Elisia followed Kafka to the front door with sympathy towards this big man. She might not know what that man's past was like, but being a victim in the past must have had been painful for anyone. Kafka walked out of the house and paused by the car. His hands held the roof of the car and lowered his head.
“Kafka?” Elisia called.
The man turned. “What’s wrong?”
“I overheard about your past. I know I shouldn't have come to you just out of sympathy for you, but as a comrade who fighting together, maybe I can cheer you up a little,” Elisia explained.
Kafka turned around and clarified. “What are you talking about? I had a past with gangsters, but it wasn't a sad past that left a deep trauma in my heart.”
“Hah?” Elisia surprised a little.
“Do you remember what Scott said about me in the car?” Kafka asked.
Elisia nodded. Scott said that Kafka was a former gangster leader in Taichan. However, Kafka considered that it was an old story that had to be forgotten. Her mind guessed that there must be something pathetic in it.
“You think that I once fought with other gangster members and lost. In fact, Taichan Gangster was at the peak of its glory during my reign. They kept this place so that no one can take it for personal gain,” Kafka explained.
“Then why do you respond like someone who remembers a past trauma?”
Kafka sighed. “I have long since left my gangsters after my Mother's death to live in the center of Runga for almost twelve years. I feel awkward to meet them again, especially your status as-” Kafka stopped speaking because there were several people who heard it.
Kafka encouraged Elisia to enter the house. The big man's behavior confused the girl, but she saw people's expressions while they were talking.
“Sorry if I joggled you in. I just don't want anyone to know about your status,” Kafka said.
“It does not matter. I understand.” Elisia smoothed her hair a little. “So you went out because you were confused about how to communicate with them again?”
“I wouldn't call it confused, but awkward. I may be a former gangster leader, but things have definitely changed in the last twelve years. I'm not sure if I can talk to them again.”
Suddenly, Scott came over to them after hearing the front door closing earlier.
“Are you guys done? There are talks we have to finish today.” Scott walked back to the round table.
Kafka nodded with a languid face and followed Scott. Suddenly Elisia caught his hand and gripped it tightly. Elisia's face was also smiling, with slightly tight eyes.
“This may sound strange to you, but I believe that Taichan Gangster still remembers you, moreover you were the one who pushed them glory until you quit. It's like a kingdom. If there is someone who has contributed to the kingdom, they will remember him forever. I'm sure they're like that too.”
Kafka was pensive at Elisia's explanation. Those words seemed to come out of the heart of a holy woman. His heartbeat was pounding, and his face brightened. A smile formed on his mouth, followed by enthusiasm flowing in his blood.
“You said something sweet. I will try to meet them again. Thanks for the advice,” Kafka said in a whisper.
“I'm sure you can. May God bless your decision!” Elisia replied by clenching her hands in front of her chest.
Kafka pulled Elisia's hand to go to the round table. The spirit of the big man ran through her blood. Elisia felt happy to be able to give strong motivation to awaken great power in others.
As before, papers filled the round table. Elisia didn't understand why Runga's friends always use paper, while Upgrade always used technology to show something. Suddenly, Ilya shifted all the papers and opened the lid in the middle of the table. A beam of light emanated from it.
The light revealed a plan of a building that would be the location of their mission. The roof of the building was like the building she had seen upon arriving here. There were many halls and rooms in the building, it was like a giant maze.
“Okay, The Camouflage's location is here.” Ilya showed the image of a thin armor in a visual light. “This building has four main entrances. Two of them are the back barn doors. If you want to shorten the path, infiltrate door B.”
“Trucks rarely pass the door, because it is a truck door that carries special goods. Only trucks with container number 599 can enter that door,” Kafka continued, “They are very rare, so it all depends on luck.”
“Then can we get in there without having to break into the truck?” Elisia asked.
“Yes, but we need a special access card that only the truck driver has. So, the only option is to infiltrate the truck,” Kafka answered seriously.
“And the gangsters wouldn't stop a truck like that because the driver was armed, as I know,” Scott continued.
“For CCTV, that's my business. The rest you will do yourself in the building,” Ilya said.
Kafka fell silent again, as if thinking about something. His facial expression was flat, with eyes that kept moving. His eyes glanced at Elisia, who immediately gave a smile with a thumbs up. An idea passed through his head.
“I don't think we have any other choice. I'll talk to the gangsters and ask if they'll help us,” Kafka said, “I hope they still remember me.”
Kafka left the round table and walked towards the front door. No one dared to stop him, despite feeling sympathy again with the big man's past. Elisia just smiled, hoping Kafka would do well. However, Elisia remembered that her status was still a fugitive, and she had to change her appearance after Kafka came to bring help.
Everyone let Kafka go of their own accord. Their eyes returned to focus on the light called [Holographic Mini Map]. Elisia felt that something was wrong with this map, as if something was different, as if something had changed it on purpose. She didn't know if other people felt it or not, but this girl's instincts told her so.
