The afternoon sun cast long shadows across Pi's bustling streets as Erwin, now in Erwin's form, walked through the doors of Café Lebnc.

  The rich aroma of brewed coffee and sizzli filled the air. The café was alive with chatter, ers enjoying their meals while Soma worked behind the ter.

  The moment Soma spotted Erwin, his expression lit up with surprise—an act, of course.

  "Well, I'll be damned!" Soma grinned, wiping his hands on a towel as he stepped around the ter.

  Erwin raised an eyebrow, already catg on to what he was doing.

  "It's been ages!" Soma ughed loudly, stepping forward and pulling Erwin into a tight hug.

  Erwin's body tensed for a sed, but he quickly pyed along, chug as he patted Soma's back.

  "Hah, you always were a dramatie."

  Soma pulled back, grinning widely. "How the hell are you? Why are you in Pi? Didn't think I'd ever see you here!"

  Some of the nearby ers turoward them, their i piqued.

  A few of them whispered among themselves.

  "Who's that?"

  "Never seen him before. He knows Soma?"

  Soma sehe curiosity and turoward the crowd with a smile. "Oh, where are my manners? This guy here is an old friend."

  One of the older ers, a human man in his fifties, leaned forward. "And what do you do, young man?"

  Erwin, still in Erwin's fave a polite nod before answering in a calm, anding voice.

  "I rivate iigator."

  A few ers reacted with i.

  "Ooohhh."

  "That expins the look. He's got that detective vibe."

  Erwin smirked slightly. "Not anymore, though. Now that I'm in the Kaldarion Kingdom, I'm trying to bee a cop."

  Soma cpped a hand on his shoulder. "Well, I'm running a café now, so if you ever need a pce to crash, you know where to find me. But for now, I got ers to serve. You wait for me upstairs."

  Erwin nodded. "Appreciate it. I'll see you ter."

  As he headed up the wooden staircase, Soma went back to work, fielding more questions from ers.

  Upstairs, Zero sat cross-legged on the floor, eyes closed, his focus on gathering magical energy.

  A faint humming noise filled the room as wisps of mana drifted toward him, abs into his core.

  His tration broke when he sensed another presence.

  He cracked an eye open and saw Erwin Smith standing before him.

  Zero blinked. "So, I take it the iigatio well?"

  Erwin sighed, stepping forward and sitting down across from him. "It's better if we just touch foreheads."

  Zero smirked. "Thought transmission, huh?"

  Erwin rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever."

  They leaned forward, their foreheads gently pressing together—a method they had figured out to instantly share memories and knowledge.

  In an instant—Zero saw everything.

  The library's shelves, the ck of records, the btant propaganda. It wasn't just a ck of information—it was deliberate erasure.

  Zero pulled back, his expression grim.

  "It's gone."

  Erwin nodded. "pletely. The only books left are either demon-bashing propaganda or historical texts that glorify other races. It's not just neglige's an iional rewrite of history."

  Zero exhaled. "No surprise there, but still. That means any real information is either hidden… or destroyed."

  He leaned back, rubbing his temples. "What else?"

  Erwin adjusted his gsses before tinuing.

  "As for the world itself—Aetherion is massive. But only about 60% of it is habitable nd."

  Zero raised an eyebrow. "And the rest?"

  Erwin smirked. "Wilderness. Uncharted forests. Ruins of civilizations we know nothing about. But the official records call them 'Sacred Mana Supplies.'"

  Zero frowned. "Sacred mana? Sounds like a load of crap."

  "It is." Erwin's voice was sharp. "But it's also ve. Think about it—entire regions of nd, untouched and unexplored, because the world believes they must be left alohe kingdoms and nations surrounding these pces? Always struggling for resources, always on the brink of flict."

  Zero rubbed his . "And who decides what nd is 'sacred'?"

  Erwin's expression darkened.

  "The Mage Towers."

