171: Don't Mind a Chat, Friend?

"What an unprecedented spectacle."

Akechi calmly adjusted the collar of his casual clothes and strolled out of the elevator.

Without his Combat Suit, he looked like an ordinary banquet guest, save for the sharp glint that had not faded from his eyes.

"Even with such rushed preparations, not a single important figure was missing." His gaze swept over the crowd clinking glasses, and an amused curve touched his lips. "Perhaps Hansen had prepared this banquet long ago. It might have originally been meant to celebrate Rosalind Myles's funeral."

Noticing the oddity beside him, Akechi turned slightly. The hacker girl following him was gripping the hem of her dress so tightly that her knuckles had turned pale.

"Not used to occasions like this?" He elegantly offered his arm for her to take, his voice carrying a rare gentleness. "Relax. Tonight, we're merely ordinary guests here to enjoy ourselves. For now."

"Yes, Lord Akechi—ah, Akechi."

The girl hastily corrected herself, and the tips of her ears instantly flushed red.

Her name was Xizi, an exceptionally talented hacker. She had always acted arrogant and seemingly omniscient in the past, but now she seemed to have suddenly forgotten how to control her limbs. When her trembling fingers finally settled on Akechi's arm, her entire face turned scarlet.

The Akechi Squad had not attended the banquet in full. First, enough people had to remain behind to watch the escape route. Second, too many people with an elite air entering at once would draw attention. Thus, only Akechi and the squad's hacker girl had come to the banquet.

As for why Akechi had chosen the squad's hacker to accompany him, the reason was simple.

Although Slider was responsible for remote support, Akechi, as the core of an operation that required entering the banquet hall, had to