"I saw it, you know—those clips from your mukbang livestream."
Ignis read the message sent by Belle, the shopkeeper of the Sixth Street RandomPlay Video Store, and couldn't help smiling.
"That was the first time I truly understood what it means to wolf down food."
He replied with a simple smiling emoji, then slipped the phone back into his pocket.
He wore a plain short-sleeved T-shirt today; his leather jacket had been damaged beyond repair. Since Nicole had made a tidy profit at the buffet, she brought him to visit a tailor she knew well.
Truthfully, in a society where ready-to-wear clothing was overwhelmingly developed, a tailor of this level held significant value—especially one without even a signboard, meaning he survived purely on the strength of custom orders.
Although tucked away in a small corner of the Faunus Quarter, a clearly high-end sports car was parked outside the shop.
"We have to wait for this customer to leave. Old Charlie has excellent skills, but he's got plenty of rules." Nicole leaned comfortably against the wall. "His formalwear is beautiful—great materials, first-class craftsmanship."
"The price must be steep." Ignis looked at her. "You made quite a bit yesterday?"
"Thanks to you, it was a very good haul." Nicole grinned. "So, how about opening an eating-streaming account? You've got a natural advantage in that field."
"I'm not interested, Nicole." Ignis allowed himself a brief chuckle. "I don't want that kind of attention."
He worried the hidden blade of Slaanesh might target him again—and worse, might make Nicole and the others its next victims.
"On your missions, bring me along. And stay far away from anyone who looks suspicious—especially if they're inviting you to gatherings or events."
"Why do you sound like you're my guardian all of a sudden?" Nicole teased. "Did something happened? You've been tense ever since you came back."
Ignis didn't know whether to tell them about the Cult of Slaanesh. He feared even a casual mention might draw that chaos god's attention. But he also couldn't keep the Cunning Hares in the dark. The enemy could strike anytime.
"In my era, there were dangerous cults. I've found signs of them in New Eridu." Ignis changed the phrasing to avoid direct invocation. "I was injured last time because I attacked one of their bases."
"I'm worried they'll come after you. Be cautious of strangers approaching you. Even with familiar faces, ask questions only the real person would know. If there's danger—run first, then contact me."
Nicole understood the gravity immediately and frowned. "Shape-shifting abilities?"
"Something like that. They may also carry something similar to ether corruption—one that amplifies your desires infinitely. Once infected, it's almost incurable. Purification is the only way." Ignis glanced at his left hand. He had cleansed part of Anby's memory before, but he wasn't sure if he could perform a true purification rite through the Emperor's grace.
Recently he felt the golden psychic energy within him grow stronger—likely after that whisper from the Emperor.
The old man had never invested this heavily. Clearly the Dark Prince's recent activity forced a sudden boost in support.
"Sounds like a nightmare." Nicole widened her eyes. "We'll stay alert. But next time something like that happens, bring us. Stop going off alone."
He remembered the chaos in the flower garden. Bringing the Cunning Hares there? Maybe Nicole could handle it—but the others would likely rush straight into a frontal assault, giving the enemy a perfect escape route.
"If there's a task suited for your involvement, I'll call you. But you need to trust my judgment." Ignis met her gaze, genuinely moved.
Nicole didn't answer right away. She studied his eyes, searching for any hint of deception. She found none—only firm, sincere resolve.
"You're terrible at lying. With that look, yeah—this is way too dangerous for us." Nicole straightened up and patted the giant's abs. "Relax. I'll warn everyone to stay alert for a while."
"Oh, he's coming out." Nicole watched a young rich playboy hop into his sports car and blast the engine loud enough to shake the street. "Ugh, so noisy! When I get rich, I'm absolutely buying a supercar like that!"
"Miss Nicole, have you been waiting long?"
An elderly Thiren spoke—his whiskers fully white, his face entirely feline. He wore simple work clothes, measuring tape draped around his neck, and a pair of large fabric scissors hanging from his waist.
"Oh, Old Charlie, still full of energy. How much did you earn from that last job?" Nicole shook his hand, then turned to introduce him. "Ignis. My new employee—and adopted son."
Old Charlie examined the towering figure up and down. "Adopted son? Was one Anby not enough?"
"Come in. Let's talk about the clothes." The tailor turned back into the shop, and both Nicole and Ignis followed.
The shop wasn't large—maybe thirty square meters—but every wall was filled with formalwear: morning coats, evening suits, and even some trendy casual suit styles.
"You're making something for your adopted son? With that build, the cost of materials goes up." Old Charlie sat at a worktable covered in design drafts and a packed schedule. A glance showed he was fully booked for weeks.
"We're acting as agents for the plaintiffs in the Vision Corporation bombing case. Everyone in the Cunning Hares needs a proper suit." Nicole hopped onto the worktable, pinning several design sheets beneath her.
"You girl…" Old Charlie shook his head, then asked Ignis, "Any preferred colors?"
"Uh… deep green? Or black?" Ignis had never thought about color preference. He simply listed his Chapter colors.
"Make two sets. Both colors. Formal attire for business." Nicole pulled out her credit card.
"So generous? Must've earned well lately." Old Charlie got up and waved at Ignis. "Come on, let's get your measurements. First time making something for someone your size."
Ignis respected artisans deeply. He crouched to follow the tailor's instructions.
"I want the hem a little longer, and the overall fit looser," Ignis added.
"With a build like yours, double-breasted works best. Looser feel, and it'll show off those muscles." The tailor patted Ignis's chest. "How did you train for this? Your arms are massive."
Ignis brushed it off with a laugh. Once the measurements were finished, Old Charlie said, "Is it urgent? If not, it has to wait until next month."
"Very urgent." Nicole was blunt. "Two sets. Shirt and pants included."
"Mhm, figures. That means overtime… At my age that's no small thing." Old Charlie pulled out the POS machine. "Costs extra, Miss Nicole."
"Fine, fine." Nicole swiped her card without hesitation. "But don't you dare cut corners."
They left the tailor shop with no car waiting. Ignis's size meant he could only ride in a truck bed or take public transport, which was often inconvenient. So after splurging on suits, Nicole could only walk with him to the subway.
"Maybe I should get a vehicle." Ignis muttered.
"That's too expensive." Nicole rolled her eyes. "Way out of budget."
"I could gather some parts and build one myself." Ignis turned to her. "A motorcycle isn't complicated if I can source the components."
"Self-built vehicles are hard to register." Nicole rolled her eyes again. "This isn't the Outer Ring."
"I haven't even started planning yet." Ignis thought aloud. "Besides—we're Hollow Raiders. We're criminals anyway. Driving without plates isn't much to fear."
Nicole froze. "When did you start talking like that? I thought you'd be the law-abiding one."
"As long as it doesn't break major principles, bending the lesser rules offers flexibility." Ignis's phone buzzed. "Markus sent a message."
"Those black-market guys really corrupted you." Nicole pretended to scold him, overly dramatic.
Ignis shrugged and continued toward the subway.
["The remaining members of Violet Secret have all been eliminated. Jaxcalibur verified it—clean job, nothing's left."]
["Can you help me track the source of Fantasy? And keep an eye on truck engine parts and their prices."] Ignis replied.
Markus "Lightning" Red replied quickly:
["No problem. The higher-ups already want to crack down on that drug—they crossed a line. As for the parts, I'll watch for them, but expect steep prices."]
Ignis closed his phone and continued chatting casually with Nicole.