Brick, who joined the gathering late after finishing his evening shift, pulled out an empty chair opposite Isaac. He stared at Isaac, who was slumped at the innermost part of the table, slouching against a pillar and propping up his chin as if he might collapse at any moment.

“Why does he look like he’s dying? Drooping like a sick bird. Hey, are you hurt somewhere?”

“Uh…… no…… just a bit tired, that’s all.”

Isaac muttered in a sickly, weak voice. The brilliant light of the full moon streaming through the tavern window illuminated his face, making his complexion look all the more ashen. Brick, who was just sitting down, noticed Isaac was only wearing socks and asked in confusion, “Where did your shoes go?”

“He stumbled coming into the tavern and tripped over the front step. Tore the sole of his shoe right off in the process, so he dropped them off at the cobbler out front.”

Olsen, sitting next to Isaac, clicked his tongue and answered on his behalf. Isaac, his eyes half-closed, didn’t say a single word. Even when they muttered, “Jeez, you pitiful bastard,” he didn’t even bother to glance their way.

It was the full moon. The day a witch’s energy was suppressed. Once a month, even Isaac, who was only a half-blood, suffered from his entire body feeling as heavy as lead. It was sheer bad luck that the Royal Guard colleagues had scheduled their drinking gathering on a day like this of all days. Any other time, he would have made up a suitable excuse and skipped it, but today he had business nearby, so he had forced himself to come out.

“Tsk, tsk, no wonder he’s exhausted. Imagine how hard it must be working under him. Here, drink up, drink up.”

As Isaac slowly sipped the beer Selvero poured for him, Rauder leaned in closely.

“So, how is it working as an escort at the Blue Shadow Palace? Do you like it?”

“Do I look like I like it?” Isaac muttered back.

“Is the purity of your ass still intact?”

“Yeah, it’s terrifyingly intact.”

Muttering his reply again, Isaac slammed his empty beer mug down hard right onto the back of Rauder’s hand. *Thwack.* “OWOWOWW!” Rauder yelped, clutching his hand

and grimacing, while the other guys just giggled and laughed.

The first time they gathered after he transferred to the Blue Shadow Palace, his colleagues had scrutinized every inch of Isaac with hawk-like eyes. Why do you look so perfectly fine? Is your lower half okay? In the minds of the Royal Guards, an ‘escort’ meant being branded as a ‘boy toy,’ so they couldn’t fathom how he was unharmed. There were even guys grumbling, wondering if the Prince had lost his mind, which eventually revealed they had actually placed bets on it. He’ll be fine, he’ll need a week of recovery, he’ll need a month, he’ll submit his resignation—the betting categories were surprisingly diverse.

Isaac had beaten every single one of them equally for that, yet even now, whenever they gathered, they still tended to observe him closely.

“Are you sure you haven’t already been eaten and you’re just playing dumb?”

“Nah, no way. Look, his nape is perfectly clean without a single bite mark.”

“You can’t tell from that! It’s not like he is the type of person to bother with foreplay or petting. He’d probably just ram it straight in.”

“Hey, hey, I’m telling you, no. Look how perfectly fine he’s walking. There’s no way he’d be walking around this normally if he got pierced by his thing.”

“True that.”

“ARGH, I TOLD YOU I DIDN’T DO IT!!!”

Reaching his boiling point, Isaac sprang to his feet, grabbed the nearest guy by the collar, and shook him violently. Whether he did or not, the bastards just kept giggling and chattering away happily.

“See, I told you Isaac isn’t Prince Kyan’s type.”

“No, but still, he came all the way here that day and specifically handpicked this guy to take with him, so we couldn’t help but wonder. But seriously, how did you end up catching his eye?”

Receiving their renewed gazes of genuine curiosity, Isaac slumped back into his seat, practically lying face-down on the table.

“How am I supposed to know? I guess I just caught his eye without even realizing it.”

“Hmm, did you do something to annoy him during the hunting competition?”

“Well, who knows, maybe he just took a liking to you. Think positive, man, positive. Seeing as you’re still alive, the chances of that are pretty high, right?”

