Perhaps because the bed was good, I slept like the dead. I considered enjoying the hotel room a bit longer, but the journey had been long, so I just crashed.
"Will they serve breakfast?"
"Yeah. They will."
"Really? Woohoo, I'm stoked."
Mejang and Otis were waiting outside my door for me. When I asked how long they'd been there, Mejang said, "about ten minutes," and Otis lectured me on not dilly-dallying.
"So what's next? We heading into the eradication mission now?"
"No. It's a massive force, and it's a joint operation with the Guard State, so we'll operate in separate teams. You follow that man over there."
"Operating in separate sweeps... How big are they?"
"They're said to be the largest organization outside the back-alley gangs. They want to either seize or neutralize the core members. We're here to handle the latter."
Christ... the Guard State will roll out news of the arrests to curry public favor while we're left wiping brains off the walls?
At least we'll get a cut of the spoils, right?
Otherwise Mejang wouldn't have come out to run the op personally.
"All right. Thanks for breakfast. I'll head out first, yeah?"
I need to check out who I'm working with.
"What's up, kid? We adults are busy. Go play somewhere else."
"You told me to help with that busy work—sent me here, Dragon Gate head—and you just turn me away? Fine by me. You're welcome."
"What? Wait—this clearance paper... it's real? And they sent a kid?"
"Must be a mistake. Go ask the officer in charge."
What's this? They still treat me like a kid? I'm small, but believe me. What kid walks around with a real blade at his side?
"Hey, runt. Barely a drop of blood under your belt, you're just going to get in the way of this operation. Best get back to your room and behave."
This fucker... his name tag says James.
"Hey James. Don't you know me?"
"What? You little runt talking back to an adult!"
A fist flies at me. Amateur move, though kids' stuff.
"Wait, James!"
I catch the incoming arm, roll my body over it to dodge, and with the momentum—
"Aagh!"
"What, you acting like it hurts?"
With a downward kick, I slam him into a table mid-kick, draw my dagger, and press it to his temple.
"Listen up, and you other assholes. I act on orders from my captain and your boss, not yours. Hey James—do you know where we're going today?"
"Urrgh... Ironworks Guild... suppression..."
"You know your shit. Yeah, we're off to gut the big bosses in the slums. But do you really think they'd drag a kid like you along? Some kind of group picnic?"
"Hold on! Baekhyun, my apologies—my men were disrespectful. But would you remove your grip from his arm?"
"...No, it's me who should apologize. Sorry about that."
Looking back, we're comrades in this venture; I got too emotional.
"Just give me the location. I'll go ahead."
"...All units, we're starting the operation debrief now."
"Man, this market is huge. Nothing like my home village."
I'm alone now, deployed into the market district. In fact, my team split up for reconnaissance, so I was assigned to begin operations isolated from them.
"Damn it. Mejang and that suspicious furball could have warned me ahead of time."
Though their decision has to stand—aren't we supposed to be a team?
Anyway, this is the area with the highest civilian density. Unlike the others, I can't just dart through in a group.
Our orders are to infiltrate in plain clothes, rendezvous with the follow-up units, then clear the back alleys. I'm the advance team, so I slipped into the market.
"But the back alleys are massive too, proportional to the size of the city. How the hell are we supposed to find them..."
Having spent half my life in backstreets, even I know the back alleys here are on a different scale—they're Danguk's back alleys, not some remote provincial town. To search every one of them would cost me a sleepless night.
'They said they're huge guys decked in tattoos and thick accents, right?'
Are there only one or two of those in this Dragon Gate?
'...Let's take a walk around and if nothing, I'll just poke at some back alleys myself. Hell, it'll be a rough grind.'
Maybe I'll run into some organization if I randomly check.
"First... I need to fill my stomach!"
It's about meal time. Better eat first.
"Aren't these prices daylight robbery?"
They'll skin you like a tourist. But these market folks are masters at ripping off sightseers.
"Isn't there someplace reasonable?"
If I get thrown into the operation empty, I'm screwed.
"...This is Lin-su Fishcake Soup you're selling, right?"
"Ah, yes, customer?"
"Mm. You serve this as a dish too?"
"Of course. Right this way, please."
Jay, a white-haired Ursus man and a 4-star Specialist, led the way.
"Do you have a name?"
"They call me Jay. Why do you ask?"
"I'm about your age and you're doing impressive work."
Jay, a 4-star Specialist. I would've expected scars, but maybe he's young—they're barely visible.
"Uh... I'll take the Lin-su Fishcake Soup."
"Understood. Will you be eating here?"
"Yeah, if that's okay."
"Hey Jay, is he a customer?"
"Huh? Is that guy the boss?"
"He's Mr. Dong, my guardian and... yeah, the owner."
That guy reeks of blood. He must be part of a higher-level organization.
'If he's connected to someone, he might know about the Ironworks Guild.'
"Sir, is it okay to sell at this price in a market like this? Aren't you too honest with your pricing?"
"You're a foreigner? Your Common Tongue is impressive."
"Ah... my mentor is a good person."
"Faust... I have to memorize all of this?"
"If you do, I'll give you a sparring match."
"Really? Really?"
"Faust never lies."
"Alright, let's go!"
Yeah. I memorized with excitement and fought.
"Here it is. Lin-su Fishcake Soup."
Oh... real food. Fishcake soup!
"Let's eat!"
First spoon of broth... rich from kelp, fish's mild flavor, scallions and pepper adding savory depth.
"Time for the fishcakes..."
"Hey! You brat sitting there, get out cheap!"
"Christ... here we go again."
"Who is that kid?"
"Oh, he's a lackey from the Ironworks Guild, a nasty outfit. They think this is their domain the moment Rat King looks away."
"Hey, who gave you permission to squat here?"
"Rat King's permission."
"Ugh... what the hell? You think you're on display here?"
"My fishcake soup."
The bowl slid off the table to the floor because of his shithead antics.
"Spit. Rat King's reign ends here. Enjoy it while it lasts?"
Reign or bullshit, and there goes my soup bowl.
'That accent, the tattoos, the shitty vibe. It's him.'
"Sigh... I'll make it again."
"Just keep the thought. Here's the cash. Something urgent came up, so I'm off."
If it were the alley's entrance, I could chase him, but even a bit deeper, the gangs of Oripathy carriers and various factions tangle, making it near impossible.
'I'll just signal the team leader and breach.'
"Sir, that violates my business philosophy. Take this instead. Come back and hand this coupon over next time, and I'll give you double the service."
He handed me a card marked 「Dong's 2× Coupon」.
"Okay, thanks."
Then I sent the signal on my device... ready, go!
—Ding!
「Tracking Ironworks Guild. Stand by for insertion.」
'Already...? Found them this fast? In that market? As expected of Wei Yenwu's recommendation.'
Meanwhile, the Guard State team leader had no idea that I'd stumbled across them while eating and began trusting me in strange ways.