Akira arrives at the stall in question. Over there, Raven was arguing with a little boy.

The little boy was trying to get Raven to leave.

As I said, I can't take you to the head office! So just give up!? No matter how much you ask me, there's nothing I can do! It's the boss's decision!

Raven raised his voice and said to the boy.

I told you, I've been there once before! I'm the one who has the right to go there!! So just take me there!!

No, just no! If it goes against the wishes of the boss, it's really bad for me!! Can you at least understand me?!

The little boy's job is to sift through the customers and have Shirley take them to the secret shop. But the hunter in front of him, no matter how you look at it, shouldn't be brought back to the base. His desperation, temperament, and behavior were clearly telling the boy not to take the hunter to the secret shop. What's more, he didn't even buy the relics in the stands, nor did he pay the entrance fee, and it seems that he doesn't have much money.

If that boy brought Raven to the base, then if Raven caused some trouble in the base, he would be responsible for it. In the worst-case scenario, he could be kicked out of the gang. So when the boy thought of that possibility, he knew he wouldn't be able to bring Raven back to base anyway.

But on the other hand, Raven won't back down. If he gets violent there, he can beat that little boy to the ground. The boy panicked, he knew that he was trapped in two difficult places, the intimidation of the hunter in front of him and the orders of the boss.

Akira grunted, as if she remembered seeing the hunter somewhere.

What the hell is he doing?

When the boy saw Akira, his face was full of tears, and he was about to cry with joy. Then he waved at Akira.

O-Come here!! Please help me!!

Raven immediately noticed Akira and said casually.

Bah!? Why are you here!?

Revi

To Aki

a Remember very well. He meets Akira in the ruins of Yonenozuka Station, and Akira is the reason why he is in this situation now. Akira is also the one who will collect debts from Katsuragi when the time comes.

When Aki

a When walking towards him, Revi

S's face furrowed.

[He's here to collect debts?! No, that can't be, right? I'm sure he's not here to collect a debt! ]

Akira then asked Raven.

Somebody told me there was a problem here, so, here I am, what's going on?

At least Revi

Aki is definitely known now

aHe did not come to collect debts. When he replied, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Ah, nothing.

Are you sure? If there's really nothing, can you leave?

Even if Akira said so, Raven couldn't just give up and leave. After all, with a bit of luck, this could be his chance to pay off all his debts in one go.

Well, by the way, what do you have to do with these guys?

The boy replied immediately.

Isn't that obvious? He's one of us!!

No, isn't that true?

But Akira immediately denied what the boy had said. Raven saw that the boy and Elio were startled by Akira's words. So, he tries to put more pressure on Akira.

If you're not one of them, then it's none of your business, don't meddle. Or are you here to be a good Samaritan who helps them?

I'm not one of them, but I have a relationship with their boss. So basically I'm here because their boss let me go.

Hearing Aquilas's answer, Raven had a bad premonition. When he asked Aki

A another question when he sounded scared.

Don't tell me their boss is Katsuragi.

No, it's Cher.

Hehe, don't scare me so much.

Well? Does Katsuragi have anything to do with this? Heard about She

What is the bank account that YL used to connect the store with Katsuragi?

Akira was struggling to remember what Shiryl had said to him, and as he did, Ravens' face grew paler.

Akira suddenly seemed to remember something, and said to Raven.

Ahh Can you give me a second? Check with Katsuragi when you're sick.

Raven panicked and tried to stop Akira.

No, no, no! Stop it! I get it! I'll leave! So don't do anything, okay?! Just don't! I'm leaving! All right?! That's the end of this question, okay?! Good bye!

Raven desperately begged Akira to stop, and immediately fled.

Akira muttered as she saw Raven leave.

What the hell is that?

There was no one there to answer Aquilas's question.

Raven let out a heavy sigh as he distanced Akira.

[That's dangerous.] If Katsuragi finds out, something will definitely happen in the future. Luckily, now I know that Katsuragi may have something to do with that stall, and now I can't get close to that place, what should I do? ]

Raven began to have a headache. In order not to let his debts get bigger and bigger, he couldn't just give up.

[In the end, it's just a trump card.] So I should be able to find something similar in another stall or store, right? After all, that Shirley was selling that trump card without knowing its true value. If I try to look around, I'm sure I'll find something similar somewhere. If that story is true, it doesn't have to be a trump card either, anything that can be used for gambling should work, right? I feel like I should be able to find something good enough somewhere]

Raven perked up, intending to pay off his debts with the new information he received from Black Gold.

All right!

He decided to look around the store and stand in the slum in search of another hidden gem.

It didn't take long for rumors of someone wandering through the stalls and shops of the slum city asking for something odd like a trump card. Rumors of unexpectedly valuable relics are common, and as always, there are people who are seduced by rumors.

Shiryl is playing a game on the Achillas information terminal in her private room. At the moment, all her tests failed. When she starts to think that it's not that she's not good enough, but that the game is too hard, Elio returns.

Shiryl stops the game and lets them in. Elio and Theore enter, and Elio gives his report to Shellyl.

The questions at the booth ended without a hitch. The person causing the problem seems to know Akirasan, although, I don't know much about the details.

