“Kid, can you turn on the closed sigh lights? We’re closing.”(Anton)

Anton was cleaning his knives and pots while cleaning the dishes and putting away the left ingredients.

“Yes, sir.”(Daniel)

I went to the door and turned on the closed lights. I have never been this late and away from the Academy. In fact, even before the Academy, I would always be home before the sky turns dark. Yet, now it was past 7, 7:46 PM to be exact. It's also nearly time for the mission.

The old man wasn’t in the café today, and Jenny already went somewhere a few hours ago. The café feels lonely. Somehow this reminds me of my old house. Although my grandparents are always there, it was still too quiet.

“Mr. Anton, come to think of it. How’d you guys manage to keep the café up when there are almost no customers? We're losing more than what we’re earning.”(Daniel)

It was weird, there’s almost always no customer that goes into the café, but when there are, they only order something light and cheap.

“This store was just the Master’s hobby. It isn’t our real source of income.”(Anton)

“I see.”(Daniel)

I guess that’s true. It would be weird if the infamous Null rely on a café income financially.

“I can’t tell you much, kid. But we do have connections.”(Anton)

“What do you mean?”(Daniel)

“Service. We make connections with all kinds of people—politicians, celebrities, and companies. It doesn’t really matter who as long as they have the money.”(Anton)

As long as they have money? Anyone? Are they not scared that one of those people they made a connection with rat them out?

“What if one of them betrays Null? Did that happen before?”(Daniel)

Anton, who was cleaning the pot, stopped moving for a few seconds.

“Yes. But you know, kid, we make sure they know who they are dealing with. No one that betrayed us is still alive today. People have something or someone they love, and as long as we get a hold of them, we control their weaknesses.”(Anton)

That sounds horrifying, but it was the same thing for me, I guess, that damn Jenny.

“Oh… By the way, what kind of service do we do?”(Daniel)

“All kinds of things, kid. Assassination, extermination, retrieval, guarding, as long as there’s money into it. But usually, illegal.”(Anton)

“Ohhh, I see… Assassination and extermination? What’s the difference between the two?”(Daniel)

Are they not the same thing?

“Sigh… Assassination involves sneakily killing one or more targets. Extermination is basically killing everyone in that area.”(Anton)

Dang… Who could order extermination? Towards soldiers? Citizens? I’d rather not know.

“By the way, kid. It’s almost time… You ready?”(Anton)

“Y-yeah… What kind of mission is it?”(Daniel)

Anton smirked and looked at me.

“Don’t worry, this one is easy and newbie-friendly, retrieval.”(Anton)

We stopped in a parking lot outside of a tall building. We are in front of a building in the Whalelight district. Getting out was easier than I thought it would be. It seems that Anton was known by the guards and was friendly with them. So I guess going back inside BraveHeart will also be easy.

“What are we retrieving exactly?”(Daniel)

I want to know what we are taking. Weapons? Nuclear stuff? Illegal demonic beast materials?

“Don’t worry, you don’t have to do anything, kid. Once they give us the signal, we go in.”(Anton)

“Go in? I thought we’re only retrieving stuff?”(Daniel)

“We are, but we’re still in an area controlled by UDA, and thus their associates. Our clients are shy when it comes to their identity, you see.“(Anton)

“But, don’t you guys have like, connection? High ranking people and stuff. Why are we too careful?”(Daniel)

Anton chuckled.

“Kid, it isn’t so simple. Although, there are corrupt people who lean on us and help us. But the vast majority are not. Not only that, but they are also actively looking and hunting us. We can’t lose the trust of our clients. It’s bad for business.”(Anton)

I overestimated their controls and influence. But, it may be true from the reactions I got from the people back after the demonic nest incident. Leah and those weird people with her don’t seem to be with Null, and they’re clearly against them, I mean, us.

“Oh, by the way, here. You’ll need this.”(Anton)

He gave me a mask. It was a plain round mask with two holes for my eyes.

“Uh, this is?”(Daniel)

Anton put on a wolf mask as I asked him.

“We need to hide our faces, you know. If you want to have a social life at least.”(Anton)

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I was being a dumbass again. Of course, hiding one’s identity is a given.

