I Became the Cute One in the Troubleshooter Squad-Chapter 113: Aftermath at Saint Maria - Interlude

Dozens of planes continued to arrive and depart without rest at Midnight Airport in Nighthaven.

Beyond the smoothly opening automatic doors, a woman took off her hat and called out with a bright expression.

"I'm finally back! Nighthaven!"

Letting her beautiful cherry blossom-colored hair flow freely, the woman was none other than Alice. She had just landed in Nighthaven after boarding a flight from an airport near Saint Maria.

When she left, she had to depart before sunrise and only arrived past lunchtime. But now, even though she had left in the late morning, it wasn’t even noon yet.

Alice felt genuinely moved by the sheer speed of airplanes, easily overwhelming trains or cars.

"Slow down, will you? What's got you in such a rush, you brat?"

Dr-r-rnk.

Dragging a suitcase with one hand, Raven followed after her, scolding her as he did. His face practically screamed, What the hell is wrong with this woman?

Even though the trip was over, she was still grinning ear to ear. Raven was clearly exhausted from Alice’s unrelenting energy, showing no signs of settling down.

Of course, her excitement wasn’t just because the trip had been fun. She had also let go of the past emotions that had been weighing on her.

"You’re really excited. You that happy to be back in Nighthaven?"

"Of course! It's my hometown!"

"...Wasn't your hometown Japan?"

"I was born in Japan, but Nighthaven is my home at heart!"

Jin, you really don’t understand what Nighthaven means to non-human races! You have zero sensitivity!

Alice sighed, pressing her forehead as she shook her head in exasperation.

No other city on Earth gave non-humans as much freedom as Nighthaven. In a way, it was only natural to feel a strong sense of belonging here—a place that felt like a true home for non-humans.

However, the word hometown technically referred to the place where one was born and raised. Raven had only pointed out the obvious, but somehow, he still felt unfairly accused.

"That aside... it's surprisingly empty here. This doesn’t feel like the Midnight Airport I know."

After berating Raven, Alice glanced around before voicing her thoughts.

And she had good reason to.

Midnight Airport was one of the two airports in Nighthaven and was always packed with people—so crowded that even going to the bathroom was a struggle.

But right now, what she saw was the complete opposite. The place looked emptier than an unpopular airport, with more staff members than actual customers.

Well, saying it was unpopular wouldn’t be entirely accurate. The luxury exuding from the floors to the ceilings was undeniable, making such an expression feel slightly off.

Raven answered her question with the kind of tone that implied it was obvious.

"This is a private terminal for business jets and chartered flights. Just using it costs a ridiculous amount. Even I wouldn’t bother with a place like this."

"Heh... It’s nice to experience luxury thanks to Victor."

"No kidding. Lucky you, having the right friend."

The reason they were able to use such an expensive private terminal was simple.

Victor had arranged for a chartered flight to take them back to Nighthaven.

As a fixer renowned worldwide, Victor had more than enough income from his contracts to afford such things.

Since he planned to stay in Saint Maria a little longer to recover from his injuries, lending the jet to Raven’s group wasn’t a big deal to him.

Airplanes were already an expensive means of transportation, practically equating to buying «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» time with money.

But to lend out a private jet completely for free? That was like flaunting the sheer magnitude of his wealth—just like his overwhelming muscles.

"Hmmm, I’m already missing that guy’s muscles."

"If Victor hears that, he’ll be thrilled."

As Raven gazed at the sky, reminiscing about Victor lying in bed recuperating, the rest of their group approached, chatting casually as they walked.

"Ah, there you are. We were looking for you."

"Hm? What’s up?"

"We’re heading off first. Haha... This trip had its share of chaos, but it was really enjoyable."

"Yeah... Well, as long as you had fun, that’s all that matters. See you back at the office after the holidays."

"Goodbye! See you after the break!"

"Yeah."

"See you later."

Then, take care.

David and Rayne bowed politely as they said their goodbyes. It seemed they planned to head home first and sort out their belongings.

"Yuria... We’ll get to hang out again, right?"

"...!"

Sabrina clung to Yuria with a lingering attachment, clearly reluctant to part ways.

