Meanwhile, on the other side of the Dead End Hollow—
Victoria Housekeeping Co. had just completed a client's lost-item commission.
At the front strode Von Lycaon, a wolf Thiren in a butler's uniform, tall and striking, his powerful leg muscles tense and ready to strike down any enemy in their way.
"Boss, how much longer until we can clock out? Today's job feels like such a pain."
Ellen Joe lazily slung a massive pair of hedge trimmers over her shoulder, her voice listless.
She had already been trudging through the Dead End Hollow for over an hour, and her feet felt uncomfortably sticky.
Glancing down, her eyes followed the line of her sleek, stocking-clad legs to her black leather shoes, which still looked pristine.
But she knew all too well that inside those shoes her feet were damp with sticky sweat. She wanted nothing more than to wash them.
Lycaon's brow furrowed as he turned to lecture the indolent shark-girl Thiren. "Ellen, a proper maid must have patience. No haste, no complaints—every task from the employer must be treated with full seriousness."
Before he could finish, Ellen let out a sigh and answered weakly, "Yeah, yeah, I get it, Boss. I'll look properly for that art piece."
To a Pacific Sleeper Shark who lived by the creed of energy conservation, an hour of fruitless searching had drained her of all spirit.
And the thought of continuing such a pointless hunt, with no leads in sight, was unbearable.
After all, her "energy-saving" philosophy was simple: [If something can be avoided, don't do it. If it absolutely must be done, finish it as quickly as possible.]
No doubt, this commission was the worst kind of job—one she had to do, yet couldn't finish quickly.
Exactly the type she despised most.
Lycaon said nothing further, instead turning his gaze toward Alexandrina Sebastiane.
She smiled serenely, patient as ever, as though incapable of anger and always ready to serve her master's every need.
Even after an hour of empty searching, the elegant, mature head maid showed not a trace of impatience.
Now that… is the perfect maid.
Lycaon gave a small nod, his irritation eased.
A sharp, metal buzzsaw blade rolled across the ground, making all sorts of jarring noises.
"S-sorry, Lord Lycaon!"
The green-haired loli maid scrambled to scoop it up, bowing her head in flustered murmurs.
Despite the screws, nails, and chains decorating her outfit, Corin Wickes was, unexpectedly, softhearted.
"Ugh… I dropped the saw again. Even though Lord Lycaon already warned me so many times!"
"Corin really is a terrible maid. Someone like me doesn't deserve to be in Victoria Housekeeping, alongside everyone so perfect~"
"But—but I really want to stay… to be with everyone…"
Her voice grew smaller, her head lowering further and further, tears threatening to spill.
Lycaon sighed softly, shaking his head. He could no longer bring himself to scold her.
Rina drifted to Corin's side, smiling as she calmly reassembled the saw blade and handle before handing it back. "It's nothing serious, Corin. No need to be so upset—just pay more attention next time. Still, a good maid must mind the details."
"Th-thank you, Rina!" Corin's eyes lit up as if finding her pillar of strength. She nodded furiously. "I'll be extra careful from now on. I'll learn from you, Rina, and become the perfect maid too!"
Seeing everyone return to normal, Lycaon gave his warning. "Stay sharp, all of you. This is the Dead End Hollow. If you provoke that Dead End Butcher, it won't be easy to handle."
Ellen, still drained, replied in her sluggish drawl. "Got it, Boss…"
"Please rest assured and leave it to me, Lord Lycaon."
Rina's gentle voice carried unwavering resolve.
"C-Corin will work hard too!"
Corin clenched her fists, summoning her courage.
And so, within this small Hollow, three different groups scoured the darkness.
Led by Eous and guided by Fairy, Sol, Zhu Yuan, and the others quickly made their way through the Dead End Hollow, reaching their true destination.
Canvas Street—an old district not far from the Hollow.
From within the alley, one could see the Hollow's shadow stretching across the sky. If a second Dead End Butcher were to appear, the Hollow would expand, inevitably engulfing Canvas Street as well.
This place had already been marked by Vision Corporation for demolition, its signals completely jammed.
By rights, the area should have been deserted.
But Zhu Yuan and Qingyi saw hundreds of residents, still living peacefully, unaware of the looming disaster, waiting calmly for Vision Corporation's evacuation vehicles.
"Canvas Street—there are still this many people here!"
Zhu Yuan's chest heaved with fury as she looked over the tranquil street, her anger boiling over.
She had suspected, but even so, she couldn't believe Vision Corporation would dare such cruelty.
Hundreds of innocent lives, blissfully unaware, living their days… only to be left waiting for death.
Eous's voice burned with indignation. "Outrageous! They're nothing but executioners!"
Qingyi shook his head, sighing. "All this just to avoid paying relocation fees. To think they'd bury so many of their own kind alive… How terrifying can human greed become?"
"Let's speak with the residents. We need to learn what they know."
Sol Mercer addressed Zhu Yuan and Qingyi.
So, the group entered Canvas Street and began talking with the locals.
It didn't take long for outrage to spread.
"Poisonous! They're utterly poisonous!"
"They want to blow us all up just to save on relocation pay?!"
"And they even jammed the signals so we can't get the word out!"
"The blast is in two days! What do we do?!"
The residents broke into a cold sweat at Vision Corporation's scheme.
Unwittingly, they already had one foot in the grave.
If not for these enforcers arriving, they would have died without ever knowing why.
"Everyone, don't panic. Since we're here, we'll stop Vision Corporation's plot and get you all out safely."
Zhu Yuan assured the crowd firmly.
"That's right. Now that we're involved, we won't allow their scheme to succeed."
Qingyi echoed her, soothing their fears.
The people looked at them with gratitude, voices trembling with both relief and anger. "Damn Vision Corporation. We endured the Red Fang Gang, and just when we thought we'd finally get compensation for relocation, they plan to blow us all up instead!"
"If not for you two enforcers investigating, we'd still be in the dark."
Zhu Yuan flushed slightly, glancing toward Sol. "Actually, this was Sol Mercer's doing. He's the one who discovered it—he's a Hollow Investigator." Check latest chapters at NoveI★Fire.net
As Public Security officers, they had failed by not spotting such a heinous plot sooner. It was Sol who provided the intel.
He found the lead. He had others guide them to this place.
Taking credit for his work felt shameful.