Léon: The Cat Killer

It can only be said that Kate's personality is just that... 'free-spirited'.

Compared to her mother, who was likely from a wealthy or aristocratic background, Kate's boisterous manner clearly suggested she was a native of the old town.

"Going to the bathhouse costs money, of course, and the extra money isn't even enough to buy drinks, plus we have to take care of the kids. It's so kind of Nana-neechan to help out..."

Nana really didn't know how to deal with this overly familiar girl who was sticking to her side, and Matilda, seemingly envious of her older sister's behavior, also jumped off Mrs. Cole's arms.

The kitten first looked at the armrest of the single sofa occupied by Kate, but just as she was about to climb up, she unexpectedly drooped her ears as if she was worried about something. But soon the kitten's ears perked up, and amidst Mrs. Cole's exclamation of "Ara ara," she sat down in Nana's lap.

"Ah~ Matilda seems to really like you, Miss Nana."

"Ah...this? Why...?"

Upon hearing Nana's question, Matilda's eyes immediately lit up as she said:

"Because Nana-neechan is super amazing!"

The girl in her arms, with her hands raised as if cheering for the day, seemed unsure of what to do with her loose hair and shirt.

Although she's an adult, it must be reiterated that Nana isn't very tall. Not to mention Kate is a whole head taller than Nana, sitting next to her completely looking down on her... even Matilda, sitting on Nana's lap, could touch the girl's chin with her head.

As the kitten rapidly twitched its ears, the feeling of its furry neck being scratched was something Nana found very novel.

Looking down at the kitten that smelled of the same shampoo as her, as their eyes met, the lingering blue membrane in the little girl's eyes reflected Nana's usual seemingly confused yet indifferent expression...

Just as Nana hesitated about how to react, the kitten suddenly propped itself up and licked Nana's cheek:

"Mio—lick it!"

The assassin had to admit, she'd encountered something she'd never experienced before… her mind suddenly went blank. Kate, noticing Nana's stunned expression, pinched her younger sister's cheek.

"Matilda, don't lick other people's boots!"

"Huh?! Mom and my sister can lick it, and Nana is also an older sister, so why can't she lick it?!"

Seemingly taken aback by Matilda's self-righteous tone, Kate's face instantly turned bright red, and she could only speak in a much weaker tone:

"It's not that bad yet... Ah, Nana-nee, here, have a tissue to wipe it off..."

"Ah... um... actually, it's nothing..."

Surprised, Nana even forgot to take a tissue and wiped her face with the back of her hand. The hand that she hadn't known how to put down until now seemed to have its own will... Nana unconsciously rubbed Matilda's soft cat ears and hair, and the kitten in her arms made a purring sound from its throat.

This action lasted for a few seconds until Nana and Mrs. Cole's smiling eyes met, and the girl realized that she was playing with the other woman's daughter like a toy.

Nana withdrew her hand as if she had been electrocuted.

"Ah...sorry..."

"It's alright, Miss Nana has never been close to children before."

"Can... you tell?"

"After all, from Film's perspective, you're too stiff right now."

Just as Nana was speechless, she suddenly heard the sound of a key being inserted into the door.

The clicking sound was like a spell with petrifying power, and the girl in Nana's arms immediately stiffened.

Meanwhile, Kate, standing next to Nana, made no attempt to hide her disgust. The big white cat even clicked its tongue before immediately reaching out to pick up the little guy who was frozen in Nana's arms.

In those few seconds, a gray-haired man named Felin silently entered the room carrying a paper bag with the logo of the store downstairs. Matilda, who had been lively and energetic just moments before, immediately slumped into Kate's arms, looking sickly.

As a neighbor, Nana hadn't paid much attention to this man who always made a scene when he got angry... In the past, she only remembered his cheap suit with pilling cuffs and his short gray hair, but now... she might also add the judgment of 'decadent' to that.

The gray-haired man was not irritable; in fact, he was quite quiet from the moment he opened the door until he entered and bowed slightly to greet Nana.

After placing the paper bag in her arms on the table, a recruitment poster was visible. The words "Loken Water Tank is recruiting volunteers" made Nana's lips twitch... She didn't know how much entertainment media coverage the Loken Water Tank Executive Committee's anti-infected directors would occupy tomorrow if they became infected.

Hopefully, this won't affect the man's job search process.

"Hello……"

Nana stood up, and her greeting was as routine as it was.

"Hello...how can I help you?"

