Check out my new translation!
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The sky had already gone dark, and in the sunken plaza before the Ballet Twins Tower, Ignis stared at the statue before him, feeling it was utterly absurd. The plaque read [I think… therefore I still think], and the sculpture—shaped like someone constipated on a toilet while wearing a skirt—had a bald head that was literally a giant lightbulb.
What kind of bizarre imagination does it take to create something so abstract?
The Lyman's Ear caught the sharp screech of a braking vehicle—Phaethon's little car, by the sound of it. Belle's hurried footsteps crossed the upper plaza and descended the stairs.
Ignis glanced at Ellen sleeping on the bench; Corin, who was watching over her, nodded at him. The Salamander returned the gesture with a wave before walking toward the Proxy.
A few armed militants had been tied up and thrown aside, slumped in defeat. After receiving a rather thorough "welcome" from Rina, they still looked half-dazed. The head maid had her own interpretation of "hospitality," and her two Bangboo assistants were frighteningly talented in this department.
The beautiful, mature woman smiled gently as she controlled her Bangboo to administer electric-shock massages to the detainees. She kept the current perfectly measured—painful, but not enough to knock them out. After several rounds of cordial questioning and shock-therapy relaxation, the group had already spilled everything they knew.
For ordinary humans, enduring repeated shocks while keeping secrets was indeed difficult. Rina had already inflicted sufficient pain, but these men still said nothing. Ignis originally intended to personally handle the interrogation, but considering his strength, their bodies likely wouldn't survive his methods. Tearing their skulls open would probably be more efficient.
Just as he was about to crack someone's skull open, one of them finally broke. Rina and Von Lycaon currently had him cornered at the end of a corridor, giving him a moment to regain his senses—electroshock did leave lingering after-effects, after all.
"Young man, have you perhaps failed to understand your current situation?" Rina's smile was bright and gentle, but her tone was as hard as marble.
Even through his protective suit and helmet, the militant's terror was obvious. Pressed against the wall, he waved both hands, shouting, "Wait! We can talk! We can talk!"
Seeing him still capable of spouting nonsense, Drusilla's frame lit up with arcing sparks again. The man shrieked as though someone had grabbed him by the eggs. "I'll talk! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything! Just spare me!" he begged frantically—yet Rina's other Bangboo, Anastella, drifted closer. "D-Don't come any nearer!"
"Hehe, dear guest, congratulations on finally seeing reason." Rina clapped her hands with genuine delight.
But her voice remained as cold as the weapons stored within the Ballet Twins Tower. "Had you reached this enlightenment a few minutes earlier, we could have saved each other much trouble."
"Um…" Belle whispered, "Is it… inconvenient for me to be here right now?"
"Lady Proxy, you are here." Rina immediately softened upon seeing Belle. "Please don't worry. This guest simply regained consciousness and wanted a bit of private space, so we let him spend some time apart from his companions."
"Soldier, as a member of the rebel forces, you should clearly understand what awaits you if I hand you over to the New Eridu Public Security." Von Lycaon remained impeccably polite, his sharp muzzle even carrying a smile—though the threat in his words was anything but subtle. "If you confess honestly and explain why your group is occupying the Ballet Twins Tower, perhaps we can grant some leniency."
Maybe Von Lycaon's courteous demeanor made the man feel important, because he relaxed slightly. "If I talk… will it save my life?"
Seeing him try to bargain again, Ignis lost patience. He removed his helmet, revealing his obsidian-colored face. Squatting down, he fixed the man with calm, burning crimson eyes. The Salamander extended his gauntleted hand and closed it around the man.
"Listen. I can tell whether you're lying. Don't even think about fooling me." The giant's roar was so loud that even Von Lycaon winced and turned his head aside despite his usual elegance. Belle had already clapped both hands over her ears.
"Answer what I ask. Nothing more. Nothing less. Otherwise, I'll crack open your skull myself and see what answers fall out."
The rebel soldier nearly fainted from fear; his legs trembled so hard he could barely stand. Faced with the monstrous visage and flame-like eyes of the Salamander, he felt as though he were staring directly into the maw of a legendary man-eating demon.
Seeing how terrified he was, Ignis put him down—if the man wet himself, it would soil the power gauntlet, which would be inconvenient.
"It's like this!" The soldier's voice jumped an octave—he clearly understood that the massive black-skinned warrior wasn't joking. This was real killing intent, earned through blades and bullets.
"Our unit's patron gave us a commission—something we had to do on the rooftop of Tower B of the Ballet Twins Tower." His gaze flicked around nervously, as though still trying to negotiate.
"You'll need to be more specific." Von Lycaon narrowed his eyes, tightening the spiked knuckles on his paw.
Sensing more pain incoming, the soldier shrank and rushed on, "I-I'm just a low-rank soldier! I don't know the details! Our team was assigned to perimeter security—if anyone entered the tower, we were to stop them from approaching Tower B!"
"So, the blackout was your doing!" Belle snapped. They had wasted half a day because of him.
"Uh… y-yes." He tried to explain further, but Ignis glared at him, forcing him to swallow the extra words. "At first, I thought you were just thrill-seekers—scaring you off should've been enough. Who knew you'd restore the power so quickly! Those Ethereals couldn't stop you at all. The captain said anyone with that kind of ability couldn't be ordinary, and you were probably here for that girl. We were told to draw away that strange Ethereal…"
"Wait—you said that girl?" Ignis pressed his thumb and forefinger into a circle—one flick would shatter the man's skull if he refused to talk. "Where is Rain? How is she right now?"
"Um…" Realizing the address was wrong, the soldier quickly corrected himself. "That young lady is with our captain on the rooftop of Tower B. She's not in immediate danger!"