“Okay, so our plan is to sneak in through door B using a special truck,” Risk said understandingly, “Then which route is safe in your mind?”
Ilya set [Holographic Mini Map] to {Focus Mode} and chose the path next to door B. “There are three passages from door B that will lead you to the device storage room. The guards would patrol the lanes at different intervals of movement. I don't need to explain everything, but the path that I think is safe is the passage that goes through the garbage storage room.”
“Why did you choose that path?” Scott asked curtly.
“First, the guards rarely patrol this passage because it only contains room for trash. The interval between the movement of the guards is also very long. Second, there is an air vent line that can take you into the storage room without having to open the vault door. Because the device we stole is not too big, we can carry it through the ventilation,” Ilya explained.
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Risk turned to Scott. “Scott, do you think going through the vents is a bad idea?”
“You can guess what I'm thinking,” Scott replied, “It's too risky to go down the narrow lane. Moreover, the path is very long and winding. I'm not sure I can make it through.”
“If you are Kafka or Rhino, your last words are more appropriate. If you don't want to, we'll go down the hall in front of the vault. However, the guard is much tighter than through ventilation, unless you have a baiter,” Ilya replied.
Scott held his chin with a confused expression, then nudged Risk. “Risk, say something if you're thinking about something!”
Risk turned around. “Hmm, what should I say? I'd rather wait for your answer as a strategist. There's no way that ability has been lost to you.”
Elisia could only watch these former special forces arguing with each other. She looked at the passageway showed on the hologram. There was one path that was far, but the route looked safe and easier.
“Miss Ilya, is it safe to go this route?” Elisia asked while pointing at the hologram.
Ilya saw the path and opened information about the path. There were some red marks on the list. The only ones marked in green were guards who pass by at rather long intervals. Elisia thought of a plan that could be used. Her eyes glanced in all directions with tight lips.
After silent thought, Elisia had an idea.
“I think we can use a quick move to go there.” Elisia's answer made everyone turn their heads.
“Based on what I understand from this map, the movement intervals of the guards are quite long because the path is far from the vault. If we can move faster, we can move from one room to another, or we can use the objects there to hide our whereabouts,” Elisia explained.
“Oh, it makes me remember that I made a device. Wait a moment!” Ilya went into a messy room.
Scott approached Elisia curiously. “Where did you get such an idea? Though it can be a risky idea if it goes wrong.”
“His name also Risk, and he's always taking risks,” Elisia joked, pointing at Risk, “I learned this while fighting a large creature called Forgotten in Grasswood village. Running fast is the key to winning the fight.”
Elisia pointed at the hologram. “Look at the shape of the path of the passage I chose. The hallway has many turns, which makes it difficult to move around. The guards certainly wouldn't be visiting the passage too often since they had installed surveillance cameras. So, we can go through this passage.”
Scott was astonished to hear Elisia's simple and easy-to-understand explanation. “I don't know who you are, but it could be a good plan.”
Risk rubbed Elisia's head. “She had been doing it since we lived in Grasswood. She really is a princess.”
“Stop it, Risk!” Elisia removed Risk's hand from her head. “I just read something in my book and found the source for this plan.”
Ilya came back with strange equipment. Elisia could see the wires coming out of it. She placed it on the round table.
“Aaa... what is that thing you're carrying?” Scott asked, staring in amazement.
“This is the [Mini Camouflage Device], a device I made for an emergency. It can send brain waves to other people and make them think that you are invisible to their eyes. I have tested it, and it works well,” Ilya replied as she explained.
Scott took the small device. “Is it safe for other people to use? The wires are still untidy.”
“Sorry about the wires. I'm still learning. You can try it now if you need to,” Ilya answered again.
Scott wears the thing around his neck. Ilya reached out to press the On button on the thing. A green light flashed from him and Scott vanished from everyone's sight. Elisia surprised.
“Like I said earlier, this thing will emit waves that can affect other people's sensory requirements, making them unable to see anything in the real world properly. In the end, you disappeared from sight!” Ilya tried to hold on to the invisible Scott.
“Hey, did you see me undress?” Scott said in an invisible state.
“No, but I saw you pick your nose,” Risk replied.
“What? I don't-“
“Just kidding. I didn't see you at all,” Risk continued.
“Yeah, I can't see you either. Nice creation, Miss Ilya!” Elisia raised her thumb. I can still see Scott's stats.
“That way, we can use this device on missions.” Ilya put the device on the table.
Scott removed the device from his neck. “This is a great find, Ilya! I didn't know you enjoyed making electronic devices.”
“I once worked in the company under the auspices of ELECTEC. Basic electronics? I mastered it even though I didn't deepen it well,” Ilya answered confidently, “However, I studied computer programming more after quitting that job.”
