Shirley stood in front of the base with a serious face. She was in a bad mood and wanted to calm herself down, but she couldn't, which annoyed her even more.

No one could see a trace of panic on her face except those who knew her well, and she tried to hide it with her best appearance. An expression that believed her inner irritability, bad mood, worry, and nervousness.

A boy named Elio walks up to her, apparently suspicious of Sheryl.

"Shirley, what the hell is going on with that hunter Akira. He didn't come to see us at all. ”

"Shut up and wait for him, didn't I already tell you?"

"But yesterday too, we waited for him all night, and he didn't come......"

Shirley interrupted Elio with a sharp look.

"Don't make a fuss! I'm the boss here! So you should obey me! You promised me, didn't you?! ”

That sharp gaze was actually to hide the panic in Shiryl's heart, because Akira had never been here at all. Her feelings also made her gaze even more terrifying.

Elio couldn't help but shut up. Then, before muttering to himself, he sighed.

"Okay, I got it, boss."

The people who decided to stay in the gang have recognized Shirley as their boss. So Elio just stopped his complaints. But as you can see from his expression, his suspicion and displeasure have not disappeared.

Shirley let out a long sigh, half acting. To further intimidate Elio, she continued to say something.

"The hunter is a very busy person, so I'm sure that's why he can't come here. Even if I spoke to him directly, I was not in a position to order him to come over as soon as possible. You can't even understand this, can you? ”

"You're right, I'm sorry."

"If you can understand me, then go back to work."

"Boss."

Although Elio answered some questions, she obediently left Shellyl alone. But after he distanced himself from her, he muttered to himself.

“…… But, aren't you his favorite? ”

When Shiryl heard this muffled snort, her face suddenly showed a bit of hidden nervousness, but she quickly put away her annoyed expression. It wasn't until she looked around to make sure no one was approaching that she accepted her annoyed expression. Her true expression shows that she is full of panic and nervousness.

[… It's not good if it goes on like this. What should I do? Do you want to go to Akira again......? No, I shouldn't have done that, they'd be suspicious of me if it went on like this. ]

That day, Aki

a to She

Yl says he's going to her base and she and all her gang members are waiting for him. But in the end, Akira did not come. He didn't come the next day, and he didn't come for the next few days. Now her position in the gang is in jeopardy.

The children of the Sibea Gang are already in She

YL is active in the New Revival Gang. They searched the area around their territory and the wasteland near them, looking for scrap steel and anything that could be exchanged for money. Since they would team up together to go to the place where the food was distributed, the other gangs already knew about Shirley's gang.

At the moment, the other gangs have not yet begun to provoke her gang. That's because the other gangs think Aki

A in She

yl back. But Akira hasn't been to their base yet. As a result, her gang members can't help but feel unhappy and unsafe.

Shirley explains to the gang members that being a hunter is a very busy job, allowing her to control the gang members. But of course, there's a limit to how long she can last. Soon, her gang members noticed her nervousness and began to distrust her, making her even more insecure.

A lot of people talk behind Shiryl's back, some say she's lying, some say she didn't, but Akira is actually lying to her, and some say Akira has abandoned her. Her gang members began to look at her with suspicion and displeasure. They also begin to show their feelings in front of Shirley. It's not that bad that they'll stab her in the back, but it's only a matter of time.

Shirley had noticed how her gang members felt. But there was nothing she could do about it. She couldn't reach Akira, and couldn't find him even after waiting for her near his hotel. She can't even think of any good ideas to appease her gang members. She was basically at a loss for anything.

But at that critical moment, Akira appeared in front of her.

"Is Cher there? Ah, here you are. ”

"Akira!"

Overwhelmed, Shirley involuntarily shouted Akira's name, and her voice was heard by everyone in the base. So all the other children came out of their rooms to see what was going on.

Shiryl regained her composure and dragged Akira to a private room, which they closed as soon as they entered. She just wanted to yell at him and ask him why he didn't come the day he promised her. But she knew that if she did, it would be the end for her. So she tried her best to hold herself back and smiled at Akira.

"Thank you very much for visiting our base. I've been waiting for you. By the way, we waited for you that night, and you promised to come. But you never showed up, did something happen? ”

Shiryl's smile showed that she didn't mind if he was late, or at least that's what she was trying to convey with a smile.

"I'm sorry, I was supposed to come, but I was almost killed that day."

"Almost killed??!?!"

Shirley couldn't help but scream, and Akira was a little surprised to see Shirley's surprised look. But then he calmed down and replied to him.

"Don't be so surprised. This is a normal thing to do in this line of work. ”

Shirley was speechless. She did think that something must have happened, but she didn't expect him to be almost killed. She then regained her composure, showing that she was worried.

"Y-Are you alright!?"

