"Um, Senior Qingyi, a small gang like that couldn't possibly hurt us. Think about it—we escaped alive from the [Doppelgänger Hollow] after defeating the Dead End Butcher."
"No matter how strong the Mountain Lion is, it can't be stronger than the Dead End Butcher, right?"
Phaga explained calmly, and Qingyi immediately fell into thought. His data systems began to whir, pulling up past records to calculate the combat power gap between Phaga's team and the Mountain Lion group.
After a moment, Qingyi raised his brows slightly and looked back at Phaga.
It seemed... perhaps... Phaga was right. The Mountain Lion wouldn't be able to pose a real threat to them.
But then there was Ruby...
Qingyi tilted her head, stepping slightly to the side to peer past Phaga at Ruby standing behind him. Her expression shifted with hesitation.
Seeing the subtle crack in Qingyi's resolve, Phaga quickly seized the chance. He stepped aside, revealing Ruby in full view.
Suddenly finding herself the center of attention, Ruby blinked in confusion as everyone's eyes landed on her, unsure what to say.
Before she could react, Phaga spoke again. "Seth... Uncle, you want Ruby to become an even better investigator, don't you?"
Seth's expression twitched at the word Uncle, but he forced himself to listen until Phaga finished. Crossing his arms, he nodded seriously.
"Of course. Ruby's still young, and yet as an Apprentice Proxy she already has experience leading people safely out of a Hollow. With time, she'll definitely become an excellent investigator!"
"Also," he added with a hint of frustration, "I'm not that much older than you. Can we drop the 'Uncle' thing already?"
Phaga nodded in acknowledgment—but completely ignored that last part. Turning back to Qingyi, he said smoothly,
"You see, Senior Qingyi, Ruby's future goal is to become an investigator. But without experience in Hollow exploration, how could she ever become a great one?"
"Besides, look around—there are so many law officers here. Surely that's enough to guarantee her safety?"
As Phaga finished, Ellen casually smacked Ruby on the back.
Caught off guard, Ruby stumbled forward a few steps. When she turned back, Ellen was acting as though nothing had happened. Ruby blinked in confusion—until her eyes darted sideways and she caught on instantly.
Nodding vigorously, she chimed in, "Right, right, right! Don't worry, Senior Qingyi. I can handle myself! Besides, back in Hollow Zero, sometimes I had to save them!"
The statement left everyone silent for a beat—not just Qingyi and the other law officers, but also Ellen and Phaga, who both snapped their heads toward her in disbelief.
Ruby stuck out her tongue, ducked her head, and laughed awkwardly.
Then, puffing up her chest and planting her hands on her hips, she added proudly, "What? Calling for backup still counts as saving them, doesn't it? I'm amazing!"
Qingyi glanced around. Seeing that neither Phaga nor Ellen seemed inclined to deny it, he decided to accept it as truth. Clearing his throat, he finally said, "In that case... Zhu Yuan, take them with you."
"Ah—oh!"
Zhu Yuan frowned slightly. Come to think of it, wasn't she the Captain here?
Ah, well. Senior Qingyi's word came first.
Sighing helplessly, Zhu Yuan looked at Phaga's group. "Fine, you can come. But you'll follow orders—understood?"
"Yes, Miss Zhu Yuan!"
Ruby raised her hand enthusiastically, cheering as if she were greeting an idol.
"Oh, you."
Zhu Yuan couldn't help but chuckle, shaking her head. She was utterly defenseless against this cheerful little girl who might one day be her colleague. Then, lowering her gaze, she turned her attention to the helmeted muscle man who'd been sitting quietly on the ground watching the entire exchange.
Time to get back to business.
Zhu Yuan crouched down so her eyes were level with his. "We'll patch you up in a moment. Please cooperate with us—and take us to the Mountain Lion's base."
The helmeted man turned away with disdain, snorting. "Hmph! I won't betray my brothers."
He might have been willing to give Phaga some info, but acting as a guide was a whole different matter. He knew the stakes perfectly well.
Zhu Yuan, however, struck right where it hurt. "But your brothers already abandoned you."
Thud!
That one line landed straight in the man's heart.
Clutching his chest, he grit his teeth and struggled to speak. "That was... because things were urgent. They didn't have a choice."
