Inside a restaurant, Shea sat surrounded by a mountain of hairy crabs, crunching away with loud *munch-munch* sounds.

"Slow down. No one’s stealing your food," Abel said with a wry chuckle. Shea’s threat to "eat him bankrupt" clearly wasn’t an empty one. These crabs alone probably cost hundreds of gold coins—but to his ten-thousand-coin fortune, it was pocket change. He doubted her tiny frame could handle much more.

Shea ignored him, shooting him a sideways glance before diving back into her crab feast. *Free food? Why waste it?*

"Fine. Just don’t get a stomachache," Abel sighed. He ordered a few dishes and settled in to kill time. Tonight, he’d hunt down Rico again. Last time, his promise to Shea had stopped him from demanding the ring back. Now that their deal was done? He wouldn’t hold back. If she refused to return it, he’d take it by force.

But Rico’s movements were ghostly. His one-time-use Soul Compass was spent, leaving him no way to track her. He’d have to lie in wait—stake out her next target. Easier said than done. Abel would need a long-term plan.

As he waited for his food, a bespectacled demon girl entered the restaurant. Her eyes locked onto Shea, still demolishing crabs.

"Hey~ Rare to see you eating out, Xiao Ya!" The demon girl strode over, spotted Abel beside Shea, paused, then grinned. "Oops. Am I interrupting something?"

"Huh? Nellie-teacher?" Shea’s cheeks bulged with food, her words muffled. She swallowed hard. "Nope! Just lunch!"

"*Nellie teacher*," the girl corrected gently, tapping Shea’s head. *How many times must I say it?* Without waiting for a reply, she turned to Abel. "Hunter, mind if I join you?"

"Please, sit. I’m Abel." He gestured politely to the seat beside Shea. Nellie studied them both—the crab-devouring girl and the calm hunter—then propped her chin on her palm, eyes twinkling like a gossipmonger who’d struck gold. "So… are you two dating?"

"..."

"..."

Both froze. Even the crab in Shea’s hand lost its appeal. She set it down. "Absolutely not."

"We’re just friends," Abel added firmly.

Nellie merely sipped her coffee, smiling knowingly. "Mhm~ I won’t pry." She set down her cup. "But Shea—nights are dangerous lately. If you take night jobs, be careful. Last night, Phantom Thief Lico stumbled into something eerie. It’s caused quite a stir."

Shea wiped her mouth. *She knew.* She’d stopped those Cultists herself—if she hadn’t, the city’s water supply would’ve been poisoned. Now, reservoirs were locked down tighter than a miser’s purse. Not even a mosquito could slip through.

"I will," Shea promised. One wrong word, and Nellie would lecture her for an hour.

Abel’s mind flashed to the Cultists he’d seen in the black market. They’d bought vials of violet powder—*Corruption Dust*, he’d guessed. *Daring enough to poison the water… and Rico stopped them?* He owed her a debt. But something felt off. His intel claimed guards at Elson Warehouse had exposed the plot. Two Cultists blew themselves up; a third was hacked apart. No mention of Rico. The city’s rumors matched *his* version—panic had sent citizens hoarding water.

"Nellie," Abel asked carefully, "where did you hear this?"

"My partner told me."

"*Partner?*" Abel blinked. This demon girl looked Shea’s age. *Married?* He blurted, "Uh… how many years is your partner in for?"

Nellie stared, deadpan. She finished her coffee. "I’ve been an adult for *years*. My partner’s a mercenary. He hears things… ordinary people don’t."

*Ah.* Mercenary intel trumped his lone-wolf sources. They operated outside noble factions—the real force against Cultists and Corruption.

Abel leaned forward. "Then… may I ask? Do you know where Rico might strike next?"

Shea perked up, ears practically twitching. *I’ll avoid that spot.*

Nellie tapped her cup. "Elson Warehouse. Again."

"*Again?*" Abel frowned. After an attack, security would be ironclad. Why risk it? Shea nodded silently. *Even Nellie isn’t all-knowing.*

"Simple," Nellie said smoothly. "Guards found a Shadow Orb on the dead Cultists. Worth twenty to fifty thousand gold coins. Perfect for Phantom Thief Lico’s taste. And everyone knows—" She grinned. "—lightning never strikes the same place twice. Right?"