Chapter 76

When people are faced with an unexpected situation, their bodies tend to freeze up.

For example, like getting hit by a truck that suddenly bursts out of an alley because you’re too stunned to move.

This reaction is often called “freezing,” and for me, the fact that Greg was in danger was exactly one of those moments.

It’s because, during this past month while he was away from the city, it was something I’d never once thought about.

‘Didn’t you say you’d be back soon? And now you’re really doing this?’

I clenched my fists tightly as I replayed my last moment with Greg in my head.

His confident assurance that nothing would happen and he’d return quickly still lingered vividly in my mind.

As the initial shock subsided like waves retreating from the shore, a flood of emotions surged forward like a sudden downpour.

Worry, anger, disappointment, impatience, irritation, anxiety…

There was no way I could just sit still like this.

Unable to bear the burning feeling in my chest, I dashed outside without thinking.

“Wait, hold on. Where do you think you’re going?”

“…!”

Well, I *tried* to dash out.

If Raven hadn’t grabbed my shoulder so hard it hurt, that is.

What are you doing?! Don’t stop me!

I glared at Raven, feeling both the sharp pain in my shoulder and a twinge of betrayal.

But he simply stared back at me with an icy, emotionless gaze.

“Do you even know where Greg is? Just running out there isn’t going to solve anything.”

“….”

“So, don’t waste your energy on pointless things and wait quietly. If you go off half-cocked now, you’ll only end up holding us back. Trust me.”

Raven’s face was utterly cold.

The usual playful mischief was nowhere to be found—only chilling composure.

Thanks to that, I was barely able to see myself objectively.

My heart was pounding painfully in my chest, and my breathing was ragged, as if I’d just sprinted a marathon.

A plan? There was no way I had one. If Raven hadn’t stopped me, I probably would’ve run around the city using telekinesis aimlessly.

‘And that… would’ve been a foolish act that solved nothing, only worsening the situation by giving in to my emotions.’

Realizing this, I gritted my teeth and forced my legs to stop moving.

Perhaps noticing my change, Raven slowly released his grip on my shoulder.

He seemed to think I wouldn’t recklessly bolt off anymore.

But even though I’d regained some rationality, my emotions hadn’t settled.

The suffocating, gut-wrenching feeling in my stomach remained as intense as ever.

“First, calm down. I understand Greg is important to you in many ways, but he’s also someone we have ties with, so we won’t ignore him. Plus… there’s definitely a way to save Greg.”

“…?”

How can a single message asking for help make that possible?

I looked at him with a gaze full of questions.

In response, Raven held up his device as if to say, “Take a good look.”

“Pay attention to this message Greg sent. Strangely, it wasn’t sent through an identification number but via an internet service. While convenient, this method has a security issue—it assigns an IP address.”

“…!”

“Well, normally, companies providing these services keep such information heavily secured, so it’s difficult to access externally. But… we happen to know someone who’s exceptionally skilled at this kind of thing.”

Without hesitation, Raven opened his terminal and sent a message to someone.

Probably David, who might’ve let his guard down since it was Sunday.

What a terrible boss. I love it. Proceed without hesitation!

Ignoring the throbbing pain in my shoulder, I nodded. As he finished messaging David, he glanced at his terminal and spoke.

“Hmm… is your shoulder okay?”

“…?”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

What’s with this apology all of a sudden? It’s my fault.

Seeing Raven, who had been glaring at me like he’d kill me if I moved earlier, now awkwardly apologizing made me shake my head in disbelief.

This isn’t some ‘good cop, bad cop’ routine.

Besides, I wasn’t even upset to begin with, so there was no need for him to feel sorry.

If anything, I should be thanking him for stopping me from making an irreversible mistake.

So, to convey my gratitude, I headbutted Raven’s stomach with all my might.

Cats show affection through headbutts, right? Surely the meaning got across somehow.

“Ugh, hah… well, I knew you weren’t the type to dwell on trivial matters. Alright, go change your clothes first. We’ll leave as soon as we hear back from David.”

“…?”

“Why the confused look? You want to help Greg, don’t you?”

“…!”

Of course I do!

I nodded vigorously at Raven, who was flashing a rare handsome smile.

Then, without looking back, I dashed into my room.

After hurriedly stripping off my clothes and changing into my usual maid outfit, I sat neatly on the office sofa, my clothes perfectly wrinkle-free.

After all, the longest detour is often the shortcut.

Suppressing the emotions bubbling up inside me, I quietly waited on the sofa for the right moment.

[Mama… are you okay?]

Tesseract cautiously spoke, seemingly sensing my unease.

But I was truly fine now.

Raven told me to trust him, and I believed I could.

After all, Raven is the protagonist.

Of course, hopefully nothing serious would happen.

But if Greg were to get badly injured…

Even I wasn’t sure if I’d stay calm then.

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

The sound of the clock’s second hand was the only clear thing in the quiet office.

The lingering anxiety seemed to quietly watch over me.

*

While meditating with my eyes closed on the sofa, Raven walked out from inside.

