Chapter 155
"That lady has already paid for the land deed for this shop, does that count?"
Following Eileen's words, Nana looked around again... As a coffee shop, it was fully furnished, the equipment was in excellent condition, and the warehouse and counter had about two-thirds of their supplies and ingredients still in stock, so it could open for business at any time.
Although Nana's impression of this area is outdated, it is located within the safe zone of the Continental Hotel. While the foot traffic is not as high as the government area where the municipal management department is located or the commercial area specifically for attracting investment, it should be able to support a coffee shop... as long as the shop doesn't sell some weird stuff like cement syrup coffee, it should be fine.
But that's only assuming it can support a normal coffee shop... Is this a normal coffee shop?
Perhaps it was before, but now it's going to become a nominally ICA-affiliated organization, Lycoris's Red Coat Support Team... with its own finances, and this alone severely restricts Nana's future actions.
For example, one of the biggest problems is that the ICA-certified Cleaners may no longer be able to work for free in the future.
Seeing that Nana seemed to be deep in thought with a serious expression, Eileen waited for a while without receiving any instructions, and then tried to remind her:
"Although this is my first time handling support work for individuals like this, I think this store is missing something fundamental before it can start operating..."
"You mean the restaurant name? I don't think the agent would let us improvise on something like this... This is usually where she gets into her weird hobby... After all, normally when a restaurant changes its legal representative, the name on the business license should be processed along with the land deed..."
Hearing Nana's weak reminder, Eileen finally took out the thick stack of documents again.
After searching through the documents, they found the 'license' that Nana had mentioned.
"Lyco... Lico Lico chain coffee shop? Actually, it's pretty normal, isn't it..."
"A shop name like this, which seems to be shouting to the whole world 'I'm sisters with Lycoris, ' is hardly normal... But that's just how she is, you get used to it."
Seeing that Nana didn't seem to have any intention of changing the shop's name, Eileen didn't say anything more, but simply asked:
"So, is there anything I urgently need to deal with right now?"
"The most urgent thing is to get this store running normally... You're planning to pull people from the Welfare Department, right? I won't repeat that reliability is the priority for candidates, but like Takina, coming here means giving up the more relaxed working environment on Rhodes Island. Remember to make that clear beforehand... Although the benefits here might be better, you might also die because of some inexplicable things... Like that unlucky guy in the basement who just glanced at his manager..."
"Understood, I will handle it properly."
Seeing that the two of them had finalized a whole bunch of things in just a few words, Takina, who was still wondering whether Lycoris's semi-agent-type job was 'easy', came back to her senses and found that Nana was looking at her with a playful expression again.
The feeling that they were clearly scrutinizing her made the girl with long, straight black hair uneasily straighten her chest and pull in her stomach, raising her hands slightly like a wary shrimp, both hands clenched into small fists.
"W-what's wrong?"
"It's nothing, I was just thinking that everyone's affairs are mostly settled, so now it's time for our ICA's personal matters..."
"Are we going to settle the score with Atlas?!"
Seeing Takina excitedly jump up from her seat, Nana quickly and with a headache pressed her back down.
"Not yet. How many enemies are there in total? What is their size? What is their organizational structure? What is their command structure based on?... You don't know any of this, so what are you trying to calculate?"
"I... I admit you have a point, but this kind of information needs to be investigated. What can you get by just sitting there and thinking?!" (Sob)
Seeing the girl with long, straight black hair still stubbornly arguing, Nana sighed, propping her head up with her hand, and said:
"Let's calculate the budget and see how many magazines we can buy with the money we have... Takina, how much equipment do you have right now?"
Although still quite unhappy with Nana's rather awkward topic change, Takina pursed her lips and laid out her Backpack:
"A tactical Backpack, four full magazines, and my sidearm is also on me... a Smith & Wesson Type 45..."
"Oh, I know that one, the one that the military and police don't really like, right?" Ling
Seeing that Takina wasn't happy about what she'd said about her sidearm, Nana removed the magazine from her weapon and placed it on the table. One, two, three... then a tactical knife, a claw knife, a fiber rope... the cosmetics and car keys she'd bought while dressing up Little Typhon were also laid out one by one on the table. In no time, the table that Eileen had just tidied up was covered with odds and ends.
