Chapter 32
Resignation
* * *
"Your driving skills were really good."
Driving a car usually wasn’t a particularly difficult task. However, a considerable number of people who were unfamiliar with driving failed right at the stage of cranking the shaft to start the engine.
Starting the engine was already quite tricky, but once the actual driving began, there were so many things to pay attention to.
With driving skills like Erickson’s, he could easily have been hired as the chauffeur of a famous noble family. Or perhaps he had originally been a professional driver.
"See, it was a good thing I decided to follow you."
Hanging tons of gold bars by chains over the bridge was something that was extremely difficult for Erickson to do alone.
Of course, Erickson didn’t plan to hang all the secured gold bars from chains and lower them under the bridge. He had a different plan from the start, but…
"Damn it."
But with a lunatic who had just beaten down five knights by himself and was now glaring with wide open eyes while running to catch up with the car, Erickson didn’t have the guts to steal any gold.
"Looks like this takes care of what needed to be done."
"Yeah."
As he spoke, Erickson skillfully swapped out the license plate attached to the back of the car.
Now, a boat traveling along the river would come to collect the crates and transport them to Bennett City through the Antaria Grand Canal.
In other words, there was nothing more Kairus needed to do here. Having finished the job, Kairus quickly set out on the road back to Bennett City.
"Should I say it wasn’t bad for a first time."
This was his first time committing a robbery. In fact, an ordinary person would never have to, and never should, experience something like this in their entire life. Besides, judging by what Kairus had been through, it wasn’t exactly luck favoring a beginner.
"Well, you’ve done well. I’d prefer if we never had to see each other again."
As Kairus spoke, Erickson immediately replied.
"Don’t worry. We won’t."
For a moment, Kairus wondered how he was supposed to interpret that remark.
If he added something like "Because I’m going to die right here!" right after, it would have turned into an excellent threat.
"Goddamn it, wipe that look off your face. You’re going to make me piss myself!"
Erickson hastily stepped back as he spoke.
"There’s only one reason bastards like you end up working with me. Because your name isn’t known yet."
If even a rumor spread about what Kairus had accomplished here today, there would be no shortage of people wanting to hire him.
"The hiring office would give you treatment fit for a machinist."
"What the hell are you talking about? Explain in more detail."
Hiring office? Machinist? As Kairus asked, Erickson clicked his tongue and looked at him.
Kairus, even though he had entered Bennett City, was doing this kind of work for the first time. Naturally, he couldn’t help but be unfamiliar with how things operated in this area.
“Usually, rookies in this business head to the site through a hiring office.”
When a contractor delivered a request for manpower to the hiring office, the hiring office would pick out suitable guys among those who showed up that day and send them to the site.
Among the various big and small crimes around Bennett City, those targeting places outside the city were mostly carried out in this manner. If you dug deeper, there were all sorts of people involved implementers, contractors, and so on but the fact Kairus needed to know was simple.
You received an introduction from the hiring office, went to the site, and did the job.
“Of course, it’s a bit different from an actual construction site.”
The way payment was distributed was also different from the real construction field. Instead of a fixed wage like a machinist or an assistant, profits were divided up, and the pay was enormous.
The reason people started using those kinds of terms was simply because some of them had begun disguising their organizations as construction-related companies.
“Well, obviously, since it’s crime.”
At Kairus’s words, Erickson nodded.
If you didn’t know where the hiring office was, you couldn’t get work, and even if you did get in, you still needed an introduction letter or someone’s recommendation.
You started out as an assistant, gained experience, and once you became known, you’d be considered a machinist.
If your skills and reputation were further recognized, you could even become a team leader who directed other machinists under you.
“Ridiculously detailed.”
As if to prove they were people who made crime their everyday livelihood. Either way, it was quite an interesting subject for Kairus.
Given his goals, he needed reputation, money, and connections, but at the same time, joining any organization meant shouldering the burdens and obligations that came with it.
“Perfect.”
Fundamentally, you accepted jobs as a freelancer, carried them out, and received your share of the payment.
