"This is honestly quite staggering. There's never been a case quite like yours, if I have to be honest. The recovery seems to have started to slow down, but the fact that you've managed to recover to this point in itself is a wonder. If..."
The doctor stopped himself, his expression shifting slightly as he lifted his glasses.
Quietly staring at the monitor in front of him and the patient sitting on the bed, with numerous wires attached to her head, he hesitated.
"...Go on."
Her quiet voice pressed across the entire room.
"Finish what you were going to say."
"That's..."
"Doctor, please. You know me well. It's been a while. Just say what you need to say. I won't get offended."
"That's not the case."
The doctor shook his head and turned around. His expression was rather serious.
"All I'm saying is that what has happened to you is unnatural. I need a bit more time to test this situation and make sure there are no side effects. In my opinion, there's no such thing as a miracle drug. But there's also no denying the reality that is before our very eyes. For that reason, I'd tread carefully. But..."
The doctor paused again, his deep eyes staring straight at Soran, who stared back at him with a half-smile.
"But...?"
It was as if she already knew what he was about to say but was trying to tease the words out.
And as expected, the doctor's expression turned slightly troubled.
Soran's smile grew, and just as her lips were about to part, the doctor spoke up.
"...Based on your current state, if you truly wish to go out and engage in your previous work, there shouldn't be too much trouble, so long as you don't push yourself too hard."
Soran's half-smile turned into a full-blown smile as she stared at the doctor. Reaching for the wires attached to her head, she removed the adhesive and slowly sat up.
"That's wonderful news, isn't it?"
The doctor didn't reply. Nor was he planning to, as Soran kept talking.
"And here I thought I'd be forced to retire. But this is great!"
She cracked a laugh.
The doctor raised his glasses.
"I'd like to re-emphasize what I previously said... there's no such thing as a miracle drug. You should tread carefully, as something unexpected might occur when you least expect it. I suggest you test things out here and there before going all out."
"Haha, don't worry, doctor."
Removing all of the remaining wires, Soran moved closer to the doctor as she patted him on the shoulder and offered him a friendly smile.
"You can say that this is like some sort of lifeline for me. There's no way I'm going to throw it away~ I'll be sure to be careful."
"...I hope that's the case."
"Come on!"
Soran slapped the back of the doctor.
"Huek!"
"Why does it sound like you have such little faith in me? I know how to hold myself back."
"I... hope that's the case," the doctor replied with a half-hearted smile, his hand reaching for his back as he massaged it, grimacing at the lingering pain from Soran's slap. At the same time, his expression turned even more serious as Soran was just about to leave.
"...They've asked me about your condition."
Soran's steps paused.
She didn't turn.
"I didn't tell them the full situation. I said that you were doing better, but that's all I said."
"....."
A strange silence filled the entire room as Soran remained where she was.
In the end, she turned around, looked at the doctor, and smiled.
"You did well."
That was all she said before leaving the area. However, the moment she turned around, her smile was wiped from her face, all trace of playfulness gone from her expression.
"You've created quite the mess, Guild Master."
She muttered to herself, her heels clicking against the otherwise quiet corridor.
"...It seems all the snakes have started to come out of their holes."
***
"Squad Leader? Squad Leader?"
"Is everything alright, Squad Leader?"
"Hey! Hey!"
I was awoken by the sound of numerous voices. Before I could fully react, something grabbed my shoulders and shook me, pulling me abruptly from my thoughts.
"Don't die! Don't die!"
I realized rather quickly that it was Mia as I brushed her hands off.
"Stop. What are you doing?"
Everyone immediately stopped. Feeling their numerous stares on me, I frowned.
"What's going on with you? Why are you all staring at me?"
"What do you mean, why?"
Ariel was the first to speak up, her brows furrowed as she stared at me. It felt as though she was looking at someone sick.
"All of a sudden, your face went pale, and you stopped answering us. It was like you'd just seen a ghost."
A ghost...?
I blinked slowly.
Well, it wasn't far off.
I thought back to the words given to me by the system. My heart skipped a beat as I did, my expression nearly crumbling as I desperately tried not to let it show.
'I've already met... it?'
Me...? When?
And if I did, what were the chances that I was now a patient like the others?
That all of this was a dream?
My head immediately lifted as I stared in Geneva's direction. She was also staring at me, just like the others.
I licked my lips and asked, "You previously mentioned that there's a possibility that they might be dreaming. If... any of us were to get stuck in such a dream, how would one be able to tell whether they were in a dream or not?"
"...You can't."
Geneva answered without missing a single beat.
"And that's the problem."
Her eyes remained fixed on me.
"You'll never know if you've fallen into a dream or not. That's the scariest aspect of 1048... You just don't know."
My jaw tightened on its own.
Fuck.
"Why?"
Geneva tilted her head.
"Do you think that you've already fallen victim to it?"
-x-X-x-
"Truthfully, I don't know. It was just an idea that crossed my mind."
I shrugged whilst looking at Geneva.
The back of my palm felt sweaty, but I tried my best to articulate myself clearly and not show any of my doubts.
"Who is there to say that we haven't fallen for 1048 just yet? As you said, there's nothing that lets us know if we've fallen victim to it. What if we've already fallen for it and we just don't realize it yet?"
The more I thought about this possibility, the more I felt the back of my spine shudder.
A strange silence settled between us as the gravity of the situation finally sank into the minds of the others. I took a good look at everyone present before clapping my hands once.
Clap!
"As I said, this is just a hypothesis. Whether this is true or not, we don't know."
"You're right."
Geneva replied as she looked at us.
"What I do know is that in the dream, everyone is waiting for something. A turn of sorts. If you can somehow keep that in mind, you should be able to get some sort of clue. It's not much, but it's all we have."
"...Right."
That system message did say something like this too.
But...
It was all too vague.
One could be waiting for their turn for many things. Bathroom, food, games, hearing...
There were just so many things that one could be waiting their turn for
'No, wait.'
Something suddenly clicked inside of my mind.
At first, I thought the clue that the system had given me was there to startle me, but now that I thought about it, it was actually a pretty big clue.
'Since I've already met the anomaly, it must mean that if I trace back to the things that I've done, I should be able to get a clue. Added to the clue that I just received, I can narrow things down considerably.'
I had the sudden urge to slap my thigh.
'Right, of course...!'
That wasn't all.
I also had the compass with me.
This situation... It was actually not as hopeless as I previously thought it was.
Right, of course not.
"Squad Leader?"
Hearing someone call for me, I raised my head to see that everyone was looking at me once more. I gave each person a look before finally settling my gaze on Geneva.
She looked composed, but deep down, I could see that she was incredibly nervous.
I offered her a small nod.
"I think I more or less understand the situation. Since I did promise you before, I'll see things through to the end. I... might have an idea."
"Really?"
Geneva's voice rose without her realizing it as her eyes lit up.
I offered her another nod.
"Yes."
And it wasn't like I had any other options. The situation surrounding me at the moment made it hard for me to refuse the mission.
'It's a good thing that I at least have a sort of direction.'
I could see the changes that my team members were making, but I ignored them. Right then, I turned and spotted a familiar figure. Donning the same white robes, his sharp eyes scanned us from behind his glasses as he offered the most polite smile he could, his gaze settling on Geneva.
"It's time for us to change the IV liquid for Theo."
"Ah, right."
Geneva hurriedly opened the door for the doctor.
"Please."
"...Thank you."
Staring at the doctor's back, I had a sudden thought.
