"We don't really need to try it, do we?" Wise declined with a smile. "After all, this is your commission item. It wouldn't be right for us to use it."

"Eh, what's there to worry about?" Nicole waved it off casually. "None of the four of us could get it to recognize us. Keeping it is useless. You guys might as well give it a shot."

She had been excited about it at first—only to be snubbed by the thing.

Their elite four-person Cunning Hares team, and it hadn't accepted a single one of them.

Hmph! Talk about poor taste.

"Nicole's right," Sol added with a grin. "Besides, you two are close collaborators with the Cunning Hares. That basically makes us family. And we don't stand on ceremony with family."

"Since when is everyone your family?" Belle looked at him, speechless.

Just now he'd said he was family with the Hares, and now they were family too?

At this rate, Sol's family tree was growing faster than weeds.

"As they say: under heaven, all are united in great love and harmony. Everyone I approve of is family."

Sol smiled easily.

Treat him well, you're family. Cross him—and there's a VIP seat for you in the deepest pit.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Belle mumbled, already walking over to the computer. "But fine. Since you said so, I'll give it a shot. Let's see what this thing thinks of me."

She didn't expect to pass—four people in a row had already failed.

If it weren't for that hacker's insistence, and the data drive's actual access to multiple databases, she would've thought this thing was just a prank.

What really drove her curiosity now was what kind of rating it would give her.

[Verification initiated. Scanning Inter-Knot database.]

[Verification complete. Legendary Proxy Phaethon. Verification successful!]

[Terms of Use: Access is non-transferable. You may not lend or assign this access in any form...]

[Note: To preserve shared interest between user and system, full authorization may be exercised if necessary.]

[Accept or Decline.]

"Eh!? I passed the verification?!"

Belle stared at the screen in shock.

She had only tried it on a whim—and just like that, it let her in? It felt almost fake.

"This thing really does look down on people." Nicole pouted. "So, we Cunning Hares aren't worthy now, but you give it a little star power, and suddenly it's all Yes, Master? What a snob."

"So, what now? Should I accept the agreement?" Belle looked toward Nicole and Sol.

"Of course, accept it! Otherwise, what's the point of even opening the thing?"

Nicole was still salty about the discrimination.

"Mm." Belle nodded and looked at the screen. "I accept the terms above."

[Authorization complete. Delighted to serve.]

A silver ring-shaped eye appeared on the screen. A mechanical female voice spoke through the speakers.

[I am a Type-III General AI equipped with Sequential Integration. Development codename: Fairy.]

[Greetings, Master.]

But her voice stuttered—like a video tape skipping.

"Uh, hello, Fairy." Belle frowned. "Is your voice glitching because of a broken module?"

[Negative. My development code is highly advanced and complete. Current vocal stuttering is due to insufficient processing power of the present hardware.]

"Oh..."

Belle realized the issue.

The computer running Fairy was just a lightweight system separated from the HDD infrastructure—too weak to handle high-grade AI.

She quickly hooked the system back into an HDD server, and Fairy's voice instantly smoothed out.

There goes the electric bill, Sol muttered inwardly.

"So, it was you who gave us those rude evaluations earlier?" Nicole glared at the silver ring-shaped eye. "You better be useful—or I'll let a real hacker reprogram the life out of you!"

She did know a top-tier hacker like Rain. If this AI turned out to be garbage, she wouldn't hesitate to unleash hell.

Electronic trash, digital virus—she'd make Fairy beg for mercy.

[Negative. All prior evaluations were based on publicly available data across the Inter-Knot and were entirely objective.]

[Affirmative. I am extremely useful. I possess unrestricted access to over 80% of New Eridu's infrastructure. With my assistance, accumulating Hollow data will no longer be necessary. Real-time evacuation mapping from within Hollows becomes viable.]

"So, you're saying… with you, we really can freely enter and exit Hollows?"

Nicole's eyes lit up—her previous resentment vanished like a breeze.

"Sounds... kind of impossible."

Belle frowned.

As part of the legendary Proxy Phaethon, she knew how difficult such a feat truly was.

[Negative. This is my core function. If the Master remains doubtful, I can perform a demonstration Hollow expedition.]

