Knox City, Hero Association, Special Liaison Room.
This room, which every branch spent a fortune to build, contained a communication circuit directly linked to the Association headquarters in the Imperial Capital.
Only branch management and the most elite squads were qualified to stand here.
Gray stood in the center of the dark, circular room, his expression somewhat dazed.
Part of it was because he hadn’t been here in a long time.
The last time he stood in this spot, the Dawn Blade had not yet disbanded, and his original group of dear friends had not yet gone their separate ways.
As for the other reason…
Whenever he closed his eyes, his mind was filled with that crossroads from earlier and the words Katy had spoken in the drizzle.
“If you could choose me, I’d be very happy.”
*Hiss.*
That was a bit hard to handle.
With that shy expression and that slight air of playing hard to get, could Miss Katy possibly feel… toward me…
‘No, impossible. It must be the first of the Three Major Delusions of Life! How could an angel like Miss Katy ever take an interest in me? She definitely meant it in the context of the Hero party.’
“Nervous?” a slightly sweet, cloying female voice sounded from the darkness nearby.
“… No.”
Gray snapped back to his senses, his expression turning flat.
“Stop lying.”
Lobelia’s figure flickered in and out of the shadows.
She let out a soft chuckle.
“Your heartbeat is much faster than usual. Why? Is it because I’m here, and I’ve sent your heart into a flutter?”
Gray shook his head honestly.
“It’s because I just parted ways with Miss Katy.”
After he said that, Gray thought he heard Lobelia click her tongue, but the sound was extremely faint.
The pink-haired girl felt a sudden tightness in her chest.
She took a deep breath and decided to change her tactics.
“Speaking of which, that boy named Timmy is quite a genius. You’d understand if you watched the combat recordings of my Rose Vessel. That kind of dual-attribute control… I’ve decided to use my A-rank authority to take him directly to the Royal Capital to participate in the qualification exam for C-level Mages ahead of schedule.”
She mentioned this as if it were an afterthought, all while paying close attention to Gray’s heartbeat.
‘Hmph, even if you can fake a calm and breezy exterior, the sudden acceleration of your heart when your sore spot is poked can’t be hidden!’
“Is that so? Then congratulations are in order.”
Gray’s tone was flat, as if he were listening to her comment on the weather.
His heartbeat, meanwhile, grew slower and slower.
Silence.
Lobelia felt even more annoyed.
Was this Gray fellow’s physical makeup different from all the other men who fell at her feet?
Weren’t men extremely jealous creatures?
Weren’t they the type who would pounce like hounds on a rabbit just because of a little stimulation?
Forget a talented boy like Timmy—those muscle-heads around her would prefer it if no other male creatures existed within her sight.
Yet, how could Gray be so nonchalant?
Could it be that the Authority of Affection simply didn’t work on him?
No, that was impossible!
“… Can A-rank authority really arrange for exceptional promotion exams?”
Gray suddenly asked.
Lobelia felt a surge of joy.
‘Finally! I knew you cared!’
Some men were like this—they had to use things like “justice” or “the greater good” to cover up their petty, selfish thoughts.
So, that was the kind of guy Gray was now.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her tone carrying a hint of provocative arrogance.
“What? Are you dissatisfied? This is the benefit of privilege, Gray.”
Gray rubbed his chin, calculating with a serious face.
“No, I was thinking that if A-rank heroes have this power, I could arrange one for Miss Katy as well. Her talent is excellent. The Light Magic she used during her first Labyrinth run was able to wound the undead in a Star Glimmer Level Labyrinth. Staying at E-level is a waste of her talent.”
“…”
Katy again! Was there nothing else in your head?!
Lobelia felt a surge of rage boiling in her chest.
She seemed to see that blonde brat by the portal again, turning back to flash her a smile.
It was a provocative smile that completely contradicted the persona of a sweet, obedient little Priest.
“Heh.”
The pink-haired witch’s lips twitched, revealing a cold smile that looked worse than a crying face.
“So you like that type of girl? Gray, be careful you don’t get swindled until you’re left with nothing but your underwear. Those ‘pure white lotuses’ usually have the deepest schemes.”
Lobelia felt a knot of frustration in her chest.
Once again, she visualized Katy turning around at the Labyrinth portal to smile at her.
“… Heh, so you like that kind of girl, Gray? Be careful not to get tricked, okay?”
“My feelings for Miss Katy are not that of romantic love,” the young man denied righteously.
Lobelia’s lips twitched.
‘Who are you trying to fool? Your heart just sped up again.’
“Ahem.”
The Branch Manager, who had been standing in the shadows on the left pretending to be deaf and mute, cleared his throat.
