"Is the news true? Are you really withdrawing from the case? Are you saying that it’s too much even for you?"
"What will you do next? With your recent failure in Malia, alongside your sudden withdrawal, people are starting to doubt your abilities. We’ve seen a glimpse of it back in the Congress, but ever since, you haven’t really done much. Is this a momentary slump?"
I was swarmed from all directions, microphones pressed against my face
I didn’t even get the chance to step out of the store before I was swarmed by them.
’How did they know I was there?’
No, that was some naive way of thinking on my part. I wasn’t like in the past. I was actually a person of interest, and it wouldn’t be strange for the members of the press to know where I was.
’I need to start being more careful.’
I thought I had been careful, but it didn’t seem like that was the case.
"Any comment?"
"Just one comment. That’s all we need."
My feet came to a sudden pause. All the reporters stopped with me, the microphones pushed closer to me. I felt a little irritated, but letting out a small breath, I managed to calm myself down as I scanned each and every reporter present.
’Good, this might actually save me some time.’
"I—"
"We’ve got no comment for now."
A voice interrupted before I could get my words out.
Turning my head, the Section Chief appeared right behind me, his hand pressing against my shoulder as he smiled at the reporters.
"What do you mean, no comment? Does this confirm that you’re withdrawing?"
"Is this Severed Star’s official stance?"
The reporters went into a frenzy, but the Section Chief retained his business-like smile. On the other hand, I stared at him in silence, trying to figure out how he had even managed to get so close to me.
He didn’t spare me a glance.
"This is the official stance from our department. We’ve got no comment for now."
He didn’t let them say anything else before he pushed my shoulder and dragged me away from the scene.
Naturally, the reporters didn’t like that and tried to get more information from us, but the Section Chief continued to maintain his business-like smile, dragging me to a nearby black SUV and closing the door.
Clank!
Quiet returned the moment the door of the SUV closed, only for it to return as the other door opened and the Section Chief entered.
I didn’t say anything and waited patiently for the car to start before speaking.
"How did you know...?"
"Because of me."
Turning around from the front seat, Soran waved her phone.
"I saw it coming from miles away. I wanted to hold you back, but you left before I could say anything."
"...Right."
That did indeed happen.
But...
"What do you mean by no comment?"
I directed my question towards the Section Chief, who was busy massaging his cheeks, supposedly tired from the little smile he had just put on.
Instead of answering me, the Section Chief turned to look at Soran.
"You weren’t able to convince him?"
Convince me?
"Nope."
Soran cracked a smile as she turned back to her seat.
"He’s stubborn, just like me. There’s no way his mind will be changed after a short talk with me."
"You were trying to make me stop?"
I alternated my gaze between the two, my heart sinking.
"That’s right."
The Section Chief didn’t bother denying it. Not that he would’ve been able to.
"I’ve already said that this case is too much for the current you to handle. All it does is waste your time, and in a time when the Guild is currently undergoing serious leadership changes, this is the last thing that you’d want."
"Ha."
I scoffed upon hearing the Section Chief’s words.
’Right, ever since the Guild Master left, things have become quite annoying at the Guild.’
But then again, the Guild Master would’ve probably stopped me from taking on the mission too. In the end, it seemed like everyone wanted me to stop chasing after the case. And the more people acted like this, the more it made me want to take on the case.
I wanted to prove them wrong.
I wanted to let them know that I could do it.
That I wasn’t biting off more than I could chew.
’And it’s not like I have much of an option either.’
The conversation from before with the waitress confirmed it. They had already set their sight on me, and they were waiting for me to slip up.
"It’s better to cut off the thread now before it becomes too big later. In a way, Section Chief Johansberg did you a favor. You might face a lot of backlash now, but at least it’s a lot better than trying and failing there. You would’ve lost a lot of time and momentum that you could’ve used on other things. And..."
The Section Chief paused, his head turning in my direction, "...he probably hopes that you don’t just quit and continue with this. In a way, he’s trying to take advantage of your ego to get you to take the case. That’s why it wouldn’t have been a good idea for you to deny it before the reporters. By then, you’d have locked yourself into the case with no way out."
My lips parted, but nothing came out.
Staring at the Section Chief, he looked back at me before placing his hand on my shoulder.
"Right now, you’re one of the most valuable assets in the Containment Department. It’s only natural that you get targeted by them. If you really wish for things to change, then you have to grow to the point where they can’t do anything to you. Or..."
The Section Chief paused again, his expression turning strange as he shook his head and leaned his head back against the chair.
Seeing him like this, I grew curious.
"Or...?"
Come on, don’t leave me hanging like this!
"Don’t worry about it."
The Section Chief dismissed me with a wave.
"You can’t just say something and then leave me hanging like that. What do I need to do? What—"
"Become the Guild Master."
The Team Leader’s voice cut through mine as my words stopped.
With her head still directed at the road ahead, Soran’s words echoed once more.
"It’s simple, really. If you want all of this to stop, you need to become the Guild Master."
***
—In recent news, rumors have it that rising star Paragon Seth Thorne has decided to withdraw from case 1048. This comes after his recent failure in Malia. What has prompted his withdrawal, and what will his next steps b—
Click!
The volume of the TV lowered to the minimum as Geneva put the remote down.
She took out her phone and stared at the recent messages.
Her expression darkened at the empty message box, her head lowering. Pressing her lips together, she stood up and walked over to the door before stopping.
As she did, she turned around to stare at her little brother as he rested on the bed.
"I’ll be back soon."
Opening the door, she left the place.
Clank!
Silence returned to the room.
But within that silence, a pair of eyes opened.
The TV reflected within those pupils of his as he remained motionless.
The silence continued until—
"...I’m next."
The TV kept playing.
He didn’t blink.