Shiryl had just heard that there seemed to be something wrong with Achillas's acquaintance, and asked with a serious look at Elio.

I see, it turned out to be Aki

Are you sure there is no problem, an acquaintance of AS?

Yes. Although I know Akira-san, it doesn't seem like a friend, and I'm pretty sure the problem has been solved. For some reason, I chatted with Akira's classmates and left.

Well, that's good.

Elio doesn't seem to be lying at all. So She

YL can feel safe, at least for now. She actually wanted to ask Akira directly, just in case, but she immediately noticed that Akira wasn't there.

What about Akira?

After that, Akira-san went home. That's why we closed our booth. After all, if there is no Aki

With Mr. A present, we can't do anything.

I see, did Akira really go home? He left his message terminal here, did he forget?

No, he remembers, he said it doesn't matter, because he has other information terminals.

I see, then. Thanks for the report, you can continue to rest.

Shirley smiled and thanked Elio and Theo. Theor's face turned red and he was a little flustered, but as he asked, his face immediately returned to seriousness.

Boss, I have something to ask, is that okay?

What is it?

Well, what's your relationship with Akira?

What do you mean? It's lovers. Didn't we tell you that when you joined the gang?

Shiryl replied nonchalantly, as if to say that it was strange for Theo to ask something so obvious.

Seeing this, Theor hesitated to say what to say next. But his curiosity and a glimmer of hope in him prompted him to speak out.

Is this true?

Hearing Theols' question, Shirille's mood suddenly became worse.

Shiryl's smile at her fellow friends who had been with her through thick and thin disappeared from her face completely, and instead, her smile became somber and ominous. It was clear that she was looking at Theor with hostility.

Then she asked in a cold, deep voice.

What do you mean by asking this question?

Theor, taken aback by her sudden change and unable to reply immediately, only made Shellyl's mood worse. In that silence, Shellil looked at Theore with a gaze that no ordinary Shellyl would have given. She then gave a brief order to Elio and had no will to settle it peacefully.

Elio, your rifle.

It was a short and incomplete order, but Elio understood exactly what Shirley was saying. She was telling him to aim his rifle at Theo.

But even Elio was hesitant to do something like that to a friend who belonged to the same gang. While it is true that Tios' problem can be understood as a battle with Shirille, he thinks that aiming his rifle at Theor for that reason alone is a bit too much. So Elio panicked and tried to defuse the situation.

Seeing that Elio didn't immediately do what he was told, Shiryl's eyes shifted from Theor's to Elio.

Elio was taken aback by this and panicked to say something, as he felt that if he shut up, the situation would only get worse.

Cher, can you calm down?! If you really are Aki

a-sa

S lover or something like that, Tiol won't suspect it! Isn't that right, Theor?! Try to put your question better next time so as not to cause misunderstandings, okay?! Look, Shiryl is mistaken because of this! So what exactly are you trying to ask here, Tiol?!

Elio desperately tries to cover Thio, who is still paralyzed by the pressure from Sheryl. At the same time, even if this is not true, he hopelessly tries to signal to Theor to agree with him. After all, if he doesn't, that's probably what happened to him.

Thanks to this, Theor was able to come to his senses and understand what Elio was trying to say.

Theor then began to speak slowly and carefully, as if he had not encountered any danger signals.

Yes, that's right, it's a misunderstanding. I'm not doubting you and Aki

A don't love – I mean, I think it's not just lovers, I also want to know if you're with Aki

a There is some kind of special relationship, such as something from the past. I swear that's what I really want to ask.

Shirley was still in a bad mood and asked Theore in a skeptical tone.

That doesn't sound like that to me though.

Theore cautiously checked Sherry's reaction and replied in a panic.

I、I'm really sorry for asking such a misunderstanding. But it's like, you know, Aki

A seems like a very powerful hunter, right? I heard from other people in the stands that when something went wrong in one of the stands, Aki

a The person who dealt with it was not a former hunter, but a real hunter, someone who was still working as a hunter even now. So, I just thought that a strong man like Akira could deal with such a person so easily, and I don't know why he would be associated with us. I just thought that he could have other reasons besides that he's your lover – I mean, besides the fact that he's your lover. It's not like I suspect it's not true, I swear!!

Theore and Elio held their breath and waited for Shiryl's reaction. Shellyl didn't speak, still glaring at Elio and Theor.

After a few seconds, Shiryl seemed to regain some composure.

I get it, if that's the case, that's fine. E

io, you should teach Tiol stuff because he seems to be new and doesn't know much yet.

Good.

If so, you can leave now.

Elio and Theo panicked out of the room. Shiryl sighed heavily when she heard the click of the door closing.

Sheryl muttered to herself with a depressed face, as if grieving her mistake.

Thinking that I would lose my cool because of something like this, I wondered what was wrong with me. I could have interrupted it with a smile. What I'm doing now might make them even more suspicious of just calming down, and that's okay, I'm doing a great job. I can do this.

Shirley took a deep breath repeatedly, reflecting on her reaction. She felt that she didn't give the best reaction there and was determined to do better next time. She then wondered what made her react so extremely. She reminded herself to stay calm because she had been thinking about it. In assessing her own speculation, she removed any justifications that were made purely out of anger at Theoorg.

