"Here you go."
"Thanks."
Suzuki smoothly pocketed his official Free Guild ID, effectively securing a fully legal identity in this world. He was no longer an undocumented, unregistered anomaly; he was now a highly competent, legally recognized adventurer.
"I apologize, but based on the immediate metrics, I can only issue you a B+ Rank certification here in Blumund," Guildmaster Fuze said, staring intently at Suzuki. "However, if you're interested in climbing higher, I can personally write you a recommendation to the central headquarters in Ingrassia. They have the authority to officially certify you as an A-Rank adventurer. What do you think?"
While the surrounding adventurers simply thought Suzuki was just a surprisingly powerful rookie, Fuze knew better. Through his [Analysis Magic], Fuze could sense the terrifyingly dense, refined structure of Suzuki's magicules. The Guildmaster assumed Suzuki must have trained under some legendary, hidden master. Fuze wasn't entirely sure of Suzuki's absolute upper limit, but he knew with absolute certainty that this young man was stronger than anyone currently residing in the Blumund Kingdom.
"No, it's fine. This rank is more than enough."
Suzuki knew Fuze had subtly used his magic on him, but he didn't mind. In fact, it was highly beneficial.
[Notice. [Analysis Magic] has been completely analyzed.]
[The host is now capable of executing this spell natively.]
[Notice. [Summoning Magic] has been completely analyzed.]
[The host is now capable of executing this spell natively.]
Acquiring [Analysis Magic] was convenient, though somewhat redundant since he already possessed the vastly superior [Deep Appraisal] skill derived from the Arifureta Suzuki's Merchant job. However, acquiring the fundamental laws of [Summoning Magic] was incredibly interesting.
Hmm... I can officially summon Treyni now.
If he used this magic as a cover, no one would think it was weird or suspicious for him to have a ridiculously powerful, beautiful Dryad constantly appearing by his side, right? He could just pass her off as his contracted summon!
"..."
Fuze remained dead silent, carefully observing Suzuki's solemn, calculating expression. The Guildmaster's mind raced, wondering exactly what kind of grand strategy this hidden master was currently plotting.
Suzuki wasn't entirely sure what Fuze was thinking, but he could tell a massive, highly dramatic misunderstanding was forming. He decided it was best to just leave it alone.
"So, what is your plan now? If you require assistance, I can offer it."
At this point, Fuze didn't care about Suzuki's suspicious background. He desperately wanted this powerhouse to stay in Blumund. The world was currently teetering on the edge of disaster. With Veldora suddenly vanishing, the protective buffer of the Jura Forest was gone, and the terrifying threat of the Eastern Empire's armies loomed dangerously close to Blumund's borders!
Fuze needed to stockpile as many powerful individuals as possible. If he could anchor Suzuki to Blumund, it would be a massive strategic win. As for how weird or mysterious Suzuki was? That didn't matter. The world was full of weird, dangerous things.
"What exactly can you help me with?" Suzuki asked, adjusting his glasses and looking at Fuze skeptically.
"Information and money." Fuze smirked, assuming he had struck the perfect chord. "A wanderer like you needs both of those, right?"
"..."
Suzuki stared at him, momentarily speechless. He knew this scruffy Guildmaster was subtly looking down on him, trying to establish leverage. And honestly, if Suzuki were just a normal guy who had just been violently transmigrated into this world with nothing but the clothes on his back, he would desperately need Fuze's help.
But now? Absolutely not.
Information? Suzuki felt he already possessed vastly more, and vastly superior, intelligence than Fuze, especially given the continuous real-time data flow from his multiverse network.
As for money? Treyni was essentially his sugar mama! Between the [Online Shopping] connection and the absurdly massive hoard of ultra-rare Jura Forest materials currently sitting in his infinite spatial pocket, he had more capital than Blumund's entire national treasury.
"What is the catch? What do you want me to do?"
Still, while Suzuki possessed immense raw capital, he lacked easily liquidated, local currency. He played along.
"I like talking with a straightforward guy!" Fuze laughed loudly, genuinely pleased by Suzuki's pragmatic attitude.
Deciding to fully recruit the young man, Fuze gestured for Suzuki to follow him into his private, soundproofed office on the upper floor.
Before proposing the actual job, Fuze gave Suzuki a brief, somewhat prideful introduction to the Blumund Kingdom.
