To make a long story short, I first checked the woman's background and discovered that the future daughter-in-law of the owner of the company was actually a junior from our department. So I followed up on that connection and inquired further.
Hayden whistled softly: "Wow, someone like you, who was even more of a homebody than me in college and almost never socialized, actually has female students you can use as connections?"
"Once they know who my father is, people will inevitably come knocking on their door." Karen said coldly. "I don't even need to promise them anything—but that's not the point. The point is, I heard that this 'Majina's Magic Shop' is located downtown, mainly selling amulets, women's perfumes, cosmetics, and skincare products. My grandmother, mother, and this only daughter who just graduated are the third generation to run it in New Asia."
Grandmother, mother, woman—three generations running the business.
Hayden recalled the name "The Three Graceful Goddesses" that Abigail had told him the night before, which made him think further about the concept of the "Triad Goddesses".
Whether it's the Old Gods or the New Gods, almost every mythology features a triad of goddesses. For example, Diana, the goddess of the hunt and an important figure in the Mars Industrial Group; Luna, the goddess of the moon; and Prosepina, the goddess of the underworld—these three are classic representatives of the triad of goddesses.
The so-called "three phases" refers to the three different postures or positions possessed by one or a group of goddesses. They are a group of three, representing a young girl, a mother, and an old woman, symbolizing three important stages in a woman's life. The young girl represents youth and innocence, and the potential for growth; the mature mother represents fertility and a woman's social charm; and the old woman represents knowledge and wisdom.
Incidentally, most triad goddesses also correspond to the three phases of the moon: waxing, full, and waning. The relationship between the moon and the goddesses is always very close.
This is actually why, traditionally, a witch coven requires at least three witches, and often a multiple of three.
Three generations of a family with only one heir, corresponding to the three phases of a goddess, and their business mainly focuses on women's perfumes, cosmetics, and skincare products—Hayden thought, this is truly a super-concentrated version of female power.
It's not that there's anything wrong with it. These days, classical magicians need to gather and collect every bit of power they can use, otherwise it's difficult to survive in modern society. Hayden understands this all too well. Other members of the petty bourgeoisie, to avoid falling into a lower social class, probably understand this even better.
"There's nothing wrong with selling amulets, women's perfumes, cosmetics, and skincare products. But to survive in the New Asia market, and to do it quite well, they must have their own unique methods, right?"
So Hayden scratched his face.
"After all, which big company wouldn't want to compete in the women's beauty and cosmetics market?"
From toners to BB creams, from lipsticks to eyebrow pencils, even false eyelashes are almost all made by big companies these days!
Hayden paused here, then suddenly remembered: "...By the way, have you ever worn makeup?"
Karen is, after all, a god, an elf. Her appearance won't age until she's four hundred years old, and since that appearance is genetically determined, she probably doesn't need makeup at all.
Karen's response was: "Go to hell. Are you trying to say I can't do makeup?"
Well, women's affairs are really complicated.
[I've digressed. Anyway, I found the daughter of the shop owner in that area through my network of female alumni. She just graduated this year, so she was easy to find.]
Karen on the screen raised her eyebrows as she finished speaking.
I spent most of last night talking with her, and I found out that this daughter... doesn't really want to get married.
What's wrong with this era?
Hayden chuckled at the thought.
"Neither the son nor the daughter wants to get married, and the parents are desperately trying to hold them back?"
Good question. I'd also like to know the answer to this question.
Karen snorted coldly.
However, this daughter's reluctance to marry isn't entirely due to that. I heard she had a boyfriend in college, but they just broke up a few months ago before graduation.
"Break up before graduation? She's from our school? Having time to date in college, no wonder she comes from a good family." Hayden genuinely didn't find it strange. "But even among college students, it's quite normal for couples to break up before graduation, isn't it?"
Her ex-boyfriend was the only son of a factory owner in New Yatu, and like the owner of the Sock and the "Majina Magic House," he belonged to the upper echelons of the middle class.
However, what Karen told him next left Hayden speechless.
[But as you know, in the last six months, large companies have been getting involved, causing drastic changes in the New Asia market and even impacting the economy of the entire American Federation. Many middle-class people have been caught in the crossfire, being exploited and exploited by these large corporations. Her ex-boyfriend's family's contract manufacturer was doing quite well, but just a month before their graduation, it went bankrupt due to an investment plan by Wotan Corporation.]
Ah this
Strictly speaking, shouldn't this blame be placed on Hayden?
Hayden certainly couldn't tell Karen about this, but he still broke out in a cold sweat as he listened, and he already had a pretty good idea of how things would unfold.
The only son of the factory owner was engaged to the witch's daughter. However, the factory went bankrupt, and the daughter's parents immediately demanded the engagement be called off.
As Karen finished speaking, her gaze became as lifeless as a dead fish's.
