“Just now… weren’t you on the other side of the fissure?”

“Pardon?”

“I mean, Leon…”

Suji stopped mid-sentence and shut her mouth, looking at Leon who was quietly listening to what she was saying.

Even she thought it sounded too strange.

‘Was it a mirror…?’

Come to think of it, the door leading to the next floor was always made like a mirror. So it wasn’t that surprising to see Leon’s figure reflected on the other side of the fissure.

Her vision was shaking while escaping from the tower, so she couldn’t see properly, and in the first place, there was no way a player could be in such a place.

But only coincidental things kept happening regarding him.

Suji clearly remembered.

Despite the clear difference in skill between her, an SSS-rank, and him, an SS-rank, he had noticed an attack that she couldn’t even detect first.

No matter how much her judgment was clouded by excitement… how was that possible?

“Leon.”

“Yes.”

“Do you have anything you want to tell me?”

Leon blinked slowly.

Looking at his face that seemed to say “I don’t know anything” with such frankness, she kept thinking that she had been deceived all this time.

It’s not that she couldn’t trust him.

As she said before, she trusted him the most.

But… there was something.

“What do you mean, my lady?”

When Suji couldn’t answer readily, Leon shrugged his shoulders and took out a water bottle.

“Would you like some water?”

“No, I’m fine. Um… I mean… Is Leon a follower of the ‘Messiah’ or something?”

“…Cough. What, why would you say that.”

He suddenly choked on the water he was drinking and coughed for a long time, bending over. Suji rolled her eyes upward, looking at his reaction.

‘…I guess it’s not that either. Then what possibilities are left?’

At that moment, a saint with short brown hair and a rabbit hairband ran up and suddenly hugged Suji, who was lost in thought.

“Team leader!”

“Saint?”

When she widened her eyes and looked to the side, Peace and Nature also had worried expressions on their faces.

“Are you and Leon alright?”

“Daphne, are you okay?”

Being surrounded by people who were worried about her like this made her feel like going into the tower on her own was a reckless action.

Suji nodded with a smile.

“Were you worried?”

“Of course, team leader!”

“We waited thinking Leon would take care of it, but if you had been delayed any longer, we were about to go in as well.”

It was a bit unexpected for Peace to seriously reprimand her as if he had been quite worried, even though his eyes were red from crying like Saint.

Of course, it was right for team members to take care of each other, but she thought he was sometimes difficult to gauge distance from, as much as he acted in a slick manner.

“…It was a situation where it was difficult to judge coldly. I’m sorry for worrying you.”

Looking back, Suji wasn’t acting as a team leader. It was a decision she made for her own needs.

Suji apologized honestly.

Peace still had a stiff expression, but he gently shook his head as if he wasn’t particularly offended.

“Everyone has a part they can’t compromise on.”

“Peace seems really mature.”

“I was worried too, you know? That guy almost ripped my leg off. He’s really not an ordinary guy, I’m telling you.”

Nature suddenly interjected, spinning around with a grin.

Suji smiled bitterly at his joke that wasn’t really a joke.

“I’m sorry for worrying everyone. Oh, by the way, what happened to the fissure?”

“It disappeared as soon as you came out, team leader.”

Suji stood right below the tower and looked up, bending her neck.

The ‘Tower of Sages’ was not only tall, but also had a narrow bottom and wide top, an unconventional design with different floor plans for each level, so the upper part wasn’t clearly visible from up close.

But she could definitely feel that the fissure was gone.

She reached out her hand to check the status window and confirm that the reactions of the great beings had subsided, then looked around at the crowd that seemed to have evacuated to one side of the plaza.

Fortunately, it seemed like everyone was safe thanks to the control of the officials.

“From the outside, how many floors did it look like?”

At her question, Saint quickly held out a photo she had taken.

Even when zoomed in very closely, the mirage-like continuous fissure wasn’t clearly visible. It could only be vaguely guessed.

“It looked like the top floor… Anyway, it seemed to be around the very top floor. It’s not easy to specify since the height of each floor is all different.”

Suji nodded.

If it gave off that much of an overwhelming presence, it was EX-rank or higher. It wouldn’t be strange to call it the final boss of the tower.

“They prepared all sorts of monsters in the tower.”

