Léon: The Cat Killer

"The key is order... public order. Our organization advocates that Colombia prospers because of corporations, but the prosperity of corporations cannot be achieved by exploiting Colombia... because that would seriously harm the interests of ordinary people. National interests would be harmed as a result, and we would be unable to achieve the free world we envision."

"...I don't care about that, you just need to tell me who the target is."

Seeing the assassin, who, despite having limits, remained as solid as ice, the manager shrugged.

"The course of events is already laid bare before us, just as you predicted... human experimentation controls have been tightened, and those in charge of stigmatizing infected individuals have been 'punished'... With no way to expand the legal channels for experimental subjects, Loken Water Tank, which is under immense pressure, is bound to take desperate measures."

"...Isn't this completely ineffective in deterring them?"

"The collapse of an Ursus white glove company is hardly a deterrent... but the disappearance of a Colombian company can. Loken Williams' abilities as a researcher are beyond question, but he's just had bad luck... Seventy-seven, do you have the habit of watching the stock market? I guess you don't, Loken Tank's stock price dropped five points today."

"Because Ursus shareholders who attended the promotional event for its 'spell control panel' will be exposed to have Oripathy within a week, the reason being that they sat on their own product with a broken core component."

The assassin didn't understand her boss's gloating; she was simply puzzled as to why things had taken such a turn for the worse.

"Didn't they say there was still a week until the attack started?"

"But our subordinate employee organization... the people who will do the follow-up 'cleaning' work for you will sell the news that that guy has Oripathy as stock price sensitive information... Everyone unhesitatingly assumes that Number Seventy-Seven will definitely complete the mission."

"...These guys..."

Although her tone was one of complaint, the black-haired assassin girl's eyes remained completely unmoved.

"Doesn't the organization care?"

"ICA...International Contract Agency is ultimately just an external platform and will not interfere with the personal behavior of its employees...As for the cleaners who sell 'non-confidential information,' they earn the same money as you, but they bear the burden of having to go to jail for strangers if they make a mistake at work. It's normal for them to want to save up enough for retirement and run away as soon as possible, so please be more understanding."

"Just remember that, compared to the ICA, your personal file belongs to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and you work as a clerk in the finance department... At least your social security has always been paid by the laboratory."

“I once thought that the ICA was the ‘organization’ you were talking about.”

In response to Nana's complaints, the manager gave a comical smile, flicked her cigarette ash into the ashtray beside her, and then shrugged:

"How could it not be?"

"...Ultimately, I've always worked under you...So it doesn't matter which organization I'm affiliated with..."

"Actually, there are still differences... but you probably don't understand the necessity of a formal position yet, since you're not worried enough. Anyway... let's continue talking about Loken Water Tank... where were we?"

"share price."

"Oh, um~ stock price... today's five points is just the beginning. The subsequent sell-off by insiders will cause the stock price of this laboratory to plummet... professional traders may make a fortune from this... but it certainly doesn't include Loken himself."

"As another research project valued by the military, Rhine Lab's Balrog Project is progressing steadily. However, the artificial Originium organs project, which seems to have a brighter future but will not cause Oripathy, is progressing slowly..."

"With private investment now being misled, Loken Williams will definitely be eager to show the military the progress he's made..."

Thinking of the volunteer recruitment poster she saw at Bruce's house yesterday, the assassin girl with cat ears on her head leaned back:

"So they increased their recruitment of volunteers for human experiments... but if they were to actually conduct experiments, that would be illegal."

"They want to achieve something before they are abandoned...like the neural reflexes that keep the body active even after the brain dies. The intelligence our employees have gathered is that Williams' theory is now ready...although he is seen as a discarded pawn by our faction, he will still try to find suitable military recipients and showcase his talents to military investors as much as possible...hoping that someone at the top will protect him and his business."

"So he's already gone all in... Is this kind of wide-net search for test subjects a sign of his struggle?"

