*NARRATOR’S POV*

“So… Care to repeat that?”

“Both a demon and a panther stole the ring…”

“A demon and a panther?”

Somewhere under the waters of Russia’s Vladivostok, in a secret artificial cave that hasn’t been discovered for almost 40 years, rested the hideout of Evil Society, a Djinn Association widely known and recognized by the Hero Association as the number 1 group to look for, even if there were groups that were even worse and more technically evil than them, it was their name that gave them that recognition, as it was widely known around the world.

Of course, it’s not like they were not up to their name, as their evil-doings were also widely known around the world, from kidnaping to stealing, though, it must be known that they were specifically more adept to the art of stealing artifacts, being renown for the constant interruption of excavation of ruins and dungeons, stealing a lot of the treasures that were found in said places.

They also participated in a lot of human-Djinn wars around the world, making them quite the notorious group, and right now, Kim Hakpyo, Evil Society’s artifact retrieval team leader was currently sitting in his office, talking to one of his subordinates, Silasen, who came to inform his direct leader about the occurrences in Paris, after all, it was Kim Hakpyo who ordered the stealing of Homer’s ring.

“Yes, sir… Well… They were humans who were wearing masks of a demon and a panther.”

“…”-Kim Hakpyo just looked at the papers in front of him, which had an approximate drawing of both guy’s masks. “This.”-He suddenly pointed at one of them.

“Yes?”

“This guy here… Doesn’t he seem kind of familiar to you?”-Kim Hakpyo suddenly said while pointing at the drawing of the guy with the demon’s mask.

“Um… No… Well… I don’t think they’re Djinns… So I don’t know-”

“Not that!”-Kim Hakpyo shouted, interrupting him. “I’m talking about the mask. The mask! I’m sure I’ve seen it somewhere…”

“Well… I haven’t seen a mask like that anywhere before sir…”

“*sigh…*”-Kim Hakpyo just sighed to his subordinate answer before looking at the drawing intently, pondering. “That’s right! Now I know where I saw this mask!”-He suddenly raised from his seat.

“Um? Where, sir?”

“Do you remember that accident that happened in Korea? The one about the monsters and a Djinn appearing inside a museum?”-Kim Hakpyo asked Silasen.

“Huh… Yes, I know… Why?”

“This mask. There was a guy wearing a mask really similar to this one during the incident, he was going around the city, killing any monster he saw on his way. It was reported on the TV for a few days, with the Hero Association looking for him all around the place.”

“Oh!!! Now I remember!”-Silasen shouted.

“Now. Go and find anything you can about this guy. I don’t care how you do it, but you better find something useful. If you meet him, don’t engage.”

“All right! Also… Sir, there’s something about him…”

“Mm? What?”

“Well, he not only took Sidius’ Magic Sword… But… Well, His esteemed lord Marbas told us to be careful about him…”

“Huh?”-Kim Hakpyo lifted his eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Well, Sidius was a Djinn contracted to Marbas… And we have another Djinn contracted to him in the organization… So, it seems he talked to him, telling him he should be careful when encountering that guy…”

“…”-Kim Hakpyo slowly rubbed his chin while thinking.

There was a good reason why this was something to think. Because a Devil directly communicating with a Djinn wasn’t something as common as it would seem. It only happened when there was an important task at hand, when a Devil was tempting someone, or when a message was really necessary to be delivered to the Djinn. After all, Devils had multiples contracted individuals, so communicating with each of them without a connection to the demon realm wouldn’t be an easy task.

“Well… One more reason to take care when looking for him. You better not meet him. Go search for him in the most roundabout way you can. If an esteemed Devil himself warned us about him… He shouldn’t be someone we may touch without care. So, we better find as much information as we can about him, without him being alerted.”-Hakpyo finally said.

“Understood, sir!”-Silasen stood up, ready to leave.

“Hey.”-Until he was once again called by his leader.

“Yes, sir?”

“What are you doing like that?”

“Huh?”

“I’m asking you. Why are you announcing everyone that you’re a goddamn Djinn!”-Kim Hakpyo shouted at his subordinate, who had his Djinn transformation still activated.

“I’m sorry!”

***

*YOO YEONHA’S POV*

We were in the middle of the monster combat’s exam. As we couldn’t finish it before, it would be continued on this day. While a lot of cadets were going inside in groups of four, I was trying to focus on my task at hand.

{Family affairs…?}-I thought to myself while writing on a blank page. {What did he mean when he said family affairs…}

After the incident that took place in France, one thing got me really curious, and that was Kim Hajin’s detective ability… Not only that but the fact that he actually recognized someone from the international wanted list.

{But how… It’s not like he knew about what was going to happen… So, the only option left is that he has to know and remember the entire list… But… Why?}-I continued to tap on the paper with my pen.

