"Grrrrr ..."
The growling sound from the Hellhound who had awakened from his sleep due to the sound of falling stones because of Reo's careless actions could be heard.
The entrance was wide open and Reo still hadn't stepped an inch from where he was initially, he glanced at Noire who was beside him and smiled.
"What?" She said in a bitchy tone, holding her slender waist while carrying a large pouch full of magic cores using her right hand.
"You want to come in with me or not? Because I will finish this doggo in an instant." Said Reo with a flat expression, looking confident.
"Of course I'll go in with you. Didn't I tell you my job is to watch over you, don't ask too many stupid questions."
Hearing that response, Reo could only scratch his head with an expression full of confusion.
'What's wrong with this girl? 'he thought.
After pausing for a moment, Reo then glanced at the Hellhound who was glaring at him from behind the darkness. A faint smile crossed his pale face as he slowly began to step in, followed by Noire behind him.
When he entered the Boss Room, Reo then began to feel the cold breeze washed over his skin. About 50 meters ahead at this time, stood a C-Rank Monster that had a fire magic affinity.
"Be careful with the flames bursting from its three mouths, it is not an ordinary fire and if your body is hit by that fire, you will receive a fatal burn. Even an A-Rank Hunter cannot necessarily face this monster alone. The Hellhound is on another level compare to the other C-Rank Monsters. "
Noire spoke at length, explaining to Reo how dangerous the magic beasts he was facing at this time. Meanwhile Reo who saw that only looked back slightly and grinned.
"Hm? Are you worried about me?"
"Do I look worried?"
Getting a cold response, Reo just smiled sweetly.
"No, I guess ..."
Right after Reo said that, the Hellhound who had been just growling and standing where it was started to roar madly and full of killing intent.
"Garrrrgh !!!"
The cave walls trembled as the three-headed Hellhound began to move its legs that looked like an array of rocks and magma melted the rock below.
"Oi, Oi, is this dog really a C-rank Magic Beast? It looks like something is wrong with the ranking system set up by the Central Hunter Association." Muttered Reo, slowly drawing his sword from its sheath.
"If it is based on the magic energy waves emitted from within its body? Yes. There is no doubt that this dog is indeed on the same level as the C-Rank Magic Beasts. But in terms of combat power? What do you expect from a system that has only been created a few years ago? Of course it has its flaws. " Noire replied, watching Reo from behind.
But Reo didn't seem interested in responding to her words, and turned all his attention towards the 4 meter high Hellhound who was starting to get closer and closer to him.
"But well, no matter how strong a monster is, they are still mindless creatures, their movements are very predictable, and that is the biggest weakness they have." Reo Muttered, starting to get his stance.
'That's why I'm so overwhelmed when I face an intellegent monster like Anaceen ... " Reo thought, and right after that.
"Gaargh!" The Hellhound growled at Reo and started spitting fire from one of its mouths, trying to turn Reo into grilled meat that was delicious to eat, but--
"Shirogami Itto-Ryu ..."
* blaze *
The flames distorted the surrounding air with Its heat, making the pitch-black cave look festive. However, before the giant flames spewed from the Hellhound's mouth hit Reo's body. He had disappeared from his place, stunned the Hellhound to realize that his efforts had ended in vain.
Suddenly--
"... Silent Step."
* tap * * slash *
Reo had stood on top of one of the Hellhounds 'heads, sent a lethal slash that could not be followed by the eye, and cut off one of the Hellhounds' heads with ease.
* splash *
"Heh, even the blood flowing in his body is a hot magma huh, this is ridiculous." Reo muttered when he saw the flow of hot magma coming out of one of the Hellhound's head which was cut off by his slash.
Realizing that one of his heads was lying on the floor, the Hellhound's killing intent peaked.
"Graaaaaaaaaghhh !!"
He roared with anger, making the whole cave tremble. As for Reo, he was just chilling over one of the Hellhound's heads and seemed to be thinking about something.
"I don't think this is a bad time to test Poisonous Ki in a real combat situation. Although ..."
As he said that, dozens of Lava Hounds began to appear from behind the darkness behind him barking crazily and began to rush over Reo like a swarm of ants.
"Aya ~, these dogs again ..."
However, the Lava Hounds were not only aiming for Reo who was still standing on the Hellhound's back, they were also aiming for Noire who was standing and watching Reo from a distance. Reo also realized that.
"Miss intermediary, I'm not responsible for your safety, okay?" Reo shouted with a smile while waving at Noire.
"This guy... could he be a little more serious in a situation like this * Sigh *"
Noire who saw that could only sigh because he saw Reo's careless attitude. Well, of course he's strong, even Noire admitted it. Although she does not really know or understand about traditional Japanese swordsmanship.
But from the lithe moves that Reo had previously shown, Noire knew that they were not something that could be learned with just a few months of training. It takes dedication and talent to master it all.
'A swordsman but an Assassin at the same time. Looks like he's not lying. ' Noire thought.
Then, Noire placed the pouch containing the magic core and placed her right hand on the short katana hanging from her waist.
She then stretched out her left hand before muttering softly.
"Realese."
As she said that, then blazing blue flames began to burn above her palms before slowly turning into a katana complete with Its black sheath.
Reo who saw that from a distance raised his eyebrows with interest.
"Ho ~, so she's a dual swords user huh ... Well, it's not surprising considering the size of her katana which is much shorter than the standard katana."
And when the Lava Hounds barked like hungry dogs and attempted to rip Noire's body with their jaws, Noire had prepared her spell.
"Body Enchantment!"
Her body gave off a reddish light before she took out her two swords from their sheaths.
"Woof !! Woof !! Woo--"
* slash *
Noire nimbly crossed her arms across her chest, and slashed the Lava Hound that was trying to pounce on her diagonally across. Cut its body into four pieces in an instant.
But that was just the beginning, noticing the two Lava Hounds trying to pounce on her from right and left side of her body, Noire stretched her arms to the side and muttered softly.
"Combustion Process ..."
* fwuuut *
"Graaagh--"
* slash * * slash *
With a fast and agile movement, Noire glanced left and right before she changed her posture to slightly bend and slashed the two Lava Hounds that were trying to pounce on her from both sides.
Without wasting any time, she then immediately jumped upwards to avoid the Lava Hounds' continued attack. And when she got out of the range of the Lava Hound horde, Noire then looked down with a cold gaze as she pointed her swords towards the Lava Hound horde.
* cling *
She then said.
"... Start."
And in a split second--
* fwuuut * * Boom *
The two blades then began to be enveloped in deep red flames before an enormous burst of flames began to overwhelm the Lava Hound horde and burn them all.
"Graaaaagh !!"
