On the other side, Sol led the members of the Sons of Calydon back to the Cunning Hares' base.
The first to notice them was the little cat, Nekomata, who, after getting her ears ruffled once by Sol, dashed off like lightning to tell Nicole the news.
"Sol! Anby! You're finally back!"
Nicole hurried over, beaming with delight.
It had been several days since she'd last seen Sol—she'd missed him terribly.
If there hadn't been so many people around, she probably would've jumped straight into his arms.
"We're back." Sol gave Nicole's hand a gentle pat, then handed over the heavy case he was carrying. "This is for you—a gift. Anby and I spent a long time picking it out."
Nicole took the box, and the sheer weight of it made her hands slip, sending it thudding to the floor.
Instead of being upset, she was thrilled—anything that heavy had to be expensive.
Setting it aside for the moment, she looked curiously at Caesar and the others. "And they are...?"
Sol introduced them: "These are a few members of the Sons of Calydon. They came looking for someone named Lighter—and the three little pigs."
The Sons of Calydon members shook hands politely with Nicole, secretly sizing up this woman who was supposedly Sol's "boss."
Aside from her striking looks and lively aura, she wasn't quite what they'd imagined.
"Boss Nicole," Caesar asked eagerly, "you wouldn't happen to know where Lighter is? The guy with the sunglasses?"
Nicole pursed her lips. "Your Lighter and those three red piglets have been holed up in Billy's room the whole time. They only come out to eat. Sometimes, you can even hear... weird noises coming from inside. I don't even want to guess what they're doing."
"If you can, please take them away soon. One lunatic Billy in the Cunning Hares is plenty."
Honestly, if they weren't Billy's friends, she would've kicked them out days ago.
"Huh?"
The Sons of Calydon members exchanged bewildered looks.
The Lighter they remembered was all about swagger and cool attitude—not whatever Nicole was describing!
"If you don't believe me, go see for yourselves. They're still in there."
Nicole tilted her head toward Billy's room.
Even with decent soundproofing, you could still hear some... rather questionable noises coming from within.
Caesar's group approached and knocked.
The door creaked open to reveal a bleary-eyed Lighter with messy, nest-like hair and dark circles under his eyes.
Inside, the TV was playing Monica's hit movie Oh, Sweetie~! as background noise.
Billy sat on the bed with a game controller in his hands, while another controller lay abandoned beside him.
The three little pigs were sprawled out across the bed, snoring peacefully.
Clearly, Lighter and Billy had been gaming together late into the night—and having the time of their lives.
"Oh hey, Caesar, everyone... you're back."
Billy's voice was sheepish as he quickly shoved his controller under his butt.
Caesar, Piper, Burnice, and Lucy stared wordlessly at Lighter, each feeling their worldview quietly collapse.
Lucy sighed. "Lighter... are you broken or something?"
"Wow!" Burnice gasped, her eyes shining. "Who said Lighter's broken? Lighter's awesome!"
Bang!
Lighter slammed the door shut, and a clatter of noises came from inside.
A few moments later, the door opened again.
Now Lighter was perfectly groomed—neat clothes, sunglasses on, and his bedhead transformed into smooth, airy bangs. Behind him, the three little red pigs stood in tidy formation, as if what they'd seen moments ago had been a hallucination.
He spoke with cool composure: "Caesar, it seems Sol Mercer's assignment is complete. Welcome back, everyone."
Caesar ignored his act and turned to Nicole instead. "Sorry for the trouble Lighter and the others caused you. Please accept this small token of appreciation—and if you ever visit the Outer Ring, the Sons of Calydon will treat you well."
She pulled a small pouch of Dennies from her pocket and pressed it into Nicole's hands.
"Oh, there's no need for that—we're all friends here! But, well... if you insist."
Nicole grinned and pocketed the money happily—all her pent-up frustration over the past few days vanished instantly.
"Goodbye then! We still have business in the Outer Ring—can't stay too long!"
Lucy already had her face half-covered as she headed for the door.
Too humiliating. She felt like the Sons of Calydon had lost every shred of dignity in front of Sol.
"Goodbye, Sol! Come to the Outer Ring sometime—I'll make you the best Burnice Special!" Burnice waved cheerfully, her smile radiant.
"Goodbye, Burnice. I'll definitely take you up on that."
Sol waved back, genuinely fond of the sunny blonde.
"Goodbye, Sol," Piper added with a smile. "Thanks again for the gift. If you ever need help, just contact me!"
"I will."
Sol nodded casually.
VROOOM!
The roar of an engine echoed as the Sons of Calydon sped away from the Cunning Hares.
"Caesar! Come visit again!"
Nicole waved after them, reluctant to see them go.
In that short time, she'd already come to think of Caesar as a lifelong sister.
"Hehe, don't look so wistful," Sol said with a grin. "We'll probably be heading to the Outer Ring soon anyway—for the Perlman business."
"That's true. Friends like Caesar are rare," Nicole said with a smile. Then she looked back at Sol. "Oh! Have you and Anby eaten yet? If not, Nekomata and I can start cooking right now."
"We skipped both breakfast and lunch during the mission," Sol admitted, touching her cheek with a smile. "You really do know me best, Nicole."
"Hehe!" Nicole tilted her head proudly. "Of course I do—I'm Boss Nicole, after all!"
"Nicole, I want burgers later," Anby said, tugging at her sleeve.
Though they'd eaten well back at the Black Panther base, burgers were her one true love.
"No problem—I'll make sure you get plenty!"
Nicole patted her shoulder confidently.
Soon, she and Nekomata were bustling around the kitchen.
Meanwhile, Sol and Anby opened the large crate and began distributing the gifts inside.
Billy watched from the side, an odd look on his face. Somehow, it felt like the two of them had just returned from a honeymoon and were now handing out souvenirs.
Still—since his own "souvenirs" were two boxes of premium bullets and high-grade gun oil—he wisely kept his mouth shut.
Nicole's gift was a brand-new military-grade Ether battery and several weapon attachments, all to boost her gear's power and endurance.
Even Nekomata received two exquisite daggers.
As for the rest of the fine weaponry in the crate—it was added to the Cunning Hares' armory.
...Hopefully Nicole wouldn't sell it all off for cash.
Two hours later—
A hearty lunch prepared by Nicole and Nekomata filled the table.
It couldn't compare to the luxury meals from the Black Panther organization, but it was warm, fragrant, and satisfying.
Sol couldn't help but smile to himself.
So, this is what home feels like.