Andy Bruce's voice was low and hoarse, as if he had been punched... Nana could feel the oppressive atmosphere emanating from him. Compared to the ever-changing vitality of Colombia, this man seemed to have one foot in the grave.

No...maybe he's already halfway to his coffin.

Looking at the man's still somewhat hunched body even after returning home, his neck was always subtly tilted at a three-degree angle... Moreover, after entering the room, Nana felt that his movements were not very coherent, as if he was hiding something behind his back... Most importantly, there was a very familiar scent on the back of this man's head.

The scent of Originium.

This person is infected.

Based on this judgment, the unusual behavior of the Bruce family seems to be explained.

Although the apartment itself prohibits infected people from renting it, Nana had no reason to expose them... Moreover, his illness seemed to be under good control, and Nana did not feel any Originium reaction in the other members of Bruce's family.

Given the current atmosphere, it was no longer appropriate to remain a guest here, so Nana echoed the other person's tone, saying:

“It’s nothing serious. Matilda’s clothes are here, and I should probably take my leave now.”

Ignoring the pleading looks from the two white cats behind her, Nana bowed to the somewhat tense and stiff Bruce couple and prepared to leave.

Mr. Andy nodded and stepped aside to make way, and Mrs. Cole also nervously stood up and stood between Nana and her husband:

"This... I'm really very grateful to you today. Let me see you out..."

"...My house is right next door to yours..."

"Ah...then please let me take you home?"

Although stiff, the wife's soft voice and the way she hugged the assassin's soft body did soften the atmosphere. After walking a few steps outside, Nana said goodbye to Cole Bruce and closed her bedroom door.

Back home, Nana's keen hearing compelled her to continue listening to what happened next.

What was that person doing at our house?

"That person... she's our neighbor, and she helped Matilda today."

[...Kate, didn't you keep a close eye on Mia?]

Hearing the low, annoyed voice, Nana sat down at the coffee table and carefully wiped the leaves of her potted plant with a damp towel... As for 'Mia', that might be Matilda's nickname.

Kate's subsequent response also suppressed her anger; Nana could even imagine the white cat's furrowed brow.

[...I'm at work...I can't touch a girl who got a mud ball thrown at me while I'm kneading dough...and I can't miss out on my day's pay, who's to blame for this?!]

Kate's questioning silenced the room for a long time, after which Andy's anger seemed to be directed entirely at Matilda.

So what's wrong with you?!

Matilda's voice was surprisingly soft, and Nana didn't pay special attention to it; she felt a tightness in her chest.

【They're looking for you again? What did you do to them this time?】

Andy... I don't think... Matilda is to blame...

【What do you mean it's not her fault? Those little bastards keep provoking her because she beat someone up before, didn't she? How many times have I told you not to be so impulsive?!】

In the midst of this incessant sermon, a shrill scream from a young girl suddenly shattered the tranquility of the apartment building.

They provoked me first!

Listening to Matilda's tearful rebuttal, based on Nana's experience over the years, the little white cat was likely to get beaten again that night... As expected, the man's curses and the child's howling cries lasted for nearly two hours.

This kind of thing has become commonplace in recent years and people should be used to it by now, but Nana, who usually gets a normal rest, sat on the recliner in the living room and didn't close her eyes all night.

The sound of the white-haired little film crying seemed to be recorded in her mind... The girl's crying and "Nana-neechan is super strong" played on a loop in Number Seventy-Seven's mind.

As a result, the girl's work the next day was naturally affected. Nana, who went out to the "company" with her briefcase to give a "work briefing", clearly hadn't slept well.

Nana's 'company' office is located in a former factory not far from the old town. Due to urban planning, the factory was relocated and converted into a logistics warehouse a few years ago. Salespeople like Nana come here from time to time to check the goods being sold...

Those legitimate salespeople had no idea that the factory's hidden elevator led directly underground, and that this secret facility belonged to an organization in Colombia that didn't even disclose its name.

Nana only knew that a government official was investigating her, so she only said that she was a salesperson under the Treasury Department of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. As for whether the laboratory existed or whether the department existed on Earth, the girl knew nothing.

After all, an assassin only needs to be a cold, indifferent machine when working, and Nana has always been reassuring in this regard.

However, since it was 'Nana' sitting here today instead of 'Number 77', the girl didn't stand on ceremony when she saw her manager in the basement. She kept breathing heavily and even squeezed out a few tears.

"It's rare to see even our 'best' salesperson fail to properly prepare for physical training?"