“…….”

It sounded like something he should be thankful for, but he wasn’t thankful, yet it still vaguely resembled a compliment. His body was already aching because it was a full moon, but now he felt even more exhausted. ‘I really shouldn’t have come out tonight…….’

“Yeah, yeah, let’s just say he’s the Blue Shadow Palace’s very first escort who actually fits the job description of an ‘escort’.”

“True, with his personality, if he wanted to eat him, he would’ve eaten him on the spot.”

“Besides, Your Highness always picks the flashy, fierce-looking ones. Isaac doesn’t fit that type. He’s a bit plain, you know.”

“Ah, would you bastards just knock it off!”

Whether Isaac yelled or not, the guys, now pleasantly buzzed, continued to giggle amongst themselves. ‘Aish, I’d love to just smack each of them over the head…….’ Amidst all this,

「So that’s what it is, right? Our Manbang likes that guy who is the greatest beauty in the country, but that guy won’t even give him the time of day. That’s the story.」

「How pitiful.」

「It’s okay, they say even a straw shoe has its mate. A good straw shoe will appear for our Manbang too.」

「But from what I’ve seen, whenever our Manbang grabs at straws, he always manages to grab the rotten ones. What if he ends up with a rotten straw shoe for a mate?」

‘Why is this tavern so chaotic……. Now it’s not just the humans, but even these little monsters are roaming around my feet chattering nonsense.’

“Excuse me, why are there animals wandering around inside the tavern? Please kick them out!”

Isaac shouted toward a server, but the server, looking incredibly frantic and busy amidst the massive crowd of customers, just asked, “Where are they, sir?” When Isaac turned around, the little monsters had already vanished.

It’s a bright full moon tonight, those brats should be holed up safely at home. Why are they out wandering around making a fuss……, Isaac swallowed a groan and pressed his throbbing temples.

‘I really should have just gone home early to rest.’

He had originally come out to meet his broker. But since his colleagues’ gathering spot was nearby, he had dropped by to kill two birds with one stone. Well…… it wasn’t like he hadn’t expected this kind of atmosphere, and sometimes this rowdy noise was nice. It would have been much better if today wasn’t a full moon, though.

Right. The broker had also made exactly the face he expected.

When Isaac asked him to find out where the Roberni faction would gather next, the broker looked at Isaac with a deeply troubled and worried expression, looking like he wanted to say something, but ultimately just nodded without a word. Considering that in the past, he would fetch fairly dangerous information without batting an eye, it was clear that the atmosphere over there was incredibly grim lately. However, Isaac had no other choice.

‘……Oh, that guy.’

The broker had suddenly shifted his gaze over Isaac’s shoulder and gave a subtle nod. Following his gaze, Isaac saw a man walking into the opposite alley. He was an ordinary-looking middle-aged man with a receding hairline.

‘That guy was digging into your background not too long ago.’

‘Who is he?’

‘He does the same job as me. The most expensive guy in the industry. Probably charges twenty times what I do. He’s a guy whose face you rarely ever see, so what’s he doing all the way out here? Does he have an appointment?’

Informants were strictly paid based on their abilities. If this broker was already several times more expensive than others, and that guy was twenty times more expensive than him……

‘He’s someone you can barely hire even if you pour astronomical amounts of money onto him, which means the person who hired him to dig into your past has incredibly deep pockets……. Are you involved in something dangerous lately?’

The broker observed Isaac with a cautious look. Isaac stared into space for a moment before sighing. He knew exactly one person who wouldn’t bat an eye at pouring astronomical amounts of money into something like that. Furthermore, that person had proudly informed Isaac just recently that he had run a background check on him.

Makes sense. If he’s using an informant of that caliber, it perfectly explains how he’s been tracking the movements of the Roberni faction with such terrifying accuracy.

Isaac fell deep into thought for a moment before asking.

‘Do you know anything about the Witch of Roberni?’

The broker instantly furrowed his brow. Staring hard at Isaac, he clicked his tongue and said,

‘Nothing more than the unconfirmed rumors you’ve probably already heard.’

