9 – Commission (2)
As Ka-el says this, the brows of those at the door furrow fiercely.
And then they say in a menacing voice,
“Ga-rin, who’s this guy acting out in front of us?”
“Ah, um…”
Ga-rin rolls his eyes with a flustered expression.
The truth is, he doesn’t know anything about the man in front of him either, only that he was planning to overpower him with force and got the tables turned instead.
“He said he’s here to see Lady Sariel!”
“What?”
In an instant, they turn their heads towards Ka-el.
Their eyes narrow.
“If I remember correctly, we don’t have any special guests scheduled for today.”
“Isn’t this guy from Kali’s side?”
Kali?
Ka-el silently questioned the unfamiliar name.
Their tone suggested the emergence of a new force in the underworld.
“He seems to be silent, guess we’re right.”
“This won’t do. Let’s take him down.”
It seems like they’ve made a gross misunderstanding and start coming towards me.
Soon, they raise their fists, ready to swing.
“Since you guys started it, that guy should understand, too.”
With that thought in mind, Kael imbued his hand with magic.
In an instant, he quickly drew a circuit and strengthened his body.
-Huuung!
At that moment, the man’s fist appeared to be incredibly slow.
Kael slowly caught the guy’s fist.
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-Thunk!
The fist was caught so effortlessly.
The guys were so amazed that their eyes widened.
Kael didn’t pay attention to their reaction and punched the guy in the abdomen.
“Kuh!”
The next moment, the guy kneeled down and vomited blood.
Garin was inwardly astonished as he saw this.
“Hakin, he kneels down with just one punch from his brother?”
Gatekeepers usually don’t choose weak individuals.
Isn’t Hakin a strong man who can hold the fingers of one hand in an entertainment club?
Yet, such a person is now kneeling and vomiting blood with just one punch.
Moreover, the man doesn’t seem to have been deliberately killed.
“What’s going on?!”
“What’s wrong? Hakin, brother?!”
The next moment, men who looked like gangsters emerged from the entrance.
They quickly assessed the situation and turned their heads towards Kael.
Garin quickly pointed at Kael.
“Brothers! That guy did it!”
“Extend, go in.”
“No, let’s just bury one today.”
With those words, the guys released their grip and approached us.
Kael sighed and muttered.
“Ah, I guess I really have to break something.”
At that moment.
Sariel, known as the Queen of the Underworld, let out a sigh within her room.
“Ha. What good is retiring from active service, I’m just as busy as before.”
She had retired from active service and completely dominated the underworld.
It took roughly a year to completely control the underworld.
She thought things would finally start to get quite comfortable now.
But, doesn’t the world never really go as planned? Even after taking over the underworld, she was busier than ever.
In addition, a new force had recently emerged in the underworld.
Of course, it was not yet a major issue.
-Hurry up!
-Move it!
Suddenly, she heard the desperate voices of her followers.
Sariel turned her head to the side.
She gave orders to Trill, who could be considered her second-in-command in the underworld club.
“Go check what’s happening outside.”
“Alright, I understand.”
After hearing Sariel’s words, Trill nodded his head.
Just as he was about to head outside.
-Slam!
The door opened abruptly.
The two were startled by the sudden opening of the door.
However, the reason for Sariel’s surprise was entirely different from Trill’s.
And for a good reason.
“Kael?”
Because the man who had once been called a comrade on the battlefield, appeared before her.
Sariel, stunned by his unexpected appearance, blinked in awe.
At that moment.
“Who the hell are you?”
Trill, standing next to her, furrowed his brows and looked menacing.
Before an accident occurred, Sariel decided to take the lead.
“He’s my guest. Treat him with respect.”
“Yes, understood.”
Tril adheres to her orders, immediately changing his manner.
Sariel quietly gazed outside the room.
And then, she exhaled a shallow breath.
“He could have just come. Why did he have to destroy everything on his way?”
“I’m sorry, but I didn’t start this.”
“Then?”
“You attacked first, I just counterattacked.”
It’s true that Cariel isn’t one to initiate the attack.
He might have been slaughtering the demons on the battlefield, but he never initiated an attack on humans.
And by the looks of his face, it seemed he came to meet me.
“Tril, clean up the mess outside.”
“Understood.”
With these words, Tril tactfully leaves the room.
Soon, only two people remain in the room.
Sariel looks at him and retrieves a cigarette from her pocket.
“Can I light one up?”
“Do as you please.”
“Give me a light.”
Cariel lights her cigarette with a flick of his finger.