'I wonder how my head is doing at the moment.'
The migraines were noticeably less annoying than they had been in the past, but they were still present. It was obvious that I was doing better ever since getting the pills from the Fifth Order store, but I was still quite worried about the potential side effects from the pills I had taken back at the lab.
'I should probably get myself checked out as a precaution.'
The issue was that I didn't quite want others to see what was inside my head.
But as things stood, it was probable that I might in the future.
'I guess I'll put more thought into this later.'
I knew for a fact that I wasn't going to be doing the checkup at the Guild. At least, not with the mess that was currently happening over there.
Sparing one last glance in Geneva's direction as she entered the room and offered me one last look, I turned around and decided that it was time to leave.
"Alright, let's go."
There was a lot of thinking that I needed to do.
***
"Wait! This makes no sense at all!"
BANG!
Zoey's hand came smacking down against the Section Chief's desk as she stared at him with wide eyes.
"Why are you suddenly assigning us so many tasks? You know damn well there's no way we'll be able to clear all of these gates within such a time frame!"
Zoey wanted to keep her voice low, but the frustration she felt with the situation made it impossible for her to do so. Clenching her jaw tightly, she looked back to see the numerous eyes directed at them through the see-through glass walls before moving to close the curtains.
Once she did, she directed her attention back to the Section Chief.
This time, her voice was noticeably lower.
Part of it was because she didn't want the others to hear, but another part of it was because of the way the Section Chief looked.
His eyes were incredibly baggy, and his features were unusually pale. Even his cheeks were more sunken than usual. It was clear that his condition was quite bad.
"Sir, look."
Zoey sat down on the chair opposite him.
"I know that you're currently overworked, but you must understand that this isn't sustainable. If we go on like this, everyone will start quitting. That'll be terrible for the Guild. I've already received several offers from other Guilds, alongside the others. Although I can't say for certain, I know quite a few of them are considering accepting those offers. At this rate, the Containment Department will be dismantled."
"...Right."
The Section Chief replied after a short moment, his attention still focused on the papers before him, his pen never stopping.
His lack of reaction drove Zoey mad as she tried to push her thoughts forward.
"This is obviously an attack by the other members to curb our department. Our momentum has made them all act, and with the Guild Master gone, it won't be long until things get even worse. Heck! They've already started targeting our best agent! He's the last person that we can afford to lose."
Zoey hated to admit it, but there was no denying it.
Seth was currently the star of the department.
The blatant targeting by higher management didn't go unnoticed by her or the others.
"He's the last person that we can afford to lose. He's also got no reason to stay at the Guild when every Guild out there is salivating at the thought of having him. If you don't do something, then—"
"Don't worry about Seth."
Finally putting his pen down, the Section Chief raised his head, his sunken, darkened eyes staring directly at Zoey.
"He won't be leaving."
"But—"
"The Guild Master may be dead, but his leash still exists."
Zoey's voice caught in her throat as she looked at the Section Chief as he quietly stood up and moved towards the curtains.
Flick.
He pulled them up at once.
"...Nothing escapes the Guild Master's leash. Dead or alive."
He turned slowly.
"Not even me."
-x-X-x-
"How did it go? Did you manage to talk to the Section Chief?"
"No, it's useless."
Zoey shook her head, looking at Kyle from above as he sat in his cubicle. With her hands resting on the walls of the barrier around his desk, she stared at the numerous files scattered across Kyle's desk.
She whistled.
"...You really have it bad, don't you?"
"Tell me about it."
It wasn't just her squad that had been hit by the numerous absurd requests and quota requirements. They had all been hit with the same thing.
It was such a ridiculous thing that Zoey struggled to understand why the Section Chief had yet to do anything about it.
"It's like he's completely lost the will to fight."
"Well, maybe."
Kyle scratched the side of his face and sighed.
"To be honest, it's not like there's much he can do at the moment. He's getting pressured from all sides, and he's probably struggling to get some sleep himself. It's a miracle that he hasn't quit just yet."
"....."
Zoey didn't reply.
Actually, she knew all of this herself. It was just that... the situation was incredibly frustrating. The obvious targeting from the other departments, and the lack of reaction from their side, was really making her second-guess her stay at the Guild.
'I did get a couple of good offers, but I don't know...'
Zoey could quit at any moment, but the thought of leaving the Guild and helping those bastards trying to tear the department apart was setting her off.
'Right, leaving would just make them happy.'
Zoey's jaw clenched.
"Ah, right."
Zoey suddenly remembered something. In particular, the last part of her conversation with the Section Chief, as she turned to face Kyle again.
"The last part of my conversation with the Section Chief was a bit weird, to be honest. He talked about a leash and something about the Guild Master and Seth. Do you know anything about that?"
"What?"
Kyle made a strange face.
"Leash? Guild Master? You sure you heard correctly?"
"Yeah, I did."
Zoey studied Kyle's face closely. She wanted to see if he knew something, but looking at him closely, it didn't seem like it.
'Strange.'
Zoey had always known that Seth was hiding something. However, the more she pried, the further away it seemed to get her. She was curious, but thinking about the mess that had occurred every time she got curious, she decided to give up.
Her toes curled when she thought back to the situation at the hospital.
"Talk of the devil."
Turning her head, Zoey spotted Seth as he returned to the Guild, his members following closely behind him.
The moment he entered, it was as if time had stopped for everyone present, all heads lifting and turning towards him. Not a single person looked away as he made his way towards his own office.
'It's so strange.'
Zoey thought back to the past.
Things hadn't been like this back then. There was a time when he used to be ignored by everyone, or even questioned. But now...? It was as if his every action attracted the attention of everyone around him.
And it wasn't simply because he was now famous.
That played a part in it too, but looking at him, he seemed to change every time she saw him.
Not only did his eyes seem deeper, but his overall presence felt more intimidating. His eyes in particular... Something about them seemed to suck in those who stared for too long, leaving them staring back at a wall of emptiness.
"Hm?"
As if sensing their stares, Seth's head turned in their direction.
His deep eyes locked with theirs as he made his way towards them, his squad separating from him as Kyle stood up and placed his hands over the top of his cubicle walls.
He put on a friendly smile.
"How did your trip go? I heard all about your new mission. Are you sure about it?"
"...It's manageable."
Seth replied, his lips curling into a smile.
Zoey stared at the interaction without saying anything, but for some reason, something about it felt quite uncomfortable. It was as if both sides were faking it.
'Nah, I'm probably imagining things.'
The two were practically brothers.
Clearing her throat, she asked something that she was curious about: "Right, aren't you investigating VILE - 1048? Are you sure about it...? That seems to be something that most people and even the Bureau have given up on."
"Right."
Seth pinched his forehead.
"...I didn't plan for all of this to go public, but it's whatever. I just came back from Royal Chambers to get some information. I think I've got a lead, but I'll have to see."
"Makes se..."
Zoey's words came to an abrupt halt as a hand rested over Seth's shoulder, followed by a flirtatious voice.
"Babe, I've got something serious to say."
Zoey, alongside Kyle, blinked rapidly as they stared at the newcomer. When did she...?
To make matters even worse, Seth didn't even seem fazed by her sudden appearance. Rather, he looked at her calmly before saying, "You seem to have gained weight."
Soran's face froze, along with that of everyone who managed to overhear their conversation.
With a pale face, Soran pulled her hand away from Seth's shoulder as she wiped her face several times with her hand. Zoey's lips quivered at the sight, as did Kyle's, as the two tried their best to look away.
