Memoirs of the Returnee - Chapter 197



Only Krnovel

The Regressor’s Notepad 197

First meeting (3)

“… … I can’t help but feel that the second son is a bit too trusting.”

Section 1 of the Libra Hanging Gardens. Bellingham Kanta, who lives there with his blood relatives, is talking to Libra’s eldest daughter, Jahanna.

“I read the file too. I can see your abilities.”

The subject was Zion Ascal.

A guy who is participating in Libra’s internship and will soon be a college student.

He discovered that Libra was a double spy planted in the cartel and rescued the youngest, Jia, from Gosung.

Although there were only two achievements, the quality was good.

“He is a talented person with an equally outstanding attitude.”

“… … Yes. Attitude. I like this saying more than anything.”

Jahanna pointed to a passage in the file. In the report written by Intern Censor Belmore, there was a statement made by Sion Askar.

─’I will not give a chance to anyone who has betrayed Libra even once’ and beheaded him… … .

“Yes. Right now, Zion Ascal’s aptitude is a perfect ‘balancer.’”

Balancer.

Literally ‘the one who brings balance’.

He is Libra’s elite agent.

However, they are not assigned to any separate independent department, but are simply embedded within Libra.

The purpose of the balancer is to detect internal threats and to detect external threats.

In other words, it is to eliminate and eliminate harmful candidates both inside and outside of Libra.

“Has it been about 3 or 4 years since the balancer lineage was broken?”

“Yes. I guess… … .”

“Because he’s a guy you can’t trust.”

Recruiting a balancer is an important decision that the immediate family members make the final decision on. While rooting out internal enemies, it is also necessary to maintain political balance.

“These days, guys, SNS and such are so developed that they have a lot of empty promises.”

“Yes.”

“But, this Zion Ascal is going to the youngest?”

“Yes. It seems like the second son is also going to send it to the youngest.”

Zion Ascal goes to Zia.

On the contrary, it is a good thing. If the youngest son has no influence on the succession plan, it means that political balance is maintained.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen something worth seeing. I guess I’ll have to wait another 2-3 years though.”

“Are you okay? I don’t have to serve Lady Jahanna.”

“In the first place, all ‘Balancers’ belong to the direct descendants of Libra. This is especially true for the youngest. In the end, the successor ends up owning everything.”

Jahanna smirked as she looked at Zion Askar in the file.

“He’s a bit of a curious guy. I should invite him to my casino later… … .”

* * *

[Trick City, Rakel Dra’s Traces Found… …]

[Who is Raquel Dra?]

[The continent’s No. 1 guard unit, ‘Iron Shield’, signs a contract for permanent security for Senator Amota.]

The underworld. The dark, damp, inner recesses of the city.

Master Cartel’s consigliere – executive ‘Saluka’ frowned while watching the news from the ground.

“The boss must be worried.”

The men lined up behind Saluka bowed again.

“… … We apologize. The Monster Association also said that this was an unexpected variable.”

“I should have killed Amota.”

The cartels lie flat in the underworld, but they are always looking for the sunny side. They have no future if they stay in the underworld.

In that respect, the money given to the Trick City district council members under the pretext of ‘business’ is close to the budget of a small country.

─I think Trick City has learned a lot from this incident. I, Amota, will work with the district council members of Trick City to enact laws related to heroes… … .

“That fucking bitch.”

Congressman Amota keeps picking on every little thing. Threats and persuasion don’t work, and instead he’s trying to cut off all the businesses that are connected to the cartel.

“Are you sure it was Raquel Draco’s doing?”

The monster that led the barrier hacking was ‘Geto’, who was dispatched directly by the Monster Association. He is an A-class monster, close to an A+ class.

“I guess, based on the circumstances, yes… … but there is absolutely no evidence. It was all burned down.”

Trick City and the Cartel have very different views on this incident.

Trick City suspected that ‘Rakel Draco caused a barrier error’.

The cartel and the Monster Association assumed that ‘Rakel Draga had wiped out all the monsters.’

“But since his traces were found inside the barrier… … it must be his doing. Other than that, there is no other group or individual with a reason to attack us.”

Saluka glared at his subordinate.

“‘That’? What is ‘that’? Are you gentlemen?”

“Ah. I’m sorry. Traces of that ‘guy’ were found inside the barrier… … .”

“More than that. Why did he pick a fight with us? No, it’s not a fight. This is at the level of war.”

“Maybe we should release a hitman… ….”

Raquel Dra. The B-section businessman, D-section religious figure, and philanthropist that that villain murdered in Trick City are all connected to the cartel.

So the cartel sent a hitman to kill him before he could become more active.

“… … Take away the hitman. Would the guy who killed Ghetto die to a hitman?”

I don’t know where he suddenly appeared or what kind of life he’s led, but now even the cartels have no choice but to be on guard.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen someone so openly call themselves a ‘big shot’.

“I want to get this over with as quickly as possible, but… … I’ll leave that to Trick City.”

Luckily, Rep. Amota and Trick City are taking action instead.

Hero Special Law.

The cartel had originally tried to block it by lobbying, but if they could get Rakel Dra, it wouldn’t be such a bad trade.

