Reina didn't waste any time.
"Now we move," she said.
I was still standing in front of the Gun and Greed shop, adjusting the weapon on my back.
"Where to?"
"Back to the inn. We need to analyze the data before hunting."
I nodded.
"…makes sense."
Without another word, I started walking.
—
The trip back felt faster.
Maybe because my mind was already focused.
Or because now I had a clear goal.
Or maybe…
because now I had enough strength to actually pursue something.
I entered the same inn.
The owner only glanced at me.
Didn't say anything.
I went straight to the hallway.
Room 101.
My A.R.M lit up as I brought it near the door.
Click.
The door opened.
I stepped in.
Closed it.
Silence.
The place was still the same as before.
Bed.
Table.
Chair.
And that… unfamiliar sense of safety.
I put the bag down.
Sat.
Before I could even relax—
Reina spoke immediately.
"Alright. Take them out."
"What?"
"The two A.R.Ms from The Green Serpent and the insignia."
I didn't ask further.
Just took them out of the bag.
Placed everything on the table.
Two A.R.M devices.
And that green serpent emblem.
"So?" I asked. "How do we track them?"
"Be quiet for a moment."
Reina's tone changed.
Focused.
Serious.
Her eyes began to glow.
A faint light… like before when she took control of my body.
The Green Serpent A.R.M suddenly activated on its own.
A holographic screen appeared.
Data spun rapidly.
Then—
It shut off.
Silence.
I waited.
A few seconds.
Reina didn't speak.
"…Reina?"
"Hmm…"
She finally responded.
"The contents… are pretty standard."
I frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"The structure is the same as your A.R.M. No special modifications."
She paused.
"There are only conversation logs."
I stepped closer.
"What's in them?"
"Most of it has been deleted.
But I can still recover fragments."
The screen lit up again.
Some text appeared.
Broken.
But clear enough.
"Shift rotation to Sector F-02…"
"Supply retrieval…"
"Meeting time at temporary drop-off…"
I crossed my arms.
"They're pretty organized."
I stared at the data for a few seconds.
"So we can track them from this?"
Reina immediately shook her head.
"It's not that simple."
She closed the screen.
"This is group scheduling. Not individual data."
I let out a breath.
"…meaning?"
"We have to filter their members one by one."
I nodded slowly.
"Fine."
I stood up slightly.
"So… where do we start?"
Reina answered instantly.
"Breile Sector F-02."
I paused.
"…again?"
"Of course."
I looked toward the window.
Remembering that place.
Blood.
Gunfire.
And almost dying.
Reina continued.
"Since you killed three members from the current shift…"
She paused briefly.
"…that sector is most likely empty now."
I raised an eyebrow.
"And the next shift rotation… will be tomorrow, based on their previous pattern," she added.
I nodded slowly.
"And they'll definitely realize something's wrong."
"Exactly. Because the current shift is missing."
A faint grin formed on my face.
"…good."
Reina looked at me.
"You like this?"
"I like having a target."
Silence for a moment.
Then Reina continued.
"We go there tomorrow."
"We trace their routes directly. Supply drops. Entry and exit paths. And the new shift pattern."
She paused.
"…that alone is valuable enough."
I nodded.
"Makes sense."
Suddenly—
Reina's eyes glowed again.
Brighter this time.
She turned toward the table.
At the green serpent insignia.
"I almost forgot."
"What now?"
"I checked this insignia earlier…"
She picked it up.
"And now… I've unlocked it."
I looked at her.
"…meaning?"
"There was encrypted code inside it."
She smiled faintly.
"I modified that code."
I stared at her.
"And that means?"
"We can track them."
Her smile widened.
"…but they can't track us."
Silence.
I stared at her for a few seconds.
Then—
"…oh."
I couldn't hold back a small smile.
"That's… amazing. I'm lucky to have you on my side right now!"
Reina immediately blushed.
Her face turned slightly red.
She puffed her chest proudly.
"Of course!"
Her voice was full of pride.
"I am the masterpiece magitech AI created by Evernoir!"
I sighed.
"…if only you could stay consistent and not talk like that."
"Haaah!?"
Reina snapped instantly.
"What's wrong with being proud?!"
She moved closer.
"You're the prince of Evernoir! You should be even prouder!"
I went silent.
A few seconds passed.
"…former prince, right?"
Silence.
Reina froze.
Then—
slowly covered her own mouth.
"…ah."
Her tone changed.
"…sorry."
I shook my head lightly.
"It's fine."
I gave a faint smile.
"…I'm used to it."
A brief silence followed.
Then I stood up.
Stretched my body.
"So…"
I looked at the bed.
"…I just need to rest?"
Reina nodded.
"Yes."
Her voice returned to calm.
"Tomorrow we start hunting."
I lay down.
The bed felt… too comfortable.
My eyes slowly closed.
"Tracking them one by one…"
"And eliminating them."
Reina didn't respond.
But I could feel it—
she was still awake.
Watching.
While I—
finally let my body sink into rest.
For the first time…
not because of exhaustion.
But because I chose to stop for a moment.
Before everything starts again.