"...."
Without a word, Kael slowly rose from his seat and picked up an empty bowl sitting beside him.
Mira blinked at the sight.
The gang members did the same.
"...?"
The man who had just spilled the stew frowned.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Without answering, Kael slowly walked up to the man with the bowl in hand.
The man smirked at the sight.
"What. Want a refill?"
But before he could even finish his sentence—
Crash—!
Kael slammed the bowl in his hand onto the man's head.
The bowl shattered into pieces, sending shards flying in all directions.
"Ugh, huh...?"
Blood streamed down his forehead.
"That's for the food."
As if the bar had frozen over, the gang members failed to grasp the situation for a moment.
Then, the scarred man was the first to come to his senses.
"Fuck!"
He raised his Electric Baton.
"What are you doing! Kill that bastard!"
Two of them lunged at him simultaneously.
Stepping back a pace, Kael twisted his body slightly to dodge the swinging Electric Baton.
Blue electricity sparked from the tip of the baton.
Kael grabbed his opponent's wrist and twisted it without hesitation.
Snap.
The Electric Baton clattered to the floor,
and before the man could even scream, Kael drove his knee into his abdomen.
Whack!
The man folded in half, unable to even catch his breath.
Another guy swung his arm toward Kael's neck from behind, but Kael ducked,
and as the arm cut through empty air, he drove a short punch into the opponent's flank.
"Gah!"
Kael grabbed the scruff of his neck and slammed him into the bar counter.
Slam!
The whole thing hadn't taken long.
Mira and the staff were struck speechless for a good while.
Shattered crockery, spilled stew, and collapsed gang members lay jumbled across the floor.
Kael quietly dusted off his hands and walked toward the window.
Mira's eyes widened.
"Wait. What are you going to do?"
As Kael opened the window,
Creak.
A cold draft of outside wind blew into the room.
Directly below, a worn awning overlapped with a trash collection safety net—a height from which one wouldn't die if thrown properly.
Probably.
When Kael first grabbed the scarred man by the scruff of his neck and dragged him, the man came to his senses and struggled violently.
"W-Wait! Are you crazy?!"
Kael did not reply.
"Our Hyung won't let this slide! Did you hear me?! Do you know whose territory this is?!"
Without a word, he pushed him toward the window.
The man's face turned deathly pale, but Kael lifted him without a change in expression.
"Hey! Hey, wait! Fuck, wait! Hyung will...!"
Those words were cut short.
Because Kael hurled him out the window.
"...Aaaaargh!"
The scream grew fainter and fainter,
and after a moment—
Thud!
The heavy shudder of the safety net could be heard.
Next, Kael grabbed the second bastard by the ankle—
"W-Wait. I didn't do anyth—!"
and hurled him out the window.
"Aaaargh!"
Thud!
Seeing the last man, who had spilled the stew, crawling on the floor, Kael seized the scruff of his neck.
The man's eyes trembled with terror.
"I-I'm sorry. I said I'm sorry! I'll give you money. Seriously."
Kael looked briefly at him, then—
"...."
"Please...!"
hurled him out the window as well.
"Aaaaargh!"
Thud.
"Hmm...."
Lightly dusting off his hands, Kael surveyed the mess around him and said,
"Sorry for causing a commotion."
Mira blinked several times, visibly stunned.
"...The inside can be cleaned up. The shop was going to close anyway."
"I'll pay for the bowl."
"Save that for later."
Mira let out a slow breath.
"More importantly, are you going to be okay?"
Kael didn't understand what she meant.
"What do you mean?"
"Those guys you just threw out."
Mira's face darkened slightly, as if things had turned serious.
"They're not just local punks. They belong to the gang that controls this district."
"A gang?"
"Black Ring. Literally ruthless...."
"And so?"
"...The problem is their Gang Leader, the one people call Toph."
Mira added in a hushed voice,
"He's a 6th Tier."
Kael stroked his chin, puzzled.
"6th Tier?"
"Yeah."
"Why is a 6th Tier in a place like this?"
