Random Play. The same familiar workroom, the same familiar couch. Every friend Geno knew well had gathered here, and the Proxy siblings had long since gotten used to this crowd piling into their place whenever the mood struck them.
"So Perlman actually vanished. Who do you think is the one pulling the strings behind it?"
The idea that Perlman had broken out on his own was something Geno and the others refused to believe.
They had all seen the man in person, after all - that squat little barrel of a body. If he really had that kind of talent, he would never have sat in the Public Security lockup for as long as he did.
"Do you even need to ask? I can't think of anyone but The Exaltists."
Nicole tossed her hair back and started grumbling, her face full of indignation.
The Vision case had been riddled with holes from the very start. Sacrifices had turned up along a route that should never have been part of the demolition work, and later on Sacrifices had shown up in the Rebel Soldiers' camp as well. All of it proved The Exaltists were setting up something big behind the curtain.
"But Perlman disappeared without a single warning sign. Doesn't that mean we still have a mole we never rooted out?" Twiggy propped her chin on her hand, her brows drawing together.
Making a person vanish without a whisper and without leaving a single trace was not a simple thing, no matter how you looked at it.
"Whatever the case, now that Perlman is gone, we're facing one extremely serious problem." Nicole lowered her voice, her expression tight, and successfully pulled everyone else's attention her way.
"What problem?"
"Our commission fee has gone completely down the drain!!!"
Right. That was very Nicole.
With the defendant gone, the trial would be postponed, which meant the day they finally got paid would be pushed back indefinitely.
"I don't think that's really that big a deal..."
"Not serious enough for you? This is the Cunning Hares' salary for next month! And whether I can pay off my debts!!" At Geno's words, Nicole let out a roar loud enough to rattle the walls, and Geno shrank back a little.
"Uh, calm down, Boss Nicole. You've already been three months behind on our pay anyway, so what's one more month?"
"Urk - shut it!"
Exposed by Billy, Nicole answered with a kick, and Billy went down again, clutching his hydraulic rod and wailing.
"Why does this look so familiar to me. Hssss~~~"
Anby watched it all in silence, working through the burger in her hands without the slightest intention of slowing down.
That last mercenary commission had left her pockets bulging. She was the richest person in the Cunning Hares now.
"Anyway! I refuse to let a commission fee this close to my hands fly away! I've decided! The Cunning Hares are moving out! We're going to drag Perlman back ourselves!"
Nicole slammed a hand down on the table, then waved Billy and Anby over to get ready to go hunting for Perlman's trail.
Geno, however, had doubts.
"Go find Perlman? And where exactly did you get a lead?"
From what Twiggy had told him, Public Security was already run ragged over this. If they couldn't crack it, was this third-rate crew of Nicole's supposed to?
Nicole's answer was that he was seriously underestimating her.
"Heh heh, this lady has her own channels. Just you wait! I, Nicole, will haul that stumpy little melon Perlman back faster than anyone! And who knows, maybe Public Security will even hand us a bonus! Oh ho ho ho~~"
Watching Nicole break into her full three-stage queenly laugh, Geno clapped a hand over his face.
Hopeless. She was already lost in her own daydream.
The others wore much the same look, but nobody bothered arguing with her.
Once Nicole made up her mind, not even ten Bloodthirsty Madmen could drag her back, and her old friends knew that better than anyone.
"In that case, we'll come lend a hand."
Belle tilted her head. She had no commissions lately anyway, so she might as well help Nicole out.
"No need! We can handle this ourselves!"
"It's free."
"We're in your care, ma'am."
The instant she heard the word "free," Nicole - who had already made it out the door - pulled off a backstep into a sliding tackle and landed right in front of Belle. Geno had nothing to say to that.
Honestly, Nicole not going into traditional theater was a waste of raw talent.
Either way, Nicole had genuinely secured Belle's help. As for Geno himself, he had no interest in any of it. He had other business to take care of.
"On that note, we'll be heading off too."
Geno waved, said his goodbyes, and left the video store with Twiggy in tow.
In truth, that very morning the two of them had received a rather special commission - one issued directly by the mayor.
"Investigate the recent Hollow anomaly at the Balai Building. Doesn't the mayor have Victoria Housekeeping for this sort of thing? Why send the job our way?"
Geno turned it over and over without making sense of it. It was like having your own royal guard and hiring outside mercenaries anyway - and while these particular mercenaries were on good terms with you, that still wasn't exactly the safe option.
"Maybe Lycaon and the rest have something more important on their plate."
"Then why not hand it to HAND or Public Security? Fine, forget I asked."
The words were barely out before it clicked. The mayor's options looked plentiful, but in practice there was almost nothing left.
The Defense Force was preparing to assault the rebel camp. H.A.N.D. was busy cleaning up the fallout from the Thousand Faces business a while back. And Public Security had just lost Perlman - they had no spare hands at all.
If Victoria Housekeeping really was tied up with something, then the only people the mayor could still commission were the two of them.
"There might be another reason behind it, too." Twiggy blinked, as if something had come back to her.
"Which is?"
"The Hollow zone around the Balai Building shrank recently, so the previous owner put it up for judicial auction - and Mayor Mayflower was the winning bidder. Spending public resources on your own private property is absolutely off the table."
Filthy rich people!
That was Geno's most honest reaction once Twiggy finished explaining. Never mind that the game company and his ties to the Timefield family meant he would never go hungry again.
Set beside a colossus like the Mayflower family, he was still small fry.
"Whew. Calm. Settle down. A mountain need not be tall - an immortal makes it sacred. Money need not be plentiful - enough is enough."
Having soothed his own mood, Geno let the matter drop, and set off toward the Balai Building with Twiggy at his side.
It had been a long time since the two of them worked a job as a team.
____
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