Part II
Then, in George’s place, an elderly man emerges. His serious appearance and gray hair cut short give him the air of a hard-headed veteran.
“George-sama, that’s enough.”
“Ah, Bartolo-san! It’s been a while.”
Hisae smiled genuinely this time, as though she was nostalgic.
From somewhere out of sight of the screen, she thought she heard “Hisae, you’re not treating me the same way,” but Hisae chose not to hear it.
“Umu, I’m glad to hear that Hisae is doing well. Well, let’s get to the matter at hand.”
“Yes.”
Hisae expression turned tense and she looked into Bartolo’s eyes, which had deep chiseled wrinkles at the corners of the eyes.
“Hisae. As you may have already noticed, we also believe that the information from the newcomer is highly credible. Perhaps the ability user who has been attacking that client is really the Sword of Surt.”
“Of course ……”`
“We have been tracking the whereabouts of the Sword of Surt for a few years now. They directly report to the Agency’s HQ. However, I’m sorry to say because of our shortcomings, we’ve missed it at the very last moment every time.”
“If Bartolo-san and the others make a move, won’t they escape again this time?”
“No, that may not be the case this time.”
” ……Why would that be?”
“It’s about their objectives. This time there is a possibility that their objective may be fulfilled. After all, the fact that they are moving with such bravado and without concealment is evidence of that.”
“Objective ……, do you understand that?”
“There is nothing to understand. With Sword of Surt, it’s easy to narrow down the objective. First of all, it is to destroy the World Ability User Agency or to destroy the reason for its existence by publicizing the existence of Ability Users. Then, after that, they want to announce their existence and purpose to the world.”
“T-that’s ……!”
“Yes, it’s publicity in the worst possible pattern we can think of. This could lead to a situation with the surface world, and the nations that consider ability users to be a force to be reckoned with will be more inclined to hold on to them. Even now, many ability users are not affiliated with institutions but are owned by the state. Although there is no such movement on a large scale now in consideration of the Agency, I don’t know what will happen if the Agency power is thought to have weakened.”
Shima’s expression tensed as Bartolo’s story reaffirmed the gravity of the situation.
“So, Wang Yun Hao-sama ……”
“Yes. We cannot let the surface world see the weakness of our Agency now. And that man is perfect for this. The Wang family has been a family of powerful ability users for generations and has been a contributor to the agency since the guild’s inception. Sword of Surt is not only a formidable foe, but also its purpose is the worst for us, for the Agency. If so, the Wang family would not be reluctant. They had a lot to do with the founding of this Agency.”
“But …… that man…”
“Yeah, sure enough, they blew it. But for a man like that, he was very generous with his fee. I’m sure he thought it was no time to be reluctant when he heard that he was dealing with Sword of Surt. But even so, it’s still a bit steep. Sorry, but I’m going to ask each of the branches to contribute to the relief fund. Of course, we would like Japan, the party concerned, to bear a considerable amount.”
“Yes! Bartolo-san! Then we will ask Takenari-sama to go into battle for us! There is no question of competence or personality. ……”
“Hisae, we are also checking the operational status of each branch’s Ability Users here. The request that Takenari is receiving right now will take at least another day, right? Same with the other branches; most of the S ranks and above are out. So, …… Hisae don’t you think it’s kind of strange when you hear this ……?”
At Bartolo’s question, Hisae’s eyes narrowed.
“I doubt …… that this is not a coincidence. Even if Sword of Surt has that much organizational power.”
“We can’t say for sure. But the situation is very convenient for the Sword of Surt. Moreover, Japan, China, and India, which are geographically close to Miramar, are almost in full operation ……, so it is not impossible to think so. If this assumption is correct, even a single day’s delay could be too late.”
“T-That’s understandable if it’s at its peak, no matter how much the Sword of Surt. …… No way! Bartolo-san, do you think that there’s an organization that’s responding to Sword of Surt’s movement?”
Bartolo did not answer Hisae’s question but only showed a bitter smile.
“But they miscalculated. The strongest of the Chinese branch, which is also the branch closest to Miramar, was available. Well, that man’s obstinacy has become the trump card and the most reliable person to break out of this situation this time. It’s a good thing that the Chinese branch also treated Wang Yun Hao as almost a non-existent ability user because of the amount of compensation that that man wanted.”
Hisae let out a sigh and turned her head slightly, but quickly looked up.
She needed to ask the most important question.
“So …… what is Japan’s share of the contract?”
“Yeah, is this about right? Well, about 40% of the total.”
Bartolo held up several fingers to the screen as Hisae said this.
Seeing this, Hisae raised her eyes and shouted out loud.
“Eh!? Bartolo-san! No way, that’s too much!”
“Eh Eh? Omine-sama? How much was that?”
Shima did not quite understand and asked Hisae, who was astonished.
“Shima-chan ……, multiply the amount of money you are thinking of right now by ten. And the currency is US dollars. That guy’s rewards are always in US dollars!”
“Eeeeeeeh!”
