Girl in the Box: Please tell me why I was reincarnated as a mimic monster!

"Uh……"

Leon was speechless. The logic was right. He was the one who wanted to become stronger, and he was also the one who wanted to escape. If he was trapped in this cycle, he would never become stronger. He had to step out of it, for the sake of what he had said that day.

“Alright…” Leon’s gaze gradually hardened. “I understand. I will do it. Please leave it to me.”

"That's more like it!" Li smiled slightly. "I'm not some kind of demon. Of course, I wouldn't let you do something so dangerous all by yourself. So I found you two helpers. Looking forward to seeing how you do!"

And so, Leon received a mission he never dared to imagine. At that moment, he had no idea what he would face next.

Chapter 33 Two Helpers

"Uh...which one? Hello, senior."

"There's no need to call me senior. I only have a month or two more experience than you. Just call me Shiokawa."

"Okay... then who is this?"

"Just call me Sen, there's no need to be so nervous."

"Uh... Oh, oh."

The next day, Leon, who was supposedly on leave, arrived at the agreed-upon location and met up with the two helpers Li had mentioned. These two helpers were his senior guards, Shiokawa and Mori, who worked in the same position as him. Both of them were considered veterans in the guard unit.

Shiokawa is a guard with the peculiar profession of summoner. He uses all his magic as the price of a contract to unleash three incredibly powerful attacks on his summoned creatures. Mori, while not as skilled as Shiokawa, is outstanding in every aspect within the guard team and possesses a very special skill, though she has never used it in public.

Well, aside from that skill, Mori still possesses considerable combat strength, making him an excellent choice as a helper. But... but...

“But, if we do this…” Leon rubbed his temples, his head aching.

Of everyone present, wasn't Leon the weakest? Leon had originally thought that the helpers Li had arranged for him would be people of similar strength, but he hadn't expected them to be these two seniors. When he first arrived, Leon had subconsciously felt excited when he saw the two girls from afar, but now that he had calmed down, he felt quite troubled.

"What's wrong?" Shiokawa straightened his clothes. "Is there a problem?"

"Speaking of which," Mori asked, "what task did the ambassador and the others assign you?"

"Eh...? You guys didn't know?"

Leon was taken aback. If Shiokawa and Mori didn't know about this, then why were they here? But they did ask what it was about, right? So they were unaware of the details? Leon thought for a moment and sorted out the situation.

“Yes.” Shiokawa nodded. “We only learned about this from the ambassador… uh, no, I mean, from Ri, but she didn’t tell us the details.”

Shiokawa had worked with Ri before, but they had basically had no contact after that. Because of her usual habits, she subconsciously called Ri "Ambassador." After realizing this, she quickly corrected herself.

“I see…” Leon nodded.

"Should we not ask?" Mori keenly sensed something.

"Uh... I'm not quite sure either," Leon laughed awkwardly.

As a novice, he was suddenly given such a difficult task, and he himself was still somewhat at a loss. Meanwhile, neither of his two assistants seemed to understand the situation. Logically, it was impossible not to have some doubts about this arrangement. A cold sweat broke out on Leon's face; his usually not-so-developed brain was now working at full speed.

“I think,” Shiokawa said calmly, “you shouldn’t think too much about it right now. Miss Ri’s words can be taken literally. Besides, she entrusted this matter to you, right? Just do what you think is right.”

"Senior Shiokawa..."

Leon was moved, thinking to himself, "Shiokawa truly lives up to his reputation as a senior who has worked in the Akihabara Police Department for a long time. His ability to adapt to changing circumstances is truly remarkable."

"I've already told you not to call me senior... it just sounds too old..."

Shiokawa's focus wasn't on the incident at all, but rather on her somewhat unacceptable feeling about Leon's address. She looked like an ordinary, petite girl with a slightly less-than-ideal figure, and calling her "senior" seemed a bit much.

“Well, I understand.” With Shiokawa’s encouragement, Leon finally came to a conclusion. “I will tell you both about this. I hope you can cooperate with me in resolving this incident, because this problem is really quite serious.”

