Chapter 162

On the vehicle radio, patrolling members were giving reports, some tense, some nonchalant. Meanwhile, Jaeger had recently finished a cigarette, squinted his eyes with a pained expression, his brow furrowed deeply.

"... Would you mind if I smoked another one?"

"Well, please feel free... or you can use this action to draw your sidearm directly. As a matter of professional ethics, I won't fire just because of this action... although that would lower my opinion of you."

The girl's voice made the man's right hand, which was reaching for his armpit, tremble slightly. The sheriff's deputy glanced again at the brand-new pistol that the girl was playing with, but ultimately reached for the inside pocket of his coat rather than the holster under his arm.

After lighting a cigarette, opening the car window for fresh air, and taking a deep drag, Jaeger stared at the red light, impatiently tapping his fingers as he asked:

So... how should I address you?

"I am indeed using Alice's identity document now, please don't be so formal..."

"So you're not here to kill me? Then I won't hold back... What organization is Lycoris? What's the ICA and 'Eternal Constant' all about? And what are you planning to do...? Can you tell me?"

Seeing the sheriff's deputy's impatient expression, Nana could only respond with a professional smile. The matte black pistol, caressed by the girl's smooth, jade-like fingers, made the gun seem less like a weapon and more like a work of art on display.

"This doesn't seem like something that can be explained in a single red light... And while the Atlas people's account was somewhat biased, there's nothing wrong with our basic organizational structure..."

"Although Lycoris is just an all-girls church school, it is considered part of the ICA because Lord 'Eternal Constant' specifically recruits ICA talent from this school... Well, as I put it, the enemy's assessment of us is still biased."

"You mean you're going to deny their murder charges against the ICA?"

"Of course, because this isn't murder... ICA operations are all based on national security considerations, and our actions are backed by the Homeland Security Bureau. You can access the operation reports from the Congressional Archives Division... Of course, that's assuming you have sufficient authority... Since I'm still employed by you, if you really want to declassify our files, you might consider filing a public prosecution against the 'Ghost' of the Homeland Security Bureau... If the Director and you can withstand the pressure and aren't dealt with by other security agencies, you still have a fairly good chance of seeing the 'Ghost's' operation files... After all, the parties involved don't mind those things being exposed."

It seemed that Nana's arrogance angered Jaeger, and the uncle subconsciously pulled out his revolver and pointed it at Nana, who was getting up to get out of the car. The countdown to the red light was about to end.

"The Security Bureau?! You've got quite the arrogance of officials!"

"Huh? Who was it that said, 'I actually lean towards Atlas because they have a stronger backer and are harder to deal with'? If you're really the type to uphold justice, the first thing you should be concerned about is why this city has become the way it is today!"

As Alice completely ignored him, sheathed her gun and walked towards the Continental Hotel not far away. Knowing that he couldn't follow her once she went inside, Jaeger hurriedly got out of the car and continued to point his gun at her... But in the blink of an eye, as if time had been edited, by the time Jaeger reacted, the Continental Hotel doorman had already opened the Hotel door for Nana, and the crowd of onlookers inside were casting incredibly intense stares at Jaeger...

Just before entering, the blonde girl turned back as if she had forgotten something, and said with a smile:

"It's getting late, Uncle Jaeger. Please think carefully about the information you've gathered... As a partner in protecting the city and a fellow government employee, I believe you and your colleagues in the police department will make the right choice."

After saying that, Nana waved and left.

As the heavy wooden doors of the Continental Hotel slowly closed, the brass mirrored doorknobs reflecting the afterglow of the setting sun. Jaeger, having put away his pistol, paid no heed to the cacophony of horns blaring along the street.

Frustrated, the sheriff's deputy pulled the car close to the edge of the narrow two-lane road, even driving halfway onto the sidewalk, and lit another cigarette before making an emergency call.

"... Hmm, I have something important to report. Also, seal off Continental Hotel!"

P. S.: Mygo is so good, it's made me want to write urban fiction again... but I'll think about it later.

PS2: Waaah, I still can't balance the setting and the screen time of various organizations... So, I'll just stop trying to make sure every character has a role and see how it goes.

5th The Laytonson's Ghost Assassin: 176 They betrayed the people's class

Given that every Columbia police car is equipped with lethal force, and considering their role as the basic unit of government function, arguing with a well-known police chief while fully armed in the middle of the road... or rather, debating, is clearly not in line with the code of conduct for an assassin.

