Chapter 86

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Chapter 86: The Wind Tribe (2)

With the bikes ready, there was no reason to delay the recruitment interviews any longer.

“We’ll start in two days.”

With Oscar’s declaration, the official recruitment interviews began.

Of course, given that applicants were coming from all over the continent, it wasn’t something that could be wrapped up in a day or two.

Watching the flood of people pouring into Sirin like a tidal wave, he moved quickly.

“Post an official notice in the city that those who fail the interview must leave quickly.”

Pedro X, the head of the Delivery Department, questioned the reasoning behind this.

“Why the rush? Letting them stay here to play, eat, and sleep will only boost the city’s economy.”

“Do you know how many interviewees are currently in Sirin?”

“Over 7,000, I believe.”

“And do you know how many people applied for this recruitment?”

“Uh… no idea?”

Oscar shrugged.

“Just over 90,000 as of this morning. And that’s not counting how many more will apply during the interview period.”

“Ninety… ninety thousand? You’re not seriously planning to screen every single one of them, are you?”

“I am.”

The Delivery Department was about to become one of the twin pillars driving the White Tower’s operations, alongside the Potion Department.

Naturally, it was imperative to select only the best and most suitable candidates.

“In business, rushing to fill positions carelessly always backfires.”

“But if that many people visit Sirin at once…”

“The city will be paralyzed. That’s why we need to swiftly send away those who have finished their interviews.”

Oscar had already anticipated that this recruitment process would be a marathon.

With applicants coming from across the continent, it would likely take around three weeks to complete.

“For the next three weeks, you won’t have a moment to catch your breath.”

“……”

Maybe he should have stepped down from his position as the head of the Delivery Department when the topic first came up.

Pedro started to seriously reconsider.

* * *

The interviews lasted a total of 24 days.

During that time, more than 162,000 outsiders visited Sirin—an unprecedented number in the past 20 years.

“…Finally over.”

As the saying goes, even a dried fish releases water when squeezed.

Pedro X, already gaunt to begin with, looked even more emaciated.

He was the type of man who took his responsibilities seriously, ensuring everything under his charge was handled properly.

In short, he had endured every conceivable hardship over the past 24 days.

“Yes, the restructuring of the Delivery Department is complete, and now we just need to conduct a field test.”

“Field test? Aren’t we just restarting operations?”

“There could be unforeseen variables we haven’t accounted for. We’ll conduct internal tests within Sirin first, and if there are no issues, we’ll proceed with the original plan to roll out services to nearby territories.”

“Hmm, that makes sense…”

Nodding in agreement, Pedro suddenly seemed to realize something.

Turning to Oscar, he asked:

“But, tell me. You plan and execute everything related to this division. Do you really even need me?”

“Of course. With you here, I can boldly pursue various initiatives without hesitation.”

Oscar couldn’t run the operations forever.

The Potion Department had Lena White, and the Delivery Department had Pedro X.

Once he firmly established these two, he planned to focus more on magic.

‘No matter how much money the Magic Towers earn, their foundation is still military strength.’

Even if the Yellow, Red, and Blue Towers were financially successful, they would never have risen to their current prominence without high-level mages.

In other words, Oscar’s current plan was to get the businesses running smoothly so he could dedicate himself to magic training as soon as possible.

“Thanks for saying that. I appreciate it, but…”

Why did he still feel uneasy?

Unable to voice his concerns, Pedro continued:

“There are a few things I’m curious about.”

“Ask away.”

“I reviewed the device specs, and they’re quite different from the materials I originally received. Why impose an altitude limit? And the Zephyr-001 bike—wasn’t it supposed to run for days on a single charge? Why downgrade it to require recharging every six hours?”

Oscar had expected these questions.

A competent person would naturally notice these discrepancies.

Ready to provide an explanation, he began delving into deeper details.

“It’s all because of the Yellow Tower.”

“…The Yellow Tower?”

Pedro’s expression grew serious at the sudden mention of another Magic Tower.

“Tell me more.”

“As you know, the Yellow Tower is currently developing trains. According to my research, these are next-generation transportation vehicles that traverse the continent at high speeds. Based on my calculations, they’ll likely reach a speed of at least 170 mph.”

“Wait.”

Pedro raised his hand to interrupt.

“I don’t understand the imperial system. Why are you even using such an outdated unit?”

“…My apologies. Let me correct that: 273 km/h.”

Oscar responded sheepishly.

He had assumed a Level 6 mage would be familiar with and use miles, so this was slightly disappointing.

Back when he was younger, it had been trendy to convert all units to inches, miles, and pounds for fun.

“In summary, you’re saying the Zephyr-001 must not provoke the Yellow Tower. Is that correct?”

“Exactly. If they perceive our bikes as a threat to their trains, they’ll go to any lengths to interfere. We absolutely must avoid that.”

“True. After all, the last thing we need is a roadblock just as we’ve completed restructuring and are about to relaunch.”

Nodding in understanding, Pedro grasped the reasoning.

