B9 - Chapter 35: The Fox and the Tiger

Viola took half a step back, concealing most of herself behind the much larger Grent. However, her eyes never strayed from the woman at the other end of the hall.

Zeke's mother.

Viola had met her before, just once, though the memory had stayed with her for a long time afterward.

She remembered the way his mother had thrown herself into her son's arms the moment he stepped through the door, how she had openly wept with joy simply from seeing him return safely. She even remembered the exact words that had gone through her head at the time.

Ah. So this is what a family was supposed to be like.

It stung even today. Maybe especially today. The thought of her own mother, who had been so insistent on marrying her off to any number of candidates just to increase her own status, made her feel that same bitterness all over again.

The contrast with the radiant woman standing at the other end of the hall was simply too striking. Even just mentioning her son's name seemed to make her happy.

"Unfortunately..." Mia continued with a regretful expression, "I will not have the time to get to know all of you today."

Mia swept her gaze over the entire hall, making Viola shift even further behind Grent's bulk.

"But I still insisted on personally meeting you. I will also answer any questions you might have. So, don't be shy."

As the woman's gaze passed, Viola peered out from behind her cover again. Many of the mercenaries had already raised their hands.

"Yes, you."

She pointed at a man belonging to one of the groups at the very front.

"How much is the monthly pay?" the man asked.

Mia shook her head. "Zero."

The hall broke into quiet murmurs at the unexpected response, but before any real commotion could break out, Mia continued.

"We reward people based on contributions, with no fixed salaries. We've found that this structure leads to much fairer results. But..."

That slight smile appeared again, as if she knew exactly what people were thinking.

"We will cover all your daily expenses. The cost of food, lodging, and maintenance will be borne by us, independent of any contribution. So, no matter how you perform, you will not suffer a loss."

"...Doesn't that mean people could just sign on and then laze around?" somebody asked.

"Good question," Mia said, pivoting smoothly. "There are certain quotas that need to be met. Failing to meet them for several months in a row will result in an automatic termination of the contract."

"Is there going to be disability pay, or at least compensation for injuries sustained in combat?" somebody asked from further back.

Mia shook her head.

"There is not, nor will you need it."

A brief silence followed.

"...Why?"

"Because if you can make it back, then no matter how many pieces you're in, they'll be able to put you back together."

Mia smiled mischievously.

"Our healing services are available around the clock to all contracted personnel, with even an Elven Archmage on staff..."

Gasps and sharp intakes of breath sounded throughout the hall.

Viola was no different. No, she might have been even more shocked than anyone else, because she knew better than most what this meant.

An Elven Healer, and an Archmage to boot...

Not even her own family could afford to keep such a figure on retainer. In all of Arkanheim, there likely wasn't a single one.

"...What about bonuses for extraordinary achievements?" somebody else asked after quiet returned to the hall.

"There is no such thing," Mia answered without a moment's thought. "With our system, every achievement will be recorded, tabulated, and rewarded accordingly. You will always get exactly what you deserve. No more, but certainly no less."

Viola heard an appreciative hum from beside her. She turned to find Sebastian staring toward the stage with the most fiery, passionate eyes she had ever seen on him.

It made her smile quietly.

"What about..."

"Why should we..."

"What if..."

For the next hour, the crowd continued to ask one question after another, with Mia answering every single one so smoothly that it almost seemed as if she had prepared the answers in advance.

The longer Viola watched, the more she found herself in awe.

The author's official page publishes this chapter; the version here was reproduced without the author's permission.

Her memories of Zeke's mother were quite vivid, so she also remembered how utterly ordinary the woman had seemed back then. Kind, yes. Caring, yes. But otherwise unremarkable, the kind of woman who could be found in any village.

However, the person Viola witnessed today wasn't anything like that.

Even surrounded by a hall full of mercenaries, cutthroats, and opportunists, her presence radiated like the sun. Not once did she seem overwhelmed or even nervous. Every question was answered with patience and wit, and every challenging remark was dealt with as if she were handling a group of mischievous children.

When the hour came to an end, she turned her head toward the open door, where two masked figures had appeared at some point.

It must have been a signal of some sort, because when Mia's gaze returned to the hall, her expression was apologetic.

"...I will allow one last question."

Sebastian raised his hand. Having not asked anything so far, Mia immediately pointed in his direction. "You."

"When will we be able to take the Group Leader Exam?"

"A perfect question to end on," she said, nodding toward the two figures standing at the door. "You'll be able to take the exam as soon as I leave."

Saying that much, she bowed her head low.

"I want to thank all of you for heeding our call today, and I truly hope that you will stay safe in the coming days."

She held her head lowered for a moment longer before straightening abruptly and turning to leave.

The entire hall watched her in silence until one man near the front, who had asked more questions than anyone else, suddenly called after her.

"Thank you for taking the time, Lady Hohenheim."

As if a dam had broken, words of thanks rang out from everywhere. Even Viola quietly added her own, though not loudly enough to be heard.

"...You are too kind, Lady Hohenheim."

"...Thank you for your time."

Then, from somewhere near the front:

"...With such a mother like you, it is no wonder your son could achieve so much."

Mia's steps stopped.

She remained still for only a moment before turning back.

The smile on her face was different this time.

Viola recognized it immediately.

