Mossima, disguised as Squill through mimicry, was wandering around the mall across from the tavern.
He needed to let Fran go back and sit for a while first, creating a time gap before he returned to avoid arousing Lucia’s suspicion.
Passersby occasionally glanced his way, but honestly, Squill’s appearance was more “approachable” than his own.
The somewhat goofy big squid head wasn’t exactly handsome, but it didn’t seem to carry a terrifying sense of oppression either. Instead, it radiated a strong aura of being a low-level grunt.
In contrast, Mossima’s original appearance was ready for a horror movie. He wouldn’t even need special effects makeup; he could scare the director away.
“Minister Mossima.”
His throat automatically produced the sound.
It sounded like he was on a phone call, or perhaps talking to himself.
“You can come in now.”
Receiving Nyx’s notification, Mossima finally headed toward the small tavern.
Located on the edge of Central City, the residents here were relatively well-off, so his presence wasn’t particularly out of place.
Consequently, he could see many people with modifications or cybernetic implants. There were many transformed beings here.
This was also why the mutants from Naitemel came here for team-building activities.
Just as he entered the private room area, he saw the middle-parted rooster-headed mutant waving at him.
“Senior, over here!”
He enthusiastically pulled “Squill” back into the private room, sitting him down in the already cramped seating. Nine grown men crowded around a long wooden table meant for only four people—it was hardly comfortable.
“Come on, come on, have a drink first to wet your whistle.”
Ji Ge handed over a small cup of soju.
The surrounding mutants joined in the clamor, making the room’s atmosphere even more lively than before. “Squill” didn’t stand on ceremony either, taking the cup and downing it in one gulp.
Theoretically, alcohol couldn’t get Mossima drunk, but this high-proof soju still burned a bit. He couldn’t help but frown.
“Since you’ve changed back, do you have any thoughts of coming back? We could go ask the Minister. If he steps in, there might still be a chance.”
He took a moment to catch his breath before explaining, “The reason I was fired wasn’t because of that. It was because of the Reconstruction Department. The higher-ups needed someone to take the fall and conveniently ‘optimize’ out a 35-year-old low-level employee.”
As “Squill” said this, Ji Ge refilled his small cup.
“No way! Minister Syra always assigned new recruits to you for training. If she didn’t recognize your abilities, why would she arrange things like that? After you left, we went on some missions without you, so we understand your importance even more now…”
Ji Ge looked seriously at “Squill” and continued:
“Lightning and I took on a mission to steal a statue some time ago, and we got targeted by a Magic Girl. Ugh, that time we tried to run but couldn’t escape. If it were you, Senior, you definitely could have gotten away, right?”
“Squill” just offered a bitter smile in response.
“Don’t even mention it! Our team is almost synonymous with being the bottom of the barrel.”
“But even though our mission success rate is low, our survival rate is high! Only our team can go on repeated missions and still guarantee low casualties. We even set a record for consecutive escapes from Heroes! That’s all thanks to Senior Squill!”
Influenced by his teachings, the team members Squill had trained all specialized in being slippery.
If you’re fighting while thinking about running away, how can you possibly win a battle?
And this didn’t seem like something to be particularly proud of either. To put it bluntly, weren’t they just deserters?
Everyone chatted and laughed merrily.
As an executive of the Organization, Mossima naturally didn’t understand the joys of these “low-level grunts.”
Thud—
The sliding door of the private room was suddenly yanked open, and Lucia stood outside.
Ji Ge scratched his middle-parted head, asking in confusion:
“Uh, miss… did we, um, talk too loudly?”
A young girl from the next room coming over—that was the only reason Ji Ge could think of.
Lucia ignored him. She just stared at the “Squill” beside him and demanded:
“Bro?!”
The room full of mutants erupted in murmurs.
“I never heard you got fired! Why didn’t you tell me?”
As soon as these words were spoken, another wave of sighs swept through the private room.
“Lu-Lucia? What are you doing here?”
Mossima, playing the role of “Squill,” tried his best to look surprised. However, Squill’s squid head lacked muscles, making complex expressions difficult. No matter how his big eyeballs moved, they still looked somewhat stiff.
“We were eating in the next room. We just happened to hear the gentlemen at this table discussing you, and then they called you over for drinks… Central City really is small,” Lucia replied.
Running into Ji Ge here was also beyond Clara’s expectations, which fit Lucia’s sentiment—Central City was indeed quite small.
The communication between the siblings was a bit stiff. Ji Ge tried to say something to lighten the mood.
“Uh, you… are you the sister Senior Squill often mentions?”
“Yes, I’m graduating this year and came to Central City early to look for internship work… My brother… how did he introduce me?”
Ji Ge scratched the feathers on his chicken neck, thought for a moment, and answered:
“Oh, he said you’re very sensible, a sister he’s proud of.”
This was made up on the spot, though it wasn’t wrong to say so.
Clara had hardly ever talked to them about Lucia. After all, she had always done a good job with secrecy, partly to protect her family’s safety.
Even if it was fake, Lucia was happy to hear it.
“Um, you didn’t know before that Senior Squill had left his job?”
Clara, eavesdropping next door, thought to herself, ‘Hey! Ji Ge, why are you using honorifics with the sister of a former senior who got fired?’
“No, he didn’t tell me anything…”
The sloth mutant Lightning slowly advised, “He just didn’t want you to worry. And… didn’t he just say he’d already found a job?”
“Bro, where are you working now?”
Lucia asked this, and “Squill” replied:
“At a small crime company. The main business location is on Earth, so I have to go down for business trips from time to time… Sorry for making you worry.”
Nyx had fabricated a corporate drone identity for “Squill,” who was “optimized” out of a big corporation and ended up at a small company.
Claiming the main workplace was on Earth was also to provide a flawless reason for future “business trips.”
‘Hey, you really got it!’
Clara couldn’t help but give a thumbs-up in her mind.
“Then… your income must have dropped too?”
Lucia squatted beside “Squill,” holding his hand.
“But it’s okay! I’ve started working now. From now on, big brother can take it easier!”
What a sensible sister.
Even the nearby mutants looked moved.
Clara really wanted to pat her sister’s head, but now that was something “Squill” should do…
“Huh?”
However, the squatting Lucia let out a puzzled sound.
She was looking up, scrutinizing “Squill’s” chest, which shouldn’t be protruding.
Finally, she reached out and gave it a squeeze.
Oh no.
Things just got more complicated.