17 Backstory: Two Years Earlier
"Ohh!... So it's ZakuNo.3 this time."
"Idiot! That's not ZakuNo.3, it's ZakuNo.5."
"Are the two of you blind? Can't you see the shape of its skull mask? That one is ZakuNo.7."
These people call us by the name ZakuNo.. But there's more than just my identity behind our Skull-Mask.
I'm a 13-year-old orphan girl living at the Orphanage in this town. I'm also a student of the Adventurers School. And most importantly, I'm one of the members of the ZakuSyndicate that operates under the shadow of this town. My codename is ZakuNo.1.
We hide our real identity behind a Skull-Mask Magic-Item and a black hooded robe which is both made from Monster-Materials and Monster-Core of a Rank-1 insect-like monster called Cicala-Echo.
We can change our voice using the Sound-Echo skill from the Monster-Core of Cicala-Echo monster and increase our small figure using a Leg-Extend Magic-Item which is attached to our legs.
That Leg-Extend Magic-Item is made using the Monster-Core and Monster-Materials of the Rank-2 insect-like Green-Hopper monster. It also allows us to use the Dash-Sprint skill and Wind-Barrier skill of that monster if ever we need to escape or protect ourselves.
With the combination of the Skull-Mask Magic-Item, black hooded robe, and Leg-Extend Magic-Item, we're able to hide the fact that what is inside the unusual and creepy creature called ZakuNo. is only a child.
"Who I am is not important, what matters is that we're here in this place to do business."
Right now we and our three suppliers are at the center of a small forest inside our town. This place won't get any people passing by during the time right after sunset so it's a perfect place to do our transaction.
"We know. Here's the Monster-Cores and Monster-Materials that you ordered for this week."
...THUD!...
One of the suppliers tossed the Item-Bag and it landed right in front of me.
Our transaction is always like this. We stay 10 meters away from our supplier just to make sure that we can run away in case they do something unexpected. After all, we just all just a child.
"They're all inside that Item-Bag. Feel free to check if you need to."
"I don't have to. You know what's coming after the three of you if you ever try to break this deal."
"Yeah. We don't want to end up like those fools who broke their deals. This job is important to us. We know that it's our loss if we can't do business with your group anymore."
"If you understand take your payment and leave."
...THUD!...
I toss a pouch that contains the payment for our supplier but as it falls to the ground in front of them, someone appears from behind the tree beside our suppliers.
"Fufufu... So that's how you do your business. It's really impressive."
"Who are you, Mister?"
"Who I am is not important, what matters is that we're here in this place to do business. Isn't that right ZakuNo.?"
"Tsk!... We don't do business with your kind! Who are you and how did you find us?!"
How did this Mister find us? We have been doing business for almost a year and we have been very careful so that we can hide our transactions.
We prepare everything so that no third party can find the place where we do this kind of deal.
We carefully select our suppliers and buyers. If we learn that they cannot be trusted we cut them off and come after them.
We contact them differently every time and we observe them as they go to the place where the transaction will happen.
If this Mister can find this location even after everything we did, then that means only one thing.
"You three! You sold us out didn't you?"
"No! We don't know who this guy is."
"We have no idea how he got here."
"Please wait! This guy only wants to do business with your group."
""Huh??""
So it's only one of them who sold us out. But that didn't matter, even if it's one or two, all of them are now traitors that should be punished.
And this Mister, what does he mean that he wants to do business with us?
"That's right! I came here to offer you a deal. If your group works with me, you can expand your business and earn a hundred times more."
"I told you! We don't do business with your kind. We know your kind can't be trusted!"
We know that adults can't be trusted in this business...
...THUD!...
Out of nowhere, that Mister tossed something and it landed in front of me.
"And what is that?"
"Inside that pouch are 10L Gold coins and a copy of my I.d.. Consider it as a gift so you know that I can be trusted. Just contact me when your group has decided to accept my offer."
"Like I said, your kind can't be trusted. And the three of you! Consider this as the end of our deal."
"Damn it! You idiot! why did you do this?"
"Thanks to you we will lose this side job! Idiot!"
"Wait! I only want to introduce this guy to your group. If you work with him, you will have a much bigger market to sell your product and our income for getting your Monster-Cores and Monster-Materials will increase as well."
"We don't need an idiot who thinks he can decide everything by himself!"
After hearing my remark, that traitorous supplier got enraged and started threatening me.
"What?... You!.. You think you can say everything because you're our employer?..."
"Idiot stop!"
"Don't even think of threatening the ZakuNo.!"
"There are four of us and you're alone!"
"Please don't include me in your group kid."
"If we catch you and beat you up, I'm sure you will tell... Gahhhh!!!..."
"I never said that I'm alone."
No ZakuNo. works alone. We're only kids so we're not good at fighting. The two things we're only good at are running and hiding.
Before the traitorous supplier can even finish his blabbering, a dozen of ZakuNo. appeared from the shadows all over the place behind me.
From the shadow of the leaves at the top of the trees to the shadow of the bushes in the ground. They appeared with their black hooded robe blending in the darkness of the shadow with only their Skull-Mask to be seen.
"Where did all of this ZakuNo. come from?"
"...Gahhhhh!!!..."
