The Power of a Super Elite Agent

We set up the counterfeit note factory in an underground facility tucked between the Royal Capital and the Lawless City.

Actually, I was the one who recommended this spot to Yukime. It was the same place where we all went on a Bandit Hunt back when my sister was kidnapped. I figured it was perfect for a secret base.

The plan was to ship the counterfeit notes from here to the Lawless City and then circulate them into the Royal Capital. That way, it would be nearly impossible to trace the source of the fake currency.

The facility I’d once infiltrated with the pint-sized versions of Alpha and the others had been completely transformed. Now, it was a bustling factory staffed by Yukime’s subordinates.

I ignored the frantic pace of the employees as Natsu guided me toward the back of the building. She opened a beautifully renovated door, revealing a space that looked like a high-end executive suite.

"You’ve arrived, Master John..."

I took a seat on the sofa across from Yukime.

"I assume it’s finished," I said.

"See for yourself."

Wearing a seductive smile, Yukime opened a package sitting on the table. Inside were two stacks of bills. Each bundle appeared to contain a hundred 10,000 Zeny notes.

"Can you tell which one is the real thing?" she asked, her voice dripping with confidence.

I picked up both bundles and compared them.

Crap. I have absolutely no clue.

However, a Super Elite Agent was supposed to be able to spot even the slightest discrepancy. I focused my magically enhanced vision on the bills. I could see differences—the texture of the paper, the quality of the ink, the alignment of the print. They were subtle, but they were definitely there.

The problem, however... was that I didn’t actually remember what the original bills looked like!

In other words, I could see the differences, but I had no baseline to tell which was which.

What to do... what would a Super Elite Agent do?!

Usually, the lower-quality one is the fake, right?

I idly flipped through the bills with a practiced thumb, nodding with a meaningful smile to project an air of total mastery.

Then, I made my move.

"The answer is beneath me..."

"What do you mean by that?" Yukime asked, her expression turning suspicious.

"Comparing the two, the paper quality of this bundle is somewhat coarse."

I held up the coarser stack. A flash of surprise crossed Yukime’s face.

"There’s also a difference in how the ink bleeds. The spread is much more pronounced on this one."

"――!"

Her eyes went wide.

"And finally, the printing is slightly distorted. Right here."

"What!?"

Yukime snatched the bundle from my hand and scrutinized it. "I-it really is distorted... And I checked these so many times..."

"Is there any need for me to state the obvious?" I asked.

"No, there is no need. The one with the lower precision... is the genuine article."

Oh. So it was that one.

"You tried too hard to make a 'good' bill," I said, covering my tracks.

"...Should we start over?" she asked tentatively.

"No need. Aside from me, there aren't many people capable of seeing through the deception."

Better a swift mess than a slow masterpiece, as they say. Who cares about the details? Let’s just start dumping these things into the market.

"We are short on time, so let’s proceed. I really am no match for you, Master John," Yukime said with a resigned laugh. "Very well. We’ll begin circulation tomorrow. We’ll start small and gradually increase the volume."

"Fine."

"As the volume increases, people will come looking for the source. I’ll be counting on you to... handle them. However..." She trailed off, looking like she was struggling to find the right words.

"...Is something wrong?"

"I have just one request."

"Hoh?"

"If you find a man named Gettan... please do not kill him. Let him go."

"The reason?"

"The reason is..." Yukime looked down, choosing her words carefully before she began to speak in a low, nostalgic tone. "It’s a story from back when I had only a single tail. I lived alone with my mother in a small village of the Spirit Fox Tribe..."

She looked genuinely wistful as she stared at the floor.

"It was a peaceful village, far removed from conflict. My mother had three tails, and she supported us by hunting with her power. I used to help her butcher the prey she brought home. We weren't wealthy, but those were happy days. But those days didn't last. The day my mother went out to hunt, my village was..."

She stopped herself there and looked up.

"Let’s leave it at that for today. I’ll tell you the rest once we’ve become a bit... closer." She gave me a mischievous little wink.

"You have no intention of telling me, then?"

"Are you going to get closer to me?" she giggled. "I’m joking. That man stole everything from me. This time, it’s my turn to take everything from him. I want to kill him with my own hands, but only after I’ve stripped him of everything he holds dear."

She said all this with that same playful smile plastered on her face, her tone of voice never wavering.

"Revenge, is it? Very well."

Hell yeah. I’ll do the 'show off overwhelming power but intentionally let the guy go so he can come back for a rematch' play.

"Gettan is a Blind Beastkin with scars over both his eyes."

"Understood."

I stood up and turned my back to her.

"Do as you wish with your revenge. But do not let it consume you, lest you lose sight of your own path..."

I made sure to mutter that cool-sounding line just as I made my exit.