Blazewood, inside Burnice's Mixing Room.
Burnice had already washed the grime off her face, returning to her soft rosy glow—radiant and bright.
"Cheers! To our motorcycles being reborn!"
"Cheers, to finishing our work early."
Their thick-walled mugs clinked together, the purplish-red liquid inside rippling with a crisp sound.
Gulp, gulp!
Both special-mix fuel drinks went down smoothly—exceedingly satisfying.
"So? My special mix is pretty good, right?"
Burnice looked at Sol Mercer with sparkling, expectant eyes.
In motorcycle modification, she had already been conquered by Sol's skill.
In fuel-drink crafting, she likewise hoped for Sol's approval.
"The front note is stimulating—the alcohol dances on the tongue like a burning flame. The mid-note is mellow, with a faint woody aroma, haunting in its depth. The finish is refreshing, with a crisp apple fragrance—simple yet delightful."
Sol savored it and praised, "A very fine special-mix drink. Exactly to my taste."
"You're amazing!"
Burnice looked at Sol with the feeling of finally meeting a true kindred spirit.
Caesar, Piper, Lighter—they only knew how to finish the drink and say it tasted good. Honest, yes, but lacking nuance.
Lucy could say a little more, but she rarely gave praise—and only after long intervals.
To finally hear Sol's compliments today felt wonderful.
"As a special-grade chef, my palate is reliable."
Sol raised his cup and smiled casually.
Among the many skills he had drawn, the purple-level culinary skill from Little Master Chef was one of his favorites.
Combined with Ether manifestation, he could conjure whatever he wanted to eat anytime—an incredible convenience.
Now applied to tasting fuel drinks, he could sense all kinds of subtle choices. He wasn't a professional taster, but he could still describe things accurately enough.
"Special-grade chef? That's way too cool!"
Burnice got excited and immediately mixed a new fuel drink using several base spirits, pushing it in front of Sol. "Here here here—try another! This one has a completely different flavor!"
Sol downed it in one go, closing his eyes in enjoyment. "Delicious. This one is silky, richly aromatic, and very heavy-bodied."
It had to be admitted—Burnice really had skill.
Her drinks had refreshing creativity, making him want to try more.
"Mhm mhm mhm!" Burnice nodded rapidly and poured herself a cup as well.
A rare soulmate—she'd drink with him!
"Another!"
She handed over a new mix, the formula vastly different.
"Tastes great—restless yet not harsh, the fruity flavor is very refreshing."
Sol again finished it in one gulp and offered an objective evaluation.
Burnice: "Another!"
Sol: "Delicious…"
Burnice drank another: "I'll drink with you!"
Thus she poured her full effort into mixing fuel drinks one after another, delivering each to Sol.
And Sol accepted them all gladly, enjoying each unique flavor. Some contained alcohol, some didn't—but all tasted good.
To pair with the drinks, he manifested a few refreshing snacks, and the combination brought out new flavors.
Burnice listened to each evaluation—whenever it pleased her, she drank along with him.
Clinking cups, nibbling snacks, the two drank joyfully.
…
On the other side.
Along the Tour de Inferno route.
Belle, Wise, Piper, Lighter, and Billy were diligently collecting data, mapping navigation charts.
After emerging from yet another Hollow, they finally stopped to rest.
Piper pulled non-alcoholic fuel drinks from the truck's fridge to refresh everyone.
Wise wiped sweat from his forehead, took a sip, and said, "We've collected nearly one-third of the data. We estimate we can finish half the work today. Tomorrow we should complete the full data set. A day after that to verify—and that should do it."
Belle leaned lightly against the vehicle, nodding. "Anyway, we'll definitely finish before Tour de Inferno begins, and we'll even have two extra days to adapt."
She looked at her gentle big brother and couldn't help feeling protective.
This time she was the main force, yet she hardly had anything to do—while her brother, who was only assisting, was already exhausted.
It looked like she'd have to shoulder the duty of protecting her brother from now on.
He was already stressed enough by her and Sol. She couldn't let outsiders bully him further.
"As expected of Phaethon—your work efficiency is incredible."
Lighter gave a thumbs up in sincere praise.
He'd seen many Proxies work before—and they were slow, often measuring a single data point several times.
This was the first time he'd met someone as efficient as Phaethon.
"Of course! Before Sol—our boss—joined us, the boss and the others saved us so many times!"
Billy slung an arm over Wise's shoulders, proudly boasting.
These were the Cunning Hares' long-term allies—the most reliable Proxies!
"Being saved many times… that's not really something to brag about, right?"
Belle rubbed her forehead helplessly.
"Hehehe." Billy wasn't embarrassed at all. "I'm just promoting the boss's team—so Brother Lighter knows how amazing they are."
"No need for promotion—I already know."
Lighter pushed up his sunglasses, helpless toward this overly enthusiastic senior.
Suddenly, he glanced back and said, "Things are going smoothly here, but I wonder how our motorcycles are doing."
All this time he'd been riding shotgun in Piper's truck. Fast, yes—but riding a motorcycle was definitely more comfortable.
"There's no need to worry About Boss Sol's skills."
Billy immediately puffed out his chest.
In his excitement, he pulled out the Starlight Knight transformation belt and bragged loudly, "This is Boss Sol's masterpiece! After transforming, the kick force is 103 tons, punch force 85 tons, and there's the Metal Purge, the Verdant Strike—"
"Stop stop stop—no one asked!"
Belle quickly interrupted. If he kept going, he'd start listing times he beat up random small fry.
"He's said these lines at least eight hundred times along the way."
Piper drooped her head weakly.
At first she was interested. Now she felt nothing.
"Haha, really?"
Billy scratched his head, stopping reluctantly. "Anyway—my point is that Boss Sol is amazing! Four motorcycles are nothing for him!"
Belle looked toward the direction of Blazewood, guessing softly, "He must be working hard right now."
"He should be. When he modified that big metal jaw, it took him a full week."
Piper nodded, citing her own experience. "Motorcycles are simpler, but still take time."
"Alright! Since Sol is working seriously—let's do the same!"
Belle perked up and spoke earnestly.
Thus, the group resumed exploring the Tour de Inferno route, collecting every piece of data with care.
…
Evening.
Belle, Wise, and the others finished their work for the day and returned to Blazewood.
Nicole's group had already contacted the right people and picked out a prime location for a temporary stall—everything progressing smoothly.
And when they arrived back in Blazewood, they saw Sol and Burnice happily drinking together.
Burnice sat drunkenly, occasionally leaning against Sol.
Belle, who had spent the morning feeling bad for Sol working so hard, now rolled her eyes.
You said you were working tirelessly tightening screws—but actually you were here drinking enthusiastically with a pretty girl?
Are you kidding me!?