International Exchange Tournament(4)

“You’re the Ancestor of the General Management Team, right? I wanted to meet you! Nice to meet you!”

The unknown person saying that and extending their hand to me with a laugh.

Due to the mask and cloak tightly wrapping their face and body, their exact physique or characteristics weren’t visible, but judging from the voice, the unknown person who appeared in front of me and Arashi seemed to be a woman.

Just in case, I slightly turned my gaze to the side, and Yeon-ah mouthed that it was the Suppression Team of America.

However, she didn’t seem to know more than that, such as her race or name, so that was the only information I could receive from Yeon-ah.

‘Why would the Ancestor of the American Suppression Team…?’

I also knew what kind of country America was and where it was located, as Yeon-ah had explained it to me before.

Only, my question now was why one of the Ancestors of such an America approached me in this way.

Although I had a rough guess of the reason, it was difficult to pinpoint just one, so I slightly furrowed my brows under my mask.

“Hey~ Aren’t you going to accept the handshake? My arm is starting to hurt.”

And when I remained silent and just looked at the Ancestor of the Suppression Team, she playfully whined that her arm was hurting.

Certainly, it was a bit sorry to just leave her hanging when she was clearly offering a handshake, so I was about to roughly refuse her handshake.

Snap–!

“May I say a word?”

If it weren’t for Arashi who stepped forward before me.

“Logically, it would be basic to just exchange greetings rather than demanding physical contact.”

Arashi opened her folding fan and blocked between my hand and the Suppression Team Ancestor’s hand.

At that, the Suppression Team Ancestor’s gaze naturally turned to Arashi, but Arashi continued speaking with the same relaxed attitude and voice.

“You might have forgotten this fact since you haven’t come to such gatherings for a long time, but I would appreciate it if you could observe it from now on.”

Arashi’s words with a politeness that seemed to fit a mold.

Although there was a slight sarcasm in her tone, overall it was perfect words without a single flaw to pick at.

“Hmm… Well, that’s certainly true. Was offering a handshake a bit of a nuisance?”

And at Arashi’s words, the Ancestor of the Suppression Team withdrew her extended hand while letting out a nasal sound.

At that sight, a sense of relief emanated from Yeon-ah and Seo-hyun standing behind, reaching even me.

That sense of relief visible in their gestures as soon as the Suppression Team Ancestor withdrew her hand, as if they had both been quite worried about the current situation.

And apart from the two who were relieved, I also couldn’t help but feel grateful to Arashi who had sorted out the whole situation before I stepped forward.

‘Usually she’s a bit slow, but at times like this, she’s reliable.’

『Still, she is the head of a clan. It’s not good to disregard her too much.』

‘No, it’s not that I disregarded her, rather…’

It’s just that I didn’t think much of it because she often shows foolish sides in her usual appearance, but I never particularly disregarded Arashi.

After all, Arashi is one of the top five strongest among those I’ve met, so how could I underestimate her?

Therefore, firmly denying Hwa-gon’s words, I looked at the Ancestor of the Suppression Team who had withdrawn her hand in an awkward posture, now trying to end this uncomfortable situation.

“Well… As you said, I am indeed the Ancestor of the General Management Team. Let’s exchange handshakes next time if there’s an opportunity. Then, we’ll be going now.”

“Ah, Ancestor of the General Management Team. Let’s go together…!”

My footsteps passing by the side of the Suppression Team Ancestor after giving a nod as a greeting.

At my slightly hurried footsteps, Arashi, Yeon-ah, and Seo-hyun hastily follow behind me.

And as we moved a few steps away from the Suppression Team Ancestor we had just passed, she suddenly waved her hand at me from over her shoulder.

“Alright, see you again next time~!”

The Ancestor of the Suppression Team giving such a farewell greeting in the same lively voice as before, as if the atmosphere had never been awkward.

Seeing her neither getting angry at the refused handshake nor reaching out her hand first, I judged her as possibly a decent person and hurried my steps again.

For now, the place I needed to arrive at was my room that Yeon-ah said she had reserved.

Walking along the still long corridor, we quickly moved away from her.

---

Only after the Ancestor of the General Management Team, the Ancestor of the Execution Team, and the team leaders beside them had completely disappeared far away did the Ancestor of the Suppression Team finally unfold her wings that she had been stiffly holding.

