Chapter 51: Cassie Part 1

After everything was over, Amon’s party headed to the surface with their comrades.

On the way, they encountered mercenaries whose greed was visible in their eyes upon spotting Amon’s party.

However, Cassie, being the most composed among them, directed her murderous glare toward them, prompting the mercenaries to back off on their own.

***

A day passed.

“Ah! The equipment!”

The moment Amon woke up, those were the first words out of his mouth.

His comrades, who had been waiting for him to wake up, let out wry smiles.

‘A devout friend, yet moments like this make it seem like he’s not entirely free from material desires. Truly an enigma,’ they thought.

“We’ve already gathered all the equipment.”

Fortunately, the meticulous dual-attribute mage had already taken care of the security team’s gear.

Although the company IDs had been removed, and some security features needed tweaking, the equipment would be fully functional for the party within about two weeks.

“This upgrade will be quite useful for us.”

The corners of the bull-tanker’s mouth lifted in satisfaction.

[What makes us any different from scavengers?]

The mute sniper’s cynical comment caused the room’s atmosphere to shift into a peculiar silence.

If one were to argue that taking the equipment of the dead made them no better than scavengers, there wasn’t much to refute.

Still, if they were to justify their actions, this was self-defense.

If anything, it was compensation.

Sensing the awkward tension, the sniper raised both hands in mock surrender to defuse the situation.

[Just a joke. Calm down.]

With that, the mood returned to normal.

***

The party spent some time in the hospital exchanging small talk.

Among the conversations were words of apology directed toward Amon.

“We didn’t trust you. We’re sorry.”

Amon accepted their apology.

“It’s normal. People under extreme pressure can act like that.”

“That’s it?”

“What more is there?”

“Something like, ‘Make sure it doesn’t happen again’?”

“No need. It’d feel like forcing an apology.”

Trust wasn’t something that came from never wavering.

Trust built after overcoming a few doubts was far stronger.

With Amon’s words, the party no longer sought his forgiveness.

“Right. As honorable ogres, we’ll show it through our actions next time.”

Including Vox, the party resolved to ensure such an incident wouldn’t happen again through their behavior.

With that, the reflection session came to an end.

***

“Alright, that’s enough feedback for this battle.

Now, the problem is how we handle the Shaun Lai Group.”

As if he had been waiting, the dual-attribute mage summarized the information on the Shaun Lai Group.

The Shaun Lai Group: a military and magical inscription company originally founded in Japan.

Its headquarters had since moved to California, making it a large corporation.

“Isn’t it a mega-corporation?”

Cassie’s curiosity prompted the dual-attribute mage to answer kindly.

“They were expected to become one after absorbing the technology of ‘The Wailing Darkness,’ but they couldn’t manage it well.”

“What use was absorbing technology if there was no infrastructure, personnel, or capability to utilize it?”

“According to the mage’s investigation, Shaun Lai had experienced rapid growth about a year after ‘The Wailing Darkness’ was formed. However, their expansion had hit a ceiling before reaching mega-corporation status.”

“The executives weren’t competent enough, and their rigid internal systems led to poor performance. They showed no interest in nurturing talent and made strange investment choices, ultimately tripping over the threshold of further growth.”

“Above all, their ambition was lacking, and their perspective was narrow.”

“A mega-corporation earned its title because of its absolute authority, often capable of substituting for a government. Naturally, this included absorbing losses through certain government-backed projects. Many mega-corporations willingly bore such losses to maintain their irreplaceable influence.”

“However, the Shaun Lai Group’s short-sighted executives were satisfied with their status as soon as they reached corporate size. They avoided losses at all costs, while continuing to operate inefficiently.”

“Honestly, the original mega-corporation behind Wailing Darkness was so overwhelming that Shaun Lai’s climb to this point is remarkable.”

Public opinion on the Shaun Lai Group was lukewarm.

While large for a corporation, they didn’t qualify as a mega-corporation.

“They have money but lack power.”

It was a peculiar company.

***

With the briefing over, the party began strategizing under Amon’s lead.

“Who do we hand the evidence over to?”

Amon’s party wasn’t arrogant.

While they had successfully repelled Shaun Lai by leveraging strategy and terrain, they didn’t assume they had seen the full extent of Shaun Lai’s capabilities.

If they were confident of victory, they wouldn’t have twisted their route to the hospital and bribed the director.

The police were out of the question. Instead, they needed to choose a corporation capable of thoroughly dismantling Shaun Lai.

The dual-attribute mage presented a list as if he had been waiting for this moment.

“These are companies that see Shaun Lai as a thorn in their side.”

Numerous military and magical inscription corporations were on the list—Shaun Lai’s competitors.

Choosing even one with enough resources could ensure Shaun Lai’s complete downfall.

Thus, the party’s focus wasn’t on who could fight Shaun Lai but rather on which company could bring them the most benefits.

Amid the discussion, Cassie raised another concern.

“Have you considered what happens if Shaun Lai goes wild during the trial and tries to kill us?”

“Oh. Right.”

A cornered rat could resort to anything.

Especially when that rat was big enough to bite back and take down the traitor who betrayed them.

They could request a witness protection program, but in this wretched world, there was no guarantee it would work for an unconnected party like theirs.

The party fell into a heavy silence.

No matter how they looked at it, they weren’t strong enough to withstand Shaun Lai’s retaliation.

“What about hiding in a dungeon?”

[They’d just take our families hostage.]

“Damn it.”

The sniper shot down the tanker’s suggestion.

Whether hiding in a dungeon was a good idea aside, most of the party had families, making it a meaningless solution.

Vox offered a new suggestion.

“What if we ask a big corporation to protect us and our families?”

“They’d hold us on a leash.”

“Isn’t that a bit too pessimistic?”

