A few hours earlier, in the city's dungeon…

Nona ascends the stairs with a broad smile. The manhunter at the desk looks on with a nervous grimace, and his brows greatly furrowed.

「Hiya! I'm done!」

She waves her fingers to the man at the desk, walking up with a bouncy step. He remains tense, cautiously staring at her.

「…Is he dead?」

The manhunter asks, glancing down the stairs.

「Hmmm…」

Nona quizzically places her finger on the side of her mouth and looks aside.

「…He wasn't when I left?」

She replies with a grin and a brief chuckle. Nona then turns to the exit in a leisurely jog.

「See you later!-」

「Wait!…」

She waves her hand to bid the guard farewell, but he calls out to stop her. She tilts her head out of mild surprise.

「Hm?」

「…You might want to clean yourself up, first.」

The manhunter guard says, staring with deeply disturbed eyes at her red-stained hands, and the many droplets of blood all over her chestpiece and legs.

「Ah! You're right! Where do I do that?」

Nona lightheartedly exclaims, unbothered by the blood in the slightest.

「…There's a well out the back topside.」

The guard nods his head at the exit, becoming further and further disturbed by Nona's bright eyes and happy-go-lucky attitude..

「Thanks! See you later!」

She waves her hand to bid him farewell again, and jogs up to the exit, disappearing behind the door. The guard blinks, unsure what to make of the interaction.

《Hopefully fucking not… She's been there for 15, or 30 minutes after that guy left. What was she doing in there?》

The guard thinks, standing up from his desk. He descends the stairs and heads for the room with the prisoner. The lower dungeon being usually absent of prisoners, owing to short and lenient sentences as well as average low crime rate of the capital, his footsteps are the sole sound in the dark halls.

He reaches for the handle, and opens the door.

「Hrk!- Hhkhk!-」

The manhunter dry-heaves, stumbling away from the door as the intolerable odor of salt, iron and ammonia mixed with damp, earthy dungeon scent assault his nose. Some gagging, coughing and heavy breathing later, he manages to recover and stand up straight.

He covers his mouth, and steels himself to enter the dark room.

《…What the fuck?》

He thinks as soon as he sees the prisoner. Wheezing, his head hanging, drooling over himself, and his face stuck with needles like a pincushion. The bound prisoner doesn't react, and continues laboriously wheezing.

《…She did this to him, and then acted like nothing happened? What is wrong with her!?》

The manhunter looks at the tortured man in terror, as Nona humms a tune to herself up on the surface while wiping his blood with a rag…

…

「Come oooon. Tell me.」

Nona says towards Niklaus with a grin, stubbornly insisting.

「…Please just let me forget. Leave me alone…」

He replies with his head hidden underneath his arms, and slumped onto his desk.

「Teeell mee. Maybe you'll feel better about it! Tell me!」

Nona keeps prodding, and Niklaus digs himself in deeper.

「…No… Talking doesn't help. Please, just leave me be…」

He continues begging, but Nona leans in to physically poke him with her finger.

「Come on, what'd you do as an orphan? Tell me-」

「Niklaus! I've heard you caught a spy!」

Straf announces on entry, rescuing Niklaus as Nona's attention shifts to him instead.

「Ah, Straf!」

She exclaims, almost jumping out of her extra seat at Niklaus's desk out of joy.

「Yeah, me. Niklaus! I'm paying you for catching spies, not sleeping!」

Straf says, knocking his knuckles on Niklaus's desk.

「…I'm not sleeping… I'm just…」

Niklaus slowly lifts his head, as if a zombie that just tripped over its feet onto the ground.

「…Tired. I'm just tired…」

He continues, looking at Straf with dead eyes and a blank expression.

「Excuses, excuses. Listen… There might be some guard rejects coming in, and you'll handle their recruitment. I want only the biggest bootlickers. Got it? Total yes-men. No independent thought.」

Straf says, and Niklaus replies with only a silent nod. His deadened eyes blankly stare off to some distant past. Straf snaps his fingers.

「Right. Now tell me about that spy. Who's this Ear guy?」

Straf asks, pointing his finger at Niklaus. His eyes briefly regain a small spark of life.

「…He's working for some man called Ear. He delivered reports once a week to his contact, who then delivered the reports directly to Ear. He doesn't know why he wanted the reports. They consisted of sensitive information… Troop movements, economic policies, so on…」

Niklaus mumbles, somewhat coherently.

