"Yes, you're right. As their guardian, I completely neglected their safety for my own interests and temptations. I'm so irresponsible!" Grace said, pounding her chest with considerable force, causing it to deform and ripple.
This was something Anby and the others clearly lacked, with only Nicole being a worthy opponent in that regard.
After agreeing to let her study him once the commission was over, Wise approached Koleda again.
"Oh? Are you done talking to Grace? That was much faster than I expected," the red-haired girl said, sounding slightly impatient.
"The research she wants me involved in will take a while, so we agreed to do it after the commission."
"Is that so? That's good. If Wise has nothing else to take care of, let's depart immediately."
Koleda's urgency was no less than Grace's. Whether it came from concern over the company's assets or not, Wise still nodded, cooperating with her attitude.
"Alright, we'll head into the Hollow later for the search."
After that, Wise needed to return to the video store first, then have the members of Belobog Industries bring his Bangboo, Eous, into the Hollow.
What he completely overlooked was Grace being on the team, and she was a woman deeply obsessed with mechanical creations.
Even so, Wise still appeared right in front of her while controlling Eous, without bothering with any precautions.
So when they entered the Hollow later on, the scene that followed felt inevitable.
"Mwah mwah mwah! You're way too cute! This soft body and that beautiful craftsmanship, it's just… so irresistible!"
Grace wrapped Wise up in a tight hug, kissing him repeatedly while he controlled the Bangboo, her excitement clearly getting out of hand.
"Hey! Put him down immediately! This is completely inappropriate!" Koleda snapped upon witnessing the scene.
"She's right, Grace. Mr. Wise is probably having a hard time, and we should still be focused on finding those three machines," Ben followed up.
Under the combined persuasion of Koleda and Ben, Grace finally made a significant concession and refrained from proposing the idea of dismantling Wise for examination.
Even then, she still insisted on moving forward while holding him.
Wise considered it carefully. There was nothing for him to lose, and it would make traveling easier, so he agreed.
Koleda noticed that Wise himself had already made the decision and didn't say anything more. Truthfully, she felt a bit jealous of Grace.
Wise looked really cute in his Bangboo form, and holding him must feel pretty good. Of course, she wasn't about to say that out loud.
Besides, her own engineering Bangboos weren't much different. She could always hug those later.
"Wise, according to the signal, the Grappler among the three machines should be in this Hollow. We didn't bring any Carrot, so it'll all be up to you later," Anton checked the display and spoke to Wise, who nodded.
"Don't worry, I'll be worth the commission fee."
Wise joked as he led the way, while Anton explained more about the Grappler along the path.
Wise couldn't help thinking how miserable that job sounded. Repeating the same boring work every day. If the machine could think for itself, it would probably be rebelling already.
Even Ben thought the same. Maybe only someone like Anton, who loved training his muscles and had endless passion for life, would see that kind of routine as enjoyable.
Sure enough, Anton backed it up with actions. He could fight machines bare-handed and took on every Ethereal they ran into without hesitation.
Not long after, under Wise's guidance, the group successfully found the Grappler, a machine eager to break free from its repetitive existence and pursue greater ambitions.
In the end, with Anton's help, the Grappler not only acknowledged him as its big brother but also decided to learn how to be a man, starting from an ordinary life.
Although it sounded a little strange, at least one-third of the commission had been completed. All things considered, it could be seen as a joyful result.
With one machine recovered, everyone chose to move on and search for the second machine closest to their current position.
"Hmm, judging by the signal, that machine… the 'Type III Hollow Excavator' Greta should be nearby. Grace, we'll need Wise to help locate her, so could you describe her features?" Anton asked.
"She's hardworking, capable, and just as adorable as sweet pea was back then, and even like Wise is right now!" Grace said with a bright smile, rubbing the Bangboo Wise in her arms once more.
She glanced at Koleda, who clearly didn't appreciate the comparison.
"…How is anyone supposed to get that from your description?"
Koleda crossed her arms, closed her eyes, and turned her head away, looking like an annoyed red-furred cat, or maybe a red panda.
"Alright, let me put it in a way normal people can understand. She's a machine used for excavating mine tunnels, and to improve efficiency, she's equipped with a demolition saw for tearing down structures," Grace explained, simplifying things.
"I thought that after upgrading her logic core, that child would become even more capable. I didn't expect her to end up running away…"
Grace's expression looked just like that of a mother hurt by her child's defiance.
Wise didn't know how to respond, so he softly patted the hand holding him with his tiny hand, trying to cheer her up.
"Oh, you're such a sweet little cutie! Mwah mwah mwah!"
Wise never expected that small gesture to turn into her hugging and kissing him again for a long while.
"Who told you to make such random updates? It's even more annoying than my computer system constantly nagging me to upgrade," Koleda complained.
"You never talked like this when you were little. You were so cute back then…" Grace muttered quietly.
Ben, being the most level-headed one there, finally chimed in.
"Hmm, kids going through a rebellious phase is pretty normal, isn't it? Maybe this excavator picked up some rebellious thoughts…"
"No, absolutely not!"
Grace interrupted him immediately, her expression turning serious as she spoke like a strict parent.
"I won't let my adorable child turn into some unruly, rebellious beast!"
When it came to her machines, she treated them just like her own kids.
"Late-night meetups and drag races, purposely scratching the machine's body, slapping on huge stickers that were impossible to clean, experimenting with forbidden Ether-fuel mixes, or even copying old civilization cartoons by trying to merge with other machines—"
Her outrageous rant left everyone speechless. Wise, after a brief pause, gently patted her again, signaling her to calm down.
Then, urged by Grace, everyone quickly resumed the search.