Hintleyya felt a bit strange. The last time she went out to eat with Noah seemed to be when they first met.
It had been two weeks. She hadn't brought it up, and Noah hadn't mentioned it either. Hintleyya had almost forgotten that she had promised to let Noah treat her to a meal. And she had specifically requested a greasy spoon in a small alley.
Although Hintleyya preferred eating in the company cafeteria—the food there tasted great, and the chef was very skilled—she had, after all, been in Kazimierz for so long, so she naturally knew of some good greasy spoons.
Could it be that the pork hock rice bowl from back then was quite memorable for Noah?
Hintleyya looked at Noah with some curiosity, but Noah didn't speak much along the way. She just tilted her head, as if listening to something.
But what was there to listen to? In this corner of the street, besides the whispers of the city's most unsavory people, or the sounds of marital arguments, hawkers, and so on... there seemed to be nothing worth listening to.
It wasn't elegant music; even if there was occasional music, it was probably just the familiar prelude played on the TV news.
"Speaking of which, where's your bodyguard? Why haven't I seen her?" At this point, Hintleyya finally couldn't hold back her curiosity and asked, "Aren't you two always inseparable?"
"Kuro? She's nearby, but she hasn't shown herself yet." Noah had no intention of hiding it from Hintleyya. "After all, in my situation, I always need some protection."
"I see—" Hintleyya didn't mind. On the contrary, because of Noah's reservation and caution, she felt more at ease. If Noah had truly trusted her so completely after only two weeks, she would have felt something was off. Vigilance and sincere treatment are not mutually exclusive. Hintleyya wasn't the kind of troublesome person who demanded someone to bare their heart before considering it a genuine relationship.
A little distance is what friends have—that's fine.
"Here we are, here we are! This shop is one I highly recommend." Finally, Hintleyya stopped the wheelchair in front of a noodle shop that wasn't overly popular and introduced, "The noodles with toppings here are absolutely fantastic. Remember to eat according to my recommendation later. I'll go in and order first; you wait at the door."
At the entrance, there were a few tables and chairs that were, in a strict sense, not entirely compliant with city regulations. Noah waited by a table and chair that, although chipped, was relatively clean.
Hintleyya went to queue. The popularity here was indeed a bit higher; it actually required queuing. Noah had already smelled an appetizing aroma. These fragrances weren't carefully mixed with spices, nor were they meticulously prepared, but rather had a very down-to-earth scent. Just smelling it made her feel warm, making Noah a little excited about what she would eat later. However, she wasn't just here to eat.
Noah didn't wait long before she heard someone sit down next to her table. She smiled and asked, "Someone's already here."
"Hintleyya won't mind, after all, I'm her superior too." The man who sat down said with a smile, "Your voice sounded more capable on the phone."
"...Mm, perhaps." Noah smiled. "Then, let's not beat around the bush. I want to buy some... intelligence from you?"
"Intelligence? The price of intelligence can fluctuate quite a bit. You first tell me what intelligence you want, and then I can determine the price, can't I?" The other party also smiled. "But don't worry, as long as it's something we've clearly priced, we can guarantee accuracy."
"...You haven't even asked what kind of intelligence it is, and you've already confirmed you have it?"
"..."
"Alright, that's not important. However, you've probably already prepared the intelligence I want." Noah noticed a momentary fluctuation in the other party's emotions and immediately confirmed her suspicion. "Don't worry, I just need to know who transferred Plastic Knight's points that day. Just that information is enough."
"Are you really not interested in more?"
"Then I would have to be able to afford the price." Noah shook her head. "From the beginning, you've been acting as if you're eager to shove this intelligence at me... It seems these people are quite troublesome for you too, aren't they?"
"...Haha, you really do like to joke."
The other party's tone was flawless, but their emotions could not be hidden. Noah once again got her answer. For the Shieldless League, the person who transferred the points was clearly a tricky individual, but the other party and the Shieldless League were probably enemies, not friends. So, they were not only willing to share the intelligence but even wanted to gain more profit from it.
In this round of probing, Noah had already won. Every one of her questions cut straight to the chase, not only pointing out that the other party had already organized the intelligence but also discerning the Shieldless League's stance.
Since the Shieldless League was so targeted... it was very likely from a foreign country.
And foreign forces... relatively close to Kazimierz?
"...Letania?"
"I'm starting to suspect you actually already know everything." The smile in the other party's tone disappeared. "Then let's be frank. We do find these guys from Letania very troublesome, and I am willing to sell you the intelligence, and even offer a discount. But how confident are you that you can deal with these people?"
"Can't the Shieldless League take action?"
"It's not that we can't take action, it's that it's not worth taking action." The other party confessed, "The Shieldless League is best off being quiet for a while. This is from higher up."
"...Higher up, huh." Noah pondered for a moment. "I understand. I can't guarantee a solution; I can only say I'll do my best."
After both parties reached an agreement, the other party gave her a memory card and then left with his noodles. Around this time, Hintleyya finally came back, balancing two bowls of noodles. She didn't seem to have seen the man who was sitting there earlier; she just enthusiastically handed Noah a bowl of noodles, "Try it. The line was really long today; I finally managed to get to the front."
Noah clutched the memory card in her hand, revealing a flawless smile, "Mm, I was just getting impatient myself."
Meanwhile, Roy, who had left his seat, pulled up his hood and watched Noah and Hintleyya from a platform above, his expression grave. Although it was only a few simple exchanges, the other party seemed to have completely seen through his disguise. If he hadn't known that the other party was indeed blind, he would have thought she was a micro-expression master.
To extract so much intelligence from just a few words, no wonder she could rise so quickly in a place like Kazimierz...
No wonder... Xuan Tie valued this girl so much.
Roy shook his head and disappeared into the shadows.
---------------------------------
If you'd like to read the next 40 chapters in advance, you can support me on Patreon.
I regularly post chapter previews there, so you'll always be up-to-date and won't have to wait too long.
👉 patreon.com/SolyuraMT
And if you enjoy the story, don't forget to give me a Power Stone. Your support really motivates me to continue translating!