Twin Magicians Of The 999th Generation

The Seller

“We have a job.”

Hanging up, Magi placed down the traditional phone before speaking to Cian.

Cian had just finished breakfast, and the first thing that comes to greet their day was a job to be done.

It was convenient as they needed a job to earn quick money as they held nothing at the moment.

Cian had thought of taking over their financials but Magi would refuse and beat him up as he thinks that Cian would use it for fooling around.

“What's the job?”

Cian asked as he finished up, wearing a coat again that was identical to the previous one.

He had a closet full of it.

“I don't know. He told us to meet him up at the shop. Could be something that shouldn't be said through the line, anyone could be eavesdropping after all.”

Magi answered with certainty that it was the reason, and just like Cian, Magi had suited to prepare to seek out their job.

Magi would open his closet as well, but there were a lot of stones and important-looking junk parts that were stashed in it as if they were being saved.

Maybe they've both yet to realize it, but they both sucked at handling finances.

They were yet to realize it but, both of them sucked at handling finances.

**

“It's always dark in this alley. Can't they just install light around here?”

“...”

Reverberating in the narrow and dark alleyway, Cian's voice was loud enough to echo.

Everything was in an orange hue as this alleyway only had one source of light, a daylight bulb outside of a small door that had a sign.

Both of them wore a mask to hide their identity, with Cian wearing his laughing mask while Magi wore the frowning mask.

It was still necessary for them to hide their identity even with their employer.

[Shanti's Workshop.]

They stood before that very door, looking at the intricate design that stood out in such a desolate place.

From the outside, it was but a normal backdoor, but as they opened it and went inside, it was far worse.

“Ah, you're early~”

Before they greeted a man that sat on the counter, wearing but a robe that covered his otherwise naked body.

His lip bit into a long and straight but small smoking pipe, releasing a stagnant smell of smoke around the room.

His eyes were like but a black slit through as his sharp gaze looked at the two visitors he had, grinning up to his ears.

“———”

Both of them stood still in the face of that man, intimidated by just her presence.

Maybe if it wasn't for the crimson lights in the room that had eliminated all colors except for red, they would be able to relax.

However, it wasn't just about that.

“Shanti, The Seller. What's the job you were talking about?”

Taking the initiative, Magi stepped up and went close to the said man, Shanti.

As he did, the smoke would come to his face.

“Ah, pardon my manners~ I shouldn't smoke in front of guests after all.”

In just a short moment's notice, all the wind inside the room began to rush down towards the gap below the door, pushing the smoke outside.

It was cleansed of the toxic smoke they felt relieved of it.

It was Shanti's magic, but it was even unclear to both of them if it was an Elemental Magic or a Unique Magic.

After all, they knew little of their employer.

“So...?”

Magi was beginning to get impatient with all the distractions.

“The job is——”

“——Ngh...”

Interrupted by a woman's moan just behind the counter, Shanti's head turned and looked.

There was a futon behind the countertop, and there lies a woman who had just woken up, her body covered in a blanket only.

She stood up with her eyes closed with the blanket around her body.

Magi and Shanti stared at the woman with a hint of annoyance while Cian looked the other way as if trying to act like he was inspecting an item on one of the counters in the shop.

“Hey, would you mind? I'm talking to a dear guest, walking around within such a state would distract them~”

Shanti's voice talked in such a calm manner, but his eyes showed a snake-like feature, scaring the woman away back into the other door inside further the shop.

“I'm sorry——”

“Get straight to it. We are not here to waste any time.”

His patience was tested, but Magi didn't react explosively like how would Cian would, as he knew that acting like that wouldn't make anything better.

“Alright then. I need you to simply escort a package to a client.”

Shanti led his eyes towards the small suitcase that was a place conveniently on the shelf where Cian was.

A black suitcase that was locked with some kind of lock that had no keyhole.

“——Just what is this?”

Cian took the liberty to take it, but as soon as he did, Magi swept it away from his hands.

“We don't need to know. All we have to do is deliver this, right?”

Magi's statement was more than just correct, looking at Shanti who would nod in agreement, snapping his fingers while saying "That's right."

It wouldn't hurt to know what they were trying to deliver, Cian thought.

“That package is highly confidential. Delivering it without anyone seeing would be highly suggested. If you want to know a little bit something about that suitcase, it's something important that anyone would like to have.”

Shanti jumped out of the countertop he had sat on, tightening the knot of his robe around his waist as he walked toward them.

“Money?” Cian asked, but his answer was dead wrong.

“It's power, you see. Money can buy power, you can say that, but this is a different kind of power.”

Shanti hovered and tapped his hand on the suitcase Magi held sideways, emphasizing the word power as he tapped.

“But without skill, power is useless. Without the necessary skill to use it, a weak but skilled man can still outwit those who have power.”

As Magi lowered the suitcase to his side, he attempted to store it in the digitalizer.

[Error. The object is restricted. Cannot digitalize, please change the existing lock's administrative setting.]

