After Lenok had completely disappeared from sight, the old man began cleaning up the corpse of Taylor Evans that he had left behind.
He took photos, collected genetic samples, sealed them, and sent them separately to an intermediary for Achilles.
That process would incur additional fees — but what could he do?
In this line of work, talking about costs without considering fees was impossible.
Watching the old man's movements with her chin resting on her hand, Jenny spoke.
"A customer looking for both narcotic cigarettes and health supplements... isn't that fascinating?"
"Are you talking about that wizard from earlier?"
"Yeah. If I were a merchant, I would've wondered if he was crazy. I can never understand what goes on in a wizard's mind. Well, all geniuses are like that."
Jenny seemed like she was about to laugh it off, but the old man — Jordan — thought differently.
As he silently tidied up the counter, he spoke slowly.
"I found out something interesting by bypassing the Scavenger network."
Jenny immediately frowned at his words.
"Old man, are you still watching that cesspool? Paying Mirror Divers just to peek into those bastards' networks is such a waste of money."
Mirror Divers were one of the criminal organizations based in Balkan. They had taken control of parts of the city's network and made a business out of selling the by-products of that control — they were a group of hackers.
With many magi-engineers and programmers in their ranks, they possessed advanced technology, making it relatively convenient to go through them if one wanted to use the local networks — even if that network technically belonged to another organization.
But Jordan remained unfazed as he replied.
"Looks like those guys managed to get photos of Taylor Evans at the time of his death. His magic was captured in them — want to take a look? I think he might be a much better client than you expected."
"What?"
She immediately powered on the computer under the counter and accessed the data Jordan mentioned.
The criminal organization, Scavengers, might have overwhelmed other groups and clans in terms of size, but the quality of their members was notoriously low. In reality, their actual power was weak.
Except for the core leadership, the rest could practically be called a gang of street thugs.
But if there was one thing they were useful for...
"Found it. Here it is. Seriously, there's nowhere these guys don't lurk."
Because they were scattered like garbage all over the city, almost any incident in the area was reported through them.
Of course, the quality of these eyewitness reports wasn't much different from what an ordinary civilian could provide, but sometimes that alone could be quite helpful — which is why Jordan occasionally left backdoors in the networks used by the Scavengers.
"...Wow."
It was only a 3-second-long video clip, but the contents were far from ordinary.
A blue lightning bolt tore through the dry sky and scorched the ground — a sight not easily seen.
Jenny, who kept replaying the video in speechless awe, eventually let out a hollow laugh.
"So... you're saying this is what that guy did?"
"He said himself that he was a lightning-type wizard. I'd say it's almost certain."
Even if one couldn't actually use magic, having knowledge of it was a given in this line of work.
The two of them knew very well just how difficult it was to summon lightning from a clear sky.
Elemental magic, especially the pure type that manipulates mana without any specific medium, was famous for its extreme difficulty.
Compared to modern magic, which was refined for user convenience, this style was closer to traditional magic, taking a very long time to become practical for real combat.
Just being able to manifest a specific element around oneself took years — but manifesting it in empty air by spreading mana and pulling in willpower to create a phenomenon required both immense time and talent.
Jenny muttered to herself as she kept replaying the video.
"Even being conservative, he's probably at least Level 4."
A Level 4 certified magic user — referring to a wizard who had not only learned to use magic but had reached full mastery through complete understanding.
Mages of this rank could perform their role in modern warfare without being outclassed by firepower. More than just doing their part, they were recognized as researchers in their own right.
It was the minimum threshold for those who could develop and grow their own magic systems.
In Balkan, Level 4 or higher mages under city management could receive a pension at any time and were paid bonuses just for submitting their research results.
"He might even be Level 5 or higher."
"No way. Why would a genius like that be running around here working bounties? If he just showed his magic anywhere, they'd offer him a top position on the spot."
Jordan shook his head at Jenny's words.
"If it were another magic school, maybe. But within the Lightning School, I have a hunch."
"...You're saying that prim-looking guy belongs to the 'Thorburn' School?"
Even as she denied it, Jenny recalled something Lenok had casually muttered — hadn't he said he hadn't been in the city for long?
"Who knows. But if he really is one of those war-businessmen... he could become a very good partner."
Saying that, Jordan stuffed Taylor Evans' corpse into a sack, slung it over his shoulder, and headed for the underground incinerator.
His eyes gleamed faintly as he walked.
Lenok left Jenny's bar straight away and headed toward the orchard she had told him about.
Along the way, something she had said piqued his interest.
There were dozens of Areas within the giant city of Balkan, but depending on when a district was developed, its atmosphere varied greatly.
Areas 0–9: Administrative districts — responsible for the city's core operations and economy.
Areas 10–19: A forest of skyscrapers belonging to conglomerates and various businesses.
Areas 20–29: Bustling districts where most citizens lived and worked.
Areas 30–39: Facilities requiring large spaces like amusement parks and ports.
Areas 40–49: Underdeveloped districts where unlicensed organizations took root amidst the chaos of new development.
Areas 50 and beyond: Wastelands where vagrants and criminals roamed freely.
The orchard Jenny mentioned was located in Area 31.
It was Balkan's largest botanical garden, operated by Plumber.
Facilities in lower-numbered 30s Areas were commonly places where families visited, and the botanical garden was one such facility in Area 31.
Lenok bought a ticket at the booth, entered the massive stadium-like structure, and stepped inside.
A dense jungle made entirely of plants spread out beneath the artificial sun.
