Chapter 76
Chapter 76
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: A Sunday Interlude
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“Well, I’ll be going now. The barbecue last night was fun. Thanks for inviting me.”
“Sure. Say hi to Lily for me. And try to keep Yuria from looking for the camera all the time.”
“Ahaha… Hmm, I don’t think she’ll listen to me, though. Well then, bye, Yuria. See you tomorrow!”
“…!”
Alice, who had spent the night at the agency, stayed for lunch before heading home.
She seemed to want to stay longer, but it was clear she couldn’t rest easy, worried about her older sister, Lily.
A pretty, kind younger sister who cooked without being asked and worried about you first.
She was the kind of fantastical creature every older sibling in the world would adore.
Perhaps because they knew they didn’t need to see each other off.
Raven and Yuria bid Alice farewell at the entrance and returned inside the agency.
As Raven poured chocolate milk from the fridge into a glass, he watched Yuria’s back as she crawled into the closet in his room and thought.
‘Why does she always go into that closet? Does she really like that cramped space so much?’
No matter how he thought about it, the inside of the closet was not a pleasant space.
For one, it was so cramped you couldn’t even stand up properly. It was damp and dark, not designed for a person to enter.
At least Yuria was small, so her head wouldn’t hit the ceiling if she sat still.
Even so, as a relaxation spot, it barely deserved a 5 out of 10.
And if Raven hadn’t discreetly swapped her blanket for a freshly laundered one.
Or placed a portable ventilation device in the corner to clear out the stuffy dust. It wouldn’t have even scored a 5.
‘Well… I guess I can’t argue if it’s for that secret-base vibe. Kids her age find that stuff fun.’
A kid’s a kid, after all.
Raven placed the empty cup in the dishwasher and returned to his bed with a yawn.
*Rustle, rustle. Thump, thump.*
Whatever she was doing in there, it was making quite a racket.
Of course, it wasn’t loud enough to be truly bothersome.
Just a small noise that could be ignored if he tuned it out.
As long as it wasn’t the sound of a blanket tearing like last time.
With that thought, Raven lay down nonchalantly on his bed and tapped his terminal.
He was looking up information on today’s live Dino-Dragon race.
Every Sunday was a day for the Dino-Dragons to run fiercely.
The results of the Dino-Dragon races, which set a man’s heart ablaze, were sensitive to the slightest changes.
The weather, the wind, the level of competitors, the starting position, the racetrack, the number of spectators, and so on….
Since the smallest difference could separate first and second place, reviewing this information beforehand was a crucial task for a professional Dino-Dragon enthusiast.
“Oh, what’s this? Mega Briart and Starlight Highway are competing today? This could be another legendary race.”
“…”
“But in a clash of titans like this, there’s always room for a dark horse. Maybe Stardust Comet, who’s been in unusual condition, will pull off an upset and take first…”
“…!”
“Hey, what the— When did you get here? Weren’t you going to the bathroom?”
Raven, who had been focused on his terminal, looked up in surprise at Yuria, who had crept up beside him.
He’d sensed her coming out of the closet, but he never imagined she’d come this way.
But regardless of his reaction, she, holding a terminal in one hand, pressed herself right against the bed frame, her eyes full of curiosity.
On the terminal screen was a scene from a Dino-Dragon race, a familiar sight to him.
Seeing this, Raven asked if she had taken an interest in Dino-Dragons.
Yuria tilted her head, then nodded as if to say she was in the mood for it now.
At that, Raven immediately sat up straight, a highly suspicious grin spreading across his face as he spoke.
“Ha, your timing is perfect. This is the perfect season to get into it. Here, watch this race first. This was the DR Final League championship at the Nighthaven Royal Stadium two years ago. The competitors here all have incredible histories and stories…”
“…”
On Raven’s terminal screen, a drake, a creature commonly known in this world, kicked off the ground with force and charged forward.
It was a lesser dragon, a monster whose physical body far surpassed ordinary beasts or magical creatures, though it was a hollow shell lacking the intelligence or magical abilities of a true dragon.
Naturally, their races conveyed a sense of grandeur and immense power, like colossal mountains in motion.
Dino-Dragon racing, the largest sport of the era. How could anyone possibly dislike it?
