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When Ignis said goodbye to the Proxies and returned home, it was already late at night. Outside, the night market was bustling. Ignis exchanged a glance with Rene from afar before pushing the door open.
The ladies had set the air conditioner very low and turned off the lights, watching a movie in the living room. The sound of the door startled Nekomata, who darted straight between Nicole and Anby.
Of course, this cat is doing it on purpose, Ignis thought. She clearly wanted to snatch Nicole's lap pillow from Anby. The white-haired girl and the cat-eared girl were about to start squabbling when the Mistress of the Cunning Hares held each one down with a hand, pressing their heads onto her thighs, one on each side.
"How was work? Any difficulties?" Nicole kept her eyes on the TV.
"All good. Embo's combat performance is reliable," The Salamander shrugged. "I'll go get my armor off first."
"Good." The Mistress of the Cunning Hares rubbed each of the girls' heads in turn, and the two who had been fighting leaned against her thighs, quieting down.
The small Bangboo, carrying its weapon, followed its master. Seeing Nicole nod at it, it quickly responded, "Nicole, I'm back!"
"Mm, good job, little one. This big guy doesn't praise often," Nicole said.
Receiving such praise from the top of the Cunning Hares made Embo jump with joy. He quickly followed Ignis into the workshop. Today's activity had drained his remaining energy, and he needed to recharge immediately.
The flexible robotic arms of the workbench swung, and Ignis's Mark X Gravis Power Armor was swiftly removed. He took off his neuro-muscular suit, changed into a T-shirt and shorts, stretched, and then picked up Embo to place him on the charging seat.
For some reason, Ignis had immediately bought this Bangboo charging seat that required sitting to charge. It seemed to have some magical charm, standing out among all the other Bangboo chargers online. Once Embo sat down, the entire robot slumped into a state of extreme comfort. Looks like it must feel really good…
Next time, I'll need to prepare a few ether cells in the storage compartment of my power pack. Embo's combat performance is strong, but its energy consumption is high. Even though it didn't engage in much close combat today, its charge was almost depleted. Using that weapon must be overtaxing the Bangboo's system.
At least Ignis had never seen Embo need immediate charging after entering a Hollow.
He patted the little combat brother on the head. Its facial display showed the charging progress, and it looked like it would need to stay in that state for a few hours.
The Salamander heard faint footsteps and turned toward the source: Amillion. The Bangboo glanced nervously at Embo, then back at Ignis. It hadn't spoken yet, but Ignis already understood what it meant.
"Don't worry. He's not hurt. He's fine. But he needs some rest first. Once he's rested, he can play with you."
The one-eyed Bangboo immediately became excited, plopping onto the workshop floor, waiting for its friend to wake.
Seeing this, Ignis couldn't let it wait idly, so he pulled out a spare ether cell and handed it to Amillion.
"You want some too?"
The Bangboo happily accepted the ether cell, inserting it into its charging port. It shivered, looking quite… comfortable.
Ignis had learned from Amillion that Bangboos treat different types of energy like food. The household charger is like a home-cooked meal, external charging stations are like restaurants, and ether cells are snacks. Cells stored too long that lose charge are like stale chips.
Of course, that last part wasn't Amillion's explanation; it was Ignis's conclusion after seeing the little Bangboo describe it animatedly.
After squatting down to pat Amillion's head as well, Ignis, now in casual clothes, went to the living room. In just a short while, Nekomata had already been lulled to sleep by Nicole's petting.
Cat Thirens really are just like cats in these ways, he thought.
As for Anby, she lay on Nicole's lap, eyes fixed on the TV. She clearly liked the movie.
Seeing the Salamander's massive silhouette, Nicole nudged him with her elbow, then gestured toward a thin blanket on another sofa.
Ignis handed it to her, and the Mistress of the Cunning Hares covered Nekomata with it.
"Goodness, not even worried about catching a cold," Nicole said.
After tucking in the edges, she rubbed Nekomiya's head, and the cat purred contentedly.
"What about Billy? I don't see him," The Salamander asked, thinking of the Man of Iron.
"Oh, him," Nicole sighed. "Your little brother, Vesmir, set up some performance stage to attract people to the night market. Billy insisted on wearing his hero suit to perform a hero show. He's probably having a blast right now."
I didn't realize the kid had so many tricks up his sleeve, Ignis almost laughed.
Vesmir had indeed contributed to the community's prosperity. He had even been negotiating with the New Eridu Public Security's civil affairs department about demolitions, planning to rebuild part of the Handshake Building into safer, more aesthetic housing. But making money from the night market so fast? Already moving into real estate?
"You wouldn't know. That kid has plenty of ideas, but his foundation is still the cheap, ready-to-serve night market business. Essentially, he's earning hard money," Nicole said with a smile. "But he's selfless; the money is probably going entirely toward improving this community."
"No matter what, the local economy starting to circulate is good. Better environment, safer living, much better than when gangs ran rampant, right?"
"Of course." Nicole recalled that shortly after arriving, someone had caused trouble at their doorstep. Though the Cunning Hares dealt with it easily, it drew the attention of Razor. From that moment, the Cunning Hares' troubles never ceased until Emile Volt's funeral recently, which finally allowed a pause.
The room fell silent, only the movie's sound remaining. Ignis stood there, unsure what to do, caught off guard by the sudden end of conversation.