Nodding, the agent closed the file in his hand:

"Yes, and next, the organization will use normal administrative procedures to prosecute and freeze all research on the Loken Water Tank... If they hadn't been incredibly lucky to find a perfect prototype and the experiments hadn't gone so smoothly that the country could be blamed... then... this guy who's using every trick in the book and has no regard for national consciousness will be the best example for those illegal companies."

The black-haired girl closed the file in front of her, her expression unchanged, but the question was one that she wouldn't have cared about in the past:

"I don't understand the legal issues, but I think that a so-called 'all-or-nothing' gamble certainly wouldn't be about specifically looking for a 'perfect fit'... Loken Water Tank, eager to achieve results, will inevitably expand the scale of illegal experiments in hopes of a higher probability... How can we mitigate the damage to the public during this period?"

"Hehe~ You definitely can't count on judges... After all, they won't convict someone of a crime that hasn't even happened yet; that's the lag and limitation of the law..."

But at this point, the agent's gaze softened:

"So... you're the killer."

Seeing Number Seventy-Seven deep in thought, the agent put away the file in front of her, her tone once again becoming flippant:

"That's pretty much it for the Loken water tank issue. After that, it's about observation and surveillance of them... This part has nothing to do with you, Number Seventy-Seven, but I need you to be ready to go... Well, considering that lethal force may be necessary, I hope you'll take the weapon kit that the equipment department has prepared for you."

Hearing this statement, which was almost equivalent to 'lethal firepower authorization', Number 77 tilted his head:

"Is a 'backpack' okay?"

"As long as you don't mind those things making you look childish again... Oh, I didn't say you needed to wear a sailor uniform this time; last time it was just a personal hobby for the equipment major..."

"I do not mind……"

Seeing that her manager wasn't going to follow up, Nana glanced at her watch and got up to leave.

"Anyway, all I need to do is achieve my goal."

Watching her 'ace' leave, the agent's smile was somewhat awkward.

With himself now alone in the conference room, the agent sighed and took out the document at the bottom.

One document contained a simplified theoretical intelligence report on the Loken experiment, which was purchased by an ICA employee. The other document was a list of people who, theoretically, could be adapted to the Loken water tank experiment, calculated by the 'organization' based on medical examination information from the Columbia Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Bruce family was among those with a success rate of over 30% and high expectations of success.

And since she, being part of a certain faction, can obtain something like this, there's no reason why those more radical guys shouldn't be able to.

"You don't care... is that so? If you can be this indifferent even when the neighbor's cat gets involved... then maybe you really can only be a machine..."

As he stroked another 'application for permanent employment' that already had his signature, the agent's expression was hard to decipher—was it anticipation or worry?

"Can you... still love this world?"

……

…………

Not yet clear what her boss was expecting of her, the 77th embarked on her journey home.

Just like real salespeople, she can get a ride home and be reimbursed when accompanying her superiors and clients to see the warehouse, but she has to rely on public transportation to get home... Although Nana, as an assassin, naturally knows how to drive, the reason why her agent hasn't provided her with a car yet seems to be that, given the average income of local salespeople, saving enough to buy a vehicle that can roam the Terra region is a long-term goal that would take a full ten years to achieve.

With Nana's current 'disguise' only halfway through, she's clearly not good enough, not to mention that her actual disguise is rather unsuccessful, and she's just a character struggling to survive...

Of course, it's also possible that the reason Nana wasn't provided with a car was because the short girl couldn't reach the foot pedals while sitting in the non-custom driver's seat.

Anyway, if it really comes to the point of need, the organization won't be stingy with a vehicle, and Nana's work so far hasn't had any mobility issues... After all, all the goals so far have unknowingly become too heavy.

Perhaps, in Number Seventy-Seven's view, the fact that the enemy is thriving right under his nose might itself be a form of defeat.

However, after saying all that, you still have to walk your own path.

As always, she greeted the old men playing cards on the street, and then, carrying her briefcase, she jogged and jumped across the puddles and stones... Once she landed, Nana immediately spotted four white fur balls clinging to the bakery window. Then, following their worried gazes, she saw Andy Bruce with his arm around the shoulder of a man in a beige suit.