Deeply immersed in its romance, Raven belatedly noticed Yuria was also deeply focused on the race, her body swaying with excitement.
*Hahahat, have I just gained another comrade?*
He glanced at the screen cheerfully, seeing her standing stock-still as if in a trance.
‘Wait, the one she’s watching now is…’
Judging by the timing and her reaction, Yuria was rooting for the scarred, gray Dino-Dragon struggling in the lower ranks: Gray Manister.
Abused and raised by an illegal organization as a child, it was rescued by a Fixer and now competed as a racer….
Though it performed well enough to be considered near the top tier, it wasn’t a particularly popular Dino-Dragon.
Of all the Dino-Dragons, why was she cheering for this one?
Did she perhaps see a reflection of her own circumstances in it?
Oblivious to the fact that Yuria was simply fascinated by a named Dino-Dragon, Raven felt as if cold water had been thrown on him, his brow furrowing slightly.
His earlier joy completely vanished as he watched Yuria, engrossed in the screen, and thought.
‘It’s at times like this I’m reminded she’s the Ghost. She might think she’s not giving anything away, but…’
The Ghost, an irregular in the city who wielded an impossible psychic power.
No matter how he looked at it, Yuria had to be one and the same.
Of course, he had yet to see the unidentified power the Ghost was said to possess with his own two eyes.
But her occasional lack of common sense and her impossibly fast movements.
And her behavior, which suggested a dark past… all of it pointed too clearly to the fact that she was the Ghost.
Well, Alice, still obsessed with the Ghost, seemed to have no clue that Yuria was the one she was looking for.
‘But her connection to the Nexus Project… I still don’t know. I can’t just bluntly ask her about her past. Is the only thing I can do now wait for an opportunity…?’
Raven’s thoughts grew complicated.
He knew Yuria was the Ghost, but that alone wasn’t enough to act on.
His original goal in uncovering the Ghost’s identity was to secure the identity of a person likely in a dire situation and to root out the Invader forces that might be connected to her….
But from what he could see, Yuria was too optimistic to consider herself pitiful, and there was no way to secretly check for any links to the Invaders.
On the other hand, asking her directly was also a problem, as Yuria had grown far too close to the agency members.
What if Yuria, discovered as the Ghost, ran away from the agency in fear?
Even he would feel an underlying emptiness if Yuria were gone tomorrow.
He could only imagine how much Alice, who was overly affectionate, or David, who was fiercely loyal to his comrades despite not showing it, would suffer. The thought alone gave him a headache.
‘Haa… If I had been sure she was the Ghost, I shouldn’t have let her move in. Is all I can do now just hope she’s not one of the bad guys?’
Thinking this, Raven reached out and grabbed the crown of Yuria’s head as she wiggled left and right, engrossed in the Dino-Dragon’s movements, and gave it a good shake.
Startled by the sudden torment, she swayed helplessly like a reed, tapping his hand to make him stop, but he just chuckled and teased her more.
“Hehehe, sorry, sorry. The top of your head was so round, I just had to shake it for a second.”
“…!!”
“What do you want for dinner tonight? How about some steak?”
“……!”
*What was that for!*
Yuria raised both hands above her head as if to say just that, wary of Raven, but at his suggestion of steak, she pondered for a moment before slowly nodding.
Her anger vanished with the promise of a delicious meal. What was he to do with such a simple child?
With that thought, Raven chuckled and stood up.
Well, things would change somehow once Greg arrived.
Even if he was out of contact, Greg was a highly skilled individual he acknowledged.
Unless he got tangled up with a monster like the Dragon Mayor, he wasn’t the type to be easily defeated.
*Ping.*
Just as Raven was thinking this, a notification for a new message appeared on the terminal screen, which was still displaying the Dino-Dragon race.
Coincidentally, the sender was the very person he had just been thinking about: Greg.
Noticing this, Yuria’s expression brightened as she bounced on her feet, urging him to show her quickly.
*What timing. Was he watching from somewhere?*
Raven thought to himself as he tapped the screen to display the message.
Yuria’s and Raven’s eyes met in bewilderment as they read the contents.
[Raven, sorry, but I need your help.]
The message was so abrupt, as if sent in a hurry with no time to spare, that it didn't even explain what kind of help was needed.
Apparently, something was going terribly wrong.