Seeing Leon's serious expression, Sen thought for a moment, then looked around, took his hand and walked away, saying...

"I think we should find a secluded place to talk first... newbie."

Beginner.

Leon gave a wry smile. He seemed to understand why Li had found him two helpers; he was still a novice in many ways and therefore needed others to help him complete the task smoothly. With Shiokawa and Mori's help, he thought he should be able to complete the task successfully. Afterward, the three of them entered the maze area for a walk.

First of all, the safety and seclusion of the maze area can be guaranteed, because very few people can remember the structure of the Time Corridor maze. Apart from Leon, the other two can recite the structure of the Time Corridor by heart. Even if someone is following them, they will be discovered and shaken off immediately. For them, who live in the maze, there is no safer place than the maze.

Although the dungeon area has been fully explored, some outsiders will still enter it out of curiosity. To avoid any awkward situations, every outsider who comes to Akihabara can borrow a holographic map crystal from the Time Corridor for one copper coin. At the same time, there will be people patrolling the dungeon to help those who get lost return to Akihabara.

Because the protective measures were very comprehensive, and the situation inside the maze had been confirmed to be very safe countless times, there were always people wandering around inside. However, this did not affect the three's small meeting, because Mori knew of a small place suitable for them to discuss these matters.

"Here here."

Mori led the way, explaining that she and Ning had visited a secluded spot during their last exploration of the labyrinth, a place they could use as a temporary base. Shiokawa and Leon followed behind her, venturing deeper into the labyrinth. When they reached a slightly remote area, Mori stopped.

“It’s right here,” Mori said.

"Huh?!" Leon exclaimed rudely.

To him, this place was just an empty passageway, and since there were no people around, his "ha!" echoed. Shiokawa frowned at him, and Leon immediately realized his mistake and shut his mouth.

"Haha, Shiokawa, don't be mean to him." Mori chuckled and said, "We were quite surprised when we first saw it, but then we realized that's just how this place is, so it's easy to accept. By the way, Shiokawa, you remember, right? Do me a favor, there's a hidden room inside these walls."

"Ah... I remember now. So now we need to find the secret door, right..."

After hearing Mori's words, Shiokawa also remembered this incident. They had joined forces here; in this passage, there was a hidden door leading to a very secluded room. She recalled that it seemed to be Rin and Ning's former hideout?

Although the two women remembered that such a place existed, they couldn't recall its exact location, so they immediately began searching. They pressed their ears against the stone wall and tapped it with whatever they had, carefully listening to the changes in the echo. Although Leon couldn't understand what they were saying, he overheard them talking about a hidden door, so he joined them in searching for it, pressing his ear against the wall.

As expected of Leon, who has extraordinary luck, he found the location of the secret door after only groping along the wall for a short while.

Hmm... doesn't this sound a little different from other places?

Leon tapped the spot twice more with his dagger, confirming that the sound was indeed different, before beckoning to the other two.

"Um, seniors, I think I've found it."

"Huh? Did you find it?"

"I already told you not to call me 'senior'..."

The two, whose focus was completely off, went over after hearing Leon's call, and then confirmed it in the same way, their expressions becoming slightly happier.

"Shiokawa, it's all yours now." Senno pulled Leon away to a more secluded spot.

"I know... but please stop treating my contract partners like laborers."

With a helpless sigh, Shiokawa channeled magic into his fingers to draw the corresponding symbols in the air.

"Riders of Thunder! Answer my call—!"

sizzle...

A pale blue current overflowed from the symbol, landing at Shiokawa's feet and gradually forming a white-haired youth whose entire body was wrapped in lightning. Sharp eyes, a fierce face, a tall stature, a dashing hairstyle, and an aura of dominance in every gesture, with a hint of violent electricity mixed in with his breath, he was so handsome it was unbelievable. Even Leon had to admit that he was somewhat captivated by his good looks.

The young man slowly stood up, looking down arrogantly at the summoner, Shiokawa, and asked in a deep voice, "What is it?"

