An enormous room stretched before them, its walls adorned with countless old paintings that seemed to have witnessed the passage of centuries.
Near the window sat a man hidden within the shadows.
His face couldn't be seen.
Only the smoke rising from the cigarette between his fingers revealed his presence.
After taking a slow drag, he placed the cigarette into a glass ashtray resting on the table beside him.
At that moment, the door opened.
Six individuals entered the room.
Each wore an animal mask that concealed their identity.
Without a word, they walked toward the sofas arranged in the center of the room and took their seats.
The man hidden in the shadows silently observed them.
The first to speak was a man wearing an eagle mask.
"Such a shame," he said with a sigh. "The golden bird that had finally fallen into our hands slipped away."
The Leader of the Green Team.
A man wearing a dog mask nodded.
"Indeed. We became careless. That's why we lost her."
The Leader of the Yellow Team.
A third man, wearing a monkey mask with a pair of black sunglasses hanging from his shirt, leaned back against the sofa.
"There's nothing we can do about it now. Besides, business has been terrible in the Polar Kingdom lately because of that little witch."
The Leader of the Blue Team.
A massive man wearing a bear mask folded his arms.
"That dragon cares too much about his people. As long as he's there, I can't move my merchandise through his territory."
The Leader of the Black Team.
A man wearing a hyena mask let out a tired sigh.
"Nothing is going according to our plans."
His voice grew heavier.
"Could this be the beginning of our end?"
The Leader of the White Team.
The sixth man, wearing an ox mask, immediately scoffed.
"Have you gone senile with old age?"
He leaned forward.
"We still have plenty of opportunities left."
The Leader of the Orange Team.
The bear-masked man frowned.
"Watch your tongue."
His voice became cold.
"Compared to him, you're still a child. Show some respect."
The ox-masked man merely grinned.
"Respect?"
His smile turned darker.
"There is no place for respect in my line of work. After everything I've done, I doubt the word could ever leave my mouth."
The atmosphere inside the room immediately changed.
The relaxed mood vanished.
An invisible pressure settled over everyone present.
The hyena-masked man raised a hand.
"Enough."
He glanced toward the ox-masked leader.
"This is the new generation. They don't know how to respect their elders."
The monkey-masked man shifted the conversation.
"We need to strengthen our influence over more kingdoms as quickly as possible."
His fingers tapped against the armrest.
"Many of our pawns are already dead, and most of the survivors are rotting inside prisons."
The eagle-masked leader nodded.
"The world is dividing into two groups."
"The stronger kingdoms continue absorbing weaker nations into their sphere of influence."
"And the smaller kingdoms have begun forming alliances with one another to survive."
The monkey-masked man continued.
"However, kingdoms that haven't joined the government remain easy targets for our business."
He narrowed his eyes.
"The problem is that government hounds will eventually follow our trail there."
The hyena-masked man chuckled.
"I didn't expect you to pay attention to matters like that."
The monkey-masked man shot him an annoyed look.
"And what exactly is that supposed to mean, old man?"
The hyena-masked leader laughed softly.
"People our age keep track of everything."
His gaze sharpened.
"And unlike you youngsters, we know exactly how to deal with the government's dogs."
The dog-masked leader finally spoke.
"Even so, we should remain cautious."
His tone became serious.
"One mistake is all it takes."
"And if that happens, there won't even be bodies left for anyone to bury."
The room fell silent.
Then the ox-masked man spoke again.
"Forget all that."
His eyes narrowed.
"Have we identified the person responsible for stealing our treasure?"
The monkey-masked leader turned toward him.
"Yes."
"We found him."
The ox-masked man leaned forward.
"Who is it?"
The monkey-masked leader replied calmly.
"His name is Konjo Butler."
The moment those words left his mouth, the eagle-masked leader's expression darkened.
"What did you say?"
His voice carried unmistakable anger.
"Konjo Butler?"
He clenched his fist.
"That man has interfered with my operations before."
The monkey-masked man continued,
"However, according to my information, Konjo wasn't alone that day."
His fingers tapped lightly against the armrest.
"There was a child with him. That child was the reason everything happened."
He narrowed his eyes.
"But I couldn't find anything about him. My men searched everywhere, yet they couldn't connect the boy to any noble family or royal household."
The eagle-masked leader fell silent for a moment.
"Strange."
His gaze sharpened.
"Konjo always works for nobles or wealthy individuals. People hire him as a bodyguard."
A thoughtful expression crossed his face.
"If he's staying beside that child, then that boy must be someone important."
He turned toward the monkey-masked man.
"Find out who Konjo is serving."
The monkey-masked man frowned.
"Huh? Are you giving me orders?"
"You can think of it that way."
The monkey-masked leader scratched his head.
"Fine."
"I'll have my men investigate."
He glanced toward the figure hidden in the shadows.
"Though, I have a feeling Boss already knows something."
The room immediately fell silent.
Everyone turned toward the man sitting behind the darkness.
At that moment, the door opened.
A maid entered carrying a silver tray.
She calmly approached the group and handed each person a cup before moving beside the shadowed man.
Only then did the man finally speak.
"I have good connections within the government."
His voice was calm and steady.
"Focus on your own responsibilities."
Several leaders glanced at the maid standing beside him.
The man continued.
"There's no need to worry. She's one of us."
His attention shifted toward the monkey-masked leader.
"As for your matter, Blue..."
A brief pause followed.
