"Why do you ask?"
Jin answered without an expression, and the air in the bar turned cold.
Even the owner who was taking their order couldn't believe his own ears. The other novice magicians froze up and blinked furiously.
After a few seconds of silence, the owner got nervous and looked as if his stomach were about to flip. The only customers in the store were the novices and Jin and his friend, so he worried about a potential fight.
"Why do I ask…? Man, I must've been very disrespectful. Yeah, I'll ask more coherently. Who are you affiliated with, trash?"
"We will leave quietly, so don't act so brash and have your meal. And didn't you say you would ask more clearly?"
"Be thankful that I'm not slapping the teeth out of you right now. Answer me. Seeing that you really wanted to leave as soon as we came in, there must be something you're hiding? Are you part of the Dark Magic Association?"
Hearing contempt along with insults from a novice magician, Jin really thought he was pathetic.
Still, there was nothing weird about their mannerisms. Everyone worshiped and flattered these poor excuses of nobles, but mere novices. How pathetic would the academy look with these as the face of their institution?
No one would think they were any skillful in their fields. No one.
"Oh. Oh goodness, novice magicians. Haha, they are just passersby. Please don't continue, and I'll quickly prepare the specialty dishes—"
Slap!
The novice smacked the owner across the face. Enya flinched and tried to stand instinctively, but Jin held her back.
"What're you gonna do, pathetic commoner shit?"
"Sorry."
"Hey, because of you, the hardworking owner got slapped. You were pretty brave, eh? Identify yourself. I think I should know more about you."
'How should I answer?'
Jin didn't think for long. He would take all of them down and immediately thought of one organization he could use.
Clip, clop.
Jin passed the table where the novice magicians sat and closed the bar door.
Creeeeeak, thud, clink!
Then, after clearing his throat, he spoke.
"Vermont Empire, Emperor's Guards Special Forces for Magic Group 1 3rd Division."
"Bullshit! Special Forces Group 1 3rd Division? This bastard…!"
Even Enya was startled by his lie, so she hid under her hood.
'L-Lord Jin?! What is this?!'
Jin still looked calm. Lying and impersonation was a field of his expertise. Weirdly enough, every time he did so, he felt like he was only raking names that were actually less important than his true identity in the mud.
"You want us to believe that? I-I can't even think of a response because I'm so dumbfounded! Special Forces for Magic Group 1 3rd Division?"
"You'll believe it soon enough."
Thud!
Jin slammed his fist into the closest novice's chest. His slim and weak body would not be able to take the fists that had been trained since the Storm Castle.
"H-Huh?!"
The struck novice knelt on the ground, foam emerging from his mouth. The other two novices frantically began to cast a spell, but Jin got to his wand a lot quicker.
A small light glowed from its tip.
'I wanted to knock them out with an overload spell, but using a normal spell would be better since I'm impersonating the Special Forces.'
Fssh, fssh!
The wand pierced the other novices' chests. Before they even got through half their spell, as soon as 7-star mana entered their bodies, they experienced mana overflow. They were merely 3- to 4-star magicians.
"Kuhhh! Kurgh!"
"Eerrrrrrk—Grrraah!"
Blood flowed out of their nostrils as they fell to the ground. They slumped down like invertebrates. Jin looked down on them as cold as ice.
'These bastards bullied Enya.'
It only took Jin four seconds to deal with them.
At that point, the owner watched soullessly, his mouth wide open.
"Erk. S-Save… me… Ugh."
"It's only the early signs of overflow, so don't be so worried. To experience overflow from only that much… Director Dolce said that the future of the academy is not so bright, and it seems like he is right."
Jin knew about Dolce Rilistar, the Director of the Special Forces of Magic Group 1, from his past life. He was alive around this time. Unlike a normal agent, the directors of each group often disappeared from their official seats.
Wriggle, wriggle.
The two novice magicians crawled the floor, and the first novice—who got hit in the chest—barely helped himself up. With eyes soaked with fear, they looked up at Jin.
"A-Are you really part of the Special Forces…?"
"You want to hear my codename too? If that happens, then you three will not be able to evade the investigation room of the Special Forces main base. It seems you aren't aware yet.'
Excluding the emperor's immediate units, the Special Forces wielded the most power. And amongst them, units of the Special Forces of Magic Group 1 3rd Division were known as 'Gods of Death'. They acted as supervisors who uncovered illegal activities of magicians and immediately punished them.
If Jin were actually in the Special Forces, he had the decision over the life and death of these three.
He could also cause ultimate chaos in the empire. Since they were not any important representatives of Hairan, Hensirk, Rilistar, or other empires.
"No, sir! No, sir! We were mistaken. W-We didn't know you were part of the Special Forces!"
"Does that mean your behavior would've been alright if I were a normal citizen?"
"That's not…"
"There's a saying amongst the Special Forces about you guys. The bugs who taint the peace and goodness of the Fatherland. You scabs! You novices who guard the emperor and the people act like this in a bar?"