The two of them tactfully shut their mouths.
*Hum—*
A few seconds later, a silver-blue magical glow lit up the center of the room.
A massive magic screen descended from the air, displaying several figures whose faces were hidden in the shadows of their hoods.
Those were the elders of the Hero Association headquarters located in the Imperial Capital.
“A-rank Hero Gray.”
In the center of the screen, an aged and majestic voice spoke.
“According to the urgent report you submitted, a member of the Demon Race capable of using scrolls appeared in the Starshine-level Labyrinth, Graveyard of Ghost Ships?”
“Yes.”
Gray took a step forward, nodding with a solemn expression.
“Not only did it use a scroll, but the magic recorded on that scroll belonged to the former master of the 13th Dungeon, the Abyssal Magic Armor, Noctiluca.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the figures on the screen showed obvious surprise.
On the Kala Continent, scrolls were products of the Elves and one of their largest exports to humans.
Although they weren’t exactly common in daily life due to their high price, one could buy a scroll for the price of a few silver coins—roughly three days’ worth of food for a family.
However, whether one bought a scroll with a specific spell or asked a mage to record magic on a blank scroll, these were activities confined within human society.
But a Labyrinth Boss using a scroll?
That was as terrifying as a monkey suddenly pulling out a gun and expertly flipping off the safety.
“Could it have been dropped by a previous Hero who was teleported away by a Return Crystal?”
Lobelia interjected from the side.
The old man in the center of the screen shook his head.
“The Graveyard of Ghost Ships is a newly discovered Labyrinth with very few exploration records. Excluding the two investigators who were sacrificed, we have checked the equipment lists of every Hero who entered that Labyrinth… No one carried a scroll recorded with the high-tier Space magic Gray described.”
“Are you implying…”
The voice of an elderly female councilor on the screen trembled slightly.
“That the Demon Race has begun to learn how to use scrolls?”
“Hero Gray,” the old man asked again.
“You are not certain if the Labyrinth leader was completely killed?”
Gray shook his head, looking somewhat ashamed.
“The situation was urgent at the time. To save people, I forcibly broke into that space created by magic. Due to mana exhaustion and the impact of the spatial turbulence, my consciousness was somewhat blurred.”
He remembered that hideous mass of flesh exploding into thousands of pieces before the lightning, but considering the sickening vitality of some demons, that leader might indeed have survived.
The high-ranking officials on the screen fell into silence.
The potential danger was too great.
Scrolls allowed a user to release the magic inscribed within by injecting a tiny amount of mana.
If the Demon Race mastered the use of scrolls, the difficulty of all future Labyrinth explorations would skyrocket.
After all, no one wanted to see a Goblin at the Labyrinth entrance lead with a scroll that unleashed Super-tier Magic.
“My Lords.”
Lobelia, who had been waiting for her chance, suddenly took a step forward and performed an elegant bow.
“Since this matter is so serious, I am willing to volunteer.”
She looked up, her face filled with determination for the sake of humanity.
“As a fellow A-rank Mage, I will personally lead a team to thoroughly investigate the Graveyard of Ghost Ships and the surrounding Labyrinths to find the source of the scrolls held by the Demon Race.”
Gray glanced sideways at this woman who had suddenly found her motivation.
Lily had mentioned that Lobelia was currently trying to run for the position of Cardinal of the Church.
It seemed she wanted to use this crisis to score points with the powerful old men who held real authority.
“Very well.”
The lead elder’s voice softened slightly.
“We trust the strength of Cardinal Candidate Lobelia. This matter will be left entirely to your charge.”
“I shall not fail my mission.”
The girl smiled like a blooming rose.
Gray silently rolled his eyes.
‘What a pretty speech.’
Knowing her personality, she would probably dump this thankless task onto some lovestruck fool who followed her around as soon as she walked out the door.
For the next half an hour, the elder on the screen began to drone on about the political impact and strategic significance of this event.
Gray appeared to be standing straight, but his soul had effectively entered power-saving mode.
‘Sigh, I want to leave. I want to spend more time with Miss Katy.’
‘What is she doing right now? She’s probably helping the old lady of the house clean up, or maybe she’s in the courtyard under the sunset, wearing that white dress, humming a song, and gently pruning the flowers.’
At the thought of that image, Gray felt a warmth in his heart.
The fatigue accumulated throughout the day seemed to fade a little.
***
“This is so boring… Maybe I should stir up some trouble?”
On the other side, while Katy was sprawled on her bed pondering major physiological questions, she and the crystal ball on her bedside table were teleported together into the forest outside the city with a resonant twang.
“Wait a minute, Master Demon Lord! I haven’t even finished putting on my tights yet!”
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