19 Ragtag bunch

In the kindest tone, I replied, "Not to be rude, Ms. Alice, but can I decline that offer?"

"It's your choice, but I suggest you get familiar with them first."

"Neh! What's your name? Tell me, dead eyes! What's your na-"

"Miles..."

That's one lively kid! And why is Ms. Alice recommending a mere CHILD to join me in hunting a NOTORIOUS GANG LEADER?!

As I try my best to keep my cool, another voice joined... a not-so-female one.

"I apologize on behalf of my brother's behavior, so you must be that guy who tried to intervene with the corps last week?"

"Uhh... Have we met before?"

"Y-You don't remember me? After I gave you a wonderful date?"

Date? I don't remember going out with anyone! And if I did, then it has to be Ria!

"I think you have the wrong guy?"

"I'm the waiter who set you up before!"

"Now you're getting your identity wrong... The waiter who set me up was a guy!"

"No, it's me!"

"How?!"

As I argue with this lady, the kid interrupted.

"Oi! Don't leave me out! What are you talking about? Neh? Don't leave me o-"

"Will you please stop be being obnoxious?!"

"Hey! Don't talk to my brother like that if you don't eve-"

I sighed, and from the top of my lungs, I yelled, "Can all of you you shut the fuck up!"

Oh, God!... I can't see the light! May you please show me the way... to deal with these people! With these personalities, I can't possibly accomplish a task even the GOVERNMENT couldn't achieve! And what the hell is Ms. Alice thinking?!

"Ms. Alice... help me out, please..."

"..."

Eh? No response, and what's with their facial expressions? Francis and Ms. Big breast are covering their mouths... and grinning... These Motherfu-

"Sorry, peasant... I didn't know it'd be this hilarious."

"I apologize, Sir Miles! But Ms. Alice is right. It's hilarious!"

"It was a prank, after all! And who are these people?!"

They have the nerve to mess around! My patience is hanging by a thin string!

"Look, Miles! I'm here! And now I'm not, I'm here! And now I'm-"

"Hey, kid.... How the hell do you that... uhh, what's your name?"

"My name is Hermes! And I can turn invisible! I can run fast too!"

This brat can run fast and turn invisible?! That may explain why two heads are popping out of thin air.

"So, brat... can you turn other people invisible too?"

"Yes! Do you want to try? But you have to play with me first!"

That invisibility enhancement is more than advantageous! No, that's a severe understatement... it's game-changing.

Combining this brat's enhancement with Francis's teleportation is perhaps the most overpowered espionage skill ever conceived! The ability to travel anywhere unseen!

Not only is it a perfect fit! But it also neutralizes a disadvantage in Francis's enhancement!

Since he can only teleport where he leaves a portion of his body, if we can place strands of his hair on targeted locations in advance, we can toy with anyone... even the mayor!

Boy! Am I thrilled! The inner kid within me is screaming out of excitement!

While I scream out of excitement in my head, the Hermes' sister made a remark.

"You seem to be grinning, Mr. Reliable... Having dirty thoughts?"

"Shut up! Care to explain your usefulness, Ms. chronic liar?"

"I t-told you! I'm the waiter from a week ago!"

"Kiss my ass and send it to the president!"

Ms. Alice interrupted and said, "She's speaking the truth, Miles..."

"Eh?"

Eh? Hermes' sister is a reverse trap?! Yet another one of this world's bizarre occurrences! So far, the company assembled is flawless when it comes to abilities, but the chemistry is... questionable.

"You're names Miles, right? My enhancement is Erase. It allows me to temporarily delete the enhancement of whoever is looking at me."

This reverse trap's enhancement can erase people's enhancements?! That's too overpowered to believe!

"For real?"

"Yes! For real! If we're going to work together, you need to be more trusting!"

In a sarcastic tone, I replied, "I apologize... I just can't see you as a female."

As I continue being an asshole, Francis warned me, "Sir Miles... I wouldn't say that if I were you..."

