Why Only Me? (4)
Elise's mansion.
Tap. Tap-tap.
Elise had been gathering intelligence on the problem currently facing the Iris Guild: the Centaur that had appeared in France. She stretched her arms overhead and pushed herself up from her chair.
"Haa... What am I even supposed to do with this."
It wasn't a properly classified monster, which meant the reliability of any information on it was painfully low. Frowning against the fatigue, Elise poured wine from the bottle on her desk into a glass.
"Hmm."
Eyes closed, savoring the bouquet, she realized that tomorrow the weekend would be over. She had spent the entire weekend working, and already it was ending. She would have to go back to the Academy. Information gathering and studying would start all over again.
Come to think of it...
Where had Scarlet gone off to this time? There was a mountain of intelligence still waiting to be gathered. Information on Lee Ho-yeon, information on the women around Lee Ho-yeon, or perhaps information on Lee Ho-yeon's dormitory...
Knock, knock.
"Come in."
The only person who knocked on her door like this was Sebas Chan. Scarlet, for reasons of her own, preferred coming and going through the window. Elise set her wine glass on the desk and received him.
"Ah, Miss."
"...What is it?"
Sebas Chan hurried into the room looking urgent. Lately he had been getting flustered like this more and more often. He used to be a man of such unflappable, middle-aged composure. And whenever that composure deserted him, it was always something to do with her father.
"We've received word from the Korean Branch Manager. The Guild Leader has visited Korea."
"What? Why? No — where is he right now?"
"Well... we're deploying the Korean branch personnel to locate him."
"How did you even find out he entered the country?"
"Apparently he stopped by the Korean Branch Manager's office the moment he arrived, to ask for directions. The Guild Leader specifically instructed her to keep it a secret, but she's telling us anyway, so please — under no circumstances mention this to the Guild Leader..."
"...What a bizarre person."
Dr. Kang Hyo-rin, the Korean Branch Manager. They were at the same Academy, but Elise simply could not understand that woman. To ignore the Guild Leader's orders like that. Had she perhaps done it out of consideration for a student, in her capacity as a professor?
Beep-beep-beep-beep—
Just then, Sebas Chan's smartwatch erupted in a noisy clamor.
"Yes, what is it? Where? What did you just say?!"
Sebas Chan stared at his smartwatch, his brow furrowing. The way he kept glancing at Elise mid-call told her that her father had caused some kind of incident. A moment later the call ended, and he looked at her with careful hesitation.
"...Miss. He's reportedly at the Academy's commercial district."
"Haa. What is Dad even doing. Did he get lost or something?"
He had probably been trying to find his way here and gotten lost. Elise's terrible sense of direction was hereditary. Her father Isaac mixed up his routes just as often.
"It doesn't appear to be that... um, he's said to be with Cadet Lee Ho-yeon."
"What? Why is Hoyeon involved?"
Elise couldn't help but be startled. The two of them shouldn't have had any connection whatsoever.
"I don't know the details either. They say it's the result of a mana trace... but the barrier is quite strong, so they couldn't determine the specifics..."
Haa. This man always turned into this whenever her father came up. Just what had he been put through back in his active-duty days?
"Enough. Sebas Chan. Guide me there. Quickly."
"Yes, Miss..."
I told him absolutely not to come.
And on top of that, he had gone to meet Hoyeon without even telling her? He was obviously there because of the massage.
"...What's the point of him always saying he likes me."
That insane father of hers. In a thoroughly foul mood, Elise strode out of the mansion.
"...Pass."
"...?"
What the hell is he talking about.
I looked at Isaac, then glanced sideways at Scarlet behind him. Her eyes met mine, and she gave a slight shake of her head. Catching the signal, I looked away.
"Hoo..."
What exactly was supposed to have "passed"? Had he been testing my strength?
No, why would someone I just met today...?
Does he mean I passed as son-in-law material?
Any number of thoughts occurred to me, but I didn't bother voicing them. I had no desire to stick my neck out unnecessarily. If I waited, he would say it himself.
"...."
"...."
