Hero Party After the Nuclear War

Chapter 8

Sitting down, he took off his heavy coat and waited for the chicken skewers he ordered as a side dish to arrive, sipping on sake—one of Kyoto's true local specialties, not something like the Demonic Samurai.

The door to the izakaya opened, and a plump man in a white checkered outfit—not the Far Eastern style clothes of Neo Kyoto—strode inside.

Raven instantly noticed that the man had hidden a large-caliber pistol in the inner pocket of his suit. Thanks to his implants, his enhanced eyes could see through light clothing with ease.

"Ah, no wonder. Kyoto's been noisy lately. So the crow has finally arrived in this town."

Raven sniffled and read the name written on the corpse he'd laid out on the table.

"Uh. So then... Let's see. Mr. McKinsey?"

When the suited man called McKinsey arrogantly nodded in greeting, Raven pulled out the remains of the Death Stalker from the bag he had packed up before arriving at the izakaya and placed them on the table.

"Here. The item you ordered for delivery."

"...What is this?"

McKinsey sat down and began inspecting the bizarre parts of the Death Stalker, glaring at Raven with fierce eyes.

"What do you think? I brought it from the Magi-Tech ruins as requested. There was nothing underground. Instead, there were tons of massive ancient machines guarding what 'had been' down there. I smashed them and brought this back.

These are the remains. I seriously thought I was going to die. The damn thing even used magic. Some kind of disintegration beam or something. Anyway, if it hadn't been me, no one would've come back alive. It's a machine called the Death Stalker. And this thing also..."

"Ah. No... no wait. Hold on, Raven. Was this really all there was? Really?"

When McKinsey asked, Raven shamelessly lied with a straight face.

"Alright. Then I'll be honest."

Politeness really doesn't suit him.

Thinking that, he smiled and began spinning a story effortlessly.

"By the time I arrived, inside the Magi-Tech Research Facility, a bunch of damn Rogues were swarming like pests, probably having fled the Maso storm. I don't know what was down there, but there was nothing left.

Those bastards must've already sold or taken whatever was inside. I don't know why everyone's making such a fuss about it. Anyway, I don't know anything."

Dante said that and handed over the corpse.

"Pay up. Pay. I almost died in there, you know. I used up a lot of bullets cleaning up those Rogues. Even used a precious pulse grenade on the Death Stalker."

When Raven shamelessly said that, McKinsey frowned and asked again.

"Was there really nothing inside? It shouldn't have been just this pile of scrap metal. According to legend, the weapon of the 'Hero' who once brought calamity to the Demon Realm was supposed to be there..."

"I told you. There was nothing like that..."

[Lie, Charisma Check.]

"Hmm..."

McKinsey looked at Raven suspiciously, but Raven, well-versed in such dealings, maintained an unwavering poker face as he sipped his sake.

"Alright. Then. I'll pay you. Wasn't the originally agreed reward 30,000?"

[Success.]

"I think it was 50,000?"

[Reward Negotiation, Charisma Check.]

"Raven, this isn't the time for jokes. You did make the delivery, sure. But what you brought wasn't what I wanted. That place was supposed to contain a 'Fairy' or a 'Holy Sword.' Honestly, even 30,000 feels too generous for you..."

[Failure.]

"You at least owe me for the bullets and the bombs. And my medicine."

"Can't be helped. Here."

McKinsey clicked his tongue and tossed a pouch full of coins at Raven. As soon as he received the payment, Raven immediately scattered the coins onto the floor and began counting them, shouting in disbelief.

"There's only 20,000 in here. Are you messing with me?"

"Calm down. There's another task I want to entrust to you. If you handle it successfully, I'll pay you the 10,000 I couldn't give you this time, plus a bonus on top of the reward for the next job. What do you say? Not a bad offer for you, right?"

"..."

Raven fiddled with the coins using his fingers, then flicked one with his thumb and asked.

"What is it? Pest control? Spirit hunting? Simple delivery of a valuable item?"

"How much do you know about the legend of the Hero?"

"Here we go again..."

Raven sighed deeply and shook his head.

"I don't get why everyone's so obsessed with that Hero guy—just some war hero from before the nukes dropped."

"This isn't a joke. The Hero who killed the king of the Demon Realm was real. And somewhere in this world, the ancient weapons that Hero used are buried. And from what I've heard... there wasn't just one 'Hero.'

Deep within the Magi-Tech Research Facility are ancient magical weapons of over-technology that the Hero used—or was supposed to use. 'Holy weapons' are buried there. The most famous one is, of course, the 'Holy Sword.'

Deliver that Holy Sword to me, and I'll pay you handsomely."

"Do you know where the Holy Sword is located?"

When Raven asked, McKinsey tapped the Summoner on Raven's wrist and said,

"I'll input it into the Summoner."

"Haha. I like it when things go smoothly. Good."

Just as McKinsey was about to share the coordinates without resistance, Raven chuckled and suddenly drew his pistol from the holster, aiming it at McKinsey's chest.

With a smiling face, he pulled the gun so suddenly that McKinsey couldn't even think about drawing the pistol hidden in his suit's inner pocket. He froze.

"I've been double-crossed way too many times doing this kind of work, so let me ask a few things before we start. If that Holy Sword is so amazing, why hasn't anyone taken it yet?"