"This is our current equipment... What do you think?" Liu
"... I see with my own eyes, Commander Nana... this is clearly... a standard Lycoris light-armored form with quite a few personal items."
"You know we're lightly armed... So, what are your thoughts on our next phase objective: gathering intelligence, confirming the enemy's position, finding targets we can handle, and incidentally accumulating enough funds to give Atlas a major boost?"
After a few seconds of silence, Takina looked at Nana's goal with complete incomprehension:
"Why don't we just call in the ICA... and if the ICA isn't an option, then we can bring in Lycoris's forces and confront the enemy head-on?"
"Good question. What do you think is the reason why the agent's 'friends' had to arrive on the very day she decided to officially start the war between the ICA and Atlas, and why the agent even specifically instructed you to leave while she and those other people left?"
Seeing Takina remain silent, Nana pointed to her temple and said with a hint of exasperation:
"Of course, it's because 'friends' wouldn't allow the ICA to do that... I can't say who took the agent, but Takina, you should know what Trimounts is... It's the heart of Columbia, the political center of the country..."
"Remember what I said? As long as the ICA doesn't mess things up, the agent is safe... And the reason they took the agent away is because what she did next would make her very unsafe... That's why the entire ICA did nothing after the 'declaration of war,' and I was the only one handling this matter."
"You know that ICA is a state-backed company, but do you know what kind of turmoil it would cause in Columbia if this company were to launch a mobilization similar to Blacksteel's?"
Although much of what Nana said above was speculation from her perspective, she had heard Nana manager talk about the manager's attitude and tendencies toward foreign affairs such as Kazdel and Ursus. So, she could understand to some extent why her manager "retired at the height of the war" and why she let someone who was essentially a high-ranking Columbia agent take over Atlas's investigation into the Nana's subsequent actions.
However, while this might explain why the ICA has only been engaging in a back-and-forth "pushing" game with Atlas in various missions, it doesn't explain why Atlas, despite having the political means to persuade the police department and the current Laisenton city government, chose to target the ICA instead of pressuring the agent himself in a more political way.
There are many ways to embarrass an agent, from investigations targeting individuals to lawsuits through legal channels, and even impeachment proceedings against a private military-like team like Lycoris's. But the other party chose the least efficient one.
If the purpose is merely the so-called "opposition" opposing for the sake of opposing, it feels like they've missed the point. If the goal is to bring down the agent himself, then the current course of events is far too simplistic.
After all, while Atlas would certainly reap huge profits and gain numerous domestic and international orders from ICA by bringing down the ICA, for those who had consistently supported at Atlas, all that was gained was a loss for their agents.
No, judging from the commonalities between the ICA and Lycoris, if the ICA truly fails, the transfer of its elite personnel will likely be quite easy... Atlas may not actually be able to acquire the essence of the ICA.
So the question arises: what was the purpose of all that painstaking planning, probing, and even launching a military attack?
Nana couldn't understand... but that didn't stop her from her small goal of crushing Atlas.
"In any case, let's start with the intelligence we've gathered so far..."
Smiling, Nana slung her tactical Backpack over her shoulder, now fully inspected, and fastened the silencer onto her Silver Dancer.
"... A man who used to work for the ICA but is now with Atlas was discovered by the ICA, tortured, and harbored resentment. He then sent information about the ICA's hideout to Atlas... Wouldn't this script be a perfect opening?"
Seeing Nana's mischievous grin, Takina shrank back in fear. She actually wanted others to comment on Nana's seemingly abnormal behavior, but everyone, including Takina new roommate Typhon, seemed perfectly normal... Nana could only sigh and ask:
"You don't seem to have any intention of selling the coffee shop where we're currently located, do you...?"
"It's alright, I have plenty of safe houses that can serve as battlefields... and there are some places I really want to check out."
As she spoke, Nana got up and sent Typhon her location. Then, she and Takina headed towards the basement.
"Let's go, let's set up the stage a bit... After all, the manager announced the opening, so... we really can't keep the audience waiting too long."
"Damn, how come people are working so hard for bonuses these days? He even got caught and tortured by the ICA. Why didn't he just say he stumbled upon his target who was in critical condition...? Wait... Wilson Apartments? Where is that...?"
As the man with the cigarette frowned at the text message he had received, Liberi, dressed as a retired soldier in an old military uniform, leaned closer.