"Yes, I'm not injured and I'm in good shape."

"I see...... Well, what's going on, please? ”

"I was attacked by two groups of monsters on the same day. I was so tired, or rather, fainted after the battle, that I couldn't come. I'm sorry about that. ”

Akira calmly replied that he was sorry. He decided not to say the fact that he had forgotten his promise, because there was no particular reason to tell her.

Cher breathed a sigh of relief. Then she changed her gear and smiled at Akira.

"I see. In this case, there is no way around it. You must be having a hard time, but I'm glad you're okay now. I'm pulling you to a private room because I want to have a private chat with you. But since everyone is waiting for you, let's talk about it later. I want to introduce you to everyone, can you? ”

"Of course."

Shirley took Akira's hand and led him out of the room. Then she quietly complained.

[…… Good sadness. I don't mind why he's late, but it's really surprising. I'm sure he's just exaggerating, but I really hope he doesn't joke like that again. ]

Although Shiryl was able to get to where she is now because of Akira's support, such a made-up story led her astray. But, of course, she is not qualified to say about it. In order not to let her mood deteriorate further, she suggested that everyone introduce it. Whenever she thought of the story she had made up, her face twitched with irritation. Because Akira told the story so casually, it didn't sound very believable.

The children gathered in the hall inside the base. Whispers were heard in the hall, and the children saw Shirley standing happily next to Akira.

"So he's finally really here, huh? I've been suspicious of her, but it turns out to be true, right? ”

"Is that really the hunter who killed Sibia? Isn't he a little boy like us? ”

"Thankfully, it's true. I feel much safer now. ”

"I know she said he'd help us, but I don't know how far he's willing to go? I'm really worried. ”

"By the way, even though he doesn't look that strong, will we really be okay?"

Although there are still many doubts, all doubts about the words between Shiryl and Akira are solved.

Shirley smiled and confidently introduced Akira.

"This is Akira. I think you already know him. Sibea took some of our members to get him, but he was able to fight back. But even so, he decided to help us, so don't be rude to him, okay? ”

Shellyl turned her gaze to Akira, reluctant to speak.

"I'm Akira. I'm just helping Cher, and I'm only helping Cher alone. I have no plans to associate with any of you. She

Yl is the owner here, if you have any questions, just ask her. Don't ask me unnecessary things. When I say don't ask something, never ask a second time. It's all mine. ”

It was clear that the children were taken aback and confused. Because although Shirley is their boss, the people who support her, who are actually the ones who rule their gang and are responsible for taking care of them, have no interest in them.

Shiryl frowned, but Akira didn't care.

"Shirley. I have something to tell you, you stay with me for a while. ”

"Huh? Ahh ”

Seeing that Shiryl was about to leave the hall with Akira, Elio suddenly stopped them.

"Wow, wait a minute!! Are you really Akira? ”

Akira stopped, and he turned around, looking angry.

"Yes."

"What have you been doing until now to abandon us?! What do you mean you don't join our gang?! Aren't you supposed to be looking at us?! ”

"Didn't I just say you should ask Sheryl? So don't ask me again. ”

Akira's way of speaking really shocked Elio. When he heard that the hunters who killed Sibia would help them, he was both hopeful and uneasy. But when that person never appeared, his heart was full of doubts and displeasure. And when that person appeared in front of him, even if he was fully armed, he was completely incapable. This is a pair of E

IO is a huge disappointment.

Coupled with what Akira had just said to Elio, Elio's suspicions about Shiryl and Akira reached their peak.

[…… This kid might be weaker than me, you know? Are we really going to give our lives to this boy?! ]

Sibia and his friends may have fallen out of favor hunters. But even then, they are strong. So, the person who killed Sibia and caused his gang to break up must be someone stronger than Sibia.

But the boy standing in front of Elio didn't even seem to have a chance to deal with Sibia.

[…… Is Shirley cheating on us? No, maybe he's lying to Sheryl, right? ]

Elio couldn't help but think if he rushed to Akira and pointed a gun at him. Akira has no choice but to confess the truth.

The sight of Akira walking out with her back to him somehow seemed so hollow. And when asked, Akira looks angry, feeling like he's laughing at Elio. After Sibea's gang was destroyed, his life was really difficult. And when the gang restarted its operations, he thought those difficult times were finally over. But then it happened and he was utterly disappointed, which gave Elio the last boost.

"Damn you!!"

Elio shouted as he rushed towards Akira. When Akira was only a few steps away, he clenched his fists, pulled back, and threw it at the back of Akira's head. Akira didn't seem to be aware of his intentions and was sneaking up on him from behind. Elio is sure it will hit Akira.

But then Akira stepped aside nonchalantly, dodging his fist without looking back.

