111. You expected me?

111. You expected me?

Justin and Mina fell silent with their hands linked to each other…

They glanced at each other before they nodded.

"Priscilla, What Uncle Carter said just now? Is it true?" Mina asked. Priscilla also didn't understand what his father was trying to achieve. Nevertheless, she still answered Mina truthfully. She nodded that his father wasn't lying.

"Uncle," Mina called, "Are you trying to invest in us?" Mina asked

"Ho~" Carter let out an impressed voice. Justin was surprised too. He also never expected that possibility.

"What makes you think like that?" Carter smiled and asked.

"Because those who work willingly are much more efficient than those who were forced," Mina replied. Again, it was common sense that could be applied everywhere.

"Hahaha," Carter laughed out loud, "Correct! Unless you two can be as strong as that 'Witch,' you won't be able to survive alone."

"""Witch?""" Even Priscilla didn't know the person his father talked about.

"… Don't mind it" Carter realized he had misspoken and he quickly changed the topic. "Then what is your answer?"

Justin and Mina looked at each other again. "We'll accept it."

"Do you need the 'Mana Contract'?" Carter asked again. Mina didn't say anything, only looked at Justin.

"No, we didn't need it. There's a value in trust because there's a possibility of betrayal," Justin said. Mina also looked back at Carter, agreeing with Justin. Still, no matter how dangerous their situation, some part of Mina thought of (Where did Justin copy those lines from?)

"Aren't you a Naïve one? Or maybe because you're still young," Carter replied.

"I don't know about that, Uncle. But there's something that you said was correct, Uncle, we cannot trust you, but we could trust Priscilla. And she told me from the very beginning… that I can put my trust in her," Justin said as he earnestly stared at Carter.

On the side, Priscilla remembered what Justin had asked her…

{"Can I trust you?"}

{"Yes"} That's what Priscilla replied. Priscilla somehow feels ticklish thinking about it.

(!!?) Mina turned to Justin in a flash. Then she immediately turned to Priscilla. It was only slightly, but she saw it. An expression she has never seen from her before.

"Ahahaha" Carter laughed again at his unexpected answer. (Just being naturally awakened had already made them a gem in the eyes of the Hidden World. Yet they are more than that! These guys are diamonds in the rough!!)

***

After a few moments, Justin remembered something...

"Wait… What time is it? how long have I passed out?" Justin nervously asked.

"It's already midnight. You passed out for a few hours," Mina replied.

"!!? What about home!? Won't they look for us? It's already been a long since school ended.

"And you just realized it now…." Mina replied exasperatedly, "I have already told them, both mine and your parents. That you forgot to do a group project. And we must finish it by tomorrow. So today, we're going to stay at a friend's place to finish it," Mina explained.

"Priscilla also helped us in convincing our parents" Priscilla nodded, agreeing with Mina's words.

"Eh? And they just believed it like that!?" Justin was shocked. "If it were me, it wouldn't be that easy."

"Of course, it is. Because I'm a good girl at home," Mina replied smugly

"Tch!"

"Oi, did you just click your tongue?"

"Huh? What are you talking about, Mina?" Justin played the fool, then he sighed. "Haa~ looks like there's a problem with your ears, Mina. Why don't we visit a hospital? It's okay, don't be afraid I'll accompany you."

"Hmm, you're right, Justin. Let's go and check it... Your ears," Mina replied with a beautiful smile.

"Well then, let's go- hm?" Justin instantly turned to Mina "wait a moment... What is that in your hand?"

"Nah, it's just a pen."

"And what are you gonna do with that pen!?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to help you make a hole like this," Mina showed her earring. "After that, we can wear matching earrings" she smiled again beautifully.

"Wha!? They have a special tool for that, right?"

"Wait… Stop it!! Don't come near me!!" Justin screamed.

"Ahem! Are you two done?" Carter cut in.

""Ah-"" Mina and Justin finally realized where they currently were and who's been with them since earlier. Both of them lowered their heads embarrassedly.

***

"Ahem!" Carter faked a cough once again. "Now that both of you know a bit about our situation and have also agreed to cooperate. There's something we need your assistance with now." Carter said.

Mina and Justin were wondering what kind of situation needed their assistance. That doesn't know anything about this Hidden World?

"Tell us everything you know about Spifer Iaso"

[For those who forget, it's our MC's disguised name: Lex Mikaela (Real Name) -> Lex Spifer (Well known as Mercenary) -> Spifer Iaso (Disguised Name to hide from Kate)]

""..."" An unexpected name showed up. Justin only knew Spifer for a short time. He didn't know much about him. What he knows about him might not be that important. Still, it didn't even feel good. It feels like he was selling his own friend.

"Why do you want to know about him?" Justin asked warily and thought (I might have a too biased view because of our relationship with Priscilla.)

Carter secretly smiled while watching Justin's reaction. Unknowingly to him, His value increased in his eyes. (It looks like he isn't completely brain-dead. It might sound good for him to be able to trust those who are close to him unconditionally. But if he still trusted someone who betrayed him, it would be just plain stupid.)

(He decided to trust me because of my relationship with Priscilla, and when I failed to meet his expectations, he would take back that trust and tread his way carefully.)

(There might still be many flaws in his way of thinking. Whenever someone close to him betrayed him, he would get hurt first before he decided to not trust that person. However, it suits me much better like this. It was a Leader's figure I believed in)

"Sil," Carter called, "you can explain to them what you experienced" He stepped aside and watched them from the side with intrigued eyes. (How will you react to it…) he thought.

