The Cursed Wizard: A Game Made Real

"Okay." 

"The city government has put up a fund to punish the pollutants that are appearing there. It seems like the homeless people living there have been dying like crazy lately because of them." 

"… … .." 

"The corpses piled up and rotted, and useless animals gathered there, which later turned into pollutants, and this vicious cycle continued, so the city government decided to take action." 

"What about the reward for the punitive expedition?" 

"A million cells per fish. You can catch just ten fish and get ten million cells as compensation. All you have to do is take out the pollutant's eyeballs and submit them to the city's environmental office." 

A million cells per mari… It's cheaper than the price of catching one bounty hunter but considering that it takes half a day to hunt for a bounty, this might actually be a better way to make money in a brief period of time. 

Leo began to wonder how much effort it would take to catch the contaminant for that amount of money. 

It may not seem like a burden considering that it usually takes an entire day to catch one criminal, and you get around a million cells, but the fact that you have to go out and find the contaminated body yourself is a concern. 

When bounty hunting, it is possible to actively use tracking magic such as [Bloody Chase], but it is questionable whether a similar method will work against contaminated creatures. 

Jenny also shut her mouth tightly and began shaking the shaker when she saw that Leo seemed to be seriously contemplating. 

Judging from the fact that he was making excuses even though there was no order, it seemed that Leo wanted to postpone the request this time. 

It's not that I don't understand her feelings. 

If the commission rate that Leo accepts goes up, the commission she earns will also skyrocket. 

'Yeah... not bad.' 

The auction for the elixir Stemonia ends approximately next week. 

It's not too late to go to an undeveloped area for a day and then make a decision. 

If at that point you feel like the income isn't as expected, then you can just stop accepting the request. 

After careful consideration, Leo nodded with difficulty. 

"I would like to hear a detailed explanation." 

Undeveloped area 

Undeveloped area. 

This refers to a large ruin that stretches across the latter half of the 50s and the 'off-site area' that doesn't even have a number. 

It was designed with ambitious plans to greatly expand the residential area of the city's residents, along with the rapid expansion of the former megacity of Balkan. 

After failing to control the 40s districts, which were created first due to corruption and profiteering, the 50s districts were treated as abandoned children by the city government. 

Dusty concrete and rebar. Abandoned construction equipment with no clear indication of when work will resume. 

An area filled with emptiness that seems to have been destroyed rather than built. 

The organizations that operate from this place as their base are known to be either quite insane or of such a vicious nature that they cannot possibly set foot inside the city. 

A hell where vagabonds and madmen who have lost their will to survive and been driven out of the city wander lost. 

And this was also the place that Leo chose as his area of activity. 

"Number 484. Remember the number. If you look at the electronic board, we'll send you in groups of four, so wait until then." 

The receptionist handed Leo a number without even looking at him. 

The 5th outpost of the district management headquarters under the city government's environmental office, located in District 50. 

This is where the personal information of various mercenaries who are sent to undeveloped areas upon receiving a request for subjugation from the city government is registered and managed. 

Rather than blindly sending them into the undeveloped area to capture the contaminants that appear, they surprisingly seem to be concerned about safety, such as sending the mercenaries in groups of four. 

Of course, this wasn't such good news for Leo, who had planned to move on his own. 

For now, I decided to follow the receptionist's instructions and wait quietly for my turn. 

As I sit on a nearby chair and look around, I notice other mercenaries who have come to participate in the contaminated body subjugation mission. 

Although their appearances were all different, it was clear that they were all working here, judging by the indelible fatigue on their faces. 

'This is the first time I've seen so many mercenaries.' 

I've worked with the Cream Gall mercenary office, but their office isn't that big. 

How often do you encounter mercenaries on a regular basis unless you work with them? 

The number of mercenaries gathered at this outpost was easily over thirty, so Leo hid his expression and began to carefully observe the mercenaries. 

The equipment they use is quite diverse, even considering their mercenary status. 

Usually, if they trained their bodies, they would not be afraid of cold weapons, and even if they did not, it was common for everyone to have at least one firearm in their arms. 

In a way, it's natural. This is the real world, different from the game, and there won't be any unnecessary penalties for carrying multiple weapons. 

