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nAround the time Akira was meeting with Reina’s group in the middle of the wasteland, Chloe was agonizing with a frustrated expression inside one of Lion Steel’s facilities.

n“That was a blunder… To think that the situation changed so much in such a short span of time.”

nAfter she left Mihazono ruin, Chloe returned back to gather more information about Reina as well as to reorganize her plan. But in the middle of that, she suddenly received an emergency message that Alice would be coming there soon.

nAlice normally would never leave the main HQ of the eastern district branch. As long as there was nothing big, she would never leave that place. So, in short, something big must have happened. Furthermore, Alice had also issued an order for the branch office of Kugamayama city and its surrounding area to take care of the matter with Olivia for the time being. This too was a huge abnormality.

nChloe panicked and stopped any investigation regarding Reina’s group, instead, she directed all her resources to investigate Olivia. That was when she found out that Reina’s group had made contact with Olivia.

n“No matter how you look at it, the only chance they could have contacted Olivia was right after that happened. She really outplayed me… Although she said that she was having trouble with it, she was that close to contacting Olivia, huh? To think that I didn’t even notice…”

nLatis, who was her butler, tried to cheer her master up.

n“Milady. We were also unable to notice that. That is just how good her acting skill is. The order from Alice-sama was to all staff around the area, so it was not directed specifically to them. We’re in the middle of the wasteland, so we still have that option available to us.”

nChloe quickly understood what Latis was trying to say. Her eyebrows furrowed even more as she looked even more troubled. But hesitating also showed that she started to consider the viability of that option and admitted that they had enough reason to execute it.

nMoreover, Chloe did not want to let this chance, which would never come by her again for the second time, getaway. So, she approved Latis’ suggestion.

n“Pamela, I’m sorry to say this although I said it to you yesterday, but it seems that there’s a need to deal with this matter swiftly. so get everyone ready.”

n“Right away.”

nPamela smiled and gracefully bowed.

nThe situation in Higaraka residence ruin had completely returned to normal. The crowd that flooded the ruin from the old-world terminal rumour had mostly left the site. It was no longer a ruin that Hunters would regularly visit in search of relics.

nA Lion Steel facility was erected on the mansion where the old-world terminals were found. Although it was not that big of a building, it was built on top of a large site.

nNormally, building such a facility in the middle of the ruin was not an easy feat to pull off. Not only were there rubble and wreckage of the other buildings around, but there was also the problem of the monsters in the area. It was also not cheap to assign escorts for every material transport.

nBecause of that, when someone wanted to build a large building but there was not enough space inside the city, they often opted to build it next to the city. A well-maintained road would then be built on the logistic route, which connected that building to the city, people would then gather around the maintained road, and that was how the city would slowly grow.

nBut for this Lion Steel facility, thanks to the Hunters who came looking for the old-world terminal in the area, they had cleaned up the roaming monsters. For the transport of materials, they got the Hunters who came regularly to Higaraka ruin from Kugamayama city involved. Thus cutting the transport fee even further.

nWith the area already secured to some extent, as long as they could transport materials, with building technology of the current era, it did not take that much time to fully erect such a facility. Thanks to that, Lion Steel could construct a very well-defended building in the middle of the wasteland without hiccups.

nReina’s group rode their vehicle through the road built to connect to that facility. It was the location where Chloe said she wanted to meet her.

nReina looked around the area, which was a mere dilapidated ruin in the past and asked Shiori a question.

n“Say, Shiori. Do you know why the company decided to build a facility here of all places? It’s big enough to fully revitalize the area.”

n“I’ve heard that our company bought the old-world terminals found on this site. It seems that they’re planning to use the site again after reinstalling the terminals at their original location. It would not be wise to utilize such devices away from where they were found. Some of them were area locked for the sake of safety. But, even under such considerations, I think even a small facility would do. I bet they have another reason why they erected such a big building.”

n“Another reason?”

n“Maybe it’s to prepare for another facility or something similar? Maybe it’s for a long-term plan? A change to readjust the relations between each faction. There are many possibilities. After all, if a large facility is built in a certain area, the one who is responsible for that area would gain more influence and privileges.”

