Looking at Venus's beaming face, practically screaming 'You'll love this,' Wise couldn't bring himself to say no.
Besides, it was all for the sake of raising his Inter-Knot rank as quickly as possible, and the tasks she assigned were ridiculously simple.
So when he accepted the commission, Venus wasn't the least bit surprised. Compared to the previous one, this job was even easier.
Even so, she gently reminded him to be cautious and stay safe. He responded with nothing more than a self-assured grin.
Once he returned home, Wise planned to contact the client first. The commission wasn't scheduled for today, but reaching out early would make him seem more professional.
Just then, a message popped up on his phone. It was from Koleda, and it contained a video.
Wise glanced at the cover of the video and tapped it out of curiosity. The moment it started playing, he froze.
The video displayed a group of children, one of whom had unmistakably familiar red hair.
She wore a primary school uniform with a panda-ear headband perched on top. Her long red hair was tied into twin pigtails, though most of it flowed freely down her back.
Despite the unusual outfit, he recognized her instantly. It was Koleda.
His confusion only deepened when the next figure appeared on screen. Grace, dressed in a teacher's uniform, held a box of pineapple buns in her hands.
"What… what did I just see? Koleda and Grace, dressed in clothes I've never seen before, inside a primary school classroom…"
Wise remained lost in the shock of what he'd just watched.
If this wasn't some accidental mistake, then why send this specific video?
Belle noticed the strange look on his face and quietly leaned over, resting her head on his shoulder while watching the video with him.
A rushed knock suddenly came from the door.
Hearing it, Wise immediately got up and went to open it. Sure enough, Koleda stepped inside.
"Brother just said that Koleda, in a primary school uniform, looks really cute."
Belle greeted her with that line, and Koleda's face turned red almost instantly.
"W-What? Belle, why would you just say that out of nowhere…"
Flustered, Koleda stole a glance at Wise standing nearby. Catching her reaction, he gave a simple nod.
"Yes, very cute indeed."
He actually had mumbled that after the video without thinking. He'd also kind of wished he could see Koleda in that outfit at home sometime.
Certain night events would definitely become more interesting that way.
Still, Koleda clearly wasn't dwelling on that idea. She coughed twice and steadied herself.
"Forget about that. Looking at you two, I'm guessing you've already seen the video?"
"Yes, that's right! Brother and I have already saved it, and we're just about to forward it to our friends!"
Belle's mischievous tone instantly made Koleda panic.
The thought of others knowing about her video, possibly including Wise's other girlfriends...
"Absolutely not! Don't you dare!" After snapping at Belle, Koleda gritted her teeth. "This is all Anton's fault for sending it without asking first. He said watching it would make everything clearer. Well, at least it gives you some context for the situation."
Even though she sounded annoyed, Koleda was secretly kind of happy. Wise said she looked cute.
"Anyway, I'll get straight to the point. I'd like to commission you to help me investigate a Companion Hollow that appeared near that school."
The moment they heard the word Hollow, the siblings' expressions turned serious.
To be honest, they had initially thought Koleda came because of the chorus performance at Lumina Square mentioned in the video.
They knew it was unlikely, but if there happened to be footage of Koleda singing in the chorus, that would have been something worth seeing.
Setting that aside, Koleda gave them a quick rundown of the situation.
Belobog Heavy Industries had handled the renovation for the primary school shown in the video.
But during the final inspection, Koleda discovered a freshly formed Companion Hollow near the work site.
The Hollow had appeared in an abandoned parking lot on the outskirts of the construction area. Although it had only recently formed, if it were left unchecked, it could eventually spread to the school building.
Koleda told the principal that the Hollow should be reported to the municipality so it could be handled quickly. But then something strange happened.
The principal didn't report it and didn't apply for Hollow compensation either. Instead, he paid the final project payment the very next day.
This shocked Koleda completely. In all their years of doing projects, they had never encountered a client who paid the final settlement so quickly.
It felt as though the principal was deliberately trying to prevent Belobog Industries from getting involved any further.
Technically speaking, industry regulations meant Koleda and her team had no obligation to interfere.
The project had already passed inspection, and any Hollow-related damage afterward would not fall on the construction company.
But if the Hollow truly affected the school building, the children and teachers could be in danger. That was exactly why Koleda couldn't ignore it and wanted to investigate.
"It looks like we really need to check what's going on inside that Hollow," Wise said, resting a hand on his chin.
"Exactly. Wise, you immediately understood what I wanted to do. For a few reasons, Grace and I have to go undercover at the school to reach the only entrance to the Hollow. Anton helped us get in. I'll deal with the routine work that can't wait until tonight…"
At that moment, Koleda suddenly perked up, and there was a clear sense of relief in her voice.
"Now the opportunity to act has finally arrived. The timing is set a few days from now, during the off-campus practical lesson at Lumina Square."
On that day, the teachers and students would leave the school and head to the plaza. Even if the Hollow were to suddenly lose control, the potential damage would be kept to a minimum.
After hearing everything Koleda had explained, both logically and emotionally, the siblings had no reason to refuse.
The only thing that left them a little disappointed was that they wouldn't get to see Koleda performing in a primary school uniform.
'Never mind. At worst, I'll just ask her to perform for me privately later. If I ask seriously, Koleda will probably agree with her personality,' Wise thought to himself as his gaze fell on Koleda standing before him.
The way he looked at her made her feel oddly uneasy, like a small panda being watched by a hungry wolf.
"Are you in a hurry to go back now, Koleda?" he asked.
"Not really, Wise, but…"
At that point, Koleda definitely understood what he meant. Even so, because of certain reasons, staying the night wasn't possible.
So after dinner and spending a little over an hour there, she eventually headed back.
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Novels Available:
-> Zenless Zone Zero: The Almighty Incubus of Sixth Street. (Translation)
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