A few days after delivering the bracelet to Veronica, I recalled back Victoria and let Sonia relay messages from her to us. I made sure that Sonia also won't leak our identities.

The plan for the Stampede was delayed because the numbers of monsters in the surrounding area has decreased. It's thanks to the agents who worked hard subjugating monsters. But that doesn't mean that the stampede is cancelled.

As for other cities, the schedule was supposed to be later than in Melk. Melk was supposed to be the first city that got attacked, but thanks to our effort, we delayed their plan. It might not mean much, but for me, it's a good news.

Especially after knowing that baldy is back to town!

"I'm Blue Bandana, dammit!"

This bald thirty three years old A-ranked hunter seems to be saying something, but that's not important. Seeing him again give me hope that he's willing to join our cause. Especially after his loss… of hair.

"Hey there, Kron. Been a while. How's the progress of your mission?" I asked Kron who have just returned to the city.

I meet him as I was on my way home from the guild after checking if there are any mission that Veronica told before. Because if the request exist, it mean the stampede will happen soon.

Then I met Kron on the way back. And he's covering his head with a tablecloth.

"It's a bandana! I know you must be thinking of something rude again!"

Seems like he received a new ability that enables him to know if someone is insulting him.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry. That loincloth suit your head."

"It's a bandana, you damn clown!"

Being called a clown is not an insult to me. I'm glad to see that he's still… Kron.

"So? How's your mission progress?" I asked Kron again about his mission.

"You mean about the organization that burnt my hair? I might have found something. Before I returned here, I was in the capital. There was a kidnapping attempt that I stopped. I killed the guy and looked inside his mouth and I see an explosive device inside it. I want to ask him about the organization, but he's already dead." Kron explain of how he get closer to find the truth.

"Of course he died, you baldy! You killed him! It should have been hit first ask later, and not kill first ask later. Who will you ask if he died?!"

"Well, that's not the point, isn't it? I want to tell you about how I learn a little about the organization." Kron said.

"Yeah, that's not what I asked about as well. I'm asking about your mission to restore your hair. Have you find the hair restoration potion yet?" I teased Kron about his baldness.

"You're talking about my hair? I didn't have any mission like that! Umm… are those thing exist?" Kron asked about the hair restoration potion.

"I don't know. That's why I'm asking you that." Although in my past life, even as I entered my 40s, I never had any problem with hair loss. But it's still good if he has anything to tell.

"…can we not talk about my hair again? Why did you keep changing the topic there?"

"Because everything is related to your hair. You're looking for that organization because you lost your hair, right?"

"… let's just find some place so we can have a talk. I don't want you to keep telling everyone that I'm bald." Kron wished for me to stop talking about his hair.

"But that's the truth."

"Whatever. Do you have any place in mind?"

"You free now? Then follow me."

I brought Kron to the hotel. Everyone is wondering about the person I brought with me. They must have thinking that he might be our ally. Well, they are right. I brought him here to see if we can trust him or not.

"What is this hotel?" Kron asked while looking around inside the hotel.

"Just a hotel reserved only to me and my friends. Aren't I cool?"

"Yeah, yeah. Very cool. So if we talk here we don't have to worry about anyone, right? Since you can trust them."

"Yes. Lina! Go get Kayla, Angela, and Sophie. And give this guy some food." I told Lina to call the girls.

"You'll pay, right?" Kron asked me.

"It's free. She's my personal maid."

"…what happened since we last met? Did you get more girlfriends?" Kron asked while smiling.

"Yes. Oh, it's them. You can talk now. Everyone here are people I trust."

Well, I can trust them if the topic Kron about to talk with me is related to the cult.

Lina returned with Kayla, Angela, Sophie, Candy, and Ms. Wendy. Seems like they are interested in the A-ranked hunter, The Baldy.

After some pleasantries, Kron talked about what he experienced in the capital.

Back when he tried to stop a kidnapping attempt, he killed the kidnapper. And to his surprise, the kidnapper has an explosive device in his mouth. After what happened after the Orc Emperor incident, Kron would check the inside of the mouth of anyone he killed. Of course they are all bad guys.

