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“I’ve worked with some of your lower-ranking freelancers a few times, but surprisingly, some of them can’t answer this question. I want to confirm it beforehand before starting the job.”
“It’s true that I would hesitate to kill fellow freelancers,” Lennok replied with a stoic expression.
“However, my concern is primarily about it interfering with my future plans. If we have a justifiable reason, it won’t be a significant issue.”
“Uh, what do you mean?”
“Aren’t you worried that Reisen might disrupt the operation? He’s likely to hire private forces, and it wouldn’t be surprising if mercenaries or freelancers are involved.”
Lennok understood Evelyn’s concerns.
Senator Reisen would undoubtedly want to recover his hidden funds before the agent achieves results, and he wouldn’t hesitate to disrupt the current operation for that purpose.
The reason Evelyn had to step in hastily and intervene in this operation is probably because she anticipated Reisen’s interference if it dragged on.
Initially, it was just a speculation, but it seemed that Evelyn had more than mere worries, considering that she called him to discuss this matter.
“Just leak the information that we will withdraw before the operation concludes to the brokers. That way, even if the individuals with Reisen perish, there won’t be any problem.”
“Hmm

.”
Upon hearing Lennok’s suggestion, Evelyn placed the carrot she had been holding back down and stared at him with a meaningful expression.
Irritated by her overtly purposeful gaze, which contrasted with her previous demeanor, Lennok turned his head slightly.
“Why are you helping so actively?”
“Because of the incident at the factory in summer.”
“It seems like you’ve changed quite a bit since then.”
Evelyn smiled, revealing a genuine smile for the first time as she looked at him.
“I appreciate your way of thinking. Have you ever considered becoming an agent?”
“What?”
“I initially thought of a level 4 wizard with an eccentric personality
 but I believe you could join us and make a difference right away.”
“Let’s focus on the task at hand.”
Lennok felt like he knew who the “eccentric level 4 wizard” she mentioned was.
Although the fact that Evelyn remembered Lennok’s true identity, which she had encountered at the vegetable store, sent a slight chill down his spine, Lennok didn’t show any signs of unease and spoke.
Evelyn, who had been scrutinizing Lennok’s face as if studying it, shook her head as if resigned.
“It’s a shame. With your keen insight, you could take over some of my responsibilities in the field. Unfortunately, I have various reasons preventing me from directly participating.”
“Isn’t Hina O’Neil overseeing the operation?”
“Hina is undoubtedly an exceptional agent, but she has a congenital health condition that makes long-term work difficult. Especially in harsh environments like the outskirts, she suffers greatly due to her susceptibility to illness.”
“Susceptible to illness
”
Lennok recalled the conversation he had with her upon hearing that.
She had mentioned that her combat abilities had certain limitations. Could it be because of her illness?
If she’s working as an agent for the City Hall despite such setbacks, she must possess at least one significant advantage.
However, there was one piece of information in her words that Lennok couldn’t ignore.
“You certainly have a roundabout way of indicating that our next operation area is in the outskirts.”
“Huh, did I?”
Lennok stood up from his seat, observing Evelyn, who tilted her head with an unabashed expression.
“I suppose the tracking of the encrypted key mixed with dummy data led to those individuals? Give me a call once the specific operation details are finalized. I also have a few personal matters to attend to.”
“It seems like a successful wizard is always busy. I wonder if you can spare some time to work with us.”
“You don’t need to worry about that,” Lennok muttered, gripping the door handle.
“I’m not running around like this just to repay a life debt.”
“We should have approximately two weeks until the next operation. Take your time to prepare, and we’ll meet then.”
Dark wizards and terrorist organizations.
And the interference that would come from Reisen in between.
Things might get complicated, but Lennok always had clear problems in his mind.
The key was not to mix up priorities.
It was crucial not to forget why Lennok got involved in the first place.
He would decipher the clue left by The Great Seer through the heritage mentioned by Raul.
Once he started moving, even if he couldn’t unravel all the truths, he at least had to find a direction.
Evelyn stared at the space Lennok left behind when he closed the door and disappeared, her expression inscrutable.
A bank he hadn’t visited in a while.
As the money in his account gradually exceeded hundreds of millions, naturally, the bank tellers’ attitude towards Lennok changed.
They didn’t know the nature of his work, but a customer who handled large sums of money was always a valuable asset from the bank’s perspective.
After checking the remaining balance in his account, Lennok deepened his thoughts.
‘The amount I received from Panua and the success fee for this job slightly exceeds 400 million.’
He had spent a significant sum on finding a new house and moving, but his finances were replenished when the wealth he had stolen from Cigar Bang’s vault started being deposited into his account.
‘I’ve already invested a decent amount in improving my living environment, so there’s no need to save money for now. I should find something worthwhile to do with this money.’
It seemed that the money accumulated after this operation would easily exceed 500 million.
In this vast city, it wasn’t an exorbitant amount, but it certainly wasn’t negligible either.
At the very least, it was enough for Lennok to seize an opportunity in the field he desired.
‘Elixirs or artifacts
 I should find something useful.’
If he sought advice from Evelyn Marcia, she might recommend a good item.
With this in mind, Lennok withdrew around 20 million, placed it in his pocket, and left the bank.
Ten 1 million banknotes. Banks usually didn’t readily provide such large bills, but he managed to withdraw them surprisingly easily, perhaps because they wanted to please him.
In any case, he needed cash, so he was glad to have acquired it so effortlessly.
Lennok hailed a cheap taxi on the street and headed straight to District 31.
The largest botanical garden in the mega-city of Vulcan.
Simultaneously, it was where ‘The Orchard’ operated by Plumbr was situated.