Crack—

“Phew… Finally I can breathe a bit.”

Her wings, which had been cramped from being curled up inside her cloak for a full 10 minutes since disembarking from the flagship, let out a refreshing sound.

And the Ancestor of the Suppression Team… or more precisely, Bellin, the Ancestor of the Suppression Team and the head of the succubus race, looked down at her right hand that had been blocked by a mere ghoul and raised the blood vessels in her arm.

“Just interfering from the side… If it had been an ordinary person, I would have killed them right there…”

But no matter how much Bellin herself hadn’t met other Ancestors for over ten years, she hadn’t become that uncivilized.

No matter how angry she got, killing an Ancestor from the Korean side would far exceed the range of things that could be ended simply.

Even with her fiery temper, Bellin had that much discernment, so she forcefully calmed her rising anger and instead recalled the Ancestor of the General Management Team who had just brushed past her side.

“So that one is the Ancestor of the General Management Team…”

It was worth coming out a bit early and sweeping through the inside of the venue, even shaking off her team leader who tried to hold her back.

Thanks to that, she was able to meet the Ancestor of the General Management Team first, before other Ancestors could find her.

As the first to meet her, she was able to sense her true self.

And Bellin’s impression of meeting the Ancestor of the General Management Team could be summarized in one simple word.

“…Quite a dangerous smell coming from that one~”

Of course, since it was still just a very brief first meeting, she couldn’t be certain, but what Bellin felt was a sensation as if she had a monster right in front of her.

That familiar sensation she had felt countless times in the demon realm of the previous world was strongly felt from the Ancestor of the General Management Team.

Although outwardly she seemed quite gentle and kind, what was seen inside was…

“Hmm…”

A humming sound flows from Bellin’s closed mouth.

A sight that would have made her team leader joke that it was uncharacteristically serious if he had seen it.

However, since that noisy team leader wasn’t beside her, Bellin let out that humming sound for quite a while.

She had started to ponder why this feeling was so familiar, recalling the sensation she had just felt from the Ancestor of the General Management Team.

But that was only for a moment.

Perhaps it should be said that it was natural, Bellin, who had shed her serious appearance that didn’t suit her like shedding a shell, soon burst into a bright laugh and shouted:

“I really did well to come~!”

It was a gathering called the International Exchange Tournament that she had come to after enduring the annoyance for over a decade, but with just that one moment of meeting just now, its value was already sufficient.

How could it be said to be lacking when she found out that the identity of the Ancestor of the General Management Team, whom she had been so curious about, was such an interesting person?

Moreover, this interest and curiosity were clearly going to be the key to what would follow, so it was inevitable for Bellin to burst into a satisfied laugh.

“Well then… Now that I’ve met the Ancestor of the General Management Team that I wanted to see so much, shall I go find Charlotte?”

And not long after, Bellin, who had calmed her excited mind, muttered like that and hid her unfolded wings back inside her cloak.

Since she was the first to meet the Ancestor of the General Management Team, she wanted to boast about it to Charlotte, who probably came here for the same purpose as herself.

If she boasted about this to Charlotte, who probably hadn’t met the Ancestor of the General Management Team yet, the expression she would show to Bellin would be quite worth seeing.

Therefore, Bellin began to run towards the room where Charlotte was said to be assigned, imagining the expression of Charlotte that she would soon be able to see.

Towards the room where Charlotte, the Ancestor of the General Administration Team, would come.

---

Step– Step–

After walking silently for about thirty seconds, when we finally reached a distance where the presence of the Suppression Team Ancestor could no longer be felt.

After checking once more that there was definitely no one around, I finally opened my mouth that had been closed and spoke as if exhaling:

“…What’s with that one? You said she was the Suppression Team Ancestor, right, Yeon-ah?”

“Yes. As I mentioned, she is the Ancestor of the Suppression Team of the American defense city. However, we don’t have any information beyond that… I’m sorry, Ancestor.”

“No, well. They’re probably hiding their information as well as we are, so it’s not strange.”

Yeon-ah bowed her head as if apologetic for not being able to provide me with additional information, but I forcibly raised her head again.

Just look at Han Yun-ah, the Japanese spy that Yeon-ah had interrogated last time.

