Both the superpower user and the big man focused on the source of the strange sound and rushed into that dark corner.
…This is bad…
Ravyn, in a desperate situation, crouched down to retrieve the gun. But before the girl touched her shoe, a hand grabbed her from behind first.
*Meow!!*
A cat shrieked in shock, leaping through a fist and a blade that had stopped in front of it.
"Just a cat?"
The unkempt-haired man said this before pulling two sickles from his trouser pocket that appeared too small to fit and hurling them at the warehouse wall in front of him.
"Do you think I'm going to get fooled by this?!"
*thud!* *thud!*
The blades of those two reaping hooks stuck into the tree, which has two people hidden behind.
"Or maybe I'm just imagining things?"
After what he heard didn't resemble the sound of the target's flesh slicing, the person who threw weapons turned his attention back to his conspirator.
######
Then, when the runaways left the warehouse area, Ravyn turned to her savior, who was also a tree girth away from death like her.
"Who are you and why did you help me?"
In front of her was a tall and lean guy wearing a dark brown leather jacket.
"I knew our intel newcomer was going to be an eager beaver, but going out on the first day does exceed my expectations."
…This voice, I think I've heard it somewhere before…
Taking a closer look, Ravyn discovered that he was the drunk man in the prison who gave her the AB application. However, his face now looks clean and his clothes are well-groomed, completely different from the one she saw last time.
"So, it's you. Thanks though."
Because she first met this man inside the jail as an alcoholic, Ravyn decided to keep a distance from him and walked away.
"Wait! Don't you think of getting us to know each other for a bit? I mean, we are on the same side anyway."
"I have to hurry back to the lab with a sample of the liquid I got…"
The purple-haired girl raised her bare hand, which should be holding a small, sealed container.
"You mean this sample?"
The hard-earned packet of liquid she had collected from the bombers' crates that were bounced off from the clash in the storehouse was now in the hands of the man in front of her.
"Give it back."
Ravyn attempted to take what was in her hand but was unable to take it from him no matter how many times she tried.
…The movement of his body is more nimble than mine. Plus, all this time, he has shown none of the vulnerable spots at all…
"That's cold. I've thought of coming to wish you good luck in working as an AB Assistant. Now I've felt sorry for myself."
The girl, realizing that she couldn't get it back by force, stopped her ineffective action.
"Ravyn"
"Huh?"
"My name is Ravyn."
…Even if you secretly follow me like a stalker, you still pretend to not know my name. What a creepy professional…
She grumbled in her head and held out her hand, waiting to have her sample back.
"Oh, that's a beautiful name. I'm Jae. It's nice to meet you again."
A well-proportioned man in a jacket returns the sample packet to Ravyn with a friendly smile.
But that expression made her somewhat irritated because his body language undoubtedly told her that…
…This guy didn't lie…
" Speaking of you, you are really not an ordinary person, right? Even in such a situation, you are still capable of collecting the evidence. In addition, an AB Intelligence that Mr. Charles took in himself...Who exactly are you?"
Ravyn thought for a moment before replying.
"I see… It would be strange if a person on your level didn't notice. For the sake of inviting me to AB, I'll tell you. Bring your ear closer…"
Although he's still baffled by Ravyn's changing manner, Jae slowly turned his side head towards her.
"It's a SeCRET."
The purple-haired girl speaks into the man in the jacket's ear and sucker punches his abdomen.
*oof!*
The tall and graceful figure of Jae, who had been completely fooled, sank to the ground.
"Don't go around grabbing anyone or snatching people's stuff like a thief... Do you miss the prison so much?"
The girl arranges her shirt's hem once before walking away.
"Hahaha, I like her!"
Erios laughter rang out from the communication device in Jae's ears.
" Are you done with enjoying your eavesdropping? It's time to continue our work."
The young man on the ground, still recovering, couldn't reply with his full voice.
######
"…The rest is just waiting for the lab results. Once Airburst can confirm the next target, our mission is completed. Well, you did a great job!"
Yu put both hands on Ravyn's cheeks and squeezed them in a playful manner with affection.