* * *

the next day.

I suffered from the side effects of the abstinence for almost a day. Thanks to that, only Soliet suffered. I put a wet towel on her head, bought her some fever reducers, etc…

“……thanks.”

“Yes. Are you feeling well?”

“uh.”

I almost died at the time, but my resilience wasn’t bad, so I got better after resting for a day.

“By the way, Zion. Knight Railo has contacted you.”

“To the knight on the rails?”

“Yes. It looks like the operation will begin soon.”

I nodded.

“Are you ready?”

“……yes.”

Soliet’s expression hardened.

“Are you not nervous?”

“Rather, I feel like I’ve found my way.”

The nightmare doesn’t run away. It’s there. Soliet may just get her revenge.

But what if you find out the truth?

After completing the revenge that only hurts.

Will she be able to find a new goal?

Will he be able to continue with his life?

“Zion, how is your internship going?”

Solliet asked.

“… … Well. Right. I have to go to work tomorrow too.”

“Wouldn’t it be difficult?”

“It’s okay. This time it’s an office job.”

I picked up my smartphone. There was a text from Libra.

[Zion Ascal Internship Attendance Guide]

：Zion Ascal interns will experience the work of the business unit this week.

… … .

[Libra Station] business division.

I went to work in a suit.

“… … .”

There were a lot of people. The sounds were diverse. Office workers were talking here and there, talking to buyers in a variety of foreign languages, and the copier was spinning endlessly…

Among them, I was assigned to the [Sales Team].

You are not alone.

With fellow intern, Riley Erin.

“… … .”

However, Riley is a little different from me. She was assigned to the office three days before me and is already sitting in the office working.

Todododo-

While I’m busy typing on the keyboard, I’m doing something.

On the other hand, no one talks to me. Everyone in the office is just doing their own work.

“Huh. What is it?”

After about 10 minutes of being like that, someone suddenly pretended to recognize me.

“Oh, right. There’s one more intern? Something happened.”

It was a middle-aged man sitting in the manager’s seat. He looked at me with an annoyed expression.

“Oh, do I have to explain it again? Do you know anything?”

“What are you talking about?”

“What does the sales team do?”

“… … .”

“Well, listen carefully. The sales team interacts with foreign countries. The environment is completely different, so we find magic stones. In addition, we find business opportunities that can make money and sell them. That’s our sales team.”

The manager glanced at Riley.

“It’s easy to think of it as an office job, but it’s actually similar to a field job. That’s why we all know how to use magic to some extent. I’m also a senior engineer.”

Just because you graduate from the Magic University’s Knight Department and take the knight exam doesn’t mean you become a knight.

Rather, most of the technicians who are limited to ‘passing the technician exam’ enter the company with only an advanced technician license. That also makes more money.

“How about Ms. Riley going to the meeting today herself?”

“… …Me?”

Then Riley looked back.

“Yes. It’s an item that Riley Intern brought. If we help her, it feels like we’re taking away the intern’s item for nothing, and Riley Intern is a force to be reckoned with as soon as she’s hired.”

The manager snickered at Riley’s lavender hair.

“Try it yourself.”

“… … .”

Riley just stared at me without saying a word. Then the manager tapped me on the back of my neck as if he had forgotten.

“Oh, right. Riley Intern can’t drive? What should I do? That’s why she always sits in the passenger seat when going out as a team.”

Of course, the manager seemed to be dissatisfied with that.

“Zion Intern. Do you know how to drive?”

The manager asked me.

“I am a professional.”

I was once a driver.

* * *

I’m driving. The weather is quite clear for early spring, and the sunlight streaming through the window is warm. The water on the river across the highway is sparkling.

“This kind of scene would be boring, Zion Intern.”

Riley from the passenger seat asked.

She has mysterious lavender hair and is the agent who infiltrated Libra. She is one of the main routes through which various information about Libra is leaked.

“It’s not trivial.”

“Really? I heard you had some great achievements on your last business trip.”

“Whether it’s a business trip or sales, it’s all helpful to Libra.”

I still don’t know why she’s hostile towards Libra, because she was already dead when I started working in earnest.

But I know why she fell.

Should I say it was too clumsy?

She couldn’t give up for her final goal. She was swayed by emotions and refused Libra’s orders.

“More than that, what kind of work is it?”

I asked Riley.

“It’s simple. It’s not that important. The ‘ultimate magic stone’ has been discovered in the territory of the Kingdom of Ederin, and we’re trying to negotiate about it.”

Extreme magic stone. Simply put, it is a magic stone like a magnet. It is a magic stone that has been divided into ‘polarities’ like the N pole and the S pole since it was created.

“It’s the ultimate magic stone… … .”

“It sounds unfamiliar, right? But it’s effective. It’s also used as a material for valuable items.”

Riley snickered. I glanced at her quietly.

It is more efficient than a regular magic stone, but it is only so effective. For now, it will probably be used as a work of art or a luxury item.

Things will be different in the future.

In just one or two years, a completely new way to use the magic stone will be invented.

Prices are also rising astronomically.