n“Ohh, so that’s it, huh?”

nReina seemed to hate the topic. But Shiori’s wish was for Reina to quit working as a Hunter and return back to the main house. Reina, who had established a connection to Olivia, finally had enough achievement to be reinstated. That was why she knew it was only a matter of time before she would hear more about this.

nBut that also meant that she would be once again shoved into the in-fighting between factions that she avoided up until now. With that in mind, she had no wish to return back to the main house.

nBoth Reina and Shiori had been together for a long time, that was why they understood each other. Both were thinking of how to convince the other. That was when Kanae suddenly said something.

n“Ane-san. Stop!”

nHearing the way Kanae said it, Shiori stopped the vehicle first before asking Kanae.

n“What’s wrong?”

n“It might be pretty dangerous if we keep going like this.”

nKanae pointed at the opening located in front of the entrance to the facility. The opening seemed to be just like any other spot in the wasteland, it was big enough to park several big vehicles, as a matter of fact, there were multiple vehicles parked there at this very moment. But all of them were parked so as not to get in Reina’s way, moreover, there were maids and butlers that might be from Chloe’s side standing ready to welcome Reina’s group.

nIt would not be strange to think that it was a huge welcome for the team that had successfully gotten into contact with Olivia, but Kanae did not believe that was the case.

n“They seem to have prepared a huge welcoming team for us, though unfortunately, I feel like what they’re saying is that they would not let us leave that easily.”

nShiori also looked suspiciously at the group in front of her. Deep in between the maids and the butlers lined there, Chloe was waiting with Pamela and Latis beside her. Position-wise, Chloe’s group was above Reina’s group. Turning back would be very rude to Chloe. Even if Kanae’s worry was on point, at the moment, it was nothing more than a worry.

n“…Milady, shall we turn back and leave?”

n“No, it’s fine, let’s just continue forward.”

nShiori was surprised that Reina gave an instant straight answer.

n“…Milady, are you sure?”

n“Turning back now would only give them an unnecessary excuse.”

n“…Very well.”

nSeeing Reina was calm, as if she was not distraught by what was going on, Shiori also pulled herself together and moved the vehicle forward.

nWhen Chloe saw Reina momentarily stop, she turned to Latis. But when she was about to say something, Reina continued coming closer, so she also stopped herself from saying anything to Latis.

nPamela, who had guessed what Chloe was going to say, stopped her men from moving toward Reina and ordered them to return back to their posts.

n“It seems that they know their position.”

nChloe smiled and replied.

n“It’s good that we can solve this without having to resort to that. Or do you find it unfortunate instead, Pamela?”

n“Not at all. Of course, I don’t feel that it’s unfortunate at all.”

nLatis and Pamela quickly started preparing to welcome Reina’s group. They set up the tables and the chairs, placed a tablecloth on top of the table, and served some refreshments. Chloe sat on her chair and waited for Reina’s group to come to her.

nShiori parked the vehicle not too far from them as they disembarked and approached Chloe’s table. Chloe invited Reina to take a seat with a gesture of her hand. That scene where Chloe was donning an expensive-looking dress and Reina donning a maid uniform battle suit looked like a master inviting her subordinate, who just returned from her mission.

nShiori’s face twitched from annoyance. Kanae smiled wryly. Meanwhile, Reina did not seem bothered at all as she took her seat. Chloe and Reina had their servants standing behind them.

n“So then, why did you want to meet me? As I said before, I’m busy, you know?”

n“Geez, don’t say that. Although you said you’re busy, you’re not as busy as yesterday, right?”

n“True, but still, I’m busy enough to tell you to finish this up as soon as possible.”

n“I see.”

nChloe fixed her gaze on Reina. She was trying to discern if Reina’s calmness was only an act or not. Reina was not disturbed at all though she was being treated like a lowly servant. She did not show any particular reaction.

nIs it because she has fully given up on returning back to the main house and has decided to live fully as a Hunter? Or is it because she has the grit to completely ignore such harassment? Chloe was trying to probe Reina with her eyes, trained from the power struggle inside the main house.

nHowever, she could not come up with anything.