‘What kind of rumors?’

The broker grimaced with a look of extreme reluctance before giving a light shrug.

‘Rumors like how they worship a witch and hold rituals every dark of the moon using the fresh blood of young girls, or that the witch who granted the Robernis their power in exchange is one of the most powerful witches in existence, or that the person connecting that witch and the Robernis is a high-ranking wizard…… Just completely unverified rumors.’

‘Just bullshit rumors, just nonsense people babble about,’ the broker added hastily, acting as if someone were eavesdropping on them, and shrank back. Then, looking thoroughly uncomfortable, he left a parting remark: ‘Don’t get involved in anything too dangerous. Anyway, I’ll look into what you asked for, so just wait,’ before practically fleeing the scene.

“…….”

‘If I could, I’d love to stay far, far away from dangerous places and live peacefully raising chickens, but…….’ Isaac looked out the window and sighed. Staring at the brightly shining full moon, his body suddenly felt sore all over, and he lightly tapped his shoulders. Most of the witches remaining in this land are probably quietly holed up resting today……. Except for those three currently scurrying around busy at my feet.

——Witches must vanish from this land, without a single one left.

Suddenly, the words the Prince had spoken not too long ago echoed in his mind.

Along with that quiet soliloquy that had slipped out unconsciously, the emotion distinctly contained within it also surfaced. It was pure hatred, nothing more and nothing less.

Isaac let out a quiet sigh. His mood sank even lower. Obviously, no one likes the feeling of being hated, but recalling the Prince’s words made him feel exceptionally depressed.

“Is the Guard Oppa here feeling sick? Why are you drooping so much? Here, have some alcohol and cheer up.”

Just then, a waitress who had brought over a tray full of freshly ordered drinks and snacks set the heavy plates down on the table without breaking a sweat and looked down at Isaac. Beside them, his colleagues, having the time of their lives, began to chatter loudly.

“It’s because the poor kid has been worked to the bone by his boss. Why don’t you feed him a little so he can get his energy back, pretty unni?”

“Should I? What, want me to feed you mouth-to-mouth? Oh my, now that I look closely, his face is exactly my type.”

Unfazed by the men’s crude jokes, the waitress playfully fired back. She then actually made a show of pretending she was going to drink Isaac’s beer herself, before giggling and bringing the glass to Isaac’s lips. Pressing Isaac’s head into her chest and forcing the drink down his throat—she seemed like the type to scoff and brush off any such cheeky remarks.

Right, play with me here, play with me there, just play with me. Isaac quietly surrendered his limp body to her and drank the alcohol. Just then. A man walking into the tavern caught his eye.

‘Huh, that’s the terrifyingly expensive informant from earlier……’ he thought with a hazy mind, but the moment he saw the man walking in right behind him, his hazy mind snapped completely awake.

His hair was pitch black and his skin tone was tanned, and he had thick padding added to his nose bridge and jawline, but there was no mistaking it. There was no way there could be two pairs of those cold, indifferently sunken, vivid blue eyes in this world. The disguise was flawless, but it was the Prince.

“…….”

The moment their eyes met, Isaac choked and sputtered out his alcohol with a loud “Cough!” The Prince also seemed to realize that Isaac had recognized him. However, the Prince indifferently averted his gaze, and Isaac, hearing his colleagues complain, “Gah! Hey, that’s disgusting!!” quickly ducked his head, pretending to wipe up the spilled drink.

‘Damn it, it would have been so much better if I just hadn’t recognized him either. Why did I have to recognize him?’

The informant scanned the tavern and guided the Prince to an empty table in the back. It was a secluded spot behind the pillar Isaac was leaning against, blocked by a wall. In a chaotic tavern like this, it was a table where whatever conversation they had wouldn’t reach the ears of anyone around them.

Though there was a thick wooden pillar between them, Isaac felt the presence of the two men settling down on the other side with extreme sensitivity. Keeping his mouth shut, Isaac just sipped his drink.

‘Why is he here? ……Ah, I see.’ He never had any intention of relying solely on the information Isaac would bring back in the first place.

