The Contract

"Don't come back next time! You're awful!"

Even after Lynch and Klein left the tavern, they could still hear Mr. Wright's furious shouts.

Not only had they gotten a free lunch there, they had also shamelessly packed up a meal apiece to save for dinner.

Mr. Wright hadn't killed the two scoundrels, which was astonishing in itself.

Lynch and Klein paid no attention to Mr. Wright's anger. With full stomachs and their packed meals in hand, they asked for directions and finally reached nearby Zolant Street.

When they stood outside the Blackthorn Security Company, they both let out a relieved breath.

They'd finally made it. Those two stingy fellows had nearly walked their legs off that morning.

They climbed the stairs together and hurried to the reception room.

Lynch and Klein knocked. When no one answered, they cautiously pushed the door open.

As soon as it swung inward, a girl inside suddenly stood up.

"Captain! Sorry, I wasn't sleeping! Ah, no... Who are you?"

The girl was pretty, dressed in a typical Tingen skirt. She asked them with an embarrassed expression.

"We're here to see Dunn Smith. He offered us a job."

Lynch answered honestly.

The girl immediately understood.

"I know! Dunn came by this morning and mentioned you. He said the handsome one would help me with the shifts from now on. That's wonderful! I've been saying for ages that I need a partner. I'm so bored. Oh, right, I'm Rozanne!"

Rozanne introduced herself excitedly, then looked at Klein.

Soon, she shook her head.

"This gentleman probably isn't my partner. He looks so... well, honest?"

Klein's face darkened. The newspaper on Rozanne's desk was the Tingen Honest Man Newspaper, which made the description all the more fitting.

"Hmm, do I look like more of a ladies' man?"

Lynch asked with a laugh.

Rozanne immediately waved her hands.

It wasn't quite that.

The main thing was that Lynch was handsome, and handsome didn't exactly go hand in hand with being honest.

When she complimented people, she usually started by praising their looks. If they weren't good-looking, she praised their other qualities instead.

But if she told Klein that, he'd surely be upset, so Rozanne's conscience prompted her to keep it to herself.

"Ah, never mind all that. I need to contact the captain right away. Wait here!"

Rozanne dashed out, leaving behind a helpless Klein and a grinning Lynch.

Lynch finally managed to stop laughing. Only then did Rozanne return.

"The captain's on duty at Chanis Gate today, so he can't come out. I'll take you down to see him."

Rozanne had calmed down by now. She motioned for Lynch and Klein to follow.

They walked down a corridor lined with several offices. A head poked out of one of them.

It was Leonard.

When he saw Lynch and Klein, he immediately gave them a Poet-like smile.

"I knew you'd come. Welcome!"

Then, before Lynch or Klein could say anything, he pulled his head back and continued playing cards with the people inside.

"He's just like that. Ignore him."

Rozanne grumbled as she led them to the door on the left at the end of the corridor. She opened it and gestured for them to go down a few more floors.

After descending the stairs, they followed a long passage. When they reached a fork, Rozanne stopped to explain where each path led.

According to Rozanne, the left passage led to Saint Selena Cathedral, the right to the weapons and document archives, and straight ahead to Chanis Gate.

They passed the junction and continued forward. Before long, they saw a pair of black iron doors standing ahead.

"The captain's in there. Go on in, you two! You have to make sure you get hired. I really hope you'll work with me!"

Rozanne winked at Lynch. She was just so bored.

Lynch nodded. If Dunn changed his mind, he'd throw a tantrum right there, then go outside and shout that there was a Beyonder organization here. After all, he hadn't signed a confidentiality agreement yet.

But Dunn clearly had no intention of changing his mind.

When they entered, he took out two contracts and handed one to each of them.

"If you're sure, sign these contracts."

Of course they were sure.

Lynch gave the contract a quick look and signed it.

Dunn swiftly stamped the contracts, then gave each of them a copy.

"Good. You're both members now. Remember to keep everything confidential. Even the contract needs to be kept safe."

Lynch pretended not to hear.

Where was he supposed to hide the contract?

Tuck it into his waistband and carry it around?

"Now, is there anything you'd like to ask? You can ask me now."

Dunn stood with a smile and put his pipe to his lips, lighting it.

Lynch heard Klein ask about Beyonders losing control, clearly curious. Dunn began explaining with the creation myths, and Lynch's eyes glazed over.

It wasn't that he didn't like learning. It was just that every time Dunn said something, Lynch remembered another detail from the original story.

Just thinking about those things attracted attention. The Stone of Myriad Phenomena was nearly burning hot, and its energy was draining away in torrents. If this went on, he'd be done for.

Lynch could only force himself to stop letting his thoughts run wild. There were things he had no business thinking about yet.

But the harder he tried not to think about them, the faster his thoughts scattered.

After the conversation, Lynch realized the Stone of Myriad Phenomena was nearly out of energy.

Only when Dunn finished did he finally breathe a sigh of relief. He was afraid that if this kept up, the moment the Stone of Myriad Phenomena ran out of energy, he'd suddenly transform in Dunn's office and give Klein a live demonstration.

After Dunn finished explaining what Klein and Lynch needed to know, he finally began assigning them their duties.

Klein needed to walk the route between Welch's home and his own every day, in case it helped him remember where the Antigonus Notebook was.

That was right. Dunn suspected the Antigonus Notebook they'd turned in was fake. After all, there was still nothing written in it.

It didn't even have a trace of energy. They'd tried all sorts of methods, but they couldn't find any difference between it and an ordinary notebook.

So they suspected that the notebook Klein had given Lynch was a fake, planted by the people behind the scenes to divert their attention.

As for Lynch, his task was to visit his former coworkers every day and make casual conversation, to see if anything seemed off.

Besides that, Lynch needed to organize files, register cases, and tidy up the equipment storeroom with Rozanne. When things weren't busy, he was also supposed to study and try to get into Tingen University as soon as possible.

"Getting into Tingen University isn't very difficult. You just need to put in some effort. The difficult part is maintaining your grades while working. We'll provide the university with proof that you don't need to attend classes every day.

"If you can really graduate from Tingen University within five years and are willing to keep working here, we may be able to get you a Potion and make you a Beyonder.

"Of course, if you find a lead on the Antigonus Notebook, we can make you a Beyonder ahead of schedule, too. You can choose a Potion that enhances your memory, which will make studying much more effective."