Life didn't get easier, even in another world.

"We are going back to the headquarters with this man."

Team leader Dains said that to the group waiting outside as soon as they left the building.

"MMFF??? FFFFFF! FFMMF!! MMM!!!!!!"

The man struggled to say something, but only weird noises left his magically closed lips. There was no need to hear his words anyway as they were most probably curses.

"Was there anything suspicious in there?"

"No. But we need to interrogate this man properly."

"Yes."

"You stay here. There is no need for everyone to go back. Inside of the building is warm and spacious, you can stay in there. Keep looking around and searching the area. Darren, grab the man and come here. Kairen, you activate the device."

"Yes."

"MMFF! MMM... MMF?? F!"

The man's eyes widened and he started to desperately shake his head. He didn't seem to like the idea of others staying in his house.

Team leader Dains took out a teleportation device from his watch just like yesterday. Kairen activated the device using some of his mana and the device started to work.

Darren grabbed the struggling man's clothes from behind and dragged him into the shining light that was engulfing the group. 

PAAHT

Once the light was gone, Kairen found himself in the familiar teleportation room of SMF's building. 

The staff inside the room got startled by their sudden emergence. They hurriedly approached the group, while silently gazing at the man that was wobbling around like a worm while being held by Darren.

"S-sir Dains, you came sooner than expected."

Team leader Dains pointed at the man.

"Take him to the interrogation room."

"Ah, yes."

Darren released the man. Two other agents came in and tied his arms with handcuffs. 

'Ah, it's hot!'

Now that they were away from the mountain, the scarf and hat that he was wearing felt suffocating. The other two people that came with him were also taking off their extra clothes so Kairen did the same.

"MFFMM! MM!"

Kairen turned to look at the man. He was resisting so hard.

'Man, just keep quiet if you are really innocent.'

"MMFFM MNNN. FF! FMM!"

"Um, why is his mouth shut?"

One of the agents, busy dealing with the man, asked that with a hesitant voice. 

Team leader Dains took a deep breath, making the poor agent flinch and lower his head. 

'Why is everyone so scared of the team leader?'

Even his own unit seemed to be scared of him to some degree. Kairen didn't know the reason. Team leader Dains looked scary to him sometimes, but he felt that the others were overreacting a little bit.

'Maybe it's because I'm new here that I don't know things yet...'

Team leader Dains turned to Kairen.

"Remove the spell. There is no need for it now."

"Yes."

The man also turned to look at Kairen, who was going to save him from the annoying spell. Kairen moved his mana and removed the spell easily.

'Won't he start cursing again if I lift the spell?'

But contrary to his expectation, the man didn't say anything. He blinked his eyes and looked at Kairen. Even after the spell was canceled, he didn't open his mouth. He just frowned slightly and tilted his head, not even struggling to get away anymore.

'Huh?'

The man carefully examined him from head to toe with narrowed eyes. He frowned even more as if he was trying to remember something, and stared at his face again.

"Hmmm..."

Kairen looked away and scratched his cheek awkwardly. Now even the team leader was staring at him with a frown.

"Ah!"

The man then opened his mouth and nodded his head. He had a somewhat serious face first before smiling slightly.

"...."

'What?'

Team leader Dains looked between Kairen and the man, then suddenly took out his guns. Every single person in the room flinched at this sudden action. Not caring about the others' reaction, he took big steps to approach the man. Darren also jumped forward and grabbed the man from behind again. 

"OY, OY!"

Team leader Dains started talking while putting the guns near his face.

"What do you mean by 'Ah?'"

"What?"

"Answer!"

'What?'

Kairen looked at his team leader and Darren with a stupefied face. He didn't get what just happened. 

'The man's behavior just now was weird but... What the hell?'

The man was also looking at them with a similar expression.

"I don't even know what I'm supposed to answer, bastard!"

People flinched again after hearing him curse the team leader and took one step back. 

"You keep looking at my subordinate!"

"...."

The man was momentarily speechless. Kairen felt the same way. 

'Is our team leader alright?'

He was pointing a gun at the man and threatening him because he had looked at his subordinate!? Seriously?

"... Am I not even allowed to look at people?"

"I'll really shoot if you don't answer."

"You are crazy! Seriously-Ack! Okay okay. I was just thinking where have I seen that dude before."

"You've seen him before...?"

Team leader Dains then turned to Kairen, his eyes seemed a little bit angry. 

"Do you know this man?"

Flinch

Kairen flinched at the angry gaze that was directed at him. 

'I've done nothing wrong, why are you looking at me like this?'

Kairen looked back at the man again. He didn't remember meeting him before. He didn't know the man. Kairen strongly shook his head. 

"No. Not at all."

Whether the team leader was persuaded by just that or not, he turned and looked at the man again.

The man didn't wait for the team leader to threaten him or ask questions. He rolled his eyes and started talking.

"Of course he wouldn't know me. I've just seen him from far away."

"Far away?"

"It was a few months ago. There was a dude making a fuss in my backyard. It was really annoying. I couldn't sleep well. So I went to take care of him. That's when I saw that dude."

"...."

"...."

The man's explanations weren't understandable even the slightest. Seeing their puzzled faces, the man sighed.

"Sigh. It was a monster. A huge white monster was causing trouble at the peak of Mount Fiera. My house is near there, you know. It was irritating. I went to check it out. That's when I saw a bunch of youth climbing the mountain. I don't know who they were, but it looked like they were also there to take care of the monster. That dude was with them that time."

"Ah!"

Kairen remembered that day clearly. He had met a strange monster back then, a polar bear with red eyes that turned to a baby bear and vanished right before his eyes.

'Was he there?'

Kairen still didn't remember seeing him before. He asked the man a question.

"You saw and memorized my face among all the other cadets?"

The man paused for a moment, looked at him up and down, then chuckled.

"It's because you were the only fool who got close to the monster and almost patted its head!"

".... You patted the monster's head?"

Kairen shook his head again at Darren's question.

"No. There was no way I could pat its head, there were several shields between us. Also, I didn't have such intentions."

"You fool! That monster could break the shields in one move, but you got so close to it that you could touch its face."

"It was safe!"

"Hah!"

The man scoffed at Kairen and looked at the gun.

"Can you move it? I've told you the truth."

Team leader Dains didn't seem satisfied, but he still moved back. Darren also released the man. He looked at Kairen first then walked back to the team leader's side.

'Ah, wait. Was it him back then?'

Now that he thought about it, he remembered sensing something after the monster was gone and they were going down. He had felt a gaze that made chills run down his neck. 

'I thought I was mistaken back then...'

He thought he was hallucinating and didn't mind it much, but now he knew that he wasn't mistaken.

"Take this man to the interrogation room."

"Yes, team leader."

The other agents grabbed the man and dragged him out of the room. The man didn't shout or curse anymore, he was still looking at Kairen silently. Kairen also looked at the man. The gaze he had felt back then seemed cold and intense. The man that they had captured behaved like a fool. He had been cursing and shouting nonstop as if he couldn't understand the situation even the slightest.

'Was there... someone else with him on that day or... is he... acting right now?'

"Kairen, go and tell Glenn to investigate anything related to the ruin and Mount Fiera. Come back to the interrogation room after that. I want you to explain about the thing that the man was talking about."

"Yes."

Kairen stopped thinking about that day and left the teleportation room as he was asked to.