Chapter 237: The Mastermind

“A human……?”

Hek!

Watching the Half-Moon Wolf cub shake its head while sticking out its tongue, Yuria felt troubled.

She had hoped it wouldn’t be, but as expected, the culprit was not an environmental factor but a human.

The most suspicious one was, of course, the Beltus Cult.

They were ones who conducted horrific biological experiments using magical beasts and humans. It wouldn’t be strange at all if they used a spirit beast as material.

Plus, their areas of activity overlapped.

‘I need the Academy’s help for this.’

Naturally, Gerard came to Yuria’s mind.

Since he had already solved several cases similar to this, she had faith that he could solve this case as well.

‘It doesn’t matter if the enemy’s scale is large. The senior is close with the Student Affairs Officer. If I convey this fact, he will help.’

Yuria was almost certain that the Beltus Cult was behind this strange phenomenon.

‘Before that, it would be good to know where they are hiding in advance.’

So she asked the Half-Moon Wolf cub.

However, the result was disappointing.

The Half-Moon Wolf cub did not remember where its mother was attacked by humans.

Instead.

“……That person was shining?”

Hek-hek─!

It told her the culprit’s characteristics.

‘Light coming from the face……?’

It was a puzzling answer.

Because there was no way a human whose face actually shines could exist.

However, that was the only decisive clue to identify the culprit.

She asked this and that more, but the Half-Moon Wolf cub’s answer was the same like a parrot.

[A human with a shining face hurts mom alone.]

Even if she tried to interpret it from a spirit beast’s perspective as much as possible, she only fell into a labyrinth.

“Can’t be helped. For now, let’s go back to the camp and talk about the clue again.”

Since they had traveled to more places than her, they might know something about someone with a shining face.

“Still, I’m glad it wasn’t without gain.”

Just knowing that the Beltus Cult was behind this was a big gain.

“I’m going.”

Having said goodbye to the Half-Moon Wolf cub, Yuria turned around feeling something strange while returning to the camp.

The Half-Moon Wolf cub was trotting and following her.

“Huh? You aren’t going?”

Hek-hek!

Yuria opened her eyes wide.

“What? You want to go together? Uh. I think that might be a bit difficult.”

Whine…….

The Half-Moon Wolf cub droops its ears.

“……You don’t want to part again?”

Yuria felt her heart sink with a thud.

Surprisingly, the Half-Moon Wolf cub already knew that its mother was dead.

Feeling like her lie was unintentionally discovered, Yuria felt embarrassed but at the same time, her heart broke.

‘What should I do?’

She hadn’t paid attention because she was thinking about the monsterization phenomenon and the culprit, but the Half-Moon Wolf cub was still too young to live in the wild alone.

No matter if a spirit beast is an existence of a different level from other beasts, it was a member of nature anyway. And the wild was a world of the survival of the fittest.

It could not be free from the law of the wild that small and weak animals are eaten by big and strong animals.

There are no large animals around here thanks to the mercenary camp being located nearby.

But just going a little deeper, the Ludain Mountain Range was a place full of dangerous beasts and magical beasts.

If left like this, the Half-Moon Wolf cub’s fate was decided.

‘I don’t think the Ianco Mercenaries would take it in either.’

The Ianco Mercenaries’ attitude toward spirit beasts was terrible, whether in the Green Circle days or now.

The feeling that money is the goal.

She couldn’t entrust the Half-Moon Wolf cub to such people.

Yuria knelt down and made eye contact with the Half-Moon Wolf cub.

“The place where I am isn’t here. There are lots of people, and you would be leaving your home. Even so, are you going to follow me?”

Hek-hek-hek!

The Half-Moon Wolf cub’s tail wagged like crazy.

“Okay. Let’s go together.”

A small smile was drawn on Yuria’s lips.

***

Yuria, who returned to the camp, immediately hid the Half-Moon Wolf cub in her room.

Because she was worried that the mercenaries might torment the Half-Moon Wolf cub.

“Let’s stay here for just one day.”

She planned to depart for the Academy the next day anyway.

To inform the Academy of what happened here.

Afterwards, Yuria called the mercenaries to the meeting room and shared with them everything except the part where she brought the Half-Moon Wolf cub.

“So. You’re going up tomorrow?”

“Yes. Uncle.”

“Aren’t you going too fast? A monsterized spirit beast might be discovered again, you know?”

“That might be true. But even so, I don’t think there is any more information I can get from here. Since you said you’ve never heard of a man with a shining face. Moving even a day faster will prevent the damage from spreading further.”

“Hmm.”

At Johnny’s groan, Yuria continued in a confident tone.

“As I told you, the fundamental cause causing the monsterization phenomenon is the Beltus Cult. Informing the Academy of this fact and finding the hidden secret labs of the cult is the priority.”

“Well, I know that. It’s just uncomfortable.”

She knew where the discomfort Johnny spoke of started.

Precisely, the past as the Green Circle.

If an investigation came out from the Academy, whether he liked it or not, he would face the cadets, but for him who had an unspeakable past, it was natural that getting involved itself was awkward.

It wasn’t different for Yuria.

She was also concerned about that part.

Fearing that the Academy investigation team that came down here might find out the past of the Ianco Mercenaries, and the fact that Yuria had been part of the Green Circle might be revealed.

