~Third Person POV~
Colin's actions meant that the manpower would be reduced by 25% of what it ideally should have been. Ichika had planned out a strategy for targeting the demon smugglers rather than the demons themselves.
Following the current situation, Ichika was in a hurry to enforce the strategy of 'Static Watch'. In her mind, it was only a matter of time before the police and administration of this country tries to zero in on the so-called masked people. And if they continue with their current methods, another direct encounter would happen soon.
To avoid the limelight, avoid direct contact with the authorities, and at the same time keep working in an effective manner was what she had wanted to accomplish using this strategy.
The Instructor had a simple rule for the assignment. The existence of the Instructor and his connection to these students should not be realized by anyone who is not a part of the assignment.
Apart from that, these kids had put by themselves some other rules on themselves to make sure there was not an internal crisis. To avoid any fights and create a simple system of accountability was what they had tried to achieve.
When Ichika came back from school, she did not find Eric in the hostel. She went ahead and asked the Landlady.
"Oh, He was here in the morning, but I think he might have gone out in the afternoon since it got a bit warmer by that time of the day." The old woman gave an honest answer and Ichika too believed she was right and saw no need to as any further.
"Hey, whose is this?" Kelan asked while pointing to a soup that was placed in a bowl covered at the top.
"I don't know. Maybe someone made it for themselves. It's getting quite chilly with each day," Taylor was rubbing his sleeves to create some heat for his arms.
Kelan picked up the bowl and proceeded to put it in the microwave.
"Are you an idiot? If it was put there by someone they're gonna shout at you all day long." Taylor silently shouted in his ears.
"It's going to be fine, the soup was already cooked and it went cold after being left there for quite a while."
"Man, you do not have any manners. You should have asked who prepared it at least."
The two of them continued this conversation for a while before disappearing into their rooms.
In the evening, while most of the people went to their rooms to hide from the cold, a lone figure of Forty-seven was walking down the hall. It stopped in front of a room. He tried to knock but received no reply in return.
When he knocked again, the door slightly slid with a cracking sound. This was an old establishment so such noises can be expected. Inside, the tube light was on and occasionally blinking near the ends.
The room was a mess. Crumpled sheets lay in one corner of the bed, the pillow was placed on it as some sort of crown on a king's head. Snacks were scattered around all over the bed as if there were an invitation to feast for the ants and bugs.
A small hint of surprise on Forty-seven's face as his perception of the tenant of this room was quite different from what he was seeing. Normally they maintained proper hygiene but this room gave him a different idea.
"Get that damn sniper!! Tonight I'll dine on his guts." Such a battle cry could be heard from Colin, who was currently on his PC with headphones playing an online game.
Not sure of what to do, Forty-seven just stood there and knocked on the gate a few times to attract Colin's attention. He was quite sure that Colin had noticed his presence but still, there was no reply from him.
To confirm, he knocked on the table which held the contents of a few open snack packets and the PC itself on it.
Still, no reply.
"Dammit," The before mentioned sniper in the game had an edge in the match and ended up defeating Colin's character, "this is one shitty excuse of a PC," saying that, Colin took off the headset and threw it on the table.
He finally turned towards Forty-seven. "Man, you sure bring bad omens wherever you go. What the hell are you doing here?"
"I came to talk." Forty-seven was brief and to the point.
"I am not in the mood, so piss off." The tenant of this room stood up from his chair and moved to his bed. hi picked up the mattress and flipped it in order to get rid of all of the snack bits on it, which fell on the floor. "Aren't you supposed to be more responsible as a team leader?"
"It's not a job I asked for."
"Isn't that irrelevant now?"
"If you want to talk about something regarding the team, have you brought the whole team with you? Or Are you alone?"
"I am alone," Forty-seven answered.
"Yeah. I'm not in the mood to talk, so piss off before I punch you in the face."
Forty-seven had tried the diplomatic way, and it did not work. He was in no mood to argue either so he went ahead and used another method.
"I have a proposal that you might find interesting."
Colin, who now sat on the bed was halfway in the process of slamming the door in Forty-seven's face when he said that. He took a moment to see if Forty-seven was serious or not and urged him to speak further.
The idea was simple, to put the responsibility of Flux Guns on someone else rather than themselves. And for that, Forty-seven had come up with a potential buyer who might express their interest in the FLux Guns. It was a short and straightforward deal.
"Are you in?" He asked Colin.
"For the money, yes."
"Ichika's condition is simple too, you'll have to allow our team to take part in the strategy she had drafted and she'll be ready to sell her guns as well."
"So I have to agree to the scheme that bitch drafted and I'll get more money, sounds like a fair deal. But it's a one-time thing, remember that." Colin said.
Both Forty-seven and Colin looked to the phone in hands of the former where Ichika's number had been dialed.
"I guess we have a deal, then. Thanks, Forty-seven," Ichika gave her approval of it.
Colin was satisfied, too. He'd get a new computer from this deal after all.