When she came to her conclusion, she said as if she were telling herself.

I thought I had solved myself, but it didn't seem like that was enough, hehe. I guess that's a good thing, I'm able to confirm it.

Shiryl stopped her thoughts and nodded deeply.

Although there are many rooms at the Shiryl base, she is the only one with a private room. Those who held high positions in the gang, such as officers, shared a room with other officers close to them. After Shirley, the highest status in that gang were Elio and Alicia, both officers and a couple, so although it was a small room, they lived in the same room.

While other gang members live in shared spaces within the gang, such as halls or corridors. From where they slept outside when it was dark, it was possible to deduce how high their status in the gang was. From this point of view, Elio and Alicia have quite a high status in the gang.

As the Shirley gang continues to grow, there are more people than you think want to join the gang. Or at least, it exceeded Shirley's expectations. On the other hand, it also proves that her gang is doing well as an organization in the slums, and it also shows how influential her gang is in the slums.

Thanks to this, the children of the slums began to gather around the Shirley base. They were given extra protection as soon as they joined, as those who wanted to attack would think twice before making their way through the Shirley Gang. Slum children are more likely to be mistaken for members of the Shirley Gang if they want to stay in certain places, and they even have to pay.

Tiol is a new member of the gang that he bought with his hard-earned money. The only reason he gets special treatment compared to other new members is simply because he brings extra money and equipment to the gang.

Elio, Alicia, and Theors are in Elio and Alicias's room, and Elio arrives with Theor.

Alicia wasn't too happy to see Elio bring someone into her room, but Alicia explained briefly, and she seemed to accept it.

Alicia said to Elio with a rather serious expression.

Okay, I'll check on Shirley later. But still

Alicia looked at Theor, her eyes as if reproachful to him, and her tone was tinged with displeasure.

When you ask this question, do you really think it doesn't irritate Shirley? It's so sad, let me take a break.

Theore apologized with an uncomfortable expression.

I'm sorry, I didn't expect her to be so angry.

Elio then tries to calm Alicia down.

W- Well, let's end here, shall we? We've also gotten a lot of new members, so that's completely understandable.

So, what are you going to do if she doesn't let that slip just because he's a new member? At that time, not only Tiol, but you were almost involved, right? So, do you really think I'm going to accept this excuse?

Look, like I said, we need to be extra careful from now on to make sure it doesn't happen again. Tiol isn't the only new member of the gang. I'll warn my men, so you should do the same, Alicia. I don't want you to get involved in something like this because of another new member who doesn't know about it. I want to be with you, so be sure to do so.

You're right, I'll do that.

Seeing that Elio was worried about her safety, Alicia finally calmed down.

Elio then said to Theo.

So. If there's anything else you'd like to ask us, this would be your chance. Alicia and I both know She

yl has been around for a while, so I'm sure we can answer your questions about her. You can go on and ask us questions that might trigger Cher, and it's much better if you ask us than to make Cher angry.

Theor asked Elio with a serious face.

I get it. In that case, I wonder if Shirley is really the boss of the gang.

Wow, start with bats, hehe

Elio put his hands on his head. Alicia looked at Theore with surprise and helplessness.

Theor, though surprised by their reaction, wanted to know the answer.

Even if you say that, I think there's a lot of other people here, including me, who are thinking the same thing, you know. I know people told me that the boss of this gang was Shirley. But like me, there are other members who still have questions about it. For example, how did she become a gang boss? Or if the boss seat is just an ornament, or can you only sit there if you have enough power? She's just using Aki

A? Or is it some other way around? Like Aki

A is the real boss of the gang, and She

YL is just his agent in public? Could it be Aki

A is just simply in love with She

YL, and he's actually an outsider who has nothing to do with the gang? And that Katsuragi man, is he actually giving us money and controlling us from the shadows? I want to ask a lot of questions, but I'm not sure who I can trust.

Elio and Alicias's faces twitched, but their expressions were understandable. It's not easy to gather information about this kind of thing. After all, in that group, only Shirley knew the answers to these questions. Others can only guess.

Tiol confirmed Alicia and E

io's reaction to this, and then he asked another s

STV issues.

First of all, about Aki

a and she

The story of YL going out, if they love each other, or if it's actually one-sided love, it can have a different impact. It seems that Akira bought the boss a very expensive dress, but we don't know if he actually spent a lot of money to make the boss happy, or if that expensive dress might not actually cost that much to Akira. And then there's Aki

A rarely comes to the base. I know being a hunter is a hectic job, but is it okay to always leave your lover so much? And even if it's a lover, it doesn't mean Aki

A would do anything for her, right? So how far can we ask him before it's too much?

Elio and Alicia looked at each other. They can understand why Theo would ask such a question. But at the same time, it is taboo to ask this question in a gang. Questioning Cheryl's relationship with Akira is tantamount to treason after all. So even if these questions are completely plausible, there is nothing Erior and Alicia can do about it. They can only believe what Shirley tells them, even if it's not true.

Then Elio said to Theo with a serious face.