  Zero let out a low whistle. "So they're the ones calling the shots behind the ses."

  Erwin nodded. "It all makes sehe world isn't naturally divided—it's engio stay this ower is trolled, nd is restricted, and knowledge is erased. And Kaldarion?"

  Zero tilted his head.

  Erwin smirked. "If you pare Aetherion to Earth, Kaldarion is the equivalent of the USA. A kingdom, yes, but still one of the biggest power pyers in the world."

  Zero's smirk matched his. "And the United Federation? The oh the elected president?"

  "That'd be the like UK. Newly formed, still trying to prove itself, but making waves."

  Zero exhaled, processing the information.

  A world shaped by invisible hands. Knowledge hidden. Borders iionally tense.

  And demons?

  Erased.

  Zero leaned back, a slow grin spreading across his face.

  "Well, damn. We walked into a hell of a mess, didn't we?"

  Erwin adjusted his tie.

  "We didn't walk into it. We were born into it."

  A brief silence.

  Then—

  Zero chuckled. "Guess that means we should start causing problems, huh?"

  Erwin's smirk ure mischief.

  "Absolutely."

  …

  Soma stretched his arms as he stepped into the upstairs room, the st of coffee and grilled food still ging to his clothes. He had just finished dealing with the café's afternoon rush, and as usual, Zero and Erwin were already deep in versation.

  He leaned against the doorframe, raising an eyebrow.

  "What are you two whispering about? Hopefully, it's not about me."

  Zero smirked. "Actually—"

  Soma immediately waved his hands. "Attatata! Never mind. I don't wanna know. Just tell me the important part—what's the pn?"

  Zero leaned back, gng at Erwin before casually responding, "Erwin's going to bee a cop."

  Soma froze, then blinked.

  "Huh? You do know that takes years, right? Academy training, crawling up the ranks, all that bureaucratic bullshit. You're seriously gonna gh all of that?"

  Erwin adjusted his gsses, his expression calm and unreadable.

  "ly."

  Soma frowned, crossing his arms. "Alright, expin it to me like I'm five."

  Erwin leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. His voice was calm, precise—tactical.

  "The police department is in shambles right now."

  Soma's frown deepened. "What do you mean?"

  "I asked around while I was in my child form. People talk a lot whehink they're just chatting with a kid. And from what I've gathered, the department is falling apart."

  "Because of Era" Zero say.

  Erwin nodded.

  "Yes. Ever since she took over, there's been an ongoing purge. She's arresting corrupt officers, shutting down bribe works, cutting ties between the ford the nobles. In doing so, she's created a huge power vacuum."

  Soma tilted his head. "Meaning…?"

  "Meaning the department is bleeding persohey don't have enough officers to handle cases, let alohe city in order. Right now, they're surviving purely on patchwork solutions and temporary assigs."

  Soma's expressihtened with realization. "Ahh, I get it! So yonna join now while they're desperate, right? Just breeze through the ranks?"

  Zero and Erwin exged a look.

  Then—

  They both shook their heads.

  "Nope."

  Soma blinked. "...Then what the hell are you doing?"

  Erwin smiled slightly, his tone fident and posed.

  "I'm going to bee a private detective."

  Soma raised an eyebrow. "Why? If they need people, you could just walk in and they'd probably take you immediately."

  Erwin adjusted his tie, his voice dropping slightly.

  "Because that's exactly what they'd expeeone desperate to do."

  Soma furrowed his brows, fused. "What?"

  Zero smirked, already know where this was going.

  "He wants to slither through the cracks, not bulldoze his way in."

  Erwin nodded. "This world is full of holes, Soma. Laws, bureaucracy, crime—the entire system is full of gaps that people slip through. I don't just want to join the police—I want to position myself as someone irrepceable before I evehrough the door."

  Soma scratched his head. "Alright, you lost me. What exactly is the pn?"

  Erwin's eyes gleamed.

