Belle was very dissatisfied with this but, as the younger sister, she felt it wasn't her place to say anything. Wise, realizing the situation, was also a bit embarrassed. But only a little. After all, if he weren't a bit thick-skinned, how could he be worthy of the Supreme Succubus System?
Just then, Belle, wanting to change the subject, immediately thought of the hamburgers from earlier and asked curiously, "By the way, brother, where did you find a recipe that can make something so delicious?"
"Mmm, it's true. Based on the taste alone, this recipe could definitely be used to open a hamburger joint that would be insanely popular." Anby continued to eat her hamburger along the bite mark from before, agreeing with what Belle had said.
"This? I guess you could say I came across it by chance. I don't have any plans to open a hamburger shop, but if you guys want to eat them, you can come find me anytime."
After Wise said this, an equally excited Anby came up to him, her eyes fixed on him, her small face almost pressed against his.
"Is that really okay?" Anby's voice was filled with happiness. For someone who loved hamburgers as much as she did, Wise's words were nothing short of a dream come true.
"Of course. After all, I'm happy to cook delicious food for important people." Wise didn't forget to tease Anby a little. Hearing his words, the latter couldn't help but blush slightly. As for any more expressions? Sorry, she couldn't do that.
"Thank you..."
[Ding! Anby's favorability has increased by 1 point. Current favorability: 92. 212 Emotion Value obtained. Current Emotion Value: 1600.]
Anby didn't say anything more. She just lowered her head and continued to eat her hamburger to hide her shyness. She didn't seem to have noticed that the way the two of them were standing was a bit too intimate.
"Ahem! It's great that you can say that, brother. But could you two please be a bit more mindful? There are other people here, you know." Belle, who felt stuffed after eating just one hamburger, couldn't take it anymore and had to speak up.
Reminded by Belle, Anby nonchalantly returned to her seat, but her increasingly red face indicated that her heart was anything but calm.
After breakfast, it was naturally time to get down to business. Wise then called for Eous and handed it to Anby for her to take into the Hollow.
"Today's goal is to first complete the toy store owner's commission, and while we're at it, investigate the cargo that Chop asked us to look into."
Wise then explained the specific location of the Hollow they needed to go to, as well as the dangers and enemies to watch out for. As for the route inside the Hollow, they would have to let Eous go in first to make a judgment call. After all, the inside of a Hollow was ever-changing, and a previous route might not be correct anymore.
"Okay, I'm off then." Anby didn't hesitate. She took Eous and left directly. Seeing this, Wise couldn't help but admire her decisive and efficient attitude.
"Alright, brother, stop staring. Hurry up and get ready to connect to the HDD. Or should I go with Anby to complete this commission instead?" Belle knew, of course, that the opportunity to sync with Eous this time could only be her brother's, so she was just saying this to get him moving.
"Alright, I'm going right now." Wise said as he returned to the room on the first floor. But speaking of which, why did it feel like Belle was even more invested in this matter than he was? Still, this was for the best. What he feared was Belle being unhappy about it; that would be trouble later on.
Seeing that it was about time, Wise first sent a message to Anby. After she replied with an "Ok," he began the consciousness synchronization. After a brief moment of dizziness, Wise was once again inside Eous's small body. He wiggled a bit. His short little legs dangled in the air, not touching the ground. Upon closer inspection, he realized he was still being held in Anby's arms.
Anby's hands were currently holding his small waist. If his senses were correct, the soft thing his head was resting against should be her slightly rising and falling chest.
(PS: I'm afraid some people might see this as a "turn-off point," since some people can't stand their favorite female characters having contact with others, even small animals. Even though the Bangboos in Zenless Zone Zero don't have a clear gender, what if someone doesn't like it? So, in my setting, this one is female. Also, when it's being held, it's in a shutdown state. After the consciousness sync, it's only Wise's consciousness inside.)
Alright, back to the story. Feeling the softness behind his head, Wise subconsciously nuzzled it. This sudden movement made Anby's whole body tense up, and her hands holding him couldn't help but tighten. Although a Bangboo's body didn't need to breathe, it still felt constricting, so Wise had no choice but to beg for mercy.
"Um, Anby, it's too tight. Could you loosen up a bit?"
"Ah, sorry! I wasn't paying attention and..." Realizing what had happened, Anby quickly loosened her grip and then squatted down to place the Bangboo-form Wise on the ground.
Anby didn't mention Wise nuzzling her, just treating it as an accident that happened after the consciousness sync. As for what really happened, it was better not to ask. The top priority was to complete the commission quickly.
After entering the Hollow, Wise immediately planned a logical route and began to guide Anby forward. "I've tried my best to plan a route with fewer Ethereal, but if we still run into them, try to be as careful as possible." Wise repeatedly reminded Anby, as this time she was in the Hollow alone with no one else to back her up. Although the Eous he was controlling wasn't completely without combat power thanks to his attribute points, it wouldn't be enough if they ran into a stronger Ethereal.
"Mmm, I'll be careful." Anby said, then picked Wise up again.
"Eh? Anby, what are you doing?" Being picked up, Wise's face was naturally, and accidentally, pressed against Anby's chest. Anby didn't seem to mind too much, but the thought that it was Wise's consciousness inside still made her a little shy.
"To minimize unnecessary battles, it's best to move as quickly as possible. Doing this helps improve efficiency." Anby paused for a moment here, as if she had thought of something, and then continued, "The premise is that you don't move around. Otherwise, I might not be able to guarantee the strength of my grip."
Hearing this, Wise stopped objecting and also stayed still. Although, with his attribute points, even a Bangboo's body wouldn't have a slow movement speed. But well... those who get it, get it.
With Anby's rapid movement, they got closer and closer to their target location. Although they inevitably encountered some Ethereal along the way, for Anby, who was equipped with new gear, they were so easy to deal with that she could even do it with one hand free.