Miserable Reincarnation

9 – The First Request (1)

Lian wiped his mouth with a satisfied expression. The franchise restaurant that Jason had recommended. The taste was average, but perhaps because he was so hungry, he gobbled it down in no time.

‘I feel like I can survive now.’

Lian poked at the remnants of the compound meal, finishing off his meal.

Ordinarily, he wouldn’t lose his composure to such an extent. But considering his age, it’s not entirely bizarre.

Though the mind might be mixed with that of an experienced soldier, the body was still that of a ten-year-old.

Lian left the restaurant, caressing his full stomach.

‘I should change clothes first.’

He couldn’t keep wearing these rags forever. The moment he entered this restaurant, he was under the heavy scrutiny of the employees.

As he stepped onto the main road, the shabby buildings slowly started to look more decent. Although they were located outside of the barrier, with a floating population around this size, some rules were generally observed.

Mostly thanks to the security officers carrying guns.

Following directions asked from passersby, he arrived at a clothing shop located at the end of the main street. The interior of the three-story building was quite tidy.

After adjusting his clothes just enough, Lian stepped into the clothing store. The first thing he should be looking for was children’s clothes… but there were none.

“Nothing,” Lian grimaced, scanning the surroundings. There was a section dedicated to children’s clothes, but not a single piece was to his liking.

He normally wasn’t picky with clothes, but there was no way he could fight in dungarees. They did have shorts and t-shirts… but he immediately rejected those – his bare skin would be exposed. His belief was that battle attire should cover the body fully.

“Only terrible looking long-sleeved shirts with check prints,” he mumbled.

After he lingered around for a while, a concerned salesperson who had been watching him came over.

“Hey. Where are your parents?”

“I came alone.”

Lian understood why the salesperson was asking. Orphans stealing clothes was not uncommon and never ended well, as reflective in the alert security officers nearby.

“Do you have any clothes with good elasticity? Ones that won’t rip even with rigorous movement?” Lian pulled out cash from his wallet. It was money given to him by Jason.

“Where did you get this money?”

“My parent gave it to me.”

“…Really?”

The staffer, accepting the cash, stared suspiciously at Lian. If he had stolen the money, his pupils would likely have trembled, but they didn’t. This must have been the truth. Upon closer inspection, his clothes may have been dirty, but his skin looked clean, indicating that he must be washing regularly.

“Wait here for a moment.”

A while later, the employee emerged with some decent looking clothes. Lian changed into the most comfortable one amongst them.

Then, he stood in front of a mirror. Only then could Lian properly face his own reflection.

“…”

His frame was overall frail, but amidst that, his pumpkin-colored eyes were lively. Thick eyebrows and distinct facial features.

The face was unfamiliar in general, but at least his hair was a familiar black.

Lian moved his body slightly, nodding his head with a satisfied expression. The new clothes he just bought were quite nice.

“Come again.”

The cashier said with a bright smile as she received the payment. Lian gave a brief nod and turned to leave. He had roughly 200,000 cells left. Although it’s not enough for a gun, it should be enough for a decent dagger.

‘I wanted to buy a combat suit first.’

But there was no combat suit that would fit this small body, so he had to make do with this.

‘There might be one if it’s custom made.’

But then, 200,000 cells would not be enough.

Lian moved on, tuning into the conversations around him.

“They’re making new parts in Deckard?”

“Hey, there. I’ve got a good stuff, wanna check?”

“Why the hell do we have to patrol this shoddy street? I can’t understand what those superiors are thinking!”

Information flooded in from all directions.

General knowledge, city’s state of affairs, market price, culture, and the tone and manner of conversation.

There was no better way than overhearing others’ conversations to gather such information.

‘Is this about 20 to 30 years into the future?’

Occasionally spotting people who had part of their bodies modified in the bustling crowd,

‘Guns are also commonly seen.’

How long had he been roaming aimlessly?

“Lian, is that you?”

A woman with a ponytail appeared from the dark alley. A relaxed beauty with black hair and striking brown eyes.

‘I don’t remember her face.’

Lian looked around suspiciously, then nodded.

“Yes.”

“Harang, you’re the part of the Laplace’s office like me. From today, give me your command.”

Lian thought as she held out her hand to Harang, her heart squirmed.

“Solid.”

Despite merely holding hands lightly, she could feel his firm grip. His hand, scarred and calloused, gave her a hint of his skills just by the touch.

“Is he a martial artist?”

His light outfit revealing his figure must be to move without any hindrance.

“Are you surprised?”

“Yes, I was told to wait for at least a day for the command to be selected.”

“I said I would do it. After all, I was curious about why Jason recommended you.”

Harang opened his mouth with a calm face.

“But you’re more ordinary than I thought?”

Silent.

A subtle provocation hidden between her casual words. However, Lian let it slide calmly.

“Don’t worry, I won’t trip you up.”

“Ha-ha. Is that so?”

Harang cracked a modest smile, patting his shoulder slightly.

“Good. A man should have that kind of magnanimity.”

Harang’s first impression wasn’t too bad. With such an easygoing personality, she could maintain a pleasant atmosphere even among mercenary sharks.

Harang checked Lian from head to toe.

“Are you a magician?”

Physically, he had no semblance of a kvassher. Rather, he was thin to the point of being lean.

Considering that most kvashers were different from the start, Harang’s assumption was reasonable.

Of course, Lian’s talent couldn’t be measured by such ‘normal’ standards, but Harang had no way to know.

“It’s a pain to test him.”

Harang felt a bit of a pity. Poor fellow, he didn’t enjoy tormenting weaklings.

Indeed, it was fun to compete with a strong magician. However, it certainly wasn’t comparable to physical combat.

“Well, Jason brought him. He must have some skills.”

Harang didn’t see Lian as a ‘kid.’ After all, Toulas was home to all sorts of people, and some even customized their bodies in unimaginable ways.

Even more so if he is a wizard who does not distinguish between means and methods to improve his skills. She thought he might look older than he appears.

“What are you doing right now?”

“Nothing in particular.”

“Good. A request just came in that’s perfect for you to try your hand at.”

Harang said this as he activated a data cube. Endless codes that couldn’t be deciphered flooded out of the 3D hologram and soon transmitted a picture of a young child.

“… Kidnapping?”

“Rescue request, to be precise. It’s quite a lucrative deal as affluent people usually ask for this kind of job.”

“Did you choose it yourself?”

“Of course not. What do you think the job of a broker is for?”

He meant that he got it from the desk.

“So, what do you say? Would you like to do it together?”

“Can I look into it a bit more before I decide?”

“As much as you want.”

Harang said, offering the data to Ri An.

Ri An began to slowly explore the data.

“[Eudis Riley. Age: 11.]

A girl with an imposing cat-like gaze is, sternly staring at the camera.

‘She disappeared a day ago. The last signal received was from the outer sector’s abandoned factory district.’

Considering its location barely escaped the operational range of major gangs, the reward of five million cells did not seem so bad.

“How will the success fee be distributed?”

“I will decide based on your performance.”

“So, I take it to mean that I’ll earn as per my contribution.”

“Exactly.”

Harang chuckled and nodded his head.

Having an abundance of enthusiasm was a good thing. After all, one learns their lesson best once they’d been seriously taken down a peg.

“I will do it.”

“Good. Let’s start for today–“

“Why not start immediately.”

“…Huh?”

“Didn’t you say I’ll earn as per my contribution?”

Rian spoke calmly.

“If we go now, my share will increase considerably.”