"Honey, is it alright if I hold you like this?"
"Of course, Miss Kafka! Please, go ahead and pamper me!"
Eww—
Watching Kafka and Eous walking ahead, Nicole felt goosebumps crawling up her arms.
Moments ago, Belle—eager to impress Kafka—had Eous charge forward too fast. Out of nowhere, an Ethereal lunged from a corner. Thankfully, Kafka's reaction was instantaneous; her blade flashed, and the creature was cut down before anyone could blink.
Afterward, she gently picked up the trembling Eous from the ground. While softly murmuring words of comfort, she brushed off the dust clinging to their clothes with tender care. And just like that, Belle made Eous melt into Kafka's arms like a lovestruck puppy.
Is this really the legendary Phaethon?
Walking behind, Nicole watched Belle's exaggerated performance through Eous and had to avert her eyes. The contrast between the cool-headed Phaethon she'd heard about and the one before her now was just too much to process.
Beside her, Anby's expression was unusually thoughtful.
Kafka's swift rescue of Eous had caught even her off guard. Her draw was so fast that Anby only realized what had happened after Kafka had already sheathed her weapon with that same unhurried elegance.
From that alone, Anby could tell—Kafka wasn't just someone with strange abilities. Her combat skills were top-tier.
And those abilities extended beyond mere manipulation.
The deeper they ventured into the Hollow, the fewer Ruffians they encountered. When the thralls under Kafka's control began losing their strength, she simply smiled and stepped aside, allowing the Cunning Hares to handle the remaining enemies themselves.
After all, Kafka had only been sent by Jiang Ge to assist with their first official commission. Clearing most of the path for them was already generous; the rest was theirs to finish.
Kafka stood to the side, holding Eous delicately in her arms as she observed.
---
During one intense skirmish, Anby found herself surrounded by several Ethereals. As she focused on the front, one slipped behind her unnoticed, lunging in for a fatal strike. By the time she sensed it, it was already too late to draw her sword.
Then—without warning—the Ethereals froze mid-motion, their limbs ensnared by invisible threads that shimmered faintly in the air.
Kafka's calm voice echoed beside Anby's ear.
"You mustn't let your guard down."
Anby hadn't even realized Kafka was behind her. She didn't know what those threads were—but she instinctively understood one thing: whatever they were, she did not want to get caught in them.
---
Before long, guided by Phaethon's coordination, the group discovered Joanna's crashed car. Her lifeless body lay face down nearby, her blood already dry.
After a brief investigation, they deduced that after the crash rendered the vehicle inoperable, Joanna—gravely wounded—had crawled out, only to succumb to blood loss shortly after.
But the key find was in the wreckage: her wallet, identification, some Denny, and a small memory card.
Nicole pocketed the Denny without hesitation and handed the documents and card to Kafka. If their hunch was right, that tiny piece of data contained the damning evidence tying the young master to his crimes.
Now, on their way back to the surface, Nicole glanced at the card glinting in Kafka's fingers.
"Hard to believe something so small could topple a major corporation," she said. "How do you plan to handle it, Miss Kafka?"
Kafka smiled faintly, placing a finger to her lips.
"That depends on what's inside. My apologies, but this is confidential. I can't share the details."
"No problem," Nicole laughed. "A tool only has value in the right hands, after all."
She meant it. Even if that card were handed to the Cunning Hares, she wouldn't know what to do with it. They didn't have the influence or backing that Goodenough did. Only Jiang Ge could stand toe-to-toe with the city's power brokers.
And knowing him, Nicole doubted he'd return the card to the client as requested.
Still, it wasn't her concern. This mission had been almost too easy—just a handful of Ethereals to clear before calling it a day.
---
"Billy, what are you doing after this?"
"Thinking of hitting the arcade. Heard there's a new event going on."
"How about you, Anby?"
"Burgers. More burgers."
Their chatter and laughter filled the air behind Kafka, who was still carrying Eous. The Bangboo snuggled contentedly against her, with Belle's voice chirping from within.
"Miss Kafka, the Hollow's exit is just ahead! So... would you like to go see a movie together later? I work at the video store on Sixth Street—we've got all kinds of tapes!"