Then, she takes a puff of her cigarette and exhales a deep breath.
“So, what brings you here, you usually don’t come around these parts?”
Sariel questioned him pointedly.
In response, Cariel looked at her with a curious expression.
“That’s surprising.”
“What is?”
“If it was the old times, you would have noticed as soon as I stepped into the back alley. I can’t believe you didn’t notice all this commotion.”
“I would have noticed much sooner if it were like the old times.”
Had it been as usual, she would have noticed pretty quickly, just as Cariel stated.
However, there has recently been an abundance of matters demanding my attention.
Thus, unlike before, I can’t fully extend my senses as I used to.
“Come to think of it, I’ve never seen you do work-related tasks.”
“That’s true. If I knew it would come to this, I would have treated the officers better.”
“It’s fortunate that you’ve realized this even now.”
“Sure. But what’s the real reason for your visit? You didn’t come just to see my face.”
“I came to request a favor.”
“A request? From you?”
Caught off guard by this unexpected phrase, Sariel tilted her head.
This was Carael, of all people.
Currently known as the Grand Wizard and called the next successor of the Magic Tower.
If he made up his mind, he could resolve just about anything.
Yet, he now speaks of making a request.
“What exactly are you requesting?”
She posed the question as she exhaled smoke.
In reply to her query, Carael responded without hesitation.
“I would like to find a certain person.”
“A person?”
“Yes.”
“That’s our specialty. But why would you be looking for a person? You weren’t known for being interested in others.”
“Do I really have to answer that?”
As Carael returned her question, Sariel nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders.
“Well, no. It’s just simple curiosity.”
“If that’s the case, I don’t particularly need to answer.”
“Alright. Then tell me about the person’s characteristics.”
“She’s the same age as me, with golden eyes and hair.”
“Hmm… A woman… What’s her name?”
“Riza.”
Upon hearing this, she fell into a quiet contemplation.
Typically, individuals with such appearances are rare.
Yet, it was a name he’d never heard before.
“Where’s your hometown?”
“It’s where I used to live.”
“Yeah? Got it.”
“So what do you want? I won’t do it for free.”
“You’re quick on the uptake indeed. I need your help with two things.”
“Two things?”
He’d thought it would be just one thing, but it was two.
Upon seeing Kael’s baffled expression, Sariel opened her mouth.
“Ever heard of the Frost Flower?”
“Yeah. I’ve heard of it.”
“I’d like if you could get that for me. It’s not hard for you, is it?”
Obtaining the Frost Flower is indeed not a difficult task.
If he sets his mind to it, he could easily acquire it.
“By when?”
“Just within six months.”
“Got it. And the other thing?”
“Take me with you.”
Sariel, with a seductive smile on her face, rests her hands on her chin.
The next instant, her black hair sways.
Not only that, her bosom bounced from her dress.
With a sigh, Kael looked at her.
‘Who would have thought she would be yet another crazy person like Maria.’
Thinking this, Kael answered in a serious tone.
“If that’s all you’ve got to say, you should leave.”
“Wait, wait! It’s a joke! A joke!”
Sariel, startled, quickly blocked him.
Then, Kael stopped in his tracks.
“Damn it! It’s because you suddenly said you were looking for a woman.”
“Hmm…”
“It’s really no fun.”
Sariel sighs faintly with a grumble.
And then, with a distinctly serious tone, she speaks.
“Have you heard of Cali?”
“Hmm, the man standing at the door earlier did mention it.”
“Really? So, you don’t know much then?”
To this question, Kael nods his head.
She continues with her explanation.
“These days, they’re a rising force from the dark underground. But the problem is that they don’t come under our control.”
“Why would that be a problem? Couldn’t you just handle it yourself if you just put your mind to it?”
“The problem is, there are rumors suggesting that they are backed by the second prince.”
If this is true, even for someone like Sariel, dealing with this will be far from easy.
She’s extraordinarily skilled in assassination, but attacking the power of a prince can carry heavy burdens.
“It would be nice if a powerful magician, who is good at concealing identities, could help…”
Sariel looks over, with a seductive smile on her face.
It seems this is the real request.
“The scales of justice aren’t balanced.”
“Really? Then take me with you!”
She again pleads with her actions and he shakes his head nonstop.
Soon, Kael opens his mouth.
“I will consider it an offer for later. For free.”
“Okay. That’s fair enough. Oh, right! I have some news for you.”
“?”
News for me?
As Kael wonders, out flies unexpected words from her mouth.
“The hero’s party is said to return at the upcoming festival.”