She had infiltrated our country directly and tried to dig up information on the General Management Team from the position of an S-rank 4th hunter and sponsor, but all she could uncover was truly just the surface of the surface.

That’s how intense the secrecy of the General Management Team was, and unless the American guys were inferior to us, it would be natural that we couldn’t find out their information.

Therefore, this wasn’t Yeon-ah’s problem, but rather something that could be called natural.

“They don’t know much about our information either, right?”

“Ah, yes. Rather, if we have even a little more information about them than they do about us, that’s more likely. They probably don’t know us better.”

“Yes, that’s fine then.”

A situation where both sides are almost ignorant about each other.

It was disappointing that I couldn’t know their information, but if it was the same situation, what could be done?

I nodded my head unavoidably and ended the conversation, and then Arashi, who was walking beside me, suddenly opened her mouth.

“But Ancestor of the General Management Team. Even if we don’t have information about them, it’s better to be cautious of all the American ones.”

“Why? Because they’re strong?”

Arashi warning me to be cautious of all the American Ancestors, including the Suppression Team Ancestor from just now.

At that warning whose reason I couldn’t understand, I voiced the first thought that came to my mind and asked back, and Arashi slightly covered her mouth with her unfolded fan.

Flutter—

“That’s a reason too, but… A more important reason is that there are no normal ones among them.”

“The Suppression Team Ancestor we just met seemed quite sane.”

“I used to think so too, but… If you have several conversations with them, your opinion will change. So I’d like to recommend not getting close to them from the start.”

“Well… If you say so.”

At least Arashi’s words now were not a lie, and rather, they felt like sincere words with even a sense of urgency, so I nodded slightly, albeit hesitantly.

If Arashi was saying it to this extent, there must really be something to it.

Thinking that if I was really curious, I could meet them once without Arashi knowing later, I turned my head away from her.

“Ah, is it soon?”

And when I turned my head, I could see in the distance the door to the room assigned to the Five Continents, including me and Arashi.

Perhaps because I had focused only on walking for a while after meeting the Suppression Team Ancestor, I muttered to myself like that at the destination that had been reached faster than expected.

Although the only person I had met since coming to this venue was the Suppression Team Ancestor just now, it had been a tiring time just from walking.

But now that we had arrived at the room, I smiled thinking that I could relax comfortably.

“Phew, finally I can take off this mask and cloak…”

“Ah, you’ve finally arrived.”

Unfortunately, it was a smile that didn’t even last 3 seconds.

…

……

………

“Seb, that’s the Ancestor of the General Management Team, right?”

“Yes, Ancestor. Judging by the matching patterns on the cloak and the door, it seems to be correct.”

A woman who had been leaning against the door of the room assigned to me, conversing like that with the platinum-haired man beside her upon seeing me approach.

And the woman, after having her man confirm my identity, approached me with clicking steps and stopped at an appropriate distance.

Immediately after, the woman slightly grasped the hem of her dress inside her cloak and gave an antique greeting.

“I think you already know my identity, but just in case, I’ll introduce myself. I am the Ancestor of the American General Administration Team and the Blood Empress of the Vampire Nobility. I came here today to meet you, the Ancestor of the General Management Team.”

As the woman’s self-introduction echoed in the corridor, the expressions of Yeon-ah and Seo-hyun behind me subtly distorted for a moment.

Their expressions distorted in the instant the woman bowed her head, as if the most troublesome thing in the world had arrived.

And although it wasn’t visible due to the mask, my expression was also distorted the same way.

‘…Talk about bad luck really sticking.’

I thought I could finally enter the room comfortably and rest after shaking off the Suppression Team Ancestor, but how long has it been and now the Ancestor of the General Administration Team comes looking for me.

“If it’s alright, could you spare me some time?”

In addition, seeing the woman asking me that in a polite tone, I couldn’t help but inwardly smack my forehead.

I had just been warned by Arashi not to get involved with the American Ancestors, but as soon as I heard that warning, the Ancestor of the General Administration Team came looking for me like this.

I self-deprecated at this fate that could be called truly unfortunate.

It seemed that today, I was thoroughly entangled with the American guys, so a sneer burst out involuntarily.

A premonition that today would become troublesome suddenly sent a chill down my spine.