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Memoirs of the Returnee-Chapter 236: Expansion (1)
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Expansion (1)
Jade gazed upon Jude Velot. Dark blood-like fluid seeped from his cracked skin, and his hair disintegrated like ash. Soon, his body crumbled into mere fragments.
It was the death of a phenomenon.
Jade confirmed his demise. Brushing back his hair, he lifted his head.
Shattered space. Through the twisted gaps and fissures, there was the sky.
He closed his eyes, bathed in a handful of sunlight. A halo of light drenched his entire body.
ââŠInsignificant.â
Thus, the end of battle is always empty. Nothing remains, and no sentiment arises.
Because destruction is, after all, an act of creating nothingness.
ââŠâ
Jade looked down at his hands. There lay the remnants of Jude Velotâs annihilation. The fragments of darkness he had personally clenched.
He took another step back.
He had emerged from the basement of the mansion and crossed the continent.
With a speed that easily surpassed the speed of sound, he arrived at a certain place.
[Petra Hospital]
Petra Hospital, where Eceline was admitted.
However, unable to approach closely, he stood at a distance, peering through a window.
There she was.
Holding a pencil in her left hand, drawing pictures for children with a clear smile, a truly beautiful woman.
ââŠâ
Jade silently watched her. A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. A somewhat strange feeling spread through his heart.
He realized the identity of that emotion a little belatedly.
âIt wasnât meaningless.â
I killed a phenomenon.
Perhaps, I killed the man who came closest to me.
It wasnât merely an act of destruction.
ââŠIt was to protect you.â
If because of me, you remain in this world.
That would be a satisfactory outcome.
Jade turned with the grace of a noble.
Every stride he took was imbued with refined dignity.
* * *
[Breaking news. According to an announcement from Magic Tower, as of this moment, the indiscriminate death curse has been extinguishedâŠ]
An emergency broadcast echoed throughout Edsilla.
The message was clear: the death curse had vanished.
As expected, the monster that had been masquerading as Worldâs Demise was slain by Jade, and the future had changed.
I leaned against the railing on the rooftop of Petra Hospital.
One by one, patients who had been afflicted were being discharged. Among them, Berry caught my eye.
His face quickly brightened. He was adorable, bouncing around the flower-filled garden.
I turned and leaned back against the railing.
ââŠWhy the hell do you look like that?â
Rotten-faced Layla was there. She fiddled with her teaming bracelet and glanced at me.
âNah, itâs nothing.â
It was clearly not ânothingâ by the look on her face.
âIs it because your name didnât come up in the news?â
âWhat are you on about! I donât care about that!â
Layla snapped.
âBesides, my name did come up. Assistant to Elly, Layla. Elly said sheâd mention it during her interview.â
âSo whatâs the problem then?â
ââŠâ
Layla sneakily peeked at me. She hesitated, then finally spoke up.
âShion, you know about Raquel Dra, right?â
âHuh? Yeah, I know.â
She spoke with a surprisingly serious tone.
ââŠI think Iâve got a lead on him.
A lead.
It was slightly disconcerting, but it probably wasnât a significant clue. Even if I were to grasp the lead, Raquel Dra would ultimately be âDale Kalâ, so it had nothing to do with me anyway.
âWhat lead?â
âThere is one.â
âWhat is it? Tell me.â
âItâs not time yet. Itâs not certainâŠâ
Layla shook her head vigorously. I was baffled.
âSo what am I supposed to do?â
Thatâs when it happened.
Beeeepââ
A high-frequency alarm sounded from within my pocket.
A Libra-exclusive phone.
It was an order from Zia.
âHey. I gotta go.â f reewe bnovel
I quickly stepped onto the railing. Layla reached out startled.
âWhoa!! Shionâs gonna commit suicide!!! Heâs off to end his life!!!â
âAre you crazy? Even if you fell from here, you wouldnât die.â
ââŠOh, right. I forgot-â
There are other things to forget.
I jumped from the hospital rooftop to the ground below.
* * *
Lithium Corporation. At the cornerstone of the arms industry, work was in full swing.
âThe main product weâll be selling is handguns. For now, theyâre not much different from off-the-shelf models, but R&D is actively underway.â
Sonya gestured towards the production line and the workers as she spoke.
âEven these facilities are on a different level compared to those small and medium enterprises. The volume of output weâre talking about is on a whole other scale.â
It was possible because Zia had quite a number of companies under various aliases. From parts factories to mana stone mines, transportation companies, research labs, and so onâŠ
âHowever, it seems weâll eventually have to deal with that Quantum Mechanic bastard.â
I nodded at Sonyaâs words.