According to Rin, 6th Tiers were renowned powerhouses in the city.
In fact, Pale had also served as the Head of Security for Seraph Industry.
Yet, someone of that caliber was acting as a slum gang boss on the outskirts.
Mira shrugged and replied,
"I don't know either."
As if nothing that happened here could ever be considered strange.
"All sorts of oddballs wash up here. Guys ousted from corporations, kicked out of the military, runaways after botching an experiment...."
"Is that Toph guy one of those types too?"
"There are plenty of rumors... but nobody really knows for sure."
Mira looked straight at Kael.
"Either way, watch your back. I get that you know how to fight, but a 6th Tier is on a whole different level."
Kael fell into thought for a moment.
To him, the boss's strength itself wasn't the most important thing here.
The fact that a 6th Tier Magician was here, and that he was the head of a criminal syndicate.
That meant there was likely no corporation to complain even if he seized his ACU.
"I see."
Kael remarked flatly.
Mira frowned, seemingly displeased by his reaction.
"Are you even listening to me?"
"I'm listening."
"You don't look scared at all."
Mira pressed a hand to her forehead as if nursing a headache.
"You really are a weird one."
Kael looked back at the stew spilled across the floor.
"I'll pay for the food somehow."
"I said it was free."
"One bowl was free."
Looking down at the shattered pieces of the bowl,
"The second one wasn't."
He turned around and headed outside.
"I'll be back later."
But Mira called out to stop him once more.
"Hey."
At her call, Kael stopped in his tracks.
"You said your name was Kael, right?"
"Yeah."
"Be really careful."
Her earnest voice was tinged with genuine concern.
"Black Ring isn't the type to let things like this slide. And Toph, even less so."
Kael looked at her for a moment, then nodded.
"Understood."
It wasn't a reassuring answer, but she seemed to accept that saying any more would be pointless.
..
..
In front of the building, the gang members he had thrown out the window earlier were already gone.
Only traces of the torn safety net and a few drops of spilled blood remained on the ground.
He stood there for a moment, looking up at the building.
"...."
The location wasn't bad at all.
It wasn't completely off the main road, yet it wasn't constantly exposed to the public eye either.
Moreover, since the first to third floors were vacant, there were endless ways to utilize them.
Most of all.
He owed Mira and the people of Last Round a debt.
To be precise, the gang had spilled the stew first, but Kael was the one who threw people out the window anyway.
In that case, the likelihood of retaliation from them was high.
Therefore, rather than vacating the building and leaving, making it his base was the better choice.
That was the final conclusion Kael reached.
However.
He was completely ignorant of how to buy a building.
After pondering for a moment, he took out Elena's business card.
A thin card with a silver circuit pattern engraved on a black background.
[Elena Weiss]
[Chief Secretary of Seraph Industry]
He had only just received it, so he hadn't expected to use it right away.
Kael tapped the business card lightly with his fingertip.
"She did say to contact her if I needed anything."
When he pressed the edge of the card, a short chime rang out.
A moment later, a small communication window floated in midair, revealing Elena's face.
- Mr. Kael?
Her face betrayed surprise that the call had come so soon, but she quickly composed her expression.
- Has something happened? Are you in danger?
"No."
- What a relief, then. Is there something you need?
Kael looked up at the building.
"I'd like to buy a building."
A very brief silence fell over the communication window.
- ...A building?
"Yeah."
- Are you referring to a residential building, or a commercial one?
Kael looked at the building again.
The first through third floors were empty, and the fourth floor had a bar.
"Both."
- Could you give me the location?
Kael looked around and spotted an address plate.
The worn metal plate displayed a district number and a building identification code.
"Graverock Block, East 17th Street. Building identification code G-R17-044."
Elena's gaze shifted to the side, seemingly looking it up on the internal network.
A moment later, she spoke.
- Confirmed. The building is currently registered under private ownership, but it is flagged with tax delinquency and debt seizures. The commercial tenant on the fourth floor is also listed as scheduled for eviction.
"Can I buy it?"
