Chapter 113: Leaving Without a Trace

As Roy was about to leave without the kids noticing, the orphanage director approached him with a light farewell.

Roy bowed politely to the director and then took to the air, riding on Ris’s wind.

Fortunately, the children, distracted by the sweet taste lingering in their mouths, didn’t notice Roy quietly slipping away.

‘Who were those people Charles was fighting? Can you find out?’

{I was expecting you to ask that, so I’ve already been investigating.}

Earth’s voice sounded weary.

The impact of shaking the minds of nearly ten people—not just one—had been considerable.

The intruders, including Yoo Taejun, would wake up without any memory of what had happened today.

‘What kind of guys are they?’

{It seems they’re from a company called H Construction, founded by a nationwide gang. They’re planning to build a golf course here. They bought all the land nearby except for the mountain with the orphanage building on it.}

‘So they want to demolish the place where the kids live as well.’

Earth’s intelligence was truly impressive.

‘Is there no way to resolve this?’

If this were the Continent of As, they would have used force to settle it.

Anyone threatening children wasn’t worth keeping alive.

Heis wouldn’t have hesitated to kill Yoo Taejun either.

But this world was different from the Continent of As.

While As prioritized status and strength over law, this place was governed by laws, rules, and money that even suppressed power itself.

{For now, I’ll leak information to the media to ensure they don’t get a chance to pay attention to this place again. During the investigation, we uncovered a huge amount of corruption they committed.}

‘Is that okay?’

Earth warned that tampering with Yoo Taejun’s group’s memories would place significant restrictions on its use of power for a while.

{This is indirect enough that the cause-and-effect is minimal. It’s fine.}

Earth’s voice now sounded more composed than when Roy first encountered it.

It was as if Earth had grown alongside Roy here.

‘Then I’ll have to keep Charles and Heis here until this is resolved. Someone has to protect the kids, especially with the possibility of those guys striking again.’

Roy understood why Charles fought so desperately, even while his body was soaked in blood.

Roy was raised with plenty of affection from his biological mother, even if he didn’t know his biological father.

Though his mother passed away too early, he experienced her love without lack.

‘I don’t know who my parents are, Commander.’

Charles wasn’t so lucky.

The Continent of As was plagued by constant wars big and small.

Wars inevitably created countless orphans.

Charles became an orphan at a far younger age than most children.

{Don’t worry—Heis is with him too!}

Charles still seemed to be regaining his former abilities, but Heis had fully recovered his peak strength after receiving the sword Earth gifted him.

Heis was the strongest swordsman on the entire Continent of As.

‘I wonder who would win if he fought Kim Taejin.’

Both were swordsmen—top-tier ones at that.

Putting the curiosity aside, Roy quickened his pace.

Using the wind power Ris added, his body stretched forward effortlessly.

***

Roy barely arrived at his room just before dawn.

He barely paid attention to Ber’s nagging about why he was so late and collapsed onto the bed to catch even thirty minutes of sleep.

Just then, a soft knock sounded, and Kim Chan quietly slipped through the slightly open door.

“Hyung, you snuck out somewhere last night, didn’t you?”

“…Me?”

“Yeah.”

Roy wanted to come up with an excuse, but Kim Chan’s eyes were full of certainty, like Roy was trapped in an inescapable snare.

Unable to help himself, Roy shook his head and finally gave a sign of confirmation.

“You’ve always been this sharp?”

“Only when it comes to you, Roy hyung.”

Kim Chan wasn’t known for being perceptive.

It felt like every scheme he tried was immediately exposed.

Except when he was caught by Han Jihoo after meeting Heis.

“I’ve got a new teammate. But some bad guys got involved, so I had to step away to take care of it.”

“Wow. You’ve got a new teammate? So Heis is really a colleague, not a cousin.”

Though expected, hearing it from Roy himself made it feel real.

“No wonder there was a strange vibe. He’s really strong.”

As his Hunter level rose, Roy instinctively gauged people’s strength.

Unconsciously, he ran mental simulations on who would have the upper hand if he fought someone.

But the moment he tried to estimate Heis’s strength, a cold sensation like icy water pouring over his head swept through his entire body.

“Where’s Heis? Why are you here alone? Did Heis stay with the new teammate?”

“That’s right. There’s something that requires both their strength.”

Kim Chan mumbled to himself, then his eyes lit up.

“What kind of person is the other teammate?”

“Stubborn and really kind.”

Charles looked rough on the outside, even among Roy’s colleagues, but his heart was soft and warm like a freshly steamed bun.

He especially loved kids and small animals.

“I want to meet him soon… Will you introduce him as your cousin again this time?”

Ris had already shrouded their conversation in a wind barrier so no sound escaped outside.

Still, Kim Chan whispered in a voice barely bigger than a fist.