"W-Wait. Dante. Let's talk. Let's talk this out."

"It's not a trap, right? I've had a few clients who sent me to my death and then hired other mercenaries to screw me over. So let's hear some honesty."

"There are too many lost Spirits wandering the area. Regular scrappers don't dare go near it! That's why... that's why no one's touched it yet. And the Security System is still active, and the area's contaminated with Maso, so without proper equipment... it's hard to get in. That's the reason! Really!"

"Hmm..."

With implants in his eyes and years of experience as Raven in the wastelands, there was no way he'd miss a shot at this close range.

When McKinsey explained with his life on the line why this job wasn't a trap, Raven nodded and slightly tilted the muzzle away.

"Alright. Then... I'll trust you. How much will you pay if I bring back the Holy Sword?"

"I'll give you 100,000."

It sounded like a decent amount, but Raven shook his head.

"Nope, nope."

"Isn't 100,000 enough?"

"There's hazard pay for the journey. I'll be entering a Maso-contaminated area, so I'll need detox and gas protection gear. I'll need money for bullets and explosives. Plus, the cost to deal with lost Spirits and the Security System. Add it all up, and wow, how much is that? I think you'll need to give me 120,000."

"Hahaha! In that case, I'll look for another Raven."

When McKinsey said that, Raven took off his dog tags and slammed them onto the table.

"Listen. I'm 'Silver Rank,' okay? For a mission this dangerous, you should be hiring someone Gold Rank. And those guys charge a different number of digits for payment. Digits. Got it?"

[Reward Negotiation, Charisma Check.]

"Alright then. 120,000. Just give me a week. I'll have the cash ready by tomorrow."

[Negotiation Success.]

"Alright then."

Smiling, Raven shook hands to seal the deal, scooped up the scattered coins into the pouch, and slipped it into the inner pocket of his bulletproof leather coat.

"Don't disappoint me."

"Who's disappointing who? As long as you don't stab me in the back first, that won't happen."

Raven downed his sake in one go and stood up. He'd been paid for the delivery and got a new job, so there was no more reason to stay in this izakaya.

It was about time to start worrying about the Fairy. Maybe he should check on her. Raven awkwardly stood up and stepped outside, looking up at the neon-lit signs and billboards that filled the view of Neo Kyoto.

[You have tracked the location of the transmitter.]

Tracking the location of the transmitter he handed to Eris just before they parted, the Summoner displayed it as a red dot along with surrounding geographic data.

Just as he'd been told, it looked like she was wandering around the marketplace near Kyoto Tower. Since he needed to restock on medicine, food, and ammo for the new job anyway, Raven started heading that way.

Women walking with fans covering their mouths.

Bizarre samurai with half their bodies replaced by machinery, blades sheathed at their hips.

Shops run by scrappers selling relics from before the nuclear war.

Prostitutes nearly naked, promoting casinos and the Red-Light District.

Quack doctors blatantly selling drugs among the medicine.

Patients reeking of Maso, suffering from Maso sickness.

Materialized Demons visible in shady back alleys.

To Dante, who had lived his life in the wastelands, this was all familiar. But for Eris, who had spent a lifetime in another world, frozen for 200 years, it might be a bit overwhelming.

Passing by the raw face of post-nuclear civilization that could drive anyone mad just by standing still, Raven moved through the crowd and searched for Eris.

Finding her was easy, even without aid from the Summoner and transmitter.

"Wait! Let me go!"

As Eris shouted in a shrill voice, a group of sword-wielding warriors surrounded her, laughing crudely as they tried to drag her somewhere.

"Come on now, lady. Just follow us quietly, alright? Looks like it's your first time in Kyoto. How about we enjoy ourselves a little, yeah?"

Seeing the insignia of Kyoto on their clothing, Raven quickly realized they were samurai affiliated with the Shogunate. In other words, despite their crude behavior, they were people backed by the city's power.

Raven confidently walked through the crowd, approached the samurai trying to pull Eris by the shoulder, and tapped him on the back.

"What?"

With his thick beard and crooked teeth, it was clear he was a product of the Shogunate's infamous inbreeding. Raven pointed his chin toward Eris and said,

"She's with me. Step aside."

"So that's what this is. You're that damn harbinger of misfortune who just arrived in town, huh?"

He tugged on the dog tag hanging around Raven's neck and grinned. From this close, the stench of the sake he'd just downed at the izakaya reeked from his entire body.

"Do you know who I am? Huh? A drifter like you, wandering around like a crow, wouldn't have a clue. I, on the other hand—"

Cutting off the samurai's long-winded self-introduction, Raven pulled a pistol from his waist, pressed the muzzle to the man's forehead, and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

Bang!

"...Kyaaaaaa!!!!! Murder! Murder!!!"

The samurai nearby drew their swords upon hearing the gunshot, but none of them dared to rush at Raven.

"You know what? When someone has a gun, maybe you should get it through your thick skull that they can grab it and shoot anytime. So, with that in mind, I think we should all show a little respect to each other. Don't you?"

Watching Raven so calmly fire a gun in this situation, Eris quickly hid behind his back. But seeing the thug die so pathetically right before her eyes, she thought this might've been too extreme.

However...

In this world, where the concept of public authority is faint.

Maybe this is the right way.

"De... mee..."

"Get lost. You horny mutts trying to snatch a woman however you can."