In an underground warehouse in the city, a delivery truck driver was ready to unload, and Razer had to drag Garde off the truck bed.
"So heavy!"
Moving a crocodile man weighing over 500 pounds was no easy feat for the petite Razer. Even among Vouivre, strength varied greatly. Someone like Saria could lift Garde, but Razer had to drag him.
"Miss Razer, do you need any help?"
"No, no need."
Owing someone a favor could be quite a hassle to repay.
At first, Razer tried carrying the crocodile man, but her small stature meant that when he was on her back, she couldn't even see the road ahead. The stairs were particularly tricky; moving too quickly always resulted in a stick poking her.
At first, Razer thought the crocodile man was hiding some sort of weapon on him. After fumbling around for a while and grabbing the "weapon," she finally realized what it was.
"Pervert!"
When they had found the crocodile man, he wasn't wearing any clothes, so they had only loosely wrapped him in some cloth. Razer hadn't paid attention when wrapping him up, as she wasn't as bold as Darina.
Razer quickly came up with a better idea. She found some discarded burlap sacks, using them as padding for the crocodile man, and then grabbed his thick, long tail.
Soon, the staff in the underground warehouse saw a petite Vouivre girl dragging a crocodile man by his tail.
The floor of the underground warehouse was uneven, littered with loose stones spilled from mine carts. As Razer dragged the crocodile man, the makeshift padding under him tore apart, and his cloth covering fared even worse.
A group of warehouse workers watched the scene, feeling a chill in their lower halves. They couldn't help but wonder: What unforgivable thing did this Adakrys do to deserve such treatment?
Could he have been caught cheating on his wife?
Razer didn't notice their reactions. She was mentally calculating her current savings. After completing another job or two, she'd finally have enough money to travel to Columbia.
Thinking of this brightened Razer's mood.
The city Razer lived in had only recently been incorporated into the Sargon Empire. It was in the Vouivre Alliance territory—a small city primarily focused on mining, quarrying, and stone processing.
To support industry, the city's mobility was limited to areas convenient for mining, such as deserts and mountain ranges. These regions were often hotbeds for mobile city bandits and wandering mercenaries.
The prevalence of bandits and mercenaries had given rise to various security contractors. In this mining town, nearly half of the security contractors were foreign, while most of the remainder were family-run businesses founded by local Vouivre. Only a small number, like Razer, were independent mercenaries with no ties to contractors or family businesses.
Being a mercenary was just a way to make money. For Razer, who had just turned 18 this year, it wasn't her ultimate goal. She had a small dream, and to achieve it, she needed to save up.
Foreign security contractors rarely worked with independent mercenaries, so maintaining good relationships with local family contractors was critical. That was one reason Razer was willing to take the risk of bringing an unfamiliar man back to her place.
But upon leaving the underground warehouse, Razer glanced back and froze, her face turning pale.
The crocodile man's coverings had all been worn away. Only a small piece of cloth remained precariously draped over his hips. Even someone as durable as an Adakrys couldn't withstand such friction!
Razer cautiously approached and checked the crocodile man's breathing. She exhaled in relief.
He was still alive!
Looking closer, Razer noticed that while the burlap sacks beneath him had been torn to shreds, and he was covered in dirt, the crocodile man didn't have a single scratch.
Recalling what Darina's father had once said, Razer tentatively poked Garde's muscles.
It's so big! So hard!
She compared the crocodile man's massive size to her own petite frame, feeling momentarily discouraged. But she quickly perked up again.
Although her natural advantages were a bit lacking, Razer firmly believed that with enough effort, she wouldn't lose to anyone!
Now that she knew how resilient the crocodile man's body was, Razer felt no guilt about dragging him along.
Her home was on the outskirts of the city, not far from the underground warehouse where the transport truck had unloaded. She quickly managed to drag Garde back home. Along the way, she garnered many curious stares. Normally, Razer was the one sneaking glances at the foreign security personnel; being stared at by them was a first.
When they saw Razer hauling the crocodile man into her home, the foreign security contractors finally looked away.
Some of them were curious, but none stepped forward to inquire. Though Razer was an unaffiliated mercenary, she was a local, and locals in this city were notoriously united against outsiders.
Lesson learned: Never casually approach young Vouivre women, especially in this city. This lesson had been burned into the foreign contractors' minds after countless skirmishes with the local Vouivre families.
Of course, if someone could straightforwardly win the favor of a Vouivre girl, that would be a different matter altogether.
When Razer finally managed to get the crocodile man into her apartment, she was a bit worn out. She lived in a traditional "tube building," where a single long hallway connected numerous tiny rooms.
The doors were narrow, the rooms were cramped, but the rent was cheap.
Her 20-square-meter space was modest at best, and the crocodile man alone occupied a significant portion of the floor. Her small bed couldn't accommodate his massive frame—not that Razer had intended for him to sleep on it.
After dragging him all the way home, Razer felt a bit worried. If he'd gotten hurt or bruised anywhere, she'd have a hard time explaining it to Darina later.
Her rented room didn't have a private bathroom, so Razer fetched a bucket of water and used a towel to clean Garde up. She had promised Darina to take good care of him, and Darina had paid her a generous amount for it. Razer was used to separating her personal emotions from her work.
That said, this was her first time caring for a man.
"This is just a job, Razer. Don't let your personal feelings get involved!"
She took a deep breath, her slightly chubby cheeks tightening with determination.
However, as Razer turned the crocodile man over to clean his back, there was a sudden tearing sound.
Rip!
The last piece of cloth covering him fell away.
Bzzz!
An electric current surged through Razer.
Bang!
The entire tube building lost power.
In the pitch darkness.
The crocodile man's eyes slowly opened.
<+>
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