“… World Health Assembly -!? ”

Akira then punched Elio in the face in surprise, knocking him to the ground.

Akira's combat abilities have been greatly improved in such a short period of time, thanks to Alpha's training and all the experience he has accumulated. He was strong enough that an average boy like Elio simply wouldn't stand a chance against him. Of course, a surprise attack from the layman might have knocked him out, but Akira was very cautious about this kind of thing due to his years of experience living in the back alleys of a slum city. Under normal circumstances, now a surprise attack does not work for him.

Moreover, it is almost impossible to launch a surprise attack on the Alpha. Even with the attack just now, Alpha had already warned Akira in advance. So, Aki

a Able to avoid it without looking back. So in short, Elio's chances of winning were zero from the start.

Elio lay on the ground, trying to suppress the stinging pain in his face. But when he glanced down at Akira, who was looking down on him, he saw that Akira's gun was already aimed at him.

Elio's face turned pale and trembled with fear. The other children panicked and pulled away. When the trigger was pulled, Akira's expression did not change.

Immediately after that, a hole was made in the floor. But Elio was unscathed. Akira deliberately misses his blow, but Elio freezes as if he had been shot, and he even stops shaking. Shiryl and the other children couldn't even make a sound.

Afterward, Akira said to Shiryl with an angry expression.

"Shirley, I don't mind who you want to add to your gang. Honestly, I don't even care. But since you're the boss, at least make sure you keep them in check. You'd better fix this before I misunderstand that people are doing what you command. If this happens, no one will end well. ”

Then, Aki

a Leaving the hall, She

Yl followed him in a panic. The only people left in the hall were Elio and the other children who were shivering with fear.

Shellyl walked up to Akira, cursing Elio in her heart, but she didn't dare to say it. She just silently followed Akira out of the base and into the slum city. She

yl doesn't know about Aki

a Where to take her, as she has no room to ask this question. Following Akira, she has been silently cursing Elio.

Akira spoke to her suddenly.

"Is that good enough?"

“…… Well? ”

Shiryl was too surprised to give the right answer. She could only answer the question with a puzzled face. Akira thinks that Sheryl can't actually understand what he means because she's shocked, and adds an explanation to his question.

"Oh, didn't you tell me to do that kind of thing? Am I mistaken? ”

Shiryl finally regained her composure and looked at Akira. The anger she had seen at the base had vanished without a trace. Akira was completely calm. She notices that Akira's behavior at the base is nothing more than acting. Then she breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at Akira.

"Well, I did ask you, but I think you're going too far right now."

"I see, I'm sorry, can you handle the aftermath? I'm not good at handling it after all. ”

"I understand. So, where are we going now? ”

"You'll see, we'll get there soon."

After a while, Akira stopped and pointed to a trailer. Katsuragi's trailer doubles as his mobile shop. When Akira arrives there, Daris, who is watching the trailer, notices him and Shirley.

"Akira, are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. However, when I woke up, I was surprised to know that three days had passed. ”

"I see, I'm glad you're okay."

Aki

a and da

is chuckling at each other. Although there is a gap in age, ability and social status, the relationship between the two is very close after facing a life-and-death battle together.

"So, do you need anything? If you're here to buy something, you can check it out. ”

"Well, I just wanted to discuss something with Katsuragi, can you call him over?"

"Then wait a little bit here. Katsuragi!! Akira is coming!! I don't know what's going on, but he said he wanted to talk to you. ”

Katsuragi then slipped out of the depths of the trailer and smiled at Akira at the sight of him.

"Akira, huh? I've heard you're fainting from exhaustion, but you came with a girl, and it seems you're doing well. So, what do you need? You're here to talk to a businessman, so I'm not going to listen to anything that won't bring me money, you know? ”

Akira replied with some provocation.

"Then it's up to you to be able to do it as a businessman."

"Then it's definitely a lucrative conversation."

Katsuragi smiled back at him.

Katsuragi listened carefully to Akira's words. Aki

A suggestion is that in exchange for bringing artifacts to his shop, Katsu

AGI has to help She

YL's gang. Kazuaki Kazuaki began to calculate the gains and losses it might bring them.

In addition to the hunters, there are many places where relics can be accepted, as there is a great demand for relics and people make a lot of profit from them. Although it was only a side hustle for him, Katsuragi also bought relics.

As for helping Shirley's gang, as long as they use his name. Most businessmen will look down on the people in the slum cities and raise the prices to the point of madness. So it would be a great help for Shirley and her gang to find a businessman who wouldn't do that. Even for people in slum cities with zero trust, a small word from someone like Katsuragi can help them a lot.

Katsuragi knew Akira's fighting abilities well, so he predicted the quantity and quality of relics that Akira would be able to bring back from the ruins. He then subtracted the amount needed to help Shirley and her gang. After his brain calculated, he finally took a profit. With that, he looked at Akira with curious eyes.