"Ms. Alice! I'm done with this bastard! Can I kill him?!"

Uhh... Why are her eyes glowing red? She's clenching her fist... and I can feel the intent to kill! What the fuck!

Before Hermes' sister could do anything, Ms. Alice yelled, "Relax, Reyna! Don't use your enhancement."

That red glow was only her enhancement! So her name is Reyna... Everyone in this crew is reliable in their own right, but getting along will be a problem, and that isn't my bread and butter.

I sat down at the table and asked, "So, may you all please explain the side effects of your enhancements?"

The first to reply was Hermes.

"I can turn five people invisible for ten minutes! So we can only play hide and seek for ten minutes, but let's play!

I turned to Reyna and queried, "What about you?"

"My Erase has a limit of five people. Anything more than that, I'll be losing my sense of sight."

While questioning my new members, Francis warned me again, "Sir Miles... I'd say that asking people for their weaknesses is not the proper way to leave a good impression."

"I-I apologize!"

Francis seems fit to be the figurehead leader while I do all the planning. He and Hermes will be our backline and support, Reyna is for direct confrontations, and I'll be the puppet master. Ms. Alice gathered one hell of a crew.

"Anyways... since we've gotten to know each other, I'll start with conveying the newfound intel... and we'll start planning tomorrow."

After my announcement, Ms. Alice complained, "I won't allow procrastination, Miles!"

"Ehhh? But I want to go back to my Ria..."

"But since you've gotten all that information by yourself, I'll let you off the hook... for today!"

Woah... Ms. Big breast is capable of compassion? That works out in my favor! I'll have Francis teleport me so I can go back to admiring Ria!

"Okay... The information in my mind will blow yours away, so you better listen."

I shouldn't reveal the last envelope Mr. Wissen gave me. I don't have a clue what's inside it and the way he glared into my soul when he handed it to me... it's like I'm the only person who needs to see it.

|...|

It took two hours, but I told Ms. Alice and the company everything. After the discussion, I made Francis teleport me to the Hospital...

|...|

I lay on a sofa next to Ria's hospital bed.

It's been a day... You deserve some rest, Miles- Did I compliment myself? Never done that before! It feels... nice!

I stood and sat next to Ria. As I caress her face, I whispered, "I can't wait to tell you, Ria, so please... wake up soon, okay?"

|...|

"Oi! 'Leader.' Wake up!"

That not-so-feminine voice... It must be Reyna.

"Miles! Miles! Let's play! Wake up now! Wake up now!"

That obnoxious brat is here too...

"It's fucking morning! Will you please shut the fuck up?"

Oh shit... did I just swear at a kid? Not like I give a single damn! I'm a cold, heartless bastard with only a handful of morals! And swearing at a kid is not one of them!

"Fuck you too, Miles! Come on! Let's play!"

Eh? Did this brat just curse me back?! The audacity- wait... no. Getting pissed would be hypocritical of me.

"Hey! 'Leader!' You cursed at my fourteen-year-old brother, right?"

"He's fourteen?! I thought he's eight!"

"Want me to help you go back to sleep?!"

"Uhh... No thanks, Reyna!"

Her eyes are glowing red again! And what's this stench of death enveloping my existence?!

I heard Francis' voice by the door, "Let's calm down, Reyna..."

"Huh, Francis? What made you think I'm 'bout to do something?"

The chemistry between this crew isn't questionable! It's hopeless! We have a fucking child.

A lady with a brother complex who, despite her feminine looks, struggles to be female.

And a sad boy who can see the future and the past. Francis is the only member with a sane mind in this company!

"I apologize for cursing at your brother, Reyna... but could you please not make a scene this early in the morning?"

"If you weren't involved with that bastard, you'd be in a hospital right now!"

Technically, I already am...

And those words just now... it appears that she can get mad for a reason not akin to her brother. Now that I've mentioned that, I'm curious... what's their motivation? It can't be because Ms. Alice said so, right? That slight increase of intensity in her tone indicates a desire for revenge... intriguing.