This...
This had probably been the first time the two had seen Soran this speechless. It was a sight that made it difficult for them to hold their composure.
And it wasn't like he was done.
"You're pregnant, right? That's what you wanted to say, correct?"
Seth just didn't seem to want to stop.
The more he spoke, the more speechless Soran seemed to be.
It was as if he could read her thoughts.
"Doesn't mean that you should shove your face with food. Eat less."
"...."
"Fatty."
"....!!!"
"Pftt!
"Kuek!"
Unable to hold it in, Kyle and Zoey both burst out laughing as Soran clenched her chest tightly, her breaths heavy.
In the end, catching her breath, she glared at Seth before pointing her finger at him.
"You... I, ugh."
She clenched her shirt once more before finally recomposing herself. As she did, she spoke before Seth even had the chance to say anything.
This time, it was his turn to be speechless.
"You've been promoted."
"Pig—Huh?"
Seth stopped mid-insult. This time, it was his turn to look surprised.
Soran's glare intensified, her eyes seemingly spitting fire. You were about to call me a pig, weren't you? At least, that was what they seemed to say in Zoey's mind.
"I've been promoted?" Seth's incredulous voice whispered in the air.
"Yes."
Soran clapped her hands, gathering everyone's attention towards her.
Not that she needed to, considering how everyone's attention was already centered on them.
Clearing her throat, she smiled brightly and announced Seth's promotion to everyone present.
"Let's congratulate the newest member of the higher management! A big round of applause to Team Leader Thorne!"
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Her claps resounded throughout the entire area.
But besides her, no one clapped.
"Woot! Woot!"
His promotion was only met with silence.
This...
Wasn't this bad?
As expected, when Zoey turned to look in Seth's direction, she noticed a considerable shift in his expression.
And before she realized it, she found herself subconsciously taking a step back.
-x-X-x-
'They're really starting to annoy me.'
Generally, one would be happy with a promotion. It was a cause for celebration, but this was an obvious move to make it harder for me to move.
In other words...
They were trying to suppress me further.
"Come on! Why is everyone in such a mood? This is cause for celebration!"
Soran's words rang through the surroundings, and I snapped out of my daze, staring back at her and the others before nodding.
"Well, it's not bad. I guess I could do with a salary increase."
If it could even be considered that...
"See? Haha."
Soran laughed, moving closer to me as she slapped my back.
"Drinks are on me tonight."
I wasn't quite in the mood for that. I was just about to tell her that when she pressed her finger over my lips and shook her head.
"Nope."
She stared at me straight in the eyes.
"You're not allowed to refuse. This isn't something I'm willing to compromise on. Today, you and me, drinks."
Soran whispered the last words so that nobody else could hear them, and as I stared at her, I could see a slight trace of seriousness in her gaze. I realized that she probably had something serious to say to me.
In that case...
"Still, no~"
Soran's face crumbled, her tongue clicking at the same time.
"It's happening."
"I said no."
"You're drinking with me."
"No."
"Hey!"
"...I've got a case that I need to handle. If you'll excuse me."
I turned around and excused myself under the watch of everyone present. Soran seemed speechless, but I ignored her and proceeded to head to my own office.
Clank!
Closing the door behind me, I plopped down in my chair.
Ding!
But right as I did, a notification appeared on my phone.
Crazy Team Leader: [Hey, we're doing it, right? I mean, the drink and stuff.]
I stared at the notification and put the phone down.
Only for the phone to buzz again.
Ding! Ding!
I ignored the notifications.
In all honesty, I was planning on going. I could tell that she was trying to tell me something important.
It was just that I was having a bit of fun with her at the moment.
"Team Leader, huh?"
I leaned further back onto my chair.
It wasn't like I didn't see it coming. In fact, from the moment my situation had been leaked to the press and online, I already knew that something was going to happen.
'And it's not like this wasn't a thing even before this entire thing.'
The promotion was already something I had been aware of. In fact, I wasn't the only one who was supposed to get promoted. But that wasn't the issue at hand. The issue stemmed from the fact that it came at a time when I couldn't afford to waste my time on other duties.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
Especially not when I was currently busy handling this case...
"VILE - 1048"
I tossed a document onto my desk.
Just before returning, I had someone print it out for me.
"...This might probably be a really difficult one."
Still, taking into consideration the rewards from the quest, I knew that this quest was worth a shot. If the anomaly was as resourceful as it seemed to be, then it was the perfect anomaly for me to tame.
Ding! Ding!
'I just hope it isn't like the others.'
I had luck with the anomalies and their powers, but not with their personalities. Each anomaly under me was incredibly... quirky.
I didn't think I'd be able to handle more.
Just the thought of adding another one with a similar personality was giving me the shivers.
"You were thinking of something bad about us, weren't you?"
A head popped out from the painting before me.
Raising my head, I stared at the pair of dark eyes that were looking right at me.
I shook my head.
"I wasn't."
"...Really?"
"Yes."
"Ah... so it was just about me."
Mirelle's shoulders slumped.
"I'm the problem aren't I?"
She sighed.
"Well, I guess it makes sense. You did decide to help the others instead of me. I must be pretty unwanted. Should I just go?"
"..."
"Not even answering... I must be worthless in your eyes."
I covered my forehead.
'Yes, I really can't handle another one like this.'
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
"Anyways, what do you think?"
I raised my head to stare at the corner of the room where a wide smile greeted me.
As things usually progressed, I turned to face my consultant, the Conductor. He was the one anomaly I could always count on whenever I was stuck.
"I don't know."
"....."
"I really don't know."
The Conductor shrugged its shoulders, its lips thinning out slightly. Though its smile remained, there was a rare trace of seriousness in its gaze as it stared at me.
"You're very likely dealing with an entity that was on the same level as me at the time we met each other. No..." The Conductor suddenly paused, its expression turning even more serious before its lips twisted extremely wide. "You might be dealing with something on an even greater level than what I was in the past."
A chuckle escaped the Conductor's sealed lips.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
It was obvious that it found this situation amusing, but hearing its words, I found this to be anything but amusing.
"At least, I don't think I've fallen prey to it."
I had been thinking.
The system had already given me several clues, including the fact that I had already met it in the past. I previously assumed that there was a chance that I had fallen for its scheme and was perhaps dreaming, but I was now almost certain that wasn't the case.
'Firstly, the system would've likely warned me.'
Whenever an anomaly started targeting me, I'd get a warning.
[You have been haunted].
In this situation, I had received no such message. Not only that, but the fact that I could still see the system was probably an indicator that I was still safe.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
"Still, the fact that I've already met it and came so close to it is enough to give me chills."
"Oh? You've met it?"
The Conductor appeared before me, its long, slender hands pressed against the table as it leaned forward to get a good look at me.
"Looks like my earlier guess might be correct."
Chuckling again, the Conductor stared straight into my eyes.
"Have you tried using the strange compass of yours?"
"I have."
I took out the compass from my pocket and showed it to the Conductor. Its brow raised as it looked at the wildly spinning compass.
"Oh, wow."
Wow indeed.
I sighed again. Lately, I had been doing that quite a lot.
"Well, I guess it can't be helped."
This wasn't the first time the compass just refused to work. Thankfully, I wasn't overreliant on the compass, and I had other means.
That being said—
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
"Fine, fine!"
I looked at my phone again.
Ding!
I was greeted by the sight of at least several hundred messages.
[Come on! Come!]
[No, but seriously, it is important.]
