I Became the Cute One in the Troubleshooter Squad-Chapter 136: The Incident on the Luxury Airship (4)

Knowing this all too well, he furrowed his brow, clicked his tongue, and muttered with a touch of bitterness.

"Tch, maybe it’s time for this old man to step aside..."

"Please don’t say such things. The Fixer Association would be terrifying to imagine without you. I don’t want to change the person I look up to," came the voice of Yeresa, his secretary, cutting through his murmurs.

Tempest’s words were not meant to be answered, but from beside him, a voice that was incredibly familiar to him responded.

He naturally turned his head, and there stood Yeresa, his loyal secretary. She was a tall woman with a cool demeanor and a distinct hime-cut, looking every bit the beauty she was.

When did she enter? Was she trying to sneak in like a ghost?

Tempest, shaking his head in disbelief, glanced at her in her formal attire with an expression that was as if to say, Really, you again?

"Yeresa, when did you come in? I’ve told you so many times to make some noise when you enter..."

"I did knock. Twice, in fact. Don’t blame me for your poor hearing," she replied confidently, standing tall as if she had done nothing wrong.

But Tempest, being able to detect lies with ease, immediately knew she was lying.

Saying she knocked was a blatant lie. She had snuck in, quiet as a mouse, likely intending to surprise him.

‘She’s trying to surprise me, huh? She’s got the appearance of a cold, calculating beauty, but she’s got a mischievous streak.’

Perhaps it was because he raised her after she lost her parents when she was young, but whenever it was just the two of them, Yeresa had a habit of letting her guard down.

He should have put a tighter rein on her when she was younger. After all, raising someone was never easy.

As Tempest shook his head, sighing at his secretary's behavior, Yeresa, perhaps tired of pretending, shifted the conversation.

"So, you suddenly asked to turn off the recorder and leave for a while. What’s the reason for your wistful thoughts, gazing at the distant mountains? Is it because the interview results didn’t satisfy you?" she asked with a teasing smile.

"No, that’s not it. Actually, I’m very pleased with the outcome. I’ve managed to resolve some things that had been bothering me. I couldn’t ask for better," he answered with a light laugh.

"Then why...?"

He let out a small, almost sinister chuckle.

It seemed that Yeresa still wasn’t quite understanding the mood, so Tempest, with a somewhat weary but kind tone, spoke again.

"Well, it’s the thoughts of an old man. I’m worried about how things will go once I’m gone. Will everything continue to run smoothly after I’m gone?"

Yeresa hesitated, unsure how to respond, so Tempest continued.

"You know it too, don’t you? I’m not the same as I used to be. Though I’m still active, I won’t be for much longer."

His concerns weren’t without merit.

Think about it. Tempest could defeat any being on Earth, and his existence alone prevented wars from breaking out. He was a perfect deterrent.

But, humans had become too dependent on him. If he were to suddenly disappear, the balance of the world would shift dramatically.

That’s why Tempest was pouring so much energy into the Fixer Association—he was preparing for the future.

Without him, it would be like a sandcastle collapsing without anyone to maintain it.

‘In that sense, Yuria is quite lucky. A psychic who opposes Invaders... Though I can’t fully trust her yet, she’ll surely be at the center of the upcoming changes.’

As Tempest thought this, he recalled the image of the girl who had just left the interview room.

Yuria, the pure white girl with a fox mask.

Her every movement revealed a soul that couldn’t hide its emotions, no matter how hard she tried.

She was doing her best to keep it hidden, but before the sharp eyes of a dragon who had seen countless humans, she was no more than a cat trying to mimic a lion.

He could also distinguish between truth and lies from the aura of her soul, and he could see right through her conversation.

‘When she suddenly bared her belly, I was a little surprised... but those scars tell me everything. Those weren’t made in a short time. They are marks of abuse accumulated over a long period. If she tries to present that as evidence... I can’t just ignore it.’

Of course, Tempest was a shrewd, seasoned individual. He knew that Yuria was carefully avoiding any parts she felt uneasy about while answering the easier questions.

Still, he was certain that Yuria had become a psychic through a dangerous experiment. The scars on her body clearly proved it.

She must have endured great suffering. Usually, people couldn’t handle it and their minds would break, leading them to become dangerous seeds of destruction under the Invaders’ influence.

But Yuria’s soul remained pure, guiding others with her charm. Tempest could tell that she was different from other psychics.

Was it beneficial or detrimental? It was clear he had to keep her close.

‘In that case, I need to look at this with a more open mind, not with narrow views.’

"That being said... I didn’t expect to be refused. Heh, I’m really curious to see what will happen next. Don’t you agree?"

"Huh? Suddenly, what... Ah, if you’re getting senile, would you mind adding my name to ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) your will?" Yeresa teased.

"Ha ha ha! You’re terrible! But if I die tomorrow, all my wealth will be donated to society, so don’t get greedy! Yeresa!" Tempest laughed heartily.

"Tch. I was hoping for a chance to turn my life around... but it seems it won’t happen."

Still, they would certainly cross paths again soon. Tempest, with this vague sense of certainty, closed his eyes and thought of the future.

In a world that was as unstable as a flickering candle, he imagined the pure white girl turning back, glancing over her shoulder.

I didn’t let out a sigh of relief until I was far away from the interview room.

The tension that had filled me was finally beginning to subside.

‘Phew, being caught as a psychic really messes with your heart. I never want to go through that again.’

At least, I was lucky it was the kind-hearted Dragon Lord I had to face. If the person who found out I was a psychic hated or wanted to use me for something...

I’d have had to use my powers to escape immediately, making sure to leave a big impression and risk losing my peaceful life.

Ugh, just imagining it makes me shiver.

At least my kind mayor promised to keep my secret. This situation, while unfortunate, could be considered the best-case scenario.

‘But, I never imagined I’d be offered protection from the Association... It’s not a bad offer at all, now that I think about it.’

The protection offered by the Association was, in terms of safety, the best offer I could have received.

There were powerful Fixers in the Association, besides Tempest. Having one of them assigned to guard me would be a great asset.

Of course, I would have to cooperate when it came to my psychic abilities, but it was still an appealing proposition to always have strong protection by my side.

If I had been offered this protection when I first arrived in Night Haven...

I would have accepted it without hesitation. At least I’d be safe from immediate harm.

‘Well, I refused it, though.’

But receiving protection from the Association also meant being under constant surveillance. I’d have to abandon my name, Yuria, and part with my loved ones forever.

And I wouldn’t be able to recharge the Tesseract or Echo through the cracks in my hiding place. It would make changing the situation incredibly difficult.

That’s why I turned down Tempest’s offer. At least, I wanted to protect my loved ones by myself.

‘Well, I exchanged contact info with him. For now, that’ll be enough. ...I might need it for the 4th task, though.’

As I thought to myself, I walked on. How long had I been walking?

Suddenly, I spotted familiar pink hair at the edge of my vision.

It was Alice. As soon as I realized, I quickly raised my head.

Then, without realizing it, I blinked in surprise at the sight before me.

"What... what are you doing! I told you, I don’t like you!" Alice yelled, her face contorted in disgust.

"So what? I like pretty, lively girls," came the voice of Vespera.

"...?"

What I saw before me was Vespera, who had moved way too close to Alice. Alice’s face twisted in disgust, while Vespera seemed to be enjoying herself, licking her lips.

How did this happen? I was completely taken aback.