Such an action was too conspicuous, and given the Continental Hotel's role as a middleman in a gray area, even Nana, dressed in a police uniform, became the focus of attention the moment she stepped into the lobby.

The smiling blonde assassin seemed unconcerned by the meaningful or hostile glances she received. The girl even brazenly removed her old police station bulletproof vest in the lobby.

She was certain that even if the members of Atlas were stunned by her reversal of identity, they wouldn't dare to start a war with her here.

Or rather, the girl longed for them to have the audacity and magnanimity to overthrow 'Laisenton' as well... Unfortunately, the girl could not obtain what did not exist in the world.

She politely showed the room key her manager had given her to the seemingly annoyed but still smiling lobby manager. On the way to the elevator, Nana's tone was light and cheerful, as if she were on a school trip to the hotel... instead of changing her gear and going to find her already exposed target to wreak havoc.

"Please arrange room service for my local courier service. Also, please clean up this police uniform and equipment and return it to the authorities."

"Understood... However, that lord has something he wishes to tell you..."

Dressed in a neat the Hotel suit without a single wrinkle, the dark brown-skinned Lupo followed behind Nana with his head bowed and his gaze lowered.

The gold-rimmed glasses added a touch of elegance to his tall stature and the muscular physique beneath his fitted shirt, but the bulging holsters under his arms and the taut muscles throughout his body betrayed his true nature as a seasoned Firearms Arts user.

"Even if you are the [Chief], it is not legal for you to extend the government's struggle to the Hotel. May I ask, 'Eternal Constant,' are you planning to write the entire set of rules for Laisenton?"

"Legal principles?"

Watching the manager respectfully press the button for the room's floor, Nana tossed him a bulletproof vest, a rifle, and other police equipment, then smiled and tilted her head.

However, the manager didn't seem to find it funny at all; instead, his body tensed up even more, as the Firearms Arts was twirled up and down in the girl's hands... he himself was like a rubber band that could snap at any moment.

"Mr. Manager, how long have we known each other?"

Slightly pulling back the holster, Nana glanced at the special ammunition in the chamber, each round costing four Lungmen Dollar), and her eyes flickered as she observed the magical glow flowing across the manager's skin... Without using a large staff, even a warlock with considerable knowledge of Firearms Arts would find it difficult to compete with her in armor-piercing bullets.

Even though he had to bite the bullet and ask 'Chief Lycoris's' attitude, the manager was probably under considerable pressure... This could be seen from the fact that she was sweating profusely just from answering the question:

"It's been over ten years, Your Excellency..."

"Ten years... that seems like a very long time..."

"I still remember ten years ago when my superior and I took over the reins of order from the Militia Guard, kicked those messy families into the trash heap, and re-established a completely new system and rules, giving independent jurisdiction to Mercenaries, gangs, and other dangerous elements, so that citizens no longer had to fear the sunset and children could sleep peacefully in the night."

"I remember your face. You were with another person, following... 'that gentleman'..."

Opening the solid wood door—heavy with its magical enhancements and internal armor, making it unsuitable for the Hotel use— Nana removed her uniform jacket, revealing a pristine white shirt, not a single drop of sweat on it.

"That gentleman is now at the High Table in Laisenton ...and you, have you ever wondered why, after ten years, you're still just a lobby manager?"

"Grown ups..."

Lupo, with his dark brown skin, had droopy ears like Perro's, but what made him even more uneasy was that two more people had appeared beside him without him noticing.

One was Lycoris, unkempt and menacing, yet dressed in a strikingly familiar red dress; the other was a fellow clansman with a warm smile... Judging from his appearance, this Lupo was very similar to himself; after all, he was his cousin...

The fact that a mediocre sorcerer like myself was able to get the job of lobby manager was also related to the other party's favor.

"Your Excellency, it has been a long time since I last greeted you."

"Hmm, another person has appeared behind that gentleman from back then... If he's now at the 'High Table,' then you're managing the 'The Hotel' in Laisenton?"

He nodded politely, his white gloves brushing over his shoulders with a standard gesture, followed by a curtsy... The Hotel's true manager couldn't shake off his heavy Victoria accent, or rather, the traces of the Hotel's original operators couldn't be easily removed even if the ICA deliberately tried to erase them.

