“So, you want me to erase last night's surveillance footage from Tower 38's security cameras.”

In an office with a panoramic view at the top of a 30-story building, a man in a black suit sat in a large, ergonomic, and comfortable chair. In front of him was a massive desk that doubled as a giant touchpad for operations.

The man was currently using the touchpad as a keyboard connected to a vertical screen also integrated with the desk. While typing on the screen, he had several digital documents open on the desk's surface.

Behind him, the view wasn’t as spectacular but still revealed a good portion of the military district and part of the stadium. One of the office walls was dominated by a massive display covering more than half of its surface.

This display was divided into thousands of smaller screens, showing real-time footage of nearly every street in and around the city. Each screen had a location code corresponding to its respective camera.

This was the office of Fried Hikkens, Administrative Director of the Image Management Bureau, responsible for overseeing the team managing the operation and maintenance of surveillance footage captured by all security cameras within and around Fortress City 4115, better known as Efflium.

“Yes, sir...” Standing before the man, Gregory was dressed in a dark blue military uniform, black boots, and black gloves.

He looked attentively at the man, waiting patiently while listening to the clicking of the keys. The man, on the other hand, said nothing for a long while, focusing solely on finishing his report and sending it to a secure email.

“Sigh. Cadet Gunn, do you have any idea what you’re asking for? Altering or omitting footage from any public camera without proper authorization from higher authorities is a crime punishable by exile, imprisonment or heavy fines,” the man said, still typing.

But as soon as he finished speaking, the man paused, rested his elbows on the desk, interlaced his fingers, and looked seriously at Gregory.

“Just mentioning such an idea is more than enough to have you detained for sabotage or espionage,” he added.

This entire building housed the headquarters of the Image Management Bureau, located in the city’s military operations complex—home to key military bodies such as the Foreign Operations Command Center, the Public Security Bureau, and the Logistics Center, among others.

The Image Management Bureau was an important entity but also answered to two superior authorities: the Defense Command Center and the Public Security Bureau.

“I understand perfectly, sir. But the footage from that camera could ruin more than just my record and future as a Hunter... It could ruin my life and my partner’s. I know it’s a crime, but I have no choice. I’m simply asking for your help in granting me access to the correct sector’s server.”

“That would be very easy for me. In fact, I could solve your problem myself in under 10 minutes. But my question is: is it the right thing to do?”

“What do you mean?”

“Come with me.”

With that, the man momentarily interrupted his speech to rise from his chair. He grabbed a small transparent tablet and approached the wall with the large display. Gregory followed, standing beside him as the man searched for something on his tablet.

“Here, these are the images.”

With a few taps and gestures, the man brought up the footage. The giant wall display cleared, and a single video filled the entire space. The footage was sped up to 5x and showed Tower 38’s surveillance from the previous night.

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At first, everything seemed normal, showing the routine of a pair of night guards. But then...

Click.

With a single tap, the footage froze. The screen displayed the exact moment Monique was holding Gregory by the neck.

Gregory watched the footage intently, a mix of emotions visible on his face. He couldn’t allow this footage to reach the Public Security Bureau.

“Cadet Gunn, from what I see, your Hound partner appears unstable and a potential threat to you and public safety. In fact, many would say she’s a genuine danger,” the man said, cautiously observing the frozen frame.

“I am aware of the facts, sir. I fully understand your judgment. I would think the same if I were in your position. But the truth is, Monique didn’t attack me. She would never harm me. Just watch the rest of the footage to understand.”

Click.

With that, the two continued watching the entire scene in the watchtower. This time, the video played at normal speed, complete with audio capturing everything said.

From the moment Monique released Gregory’s neck to the end of the punishment, every word spoken and detail revealed was displayed.

Click.

With another tap, the screen went dark, and silence filled the room. The two individuals who had been watching wore very different and telling expressions.

Most evident was the genuine surprise on the suited man’s face as he glanced at Gregory. What he had just witnessed was entirely unexpected.

“I’ve heard rumors about your unusual tendencies regarding your Hound, but I didn’t know you had this kind of... preference,” the man remarked.

“...” Gregory didn’t know how to respond in this situation, so he simply smiled with an air of pride.

“Ahem... Care to explain what happened? From what I saw and heard, you two seemed more like a couple having an argument than a Hunter and their Hound,” the man said, coughing awkwardly as he returned to his desk and sat down.

Gregory resumed his position in front of the desk and replied:

“Last night, Monique’s Estronitus levels exceeded 4000. She was on the verge of a degenerative collapse. Fortunately—”

“Wait a moment. What do you mean they exceeded 4000? Estronitus levels above 4500 are strictly forbidden. Any Hound in that situation must be executed immediately, and you allowed your Hound to approach that limit?” the man interrupted.

“That was my oversight, sir. Fortunately, I focused on training Monique’s resistance and tolerance to Estronitus, which prevented her from Decaying. However, her emotions were slightly amplified and distorted, leading to this event.”

“A rookie mistake, Cadet Gunn. A mistake that cannot be made by a prospective Hunter. Moreover, it’s a mistake that could have been avoided with Neutritus Capsules. Why wasn’t this prevented?”

“Our relationship is... a bit complicated. To summarize, she developed an emotional dependency. Because I didn’t properly explain the situation, she thought I was going to terminate our partnership. That’s why she avoided taking the Neutritus Capsules and remained silent until last night.”

Once his explanation was over, silence again settled over the room.

“Sigh. At ease, Gregory. Let’s drop the formalities for now,” the man said, leaning back in his chair with a sigh.

“Thank you...” Gregory replied, removing his beret and sitting in one of the guest chairs across from the desk.

“So, how many times have I told you that Hounds and Hunters must maintain strictly professional relationships? Do you have an addiction to getting involved with mentally unstable and potentially dangerous women? Is that it, Gregory?”

“I wouldn’t put it that way, Fried.”

“I need to remind you that unless you form a pact, you should never expose yourself emotionally or allow your Hound to become emotionally dependent on you? It’s in the manual—no emotional attachments. Why take such risks, Gregory?”

“I understand the rules, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t learn more about her. It wouldn’t be fair to her or to me,” Gregory said, speaking calmly, as if he had no issue bending the rules.

Fried, seeing that Gregory had no intention of admitting fault for his behavior, began to grow increasingly frustrated.

“Yes, sure, but as I understand it, you’re responsible for her training, diet, hygiene, medical care, grooming, clothing, and housing. Practically everything in her life is under your control. That’s absurd, Gregory,” Fried said, his voice rising with indignation.

“Those are exaggerations. She has her own opinions, and if she’s dissatisfied with something, she tells me. Besides, it’s the least I can do in return for all the effort she puts in. She gives me the best results at the academy, trains hard, follows the routine without complaint, supports my decisions, and respects my opinions... The only complaint I have is that she has terrible taste in clothes and doesn’t like taking care of her appearance. Which is a shame, but I respect her choices. Plus, she looks great in a more casual style. I...”

Gregory responded and continued speaking cheerfully for several minutes about his relationship with Monique—the good and the bad. As he spoke, he wore a smile and gazed vaguely at the view outside the office window.