"Hey, weren't we supposed to go street racing? How did this turn into a business meeting?"
The Class President drove his family's off-road vehicle, speeding through the narrow gaps between the lanes along the outer ring.
The roaring metal beast kicked up clouds of yellow sand as the engine growled beneath them.
He glanced at Phaga, who sat in the passenger seat dressed to impress.
His gaze skimmed up and down before stopping at the small mustache on Phaga's upper lip, and the corner of his mouth twitched as he grumbled internally.
"And dressed like that, aren't you stealing the spotlight a bit too much? You're supposed to be my secretary when we go talk business. I'm the one in charge, so why do I look like the errand boy now?"
Phaga was adjusting the cuffs of his steward's uniform.
Compared to his usual business wear, the glued-on mustache and the makeup Rina applied made him look far more mature, no longer like a student but someone with a depth similar to Lycaon.
"Not at all," Phaga replied, raising a brow as he looked over at the Class President.
"You're the one driving. To anyone watching, you're obviously the chauffeur."
Pfft!
Before the Class President could respond, laughter erupted from the backseat.
Ruby doubled over, collapsing onto Ellen's lap—Ellen dressed sharply in her office attire—and her pink fists pounded the leather seat as she struggled to contain herself. She wheezed between laughs, nearly unable to breathe.
"Ha ha~~ Driver~ ha ha~ I can't… my stomach hurts, I can't breathe… ha ha ha…"
"If you can't breathe, then stop laughing!"
The Class President's expression darkened as he snapped.
He muttered in irritation, "And why did we even bring Ruby to the Outer Ring? She can't drive."
As he spoke, his eyes flicked toward the rearview mirror. On Ruby's head sat a black-and-white doll that made him mutter, "Is that thing even a Bangboo?"
"Hey, I heard that! What do you mean 'why bring me'?! And what are you muttering—are you badmouthing me?!"
Startled by the complaint, Ruby shot upright from Ellen's lap and squeezed through the gap between the two front seats. She glared indignantly as she defended herself.
"The main areas for the Outer Ring's Tour de Inferno are inside hollows! If you don't bring a future legendary investigator like me, are you planning to get lost in there?!"
"I'm worried that following you will make us respawn right on an Ethereal's face and get beaten to death!!"
The Class President kept his eyes on the road, but his chin jutted up as he pointed at her. The memory of escaping the Doppelganger Hollow still felt like yesterday.
Though he hadn't attended Ruby's investigator exam, he'd heard enough stories. One thing was clear: Ruby—Hollow Conceptual Entity—had a knack for dragging her teammates out of whatever disaster they stumbled into.
Don't ask how those disasters even happened…
"What do you mean? Ruby worked hard to find a proper route, okay? And in my entire career as a Proxy and Investigator, my success rate has always been 100%! One hundred percent!!"
"Sit down. What Proxy wouldn't have a 100% success rate with an Agent like Phaga? What does top-tier hardware have to do with you, a retrieval specialist?"
Without bothering to check the roadside, the Class President reached back decisively.
He pressed Ruby's head and shoved her into the seat again.
"Ellen, please buckle Ruby in... Anyway, Phaga, don't you know any skilled proxies? Phaethon? Oh right, that one had their account erased—probably retired. Then what about Null_Face? Do you know that one?"
"No, but I do know a skilled proxy," Phaga said with a small, knowing smile at the chaos in the car. Resting his head on one hand, he listened to the wind roaring outside.
"But when I contacted her yesterday, she was already booked."
"So I figured, in this business, unless they're famous, most proxies are about the same. Instead of searching the Inter-Knot for strangers, why not go straight to Ruby... At least she can actually lead the way."
"Leading the way is the bare minimum for a proxy! Don't make me sound that useless!"
Even strapped down by Ellen's seatbelt, Ruby's spirit remained unbound. She loudly defended her dignity as a future legendary investigator.
"Yes yes, we know, Ruby is the greatest. The future legendary investigator. Even the unfinished exploration of Hollow Zero by the first Void Hunter, Professor Arche, will be completed by our Ruby."
