The moment that name Basilio left Seren's lips, Osian saw how Ronan's face, which always wore a smile, brightened more than usual.
'He seems very pleased.'
It couldn't be helped.
After all, for Ronan, Basilio would be the first fixer he ever contracted with.
Even if he had been an unknown third-rate fixer, he would have remained memorable, let alone Basilio who held a legendary status in the industry.
Although his public activities have become less frequent compared to the past, the glory he achieved would never be in vain.
For Ronan, it must be like an old friend visiting after a long time, so he must be very pleased.
"You should meet him too, Mr. Osian. He rarely shows his face."
"He seems quite busy."
"Yes. Very busy."Ronan nodded meaningfully.
It carried an ambiguous nuance, as if he knew but didn't quite know why Basilio was busy.
Ronan left the office first, saying he would prepare to welcome Basilio.
To Osian who remained behind, Seren asked.
"I heard about it. Congratulations. I hear you've accomplished a lot recently?"
"Well, it wasn't exactly something I aimed for."
"No need to be that modest. No one can deny that you made a significant contribution to resolving the Saint Tree incident. Though few people would know about it."
That was inevitable.
People were only interested in the century's greatest fraud scandal perpetrated by Saint Tree's directors, not who helped resolve it.
They were just relieved they could get their money back.
Above all, the incident was buried due to the large-scale terrorist attack that occurred in District 34 right after.
Even if they tried to control the information, too many people had witnessed the flying candy castle.
Although Osian didn't know much about it, the candy castle was so famous that many people could tell whose work it was just by seeing its silhouette.
The psychopath siblings Hansel and Gretel and the other witch's familiars who accompanied that candy castle were Mother Goose's children.
Naturally, people talked about Saint Tree and this incident.
Of course, there were also rumors that the Goldiron family had partnered with Lucent to take over the business that Saint Tree had originally planned to do, saying they were expanding into new business.
Literally, events that would normally make front-page news for days occurred one after another.
People's attention naturally shifted away from the fixer who tied up the case that became the catalyst for all these events.
"Aren't you disappointed?"
"I didn't take that request for fame."
"Right. That's the kind of person you are. I guess I asked something unnecessary."
Seren laughed playfully like a cat and said.
"I heard Loraine lost a lot in this stock price manipulation?"
"The expressions when she won and lost money were quite a sight. I should have taken pictures."
"Ahaha. That sounds fun just imagining it. That's why I'm disappointed. I wanted to help too, but I wasn't around at the time."
"You seem quite busy as well."
"Yeah, I'm definitely among the busy ones. I'm a fixer too after all. Just because you don't see me doesn't mean I'm slacking off somewhere."
"I know."
"Oh, really?"
Seren opened her eyes wide as if surprised.
It was quite a gap from her usual mature demeanor.
"If you were really not working and just wandering around aimlessly, Ronan wouldn't have recruited you."
"What's that? You're not trusting me but trusting Ronan."
Seren crossed her arms and glared at Osian as if disappointed.
Of course, that was just her way of playfully pretending. Osian knew this and shrugged his shoulders.
"We haven't known each other for long. At least my criteria for judging you would naturally lean towards Ronan."
"Heh. So you're saying we can get to know each other from now on? That's actually a nice thing to say. I don't dislike flirting from handsome men."
"Well, even if I didn't trust Ronan, I wouldn't have doubted you."
"Why do you think that?"
"Because I can tell by looking at your eyes."
Osian stared intently into Seren's eyes.
Although she always acted playfully, there was some kind of firm resolve dwelling within.
It was like a small, shimmering ember, but Osian could clearly see it.
"Oh, staring so intently makes me a bit shy."
Seren slightly averted her eyes as if feeling burdened.
Many people stared at her, captivated by her beauty. Seren was well aware of her looks. There was some intention behind that aspect too.
However, Osian's gaze was quite different from others.
While most gazes were full of ulterior motives, Osian's was oddly devoid of emotion.
So should she call it pure? It felt fresh that he had no ill intentions towards her.
Though it did somewhat hurt her pride.
"You're quite cheeky for the youngest."
Seren pointed her index finger at Osian.
She intended to give some advice as a senior to this cheeky junior.
However, Seren immediately stopped that action.
She withdrew her extended hand somewhat unnaturally and hid it behind her back.
"More importantly, Uncle Basilio should be arriving soon. This is your first time seeing him too, right? You're lucky. It's not an opportunity that comes often."
Seren naturally changed the topic, but Osian saw it.
For a moment, her extended finger had turned semi-transparent.
‘The manifestation of ability.’
But judging by how she tried to hide it, it didn't seem intentional.
'The imperfection of ability.'
Come to think of it, Seren's ability wasn't something that could be acquired through training after birth. There might be other reasons.
Though such thoughts crossed his mind, Osian deliberately didn't point it out.
Since Seren herself didn't want it to be noticed, it would be poor manners to bring attention to that fact so Osian decided to go along with Seren's words.
"What kind of person is he?"
"Uncle? Hmm, how should I put it? It's actually hard to express in words. Well, that's natural, since all the fixers in our office are unique, right?"
Osian nodded.
Loraine Ponk, former sniper from the Nameless Squad.
Diolan, one of Mother Goose's masterpieces, a cat familiar.
Mist, who sprays fog using ether water as raw material.
And Edgar Row, who uses excellent pure magic despite his young age.
Even Seren Gracia right in front of him uses unique abilities.
It was similar to thief-class stealth but different in nature.
That's the kind of place Violet Fox is.
What kind of person would Basilio, the first fixer to contract with Violet Fox, be?
