Sixth Street was truly a magical place—you could always see something novel, like a giant Bangboo statue sticking its butt out with braided pigtails, or a Wolf Thiren butler handing out flyers to promote a video store.
Ignis never would have imagined that Von Lycaon would appear here. Back at the Ballet Twins Hollow, the head maid Rina had said clearly that Victoria Housekeeping only served a small circle of high-net-worth clients in New Eridu and had no interest in public visibility.
But did the Phaethon siblings even count as high-net-worth individuals? And yet they had hired a man as capable as Von Lycaon—someone who could even precisely identify military-grade terminals—just to help promote their video store?
It had to be said, the results were excellent.
A mysteriously dressed Wolf Thiren, clearly clad in high-end attire, eloquent and refined, polite in demeanor, tall and well-built, approached passersby. He would bow slightly while offering a flyer, addressing them as "Miss" or "Young Master." This kind of presentation was devastatingly effective against young people. After all, which chuunibyou teenager hadn't fantasized about someone suddenly telling them that they were special, burdened with the mission to save the world, and that the mayor of New Eridu was waiting for them? Or which girl hadn't dreamed of a handsome, omnipotent young butler telling her, "Miss, you've had it hard all these years on your own. I've finally found you—please come home with me."
Von Lycaon's performance fit those fantasies perfectly. Even though what he ultimately handed over was just a video store flyer, people accepted it gladly—many even looked visibly excited.
Sure, there were some misunderstandings along the way, but no matter how you looked at it, this was far better than the Salamander skulking in dark corners, putting on a mysterious air and whispering, "Bro, want a disc?"
At the very least, quite a number of young women openly stated that they would go sign up for a membership at the store.
Ah yes—Victoria Housekeeping really did leave no gaps.
Come to think of it, their lineup really did have a horror movie vibe: a werewolf, a shark, a ghost-like head maid, and… a maid with an extremely loud voice who apologized profusely while sawing Ethereals into pieces with a sawblade. That was pretty horror-esque too. And judging by the stitching on Corin's dress, was the design inspiration something like Frankenstein, that classic artificial monster?
While the Salamander was thinking about all these random things, Von Lycaon had already walked up to the giant standing before him.
"Mr. Ignis, it truly has been a long time," the masked Wolf Thiren said gracefully, bowing with only one eye and his mouth visible. "Have there been any films you wished to see recently? I recommend this store, Random Play. They have a wide variety of videotapes—whatever you're looking for, you need only mention it, and they will find it for you."
"I've been a member there for a long time already," the Salamander replied, taking the flyer. There was nothing unusual about it—it was the same as the one he had handed out last time.
"Then it seems I misjudged your relationship with them," Von Lycaon smiled, withdrawing his hand. "Mr. Ignis is already an old friend of the shop owner."
"I've known Belle for a long time. But you—why are you doing this kind of work? Does Victoria Housekeeping even take on jobs like this? Could the Cunning Hares hire you to help with promotion?"
"The Cunning Hares are well-known Hollow specialists in New Eridu, with a broad and resonant reputation across many industries," Von Lycaon replied calmly, tidying the flyers and tucking them back under his arm. "I believe you do not require our assistance for publicity. If Mr. Ignis truly has need, we can allocate some time to such work. However, our fees are not inexpensive. Whether this would be a reasonable expense for the financially constrained Cunning Hares is another matter."
"As for the shop owner, this was due to a personal request of mine—I asked her to help me find a videotape. The compensation she requested was for me to assist with some promotion for the store."
"Last time I asked Belle to help me find a tape, she also made me hand out flyers," Ignis said, rubbing his bald head. "She said it's a tradition—if the owner helps you find a tape, you help promote the shop. But just how much do you actually know? You even know about the Cunning Hares' finances?"
Or has Nicole's Behavioral already become well-known among New Eridu's upper circles? That wouldn't be good… not good at all for future business expansion.
"As a butler, one must naturally be well-informed," Von Lycaon replied with a smile. "These are merely interesting rumors I heard while providing services at banquets, from the mouths of notable figures."
"I asked the shop owner to help me find a tape titled 'Final Fist.' It tells the story of a man who lost both legs, then returned to the boxing ring after installing prosthetics."
Ignis's gaze fell on Von Lycaon's mechanical legs. He had previously wondered if they were some form of exoskeleton—so were his legs actually…
"As you suspect, my legs are indeed mechanical prosthetics," Von Lycaon explained gently. "For reasons I cannot easily disclose, I lost both of my legs. That is why I take interest in films of this nature."
"Seems everyone has their own troubles," the Salamander sighed, then suddenly thought of something.
"Mr. Von Lycaon, I need your help with something."
"If it is your request, I am willing to listen," the Wolf Thiren said, nodding politely.
"I'd like to ask you to help investigate Saint Love Behavioralal Correction School. A friend of mine lost contact after being taken in by that school. Recently, there have been online posts exposing reports of beatings, abuse, and coercive confinement there. It's deeply unsettling. I'd like to know whether my friend is still safe, and whether you have any way of helping look into this."
On the way here, the Salamander had already contacted Zhu Yuan and Qingyi. The two Public Security officers said they had heard of the matter and would conduct some investigation, but the aftermath of the Razor case was still ongoing, with a large amount of paperwork remaining. As for Qingyi—she was currently out on street patrol.
"The matter of that school—we have heard some rumors as well," Von Lycaon said with a sigh. "If you came to us, I assume you met resistance at the Public Security Bureau. They are extremely busy, and matters involving well-funded organizations tend to move slowly. We can conduct investigations in our spare time, but progress will be slower. If I recall correctly, Saint Love Behavioral Correction School is backed by the Set Sail Education Group—a relatively new education conglomerate that has made a name for itself in private schooling over the past few years."