"I still owe you something. Moreover, buying and selling artifacts can bring me money. It does bring profits. ”

"So shall we make a deal here?"

"Well, wait a minute. Before we decide, I have some questions. First of all, what is your relationship with that girl? ”

Katsuragi then looked at Shirley, as if to judge her. Shirley starts to tense up, and Akira makes an honest, confused face.

"Why do you ask?"

"Why do you ask? She's the one who makes you and I come to a deal. So, of course, it makes me wonder. And, you asked me to help her, and it could be a long-term agreement between us, you know? So, what is she to you? Just acquaintances? A friend? Relative? Lover? Or even a wife? ”

"Let's assume she and I grew up in a ghetto city, and we're close enough that I can bring you this deal. But if she slows me down, I'll abandon her at any moment. That's all there is to it. ”

"I see."

Katsuragi tries to figure out the relationship between Ming and Shiryl through his actions, and then he puts the topic on hold for the time being.

"The next question is about artifacts. You know that even if you bring a relic to my shop, you won't be able to level up, right? After all, that means you don't sell your relics to the hunter's office, can you? ”

Relics can only be ranked by bringing them to the Hunter's Office and other affiliated shops. Some hunters, in order to increase their rank, only sell cheap and inferior relics, or even fake relics. There are also cases where there is a quarrel because the hunters believe that the shop where they sell artifacts is attached to the hunter's office.

The hunter level is something that is used to determine the value of a hunter. Even if he can profit from this trade, it is not worth causing problems for his hunter level. At least that's the case with Katsuragi, because he knows very well how good Akira the Hunter is. That's exactly why he needs to make sure Akira understands this.

Then Akira replied calmly.

"As long as you can buy expensive relics from me, I don't mind. Currently, I need money instead of hunter level. If I find that your price is not high enough, I will sell my relics back to the hunter's office as usual. ”

"I see...... Well, we're here to make a deal! ”

Katsuragi then smiled like a merchant and shook Akira's hand, closing a deal. Then he turned to Shirley and reached out to shake hands. But Sheryl was overwhelmed and didn't reach for him.

"What's wrong? You don't even dare shake my hand, do you? ”

"I-I'm sorry."

Shirley reached out in panic to take Katsuragi's hand and shook it. But suddenly, Katsuragi held her hand strongly, and Shellyl turned her gaze to Katsuragi in surprise. The moment she saw Katsuragi's face, Shiryl was stunned. He may be smiling, but his eyes are on her.

"You don't dare betray me."

It was clear that Katsuragi was threatening Shellyl from his tone, eyes, expression, and strong grip. It's as if he's telling Shirley what will happen to her if she doesn't heed his warnings.

People are corrupted by wealth. As a businessman, Katsuragi knows this. Only economic hardship can lower the bar for such a thing to happen. Because of this, the cost of life in slum cities is unusually cheap. At the cost of a single bullet, the lives and trust of the other side can be trampled on in the slum city.

This kind of intimidation is very necessary to make deals with people in slum cities. That's what Katsuragi thought.

But he went too far. Katsuragi usually makes this deal with hunters who often fight monsters in the wasteland. Therefore, this level of intimidation usually shown to those hunters is too much for a little girl from the slums. In this way, Shiryl was so frightened that she couldn't even answer.

Katsuragi realized that he had gone too far, and he lowered his intimidation. But then Akira said suddenly.

"If she causes you too much trouble, then tell me and I'll take care of her myself."

"Oh, what would you do, a little more accurate?"

"I'll kill her and throw her somewhere in the wasteland."

Shirley shuddered, and Katsuragi was startled by the words, which didn't sound like a joke.

"Wow, you're such a straightforward person, huh?"

"We risk our lives to work in the wasteland, so people in slum cities should also risk their lives to survive. She should understand that. And she's not a fool who thinks she can go against me. ”

"What do you think?"

"Nothing is certain in this world. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have accepted being attacked by two groups of monsters on the same day. ”

"You can say it again."

Katsuragi smiled happily. Then he let go of Shirley's hand and gave her a friendly smile.

"I'm sorry to scare you, after all, there are all kinds of people in this world. So I have to be careful. All that aside, I hope we get along. ”

"Yes—yes."

Shiryl tried her best to smile kindly, but it ended up being a crooked smile.

Akira didn't blink, and continued to ask Katsuragi questions.

"Ah, by the way, do you sell information terminals? I need something cheap to use, I don't need a complicated setup to use, and the most basic ones are fine for me. ”

"Even if you're talking about the basics, everyone has a different understanding, you know?"

"As long as you can use it to contact me. This is for Cher so she can keep in touch with me. ”

"In that case, it's 20,000 gold coins."

