I Became the Cute One in the Troubleshooter Squad

Raven briefly gazed at the distant mountains, collecting his emotions before turning back to look at Yuria with a serious expression.

His gaze seemed as if he were demanding an explanation for the situation, observing her as though she were a stranger.

However, from Yuria’s perspective, all she could do was glance around nervously, unsure of what to do under his scrutiny.

Even if he asked for an explanation… What could she do when she couldn’t even speak in her current state?

“More importantly, who is this person? Could it be… he doesn’t know who I am?”

Come to think of it, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable that he hadn’t realized it.

Greg’s physique was that of a giant over two meters tall, a mass of muscle.

Naturally, his coat was enormous, large enough to cover her completely and reach her ankles.

Just to be sure, Yuria had tightly tied the fox mask around her waist, ensuring it wouldn’t be visible.

No matter how sharp Raven’s instincts were, he couldn’t recognize her when she had gone to such lengths to conceal herself!

Feeling a bit smug, Yuria giggled to herself inside the coat before darting behind Greg’s back.

Still, she worried more about getting scolded than being revealed as a psychic.

She had been warned explicitly that as long as she was awake, her presence would not be tolerated. If she was discovered as Yuria, what would happen?

The memory of his earlier warning not to follow them had been so stern that it had almost made her cry.

“…This is harder than I thought, pretending not to know.”

Of course, Yuria’s concerns were completely unnecessary.

Raven had already realized that the person hiding under the coat was none other than Yuria.

Admittedly, the coat concealed any identifiable features, and she had hidden her distinct traits well.

However, her small frame and slender build, evident even through the coat, were unmistakable.

Not to mention the glimpse of her soft, pale skin peeking out from under the hem of the coat. The moment he saw that, her identity as Yuria became glaringly obvious.

Yet, contrary to her worries, Raven had no intention of revealing her identity.

After all, it wasn’t as though he hadn’t already figured out she was the “ghost.” And if she didn’t want to reveal herself, Raven wasn’t the type to press the issue.

Moreover, he hadn’t anticipated that there would be two leaders of the Interracial Liberation Army here.

If Greg hadn’t risked his life to separate one from the other, the battle wouldn’t even have been feasible.

Without Yuria’s involvement, the situation might have spiraled further out of control, so he actually owed her gratitude.

“Besides, I deliberately had David ‘accidentally’ email their location… I guess letting it slide for now is the best course.”

He had warned her not to follow them, using a tone that left no room for argument.

If he openly revealed that she was Yuria now, it would create an unbearably awkward situation.

As far as he was concerned, the “ghost” and Yuria were two entirely separate individuals.

Raven engraved that thought into his mind, looking at Greg with a conflicted expression.

“….”

“Wait, let me explain. This is…”

“Ah, could this be the ghost Alice mentioned before? I never imagined it would have ties to Greg. What a surprising encounter.”

“Um? Ah… Yes, that’s right.”

“…?”

Raven subtly signaled to Greg.

The signal conveyed that he was willing to let this slide for now and that Greg should play along.

Fortunately, Greg understood the signal immediately.

Even from Greg’s perspective, it felt strange that Raven wouldn’t recognize Yuria. Raven’s instincts were sharp enough to detect lies simply from someone’s tone.

There was no way a mere coat would fool him. Raven likely felt it wasn’t necessary to expose Yuria’s identity.

Given that psychics were already vulnerable just for hiding their abilities, he decided to go along with this awkward charade to protect her.

“This one here had helped me out before. When I requested assistance, they willingly obliged, saving my life.”

“That’s a relief. Ghost, we owe you our thanks as well. I nearly lost a dear friend. Truly, I’m grateful.”

“….”

Is that so? Well… I was just doing what needed to be done.

Unaware that Raven had already seen through her, Yuria nodded slowly.

Regardless, she had intended to protect Greg no matter what.

But receiving thanks from Raven, someone she admired, made her puff up slightly with pride.

“Then… I suppose that wraps up the situation for now. Ah, the Interracial Liberation Army… What a troublesome group to deal with.”

Judging that introductions and explanations were sufficient, Raven rubbed his neck, frowning in annoyance.

He wasn’t wrong. The Interracial Liberation Army was a dangerous faction, driven by extremist ideologies.

They regarded sacrifices for their cause as trivial and ruthlessly eliminated dissenters.

Their movements inevitably led to conflict and war. To someone like Raven, who had fought countless battles, it was nothing but a tiresome prospect.

“I’ll handle the aftermath. You two should leave quietly to avoid being discovered. If they realize you’re non-human, things could get complicated.”

“That… makes sense.”

“Don’t worry. I have fixer authority here. Just leave it to me.”

