The Deputy for Assignments was a middle-aged man. He had short gray hair parted to the right with bangs hanging over his eyes, a small mustache and goatee on his chin, and one of his front teeth seemed to be missing, leaving a gap in his perpetually smug grin.
-What, little one? Don't tell me Sensei hired you.
-Be careful with your language.
-Oh, we're so mean. Okay, sorry-sorry. My alias is Giran. I'm an expert on all this criminal stuff. I personally am involved in many of Sensei's affairs, and all business proposals go through me.
-Is there something for me?
-Wait, if you're planning on long-term cooperation, you need to call yourself something. Just please choose a non-cringe-worthy alias. Many heroes are called by the first thing that comes to mind. Totally tasteless.
-Hmm...- Taiko hadn't thought about it before. He remembered the dark English word "grim", which could be related to an experience he had gone through, something that changed his perception of life and led to the creation of a dark alter ego. By calling himself "Grimm", he could want to reflect this inner pain and severity with which he now acts.
-Grimm. - said the boy in the mask completely covering his face.
-Sounds ominous and memorable. I like it, and now let's get down to business. Sensei really has a lot of worries right now. Heroes have gone completely crazy, even the police are not as active compared to them. This year, 11% more heroes graduated from all over Japan compared to last year, and even more will enroll. All because of the hype around the new pro hero quickly taking the top spot in Japan - All Might. Some crazy advertising has started in Tokyo. - They walked past the security into the office.
- I swear, evaluating the video where the Almighty is in action, I will say that he is incredibly strong, even too strong. He is quite capable of taking the top one in a couple of years. It all started because of the murder of Nana Shimura. - Giran lowered his tone, switching to a whisper. - I'll tell you a secret, I do not approve of these vendettas and feuds, it is very harmful to business.
- I can also say that I am not here for the sake of some principles. I need money. - Grimm sat down on the chair opposite Giran, crossing his legs.
- Now that's a different story, you turned to the right people. It's one thing that Sensei let you through, relying on some of his inner feelings, but I am different. I have completely different requirements and you need to prove your, let's say ... - Giran went through the words until the right word came to mind. - ... effectiveness. I have connections all over Musutafu and even beyond, I can give you tasks of varying difficulty, but you must admit, no one will let you go against the Almighty right away. - Giran croaked.
- I never claimed to. Let's start with something simple.
- It's good that you understand your place. You wouldn't believe how often newbies would go too far and take on impossible tasks, and then the heroes would crush them and put them somewhere in Tartarus. So, let's see what we have here. - Giran took out a tablet where he had a journal with a wide range of tasks.
- What kind of software do you have?
- It's useful to have a coder in your debt.
- Just don't give me tasks like "Save a cat stuck in a tree."
- Ha-ha! I'm not a guild for genin from Naruto. - Taiko didn't appreciate the joke, he didn't really like to waste time on comics, he read a couple of pages, nothing more. Giran flipped through the tasks and saw a fairly adequate one. - If the task is large, then I recruit several people. Do you think it would be useful for you to work in a group? After all, you are short, no offense, I don't know about combat experience, I didn't want the heroes to catch you on your first task. Keep in mind, you can't count on your colleagues, they will betray you just to finish the task, and if you become a burden, they will abandon you without a second thought.
- We can try, but I doubt that they will want to split the share with me. They will probably treat me with disdain.
- Yeah. That's for sure. Okay, let's look at something for one. - Giran continued to flip through the tablet in search of a task.
- I wonder who sends you ads?
- Everyone who has at least the slightest idea about organized crime and access to my link. While I'm under Sensei's protection, I can post his quests as well.
- So you set the bounty for the heroes too?
- Yeah. You shouldn't get involved in this without combat experience. How old are you? Twelve? Dude, you can get killed or maimed on the streets.
- I've already done everything you listed, don't teach a scientist. - Grimm continued to answer coldly.
- Hmm... You're not to be trifled with. - Giran read the next quest. - How do you like bounty hunter-type quests?
- I don't think they're suitable for a start.
Giran was tired of scrolling. - Oh, screw the tablet. - He threw it on the table. - How do you rob a collector? We have info on the route and time, so we'll take 25% + 5% intermediary from the loot.
-Thirty percent is too much.
-Yes, but I give you the information, all you have to do is come and take it. Is everything OK?
- I'd like to get some weapons. - Taiko had long had his sights set on this initial source of income.
- No problem. - Giran took him to the garage where the vans were located, and inside there were boxes full of all kinds of weapons. - Weapons are very expensive these days, but... - Giran looked doubtfully first at the box with the grenade launcher, and then at Grimm. - We'll find something more budget-friendly.
- I don't even know about that. - Giran gave him an oblong sharp blade. - With this, I doubt that you'll stop the collectors with their armored trucks, unless you damage the wheels. - While Grimm was getting used to the swing of the blade, Giran was thinking. - Hm... I don't even know. Well, collection doesn't suit you, plus I don't know your quirk, which is not necessary. Maybe you'd better hunt for someone?
- For example?
-There are a couple of annoying cops that Sensei has put a bounty on.
-How much?
-A million yen for each. -Grimm whistled. -Any more information?
Grimm's smartphone was returned to him without a SIM card. Giran and Grimm exchanged links and now Giran could send information via an anonymous little-known messenger with proxy servers.
-Holy shit. Convenient as hell.
-Yeah, but I recommend taking out the SIM card when you go on a mission. Anything can happen, we don't need a bunch of cops around here. A fucking war will start here.
-Okay, I get it.
-Keep the blade for yourself, my gift to you, if you survive, you'll get it back in spades.
Taiko realized that he didn't know how to use it at all. -"I'll learn on the go, like I've done my whole life." Taiko thought as he walked out of Sensei's base.
-Yeah...This night promises to be long. - Taiko agreed with Giran, it would be better for him to first gain combat experience, get used to it, and generally try to survive, completing the task, before moving on to something more serious than killing a police officer, like robbery.