"A woman with two horns on her head and grayish-white hair. About your age."
"I'm glad you seem to have understood."
Horns. It wasn't a metaphor.
In the world of Polaris, even among humans, there were mutants.
It's been hundreds of years since they first appeared. Their numbers have grown enough to form a society, and they are now recognized as a distinct race.
Among them, the most numerous and well-known are those who have even established their own nation.
"Is she one of the white ones? Or the black ones?"
"White."
Even within their kind, they are divided by skin color.
The white ones are called 'Castus', and the black ones are 'Tabes'. There are no yellow-skinned ones.
These terms are used only among themselves. Outsiders refer to those with horns collectively as 'Pecatum', a name the Pecatum dislike. However, few are kind and idle enough to consider the feelings of those who look different.
"Given what you've said, it doesn't seem like it'll take much effort. Pecatum aren't exactly a common sight, especially young women."
"I didn't intend to lowball you. I offered a fair price considering the task."
"Perhaps I misunderstood."
Rosco, the information broker, awkwardly scratched his chin. Thankfully, the mysterious client in front of him wasn't being as threatening as before.
"…I'll start asking around. Just so you know, your search for information will likely get noticed. Word spreads when an outsider starts looking for a Pecatum."
"I'm not keen on causing a stir."
"Someone's probably already heard that you came to see me. If I suddenly start asking about Pecatum, what do you think they'll suspect?"
"I get it. Keeping secrets in a small place like this isn't easy."
"That's the gist of it. Just roll with it."
"I don't care as long as you find her. And let me just say this out of concern."
Kim Ihyeon toyed with his gun.
"You do your job, I pay you the agreed fee. That's it. You can investigate me all you want after the job's done, but until then, keep your curiosity in check."
"That's a given. I've been in this business long enough to know the basics."
Despite his calm words, Rosco's heart pounded. The client's composed warning seemed all the more menacing.
The punks in Ulantz were far more aggressive and crude. This client, however, had a businesslike and rigid demeanor, like a professional.
'…A dangerous man has come.'
* * *
Two days later.
As the sun was setting, Kim Ihyeon left the safety zone of Ulantz.
Last time, he used his game knowledge to find the information broker himself, but today was different. They had agreed on a specific meeting point.
'No one else seems to be around.'
An abandoned two-story factory.
After checking the surroundings from a distance, Kim Ihyeon went inside. He sensed no other presence in the factory.
'Did my threat work?'
Kim Ihyeon felt relieved. It seemed the information broker hadn't brought any friends.
'He might have found it burdensome to call for backup. Even though he boasted about having connections… they probably aren't close enough to call upon easily.'
Ulantz was an unmanaged backwater. Mafia-like figures ran rampant. The local guards were long since corrupted.
Getting entangled with them would be a hassle. Ideally, he wanted to get Aster out without any trouble.
"Whew, whew. You finally showed up. Why are you so late? I was worried a monster might show up."
Rosco's face lit up as he spotted Kim Ihyeon coming up to the second floor. But his relief was short-lived.
"A monster? Like this?"
Thunk.
A small worm's corpse fell at his feet. It had been too dark to see earlier, but Kim Ihyeon had brought a monster's body.
"Eek! Why did you bring this here!"
"I saw it on the way."
"You could've just left it on the roadside…! Are you planning to become a hunter?"
Hunter.
In some regions of Polaris, there's a unique culture of hunting monsters for a living.
It started as a public project funded by state subsidies. Each region skims some off the top and rewards those who handle the monsters.
Not everyone lives this way, but there are quite a few hunters.
"No. Why would I?"
Kim Ihyeon flatly denied it. The amount hunters received was just petty cash.
"In Ulantz, you have to pay a fee to hunt monsters. If someone finds the corpse, it could be a hassle. So I thought I'd stash it here."
"Still, ugh…."
"Calm down. You can handle a monster like this with the gun at your waist."
"You think I don't know that? But it's not worth it. Wasting precious bullets on a monster? The thought alone is wasteful."
"Then use a knife."
