"Oh my, am I really such an unpleasant sight to you?"
Standing before him was a woman whose face was covered in freckles. She wore thick round glasses, and her brown hair was a messy tangle tied into a sloppy high ponytail. A checkered shirt, a denim jacket with a trendy anime-character badge pinned on the chest, loose baggy jeans, and sandals completed her appearance.
"Why aren't you talking?" Her lips curled upward, her tone lifting at the end as well. "I came to thank you, you know."
She threw him a flirtatious wink. Ignis immediately turned his face away.
"Say it. What do you want this time, Miss Jane Doe?" Ignis rolled his eyes. "You drag me out to the children's park at Lumina Square to watch kids play in the sand?"
In a different disguise, Jane Doe placed one finger to her lips. "Not Jane Doe today. Today, I'm Marianne—a down-on-her-luck online novelist who likes anime and is currently obsessed with shounen-type male protagonists."
Ignis exhaled sharply. After delivering the completed blades to the association, he had planned to return and rest. Instead, he received a message from Jane Doe requesting a meeting. When Ignis replied asking what it was about, she simply left him on read and sent a location pin.
"I thought you had intel for me. Turns out you literally just wanted to meet for no reason?" Ignis could not help rolling his eyes again; this woman was impossible to read.
"Of course it's not that simple." Jane Doe leaned on the railing, watching the river below. "First, I'm here to thank you. The supplies you sent last time were very well received. Second…"
She turned around and looked toward the children building castles in the sandbox.
"Second, I need more supplies. Razor is testing me at a crucial stage."
"You still haven't infiltrated the Royal Guard?" Even Ignis was baffled. That last haul had been a full cargo truck of supplies—how was that not enough?
"Can't be helped. The best way to enter the Royal Guard is to get blood on your hands. But you scared everyone so badly last time that no one wants to make the first move. Even if I encourage them, most of what they're doing now is petty theft. The truly aggressive ones? You took care of them." Jane Doe chatted as if her disguise persona no longer mattered. "If I go alone, with no witnesses, Razor simply won't believe me."
"But that truckload wasn't useless." She gave Ignis a sideways glance. "Razor was quite satisfied. He said if I can keep supplying goods, he'd let me join the Royal Guard under special consideration."
"All right, all right." Ignis nodded. "Send me the list. I'll acquire what you need."
"I knew a gentleman like you wouldn't turn down a lady asking for help." Jane Doe patted him lightly, as if they were close friends.
"If you get coordinates for his hideout, notify me immediately." Ignis stood, clearly wanting to leave. This woman was nothing but trouble.
Seeing him rise to go, the Rat Thiren woman panicked. "Hey—I haven't told you the thank-you part yet."
"I saw your mukbang livestream clip online, you know. It was absolutely hilarious."
That single sentence made Ignis freeze mid-step. He did not want her continuing down that line of conversation.
"Say it. What's the thank-you?"
"Obviously, I'm treating you to a good meal." The Thiren woman hopped up onto the railing with one kick, sitting casually. "How about that? Great thank-you, right?"
"What kind of online novelist sits like that? And you even put on such an obviously nerdy makeup job." Ignis sighed. "What're you treating me to?"
"Don't the shounen protagonists in anime all sit like this? It's a tribute!" Jane Doe hopped down. "How about hotpot? The place right downstairs—Simmer Hot Pot Restaurant."
Ignis of course knew the one—just beneath this children's park, less than ten meters away. He could already smell the rich aroma of the spicy beef-tallow broth drifting upward.
And there were plenty of reasons the scent stuck in his memory. The shop's sign read [Turning Simple Fare into Gold], which was unique. The rich spicy beef-tallow base tasted like something carved into the soul of anyone from Earth. Even after decades of service to The Emperor, Ignis had never forgotten that flavor. A challenge sign stood by their entrance: ["Finish one plate of extra-spicy beef slices, and the meal is free"].
"Let me confirm first—you're not planning to make me do the challenge just so you can freeload a free meal, right?"
"What's this? You're not afraid of spicy food, are you?" Jane Doe descended the stairs.
