Ch.59Grave Robbing and Theft (2)

For the Torres School and Arguirion to conduct regular transactions, the First Ruins seem more suitable than the Second Ruins.

This analysis is based on the size and excavation status of both ruins. The scale and workforce of the first site are much larger than the second, and since excavation is still in its early stages, frequent personnel changes wouldn’t seem unusual.

Therefore, from Arguirion’s perspective, which needs to periodically exchange silver hosts…

Arabelle suddenly realized she had said “too much” while enthusiastically laying out these deductions. Ortes had left the room at some point.

Only Carisia and herself remained in the president’s office.

Arabelle struggled to maintain a neutral expression. At least she hadn’t yet mentioned anything about secret inspectors or related matters.

‘I’ve only suggested that there might be something between the Torres School and Arguirion…’

But as is typical of exceptional mages, Carisia’s insight was extraordinary. She would surely deduce Ortes’s hidden identity from Arabelle’s confident assertions.

Waiting in fear for judgment, Arabelle noticed a peculiar smile playing at Carisia’s lips.

“I heard you clearly, Director Arabelle. You may go now.”

‘What… what just happened?’

Arabelle realized she had been spared execution. Perhaps Carisia valued her intelligence or insight?

An unexpected mercy. It might even be a declaration that she was willing to share some secrets.

With mixed feelings, Arabelle…

“I’ll just go back to sleep.”

She decided to return to the dream world from which she had been abruptly summoned.

***

Arabelle’s reasoning seems quite rational at first glance.

However, there’s another issue.

Time.

For Arguirion to collaborate so extensively with Torres Magic Tower, there would need to be a foundation of business trust built over sufficient time.

It doesn’t make sense that they could establish such a level of cooperation immediately after the Elysion terror incident.

For this reason, I took Arabelle’s theory as half-joking, but Carisia seemed to think differently.

She advised that if I had to choose between the two locations, I should head to the First Excavation Site, which Arabelle had theorized was the trading place between Arguirion and Torres Magic Tower.

In truth, the president’s advice is closer to a work directive than mere suggestion. I followed the order without adding any further comments.

While Arabelle’s report conveniently called it the Torres School’s First Excavation Site, it naturally has an official name.

“Cretera…”

It’s an isolated island floating on a vast lake, currently an abandoned ruin not used as a city. They seem to be conducting major excavations, even bringing portable magic cores typically used in magical locomotives.

During this interlude, I access the Ether Network. I search Fixer-Net, where fixers post reviews about requests and clients.

I briefly scan through reviews of Torres Magic Tower’s requests.

The first post that appears warns against slave escort duties, saying they’re assigned incorrectly and only sour one’s mood. I exclude posts containing the word “slave” from my search filter.

Besides mentions of the grueling labor typical of ruin excavations, there wasn’t much else.

The ordinary reviews filled with boredom and fatigue actually reassured me.

‘If artifacts like the Lightning Talisman had been discovered, Fixer-Net would be quite noisy about it.’

If the Talisman is already in Torres Magic Tower’s possession, retrieving it becomes quite troublesome.

‘Unless it’s being transported to the main tower or being researched at a branch, if it’s in the main tower’s vault, it would cause a major commotion.’

After scanning Fixer-Net a few more times, I decided on my next steps.

‘Seems like there are quite a few hazardous environments within the ruins. I’ll enter as a day laborer fixer and assess the situation…’

If things go well, I’ll just find the artifact and take it.

***

The Torres School mages conducting excavations on Crete Island were always desperate for new personnel.

Ruin excavations inherently come with many casualties.

Ruins from the Mythic Era were originally spaces dedicated to gods, filled with facilities designed to execute unauthorized intruders, while late Mythic Era ruins were plastered with anti-magical traps after wars with mages.

Were Magic Era ruins any friendlier to mages? Of course not.

The current trend of magic towers spying on each other to steal arcane knowledge and assassinating each other’s spies originated in the Magic Era.

The mages of that era, who stole others’ magic and mercilessly disposed of those trying to steal theirs, were never generous to later scholars.

Therefore, the presence of traps or monsters within ruins was common. The magic-saturated environment of the ruins preserved these traps against temporal decay.

