Kitty Killer Isn't Very Cold

"The key is order... public order. Our organization advocates for Columbia to prosper through corporations, but corporations cannot prosper by bleeding Columbia dry... because that would seriously harm the interests of ordinary people. The national interest would suffer as a result, and we would be unable to achieve the free world we envision."

"...I don't care about that. You only need to tell me who the target is."

Looking at the assassin girl, who seemed limited yet was in fact as unyielding as solid ice, the agent shrugged.

"The course of events has already unfolded before our eyes, just as you predicted... controls over human experimentation have been tightened, and those responsible for stigmatizing the Infected have also been 'punished'... Unable to expand their legal channels for experimental subjects, Loken Watertank is bound to take desperate risks."

"...Doesn't that mean they weren't deterred at all?"

"The collapse of one Ursus front man naturally isn't much of a deterrent... but the disappearance of a Columbia company can be. Loken Williams's abilities as a researcher are beyond doubt, but his luck is truly terrible... Seventy-Seven, do you follow the stock market? I'm guessing you don't. Loken Watertank's stock price dropped five points in one go today.

"Because within a week, it will be exposed that the Ursus shareholder who attended the promotional event for its 'Spell Control Panel' has Oripathy, caused by sitting his fat ass on one of his own products with a damaged core component."

The assassin girl did not understand her superior's schadenfreude. She was only puzzled as to why events had taken such a sharp downturn.

"Wasn't there still a week before it took effect?"

"But the employee organization under us... the people handling the follow-up 'cleanup' for you will sell the news of that man contracting Oripathy as stock-sensitive information... Everyone has unhesitatingly assumed that Number Seventy-Seven will complete the mission."

"...These people..."

Though her tone sounded like a complaint, there was not the slightest ripple in the black-haired assassin girl's eyes.

"Does the organization not care?"

"ICA... the International Contract Agency is ultimately just an external platform. It does not interfere with employees' personal conduct... As for the Cleaners selling 'non-confidential information,' they earn the same money as you while bearing jobs where any oversight could land them in prison in place of some stranger. It is only natural that they want to save up enough for retirement and run, so try to be understanding.

"You only need to remember that, compared to ICA, your personal records are registered under the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Personally, you are a sales representative in the Finance Department... At the very least, the laboratory has always been paying your social insurance."

"I once thought ICA was the 'organization' you spoke of."

Faced with Nana's complaint, the female agent gave a comical smile, flicked ash into the ashtray beside her, then spread her hands.

"How could it not be?~"

"...In the end, I've always worked under you... What difference does it make which organization I'm attached to...?"

"There actually is a difference... but with so little to worry about, you probably cannot yet understand the necessity of a formal position. Never mind... Let's continue with Loken Watertank... Where were we?"

"The stock price."

"Oh, right~ the stock price... Today's five-point drop is only the beginning. Next, sell-offs by those in the know will trigger an avalanche in this laboratory's stock price... Professional traders may make a fortune from it... but Loken himself certainly will not be among them.

"As research similarly valued by the military, Rhine Lab's Flame Demon Project is steadily advancing. Yet the Artificial Originium Organ Project, which seems to have better prospects—allowing people to use Originium Arts without contracting Oripathy—is progressing slowly...

"Now that private investment has been led astray, Loken Williams will certainly be anxious to show the military some progress..."

Thinking of the volunteer recruitment posters she had seen yesterday at the Bruce family home, the assassin girl's cat ears flattened behind her head.

"So they have stepped up recruitment for human experiment volunteers... but if they formally begin the experiments, that would be illegal."

"They want results before they are abandoned... like a neural reflex where the body still reacts after the human brain has died. Intelligence purchased by our employees says that Williams's theory is now ready... Though people in our faction already see him as an abandoned pawn, he will still strive to find suitable military recipients and display his talents to the military investors as much as possible... hoping someone in the upper ranks will protect him and his enterprise."

"So he really is staking everything on one throw... This indiscriminate search for experimental subjects is also a sign of struggle?"

Nodding, the agent closed the file in her hands.

