Chapter 152

I was suddenly picked up and carried around the waist?!

"What are you doing?!"

As if she were running wildly while holding a doll, Takina regained some of her rationality upon seeing the distinctive short blond hair and gave up struggling.

A moment later, Nana led Takina to a side path by the roadside... Although she hadn't used Takina's new type of striker pistol much, Nana, with her understanding of the gun's structure, found the safety switch, reset it, and returned it to Takina.

"What are you thinking? Shooting at your agent's car in broad daylight? Even if you wanted the police to stop and rescue our leader, you should have been holding a cell phone for calling the police, not a handgun for the public to call the police!!"

"..."

Seeing Takina silently avert her gaze, and noticing that Cole's mental state was also somewhat chaotic, Nana decided to assume that it was due to her being too bewildered to act in a confused manner.

But Takina quickly regained her ability to think, and she looked at Nana for help:

"... A prisoner... that guy pointed out by Lord Eternal Constant... he's Astra's... if we could capture him..."

"Alright, alright, calm down. First, get your tongue out, but listen to me first... I was on the phone with my agent earlier, and she said she's safe and we can continue dealing with Atlas."

"And then, about that unlucky guy who almost got shot even though you didn't catch him... Typhon?"

"I caught him."

Following the sound, Takina looked up and saw Lycoris in white, carrying a person while also carrying a huge bow and arrow, yet still nimbly approaching from the shadows of the house and blind spots.

Seeing the guy Typhon was holding, Nana worriedly took him from him and placed him on the ground.

"You didn't kill him, did you...?"

"How rude of me! Even if it's a cat... Master, you should know that in the countryside of S... Forest... I'm known as someone who can play happily with squirrels without hurting any small animals!"

Ignoring Typhon's actions that nearly revealed important information, Nana's attention was still more focused on Takina... because the girl had been silent for a while, and Nana thought that she hadn't controlled her power well and had ended up hurting her own people.

However, after observing for a while, Nana gave up the idea... It seems that Inoue Takina was simply traumatized and hadn't quite come to her senses, otherwise why would she have tried to force the other party to stop by shooting at the stolen car?

As Cole reported back to Nana that the child's thinking was gradually returning to normal, Nana patted her shoulder, comforting her with physical contact.

"Alright, let's put the agent's matter aside for now and handle things one by one..."

"... The highest-ranking officer has disappeared; how can we just ignore this?"

Although she didn't know why Takina was reacting so strongly, Nana still blinked and explained:

"Because she did tell me in the previous call that I didn't need to worry about her safety... or rather, that her safety was guaranteed only if we didn't have any problems and the ICA was operating normally... If you think my words don't carry weight, then interpret them as orders from the Chief. If you want to explain, I can explain to you whenever I have free time, but I need you to do as I say first."

Seemingly surprised by Nana's words, Takina opened her mouth, but then looked at the man on the ground who had woken up at some point and was now trembling.

"... Yes, then, deal with him first..."

Seeing the three 'girls' all looking at him, the man who had just woken up shuddered.

"What... what do you want to know?"

P. S.: I originally only intended to briefly explain the reason for Takina's unusual behavior... How come such a brief overview has almost filled up today's post?

However, it's enough for everyone to know the general outline of why Takina doesn't believe in miracles and the whole story of the VIP Incident... The key to her contradictory personality lies in her relationship with the second headmaster who came to this place. It would be too awkward to reveal everything at once...

Lycoris's red dress—powerful but clueless about people, gentle but not strong enough—is all useless... Now we'll see if Nana, the top-tier red dress in every sense, can complete the unfinished business of her first and second husbands.

As for the third one... it's clear that Little Raiden and Takina's relationship can't go any further; Takina's heart can't hold anyone else (sad).

But Nana's drinking and umbrella bar can also be used to stir up Little Raiden... After all, Takina's logistical skills are probably just to get the Human Resources Department to receive more applications from Lycoris (seriously).

PSS: Waaaaaah Cat

I want to touch the lily of the Suzuran's ears...

5th Laytonson's Ghost Assassin: 163 New Outpost Open - Unnamed

Clearly, the alleyways were not suitable for questioning people and recording testimonies. In addition, due to the previous blasting of Astra's construction site, and with the rapid arrival of the Fire Department and the police, Nana decided to get out of danger first.