“Hey, hey, hey, you’re spilling it, you’re spilling it!”

It was only after Brick, sitting across from him, pointed and shouted that Isaac realized he was half-drinking and half-spilling his beer. Olsen hurriedly grabbed a napkin and handed it to him.

“Hey, if you’re really sick, just go home. You look terrible today.”

“……Uh……, once my shoes get here…….”

Desperately wanting to jump up and leave this very second, Isaac wiggled his feet, clad only in socks, and muttered. The colleagues mumbled amongst themselves—He does get droopy like this sometimes, turns out he’s secretly got a weak constitution—but Isaac didn’t even care to listen, simply burying his face in his arms on the table. Yeah, go ahead, get some sleep, here, one of the guys threw their jacket over his head, and taking advantage of the cover, Isaac closed his eyes.

With his body feeling heavily weighed down and his eyes now closed, his other senses sharpened. The smell of alcohol and food being carried to other tables pierced his nose sharply, and the sounds of conversations flowing from near and far tangled together in his ears. Amidst all that, the sound that burrowed most vividly into his ears was, unsurprisingly, that familiar voice. A voice his ears reacted to with hyper-sensitivity.

“…… There are quite a few.”

It was times like this that he became acutely aware of the witch’s blood he usually never paid attention to. Out of this multitude of chaotic noises, a sound that ordinarily shouldn’t be heard was plucked out flawlessly and reached his ears.

“Because their wealth and backing are so immense. Four Court Wizards are also…….”

The voice of the informant replying to the Prince reached him in fragments. ‘Hearing such talk in a place like this……’ Isaac pondered with a hazy mind, before realizing that a place like this might actually be safer. It was noisy enough that they had to raise their voices even at the same table, and with the surroundings so open, it would be difficult for anyone to eavesdrop.

“I heard the Guild issued a directive to lay low for a while since the atmosphere is bad following  recent string of incidents. In this situation, it will be hard for the Robernis to easily deploy wizards…… So perhaps…… they might send their most surefire asset to finish things once and for all this time.”

“The absolute strongest asset they can mobilize……” the informant trailed off.

“What about the witch?”

The Prince asked briefly. This time, the informant’s silence stretched on a bit longer.

“It seems certain that the Robernis have never made direct contact. However, considering that the Cider incident involved a power impossible to achieve with human magic, ……they must be connected in some way, but we cannot confirm it yet.”

“And if I cannot confirm it, it means no one in the world can,” the informant added, raising his beer glass to wet his throat.

“However, I will continue to investigate moving forw— ……Yikes!”

A bizarre yelp suddenly appended the end of the informant’s low, serious sentence. Isaac unconsciously snapped his eyes open and jolted upright.

“W-what is this! You little beasts, where did you come from?! Go away, shoo, shoo!”

Struck by an ominous feeling, Isaac craned his neck around the pillar to look. There, sitting in a neat row, their butts firmly planted on the empty chair right next to the two men’s table, were three small, intensely familiar silhouettes.

Drooling heavily as they kept their eyes glued to the plate on the table, the trio were the exact three Isaac knew all too well.

“What, what! You want food? Go away! What kind of animal covets human food! You damn stray cats, I’m gonna smack your bottoms and kick you out!”

As the informant glared and scolded them, the three cats rolled their eyes to look at him and began to meow, “Meow, meoow,” in fragile, pitiful voices. The sound was so heartbreaking and sorrowful that even Isaac, who knew them perfectly well, felt a soft ache in his chest.

“Ahem, where do you think you’re throwing a tantrum! No, absolutely not, crying won’t work! Human food has spices in it, it’s bad for animals to eat!”

The informant continued to yell and scold them harshly, all while taking pieces of meat from the plate, thoroughly washing the seasoning off in his water glass, and setting them down in front of the three cats. The three cats rushed in frantically, munching away with happy *nyang-nyang* sounds. The informant kept washing the meat in water and scooping it out for them, nagging all the while.

