Chapter 264

But it was precisely this unwillingness, this refusal to endure, and this refusal to compromise that elicited a smile from the gray-haired judge:

"This is already a huge step forward. Thirty years ago, no one would have objected to this... Lavinia, you've recognized the distortion of our system, and I'm glad that more and more young people are dreaming of pursuing true justice... However, unless you have the strength of Miss Feline, you still have to start by learning how to protect yourself..."

As if she had completed her lesson, Judge Vittoria stretched, stood up with a smile, and said:

"So, let's put aside topics like the confusion of the young people and the future of Siracusa for now... As you might expect, outsiders, I have a favor to ask of you... Although generally I only need to ask you to 'don't make things difficult for me,' the locals naturally know what they can and cannot do..."

"Alright, since you are all outsiders, I will make an exception and emphasize this ugly, tacit legal understanding based on family custom to you all—do not try to offend Lady Sicilia's dignity."

"I believe that as a reputable expert on the Infected, Rhodes Island wouldn't recklessly break the law... But I do know that Rhodes Island has a talent recruitment system that doesn't care about background but only looks at ability."

"So I'll be frank: don't try to make excuses for that woman, for Little Lisa's mother... Whatever her initial reasons, the chaos in the city-state has exceeded the threshold. The long-unseen family massacre has reappeared. If it's not dealt with, other families will follow suit, and then the country of Siracusa will be doomed."

"Furthermore, it seems that the Sicilians have had some conflicts with you all... I heard of 'Rhodes Island' when I was studying in Columbia. Back then, you weren't a medical company, and I know you're not just a simple humanitarian organization. But like Little Lisa's mother, please give Siracusa, Lady Sicilia, the Maw of the Great Wolf, and conscientious judges like myself some basic respect."

"For example, don't call my people to clean the floor for no reason, or suddenly tell me that a certain family has been wiped out... On the other hand, I will not interfere with Rhodes Island's reasonable and legal actions in this city... To be honest, I wish you would leave with Little Lisa as soon as possible. Leaving that child here is harmful to both her and that woman."

"So let's get this over with quickly, it'll be better for everyone."

As the gray-haired judge spoke, the tip of her tail twitched slightly. Nana grabbed her own tail, which seemed to have a mind of its own and had slipped into her palm. The tip of the cat's tail swayed from side to side.

"So here's the question: Rhodes Island's target, that girl named Lisa, where is she?"

"How would I know? That woman went crazy after her daughter was hit by the bomb. Not only did she hide her daughter so well that no one could find her, but she also did something like wiping out an entire family... Now even ordinary people know that a local family has been completely wiped out, and everyone is terrified..."

Shaking her head, the unconventional judge never shied away from discussing her relationship with Rhodes Island's clients.

Whether it was her affection for Lisa or her determination to get rid of her client... Vittoria and the client must have some kind of relationship, which was almost obvious from the other woman's melancholy indigo eyes without even asking.

"Then let's conclude the 'interrogation' phase here... Judging by the time, the siege of your clients by those families should have ended by now."

While discussing terrifying topics that made Folinic and Su Sulo's eyes twitch, Nana realized that this 'inquiry' was probably a measure taken by the judge to prevent Rhodes Island from becoming a target of 'attack' as well.

As the spokesperson for Lady Sicilia, although the topic was off-topic and quite subjective, the other party had said what needed to be said in terms of advice and explanation. If Rhodes Island continues to insist on getting involved, then the other party will just handle things officially from now on.

Nana understood what the gray-haired Lupo was thinking; if possible, she also hoped that this mission could be completed easily and simply.

With the arrival of the intern judge named Lavinia, who brought in the confiscated equipment and unlocked Folinic's handcuffs, the Rhodes Island team had now completed what seemed like a cursed routine— Nana had to visit law enforcement agencies in every city she visited as a memento.

After everyone left, the trainee judge and Vittoria started discussing something, which Nana will ignore for now... Just as everyone was preparing to quietly return to their cars, Nana suddenly spotted a familiar face in the courthouse's waffle-themed lobby.

Wearing a suit, Lupo stood by the wall with a bandage wrapped around his head and a dressing on his face, but his expression still conveyed indifference and coldness. The 1.8-meter-tall man seemed to be deliberately standing there.

Su Sulo might not remember, but Nana still recognized the face. Wasn't this the guy who had taken the lead in exploring Rhodes Island and then spent hours chasing her on mountain roads?

"Won't you pretend to be reading the newspaper this time?"

