"W-What do you mean? No matter how familiar you are with this man, you shouldn't cover for him..."
The researcher panicked and opened his mouth.
Not because his words were unbelievable, but because his voice seemed closer to ignoring the truth. However, his reaction was harsh.
"Are you saying I'm lying?"
"Oh, no, n-no, I didn't mean that, you see..."
"So what? Does investigating explorers with your pathetic authority now make even wizards seem inferior to you?"
A wizard from the magic tower was practically a semi-noble. Although there were several different schools of sorcery, this was largely because they were united as a group and fiercely protected their own rights and interests.
One way or another, the problem was that the investigator, a low-ranking employee, had dared to question the veracity of his words. The branch manager couldn't stand by any longer and cautiously entered the conversation.
"What if we leave it here? You would already know, but without knowing the situation, it would surely seem absurd to you."
She nodded.
"There is certainly no precedent for a vampire sighting in a first-floor Rift."
Unlike when she was dealing with the investigator, there was a friendly smile on her lips. But it only lasted for a moment.
"Thank you for saying that..."
"But, from the time the labyrinth was created until now, it has been full of all sorts of unknowns. But absurd ones? Is that what someone from the Explorers' Guild should be saying, let alone the branch director?"
The sharp criticism emerged after a while.
Was this what it meant to be a mage? Not even the position of the guild branch director seemed to matter to him.
«...»
It was at that moment that the branch manager unsuccessfully intervened and was silenced.
Knock knock.
There was a knock. It wasn't a knock to request something.
Before anyone could let them in, the door burst open.
"Are you the barbarian?"
"Who are you?"
"My name is Niall Urbans."
Two men entered the room. A middle-aged man in an impeccable tuxedo and a young man who appeared to be escorting him.
"District Chief!"
"Father…?"
Julian, who was kidnapped at that moment, and the branch manager opened their mouths at the same time.
I too raised the guard that I had let relax.
So… even the district chief is here.
The structure of a guild was simple.
Each of the city's hundreds of branches had a branch manager, and there were 13 district bosses overseeing them. Above them was only the Guild Master, so the 13 district bosses were the guild's second-in-command.
There was no doubt they were powerful figures that a mere Rank 9 explorer could never meet. But even for these people, the world didn't always work out the way they wanted.
«You. I heard you caused an unfunny fiasco».
Feeling the district chief's displeased gaze on me, I smiled satisfied.
Sin humor, eh…
«Yes, it would be for you».
If only Harts Young hadn't given false testimony. Even if that were the case, if only the investigator had not been greedy and had handled the case properly. Not if at least the Explorers Guild were an association that managed its employees well...
Then I wouldn't have had to go through this problem.
But they weren't.
«It must have been a very small thing for you.»
But it wasn't for me. For me, my life was at stake.
«Is that why you caused this madness?»
«¿Locura?»
I replied,
«Is it crazy to want to live?»
«Couldn't there be another way? You've gone too far».
Another way my ass.
Until I walked through the iron bars and got here, the branch manager hadn't even known I existed inside his branch. And the same thing happened with this district chief, who would have had something to say when it came to changing the guild's internal regulations so that rank 9 scouts could be investigated just out of suspicion.
«If you had done things right, none of this would have happened».
At the same time he mumbled this coldly,
«You! How dare you speak like that in front of the district chief!»
He director from the branch intervened.
The investigative bastard and the district chief's bodyguard also looked at me with eyes as if they were seeing a madman. Well, to these guys, I was no different from a crazy person. A misfit of all misfits that cannot be explained with logic.
The district chief sighed and looked away.
«What's your name, magician?».
«Arua Raven».
«Good, Miss Raven. How much would you sell me that crystal ball for?».
Whichever way you look at it, it was a conciliatory proposal. However, I didn't know he would do it so openly.
For a moment, my heart sank.
«I reject the offer».
«What a pity».
«You're not going to try to take it away by force, are you?».
«Ha ha! Of course not. If that were the case, your school teacher wouldn't sit still».
Immediately, the district chief smiled happily.
«Why are they all so stiff? It was all a joke. With all those people out there waiting for results, how could I dare to do that?».
Joke, shit.
A cold sweat ran down my spine.
«...»
This is why he had tried to bring in a priest in the first place. «Video memory» or not, magicians could be purchased any number of times according to their own interests. If she didn't know Raven at all, she would have been bribed by the district chief...
The crowd gathered outside or not, would have lost their lives here.
Anyway, the results were not bad.
Raven kept her faith, so not even the district chief dared to cover this with his authority. In other words, now he just needed to prove that he was innocent.
Either way, the end had come.
«Okay, how about we get this over with now?»
I walked over to the closet and woke up Harts Young, who was sleeping inside.
«What... what is this? Why am I here...?»
There was a sound of drinks around.
Of course, that was because, the moment it was proven that this guy had given false testimony, it was really going to be «humorless» for everyone.
***
«This man is lying».
Simultaneously with Raven's words, a heavy silence began to circulate.
«What are you going to do now? district chief, sir?»
«Did you say your name is Bjorn Yandel? You're innocent».
Seeing the district chief's forced smile, I responded,
«It's a shame I can't say thank you.»
This time, not even the branch manager, who was listening next to me, dared to add a comment to my tone. He simply watched the district chief's reaction tremblingly.
«So what do you want us to do for you now?».
«Isn't it obvious? I demand compensation and punishment».
«Ya veo.»
The district chief nodded silently as if he was tapping a calculator inside his head, and then opened his mouth.
«First, the investigator in charge of your case will be fired».
