Lancer might have liked to rush headlong sometimes, but he wasn't an idiot.
Since he'd already taken out that thing, he naturally knew just how valuable it was. But what he hadn't expected was running straight into Yoshimura Kuzen.
Initially, his plan had been to use Fueguchi mother and daughter as bait and evidence, gradually enticing Anteiku's people. But now…he'd skipped straight past the middle steps and landed directly at the final boss. No wonder he was nervous.
But Yoshimura Kuzen clearly didn't care about Lancer. Although Lancer had killed several S-rated Ghouls and had recently been promoted to Rank 1 Investigator, in Yoshimura's eyes, a Rank 1 Investigator was nothing but a small fry.
What he truly cared about was the object in Fueguchi Ryouko's hand.
"Fueguchi-san, is what you said true? After you ate it just now…you weren't hungry anymore?"
To conceal his identity, Yoshimura's voice was intentionally lowered, making it impossible for Ryouko to recognize him. (People in Anteiku knew their manager was a Ghoul, but few knew he was the Owl.) However, after glancing toward Kirishima Touka and seeing her nod, Ryouko also nodded back toward Yoshimura.
Instantly, an astonishing aura erupted from him.
As an SSS-rated Ghoul, Yoshimura Kuzen's lifelong pursuit had been finding a way for Ghouls to peacefully coexist and continue their existence. Yet despite his immense strength, he'd been unable to change the "rules." But if this object before him could truly change things, it would be entirely different!
Though Ghouls like them—who survived by scavenging corpses—weren't exactly common, the majority of Ghouls who hunted humans only did so in order to survive. If given another viable way to live, who would willingly stay under the constant threat of the CCG?
"Investigator! You… Where did you get that thing?"
Even though Yoshimura tried hard to keep his voice calm, the tremor within it was unmistakable.
Yoshimura's reaction slightly eased Lancer's tension, reducing his mental alert level from red down to orange. Still, he maintained his Quinque pointed directly at Yoshimura.
"As for where I got it…you could say it's something I procured through personal connections. It's experimental."
Where'd he get it? Obviously from the system! But how could he possibly explain that? So Lancer decided to bluff and toss the source across the sea. What he didn't expect was that his nonsense would actually work surprisingly well.
"From there, huh? Hmm… Indeed, that's plausible."
Yoshimura Kuzen wasn't a fool who'd blindly believe whatever Lancer said. But Lancer's personal connections meant it wasn't from the CCG? Considering Lancer's foreign origins, Yoshimura instantly arrived at a realization: Ah, that's definitely possible.
After all, the country across the ocean was famously obsessed with food.
Though Ghouls existed there too, their situation was far more suppressed, making it impossible to cause much trouble. Given that nation's culinary obsession, developing something edible for Ghouls wasn't impossible.
However, just as Yoshimura was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Lancer's next words suddenly made his heart clench again.
"But let me make this clear: this isn't a mass-produced item yet. It's purely experimental. Currently, producing even one requires sacrificing a Ghoul's life."
Lancer was actually curious about what Yoshimura had concluded, but at moments like this, it was better to let the other party's imagination run wild.
Hearing this, Yoshimura Kuzen's excitement immediately plunged. He didn't suspect Lancer was lying, because if it had already been mass-produced, he surely would've caught wind of it. Still, even a lab-produced experimental item was excellent news. But before he could relax, there was one more thing to verify.
"I need to try one."
Yoshimura's actions were undoubtedly arrogant, but the situation left Lancer no room to refuse.
"Aren't you worried I poisoned it? You're the Owl, an SSS-rated Ghoul on our CCG's wanted list, after all~"
Pretending to rummage through his briefcase, Lancer couldn't resist mocking a bit—this was only fitting for his persona. After all, a CCG Investigator silently accepting threats from a Ghoul without retort would be abnormal.
Yet Yoshimura Kuzen remained unbothered, raising his chin confidently.
