Just a few hours before Zuzia and the girls entered the city.

The streets were already bustling with activity. Workers hurried toward their destinations, merchants shouted to attract customers, and the rhythmic clatter of machinery echoed from distant factories. Yet, amid the crowd, a few curious eyes turned toward a small group walking calmly toward the weapon factory.

"Why are we getting so much attention?" Tyla asked, her voice muffled slightly by the black surgical like mask covering her face.

"It’s obviously you," Yumina replied with a sigh. "Even though you’re hiding behind that mask and hat, your... body shape is still way too noticeable —especially in that tight uniform."

Tyla blinked, looking down at herself. The factory’s gray uniform hugged her curves more than she had realized.

"Hm... I didn’t think about that. I just picked your size," Tyla said casually.

Unlike her usual enchanted dresses, this one lacked the auto-resizing feature. It was a simple worker’s outfit, plain and rough, with no magic woven into it. Tyla, in her haste, hadn’t bothered to adjust it.

"Anyway," Tyla added after a moment, brushing off the comment. "I have an oversized one stored away. I’ll change later."

"Please do," Yumina muttered. "Otherwise, we’ll keep drawing eyes wherever we go."

"Let’s go," Tyla said, turning to Marco, who was walking slightly ahead of them. With him leading the way, Tyla, Yumina, and Kurt followed, their boots clicking softly against the cobblestone.

They moved toward a narrow alley near the weapon factory— the same place where they had captured Marco not long ago. The air smelled faintly of oil and smoke, the usual scent around the industrial district.

"Remember," Tyla said seriously, her eyes glinting beneath the brim of her hat, "don’t lose it."

Marco nodded quickly.

In the next moment, Tyla, Yumina, and Kurt vanished, their forms disappeared instantly as they entered the pocket dimension.

Left alone, Marco held the small pearl, the pocket dimension itself. He stared at it for a moment in awe.

He couldn’t tell anyone about this. Not only because he works for Boss Lady Now, but because both he and Kurt had signed a soul contract with Tyla. Their secrets were sealed.

"As expected of the Rich Lady Boss..." Marco murmured, pocketing the pearl carefully.

He adjusted his cap and continued toward the factory gates.

"Oh, look who’s here!" one of the guards called out with a grin. "Latecomer came early today. I thought you quit after I saw you hanging around Mina’s shop."

Marco chuckled. "I’m quitting, yeah— but not yet. I’ve got to clear out my locker and hand in my resignation properly, you know?"

The guard laughed, patting his shoulder before waving him through.

Marco stepped into the factory entrance where a scanning gate stood tall, etched with glowing inscriptions. It buzzed faintly as he passed through, scanning for concealed weapons or storage items.

He held his breath.

But, just as Tyla had promised, the low-grade scanner failed to detect the pocket dimension pearl.

No alarms went off.

Marco exhaled in relief.

"Guess the boss really knows her stuff," he whispered, smiling faintly.

---

Inside the pocket dimension,

Kurt stood there, mouth slightly open as he turned in slow circles, trying to take it all in. "By the gods..." he whispered. "This place... it’s enormous. You could fit an entire city in here."

"It’s bigger than that," Yumina said, arms crossed as she watched him gawk like a child. "Tyla’s pocket dimension isn’t just storage—it’s practically a secret realm."

Before Kurt could respond, the door of the house opened. Tyla stepped out, adjusting her hat.

But instead of her usual confident stride, she moved awkwardly— her factory uniform now looked oddly bloated. The oversized outfit sagged around her shoulders and puffed awkwardly at the waist, making her appear almost comically round.

"Yeah..." Tyla muttered, tugging on the fabric and inspecting herself in the mirror-like windowpane beside the house. "This is good. Perfect. Nobody will suspect a thing."

Yumina blinked, tilting her head. "You look like a stuffed dumpling, Tyla."

Tyla looked at her...

"I mean—an adorable stuffed dumpling," Yumina corrected quickly, fighting to hold back a laugh.

Kurt, meanwhile, was still frozen, torn between amazement at the pocket realm and the absurdity of their boss’s appearance. "Don’t waver, Kurt," he muttered to himself. "You’re a proud member of the Justice Bandits. You swore you wouldn’t quit your job and join Lady Boss, no matter how incredible she is..."

Yumina gave him a sideways glance. "You’re already calling her Lady Boss,"

---

Back in the factory—

The rhythmic hum of machinery echoed through the colossal metal corridors. Steam hissed through the pipes that ran like veins across the ceiling, carrying raw energy to the assembly lines below. Workers shouted orders, gears turned endlessly, and the scent of oil and molten metal filled the air.

