With a serious expression, I continued. "This could be your last chance. I'm not asking you to cooperate. All you have to do is stand on the same battlefield and refrain from clashing with one another."

"My apologies, Hunter Kim," Marcello said. "But we are vying for the same prize. When the decisive moment arrives, conflict will be inevitable…"

Just then.

"Your drinks are ready!"

The cafe staff arrived with the coffee and beverages we had ordered.

The tense atmosphere, which had felt moments from erupting into violence, shifted in a peculiar way. The Holy Knights quickly grabbed their drinks. Among them, a young female knight sipped her beverage with a look of pure bliss, an almost adorable sight.

"Ah, my order has arrived as well!" Marcello announced, picking up a Blueberry Yogurt Frappe and stirring it with a straw.

Menes watched from the side, her lips pouting.

"Ah, my apologies," I said. "The Holy Knights arrived early, so they ordered first. Would you like something, Pharaoh?"

She took the menu again, feigning reluctance. "Hmph. Your hospitality is rather lacking. Hurry and bring me this 'Iced Peachy-Peach Blossom Latte'!"

I caught the menu she tossed and passed it to the Gravekeepers. "It's pretty hot, isn't it? Please, order whatever you'd like."

They accepted the menu hesitantly, their eyes soon captivated by the photos of the colorful drinks. Business was business and ideals were ideals, but at the end of the day, everyone still had to eat.

I called down to the first floor. "Sir! We have another order!"

* * *

"So," Menes began, lifting her head after staring wistfully at her empty glass. "We conduct a joint operation, but the official announcement will credit the Holy Knights with Armin Walter's death, while the Gravekeepers take custody of his body?"

"Yes. That is my proposal."

The Vatican wanted bloody revenge on the man who had brutally murdered their brethren. What they needed was a tangible achievement to silence the clamoring public—the official record stating that the Holy Knights, not the Gravekeepers, had brought Walter to justice. The Gravekeepers, on the other hand, wanted his body less for glory and more for their research into Spirit Change.

"But…" Marcello started.

"I know," I cut in. "I know this isn't perfect for either of you." The Holy Knights would want to drag Walter back to the Vatican for a public execution, and the Gravekeepers would want the credit for killing him. "But this is the minimum for an agreement. Your greed has derailed perfectly viable plans before, hasn't it? This time, let's both make the necessary concessions."

The two of them fell silent, lost in thought.

"Let's say we cooperate," Menes said finally. "How do you intend to find Armin Walter?"

"I know who he has chosen as his next 'vessel.'"

At the mention of the term, both their expressions turned pale.

"That's all I'll say for now. Will you work with me? Let me add one more thing: this opportunity in Korea might be your last chance to capture him."

It was child's play to leverage their precarious positions to broker a deal. Soon, they were hashing out the finer details of my proposal. The Holy Knights added a condition: 'Under any circumstances, the Gravekeepers must concede defeat in the struggle for Walter and refrain from any media intervention.'

The Gravekeepers' condition was: 'Capture Armin Walter alive; do not kill him.'

"However, Hunter Kim," Marcello said, his smiling face turning toward me. "You, the provider of this information, are merely standing back and orchestrating. Is there nothing you want?"

"Haha! Thank you for bringing it up. It's nothing major, but if this is successful, there's something I'd like to personally ask of you both."

Marcello nodded as if he'd expected it, while Menes propped her chin on her hand, looking displeased.

"Go on, spit it out."

"Someday, when the faction I lead seeks to join the World Guilds, I would like the Holy Knights and the Gravekeepers to cast a vote of approval."

"…What?"

Undisguised shock appeared on every face in the room.

"Pfft! Puhahahaha!" Menes clutched her stomach, roaring with laughter.

"This is… Well, I'm not sure what to say," Marcello stammered, at a loss for words. "Hunter Kim, I don't take you for a naive child who is ignorant of how the world works."

"Of course not."

"May I ask what guild you lead?"

"I don't have one. Not yet."

The requirements for joining a World Guild were incredibly strict. If it were simply a matter of power, scale, or capital, the American mega-guilds would have joined in droves. But as it stood, the U.S. had not produced a single World Guild. There was only one thing necessary to become one.

"Then what do you have?" Marcello pressed.

A 'power' from another world. Both the Holy Knights and the Gravekeepers held otherworldly relics and possessed a special power unique to them.

"There's nothing I can tell you just yet," I replied calmly. My request was simply for their help when the time came. There was no need to reveal my hand right now.

"How absurd! But that makes it interesting!" Menes cackled. "You want to stand on the same level as us? Fine! If you truly meet the criteria for a World Guild, I, Pharaoh Menes, and the Gravekeepers will unconditionally support your admission!"

Marcello, who had been contemplating for some time, finally let out a strange smile and placed a hand on his chest. "I, Archbishop Marcello, and the Holy Knights will also consent to the admission of the faction led by Hunter Kim Yusin."

'Done. It's done!' I fought to keep my expression neutral.