Nana's somewhat provocative words only earned her a cold stare. The man, whose head, suit cuffs, and ankles were all wrapped in bandages, simply retorted with a sharp gaze:

"Hello, Rhodes Island folks, I'm the Sicilians gang leader, the one in charge of monitoring you all... If you want to have some fun, do it now. I'll get my revenge for my men sooner or later."

"A grudge against your subordinate? I hadn't even noticed until you mentioned it. How come you're suddenly all alone? Besides, this is a courtroom; you need evidence to speak... Did I kill your subordinate?"

Their conversation quickly attracted the attention of the court staff nearby. When Nana asked a question, the man in the bandaged suit frowned. Even though Nana didn't turn around, she could smell the lingering scent of biscuits that had belonged to Vittoria... The judge was probably smiling at the Sicilians at that moment.

As if being interrogated, the man, who appeared to be Lupo, forced himself to answer:

"They died in a car accident... It's all your fault, Rhodes Island."

"... Aren't you the ones who're relentlessly pursuing this? Or are you going to sue me here for dangerous driving? Siracusa doesn't seem to have that law... Why? Because your family is known for dangerous driving?"

With that, Nana ignored the man, and the three from Rhodes Island got into the car and drove away without anyone stopping them.

Vittoria kept her word; she really didn't stop Nana... In fact, court personnel even stopped the man, and based on the few words Nana uttered as she left, it was clear they were questioning the man about the 'deceased' he had mentioned.

"... However, it's really strange..."

Not only Nana, but even Su Sulo, who was sitting in the passenger seat, looked somewhat bewildered. As Folinic pressed for answers, Nana offered a brief explanation of the situation.

"It seems I didn't do anything particularly egregious to those people... I remember that apart from one car veering off the mountain road and the closest car crashing into the reinforced mountainside, at least one car should have come to a smooth stop... How could all my men be dead?"

Even if we take a step back and assume the worst, there were people driving electric cars at the very beginning.

In silence, the car drove toward Typhon's location, and to get the other two's attention back on their mission to find Lisa, Nana made an assumption about this anomaly:

"Perhaps our clients also included them in their need to exterminate the entire family, after all, the Sicilians are also getting in our way... Didn't Vittoria say that she completely doesn't understand Lisa's mother now?"

With this completely unfunny assumption in mind, the group activated the team communication system about a street away from Typhon. But just like with Folinic before, Typhon did not make any calls within the team. Instead, they heard a completely unfamiliar voice.

[Um... is it connected now? It's flashing... hello?]

Amidst the questioning voice of this unfamiliar girl who sounded quite young, Nana and the others approached her silently and in unison. They saw a brown-haired Vulpo wearing a worn-out wilderness coat and a red and white headband.

"How exactly do I use this thing?"

"It's currently under surveillance. For proper usage instructions, you can check them on our internal system after obtaining a Rhodes Island operator contract or employment agreement."

Nana's sudden voice clearly startled the girl named Anshin'in Angelina; after all, jumping two meters high from a standing position was clearly a stress response. Lu

"Hello, we are members of Rhodes Island... We should have met briefly yesterday at a hotel." Lin

"Rhodes Island? Oh, it's the car with the smashed headlights... But, this thing... Is that Miss Sankta from Rhodes Island?"

As if suddenly realizing something, she instantly wore an anxious expression.

Angelina said helplessly:

"Um! You're Typhon's companions, right? She needs help!"

"... That's why we came here." Dad

PS: Waaaaaaah, cat meow!

Woof woof cat. jpg silk

PSS: As a transitional volume, I felt that the events in Suzuran were neither too complicated nor too simple... so a lot of space was devoted to describing the situation in Siracusa... I hope you don't find it too verbose, since there won't be any more like it later.

The 8th Spring of Siracusa: 298 Angelina's Surprise

Perhaps because she was surrounded by Nana and her men, even after the assassin claimed to have no ill intentions in the name of Rhodes Island, Miss Angelina appeared quite panicked.

"The murder just happened... Many members of her family are chasing her! The judge is chasing her too! I tried to guide her through a safe area, but ordinary people can't stop the family and the judge! I just glanced over, Typhon is surrounded! You must hurry and help her!" Jin

"Well then, let's get in the car and talk as we drive. Also... Ms. Anshin'in Angelina, you should calm down... Things haven't reached the point of conflict yet, and getting too agitated isn't good for your condition."

As she spoke, Su Sulo withdrew her scrutinizing gaze from the Originium Crystals wound on the girl's thigh, and took out a box of emergency patching medication from her bag, handing it to Angelina:

"Here, you know how to use this yourself, right?"

"... Huh? This... does it cost money?"

"No need, this is... um, company benefits."

