Chapter 44

A garden meeting opens the chapter. The Shopkeeper greets the Thorn Princess and her colleague, then abruptly lunges at Yor with his shears; her clean dodge convinces him that domestic life has not blunted her edge. The briefing that follows is unusual: instead of a kill, Garden wants Olka Gretcher and her infant son guarded during a voyage on the liner Princess Lorelei. Yor frets over how the trip fits her civilian cover, but a story has already been arranged through her workplace, so she agrees.

Riding the subway home, Yor spots Yuri dozing in a seat. He claims to be returning from a business trip, though he was really out arresting a dissident, and turns down her dinner invitation while insisting he can look after himself. Watching him go, Yor wonders why she still carries the assassin work now that her brother no longer depends on her income.

At Central Mall, Anya notices a raffle whose grand prize is a pair of berths on that same cruise. Her telepathy catches the attendant scheming; he has pinned the winning slip to the top of the box to claim it with his partner. Anya calmly fishes that exact ticket out. Back home, the win collides with Yor's cover story, since her "work trip" sails on the identical ship and date. Reading her mother's worry, Anya reasons that she can secretly help and throws a tantrum until the trip is locked in.

Loid braces for fury when he requests leave, yet Sylvia grants it easily, arranging hospital time off and framing the holiday as education for Operation Strix. On departure day the Forgers train to the port, leaving Bond in Franky's care. Yor quietly considers making this her final job for Garden, says her goodbyes, and joins her colleagues as shadowy figures slip aboard with the other passengers.

The Shopkeeper appears in person for the first time and assigns Yor a bodyguard contract rather than an assassination, covering Olka Gretcher and her son Gram aboard Princess Lorelei.

Anya exploits a rigged raffle to win cruise tickets, and the Forger family ends up sailing on the ship where Yor will be working. Sylvia approves Loid's leave and folds the vacation into Operation Strix. Yor begins questioning whether to retire from Garden now that Yuri is self-sufficient.

Until this chapter the Shopkeeper existed only through mentions and phone calls, making this his formal introduction. The chapter also debuts Olka, Gram, Cindy, Heymann, and Vides in various capacities.

Leonardo Hapoon's look changed between releases: the digital version gave him a different hairstyle, which was lengthened for the Volume 7 printing. The chapter is adapted in Episode 30 of the anime.