Vincent vowed to use all of the connections available to him to gather the very best hunters they had.
This was the selection of elite personnel who would be sent on a mission to save Neil. This matter was much more important for Vincent than it was for Min Ha-rin, so he would definitely find the most skilled and trustworthy hunters that he could.
They would most likely be hunters who werenât just renowned in North America but in the entire world.
ââŠIâll probably be the weakestâŠâ
That thought made her feel depressed.
Min Ha-rin had managed to increase her combat power by a level through her fights with Vincent, but she knew that she was still lacking a lot.
She wanted to at least return to the level of the White Flower of the past, but for now, she was at best a 4-star Wizard.
âI have to reach 5 stars as soon as possible.â
Of course, she knew that reaching 5 stars wouldnât help her Master much.
Slaying one of the Five Dukes.
Her Masterâs achievement in Africa was amazing.
Of course, sheâd personally seen him easily get rid of Duke Sandro with her own eyes, but she still found it hard to believe that he killed one of the Five Dukes.
âWhy did Master take me as a disciple?â
All of sudden, this question appeared in her mind.
In her opinion, Lukas was close to perfect. Whether it was his skill, personality, or spirit, she could not find any flaws.
No matter how she looked at it, she could not find how she could be useful to such a master.
As she silently contemplated this question, the door to the meeting hall opened and a group of people came out. The meeting wasnât over, but it seemed they were taking a short break.
Min Ha-rin looked at their faces with a hint of admiration in their eyes.
âPowerful.â
She could tell from a glance. Each of these people had an aura that was as strong as if not stronger than Nina Rednikovaâs, the head of the Iron Blood Division, or Lee Jong-hakâs.
These were some of the most powerful people in the entire world. Min Ha-rin couldnât help but feel even smaller.
It was then that she saw a familiar face among the group of unfamiliar faces.
She didnât have her usual arrogant expression, but she still appeared confident. Of course, she wasnât someone that Min Ha-rin was particularly close to or even fond of.
The woman also saw Min Ha-rin, which caused her expression to become a bit strange. Then, with a slight cough, she began walking towards her.
âHello.â
Min Ha-rin didnât expect her to greet her first.
She wanted to ignore her, but in order to not appear rude in front of the group of important individuals, she could only respond in a dull tone.
ââŠhello.â
Joanna coughed again.
âWhat are you doing here?â
âIâm waiting for Mr. Vincent.â
âI see.â
ââŠâ
Silence.
It was extremely awkward. Min Ha-rin felt frustrated because of the uncomfortable atmosphere that had descended around them. The fact that Joanna had come to talk to her meant that she wanted something, but from the look on her face, it seemed that she wouldnât bring it up easily.
After being silent for a long time, Joanna finally opened her mouth.
ââŠhow is that person?â
âThat person?â
âFrey.â
Frey Blake.
That was the alias Lukas was currently using.
âHe left a short while ago.â
âWhere did he go?â
âI donât know either⊠Is there something you need to say to Master?â
Subconsciously, her voice became sharp at the end.
Had she been offended by the fact that she called her Masterâs name so recklessly?
Or was it because of the hint of familiarity in her voice when she mentioned Lukas?
âAre you Freyâs disciple?â
ââŠâ
She answered a question with a question. Min Ha-rin decided to nod her head without mentioning it.
âYeah.â
âThen you must also be a member of that group called âArgento Spellâ.â
âThatâs right.â
ââŠâ
Joannaâs expression became one of deep contemplation for a moment.
âJoanna Goldberg.â
While staying in America, sheâd learned a bit about her. She hadnât even needed to go looking for information.
For example, it was easy to see broadcasts sheâd appeared in while watching TV. And since Joanna was also a fashion model, she would see her image whenever she opened a magazine that she got from a store down the street.
She was the youngest Archmage as well as a celebrity.
She was a big star who received enthusiastic support from the American people to the extent that she even had her own fan club.
At the very least, it was safe to say that there was not a single young person living in America who didnât know who she was.
It was understandable.
After all, from an objective perspective, she could admit that Joanna was extremely beautiful, and she was also quite skilled at talking. In addition to that, she was also a talented hunter.
However, among all of her traits, the thing to which Min Ha-rin paid the most attention was her skill in magic.
ââŠthere is not much of an age difference between us, but sheâs already an Archmage.â
Lukas had once told her the difference between a 6 star and a 7-star Wizard.
Simply put, the difference between them was like heaven and earth. It was a gap that could not be closed despite being only one level apart.
âOn your mission in Africa.â
âHuh? Oh, yeah.â
Joanna, who seemed to have been lost in thought, regained her senses with a shake of her head.
âDid something happen between you and Master?â
ââŠsomething?â
âI feel like your attitude has changed a lot.â
Min Ha-rin spoke in a direct tone.
Joannaâs expression became a bit sullen. For her, her first meeting with Lukas had already become dark history.
âNow that I think of it, I never apologised for my attitude at that time. Iâm sorry. I was immature.â
âItâs fine.â
ââŠIâll be sure to apologise to Frey later.â
After saying that, Joanna pointed to the seat beside Min Ha-rin.
âCan I sit there?â
âYeah.â
âThank you.â
Even after she sat down, Joanna remained silent for a long time. Then, after their surroundings had become almost completely silent, she opened her mouth again.
âDo you know Freyâs true identity? Er, Iâm not trying to pick a fight or anything. Iâm just curious.â
Lukasâ identityâŠ
In truth, Min Ha-rin didnât know much about him. When she slowly shook her head, Joanna spoke in a cautious voice.
ââŠI might.â
ââŠ?â
âI might know Freyâs true identity.â
Min Ha-rin couldnât help but blink slowly at those words.
ââŠhuh?â
* * *
Taht.
He arrived at his destination.
As he landed, Lukas looked around.
A city in Northern Ireland.
To be precise, it was the city that Sedi had once used as her hideout.
Currently, the city had taken the appearance one would expect to see from a city that wasnât protected by the association. In other words, it was in ruins.
Lukas slowly walked down the street where he could barely sense any human presence before stopping at a certain place.
ââŠâ
Even in the ruined city, this place could only be called the scene of a disaster.
He could hardly imagine what had happened to give it such an appearance. Even if the greatest natural disaster imaginable to man had swept through this place, it wouldnât have been this devastating.
However, for the site of a battle between Absolutes, it was still lacking.
Lukas knelt down as he slowly inspected the deep hole that seemed to stretch to the very core of the world.
It was as though a giant worm had drilled its way into the ground.
âWarrior King Fist.â
Lukas could easily feel Kasajinâs traces.
Suddenly, he felt a faint presence. Lukasâ eyebrows furrowed slightly, and a hint of disbelief appeared in his eyes.
No. It wasnât possible.
Despite his denial, Lukas still spread his senses toward the presence. He got up from his seat and gradually began walking towards it. The closer he got, the clearer the presence became. At that point, it became difficult for him to deny it.
After a while, Lukas stopped in front of a collapsed building. As soon as he waved his hand, the rubble of the building split apart, and the limp figure of a little girl was revealed.
She wasnât dead. She was simply unconscious.
This was the first time Lukas was seeing this girl, but it wasnât the first time heâd met her. As strange as that sounded, it was true.
Lukas could easily tell the true identity of this being who had taken the form of a young girl.