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

Chapter 76 - Not A Mere Agent Anymore

"The monster disappeared on its own before you could even touch it?"

"That's right."

"I've never heard of such a case before."

Team leader Dains raised his brows and tapped the table with his finger. 

"You can read other cadets' reports as well. I told you everything I know but there may be details that I've missed. That day, the supervisor also said that he would report it to the higher-ups."

"Tell Glenn to look into it as well. You can leave."

"Yes."

Kairen got up from his seat and walked to the door. Team leader Dains picked up some documents from the table and also got up from his seat. 

Kairen thought about something before opening the door, he turned back and looked at team leader Dains once more. 

"Sorry, when will we go back?"

"Back? To the mountain?"

"Yes."

"After Glenn is done with his research. It may be tonight, tomorrow, or the day after."

"Will it be alright with the others?"

"The house was warm, and there was enough food to last them for a few days. Bray is also with them, she can manage things well on her own. I've made sure before that there is no danger besides the low-level monsters. It is better for us to go back once we have enough info about the situation."

"Ah, yes."

Kairen turned to leave the room, but he stopped again after hearing the team leader's words.

"Instead of worrying about them, go up and help Glenn."

"Me?"

Team leader Dains tilted his head.

"You don't want to?"

"Ah, no. I will go help him out."

Kairen could see team leader Dains nod his head before he left the room. 

Glenn was unit 5's assistant. He was also in charge of the unit's archive, so he was the archivist. He wasn't a fighter like everybody else in the unit, but he was said to be intelligent and skilled in dealing with information. 

Kairen exited the building once again and walked towards the main building.

It had been two hours since they had teleported back to the capital. After Kairen's brief conversation with that man, the man was taken to the interrogation room and interrogated. 

He answered some of the interrogator's questions this time without much resistance. It almost looked like he was having a friendly conversation with the interrogator.

'I guess team leader Dains isn't that good at interrogating.'

Kairen had known the team leader for a short time only, but it was still enough time for him to know that. Team leader Dains would always grab the person, threaten them with a gun, and ask them questions with scary eyes.

'He scares the shit out of people then demands answers from them...'

Even though the man answered their questions to some extent, they still couldn't find out much about him. He didn't seem to lie, but it felt like he was avoiding telling the complete truth. 

Kairen entered the building and walked to the elevator while thinking about the interrogation.

-My name? It's Alan. Alan Gill. Well, you'll probably not find much about me as I've spent my whole life in the mountains. I'm a man of mountains, hehe.

-Well, I gathered those things from here and there and built that house. I worked from time to time to buy some of them while I found some others.

-No wait! Who said I stole them? I said FOUND!

-Yeah, it was really hard to carry all of those stuff to that place, but it was for my house so I did it somehow.

-The food? It's not too hard to hunt. There are plenty of animals around there.

-Hmm? How long you ask? I don't know how long I've lived there. I don't have a calendar.

-What do you mean? Explain how I heat the house and provide the water? You want me to reveal my skills so that you can copy them and make houses like mine, huh? Tsk tsk. 

"Kairen?"

Kairen jumped up in surprise upon sensing a hand on his shoulder. He hurriedly looked behind where he had heard a familiar voice. 

"Kain?"

He could see Kain's clear dark green eyes staring at him.

"I called you a few times but you didn't respond at all."

Kairen was too deep in thought that he couldn't hear Kain calling him. He smiled and apologized.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you."

Kairen was surprised once he looked at Kain. Unlike usual, Kain was wearing formal clothes. His clothes looked expensive and new. These kinds of clothes weren't something that Kain would wear every day. In addition, he wouldn't normally come to the headquarters.

"Hmm... what are you doing here, Kain?"

Kain took a step back without answering Kairen's question and observed him from head to toe. He raised his eyebrows once he was done checking Kairen.

"Rather, what are YOU doing here? I thought you were on a mission? Did you guys finish it and come back this quickly?"

"Ah!"

Kairen scratched the back of his neck. 

"Things happened there so we came back for a short time."

Kairen was told to keep what happens in the missions a secret and don't share them with people except for the unit members. Kain was also a member of SMF, but Kairen still felt that he couldn't tell him everything.

"I see."

Kain seemd to understand Kairen. He didn't ask anything else about the mission and instead, started talking with a smile.

"How is this? You like my new clothes?"

"Yeah, they suit you."

The clothes indeed suited him well. Kain was tall and had some muscles, his looks also weren't bad. Most clothes suited him well, be it formal clothes or casual ones.

'Man, I want some muscles as well.'

Kairen thought that he really needed to exercise. It was so embarrassing to have such a weak body while most of the people around him were in good shape. 

Kairen wasn't too skinny or short. He had a standard built for a normal person his age, but this normal body of his wasn't too satisfying now that he had to work at SMF. 

'I should visit the gym more often...'

Not only to practice magic but also to exercise a little bit.

"Haha!"

Kain chuckled and rubbed his nose. He placed his hands on his hips and puffed his chest. He smiled even more and looked at Kairen with proud eyes. 

Kairen could read the meaning behind his gaze. 'Hurry up and ask me what is going on.'

Kairen obediently did what he was asked to do.

"What is going on?"

"Haha. So you are curious."

"...Yes."

"Ahem! Kairen Steyton, your older brother is getting promoted."

'Ah?'

Kairen's eyes widened at that news.

"Promoted? Really?"

"Yep! I'm being promoted today. Heh, I'm not a mere agent anymore! HAHA!"

Kain laughed happily with his hands on his hips and a proud face.

"Oh, congrats!"

"Hehe! Thank you thank you."

Kairen looked at Kain's about-to-explode-from-happiness expression and asked a question.

"Then, you are no longer in unit 6?"

"...."

Kain's smile vanished and his face crumpled all of a sudden. He pursed his lips and looked down. 

"Nah, I'm still there..."

His voice carried a huge amount of sadness and regret. 

"...Uh, um..."

'What happened? I said something wrong?'

"Sigh."

"S-sorry..."

Kairen tried to apologize, but Kain only shook his head with a sigh.

"You were going to use the elevator as well, right? Let's go together."

"Yes."

Kain grabbed Kairen's arm and dragged him into the elevator. His about-to-explode-from-happiness expression was completely gone and instead, he had a solemn face. 

Looking at him, Kairen felt guilty for ruining his mood. Kain's reaction also made Kairen confused.

"Why do you hate unit 6 so much?"

"Hmm?"

Kain raised his head and looked at Kairen. He thought for a moment before hesitantly answering.

"I don't particularly hate it but..."

He paused for a moment before coming closer to Kairen and quietly whispering to his ear even though there was no one else besides them in the elevator.

"Our team leader really sucks!"

"Ah!"

Ding

The elevator stopped at the moment and its door opened. Kaien could see the familiar hall of unit 5 in front of him.

"I'll go then."

Kain moved back and waved at him.

"Yeah, see you later."

Ding

The door closed again and the elevator started moving up.

-Our team leader really sucks!

Kairen thought about Kain's words while walking towards Glenn's. 

He had heard about unit 6's team leader before. His reputation didn't seem to be good.

'Hmm. Compared to the things I've heard about him, our team leader is super great... though he sucks at interrogating...'

Knock Knock

"Come in."

Kairen opened the door and entered Glenn's room. He could see a man surrounded by lots of papers, typing on the computer.

"What is it?"

"Um, team leader Dains wanted you to look into the cadet's and the supervisor's reports about a specific mission."

"Anything else?"

"No, Ah! I was told to help you out in your work."

The man glanced at Kairen for a moment before nodding and continuing to type.