Still blinking the light out of her eyes, a frown tugged at the corner of Nicole's lips.
"But... it could take hours for the HIA to get here."
Illya shrugged.
"Well, then it looks like I've got quite the wait ahead of me."
Nicole hesitated.
What should she do?
The person they were sent into the Hollow to rescue had been sniping Ethereals from a rooftop with high-explosive projectiles while drinking himself into a hole.
Was this even a rescue commission anymore?
She glanced at Belle for help, but the Proxy was equally at a loss.
"If it's a money problem, I could cover the costs."
Seeing the hesitant look on Nicole's face, Illya made his own assumptions.
"I don't know how much Belle and Wise promised to pay you, but I shouldn't have any issues covering it."
An amicable smile spread across Illya's face.
"That- That really won't be necessary. We're doing this because we're friends with Belle and Wise, not because the commission paid well."
Despite the Cunning Hares perpetual poverty, Nicole found it hard to accept money in a situation like this.
Half the reason why she accepted the commission without batting an eye was the lengthy list of things she owed to the Phaethon siblings, and it didn't feel quite right to get paid without actually fulfilling the request.
Still, though, Nicole couldn't hold back the pained look spreading across her face as she turned down the offer.
"Really?"
Nicole forced herself to nod.
Illya let out a chuckle, clearly seeing the conflict in her expression.
"Then how about you take on a commission from me?"
"Huh?"
Pushing a heaping pile of cans aside, Illya took a seat on the wooden platform he had been lounging on earlier.
"I'm sure you know how many people I'm currently housing in this building, right?"
Nicole nodded.
"I brought most of them in a couple of hours ago, and if you couldn't tell, I've been a bit... preoccupied up here, so I haven't checked on any of them in a while."
Illya let out a sigh.
"I'm a little worried that everyone isn't eating properly since they've been subsisting on snacks I had stored in the Arcade- so if you could go down to the storage room and distribute the supplies I have stocked up in there to the families in the building, that'd be great."
He spared the group's battered equipment a passing glance.
"Of course, like I said earlier, this is a commission. If you'd be willing to help me care for the survivors while I protect the building, I'll pay you accordingly."
Nicole didn't bother hesitating.
"We'll do it!"
Since they'd probably be stuck in the hollow for a while anyway, they may as well make some Dennies instead of idling around.
Illya nodded with a small smile.
"Then I look forward to working with you."
He turned to face the bandana-wearing bangboo next to Nicole.
"Eous should know where the storage room is, so have him lead you there."
"If you need anything, feel free to come back up here and ask... Though you could also ask Mrs. Miyawaki if you need help with any of the residents. She knows everyone way better than I do."
Nicole looked a little confused.
"Mrs. Miyawaki...?"
"Souta's mom. She's the one who brought you guys up here."
"Ah."
Illya chuckled.
"Well, then, that'll be all."
He waved them off as he popped the cap off a nearby bottle of beer.
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Belle disconnected from the HDD after guiding the Cunning Hares to the Storage room, leaving them to finish up their brand-new commission.
She had a lot to think about, after all.
"Wise... About Illya..."
Her brother smiled wryly.
"Looks like he's not as simple as he seemed."
Belle sighed.
"Yeah. Y'know, I felt kind of bad keeping our identities as proxies a secret from him, but now..."
Wise shrugged.
"We kept it from him to keep our work and private lives separate. It's not exactly easy to just say: 'Hey, we're actually legendary unregistered Proxies and the video store we run is actually just a front for our illegal business! Sorry for not telling you earlier, Illya~'"
Belle giggled a little, but the complicated look on her face remained.
"Still... aren't you a little concerned?"
Wise's expression shifted into one mirroring his sisters.
"Of course I am."
"Then-"
"Belle. We shouldn't pry... It's not our place."
He let out a sigh.
"Illya has his reasons just as we have ours. He didn't hesitate to show his powers to the survivors and the Cunning Hares, but he still asked Nicole and the others to keep it a secret from us."
Belle frowned.
"But he didn't look fine at all! What if-"
Wise patted his sister's shoulder reassuringly.
"Pushing our boundaries won't do us any good. If Illya wants to tell us, he'll tell us, but for right now, the only thing that we can do is treat him the same."
"I-"
Belle closed her mouth.
As much as she wanted to refute, she knew her brother was right.
Seeing his sister so conflicted, Wise flashed her a teasing smile.
"Or, of course, you could just spill everything and see what happens~"
Belle stiffened.
A brief bout of silence fell over the siblings.
"Wait, seriously?"
Wise stared at his sister.
"I recognize that look... You're actually thinking about it!"
Belle rolled her eyes.
"No shit, Sherlock."
Wise looked completely baffled.
"But you were the one who wanted to keep it a secret from him in the first place-"
Belle sighed.
"I still do want to keep some stuff secret... But telling him a few things won't hurt, right...?"
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Illya took another swig of the drink in his hands, staring absentmindedly into the distance.
He had sort of rid himself of the others and was now once again on his lonesome.
"You all used to tell me that I'd understand the appeal of alcohol when I became an adult, but I still don't really get it."
A chuckle slipped past Illya's lips as he drained the rest of the bottle.
"It tastes like ass, makes you smell like shit, and it burns the back of my throat when I drink it."
Still, despite the complaints, he cracked open another bottle.
Making sure that he was alone this time, Illya glanced at the record player beside him and put his headphones back on.
The tones of familiar voices filled his ears, causing the corners of his mouth to crease with unspoken words.
Illya closed his eyes and turned his gaze upwards, taking in a deep breath.
"I kept my promise."
He took a swig from the bottle he had just opened.
"It wasn't actually that hard. All of your families ended up moving to the same street after the fall, so all I had to do was buy a house nearby... Though I didn't realize how expensive real estate had gotten recently, and I ended up digging into my retirement fund to be able to afford a place here."
Illya chuckled.
"But, considering what happened today, it was money well spent."
He looked at the Black curtain obscuring his view of the sky, allowing a small smile to tug at his lips.
"Y'know, when I rescued them from the Hollow, a small part of me hoped that they'd still recognize me after so many years, that they'd realize the one that saved them was a friend of somebody that they had lost oh so long ago... But I'm glad they didn't because-"
Illya paused for a moment, letting the voices of the departed wash over him.
"They've learned how to smile without you guys. They learned how to live with the knowledge that you're no longer there beside them."
Illya lingered for a moment, downing the rest of the bottle in his hands.
"And I... still haven't quite got there."
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(A/N: I got my new keyboard, so chapters should be back to their normal release schedule.
Tell me what you guys thought of the chapter, and add this fic to your collection if you're enjoying it.
I'll probably start setting power stone goals for bonus chapters since I've got a bit more free time.
What do you think about 100 powerstones per bonus chapter?
Is that reasonable?
I digress.
Either way, thanks for all the support, and I'll see you in the next chapter~)