[132]
Chris Danil.
Yuri Sobolev’s dog.
‘Dog’ was initially a derogatory term others used for Chris. An Esper puppy licking the boots of his Guide. A boy who whimpers beneath another man.
It gradually became a title mixed with fear. The nightmare of the Winter Continent, the butcher, the mafia boss’s loyal hound.
Thinking about it, it’s a ridiculous nickname.
No one has ever seen Chris bark. He doesn’t bark if he’s not going to bite. And those he bites, he doesn’t let live. So how many mouths are left to gossip about whether Chris is a dog or a human?
But Chris liked when Yuri called him a dog.
Before, he thought he was treated at best like a guard dog. But even that was fine. At least it meant his abilities were recognized, allowing him to stay by Yuri’s side.
Now, however, he wants to serve Yuri without any reason. He willingly wanted to wear a collar and hand the leash to him. It wasn’t just out of gratitude or some blind imprinting.
This was affection.
He wanted to prioritize Yuri’s desires over his own.
“…You,” Yuri groaned softly.
“You truly know no limits.”
For a beast, his self-preservation instinct is terrible. Even a stray out there would be better than Chris. At least it would growl if you tried to put a collar on it.
What does he know, what is he thinking, for Chris to babble about giving everything to Yuri?
He really wanted to open that head. Purely out of curiosity to know what thoughts ran through it.
‘Is this really just curiosity?’
Yuri swallowed his twisted desire.
What followed was anger. Yuri swallowed that too.
Because he realized why he was heating up. This emotion was born from concern about Chris acting too defenseless.
There were countless other emotions he experienced because of Chris.
The person who stirred up storms within him—previously calm except for thoughts of revenge—was kneeling, desperately begging to be made his dog. What ability did Yuri have to refuse this?
If told to eat, swallow. If given, take.
Even if his stomach bursts, even if his insides twist.
“Fine. If that’s what you want.”
Yuri, having composed himself, looked down at Chris with a gaze more gentle and mechanical than usual.
The shimmering blonde hair seemed unreal even in the space lit only by a standing lamp.
Yuri whispered tenderly.
“But let’s establish rules.”
They would inevitably break each other.
That’s why this relationship needed rules.
Because one was an unleashed beast,
And the other, a human with only evil remaining.
“First—”
***
“This mission is a failure,” Chris stated.
“We cut off the enemy’s funding source, so it’s a success,” Yuri replied in a casual tone without even furrowing his brow.
“But we failed to completely capture those behind it. Now that Northern Light is involved, Thorns Order will go underground. Besides, they can create such fighting arenas anytime.”
Peter, who had been summoned since morning for future planning, watched the master and servant uneasily.
Yuri and Chris were facing off without yielding an inch regarding the Colosseum matter.
Although they would eventually reach a compromise, the tension was so palpable it made Peter’s cheeks ache.
“We’ve caused significant distrust among their clients, so it will be difficult for them to recover immediately.”
“Isn’t that just buying time temporarily?”
Since Northern Light had taken action against the unregistered Espers gathered for the matches, their operations would be hindered for a while.
The problem was what would happen after.
“Besides… how many people do you think would be interested in this kind of business?”
Yuri’s eyes gleamed coldly.
The Colosseum had proven that illegal fighting arenas were quite a blue ocean.
Unregistered Espers can never be completely eradicated. Humans who start pursuing this kind of stimulation will continually seek similar experiences.
“…How shall we track the Thorns Order?”
“We’re changing the plan to track Thorns Order through illegal fighting arenas.”
Utilizing strategies flexibly according to the situation was Yuri’s specialty.
“Then how do you plan to find them?” Peter asked cautiously.
“We’re putting pressure on the executives of Barrel Society, but results won’t come immediately. The orphanage lead has also been cut off midway.”
In essence, there was no connection leading to Thorns Order.
But Chris looked at Yuri.
He always had a plan.
Knock knock.
As if answering that belief, there was a knock from outside.
“We’ve secured the Esper called Obl that Northern Light requested,” Chase said.
Yuri gave Chris a pointed look and said, “Bring him in.”
The sound of footsteps receding could be heard.
But the wait wasn’t long.
“I’m coming in.”
Chase returned with Obl.
His entire face was covered with a black cloth. Obl’s chest was heaving roughly. Given that there were no other signs of resistance, it seemed to be simply from nervousness.
At Yuri’s chin gesture, Chase made Obl kneel and removed the hood he was wearing.
At first, Obl blinked as if trying to adjust to the light in the room, then surveyed his surroundings.