Magic towers disliked wasting precious mages on such trivial and troublesome tasks.

Thus, outsourcing to fixers and mercenaries was an inevitable conclusion.

Smitchia, the mage assigned as an interviewer on Crete Island, couldn’t hide her bewilderment at the fixer who claimed to have “seen the job posting.”

With a visor covering their face and wearing reinforced clothing, they resembled the infamous Dark Spartoi.

More directly, they looked like a golem or undead.

“I don’t know where you saw the job posting, but…”

Smitchia reluctantly pulled out three contract forms.

One was a corporate outsourcing contract for mercenaries affiliated with larger companies. Another for fixers from small agencies, and the last for independent fixers.

Among these, independent wandering fixers were preferred over corporate mercenaries or agency fixers. Most had no legal representatives to receive compensation in case of death.

The visored stranger must have belonged to the latter category, as they chose a contract without hesitation.

“You know how to activate the contract, right? Infuse it with magic.”

Magic contracts, which replaced signatures with mutual magic infusion, were the most widely used contract form as they were difficult to forge.

However, the visored stranger shook their head. A heavily modified voice emerged.

“There’s an issue with my prosthetic’s magic emission system, so I can’t use that type of contract. Let’s use a signature contract.”

“How can you expect to keep your head attached with that… Well, it’s not my concern.”

They might be using combat techniques rather than magic. Suppressing her curiosity, Smitchia tossed over a pen. The visored stranger signed without hesitation.

“Outis? Obviously a pseudonym.”

“Isn’t that typical for someone who ends up in a place like this? Everyone has a secret or two they can’t talk about.”

“Hmph. Don’t expect Torres Magic Tower to protect you if someone comes looking for you.”

“I’m aware.”

A curt response. Having lost interest, Smitchia replied in a businesslike manner.

“Go to the personnel management office over there for detailed instructions.”

***

This is why I like being a fixer.

I thought while reading the contract in my hand. A fraudulent contract designed to exploit novice fixers with no agency or experience, full of tricks in areas like settlement ratios.

The circumstances that force fixers to sign such contracts are predictable, and because of this, even suspicious appearances rarely raise special concern.

Fixers from the bottom rungs with illegal or semi-legal secrets are numerous. But if you try to be selective and only hire verified personnel, the costs don’t add up.

The personnel manager in charge of subcontractors looked at my contract and transmitted an Ether Network address and password.

“Excavation teams depart every morning. They’re divided into surface and deep levels, and you need to pre-register on that webpage to determine where you’ll be assigned. Detailed explanations including difficulty levels are also on the webpage, so make sure to review them.”

The password was apparently for accessing the lodgings for external personnel. I nodded casually and turned away.

‘Seems today’s excavation is already over, so I’ll just get a feel for how things work around here…’

***

The site manager felt his heart pounding. Outis, meaning “nobody,” was the most common pseudonym used by people entering the fixer industry.

However, among these “nobodies,” there were some with rather unique characteristics.

Such individuals, despite using the “nobody” pseudonym, received special treatment that distinguished them from other Outises.

Having four eyes, or a head that burned like flames.

Or never using magic contracts, only paper ones.

‘…’

Stories about these unique Outises had an urban legend quality in the fixer industry. Rumors that having the four-eyed Outis participate would bring great success, or that the flame-headed Outis was actually a scout from the Crimson Flame Magic Tower.

Of course, there were rumors about the Outis who never used magic contracts too. More like horror stories than rumors.

‘Accidents invariably happen at sites he visits.’

A rumor known only to some veterans in the fixer industry.

The higher-ups at magic towers dismiss such urban legends as irrational superstitions of those who couldn’t even enter a magic tower. Reporting it would only earn a rebuke: “As a mage, you should think more rationally.”

The manager swallowed.

‘It’s been years since rumors about the Outis who doesn’t use magic contracts have circulated. It must be a coincidence…’

***

Squeezing myself into a six-person dormitory reminded me of old times.

‘I used to use this pseudonym often to cover my tracks when I was being chased around.’

Those days were hard, but now they’re memories I can look back on.