The Class President echoed her half-heartedly, then suddenly turned his head toward the roadside. A tent stood there beside a Vanquisher vehicle as he narrowed his eyes and slowed down.
"What are you guys doing out here?"
The SUV rolled to a stop.
The Class President lowered the window and waved at several familiar Vanquisher members.
His family's clothing business had expanded to the Outer Ring, partnering with Vanquisher. Ever since a hollow incident at their school, he had gotten hooked on racing, and the Outer Ring became the perfect playground.
"Oh, it's the little boss! Good morning, little boss—hope you've been well!"
A blond, half-face-covered punk strode over eagerly. He leaned in with a frivolous smile, suddenly appearing before Ellen and Phaga.
"Whoa, you brought friends? Looks like the little boss's planning to stick around the Outer Ring for a few days."
The moment that face appeared, both Phaga and Ellen froze. Their eyes sharpened as a fire ignited within them, because they would never forget that face.
It's you—Lucius.
Lucius suddenly felt a chill at his core, like he'd been thrown into an icy pit. It was as if he stood in a dark forest with some unseen beast staring him down, inescapable no matter how he ran.
Yet in the next second, the feeling vanished completely. Sweat formed on his brow as he licked his lips and craned his neck to get a better look inside.
The driver was the little boss from their wealthy partner's family. The passenger looked professional, likely someone sent to negotiate business.
The SUV's backseat held two women—one looked like a schoolmate of the little boss, and the other seemed like a city professional accompanying the man in the front.
All seemed... fine.
The four of them stared back at him in confusion, irritation already forming in their expressions. The Class President's annoyance was especially clear.
"I'm saying, Second-in-Command, isn't it a bit inappropriate to stare into my car like that?"
"Oh—my apologies, my apologies. Folks in the Outer Ring tend to be laid-back... I should really be more mindful."
Startled by the reprimand, Lucius backed away quickly. He bowed repeatedly as he tried to smooth things over.
"Little boss's here to watch the Tour de Inferno, right? Welcome, welcome! While you're here, your expenses are on me—just give them my name!"
The Class President raised an eyebrow and glanced at Phaga for a quiet confirmation. Phaga nodded slightly as Lucius grew more certain they were here on business.
The Class President turned back. "Alright then, thank you for your generosity, Second-in-Command. We'll get going."
"Take care, little boss!"
Lucius waved vigorously, his obsequious expression shrinking in the rearview mirror. The Class President smirked as he commented on Lucius's character.
"That Lucius is as mercenary as ever."
"How so?"
Phaga typed calmly on his phone, the neat, cold characters appearing to soothe Ellen before she could leap out and cut Lucius down.
[Vampire Pillow: Don't rush. Think of it as lending him his life. You'll collect the debt eventually.]
[Vampire Pillow: You like the Outer Ring's scenery? I'll take you around later.]
Ellen smiled faintly at the screen but still typed a reply. The exchange continued as the road stretched ahead of them.
[Little Fish Snack: Let's stop by the bar where Corin is undercover when we have time.]
[Vampire Pillow: I remember it being an open-air bar... but that's fine. We can check it out.]
Phaga looked up just as the Class President continued speaking. He described Lucius's tendency to cling to wealth, pointing out how Lucius bowed and scraped the moment he heard the words "little boss."
"Wait… actually, he's the one with the status!"
…
Roadside, Vanquisher's camp.
After the earlier commotion, the area returned to quiet. Lucius looked quite pleased, certain the little boss would mean another big batch of clothes and another big payday.
Ha! A big payday!
His thoughts drifted as excitement buzzed through him. The Inner Ring really was incredible—even leaking a few items here earned a fortune.
If their cooperation deepened...
Lucius abruptly snapped out of his fantasy, his face flushing bright red. He didn't dare imagine further, because even one more second of imagining might overwhelm him.
"Boss, another vehicle's approaching. It's a Sons of Calydon truck. Billy's inside, and there's an unfamiliar girl with him."
Mors appeared before him. Only he would call Vanquisher's second-in-command "Boss" when no one else was around.
Lucius turned his head. The grin on his face twisted into something manic as he responded.
"Take them out."
"Yes, sir!"
…