Raito's eyes widened in recognition. "Wait… yes, I remember. So it's you guys. Oh, glad to see you too."

"Yes, all thanks to you," Daichi said earnestly. "If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be here."

Haruya nodded. "You saved our lives. We owe you everything."

Raito waved them off. "Well… it's not a big deal. If you'll excuse me, I need to go."

"Righteous, please," Daichi said urgently. "There's something we want to give you. Let's go to a cafe and talk—it's on me. Anything you want to order."

Raito exhaled slowly, brushing a hand through his hair. "Well… I'm kind of busy…"

"Please, please, please," they both pleaded.

He paused, then sighed. "Okay… fine," he said, nodding.

They walked to the nearest cafe across the street. The warm light and aroma of coffee filled the space as they took a table by the window. Raito sat down, relaxed but alert, watching their nervous movements.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Raito asked calmly.

"Boss… wait, there's no need to rush," Daichi said.

A waitress approached.

"Two coffees with enough sugar," Daichi said quickly. "And boss… do you want sugar in your coffee?"

"No. Just black," Raito replied. "No sugar."

"Right. Two with sugar, one black. Got it," Daichi confirmed.

The waitress nodded and walked away.

"I'm so glad I found you," Daichi continued, voice tense. "I've been looking for you since… well, yesterday. Lucky I ran into you today."

Haruya nodded in agreement. "Yes, it's true, boss. We've been searching everywhere for you."

Raito leaned back, folding his arms. "You're not going to get straight to the point?"

Daichi hesitated, then spoke. "Boss… that day, in the dungeon… you saved us. After you left, we went back into the dungeon. All the monsters—the ones you defeated… we went after them. The wolves… the red wolf you killed, and the white wolf. We took their cores… about eight or nine in total. We went to sell them to the Hunter Association."

"Yes, boss. We came looking for you to give you the earnings," Haruya added quickly. "It's not our kill—it's yours. And we don't even know your name or how to find you, so… we couldn't do it any other way."

Raito studied them carefully, his dark eyes calm but piercing. He could feel their sincerity. They weren't trying to lie or trick him.

"You did well," Raito said quietly, his voice carrying the weight of authority without a word of arrogance. "But remember this: from now on, anything you do in a dungeon… it's your responsibility. You owe nothing to me unless you choose to act on it."

"Yes, boss!" Daichi and Haruya said together, heads bowed slightly.

Raito exhaled slowly, sipping his black coffee. "Alright. Now, tell me why you came looking for me

Daichi pushed an envelope across the table toward Raito. It was thick, packed with so much cash that it barely closed.

"Alright," Daichi said, lowering his voice. "That day you saved us in the dungeon… after you left, we went back inside. We took the cores from the wolves you defeated—the red wolf and the white wolves too. There were about eight or nine in total. We sold them at the Hunter Association."

Raito listened quietly.

"Three hundred thousand yen, boss," Daichi said softly. "That's how much the cores sold for."

Raito blinked. "No, no, no… take it back. I can't keep this. It's too much."

Daichi shook his head. "No, boss. It's your kill, not ours. We only sold the cores. And if you think we did you a favor by collecting them, you're wrong. You already repaid us by saving our lives."

Raito stared at him for a moment, then looked down as Daichi pushed an envelope across the table. It was thick—so full it could barely close. Raito hesitated, then picked it up and peeked inside. Stacks of cash.

"Wow…" he muttered under his breath. Three hundred thousand yen… I could pay my rent, buy groceries—maybe even move out of that one-room apartment.

He sighed softly. "Alright. Since you're insisting, I'll keep it." He slipped the envelope into his pocket. "Thanks."

Just then, the waitress returned and placed their coffee cups on the table. Raito picked up his black coffee and took a slow sip while Daichi and Haruya added sugar to theirs.

When he set his cup down, he noticed both of them staring at him.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Raito asked, raising a brow. "Do I have something on my face?"

Daichi grinned. "I just wanted to know what level you are, boss."

"Yes," Haruya added eagerly. "Your speed and reflexes that day were incredible. A Rank C hunter couldn't have defeated that red wolf so easily."

Raito smirked faintly. "Rank C."

Both of them looked surprised.

"Rank C?!" Daichi said, almost choking on his drink. "That's amazing, but… you move like Rank A or B."

"Yeah," Haruya agreed. "You're too strong to be just C."

"You're both flattering me," Raito said with a chuckle. "Let's just drink our coffee."

They laughed a little, and after finishing their drinks, all three of them stood up. Daichi and Haruya bowed their heads slightly as they shook Raito's hand.

"Thank you again, boss," Daichi said.

"Yes, boss," Haruya added. "And if you ever want to clear a dungeon with us again, you're always welcome. You can even take the biggest share of the pay."

Raito smiled faintly. "Maybe."

Daichi grinned. "I'll take that as a yes—even if it's not a straight one."

Raito smiled faintly. "Alright. Thanks. I'll be heading out."

They both bowed their heads slightly. Raito waved and walked out of the café,

The air outside the café was cool—cooler than inside. Raito let out a small breath as the breeze brushed against his face.

"Wow," he muttered. "So this means I can finally pay my bills."

A faint smile crossed his lips. "This is great. I never even expected something like this today."

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