Apostle of the Void

Chapter 9 - Short-Term Contract Worker (1)

“Actually, I saw everything. Well, not everything, but… I definitely noticed your strength yesterday. Just a glimpse.”

Arzen instinctively held his breath.

\'This crazy…\'

So there really are no acts of kindness in this world without ulterior motives. Is this bastard trying to blackmail me?

\'Are you threatening to hand me over to the Inquisition? To treat me like a slave? Is that what you’re planning?\'

Arzen felt the unpleasant trickle of sweat running down his forehead and along the bridge of his nose.

\'I need to kill him…\'

I can’t live that life again.

Void creatures leave no trace.

Right now, I have to navigate this situation and then, when no one is watching, eliminate him without a trace.

“Wow, a healer who can use magic? You’re more impressive than I thought!”

“?”

“There are always guys like you. Ace adventurers who hide their identities and enter the adventurer world from places like the Sword Palace or the Magic Tower.”

“!”

“What are you looking so shocked for? I have experience, too. I’ve seen hundreds of adventurers at the city hall. You used summoning magic, didn’t you? It’s no joke how strong those creatures are.”

Arzen tilted his head in confusion.

Samson raised an eyebrow, as if to say not to tease him.

\'This doesn’t seem like a lie, though?\'

Wait a minute…

Why was I overthinking this?

To outsiders, it wouldn’t be any different from regular magic.

\'I’ve heard that the classification of magic is incredibly broad.\'

I remember that a talented individual named Yong-hyeon appeared a hundred years ago, and since then, the magical system has been significantly subdivided and developed.

Even summoning magic has a lot of classifications, starting from whether it involves organic or inorganic materials.

Unless one has considerable knowledge of magic, it makes sense for someone like Samson to judge it this way.

“The other three yesterday were useless compared to you. I felt like you could wipe them out all on your own if given the chance.”

“That’s right.”

“Exactly, so let’s team up and make some money together. I’ll get you set up for a short-term contract.”

“What does that entail?”

“In the summer, slimes keep infesting the sewers every week or two. No matter how much you clean, it never ends. Ugh, I’m always stuck submitting requests and getting approvals. It’s a hassle.”

“So you want me to catch slimes?”

“Basically, yes. I’ll funnel all the work your way. Most people don’t care about sewer jobs anyway. You’ll get to keep all the money you earned yesterday. Just give me this little cut in return.”

Samson held up three fingers.

Having grown up among thugs, Arzen could smell the stench of corruption in the air.

\'He’s asking for 30% of the profits. What a thief.\'

Well, if I think of it as doubling the guild fees, it’s a loss, but…

- Waaaah! A request!

- Move aside!

- Line up properly, you scoundrels!

- Don’t push!

Is now really the time to be picky about food?

In a society like this, it’s better to take what you can get than to search for high-quality requests!

Above all, in this world, it’s the fools who don’t use loopholes.

Those who try to live honestly are the gullible ones.

Arzen felt this truth deeply while struggling in the ranks of the Divine Guillotine.

“Why? Are you hesitating because of that guy’s contributions? To get promoted?”

“It’s true I can’t remain a Steel tier forever.”

“Don’t worry! If you say you worked as a contract manager for the sewers in the summer, that’ll count as a credential in the guild.”

“!”

“If you need any paperwork, just let me know. I’ll handle it right away.”

Arzen jumped to his feet immediately.

He bowed deeply and extended his hands.

“I’m in awe of your insight, sir. If you entrust this task to someone as unworthy as me, I’ll do my utmost.”

Arzen and Samson shook hands, exchanging smiles that reeked of money.

“Then let’s head to the city hall right away. You don’t have any other plans, do you?”

“If I have any, I’ll cancel them all for you, sir.”

“Haha! Then hurry up and finish eating! We’re going to the city hall.”