By the time Lucien and Zephyr returned to the Association, night had already fallen.
Dark clouds drifted across the starlit sky.
Zephyr, in good spirits, walked silently beside Lucien. He carried a walking cane that could extend and retract with a flick, keeping his steps in rhythm with Lucien's.
When Lucien had suddenly bought it for him along the way, he had felt a twinge of dejection; however, he offered no protest.
After all, aside from the bothersome cane that had robbed him of his excuse to hold Lucien's hand, everything about today had been wonderful. In fact, Zephyr felt it was one of the most satisfying days of his life.
They had shopped, enjoyed a good dinner, and now, after learning about his assigned room in the Association and receiving the key by showing his badge that confirmed his official status as someone working for the Association, they were heading there.
Zephyr had also been given a watch, just like all the other Espers and Guides in the Awakened Association, which notified its wearer of important announcements. The only problem was that, although he could hear the notifications, he couldn't read the messages—so Lucien had installed an app to automatically read them aloud for him.
But… something felt off.
For some reason, after they arrived at the Association, he sensed too many eyes on him. This time, however, those gazes were different from before—he could feel it. They weren't filled with pity, but with eagerness.
Some Guides in the area where he got his room key even tried to get touchy with him after seeing his badge, saying they wanted to guide him for free, but thankfully, Lucien stepped in before things went too far. Still, even Lucien didn't understand their strange behavior or their eagerness to guide him.
Zephyr finally paused when the footsteps next to him stopped. A faint tsk escaped Lucien before he took the shopping bags from his hand, muttering with grievance.
"Look at you. You insisted on carrying all the shopping bags. You don't look like you need any help walking! Then why were you so insistent on holding my hand before?"
Zephyr blinked, his lashes fluttering, but instead of giving an answer, he tilted his head and posed a question of his own.
"Were you uncomfortable?"
Lucien froze, momentarily stunned by the question, his expression stiffening before he quickly regained his composure.
"That's not it…"
Before he could finish, that deep, steady voice rang out again, lower yet still clear.
"I wasn't either."
Lucien stared at him, his mind filled with nothing but question marks. His gut told him this side character was getting far too comfortable with him… and perhaps even trying to convey something. But before he could dwell on it any longer, a faint 'ding' from his watch shattered the moment.
Cursing in frustration, he glanced down.
100+ notifications from the Association filled the small screen, all ordering him to report to the Guides' emergency working area on the ground floor to guide Espers.
Lucien already knew that the insufferable protagonist, Erick, was behind it—probably abusing his ability again to dump work on him, just to keep him away from Zephyr.
He snickered inwardly and then, without hesitation, dismissed all the notifications.
Who cared? He had already ignored them from morning to night, so what difference would it make if he ignored them a little bit longer? Right now, his priority was building a good impression on Zephyr, this powerful yet clueless SSS-rank. The rest could wait.
He took the room key from Zephyr's front shirt pocket, turned around, and unlocked the door before guiding Zephyr inside.
"This is your room. There's a bed, a table with a chair, a closet, and a bathroom. It's small, but many here gets the same room, no matter their rank. You will get used to it. As for food, the Association cafeteria is on the ground floor. You can get three meals a day there by showing your official badge."
Lucien watched him nod quietly, expecting him to ask a question if he had any doubts. Instead, his eyebrow twitched when Zephyr suddenly brought up something completely unrelated to what he had just explained.
"Where's your room?"
Lucien was at a loss for a second. Setting the shopping bags on the bed, he explained half-heartedly. After all, Zephyr was blind—he wouldn't be able to find his room even if he knew. Simply remembering the location of his own room was already a big feat.
"This is the fourth floor. My room is on the fifth floor. The sixth floor and above belong to the S-ranks and superiors in City M. The Association has many branches, but this is the main branch, and the heads reside here. So, make sure not to go to the upper floors."
He wanted to continue helping this man—who, despite being unable to see anything, kept staring straight at his face—organize his clothes, shoes, and other essentials in the closet and bathroom, and get familiar with his room, but his phone began ringing.
Lucien reached for his pants pocket and turned to check the call with a frown. The name on the caller ID read 'Old Demon'. His expression changed instantly. Damn—the real Lucien O'Connell's Father was calling!
Had that heartless old man grown a heart and decided to forgive his only son despite everything the real Lucien did in the past?
If so, he might finally escape poverty!
Lucien smiled and answered the call.
"Hello, dear Father—"
Before he could finish greeting, a single cold, sharp sentence was thrown at him.
"Come to my office immediately."
The call was cut off the next second.
Lucien blinked, dazed.
"Hah? Hello… Hi? Oh—he hung up."
He finally understood why the real Lucien had saved his own father as 'Old Demon'.