Chapter 59: Something That Cannot Be Priced (１)

****

The driver of the white Rolls-Royce glanced around nervously. Two people in suits sat comfortably in the back seat.

One woman in a suit, one man.

Neither showed particular signs of aging, but neither looked particularly young either. Faces that gave away no age.

The woman of the two, Phobia, spoke first.

“I’m still not sure about this. Is there really a need to go out of our way to visit the new Director of Seoul? We don’t even need to draw the Foundation’s attention, and yet here we are, walking into one of their facilities of our own accord…”

The man shook his head.

“There’s logic to what you’re saying, but… You must not have heard the rumors going around the company lately. They say the new Director of Seoul is different. Uncomfortable as it may be, shouldn’t we go meet the new king of this country?”

“Hmm, is that so?”

“Who knows—maybe we can sell or buy something new. They say this Director is on the friendlier side. Not like the Foundation’s usual, ah… warmongering fascist scientists.”

The two in the back seat fell silent again.

The driver glanced back for a moment.

“I’m truly sorry, but what on earth have you two been talking about this whole—”

Phobia raised a hand to cut the driver off.

“Driver. Didn’t we pay you ten million won on the condition that you drive without asking any questions today? Was the money not enough?”

“It’s not that, but—”

“Yes, well. We’ll give you another ten million, so please, no more questions from here on. We’ll proceed to the destination as is.”

The driver nodded without answering, afraid Phobia might change her mind. Phobia gave a cold smile.

“So then, Mr. Deimos. Do continue. What was it about this new Director who came to the Seoul Branch?”

“Hard to say. It’s all just rumors for now. That they launched a tactical nuke at the city, that they killed gods, that they sent fighter jets and sprayed anthrax to hunt anomalous humans…”

“You said they were soft?”

“I didn’t say soft. I said they’re not a fascist like the usual Foundation executives.”

Phobia let out a sigh.

“Haah… Making money is hard. There’s not much chance the Foundation bastards will sell or buy any proper artifacts today, is there?”

Deimos shrugged again.

“The Foundation is different from us. Most of their resources are tied up in their facilities, personnel, equipment. They won’t easily sell artifacts to outsiders, and as for how much cash they have—”

“Ah.”

“The Foundation bastards are poorer than you’d think. They don’t stockpile gold or cash in bulk like we do. Whether they can move a meaningful amount of money in a short time if we go to them—”

Unknown.

Deimos stopped speaking and closed his eyes.

****

The past few days had been far too busy.

I’d made a fuss about commanding the Garden expedition on-site, and I’d been on a business trip for about a week. Still, today there was nothing in particular to do.

Maybe I’ll check on what the research interns have been up to later. I could also see whether the new arrivals are adjusting well.

No, wait—wouldn’t that just become more work?

Forget that too, I should just rest. Maybe I’ll ask them to bring a hammock into the office…

I sat up straight in my chair.

Come to think of it, there was one thing I needed to do. The Precognition Division had said so. A certain guest from a Group of Interest would be coming to this facility.

That needed some preparation.

I took out a mirror and set it on the desk.

“Dr. Geum. What do you think? How should we handle the Group of Interest, the ‘Bankers’?”

[What, me?]

The me in the mirror was rubbing her eyes.

“Yeah.”

[The Banker bastards are sons of bitches. I don’t know how it is in your world, but they’re not people you can reason with. How much do you know about them?]

The Bankers—also known as Pluto LLC. Like every Group of Interest currently in existence, they operate hidden from the Foundation’s eyes.

Their numbers are at most around a hundred, but they are one of the most powerful Groups of Interest.

Their purpose is singular, and their method is singular too. Making money by trading anomalies.

Most of their assets are kept separate from the market, but judging by their spending, every member is estimated to be a trillionaire… or so they say.

[Still, killing them wouldn’t do you any good. They’re fundamentally very friendly toward the Foundation. The source of their wealth is the Veil of Ignorance. They have no choice but to depend on the Foundation.]

“For now… I understand.”

I furrowed my brow.

****

The Director’s Office judged that receiving Group of Interest personnel in my office would be inappropriate.