At Jin's scolding, the novices closed their eyes. Jin looked at the little logos on their robes.
Below the symbol of the academy, the golden eagle, their own clans' insignia was embroidered as well. The novices suffering from mana overflow were from the Maura and Orel Clans. The one hit in the chest was from Chip.
"Maura Clan, Orel Clan, and Chip Clan. The patriarch of each is Vysus Maura, Russo Orel, and Mata Chip, respectively, maybe? No, I'm pretty sure Maura's is Vysus's eldest son, Gallon?"
Jin memorized all of the patriarchs of the magic clans in the Vermont Empire since his past life. He also checked the records of each country before the banquet.
"Agent, s-sir. Please don't tell the clan…"
"Rise."
"Rise! Hey, g-guys, stand up! Hurry!"
Chip helped Maura and Orel up while shouting. Maura and Orel couldn't speak because of the overflow, but they knew that their livelihoods were on the line.
They were regretting their actions.
Why did they have to insult this man? Why did they escalate the situation when the man only tried to leave quietly…?
The three novices had their arms around each other's napes, with their legs quaking.
They could only believe Jin as part of the Special Forces. Magic Group 1's Director's name came out, and he knew about each of their clans. His fighting skills were also better than that of a normal magician, so it had to be true.
"First, you disobeyed the first and most well-enforced law of protecting the people. Second, you broke the Magic Academy Magician Code of Conduct. Third, you caused a commotion and interfered with a Special Forces agent's mission."
Excluding the third one, the other two were laws known to noble magicians but non-existent. However, it would be different in this scenario.
The novices were dripping blood, tears, and snot. They constantly apologized as they wet their pants.
"The usual would be taking you to the main base investigation room, putting you guys in reform school, and telling your entire clan about it."
Jin stopped and glared upon them.
"But it's a shame I can't immediately file and execute all of that due to my mission. I received orders from the director unofficially to supervise the dealing with the Dark Magic Association.
"Ah…"
The novices sighed, and Enya covered her mouth. The owner plugged his ears to not hear what the Special Force unit's mission was.
"Do you now know what kind of crime you committed?"
"P-Please… give us another chance. We will do anything."
"Anything?"
Jin smiled. He thought of something good.
"Alright. I'll give you another chance."
"Tell us!"
Chip, the only able one at the moment, frantically nodded.
"That fellow there and I will become your followers starting today. As your followers, we will participate in the wipeout of the Dark Magic Association. Do you understand?"
"Yes, definitely."
"Are the other followers' faces known to the other novices? In that case, you will not be able to take this opportunity."
"Th-Thankfully not. Firstly, we did not bring any followers. There's no need to suspect us to quickly hire followers to carry our luggage…"
Jin grabbed Chip by the chin.
"You sure?"
"Uph korz."
"If you disappoint me one more time, your clans will not be able to stop their downfall. Once I feel that you executed my orders perfectly, I'll forgive and forget the mistake you made before."
"Th-Thank you…! Thank you very much!"
"Hey, owner."
The owner hurried over and bent his torso over.
"Y-Yes!"
"It seems you faced some consequences because of me."
"I did not hear or see anything!"
"Perfect. How's your cheek?"
"There was nothing like that! I will know nothing until my grave. I-I am merely…"
Special Force agents were not only harbingers of fear for novices. Even the commoners knew that if a rat or bird messed with an agent, it could disappear as well.
"You're better than those novice magicians. I'll take it that you forgot everything, so bring me the stuff that I ordered. Ah, and you guys should go wash your clothes in the kitchen. Since you can't return with those on."
Jin pointed at their wet clothes and clicked his tongue.
The owner and the novices then ran to the kitchen, and Enya let out a deep exhale.
"L-Lord J-Jin. No, no, Brother…"
'Is this okay? Impersonating the Special Forces is a heinous crime!'
Jin thought she was going to say that.
"You're the best! Wow. My goodness. Good heavens! I've never experienced something so refreshing before! I feel like I could fly! Whoa—Hup."
Jin lightly covered her mouth. He could get misunderstood if the novices heard her loud rambling.
"How was the acting?"
Nod, nod.
"And you feel a little better?"
"Of course! Those three were notorious for their bullying. Especially how much they bullied me. I wake up with a jolt whenever they show up in my dreams. How did we meet them in a place like this?"
"You want me to do some more? Or Austin can do it yourself."
"Hm, no. This is enough for now. Since beating them up myself instead of using your power will be true revenge."
"Good thinking. Right, the real revenge is when you do it yourself. Though, I think I did enough."
"Hehe, now isn't the time for them. Clinking our glasses and having a beer with you is better."
Clink.
Jin and Enya had their cheers and smirked. Their smiles soon changed into a burst of laughter.
Tsssssss. Slish, slosh.
From inside the kitchen, they could hear the cooking of meat and the sound of clothes being washed.
—————