Under the interested eyes of dozens of Hunters in the vicinity, the Valkyrie-like girl elegantly landed on the first floor before proceeding to draw her blade on the two unscrupulous young men. While doing so, she discreetly took glances at the icy-faced man shielding a cute girl.

“Is that Corra? The rising star of the C-Rank Black Sparrow Guild, someone at the very peak of the D-Rank?”

“Yes, there’s no mistaking it! That has to be her! Just how can she be any sexier? The way her armor reveals just the right amounts of her smooth, powdery skin is so… ha…”

“God, I’ve been a fan of hers for the longest time! How do you think I should go about sparking up a conversation with her?”

“You, an F-minus Rank? You must surely be kidding yourself!”

“Hey! Don’t be rude!”

As the chattering among the Hunters invested in this exchange became a little heated, Corra’s eyes crackled with a fierce justice. “Well, what do you two have to say for yourselves?! If you are causing trouble here, then with the backing of my Guild, I have the authority to severely punish you however I see fit!”

The two young men felt their hair stand on end. They suddenly turned sheepish while wearing fawning smiles. “We would never dream of stirring up trouble here, Miss Corra! This is all just one big misunderstanding!” Adding to the lie, the larger man fanned, “Yes, yes, we were just worried for the safety of that girl! That is just how we, as Hunters of the Hunters Association, felt it best to assist her!”

Not wanting to listen to any more of their nonsense, Corra shouted, “Get lost!”

“R-right away!” The two young men then skedaddled, but not before throwing a couple of venomous glares at the emotionless Cassius, only to be further frightened by his dead stare. They promptly fucked right off, never to be seen or mentioned again.

Corra snorted in disdain while watching them run for the hills, then turned her attention to Cassius and the bunny girl shyly peeking her head out from behind him.

A bead of sweat formed on Corra’s temple when she thought about how close of a call that just was. If she had interfered even a second later, she feared those two would no longer have their heads…

That’s right; she didn’t interfere to protect Cassius and the girl, but because she didn’t want blood to be spilled on Association grounds. Even with the non-aggression pact in Association territory in effect and the standard national laws prohibiting murder, she highly doubted this fellow cared about any of that.

From what Corra saw of that monster yesterday, she wouldn’t put it past him to slaughter indiscriminately. And he could likely get away with it as well; after all, although she could not speak for his other qualities, his speed was absurd. It had probably already touched upon the C-Rank, surpassing even her own!

Corra lightly coughed to clear the air, then formally introduced herself. “We met yesterday, but I wasn’t in the right state of mind back then, so I apologize for what I said. My name is Corra; may I know yours?”

Hearing this, the spectating crowd wore slightly shocked expressions.

“Does Miss Corra know this unknown man? Are they friends… or lovers?”

“Are you an idiot?! It’s obvious that they are acquaintances at best! Stop besmirching the reputation of our goddess like that!”

“A-ah, yes, my bad!"

Ignoring the stupid comments from the idlers, Cassius reciprocated Corra’s introduction. “My name is Cass, and yes, yesterday can just be seen as a misunderstanding. I was not in a… pleasant mood.”

Corra briefly glanced at the hiding bunny girl, only to find that it wasn’t the same girl as yesterday, with that unknown girl likely being the reason why he was so pissed at the hospital.

Returning her eyes to the exceptionally handsome tall man before her, she smiled graciously. “Mhmm, I completely understand. Say, if you aren’t too busy, would you be willing to discuss something with me over coffee—”

“Grrrr…”

Corra: “???”

She could’ve sworn she just heard a low growl come from the innocent-looking face of the brown-haired girl. Shaking her head to clear such ridiculous thoughts, she repeated the question. “Would you like to go and get some coffee together, perhaps—?”

“Grrrr….!”

Yet Corra once again heard that growling sound, this time fiercer than before. She looked back at Grace, only to see her appear seemingly unaware of everything happening.

Cassius, of course, noticed what the silly girl was doing, but it was quite cute, so he let it be. And after a few rounds of getting cut off by progressively angry, cute growls, Corra heaved a tired sigh. “Another time then. I should be going now.”

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“Yes, another time it is,” said Cassius, unable to conceal his amusement over the whole ordeal.

He and the innocent-seeming girl watched as the valiant Corra slugged away with a dejected air about her. She was really hoping to complete the request of her higher-ups and successfully recruit the mysterious man into their Guild, but it seemed today was not the day. Still, she would try again next time and surely win him over!

Cassius chuckled a little when he saw the receding figure of the defeated woman suddenly regain all of her previous vivaciousness. Yet, by the side, Grace’s cheeks ballooned a bit as she silently pouted, very much unlike the boisterous grumbling that someone like Aya would do. Cassius, of course, still noticed it, but it was cute all the same.

After relishing in the moment for a bit, he led Grace over to a counter, where a pretty receptionist stood on the other end. The receptionist’s eyes stayed on Cassius for a moment, as she wondered why she had never seen such a hot, cold man in the Association before.

“How may I help you?” she asked, her voice cordial.

Cassius replied, “I would like to know if I can get the locations of the Gates in the surrounding area. You see, I am planning to buy a house soon and don’t want to be next to a Gate.”

