Ring! Ring! Ring!
Agatha’s phone rang, breaking the silence. She picked it up quickly and stepped away from the group to answer the call.
"Hello?," she said, her voice steady but her eyes showing concern .
She started the conversation normally, but as the minutes passed, her face grew paler and her gaze repeatedly shifted toward Reign and the phone.
By the time she ended the call, she looked ashen and shaken.
Slowly, she walked back toward Reign, her steps slower and her demeanor subdued.
"Mr. Rain," she began, her voice soft but earnest, "we believe you came here with good intentions for the city. I apologize on behalf of the military. The General called and requested your assistance because the fort is struggling to fend off the attack, and we desperately need your help." She bowed her head respectfully.
Reign’s expression hardened, a sneer forming on his lips.
"So now you need my help?" he retorted. "You insulted me and my family name. What do you take me for? Just validate my identity and let me leave," he spat, trying to sound as irritated as he could.
Agatha’s face flushed with frustration. She cursed her superiors inwardly for their contradictory orders—first to detain Reign and then to seek his help.
Did they think this was some sort of joke?
"Mr. Rain, I’m really sorry for this situation. The General said that if you refused, we were to offer compensation to convince you," Agatha said, her voice tinged with resignation.
"Oh, that’s nice. You should have started with that," he said, nodding slightly as if he were considering the offer.
She felt a surge of relief. At least he was willing to listen now.
With the government’s funds, thanks to the businesses contributing to the city’s defense, even ten’s of million credits would be manageable for one person.
"Alright then," Reign said casually, lifting his two hands as if the amount were trivial. "I will help you all for 10 billion credits."
"What ?" Agatha’s eyes widened, and she nearly choked at the astronomical figure.
Only someone with immense resources could demand such a sum.
"W—we don’t have that much," she stammered.
Reign’s eyes glinted with amusement. "I thought you were just a military officer. Didn’t realize you were the treasurer as well," he said mockingly.
Agatha felt a sting of insult from his mockery but kept her composure, understanding that they needed his help right now.
"Is this mission sanctioned by the Hunter Association?" Allan asked, his brow furrowing with doubt.
"No," Reign replied casually. "It’s a family matter. Besides, I don’t really work for the Hunter Association. I’m more like Quill," He referenced the information he’d gotten from Lilith about the infamous hunter.
Allan’s expression remained neutral. He knew about Quill Flazer’s popularity, known for his independence and godlike level talent and potential.
But simply mentioning the name didn’t prove much.
The fact that Reign wasn’t affiliated with the Hunter Association made Allan more suspicious.
"I’ve heard a lot about the Razer family," Allan said after a moment. "I even sparred with someone from your family once. Unfortunately, he went missing after a corrupted invasion," he added, his voice tinged with sadness.
He wasn’t alone in his reaction. Some of the hunters behind him also showed somber expressions, their shared memories of the missing person evident.
Hearing the mention of Corrupted Invasion, Reign immediately pieced the information together and decided to gamble.
"I understand your pain," he said gravely. "I also have a missing cousin. I hope my little brother, Jayden, will somehow return to our family."
"What? You know Jayden?" Allan exclaimed in shock. But the young maiden with green hair and eyes had an even more intense reaction.
"Jayden? You’re his big brother?" The girl’s voice wavered as she stepped closer, her eyes wide with shock. "I trained with him and we were close. Do you know what happened to him? I’ve been so worried."
Her expression softened from shock to concern, showing a personal connection to Jayden.
’Does this girl have a crush on Arc?’ he wondered inwardly.
If that was the case, he could use her to his advantage.
"I’m his cousin, but he used to call me ’big brother’," Reign said, weaving a web of lies. Technically, he wasn’t entirely untruthful, as Arc was part of him.
"Really? Wait, I think I remember now," the girl said, her eyes searching Reign’s face. "Jayden mentioned he idolized someone in his family—his big brother Jayreen. Are you him?"
Reign’s expression remained neutral as he considered his response. He neither confirmed nor denied the claim.
"I’m on an important and secret mission, so I can’t disclose much," he said, choosing to keep the details vague.
For all he knew, there might be no one named Jayreen, and she could just be trying to catch him off guard.
The girl looked momentarily dejected but managed a smile as she calmed herself.
Allan then rejoined the conversation. "I won’t bother you any longer," he said. "But perhaps we can discuss Jayden more after our group finish defending the fort."
"Sure," Reign agreed, and they exchanged phone numbers.