As for how to break away... as a proponent of pragmatism, Nana chose the one that would allow her to command others the most.

Make a phone call, find a sack and a discarded cardboard box, knock out this person who is clearly not an outsider, tie him up, and stuff him inside... Just to be on the safe side, Nana specifically put him in a sack first and then a cardboard box, just to prevent this person from waking up and struggling wildly, causing a farce like him suddenly reappearing from the box in public.

Like ordinary high school students on an extracurricular activity, the three girls boarded the van that arrived shortly after, carrying cardboard boxes and sacks... After a long silence, Takina spoke first:

"... What should we do next?"

"Hmm, I'm a little hungry, and it's getting late. Maybe I should take some cake back for the others..."

"... What I mean is, now that the supreme commander is missing, what should we do to deal with Astra's next attack?"

"Go to the cake shop and buy some cream cakes, Typhon has never had them before since coming to the city... and there are two... maybe three people waiting for us to come back for dinner."

Listening to their incoherent conversation and seeing Takina's somewhat aggrieved and even seemingly ready-to-swear expression, Typhon around anxiously, then tugged at the skirts of both the Kitty Teacher and Takina, who was theoretically his classmate:

"Um... let's not fight..."

"It's not that bad."

Feeling the growing dissatisfaction in her Thought Chain Ring, Nana exited the ICA app on her phone.

She had just checked the hotel where Frostleaf and Sister Mary were staying. Because it was located in a neutral zone, their safety was somewhat guaranteed... Otherwise, judging from the way Astra was targeting them along with the Rhodes Island members, it was questionable whether this incident would implicate them.

In Takina's view, her behavior could no longer be explained by 'neglecting her duties,' but Nana really couldn't explain why she knew her manager was safe.

Even if one were to face their own fate in the future, it would most likely be that they would die before their agent, and the cause and reason for their death would be difficult to explain.

Compared to this sinister prophecy, Nana's new ability might be more relevant...

Based on the phenomenon that the Warp where the 'The Dominion' is located Collapse upon observation, and the correspondence between the observed Collapse and the actual location, it is even possible to directly open a portal like teleportation. This means that, based on others' 'observations' of oneself, one can actually confirm the location of those observers.

Although Nana doesn't understand the language of the Demons, she can't distinguish which of the whispers from the Warp have 'Eternal Constant' inscribed above their heads, and which part is Kal'tsit, who already knows her very well.

However, the Warp corresponds to the real-world location. In all the observations of Nana's own 'The Dominion', the shining star resting on the Columbia Wasteland is undoubtedly Rhodes Island's friend and the people who care about her.

Columbia's sole star shone like the sun; this level of the Warp navigation barely required the 'The Dominion' to be activated, and Nana could easily reach her manager on foot.

The only thing worth mentioning is that in Sami, there is a gaze that is similar to a 'star' but with a more subtle touch than a cold flame, probing her... Nana knows that the flame connected to her is the 'Anma's' attention that Typhon had shown her before. What makes Nana not want to think about it any further is the Sami land, which is connected to Anma and seems to possess infinite power.

There, the cold sun blazed fiercely, and black flames swirled and coiled... Nana knew that this was a manifestation of the Demons directly confronting an unknown force, and that she would return to that forest with Typhon sooner or later.

But that battlefield isn't here, and the departure time isn't now... Compared to the terrifying apocalypse he saw in the future, where the sky and the ground were both battlefields, right now it's just his manager being invited for tea, and his company having a rival trying to wage a business war... Takina is making it seem like she wouldn't be an ICA member if she didn't act a little more urgent about this.

Is it because she's too young, or because she's never experienced a real disaster?

In any case, Nana followed her usual routine. She did indeed ask the 'Cleaners' to help her find a well-reviewed cake shop, and then took the girls to buy a bunch of big and small bags.

Even the Cleaners received an 'early Christmas gift'—a slice of strawberry cream cake for each person... It's said that the baker, Laterano Nana, is really looking forward to the taste of these cakes. She plans to have Cole pass on the memory of this cake to the Little Cat. If she likes it, then Nana will consider learning professional baking and pastry from Kate.