"Yes. And next, the organization will use standard administrative procedures to sue Loken Watertank and freeze all its research... Unless they get incredibly lucky, happen to find a perfect host, and have an experiment go smoothly enough for the state to take the blame... then... this man who is using every petty trick at his disposal and treating the will of the state as nothing will become the best example for those illegal corporations."

The black-haired girl closed the file records before her as well. Her expression did not change, but her question was one the old her would not have cared about.

"I do not understand legal matters, but I do not think this so-called staking everything on one throw would only mean searching for a 'perfect compatible host'... Loken Watertank, desperate for results, will inevitably expand the scale of illegal experiments in hopes of increasing their odds... How can the harm to civilians during that time be contained?"

"Hehe~ We certainly cannot rely on judges... After all, they will not sentence crimes that have not yet happened. That is the lag and limitation of the law..."

But as she said this, the agent's gaze softened.

"So... that is why you are an assassin."

Watching the thoughtful Number Seventy-Seven, the female agent put away the files before her, and her tone became flippant again.

"That is roughly the situation with Loken Watertank. After this comes observation and surveillance of them... This part has nothing to do with you, Number Seventy-Seven, but I need you to remain ready to deploy... Hmm, considering that lethal force may be required, I hope you will bring the weapon set the Equipment Department prepared for you."

Hearing words practically equivalent to authorization for lethal firepower, Number Seventy-Seven tilted her head.

"Can I use the 'Backpack'?"

"As long as you do not mind those things making you look childish again... Oh, I'm not saying you need to wear a sailor uniform this time. That was the Equipment Department specialist's personal hobby last time..."

"I do not mind..."

Seeing that the agent seemed to have nothing more to say, Nana checked her watch and rose to leave.

"Anyway, I only need to deal with the target."

Watching her own "ace" leave, the agent's smile became somewhat troubled.

Once she was alone in the meeting room, the agent sighed and pulled out the document at the bottom of the stack.

One was brief intelligence on Loken's experiment theory purchased by an ICA employee. The other was a list of people who, according to calculations based on medical examination data from the Columbia Disease Control Center, could "theoretically" adapt to the Loken Watertank Experiment.

Among the group with a "high expectation of success," whose success rate exceeded thirty percent, the Bruce family was prominently listed.

And since she, being part of a faction, could obtain something like this... there was no reason those more radical people could not obtain it as well.

"It does not matter... is that it? If you can remain this indifferent even after the Little Cat next door gets dragged into it... then perhaps you truly can only be a machine..."

Caressing another document already bearing her signature, an "application for regular appointment," the agent's expression was impossible to read as either anticipation or worry.

"Can you... still fall in love with this world?"

Still unaware of what her superior expected from her, Number Seventy-Seven set out on the road home.

Just like actual sales representatives, she could claim a ride and reimbursement when accompanying superiors and clients to inspect warehouses, but had to rely on public transportation to get home... Though Nana, as an assassin, naturally knew how to drive, the reason the female agent had yet to assign her a car seemed to be that, based on the average income of local sales representatives, saving enough to buy a vehicle capable of traversing Terra would take a full ten years.

With Nana's current "cover," barely past the halfway mark, she was obviously not qualified yet. Not to mention that her actual cover identity was not especially successful either, only the sort still struggling to get by...

Of course, it was also possible that Nana had not been assigned a car because this shorty could not quite reach the pedals in a non-customized driver's seat.

Anyway, if it truly became necessary, the organization would not begrudge her a car. Nana's work had not encountered any mobility issues so far... after all, every target thus far had been struck without ever realizing it.

Perhaps, in Number Seventy-Seven's eyes, letting an enemy remain lively and active right under her nose was itself a kind of failure.

Still, no matter how much was said, she had to walk the road herself.

As usual, she greeted the old men playing cards on the street, then hugged her briefcase and jogged, hopping over the stones in the puddles... Landing steadily, Nana first spotted four white-haired little bundles pressed against the bakery window. Then, following their worried gazes, the girl saw Andy Bruce with his shoulders hooked by a man in a beige suit.