“Here, put these on too.”(Anton)

Anton gave me three more things. The first was a lightweight, sturdy armor. It’s flexible but rough. It also looks like it was made from a demonic beasts’ hide. The other two were a hoodie and running pants, which both are black.

Is this like my Null uniform or something? Just these?

I looked at Anton, who was wearing an entirely different suit. It was a black shirt with big buttons. It looks a lot like the chef's shirt that he wears in the kitchen, but the color is black. His pants were the same too. The colors just changed.

“What?”(Anton)

He noticed me staring at him.

“N-nothing, it’s just. I didn’t expect you to have something so similar to what you usually wear.”(Daniel)

“I was a chef before joining them, and I like my clothes. They suit me perfectly.”(Anton)

He was a chef before, huh.

“Then why do I have a hoodie and running pants? Shouldn’t I have something else instead?”(Daniel)

“Oh ho, what do you have in mind? Jumpsuit might be a good one too.”(Anton)

“I like the hoodie, but yeah, a jumpsuit will be good, and they’re comfortable to wear.”(Daniel)

“Is that so? Oh! I almost forgot, but Jenny asked us to give you a mop as a weapon.”(Anton)

He pointed at the long thick stick at the back.

“What? Is that my weapon?”(Daniel)

That woman is really getting on my nerves.

“No, the Master rejected that idea. He said to ask you what you want, but it’s here if you want.”(Anton)

Definitely rejected. I’m fine with my nickname, but the weapon is different. It could be the difference between life and death.

Hmmm, I wonder what I should get. I want a handgun, a bow, and a sword. The sword might be too big and heavy, though, so maybe a knife.

“I guess a bow, and a knife.”(Daniel)

“I see… Get them at the back of the car after the mission.”(Anton)

We waited in the car for a few minutes until we got a phone call. Anton asked me to put on my mask, and we met up with some people at the back of the building.

They came from the building and were also carrying a big sack. And by its size and shape, I could tell what was inside of that sack. It’s a human.

After giving us the sack, they immediately went inside the building as if nothing happened. Anton did the same.

He put the body inside the car, just behind our seat.

“You’re probably confused. We don’t usually retrieve this kind of thing.”(Anton)

“Um, what is this?”(Daniel)

“Do you want to know?”(Anton)

He was saying it as if it isn’t that big of a deal.

Do I have to know? Do I really want to know?

“S-sure.”(Daniel)

“Haha, okay.”(Anton)

Anton opened the door beside the body while I was watching from the front. He opened the sack, and it was a corpse.

I had already expected that it would be a corpse, but this one isn’t normal. His body was cut open and his guts coming out of it, and some of his organs were also missing. The ribs were cracked, and his arms and legs twisted. His fingers were also missing. There are wounds all over his body as if they've been bitten off.

Not only that, but there’s a big chunk of his neck that was gone. It looks like it was forcefully torn apart like it was bitten off by something big. But up his neck was just a mess. His head was smashed. As if his face sunk into the back of his head. If I tried, I would probably see his stomach if I look from his wide opened jaw.

“Buwahhhh.”(Daniel)

I went outside the car and threw up. The body still looks fresh. He was probably killed just a couple of hours ago.

“W-w-what i-s… Buwahhh… That.”(Daniel)

Anton closed the sack and looked at me. He was smiling and chuckling.

“Hahaha, that was hilarious. But, kid, don’t worry, you’ll get used to this.”(Anton)

“Used to this? This is crazy.”(Daniel)

“Kid, don’t act so innocent. Haven’t you already killed someone before? No, in fact, it was quite a bit of people. You used them as bait with a smile on your face.”(Anton)

Smile? No… It was for survival!… It is for survival!…

Then, I remembered the guy who yelled at me that he was going to kill me. He was protecting his friends until the end. But it was all in vain. He probably watched them die too.

Sigh

What’s the use of regretting it now? All that matters was that Julia survived… We survived.

“Don’t worry, kid, you’re one of us now, right?”(Anton)

He looked at me with an intimidatingly directly in my eyes. My body froze in fright.

