Although Lancer looked much more miserable than the other Second Class Investigator, his recovery was actually much faster. After all, the other person had two broken ribs and needed at least two or three months to recover before he could perform his duties again. But Lancer had his mobility basically restored after changing his dressing a few times.
Of course, even so, the doctor in charge of Lancer still advised him to stay in the hospital to recuperate, but Lancer insisted on being discharged because he had to understand the 'timing.'
'Ken Kaneki' becoming a ghoul, Jason's first appearance, and the most crucial thing, Kureo Mado death!
This somewhat strange middle-aged man was Lancer 'benefactor,' and he absolutely couldn't let him die like that!
Maybe it was because he was thinking about something that he ended up walking aimlessly to a place he shouldn't have been to —————— the Anteiku cafe.
Looking at the 'familiar' cafe in front of him, he hesitated for a moment but decided to go and take a look anyway.
Although his quinque wasn't with him and he was injured, with only a handgun for self-defense, it didn't really matter. After almost dying at the hands of the 'Binge Eater' before, he finally knew the gap in combat power between him and an SS-rank ghoul. If the people in the store really planned to do something to him, he probably wouldn't even have a chance to make a move.
But what he didn't expect was that just as his hand was on the door, the door was pushed open from the inside.
"Lancer... san?"
Touka Kirishima, holding a rag in her hand, looked at Lancer with an incredulous expression.
Lancer arrival indeed surprised Touka Kirishima. After all, Lancer hadn't been to the store for over a week. She had even thought that Lancer wouldn't come again. In her opinion, this 'investigator' was very strange. He would often sit alone, drinking coffee and eating dessert, and besides the last time she spoke to him on her own initiative, she had never seen him talk in the store.
Just such a strange person insisted on coming almost every day, and after he suddenly stopped coming, she even wondered if he had been killed in the 'Big CCG Operation' that was rumored among ghouls recently.
But she didn't expect Lancer to appear in front of the store again today, and with injuries all over his body.
But after the surprise, she didn't forget her job.
"Lancer-san, the usual?"
"The usual."
Lancer, who walked into the store, habitually walked towards his usual seat but was suddenly taken aback.
"Is something wrong, Lancer-san? Ah~! I'm sorry, that seat is taken today. How about another seat?"
Because Lancer always came during the time when the foot traffic was the least, people went to restaurants more during dinner time. As for after dark at seven or eight? Most people wouldn't go out at night, and even if they did, they would rarely come to drink coffee. In addition, there was nothing to see by the window after dark, so that seat was always taken when Lancer came, but this time was different. A somewhat timid teenager was sitting there nervously.
"It's alright, I didn't make a reservation anyway."
Just by looking at Lancer expression, it was impossible to tell what he was thinking, but in reality, Lancer heart couldn't help but stir. Because the other person's appearance in the Anteiku cafe meant that another person was probably coming soon ———————— Rize Kamishiro.
The woman who had left him covered in blood a few nights ago!
Lancer first reaction was to call Kureo Mado and have him send people over to surround and kill the other party, but he quickly gave up on that idea. If the CCG's main force were to come here, things would get completely out of hand.
Even if the people here didn't attack humans, it couldn't change the fact that they were ghouls. Lancer was willing to believe in the so-called 'plot,' but others might not.
Was Lancer supposed to tell them that the employees here would improve the opposition between ghouls and humans in the future?
Setting aside whether anyone would believe him, if he were to say that, he would definitely be treated like a lunatic.
And even if the people here didn't like to kill, they would definitely not hold back if the CCG threatened their safety. The casualties that could have been avoided would also happen because of a single phone call from him...
Lancer felt his already immense pressure become even greater.
Knowing things in advance could indeed make one a 'prophet' and bring huge benefits, but for him, a person who only had a fragmented understanding and no power, it was a huge burden, a burden so huge that he didn't know what to do with it.
In the end, Lancer decided to wait and see, or rather, to follow them first. If Rize Kamishiro was about to attack someone, he would make a move. If the other party was going to be hit by a steel beam today, then that would be perfect. Lancer, who had secretly made up his mind, ate his food and paid the bill at several times his usual speed and left.
Lancer, who rushed to the branch to get his quinque box, did not go directly to the Anteiku cafe. Instead, he changed into a different set of clothes and quietly hid in a small store on the street. Of course, his box was also disguised, or it would have been a huge problem if he was discovered in advance.
As time passed, Lancer also changed to a third store. Just as he was wondering if Ken Kaneki wasn't coming because he had injured Rize Kamishiro, a purple-haired woman in a white dress and hat appeared in front of the Anteiku cafe.
'She's here!'
Even from a dozen meters away, Lancer could see Ken Kaneki, who was sitting by the window in a state of apprehension, show an expression of surprise. The two of them sat by the window and seemed to be talking about something, but just as Lancer thought everything would proceed as in the 'plot,' 'the unexpected' happened.
'What's going on? Why is she leaving now?'
Although Lancer couldn't remember the specific details because it had been a long time, he remembered that the two of them went shopping after they finished eating. But at this moment, looking at Rize Kamishiro's 'excited' expression, he knew that the other party seemed to be ready to make a move on Ken Kaneki. After all, the other party had an similar expression on her face when she made a move on him before.
'What caused the other party... it's because of me!'
Yes, although Rize Kamishiro was the 'Binge Eater,' she didn't hunt every day. But now, she was injured from his unrestrained attack, and she needed food to recover, but she also didn't want to attract attention, so the only option was to strike early!
'Damn it! The plot has already changed, so the so-called 'steel beam' probably won't appear. So Ken Kaneki will probably become the other party's food...'
Lancer, who grabbed the briefcase next to him, followed them without hesitation. At the same time, he took out his phone.
"Report, this is Second Class Investigator Lancer. I have discovered a woman suspected of being the 'Binge Eater' on the street! I am tracking the other party. Please track my GPS signal!"
There was no doubt that if Ken Kaneki died, the 'plot' would inevitably be completely different. And he couldn't save the other person alone, so since the 'plot' was already fragmented, he didn't care anymore!
No matter what Ken Kaneki's identity would be in the future, he was a human now, and he was an investigator. He had a duty to protect him!