Trash Crabs? (after battle)

Haah… So what are these bug-crab-things?!

Hey now… What are you looking at me for? What makes you think I'd know?

I wasn't even gawking at you! You're paranoid, that's what! Can't even talk about bugs around this guy...

Ugh…

...They're trash crabs.

<They're what?>

Ishmael interjected all of a sudden.

Trash crabs. They collect trash or scrap like that on their shells, and use them as their homes and weapons.

They're a tiresome lot… They ambush people working by the waters, attack those wandering in the area, and their numbers grow by the day…

But they're just one of the innumerable small fries of the Great Lake. What's more important, and more treacherous, is...

<I-Ishmael?>

I was about to check in with Ishmael, as I probably shouldn't let this go on for any longer, but…

Hey guys~ Already hard at work, huh?

A couple of people in work overalls seemed to be approaching from a distance.

Mika, Mika! They're our valued customers. Watch your manners…

Oh… Okay, I guess?

What're those R&Ts?

I think she's calling them Rags and Tags…

Rain, they're calling us ragtags… Do I really have to watch my manners?

Shh, shh…

They could be enemies. You two! Identify yourselves!

Have you not been informed about us at all…?

No, not at all. That's why I'm suspicious of you two - coming up with seemingly plausible yet unverifiable identities... Like spies.

I'm sorry, wouldn't real spies come up with a more structured approach…?

Indeed. Outis, they are our cooperators who will be assisting us this time.

Khm… Then speak sooner next time.

Pleased to meet you, Mika, Rain. We are LCB, also known as the Limbus Company Bus Department.

Bus… Right. That's what that person said, too - you guys are the bus blokes.

I was informed that the LCC Before Team was here first. By "that person", do you mean…

Sorry, let me check the business card again… LCC…B. Right, all accounted for.

Now that we're clear, why don't we continue this conversation back at the shop? Let's take a look at that bus, too.

This is an awkward place to talk, you know?

<We're... their customers?>

Okay... Care to tell us what we're doing here?

Our destination, U Corp, is a Nest composed of various nautical structures. Therefore, Mephistopheles in its current form cannot reach there.

And… the Great Lake's environs are unpredictable.

You're going to need a ship… that can withstand such capriciousness.

That's right. Which is why we sought out a contract with an adequate shop to modify the bus.

Huh… Adequate, you say...?

…Hmph. Let's go in.

Umm… Did our last staff dinner really hit the budget that hard? I thought we were allowed to eat as much as we wanted.

Like Rodya said, looking at the somewhat dilapidated shop made me curious about the company's finances…

But nothing good could ever come out of this conversation, so I decided to table the thought.