"Me? Came to see you, obviously?"
Lappland grinned.
"Your appearance back then was much more dazzling than now. So elegant, so deadly, and so beautiful. Look at your weak appearance now. If I were as irritable as an Oripathy patient, I might even verbally mock your current state right now."
"…Oripathy?"
"Just some minor things, no need to mind. But I am really surprised by your current condition."
Lappland looked at the frowning girl before her, seemingly genuinely dissatisfied.
"No killing intent, no sense of vigilance, completely relaxed. You like this kind of life very much, but you shouldn't be like this."
"I have no obligation to respond to expectations placed on me without permission."
"Don't be so tense, I won't do anything to you or your friends. My coming here already expressed my sincerity, didn't it? Look, I made friends with your friend, so to some extent, aren't I also friends with you? A friend of a friend is a friend, right?"
"He is not my friend."
"Then, boyfriend?"
"…"
"I know my sense of humor is terrible, so I apologize to you, don't be like this."
Looking at Li Lin, whose face had turned ashen, and Lappland, who quickly apologized, then looking at her own expression in the mirror, Texas clicked her tongue.
Because she was too shocked and horrified, she couldn't help revealing her true emotions and expression. This sudden display of emotion actually startled Li Lin and Lappland opposite her. Looking at that disgusted face, Lappland's tail fur even trembled slightly.
"Ahem, anyway, I apologize to you, but I am indeed serious. Although I won't do anything, I still think that you is more suitable for you."
Seemingly feeling it hurt her pride, Lappland coughed twice and said seriously:
"Well then, I'll be staying nearby. I don't have any ill intentions, at least you have to believe me on this point."
"…"
Texas looked at her with disgust.
"Looks like I'm not welcome. Operator Prophet over there, let's eat together next time. My treat again. Didn't eat well this time, next time I'll take you for barbecue. I found it by following the smell nearby, it smells really good, okay? Then see you when I see you. Texas. And Prophet. Just hope you won't be scared off by her dark past. Bye bye."
Regarding Texas's subtle expression, Lappland smiled and waved at Li Lin and Texas, wagged her tail, and left grinningly. Seeming quite happy. Or perhaps for her, just being able to talk to Texas made her very happy.
And watching Lappland leave so casually, Texas looked at her retreating back and sighed.
"…Heh."
How should I put it, ignorance is bliss.
My dark past? If you pile up the darkness of Siracusa, Columbia, Ursus, even the entire world, it wouldn't compare to one ten-thousandth of what's in that person's head.
Glancing at Li Lin, whose expression seemed to scream 'Ah, my colleague actually has a dark past, what should I do?' but was actually preparing to sneak away, Texas truly felt very tired.
She actually envied Lappland to some extent. Having obsession, having ideas, having the courage to act. Although Lappland kept nagging about the past in Siracusa, after so long, Texas had already moved on; she believed Lappland would sooner or later forget those things too.
But Li Lin was different.
If the world they lived in was a game, then the thoughts contained in Li Lin's mind were undoubtedly living BUGs. They were a collection of nightmare images, a treasure trove built from countless monsters and corpses. Just pouring out a small part of that demonic thinking was enough to plunge Columbia, just emerging from the swamp of civil war, back into civil war, even forcing the officially backed Blacksteel International to flee the core area.
But that was just a part of it. What if all those Lazarus Files were scattered out?
He must not be exposed. If exposed, this world would never know peace. And according to the Prophet's intuition, as long as he wanted, absolutely no one in this world could kill him. Rather than letting the entire bomb explode, it was safer to just hold it tightly in hand and keep watch.
Compared to the terrifying concepts Li Lin occasionally brought up in conversation and the stories and political struggles said to be from his homeland, everything that happened in Siracusa seemed like playing house, harmless and laughable. No one could be trusted, everyone could kill each other, a terrifying world where even eating and drinking couldn't be tested for safety—Texas would rather return to Siracusa and face her past than let this man appear in others' eyes for even a second.
This wasn't any sense of responsibility, or sense of justice, just purely fear of certain things.
"…Huu."
Watching Lappland's retreating back, Texas sighed.
"Li Lin, you stand right there. You think I forgot what you said, do you?"
"…"
So you didn't forget?
Li Lin, who was tiptoeing, trying to get close to Lappland to escape together, instantly froze in place, a smile clearly caught in a stalemate hung on his face, looking somewhat awkwardly at Texas, who was closing her eyes, taking deep breaths to adjust her state of mind. Seeing her hair tips tinged red, Li Lin showed an awkward yet polite smile.
"Um, Miss Texas, let me explain. I didn't intentionally mean to express any hostility towards you, it's just that my training and life during this period have really exceeded my tolerance level. Just think, even talking to someone outside gets stopped, isn't this kind of life really too uncomfortable? Let's put ourselves in each other's shoes , I actually don't really have any complaints against you, it's just that recent life has really been—"
"After going back, extend your training time by double, oh no, triple. Don't let me see you have the strength to pick up a pen and write a novel within a week."
"…Yes."
Caught red-handed badmouthing someone behind their back, and coincidentally saying it to her acquaintance; even if beaten up on the spot, Li Lin would have resigned himself to it.
Facing this kind of trigger response, which could be described as raising high but letting down gently, Li Lin immediately nodded and bowed to Texas, very consciously leaving the Lungmen Teahouse and running back towards Penguin Logistics like a wisp of smoke . Texas's eye twitched watching Li Lin flee. She took a deep breath, intending to leave, but was stopped at the door by the Ursus owner.
"What's wrong? Is something the matter?"
"Neither of them paid. Do you want to put it on a tab or pay?"
"…Put it on Li Lin's tab. Triple it for me. Please pack up the rest and send it to Penguin Logistics. Thank you."
"Okay!"
The Ursus man looked at the gloomy-faced Texas, grinned, and with a flourish of his pen on the bill, added five times the price.
Others argue, he makes money. Anyway, Li Lin wouldn't dare come back to check the bill, why not profit from it?