"Heh, really?"
Huojin looked at Trigger, who was already bent on dying, and slowly spoke as he turned his back:
"Then what if two of your sisters were still alive? Would you still want to die?"
Trigger stopped struggling. After hearing what Huojin said, her grief and resentment belatedly turned to utter confusion. For a moment, she wondered whether she had misheard.
Trigger: "...What?"
By now, Trigger's head no longer hurt, and the locks on her prosthetics had released, but she had no attention to spare for any of that.
Huojin did not answer her. Instead, he lowered a holographic screen several square meters in size in front of her.
What was playing on the screen was... a black-and-white plush toy?
Before Trigger could figure out why Huojin was showing her a plush toy, the view began moving right and shifted onto a person.
Black thigh-high stockings that squeezed into her thighs, a short black skirt, a black-and-green top that exposed her waist and stomach, and a backpack whose purpose was not immediately clear.
For some reason, the sight felt a little familiar to Trigger.
When the view moved upward, Trigger froze again.
It was someone with the same face, hair color, and eyes as her.
This person had her eyes closed and her palms pressed together, as though praying to something.
Trigger gazed up at the person on the screen in disbelief, reaching out to touch her, but her fingers met nothing.
And as she withdrew her hand, the person in the picture suddenly looked toward the gaze spying on her, as though they shared a connection.
The picture finally froze there.
"What's wrong, Anby?"
"...Nothing, Nicole. It's just, after we pray sincerely and make an offering, can Mr. Panda really bless us so we won't run a deficit next month?"
Beside the public seating at the Sixth Street café, Nicole and Anby had just finished praying.
Nicole: "I'm not sure about that. After all, I only saw it on the Inter-Knot.
"But whether it works or not, let's give praying a try first. It's only a packet of instant coffee anyway. What if it really works?"
Anby: "Oh, also, Nicole, isn't it a little inappropriate to make instant coffee at Tin Master's shop?"
Hearing this, Nicole stole a glance at Tin Master, who was working inside the shop, and declared confidently:
"Relax. Tin Master's busy right now. He doesn't have time to watch what we're doing."
Anby nodded.
Nicole: "All right, we've prayed and made our offering. The rest is up to fate. Come on, Anby, we've still got work to do."
With that, Nicole downed Mr. Panda's offering in one gulp, took Anby's hand, and turned to leave.
As she walked, Anby kept recalling the illusion that someone had been spying on her.
Trigger went limp. Looking at the frozen picture, she did not know whether it was real or fake, but she recognized her.
Even though there was almost no difference between their appearances, the differences in their eyes and bearing still allowed them to recognize one another.
The holographic screen vanished, revealing Huojin behind it, facing her again.
Trigger was still a little dazed. Looking at Huojin, she no longer had the fierce attitude she had shown him earlier. Instead, she looked pleading as she sought confirmation:
"Is-is this real? Is it her? Is she the captain? Is she? Is it real?"
Seeing the drastic change in Trigger, who feared her hopes would be shattered, Huojin said calmly:
"It's real. That was a live feed just now."
"That's-that's wonderful. Alive. The captain's still alive..."
Trigger relaxed completely, sitting on the floor with her legs in a W as her eyes began producing tears again. Then she could not hold back any longer and covered her face, crying pitifully.
Clearly, the still rather simple-minded Trigger had believed him, though he had not lied anyway.
Huojin looked down at Trigger, who had become a vulnerable girl, and said nothing for the moment, summoning a servant instead.
Before long, a robot styled in a maid outfit emerged from a corner, carrying a sheet of paper and a pen on a tray.
It came before Trigger, crouched down, and respectfully offered the paper and pen.
Huojin: "Done crying? If you're done, read it and sign."
Trigger suppressed her emotions, paid no mind to his words, wiped her tears away, and accepted the contract with damp hands.
Huojin: "Sign this, and you'll belong to me. You'll also receive my protection."
Trigger: "But my origins..."
Huojin: "The Silver Army project you used to belong to went bankrupt and was purged long ago, because those idiots lost their political games, along with all sorts of problems with the project."
