Rodi rolled up her sleeve and showed her small but sturdy fist.
“Really?”
“Yes. I’ve never lost. I even beat a boy three years older than me.”
“Whoa, that’s no joke, rookie?”
“Right? So if anyone makes Ekision sad, I’ll beat them up.”
At those words, Ekision’s lips twitched as if holding something back.
“What?”
As soon as Rodi asked, her cheeks were suddenly grabbed.
“Oh my, really. Who told you to be this cute? Hmm? Should I eat you in one bite~?”
“Hehe, I don’t taste good. Eat this instead.”
When she offered the remaining jelly with a broad smile, Ekision’s previously hardened expression completely disappeared as he burst into laughter, “Puhahah!”
*** 
“Alright, let’s get out.”
After an exciting ride, the carriage stopped in front of a jewelry store.
A street so clean you could walk barefoot.
There was no foul odor; rather, there was a subtle floral scent from a nearby perfume shop.
“Aren’t we going to the branch?”
“Well…”
Ekision smiled and opened the jewelry store door.
“Welcome to Gemblan—”
The employee who started greeting them as soon as the door opened closed his mouth upon seeing Ekision and quietly bowed.
‘This is an extremely nice place.’
Though she thought she had grown accustomed to such things, it was so clean that she hesitated to enter.
Rodi hesitated a bit before courageously heading into the jewelry store.
Just as she was about to pass through the doorway, her head suddenly turned left involuntarily.
“…Huh?”
“What? Did you see something?”
Rodi’s eyes widened.
“Just now,”
“Yes?”
She thought she saw someone who shouldn’t be there.
Her feet moved before her words could, as the person quickly disappeared into the adjacent alley.
As Rodi moved back outside, Ekision closed the door and followed her.
Rodi quickly ran past the corner and straight into the alley.
“…Huh? Where did they go?”
The alley was completely empty.
The opposite side was a short path between buildings leading to the boulevard on the other side, with nowhere to hide.
She could only see people passing by in the distance on the opposite side.
She crossed the entire alley to the boulevard, but even there, no one resembled the person she had just seen.
“They’re gone!”
“What is? Rookie, who are you looking for?”
Rodi, who had been looking around for a while, turned her head.
“I just saw Kamil. He went this way.”
“Kamil? Who’s that… Oh. You’re not talking about that magician from a while back, are you?”
Ekision’s brow furrowed as he thought with his hands on his hips.
“Yes. It was him.”
Ekision gently wrapped his arm around Rodi’s shoulders and turned her face toward him.
Ekision bent down, but he was still so tall that Rodi had to tilt her head up slightly.
“Listen, rookie. That guy is gone now. You probably saw someone similar. Are you scared? Worried that another bad person might appear?”
She knew. She knew what had happened to Kamil.
Since they said he was found dead, he couldn’t possibly be here, as Ekision said.
It was just for a moment, but she really thought it looked exactly like him.
Rodi shook her head.
“It just looked so similar that I thought it was Kamil. I guess I was mistaken, like you said.”
“Right. Why would someone look so similar and scare our rookie? Right? He won’t appear again, so don’t worry.”
With Ekision’s playful response, it really did seem like she had seen wrong.
Rodi glanced back at the empty alley before firmly grasping Ekision’s hand that was holding her cheek.
As Ekision said, dead people can’t come back.
“Let’s go back now!”
“Shall we?”
“Yes!”
This time, Rodi moved energetically first and opened the jewelry store door.
With the jingling sound of a small bell, the employee bowed to the two of them.
The first things that caught Rodi’s eye upon entering were the red curtains and carpet.
The structure had another door directly opposite the one they had just entered, creating a pass-through layout. On the right was a transparent glass jewelry display case taller than Rodi, along with an employee.
On the opposite side were several sofas and round tables where customers could sit and rest.
The wall lined with customer seating had another door with its entrance covered by a thick curtain.
