Lily sat at the table in the spacious kitchen. It wasn't very large, but well equipped and cozy.
A cup of hot tea warmed the woman's hands. The pleasant aroma teased her nostrils, and the tart taste tickled her taste buds.
" What is this? I've never tasted anything so good."
Max smiled under breath. He sat across the woman and sipped the hot brew.
" I knew you would taste it. Your reaction is the same as his. " - The man muttered quietly, savoring the tart aftertaste of the tea.
" You mean Ramiel? " - Lily clenched her hands tighter on the cup's handle. She didn't know what to think entirely. She was angry at her brother, but did he really deserve it? She had behaved like the last bitch, but he was still watching her from the shadows.
His death, combined with the revealed truth, made the woman think.
" Yes... I mean Ramiel... You are... terribly similar to each other. Looking at you, I see a younger version of him. You have so much in common, and yet so much separates you. "
Max sighed quietly. He knew he had to let the man go, but it was difficult for him. He wasn't one of those with a strong psyche. He had no family to go to; he was an orphan. That was why losing the only person close to him hurt so much.
A look of surprise crossed Lily's face. She had never met the man before, so how could he know? He might have been a stalker, but Ramiel trusted him.He didn't seem to have anything to do with his death. Lily had to make sure.
" This is our first meeting, right? " - She looked at him from under the bull's eye, which was kind of funny. She was threatening one of the strongest people Mother Earth had ever given birth to while she was actually a nobody. She definitely inherited her temper from her brother.
" Yes and no. I used to run errands for Ramiel a few times while he was in the dungeon. Technically, I saw you, but you didn't see me. " - Max sounded a tad grim but didn't frighten the young woman.
" Huh, I had a silent stalker? " - Lily wanted to lighten the gloomy atmosphere. She didn't feel threatened in the presence of Max. Anyway, he was a hunter. She couldn't even defend herself if he wanted to do something to her.
" You could call it that. " - Max smiled, revealing a row of white teeth.
" But it's still not enough to compare us. We have only known each other for a few hours. " - Lily was firm. She couldn't accept the fact that she looked like the man she had hated most of her life.
Max looked at the woman with pity. Stubborn just like him. thought the man.
" I don't need to know you to see some things. You have the same facial expressions, you move in the same way, and even your nervous tics are identical... When you don't know something or are confused, your left ear tilts back slightly. When you are nervous, you look for eye contact to feel more secure.
Look at the way you sit. Your left shoulder blade is lowered and relaxed. Even though you are right-handed, you pick up your cup with your left hand. You can't sit still, so you rub your feet together. As if that wasn't enough, you have the same eyes. Even though you don't want to, you involuntarily look down on people, driving them crazy. You try to hide it but are far from Ramiel's level.
From your clothes and makeup, I can deduce that you like dark and cold colors, just like your brother. Despite your well-paid job, you don't dress in expensive brand-name clothes. You don't like such things. You consider them unnecessary. The exception is shoes. You are crazy about them, just like him.
As for your personality, I'm not sure. I've spent too little time with you. "
Lily sat in shock. The man had seen right through her. She didn't want to give up control of the conversation to him, but how was she supposed to deal with an experienced government employee. His job was to take care of security and read human behavior. A useful thing in investigative matters.
" Shall I continue? " - Max stated nonchalantly. He had a few more examples prepared in abundance.
" No... I already believe you. " - Lily muttered grimly and rubbed her teacup with thumb. Now that the pleasantries were over, it was time for real business. She wanted to ask for help but didn't know how she should start.
The impasse was broken by Max.
" So, what business did you seek me out for? "
A few days ago, Max received a call from an unknown number. As it turned out, it was Ramiel's sister, asking to meet at his grave. Max was surprised at first, getting his number wasn't as easy as it may seem.
However, Lily was persistent, searching Ramiel's social media for people she might know. The man didn't care about public opinion, so he didn't have too many of them; digging up a few shared photos of him and Max wasn't easy. Later, all it took was a little digging. With money, you can find almost anything.
" This... I wanted to find out something about him. I hated him most of my life... I just need to know if I did the right thing... "
Max saw that it wasn't just about that. Experience in government service did its part.