"If you can actually poison me, go ahead and try!"
Taking the silver sealed packet from Lancer's hand, Yoshimura tore it open without hesitation, lifted his mask slightly, and poured everything inside.
Crunch, crunch.
The chewing sounds made everyone present tense involuntarily. Afterward, the mysterious silence following the chewing put everyone on edge, until finally—
"This…is actually real?"
Yoshimura Kuzen's words allowed Lancer to finally breathe a sigh of relief, though he didn't put away his Quinque just yet. He knew Yoshimura wouldn't harm him now, but he still needed to discuss something important with him.
...
BANG!
"What did you say?! The Owl?!!"
Eyes wide, Mado Kureo stared fiercely at Lancer. The fountain pen in his grip was now bent and stabbed forcefully into the desk. At this moment, his expression was terrifyingly twisted.
"…Sorry, Lancer. I lost control a bit there. Continue. If you encountered the Owl, I suppose you must have experienced something else too?"
Perhaps noticing his own loss of composure, Mado pulled out the pen, ran a shaky hand through his hair, and gradually regained his composure—though the trembling of his fingers clearly showed he wasn't as calm as he appeared.
Lancer wasn't surprised at this reaction. After all, Mado's wife had died tragically in the previous "Owl Extermination Operation," sacrificing herself to cover others. Her corpse had even been devoured beyond recognition. Though Lancer knew the Owl from that incident wasn't the same Owl he'd met, Mado's reaction was actually milder than he'd anticipated.
"He wants to cooperate with us."
"Cooperate? Ha?! The Owl?! Don't tell me he wants us to be his executioners—and that you agreed!"
"Mado-san."
Even Amon Koutarou, standing beside them, couldn't help but interject. Though he understood Mado's past trauma, such harsh words crossed a line.
"No, it's because of this."
Saying this, Lancer pulled out the "Emergency Food" he'd given Yoshimura Kuzen and Fueguchi Ryouko before.
"What is this?"
"Food. Something both humans and Ghouls can eat."
"…!!!"
If earlier Mado Kureo was merely emotionally shaken, now he was genuinely speechless from shock.
Food? Something both humans and Ghouls could eat…?
"Could it be the Owl already knows how to manufacture this food?"
"No. The item's origins seem rather questionable. He doesn't know how it's made either. So he wants to collaborate with the CCG to figure it out."
"Hmm…"
Mado Kureo's expression turned deadly serious. Witnessing this, Lancer secretly relaxed.
Whatever the outcome, it no longer had anything to do with him. Part of his earlier "deal" with Yoshimura Kuzen was to let Yoshimura pretend he'd accidentally obtained this item. Naturally, Yoshimura found this suspicious, but Lancer's explanation was simply "the source isn't exactly legal." Though saying it this way undoubtedly threw Yoshimura under the bus, the old Ghoul seemed willing enough to shoulder that burden for the future of Ghoul-kind.
Even if the CCG started an investigation now, it wouldn't lead back to Lancer. And as for whether the research would succeed…
Truthfully, Lancer didn't hold much hope for the CCG. Though he still didn't fully grasp what his "system" actually was, something capable of pausing time clearly wasn't ordinary. Not to mention, it had brought him across worlds. He suspected the ingredients probably originated from countless worlds.
But what did that have to do with him? His goal had always simply been to alter the relationship between Anteiku and the CCG.
One was an organization protecting humans; the other a rare, moderate Ghoul faction advocating peaceful coexistence. Wasn't their mutual conflict only benefiting those crazed, murderous Ghouls? At least, until those extremist Ghouls were wiped out, cooperation between moderates and the CCG brought more benefits than drawbacks.
And this uncertain "food" was exactly the bridge they needed!
It had begun as a sudden impulse, but after careful consideration, Lancer felt:
This move of mine is simply perfect!
---
T/N: i love chinese food
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
discord.gg/wisetl
patreon.com/wisetl