Chapter 45: Sudden Quest Part 1

Released:

“Until you find what you want to do in the future, would you like to stay with me?”

“!”

The unexpected offer made Clara freeze stiff, but her mind was racing.

Rohan’s words seemed to carry various meanings.

Clatter!

Rohan disposed of the plastic cup that was now empty save for the ice, and let out a faint, self-deprecating laugh as he looked at Clara.

How ridiculous he must seem, being consumed with anxiety over whether this girl might leave.

“Ah, I really need to work on this habit of letting my emotions run ahead of me.”

“……?”

“Since this is an important matter, I should give you a proper explanation, shouldn’t I?”

The girl nodded her head slightly with a dazed expression on her face.

Rohan resumed his previously paused steps and began speaking in a measured tone.

“After graduating from Orion Academy, settling in the Academy City of Elysium and aiming for a position in the Public Safety Department would be a stable and solid choice. But I’ve been leaning more toward freelancing.”

“What do you mean by freelancing, oppa…?”

“A freelancer could be a hunter who captures monsters and sells materials like their hides or fangs. Or, depending on the situation, someone who takes down beasts pretending to be human.”

Since vague explanations wouldn’t do, Rohan added more specifics as he concluded his thought.

“I also have legitimate clearance to enter and exit the southern regions without going through annoying procedures. That’s a huge advantage, too.”

After all, there’s no need to go far when the land is crawling with monsters spat out by Void Whales.

And the location of the Academy City of Elysium? It was a golden spot nestled between powerful countries.

It was the perfect place to sell rare materials.

“If I were to set up an office, maybe I’d choose a cheaper location outside the central district to save some costs.”

As Rohan finished, he glanced at Clara with a look that seemed to ask if she found it interesting.

Clara lowered her lips from her straw and shared her thoughts.

“I’m surprised by how detailed your plan is, oppa…!”

“To me, it feels like I’ve only sketched out the outline, but if you think it’s good, I appreciate that.”

“I-I really don’t know anything about this kind of thing…”

Clara listened attentively and thought to herself. Even if the work was difficult, it seemed like it would be fun as long as she spent that time with Rohan.

For a girl focused solely on living in the present, such a thought felt akin to hanging a single light in a future that had always seemed pitch-black and unknown.

Rohan felt the same.

As he spoke, he recognized the part he had been most concerned about and felt relieved.

Clara truly wasn’t the type to be startled by words like handling monsters or humans.

“But… but aren’t there many people at Orion Academy who are much better than me?”

She had never really proven herself, so why was he making such a suggestion? That question hung unspoken at the end of her hesitant words.

Rohan shook his head in response.

“Not everyone at Orion Academy is on an extraordinary level like Noah. You can tell just by looking at me or the students you see on the streets, right?”

“…….”

“And more important than skill is how well people can work together, physically and mentally.”

Clara’s heart pounded disturbingly fast at those words.

Summoning more courage than ever, she asked nervously,

“Rohan oppa… do you think… we’d work well together?”

“Of course.”

His straightforward answer made joy bloom in Clara’s heart.

It bloomed fully and vibrantly.

“There’s still plenty of time before this becomes relevant. If you find something you want to do in the meantime, you can follow that path instead.”

“M-Mhmm…”

Even though she understood that his words about letting her go if she wanted to were meant kindly, it felt strangely disappointing to the girl.

Why do I act like this… only in front of oppa?

Clara couldn’t understand why her emotions swayed like reeds and surged like flames whenever she was with him.

It felt like she might have lost her mind.

“It’s true that getting a steady paycheck is good, but there’s also nothing wrong with earning based on how much effort you put in.”

It was an oddly mature statement for a student who had just entered the academy. It was as if he spoke from deep experience.

However, Clara felt no sense of oddness in Rohan’s demeanor.

Because of that, the girl replied. Even if it seemed hasty, she wanted to answer him quickly.

She was afraid that the kind Rohan, who looked at her so gently and without malice, might leave her.

“Um, I am interested in what you do, oppa. I think I’d like to try it, too…”

“!”

The girl liked the way Rohan’s face lit up at her words.

Feeling the warmth of being needed by him, her body flushed slightly.

“Oppa.”

“Yes, I’m listening.”

“So… what exactly would I be doing…?”

Rohan smiled at Clara’s positive response and continued speaking with a slightly higher pitch in his voice.

Clara felt that Rohan’s speech had slightly become faster, and the older man seemed cute to her.

“We’re planning for two years from now, but that doesn’t mean we’ll just sit around doing nothing until then. We’ll gain all sorts of experience and earn funds in the meantime.”

The girl nodded her head attentively as she listened.

“Anyway, the first thing we need to do right now is… Oh, a car’s coming. It’s dangerous. Step inside.”

“……!”

Rohan grabbed Clara by the wrist and pulled her to the side.

Vroooom!

A black van sped recklessly through the dim alleyway.

