"I-I'm sorry, Wise... It's all my fault for being careless..."
Burnice held a brand-new drink in her hands. A rare hint of shyness colored her flushed face, and she didn't even dare to meet his eyes.
Instead, her gaze drifted to the spot that had just been so close, her breath catching slightly as she recalled it.
The moment the memory surfaced, her knees instinctively pressed together, her legs, clad in black over-the-knee socks, brushed against each other.
Such a bashful reaction was enough to stir all kinds of wild thoughts in him.
"Ahem, it's fine. You didn't do it on purpose, after all," Wise said, rubbing his slightly sore nose.
It had been quite uncomfortable just now, and he could still faintly catch a lingering scent of the sea.
"Mhm, it's good that you don't mind. Thank you for helping me earlier. This is the special concoction I promised. It's absolutely delicious, so try it quickly!"
As Burnice spoke, she eagerly handed the cup to Wise, even adopting a posture as if she were about to feed him herself.
"Ah, alright, I can do it myself."
Overwhelmed by her enthusiasm, Wise could only take the cup from her hand. After glancing at the liquid inside, he took a cautious sip.
Finding it surprisingly good, he continued drinking under Burnice's expectant gaze until he finished it all.
"How does it taste?" she asked.
"Mhm, it's very good."
He wasn't lying. Wise genuinely found it quite delicious, especially compared to the previous cup.
"Phew, that's a relief. Oh, and... can I ask you for another favor?"
Burnice let out a soft sigh of relief before looking at him nervously. Aside from when she made mistakes in front of Lucy, she rarely showed this kind of expression.
"Is it about helping you buy vehicle parts?" Wise asked.
"No! Well... I do need your help with that, too, but that's not what I meant. What I want to ask is... about what just happened. Can I beg you not to tell anyone? If you promise, you can drink as many of my special drinks as you want in the future!"
As she spoke, Burnice suddenly leaned over the bar and grabbed Wise's hands, completely disregarding her usual composure.
Her eyes grew teary as she pleaded.
Wise blinked, momentarily caught off guard. After all, considering what had just happened, and as the one who had technically benefited, wasn't it only natural for him to keep quiet?
"Uh, w-wait a minute..."
"You don't agree? Why? Is the reward not enough? What should I do...? If Lucy finds out I did something so rude, she'll never let me off!"
Burnice seemed to already picture her grim future of being severely punished by Lucy, and her anxiety only intensified.
"Please, I'll do anything, just don't tell anyone!" she pleaded, still clutching Wise's hands.
Fortunately, no one else witnessed the scene. Otherwise, the situation would have been completely misunderstood.
"I get it, I get it. I won't say anything!"
"Really? Thank you!"
[Ding! Target Burnice: has increased her favorability toward the host by 10. Her current favorability is now 60. Additionally, 1200 Emotional Value has been obtained.]
[Current Emotional Value: 18300]
Wise was aware of Burnice's gratitude, but she clearly wasn't satisfied with just words. Without hesitation, she climbed onto the bar counter and pulled him into a tight embrace.
In the next instant, a soft, suffocating pressure buried his face, leaving him momentarily stunned.
"A-Alright... if that's enough, I should go find Lucy now," Wise said, unable to hide his embarrassment.
This time, it wasn't just an excuse. Quite a while had already passed, and if he delayed any longer, Lucy might come looking for him herself.
"Ah, right! Then hurry up!" Burnice quickly let go of him.
Just like that, she returned to her usual lively self, a bright smile blooming on her face, completely different from the shy girl from moments ago.
Wise smiled awkwardly, thinking that such close contact hadn't really been necessary, though he didn't mind it either.
<<>>
"Ready? You certainly took your time..."
Lucy glanced at Wise, who stood fully prepared before her. Though she tried to hide it, her curiosity showed as her gaze lingered on the Bangboo's small frame.
Burnice still carried a trace of guilt, but Lucy didn't seem to notice. Seeing everyone present, Caesar wasted no time and mounted her motorcycle.
"Alright, let's move!"
As she spoke, Caesar lifted Wise onto the bike, placing him in front so he could see more clearly.
The moment she sped off, the rest of the group followed closely behind.
None of them realized that along the way to the Hollow, someone had already begun watching them.
Not long after, deep within the Hollow, the Sons of Calydon began placing data stakes under Wise's direction, carefully selecting safe areas to gather information. During the process, they picked up several interesting details.
For example, both Billy and Lighter were known as Undefeated Champions.
However, Billy had already left the Sons of Calydon. As for Lighter, although he remained, he rarely had the chance to fight.
With Caesar's overwhelming strength handling most situations, Lucy often assigned him to other tasks instead.
Because of that, Lighter had even been mistaken for a handyman for a time, largely due to the meticulous and calculating nature of the group's head housekeeper.
Working together efficiently, they quickly finished placing all three data stakes. But just then, Fairy detected a biological signal near data stake number two.
When they rushed over, the stake was already gone.
At first, Wise assumed it had been taken by a passing Hollow Raider.
Following the trail left behind, the group spent quite some time tracking the culprits before finally catching up with them. The moment she spotted them, Lucy shouted.
"Stop right there, you shameless thieves! I've finally caught up with you!"
"Hey, city girl, don't talk nonsense. Your names aren't on this thing. According to Hollow rules, whoever finds it keeps it!"
The other side responded without a shred of shame, and Lucy immediately realized they had come prepared.
After all, removing engravings from metal in such a short amount of time required specialized tools. It was clear they had deliberately targeted the Sons of Calydon.
In the end, both sides agreed to settle things through a duel, following the rules of the Outer Ring.
This was exactly the moment for Lighter to prove his worth as an undefeated champion. After all, he couldn't keep avoiding fights by doing odd jobs forever.
On the opposing side, they sent out a red-haired gorilla, Thiren, boasting that he was also an Undefeated Champion, with twenty consecutive victories at the Embers Arena.
-+ + +-
-> To have access to more than 40 extra chapters, go to:
[-p -a -t -r -e -o -n . com/DysFiction.]
-> To make a don@tion go to:
[ ko - fi .com /dysfiction ]
-+ + +-
Novels Available:
-> Zenless Zone Zero: The Almighty Incubus of Sixth Street. (Translation)
-> Azur Lane: Don't Fight! You're All My Wives! (Translation)
-> Zenless Zone Zero: Death in White. (Original - P@treon Only Until It Reaches 30 Chapters)
-+ + +-