Raven assured them he would take care of the situation as a fixer.

Belmond was a human-dominated city, not a place where non-humans could roam freely.

If Greg or Karen’s identities were exposed, it would complicate matters further.

In the worst-case scenario, they might be detained as suspects for months. It was better for them to sever any apparent connections to this incident.

“I’ve already secured a hideout for situations like this. Stay there for now, and catch the train to Nighthaven. You should have enough time.”

“…Thank you. I won’t forget this debt.”

“Th-Thank you, Raven.”

"If you’re grateful, how about treating me to a meal in Nighthaven sometime?"

"Hmm, I’ll think about it."

Greg bowed slightly toward Raven, his expression full of resolve, as if promising to repay him one day.

For Raven to help this much—it was more than he could have asked for. The word benefactor seemed insufficient.

With that, Greg, Karen, and Yuria left the scene, leaving Raven behind to handle the aftermath.

In a way, it felt as though they were burdening him with too much responsibility, but Yuria didn’t feel too worried.

The lingering traces of dense magical energy at the scene would make it clear this was the work of a mage.

And with werewolf fur scattered about, it would be evident that the culprit was non-human.

The news would likely cause a stir, marking the return of the Interracial Liberation Army after years of dormancy. But Raven would soon be released and return to Nighthaven without issue.

“Even so, this isn’t something just anyone could handle. He’s really soft when it comes to the people he cares about.”

Following Greg closely, Yuria let out a small chuckle.

It was hard not to like someone who could effortlessly do things she couldn’t even dream of.

Still, now that Greg had returned safe and sound, it felt like the connection between them might start to fade.

The thought gave her a mix of relief and a tinge of sadness.

As if reading her thoughts, Greg suddenly spoke to her as they made their way to the hideout.

“…Hmm. That reminds me—I didn’t properly greet you. It’s been a while, Yuria. What’s it been, a month?”

“…!”

A month? It’s been way longer than that!

Yuria peeked her face out from beneath the heavy coat she had wrapped around herself, glaring at Greg like a fierce little bird.

But she had forgotten one crucial detail—she still wasn’t wearing the mask she had taken off earlier.

Karen, who had been walking alongside Greg, widened her eyes in shock.

Seeing Yuria’s devastatingly beautiful face for the first time left her utterly dumbfounded.

So much so that her arachnid eyes, capable of magnifying objects hundreds of times, instinctively opened to get a closer look.

“Wow… How can a face look so flawless, like an actual work of art—ouch!”

“…Yuria, you forgot your mask.”

“…? …!”

Startled by Karen bumping painfully into the wall, Yuria blinked in confusion.

Hearing Greg’s words, she suddenly realized she had indeed forgotten her mask and quickly ducked back into the coat.

But then again, what was the point of hiding now? There was no one else around anyway.

After a brief moment of thought, she cautiously poked her head back out of the coat.

Greg seemed to notice that she no longer had any intention of concealing her face. He averted his gaze and stared straight ahead as he spoke.

“I was planning to return in a month. But as you can see, I got caught up in some unpleasant business.”

“….”

“I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m truly sorry.”

Yuria furrowed her brows as she watched Greg, who still wasn’t meeting her eyes.

What kind of apology is that? Are you saying you don’t even want to look at me?

Not that she was truly upset about his late return.

Considering his explanation—that he had been pursued by two of the Seven Sins, each on Raven’s level—it was amazing that he had escaped unscathed.

Still, the way he avoided looking at her and spoke to the air made her pout. She had thought they were closer than this.

As if sensing her disappointment, Greg sighed, rubbing his forehead before speaking more calmly.

“Please understand why I can’t look at you. As an empath, your face is… overwhelming. For someone with an artistic inclination, it’s almost mentally jarring, bordering on psychological corruption.”

“…?!”

W-What?!

Yuria’s eyes darted nervously, processing his words, before landing on Karen.

Karen, still walking beside Greg, kept sneaking glances at Yuria, her expression full of quiet admiration.

It was as if she couldn’t believe such a face could exist in reality.

I mean, I know my face is pretty cute, but… is it really that extreme?

Yuria, unsure how to interpret their reactions, glanced around awkwardly.

Eventually, she ducked back into the coat, grabbed her fox mask, and slipped it on before stepping back out.

Greg seemed to realize she had no plans to hide her face anymore and finally turned his gaze toward her.

The two of them exchanged faint smiles before raising their palms toward each other.

Clap.

Their hands met in a quiet high-five.

Where their last parting had been a farewell promising future reunions, this one celebrated their joyous reunion.

And so, the half-day of chaos finally came to an end.

When I get home, I’m probably going to collapse and sleep like the dead, Yuria thought to herself with a quiet sigh.