The Mistress of the Cunning Hares quickly noticed and offered, "Are you hungry?"
Ignis thought for a moment. After dropping Eous back, he had eaten several huge bowls of ramen on Sixth Street. He wasn't hungry yet. Of course, with a Space Marine's metabolism, he could still eat more.
In this world, eating had become more than just nutrition; it was a form of enjoyment, a way to satisfy himself and companions. This was one of the giant's great pleasures.
Nicole's question was essentially an invitation—or rather, a request—signaling that she was hungry but didn't want to say it outright. Recently, Nicole had been dieting, reducing her intake, so maybe she suddenly remembered the idea of a late-night snack?
Judging by her figure, though, the Mistress of the Cunning Hares hadn't put on any noticeable weight. Where had it gone?
Noticing Ignis's gaze lingering on certain feminine features, Nicole blocked his view.
"Hey…" The Mistress of the Cunning Hares's gaze was slightly threatening. "You do have a girlfriend, you know…"
Ignis quickly averted his eyes. Indeed, Nicole had authority—any additional weight appeared to have gone where it should.
"What do you want to eat?" he asked, shifting the topic.
"Anything. The AC is giving me goosebumps. Something hot, please." Nicole stroked the girls' hair. "It's rare to have some downtime."
Hot…? Ignis thought. What could be made quickly and be piping hot? Noodles. But there wasn't any ramen left, but there were instant noodles.
"You said we had a lot of debts. How can you rest?" Ignis took instant noodles from the storage cabinet and started boiling water in a small pot.
"Money never runs out," Nicole said, speaking from experience. "And lately no one's been pressing us for payment, so we might as well rest for a couple days. And weren't you on a mission? The Defense Force already transferred the payment. Quite a sum! No wonder New Eridu's biggest violent faction is so rich."
She heard rhe Salamander tearing open the instant noodle packet. "Just instant noodles? Nothing else?"
"This is fast. If needed, I can fry a couple eggs," Ignis said, retrieving eggs from the fridge. "Today's mission felt off."
"Trouble?" Nicole asked.
"Not trouble—too simple," The Salamander said, pouring a little oil into the pan and igniting the stove.
"Too simple? Isn't that good? The pay didn't change a bit."
"The Defense Force client, I felt he was following orders, deliberately testing me," Ignis said, recalling Sergeant Daryl. "Throughout the mission, he kept watching my actions. Honestly, it didn't feel right. And the Ballet Twins Hollow Ethereals—the Twin Marionettes…"
They didn't even fight at full strength, barely resisted, and then disappeared. That feels… unsettling, he thought.
He didn't mention sensing the Ethereals' emotions; it was too bizarre, even for him.
"Isn't that good?" Nicole recalled. "Ellen mentioned it during a vacation. She said those Gray Veil and Black Veil Marionettes are incredibly hard to deal with, even posts on the Inter-Knot discuss it. Hollow encounters with the Twin Marionettes, moving like ghosts, impossible to defeat."
"Normal Hollow Raiders had almost no chance against them. Even our first encounter required considerable effort to barely subdue them," Ignis said, ignoring Nicole's rhyme. "But this time, I alone with Embo, I drove them back in minutes."
"Doesn't that show growth?" Nicole rolled her eyes. "Isn't that a good thing?"
Ignis fell silent. He didn't know how to explain Ether Aptitude to the Mistress of the Cunning Hares—how its enhancement strengthened his connection to the Warp, and the dangers that could bring. Still, he liked this place and had no plans to leave yet.
"Why so quiet all of a sudden? Did I say something wrong?"
"No, Nicole," The Salamander replied, flipping the eggs. "If one day, I suddenly disappear…"
"I'll come find you."
Nicole didn't even wait for him to finish.
"I'll mobilize all my contacts to find you, even if you vanish into a Hollow."
"You are part of the Cunning Hares, my adopted child. Even if you leave one day, you must say goodbye to me and us first."
"If you dare leave without a word, I will dig up the Hollow three feet deep to find you."
Her tone was calm but carried an unyielding resolve. Ignis believed she would act on her words. The Mistress of the Cunning Hares was gentle yet firm, and she couldn't bear separation. If he truly disappeared without notice, she would find him, no matter what.
Too bad the Warp's dark powers don't think the same… He silently hoped The Emperor would keep him safe from those forces.
"If you ever leave, remember to tell us. The Cunning Hares isn't a cursed house; we want you to have a better future." Nicole stroked Nekomata and Anby's hair. "If things go poorly, you're welcome back. The Cunning Hares always has your place…"
Ignis wanted to say something, but the door suddenly burst open.
"Oh! I'm back!" Billy Kid shouted loudly, wearing his hero suit, practically vibrating with excitement.
"That smell—instant noodles! I haven't smelled this in ages!" He dashed toward the kitchen. "Do we have some for me?"
His sudden appearance instantly swept away the previously tense atmosphere.
"We do, but this portion is for Nicole. You'll have to wait."
"Ooooh!" he yelled excitedly. "Awesome! After the audience's cheers, home for a piping-hot late-night snack! Life is beautiful!"
"Good grief!" Nekomata kicked Billy lightly, but the Intelligent Construct was unharmed, and Nekomata clung to his leg, jumping around.
Today, the Cunning Hares was as chaotic and lively as ever.
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