No—bringing Group of Interest personnel into the facility at all is the problem. At least, unless we intend to containment them. We picked a decent hotel lounge with ties to the Foundation.

A hotel with a rooftop helipad.

Nanami accompanied me as my escort. Though she was waiting outside the lounge.

I quickly swept my eyes over the two humans. These were Pluto LLC’s employees.

“Hello, Director Geum. Pleased to meet you. I’m Phobia, a member of Pluto LLC, and this is Deimos.”

I crossed my legs and sat down.

“Hello.”

Phobia sat down across from me. Deimos simply stood behind her.

The woman who introduced herself as Phobia had… a peculiar impression—plain yet flamboyant, not young yet looking young.

Her face itself was probably a young face.

It was just her eyes and expression that looked aged.

“So. What is it you wanted to say?”

“Are you busy today?”

“Not particularly.”

Phobia nodded.

“Then I’ll speak at some length. Well… this is a story from the Roman era. How powerful was Roman currency? It was traded as money even in India, on the opposite side of the continent.”

“Yes.”

“Emperor Nero told his vast empire spanning three continents: give me an unquenchable flame that will light the imperial palace day and night.”

“…”

“Well… I’m sure you can guess. Nero never paid for the treasure he received, and the fire burned Rome for nine days.”

“Am I to take that as a threat?”

Phobia shook her head.

“No. It’s just an amusing old story. We consider ourselves the Foundation’s most powerful ally and partner. Surely you don’t think of yourself as Nero, Director Geum?”

That was…

True enough. A very clever answer. This time I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut.

Phobia and Deimos, apparently done with what they wanted to say for the moment, sat back comfortably in their seats.

****

Phobia looked rather triumphant, as if pleased to have landed that verbal blow on me earlier.

“Let’s talk properly now.”

“Go ahead.”

“This is our first time meeting in person, but I trust you know what kind of people we are. We sell anomalies, and we buy anomalies. We do nothing else.”

I nodded.

“I won’t be selling any anomalies.”

“We’re aware of the Foundation’s rules, but you needn’t think of them so rigidly.”

I tapped the table with my fingertips.

“Huh.”

“The Foundation’s resources aren’t infinite, are they? You could sell a few anomalies to raise operating funds, and if it’s a safe anomaly, well, it could go to someone who needs it.”

Phobia and Deimos watched for my reaction.

“Hmm, you didn’t seem like the worldly type, so I started there. Please don’t take it the wrong way. Is there anything you need, Director?”

Credit where credit’s due. I’m a common citizen who’s never gone a day without worrying about money. It would be a lie to say I have no inferiority complex about wealth.

But it would also be ridiculous for the current me to be bothered by mere money… wouldn’t it?

“Just say the word. Whether it’s a building, a yacht, a person, or a new facility for the Foundation—if it can be solved with money, we’ll solve it. There’s no problem that enough money can’t fix.”

“…”

Disgusting people.

“Dr. Geum, even at a glance, you seem like a very frugal person. Someone capable of overseeing Providence. A ten-million-won pair of glasses, a ten-million-won watch, a fifty-million-won suit.”

Those aren’t cheap, though.

Actually, I didn’t even know how much they cost. I just wore what Administrator Lee had tailored for me last month.

“No, look at this hotel we’re meeting in right now. If you’d only let us arrange the venue, we wouldn’t have had to host someone as distinguished as you in such a shabby place.”

Phobia pulled out a bottle of liquor from somewhere.

“Ah, you can’t drink because you’re on duty? How short-sighted of me. Take a bottle with you.”

Phobia handed me the bottle.

I accepted it. Phobia and Deimos produced another bottle from somewhere and started pouring drinks for themselves. I don’t know much about wine, so I have no idea how much this one costs.

“It’s Romanée-Conti. I apologize—this one isn’t anything special, only about ten million won or so. If you give me the chance, I’ll bring something better…”

“Ah, yes.”

Phobia smiled.

“See? Isn’t it so much better once you’ve had a drink? That, what was it. What was I saying?”