[ Bonus Chapter - 100 P.S ]
Lucy saw Caesar's expression and opened her mouth several times as if to speak, but in the end, she remained silent.
Caesar continued patting Wise's chest in reassurance and said, "Wise, don't worry. You're coming to the Outer Ring is already a big help to us. Even if you choose not to get involved, I still won't change my mind on Perlman's matter."
"Caesar, I appreciate your kindness. However, as the saying goes, 'no reward without merit.' Besides, we're friends. Since you're treating us with sincerity, we'll naturally do everything we can to help."
Wise genuinely liked Caesar's straightforward personality. Still, since he was seeking information, it was only natural for him to offer something of equal value in return.
"Haha, well said! Straight to the point! Lucy, you can finally relax now, right?" Caesar laughed.
She turned to Lucy with a hint of triumph. Lucy cleared her throat, lifting her chin slightly as she answered with restrained pride.
"Ahem… thank you, Phaethon. Your willingness to assist is a great help."
"You're welcome. It's only right. Also, could you explain the details of this commission first?"
He figured that understanding the situation in advance would make it easier to help. Lucy nodded and began to clearly outline the commission's objective.
It was to assist the Sons of Calydon in completing the Tour de Inferno, a motorcycle off-road race held within the Hollow, a tradition passed down from long ago.
Only two teams participate in the race, and the rules are simple. The first team to cross the Hollow, reach the finish line at Cinder Lake, and throw the Igniter into the lake claims victory.
The race serves to regularly ensure the safety of oil resources, as oil is the lifeblood of the Old Oil Field.
At the same time, the winner earns the title of Overlord of the Motorcycle Gang Alliance in the area.
"Understood. But the Sons of Calydon aren't fighting just for honor, are they?" Wise asked, glancing at Caesar with a knowing smile.
Caesar only smiled in response, while Lucy, standing beside her, rolled her eyes in clear exasperation.
"Heh, Proxy, only the naïve fool in front of you would give you that kind of answer. Everyone is desperately fighting for the position of Overlord. How could it be just for a title like 'the strongest'? They're not a bunch of elementary school kids obsessed with some fighting manga."
Through Lucy's explanation, Wise came to understand the true stakes. The Overlord held the authority to allocate transportation routes, which essentially meant controlling real profits.
For the past six months, the current Overlord's faction, the Vanquishers, had been assigning the Sons of Calydon only the worst routes.
Lucy suspected they were manipulating things behind the scenes.
However, whenever she tried to confront them, Lucius, the second-in-command, would always come up with one excuse after another, never giving her a straight answer.
"Speaking of that Overlord uncle, he hasn't shown up in quite some time—about half a year now. I wonder what he's been busy with. But Lucy, what are you so afraid of? Even if the road conditions are terrible, we can still handle them with our strength. Besides, you're only angry because those routes don't let you conveniently buy cosmetics and snacks, right?"
Hearing that, Lucy, who had been cold and indignant just moments ago, instantly tensed up, her face flushing with embarrassment.
"S-Shut up, Caesar! Didn't we agree you wouldn't expose my shortcomings in front of guests?!" she snapped.
"Huh? Expose your shortcomings? That's just the truth. Besides, you were the one blabbering like an idiot first. Don't I get any dignity?" Caesar shot back, completely unaware of what she had said wrong.
"You ruined my plan the moment you opened your mouth, and you expect me to praise you?" Lucy retorted.
"Oh, right, right, Miss Lucy Montefio. I ruined your plan, did I? I think you forgot who was so excited about meeting the legendary Proxy that she couldn't sleep all night, didn't you?" Caesar teased.
"Ugh, ugh... Enough, Caesar! I'm going to duel you! The Sons of Calydon should change hands today!" Lucy declared, her voice trembling with fury and embarrassment.
Facing her outburst, Caesar only grinned fearlessly and called Lighter over to act as the referee.
Seeing the two of them on the verge of clashing, Wise couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.
"Are those two going to be alright?" he asked.
"It's fine, it's fine, young man. No need to worry about it. This kind of thing probably happens two or three times a day," came a languid voice beside him.
A sleepy-looking blonde girl waved her hand dismissively, speaking in an oddly old-fashioned tone.
Wise found it a little strange. Only later did he learn that this seemingly young blonde girl was named Piper, someone whose soul was practically that of a forty-year-old uncle.
-Piper-[1]
"Yeah, yeah, it's nothing! Just don't get dragged into being the referee, or you might end up getting yelled at by both of them," Burnice added with a carefree smile, reassuring him.
"All in all, young man Wise, having your help for the Tour de Inferno is truly wonderful! Now then, let's all do our best together," Piper said with a yawn.
As she spoke, she noticed a vehicle approaching in the distance. Wise quickly recognized it as his own car.
Sure enough, the moment it stopped, Belle jumped out and ran straight toward him, anxiously checking him over.
"Phew, that's a relief. Big brother, you're okay..." she murmured.
Even though she knew her brother was strong, Belle couldn't help but panic after receiving Fairy's message.
"Belle, how could anything happen to me? By the way, where are the two sisters?"
He could still sense Fairy connected to his car. As for Odile and Odette, Belle had asked them to stay behind and watch the shop.
"Oh, so this is young man Wise's sister. Pleased to meet you. But it's getting late, and young people need plenty of sleep to grow, you know~" Piper said, stifling a yawn.
She seemed to be the sleepiest one there.
As for Caesar and Lucy, Piper assured him there was nothing to worry about. They start and stop fighting faster than Steeltusk's engine can rev.
The comparison sounded a bit strange, but the meaning was clear enough.
Under Burnice's arrangement, the siblings were soon guided to their lodging, two rooms right next to each other.
As expected, in the middle of the night, Belle quietly slipped into Wise's room. Partly for a certain intimate moment and partly to gather information, she came to find him.
She hadn't spoken with Caesar yet, and when she learned that the leader of the Sons of Calydon was actually Caesar herself, the shock on her face was impossible to hide.
It all felt like too much of a coincidence.
After a good night's rest, Wise woke up early, feeling refreshed. He hadn't expected to sleep so well in an unfamiliar place.
'Was it because Belle was here?' he wondered.
Pushing that thought aside, he got up early and discussed matters with Caesar. Together, they prepared to return to the shop and move some equipment into the car, setting up a mobile Proxy workshop.
After all, working from the city made communication inconvenient, and the Outer Ring lacked smart devices, which led to delays in long-distance data transmission.
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