Zane's voice sounded, but the other end didn't answer right away. After two seconds of silence, a voice finally came through.
"Zane, it's me. Didn't expect you to actually be at home now… tch."
"Mm… there's someone here who wants to get in touch with you. Sigh, I really couldn't talk them down… Sorry."
"Shin?"
Zane raised an eyebrow. Why was Shin calling now? And what did she mean—someone wanted to contact him? She'd even apologized? Who could…
He suddenly thought of something, a hint of resignation crossing his face. Probably someone from Shin's family. He'd seen her father before.
Shin had once mentioned her family situation was delicate and might cause trouble down the line. So was it her father this time?
Zane waited quietly.
He didn't have to wait long. A voice came through—not the man he expected, but a woman.
"Mr. Zane, there's something I'd like to discuss with you… a potential collaboration. Perhaps we could arrange a formal meeting."
She didn't waste time and went straight to the point.
"Collaboration?"
"That's right, collaboration. But given the circumstances, this isn't the best time. Could we maybe—"
"Sorry, my time is precious right now."
Zane glanced at Augilia on the sofa and declined. Talks could happen anytime, but the twins didn't have much time left. He already had other plans. At the very least, the twins had to choose to stay of their own will. He had to respect their choice—forcing them wasn't an option.
"Then let's switch to a different format and talk face-to-face."
The woman quickly offered another solution. Zane thought for a moment, then agreed.
...
A short while later, Augilia brought out the computer from Zane's room. After a quick setup, she used the key provided over the phone to connect to a secret channel.
Soon, a woman appeared on the screen. She looked young, with a crisp, decisive air.
"Mr. Zane, it's an honor to meet you."
Her voice reached Zane through the speakers. Over the still-open phone line, Shin spoke up again.
"Zane, this is my aunt. She's connected to the White Star Institute. I'm not entirely sure why she's looking for you right now."
"But I want to use her to dig deeper into the Society, so I can't afford to make things too tense. I've already turned her down a few times; it's not ideal to keep refusing."
"Don't worry, she's not after the 'god' Zane, but the 'human' Zane—she's coming for you as the leader of the Falkenhayn Mercenary Troupe. Just brush her off. Ideally, refuse."
"Of course, if you have other ideas, this is just my suggestion. Don't take it too seriously."
Shin explained the situation, then remembered something and added,
"Oh, and I'm still decrypting the stuff you brought back. The potions and the rest are under strict seal."
"There should be progress soon. I'll contact you then."
Zane nodded. Shin was about to hang up, then thought of something else.
"Right, Zane—I recommend you get a personal contact method… a cell phone or something. They're really not expensive."
Hearing that, Zane recalled the long-forgotten plan to buy a phone.
Hmm… honestly, did he really need one now? He'd think about it later.
"Mr. Zane?"
Once Zane finally ended the call, the woman on the video prompted him, then began her pitch. She seemed eager to "recruit" him. Or rather… to pry open a crack in the Falkenhayn Mercenary Troupe.
Zane didn't interrupt, only listened as she grew more and more impassioned, his expression calm.
Off-screen, Augilia tugged Belle toward the inner hall, planning to introduce her properly to her younger sister.
...
"Mr. Zane, aren't you tempted?"
"We can give you everything!"
On screen, the woman's eyes were sharp, her confidence absolute. In her view, Shin had lured Zane away from the Hollow Special Operations Unit 6 with profit, so she believed she could just as easily win him over with profit as well.
Zane studied her, suddenly amused. He raised a hand, curling his fingers like a claw. His expression seemed overtaken by desire—greedy, hungry, eyes blazing as he declared,
"Wealth!"
Seeing the smooth progress, she mirrored his gesture and echoed,
"Wealth!"
Sure enough—who could resist that?
Zane spoke again,
"Power!"
She echoed once more,
"Power!"
Power was trickier, but with municipal elections coming up, it wasn't impossible to maneuver…
A smile tugged at Zane's lips. He held her gaze, both of their expressions turning increasingly meaningful, as if they'd seen through each other. Like two old foxes.
As his raised hand closed into a fist, Zane spoke.
"Banana!"
"Banana!"
"Huh? What?"
She froze, her face going stiff. Banana? What was that? No… what on earth was that?
"Hahaha… too funny…"
Zane couldn't hold it in anymore and broke into a grin. He flicked his hand as if booting the little yellow creature that had barged into his head right back out. Those little guys were always good for a laugh.
Hearing him laugh, the woman realized she'd been played. Before she could speak, Zane cut in.
"Drop the other ideas. You can't give me what I want. I'm not going to waste more time on this. Bye."
Without giving her a chance to respond, Zane snapped the laptop shut. Beside him, the twins and Belle looked over curiously.
"Sir, what is a banana?"
"Mm?"
At Augetta's question, Zane arched an eyebrow, then showed the length with his hands.
"About this long, curved, and tasty."
"Huh? What is that…"
The twins fell into thought. Belle, meanwhile, frowned as a realization struck her, and her expression changed.
No way… uh… Zane doesn't seem like that kind of guy…
She remembered a random videotape she'd once picked up from a street stall…
"The same color as your hair."
"Ah? I get it—it's a banana!"
"Yes, Augetta is very smart."
"Hmm? Belle, why does your face look so weird?"
"Ah? N-no reason…"
"Really?"
"Really!"