In a hotel in Seoul, South Korea.

A luxurious room considered to be at least 5-star or higher.

A blond young man sat on a chair, humming happily. The white bird in the cage nodded off as it listened to his humming.

Until the door opened energetically.

Bang!

“【Whoa, surprised me.】”

Fortuneteller Andrea, who was resting her chin, turned her head towards the door with a start.

Jun, in a black suit, approached Andrea without removing his gloves.

“【Yohan? Where have you been?】”

Without immediately answering, Jun plopped down on the chair opposite Andrea. When he casually brushed his hair, a faint scent of cologne reached Andrea’s nose.

But Andrea knew. He didn’t use cologne.

This was his scent. To be precise, his unique ability, pheromone scent.

“【Just at the Association for a moment.】”

After unbuttoning the tight cuffs and rolling up his sleeves, Jun answered briefly.

Maestro had signed a contract with the Korean Association several months ago. So, it was not at all strange for him to visit the Association.

“【Hmm… I see.】”

However, Andrea avoided Jun’s gaze as if there were uncomfortable corners.

“【You did something unnecessary, Andrea.】”

…As expected. Here it comes. Andrea blinked innocently.

“【Unnecessary things? Delivering prophecies to the Association?】”

Jun’s gaze sank at Andrea’s natural attitude. There was no change in his expression, but Andrea could tell. He was feeling quite low right now.

Andrea, the fortuneteller, used the tarot cards to deliver a prophecy to the head of the Korean Hunter Association, Gwadaeyoon.

Assuming that the head of the Association trusts the prophecy, Korea would be able to prepare in advance for an imminent disaster.

GIA was not involved in specific preparedness measures. Originally, that is.

“【…I just delivered the story about the attributes as a service.】”

“【So? Did you get some tips?】”

Jun raised the corner of his mouth diagonally. Naturally, his eyes were not smiling at all.

“【I made a promise with you to keep the discussion about the attributes confidential. Have you completely forgotten?】”

“【That…】”

Andrea hesitated at the end of her words.

“【Still, thanks to that, the Korean Association can prepare more concrete countermeasures, and ultimately, more people can survive. It’s a good thing, right?】”

Isn’t it, Yohan? Andrea looked at Jun. However, Jun responded firmly with a resolute face.

“【Those who are supposed to die will die anyway.】”

An irresponsibly cold remark. On the contrary, Jun’s eyes were heavy with an inexhaustible weight.

Whenever Jun recalled the past, he had that kind of gaze. Andrea read the emotion tinged with that gaze.

Despair. It was undoubtedly that.
In general, Jun was rational and calculated, acknowledging that small sacrifices were inevitable to achieve his goals. At least on the surface.

However, Andrea knew better. If Jun were truly like that, he wouldn’t have been involved with the GIA.

He wouldn’t have suddenly decided to go to Korea, leaving behind the guild “Cesare,” established by his father.

──Also, he wouldn’t have neglected the grave of someone he didn’t even know for 30 years.

“【Even with your prophecies, saving everyone is impossible from the start. You know that, don’t you?】”

Jun shrugged his shoulders in front of the silent Andrea.

The fortuneteller’s ability was exceptional in that it could foresee the future. There would likely be no one else in the world with the ability to foresee like Andrea.

However, Andrea’s ability had many unfriendly aspects.

When her “Hyun-an (賢眼)” opened and she could see the future was uncertain, and specifying the future at a desired date and time was impossible. If not for that, Andrea would have become the world’s richest person through consecutive lottery wins.

The white tree she had glimpsed briefly in the open Hyun-an.

Inferring it as the Holy Attribute and the Demonic Attribute was almost like fitting puzzle pieces together. After all, was there any other tree in that gate?

Moreover, whether that tree was a threat or not could not be known until one entered the gate.

Yet, Andrea went so far as to add advice on the opposite attribute to the Association Chairman. Specifically, advice on the Flame Attribute and Darkness Attribute.

As if throwing bait.

“【Just be honest. There was another purpose.】”

In Jun’s sharp voice like a blade, the air in the room cooled down. The white bird in the cage flapped its wings as it responded to the changed air.

Andrea, who had been fixedly looking at the cage, broke the long silence and pursed her lips.

“【…Yohan, she’s the savior.】”

Even as she said that, she couldn’t look at Jun.

‘She.’ Although the name wasn’t mentioned, both of them thought of the same person.

The Princess of Dark Flames.

“【This is just the beginning. Soon, the real catastrophe will begin. Humanity will need her then.】”

“【…….】”

“【Through this incident, she will grow significantly. And when the real disaster approaches, she will undoubtedly be the one to─.】”