"You're starting to show a bit of my style." Nicole praised with a grin. "But compared to me, the great Nicole, you're still too green. The Hollow Investigative Association's internal supplies are extremely precious. They're not something you can just buy with Denny. Keeping them for your own use is the best choice."

"I understand, I'll be careful."

Sol Mercer said thoughtfully.

Extremely precious meant they could be sold for even more Denny, which meant more pulls.

Compared to W-Engines and Drive Discs, he still thought that gacha pulls had a better cost-performance ratio.

This was the gambler's joy.

All, or nothing.

"That's more like it." Nicole saw Sol seriously considering her words and immediately nodded in satisfaction. "Loving Denny is fine, but you also need to know that some things are more important than Denny."

Denny was important, but what was more important than Denny was life.

A weapon that could protect your life was naturally worth more than a pile of numbers.

"You're right." Sol nodded in deep agreement.

Denny was important, but not that important. If Denny couldn't be used for gacha pulls, he wouldn't crave it so much.

Still, being lectured by money-loving Nicole not to love Denny too much—now that felt a bit off.

Thinking of this, Sol suddenly pointed to the ground. "Look, someone dropped a Denny there!"

"Eh? Where?!"

Nicole immediately lunged forward.

Her eyes scanned back and forth, even checking the cracks between rocks, but she couldn't find a single trace of Denny.

When she turned back, she saw Sol crossing his arms, grinning like a wild man.

There was nothing more to say—she'd been tricked again!

"Sol, you tricked your boss again!" Nicole lunged at Sol's side and jabbed him hard with her elbows.

Sol wasn't one to back down—he jabbed back just as hard.

Couldn't deny it, soft, springy, smooth... felt pretty good.

"Ah! You dare take advantage of me?!"

Nicole gritted her teeth, her chest about to explode with rage.

How had she ended up with this guy, who did nothing all day but tease his boss?

"You're the one who took advantage of me first." Sol said righteously. "And besides, there really is a Denny there—only smart people can see it."

"Oh, so now you're trying to trick me again and calling me stupid?!" Nicole got even angrier. "You go there and pick up that Denny for me! If you can't, I'll dock a month of your salary!"

"Then you'd better watch carefully."

Sol smiled faintly and walked to the spot he had pointed out earlier.

Then, right in front of Nicole, he rolled up his sleeves to his elbows, showing both his palms and the backs of his hands.

This was to prove he wasn't hiding anything, so Nicole couldn't accuse him later.

"Hmph! Go on then, pick it up!"

Nicole watched carefully—sure enough, there was nothing there.

Sol bent down, pinched his index and middle fingers together, and—clink—a silver Denny note worth ten thousand was lifted from the ground.

Tartaglia's wallet: -10,000.

Sol's wallet: +10,000.

"There really was one?"

Nicole's eyes lit up at the sight of the shining Denny.

But how had she missed such a treasure just a moment ago?

Forgetting her anger, she rushed over to Sol, reaching for the Denny. "Sol, let me see!"

"Nope, I picked it up." Sol stuffed the Denny into his pocket, speaking with mock solemnity. "This is a Denny only smart people can see—it's the reward for being smart."

Nicole thought back. Sol had made no extra moves, just bent down and picked up a Denny from an empty spot.

She could only assume it was her problem, and she instantly felt defeated. "Didn't think there really were Denny only smart people could see."

"Of course. There's a saying—Denny always runs into the pockets of the smart." Sol said, struggling to hold back his laughter.

She believed it. She really believed it!

This poor child was only pretending to be shrewd. If she ran into a real trickster, she'd probably get tricked into giving away her own kids.

Lucky for her, she'd met him. The task of tricking this kid fell to him.

"Denny always runs into the pockets of the smart." Nicole repeated Sol's words and nodded earnestly. "That's so true."

She didn't even have time to cry over her IQ. Instead, she started wondering just how many Denny she'd missed in her life that only smart people could see.

Looking around, the once ordinary ground now seemed littered with Denny notes.

"Sol, Sol, hurry and check if there are more Denny only smart people can see!"

