’Damn it. I stared too much.’
Wait. Why the hell was I scolding myself?
It wasn’t like I was a ghost hunter in my past life. Of course I stared.
That thing looked like it crawled straight out of a low-budget horror movie.
If anything, I deserved some credit for not screaming like a little bitch or running for the nearest exit.
’Calm down.’
If things went bad, I still had Furcas and Limit Breaker.
"Have faith!" Samuel announced.
The healed man took a few steps as color returned to his skin, and somehow, he even looked younger.
"HIS WILL GUIDES US!"
As everyone around me started clapping, I joined in and leaned forward for a better view.
"HIS WILL GUIDES US!" I shouted with them.
Look at me. Just another idiot enjoying the miracle.
When I risked another glance toward the stage, the Contractor was gone.
My hands stopped halfway through another clap.
’Where the hell did he go?’
Without turning my head, I scanned the hall as best I could.
’There.’
He was standing near one of the walls, talking to Miriam.
I couldn’t hear a word from this distance, but whatever he said made her look in my direction.
The Contractor said something else.
She nodded.
So much for him merely being suspicious.
A few seconds later, he returned to his place near the stage and stopped paying attention to me entirely.
Samuel continued speaking for another ten minutes, and the whole message boiled down to this: mortal wealth was useless in heaven.
Giving was a blessing, and the best way to prove you didn’t care about money was to hand it over to them.
Now I was curious how tiny his house was and whether he survived on rice and salt.
’I’m sure all those donations are just making his spiritual burden heavier. Poor guy.’
Finally, he thanked everyone for coming, and people began lining up to hand over envelopes filled with money.
I waited for the man beside me to get up, exchanged a few polite words with him, then joined the people heading toward the back.
"Brother Raven."
Miriam stepped into my path with the same pleasant smile she wore earlier.
"Leaving already?"
"Yeah. Thank you for having me. It was... quite an experience."
"I’m glad you enjoyed it. We’re having a short meeting for those interested in joining. It should answer any questions you might have."
"Actually, I don’t think this place is for—"
"Miss Miriam, could I speak with him first?"
Elaine approached from behind her.
"He hasn’t decided yet, right? Maybe I could explain a few things before he makes up his mind."
Miriam glanced between us.
"Are you sure, Sister Elaine?"
"Yes. I still owe him an apology for earlier."
"Well, I’ll leave him in your care, then. Make sure he doesn’t disappear on us."
Any other time, I would’ve taken that as the usual friendly nonsense, but not today.
"Don’t worry." Elaine smiled back. "I’ll bring him back."
That wasn’t helping.
"You two are making me sound like I’m difficult to keep around," I joked, pretending to be casual.
Miriam said nothing and walked away.
"We can talk there."
Elaine led me toward a table near the windows, away from the crowd gathered at the other end of the hall.
I took the seat facing the exit, then glanced toward the stage again.
Samuel was surrounded by important-looking people while Miriam spoke with another newcomer.
The Demon Contractor was nowhere in sight.
’Where the hell did he go this time?’
Just as I was about to tell Elaine I had no intention of joining, her hand suddenly closed around mine.
"Keep smiling," she ordered.
"Okay... Why?"
Her fingers tightened.
"He’s watching us."