I left my home with Harry while leaving behind Anna, the doctor from Irina's faction.
At first it was only Harry but after I changed my clothes and wore my mask, we were joined by Mark and Sera there.
All four of us got in the car and like usual Harry and Mark chatted about the events from last evening.
"Where is Robert?" I asked in between.
"He went ahead for arrangements, it's not every time we have two continuous days of Confluence."
"I see, so you have already set orders for others as we planned." Because of Irina's absence I took charge and gave a few orders to the three.
"..." Mark silently looked at me with doubtful eyes.
"What? Do you have something to say?" I stared at Mark with an angry expression.
"You don't have to be so rude like my father you know... I was just wondering, do you not care what happened to the Leader?" He looked somewhat concerned.
His words also caught the attention of Sera, who didn't seem interested in our conversation at first.
Even if you say that, I cannot say I was feeling something so strange that I would rather ignore it than think about it. I was even taking initiative to lead her companions because of it.
"What's with you so suddenly?"
"I was wondering for a while now but you are apathetic towards people. Not only do you not trust them and be wary of them but you also don't care about their circumstances."
"Are you telling me that I lack sympathy? I can definitely tell what a person is feeling."
"No, rather than lacking sympathy you lack empathy to feel bad for others grief."
What does he mean... By definition both the words have similar or rather same meaning but he is saying that I lack one?
"Either way isn't it fine, both empathy and sympathy are the same feeling and honestly I'm close to perfect as I am."
"Mr. Shade, do you know the Leader had been an Executive since she was just 15".
"That's young but not surprising."
"And we know her from even before, when she was just some cute little kid, everyone not only from her faction but even people outside of it have adored her ever since she has joined us. And even if only by name you are her first boyfriend to our knowledge."
"Just shut up now." I looked down as I said that.
His words conflicted with my previous thoughts but I could understand where he was going with it.
The car soon stopped, I looked out of the window to confirm that we had reached our destination so put on my mask.
"Can you remove your mask for a bit?"
"Huh?"
"Please, it's just a request from your junior."
How is he the junior?
I didn't want to waste any time arguing so I removed it.
*Click* Mark clicked a picture of me and said -
"Yup that was it, sorry."
"What?!" I was confused by his unexpected actions.
What if he is one with the masterminds of Hunter, and maybe he will tell me my private information, my address and spread my images around?
"That's a serious expression you got there... I'm not blackmailing you or something, I just wanted to say thank you for what you did for the Leader yesterday."
"I hope you'll continue your relationship for a little longer." Even Sera joined in on this.
"What?- Agh! Just do your jobs properly."
I got out of the car while Mark and Sera remained in, waving me goodbye.
I sighed but it would be a waste of time suspecting his reason to click my picture.
Sera was selected for today's special mission while I had asked Mark to confirm some things for me.
The time to end this was here, even if her plan sounded simple, it was actually quite detailed.
All the people from different factions and Sole Freedom members have already arrived and unlike yesterday they were all present in the lobby on the ground floor.
"Why are we here today? Isn't Confluence supposed to be pretty rare."
"I bet they found out who the Hunter is or they just gave up on it, either way they won't be disturbing us again."
"Hey, the members from the Leader's faction just came in a while ago but where is the Leader?"
"Don't tell me she died as well?!"
These were all the main gossips among the members.
I headed towards the elevator where I found Robert talking with the Executives and their Factions' Vice Leaders.
"Why are you not telling us then what happened to the Leader? Then are you just going to let the person we know nothing about take charge of Freedom?" I am now starting to recognise that design in masks, the person currently talking was definitely Crow.
The mask and the clothes were the only way to distinguish people here and unlike clothes, they usually wore the same mask.
Honestly speaking, I was fine with waiting outside because it would mean less work for me.
After the Crow's words, people having discussions noticed my presence.
"Welcome Mr. Assistant." Robert bowed his head.
"It's fine Crow, it doesn't matter when he joined, he is superior to us and in the current situation we have nothing to say." Ice as usual was the easiest to recognise.
"Sir you should at least be the most reasonable right." A person whom I didn't know or recognised spoke to Cupid.
"I trust him and he is required today, also personally I want him to attend."
Everyone was shocked by Cupid's composed words but he was unshaken, he walked up to me and said.
"We should probably hurry."
There was definitely a doubt and resentment in him, I can say that without noticing a single thing related to him but with 100% surety that he contained those feelings.
I started walking as Cupid made the way. Ice finding this amusing grabbed my arm and followed.
"What are you-?"
"It'll look pretty cool to have an Executive around your arm, right?"
Is it because your name is Ice?
After reaching the eleventh floor, the three of us made our way towards the Executive's Meeting Room.
I had informed the Executives that Irina had been missing since after yesterday's meeting. Of course it is a lie but to them the situation is pretty harsh considering they think that their day old new Leader was attacked and possibly killed yesterday.
""Good morning."" I was greeted by Controller and Crystal User.
Despite the grim news of yesterday the Executives didn't seem confused and anxious.
After setting everything up, we were ready to start with the plan after receiving White Mage's signal.
"You all have to grab this thread and that should be good enough." Crystal User said.
I have heard and somewhat understood the working of Relics in theory but this may be the first time I'll be actually knowingly experiencing it.
Though I also felt his powers were unnecessary because there were cameras already set up.
"Would this really be necessary?"
"It's alright Mr. Assistant, the Leader already informed us yesterday that you are a new Relic User so when you can't handle my powers please inform me." Crystal User assured me when I looked concerned.
I think he misunderstood my expression but that was also fine.
"Inform you? I didn't know there was such a need." Ice asked.