「Uh-huh. And?」

「…This is supposedly going on for quite some time, before the queen even took the throne. The guard insists he doesn't know his contact, and it's likely we'll never see him again, since he'll know his source was captured…」

He continues, and his eyes lose their life again, drifting down to his desk.

「…There might be more, but we won't know now…」

Niklaus mumbles, retracting his head into his arms again.

「Riiiiiight. So some asshole is collecting information on us, and it's not because of me… Hmmm…」

Straf rubs his chin, thinking heavily with brows furrowed.

「Well, I'm sure we'll catch another sooner or later. How many people redeemed their drakes?」

After shrugging his shoulders, Straf asks one of the bank tellers.

「None-」

「None!? Zero none!?」

Straf exclaims in surprise, grinning slightly.

「…None so far today, sir. But it's still early.」

The teller nods her head, cautioning Straf.

「Hahaha! Alright! I'll give this a little more time to cook… Can't be impatient…」

Straf snaps his fingers with a grin, and rubs his chin again as he mutters under his breath.

「Hey, Straf! Can I get that thing that got me out of getting hanged? With your face on it?」

Nona asks, carelessly rocking in her chair.

「What, you mean the identification?」

「Is that what's it called?」

Nona tilts her head, smiling. Straf rubs his chin some more, thinking.

「…I guess. I suppose if you're a bona fide interrogator from the Ministry, you should get one too.」

Straf shrugs, and places his fist on his hip.

「Woo! Ah- Wait, there's no guards left…」

Nona throws up her arms in celebration, but her excitement is short-lived as she remembers the town criers' words.

「Hmm… Yeah, no guards here, but other cities still have their guards. And besides, you can shove it it in anyone's face and they'll do whatever you say.」

Straf says, pulling out his identification out of his [Portable Storage]. He pushes it in Nona's face, forcing her to lean back away from it.

「Ah! You're right! It does have a commanding air to it!」

Nona energetically nods as Straf pulls the identification away.

「Yeah, you can just go… Straf Katastrof Vindict, Ministry of Security… And they'll be deathly scared. You need to put on a real grim face, though.」

Straf says with a serious, grim face, then shrugs and throws his identification into his [Portable Storage].

「Niklaus, show her.」

He snaps his fingers and points at Niklaus. He lifts his head and looks at Straf with a blank expression.

「…I don't think I like this new job, boss…」

Niklaus says with lifeless eyes, and promptly retracts back into the comfort of his arms.

「Nice impression.」

「Huuuuh!? I really like my new job!」

Surprised by Niklaus, Nona exclaims with joyful amber eyes.

「Wow, really? We haven't even discussed your payment yet-」

Straf raises his brows and places his fist back on his hip.

「I get paid for this!?」

She asks with a wide smile.

「…Yeah. You mean you thought you didn't?」

Straf tilts his head a little with his eyes narrowed.

「Nope. I thought I was working off my thefts!」

Nona shakes her head, still smiling up at Straf. He shrugs.

「Well then. At least you won't be working a day in your life. How about a golden drake and a half a month? If you don't spend it on overpriced cookies-」

Slam!

「Deal! That's a lot more than I'd get from Beard!」

Nona leans forward towards Straf, slamming her hand on Niklaus's desk, causing him to momentarily suspend his dejected slump.

「…That's kind of sad. Between you risking your life for a cookie in the capital, and that one girl getting paid in fucking coppers, I'd be hard-pressed to find someone in a worse situation.」

Nona tilts her head in confusion, as Straf looks down at her with a tight-lipped grimace and some faint pity in his eyes.

「I can't believe I have a well-paying job, that's fun, and it's legal- Er, my job is legal, right?」

She rocks in her chair again with a happy grin, and abruptly stops as she asks with her brows raised, blinking innocently at Straf.

「Yeah, it- Well. It's legal as long as you don't do something that will get Lia upset.」

He shrugs, and spreads his arms.

「Lia? You mean that cute girl that was with you? What does she have to do with this?」

Nona quizzically tilts her head, leaning forward on her chair with her hands between her thighs.

「What do you mean what? She's the queen-」

「She's what!?」

She jumps out of her chair with her amber eyes wide-open.

Pat.

「You mean you brought the queen to the guild!?」

Nona asks, grabbing onto Straf's shoulders. He rolls his eyes.

「Relax, she doesn't actually care. She has bigger problems than a handful of deadbeats, like Keynesian economics.」

Straf shrugs his shoulders, smirking a little.

「No, what I mean is- Wait, wasn't the queen's name Cycelia?…」

Nona furrows her brows as her orange eyes drift down to the ground in thought.

