—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“…Hmm.”
The large orc sitting in the office, Michael, sensed some kind of ominous energy.
It was a sense he had acquired from his long life as a mercenary.
‘What is it.’
Although it was difficult to express in clear words, he intuitively sensed that some ‘unfortunate’ event was about to happen to him.
Because this wasn’t the first or second time this had happened. Rather than trembling in anxiety, Michael tried to guess what misfortune was coming for him.
‘Is it a gang problem?’
Probably not.
There were very few orcs in this neighborhood who didn’t know that Michael was a former mercenary. The gangs didn’t act so foolishly as to deliberately provoke Michael, who was living quietly.
If so, then….
‘Is a client with no money coming?’
To put it nicely, a private investigation agency. To put it badly, an errand service.
Since he was almost the only one running such a ‘business’ in Redwood, it was a possible guess.
But this too was not something he couldn’t solve.
Unless an ‘outsider’ from outside the neighborhood came looking for Michael, the troublesome things that could happen in this neighborhood were all more or less the same.
The most difficult problem recently had been the request to deal with the ‘mutated contaminant’ that had crawled out from the underground.
Michael rose from his chair.
As he was still working on the front lines, the thick muscles that were not covered by his clothes showed off their presence.
Michael walked over to the window and moved his gaze blankly outside.
Since he had quit his mercenary work and returned to his hometown, several months had already passed.
The scenery of the neighborhood, which had at first seemed only peaceful, now felt ominous.
Michael felt like he was looking at a powder keg before it exploded in that scenery.
At the same time, his own face, reflected translucently through the glass of the window, was clearly visible.
Michael instinctively raised his hand. The numerous scars on his face felt itchy.
At times like these, the ominous feeling in a corner of Michael’s heart grew little by little.
“What on earth could it be.”
He muttered to himself out of frustration, but there was no one to solve Michael’s curiosity.
In the end, Michael briefly dismissed his worries as ‘just a feeling’ and moved on.
‘It’s probably nothing.’
Since he had quit being a mercenary.
The passage of time was a very sufficient reason for a sharp sense to become dull.
Having finished his thoughts, Michael turned his body back toward the office desk.
Therefore,
Crack.
A crack formed in a perfectly fine windowpane.
Michael did not notice the sign of ‘misfortune,’ which was obvious to anyone, before he threw himself out the window.
This had happened exactly 30 minutes ago.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Your name is Michael, you said.”
“…Yep.”
…….
Who is that.
That was the thought I had after a brief exchange of names with the orc, Michael, who had thrown himself out the window without any hesitation.
Meeting, again, with a person (orc) who had thrown themselves out a window on their own was more awkward and uncomfortable than I thought.
Perhaps the person who was caught feels the same.
I quietly predicted.
It would feel as if I had stopped or even turned back time.
The orc, Michael, who had returned to the room thanks to my magic, was also in a state of considerable confusion at the time.
“…What the?! I definitely jumped—.”
And his eyes met mine.
“Fuck, there is even the Only Magician! What on earth did I do wrong…!”
That’s right.
What did you do wrong to have jumped out the window? I was honestly curious.
The pupils of Michael, whose entire body had become damp with cold sweat, trembled here and there. They couldn’t find their place and were in a state of confusion and fear.
He’s going to stop breathing at this rate.
“Hey, calm down.”
I grabbed Michael’s shoulders and helped him so that he could breathe in and out comfortably.
“One, two, inhale. That’s right.”
“Whew…….”
Hmm.
I think he’s calmed down by now.
“So why did you run away?”
“…Cough!”
At my sudden question, Michael coughed loudly as if he had choked.
His breathing began to quicken again.
It was only after 10 minutes had passed that I was finally able to have a normal conversation with Michael.
“…Well, you see.”
The gaze of the calmed Michael turned to Catherine, who was watching the situation with her arms crossed behind me.
I already knew that he had tried to run away because of Catherine.
Because Michael, before he jumped.
Had said, ‘Damn it, it’s Shooting Star!’
And then had thrown himself.
That wasn’t what I was curious about.
No matter how much it was Catherine, for a stranger to throw themselves out a window without hesitation just by making eye contact, was her notoriety that hi—.
“……”
—gh, maybe.
Come to think of it, it was possible.
“…I am working as a private investigator, but before I came back to my hometown, I was a mercenary.”
Oh, so you were a colleague.
Michael calmly continued his explanation.
“One of the pieces of advice a senior mercenary I was indebted to at the time gave me was… to run away immediately if Shooting Star was in the location.”
His way of speaking was rambling, but it was sufficient to convey the meaning.
“I thought it was a joke at first, too. …Until I heard the rumor that the entire group, including that senior mercenary, had disappeared after being directly hit by the Shooting Star.”
Since there wasn’t just one or two such people, even if he said that, I didn’t think Catherine herself would know who it was.
I glanced back and looked at Catherine.