Then when he found the explosive device, two guards who were patrolling heard of the disturbance and approached Kron. Of course they thought that Kron was the kidnapper. But Kron who is innocent didn't fight back and only talk. That's where he ended up knowing those two guards.

"One of the guards has mustache. I think he was called mustache as well. And the other introduced himself as Alberto. We have a chat a bit and they told me few things. That's when Alberto ended up telling me about the thing that this organization is planning. He said that there are several cities that will be targeted soon and one of them is Melk. That's why I'm here." Kron explained why he returned.

I think I know what happened. The girls with me also realized something as well from what Kron is talking. Well, not Angela. As for other people who are listening, they only thought that the two guards must be secret agents of the king.

I looked at Kayla's face, and she nodded. I think my guess is correct.

"Kron. Does the other guard without mustache look like an annoying guy who seem to know everything? And the mustache just keep quiet whenever he speaks?" I asked for Kron's confirmation.

"Yes. Do you know them?" Kron asked.

"Sonia! Come here!"

Instead of answering Kron's question, I called Sonia who's listening in from another room. She didn't come because Kron might be surprised to see a ghost. But I called her anyway.

"Roy, do you want me to ask Albert?" Sonia know what I want her to do right away.

"Ask him if he's the one who the A-ranked bald hunter talked to. I know what his answer will be, but just ask him."

Sonia then disappear. We don't know if Albert is busy or not, so usually Sonia just transported to where Marie is and ask her if Albert is available.

"Whoa! Roy! Did you also seduce a ghost?!" Kron surprised to see a ghost instead of what I'm saying to her.

"Yes. Don't you know that a ghost and a clown get along really well?"

"Stop joking around! Do you really think the guy Kron talking to is Albert?" Angela asked.

"Probably. Well, the other guy is obviously Mustache. And he won't leave Albert's side unless it's important. So I think Alberto is Albert. Don't you noticed it by his name already?"

"The name Albert is too common. In fact most of everyone here has a common name. How would I know that Alberto is Albert?" Angela said.

But before I answered her, Sonia returned with news from Albert.

"Roy, Albert says that Kron is OK." Sonia said to me.

"As expected."

"What? What is OK? Can you tell me?" Kron doesn't know what we're talking about.

"It means Albert said that you can be trusted. I already know that from the start, but with his confirmation, the other will agree to have you with us. Of course if you are willing to join us. Ms. Wendy, will you introduce yourself and tell him why all of us are here?"

I told Ms. Wendy to do it as the representative from Albert's people. After all, she was the one in charge of the operation here. And Kron was stunned to hear the truth that his bandana slipped off his slippery head and show us the greatness of a baldy.

"Wait! So Alberto is the king? And you always know who they are but you never told me back then? And now you are all here to stop the stampede?"

"No. As for Albert's plan, we are letting the stampede happen. And when it does, we will evacuate the citizens and defeat the monsters as many as we can. Hopefully there will be no casualties. We need the stampede to happen so everyone will know of the cult's existence. Don't worry, you're not the only one who hate that plan." I explained to Kron.

"…alright, I'm in! I hope with me joining you, there will be less casualties. Tell me what to do." Kron agree to join us.

"It's good to have you with us. Now that you're here, I want you to ask the hunters in this city to defeat the monsters and help evacuate the people when the stampede happen. If it's you who asked, with your reputation, I believe most hunter will agree to help."

Now with Kron's help, our plan can go smoothly and helped rescue the citizens faster. He's such a well-known hunter in this city after all.

Today is really a great day. We have a good news, a better news, and best news.

The good news is, Kron is returning to Melk. The better news, Kron agreed to join us. The best news, Hill likes Kron more than me. I feel like Hill talked to me less and less, and he's talking with Kron more often. Well, Kron still doesn't know of Hill's… desire yet. But I wish the best for those two.

Few days later, Sonia was called by Veronica. And when she returns, she told us some news.

Veronica is leaving, and the stampede will happen in two days. The low reward quest will also be posted tomorrow so the hiding cult member will leave soon and leaving only some important people in the city.

"Alright. You are free to do whatever you want today, and tomorrow, we will get some rest and only left few people to see the situation. Rest well and prepare for the battle!"