At the same time, the Human Alliance welcomed an “uninvited guest.”
“You are…”
The member of the Combat Department currently on patrol looked at the black-haired woman in a kimono before him as if facing a formidable enemy.
As for why — this woman was a terrifying existence who had been seen on surveillance footage killing a Midnight-rank peak humanoid monster in one hit!
How could he not be wary?
Even though the higher-ups had not dispatched the Combat Department to the battlefield and had only been silently monitoring this woman’s movements, he couldn’t understand why they would let such a monster roam free.
If he could understand their reasoning, he wouldn’t be a lowly grunt struggling at the bottom.
But at this moment, he had to consider his own safety.
‘How much pay, how much work. Why lose my life for this little money?’
This was the most popular saying among the lower-level members of the Human Alliance.
“Oh? Are you that afraid of me? I was personally invited here by your Director Li Xiang. Surely you won’t give me the cold shoulder?”
“…I need to ask my superiors for instructions.”
“No need. Let her in. I have questions for her.”
Li Xiang’s voice rang out over the patrol’s communication channel. The member’s expression shifted slightly, and he stepped aside.
As if she had expected this, Hongye Qiu brushed past the member and entered the Human Alliance command building in the Satellite City.
***
“…Inviting you wasn’t my idea,” Li Xiang said, looking at the beautiful woman with a bit of a headache.
“I know that, of course. If it weren’t for the Council of Elders, you wouldn’t be able to move me.”
Hongye Qiu looked quite indifferent.
“…As long as you know. The person meeting you is in the next room.”
“Fine.”
Li Xiang had countless questions he wanted to ask, but in the face of a summons from the supreme will of the Human Alliance — the Council of Elders — he could only swallow his words and point the way.
Without lingering further, Hongye Qiu left the command room and went to the empty room next door. A young man wearing a plain shirt and trousers sat before her. Seeing her enter, he flashed a faint smile and waved his hand. A device resembling a Portal appeared in mid-air.
“So it’s you, Jiang Yuan.”
Hongye Qiu was slightly surprised, but when she recalled his superpower, it made sense.
“Heh, long time no see, Ms. Hongye. The old fossils are waiting for you.”
“When did you join the Council of Elders?”
“Recently.”
The two clearly knew each other, and their words carried underlying meanings, but neither ultimately chose to reveal the depths of their conversation. Instead, they ended the dialogue and stepped into the Portal together.
***
Inside a sealed conference room, Hongye Qiu’s arrival broke the silent atmosphere.
In this meeting room constructed by Jiang Yuan’s superpower, the facial expressions of all participants were obscured by shadows. All that remained were black silhouettes and their respective voices.
“Yo, Hongye.”
The first to greet her was Ke Lin, one of the two people from the Special Threat Countermeasures Department who held a seat on the Council of Elders.
As for why they were so familiar…
To the Human Alliance, Hongye Qiu, who might lose control after using Release Murderous Intent, was also a Special Threat.
However, as the only Honorary Hunter, her status in the Hunter Alliance was extremely high. Even if she didn’t hold much practical power, her merits in slaying monsters were undeniable. The Human Alliance couldn’t just move against her, nor did they want to lose a powerhouse who had no rivals within the Star-Dark rank.
“Oh? Ke Lin is here too.”
Hongye Qiu scanned the figures around the meeting table. Around the massive table, only six seats were occupied, including Jiang Yuan.
Of course, as a “special guest,” she was not counted among them.
“So, it’s this late. What great matter has caused the Council of Elders to summon me?”
Hongye Qiu yawned. If the Council hadn’t contacted her, she would have stayed in the safe house until Ye Xin woke up.
“Ms. Hongye, please look at the report of this incident first.”
With a wave of Jiang Yuan’s hand, a report appeared before Hongye Qiu. After skimming through it, she let out a cold laugh and spoke mockingly.
“It seems you gentlemen aren’t very interested in the humanoid monster. Instead, you’ve investigated that Forest Elf quite thoroughly.”
“Hmph. That second son of the Forest Elves didn’t submit any materials to our Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For a completely unregulated elf to integrate into human society for so long — we couldn’t even detect his elven identity until he exposed himself.”
The speaker was Kerke, the head of the General Research Department.
The implication was clear — human society might have already been thoroughly infiltrated by elves using this method, and even those nearby could be elves in disguise.
“Is there an effective way to distinguish between humans and elves while that elven magic is in effect?”
The one asking was the elder from the Combat Department, Long Qing.
“The Research Department has already put that on the schedule. The principle is simple. The Magic Circuit of elven magic has characteristic markers. Now we just need to solve the requirement for large-scale, on-site identification between humans and elves,” Kerke answered.
*Knock, knock.*
A silhouette tapped on the table.
“Don’t forget the topic we called Ms. Hongye here for — the Star Elf, and some cooperation. Ms. Hongye, I hope you will tell us the specific details that did not appear in the report.”
This time, it was Jun Yuan, the head of the Special Threat Countermeasures Department.
“The girl who was heavily injured by the monster is a junior hunter under me. She took a commission from that Moon Elf to help protect the Star Elf. I don’t know if they found the Moon Elf or not. At the time, they were being threatened by that Forest Elf, and they had no choice but to call me for backup. Who knew a humanoid monster would appear? Logically, the Human Alliance’s monster warning system should have…”
“Never mind. The rest is as you saw. I released my power, and then some other force helped me break out of that state. Finally, I settled the two of them and left.”
Hongye Qiu crossed her arms, her face indistinguishable beneath the shadows.
When she finished, Jiang Yuan nodded, and the somewhat tense atmosphere finally eased.
“So, in your opinion, what is the Star Elf?” Kerke asked coldly.
“I believe the Star Elf exists and possesses some kind of miraculous power, but I don’t know its specific form or location. Of course, I don’t recommend the Human Alliance take action against it or those two young girls. This isn’t out of selfishness. I — and all of you — know nothing about the Star Elf.”
Jiang Yuan once again validated her answer.
“Phew… that was certainly unexpected. Since that’s the case, the two from the Research Institute can take their leave. Next, let’s talk with Ms. Hongye about how to clean out the vermin.”
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