Meanwhile, on Sixth Street.
"Achoo!"
Nicole, who was browsing through clothes, suddenly sneezed and felt a chill run down her spine.
Anby, scrolling through her phone nearby, was the first to notice. She removed her earphones, her expression blank but her tone faintly concerned. "Nicole, what's wrong?"
"I don't know why, but I suddenly feel so cold."
Nicole sniffed, instinctively hugging her arms as goosebumps spread over her skin.
"It feels like someone's about to snatch away all the dennies I've earned. The moment that happens, all my warmth disappears—and in a cold night without dennies, I'll freeze to death!"
"Huh? Nicole's actually scared... Uh! I mean, Nicole, there's nothing to fear! You've got us here!"
Billy, not used to seeing Nicole so shaken, blurted out the wrong thing.
When Nicole narrowed her eyes at him, he immediately straightened, trying to recover with a clumsy grin. He struck a dramatic pose, his mechanical limbs gleaming under the light.
"After all, I'm a high-intelligence combat cyborg built for full-area fire suppression! Even Nineveh had to flee before me!"
Whoosh—
A gust of wind swept through, cooling even Billy's overinflated confidence.
Everyone at Cunning Hares just stared silently at his awkward display. Not a single reaction.
"Hey, come on! The script's wrong—you're supposed to be impressed! I drove off Nineveh! That's Nineveh!"
Billy's face fell as he tried every argument he could think of, but the others just pressed a hand to their foreheads, speechless.
After a while, perhaps out of pity, Anby finally said, "Billy, next time you brag, at least include Phaga's name."
With the first jab thrown, the rest joined in naturally.
Nekomata suddenly darted out from some corner, plopped herself down in Billy's spot, and stuck out her tongue at him. "Exactly! It was Phaga who did all the heavy lifting. What, is your robot memory malfunctioning again?"
"I... I also played a key role..."
No one listened to him.
Nekomata rolled her eyes, then turned her attention back to Nicole. She carefully inspected her from head to toe. After a long moment, she finally exhaled in relief.
"Good thing you're fine. I was worried Phaga might've drunk too much blood last time and left you with aftereffects."
"If only there were side effects. Then maybe I could've milked that vampire for some compensation."
Nicole sighed dramatically as she said this.
Perhaps the scars from her childhood trauma still ran deep. Even now, she hadn't quite shaken off her fixation on the pain—except that now, her obsession was with glittering dennies.
Anby, however, frowned in worry. "Nicole, maybe we should go to the hospital—"
"Stop, stop, stop!" Nicole waved her hands quickly. "Where would we find the money to go to the hospital every time? Anby, you know perfectly well we've been running a deficit this whole month!"
(What month hasn't been in the red?)
Anby thought this silently, tilting her head as she looked at Nicole with mild exasperation.
Nicole froze for a moment, realizing deficits were practically part of Cunning Hares' DNA. Her cheeks flushed as she coughed twice and said solemnly,
"Anyway, we're the Gentle House! We stand for the beauty of humanity—and that includes the virtue of thrift! Someone like you, Anby, casually running off to hospitals... utterly unacceptable!"
Before she could continue her lecture, her phone suddenly buzzed in her pocket. She took it out—and blinked. The message she'd received was completely blank.
"Rain..."
Nicole murmured the name under her breath, staring at the screen with a strange expression.
Before she could react further, more messages came flooding in.
All blank.
"This is bad! This is really bad!"
Realization struck her like lightning. She dashed for the door, shouting over her shoulder, "Everyone, get in the car!"
Then, halfway out, she paused, backtracked, and yelled, "Wait, no! It's close enough—don't waste gas! We'll run there!"
...
"Hmm... so, who exactly is Rain?"
Inside the video store on Sixth Street, Belle asked after hearing Nicole's rushed explanation, still completely lost.
"Rain... is a hacker I found on the Inter-Knot."
Nicole was panting, exhausted. Thankfully, Wise handed her a glass of water, and after downing it, she felt slightly revived.
She continued, "A while back, you guys asked me to help make some connections—to see if I could find a hacker capable of cracking Belobog Heavy Industries' [Prototype Storage Unit] and [Monster Firewall], right?"
"Rain's one of the top names on the Inter-Knot. Naturally, she was the first person I thought of."
"But now—she's gone missing!"
Nicole's face immediately shifted to one of panic, like a mountain of dennies was slipping through her fingers.
"A few days ago, she sent me a blank message. I thought she just hit the wrong button, so I ignored it."
"But today, she sent me several more blank messages. When I tried to reply, my phone said she was out of service range. I couldn't reach her at all!"
"That's why I came straight to you!"
Nicole grabbed the glass again, downed what little water was left, and slammed it onto the table with a sharp thud.
Her tone dropped low. "Phaethon, can you locate Rain's position?"
"I..."
Belle was about to agree instantly, but one look from Wise made her hesitate. She frowned slightly, sighing.
"I'll do my best."
Taking Nicole's phone, Belle disappeared into the archives.
Moments later, she returned and handed it back. "We've locked onto her."
"Really? That's great!"
Nicole's face lit up with excitement, but when she noticed Belle's expression hadn't changed, her smile faltered. "Phaethon... is there something wrong with the location?"
Belle exhaled softly. "There is—and there isn't. I should've guessed. What other place would have no signal besides a Hollow?"
"So..."
Belle raised her head, a mischievous glint flickering in her eyes.
Seeing that look, Nicole instantly crossed her arms protectively and backed away, inching toward the door as if facing a predator. When her back hit the frame, she stopped, snapping,
"Listen! I've got a big job today!"
"You saw this morning's news, right? Perlman's being sent to the Supreme Tribunal for trial! As Canvas Street's representative, Cunning Hares has to show up!"
Belle nodded thoughtfully, resting her chin on one hand. "That's true. But I just remembered—I've got a debt to collect. Why don't you head back to Cunning Hares first, Nicole? I'll be right behind you."
"No... no need!"
Nicole broke into a sweat, sliding forward to clasp Belle's hands with a strained grin. "Phaethon's goals, of course, are the same as Cunning Hares' direction!"
At that, she yanked open the video store door. Billy, Nekomata, and Anby were already crammed outside, peering in curiously.
Nicole gestured proudly. "And look, Phaethon—we're all ready! Just waiting for your command!"
Belle couldn't help but smile knowingly. Turning her head toward the second floor, she said, "Alright then. At the corner of the second floor—my room. Eous is charging inside. Go grab it for me."
Hearing this, Nicole immediately sidled up beside her, rubbing her hands together with a flattering grin. "And... about our debt?"
Belle shot her a look, then sighed. "Fine. I'll waive a third of it."
"Yay! Long live our benevolent creditor!"
Nicole clapped her hands together, eyes sparkling like she'd just witnessed a miracle.