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Violet hated people who tried to cheat her out of money.

From the start of the request, individuals eager to cut corners were either frauds or liars.

So, when the representative from Eckhart University offered “knowledge” in exchange, she felt an ominous premonition.

Knowledge? What do they take us for? Naive graduate students?

She glared at the man in a suit with sharp eyes and opened her mouth with an icy voice.

“Knowledge, huh? Are you joking? Hey, desk jockey! Just level with me. You don’t want to pay, do you?”

Most clients paid as promised, not because they were particularly noble moralists, but because the risk of losing a crucial body part increased significantly if they tried to cheat the Resolver out of their fee.

As the weapons merchant Armas said, if you didn’t want to pay with lead, you had to be honest.

And those who often blurted out nonsense while making excuses were always the ones dodging responsibility and delaying requests.

She had a suspicion that the university representatives in front of her belonged to that type as well.

The plump graduate students standing next to the suited man inhaled sharply.

Violet’s altered voice sliced through the air, and her fist was already shaking with anxiety.

Sensing the situation, Manager Leslie quickly stepped in to mediate.

“Wait a moment, representative. Please calm down.”

The manager spoke politely to the university side.

Worried about what trouble his unpredictable employer might cause, his mind carefully chose the next words.

“I apologize, but could you please explain in more detail? I’m skeptical about how simple papers or books could benefit us. If the compensation details are vague, I think we need to reconsider the request.”

The man in the suit cleared his throat a couple of times and then spoke.

“Of course. The ‘knowledge’ we are offering is much broader than you might imagine.”

There was a subtle irritation in his voice.

“To be honest, we thought you would be pleased, but it seems there has been some misunderstanding…”

He paused for a moment before continuing.

“Our university has partnerships with numerous companies. The knowledge we provide is not just academic material. Why would we give you something useless?”

Violet raised an eyebrow.

“So, what is it exactly?”

The suited man calmly continued his explanation.

“First, we will provide a talent development enhancement program that our university is currently researching. It’s an advanced program that analyzes and enhances your unique abilities.

For example, awakened individuals who completed the program managed to improve their strength, reaction speed, and agility stats by over 20%, although results vary individually.”

“Uh-huh.”

He watched Violet’s reaction. The girl’s expression, shrouded in the distinctive fuzziness of the Recognition Interference Device, was hard to read, but she appeared less hostile than before.

“Next, we have cutting-edge magical power observation technology. We have developed an observation system that visualizes and controls the flow of magical energy. We can help you detect the magical field around you in real time and analyze it through the latest algorithms to find effective magical control methods.”

Violet tilted her head in suspicion.

“Do you have anything more tangible? I’d prefer not to discuss vague education and ability development.”

“Oh, in that case, how about access to our university’s experimental equipment? For instance, localized gravity control devices, phase interferometers, or high-speed ultrasonic cutters. These prototypes would be a significant help on the field.”

“Now we’re getting to something interesting.”

Violet crossed her arms and said,

“Sounds intriguing. Continue.”

“There’s also something that’s most needed in the field. Let me introduce our university’s augmentation technology. It involves enhancing physical functions and neural connection interfaces using experimental nanobots.”

“Are you talking about cyborg procedures?”

“You have understood correctly.”

The suited man finished his statement and looked at Violet.

“All of this is part of the ‘knowledge’ we intend to provide. What do you think? This technology has not been disclosed by any corporation or clan yet. Isn’t it quite attractive?”

Leslie chimed in.

“Quite impressive indeed.”

The suited man nodded satisfactorily.

“Yes, and to be frank,”

His eyes fixed on Violet.

“We wish to establish a long-term relationship with Dunhin Security Services through this request.”

Violet looked puzzled.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I heard about the fusion creature you hunted last time. Your skills were quite impressive.”

A smile crept onto the man’s lips.

“To study marine monsters and various strange phenomena, we need a reliable security firm. Compared to the other companies we’ve hired before, I think you’re the perfect candidate.”

Violet pondered for a moment before replying.

“I get that for now, but let’s discuss it later. What I want is cold hard cash. The rest… we’ll check and decide.”

Leslie interjected.

“How about we return to the main point? You mentioned you had new information about the professor’s whereabouts?”