As I expected, Catherine was counting her fingers and trying to remember who the ‘senior mercenary’ was.
As I was looking back, my eyes met Eve’s.
Eve, regardless of the current situation, was just staring at me. It was a little scary.
I avoided Eve’s gaze and turned my head back to look at Michael.
“…So that’s why. I instinctively jumped without even thinking.”
There was no need to explain the rest.
Catherine isn’t some tactical nuclear bomb.
To make a person evacuate out a window just by appearing.
In a way, it was amazing.
“…Still, it’s not that bad, is it?”
Catherine quietly expressed her opinion. But Michael, who heard her voice, let out a small shriek, heek, and hunched his neck with his thick trapezius muscles.
It was even stranger to see him do that with a body that looked like it could easily lift 800kg in the big three exercises.
As a certified 1st class Catherine safety manager, I raised my hand and stopped Catherine’s words.
It was a loss for Catherine to open her mouth now.
After all, we had come here to make a ‘request’ to this orc, Michael.
Making him feel too much fear was not a good way to lead a conversation.
With the intention of changing the mood, I approached Michael again.
It was true that I had been flustered by Michael’s unexpected ‘escape route,’ but still, the situation had been sorted out to some extent.
The neck that had shrunken like a frightened snail gradually came out to see the outside world again.
Just by looking at the scars on his face and his muscular build, he looked just like a veteran warrior.
I didn’t know why he was so timid.
I let out a short, dry cough.
“Ahem.”
Michael’s gaze focused on me.
“We didn’t come here with any bad intentions, so don’t be so flustered and calm down.”
At my words, Michael came to his senses.
As if he had realized that he had shown an unseemly sight, he took a handkerchief out from under his desk and wiped the cold sweat that filled his forehead.
I knew it from the moment he had just jumped out the window. This orc seemed to be thoroughly prepared in many ways.
“…You’re right.”
Michael, who had barely regained his composure, answered my words in a calm tone.
“…What brings you here.”
Finally, we can get to the main point.
At Michael’s question, I asked him the reason we had come here.
“…Do you know an orc named Smith?”
“I know a few dozen—.”
I asked the wrong question.
“Do you know anything about the recent disappearance of orcs?”
When he had come to see me, Smith had said that his ‘brothers’ weren’t answering their calls.
That meant that it wasn’t just Smith. There was a high possibility that other orcs had also disappeared.
Michael’s eyes were lost in thought for a moment.
“……Hmm.”
Was my explanation a little insufficient?
I added and explained what I knew.
The disappearance of Smith’s brothers. Smith, who had lost contact about a week ago.
I briefly explained that much.
Michael, who had heard all my explanation, answered me briefly.
“…I think I know roughly what you’re talking about.”
As expected. A private investigation agency where information gathered was a little different.
At the clue I had finally found, I leaned forward and asked Michael.
“Who kidnapped them? Or is there some culture we don’t know about?”
The last part was a slightly species-ist remark.
No matter how much they were orcs, they wouldn’t have a hood-like culture of holding a person for a week. Probably.
Michael looked around.
Catherine, Eve, me, and even the dazed Tom. Michael, who had confirmed that there were no more listening ears, lowered his voice and explained.
“I don’t know if you heard from the other orc brother who guided you.”
He said, glancing at Tom.
“The gang disputes have gotten serious lately.”
Since it was something I had heard, I nodded in agreement.
I had also seen it on the way here.
It was also the biggest reason that had made me realize that this neighborhood was a shitshow.
“It’s probably the work of the gang that was formed most recently.”
So it was a normal kidnapping, not a cultural thing. It was the most likely option.
…So it wasn’t an orc hood culture.
Soothing my slightly disappointed heart, I asked Michael.
“Can you specify which gang it is?”
“……The name is ‘Red Orcs’.”
Their main weapons must be the sickle and hammer.
As I was continuing my thoughts on whether a wave of red revolution had begun in the orc world as well.
Michael added an explanation.
“They’re really vicious bastards. They’re not to be taken lightly.”
The LED on the tusk in Michael’s mouth lit up, adding sincerity.
“They’re incredibly violent, and illegal businesses are a given. Besides, there are rumors that they’ve even joined hands with the ‘eco-fascism’ and ‘neo-luddite’ groups outside recently…, so the equipment they’re being supported with is no joke.”
Whether it was because my reaction was weaker than he expected, or because he was worried.
He explained their danger very vehemently.
“Although it’s been a few generations, there are also gang members who have military-grade cyberware. They are an opponent that should never be underestimated.”
No, even if you explain it like that.
I turned my head while listening to the explanation.
“Ah.”
Michael’s gaze followed mine to ‘Catherine’ who was behind me.
No matter how scary they were, could they be as scary as Catherine?
“What, why. Why are you suddenly looking at me?”
““……””
Michael, who had come to his senses again, looked at me.
“I have made an unnecessary worry. I sincerely apologize.”
I nodded my head.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Why worry, when you have a Catherine