The group had just stepped out of the Janus District Police Station and onto the bustling streets of Lumina Square. A sense of relief washed over them.
After a long, exhausting day, they could finally sit down for a proper meal.
Just as they were about to head toward the restaurant they had reserved, a familiar voice called out from behind them.
"You heartless bunch. I've been running around for you all day, and you didn't even bother to invite me to dinner?"
"Yeah, if my sister hadn't reminded me, we'd still be waiting at the video store for news from you."
Hearing the voices, the group immediately turned around—sure enough, Belle and Wise were standing there.
Earlier, when they had encountered Zhu Yuan and Qingyi, the two had left ahead of time to avoid exposing their identities.
Now that they were reunited, Nicole quickly smiled to smooth things over.
"Oh… Billy, didn't I ask you to notify the two store managers?"
Billy looked confused. "When?"
Nicole chuckled. "Never mind, never mind. Billy's a robot—who knows, maybe a part in his brain malfunctioned again, and he forgot something this important. But you guys showed up at the perfect time. We've already got a table reserved."
Billy let out a long sigh and covered his face.
"…."
Taking the blame for Nicole again.
Being a subordinate is hard.
Being a robot subordinate is even harder.
...
Once inside the restaurant, the group had barely sat down before Nicole grinned.
"Hare's House is covering dinner tonight, so eat as much as you want."
"Meow! I smell mackerel! Anby, don't forget to order extra—it's the best!"
"Anby, make sure to get a bottle of gun oil too. I want to take it to go."
"Correction: restaurants do not sell gun oil."
Soon, the table was filled with an assortment of delicious dishes.
There were fries and beef for Anby…
Mackerel for Nekomata…
And sweet pastries for Sam Li…
Billy sighed in admiration. "No wonder this place is popular—the service is fast!"
Nekomata's eyes sparkled as she eyed the grilled mackerel. "I'm digging in! Sam Li, do you want one? It's amazing."
Sam Li shook his head. "I don't like fish."
As they enjoyed their food, their eyes drifted to the television mounted on the wall.
The evening news was covering today's major events—the Canvas Lane Incident and the Dead End Hollow Incident.
When the segment mentioned Nicole's decision to represent the residents of Canvas Lane as their legal advocate, Belle raised an eyebrow.
"Nicole, are you sure you can handle this? Do you need me to find you a professional lawyer?"
Nicole immediately waved her off. "Of course not! Don't underestimate me. I actually studied law back in school."
She conveniently left out the part about dropping out for various reasons.
But over the years, Hare's House had faced many legal disputes, and Nicole had always used her knowledge of the law to win them.
This time, the evidence for the Canvas Lane case was solid.
She was confident she could win again.
Thinking about it, Nicole couldn't help but chuckle.
"If I win this case for the Canvas Lane residents, not only will justice be served, but we'll also earn a hefty commission!"
"We're almost done eating—let's celebrate with a group photo!"
"Yes, yes! I brought my camera! Everyone, look this way—one, two, three… Cheese!"
"Cheese!"
"Sam Li, come on, smile! You always look so serious."
The camera shutter clicked.
Snap.
The photo was taken.
...
Meanwhile – A Luxurious Villa in New Eridu
While Sam Li, Nicole, Anby, Billy, and the others were enjoying their dinner…
In another district of New Eridu, within a grand villa, several members of Victoria Housekeeping sat on a plush sofa.
Their eyes were locked onto the news broadcast, their expressions growing increasingly grim.
Rina smirked.
"Hare's House. A bunch of lying rabbits. Lord Lycaon, do you actually believe a word they say?"
Lycaon didn't answer.
Instead, his sharp gaze fixated on Sam Li, who appeared in the news footage.
He didn't recognize the man personally…
But something about him felt strangely familiar, like they had crossed paths before.
Just then—
Corin came bounding into the room, chainsaw in hand.
The moment her eyes landed on the screen, she gasped and rushed toward the TV.
"That's him! My savior! He's an agent of Hare's House? That's amazing!"
Her words made Lycaon and Rina freeze.
A flicker of shock crossed their faces as they turned to Corin.
"Corin… what did you just say?"
Corin beamed.
"I said that big brother from Hare's House is my savior! He's the one who threw the train car at the Butcher of Dead End and blocked the attack for me!"
She suddenly realized that Lycaon and Rina were staring at her intensely.
Like a child who had accidentally spilled a secret, she shrank back, unsure of what she had done wrong.
Rina's smile widened.
"Corin, could you repeat everything that happened?"
Corin nodded earnestly and began recounting the events.
"At the time, I was running with Ellen, but I was too slow and got separated in the ruins. When I turned back, you were gone, and that's when I ran into the Butcher of Dead End—"
Before she could finish, Lycaon cut her off.
"Forget the details. Just describe the man."
Corin blinked before quickly replying, "Yes, Lord Lycaon! He was holding a strange long spear, and there was a ring of shining golden light around him. In the sunlight, it looked absolutely stunning…"
The moment she finished speaking, Lycaon and Rina exchanged glances.
Now they understood.
The elegant, composed employee of Hare's House…
Was the same warrior who had battled the Butcher of Dead End within the Hollows—even standing on its back at one point.
Back then, they had assumed he was a high-ranking operative from New Eridu's government—perhaps even someone sent to disrupt their plans.
But in reality…
He was just a regular agent of Hare's House.
This revelation was shocking.
After Corin left, Rina turned to Lycaon with an amused smirk.
"Well, Lord Lycaon, it looks like this encounter was just a coincidence. He shouldn't pose a threat to our plans."
Lycaon exhaled slowly.
"Let's hope so."
Rina added thoughtfully, "I never expected a civilian agency like Hare's House to have such a skilled fighter. If we play our cards right, he could even be of use to us."
Of course…
If mishandled, he could become a major obstacle.
People that powerful were difficult to control.
One wrong move, and he could jeopardize everything.
Lycaon's tone was measured.
"Report this to the master. Let him decide. If this man proves to be our enemy… then the master will eliminate him personally."
Rina's smile sharpened.
"If he can't be an asset, then we'll make sure he never becomes a liability."
Clearly—
Both Rina and Lycaon had absolute faith in their so-called master.
They acknowledged that Sam Li was strong—far stronger than the Butcher of Dead End.
But compared to their master?
He was nothing.
Across all of New Eridu—both the inner and outer districts—only a handful of people could stand on equal footing with their master.
Lycaon's eyes narrowed.
"Report this immediately. And if the opportunity presents itself… we should investigate Sam Li further."
Rina chuckled.
"Understood."