“Ahem, eat slowly, if you get indigestion, do you think someone’s going to take you to the doctor? Don’t eat too much, even if I washed the seasoning off, you shouldn’t get into the habit of eating human food!” He even called out, “Excuse me, another plate of roasted goat meat over here! Without the seasoning!” placing a whole new order.

Isaac froze in his seat, simply staring blankly in that direction. In front of the informant, who was completely absorbed in washing meat in water while dispensing an endless stream of nagging, the Prince watched the cats in silence, while the three cats, with their butts lined up perfectly in a row, were entirely consumed by chewing the meat, caring about nothing else.

“But seriously, where did these little guys pop out from so suddenly? What kind of cats have eyes as big as lamps……. Hey, hey, you’re going to choke, chew before you swallow, you brats! Does your owner starve you? What a terrible person!”

Caught in a dilemma over whether he should pretend to know them or not, Isaac, who had been half-standing awkwardly, quietly sat back down, taking the unintended insult from the informant. ‘First of all, I don’t starve them, and secondly, I’m not their owner…….’

“Oh my, why are there cats in the tavern?! I’m so sorry, sir, I’ll chase them out immediately!”

Just then, the waitress returning with the new plate saw the cats, rolled up her sleeves in shock, and grabbed a poker leaning in the corner of the wall. At that, Isaac had no choice but to jump up and shout.

“W-wait a minute, they’re my cats. I’m sorry.”

Bowing his head repeatedly amidst the glaring eyes of the surrounding people, he approached the table. Regardless of all this, the cats didn’t even spare Isaac a glance, entirely focused on chomp-chomp-chomping their meat. The Prince, who had been staring quietly at the cats, shifted his gaze to Isaac.

“They’re your cats?”

“Uh…… yes, for now.”

“……. I feel like I’ve seen them somewhere.”

The Prince muttered as if talking to himself. Isaac just forced a hollow laugh, dripping cold sweat without saying a word.

“They’re your cats? Do you starve them, young man? Why are they inhaling meat like they’re possessed by starving ghosts?”

The informant glared at Isaac fiercely. Isaac, who had definitely left a mountain of kibble piled high in their bowls before leaving the house, shot a chilling glare at the cats. The cats were chattering telepathically without pause as they devoured the meat: 「It’s goat! It’s goat meat!」, 「Goat meat is definitely the best.」, 「Are they not serving wine?」

‘No wonder, I should have known they were the witch’s familiars, going absolutely crazy over goat meat……. I like it too, but it’s an expensive meat I can barely afford.’

“Anyway, if you’re the owner, hurry up and take them away. Go on.”

Seemingly uncomfortable with a stranger approaching, the informant stole a quick glance at the Prince before waving his hand dismissively at Isaac. Just as Isaac bowed and reached out to pick up the three cats, the Prince, who had been watching them, spoke.

“Let them finish the meat you’ve set down before taking them.”

There were still a few pieces of meat the informant had washed and set on the table. Isaac blinked at the unexpectedly generous words before saying, “Thank you,” and withdrawing his hands. The informant also looked at the Prince in surprise before turning a pleased gaze back to the cats.

“But why does a young man like you have such a terrible complexion? Have you not been eating properly?”

The informant initiated conversation with Isaac, who was just waiting for the cats to finish. Isaac shook his head.

“I’m just not feeling very well today. It’s nothing.”

At that, from beyond the pillar, Olsen, who had been watching to see what was going on after Isaac suddenly got up and went over to that table, yelled loudly.

“Hey, you’ve been looking completely out of it all day, isn’t it a cold? A cold?”

“Ah, what kind of cold do you get in the middle of summer?”

As Horden muttered next to him, Olsen shook his head. “Have you not been to where he lives? It’s a crumbling, rotten stone building that looks at least a hundred years old, drafts blow right through it.”

“I live there too, you know?! It’s only fifty years old!”

“Ah, right, you live with Isaac, come to think of it. Well, it doesn’t matter, you’re getting married and moving out soon anyway. Oh boy, our frail Isaac, catching colds in the middle of summer, is going to end up a lonely old bachelor living all by himself.”