His face, which had shown clear signs of tension upon seeing Yuri, relaxed slightly when he saw Chris.
Rather than relief, it was because he recognized the face.
“…Wolf?”
He had been at the arena.
More precisely, he had been watching Wolf’s match.
‘Will you become like me too?’
He was somewhat curious about what kind of change that would be for Wolf.
Well, for that wolf, there might not be much difference except for the change in the master holding his leash. He might not feel much about it.
Still, he wanted to see.
Because, for better or worse, he had developed curiosity about that person.
Wolf in the arena looked confused but steadily pushed back against his former master. Soon he would stain his hands with blood. It was somewhat pleasing and somewhat bitter to imagine that others’ fates could be just as ruined as his own.
As the second match was about to begin in this predicted future, Obl turned to leave the audience seats.
Then he discovered papers showering down from above.
When he picked them up and checked the contents, he was shocked. Although match-fixing was common in the Colosseum, it had never been exposed so blatantly. Only a few participated in this match-fixing while lining their pockets.
But with the arena itself being pointed out as the mastermind, just imagining the unrest this would cause made his stomach ache.
‘I’m in danger too.’
Obl swallowed hard. He wasn’t completely free from this match-fixing either. Someone might recognize him and throw stones.
He quickly activated his invisibility and tried to run outside.
That’s when he was subdued by Northern Light’s Espers waiting in the corridor.
‘Is this better than being caught by angry spectators?’
When caught by Northern Light, he thought he would inevitably end up in the Esper Alliance’s underground prison.
He was afraid. Because he would cross from the Spring Continent to the Summer Continent. And he had no idea what his life would be like afterward.
But he was used to his life being swayed by others’ hands rather than his own choices.
Resigned, Obl remained still even when they threw the cloth over his head.
But he didn’t expect to see Chris when he was brought to some room and his vision was restored.
Knowing the cause of being brought here was somewhat more comforting than not knowing.
“Why, did you, bring me, here?” Obl asked, panting.
“I ask the questions,” Yuri spoke.
Chris lowered his eyes and quietly retreated behind him. Anyone could see it was a posture of submission.
The one with all the authority was the man with those purple eyes.
Obl felt a subtle sense of déjà vu.
Obl, who had been a fairly talented Esper, was submitting to a loan shark who had subjugated him. It was partly because of debt, and partly because of the Guide held hostage.
Seeing a similar dynamic, he suddenly guessed who that eerily beautiful man might be.
“…Could you be John Doe?”
“The name is Yuri Sobolev.”
There was no offer of a handshake that usually accompanied self-introductions. Of course, he couldn’t have taken the hand anyway, having been brought with his wrists bound.
The other seemed accustomed to one-sided declarations.
“Yuri… Sobolev.”
Obl rolled that surreal name on his tongue.
He had heard about the Winter Continent’s mafia. Their notorious reputation was so great that even Obl, who had spent half his life stuck in the Spring Continent’s underground fighting arena, knew about it.
What business could such a man have with him, to have diverted him from Northern Light?
“Do you know anything about the owner of the illegal fighting arena?” Yuri asked. His gaze scanned Obl’s face carefully. Obl could bet his guitar case and right wrist that making up lies would be pointless—the other wouldn’t believe them.
“I, don’t know.”
“Your tongue is short.”
Hierarchy was important during interrogations.
“…I don’t know, sir.”
Obl said with his head lowered.
“What about the executives?”
“Meredith Gold from the rookie development team and Ons from the commentary team. And I know there’s one more executive in charge of finances.”
Obl’s answers were forthcoming.
“Have you ever heard mentions of the actual owner?”
He shook his head.
Yuri continued with similar questions. As if his purpose was to drain Obl’s energy.
He even repeated questions he had already asked. Obl had to make an effort not to mix up information by mistake.
For now, it was just ending with questions, but he never knew when it might turn into torture.
Still, he couldn’t help but get slightly agitated.
“You know I’m just a small fry, don’t you? Why are you wasting time on someone like me?”
At those words, Yuri muttered something like “I guess that’s enough,” and answered.
“Whatever you say, honestly, it doesn’t matter much.”
“…Because the information I have is useless?”
Then why bring him here?
“No.”
Yuri showed a faint, barely perceptible smile.
“…Because the real work is happening elsewhere.”
***
Anong shut down the terminal screen showing Obl kneeling. She looked at the pale face of the woman sitting across from her and spoke.
“Now, Investigator Abigail Chung.”
The other woman’s lips, which had parted as if to beg for something, closed firmly. But she would talk.
“Shall we discuss your family?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