He must’ve changed clothes, as he was now wearing his usual drab work suit.

“Good news. David successfully traced the IP and found Greg’s location.”

“…!”

“Greg is in Belmont, a coastal city about half a day’s drive from Night Haven.”

So it really was outside Night Haven.

Half a day by car? That’s too late!

I furrowed my brow with a grave expression.

It was fortunate it wasn’t another country, but the distance was still a major problem.

At this rate, we wouldn’t make it in time.

Seeing my concern, Raven spoke seriously.

“If we leave now, we’ll probably arrive in the city around dawn tomorrow. Without knowing what’s happening on their side, this clearly isn’t ideal.”

“….”

“So, we’re not taking a car. We’ll use another method.”

Another method?

Train or plane tickets would be difficult to get on such short notice.

And to begin with, I don’t have any ID or anything. Can I even board?

Wait, unless… Pixies can manage it?

I looked at him expectantly, placing my hands on my knees to silently ask for more details.

Raven calmly explained as if it weren’t a big deal.

“Do you remember Rurika from a while back? She happens to have a schedule to go abroad today, so we’ll borrow her private jet. That should cut our travel time down to about two hours.”

“…!”

A miracle reducing half a day to two hours!

Planes really are better than cars.

And with a private jet, we wouldn’t need to bother buying plane tickets.

Since our destination isn’t overseas, we wouldn’t need passports either.

But… does she just agree to lend it so easily? No conditions at all?

As I tilted my head in thought, he cleared his throat and continued.

“In return, she said she wants to use you and Alice in another music video when she has time. Seems the last one got a pretty good reaction.”

“….”

“Well, that’s settled. Let’s get going. We need to be at the airport by 6 PM. There’s no time to waste.”

With Raven urging me on, I had no choice but to follow him hastily.

As we walked, Raven explained the plan step by step.

We’d get to the city as quickly as possible, track down Greg, whose communication had been spotty, figure out what happened, and help him somehow.

However, since Belmont wasn’t as friendly to other races as Night Haven, Alice and David couldn’t join us.

“But Alice looks completely human. Wouldn’t she be fine?”

Thinking this, I mimicked drawing my sword and asked about Alice.

But Raven shook his head, saying that anyone with magic flowing through them would need to wear a magic-limiting necklace.

Ah, now that I think about it, that makes sense. She’d stand out unnecessarily.

I nodded to show I understood.

So it would just be Raven and me. The thought weighed heavily on my mind.

Fortunately, thanks to smooth traffic within the city, it didn’t take long to reach the airport.

We arrived just before 6 PM, the scheduled departure time.

“Yo, we’re here.”

“Ah, the human trash who only contacts me when needed… Yuria, hi. You remember me, sis?”

“…!”

“Hmph, seems I’m being treated poorly…”

I waved enthusiastically at Rurika, who greeted me warmly.

She reminded me of Alice, so her friendly demeanor didn’t feel burdensome.

At least she wasn’t the type to pull me into a hug and sniff my head after just meeting me.

In terms of personal space, this felt much more comfortable.

Left out in the cold, Raven adjusted his collar as he watched us, then thanked Rurika nonchalantly.

“Thanks for letting us use your private jet today. We really needed it urgently. You saved us.”

“Tch. It’s not like I did it for you. I accepted because of Alice and Yuria. Thank them. Why would I let someone as dull as you ride with me?”

“Yeah, yeah, sorry for being dull.”

“….”

Alright, let’s board.

Rurika pointed to the private jet with her thumb.

Surprisingly, there were quite a few people inside the jet. Apparently, they were staff and crew members.

It’s common for dozens of staff to travel for overseas shoots, so borrowing a private jet might actually be more convenient for her.

“Oh my, Yuria, Mr. Raven.”

“Huh? You’re…?”

“…!”

“It’s me, Aisha. Ahaha, does my makeup look a bit awkward?”

Surprisingly, Aisha, a familiar and welcome face, was also on the private jet.

As part of the same agency as Rurika, she’d naturally increase her recognition through overseas shoots.

She’s had her own struggles in the past, so I hope everything goes well for her.

Not long after, the private jet smoothly departed from the airport.

Thankfully, the crew didn’t question my identity, as if everything had been prearranged.

This was my first time on a plane, so normally, my heart should’ve been racing.

But with Greg still on my mind, I couldn’t fully enjoy the moment.

Wait, didn’t they say it was for an overseas shoot? Can they drop us off midway?

Pondering this question alone, I eventually learned the secret.

“Alright, I’ll go ahead. Work hard on the shoot. Let’s go, Yuria!”

“….”

Whoosh!

By the open exit of the private jet, Raven and I were already wearing parachute packs on our backs.

What is this, some battle royale game?

Who jumps out of a plane with a parachute strapped on?!

Before I could even scream, Raven and I leapt into the air, buffeted by strong winds.

No matter how urgent it was, jumping out of a flying plane with a parachute was insane.

Clearly, Raven wasn’t normal either.