The howls of pain from the poor dogs echoed through the cave, even for the Lava Hounds, the flames that Noire launched from her two blades could not be held back by their rock-hard bodies.
But Noire who saw that didn't look happy at all.
'Hmm ... This is why I'm not very effective at fighting in the dungeon, the combustion process carried out by my magic is much more effective if it's done on Earth which indeed has the most balanced air composition. ' Noire thought.
"Well, it doesn't matter though." Noire then pointed the sword in her left hand towards the burning Lava Hound horde and re-prepared her Spell.
"Condensation, Cooling, Start." The katana blade in her left hand began to be enveloped in a bluish aura that looked like fire before a word left her mouth.
"Freeze."
* click * * breeze *
Suddenly, the temperature in the air that rose due to Noire's flames instantly dropped drastically and caused an explosion, followed by white smoke rising from the horde of Lava Hounds that were destroyed in an instant by Noire's Magic Spell.
Seeing the explosion, Reo who saw all the events in person can only be impressed but confused at the same time.
"Magic? This girl is a Mage?"
That question crossed Reo's mind at this time. Even though the magic Noire used just now was quite strange, because there was no magic circle and such, but it was unmistakably a magic spell.
But that doesn't answer Reo's confusion at all, from the equipment and weapons that Noire uses, she doesn't look like a Mage at all. The magic robe and staff are two things that are common and mandatory equipment that a Mage must have.
And Noire simply doesn't have that.
But when Reo was thinking about something, he again realized that he was currently facing a giant Hellhound.
"Graaaaagh !!" Hellhound tried to get rid of Reo from its back, it jumped and shook its body, but Reo didn't seem to lose his balance at all.
"Then, I also have to finish this immediately."
* Zyuuut *
In a split second, Reo then began to remove the layer of Ki that covered Honjo Masamune and replaced it with a layer of pink Ki who looked striking.
"Time to see how this creature will react to the poison from Poisonous Ki." Reo muttered with a faint smile.
He then changed his grip to the handle of the katana, and stood with his legs level. Without wasting any more time, Reo then immediately jumped up and spun his body in the air.
"Grrooooagh !!"
Realizing the presence of Reo who was right above him, the Hellhound then tilted his head upwards before madly spat out fire from his two mouths, trying to burn Reo.
However, Reo had first turned into a white flash and like a shooting star, he twisted his body down and slashed his sword, cutting Hellhound's neck in half like cutting a nicely tender steak.
* slash * * spurt *
Hot magma gushed out into the air and two of the Hellhound's three heads had been severed from its body, at that moment, the poor Hellhound realized the end of his life.
* tap *
Reo casually landed in front of the Hellhound who was staring at him fearfully.
"Don't look at me like that ~." Reo said while observing a part of the Hellhound's head which he cut using Poisonous Ki.
It didn't take long, the skin of the Hellhound that was as hard as rock began to crack, the magma that was rushing from within its body slowly solidified and formed clumps.
It was a disgusting sight as the Hellhound slowly lost its mobility.
'Poison began to spread in his body, his blood coagulated, and all the organs in his body were contaminated with poison. He's done. ' Reo thought with a flat expression.
"Graaaaagh!" The Hellhound then groaned in pain, as his legs shook violently, unable to support his massive body any longer.
Reo who saw that then tightened his grip on the handle of his katana before muttering softly.
"As a thank you for being willing to be my guinea pig, then I'll reward you with a worthy death."
* zyuuut *
The layer of Neutral Ki the covered Honjo Masamune again before Reo started to mount his stance. He bent his knees slightly and his golden eyes glowed in the darkness.
"Shirogami Itto-Ryu, Santo... Iai-ken!"
Right after he said that, Reo then sent three flying slashes consecutively towards the Hellhound and cut his body into pieces, and with that the Hellhound died in an instant.
* growwl * * bump *
Reo stared at the Hellhound corpse in front of him with a flat gaze for a few moments, before he decided to turn around and look at the conditions at Noire's side.
And the scenery in front of him was pure slaughter, there was nothing left of the Lava Hounds that had rushed towards Noire before. They had been burned, frozen, and blasted into a mass of ashes by Noire.
And Reo who saw that put a silly expression on his face.
"Ugh, wait a minute ... Miss Intermediary? What tf are you doing, why did you also destroy the Magic Core of the Lava Hounds?"
Reo said while walking towards Noire who was still standing there with an annoyed expression.
"Huh? What do you expect? My magic is just too strong for them to endure it, Is there something wrong with that?".
"Yes, of course there is something wrong with you, you say it as if the magic core is a bunch of worthless rubbish." Reo said, but Noire looked completely indifferent.
And continued walking, planning to retrieve the Magic Core from the Hellhound corpse that was lying several meters in front of her.
"Magic Core of D-Rank Magic Beast? Yes, they are rubbish… You can hardly do anything with it except make low level equipment for Freelance Hunters." Noire said, Reo who heard that just fell silent.
After all this wasn't his dungeon, as long as he got what he wanted after all these troubles were over, then it would be good for him.
Noire then seen putting a magic core pouch and taking a small magic knife from her trouser pocket, and begins to slice through the Hellhound's body.
While doing so, she naturally noticed something strange, the hot magma that was lumpy and hardened and the skin from the Hellhound that was full of abnormal cracks made Noire raised her eyebrows. However, she decided to keep her mouth shut and continue doing her job.
Reo who sat on top of one of the Hellhound's heads then started to open his mouth.
"I did not expect that you are actually a Mage," Reo said, glancing at Noire.
"Hmph, that's why I said not to judge someone too quickly." Noire said with an expression of contempt.
"Then if you are a Mage and a Elemental Mage specifically, what is your affinity? Is that fire?" Asked Reo.
"Do you think I'll tell you, bastard," said Noire, looking not interested in answering Reo's question.
Reo who heard that fell silent, before he jumped to the side of Noire and crouched beside her.
"Come on ~, do you have the heart to make someone like me overwhelmed with curiosity?" Reo whispered quietly, which immediately made Noire startled.
"Huh, Y-you!!"
"Hey, come on ~."
"Ughhh, you are ... I am a Non-Circle Elemental Magician with an Air affinity, are you satisfied? Now stop bothering me." Noire said, pushing Reo's face away from him.
Getting the answer he wanted, Reo then stood up and looked thoughtful.
"Non-Circle Magician, huhh ~ This is my first time meeting one of them."
Non-Circle Magician is a term for Elemental Mages who have an affinity for a unique element, which is neither a core element nor a combination of the five elements.
According to the Magic Guidebook, Mage classes can be classified into several categories according to the type of magic used, such as Elemental Mage, Summoner, Healer, Enchanter and so on.