"That place is almost completely collapsed, isn't it? And we're the ones who bombed it... Hey Captain, don't just stand there. Headquarters is in pretty much better shape than that Wilson Apartments. Shouldn't we go help out or something...?"
Hearing his companion say this, the man with the cigarette in his mouth suddenly remembered why he had blown up that place a year ago. He was so surprised that he opened his mouth wide and didn't even notice the hole the cigarette butt had burned in his pants, and he shouted:
"Damn it... this time it's for real?! Call everyone! Assemble! The target has been spotted! It's that guy--!!"
That day, everyone who was following the story received the news... The Ghost of Laisenton began to move.
As for Nana, as the person involved, she probably never considered one possibility... that this whole thing might have started with the 'Ghost Assassin' in mind.
After slightly altering Mike and hiding him in the ruins of Wilson Apartments, she has now taken Typhon and Takina to Lycoris's headquarters.
"Hi~ I'm here to buy some equipment~"
With a bright smile Lycoris in her red dress said this to her 'commander'.
P. S.: Although I'm afraid some readers who come here to relax might not understand, I'll be frank: this isn't about the agent... those guys are after the Ghost Assassin, or rather, Ama-77.
While writing the key plot points directly from an omniscient perspective might feel like a spoiler for readers who enjoy thinking, considering how tiring everyone's real life is these days, I've decided to reduce the mental strain by writing it this way... Pulling suspense and major plot twists are fine without all that.
I won't go for any fancy writing tricks that test my writing skills since this is just a book about eating peaches and sticking together. If anyone feels like they've been spoiled Axi can only apologize in advance QAQ
PS2: Meow Meow Cat
5th Laytonson's Ghost Assassin: 167 Please save her
Buying equipment... that's clearly just Nana's excuse.
Both Typhon and Takina could tell that Nana's furtive glances around the 'Lycoris Girls' Church Academy' clearly indicated she had ulterior motives.
But the headmistress, who kept her eyes narrowed and a smile on her lips... a pink-haired girl wearing a pure white silk shawl with the emblem of the Iberian State Church and a pure white dress outlined in gold thread... more like Sankta, who looked to be Nana's peer than the headmistress, seemed to have no objection to Nana's excuse.
"Equipment? No problem... Lycoris's primary task is to grow up healthy and happy, and her secondary goal is to serve as a talent pool and hidden mobilization force for the ICA under Lord Eternal Constant... At the same time, it is also our duty to support the graduates in completing the tasks assigned by Lord Eternal Constant."
"While Lycoris's equipment, if we had to pinpoint exactly where it comes from, is actually leftovers from the ICA that they couldn't sell, Nana- senpai, you can take anything here~"
Hearing the pink-haired principal, rumored among students to be a guinea pig for a de-aging experiment, describe Nana in this way, Takina tilted her head:
"...'senior'?"
Regarding Takina's doubts, the pink-haired girl named Mika, who possessed the unique Halo of Sankta, smiled and looked at the student who had successfully graduated the previous year but seemed to have had bad luck, a student who left a deep impression on her:
"Yes, Nana- senpai might be a stranger to you, after all, students these days are maturing earlier and earlier because of the Intercity Network... But in our red-clad circle, the original 'Chief,' the Ghost Assassin by the side of the Eternal Constant, is something everyone at your age talks about with great interest~"
Listening to the headmistress's narration, Raiden, who was near the back of the group and had been called by Nana to take her phone to analyze information Thunder, frowned and pulled Takina back:
"Wait a minute, Ms. Mika was once the top student in red? I've never heard of that before."
"Hmm? After all, even if we have some privileges because of Eternal Constant's favoritism, it's still just a title from our student days... Generally speaking, after graduation, we focus more on our current job and status... Unless, for some special reason, we're forced to wear this uniform again after getting a new job..."
Following the pink-haired girl's smiling gaze, everyone looked at Nana. Nana, whose gaze had been fixed on the girls in their light, flowing sportswear during PE class on the school playground, turned around and realized that everyone was looking at her.
Honestly, this silence, as if the world had fallen silent, was quite awkward. The first to speak up was Takina, who had already become familiar with Nana.
She even compared herself to Typhon again... and compared to the Sarkaz girl's seemingly eight-year-old childish eyes, Takina immediately glared at Nana:
"... So you really prefer younger women?"