The suited man nodded and opened his briefcase.

“Yes, that’s correct. According to the latest information…”

**

Honestly, the ‘knowledge’ presented by the university was far from convincing. The performance seemed plausible, but every item came with a ‘prototype’ or ‘experimental’ label attached.

Of course, even if the gambling equipment exploded during use, we wouldn’t be in great danger. Still, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that they were trying to cheat us out of money.

Besides, I sensed a subtle intention to use us as guinea pigs.

“What we need is stable equipment! Or at least something verified and high-level!”

“Right! We don’t need experimental tools in the army! Violet isn’t a test subject!”

The conservative faction of the Violet Corps led by Clone 3992 and Clone 121 raised their opposing opinions.

Upon reflection, most of the Violets really were useless unless they had stable 3-star equipment or clearly superior 5-star equipment.

I’d rather they handed over something like a nuclear bomb than accept experimental equipment we had no idea what risks they’d entail.

“Cash is the answer!”

“Yes, cash is best! Or something that can be easily converted to cash!”

The majority of the Violet Council shouted for cash or easily convertible precious metals, while a few cautiously suggested that verified relics or equipment might be acceptable, just then, Clone 2512 in the field perked up, listening intently to the university’s briefing.

Manager Leslie couldn’t just leave everything to that shady external hard drive, the Violet version.

I ignored the council’s noisy discussion and focused on the information the suited man was delivering.

“The professor was last seen near the coast of Librian,” he said.

“Professor Bernike was dropped off on land after you rescued the students here and then set out to sea again for research. It was a project studying the neural interactions of the main and auxiliary brains of marine monsters.”

Leslie raised an eyebrow.

“So what happened?”

The man sighed. Worry and fatigue were evident on his face.

“A few days later, the research ship sent a pirate distress signal and went silent after that. The ship returned safely with the crew a week later, but the professor’s whereabouts were unknown. According to the crew, the pirates took only the professor to another location.”

I crossed my arms and asked.

“So, what were the search results?”

“Initially, I thought it was a simple kidnapping…”

He paused and glanced around. There was a hint of anxiety in his gaze.

“What’s strange about it?”

As Leslie pressed him, the man continued with his explanation.

“Yes, we captured several nearby pirates in succession. We secured the initial assailants as well. But their testimonies were… peculiar. They were only instructed to kidnap someone on the boat. They didn’t even know who the target was.”

“Afterwards, we kept chasing clues. Three clans, fifteen resolvers, one information agency, and detectives were involved. It was not hard to track down the order given to another pirate.”

“And those pirates repeated the same words. The next one, and the next.”

“Exactly, Professor Bernike seemed to be moving through multiple pirate groups like she was hopping on stepping stones.”

As Leslie listened, he whispered in my ear.

“This is the typical relay kidnapping used around here. It’s a human trafficking method that employs nodal organizations to obscure the final order and routes.”

Hmm, suspicious. This isn’t a straightforward kidnapping; something feels more complicated. Hearing the term nodal organization makes it seem like someone has come up with a new scheme.

“It’s not just a kidnapping for money, then.”

“Exactly.”

The man replied.

“The route we tracked ultimately leads to…”

He lowered his voice.

“It’s a mere assumption, but the last pirate indicated that the route where they passed the professor is located near the habitats of either pirates or dangerous monsters.”

“Either pirates or monsters.”

“And, there is Pax Nova Island, located with a naval base that leans towards being anti-clan.”

An external Violet 1 found some simple materials quickly. It was a few years ago, briefly covering the relocation of a naval base, showing a military base island obscured for security reasons.

Leslie’s eyes widened slightly as he scribbled in his notebook.

“Pax Nova Island? Isn’t that the place famous for its slave mines? And there’s the Gate too?”

“Yeah, I’m not sure about the slaves, but currently a pirate warlord manages it. On the surface, it’s the navy, though.”

I couldn’t help but ask.

“So, what’s the verdict? Are they pirates or the navy?”

“It’s not certain, but our linked information agency and detectives are leaning towards them being the navy.”

“If the navy kidnapped the professor, what would be the reason? What’s the relationship like between your university and the federal factions? Did you do something to irritate them?”

The man shrugged his shoulders in response.