One type of Mage, namely Elemental Mage, has its own grouping system to classified the origin of their affinity. This system is known as the Magic Circle.
In general, Magic Circle is divided into five layers. The first circle is filled with the five basic elements, namely Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, and Aether. With the note, Aether is not a natural element and is more like a container for the elements, if it is depicted in a pattern it will be more suitable to classify it into a Zero-Circle Element, because it is located right in the middle of the circle.
Then the second layer of Circle is filled by the merging of the two elements in the first circle, together with Aether or without Aether. An example is the Ice ekement which is a combination of water and wind.
Even though it was chemically impossible without the cooling process in the air, with magic, it was not a problem anymore. But even if an Elemental Mage had Ice affinity, it was uncertain whether they could use that element's constituent affinity or not. Because Mages who mastered more than one element were extremely rare.
And so on until the fifth circle which is the outermost circle, there is only one element in the fifth circle which is none other than the light element. Then, outside of the magic circle, there were many elements that could not be classified into the five of them, they were then called the Non-Circle Elementals. Examples are Shadow, Darkness, Healing, Air, Gravity, and so on.
"But wouldn't it be strange if you didn't use equipment like a Spell Book, Magic Staff, Ring, and the like? Wouldn't that reduce your fighting power as a Mage?"
Noire who heard that shook her head.
"Absolutely not, these two katanas are strong enough as magic weapons for me. Since the beginning I have been trained to become an assassin, so when I become am Awakened and be able to use magic, it doesn't mean I have to become a full Mage," Noire said, who had already finished her job and was seen putting Hellhound's Magic Core into the pouch she was carrying.
"You're right." Reo nodded, agreeing with Noire's words.
"You yourself, this sounds stupid but I can't really feel the wave of magic energy inside your body. How do you hide it?"
" How do i hide it, huh. Are you curious?" Reo said with a sly grin towards Noire.
"Huh !? Why are you being so cocky like that. It's not like I'm curious or anything," said Noire, looking at Reo with disgust before he walked out of the Boss room.
Reo who saw that just smiled, at least Reo can hide the fact that he is just an ordinary human and a Ki user from Noire.
Then, Reo and Noire walked out of the Gate, and it also signaled that Reo's first Illegal Raid was over.
***
* breeze *
The gusts of wind slowly died down as the Whirlpool-like Gate slowly shrank before completely disappearing.
Reo is seen leaning against one of the trees while reading the manga, while Noire is busy calculating the loot they got from inside the Dungeon.
"67 D-Rank Magic Core, and 1 C-Rank Magic Core with high quality. These results are quite disappointing," said Noire.
"Isn't that because you did something stupid, Miss Intermediary."
Noire is not interested in responding to Reo's words, and is seen standing in her place to contact someone.
"Fine ... Yes, everything is over, he has met all the criteria you have given, your next order."
Reo glanced slightly at Noire, because he was also interested in what was being said on the phone. He tried to eavesdrop, but Noire noticed and glared at him.
"Okay, Roger that."
* beep *
After the call was closed, Noire then glanced at Reo. Reo who felt his gaze then replied with a smile.
" Quickly change your clothes and follow me."
Noire then turned around before looking back slightly.
"We'll go and see Milady in person."
***
'So all this time she's been watching from here, it's no wonder I couldn't detect her presence at all using my Navigation Ki. ' Reo thought.
At this time he was seen changing clothes, wearing a white turtleneck and black coat, he was walking behind Noire who was seen wearing formal clothes.
Currently, they are in one of the skyscrapers near Aobanomari Park, it is a building used by a company. And at this time, the figure called Mata Hari was in one of the rooms in this building.
After walking for a long time, the two of them finally arrived at the door of the room. It looked like an ordinary room, and there was nothing special to notice about it.
Before he opened the door, Noire stopped for a moment and turned towards Reo who was standing behind her with a sharp gaze.
"Milady is waiting for you inside."
Roe nodded.
"But you have to remember to take care of your attitude when in front of her. Especially your mouth that doesn't know how to be shut up, do you understand?"
Hearing that, Reo just replied with a smile.
"Then, please come in."
* crack *
Noire then opened the door and when the door opened, Reo was greeted with a dim room.
"This ..."
He then followed Noire who had entered first before looking around, and how surprised Reo was. There is only one word to describe the condition of the room, messy.
And when Reo was looking at the conditions around him, suddenly a woman's voice with a distinctive Kansai dialect could be heard.
"Chesa !! Didn't I tell you to knock on the door first before entering, that much light can kill me."
Hearing that voice, Reo turned his attention towards someone who was seen lying under a Kotatsu limply. In front of her is a laptop which is the only source of light in the room.
"You're not a vampire and if you keep staring at that monitor screen in a completely dark room like this, then it will damage your eyes Milady."
And without the slightest bit of pity, Noire viciously opened the curtains covering the window of the room, showing a view of Chiba City at night.
"Kyaaa !! That moonlight, I'm melted."
As the moonlight began to illuminate the room, Reo finally could clearly see the figure of the woman in the room. Unlike the image in his mind, the female figure in front of him now had a body like a little girl.
She was probably only 1.3m tall, and she looked thin under the oversized pajamas she wears. This little woman was none other than one of the most famous informants in all of Japan, Mata Hari.
And when Mata Hari saw Reo, she grinned before her expression turned to surprised.
"Oya ~, it looks like we have a guest here," said Mata Hari, staring at Reo who was confused with a mysterious gaze.
"So you are named Mata Hari, for some reason when I saw your real figure, I felt betrayed."
"Huh, what is that?"
Reo then closed the door of the room and took off his coat, he did not find a chair in the room so he decided to sit cross-legged on the floor.
"Sorry ~, we don't have a seat here. Chesa! Quickly prepare a cup of hot chocolate for our sweet guest," Mata Hari said, for the second time calling Noire by the name Chesa. Maybe it is her real name.
She then looked back at Reo in front of her and smiled.
"Shirogami Reo, 18 years, 185 cm tall, Indonesian citizen, and was adopted by Shirogami Heisatsu after the disaster on Komodo Island 6 years ago."
"Are you Flexin?" Said Reo, looking relaxed even though Mata Hari began to reveal his identity in detail.
"Ah no ~ no ~, I just want to convey that all the information that I will provide can be verified."
"I don't know about that. But I hope your credibility as an famous informant is true, because you are the only one I can rely on at this time."
"Ufufu, I feel very honored."
Then, Noire comes with a tray with a cup of hot chocolate on there, before giving it to Reo.
" Thank you. "
Noire nodded before he stood behind Mata Hari, trying to put psychological pressure on Reo.
"So ~, If I remember correctly, you wanted information regarding who had received the magic crystal in the photo you sent me, right?"