Although Angelina herself still didn't understand how Rhodes Island's company benefits had anything to do with her, under Su Sulo's half-coaxing, half-deception, and sincere persuasion as a doctor, Angelina still used Rhodes Island's third-generation Oripathy inhibitor.

The sedative components quickly alleviated the symptoms of anxiety, palpitations, and mental agitation—which were actually signs of activated Oripathy crystals. The girl, who had been exhibiting somewhat exaggerated symptoms due to an Oripathy attack, finally returned to normal after the vehicle started and drove for a distance.

"Um... thank you very much, I was just..."

"This is normal hyperactivity during an early Oripathy attack, nothing to worry about... Also, continuing from the previous topic, since there haven't been any explosions or the spells we're familiar with in the city, Little Typhon is most likely not engaged in combat right now, so she should be safe."

Looking at the girl in the rearview mirror who still seemed worried, Nana deliberately slowed down her speech and comforted her, saying:

"By the way, why do you have Typhon's communicator? Did she say anything to you?"

"... I... I'm not quite sure... sorry. Today I received a text message saying someone wanted to use my messenger service, but when I arrived at the Church District and asked around about the person inquiring about me, suddenly there were screams coming from the church itself, saying that the family's assassins were killing people again..."

"I was terrified and my mind went blank because the family that manages the security would show up quickly in this situation, and I didn't get along with them, so I said I had to leave immediately... But a lot of familiar uncles and aunts were being harassed by the family thugs because they weren't packing up their stalls fast enough, and I offered to help them... But the scene was too chaotic, and I couldn't take so many people with me... Just as I was anxiously fighting with the thugs, Miss Typhon appeared."

"So she helped you leave?"

Nodding, Angelina, somewhat agitated, clenched her fists and, seemingly Typhon's actions, brandished them twice.

"Yes, Miss Typhon knocked down the leader of the thugs with one punch, which allowed me to take advantage of the chaos to send everyone away and save some valuable goods... So, is Miss Typhon really alright? At least when I left, there were still many people gathered there..."

"She should be fine. If something had happened to her, this area wouldn't be so quiet now."

As she spoke, Nana glanced at the deserted street, now mostly empty as most of the 'family assassins' had retreated into their houses. Following Angelina's directions, they drove across another intersection, the SUV bearing the Rhodes Island insignia brazenly advancing right under the noses of the thugs lining the roadside.

"That's my disciple... Even so, her style is completely opposite to mine. When she gets serious, her attacks never show any mercy to her surroundings... Look at those family thugs standing here unharmed; Typhon probably hasn't even used his weapons."

"But... that's the family that controls this city, you know? I'm worried... could it be that Miss Typhon has already..."

"Impossible."

Interrupting the unfounded speculation that might worsen Angelina's condition, Nana looked at Luca ahead and the family thugs surrounding them, then stopped the child in the back seat from his anxious mutterings:

"While the family may hold absolute power, Rhodes Island is no Little Biscuit... Even the Emperor of Ursus has to give us some face, and how many divisions do these Sicilians have?"

As Nana finished speaking, while Angelina waited with her head bowed and trembling, the thugs who had surrounded her first tried to open the car door without success, then tapped on the back window with their rubber batons.

"I recognize you, the Infected Messenger... whatever you're called... I'm telling you, your days of flying around using Originium Arts are over. Now, get out here... and you, that purple Vulpo, you come out too! The clan has something to ask you..."

As Nana lowered the car window, the thugs' attention was drawn to the driver's seat. Upon seeing the dark muzzle of a Compact 1911 rifle pointed at their brows, the previously boastful family members fell silent.

"If you want someone, come and get them yourself... There's never been a reason for me to give them to you just because you want them. You know the rules of Siracusa."

"You..."

"If I'm not mistaken, your mission is to maintain order so that the real city magistrates can hunt down a Vulpo, the perpetrator of the recent family massacre... I understand why you're looking for my men, but I'll just say it directly: they aren't him, and if you try to stop me, you will all die."

As she spoke, the car door opened, Nana flicked her cat ears to shoo away the annoying raindrops. Holding a gun in her right hand, she gestured for the surrendering men to move the roadblocks. At the same time, a black flame constructed of intense magical light blazed and burned fiercely along the emerald light of the assassin's left eye.

"Will you stay alive and tell the Gray Table Executive that someone took the Infected Messenger, or go to the afterlife and tell them that Rhodes Island gave you a ride? Now, choose."

Clearly, the other party, though hesitant, ultimately made a rational choice; family thugs always prefer compromises unless given a direct order from their superiors.

