The pedestrian, who was muttering to herself, drew a sharp shortsword.
Before anyone could react to his sudden action, the pedestrian’s arm moved swiftly.
No one even saw what had happened.
When they regained their senses, they saw the gruesome head of the monster lying on the ground, while its body trembled as if electrified.
The onlookers silently watched the monster’s life being extinguished.
Thud.
The monster’s hand, which had been convulsing violently, finally fell limp to the ground.
The people stared at the pedestrian with eyes filled with fear.
To think that it took less than five minutes to kill the monster. Was he even human?
Honestly, the pedestrian, whose identity was a mystery, seemed more terrifying than the monster.
Whiing.
Only the sound of the wind faintly echoed through the now silent street.
“Step aside! Mages, please come this way!”
“We’ve come from the tower! Clear the area for a moment! It’s dangerous, so please move back!”
The mages, who arrived late, pushed their way through the onlookers and entered.
They seemed to be out of breath, as if they had rushed here upon receiving a report.
Except for one person.
Gray hair, gray eyes, angular and broad shoulders, a height close to 190cm.
Despite wearing a robe, his superior physique was still evident.
His body was more akin to that of a knight, but his appearance leaned towards that of a mage.
His skin was pale as if it had never seen the sunlight, and his facial features were sharp and delicate.
He emanated a cold and eerie aura, like a shattered piece of ice.
He slowly approached and peered into the gaping side of the monster.
“…Did you handle the monster?”
The pedestrian, who had inserted the shortsword and wiped his hands on his robe, replied curtly.
“Yeah.”
The man with gray hair carefully examined the hood of the pedestrian. However, due to it being pressed too deeply, his face remained hidden.
“You must be a hunter.”
“As you can see.”
“We are researching monsters at the tower. Can you hand over the monster’s corpse to us for the public good?”
“Sure, take as many as you want.”
“And the core, please.”
“You come late and demand the most important thing. What’s wrong with your conscience?”
“…”
“Just saying won’t cut it. If you want it, buy it with money.”
“Are you suggesting trading the core?”
“Yeah, I guess you can consider it at the market price of magic stones.”
“How audacious. Just one… I’m not interested. I’ll take my leave.”
The man turned coldly. Then, the pedestrian shouted towards the man’s back.
“It’s not just one, there are over ten!”
The man, who seemed ready to leave at any moment, turned back around. Then, with an intrigued expression, he asked.
“You said there were ten now?”
“More precisely, fourteen.”
He fell silent. It was difficult to determine whether it was true or not.
He couldn’t sense any mana from the pedestrian.
If he was an inspector, judging by the person’s physique, it was either a woman or a small-built man.
Honestly, based on his appearance alone, he didn’t seem like someone capable of capturing fourteen monsters.
Could he have approached with intentions other than the core? It was hard to grasp his true motives.
The pedestrian, who had been silently observing the man’s dilemma, spoke with a playful voice.
“Just as I thought, you’re not easily convinced.”
“…Are you trying to deceive me?”
“Of course not. I’m just figuring out how to make you believe. Should I take out all the cores and show you?”
“…Rather than that, how about revealing your identity first? Your current demeanor looks highly suspicious.”
“Well, fully revealing it is difficult. Would this much be enough?”
The pedestrian lifted the hood slightly and met eyes with the man.
His gray eyes widened. Just by the color of her irises, the man could discern the pedestrian’s identity.
Astel Luteous, the crazy princess of the Luteous family.
To think that she, who never left the mansion, was right in front of him.
That alone was hard to believe…
“A hunter, huh.”
Astel smiled mischievously and spoke.
“Do I need to show you more, Lord of the Tower?”
Lord Kael, the master of the tower, slowly raised his head.
“…We should move to a quieter place. Hold my hand.”
As soon as Kael’s hand was grasped, his vision instantly turned white, and his sense of direction vanished.
When he closed his eyes and opened them again, he found himself in an unfamiliar space.
