"Ah~ I've heard the name 'Silent Valley' before, but I don't recall it being the movie my friend mentioned," Jane mused, sharing what she knew.
At that moment, Belle noticed her older brother's gaze, and her slender body trembled ever so slightly.
Even so, her professionalism pushed her to answer Jane first.
"In that case, the movie your friend is looking for should be 'Porter Mountain'."
She went on to describe parts of the plot, leaving Wise, who stood nearby, visibly uneasy. Jane couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.
She found his reaction unexpectedly charming. She had assumed he was the dominant older brother, yet it turned out he was being led around by his younger sister, and he clearly disliked horror films.
Though Jane felt a flicker of interest toward Wise, she didn't forget why she had come.
"Yes, from your description, I'm sure it's Porter Mountain. Thank you both, you've helped me a lot. I won't forget this."
She took out a few Dennies coins to pay and accepted the video cassette from Belle.
"Wait, this…"
"No need for change! Use the extra to buy your little sister some of her favorite desserts. My treat~ Goodbye, cute little brother~"
Jane turned and walked away. Wise, having been teased out of nowhere, stood there in confusion, while Belle sighed in admiration.
"Wow~ That Thiren lady is so cool. I like her. What about you, Brother? You even wanted to call her back just now."
"No, I just wanted to say she forgot to leave her name in the ledger…"
Wise sounded helpless. Still, deep down, he couldn't deny that he liked women with such a cool personality. Her outward appearance and inner self felt strikingly different.
"Eh? If you fancy that woman, Master, you should be careful. My sister and I can both sense that her aura is unusual."
Odette and her sister stepped out of the room. Her ability to sense such things came from her instincts as a Notorious Ethereal.
"Alright, enough about that. It's time for us to go," Wise said, before leaving with the two sisters and Eous.
Soon, they were driving away from the video store.
Not far away, Jane, who was about to leave the area, paused when she noticed the car pulling out from behind the shop.
'Did that little shopkeeper really take my advice and go buy desserts for his sister at this hour?'
With that thought in mind, she gave a small shrug before turning away.
Not long after, near the Ballet Twins Hollow, they parked at a distance and continued on foot.
The moment they stepped inside, Odette began making strange sounds.
"Hoo~Mm-hmm~Ah~"
"Odette, stop making those noises," Odile reminded her younger sister.
It wasn't because of Wise, who had long grown used to it. The real reason was that if Odette kept going, Odile herself might not be able to resist joining in.
"Sorry, it just feels a bit too comfortable being back in the Hollow after so long."
Odette scratched her head awkwardly and finally fell silent.
At that moment, with the return of the two sisters, the Ballet Twins Hollow seemed to surge with power. Its range quickly expanded, returning to its previous size.
Such a sudden change naturally drew attention, including that of the Mountain Lion Gang members currently inside.
However, their panic went unnoticed by the trio. Wise and the two sisters had come here for a simple purpose: to search for the lost item.
"Huh? Master, it seems some strange people have entered the building."
Odette sensed something and pointed in a certain direction. That area happened to be the Mountain Lion Gang's stronghold.
Her already sharp hearing was further enhanced within the Hollow, allowing her to clearly pick up distant movements.
"Yes, and there are quite a few of them," Odile added.
Wise, however, paid little attention, assuming they were just ordinary Hollow Raiders.
In situations like this, as long as no one was being harmed, he had no intention of interfering.
"It's fine, don't worry about them. Let's find your things first."
"Oh, okay."
Odette nodded obediently. Since Wise said so, she didn't dwell on it.
Still, she had overheard more than her sister, fragments like 'PubSec Officer' and 'Let us go!' mixed within the argument.
There were parts she couldn't fully understand, but it sounded like someone was trying to persuade another to show mercy and help them escape.
The three of them quietly moved into the building. With the two sisters present, no Ethereal dared approach them along the way.
Following their hazy memories, they began searching for the amulet. The building had been heavily altered by Ether corruption, making it difficult to locate their former resting place.
To speed things up, Mumu was also summoned.
As Ethereals, searching in such an environment should have been easier for them. Yet even after a long effort, they found nothing.
The sisters began to suspect that, after becoming Ethereal, they might have taken the amulet with them, though its current whereabouts remained unknown.
In the end, with the night nearly over, the three had no choice but to return empty-handed.
By the time they got home, Belle had already fallen asleep from exhaustion.
Seeing this, Wise chose not to disturb her. After helping her remove her coat, he gently laid her on the bed before heading to the next room with the two sisters.
<<>>
Meanwhile, in a hotel room in the city, Jane lay in bed after washing up, scrolling through a list on her phone.
It showed the items she needed for this mission. The supplies had already been handed over to her contact, and she had obtained the master key from Public Security.
Thinking about the movie, Jane couldn't help recalling the cute boy who had tried to help her. He was exactly her type.
Unfortunately, they walked different paths. He ran a legitimate shop, while she worked undercover for Public Security, infiltrating dangerous organizations to gather intelligence.
Besides, she had no time for romance right now.
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Novels Available:
-> Zenless Zone Zero: The Almighty Incubus of Sixth Street. (Translation)
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