On the other hand, Mina and Justin turned to Priscilla, waiting for her explanation.

***

"Have you two heard the rumors about missing students from our school recently?" Priscilla asked.

Justin and Mina made confused expressions when they nodded. The rumor started with some students asking about their friends who hadn't been to school for a few days. But the teacher also didn't know. So without any answer, the rumor immediately escalated. Some said he was kidnapped, some said he ran away from home, And many others, but strangely the police never got involved.

Nowadays, it is a rumor everyone knew, and at the same time, they also thought it was fake.

"... Wait… did you want to say it was real!?" Mina exclaimed when she tried to guess why Priscilla brought up this topic at this point.

"What!?" Justin also immediately turned to Priscilla, trying to read her face.

Priscilla nodded her head solemnly "yes" she confirmed, "it's a crime from this side."

""!?"" Mina and Justin gasped out of words. They thought what happened today was something straight out of a story, a special event in their life. Everything will start at this point from this moment. But the reality was different. It was always there in their surroundings. They just didn't know about it before.

A scene appears in their mind where the person in front of them suddenly disappears from their life. It immediately sent chills down their spines.

Justin and Mina exchanged glances and slowly gulped, thinking the other side might disappear someday without their knowing. Then, they held each other's hands [A/N: Lewd!!] as a sense of urgency showed up in their hearts.

Priscilla saw and ignored Mina and Justin's bad complexion

"I knew you two wouldn't be able to take this easily. I'll explain our common sense later. Long story short, we finally cornered the culprits…." Priscilla realized her sentence sounded a bit wrong. She immediately rephrased it "more like the culprits finally decided to confront us," she said.

"And it was those people we met?" Justin asked after a bit of recovery from the shock.

Priscilla nodded "Yes, those puppets"

Mina held Justin's hand even tighter to produce dome courage before slowly opening her lips. "We… we have heard you guys talking about puppets since earlier, are those guys made out of wood or some material?" So asked Mina as she remembered puppets she saw in her favorite anime.

Priscilla shook her head slowly and was stuck wondering whether to tell them the truth or not. She's afraid that both of them couldn't take it. Finally, she glanced at her father for advice which Carter replied with a nod.

Priscilla then took a deep breath before she continued. On the other hand, Mina and Justin gulped, seeing Priscilla's hesitation.

"No," Priscilla said, "They were real humans whose transformed, or minds got screwed"

""!!?"" Mina and Justin were dumbfounded for the nth time

"Anyway," Priscilla immediately changed the subject, "those puppets have a superior who commanded them before you two came in.

Priscilla then described that person as a long black-haired beauty who looked a bit older than the three and recounted that moment.

…

Priscilla and her group are finally able to meet face-to-face with the culprits. They immediately put their plan into motion but were surprised the culprits only stood there mindlessly. It was then…

"Can you guys 'Guild' stop meddling with us? It's a nuisance~" a soothing voice resonated in their ears. Priscilla instantly looked for the source of the sound until someone from her group pointed at the top of the building beside the puppets.

Priscilla also looked at it and found a young woman swinging her leg while humming as if having fun. The young woman wore a high school uniform. Priscilla didn't know which school she was from. However, even with her ridiculous appearance, her instinct worked at full capacity, warning her that even if she attacked her with her group, they stood no chance against her.

As the group leader, Priscilla started to probe her, "Who are you?"

The young woman only smiled, looking at her. "Me?" She put a finger under her chin and tilted her head cutely, looking like she was wondering whether to answer Priscilla or not "should I tell you~~ or not~~" she said with a teasing tone.

Looking at her, Priscilla really wanted to smack her in the face, but she held it in. When she tried to probe her again…

Suddenly a young man appeared beside the young woman. "So you really are connected with them, Stella," the young man said.

The young woman startled for a moment, then stood up beside the building on top of the air like standing above ground. She turned to the young man "Darling~~ you finally come!!" She immediately hugged the young man.

And the young man also didn't avoid it, letting her do as she pleased. "You expected me?" He said with an intrigued tone.

"Of course! I'm one hundred percent sure you will come," the young woman Stella replied.

"Mm, anyway, let's talk," the young man said.

"Okkie~ oh! One moment" she playfully replied, then turned her head down to the puppets "you guys can do as you pleased," she commanded.

On the other hand, while her group watched those two conversations, Priscilla was thunderstruck by the young man's appearance. It was her school uniform, and she was also very familiar with his voice.

The young man followed the young woman Stella's gaze. Looking at the puppets, his expression was like… 'well, who cares.'

Then the young man turned to Priscilla and others. "Priscilla Bella?" He said.

Once the young man said her name, Priscilla also started to guess the other side's identity. Not many people she is quite close to in her school for her to feel familiar with the other party's voice. And she only knew one person who had a strange vibe around him.

"Spifer? Spifer Iaso?" She said his name.

At that time, "Priscilla!" Once she was called, Priscilla finally realized those puppets had started to attack her teammates.

"Let's go," Lex called Stella.

"Are you sure?" Stella asked back, "You won't help her? She's your friend, right?"

"Nah, if she's dead against them, it means she's only that much," Lex said coldly before leaving the scene with Stella following behind him.

When Priscilla heard his words, she instantly turned toward them again, only to find Lex had already left the place.