She spoke leisurely, but her hands started shaking belatedly.

She didn’t know if it was due to instinctive fear, or the excitement of encountering a hurdle that she had to overcome at least once.

Saint held her hand tightly.

“Don’t think of it as a personal revenge. We have to go together anyway.”

“…I know.”

Saint often felt like a younger sister because of her youthful face and playful behavior. But at times like this, she was undoubtedly an elder sister.

Suji glanced at Leon once and spoke to her party members.

“After discussing with the team, we welcome Nature joining the team. If it’s okay with Nature.”

Nature widened his refreshingly handsome eyes and then smiled brightly. It was the smile of someone who already knew how attractive his smile would appear.

“The team’s visual average has gone up.”

Saint laughed and took a picture of the three men, and Peace asked with a furrowed brow.

“Hey, Saint. What does that mean? Huh?”

“Why are you asking when you know?”

“Saying the average value has gone up means there was an ugly person until now, right?”

“I guess you have an inferiority complex. Oh my! Ack, team leader! Save me!”

When Saint ran up and clung behind Suji, Peace put both hands on his waist and let out a deep sigh.

“People will think I’m trying to hit you if they see this. Ha, I’m speechless. I’m always the one getting hit with words.”

“They really haven’t changed at all. It’s an honor to join such a cheerful team.”

Nature commented while laughing as if watching a variety show.

Suji didn’t intend to discipline them separately as she felt that each of them was trying to relieve tension in their own way.

While watching her team members laughing and chatting, Suji glanced at Leon who was quietly standing to one side, just observing the scene.

He usually didn’t play along with Saint and Peace’s jokes, but now he was completely far away. He must have really disliked Nature.

She did feel a bit sorry.

If she had to listen to the opinion of only one between Leon and Nature, it would naturally be Leon. They had been working together in the team for a long time and naturally became each other’s shields even in the face of life-threatening crises.

Considering the trust he had given her… His words naturally carried weight.

But with the current situation… There was no choice.

Suji slightly raised her hand to comfort him.

But she strangely hesitated.

It was such a simple thing to just reach out and tap his shoulder.

It felt uncomfortable.

Why?

If she had to find a reason, she didn’t know.

She didn’t want to know either.

She lowered the hand she had raised, wrapping it with her other hand, and asked awkwardly.

“…How have you been?”

“Pardon?”

“…You said last time that you have someone you love.”

Leon, who had been quietly looking at Nature, turned his head to give his attention to her. Suji felt like the side of her face was hot.

‘…Why did I start this unnecessary conversation.’

This wasn’t the time to say such things.

They were about to face combat, and there were other things piled up that she had to ask him.

Why did she ask a question with no nutritional value?

As Suji was reproaching herself for doing something unlike her, Leon answered.

“You finally asked.”

It wasn’t a teasing tone, nor an accusing tone as if asking why she was asking such a thing, just a plain and honest way of speaking.

Suji tried to hide her awkwardness and looked at him as usual.

“It’s your personal life, so…”

“I have no intention of being greedy. It’s just my feelings, and feelings don’t need a conclusion.”

There was no trace of loneliness or embarrassment on his calm face.

It was like a confession about religion.

Who could it be?

The person who made Leon make such a face.

She thought she was envious last time, but this time she seemed to feel jealous.

Suji glanced at a large scratch on one side of Leon’s armor.

She only noticed it now.

Fortunately, the armor seemed sturdy enough that there was no impact on the inside, but it looked like a mark made while saving her.

“If there’s a situation like earlier next time, just warn me with words.”

“If I have the leisure to do that, I will.”

She was about to say that he doesn’t need to be nice to her, but felt like she was revealing and spilling some kind of emotion, so she just shut her mouth.

Then she turned her gaze to Peace and Saint, who were now spinning around Nature and playing tag.

The two were wasting their talents, even using speed buff effects. Thanks to the use of skills, the area around them sparkled.

Other hunters cheered in amazement, watching Peace and Saint running around at a speed that was hard to follow with the eyes.

Suji clapped her hands to draw the attention of her team members.

“I’m thinking of challenging the 83rd floor now, anyone need more time?”

There was no answer.

It seemed like it was time to climb the tower again.