Damian had originally intended to wait until he could see what was inside the coffin if possible, but it seemed that wasn't feasible—at least not right now.
He had seen something he wasn't supposed to see, but he didn't care. As long as they didn't know about it, there was no reason to worry.
If he had been at full strength, he would have been confident in at least escaping—or even sending some of them straight to hell with special one-way tickets. But right now, it wasn't wise for him to take any more risks, especially since he didn't know how much influence they had. If they added him to the Black Angel organization's list as well, he'd end up being hunted by two organizations. That would bring him an enormous amount of trouble, which he definitely didn't want at the moment.
He quickly climbed the stairs to the first floor, slipped out through the window, and then ran back toward the forest at full speed.
It was the final hours of the night; in just a few moments the full moon would slide away and the sun would take its place, announcing the start of a new day.
He dashed forward at maximum speed, weaving between the trees. The forest was no longer as dark as before—the sky had begun to receive the first rays of morning light, making his path much faster compared to when he had arrived.
"It's definitely not their first time doing something like this," Damian thought as he ran, covering a large stretch of ground. "It wouldn't be surprising if they have connections with many influential figures—at least on the local level."
"I must not get involved in their affairs. At least not right now!"
By the time he reached the outskirts of the city, the sky had grown noticeably brighter, and the sun cast its first rays across the mortal world. There, Damian stopped and began walking to catch his breath, just as he had done several times before.
"This body is only average at best. I need to start training it and improving its fitness as soon as possible," Damian sighed, greedily inhaling large gulps of the morning air.
The outlines of the city gradually came into view. By the time he entered it, the day was just beginning. He passed through many alleys, watching life slowly return to the city after a long night. When he arrived in front of his house, he took out his keys, entered quickly, and locked the door. After removing his coat and shoes, he threw himself onto the bed and took a light nap!
...
In southern Ozaka Prefecture, inside a luxurious mansion in the noble district, a man in his middle years sat at a desk made of a strange type of black wood. His sharp eyes had heterochromia—one blue, the other green. Combined with his angular features and the cold aura surrounding him, he gave everyone who saw him an impression of nobility and sternness.
He held a stack of papers in his hands, while numerous files—each bearing photos of various people—lay scattered across his desk. But his focus was entirely on the documents he was currently holding.
Suddenly, there was a light knock at the door.
"Enter!" came the man's rough voice.
The door opened.
A woman in her late twenties stepped in—green hair, green eyes—carrying a bundle of papers. She placed them neatly to one side on the desk, gave a respectful bow, and turned to leave.
But that same rough voice stopped her.
"Has there still been no report from Number 40?"
The young woman replied, "I have not received any report from her yet, sir."
"Every Number is required to report immediately upon completing their mission. Yet Number 40 is delayed and has not reported right away," the man said in his unchanging rough tone, his expression never shifting. "If this mission hadn't been a personal request from the Viscount, I wouldn't have paid it any attention. But I owe him a debt. If no report arrives within the next twelve hours, send two Double-Digit Numbers and one Single-Digit Number."
His tone while issuing the order left no room for argument—everything he said was to be obeyed without complaint or excuse.
"As you command, sir."
She bowed once more, then left the room and closed the door behind her.
With no change in expression, the man returned his attention to the papers in his hand…
**************
Damian woke up around noon. He put on some comfortable clothes, ate a light meal from what he had prepared earlier, then returned to his room and began doing push-ups, squats, and other endurance exercises.
He continued for about an hour and a half, then took a warm bath and left the house—first heading to the real estate office, then to the bar, and so on. Before long, the sun began to set.
He had to start gathering his most important belongings in preparation for moving out. Staying in that house any longer would put him in danger. Someone from the organization might come to investigate Anna's disappearance—maybe not today or tomorrow, but possibly the day after. The risk existed regardless.
The commission from selling the house would be automatically transferred to his account. He had already given the real estate agent some money to handle everything, so things were proceeding exactly as he wanted.
All that remained now was finding a place to spend the night, then doing what he planned in the morning.
He began collecting his most essential items: two suits, and a few cherished mementos that had belonged to the previous owner's wife. He felt it wouldn't be right to leave them behind—this was the least he could do for him.
Soon he left the house with a large backpack on his shoulders. Moments later he flagged down a carriage in front of the house, gave the driver the destination, and they set off quickly.
What occupied his mind right now was the matter of the coffin from the previous day. He couldn't imagine what was inside it, but one thing was certain: whatever it was, it lay completely outside the realm of the ordinary!
Judging by the coffin's shape, it most likely held a human figure. It also seemed that sacrifices had been offered to it for many years. He couldn't find an explanation for any of it, and the questions piling up in his mind gave him a headache the more he thought about it. Yet curiosity and an insatiable hunger for knowledge were distinctly human traits—the more mysterious something was, the more it drove people to come up with explanations and hypotheses.
"It seems I'll have to investigate this again in the future. After all, I feel that my path to unlocking these abilities is somehow connected to it!" Damian murmured under his breath, too quietly for anyone else to hear. His gaze carried intense focus, strong determination, and an unyielding passion for discovering the future that fate had in store for him!