«district head! I swear to the gods, I only carried out the investigation according to protocol...»
«Are you trying to convey your incompetence to the entire guild? All your past judgments will be thoroughly reviewed. And, if any injustice is found in the process, you will be punished accordingly.»
«Can't be!»
The arrogant investigator remained ashy and fell to his knees. Seeing him so scared, it seemed like he hadn't lived a life of complete integrity until now.
Well, judging by his behavior in the past, I wasn't surprised.
«Please forgive me! Please...!»
Shouldn't you say that to me, not him?
I thought I was barking at the wrong tree, but I didn't say it out loud. If he had been that kind of bastard in the first place, we wouldn't be here.
This is how the world works. No one ever regrets hitting the other person. Regrets only come when it comes time to pay the price.
«So what's up with this man?» Asked.
The collaborator in this case. When I asked that while looking at Harts Young, the district chief responded without much thought.
«This man has seriously confused the investigation with false testimonies to cover up his guilt. They will take care of him in the same way».
«Of the same?»
«After thorough investigation, he will be executed».
The district chief's words carried a lot of weight. The investigation had not yet begun, much less a trial, but in reality it was the same as a death sentence.
«No…»
Soon, Harts Young's eyes rolled back and he fainted, but no one paid attention to him.
«I hope they investigate the clan this guy belongs to».
«If it is the Crystal Union, they are famous for many things. I'll do what you tell me».
The district chief willingly agreed to my request. I was starting to think he was a very intelligent person. It meant that he had clearly recognized that he had no choice but to give in to what he asked of him.
«So is that enough punishment?».
«Well...
As I stared to the side as words escaped me, the branch manager looking at me hurried to look away. I smiled and nodded.
«Asking for more here would make me overzealous».
«Thank you for considering our situation».
Nothing to thank. I planned to receive what I deserved in another way.
«Well then, now that the punishment is over, we should talk about compensation for the mistake we made with you. Is there anything you want?»
«I will decide after your words».
«First, I will raise your rank to rank 7».
«An increase in rango, eh…»
Well, it was scared.
Once I became a rank 7 scout, exchanging money would be less crowded and there would be many other benefits.
If it hadn't been a rank 9, the investigative bastard wouldn't have been so arrogant in the first place.
«district head, sir! He's raising a scout with only two months of experience to rank 7 at once!»
The branch director added that he was concerned about problems that might arise over the issue of equity in the future, but the district head stubbornly shook his head.
«Right now we are apologizing to this man. So don't disagree with me on this».
«...Okay.»
The district chief's attitude was like that of a politician sincerely apologizing. Especially since his words were hollow.
«One moment. It's a bit strange, isn't it?»
As he was about to open his mouth, Raven, who remained silent, joined the conversation first. I was nervous about what he was going to say this time, but...
She didn't care in the least.
«How can a rank increase be compensation? Isn't it the guild's job to give benefits to scouts with abilities by raising their rank?».
«But, as I just heard, this man is...»
«Is he still a rookie? What does that matter?»
«So unprecedented-»
«Of course it is unprecedented».
After interrupting the district chief several times, he continued speaking like a rapid-fire cannon.
«There would have been no scout to consume the essence of a rank 5 monster, a vampire, and a Rift Guardian in two months».
«... What do you mean?»
«I'm not sure. I just found it a little embarrassing to see you take credit for something that's supposed to have already been done».
Immediately, he turned to me and smiled. Since he wasn't ignorant enough to throw in a ready-made opportunity, I quickly humored him.
«So I guess I can already anticipate the real compensation».
«... What do you want?»
Well, since he had suffered these hardships, he should receive the same in return. I was about to ask for something...
When Raven's mouth opened again.
"Of course it's money. Is there anything else the Explorers' Guild can do for him?"
I was sure that if I looked for it, there would be something.
Receive free link magic for life, or permission to post personal ads on the guild's bulletin boards, etc.
After all, these are things that can be bought with money.
When I nodded, the district chief sighed and raised a white flag.
"How much?"
Now all that's left is to write the amount on a blank check. I looked at Raven, who now seemed trustworthy for some reason.
It meant that she believed in the magician's rational judgment. Fortunately, the meaning was conveyed well, and she opened her mouth with a somewhat proud expression.
"Since you almost accidentally executed an explorer with a bright future ahead of him..."
At the end of her speech, she spat,
"At least five million stones?"
The district chief nodded without saying a word.
"Okay, it will be paid."
I wasn't that surprised. Five million stones was far more than the maximum I'd expected, but…
I had asked for that.
Without Raven, the transaction wouldn't have gone so well.
Was this truly the power of status? Deeply aware of its power, I wondered how I could repay the help I had received today.
Raven opened her mouth again.
"Ah, my reward will be another million stones."
"Reward? What do you mean? If it's payment for your support, the amount agreed upon with the tower is-"
"Including the price of this crystal ball that recorded the joke the district chief made earlier. It may have been a joke, but... I'm sure there will be a lot of people interested in it, don't you think?"
"…Ha, ha, ha, what a funny young woman."
"I'm not joking."
When she hardened her face, the district chief's expression turned distraught.
He didn't need to think for long.
"OK.."
Soon, the district chief shook his head. In a way, that was a million stones blown away by a slip of the tongue.
I suppose there's no need to pay him for his help.
Were all magicians like that?
While I admired her looking out for her own interests, her voice echoed in my head.
Thanks to you, I've earned some money.
Upon hearing that voice, I thought something I hadn't thought about anyone in a long time…
I thought we should get along more often in the future.