Hisae who was addressing Wang Yun Hao with honorifics earlier, unconsciously called him “that guy”.[TN: she was addressing him with sama]
“The headquarters will naturally bear its fair share of the burden, but Japan is a relevant party, isn’t it?”
“And for that matter, Bartolo-san! That’s going to cost the Japan Section’s budget this year!”
“Three rookies of the Japan Branch are in jeopardy. Think of it as rescuing future breadwinners. Ah, the Rank D boy is not that much of a breadwinner. But he has potential, doesn’t he?”
“……! I-I understand. I want to protect the rookies, too.”
“Well, I can understand how Hisae feels. We did not accept Wang Yun Hao’s conditions as they were. It would be a big expense for us, too.”
“When you say ……?”
“This time, I made Wang Yun Hao accept the condition that his remuneration will be after completion of a full piece-rate system. In other words, compensation from Japan would be based on the highest possible amount, as I mentioned earlier. This will make that man work harder.”[TN: For those who are not familiar with the piece-rate system, it is the wage determination system in which the workers get paid by a result like each unit of production at a fixed rate. In short, harder you work, better you get paid]
Hisae gave Bartolo a surprised look.
The majority of contracts with ability users are often divided into advance and completion fees.
There are rare cases of piece-rate requests, but it was unheard of for a rank SS to agree to that. And even more so if it was that [Cheap Stake] Wang Yun Hao.
“It’s amazing that you got him to agree to those conditions. …… What on earth did you do?”
“Let’s not get carried away, Hisae. I just had a gentlemanly discussion with him. Well, I am somewhat acquainted with the man’s mother. Before negotiating with him, I had a chat with his mother about the possibility that the more the Sword of Surt, a relic of the past, rampages, the more there is a possibility that the achievements and honor of the royal family, the highest and greatest contributors to the founding of the Agency, will be tarnished.”
“…………”
“But Wang Yun Hao is someone with high pride. He asked me to give him the maximum amount of the reward I mentioned earlier in advance. He seemed quite puffed up, so I took that as a sign of willingness and agreed. So he said he would work to make sure that the maximum amount of money was transferred to his account. Since that’s the case, please transfer the amount of the burden I just mentioned to you as soon as possible, Hisae.”
Hisae’s head began to ache a bit as she listened to Bartolo’s story.
“I understand. I will transfer the money immediately. ……”
“Mm, please. Hey, hey, no need to look so glum, Hisae. We have already finished preparing to leave for Miramar, too, and will be on our way there right after this.”
“Huh? Didn’t you ask Wang Yun Hao-sama to do this?”
“Umm? We asked him, but that’s no reason for us not to move, is it? We have been chasing this Sword of Surt for a long time. And if we can capture and defeat them on our own, we will be able to accomplish our request at a much lower cost than Wang Yun Hao. Ah, the two rank A members you sent can play an active role, right? I wouldn’t recommend forcing it, though. Also, you might want to have Rank D leave immediately.”
Bartolo grinned.
Hisae stared at Bartolo’s sarcastic grin with half-closed eyes.
“So, a full piece rate, huh ……”
“Hisae! I’m worried about the rookies from the Japan branch as well, and I’m thinking of going along!”
George Bortolotti, the head of the World Ability User Agency, appears again from the side of the screen, sliding out of his chair.
“Eh! George-sama himself!? But I’m sure George-sama is very busy.”
As expected, Hisae was surprised by the Agency’s head’s offer, and let out a loud voice. Shima was equally surprised and opened her eyes wide. This would mean that two SS Ranks would be going into battle.
George again tilted his head to the left diagonally, which is his specialty, and showed his white teeth briskly.
“Yeah, this George Bortolotti thinks that he cannot leave Hisae in trouble.”
Without regard to his boss’s determined look, Bartolo continues his story.
“Then, Hisae, please. I will leave for Miramar immediately. And George-sama, you still have some paperwork to do, so please take care of that.”
“Nah! Wait! I’m also trying to be useful to Hisae ……”
“The only time you should make a move is when there’s the ultimate crisis at the Agency. Besides, moving you is not free.”
“Well, then, I’ll take a tenth of the pay!”
“The paperwork is piling up, sir. Please eat at your desk today.”
“Bartolo! One hundredth!”
” ………….let’s think about it”
Then the communication was suddenly cut off.
Hisae looked at the black screen for a while, and then suddenly realized.
“Shima-chan, I’m sorry, but I need you to prepare the deposit right away. You can use all the money from the branch’s pool. Also, depending on the case, I’ll be at the Miramar too!”
“I understand! We will prepare immediately. But ……. I think that Omine-sama shouldn’t leave Japan. …… I understand your feelings, but please refrain from doing so.”
“B-But the rookies …..”
“According to Bartolo-san, we cannot rule out the possibility that this current overload of requests is the result of a conspiracy by the enemy. So, it is too risky for Omine-sama to be away from Japan at this time. Let’s leave this to Bartolo-sama and his team……. this is …… frustrating for me as well.”