How could she possibly want to get married right now?
"Ha ha ha ha."
Hayden could only manage a few dry laughs.
“The man rose from humble beginnings and poured all his wealth into raising his only son; the woman is the only son in three generations, and her daughter’s ex-boyfriend was dumped because of bankruptcy… Karen, don’t you think we’re getting caught up in some strange soap opera? Maybe it’s not too late to get out now.”
If Hayden hadn't gotten involved with the [Bojun] organization six months ago, Wotan Mystic Technology Company wouldn't have been competing fiercely in the New Yatu market, that contract manufacturer might not have gone bankrupt, and the witch's daughter wouldn't have needed to marry Andre.
Sadly, these days, it doesn't feel as frustrating anymore. It's just... part of real life.
I don't watch TV dramas.
But Karen answered in a voice colder than liquid nitrogen.
[I can't learn much in one night. This girl seems fine, but I need to investigate her family further. I'll contact you again later.]
She ended the call just like that.
Hayden had a very bad feeling about this. He suspected that Karen wasn't just getting involved because she was worried about the Sock family's situation or the outcome of the herbal medicine shop. In the worst-case scenario, Karen might just be doing something because she was annoyed.
However, even a god's mere displeasure could cause chaos among the common people. Especially considering her lineage...
Hayden sighed, got up, and prepared to wash up and have breakfast.
At that moment, Angela poked her head into the room.
"Master, I have something to report to you."
She also frowned, looking slightly confused.
“A stranger has been spying on the house since before dawn. He hasn’t done anything really hostile, so I chose not to disturb your sleep. But he hasn’t left yet.”
Misfortunes never come singly.
"There has been no hostile behavior, just surveillance?"
Hayden crawled out of his warm bed and began to put on his trousers and robe.
"I haven't heard of any recent changes in the power dynamics of the local street gangs, so they shouldn't be organized crime. Are there any characteristics in terms of age, equipment, and strength?"
Angela rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought: "The biological type is human male, probably just over twenty years old, and not anyone we've ever met before."
How strange! If it weren't for those brats, like Mara, what connection could someone this age possibly have with Hayden?
"Eat breakfast first."
So Hayden thought about it.
"If he's still keeping watch outside after we finish eating, we'll go out for some exercise."
062: The Valley Hero is Actually Me
Perhaps some people still remember that six months ago, there was an abandoned restaurant across the street from Hayden's house.
Now, due to the revitalization of the old industrial area in New Jersey and changes in the market, it has been renovated and transformed into a perfectly normal McDonald's 24-hour burger joint.
So now, a young man in a long black coat was sitting in the burger joint. Breakfast time had passed, and the lunch rush hadn't started yet; the place was almost empty, with only a handful of people. The young man sat by the window, slowly eating his fries, drinking his cola, and watching the people passing by on the street.
A little girl, about twelve years old, walked into the store. Her hair was matted, she had some scars on her face, and she was wearing an oversized coat and trousers with holes. She tried to ask the customers for change. These days, very few people have any spare change. But precisely because of this, in this bright and shiny era, even beggars know to use their phones to ask for money.
The young man glanced at the little girl but did nothing. He finished his fries and his cola, but showed no intention of leaving. His eagle-like eyes easily pierced the distance separating him from his target, gazing at the Hayden house across the street. He waited there, waiting for someone to walk out of their house.
But he really didn't expect what he was getting.
Three slobs with purple rooster-like haircuts burst into the burger joint. Two were humans and one was an orc. All three were wearing gray synthetic leather jackets, wearing chains, covered in tattoos, and carrying long knives, pistols, and shotguns.
"Shut up! No screaming! Hand over your wallets and phones!"
They stormed into the store, threatening customers and employees, shouting and yelling, and even firing shots at the ceiling.
Needless to say, this is a specialty of the commoner urban areas of this era, a magical creature that wanders around looking for strangers to fight, rob, and attack good citizens—the legendary street thug.
This is a poor neighborhood, a low-income area, so the company police won't arrive quickly; it will take at least twenty minutes from when you call them to when they arrive. On the other hand, there are other street gangs in the area. They might find out first and arrive first, and things will soon become more chaotic.
Oh shit.
This was not the outcome the young man in the black coat wanted. He had been watching Hayden's house since before dawn, not to let things turn into chaos.
The thugs had begun to approach the young man's seat. Most customers and staff were hiding under their tables or behind the counter, except for the young man in the black coat and the little begging girl. The young man in the black coat had an unexpected advantage—a large potted bamboo stood where he was. If these thugs were really as stupid as they looked, they might not have noticed the young man there.
However, the little girl wasn't just cowering in the corner beside the counter. She watched the thugs extort money from customers and smash things in the store, clearly terrified… but fear didn't control her. She was scared, but also angry. She was trying to muster her courage.
