Chapter Seventy-Seven: Entrusting the Orphan?

“Hey, Wataru.”
Chen Ou answered the incoming call from Wataru.

“Chen Ou! What on earth are you playing at?! ‘Rescued by someone else’—do you really expect me to buy such a ridiculous excuse?!”

Wataru unleashed the Dragon’s Roar.

Chen Ou held the Rotom a bit farther away, then dug a finger in his ear.

Chen Ou used Protect—the Dragon’s Roar had no effect.

“Relax, I have everything under control,” Chen Ou replied nonchalantly.

“Could you at least let me know about these plans in advance? The League has to deal with the aftermath! Do you realize how many people are in a bind now that you let that criminal escape?”

Wataru was truly exasperated. The moment he received the incident report from Rotom and then confirmed the details with Asuna, he immediately realized that Chen Ou had deliberately let the suspect go.

After all, Chen Ou had always been particularly concerned about this organization called the Divine Attendants. Last time, someone managed to escape under his watch—would Chen Ou really make the same mistake again?

Impossible. Though Chen Ou wasn’t a Saint, it wasn’t easy to trick him twice with the same ploy.

On top of that, he’d even managed to use this scheme to curry favor with the Junsha family…

That guy always found a way to profit from every situation…

And as his unwitting accomplice, Wataru couldn’t just turn a blind eye.

Chen Ou was his friend—though admittedly, a troublesome one—so of course he would help out. Everyone who knew Chen Ou well understood that, when it came to serious matters, he would never act recklessly.

If Chen Ou seemed unreliable, it was because the stakes weren’t high—success and failure alike were inconsequential, or sometimes failure served a greater purpose than success.

It was just like that time Wataru asked Chen Ou to deliver a birthday gift to his cousin, Kotone. Chen Ou claimed he’d stumbled upon a fascinating research project along the way, then bailed midway, forcing Wataru to come fetch the present and deliver it himself.

Wataru did the math and realized that unless he rode Dragonite, there was no other way to make it in time. Nursing a grudge, he sought Chen Ou out, retrieved the gift, and personally delivered it to Kotone.

Yet that day, for the first time since childhood, he saw Kotone truly smile.

When Wataru arrived at the party and was about to leave, he suddenly got a call: Chen Ou and Red had taken over his duties for the day, giving him a day off to spend with his family. Only then did Wataru realize that Chen Ou’s plan all along had been to trick him into attending his cousin’s birthday party. Without such a scheme, workaholic Wataru never would have gone.

The outcome was wonderful—Wataru and his cousin bridged the years of separation, and he finally enjoyed a rare day of rest.

From that day on, Wataru considered Chen Ou his dearest friend. Despite their constant banter, his bond with Chen Ou far surpassed his ties with Red or Green.

If Chen Ou had been a woman, he’d have been the quintessential social butterfly.

But this time, Wataru was genuinely angry. Chen Ou and several others would face disciplinary action for this dereliction of duty. It wouldn’t be severe, but such an avoidable fiasco was still frustrating.

Of course, that wasn’t what truly upset Wataru. What irked him most was that Chen Ou always acted without telling him a thing. Even if he needed Wataru to run interference, could he at least give him a heads-up? Every time, he was caught completely off guard…

“Oh come on, it’s because I trust you. Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. This time, we might just be able to wipe out the Divine Attendants in one fell swoop.”

Wataru rubbed his forehead in resignation. He knew Chen Ou would never listen to his complaints…

It wasn’t that Chen Ou didn’t want to make plans—he’d simply been burned too many times. Now, he only pursued plans that popped into his head and seemed feasible.

Like letting Xue escape, or recruiting Xue and Meng.

“Wataru, on a serious note—”

All traces of levity vanished from Chen Ou’s voice. When it came to serious matters, he could be remarkably earnest.

Hearing this tone, Wataru let go of his irritation, though he couldn’t resist adding with a wry smile, “What’s with the gravity? You want me to look after your legacy? Let me warn you, I can’t even beat Shirona. Don’t expect me to bail you out.”

He was trying to lighten the mood, but Chen Ou wasn’t playing along.

“Legacy, if you like. You know that girl I just captured, Xue?”

“…Did you do something to betray Shirona? In that case, just go die. I can’t save you…”

“What kind of person do you take me for?!”

In the end, Chen Ou couldn’t keep a straight face. From this perspective, it would have made no sense if these two hadn’t become close friends…

Wataru’s laughter echoed down the line, and Chen Ou could only shake his head before continuing. “I’ve recruited her and her younger sister, a girl with the codename Meng. They’re working for me now, continuing their undercover mission in the Divine Attendants.”

“So this is what you meant by a chance to bring down the Divine Attendants?”

Wataru was no longer laughing; with the tension broken, they could now talk business.

“At most, it’s a chance to eliminate the Kanto branch. I hear the organization is massive, with branches all over.”

On the other end, Wataru fell silent. Chen Ou didn’t rush him. After a long pause, Wataru spoke. “Should we alert the other regional Leagues, have them prepare in advance?”

“Just inform the Champions. There’s no need to spread the word too widely. After all, this won’t be settled in a day or two.”

Wataru nodded in agreement; it made sense, so there was no need to hurry.

“So what did you want to tell me?”

“My only line of contact with Xue and Meng is through me. If something happens to me and I can’t reach them, I’ve given them your contact information. They’ll reach out to you. Wataru… if anything happens to me, please do your best to protect them. It’s a promise I made.”

Wataru fell silent again at Chen Ou’s words.

“What have you gotten yourself mixed up in this time?”

“It’s nothing, just a precaution.”

“…I promise. But take care of your own people. Relying on others isn’t responsible.”

“I will, don’t worry…”

Wataru nodded and changed the subject. “Let’s each contact the Champions in our regions. You let Shirona and Karune know, and I’ll handle the rest.”

“Sigh, you single dog, aren’t you even going to fight me for the chance to call Karune?”

“Get lost, you!”