The assassin girl's cat ears, which usually drooped slightly whenever she was not concentrating, stood high at attention. Her hearing, once mocked by the Equipment Research Department as "flesh defeating technology," instinctively filtered out every stray sound.

Though Nana had not heard what Andy and that police officer had said before, the last thing this man—wearing sunglasses, with brown hair and obvious Liberi traits at his sideburns—had said was something like, "You do not want your son, daughter, relatives, and neighbors to find out you are sick, do you?" It was clearly a threat.

...Of course, this had nothing to do with Assassin Seventy-Seven.

Nana normally would certainly not interfere with this kind of thing... but when she saw Andy's eyes meet hers before immediately sliding away, that look of endurance, as though anger was building up only to be forced to submit to reality in the end... After turning back and meeting the eyes of the four white-haired little bundles, Nana stopped walking for some reason.

Kate glared into the distance in frustration, wrapping both arms around her younger siblings and drawing them behind her, seemingly offering useless reassurances of "It's okay, it's fine."

The boys' expressions were cold and silent, while Matilda had her eyes wide open as though waiting for something.

Nana did not know why the White Cat looked so expectant after meeting her gaze, but at that moment, her superior's earlier admonition unexpectedly echoed in her ears.

"...Ha... from the heart... Why not say it is to prevent honest people from snapping and causing a public disturbance..."

She did not know whom she was sighing for. Nana unconsciously blinked at the four white-haired little bundles, then held her briefcase against her chest with both hands and approached the two people whose atmosphere was obviously wrong, step by step.

"...Um... Mr. Andy? Ah, seeing that gray hair made you seem familiar... It really is Mr. Andy. I'm glad to see you again today."

Apparently surprised that the girl could not read the mood, the beige-suited Liberi raised his head with a smile. Yet Nana, who was also smiling, clearly sensed the fact that there was not the slightest warmth in his eyes either.

However, unlike the mechanical coldness of an "assassin," what filled this man's eyes was... suppressed madness.

That made sense. A man who would threaten ordinary people with Oripathy either possessed thoughts innately different from normal people, or naturally had psychological issues.

But Nana did not care whether this madman was born that way or became that way. Even if only to preserve the quality of her sleep tonight, Nana decided to send off the person provoking Mr. Andy.

"The weather is nice today. Mr. Andy got off work on time for once as well..."

"Ah... yes..."

He had probably failed to find a job, been turned away everywhere, and had no choice but to go home... Whatever. Nana did not care about that. At this moment, just as Nana had estimated, the man who had previously held the upper hand began to lose patience.

On such a sunny day, the Liberi man, who was just as neurotic as Nana in carefully buttoning every button of his beige suit, released Andy. He first gave Nana a flawless bow in noble etiquette, then asked in a highly magnetic voice.

"Andy~ You never told me that you knew such a lovely girl... May I know your name?"

"Oh, you flatter me. I work in this line of business... It is a pleasure to meet you."

She handed over a business card reading "National Laboratory Finance Department." Both sides displayed etiquette so impeccable it was beyond reproach. Yet the Liberi man retained a faint arrogance, as though he were above others, from beginning to end. He showed no intention of introducing himself... Still, in an era where any manager of a company with even a little scale could be as wealthy as foreign nobility, Nana's business card, though not famous, had the suffix "National Laboratory," enough to handle all ordinary social engagements.

As someone with amnesia, Nana might not understand what was unusual about her identity, but the other man's expression flickered... In the end, he forced out a slightly stiff smile.

"So you are an employee of a national laboratory? You are truly young and promising."

"I merely transfer the wisdom of researchers into the hands of those who need it as a sales representative... You seem to be an acquaintance of Mr. Andy's. Might you have the same need as Mr. Andy to become a client of our company?"

"A client? Him?"

Nana did not know whether the man was doubting Andy's financial means or wondering how an Infected person like Andy could be a client of any laboratory... But with the atmosphere having reached this point, the Liberi man realized that continuing to press the matter would only result in trading meaningless pleasantries with this shorty, and he readily waved his hand.

"Well, since Andy has an appointment with a beauty, I shall not disturb you further... But Andy, consider my proposal again. I will come discuss the details with you next time."