Ignoring the woman in business attire, who was called a 'manager' but was actually more commonly referred to as a 'department head', Nana sat on the stool, tilting her head and fiddling with her bangs:

"...The neighbors were beating their kids again yesterday..."

"Hmm...didn't you already get used to it?"

"But yesterday I was asked to take that child to take a bath..."

"Oh? She seems to be a very well-behaved child."

Without answering her agent, the woman's booming, cadent voice, reminiscent of a news anchor, sent chills down Nana's spine.

When Nana stopped brushing her bangs aside, her pupils, visible through the gaps in her hair, momentarily narrowed into cat-like eyes before returning to normal. Her manager maintained his light smile.

"Don't think I'm being sarcastic. I didn't intend to do anything to that child... In fact, I probably know better than you what kind of people surround you... The reason I let you live next to that family was because I wanted them to bring you some positive energy..."

“But I didn’t expect that the harmonious family you had back then wouldn’t turn you into a normal person, but now that they’ve fallen on hard times, you’re starting to react like a normal person… Is this your problem, or… Matilda Bruce’s problem? I think it’s the former…”

As he spoke, he tapped the documents with his fingertips, his gaze towards Nana carrying a look of disappointment that had been present for years. Nana couldn't understand it at all; she had always been committed to high-quality work.

The agent understood the problem with his number 77. Since this iron block was showing rare signs of improvement today, the agent didn't rush to talk about work, but instead continued along the lines of the previous conversation:

"...You should learn more about the world, Seventy-Seven...You are the best assassin under my command. Over the years, you have proven that you are invincible as a machine...But we don't want a machine. There are too many things that can replace a machine."

“And as your agent, even if I can convince the organization to invest so much in you, if you're just a machine, you'll always just be an ‘assassin’…”

Listening to her manager's words, Nana looked up at this guy who had once been just a symbol in her heart.

This blonde woman, whose age was hard to discern, had the same blue eyes as him, but she wore glasses and a hat, almost completely obscuring her racial features.

For Nana, who also has experience in disguise, this appearance looks very much like a specially 'designed' 'face'.

"I am just an assassin."

"No, you can only be an assassin 'now'... We actually have high hopes for you... The organization has many other identities we can give you... but there are prerequisites..."

"premise?"

The agent, her fingers crossed and resting on her lips, looked directly into Nana's eyes. This woman, who was, in a sense, Nana's guardian, stared intently into Nana's eyes.

"First and foremost, you have to be a human being... You have to understand why humans are powerful and why our organization is indestructible..."

"..."

Can you answer this question?

"……loyalty?"

Hearing Nana's answer, the manager pursed his lips and raised the corner of his eye, seemingly both amused and exasperated.

"No...that's not important...or rather, not that important...after all, the organization has plenty of ways to make disloyal people work for us...forget it, I'll just tell you the answer directly, it's 'love'."

This time, it was Nana's turn to be both amused and exasperated.

"like?"

"Yes, it's so difficult to get someone like you who works in the dark to fall in love with anything... Even though I always explain the reasons to you and tell you properly that you're not the kind of cleaner who uses money to solve problems for others, you've been working to eliminate the dark side of this country, or even the world. Even if it's just for self-protection, you probably won't believe in the so-called 'love' anymore... But I'm not lying. Without 'love,' you wouldn't do anything from the bottom of your heart."

"From the bottom of my heart..."

Recalling how she had tossed and turned in bed last night, her mind filled with images of kittens, Nana frowned even more deeply.

So... I'm a lolicon?

"That's a question for you to answer... but in my opinion, it's a good thing... you're no longer that carefree machine, and although it's just a hint, my little assassin finally has something to hold onto."

Seeing Nana's face full of self-doubt, the manager smiled and took out the documents:

"Now, let's talk about your work yesterday."

1st Rosemary Embrace: 004 Thaw

"I commissioned an employee of the organization to collect your target's bodily fluids. The test results came back recently, and there is no doubt that he has indeed become infected. Judging from his lifestyle, he should show symptoms of Oripathy in about a week."

As she spoke, flipping through documents, the female agent, dressed in standard business attire, lit a cigarette, but merely held it between her fingers.

“Well done, Seventy-seven. This will deter the executive committee of Loken Water Tank... and all those companies that want to take shortcuts…”

"Deterrence? Will it really..."

Nana's eyes clearly showed no expectation whatsoever for her manager's words, while the manager, accustomed to the cold gaze of a heartthrob, shrugged: