It was getting late, and due to certain special circumstances, Phaga and Ellen drove out to the Outer Ring and spent the night there.
By the next morning, before the sun had risen, Phaga stirred at the sound of the alarm and gently shook Ellen awake.
"Hey, Ellen, wake up. We need to drive home."
"Mmm~"
Ellen clutched her tail tightly, unwilling to let go. She frowned and let out a reluctant groan. After a long while, she slowly opened her eyes, her blurry vision gradually sharpening into the outline of a figure.
Tsk, waking up to this guy's face first thing in the morning—so annoying!
"Haaah... Sit up straight and buckle up. If you hit your head and get a bump, don't blame me."
Ellen rubbed her eyes and turned the key in the ignition.
Vroom!
The engine roared to life, headlights cutting through the yellow sand.
Phaga quickly fastened his seatbelt, shouting, "Hey, are you even awake? Want me to drive instead?"
"Hmph!"
Ellen gave a disdainful snort and slammed the accelerator.
Roar!
A black shadow streaked across the desert, shattering the predawn silence.
Before long, the pickup burst out of the Outer Ring's sands. Its tires slammed down onto New Eridu's asphalt with a heavy thud, burning a dark skid mark into the road before shooting forward again!
The early morning soothed the city's weary souls, law enforcement included, most of whom were still asleep in warm beds.
Meanwhile, Phaga had already hacked and blacked out every surveillance camera along their route. No one knew that a pickup truck with fake license plates had just slipped back into New Eridu.
Screech!
The pickup rolled to a smooth stop in the garage. Ellen unbuckled her seatbelt.
"Out. We're here."
Phaga closed his laptop, tucked it into his bag, and followed Ellen as they returned to Victoria Housekeeping headquarters.
Phaga trailed behind while Ellen reached for her keys. But before she could even fish them out, the door swung open on its own.
"Welcome home, both of you."
Rina greeted them with a gentle smile. Two Bangboos flew over—one hefting Ellen's garden shears, the other taking Phaga's bag and parasol.
Floating closer, Rina wrapped her arms around both their shoulders, lowering her head to press against theirs with delight.
"Come inside! I've prepared refreshing mango ice cream slushies for you."
"Nice!"
The corners of Phaga's lips lifted slightly. For some reason, returning to Victoria Housekeeping always put him at ease, leaving him free of any burdens.
"Ah, do you have any warmer slushies? Eating cold stuff gives me a stomachache."
Ellen pouted, voicing a complaint.
Rina shrugged. "Of course, warmer slushies exist. I'll just pop one in the microwave for you."
"Please don't. I was joking."
As they stepped inside, Rina closed the door behind them.
Phaga walked ahead and spotted two tall glass cups sitting on the table, pale yellow slush piled high above the rims.
Not bad at all.
He picked up a spoon, scooped a bite, and popped it into his mouth. The icy chill carried the distinct tang of mango with a subtle sweetness.
Hmm, definitely good enough to sell!
Phaga chuckled. "By the way, when's Corin coming back? I'm already looking forward to Rina's welcome banquet."
"Oh, do you want one, Phaga? Actually, we don't have to wait for Corin. Since Lord Lycaon is back too, why not prepare his welcome feast instead..."
"Cough! Cough!!!"
Rina, brimming with enthusiasm, was about to start preparations when Lycaon, just coming downstairs, broke into a fit of coughing. He waved his hand dismissively.
"I'll pass, Rina. Save the feast for Corin."
Still shaking his head, Lycaon thought to himself: When Corin comes back, I need to find a commission to send her off on!
"How much can you reveal about the commission—the one for fourteen million?"
Lycaon settled onto the sofa, with Rina hovering behind him. Together, they watched as Phaga and Ellen sat side by side, eating slushies.
"The client is one of the core figures in the TOPS Alliance, with immense wealth."
"In his life, friendship barely exists as a concept. He has no idea who would break the rules to target him directly, so he turned to us."
Phaga pulled out his phone and shared a memo and a voice recording of the old man's information to the group.
Lycaon hesitated. "Did Ellen teach you that?"
That couldn't be right—Ellen was never this meticulous.
"No, Phaga thought of it himself."
Ellen kept her head down, her pretty face hidden behind the glass as she muttered.
"Hmph~ Phaga's growing fast. He should've joined Victoria earlier."
Rina covered her mouth with a soft smile, eyes glinting at the phone.
"But this client isn't without suspicion."
"The TOPS Alliance isn't united. Everyone wants more power and wealth. But there are only so many seats. For one to move up, another has to be pushed out."
"Not always. There's another way."
Studying the message, Lycaon explained, "One can compromise with those above, promising to give up half their seat once in power, in exchange for support."
"Then the organization recently trying to join TOPS Alliance is a prime suspect."
Rina tapped her chin, thinking aloud. "Which company has the most potential to join lately?"
"Vision Industry. They just secured a major project."
Ellen quickly pulled up the news on her phone.
"The Dead End Hollow descended on the Old Capital, crippling several rail lines. Vision Industry proposed a faster, cheaper project plan and defeated the heavily favored Belobog Heavy Industries at the bidding conference."
"They're set to carry out a demolition plan in Canvas Street. If all goes well, Vision Industry's chairman will join the TOPS Alliance within days."
"And if a key figure happens to go missing around that time..."
Lycaon murmured, the implication clear.
He nodded firmly. "Start with Vision Industry. It may just be a pawn, but follow the trail and we'll uncover something."
Phaga bit down on his spoon and said casually, "So we're heading to Dead End Hollow. Fighting the Dead End Butcher, huh? I've got some experience there."
Lycaon shook his head. "If a Hollow is infamous enough to earn its own title, then that Dead End Butcher is no ordinary foe. Best to avoid it if we can."
"Speaking of Dead End Hollow..."
Lycaon suddenly asked, "Is Corin there?"
"Yes..."
Rina recalled Corin's commission, worry creeping into her voice.
"The Hollow's structure is too complex. Even with Carrot, the path isn't guaranteed. And Corin hasn't returned in days... if she's lost in there..."
Ellen slammed her hand on the table. "Forget the commission for now—we have to rescue Corin first!"
"Alright, then I'll... huh?"
Just as Rina was about to agree, her phone rang—it was the school.
She answered.
"Hello, is this Ellen's guardian? Today is the school entrance exam, but Ellen took leave yesterday and isn't at school. She said it was for work. Are you aware of this?"
"Also, a male student named Phaga Kunmutu took leave with her. The guardian number he left is fake. Can you contact him?"
Rina's face darkened. The smile on her lips twisted into something chilling as she replied sweetly, "Thank you, I know where these two are. Leave it to me."
Click.
Beep~
Her gaze swept over them. Phaga and Ellen immediately sat ramrod straight. Cold sweat ran down their backs—they had never seen Rina like this before.
"You two... skipped the exam?"
Rina's faint smile crackled with thunder and lightning behind her.
Lycaon wisely stayed silent and slid further away, watching as Rina's waist-length hair lifted with static, more terrifying than any ghost.
At that moment, the TV upstairs flickered on, broadcasting today's weather forecast.
"Attention citizens: New Eridu will experience scattered thunderstorms today."