Nicole couldn't help but feel annoyed—Sam was her employee, yet here he was, making a weapon for someone who clearly came looking for trouble.
If anyone deserved a custom weapon, it should've been her first.
Watching Caesar effortlessly swing the golden stone sword in the living room, each arc cutting through the air with power and grace, Nicole let out a small huff. She reached out and picked up the golden stone shield from the table.
But as soon as she tried to lift it, her expression changed. Something was off.
Why was it so heavy?
She couldn't lift it with one hand at all.
Beside her, Nekomata cheered her on. "That stone shield looks awesome, Nicole! Come on, lift it! Let's see how good she is at blocking."
It wasn't just Nekomata—Piper, Lucy, Billy, and Anby were all looking her way, clearly wanting to see a clash between the shield and Caesar's sword.
But…
Nicole simply couldn't lift the thing.
She gave a strained laugh. "Uh… this shield wasn't made for me. I don't really like using other people's gear. Why don't one of you try instead?"
She quickly let go of the shield and stepped back to make room.
Immediately, Nekomata rushed forward, gripping the shield with both hands.
As expected, even the nimble Nekomata couldn't budge the massive shield. She strained and yanked with all her might, managing only a slight wobble before it settled back, unmoved.
And with that, Nekomata understood exactly what Nicole had meant—she hadn't rejected the shield out of preference, but because it was simply too heavy.
Trying to save face, she stretched with a big yawn. "Didn't nap today. Feeling really sleepy, y'know? And you know how cats get when they're tired—no strength at all. I'll go grab a quick nap. You guys try."
Anby stayed quiet. She was stronger than Nicole and Nekomata, sure—but she wasn't built for heavy weapons either.
Even if she could lift the shield, she probably couldn't use it properly.
Billy just covered his face in embarrassment.
How could it be that in all of Hare's House, not a single person besides Sam could lift what didn't even look like that big a shield?
It was humiliating.
Just as Billy was about to step up and try, Piper yawned and stepped forward.
"I'll handle it. It probably weighs about the same as my stone axe anyway."
Hearing that, Billy halted mid-step, cleared his throat, and backed off like nothing had happened.
Soon enough, Piper hoisted the stone shield.
Nicole, Nekomata, and Anby all looked shocked.
None of them had expected the petite Piper to have such strength.
Piper raised the shield. "Big Sis Caesar, go ahead—give it a swing."
Caesar laughed heartily. "Hold tight, Piper."
No sooner had the words left her mouth than she raised the golden stone sword high and brought it down on the shield.
The moment sword met shield, a thunderous clang erupted, and a flash of golden light burst between them.
So strong.
Even Nicole had to admit—these weren't just any street punks. The Sons of Calydon clearly had what it took to survive in the Outer Ring. And Caesar? She was every bit the formidable leader she claimed to be.
Caesar looked down at the sword in her hands, reluctant to let go.
"This is incredible. What a weapon!"
And the shield was just as good.
With this set in hand, Caesar felt confident she could protect her gang's territory—and the people of Calydon Town—from any threat.
Just as Caesar was about to say more...
A voice roared in from the next building over. "Iron Rooster! Keep that Hare's House of yours quiet or I'm calling the cops!"
The thunderous clash had clearly startled the neighbors.
Caesar blinked. "Iron Rooster?"
Nicole coughed and waved it off. "No idea. But it's definitely not me."
Billy: "..."
Nekomata: "..."
Yeah, they'd all heard it before. Complaints from the neighbors were just another part of daily life at Hare's House.
...
Caesar turned to Sam with a bright smile. "Thanks again for forging the set. I owe you one. If you ever run into trouble in the Outer Ring, come find me in Calydon Town. We'll help you out, no matter what."
Sam, ever calm, didn't seem fazed in the slightest.
"It was nothing. You don't need to worry about it."
Sam might not have cared.
But Nicole sure did.
As soon as she heard Caesar's promise, an idea lit up in her mind. A sly smile crept onto her face.
"Ahem. Since Sam made you such an amazing weapon, of course we should talk about a little favor in return. As it happens, we've got a bit of a problem. Could use help from someone with pull in the Outer Ring."
Caesar laughed. "Say no more. Whatever it is, we'll take care of it."
With her new golden gear, Caesar was brimming with confidence—she didn't fear anyone out there now.
Nicole's smile grew. "We're looking for a man named Perlman. If you could find him—and preferably catch him—that would help us a lot."
Ever since Perlman had escaped, the lawsuit between Canvas Lane and Vision Company had hit a wall. Two court sessions later, they'd barely scraped together half the compensation they were due.
And if they wanted the rest? It could drag on forever.
Nicole had too much to do to sit around waiting. The only real option left was to catch the runaway herself.
What's more, the Public Security Bureau had put a bounty on Perlman's head.
Two million Dennies.
With that much on the line, there was no way Nicole could ignore it. She'd wanted to go after him for a while, but the Outer Ring was just too chaotic—too many gangs, too much danger.
But now, with a connection to the Sons of Calydon, she saw her chance.
Nicole grinned. "So? Should be easy for you guys, right? Just need to track down one man in the Outer Ring."
Caesar didn't hesitate. "Leave it to us."
Off to the side, Lucy murmured the name "Perlman" under her breath, then suddenly remembered.
"Wait. Are you talking about that Perlman? The boss of Vision Company?"
Even though she lived in the Outer Ring, Lucy followed New Eridu's affairs closely. She knew all about the scandal with Vision and Canvas Lane.
If memory served, the official reports had made it very clear:
It was the folks from Hare's House who'd taken down Perlman and exposed Vision's schemes.