Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

Garroba, one of Ira Muerte’s top leaders, had been captured in Nirvana. It was debatable whether those news had made their way to August yet or not, as only one day had passed, but it would certainly raise a lot of suspicion if they found an intruder in Meditorea so soon after.

(I can’t afford to lose him now. I have to be careful, very careful…)

The desire to experiment was strong, but Mira somehow managed to keep herself in check, focusing on her search instead.
Which only brought her back to her previous dilemma, how to find him in such a place.

(Asking around…wouldn’t be a good idea either.)

August was already one of the leaders of Ira Muerte, and he likely held a high position in the city as well, not to mention that he was quite the deviant from what Iris had seen. If she asked around a bit, she would likely find someone who knew August and his location.

At the same time, as soon as she uttered his name, chances were someone would let him know someone was looking for him. She did not know how much of the city was in his pocket.

If she asked the wrong person, they might start sending people after her, throwing random roadblocks her way, or August could simply escape somewhere.
In short, she had to keep a low profile and conceal her search as much as possible.

(Hmmm…I guess this means I have to return to the fundamentals of investigation, mhm.)

After plenty of deliberation, she decided it was best to investigate everything through her own means.

Her decision made, she left the cafe and began searching for a place with few people, heading straight into a nearby alley.

But she had failed to consider what kind of city this was. There were plenty of people in the alleys already, even outside the pleasure district. In this city, even the shadows were full of activity.

It was also a particular kind of people who chose to be in the alleys, and it took little time for them to start approaching and requesting things from Mira.
And quite assertively at times.

(Hmm…this turned out to be a nest of perverts…)

When she first arrived at the street, she felt plenty of stares as she walked down the main street, but nothing more.
Then the moment she set foot in the alleys, she came face to face with another side of this city. If she had been a regular young girl, she would have instantly been devoured by the dangerous fiends there.
Since Mira was not just a young girl, it was just a den of perverts in her view.

“Hm, this should be good enough.”

After shaking off the men following her, she went out of the alleys, and also exited the pleasure district, looking for a cheap inn, eventually finding one that not only offered beds for a night, but also the ability to borrow a room for three hours at a fare of 3000 Rils.
Only the receptionist gave her a weird look, seeing that she was alone, and a young girl.

“Now then…”

It was a rather narrow room with a large bed in the middle.
First she made sure no one could see her, and that there were none of the security devices nearby, before quickly activating a summon.

**Summoning Magic: Cu Sith**

A small magic circle appeared, and after a moment, the head of a Shih Tzu puppy popped out from it.
The puppy carefully looked around, making sure it was safe, and almost appearing wary of something.
Eventually he mumbled, “The cat isn’t around, woof,” and his whole body emerged from the magic circle as he ran up to Mira.

“Dear owner, is it finally my time to shine, woof?”

The opportunity to be of use filled him with anticipation, as he looked at Mira with upturned twinkling eyes.

“Yes, my dear Wooftson. I’m in quite a pickle and only you can help me now. Will you come with me?”
“Yes of course woof!”

The words barely escaped Mira’s mouth when Wooftson replied affirmatively, wagging his tail violently. There was nothing he would like more.
Wooftson was a Cu Sith, who similarly to the First Lieutenant Cait Sith, excelled at investigating and surveillance.
Only the extent of their abilities greatly different between the two.

The First Lieutenant was far more active, relying on his instincts and skills, while Wooftson was more intellectual, using reasoning and logic.
And there was one more ability unique to Wooftson.

“Alright, then take a look at this real quick…”

Mira produced a box as she said that, one Alma had given her before her departure.

That was the thing Alma mentioned wanting to give Mira, or rather, its contents.
Opening the lid revealed a few strands of hair, which had come from August’s head.
They had been indispensable for Iris to use her powers, and a few were also preserved in case they could be used in another way.
Now that the end was near, Alma had no use for them anymore, and instead Mira could use them better.

‘I’m sure one of your friends can use these, right Grandpa?’

Those had been Alma’s words as she gave them to Mira.
And surely enough, Mira knew exactly how to use them.
Hair strands were a common ingredient as a catalyst in various curses and incantations, but Mira’s use for them was far simpler and straightforward.

“Look Wooftson, this scent belongs to a person somewhere in this city. I need your nose to find him.”

They could help to track his scent. Wooftson’s nose was especially sensitive, far beyond any person could imagine possible.
On top of that, Wooftson was also able to use a certain spell unique to Cu Siths, which allowed him to know when a familiar scent appeared somewhere within a certain range.

In other words, August’s position would be instantly revealed if he entered Wooftson’s smelling range, or his spell range.
Except that since the city was full of those security devices, it was best to hold off from using that spell.

“Woof, leave it to me!”

Wooftson replied full of confidence, quickly sniffing the hair strands to remember the scent, and was ready to start searching around the city.
They just needed to go from one side of the city to the other, and they would eventually run into a lead. A simple plan that usually always worked in such situations.
And since Mira had already gotten a cursory look at the city, she had taken note of a few places that might offer a lead.