I Am A Wizard Who Can Travel Between Earth And The Other World-Chapter 7 - A Dangerous Proposition

"Come on now, I've got some honor," Jay said with a sly grin. "The Fishmongers Guild will handle the Malice Beasts. Our job is to deal with the organization that brought them here."

"An organization capable of summoning Malice Beasts? Sounds dangerous," Ferrari said, his brows furrowing.

"They call themselves Shedim. They're not particularly powerful, but the problem is the beasts they've summoned."

Ferrari tilted his head in confusion. "Is summoning something like that even possible? Malice Beasts are just monsters, right? If they've entered the city, wouldn't there already be chaos?"

"That's exactly why the Fishmongers Guild is involved," Jay explained, leaning back casually. "Apparently, there's a way to control them."

The room fell silent as wide-eyed stares locked onto Jay.

"Control a Malice Beast?" someone murmured in disbelief.

"Just speculation for now," Jay replied with a shrug. "But it's a fact that they've got one under their control. The Fishmongers Guild wouldn't act without proof."

"So, while we deal with Shedim, the Fishmongers Guild will handle the beast?" Ferrari asked, his voice skeptical.

"Exactly," Jay confirmed.

The implication was clear—the guild wasn't just interested in eliminating the Malice Beast; they also sought the secret to controlling such creatures.

Ferrari's face darkened. "And they expect the four of us to face an organization capable of summoning something like that? This has to be a joke."

Jay chuckled, waving a dismissive hand. "Relax. Do you think I'm the only broker working with the Fishmongers Guild? At least fifty others are joining. You won't be alone."

"Fifty people..." Ferrari muttered, his tension easing slightly.

"Shedim has about thirty members," Jay added with a smirk.

"With those odds, it shouldn't be too hard, right?"

Ferrari's expression softened further, but Gin wasn't convinced. Watching Jay closely, his mistrust only deepened.

There's a lot of lies mixed in here, he thought.

As a mage adept in detection magic, Gin could sense the truth behind Jay's words.

The only confirmed facts were that this was a Fishmongers Guild mission, fifty mercenaries were involved, and Shedim had indeed summoned a Malice Beast. Everything else was suspiciously vague.

Gin spoke up, his tone flat. "What's the payment?"

Jay grinned broadly, nodding as if expecting the question.

"Ah, the most important part! One million gels per person. Not bad, huh?"

The figure meant little to Gin. He had no context for its value. Is it around a million won?

The way the others' eyes gleamed at the mention of the amount suggested it was substantial. Even so, Gin remained unimpressed. "Do we get paid upfront?"

Jay's grin twisted into a chuckle, and he waved a hand dismissively.

"You must be new to this game. Payment always comes after the job.

That's how it works."

Gin's gaze hardened. "And why should I trust you?"

"Trust? I'm Jay!" he declared, puffing out his chest.

"I've been in this business for fourteen years.

Do you think I'd bother running off with just a million gels?"

"That's not my problem," Gin replied coldly. "I don't know what kind of place this is, and I don't know you."

The tension thickened as Ferrari hesitated, then nodded.

"I'd also prefer to get paid upfront. Just in case.

We're already in this van—you know we're not running anywhere."

Jay's smile faltered for a moment before he forced it back into place. "Look, do you think I carry that kind of money around? You'll get paid after. Guaranteed."

Gin chuckled softly, an ominous sound that made the air seem heavier.

He reached for the chaotic mana churning within him.

Though wild and unruly, he had spent enough time manipulating it that extracting a few threads was effortless.

With a subtle motion, he infused the mana with razor-sharp precision and let it loose.

Shrrk!

A small but clean cut appeared on Jay's shirt near his chest, and from the opening, a thick envelope slipped free, landing with a soft thud on the van's floor.

"Looks like the money's right there," Gin said calmly.

Jay's face twisted into an expression of pure frustration.

Jay picked up the envelope from the ground, his mind racing with possibilities. He had no intention of handing over that kind of money to people who were as good as dead.

Why bother paying when he could simply recover it from their corpses later? That would save him the trouble of dealing with needless payouts.

But just as he was contemplating his next move, the bottom of the envelope split open, spilling its contents onto the floor.

Instead of cash, thin, golden cards tumbled out—a treasure trove of exquisitely treated gold slips, each radiating a dazzling brilliance.

The sheer glow of the pile was enough to dazzle everyone in the van.

Ferrari's eyes widened in shock, and he exclaimed, "Golden checks!"

Quickly, he snatched one up before Jay could react. The broker tried to stop him, but Ferrari's speed was far superior. Inspecting the card, Ferrari's expression grew taut with astonishment.

"Ten million gels?" he muttered, the weight of the number heavy in his voice.

Each golden check was worth ten million gels.

With dozens of them scattered across the floor, the payout was enough to cover the costs of every recruit in the van—and then some.

The intense stares of the four recruits pierced through Jay like daggers. Their collective gaze was unrelenting, suffocating.

Grumbling under his breath, Jay gathered the remaining golden checks and reluctantly handed one to each person. Even after distributing the checks, a significant pile remained.

Gin chuckled softly, breaking the heavy silence. "So, the commission rate is about 50%, huh? Doesn't that seem a bit excessive?"

The implication was clear: the envelope was payment from the Fishmongers

Guild. After pocketing his commission, Jay had planned to keep the rest.

Jay 's face reddened, and he barked, "Don't be ridiculous! This isn't just commission money! It's all the fees I've collected over years of work! The commission for recruiting one person is barely 5%!"

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Ferrari's expression turned icy. "I don't like this. First, you planned to shortchange us. Now it seems you weren't even going to pay us at all."

"That's not true!" Jay protested, his voice rising in panic.

But Ferrari's calm yet cutting tone silenced him. "Add another 2.5 million gels for each of us. Unless you want me to take this directly to the Fishmongers

Guild."

The others nodded in agreement. While the additional 2.5 million would still leave a hefty commission for Jay , it was enough to satisfy their initial doubts.

Sweat beaded on Jay's brow as he glanced nervously at Gin.

His irritation bubbled to the surface. All of this is because of that damned kid.

In his mind, none of them were going to survive anyway.

The survival rate for bait was barely 3%. Out of 50 recruits, maybe one—two at most—would live to tell the tale. And the odds of that one survivor being in this van? Slim to none.

With a heavy sigh, Jay relented, pulling out another golden check and handing it to Ferrari. "Fine, fine. Just split it however you want. And stop glaring at me like that.

I've got my pride, you know."

Gin ignored Jay entirely, engrossed in examining the golden check. The card was more than just a piece of gold—it was imbued with intricate magical patterns that acted as a unique identifier, likely linked to a central database to prevent forgery.

The craftsmanship was impressive, incorporating multiple layers of security measures, though some aspects remained beyond even Gin's analysis.

The denomination is inconvenient, he thought, slipping the check into an inner pocket. A smaller amount would've been more practical, but it likely would've required more space for storage.

Gin cast a minor enchantment on the pocket to prevent damage and deter thieves.

The van fell into a tense silence. After the heated exchange, no one was in the mood for conversation. Jay sat stewing in frustration, his mind churning with schemes to get back at Gin.

Eventually, the van came to a stop. Ferrari opened the door and stepped out first, followed by the others. Gin scanned his surroundings as he exited.