Meanwhile, Belle looked at Wise with a faint trace of worry in her eyes, though she herself could not explain why.
A little puzzled, Wise glanced into his sister's thoughts, and what he saw caught his attention.
+ + + + +
Belle's Inner Thoughts:
Brother is already so protective of Anby. If their relationship deepens in the future and Anby and I ever have a conflict, whose side will Brother take?
+ + + + +
Belle's worries were entirely unnecessary. In Wise's heart, they were both his 'wings,' so how could he possibly favor one over the other?
If a conflict ever arose, Wise would likely take the 'firepower' onto himself to resolve it.
And to stop his sister from overthinking, Wise naturally had to step in.
"What's wrong, Belle? You seem a bit off."
"Ah? No, it's nothing. It's just your imagination, Brother."
Hearing Wise's gentle words, Belle hesitated for a moment before shaking her head and denying it.
After all, any normal sister would be far too embarrassed to ask something like that outright, especially someone like Belle, with her slightly tsundere personality.
"Good, then. But if something ever is wrong, you have to tell me. After all... I am your dearest Brother."
Wise reached out to pat her head, and Belle swatted his hand away with a small frown. She didn't push hard, though, so Wise still managed to pat her head as much as he wanted.
"Brother, seriously, why are you suddenly saying such cheesy things?"
Belle's cheeks turned a bright red. Even though she felt embarrassed, Wise's words had a strangely comforting effect on her.
At the same time, she couldn't help feeling a little disappointed, knowing that he probably only saw her as a little sister and nothing more.
"Hey, the videotape is almost over. Are you two even paying attention? Nya!"
Nekomata beside them was clearly annoyed with the atmosphere and reminded the two with a hint of annoyance.
Wise finally pulled his hand back, a satisfied smile on his face, and focused back on the video.
On the screen, Anby waved off any suspicion by saying it was 'to make it easier to ask others to find a Proxy in an emergency,' all while hiding the fact that her wallet contained Wise's photo.
After Nicole had Nekomata return the wallet to Anby and told her to put down her sword, she asked about what the item they were looking for actually looked like.
But since the item didn't even exist, how could Nekomata possibly describe it? Making up a lie might raise suspicion, so she kept her answer vague.
Even so, the way she skirted the question left the Cunning Hares members with nothing to argue, especially since their complaint rate ranked among the top three on the Hollow Raiders Public Forum list.
Moreover, the top fifty complaint comments were all along the lines of "commissioned item damaged," "commissioned item stolen by Cunning Hares personnel," and similar messages.
Given this situation, Wise was not surprised that Anby had secretly arranged for someone to leave good reviews for the Cunning Hares.
Once that matter was put aside, the group in the video headed to another Red Fang Gang stronghold.
Inside, they found the Red Fang Gang's ledger. Parts of it had been burned, but the remaining entries could still be pieced together.
"All in all, it looks like Nekomata's relics aren't here either."
"It's not a relic! It's a family heirloom! Are you seriously cursing me?"
Anby's teasing words were immediately met with a quick, fiery response from Nekomata, but the playful exchange showed just how comfortable they were with each other.
Since they still hadn't found anything, the only option was to move on to the gang's final stronghold. Its location was unusual.
It was hidden deep inside Dead End Hollow.
Vision Corporation metro renovation project included a plan to transport explosives through Dead End Hollow to the blasting site. The goal was to take down a powerful Ethereal lurking there, known as the Dead End Butcher.
Faced with such a dangerous task, Nicole, who had not known the full truth at first, now found herself in a situation she was strangely familiar with.
After some negotiation, Nekomata finally agreed to raise the commission fee by 30%, allowing Nicole and the others to continue assisting her.
In short, more money made things easier.
"It's just Dead End Hollow. If that's what the client wants, we'll go check it out tomorrow."
"Really, nya? Yay! Then my family heirloom is counting on you, nya!"
Nicole spoke confidently to Nekomata in the video, and Nekomata responded in a high, adorable voice.
The girl watching could not help but blush, pressing her hands to her face while her feet dug hard into the floor.
"Ugh... why is watching myself act all cutesy so embarrassing...!"
"What? Are you saying your habit of adding 'nya' to your speech is fake?"
Wise and Belle both stared at Nekomata, who stiffened and shook her head in denial.
"Eh?! That's impossible! We Cat Thiren all talk like this!... nya!"
The siblings paid little mind to the quarrel, and Belle turned her attention back to the matter at hand.
"Hmm, I think I've figured it out. You and Nicole went to Dead End Hollow today to check out the Red Fang Gang's strongholds."
"Exactly! And then a whole bunch of things happened… In short, Nicole and the others are trapped in the blasting area right now!" Nekomata exclaimed, her voice tinged with worry and urgency.
Fairy appeared suddenly, even though Wise already had a good idea of what she was going to say.
[|Master, the content currently being broadcast on the news channel seems related to the commission. Please pay attention.|]
Hearing Fairy's words, Wise turned his gaze to the TV, which was still on.
The news broadcast reported that Vision Corporation's last train was about to depart and pass through Dead End Hollow.
Shortly after the driverless train left, the blasting project was scheduled to begin.
"Oh no! The last train is leaving already!"
Nekomata, noticing the news, looked extremely worried and turned to Wise and Belle.
"We don't have time to keep watching the visual records! We have to find a way to stop the explosion!"
"Even if you say that, how are we supposed to stop it? We can't just halt the train in broad daylight. Public Security would catch us immediately" Belle said, pinching her chin as she tried to think of a solution while Wise rubbed his forehead, looking equally troubled.
"The safest option is to report it, but then Nicole and the others would have their identities as Hollow Raiders exposed..."
[|Suggestion. The train can be intercepted inside the Hollow.|]
"Oh, of course! The smart butler is right! No one outside can detect what happens inside the Hollow, so we won't get caught if we act there!" Nekomata said, her excitement obvious at the idea.