n“What’s wrong? If you have nothing to say, I’m leaving.”

nSince Reina stated so, Chloe did not have any other choice but to change her approach. She reminded herself that it was not like this was her first time negotiating with someone about whom she had insufficient information.

n“Well, it seems that you’re busy, so I’ve been thinking about how to make it quick. But if you’re really that busy, let’s finish this right away then.”

nChloe smiled.

n“White card.”

n“I don’t know what you expect from me just from that, you know…?”

n“Give it to me.”

nWith such short but clear words. There was no need for any more questions. It was obviously a threat as well as a warning.

nAlthough Alice’s order was for the staff on the field to handle the matter with Olivia, there was no Lion Steel staff in the area who could contact Olivia on their own. But it was not like Alice said that it was an order specifically for Reina’s group. This meant that it was directed to anyone who had that card, which could be used to contact Olivia.

nAnyone who had that card would even be able to call for the head representative of the company, Alice. It could even be said that they would be a pivotal person that would decide the future of the company, as such, everyone in the area was stirred to make their moves.

nThat demand that was much closer to a robbery attempt caused Shiori to inadvertently raise her voice.

n“Chloe-sama! That is out of the li-”

n“Silence!”

nChloe sent a mocking gaze to the tensed-up Shiori.

n“This is between two members of the family, so an outsider like you should not interfere.”

nShiori closed her mouth and gritted her teeth. Even putting aside the difference in their positions, Shiori was not in the position to be scolding Chloe. Moreover, if a mere escort like her crossed the line, it would cause trouble for Reina, who was trying to stand up as her deserving master. Because of that, Shiori managed to hold herself back.

nSeeing that Shiori comply, Chloe smiled with satisfaction and shifted her gaze back to Reina. Reina lightly sighed.

n“And what will you give me for it?”

n“I’ll say that I’ll be deeply indebted to you.”

n“That doesn’t sound like a good deal to me.”

n“Well, you should wait for a bit. Let’s see, once I become the head of the faction, one day, I’ll be the head of the main branch in the Aurum economic zone, and eventually, I’ll become the officer of the main HQ. I’ll put you somewhere nearby, doesn’t that sound great?”

nFor those who knew the inner workings of the Lion Steel company, that sounded like nothing but a dream. But as long as they had the talent and were able to make good use of it, it was not an impossible feat to achieve. Moreover, Chloe was being serious when she said so. This was important since even if one was prideful, not just anyone could accomplish what she had claimed to. No one could reach that position without the strong resolve to use their utmost talent, and resources to reach that goal. And she knew that very well.

nReina also believed Chloe was not lying, but even so, she still said.

n“I’m sorry, but I still don’t think it’s a good enough offer. It doesn’t give me enough reason to give you the white card.”

nChloe’s gaze turned sharp. She locked eyes with Reina, trying to discern whether it was because Reina had no wish to hand over the card at all costs or if it was simply because the offer was not good enough. However, she still could not find anything. Either way, it did not matter what was the answer to her question, she had already decided on what to say next.

n“I see. If you say so, it means that I will have no other choice but to put in something more to tip the scale to make it worthwhile. For example, your safety, whether you can leave this place safely or not.”

nAlthough Reina and Chloe were still the same as always, that was not the case for their servants. Shiori knitted her eyebrows. Kanae smiled with excitement. Latis silently scanned the other side, and Pamela was waiting with a smile. The rest of the maids and butlers changed their positions to close Reina’s escape route.

nWhen everyone in the area tensed up, Reina and Chloe were the only ones who stayed calm as they were facing each other.

nReina faked a surprised expression and reaffirmed.

n“You would even go for violence, huh? I don’t know what’s going on but, are non-peaceful, fast solutions becoming the new norm inside the wall or something?”

nChloe lightly smiled.

n“Oh, it has always been, you just don’t know about it. The difference in their military power made it such that no real full-blown battle happened yet. There’s also no need to even say it out loud, you know? Don’t tell me you honestly did not know?”

n“Unfortunately, no. Thanks for letting me know.”

