Nic returned to the inn and immediately prepared the ingredients to make pancakes.
Meanwhile, Hinata waited in the living room, munching on snacks Nic had also bought.
In the kitchen, Nic activated his Fusion Skill specifically for cooking. "Okay, time to make a lot of food."
But while he was cooking, Nic sensed a familiar aura outside. "Hm, Zeta, is there someone out front?"
[ Yes, Master Nic. Not dangerous. ]
"Not dangerous? Alright then, I'll tell Hinata to open it." Nic went to the living room and asked Hinata to open the door and see who it was.
"Is there really someone? I feel like no one has knocked..." Hinata thought.
Hinata opened the door and saw Kyu Kazumi and Shin Meilin standing in front of her.
"Eh.... EHHHHH!????" Hinata panicked and slammed the door shut.
"AHH, WHY DID I CLOSE THE DOOR! UGH, GOTTA CALL NIC!" She panicked even more and ran straight to the kitchen.
As Hinata tried to enter the kitchen, she was startled because Nic was coming out, causing them to collide. Nic, who was holding a cup of flour, ended up spilling it all over her face.
"Cough... whoops, what's wrong, Hinata?" Nic said casually while wiping her face.
"Ah, sorry, sorry!!! Your face got dirty... uh, out front there are... the two Phenomena!" Hinata said.
"It's fine, my face doesn't matter. Hm, two Phenomena? Kazumi and Meilin?" Nic asked.
Hinata nodded.
"How did they know I was here... ah, they must have seen me earlier. Alright, wait a sec, I'll go see them." Nic got up and headed straight for the door.
Nic opened the door and saw the confused faces of Kazumi and Meilin. "What are you guys doing here?"
Meilin was shy but tried to act firm. "Ahem... back then you said you wanted to help save the Natural Tree of Heaven, right? And was that related to the event 3 days ago?"
"Huh... 3 days ago? What happened?" Nic pretended not to know.
Kazumi wanted to explain the details, but Nic stopped her.
"Don't just stand there. Come in, sit down, and then tell the story," Nic said.
Kazumi smiled and entered, but Meilin felt shy and chose to stay outside, so Kazumi immediately dragged her in.
Hinata, still peeking from the kitchen, saw the two of them enter.
"But before you tell the story, can you wait a moment? I'm cooking. Since you're here, let's eat together," Nic said.
The two of them nodded without questioning how Nic could cook.
Nic went to the kitchen and saw Hinata looking uneasy. "What's wrong? Scared of them?"
Hinata shook her head. "It's just a complicated situation... is it really okay for me to sit with them? I know they've made peace, but it feels weird being around people who are so strong while I'm just..."
Nic patted Hinata's head gently. "No need to worry. You're just like them—pretty girls. Relax, they won't bother you."
Hinata blushed and forced herself to go to the living room. She saw Meilin and Kazumi staring at her.
"Hello, sorry for surprising you earlier. I'm Kyu Kazumi! We've met, right?" Kazumi said with a smile.
Hinata nodded quickly. "M-MY NAME IS HINATA! NICE TO MEET YOU!" Even though she tried to be calm, she still panicked reflexively.
Meilin laughed. "Haha, just relax, no need to be so formal in front of us... because..."
Hinata looked down. "Ah, how can I not be formal... you guys are the two famous Phenomena who are super strong in Kyushin... obviously, an ordinary person like me would be nervous."
"Hm? But it seems you're not nervous around Nic?" Kazumi asked with a teasing smile.
"Ah, t-that's different... Nic is cool... but I still consider him the same as me," Hinata said shyly.
Meilin and Kazumi looked at each other.
Meilin approached Hinata and whispered, "You should be more nervous near Nic because he's stronger than both of us."
"...."
Hinata fell silent. "Don't joke around!"
The two of them nodded and explained how they lost.
Hinata's face turned completely red. She had already been suspicious of Nic's random behavior, and it turned out he really wasn't an ordinary person.
While they were busy chatting, Nic arrived with a tray full of pancakes that smelled amazing and looked fluffy.
"Woahhh!! These are so pretty... how can you make this? Have you actually made these before?" said Hinata, excited about her favorite food.
"I can make them because someone wanted them," Nic said jokingly.
"Huh, that's weird. Can I request fried shark?" Kazumi said.
"Fried... shark? Yeah, sure, go ahead and catch the shark," Nic challenged.
Kazumi pouted immediately; she thought he'd say it was impossible. "Ah, you really are unpredictable..."