[You can't miss it.]
[I mean, if you want we can make it our engagement party.]
[No?]
[How does tonight at ten sound?]
[Alright, it's a deal.]
[If you don't show up, I'll personally come to get you.]
[I know you're seeing this.]
There were just so many messages that I had to scroll down several times in order to get to the last message, and when I did, I paused.
[Come upstairs. There's a meeting with the upper management regarding your current promotion.]
"...Ah."
Here it was.
The next headache.
But still—
I stood up from my seat and walked towards the door.
"I think it might be good."
It was about time I made contact with those snakes.
-x-X-x-
The meeting was held on the upper floors, right above the Hoarding Department, on a separate floor specifically designed to hold large meetings amongst the higher-ups.
Since this was the first time that I had ever been to such meetings, it took me a bit to find the correct place.
Eventually, a large wooden door came into view, and when I pushed it open, I was greeted by a massive room with a large oval wooden table in the middle, numerous chairs surrounding it, and tall windows lining each side of the room, allowing one to overlook the entire city below.
The room itself was minimally decorated, with the sheer size of it making it clear that this was a place reserved for important matters.
Coming into the room, I saw a couple of familiar figures. But in general, I didn't know most of the people.
'Looks like the meeting is about to start, and I'm the last one to arrive.'
I could feel the numerous stares directed my way. Practically the entire room was staring at me, with each stare holding a different meaning. Some contained indifference, others contained annoyance, while some others contained interest.
In a way, it felt as though I was part of a zoo exhibit.
Rather annoying.
"Already making yourself important after getting promoted? Have a seat. You're late."
A large hand gestured towards one of the seats.
Sitting at the head of the table, his hand resting on his beard, Section Chief Johansberg stared at me with an empty look as his bushy brows knitted together.
I opened my lips, but soon offered him a smile.
"Will do so."
I scanned the room before taking the closest empty seat.
Sitting down, I could still see the numerous gazes directed my way. I paid them no mind as I scanned the room before spotting Team Leader Soran and the Section Chief. Both of them were staring at me, with the Team Leader looking at me with her arms crossed.
Ding!
Huh?
I glanced at my phone and was surprised to see a text coming from her.
[Don't fall for their provocations.]
I looked back at her.
Her arms were still crossed.
How did she...?
Ding!
[Timed them.]
Oh...
"I do hope we're not imposing upon you by expecting you to actually appear interested in being here."
The Section Chief's words rang again as I put my phone away and muted it.
I offered another apology.
"Of course not."
I offered the Section Chief another smile.
Actually, yes.
Please kick me out.
"I just received a text and was planning on setting my phone on mute. I apologize for the inconvenience."
"You should've done that beforehand." The Section Chief clicked his tongue before muttering, "Looks like that phone's really gotten to your head."
He whispered the last words, but almost everyone heard them.
I looked around the room and took in all the reactions.
'Seems like this will be an annoying meeting.'
I was really starting to miss the Guild Master.
"Let's adjourn the meeting."
Reaching for the remote in front of him, the projector at the top of the room lit up, and a screen appeared in the middle of the table, projecting several images for everyone to see.
"I'll start first."
Section Chief Johansberg's gaze swept across the entire room before he began speaking.
"These are the Guild's profit and revenue margins over the past year. As you can see, we've maintained a steady increase in profits throughout the period. Much of this can be attributed to the Guild's explosive growth, which has significantly expanded our operations and, consequently, our revenue. This was all due to the collective efforts of our departments."
No, it was all me.
Of course, I didn't say it.
But it was the hard truth.
"Now... whilst profits are good, what really matters at the moment is something else entirely." The Section Chief paused, his gaze sweeping across the entire room once more. "Growth."
He pressed his palm against the table and stood up.
"What we need to focus on right now is growth!"
The slide changed, displaying a table.
"If you would all direct your attention here, you'll find the current global rankings of Guilds worldwide. Since our promotion to King-Grade, the Guild has experienced what can only be described as remarkable growth. And, as you can see, our efforts have not gone unnoticed. We now stand as the 57th-ranked Guild in the entire world. We aren't too far off from joining the Oak Circle!"
There was excitement in his voice as he spoke.
Several of the other Section Chiefs smiled. Not at the prospect of joining the Oak Circle, but for entirely different reasons.
"I'm also of the same opinion."
Clement White, Section Chief of the Hoarding Department of the Branch Guild, rose from his seat and took the stage.
"If we make proper use of the next few months and apply ourselves with sufficient vigor, we should be able to steadily elevate the Guild's standing and, with some luck, secure a place within the Oak Circle. Once that happens, our prospects will improve considerably."
"...I agree."
Another Section Chief rose to his feet. He was a tall, lanky man with thin, pronounced cheekbones and mushroom-styled hair. Judging by his attire and the insignia on his uniform, he appeared to be the Section Chief of the Collection Department.
"We can't let go of our current momentum.'
'Look at them.'
Seeing how motivated each and every person appeared, one might almost have mistaken us for a single, happy family.
But as I looked around the room, all I could see were snakes, each and every one of them waiting to seize this opportunity and use it as a stepping stone to catapult themselves into the position of the next Guild Master.
"What do you think?"
All of a sudden, the attention fell on the Section Chief from my department.
His expression remained haggard. With all eyes now fixed upon him, he rubbed beneath his eyes wearily before shaking his head.
"Honestly, I don't know. Our workload is quite tough."
"What?"
Section Chief Johansberg frowned. Of everyone present, he was undoubtedly the most influential, a fact made abundantly clear by the way he had assumed control of the entire meeting.
"You understand just how important this opportunity is for us, correct? This isn't really something we're negotiating. I'm expecting the Containment Department to step up."
"As I said, it's simply not feasible. Anomalous Gates aren't something that can be cleared on a whim. They require extensive preparation, and preparation, unfortunately, takes time."
"Tch."
Clicking his tongue, Section Chief Johansberg leaned back in his chair and muttered, "As expected. You can never count on the Containment Department when it actually matters. What, exactly, is the point of having a department like this?"
I smiled upon hearing his words.
'Can't even be more blatant than this.'
Taking a look around and seeing the other Section Chiefs sitting in silence, I could only shake my head. What they were doing was painfully obvious.
'Are we that threatening?'
To be honest, the Section Chief didn't seem particularly interested in the position of Guild Master. If we were being honest, we were probably the least threatening Department.
"Is something the matter?"
Raising an eyebrow, I looked toward Section Chief Johansberg. His gaze was fixed directly upon me.
"You seem to be smiling. Is there something about the situation you find amusing?"
I tilted my head before shaking my head.
"Not quite."
"Then why are you smiling?"
"Just thinking about stuff."
"Ha, this..." The Section Chief covered his face, his beard trembling slightly as he maintained his gaze directed at me. "You really are more arrogant than I expected. But that's fine. So long as you bring results. You are aware of what we've been talking about, right? I expect you to work as hard as the others. This is a crucial time for—"
"Don't really want to."
Cutting the Section Chief off, the entire room fell quiet.
Immediately, all eyes fell on me.
"What... What did you..."
"Don't want to."
I kept my gaze fixed on the Section Chief.
Seeing his eyes widen, I repeated once more.
"I. Do. Not. Want. To."
-x-X-x-
It was no secret to everyone present that Carmen Johansberg craved the Guild Master seat. Ever since the Guild Master's unfortunate passing, he had made his ambition clear, and he had already lured in several Section Chiefs on his side.
There were, of course, others who held the same ambition as him.
