On the other side, Rina watched Ellen massage Sol, a smile tugging at her lips.
Unexpectedly, Ellen showed unusual tolerance toward Mr. Mercer—proof that they truly were friends.
And Sol, having refused her own offer to massage him, clearly enjoyed teasing Ellen, but did so with restraint and charm.
It seemed he was quite easy to get along with.
In that case, future efforts to draw him in would go much more smoothly.
After all, at present, he hardly seemed like one of those people.
"Miss Ellen really knows so much… while Corin can't do anything at all."
Corin lowered her head, looking at Ellen with envy.
Truly, Miss Ellen was the capable maid. A prestigious client of Victoria Housekeeping had directly requested her service, and was clearly enjoying it.
Massage was a skill Corin hadn't yet mastered, while Miss Ellen had already applied it in real practice.
The gap between them was enormous.
If a client ever asked me to do something like that… how could I possibly satisfy them?
But even as Corin envied her, Ellen had troubles of her own.
Damn it, it's already been over ten minutes. How long is this guy going to make me keep at it?
This kind of long, unpaid overtime was the mortal enemy of the Energy-Saving Shark!
Not to mention, prolonged physical contact with a man was making her increasingly uncomfortable.
At this rate, her toes were going to claw right through her shoes.
"Ellen, you're doing wonderfully," Sol praised. "I feel great now, my headache's much better."
Of course, it was nowhere near his Lightning-Flash Hands, but the little land-shark was doing her best.
Maybe I should invite Ellen to learn from me someday—then I'd get an even better massage out of it.
"Then… may I stop now?"
Ellen paused her fingers, hopeful.
If it ended here, the day might not turn out so bad after all.
"Of course." Sol opened his eyes—then mercilessly shut them again. "Not!"
"Tch…"
Ellen clicked her tongue softly, resuming with obvious reluctance.
She knew it—once this kind of sadistic game started rolling downhill, it was impossible to stop.
"..."
At the wheel, Von Lycaon glanced sideways, silently mourning Ellen's sacrifice.
She really had it rough today. He'd make sure she got double overtime pay afterward.
A few hours later.
The Victoria Housekeeping's vehicle pulled into the Old Capital, stopping along a broad street.
This was the outer perimeter of the Goethe Grand Theater ruins, once part of a bustling high-end commercial district.
Though it had fallen thirty, forty, even fifty years ago, the crumbling remains still spoke of the dazzling luxury it once had.
But no matter how magnificent humanity's architecture, before the eruption of Hollow Zero, it had always been fragile.
What had once been towering, ornate buildings now lay in ruins, completely blocking the wide avenue.
"My apologies, Mr. Mercer. The X-83 Hollow is still some distance ahead, but the path is no longer suitable for vehicles." From the passenger seat, Von Lycaon spoke with mild regret. "We'll have to ask you to continue with us on foot."
Ellen finally breathed out, at last free from the torment of constant massaging, and sat back beside Rina.
"No problem. A little warm-up before the main course isn't a bad thing."
Sol stretched lazily, perfectly content.
With Ellen's massage lulling him, he'd just enjoyed a refreshing nap.
Perhaps it really is essential to have a massage maid at home. If I want to save money, maybe I could make Belle do it instead…
"Thank you for your understanding."
Von Lycaon said sincerely.
And so, they disembarked and proceeded through the ruined streets.
The sky above was clear, yet beneath the shadows of the wreckage, everything felt dim.
They walked deeper into the ruins toward the Hollow's entrance, until at last they stepped into its matte-gray outer shell—swallowed whole, as though by the abyssal jaws of a great beast.
The moment they entered, heavy Ether pressure bore down upon them.
Rina scanned the readings and said, "X-83's Ether density is only that of a typical companion Hollow—but the Ether activity is extremely high."
"So, in other words, aside from the big guy I'm here to fight, there'll be plenty of smaller pests as well?" Sol asked casually.
He'd been in New Eridu long enough to pick up some basic knowledge.
"Yes. It's not just the Ethereals we must beware of. Highly active Ether also accelerates human corruption," Von Lycaon added. "Even with our excellent Ether compatibility, we must finish this quickly."
"Got it," Sol nodded, his fighting spirit rising. "Then take me to the big one as fast as possible."
"That won't be necessary. We still have some time to spare." Von Lycaon's feelings were complicated.
This man looked like a laid-back drifter who loved life's pleasures—yet in battle, he was startlingly reckless.
As Sol himself said, he seemed a bit too extreme.
Von Lycaon had only wanted to compress time to observe Sol's reactions more clearly, yet now he was being pushed into passivity.
He thought for a moment, then cautioned, "That creature is deep within the Hollow, at the core where Ether is densest. The Ethereals claim territory according to their strength. Charging straight ahead will draw many enemies."
"Our operation today is closer to an assassin's decapitation strike. If we enter too… openly heroic, the Ethereals will hear us coming and swarm together."
He had chosen his words carefully, replacing "reckless" with "openly heroic."
"That suits me just fine." Sol's eyes gleamed brighter. "Silent infiltration is an assassin's highest art. But infiltrating with no survivors left behind—that's also infiltration."
His electromagnetic field techniques required large targets for testing. But the smaller tricks of electromagnetic control could use these Ethereals as practice.
Microwaving Ethereals—perhaps they'd make a good appetizer.
"…As you wish."
Von Lycaon was speechless, but in the end yielded to the main character of this mission.
Just what kind of assassin is taught that the art of infiltration means leaving no survivors?
Once again, his impression of Sol was upended. The man's methods were far too unorthodox.
"..."
Ellen looked at Sol with quiet confusion.
The number one gamer of New Eridu. The playful trickster who delighted in teasing. The wildly confident superhuman…
Which one is the real you?
"Mr. Mercer, allow me to guide you from here."
Rina stepped in to smooth the atmosphere, pointing toward the endless ruins with a smile. "This way forward. Any Ethereals in our path… are in for a bad time."
As she spoke, she floated up lightly, perching atop a broken column.
"Good."
Sol leapt nimbly after her.
Ellen and Corin, just as agile, followed suit.
Von Lycaon, meanwhile, stepped back out of the Hollow to send a signal before reentering and hurrying after them.
With their route now changed, the Section 6's forces would need to move in sooner as well.