"That's right. But before that, I want to ask ... Do you have any idea what thing exactly is the crystal in the photo." Reo said, the smile on his face disappeared and he looked at Mata Hari with a sharp gaze.
Seeing that, Mata Hari grinned mysteriously and said softly.
"Would you believe it if I said, I know."
"Heh ~, Of coursee..
...not."
"Well then... Good for you."
Although he could not read Mata Hari's mind, but by paying attention to her gesture and tone of speech, Reo was able to determine that Mata Hari did not know anything about Magic Pumps and what kind of magic items it was.
"So, can you just tell right away. Who is the person who received the Magic Crystal?" Asked Reo.
The atmosphere then became silent, before Mata Hari was seen to be texting something on her laptop. After a while, she then showed his laptop monitor screen to Reo.
"This ..."
"The person who received the crystal was none other than one of the most influential people in Japan, the head of the Sato Family as well the chief director of Sato Industries, Shizuo Sato."
The monitor screen then shows the figure of an old man with a wrinkled face, who looks dignified, wearing traditional Japanese clothes. Meanwhile Reo who heard Mata Hari's answer muttered softly.
"One of the important figures of this country, huh. Looks like this matter has become much more complicated," Reo murmured.
Mata Hari, who heard Reo's words, said.
"Actually, the cargo containing the magic crystal in the photo doesn't have that old fart's name on it. And of course it's just an identity concealment, that's only natural to do if you have some connections with the customs office."
"That's why it took me all day to find the real information, and it led to one result, namely Shizuo Sato. He was the one who received the item," Mata Hari said.
While Reo who heard that was silent and thought of something, Mata Hari opened her mouth again.
"But I have a suggestion for you ~ If you really want to make a trouble with that old fart, I advise you to undo your intentions. He's not someone you can fight with just pure strength."
"I know that." Said Reo, he really understood that such an influential person could not defeated by just knock on the door of his house and kill him, and everything ended fine. The world doesn't run that smooth.
"However, it's not impossible to get him into trouble without getting yourself involved."
"Not that I want to looking for trouble with him, if we can chat privately, then it will be better," Reo said.
"He ~, I'm not sure about that." Said Mata Hari, grinning as she heard Reo's nonsense.
"Well, I don't really know the problem between you and that old fart or about this magic crystal. But, judging from your attitude, it looks like that old fart has done something that is detrimental to you."
Reo who heard that shook his head.
"Not really, I'm not harmed at all or have a problem with that old man. All this I did to satisfy my curiosity, that's all. I just wanted to ask a few questions to him." Reo said.
"I see. Well, that's the same, you basically kill him if he can't satisfy your curiosity."
"Do I look that cruel in your eyes, Miss Mata Hari?" Reo asked with a faint smile.
"I don't know, but you are sure to be lucky."
"Lucky?"
Hearing that, Mata Hari grinned.
"Yep ~ Lucky! You must have heard, right, about the auction that will be held by the Sato Family?"
Reo nodded.
"The auction is your great chance to meet that old man, that's the only place you can see the old fox who has become a legend in the world of magic weaponry throughout Japan in person and meet him."
"Even if you say that, but I have absolutely no access to enter the auction."
Hearing that, Mata Hari smiled broadly and stretched out her arms.
"Because of that, I, Mata Hari, humbly invite you to become my bodyguard at the auction. Think of it as a work contract."
1
Hearing Mata Hari's sudden offer, Reo squinted.
"The reason you asked me to become ur Bodyguard?"
Hearing Reo's words, Mata Hari grinned widely and looked at Reo slyly.
"Heh ~ do you think I don't know your identity as an Unranked Hunter who has the strength equal to the S-Rank Hunter, Reo Shirogami-kun ~."
Hearing that, the smile on Reo's face disappeared. Meanwhile Mata Hari continued her words.
"Being able to cooperate with someone who is equal in strength to an S-Rank Hunter, and a licensed Hunter, you will be of great use to me and I cannot afford to waste that opportunity at all."
2
Hearing that, Reo suddenly burst out laughing.
"Pfft ~ Hahahaha. So you admit it straight away that you want to use me to achieve your goals? Well, that's not a bad endeavor. Because I'm also planning to do the same to you," Reo said, smiling faintly.
"Then, do we agree?"
Hearing that, Reo thought for a moment before he nodded.
"Yeah."
Said Reo who then stood up from his seat and began to put on his black coat, he then sipped the hot chocolate that Noire had previously given him until nothing remained. Seeing that, Mata Hari raised her eyebrows.
"Are you leaving already? Why are you in such a hurry?"
"I have business I need to do urgently, so we can discuss the details in more via e-mail." The business Reo meant was eating Iris's dinner, which he couldn't miss.
"I see, then take care."
Reo nodded and turned around, but before he opened the door, he paused for a moment and glanced back towards Mata Hari.
"By the way, why are you so sure that I can talk to the old man in person at the auction. Do you have a plan that you have prepared?"
Hearing that, Mata Hari smiled
"Yeah well, for now you don't need to know ... But I can tell you one thing for sure, the auction will turn into chaos."
The atmosphere became silent before Reo opened his mouth.
"I see," replied Reo briefly.
Then, without saying anything else, Reo opened the door and left Mata Hari's room. Seeing Reo who had actually come out of the room, Mata Hari then jumped off her pillow and walked to the window.
"Ah ~ He is a very attractive person, right? Chesa."
"He's just an asshole."
"Haha, you Tsundere."
Meanwhile, Reo who has come out of the room looks busy looking for a list of names in his contacts, before he finally finds the name he is looking for, which is Osamu.
"Luckily I asked for his number at that time, I never thought that it would be useful at a time like this."
***
In one of the buildings in the Sato family residence, a lavish party in a western style is currently being held.
Dozens of people wearing formal clothes and luxurious dresses filled the room, the guests who attended danced and chatted with each other while enjoying the dishes that had been served by the host.
While excitement adorned the atmosphere in the party room, in one corner of the room, Osamu was seen just standing there alone holding a glass of wine.
He was seen observing the dance hall and saw a man starting to approach his brother, before they were both seen chatting with each other.
'That person, if I'm not mistaken, is the head of the Monitoring division, Goketsu Watanabe. Looks like he was also invited to this party. ' Osamu thought.
And while he was daydreaming, suddenly Osamu felt the cell phone in his pocket vibrate.
"Hm?"
Osamu raised his eyebrows, before he saw the contents of the message that had just entered, it was a message from Reo.
'This is the first time he's texted me, I thought he deleted my number but surpriy he didn't.' Osamu thought. And then, when he saw the contents of the message, Osamu raised his eyebrows in confusion.
"This guy ... What exactly does he want to do huh."