Nana ignored those superficial things. After accepting the uniform delivered by Thunder and putting on the bright red jacket, the girl played with her gold-dyed side braid, finally turning to look at the person who was now truly in charge of the Hotel:

"Your brother says I'm acting illegally, what do you say?"

"... He lacked understanding of the management details of the High Table and the government, and his understanding of you was even more superficial. It's understandable that he developed unwarranted ideas over the course of ten years."

"Brother... what... what are you saying?"

The lobby manager's silence caused Thunder, who was watching nearby, to chuckle. With that chuckle, Nana's gaze gently returned to the lobby manager... Clearly, the assassin rarely looked at others so intently, unless it was their final act of devotion.

"You seem confused? You don't know what a stupid thing you did, do you... Legal principles... a product of compromise, actually said to the party that made the rules 'this is not in accordance with legal principles' just ten years later... I almost put your gentleman on my list."

As Nana spoke, she looked at the Hotel's actual manager, a tall, thin middle-aged man named Lupo, who maintained his professional smile. He completely ignored his brother's helpless expression, as if he didn't exist at all.

"Your Excellency, I hope my brother hasn't broken any more contracts..."

"Actually, it's alright. Apart from the fact that he almost made me think the Hotel was on Atlas's side at the beginning, there haven't been too many other problems... Normally, this might not be a problem, after all, an organization can't control people's hearts one-on-one... But now that I'm here as the 'Chief,' the will of the Eternal Constant is clear. Before I deal with the opposing faction, I believe the Continental Hotel can handle the issue of its internal staff's wavering stance on its own..."

Having said that, Nana holstered the pistol, which, though unfired, had been making its stance clear, and tossed the room key back to the Hotel manager.

"Check out... Also, please arrange for the courier service... After all, it's different for them than for us; losing a police uniform would be a stain on that child's record."

After taking all her belongings from the Hotel and tossing the bags into her newly bought car, Nana turned to look at Little Raiden, who had to fill in for her because Takina was in jail.

"You've had a good day~ Although Lycoris's exposure was a little unexpected, we managed to get through the day fairly smoothly."

"Thank you for your hard work~ my foot! I understand you don't want the police to completely side with the other side, but is it appropriate to hold Takina and the others hostage in the police station just to win over the military and police?"

"What's inappropriate about it?"

"We're a secret service organization, right? Lycoris's mystery has been completely exposed... If everyone knew that Lycoris's average age is no more than twenty... they'd be looked down upon..."

Nana was securing her luggage, listened to Little Raiden's complaints in silence and closed the suitcase. Although, due to her age, Nana wouldn't be too harsh on a student like Little Raiden.

However, if the work becomes too mysterious, and even she herself can't tell how deep it is, Nana would consider telling Mika or Nagisa to make Thunder redo his work.

Lycoris's covert operations initially defied the rules of gang warfare, but in a time when the more mysterious something is, the less it is understood by the public, only by clearly standing on the side of the people can one gain public support and obtain the foundation for the secret service's operations—the illusory and elusive concept of 'righteousness'.

Although Nana always felt there was more to the story than met the eye regarding the reasons for the war's outbreak... due to the involvement of the National Laboratory, she was still able to plan how to end the war in her 'hometown'... just like ten years ago, when she quelled the city under her manager's orders.

As for Nana's decision, Thunder seemed to have a lot to say, scratching his head, but in the end, this young man in red, who always kept his face bare and had a fierce, slanted eye, seemed to believe Nana's judgment:

"... Principal Mika and Nagisa-sensei both believe in you, and even that adult said you are 'The Ghost.' I'll just have to see how things develop... Let me make this clear first, things aren't over between me and Takina yet. If she dies at the police station, it will be very troubling for me. I still have things to say to Nono about her injuries..."

Seeing Nana's expression gradually become more playful, even Thunder's own voice grew softer, and a blush crept onto his unadorned cheeks... As Nana gave him a "go on, I'm listening" look, Thunder stomped his foot in annoyance:

"In short! I reserve the authority to take my colleagues from the police station away at any time for independent operations! Senior, is there anything else you need me to do?! If not, I'll continue with my previous task of helping the other members on standby!"

"Okay, go ahead..."

As soon as she finished speaking, Nana suddenly remembered the Lycoris she had met today:

"Speaking of which, after the school program was suspended, apart from the group I encountered today who had a direct confrontation with Atlas... are the Atlas members in the city still attacking Lycoris and her group?"