Hisae looked at Shima’s serious expression and meditated lightly.
“Okay. ……. Then let us do what we can do. In the meantime, let’s just tell Takenari-sama about the situation.”
“I understand.”
Shima bowed profoundly and left the room at a brisk pace.
As she watched her leave, Hisae clenched her fists tightly.
“What an inconvenient position I’ve gotten myself into, too. ……”
Then she dropped her eyes to the carpeted floor.
◆
“That old man Bartolo! Of all people, he talked to my mother!”
“Hahaha …… your opponent was a cut above the rest, Yun Hao.”
On the bus to his private jet at the airport, Wang Yun Hao flung his legs out wide and crossed his legs in a manner that showed even from the outside of his jeans that he was well-trained. Next to him, a young boy with an innocent-looking face and a tablet computer in his hand smiles wryly.
“Now that this is happening, we’re going to Miramar right away! Little Brother Lian!”{TN: I googled the name in Chinese and it turned out ‘ Liang Xiao Deidei’ meaning Liang Little Brother”
“I told you to not call be Little Brother, Yun Hao! I’m already twelve!”
“Oh my! A litt-le guy isn’t that right.”[TN: He splits the wording, so not a typo]
“What ……did you say? Yun Hao.”
“Ah, ……, it’s nothing, Lian.”
Yun Hao, who is over 185 centimeters tall with thick arms exposed through short sleeves, hurriedly waved his hand at Lian, whose expression turned a little dark.
（Lian is paying too much attention to it. He probably looks even cuter because he’s with me.)
Even Yun Hao, who is almost twice Lian’s age, can’t get his head around this innocent boy.
Lian, whose dark expression had vanished from his face, explained the current situation on his tablet PC screen.
“Yun Hao, we haven’t gotten permission to take off yet. The air traffic control seems to be in a panic because Yun Hao jumped into the airport out of nowhere.”
“What? You’ve got to be kidding me! What the hell are they doing, those air traffic control guys! What do you think I came here right away for? If that Old man Bartolo gets to Miramar before me, he’s going to intercept my prey. It’s obvious what the old man is thinking.”
“Well, it would be more correct to say that Yun Hao is more afraid of the lady than of his prey. Even ‘Flawless’ was nothing in front of her.”
“Bub! Of course not! They tried to blow the piece-rate system on me! I can’t allow myself to be licked this much. Everything I catch is mine. I ain’t refunding them a dime.”
“Hahaha, it’s certainly the first time Yun Hao has taken action when no money has been transferred.”
“No, this is the second time. The first time was in Dortmund.”
“Wow, I didn’t know that happened.”
“Well, this time, once we get there and see the transfer, we’ll make our move!”
“Then why not just move right away? If we kill the enemy before the money is transferred, it won’t invalidate the reward, will it?”
“No, that’s non-negotiable. It’s not that I don’t trust the Agency. But it’s against my policy to allow it.”
“I guess we’re all in this together now that we’re acting like this. ……”
“No, that’s not true. This time, the reason I’m going to the site is for piece-rate measures!”
“Well, let’s leave it at that. Ah, Yun Hao, let’s get on the plane for now. I’ll rush to the air traffic control.”
“Please do so, Lian. And do we have the enemy’s location immediately?”
“Leave that to me. There is only one reason why they would be interested in this remote Miramar, considering the Sword of Surt’s purpose. They probably found a powerful spiritual or magical spot. If we can get information from the military regime, I think it will be easy to identify the location. It seems that the Agency is already working in this area, and I doubt that they would be reluctant to give out any information.”
“Haa! I hope so. Well, maybe Bartolo isn’t so cheap after all. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have asked this [Flawless] in the first place.”
“That’s right. In case it works out, the money will be transferred in advance. That means he definitely intends to pay. But Yun Hao is too expensive. Pocket-wise the Agency is struggling in that area, right?”
“That’s what pisses me off! I’m not going to cut corners as long as they pay me. That’s the way it’s always been, and that’s the way it’s going to be. Otherwise, my value goes down!”
“So, maybe Bartolo-san is seriously thinking of outbidding Yun Hao. If you do that, I’ll refund your money.”
“That’s not going to happen! Once we begin, we’re suddenly going full throttle, Lian! I’m going to hit those Sword of Surto or whatever they’re called right away! Lian, protect that Mathow guy or whatever he’s called!”
“If this is Bartolo-san’s aim, he’s not an easy person.”
Yun Hao’s private jet had already left the hangar and the engine was fired up.
Yun Hao climbed the stairs into the cabin with a grumble, and in one hand he carried a scimitar covered in a cloth larger than his body.
Wang Lian, with a troubled smile on his face, followed behind him.
About an hour later, the jet finally received the OK from air traffic control and took off to Ho Chi Minh City, the stopover point for Miramar, with Wang Yun Hao on board.[TN: Ho Chi Minh city is the largest city in Vietnam]
— end —
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