n“You’re very welcome. Well then. Now that you’re done learning, this would be a good time to show the result of what you have learned. So, what’s your answer?”

nReina did not say anything, Chloe also only waited without saying anything as well. The silence continued only to be broken by Chloe later.

n“If this silence continues any further, I will interpret it as a no.”

nReina still did not say anything, Chloe’s smile vanished.

n“I see.”

nChloe did not like violence, but she would not hesitate when it was necessary. Moreover, the influence, profit, and power that she could gain from getting a connection with Olivia were more than enough of a reason to get that card even if it meant that she had to kill Reina. She thought that Reina would also understand that, but if she did not. Then it was not like she could do anything about it.

nThat was when Kanae interjected.

n“Ah, just to let you know, if you try to hurt Milady, I’ll kill you.”

nIn response to Kanae, who said so casually, Chloe frowned and said.

n“A mere Rank-4 maid speaking about killing one of the main house’s members. How rude. Good grief. You really need more education.”

n“Well, I’m always not good with that subject, you see. Sorry about that.”

nAlthough Kanae said so, she did not seem apologetic at all. So, Chloe then exasperatedly said.

n“Latis, Pamela, did you hear that? She said that she’s going to kill me.”

nLatis confidently replied.

n“Please don’t worry. She would not be able to do it.”

nPamela smiled and said.

n“She won’t be able to do that, just leave it to us.”

nChloe was satisfied by her servants’ answer and nodded. She then shifted her gaze back to Kanae.

n“So, there you have it. That level of threat won’t even work even as a mere bluff. Well, if you still insist, I’ll send your Milady with you to the afterlife, so don’t worry.”

nBut even so, Kanae was still smiling with excitement. But her smile suddenly twitched, she then rubbed her head with one of her hands and sighed.

n“…Well, I know that I’m not good at this kind of thing. For some reason, you just can’t fully forget your roots. They always told me to prioritize my duty while I underwent training, but I just can’t help but prioritize fun first. As expected, I should reign in my personal feelings and prioritize my duty.”

nKanae’s aura slowly changed. Her smile vanished and was replaced by a chilling cold expression. She looked coldly at Chloe’s side as if they were trash and warned.

n“If you touch Reina-sama, you’re dead meat.”

nAs expected, Chloe could not ignore it.

nLion Steel company searched all over the eastern area for talented children, mostly from the poor areas, and trained them to be butlers and maids. They were then sent to various organizations and individuals. These children were ranked during their training depending on their performance. Those who had exceptional talents were sent to high-level individuals such as officials from large corporations. While those who were rather average were dispatched to different places.

nRank-4 was the lowest rank. They were treated as failed products that were not even to be sent outside the corporation. Of course, they were also not treated well even inside the corporation.

nBoth Shiori and Kanae were Rank-4. But that was not because they were incompetent. The evaluation of their total performance was considered unsatisfactory. Thus, they were given their Rank-4 evaluation.

nLion Steel placed an emphasis on loyalty to the main corporation. After all, the current era’s Lion Steel company was using humans in place of automatons. Thus, they did not need anyone that offered less than total loyalty. With children basically saved from poverty, they normally felt indebted toward the corporation and were extremely loyal.

nBut Shiori’s loyalty was not toward the corporation but toward Reina. As such, the corporation saw that as a huge problem and evaluated her as Rank-4.

nAs for Kanae, her problem was her attitude toward her duty. She had the tendency of getting her personal feelings mixed in her work and instead prioritized her enjoyment. No matter how good she was, if she hoped for her escort target to get attacked, it was only natural for her to be evaluated as Rank-4.

nThe reason why Reina was accompanied by those 2 maids although she was kicked out of the family and exiled outside the inner well was because both Kanae and Shiori were Rank-4 servants.

nBut this time, Kanae was not showing any attitude that would lower her evaluation any further. In other words, rather than prioritizing having fun over the safety of her escort target, which she had been doing up until now, she was doing the opposite. Her aura was indicating that she was willing to stop playing and her job seriously. To quickly remove her opponents for Reina’s safety.

nChloe was a bit overwhelmed by Kanae’s pressure, but she did not show it. She furrowed her brows and said with a smile.

