This subconscious reaction instantly banished what little sleepiness Andrew had left. Resigned, Andrew had no choice but to give up on sleeping in.
Might as well get up, then.
Pushing the door open, Andrew froze on the spot.
The sunlight from the Outer Ring illuminated the building's interior, making even the tiny dust motes floating in the air clearly visible. The early morning light wasn't as intense as it had been yesterday afternoon; it was like a gentle mother, caressing everything it touched.
But that wasn't why Andrew had frozen.
He was stock-still because, not far from his doorway, a girl with short, silver hair was pacing back and forth, a deeply conflicted look on her face.
Judging by her far more expressive face compared to the other Silver Squad members and her unique, tiny upturned pigtail, it was none other than Captain Anby.
From the looks of it, she was clearly here to see him, but she was so lost in whatever was troubling her that she hadn't even noticed he'd come out.
Considering Anby's usual sharpness, this was a rare sight, and it piqued Andrew's curiosity.
Seeing that she wasn't going to resolve her inner conflict anytime soon, Andrew simply raised a hand and greeted her.
"Anby? What are you doing here?"
Anby was clearly startled by Andrew's sudden voice and was at a loss for a moment. She turned her head in a panic, but then let out a subconscious sigh of relief when she saw it was him.
However, after that sigh of relief, the girl's lips parted several times, but no words came out.
Andrew didn't rush her, though. He waited patiently for Anby to speak without pressing her.
After a short wait, the ever-conflicted Anby finally made up her mind and said:
"Andrew, I'd like to request to join Nicole's Cunning Hares as a collaborating member."
The sudden request stunned Andrew for a moment. He couldn't understand why Anby would suddenly make such a proposal.
Could it be? Had his arrangements already made someone want to run away?
Andrew thought back on his arrangements but couldn't find anything wrong with them.
Looking at Anby again, seeing the expression on the girl's face, Andrew knew he was overthinking things. He calmly asked Anby:
"Tell me your reasons for making this decision. I'd really like to know."
In response to Andrew's question, Anby held nothing back:
"Nicole said she's in dire need of a heavy hitter with great combat strength. With me on board, she can take on a lot of commissions she couldn't touch before."
Hearing this, Andrew subconsciously nodded. But thinking back on Nicole's way of doing things, he suspected it wasn't just about the commissions, but also about not getting beaten up when scammed clients came looking for payback.
But Anby hadn't stopped talking. She continued:
"Besides, Nicole made me realize that for my sisters to live a normal life, money is essential. I don't want to just rely on you."
Anby's face remained impassive, but her words were incredibly earnest.
"I want to do my part, and at the same time, I want to repay you in any way I can."
Before Andrew could speak, Anby went on:
"And completing commissions will let me see so many things I've never seen, and experience so many things I never have before. So, I want to do it."
What a good kid, he thought. Such a good kid.
With her having said so much and clearly having made up her mind, Andrew had no intention of stopping her.
After all, having known Nicole for several months, he could vouch for her character. Plus, her habit of prioritizing her companions' lives meant Anby's safety was well-assured.
While it was certainly a great idea, Andrew still felt a faint sense of unease.
Just yesterday, Anby had been clueless about all this. Could she really have come up with such a well-thought-out plan today?
While it was normal for her to want to contribute, her reasoning seemed a bit too comprehensive.
Andrew immediately scanned his surroundings. A pink-haired fuzzball was huddled furtively around the corner of the hallway. He instantly understood.
"Nicole, stop hiding. You're the one who fed her these lines, weren't you?"
"N-not entirely! I only taught her the last line, I swear! I didn't say the rest!"
The pink-haired fuzzball at the corner of the hallway froze, then peeked her head out with a nervous laugh. It was none other than Nicole.
Thinking back to the way her eyes darted around when she asked to stay the night, he figured this must have been her real goal.
Looking at Nicole's completely shameless expression, Andrew couldn't help but shake his head.
"Whatever. If Anby didn't feel this way herself, she wouldn't have said it, no matter how much you coached her."
Hearing that Andrew wasn't going to stand in her way, Nicole's eyes lit up.
"Does that mean?!"
"Yes, I agree."
"Alright!"
Nicole jumped for joy. Those high-paying commissions she'd been eyeing for so long were finally within her grasp.
Once I recruit someone for ranged fire support, there won't be a single Hollow I, Nicole, can't handle.
From now on, I, Nicole, can reason with people not just with words, but also with physics!
Even Anby breathed a sigh of relief. Making a request like this was a completely new experience for her.
"Don't celebrate just yet. I need to make one thing clear first."
Nicole, her mind filled with visions of raking in cash, readily agreed:
"No problem! As long as it's not about money, it's absolutely no problem."
"Even though Anby is joining your Cunning Hares as a collaborator, she is still the captain of the Silver Squad."
Anby immediately nodded in agreement:
"No matter what, I am the captain of the Silver Squad. That will never change."
Nicole had no objections. Convincing Anby to join her Cunning Hares was an unexpected bonus; she'd just come to try her luck.
Putting other things aside, just from yesterday's news report, Nicole was shocked to discover that the seemingly unassuming Andrew was unexpectedly powerful. After chatting with Anby last night and hearing about his combat record in the Hollows, she became even more determined to recruit Anby.
If I can get Anby on my team, and we run into an unexpected crisis, won't Andrew have to jump in and help immediately?
Nicole's little scheme was well-laid, but even if Andrew knew about it, he wouldn't have cared.
After all, even without Anby in the picture, if Andrew heard Nicole was in danger, he'd rush to save her without a second thought.
"But Anby, if you're going to work as a Proxy in a civilian capacity, you won't be able to use those military-issue dual blades of yours."
______
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