However.

“We have to endure it. Anyway, solving the monsterization phenomenon is the priority right now.”

“…….”

“It will be fine as long as you don’t say unnecessary things. Then, since I have to depart early tomorrow. I’ll go in now.”

Only a chilly silence lingered in the meeting room Yuria had left.

“What will you do, Big Brother?”

Then Johnny asked Ianco.

“……What?”

“Are you going to send Yuria away like this?”

“If I don’t send her? Is there another way?”

“Shouldn’t we release the kids to search? Telling them to catch anyone if they see a man with a shining face.”

Ianco shook his head.

“That’s too abstract. In fact, it’s hard to even see it as a clue. It will be difficult.”

“Still. Is it really necessary to drag in the Academy, is my point. We could find the culprit or the Beltus Cult or whatever ourselves…….”

“Why are you acting like this all of a sudden? The Academy’s intervention was planned from the moment you brought Yuria. Did you perhaps not know that?”

At Ianco’s sharp remark, Johnny shut his mouth.

Rather, Ianco found this reaction of Johnny strange.

No.

Not only Johnny, but the reactions of the other executives who participated in the meeting were also incomprehensible.

‘Why are these guys so anxious?’

Everyone here was a comrade who had been together since the Green Circle days.

Because there was such a past, it was perhaps natural that the visit of the Academy, which catches villains, was considered awkward.

But it had been more than two and a half years since they folded the poaching activities.

He cut off all remaining traces of the past along with his right arm, and instructed them to burn all the past as well.

He made a fresh start like that, and Ianco was now living a life more honorable than anyone.

In other words, unless they deliberately spoke of the past, it was a secret among themselves that no one would know.

However, their anxiety seemed excessive.

As if…… like people who hadn’t shaken off their crimes yet.

Ianco suddenly remembered hearing news a few days ago that poachers were rampant. Upon investigation, their hunting method was similar to the Green Circle’s hunting method, and Ianco had suspected Johnny.

‘But Johnny said it wasn’t him.’

Ianco glanced at Johnny.

Johnny was whispering something intently with Dr. Edric with a hardened face.

“……Anyway, be careful not to make a slip of the tongue when the investigation team comes from the Academy, and since the night is late, let’s dismiss for now.”

The meeting ended fizzling out like that.

Ianco, who returned to his room, sat at the table. And let out a deep sigh.

“……Was it all my greed?”

Maybe not? He thought.

The feeling of turning his back and ignoring it even while knowing everything.

Still, since it’s something he doesn’t know until he confirms with his own two eyes, Ianco sprang up from his seat.

It could be that he just wanted to believe until the end.

“B, Brother……?”

Until he saw his brother transferring bills into a bag in his office, that is.

“Johnny, you.”

“Ah…… That. This is. It’s nothing.”

Seeing Ianco barge in unexpectedly, Johnny was very flustered and hurriedly strung out excuses.

“It’s just money I’ve saved up until now.”

Ianco looked at the bills silently.

They were currency bills of the Naimus Empire.

And ones that appeared to have been issued recently at that.

“It’s been almost a year since the Naimus Empire changed to the new currency. Yet all the money you’ve saved up until now is Naimus money? Do you think that makes sense? Do you take this brother for a fool?”

“Ah. So…….”

“You. You are still hunting spirit beasts.”

Snap- The hand of Johnny, who was scratching his head, stopped.

“Why did you do it? Why on earth?”

“Because of money, why else would it be?”

“If it’s money, we are earning enough even now!”

“It’s not such petty cash I want, Brother. My goal is to be a noble of the Naimus Empire, you see.”

“What? Noble? Of Naimus?”

Ianco made a dumbfounded expression.

“Yes. So I needed a lot of money, and needed a lot of connections. But Yuria, that bitch ruined it all.”

“……!”

“That’s why I told you we should just continue the artifact business, didn’t I? Why make things come to this state and make us blush at each other.”

Tsk- Johnny clicking his tongue.

Seeing that appearance, Ianco suddenly felt a chilly sensation brush past the back of his head.

“You. Did you perhaps tell the Doctor, that guy, Yuria’s secret?”

“That is so. Because there was a deal. The Doctor had quite a bit of interest in Yuria. Ah, that’s right. I think you’ve roughly noticed by now, but I brought Yuria on purpose too. Because the Doctor wanted it?”

Ianco trembled his body in boiling anger.

But he quickly subsided it, instantly regained his reason, and organized the situation.

‘The moment Yuria came here, the deed was already done.’

What was important right now was Yuria’s safety.

Yuria was in danger, and he had to make her escape from here even a day sooner.

Ianco turned his body immediately.

Schwing-

A cold sword cry was heard behind his back.

“Stay here, Brother. You know, don’t you. It is already too late.”

“…….”

“Yuria will die. Speaking frankly, she isn’t even your real daughter anyway, is she?”

“Johnny, you bastard…….”

It was when the unable-to-endure Ianco glared at him and ground his teeth.

“Huhu. That’s right. She isn’t your daughter, right?”

A voice was heard from outside the door.

Simultaneously, the door opened with a creak.

“How are you? Mr. Ordinary Human?”

Dr. Edric pushed up his glasses while smiling inside the office.

The luxurious spectacle frames sparkled receiving the light of the lighting.

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