Chapter 266
Most importantly, Nana genuinely doesn't remember when she had a serious conflict with them that escalated to the point of needing to fight to the death.
"... So, to get to the root of the problem, we have to start the investigation with that car accident...?"
Despite these doubts, the immediate priority was to ascertain the status of the mission objective, rather than pondering why the local gangs were being so rude... In short, the plan was to teach them a lesson for their own so-called 'survival of the fittest' Siracusan Rules if they dared to interfere.
Nana drove into the vicinity of the pre-arranged pharmacy.
Before everyone could even get out of the car, looking at the streets surrounded by Sicilians thugs and the government officials in court uniforms diligently working, Nana frowned and looked at Angelina: "Walk..."
"... By the way, is this some kind of government procurement point?" Phosphorus
"No, no, no, there's never been such a saying!"
"These people gathered here... I have a bad feeling."
Before Nana could follow her instincts and drive away, the trainee judge she had met briefly before—a brown-haired woman named Lavinia named Lupo, dressed in uniform and leading a group of people—stopped in front of Nana.
Seeing Nana and her friends waving and greeting her so familiarly, Lavinia frowned at first, then beckoned a Sicilians to whisper something in her ear before waving her 'staff' away.
"Hello... it's been a while, Miss Trainee Judge. Isn't Miss Vittoria here?" Scar
"... I think I know why you've come..."
Without any pleasantries, Lavinia went straight to the point: Four
"But you're probably too late..."
"You're saying all the pharmacy staff were silenced?"
"... Yes, all of them... This was a crime committed with a knife. All the staff on duty were killed. There are also several shops outside that were blown up by Originium explosives. My senior is investigating the scene there... Without a doubt, this is another family-annihilation type of revenge, as always."
"... Does that person have any motive for revenge against the pharmacy? Also, didn't you say before that the family that harmed Lisa had been wiped out?"
"It only means that the person who prepared the Originium Bomb and his family were all wiped out. They were just low-level people who ran a few churches locally and made money off the believers. But the suspect's enemy family is not just that one family."
"These pharmacies have always been under the control of another family... and there's something you need to know: the ownership of these pharmacies, the medicines, and the personnel... belongs to the one that holds a seat in the Gray Hall... Although the senior hasn't told me how to inform you yet, I can imagine that they're already being questioned by the Gray Hall."
Lavinia's words made Nana fall silent for a moment.
Clearly, if the client's mad dog-like killing spree doesn't yield results, the deal where Vittoria the name of the court, allows Rhodes Island to take Lisa away might be forced to fall through under pressure from various families.
Who knows what the bloodthirsty family might do with the assassin's child?
With a sigh, Nana, who had initially thought this was just a touristy mission, looked at the bustling court staff and the Sicilians from Rhodes Island who were clearly wary of her:
"I know what happened... but... I still don't understand why that person would do such a thing? What benefit would she gain from driving the Grey Hall Family to the brink of ruin?"
"... Currently, the locals have reached a consensus on her; everyone says she might have gone mad."
Are you crazy?
Has that person, who meticulously maintained the safe house provided by Rhodes Island, not only adding fences but also carefully decorating it, and who might even spend a short period of time playing on the swings with their daughter... really gone mad?
Nana simply pondered the matter without revealing her guess, since she currently lacked evidence.
[Were all these cases... really handled by that client?]
After consulting with Lavinia and marking the damaged shop on the map, Nana and the others drove back to the hotel... Because the scale of the explosives used in the pharmacy bombing and the conditions required to kill all the employees without alerting anyone else were too obvious, Nana was quite certain that her client's revenge was being used and was out of control.
After all, the scale of this attack was simply too large, and the act of storming into a pharmacy like a madman was highly unusual.
After retrieving everyone's luggage, Nana sent a message to Typhon, who was still helping Angelina and her friends with their affairs.
Rhodes Island then abandoned its pursuit of the persistent Sicilians and immediately drove to the location originally agreed upon with the client... the Rhodes Island Safe House.
This is the place that Nana believes is the most likely place to contact the client, based on the various anomalies she currently faces.
As Nana, who had been keeping an eye on the city, and Su Sulo, who had been idly checking the supplies in the safe house, checked the supplies again and confirmed that someone had indeed been there again, Nana walked out of the room and, under the watchful eyes of the Sicilians, fired a conspicuous 'signal flare' into the sky with her Guardian Gun.
Under the radiant glow of the enormous cross, symbolizing 'Lord,' 'Apocalypse,' 'Divine Punishment,' and 'Judgment,' Nana no longer concealed her Halo. The muzzle of the Guardian Gun was now pointed at the Sicilians, who, though not previously close, had grown increasingly numerous over time.
"The detective game is over... Although you may also be victims who have been manipulated and deceived, you acted based on your own desires... Now, retreat, and no one will get hurt."
"What nonsense is the person who killed my men at the foot of this mountain spouting? Are they playing us for fools?!"
