Day 318 - 7:11 PM - Temporary House, ck Lotus Compound, Kachidoki, Chuo City, Tokyo


    After almost an entire day of going around different ces, Mark''s group went home.


    Today''s activities were not as tiring if it waspared to fighting the [Infected] and [Mechids]. However, it was just as exhausting. Furthermore, everywhere they went today, they were the center of attention. Worse, they could not do anything about it.


    Mei and Amihan were already eye-catching. They were also escorted by the leader of ck Lotus too, not to mention the circumstances during the Combat Examination.


    Except for Emika and Miracle, everyone in Mark''s group was, technically, introverts. Being the center of attention was too taxing on their mental health.


    The unwanted attention aside, there were other things that bothered the members of Mark''s group.


    While using a brightmp at the center to illuminate the room, the group was currently eating their dinner. At the same time, they were talking about today''s events along with their next ns.


    When the topic of what everyone thought about the Reimed City came, there was one thing that came to their minds.


    "This ce is too peaceful that it''s ufortable."


    That was Spera''s evaluation, where everyone could only agree.


    It was not like there were no conflicts. Competition between "Territorial Groups" like ck Lotus Group and Blood Lion Troupe was prevalent. There were also conflicts between [Frencers]. Not to mention the events in front of the Registration and Management Bureau this morning.


    However, as Mark described a lot of people they saw in the morning along the road, people here were trying to relive their peaceful life before the apocalypse.


    While inevitable changes happened, like the new form of government and the existence of [Frencers], almost everything in the Reimed City was preserved from the pre-apocalypse. It gave the illusion of a peaceful life despite the drastic contrast once they looked past the boundary of the Reimed City.


    The members of Mark''s group, who spent the apocalypse facing struggles and fighting dangerous foes, the Reimed City''s peace was suffocating. It was not like they did not want a peaceful life. It was just that they would want to embrace true peace and not just some illusion that could shatter at any time.


    In fact, due to the peaceful illusion of the Reimed City, themon people would be the ones to suffer. The illusory peace they had dulled their senses. They convinced themselves that they would not step out of the Reimed City.


    ...They convinced themselves that there was no way this peace would shatter.


    And in the event that the illusion of peace was gone, it would be toote for them.


    "Just endure for now," Mark shrugged. "It''s not like we will stay here for too long. After we''re done with our business here, we''ll head to China through Korea. Though we can return here from time to time."


    The illusion of peace in the Reimed City was not that bad. It was only bad when one became drunk with it. It was pretty much like a lot of the people currently trying to relive their pre-apocalypse life in the Reimed City.


    "Gege, what are we going to do next? Are we going to look for a different ce to stay tomorrow, or should we take a mission from the bureau?"


    Mei asked.


    Ren allowed them to stay in this temporary house indefinitely. However, Mark had no intention of overstaying and taking advantage of her generosity. In the first ce, this generosity stemmed from the fact that she wanted Mark''s group to join the ck Lotus. Now that he surely made his intention clear that they would not join the ck Lotus Group, there was no need to stay for too long.


    But there also came the issue of money. Aside from designated refuge areas, there were private properties in each area governed by the "Territorial Groups," like the vacant properties around the ck Lotus Compound.


    These properties could be rented using credits. It was actually a method to increase productivity from the refugees by allowing them to move out of the refuge areas after earning enough credits.


    Back in Bay City, they also employed a simr tactic, which was continued in Corregidor, albeit lessened due to a different leadership in the past.


    "I want to look for a house first, but..."


    Mei added.


    "We don''t have the money they use here."


    Spera chimed in.


    They needed money to rent a house, which was something they did not have since they had just arrived here yesterday. If they wanted to move out, they needed to earn money first.


    Or maybe, get a loan from Ren, which was not what Mark wanted.


    "There are few ways to earn money quickly."


    Mark said with a smile.


    "Hmmm?"


    Spera tilted her head, staring at Mark in askance.


    Mark then took two items out. One was a bar of triangr imported chocte, and the other was a thumb-sized stone, a [Mutagen Stone].


    "We can sell these," Mark exined. "Chocte is a luxury product. Even if we sell these several times the original price, many people will still try to buy them. As for the [Mutagen Stone], you girls probably didn''t notice because it''s written in Japanese, but there''s a sign by the reception saying the bureau is buying these. If it''s these stones, we are notcking them. The same for the chocte since I got a nice amount inside my ring. Oh, right. I also brought a few boxes of imported cigarettes, didn''t I? We can also sell those."


    Mark had a few things inside his ring that he thought he could use when dealing with people. For example, chocte and cigarettes were now high-end luxury products sincemercial production of these items was stopped with no one to make them.


    Selling a few of these luxury items would be more than enough to earn them money to rent a property.


    "The question is, where should we sell the chocte and the cigarette."


    Spera said, tapping her bowl of food with her spoon.


    "We have someone we can sell to."


    Mei responded, making Spera turn to her.


    In response to Spera''s stare, Mei pointed at the building outside the temporary house. The office of the ck Lotus Group.


    "Ah, yeah... Ren is rich, isn''t she?"


    Spera said as she ate a spoonful of her food.