âWhat happened now?â
âThe bastard has sent a request to use their mana stones. Itâs called a request, but itâs practically coercion.â
âYes. If we use synthetic mana stones, weâll end up in bed with them.â
Synthetic mana stones are illegal. Theyâre a cheap and convenient illegality. But accepting them means being manipulated.
âRight. But we have no intention of using their synthetic mana stones. Thatâs why I was thinking⊠you might know more about this area.â
Sonya turned to look at me.
I said, âI have a plan in mind.â
âA plan?â
âYes.â
I had already drawn aggro with Grawlâs synthetic mana stones. Just need to throw the needle slightly, and theyâll bite, thinking itâs a good deal.
âLetâs set it up, give it a try.â
I spoke as I looked at the smartphone Sonya was holding.
âIs that okay?â
ââŠYes.
Ziaâs voice flowed through.
Sonya displayed the screen. It was a video call, but Ziaâs face flickered like a black mosaic.
âDo itâŠ
The direct descendants of Libra donât get captured on camera. They wear artifacts that prevent it at all times.
âI trust you⊠Shion Ascal.
âYes. I will proceed as such.â
âŠ
For two days, I studied Jesco. With Grawlâs help, I figured out their organizational structure, confirmed their scale, and dug up all sorts of personal information.
âThe top dog is obviously Jesco! The second in command is Face, and the third is Crow, but thereâs a bit of a feud between the two! They have factions!
Factions. The easiest structure to exploit, but also the one that requires the most caution.
If mishandled, sowing discord can actually solidify their bonds.
âAnd Jesco has a backer too! A big shot in the underworld called âBlockerâ.
Blocker.
Iâm familiar with him. Drugs, illegal synthetic mana stones, body modifications, you name itâa king of the underworld dealing in all sorts of shady stuff.
âOf course, rather than a backer, Jesco is more like a finger on Blockerâs hand.
âTell me more about the second and third in command.â
âYes! The second in command, Face, has been serving Jesco from the start! He was famous for his fistfights in the back alleys, and he even taught himself Magic Body! On the other hand, the third in command, Crow, is an elite. A university graduate. I hear heâs the one with connections to the local police!
Their faces said it all.
Face was a thug covered in scars, Crow was a bespectacled intellectual.
âShall we start today then?
âYeah. Letâs do that.â
âGreat! Iâll send out the message right away!
I nodded and first put on the Infimian. The concept was a dealer who had tried to sell illegal synthetic mana stones to Lockhard. The face was roughly modeled after a homeless man from a desert country.
âŠ
As a dealer, I visited the weapons factory. It was under Jescoâs umbrella, a place called [Mountain].
ââŠSo, you want to sell these synthetic mana stones?â
The CEO this time looked like a weasel. I nodded at him.
âYes.â
âIs this your first transaction?â
âNo. I had a client before, but they suddenly disappeared.â
ââŠI bet they did.â
He smirked. Then he skimmed over the synthetic mana stones I had laid out in the open suitcase.
âAlright. Iâll buy them. Just wait a moment. Iâll send for the cash.â
The CEO sent a message somewhere.
It couldnât be an order to bring cash; he was probably reporting to Jesco.
âAh. Theyâre almost here. Care for a cup of tea?â
âNo, thank you.â
I carefully shook my head, pretending to be cautious. He leaned back with a sneer.
âSuit yourself.â
Tick-tockâ tick-tockâ tick-tockâ
Quietly, the sound of time passing. The numerous workers in the factory glanced over and snickered, and I deliberately made an anxious face.
ââŠItâs getting too late. I should go for todayââ
âAh. Theyâre nearly here. Stay seated.â
The CEO waved his hand. I sat back down, halting my attempt to stand.
Right after.
âUghââ!â
Someone from behind put a mask over my face.
âTheyâre here now. Have a good trip.â
With a mocking tone, I quietly smiled.
âŠ
I was put into a truck with the mask still on.
Rattle-rattle- rattle-rattle-
It seemed like we were traveling on a mountain road without any actual roads.
âWeâre just going around in circles. Itâs super close.â
According to Grawl, who was tracking us, it was just a bluff.
Anyway, I was intentionally kidnapped.
âWeâre going underground. Jescoâs underground, thatâs where!â
Soon the path smoothed out, and the truck parked.
âGet out.â
A gruff voice hoisted me to my feet. I staggered, led by them.
âStand up straight, you fucker.â
The walk seemed endless.
No, how vast is this place? Did they build a separate bomb shelter or something?
âSit down.â
They shoved me into a chair.