I had really a few clues about his past… He’s an orphan… And had some family affairs that actually made him study and remember an international wanted criminals’ list…

{Maybe… Maybe something terrible happened in his past… Maybe he lost his family in some tragic accident caused by someone and he’s trying to find him…}-I suddenly smirked. {If… If I can find what he’s looking for… I can bring him to my guild.}

In my mind, forget Kim Suho, either Kim Hajin or Cristopher had much more value than any other cadet here.

But, while Cristopher got on the list of too many guilds and organizations after beating Shin Jonghak without any way for him to answer at the beating, Kim Hajin was more secretive, he kept his true power concealed, he didn’t want anyone to know about him.

{If I get whatever he wants… I’ll have something for him to consider joining my guild… And if he enters, maybe he can convince Cristopher about joining too. Essence of the Strait would have acquired two really promising and powerful heroes!}

“Huh…? Family affairs…? Orphan…? Tragic past…? Yeonha… Are you maybe adopted!?”-Chae Nayun suddenly said beside me while looking at the paper.

“… Are you crazy? I’m just curious about something. How can I be adopted?”-I frowned at her intrusion while slightly putting my arm over the paper.

“You’ve always liked to get curious about weird things. And you like to tenaciously dig up on anything that caught your curiosity… You’re kind of a dunce, no… You’re a dunce.”-Chae Nayun said while yawning.

“Nayun, if you’re going to sleep, just keep sleeping.”-I said while frowning deeper.

{This idiot…}-I thought to myself.

“*waaahhh* I guess you’re right; I’m going to sleep.”-Chae Nayun said while leaning on her chair and closing her eyes.

“…”-I just turned again to look at the paper in front of me.

{But… How can I find what he has been looking for…? Right!}

To find what I need, I first have to know more about his past. Even if it was illegal to actually investigate a Cube’s cadet’s past, it wasn’t a problem if you weren’t caught. And I had the perfect person in mind for that task.

{Mm… I had a lot of time without texting him… Almost 5 years…}-I thought while searching through my smartwatch for a number.

[Uncle Yoo Jinhyuk]

“…”-I just looked at the message, before closing my eyes and sending a text message.

[Yoo Yeonha: Uncle, I need you to look into someone’s family history]

[Yoo Yeonha: Cube’s cadet, Kim Hajin.]

{Now… I just have to wait…}-I thought to myself while turning to look towards the rest of the groups in the exam.

***

{Just why isn’t he answering?}-I thought while looking at my conversation with my uncle in the smartwatch.

We were already out of classes and walking towards our dorms, but since I send that text, he hasn’t even answered me with a yes or no…

{Just wait… I’ll tell my dad…}

“*sigh…* Why isn’t he answering…”-I let my thoughts escape my mind.

“Mm? Who?”-Suddenly intervened Chae Nayun. “D-don’t tell me… Yeonha, do you have a Bo-boyfriend!?”

“…”-I just looked at her. {What is this idiot saying all of a sudden?}

“Yes. I’m going out with Jonghak.”-I said with a straight face.

“Come on, the whole world knows that’s a lie.”-Only to get that retort.

{*tch…* If it wasn’t for you…}

“*sigh…* Fine, it’s my uncle.”- I answered her.

“Uncle?”-She answered before turning to the side snickering. “You go up ahead, I’ll go practice archery!”

“Huh? Oh, right, your bet with Kim Hajin is coming up?”-I asked.

“Yeah, I even rented up an archery range for the bet, do you want to come and spectate?”-She asked me.

“… Spectate?”

“Yeah, I invited a bunch of people over.”

{… That would be a great moment to see this girl being humiliated… I may not know that much about him, but I’m sure that he wouldn’t bet if he wasn’t confident about winning…}

“Is Jonghak also going?”-I asked her.

“Yep.”-She said while smiling.

“… He’s going to bring more people.”

“I’ll use this chance to put him in place.”

{Knowing Jonghak, he’ll bring as many cadets with him as he can… Only to ‘support’ Chae Nayun and spite Kim Hajin… But if everything goes as I think it will, and it most probably will… It won’t be Kim Hajin who will be put in place…}

“… I’ll come to watch.”-I answered with a smile. {I won’t lose this opportunity to finally watch her getting crushed.}

*ring~ ring~*

“Ah!”-I quickly looked at my smartwatch thinking it is my uncle who answered.

[Yun Seung-Ah: Let’s grab lunch this weekend, I want to apologize for what happened before]

“…”-I furrowed my brows while looking at the message that wasn’t from the one, I was expecting.

“Who is it now?”-Chae Nayun suddenly asked.

“… Why are you suddenly so curious?”-I asked, really confused for her suddenly curiosity at who was texting me.

“I’m just wondering. Who is it? Is it Kim Suho?”

“… Vice-leader Yun Seung-Ah.”-I answered her, a little weird out about her sudden worry about Kim Suho texting me.