“We’d like to know that as well. We’re just a simple university and research institution. We’ve never clashed with any factions of the federal military. We’re puzzled as to who we might have provoked. The professor is certainly not the type to have done that.”

Suddenly, an interesting scenario popped into my head. The millionaire womanizing scientist kidnapped in a cave turning into someone making armor, straight out of some movie scene.

“Is there any possibility that the professor’s research is being militarized?”

The man hesitated for a moment before answering.

“It’s not entirely impossible. Professor Bernike has founded and supported various venture companies, and holds a lot of patents. Some of these could indeed be repurposed for military technology. For example… augmentation procedures for awakened ones or limited biological control and manipulation.”

Biological control? Could she possibly control monsters?

I took a deep breath to sort out the situation.

“So, what’s our mission? You don’t expect us to sneak into a naval base and rescue the professor, do you?”

The man hesitated for a moment before nodding.

“You don’t necessarily have to do that. However, I would appreciate it if you could definitely locate the professor. Even if you don’t rescue her directly, confirming that she exists would allow our university to protest to the federal side and have someone brought back.”

That sounded more reasonable than I expected. Even if we were a clan hired through an anonymous network, storming a naval base would have been too much of a stretch.

“I’d like you to proceed as quickly as possible. We need to track down Professor Bernike’s whereabouts and ensure her safe return as soon as possible. In the worst case, even confirming a body is acceptable. The professor is incredibly important.”

I exchanged glances with Leslie. This mission looked much more complex and dangerous than we had anticipated. It was merely speculation, but we might indeed have to breach a naval base.

Seeing us hesitate, the man in the suit spoke somewhat urgently.

“These students tell me you are excellent resolvers. I found out you recently hunted a naval fused creature? A fused entity combined with a sunken ship is quite rare. It’s incredibly rare to hunt such a specimen intact. We trust you. Your skills have already been verified. Please, we need you. The future of our university hangs in the balance.”

He presented a blank check.

Seeing that, Leslie looked at me with worried eyes and said he’d be back after speaking to someone else.

Once the university representatives were out of sight, Leslie urgently muttered.

“You must not accept this request.”

“Why not?”

“You must have noticed. The university is hiding something. That professor is definitely involved in something strange. Moreover, it’s filled with danger.”

“True, there is a lot of ocean out there. We’re not sure if we can find her—”

“Notice how they contacted us through an anonymous network? What do you think that means? It’s clear. They came to us because other clans refused. They immediately offer a high fee, which is clear evidence that the risks are substantial. If the search fails, it’d be better that way. As you heard, it’s tied up with the federal military! Boss, this is dangerous business to touch. We should decline.”

Logically speaking, Leslie was right.

“Naval base? The navy is involved in pirate business?”

“Naval base?”

My heart raced anxiously. Who knew such suspicious organizations lay beyond the southern ocean?

This request felt strange to anyone who looked at it. There was even a possibility the navy was involved.

But why should we run away? If it’s a military base, shouldn’t it be huge?

“There’s likely to be a lot to plunder! It might even be a treasure trove!”

“There should be plenty of meat and weapons, right?”

Also, monsters were apparently swarming there. They mentioned a Gate too.

As the scales of my heart tipped towards agreeing, a decisive blow landed.

—Boom!

The vibrating sound nearly made me jump out of my seat the moment I saw the text.

[I’ll be heading home. There’s something to discuss.]

[i][Have you heard of Professor Bernike Broadman?]

The scholarship officer sent the message.

Could he possibly know about all this? If explained properly, maybe I could get some assistance.

Well, that was even more reason to decline.

As soon as I returned, I confidently declared.

“Alright, I’ll do it. Let’s sign the contract right now.”

“Boss…?”

Ignoring the flabbergasted expression of Leslie, I turned to the others.

“Okay, but you’ve got to pay the amount I say. Got it? And make sure to throw in whatever that so-called knowledge is as a bonus.”

“Understood…”

After finalizing the contract, I stood up.

The tension-filled air seemed to ease a little.

“Okay, please continue to communicate through the previous contact points. We’re off for now.”

As we stepped outside, the graduate students were already following us. They seemed to have a lot to say and were fidgeting around.