I can understand why you're asking these questions, but the answers to these questions are simple. Don't ask. Here's the answer. I'll tell you later why that's the answer. So basically, is this answer enough for you, if you want to stay in this gang, you have to accept this answer, okay?

Good.

Tior, overwhelmed by the pressure, reluctantly responded.

Alicia said to Elio with a dejected expression.

So basically we need to explain that to the other new members as well, hehe.

No way. Is it the one who knows it best? We can't ask Shirley to do it for us too.

Alicia said jokingly with a smile.

If you're as strong as Akirasan, we might be able to find a good solution to this problem.

Elio frowned.

Don't be silly. As a hunter, going to the wastelands, exploring the ruins of the old world, fighting monsters, and then coming back alive with an old world relic like Akira-san is impossible for me. It's definitely going to be halfway. Even then, I was only saved because I was lucky enough to be found by Akirasan. Otherwise, I would have been eaten by that monster a long time ago.

I know, I'm sorry, I don't want you to die either. So please don't do anything dangerous, okay? I know you're going to get better gear, but make sure it doesn't affect your mind, okay?

I know.

Elio and Alicia looked at each other. Theor, who had been left outside the sleeping net, looked at them in embarrassment. Alicia and Elio quickly noticed Theor's gaze and began to explain what it meant in a panic.

Elio and Alicia didn't notice that Theor had these problems, not because he was interested in powerful hunters who supported the gang.

Tiol actually wants to know She

yls and Aki

a relationship. He wondered if they were really lovers. He wondered if there was a crack between them that would allow him to slip in.

He secretly thinks that Shirley is not actually in love with Akira. After all, it doesn't matter who leads the gang. What's more important is who is strong enough to support the gang. If he can be strong enough to fight Aki

A countervail, then She

yl may give up on Aki

a and try to approach him.

Tiol actually likes She

yl。 It was love at first sight. When Shirley appeared in a dress made for her, with a loving smile, his heart was taken away by him.

He wanted Aki

a and she

The relationship between YL is nothing more than a relationship of interest. He hopes for the opportunity to be Shirley's lover.

Although not so long ago, another member named Sebra had the same idea, for which he had to pay with his life. Tiol may end up experiencing the same problem. Or at least, just now, he almost met with the same fate. Whether Theor himself noticed this, however, is an entirely different question.

Akira is waiting for Carol in the lower ward of Bear Mountain City.

As soon as the reward requested by Miha Ruins is transferred to Aquilas's bank account, she calls Carol and asks how the reward will be distributed.

Transfer to Aki

As the money in the bank account is the bonus part of his team, thanks to CA

ol works on his team, Aki

a needs to pay her share of the reward. Money is, after all, an s

stv stuff. In order to avoid a fight with Carol, Akira had to negotiate with her and pay her.

Akira actually wanted to end the discussion on how to distribute the rewards over the phone, but Carol wanted to meet him directly. So, they decided when and where they would meet.

Alpha said with a smile.

You really stand out, don't you?

It's not my fault, it's Carol who let me see her in this place.

Although Ming received a lot of attention, it was only when someone came to a place wearing clothing that was not suitable for the location. As a heavily armed hunter, the people around him weren't looking at him in fear, just because they knew that the guards in that area would have no problem dealing with hunters of that level, just in case. If something happens. They know that if Aki

A started to cause trouble in the area and he will face real trouble.

Alpha looked at the people around Akira and compared them to himself.

I really don't mind, but if you don't like prominence, maybe you should think more carefully about your prospects. Buy some at Hu

te

Casual clothes that you won't use at work might be a good idea.

It's not like I'm going to go somewhere I need to look sleek, and it's not like what I want that and I don't really need it. Indeed, I'm holding out here, but I just need not to let it bother me so much. What's more, good clothes are expensive, right? So there's no need to go out of your way to buy them.

Well, it's true. Shio

i and ka

AE has also been using their maid outfits. If you really don't mind, there's no need to try to match the people around you.

Akira said with a look of displeasure.

Am I really similar to Dingwa Shiori now?

If you're talking about wearing an appearance that doesn't match the place, then yes.

I think I'll consider buying some casual wear.

Alpha, who saw Aquilas's determination wavered, smiled.

Carol showed up a little earlier than the appointment. When she saw Aki

She waved at him and walked towards him. Carol wears a dress that looks high-class, giving it a sense of elegance. This is the complete opposite of the design of her usual enhancement suits. With just enough coverage of most of her skin while being able to see her beautiful figure from the outside, it is easy for those familiar with fashion to recognize her in an expensive dress.

Akira was a little surprised to see Carol dressed in the exact opposite of what she wore when she was in the ruins of the Old World. After all, he didn't expect Carol to wear such clothes at all.

At the same time, Carol was also a little surprised to see Aquilas's outfit. She was smiling, but there was a hint of displeasure in her smile. She sighed slightly and said.

I didn't expect you to come in wearing that dress when you were going to have lunch with a girl, you know?

Akira decided to put her thoughts on hold for a moment and replied casually.

I'm a hunter and came here as a hunter and was about to talk about hunter stuff. So I don't think I'm doing anything weird here.

Carol watched Aquilas's reaction closely, and didn't seem to hide her embarrassment.

