In the running lane beneath the riverside trail at Lumina Square, there was a river. This place often gathered fishing enthusiasts, especially at dawn and dusk.
Ignis had gone out very early today. His fishing gear was custom-made. There was no choice—being a nearly 3-meter-tall giant meant his hands differed far too much from ordinary people. Even fishing rods meant for large Thiren felt a little too thin in his grip. Not that he couldn't hold them, but they were uncomfortable.
Before serving The Emperor, Ignis had been a cyber-fisherman, obsessed with fishing in all kinds of video games. World of Warcraft, Red Dead Redemption, AI Shoujo—he played them all. But in real life, aside from a few childhood trips to a fish pond with his father and grandfather, he had only ever watched others fish through short videos as an adult.
Seeing those big catches on lures was exciting. But the moment he thought about gathering gear, driving to some wild river… he gave up. So he just dove into cyberspace and fished there instead.
And the only reason a dedicated cyber-fisherman would suddenly convert into a real-rod, early-morning angler was simple: someone invited him to go fishing—and even delivered a full set of fishing gear to him beforehand.
Carrying a fishing box several sizes larger than everyone else's, Ignis sighed as he walked toward the river. People were already fishing—looked like lure anglers, reeling lines, teasing fish with artificial bait.
Fishing really was the same anywhere—up before dawn, staying out until late, and always tossing in a couple of casts whenever water was in sight.
Ignis scanned the fishermen. Most were men. The one who invited him didn't seem to be here.
Was he being played?
The thought surfaced, but he quickly dismissed it.
Jane Doe was unpredictable, but she had never once stood him up. Every meeting had been punctual. Unless something happened to her? Did Razor discover her?
Her acting talent was extremely strong, and she was a psychologist—she shouldn't be exposed by a gang leader. Though, considering Razor had received Khorne's blessings, maybe he could sense something—
Just as Ignis frowned in thought, he heard footsteps approaching lightly from behind—running shoes, soft footfalls.
But the walking rhythm was familiar.
Ignis turned and saw Jane Doe's hand raised mid-motion, about to tap his back. His sudden turn clearly startled her.
"You have eyes in the back of your head? Your timing is too accurate."
"Your stride rhythm," Ignis pointed at her shoes, "differs from everyone else."
Jane Doe tilted her head, inspecting her shoes. "Looks like the disguise still isn't perfect. I'll have to remember to change my walking rhythm next time."
Jane Doe wore a sports jacket today, half unzipped, exposing a sports tank top beneath. Her lower half was snug athletic pants. She looked no different from morning joggers here. To better sell the role, she had actually run for half an hour earlier and was drenched in sweat, the tank top soaked through.
Even if she changed her rhythm intentionally, Ignis could still identify her by her heat signature. Unless her disguise included anti-thermal imaging materials, nothing she did would fool the Fire-Sight of a Son of Vulkan.
"So you acquired the coordinates to the Lion's Nest?" Ignis cut straight to the point.
"You're way too goal-oriented." Jane Doe put her hands on her hips in mock anger. "Yes, yes, I got it. I lifted it from one of the guards assigned to a Carrot. His terminal broke, I took it for repairs, then copied the data."
"Convincing these people isn't easy—they demand so much. Fortunately, supplies always arrive on time, so they trust me. Private goods can't always be ordered through the gang's logistics, and I just happen to be able to get them."
Ignis looked at her and curled his lip. "And who do you think found the people for you to get all that junk?"
"Shows I know how to make use of the right person." Jane Doe unzipped her pocket and took out a small data disk. "See? I brought it."
Ignis extended his large hand without hesitation. "As agreed, that belongs to me."
But Jane Doe didn't hand it over. She looked at him with mischievous eyes. "What? Not planning to pay anything? I worked so hard to fool that poor kid."
Ignis didn't believe a word. She was a natural liar. Her so-called hard work was probably her holding the guy's hand, eyes shimmering with tears, raising her voice a little to sound pitiful—then walking away with his data.
He imagined the scene. Yeah… hard to refuse a beautiful woman's request. And Jane Doe absolutely would do it—and enjoy it.