As they spoke, as if they had been specially trained for this moment, the thugs in suits simultaneously took out crossbows and pointed them at the 'Sankta' in front of them.
Angelina, who was not far away and saw that things were not good, was about to grab her staff to help, but then she was dragged behind the car by Su Sulo and Folinic.
Almost simultaneously with Nana activating her bright blue magical shield, a massive arrow imbued with black lightning struck directly from the city behind Nana, hitting the leader of the thugs who had commanded the Sicilians attack—the same person who claimed to be responsible for monitoring Rhodes Island.
Watching the Sicilian captive, pinned to death by a giant arrow, disappear diagonally upwards into the air, facing Nana's dark gun barrel, although it was unclear who started it, the Sicilians' defeat seemed so inevitable.
Out of consideration for not offending Lady Sicilia's dignity, Nana had no intention of pursuing them.
After waiting for a while, Nana spotted someone who had probably followed her 'signal flare' from the distant forest bushes.
"You're... from Rhodes Island, right?"
Turning to look at the newcomer, her once smooth blonde hair was now dull and lifeless. Her long braided hair was casually draped over her shoulders. Due to the rainy season, even her quick-drying outdoor camouflage uniform was covered in mud, clinging tightly to her body and outlining her not-so-full, but still strong and powerful curves befitting a mother...
Aside from the difference in race, Nana unexpectedly discovers that her client's appearance and attire are exactly the same as a certain judge.
They must be quite close, as they are.
Because the newcomer looked so much like Lisa, the target of the mission, she was recognized at a glance... Nana's expression was very serious when she saw this blonde Mrs. Vulpo:
Do you know what state you are in right now?
PSSS: I've been searching for that artist's personal character design for Suzuran of the Valley's mother for ages... I clearly used that image in my book "Returning Home," but I can't find it anywhere now... Damn it... I'll just put down one illustration in order for now... I'll keep looking.
PSSSS: I think I found it!
8th Spring of Siracusa: 300 Please help us
"Although I did impulsively accept the family's request for retaliation because of Lisa's matter at the beginning... However, when I discovered that the number of dead was much greater than my target, I did not confront the family immediately. Instead, I smugly thought that it was just thugs other than me taking revenge."
"It wasn't until I realized things were out of control that my family contacted me, asking if I had gone too far."
As they wandered through the forests and bushes of Siracusa, the client, who didn't even bother with a self-introduction, answered Nana's initial question in this way.
"In fact, the family didn't send any extra people. Now, everyone in the city-state, including those with seats at the Gray Table, thinks I did all those things... and all similar incidents will be dumped on my head next. I can roughly guess what will happen next."
His tone carried a natural weariness, and the blond Vulpo's composed demeanor gave Nana a sense of kinship. Before Nana could continue asking about his plans, Angelina, who was listening anxiously, quickly interrupted:
"This... if I were to explain, it would just mean that some people are trying to take advantage of the situation!"
"It's probably useless, after all, the one who 'framed' me... might not be a single person or a family, but a group of people hiding in the shadows."
"The worst-case scenario is that all the families in the city use this as an excuse to deal with people they don't like... If that happens, my family probably won't help me either..."
Seeing that Angelina was still quite naive, she was bewildered. Nana, meanwhile, looked at the mission target who had come out of sight, standing by the small campfire under the waterproof tarpaulin and waving to everyone, and lowered her voice:
"So, what do you yourself want to do?"
"I?"
Seemingly surprised that Medic, wearing a medical armband, would ask such a question, the blonde client's astonished expression lasted only a few seconds before she smiled at her daughter's call.
"I hope you will treat Lisa well... This is my only request."
These words not only made Nana narrow her eyes slightly, but even Cole, who might have been teaching the Little Cat earlier, was spurred to emerge from behind Nana.
[I think... children need the company of their loved ones... Nana, think about what would happen to Matilda... Rosemary... without us... Can't we help this lady? Her thinking is too extreme.]
Nana completely agreed with Cole's rambling. But when she saw the blonde woman in front of her smiling as she picked up the well-behaved child, Nana could sense the woman's determination, as if she were willing to die for it.
Was it to prevent family matters from continuing to entangle Lisa? So even if it was a fabricated injustice, she was willing to bear it all?
Before Nana could continue discussing with the client as suggested by Cole, the client arrived before Nana with the Nana objective in hand:
"Lisa, come here... do you remember this symbol Mommy mentioned?"
"... It's... Rhodes Island."
"Oh, Rhodes Island... What kind of place is that?"
"It's where Lisa will receive medical treatment and where she will live and study from now on."
Unlike the Little Cat was initially oblivious to death and separation, the blonde Vulpo named Lisa seemed to understand what was about to happen.
With the client's soft affirmation, the blonde girl, her eyes slightly misty, hesitated but obediently extended her arms to Nana, and then the child was solemnly but without hesitation handed over to Nana's arms.
The little girl, due to her racial advantages, was smaller and weighed less than average. If Rosemary felt like a white cloud when she was held, then the girl named Lisa was like a handful of golden light.