The lady receptionist didn't know if she had ever been asked this question before, yet she still smilingly responded, “I can do that for you; just give me a second to scan the records and print a copy.”

Cassius nodded in appreciation, then waited by the counter.

Feeling something tugging at his side, he looked down, only to see Grace’s erratically flickering doe eyes. “I-It’s just… I didn't think you were looking to buy some property… You seem too young to be doing something like that… Unless you’re planning to get m-married…”

Cassius softly chuckled at the furiously blushing girl. He patted her head and said, “I’m not doing it for now, but for the future.”

“The future…?” Grace’s eyes sparkled as her thoughts stirred. ‘If it’s the future, then maybe he is looking to get married soon!? Could it be that he is interested in someone…!? C-Could it be… me? B-But I don't know if I am ready for marriage…!’

Looking away from the flustered girl getting lost in her own delusions, Cassius received a paper from the amicable receptionist. On the paper was a highly detailed 4D map that somehow stuck to its surface using some kind of magic. The map depicted the City of Hoshito on a magnified scale, with numerous white, orange, and green dots of varying sizes scattered throughout.

Noticing his confusion, the lady receptionist explained, “The dots on the map are the Gate locations you are searching for. Hoshito isn't a hotspot area like Tokyo or Yokohama, so the quality of Gates is not nearly as severe as it is in those cities. If that were truly the case, then we would’ve long since been wiped out when our strongest Hunters are of the C-Rank and B-Rank.”

“There are a few B-Rank Hunters that occasionally pass by, but they are not residents of the city. All in all, White Tier, Orange Tier, and Green Tier Gates are the norm for Hoshito, with a select few of them remaining unclosed because the large Guilds use them to train their newer Hunters. Plus, it’s very profitable.”

After digesting the information from the receptionist’s lengthy explanation, Cassius slightly nodded. “Thank you for all the help.”

But before he could walk away with the map in hand, the receptionist’s melodious voice rang out once more. “If you click on the dots, you can see any relevant details about them. Moreover, the Gate locations and appearances change by the minute, based on real-time reports.”

“I see…” Cassius briefly paused. “How much do I owe you for this? It seems too valuable to be given away for free—”

“Don't worry about it, hihi,” the receptionist waved dismissively. “Though, if you are that adamant about paying me back, you could do so over dinner—”

“Grrrr…”

“Or, I guess not,” the receptionist giggled at the adorable woman sticking to him like glue. She hadn't noticed her before, but she was definitely a looker.

“Well, if you ever find yourself single, feel free to come back here and find me.” With a suggestive smirk, she watched as Grace hurriedly pushed the handsome man out of the building, seemingly trying to get him away from a supposed ‘harlot.’

The receptionist bemused, “I would likely do the same thing if I had a snack like that around me~.” She seductively licked her lips, causing the meek bunny girl to turn oddly hostile, though she just came out looking cuter.

When Cassius and Grace exited the packed building, an old man with a slicked-back haircut spoke without turning his head. “So he was the one who singlehandedly cleared an E-Rank Sudden Gate?”

“Yes, sir. It has already been fact-checked several times,” replied a man in a classy black suit.

The old man clasped his hands behind his back, his wizened gaze following the movements of the seemingly ordinary man. “Then that would mean his power is roughly that of a D-Rank Hunter, with his Speed stat presumably being at the D+ Rank… How have we not heard of his existence before?”

“That is…” the classy man’s mouth moved around, yet no more words came out. “It seems he is past the age for awakening and is not an Awakened… Sir, he doesn't have the aura that a powerful Awakener should have. He doesn't even have an aura to begin with…”

The old man’s brows furrowed, putting him in deep thought. ‘I have been in the Hunter business for more than 40 years, yet I have never heard of a case like this one. Just what sort of secrets is that boy hiding to be capable of rivaling a D-Rank Hunter without being an Awakened…? Was the Awakening Tester Equipment simply faulty, or is it something… else?’

“Hmm?” Cassius glanced behind him after leaving the Hunter’s Association. ‘I felt someone… analyzing me.’

His eyes narrowed dangerously, as he had a bad feeling about something.

Yet, when Grace nudged him and grabbed his hand, he left his vicious thoughts. If someone was plotting something behind his back, then he would just deal with it when it came around.

“Cassius…” Grace’s eyes glazed over as she observed every unique contour of his face. Her expression suddenly erupted in a stunning glow as she smilingly said, “I don't get out much, so I may seem a bit weird, but today I had a lot of fun…! S-So what I’m trying to say is… thank you!”

Seeing the girl struggle so much while squirming like a restless rabbit made Cassius unconsciously pet her head. “It has been enjoyable for me as well, but we aren't even close to being done for the day.”

Grace sheepishly asked, “We aren't…?”

Cassius chuckled. “Well, as long as you are fine with it, I was planning to spend the entire day with you.” ‘I also have my 12-hour Daily Quests to complete, so having her spirited presence is just a bonus.’

Grace’s pupils visibly sparkled as she fervently bobbed her head. “I would very much like that! I just assumed you would have grown tired of me by now… so…”