"Unfortunately, I don't have the stomach for it like you. There's a reason I stick to the information business, getting pushed around."
He thinks I enjoy this?
Kim Ihyeon grumbled inwardly. He had two other reasons for bringing the worm's corpse.
One was to toughen up mentally. The other was to plant the idea in Rosco's head that 'this guy is dangerous'.
It seemed to have worked. Kim Ihyeon clicked his tongue, feigning nonchalance.
"What do you expect me to do? Anyway, what about the job?"
"Ah, right."
After a clearing of the throat, the report began.
"To cut to the chase, I found her."
Kim Ihyeon clenched his fist without realizing it.
Aster was in Ulantz. He had a hunch that the timing might align, but it was still surprising.
However, there was a catch.
"You found her? Is there a problem?"
"It's not just a problem. She's gotten into trouble with the Pavoni family."
…Trouble?
"Let's move somewhere else. It'll be easier to understand if you see it yourself."
* * *
In a four-story abandoned building.
Despite being away from the safe zone, nine people had gathered. Seven of them held guns.
The two unarmed were a man and a woman. The Pecatum woman, despite her imposing horns, hung her head low.
"I hear you've been quite the busy bee, eh?"
Flinch!
At the languid voice, the woman trembled. Seeing her frightened, the man let out a low chuckle.
"Not only did you hunt monsters in our territory and wash your hands of it, but you also thought we wouldn't notice? You think we're idiots paying for the privilege?"
"T-the privilege? I didn't know there was such a thing."
"Oh, you didn't know. Who's the idiot now?"
He shrugged and continued.
"Alright, let's say we let that slide out of the kindness of our hearts. But then why the freeloading?"
"…It wasn't intentional. I had money, but when I went to pay, it was gone… Oh! I remember bumping into a boy. I must've been pickpocketed then!"
"Oh, poor you. Sounds rough."
The man clicked his tongue.
"Not my concern, but fine. Let's say we overlook that too!"
Just as the Pecatum woman's face began to relax.
"Then how do you plan to compensate for this?"
Her face went pale instantly. The man held out a broken sword. The 'magic sword' split into two was the issue.
"This sword… was imported from the distant Shiran Empire. How many monsters did you hunt in our territory?"
"Six…?"
"And how much did you earn?"
"Twelve thousand credits…."
"Hah. Hear that? Twelve thousand, she says, twelve thousand!"
The mafia around them burst into laughter. The louder the mockery grew, the more Asterike trembled.
"Do you know how much this sword is worth? You could easily get five million for it. We even had plans to use it to expand into the city. But now…."
Bang! The man threw the magic sword to the floor.
"This fucking crazy bitch snapped it in half?"
"It-it's a misunderstanding! Just hear me out!"
Asterike lifted her head abruptly. She pointed to a young man with her pale fingers.
"Him! He was surrounded by monsters, so I tried to help. He offered to lend me the sword, but when I swung it, it broke…."
The man, Pavoni, looked at the young man.
"Is that so?"
"It's true. I just lent it to her. I didn't expect her to break it."
"See?"
Asterike's lips trembled.
"…Five million. I don't have that kind of money."
"You're in no position to be so defiant."
He exaggeratedly sighed, then gestured to Asterike's waist, where the scabbard hung.
"For now, hand over that sword."
"N-no! I can't give this up!"
"A sentimental item? Don't worry, we're not demons. Think of it as collateral. If you compensate us halfway, we'll return it."
Half.
Asterike murmured softly. Even half was 2.5 million credits. How many monsters would she have to hunt to get that?
"But we're in a bit of a hurry. We can't give you too much time."
"How long…?"
"A month."
The last glimmer of hope vanished from Asterike's face. Seeing her despair, Pavoni shook his head.
"Seems you lack confidence. Can't compensate but don't want to give up your item. My, you're acting like a child."
He walked around the room as if in contemplation.
"Well, there is another way."
"…Another way?"
She took the bait. Pavoni smirked and pulled a photo from his pocket.
