All the knowledge she had acquired in the laboratory about her own body was only about which parts to use to inflict what kind of damage and how to evade imminent attacks. Could it be... that this body had other uses?
Anby felt like she was on the verge of finding the key to this puzzle. The "business" Nicole mentioned and the "payment in the flesh" from the reply must be connected somehow, but right now, Anby, who had only just reached the doorway, needed a key to unlock this knowledge.
And right now, that very key was right in front of her. Even more conveniently, the Nicole standing before her was also the teacher Andrew had found for the Silver Squad, responsible for answering all the practical questions she couldn't understand.
It couldn't be more of a coincidence. Ever since leaving the research institute, Anby felt as if the gods themselves were helping her.
No, that's not right. If gods existed in this world, why hadn't they extended a hand during all those years before?
A clone that no one had ever cared for was lucky enough to meet someone who reached out to her. He had no ulterior motive; he just didn't like how things were and decided to do something about it. It was an unreasonable level of willfulness, yet it was what turned the Silver Squad from test subjects into real people who could live in this world.
Now that she had a goal, the next step was, of course, to achieve it at all costs. Anby looked at Nicole, who was giggling as she stared down at the two people below, and asked,
"Nicole, what exactly did you mean by 'business'?"
"Ngh?!"
As if startled, Nicole let out a small gasp, looking at Anby, who had the appearance of a fully mature young woman.
Finally, Nicole beckoned Anby over and whispered in her ear.
—
After placing the still-weak-kneed Belle on his bed to rest, Andrew went out into the courtyard of Silver City.
The Vicious Claw Wyvern's corpse, which Big Boss had helped tow over, was lying on an extra-large trailer on the side of the courtyard. Big Boss had even thoughtfully built a metal-framed awning over it to prevent the carcass from being exposed directly to the sun. The plastic sheet covering it and the dry, desolate environment of the Outer Ring meant the Vicious Claw Wyvern's body was still in what could be called good condition.
And propped against the wall was a cardboard box with a note attached to it.
"For Andrew"
The tightly sealed box was thoughtfully placed in a spot completely sheltered from the wind and sun. The sealed cardboard made it impossible to see what was inside, and its modest size allowed Andrew to pick it up with one hand.
This must be the gift Caesar was talking about. The carefully wrapped outer box showed how much the gift was valued. Andrew lifted it with one hand and found the contents to be heavy, with a significant weight to them. It was a thoughtful gesture from Caesar, after all, so he couldn't just tear it open carelessly.
He brought the small box into the room and placed it on the coffee table. Belle, who had been lazing on the bed playing with her phone, immediately sat up and asked curiously,
"What's that?"
"A gift from Caesar."
"Ehh...?"
A gleam flashed in Belle's eyes. Back in Blazewood, she had already noticed that girl seemed quite inexperienced in these matters. After all, as someone who had consumed countless romance movies and manga, she considered herself an expert. Judging by Caesar's reaction, she clearly had feelings for him!
I didn't expect her to make a move so quickly!
Her eyes followed Andrew as he slowly unwrapped the box, the contents gradually revealing themselves. Its metal body was sleek and minimalist, but that didn't mean it was simple.
Unlike ordinary ones, it had multiple decorations and patterns in the characteristic wild boar style of the Sons of Calydon. The unique design gave the exquisite gift a touch of the wild, untamed spirit unique to the Outer Ring.
But the most eye-catching part was the dial in the center. A black face was divided into twelve sections by twelve markers, with three hands of varying lengths pointing from the center towards the outer edge.
Although it didn't look particularly expensive, you could tell the person who chose it had put a lot of thought into it. To be honest, it really did seem like an excellent gift.
If only its proper name wasn't "clock."
"...?" x2
Staring at the gift, Andrew's first thought was that it must have been swapped with something else. Belle, on the other hand, was starting to question her own expertise in romance.
Is there something wrong with me, or is there something wrong with the world? This can't be right?!
But after checking it over and over, refusing to believe it, Andrew had to confirm one thing—this gift was, indeed, from Caesar. Looking at the gift before him, the hidden meaning it carried was simply too hard to ignore.
So Belle grabbed Andrew by the collar and demanded loudly,
"Andrew, you... what on earth did you do when you went out with her today?! Everything seemed perfectly normal this morning! How could you make a nice girl like Caesar resort to doing something like this!!"
Staring at the clock, Andrew instinctively clutched his head, wondering, Did I really offend her somehow???
That can't be, I didn't do anything?!
"Could it be... that Caesar saw what we were doing in our seats last night? But based on her personality, she doesn't seem like the type to have such a convoluted mind, right?"
Andrew heard Belle's confused muttering clearly, but instead of clearing up his confusion, it only made him more bewildered.
"Why would what happened last night make Caesar angry?"
Hearing this, even though she knew Andrew very well, Belle couldn't help but roll her eyes. This guy's sensitivity to romantic feelings between men and women was appallingly low. It wasn't so much that he was dense, but rather that he simply couldn't believe any other girl would have feelings for him.
However, once he confirmed the other person's feelings, he would suddenly become proactive and considerate. Belle didn't really know why he had this kind of personality. After all, the time she had known Andrew was still too short compared to everything he had experienced in his life before.
But that didn't stop Belle from taking the initiative.
"Because Caesar has feelings for you!"
"No way. You're joking again, Belle."
Although she already knew that, given Andrew's obliviousness, he would just dismiss anyone telling him as a joke until he figured it out for himself. Even so, Belle couldn't help but grind her back teeth.
"As a love master, my judgment is never wrong! That evasive look in her eyes when she faces you is definite proof that she likes you!"
"Wait, if she likes me, shouldn't you be the one who's angry?"
"Don't worry about that! The point is, something must have gone wrong!"
Deciding to stop guessing, the two finally resolved to just find a member of the Sons of Calydon and ask what was going on.
_____
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