It was the same expression she remembered from all those years ago, back when Mia had thrown herself into her son's arms simply because he had returned home safely.

That same unbearable warmth.

Mia gave them one last dazzling smile before turning away again.

Then she left, and the hall returned to silence.

Now, all eyes were drawn to the two figures standing on either side of the doorway.

Viola also took the time to study them more closely.

Both were of similar height and wore wide robes of black fabric with golden accents. Each of them also wore a mask.

The one on the left, whom Viola suspected to be a woman, wore the mask of a fox. She stood with one hip slightly tilted, her posture carrying a hint of impatience.

The one on the right, who seemed to be a man, wore the mask of a tiger. Unlike his companion, he stood perfectly still.

"...Who wishes to take the exam first?" the man with the tiger mask asked into the silence.

Viola's brow rose.

The voice sounded young.

Possibly even younger than her.

"Can I ask a question first?" somebody in the first row asked.

The man with the tiger mask nodded.

"What is the content of the test?"

The man lifted his right hand, revealing a time-measuring device.

"If you manage to touch either of our robes within one minute, you pass."

"...That's it?"

"That's it."

"Can we use Magic?"

"Yes."

"Weapons?"

"Yes."

"How about..."

"You can use whatever means you wish," Fox Mask said, cutting him off.

There was a coldness to her voice that made it difficult to gauge her age, but Viola would have guessed that she was also young.

A few people exchanged glances.

Viola's gaze briefly moved across the weapons carried by the mercenaries around her.

Whatever means they wished...

Neither masked figure seemed particularly concerned by that prospect.

"Then, is there some kind of penalty for failing?" the same man asked.

"There is not."

The man smiled before calling out to one of his teammates.

"Test the waters, Jar, will you?"

A boy, the youngest and weakest-looking of the group, stepped forward upon being called. Despite clearly being the sacrificial lamb, his confidence wasn't lacking.

"Don't blame me for becoming a group leader first..." he called over his shoulder as he walked toward the masked figures.

Neither of them moved.

Only after he crossed some sort of invisible line did the timer start.

Tick-tack. Tick-tack.

"Let's go!"

The boy, Jar, suddenly accelerated, breaking into a dead sprint.

He was faster than Viola would have guessed. It seemed his confidence wasn't completely misplaced.

However, before he could even make it halfway, the man in the tiger mask lifted a single finger and tapped the air.

The motion was gentle, but the result was anything but.

The very moment he pointed at Jar, the charging figure stopped.

He didn't slow.

He didn't come to a halt.

He simply stopped.

Abruptly and absolutely.

Viola's pupils contracted.

She hadn't even felt the stirring of Mana, which meant that whatever the man with the tiger mask had done, it had barely taken him any effort.

And yet, his victim was completely paralyzed.

The hall was deathly silent aside from the timekeeping device slowly continuing to run.

Tick-tack. Tick-tack.

Tick-tack. Tick-tack.

Tick-tack. Tick-tack.

Until, finally, the needle completed its full revolution, followed by the blaring sound of metal striking metal.

Rrrrrriiiiiinnnnggggg!

Tiger Mask lowered his finger.

"Failed."

Jar immediately collapsed to the floor, taking deep, heavy gulps of air as if he had just emerged from underwater.

"Y-you..." he gasped, pointing at the man with the tiger mask. "I know who you are!"

The man looked at him silently.

He neither said anything nor made any move to stop him.

"That was [Space Lock], wasn't it?"

"Yes."

The room instantly burst into noise, with people letting out surprised exclamations and whispering frantically among themselves.

Viola tilted her head.

Space Lock?

What sort of spell was that?

And why did everyone freak out upon hearing its name? Did it have some special meaning, like her Windt?nzer name?

"Damnit..." Grent cursed. "This won't be easy."

Sebastian's eyes also turned serious.

Before Viola could ask what that meant, the defeated mercenary revealed his guess.

"You... you are Keiran, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Damn it," the man cursed, slowly getting up. "Could have saved me the trouble if you'd just said so. Do you know how unpleasant that was? I almost..."

"Stop whining and fuck off," the woman with the fox mask cut him off. "You've wasted enough time."

The man glared at her.

"You are Kallen, then?"

"I said fuck off."

The man shook his head, chuckling.

"Just as nasty as the rumors claim. Fine, fine. I've done my job anyway..."

Saying that, he made his way back toward his people, though Viola couldn't help but notice that he was walking with deliberate slowness.

Every step seemed to take forever.

Viola inwardly shook her head.

What a petty way to take revenge.

However, in the next moment, the woman with the fox mask raised a finger and pointed at him.

Instantly, his steps sped up.

But in a bizarre way.

His movements were still those of a man dragging his feet as much as possible. Yet, at the same time, they happened incredibly quickly.

The sight was so strange that merely looking at it gave Viola a headache. It was as if her brain refused to believe what it was being shown.

It wasn't the first time she had experienced this.

"Time Magic..." she murmured.

"That's right," Irina whispered beside her.

"Who are these two, Iri?"

Irina's gaze remained fixed on the pair.

"They are Keiran and Kallen von Hohenheim."

Viola's eyes narrowed slightly.

Von Hohenheim...

Not simply guards or retainers, but members carrying the family name. That meant that Ezekiel had fully adopted them into his house.

Irina continued.

"...They are also known as the Space-Time twins."