"Grrrrr ..."
The growling sound from the Hellhound who had awakened from his sleep due to the sound of falling stones because of Reo's careless actions could be heard.
The entrance was wide open and Reo still hadn't stepped an inch from where he was initially, he glanced at Noire who was beside him and smiled.
"What?" She said in a bitchy tone, holding her slender waist while carrying a large pouch full of magic cores using her right hand.
"You want to come in with me or not? Because I will finish this doggo in an instant." Said Reo with a flat expression, looking confident.
"Of course I'll go in with you. Didn't I tell you my job is to watch over you, don't ask too many stupid questions."
Hearing that response, Reo could only scratch his head with an expression full of confusion.
'What's wrong with this girl? 'he thought.
After pausing for a moment, Reo then glanced at the Hellhound who was glaring at him from behind the darkness. A faint smile crossed his pale face as he slowly began to step in, followed by Noire behind him.
When he entered the Boss Room, Reo then began to feel the cold breeze washed over his skin. About 50 meters ahead at this time, stood a C-Rank Monster that had a fire magic affinity.
"Be careful with the flames bursting from its three mouths, it is not an ordinary fire and if your body is hit by that fire, you will receive a fatal burn. Even an A-Rank Hunter cannot necessarily face this monster alone. The Hellhound is on another level compare to the other C-Rank Monsters. "
Noire spoke at length, explaining to Reo how dangerous the magic beasts he was facing at this time. Meanwhile Reo who saw that only looked back slightly and grinned.
"Hm? Are you worried about me?"
"Do I look worried?"
Getting a cold response, Reo just smiled sweetly.
"No, I guess ..."
Right after Reo said that, the Hellhound who had been just growling and standing where it was started to roar madly and full of killing intent.
"Garrrrgh !!!"
The cave walls trembled as the three-headed Hellhound began to move its legs that looked like an array of rocks and magma melted the rock below.
"Oi, Oi, is this dog really a C-rank Magic Beast? It looks like something is wrong with the ranking system set up by the Central Hunter Association." Muttered Reo, slowly drawing his sword from its sheath.
"If it is based on the magic energy waves emitted from within its body? Yes. There is no doubt that this dog is indeed on the same level as the C-Rank Magic Beasts. But in terms of combat power? What do you expect from a system that has only been created a few years ago? Of course it has its flaws. " Noire replied, watching Reo from behind.
But Reo didn't seem interested in responding to her words, and turned all his attention towards the 4 meter high Hellhound who was starting to get closer and closer to him.
"But well, no matter how strong a monster is, they are still mindless creatures, their movements are very predictable, and that is the biggest weakness they have." Reo Muttered, starting to get his stance.
'That's why I'm so overwhelmed when I face an intellegent monster like Anaceen ... " Reo thought, and right after that.
"Gaargh!" The Hellhound growled at Reo and started spitting fire from one of its mouths, trying to turn Reo into grilled meat that was delicious to eat, but--
"Shirogami Itto-Ryu ..."
* blaze *
The flames distorted the surrounding air with Its heat, making the pitch-black cave look festive. However, before the giant flames spewed from the Hellhound's mouth hit Reo's body. He had disappeared from his place, stunned the Hellhound to realize that his efforts had ended in vain.
Suddenly--
"... Silent Step."
* tap * * slash *
Reo had stood on top of one of the Hellhounds 'heads, sent a lethal slash that could not be followed by the eye, and cut off one of the Hellhounds' heads with ease.
* splash *
"Heh, even the blood flowing in his body is a hot magma huh, this is ridiculous." Reo muttered when he saw the flow of hot magma coming out of one of the Hellhound's head which was cut off by his slash.
Realizing that one of his heads was lying on the floor, the Hellhound's killing intent peaked.
"Graaaaaaaaaghhh !!"
He roared with anger, making the whole cave tremble. As for Reo, he was just chilling over one of the Hellhound's heads and seemed to be thinking about something.
"I don't think this is a bad time to test Poisonous Ki in a real combat situation. Although ..."
As he said that, dozens of Lava Hounds began to appear from behind the darkness behind him barking crazily and began to rush over Reo like a swarm of ants.
"Aya ~, these dogs again ..."
However, the Lava Hounds were not only aiming for Reo who was still standing on the Hellhound's back, they were also aiming for Noire who was standing and watching Reo from a distance. Reo also realized that.
"Miss intermediary, I'm not responsible for your safety, okay?" Reo shouted with a smile while waving at Noire.
"This guy... could he be a little more serious in a situation like this * Sigh *"
Noire who saw that could only sigh because he saw Reo's careless attitude. Well, of course he's strong, even Noire admitted it. Although she does not really know or understand about traditional Japanese swordsmanship.
But from the lithe moves that Reo had previously shown, Noire knew that they were not something that could be learned with just a few months of training. It takes dedication and talent to master it all.
'A swordsman but an Assassin at the same time. Looks like he's not lying. ' Noire thought.
Then, Noire placed the pouch containing the magic core and placed her right hand on the short katana hanging from her waist.
She then stretched out her left hand before muttering softly.
"Realese."
As she said that, then blazing blue flames began to burn above her palms before slowly turning into a katana complete with Its black sheath.
Reo who saw that from a distance raised his eyebrows with interest.
"Ho ~, so she's a dual swords user huh ... Well, it's not surprising considering the size of her katana which is much shorter than the standard katana."
And when the Lava Hounds barked like hungry dogs and attempted to rip Noire's body with their jaws, Noire had prepared her spell.
"Body Enchantment!"
Her body gave off a reddish light before she took out her two swords from their sheaths.
"Woof !! Woof !! Woo--"
* slash *
Noire nimbly crossed her arms across her chest, and slashed the Lava Hound that was trying to pounce on her diagonally across. Cut its body into four pieces in an instant.
But that was just the beginning, noticing the two Lava Hounds trying to pounce on her from right and left side of her body, Noire stretched her arms to the side and muttered softly.
"Combustion Process ..."
* fwuuut *
"Graaagh--"
* slash * * slash *
With a fast and agile movement, Noire glanced left and right before she changed her posture to slightly bend and slashed the two Lava Hounds that were trying to pounce on her from both sides.
Without wasting any time, she then immediately jumped upwards to avoid the Lava Hounds' continued attack. And when she got out of the range of the Lava Hound horde, Noire then looked down with a cold gaze as she pointed her swords towards the Lava Hound horde.
* cling *
She then said.
"... Start."
And in a split second--
* fwuuut * * Boom *
The two blades then began to be enveloped in deep red flames before an enormous burst of flames began to overwhelm the Lava Hound horde and burn them all.
"Graaaaagh !!"
