Chapter 26

My intuition was telling me.

Something big was going to happen today regarding Lucy.

Not to boast, but my intuition tended to be fairly accurate.

So, I spent the day wary and cautious of Lucy, but contrary to my expectations, she quietly went about her work as usual.

"It's time to clock out, Captain."

In my private office, Lucy, after organizing the documents, turned to look at me and spoke.

'...Already time to clock out?'

I glanced at the wall clock after tearing my gaze from Lucy. It was 6 p.m.

I sat there in a daze for a moment before clearing my throat and standing up.

"Yes. Let's call it a day."

I packed a few documents into my briefcase and left the office, with Lucy following close behind.

It was when we descended the central staircase and exited the main entrance of the headquarters.

"Excuse me, Captain."

Wondering what it was, I turned my head, and Lucy held out an umbrella.

"This is the umbrella you lent me before. Thanks to it, I managed to stay dry. I wanted to return it sooner, but you've been so busy that I couldn't find the opportunity."

Ah. Right, I did lend her an umbrella.

"I'm glad it was useful."

When I took the umbrella, Lucy looked up at me, blinking her crimson eyes.

"Also, congratulations on receiving the Star of the Nation. Considering the goodwill from above, a promotion to Major seems like only a matter of time."

...What was this? A threat?

I froze, unable to discern her intention, and Lucy gave a polite bow.

"Well, I have a prior appointment, so I'll be off now."

With that, Lucy walked ahead.

Was my intuition wrong? Nothing really happened after all.

I absentmindedly watched Lucy's retreating figure and opened my briefcase to place the umbrella inside.

'Well, sometimes no news is good news.'

Closing the briefcase, I looked up at the sky. It was clear, without a cloud in sight.

'It's summer already.'

Seeing as the sun hadn't set despite it being 6 p.m.

The gentle breeze carried a warm touch.

Taking a pleasant deep breath, I moved forward lightly.

'There's a new dessert shop on the outskirts of the city. Maybe I should check it out.'

With all the incidents and chaos I've been caught up in recently, I deserved a bit of healing.

"Boss. It looks like we'll be able to distribute our goods on Raven 23rd Street now. When we bribed the patrol officers there with a bit more cash, they said they'd turn a blind eye for the time being."

In a dingy room with a creaky fan spinning overhead, Mafia boss Nickel let out a satisfied chuckle.

"See? What did I tell you? If they don't take the bribe, you just have to give them more money. Let's keep expanding the routes like this and build a decentralized network."

As Nickel bit into his cigar, one of his subordinates hurried over to light it with a lighter.

After a few puffs, Nickel exhaled a cloud of smoke, and the subordinate stepped back.

Tapping the ash from his smoldering cigar into an ashtray, Nickel spoke.

"There's a meeting with the customs officer today, so make sure everyone's dressed in suits. We need to grease that slippery bastard's belly a bit to make opium smuggling easier."

"Yes, sir!"

As his subordinate responded energetically, Nickel waved his hand.

The subordinate exited the room, leaving Nickel to puff on his cigar a few more times before he heaved his heavy frame off the chair.

He shoved the creaking chair back and stood in front of a full-length mirror, adjusting his attire.

Adorned with luxurious brand-name items, his hands were covered in gold rings.

Admiring his reflection, Nickel flashed a greedy smile.

'Too easy. This is way too easy...!'

Nickel was originally a spy for the Allied Nations.

The opium trade had been a means of funding operations.

But as the business grew and he found himself leading a crew of about 30, Nickel's loyalty to his homeland waned, replaced by a growing hunger for wealth.

Thus, he betrayed his country and organization.

Risking his life for espionage didn't hold a candle to living a life of luxury and opulence, smuggling opium in the Empire.

It had been over a year since he ignored contact from his homeland, and he didn't feel an ounce of guilt.

'They treated me like a disposable tool anyway...'

He had no reason to continue following orders.

Having rationalized his betrayal, Nickel turned to leave for his meeting with the customs officer when it happened.

Click.

The cold sensation of a silencer pressed against the back of his head.

As he tried to make sense of the situation, the space behind Nickel in the mirror began to distort.

'Optical camouflage...!'

A high-level technique that bends and reflects light using mana to render the user invisible.

Only a handful of individuals could utilize optical camouflage, not just in the Empire but across the Allied Nations as well.

So who was this person deactivating their camouflage right now? As cold sweat dripped down his face, Nickel waited, and a woman with crimson eyes slowly revealed herself.

"...!"

Nickel's heart pounded violently at the sight.

He had heard tales of the 'Crimson-Eyed Reaper,' a figure who hunted down traitors to the homeland.

