Chapter 35: Small Drops
While waiting for Biscuit's reply, Germain's fingers brushed against something in his pocket. He felt a small bulge, pulled it out, and found a pink wallet, decorated with little trinkets.
Opening it, he saw an ID card with a woman's photo.
He examined it for a moment and confirmed it was the woman from the bar, only without makeup.
So the wallet was hers... but how had it ended up with him?
Ah... right, now he remembered.
Germain had a habit of petty theft, one that flared up occasionally and came as naturally to him as walking, blinking, or breathing. He wouldn't have remembered it at all unless he'd consciously thought about it.
When the woman had leaned in close to him earlier, his hands had acted on their own rebellious and restless, they had slipped subconsciously into her arms.
It was unclear whether the woman had noticed, or if she had mistaken it for flirtation and simply let him take it.
Germain rummaged through the wallet, counting the cash. There were over twenty thousand Jienis just enough to pay Biscuit for the first session. He pocketed the money.
As for the personal items, like the ID card, he'd find another opportunity to get rid of them later.
A moment later, Biscuit replied:
"I didn't mean you had to come all the way here to see me... But, whatever. I'm actually quite close to Youkexin City, so I'll be there the day after tomorrow."
The day after tomorrow would be January 18th.
With only two days to sell the "Eye of the Raven Lord," Germain knew he wouldn't be able to complete the deal before Biscuit arrived but that was fine.
"Then it's settled."
"Yes, see you the day after tomorrow. Love you ♥"
Germain finished the text exchange and was just about to put his phone away when a female voice came from beside him.
"Ah. It really is you."
At first, Germain thought it was the woman from the bar again but when he turned, he saw that it wasn't.
Standing in front of him was a short-haired girl with thick-rimmed glasses, a golden inverted cross necklace, a black sweater, and tight jeans.
She adjusted her glasses and repeated flatly:
"Ah. It's you."
Perhaps worried that Germain hadn't heard, she said it again in the same monotone.
Germain studied her and quickly connected the dots.
She was Shizuku, who in the original timeline had become the eighth member of the Phantom Troupe but Germain had beaten her to it.
He was slightly surprised to see her here and even more so that she recognized him.
After all, Shizuku's memory was notoriously selective; she quickly forgot anything that didn't interest her.
That meant Germain must have left quite an impression.
However, after searching through the countless memories left behind by his original self over the past two months, he found no trace of ever meeting Shizuku.
So how did she know him? Maybe they had both come from Meteor City, and she had seen him there before?
"Do I know you?" Germain asked cautiously, putting his phone away and adjusting his tricorn hat.
Shizuku nodded several times, her glasses sliding down her nose until she pushed them back up again. Her large eyes seemed innocent and curious but Germain knew better. She could be just as ruthless as he was.
"You owe me 500,000 rings," Shizuku said, holding out her palms. "Please pay me back."
Germain's expression turned cold instantly. He stood up and shook his head.
"I don't recall that."
"Eh?"
Now it was Shizuku's turn to look confused. Tilting her head, she thought for a moment, muttering:
"Am I remembering wrong? Maybe it's not him?"
Sensing that it wasn't wise to linger, Germain turned to leave but hadn't gone far before he realized she was following him.
"I don't owe you money," he said over his shoulder without turning around.
Shizuku pressed her palm to her temple, squinting thoughtfully.
"Don't say anything yet. Let me think."
Germain ignored the strange woman and went into a nearby internet café.
He turned on a computer, pulled out a card reader, and scanned his Hunter License. Then he logged into a hunter-only network, searching for exclusive auction houses in Youkexin City.
He didn't plan to sell the Eye of the Raven Lord directly to the mafia. Instead, he was looking for Nen users buyers who could truly appreciate its value.
After paying a small intelligence fee, Germain quickly compiled a list of names and addresses. After reviewing them, he identified three promising auction houses.
Just then, Shizuku pulled up a chair beside him, dropped into it, and snatched the mouse and keyboard.
"Let me see."
Germain sighed and leaned back, giving her space.
She typed "Germain" and "Meteor City Killer" into the search bar. Instantly, several hits appeared.
"From Meteor City."
"Professional Assassin."
"Wanted: Class B Threat."
"Suspected New Member of the Phantom Troupe."
Each phrase was bolded beside a slightly outdated photo of him one taken long ago, where he still looked a bit younger.
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Shizuku adjusted her glasses again and pointed at the picture.
"That's you?"
"Yeah."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Then I didn't remember wrong."
She extended her palm toward him again.
"You owe me 500,000 rings."
"Then where did we meet?" Germain frowned. Her unwavering tone made him hesitate. "And what exactly were the 500,000 for?"
"Huh?" Shizuku blinked, tilting her head again. After thinking for a moment, she said:
"Oh... right. Now that I think about it, I guess we've never met."
"We've never met?"
"Yeah. Mr. Bilbo used to pay me directly. But he suddenly died three months ago, so now I can only collect the 500,000 rings he still owed me from you."
"Bilbo..." Germain muttered, piecing things together. "So my middleman pocketed the difference... And why did he owe you 500,000?"
Shizuku pointed at him again.
"You owe me 500,000 rings. We agreed you'd kill someone, and I'd clean up afterward 250,000 each time."
"I cleaned up five crime scenes for you in total. You only paid for three. Two are still unpaid. 250,000 plus 250,000 equals 500,000."
"Cleaning up a crime scene..." Germain blinked. "I see. With your ability, you'd be good at that. But Bilbo hired you he should've paid."
"He's dead," Shizuku said matter-of-factly. "So now, I can only collect from you."