"... No, everyone in the academy carried out your orders; all combat groups avoided large-scale conflict with Atlas... but..."

"But?"

"But I still have doubts about whether this avoidance of battle will help retake the city..." (Qi)

Seeing Lycoris in red who had taken her place as the city's guardian, hesitate, Nana helplessly played with the ends of her hair.

After all, in Little Raiden's eyes, Lycoris was a spy organization that relied on covert and unexpected actions to complete its missions... Her understanding of the 'organization' was still at the level of the ICA being her superior, and there was nothing she could do about thinking that way.

But since she was ultimately handed over to her by her agent, after witnessing the full scope of the ICA and the unique structure of the Columbia government, she will likely gain a new understanding of 'struggle'.

As for now, Nana could only smile and then send him away. (Qi)

As Nana, now back in her 'Chief' attire, drove away from the parking lot in her flamboyant bright red car, amidst screams of falling debris and gasps from the surrounding police, Nana glanced at the corpse she had just encountered... The male Lupo's features were still discernible despite the fall from dozens of stories.

If you look up now, you might see the Hotel manager who looks like a twin... or perhaps the former manager who has now become a 'High Table' manager.

However, Nana found it difficult to muster any interest in the internal affairs of the Continental Hotel, as assigning tasks was already quite troublesome.

[Captain, we have successfully entered Raisington City... As per your request, 'Medic' will be the primary person in charge of this patient transfer.]

[Me... Medic is ready...]

Jessica's voice always seemed to carry a sob, but it was precisely because of this that she could always play the role of 'Medic' so naturally... After all, 'Nana' was just a weak, pitiful, and helpless finance officer who had been captured by Kal'tsit and taken to Rhodes Island.

Thinking this way, even the role the laboratory played in this incident, which had previously been a thorn in Nana's side, seemed to gradually fade away:

So, is there a tactical purpose behind the captain having Jessica play 'Medic' again this time?

[Hey Liskarm, why are you asking about this? Are you out of your mind?!]

As Liskarm and Franka delivered their usual comedic duo performance, Nana's lips curled into a smile... Whether this was based on a simulation of 'Alice's' personality or came from the heart, Nana herself probably wasn't quite sure:

"The tactical objective... well... it's probably to completely separate the identities of 'Chief' and 'Medic Operator'... In short, Rhodes Island's actions are compliant and legal, so you can just act openly and legitimately."

[So... Me... no, Nana, you're planning something big, aren't you?]

Huang's voice sounded somewhat distorted, Nana tapped her phone, making even the Halo above her head brighter.

"I need to deal with those traitors..."

Feeling and recalling the previous Halo that seemed to signal an impending intense Empathy, Nana immediately used Witchcraft to forcefully suppress it:

"Whether it's permitting the existence of war zones or abusing government power, there's no doubt that they have betrayed the people."

PS: Waaaaaaah!

5th The Laytonson's Ghost Assassin: 177 Typhon's Dream

In Columbia during winter, the sky changes color very quickly, as if the very concept of 'evening' has been erased from this land.

In the short time it takes to drink a cup of coffee, the sky would unknowingly darken. Add to that the howling winds that would begin after dark, and even the most robust of the Elders would be reluctant to linger on the streets.

People either hugged their arms tightly or covered their coat lapels to try and prevent heat loss due to the strong wind... A normal person would probably quicken their pace to get home, right?

However, on this block of the Continental Hotel, a Rhodes Island ambulance marked 'Originium Pollution' quietly pulled up in front of a coffee shop without a sign.

Two Mercenaries bearing the Blacksteel insignia were the first to emerge from the ambulance, followed by three girls in Rhodes Island uniforms who filed out of the ambulance, which was filled with medical equipment.

The girls weren't exactly discreet; the Blacksteel Mercenaries were even chatting and joking, looking quite relaxed. The Rhodes Island members, meanwhile, rubbed their arms and coldly entered the café...

The discrepancy between the temperature and the task left the observers lurking in the shadows of the alley across the street with a rather complicated feeling:

"Two Blacksteel Mercenaries, one with a shield and Firearms Arts harness on his waist, and the other a guard... a red-clad Vulpo and a white-haired dwarf... Can you find them?"

"How many Vulpo and Dwarf do you think there are on the Blacksteel website? As for groups, there are even more; they're all so dark you can't tell them apart!"