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"No need for excessive concern, Mr. Welt. As long as you understand, that's enough." Upon hearing Welt's apology, Luocha finally let out a slight sigh of relief, the weight in his heart easing somewhat.
Though he didn't understand why this seemingly serious man had chased him relentlessly for dozens of miles, he felt it was best not to press the matter further for now.
"Mr. Luocha, as an apology for earlier, I'd like to treat you to a simple meal as a small gesture of goodwill. What do you say?" After a brief moment of thought, Welt sent a message to March 7th and Stelle, whom he had completely forgotten about earlier.
Forgive him for temporarily setting aside matters of the Ambrosial Arbor and the Stellaron. At this moment, compared to the responsibilities of a Nameless, he found the affairs of this man before him far more pressing.
"This… Well, then I'll trouble you, Mr. Welt." Luocha had initially intended to politely decline, but upon seeing Welt's unyielding smile, he could only agree with a wry smile.
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Exalting Sanctum, a small restaurant…
"Here, Mr. Luocha, please."
Welt took the menu, casually marking a few Xianzhou dishes that looked decent before handing it to Luocha, who sat across from him.
Luocha hesitated briefly before accepting the menu, nodding at Welt with a smile. "In that case, I won't stand on ceremony. Thank you, Mr. Welt."
He carefully perused the menu.
"Perilla Carp, Singing Lotus Cake, Jade Bird Skewers… The Xianzhou Luofu truly lives up to its reputation as a mighty power with eight thousand years of history. Just its culinary culture alone would likely require a genius scholar to spend their entire life studying it."
Luocha ordered the Jade Bird Skewers and Perilla Carp before handing the menu to the nearby server.
"Hm? Mr. Welt, is there something on my face? Why do you keep staring at me?"
Hearing this, Welt finally averted his gaze and shook his head. "My apologies, Mr. Luocha. You bear a striking resemblance to an 'old acquaintance' of mine. I was simply lost in thought for a moment."
"An old acquaintance of yours? Would you mind sharing with me, Mr. Luocha?" Luocha's interest was piqued. The so-called 'old acquaintance' in Welt's words sounded more like an 'opponent' or even an 'enemy.' Otherwise, he wouldn't have taken one look at him and immediately drawn his blade, chasing him down with such relentless fury.
"This…" Welt fell silent. His intuition told him it was best not to mention anything about Otto to the man before him.
Seeing Welt's reluctance to speak, Luocha understood. With an understanding smile, he said, "Haha, no need to trouble yourself, Mr. Welt. Let's change the subject. May I ask how old you are this year?"
"A few hundred years. I've lost track of the exact number."
"Oh? Are you a native of the Xianzhou, Mr. Welt? Your attire doesn't seem to match." Luocha was surprised—he hadn't expected the man before him to be so ancient.
"Ah, no. I'm merely a wanderer forced to drift in a foreign land." Welt sighed. After years of being stranded in the world of Star Rail, he had been searching for a way back, but so far, he had found no leads.
"Then, if I may ask, where do you work now, Mr. Welt?"
"A freelancer. Unemployed." Welt replied calmly.
"Uh… And how are your parents these days?"
"Dead. They died hundreds of years ago."
Luocha: "..."
"And your father…?"
"Dead. Died hundreds of years ago. Killed by Otto."
Luocha: "..."
For a moment, Luocha was so embarrassed he could've dug a three-bedroom apartment out of the floor with his toes. No wonder Mr. Welt had tried to cut him down on sight—he had mistaken him for his father's murderer.
Sensing the unbearably awkward atmosphere, Luocha decided he couldn't let this continue. After some deliberation, he spoke again:
"Mr. Welt, I'm truly sorry for bringing up your painful memories. But please, keep moving forward. Even if you have no job, no parents… please believe that you are not left with nothing. At the very least, right now… you still have me. I can—"
Welt: "..."
"Star of Eden!!!"
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"Sorry, March, Stelle… This time, it's my fault…"
In the Cloud Knight prison, Welt looked apologetically at March 7th and Stelle beyond the bars, his gaze flickering as if he felt too ashamed to face them.
"Uncle Welt, it's… it's fine. We've already contacted General Jing Yuan. He'll come soon to bail you—uh, rescue you." March 7th scratched her head, her tone awkward. At the same time, she was burning with curiosity. What kind of person could drive the usually composed and steady Uncle Welt into such a frenzied state, making him act so irrationally that he nearly blew up half of Exalting Sanctum?
Just who was that blond man?
"Uncle Welt, where's that guy you chased halfway across the place? What happened to him?"
March couldn't help but ask.
"This lady, I'm right here."
An elegant male voice reached March and Stelle's ears. Hearing it, the two girls paused before turning their curious gazes toward the cell next to Welt's.
"Uh…" "Oh…"
Upon seeing the person inside, their curious expressions turned to horror. Stelle, in particular, blurted out in shock:
"Y-you… Are you human or some kind of monster?!"
Behind the bars, a blond pig-headed demon was staring at them with wide eyes.
This was none other than Luocha—except now, his face was a patchwork of bruises, swollen in some places and sunken in others. Even his once-glorious, silky golden hair was now a disheveled mess, completely devoid of its usual elegance and charm.
"I am Luocha, merely a passing… sigh… a passing unfortunate soul."
"Ah… Haha, sorry about that, Mr. Luocha…" March gave an awkward laugh before quickly pulling Stelle away from the cell. No, this was too much—if they stayed any longer, the secondhand embarrassment would be unbearable.
"Uncle Welt, what kind of cosmic crime did this guy commit to get beaten up like this by you…?"
Back in front of Welt's cell, March leaned slightly toward the bars and cautiously whispered her question.
"He…"
For a moment, Welt didn't know how to answer. After a long silence, he finally murmured:
"Because he has a face… that shouldn't exist."
March 7th: "???"
Stelle: "???"