"This man is Wang Rin. A
scumbag involved in theft, assault, and murder. What's your impression?"
"He seems… like a bad person."
"Exactly! A very bad guy. So here's the deal."
He stepped closer, handing her the photo with a bright smile as if greeting her in the morning.
"Kill this bastard. Then I'll knock off a hundred thousand."
* * *
About ten minutes later.
Once the Pavoni family and the despondent Asterike left the building, Kim Ihyeon let out a deflating sigh.
"Don't they check who comes in?"
"No one to come in, so why check? If someone were to stand guard and attract flying monsters, that'd be a bigger problem."
Rosco fiddled with his lighter.
"No one challenges the Pavoni family, so they don't even consider someone might be eavesdropping. You know the power dynamics here?"
"I know enough. Pavoni family, Red Scarves, and you're with Svedenie."
Three groups in Ulantz.
All immigrant groups. They extort the residents under various pretexts and use the money to buy guns from outside.
"…You know your stuff. I'm more of a funder than a member. Using Svedenie's name rarely goes well."
All information from the game.
The power balance is 1 strong, 2 medium. The Pavoni family clearly dominates Ulantz.
"They were about equal before, but now it's as you see. Everything's in their hands. They can make unreasonable demands like that."
He spat phlegm on the floor.
"A magic sword, my ass. That Pecatum girl, a friend of yours? She seems way too naive."
"Indeed."
Aster. Asterike.
Her waist-length grayish-white hair. Eyes like golden jewels. Horns that marked her as Pecatum.
She matched the appearance. But there were countless differences.
Her voice was slightly higher-pitched. She looked worn from a long journey. Her dejected figure leaving the building was extremely pitiful.
But most importantly.
Aster… was this dumb?
'Did she have this kind of backstory?'
The gist of her side story is as follows:
Aster returns to Ulantz with the professor to find her family's lost sword. After much hardship, she succeeds.
Then, Aster tells the professor:
― Thank you, Professor. My past was nothing but ashes. Since the day my family and house burned, I feared that I too would one day turn to a handful of ashes. And every day, I cursed myself for thinking it was better that way, with blood on my hands.
― But you found me. Even this sword, engraved in my memory along with my father.
― Let me say it once more.
― Thank you for everything, Professor.
Aster, usually so cold, smiles through her tears in this iconic scene.
Among Polaris's high-quality illustrations, this one stands out as one of the best.
It's why the extreme Aster fan group exists. Even Kim Ihyeon had left a "Love Aster" comment.
But to think she was once bullied by some rural mafia? Her meek voice still rang clearly in his ears.
'So she grew through these experiences.'
Indeed. Adaptation is inevitable. Aster was still fresh from leaving her hometown.
Still very naive. Less worldly than Kim Ihyeon.
"Advice from an outsider: Don't get on their bad side unless you plan to call in your crew."
"You know my crew?"
"Just a hunch."
Rosco smirked meaningfully.
"Aren't you from the city mafia?"
"…"
Kim Ihyeon remained silent. What nonsense is this?
Rosco took the silence as affirmation. His hands shook slightly from tension as he handled his cigarette.
"Huh, thought so. It felt off."
He wiped his forehead's cold sweat with his sleeve. He'd have been in big trouble if he'd kept acting up.
"You're not planning to shut me up, are you? Don't worry. Your identity is safe with me. I value my life."
Kim Ihyeon still didn't respond. It was better to let him believe what he wanted.
"But… Pavoni won't care who you are. They might seem like harmless pups to you, but a dog that's never seen a tiger won't fear it."
"A tiger."
Kim Ihyeon mulled over Rosco's words, caught in a peculiar reflection.
While Aster was treated like dirt, a mere 2-star agent like him was being overestimated.
'Attitude is everything.'
If there's a tiger here, it's not him but Aster.
Kim Ihyeon thought up various plans. Incite conflict among other factions. Join the Pavoni family to stir up infighting….
Tedious methods.
'Why bother?'
They're just a rural mafia. There are much simpler ways.
Maybe very violent ways.