"They say that this will happen if you ever threaten a ZakuNo.. A dozen of them will appear from the shadows and gang up to you."
One of those three traitors is already in terror. Well, I kind of understand that because our unusual appearance is creepy and scary. And now, there's a dozen of us that appear at every corner and shadow of this forest.
"I'm impressed. How come I didn't notice all of your presence? I'm not a strong fighter but I'm confident in my detection abilities as a Scout and as a Ranger."
"You're not the only one who can hide in the shadow, Mister."
"Fufufu... I can't wait to work with your group."
"That will never happen, Mister. And you traitors! Consider this as your first punishment... release!... Stink-Grenade!..."
""Wait!!... We didn't mean to break our deal!!""
...CLICK!...
"Wind-Magic... Wind-Barrier..."
""Don't abandon us, Mister...""
...BOOM!...
"Gahhhh!!!... It stinks so much!!!..."
"We're gonna smell like this for an entire week!"
"Will come after you traitors, so be prepared to smell like that for a whole month."
""What??... No!!..."""
After running away from that location, all of us return to our hideout and report everything that happened to BossZaku.
"What happened with the transaction, ZakuNo.1?"
"Those three Copper-Rank adventurers became traitors and sold us out to an adult. But don't worry BossZaku, all of us managed to escape safely and we deliver punishment to those traitors."
BossZaku is an amazing person. She always has unusual but useful ideas. She can make many Magic-Item and Mana-Tech, including the Skull-Mask and Leg-Extend.
She even taught us the secret method of using a pseudo-Stealth ability so even children like us can hide our presence like a veteran adventurer. And most important of all, she created the Stinky-Perfume. The product that the ZakuSyndicate makes and sells to our selected buyers.
She also has many unusual but interesting stories. And from those stories, I learned the most important lesson of all, that money can become your power.
Just like her stories about the DarkHero and IronGolemHero. If you have a lot of money, you can buy and make many things and you can use that money to protect what's important to you. All that is left is for you to train yourself and you can be as strong as the DarkHero or the IronGolemHero.
But she always warned us... "anyone can be blinded by a lot of money, so make sure to always remember what's important to you" ...I still don't understand what she means by saying that. But If you don't want to be blinded by a lot of money, just place all of it under the shadow. With that, you won't get blinded by how shiny those coins are.
"Good work everyone. I will handle the deal with our buyers, so it's your turn to rest ZakuNo.1."
"We still have one more thing to report BossZaku."
"What is it?"
"The adult that interrupted the transaction gave this 10L Gold coins and a copy of his I.d.. He also proposed that we work with him to increase our earnings."
Before we ran away earlier, I picked up the pouch that he had tossed in front of me. If he's giving us free money then we'll gladly take it. Also, we need to know who that Mister is.
"What? Why would he do that?"
Adults are the number one targets of the many children and youth who want to buy the Stinky-Perfume. So it's suspicious that an adult wants to work with us.
"I told him that we don't work with adults, but what exactly are we going to do, BossZaku?"
BossZaku then opens the pouch and takes a look at the I.d. that is inside.
"This person... Why does a big shot like him want to work with us?"
"I have no idea, BossZaku. But he said that we could earn a hundred times more if we worked with him."
"We need to discuss this offer carefully. It's a good opportunity but also a dangerous one."
After a week of discussion, the whole ZakuSyndicate decided to accept the offer of that Mister.
Then we spent another week monitoring him from the shadows of our town. We spend that time to judge if he really can be trusted and to find a way to contact him without showing ourselves. And after that week, we finally made contact with that Mister.
"You said that your group doesn't work with my kind, right? What made you change your mind?"
"Just shut up, Mister! Are you here for that reason? Or to do business with us?"
"I know, sorry about that. But still, your method is impressive. I'm still amazed at how I received your invitation. I'm just randomly walking in the street, then the next moment, your letter is under my foot. That gives me chills you know."
That method is not that amazing. All we did was tie the invitation letter to a special string made by BossZaku, then wait for you at your usual route, pull the string, and use the Web-Control skill of the Rank-1 Trap-Weaver monster to place it under your foot.
"But you're not expecting that we can do business while you're hiding your face, right? At least I need to know the identity of the person with high authority in your group."
We already assume that this will happen but I'm still hoping that it won't come to this.
"We know that much Mr. Vise Chairman of the Green-Dale town Merchants Association."
"Ohh!... I'm honored that you know who I am."
"Don't make fun of us, it was written in the copy of your I.d.."
"And you are?"
"Are you sure about this BossZaku?"
"Don't worry, ZakuNo.1. We already know that this will happen."
We have no choice. If we wanted to make this deal, BossZaku had to reveal her identity to that mister.
BossZaku then removes the hood of her robe that was covering her head and takes off the Skull-Mask to show who she is.
"Whoa!... I never expected this!... I can't believe that what is inside the unusual and creepy creature is a child!... Wait?... I think I know who you are. If I remember correctly, your name is V..."
"Three more letters and you won't get out of this place with that smile on your face and with a decent smell, Mister!"
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***PoruShark Writer's Note***
Here are the characters' concept designs for The ZakuNo..
Look at the comments.
•ZakuNo.1