“Well, he looks less like a relative than Heis does. More like someone I know well.”

{Then I’ll make an ID card for Charles under the name “Hong Charles”!}

Earth immediately started creating Charles’s ID card after hearing Roy’s words.

‘Thanks,’ Roy silently thanked Earth in his mind. Without Earth, he and his comrades might have become fugitives chased by the Association.

“I want to meet him soon. Ah, Roy hyung, you must be really tired. Want to sleep even for five minutes?”

Kim Chan had a short but deep sleep until he was awakened by a call of nature in the early morning.

But faint exhaustion shadows stretched beneath Roy’s eyes.

***

After practicing all day and dealing with his comrade’s problems, it was no surprise he was tired.

“No. I want to, but it seems like another guest arrived.”

Soft footsteps echoed down the long corridor leading to Roy’s room. The noise was so faint that ordinary people might not have heard it.

The footsteps stopped just outside Roy’s door.

“Roy hyung, you awake? What’s going on? Chan, why are you here?”

“Oh… I just needed to talk with Roy hyung for a bit.”

Han Jihoo lightly knocked on the door with the back of his hand before entering.

Since Roy dashed out to meet Heis after practice, Han Jihoo had been oddly watching his every move.

“Hmm. I see. Jae is already preparing breakfast, so everyone get washed up and come out.”

“Thanks for letting me know.”

Roy stood from his chair and lightly patted Kim Chan’s shoulder.

“I need to go wash up too.”

Kim Chan’s hair was as fluffy as the giant cotton candy sold at amusement parks.

Frequent bleaching had damaged it, making it stiff and frizzy without special care.

“You know there’s a debut stage today, right?”

“Of course, of course.”

Kim Chan nodded enthusiastically and hurried toward his room.

Han Jihoo had urged him to rest well, since the schedule was important.

If he went on stage in poor condition, unexpected mistakes might happen.

“Roy hyung, you don’t look well. Are you sick?”

“No, just didn’t sleep well.”

Concerned eyes carefully scanned Roy’s face, where dark circles stood out due to his fair skin.

“Got it. Get ready and come out.”

***

After Han Jihoo left the room, Roy headed to the bathroom.

“I hope Charles and Heis are doing well.”

Leaving them behind alone was worrying. But today’s schedule was important for both Roy and the team.

Shaking off his thoughts, Roy turned on the water and began washing his face.

“Beep.” (Contractor, am I also the leader?)

“Flap flap.” (Why would you be the leader? The Contractor debuts.)

“Beep-hehe.” (That’s because I’m the Contractor’s mascot.)

Ber fluttered his wings and fussed, grooming his feathers beside Roy as he washed.

Despite Aqua’s scolding, Ber didn’t lose spirit and even widened his eyes.

“Too bad, not today.”

“Beep-eeeee…” (Why not? I’m really good at it…)

Ber’s cry lowered into a sulk.

Since performing once on stage with Roy, Ber’s desire for the spotlight had grown.

He’d discovered a new talent he hadn’t known before.

Ber thought he was born for the stage.

“Beep-hee, beep, beep-eeek-.” (Stars in your mind-.)

Ber suddenly started singing Roy’s debut song.

Since he was always nearby during practice, he had memorized not only the song but the choreography as well.

“Flap…” (I’m losing it, seriously…)

Ber even tried following the dance moves.

But with his round body and stick-thin legs, built for a human frame, he couldn’t pull it off properly.

“Somehow, this should be recorded on camera.”

Roy finished washing and shook the towel over his head, making a somewhat comical but cute scene.

Moreover, Ber followed the key choreography quite well, naturally evoking the image of ‘STAR’ in one’s mind.

“Ber, show me again after today’s stage.”

“Beep!” (Got it!)

Ber flawlessly finished the final move. Roy lightly stroked Ber’s forehead, changed clothes, and headed to the kitchen.

Having moved nonstop without any rest, his stomach grumbled.

The buttery aroma wafting from the kitchen filled Roy’s dark eyes with anticipation.

“Jae, can you hear me?”

“Uh, the fans’ cheers?”

“No, my heartbeat!”

“Could it be that this pounding, racing heartbeat I’m hearing… is coming from Hyena?”

“That’s right! My heart feels like it’s going to jump out as I wait for the next stage!”

A man and woman with bright makeup faced each other, exchanging lines straight out of an ’80s movie script.

“I’m just as excited as Hyena! Even though they’re rookies, these monsters are preparing to take the stage.”

“The fans’ cheers are already off the charts!”

The woman lightly pushed the microphone forward.

“Kyaaaaaaaaah!”

“Jihoo-yaaaah!”

“Roy! Noona’s here!”

“Doha-yaah!”

The overwhelming cheers filled the venue and even spread to the nearby area.