But the other party, as expected, was not normal. My breathing, which had been ragged, had already returned to normal, and I was starting to feel the awkwardness of two men locking eyes in this space. Two guys staring at each other for over ten minutes. There was no way that wasn't awkward.
"...Who are you?"
In the end, I spoke first. If he had been a Demon, I would have used informal speech — but I couldn't very well talk down to Elise's father.
"Did you already know who I was?"
Isaac regarded me with intrigued eyes as he spoke.
This guy's pretty handsome himself.
Being the father of someone as beautiful as Elise, his looks stat was maxed out. He looked exactly like what a once-popular blond, tanned delinquent would look like after aging up.
I can't let on that I know him.
Isaac rarely showed his face like this in the first place. The guild leader of an information guild was supposed to be shrouded in secrecy. Simply knowing Isaac in person meant you were someone of a certain standing. And for a mere cadet who had only just started making a name for himself to know the Emperor of the Night? That was absurd.
"I don't."
And so I lied. The perk called Clear Mind. Thanks to that, I was confident in my ability to put on a calm performance.
"Hmm... Is that so? Well, I suppose you wouldn't."
Isaac nodded and slowly looked me over.
"...So who are you, then. And what did you mean by 'pass'?"
"Pass... It means you've surpassed my standards. Rejoice. You've become one of the handful of men in the entire world who have."
"...."
What's with this guy's way of talking. Was he still stuck in his edgy teenage phase?
"And as for who I am — that is a secret. While the dark night watches over you..."
"Dad!"
From behind Isaac, who had dropped his voice and struck some bizarre pose while staring at me, came a sharp, ringing voice that sounded thoroughly angry. Confirming the owner of that voice, I couldn't help but widen my eyes.
"I'm trying to set the mood here, who do you think you— Huh?"
Naturally, Isaac and Scarlet both turned around, and confirmed the blonde beauty approaching them.
"I told you not to come!"
"E-Elise. How did you get here..."
Elise stormed toward us looking furious, then her eyes briefly met mine and she let out a deep sigh. She went straight to Isaac and drove the heel of her shoe into his shin.
"A-Aaagh!"
Isaac didn't even think to block his daughter's foot with mana. He clutched his shin and crumpled to the floor.
Oof. Even watching it, that looked like it hurt. How much must that have stung.
"Does it hurt? Huh? I told you not to come. I even told Sebas Chan that if you showed up I was never speaking to you again, so why would you do this?"
"I-I'm sorry... I didn't read the documents all the way through..."
"That's your problem, Dad. You always treat the things I do like..."
How many minutes did we wait? Scarlet and I watched as the once-terrifying Isaac got chewed out by Elise.
"You don't trust me that much? You think I'll lose my head over some guy?"
"That's not it, Dad just..."
It was absurd, and a little funny. For the record, Scarlet was standing behind Isaac, watching the spectacle with a completely serious expression. I wanted to at least exchange a glance with her, but she wasn't looking at me at all.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry..."
"Forget it. I'm mad. I'm not talking to you anymore."
"E-Elise. I'm sorry. What does Dad have to do..."
"Don't apologize to me. Bow your head to Hoyeon and apologize sincerely. He's the one treating my illness. You shouldn't have acted like that."
"Elise. I am the Guild Leader of Iris. I'm not in a position where I can just bow my head whenever I please."
Isaac straightened the back he had been hunching and spoke with confidence. Was it some kind of pride he couldn't bring himself to swallow?
"Then don't act like you know me. If you don't apologize, I'm not speaking to you."
"Elise..."
Isaac, as if he had never been clinging to his pride at all, hunched over again in a thoroughly pathetic display.
That's it! That's the way!
A boyfriend ranks above a father. Mhm.
Isaac, who had been putting on airs, stared blankly at Elise standing there with her arms crossed and her face turned away, then shuffled around. He wore the face of a man who had lost the entire world. Had "If you don't apologize, I'm not speaking to you" really wounded him that deeply?
With an expression of thoroughly shredded pride, Isaac bowed his head to me.