While Nana was lost in thought, Typhon had already clumsily unwrapped the package and started eating heartily... Only Takina, with tape on her face, held a disposable fork with a conflicted expression:

Is this really a good thing for us?

"As I said before, things need to be done step by step; there's no use rushing things... If you really can't accept it psychologically, then try to understand it through commands."

Order?

Hearing such words made Takina feel a sense of self-mockery. The third time she was kicked out of the red-clad team was because she disobeyed orders and chose to fire directly. Was she going to have to do it a fourth time?

[As expected, I still really dislike these 'chiefs'.]

With these feelings, the smiling 'Cleaners' who received the gifts took Nana and the others, along with their 'luggage,' to the 'The Hotel' in the old town...

While not as opulent as the Continental Hotel headquarters with its underground plaza, offering all-encompassing exquisite services, this chain the Hotel, even just by displaying a sign, signifies that it belongs to the 'neutral zone'.

Ample security, coupled with sufficient but limited service facilities and unspoken rules of neutrality, have caused land prices on streets with Continental Hotel to rise to an astonishing level...

A favorable environment attracts Mercenaries and those seeking security to settle and spend money. Similar to the Hotel collaborating with the ICA to provide information, the Hotel identify needs while interacting with various Mercenaries and assassins. They then establish service or employment relationships with equipment suppliers or arms dealers, creating a win-win situation. The Hotel, as a platform, not only earns commissions from both sides but also assumes some of the functions of a public community... This is how the Mercenaries and assassin economic circle of Continental Hotel truly begins to circulate.

This is actually quite similar to how the Maylander Foundation started, but ultimately, the Continental Hotel is not an organization with a government background like the ICA; it is just a neutral platform.

Agent Zeng Rui commented on the organization behind the Hotel known as the 'High Table'... saying that they are the kind of weak guys who are fine when nothing is wrong, but once a real problem arises, they basically cut ties with wherever trouble occurs.

However, it cannot be denied that such a weak attitude only applies when facing organizations like the ICA, which has a government background, or the Maylander Foundation, which is simply part of the government... When facing ordinary Mercenaries or assassins, whether you are an individual or a group, unless you are the type that commands several modern divisions, you will definitely be extremely tough.

If you dare to break its rules and regulations, it will mobilize hundreds or thousands of people to mess with you... So Nana is still quite satisfied with her manager's decision to arrange for her friends to stay in the safe zone of Continental Hotel, which means that one of her weaknesses... has been concealed.

As the girls found the meeting point using the navigation, Takina, who had been inwardly complaining but had been diligently following Nana's orders and fulfilling her role as a guide, narrowed her eyes as she looked at the destination:

"We've arrived... Are you sure your companion is here?"

"If the navigation is correct... but wasn't this supposed to be the Hotel? This looks like... a coffee shop?"

Looking at the shop in front of her, with its large window display, lights on but curtains drawn, and a "Closed" sign hanging on the door... Nana first glanced at the street benches outside that hadn't been moved inside, and then checked the shop's online information.

Although I didn't see a physical store sign, it was indeed called 'Angel Cafe' before... well, it was a shop opened by an elderly Sankta.

That's strange, have the Sankta switched from making desserts to making coffee?

No wonder you couldn't continue and were forced to transfer ownership.

Joking about the shop transfer section in the 'historical information', Nana closed the webpage after confirming the status update was this afternoon, and went straight to knock on the door... Soon, Frostleaf's voice came from inside.

[Miss Mary, please step back... a little further... um, may I ask...?]

"It's me!"

She responded loudly with a laugh, but at the same time, because she was still carrying a large bag of cakes, Nana suddenly wondered if she had done something unnecessary. Come to think of it, it was a shop that Sankta had transferred ownership of; there probably wasn't a huge pile of dessert ingredients waiting to be processed inside.

Just as Nana was lost in thought, the door with wind chimes was pushed open... Although it was formerly a coffee shop, seemingly due to the Sankta's habits, even the coffee shop's door was made of heavy metal, appearing to be the same material used by mobile churches or mobile monasteries.

