Mage? Spell Engineer!

Floran, a provincial, was able to find an easy job as an aquatic product manager after arriving in Valuauna thanks to his younger brother, a shrewd and capable meat merchant.

He and his younger brother are completely opposites - the elder brother is tall and thin, the younger brother is short and fat, the elder brother is taciturn and the younger brother is outgoing and brave.

It's like a mediocre man was divided into two parts by God, and he had two brothers. Obviously, his younger brother's bold and enterprising spirit has made him money. His rich figure is an image of reliability, stability and wealth in this world, especially among the small townsfolk.

And Floran's lack of words and looseness during the day is a sign of idleness and suspicion. He has no meat, no fat or muscles. No mother near the Valluana market would want her daughter to marry such an unreliable thin man.

But it has to be said that both brothers actually have a brave spirit. The younger brother used it to develop the industry of slaughtering and processing meat, starting from scratch and rising from a butcher's apprentice to a respectable owner of many butcher shops. And the brother's boldness is hidden in the silence of the day:

At night, when everyone thought the bachelor was going somewhere to have fun, Floran often participated in "events" in a small club.

It's said to be a club, but it's actually just a small room. However, everyone is an ambitious hero, including small businessmen, lawyers, and theater writers.

Their identities and incomes were roughly similar, and they all had the same ideas: opposing aristocratic privileges and opposing clergy. Some even dared to go a step further: to oppose His Majesty the King.

Since the Green Wave Teahouse was raided, club members have found a secluded private house for regular gatherings. They were talented, well-read people who would share poetry with each other, discuss how the Grand Theater's new play implicitly criticized the nobility, and boldly imagine a new future for Valois.

Floran likes the feeling, even though he rarely speaks in the corner. To himself at this time, Floran was sacred, intoxicated by great ideals rather than surrounded by the smell of fish.

"The above is what Senator Edward said. In the end, the House of Commons passed the bill with a high vote," the member read from the tabloid called "Haiya Courier", which regularly collects and publishes Istany's House debates.

Reading this newspaper is also a regular part of the club gatherings. The reader is full of enthusiasm, and the audience is listening with serious expressions, as if they are previewing their future careers.

Next, it’s time for the last two starts that have annoyed Floran:

"Have you bought the shares of Shariana Mining?"

"It's too hard to get. I bought public bonds. Today Mrs. Eamon wants to withdraw the annuity and invest it."

"Let me tell you a good way. Recently, there is a trading company on Dupont Street that sells stocks. You can sell and buy them for as little as one livre. I think the bosses in the whole street like to trade there."

"Come on, I just want to invest this little money."

"No, no, no, you misunderstood me, friend, why can't we also open a trading company like this? We have money and lawyers."

Speculation, the madness and restlessness of the exchanges infected the club. The members themselves are dominated by businessmen and lawyers, and the screenwriters often come into contact with celebrities. Rather, they themselves are one of the fuels for market mania, and now they condescend to make it hot in a musty hut.

It was even more unbearable for Floran than talking about women! Floran had never seen any nobles, but he vaguely felt that the people in front of him had some similarities with the images they criticized.

Apart from him, there were two other people in the club who were indifferent to the heated discussions:

One is "Sleepy" Thor, a young man who calls himself a student and is always yawning.

The other is Maxim, the Rock, whose name means "the Great One" in Yabo. The young lawyer newly arrived in the capital of the kingdom was resolute, upright, and stubborn. He often argued with members and rigorously defeated or persuaded each other, but no one could shake him. He obviously has no interest in securities trading and is using his stubbornness to peel an orange.

"Everyone, these money-making matters can be discussed openly elsewhere. No one will arrest you for this, right? Why don't you disperse and go back to bed early." Thor yawned and reminded everyone who was obsessed with getting rich to leave.

"I propose that the club will not discuss speculation in the future unless it is related to our great cause." Maxim also spoke, with orange juice dripping from the corner of his mouth. Facing the "rock", everyone nodded in agreement.

This is the end of today's party. In order to stay concealed and leave in pairs according to the rules, each team must be separated by ten minutes. Today it was Thor and Floran's turn to go last.

"Unlucky" Thor had just finished saying that there was a knock on the door.

"Did someone forget something?" Floran wanted to open the door, but Thor stopped him.

"That's not right." Sleepyhead's eyes were completely awake. He put his hand on the door and felt it for a while. Floran didn't know how Thor did it.

"Plain clothes note, three people, jumped out of the window."

"This is the second floor! We can use curtains." Before Floran could react, Thor directly grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the room. Just when Floran thought he was going to break his bones from the fall, his body suddenly became light and landed firmly on the ground.

They were the last group to leave. It was getting late and there were no carriages or pedestrians.

"They jumped out of the window! Chase!"

The sound of hurried footsteps came from the stairs, and Thor quickly explained: "We will run separately. The party will be suspended for one period, and we will use the old method to announce the new time and place."

After explaining, Thor transformed his hand into another appearance, and then wiped it on Floran's face.

Floran closed his eyes involuntarily, and when he opened them again, the other party had disappeared.

ah? Floran was stunned for a moment, then turned and ran towards the road. He obviously had little experience. It was especially easy to track the police on the road. Every once in a while, a tall and thin figure would run past under the dim kerosene street lamp.

He can use his speed to get rid of those who are following him. Floran thought this way. He looked back: Why the hell are they all chasing me? The distance between Mr. Aquatic Manager, who had not exercised for a long time, and his pursuer seemed to be shrinking.

Suddenly a carriage passed by at an extremely fast speed. The driver was not paying attention to the road at all. His big-brimmed hat was weighing him down tightly. The horse was also covered with thick velvet. Dots of pale cold light flickered on and off in the night. The four people noticed it at the same time and felt the inhuman and terrifying aura at the same time.

"Keep chasing, keep chasing." The plainclothes officers who carried out the arrest bravely ignored the ominous passers-by and focused their attention on the target.

However, changes occurred. In an extremely fast time, a thick fog enveloped the avenue, the light of the kerosene lamp was weakened and dispersed, and the cold fog hit the pursuer's skin with a biting ice. The three of them shuddered together, and they saw the tall and thin figure in front of them disappear in a flash.

They didn't even think that Floran escaped, but that something dirty in the night took away the poor man.

As members of the police force, they have received many reports of citizens missing after traveling at night in Valuauna and going to the underground cemetery. Often there are no clues and the church cannot trace them. Unexpectedly, it seemed to happen to me today.

Fortunately, the fog dissipated and nothing happened again. One of the three people whispered a prayer.

"It's bad luck, let's stop the team." The leader removed his right hand from his waist and gave up the pursuit.

"Flolan, why are you being chased by gangsters here? It's because you owe money playing cards, right?" In the carriage, Rorschach asked Floran to sit down.

Rorschach passed by and noticed that the tall and thin man running towards him looked familiar. He turned back to stop the three men who were chasing him, and saw that the guy being chased was Mr. Aquatic Product Manager.