But in Carmen's mind, they weren't much of a threat to his position. In fact, there was not one single person that he truly believed to be his competition.
'But just because there aren't, it doesn't mean that I should let my guard down.'
Carmen was a thorough person.
He was the type of person who liked to deal with things before they became too troublesome, and in this case, his target was the Containment Department.
It was no secret that they were currently the department with the greatest momentum within the Guild. Although their Section Chief was remarkably passive, that certainly didn't mean he was without ambition.
In fact, he was very likely a snake waiting for the right moment to strike.
The previous Guild Master didn't hire normal people, and Carmen understood this all too well.
That's why he had chosen to target the Containment Department's greatest weapon.
But—
"I. Do. Not. Want. To."
Seth's words echoed across the entire room as the atmosphere froze over.
Take a look at this guy...
Instead of getting angry, the Section Chief almost found this situation to be amusing. In a way, this worked in his favor.
"You don't want to?"
"Yes, I don't."
Seth replied.
"I have a lot of things that I need to handle. I don't have time to play these types of games."
"Oh, right..."
Carmen crossed his arms and nodded his head.
"VILE - 1048, right?"
"Yup."
"Give it up."
"....."
Carmen stared flatly in Seth's direction.
"This isn't a case you can handle. The BUA has sent countless personnel and even Paragons to investigate it, and yet they've found absolutely nothing. It's been nothing but a colossal waste of time. Give it up and focus your efforts elsewhere."
A smirk formed on the Section Chief's face as he spoke. This had been his plan from the start.
He first made the news about Seth's ambition public, and now he was ordering him to quit.
His reputation was certainly going to take a hit.
"You've enjoyed quite the hot streak lately, notwithstanding your recent setback. I understand that you wish to make up for it, but this is not a matter you are capable of resolving. If anything, you'll only be squandering valuable time that could be better spent advancing the Guild's interests."
"....."
Seth didn't reply.
He just stared in Carmen's direction.
Feeling his gaze, the smirk on Carmen's face grew.
'I eat too much, right?'
"That's why I'm ordering you to quit whatever you're doing, and you focus your attention elsewhere. I've already sent over several Gates that you and your team need to clear by the end of the month. If those won't be completed in time, then I'm afraid that this will be the end of the line between you and the Severed Stars Guild."
Carmen's words made the entire room fall silent.
Still, the Section Chief showed no sign of reaction. He wasn't worried about Seth leaving the Guild. If anything, it was for the best.
He was nothing but a thorn in his side.
Furthermore, he was still signed to a contract with them. He could just sell him to a better Guild and purchase another top prospect.
'In fact, it's probably best if we can sell him quickly before his value tanks even further.'
The Malia incident had already given a glimpse to the world that he wasn't as good as the people made him out to be. If anything, most of it had probably been done by the previous Guild Master, as he had done with Soran in the past.
Thinking about her, the Section Chief's attention fell on her as he shook his head.
'Another useless asset.'
The previous Guild Master had been a capable leader, but he had a tendency to overestimate certain individuals. He was the sort who would deliberately fabricate legends to manufacture stars, elevating them far beyond what they truly were. But such stars were inherently fragile, as Soran had so clearly demonstrated, and now Seth was proving it once again.
'I won't make the same mistake as the previous Guild Master. I'll make sure the Guild grows in the right direction.'
"Before any of you say anything, this isn't something that you can refuse."
Carment turned to look at the other Section Chiefs.
"We've already held an internal vote beforehand, and we all feel the same way. From this moment forth, Team Leader Thorne is to give up on chasing VILE - 1048 and focus his attention on the tasks given at hand."
Interlocking his hands together, the Section Chief leaned back in his chair.
As he did, his phone rang.
Reaching for it, he looked at the notification on his phone before shifting his attention back to Seth.
His lips curled even higher.
'You've underestimated just how big my appetite is.'
BREAKING — [Seth Thorne Officially Withdraws from VILE-1048 Search]
***
"Why?"
I stared at the Section Chief straight in the face. His face looked even more haggard than before as he sat at his desk, his attention fixed on the papers in front of him.
Scribbling something on them, he didn't even bother to answer me.
My frown deepened.
Had it been the old me, I would've probably flipped the entire table over and done some crazy stuff.
In fact, it was already a miracle that I had yet to do so in the previous meeting.
"Why didn't you say anything?"
I asked again, trying my best to keep myself calm.
I wasn't all that bothered about what happened in the meeting. Even the news article didn't rattle me that much. I could always dispute it and say that it was all a lie.
Then again, it was very likely that the public would treat it as me backtracking.
That part didn't bother me too much.
What really bothered me was something else entirely.
"You're a Section Chief yourself. In terms of authority, you're among the most powerful people in the entire Guild. So why, exactly, did you simply stand by and let them do whatever they pleased? None of this makes any sense."
This was the part that bothered me the most.
The Section Chief's lack of reaction.
He simply took in everything that was thrown at him without a single complaint.
I knew that he was passive, but not to this extent.
This was disappointing.
"..."
Despite my words, the Section Chief offered no response. He remained utterly absorbed in the papers before him, as though my question had never been asked.
My jaw tightened at the sight, but I just barely held myself back from lashing out as I took a deep breath and turned around.
I needed to cool my head.
At this rate, nothing was going to get done.
It felt as though I was getting pushed around a little too much lately. And I was conscious of it. With the new pills in my system, the voices in my head had cooled down. But at the same time, they had grown even more deranged.
I was passive, not because I was a coward.
I was passive because I was afraid of what I'd do if I let the voices dictate my actions.
'Right, let's just bear with it for a little while longer. Let's handle this without doing anything crazy.'
Just as I reached for the door, the Section Chief's voice echoed from behind me.
"You should listen to me this once."
I stopped and turned around. The Section Chief was still not looking at me.
"...Give up on VILE - 1048. It's not something that you can handle."
"What?"
My left eye twitched.
"I previously passed it because I needed you out of the Guild, but now that situation has turned out this way, I need you to give it up."
"What are you talking about? You—"
"You can't handle it."
Finally stopping, the Section Chief looked at me straight in the eyes.
"This isn't an anomaly that you can handle in the present. I don't want you to have the same ending as Soran."
-x-X-x-
Don't want the same ending as Soran?
The Section Chief's words stayed stuck in my mind as I walked out of his office and back to mine. As I walked, I could feel the numerous gazes of those around me, but I tried to pay no mind to them.
A part of me was incredibly irritated.
This was the second person who told me to give up on chasing VILE - 1048.
'I know it's hard, but if I really try, I'm sure that I can find it.'
I had grown to believe in my abilities as of late.
I was good at my job.
Very good at it, in fact. There was no denying it.
There had been a point in the past where anything scary would scare the living shit out of me, but I had grown past that point. At least, I hoped that was the case.
'...It's not like I'm immune to fear, but most of my emotions are quite numb.'
At least, I could still feel the emotion known as'anger'.
"Is... everything alright?"
A cautious voice disrupted my thoughts. When I lifted my head, I found Zoey standing before me. Before I knew it, I had drifted closer to her and the others' area.
I thought about lying and saying that nothing was wrong, but today, I didn't really like doing that.
"Yes."
I decided to be honest.
"Hm? Really?"
My honesty was enough to surprise Zoey and anyone who was near enough to her to overhear.
"I've been ordered to let go of the case."
"You mean VILE - 1048?"
"Yes."