"Yes, that's them. The person I'm looking for is named Fisher Dragovich, from a working-class family on the city's outskirts. His nickname is Little Fisher." As Ignis spoke, he pulled up a photo Vesmir had sent him—a boy sweating it out on a basketball court, brimming with youth.
"Understood. We can add each other as contacts. Please forward this photo to me afterward," Von Lycaon said, taking out his phone and displaying his Knock-Knock contact code.
After confirming the connection, Von Lycaon continued.
"The difficulty of this task is hard to assess at present. As for fees, we will report to you after locating the individual. Rest assured—based on your income, this will be a value well within acceptable range."
"I'm genuinely curious—just how much do you people know?" Ignis frowned slightly. "The Cunning Hares' income can be found through government records, but how do you know about my income?"
Were they really just a housekeeping company? The scope of their operations and the information they possessed was far too extensive.
"This is merely part of the preparatory work required to provide high-quality service," the Wolf Thiren replied, still shrouded in mystery. "It is necessary knowledge for a qualified butler."
"As for your income—we are quite aware of it. At the very least, based on the information we have, Mr. Ignis is not a dangerous individual. On the contrary, you are someone who actively contributes to the safety of New Eridu's citizens. You even received a commendation from the Public Security Bureau recently, did you not? Our employer has also expressed admiration for your actions and instructed us that if you were to make a request, we must render assistance."
Wait… they really know quite a lot. Even their mysterious employer was clearly no ordinary figure. It seemed New Eridu had its own special intelligence apparatus. The Salamander had thought his actions discreet—but he was still being watched.
Ignis sized up the old acquaintance before him, his gaze growing less friendly.
"Sir, please do not look at me that way," Von Lycaon said calmly. "We are still friends. Your deeds can be called acts of justice—making significant sacrifices for the peace and safety of New Eridu. Our employer is aware of many of your heroic stories, especially during the confrontation with Razor, where you saved Public Security personnel twice."
Twice? Wait… they even had information on Jane Doe?
"Mr. Ignis, I have no intention of threatening you," Von Lycaon said, bowing slightly in apology. "Our employer holds you in high regard. If my words earlier offended you, then we will waive all fees for this operation, as a small compensation. Would that be acceptable?"
"Deal," Ignis agreed instantly, even mimicking Qingyi's tone.
Their fees were notoriously high—free assistance was more than welcome.
"Then please allow me to take my leave," Von Lycaon said, bowing once more and lightly brushing the flyers in his hand. "I still have other duties to attend to."
Ignis stepped aside. With his size, he was a bit too wide for Sixth Street's narrow alleys.
The elegant Wolf Thiren butler flashed a smile capable of toppling countless hearts as he passed by, heading toward the metro station.
So, they took the metro too, huh? He had expected something flashier—like a luxury car.
Still, the fact that his actions were under surveillance—and that they even knew about Jane Doe infiltrating the Mountain Lion Gang—was troubling. Did they have connections within the upper echelons of Public Security as well? And just how much did they know about his relationship with that Rat Thiren woman?
And how much did they truly know about his identity? One thing was certain—his cover identity had been exposed. Their network couldn't possibly miss it. Even Zhu Yuan had noticed the inconsistencies.
Victoria Housekeeping was unfathomably deep. What kind of cursed profession were butlers and maids, anyway?
The Salamander sighed and reached into his pocket. Inside was a videotape—the horror movie they had watched last night. The owner of the Cunning Hares had been scared into screaming and had insisted first thing in the morning that Ignis return it immediately.
As for the owner herself, she had been too frightened to sleep all night, only finally lying down just before the Salamander headed out.
Sigh… good thing she never had to face the Mountain Lion Gang's lair. Those piles of skulls and blood-smeared patterns would have terrified her senseless.
Thinking about such things, Ignis sent Belle a message saying he was coming to return the tape. Within seconds, she replied, telling him to go to the garage—the front entrance was too crowded.
When he got closer, he realized she wasn't exaggerating. There was actually a line outside the video store, mostly girls and young married women, with even a few gray-haired aunties mixed in.
Von Lycaon's charm was truly formidable… far better than his own methods.
The Salamander carefully skirted around the queue and headed to the garage, where a round little figure was already waiting.
A scarf marked with "01"—it was Eous. The little guy had stacked boxes under its feet just to barely reach the door lock. When it saw Ignis, it waved excitedly, even trying to jump, but nearly toppled over as the boxes wobbled.
After entering the garage, the Salamander pulled out the videotape. "I'm here to return a tape for Nicole."
The back door opened a crack. Bangboo at the counter were busy packaging and recording returned tapes, while Wise was completely swamped.
"Looks like you've recovered pretty well," Belle slipped out quietly. "Business is exploding—Von Lycaon is incredible."
"I saw. By the way, Belle, I have something I need your help with."
Ignis handed her the tape and explained the situation with Saint Love Behavioral Correction School.
"That kind of thing, huh. I'll have Fairy run a search and activate my network," the girl said, patting her chest. "Don't worry—I'll let you know the moment there's progress."
Just as Belle was boasting, her slacking time ended. Wise opened the door and dragged her back inside. "Get back here and help! Bangboo No. 18 is about to crash!"
Wise then turned to Ignis, apologetic. "We'll contact you later—we're swamped right now…"
"Brother! Let go of me! You can handle it yourself!"
Belle's shout vanished beyond the back door. Business being too good was a problem in its own right.
Unfortunately, the Cunning Hares didn't have that problem lately. There was barely any work coming in, and Nicole was starting to feel bored.
===BREAK===
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