Chapter 91. SIEG Industry (1)
Getting off the train. It was raining.
Between the raindrops falling from the gray sky. The wide panorama of the distant city unfolded before my eyes.
Elsyde Territory West. Commercial District.
As usual, with the hood of his robe pulled down to avoid drawing attention, Enoch slowly raised his head for a moment.
A bustling city where giant buildings filled with glass on all sides filled the sky. And vehicles ran on the gray asphalt roads.
The wide Commercial District unfolded before his eyes.
Enoch walked among the crowd.
Sirocco, who was bustling around looking everywhere, followed closely and exclaimed.
"Wow, this place is really amazing! The buildings are as tall as the rock cliffs in our tribe village, aren't they? Is this the Commercial District?"
"It's still the outskirts of the main Commercial District."
"Then why did we come specifically to the outskirts? Couldn't we just have come by whatever vehicle you guys ride?"
Perhaps because of Sirocco's bright voice, who was bustling around looking around, people passing by glanced at her.
Fortunately, Sirocco had pulled the hood of her black robe down low, covering her wolf ears and tail, which were characteristics of the Beast-kin.
Perhaps Lien had gotten an extra after seeing him wear a hood when he went to the Underworld last time, but there was definitely one more robe that wasn't in his closet at first.
The reason he had also pulled the hood over Sirocco was obvious.
"The family's tactical vehicles or mechanical carriages are usually only provided for official missions. And in the first place, riding around in something like that would only attract attention."
"Heh, you like not attracting attention?"
"When necessary, like now."
Sirocco glanced at me under her hood for a moment, then turned her head away without a word.
For some reason, after that, she seemed to lose interest in sightseeing and followed behind relatively quietly, taking short steps.
She seemed to listen to me better than I expected.
"So, why did we come here?"
"I have some business."
The reason Enoch, who had been continuously focusing only on sword training in the training ground until now, came here was obvious.
He held up the thin ticket in his hand.
[SIEG Industry: Artifact Customization Ticket]
The ticket he had extracted from Dionil in Rhodes.
Enoch slipped it into his pocket.
If he had obtained it, it was time to use it directly.
This was also part of the 'reorganization' he would do during the rest period.
Since he had taken Sirocco as a follower family and reached the stage where he would recruit other follower families in the future, preparation was needed to acquire dedicated magic gear and artifacts.
The artifacts and magic gear provided as rewards by the Main House were of decent quality among mass-produced items, but they were insufficient for mages of Tier 10 or higher.
Some say a master doesn't choose their tools, but Enoch completely disagreed with that statement.
'A master's tools are usually already masterpieces.'
He had no intention of giving substandard items to a follower family of Tier 10 and sending them into the cruel battles where life and death would hang in the balance in the future.
That's why he had visited this Commercial District directly.
What existed in the original work definitely existed in this world. But it was just that the process had also changed to be realistic now.
The Artifact Customization Ticket was the same.
If the method had changed, he just needed to find the changed method.
Enoch spotted a taxi stopped in a secluded alley and approached it.
In the original work, the outskirts of the Commercial District were the Underworld, but they had declined and disappeared.
Perhaps influenced by that, there were also people who operated illegal private taxis, driving around this area.
Given the background, it was far from a normal friendly service industry, but it was a reasonably suitable option for transportation to the Commercial District now.
When he got into the taxi, the man in the driver's seat glanced at him.
"Commercial District. To the SIEG Industry building."
At the concise order, the driver looked at him once in the rearview mirror, then put the car in gear and set off.
Kwooouuung...
Just then, a low explosive sound was heard from very far away.
A sporadic explosive sound heard from a place far from the city, outside the window.
Sirocco glanced towards it and pulled Enoch's robe sleeve.
"Hey, what's that sound?"
Then the man's voice was heard from the driver's seat.
"Is this your first time passing near District 37 Outskirts? Your reaction is fresh."
"I'm not from around here."
"Ah. No wonder both of you have your hoods pulled down so low. You're an gloomy couple, huh."
He chuckled as if openly mocking them.
The very act of taking a taxi that provided this kind of back alley illegal service showed that they were people who needed to hide their identities, and his tone was full of certainty.
But at those words, Sirocco looked at him from under her hood with a pouty gaze, then for some reason smiled slightly and said.
"Heh~ Is that how it looks?"
"Impossible."
Enoch leaned back against the seat and changed the subject.
"What is that explosive sound? This is my first time here, so I'd like to know what's happening here, if possible."
"Your attitude in asking is quite rude, customer."
Enoch silently took out a few folded banknotes from inside his robe and slipped them into the man's hand.
The man who received them burst into a hearty laugh and grinned.
"No, I judged people wrongly, I see! This is a very likable young man, you know? Usually, outsiders are clueless, and that's the problem."
Kwooouuung!
Pointing at the small aftershock of an explosive sound heard again from a distance, the man said.