“That’s exactly why he started raising those cats, so he wouldn’t end up a lonely old bachelor. Look how much he dotes on them, bringing them all the way out to a place like this, the crazy bastard.”

“I didn’t bring them out here!!”

Unable to listen any longer, Isaac shrieked, instantly swallowing air the wrong way and coughing violently, “Cough, cough!” Seeing those guys continue to chat without caring in the slightest whether he choked or not, he seriously questioned if they were actually his colleagues.

“There’s an established theory that once unmarried men and women of a certain age start raising pets, their chances of marriage are over…….”

“He was already doomed the moment he started judging people by their looks. You have no idea how much he cares about a pretty face.”

“I do not!!”

Isaac shrieked again, falling into another fit of violent coughing. At this rate, I’m actually going to become a real patient. Realizing the Prince was staring at him, Isaac hurriedly waved his hands.

“No, really, I’m just not feeling my best today. It’ll get better once I go home and rest.”

“…….”

Only after meeting that expressionless gaze that seemed to say, ‘Why are you telling me that?’ did Isaac clamp a hand over his blabbering mouth, muttering internally, ‘Ah, right, you’re not exactly the type to worry about others…….’

Unlike Isaac, who looked like a deathly ill patient, the Prince looked to be in exceptional condition. Being a full moon, it made perfect sense. Even in his disguise, his entire body seemed to brim with vitality, and his complexion was glowing vibrantly.

“Even with black hair, you look really good…….”

‘As expected, when someone has such a fundamentally gorgeous face, anything looks good on them,’ Isaac thought. Having unconsciously let out a gasp of admiration and blurted that out, Isaac only realized what he did when the Prince’s gaze snapped to him again, and he clamped his mouth shut with a gasp.

“No, I didn’t mean anything by it. Just, I figured you must hear that you’re handsome a lot.”

“I’ve never heard that.”

The Prince answered briefly. A short silence fell. Both the informant and Isaac looked at the Prince simultaneously with eyes full of utter disbelief.

“Never? Not at all?”

“Not at all.”

‘You liar!’ Isaac almost shouted right to his face, but realization dawned on him the next second. Ah, actually, that might be true. There probably isn’t a single person brave enough to dare say something so trivial and meaningless right to this man’s face……. But because of this, Isaac felt like he was the one lying or just blatantly flattering him.

Isaac scratched his head and mumbled.

“Uh…… well…… you are very handsome.”

He expected as much, but the Prince still showed absolutely no change in expression. No sign of pleasure whatsoever. He merely arched his eyebrow a fraction of an inch. Seeing that, a memory suddenly flashed through Isaac’s mind, and he hastily added.

“Of course, I’m just speaking objectively, and I don’t harbor any personal ulterior motives at all. I also deeply respect your tastes. I respect them immensely.”

As Isaac spoke with a dead-serious face, the informant burst into laughter.

“Haha, you’re quite the amusing fellow, I see. By the looks of it, you seem to be part of the Royal Guard……?”

“Yes, my name is Isaac.”

The informant’s smiling face froze for a fraction of a second. Seeing his silently smiling, blinking eyes, it was clear he realized the man standing before him was the very person whose background he had investigated not too long ago.

‘Mister, you dug into my life that meticulously, yet you didn’t know my face?’ Isaac simply smiled innocently back at him. However, the informant excellently masked his realization in a flash, smoothly adopting the persona of a genial uncle as he laughed, “Haha, I see, you do important work.”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Isaac replied naturally, spinning his words.

Just then, sensing the corners of the Prince’s eyes curving slightly, Isaac thought ‘Oops’ and quickly schooled his expression.

“Sir, did you drop off shoes for repair?”

He heard the waitress calling from behind. Turning around, he saw the cobbler standing behind her, holding Isaac’s shoes. They must be finished now. Perfect timing. He needed to get out of here before he blurted out any more nonsense.

Isaac scooped up all three cats with one arm. Having completely wiped the table clean of the meat placed before them, they were now smacking their lips in satisfaction.

“Well then, I’ll be taking my leave…… I apologize for the trouble my cats caused. I’ll pay for their food…….”