It had been several months since his last bulk purchase of CashBurn cigarettes.
He still had about ten left, but if he continued to operate with the agents, he would run out soon.
Considering his growing suspicion of developing a resistance to the effects of CashBurn, it was necessary for him to visit and find a new remedy.
“Huh
”
Inside the botanical garden, unlike the cold winter air, the atmosphere was warm and filled with a gentle fragrance.
It seemed that citizens preferred spending their weekends in indoor facilities like this rather than braving the cold outside. The place was abnormally crowded with families and children.
Amidst couples and children, a man in a scruffy expression stood out, wearing a coat. It was inevitable that he would attract attention.
Trying to evade the subtle yet penetrating glances, Lennok was about to quickly make his way towards the orchard when he heard a familiar voice from behind.
“Huh, Van?”
The voice had a lingering yet sharp tone. Simultaneously, the image of someone from a desolate plateau passed before his eyes.
The moment Lennok heard the voice, his synesthesia instinctively responded, showing him the scenery of the moment from all perspectives. However, the identity of the person he identified in this way was not particularly welcoming from Lennok’s perspective.
Letting out a sigh, he turned his head. As expected, he saw the familiar rust-colored hair.
The woman was wearing a black leather jacket over a green tank top. Her baggy combat boots and loose trousers made her even more noticeable.
“Long time no see. How have you been?”
Mila approached, waving her hand as if she were delighted to see him.
A mercenary from the Antares office. They had only worked together in the undeveloped zone to hunt contaminants, but in her mind, they seemed to be familiar colleagues.
Dodging her hand that was about to pat his shoulder, Lennok replied, “It’s the first time I’ve seen you since we left the undeveloped zone.”
“That’s right. I’ve been busy traveling around following the boss.”
With that, a mischievous smile suddenly appeared on Mila’s face.
“But it seems like you’ve become quite a celebrity in my absence?”
“

”
“Recently, I’ve been hearing your name a lot, and it surprised me. I always thought you were a good guy when we worked together, but I had no idea you were cozying up to corporations and raising your prices.”
“Well
 a lot has been happening.”
There were several reasons why Lennok had decided to join Dyke, but wasn’t one of them to improve his reputation and raise his price?
If the name Van, a wizard, had started to reach even Mila’s ears, who seemed indifferent to the opinions of others, its impact would be undeniable.
He responded while stealing a quick glance at Mila’s face, but he couldn’t detect any negative emotions like jealousy or resentment.
“We should work together sometime. Don’t just entertain Dylan. I often hang out at that bar run by that rude woman. Sound good?”
It seemed that she simply had an innocent desire to benefit from a friend who had significantly improved his standing.
Considering the people Lennok had encountered thus far, it didn’t seem like a bad idea.
He was about to respond with a chuckle when a towering figure cast a shadow over Mila from behind.
“Mila, stop the nonsense.”
A massive man with broad shoulders suddenly appeared behind her.
The man’s imposing presence emanated from his slicked-back short hair, bulging muscles, and various tattoos adorning his biceps.
Despite the cold winter weather, his bold fashion choice of exposing both his arms was impressive. However, what truly caught Lennok’s attention was his eagle-like face.
His sharp eyes and tightly closed, beak-like mouth made it difficult to read his expressions. It was not a typical human face, but it appeared stern enough.
Momentarily taken aback, Lennok was rendered speechless as Mila casually tapped Felix’s shoulder and continued speaking.
“Felix, now’s not the time to be prideful, right? Opportunities to network personally with a successful wizard like this don’t come often. Stick to him like a leech and take advantage of every
”
Felix frowned at Mila’s blunt words and pushed her head down with his hand.
His enormous hand completely covered her head, effectively silencing her.
With a more relaxed expression, he looked down at Lennok and extended his other hand for a handshake.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Felix Olman. I work in the same office as Mila.”
“I’m Van. A wizard.”
The handshake wasn’t entirely successful due to the significant size difference, but Felix seemed satisfied.
Lennok couldn’t fully decipher his expression, but it appeared that he was content.
Encountering a non-human like Felix for the first time since meeting Croken, Lennok was initially surprised but quickly regained his composure and began sensing Felix’s mana level.
Through his extensive experience, Lennok understood that the amount of mana didn’t necessarily correlate with combat ability.
This was particularly true for warriors who fought using their physical bodies, not just wizards.
Apart from exceptional high-level wizards like Aris and Madria Falcia, Lennok hadn’t encountered anyone in this field who left a profound impression through their mana alone.
Even Beck Clinton’s mana was on par with Lennok’s.
What mattered was not the quantity of mana, but the speed and flow of it, as well as the structure of the channels through which it flowed.
To discern the internal completeness of a person, a keen eye was required.
And Lennok was gradually developing that discernment.
‘Steady and controlled. And incredibly
 Dense.’
Felix’s mana channels were intricately divided and flowed vigorously throughout his body.
Even compared to Beck Clinton, he didn’t seem lacking in terms of stability.
In comparison to the indifferent giant Lennok had encountered during the operation, this man was on a different level.
Felix Olman might not appear imposing on the surface, but it was evident that, like Dylan or Mila, he was a highly skilled warrior.
As Lennok evaluated his opponent, Felix seemed to carefully observe him and spoke with a resonant voice.
“Indeed, as I’ve heard.”
“What?”
“Putting aside your potential for growth in terms of skill, your stance as a warrior is already complete. Excellent.”
His comment, referring to Lennok as a warrior, which might have seemed nonsensical, was rather striking.
Perhaps, in this brief encounter, Felix had somewhat sensed that Lennok was more than just a simple wizard.
If his perception was as sharp as his clear eyes, it wouldn’t be impossible.