"Meow~ N-no! That's not right… ugh… damn it…"
Faced with Wise's strangely flawless technique, the Thiren woman was subdued almost instantly. The others wasted no time rushing over and surrounding them.
Burnice, meanwhile, looked visibly envious, clearly tempted to take advantage of the moment and pet the big Cat Thiren as well.
But the moment Wise stopped, the Thiren woman snapped back to her senses and quickly covered her front with both hands, staring at them with sharp vigilance.
Seeing that, Burnice could only give up for now.
The Thiren woman fixed her gaze on Wise, her eyes filled with both shame and anger. Even with the mask covering her face, everyone could tell she was grinding her teeth.
After all, for a Thiren, allowing someone to touch their abdomen was unthinkable—let alone being rubbed like that. Only someone they deeply trusted would ever be permitted such closeness.
Pulchra wanted nothing more than to teach Wise a lesson right then and there. But surrounded as she was, she could only swallow her anger and let out a quiet sigh.
"Alright… that's enough. I surrender."
- Pulchra -[1]
"Surrender? Hey, what exactly do you mean by that? Make it clear," Lucy said coldly.
Pulchra answered without hesitation, "It means the spare parts from the recycling plant will be returned to the factory. I'll also give up my claim to the parts in the abandoned vehicle graveyard. As for what happened today…"
She paused, shooting Wise a fierce glare before continuing.
"…we'll act like none of it ever happened."
"Eh… pretend today never happened?" Burnice repeated, clearly taken aback.
"What, do you think you're the ones losing out?" Pulchra replied bluntly.
"After I secured the parts, no one else showed up besides you. The Sons of Calydon didn't suffer any losses. And if my employer finds out I failed, it won't end well for me either. I'll report that everything's settled, and you'll be the ones benefiting from it."
'And I'm the one taking the loss here…' Pulchra kept that part to herself, but her reasoning was solid.
Reporting failure would only invite more trouble later.
Even so, Burnice didn't look convinced. She mumbled under her breath, her expression somewhat disappointed.
"Today's events… just pretend they never happened…"
"Hey, don't push your luck. What more do you want?" Pulchra snapped.
She might be at a disadvantage, but she wasn't someone who would tolerate everything. Push her too far, and she would fight back.
"But… but we were playing for so long just now! And you looked really happy, didn't you? When Wise was petting you, your eyes were practically squinting from how much you were enjoying it!"
"Ah! Damn it! Shut up! Stop talking!"
To Pulchra, Burnice's words were completely absurd. They had been fighting seriously just moments ago. Even if there had been an unexpected incident, it didn't change the nature of the situation at all.
"Don't bring up what just happened again!" Pulchra shouted.
Burnice blinked, startled. Seeing how worked up Pulchra was, she quickly changed the subject.
"Huh? Okay… but, Kitty, you're really amazing! It's my first time seeing a Cat Thiren who's both this strong and this cute! And wow, the rumors are true, Cat Thiren really aren't loyal to their masters."
"Heh, I'm just a mercenary. I work for money. As for that employer… honestly, I don't like him much either."
Even so, Pulchra had no intention of saying anything more. Revealing her employer's identity would only bring unnecessary trouble.
Burnice nodded, clearly agreeing not to pry. Lucy opened her mouth as if to object, but Caesar cut in and agreed just as quickly.
As always, once Burnice decided something, there was no changing her mind.
"Kitty, since you don't like your current employer, why not join the Sons of Calydon?"
"Eh?"
Pulchra was caught off guard by the sudden invitation. Burnice's train of thought was so fast that most people couldn't keep up.
But soon, a faint, intrigued smile appeared on her lips.
"Heh… aren't you worried I might betray you? A Cat Thiren's claws can reach anyone."
Wise understood that all too well. Even now, Nekomata would occasionally scratch him when her emotions got the better of her, sometimes even biting him outright.
Burnice, however, waved it off casually, her expression full of confidence.
"Don't worry. I've heard Cat Thirens choose the strongest as their companions, and we, the Sons of Calydon, can definitely become that! Besides…"
Her gaze suddenly shifted to Wise. She reached out, picked him up, and held him right in front of Pulchra.
"Isn't Wise here? You've already experienced his technique, and you really enjoyed it, didn't you, Kitty? So? Tempted? Want to join us?"
Pulchra instinctively took a step back, clearly wary of getting too close to Wise. The reaction felt oddly familiar. Thinking back, Nekomata had behaved the same way.
"Ugh! Let's talk about this after you actually become the strongest! And stop calling me 'Kitty' all the time. I have a name. It's Pulchra."
With that, she turned and left without another glance.
Seeing her go, Burnice cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted after her.
"Hey! Pulchra, come play with us again next time!"
"Hmph, play with someone as reckless as you? I'll pass," Pulchra's voice came drifting back from the distance.
Burnice tilted her head, puzzled.
"Does that mean Pulchra prefers Wise? Ugh… now I feel both jealous and envious."
"Wait, Burnice, you can feel jealous all you want, but don't hold Wise so tightly! You're going to crush him!" Caesar said, quickly snatching Wise out of her arms.
Fortunately, the Bangboo's face display was sturdy. Otherwise, it might have already been dented by now.
Wise finally let out a breath of relief. The pressure just now had been a bit too much.
As for Burnice, true to her personality, she didn't dwell on it at all. Instead, she immediately turned to Wise and started asking him how to properly pet a cat.
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Novels Available:
-> Zenless Zone Zero: The Almighty Incubus of Sixth Street. (Translation)
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