It was another sunny day.
Having drawn a full set of "The Three Kingdoms Kill" cards from his daily gacha, Sol's card-playing itch had flared up.
Just as he was about to drag Nicole and the others into a tense, exciting round, a client arrived at the door.
It was a middle-aged broker in a sharp suit.
Nicole recognized him at a glance—Shepherd, a broker on the Inter-Knot who controlled plenty of reliable client resources.
He was in the same trade as the one who had sent her after the Red Fang Gang's safe some days ago, but his name carried far more weight.
"Shepherd, for you to come knocking personally, this must be some troublesome commission that needs the Cunning Hares, hm?" Nicole narrowed her eyes and smiled like a fox. "If the pay isn't generous enough, I won't be interested."
"Don't worry, the reward this time is very generous." Shepherd thumped his chest. "It's a Hollow retrieval job. The pay is five million Dennies!"
"If the client hadn't specified 'the Cunning Hares who saved Canvas Street,' you wouldn't even be considered for such a good deal."
In truth, the Cunning Hares' strength was already well known across the Inter-Knot. Even without their newly added ACE investigator, they were a top-tier combat team.
But thanks to their equally infamous habit of double-crossing employers, few people trusted them with retrieval work.
Only recently, after gaining the title of "Saviors of Canvas Street," had their reputation improved slightly.
Still—five million Dennies for a retrieval job? That client was really daring.
The Cunning Hares might have shown kindness, but that didn't mean they didn't love profit.
If it was such a big commission, wouldn't it be smarter to go to the more professional and polite Victoria Housekeeping Co.?
"Five million Dennies for a retrieval job!" Nicole said excitedly. "The thing we're looking for must be incredibly valuable!"
"Ahem. The object's value is irrelevant. What matters is the client's payment."
"This time, the item is a spare chainsaw blade lost in the Dead End Hollow. It has great personal significance to the client, but it isn't something black marketeers would covet."
Shepherd sighed inwardly. They hadn't even set out yet, and Nicole was already scheming about the item. Her reputation as the black-hearted Nicole was truly deserved.
"Spending five million Dennies to retrieve a chainsaw blade! So, this is the world of the rich, huh?" Nicole's eyes widened in excitement. "Shepherd, I'll take this commission!"
"Good. A two-million Denney advance will be transferred to your account shortly. The rest will be paid upon completion." Shepherd nodded. Nicole's reaction did not surprise him.
"Now that's a real gentleman—paying an advance!"
Nicole couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
After delivering the commission details, Shepherd quickly departed, and Nicole gathered her crew.
Nicole turned toward him.
Retrieval jobs were the kind of commission he cared for least—especially in a Hollow like Dead End Hollow, which he had already cleared. That made him even less interested.
"Alright then." Nicole didn't press. This sort of small job really didn't need Sol's involvement. "Anby, Billy, Nekomata—let's go!"
And so, the four of them, with Baal in tow, headed for the Dead End Hollow. Thıs content belongs to 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭•𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦•𝘯𝘦𝘵
Inside the room, Sol was left alone, ready to enjoy another round of the well-loved The Three Kingdoms Kill.
Just then, the doorbell rang, catching his attention.
Curious, Sol got up to open the door.
At this time of day—could it be Belle coming over to play games?
But standing there was a well-groomed, elegant Thiren gentleman, along with three maids, each distinct in their own charm.
"Good day, Mr. Sol Mercer. I am Von Lycaon, steward of Victoria Housekeeping Co." Von Lycaon bowed with flawless grace. "It is an honor to meet you."
The "client" that Shepherd had mentioned was, of course, them. The item to be retrieved was none other than the chainsaw blade Corin Wickes had worn down.
This arrangement was naturally a way to divert Nicole and the others. To test Sol, they had to remove unnecessary variables.
"Greetings, Mr. Sol Mercer."
Led by Rina, both Ellen Joe and Corin Wickes bent into a bow.
"H-hello, Mr. Sol Mercer."
Ellen said awkwardly.
"And greetings to all of you." Sol gave a general response, then looked directly at the uneasy Ellen. "And hello, Ellen. You look very nice today."
Of course, he already knew their identities. Aside from adding Ellen as a friend, though, he hadn't had much contact with Victoria Housekeeping Co.
Could this really be about that incident when Ellen fainted while gaming?
In her maid outfit, Ellen looked even cuter than when they had first met.
Meeting Sol while dressed as a maid left her feeling embarrassed.
"Please forgive our sudden visit." Von Lycaon, noticing Sol's puzzlement, spoke gravely. "We have encountered an Ethereal beyond our ability to handle. Having heard that you are a formidable man worthy of respect, we have come to seek your aid."
"Of course, we have prepared the proper compensation. For your intervention, the reward is ten billion Dennies."
From his intelligence gathering over the past few days, Von Lycaon knew that Sol Mercer had as much of a hunger for Dennies as Nicole did.
Ten billion—a staggering sum, even among the top of the Inter-Knot.
Sol narrowed his eyes.
Victoria Housekeeping Co.'s target was clear—they had come specifically for him.
But in principle, there should be nothing that only he could handle.
Still, who could say?
Maybe they had simply heard of his cleansing an entire Hollow and decided to seek him out.
An Ethereal so fearsome that even Victoria Housekeeping Co. considered it impossible to face—that stirred his interest.
After all, his Magnetic Field Rotation technique required a strong opponent to be tested.
And ten billion Dennies… that was tempting.
With a thought, Sol smiled faintly. "For the renowned Victoria Housekeeping Co. to come to an outsider like me—it must indeed be something serious."
Von Lycaon tensed. Was Sol about to refuse?
"Ordinarily, I dislike troublesome matters." Sol glanced at Ellen. "But since Victoria Housekeeping Co. has shown such sincerity, and since Ellen is my friend—if she's in trouble, I can't ignore it. I'll take the commission."
Von Lycaon exhaled in relief and said sincerely, "Thank you for your aid, Mr. Mercer. Victoria Housekeeping Co. will not disappoint you."
Inwardly, he added: So long as he is not one of them.
Ellen stamped her foot lightly, guilt welling in her chest.
Sol had said he was agreeing for her sake, but she had come with the intent of testing him.