"One of SIEG Industry's distribution routes crosses through District 37 Outskirts. That's why there's sometimes commotion on the outer roads like that."
"Clash with the company's escort forces?"
Although not as much as the Main Houses, some corporations also exerted significant influence.
It wasn't uncommon for them to operate PMC (Private Military Company) and have their own private armies.
As expected, the man nodded.
"Yeah. It's the work of bandits called Scavengers. In fact, calling them bandits is just a term, they're no different from a gang."
Enoch looked at the dilapidated city in the distance.
Judging by what I heard, it seemed clear that the Outskirts, even 5 years before the original work, was not an easy place.
"If it's SIEG Industry's subsidiary forces, they must be quite skilled individuals. Do gangs still dare to challenge them despite that?"
"Ha! The Outskirts folks are never inferior in skill anywhere. The weak among the people living in the Outskirts are all either dead or living as if they were dead."
The man twisted the corner of his mouth as if amused.
"The gangs of the Outskirts are armed groups composed of such individuals. There are many infamous Black Mages, and many criminals and wanted individuals. Of course, since most of them are still ragtag groups, their success rate in plundering is at rock bottom."
Enoch's eyes narrowed sharply.
"Black Mages, huh. Is that so."
Black Mages might be related to Vendetta. If I were to go to the Outskirts later, there might be a possibility of encountering such individuals.
It wasn't for nothing that there were many people in the Outskirts who couldn't set foot in Main House territory for various reasons.
As if to verify that fact, the man added.
"You really seem clueless about the Outskirts. The Outskirts, regardless of the number attached to it, is a hotbed of every-man-for-himself everywhere. It's famous as a collection point for trash, you know."
"That's harsh."
"It's the truth. I also came to know about it naturally because I did various things there."
The man smiled bitterly and shook his head.
"The influence of the remaining Underworlds in the city has been half-crippled by the Empire's hundred years of oppression, but at least there are still rules in effect among them. The Outskirts, however, are truly a lawless zone."
Enoch agreed silently.
A place where human lives were lost like flies.
A rotten city of the survival of the fittest where the law didn't reach.
That was the Outskirts.
"Do companies usually set up distribution routes through such areas?"
"What do you think? That's why SIEG is called a luxury brand among tactical related manufacturers."
He shrugged as if to say, 'Wouldn't you expect it?'
"Their persistence in running the company is also incredibly strong. And to meet deadlines, they even open up distribution routes through places like that. I wonder if they become a large corporation by doing this, or if they do this because they are already a large corporation."
Enoch nodded lightly.
It wasn't wrong.
Customizing and manufacturing dedicated artifacts and magic gear tailored to individual mages was a highly delicate and advanced technique.
And the companies, workshops, and master craftsmen capable of that were extremely few in number.
The man added, as if remembering something.
"Furthermore, SIEG is especially famous for setting quite rigorous tests as sponsorship conditions."
"Tests?"
"Yeah. I heard even Dionil, a direct lineage member of the Elsyde Main House, took the test and failed several times. They're incredibly arrogant."
Enoch also agreed without much comment. A company that even had direct lineage members of a Main House take tests.
He knew about the influence of the Magic Empire's large corporations, but hearing it directly was astonishing.
"An interesting company."
"Needless to say, the rich families who run corporations must be quite pleased. They're so well-fed they have nothing to worry about. That's why they're not afraid of places like the Outskirts."
Enoch replied concisely.
"A koan."
"Heh heh. It's just the lament of a commoner who has nothing, you know. Don't be so cold-hearted."
The man chuckled, holding a thin cigarette in his mouth. Then he turned his eyes towards me.
"My name is Arcato. What's yours?"
"Is an introduction necessary?"
Enoch replied concisely. There was no reason to introduce himself when he was going to such lengths to hide his face by pulling the hood down low.
But in case such things happened in the future, it seemed like a good idea to prepare a plausible alias or identity.
"He's a stiff one."
The man scoffed at that and shrugged.
The taxi slowly came to a stop.
Outside the car window, the entrance to the main Commercial District was already spread out.
Breaking through the sound of the rain, beyond the alley, towering buildings and glowing billboards were coloring the asphalt road with subtle hues.
Seeing the simple and sharp triangular logo of [SIEG Industry] displayed on the advertisement board above the building, the man chuckled suddenly.
"Come to think of it, I heard the young lady of the SIEG family is a great beauty too. I'd like to see her in person sometime? People with good blood flowing through them are indeed different somehow."
Now there was no longer much context to the conversation flow.
There was no need to make small talk when there was no information to gain. Enoch felt no value in replying and got out of the car with Sirocco.
In the rearview mirror behind them, Arcato, puffing on his cigarette, waved goodbye.
"Well then, see you later if we get the chance."
***
"Impossible."
Enoch tilted his head in confusion.