The howls of pain from the poor dogs echoed through the cave, even for the Lava Hounds, the flames that Noire launched from her two blades could not be held back by their rock-hard bodies.
But Noire who saw that didn't look happy at all.
'Hmm ... This is why I'm not very effective at fighting in the dungeon, the combustion process carried out by my magic is much more effective if it's done on Earth which indeed has the most balanced air composition. ' Noire thought.
"Well, it doesn't matter though." Noire then pointed the sword in her left hand towards the burning Lava Hound horde and re-prepared her Spell.
"Condensation, Cooling, Start." The katana blade in her left hand began to be enveloped in a bluish aura that looked like fire before a word left her mouth.
"Freeze."
* click * * breeze *
Suddenly, the temperature in the air that rose due to Noire's flames instantly dropped drastically and caused an explosion, followed by white smoke rising from the horde of Lava Hounds that were destroyed in an instant by Noire's Magic Spell.
Seeing the explosion, Reo who saw all the events in person can only be impressed but confused at the same time.
"Magic? This girl is a Mage?"
That question crossed Reo's mind at this time. Even though the magic Noire used just now was quite strange, because there was no magic circle and such, but it was unmistakably a magic spell.
But that doesn't answer Reo's confusion at all, from the equipment and weapons that Noire uses, she doesn't look like a Mage at all. The magic robe and staff are two things that are common and mandatory equipment that a Mage must have.
And Noire simply doesn't have that.
But when Reo was thinking about something, he again realized that he was currently facing a giant Hellhound.
"Graaaaagh !!" Hellhound tried to get rid of Reo from its back, it jumped and shook its body, but Reo didn't seem to lose his balance at all.
"Then, I also have to finish this immediately."
* Zyuuut *
In a split second, Reo then began to remove the layer of Ki that covered Honjo Masamune and replaced it with a layer of pink Ki who looked striking.
"Time to see how this creature will react to the poison from Poisonous Ki." Reo muttered with a faint smile.
He then changed his grip to the handle of the katana, and stood with his legs level. Without wasting any more time, Reo then immediately jumped up and spun his body in the air.
"Grrooooagh !!"
Realizing the presence of Reo who was right above him, the Hellhound then tilted his head upwards before madly spat out fire from his two mouths, trying to burn Reo.
However, Reo had first turned into a white flash and like a shooting star, he twisted his body down and slashed his sword, cutting Hellhound's neck in half like cutting a nicely tender steak.
* slash * * spurt *
Hot magma gushed out into the air and two of the Hellhound's three heads had been severed from its body, at that moment, the poor Hellhound realized the end of his life.
* tap *
Reo casually landed in front of the Hellhound who was staring at him fearfully.
"Don't look at me like that ~." Reo said while observing a part of the Hellhound's head which he cut using Poisonous Ki.
It didn't take long, the skin of the Hellhound that was as hard as rock began to crack, the magma that was rushing from within its body slowly solidified and formed clumps.
It was a disgusting sight as the Hellhound slowly lost its mobility.
'Poison began to spread in his body, his blood coagulated, and all the organs in his body were contaminated with poison. He's done. ' Reo thought with a flat expression.
"Graaaaagh!" The Hellhound then groaned in pain, as his legs shook violently, unable to support his massive body any longer.
Reo who saw that then tightened his grip on the handle of his katana before muttering softly.
"As a thank you for being willing to be my guinea pig, then I'll reward you with a worthy death."
* zyuuut *
The layer of Neutral Ki the covered Honjo Masamune again before Reo started to mount his stance. He bent his knees slightly and his golden eyes glowed in the darkness.
"Shirogami Itto-Ryu, Santo... Iai-ken!"
Right after he said that, Reo then sent three flying slashes consecutively towards the Hellhound and cut his body into pieces, and with that the Hellhound died in an instant.
* growwl * * bump *
Reo stared at the Hellhound corpse in front of him with a flat gaze for a few moments, before he decided to turn around and look at the conditions at Noire's side.
And the scenery in front of him was pure slaughter, there was nothing left of the Lava Hounds that had rushed towards Noire before. They had been burned, frozen, and blasted into a mass of ashes by Noire.
And Reo who saw that put a silly expression on his face.
"Ugh, wait a minute ... Miss Intermediary? What tf are you doing, why did you also destroy the Magic Core of the Lava Hounds?"
Reo said while walking towards Noire who was still standing there with an annoyed expression.
"Huh? What do you expect? My magic is just too strong for them to endure it, Is there something wrong with that?".
"Yes, of course there is something wrong with you, you say it as if the magic core is a bunch of worthless rubbish." Reo said, but Noire looked completely indifferent.
And continued walking, planning to retrieve the Magic Core from the Hellhound corpse that was lying several meters in front of her.
"Magic Core of D-Rank Magic Beast? Yes, they are rubbish… You can hardly do anything with it except make low level equipment for Freelance Hunters." Noire said, Reo who heard that just fell silent.
After all this wasn't his dungeon, as long as he got what he wanted after all these troubles were over, then it would be good for him.
Noire then seen putting a magic core pouch and taking a small magic knife from her trouser pocket, and begins to slice through the Hellhound's body.
While doing so, she naturally noticed something strange, the hot magma that was lumpy and hardened and the skin from the Hellhound that was full of abnormal cracks made Noire raised her eyebrows. However, she decided to keep her mouth shut and continue doing her job.
Reo who sat on top of one of the Hellhound's heads then started to open his mouth.
"I did not expect that you are actually a Mage," Reo said, glancing at Noire.
"Hmph, that's why I said not to judge someone too quickly." Noire said with an expression of contempt.
"Then if you are a Mage and a Elemental Mage specifically, what is your affinity? Is that fire?" Asked Reo.
"Do you think I'll tell you, bastard," said Noire, looking not interested in answering Reo's question.
Reo who heard that fell silent, before he jumped to the side of Noire and crouched beside her.
"Come on ~, do you have the heart to make someone like me overwhelmed with curiosity?" Reo whispered quietly, which immediately made Noire startled.
"Huh, Y-you!!"
"Hey, come on ~."
"Ughhh, you are ... I am a Non-Circle Elemental Magician with an Air affinity, are you satisfied? Now stop bothering me." Noire said, pushing Reo's face away from him.
Getting the answer he wanted, Reo then stood up and looked thoughtful.
"Non-Circle Magician, huhh ~ This is my first time meeting one of them."
Non-Circle Magician is a term for Elemental Mages who have an affinity for a unique element, which is neither a core element nor a combination of the five elements.
According to the Magic Guidebook, Mage classes can be classified into several categories according to the type of magic used, such as Elemental Mage, Summoner, Healer, Enchanter and so on.
