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After a flurry of commotion involving immense dignity issues and suspicion, the mercenaries silently kept their places, and the broker began a detailed presentation for me.

“Ahem… The objective, as you can see, is to capture Dusk, the boss of the Painkiller drug organization located in the Yellow Sector, commonly known as the Bottom District—the slums. To be precise, our client is interested in the drug data extracted from the storage space embedded in his head after the capture.”

“”……””

“Uh… um…”

Anxious glances are exchanged.

Seeing even Omen, who seems capable of taking on a hundred men, glaring with fiery eyes, it seems there are many missing explanations… As someone lacking information about Harvest Planet, it was difficult for me to grasp the main issues.

“Right… Painkiller has been a troublesome issue for quite some time. Their power is quite strong as well. But surely… you’re not telling us to wage war against the entire organization with just the four of us? Huh?”

At Horatio’s question, who stepped up as the representative, the broker waved his hand.

“…My explanation was lacking, my apologies. The mercenary teams hired by other brokers who have taken on this request will begin the war in earnest at 10 PM tonight. The data that my team, that is, you guys, will seize is the key.”

“…Easy to understand. So, we tear Dusk a new one and safely escort Ivory to him.”

The human weapon, who had quietly stood up, cracked his knuckles and summarized the content with murderous intent.

In the end, the job assigned to this team’s hacker, me, was simpler than I thought.

Quietly follow behind my comrades on a battlefield where bullets rain down, safely extract information from the captured enemy boss, and then return alive to submit it to Paradise Corp.

…Damn it, I specifically chose a request with plenty of combat personnel in case I got stuck with such a crazy field mission, but I’ve been royally screwed. Requiring a life allowance and specialized skills, yet the reward is only 10 million Credits? I have to give it to Mega Corp for their cost-cutting abilities.

“The city police will control the surroundings, so there’s no need to worry about civilian casualties at all. Only hired mercenaries and Painkiller members will be in the operation zone.”

Having finished his explanation, he closed his laptop and packed his things.

However, I also felt something strange in the added explanation. How can there be no civilian casualties when the combat police are controlling the surroundings…? How?

As if feeling a similar question, Horatio pressed the broker as he left the room.

“…Hey. It’s a fight that’s turning the heart of the Bottom District upside down, and there are junkies all over the place… You’re saying there will be no civilian casualties at all?”

Click…

Just before leaving, with his hand on the doorknob, he stated firmly.

“…Paradise Corp has unofficially conveyed that Yellow-grade and lower Green-grade citizens only have the right to live in the city, and the system has no reason to be responsible for their personal safety or protection of private property. …Rather, they said it’s okay to secretly grab a few to confirm the actual effects of the drugs. So… if you need additional compensation…”

Crash!!

An empty bottle thrown with all my might hit the door and shattered.

“Get out…! Call room service on your way out and clean up the trash…!!”

“…That was a slip of the tongue.”

Feeling the atmosphere becoming as grim as it could get, the broker lowered his head and quickly disappeared.

The corporation replaced the government, but it did not inherit all the roles. Like cutting a cake as they pleased, they took only the sweet parts and scattered the unappetizing toppings and base everywhere.

It was hard to dismiss it as just a game setting… The words of the Paradise Chairman that I heard during the story progression kept echoing in my ears.

If you don’t have Credits, you’re not a customer, and if you’re not a customer, you’re not human.

“…Consider it a good opportunity, Daredevil. It’s greedy to expect everyone to be safe when cutting out the rotten parts.”

“…Your nickname is crying. Since when did you care about that…”

Omen and Domino, who patted Horatio’s bowed shoulder, glanced at me and left the room.

…Huh? How did it end up with just me and these two…?

Moreover, that last look seemed to be asking for some comfort, but I don’t know how to do that. I want to take care of him since I received help… Should I take him somewhere and pour him some drinks? Considering the mission start time, that’s impossible…?

“……”

“…Huh?”