"Alright, little girl, hand over the money you begged for today!"
Soon a thug walked up to the little girl, yelling at her and waving an exaggeratedly large long knife in his hand.
It's truly laughable that thugs would actually try to rob a beggar.
So the young man in the black coat got up and walked over, and before the thug could react, he raised his hand and punched him in the stomach.
The thug was wearing a knock-off armor vest made by some small company, which did seem capable of blocking some blades and even magic. However, the young man in the black coat had no need to worry about that. With a thought, lightning crackled. The young man's fist, crackling with electricity, struck the thug in the abdomen like a thunder hammer!
The thug with the long knife didn't even have a chance to cry out before he was punched and his knife was broken in half!
There were no incantations, not even spells! How could this young man in the black coat control such a powerful electric current with just a thought and a wave of his hand?
The remaining two thugs stared at him, their shock quickly dispelled by their realization: "A superhuman! He's a superhuman!"
Humans naturally lack such abilities, and the divine might of the gods far surpasses them tenfold. Only beings existing between humans and gods possess such power!
The orc thug cursed and pulled the trigger of his shotgun at the youth, countless cold iron and magic-piercing steel pellets immediately shooting out of the muzzle. The gun didn't sound like a good one; it was probably a cheap knock-off from some workshop or sweatshop. But if it hit the youth in the head, he'd probably still die.
So the young man raised his right fist and swung it down like a hammer. Lightning flashed, like a thunderbolt forging steel, erupting forth. In the blink of an eye, the cold iron pellets were all shattered.
Fear finally flashed across the thugs' faces. Another human thug fired a shot in despair. His shooting skills were far from proficient, but the magic bullet just happened to pierce through the exhausted arc of electricity on the young man's fist and hit his black coat.
A miracle. A meaningless miracle.
The magic bullet struck the back of the young man's long black coat, exploding into a [Bombardment] spell, but causing no damage whatsoever. This coat he wore was no ordinary garment; it was a high-grade piece that could be used as military armor.
The young man turned around, quickly lifted his black coat, and pulled out a large-caliber revolver-style magic gun from his own belt, firing a magic bullet at the two thugs.
"Aaaaaah!! Waaaaaaahh ...
The powerful electric current released from the magic bullet instantly knocked them to the ground, causing them to scream in pain.
But the fight didn't end there. Five or six more men appeared outside the burger joint, all wearing leather armor and tattooed faces. Each of them joined the fray with a cold smile, brandishing guns, chains, and knives as they advanced.
The young man in the black coat was not afraid. His face hardened, his will surged, and lightning crackled in his fist. He spoke, uttering his first words of the day: "Fine! Today I'll see just how far this power can go in actual combat! Let's fight!"
—And Hayden saw all of this.
"nice."
Hayden, standing behind the thugs, nodded.
"【Group Immobilization Spell】".
The thugs were dealt with just like that.
————————————————————————
Angela dragged the thugs by their mohawks and threw them all into the sewer. None of them died, but they were sure to have a rough time when they woke up.
Hayden then found a side alley where he was less likely to be spotted by the company police, intending to chat with the young man in the black coat.
Is there something you want to talk to me about?
Hayden had already seen everything that had just happened in the hamburger shop through his magic, so his first impression of the young man was actually quite good.
This young man didn't seem like a bad guy. If he were lying in wait with some premeditated plan against Hayden, he wouldn't have intervened when the thugs were robbing a stranger, turning the situation into chaos. With his enhanced strength, escaping by sneaking away would have been incredibly easy.
Moreover, as a enhanced human, or a secondary gene modifier, this young man naturally had a good appearance. Overall, he was a handsome man with blond hair, a tall stature, and well-developed muscles.
Hayden is heterosexual, but he wouldn't necessarily hate handsome men. Good looks are an objective fact, after all.
The young man in the black coat nodded in agreement.
Then he did something Hayden had never expected.
“My name is Eric Larson. I have come to visit the famous Lone Wolf ‘Wizard’ today because I have a favor to ask.”
At this point, the young man suddenly lowered his head respectfully, bowing deeply to Hayden.
"I know you retired from the world of thievery six months ago, so I wouldn't dare ask you to get involved in street strife again. I only hope you can give me some pointers on how to reach the pinnacle of the urban mercenary world like you!"
…………ah?
Even Hayden, with his vast experience, was stunned for a moment: "...What did you say?"
The young man named Eric misunderstood Hayden's meaning and immediately took out a box slightly smaller than a human head from his black coat, saying, "If I were just asking for advice with empty words, then I would be nothing but a thief of knowledge. I heard that the 'Wizard' and his wife, who has been fully modified into a construct, have retired and lived in seclusion here, so I specially prepared this gift."