Ah, by the way, if I'm not mistaken, you're still learning how to accompany girls correctly, right? Looks like you still have a lot to learn.

Do I really say that?

You did it. I remember it well, even though it was just a stupid conversation. So, let's go, shall we?

Carol actually plans to take Akira to a fancy restaurant not far from where they met. But when you use the booster set, it's not a great place to eat.

Although it's not that the restaurant doesn't accept them, that doesn't change Aki

A fact that looks strange there. Thinking so, Carol also felt glad that she hadn't made an appointment in advance, and smiled wryly as she hid her smile from Akira.

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p dmz jvfo om mztuz。 Cfzmi immcut fo Acazf jvm jfl immca

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vuz。

After placing the order, they chatted for a while before the meal came up. That's when Carol started talking about rewards.

Well, the food is here, so let's start talking about the main reasons why it's here.

About rewards, right?

Yes. Let's skip the bargaining part and get straight to the main point. Akira, how much are you going to pay me?

Carol smiled confidently, waiting for Achillas' answer.

Akira seems troubled, and instead he asks Carol a question.

How much do you think I should pay you?

Carol replied with a confident smile.

Oh my gosh, you know I omitted the bargaining part for you, right? Or do you prefer it? I don't mind accepting your challenge, but you know, I'm not an easy opponent.

Akira hesitated.

Uh, that's not the issue here, to be honest, it's more like I don't know the right reward for hunters, you see. That's why I ask you, you're familiar with this kind of thing, right?

Even for Akira, he knows that exposing himself as bad at negotiation is a bad thing. Akira, on the other hand, understands that he doesn't even have the knowledge to pretend to know. So he was sure that Carol, who was familiar with this kind of thing, would soon see through him even if he tried again.

But from another point of view, it can be said that Akira seized the opportunity to do something bigger. He knows what he doesn't know, so he's ready to lose money in order to gain knowledge.

Carol looked at Akira for a moment, thought for a moment, and spoke as she watched his reaction carefully.

As someone who is more experienced in negotiating rewards, I would at least say to you that your current move is a bad one. Even if you don't know the correct number, as long as we haven't agreed on a certain number beforehand, you should be firm in saying the number you have in mind, even if it's a bad bluff, even if you're asking for an unreasonably large sum of money. Since you are the one who has money here, you should use this position against your opponents. After all, if the negotiations break down, I'm the one who won't get paid. If you do this to me, I'm going to bother. So, if you do, I might decide to make a compromise to avoid any trouble later. Of course, the less money you pay me, the more rewards you get.

Akira listened carefully to Carol's explanation, and he agreed with Carol's words.

Well, you're right. So, how much do you want me to pay you?

Although this answer did not shake Carol's smile on the surface, she was a little uneasy inside. No matter what Carol asked, Akira didn't seem to bargain. Even after she tells him he has the upper hand there, Aki

A also doesn't seem to be trying to use it at all.

[To be honest, I'm not interested in my share of the reward.] I'm actually going to accept a little reward to make him debt to me.]

Carol thought about it for a moment, but decided to say something and see how Achillas reacted.

The amount of reward I want, huh. Honestly, I don't want to sell my skills cheaply, and I'm confident that I'm confident that other people will give me a good return. That's why I usually start negotiations with a relatively high incentive payment. Hypothetically, if I told you to give me all the rewards, would you do it? You did tell me that you don't know how to negotiate your pay, so what would you do if I used my skills to convince you to give me all your pay? Honestly, I'm pretty sure I can do it.

Carol smiled confidently.

But then Akira just replied casually.

Well, since that's the case, there's no way around it, I'll give you all the rewards.

Carol's smile finally faltered.

Ming is not willing to give everything in return, because he is in a situation where he has no choice but to do so. He was willing to do so only because he listened to Carroll's explanation with a distorted view of money.

In order to help Elena and Sarah, Akira takes Carol to the Miha Ruins. From the beginning, his goal was not money.

Moreover, Akira is the one who hires Carol, so as the one who hires her, he unconsciously wants to give Carol a proper reward. Akira thinks Carol is a more powerful hunter than him and pulls her to dangerous places for his own reasons, so it's understandable that he has to pay her hefty for her.

In slum cities, where someone points a rifle at someone else and demands everything that the other side has, unilateral negotiations are normal. Akira really doesn't want to be the one who gets robbed, but he doesn't want to be the one who robs either. When he was the other party, he at least wanted to give him a chance to negotiate, so he just wanted to remind himself that he was no longer in that situation and there was no need to join. The other side.

But that being said, Aki

A Don't know to pay CA

The amount of OL.

Of course, the right amount varies from person to person. Hunters risk their lives to go to the wasteland. Of course, they also don't think their lives are equal to the lives of others. Because of this, when talking about compensation, it often ends in a quarrel. It's not uncommon for hunters to fight and kill each other after completing their work together.

Akira herself knows this very well. That's why he decided to ask someone who knows a lot about the matter. In this case, it would be Carol.

Carol realizes that she has stopped smiling, but she immediately regains her smile. She examines Akira while pretending not to be surprised at all by her. Akira doesn't seem to say this because he has some ulterior motives. He's just telling the truth.