“Eh? Seung-Ah unni? Why is she texting you?”-She asks

“She’s inviting me to grab lunch this weekend to apologize for what happened at the Masquerade party.”

“*sigh…* I should have gone to that party… Why did I get lost…?”

“Well… Who told you to go by yourself to look for some clothes to buy?”

“I know… *sigh…*”

{Idiot.}-I thought.

***

*CRISTOPHER’S POV*

It was Monday, classes already ended. We were asked to repeat the test for monster subjugation, which wasn’t particularly hard, as I only had to subdue another monster, a ghoul, this time.

We were now walking back to the dorms, I had time before I had to go train with Rachel, so I planned to go get changed and then go to Aroma Mocha. I was thinking about the fact that I didn’t have any more beer in my room, and that I should take the chance to buy more after conquering the next dungeon this Saturday.

{I better take there some replacement clothes…}-I thought to myself.

Different from the previous dungeon I’ve been going with Hajin and Olivia, this one will be a more difficult one, which is why I need to prepare more clothes in case something like the appearance of the Ice Wing Queen happens.

“…”-After thinking about it for a bit, I looked at Kim Hajin, who was intently looking at the front. “Mm? Hey, what are you doing?”

“Huh!? No-nothing…”-He overreacts.

“Mm…”-Looking at where he was looking before, I noticed both Chae Nayun and Yoo Yeonha talking. “You were spying on their conversation?”-I turned to look at him and asked.

“N-no… I don’t know what you’re talking about…”-He averted his eyes.

“…”-I just looked at him. “I know you like Nayun… But don’t spy on her man, that’s creepy…”

“I-I don’t! Could you stop with that already!”-He asked.

“Mm? Stop what?”-Rachel came to us and asked, making Hajin overreact again.

“Huh!?”

“Pfft… You scared his ass haha!”-I laughed at Hajin. “Hey, Rachel, how are you?”-I then asked her.

“I’m fine… Sorry, I didn’t’ want to scare him, nor intervene in your conversation…”-She said with a slightly worried face.

“Don’t worry, he’s fine.”-I pat Hajin’s shoulder, to which he just pushes my hand away.

“Talk about yourself… *sigh…* Don’t worry, it’s nothing, just this guy here messing with me.”

“Um… Okay… Well, I just wanted to give this to you…”-She said while giving Hajin a small box.

“Huh? What’s this? Can I open it here?”

“Sure, go ahead.”-She answered with a little smile.

“…”-After opening the box, he took out a key with a number on it. “Huh? Ah, clothes?”-He said after thinking for a second.

“Yes, defensive equipment is England’s pride.”-She answered with a smile. “Also… Cristopher-ssi… I’ll be giving yours today while training.”-She smiled at me.

“Oh, sure, thanks, you didn’t have to, actually.”-I just shrugged.

“You both saved my life, and you’re like a mentor to me… So… I at least wanted to reciprocate… Also! I forgot to tell you, but I already asked for someone to deposit another 20 million won in your account, for the training feed. Thanks, really, the training you taught me has really helped me a lot during these weeks off.”

{I must say, that this is probably, the longest time she has talked continuously…}-I thought to myself.

“Don’t worry. Well, I guess we’ll be seeing each other at 8 in the forest, right?”

“Yes.”-She smiled. “Then… I’m going…”

“Sure, be safe.”-I just waved to her.

“Goodbye, Rachel-ssi.”-Hajin said.

“You too.”-She waved while smiling.

“Well, you may talk about me and my ‘crush’ on Chae Nayun.”-Hajin said while making quotation marks with his fingers once Rachel was far enough to not listen to him. “But you sure have something-something going on with her, huh? Did you see how she was looking at you?”-He smirks at me.

“Oh, you think? Maybe, who knows. Maybe you should help me and teach me how to confess to her, after all, that confession of yours about Chae Nayun was simply mesmerizing. Like a true maiden in love.”-I theatrically said while grabbing my heart and raising one hand to the air.

“… Shut up…”-He pushes me in the shoulder while averting his gaze once again.

“Hahaha…”

After that, we just went towards the dorms, where I changed myself and grab my stuff so I could go to Aroma Mocha without worrying about having to look for my stuff.

Once inside the store, I actually found a really happy Angelica.

{Huh? Did something good happened to her?}-I thought to myself.

“Hey.”-I waved at her.

“Welcome, Cristopher-ssi, how are you doing today?”-She asked me with a really big smile.

“I’m fine, what about you? You seem really happy today, more than usual.”-I ask her.

“Oh? Really? I don’t know? Maybe it is because today wasn’t any pests around my stuff… That puts me really happy.”-She said while smiling even more.

“Oh, really? Mm… That’s good. Either way, you should consider calling someone to help you with that plague problem of yours.”

