Mission 49 (
Summary[]
The Assassins' Leader searches for scents
After the cabin stewards attend Olka Gretcher's old cabin, the Assassin Leader breaks in and takes in a large breath, sniffing the room. He identifies the perfumes used inside and deduces how many people are with Olka. He contacts the informant and discusses their target's next move, predicting they will try escaping the next night. Afterward, the informant hears two bugged assassins speaking ill of him and plotting to recover the money they paid him. Hearing this, the informant decides to make some contingencies.
After leaving the shop, Loid and Anya head back to their room. A drowsy Anya walks in the opposite direction while muttering Yor's name, eventually falling asleep in the hallway. An irritated Loid picks her up, then thinks about how they have not heard from Yor and assumes she is busy.
After arriving at their new room, Yor assures the group that the room is secure and has everything they need to hole up safely until the rendezvous. Gram Gretcher starts to cry, and Olka tries to comfort him, though she herself is shaking. Furseal Grey sees this and exaggeratedly exclaims how scared he was of their attackers. Olka and Gram disapprove of Furseal's cowardice, while he is satisfied seeing them calm down.
Zeb recalls how Olka saved his life
Olka asks Furseal, whose real name is Zeb, why he came with them instead of joining the gang's new boss. Zeb gets flustered but says he does not forget how much he owes to the previous boss. He recalls how he would have been dead if not for the black market the Gretcher family ran after the war and flashes back to a young Olka secretly giving him bread. Zeb remembers this fondly and says it is all the reason he needs to be with her. Zeb promises to protect Olka from harm but shouts out when he hears a knock on the door.
Yor thinks about her family
Yor opens the door to Matthew McMahon, who chastises her for forgetting their secret knock in the last room. He orders Yor to watch the door while the others rest up for tomorrow, and he will patrol the floor to reduce the enemy's numbers as much as possible. Zeb is baffled by how composed the assassins are and says that despite the war officially ending over a decade ago, war is still around. Matthew replies that as long as people are the way they are, the fighting will never stop, and that he and Yor are soldiers fighting for their country. Before exiting, he warns Yor not to drop her guard and to focus on the job, or everyone will die.
While the group rests, Yor remembers that she did not reach out to Loid and Anya and imagines herself with them. She realizes that in her fight with Sickle-and-Chain Barnaby, she was dragging her feet out of fear that her wounds would cause her to lose her cover and family. Yor reminds herself to keep her priorities straight, and as she thinks about Yuri, Loid, and Anya, she asks herself what she is doing here. The chapter ends with only twenty hours left until the rendezvous.
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