Sylvester.

The eternal number two company, following Centrim.

Although its prestige had greatly faded due to the stigma of being a loser, the power the company held was befitting of its status.

In the world of FP, there were three groups that could be called the axis of evil.

The City Government, gangs, and corporations.

Things like black magicians and terrorist groups were merely their limbs.

Sylvester was the second finger of such corporations.

Meeting its successor, and a direct descendant of the current chairman at that, was close to impossible.

That's why the current situation was special.

Because it was Claire Sylvester, not me, who had requested the conversation first.

"How does it taste?"

The private room I arrived at, following her.

I took a sip of the tea in the cup.

"The aroma is good."

"Of course. It's a secret collection I specially brought out to welcome a guest."

It wasn't overly astringent, nor was it overly bitter.

The tea went down my throat smoothly, and a subtle aroma spread throughout my body.

It was a black tea type, not a cheap one brewed from a tea bag.

...In the first place, even tea bags are a luxury in this world.

'As expected, there is technology in this world too.'

The cultivation and commercialization of plants.

The foundation was prepared, it was just that mass production was impossible due to environmental factors.

If only that environmental factor was resolved, it would not be impossible to realize my dream of reviving Mother Nature.

"Contractor Allen, I hear you're a rising star who's been gaining fame recently. Seeing that you received a request from the City Government in less than half a year, you're evaluated as having a tremendous growth rate."

Claire started the conversation with my personal details.

I wasn't wary.

She must have done a background check.

With Sylvester's information network, she would have found out quickly.

"But when I looked into your past, there was nothing. You appeared in the city as if you had suddenly fallen from the sky. You're amazing."

Claire smiled, but she wasn't smiling.

A cover-up operation that surpassed the information network of a large corporation.

It was a compliment that contained a certain degree of caution.

"You're too kind."

Of course, it was a misunderstanding.

It wasn't a cover-up operation, it was because I was practically born anew.

The appearance of the factory worker Allen and the contractor Allen were as different as heaven and earth.

It would not be easy to connect them.

'...It's a bit disappointing.'

The past that the original owner of this body must have had.

With this face, the possibility of being a lower-class worker from birth was low.

Even if he wasn't a fallen noble, this burn scar must have some story behind it.

They probably didn't go all out in investigating the past of a mere contractor, but it was quite a shame that even a large corporation couldn't find out.

"Well, this isn't important. It was a light background check. I won't dig deep. I've also received help from you."

Help.

It was out of the blue, but I suddenly got a clue.

"Was the District 16 project pushed by you?"

"Oh my, you're quick-witted."

It was a new business site acquisition project launched by a powerless faction that had been pushed out of internal politics.

Unmotivated dispatched employees and a mercenary corps that only wanted to maintain the status quo.

It was a troublesome request even when I thought about it again.

I had succeeded in it.

As a result of absorbing the essence of the Unchanging Swamp, I had also improved the swamp environment.

Since I had solved several difficulties, it could no longer be dismissed as a project with no business potential.

Hadn't I pioneered a whole undeveloped district?

I hadn't checked the success or failure since then, but it seemed to have gone well.

'So that was the project Claire launched.'

I could understand why she had been losing her real power in the game.

That request, and this matter, must have been a kind of gamble for her.

And the success rate of a gamble was generally extremely low.

She is a businesswoman who stands out for her coolness.

She prefers to make her moves like placing a piece on a board under precise calculations.

In a normal situation, that is.

A gamble made out of desperation, like now, would only drive her into a dead end.

'She must be able to breathe a little now.'

But thanks to me, that gamble had turned into a jackpot.

She would not be tightening her own noose by making a move that was scheduled to fail according to the game's scenario.

'And she will try to make the most of this opportunity.'

For Claire, it was a golden opportunity to regain what she had lost as the successor of the company.

The reason she was looking for me now must be for that reason.

"Anyway, I didn't invite you with any bad intentions."

"Then I'd like to get to the point. As you know, my mission is escort. It's almost time for my shift."

