Morning.

Sol Mercer came to the dining table looking a bit dejected.

Today's gacha draw yielded nothing useful—just a white card that revealed a full set of limited-edition shiny Yu-Gi-Oh cards.

Although back in his hometown a single Blue-Eyes White Dragon could sell for thousands of dollars, in this world, this card set could only serve as his own amusement.

"Sol, don't look so down!" Nicole greeted him warmly, pulling out a chair. "Come on, eat, eat. I specially made you a deluxe sandwich—with two eggs!"

"Hm?"

Sol cast Nicole a suspicious glance.

This woman had warned him last night not to sleep too soundly, and now she was personally making him a deluxe sandwich? Clearly, something was off.

"Sol, what's with that expression!" Nicole put on a fake smile. "I know you teased me before because I wasn't being a good leader and didn't take care of you. So, here—breakfast, made with my own hands, as proper compensation."

"It's very delicious, hurry up and eat it! Don't waste your leader's goodwill."

Nicole pushed the plate in front of Sol, watching him expectantly.

"Nicole, you do know wasabi has a very strong taste, right?"

Sol picked up the sandwich, sighing helplessly.

The pungent smell was so strong he didn't even need to bring it to his mouth to know what was inside.

"Ah?"

Nicole's smile froze.

Damn it!

If she'd known, she wouldn't have gone easy—she should have used that super-hot devil pepper at one million Scoville units!

Now, her carefully planned scheme had failed, and Sol would be on guard from now on. No chance of tricking him again.

Nicole muttered in half-despair, half-frustration: "This is my food, you'd better eat it, eat it, eat it!"

"Oh, then I'll eat it."

Sol nodded and calmly took a bite of the wasabi sandwich. The burning sensation hit him instantly.

Nicole's eyes widened in shock. "You knew there was wasabi in there, and you still ate it?!"

"Of course." Sol forced a smile through the sting assaulting his eyes, mouth, and nose. "This is the first time you've cooked for me, Nicole. Of course, I can't reject it."

Lesson learned. Nicole had just reminded him.

If even Nicole could throw little tantrums like this, then surely other girls would have their own quirks too.

And if they ever discovered he was cheating—one mistress, two, three, four… then he'd be doomed to follow the tragic path of Makoto Itou and the kitchen knife.

So, eating this wasabi sandwich was his own reminder.

Like a knight not dying barehanded—

I, Sol Mercer—will never die to a kitchen knife!

"This…"

Nicole had no idea what Sol was thinking. She felt a mix of anger and a strange twinge of being moved.

This guy—knowing it was a trap, he still ate it because she made it.

But if he hadn't teased her yesterday, she wouldn't have done something like this in the first place.

"Don't make me angry again. Or I'll make you eat wasabi sandwiches again." Seeing Sol obediently accept his punishment, most of Nicole's anger dissipated.

"Mm. I'll still dare next time."

Sol wolfed down the wasabi sandwich in a few bites, smiling.

Teasing Nicole was just too fun to give up.

But for now, maybe it was time to tease someone else for a while.

"Then you just wait! Next time you make me angry, I'll feed you wasabi again!"

Nicole glared at the unrepentant Sol.

"Deal. After the punishment, no more staying mad."

Sol said it seriously.

If this was the price for making Nicole angry, he'd gladly pay it.

Compared to being hacked with a kitchen knife after cheating, eating wasabi sandwiches was a light sentence.

"I'll increase the dosage next time."

Nicole had no idea what Sol was really thinking—she only assumed she hadn't put in enough wasabi.

But no problem. Next time he made her angry, she'd dump in a whole bottle.

…After breakfast…

The doorbell at the Cunning Hares rang.

Opening the door revealed Bertha and Lyla, the two sisters.

"Good morning, Mr. Mercer, everyone at the Cunning Hares!"

"It's only been a few days, and Mr. Mercer looks even more radiant than before!"

Bertha carried a stack of documents, smiling brightly alongside Lyla.

It had only been three days, but Sol seemed even more handsome.

The aura of an ACE Investigator shone from him, and the 70% property rights of a Hollow only enhanced his presence.

Not to mention his witty charm in chat—truly, an irresistible little devil.

Especially today, he looked even more energized than usual.

Both sisters licked their lips discreetly at the thought.

"Really? Maybe I just ate too much wasabi."

Sol touched his face with a self-deprecating chuckle.

No denying it—wasabi really hits different. He'd probably stay wide awake all day.

"So, Mr. Mercer likes wasabi… next time I'll bring you some." Lyla found him even more attractive now.

A wasabi-loving ACE Investigator—surely a man of iron will.

"You two aren't at the HIA Club—what are you doing here?" Nicole frowned, displeased by their words and actions.

Only she had the right to feed Sol wasabi. Where did these two come from?

"After confirmation by the Hollow Investigative Association, the Companion Hollow in Fourteenth Street Cretan Hollow has shrunk to 30% of its original size. We're here to deliver the property certificate to Mr. Sol."

Bertha smiled, handing him the papers.

"Oh, that was fast."

Sol accepted the documents, not really surprised.

After all, Bertha had already mentioned it to him in chat yesterday.

Flipping them open, the certificate clearly marked that 70% stake of ownership of Fourteenth Street's Cretan Companion Hollow now belonged to him.

More interestingly, the document bore not only the seal of the Association but also joint seals from the Public Security Bureau, Special Operations Section, the Defense Force, and most prominently, the New Eridu City Government itself.

This was clearly a document backed by multiple authorities—legally solid.

"Thank you for the compliment." Lyla beamed. "Also, your Association clearance has been upgraded to ACE Investigator. One hundred thousand merit points have already been credited to your account, ready for use. In addition, your 10 billion Dennies salary will be issued on the 15th of next month."

Bertha added kindly, "Mr. Mercer, the Association would like to host a celebration ceremony in your honor. What do you think?"

"No thanks. I don't like celebrating with strangers." Sol shook his head.

He quite enjoyed showing off in front of friends—seeing their astonished faces was always fun.

But showing off to strangers… that was just a bit awkward.

"Understood. The Association will respect your wishes." Bertha winked at him. "If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call us—whether work or life, we'd be happy to serve."

With that, the sisters bowed and departed.

Inside, the rest of the Cunning Hares were stunned.

"Boss Sol, you're already an ACE Investigator?" Billy Kid asked in disbelief. "It's only been, what, a couple of weeks!"

Sure, they knew this day would come—but seeing it with their own eyes was still shocking.

ACE Investigator!

Compared to the man who had left him the twin pistols, Sol was no less remarkable.

"Piece of cake." Sol snapped his fingers. "Easy win!"

Anby tilted her head thoughtfully. "Ten billion Dennies… that's a lot of burgers."

Nicole, however, felt something off.

Her employee was now far wealthier than her, the boss.

Suddenly, she regretted feeding Sol that wasabi.

Forget it. As long as he didn't go too far, she'd just let him be.

But come to think of it—if he got fired now… who would be firing who?