Chapter 52

Two weeks had passed since the unveiling of the Powered Suit.

As usual, Alice was completely immersed in her research and development.

She seemed to be running into some difficulties, but progress on the improvements was steady.

She would be fine.

The prototype had already been functional two weeks ago.

Besides, despite her cool exterior, Alice was a sore loser.

She had more than enough passion.

Using her previous failure as fuel, she was bound to produce results.

On the other hand, my treatment within the organization continued to deteriorate.

This was because I had ignored repeated warnings and continued to kill anyone who annoyed me.

Lately, I had stopped being invited to meetings, and the frequency of my jobs had decreased.

I was being intentionally marginalized.

It seemed Dorgu was tacitly approving of this situation.

They were starting to view me as a genuine nuisance.

I had half-given up on this matter.

Dorgu’s response was only natural.

I understood the logic behind ousting someone who lacked any sense of cooperation.

However, I couldn’t change my way of thinking.

I had operated with this stance ever since I was in my original world.

I would likely be purged from the organization before long, but I was prepared to accept that.

In whatever form it took, this was the result of our attempt to meet halfway.

I had no intention of raising an objection.

Then one day, I received a rare summons from Dorgu.

I thought it might be about me wiping out a subordinate organization three days ago, but it turned out to be a genuine job request.

Dorgu, seated upon his throne, looked down at me with a bundle of documents in one hand.

“Here is the outline for your new assignment. Read it here.”

I caught the documents he tossed my way and skimmed through them.

This job appeared to be the scouting of a certain man and inviting him to the Black Wall City.

The man was apparently an adventurer active in one of Eurea’s cities.

I wasn’t familiar with the profession of “Adventurer,” but it was likely a sub-type of mercenary.

Or perhaps a sort of treasure hunter, though that wasn’t particularly important.

The man’s identity was unknown, but he was said to possess some kind of special skill.

He had entered Eurea recently and had climbed the ranks from an obscure rookie adventurer.

He was reportedly becoming quite famous within his city.

Dorgu seemed to want to bring this promising newcomer under his influence.

It was likely the same procedure used when Shuna, the masked woman, invited me to the Black Wall City.

“First, investigate the man’s skill. He is falsifying his Status using a concealment Magic Tool. Once you uncover the true nature of his abilities, guide him to this city.”

“So, investigation and recruitment are the main goals. Sounds like an easy job.”

“I will handle the negotiations. You only need to bring the man here. Above all else, do not use unnecessary force. Do you understand?”

Dorgu emphasized his point more than necessary.

He was clearly wary of me going on a rampage.

Since I had caused so much trouble up until now, his concern was perfectly reasonable.

I shrugged with the documents in hand.

“You don’t have to tell me a dozen times; I get it. Still, using me for scouting… what brought this on?”

“The man in question is reportedly unnaturally strong. The organization has many elites, but his strength remains an unknown variable. I feel some unease sending them as messengers. That is where you come in. You’re confident in your combat prowess, are you not?”

Dorgu spoke with a plausible expression.

On the surface, he was taking the stance of praising me, but I could see right through his true intentions.

To put it bluntly, he intended to use me as a disposable scout.

I was a “Stray Bullet”¹ to ensure he didn’t lose his other subordinates.

He wouldn’t care if I was lost after being pitted against an unknown opponent.

‘Top-tier treatment. I’m so happy I could cry.’

Swallowing my sarcasm, I looked over the combat records in the documents.

The man in question had apparently incapacitated multiple enemies without even moving from the spot.

It was also noted that from the front, no attack would land on him.

There were even rumors that he utilized movements resembling teleportation.

The documents speculated that he was either a possessor of extreme speed or a user of spatial magic.

In this world governed by the laws of the Status system, such a thing was entirely possible.

I myself had acquired superhero-like physical abilities through high-level corrections.

It wouldn’t be strange if there were others like me.

If he was a user of spatial magic, I had to ask if he could use summoning magic.

If I could return to my original world through him, everything would be solved in one go.

Even for me personally, this was an assignment I couldn’t ignore.

I had to secure this man’s person by any means necessary.

This was a huge chance.

I couldn’t afford to let it slip away.

“In the future, I want you to perform various tasks as an executive. This is a part of that. Do not disappoint me.”

Dorgu spoke with a hint of intimidation.