    Earlier, Ren treated them to lunch and also offered a loan if Mark''s group bought some equipment from the old cksmith at the Wholesale Market.


    "That''s what I''m also thinking," Mark agreed with Mei. "Besides, there''s an opportunityter."


    "Then, you should try that first."


    Spera also agreed.


    ***


    Dinner finished, and as Mark expected, Mako knocked on their door because Ren wanted to meet him.


    Following behind Mako, Mark entered the main building of the ck Lotus Compound. It did not take long, and the two stood in front of Ren''s office.


    "Miss, I''ve brought him."


    Mako said after knocking on the door.


    The door was then opened by someone. When Mako and Mark entered the office, Tadashi stood beside the door while Ren sat behind her desk, reading some papers.


    Ren put down the paper she was currently reading and looked at the two who entered the office.


    "Mako," Ren spoke. "You can go back and rest."


    Mako bowed her head and left without questions. She might be usually goofy and lively, but right now, they were working.


    "Please, take a seat."


    Ren said to Mark, pointing to the pair of leather couches beside a coffee table in front of her desk.


    "Do you want tea or coffee?"


    Reb asked Mark after he sat down.


    "It''s fine," Mark declined. "We just finished dinner."


    "Then, we can start," Ren stared straight at Mark. "Just... Who are you?"


    Ren then continued talking.


    "Before meeting our first meeting, our scouts have observed your group for a day and a half. From what they observed that time and the prowess you and your members had shown during the examination, the former details became inconsistent. I reviewed the reports my scouts sent just now, and many details don''t make sense anymore. One is where you went and picked up your two youngest daughters to run away from a small number of [Infected]. Before, it felt like you are running away to survive. But now, it looked more like you are restraining them from showing their physical abilities."


    Without giving Mark time to answer yet, Ren continued further.


    "There are other few circumstances before that made sense, but after the examination today, those things became obscure. It made me realize. It''s all an act. You are aware that you''re being watched, isn''t it?"


    "Yeah, I''m aware," Mark nodded. "It''s hard not to notice, especially if one of them was seething with jealousy while observing."


    Ren and Tadashi''s eyes connected. They were both appalled. The jealous Youngest was one thing, but their scouts were highly skilled in terms of stealth. Even most people in the Reimed City would not notice them too easily.


    It meant that Mark''s strength and abilities far exceeded what he was showing on the surface.


    "Let me ask you straight again. Who are you? What is your true purpose in trying to enter the Reimed City?"


    Ren asked.


    "Well," Mark shrugged. "Think of me as a traveler. I go from ce to ce to fulfill our goals."


    "And that goal is?"


    Ren responded.


    And Mark responded.


    "I''m looking for certain special people. There might be a chance they would appear here in the Reimed City, so I decided to try and enter. As for other things, I don''t have any particr goal aside from being interested in Japan''s final line of defense. It might be strange to say, but I''m an Otaku. That enough should exin a few things, right?"


    Ren blinked nkly after hearing Mark''s description of himself. If that was really the case, he was right that it would exin his interest. It was even bolstered by the fact that he was not a local. Many self-proimed Otakus from foreign countries were not only interested in Japanese entertainment. They were interested in Japanese culture as well.


    "And who are these special people you are talking about?"


    Ren asked, snapping back to the topic at hand.


    And to that question...


    "I don''t know either."


    Mark''s reply made Ren frown.


    "Don''t look at me like that," Mark tilted his head. "I''ll only know those people once I see them. Though there''s one that I know."


    And here, Mark decided to ask.


    Ren was clearly a swordswoman, and Tadashi was an expert in certain martial arts. That was why there was a chance that they knew him.


    "A swordsman named Shin. I wonder if you two know him."


    The name made Ren and Tadashi flinch. They clearly know Shin.


    "Looks like you know him."


    Mark said, making Ren turn to him.


    "What you want from that bastard. Why are you looking for him?"


    Ren asked, with her tone bing a bit aggressive.


    "That guy had something he doesn''t deserve," Mark exined, unaffected by Ren''s tone. "I have to get it back from him."


    In this case, Mark dered. Shin was his enemy. This fact made Ren and Tadashi calm down a bit.


    "In short, Shin is your enemy too?"


    Ren asked.


    "You too?"


    Mark asked back.


    "No, not just me," Ren shook her head. "That bastard is known to be a member of an underground organizationposed of non-humans that hated humanity."


    "The [Auraboros], right?"


    Mark said, making Ren stare at him even more.


    "So, you know, huh..."


    Ren sighed, thinking how deeper Mark''s background could be. After all, the existence of the [Auraboros] was only known to those with high standing in society. Themon people were totally oblivious to their existence.


    "But something must have happened there," Ren continued. "It seemed that he left [Auraboros]. Right now, he is called the [Demonic Swordsman]. A [Demonic Human], traitor of humankind. He is currently working with the Demons living in the north. They are the ones plotting the worst toward the Reimed City. They are our enemy."


    Mark''s eyes lit up. It was quite unexpected, but he was right in his thinking that they might get information here in the Reimed City.


    And now, that information was already in his hand.