"I won't take up much of your time anyway. I just want you to answer my question."

Claire asked, resting her chin on one hand.

"How did you seduce him?"

The question of 'who' was useless.

"The councilor with the pointed ears is more irritable than the rumors. We haven't had a proper conversation during the schedule we shared today."

Of course, that would be the case.

This was a national characteristic set in the game.

"But you, he showed excessive interest in you from the first meeting. What's the secret?"

I chose my words carefully.

"My face?"

"...That's an interesting answer."

Claire didn't smile.

"I'm confident in my appearance too."

It was a deception, but the reason I didn't feel any resistance was because it wasn't wrong.

"I'll give you a generous reward. Enough not to be ashamed of the Sylvester name."

Bowing first was the worst negotiation attitude.

It also meant that she was anxious.

But it was okay because it was Sylvester.

Cash couldn't solve everything, but it made most things possible.

Most contractors were money-worshippers who lived for money without any special beliefs or purposes.

In that sense, they were similar to merchant entrepreneurs.

It was an attractive bait that was hard to consider refusing.

"I can't answer that question."

Of course, not for me.

As if it were an expected reaction, Claire continued nonchalantly.

"You don't like money. There are people like that sometimes. Is there something you want?"

"No, the reward doesn't matter. It means I have no intention of answering."

"..."

She couldn't have expected this.

Claire's eyes narrowed coyly.

'I can't tell her.'

Councilor Giselle's favor is the influence of nature affinity.

No one but me could imitate it.

"Instead, I'd like to make a proposal."

A proposal instead of an answer.

It was an arrogant act against a large corporation.

'The one who's anxious is not me, but the other party.'

That's why it was possible.

Claire urged me on with a silent gesture.

"I'll give you a chance to win Councilor Giselle's favor."

"A chance? How?"

"There will be an attack during this negotiation."

It was a certainty, not a guess.

Claire refuted it with common sense.

"An attack during the negotiation, that could happen. That's why you guys were hired, to prevent such a situation, right?"

"The story changes if there's a mole among the escorts."

"A betrayal from within? No way, the Drexier Mercenary Corps is a trusted group designated by the City Government. They wouldn't throw away the foundation they've painstakingly built by betraying..."

"Not the mercenary corps, but the contractors."

"..."

There were two groups in charge of the escort.

The former might not, but the latter was capable of the crazy judgment of betrayal.

"...Money, I see. Considering the backer who has the power to interfere with the City Government's event, Centrim?"

"You know well. Sylvester is acting blatantly, so it's not like their competitor would just stand by."

A backroom deal that would sway the major event of a war.

It was the presence of a corporation that gave reality to an absurd story.

"...Okay, let's say everything you said is true. How did you know that?"

It was a crucial crossroads.

Only if I could convince her here could I stably prevent the big event.

"I was the one who dug up the mastermind behind the tailing that the Drexier Mercenary Corps was struggling with."

Giselle, satisfied with this, had even ordered me to report directly to him.

I  provided her with what hints I had. However, to make her believe this…

Fortunately, she provided the plausibility.

"Did you find out about information network?"

"The interpretation is up to you."

I'm just giving a hint that it might be so.

'If I leave her alone, she'll let her imagination run wild.'

Risk management is essential in business operations.

And the Claire I knew was a person who was wary of even the smallest element of anxiety as if she were having a seizure.

She was a person who valued plans, so she had a habit of exercising a rich imagination that was... somewhat close to delusion.

'In other words, she's a bit of an airhead.'

It's no wonder her position was unstable.

If I laid out a plausible story, it was highly likely that she would jump to the wrong conclusion on her own.

"I've figured out their plan. They're going to cause a terrorist attack during the negotiation, led by a black magician."

"A black magician. If those sinister followers are determined to carry out a terrorist attack, it'll be hard to stop them with a haphazard approach. Isn't it better to catch them beforehand?"

"Then they'll just come up with a new plan to carry out the terrorist attack."

Because Centrim would not give up on the war.

