Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: Yuria Repays a Debt (9)
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Raven stared into the distance for a moment to compose himself, then turned his serious gaze back to Yuria.
His gaze seemed to demand an explanation, as if he were looking at a stranger.
But Yuria, on the receiving end of that stare, could only dart her eyes around nervously.
*Even if he wants an explanation... I can't speak, so what am I supposed to do?*
*Besides, he asked who I was... Could it be that he doesn't know my identity?*
Come to think of it, it wasn't so strange that he hadn't noticed.
Greg was a mountain of muscle, well over two meters tall.
Naturally, his coat was enormous, long enough to reach her ankles even when it completely covered her head.
Just in case, she had tied her fox mask securely to her waist, out of sight.
Worried her hair color would give her away, she had rolled it into a bun and hidden it at the nape of her neck.
It was safe to say that none of her distinguishing features were visible.
Even someone as perceptive as Raven couldn't tell who she was when she was this hidden!
Yuria, feeling inexplicably pleased, giggled to herself inside the coat and ducked behind Greg.
Honestly, she was more worried about getting scolded than about being discovered as a psychic.
He’d said he couldn't allow it as long as he was alive, so what would happen if he found out she was Yuria?
To be honest, when he had warned her not to follow earlier, it had been scary enough to bring tears to her eyes.
*...Pretending I don't know is harder than I thought.*
Of course, her thoughts were an utterly pointless worry.
Because Raven had already realized that the person hiding in the coat was Yuria.
It was true that she was wrapped in the coat and had no identifiable features.
But ultimately, her short stature and slender frame, visible outside the clothes, couldn't be hidden.
And the glimpse of her porcelain-white skin beneath the hem of the coat.
The way she gasped in surprise upon seeing him clearly revealed that she was Yuria.
But unlike what Yuria feared, Raven had no intention of revealing her identity.
Besides, while he hadn't confirmed it, he already knew she was the ghost.
Raven wasn't the type to pry if someone didn't want to reveal something about themselves.
Furthermore, he had never imagined there would be two executives from the Metahuman Liberation Army.
If Greg hadn't been prepared to die to separate one of them, a fight wouldn't have even been possible.
If Yuria hadn't been there, things would have become much more complicated; he had more reason to be grateful than anything else.
*'On top of that, I deliberately had David email the location under the guise of a mistake... Yes, it's best to let this slide for now.'*
And he had firmly warned her not to follow, practically threatening her.
If he were to reveal that she was Yuria now, it would create an incredibly awkward moment.
Therefore, the ghost and Yuria were completely separate people.
He etched that sentence firmly in his mind and looked at Greg, who wore a troubled expression.
“...”
“Wait, let me explain. This is...”
“Ah, could this be the ghost Alice mentioned meeting before? I never imagined you had a connection with Greg. I didn't expect to meet you like this.”
“Hm? Ah... that's right.”
“...?”
Raven subtly sent a signal to Greg.
It meant he was going to let it slide for now, so Greg should play along.
Fortunately, Greg immediately understood the signal's meaning.
From his perspective, it would have felt strange for Raven *not* to have noticed it was Yuria.
Would a man with senses so sharp he could tell if someone was lying just by their tone of voice fail to recognize her just because she was wearing a coat?
He probably felt there was no need to reveal that Yuria was the ghost.
Especially since psychics were dangerous beings—one could get in trouble just for hiding them—he decided to participate in this clumsy act for Yuria's sake.
“I've helped this person out a few times before. When I requested assistance, they readily accepted. Thanks to them, I'm still alive.”
“That's a huge relief. Ghost, let me offer my thanks as well. I nearly lost a dear friend. Thank you very much.”
“...”
*I-Is that so? No, well... I just did what I had to do.*
Yuria, completely unaware that Raven had already figured it out, slowly nodded her head.
She had intended to protect Greg no matter what, anyway.
But hearing words of thanks from Raven, whom she admired, made her shoulders straighten with pride.
“Well then... it seems the situation is mostly sorted out. Ah, the Metahuman Liberation Army. Those troublesome bastards have started to move.”
Had he decided that introductions and explanations were more or less complete?
Raven rubbed his neck and furrowed his brow, looking troubled.
He was right. The Metahuman Liberation Army was a dangerous group, right down to its ideology.
They were extremists who considered sacrifices for the greater good to be trivial and readily eliminated those who didn't follow them.
The fact they had started to move meant that fighting and war were inevitable.
For him, who had fought enemies in war to the point of exhaustion in the past, it was nothing but tiresome.
“I'll take care of the cleanup. You guys should leave first so you're not discovered. It'll be a problem if you're found out to be metahumans.”
“That... is certainly true.”
“I have a Fixer's authority. Don't worry about it.”
