Something unusual was happening.
Meeting Ethan gave me a clue, and I quickly began piecing together the hints.
“That radio transmission earlier... It must have been about this. Answer, the demon we met this afternoon, is now causing enough of a disturbance in the subway that the police had to intervene.”
Of course, it didn’t make any sense to me. Answer didn’t have the means or the motive to cause such a problem.
A clumsy demon who tripped over her own feet, cried like a child when treated to snacks—was now causing chaos so extreme the police couldn’t handle it?
Even if Answer was hiding incredible powers, it was hard to believe. The police in Nighthaven weren’t so incompetent that they’d fail to handle one demon.
“Which leaves me with two possibilities. Either the demon wreaking havoc in the subway isn’t Answer, or... someone else is involved.”
I leaned more toward the latter. My reasoning? The napkin contract Answer had given me.
The densely inscribed words on the napkin were trembling dangerously, as if they might dissolve at any moment. It was as though the contract itself was nearing its limit.
Something had gone terribly wrong. Perhaps so wrong that I might never see Answer again.
“Yuria! Look at this!”
While I stared intently at the napkin, Sabrina, who had been fiddling with her device, suddenly held it out to me.
The screen displayed a live news broadcast. The view was from high above, likely from a helicopter, showing the police working to keep people away from a subway station.
How serious was the situation for it to warrant such a massive response? Anxiety crept over me, making my brows furrow.
["...Reports suggest a bomb has been planted on the subway tracks, leading to a complete suspension of all trains passing through Libra Station. Authorities urge the public to understand the necessity of these measures for their safety..."]
“A bomb? That has to be a lie, right?”
“....”
I nodded at Sabrina, who had a dark expression.
If I had to choose between trusting the media or the police, especially the special unit trusted by the precinct chief, the police were the safer bet.
This had to be the dragon mayor’s directive. That individual always tried to avoid situations where a specific race was villainized.
Whether it was a rampaging demon or a planted bomb, the subway had to be shut down. But framing the incident as a bomb threat might minimize the public backlash afterward.
“...Wait a minute. If this is how things stand, there’s still a way to help Answer.”
Amid the storm in my mind, a ray of hope struck. If the situation wasn’t resolved yet, wasn’t there still a chance?
Think. The worst-case scenario would be Answer committing an irreversible act, exposed to the entire world.
If that happened, there would be no fixing it. Too many eyes, too much scrutiny—I wouldn’t be able to change a thing.
But with the story framed as a bomb threat and no confirmed casualties, perhaps I could still clear her name.
“Of course... it won’t be easy. I might regret helping her.”
Logically, I had no reason to help her.
Answer was just someone I’d met today—not even an original character, just a resident of Nighthaven.
Unlike David’s case, this wasn’t a scenario that I had anticipated.
Walking into the lion’s den, facing stronger monsters on the police force—it was reckless, even foolish. The best choice would be to go home and hope for the best.
And if Answer had been putting on an act, hiding her true intentions? Then I’d be risking everything for nothing.
Yeah. I should just leave it alone. This wasn’t rational.
All I wanted was to live peacefully in this city without getting involved in trouble. Nothing more, nothing less.
—“Thanks so much for today! Bye, guys!”
“...Ah, damn it!”
“Yu-Yuria?”
Grabbing my head, I groaned as Answer’s cheerful farewell replayed in my mind.
Sabrina, startled by my sudden outburst, looked at me in confusion, but I couldn’t focus on her. It felt like a heavy stone was pressing down on my chest.
If I could just close my eyes and forget, it’d be fine—but I couldn’t. Not at all.
I’d rather Sabrina knock me out cold to spare me this internal struggle.
In the end, if I had to choose between regretting doing nothing or regretting trying, I’d rather take action.
“....”
Alright. Let’s go.
I decided firmly, gripping Sabrina’s shoulders to steer her gently away from the subway.
“Yuria...?”
“....”
“Wait! Are we just leaving? What about Answer?”
“...!”
“I’ll handle it. You head back.”
I thumped my chest confidently, as if to reassure her that I had this under control.
It was clear Sabrina was worried about Answer, but she was just a kid. She didn’t need to get involved in something this dangerous.
While she was strong for her age, she wasn’t at the level of someone like David or Alice.
Perhaps sensing my determination, Sabrina bit her lip and gave me a teary-eyed look.
“You’re saying I’d just get in the way, huh?”
“....”
“Fine. I’ll do what you say. I know I’m not ready yet.”
Huh, that was easier than I expected. I blinked in surprise at her unexpected compliance.
The 𝘮ost uptodat𝑒 novels are pub𝙡ished on freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.
I’d assumed she would insist on coming along, but she just smiled bitterly as if it were obvious.
“I saw everything at the hotel. I know my limits. I don’t want to mess things up because of my selfishness.”
“....”
“...But please, don’t do anything reckless! Yuria, you’re too important to me!”
Sabrina grabbed my hand, her eyes shimmering like she was looking at a precious treasure.
I could only clasp her hand in return, silently promising to be careful.
The preparations didn’t take long.
Knowing I couldn’t just rush around in plain view with all the CCTV cameras, I found a closed restaurant and used telekinesis to swipe a tablecloth from inside.
Wrapping it around myself, I checked its size. It would do the job.
“Wait, Yuria... won’t that be risky? What if it slips off and you’re recognized?”
“...?”
“Let’s swap clothes. My dress is pretty common—it should work better as a disguise.”
Her suggestion made sense. My maid outfit, custom-made by a quirky scientist, wasn’t exactly subtle.
Reluctantly, I nodded. She was right.
After creating a makeshift changing room in an alley, we quickly swapped outfits.
The process was a bit nerve-wracking, but fortunately, there were no witnesses.
“Uh, Yuria... the clothes you were wearing just now...”
“...?”
“S-sorry! Never mind!”
Adjusting the dress to fit my chest, I noticed Sabrina hiding her face in her hands.
Was she cold? I offered her my coat, but she shook her head frantically. Strange.
“Right, one more thing.”
Swapping shoes with Sabrina, I realized there was one last detail.
I handed her my fox mask.
Even with the outfit change, being recognized by the mask would ruin everything. Sabrina was trustworthy, so she could hold onto it.
“...Huh?”
Her eyes widened as she stared at my unmasked face, her pupils trembling.
Thump-thump.
In the silence, I could almost hear someone’s heart pounding loudly.
*
The dark, desolate subway tracks stretched out endlessly.
In the cold and silent space, where no trains ran, a black-haired girl walked precariously along the thin rails.
Her arms extended outward for balance, her movements were playful and innocent, perfectly matching her outwardly youthful appearance.
“Hm hm hmm~ I wonder when I’ll get to see my dear brother~”
In her dark eyes, a faint purple shimmer danced, like ink drops spreading in water.
Behind her, where she had walked moments before, a bloodcurdling scream tore through the air, indescribable in its horror.
Startled by the sound, the girl wobbled and fell off the tracks. Puffing up her cheeks in irritation, she muttered under her breath in a pouty voice.
“See? If only you’d just listened. Why make me go through the trouble twice?”
She flicked her finger lazily, and scattered stones on the ground moved of their own accord, gently lifting her back onto the tracks.
Extending her arms once again, she resumed her precarious stroll along the rails, her demeanor as pure and childlike as could be.