Chapter 71: Warning
Rowena watched, that infuriatingly calm smile still playing on her lips. "All that power," she mused, loud enough for Meg to hear clearly from where she huddled near the kitchen doorway, "and still so predictable."
She stepped closer, ignoring the splintered remains of the door, ignoring the barely contained violence radiating from him. "Your little act in the hospital? Quite convincing, for a time."
Her eyes narrowed, glittering with sharp intelligence. "But the energy signature doesn’t lie, Hunter Carver. The Mana Cell. A prized artifact belonging to my masters."
She tilted her head. "Why hide it? What secrets are buried beneath that ridiculous amnesia routine? How does a D-rank nonentity suddenly wield power that shatters seasoned Hunters?"
Her voice dropped, becoming smooth, possessive. "So many questions. Questions my superiors are very eager to ask."
She gestured dismissively. "That Mana Cell belonged to them long before you stumbled upon it. And now... by extension..."
She let the implication hang.
"You belong to them too."
Silence. The house seemed to hold its breath. Even the rain outside felt muted.
Fin stopped struggling. He went utterly still, sandwiched between the two towering beastmen.
Then he laughed.