  "I won't make it a business. I won't put up signs or hand out flyers. But when people—your ers—need iigative work, they'll hear about me."

  Soma snorted. "So you wao be your informant?"

  Erwin smiled. "You are the best source of city gossip. Why waste that?"

  Soma leaned back, processing it. "So yonna take on cases frur people. Missing persons, stolen goods, cheating spouses—things the police don't take seriously. And once you start solving enough of them…"

  Zero fihe thought.

  "The cases will start getting bigger. And wheart interfering with the police force, the department will have no choice but to take notice."

  Erwin nodded. "Exactly. When I start solving crimes that they 't, I'll bee a liability—a oo loud for them to ighey'll get frustrated, and sooner or ter, they'll offer me a position just to stop me from making them look inpetent."

  Soma let out a low whistle. "And with your perfectly background…"

  Erwin smirked. "They'll think they're recruiting an unknown rookie, someone desperate for a career. Someone who just wants to help."

  A brief siletled between them.

  Then—

  Soma ughed.

  "Damn. You're actually pying the long game."

  Erwin adjusted his gsses. "I io make my rise look as natural as possible. No sudden leaps, no suspicious favors, no shortcuts. Just a slow, realistic climb from a struggling private iigator to a respected officer."

  Zero grinned. "And once you're inside?"

  Erwin's expression turned calm and unreadable.

  "Then we see how high I go."

  Soma chuckled, shaking his head. "Man, you're patient as hell. That's gonna take a while."

  Erwin stood up, brushing off his coat.

  "Exactly."

  He turoward the window, gazing out at the city.

  "Fet about me. It's gonna take time. And that's the point. I want them to believe I got here because I was desperate, because I struggled aually chose to serve the unity."

  His voice was smooth, measured—as if he were reading from a script already written in the minds of those who would eventually wele him into their ranks.

  "The police will see a man who rose from failure to rebuild himself into somethier. A man they trust."

  He turned back to them, smiling faintly.

  "And by the time they realize it nned... it'll be far too te."

  Zero chuckled. "That's some -level maniputioive."

  Soma let out a deep sigh. "I'd call it crazy, but holy? It's genius."

  Erwin smirked. "I try."

  As they sat back, the room fell into a fortable silence.

  Outside, the city tinued moving—pletely unaware that one of its future top officers was already pying the game.

  …

  The m rush at Café Lebnc was in full swing.

  The st of freshly brewed coffee and buttered toast filled the air as Soma moved between tables, taking orders, delivering ptes, and exging quick banter with the regurs.

  The café had bee a staple for breakfast-goers, ae the lingering prejudice against demons, more and more people were willing to set aside their biases food meal.

  Everything was going smoothly—until the front door creaked open.

  A tall, blonde man in a wrinkled suit stumbled in, his hair messy, his posture slouched, and his movements sluggish.

  It was Erwin ag pletely and utterly drunk.

  The café fell silent.

  Several ers paused mid-bite, their eyes following him as he staggered toward the ter.

  Soma's eyes widened slightly, but then he sighed, shaking his head.

  You really wanna start this act already, huh?

  He quickly stepped out from behind the ter, putting on an exasperated expression as he reached Erwin's side.

  "Alright, alright, that's enough—" he muttered, grabbing Erwin's arm.

  Erwin mumbled something i, dramatically leaning against Soma for support.

  Soma forced a chuckle, shaking his head before addressing the watchful audience.

  "Sorry about this, folks. He had a rough night."

  A few ers murmured among themselves, exging looks of curiosity and mild disapproval.

  Soma didn't give them time to dwell on it.

  With one firm tug, he guided Erwin toward the staircase, practically dragging him up.

  The moment they reached the top floor, Erwin immediately dropped the act, standing up straight and adjusting his tie.

  Soma gred at him.

  "You could've warned me, asshole."

  Erwin smirked. "Where's the fun in that? Besides, I trust you to improvise."