“Do you trust mega-corporations, Vox?”

“…Tch.”

The dual-attribute mage’s grim outlook left Vox unable to argue further.

Amon didn’t have much faith in corporations due to their questionable ethics and flawed leadership.

Having experienced countless political schemes in games, Amon couldn’t come up with a viable solution either. In such situations, he usually ensured his character had enough power to maintain agency before getting caught in corporate politics.

But objectively, their party was currently lacking in strength, leaving no room for maneuver.

While no one in the party could offer a clear solution, Cassie cautiously raised her hand.

“I do have an idea…”

All eyes turned to Cassie.

She gave a wry smile before speaking.

***

A few days later, after Amon’s party had completed their treatment, they set out to execute Cassie’s plan.

Amidst a forest of mega-corporations in the city, they confidently headed toward a specific company.

<Reketio Corporation>

The company specialized in investments, stocks, real estate, security, protection, and some private military contracting (PMC) activities.

Unlike the Hexen Group that Amon had dealt with in the past, Reketio was a renowned mega-corporation.

Although it wasn’t a direct competitor to the Shaun Lai Group, it would certainly welcome the opportunity to absorb Shaun Lai.

Moreover, it had the capacity to utilize the technologies that Amon’s party had to offer.

Amon strode into the lobby without hesitation.

Having once brought down a mega-corporation, there was no reason to feel intimidated.

Cassie followed behind, a bit awkward but composed, while the rest of the party entered with forced confidence to mask their unease.

As the representative for the operation, Cassie approached the reception desk and said, “We’re the Amon Mercenary Corps. We should have an appointment.”

Amon’s eyes bore into the back of Cassie’s head. ‘When did that name even come about?’ he thought. But Cassie remained unfazed.

After verifying their appointment, they were escorted to the elevator by security.

The elevator ascended higher and higher.

Given the nature of the matter, they expected the meeting to take place on an upper floor.

‘If it’s high up, it’s probably with a director or vice president,’ Amon guessed.

The elevator was set to stop at the 90th floor.

As it neared their destination, the party prepared to step out.

However, the security escort stopped them.

“You’re not getting off here.”

Before anyone could ask further, the security guard pressed the “open” button, allowing someone from the hallway to enter the elevator.

A dapper middle-aged man, whose badge read “Executive Director,” entered and bowed politely to Amon’s party before gesturing to the security guard.

The guard nodded and pressed the button for the floor just below the top level.

The party was stunned.

First, by the executive director’s courteous greeting.

Second, by the elevator surpassing the 90th floor to reach the top level.

When the elevator finally arrived, the doors opened to reveal two corridors: one leading to the secretary’s office and the other to the chairman’s office.

As they suspected, they were led to the chairman’s office—by none other than the executive director himself.

“This way, please,” he said in polite English.

Still bewildered by the situation, the party followed him to the chairman’s office.

Cassie took the lead, guiding the group.

Though there were many questions they wanted to ask her, they decided to focus on the upcoming negotiations for now.

The doors opened, and a young man greeted them.

Despite his youthful appearance, no one in the party was deceived.

[Frey Reketio – Chairman]

While not everyone memorized the personal details of every mega-corporation chairman, there was one thing they all had in common: anti-aging procedures.

Although it was impossible to completely stop aging, with enough money, an unwavering mind, and connections to the Vatican for a few mystical blessings, living for centuries wasn’t out of reach.

Whether Frey was middle-aged or elderly, one thing was certain—his appearance didn’t reflect his age.

“Welcome. Let’s talk over tea.”

Whether it was the imposing aura of his position or the weight of his experience, Amon’s party obediently took their seats.

Surprisingly, Cassie took the lead in negotiations.

Amon’s party members couldn’t understand the technical terms being exchanged.

The only communication between Amon and the others was through subtle glances.

‘Let Cassie handle the party’s finances from now on.’

As if predicting they wouldn’t understand, Cassie handed Amon a summarized memo of the negotiations.

The gist was as follows:

• The corporation would provide 1% of the profits generated from the technologies brought by Amon’s party.
• The profits from short-selling Shaun Lai Group stocks before the trial would belong entirely to Reketio Corporation.
• During the trial, Reketio would cover all costs for protecting Amon’s party and their families.
• Any technologies acquired through the acquisition of Shaun Lai would become Reketio’s assets, but the royalties would be provided to Amon’s party in the form of Reketio Corporation shares.

After reading the memo, Amon turned to the bull-tanker Torso and asked, “What’s short-selling?”

“Why are you asking me? Isn’t it a good thing?”

“Then is getting paid in shares good?”

“Not sure.”

Having never dealt with stocks before, they were clueless about the details.

They didn’t realize that the investment company would make a fortune from lawsuits and short-selling, or that paying informants in shares was a way to launder money.

Amon sipped his coffee, trusting Cassie completely.

‘Mom and Dad always said to stick close to people who know the law. They weren’t wrong.’

The negotiations concluded with Cassie’s one-woman show.

Having seemingly become the de facto leader of the party, she shook hands with the chairman.

As Amon savored his final sip of coffee, a comment from the chairman caught his attention.

“Honestly, who did you take after to be so ruthless? I know I said you could stay out in the field until I retire, but aren’t you siding with your party a little too much? I don’t run this business for free, you know.”

“I’m Cassie. And you know this deal is profitable for you, so stop whining.”

“Yes, Cassie. Typical of a Reketio.”

“Let’s end it here.”

Everyone in the room pieced together the situation instantly.

The ease with which they secured an appointment, the executive director’s courtesy, Cassie’s deep knowledge of finances, and the chairman addressing her as a Reketio—all pointed to one conclusion.

“Cough!”

‘Damn it. I choked on my coffee.’

Cassie Reketio.

She was a bona fide noble from the corporate upper echelon.