"Ah, well..." Zoey scratched the side of her face, her brows furrowing tightly as she folded her arms and sat on top of her desk. Eventually, she looked at me. It was as if she understood exactly the reason for why I was pissed. "And you don't want to let go of the case, correct? You think that you can solve it."
"...Yes."
Zoey opened her lips, but soon smiled.
It was an honest smile that didn't contain any malice as she shook her head.
"You really are something."
She mumbled quietly as she continued to shake her head, the strands of her blonde hair falling to her face.
Lifting her head again to stare at me, her emerald green eyes squinted slightly.
"...I'd normally have called you crazy for this. It's no secret that VILE-1048 is an incredibly mysterious and dangerous anomaly, if it could even be considered an anomaly. I've heard some people consider it a disease rather than an anomaly."
"It's not."
I blurted out almost immediately, prompting Zoey to raise her brow.
"You don't think so?"
"I'm certain that it isn't."
Given the quest and the fact that I had already met'it', I was certain that it was no disease.
"....."
Zoey's eyes squinted as she looked at me.
In the end, she shrugged.
"Well, alright."
She looked a bit doubtful about my words, but didn't ask.
Zoey continued, "Since you're so confident that it's not a disease, then it's good. I'd still be careful since this is a case that not even the BUA has been able to solve despite so many years and many Paragons trying. I wouldn't want you to... spend too much time on it like Geneva, who has stagnated a little in her rankings due to her obsession with it."
"That's... fair."
Her words made sense, but I could see a little doubt in her eyes.
It seemed like she, too, thought that this was too big a case for me.
'No, maybe I'm being too paranoid.'
My jaw subconsciously tightened.
And right then—
Ding!
Taking out my phone, I looked at the first message.
'Ah, right.'
I then turned to look at Zoey.
"Team Leader Soran?"
"Seems like it."
"Right, she might be of some use to you," Zoey said after thinking for a moment. "From what I've heard, she did dabble with VILE - 1048 in the past, even though it wasn't for long. But she did have a case that made her obsessed for a while. It would be good if you talked to her."
"...Will do so."
Zoey's words intrigued me.
Just like the Section Chief mentioned. It seemed like the Team Leader had faced something similar in the past.
I started to grow curious.
Especially at the part where she said that Soran had dabbled with VILE - 1048.
'I'll ask her.'
Thanking Zoey, I turned around and headed to the meeting spot where I was supposed to meet up with Soran.
On the way, my phone rang a couple more times.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
***
"What do you think?"
Zoey asked as she stared at Seth's departing back.
A head peeked from the cubicle behind hers.
Zoey's face turned strange as she turned her head to meet his gaze.
"Hey, is something going on between the two of you? It's strange... You used to be glued to each other's hips. Now you're not even saying hi to him. In fact, it looks to me that you were trying to hide from him."
"...Ah, well..."
Kyle scratched the back of his head, putting on a complicated expression.
He eventually smiled bitterly.
"Actually, I drank all of his coffee so he's kind of—"
"Bullshit."
Zoey cut Kyle off before he could continue with his nonsense. One of the reasons she was so good at her job was because she was so observant. She could sense that something was off between the two.
And she could also tell that whatever Kyle was about to say was nonsense.
"I'm not going to ask what's going on between the two of you. I know better than to pry when it's none of my business."
Of course, Zoey was curious about the situation between the two of them.
However, after all the things that had happened between her and Seth, she realized that things were best left alone.
That being said—
"He's been acting pretty off, hasn't he?"
Zoey's eyes squinted as she thought back to the expression Seth made when she told him about VILE - 1048 and how challenging it was. For a moment, it almost looked like he was pissed at her. It was just a brief moment, but it didn't escape her line of sight.
"You're not wrong."
Kyle replied right after, his voice lower than usual as he too stared in the direction where Seth went off to.
Pursing his lips together, he turned his attention towards Zoey.
"He's... starting to grow attached to the case."
"You mean obsessed?"
"Well, yes, but no. I wouldn't say he's obsessed, but he's certainly showing signs of becoming like that."
"...Ah, great."
Zoey pinched her forehead as she shook her head.
She had seen this type of behavior many times and had even warned Seth about it.
There tended to be some people who grew so obsessed with some cases that they'd give everything up just to solve them. Most such people never had good endings.
"Let's observe for a bit."
Zoey made a quick call.
"Although I usually don't pry in these situations, it looks like we might have to in this case. I don't want Seth to end up like the others."
Turning around, she looked at Kyle, who answered a beat later than usual.
"....Ah, right. Right."
He agreed after meeting her gaze.
Zoey's eyes squinted slightly, but she soon turned away.
'These two... I hope they fix their shit soon enough.'
-x-X-x-
The place where my appointment with the Team Leader was held was somewhere I was quite familiar with, having come here several times with her and the Guild.
Looking around as I entered the tatami-style room, the first thing that greeted me was the sight of the Team Leader sitting at the table, her legs in a butterfly position as she raised her beer toward me.
"Look who decided to finally show up."
Taking a sip, she let out a loud'Haa!' before standing up and walking towards me.
As she did, she reached for my shoulder and dragged me in.
"Now, now... What are you waiting for? It's time for the two of us to have our long-awaited drinking party to commemorate your promotion!"
She took another sip of her beer, letting out another refreshed "Haa" as the smell of beer reached my nostrils. Looking at the table, I could see a couple of appetizers here and there, but most of it was alcohol bottles.
'She really isn't holding back.'
A lot of the drinks were of high proof too.
"Anything catch your fancy? Take whatever you want. Today we're going to drink until we're passed out."
"I'll pass on that."
"Ah...?"
Soran's hand paused as she looked at me with an expression akin to that of someone who had just watched their entire family be killed.
"I've got some stuff to do later. I don't really have the time to drink."
"...You mean your case?"
Soran's smile faded slightly as she looked at me.
Drink in hand, her dark eyes scanned my face from top to bottom.
In the end, she sighed and placed her cup down.
"I think you might already have heard some rumors, but there was a time when I did, in fact, try to catch VILE - 1048. In fact, it was the Guild Master who was against it. But still, I was stubborn and still took the case. I mean, I was the best. I am the best."
My brow raised.
"The Guild Master stopped you?"
"Mhm."
Soran nodded as she stared at the ceiling.
"I think you, of all people, should know how the Guild Master was."
Soran closed her eyes as her lips pulled up slightly, her body propped up by her hand behind her as she leaned back.
"He's the type of person to maximize a person's value in order to further his goals. Just like you, he wanted to create a legend in order to propel the Guild higher. Back then, there weren't many people in the Guild, and thanks to his plan, we were able to quickly become a Queen Grade Guild. Naturally, a lot of the credit falls on me. I carried hard."
A cackle escaped her lips.
But soon, her smile faded once more.
"...Our momentum was at an all-time high, and we weren't far off from reaching King Grade. So long as I rode the momentum given to me by the Guild Master, we would've been able to reach it within a year or so."
But you failed...
"I failed."
My heart pressed against my chest.
"I spent several months trying to find the anomaly that nobody could find. I wanted to prove to everyone that I was the best, and that I didn't need to follow the Guild Master's plans in order to make it big."
Opening her eyes again, Soran reached for the drink in front of her, taking a large sip of it as she let out another loud'Haaa'.
Wiping her mouth, she looked at me, her expression carrying an unusual seriousness that made it hard for me to say anything.
"You must know the feeling all too well, right? The one where everything seems to be in the palm of your hand, only for you to realize that, in reality, you're in the palm of someone else's hand. That you're nothing but a puppet being controlled by forces or people above you."
