This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 250

“How about we check it out just to be sure?” The blonde lady’s words hung in the air.

The sound of papers flipping filled the Meeting Room in an instant.

As most of the individuals present turned their attention to the back page of the incriminating document, the blonde woman, who had been quietly observing the unfolding situation, spoke up again.

She recited a phrase that was now reflected in everyone else’s eyes.

“Black hair.”

According to the hurried intelligence received since dawn, the human that Another’s Queen is looking for is said to have black hair.

And…

“With black eyes that appear slightly violet, standing about 170 centimeters tall, and the gender is… a man.”

With each detail recounted from the back page, the pool of potential candidates began to narrow down.

To summarize the information gathered so far?

Another’s Queen is searching for a man with black hair and eyes, standing around 170 centimeters tall.

On the surface, this seemed specific enough, but it was still lacking a definite identification. Nevertheless, the blonde lady surveyed those who were looking at her and posed a question.

“Is there anyone who has a clue?”

It goes without saying that none of the attendees felt inclined to speak up.

It wasn’t that they lacked suspects. In fact, it was the overwhelming number of candidates that left them silent.

And that was precisely the blonde woman’s strategy.

So perhaps…

“It seems nobody is jumping to mind, so how about we tweak the premise just a bit?”

With that, the blonde woman’s face bore a subtle smile.

“Logically speaking, the likelihood of someone actively searching for a person they have never met is quite low, wouldn’t you agree?”

Moreover, the information mentioned through Another’s ‘Queen’ had a strangely specific aura to it—as if she had seen this person herself.

Which meant?

“Doesn’t that imply that they’ve met?”

Not too long ago, such a statement would have been dismissed as nonsense. After all, no one had returned from the Rift.

Well, until just a few months ago.

“Has it been around two months now?”

Once again, no one responded to the woman’s statement.

Perhaps she didn’t expect an answer; regardless of the silence, she continued her monologue.

“There was a time when the Association was quite the buzz.”

It wasn’t an exaggeration; that was very much the truth. The return of those missing due to the devouring Rift was a significant event.

So many would still remember it.

And considering she had dropped hints like these?

It was about time someone spoke up with the answer.

So perhaps…

She kept silent, waiting for someone to give the answer.

Sure, she could’ve spoken up herself, but doing so would only invite the ire of the woman responsible for the Korean branch.

Well, her previous comments were more than enough to draw negative attention, but sharing the burden of blame with someone else seemed more favorable.

How long did she wait after making such calculations?

Perhaps the atmosphere stirred by individuals of notable backgrounds made her a bit envious.

Among those trying to gauge the mood, one finally spoke up.

“That… the Hero who returned after being caught in the Rift was named Lightning Lady, right?”

And once one person stepped forward, the others began to chime in as if they could not let themselves fall behind.

“That’s definitely the name.”

“It was such a shocking incident, even though it’s been over two months, I still remember it clearly.”

“Speaking of which, wasn’t there a boy who attended her first press conference after her return?”

“Now that you mention it, the boy sitting next to the Lightning Lady had black hair and black eyes…”

“Could that boy possibly be the man Another’s Queen is searching for?”

What a coincidence it would be if this boy—even so much as having met Another’s Queen—happened to match the exact description of the man she was pursuing.

Such questions were quickly etched into the minds of not just the eager speakers but everyone present.

Perhaps it was the ripple effect?

The mood in the room began to shift uneasily.

And that was exactly what the blonde woman had secretly hoped for.

With an atmosphere thickening and now inescapable, it was time to corner the prey.

“Well, we won’t know until we check, will we?”

With that one statement, the blonde woman drew all the buzzing murmurs into focus, then turned her gaze toward someone who had remained silent since earlier.

“In that context, I’d love to hear the thoughts of the Korea Branch’s director. What do you think?”

In such a fortified situation?

There was no way that slippery woman would escape easily now.

Trying to hide her self-satisfied grin, the blonde woman felt assured of this moment.

Just then, the middle-aged woman, who had been observing with a subtly amused expression, finally spoke up.

“Did you want to know my thoughts, Millia?”

“Yes.”

“Well… I do think it’s a valid point, but…”

It seemed that even she wasn’t unfazed by the atmosphere.

At that moment, certainty flickered through Millia’s eyes, the blonde lady.

“But I can’t say I’m without lingering doubts.”

“…Doubts, you say?”

“Nothing major, really… didn’t you mention earlier to think logically about this?”

“…I did.”

Perhaps she had been waiting for the other party to respond.

The smile on the middle-aged woman’s face deepened, which had previously occupied her features.

“I personally think it’s not a bad judgment call, but… can we truly trust that?”

“…What do you mean?”

“Simply put. Using logic as a standard for judgment might seem precarious given the state of knowledge we currently have, don’t you think?”

“What does that mean…”

“We can’t communicate with Another. Therefore, negotiation is impossible.”

With those words emitting from the woman’s lips, Millia’s instinctive rebuttal came to a halt.

“Until recently, that was the common sense.”

“That’s…”

“But what is the reality we are facing now? Another and Villains, whom we thought were uncommunicative, have allied.”

“…”

“The reality is like this, so isn’t relying on common sense as our standard of judgment a questionable course of action?”

Why don’t you dare try and refute that?

The expression on the middle-aged woman’s face seemed to say as much.

Thus, it was more than enough to stir someone’s emotions.

However, Millia was far from being an easy target.

If she were to buckle under provocation enough to show a hint of weakness, would she even have considered starting a dispute with such a cunning woman?

With a mere twitch of her eyebrows, she shook off the provocation.

“You’re uttering absurdities.”

“Absurdities, you say? Are you questioning the validity of information that agents have risked their lives to relay for the sake of the Association?”

In the very next instance, she found herself cornered.

Perhaps it was why…

“Don’t twist my words! That’s not what I meant, and you know it!”

Her tightly controlled emotions burst forth uncontrollably.

“Is that so? If that’s the case, I’m relieved.”

“Ha… so what do you intend to do?”

“I’ve mentioned it several times before… I have no intention of getting involved with that issue.”

So whatever you do, it’s up to you guys.

Just that sort of feeling dripped from the middle-aged woman’s statement as Millia raised one side of her lips in a smirk.

“But I am curious. If that boy is indeed the man another’s queen is after, what will you do then?”

“Well… it would depend on how we utilize that information, wouldn’t it?”

“By how we utilize it…?”

“It has now been proven that we can communicate with Another. So if handled well…”

Taking a moment to pause, Millia grinned as if imagining something delightful.

“We might be able to exploit the alliance formed between Another and the villains.”