Trigger: "Then what do I need to do after signing?"
Huojin: "Doesn't it say right there? Serve as my personal bodyguard for five years, with certain restrictions during that period. Your wages, training, equipment maintenance, supply provisions, intelligence access, and everything else are all listed there too."
After hearing one part of that, Trigger asked in some confusion, "Wages? What's that?"
Huojin: "...Denny you're given after working."
Trigger: "Why would you give me Denny too?"
Having learned little common knowledge about society, Trigger had no concept of remuneration. As a secret experimental weapon of the Silver Army, she could never have received such treatment.
So she did not understand why Huojin said he would give her Denny after a mission (work = mission). Wasn't giving her some supplies supposed to be the end of it?
"Here, if I say I'll give it to you, I'll give it to you. What's with all the questions?"
Huojin said impatiently, "Just sign it, and I'll tell you how those two sisters of yours are doing."
"Oh, right, there's another sister..."
Trigger had been so immersed in the joy of her captain still being alive that she only remembered she had another surviving sister when Huojin reminded her now.
But as she prepared to give in and sign, she still wanted to be cautious and asked:
"I have one more question. Will signing this harm the captain?"
"She's on my side."
Huojin began sparing his words.
Sensing Huojin's increasingly imposing presence, Trigger stopped asking questions, picked up the pen, and signed.
Huojin nodded and held out his hand.
"Give it to me."
Trigger obediently handed over the contract. Huojin gave it a cursory glance after taking it, and the contract instantly broke apart into colored particles in his hand and dissipated.
It was like making a deal with a devil and signing some extraordinary pact. The sight left Trigger stunned.
Huojin: "Very good. From now on, you belong to me. Get up. Doesn't that hard floor bother you?"
"...Yes, sir."
Trigger rose with the maid's assistance.
Huojin: "Call me Master from now on."
Trigger gave a military salute. "Yes, Master."
"All right, Butler, take her away and get her settled."
As soon as Huojin finished speaking, a reply came from behind Trigger. "Certainly, Master."
Trigger turned and saw Butler, who had arrived behind her at some unknown point. Having waited quietly for some time, Butler draped the blanket he had brought over Trigger's shoulders.
"Welcome aboard, Miss Trigger. I am Master's personal butler. You may simply call me Butler. If you need anything in the future, you may come to me. Now, please follow me."
Trigger pulled the blanket tighter around herself, glanced at Huojin, and followed Butler away.
After watching Butler take Trigger into the elevator, Huojin turned his gaze toward the three Bangboo whispering in a corner.
They were saying things like, "No regrets in this life," "Master's finally caught on," "Finally, a cute, pretty girl," "Too bad she's not a loli," and "We need to come here more often," among other nonsense.
"You three, get the hell out here already."
The moment Huojin spoke, Red One and the other two scrambled out of their hiding place and lined up before him. All three trembled, not daring to breathe loudly.
Huojin: "Well? What are you doing here?"
Red One: "Eh-na!" (Taking a stroll!)
Blue Two: "Eh-neh." (Passing through.)
Yellow Three: "Wa-da." (Requesting release from prison.)
Their voices and answers differed. Red One and Blue Two looked at Yellow Three, who had failed to go along with them, wanting to curse him out, but held themselves back under the pressure.
Huojin: "You want out of prison?"
Red One and Blue Two swallowed a mouthful of lubricant, not daring to speak. Only Yellow Three nodded honestly.
Looking at these three things that invariably annoyed him, Huojin had intended to reject them outright and send them away.
But suddenly, something seemed to occur to him. After silently imagining it for a while, he acted out of character and said:
"All right."
It took the three of them several seconds to react, their eyes filled with shock.
Huojin: "There'll be a mission for you in a few days. Do a good job, and you won't have to stay here anymore. Will you go?"
Red One: "Eh-na!... Eh, eh-na." (Hooray!!... Ahem, Red One will not fail his mission.)
Blue Two: "Eh-neh." (Duty calls.)
Yellow Three: "Wa-da." (Same.)