Even though Sam Li had just joined the Hare's House, he quickly settled in.
Having saved Anby from the Hollows helped break the ice, and with Nicole and Billy being so enthusiastic, getting used to the place was easy.
Discussing how to swindle potential clients with Nicole...
Talking about firearms and the Starfall Knights with Billy...
Debating what to have for dinner with Anby...
At the same time, Sam Li also confirmed what he had suspected all along—the agency wasn't nearly as bad as the rumors made it out to be.
Nicole, while undeniably cunning and stingy, took good care of her employees. Anby and Billy were proof of that.
Billy was a chatterbox of a robot, full of exaggerated antics and a flair for the dramatic, but at his core, he was righteous and always willing to help.
Anby, in contrast, was reserved and seemed disinterested in most things, but she was also the calmest and most composed member of the agency.
However…
Whenever the topic of the past came up, all three of them would fall silent.
It was written on their faces—whether it was Nicole, Billy, or Anby, they were all carrying something heavy, something they hadn't let go of.
As someone who had played Zhongli, Sam Li understood this feeling well.
So instead of prying, he shifted the conversation to lighter topics—things like the city of New Eridu, Ether energy, and the nature of the Withering Ones.
On these subjects, Nicole was practically a walking encyclopedia.
"You're still new to this business, so you don't fully grasp just how terrifying the Hollows and the Withering Ones can be. Once you become a veteran agent like us, you'll understand. The higher-class Withering Ones? Even the Public Security Bureau and the Special Task Force for Hollow Affairs struggle to deal with them…"
From there, Nicole launched into a crash course, explaining various industry terms:
What it meant to be an Agent, what a Proxies was, how commissions worked…
Halfway through, she sighed, realizing that Sam Li was practically a blank slate when it came to this world.
"You don't even know about Ether energy or the history of New Eridu… Did you even go to elementary school?"
She really couldn't figure it out.
How did someone who knew nothing—not even what a bangboo was—Nekomatage to lead Anby out of the Hollows?
What a lucky guy.
"Forget it. You're clearly not cut out for fighting Withering Ones. No point explaining all this. Focus on learning how to bring in clients—that's what really matters."
...
That night, to welcome Sam Li and help him integrate into the agency, Nicole—for the first time ever—decided to cook.
She even dragged Anby into the kitchen, and together, they made hotpot.
"Wow, Boss Nicole, this is a feast!"
"Hmph, of course! If I don't feed you properly, who's going to work for me tomorrow?"
"Sam Li, how's the taste?"
"Not bad. Quite good, actually."
The four of them sat around the table, eating and chatting—when suddenly, the lights went out.
Nicole got up to check.
It turned out the electricity had run out again, despite her having just paid the bill.
"Anby, there's a cable behind the door. I went through a lot of trouble pulling it from next door this morning. Hook it up to our main power switch."
"Got it."
"As expected of Boss Nicole. Free electricity from now on!"
Soon, the power was back.
Nicole picked up her chopsticks, ready to continue eating—only to notice an empty bottle sitting on the table.
"…Billy. That was your three-day supply. Did you just chug it all during the blackout?"
Billy panicked. "It wasn't me—!"
Before he could even finish, Nicole's chopsticks flew straight at his face.
"That was a bottle of lubricant. Who else but you would drink something that slimy?!"
"Boss Nicole, I was wrong!"
"..."
And so, another normal, peaceful day passed at the Hare's House.
As he watched Nicole chasing Billy around, Sam Li calmly picked up a slice of beef, placed it in his mouth, and enjoyed the flavor.
At the same time, he couldn't help but marvel—
This place really was perfect for a laid-back life.
While the members of the Hare's House were gathered around, enjoying a peaceful dinner…
On the other side of New Eridu.
Inside the Special Operations Department for Hollow Affairs, the night was deep, yet the various divisions remained busy with their work.
Hoshimi Miyabi and Soukaku had just returned from Twelfth Street. Without even stopping to log their mission, they went straight to the research lab, causing quite a stir among the other divisions.
"What's going on? Section Chief Miyabi looks serious. Did something go wrong in the Hollows?"
"No way. That was just a newly formed Hollow—full of low-level Withering Ones. Even if they all attacked at once, they wouldn't stand a chance against Section Chief Miyabi."
"I heard from a friend at the Security Bureau that something bizarre happened during their mission today. The moment Section Chief Hoshimi Miyabi and Soukaku arrived at Twelfth Street, a meteorite suddenly fell from the sky and wiped out most of the Withering Ones in an instant. Before Miyabi could even lift a finger, the Hollow immediately entered its decline phase…"
"In all of New Eridu's history, that's probably the shortest-lived Hollow ever!"
"I get it now. But if that's the case, shouldn't Miyabi be happy? She didn't even have to fight."
"Who knows? Did you see those big crates she brought back? Maybe she found something valuable in the Hollow…"
"We're not treasure hunters, you know…"
...
The gossip spread quickly, but no one could guess what was inside the crates.
Some speculated it was a live Withering One…
Others said it was a Golden Bangboo…
A few even joked that it was just Soukaku's dinner, considering her huge appetite.
Under normal circumstances, this would have been nothing more than a minor incident.
But in the Special Operations Department, anything related to Hoshimi Miyabi—no matter how trivial—was bound to attract widespread attention.
By nightfall, rumors about the mysterious crates had already made their rounds through the various divisions.
...
Meanwhile, in the research lab of the Special Operations Department—
Hoshimi Miyabi, Soukaku, and a tall, purple-haired scientist were gathered, all eagerly examining the crates on the floor.
The scientist, curiosity shining in her eyes, asked, "Miyabi, is this the 'good stuff' you mentioned?"
Hoshimi Miyabi corrected her.
"It's Withering One remains."
After discovering an unknown anomaly near the meteorite's impact site, she and Soukaku had spent hours scouring the Hollow in Twelfth Street.
Yet, despite all their searching, they were unable to pinpoint the exact source of the anomaly.
In the end, their only lead was these Withering One remains, which had somehow turned to stone.
Their plan? Have the research division analyze them—figure out why the remains had undergone this transformation and what was causing the mysterious energy fluctuations.
Before long, the scientist bent down and excitedly pried open one of the crates.
The moment she saw the piles of crystallized fragments inside, her eyes lit up—as if she had just discovered an entirely new world.
"Fascinating… Miyabi, it looks like you really brought back something valuable this time."