Marco, blending in with the passing workers, hurried down a quiet passageway where the noise was faint. He glanced around to make sure no one was watching before pulling out a small, glossy pearl that shimmered faintly in the dim light.

"Alright, let’s do this..." he muttered under his breath. He then used his divine sense, trying to activate it—nothing happened.

He tried again twice.

Inside the pocket dimension, Tyla, Yumina, and Kurt were seated near a table drinking tea, when Tyla suddenly paused.

"Someone’s trying to open the portal," she said calmly, setting aside her teacup.

Kurt blinked. "That means Marco’s in position?"

"Or," Yumina said with a faint smirk, "he lost it, and someone’s trying to open it by accident."

Kurt stiffened. "That’s... also possible."

"That’s why I told him to open it exactly three times," Tyla explained. "It’s our little code."

With a thought , three of them vanished, and appeared into the dim, smoky environment of the factory’s lower levels. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

They appeared silently behind Marco, who nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Boss lady! You scared the crap outta me!" he hissed, clutching his chest.

Tyla ignored his dramatics and swiftly plucked the pearl from his hand, slipping it into her pocket. "Good work," she said smoothly, her eyes scanning the surroundings. "Now, where exactly are we?"

Marco straightened and pointed at the maze of pipes above their heads. "We’re in what we call the Pipes Room. The factory moves raw materials and waste through these ducts. Workers rarely come here."

Tyla nodded thoughtfully. The air was thick with metallic humidity, and the walls glowed faintly from the heat running through them. "Perfect place for us, then."

A deep voice echoed from the shadows. "Yeah, usually no one comes here. So why are you four hanging around?"

All of them turned instantly.

A towering Dragonion in a grease-stained worker’s uniform emerged from behind one of the massive pipes, a heavy spanner resting lazily on his shoulder. His scales shimmered faintly under the dim light, and his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Marco froze. "Oh no..."

There were countless workers in the factory — no one could possibly remember everyone. But...

The Dragonion squinted at him, then suddenly grinned wide, showing sharp teeth. "Wait a second— Marco? Hah! Thought you already quit, you sneaky bastard!"

Marco is a little famous here.

Tyla, Yumina, and Kurt stayed quiet as Marco awkwardly laughed. The Dragonion walked past them, twisting a large screw on one of the pipes. It released a puff of steam before he tightened it again.

"So," he said casually, though his tail flicked with curiosity, "what are you lot doing down here? Looks like some secret meeting to me."

Marco laughed stiffly. "Meeting? Nah, nah, just... maintenance!"

"I am the Maintenance guy here..." The Dragonion suspicion grew.

Yumina sent a quick sound transmission to him, " You said workers rarely come here!"

"I said rarely!" He shot back mentally. "Our luck just hit rock bottom!"

Tyla’s calm voice entered their minds. "We can either make up a convincing reason— or knock him out cold. Your choice."

Marco wiped his forehead. "I... I have an idea."

Marco turned toward her with a grin that could only be described as stupidly confident. "Alright, follow my lead, Lady Boss."

Then, to everyone’s horror, he stepped forward and opened his arms wide. "Let’s just hug each other and act like we’re lovers on a break! Happens all the time! Lady Yumina, hug Kurt! I’ll take care of—"

Before he could finish, Tyla moved faster than thought. Her hand shot out, grabbed Yumina by the waist, and in one fluid motion, pulled her close and kissed her.

Yumina’s eyes widened, her mind short-circuiting for a moment as their lips met. The Dragonion’s jaw dropped so hard the spanner nearly fell from his hands.

At the same time, Tyla’s leg snapped up with a lightning-fast kick that sent Marco flying straight into Kurt’s arms. Kurt caught him awkwardly, his face a mix of confusion and disgust as Marco landed bridal-style.

The Dragonion blinked once. Then twice. His brain took several seconds to process what he’d just seen.

Finally, he pointed a trembling claw. "M-MARCO... You’re... gay?"

Marco’s face turned redder than molten metal. "Wha—NO! IT’S NOT—SHE—"

Kurt sighed, still holding him like a bride. "You’re not helping your case, man."

The Dragonion scratched his head, completely bewildered. "Huh. Guess you really can’t judge a book by its cover..."

"Put me down, Kurt!" Marco whispered furiously, struggling.

"Wow... already whispering sweet nothings, huh?" The Dragonion muttered, his tail twitching as he turned away.

"No... that’s not—mmph!" Marco tried to speak, but Kurt quickly clamped a clawed hand over his mouth.

Hearing the noises without even turning around,

"Tsk... already kissing, too..." the Dragonion grumbled in disgust as he hurried off, muttering something about "workplace romance getting out of hand."