September 9, Kakin Empire Territory
"Welcome back—"
As the store's automatic doors opened with a soft hiss, a mechanical female voice greeted Sheila.
Sheila stepped out, carrying bags filled with snacks, fruits, and drinks.
Feeling uneasy, she paused near a window where several TVs were displaying the same news broadcast.
"On the evening of September 7, a large number of royal guards and medical staff rushed to the residence of the Fourth Prince of the Kakin Empire… Current conditions remain unclear… The Fourth Prince has not been seen in over 36 hours…"
Hearing these critical words made Sheila's palms and hands go cold. She silently regretted ever getting involved.
By nature, she preferred to keep a low profile.
But that day, when she saw Kurapika's determined expression, something inside her sparked, and she couldn't resist joining the plan.
Now, with the assassination already done, there was no turning back.
Sheila swallowed hard, hoping her "Accumulated good luck" would kick in when she needed it most.
Without hesitating any further in front of the TV, she picked up her bags, crossed the crosswalk, and turned the corner.
As she walked, she suddenly tripped on flat ground—her left foot caught on her right, and she fell forward.
She scraped a small patch of skin below her left wrist, but it wasn't serious. Checking her bags, she sighed in relief; nothing was broken.
Sheila had long gotten used to her bad luck. In fact, if she ever went a day without it, she'd probably worry her abilities were out of whack.
After walking a bit more, she finally caught up with another member of their makeshift team.
There was the "girl" with long golden hair tied in a bun—Bisky had set down her two bags, crouched on the ground, and was gazing ahead.
Bisky usually kept her hair up, only letting it down for a bath or sleep.
Although she called herself a "lady" every day, she had inherited Chairman Netero's fighting spirit.
Any woman who has been in a fight knows how much of a hassle long, loose hair can be. Once someone grabs it, it's like getting pinned down by Jackie Chan or Donnie Yen—there's no escaping a beating after that.
Bisky ties her hair in two ponytails, a single ponytail, or sometimes a bun. It's her last bit of stubbornness, clinging to her love for looking good.
Sheila followed Bisky's gaze and noticed a black cat by the base of a street lamp. The cat's tail was raised, and it watched Bisky with wary eyes.
"Come here, kitty, kitty," Bisky coaxed with an amused grin, wiggling her fingers like worms. "Come into my arms, I won't do anything to you..."
Sheila approached, looking down at Bisky and thinking, You look so suspicious, as if you're planning something strange.
Bisky noticed Sheila and said, "Oh, you're back from shopping," then stood up.
Her sudden movement startled the black cat, causing it to leap back and hide behind a red mailbox.
"Aww," Bisky sighed in disappointment, "Am I really that scary?"
Curious, Sheila asked, "Do you like cats?"
"No need for formalities," Bisky said, hands on her hips, grinning. "I do like cats—they're cute. But that's not why I was teasing this one."
"Not the reason?" Sheila's curiosity deepened.
Bisky pointed at the cat peeking from behind the red mailbox, her face lighting up. "Look at it! Doesn't it remind you of Germain?"
"Germain?" Sheila looked at the jet-black cat, blinked, and shook her head. "I don't see the resemblance."
"Look at its eyes," Bisky pointed out, her tone highlighting the details. "Don't you see that arrogant, cold, and almost dismissive look?"
Silla thought for a moment, hesitating. "Well... if you put it like that, I suppose... there's a bit of that, yeah…"
Bisky grinned. "When I first met Germain, he had that same look."
"But that's exactly why I want to see him eventually lying down, paws up and belly out, so I can pet him. Do you get it? The contrast is just... irresistible."
"Hmm…" Silla's eyes shifted from left to right, frowning slightly. She replied, a bit half-heartedly, "I get it…"
Seeing Silla's reaction, Bisky could tell she didn't truly understand that sort of satisfaction.
But Bisky didn't push further. She bent down, picked up two bags, and said, "Come on. The others are waiting for us."
About fifteen minutes later…
Bisky and Silla reached the jeep parked by the edge of the park and saw the other three engaged in different activities.
Germain was sitting in the jeep's back seat, eyes closed.
Kurapika was on a nearby park bench, flipping through a book.
Shizuku stood by the sandbox with her hands behind her back, watching a few children build a sandcastle with shovels, spoons, and their hands, looking intrigued.
Everyone noticed when Bisky and Silla returned.
After putting their bags in the jeep's trunk, Shizuku and Kurapika also headed back to the vehicle.
They'd changed cars a few times on their journey, and this jeep was a fresh one they'd gotten earlier that morning.
Everyone got in, taking turns with the driving. This time, it was Kurapika's turn behind the wheel.
He sat in the driver's seat, carefully checking the dashboard, fastening his seatbelt, and giving the side mirror a quick glance before slowly steering the jeep out of the intersection.
As the car started moving, Sheila turned to look back at Germain, who was sitting in the back seat. They exchanged a brief look, noticing each other's expressions.
"What's wrong?" Germain asked.
Sheila smiled awkwardly, waving her hands dismissively. "It's nothing, really."
She turned forward again, but couldn't shake the feeling that, just for a moment, Germain's eyes had looked exactly like those of a black cat.
This time, Germain and his group were heading to a port city in the Kakin Empire. There, they would board a "black ship" to leave the country, cross the ocean, and return to the Eurubian continent.
The "black ship" wasn't the same kind of Mafia cargo ship that Germain and Kurapika had taken to come here; it was a passenger ship meant for illegal immigrants.
Although the Kakin Empire had a royal family, nobles, commoners, and outcast classes, it was technically a parliamentary state. This was the result of the "quietest revolution in history" that had happened almost thirty years ago.
Many Run-away people had tried their luck in the quickly growing Kakin Empire, hoping to rise above their station, but most ended up as outcasts.
The jeep sped out of town and onto a long, straight road with open desert stretching on both sides.
About half an hour later, they were still surrounded by desert.
Just then, Kurapika looked at the rearview mirror and suddenly said, "The car behind us is following us."
This snapped everyone out of their relaxed conversation. They looked around and spotted two vans trailing them at a slow pace.
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