Before he could even survey his surroundings, a low and cool voice reached his ears.
“Please have a seat.”
— Anonymous Holy See: …This channel is not good.
— Anonymous Holy See: Come out now and look at that place!!!
— Anonymous Holy See: Even after this, you say it’s not good? Huh? Huh?
— Anonymous Holy See: Damn, just looking at it makes my heart swellㅜㅜ
— Anonymous Holy See: Dad, I’m selling my stocks and going all-in.
“You’re still excited.”
The conversation window had already reached its peak when Mage appeared.
Even after a while had passed, there was no sign of it subsiding.
“Well, it’s understandable.”
Mage Kael was an extraordinarily handsome man.
From his naturally flowing gray hair to his elongated and deep-set eyes with gray irises, and even his perfectly sculpted nose and slightly mischievous lips.
He resembled an art piece that a sculptor had dedicated their lifetime to.
“But the atmosphere is too cold.”
A chill emanated from his refined appearance.
Such individuals were usually ones who differentiated others based on gains and losses.
Unyielding and cold-blooded, not even batting an eye when someone dies next to them.
Yet, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
The cold and calculated atmosphere blended surprisingly well with the eerie and dark aura typical of a black mage.
Like a ruthless king reigning over the world of darkness.
“If Princess Lutoeus were a gang leader in her youth, would it have felt like this?”
However, my focus wasn’t on Kael’s appearance or the icy atmosphere that made frost drip.
“I could at least offer a cup of tea.”
How can one come as a guest and not offer anything?
“I thought I could at least get a cookie…”
Lost in these thoughts, I was taken aback and bit my lip.
“Sigh, what an insatiable appetite. I must really be serious about eating.”
It’s all because of the side effects of Hunter Syndrome.
I sat down on the chair, reaffirming my determination never to fall victim to Hunter Syndrome.
Pushing back the hood and letting loose the silver hair that was restrained, Kael narrowed his eyes as if the brightness overwhelmed him, his gaze becoming subtly narrowed.
His enigmatic gray irises contracted like those of a reptile.
“Let’s talk about the cores.”
“Who’s chasing you? Why the urgency?”
“I don’t like wasting time.”
“Are there people who do?”
“Princess Astel Luteous.”
Kael, who had been lurking in the shadows like a hidden beast, made a move.
Sitting down slowly on the chair, he rested his folded hands on the desk, but an indiscernible tension could be felt.
“I opened the door because I was interested in the Princess’s bait.”
“I see.”
“But if that was a lie, I will undoubtedly take what is most precious to the Princess. Deceiving a black mage comes at a cost. Are you prepared?”
I watched him silently and then asked abruptly.
“What happened to the monster’s corpse in the Grand Plaza?”
“Why do you ask about that?”
“It’s a preliminary investigation to get to the main point.”
“We collected it.”
“Was it the Magic Tower Lord order?”
“Yes.”
“A black mage as a hunter. How interesting.”
As I muttered to myself, Kael sealed his lips.
His serene gaze roamed over my face as if licking it.
“Do you have a reason for thinking that way?”
“Most people would have noticed the fact that only hunters can destroy cores. But even if they did, it wouldn’t go beyond that. It’s only been a day.”
“…”
“But Magic Tower Lord brought me all the way here, for the sake of trading cores. Oh, by the way, is this the magic tower?”
“…Yes, it is the magic tower.”
“Hmm, that’s a shame. I wanted to explore from the first floor.”
“…It’s probably not the right atmosphere to change the subject now.”
An uninteresting man.
I let out an exaggerated sigh.
“If mage showed interest in my proposal, it means he already knows its value, right? That’s why he brought back the monster’s corpse from the plaza.”
“…”
“Who could have provided such information? Naturally, it would be the Holy See. You can only be a hunter.”
The corners of Kael’s mouth twitched slightly.
He seemed sophisticated, but it wasn’t a pleasant smile. It was a clear mockery.