This...
"It's a shitty feeling that I wanted to get out of, and the main reason that I pushed so hard for the case."
A bitter smile formed on the Team Leader's features.
She stared down at her drink, gazing at her reflection as it was distorted by the ripples.
"...That was my first failure."
Her lips quivered slightly.
"Nothing. I couldn't find a single thing about it. The closer I seemed to get, the further I seemed to get. The momentum that I had built up with my image started to wane, and my reputation started to fall. In the end, I had no choice but to give up."
Soran took another sip.
"In order to make up for my failure, I went harder than I was supposed to. In order to be perfect and remove the stain of my first failure, I pushed my node more and more. And then..."
Soran stopped there, but she didn't have to say any more.
I could more or less piece everything together from that point on.
"I suggest you give up on VILE - 1048."
Her next words made my face freeze.
Looking at Soran, she wasn't looking at me.
"...It's not possible."
"Just because you—"
"Well, at least for me."
She cut me off before I could finish.
Turning back to look at me, her lips pulled into a smile once more.
"I guess I wasn't as good as I thought I was. Or maybe it was just a bad case for me. Either way, just because I failed doesn't mean that you'll fail. You can give it a try if you want, but I want you to keep something in mind."
Soran's expression turned serious once more.
Looking at her features, I held my breath and didn't say anything.
"Don't become too obsessed with the case. If you feel like it's impossible to solve, then just give it up. It's okay to fail. What is not okay is sinking deeper into that failure and trying to make up for it. Just go at your own pace and don't let yourself be consumed by your failure."
My jaw momentarily clenched at the sound of her words.
Why would I fail?
I mean, no... even then, I wasn't the type to care too much if I failed.
I only cared because of what the failure would bring to my reputation with the'Hand'.
That was the only reason why I cared.
I couldn't care less about failing.
"Come on."
Soran smiled, bringing her drink to me.
I stared at the drink for a few seconds, my reflection staring back at me.
In the end, I grabbed her drink and took a sip for myself.
"Haha! That's the spirit!"
Soran's boisterous laugh echoed across the room as she took another drink, then began drinking herself.
I didn't know what it was with her, but somehow, every time I went out drinking with her, things just spiraled to the point where I'd find myself downing even more drinks. In that moment, I took one drink after another.
I drank and drank and drank.
And by the time I came to, my head felt as though it was being split apart.
"Ugh."
The first thing I felt when I came to was something heavy against my face.
Reaching for it, I pushed it to the side, only later realizing it was Soran's foot as I cursed silently.
Rubbing my head, I was just about to stand up when I noticed one of the waitresses kneeling beside me, staring at me with a simple smile.
"...Ah."
It was only then that I realized the situation as I quickly checked the time and cursed again. I immediately tried to wake the Team Leader up, but before I even could, the waitress opened her mouth.
"Congratulations on your promotion, Mr. Thorne."
I stopped immediately, my head turning in the direction of the waitress as her head tilted to an unsettling degree.
"We... we... we... we... we..."
Like a broken record, she kept repeating the same words over and over again.
Until—
"...We're... extremely happy with your promotion."
Her smile widened.
"We wish... to let you know that."
-x-X-x-
I sobered up rather quickly.
Staring at the waitress, I didn't quite panic. In fact, I felt so strangely calm that it almost unsettled me.
"...Another message? It seems like I really got under your skin."
"You think too much of yourself."
A pearly laugh resounded across the entire room.
"It's been quite a while since I've seen someone as daring as you."
"Is that so...?"
Well, I guess it made sense.
It wasn't every day someone would suddenly show up out of nowhere and destroy their entire lab. The damage I had caused was probably extensive, but nothing that would set them back for very long.
Enough for a message.
...And I had delivered it wonderfully.
My goal had been simple.
Buy myself time. That was all I wanted to accomplish, and I had done that quite well.
But all of that also depended on how I handled the follow-up.
Like now.
"I've been following you quite closely, Mr. Thorne. It seems like you're struggling at the moment. Is everything alright?"
The waitress's head tilted even further, the angle so unnatural that it made me want to look away. And yet, for some reason, my own head tilted to match her angle. Or at least, I attempted to. Couldn't quite get to that level.
I guess I was weird like that.
"...I am indeed struggling. Your present has made things a bit more troublesome for me. The Guild Master's death has made things rather annoying back at the Guild."
"Oh my~"
The waitress covered her lips.
"That's really sad to hear."
She sounded genuinely sorry, but it was obviously nonsense.
"What are you here for? Don't tell me you're here for another message. That'd be really boring."
Scary too.
Please leave me alone.
The waitress's smile widened.
Something clicked inside my mind.
I spoke before she could.
"You're here to recruit me?"
The woman's expression remained the same.
Thinking about it, perhaps this was the case. I had shown them a bit of my capabilities, and if they were really overrating me as I'd hoped they were, then this was the most likely situation.
But—
"You're overrating yourself, Mr. Thorne."
"....."
"Whilst you do have some potential, it doesn't seem like you've got a full grasp of your current situation."
Her smile widened, exposing her pearly white teeth.
"You do have some capabilities, but it's far from the level that is required of us. Even then, we usually don't recruit people who have annoyed us. It just wouldn't be a good fit."
"Oh, I see."
Not that I was interested anyway...
Leaning my elbow over the table, I leaned closer.
"In that case, what are you here for? Neither a message nor a recruitment offer. Don't tell me you're here to kill me? Have you prepared enough for that?"
My entire body tensed as the last words escaped my lips.
Although I didn't feel like it was the case, it didn't mean that it wasn't possible.
Thankfully, it wasn't like I wasn't prepared.
Since my last meeting with them and the reporter, I had been aware of the possibility of them coming at me at any moment. I never let my guard down.
Even now, I had gone out drinking with Soran and even drank a little too much.
But despite this, I wasn't worried.
"Killing you would be quite fun, but sadly we're not here for that. Then again, I'm sure you were waiting for us to do so."
Her smile felt unsettling.
Especially so because she saw right through me.
Indeed, I wanted them to try and kill me. I had established the most optimal situation for them to do so.
'I guess they didn't fall for it.'
I silently clicked my tongue.
"Not that we'd need to do that anyway."
"Hm?"
"You're going to die quite soon."
I blinked slowly.
What sort of—
"We're aware that you've taken quite an interesting case."
The waitress giggled.
"...You can say that we're here out of goodwill."
My brows twitched.
"You've shown quite a lot of skill. Enough to impress us. But... that is not quite enough for what you're trying to achieve."
Covering her lips, she giggled again.
"The case is too much for anyone to handle."
"...."
My jaw tightened.
Here it was.
Another one who said this...
It was really starting to piss me off.
Still, I didn't let my annoyance show.
"If you haven't heard, I'm actually off the case. They've made it so that I can no longer look into it."
"Please."
The smile wiped from the woman's face as she stared straight at me.
My heart skipped a beat at the sight, the back of my spine tingling as I swallowed silently.
"On the eleventh, you woke at the fourth bell and didn't go back to sleep."
"..."
"On the twelfth, you took the long way around the market because you don't like the smell. You counted the guards at the north gate twice. You got a different number both times, and it bothered you quite a bit."
"..."
"On the thirteenth, you sat on the floor of your room for two hours and forty minutes."
"..."