“If you have something to say, go ahead. Is it about the request?”

The pale graduate students who hadn’t seen sunlight opened their mouths.

“Um, it’s not that… Please, we beg you. Please find our professor…”

“Please! Our graduation thesis is almost due! If something happens to the professor, it would be a disaster…”

These were certainly students who loved their professor.

I promised them I would do my best and got into the car.

As the engine roared to life and the car moved forward, I could hear the murmurs of the students.

“Do you think the professor is okay? She seems like she would definitely be yelling at the pirates. Asking if they know who she is…”

“I don’t know, thinking about her temperament… I doubt she’d be treated gently… What’ll we do?”

**

“Hey, you.”

Contrary to the concerns of her graduate students, Professor Bernike was ‘doing well’ in her own way.

Her ‘well’ was a nightmare for those around her.

“Is this the kind of dog food you expect me to eat right now?”

The white-haired woman lightly tossed the plate onto the table.

With a clatter, the plate shook.

While the soldier was at a loss, the hastily summoned officer grimaced at her continued complaints about the sides.

He couldn’t hit this ‘precious guest’ as per the orders from above, damn it.

“I’m sorry, but Professor, this is already the third time…”

Bernike elegantly interrupted the officer. Her voice dripped with icy disdain.

“Do you think this is pasta? It’s mushy! I said to cook it until the white core is left! Have you lost your taste from living off brine? Or has the taste cortex in your brain degraded? Could it be that collective dining has destroyed all your taste receptors? Should I explain again? This is not pasta; it’s a mass of carbohydrates. By the way, have you ever heard of the amino-carbonyl reaction? How can you cook if you don’t even understand basic culinary chemistry?”

She paused for a moment before continuing in an even sharper tone.

“This isn’t pasta; it’s gruel. How feeble-minded are your esteemed pirates? Of course, the differentiation between navy and pirate probably escapes your comprehension. With this level of knowledge, I would question whether you delegated cooking to a monkey. Oh, I’m sorry. That would be an insult to monkeys. At least they know how to peel a banana.”

She didn’t even bother to take a breath and continued speaking.

“Do you think your esteemed colonel has kept me here for simply locking me up? Or is he hoping to teach me something, like I’m supposed to lecture your goldfish-level intellect? If that’s the case, I must commend you. But with such food, it seems utterly impossible. Surely, your brain hasn’t shrunk from lack of protein, has it? Is this what you call hospitality? Is this the way you treat guests? Or is this truly your best effort? If so, that’s truly pitiful. Do it again, but this time make sure it’s something a human can eat. Even Pelinot’s vomit would be better than this.”

The increasingly extravagant demands wore out the officer in charge’s patience, and he reached his breaking point.

Finally, the anger of the arrogant hostage exploded.

“This bitch is insane!”

A slap echoed through the room.

With a flash of light, the palm rebounded off her face.

“Damn…”

As the officer seethed with the realization that his angry slap only brought pain, the professor slightly narrowed her eyes but smiled victoriously.

“Hahaha! What now? Thanks to my magical barrier, that doesn’t hurt. Even with this restraint, I still have basic protection left. Didn’t you learn that in officer school? Oh right, you probably didn’t even make it to an academy. Did you go to pirate school instead? Or did you just pick up some vagabond from the ocean? Don’t be too disappointed, goldfish! You did slightly better this time; your meager physical attack barely grazed the outermost edge of my barrier. Truly remarkable. Have you ever heard of neuroplasticity? Oh, I apologize. Such a difficult term? To put it simply, it means there’s still hope for your brain. Although that hope is probably no bigger than an ant’s tear. It’s really astonishing.”

“I’ll kill you!”

Even in front of the professor’s cold smile, the officer drew his gun.

“Oh dear, that’s a 7mm pistol, isn’t it? With that flimsy self-defense toy, you’ll hardly pierce the skull of a weak awakened one like me, let alone breach the layers of epidermis and dermis. Why didn’t you just bring your awakened commanders here instead? Well, if you had such strategic thinking, you wouldn’t have jumped straight to threats like some primate. Your cerebral cortex is probably thinner than a banana peel. Kyaahahaha!”

Seeing Bernike laughing heartily while restrained, the navy personnel gritted their teeth.

 

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