The next morning, Wise and Belle went to the data room on the first floor to watch the news.
On the TV, the news reported an explosion at a high-rise apartment building near 14th Street, following a Hollow disaster there the night before. The blast was caused by the Public Security.
The report explained that the Public Security had used air police forces during their operation to take down the illegal and violent Red Fang Gang.
However, the outcome was somewhat disappointing, as the leader of the Red Fang Gang had not been captured and was suspected to have fallen into the Hollow.
As they focused on the news, the door to the room suddenly opened.
The person who rushed in was none other than Nicole, leader of the Cunning Hares. Her unmistakable pink hair and prominent chest made her impossible to miss.
- Nicole[1] -
"Don't waste time watching that news. I was at the explosion they just mentioned!"
The siblings watched as Nicole walked to the TV, her ample chest blocking the screen. She reached out and turned it off.
"This is an emergency! Billy and Anby, along with my client's item, have all fallen into that Hollow."
Without waiting for a response, Nicole kept speaking, her heavy breathing showing how anxious she was.
"I really need your help, please! This is the most important request of my life."
Seeing this, Wise, Belle, and Eous, sitting on the sofa, remained completely calm, already accustomed to this kind of situation.
"Oh, hello, Nicole. I knew someone was going to show up, so I deliberately left the door unlocked, but it would be better if you knocked next time." Wise's expression looked a bit helpless as he said this, while Nicole was momentarily stunned.
For some reason, he seemed a little different than usual.
'Hmm? What's going on? Was Wise always this handsome? Am I imagining things, or did I just never notice before?' she thought, blinking in surprise.
[Ding! New favorability target detected.]
[Name: Nicole]
[Gender: Female]
[Charm Value: 93]
[Unique Trait: Ample Chest]
[Hobbies: Dennies, the more the better, and helping orphanages]
[Current Favorability toward Host: 63]
[Evaluation: Nicole's favorability towards Host is slightly higher than that of a friend, but still far below Dennies.]
[Inner Thoughts: Sigh, this is bad. To save Anby and Billy, Cunning Hares will owe another huge sum. Luckily, Wise and Belle are fairly easy to talk to, so it should be fine to delay the payment a little, right?]
Looking at Nicole's inner thoughts, Wise couldn't help but wonder if she had deliberately chosen creditors who were easier to talk to in order to delay payments.
At the same time, he noticed that the system panel was more detailed than before, probably because new favorability targets had been added.
But Nicole's 'Unique Trait' was a bit too... much, though not exactly wrong.
"You always say this at least three times a month, Nicole~" Belle said it with a teasing tone, her mischievous side on full display.
"Haha... I-I know, but help me first, and then you can make fun of me all you want. I implore you, oh legendary Proxy Phaethon!"
Nicole felt a little embarrassed, clearly struck where it hurt by Belle, but this level of teasing was nothing she couldn't handle.
"Alright, wait here for a moment," Wise said, stepping out briefly before returning shortly after. "Everything looks clear. There are no suspicious individuals outside the shop."
Upon hearing this, Nicole put her hands on her hips and said, "Don't worry. I was not followed or watched. Although I struggled to get away from Fourteenth Street, I made sure I was alone."
"Hm, I know, and we are willing to believe you, but we are in a special period right now, so caution is necessary."
Wise naturally knew Nicole was not the type to betray her friends, yet this was the real world, and even a small mistake could have serious consequences.
He and his sister could both end up in jail if something went wrong.
"Yes, I get it, but isn't this just because the municipal elections are coming? I know security is really tight right now," Nicole said, waving her hand.
Then, as if she'd remembered something, she added, "Especially with the efforts to capture Proxies intensifying. They've even opened a dedicated hotline, and also..."
"Alright, alright, Nicole, why are you so enthusiastic about talking about this? You're not planning to get us arrested just to avoid paying your debts, are you?" Belle said it jokingly, which immediately drew a response from Nicole.
"How could that be? Do I, Nicole Demara, look like someone who would do that? I hate betraying my friends more than anything!"
Nicole spoke righteously, and when Wise checked her inner thoughts, he saw that she truly meant it. However, she really had considered it for a moment.
"Alright, first tell us what happened," Wise said, letting out a small sigh.
"Okay, so what happened was..."
Nicole then recounted their conflict with the Red Fang Gang.
"...in short, Billy and Anby fell into the Hollow, and I need to rescue them, plus retrieve the client's item. This is urgent, and only you can help me. The request is simple: bring my people and the client's item back safely from the Hollow. A standard Proxy job, right? Will you take it, Phaethon? If you handle this mission, I will pay off all my previous debts in one go."
Belle raised an eyebrow and replied with a skeptical expression.
"Really? But I heard Cunning Hares has been losing money every single month. And Nicole, you have been dragging this out for months already. If you add the interest..."
"Come on, where is the trust? This client's reward is huge. Once I finish this commission, I will pay everything back for real this time, including the interest. All of it!" Although Belle's words clearly irritated her, Nicole still ended up wearing a pained, tragic expression, like she had just accepted some cruel fate by agreeing to the interest.
"Oh, now you sound a lot more reasonable," Wise said with a nod, though he couldn't help feeling a bit curious.
Just how much was that client paying Nicole for her to suddenly act so generous, not even flinching at the interest?
"Good, very good. Since you both agreed, we shouldn't waste any time. We need to leave immediately. I'll go ahead and enter the Hollow to wait for— Ow! hiss..." Nicole let out a sharp cry.
"Hm? Nicole, are you hurt?" Wise asked with concern, noticing the brief flash of pain on her face.
"N-No, you misheard. I'm fine."
Nicole quickly averted her gaze, a hint of guilt in her eyes. She still wanted to appear strong, but Wise didn't let her.
"Nicole, you should rest for a bit. Don't push yourself. Later, you'll need to take Eous near the Hollow," he said gently.
"Oh, you'll deploy your Bangboo, right? No problem." Nicole nodded and obediently went to sit on the nearby sofa.
"Belle, come here and help Nicole with her wound. I'm going to check the HDD system and get ready to head to the Hollow."
After saying this, Wise turned and walked toward the HDD system. Seeing him like that, Nicole couldn't help but think how unexpectedly gentle and considerate he was.
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[1] IMAGE