Suddenly, an error would pop up as the suitcase failed to be stored, and to the twin, it was the first that the Digitalizer had ever rejected an object except for living things.

Shanti was the only one who didn't show a surprised look, chuckling only as if he had already known it.

“Ah! You won't be able to store a protected object, of course! That lock is not normal, it's a Logic Output Carrier Kiosk. It's a small device that detects a condition around it, and if it's true then it will only open then.”

In other words, the abbreviation of such terminology was still L.O.C.K.

It could be the humor of the one who made it, but it was better to be put aside, for now, Cian had thought to himself.

“Usually, these locks are installed to be able to open only then the owner or the supposed receiver is around or touching the suitcase. It's a very secure lock, you cannot just try and pry it out after all. The whole thing is almost indestructible. That is how important that is.”

Shanti continued to ramble as he poured another drink from the counter, offering Magi who refused and shook his head.

“I see. Then I guess this is quite the package then. Where and when do we meet the client?”

Magi then finally raised the second important question. Going into the specifics of the mission was the priority, but Magi had let them run their mouths to get enough information about the mission without forcing it out anyone's throat.

Besides, it was good small talk.

“Central Park, at the fountain. Your client will be there tonight.”

Shanti slammed the glass down to the counter, pointing at the clock right above the door, adding the gesture of 7 o'clock.

“Why in public places and at a time when there are a lot of people? Isn't this transaction supposed to be a secret?”

Magi raised another question as such specifics made no sense to him.

After being told to deliver the package without anyone seeing, hearing the location and time contradicted the conditions.

“I said I suggested, I did not say you have to but it was what the client said they would wait in. We follow strictly by their orders unless you are going to abandon the mission.”

Shanti would calmly explain how he had worded himself earlier, informing them that he had no control over whatsoever the client would request as they can only accept it.

“I'm sure you two can find a way to deliver it. After all, you're the infamous Twin Magicians, right? Use your unorthodox methods to finish your mission as usual.”

Waving at them as he turned his back, Shanti went back inside the counter and laid down on the bed.

“But what about their appearance? Who exactly are we meeting?”

Magi had tried to ask, but Shanti had not the slightest intention of making it easier for them.

“You'll know when you get there. Just ask for the Violent Violet.”

He had nothing to say to them except "Good luck" as he went back to sleep, still tired as the two arrived earlier than expected.

“———”

Magi and Cian would find that normal and just leave without any precedence over their employer.

He was confident that they would deliver it, after all.

**

The night would come to the borders between the Unique Magistry and Elemental Magistry, lighting up the nearby cities and night market.

The red light district became much more elevated after the invention of some medicine, making it the most popular type of market between borders due to its illegal inclination.

The Central Park was but only a small landmark on that border where a fountain is found.

Despite its old age, the fountain still worked to this day and is constantly being used as a drinking fountain by others.

“Our client should be around here, right?”

“Should be. I have no idea who we are looking for.”

Cian and Magi exchanged words accordingly. They were hiding behind the trees as passersby would walk near and barely notice them.

Meeting up with a client with a mask would make them stick out like a sore thumb in public, but removing their mask was more than risk in itself as well.

“Before we head out, we must find the client.”

“I can do that. Just let me...”

Removing his mask and standing up, Cian jumped the fence inside the circular concrete flooring that the park was made of.

“——Cian, wait!”

Before Magi can even stop him, Cian had already jumped out where everyone could see him.

It was more efficient to look for their client close-up after all.

Having Magi walk around without a suitcase like that would attract unwanted attention.

Magi couldn't deny that it was a good idea, but he was surprised that Cian was able to decide decently.

Cian would only continue to walk near the fountain, but soon he would notice a young girl sitting at the edge of the fountain, carrying what seems to be a small black bag filled to the brim.

She was alone as if waiting for someone.

Why was such a young girl out here at this kind of time? He was worried that there might be people who would take her.

After all, she reminds him of the children in the orphanage Cian would always visit when he goes out.

“Hello there, young miss. Are you lo——”

“If you're looking to pick me up, you are rejected. Get out of my sight.”

Before he could even finish, Cian was shut down.

But most importantly, Cian had no intention to pick her up, nor did he even know the meaning of that but he did know that there was some kind of misunderstanding.

“A-Ah, no. Are you waiting for someone? Someone like you shouldn't be out alone at this kind of time.”

Cian was taken aback now that he processed her behavior from earlier.

He admitted that there are a lot of bratty kids, but this one did not only talk down to him but used informal speech and addressed him rudely.v

Despite not being polite, Cian was pretty strict when it comes to manners.

“Yes. I'm waiting for something. So just disappear. I can handle myself fine.”

“A-Ahaha. Alright then!”

Cian could barely just keep himself in check, suppressing his urge to hit this child. The vein in his forehead would almost pop.

Cian was just about to leave the young girl as he went through a hellish interaction.

“What are those idiots taking long? It's just a simple suitcase. Just what are they doing?”

“———”

Cian abruptly stopped in his tracks after hearing the young girl grumble.

“Wait, are you the client?!”