「Yeah.」

「Cycelia… Cyce… Lia… Lia!?」

「Yeah?」

Straf shrugs, as Nona comes to an eye-opening realization.

「You mean you are not only on a first-name basis with the queen, you have a pet name for her!?」

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「Yeah, and?」

Straf shrugs, staring at Nona with his bored eyes while she's still experiencing the shock from the revelation. Suddenly, she retracts her hands and backs away.

「…What kind of a relationship are you two in?」

She warily asks.

「She's my harem member…」

「…Harem?」

「…But never mind that, I have a meeting coming up and I can't really waste the day here. Come with me.」

Straf reluctantly explains, and turns to the exit.

「Where are you taking me? Some dark alleyway to do something dirty to me, Straf the pervolich?」

Nona mischievously giggles as she asks with a broad grin, while following close behind Straf.

「Stop calling me that.」

He bluntly replies, and they turn to head in the direction of the capital's market…

…

Less than an hour later, on the road from the capital's market…

「…Where to now?」

Nona asks, walking beside Straf with her hands clasped behind her back.

「A place.」

「What place?」

Straf bluntly replies with a bored expression on his face, looking dead ahead, and she asks again.

「A place you'll see when we get there.」

He rolls his eyes, and his mouth skews to the side.

「You're taking me to a secret place to do some dirty stuff with me, huh? Pervolich.」

Nona grins, and jabs Straf in the ribs. With a sigh, he lets her.

「The dirty stuff is your mind. And stop calling me that, someone is seriously going to misunderstand the situation.」

Straf insists, side-glancing at Nona's amber eyes with a frustrated, tight-lipped grimace. She quiets down for a few moments.

「…So what'd you buy all that stuff for?」

「Uniform. The Ministry of Security should have a unique look, and I already know what it should be… Mostly. I still don't know what I want the female uniforms to look like.」

Straf says, shrugging his shoulders with his hand in his pocket.

「Uniforms? You mean like, matching clothing?」

Nona tilts her head, curiously blinking.

「What else? They'll be pleasing, tasteful, aesthetic, and nice to look at.」

Straf confidently declares as the warehouse comes into sight.

「…Booring. I thought you'd actually pull me aside and do something to me.」

「Tsk. Seriously, your mind is a sewer. It probably has its own Thieves' guild stealing your brain cells.」

「He he…」

Nona quietly chuckles, grinning in response to the insult. Straf shakes his head and approaches the door.

「What's this?」

「The place.」

Straf says, and enters through the unlocked door. With a bouncy step, Nona slinks in before the door can close.

The late morning sun's light floods in through the windows above, illuminating the otherwise dark warehouse. Empty crates stacked up high line the walls, and a curious, complex construction sits in the cleared center.

「What's this place? What's that thing?」

Nona asks, looking around before the new and improved printer draws her attention.

「It's a national security secret… And since you're in the Ministry of Security, I suppose I can tell you. This is where the drakes are printed. I'll make you your Ministry identification here.」

Straf says, walking up to the printer. He starts working with its smaller attachment off to its side.

「Rrriight… What's your name again?」

Straf asks, turning his gaze towards Nona as he leans onto the printer.

「Eh? You forgot!?」

Surprised, she asks with a shocked grin.

「Nooo, I never remembered. I will commit it to memory now, okay? Now what's your name?」

「Nona! Nona Bounder! Remember that!」

She exclaims with a pout, clenching her fists.

「I will. The first part, at least. Date of birth?」

「Eh? What do you need that for?…」

Surprised again, Nona shakes her head a little with a small grin.

「The identification, what else?」

Rolling his eyes, Straf looks at Nona with his mouth askew

「Er, well… 219th of second era.」

She replies, and Straf arranges small pieces within a rack on the printer.

Tha-Thud!

He pulls a lever, and the printer spits out a small, rectangular rigid plate with Nona's information printed on it with black ink. Straf takes it into hand, and gently blows air onto it a few times.

「Is that the thing?」

She asks as her amber eyes look at the identification card in Straf's hands.

「Fwooooo… Fwooooo… Yes, that is the thing, but I'm not done yet.」

He blows air at it a few more times, then throws the card into his [Portable Storage]. Reaching in, he pulls out an out of date, but relatively modern-looking camera.

「What is that?」

「It will take far too long to explain than I have time for. Riiight…」

Straf sets the camera down on the printer, as Nona looks at it with curious eyes.