It was a small, rural nation boasting a warm, mild climate and a total population of roughly 1.5 million. The country mainly consisted of agricultural villages, with regions supervised by appointed nobles. Due to its sheer lack of military might, Blumund survived entirely by excelling in diplomacy and intelligence gathering. It was highly renowned for its robust, continent-spanning espionage network—a network originally helmed by Heinz, the former Guildmaster, and currently operated by his son, Fuze. Information trading wasn't just a business for Blumund; it was their primary source of national income and their sole geopolitical lifeline.
The kingdom's social structure was rigidly divided. The nobility, comprising a mere 1% of the population, governed the King's lands in a classic, often corrupt, feudal system.
"This kingdom is poor."
Suzuki stated the fact carelessly as he sat comfortably in a leather chair, gazing out the window at the muddy streets below.
"...Could you not be so incredibly blunt?" Fuze's lips twitched in annoyance.
"I'm just giving you a clear, objective assessment so you won't misunderstand my motivations."
"..."
Suzuki's meaning was crystal clear: If I were genuinely trying to execute some grand, malicious conspiracy, I would have gone to a much wealthier kingdom worth conquering.
"Still... are you an Otherworlder?" Fuze asked, his tone shifting to genuine curiosity.
"Is it that obvious?"
"There are actually quite a lot of people like you out there, you know." Fuze nodded. While it was exceedingly rare for an Otherworlder to randomly spawn in a rural backwater like Blumund, Fuze had encountered many of them in his intelligence work across the major kingdoms. Many held famous, terrifyingly powerful positions—such as Sakaguchi Hinata, the strongest Paladin of the Holy Church, or Yuuki Kagurazaka, the charismatic Grandmaster of the Free Guild.
"Is that so?"
"If you travel to the Kingdom of Ingrassia, you'll see a lot of them. Do you want to go there? I could arrange safe passage."
"No, it's fine. It's actually better here."
"Is it?"
"Yeah." Suzuki leaned back, looking completely relaxed as he stared at the ceiling. "This kingdom is incredibly lax. Its borders are soft, and frankly, you are the most powerful human here, which means the overall threat level is comfortably low. While there might be other Otherworlders in the capital, I am not an extrovert. I have no desire to deal with their drama. I just want to rest for a bit."
"...You speak like a man who has already faced many grueling battles," Fuze noted quietly.
Suzuki only smiled mysteriously. "So, what is this job you want me to listen to? Let me preface this by saying I am absolutely not going to accept anything highly dangerous."
Fuze's lips twitched again. "Why do you immediately assume I would ask you to do something dangerous?"
"Because you look incredibly sketchy."
"..."
"...Could you try not being so rude for five minutes? Even though I might look a bit rough, I am still the Guild Leader, you know."
"If this kingdom is invaded by the Empire, you won't be a Guild Leader for much longer."
Fuze froze. The playful banter died instantly, replaced by a heavy, solemn silence. "You can tell?"
"Did you honestly think I just wandered into this kingdom without pulling basic geopolitical intelligence?"
"You're right." Fuze nodded gravely, mentally kicking himself for underestimating this young man again.
As Suzuki had accurately deduced, with Veldora gone, the Blumund Kingdom was now directly exposed to the terrifying, expansionist ambitions of the Eastern Empire. The behemoth nation could invade at any moment.
"But even so... I won't abandon this kingdom." Fuze stood up, spreading his arms passionately. "This is my home! The place where I was born! To protect it, I will do whatever it takes!"
"That's good for you."
Suzuki nodded politely.
"..." Fuze deflated, staring at him.
It was certainly admirable that Fuze loved his country, but what did that have to do with Suzuki? Suzuki had only just arrived in this world. If Blumund somehow got burned to the ground tomorrow, he could simply pack up his spatial inventory and move. Whether it was the Western Holy Church, the Eastern Empire, or some new Demon Lord rising to power—it didn't matter who sat on the throne. In every era of human history, there was always a dominant behemoth.
Suzuki didn't care about playing the hero. He just wanted to live well. And to do that, he needed liquidity.
"By the way," Suzuki interrupted, completely ignoring Fuze's patriotic speech. "Can I liquidate some of my merchandise here?"
"..."
"Is that a no?"
"...Sure. You can. Let me help you," Fuze sighed, utterly defeated by the young man's ruthless pragmatism.