The best thing was to control it in a situation I was aware of.

"I can stop the black magician's tricks. I will also take responsibility for escorting Councilor Giselle."

"...If you can do it all alone, what's my job?"

"Just take care of one thing."

It was a simple thing that would benefit both me and the other party.

"Act shamelessly."

"...What?"

Just put on a thick face.

It was a very easy thing for an entrepreneur for whom fraud and deception were the default.

***

"Ah."

The secretary, Milina, hastily raised the driver's seat at the figure reflected in the rearview mirror.

"You've worked hard."

"...You've had a hard time waiting."

Sitting in the back seat was her boss, Claire.

Milina started the car and stealthily checked Claire's complexion.

It was obviously not good.

"I'll take you to your residence."

"Please do. I'm tired."

"...It seems things didn't go well?"

"No, they went well."

"Ah, I'm glad they went well."

But I don't know why her expression is like that.

Is it okay to ask this?

While Milina was conflicted, Claire spoke first.

"He was a tough person."

"The contractor, you mean?"

"He held the initiative from beginning to end. He wasn't swayed by the name of Sylvester."

Claire honestly admitted that she had dismissed her opponent as a newcomer.

That was the reason for her mistake of not being able to lead the conversation proactively.

If she had known he was a cunning snake with many cards to play, she would have approached him cautiously.

Her judgment had been clouded because she was anxious.

"Then, about the secret..."

"I couldn't find out."

"Ah."

This matter was practically Claire's internal political life on the line.

As a close aide, the secretary was naturally in the same boat.

She thought she had found a clue to please the picky councilor.

It was a sigh that came out without her realizing it, as it had gone wrong.

"Instead, I received a proposal."

"A proposal, you say?"

"Yes."

"May I ask? If you're worried, I will review it with the working-level staff and give you my opinion."

"No, there's no need for that. He just told me to act shamelessly."

"...Shamelessly?"

It was a nonsensical statement.

The secretary seemed to be asking for a more detailed explanation, but Claire just leaned her face against the window.

She had already made her decision.

"...More importantly, there's something I'd like you to do."

"Please speak."

"Allen, please dig into that contractor's background."

"The background check is already..."

"There's something more than what was investigated."

It was a tone that did not allow for rebuttal, full of conviction.

"Don't finish it sloppily like this time. Be thorough, dig up every single speck of dust."

"...Understood."

He was not an ordinary contractor.

Could there be a clue in the past that even Sylvester's information network couldn't dig up?

Claire had no intention of just being dragged along.

***

It was late at night.

The border area, the great plain of District 12, was quiet.

The contractors, who had been hired as escorts but were actually treated as laborers, were put to work even at a late hour.

The cleanup around the negotiation site was already finished, but it was the decision of a front-line official who thought it would be a waste to let them play after hiring them for a high price.

Mezaia went to work with a happy heart.

She needed time to move alone without arousing suspicion anyway.

"Hmm."

Late at night, in a place dangerous for an old body to move alone, Mezaia was not wary, but rather happy.

It was a request she had liked in a long time.

The pay was good, and it was perfect in that it suited her taste.

"The preparation... this should be enough."

The place where Mezaia stopped was in front of a low hill.

The old woman put her hand on the hill and pushed.

Then the black hill collapsed.

"To think a failure I abandoned long ago would be of help. Hehehe, it's worth living a long life."

The hill was not a terrain made of soil.

The soil was just a camouflage; in reality, it was the corpses of the rulers of the great plain, the Corrupted.

It was also a failure that the black magician Mezaia had experimented with and abandoned when she was young.

"Three contractors, including the brat, one mercenary corps, and a barbarian."

The number of people participating in the big event, including the collaborators, was only two.

The difference in power was like hitting a rock with an egg.

"It's an easy job."

Of course, the black magician had the upper hand.

Mezaia laughed confidently.

Her gaze was fixed on the ominous magic circle drawn under the corpses of the Corrupted that formed the hill.

(End of Chapter)