"There is when someone is borrowing my vision. Though it is usually fine when people leave or grab my thread with greater flow or people with better control of flow, for someone new, it may be a little harsh." He looks at me.
Flow... That cunning girlfriend of mine may have left a few important details from me.
Unlike him I cannot just say it will be fine.
We got a call from other Relic Users that they were in position.
As soon as I touched Crystal User's thread, my body felt heavy and stopped moving. A weird sensation travelled throughout my body. This sensation felt different but it was a familiar feeling.
I had felt this feeling twice, once when I ran to the library where I met Irina for the first time and the second was when I touched Irina's keychain-like object. It wasn't painful or intense enough to send shivers throughout my body like those times but it was just slightly uncomfortable.
I could feel something like a flow of my blood inside of my veins at an extremely fast rate.
"You all can open your eyes now."
I slowly opened my eyes and in front of me was a lady sitting alone quietly. It wasn't like a camera or something like a video game. I truly felt like my body was standing there looking at her.
If we look at how it works scientifically, I have no explanations for it. But it was truly something which could be called Magic or a superpower.
I didn't have a positive impression of Crystal User when we first met but now I think that his power is really useful. Using it makes me wonder, my dice, the so-called Relic of Fate, what sort of power would it give me?
The lady whom I was seeing would probably be White Mage, wearing casual clothes and sunglasses.
Without her mask she looked really pretty, she must be somewhere in her mid 20s to her early 30s at most. She looked shy and scared with her mask on but without it she had a more mature kind of serious aura around her.
White Mage had already reached the selected area. According to her plan we have to put a huge bait, that was - the search for Invisible Hunter has been put to stop by Freedom.
We have also increased the bait by announcing White Mage is busy meeting with someone at a place. The time, the place and everything else was already posted so it shouldn't be hard to attack her.
There were people set throughout the place, who cannot only sense the usage of Relics but also people who can immobilise a person or a group within seconds.
Even the trespassers of the area were closely being surveilled.
She was sitting in an open spot and drinking something what I assume to be coffee. It was in the middle of the day with a massive crowd while all the other Executives and her faction members were absent, it was the best place you can find to kill an Executive.
This was a risky situation, if he kills her here he will prove himself innocent by saying he was present in the Reverie and seen by many people but at the same time he should have enough guts to do that.
Many famous Joint Freedom members were present there, disguised among the crowd. From the people I know there was only Sera of Irina's faction, I also asked her to check out a few things for me so she was not visible nearby.
White Mage waited there for around half an hour. There was no change or approach, of course it is too soon to know if he will appear or not especially when White Mage cannot be recognized without her mask.
"Ah, let's just stop! We have been waiting for too long." Cupid who was looking anxiously at White Mage for half an hour finally gave up on the plan.
He said that and released the thread.
"It wasn't a good strategy after all." Saying that Ice Demon also left the thread followed by me after I asked.
"Can I leave it as well?"
"Yes, please go ahead".
As I left the thread, the whole place faded revealing the executive's meeting room, the sudden change of view felt as if the coulisse of a play fell down revealing the actual back.
"It's rather surprising you were able to keep up for half an hour." Ice said.
Even though it was a genuine compliment, it would look like a joke from outside. Other Executives didn't look affected and even left the thread without telling. I, on the other hand, was exhausted and out of breath while letting my body relax from pain.
Cupid started dialling a number. It looks like he wanted to contact White Mage to return.
"Something's wrong!" Controller screamed.
Cupid turned off his phone in a haste and grabbed the thread followed by Ice Demon. I had no time to think but I grabbed it as well.
After a little intense pain, way more than before, I could see the scene. Nothing had really changed from outside, the only exception was that her purse fell down from her hand while she sat without any care for it.
Her head slightly leaned ahead in a weird angle and slowly her body fell down on the ground as a lifeless doll without an ounce of strength holding her.
"HANNAH!" Cupid screamed beside us.
All the Executives were shocked and the Relic Users in hiding rushed to check on her. A small number of people in confusion slowly crowded around the unconscious White Mage.
"She's dead." And it was finally declared the worst result of White Mage's plan for the Executives.
No traces of a person, no evidence of how and no idea of who. She just died right in front of us without even our knowledge.
Every Executive stood up and contacted their faction members.
After a while, new information came from a Relic User present on the spot. "She died being choked by her own necklace."
Cupid rushed out panicking while Controller followed behind him to break this news to people.
I, alongside Crystal User and Ice Demon, looked through the camera recording.
[10:48 a.m.] It was the time we could see her necklace moving.
"Please hold this" He passed us his thread again.
We could see more clearly with his Relic, her necklace moved a bit and tightened around her neck with a little pull from behind. The biggest flaw in our plan was details. The Relic Users were too far away to notice, while cameras were useless on such small movement, lastly that movement was too subtly made for the Crystal User's Relic.
The case became even more complicated to solve.
"What?! White Mage really died."
"Looks like even the Mighty Executives aren't safe from the Invisible Hunter."
"Of course they aren't, if they can kill Spider there is no way these new Executives were safe."
"I bet even Healer was killed by him."
"Idiot, Healer is the culprit, why do you think she is missing?"
"Also wasn't there an announcement about an Assistant by Spider on the day he died? I think that Assistant is the culprit. I wonder if he is even present in the Reverie."
The only one benefiting from this was Irina until now, so doubting her was fair but why me?
Though as I had concluded the Hunter did not put thought of profit and loss he was just following orders so it was also impossible for someone as rebellious as Irina to be the culprit.
I was honestly interested in their theories and could not stop myself from hearing their speculations, but I already had something more important to do.
Cupid had locked himself in his Executive's room after seeing that, while the other Executives were handling other situations.
Now I can freely move.