"I'm sorry to have called you out for something like this." Shiokawa apologized with a wry smile. "Can you sense the secret door over there? Could you please move that door, Tohru?"

"...Little girl, do you know what you're saying?" The young man was completely taken aback.

"I know precious magic isn't for this kind of thing! But I have no other choice but to ask you." Shiokawa clasped his hands together and pleaded, "So, Tohru, please, do us a favor, and lend us a hand, okay?"

"Tsk..."

The young man called Thor clicked his tongue in annoyance, then raised his hand and pointed to the location of the hidden door. After the outline of the hidden door appeared with a pale light, it was moved away little by little, leaving enough space for a person to walk in. Thor gestured with his eyes for Shiokawa to go in.

"Tch, all you did was block it with a big rock, didn't you? You need my help with something as simple as this. Don't let it happen again."

"Okay. Thank you for your help."

Shiokawa turned around and gestured for the other two to come over. The three of them then walked past the somewhat intimidating-looking young man into the hidden room. It was so dark inside that Leon didn't even notice Shiokawa had stopped in front of him, and they bumped into each other. Then, Thor blocked the hidden door, and all the light from the outside disappeared.

"Wow...it's so dark."

“What’s the big deal?” Sen took a plant out of his bag, infused it with magic and made it glow. “I’m telling you, how much longer are you two going to linger there?”

"Ah, sorry!"

After being reminded by Mori, Leon finally left Shiokawa's side. The two seniors didn't pay much attention to this, instead focusing on surveying the surroundings. Leon, however, was astonished by the unprecedented sight before him. It was clear from what he saw that someone had once lived here, though most of their belongings had been removed. At the deepest part of this hidden room was a long black stone slab inscribed with some garbled writing that Leon couldn't decipher.

“This place… is amazing…” Leon exclaimed.

"Hmm, I think this place should be fine." Senno sat down on the spot. "This is where we rested last time. It's quite excellent as a temporary base, isn't it?"

"Hmm... Now that Tohru is keeping watch outside for us, I'll know if anyone comes." Shiokawa sat down on the spot. "Sit down, you can talk about it now. Right now... it should be relatively safe."

"Okay, okay—well—this is how it is—"

On the way, Leon thought a lot. "Many hands make light work" was his first thought after joining the Akihabara Guard, as he had always acted alone and therefore felt this deeply. He believed that in situations like this, there was no need to hide anything; the important thing was to complete the assigned task. It was better for a group of people to know what to do than for only him to know.

Therefore, he told the two of them the details of the mission. Shiokawa and Senno were silent for a while before speaking in turn.

"That must have been tough," Shiokawa said with a consoling smile. "You've worked hard. I didn't expect Risa to give you such a task."

"Yeah, yeah, I think I understand what Risa means now," Mori said. "There's no better candidate than you, after all, you're just the most ordinary person in the guard team."

"Is this a compliment?" Leon couldn't quite manage a smile.

“Of course,” Mori said matter-of-factly. “If you want to act without attracting attention, I personally think an ordinary guy is the best option. In other words, you are someone the enemy can ignore and be safe from their eyes.”

"Hearing such words makes it impossible to feel happy..." Leon felt that his enthusiasm had been dampened before the mission even started.

“So,” the two of them sat facing him, “what are your plans now?”

"Eh... a plan..."

To be honest, Leon hadn't thought of a single plan. After receiving the mission yesterday and going back to rest, he lay in bed with his mind completely blank, unable to think of anything. By the time he came to his senses, it was already morning. He quickly changed his mindset and prepared to meet his two assistants. He hadn't thought about this matter at all that night; he just drifted through the night in a daze.

In order not to embarrass himself in front of his two seniors, he made up a plan on the spot.

Chapter 34 The Unexpected Side

Meow~ Meow~

"Meow~~"

"Meow meow meow?"

What am I doing...?

Faced with the situation before him, Leon was at a loss. He was confused about what he was doing, what the salt river in front of him was doing, and where the cats around him came from.

"Ahhh~~ Kittens are so cute."