Damn it, dangerous woman. Especially one trained in psychology.
"What do you want? Or rather, what can I offer?" Ignis didn't want riddles. "Money or craftsmanship?"
"If I'm being honest, I'm more interested in you."
"Your past is blank, yet your actions follow a strict code." Jane Doe smiled faintly. "If you tell me your real history, I'll hand this over."
Ignis stayed silent. His experiences… would feel absurd here in New Eridu. A space-opera world, the names of Dark Gods—telling her would give her nothing useful.
"That's not possible. All you need to know is that I mean no harm to ordinary citizens of New Eridu. Everything I do is to keep them safer." He waved his hand, rejecting her request.
Perhaps she already expected that. She didn't look disappointed. Instead, she pointed at the river. "I heard anglers getting 'air-force'—catching nothing—is common. If you catch one fish, I'll give you the disk. Deal?"
So she'd planned this from the beginning—hence sending him a full fishing kit.
"I've never fished before," Ignis admitted. "And I don't know how to use lure gear."
Jane Doe smiled like a fox whose prank had succeeded. "That's what makes it meaningful. I heard beginners have a protection buff—first-timers usually land big fish."
She pointed at a man who had just caught a large one. "Well? Learn from him. I'm waiting for your first catch."
Ignis really wanted to just snatch the disk, but doing so in front of so many people would be disgraceful. He finally understood—this was Jane Doe's open-scheme, a way to toy with him.
This woman was impossible to predict.
"Everyone look, this morning I caught—at least eight kilos!" The man taking video was thrilled, then a huge shadow suddenly covered him.
He turned, ready to scold whoever was blocking the light—then froze when he saw the massive figure.
The fish took the chance to flick its tail and splashed back into the river.
"My fish!" The man collapsed by the bank in grief, nearly ready to dive in for a duel.
Should've put it straight into the keep net. Too busy showing off—and now look. Years later, sitting in a wheelchair, he'd probably slap his thigh remembering this.
Fortunately, the man was cheerful. He didn't stay sad long. When Ignis asked him for fishing guidance, he enthusiastically agreed.
But when he learned that Ignis's gear was a gift, he stared with envy. He said it was top-tier custom equipment—worth a car.
When Ignis pointed at Jane Doe and said she gave it to him—and Jane Doe waved with a sugary sweet smile—the man stiffened.
Damn. Some people have all the luck.
Still, anglers were generally kind. Despite his jealousy, the man thoroughly explained the lure technique, local fish patterns, common targets, how to tease fish, how to fight them—every detail. He even cast the first few times himself before letting Ignis try retrieving the line.
Adeptus Astartes learned quickly. After only a few tries, Ignis mastered casting and teasing. He began practicing, while the helpful man watched, offering pointers.
Ignis placed his right index finger upon the line, feeling every vibration. His modified skin was sensitive—nothing escaped him. Fire-Sight let him see through the water, spotting fish clearly.
He cast the lure ahead of a fish nearly a meter long, then slowly retrieved, mimicking an injured small fish. Seeing a reaction, he quickly jerked the line—sending the lure darting forward. Provoked, the big fish lunged and bit down.
With water splashing up, Ignis struck and raised the rod, reeling in. For others this fish would be a challenge, but for a warrior with coiled-muscle strength, it was trivial. The challenge was not snapping the line. The fish tried to run, but against a giant like him, it couldn't move an inch and soon tired.
Ignis lifted the rod sharply and sent the fish flying ashore.
The man beside him stared blankly. He had fished here for years; his biggest catch had just escaped. This guy? First day fishing, using gear a beauty gifted him, and he lands a monster.
He suddenly felt the universe was unfair.
Even when Ignis thanked him, the man looked hollow, as though life had lost meaning.
Seeing Ignis catch a fish as promised, Jane Doe handed him the data disk. "Handle the fish yourself. I don't eat this."
Then she turned and jogged off as casually as if chatting with an old friend she bumped into.
Ignis looked at the disk, then at the fish. Well, the Cunning Hares wouldn't need takeout for lunch today.