The Genius of Cloning in the Academy City-Chapter 79: Violet Hired The Right People

Before or after possession, having lived two different lives, I came to a realization. It’s easy to start trouble, but cleaning up after is several times harder.

While Violet No. 110 began meeting with brokers, the Violets had already driven out of Circle Cliff City and were interrogating prisoners.

The location was the same warehouse between the boundaries of the western and central districts, where Ulric had been interrogated before.

It was a desolate place that the owner didn’t care about, so we used it again.

On the plastic-covered floor of the warehouse, the gang leader tied to a chair spat on the ground. He stubbornly refused to speak, even under our questioning.

“…Do you really think I’d talk?”

“You’re right. You don’t seem like the talking type.”

No. 96 and No. 85 promptly dragged the rose-tattooed bald man over, still tied to his chair.

“I’ve told you everything I know! You’ll let me go now, right? Hehe…”

“Bullshit.”

I decided to explain to the confused gang leader.

“A couple of zaps with a stun gun to the thighs, and this guy spilled everything.”

The gang leader’s expression darkened.

“It’s over… it’s all over…”

Contrary to the leader’s grim demeanor, the rose-tattooed bald man chuckled and babbled away.

“Haha… You’ll let me go now, right? Right?”

“Cut the nonsense. Haven’t you realized yet? There’s no way you’re walking out of here.”

Not long after, Violets armed with rifles entered the warehouse.

The gang leader closed his eyes slowly, as if resigning to his fate.

Meanwhile, the rose-tattooed bald man’s eyes widened in panic. He began thrashing against his bindings, struggling violently.

“Wait! I told you everything!”

“I never said I’d let you live.”

“You bastards! The Calamity Gang won’t let this slide!”

As the bald man raged, the silent leader finally spoke.

“Idiot. Why do you think they asked for something like the vault password? Our base must’ve already been raided.”

“That’s right. We just wanted to check if there were any other survivors besides you. We’ve already tracked down your home addresses.”

“…You madmen.”

The gang leader, named Bronson, muttered bitterly, as though deeply resentful.

“From what I’ve heard, you don’t seem like you’re hired by those brokers. This is the first time we’ve seen you. Why are you going this far? Even in this hellhole, there are supposed to be rules!” S̩

I shrugged.

“We don’t have any personal grudge. If that rose-tattooed idiot had just let us go, we wouldn’t have done all this.”

“What?”

I briefly explained the events leading up to the fight.

Realizing the gravity of his actions, the bald man turned pale, as if he had only now understood what he had done.

The leader glared at the bald man, gnashing his teeth.

“Nechi, you horny bastard! Didn’t I tell you not to pick fights and just let them leave if they were here for business?”

“Boss! I didn’t know it’d turn out like this!”

Truly, there were no personal feelings involved.

Still, considering how badly my friend had been injured, I couldn’t afford to leave any loose ends.

Anything that could cause problems had to be eliminated.

The time to finish things had arrived.

The Violets aimed the captured rifles at the back of their heads.

Sensing the end, the bald man howled and struggled desperately, while the leader lifted his head with a resigned expression.

“Spare me! I told you everything! I even helped you! Please!”

“Hey, shut up. If you’re going out, at least go quietly. By the way, anyone got a cigarette? Or at least a drink…”

“I don’t smoke, but here…”

I unscrewed the lid of a metal flask I’d taken from a gang corpse and poured its contents into his mouth.

“Please! Don’t you need someone to deal with clients? I know them well—spare me! Aaaah!”

“Ugh, hurry up and finish this. I don’t want to hear him whining anymore.”

No. 70 stepped outside the door, and two gunshots echoed.

The warehouse fell silent.

While the Violets enthusiastically looted the gang’s vault and secured various items, Violet No. 110 had started talking to the awakened brokers.

“What? Excuse me, but who are you? And why are you here…”

“Is this not it? Then… a whiskey with butter, no ice…”

The brown-haired bartender woman glanced around cautiously before placing her index finger to her lips, signaling for silence.

[“Did I get the contact code wrong?”]

[“No, that’s not it.”]

“Are you here for business? Thanks for the help, but could you wait until our manager wakes up? This isn’t the right place to talk…”

“Okay, got it.”

Before long, others we had brought along began regaining consciousness, one by one.

“Oh…! What’s going on? Why are we here?”

“I thought it was a dream, but it’s real. We’re alive!”

Two people stood up, and finally, a middle-aged man in a casual suit rose to his feet.

He looked around before locking eyes with me.

His unfocused eyes regained clarity within seconds.

“Hmm… Aiyna, can you move?”

“It’s sore, but I can walk. The doctor here did a good job.”

“What about the manager?”

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“I’m fine, Mark. Let’s move quickly. Kashian, you too—get up!”

The man, referred to as the manager, briefly conversed with the other brokers.

“Sorry about this. This isn’t a good place to communicate. Could we move to a safer location for a more relaxed discussion?”

“Are you sure you’re up for it in your condition?”

“Sure or not, does it matter? This place isn’t exactly safe either. One moment…”

The manager took out several phones from his pocket, inspecting them briefly before grumbling that they were useless.

He tossed two of them into a trash can.

I escorted the limping group out of the hospital. We immediately got into another car driven by a different Violet.

“This way?”

“Yes, turn right twice after going down that way.”

Following the manager’s guidance, we crossed the morning-lit streets of Sturgeon Lane.

Two blocks away, the aftermath of last night’s chaos came into view.

Several cars were still emitting smoke, and bodies were being recovered and loaded into vehicles.

Guards from small clans, wearing armbands, were arguing with the belatedly arrived police.

“Oh my… Look at the front of our office.”

“Hey, isn’t that the Calamity Gang’s car?”

While the other brokers exclaimed nervously, only the manager seated in the front passenger seat remained calm.