One type of Mage, namely Elemental Mage, has its own grouping system to classified the origin of their affinity. This system is known as the Magic Circle.
In general, Magic Circle is divided into five layers. The first circle is filled with the five basic elements, namely Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, and Aether. With the note, Aether is not a natural element and is more like a container for the elements, if it is depicted in a pattern it will be more suitable to classify it into a Zero-Circle Element, because it is located right in the middle of the circle.
Then the second layer of Circle is filled by the merging of the two elements in the first circle, together with Aether or without Aether. An example is the Ice ekement which is a combination of water and wind.
Even though it was chemically impossible without the cooling process in the air, with magic, it was not a problem anymore. But even if an Elemental Mage had Ice affinity, it was uncertain whether they could use that element's constituent affinity or not. Because Mages who mastered more than one element were extremely rare.
And so on until the fifth circle which is the outermost circle, there is only one element in the fifth circle which is none other than the light element. Then, outside of the magic circle, there were many elements that could not be classified into the five of them, they were then called the Non-Circle Elementals. Examples are Shadow, Darkness, Healing, Air, Gravity, and so on.
"But wouldn't it be strange if you didn't use equipment like a Spell Book, Magic Staff, Ring, and the like? Wouldn't that reduce your fighting power as a Mage?"
Noire who heard that shook her head.
"Absolutely not, these two katanas are strong enough as magic weapons for me. Since the beginning I have been trained to become an assassin, so when I become am Awakened and be able to use magic, it doesn't mean I have to become a full Mage," Noire said, who had already finished her job and was seen putting Hellhound's Magic Core into the pouch she was carrying.
"You're right." Reo nodded, agreeing with Noire's words.
"You yourself, this sounds stupid but I can't really feel the wave of magic energy inside your body. How do you hide it?"
" How do i hide it, huh. Are you curious?" Reo said with a sly grin towards Noire.
"Huh !? Why are you being so cocky like that. It's not like I'm curious or anything," said Noire, looking at Reo with disgust before he walked out of the Boss room.
Reo who saw that just smiled, at least Reo can hide the fact that he is just an ordinary human and a Ki user from Noire.
Then, Reo and Noire walked out of the Gate, and it also signaled that Reo's first Illegal Raid was over.
***
* breeze *
The gusts of wind slowly died down as the Whirlpool-like Gate slowly shrank before completely disappearing.
Reo is seen leaning against one of the trees while reading the manga, while Noire is busy calculating the loot they got from inside the Dungeon.
"67 D-Rank Magic Core, and 1 C-Rank Magic Core with high quality. These results are quite disappointing," said Noire.
"Isn't that because you did something stupid, Miss Intermediary."
Noire is not interested in responding to Reo's words, and is seen standing in her place to contact someone.
"Fine ... Yes, everything is over, he has met all the criteria you have given, your next order."
Reo glanced slightly at Noire, because he was also interested in what was being said on the phone. He tried to eavesdrop, but Noire noticed and glared at him.
"Okay, Roger that."
* beep *
After the call was closed, Noire then glanced at Reo. Reo who felt his gaze then replied with a smile.
" Quickly change your clothes and follow me."
Noire then turned around before looking back slightly.
"We'll go and see Milady in person."
***
'So all this time she's been watching from here, it's no wonder I couldn't detect her presence at all using my Navigation Ki. ' Reo thought.
At this time he was seen changing clothes, wearing a white turtleneck and black coat, he was walking behind Noire who was seen wearing formal clothes.
Currently, they are in one of the skyscrapers near Aobanomari Park, it is a building used by a company. And at this time, the figure called Mata Hari was in one of the rooms in this building.
After walking for a long time, the two of them finally arrived at the door of the room. It looked like an ordinary room, and there was nothing special to notice about it.
Before he opened the door, Noire stopped for a moment and turned towards Reo who was standing behind her with a sharp gaze.
"Milady is waiting for you inside."
Roe nodded.
"But you have to remember to take care of your attitude when in front of her. Especially your mouth that doesn't know how to be shut up, do you understand?"
Hearing that, Reo just replied with a smile.
"Then, please come in."
* crack *
Noire then opened the door and when the door opened, Reo was greeted with a dim room.
"This ..."
He then followed Noire who had entered first before looking around, and how surprised Reo was. There is only one word to describe the condition of the room, messy.
And when Reo was looking at the conditions around him, suddenly a woman's voice with a distinctive Kansai dialect could be heard.
"Chesa !! Didn't I tell you to knock on the door first before entering, that much light can kill me."
Hearing that voice, Reo turned his attention towards someone who was seen lying under a Kotatsu limply. In front of her is a laptop which is the only source of light in the room.
"You're not a vampire and if you keep staring at that monitor screen in a completely dark room like this, then it will damage your eyes Milady."
And without the slightest bit of pity, Noire viciously opened the curtains covering the window of the room, showing a view of Chiba City at night.
"Kyaaa !! That moonlight, I'm melted."
As the moonlight began to illuminate the room, Reo finally could clearly see the figure of the woman in the room. Unlike the image in his mind, the female figure in front of him now had a body like a little girl.
She was probably only 1.3m tall, and she looked thin under the oversized pajamas she wears. This little woman was none other than one of the most famous informants in all of Japan, Mata Hari.
And when Mata Hari saw Reo, she grinned before her expression turned to surprised.
"Oya ~, it looks like we have a guest here," said Mata Hari, staring at Reo who was confused with a mysterious gaze.
"So you are named Mata Hari, for some reason when I saw your real figure, I felt betrayed."
"Huh, what is that?"
Reo then closed the door of the room and took off his coat, he did not find a chair in the room so he decided to sit cross-legged on the floor.
"Sorry ~, we don't have a seat here. Chesa! Quickly prepare a cup of hot chocolate for our sweet guest," Mata Hari said, for the second time calling Noire by the name Chesa. Maybe it is her real name.
She then looked back at Reo in front of her and smiled.
"Shirogami Reo, 18 years, 185 cm tall, Indonesian citizen, and was adopted by Shirogami Heisatsu after the disaster on Komodo Island 6 years ago."
"Are you Flexin?" Said Reo, looking relaxed even though Mata Hari began to reveal his identity in detail.
"Ah no ~ no ~, I just want to convey that all the information that I will provide can be verified."
"I don't know about that. But I hope your credibility as an famous informant is true, because you are the only one I can rely on at this time."
"Ufufu, I feel very honored."
Then, Noire comes with a tray with a cup of hot chocolate on there, before giving it to Reo.
" Thank you. "
Noire nodded before he stood behind Mata Hari, trying to put psychological pressure on Reo.
"So ~, If I remember correctly, you wanted information regarding who had received the magic crystal in the photo you sent me, right?"
