“No, I have to go ask for clarification.”
Lucia stood up, ready to go next door to confront them, but Clara hurriedly stepped forward to stop her.
“Calm down, Lucia! Your brother isn’t the only person in the world named Squill. I remember your brother was on a business trip before, wasn’t he? He didn’t lose his job, so it definitely can’t be the same person!”
But this explanation clearly couldn’t reassure Lucia, who frowned and began to speculate.
“Or… maybe my brother used a business trip as an excuse to lie to me so I wouldn’t worry? He never mentioned going on a business trip before… Could he actually be busy looking for a job?!”
Lucia fell into suspicion.
Just then, the voices of the mutants next door started up again.
“Even though he’s not very strong, Senior’s ‘tentacles’ are quite handy. The squid factor can also enhance parallel thinking, so Senior can plan escape routes while fighting.”
Ji Ge said this, and another mutant chimed in.
“Yeah, yeah, thanks to Senior, our group’s survival rate is so high.”
Lucia looked seriously at Clara and asked in a low voice:
“Senior, they just… definitely said ‘squid factor,’ right?”
The sweat on Clara’s face could now be described as “pouring.”
She wanted to find some excuse, but couldn’t utter a single word. She just pressed her forehead against Lucia’s chest, trying to stop her from going to confront them in the neighboring tavern’s private room.
Ji Ge’s voice came through again.
“Hey, why not just give him a call? Ask if he can come out for a drink. Even if he’s left his job, he can still come hang out~”
“You call him.”
“Actually, there are plenty of ways to survive without working for the Evil Organization. Even if he goes to another organization, it’d probably be a desk job.”
“Or he could go back to school and start his life over again. That wouldn’t be a bad thing for Senior either… I remember Senior said he wanted to be a Hero before, didn’t he?”
Another mutant who spoke slowly and methodically was probably Lightning.
Another mutant also said, “I think, with that appearance…”
“But, Senior has already turned into that… even if…”
Although the mutants didn’t explicitly say it, everyone in both private rooms understood what “that appearance” and “that state” meant…
Except for Lucia, the sister.
What had her big brother turned into?
She was utterly confused. The last time she saw him, he seemed perfectly normal.
At this point, she had to rely on outside help.
Clara shot Fran and Mossima a meaningful look. She knew they were the masterminds behind the “imposter incident.”
Given this critical emergency, she needed them to help out one more time.
Mossima was always understanding.
“It’s getting late.”
She understood Clara’s meaning and stood up, saying:
“We have work tomorrow too… we’ll take our leave first.”
“You’re leaving already?”
Lucia glanced at the time.
“It’s only six-thirty?”
Fran also chimed in to help: “Miss Mossima is, after all, a ‘fungus.’ Her circadian rhythm and physiology are completely different from ours.”
“She came to drink and eat with us just to celebrate for Clara. Since we’ve already celebrated, there’s no need to force her to stay… Hmm, I’ll go see her off too.”
Before Lucia could say anything to persuade them to stay, Fran pushed Mossima out of the private room and slid the door shut behind them.
Just then, the number belonging to Squill was dialed again. Before the ringtone could even sound, Nyx intercepted it and answered in “Squill’s” voice.
It was a call from Ji Ge in the next room. This time, not even the ringtone was heard. The next room fell silent except for the sound of Ji Ge making the call.
“Oh, it’s connected~”
Lucia even pressed her ear against the wall, afraid she might miss a single word.
“Senior Squill, it’s Ah Ji! Long time no see, I miss you so much… Ah, that, how have you been lately?”
“Oh, you’ve already found a job? Wait, why does your voice sound normal again?”
“So your body has already recovered? That’s a bit of a pity… Ahem, I mean congratulations.”
“It’s like this, the nine of us are at a tavern near XX Station. Yeah, we just started. You see… Huh? You just happen to be nearby?”
“Okay, okay, we’ll drink slowly and wait for you.”
Judging by the content of the conversation, Nyx must have handled it.
Clara couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, but she wasn’t completely relaxed yet. Next…
It would be up to Fran and Mossima’s performance.
The stand-in makes an appearance.
The women’s restroom in the shopping mall across from the tavern.
Mossima and Fran were here, preparing to impersonate Squill.
Fran placed her backpack on the sink, looking quite pleased with herself.
“Good thing I had the foresight to bring this thing with me, just in case we ran into a situation where Lucia might get suspicious~”
She pulled out a vest from her bag that didn’t look very soft.
The vest had a high collar that completely covered the throat and neck area. Worn, it looked more like a high-neck knitted sweater, but between the fabric were various electronic components.
Fran helped Mossima put on the vest, but the latter only said:
“We have to trouble you again, Minister Mossima~”
“If we can help Miss Clara, we’re willing anytime.”
As she adjusted the vest, Fran couldn’t help but ask:
“I’ve been meaning to ask, is Clara someone special to you? You’ve always been particularly concerned about her… You’re not really interested in her, are you?”
Although it was Fran who suggested Mossima take on a female form to get closer to Clara, she didn’t quite understand why Mossima was so taken with Clara.
While this terrifying-looking Minister was friendly to everyone, anyone could see she paid extra attention to Clara.
“That time in the Prison Department wasn’t the first time we met her.”
Mossima answered while putting on the vest:
“It’s just that Clara… Squill doesn’t remember us. If it weren’t for that incident, we probably would never have crossed paths.”
“Huh? Why? Because you’ve changed too much from the past?”
Mossima wasn’t a human transformed into a mutant. She was the result of special evolution from fungi in nature, discovered by Naitemel in the wilds of Earth, and eventually brought back and modified into her current form.
As a former researcher of the Reconstruction Department, Fran was quite curious about Mossima’s body.
Was this gentleness and humility she displayed the result of brainwashing and modification?
Or was it her true nature?
What was her (his, its) past connection with Clara?
What kind of story was hidden behind this?
Fran Livka’s gossip spirit was burning fiercely…
“Dr. Fran, Nyx has already made contact with the mutants in the next room.”
However, “Squill’s” voice poured cold water on this enthusiasm.
“There’s no time to waste. Please begin your operation as soon as possible.”
The voice coming from the vest sounded as if it were coming from Mossima’s own throat.
That’s right…
Clara’s imposter stand-in was actually a double act performed by Nyx and Mossima.