"Now, future rookie," Menes said, her eyes glinting. "You do know that all of this is only possible 'after' we capture Armin Walter, right?"

"Of course. I'll explain the specifics now."

I vividly recounted my battle with Walter, adding it to the information I already possessed. Then, I told them about Yoonjeong. Their cooperation was essential for this plan to work. With every new detail, their eyes darted about restlessly.

"…And so, the next vessel Walter so desperately wants is none other than Yoonjeong Han—the very core of this 'Classic Gate' Disaster."

A wave of murmurs rippled through the room.

"Walter called her the 'core of the Disaster,' and he also called her a 'vessel.' And Yoonjeong herself was aware that she was the 'boss' of this." I laced my fingers together and continued. "When she reveals herself, Walter will try to make contact by any means necessary. Before she dies."

The room fell silent.

"An incredible story," Marcello said, breaking the silence. "The core of this Disaster is a demonkin named Yoonjeong Han, and Armin Walter is drawn to her power… If that information is true, then our course is set."

Menes swept her bangs aside. "Is she your friend?"

"Yes."

"Impressive." Even Menes, who seemed unlikely to ever praise anyone, sounded different this time.

"As I said, Yoonjeong will use her authority as the boss monster to minimize the damage from the Classic Gate. Our job is to protect her from external threats and wait for Walter to arrive."

This was the most crucial reason for joining forces with them. The Korea Hunter Association would prioritize eliminating the boss monster. Even if I laid out the whole story of Yoonjeong's intentions, as public officials, they would put citizen safety first and try to kill her on sight. But these two were different. Their refusal of the Korean government's proposal made it clear: their top priority was the capture and extermination of Armin Walter. That was something I could exploit. If the Hunter Association tried to kill Yoonjeong, these factions would stop them in order to protect their bait.

"I understand what you're saying," Menes said. "But can we trust her? Walter is no problem; he acts according to his own greed. But what if she lied? What if the damage isn't minimized as planned, even if she is sincere? And most importantly, what do you intend to do with her in the end?"

As expected, she cut right to the heart of the matter. They weren't simple pawns to be used so easily.

"I trust my friend." I had no choice but to take a gamble. "If she doesn't appear at the designated location, if she isn't the core of this Disaster, and most importantly, if you judge that she cannot control herself… then yes. You can kill her."

The room fell silent.

"I want you both to see and judge for yourselves. In return, all we need is a little time."

The Seoul serial murders, Armin Walter, and the Classic Gate Disaster. This was a chance to resolve all three incidents at once. The bait was more than big enough.

"A little time. Please help us create a miracle."

'Whatever you're thinking, you have to take this bait. Take it.'

They remained silent. Ten minutes. They took ample time to consider.

"The Gravekeepers will cooperate," Menes declared.

"The Holy Knights will lend you our strength," Marcello affirmed.

They took the bait. An unprecedentedly large stage was being set. Now, no one could stop it.

* * *

The next day, I got on the phone with Shin Nara.

"Yes, that's right. Domestically, it's estimated to be four gates in total in Jinju, Gunsan, Cheonan, and Hoengseong. They said the signs in Hoengseong were still unstable, but it seems to be almost certain now."

"That's a difficult situation," I said.

The scope of the Disaster covered all of Asia, but the real problem was how many gates had opened within each country. Considering that neighboring Japan only had two, Korea's situation was indeed rough.

"Garam Management has been assigned to the defense of Jinju. Ugh, what a shame. It would have been great if you could have come with us, Yusin," replied Nara.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't be of help at such an important time."

I felt bad for her, but I had included the clause to refuse orders precisely for a situation like this. When a national or continental-level disaster struck, the government mandated that every guild and management agency provide personnel. The state didn't name individuals, just the number of hunters required—a certain number of rank 5s, a certain number of rank 4s, and so on—based on the organization's roster. The guilds then selected hunters for deployment based on their current condition and schedules. That's why I was free from the 'duty to deploy,' even during a major disaster.

"Of course, it's not like I'm sitting around doing nothing. I plan to make my own moves."

"I believe you. The hero of the Labyrinth Dungeon must have something in mind. Please don't worry about Garam; just focus on what you need to do."

"…Thank you."

I was lucky to have such a good representative. Normally, situations like this led to hurt feelings and raised voices, but she was excellent at maintaining professional boundaries.

"You really look like a hunter right now," Yoonjeong said in a sulky voice from the seat next to me.

"Of course. I am a real hunter."

"Haa… Life is so damn unfair. One person becomes a certified hunter, and another becomes a monster treated like a criminal." She lifted her arms in frustration, the iron chains binding her wrists clanking together.

"My apologies, Miss. Han," Marcello said from the back seat, a bright smile on his face. "We can't fully trust your condition just yet. I know it's constraining, but please bear with it a little longer. We'll release you as soon as we arrive."

"Haa, fine." Yoonjeong expressed her dissatisfaction but didn't argue. It would have been stranger to leave a demonkin completely unrestrained.

We got off the bus and headed to the helipad.

-Tower Master. Thirty minutes until the Disaster.

* * *

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