Chương 152: Plague of Doubt

June sat on the highest rung of the step-ladder and looked up and into the shell's helm with empty, distant eyes. His internal monologue was silent, but his thoughts felt loud, and their meaning felt clear. Clutching his sides, he quietly shivered, fingers pressed against his bicep, dug in, and drew blood. He let out an unsteady exhale and pressed a contract against his thigh enough to hurt him, but not break the paper.

To his surprise, the Branch-Master still begrudgingly provided him a specialist license and paid him more than what was shown during the meeting. One thing June didn't expect was that, despite his blunder, the Branch-Master still gave him the contract. The pay for the Sumeye job was fairly high, and June was paid an additional sum for taking a high-level job and succeeding despite his level.

In most cases, the receptionist would have refused to provide such a dangerous job, but for some reason, they still allowed him to take it. Additionally, the Qi-deviated cannibal within the sewers made the already dangerous job several times more deadly than intended, and even despite that, June was able to return with survivors. If June were an Aspirant, he would have died; if he survived as an Aspirant, he would have been revered as a hero. However, miracles didn't always happen.

He cracked his knuckles and ruffled his hair with a groan. The pay was nice, but the amount he received was most likely due to suspicions instead of real work. Understandably, if someone was suspected of being a Dreamer, it would be in everyone's best interests to appease them. June ground his teeth and let out a defeated sigh. The contract he received was an interesting one. As of yet, he didn't agree to it, but the pay for it was ludicrous compared to the Sumeye job and its bonuses.

'Why would someone want me specifically? … The pay was suspiciously high as well?' No ill intent seemed to be in the job, other than the suspiciously high pay; it was simply a delivery job to a place outside of the capital. It also took place in the interval between the elimination rounds for Dreamers and the finale.

'I don't really have an excuse to refuse a juicy job like this, but…' He pinched his nose and exhaled, 'I need to take a break… a proper break before the Mage's academy meets… or the Dreamer division starts ' Mortimer helped June dress himself in noble garb.

"Why are there so many buttons if they aren't going to be used?" The old man glanced at June while fastening a single button of many on June's mantle.

"Noble fashion is weird, June. Be happy that you don't need to put on any uranium makeup like they used to wear!" Mortimer cackled. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. It was the following day after the disaster at the Lengue Guild Hall. June wanted to spend some time with the Harths, but unfortunately they had made prior plans.

However, with the stern king of Harths' gift of gab, along with Mortimer's influence within the realm, the king and the butler managed to drag June along as Lilia's fiancé and the family's plus-one. His outfit wasn't too flashy by noble standards, but the cost of the perfumes he had used, accompanied by the custom-tailored outfit, made June feel lightheaded.

'A single bottle of perfume alone is higher than my rent in the mundane realm!?' June wore a burgundy outfit that was tailored specifically to his dimensions, along with a gold-trimmed mantle that matched his eyes. His hair, by nature, unlike his beard, was flat instead of scruffy, but with a little bit of mousse, Mortimer styled his usual unruly hair into a European flow cut. Looking at his pruned self in the mirror, the overly perfected version of himself seemed off.

"Hey, Mortimer… wouldn't a fur mantle be cooler to wear?" The old man, without stopping, spoke, "Some fur coats have meaning in noble society; the colosseum games act as a convergent event for major kingdoms, countries, and factions… We just need to wear something to send enough of a message to most of them, without wearing something overzealous." The young man raised an eyebrow while watching Mortimer ready him for the event in the mirror's reflection.

"What's the worst that could happen if I did wear something overzealous? Just think about it: a thick fur mantle would be cool… actually, never mind, I probably wouldn't want to wear an animal's skin like that." Mortimer moved over to June's cuffs and began adjusting them to the nearest degree of perfection.

"Wearing the wrong thing at events could lead to war… one way or another. We need to show our power, our wealth, and our friendliness without flaunting it too much; on the other hand, flaunting too little just paints a target on our backs, and there are some kingdoms that no one would want to mess with." June watched Mortimer move over to adjust his collar.

"Hey… Mortimer, should I really be going to a place like this? I don't wanna cause problems; I just wanted to spend some quality time with everyone before the games start again." June watched Mortimer pause in the mirror's reflection before shifting to adjust the mantle once more.

"June, you coming is a boon for the Harths considering your renown within the games. People would want to make connections with an oddity like you."

"…"

"Mortimer… is there something wrong with me? Since I'm an oddity?" The old man paused again and sighed with a complicated look that was unknowingly observed by June. He shut his eyes, winced, and spoke.

"You are a little special, that's all. Being special in the Nightrealm is a common case here, so don't feel too bad about yourself… okay, kid?"

"…"

"You're as normal as the rest of us…" June's eye twitched; the unfortunate truth of being able to smell emotions occasionally meant that unwanted truths would present themselves. Everything Mortimer had said was truthful… until the last line.

'Why… did he just lie?'