"That's right. But before that, I want to ask ... Do you have any idea what thing exactly is the crystal in the photo." Reo said, the smile on his face disappeared and he looked at Mata Hari with a sharp gaze.
Seeing that, Mata Hari grinned mysteriously and said softly.
"Would you believe it if I said, I know."
"Heh ~, Of coursee..
...not."
"Well then... Good for you."
Although he could not read Mata Hari's mind, but by paying attention to her gesture and tone of speech, Reo was able to determine that Mata Hari did not know anything about Magic Pumps and what kind of magic items it was.
"So, can you just tell right away. Who is the person who received the Magic Crystal?" Asked Reo.
The atmosphere then became silent, before Mata Hari was seen to be texting something on her laptop. After a while, she then showed his laptop monitor screen to Reo.
"This ..."
"The person who received the crystal was none other than one of the most influential people in Japan, the head of the Sato Family as well the chief director of Sato Industries, Shizuo Sato."
The monitor screen then shows the figure of an old man with a wrinkled face, who looks dignified, wearing traditional Japanese clothes. Meanwhile Reo who heard Mata Hari's answer muttered softly.
"One of the important figures of this country, huh. Looks like this matter has become much more complicated," Reo murmured.
Mata Hari, who heard Reo's words, said.
"Actually, the cargo containing the magic crystal in the photo doesn't have that old fart's name on it. And of course it's just an identity concealment, that's only natural to do if you have some connections with the customs office."
"That's why it took me all day to find the real information, and it led to one result, namely Shizuo Sato. He was the one who received the item," Mata Hari said.
While Reo who heard that was silent and thought of something, Mata Hari opened her mouth again.
"But I have a suggestion for you ~ If you really want to make a trouble with that old fart, I advise you to undo your intentions. He's not someone you can fight with just pure strength."
"I know that." Said Reo, he really understood that such an influential person could not defeated by just knock on the door of his house and kill him, and everything ended fine. The world doesn't run that smooth.
"However, it's not impossible to get him into trouble without getting yourself involved."
"Not that I want to looking for trouble with him, if we can chat privately, then it will be better," Reo said.
"He ~, I'm not sure about that." Said Mata Hari, grinning as she heard Reo's nonsense.
"Well, I don't really know the problem between you and that old fart or about this magic crystal. But, judging from your attitude, it looks like that old fart has done something that is detrimental to you."
Reo who heard that shook his head.
"Not really, I'm not harmed at all or have a problem with that old man. All this I did to satisfy my curiosity, that's all. I just wanted to ask a few questions to him." Reo said.
"I see. Well, that's the same, you basically kill him if he can't satisfy your curiosity."
"Do I look that cruel in your eyes, Miss Mata Hari?" Reo asked with a faint smile.
"I don't know, but you are sure to be lucky."
"Lucky?"
Hearing that, Mata Hari grinned.
"Yep ~ Lucky! You must have heard, right, about the auction that will be held by the Sato Family?"
Reo nodded.
"The auction is your great chance to meet that old man, that's the only place you can see the old fox who has become a legend in the world of magic weaponry throughout Japan in person and meet him."
"Even if you say that, but I have absolutely no access to enter the auction."
Hearing that, Mata Hari smiled broadly and stretched out her arms.
"Because of that, I, Mata Hari, humbly invite you to become my bodyguard at the auction. Think of it as a work contract."
1
Hearing Mata Hari's sudden offer, Reo squinted.
"The reason you asked me to become ur Bodyguard?"
Hearing Reo's words, Mata Hari grinned widely and looked at Reo slyly.
"Heh ~ do you think I don't know your identity as an Unranked Hunter who has the strength equal to the S-Rank Hunter, Reo Shirogami-kun ~."
Hearing that, the smile on Reo's face disappeared. Meanwhile Mata Hari continued her words.
"Being able to cooperate with someone who is equal in strength to an S-Rank Hunter, and a licensed Hunter, you will be of great use to me and I cannot afford to waste that opportunity at all."
2
Hearing that, Reo suddenly burst out laughing.
"Pfft ~ Hahahaha. So you admit it straight away that you want to use me to achieve your goals? Well, that's not a bad endeavor. Because I'm also planning to do the same to you," Reo said, smiling faintly.
"Then, do we agree?"
Hearing that, Reo thought for a moment before he nodded.
"Yeah."
Said Reo who then stood up from his seat and began to put on his black coat, he then sipped the hot chocolate that Noire had previously given him until nothing remained. Seeing that, Mata Hari raised her eyebrows.
"Are you leaving already? Why are you in such a hurry?"
"I have business I need to do urgently, so we can discuss the details in more via e-mail." The business Reo meant was eating Iris's dinner, which he couldn't miss.
"I see, then take care."
Reo nodded and turned around, but before he opened the door, he paused for a moment and glanced back towards Mata Hari.
"By the way, why are you so sure that I can talk to the old man in person at the auction. Do you have a plan that you have prepared?"
Hearing that, Mata Hari smiled
"Yeah well, for now you don't need to know ... But I can tell you one thing for sure, the auction will turn into chaos."
The atmosphere became silent before Reo opened his mouth.
"I see," replied Reo briefly.
Then, without saying anything else, Reo opened the door and left Mata Hari's room. Seeing Reo who had actually come out of the room, Mata Hari then jumped off her pillow and walked to the window.
"Ah ~ He is a very attractive person, right? Chesa."
"He's just an asshole."
"Haha, you Tsundere."
Meanwhile, Reo who has come out of the room looks busy looking for a list of names in his contacts, before he finally finds the name he is looking for, which is Osamu.
"Luckily I asked for his number at that time, I never thought that it would be useful at a time like this."
***
In one of the buildings in the Sato family residence, a lavish party in a western style is currently being held.
Dozens of people wearing formal clothes and luxurious dresses filled the room, the guests who attended danced and chatted with each other while enjoying the dishes that had been served by the host.
While excitement adorned the atmosphere in the party room, in one corner of the room, Osamu was seen just standing there alone holding a glass of wine.
He was seen observing the dance hall and saw a man starting to approach his brother, before they were both seen chatting with each other.
'That person, if I'm not mistaken, is the head of the Monitoring division, Goketsu Watanabe. Looks like he was also invited to this party. ' Osamu thought.
And while he was daydreaming, suddenly Osamu felt the cell phone in his pocket vibrate.
"Hm?"
Osamu raised his eyebrows, before he saw the contents of the message that had just entered, it was a message from Reo.
'This is the first time he's texted me, I thought he deleted my number but surpriy he didn't.' Osamu thought. And then, when he saw the contents of the message, Osamu raised his eyebrows in confusion.
"This guy ... What exactly does he want to do huh."
