[ Bonus Chapter - 100 P.S ]
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"Brother, you looked like you were enjoying that quite a bit just now, didn't you?"
After leading Caesar and the others out of the Hollow and disconnecting his consciousness synchronization with Eous, Wise was immediately met with Belle leaning in close, a smug look spread across her face.
"What do you think would happen if Nekomata found out about this?" she added, her expression shifting from smug to mischievous.
A second later, Fairy chimed in at the perfect moment.
[|Prediction. Miss Nekomata will feel sad and upset. There is a high probability she will initiate a crying and wailing offensive against you, Master.|]
"Alright, stop stirring up trouble. I only did that to save myself at the time," Wise said, letting out a weak sigh.
Unfortunately, the looks on their faces made it clear they didn't believe him in the slightest.
"Anyway, let's drop it. Caesar and the others should be back soon. Since we're done here, let's go get something to eat," Belle said, quickly shifting the topic, her impatience obvious.
Wise didn't quite understand why she was so eager.
"You really don't mind those burritos and skewers? We don't even know what kind of meat they're using," he asked, genuinely curious.
"What's there to worry about? They're just insect legs, right? As long as they're packed with protein, it's good food. You're the one who said that, Brother."
"I said that because… forget it. Let's just go."
Realizing there was no winning, Wise dropped the matter. Beside him, Belle beamed with satisfaction, even raising a peace sign with an annoyingly proud look.
'Hmph, you smug little sister. Don't think I'll let this slide just because we're in the Outer Ring.'
Wise quietly made up his mind. If she liked protein that much, then he would make sure she got plenty of it.
Later, during dinner, Wise found himself being grabbed by the neck and force-fed a fuel drink by an overly excited Burnice. If Caesar hadn't stepped in to pull her away, it wouldn't have been just his jacket that got soaked.
Still, there was no helping it. Under the current circumstances, he had to keep wearing it.
After all, he only had a short-sleeved shirt underneath, and taking the jacket off could lead to troublesome situations if he accidentally came into contact with others.
On the way back, Belle patted her full stomach, clearly having eaten too much to even consider a late-night snack.
Just then, Wise received a message from Lucy. She said she had something to discuss and asked him to come alone to the shed behind the gas station, specifically emphasizing that he shouldn't tell anyone else.
After reading it, Wise gave Belle a quick heads-up before heading over.
Lucy was already there, waiting. The moment she spotted him, she spoke without delay.
"Wise, sorry for calling you out so late. I'll get straight to the point. I have an extra commission, and I need you to keep it confidential."
Hearing that, Wise frowned slightly, puzzled as to why this needed to be kept hidden. Sensing his doubt, Lucy explained that she didn't want it to affect the team's condition before the competition.
"Wise, you've probably noticed it too. Lately, we've been running into one problem after another while operating in the Hollow. It's obvious someone is targeting us," she said as she adjusted her helmet.
"I checked on Bellum and Pulchra. They're not listed in any public biker gang records, but I'm almost certain they're connected to the Vanquishers."
Wise nodded in agreement. After all, the Tour de Inferno was a direct showdown between the Sons of Calydon and the Vanquishers.
With one side bound to become the next Overlord, keeping a low profile now was the safest choice.
"Furthermore, based on what I know about Lucius, he's definitely behind this. The problem is, we don't have any solid evidence, so there's nothing we can do to him."
In truth, Lucy had long suspected sabotage. What unsettled her most was how precise the enemy's information had been.
It made her suspect that someone in town was secretly feeding information to the Vanquishers.
Wise nodded again before asking, "In that case, what do you need me to do?"
"Not yet. I need to narrow down the suspects first. I'll handle the investigation myself for now, but there may come a time when I'll need your help."
"Don't worry. Phaethon accepts this commission," Wise replied without hesitation.
Still, for some reason, he couldn't shake the strange feeling that he was stepping into something already scripted.
"Thanks! Oh, and one more thing. Don't tell anyone about this, especially Burnice and Caesar. Burnice can't keep a secret to save her life, and as for Caesar... forget it, it's nothing."
Watching Lucy act so cautious, yet strangely tsundere, Wise couldn't help but tease her a little.
"Lucy, you really care about Caesar, don't you?"
"H-How could that be!" Lucy shot back immediately.
Even in the dim light of night, a faint blush spread across her face as she quickly tried to cover it up.
"Hmph, I just happen to know things that Caesar doesn't. That gives me the advantage in the competition, that's all! Wait... what's with that look? You don't believe me?!"
Seeing the knowing expression on Wise's face, Lucy suddenly felt a flicker of unease.
"A-Anyway, I'll contact you once there's progress. Just wait for my message. Goodbye!"
With that, she turned on her heel and left without another word.
Standing there alone, Wise began sorting through the information he had just received.
For instance, regarding the car accident that occurred when he first arrived in the Outer Ring, Lucy suspected Lucius was the one behind it.
Noticing how late it had become, Wise decided to head back and have a proper talk with Belle. As he walked, he took off his jacket, still slight damp from the fuel drink.
Just then, his eyes caught a figure moving quietly toward a truck not far away.
"That truck... isn't that Piper's Steeltusk? What's going on out here this late?"
Blazewood was pitch-black at night, making it impossible to clearly identify the person under the faint moonlight.
After a moment's hesitation, Wise decided to follow. After all, Lucy had just mentioned the possibility of a mole in town. He couldn't ignore something suspicious.
Keeping his footsteps light, he trailed the figure and soon watched as they slipped into the cab of the Steeltusk.
Wise's eyes narrowed. The golden hair stood out under the moonlight, and combined with the figure's build, he already had a good idea of who it was.
Still, he remained cautious. When the truck showed no signs of starting, he slowly moved closer.
As he approached the cab, Wise quickly noticed that the door hadn't been fully closed.
A fair, delicate foot was braced against the door, accompanied by a faint, unusual sound.
Wise immediately recognized the voice.
It was Piper.
With his experience, there was no way he wouldn't understand what was going on. So he quietly prepared to leave.
But just as he turned, something unexpected happened.
It seemed something had gone wrong inside the cab. Piper suddenly kicked the door open with force, her body slipping out unsteadily.
Hearing her startled cry, Wise reacted almost on instinct, stepping forward and catching her in his arms.
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Novels Available:
-> Zenless Zone Zero: The Almighty Incubus of Sixth Street. (Translation)
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-> Zenless Zone Zero: Death in White. (Original - P@treon Only Until It Reaches 30 Chapters)
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