I nodded, a thin smile playing on my lips.

“Leave it to me. It’ll be a breeze.”

Waving my hand dismissively, I turned on my heel.

I headed straight for the exit of the room.

“Jack Aaron.”

A voice called out from behind me.

When I looked back, a deadpan Dorgu was staring intently at me.

“What is it?”

“I will decide your treatment based on the outcome of this mission. If the results are too unsightly, I will have to consider your expulsion from the organization. If I continue to grant you special treatment, I cannot maintain discipline among the others. This is my final warning. Refrain from your usual tyranny.”

His sharp gaze pierced through me.

This wasn’t just a hollow display of bravado or a threat.

It was a sincere warning.

“—I understand.”

I gave that short answer and left the room without feeling particularly pressured.

To scout the man in question, Alice and I traveled via the Golem Car.

Our destination was another city.

Calculating that it would take two days even if we didn’t push ourselves, the earlier the departure, the better.

Under a clear sky, we drove along the highway.

Even so, the Golem Car had become much easier to drive than before.

The handling had improved.

Thanks to the sharper armor, it was also easier to accelerate.

This was likely a side effect of redesigning it for the Powered Suit.

To subtly improve its performance as a vehicle as well—Alice truly was impressive.

Glancing at her as she took a nap in the passenger seat, I reread the documents.

The papers briefly listed the physical characteristics of the man.

Unfortunately, there were no photographs.

His name was supposedly Michael, but that wasn’t trustworthy either.

There was a high probability it was an alias.

The man, tentatively named Michael, seemed to be fairly famous.

If I gathered information on the ground, I likely wouldn’t have much trouble finding him.

He was active enough to have caught Dorgu’s eye, after all.

Once we arrived, making contact shouldn’t be difficult.

While imagining my future scouting target, I glanced at the side mirror.

A black vehicle was reflected there.

There were two men inside.

Both were members of Dorgu’s organization.

They were maintaining a constant distance, trailing behind us.

I was clearly being followed.

They were likely observers.

They were watching me to ensure I didn’t do anything reckless.

By exposing themselves so openly, they were undoubtedly emphasizing the fact that I was under surveillance.

How utterly annoying.

I intended to carry out my job seriously, yet being subjected to such measures made my blood boil.

It was a sign of distrust.

A blatant insult, one might say.

I stepped on the brakes and brought the car to a stop.

With a slight delay, the black vehicle also stopped.

The gap was about thirty yards—just the right distance.

There was no one else around.

I wouldn’t be inconveniencing anyone.

Woken up by the braking, Alice rubbed her eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m going to go remove some gum stuck to the tire.”

I answered while rummaging through the luggage in the back seat.

Since I never knew what might happen, I had brought a full assortment of weapons.

I rarely found myself lacking.

“Should I help too?”

“No, I can handle it myself. Just wait a moment.”

Clutching the item I was looking for, I stepped out of the car.

Then, I dropped to one knee facing the black vehicle and leveled the object I had taken from the back seat—a rocket launcher.

I placed my finger on the trigger while lining up the sights.

Sensing something was wrong, the people in the black vehicle scrambled to start their engine.

But it was already too late.

I pulled the trigger without hesitation.

The launched rocket surged forward, trailing white smoke.

It struck the black vehicle as if sucked toward it.

The next instant, a massive explosion occurred.

The vehicle, taking a direct hit to its side, was blown away while spinning violently.

After rolling grandly across the ground, it ended up upside down and burst into flames.

I could see two charred corpses inside the car.

The observers seemed to have died instantly from the direct impact of the rocket.

“Hahaha, what a pathetic piece of gum.”

Feeling refreshed, I returned to the car triumphantly.

I tossed the rocket launcher into the back seat and started the Golem Car.

The tedious pests were gone, and now I could enjoy a comfortable trip.

“That was a vivid display of skill.”

“It’s a familiar motion. It’s like a morning greeting to me.”

I checked the side mirror.

Only the burning vehicle was reflected; there was no sign of anyone else following.

To think they thought this level of surveillance was sufficient—I had been underestimated.

The surveillance itself was likely Dorgu’s order, but the specific instructions must have been given by someone else.

Everything was far too careless.

Once I returned to the Black Wall City, I would have to find that idiot.

Adding another appointment to the schedule in my head, I drove the Golem Car onward.