This means that Riley has a very good grasp of the item, even though she doesn’t seem to know its value.

“There are a lot of reserves, so if we import them at a reasonable price, we could make a lot of profit, but the owner of that land is very picky.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Count Tono. I heard by chance that he was staying at the hotel, so I hastily arranged a meeting with him.”

Riley shrugged.

“No one is helping me. This isn’t something the interns should be able to handle.”

Meanwhile, we arrived at the Parallelion Hotel, a famous five-star hotel in Edsilla.

“We have arrived.”

“… … Yes. You drive well. Should I get off?”

“Yeah.”

The restaurant of the Parallion Hotel. At the window seat, a man in noble attire was sitting, slicing steak.

We approached him.

“Hmm. I guess it’s Ms. Riley.”

He asked without even looking this way.

“Yes. This is Riley, the one I spoke to on the phone.”

“Please sit down.”

We sat down. The Count nodded to Riley, who handed over his business card.

By the way, I don’t have a business card yet.

“……intern?”

The count frowned when he saw the business card.

“This is true.”

He sat back against the seat, looking very displeased.

“This is a matter that the team leader personally approved. However-”

─It’s disappointing. An intern is showing up at the meeting.

The Count cut her off. It was a sudden foreign language, and Riley perked up her ears, slightly startled.

─Without any manners. You came all of a sudden and asked me what was going on.

I scratched the back of my neck and hid my smile.

─I don’t know if you’ll even understand what I’m saying.

The language in which the Count proudly and ostentatiously speaks is all too familiar to me.

It’s ‘Latinelle’.

But Riley seems to be having a bit of a hard time.

─I’m sorry.

She responded, albeit clumsily, in Latin, but that was all.

─Is it okay to say sorry? What do you think the authority of the nobility is?

When the Count spoke a little faster, the man rolled his eyes as if he had no idea what he was saying.

─Ha! This is ridiculous. I guess I should go now-”

─Count Tono.

I caught him. The count stopped in his tracks as he tried to stand up.

─I’m sorry I’m just an intern, but I don’t mean to disrespect you, Count.

Then, Bectonel’s eyes sparkled slightly. Riley quickly put the contract down on the desk.

─… … Is that so?

─Yes. We are not ordinary interns.

─What if you’re not an ordinary intern?

─If the Count wanted only the manager or team leader of Libra Station, I would like to tell you that they are nothing more than frogs in a well. We will go up. I am directly connected to Libra.

I pointed to my tie with my finger.

─This tie. Jade herself gave it to me as a gift.

─… … Really? That noble man?

─Yes.

Jade surprisingly has a good reputation in the aristocratic society. Not only because of her looks, but also because of her unique aristocratic consciousness that fits very well with people living in a class-based country.

─Hmm. Well, if you say so. I wouldn’t be suspicious of you, considering your manners and culture. However, if we’re going to make a deal, I’d like 35 ren per gram.

I looked back at Riley.

“They want 35 Ren per gram of the ultimate stone.”

Riley’s lips curved slightly.

“… … It’s too expensive compared to the market price. The current line is 15~16 ren per gram.”

I relayed Riley’s words.

─The current price is 15 yen per gram. Isn’t that too expensive?

─Huh. Then buy it there. Our territory is already abundant. There is no need to go through the trouble of digging up another mine.

That’s right. For the nobles who own the land itself, the magic stone ore is just insurance.

I guess he’s a noble with some knowledge.

“How about 30 yen per gram?”

I told both Riley and the Count.

“Considering that the high-priced stone price trend will continue for the next 10 years.”

The ultimate stone will fetch 100 yen per gram in just 1-2 years. If we can somehow conclude a contract now, it will be a huge success.

“It’s not something we can decide. If we make a mistake, the company could suffer losses-”

─30 ren is fine.

The count changed his words. He looked at me and smiled.

─… … But, do you have that much power?

It was probably the Count’s own incentive. From his current position, 30 ren per gram would be a huge profit.

I told him.

“I always do what is beneficial to Libra.”

“Haha. Then I’ll go to the bathroom for a moment. If possible, I’d like to sign the contract today.”

The Count stands up as if to consult with someone, and Riley turns to me.

“If it costs 30 renminbi per gram, you will lose money immediately if you buy it. The deal will not be concluded.”

Riley’s brow furrowed.

“Mr. Riley, would you like to place a bet?”

“… … Betting?”

“Yes. The ultimate magic stone has potential. No, all new types of magic stones have potential.”

“… … .”

Riley glanced at me with a slightly suspicious expression.

“Do you have any inside information?”

“It’s an old thought of mine.”

“The company is not a casino. You can’t bet just by thinking about it.”

“Shall I write a report for you?”

“Of course. It requires approval from the higher-ups.”

“… … .”

“How long can I use it?

Riley asked back in an interrogative tone.

I was a little confused, but I remembered how the magic stone became more valuable than gold. I had also read the report.

In fact, even the reevaluation of the Extreme Magic Stone is done by the ‘Libra Research Institute’.

“… … I’ll try to recall my memories.”

It was originally supposed to happen 1-2 years later, but it may be possible to bring it forward by that amount.