  Soma rubbed his temples, muttering under his breath before heading back downstairs.

  As expected—the café was still silent, all eyes on him.

  Soma let out a long sigh, adopting a look of defeat and sadness.

  "I'm sorry if he made anyone unfortable." His voice was low, almost apologetic.

  A few ers exged gnces, still waiting for an expnation.

  Soma hesitated, then spoke.

  "He's from the United Federation."

  The moment those words left his lips, the entire café tensed.

  Mutterings broke out among the guests. Several ers frowned, some even scowled, and a few immediately pushed back their chairs as if sidering leaving.

  The Kaldarion Kingdom and the United Federation were not on good terms.

  Soma saw their hostility and quickly tinued, his voice yered with quiet sorrow.

  "I know, I know… but please—just listen."

  Silence.

  A few guests hesitated, but they remained seated, their expressions still wary.

  Soma took a deep breath before he spoke.

  "Ba the Federation, he was one of the best private iigators."

  That got some people's attention.

  "His sense of justice was far strohan the UF police force… and that was his mistake." Soma lowered his eyes, shaking his head.

  "At first, he refused to py their game. He rejected their bribes. He solved cases they didn't want solved. He tried to fight corruption the right way."

  Some of the guests leaned in slightly, their curiosity overtaking their initial prejudice.

  Soma tinued.

  "But the UF cops… they don't tolerate outsiders who don't py along. They started demanding him for moelling him to pay up if he wao keep w."

  A few guests murmured among themselves.

  "I've heard about that. The UF's police aren't like ours… they're practically a private gang."

  Soma sighed. "At first, he resisted. He thought he could fight back. But the pressure got worse. They started making sure he lost ts. They made cases disappear. The system was rigged against him from the start."

  He looked down, shaking his head.

  "In the end, he gave up. He ran. He left everything behind and came here. Now he's with me… but I still don't know how to help him."

  For a few seds—silence.

  Then, a er in the back spoke up.

  "Hey, I think my sister needs a private iigator."

  Soma turoward him, mildly surprised.

  The man shrugged. "She's been dealing with some… shady stuff. If your friend is as good as you say, maybe he's the right man for the job."

  Another er nodded.

  "I don't need an iigatht now, but if I hear anything, I'll pass the word along."

  Soma held back a smirk.

  And just like that… Phase One is plete.

  …

  Back upstairs, Erwin was already rexing on the couch, flipping through one of the books he had taken from the library.

  The door creaked open, and Soma stepped in, shaking his head.

  "Well, gratutions, detective. Your sob story worked."

  Erwin smirked, not looking up. "How many bites?"

  Soma leaned against the doorframe. "One firmed t. A few others willing to spread your name around."

  Erwin closed the book, nodding thoughtfully.

  "Not bad for day one."

  Soma scoffed. "Yeah, yeah, you're a genius, I get it. So what now?"

  Erwin smirked, adjusting his gsses.

  "Now? We let the rumrow. The more cases I solve, the bigger the cases will bee. Eventually, they'll get so big… the police will start paying attention."

  Soma frowned. "Wouldn't it be easier to just join the poliow and move up from there?"

  Erwin shook his head.

  "Too direct. Too obvious. If I climbed the ranks quickly, they'd suspeething was off. But if they believe I'm a struggliive, a man who has nowhere else to go… thehey finally invite me in, they'll think it's because I'm desperate."

  Zero, who had been sitting silently by the window, grinned.

  "And people love a redemption story."

  Erwin's smirk widened

  "Exactly. They'll think they're giving me a sed ce—lifting me from ro into something greater."

  Soma let out a low whistle. "Damn, you really phis out."

  Erwin leaned back against the couch, pletely at ease.

  "Fet about me for now. This is a long-term game."

  His blue eyes gleamed behind his gsses.

  "By the time they realize it nned... it'll be far too te."

  A/N: : Let's go Chapter 13, Spooky number.??.??