n“And you think you can win with that?”

n“At the very least, I can guarantee that you’ll be dead.”

nAlthough their conversation did not exactly connect, people who heard that exchange had no problem understanding what was going on.

nAs long as Kanae focused on Chloe, Chloe’s servants would have no other choice but to focus on defending their master instead of killing their opponent. That way, they would have no leeway to focus on Reina. They would not even have the chance to capture Reina and use it to threaten Kanae. Any attempt other than that would take more time and manpower which meant the higher the chance Kanae would get Chloe first.

nAnd while they were dealing with Kanae, Shiori could take Reina and run away. Even with her attitude, Kanae had the determination to throw away her life for her duty, the same as Latis and the rest of Chloe’s servants.

nBut that was not the case for Chloe. She had to prioritize her own life.

n“You heard her, Latis, Pamela?”

n“Please don’t worry. She would not be able to do it.”

n“She won’t be able to do that, just leave it to us.”

nLatis and Pamela returned the exact same replies. But their expressions were not the same as before. The mockery that they had toward Rank-4 servants from before was no longer present. They were exerting an aura that was suitable for their position, Chloe’s closest servants, as they looked at Kanae with a sharp gaze filled with killing intent.

nShiori reached for her blade, although she had not unsheathed it, she had already made her resolve. Latis and the other servants also prepared themselves for a fight. They were ready to start anytime and were just waiting for the signal from their master.

nThe silence continued. But this time it was Chloe who was extending the silence. The card had enough value for her to kill Reina’s team. She would even be willing to pay the price and risk her own life to get that card. But that was assuming that she would win the fight. She did not think that Latis and Pamela were lying to her. But she also did not feel any lies in Kanae’s words. One of them must be mistaken, but if she tried to confirm it and it turned out that Latis and Pamela were the ones who were mistaken, she would without a doubt be the one who dies. Fear from that caused her to hesitate.

n“Stop!”

nReina was the one who broke the silence. Everyone turned toward Reina. She then took out the card, put it on the table, and slid it toward Chloe.

nWith this, there was no longer any reason to fight. The tense mood was dispelled. Instead, everyone started to look rather confused. In the midst of that atmosphere, Reina then calmly said.

n“That should be fine, right? Well then, I’m leaving now. Shiori, Kanae, let’s go.”

n“O-Of course.”

n“A-alright.”

nAs Reina swiftly stood up and left, Shiori and Kanae followed behind her while still looking rather confused. But Chloe suddenly stopped her.

n“If you were planning to give it away from the start, you could’ve done it sooner. What’s your game here?”

nReina stopped and lightly turned around.

n“Of course, I was hesitating. What else do you think it might be?”

n“…I see. Well, it doesn’t matter since you’ve just handed it over to me. You can look forward to your reward.”

n“I don’t need it. I’ve never said anything about accepting your offer.”

n“What do you mean?”

nReina frowned and replied.

n“You took that card from me by threatening to kill Shiori and Kanae as well as me. That’s why I had no other choice but to give up that card. It’s not like I’m giving that card to you because I accepted your offer or anything like that. Later then.”

nReina then left the place, Shiori and Kanae seemed rather happy as they followed behind her.

nAs Reina’s group was no longer visible, Chloe sighed. She noticed the cold sweat running down her face and wiped it off.

n“…Just to make sure, if we really did fight back there, we would have won, right?”

nLatis lightly bowed.

n“Of course. Although, we would not be perfectly fine after the battle. Please forgive me.”

nPamela politely added.

n“But don’t worry, Milady. We’ll be the ones hurt. We would make sure that Milady would be perfectly safe and sound.”

nChloe firmly gave a nod. She then moved on to the next issue, which was the card in her hand. The white card was glistening and reflected her own image. Seeing that, she thought that it was as if that glisten also shone the way to her bright future.

n“Well, I would say that it was mostly smooth sailing. Though, I admit that as someone who had been banished from the inner wall, she is a tough opponent.”

nChloe smiled and slipped that card into her pocket. She then returned back inside accompanied by the rest of her servants.

nAnyone share the same sentiment?

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