"He's someone who gives off a certain indescribable power. Even I don't know much about him. We just exchange greetings when we meet."
"That's unexpected. I heard you've known each other for a long time."
"Even if we've known each other for long, we don't meet frequently. Time isn't about length but about how dense the relationship is within that time, right?"
That was true too.
Given such a response from someone who supposedly had a friendship with him, there was nothing to do but meet Basilio in person and judge for himself.
Osian went down to the first floor with Seren.
There, Diolan, Edgar, and even Mist were already waiting, though it wasn't clear when they had arrived.
Ena, being one of the members too, was waiting with curiosity-filled eyes.
She saw Osian and waved with a bright smile.
Osian acknowledged Ena's greeting with a nod and surveyed the gathering.
'While it makes sense for Loraine to be here since she's been around, I didn't expect everyone else to gather.'
They must have all gathered after hearing the news of Basilio's return.
It was the first time all of Violet Fox's fixers, who rarely gathered together, were in one place.
Even Mist, who maintains mystique by only operating during set periods, had appeared, showing just how significant Basilio's presence was in this tavern.
The reactions were varied too.
Expectation, tension, joy, curiosity.
Just then, Ronan came down from the second floor after finishing preparations.
"Everyone's gathered, I see. I can't remember the last time everyone gathered in one place like this."
"Well, it's just because Uncle is coming for once. Just want to see his face at least."
Edgar said grumpily.
Perhaps it was because it was bedtime? There was a hint of fatigue in his voice.
Even the proud Edgar had come at this late hour to see Basilio.
As everyone silently agreed with Ronan's words.
───.
The space that had been filled with strange silence suddenly tightened with tension.
Everyone except Ena turned their attention to the firmly closed door of the tavern.
Something was coming.
Someone with a very massive presence.
"Ha."
Diolan let out an audible scoff. Perhaps due to the tension, his pupils were vertically slit.
Loraine, also seeming uneasy, kept reaching for her gun and withdrawing her hand repeatedly.
Though others didn't show it, they could all be seen wavering in their own ways.
Only Osian stood still, staring fixedly at the main entrance.
-Thud. Thud. Thud.
The street lights shining faintly through the window went out in sequence.
The window that had been dimly crimson turned black.
-Ding.
The door opened carefully and through the open door, darkness was visible.
-Saaaah.
Though it should naturally be dark since it was nighttime with the lights out, this felt somewhat different.
It looked as if black haze was rippling and spreading, consuming the tavern.
Osian belatedly realized that what was visible through the door wasn't darkness but a black robe.
Should it be called a robe, or perhaps a slightly large cloak?
Anyway, wearing that thing with a reddish inner lining reminded one somewhat of Dracula.
And what was peculiar was the black obsidian helmet worn on his face.
The sharp and sleek design and pitch-black color made one think of a devil. The sharp teeth and intense eyes were striking.
He even wore a top hat on it, so just looking at the fashion alone, he had already crossed the threshold of uniqueness.
'Indeed, he's worthy of being evaluated as a legend in the industry. His atmosphere is different from the start.'
That unique atmosphere that overwhelmed the surroundings just by his appearance was emanating a distinctive aura that Osian had never seen before.
Dark and gloomy, yet somehow warm and cozy.
It felt like reason and emotion were getting tangled as contradicting sensations swept through simultaneously.
Osian stared intently at Basilio, and Basilio, sensing that gaze, looked back at Osian.
The eye contact between the two lasted less than a second.
"It's been a while, everyone. To think you'd all stay up late waiting just because this old man was coming."
Basilio spoke for the first time.
It was a dignified middle-aged voice. His way of speaking was mature, and unlike his appearance, his voice was full of playfulness.
"Hey Edgar, you won't grow taller if you don't sleep at this hour."
"Had to show my face since you're coming. Otherwise, you'll suddenly disappear again tomorrow."
"That's true too. Ah, Ronan. Have you been well? I should drop by occasionally at least, sorry I couldn't."
"Hehe. Everyone knows you're busy, Basilio. How could I be stubborn about it? So, did you handle what you went for well?"
"No, not at all. Couldn't even find a trace. Ended up empty-handed."
"That's unfortunate."
"But there's still opportunity left. It's been a while, Seren, and Mist is still the same as ever."
Basilio's gaze turned to Loraine and Diolan.
"Loraine and Diolan. Feels like just yesterday when you first joined, but now you're already looking like proper fixers."
Diolan nodded slightly while tense, and Loraine smiled awkwardly.
Basilio turned his head to look at Ena.
"Who's this cute young lady here? A new member?"
"Ah, this is Ena Grunt, she's employed as a staff member at our tavern."
"Hoho. This is interesting. A witch working as an employee rather than a fixer."
"Oh, you know about me?"
Ena asked back in surprise.
"No, of course I don't. How could I know when we're meeting for the first time today?"
"But you just said I was a witch..."
"I've met many before. Witches have that unique feeling about them that you can tell just by looking. That's how I knew right away."
Finally, Basilio's gaze turned to Osian.
"So. Who is this brave and handsome young man who's been staring at me intently since earlier?"
Just as Loraine was about to introduce him from the side, Osian spoke first.
"I'm Osian. A wandering knight, and working as a fixer here."
"Oho. Another interesting fellow has joined. This is our first meeting, right? Nice to meet you, I'm Basilio. The first fixer of this place, Violet Fox."
Basilio extended his hand from within his cloak.
He was wearing a black uniform inside, and on his hand was a snow-white glove without a speck of dust.
Osian looked down at his extended hand for a moment before speaking.
"You. You smell of blood."