Elisia held the tool, and her green irises noticed the small object. The girl didn't understand, but Upgrade would understand if he saw this little technology. She wished the pale-white man was by her side.
After explaining the tool she made, Ilya pressed a button to turn the hologram display into a list. There were numbers in it.
'389234'
'671209'
'402719'
“According to the scan of the security access card to open the vault door, this is the combination of numbers written on the card. There are three main numbers that only a few people have. I have made a similar card with these three number combinations. Each of it has its own function,” Ilya explained at length.
“What makes it different?” Risk asked spontaneously.
“If you want to access the vault door to all the rooms in it, you use the combination number 671209 on the front door of the vault, including the storage room from Camouflage Net,” Ilya replied while showing a card, “This is the card I mean.”
The woman threw the card on the table. Scott took the thin object and looked at both sides. Elisia, with her curiosity, also saw a magical item that could open a door. The girl had to learn a lot about modern technology. Maybe it could be useful for her kingdom later.
After that, Scott placed the card on the table. He crouched down to grab something from the cupboard under the table. Several weapon-like equipment were taken out and placed on the table. There were knives, machetes, and small sickles presented with shiny bodies.
“As I recall, I kept my favorite weapon here a few weeks ago. Did you move it?” Scott asked to Ilya.
“Didn't you ask me to send it to your house two weeks ago?” Ilya asked back, “Your wife received it.”
“Oh, Lord!” Scott muttered, but Elisia heard him.
“Is there something left behind?” Risk asked as he approached his partner.
“Hah? No! We'll talk about it when we get home,” Scott stuttered, “Now let's focus on the mission this time!”
“Speaking of missions, it seems Kafka hasn't been back since he left,” Ilya said.
“Yeah, I think he's negotiating with the gangsters,” Elisia said optimistically.
“Or maybe he's in trouble. I'll check it out!” Scott walked briskly to the front door.
“Hey, I want to come with you!” Elisia tied her blonde hair quickly and ran after the man.
Scott stopped and turned around. “You don't have to come! They will catch you later!”
“No need to worry. I've tied my hair,” Elisia replied calmly.
“Your face still Elisia. Stay here, I'll be back!” Scott opened the door and hurried. The door closed slowly.
“Sigh, I wanted to see how Kafka is accepted into the gang again,” Elisia muttered with a frown on her face. She returned to the round table feeling annoyed.
Risk continued to pay attention to Elisia and the color of the aura changes from golden yellow to red. The man surprised, but did not want to discuss it. Seeing the response from the royal princess after Scott asked her to stay here, Risk already understood what had happened.
Elisia took a paper file containing information about [The Camouflage Net] from the table and read it for pleasure. She was quite familiar with this modern equipment, considering that this was a vest that anyone could wear. The paper only contained words she didn't understand, including the odd numbers that were foreign to her eyes.
While reading, Risk approached Elisia and gave her a glass of water. The girl remembered that she drank rarely. After taking a sip of the fresh water, Elisia saw Risk sitting beside her. She didn't understand what this man wanted to say.
“Feeling annoyed, huh?” Risk asked. Finally, he said it.
Elisia held the glass in front of her face while looking down. It drew a gloomy face to her at this moment. Not a single word came out of this girl's lips. Risk smiled and allowed her little princess to harbor something she might help.
“I just… want to see Kafka accepted into his gang again like he was in the past. I'm sure he can do it,” Elisia replied.
“I understand.” Risk had already guessed the answer. “I don't know who Kafka is and his past, but I think you've got it all. Your curiosity is very high above the sky. I'm not denying that, but being curious can kill you.”
“You are right. I don't know how many people I've made sad because of my curiosity to know who they are. However, if you know my childhood, I am that kind of person,” Elisia replied as she placed the file on the table.
“We are travelers. Sometimes, we should investigate nothing related to the place we are visiting, unless we are looking for something there. You may not understand much about it, but it would be better if we were more silent.” Risk put his arm around Elisia's shoulders.
The man's hand made Elisia's face turn red. A hug that felt comfortable as her father's embrace. No! Elisia must forget her past for a while!
“Risk, may I know something about Upgrade? Since he's always hiding something from me and luckily he's not here, so I guess you can say anything about him,” Elisia asked with a smile.
“Hey, I can hear it! If you want to know something about me, just ask me directly!”
Elisia surprised to hear Upgrade's voice. She looked around every room, but there was no apparition of anyone making a sound. Risk also surprised and stared blankly.
“I'm on the bracelet you're wearing!”
Elisia checked the bracelet. “Upgrade, you heard me earlier, huh?” Elisia smiled shy after asking that.
“Very clear. Risk knows nothing about me, so he can't answer anything.”
“Because you never answered my questions either!” Risk exclaimed in a rather high tone. Then the man left.
“You mean, Risk...”
“I'll explain after you get home from the mission. Take care of yourself and I will keep my eyes on you from this bracelet!”
Elisia smiled. “Okay.”