Fortunately, the parachute was simple enough to use, requiring just about three minutes of instruction.
All you had to do was grab the two dangling cords at chest level with both hands and push them forward with all your strength.
Even in a state of panic, this was something I could manage.
However, jumping from several kilometers above the ground and relying solely on a parachute was far from easy.
After landing on a rooftop behind Raven, my legs trembled so much I felt like a newborn calf.
If you were going to do this, you should’ve told me beforehand so I could mentally prepare!
I felt like I deserved a pat on the back for resisting the urge to use my telekinesis the entire way down.
“Phew, luckily this area is on the outskirts, so we avoided detection by the police. Come here, part-timer. Let me help you take off the pack.”
“....”
Turning my back to Raven, who was busy rolling up his parachute on the ground, I let him take care of the pack.
Even if I was upset, there were more pressing matters.
Helping Greg as soon as possible took priority over holding a grudge right now.
But I won’t forget this. One day, I’ll definitely get my revenge.
I clenched my lips tightly, quietly piling up my resentment toward Raven.
After removing my parachute pack, Raven stashed it along with his own near a corner.
Since we’d be moving around the city from here, carrying the packs would be too cumbersome.
It made sense; we wouldn’t need the parachutes again. I would’ve done the same.
Nodding at Raven’s practical decision, I moved closer to the edge of the rooftop.
The view of Belmond unfolded before me as I regained some composure.
It was starkly different from the neon-lit, uniquely designed skyscrapers of Night Haven.
Instead, it was a dull and monotonous forest of concrete buildings.
Far below, shadows of people moved about, but I couldn’t spot a single non-human among them.
Unlike Night Haven, teeming with diversity, this city was filled solely with ordinary humans.
The sharp contrast felt disorienting, as if I had woken from a vivid dream, leaving a chill in my chest.
“Part-timer. There’s a ladder over here. Let’s climb down.”
“....”
“Tch, what’s with you? Are you scared now that you’re here?”
No, that’s not it at all...
Gripping the railing tightly, I shook my head.
Seeing a world so unfamiliar after leaving Night Haven—it felt strange in a way I couldn’t articulate.
How could I explain this feeling, and even if I could, how would Raven possibly understand?
The only thing I could do was pretend it was nothing and act like my usual self.
Whether Raven noticed or not, he placed a hand on the top of my head and spoke reassuringly.
“Don’t worry about Greg. He’s the type who wouldn’t die even if you shot him point-blank. He’s probably caught up in some complicated, annoying mess, but his life shouldn’t be in immediate danger.”
“....”
“So, don’t get too down. If you drain yourself emotionally now, it’ll be awkward when you meet him later.”
Looking at Raven’s awkward attempt to console me, I suddenly realized something.
He’s trying to comfort me, isn’t he? Even though he’s pretending otherwise.
I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at his rare effort.
It wasn’t like I was sitting here wallowing in sorrow over Greg, but...
Still, ignoring his words would’ve felt rude.
Feeling slightly better, I stretched my shoulders, as if shaking off the tension.
Yeah. I’ve come this far—at the very least, I won’t drag anyone down.
I brushed away the dark and sticky negative thoughts clouding my mind.
“...!”
Let’s go! I’ll follow you anywhere, full speed ahead!
I raised my arms high above my head, signaling that I was ready to move forward without worry.
Raven seemed pleased by my renewed spirit, flashing a sly grin before turning around lightly.
“Alright, let’s go help that lousy orc who left his cat at daycare and never came back to get it!”
“...?”
Who are you calling a cat left at daycare?!
I pounded Raven’s back with my fists, displeased by his comparison.
But my telekinesis-free punches seemed utterly ineffective.
He didn’t even flinch, casually walking toward the ladder as if he hadn’t noticed.
Not even a reaction?! Now he’s doubly annoying.
*
It seemed that flying over by plane was already paying off.
It was early evening—too late to call daytime but not quite night yet.
For now, we decided to change clothes at a still-open clothing shop.
Raven in his plain suit wasn’t much of an issue, but me in a maid outfit with a mask definitely drew attention.
“Hmm, something as inconspicuous as possible would be best. How about this? A very plain zip-up hoodie with fur lining inside. It won’t stand out at all, even on someone your size.”
“...!”
