“Now then, Mr Rook,” the baby with a pacifier in his mouth said, his eyes twinkling with a mischievous glint.

“It’s Elias…just Elias,” he clarified.

The pacifier bobbed as if Junior was taking a moment to ponder the young man’s clarification.

“All this might be strikingly new to you. Having overheard the conversation and your encounter last night, you have probably surmised that the truth is that we deal with espionage, and it truly exists. Not only that, but all sorts of manners go bumping at night. Yet…you seem strangely calm to the news.”

It was one thing for Sebastian, who was more or less experienced in the manner. Still, it was another for an individual considered a civilian to come to terms with it so quickly.

“You’re a talking baby. What more must I be shocked by?” Elias asked dubiously.

It was a fair point. 

The atmosphere at the docks had already left him puzzled. Then he encountered that which sat before him: a talking baby who revealed the existence of a clandestine world of spies and secrets hidden right under everyday ordinary lives. The talking baby was definitely the most mind-blowing part. At that moment, nothing else could faze him.

This was promising. The effort put into helping Elias adjust to a new reality required a gradual transition. It was delightful and unexpected to see that Elias had already made significant progress in adapting to the bizarre situation of a talking baby involved in espionage.

With a satisfied nod of approval, Junior moved on to another aspect he liked about the young man before him: his general adaptability. He had read the report documenting Torch’s investigation of how he managed to fight off several dozen military-trained special operatives. 

The fact that they were all disposed of by non-lethal measures by a single individual walking away scot-free and unharmed was more than impressive. That skill required a keen level of training, which was undoubtedly rare. 

The possibility of having such a young individual with such prowess was not something that could be taken lightly. Should he miss this opportunity, others may take advantage of this information.

“Mr—Elias. If I may be so bold. Why did you accept the job from Mr. Nox?”

“Because I had to…” It was for the money.

“Ah, and a sense of duty!” Junior praised.

The pacifier bobbed as he cleared his throat. With an inhale, he puffed his chest out proudly. He had never officially done this before and had always left the recruitment duty to either of his direct subordinates. For him, this was like a coming-of-age moment.

“Elias. I would like to extend my hand out to you. We are looking for great and talented individuals such as yourself for service. My proposition, to work for us—”

“No,” Elias responded firmly, his voice hinting defiance. 

While he appreciated the grandiose speech, Elias wasn’t a fool. This sort of business puts lives at stake. This one, in particular, showed just how frivolous they are to point guns in his direction. 

Elias didn’t know what sort of business this actually entailed, but that didn’t matter. He couldn’t exactly see the enthralling appeal, much like his dim-witted and naive compatriot Sebastian, nor did he want to. It seemed far too much of a headache, a world he wasn’t ready to enter. 

Considering that a talking baby was the boss of the country’s most prominent news company and that said company doubles as a headquarters for espionage counterintelligence for national security, there was far too much to wrap his head around. This would not be his gateway to this lifestyle if he had to choose. He was not ecstatic about future endeavors should he dive down this rabbit hole.

“Yeah, I am quite alright, actually.” He reconfirmed. Doubling down on his rejection.

“Wait. You haven’t even heard my proposal. I prepped a whole slide show and—”

The office door slammed as Elias had already made his exit. 

Junior stood there baffled. His pacifier nearly fell out his mouth from pure bewilderment.

He wasn’t alone in his sentiment; his subordinate at his side stood speechless from the young man’s rude exit. 

However, not everyone in the room was surprised by the sudden departure. One, in fact, seemed quite amused, almost smiling. Her reaction, subtle as it may be, was only that—subtle. No one except herself would notice her slight pleasure in the humor of it all.