But weren't those just urban legends? As Nickel trembled in shock, Lucy spoke in a calm, icy voice.

"Nickel Meyer. Your homeland has given you countless opportunities. Yet, you have rejected them repeatedly."

Her frigid tone froze him in place.

Nickel's eyes darted nervously as he stammered out a plea.

"W-Wait! It's in the Allied Nations' interest to keep me alive! I'm spreading opium across the Empire! Even if I betrayed you, I haven't done anything to benefit the Empire!"

"That's not a valid excuse."

"Please! Let's... Let's make a deal. I'll give you all the money I've saved—"

Lucy pulled the trigger.

Pew.

The silenced gunshot echoed faintly, followed by the splatter of blood.

Nickel's massive frame wobbled briefly before collapsing to the floor with a loud thud.

"..."

Lucy coldly stared down at Nickel's fallen body before dusting off her hands and opening the window.

It was a third-floor height, but it posed no challenge to her.

Landing gracefully like a cat, Lucy entered a nearby alleyway.

Weaving through the homeless beggars, she finally reached an empty alley.

Now, all she had to do was change clothes and leave. The mission was a success.

Relieved, Lucy pulled out a pair of sunglasses from her coat's inner pocket and put them on.

It was best to hide her crimson eyes, as they tended to draw attention.

Adjusting her wig, Lucy removed her blood-stained coat when she instinctively turned her head—and froze.

A soldier of the Empire was rounding the alley corner, and their gazes met.

At first, Lucy simply felt the annoyance of an unexpected complication, but as she studied the soldier's face, she couldn't help but feel genuine unease.

'...Daniel Steiner?'

The soldier with sharp wolf-like eyes and black hair was none other than Daniel Steiner.

For the first time in a long while, Lucy's expression cracked.

'This is bad.'

Who was Daniel Steiner? A man celebrated for his many achievements, notorious for his skill in unearthing and interrogating spies.

Not to mention, he was also a formidable combatant.

She had heard stories of him single-handedly killing Colonel Jeremy on the Northern Front and defeating seven soldiers in combat.

And just recently, he had created a mountain of Allied agents' corpses while rescuing the princess.

'Of course...'

If Daniel only had his neural acceleration technique, she could overpower him.

But he was a meticulous, calculating, and cold-blooded individual.

There was a high probability that he possessed undisclosed techniques beyond neural acceleration.

Even if she managed to kill him here, escaping the Empire's investigative net would be impossible.

Daniel wasn't just any soldier. He was an elite personally decorated by the Emperor and a candidate for early promotion.

If his body were found in a back alley, a massive investigation would ensue, and Lucy would likely be apprehended.

'In that case...'

She had no choice but to diffuse the situation as inconspicuously as possible.

Fortunately, Lucy was wearing a wig and sunglasses.

If she pretended to be someone else convincingly, she might escape alive.

The worst-case scenario was if Daniel had been tracking her from the start, but until that was confirmed, she decided to tread carefully.

While Lucy was spinning through countless scenarios in her head, Daniel was going through a similar thought process.

'I just got lost on my way to the dessert shop...'

Turning into an alley, he came face-to-face with Lucy, whose coat was stained with blood. This was a disaster.

...He was certain it was Lucy for one reason.

Before she put on her sunglasses, he had entered the alley in time to catch the glint of her crimson eyes.

'She was probably in the middle of a covert operation when we crossed paths.'

What a headache. If Lucy realized that he recognized her as a spy, he'd likely end up with a bullet in his forehead.

But that scenario was unlikely.

Lucy wasn't an idiot. She'd try to bluff her way out of this situation.

And, wearing a wig and sunglasses, wasn't she already attempting to pass herself off as someone else?

This led to only one conclusion.

'I have to play along.'

Both of them stood in tense silence, staring at each other.

At that moment, they arrived at a tacit agreement.

Daniel spoke first, plastering on a friendly smile.

"Oh, sorry about that! I must've taken a wrong turn and ended up here. I'm terrible with directions."

Lucy responded in kind, her expression rigid but her voice steady.

"No problem at all. Just head back that way and take a right. That should get you where you're going."

"Thank you. By the way, that's an interesting outfit. Are you...a fashion designer?"

"...Yes, that's right."

"Really? That's amazing! My sister's a big fan of fashion."

"Glad to hear it. Well, I have somewhere to be, so I'll be going now."

"Sure, have a good evening."

The moment Lucy turned away, Daniel spun on his heel and walked back down the alley.

As the distance between them grew, both let out a silent breath of relief.

What a day.