[He was very nice to me there.] I was actually going to raise the price first, and then reduce the price little by little while negotiating, and at the same time guarantee that he owes me, and then I should be able to use this to bring him closer, but in this case, if I ask for a large part and he accepts it, he may use this as an excuse to cut ties with me. It's not easy]

Ca

One thing ol gets wrong is if Aki

A really asks for all the rewards, and she doesn't give them all without fighting back. What he meant at the time was that he was willing to give everything in return if she could give him a good reason.

More precisely, Akira was going to fight back to the end. And if Carol could convince him after that, if she could get him to agree that it was a proper reward for her, then he should pay her that much. After all, if he agrees, that's the right thing to do.

Plus one more detail, Aki

A actually underestimated his words, as Alpha didn't say anything. Alpha is always so noisy, reminds Aki

A anything, so he's sure Alpha will say something if he does something bad.

But the reason why Alpha didn't say anything was because in case Akira lost a lot of money there, she would use it as an excuse to encourage him to stop socializing with other people. So after thinking about it a lot, Alpha decided to keep silent there.

After much thought, Carol decided to take the safe route. At the very least, she needs to make sure she doesn't make any bad impressions on Akira.

[To be honest, I don't want to do it, but I think I had to imitate Ele.]

a and sa

A would do something in this situation. ]

Carol decides on her plans and resumes negotiations.

It seems that you used to be with Ele

a and sa

a Worked together a lot of times, right? When you do, how do you distribute the rewards? Who decides how rewards are distributed and what metrics are used?

Well? Miss Elena is the one who decides, and I think we're just distributing the rewards as usual.

Honestly, Carol wanted to know how Akira usually went. But since he only gave her so much information, she decided to make a suggestion based on how Elena and Akira distributed the rewards in the last request.

In that case, let's split the reward into 50-50, and considering how much we fought back in the ruins of Minami Park, let's not talk about whether it was right or not, right? After all, in any case, we didn't agree in advance how the rewards would be distributed. In this way, we can distribute the rewards without causing more trouble or upsetting either party. When it comes to the right amount of reward, there's nothing better than a mutually agreed-upon reward amount. Since I want to get along with you in the future, let's divide it into 50-50, what do you think?

Of course.

Akira stopped eating, took out his message terminal, and completed the transfer to Carol's bank account.

There, I've transferred, can you check that?

Good.

Carol also pulled out her messaging terminal and looked at her bank account.

Yes, I received it. This way, your request is officially completed. Thank you. Did I meet your expectations? I do want to hear from my employer, you know.

Carol was smiling mischievously at Aguila as she said this.

Akira was a little annoyed by this, but decided to answer truthfully.

Yes, you did a great job. I'm so glad I brought you to me. Thank you.

Akira bowed slightly, and Carol replied with gusto.

You're welcome. I look forward to working with you again.

Looking at Akira's reaction, Carol thought, at least she didn't fail, and it could even be said that she succeeded. Then, when she saw him enjoying his delicious meal, she was able to determine that choosing a restaurant as a place to discuss with Akira was the right choice.

[If we negotiate in the restaurant, he won't leave after eating.] But if we do it in a café, I bet he'll leave the moment we're done negotiating. ]

Carroll's guess may well be correct. As long as she doesn't have anything interesting to talk about, Aki

A will wait for him and her affair to finish and leave. Unlike all the other customers she's met so far, Aki

A has no romantic feelings for her at all.

Aki

a and ca

ol continued the conversation while enjoying his meal. Akira didn't think much about what he was talking about, and instead Carol was behind her smile, thinking about what kind of topic she could bring up that would interest Akira.

Ca

ol with Aki

A talks about all sorts of things, and she's keeping a close eye on Aki

aResponses to different topics. They are mostly talking about hunter stuff while touching on some everyday stuff from time to time.

Akira is listening carefully to a topic that he is super interested in, and that is how to sell relics from the old world.

Oh, so sometimes you can even sell them at that price, hehe. That's great.

Yes. Coupled with the rumors that a certain holy relic could be bought for hundreds of thousands of gold coins and sold for millions of gold coins, it seems that some hunters and merchants are looking for shops that sell the holy relic.

A toy old world relic, well, I wonder what kind of relic it is.

I wasn't able to investigate that rumor in depth, but it seems to have been sold to Black Silver. Black Silver spent a lot of money on that relic, which had previously been purchased from another store at a bargain price. So judging from this information alone, although it is a toy, it is not a mechanical toy. I think it's an art-worthy toy that was still intact when it was brought to Black Silver, and there may be some collectors who are looking for that kind of old-world relic. After all, there are a lot of people who have specific hobbies and they will pay a lot of money for something like this.

Carol is talking to Akira about a relic deal that has entered her information network. It is said that a certain hunter has achieved very good results in the lower district of Kumayama City. It's not unusual, but Akira is also a hunter, so she might be interested in this kind of topic. Therefore, Carol decided to prepare some information about the sale of the relics before going to meet Akira.

It wasn't unusual, but it was enough to pique Aquilas's interest. Seeing Akira's interest in the topic, Carol smiled with satisfaction.

