His face fell. "I’m Martin Warren!"

Paige Summers’s lip twitched. ’Alright, so besides the generic face, he has an even more generic name...’

Still, one thing was certain now.

She put away her Short Sword and headband, not forgetting to shove Blue away with her foot.

"What exactly did Marcus Monroe send you two here for?"

Martin Warren straightened up and innocently patted the wall behind him. "I was just here for a routine safety check and to recharge its energy. As for him, I have no idea."

’So he has an Electric Ability... What a rare and practical superpower! But back with the Hunting Party, she vaguely recalled him using a different ability—one where his arms swelled up, growing thick and long like a chimpanzee’s, multiplying his attack speed and strength several times over. That means he’s a dual-ability Superpower User... A chimp that can control electricity, though? What a sight. My eyes can’t take it.’

’But Marcus Monroe really has some talented people under him!’

’But why did they all flock to the Lucky Hunters? What are they up to?’

As Paige Summers was pondering this, Blue, who had just staggered a few steps before steadying himself, raised his head blankly. "Were you talking about me?" He looked as if he’d just woken from a long dream, completely unaware of what he’d said or done, having reverted to the shy boy he was before.

Paige Summers gave him a profound look but directed her question to Martin. "Martin Warren, what’s his deal?"

"Oh, I know about that. It’s a split personality! Caused by some unpleasant experiences. He only turns into ’Black Blue’ occasionally, and he’s just a bit of a trash-talker who can’t keep his hands to himself. Most of the time, he’s our adorable Blue, so don’t worry about it!"

"Pfft-hahaha..." Seeing Blue’s ears turn bright red and his timid expression, she couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

’These two are hilarious, each one funnier than the last!’

’For such a serious guy, Marcus Monroe certainly isn’t picky when it comes to recruiting people.’

Seeing her laughing happily, Martin Warren quickly sidled up to her. "I’m being completely serious, my dear Paige. Want to go out and have some fun?"

"Oh? What kind of fun?"

"By leaving the city, of course! It’s so boring in here. I know a place where you can slay Mutant Beasts to your heart’s content. It’s not even dangerous, and you’re guaranteed to get Crystal Cores! So? Are you tempted?"

Paige Summers blinked. His words were exactly what she wanted to hear. She had already been planning to go on a hunt after finishing her design schematics. ’To a certain extent, Marcus Monroe’s people are the most trustworthy ones around right now,’ she thought. ’And even though this Martin Warren seems like an unreliable smooth-talker, the warmth spreading through my chest doesn’t lie. He genuinely holds a great deal of goodwill toward me!’

"Alright! But I won’t be free for another three days."

Martin Warren waved his hand magnanimously. "No problem! Just be ready. I’ll come pick you up first thing in the morning three days from now!"

Paige Summers beamed. "Then it’s a deal!"

Once they had set the time, Martin Warren gave Blue a pat on the back of the head as if he were a child, then left, humming a little tune.

The courtyard grew quiet again. After a moment, Blue mumbled, "Could you... not tell Young Master Monroe about this...?"

Paige Summers glanced at him and agreed readily. "Got it. I’ll keep it a secret." ’I’m not a gossip, after all. Besides, even as ’Black Blue,’ the kid doesn’t seem like he could do much real harm, right?’ That’s what she thought at the time. Before long, however, she would learn that she had definitely made the mistake of judging a book by its cover.

Hearing her promise, Blue let out a huge sigh of relief.

Young Master Monroe had always demanded that he do his best to control his transformations, but sometimes, it wasn’t that easy—especially when it involved people he was close to. In his heart, Young Master Monroe, the man who had saved him, trained him, and allowed him to live like a normal person, was the one and only true master of The Dead City. As for that preening peacock, Shawn Monroe, he felt nothing but disgust.

That was why he had lost his composure when Paige Summers said what she did.

Now that he had calmed down and thought it over, her tone had been full of playful mockery; she probably hadn’t meant it seriously. But at that moment, he’d been like a lit fuse on a firecracker—once it started, he couldn’t stop it.

He really hadn’t wanted to disappoint Young Master Monroe...

At this thought, his spirits sank, and his voice dropped. "I’ll take you there now."

Paige Summers noticed the change in him and simply gave a small nod, saying nothing more.

’Everyone has their own troubles.’

Just like her. She’d been gone from her boss’s shop for days, but she couldn’t avoid the inevitable.

The Upper District was the Inner City, so of course it had its own dividing walls. They weren’t particularly tall, but they were said to be insurmountable in their own way. Normally, only the East Gate was open, and you needed a pass to get through.

Paige Summers didn’t have to worry about any of that. Blue acted as her chauffeur, driving a car that was fully equipped with everything they needed.

The two of them arrived on a street in the Upper District without any trouble.

It wasn’t a very bustling area; most of the traffic consisted of cars rather than pedestrians.

Her boss’s new furniture store was at the west end of the street. Although the exterior was nicely decorated, the storefront was completely deserted.

Paige thought to herself, ’At this rate, business is probably worse than it was in the Lower District! He can’t just burn through his savings. I wonder what his plan is.’

With that thought, she waved to Blue, who insisted on waiting in the car, and entered the shop by herself.

"Boss!"

The small showroom was empty except for two sets of tables and chairs for customers, both in a style that seemed quite familiar.

She studied them for a moment, then ran her hand over the surface.

’They’re new... and surprisingly exquisite...’

Ah! She suddenly remembered. When they were making the wine server, she had drawn some antique-style sketches of tables and chairs to help her boss practice with the delicate parts. She’d had him build scaled-down versions, since they weren’t too different from the things he was used to making.

’And these ones right here were full-sized versions!’

’Looks like the boss is a quick thinker.’

She smiled, and as she looked up, she saw Woody Warren bursting out from the back room. His face was a picture of desperate longing, like a man who hadn’t eaten in days and had just laid eyes on a gourmet feast.

"Kiddo, you’re finally back!"

Startled by his boisterous, enthusiastic voice, Paige Summers instinctively sidestepped his attempt at a bear hug. ’So I’m that important to him!’ A small part of her couldn’t help but feel touched. But her happiness was short-lived.

A clear, cool female voice spoke up from behind Woody Warren. "You must be Paige Summers. Why did you suddenly disappear for so many days? My uncle has been run ragged."