The assassin's cat ears, which usually droop slightly when she wasn't paying attention, were now standing up high. Her auditory instincts, which had always been the subject of the Equipment Research Department's complaints that "the body has defeated technology," filtered out all other noises.

Although Nana didn't hear what Mr. Andy and the police officer were saying earlier, the guy with sunglasses, brown hair, and obvious Liberi features in his sideburns said something that sounded like a threat: "You don't want your son, daughter, relatives, or neighbors to know you're sick, do you?"

...Of course, this has nothing to do with Assassin Seventy-Seven.

Nana would never normally get involved in something like this... but seeing Andy's eyes meet hers but then immediately look away, that look of suppressed anger that ultimately succumbed to reality... Nana turned around and met the gazes of the four white fur balls, and for some reason, she stopped in her tracks.

Kate stared into the distance with a look of exasperation, while pulling her younger siblings behind her, seemingly offering useless words of comfort like, "It's okay, it's alright."

The brothers were silent and cold-looking, while Matilda stared wide-eyed as if waiting for something.

Nana didn't know why the little white cat looked expectant when they met eyes, but at that moment she unexpectedly heard the advice her boss had given her earlier that day.

"...Ha...From the bottom of my heart...Why not say it's to avoid the honest man getting angry and causing a public impact..."

Not knowing who she was sighing for, Nana unconsciously winked at the four white furballs, then held her briefcase in front of her and approached the two people whose atmosphere was clearly off.

“...Um...Mr. Andy? Ah, I felt like I recognized that gray hair...It really is Mr. Andy. It's nice to meet you today.”

Seemingly oblivious to the atmosphere, the girl in the beige suit, Li Boli, looked up with a smile. But Nana, who was also smiling, clearly sensed... the fact that the other person's eyes, like her own, were devoid of any warmth.

However, unlike the 'assassin's' mechanical coldness, what filled the eyes of this person now was... a suppressed madness.

It makes sense. If someone who threatens ordinary people with Oripathy doesn't have an innate, abnormal way of thinking, then it's only natural that they would have psychological problems.

However, Nana doesn't care whether this madman is congenital or acquired. Even if it's just to save her sleep quality today, Nana is determined to get rid of this guy who's provoking Mr. Andy.

"The weather is nice today, and Mr. Andy is unusually leaving get off work on time..."

"Ah...um..."

Actually, he probably just couldn't find a job and had to go home after being turned away at every opportunity... It doesn't matter, Nana doesn't care about that. And at this moment, much as Nana had estimated, the people who had been in control of the situation started to lose their patience.

On this bright and sunny day, the Li Boli man, who, like Nana, had meticulously buttoned up his beige suit, released Andy. He first bowed to Nana with impeccable aristocratic manners, then asked in a very magnetic voice:

"Andy, you never told me you knew such a lovely girl... May I ask your name?"

"Well, you're too modest. This is what I do... It's a pleasure to meet you."

Both parties exchanged business cards bearing the 'Finance Department of the National Laboratory,' their etiquette impeccable to the extreme. However, the Liberian man maintained a slight air of superiority throughout, making no attempt to introduce himself… But in a world where even the managers of any company of any size could amass wealth like foreign aristocrats, Nana's business card, though lacking in fame, was sufficient for all daily social interactions.

Nana, being an amnesiac, probably didn't understand the implications of her identity, but her expression shifted between light and shadow... and finally, she managed a somewhat forced smile:

"You're actually an employee of a national-level laboratory? You're really young and promising."

"I'm just a salesperson transferring the wisdom of researchers to those who need it... You seem to be an acquaintance of Mr. Andy. I wonder if you, like Mr. Andy, have a need to become a client of our company?"

"The client? Him?"

Nana didn't know if the man in front of her was wondering about Andy's financial resources or whether Andy's status as an infected person made him a client of some laboratory... But given the current atmosphere, she realized that continuing to pester him would only result in the short, evasive Liberian man simply waving goodbye.