If you kept succeeding or pulled off difficult jobs, you naturally built up a corresponding reputation.
On top of that, you could even build some personal connections along the way.
“I could even do it as a side job.”
After parting ways with Erickson and heading for Bennett City, Kairus organized his thoughts.
It was more than possible to work as an employee and still take on side jobs. He had already modified his contract with Jonathan to allow for side work.
“No, that won’t do.”
It wasn’t a good idea. From the start, Longwave Bistro was never a place he planned to stay for long. It was just somewhere to pass the time until he set his future plans and took care of a few arrangements.
Besides, he’d definitely end up causing trouble for Jonathan.
“The Valorn Empire Treasury has no reason to handle this incident fairly.”
Once they found out he had stolen their corruption documents, they would try to eliminate him, and there was no chance they would settle the matter with anything like a fair fight.
They would resort to every possible method, and in the process, Jonathan could end up in danger.
If it were absolutely necessary, there would be no choice, but he had no intention of doing something vile to someone he happened to be connected with for no good reason.
"I’ll have to leave."
Kairus made up his mind and quickened his pace, returning to Bennett City over the course of several days.
"I’m back. You fixed the door?"
Kairus opened the door to Longwave Bistro and greeted Jonathan.
Instead of an answer, an apron and a scouring pad came flying at him.
"There’s a pile of dishes."
"Yes, it’s so nice to see your face again, boss."
Putting on the apron that had been thrown instead of a greeting and taking the scouring pad in his hand, Kairus immediately started washing dishes.
Just as Jonathan had said, there was an enormous pile of dirty dishes stacked up in the kitchen.
"You could have cleaned up a bit while I was gone."
Without even time to reply, Jonathan was stirring the stew in a huge pot with a shovel.
"If you’ve got time to yap, start baking the batter."
"I’ll keep going, so let me know if you think there’s enough."
Kairus swiftly continued washing dishes while tossing chicken skin, lumps of fat, and entrails onto the cast-iron griddle.
As the scraps cooked on the griddle, they oozed fat.
Kairus began churning out pancake batter from a large rubber tub, almost literally stamping them out.
Pancake was just the word for it—it was really a runny flour batter, heavily salted, that he poured onto the cast-iron pan to bake.
It was something like free bread served before the meal to those who ordered from the menu.
"Alright, that’s enough."
After about an hour of making pancakes, Jonathan told Kairus he could stop.
"Huh? There’s still time left before closing."
"I’m too tired to bother anymore."
Jonathan said that, then wiped his hands roughly on a rag and stuck his head out into the hall.
"That’s it for orders today! Once you’ve eaten what’s left, get out!"
The customers grumbled a bit, but as soon as Jonathan casually lifted the knuckle duster hanging from his belt, a miraculous silence fell over them.
"Boss! What about drinks?"
"Drinks too! Ah, and since I’m too tired to deal with it today, you lot carry your dishes to the kitchen yourselves!"
Having said that, Jonathan turned back to Kairus.
"Go out and tidy up the hall."
"Yes, sir."
Kairus immediately went out and started clearing the tables.
Because Jonathan was so exhausted, and the customers obediently followed his instructions, Kairus was able to focus entirely on cleaning and tidying the hall.
"Looks like it’s mostly done."
All that was left was to finish washing the remaining dishes.
He had come back from committing a robbery only to get straight back to work, but they had agreed from the start that this was how it would be. Kairus had no particular thoughts about it.
"…?"
Thud, thud—as Kairus watched, Jonathan set plates of food and glasses of alcohol on one of the tables.
Even at a glance, there were eight large plates, each piled high with different dishes.
"I was wondering why you were closing early all of a sudden. Looks like someone must have made a reservation."
At Kairus’s words, Jonathan replied.
"What the hell do you mean, reservation."
Jonathan said that, then sat down in a chair and pointed to the seat across from him.
"Sit. I figured I’d at least feed you a meal before you go."
"…Pardon?"
Jonathan quietly looked at Kairus.
"Do you know how many years I’ve been running this little place in Bennett City? When a man’s about to leave, you learn to see it coming right away."