" And how, were you right? "
Lily looked at her reflection in the liquid. Her fingers tapped rhythmically on the cup, causing the image to blur.
" I... don't know. It's not as simple as I thought. Hating him was much easier than forgiving him and trying to understand. It's not easy to admit mistakes you've made, and it's even harder to correct them. "
Max sipped his tea, waiting for the story to continue.
" I... I'm lost. Some part of me makes me feel terrible for how I behaved. Even after his death, Ramiel took care of me... and left me everything as an inheritance... "
Max waited, but Lily said nothing more. The man stood up and poured her some hot tea.
" Is that all? "
Lily shook her head negatively. For a moment, she arranged everything in her mind. She pressed her lips together more tightly, then began.
" I wanted to ask for your help with two things. From my research, I know that Ramiel trusted you, and you are the only one who seems to care about his death. " - Lily looked at Max's face for some kind of reaction but found nothing.
" What's the matter? " - The man was off the hook this time.
" I want to become a hunter... " - Lily fired out uncertainly. The woman tried to hide her nervousness, but she was like a helpless child in front of Max.
The man looked at her skeptically.
" Why? "
Lily hesitated for a moment, wondering what she could tell him.
" It is related to my past. When I was a teenager, my parents were killed by monsters that got out of the dungeon. " - Lily herself didn't believe what she was saying. If she couldn't fool herself, how could she fool Max?
" Why just now? " - The blond man muttered grimly. He knew perfectly well that the woman before him was lying, but he still dragged it out. He was curious about her motives... on the other hand, he thought he owed it to Ramiel.
" I need to become stronger. " - Lily whispered, wondering if there was still any point in dragging this out.
" To what? Don't get me wrong, but the life of a hunter isn't made for most people. Every day, we risk our lives in the fight against monsters. The profits are huge and blind some people, but you will not be short of money now, especially now."
Lily sighed heavily. She knew the man had already figured her out, which was why he was asking these stupid questions. There was no point in hiding anything from him.
" I want to do this for Ramiel. I know he would have done the same. The circumstances of his death are strange. Suddenly, a dead dungeon turned out to be alive? Free jokes. I don't know how much is hidden from the public, but as far as I know... such things don't happen. "
Lily stared at Max expectantly. The man laughed softly, and there was a flash of bloodlust in his eyes.
" Now we start talking. " Max took a bottle of 12 year old whiskey from under the table and poured it into two ice glasses. Lily hesitantly took a sip. The liquid ran down her esophagus and burned it.
" Indeed, the circumstances of his death seem an awful stretch. " Max drank the contents of the glass in one motion. " I will help you become a strong hunter, but I have some conditions. I don't want to brag, but I am one of the strongest hunters. "
Max couldn't deny himself a little pleasure. Like most hunters, he was a small narcissist with an oversized ego.
" Stronger than Ramiel ? "
Hearing the question, Max's face took on a sour expression.
" Yes and no. He ranks higher thanks to his weapons, but with his skills, Ramiel beat me to the top. His understanding of how mana or other elements worked was beyond all limits. He was one of the few who mastered the element of space. It's hard for me to admit it, but he was stronger than me. You will soon understand what I mean. "Max poured himself another glass of liquor.
" What is your second request? "
Lily took a breath.
" There is no point in hiding it any longer. The number of things I got from him scares me, and I can't handle it alone. Until recently, I wasn't interested in any part of the hunter's world... I need a person to help me manage it all. Wasting all the companies and assets would be sheer stupidity. Besides, Ramiel probably had a lot of hidden enemies just waiting for his downfall. If a gray mouse like me suddenly takes over everything, what do you think will happen to me? I like life, and the vision of being raped and killed by a herd of horny men doesn't really appeal to me. "
Max stretched in his chair, slowly feeling the alcohol go to his head. His muscles relaxed, and the uncomfortable chair suddenly stopped bothering him.
" I will help you, but I have some conditions that are non-negotiable. "
Lily was afraid of that. She didn't know what Max might want. If he demanded something impossible, it equated to hanging a noose around her own neck. Lily took a risk by putting everything on one card. Maybe this way, that unbearable feeling of guilt would disappear.