If you tell them to lose face, they will obviously be very unhappy. But if you tell them to kill their whole family if they get in the way, they will be happy to do something that makes them lose face.

As the roadblocks were removed, Nana withdrew her spell, nodded politely, and said thank you before the car left the encirclement of the family assassins.

"In that case... the Sicilians certainly won't let this go... what if they send a judge to cause trouble..."

As for Angelina, who had recovered but still looked like she was about to cry, Folinic and Su Sulo seemed quite used to it:

"It's alright, I'd say that's already quite restrained for Nana... By the way, can we tell her?"

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, the assassin knew that Su Sulo was reminding her not to leave the child in a state of complete confusion. So, Nana nodded quickly and naturally.

"Of course... Don't worry, we've already reached an agreement with the court officials. As long as too many people don't die, the court won't interfere with us."

Seeing Angelina exclaim "Huh?" and then seem even more uneasy, Nana continued to explain:

"Because what we need to do is also to restore peace to this city... Typhon probably hasn't told you why she's looking for you yet. Actually, it's not that she personally wants to find you, but that 'we' Rhodes Island are looking for you."

"... I... I'm just a novice messenger. At most... I just use some less common spells..."

"Your magic is not something that can be described as 'rare'... But we can postpone that for now, let's talk about our mission first."

Driving, he quickly spoke with Angelina, explaining their objective, the target 'Lisa,' and the reason they had come to Siracusa... She was suspected of being the 'client' of this family's assassins. Although she had dropped out of school, Angelina, whose logical abilities were still quite good, quickly pieced together the key points in her mind:

"So, as long as you take Lisa away, or meet the client... the recent rampage of family feuds will end?"

While Angelina's summarizing ability was concise, omitting too many details and preconditions only made things harder for Nana to grasp, so Nana had to add more details again:

"... I never said that meeting would end things... After all, I believe there are still hidden circumstances involved."

"Our client is a family henchman who loves his daughter very much, but even though he was dragged into this revenge as his daughter, it is really unusual that he is leaving himself no way out and seems to be aiming to provoke Lady Sicilia."

"And as you said, Angelina, we came to you because we wanted to find that client through your local connections... But do you know what it means for the court to agree to give us preferential treatment?"

Nana glanced at the puzzled Little Fox tilting its head, sensed Typhon's presence, stopped the vehicle, and simultaneously used her Exploration Paradigm to signal Typhon to return to the group:

"This means that the Lady Sicilia's representatives have permitted our actions... with the primary goal of restoring order to the city, and as long as we can do it, the court will turn a blind eye to whatever we do that violates Siracusa's traditions..."

"After all, Rhodes Island is an outsider. If it's going to follow the rules, it should only follow the rules of Siracusa... If it were to obediently play gangster games with the local families after getting the court's support, it would just become a tug-of-war where they drag it down to the same level and it becomes a contest of who is more stupid."

"... So... what does this have to do with me?"

Looking at Angelina, who seemed still a bit slow on the uptake, Nana glanced at the somewhat nervous girl who looked to be a high school student:

"Isn't this closely related to your life?"

"?"

"The insurance premiums for the Infected... are probably hard to continue paying. Because the families who control the city are all hunting down our clients, the basic work of managing the city and maintaining public order has been delegated to scattered small family alliances like the Sicilians."

"We won't discuss whether the insurance system itself is reasonable here, but I suspect that the chaos in this city is beyond words, given that even a messenger who tries to meet someone after hearing inquiries about him has to hide and run away... As the main source of tax revenue for the government, Sicilians don't have the same individual control as the Grey Hall Family... This makes the already harsh and stingy insurance system a pretext for the family's henchmen to plunder the property of the Infected."

"To speculate even more darkly, it's probably no longer up to the ordinary people to decide whether the Infected... Otherwise, how could something as simple as a family member apprehending a murderer cause chaos among merchants along the way? Shouldn't normal efforts to maintain order and arrest criminals be applauded?"

Whether it was because she had just taken a medication containing Oripathy to prevent Oripathy, or because the black-haired man, Feline, was exerting too much pressure on her as he played with the Firearms Arts in the driver's seat, Angelina felt herself trembling uncontrollably all over, as if she had low blood sugar. It was as if the entire car had become a cage targeting her.

It was Su Sulo, who noticed Angelina's pale face, who glared at Nana. Nai Nai didn't understand why she was being glared at by her friend just for explaining her reasoning and stating the facts.

Was it because he himself expressed the sheer despair of a young girl's life?

But this doesn't mean it doesn't exist just because you don't say anything... Shouldn't it be clearer the sooner you explain it, the sooner you can move on to the next stage of recruitment?