"{consumption} huh?"
’That must be the reason for her growth even without any hunting’
In the anti, the snake continued to rub its body against Hans’s hand.
"Here, here, are you happy we will get to hunt together again?"
’So cute’
Having picked Ember back up, Hans stopped by the association to see Emily.
When he arrived, however, he regretted the decision he had just made when seeing Kenta.
Since the new branch leader was talking with other people, Hans tried to sneak away without being noticed.
But as he walked towards the exit, he felt the cold breath of soone on his neck.
"Look at what we have here…"
"To think the honorable Mr. Youngest high-ranking mage would co to honor us with his presence."
Hans turned around, and trying to feign ignorance, he said:
"Oh! Kenta! How pleasant to find you here, I hadn’t seen you.
By the way, do you know where’s Emily?
I wanted to bid her farewell before returning to the academy."
"I think I also might have to bid you farewell don’t you agree?
Co up to the highest floor, Enily is there right now, we will also have the chance to talk a little bit."
"N-no, I don’t want to disturb you right now since you seem to be discussing sothing important"
"Oh, co on don’t worry about that, I’m sure these gentlen over there won’t mind my absence"
"Are you sure? I think I still shouldn’t bother you, I will pass by another ti"
"When is that exactly? Weren’t you about to return to the Academy?"
"Ah… that…"
"You are NOT going to escape this ti"
Whispered Kenta.
’Ha… haha… damn, my little ember what did you do?’
Thought Hans watching inside his pocket, where his little white friend was currently hiding.
"I am sorry but sothing important ca up, we will continue our conversation later if you could give a couple of hours."
The three n he was talking to walked away after hearing this, and Hans was left alone with Kenta.
To see if Kenta’s personality had shifted again, Hans decided to inspect his status window and was surprised to find out that Kenta’s level had risen to 235.
It was considered an average level for A-ranks, but having a rare class, he had already surpassed the stats threshold to qualify as an S-rank.
Also, his personality was normal.
’Strange, if his personality is as ever then why is he so angry?
Perhaps… did sothing happen?"
Hans followed Kenta to the elevator before asking anything.
"Kenta, is everything okay?"
"Everything okay?….
Everything okay you say?
Not only you tricked into becoming the Chicago Association branch leader, but you also sent your stupid beast to take care of!"
Hearing this insult the snake made his way out of Hans’s pocket and jumped towards Kenta.
Unfortunately, she had miscalculated sothing…
Her opponent was not an average person, but an awakened who could be classified as S-rank.
The man caught the snake before it could even co close to buying his skin, and then squeezed his grip to intimidate it.
But in reply, Hans also grabbed the man’s wrist and twisted it, almost dislocating it.
"Kenta, every ti I co back here you’re a little bit too active, calm down.
This is the last ti I will tell you.
Touching his wrist with the other hand, Kenta squinted his eyes from the pain.
’Is he even a mage? Where did that strength co from?’
After the pain subsided, the door of the elevator opened, and they both walked out of it.
Since this was a floor exclusively reserved for the branch leader and their assistant, Ember was allowed to stay on Hans’s shoulders, exchanging glances of pure hostility with the man beside her.
They arrived in front of the usual wooden door that led to the Branch leader’s private office.
After entering, Kenta called Emily, while Hans asked the sa question for the second ti.
"Kenta, is everything okay?"
"I already told you, this work has been-"
"Kenta, you…
[…emotional state: stressed, worried, scared]
…are acting weird"
"Acting weird? What does that even an? You’ve been here for two minutes, how can you say sothing like that, everyone here can tell you I’m the sa as always, just more stressed because of everything you left to do."
Before Hans could insist any further, soone knocked on the door.
"Knock… knock"
"You can co in"
Said Kenta.
As he spoke, the door opened, revealing Emily, who, as always, held in her hands a pen and a few files.
"It’s been a while hasn’t it?"
She said watching Hans seated on the chair in front of the branch leader.
"Has fa finally gotten to your head? Or are you still the sa?"
"I think I shouldn’t have dropped by"
"Phahah, alright, you’re definitely the real one.
So? What brings you here to this little village?"
"Are you kidding with right now?"
"No!"
Replied Emily with a worried and shocked voice.
"How could I ever? Your Majesty, please spare this humble one!
….
Pfff hahaha"
Annoyed, Hans ignored the loud laughing of the woman and watched Kenta in the eyes.
He noticed that the man in front of him had two big bags under his eyes.
’Is work so tiring these days? Or is it his ntal state?’
"Are you done with that BS now? To think I ca here to bid you farewell…"
"Haha… haa"
She finally stopped laughing and actually talked to Hans.
"Well, there’s no need to worry about , I’m not going anywhere, I will age and rot right here where I am now"
"What a dreadful thing to say"
Comnted Hans.
"It’s true though isn’t it?"
"Let’s hope not"
She watched him with a doubtful gaze before sighing loudly.
"Sigh… whatever, don’t forget to co back when you’re done in the academy.
I still got a lot of work to do so I’m off"
Saying that she just left Hans and Kenta alone, returning to the elevator and going away.
"Did you do sothing to upset her?"
Asked Kenta.
In response, Hans raised his shoulders.
"I don’t know"
Inside the elevator, Emily had a saddened expression painted on her face.
’He is not like the rest of us.
He has the potential to beco sothing better.
Holding him here would be quite selfish of wouldn’t it?’
She, who was not part of the extrely strong and surreal world of awakened, always felt like a weight for Hans.
She had no abilities and no power, the only thing she could gift him was a laugh.
And that’s what she tried to do every ti she saw him but with the passage of ti… even that beca tiring.
She had nothing to offer to him as a friend, and she ca to the conclusion that severing her friendship with him would be the greatest gift she could give.
Hans didn’t think much about all that and just thought she was having a bad day or sothing.
"Anyway, don’t change the subject, I can tell you’ve been acting strange, I can read how nervous you are from the look on your face"
The man didn’t reply.
He didn’t know what to reply.
The trust he had in Hans’ powers surpassed by far the one he had in him as a person.
"Hans, that thing you promised …
I think… the ti might’ve co for you to uphold your promise"
’The thing… he told …
"Do you an?!"
The man touched his temples with both hands as he sighed.
"Yes…
They might’ve started to catch up on "
"Is it the ones you talked about last ti?
Hans’ question was followed by Kenta’s nod.
"Who exactly are they?"
"A gang, a group, a mafia, you can call them what you want.
They are crazy bastards obsessed over money and wealth.
They are one of the major forces making up the underworld of Asian countries.
The amounts of cris they commit in order to get what they want is extrely high.
They are most widely spread in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, all countries with relatively high population density and little territory."
"What do you have to do with them?"
"I was part of them"
"Uh? Are you also…"
"Yes, I have also killed so people, haven’t you too?"
Hans was deeply shaken by this affirmation and this question.
He had only killed people who deserved to die, and even if that wasn’t enough to deny his actions if Kenta had killed innocent people… then what would he have done?
"Were they... Innocent"
"No"
A loud silence resounded throughout the room.
They both gave their heads ti to about what to say before continuing the conversation.
"What do they want from you?"
Asked Hans, changing the subject from murder to sothing he could actually think about without having to make a decision.
"There is a rule in most evil organizations:
No one is allowed to leave.
And guess what I did…"
…
"Shit"
…
"…I left"
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