If Leo could properly enchant items with magic, it would be much easier to store and store them than it is now… As I was letting time pass by with such regretful thoughts, it was Leo's turn before I knew it. 

Looking around, it seemed like there were few people who came alone and many who moved in teams, so it seemed like it would take some time for Leo to get his turn. 

As I walked towards the scoreboard, I saw three mercenaries looking around. 

The man in the lead, who had met Leo's gaze, strode forward and offered to shake his hand. 

"Hello. This is number 484. My name is Miguel." 

A face with dark skin and an expression that is hard to read. The hand he is shaking hands with is covered in hard calluses and his forearms are muscular. 

The weapons he uses are a short spear and a submachine gun. It's an unbalanced combination, but if he were a mercenary rolling around in this world, he wouldn't have been too flashy. 

A cool smile hung on his lips, but Leo didn't miss Miguel's gaze as he looked him up and down for a brief moment. 

Leo shook his hand politely and greeted the rest of the group standing behind him. 

Two men, including Miguel, and one woman. 

The man's name was Eriksen, and the woman's name was Claria. 

Is it a method where two men stand in front and a woman supports fire from behind with a rifle? 

I lightly summoned up my magical power and scanned their movements, but they only knew how to use the minimum magical power necessary to strengthen their bodies, and they didn't seem to have any special abilities. 

Leo and the three men finished some light maintenance and left the outpost to begin walking. 

The distance from here to the undeveloped area is not that far. 

It's not easy to encounter pollutants if you head out of the city right away, but I like the fact that I don't have to wander far. 

The three of them had known each other from the beginning, and they were able to skilfully continue their conversation without feeling awkward, even with Leo between them. 

It's hard to remain silent while working together, so maybe I should consider this as an experience. 

"It must be tough for people working outside the Balkans. Even though the pollution has been rampant recently, you still have to travel to and from the city with that risk." 

"So, don't you say that factories and buildings built outside the city are often dirty when you dig them up? You're saying that only people who commit absurd acts that the lax city government cannot tolerate head outside? Oh, could this also be considered prejudice?" 

At those words, Leo remembered the factory where he first woke up. 

A factory that captured people, exploited their labour, and made corpse crushers for black magicians to sell to the union… It was definitely not a healthy work environment. 

The three of them continued their conversation with occasional chit-chat, and Leo occasionally added a word when he spoke to them. 

The story flowed smoothly and before we knew it, it was heading towards introducing how they fought each other. 

"One million cells as a reward for exterminating one pollutant. It's not an easy task, but it's not common to receive a commission like this at any time. For mercenaries like us, the existence of undeveloped areas isn't necessarily something to be afraid of." 

"My shotgun is a huge help, especially when I'm hunting and slaughtering those guys." 

Eriksen smiled good-naturedly, pointing to the shotgun slung on his back. 

"But Mr. Ban, it seems like you only have one revolver. Do you use any other equipment?" 

Claria's question, which passes by very lightly as they ask about each other's recent activities. 

But Leo couldn't help but laugh inwardly as he watched the three people exchange glances for that brief moment. 

I think he was trying not to show it, but it was obvious. 

They try to obscure its significance by burying it in the flow of conversation, but what they are most curious about from Leo has been set from the beginning. 

Leo answered calmly, as it was not something to hide now. 

"I am researching lightning-type magic." 

"… ...If you're talking about the lightning series, are you talking about the pure elements?" 

"I guess that's right." 

After Leo answered, he felt something strange and frowned. 

The friendly atmosphere among the mercenaries changed in an instant. 

Miguel with an embarrassed expression, Eriksen looking like he is looking at a pitiful person, and Claria with an expressionless face. 

Everyone was looking at Leo as if he were a completely different person than before. 

Miguel said with a small sigh. 

"We misunderstood." 

"In what sense?" 

Leo replied. It was natural that his words would be cut short when the other side's attitude became strange. 

"I naturally assumed that Mr. Ban was a magician who had mastered popular magic such as shock magic. Usually, magicians who travel alone strive to develop the ability to coordinate with other team members at any time." 

"… … ." 

This is the first time I've heard an excuse like this since I started working with lightning-type magic at the forefront. 

