Oum walked closer to Saike as he spoke, patting his shoulder lightly. "I know you've put in a lot of effort to get back to headquarters."
"But since I'm here, it means your company has made a significant mistake—or there's a serious problem."
"Y-yes…" Saike swallowed nervously, feeling tense.
Meanwhile, Lando, watching Saike's anxious demeanor, was both shocked and puzzled.
He was shocked because he had never seen Saike lose his composure like this.
Ever since Saike had joined Blackwater four years ago, he always appeared mysterious and calm, as if nothing in the world could make him raise an eyebrow.
Now, seeing him so nervous and restrained was something Lando had never imagined.
He was puzzled because he had no idea what Saike and Oum were discussing.
He knew Saike had once been part of headquarters and had come to Blackwater due to some unknown reason.
From Saike and Oum's conversation and their current behavior, Lando guessed that Saike might be in trouble—or that something hadn't gone right, which had prompted the dispatch of a special agent from headquarters.
Saike, drenched in nervous sweat, had no time to notice Lando's reaction. His mind was consumed with tension and panic.
Oum's words had reminded him of certain headquarters protocols.
Special agents like Oum were rarely sent out without reason.
Whenever headquarters dispatched them, it indicated a critical flaw or problem at the destination that needed immediate correction.
Previously, Saike had thought the agent's visit to Blackwater was meant to promote him.
Being the first and only person sent from headquarters to the branch, he assumed his performance had impressed headquarters, and they had sent a special agent to evaluate his work and potentially reward him.
But the current situation clearly wasn't what he had imagined.
If it wasn't for recognition, it meant there had been some major oversight or failure in his work—a serious issue.
Given that he had already been sent to Blackwater due to previous issues at headquarters, he could easily imagine the consequences if he failed again.
The organization provided them with vast resources and privileges, but that also meant it was highly pragmatic: useful people had value; useless ones had no reason to exist.
Amid this invisible pressure, the office fell silent.
After a moment, Oum lit a cigar and said to Saike, "Do you remember now?"
"But don't worry too much. I'm here to resolve the matter."
Hearing this, Saike's nerves made him stammer, "What exactly happened? Was there a problem with my work?"
Oum took another puff of his cigar before speaking. "Actually, you're not entirely at fault. But there's no choice—being in this company…"
"Headquarters discovered a previously overlooked loose end in Blackwater's jurisdiction. This 'little fish' is extremely important."
"Now, headquarters has sent me to either capture it… or eliminate it."
Seeing that Saike still didn't understand, Oum continued, "I've reviewed your mission files."
"You remember 'Phantom,' don't you?"
At the mention of the name, Saike immediately nodded, thinking as he answered, "Yes… that was the target of one of our previous missions."
"In the end, because the client died and the target was too powerful, I chose not to engage further after careful consideration."
While answering Oum, Saike thought to himself: What does this have to do with Phantom? We haven't had any contact since that mission.
Could it be that Phantom didn't bother Blackwater, but went directly after headquarters?
As Saike speculated, Oum took another puff of his cigar and continued, "Your decision was indeed correct. If nothing else had happened afterward, your handling would have been perfectly reasonable."
"What exactly happened afterward?" Saike asked, confused. He still couldn't understand the situation.
Hearing this, Oum sat back in his chair and gestured toward Lando.
Understanding the signal, Lando realized the next part of the conversation was beyond his clearance level.
He lowered his head, acknowledged them, and quietly left the room.
Once Lando exited, Oum looked at Saike with a serious expression. "You were transferred from headquarters, so you should know about that incident there."
"Even if you don't know the details, you've surely heard the rumors, right?"
Saike pondered Oum's words, thinking through the implications carefully.
After a moment, Saike's eyes widened. In a small, uncertain voice, he said, "Could it be… that S-class rumor from back then?"
Oum slightly nodded, continuing under Saike's incredulous gaze, "Yes, it's related to that."
"But that was years ago. Didn't headquarters send someone to eliminate that S-class shortly after?" Saike asked, confused.
Oum's voice remained calm and low: "Actually, there were two S-classes. One was dealt with immediately, but the other escaped… and took a child with them."
"After leaving headquarters, this person vanished like sinking into the ocean—completely untraceable."
"Headquarters conducted multiple searches over the years, but found nothing."
"In the end, to maintain authority and face, headquarters had no choice but to claim the S-class had been eliminated."
Hearing Oum's account, Saike felt as if a veil had lifted. So that's what it was…
At Blackwater, S-class psychics were extremely rare, and each one had required enormous investment of resources, fortune, and luck.
Becoming a psychic was inherently risky, and nurturing an S-class was no small fea