"Knock. Knock."
The sharp sound cut through the quiet morning. A rough voice answered from inside a cluttered, dilapidated villa.
"Hey! Stop knocking! I'm coming!"
A thick arm shoved the door open. A hulking figure filled the doorway, his most striking feature a wild mane of hair. Untended, it stuck out like a bird's nest—ugly, jarringly out of place in the refined atmosphere of the Clock Tower. The oil-stained teddy-bear pajamas only made him look more slovenly and ridiculous.
Of course, he wasn't a gentleman. In the eyes of the Clock Tower's aristocracy, he was something far lower—what they liked to call a "war hound."
Mercenaries were nothing unusual among magi. Even the Edelfelt family was renowned for the art of war. Still, taking any job for money alone placed one far from the elegance those noble houses prided themselves on.
"And you are?" the man growled. "Name's Kairi Shishigou. State your business."
He sounded half-asleep, like a lion roused from a nap, irritation edged with the pressure of a veteran of countless battlefields.
Standing before him was a youthful boy in a finely tailored formal suit. Behind the boy stood a shy-looking girl, dressed like a maid, holding a dark red gift box.
"Rhodes. I belong to the Yggdmillennia family," the boy said with a light laugh. He slipped through the doorway as he spoke, ignoring the irritation on Kairi Shishigou's face.
"What do you think you're doing?" Kairi snapped. He flared like a roaring lion, though to Rhodes it looked no different from a shrew's tantrum.
"It's simple. I'm here to sell something."
The boy sat down on a sofa coated in dust. The instant he did, an invisible wave of mana swept outward.
Magic condensed, transformed, and wove itself together. A complex formula—one that would normally require eight full measures of chanting—echoed through the chaotic room.
Then, as if the most diligent cleaner had passed through, every speck of dust and every scrap of trash vanished without a trace.
"What the hell…" Kairi froze.
He stared down at himself. The oil stains on his pajamas were gone. His greasy hair, once clumped together, now looked freshly washed.
Even the faint scent of blood that clung to him had disappeared.
"What did you do?" This time there was no bluster. His voice dropped, serious. His fingers settled on the grip of the handgun at his waist, never far from reach.
Rhodes had just demonstrated the ability to strip away every impurity on his body in an instant. That same power could just as easily drain his blood dry—or crush his organs into paste. Either would kill a man.
"Nothing complicated," Rhodes replied with a faint smile, mockery laced through his tone. "Just a bit of housekeeping. Of course, if you consider garbage, dust, and that smell of yours to be antiques, I can offer compensation."
He spoke calmly, nothing like a reckless child.
The young girl behind him stepped forward and presented the gift box to Kairi.
"An SRM Arms 1216 semi-automatic shotgun," Rhodes said patiently, watching the man's stunned expression. "Modified by me. It carries three small but interesting spells: Guided Shot, Sniper's Strike, and True Strike. Try it out. It will let you crush any magus below Brand."
"Hah? You expect me to believe that?" Kairi scoffed—then froze the moment his hand closed around the grip.
This wasn't the cheap sort of shock found in sensational headlines. It was genuine awe.
Enchanting even a single spell onto a Mystic Code was already difficult. Most could only be used once. Yet this shotgun carried three spells, each reinforcing the others to produce lethal results.
It could have served as a treasured heirloom for an entire magus lineage. And yet this boy had tossed it out as casually as unsold stock.
"…What's your price?" Kairi asked at last, reluctance plain on his face. This was a treasure far beyond what he could afford.
"I'm not interested in mundane wealth," Rhodes said. "I want distribution—and your mercenary contacts." His tone was calm, sincere enough to inspire trust. "In return, I want you to promote these products to magi who live on the battlefield. It's for their survival."
"Sounds like every arms dealer I've ever met," Kairi muttered, lips curling. Still, the grin on his face was unmistakable. "I won't take advantage of you. Next time you hire me, I'll give you a discount. Let's say… five percent."
"So straightforward." Rhodes smiled. He ignored the provocation. Any competent politician learned early to tune out worthless complaints.
He rose slowly, casting a look of pity at Kairi Shishigou.
"Until next time, Mr. Shishigou."
He turned to leave, then abruptly looked back.
"Six years from now. We'll meet again in Romania."
Kairi stared at him, utterly baffled.
◇◇◇
A few days later, a Mystic Code shop called "Rhodes' Arcane Garden" officially opened its doors.
Mercenary magi flocked in at the news, and its sales promptly shattered the monopoly long held by old noble families.
After all, even the world of magi ran on market economics.