“You think!?”-She smiled. “Yeah… I probably should do something to eradicate that pest…”-She said with a finger on her chin and a pensive look on her face.

“Oh well, whatever suits you better. Mm… I’ll take the same as usual, well, see you!”-I said while going towards my seat.

“Okay! I’ll be there soon with your order!”-She said behind me.

After sitting down, I looked for a few things on the Internet, mostly looking through my stock portfolio, which actually looked quite good, though, with not much increase in Packhorse Masters Guild, well, it would be like that until they actually conquer a dungeon.

“Here’s your order!”-A really happy Angelica said while putting a tray with my order, plus extras, on the table, after a few minutes of me coming here.

“Oh, thanks…”-I said, before becoming flabbergasted at what she did next. “I would love to hear why are you sitting, may you please tell me?”-I asked her with a lifted eyebrow.

“Oh well, it was actually my break time, so, I thought about coming here and sit with you.”-She said while smiling, right after sitting down in front of me. “Can’t I?”-She then asks with a slight pout.

{… Just… What…?}-I thought to myself.

“Well… It’s not like I hate you or something, so, yeah, sure, you can sit down. Though you already did.”-I said while shrugging and gesturing to her, as if telling her to sit, just that she already did that. “And I’m assuming that the extra things on the tray are for you, am I right?”-I ask.

“Yep! I was hungry, you know? So, I took the time to eat here, with you. Also… That hamburger over there’s for you. I know you just asked for the usual, but seeing the hour, why don’t just join me for dinner?”-She said while pointing towards a second hamburger on the tray, that I now know’s mine.

“Huh?”

“Don’t worry! I’ll pay for that one.”-She said with a smile. “I did it on my own, after all.”

“Right, thanks then.”-I said while shrugging and opening my burger.

“So… Can I ask you something a little bit, personal?”

“Mm? Well, it depends.”-I say while frowning.

“On?”

“What do you refer to ‘personal’?”

“Oh… Well, I was just wondering if that girl that usually comes with you is your girlfriend. Is it much?”

“Oh, Olivia? Nah, she’s just like a puppy I took from the streets because it had the same eye colors as mine.”

“Yes? Great!!”-She suddenly exclaimed a little bit excited. “*cough…* I mean, I thought you two were such a beautiful couple, that’s why I was asking… You know?”

“Nah, not even close. I’m not dating anyone for the moment. Don’t think that’ll change any time soon.”-I shrug before taking a sip of my chocolate milkshake.

“…”-She suddenly turns serious. “So… You’re not looking for a relationship now?”

“Mm?”-I turn to look at her. “Nope, why would I? Too much stuff over my plate already. Aren’t we getting a bit more personal here? Oh well, what about you?”

“Me? I’m totally free. I don’t have a boyfriend, nor close friends, nor any kind of guy that would want to date me… Yet.”-She said, murmuring the last bit.

“Mm? Really? That’s weird.”-I said while tilting my head.

“Huh? Weird? What exactly?”-She asks.

“I mean, you’re cute, heck, I would even say hot, so I thought that you at least had some kind of coworker or friend who got interested in you.”-I said before biting my burger.

“…”

“Mm?”-After she got quiet, I turned to look at her, and she was petrified, with a slight pink color on her cheeks. “Hey, are you okay? Did I overstep my boundaries?”-I asked while frowning.

“… Huh? N-no! You didn’t, you didn’t! It was just… I just… I got a little h-happy… That’s all…”-She said while putting a hand on her cheek and averting her eyes, with the flush on her cheeks going to a deeper shade of pink.

{Huh…? Don’t tell me… Did Olivia get it right? Nah… I haven’t done anything to make her like me or something. Still… Suspicious.}-I thought to myself while looking at the weird acting Angelica.

“… Okay, it’s good that I didn’t overstep my boundaries then.”-I said before sipping at my drink.

“Y-yes… Say… What’s the kind of girl do you like?”-She suddenly asks.

{Okay. This is going towards that path. Let’s put a break here.}

“Mm? Well, I would say that red-heads. I really like a girl with red hair.”-I said while shrugging, acting nonchalantly, after all, Angelica was blond. “Probably with green eyes, those kill me. Really.”-I finished before sipping my drink.

“Red hair huh…”-She suddenly muttered while looking at her hair.

“Yup, red hair, green eyes. Perfect.”

After that, it was a little bit of normal chatting before I had to go to train Rachel, though, I’, not going to lie, it was a weird chat. Each moment she would tell some things that hinted at her intentions with me, but I tried to evade them as much as possible.

{Not going to lie. I was slightly tempted. But I’m not going into a relationship anytime soon.}-I thought to myself after getting out of Aroma Mocha, saying my goodbyes to Angelica after paying for my usual stuff. {*sigh…* Forget it, I’m just going to focus on my dungeon exploration this Saturday.}