「Craft.」

Straf steps away, and starts poking his finger at the thin air.

「…What is this for?」

Nona asks, and Straf sighs.

「I told you, I don't really have the time- Put that down!」

Straf's eyes widen when he sees Nona holding the camera, examining it in her hands. He shouts a demand with a raised voice, pointing his finger at her.

「Eh?-」

Snap!

「Ahh!」 「Agh!」

She shouts as in her momentary confusion, she presses a button on the camera. It makes a loud sound and lights up the entire warehouse, blinding Straf with the flash. In her panic, she throws the camera up.

As he takes his fingers of his burning eyes, he sees the camera plummeting towards the ground.

「Nonono!-」

Straf exclaims, and activates [Contextual Time Perception]. He leisurely jogs up to the camera as Nona is nearly frozen in her panicked throw. He places his unbroken hand underneath it, and firmly grasps it.

Time returns to normal, and Straf lets out a large, relieved sigh.

「Whew… I'd almost have to craft that shit again…」

He remarks with relief, as the camera spits out a photo.

「…And what's this?」

Nona asks, and pulls the photo out to take a look at it.

「Haven't you had enough already? You almost broke the thing I need for this.」

Straf says with a tight-lipped grimace, spreading his arms in frustration.

「Wow… Is this magic?」

Nona remarks, as Straf's blurry face slowly appears on the photo.

「No. It's technology. And if I have to repeat that for every Ministry member, I'll get sick of it real quick.」

Straf says, walking up beside Nona to look at the photo. Most of it is empty, capturing only the warehouse walls and crates, and in the corner of the photo, Straf's blurry scowling face and a singular eye glare at the viewer.

「…It's you.」

She says, completely amazed as she glances at Straf and the photo.

「Yeah, and it would have been you if you didn't put your hands on things that aren't yours-」

Straf says, and stops as soon as he realizes it.

《…The irony is almost palpable.》

He thinks, glancing at Nona's awed face.

「Welp. You gave me the proof I existed in this world without having to slow life it up for a year or two. Though it's more like a cryptid photo…」

Straf shrugs looking at his own blurry, slowly developing face. He sets the camera down again.

「Now do not touch it.」

He commands, pointing at the camera as he walks a few steps away.

「Okay.」

Nona nods, still very fascinated by the developing photo.

「Peaked cap.」

「What?」

Nona blinks, tilting her head as Straf says something odd.

「I'm not talking to you.」

He replies over his shoulder.

「…Then who?」

She asks, and Straf taps the thin air with his finger. A glowing shape appears in front of him, and drops into his hand when the glow subsides.

《Prototype crafting experience gained. New prototypes available.》

A monotone female voice announces.

「Okay, uh… What are your sizes?」

Straf asks, turning back to Nona. He places a black peaked hat with a visor on top of her head.

「Huh? Sizes?」

She asks, taking the hat into her hand.

「Tsk. Forget it, I'll just check.」

Straf clicks his tongue, and puts his hands under Nona's armpits.

「I gotta get rid of this thing soon, it's making things difficult…」

Straf sighs as he struggles to get a good idea of Nona's chest size due to the cast on his arm.

「Eh? Eh!? Are you an actual pervert!? Pervolich!?」

Nona exclaims as his hands crawl all over her body, making their way down.

「I'm checking your sizes. And for all that shouting, you don't seem to be too bothered by this.」

Straf remarks, and he starts checking Nona's hip size.

「Ah- Well, I mean…」

She stammers, looking aside with a grin.

「Alright, done.」

「Eh!? Already?…」

Straf turns away from Nona, pulling his hands away. Her tone sounds almost disappointed.

「Yeah. It doesn't have to be perfect, just good enough. Jacket.」

Straf taps the thin air again, a glowing shape appears, then once again drops into his hand in the same manner.

《Prototype crafting experience gained. New prototypes available.》

「…How do you do that?」

「Skirt… You sure ask a lot of questions, Nona.」

Straf says, and taps the thin air with his finger once more. Another shape appears and drops into his waiting hand while Nona watches, simply amazed.

「Here, put these on.」

Straf turns around, and throws the clothes at Nona. She barely manages to catch them all.

「Eh!? You want me to undress in front of you!?」

「…Or you can go do it behind some crates. If you insist on getting naked in front of me, the choice is yours.」

Straf shrugs his shoulders, looking at Nona with a slanted mouth and bored eyes.

「…Pervolich. Pervolord.」

Nona says with a pout as she walks behind a stack of crates out of Straf's view…