After Number 11 left, Mo Wang waited until the next morning, but she still hadn't replied to his messages. He had a sinking feeling that she was in trouble.
"Sigh, what a pain. I wonder who's behind it this time."
He slumped in his chair at the video store. He couldn't understand why, even though she knew there were people in the Defense Force who wanted her dead, Number 11 remained so loyal to them.
And then there was Anby. She knew her sister was in danger, but she never talked to her, just let the misunderstanding fester and let her stay in the Defense Force. He'd been tempted to lock the two of them in a room and force them to talk it out.
Ring~
The shop door opened, and a familiar figure walked in. "Long time no see, Charon," he said to the mature blonde woman. She wore her hair in a high ponytail, and a mask that completely obscured her eyes, giving her the appearance of being blind.
"It has been a while, Boss. And I've told you before, Charon was my former captain's title. My codename in the military now is Trigger," she said gently.
They were old friends, and in fact, she was the first friend he had made in Sixth Street.
"Ahem, Charon just sounds a little more... intimate, doesn't it?" he coughed, embarrassed. He didn't want to admit that the name "Trigger" reminded him of a certain Martian... Dammit, I've transmigrated and Trigger is still chasing me!
Smile, smile, smile... and the nightmare of flowers, grass, trees, and sky...
[Mo Wang has suffered a mental attack. SAN value has decreased by 2.5 points.]
"Alright, let's cut to the chase. How's Number 11?" he asked, quickly changing the subject.
"Just as you feared. We've lost contact with her. Even I can't reach her through internal military channels."
"Hah~ That's just great. So, is this another one of your military's screw-ups? This time, I'm going to find out if those guys really have a death wish!" he said, rubbing his temples in frustration.
"No... while a few officers did arrange the mission, it seems Number 11 requested to participate, and she specifically requested no backup."
"Huh? Are you serious? Did she go on a suicide mission?"
"Well," Trigger hesitated, "have you ever heard of a squad in the Defense Force called the Silver Squad?"
"Silver? As in the Silver City? I'm familiar with that," he said, his gaze drifting.
"What's the Silver City? Boss, please answer my question seriously." She knew that look. It was the look he got when he was hiding something.
"Alright, I've heard a little. But just a little."
He knew all about the Silver Squad. After all, their captain was a regular customer of his. He had maxed out his affection with Anby a long time ago and knew all her little secrets.
"Good. This mission is said to be related to the Silver Squad. According to my intel, someone is trying to revive them, and they're specifically targeting Number 11, the last legacy of the Silver Squad."
"Ah? Oh, so you're saying she walked into this trap willingly?" His eyes turned into dead fish eyes. He wasn't surprised that someone wanted to revive the Silver Squad. He was surprised that Number 11 had lied to him.
"That little brat... she's learned how to lie? Tsk~ That's so out of character."
"Well, Boss, the Silver Squad have always been a dark secret that the military has tried to cover up. Even I don't know much about them. So, do you have any way of finding her?"
"What do you think I am, Doraemon? You think I know all your military's secrets?" he said, denying everything.
"Boss, don't try to hide it. I know some of the things you've done. For example, last time..."
"Ahem, don't talk nonsense. I'm just an ordinary video store owner who does some Proxy work on the side. I don't know anything about the Silver Squad. But... I know someone who does."
He then led her to a convenience store, where they found Anby munching on a hamburger.
"Boss, who is this?" Trigger asked, a strange sense of familiarity washing over her.
"Oh, this is the legendary Hamburger Sage. She can answer any of your questions."
"Hamburger Sage? Is that an informant's codename?"
"Anby is not a Hamburger Sage," Anby said, glaring at him. "And you, stop giving me weird nicknames."
"So, she's not an informant?"
"Well, she is, in a way. But her other identity is more important. She's Number 11's older sister, the legendary captain of the Silver Squad, Miss Anby."
"She's... the captain of the Silver Squad? That Anby?" Trigger's eyes widened in shock. She couldn't reconcile the image of the legendary, ruthless killer with the girl in front of her, who was happily eating a hamburger.
And then she looked at Mo Wang, even more shocked. How did he just casually find the legendary Anby, who was supposed to be a taboo subject in the military?
"Are you really Anby? Number 0 of the Silver Squad?"
If Trigger had looked closer, she would have noticed that Anby and Number 11 looked almost identical.
"Yes, I'm Anby. I've heard about what happened to... Number 11. I never thought something like this would happen."
"I can't believe you've been hiding in Sixth Street all this time," Trigger said with a wry smile.
"Well, Sixth Street is a good place to hide. There are a lot of interesting people here," he said. A legendary Proxy, a mysterious old man named Enzo, a legendary hacker, the Cunning Hares... what's one more Silver Knight captain?
"Actually, I've been avoiding her," Anby said. "Since we already know Number 11 is in danger, we should act quickly. I have a feeling they're not just after her."
"But... we still don't know where she is," Trigger said, looking at Mo Wang.
"Don't worry, I've already taken care of that," he said, and showed them his phone.
"So fast?"
"You know, as a Proxy, the one thing I don't lack is friends," he said proudly. His network of contacts spanned every industry in New Eridu. Finding one person's whereabouts was a piece of cake.
"Of course, with you here, we don't have to worry about that," Anby said with a relieved smile.
"What are you saying?" he said, ruffling her hair. "It's no trouble at all. Number 11 is my friend too. And besides, didn't I tell you before? No matter what happens, I'll always be behind you, helping you. Don't worry, whoever is after Number 11, I'll make them pay."