"You think I would say that compliment to you?~ It's very dangerous for ordinary people to go out in the operation field designated for The Airburst, who have undergone rigorous training to deal with particular crises. Next time you have to use that report button in the board's corner, will you?~ "
The purple-haired girl stood stiff, not knowing how to deal with this colleague's liveliness.
"Alrighty, it's time for the welcome party of our new, keen member. Let's go eat this evening!~"
The girl with glasses leads her junior to the cafeteria.
######
Inside, the food court of AB is decorated with flowers, and the restaurant kiosks are themed mainly in light green. This gives Ravyn a relaxed atmosphere at first sight. A wide variety of restaurants and desserts are selected from everywhere to satisfy the people in the organization. It can be called a paradise for gastronomes.
…It's a shame that Pierret can't get here to try the good food while it's hot. The AB elevator locations must be kept confidential, and they won't work if there's any outsider detected…
Ravyn felt sorry for her foodie best friend.
"Look at you!~ Your eyes shine even brighter than when you saw the Intel board."
Yu teased Ravyn's excited reaction to the point that it turned her ears red.
######
While Ravyn was queuing up at a fried rice restaurant, she met a boy in the front who was assertively haggling on food prices.
"My beautiful auntie Juree~ This fragrant and appetizing egg fried rice makes me want to be a member of this restaurant for a whole month, every day! … How does 15% off for membership, including this time, sound?"
He praised the shopkeeper and came up with the deal at once.
"Aw, sweet-mouthed youngling~ But I'm sorry, no bargain for the standard of aunty's babies out of her wok. Sticker price only."
Even though the cook turned him down, the boy still didn't give up and took out the notebook and pen.
"Don't settle until you see this. In the long run, it's a win-win for us. As for the calculated profit, you'll get for this month…"
Fed up with this boy's bargain, Juree was about to chase him away. But when the money for food was placed in front of her, the seller immediately wore a sweet smile.
"In full. Thank you, lady."
The purple-haired girl in the back paid the small difference for that boy to get to her turn. The young man, who got a treat, stopped scribbling the numbers and bowed gratefully to Ravyn.
"Ca.. Canteen Angel. Big Bro Kanji, thank you for your kind support."
Suddenly, the intel girl with glasses, who had just finished queuing for the next booth, came to adorably pinch the brown boy's cheek in annoyance.
"What's with that thankful manner?~ Your salary can buy you a car a month, isn't it? Kanji!~ "
"Ouch, big bro Kanji hurts."
######
"My name is Kanji from the finance department. I may be just 17, but I'm the eldest. Honored for the introduction, canteen angel."
A hospitable boy makes a start.
"And this is our newbie, Ravyn. You've seen her this morning."
Yu introduced her while the referred person slightly bowed her head.
" Good job getting into the intelligence department. Please look after our lonely Yu, will you?"
Kanji naturally spoke as if he really was the oldest here, and the girl with glasses didn't mind, as if that was normal.
All three of them chatted merrily around the dining table, although Ravyn was mostly listening until the work-related topics were brought up.
"Our new girl is doing great. She cleared her first J-rank mission in only 6 hours."
Yu complimented Ravyn.
" Excellent, Ravyn! You are the first since Yu worked here to clear the first mission in a day."
Kanji added.
"Aren't I the only one who comes after Yu?"
The purple-haired girl was puzzled by what she heard.
"Of course not. The intel actually tried to recruit quite a few more people, but due to the rigor of missions, which often have many lives at stake. Overwhelmed by pressure, most of them quit within the first week. Some stay longer, but it's just Yu, eventually."
The boy replied.
"You know-it-all~ Little Kanji."
"So normally, Yu works with Mr. Charles. All by only two people?"
Ravyn followed up.
######
After dinner at AB, Ravyn walked back to Gentle'sand with Yu's voice still echoing in her head until she murmured.
"2 hours…"
That was the time it took Yu to clear her first mission, plus the time she learned how to use the Intel Board by herself.
"It's a big world out there."
