Once the decision was made, the group drove Hare's House's beat-up secondhand car to the agreed location.
Half an hour later...
Inside the C97 Hollow.
Sam Li and the others had just entered when they spotted Soldier 11 and Belle waiting at the designated meeting point.
Before Soldier 11 could even introduce anyone—
Nekomata had already rushed forward.
"Manager? What are you doing here too?"
Belle spread her hands with a helpless smile. "As you can see, I'm here for the same reason you are—hired by Soldier 11 to help wipe out the rebels…"
No one expected to run into Belle here.
Once they heard he'd also been hired for the mission, Billy couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.
"Hahahaha! Manager, I thought we at Hare's House were the only ones playing traitors, but I didn't expect you—our trustworthy, straight-laced manager—to join us! Guess this trip was worth it after all..."
The moment he saw Belle, Billy felt instantly at ease.
Getting to act as a traitor alongside Phaethon? Definitely not a bad deal.
But—
Before Billy could bask in the moment for long, Belle smiled and explained, "I'm not like you guys. I'm playing the legendary proxy, Phaethon."
That got everyone's attention.
Billy blinked in confusion. "You're playing Phaethon?"
Belle grinned. "Yup! First time playing the legendary Proxy. It's so tough—can you guys give me a few tips?"
Anby shook her head. "No comment—"
Nekomata was speechless. "…"
Sam Li silently nodded. "…"
Having Belle play Phaethon was as easy as when Sam Li had played the treasure appraiser a while back.
Meanwhile...
Soldier 11 had been watching them closely. When she saw Sam Li, Nicole, Billy, and Nekomata, she gave a quiet nod—clearly satisfied with this crew.
But when her gaze landed on Anby, she shook her head, not too impressed.
Seeing that the group was still chatting, Soldier 11 stepped in.
"Since you already know each other, I'll skip introductions. You're all clear on the details of the commission, right?"
"Got it. I'm playing Phaethon," Belle said cheerfully.
"We're playing the traitors… I really don't want to betray anyone, but the Dennies were too good to pass up," Billy groaned, covering his face with a sigh.
If word got out to the Starlight Knights' group chat that they were pretending to be traitors…
He'd never live it down.
Nicole asked, puzzled, "If we're supposed to be Defense Force traitors, shouldn't we be wearing Defense Force uniforms?"
Soldier 11 explained, "First, we make contact with the rebel spy. Once the meeting point is confirmed, it won't be too late to change."
Everyone got into position.
As planned, Soldier 11 used the Defense Force's comms gear to reach out to the spy—Mr. Mole.
Belle, in the role of Phaethon, handled the communication.
True to his name, Mr. Mole was cautious and cagey, probing Belle again and again to see if he was legit.
Fortunately, Belle's performance was convincing—her "Phaethon" was practically indistinguishable from the real deal. Mr. Mole didn't suspect a thing.
Eventually, after some back-and-forth, Mr. Mole laid down his terms.
"If you want me to trust you, it's simple. The Defense Force is testing weapons in this Hollow. I want you to help us plant listening devices and transmitters. If you've really switched sides, show us some sincerity. You can handle that, right?"
Soldier 11 had anticipated a demand like this.
Without hesitation, she replied, "Sure. Leave it to us—we'll get it done fast."
But then Mr. Mole's voice came through again.
"Hold up. Before that, I need to know—how many of you are defecting? Just you? Or is there a whole group?"
"Does it matter?" Soldier 11 replied.
Mr. Mole let out an unpleasant laugh. "Of course it matters. The more who defect, the stronger we'll be. Victory over the Defense Force will be within reach."
"Fine. One moment—I'll call them over."
Soldier 11 glanced over at Sam Li, Nicole, Billy, and the rest.
She made a quick gesture: time to act like proper Defense Force traitors. Don't blow the cover.
A few seconds passed.
Mr. Mole was growing impatient.
"Didn't you say you'd call them? Where are they? Are you playing with a poor mole's fragile little heart?"
"Of course not. They're here already. There are six of us total. Besides me, we've got: the Calm Bird-Watching Knight, the Red Mechanical Boy, the Cunning Pink Rabbit, the Greedy Kitten, and the Thunderous Traitor."
"Those are some strange code names—I can't keep track. Don't you have real names?"
"We use code names for all communication. Just like you do, Mr. Mole."
"…Fine. I want to speak to them."
Mr. Mole's voice crackled through the comms again.
It was obvious—he still didn't fully trust Soldier 11. This was yet another test to see if she had really defected.
With Soldier 11's approval, Nicole, Billy, and Nekomata slipped into their roles.
"Mr. Mole, we really are traitors. You've got to believe us."
"Eh? Who calls themselves a traitor? This isn't betrayal—it's stepping into the light. Abandoning the dark, corrupt Defense Force to join us is a righteous choice."
"Ahem… understood. Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Mole."
"Now tell me, why did you all defect? Don't lie. Don't give me vague excuses. I can tell when someone's making it up."
Clearly, Mr. Mole wasn't buying their story so far—he was growing suspicious of Nicole and the others.
If they couldn't give a convincing answer next…
The whole operation might fall apart.
Soldier 11 gave a sharp look to Billy, Nicole, and Sam Li.
Nicole gave Billy a swift kick.
He got the message instantly—and launched into full "traitor" mode:
"Yo yo yo, dear Mr. Mole! You're not thinking we're lying to you, are you? You wanna know why I defected? Let me tell you exactly why…"
"The Defense Force doesn't treat us like people. They work us to death and don't pay us a single Dennies. And that's not all—they don't even give us enough bullets. Not even enough gun oil! Mr. Mole, can you imagine that? Because of the lack of gun oil, both my guns are starting to rust…"
"I've had enough of that army. Please, Mr. Mole, take us in."
"I want bullet freedom. I want gun oil freedom. I want all the lubricant I can get!"
Billy twisted his waist dramatically as he poured out grievance after grievance.
A flawless performance.
It didn't feel like acting at all.
Everyone watching was stunned.
Every line, every word felt too real—like he was speaking from lived experience.
Even Soldier 11 couldn't help but question herself.
Was the Defense Force really as bad as Billy said?
They never had limits on bullets or gun oil. Use as much as you want. And lubricant? What would a soldier even need lubricant for?
Still…
To fool the spy, Mr. Mole,
Soldier 11 paused, then said seriously, "The Red Mechanical Boy… is telling the truth."