Belle was still trying to ask Kafka out.
But just as everyone relaxed, thinking the commission was complete, they stepped out of the Hollow and back onto the streets—only to be met with a thunderous shout.
"Don't move! You're surrounded!"
Dozens of guns instantly trained on them.
"Wh-what?" Nicole froze, staring at the barrels pointed their way.
"Boss, we're surrounded!" Billy reacted first, drawing his twin pistols.
"These people are wearing suits," Anby said, moving in front of Nicole. "Ninety percent chance they're not Ruffians."
"Hold it," Nicole said quickly, stopping them both. "Let's see what Kafka does first."
She knew they could easily wipe these people out—but if Eous got caught in the crossfire, it'd be hard to explain. Better to let Kafka handle it.
Kafka, of course, remained perfectly calm. She gently set Eous down and faced the armed men, smiling faintly.
"I was wondering when you'd show up," she said. "You're faster than I expected, Young Master Evan."
"Who are you? How do you know my name?"
A blond young man stumbled forward from behind his guards, clearly nervous. Kafka's smile deepened.
"So, this is the young master who went chasing after Joanna."
Evan frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, nothing much," Kafka said casually. "Just an observation. Now, let's skip the small talk, shall we?"
She held up the memory card between her fingers, letting it catch the light.
"This is what you're after, isn't it?"
Evan's eyes widened. "That's—! How did you get it? Wait, you're the ones who drove off those useless thugs I hired!"
"Indeed," Kafka said smoothly. "And your next line should be… 'Open fire,' correct?"
"Yes! Open fi—"
He never finished. Before he could comprehend what was happening, every one of his bodyguards turned their guns—not at Kafka, but at him.
"Wh-what are you doing?! I said shoot them!"
His panicked shouts were met with silence.
Kafka stepped forward, the soft click of her heels echoing in the tense air.
"Well then, the performance is over, Young Master Evan. Let's have a little talk about… a person's value."
Her "discussion" was nothing short of an elegant dissection. By the time it ended, Evan was on his knees, trembling, all pretense stripped away.
He stammered, "Y-you're from Goodenough, aren't you? Please—don't leak that video! I'll do anything!"
Kafka tilted her head, smiling wordlessly.
"I'll pay! Anything you want! Just—don't release it! I'll be your dog if I have to!"
"Oh?"
"I'll do anything! Money, favors—whatever you want! I'll even lick your boots!"
He actually leaned forward, tongue out, but before he could debase himself further, Eous jumped up and punched him squarely in the face.
Nicole and the others looked on with undisguised disgust.
"Boss," Billy muttered, "this guy's terrified of Goodenough. He was acting all high and mighty before, but now look at him."
"Guess he's realized no one can save him now," Nicole said, kicking a pebble lazily. "You know, this feels amazing. After years of running odd jobs, finally we're the ones looking down for once."
"Exactly, Boss!"
Nicole smirked. "Think if we tell the metro guards we're from Goodenough, they'll let us ride for free?"
"Spoken like a true boss!" Billy grinned.
"Nicole," Anby said flatly, "Jiang Ge specifically forbade revealing our affiliation unless necessary."
"I know, I know—it's just a joke," Nicole said, scratching her cheek awkwardly. She glanced toward Kafka. "Miss Kafka should be wrapping up soon. Let's see what's next."
As they approached, Belle's indignant voice came from Eous.
"You? Be Miss Kafka's dog? Get real! I'm not even Miss Kafka's dog! What makes you think you're worthy?"
Kafka chuckled softly. "Sweetie, how can you call yourself that?"
"Miss Kafka~!" Belle squeaked, flustered.
Watching the scene unfold, Nicole just sighed.
To be honest, she thought, I'm starting to get used to this.
-------
A/n: While I am a new translator, I have a Patreon! While it may be a bit empty right now both this and the other book on my page has advanced chapters posted on patreon. Set up for my web novel will be 2 chapters for every book a day and if you go to my patreon you'll see the set up there.
patreon.com/deadlygoober