" There's not much of it. You don't have to worry. First of all, you will move to Ramiel's house, Synthi and I will go with you. This house is a veritable fortress capable of withstanding the attack of chaos rank weapons. Second, you will take care of Synthi if I can't or something happens to me. Third and last, I want 20% of the profits from all the assets I will manage. Otherwise, we have nothing to talk about. "
Lily breathed a sigh of relief, Max's demands were fortunately not from outer space. She could agree to them, but she had some reservations.
" Why do you want to live with me? " - Lily looked at the man closely, looking for any sign of lying, but found nothing.
" You can laugh, but the landlord has terminated my lease. I have a week left to move out, and I haven't found anything reasonable yet. "
Lily was puzzled. One of the strongest people on Earth couldn't find an apartment? Something didn't feel right to her.
" You are strong, have a good government job, and can't find an apartment? How is that possible? "
Max shook his head. He was ashamed to talk about it, but he had no choice.
" The truth is that I am a lover of alcohol. All free money I spend on luxury liquor. "
Lily was stunned by the man's confession, her heart gripped with fear.
Did I put my life in the hands of an alcoholic! What have I done?! I am finished...
" I can agree, but I also have a condition. Until I become strong enough, you will not touch alcohol. " - Lily tried to resist, but could she really do anything?
Max, hearing her demand, burst out laughing.
" Listen, I'm not an alcoholic. Yes, I like to drink, but I do it quite rarely. I am quite picky when it comes to taste, and consequently, ordinary alcohol doesn't satisfy my taste buds. Therefore, I categorically refuse it. A life without pleasure is no life at all. "
Lily didn't like this, but she had no choice but to agree. She didn't trust Max on this issue because no alcoholic would admit to having a problem. She could always come up with some remedies later.
" Alright... but before I agree, I have to find out who Synthi is. "
Max's face clouded over, and the atmosphere in the room became tense.
" Come with me. "
From the man's dry tone, it could be deduced that he wouldn't accept any objections.
Lily obediently followed his instructions, afraid to even speak up. Soon enough, her heart was filled with a mixture of feelings, and her mind wondered how it was possible to live like this.
Max opened the door. At first glance, it didn't seem anything unusual, until Maxymilian turned on the light. In the corner of the room, a woman sat on the bed, pace staring at the wall. She was mumbling some unintelligible words under her breath.
Once, she might have been a real beauty, but now she resembled a wreck of a person. Her skin had turned pale, and her emaciated face would frighten even an adult. The woman's beautiful and thick hair now resembled hay.
" What - what happened to her! " - Lily wheezed, frightened. She didn't know why Synthi looked like this, but it wasn't anything good.
Max's gaze remained on the woman's face. His eyes expressed sadness and despondency. Seeing that he had no bad intentions, Lily calmed down a bit. To be on the safe side, she took two steps back.
Her behavior seemed ridiculous to Max. If he wanted to, even a thousand steps wouldn't be enough to escape from him.
" Synthi..." - Max sighed heavily. " Ramiel was the whole world for Synthi... She lived and breathed for him... When he was gone... I guess I don't need to finish? "
Lily looked at the woman once again. The sight of her caused Lily to shiver.
" She... " - Lily hesitated. " Why are you keeping her here? Shouldn't she be in the hospital under the care of specialists? "
Max looked at her with pity. The naive woman, unfortunately, knew nothing about life.
" Think about it, what kind of center will take a hunter of her caliber... Here... I can provide her with medicine and doctor's visits, but that's only so much... Synthi... Synthi is a ticking bomb that could explode at any moment. I can keep her here under lock and key... or kill her... "
Max reflexively tried to inhale a cigarette he didn't have.
" Unfortunately, this is the dark side of the hunter's world that no one talks about... It's not just glory, wealth, and fame… but also pain and suffering... There are no prisons or nursing homes for us. If we let ourselves be defeated by what is in our minds... only death awaits us... "
Lily didn't say a word. Max's words struck her.
" Welcome to the cruel life of the child hunters. Only the strongest survive here. "