Jeanne honestly wondered if Exusiai had used a fake identity to mess with these LGD officers before. Even though Lemuen's documentation was perfectly valid, the officer at the checkpoint hadn't believed her and insisted on calling the LGD headquarters before finally allowing them through.
"I am truly sorry for the trouble. But to be honest, you and Exusiai look so much alike that it's hard to tell the difference between you two sisters without a very close look."
Perhaps knowing that Lemuen was Exusiai's older sister, the LGD members on duty became notably more enthusiastic and warm in their attitude toward Jeanne and Lemuen once their identities were confirmed.
However, this over-enthusiasm gave Lemuen a sense of déjà vu, though she couldn't quite place where she had seen that look before.
"It's no problem. If anything, I should thank you for looking after my sister. She's... quite lively and has been restless since she was a child. She hasn't changed a bit as an adult, so she might cause some trouble..."
Jeanne watched Lemuen's bashful expression in silence, her mind filling with an infinite number of complaints she didn't know where to vent.
Is your sister's personality really just "a bit lively"? Based on those legendary achievements you mentioned, "lively" is a massive understatement!
The person across from them also wore a somewhat awkward expression, momentarily unsure of how to respond. They could only laugh and brush the topic aside.
"Well then, I wish you two a pleasant stay in Lungmen! However, please remember—under no circumstances should you wander near the slums. Your sister had a bit of an unpleasant run-in with the gangs there, and it might spill over to you."
The officer recalled that Exusiai was currently assisting an investigation because of a fight with the slum gangs. If the older sister wandered into that territory and was spotted, the consequences would be unthinkable. However, they didn't tell Lemuen exactly what had happened; such matters were best left for Exusiai to explain.
"Thank you for your hard work. We'll be heading in now!"
Lemuen hopped back into the car and bid them farewell. Then, with a roar of the engine, the vehicle vanished from the LGD members' sight in a flash.
"That driving style... she really is Exusiai's sister! I just hope they control their speed once they hit the city center... If Ch'en Sir catches them, she might end up joining her sister in the cells."
The LGD officer watched the car disappear, wiping non-existent cold sweat from her forehead as she spoke to her colleague. She had a feeling that these two "older sisters" she had just let in were not exactly peaceful souls. The LGD might be gaining two more regular guests... she hoped it was just her imagination.
"I'd say they're about the same. That sister looks like an upgraded version of Exusiai... Why does Laterano insist on putting those two together? I wouldn't be surprised if those sisters blew up Lungmen one of these days."
The colleague beside her thought for a moment and shared his opinion. Either way, he felt this older sister was no saint either.
The officer felt a chill. If Lemuen and her companion really caused trouble, would the bonus for the person who let them into the city be docked? She hoped she was overthinking it; she needed that bonus to pay off her credit cards.
"Hum~ hum~ hummm~"
Lemuen was in a great mood. The repeated questioning by the LGD hadn't dampened her spirits at all; instead, she was humming a jaunty little tune.
"Meeting your sister is a good thing, but seeing you this happy makes me feel like you're planning something. You've been abnormally excited ever since we entered Lungmen."
Jeanne looked at the humming Lemuen and felt that she wasn't just happy to see her sister. The expression on Lemuen's face looked like she was plotting something. This look had become increasingly obvious every day since they had committed to coming to Lungmen.
"Of course! I brought that 'good stuff' with me, after all! I'm very much looking forward to catching up with my sister..."
As she spoke, Lemuen's eyes glanced toward the back seat of the car. This made Jeanne, who was currently sitting there, feel a bit strange.
Is there something hidden under the seat? I've been sitting here for ages and didn't feel anything wrong. Besides, the inspectors didn't find anything in the car.
Just then, Jeanne felt something in a very inconspicuous corner under the seat. When she pressed down firmly, the seat beside her suddenly popped open!
Jeanne was stunned. When Laterano gave her this car, they never mentioned it had hidden compartments! Looking inside—well, well. Lemuen's guns were all hidden in there! This included some live ammunition that was strictly prohibited...
Jeanne lowered that seat and reached toward the spot where she had been sitting, expertly finding the same mechanism and pressing it to open her own seat.
Inside was her precious Revolving Cannon! No wonder she hadn't seen Lemuen carrying any firearms; they were hidden right here. It also made sense why, when Jeanne had asked earlier, Lemuen had confidently said she'd found a "safe way" to transport them. It turned out this was her "safe" method.
"Don't you think you should explain to me why, after a few days, the back seats of this car have turned into a smuggling compartment?"
Jeanne restored the seat to its original state and looked at Lemuen in the front seat with a "gentle" expression. If she hadn't asked, who knows how long this woman would have kept her in the dark?
"Oh, that... remember when I mentioned I ran into a shady merchant? To keep me from reporting him for scamming me, he offered to secretly modify the car for free. You know how strict Lungmen is with Sankta firearms, right?"
Jeanne recalled hearing her mutter something like that in a daze, but she hadn't paid attention at the time, and between the Talulah incident and everything else, she had forgotten. No wonder Lemuen looked happy even while claiming she'd been scammed; she had received "hidden services" as compensation!
"You know Lungmen is strict, yet you still put a Revolving Cannon in the car? If we get caught by the LGD, not only will we be unable to escape, but this gun won't escape either."
Jeanne silently calculated how many years they'd get if these six guns were found in Lungmen... that Revolving Cannon alone would probably get them labeled as terrorists. Thinking about how she might be branded as a dangerous criminal's accomplice or end up on a Lungmen wanted list without having done anything, Jeanne felt from the bottom of her heart that... it wasn't actually that big of a deal.
More importantly, those were real guns! If Lemuen forgot to take out the magazine and the car hit a bump, what if it fired a burst right into Jeanne's backside?
"Next time you do something like this, can you tell me in advance? These sudden surprises are bad for my heart—though I'm not even sure if I can get heart disease anymore."
"Don't worry, don't worry! I just got distracted and forgot to tell you. I thought it wasn't a huge deal at the time, so I put it in the back of my mind."
Jeanne begrudgingly accepted Lemuen's explanation. However, still feeling uneasy about a potential "surprise" burst of fire from below, she decided to sit directly on top of the hidden Revolving Cannon.
Then she suddenly remembered: even though this thing looked like a gun, it wasn't a firearm in the traditional sense; it was a staff in the shape of a gun. It was impossible for it to misfire on its own because there were no Originium Arts controlling it to fire.
"We're here. The Shimmering Vigil is in this building. Though, those old fogies didn't tell me which specific room it's in."