*Still, you have to do what you have to do.*
Raven said that as a Fixer, he would somehow sort out what had just happened.
After all, Belmont was a human city where metahumans couldn't roam freely.
If Greg or Karen were discovered, things would inevitably get complicated in many ways.
They could be implicated as persons of interest in the incident and be stuck in Belmont for months, so it was best for them to have no connection to it whatsoever.
“I anticipated something like this and prepared a safe house in advance. Hide out there for a bit, then take the train to Nighthaven. It shouldn't be too late.”
“...Thank you. I will never forget this debt.”
“Th-Thank you, Mr. Raven.”
“If you're grateful, treat me to a meal in Nighthaven sometime.”
“Hm, I'll think about it.”
Greg bowed his head deeply to Raven, as if promising to repay him one day.
To think he would help them this much. The word 'benefactor' was hardly enough.
And so, Greg, Karen, and Yuria left Raven at the scene and departed.
In a way, they were placing an excessive burden on Raven, but Yuria wasn't too worried about him.
The dense traces of magical energy left at the scene would indicate that this was all the work of a mage.
Also, the werewolf fur scattered everywhere would prove the culprits were metahumans.
It would probably cause a stir about the Metahuman Liberation Army making a move after years of silence, and Raven would soon be cleared and able to return to Nighthaven.
*'Even so, it's not an easy thing to do. He's such a softie when it comes to his own people.'*
Yuria smirked as she trotted after Greg.
He calmly did things she felt she could never do, making him a person who was impossible to dislike.
*Still, Greg came back safe and sound. I guess our connection will fade now.*
The thought was somewhat relieving, yet she also felt a twinge of disappointment.
Was it as if he could hear Yuria's inner thoughts?
Greg, who had been walking quietly toward the safe house, suddenly spoke to her.
“...Hm, by the way. I don't think I've properly greeted you yet. It's been a while, Yuria. Has it been a month?”
“...!”
*A month? It's been longer than that!*
Yuria poked her face out from the tightly wrapped coat and glared at Greg like a fierce little bird.
But she had forgotten that she still hadn't put back on the mask she'd taken off earlier.
Karen, walking alongside Greg, gasped, her eyes widening in shock.
She was completely mesmerized by her first look at Yuria's devastatingly beautiful bare face.
She was so stunned that she activated her arachne eyes, which could magnify objects hundreds of times for observation.
“Whoa... How can a face be so perfect, like a work of art... Ouch!”
“...Yuria, you forgot your mask.”
“...? ...!”
Yuria's eyes widened at the sight of Karen, who seemed to have hit a wall quite hard.
Then, realizing from Greg's words that she had indeed forgotten her mask, she belatedly hid back inside the coat.
*But it's already been revealed, so is there really a need to hide? There's no one else around, anyway.*
She soon thought so and cautiously poked her face out of the coat again.
At that, Greg, as if sensing Yuria no longer intended to hide her face, averted his gaze slightly and looked straight ahead as he spoke.
“I intended to be back in a month. But as you can see, I got caught up in some rather unpleasant business.”
“...”
“I didn't mean to make you angry. I'm truly sorry.”
Seeing Greg not even looking at her, Yuria's eyebrows furrowed.
*Is this how someone apologizes? Does he not even want to look at me?*
No, in truth, Yuria wasn't particularly angry that he was late.
Hearing the circumstances, he had been chased by two of the Seven Extremes, each a monster on Raven's level.
It was actually incredible that he had managed to escape unharmed until now.
But separate from that, Greg's attitude of staring into space while talking, as if ignoring her, was enough to make her pout. *And here I thought we were close.*
Did he perhaps read Yuria's hurt feelings?
Greg touched his forehead as if to apologize again and spoke calmly.
“As for not looking at your face... I hope you'll understand. As an appraiser, your face is so overwhelming that it's difficult to look at. For those with a deep appreciation for art, it would be akin to mental contamination.”
”...?!“
*Eh? I-Is that what it is?*
Yuria, bewildered, shifted her gaze to Karen walking beside Greg.
There, she saw the woman murmuring in admiration and stealing glances at her.
She clearly looked as if she couldn't believe such a face existed in reality.
*I mean, I knew my face was pretty cute, but... is it really on that level?*
Unsure how to take their reactions, Yuria's gaze wandered.
Then she ducked back into the coat, put on her fox mask, and popped out again.
As if things were finally better, Greg's gaze moved toward Yuria.
Then, almost simultaneously, they both let out small laughs and held out their palms to each other.
*Slap.*
Greg and Yuria's palms met.
If last time was a farewell promising to meet again, this time was a greeting of reunion, happy to see each other.
The half-day's turmoil, which had felt incredibly long, thus came to an end.
*When I get home, I'm going to pass out completely.* Yuria quietly thought to herself.