"I don't know who rescued the princess."
His tone became colder.
"However, there is something you neglected to tell me."
"The assassination of King Vilod."
The monkey-masked man took a sip of tea.
"Boss, a thorn has appeared in the middle of that operation."
"And that thorn is Inami Honjo."
The room became quiet.
Even the man in the shadows remained silent for several moments.
"Inami..."
His voice sounded thoughtful.
"I believed he would never abandon his teaching position."
A faint sigh escaped him.
"If he's involved, we cannot afford a single mistake."
He leaned back into his chair.
"I'll deal with the government."
"As for Inami..."
A small smile appeared.
"I'll handle him personally."
His voice grew colder.
"But once he leaves, King Vilod must not remain alive."
He turned toward the monkey-masked leader.
"Manipulate the prince."
"Use him to control the kingdom."
The monkey-masked leader groaned.
"Fine, fine."
Then he sighed dramatically.
"But do I really have to stay there?"
"You know I can't spend too much time away from my sister."
The eagle-masked leader immediately exploded.
"Watch your mouth!"
"Are you arguing with the Boss?!"
The monkey-masked leader rolled his eyes.
"Oi, oi, oi. Calm down."
A playful smile appeared beneath his mask.
"I'm not arguing."
"Besides..."
His voice lowered.
"I could defeat you without much effort."
The two men stood up simultaneously.
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
Seeing this, the dog-masked leader quickly intervened.
"Hahaha!"
"Come on now."
"We're all friends here, aren't we?"
The Boss ignored the commotion.
"Mr. Black."
The bear-masked leader straightened.
"Yes, Boss."
"Something unusual is happening within the Polard Kingdom."
The Boss folded his hands.
"I want you to investigate."
"I'm sending Blue elsewhere."
The bear-masked leader nodded.
"You can leave it to me."
"I'll bring back a report as soon as possible."
The Boss shifted his attention.
"Mr. White."
The hyena-masked man smiled.
"Yes, Boss."
"My old friend."
"I want you to find the blue-eyed girl."
The Boss's tone became unusually serious.
"She is extremely important."
"I refuse to let that treasure slip through our fingers."
"As you wish."
The Boss nodded.
"Mr. Orange."
The ox-masked leader looked up.
"You'll continue transporting our merchandise across various kingdoms."
The ox-masked leader hesitated.
"But Boss..."
"The Demon Lord..."
The Boss interrupted him.
"Don't worry about him."
"For now, he won't interfere."
The ox-masked leader smiled.
"Then there is nothing to worry about."
The Boss slowly rose from his seat.
"That concludes today's meeting."
"You may all leave."
One by one, the masked leaders stood and departed.
After the last of them left, the maid quietly closed the door behind them.
The room became silent once more.
The man in the shadows finally spoke.
"Liliya."
The maid looked toward him.
"You can call me Dolt."
Liliya walked over to the table.
"What happened to that teaching position I asked for?"
The man chuckled softly.
"Your presence can be sensed by the teachers there."
His expression darkened.
"And if Inami notices you..."
"He'll kill you the moment he sees you."
Liliya traced her finger across the surface of the table.
"So you don't trust my magic?"
"Your abilities are exceptional."
The man nodded.
"But even then..."
"You cannot defeat him."
He sighed.
"My problems continue to grow every day."
His gaze rested upon her.
"And Why are you so obsessed with becoming a teacher?"
Liliya scratched her head.
"No particular reason."
A mysterious smile appeared on her face.
"I'm looking for someone."
"And there's a chance I'll find them there."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Still..."
"Inami is becoming an obstacle."
"One way or another, I'll remove him."
"At the end of the day, he's only a human."
"Humans are weak."
The man laughed quietly.
"Weak?"
His smile deepened.
"Perhaps."
"But humans are different."
"They possess something monsters lack."
"The ability to think."
His voice became thoughtful.
"If they choose to, humans can bring even gods to their knees."
He paused.
"Though very few are capable of such a feat."
"And Inami is one of them."
"Perhaps he isn't the wisest man..."
"But we cannot underestimate him."
"Especially not his techniques."
A faint chill spread through the room.
"Most demons cannot survive facing him."
He looked directly at Liliya.
"And you are not among the few who could."
A brief silence followed.
"If you evolve into an Arisu, perhaps I'll reconsider."
"But before that..."
A smirk appeared on his lips.
"I have a mission you'll enjoy."
Liliya frowned.
"Huh?"
"A mission?"
"I'm already busy."
She crossed her arms.
"And what kind of mission would I supposedly enjoy?"
The man slid an envelope across the table.
Liliya picked it up and opened it.
"It's an invitation card."
She scanned its contents.
Suddenly, her eyes widened.
"Wait..."
"Is this really him?"
The man's smile grew deeper.
"Yes."
"I want you to eliminate him."
Liliya's lips curled upward.
"Fine."
"It's been a very long time since I've seen him."
Her smile became almost excited.
"This will be quite a surprise."
She began laughing softly.
The man pushed a large pouch and a small black box toward her.
Liliya tilted her head.
"What's this for?"
"Your payment."
His tone remained calm.
"For the family you eliminated."
"And for the file you recovered."
His eyes lingered on the black box.
"As for that..."
"You already know what it contains."
Liliya picked them up and smiled.
"I didn't expect you to be this generous."
Without another word, she turned toward the door.
As she stepped outside, she waved casually.
"Until next time."