Shiokawa stroked the kitten's body with ecstasy, as if he were under a spell, constantly mimicking cat meows. Leon had never seen his senior show such an expression before. While cats were cute, was it really necessary to go this far?

“I said… um…” Leon asked, “Shiokawa-senpai… are cats cute…?”

"...? What kind of stupid question are you asking?" Shiokawa turned around and rolled her eyes at him. "Cats are of course cute. It's a rare opportunity to get so close to so many cats. I remember you're from the New Kingdom, right? No wonder you don't know... In the Principality, cats are protected animals. I think the Rin family has a cat named Futatsuki. That little cat is very smart..."

At the mention of cats, Shiokawa's eyes lit up as he talked incessantly, seemingly possessing an inexplicable passion for them. Leon, as if flipped a switch, memorized this. This was a cat-themed teahouse, originally a pet shop. However, because selling pets wasn't suitable for the time being, the owner transformed the shop into a teahouse. For paying customers, the cats were there for them to play with, and the owner made money from this.

And you know what? It's actually quite effective. Since this teahouse with over thirty cats opened, it's become incredibly popular, with many people coming specifically to pet the cats every day. So why are Shiokawa and Leon here?

Here's what happened: This morning, Leon and his two helpers discussed the details of the mission, but when asked about their plans, the prideful Leon reluctantly made up one on the spot—a plan to infiltrate the enemy camp disguised as a couple. He didn't know why he came up with such a brainless plan, but the words were already out, and it was too late to take them back.

However, Shiokawa and Mori nodded in agreement and agreed to the plan. After assigning tasks, Leon and Shiokawa pretended to be a couple to gather intelligence, while Mori was responsible for providing support from the shadows. She was sitting in a corner of the shop, playing with the cat with the grass in her hand. Shiokawa hugged the cat and couldn't put it down. Leon felt that something inside him was breaking down.

Speaking of which, would my predecessors really be like that...?

Leon stared dumbfounded at his two seniors, who were completely absorbed in the cat. What happened to the work they were supposed to do? Why did they abandon it so easily? Did they just throw it all out the window? Leon couldn't understand it, but he still obediently cooperated with the two of them. After all, he was the one who proposed the plan, so he would carry it out obediently.

However, he couldn't help but want to remind Shiokawa.

“Um, Shiokawa-senpai,” Leon reminded him, “our mission isn’t to come here to pet cats, is it?”

"Of course I know that," Shiokawa said, rolling her eyes at him while holding the cat. "We are indeed on a mission right now. Haven't you noticed what's going on outside?"

"Outside...?"

Leon then turned his gaze outside, where stood several half-naked women—his targets for this mission. These women were constantly flirting with customers outside, and some had even boldly entered the teahouse, sitting next to lone men. The teahouse owner was too busy to pay much attention, and the cats were clearly avoiding them.

Leon's first thought was, "How pitiful, even the cats are avoiding them."

“Isn’t this more natural than just watching them from the sidelines?” Shiokawa said. “Isn’t it killing two birds with one stone?”

"Hmm...that's definitely the case."

Blending into the crowd is indeed a way to hide oneself, a technique that seems to be frequently used by women. Leon nodded in understanding, then reached out to pet the cat. The cat immediately bristled and scratched him with its claws, startling him so much that he quickly withdrew his hand.

"Pfft," Shiokawa chuckled, "How should I put it, even a cat can bully you."

"Hahaha..." Leon could only manage a dry laugh and nothing else.

"Speaking of which, have you learned those skills I taught you before?" Shiokawa suddenly asked about something else.

“Ah…those techniques…” Leon thought for a moment and said, “I think I’ve learned them pretty well…”

"What?" Shiokawa said, "You can't be ambiguous about these things. If you can, you can; if you can't, you can't. In short, don't push yourself when you're fighting the enemy head-on. Since this kind of mission involves dealing with those ghosts, there will inevitably be a few back-and-forth battles. At that point, neither Mori nor I can guarantee your safety. If that happens, just come back and report the situation."

"...Okay, I understand."