Ming handed over 20,000 gold coins to Katsuragi and took over the information terminal. He then connects it to his information terminal, completes the basic setup, and hands it to Shirley.

"If there is anything, you can contact me. If you can't contact me for long, assume I'm dead. Remember, if I can't reach you either, I'll do the same. ”

"I see, thank you."

"And, about being at the base on a regular basis, because I don't think it's a good idea to decide the time now. After all, I always spend my time on what I want to do, so it's too much of a hassle if I book my schedule in advance. I don't mind if you tell me to show up at the base, if I'm in the mood, I'll show up. But that doesn't mean you can call me every day, okay? ”

"Yes—yes."

"Alright then, I still have work to do, so I'm going home. As for you...... You should talk to Katsuragi about what kind of help you need from him. ”

But Katsuragi then called Akira in an unhappy tone.

"Wow wow, you've been here before, why don't you buy something before you go?"

"Sorry, I'm a little tight right now, I'll buy it next time."

With that, Akira left. Katsuragi then turned to Shirley.

"Okay, Akira said the same thing, so let's get the details out of the way, shall we? Do you have time? ”

"Well, well, yes. I'm fine, I'll take care of you. ”

Shiryl regained her composure and bowed politely to Katsuragi.

Katsuragi glanced at her again, trying to evaluate her, then asked her with a chuckle.

"Well, Akira is gone, so I wanted to ask you one more time. What is your relationship with that boy? ”

"Like he said before......"

"I see. Let me rephrase my question. What do you want your relationship to be like? Your goal is to be his lover or even his wife? ”

Shirley knew that if she gave Katsuragi a bad answer, it might cause trouble. So, she asked rhetorically.

“…… Is that...... He's helping me, is there anything more important than that? ”

Katsuragi still smiled with the expression of a merchant.

"There's a lot more to it than that. You see, I'm going to spend a long time with Akira, which means I might need to spend time with you too. But it depends on your relationship with him, right? So I should at least confirm whether you want to have a more intimate relationship with him or if he will abandon you. So, what is it? Looking at his performance just now, do you think it's possible? ”

Shirley was well aware that she was being judged there, so she said with a confident smile.

"Of course that's my plan. Not to mention that I'm convinced that Akira likes me, you know? After all, he even did something like this for me, right? I believe that his behavior just now was to make Katsuragi-san not despise us, even though we are just children in the slum city. After all, Akira is also a hunter. ”

She knew that if she backed down now, then she would be looked down upon. Although she knew she was talking too much, she tried to make her expression confident.

But Katsuragi kept an eye on Sheryl, trying to get to the bottom of her words. Then, with a sigh.

"It sounds like you're trying to seduce him with your body and only to be rejected."

Shiryl froze. Looking at that, Katsuragi just smiled invinciblely.

"Ah, that face is saying, 'How the hell do you know?' Right? It is not uncommon for hunters with high incomes to bring their girls to our shop. In due course, I was able to see if the hunters were really interested in the girls they had brought, or if they were considering abandoning them soon. After all, it's one of the essential skills of a businessman, you see. If it's the former, it's a good opportunity to sell high-priced gear, after all, they will want to show off in front of the girls they are interested in. Truth be told, your situation seems to lean more towards the latter, you know? ”

In fact, finding out the truth from Shirley's mouth is a gamble. So far, Katsuragi doesn't really have any evidence to say. But seeing Shiryl's reaction, he at least knew that Shiryl did try to seduce Akira, only to be rejected.

"But, I don't think there's a way around it, you know? I'm sorry to say that, but people like you are just ...... Ah, I'm not laughing at you here. It's more like I'm talking about standards, I think Aki

a The standard is higher. ”

“… What do you mean? ”

Shirley couldn't help but make a confused expression. Normally, Shirriel could hold back, but now it only shows how shocked she was by Katsuragi's words. She also wanted to know Akira's standards. She thought she might be able to get some benefit from it later.

Katsuragi smiled as if he thought her reaction was amused.

"It's just my theory, but there are a lot of beautiful hunters out there. Ah, when I say hunters, I mean like hunters by making money appropriately as hunters, not like hunters who are only in name. Of course, everyone has a different basis for what kind of beauty makes them think that a girl is beautiful. But at least everyone has one thing in common. I'm sure it will be their health. ”

"Healthy ...... Well? ”

"Yes, the complexity of the skin, the shine on the hair, the amount of flesh in the human body. I think most people think that a healthy girl is a beautiful girl. So if you use this angle, then many huntress are beautiful women. After all, an unhealthy girl will have problems with her actions. In order to survive in the wasteland, hunters should keep their bodies in the best condition. Because of this, they stock up on powerful medicines to heal their wounds and restore their fatigue. Therapeutic drugs always heal the wound at the cellular level. As a result, it can also heal damaged skin. Not to mention that exploring the wasteland is a hard job, so it's impossible for them to gain weight. In addition, some medications instantly convert excess fat into energy.

