"The lines are already clearly drawn. Leaking information from the Defense Army has nothing to do with the Staff Army—it doesn't count as betrayal."
"Besides, the real betrayal would be acting against you once that order was issued."
Trigger spoke calmly as she walked over to Soldier 11 and stood beside her, giving her a helpless look.
She had already understood what Zane meant earlier, but without enough chips to offer in return, she hadn't responded. Now that Soldier 11 needed to strengthen her abilities, the card they had been holding could finally be played and offered to Zane.
"But like you said, the Defense Army issued an order, which greatly restricts my movements. So how much valuable intel could you even have?"
Zane negotiated with Trigger unhurriedly.
"That's true, but you should know—that was while the person who issued that order was still here. Now that he's left New Eridu for the outskirts, some people are starting to make moves…"
"Besides, my offer doesn't just include Defense Army intel. It includes the entire intelligence network we have access to."
"You're not just being watched by the Defense Army. For example, the rebel forces that recently infiltrated New Eridu from the outskirts…"
Trigger raised the stakes again, though she had her own reasons for doing so.
This also involved the Obol Squad. Part of the reason Soldier 11 had approached Zane in the first place was because of this.
It was always better for a "fire picker" to join the game willingly than to be dragged in…
"Alright. Glad to be working with you."
Zane smiled slightly, accepting the new terms and extending his hand to her.
Trigger understood, but instead of shaking hands, she offered him a salute.
"We're not merchants, and the things we're trading aren't commodities that merchants can deal in."
"So, our deal won't be made in a merchant's way."
"Fine."
Zane nodded and withdrew his hand.
"In that case, shouldn't you give me some intel first to show good faith?"
"That's not really a merchant's practice, right? But no matter the kind of deal, there's always got to be sincerity."
Zane's voice rang out again. As for why he didn't offer any himself—one, he was stronger, and two, this whole thing was Trigger's proposal. He was the "client," and held the advantage.
That's why he'd never laid out his terms directly—he preferred to let the other side bring them up first. Keeping the upper hand was a good habit.
"Alright, I'll tell you something I've learned recently…"
Trigger didn't decline—just as Zane had predicted. As the one initiating the deal, she had no grounds to refuse.
"You've heard of Dead End Hollow, right? It was cleared out by the authorities, partly because of Vision Industries and partly because of the 'fire pickers.'"
"But now, some restless people are starting to make their move…"
"Dead End Hollow is still heavily monitored. Besides illegal intruders, practically no one gets in."
"But unlike before, now it's filled with eyes… A few small squads entered on a mission a few days ago. No one knows what they were doing. They only came out last night."
Trigger spoke at a steady pace. Zane raised an eyebrow, lost in thought.
"Eyes?"
"That's right. Smart surveillance devices. They track Ether activity and reorient based on it. Obvious downside is they need to be retrieved manually afterward, and they're easy to destroy."
"According to info from Titan Tech, the number of these devices is considerable. It's a hassle."
Trigger pulled up relevant data on her tablet and showed it to Zane to demonstrate her sincerity.
"Alright, got it."
Zane glanced at it and committed it to memory. With his recall, he didn't need long.
After that, he turned to Soldier 11, offering a slight smile—his attitude noticeably softened.
He started walking toward the usual spot where they sparred. Seeing her still rooted in place, he called back,
"Come on, keep up."
"O-oh, right."
Startled by his words, Soldier 11 nodded and quickly followed, looking unusually obedient.
She wasn't actually dumb—she could clearly see that Trigger and Zane had made a deal. But since things were going smoothly, she didn't want to think too much.
She'd leave that part to Trigger.
As for the shame from before, Soldier 11 had already let it go. The grudges she remembered, she no longer clung to. Revenge? No longer on her mind.
All of it—written off.
Trigger watched Soldier 11 with a few stress lines appearing on her forehead. She could only sigh inwardly—this teammate of hers...
The two gradually walked off into the distance.
"Oh, right. When you fight next, be mindful of the timing when igniting your blade. Don't let outside distractions cause a misfire…"
It was the first time Zane had offered her any advice, and Soldier 11 was clearly stunned. But after a moment, she snapped out of it and quickly nodded.
"Understood. It's just that sometimes I get impatient during combos, or speed up too fast…"
"I noticed. The root issue is your mindset. That's something only you can fix—but I can help in other ways."
Seeing the anticipation in her eyes, Zane continued.
"I'll teach you a song. Listen carefully to the rhythm…"
...
A few days later.
"Zane!"
"Don't yell... Let me sleep a bit longer…"
Inside the Tanuki House, Zane lay in bed with his eyes shut. But he knew—Nekomata was standing at his bedside, arms crossed and fuming.
It was like clockwork at this point. Standard routine.
"Get up already!"
At her voice, Zane sighed, opened his eyes, and looked at her with exasperation.
"Go do your thing. There's nothing for me to do. Why are you dragging me into it? Can't I just lie here a little longer?"
With Zane's stamina, he didn't need sleep. Rest was optional.
But lying in bed was comfortable!
"Zane, if you don't get up, I'm telling on you!"
Hearing her threat, Zane's face darkened. He shot her a glare.
But Nekomata didn't flinch—she glared right back with no fear.
Seeing that his "intimidation" failed, Zane sighed again, this time with a hint of resignation.
He still didn't know how Nekomata had found out about his relationship with Qingyi—or how she even got in touch with her.
But when Qingyi showed up at his bedside that afternoon, he was completely caught off guard.
And after that? No room for negotiation.
She scolded him non-stop while hauling him up with zero mercy. That was that.
Since then, Nekomata had figured out the perfect counters for everyone. Against others, she had Zane as her trump card. Against Zane? She had Qingyi.