The private reception room of SIEG Corporation. Enoch, who had taken off his hood as there was no need to mind the surrounding gazes, tilted his head at the sharp refusal.
"Excuse me?"
"That is, I am very sorry, but... Due to the company's policy, it is very difficult to immediately accept requests for custom-made magic items even if you have a ticket, unless you are a sponsor."
The man in a suit, who looked stern, replied in a tone as stern as his appearance.
"It is the principle that requests for custom manufacturing from those who have not signed a personal sponsorship contract are pushed to the back of the waiting list. There are no exceptions."
"Back of the waiting list, how long?"
"Let's see... According to the schedule, you would have to wait approximately one year and three months from now. If orders come in from those who have signed sponsorship contracts in the meantime, the possibility of it being pushed back further is also high."
"Even if you are a direct lineage member of a Main House?"
"There are no exceptions according to company policy, Lord Enoch Elsyde. Even if you were to sign a separate sponsorship contract, proof of stable performance over several years as a reliable individual is required."
Enoch frowned slightly.
As expected, it was a company that was extremely finicky. But that's why it made sense.
If they sponsored anyone and a problem arose, it would directly damage the company's image, so they couldn't sign sponsorship contracts hastily.
"I understand for now."
Enoch, who had decided that there was no way here for now, pulled his hood back down and stepped out of the private reception room.
Right in front of him, Sirocco, who had been distracted by looking around while wearing her hood, collided with someone who was quickly turning the corner.
"Ouch!"
"Ugh!"
Both the other person and Sirocco let out small cries at the same time.
Then Sirocco, realizing that her hood had been slightly dislodged during the collision, hurriedly pulled it back down low.
"Oh dear, I am truly sorry! Are you alright?"
The person Sirocco had collided with seemed to be a woman.
She lightly bowed her head and apologized to Sirocco. But even so, she seemed to hesitate slightly, as if she had noticed something from Sirocco when they collided just now.
"Heh. I'm fine... Ugh!"
Without even having time to check who the person she had collided with was, Enoch quickly grabbed Sirocco's wrist and pulled back, keeping his hood pulled low.
"Let's go."
People in the vicinity were already looking at them.
Since Sirocco was a Beast-kin, attracting unnecessary attention was unwelcome. There was no need to reveal their identities to anyone other than the company officials.
As they came out to the building's lobby, Sirocco asked, poking him.
"Did things go well?"
"They said I have to wait 1 year and 3 months."
"Huh? 1 year and 3 months? I don't know exactly what it is, but isn't that a long time?"
"Yeah."
Naturally, it made sense for the company to prioritize sponsors, but it was too long to wait. And above all...
'At this rate, this won't become a reliable route to continuously obtain high-quality artifacts in the future.'
Besides the support from the family provided for missions, he needed a route to obtain necessary equipment personally when needed.
However, if things continued like this, it was clearly a waste of time.
Some alternative was needed.
As Enoch sat in the lobby waiting area, pondering, with his hood pulled back down.
Sirocco, who was sitting next to him, munching on guest crackers unconcernedly, offered him one.
"Want one? They're good."
Enoch shook his head without looking.
Then Sirocco made a slightly sulky expression and poked his cheek with the cracker.
"Heh, you always say no to things I offer, don't you?"
But I still had no intention of eating. Enoch remained seated with his arms crossed, lost in thought, ignoring Sirocco who was pressing the cracker against his cheek.
Just then.
He heard people murmuring in one corner of the reception area. Everyone's gaze was focused on one direction.
"Th-That person, could it be..."
"Why is the company's young lady here...?"
Anyway, it must be something unrelated to me. Just as Enoch was thinking that. He felt a presence, and people's gazes turned towards him.
Someone who was the center of attention seemed to be heading this way.
Suddenly, realizing that and raising his head, a clear voice of a woman rang out from in front of him.
"Excuse me."
Cool-toned brown hair reaching her waist. A girl dressed in a white blouse and a short skirt.
She was a mature beauty with a calm gaze that slightly angled upwards, and a refined and elegant style.
She seemed to be around my age, but she exuded the aura of a company heiress.
As Enoch looked at her without a word. The man in a suit next to her, who seemed to be a bodyguard, stepped forward and spoke stiffly as if introducing her.
"This is Lady Elena Sieg. The young lady of the Sieg family. And the daughter of the current group chairman."
"It's alright, I'll talk to this person myself. They are not someone dangerous or someone to be wary of."
She lightly motioned to the bodyguard. The bodyguards hesitated a little, glancing at Enoch, whose face was hidden by the hood of his robe, then stepped back.
Elena, who had dismissed the surrounding security, approached him and placed a hand on her chest, introducing herself.
"Nice to meet you. I am Elena Sieg."
Then she stepped closer and looked directly into his eyes. It was a strangely enthusiastic gaze.
"Let me be direct."
She said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"...You are Lord Enoch Elsyde, correct?"