Shirley listened carefully to Katsuragi's words. And at the same time, she cursed what she couldn't do.

"The cellular level of drug therapy can also be considered an anti-aging process. That's why some hunters still remain beautiful in their prime. But well, you can also say that it's due to the fact that they can buy various beauty products with the money they earn. So, if you have to compare yourself to those girls...... Uh, you know...... The huntress Akira knows are all pretty girls. ”

Katsuragi then remembered Elena and Sarah, both of whom were beautiful girls. Not to mention that when Akira fainted, they took Akira home. So he thought those two girls must have a good relationship with Akira. Katsuragi thought that it would not be strange if Akira was used to seeing such beautiful girls, so that his standards for beautiful girls would be raised.

Shiryl's voice trembled a little as she spoke.

"So...... What do you want me to do? Tell me what's the point of all this? ”

Katsuragi saw that there was a hint of dissatisfaction in Shiryl's behavior, and only gave her a meaningful smile.

"What I'm going to tell you after this is for you, so that you can understand this better. I'll give you something good, you wait here for a while. ”

With that, Katsuragi returned to his trailer, and Shirley heard him from outside the trailer.

"Daris!! Do you know where those prototype weapons are stored? ”

"You stuff them back and say they can't be sold, you're going to give them back, aren't you?"

"Ah, you're right!!"

It didn't take long for Katsuragi to return to Shiryl with a large backpack and place the backpack in front of Sheryl.

"Sorry for the long wait, I'll give this to you, it's my souvenir, take it home."

That bag was stuffed with expiry old food, guns that couldn't be sold, and many other things. For Shirley, these are all things of value. Shiryl lowered her head in panic.

"Thank you very, very much."

Katsuragi took out a few things from the bag and showed them to Shirley.

"There was soap, a makeup bag and many other things in this bag. Although it is only a trial product, there are also drugs that are produced specifically for Hunter Douglas and should be better than those that are cheaper. Remember, you should at least be pretty enough for Aki

a Think he's lucky when you're trying to seduce him. Let me tell you first, it's just an investment. I don't know why Akira would help you, but right now, you're the reason he came to me to sell his relics. So you have to work hard so that Akira doesn't abandon you and let him continue to sell artifacts to me. Do you understand? ”

Shiryl still struggles to smile, even though she can't make a perfect smile.

"Yes—yes."

"I look forward to our long-term cooperation."

Katsuragi laughed with a hint of anticipation.

Before heading back to the hostel, Aki

A decided to go to Shizuka's shop to replenish ammunition. As soon as she entered the store, Shizuka immediately noticed him and waved at him. Ming thought it was strange that the people at the counter were so proactive, but even so, he just obediently walked to the counter and continued to order as usual.

"Shizuka-san, I'm here to buy ammunition again, and it cost a lot this time. So I'll buy more than usu-"

Shizuka stopped shaking and hugged him tightly.

When Shizuka hugged him, Akira panicked. He could feel Shizuka's body temperature, and a soft feeling came from ahead. When he tries to break free of Shizuka's embrace, he feels very embarrassed and confused. But Shizuka knew this and hugged her arm tightly.

"I started with Ele

a and sa

a heard everything there. I am well aware that being a hunter is a dangerous job, and I understand that you need to push your limits from time to time. That's why I can't say don't do anything dangerous, or don't push yourself too hard. So at least let me say that, I'm glad you're okay. ”

Shizuka tightened her hug again, then let go of her hand.

Akira smiled in surprise, but his expression immediately changed to satisfaction and he bowed to Shizuka.

"I'm sorry to worry you, but I'm okay now."

Akira's answer was very calm, not something that someone who had been in a coma for a few days would say. Shizuka smiled, relieved in her heart, because this seemed to be more than just a façade, and Akira was really good.

"As long as you're okay, everything is fine. Ammo resupply, right? I'll get it right away, you wait here. ”

While Akira was waiting for Shizuka, Elena suddenly walked into the store. She notices Akira, and she smiles at him and walks over to him.

"Akira, you're awake, aren't you? I never expected to meet you here. Although I've told Sarah that you'll contact me as soon as you wake up—"

Elena stopped after speaking, as she noticed a notification on the message terminal. Then she checked the notification and smiled wryly.

"It just came. That Sarah, she must have forgotten. ”

Akira then bowed to Elena.