But thanks to Yuria’s gentle hug, reassuring her that they’d see each other again, she finally managed to let go.

Raven watched the scene with an expression of disbelief.

Why the hell is this girl so popular with other women?

Alice, Rayne, and Sabrina were one thing, but even Karen, who had barely met Yuria, had been desperate to give her at least a piece of candy.

Thinking about it that way, she really was like a magnetic femme fatale.

She looks completely harmless, like a small animal, but the deeper you dig... the less I understand her.

As he quietly watched Yuria’s retreating figure, his thoughts drifted back to Belmont.

Back then, she had fought against Akashmir, one of the most elusive entities among the Septenary Guard.

Even if she had covered herself with fabric to obscure her appearance, her build, stride, and breathing were undeniable clues.

That ghost had been Yuria.

There was no doubt about it.

Which only meant one thing—she needed to be watched carefully.

The fact that she had held her own against Akashmir, whom even Raven himself couldn’t guarantee victory against, meant she had been hiding her strength in some way.

Someone capable of exhibiting the combat prowess of the Septenary Guard... If she ever lost control, the damage would be unimaginable.

Whether it was some unheard-of psychic ability or a completely different kind of magic, she was a ticking time bomb.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

And as a fixer, Raven couldn’t afford to simply ignore that.

But if she were truly that dangerous, would Greg—who had been with her the entire time—really remain silent about it?

A vampire like Drakel, who had turned the Western Labyrinth into a bloodbath, or a necromancer like Morte—if Yuria were anything like them, Greg would never trust her as much as he did.

Because Raven trusted both Greg and Yuria, he had no choice but to put off his judgment for now.

Making the wrong move could destroy their current relationship.

And whether he liked it or not, he had already grown too close to Yuria.

But after spending time with Victor in Saint Maria... and encountering that cat beastkin fighting against Morte, he could no longer ignore his doubts.

“...Nexus Project and God’s Child, huh.”

Turning his gaze from Yuria, Raven looked toward the broad glass wall beside him.

There, bathed in sunlight, was the dazzling cityscape of Nighthaven in the middle of the day.

The rampaging Liberation Army of Non-Human Races, the reappearance of divine traces, the lingering threat of the Invaders—

No one knew what the future held.

But one thing was certain: it would be anything but peaceful.

Raven kept those thoughts to himself as they lingered in his mind.

"Jin, what are you doing? Hurry up, let’s go!"

"...?"

"...Ah, right. Let’s go. Home."

For a brief moment, Raven's expression shifted before he adjusted it as if putting on a new mask.

He then leisurely followed after the two figures ahead of him.

Alice walked under the bright sunlight, Raven remained in the deep shadows—

And Yuria, standing beside Alice, turned to look back at him.

That scene felt oddly familiar.

And for some reason, that realization unsettled him.

*

At the same time, in a mechanical workshop where the devices ran without rest.

A woman with pure white hair was so deeply immersed in her work that it was questionable whether she was even breathing.

She was using a screwdriver in her hand to slowly adjust a minuscule gear, moving it with delicate precision.

As if responding to her movements, the thin threads of mana flowing around her bounced and flickered like notes in a melody.

It was as if the woman was a masterful conductor, orchestrating the very laws of magic into a mesmerizing symphony.

Then—

Click.

The tiny gear finally locked into place with a precise sound, meshing seamlessly with its mechanism.

In that instant, the unstable waves of mana, which had been flickering unpredictably like a candle caught in the wind, began to flow with deliberate precision, as if they were being guided by an unseen force.

Like a radio that had been stuck between frequencies suddenly tuning in to a crystal-clear channel—

Mana surged forward, flowing irresistibly toward the small doll sitting on the workbench in front of the woman.

Ten seconds, no—exactly eleven seconds passed.

And then—

The doll on the desk slowly opened its eyes and... spoke.

"Hello, Master. It’s a pleasure to meet you."

"It... it worked!!!"

The white-haired woman let out a joyous cry as she saw the doll come to life.

It was the exhilaration of a mechanic who, despite the holiday, had been too absorbed in her work to take a single break—

And had finally succeeded.