After seeing the man off with a standard twenty-eight-degree business bow, Nana sighed and prepared to ask Andy what that person had been about. Yet the man before her suddenly staggered... Nana instinctively thought it was an attack and nearly punched him.

Fortunately, she did not. At the very limit of her reflexes, the assassin girl supported him, while an assassin's instincts told her that this man was probably suffering an Oripathy episode.

"Mr. Andy?!"

While calling out to him for show, she used her right hand to pat his back in a soothing gesture as cover, casting a spell to reduce the activity of the Originium compounds in his body.

And just as Nana had sensed before, unlike ordinary Oripathy patients whose lesions broke through the skin, Andy Bruce's Originium Crystals were located in his brain... More precisely, at the back of his head, in the spinal gap between the cerebellum and spinal cord.

The Originium Crystals in that location were not merely compressing his spinal cord. Even the functioning of the brain's central nervous system was likely compromised... No wonder his temperament had changed so drastically over the past few years... Given such painful circumstances, the fact that he had remained conscious at all was probably the result of tremendous effort.

Beating his daughter over trivial matters was probably the least significant of all the problems in his life now.

And seeing this man, pale-faced and drenched in cold sweat, still trying to remain standing to prove that he was not ill... Nana did not know how to judge him.

Whether to persuade him to seek medical treatment or persuade him to move away, those were matters for after she had dealt with the neighbors gathering around to watch.

"Um... Everyone, please spread out a little and keep the air circulating. I'm a sales representative doing laboratory fieldwork, so please leave this to me!"

As she spoke, she swiftly reached into the inner compartment of the briefcase in her arms. It contained medical supplies Nana could use in an emergency... Naturally, most of the trauma medication was unnecessary at the moment. Nana could only pull out a small medical casting unit. With the support of the staff, after specifically "casting" on the Originium at the back of his head... Mr. Andy visibly stabilized.

"All right, this should be fine for now."

After Nana withdrew the "medical device" she had held in her palm, whose nature no one could see clearly, someone among the crowd asked loudly.

"Good, good. So what's wrong with Bruce? It isn't something life-threatening or contagious, is it...?"

"Ah, it is difficult to draw a conclusion before an examination... but what just happened was a little like epilepsy... It could be a cerebral thrombosis or something similar..."

Seeing Nana calmly begin to explain, the other onlookers gradually satisfied their curiosity. Shaking their heads and remarking on how unlucky Bruce was, they dispersed in groups of two or three.

Naturally, the ones who remained were Andy's children.

The first to throw herself into Nana's arms was Matilda.

"Big Sister Nana is amazing!"

Then came Kate, whose cheeks and eyes were faintly red.

"I truly do not know how to thank you..."

Even the two boys, who had always been shy, bowed to Nana together in thanks.

"Thank you so much."

"Thank you!"

Looking at the little cats, who seemed to have all relaxed, Nana's expression was probably the only thing that relaxed. To be honest, Andy's condition had merely been suppressed. If he underwent proper treatment afterward, the cost would probably be beyond what a few people's tuition fees could settle.

Or rather, the fact that all four of them were in school already made Nana question their financial situation.

But that was not the issue right now...

"Anyway, let's lend a hand... and get Mr. Andy home so he can lie down and rest..."

Fortunately, with the two boys helping, Nana could put in an appearance without exerting herself. Andy Bruce was still successfully brought back to his bed at home.

Afterward, she used an "Inerting" spell again to reinforce the "treatment." Then, after borrowing the Bruce family kitchen and cooking with Kate for the three little cats whose stomachs were growling from hunger, Mrs. Cole finally hurried back several hours later, her face full of worry.

Judging from the sweat all over her, she must have been told that her husband had collapsed as soon as she returned to this street, then run all the way home.

Seeing Mrs. Cole sobbing as she looked at her unconscious husband in bed, wanting to examine him but not knowing where to begin, Nana sighed, handed her handkerchief to Matilda, and in the end, it was the White Cat who reminded Mrs. Cole to tidy up her own appearance first.