"Let's trust it for now, Belle."

Sol already knew what Fairy was capable of, so his confidence was unwavering.

Belle nodded. "Alright. We'll trust it for now. We can test it later and see."

Wise stroked his chin, visibly pleased. "If this thing really is as powerful as it claims, we might just be able to get our Proxy career back on track."

Belle looked at Nicole, a little guilty. "Still… this AI was technically your commission's target. It doesn't feel right for us to keep it."

"It's no big deal, Belle." Nicole smiled generously. "We're all friends. And besides, if it weren't for me, you guys wouldn't have lost your Phaethon account in the first place."

"But…"

Belle still felt uneasy.

Sure, Nicole had given them the USB, but the account loss wasn't her fault.

Sol had warned them. If anything, their failure was on their own tech shortcomings.

"Quit stalling. That AI isn't free, you know."

Sol cleared his throat and spoke seriously. "From now on, you two are our closest allies. If we ever need help, you better not say no."

"Right now, we're all in this together. Whatever comes, you can count on us."

Wise agreed without hesitation.

Whether for friendship or benefit, teaming up with Sol and the Cunning Hares was clearly the best path forward.

If only Sol would stay a little farther from Belle, it would've been a perfect brotherly alliance.

Belle added, "From now on, all your commissions are 70% off. Just enough to cover our basic costs."

"Can't they be free?"

Nicole asked, shameless as ever.

"Sorry, Nicole, but we do need to eat."

Belle gave an apologetic smile.

It was only because of Nicole that she offered the discount at all.

If everything were free, she could look forward to a life of unpaid overwork that would make slavery look cozy.

Nicole laughed awkwardly. "Haha, just kidding."

"Alright, since that's settled, let's head home and get some rest."

Sol checked the time—it was already 7 p.m.

Aside from Fairy calling him a womanizing brute, today had been a solid win.

The Cunning Hares had gained the Legendary Proxy as allies. Belle and Wise got a super-powerful AI. And he'd gotten some laughs out of the whole thing.

Everyone won. Happy endings all around.

"It's getting late. See you next time!"

Nicole waved goodbye to the siblings, not forgetting to pick up the empty safe on her way out.

"Goodbye, everyone."

Wise and Belle watched them leave, then closed the video store's front door.

"A lot happened today," Belle sighed. "We lost the Phaethon account… but gained this incredible AI. Not sure if that's a win or a loss."

"Don't lose hope, little sister," Wise reassured her. "If Fairy really is as capable as it says, our ongoing investigation might finally make real progress."

"Let's hope so."

Belle yawned and headed back to her room.

…

Meanwhile, inside the Cunning Hares' old jalopy.

Sol noticed Nicole still clutching the safe. "Nicole… why are you still carrying that thing?"

"Heheh, I'm going to turn it in for the mission!"

Nicole grinned proudly.

"But Boss Nicole, we already took everything out of it."

Billy, who was driving, looked confused.

"Ahem! The commission asked for the safe, not what was inside it!" Nicole's fox eyes narrowed mischievously. "I'm going to hand in the safe—and ask for ten times the reward!"

"That shady intel middleman? I'm gonna squeeze every denny I can out of him!"

The more she thought about how sketchy the whole commission had been, the more fired up she got.

If Sol hadn't stepped in, who knows how badly things might've turned out?

There was no way she'd let that slide.

"If I don't fleece that guy dry, I'm not Nicole!"

"You're the real deal—sharp and ruthless."

Sol gave her a thumbs-up.

"Of course! Without a cunning, calculating boss like me, the Cunning Hares would've gone belly-up long ago!" Nicole lifted her chin proudly.

Suddenly, Billy spoke up. "Wait—Boss Nicole, there are two people outside our house!"

Sol looked out the window.

A long-haired girl in a feathered haori sat quietly on the bench by their door.

Next to her, a white-haired, blue-skinned little loli with horns lay slumped like a puddle.

"Hoshimi Miyabi and Soukaku?"

Sol immediately recognized them, frowning slightly.

What are they doing here? Did word get out about Nicole's little betrayal scheme?