Vol. 1 Ch. 1 Ep. 12: To the Black Market! Part 2

I think we lost them...

This place really lives up to its reputation.

I guess you could say that. The General Student Council doesn't have much influence here.

The Black Market's operational scale is equivalent to at least that of the smaller academies in Kivotos. It definitely shouldn't be underestimated...

Especially since there are also corporations here constantly battling for control over all sorts of illegal trades and activities.

The Black Market even has its own bank and law enforcement.

A bank and police force?! That can't be legal, can it?!

It's not in the slightest.

I can't believe how organized it all is.

You especially don't want to get involved with their police force, trust me. The best thing to do when something happens is to just run away and take cover.

You seem to know quite a lot about this place, Hifumi.

Do I? I did a lot of research before coming here because of the stories...

Then it's settled!

...?

Hifumi will be coming with us until we've got what we came for! ♪

Wait, what?

Wow! That's a brilliant idea! ☆

A kidnapping. Good thinking.

Excuse me?!

No, no, not a kidnapping. They mean they'd like you to be our guide. That is, if you're okay with it, Hifumi.

Oh. I'm not sure I'd be very helpful, but I do owe you all one, so...all right.

Great, so you'll be coming with us. For now, at least.

The heck, Aru?! Why aren't you answering your phone?

...

Check out the look on her face. It must be the client...

Oof. I wouldn't want to be her right now, having to report a failure.

Aru...

Tch.

Problem Solver 68...

...

Well. This is interesting.

I had a fine time watching you get warmed up. So tell me, when will the real operation begin?

Uh, what? But that was the real op...

I mean, uh, the real operation will be underway soon. That is to say, it will be in a week. Yup...

...?!

...!

Hahaha. That's right. You have nothing to worry about.

As far as I know, the data we have on that group should be accurate.

Was it an error in our calculations?

You seem troubled.

...

No, not troubled. It must have been a calculation error, that's all. Those Abydos students happened to have a little more fight in them than expected, based on the data.

...

On the contrary. The data was flawless.

...?

The only way this can be interpreted is the Abydos students have somehow grown in strength.

That's preposterous.

We'll have to find out if any new variables have appeared in Abydos recently.

Pardon me.

...

*exhale*

You don't look so good, Aru.

What was that all about? You're not planning on starting another fight, are you?

Truth be told, I don't know a lot about the client, but I know they're not to be messed with. We don't want to disappoint them...

...

But those Abydos kids were way stronger than we thought. Plus, they've got Schale in their corner. Our strength alone won't cut it.

And we've already spent our entire budget. How would we fight them even if we wanted to?

Sh-Should I start looking for some part-timers to use as hired muscle?

That would cost each of us a year's worth of work just to be able to afford it again.

Remind me why we signed a lease for this office. It's a waste of money.

B-Because a proper business needs a proper workplace! Nobody would hire us if we didn't look presentable!

She has a point, but I wouldn't really care if we started doing business out of a tent in the park like we used to.

Shut up! Just shut your mouths! All of you!

...

We'll get a loan.

You can't be serious, Aru! I thought your credit was in the dumpster!

Nuh-uh! My account's just been frozen because of a bounty!

Is that what happened...? Oh, now I remember. The Prefect Team did that.

Those jerks... They just had to keep hounding us, didn't they?

Try explaining that to the bank. We'd be laughed right out of the lobby!

Shut up! We'll figure it out somehow!

...

Stupid Abydos twits. I said they hadn't seen the last of us, didn't I?!

We're just getting started!

...

Hmm. What in the world is she planning?