"The thing you just put in the coffee… what exactly was it?"
Minami quickly realized what that small granule was made of.
"You're thinking is correct," Yoshimura nodded. "It's a concentrated pellet made from human flesh. Dissolving it in coffee allows you to suppress hunger for a while, and even if you're drinking it in front of humans, it won't expose you."
Of course, the flesh used for this came from people who had died by suicide or other accidents.
"I thought so…"
Minami downed the rest of her coffee in one go.
Almost immediately, her body felt much better, and the gnawing hunger she had been enduring all day faded.
But she knew better than to celebrate just yet. The café owner had already warned her that the effect was temporary.
"I'll give you some to take with you," Yoshimura said, wrapping a few of the granules in a small paper pouch, the kind used for medicine and handing them to Minami.
Not only that, but he also gave her a few packets of instant coffee.
"Thank you so much!"
Minami accepted them gratefully.
Even if they could only sustain her for a few more days, that was more than enough.
As long as she could last until after next week's exams, nothing else really mattered.
After all, once she was taken to the ghoul detention center, Cochlea, there would be no coming back.
"But judging by your uniform, you're not from our 20th ward, are you?"
Yoshimura studied her appearance carefully.
"No, I'm not," Minami admitted with a nod. "I actually came from the 13th ward."
Thankfully, Uchiha and Arima had changed out of their school uniforms before coming here. If they had still been wearing them, it would have been far too easy for someone to put the pieces together.
"It doesn't matter which ward you're from," Yoshimura said kindly. "We're always willing to help, so long as you follow the rules while you're in the 20th ward."
"…I see."
Minami nodded, but deep down, she felt a pang of sadness.
After all, she wouldn't have the chance to return here again.
A bitter thought crossed her mind; If only I had come to the 20th ward earlier…
But until now, she could never have imagined that ghouls like this existed-ones who were so kind and willing to help.
It was too late to regret now.
If things had been different, maybe she wouldn't have had to force herself to hunt humans.
In the past, Minami had spent time in several different wards, not just the 13th. But every place she had been to was filled with ruthless competition between ghouls.
Trying to scavenge human corpses wasn't an option. The only way to survive was to hunt.
Even so, she had always set certain limits for herself. She never preyed on people she knew-whether it was a classmate, a human friend, or anyone she had grown close to.
Instead, she only targeted strangers.
She never killed them outright, either. She would take only an arm or a leg, leaving her victims alive-though that didn't change the fact that what she was doing was still monstrous.
It was inevitable that she would eventually be caught by the CCG.
The only exception was last time-when she had attacked Fura and his delinquent friends.
She had known them. They were classmates.
But she had genuinely despised them.
"By the way, are you the 'Manager' of the 20th ward?" Minami asked, curiosity flickering in her gaze.
"That's right," Yoshimura said with a warm smile. "My name is Yoshimura. If you ever need anything, feel free to come to Anteiku anytime."
"Alright," Minami replied.
Minami immediately bowed in gratitude to Yoshimura.
With that, she left Anteiku with the concentrated pellets in hand.
Before exiting, she politely turned to bow toward Koma Enji, Irimi Kaya, and the other ghoul customers. "Sorry for disturbing you all."
"What a well-mannered and thoughtful kid," Koma Enji remarked, watching her go. "No wonder she blends in so well with humans."
Minami hadn't walked far from Anteiku before spotting Uchiha Byakuya and Arima Kisho waiting for her at a corner.
"How did it go?" Arima asked.
"Manager Yoshimura gave me something to suppress my hunger. I should have no problem lasting until after exams."
Minami took the pellets from her pocket, showing them to Arima and Byakuya.
She didn't explicitly say what they were made of, but Arima immediately understood.
"Then what about after the exams?" Byakuya asked. "You should seriously consider your next steps."
"After that… I'll be sent to Cochlea, right? There's not much left to think about…" Minami gave a faint, bitter smile.
Cochlea-the ghoul detention facility in the 23rd ward. A prison from which there was no escape.
"Not necessarily," Byakuya replied. "Nothing has been set in stone yet. Right now, our idea is that if you agree to stay in the 20th ward and follow its rules, we might not have to take you to Cochlea at all."
He then gestured toward Arima. "The details are up to him. I have something else to take care of, so I'll be heading back."
With that, Byakuya left, knowing that he no longer needed to concern himself with Minami's situation-Arima could handle it from here.
After all, he had his own work to do. He needed to return and deal with Yoshimura Eto's manuscripts and oversee the publication of her books.
CCG 2nd Ward Branch
Uchiha Byakuya arrived at the branch office to report the latest developments.
"First-Class Investigator Uchiha, I hear you've already identified the prime suspect for Lantern?"
The one speaking was Kimura , an Associate Special Class Investigator stationed in the 2nd Ward.
Technically, as a First-Class Investigator, Byakuya had many superiors, but within the 2nd Ward division, Kimura was his direct commanding officer.
"Yes," Byakuya nodded. "We've all but confirmed Lantern's identity."
"Then it shouldn't be long before she's captured, right? I don't know much about Arima Second-Class, but your strength is enough to go toe-to-toe with the One-Eyed Owl. Handling an A+ ghoul like Lantern should be trivial for you."
Kimura immediately pressed for details, expecting swift results.
"That may be the case," Byakuya replied calmly, "but since the target has been cooperative, we've decided to grant her a probationary period."
He didn't bother hiding the decision. "As long as she doesn't commit any offenses during this time, there will be no need to detain her."
Byakuya knew full well that concealing something like this from the higher-ups would be pointless.
The V organization and its overseeing family held immense influence; Controlling not only Japan but reaching their hands across the entire world.
A low-profile case like Lantern wouldn't concern them, nor would the CCG's true upper echelons waste their time on it.
As long as Lantern's real name wasn't exposed, it would be difficult for middle- and lower-ranking investigators to pursue an arrest without solid evidence.
"This… First-Class Uchiha, you realize this is practically aiding a ghoul, don't you?"
Kimura's expression grew complex, unable to fully process Byakuya's nonchalance.
In response, Byakuya simply gave a faint smirk and said, "That's because I'm a Pacifist."