The next morning.
Knox was among the first Kizen students scheduled to teleport for their missions.
However, unlike most students, he wasn't alone.
At the moment, his situation could only be described as flowers in both hands.
Lorain stood on his right.
Serene stood on his left.
Even Knox himself had no idea how things had somehow ended up like this.
"...So, what kind of missions did each of you take?" Knox asked, trying to break the ice.
Lorain answered first.
"My mission is related to Kizen."
She crossed her arms.
"It's a designated mission. Let's just say Mom wants to use this mission to train me."
"Heh."
Serene immediately sneered.
"What a mommy's girl. Always hiding under her mother's shadow~"
Lorain's eye twitched.
"Huh?! What did you just say, you damn fox?!"
Serene smiled sweetly.
"Oh my, I have no idea what you're talking about."
Then she added,
"You barbarian woman."
Crack.
Somehow, sparks seemed to fly between their eyes.
The two continued staring at each other without blinking.
Meanwhile, Knox, who happened to be standing right in the middle, felt as though he was constantly getting zapped by the invisible sparks flying back and forth.
Fortunately, they were only glaring at each other.
If actual lightning started shooting out of their eyes, Knox was fairly certain he would be the first victim.
"Alright, alright."
Knox quickly changed the subject before the two started a war.
"How about you, Serene?"
Immediately, Serene's expression brightened.
"Me?"
"My mission is quite simple."
She twirled a strand of ivory hair around her finger.
"I simply need to oversee a business negotiation."
Then she smiled mischievously.
"A few feathers here, a few feathers there, and voila~"
"Mission complete."
Lorain scoffed.
"Urgh. You and that disgusting ability really suit each other."
"Besides, I doubt you can accomplish anything with those hypnosis tricks of yours."
"Heh."
Serene folded her arms.
"Still better than solving every problem with physical violence, you brainless woman."
And just like that, the two resumed their endless bickering.
Meanwhile, Knox silently prayed for peace.
But, his prayers went unanswered.
At some point, while the two were busy arguing, they had already arrived at the teleportation station.
"Knox."
Lorain's mood immediately improved.
"After the missions are over, let's go to Rochester!"
"I heard there's a new clothing store there!"
"Let's check it out together!"
"Sure."
Knox nodded.
"As long as I don't end up becoming your dressing doll again..."
A shiver suddenly ran down his spine.
Every time they went shopping, he somehow ended up becoming a living mannequin.
Try this.
Try that.
Turn around.
Smile.
No, not that smile.
The other smile.
The worst part?
Lorain wasn't even the only culprit.
Jane did it.
Tenerife did it.
Jean did it.
At some point, Knox had started suspecting there was a secret organization dedicated to dressing him up.
And somehow, every single member of that organization possessed authority higher than his.
"Hee~"
Serene suddenly leaned closer.
"I just heard something very interesting."
"Knox~"
"Seri also wants to go shopping with you~"
For some reason, that tone immediately reminded Knox of a certain girl from his previous life.
A very dangerous girl.
One capable of smiling sweetly while making everyone around her question their life choices.
And somehow, that memory led his thoughts toward another unforgettable scene.
For some reason, that tone immediately reminded Knox of a certain bassist from his previous life.
A very dangerous bassist.
One capable of smiling sweetly while plotting something terrifying behind the scenes.
And somehow, that memory led him to another unforgettable scene.
A certain kneeling pose.
A certain Sakiko.
Thinking about it...
Soyo's legendary kneeling scene in front of Sakiko still deserved a thumbs-up.
Truly a historic moment.
"Pfft."
Knox suddenly laughed.
"Hm?"
Lorain tilted her head.
Serene did the same.
The two looked at him in confusion.
"Ahem."
"Nothing."
Knox cleared his throat.
"Anyway, when the time comes, I'll go."
Then he pointed at Serene.
"As long as you're treating me."
Serene blinked.
For a brief moment, genuine surprise appeared on her face.
Then her smile became noticeably softer.
More genuine.
"Alright!"
Meanwhile, Lorain watched the exchange with maximum vigilance.
Every instinct in her body was screaming danger.
After exchanging a few more greetings and playful remarks, the three finally stepped onto their respective teleportation circles.
Wooooooong!
The familiar sensation of teleportation enveloped Knox.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself inside one of Kizen's hidden facilities.
Normally, teleportation circles like these could be connected directly to cities.
However, the Neutral Zone was different.
The concept of a "city" there was often vague and unreliable.
Besides, it was far safer to place a teleportation point inside a secret base than out in the open.
When Knox opened his eyes, he found himself standing inside a small Kizen facility hidden among rocky cliffs and sand dunes.
Unlike the bustling cities of the Dark Alliance, this place felt more like a temporary military outpost.
Several Kizen personnel were moving around while carrying documents and supplies.
"Special Entry No.1, Knox Aznable?"
A middle-aged man approached him while holding a thick folder.
"Yep. That's me."
The man nodded.
"Welcome to the Neutral Zone."
Then he handed the folder over.
"These are the latest reports regarding your mission."
Knox accepted it and began flipping through the documents.
The first page immediately displayed a portrait.
Target: Gideon Valt
Former Affiliation: Holy Federation
Current Status: Heretic Priest
Objective: Capture or Eliminate
Reward: 1000 Gold
"Hm."
Knox continued reading.
The following pages contained maps, witness reports, and investigation records.
Last Known Location: Ancient Ruins, Southern Neutral Zone Desert
Additional Information:
17 missing mercenaries
9 missing bounty hunters
2 missing adventurer groups
Multiple undead sightings reported
Knox raised an eyebrow.
"Oh."
Then he turned another page.
"Oh?"
Then another.
"Ohhh."
The Kizen staff member blinked.
"Something wrong?"
"Nothing."
Knox closed the folder briefly.
"I was just thinking this definitely doesn't look like a normal priest."
Seventeen missing mercenaries.
Nine missing bounty hunters.
Two missing adventurer groups.
If those reports were accurate, this Gideon Valt was clearly not someone ordinary.
However, before Knox could continue, the staff member spoke again.
"There's another matter."
"Hm?"
The man handed him a second folder.
"We received this information this morning."
Knox opened it casually.
At first, his expression remained calm.
Then his movement stopped.
"..."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"...Huh?"
For the first time since arriving, Knox looked genuinely surprised.
"Is something wrong?" the staff member asked.
Without answering, Knox turned the page.
Then another.
And another.
Soon, the corner of his mouth began twitching.
Confirmed Efnel Students Operating Within the Neutral Zone
Lethe Chardena
Moses del Beatus
Hamiel
"..."
"..."
"..."
Knox stared at the three profiles for several seconds.
Then he looked at the staff member.
Then back at the documents.
Then back at the staff member again.
"Are these reports accurate?"
"Yes."
"All three?"
"Yes."
"..."
Knox slowly closed the folder.
What kind of lineup is this?
One future Saint.
One future monster.
And one gag character? Mascot?
Did fate suddenly decide to dump half of the Holy Federation's future powerhouses into my mission?
At first, Knox thought this would be a straightforward mission.
Find the priest.
Capture him.
Retrieve the stolen information.
Done.
But now?
No.
There was no way this was a coincidence.
The Heretic Priest.
The stolen Kizen intelligence.
The ancient ruins.
And now these three.
Something was definitely going on.
"Hmmm..."
Knox tapped the folder lightly.
Then, to the confusion of the staff member, he suddenly smiled.
"Hehe."
The two folders disappeared into his subspace.
"I thought this mission was going to be troublesome."
Then his grin widened.
"Turns out..."
"This mission is going to be fun."