“Oh, no, it’s fine, it’s fine. I’m the one who gave it to them. Just don’t starve these little ones and raise them well. Off you go.”

The informant also seemed to think this was good timing and waved his hand dismissively. Isaac stole a quick glance at the silent Prince, gave a swift bow, and turned to leave. While he was at it, he told his colleagues he wasn’t feeling well and was heading home early, then left the tavern entirely.

After tossing quick, one-sided goodbyes to the guys telling him to get home safe and the guys telling him to stay longer, Isaac fled the tavern. Even after practically running out, he kept a brisk pace, not looking back once until he had escaped the alley and emerged onto the main road. Only after walking a couple more blocks did Isaac slow his pace, finally stopping when he confirmed there was no sign of anyone following him.

His body was already feeling heavy and sluggish, but after practically speed-walking through the night, he was breathless and exhausted. Isaac slumped down right where he stood.

‘Of all places to run into him. Let’s see, did I make any mistakes today?’

Feeling an inexplicable sense of guilt, Isaac was carefully retracing his memories when he finally noticed the squirming presence of the three cats in his arms and looked down. The little things had eaten so much that they were smacking their lips and burping loudly, a truly ridiculous sight.

「Ah, that was a good meal.」

「I was dying from lack of energy, but eating that made me feel a bit better.」

「Goat meat is definitely the best. It was a little heavily seasoned, but acceptable. Smack, smack.」

“…… You should have been lying quietly at home. Why are you wandering around on a bright full moon night, you little witch-cats.”

Completely oblivious to the fact that Isaac’s energy was completely drained while they replenished theirs by eating meat, the brats rolled their bright eyes and stared up at him.

「We dragged our tired bodies all the way out here because we were worried our Manbang, who goes wandering outside on a bright full moon night, might collapse somewhere.」

「You’re thankful, right? You should be.」

「Therefore, from now on, you must provide us with goat meat as well.」

“Oh, shut up. Do you know how expensive goat meat is? How could you just inhale it all like that when he offered it? You shameless little things.”

When Isaac scolded them, lightly flicking the bridges of their noses with his fingernail, the cats hissed and lost their tempers.

「Who cares, he’s a human who’s going to die soon anyway!」

「Yeah, yeah! What good is a ghost with a glowing complexion? It’s better that we, who will live a long time, eat it for him!」

“What?” Isaac froze, raising an eyebrow. The cats licked their flicked noses and grumbled.

「The shadow of death hangs heavily over him.」

「He probably won’t even live a month.」

“Who?”

「The guy who gave us the meat.」

「Still, he did a good deed for us, so he’ll go to a warm hell when he dies,」the cats chattered telepathically. Isaac stared at them blankly.

That informant.

Isaac pictured the seemingly utterly ordinary, healthy-looking middle-aged man who looked about as far from death as anyone could be. He didn’t even know the man well, but a corner of his heart felt a chill.

Being an informant inherently carried risks, so it wouldn’t be strange if something happened to him at any moment. Furthermore, the more competent the person, the more dangerous their work; it was never less dangerous.

Isaac stared up at the night sky for a moment before quietly shaking his head. He considered if he should at least give the man a warning, but ultimately dismissed the thought. There was no way to explain it, anyway.

“……Haiz……, you damn cats.”

‘You just made my heart heavier by saying useless things,’ Isaac thought as he dealt out light smacks to each of their heads before lifting his heavy body.

‘Let’s go home. I need to go rest. I shouldn’t have even come out today. Why did I come out for nothing…….’

“Ah.”

Isaac stopped just as he was about to take a step. Looking back toward the deserted alley, he lifted one foot and touched the cleanly repaired sole of his shoe. Pulling out a small slip of paper tucked just beneath the heel, Isaac unfolded it as he continued walking as if nothing had happened. The reason Isaac had insisted on coming all the way out here today. The date and location of the Roberni faction’s next gathering,

“…… Huh.”

Isaac stopped walking again. His face, which had been staring intently at the paper for a long time, slowly contorted into a deep frown.