Nikke, something’s seriously wrong with this evacuation point! Chapter 94 94: What a Good Girl You Are

When Rose and No. 03 finally returned to the entrance, the radio – silent ever since they entered – imdiately crackled to life.

[…Blossom Team, this is Team 04. Respond if you can. Repeating: Blossom Team, this is Team 04. Respond if you can…]

Rose instantly understood what had happened.

The abandoned laboratory must have been blocking radio signals. Otherwise, the urgency in their voices made no sense – they clearly thought sothing terrible had happened.

Realizing this, she imdiately replied:

"ssage received. This is Blossom Team. We are currently safe. Over."

[Sister!]

Scarlet's voice ca through almost imdiately.

[Where are you? What happened over there?!]

"Scarlet Team, please follow proper communication procedure. Over."

[Alright, alright, we're not on an official mission anyway. As long as everyone's safe, it's fine… though honestly, I'm not really a fan of formal radio protocol either.]

The mont that lazy-sounding voice followed after Scarlet's, Rose couldn't help but smile bitterly.

It was clearly Charon.

"Well then, Lieutenant Ron. Roughly speaking, my position is…"

"You can co et up with us as soon as possible. I found the laboratory."

[Stay there and don't move. We'll be there imdiately!]

For once, excitent was obvious in Charon's voice.

"However, Lieutenant, I should warn you – there are no docunts left here. Most of the data has already been destroyed."

[That's fine. The docunts themselves were never my main objective. Having them would've been nice, but it doesn't matter. That laboratory – or rather, the bunker itself – is what I ca for.]

"Understood."

[We'll arrive in around ten minutes. Over.]

The radio fell silent again.

Rose let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, the situation hadn't escalated any further.

She glanced around at the nearby cliff walls, about to lean against one–

When she noticed No. 03's expression suddenly stiffen.

Her eyes were fixed on… sothing behind her.

Then–

A hand rested gently on Rose's shoulder.

Those white gloves were unforgettable.

Just a minute ago, those sa hands had pinned her helplessly to the ground.

"Mhm. What a good girl you are. Your na is… Rose, right?"

The gentle voice whispered beside her ear.

Yet to Rose, it sounded like the murmur of a demon.

When had she appeared?

And how had she gotten this close without detection?

As a lee Nikke, Rose could normally sense even a distant gaze fixed upon her – yet this ti, the approach had been utterly silent.

But surprisingly, Rose felt no urge to resist.

Not only because she had already experienced that overwhelming power once–

But because she already knew exactly who this person was.

"It is an honor to receive your praise, Major Liliweiss. May I ask if there is anything else you require?"

"Mhm, nothing much. I just wanted to check whether certain children were keeping their promises."

She spoke casually.

"It wouldn't be good if more people learned I appeared here… so from now on, I'd appreciate it if you continued keeping this secret for ."

"As compensation, I'll show leniency regarding matters involving you and your squad in the future."

Rose's heart skipped a beat.

Had Liliweiss noticed sothing already?

"Well then, goodbye, good girl."

Those gloved hands gently patted Rose's head.

Then she vanished.

Her presence rapidly faded into the distance, heading in the opposite direction from where Rose's group had co.

Fast.

So fast that not even a sound remained.

So this is the strongest Nikke…

Report it…?

No.

She absolutely couldn't report this.

Doing so would endanger Lieutenant Ron.

Absolutely not.

Although she didn't know why Major Liliweiss had co here, it was obvious she had been mourning soone.

And it was equally obvious that neither the public nor the Central Governnt could be allowed to know.

Had they accidentally trespassed into sacred territory?

No. 03 looked incredibly excited.

This was the first ti she had ever stood so close to the legendary Nikke Liliweiss herself.

But she also understood one thing perfectly clearly:

What happened today could never be spoken of.

This encounter would remain buried forever.

Eight minutes later, Charon arrived together with the reunited squad.

Scarlet imdiately rushed to her sister's side and instantly noticed the faint abrasions on Rose's body.

"Sister… what happened to you?"

Scarlet's expression darkened, her trembling hand tightening around the hilt of her sword.

Soone had dared hurt her sister?

"S-sorry!"

No. 03 suddenly bowed at a perfect ninety degrees.

"I-I accidentally slipped while exploring downstairs! Captain caught before I fell… I'm really sorry…"

This excuse had been prepared in advance.

After all, nobody would believe Rose herself had simply slipped – especially not Scarlet.

So the only option was to let No. 03 play the clumsy fool.

"It's alright. I'm very sturdy, you know~ These scratches don't even require Goddesium repairs."

That much was true.

As a lee-specialized Nikke, injuries of this level would naturally heal over ti and barely even hurt.

Only then did they realize Charon had already been waiting near the dark tunnel entrance for quite a while.

"You sisters really are close. I'm honestly a little jealous."

"Ahem… it's nothing. My sister simply has a bad habit of ignoring her own injuries. Lieutenant, if possible, please scold her properly."

"Scarlet?!"

After another brief round of playful bickering, the group finally began exchanging information–

Specifically, everything about the laboratory except Liliweiss.

"So in other words," Charon muttered thoughtfully, "despite there being no signs of Rapture attack damage, this place has still been abandoned for a very long ti."

"However, according to your report, it can still block radio signals. Which ans it naturally acts as a signal-insulated area. The chances of Raptures detecting it are extrely low."

And more importantly–

This laboratory wasn't even marked on any maps.

Officially, the governnt had already erased its existence.

That ant the Central Governnt was unlikely to pay attention to it.

"Yes."

"Good enough."

"Then we begin inspections imdiately."

"We're starting the laboratory restoration plan."

"At the very least, when the day cos where we're forced to make a choice… we'll still have sowhere to retreat to."

Charon's words were brutally direct.

So direct that even the Nikkes' expressions darkened slightly.

"Do we really… have to walk down that road?" Scarlet asked through clenched teeth.

"At the mont, most likely yes."

Charon stepped into the tunnel before continuing:

"If we want everyone to survive, then even becoming Lost Nikkes would still be better than dying at the hands of our own people. Wouldn't it?"

"And besides…"

"No one is stopping you from continuing to kill Raptures and protect humanity."

"Helping humanity doesn't require dying for it."

"You – or rather, people like us – aren't actually that important in the grand scale of humanity as a whole."