“And for me, I’ll just throw on a simple overcoat.”
I swapped my maid uniform for the hoodie, pulling the hood over my head to cover the mask.
It wasn’t perfect, but it worked as a temporary solution.
I carefully packed away my maid uniform and stored it in a paid locker at a nearby station.
It was a precious gift from Greg, so losing it would’ve been heartbreaking.
If someone dared to steal it, I’d make them regret it in the worst way possible.
“Alright, this should make us less noticeable. Now, how do we find Greg in a city this big...?”
Raven, now wearing a plain newsboy cap, pulled out his device and tapped on the screen with a focused expression.
Was he planning something?
To my surprise, Raven didn’t disappoint.
After fiddling with his device for a moment, he seemed to have succeeded, leading me into a deserted alley as he explained.
“I just hacked into Belmond’s police radio. By listening in, we’ll know immediately if there’s a disturbance in the city.”
“...?”
“How? Heh, before David joined, this kind of thing used to be my job.”
He hacked into the police radio?!
It made sense, though—this way, we could quickly learn about any incidents happening in the city.
I clapped my hands in admiration at Raven’s impressive skill.
But he simply stuffed the device back into his pocket, shrugging it off.
“It’s not like I have specialized knowledge like David. I’m just using a hacking tool gifted to me by a friend and following the manual. Hacking basic police frequencies like this is no big deal.”
Despite his modesty, Raven’s face betrayed a hint of unease, as if the compliment made him slightly uncomfortable.
Then, he focused intently on the police radio he’d hacked into, furrowing his brows slightly.
The hacked radio would help us track city-wide incidents, but whether or not they were connected to Greg was another story.
We’d have to verify each situation on-site, which was bound to be a tedious task.
Finding Greg in a city this vast felt like searching for a needle in a haystack.
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Even if we did find him, resolving whatever trouble he was in wouldn’t be easy.
But I had already made up my mind—there was no turning back now.
For hours, we wandered the cold winter streets without success.
The police reports we followed often led to minor disturbances that had nothing to do with Greg.
Despite scouring the area, there was no sign of Greg—or even any non-humans.
Well, this wasn’t Night Haven, so it made sense.
Still, neither Raven nor I gave up. We pressed on, driven by sheer determination.
“It’s not here either. Let’s eat first. Keeping your strength up during a long mission is important.”
“...!”
As the night stretched on, we took a brief break and bought food from a street vendor.
I got a hot dog stuffed with plump smoked sausage, while Raven opted for a hearty taco.
After wandering outside for so long, the warmth of the food felt like it was restoring my energy.
“Should we check deeper into the alleys? If Greg’s not on any registry and no one’s reported seeing an uncollared non-human, he’s probably hiding somewhere inconspicuous.”
Crumpling up the hot dog wrapper, I listened to Raven mumbling to himself.
He seemed deep in thought, troubled by how we’d yet to find even a trace of Greg despite our efforts.
Given that all non-humans in this city were required to wear magic-suppressing collars, Raven guessed Greg must’ve slipped in unnoticed.
“Let’s head into some of the less-traveled alleys. Stay close. If you get lost, it’ll be a pain.”
“....”
As if you wouldn’t notice if I wandered off.
Tossing the crumpled wrapper into a trash can, I obediently nodded.
We ventured into darker, more isolated alleys, where the air felt damp despite the cold and carried an unpleasant smell.
Just as I was starting to think this would lead to another dead end, Raven suddenly drew his gun and fired into a wall without hesitation.
Thud!
The muffled shot from the silenced pistol was quickly followed by a pained scream from behind the wall.
Wait, even I didn’t notice anyone there!
Raven’s skill left me wide-eyed in disbelief.
He merely shrugged, as if it was no big deal, and casually slipped an arm under me to lift me over the wall with ease.
On the other side of the wall lay a man clutching his stomach, groaning in pain.
Raven carefully set me down as if handling fragile glass, then rested his gun on his shoulder and spoke.
“Aagh! Ngh....”
“Quit whining. I used rubber bullets. Hold on... You’re non-human? And you’re not wearing a collar.”
To my surprise, the man on the ground was a werewolf, evident from his prominent sideburns.
A non-human without a collar, hiding in a human-only city like this...
Even to me, it reeked of suspicion.