Nicole shook Sol's hand eagerly.

Just thinking of unseen Denny lying around that she couldn't spot made her feel like she'd lost billions.

"Not right now." Sol was barely holding in his laughter. "But, at my place, I do have a set of expensive clothes that only smart people can see. They're really, really nice—and wearing them even makes you smarter."

"Come try them on in my room tonight. If they fit, they're yours."

Clothes only smart people could see, paired with Nicole's black silk legs—now that was exciting just to imagine.

"You think I'm stupid?" Nicole caught on and snapped. "Going to your room to change clothes? Obviously, you just want to take advantage of me."

"You bring those clothes and the black silk stockings you're gifting me tonight to my room. I'll try them on myself!"

She lifted her head proudly as she spoke.

See? She was smart!

Trying to trick her into going to Sol's room? No way.

"Hahahaha!" Sol really couldn't hold it in anymore, laughing so hard he nearly lost his breath. "Nicole, I'll definitely bring them tonight—and I can even be the judge!"

He thought she'd caught on that he was teasing her. Turns out she only saw the surface.

What could he say? Nicole was a little smart, but not much. This "smart" person looked adorably foolish.

But come to think of it, this world didn't seem to have Andersen's fairy tales or Grimm's fairy tales.

Otherwise, with how often Nicole went to the orphanage, there's no way she wouldn't know this story.

Nicole wore a triumphant expression. "Your little scheme got exposed, and now you're pretending to laugh it off. I understand everything!"

"Ahem. Sure, let's say that's it."

Sol still wanted to laugh.

But he held it in—laughing any further would just be rude.

Sol thought for a moment, then changed the subject. "Now that this Hollow-clearing mission is complete, we don't need to check in every day anymore. Let's relax for a few days and wait for the Association's results."

"With the Investigative Association's efficiency, we'll probably get word tomorrow." Nicole nodded.

Then she remembered Sol picking up that ten-thousand Denny, and hooked her arm around his neck. "Sol, you just picked up ten thousand Denny. We all saw it—no hogging it for yourself!"

"Alright, alright, no hogging. I'll treat you to ramen."

Sol agreed cheerfully.

He'd already turned Nicole into a fool—denying her noodles too would just be too much.

Still, would kids born from such a ditzy Nicole be… not too bright?

No, no. He was smart enough to make up for it.

The real concern was… wasn't it illegal to hook up with someone that dense?

No, wait—this is Zenless Zone Zero. Don't think too hard about it!

"Great, another profit!"

Nicole beamed with joy.

Free ramen, and tonight she'd be getting a lucky dress for picking up money? Not bad!

…That night…

Sol sent Billy outside to feed the cats, leaving only Nicole, Anby, and himself in the Cunning Hares' base.

"Here you go, Boss Nicole!" Sol solemnly handed over ten pairs of black silk stockings, along with the invisible clothes. "That dress is right here on top. Once you wear it, you'll see Denny no one else can see."

"Mm! I'll try it!"

Nicole carefully accepted the bundle, then went back into her room.

Anby looked puzzled. "Sol, what dress are you two talking about? I didn't see anything."

Was it her eyes playing tricks?

All she'd seen Sol hand over was a stack of stockings.

And come to think of it, Sol buying stockings for Nicole while she hadn't even noticed… a bit careless of her, really.

"That's a dress only fools would believe in, Anby. Of course you can't see it."

Sol explained after a pause.

"Oh."

Anby nodded thoughtfully.

Meanwhile, Nicole had already slipped on a new pair of black silk stockings in her room and was now pretending to put on the invisible clothes.

"This feels so weird." Nicole stared into the mirror.

She was completely bare except for the stockings.

Her cheeks flushed, but she still didn't feel any smarter. "Did I put it on wrong? Should I call Sol in to check?"

Thinking about it, her assassin instincts kicked in, and she immediately vetoed the reckless idea.

If she really hadn't put it on, Sol would definitely take advantage.

Better to call Anby—it was safer. Surely Anby, being smart, could help.

"Anby, come check out my new outfit!" Nicole shouted toward the door.

"What a pity."