After listening to Carol's story about reselling artifacts and the business around the subject, Aki

A question popped into A.S.'s mind.

Can companies that specialize in buying and selling artifacts make so much profit?

It depends on the landlord's skills. I've heard that if you have the necessary connections and money, you can make quite a profit.

Is this true even if you open such a store in the slums? Even if it's a secret shop?

Carol was surprised at what she heard.

Oh, are you interested? Well, if you ask me, with your skills, you'd better continue to be a hunter than open a store like this, you know?

There are a lot of people in the East End who hunt just to make money and start a business. Hunters are indeed a dangerous profession, but they are also a great way to make a lot of money in a short period of time. Not to mention, it will be easier for them to raise money for their business if they leave as high-ranking hunters. If their business goes bankrupt, they can use their rank to borrow some money to restart their hunter activities.

Because of Carol's personal reasons, and because of her twisted way of thinking, she wants Akira to continue to be a hunter instead of a businessman. After all, the money she wants from other people who use her services is the money they get at the risk of their lives, not the money they run their businesses. She wasn't lying when she said she would rather let Akira continue her job as a hunter, but she said half the reason was a lie.

Akira didn't think she had the talent to run a business, so she just shook her head.

No, it's not about me, it's about a guy I knew in the slum city, who had only recently started that kind of business, and I'm guarding that place right now. It seems that she spent a lot of money on the interior of that shop, so I wondered if I could make money by opening that kind of shop in the middle of the slums.

Oh, I see. I heard that you used to live in a slum, did you hear such rumors when you lived in a slum?

Of course I have, but I've never been involved.

I get it. In that case, I can teach you a lot. After all, I know a lot about that kind of thing, you know?

Carol smiled confidently and began to speak in a cheerful mood.

There are many shops in Kumayama City that are engaged in the sale of cultural relics. They also vary greatly in size and specialization. Even in slum cities, there are all sorts of shops, and those in the slums are mostly doing clandestine business.

Opening a shop in a slum is not entirely illegal. However, from Hu

te

From Offices' perspective, many stores that engage in dubious business also do often conduct secret transactions to ensure they don't get knocked out.

Truth be told, the Hunter's Office doesn't like shops that sell relics, as they allow hunters to collect relics with money instead of the ruins of the Old World. Hunters can buy relics from these shops and then sell them to the Hunter's Office Trading Center. This fact certainly raises questions about the credibility of the Hunter rankings.

The Hunter Rank is an indicator of a Hunter's strength, which is basically based on the Hunter's ability to collect relics from dangerous ruins. The reason why the Hunter's Office gives special treatment to high-level hunters is to support skilled hunters to reach that level.

The Hunter's Office gives special treatment to senior hunters. Many cities in the Eastern Side only allow hunters above a certain level to enter the inner walls. Moreover, there are also some secret information about the relics of the Old World, which can only be obtained by high-level hunters. These companies also tend to offer cheap new equipment to high-level hunters, which is a kind of promotion for these companies.

Because of this, some hunters, in order to obtain a higher ranking than their actual skills, choose to buy relics with their own money and bring them to the hunter's office. Some hunters collect money by trading relics, and then use the money to buy relics and take them to the hunter's office to increase their hunter level.

Although rare, there are also hunters who don't want to move up the hunter level for some reason, and these hunters will sell their relics to trading centers and shops that have nothing to do with the hunter's office.

This practice can be interpreted as buying and selling hunter ranks. As a result, those that are reputable tend to restrict trade in artifacts with hunters or conduct comprehensive identity checks to prevent the hunters' offices from blacklisting their operations.

However, if they asked hunters who had leveled up in this way where they had gotten these relics, they would mostly reply that they had gotten their relics in the slums.

On the other hand, some companies that operate in relatively unsafe areas tend to hire ex-hunters to bolster their combat effectiveness. The higher the level of hunters they hire, the more combat they are and the more protection they provide. These companies sometimes use not money to pay these hunters, but with artifacts. As for the hunters, some of them believe that they should be paid with holy relics rather than money, so they sometimes use holy relics as a reward as one of the conditions for hiring them. But in the end, most of the relics that these companies used to pay for those hunters were bought from the slums.

Considering where they do business, because of these covert deals, businessmen in the slums are able to obtain unimaginably huge sums of money.

Akira was listening carefully to Carol's explanation.

Seeing that Akira was interested in her explanation, Carol smiled happily. At the same time, she also thought about the reasons behind this interest.

[Akira cheers from the slums.] If I had to guess, I bet he was lucky enough to find an expensive relic and became a hunter with the money he got from it. Then he grew so fast that he became a hunter, which explains his lack of knowledge. So basically, Aki

A grew into a hunter so quickly that he didn't have the opportunity to learn the basics of a hunter. This means that he is a very talented person. No wonder Shika

Abe is wary of him, and I bet the reason he showed such interest in my explanations was simply because of his thirst for knowledge. I wonder if this is a backlash from living in the ghetto for so long and he can't get much information As for the reason why he has little interest in heterosexuality, I guess he's so desperate to survive that his intellectual development isn't so good that there's no stage yet, huh? ]

While not entirely wrong, her guess wasn't entirely correct either. From her experience seducing many people, Carol was able to see through a small part of Achillas' personality.

