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

Chapter 99 - Hiding One's Face

Sitting at a table, the girl called the waiter and ordered some food and drinks for herself. 

"What about you, sir?"

The waiter looked at the other person that was sitting on the other side of the table and asked if he wanted anything.

The man looked at the waiter once, then looked at the girl that was sitting in front of him.

"I'll have the same things that she ordered."

"Alright."

The waiter nodded and walked back. 

The girl looked at the waiter's back and commented nonchalantly.

"These people are really used to seeing all kinds of weirdoes, I guess."

She placed her chin on her hand and turned towards the man on the other side of the table.

"Normal waiters in normal restaurants and cafeterias wouldn't act so normal around someone looking like this."

She looked around. The place they were in was filled with all kinds of weird people. A bunch of muscular men, some women wearing weird clothes, some people going around with weapons. This place looked like anything but a cafeteria. 

"He must've seen lots of people like you here that he is now used to it."

The corners of her lips curled to a mocking smile as she stared at the man. He was hiding his face with a hoodie, covering his whole body with clothes even though it was summer, wearing gloves, and avoiding people all the time. 

The girl raised her eyebrows and continued to talk.

"Mr. Hey, do you use a gadget or something like that to hide your face?"

"..."

The man raised his head slightly and looked at the girl. Seeing that, Claire continued to talk.

"I can't recognize your face even when we are too close. A mere hoodie can't do that much. It feels like a layer of black fog or mist or something like that is covering your face. It's a gadget, right?"

"...."

The man stared at the girl without giving an answer. He took a deep breath and opened his mouth. The deep sound of a man flowed out of his lips.

"Why are you so curious about me? Didn't you say you won't ask about me anymore?"

The girl tilted her head.

"Why shouldn't I be curious about my boss? Wouldn't anybody want to know who their boss was? We are partners in work so it is natural to be curious."

"Sigh."

The man sighed again. Claire's eyebrows twitched.

"Stop sighing every time I say something, it's annoying."

The man didn't say anything and leaned against the back of his chair instead. Claire however didn't stop talking.

"I guess your voice is also not your voice and you've changed it? Is that because of the same gadget? That gadget must be really expensive if it can hide both your face and change your voice."

There was no answer from the man. 

Claire huffed furiously and tapped the table with her fist.

"I should know a little bit about you if I want to trust you and work with you! Come on, just tell me why you want to hide your face so much."

The man looked at her again. He folded his arms, still leaning back at his chair, and finally opened his mouth.

"I don't know."

He shrugged his shoulders.

"Wha-"

Claire's eyes widened. She looked at the man with widened eyes, then suddenly slammed the table with her hand.

BAM

"Are you taking me for a fool?"

"Here is your meal."

The waiter arrived at that moment with a tray full of food and drinks in his hands. He completely ignored the two people's argument and placed the food on the table.

"Hope you enjoy your meal."

As soon as the food arrived, the man picked up his spoon and started eating. 

Claire glared at him for a while, but then gave up and started eating as well.

It was after a few moments of silence that the man unexpectedly said something.

"Instead of worrying about my face and voice, you should be worrying about the place you're working at."

Claire stopped moving her hand that was holding a spoon and glared at her boss.

"This conversation again? I told you I'm capable of protecting myself."

The man moved his head to look behind Claire. 

"Is that so?"

Claire blinked her eyes and slightly turned her head to look behind following the man. There, she could see a few men with huge bodies sitting at the table behind her.

She could hear some parts of their conversation.

"Hey, isn't that girl the newbie?"

"You mean the teenager?"

"Yep."

"Huh? Why do you ask about her all of a sudden?"

"Hmm? Why do you think? Isn't she kinda cute?"

"Oy oy! She is still a kid."

"Pfft. Don't act as if you care about such things. I know what you've done before."

"You dirty bastard, don't compare me with yourself."

"Hehehe!"

Claire turned her gaze towards the man sitting in front of him.

"...."

"...."

The both of them looked at each other in silence. 

Claire started sweating all of a sudden.

She looked down at her food and tried to ignore those people, but she could still hear their conversation.

"Then, I'll have to try my luck."

"What makes you think that she will agree to that? Have you ever seen your face in a mirror once?"

"Why is there a need for her agreement anyway?"

"Oh, look at this man. You're really serious huh?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding with you?"

Claire and the man looked at each other again.

"...."

"...."

Chills.

Claire sat straight as she felt chills run down her back. She bit her lips and frowned slightly while looking at her boss that was also looking at her and opened her mouth with difficulty.

"I-I'm sure theirs just talking shit among themselves. They w-won't dare do anything to me."

"...."

The man stared at her in silence.

"A-also, I have my power. I can run away if anything happens."

The man put down his spoon.

"Think about it logically. There must be some conditions for your power to activate. Also, it must have limits to it as well."

"...."

Claire looked down.

He was right. It wasn't like she could use her power however she wanted. 

Claire frowned hard and glared at the man again.

"So what? What do you want me to do now?"

The man massaged his forehead.

"Sigh. Little girl, you shouldn't be working at such places at such a young age."

Claire frowned even more.

"First of all, stop calling me little girl. Second, don't pretend to care about me or act as if you are my father or anything. And third, there is no other place for me to go now."

The man silently looked at her before laughing.

"Then, instead of going around and showing your face here and there, try to be a little bit cautious."

"...."

"You should also know these things. Don't get too close to other people working here and only do your own job if you want to avoid any headaches."

"...."

"Also, don't go anywhere alone."

"...."

Claire listened to the man giving advice like a grandpa and raised one of her eyebrows. 

"Wait, do you want to say that you are hiding your face like that because you are trying to be cautious?"

The man touched his chin.

"That might be one of the reasons."

"What the- Are you serious? You're scared? Are you a teenager or something? You're an old man! Be ashamed of yourself!"

"Sigh."

SLAM

"Stop sighing!"

The man ignored her and grabbed his spoon once again.

"Eat your food. We have work to do."

Claire blinked a few times.

"Yeah? Another mascry-stealing mission?"

The man nodded.

"I thought we were done with that. It had been making a lot of noises recently. I thought we wouldn't do that again now that even SMF is after us... Well, not that boss is afraid of SMF anyway."

The man tilted his head.

"Who is SMF? I keep hearing that name a lot these days."

Claire stopped cutting her meat and looked up.

"Huh? What's with that now, Mr.Hey? Stop making fun of me please."

"...?"

The man tilted his head more.

"You also don't know who SMF is?"

"...."

Claire looked at the man in silence for a moment.

"Are you making fun of me? How can you not know about them?"

The man massaged his forehead again.

"Just tell me what it is do you have to question everything?"

"HA!"

Claire scoffed in disbelief. She waited for the man to start laughing and saying that she was fooled, but nothing like that happened. The man continued to look at her as if he was waiting for an answer.

'He really doesn't know about them?'

Claire looked down at her plate again.

"You know what, mister? You're really weird."

"...."

"Alright, don't look at me. I'll explain about them on our way to the mine, okay?"

"....."

The man nodded and didn't say anything else. 

The two of them silently ate their food and left the cafeteria.