The person sitting in the passenger seat flicked a cigarette butt through a small gap in the window.

“Huh?”

It didn’t seem like anything special at first glance.

That is, until Rohan caught sight of the license plate.

4885.

“That license plate… a black van with 4885…?”

“Oppa?”

Clara’s curious question didn’t leave him time to explain.

A notification window suddenly appeared before his eyes as he realized what was happening.

[A Quest Has Been Triggered.]

[Yellow Toads]

◇ Quest Details: You have spotted a vehicle belonging to the human trafficking group 3Yellow Toads. Rescue the hostages and report to the Elysium Public Safety Department.

◇ Category: Sudden Quest

◇ Reward for Success: 1,500P

◇ Penalty for Failure: None

While exploring the map of Abyss City, there was a chance for sudden quests to occur.

It was exactly what Rohan had been waiting for.

This time, there’s no need to erase traces of battle? And after rescuing them, I just need to report to the Public Safety Department…

After a brief moment of deliberation, Rohan decided that this situation was a good opportunity for Clara as well.

He even concluded that getting involved with the Public Safety Department wouldn’t cause any problems.

After all, he had studied the laws of the Academy City during his classes.

In this city, human trafficking fell easily within the category of crimes for which summary execution was allowed even for civilians.

It was a world with bold and straightforward laws, unlike his past life. Given that hostages served as clear evidence, he could roughly guess why the quest emphasized their rescue.

“…Clara.”

“Oppa, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Do you still have some time?”

“H-Huh? Mhmm, I have time, but…”

Clara looked down at the wrist Rohan was holding and gulped nervously.

There was no way she could pull herself free.

“I’ll give you a quick preview of the kind of work we’ll be doing in the future.”

***

Crash!

– Aaaaah!

Along with a scream, the sound of something shattering echoed through the area.

Startled men who had been sleeping in a container scrambled out and looked around in confusion.

Thick toad tattoos were clearly visible on the backs of their hands or necks.

“What was that commotion just now?”

Their gazes turned toward an abandoned building with its lights off.

One of the windows, which had been intact before they went to sleep, was now broken.

“Don’t tell me… We just moved locations, and we’re already exposed?”

“Nah, maybe the boss just lost his temper again? He’s been super edgy ever since we got kicked out of our old territory.”

“That crazy bastard… Don’t bring up getting kicked out in front of the boss.”

“I’ve got some sense, you know. I’d never say that to his face.”

Their words were little more than wishful thinking.

They knew guessing wouldn’t solve anything. They had to check the situation with their own eyes, so they began to move cautiously.

As they headed toward the building next door and started climbing the stairs to investigate,

They discovered a beautiful woman with purple hair and twin tails blocking the stairs.

The first thing that stood out to them wasn’t the fact that the basement door was wide open, but rather her beautiful appearance.

A beauty that captivated people.

The men almost habitually let out some lewd remarks but held back.

Their wariness skyrocketed at the realization that someone who clearly didn’t belong here was present.

Perhaps they had been too distracted, but it was strange that they hadn’t felt a single trace of anyone’s presence on the way here. Not even magical power

“Who the hell is this woman? Did you call her?”

“No way, boss! Not a chance!”

“Could she be an officer? I hear the officers around here are real lookers.”

“Even if they’ve got sharp noses, the job’s just getting started. No way they’re here already…”

As they exchanged opinions, each of them drew their weapons.

The guns and blades they gripped were menacing.

“Y-You all must be bad people… involved in human trafficking, right?”

“What the hell is this b*tch saying?”

“Maybe she’s just some crazy woman? Still, even a crazy one this pretty would sell for a hefty sum…”

When the woman averted her eyes, unable to meet theirs, her timid behavior emboldened the group.

In the underworld, confidence was half the battle.

Movements as meek and withdrawn as hers were nothing short of an admission of defeat.

“We’ve already checked inside, you know…”

The girl lightly tapped a pebble on the ground with the tip of her shoe, sending it rolling.

The men’s gazes followed the pebble as it tumbled across the floor.

“P-Please don’t cross that stone… Just stay there and wait… You can’t go inside right now…”

As she spoke, the sound of shattering glass echoed from above. Pieces rained down, and a scream tore through the air.

Crash!

– Aaaagh!!!

The scream was definitely the voice of one of their organization’s members.

Specifically, the guard tasked with protecting the goods.

“Hah! What the hell? This is ridiculous.”

“Boss isn’t exactly away right now, is he? …Something’s not right here.”

One of them sensed an ominous feeling and began to step back. However, the man who had cursed earlier scowled and moved forward instead.

And then, in an instant—

Pfft!

A sharp sound of air being pierced.

The man who had ignored the warning and crossed the line suddenly dropped to the ground with a hole punched cleanly through his head.

In the girl’s pale hand was a silenced handgun. No one had even noticed when she had pulled it out.

“I told you… not to cross that line…”

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