’This place seems rather lively.’

I thought I’d eventually get used to the stares, but it never really happened, and I always found myself noticing them. This time, it was especially hard to ignore, as nearly everyone in the compound had stopped what they were doing and turned to look in our direction.

"That’s the Severed Stars Guild."

"...It’s them."

Whispers and discussions echoed out as some even pointed my way as they muttered, ’Is that him...? He looks a little different from what I thought.’

Different? In what way?

Now I was curious.

"Haha, welcome!"

All of a sudden, a cheerful voice cut through the quiet discussions and whispers as a tall man with a large build and a well-trimmed beard appeared. He wore a cap, and as he approached us, a wide smile spread across his face, directed at the Section Chief, whose already tired eyes seemed to age even further as he lowered his head and let out a quiet sigh.

"Oh?"

The next scene almost shook me to the core as the man walked over to the Section Chief and pulled him into a tight hug.

"If it isn’t you! How long has it been!"

After that, he lifted him.

Yes, lifted him and started to spin in circles as the Section Chief just resigned himself to his face, his face showing no emotion while he spun around in circles.

"I hardly heard from you after the academy! You did tell me that you joined a Queen-Grade Guild, but who would’ve thought it’d be the Severed Stars Guild! Haha! I’m so happy that you’ve finally managed to gain some success!"

The laughter continued to reverberate through the surroundings as everyone watched the scene unfold. The Section Chief spun and spun and spun... and I really wanted to do it too. Could I do it?

Eventually, the man let go, and the Section Chief steadied himself against the car, pinching the bridge of his brows.

His torture didn’t end as the man slapped the Section Chief in the back a couple of times.

For a moment, I thought the Section Chief’s soul flew out of him.

I took a step back.

’How does the saying go...? Why have enemies when you have friends like these?’

Yes, yes.

I made a mental note to never interact with people like this. I felt exhausted just looking at the scene. It was rather sad to see.

"Haha, sorry about that."

The man finally turned his attention towards us as he introduced himself.

"My name is Velrick Hiel. I’m the head administrator for this case, and I’ve been tasked by the BUA to ensure everything runs smoothly."

’So he’s from the BUA?’

Honestly, this was a bit surprising to hear. I had expected everyone from the BUA to be extremely formal and rigid, but he seemed to be the complete opposite.

’Then again, it’s not like I’ve met many people from the BUA.’

"As you can see, he and I go a long way back. You could say we grew up together, so this puts me in quite a good mood. Regardless, I shouldn’t drag this out for too long. Take a look around you."

I looked around as Velrick gestured. We were surrounded by numerous buildings, each standing close to the other within the compound. Narrowing my eyes, I began counting them one by one. One, two, three...

In total, there were six buildings around us, all enclosed by tall gates that sealed off the entire area. As I finished counting, Velrick’s voice echoed once more.

"This compound will be where all of you, along with the other guilds that have been called in, will be staying. As of now, we’ve gathered around ten King-Grade Guilds from across the world. The situation is still under control, but if it begins to deteriorate, we’re prepared to bring in even more."

All of a sudden, Velrick’s voice turned serious, a stark contrast to the happy tone that he had carried a moment prior with the Section Chief.

"I’ll be completely transparent with all of you. We’ve been struggling with this case. It’s been several days since we took over, and we still haven’t figured anything out. More people have gone missing right under our noses, and we don’t know how or why. That’s why we had no choice but to call for reinforcements. In any case..."

Velrick suddenly turned his attention towards a certain building.

"Let’s head inside and meet the other teams that have already arrived. I’m sure you’re all eager to meet them, and I’m certain they’re just as eager to meet you. We’ll brief everyone together on the plan moving forward."

Grabbing the Section Chief by the back of his collar, he started dragging him towards the compound in the distance. The Section Chief didn’t even resist, allowing himself to be carried away as his legs scraped against the floor and his eyes seemed even more lifeless than usual.

I pursed my lips while staring at the scene.

"Rough."

"...Yeah."

Soran nodded while staring in the Section Chief’s direction. Pulling her sunglasses off, she rested them in the middle of her shirt as she looked ahead.

And eventually, she looked at me.

"I’ve been thinking. I did invite you to dinner a while back. What do you say we have that now? I’m offering."

"...Isn’t it free?"

"It’s not about the price. It’s about the form—"

I continued ahead, ignoring her as we reached the cafeteria, where even more people had gathered. The place was crowded, and while it wasn’t anything particularly grand, a pleasant scent lingered in the air. My gaze drifted toward the food area, where a long line had already formed.

Looking at the area, I rubbed my stomach.

’All of a sudden, I’m starting to feel extremely hungry.’

I really wanted to grab a tray of food, but just like before, all attention shifted toward us the moment we stepped in. The room fell quiet for a brief second before the murmurs slowly returned. Knowing there was nothing I could do about the stares, I simply began looking around for a seat.

My eyes swept across the entire room until they finally settled on someone in particular, and I paused. A moment later, my legs began to move on their own, carrying me toward them.

Unlike the others, he was eating alone. The space around him was empty, as if others had chosen to keep their distance. As I approached, I eventually came to a stop before him. Only then did he seem to notice my presence, freezing the moment his eyes met mine.

I extended my hand.

"It’s nice to meet you."

At the same time, I introduced myself.

"My name is Seth. What is yours?"