- Procedurally, it is possible. However, the building's maintenance condition is poor, and the surrounding public security risk is high.
"I know."
- Additionally, there is a possibility that some of the debts tied to the building are linked to local unofficial organizations.
"Black Ring?"
At his words, Elena's expression hardened.
- Have you already made contact with them?
"A little incident occurred."
- ...What exactly do you mean by "a little"?
Kael thought for a moment before continuing.
"About the extent of throwing a few guys out the fourth-floor window."
Across the communication window, Elena closed and opened her eyes very slowly.
- Mr. Kael.
"What."
- It hasn't even been an hour since I gave you my business card.
"Things just turned out that way."
- I see.
Elena's voice remained polite, yet a hint of exhaustion seemed to seep through.
- For now, we can proceed with the building acquisition process. However, this is a matter that will be reported to the Representative.
"Sure."
- Do you truly want this building?
"Yeah."
- May I ask the reason?
"The conditions are good."
Elena let out a small sigh.
- Understood. I will connect with the Seraph Legal Team and Asset Management Team. Shall we proceed with the purchase under Mr. Kael's name?
"No, have Seraph Industry purchase it."
Across the communication window, Elena paused.
- Under Seraph Industry's name, you mean?
"Yeah."
- If it is a residence for Mr. Kael's use, purchasing it under your personal name would be more natural. If purchased under Seraph's name, the building will be classified as a corporate asset.
"Doesn't matter."
- Is there a reason?
Kael thought for a moment.
Was there any need to tell her everything?
Few would dare mess with a building bearing the name of Seraph.
Whether it was Black Ring, Toph, or any other syndicate in this district, it was the same. Attacking an individual and messing with corporate assets were issues on entirely different levels.
Furthermore, once Seraph became the building's owner, messy problems entangled with debts, taxes, and local syndicates would resolve themselves automatically.
Kael didn't want to shoulder such troublesome chores.
Besides, the core objective was ultimately securing a safe zone.
"I only need a place to stay."
Kael continued impassively.
"Handle the complicated stuff like ownership and contracts on your end."
Elena remained silent for a moment.
- In other words, Mr. Kael wishes to use the building while having Seraph Industry handle the legal ownership and management issues?
"Yeah."
- Do you plan to use the entire building?
Kael surveyed the building once more.
The first floor, second floor, third floor....
And the Last Round on the fourth floor.
"Just the third floor is enough."
- As living quarters, you mean?
"Yeah."
- What do you intend to do with the existing commercial establishment on the fourth floor?
"Leave it as it is."
- You mean Last Round?
"Yeah."
Elena shifted her gaze to the side once more, seemingly looking up information.
- That facility is currently registered for eviction. The tenant's delinquency issues and debt problems are intertwined.
"Take care of that too."
- In the form of Seraph Industry assuming the costs?
"Yeah."
- May I ask why?
At her question, Kael answered without any change in expression.
"The food is delicious."
Elena was rendered speechless for a split second.
- ...Because the food is delicious, you wish to keep a bar that's scheduled for eviction?
"Yeah."
- Mr. Kael.
"What."
- Are you joking?
"No."
Across the communication window, Elena took a slow, steadying breath.
- Understood. I will process it, including keeping Last Round in business. However, if it is purchased under Seraph's name, a justification is required.
"A justification?"
- To incorporate it as a company asset, there must be a stated purpose on internal documents. It can be processed as a small-scale support base in the outskirts, temporary residential facility, or commercial revitalization project.
"Just handle that appropriately as you see fit."
- As I see fit... you say?
"I need a place to stay here, and the fourth floor just needs to keep making food."
Kael said calmly.
"You know all the complicated details better than I do anyway."
Elena looked at him for a moment.
- Understood. I will process it under the justification of securing an outpost in the outskirts for Seraph. I will organize the first and second floors as management and spare space, the third floor as Mr. Kael's temporary residence, and the fourth floor as the retention of the existing commercial establishment.
"Good."
Kael felt reasonably satisfied with his newly acquired Magic Tower.