[SeaofQuantaMoonFishCat: You've had it rough. Don't do this kind of thing again, okay?]
Shu stared at the ten Contribution Points that had been transferred, momentarily silent.
To be honest, he didn't want to take this money, but it seemed he had no choice.
After clicking "Accept," Shu replied with a "Thanks" to Kiana and said no more. He turned and used the ten points Kiana had so generously bestowed upon him to pay for a ticket and board the train with Susannah.
Compared to the Hyperion, this train was far less luxurious. The slightly cramped seats made Shu feel a bit disoriented.
He couldn't remember the last time he'd sat in such a tight space...
"Quick, quick, there are seats over there!" Susannah pulled Shu along and they quickly sat down in two empty spots. Seeing her bubbling with excitement, Shu could have sworn she was on a school field trip.
Wait a second...
Shu looked up and scanned the car.
Everyone on this train was young and able-bodied. Only these young people had the guts to leave the safety of the Fire Moth base and try to make a name for themselves in Sapphire City.
"So many people..." Susannah commented, resting a hand on the table in front of her as she watched the car fill up.
"There are fewer people here than in the City of Sighs, but everyone there just wanted to stay in the city. Very few were willing to go out."
Susannah sighed, a hint of dejection on her face. But the next moment, she immediately perked up.
"Fire Moth is amazing! Everyone's so strong! I can't fall behind either!"
Watching Susannah shadowbox in the air to pump herself up, Shu opened his mouth. He glanced at the stares her outburst had attracted, then reached out and patted the excited girl's shoulder.
"Huh?" Susannah turned around, confused. Shu averted his gaze, simply gesturing towards the now-silent train car.
Everyone was staring at her with bewildered expressions. The young girl froze for a second, then a blush began to creep up her face...
"Mmph!"
Susannah immediately covered her face and sat down, her head bowed so low she looked like she wanted to crawl into a crack in the floor. Cute little whimpers escaped her lips.
The distinct smell of social suicide.
Shu shrugged and turned to look out the window, his mind drifting as he watched the bustling crowd on the platform.
The car began to fill with noise again. The murmur of conversations and discussions entered Shu's ears, blurring into a single drone.
Shu subconsciously used a bit of [Hope], and the sounds around him became crystal clear.
"Did you see any members of the First Squad? I'm telling you, I saw that last knight of the Kaslana family in the cafeteria this morning!"
"You mean the Finality?!"
"Oh my god, you're so lucky!"
"Senior Archeon was there too! The two of them seemed to be having breakfast."
"Speaking of the Kaslanas... does the Finality eat a lot, like Senior Kallen?"
"You bet! I saw her devour two whole stacks of steamed buns with my own eyes!"
"You mean the big steamers from the cafeteria?! I remember those things can hold fifty or sixty buns per layer, right?!"
"And they're as big as your fist!"
"The Finality is even more amazing than Senior Kallen! Even Kallen takes three bites to finish one of those buns, right?"
"Don't tell me she finished them in two bites?!"
"One! One big bun in one bite! I don't even know how she did it!"
"One bite is a bit of an exaggeration, don't you think!"
"Well, there's a reason she's the one in the First Squad with Lord Shu, right?"
"Unbelievable..."
---||---
On the other side of the car...
"You all saw it when we were boarding, right?"
"Yeah, yeah! I couldn't take my eyes off it!"
"That's the Hyperion, the vehicle Lord Shu and the First Squad used to open up the route. It's so magnificent!"
"That ram on the front... and those marks on the hull. Oh my god, I can't even imagine what that ship has been through!"
"We'll find out soon enough! I heard that the Overseer is going to compile Lord Shu's journey into a book!"
"Really?!"
"If that's true, I'd buy it even if it cost a hundred Contribution Points!"
"What if the journey was actually really boring?"
"I'd still read it, just to support Lord Shu!"
"Wait, I don't think you even have 100 points in savings, do you?"
"Well... that's why I'm here to earn some, isn't it?"
"Don't you worry, this book definitely won't be boring! I have a reliable source. On this expedition, Lord Shu encountered that thing!"
"What thing?"
"Don't tell me—"
"That's right! A Herrscher! Lord Shu dealt with another Herrscher on this pioneering journey!"
"Oh my god! Lord Shu!!"
Susannah looked up with interest, the blush having faded from her face. She was now straining her ears, trying to eavesdrop on the conversation about the "Biography of Shu."
She was completely oblivious to the fact that a certain Kaslana beside her had lowered his head and was covering his eyes.
Otto, what are you doing?! Is this part of your plan too?!
Having his experiences compiled into a book for others to read... Shu never in his life thought such a thing would happen.
His tolerance for this kind of thing was far lower than Kiana's and the others!
Seeing his own face on a screen or his name in a text that everyone could read...
It really was too horrifying!
And what were these people talking about? "Even if it's just to support him, I'd still buy it for a hundred points"?
That was a hundred points! Shu remembered that the purchasing power of a hundred Contribution Points wasn't low! Wouldn't it be better to spend that hundred on a hot pot meal at the cafeteria?
What was the use of buying some stupid book? Were they going to memorize his life story?
Shu silently spread his fingers a little and glanced at Susannah, who was literally in the process of memorizing his life story.
So people really do that!!
Wasn't it obvious that Otto was just trying to fleece them of their Contribution Points? Why were they so eager to fall for it?
A thousand words ultimately condensed into a single thought in Shu's mind.
Fans are so easy to scam...
The fervent words continued to echo in his ears. Shu kept one hand over his eyes, and with the other, he silently pressed the Mosquito's Breath badge on his chest.
He didn't even dare to imagine what would happen if his cover was blown here...
Maybe, possibly, probably...
Tomorrow's [Spark] headlines would be completely dominated by him.
At the thought of such a scenario, Shu couldn't help but clutch his disguise even tighter.