They immediately ate the pancakes together. Kazumi and Meilin also told the story of the incident with The Witness 3 days ago that led to their peace.
"Is it true that it was a strange figure without form? Not a human in disguise?" Hinata asked.
Hearing that, Nic choked and immediately drank some water, surprising Kazumi and Meilin.
"What do you think, Nic? What was that figure?" Meilin asked.
Nic was silent for a moment. "That was... your savior."
Hearing that, Kazumi and Meilin were confused, but they realized that because of The Witness, they were saved from having to hide their true feelings for years.
"Oh yeah, we just came here to say that tomorrow, all Kyushin residents will start a protest rejecting the destruction of the 3 Natural Tree of Heaven sites," Kazumi said, changing the topic.
Nic nodded. "Good, that has a 50% chance of stopping them."
Hinata was confused. "50%? That means it could fail?"
"Correct, because even though they fear Kyushin, they still have absolute power as Eastern officials. They definitely have a lot of support too," Nic said.
"I see... so what will you do, Nic?" Meilin asked.
"You guys just do the protest safely, make sure no one gets hurt. I have my own plan..." Nic said.
After that, they finished eating.
"Your pancakes are so delicious, Nic!" Hinata said.
"Haha, thanks. If you want, I can make them again later."
After that, Kazumi and Meilin excused themselves because they still had to discuss things with the others.
"THANKS FOR THE PANCAKES, NIC! SEE YA!" Kazumi shouted as she left with flushed cheeks, followed by Meilin.
Hinata waved. "I still can't believe two girls as terrifying and cold as them could be that cheerful."
Nic smiled. "They aren't terrifying; the circumstances made them that way."
"What do you mean?" Hinata didn't understand.
Nic just laughed, patted Hinata's head gently, and went outside.
"Ugh, seriously!! Where are you going??" Hinata said, trying to chase Nic.
"Gonna get some fresh air... I've rested enough earlier, hehe," Nic said, immediately leaving again to who knows where.
"What rest... he went to the market... cooked... shouldn't he be even more tired? Huh, what a random guy," Hinata complained.
When Hinata was about to go back inside, she was startled by Marin from behind.
"NATAAA!!!!!!!" Marin shouted while slapping Hinata's shoulder.
"KYAAAA!!" Hinata was shocked and immediately slapped Marin until she fell.
"Ugh... why did you slap me..."
"Eh? Marin? Oh my god, you scared me!! Why did you suddenly appear behind me?" Hinata asked.
"Were you just on a date with Nic?" Marin said, staring sharply.
"HEEE, NO WAY!!" Hinata shook her head quickly.
"Hm, actually I wanted to look for Nic earlier, but seeing the two Phenomena in front of his inn scared me off, so I didn't go there... and just waited outside," Marin explained.
"You're looking for Nic? What for?"
"Well, when I was fishing in the Jecana area, some residents were discussing a strange figure that also appeared in the Western and Southern countries. Maybe Nic knows about that figure too, I'm curious..." Marin explained, eyes sparkling.
"Hah, don't ask weird stuff. Nic is busy," Hinata said, and she went straight home.
Marin was annoyed and tried to look for Nic.
---
Meanwhile, Nic went to a shop that sold loudspeakers and bought one.
"Zeta, activate God of Technology."
[ Activated ]
Nic modified the loudspeaker to be more advanced, then proceeded to his destination.
He went up the mountain where Rainzy was.
"Huh, you're here again? Didn't anyone see you?" Rainzy asked.
"Don't worry, no one will see me," Nic said casually.
After that, Nic gave the loudspeaker to Rainzy.
"Huh? What is this loudspeaker for?" Rainzy was confused.
"I want you to use it to shock everyone and make them think it's the voice of nature," Nic explained.
"Are you crazy? If my voice comes out of this loudspeaker, it will clearly sound like a human voice. Besides, will it even be heard across the entire territory?"
Nic explained that it wasn't an ordinary loudspeaker. Nic lied and said it was a loudspeaker from the West that he bought for 100 million just for one unit.
Hearing the price, Rainzy gulped. "Ugh, developed countries... always have expensive weird stuff like this."
"Relax, your voice won't be that smooth because it's been modified, and the sound range is wide and echoes, so this is perfect..." Nic explained.
"Okay, fine. What should I say later, and when do I do it?" Rainzy asked.
Nic said now, then explained his strategy.
"Ugh, fine, I'll try to trust you again..." Rainzy said, flicking her fan open.
Nic smiled and thanked her. "Okay, don't forget!"
Rainzy nodded.
To be continued...