As if craving warm comfort, Horatio’s arms reached out towards me.

My heart, which had been wavering at the sight of the mercenary like a small boat swaying aimlessly in a strong storm, about to collapse at any moment, steeled itself. …Right, haven’t I experienced many times how helpful the presence of others can be in times like these? If lending even this… meager chest can reassure someone, I’m willing to do it…

“?!”

Slap!!

“Ugh?!”

I strike the top of his head, avoiding his spiky mohawk.

I was going to hug Horatio’s lowered head… but at the last moment, I saw the rotten smile on his lips. You crazy bastard…!!

“Damn it! Is that all you can think about?! I was trying to repay your kindness, but what kind of act are you putting on!”

“…Hahahaha!! I can’t beat Ivory-nim after all! You’re a fortress!”

Huffing and puffing, I retreated from the pervert and secured a safe distance.

I hated seeing him clutching his head with a handprint and laughing so hard. It wasn’t just because I hated his lewd desires, but even more so because he seemed to have some kind of story and was trying to avoid it.

“…Are you from the slums? Yellow grade?”

“…Well, it’s a common thing. A bunch of kids who don’t know how scary the world is, chasing after Credits to live doing whatever they want. There used to be at least fifty of us… now there are only three left.”

…If three out of fifty children with no money or backing became decent mercenaries, the world would applaud them as amazing.

But seeing the bitter smile on Horatio’s face, I felt a pang in my heart as I thought of the sadness they must have experienced along the way rather than their success.

“Anyway…! That’s why I really liked you, Ivory-nim! Your skill in ignoring my firewall is one thing, but… your nobility in knowing the importance of Credits without being consumed by it at all! That gaze that is wary of those who approach but also concerned…!! Isn’t it too dazzling? Huh?”

“…You’re not just horny?”

My face flushed with the sudden, absurd praise.

…There’s a limit to arbitrarily inflating someone’s evaluation, this is just… flattery. Yes, it’s just flattery.

Horatio clapped his knees and laughed at my reflexive retort.

“Puhahaha!! Ivory-nim! I’m not horny, I’m obsessed with fate!”

“…Fate?”

“That’s right! Fate…!!”

With a serious expression, he stood up and met my eyes.

“All the emotions humans feel, all things in the world are the result of chemical reactions, but… I believe that something more exists, which is why Domino, Omen, and I survived. Look…! The day has finally come to kill those Painkiller bastards. You happened to run into me yesterday, and we happened to be doing this request together…?”

“……”

As someone who makes a living by emitting electrical signals from my body, I didn’t have much to say even if I denied the truth of the world.

But his belief, which was a little different from a pseudo-religion… I had also recently experienced it. …Well, if something beyond science didn’t exist, how could I be living in this future world?

“So… Ivory-nim!”

“…What?”

Horatio suddenly knelt on one knee on the floor and held out his hand.

“Please marry this Daredevil Horatio…!!”

Pajijijijik—!!

“Get out of here right now!!”

I grabbed the outstretched hand and, instead of signal emission or hacking, purely concentrated all my strength to electrocute this unparalleled pervert.

Whether he had prepared for electrical attacks to some extent, he was still smiling even in his electrocuted state, saying that my hand was soft yet electrifying, and I diligently kicked the cabbage.

The human who didn’t budge even with the broker’s all-out struggles was acting up at my beating… I was so annoyed I could die. It seems that it’s difficult to break this strange connection with such weak violence.

“…Um, excuse me… I came to clean the room, but if you’re in the middle of that kind of play, I’ll come back later…”

“Um…! Hotelier miss, Ivory-nim and I are having a hot time right now… so let’s postpone the cleaning service!”

“?! That’s a misunderstanding!! Please get rid of this trash quickly!”

I, who was finally caught in an act that was difficult to explain to the employee, abandoned Horatio and fled to my room.

…6 hours until the mission starts. It was more than enough time to memorize the detailed instructions and rules.