Chapter 97: A Freelance Jujutsu Sorcerer
At Tokyo Jujutsu High, in the café on the west side of the library.
Ren sat alone by a window table, watching wisps of steam curl upward from the coffee cup. Every now and then, he lifted his head and glanced around the room.
A woman approached with measured clicks of her heels.
She was tall and slender, dressed in a flowing violet gown. Long silver hair cascaded down her back, while a braided lock draped across her face, concealing one eye.
She stopped beside his table.
"Miss Mei Mei...?" Ren asked cautiously.
The woman's crimson lips curved into a pleased smile.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ren-kun."
Her voice was deep and elegant, carrying a mysterious allure that naturally invited curiosity.
At the moment, Ren was certainly curious.
The previous day, he had received an email through the school's internal network. It had come from this woman, requesting a meeting to discuss his potential promotion to Grade 1 Sorcerer, along with several possible "business opportunities" she wished to discuss.
"Well then."
Pulling out a chair, Mei Mei sat down without ceremony. After ordering a coffee from a nearby server, she turned back toward Ren with a smile.
"To be precise, this isn't actually our first meeting."
"I've seen you before, Ren-kun."
A puzzled look appeared on Ren's face.
He had absolutely no memory of her.
"During the Exchange Event."
"I was commissioned by Tokyo Jujutsu High to monitor the entire venue using my cursed technique."
She raised a pale, elegant hand and brushed the braid covering her hidden eye, emphasizing her point.
A surveillance-type technique?
Ren immediately understood.
A cursed technique capable of gathering intelligence over a vast area-
One that had allowed her to observe the entire exchange event.
Then he remembered everything that had happened during that exchange event.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
Observed?
Just what exactly were you observing?
A Special Grade Curse had invaded the grounds, leaving multiple students seriously injured.
And according to the investigation afterward, even a Special Grade Cursed Object stored in Jujutsu High's vault had been stolen.
Incidentally, the two strange creatures they had exorcised were later confirmed to be incarnated vessels of two stolen Death Painting Wombs from that very incident.
Considering all that chaos, Ren couldn't help but wonder how a surveillance operation under Mei Mei's watch had gone so catastrophically wrong.
Mei Mei, however, remained completely composed.
As if reading his thoughts, she lifted her coffee cup and smiled faintly.
"Don't look at me like that."
"My job was merely observation."
"Whether others were capable of responding appropriately afterward wasn't part of my contract."
She took a leisurely sip of coffee.
"After all..."
"I only do work that's worth the money."
The statement was delivered so naturally that Ren found himself momentarily speechless.
Then again-
This was Mei Mei, the woman famous throughout the jujutsu world for treating sorcery as a profession and profit as its most reliable motivation.
Seeing his reaction, the silver-haired sorceress laughed softly.
"Now then."
"Let's discuss your Grade 1 recommendation."
"And perhaps," she added, her visible eye narrowing with amusement, "a few opportunities that may prove mutually beneficial."
Ren carefully kept his expression neutral, resisting the urge to voice any complaints.
If he remembered correctly, the email had stated that today's discussion was supposed to concern something beneficial to him. Provoking her before hearing the proposal would be unwise.
"I first noticed you during the exchange event," Mei Mei continued. "And I must say, Ren-kun left quite an impression."
"You faced a Special Grade Curse head-on and nearly exorcised it yourself. Among all the students present at the exchange event, that level of strength was truly exceptional."
"Ever since then, I've maintained a rather keen interest in you."
The corners of her lips curved upward. For a fleeting moment, Ren felt as though the eye hidden behind her silver braid had blinked.
"Why?" Ren frowned slightly.
He wasn't the type who enjoyed attention. Being singled out for mysterious reasons rarely led to anything good.
"Well now, before I answer that, allow me to properly introduce myself."
Mei Mei reached into her handbag and handed him a business card.
"My name is Mei Mei."
"A Grade 1 freelance jujutsu sorcerer."
"A freelance sorcerer?"
Ren froze for a moment as he accepted the card, a trace of caution appearing on his face.
"You aren't affiliated with-"
Since she had contacted him through the school's internal network and had participated in something as important as the exchange event, Ren had naturally assumed she was part of Jujutsu High's staff.
However-
"I used to work as a supervisor for Tokyo Jujutsu High," Mei Mei explained calmly. "But later I chose to become independent. It's a far more efficient way of pursuing financial returns."
"Don't worry, though. Even as a freelance sorcerer, I maintain very close ties with Tokyo Jujutsu High. I'm not your enemy."
She smiled.
"The fact that I was invited to participate in the exchange event should make that fairly obvious."
Ren slowly nodded, though the caution in his expression did not disappear entirely.
"Now then, back to the main topic."
Mei Mei leaned forward slightly, resting her chin on one hand as she studied him with amused interest.
"Do you know why I attended the exchange event in the first place?"
"As a sorcerer who values profit above all else, my time is extremely valuable."
"Time is money. Money is time."
"I don't spend my money-or my time-on activities that produce no return."
Without waiting for his response, she answered her own question.
"Of course, Tokyo Jujutsu High paid a generous fee for my technical support. That was the prerequisite."
"But there was another reason as well."
"A personal reason."
"I wanted to use the exchange event to search for promising talent."
"Future business partners worth investing in."
"Business partners?" Ren echoed.
Mei Mei tapped the business card she had handed him.
Beneath the elegant script of her name were lines upon lines of corporate titles, consulting firms, and company affiliations.
"I hold shares in quite a few conventional businesses," she explained. "However, most of my activities within the jujutsu world revolve around a company called Black Bird International Security."
"The company serves as the core of a freelance sorcerer alliance that I established."
"Operating under the name of a security firm, we don't merely cooperate with the jujutsu community."
"We also provide supernatural risk management and paranormal incident resolution services to politicians, celebrities, major corporations, and wealthy clients around the world."
"The compensation is extremely generous."
Her smile widened slightly.
"Interested?"
"Interested in what?" Ren asked, genuinely confused.
"You know exactly what I'm referring to."
Her uncovered eye fixed on him sharply.
"The money."
Then she waved a dismissive hand, as though brushing aside his hesitation.
"Don't look so uncomfortable."
"There's nothing shameful about pursuing wealth."
"Jujutsu sorcerers are still human beings. We need food, housing, resources, equipment, and capital."
"Using your abilities to earn money through legal and legitimate means isn't something to be ashamed of."
"In fact, I'd argue it's admirable."
"It shows initiative."
"It shows a desire to improve your life."
"And that's something worthy of praise."
"I understand the logic," Ren said, rubbing his temple.
"But what exactly does any of this have to do with why we're sitting here today?"
"Everything."
Mei Mei smiled knowingly.
"Because I've come here today to present you with a proposal."
"A proposal that kills two birds with one stone."
"A proposal that offers nothing but advantages."
She folded her hands atop the table.
"One that will earn you the title of Grade 1 Sorcerer..."
"...while simultaneously making you a very wealthy man."