Plants large enough to shelter several people, flowers boasting hundreds of colors at once — even Lenok paused to admire their strange beauty.
There were walking trees like living animals, and umbrella-like seeds floating through the air on thin membranes.
But Lenok quickly collected himself and began walking in the direction Jenny had indicated.
Fatigue weighed heavily on his entire body after walking for some time.
On his way out of the garden after a full circuit, he passed a souvenir shop.
Stuffed animals for kids, keychains, glass crystals preserving lucky flower petals — a huge shop selling such items.
Behind a display case lined with plant models was a small door marked "Authorized Personnel Only."
Opening the door and descending a long staircase, the scent of the shop gave way to a pungent, stimulating smell.
At the bottom of the stairs, when Lenok turned his head, he saw faint purple smoke filling the space...
As Lenok hesitated at the old man's difficult-to-respond remark, the old man chuckled and shook his head.
"Well, never mind. I'm not rich enough to pick and choose my customers. As long as they pay for what they want, that's all I care about. So, what are you looking for in my orchard?"
For a moment, Lenok wondered whether he should speak respectfully or not, but decided to push forward as he was.
"...Why is there an orchard inside a botanical garden?"
The irony was not lost on him — despite selling substances that were practically narcotics, the shop was called an orchard. And it was located inside the largest botanical garden in the city, no less.
The old man bared his yellowed teeth in a grin.
"The fruits that grow from cooking those plants are right here. The fruits that'll send us straight to heaven."
It was an irrelevant question, met with an equally fitting answer.
Without hesitation, Lenok took out all the remaining cigarettes from his coat and placed them in front of the old man.
"I'm looking for something with similar effects to these. Can I get that here?"
"Let's see…"
"I'd prefer something with fewer side effects, even if it's a bit expensive."
The old man pulled out a pair of magnifying glasses and began examining the cigarettes Lenok laid out.
"These are for inhaling smoke. Faster than pills, but slower-acting than injections. Still, it's the most convenient method, and the taste makes them hard to quit."
He muttered to himself as he took out a knife and sliced one of the cigarettes lengthwise.
The packaging fell apart, revealing the contents within.
Inspecting it closely with tweezers, the old man nodded.
"Hmph… I don't know who made this, but it's complete garbage."
"..."
"From the ingredients inside, to the refining, drying, and packaging — there's nothing I like about this. Why the hell were you even smoking this trash?"
Hearing the exact same criticism from both Jenny and the old man, Lenok replied glumly.
"…I had my reasons."
"They deliberately mixed in impurities to lower the cost while maximizing addiction. The only redeeming factor is the decent psychoactive effect, but that's just to trick you into thinking the drug is potent. Not something I'd recommend long-term."
Saying that, the old man tossed the shredded cigarette into the trash can beside him.
"You said you want something with fewer side effects, even if it costs a bit more. What's your budget?"
Lenok hesitated for a moment.
The drugs he was about to purchase were an essential investment for his future plans.
To move like a normal person with his weak body — at least while he was working — he needed something that could reliably numb the pain and fatigue.
At the same time, minimizing side effects was crucial for Lenok.
If severe side effects accompanied every dose, his body wouldn't last long.
This wasn't the time to be frugal.
"…Two million Sel."
Out of the 2.7 million Sel bounty he received, he planned to spend everything aside from his living expenses on this.
"Hm."
The old man nodded and got up to rummage through the shelves behind him.
After a while, he returned with several sealed packs in his hands. When he opened them, long, thin objects spilled out.
They were slightly thicker and longer than the cigarettes Lenok had been using.
As he hung each one on a scale, he spoke.
"If you were just looking for narcotics, that kind of pocket change wouldn't even get you close."
"..."
"But it seems like you're after something closer to a medical product, enhanced just enough for recreational use. In that case, you can barely find something within the range of a luxury item."
The old man placed about thirty of the cigarettes on the counter in front of Lenok.
"Cashburn-C107. About six hours of strong pain relief, doping, and stimulation effects. Slight mental elevation. Immediately after use, numbness and dizziness. Once the effect wears off — headache, convulsions, vomiting, and a small chance of coughing blood. Pretty clean stuff."
To Lenok, those side effects didn't sound clean at all, but the old man continued his explanation unfazed.
"It's not exactly low in toxicity, but it's less addictive and doesn't build up much in the body over time. That's because it's a pharmaceutical product modified just within reasonable limits."
"That's a small side effect?"
"It's the smallest side effect you can get for the money you have."
The old man stated firmly.
"The more you try to reduce the backlash from the drug, the more the price skyrockets. If you want something better than this, you won't even be able to buy twenty sticks with that money. And know this — I never sell less than ten at a time."
In other words, there were items out there priced at hundreds of thousands per stick.
With a complicated expression, Lenok shook his head and picked up one of the cigarettes labeled Cashburn.
By simple calculation, it was a little less than 70,000 Sel per stick — a hefty price.
For someone like Lenok, who had never even bought a pack of cigarettes on Earth, it was a price that naturally made his hand tremble.
But he had no choice.
This was an investment he had to make if he wanted to keep earning money going forward.
In the end, Lenok paid the old man and gathered up the cigarettes he had purchased.
"Come again. Everyone who uses my orchard ends up doing so eventually."
The old man, slouched and nodding to himself, quickly disappeared into the smoke.
Lenok immediately left the botanical garden and headed back to his hotel.
Thirty cigarettes bought for two million Sel.
He couldn't use them in the field without testing their effects firsthand.
Support me here - https://ko-fi.com/pokemon1920