"Well, since Andy has been invited by a beautiful woman, I won't bother you any longer... But Andy, please reconsider my suggestion. I'll explain the details to you next time."

After seeing the man off with standard 28-degree business etiquette, Nana sighed and was about to ask Andy what was going on when the man suddenly staggered... Nana instinctively thought it was an attack and almost punched him.

Fortunately, she didn't do that. The assassin girl caught the man with the limit of her reflexes, and her assassin instincts told her that the man was probably suffering from Oripathy.

"Mr. Andy?!"

While pretending to call out to the other person, the other hand used a patting motion on the other person's back as a cover to use magic to reduce the activity of the Originium components in the other person's body.

Just as Nana had sensed before, the lesions on the other party were different from those of ordinary Originium patients who had their skin pierced. Andy Bruce's Originium crystals were in the head of his brain... to be precise, in the back of his head, in the vertebral crease between the cerebellum and the spinal cord.

The Originium crystal in this location is not only compressing the spinal cord, but it is also likely affecting the functioning of the central nervous system in the brain... No wonder this person's personality changed drastically a few years ago... In such a painful situation, it is probably only through his own efforts that he has managed to remain conscious.

Beating his daughter over the smallest things is probably the most indifferent problem in his life right now.

Seeing the man's pale face and cold sweat, yet his insistence on remaining standing to prove he wasn't sick... Nana didn't know how to comment.

Whether it's advising him to seek medical treatment or to move away, those are just things done after the neighbors who have gathered to watch have finished their business.

"Um... everyone spread out a bit to keep the air circulating. I'm a salesperson who does fieldwork for the lab, please leave this to me!"

As she spoke, she quickly reached into the lining of her briefcase and opened it. Inside were medical supplies that Nana could use in an emergency... Of course, most of the external injury medications were unnecessary at the moment. Nana could only take out a small medical spellcasting unit. With the aid of the staff, she cast a spell on the Originium on the back of his head... and Mr. Andy visibly stabilized.

"Okay, that's all for now."

Seeing that Nana had taken back the 'medical device' she was holding in her hand, the contents of which were unclear, someone in the surrounding crowd asked in a loud voice:

"Thank goodness, what's wrong with Bruce? Hopefully it's something deadly or contagious..."

"Ah, it's hard to make a definitive diagnosis before the examination... but the symptoms just now were somewhat similar to epilepsy... it could be a blood clot in the brain or something similar..."

Seeing that Nana began to explain in a relaxed and generous manner, the other onlookers gradually satisfied their curiosity, shaking their heads and sighing, "Bruce is really unlucky," before dispersing in twos and threes.

Those who remained there afterward were naturally Andy's children.

Matilda was the first to rush into Nana's arms:

"Nana-neechan is so amazing!"

Then there was Kate, whose cheeks and the corners of her eyes were slightly flushed:

"I really don't know how to thank you enough..."

Even the two usually shy boys bowed to Nana to express their gratitude.

"Thank you so much."

"Thank you!"

Seeing the kittens who seemed to have relaxed, Nana's expression was probably the only one who relaxed. To be honest, Andy's condition was only being suppressed... If he were to receive serious treatment later, the cost would probably be far beyond what a few people's tuition fees could cover.

Or rather, the fact that all four of them were in school made Nana wonder about their financial situation.

But that's not the problem right now...

"Anyway, let's lend a hand... and let Mr. Andy go home and rest..."

Fortunately, with the help of the two boys, Nana could do nothing, and Andy Bruce was still successfully sent back to his bed at home.

Afterwards, she used the 'Inertia' spell to reinforce the 'healing', and then borrowed Bruce's kitchen to cook for the three hungry kittens with Kate. Several hours later, Mrs. Cole returned with a worried expression.

Judging from her sweaty appearance, she had been told about her husband's illness as soon as she returned to this street, and then ran all the way back.

Seeing his wife sobbing as she looked at her unconscious husband on the bed, wanting to check on him but not knowing where to start, Nana sighed and handed a handkerchief to Matilda. In the end, it was the little white cat who reminded the wife to tidy herself up first.