The Cursed Wizard: A Game Made Real

Crackle!! 

"… … .." 

Mila frowned as if she remembered the memory from earlier but drove the forklift without saying anything. 

Soon enough, one of the Contaminants began to appear, writhing and convulsing with its tongue out. 

Leo asked as he got down, collected the eyeball of the tainted being, and climbed back onto the forklift. 

"So, where exactly are you going?" 

"I don't know about you, but contaminants usually chase after life responses." 

"Embrace." 

"…. Anyway, where would be the place where the contaminants would be most likely to gather?" 

Mila didn't seem to be expecting Leo to answer, but Leo quickly found the answer in those words. 

Areas where large-scale life responses are likely to occur outside of the Balkan megacities. Not a difficult problem. 

"It looks like there's a residential area nearby where homeless people live." 

"Huh? You knew that too?" 

"No. But I have a rough idea." 

It's not that Leo didn't know about the existence of the vagabonds and didn't go looking for them. 

If the pollutants' characteristic is to chase after living things, the damage they inflict on the vagabonds wandering through undeveloped areas would be the greatest. 

In fact, the city government's intention to pay a lot of money to mercenaries and entrust them with the task of subjugating these vagrants is also mixed with the intention of preventing excessive deaths. 

However, searching for the residential areas of the homeless people whose exact locations were unknown was almost a waste of time, and crucially…. 

"Have you ever thought that other mercenaries might be similar?" 

The problem was that it was such an obvious idea that there was an extremely high possibility that other mercenaries would be following a similar path. 

This was because Leo calculated that it would be better to just use his vast magical power detection ability to search for the contaminated areas rather than going to the areas where the contaminated were gathered alone and fighting with another group of mercenaries. 

"If you don't have any plans, then come down early. I want to fill up my quota and go back, even if it's by myself." 

"Hey, hey. Wait a minute. Why are wizards so impatient?" 

Mila smiled and held on to Leo's clothes as he tried to get up. 

"I'm not stupid. I know all those obvious facts. Of course, I have at least one secret that others don't know." 

"… … .." 

To Leo, Mila seemed like a fool and a foolish thing… but since we've come this far, there's no reason not to listen to her even if she's just lying. 

"Our boss is interested in homeless people." 

"Is that Antares?" 

It's surprising that a mercenary who has been through all kinds of hardships is interested in homeless people. 

Is there some special circumstance? 

"Yeah. So sometimes, because of the boss, the offices get together and go out to do free volunteer work under the guise of a low-cost request." 

"It's free service…." 

It's amazing. 

It's not that a mercenary of Antares's Caliber cares about vagabonds, but rather that the mercenaries who follow him follow his orders without question. 

Even Mila herself doesn't seem to have any complaints about the fact itself. 

The mercenaries, who have nothing but money and brute force, are obediently following his instructions. 

That means that the man named Antares has a tight grip on his office. 

Is he really a person of character who treats his subordinate mercenaries well, or is he a superhuman who suppresses even the smallest complaints with his abilities? 

"Anyway, so we recently helped some vagrants relocate to a new residential area. And we still know the location. What do you think, that's pretty exciting information, huh?" 

"… … .." 

Certainly, if you can avoid crossing paths with other mercenaries, it doesn't seem like a bad idea to just wander around the residential areas of the homeless and subdue the approaching contaminated beings. 

However, if we summarize what we have heard so far, Mila not only needs money… 

"It seems like he sends people out periodically to check on the homeless. Is there a reason why this man named Antares cares so much about them?" 

"Hahaha, aren't you a bit too perceptive?" 

Mila scratched her cheek with an embarrassed expression, but did not answer any further and drove the forklift in silence. 

Leo looked at her profile and silently collected his thoughts. 

It is likely that Antares's help to the homeless is not simply out of pity or sympathy. 

The vagabonds Leo encountered were mostly runaways from reality or criminals who could not possibly survive under the lax discipline of the Balkans, rather than the helpless underdogs. 

Outcasts who deserve no sympathy. 

There must be a reason beyond what is apparent as to why they are helping people survive in underdeveloped areas. 

It was clear that the city government and Antares knew something that others didn't. 

"We're almost there. This way." 

Passing through the ruins that were so complexly scattered that it was hard to tell where you were, among the fallen rebar here and there. 

But the moment Leo saw the area Mila had spoken of, he could tell that it had been artificially created to prevent outside invasion. 

A structure that appears to be open but is difficult to cross to the plain on the other side due to all kinds of scattered objects. 

Deep pits are spread throughout the open space that is not blocked by any cover, completely blocking access. 

Leo spread his magic widely while looking at the residential areas of the homeless, which were not very thorough, but were not completely shabby either. 

There are about a hundred people hiding in those ruins. 

It's not a small number. 

Mila drove the forklift around the ruins, looking around slowly. 

"It's not like the contaminated ones haven't discovered this place yet… I guess the vagrants are taking care of the contaminated ones that come their way. Well, I built them such a fancy house, so they should be able to handle that much." 

"Aren't you going to go inside?" 

"Why me? If it weren't for the boss, I wouldn't even want to go near them. I'd rather hang out with the scavengers." 

After all, it wasn't like Mila liked homeless people that she helped Antares move to a new residential area. In a way, it was natural. 

Even now, it was difficult to look favourably on the gloomy gazes that constantly peeked at the two people from between the ruins. 

After saying that, she stopped the forklift, put down the steering wheel, and leaned back against the seat. 