"This may be blunt and cold but, what's your motivation in joining my hunt?"

With her eyes widened, Reyna stuttered, "W-Where did that come from?"

"I'll be the first to admit, our chemistry is questionable. Uhh... I'm not exactly a friendly person, but depending on what you say, I-I'll try to adjust..."

Francis clapped his hands and exclaimed, "How nice of you, Sir Miles!"

Why is Francis smiling like a proud father finding out his son has a girlfriend?

With her face looking down on the ground, Reyna muttered, "What the hell? I-I didn't know you can be kind..."

"Neh! What's going on? Are we going to play? Come on! Let's go!"

"Hermes... we're planning on where to play, so just sit down, okay?"

"Okay!"

She got Hermes under control! As expected from a sister! Now that annoying brat is out of the way, we can finally function...

"So, uhh... it's personal, so I won't tell every detail."

"That's fine. As long as I get the gist of it."

"Hitoshi took our parents as hostages."

I... didn't expect that. It seems like Reyna won't be lacking the motivational aspect of this mission.

"It's been six years, and Hermes and I have been fending for ourselves while looking for them. I don't know the reason wh-"

"That's enough!"

"..."

I should've somehow apprehended Hitoshi yesterday! Regret is... frustrating! For the first time, I'll let my emotio- No! That's not me! Release it all out once it's over, you bastard!

"S-Sorry for raising my voice, Reyna."

"N-No... It's fine."

"Anyways! Shall we start planning?"

"Y-Yes."

I still haven't opened the envelope, but it's just the first day, so I won't rush. And something will happen soon.

My guts feel it; the tidal wave of equality will shift the political landscape of Midway. I'll be looking forward to your message for the world, Mr. Wissen.

"We won't be doing anything today."

"Oi! What do you mean by tha-"

"We'll go to the central plaza."

Lesson twenty of Uncle Jerry's classes. Whenever a big shot is arrested, they'll showcase the arrestee on the central plaza downtown. If Mr. Wissen isn't a big shot, then I don't know what is.

Francis proclaimed, "So we'll be observing congressman Wissen's public denunciation?"

"Spot on, Francis!"

"What for? We already know his relationship with Hitoshi."

"Good question, Reyna! We have an opening that, if capitalized on, will prove beneficial!"

"How so?"

Yet again, Francis exclaimed, "Sir Miles mentioned that Hitoshi has bad blood with Mr. Wissen. The Kuroi gang, being infamous for their assassination, will not let this opportunity slide."

"Well said, Francis! We'll use the confusion to trail the gang!"

"But how? It's not like we have someone who can pinpoint where the enemy is."

"Hahaha! You underestimate me, weakling! Trust me, Reyna, I'll find him."

I'll have to use Nori for this operation to be successful... I don't want to witness any more deaths, but... for Ria... and every victim of that scumbag. Primarily for Ria, though!

"Okay... But don't get friendly with me. This is just a joint operation!"

"Sure, I guess?"

"This is all nice, but... how do we track them, Sir Miles? We have a goal, but it's easier said than done."

"It's still nine in the morning, and Mr. Wissen's public denunciation begins at Three in the evening. Don't worry, Francis, because I have something crazy in mind."

With his eyes shining bright, Hermes yelled, "Woah! Where will we play?! It's crazy, right? Tell me, Miles!"

"Reyna... can you please uhh... make him go away?"

"Why? My little brother is adorable!"

"We have a different description of adorable!"

"Adorable is playful, active, and full of confidence!"

"No, it isn't! Adorable is laid-back, quiet, and bashful!"

"You're just describing your girl!"

"And you're just describing your brother!"

Francis interrupted, "Can you two please stop arguing every second? And Sir Miles, may you please start with the plan."

I'm a ridiculous person, an error in the matrix. But that's what I'll exploit! Now... my experience in the previous world would be of service!

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