At Jonathan’s words, Kairus let out a small sound.
"I tried not to let it show, but I guess it still did."
Jonathan answered calmly.
"All I had to do was look at your situation to figure it out. And thanks to those other guys who arrived about yesterday, word has spread all over."
Jonathan poured beer into the glass in front of Kairus as he spoke.
"They said you wrecked five knights. One of them was a decorated knight, too."
"Well, even if he was decorated, they’re not all the same kind of decorated knight."
At Kairus’s remark, Jonathan took out a jar.
"This."
"The only know-how I picked up running this place was figuring out how to get ingredients."
It was linden honey produced in Saint Deville. More precisely, honey that used to be produced there.
"It can’t have been easy to get this."
"In Bennett City, there’s hardly anything you can’t buy if you pay. It’s not like it’s some limited-edition liquor. If it’s just honey, you can get it easily enough by offering a bit extra."
Jonathan said this as he opened the lid of the honey jar.
"I saved another jar to give you as a gift."
Kairus silently looked down at the jar, then put a little honey on the bread that had been set out. Linden honey was so thick it hardly dripped.
That was why you could scoop it up like jam and spread it. Kairus took a bite of the bread and spoke.
"It tastes just as I remembered."
"Does it? It’s so sweet it feels like my teeth will fall out."
Kairus agreed with that. It was an intense sweetness that probably only children would like.
But because the sweetness was so overwhelming, it could linger in Kairus’s memory all these years, and become something that called back to the happier days of his childhood.
Even when he was in the Carlson Labor Correctional Facility, he thought about this honey many times. When you’re hungry and exhausted, your body naturally craves something sweet.
"Thank you."
Kairus expressed his gratitude, then sat and ate and drank together with Jonathan.
"Thank you, my ass. Just think of it as payment for that time you saved my life."
Jonathan had anticipated that Kairus would be leaving and prepared this meal and the gift for him.
In that case, what Kairus ought to do was eat and drink well at the table that had been set for him.
The drinking lasted quite a while. Jonathan could really put away alcohol. As for Kairus, his liver had been thoroughly trained by pruno back in the Carlson Labor Correctional Facility.
On top of that, Jonathan’s cooking skills were excellent.
"Still, you’re not going to just cut me off completely, right?"
"I’ll stop by for a meal now and then when I feel like it."
At Kairus’s reply, Jonathan nodded.
"So, what are you going to do next?"
To that question, Kairus gave a short laugh, set down his glass, and answered.
"There’s something I have to take care of first. After that, I’m planning to visit the hiring office."
Jonathan looked at the wavering lamplight above and spoke.
"That’s not the kind of place that goes around finding lost cats or missing people."
Kairus nodded. Jonathan looked at him and gave a brief piece of advice.
"If there’s any sort of work you absolutely don’t want to do, you’d better make that clear to the manager the first time you go."
Kairus made a thoughtful sound and looked at Jonathan.
"If you look at the job first and then say you won’t do it, it’s too late."
If you showed up saying you’d take the job, only to refuse on the spot, you’d hear every kind of insult imaginable. And the hiring office that introduced you would end up suffering as well.
If that happened a few times, the hiring office would stop giving you work altogether.
"You said you were from the Carlson Labor Correctional Facility, right? When you run into situations on the job, you can probably handle them by thinking back to your old experiences."
"Doesn’t sound too difficult."
Kairus sliced off a chunk of meat from the large plate and set it onto a smaller dish before answering.
In the end, the one unchanging truth was that you couldn’t let yourself be underestimated, no matter where you went.
"Well, I more or less understand what you’re planning, but do you even know the way to the hiring office? Just so you know, I don’t."
At Jonathan’s admission, Kairus laughed and replied.
"It’s fine. How could a man who’s about to leave keep imposing on you, boss?"
Besides, he didn’t plan to head straight to the hiring office anyway. There were still quite a few things he needed to do first.
It was around four in the morning by the time the drinking finally came to an end. Jonathan let out a yawn and then headed back to his own house.