I've heard that pure element magic is not as efficient as it used to be in the beginning stages of learning, so it's relatively unpopular, but it's strange that they're rejecting you for not learning the magic of the desired series so blatantly. 

Did they really plan to drop Leo and move separately from the beginning? If they had that kind of plan, I could understand. 

Even as Leo was lost in thought, Miguel continued talking. 

"If this is the case, I might have to reconsider working on the contaminated body request together. I also want to work with someone who can provide sufficient firepower support…" 

A tone of inference, as if Leo had not made any such effort. 

His ambiguous attitude of beating around the bush about not wanting to work together now makes me sigh. 

I knew there would be time to weigh things up before we started working together, but I never thought you would change your attitude so suddenly. 

Catastrophe comes at a rapid pace. 

Even if you force yourself to go along here, it's like boarding a collapsing ship. 

I had no intention of hanging on for too long. 

"I just ask one thing." 

"Yes?" 

"Do all four of us have to gather together to defeat the polluted entities and receive the reward?" 

"… … That won't be the case. Dealing with contaminants isn't that easy, and there could be casualties, so we can't afford to not pay compensation just because the personnel aren't right." 

"Okay then." 

Leo nodded and turned away. 

"Wizard?" 

"If we don't get along, there's no point in going along for a long time. Since we've gotten the number of people together and entered the undeveloped area, I think it's okay for us to act separately from here." 

Miguel glanced at him and asked. 

"… … Are you really okay with that?" 

He says that, but his voice is dripping with joy. 

The expressions of Eriksen and Claria standing behind also became much more cheerful. 

Even if Leo were a truly inexperienced wizard, he wouldn't be completely useless in these subjugation requests. They just don't want to share the rewards from subjugating the contaminated. 

If the number of people decreases by even one, the pie that comes back will get bigger. 

Leo nodded coolly. 

"It would have been much cleaner if we had talked about it from the beginning when we first formed the team. I feel sorry for bothering you for nothing." 

"Oh, no. I can't say that so bluntly." 

Miguel's tone was still polite, but he no longer seemed to have any intention of hiding his true feelings. 

"Then let's part ways here for now. We need to keep some distance between us to achieve mutually satisfactory results." 

"If you do that, we would really appreciate it… Oh, no. I'm sure the half-wizard has his own thoughts as well." 

Miguel's friendly smile cracked slightly, but he quickly recovered from his mistake. 

Leo nodded and immediately turned away. 

Not all corporations or gangs are necessarily bad or evil, and not all mercenaries or freelancers are necessarily good people. 

If it brings profit, take it; if it brings loss, throw it away. 

They are just one of those ordinary people. 

Of course, I couldn't help but feel annoyed because I had never expected to be treated like this by the mercenaries, but it was not like I could show off my skills by fighting them here. 

Although he may feel satisfied by trampling on them for a while, in the end, Leo will be the one who loses the commission fee if he ends up going together with them. 

Leo knew that fact very well, so he simply followed the mercenaries' wishes and stepped down. 

The important thing is not to waste the money you could be earning by fighting over pride with them. 

It would have been enough to save face later in front of the settlement statement. 

Leo quickly shook off his distracting thoughts and began to focus as he drew up his magical power and stretched it out in all directions without hesitation. 

# 

Miguel looked at Leo walking away with a puzzled expression. 

"What are you looking at like that?" 

Miguel turned his head at Claria's words. 

The formality that had been used disappeared as soon as Leo left. 

She said with a grin, fiddling with the magazine of the rifle she was holding. 

"One annoying obstacle is gone. It's annoying when there's a single insect stuck to you." 

"That's right. I'm already annoyed just thinking about joining the punitive team, and I don't have the luxury of worrying about such a weakling." 

Eriksen interrupted Claria. 

"After wandering around alone for a while and experiencing the bitter taste a few times, you'll probably crawl back into the city on your own." 

It's not that Miguel and his group kicked out Leo without any faith. 

A subjugation team that was created after it became known among the mercenary community that subjugating contaminated entities was an effective way to make money. 

It was agreed in advance that about 10 people would gather together to increase the speed of the subjugation and reduce the risk of detection.