Leaving aside Nana's observation of the coiled armor grille above the window, when Frostleaf saw the blonde Nana, she was momentarily stunned... Thankfully, Typhon didn't change much afterward... After Takina politely but coldly said 'Excuse me,' and placed the bags at the empty cashier, she seemed to remember something and went outside to drag in a cardboard box filled with sacks.

"This is... Oh, and you are?"

"I'm Inoue Takina, and you're... the commander's colleague?"

At this point, Takina felt a little embarrassed. She still didn't seem to know her new boss's name; in terms of mystery, she was indeed comparable to that Ghost Assassin... Fortunately, her manager had addressed her new boss, though the girl didn't know if it was some kind of abbreviation, but Takina just used that for now.

"Commander Nana."

"Nana's... ah, anyway, you're Nana's companion in Columbia, right?"

Seeing that the other party had succinctly grasped the key points and was relatively friendly, Takina breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. But before the harmonious atmosphere could last long, Typhon, who had just opened another cake box and was stuffing strawberries into his mouth, said: g

"Speaking of which, that person should probably be released soon... He won't die, but if he needs amputation due to problems with being tied up, that would be a real problem." (Seven)

Typhon's words not only made Frostleaf, who was greeting everyone, tilt her head in confusion, but even Mary, who had just been peeking out from the second floor with Eileen, asked curiously: Lu

"Are there... any other guests?"

Just as Takina was protesting Typhon's reckless actions with her eyes, Nana, who was standing to the side, took out a slice of cake and handed it to Frostleaf, saying indifferently:

"Release him. Everyone here is involved... Although I may not be able to fully explain my preparations and what I'm going to do due to confidentiality requirements, everyone needs to be aware of my plans and the nature of my work, Takina..."

Hearing Nana's speech, which was clearly biased towards Typhon and lacked any element of reprimand, the long-haired black-haired high school girl could only suppress her expression, straighten her face, and draw her claw knife from her hidden belt, striking the box. With the sound of the cardboard box and the burlap sack inside tearing apart... Mary immediately covered her mouth and let out a soft gasp upon seeing the human figure revealed inside. The others didn't show much surprise at this development, but they did show some strange expressions towards Takina's appearance.

It's hard to say that Takina's unboxing action wasn't mixed with some subtle emotions.

Of course, compared to this unfamiliar new companion, everyone was more puzzled as to why Nana would bring such a resistant person as a 'guest'... Obviously, he was neither a member of Rhodes Island nor a companion like Takina.

"An enemy?"

Frostleaf's calm question earned Takina's high regard, but upon hearing Nana's voice, Takina's expression visibly fell.

"He's an enemy now, but could he possibly become an ally? I'm not sure; after all, it depends on personal willingness, doesn't it?"

As Nana seemed to be tasting the cake, the man still lying on the ground appeared to be trembling from the violent unpacking.

"Did he... do something bad?"

Compared to Frostleaf's biased attitude, Mary was clearly more of a normal person. Seeing someone injured, she would at least ask what wrong they had done to deserve such treatment... Nana was also stunned for a moment by this question, then scratched her cheek and looked at Takina:

"Oh right, why did you suddenly start pursuing him? Did he do something bad?"

"... At that time, it was... the person the highest-ranking officer suddenly pointed out... When I looked at him from inside the car, he first showed an expression that clearly recognized us, then turned around and ran away..."

Hearing Takina say this, Nana tilted her head, noticing the person's eyes light up... As for Takina's description, which this friend hadn't even introduced herself yet, Frostleaf quickly drew a conclusion:

"So, it's most likely they're the enemy, right...?"

As Frostleaf slowly drew a greatsword from her back, the man, his hands bound and mouth tattered, whimpered and struggled to retreat as far as possible... while the Little Fox simply slung the terrifying weapon over her shoulder, then crouched down and tore the tape from the prisoner's mouth:

So, is there anything you'd like to say?

"I... I'm innocent! Waaah!"

Before the loud, tearful complaint that would attract police and neighbor complaints could finish, Frostleaf frowned and re-taped the mouth with the tape, then looked at the smiling, silent Eileen:

"He's too noisy. Regardless of whether he's wrongly accused, let's find a place where we won't disturb others and continue questioning him..."