“Y-yeah. I-I am…”(Daniel)

“As for this poor fellow, tsk tsk… This is why you don’t try to snitch and run… But it’s that company, eh?”(Anton)

“Wh-what about them?”(Daniel)

He smirked and cackled before explaining.

“They perform disgusting experiments. For example, they are forcefully breeding between humans and demonic beasts, fusing two or more creatures, experimenting on an average human if they could get a dead Enhancers powers—all kinds of disgusting things. And by the looks of this guest we have here, he was tortured first before being bred and played with by some demonic beast. ahahhaha.”(Anton)

“Buwahhh.”(Daniel)

What?! That’s disgusting! To think that there are people like this… And Anton, why in the world are you laughing?! This kind of thing…

After we got back into the car, we went towards a warehouse. Anton gave them the body, and we walked away.

“Just like that?”(Daniel)

I looked back at the two guys with masks who took the body from us.

“Just like that. Easy, right?”(Anton)

I don’t know if it was easy. Before we reached the warehouse, we had to stop the car so that I could puke outside of the car. Just a couple more times before my stomach disappears too.

“But, sometimes, there would be some rats who would snitch on us. Thankfully, you now know what happens to those guys, so you don’t have to worry.”(Anton)

Thankfully? Was that genuine or a threat?

“Y-yeah…”(Daniel)

“You’d be receiving missions from time to time as well. Maybe a couple a week, once a week, two weeks, it’s not that frequent, but I suggest that you go to the café every day.”(Anton)

I never felt safe when I was with them, but knowing what happened to that body made it worse.

“Oh, okay…”(Daniel)

What do I say in this kind of situation? I look forward to the next one? I want more? Thank you for your advice?

I just hope he doesn’t snap at me and turn me into minced meat.

“How about the other missions?”(Daniel)

“The others, eh… I don’t think you’ll receive one right now. Not only that you’re a newbie but because there are a lot of members who are far better at doing those kinds of jobs. Density is good at extermination, Stick’s good at assassination, and Helms is good at guarding. Honestly, you fit in this kind of mission.”(Anton)

Stick and Helms? I’ve never heard of them before.

“Stick and Helms? Who are they?”(Daniel)

“Well, how do I explain this. Ahem. Stick well turns things that aren’t heavier than himself into pipe-like thingy.”(Anton)

“Then why is his name Stick and not, let’s say, The Plumber or Pipeman.”(Daniel)

“I don’t know… It was Density’s idea.”(Anton)

Jenny again, that woman really sucks at giving names.

“Why do you call her Density? I mean, I know that’s her nickname but…”(Daniel)

“We’re in a job. While we work outside the café, we call the others by their nicknames.”(Anton)

So even if we’re alone, I have to call them by their nickname? It will be weird but, I can manage.

“Oh, then Mr. Anton, what’s your nickname?”(Daniel)

It wasn't polite of me not to know his nickname. I might call him by his name by accident at the wrong time.

“Gourmet.”(Anton)

“Oh…”(Daniel)

I want to laugh since the name was so obvious.

“By any chance was it Je – I mean Density that gave that nickname?”(Daniel)

“Yes.”(Anton)

I resisted the urge to laugh and cry.

“Then about Helms? Who is that?”(Daniel)

“Helms huh, Helms’ especial ability is a barrier. Just like most bloodlines, it strengthens something. Some enhance their body, type of element, Spell type, or anything. For her, it’s barriers.”(Anton)

“Oh, I get it now.”(Daniel)

Guarding was the perfect job for her. Since her barrier will be helpful against attacks… Hm? But how about attacking? Does she use weapons or attack Spells for the offense?

“If your thinking about her firepower, I wouldn’t say it’s small. If I have to guess, she might be weaker compare to Density, but she has a chance of winning.”(Anton)

“What?! Really?”(Daniel)

“Imagine the barrier that’s protecting you kept on shrinking down to the size of a ball. Can you handle it?”(Anton)

He smirked.

No, I’d die.

“Ahaha.”(Daniel). I could only laugh awkwardly.

“It feels like my stomach left me.”(Daniel)

“Hahahaha!”(Anton)

Sigh

This was a horrible experience.