He kept glancing at his smartphone screen while stealing looks at me.

Eventually, we arrived at a safe house.

The moment we stepped into the living room, the manager’s demeanor abruptly changed.

“I don’t know who you are, but thank you! Solver! Please spare us!”

“Huh?”

“I’ve been informed by my contacts. In less than a day, both the Calamity Gang and the Aramis Crew have vanished without a trace. Their bases have been completely burned down.”

The three people behind, who had been bewildered by their boss kneeling and clinging, seemed to notice something as well, and belatedly knelt down.

I was so taken aback that I momentarily forgot what to say.

“Everything was handled by the client, the solver. Am I right? Truly impressive!”

“Uh, yeah, that’s right. I did it. So, uh… buttered gin…”

“You don’t need to use a code. You need magical equipment, correct? Just give us some time, and we’ll get it for you right away.”

The Violets observing the scene began to calculate.

「I don’t fully understand why they’re acting like this, but should we ask for it for free?」

「Sure. They should agree to at least that.」

When I interrupted the boss’s words and stated my request, he clung to it like a drowning man grabbing at a lifeline, his face lighting up.

“Ah, of course! As long as it’s within my ability, I’ll provide anything for free. So, could you please do us a favor?”

“What kind of favor?”

“Please protect us!”

These people seemed to have quite the troublesome circumstances.

From what I heard, this broker was fairly well-connected and competent.

They had managed to survive amidst both small and large gangs and various shady groups, leaning on their network and abilities.

Unfortunately, their precarious balancing act had reached a crisis point.

They were being pressured into dangerous drug-related transactions by those around them.

“Our principle is to never, ever deal with drugs, no matter what. Haha.”

“Then what kind of business do you do? Magical items?”

“That’s just a small side hustle. Our real work is selling information and introducing people to one another.”

Their office, already worn out from dealing with complaints from difficult clients, faced yet another crisis.

Recently, turf wars between organizations had intensified. It seemed the shrimp was about to get crushed in the whale fight.

“We were actually thinking about leaving this business for a while and heading to another town. After all, the connections we’ve built across Rustlum won’t disappear. But wouldn’t you know it, just our luck…”

Unluckily, they were attacked by a gang that had long held grudges against them, just as they were wrapping up a few final requests before their departure.

“Thanks to you, Solver, we managed to escape from their immediate threat, but the situation has escalated. We plan to leave this city as soon as possible.”

“Will it be safe in another town?”

“That’s the problem. Plenty of people either want what’s in my head or just want to bash it in. They’ll chase us to the end.”

Deep wrinkles etched themselves across the middle-aged man’s face.

“I tried hard not to create enemies while walking a tightrope between the gangs, but all I ended up confirming was the old saying: ‘A friend to all is a friend to none.’”

The boss sighed and clung to me once more.

“Your skills are amazing. You took out two gangs without a single loss. I assume you’re here because of some business deal? Do you need any specific items? People? No, perhaps you need money? I’ll give it to you. Any service—free of charge. So please, just protect us!”

“Can you get weapons?”

“Weapons… hmm, we don’t deal in them directly, but I can connect you to some good friends. You’ll be able to get them cheaply and in bulk. What kind do you need?”

From the way he spoke, this man might actually be capable.

I couldn’t hide my anticipation and rattled off things I had been considering.

“Military-grade large-caliber rifles, sniper rifles, the latest high-end crossbows, anti-beast ammunition, and magical weapons like the ones the Four Clans use.”

“That’s not a problem.”

“And rocket launchers, recoilless rifles, anti-tank missiles. The guidance system has to be wire-guided. No radio or laser. If they come with fire-and-forget functionality, make sure they’re sturdy! They must work well in dungeons and erosion zones too.”

“Ah, that’s…”

“And vehicle-mounted machine guns, rapid-fire grenade launchers—oh, right! Mortars, too. Armored vehicles probably aren’t doable, huh? I could also use an aircraft!”

“That’s a bit difficult…”

His words trailed off awkwardly in his embarrassment.

When I looked disappointed, the boss hastily changed his tone.

“No, no! It’s doable. It’ll take some time, but it’s not impossible! Client, no, Solver! There’s no one in this town who will help us. No one will even take our request. It’ll take time to bring someone in from elsewhere. Please, help us! We’ll do anything!”

We had a brief discussion.

「They’re willing to do anything, so what should we ask for?」

「Hold on! I have a good idea.」

I called over the boss.

“What’s the protection period you’re looking for?”

“It’s quite long. About six months to a year. We’ll pay any price.”

“No. You seem to be under some sort of illusion, but I’m not a Solver.”

“Pardon? Then…”

I added to my statement.

“I don’t know much about Solver contracts, but I’ll protect you until the period ends. Instead, work for me. That’s my demand.”

“Work for you?”

“I’ve been needing someone from your industry. I’ll even pay you a small salary. You’ll have room and board—top-notch! And if you ever want to quit, I’ll let you go anytime. I won’t make any unreasonable demands. Got it?”

I held out my hand without hesitation.

The boss hesitated.

“I, um, really don’t deal with drugs or other dangerous stuff…”

“I’m not gonna make you do that crap! Do I look like a junkie? What’s your answer?”

The boss, after some deliberation, shook my hand.

“Yes, if you’ll take us in, I’ll do my best!”

I began to contemplate what tasks could be assigned to a broker from the gray zone.

There were plenty of things to do beyond weapon and elixir smuggling.

「Let’s gather information! There’s so much we need to investigate.」

「Do you think they know about fencing stolen goods?」

There were limits to what I could do running around by myself.

This sort of thing needed to be left to experts.

Imagining how I could put this broker team to use, I laughed to myself.

The boss and his employees also laughed, looking slightly dazed.