"But they took our examiner uncle!" Ruby added indignantly. "Because of them, we can't even finish our exam!"
She tapped her cheek as she thought aloud. "I remember the examiner uncle had fainted back then."
"They could carry off an unconscious man," she continued innocently, "but not you—with just a leg injury? You call that 'no choice'?"
Thud!
Another verbal strike. The helmeted man felt a rush of blood to his throat and nearly coughed it up into his helmet.
He barely held it back, slumping to one side with his palm on the ground.
Everyone watched as veins bulged across his hand. His fingers dug so hard into the dirt that they carved out five deep grooves.
Boom!
He clenched his fist and slammed it into the floor.
"I get it..." he muttered through trembling lips. After a long silence, he raised his head and asked hoarsely, "If I atone for my crimes... can I get a reduced sentence?"
...
Meanwhile, inside the Mountain Lion's base.
"Tsk, turn off that damn music box. It's getting on my nerves."
Though rounding up the stragglers had improved Jane's mood, she still feigned irritation, snapping at the underling guarding the unconscious examiner.
The guard froze mid-listen, spinning around with panic on his face. Under his helmet, his expression was flustered as he rubbed his hands nervously.
"Uh, Miss Jane, it's just... we hardly find anything fun in this Hollow. Could you, uh, make an exception—"
"An exception?" Jane cut him off coldly. "It was because someone played a music box that the law officers found us last time. Do you want a repeat of that?"
Her brows shot up, and she lowered her head slightly, idly flicking her nail.
The guard's heart nearly stopped. Around him, the others swallowed hard. The chilling glint in Jane's eyes was enough to make anyone shiver.
"Didn't you hear me?" she snapped. "Turn. It. Off."
The young guard jumped to his feet, frantically pressing the button to stop the music box, then wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Phew... scared me half to death," he muttered. "Seriously, the boss's personal guard isn't even official yet, and she's already throwing her weight around."
As soon as he turned around, he froze.
Jane's face—striking and dangerously beautiful—was right there in front of him.
He blinked. Wow, she's so—wait, no!
Too late. A blade shaped like an eagle's claw gleamed in the air before Jane's face, slicing downward.
The guard's eyes squeezed shut as a sudden chill swept between his legs. Instinctively, his hands flew to check.
"Badmouthing me behind my back, huh? You'd better remember—the Thiren people have excellent hearing. This is your one warning. Next time, I won't be so kind."
Under his terrified gaze, Jane crouched slightly, pulling the eagle-claw blade free from the spot it had buried near his groin, and slowly withdrew it.
A metallic clink echoed as it snapped back into place. The guard finally exhaled, gasping for air.
He'd just narrowly avoided being "castrated."
"But really," Jane muttered, glancing toward the back room, "how long does the boss plan to keep chatting with that woman? We broke her out, and now she's leaving us here to rot."
Leaning back against the table, she swept her gaze across the others. When her eyes landed on the guard, she paused—just long enough to make him squirm.
"I—it'll probably take a while, Miss Jane! Please, calm down! It's our employer's first face-to-face meeting with the boss, after all!"
Before she could scold him, the guard rushed on, words tumbling out so fast they nearly tangled together. "This discussion's important—it's about our funding for the next few months—huh?"
Before he could finish, Jane raised a hand to silence him.
She frowned slightly. "Wait... do you hear something?"
"Hear something?"
The others blinked in confusion, looking at each other.
But since Jane said so, they'd better assume she was right.
Moments later, a mix of heavy and light footsteps began echoing closer—so close that the sound seemed to come from just behind the wall.
Jane straightened, her instincts sharpening. Her feet carried her silently toward the door.
"Hey, this door needs a keycard? There's still working access control in a Hollow? How are we supposed to open it?"
"Ruby, move aside."
"Oh."
BANG!
The metal door exploded inward with a deafening crash. Jane flinched, covering her ears from the ringing pain before quickly glancing back.
The door had been kicked so hard it bent and embedded itself into the wall behind it.
Turning forward again, Jane saw a man in a butler's uniform drawing his leg back with practiced ease.
"There you go," he said calmly.
Jane's lip twitched.
Well... that worked.