"So, I may assume you've just admitted your unit kidnapped Miss Rain?" Von Lycaon narrowed his single eye and turned to the maid. "Rina, please extract the remaining details from him. Lady Proxy, Ignis—may I speak with you both a moment?"
Rina nodded slightly. "Soldier, the night is long. We have plenty of time to talk. Please don't hold anything back."
The soldier visibly stiffened.
The Salamander and Belle followed Von Lycaon out toward the strange statue's base.
"Lady Proxy, Ignis—you two are clever enough to know what I intend to ask next." Von Lycaon closed his eyes, brow furrowed.
"I apologize. We have concealed certain information." Ignis stated it plainly.
"Rebels have entrenched themselves within the tower, and Miss Rain is clearly important to them. If you refuse to exchange information with us honestly, our next actions may be hindered." Von Lycaon's gaze swept over his new allies, gauging their sincerity.
"Next actions?" Belle, suddenly far less playful, became serious. "Von Lycaon… you still intend to work with us instead of handing this incident to the Public Security?"
"Lady Proxy, as you know—every employer of Victoria Housekeeping Co. holds notable standing in New Eridu." The Wolf-Thiren replied with full confidence. "For matters as trivial as property protection, relying on the Public Security would allow rumors to spread… and Victoria Housekeeping Co. cannot permit such gossip to damage our masters' reputation."
Ignis actually wanted to scoff—many of the industries these people ran would collapse under investigation. They couldn't really let the Public Security dig around. What if something did turn up?
"In addition, since it has now been confirmed that Miss Rain was kidnapped, Victoria Housekeeping Co. cannot sit idly while criminals misuse our employer's property for such vile acts." Von Lycaon was clearly offering them a step down to keep the atmosphere from turning sour. "In other words, our goals remain aligned with yours. However, as I said earlier, if we are to cooperate, I still hope you two can be frank with us."
Belle and Ignis weren't fools—they immediately heard the implication behind the wolf-Thiren's words. The Proxy and the Salamander exchanged a look and decided to reveal Rain's true identity.
"Von Lycaon, thank you. I understand what you're saying. I really did intend to keep Rain's secret earlier… but now isn't the time for concealment." Belle exhaled, placing a clenched fist lightly over her chest.
"Rain's true identity is that of a hacker. If you chose to rely on the Public Security, it would cause us tremendous trouble…"
"She's helping decipher something for me. Something important." Ignis revealed only what could be said.
"I see." Von Lycaon's eye widened. "If Miss Rain is a hacker, then the enemy likely abducted her for her abilities. And the rooftop of the Ballet Twins Tower is an excellent broadcasting location."
Indeed—there was no higher accessible point in the area, and the Hollow beneath minimized most man-made interference.
"Von Lycaon, if those criminals are still inside the building, then it means they're still carrying out their mission. We need to rescue Rain quickly—any delay could lead to further complications."
"Victoria Housekeeping Co. shares this intention." The Wolf-Thiren nodded. "My two honored guests, I will make some arrangements for the upcoming rescue. Please wait a moment."
With an elegant bow, he departed.
"Ignis, looks like we can finally catch our breath." Belle let out a long sigh. She'd been worried Von Lycaon might explode over the concealed truth.
"No problem. Look over there—she's been asleep for a while now." Ignis gestured toward Ellen curled up on the bench, with Corin beside her looking a bit flustered.
Belle walked over and pulled a few packs of soft candy from her pocket, placing them nearby. Maybe her movement was too loud, because Ellen flicked her tail.
"Boss… remember to count… that overtime pay…"
Even in her dreams, the shark-girl hadn't forgotten.
Corin, noticing Belle, happily waved and began chatting with the Proxy. But before they exchanged more than a few sentences, Ellen woke. The girl was delighted that the Proxy brought candy and mentioned she would've preferred hard candy even more.
She tore open the wrapper and shared the candy among everyone. The Salamander looked at the tiny soft candy in his hand and almost laughed. It was far too small for him to even chew. But he couldn't refuse such kind intent—he simply tilted his head back and swallowed it whole, giving a thumbs-up afterward.
Rina approached as well, with the soldier trudging behind her, head drooping as he muttered, "Great… I've told you everything. There's no way I can return to my unit now…"
The head maid gave a soft chuckle, and the soldier instantly straightened. "In my view, being freed from such a dangerous organization might be a blessing."
"Maybe you're right… guess I should find another job." He sighed again, head lowered.
"Lady Proxy, he has told us everything." Rina reported to Belle the information extracted from him. "The strange Ethereal appeared after their captain brought Miss Rain into the building one time—her music player went off, and the creature appeared immediately. It seems very sensitive to sound. Whenever others entered the building before, they used music to lure the Ethereal over and drive the intruders away."
"As for the fuel in the generator room, they hid it to prevent others from using it—to intentionally sabotage the power."
"They kidnapped Rain three weeks ago. To familiarize themselves with the area and ensure the mission's success, they frequently scouted the building, learning the route to Tower B's rooftop. They even brought Miss Rain with them during these trips. It seems she is extremely important to their task. The kidnapping itself was carried out by the captain, and this soldier knew nothing about the details."
The soldier nodded repeatedly, confirming Rina's summary.
"Everyone, thank you for waiting." Von Lycaon returned, accompanied by a formally dressed Bangboo.
The Wolf-Thiren held a covered serving tray while the Bangboo pushed a small food cart.
"It is already quite late, so I imagine everyone must be hungry. Time was short, so I only managed to prepare some crude meals to fill our stomachs for now." He lifted the lid, revealing neatly cut sandwiches. "Restore your strength—we still have a friend to rescue."
Von Lycaon had not only prepared food for his own group but also for the captives. As expected of the leader of Victoria Housekeeping, he attended to everything thoroughly.