Seeing the scene before him, how could Andrew not know what had happened? He couldn't help but slap his forehead and ask:
"Have you ever... bathed yourself before?"
As expected, Anby shook her head.
"After a mission, we return to our medical pods to await orders following automated disinfection."
He glanced over at the other squad members peering curiously from the hallway, and they all shook their heads in perfect, rapid unison.
"Well, since it's come to this, I'd better call someone for help."
He felt like he'd just adopted Mashiro Shiina—twelve of them, all at once.
No, that's not right. At least the Silver Squad was willing to learn, and from the looks of it, they were pretty quick studies.
Wise breathed a sigh of relief after confirming Belle was in no danger, but he couldn't shake a strange feeling as he observed the atmosphere of the scene.
'Why does it feel like I'm watching a pair of new parents raising their kids? Is it just my imagination?'
An atmosphere of not belonging enveloped Wise. After a moment's deliberation, he decided to head back downstairs to help Andrew with the iron plating.
Unlike some anime protagonist who would just manhandle a girl he'd just met, Andrew opted to pull out his phone and call Nicole.
After a few rings, the call connected, and Nicole's lazy voice came through the phone, sounding as if she had just flopped down after a long day.
"What's up, boss? Calling me this late... don't tell me you've been holding it in for too long and are getting desperate? But let me make one thing clear: even though my charms are overwhelming, the Cunning Hares run a legitimate business. We don't take on... weird requests. Or is someone giving you trouble and you need me to handle it for you? If so, you've come to the right person! And since we're friends, I'll even give you a one percent discount!"
Andrew hadn't even said a word before Nicole rattled off a whole barrage of assumptions.
"Nicole, why do I get the feeling you're a little too excited to get a commission from me?"
The clinking sound of Nicole eagerly gathering her gear could be heard over the phone, followed by her voice once again:
"Well, of course I am! A guy as capable as you, boss—strong in a fight, quick at finding people, a skilled blacksmith, and most importantly, a hit with the kids—I can't even imagine what kind of situation could possibly stump you. You grabbed those thugs who were extorting the orphanage, one in each hand like they were chickens, and tossed them into the Public Security station. They still haven't been released."
"…It's something I can't really explain over the phone. I need you to come to Random Play on Sixth Street. If you help me out, I'll wipe the slate clean on that ammo tab you owe me."
"Huh? The Prox— I mean, Manager Belle's shop? I'm on my way!"
Watching Andrew hang up, Belle, who was standing beside him waiting for Anby to change in the other room, asked:
"You called... Nicole?"
"What, you know her?"
"Nicole is a relatively new client of ours. She always hires us as her Proxies for her Hollow-related commissions. We've worked together many times; she's definitely someone you can trust."
————
It wasn't long before Belle's bedroom door opened again, and Anby walked out, looking perfectly composed in her new clothes.
If, that is, her pants weren't inside out, her shirt wasn't on backwards, and the underwear that was supposed to go on the inside wasn't being worn on the very outside.
She knew how to wear clothes, but only just barely.
"Oho, black lace. I didn't expect your underwear to be so mature, Belle."
Seeing her private undergarments now on public display, Belle's face instantly turned beet red, whether from embarrassment or anger, it was hard to say.
Looking at her expression, redder than he'd ever seen it, Andrew figured it was probably both.
"Andrew, this harness Belle gave me... the chest area feels empty, but it's too small for supplies, and there are no buckles to secure it. It's strange. The collar also keeps digging into my neck, making it hard to breathe. I request permission to change back into my combat suit."
Hold it in. He tried to hold it in. But faced with something so utterly hilarious, how could anyone possibly not laugh?
Finally, unable to suppress the grin spreading across his face, Andrew let out a chuckle. And once that first laugh escaped, the rest came pouring out uncontrollably.
An innocent remark can be the most devastating. Belle's embarrassment quickly morphed into indignant fury, her face now completely flushed.
Rather than blaming the clueless Anby, Andrew, who was roaring with laughter nearby, became the perfect target for her wrath.
"Andrew! It's one thing to look, but you're laughing too!"
Faced with Belle's flurry of embarrassed kitten-like punches, which were completely harmless, Andrew quickly said:
"I'm not laughing, I'm not laughing! Besides, worn on the outside, it's just like any other piece of clothing, right? I didn't see anything else!"
"You've been laughing this whole time, you haven't stopped! And seeing it on the outside still counts as seeing it!"
"Alright, alright, I won't look."
Knowing it was impossible to reason with a girl in this state, Andrew turned away from the uniquely-styled Anby and tried to placate Belle, who looked like an angry, fluffed-up kitten.
The placating was super effective.
After composing herself, Belle let out a small huff and started shooing Andrew downstairs.
"I'm going to personally instruct her on how to do this properly now. You big pervert who stared at my underwear, get back to the first floor! And tell my brother that from now on, the second floor is off-limits!"
Seeing that Belle was still in her flustered state, Andrew decided not to provoke her any further. Seeing her shoo him away, he quickly scurried downstairs, calling out a final instruction to Anby before he left:
"Anby, make sure you listen to Belle, okay?"
Realizing from their reactions that she had made a mistake and that this outermost 'garment' didn't serve the function she thought it did, Anby gave a slightly reserved nod.
"I understand, Andrew... Thank you."
Faced with all this, the intelligent Anby, watching the three of them bustle about and make all these 'arrangements' for them, finally realized that everything Andrew had said before was just a pretext to free the Silver Squad.
Having never had anyone care whether she lived or died, Anby felt an unfamiliar emotion welling up inside her. It was so warm that it left her feeling a little flustered and unsure of what to do.
Seizing this opportunity, she finally mustered the courage to voice the gratitude in her heart.
"Nothing to thank me for. You should know, from the moment Wesker transferred command authority to me, your lives have been in my hands."
Andrew started off with a fierce tone, but as he continued, his expression couldn't help but soften.
"And now that you're in my hands, I'm going to protect you all. So get ready to say goodbye to the bleak life you had before!"
He ruffled Anby's head. Her smooth, white hair felt silky and soft, giving Andrew the sensation of petting a cat.
With that settled, Andrew didn't want to disturb Belle's instructional session any longer and headed down the stairs, back into the video store on the first floor.
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