Carol tries to pretend to be casual when she asks Akira.

By the way, Akira, do you have any worries right now?

Lose sleep over something?

Yes. I'm more experienced than you in all sorts of things. So if you have any concerns, I might be able to give you some advice.

Ca

ol to Aki

A smile, as if there was something hidden behind her smile.

By the way, I've been particularly worried lately. It's about a hunter who loves to eat more than a woman, and no matter how much I try to seduce him, he doesn't react, you know what I have to do?

Akira understood that Carol was teasing him, so he smiled mischievously.

No, I don't have any good ideas at all. I guess your only option is to wait until he's a little older. Either so, or simply abandon him and aim for someone else.

There's no solution at all, you know. So, what about you Akira? Don't worry, you can share anything, and I'll at least give you some advice, whether it's useful or not.

Carol said this with a playful smile as if she wanted to take revenge on Akira.

Akira thought for a moment before replying.

Worry about it Let me see if I had to say what I would say I lacked strength and money, huh and so on, is that included in worrying in the first place?

Oh my, I feel like you got a lot of money for your last request, and I also think you're already strong, isn't that enough?

Even if you say so, I need to buy ammunition, I want better equipment, I want to eat good food. I don't think any amount of money I have is enough. However, with my strength, I encountered difficulties in the monster battle of the three-leaf ruins, and this alone shows that my strength is not enough. Well, I have no choice but to work hard as a hunter, there is no easy solution to this, I know at least so much.

More precisely, Aki

a Too much reliance on a simple and effective solution called Alphas support. As long as Akira knows this, the rest is left to him to work on.

Carol smiled confidently and said.

In that case, I did invite you to work with me at the Shamrock ruins, right? If you work with me, I'm sure you can get a better understanding of my fighting skills and negotiation skills, so, what do you think? If you work with me, I think I can teach you a lot of things, you know. I think it's faster than gathering experience on your own, right?

Unlike last time, Akira didn't reply immediately this time, but in the end she gave the same answer as last time.

I'm sorry I had to refuse.

Carol was a little surprised, and she sounded disappointed.

Oh my gosh, I thought I was doing a good job of trying to get you to recognize my skills, but I guess that's not good enough, right?

Akira hesitated as she answered.

No, that's not the issue here. Like I said at the time, I don't have a lot of plans, I can be very casual, and I don't think I have a personality that is suitable for working with others

I'm the one who asked you to work with me, you know. So I'll at least fit into your schedule. If we can't work well together after that, we can stop working together. So, still doesn't it work?

Even if you say that, it's still no, sorry.

Akira thought he was making the mood there, but Carol said with a smile.

I get it. Well, then it can't be helped. It's true that working with other hunters who can't really work together can often run into trouble. What's more, you might hate me too, so I won't bother you anymore. But if you want to work with me, even if it's just for a short time, I'm always open, okay? I know you sometimes talk to Ele

a and sa

A Let's go to the ruins, right? Next time you can invite me too, I'm glad to come.

Akira thought for a moment before replying.

You're right, well, I'll call you again if I get the chance.

Carol smiled happily.

If you see it, then I'm looking forward to it.

Yes.

Akira smiled back and replied briefly.

Even after they finished their meal and ordered refills for their after-dinner coffee several times, Aki

a and ca

OL is still talking about a lot of things. When Aki

A realizes that he is taking a lot more time than originally planned, and he asks CA

ol said goodbye and left the restaurant.

After Akira left, Carol also spent some time in the restaurant. She smiled wryly and muttered to herself.

Well. Aki

As the response there was not bad, but I also couldn't make an appointment for the next meeting. I think I've been relying too much on my seduction skills lately, and my presentation skills have become sluggish.

Carol doesn't always use her body to seduce her customers, and she sometimes uses other tricks as well. One of them is to build rapport with her clients, including bringing up some topics of common interest, talking about each other's concerns, asking each other's opinions, listening carefully to the questions asked by her conversation partner and giving the answers that the other person expects, and eventually getting closer to the point where the other person becomes dependent on her. Seduction is just one of the methods she can use to achieve this goal.

Carol also sometimes uses it to guide her partner into a better state. She encourages them to be more positive and confident in their lives, to cheer them up, to make them enjoy life more and to support them. Suffice it to say, this is the service they get by paying Carol for the money they earned at the risk of their lives.

At the same time, all this encouragement sometimes leads them to surpass themselves and challenge the dangerous ruins of the Old World, which they do not belong to in their alliance, but Carol has no problem with that. There are many different ways for people to use their lives. So Carol didn't want to stop them from doing that. If she knew it would backfire, though, she might try to stop them.

Judging by his reaction, if I invite him to go to the wasteland casually, I think Aki

A will not accept my invitation, and he is unlikely to invite me. What should I do?

Carol was thinking about how to seduce Akira next when a phone call came to her message terminal. Carol checked the caller and answered the call.

Viola, I'm out there now. If it's s

stv, call me later.

Don't worry, it's just that I have a little question for you, no big deal.

Carol could feel that Viola was plotting something bad behind her arrogant voice.