"Miss Elena, I'm sorry for the trouble, thank you so much for taking care of me. Also, I'm embarrassed to sleep in bed for a few days. ”

"Don't worry about that. After all, it's enough for us to sleep together. But other than that, Sa

A Ever unconsciously hugged you like a pillow, are you okay? That girl is an augmented human, you know. Although it looks like it, she is actually very strong. She didn't break your bones, did she? ”

Elena smiled playfully, and Crystal could only smile awkwardly.

"I—I'm fine."

[I bet it was just a joke.] ]

Shirley shuffled to her base. She is at her limit in every way.

Because Akira hasn't been to the base in a while, many gang members start to suspect her, and she fears that she will be killed. And when Akira finally arrives at her base, one of the gang members attacks him, which is nothing short of catastrophic. She thought Akira was going to kill her. She then meets a weapons merchant named Katsuragi and is intimidated by his intimidation. Once again, she thought she would be killed. In the end, Ming Ming made it clear in front of her that if she did something stupid, he would kill her with his own hands.

But when Shirley returns to the base, she should act as if everything is fine, and she needs to direct her subordinates as if nothing bad had happened. She should maintain her composure and self-confidence in front of her gang members and other gangs. At least she needs to keep it that way until she doesn't need to fake. But she's now at her limit.

As soon as he arrived at her base, Darius, who was with her, casually placed the heavy burden he was carrying on the ground.

"I'm not going to bring it in, you'll do the rest."

The gifts she received from Katsuragi were full of guns and other useful things, and they were so heavy that it was difficult for Shiryl to carry them herself. What's more, if this gift was snatched away by someone on her way back, it would be meaningless. That's why Katsuragi made a clever move and sent Daris to accompany her.

Shirley politely bowed her head to Daris.

"I understand. Thank you so much for bringing it all the way here. ”

"Well, it looks like you're having a hard time, so let's do your best, okay?"

She

yl to Da

is left a positive impression because he considers her a polite girl, although she grew up in a slum city. In this way, Darys left Shirley with these words before leaving this place.

She

Yl was somehow able to carry that heavy bag into the base. The moment she entered the base, all the kids in her gang were already lined up waiting for her. While this was the right way to welcome the boss, Shirrill was clearly angry. Thinking she would never see a face again, she glared at the man she didn't think was necessary in her gang. It's Elio.

"Here, I thought you were gone, but you're still here, right?"

Elio took a step back in fright as he tried to calm Shirley down.

“Sh-She

YL, I'm really sorry. ”

"Excuse me? If you have the mind to realize that you are wrong, then you should get out of here. ”

"He—he looks like a normal boy. While he did carry a gun, he didn't look like a strong hunter at all. That's why I think he's lying to you, you see......"

"An ordinary boy, huh? Normal...... Right? ”

Frozen Elio doesn't seem to have any excuses, but Shellyl has reached her limits. As a result, Shiryl has now exploded.

"An ordinary child, huh!? So it's normal for you to have a kid who can take down three armed hunters, right? It's normal for children to be able to do this, right?! So that's normal in your mind, right?! If that's normal for you, then you can do that too, right? In that case, you continue to do it too?! Go to the ruins, get some relics, then get ambushed on your way back and successfully make your way out!! You should be able to do it, right? Then do it!! ”

Shirley, who had just exploded, tried to control her breathing. Elio was so frightened that he couldn't move, and the other children could only stay where they were.

Shiryl then turned to the other children and yelled.

"Get that idiot out of here!! Rapidly!! ”

"Please, please wait a minute."

"Get him out of here, right now!! I'm your boss and I told you to kick him out!! You admit I'm the boss, right? If you don't accept me as your boss, then you get out too!! ”

The children around Elio looked at each other, then grabbed Elio's shoulders and arms and dragged him out. Elio just obediently dragged himself out of the base, keeping his head down.

Shirley calmed her breath. She knew that she had lost her composure just now, so to avoid making a mistake, she tried to at least regain her composure and took a deep breath.

Alicia is Elio's close maiden, and then says to Shiryl.

“Sh-She

yl…… About Elio ......"

Shiryl then let out a long sigh, dispelling all the remaining anger in her heart. Thanks to this, she was at least able to dissipate the anger in her heart and return to calm and think. But even so, she looked at Alicia with stern eyes.

“…… I know, I know, but we can't do that now. We can't keep Elio in this gang, you know at least that much, right? At least until there are more people in the gang, if E

io mingles with gang members, or aki

A forgot about the anger at him, Aki

a Not noticed. But until then, we can't get him into the gang. ”

The other children listened to Sheryl's words with a look of surprise, and one of them asked Sheryl.

"Increasing the membership? In this case? ”

"We should at least be able to give Akira some benefits as soon as possible. Otherwise, He will abandon us, and we need to remember that He did not help us with good intentions. If he abandons us, then we are finished. ”

"B. But how do you ......?"