"Okay. Let's wait here for now. I can't even see the tip of your nose right now, but any pollutants passing by here are bound to drool in this direction… ...Hmm?" 

Before I could finish speaking, Mila suddenly turned her head. 

Leo also sensed a large amount of life responses entering his sensory sphere and turned his gaze. 

Beyond the horizon, where a rough sandy wind was blowing, someone was approaching in a group. 

"Umm… I think there are a little over ten, but it's too far away for me to tell." 

"Eighteen. All mercenaries." 

"… … … " 

Leo responded indifferently and sat up from his seat. 

Mila also sighed deeply and got down from the forklift. 

"I came down here on purpose because I didn't want to do this kind of thing…." 

"If they were mercenaries who knew how to use magic to some extent, it would have been easy to find them by chance while passing by. They were too easy to spot." 

Mila raised her eyebrows as she watched Leo raise his magical power while saying so. 

"What, you want to start a fight? Just tell them to get out since we got here first." 

"I wish it could end like that, but… I know someone over there." 

"Are you an acquaintance? Then that's good. Let's send him back with some nice words." 

"No. We don't know each other that well…." 

Leo smiled bitterly as he said that. 

This was because the three figures that had separated not long ago were gradually approaching us. 

Soon, mercenaries approaching from the other side slowly reveal themselves through the sandstorm. 

Among them, Leo's eyes clearly see familiar faces. 

Miguel, Eriksen, Claria. 

The three people who had joined forces with other mercenaries to carry out the subjugation mission happened to encounter Leo here. 

A similar look of bewilderment passes over the faces of the three people who see him from the other side. 

"… … .." 

There was a brief lull. 

After a while of staring blankly at each other, it was Miguel who moved first. 

He broke away from the group and approached Leo first, greeting him awkwardly. 

"Mr. Ban. It's nice to see you again. The undeveloped area seems really small." 

"Okay." 

Miguel flinched at Leo's indifferent answer, but he continued to speak steadfastly. 

"Is the woman next to you part of your original group…?" 

"I ran into you by chance." 

"Oh, really? That's good. Isn't it a bit dangerous to go there alone?" 

"What do you want to say?" 

In the first place, we aren't close enough to even say hello to each other. 

Miguel let out a small sigh at Leo's straightforward words and glanced back at the group. 

The other mercenaries also all focused their gaze on them. 

With great difficulty, he opened his mouth first. 

"That's because this is the place we first noticed." 

"Where is the seat?" 

Of course, he was talking about a suitable place where the pollutants would find themselves, but Leo pretended not to know without even blinking. 

There was no reason to listen to Miguel and other mercenaries' symbols when they were so obvious. 

Miguel seemed slightly agitated by Leo's answer, and his reply was slightly slow. 

"… … If it's not inconvenient, could you move to another place?" 

"Hey, are you crazy?" 

And Mila, who had been quietly listening to those words, chimed in with a look of shock on her face. 

appreciation 

"I'm just listening to you quietly, so what the hell are you talking about? You're talking nonsense like, 'This is your place, this is my place' in an ownerless land." 

"It seems like the lady doesn't know, but once the mercenaries who are supposed to subdue the contaminated are given a place to sit…." 

"Is this your house? What the hell, and the ones who live here were the ones who built the house in the first place. Are you just going to take a close look at it?" 

"Milla." 

Of course, Leo had no intention of stopping her. 

By pretending to dissuade her, I ended up making her even angrier. 

It is human nature to become more agitated when someone tries to stop you. 

"Don't stop me. No, don't you get mad when the kids who arrived later than us start claiming to occupy land that no one has an owner for?" 

Crunch! 

As Mila, unable to control her anger while speaking, took out a shotgun and broke the barrel, Miguel's face turned pale. 

Could it be that you never thought that they would use force right here and now? 

But Miguel didn't just sit back and watch. 

"Let's do it in moderation. We don't have hands, so we're not asking you to do it with words…!!" 

No matter what, there are only two people on that side, and there are almost twenty people gathered here. 

It seemed like there was nothing I couldn't try by pressing the numbers. 

A situation so tense that it looks like a collision could occur at any moment. 

Leo quickly scanned the other mercenaries standing behind Miguel. 

A dozen or so people wearing equipment including firearms, and one young man with small eyes who does not seem to have any sense of energy, including magic. 

If you were to go into battle, who would you subdue first? 

As his mind quickly sorted out priorities, someone appeared behind Miguel and tapped him on the shoulder. 

"Let's just do it that far." 

"… …Maoren." 

The small-eyed young man that Leo had just seen smiled at Mila. 

"I didn't expect to see a mercenary from the Antares office here. It's nice to meet you." 

"What?" 

"I am Plato's Maoren. I am sorry to inform you that I am here to guide the mercenaries today." 

Young man, Mila's face frowns involuntarily after hearing Maoren's words. 

No wonder. The Plato Mercenary Office. Leo had heard that name from Jenny too. 

The most active mercenary office on this floor recently, along with Antares. 

Unlike Antares, which operates with a small but elite force, it was famous for scouting talented mercenaries based on a huge amount of capital of unknown origin. 

Maoren continued speaking with a faint smile on her face. 

"It is well known that Lord Antares is interested in undeveloped areas. Can we consider the residential areas for homeless people created here as part of that?" 

Mila didn't say anything in response, but Maoren nodded as if that was the answer. 

"All right."