When a mission is too difficult, you can seek assistance from the team, provided the rewards are distributed fairly. Furthermore, you must obey your team leader during group operations."
In other words, if a task was too hard, he could consult other members or request backup, as long as the mission rewards were split evenly.
"You can gain contribution points by completing missions, which helps you advance in rank," the man added.
Ryan listened with intense focus, catching a key phrase. "Rank?"
The mysterious man chuckled inwardly and replied, "The rank I am referring to is your Magician rank. As you may know, Magicians are classified from 1 to 9 Stars. The higher your star level, the stronger you are. In the Magician world, there is a complex system for naming Magicians based on their star level, and the Law Court follows a similar structure. As your star level increases, your rank and status within the Law Court grow. From what I know, reaching 5 Stars allows you to transfer directly to the Law Court headquarters."
The world of Magicians was full of hidden dangers. Many unexplained events occurred across the realm, and even Magicians seemed small in such a vast, mysterious world.
Magicians were known for power that transcended mortal status. Moving from 1 Star to 9 Stars seemed simple on the surface, but many could not even advance to 2 Stars. A 1 Star Magician was still essentially human, just slightly enhanced and marginally stronger than a normal person.
From 2 Stars onward, everything underwent a profound change. Not only could you cast powerful spells, but you also unlocked unique physical traits. Some gained immense strength, some acquired bodies as hard as rock, others gained incredible speed, alongside various other physical transformations.
Despite this, no Magician truly knew the origin of their power. Across generations, the prevailing hypothesis was that it stemmed from the Oldest Will.
"As a 1 Star Magician, you shouldn't be secretive about your abilities. Tell me, how did you obtain your power?" The mysterious man's tone shifted sharply.
So this is his real motive, Ryan thought. Everything before this was just to lower my guard and uncover the source of my power.
Seeing Ryan remain silent, the mysterious man said calmly, "The power you possess is completely different from other Magicians I've met. Every Magician carries specific traits and uniqueness, though some share similarities. To this day, no one fully understands how Magician powers work."
When Ryan still offered no response, the man let out a cold snort. "It's fine if you don't want to say, but I suspect you obtained this power through an Unforgettable Moment."
Ryan knew what he meant. This method was known as "Self-Invocation." When a person reached an unforgettable juncture in life, or stood at the edge of death where their Will crystallized, they could unknowingly awaken Magician powers. The nature of the power depended on the Will being formed, whether it was a free will, a vengeful will, or something else entirely. Each Will carried distinct traits.
The mysterious man was questioning him to dig out information about the specific Will Ryan had formed. Ryan saw through the tactic and avoided answering. He also realized that uncovering his secret wasn't the captain's primary goal either, though he had yet to figure out the man's true objective.
Ryan's face remained impassive. Recognizing that his probing bore no fruit, the mysterious man sighed deeply and brought the topic back on track. "Now, what do you think of the deal?"
Ryan was lost in thought, pondering the offer repeatedly. In truth, he had no real alternative, and it was a solid proposal. He had always struggled to find a suitable job, and now one had landed right on his doorstep.
If I knew this earlier, I would have started hunting serial killers the moment I arrived here, Ryan mocked himself internally.
"Do I really have a choice?" Ryan said, finally accepting the deal.