"I-I'm sorry... I am Elise's father, and I serve as the Guild Leader of Iris. I was simply curious about the man spending time close to my daughter. But I didn't know how to approach you... I'm truly sorry..."
"...It's fine. Don't worry about it."
This is... hmm. Something about this. The current situation of receiving an apology from Isaac, for one. As a father — no. He wasn't a father yet, so as a man. I supposed I could empathize with how humiliating this must be for his pride.
Isaac looked at me, then glanced toward Elise.
A sharp glare—
But under Elise's sideways stare, he lowered his head again.
"...If there's something you want, speak it. Within what I can do... well, that doesn't mean I'll do everything, though..."
"It's fi—"
I stopped myself from saying it was fine. An opportunity like this had fallen into my lap. I couldn't just let it pass.
"...In that case, I do have a request."
Isaac swallowed, waiting for my next words.
"I'd like to investigate the Centaur that appeared in France together with you."
"...That's all? I can do that."
Isaac's lips quivered as he forced a smile. It was a little frightening, but I couldn't let this chance slip away. I maintained my composure and put on the most pleasant smile I could manage.
Saying that this wasn't enough — that she needed to apologize personally — Elise took Lee Ho-yeon with her.
"E-Elise..."
Isaac wore a hangdog expression as he watched her disappear down the alley.
"...."
I'm tired.
Scarlet thought. I want to get away from this lunatic as soon as possible.
A short while later, once Elise's figure had completely vanished, Isaac reset his expression and put on a cheerful smile, as if nothing had happened.
"...Tch. What a shame. I didn't get to show off a single cool moment. And it was a 'pass' for the first time in a while, too."
"A shame, sir."
Did he actually think that was cool. There were times Scarlet simply could not understand men.
"It was a lie, then."
Isaac spoke out of nowhere. The corners of his mouth were still curled up with interest.
"...."
Scarlet had no idea what he was suddenly talking about, so she waited for him to continue.
"Scarlet."
"Yes."
"Is there any possibility that information regarding my identity leaked to Lee Ho-yeon?"
"There is not."
That, she could state with certainty. She didn't know exactly how far Hoyeon had deduced. Perhaps from the talk of Elise's massage alone, he had figured the Emperor of the Night would come after him. That might even be why he had sent her away. But she could swear there was no way he could have known personal information about Isaac's identity.
"Hmm... So he judged from the situation alone. That's not bad either. His abilities are outstanding enough that it doesn't matter."
Isaac muttered a string of meaningful remarks with Scarlet standing right in front of him, then looked at her again.
"Scarlet."
"Yes."
Scarlet bowed her head, waiting for his words. His expression looked good, so he didn't seem angry.
"I want you to personally keep an eye on him."
"...Sir?"
"Lee Ho-yeon. I'm talking about Lee Ho-yeon."
As if it were nothing at all, Isaac pulled out a cigarette, stuck it in his mouth, and sparked a flame at his fingertip.
"Even while Elise and I were talking, he kept glancing over at you. Seems like he's interested in you. Or maybe he just likes blondes?"
Scarlet's eyes went wide at Isaac's sudden remark. And reading that reaction, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
"What, you don't want to?"
"No, sir. I'll carry it out."
Thank god.
Scarlet inwardly patted her chest in relief. Just in case, she hadn't even responded to the greeting Hoyeon had tried to send with his eyes. She knew better than anyone that the man standing before her was a monster. When you were in the same space as Isaac, you couldn't afford even the smallest lapse.
I'll have to make sure to tell Hoyeon next time.
If she had so much as returned his glance, she would have drawn suspicion for no reason.
"Right. That one's a monster. Even with stealth skills as refined as yours, he could catch you at any time, so be careful."
"...Yes. I'll be careful."
You're too late, Guild Leader.
No matter how careful she was, she had already been found out. And not only found out — her body and heart had both already been completely remade.
Scarlet thought of her own absurd predicament and bowed her head. Also so that he wouldn't notice the corners of her mouth, which had, despite herself, lifted ever so slightly.