After X had cheerfully given his promise, the visitor from the Armorless Union secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Whew, not bad. Looks like this month's performance is in the bag. Just don't know how much I'll rake in by month-end...
At this thought, a smile suddenly crept onto his face, impossible to suppress no matter how hard he tried.
"Ahem, ahem. Then, shall we get back to business? Is there anything Lobotomy Corporation would like the Armorless Union to do?"
The guest from the Armorless Union coughed lightly, attempting to cover up his irrepressible grin. Then, feigning casualness, he directed his inquiry toward X.
"Of course, there is..."
X exhaled lightly, recalling that he still hadn't gathered the emotions of "Despair" and "Hatred." Raising his eyebrows slightly, he slowly spoke.
Before this, he'd been pondering just how to approach these two emotions. Compared to the ease of obtaining "Greed" and the unexpected simplicity of "Anger," these emotions were significantly trickier.
But now... with Armorless Union's assistance, acquiring these two wouldn't be much trouble after all.
Thinking thus, X slowly began to speak:
"We'll need Armorless Union to do something involving Kazimierz's Infected. However, rest assured, believe me…"
"It won't differ from your usual line of work. In other words, all Lobotomy Corporation requires is a small favor, easily within Armorless Union's capabilities."
As he spoke, the corners of X's lips slowly curled upward, forming a smile that sent chills crawling up one's spine:
"I trust Armorless Union wouldn't refuse?"
Shortly thereafter, the guest departed from Lobotomy Corporation, and upon returning to the Armorless Union, he was naturally rewarded handsomely.
As for what X had requested from Armorless Union… it was relatively straightforward.
On Don Quixote's side, meanwhile, the tournament continued. Nearl was determined to compete—she had to rise again to the top, winning the Knights Tournament championship once more. After securing victory, she would reveal her identity, striking a powerful blow against the Kazimierz Chamber of Commerce.
A retaliation for that previous Knights Tournament…
The outcome of the battles held no suspense. Don Quixote's strength went without saying, and Nearl, already an outstanding competitive knight, had grown significantly stronger since becoming a Bloodfiend. Under these circumstances, her victories came as a matter of course.
Thus, both easily advanced into the next day's Round of Sixteen.
The Round of Sixteen posed little difficulty for the pair. And perhaps reassured by Lobotomy Corporation's promise—"You won't need to worry about Don Quixote during the finals"—the Armorless Union had temporarily refrained from unnecessary moves.
Don Quixote himself had considered taking some actions, but at Nearl's request, he ultimately refrained. This time, he would watch from behind, witnessing Nearl fulfill her own ideals.
After all, this was Margaret Nearl's "dream."
What surprised Don Quixote, however, was that even Lobotomy Corporation had remained quiet during this period. When he'd asked Hai about it, he'd received only an "I don't know" in reply.
Still… Don Quixote believed Lobotomy Corporation's silence these past few days wasn't a sign of peace, but rather a prelude to a bigger storm brewing.
Finally, at the end of the Round of Sixteen, both Don Quixote and Nearl advanced successfully. And right after the two returned home, Hai came specifically looking for Don Quixote.
Hai dragged Don Quixote straight into the bedroom, sat him down at the bedside, composed his expression, and spoke slowly, meeting Don Quixote's questioning gaze:
"I know you have a lot of urgent questions right now, but hold on just a moment."
"Lobotomy Corporation sent word."
"Lobotomy Corporation? Sent word? So they've finally lost patience and decided to take action?"
Don Quixote's eyes seemed to flash instantly. He immediately straightened up, bombarding Hai with questions.
"…No, not action exactly… rather, they've tipped us off about what's happening on their side."
Hai exhaled lightly and spoke with a grave expression:
"You've been asking about Lobotomy Corporation's true intentions, right? During this period, while you and Nearl were competing, I've been getting information from X. Now we've finally got a sense of what Lobotomy Corporation's planning."
"Spit it out," Don Quixote urged impatiently. Clearing his throat, Hai slowly explained:
"You and I should be among the few aware of Lobotomy Corporation's Abnormalities. According to their explanation today, Abnormalities emerge under special circumstances… specifically, circumstances that require a convergence of collective human emotion."
"Lobotomy Corporation said they've recently detected such convergences of emotion here in Kazimierz. So, they've selected four critical points and plan to extract these emotions in advance, to capture an Abnormality that's soon to be born here in Kazimierz. At least… that's what they've told me."
Hai finished speaking and stared off into the distance, leaving Don Quixote alone to stroke his chin thoughtfully.
"So, the reason you suddenly brought this up is…"
"Lobotomy Corporation has pinpointed the two remaining emotional convergence points. They've invited us to observe the situation first-hand."
Hai turned back toward Don Quixote as he explained this.
"…Whew. Understood. And when do we leave?"
"We can head out right away if you're willing… Ah, right, you can bring Nearl along, too."
Hai rose as he finished speaking. Don Quixote followed suit, but just before leaving the room, he paused to ask Hai one final question:
"So… where exactly is our destination this time? Where's the next step of our adventure leading us?"
Hai stopped in his tracks, tilted his head upward slightly, and softly spoke:
"We're headed… to the Infected Arena."
"Let's go. Now."
After uttering these words, Hai turned decisively toward the exit, with Don Quixote following close behind.
...
Moments later, Hai, Nearl, and Don Quixote stepped out together.
Their destination—the Infected Arena.