"Thanks to Akira, we have established contact with a weapons merchant named Katsuragi. We were somehow able to get some help from that businessman. We had no choice but to take advantage of that connection and try a lot of different things. ”

Shiryl then opened the bag she was carrying. The children couldn't help but cheer when they saw the food, guns and other things in their bags.

"At the moment, thanks to Katsuragi and Akira, we get a lot of things. So we should come up with a plan before we distribute it—"

Shiryl shouted as she grabbed a couple of kids trying to reach into her bag.

"If you take anything without my permission, then I'll kill you."

The children then stopped touching the bag and slowly withdrew their arms.

Shirley glanced at everyone present and let out a long sigh at the thought of how hard her path to growing her gang was.

That day, Elena, as usual, was only wrapped in a bath towel after taking a shower while operating the information terminal fixed to her head. Seeing this, Sarah sighed and said.

（p4553

：Ele

a's message terminal was on her head, not on her arm. ）

"Elena. Just because Akira has gone home, are you going to relax like this in the house again? ”

While Akira was at their house, Elena knew it would be terrible if she kept going like this. Although Ming is just a little boy and falls asleep, he is still a boy. So she always dresses up where Akira sleeps, so that it would be nice if Akira woke up at any time. But now that Akira has returned home, she is starting to return to her old habits.

Ele

A ignored the issue, and then she even criticized SA

A, she only wore a t-shirt over her panties.

"It's okay, isn't it? Besides, I don't want you to preach about me when you look like yourself. Is that what you Akira wore when she woke up? ”

"Yes."

"Sarah, what the hell are you thinking? You should at least be more careful. ”

"It's okay, Akira's reaction is funny."

"I didn't mean that, oh my God......"

Sarah looked at Elena, who had given up on herself, and just smiled faintly and said to Elena.

"Well, are you alright? It's just a small service for those we owe our lives. ”

Elena was startled when she heard this, and immediately turned to Sarah. Sarah's face turned serious.

"Did you know that it was Akira who saved us in the wasteland?"

“… I get it. ”

Elena's reaction was much lighter than Sarah expected, much to Sarah's surprise.

"You don't seem that surprised, do you?"

"I somehow wish you both. Aren't you the same? However, it seemed that I wanted to keep it secret, so I decided not to ask him. I don't think Aki

A will say it himself, so I bet you asked him first, right? You okay? ”

Sarah smiled wryly, looking a little sorry.

"Everything went well. He even apologized for keeping it secret. Although it was I who pressured him to give an answer. ”

"Well, well, wait, that's not good. You did say you were sorry for putting pressure on him, right? ”

"I did say I'm sorry, you know?"

"Then all is well. Now that we know that he saved us, we owe him his life, so don't give him too much trouble, okay? ”

"I know."

After saying that, Sarah looked at Elena with a serious face.

"So Elena, I have a request. I'm sure you have a lot of questions to ask him. But please don't ask him anything, and don't tell anyone about him. After all, I do ask Aki

a Committed to this. So please, I beg you. I know you may not be entirely convinced, but please don't ask anything and assure me the same. ”

Sa

A is desperate because she does ask Aki

a This is guaranteed. So she is now determined to get the promise of her best friend.

In stark contrast to Sarah, who had a serious face there. Elena just nodded nonchalantly.

"I understand. I give you my promise. I don't ask anything unnecessary and I don't tell anyone. So you don't have to worry. ”

“…… Do you agree? ”

Sarah was surprised to see that Elena had so easily agreed to her promise. But Elena just said with a smile.

"I told you, right? I expected this, which is why I was at least able to guess why he was hiding it and what he didn't want us to ask him. I bet you asked Shizuka too, right? So don't worry, I'll be silent. Like I said before, I don't want to cause too much trouble for those of us who owe our lives. ”

Sara was taken aback, then smiled wryly.

「…… You already know everything, right? Is it that easy for me to read? ”

"After all, you suddenly asked me someone who could connect to the old domain. Sarah, when you want to hide something, be careful when you ask questions, you know? Because the person you ask will at least think about why you're asking the question. ”

Sarah realized her mistake and felt a little disappointed, but she decided to change her mood anyway and smiled.

「…… As I thought, it was right to leave the negotiation to you."

"Yes, leave it to me. The next time I see Akira, I'll have to say thank you. ”

With that, Elena smiled smugly.

"Sarah, now that we know the true identity of our savior, what do you think when you find out that he is not a rich kid?"

Sara looked a little angry and embarrassed.

"Please keep me away from teasing."

Although Sarah was a little confused by Elena's words, she remembered her own embarrassing imagination of the savior. She couldn't help but blush, which was rare for Sarah.

Seeing that her best friend was at a loss at first, and finally made up her own mind, Elena just smiled funny.