"A contract… what are you talking about?"
Even though he had saved her, Rika still stayed cautious out of professional habit.
Of course, what filled her heart more than caution at the mont was confusion.
Because the boy in front of her looked like he was carrying secrets from head to toe.
"You can think of it as a rcenary contract."
After thinking for a mont, Drake rephrased it in a way that would be easier for her to understand.
After all, this was a modern society. There were no gods or magic here.
"…Do I have the right to refuse?" Rika asked tentatively.
Her gaze drifted, almost unconsciously, toward the Superheated Ion Blaster in Drake's hands.
That should have been the thing that caused the shocking explosions just now.
But from appearance alone, she had no idea what kind of weapon it was.
"Unfortunately, you don't."
Drake shrugged and answered bluntly.
"Even if you refuse, I'll still make you sign the contract in a very unpleasant way."
"So… I'd suggest you reduce unnecessary trouble from the start."
Hearing that answer, the beautiful special operative with bronze skin gave a bitter smile and shook her head.
"Yeah. Figures."
"So what do I need to do? Sign so rcenary agreent on the spot?"
To be honest, her impression of Drake wasn't bad.
After all, she had just been prepared to die together with those zombies— and then this young man had appeared out of nowhere and pulled her back from the brink.
If he wanted to play so kind of make-believe rcenary ga… then fine, she'd humor him.
Rika believed that with her own skills, she'd definitely find a way to get out of this later.
"A contract? No need."
Seeing that she agreed, Drake smiled.
"All you need to do is accept the call from within your heart."
"What—"
Rika's brow twitched upward. Only then did she realize sothing was seriously off.
By the ti she reacted, a flood of information had already poured into her mind, striking directly at her consciousness.
A mont later, Rika looked at Drake with a complicated expression.
She now understood exactly what kind of "job" she had just accepted.
"So this is what you ant by 'contract.'"
"I told you from the beginning."
As Drake opened Rika's contract information panel, he replied,
"If you're not used to calling 'Master,' you can call 'Boss'… oh?"
"You've got so pretty good skills."
Just like Lili, Rika Minami also possessed a special contract skill!
[Contract Skill – Sniper's Insight: Allows your "Appraisal" ability to identify whether an appraisal target has contract potential. When serving in the "Arms Dealer" role, the contractee's attacks do not consu ammunition.]
The role best suited for Rika was Arms Dealer.
This was a kind of Terraria NPC role that Drake had not yet unlocked.
However, unlocking it was simple enough—he only needed to have any kind of firearm or ammunition in his inventory.
There were two especially important parts of Rika's contract skill.
The first was that it enhanced Drake's Appraisal ability.
Originally, Appraisal could only identify items. But now, it could be used on people as well!
As for contract potential, that likely ant he could tell whether a prospective contractee possessed a contract skill.
The second point was that, when Rika served as an Arms Dealer, her own attacks would not consu bullets.
That was an extrely convenient effect, saving a huge amount of ammunition.
It also ant she could use more advanced ammunition types infinitely without worrying about supply.
"As expected of the ace sniper of a special police unit. Both your talent and combat ability are top-class."
Drake held out a hand toward Rika, his eyes flicking to the weapon she still kept tightly gripped.
"Give the gun in your hand."
"…All right."
Though her rational mind kept screaming don't casually hand your only weapon over to soone else, the power of the contract made it impossible for Rika to resist. She raised her arm and handed over the pistol.
But Drake only glanced over it a couple of tis before giving it right back.
"How co it's only a handgun? I thought you were a sniper."
"Rifles and that kind of gear are too heavy." Rika answered helplessly.
"If you want to keep from being overtaken by wandering hordes of the dead, you have to throw away every bit of excess weight."
"Oh… I see."
Hearing that, Drake studied the beautiful woman in front of him and realized she really was traveling light, without any heavy gear at all.
That also ant that once she got surrounded… she would be short on supplies, and short on ways to break out.
Sensing Drake's gaze moving up and down over her, Rika hesitated for a mont, then suddenly said, "I can work for you, but can you grant one request?"
"I have a very close friend. Since the outbreak, I've lost contact with her."
"If she rembered what I told her, she should have gone to my villa in the city center…"
"Could we go there and check? Maybe there'll be so sign of her."
By the ti she was halfway through that explanation, Drake already knew who she ant.
If there were no surprises, it had to be the voluptuous school doctor, Shizuka Marikawa.
Even if Rika hadn't brought it up, Drake had intended to check out her villa anyway.
After all, it was one of the best resource locations in Tokonosu City. Whether he went in light or fully geared, it wasn't sothing he could afford to ignore.
That said, that didn't an he was going to agree imdiately.
"If I rember correctly, I'm supposed to be the 'party A' in this contract."
Drake glanced at Rika, slightly displeased.
"I haven't even assigned you any work yet, and you're already trying to assign tasks to ."
"Oh, co on—don't be so cold, Boss."
Seeing that he wasn't actually angry, Rika casually sidled up next to him and slung an arm around his shoulders like a close comrade.
"My friend's a beauty with an even bigger chest than mine. Don't you want to see that for yourself?"
Now that she put it that way… yes, he very much did.
"Fine. I happened to need to head to the city center anyway."
The mont Drake agreed, Rika's eyes lit up. She silently concluded that this "boss" of hers was actually pretty easy to deal with.
If that was the case…
"Thanks, Boss."
As she said that, Rika caught Drake's hand and pressed it against her chest.
Having abandoned all her heavier tactical equipnt, she was now only wearing a vest and a shirt.
Even through the thin fabric, Drake could feel the warmth and softness beneath it.
"Think of that as an advance paynt."
This woman… really was open about these things. Completely different from Lili.
Looking at his second contractee, Drake gave a helpless shrug.
"Before we head out, there's soone I need to introduce you to."
"She's like you—soone who has entered into a contract with ."
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