"Ah... what are you talking about? I just... that playground looks familiar..."
Just as Nana hesitated, seemingly unsure how to describe it, Mika, who had led the way, smiled and came to her rescue:
"It's probably because it feels like a school and a church; after all, my senior was a believer..."
"You can tell?"
"You made the sign of the cross when you entered... However, it might only look familiar because the school's layout is similar to that of a typical Laterano monastery... After all, when you became a cardinal, Lycoris hadn't yet separated from the ICA... Back then, this place was still called the ICA Training Department... Because your graduation exam caused such a stir, it was unforgettable for me, who was still in compulsory education at the time."
"However, thanks to you, Lord Eternal Constant later ordered the normalization of children's education. Although the ICA had to establish two additional schools and incur significant costs for obtaining the necessary licenses, the ICA gradually transformed into a normal company through this process, giving many of my generation greater freedom of choice in their lives... We are all very grateful to you."
Although this person, who holds the position of Principal Lycoris and has striking long pink hair, should theoretically be someone Nana would never forget... keeps recounting her life story to Nana... the problem is, there really is no one named Mika in Nana's memory.
Was it really because she was too lonely in the past? Of course, the assessment that Mika mentioned... Nana really went too far... She actually launched the instructor who was participating in the assessment's role-playing game into the sky using the Mechanical Hunter Escape System, and it is said that the person was seriously injured as a result... After all, judging from that person's request, it seemed like he was deliberately making things difficult for her.
So, regarding my ICA assessment... aside from the fact that I genuinely didn't intentionally kill my colleagues, I did knock them unconscious, and I really did strip them naked and tie them up completely...
Looking back now, her "instructors" must have had a terrible impression of her. Nana had always thought that this was why only her manager was in contact with her.
As Nana and the others mentally explained their fragmented past to Cole, they had already passed through the church's main hall.
This place serves as both a school auditorium and a preaching hall in a church...
The pipe organ, the fragmented yet cohesive stained glass windows of the Iberia- style church, and the nuns in their habitation exude a strong sense of religious asceticism. However, the occasional beige hue punctuated by a few modern urban students in blue uniforms adds a touch of youthful color to the church.
"... Although it's a school, the number of students doesn't seem to be very large... There seem to be more teachers dressed as monks than students?"
"After all, Lycoris is officially recognized less as a school and more as a church organization providing compulsory education for female orphans to enter society..."
Seeing that Mika seemed to be repeating other people's explanations rather than her own understanding, Nana raised an eyebrow and asked:
"Is it to receive sponsorship from the ICA and municipal subsidies under the guise of an orphanage?"
"Well... actually Lycoris, the children's education and expenses, etc., have been a problem for a long time now, thanks to the help of wave after wave of colleagues... after all, as you can see from our environment, we are not short of money..."
Just as Mika seemed troubled and unsure how to explain, a voice came from not far away—another Mika more composed than Mika's, and one that caught the pink-haired girl's eye... Liberi, wearing the same dress uniform as Mika, representing the senior management of Lycoris:
"The reason for insisting on using the church and orphanage label is more about bypassing the ICA and applying directly to Laterano for 'Laterano Gun' possession qualifications."
"Ha~ Right, right~ As expected, Nagisa is much better at interpreting this kind of copywriting~"
"... You idiot... why be so unruly in front of your seniors..."
Seeing the dignified Principal Lycoris playfully bickering with what should be an administrative staff member of the same rank, seemingly still sixteen years old, Nana first wanted to tug at Takina... but then noticed that the long-haired, black-haired Lycoris was currently crouching on the ground, covering her face, looking like she was having a meltdown. So Nana changed her target and tugged at the sleeve of the unfazed Little Raiden:
"Does your principal and... this teacher often do this?"
"Ah, um... Mika -chan... that's the principal. She and Nagisa-sensei seem to have been partners since childhood, but I never imagined that Mika- chan was actually the one in red..."
Before Little Raiden could even process her thoughts, Nana's attention immediately focused on the name 'Nagisa':
"Nagisa... that's a name from the Higashi, right? There aren't many Higashi immigrants in Columbia. I didn't expect to see any other Higashi besides Takina..."
"Ah, if you're asking about that..."