The Legendary Ghost Hunter

'Oh crap…' Iris thought, wondering what to do here. Given how sharp Evelyn's gaze was, there's no way she could help Finn by whispering in his ear. How was he going to-

"Three."

Finn answered without any hesitation, any delay. Iris blinked in surprise, and evidently, Evelyn was shocked as well. She gulped, then changed the number of fingers she held up.

"Ahem… what about now?"

"Five."

"…!" Evelyn clearly was still in disbelief, and hurriedly changed it once more.

"How about now?"

"Two."

"Tch… now?"

"Four."

She gritted her teeth. She had been so certain these two were the fugitives Ace and Ivy in disguise, and yet… how was a blind person reading her fingers like a book?! The other one wasn't communicating with him, that much was certain. According to the knowledge she had, Ivy also had the Oculus Angelica, which didn't provide any telepathy skills. So… how?!

"Are you done?" Finn asked quietly. It wasn't urgent. It wasn't menacing. It was just simply stating a question.

Evelyn took a deep breath, then spoke. "One last test. How many fingers am I putting up now?"

"None. You put your hand down."

She was defeated. There's no way this man was blind. Even if he guessed all the ones before by chance, he couldn't have guessed this last one correct. Was it really just pure coincidence that this freelance Ghost Hunter pair also had one member who had crippled legs…?

With a sigh, Evelyn sat back down in her seat and leaned back.

"I apologize for suspecting you. Forgive me."

Finn nodded. "It's understandable."

"So? What did you come here for?" Evelyn asked, folding her arms beneath her well-formed chest. The movement only emphasized their size even more, causing Iris to gulp self-consciously. She didn't lose in terms of beauty alone, but Evelyn's figure was definitely a lot more mature and curved than hers was, being an older woman—though it did not look like she was older by much.

In fact, Evelyn was a subject of lust for many men, despite her being a mother. Her previous husband had been a scumbag who left her a long time ago for certain reasons, and since then, she had raised Eve all alone. Her beauty and strength were both undeniable.

But Finn… well, he didn't really care, to say the least. He came here with one goal and one goal only, and it wasn't to admire Evelyn's voluptuous body. Hell, he couldn't admire it if he tried. As such, his reply to her previous question was as bland and straight-forward as ever.

"We would like information on the Emperor-level Ghost in this District."

Evelyn stroked her long, silky velvet hair for a moment, then at last replied.

"… Most freelance Hunters don't know about that. If you know of its existence, you must be at least S-Class."

Finn neither confirmed nor denied that, and instead continued with his questions.

"If you are not willing to tell us, that is alright. We will simply seek out a different Squadron."

Evelyn stared at them for a moment, then sighed. "It is not that I don't trust you. You helped my daughter take care of an Outbreak, and made no move to hurt anyone thus far. That is enough for me to acknowledge you as a fellow Ghost Hunter who is deserving to know the details about the doom looming underneath this seemingly peaceful city. However… this Emperor… it's out of our control, as Phantom Slayers."

"… What do you mean?" Iris asked.

"I believe my daughter informed you that I was in a meeting earlier, yes?" Evelyn turned her chair to face out the window, admiring the beautiful city outside. "That was with the leader of the House of Spectra, Prince—or rather, should I say King—Felix. It was, in fact, related to the Emperor issue. You can see what I am getting at, yes?"

"… So, the Emperor is a Specter?" Finn muttered.

Evelyn nodded. "Yes. The first team to be sent in were Phantom Slayers from this very Squadron. However, unable to fight against Ghosts of a different archetype, they were promptly wiped out—only one was able to exit, as he had brought along a drop of Ghost blood with him."

"It is strange…" Iris murmured, tilting her head. "Specters don't usually appear in urban cities like this. They usually stick to the wilderness, in forests and the like."

Evelyn nodded. "Precisely. The usual Ghost archetype to be found in urban cities like Districts A through K are Phantoms, hence why we sent forth a Phantom Slayer Squadron. The purpose of the meeting today was to request assistance from the House of Spectra, who do not have outposts around these parts due to there not being any Specters."

"… Hm. I see," Finn muttered. "What about the entrance to the Temple? Where is that located?"

"Did you not hear a word I just said?" Evelyn frowned. "Phantom Slayers are useless in there, and don't stand a chance against Specters, who toy with people's minds."

"Would you believe me if I said I am capable of taking on Specters as well?" Finn challenged with a blatant lie that surprised even Iris. However, it was a lie that was not baseless. He had gotten inspired to use this line thanks to Jim, who could take on all five Ghost archetypes as a freelance Hunter.

At this, Evelyn's expression turned grim. "It is true that some freelance Hunters specialize in multiple or even all five Ghost archetypes, but they are few and far between. Are you certain…?"

"I would not be asking if you if I wasn't."

After a while of awkward silence and mental debate, Evelyn gave in.

"… Very well," she said with a deep sigh. "Do you have a phone? I will text you the address."

Finn nodded and gave her his number—or rather, his new number. Because his old one was on file at the guild, he had promptly replaced it with a new one just earlier today. Evelyn added him onto her contacts, then sent him a message detailing the address of the entry point to the Temple along with a picture for ease of recognition.

"Did you receive it?" She asked for confirmation.

Finn nodded. "Thanks."

With that, he began heading for the door, Iris still on his back.

"Wait," Evelyn suddenly called out, causing Finn to pause.

"… What?"

Evelyn smiled slightly. "Avenge my squadmates, will you?"

Finn, after a while, nodded firmly.

"… I will."