“So, the performance downgrade was a deliberate move to conceal the bike’s capabilities.”

“Correct.”

“In that case, we need to tighten internal security. Other factions are bound to approach our riders.”

“That’s a good point. I’ll leave that to you.”

The two continued exchanging ideas late into the night.

And the next day, the much-anticipated “Wind Tribe” service officially launched.

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* * *

Tofre, a journalist for NowYou Sirin, one of Sirin’s media outlets, kept glancing at the clock.

Lunch break, the second-best part of his day, was about to begin.

For the record, his favorite part was clocking out.

“Everyone, go grab lunch!”

At the boss’s call, the staff poured out of the office.

Merging with the crowd, Tofre naturally slipped into a nearby alley.

Clack, hiss!

“Hoo…”

Letting out a heavy sigh, equivalent to a 20-cigarette puff, the man was approached by a friend working in the building across from him.

“Tofre, what are you thinking of eating for lunch today?”

“Hmm. Do I even have a choice?”

Just like in any other city, the work at a news agency was always demanding.

Lunchtime was limited to a mere 40 minutes, leaving no real room to enjoy a proper meal.

“I’ll probably grab a sandwich from the bakery across the street.”

“Sandwiches again?”

“Yeah, no time for anything else.”

As soon as he replied, a wave of gloom washed over him.

At some point, he had stopped finding enjoyment in life.

It felt as if he were just a cog in the vast machinery of society, endlessly turning without purpose.

‘Rush to work with only milk and fruit for breakfast, get by with a sandwich for lunch...’

And it wasn’t as if dinner was a feast, either.

After returning home exhausted from work, he’d often settle for something quick and simple before collapsing onto his bed.

“Is this how adults are supposed to live?”

“You’re kind of an extreme case. No wonder turnover rates at news agencies are so high.”

His friend, Oliver, who had just stubbed out his cigarette, asked casually:

“If you haven’t decided what to eat yet, why not join me at the park? I ordered some food.”

“Ordered food? What do you mean, ordered food?”

That sounded like something only big-shot executives or their secretaries would do.

Oliver slung an arm over his shoulder and grinned.

“Tut, tut. How can a reporter like you be so out of the loop? You know about White Tower revamping their delivery service, don’t you?”

“Of course. The entire city was noisy with interviews and whatnot just a while ago. How could I not know?”

The streets had been so packed during that time that his commute had been a nightmare.

To be honest, he had harbored a fair bit of resentment toward White Tower because of it.

“Well, as an apology for the hassle over the past few weeks, White Tower is offering a one-time free service to all Sirin citizens.”

“A free service?”

“Yeah. It’s for Wind Tribe, White Tower’s revamped delivery service.”

“Oh, that thing.”

Tofre had heard the name before.

Wind Tribe.

It was the name of the newly restructured delivery business launched by White Tower, which had previously halted its delivery operations.

“But what does that have to do with food? Isn’t delivery just for letters or packages?”

“Nope. The new Wind Tribe has added a new category—ultrafast delivery.”

“Ultrafast delivery?”

Just as Tofre was about to ask what that meant, a shadow loomed over their heads.

Vrrrrrooom!

“Whoa! Whoa, whoa!”

Hovering above them was a mysterious machine.

Its sleek, dolphin-like form made it seem almost futuristic.

A man in a white uniform descended from the machine, tipping his goggles in greeting.

“Good day. I’m a Wind Rider. Are you Oliver?”

“Oh, yes! I ordered two pasta dishes from 4th Avenue, along with drinks and fries. Here’s the caller device.”

Oliver handed over a small device he had received from the order center, which the Wind Rider accepted with a nod.

“Identity confirmed, and the caller device has been retrieved. As a first-time user, the delivery fee is waived. Please enjoy your meal.”

Handing over the food bag, the Rider coolly mounted his machine again and soared into the sky.

Tofre, stunned by the spectacle, muttered under his breath.

“What… What was that?”

“That? White Tower’s new Zephyr-001, I think it’s called.”

“A flying vehicle…”

Tofre, who had always kept his eyes fixed on the ground while walking, finally looked up at the sky.

And what he saw left him in shock.

Dozens, no, hundreds of machines were buzzing across the skies of Sirin in perfect coordination.

“Are all of those…?”

“Yep. Probably all busy because people like me are ordering food. Or they might be delivering important documents or items.”

At the nearby park, Tofre sat with Oliver, savoring the steaming pasta.

“It’s warm and delicious!”

“Well, of course. It’s delivered right after being cooked.”

A service where you could enjoy such meals without having to go anywhere?

The taste was indistinguishable from eating at a restaurant.

‘No, it’s even better.’

Eating restaurant-quality food outdoors was refreshing and fun in a way he hadn’t expected.

“Hey, hey, no need to eat so fast!”

“Sorry. I just want to finish quickly and write an article about this.”

“Geez, you’re such a reporter.”

Oliver shook his head, though he too seemed thoroughly pleased with Wind Tribe’s service.

Scenes like theirs were unfolding all over Sirin at that very moment.

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