It was as if the very air around me had turned completely stiff, making it hard for me to breathe or move. It felt incredibly suffocating. Most troublesome of all was her gaze, as she never left mine, her cold voice resounding across the entire room as she recounted every little thing that I had done over the past week.
"The point is that nothing escapes our line of sight. We know everything that you do, and we also know that you're not planning on giving up the case. I mean, you made that pretty clear not too long ago with your Section Chief."
I was very proud of my calmness.
I thought that there were little things that could rattle me.
But—
"You won't be giving up the case. You'll take it, and you'll fail."
Her lips pulled into a smile so twisted that the hair on my arms rose.
"...We'll be watching the entire process. Of course, that is unless you decide to give up on it, but I'm sure you won't give up on it."
Reaching for the nearest cup, she twirled it slightly before looking back at me.
"It'd be disappointing if you gave up on it."
"I agree. "
Before I knew it, a hand grasped my shoulder as a head propped up next to me, its chin resting on my shoulder as Soran stared directly at the waitress with her dark eyes.
"I didn't really want to interrupt your conversation since it sounded so interesting, but after a certain point, I started getting really jealous, you know? You seem to know way too much about another woman's man. That's fucked up~"
The waitresses' attention turned towards Soran.
Her smile receded slightly, but it was still there.
"It looks like you're doing quite well. The treatment from our doctor must've worked."
"I've got to thank you for that."
Soran blew her a kiss, both hands now on my shoulder.
"You really saved me there."
"I'm glad you think so."
The waitress stood up. As she did, her gaze alternated between the two of us before she shook her head.
"But it's a pity that the treatment was still in the experimental stages. They weren't quite ready yet."
Covering her lips, she giggled.
"I wish you the best of luck in the future."
Her expression quickly morphed and shifted before a surprised look marred her face as she looked around in confusion.
"Huh? What's going on? Where am I...?"
Judging from the surprise in her voice, this seemed to be the real waitress.
I reached for the nearest drink and took a shot.
'How annoying.'
-x-X-x-
"Is the news true? Are you really withdrawing from the case? Are you saying that it's too much even for you?"
"What will you do next? With your recent failure in Malia, alongside your sudden withdrawal, people are starting to doubt your abilities. We've seen a glimpse of it back in the Congress, but ever since, you haven't really done much. Is this a momentary slump?"
I was swarmed from all directions, microphones pressed against my face
I didn't even get the chance to step out of the store before I was swarmed by them.
'How did they know I was there?'
No, that was some naive way of thinking on my part. I wasn't like in the past. I was actually a person of interest, and it wouldn't be strange for the members of the press to know where I was.
'I need to start being more careful.'
I thought I had been careful, but it didn't seem like that was the case.
"Any comment?"
"Just one comment. That's all we need."
My feet came to a sudden pause. All the reporters stopped with me, the microphones pushed closer to me. I felt a little irritated, but letting out a small breath, I managed to calm myself down as I scanned each and every reporter present.
'Good, this might actually save me some time.'
"I—"
"We've got no comment for now."
A voice interrupted before I could get my words out.
Turning my head, the Section Chief appeared right behind me, his hand pressing against my shoulder as he smiled at the reporters.
"What do you mean, no comment? Does this confirm that you're withdrawing?"
"Is this Severed Star's official stance?"
The reporters went into a frenzy, but the Section Chief retained his business-like smile. On the other hand, I stared at him in silence, trying to figure out how he had even managed to get so close to me.
He didn't spare me a glance.
"This is the official stance from our department. We've got no comment for now."
He didn't let them say anything else before he pushed my shoulder and dragged me away from the scene.
Naturally, the reporters didn't like that and tried to get more information from us, but the Section Chief continued to maintain his business-like smile, dragging me to a nearby black SUV and closing the door.
Clank!
Quiet returned the moment the door of the SUV closed, only for it to return as the other door opened and the Section Chief entered.
I didn't say anything and waited patiently for the car to start before speaking.
"How did you know...?"
"Because of me."
Turning around from the front seat, Soran waved her phone.
"I saw it coming from miles away. I wanted to hold you back, but you left before I could say anything."
"...Right."
That did indeed happen.
But...
"What do you mean by no comment?"
I directed my question towards the Section Chief, who was busy massaging his cheeks, supposedly tired from the little smile he had just put on.
Instead of answering me, the Section Chief turned to look at Soran.
"You weren't able to convince him?"
Convince me?
"Nope."
Soran cracked a smile as she turned back to her seat.
"He's stubborn, just like me. There's no way his mind will be changed after a short talk with me."
"You were trying to make me stop?"
I alternated my gaze between the two, my heart sinking.
"That's right."
The Section Chief didn't bother denying it. Not that he would've been able to.
"I've already said that this case is too much for the current you to handle. All it does is waste your time, and in a time when the Guild is currently undergoing serious leadership changes, this is the last thing that you'd want."
"Ha."
I scoffed upon hearing the Section Chief's words.
'Right, ever since the Guild Master left, things have become quite annoying at the Guild.'
But then again, the Guild Master would've probably stopped me from taking on the mission too. In the end, it seemed like everyone wanted me to stop chasing after the case. And the more people acted like this, the more it made me want to take on the case.
I wanted to prove them wrong.
I wanted to let them know that I could do it.
That I wasn't biting off more than I could chew.
'And it's not like I have much of an option either.'
The conversation from before with the waitress confirmed it. They had already set their sight on me, and they were waiting for me to slip up.
"It's better to cut off the thread now before it becomes too big later. In a way, Section Chief Johansberg did you a favor. You might face a lot of backlash now, but at least it's a lot better than trying and failing there. You would've lost a lot of time and momentum that you could've used on other things. And..."
The Section Chief paused, his head turning in my direction, "...he probably hopes that you don't just quit and continue with this. In a way, he's trying to take advantage of your ego to get you to take the case. That's why it wouldn't have been a good idea for you to deny it before the reporters. By then, you'd have locked yourself into the case with no way out."
My lips parted, but nothing came out.
Staring at the Section Chief, he looked back at me before placing his hand on my shoulder.
"Right now, you're one of the most valuable assets in the Containment Department. It's only natural that you get targeted by them. If you really wish for things to change, then you have to grow to the point where they can't do anything to you. Or..."
The Section Chief paused again, his expression turning strange as he shook his head and leaned his head back against the chair.
Seeing him like this, I grew curious.
"Or...?"
Come on, don't leave me hanging like this!
"Don't worry about it."
The Section Chief dismissed me with a wave.
"You can't just say something and then leave me hanging like that. What do I need to do? What—"
"Become the Guild Master."
The Team Leader's voice cut through mine as my words stopped.
With her head still directed at the road ahead, Soran's words echoed once more.
"It's simple, really. If you want all of this to stop, you need to become the Guild Master."
***
—In recent news, rumors have it that rising star Paragon Seth Thorne has decided to withdraw from case 1048. This comes after his recent failure in Malia. What has prompted his withdrawal, and what will his next steps b—
Click!
The volume of the TV lowered to the minimum as Geneva put the remote down.
She took out her phone and stared at the recent messages.
Her expression darkened at the empty message box, her head lowering. Pressing her lips together, she stood up and walked over to the door before stopping.
As she did, she turned around to stare at her little brother as he rested on the bed.
"I'll be back soon."
Opening the door, she left the place.
Clank!
Silence returned to the room.
But within that silence, a pair of eyes opened.
The TV reflected within those pupils of his as he remained motionless.
The silence continued until—
"...I'm next."
The TV kept playing.
He didn't blink.