Afraid? Ignis had once drunk extra-spicy ramen broth in the boiling pits of Nocturne without changing expression. A plate of spicy beef slices was laughable. Even if they used synthetic industrial-grade chili extract, Ignis trusted his reinforced stomach to handle it.
After notifying the staff that he intended to take the spicy beef challenge, they were seated at an outdoor table.
To be fair, the beef-tallow hotpot looked legitimate. The broth was heated with real tea water—though Ignis could not tell whether it was the old black tea used in authentic hotpot from Earth. As the broth rolled, the aroma of tallow, chili, and spices mingled into something irresistible. Ignis inhaled deeply several times; it resembled the flavor in his memories, though those memories were faint.
"Looks like you really like it." Jane Doe sat opposite him, her glasses fogging from the steam. "Seems I guessed right."
"What did you guess?" Ignis blinked. "And how did you know?"
"Your personality is spicier than these peppers. But who dislikes food like this? All that spice—it's irresistible." She removed her glasses; they were, in fact, purely decorative.
Just then the server brought the challenge dish. Calling it "spicy beef" was generous—beef drowned in a sea of chopped chili peppers of multiple varieties: aromatic, coloring, flavoring.
"If it's too much, don't force yourself," the server said kindly.
Ignis responded without a word. He picked up all the beef with his chopsticks, dropped it into the boiling broth for half a minute, then lifted the plate again. The beef slices were coated in a thick layer of red oil, with strands of chili stuck between every fold—just looking at it made people sweat.
"It looks amazing." The server thought he was struggling and was about to offer him a graceful exit—until Ignis opened his mouth and dumped the entire serving in.
He brought the meat to his nose, inhaling deeply. The sharp pungency pleased him. "Smells good too."
The fiery flavor rolled across his tongue. The red oil carried not only heat, but layers of spices. The salt level was perfect—strong, but not overpowering. Ignis actually took the time to chew, savoring it before swallowing.
"Excellent flavor." Ignis looked to the server. "Bring me ten more plates. This is outstanding."
"N-no… no problem…" The server had seen many who completed the challenge, usually red-faced, sweating, and crying. But this giant in black showed no sign of discomfort—his eyes sparkled with genuine enjoyment.
The last time she saw someone like this was a strange girl with aviator goggles who attempted the challenge.
"Looks like our meal's going to be free then." Jane Doe wiggled her fingers at the server. "Menu? Or Electronic Ordering?"
Snapped out of her thoughts, the server hurried over with a menu. Jane Doe immediately began scribbling.
"So, should I order dozens of each item?" the Rat Thiren asked, looking at Ignis—who was already battling another plate of spicy beef.
"That might be a bit much…" Ignis hesitated. This was one of the rare hotpot places that genuinely impressed him. It wouldn't feel right to fleece them bare.
"Just order twenty servings of each. A light sampling."
"Twenty is 'sampling' to you?" Jane Doe wrote [20] beside every dish. "I really wonder how the Cunning Hares afford feeding you. Last I heard, their finances weren't great—they owe money all over."
"They used to eat take-out. Now I'm the part-time cook." Ignis noticed the server freeze momentarily when collecting the menu, but after glancing at Ignis's physique, she seemed to accept reality.
"Hmm…" Jane Doe's tone lifted again—another sign she was about to start trouble. "Will I get the chance to taste your cooking someday?"
"After we deal with Razor." Ignis thought for a moment. "By then you should be able to show your face—or at least change disguises safely."
"So pragmatic. Until Razor is dealt with, I don't even get a meal?" She teased him lightly.
Ignis shrugged, choosing not to answer and instead focusing entirely on the food being delivered.
Jane Doe only ate two bites before stopping. She claimed the flavor was too strong and might compromise her cover. But even without eating, the scent of the beef-tallow broth would cling to her clothes.
"It's fine. I'll change clothes later." She rested her head on her hands, watching Ignis wage war on the dishes. "You really do love this stuff. My guess was spot-on."
"The flavor is authentic. Hard to dislike."
"I'll send the new supply list and payment tonight." The Rat Thiren woman put on her glasses and prepared to leave. "A familiar face is coming—best if I slip away."
Ignis followed her gaze. Approaching them was Qingyi, the Public Security officer who claimed to be "bigger and smarter version" of a Bangboo.