novelraw Chapter 78
Chapter 78
Chapter 78
Arrived in front of the police station. There's a crowd gathered near the entrance for some reason.
I get off the truck and head for the entrance.
"Did Furin go on another rampage or something?"
"Even Ms. Furin wouldn't cause trouble inside the station..."
"Except she does. Sometimes that chick logs in drunk and starts spraying bullets all over the station."
Even if it's a game, that's way over the line for the police!
"Yo Eve, quite the sideshow, huh."
"What happened?"
A bald woman with a snake tattoo on her head explains.
"Furin went nuts with a gun inside the station and got caught by the MPs from HQ—hence the scene."
When I peek inside, I see Furin-san kneeling in front of Ness-san, getting an earful. Tears stream from the corners of her eyes.
"Logging in while drunk violates this game's rules. I'm not telling you to be perfectly serious, but learn some moderation."
"...Yes."
"Your pay will be docked. The bonus is halved as well. We'll also station an inspector from HQ, so be prepared."
"............Yes. I'm sorry..."
Eve-san bobs her cigarette up and down cheerfully.
"Serves you right, Furin. Always slacking off."
When that conversation ends, Eve-san and I step inside the station.
Ness-san notices us and bows politely.
"Apologies. I was focused on disciplining my subordinate and didn't notice you two right away."
"N-no, it's fine."
"Feel free to extend the lecture if you want."
"...Eve! Don't say unnecessary things!"
Furin-san glares while Eve-san looks away.
"No, I have no intention of scolding her further. We're not here today for her education."
Hearing Ness-san's words, Furin-san breathes a sigh of relief.
"Let's move. Please, come to the back of the station."
Guided by Ness-san, Eve-san and I head to the back of the station—an interview room.
Two simple sofas face each other. Eve-san and I sit side by side, while Ness-san sits across from us. A table between the sofas holds the documents Ness-san sets down.
"Please take a look at this."
Eve-san and I pick up the documents and check them.
"'Phantom Thief Labyrinth'?"
"Yes. A phantom thief committing thefts all over Infinity Space. We want you two to take her down."
A phantom-thief hunt, huh.
"Ah, heard of her. She's the one targeting limited items left and right, right?"
"What's a limited item?"
"An item whose quantity in Infinity Space is capped. If the cap is one, only one can exist in the entire game. Unless the item is destroyed somehow, no more will spawn. You often get them from special missions."
"Huh~"
First time I've heard of it.
"Tonight the Oceanus military is hosting an auction, and Labyrinth just sent a warning letter for it. She says she'll steal the star item, the orb Triad."
"Sending a warning letter—what a romantic."
Nice. A warning letter only puts a phantom thief at a disadvantage, yet that's exactly what makes it cool.
"She hasn't entered this colony through proper channels, so her status is 'invader.' Take her down and she'll be automatically sent to prison. Shiki-sama, Eve-sama—will you accept this request?"
"I'll follow whatever Shiki decides."
Phantom Thief Labyrinth. Sounds way more fun than fighting Machine Beasts.
Going along wouldn't be bad... though the practical benefit is iffy.
"Excuse me for a moment."
Ness-san steps to a corner of the room to make a call. Suddenly she looks at me, deploys an electromagnetic screen, and brings it closer so I can see.
On the screen appears a woman with long blue hair—Six Sages-san.
"Hey, Shiki-kun. Glad we can talk again."
"Ah, um, Six Sages-san, it's been a while..."
"Sorry to spring this on you. Truth is, this phantom thief is a real pain. She's already hit sixteen places and we still haven't caught a glimpse of her. We're not even sure what half her gear is."
Huh? You mean she's pulled off sixteen heists with about four pieces of gear and hasn't been caught? Impressive.
"We'll deploy troops too, but we'd like you to help with security."
"I... don't know if I can be of help..."
"Will you do it? If you accept, I'll give you entry rights to the auction."
"Eh!?"
The auction—now that's a strong card. Depending on what's up for grabs, I'd want to attend.
"Triad isn't the only thing on the block. Accessories, ore, TW, humanoids, plenty of rare arms too. I hear you earned a decent stack of chips when you beat Nadra last time. Sounds like a good place to blow it, don't you think?"
Urgh... Inviting me after reading my wallet like that—clever negotiator.
"Here's the catalog."
Data for the list arrives in my message box from Ness-san.
A shield that reflects lasers, a rifle that fires transmitters, a saber that can change shape freely.
All of them rarities you'd almost never see on the market.
"Hey, Six Sages-san! Can I join too!?"
"Hm? Oh, you must be Eve-kun. Sure, no problem."
"Really!?"
Eve-san tugs my sleeve, looking up at me with eyes sparkling instead of her usual lazy gaze.
"Let's do it! There's something on the list I really want!"
Ugh... Right now Eve-san has the charm of a puppy.
Honestly, my heart's already decided.
"Y-yes. I'm fine with it. I was planning to get involved anyway. I want to fight the phantom thief too."
"Yesss!"
"Then it's a deal. I'll leave the rest to you, Ness-kun."
"Understood, Six Sages-sama."
The call ends.
"The auction will be held in Electra, one of Oceanus's major cities. I'll send details to your message boxes."
"Electra's smack in the middle of the desert. Close from Jolly Roger."
A desert metropolis—an oasis city, huh.
"Then let's head out right away!"
"OK. I'll get ready. You wait outside."
"Roger!"
"May fortune favor you."
Ness-san bows slightly and opens the room's door.
Phantom Thief Labyrinth and the auction—both sound fun... wonder what I'll buy♪