So one wall had two doors.
“Shall I call Peggy?”
The employee who had greeted them earlier asked Ekision respectfully.
Rodi stared at the employee’s face, memorizing it.
At first, she was confused about entering a jewelry store when they were supposed to go to the branch.
But an ordinary jewelry store wouldn’t greet or behave like this.
‘A secret organization’s hideout!’
That’s it.
Even Cheiles’ branch wasn’t ordinary.
Rodi’s heart pounded with excitement, feeling like she was entering the lair of a clandestine dark organization.
“No need, I’ll go in myself. Good work-.”
Ekision waved his hand casually.
Rodi moved without resistance in the direction Ekision guided her, his hand lightly on her shoulder.
She looked up and met Ekision’s eyes.
“Who’s Peggy?”
“There’s a cute guy who manages this place. You’ll meet him soon. Now, look ahead and walk straight.”
Cute?
Since there was no one at headquarters who matched that word, it piqued Rodi’s curiosity.
Perhaps she might meet someone her age, like Lexiard, or someone extremely kind and nice like Jin—such anticipation.
After passing the round table, Ekision pulled back the thick curtain to reveal a short hallway with a long, gently sloping staircase.
The long carpet that extended from where they had just walked continued all the way to the end of the stairs.
And at the end of the wall, corridors branched out on both sides.
Perhaps due to the orange lamps instead of sunlight, it felt even more secretive.
“It’s like a secret passage!”
“Do you like it?”
“It’s cool.”
“The inside is even cooler, I bet.”
“Really?”
Following Ekision’s guidance, they came to another door.
“Let me go! I didn’t steal anything!”
As soon as the door opened, Rodi’s eyes met those of a boy being dragged away with his neck firmly held.
“Shut up and just come along quietly… Oh! Sir, hello!”
The man who was gripping the boy’s neck and dragging him noticed Ekision and was startled before bowing.
He was a man with well-tanned skin and bright yellow hair.
A deep diagonal scar under his eye was striking, and his elongated, upturned eyes made him look intimidating.
His features were distinct, but his pupils seemed small compared to his eyes, giving him a fiercely handsome face.
He had the impression of a cold snake, and his harsh appearance made him seem even colder.
Even though she had done nothing wrong and had stopped being afraid of most adults by now, even Rodi felt slightly intimidated upon seeing him.
‘He called Ekision “sir”…?’
Rodi quietly lowered her gaze while watching the man still struggling with the boy.
The scruffy-looking boy appeared to be about her age.
She could see his ill-fitting old clothes and the wounds on his face.
For a moment, his hostile gaze toward everyone turned toward Rodi.
“What are you looking at?”
The boy, seemingly annoyed by all the attention, glared at Rodi and took out his frustration on her.
“Quite the commotion as soon as we arrive. What’s going on?”
“Ah, this kid was trying to run off with my stuff.”
“I didn’t steal anything!”
Rodi remained silent and lowered her gaze further.
Hidden inside the boy’s clothes was a pocket containing a jeweled ring that didn’t match him.
Of course, the ring didn’t match the man holding the boy either.
It was a large-stoned ring that typically noble women who liked flashy things would wear.
Flinch.
Rodi didn’t say anything, but the boy suddenly looked frightened, as if her gaze alone had exposed him.
“Peggy Lulu. He’s just a kid.”
Ekision spoke while subtly observing Rodi’s reaction.
The man called Lulu suddenly grimaced and frowned.
“Ah, sir. I told you not to call me by my full name.”
“Why not? It’s pretty and nice. Right, rookie?”
When Ekision asked while wrapping his arm a little more around Rodi’s shoulders, she looked at Ekision and nodded.
“Yes.”
Peggy’s fierce eyes widened.
“Eh? Is this kid that kid?”
“Hmm? Have you heard something?”
“Jo came by yesterday and told me. Said a monster rookie, the youngest ever, had joined.”