Her nine tiny golden tails shone like Active Originium after careful grooming, and her fluffy ears drooped on her head. Drops of rain dripped from the soft, sparse hairs on her ear tips, replacing her cries.
"Mom... aren't you coming back to see Lisa anymore?"
"Not right now, Mom has very important work to do... This concerns whether so many people can live a normal life..."
She opened her mouth, Nana could tell that the client had revised her words several times, but in the end, she still didn't choose that final, decisive farewell.
"Will Lisa wait for Mommy? Although... Mommy can't say for sure how long."
Will such words have any effect?
Nana felt that this explanation went beyond just being unacceptable.
Before the client could say a farewell that would be even more harmful to the child, Nana interrupted the mother and daughter's conversation:
"Excuse me for interrupting, Miss Client, but you don't actually need to insist on this..."
"That's true, but I don't want the chaos of this matter to spill over from me to Lisa... Besides, as a freelancer, I also have professional ethics to follow. I still have my own goals to achieve, and I haven't fully fulfilled my responsibilities to the family."
Because of the extensive use of jargon specific to the assassin profession, Nana's conversation with her client had become somewhat incomprehensible to those around them.
Is work more important than your daughter?
"... My family has also been kind to me; I am, after all, a Siracusa."
"So, even if we take a step back, why not let the child's father take over? Even if I know Rhodes Island won't mistreat this child, a person's childhood is only so long... Is it better to use childhood to heal the rest of one's life, or to use one's entire life to heal only that one childhood?"
"You should be by your child's side, not disappear because of some meaningless family honor and contribution... Can't you tell which is more important?"
Nana's low admonition, coupled with the patter of raindrops falling into the forest, highlighted the client's deafening silence. But after a while, the blond-haired Vulpo, his hair completely soaked from the rain, pouted and emphasized to Nana:
"Someone has to come to an end... Things must be done thoroughly, that's the rule in Siracusa."
As she spoke, she touched the little girl in Nana's arms with her cold fingertips. The little girl's ears would tremble from time to time as raindrops fell. But under the protection of the pale blue magical light that faintly enveloped her body, not even the downy hairs on her inner ears got wet.
Most of the rain was blocked by the shield, leaving only the mother's tears, which were weeping for the girl.
"Lisa, Mom can't be with you because Mom has work to do... Dad probably won't be able to see you either because he's dealing with bad people who want to harm you... But don't worry, you'll have a new place to live, and you'll have new brothers and sisters... You've always been a smart child, and although you're a little early, you'll definitely be able to live well in your new family..."
Just as Nana was pondering how to minimize the client's agonizing death... or at least prevent it from being so hasty, the Sicilians who had recently retreated gathered around again.
"Found it! It's here—wait, wait, wait, wait?!"
Before Nana could make a move, the client, who had been interrupted while saying goodbye to his daughter, seemed to be the one who was more furious.
"Anyway, I'm leaving Lisa in your care."
With these words, and wielding a complex weapon—a dagger with a steel wire tied to the end of its blade—the blonde Mrs. Vulpo raised her hand and plunged eight flying weapons into the bodies of the oblivious Sicilians.
Nana's attention was currently focused on the man in the suit who was hiding in the group.
"These are the women! They're the ones who killed our brother!"
"... Nonsense, Typhon clearly held back with that arrow."
An attack that uses spatial magic to immobilize the opponent and send them flying—that's hardly a kill. At most, it'll just result in them falling down a mountain, breaking a bone, and ending up in the hospital... Since Nana showed absolutely no murderous intent, Typhon naturally wouldn't kill indiscriminately. So why does it become a matter of "whoever touches her dies" when it comes to the Sicilians?
Nana sensed something was off from the very beginning of the chase. Could it be that while you were all climbing the ranks, someone was scavenging for your escape? Were all those who went to provide backup trying to eliminate their superiors and colleagues?
Even within gangs and families, there's a saying that the faster those at the top die, the higher those below get promoted. But if that were truly the case, it wouldn't be an ordinary gang.
Seeing her client break into the Sicilians battle formation in a few moves and seem about to break through it, Nana looked at Lisa in her arms. Although Lisa had promised her mother to be a good girl and had been enduring it without saying a word, her gaze was always misty as she watched her mother gradually disappear into the distance. After Cole urged her again and again, Nana sighed.
"... Fine, I really can't stand it anymore." (Qun)
Because Su Sulo, Folinic, and Angelina lacked the ability to ensure the safety of children during battle, Nana didn't put down the nine-tailed fox girl in her arms... As the black cat from Rhodes Island walked towards the battlefield, the girl named Lisa hesitated at first, then revealed a cheerful voice befitting her youth:
"Rhodes Island sister... are you going to help Mom?"
"Yes, because of your mother... I really can't stand her obsession with these inexplicable things..."
Because it looks like you're crawling through Catastrophes, as if doing so can make up for something.
That's incredibly stupid.
What, another version of myself in this world...? The other person is even an assassin skilled in using threads and knives.