I shiveredâ my shoulders, head, legs, hands, all of it. It was an act of utmost effort.
âââYou seem quite the scaredy-cat.â
Then, a voice mixed with grease and arrogance flowed from in front.
âA mana stone seller with balls this small. Take off his mask.â
âYes.â
Whoosh!
The mask was ripped off. I slowly opened my eyes.
Jesco was right in front of me. Clad only in a dirty gown over his bare body. He looked at me and smirked.
âWhere are you from, huh? No ID, and I donât recognize your face.â
ââŠFrom abroad, I came from abroad.â
âAbroad? Your Edsilla is too fluent for that.â
âAreal befura kasan arahal.â
I spoke in a foreign language.
I had learned it all, just in case, using ăNotepadă.
Jescoâs expression shifted slightly.
ââŠYouâre from Arahall?â
Arahall, the desert nation where Elise had once been kidnapped during her travels.
There was no particular reason for choosing that as my cover.
Simply because Jesco himself hailed from Arahall.
âCrus-â
âAlright, enough. Speak in the common tongue. Itâs giving me a headache.â
Jesco waved his hand dismissively.
He looked at me, furrowing his brow, but his demeanor was much more benign than before.
Thatâs why they say itâs all about connections by blood, friendship, or school.
Personally, I rank them as blood > friendship > school.
For some reason, those who operate in the shadows seem to value friendship even more.
ââŠWhich part of the desert?â
âFrom a region in the south called Krobs.â
Jescoâs eyes narrowed. He idly scratched his temple with the handgun he held.
Of course, because Jesco was also from Krobs.
Itâs not common to meet someone from your hometown in a foreign country. Even less so, a fellow townsman in the same shady line of work.
âHavenât you heard the rumors about âQuantum Mechanicâ?â
âYes. Iâm just here to sell mana stonesâŠâ
ââŠThe quality of the mana stones is decent. Not as good as mine, but still.â
âI didnât know there was a different category.â
âWell, you wouldnât.â
I quietly glanced at him from the corner of my eye.
Of course, I could kill him right now if I wanted to. I had a short dagger hidden within my clothes.
But that would only change the head of the snake.
âWhere do you synthesize the mana stones?â
âI have a small factory set up.â
ââŠAlone?â
âYes.â
Jesco let out a snort of laughter.
âAlone⊠you donât have a team?â
âNo.â
âYou seem to have some talent. But you canât sell here.â
He pointed the gun at me.
âThis entire supply radius is mine. Illegal mana stones canât move without going through me.â
I put on a crestfallen expression. Jesco chewed his teeth and let out a small sigh.
âWhat happened in the desert⊠never mind.â
He was clearly curious about my background.
Again, itâs really not common to meet someone from your hometown in a foreign country.
I was inwardly disappointed. I had prepared to answer any questions he might ask.
âMaybe⊠you. Interested in becoming a technician?â
He proposed to me. I widened my eyes in surprise.
âA technicianâŠ?â
âIâll let you sell under me. Iâll give you 3% of the net profits.â
At that moment, some of the guys behind me stirred.
3% of the net profits. It seemed to be a rather generous offer.
âAs long as I can sell my goodsâŠâ
âGood. Then, Face. Show him the factory first.â
Jesco gestured to someone behind me.
âYes.â
He roughly pulled me to my feet. Thatâs when I finally saw his face. Face, the second-in-command, his features marred with deep scars.
He pulled me close and whispered in my ear.
âConsider yourself lucky. Iâm sparing you from getting your head blown off.â
Luck.
He was right.
I had manipulated my luck to get in here, after all.
âTh-thank you.â
But Face had other grievances.
Of course, the 3% of net profits.
It was about the money.
These gangster types shout about loyalty, and on the surface, they seem more loyal than anyone, but in reality, theyâre the ones who betray the easiest.
âWrite down the location of the factory.â
âYes.â
I feigned subservience and scribbled down a makeshift factory location on the paper. Face glanced at it before pulling the mask back over my face.
When I opened my eyes again, I was in front of a setup factory that Grawl had prepared in advance.
âThis is it?â
Face asked.
âYes.â
He let out a forced laugh, seemingly a bit perplexed.
âItâs damn small.â
âI apologize.â
I had made it small on purpose.
It was a place to showcase my talent.
Of course, Grawl would take care of the actual work, but how important a talented technician is in this business, how much money they can generate, and how serious the wars fought over them can beâŠ
I had experienced it all too bitterly before my regression.
âThis is where the mana stones are made?â
âYes. Iâll show you. The process of my work.â
Once they witnessed my talent, they will become speechless.