Sol sighed as he watched Anby go into Nicole's room.

Nicole wasn't quite that foolish, it seemed. There went his chance at a big "bonus."

Still, there would be fun ahead.

Inside, Anby stepped into Nicole's room—and saw her wearing nothing but black silk stockings.

"Nicole, I'm sorry, I didn't know you had this kind of preference." Anby's shock mixed with hesitation. "If you really must, please give me some time to accept it…"

She liked Nicole a lot, but not like this.

This was a bit too much, too fast.

"What are you even saying?!" Nicole snapped, displeased. "I'm trying on the clothes Sol said only smart people can see. If you can't see them, it just means you're not smart."

Anby sighed in relief. "Oh, so that's it."

But wait—clothes only smart people could see?

Just now, Sol had told her that it was clothes only fools would believe in.

Nicole, however, kept staring at herself in the mirror, groping around as if trying to feel the invisible clothes.

Clearly, Sol had fooled her again.

Anby hesitated, then spoke. "Nicole, Sol told me earlier that it was just a dress only fools would believe in. It probably doesn't exist."

"Huh?"

Nicole froze mid-motion.

Clothes only smart people could see.

Clothes only fools would believe in.

She couldn't see the clothes, and she had deeply believed in them.

Didn't that mean she met both conditions?

That she was a fool?

Which meant… Sol had tricked her again?!

Nicole asked hesitantly, "But I clearly saw him pick up a Denny earlier that I couldn't see. He said it was only visible to smart people—how do you explain that?"

She'd seen it with her own eyes. Sol bent down, with sleeves rolled up, palms shown, nothing hidden—yet he picked up a Denny.

Anby answered seriously. "That might've been real. I often see people conjure money out of nowhere."

Thinking of it, her expression dimmed. "So, if I can't see clothes only smart people can see, it just means I'm not smart."

"…"

Nicole's brain finally kicked in.

Anby must've been talking about movies.

And everyone knew movies were fictional.

So, Sol's "invisible Denny" must've just been a sleight of hand.

She'd been duped—from morning all the way to night—believing it like a fool.

She remembered Sol's booming laughter, his pitying gaze at dinner.

Ahhh!

Did Sol really think he was caring for the mentally challenged?!

"Sol!"

Nicole shouted his name furiously.

She rushed to throw on her clothes and stormed out to give him a lesson.

But when she burst into the hall, she saw Sol by the door, waving at her.

Sol's eyes glimmered with amusement as he looked at her disheveled figure, spring light spilling everywhere. "Nicole, good night."

He'd only meant to watch for fun—but ended up catching some unexpected eye candy. Profit.

With that, he shut the base's door and went back to his room.

"Sol! Sol!"

Nicole was fuming, about to explode.

Good night, good night!

After that stunt, how was she supposed to sleep at all?!

But then, their landlord next door shouted impatiently, "Quit yelling in the middle of the night! Do you want to pay the rent or not?!"

Owing months of rent and still making a racket—was she asking to die?

"Mm!"

Nicole quickly covered her mouth, not daring to make another sound.

Once the landlord went quiet again, she glared daggers at Sol's door and muttered under her breath, "Don't sleep too soundly tonight!"

Then, fuming, she stormed back to her room to plot with Anby.

This time, she would get her revenge. She'd make Sol taste her wrath!

The next morning, Nicole—shockingly—got up early.

She kicked Anby out of the kitchen and started making breakfast herself.

Toast, lettuce, bacon, eggs, salad dressing.

With a few swift moves, three sandwiches were ready.

One of them, however, was "special": double eggs, double bacon, and extra salad dressing—into which she mixed an equal amount of mustard.

Yes, this was her revenge.

She'd spent all night thinking and couldn't find a better plan—so she settled for a simple, down-to-earth prank.

Soon, all the Cunning Hares were at the table.

Nicole and Anby ate their sandwiches as usual—no different from every other day.

Billy, meanwhile, sipped at a battery while curiously eyeing Sol's exclusive "deluxe sandwich."

Weird. Normally they all got the same setup. Why was Sol's portion so deluxe today?