“…I heard that the monsters of our world, which haven’t been able to rampage for a long time since the appearance of otherworld monsters, have evolved. They say the S-class Moth shot fireballs?”

Johnson’s face was flushed as he spoke with a raised voice.

Johnson was excited as if a new hero had appeared.

Seeing this, Baron clicked his tongue.

He had ordered to find Yerena, but all they brought back were absurd rumors.

“Fireballs? It’s so ridiculous I’m speechless.”

Baron was certain that the Pteros couldn’t have shot fireballs.

The possibility of that happening was equal to the chance of the sun rising in the west.

Rather, his subordinate who believed such exaggerated rumors just seemed foolish.

“B-but the Espers who were at the scene also praised the Pteros’ remarkable performance!”

“Well… You said Moth appeared, right? Then the Pteros probably used their wingbeats to drive away something like scale powder. Not fire.”

“….”

“It’s more likely that you’ll manifest as an Esper than those stupid chicken brains evolving to shoot fire.”

Johnson looked at Baron, who called the Pteros ‘stupid chicken brains’, with gloomy eyes.

‘Still, it’s true that the Pteros were helpful, but chicken brains…’

Would there ever come a day when his master would view the world positively and beautifully?

A dry sigh escaped through Johnson’s slightly parted teeth.

“What do you want me to do? Do I need to speak well of Pteros who live like dead mice because they’re no match for otherworld monsters? If they were strong, we wouldn’t have to risk our lives fighting.”

Baron was more curious about how those chicken brains moved in such an organized manner as if they were trained, rather than their performance.

The most likely guess was that an Esper with ‘hypnosis’ as their main ability had appeared.

But as far as he knew, there was no one reported to Chelsea Center who could use hypnosis.

‘But if Duncan used them secretly, it’s entirely possible.’

It must be certain that Duncan and the trained Pteros are related.

Otherwise, there’s no way they would have appeared on the battlefield at the exact moment help was needed.

Maybe Duncan himself was a secret Esper who could use hypnosis.

“That’s true, but…”

“If you understand, stop talking about chicken brains. If you say one more word, I’ll treat you like a chicken brain too.”

“Yes…”

Johnson bowed his head, completely deflated.

“More importantly, what about Yerena? Did you find out anything?”

Baron had asked to find out if Yerena was alive and what kind of relationship she had with Duncan.

Johnson’s face grew even gloomier at that question.

He bowed his head so low it almost touched the floor and mumbled.

“…I apologize, but I haven’t found out anything.”

“Seems like a chicken brain was very close.”

Unaffected by those words, Johnson continued speaking.

“I’ve asked around almost everyone in the capital for days, but no one has seen a woman with a similar appearance to Guide Yerena.”

“What about the relationship between Duncan and Yerena?”

“They’ve only met a few times in the Center Director’s study, but they haven’t met privately elsewhere. Meanwhile, the strange thing was the Center Director’s past.”

“Why his past? Did he do something unusual?”

“No, the opposite. No matter how much I investigated, nothing came up.”

“Nothing at all, huh.”

“Should I say it’s a blank slate? It’s like the Center Director suddenly appeared out of thin air. He doesn’t even seem to be from the Eldora Empire…”

“Hmm. To summarize everything you’ve said in one sentence, you basically found out nothing?”

“…I’m ashamed, Baron.”

Having said that, Johnson tightly closed his eyes.

He was prepared for the sharp reprimand that would come for failing to obtain the necessary information.

But surprisingly, Baron, who he was certain would be irritated, gave an unexpected response.

“I see.”

Johnson opened his eyes to look at Baron, unable to believe such a calm reply.

Baron, leisurely seated on the sofa, raised his hand to gently stroke his chin.

His face looked as if he was lost in unsolvable contemplation.

“Aren’t you angry?”

Johnson asked involuntarily, then hastily tried to recover.

“I-I’m sorry!”

“Are you asking me to be angry?”

“No! Are you perhaps not feeling well? When a person suddenly changes…”

“Haa. Enough, just get ready to go out. We have an important schedule today.”

“Is it okay to go out while on probation?”

“As long as we don’t go to Chelsea Center, I don’t intend to restrict my personal schedule. Prepare the highest quality black suit.”

Black suit?

Ah, come to think of it, today was the death anniversary of ‘that person’ he had only heard about.

That woman was said to be the only one who could control Baron, who was so arrogant that he looked down on everyone.

Her name was probably ‘Diana’.

Of course, Johnson had never seen her in person.

But stories about her were passed down like legends in the Marquis household.

It seemed Baron was being lenient today because it was her death anniversary.

Johnson expressed gratitude to Diana, whom he had never even seen.

‘If only Baron could meet a woman like Lady Diana, he’d be happy and become kinder…’

If Baron became happy, maybe he’d reduce the number of times he got irritated at people.

Perhaps he might even become unbelievably gentle and gain the goodwill of those around him.

“Why are you just standing there? Answer me.”

…Of course, right now there wasn’t even a hint of gentleness.

Johnson responded loudly before Baron could bark an order.

“Yes, sir!”

Baron shook his head as he watched Johnson’s retreating figure hurrying out.

Although he kept him around because he took his irritation well, he wasn’t a subordinate Baron particularly liked.

But it was too bothersome to cut Johnson loose and groom a new person to his liking.

So he had to keep him around despite some dissatisfaction.

“More importantly, it’s already Diana’s death anniversary…”

Baron let out a sigh mixed with regret.

The memories with her were as clear as if they were from yesterday, but it had already been 10 years since she died.

It’s hard to believe that so much time has passed.

Feeling inexplicably depressed, he closed his eyes, and various images of the healthy Diana came to mind.

She, who always looked graceful no matter what she did. She, who always faced him with a smiling face. She whom he loved.

She with whom he had dreamed of a future together.

But she lived fleetingly and went to a distant place where they could never meet.

The future he had hoped for crumbled so vainly and dreaming of the future became meaningless.

Baron didn’t want to experience losing a precious person again.

Perhaps that’s why he became even more prickly after Diana’s death.

“Diana. Why are your memories still so vivid?”

The memories of the precious Diana hadn’t faded, making it feel as if he could reach out and touch her.

But no matter how much he stretched out his hands, there was nothing to grasp, no one to hold his hand, nothing at all. Emptiness, silence, loneliness.

Baron opened his eyes. His bloodshot eyes blinked slowly in an instant.

He missed her so much.

His longing for her, whom he could never see again, grew uncontrollably.

His heart ached as if cut by something sharp.

Though he hadn’t fought a monster that made his flesh tremble, he felt as if he had suffered internal injuries.

“If that damned Yerena were here at a time like this, I’d ask her for guidance.”

He would ask Yerena to hold his hand, which no one except Diana had held.

If only she did that, it felt like the pain in his heart and the indescribable wistfulness would subside.

Why? Because she was his guide?

Because she didn’t avoid him when everyone else did due to his unkind personality?

No matter how much he mistreated her, Yerena never avoided or ignored him.

Of course, she would show a slightly annoyed expression, but that was all.

She would guide him whenever he wanted. Sincerely, with dedication.

She was definitely different from the other guides who had been in charge of him before Yerena.

The previous guides often avoided or feared him for his prickliness. So he had rarely received proper guidance.

Though he was reluctant to admit it, Baron quite liked Yerena.

To the extent that if Yerena just listened to him well and looked down on Benjamin, he could even pay off her debt.

But now, he couldn’t even be sure when he would meet Yerena again.