After the banquet, Giovanna spent some time chatting with Texas. When she learned about Texas's current circumstances, all she could do was sigh. If not for Lappland and Felix, she might never have seen Texas again.
"By the way, Cellinia," Giovanna asked casually, "what is your relationship with that person?"
"Which one?"
"His Highness."
Texas turned her face slightly away, and Giovanna's eyes widened. What did she just see? A hint of shyness on her friend's face.
Cellinia is impure.
Giovanna was struck dumb, her emotions in complete turmoil. How could Cellinia, who was always so cool and expressionless, show such an expression? Your Highness, what on earth have you done?! She screamed this internally, very loudly.
"Ahem... Giovanna, take care."
"Mm…"
Texas pulled her into a firm hug. Giovanna hummed softly in response, then reached up to straighten Texas's collar. "You take care of yourself."
"I will."
The gathering between old friends was coming to an end. One by one, the operators of Tomorrow's Development returned to the Venus. As more people boarded, it marked the perfect conclusion of this journey to Siracusa.
It was time to return to Kazdel.
Upon hearing the news, the Sarkaz operators were eager to go home, while the players felt an unusual sense of ease and peace. Kazdel was their main city. It had been so long since they last returned, and they could not help but wonder what it looked like now. Those operators who had never been there before were filled with curiosity. They had heard countless rumors of Kazdel as a den of monsters, the lair of the Sarkaz. Yet judging by the expressions of their companions, reality seemed very different.
As the Venus began her departure procedures, Felix returned to his room to rest and review some matters. However, standing outside his door was a guest who rarely appeared there.
"Lemuel? What are you doing here?"
Hearing him call her that, Exusiai felt a warm sweetness bloom in her chest, as if she had just eaten a hundred apple pies. In private, the way they addressed each other had never changed, always calling one another by name. Yet in truth, they had not spent much time alone together for quite a while. Exusiai had been stationed in Lungmen for various transport missions, while Felix had remained on the Venus. Since Exusiai's coming-of-age ceremony, opportunities to be together like this had been few and far between.
"Um… nothing much tonight," Exusiai said, rocking lightly on her heels, a little shy. "Texas and Lappland went out for a late-night snack, and Croissant went off to recommend equipment and materials to adventurers. So I'm all alone." She scratched her cheek. "I was thinking it's been a long time since I just hung out with you, Brother Felix, so I thought I'd come by. Haha… If you're busy, I can go look for Croissant and the others."
"I don't have much to do tonight either," Felix replied. "I was planning to watch some TV before going to bed." After the identity scan, the door opened, and he stepped inside, turning slightly to her. "Do you want to come in and rest for a while?"
Television signals required external access, so Felix made use of Clever's powerful search and relay functions to connect to nearby mobile cities. Once approved, Tomorrow's Development could access local broadcasts. When traveling through uninhabited regions, the system instead played series and films collected from various corners of the land.
"Okay, okay!"
Exusiai slipped into the room ahead of him, blinking as she took in her surroundings. There was indeed more furniture here than in the standard dormitory. The space was not large, but it felt comfortable and lived-in. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the distant lights of Siracusa's mobile city were still visible.
"Want something to drink?" Felix asked.
"Mmm… sweet wine," Exusiai replied.
Clever floated over to the refrigerator, retrieved a bottle of sweet wine, gave it a gentle shake, and placed two glasses on the table. Sweet wine and ice filled each glass.
"This is a thank-you gift from the Bellone family," Felix said. "They said it's forty-five years old."
Exusiai took a careful sip. Her eyes immediately lit up.
"Delicious!"
The television was on, airing a program from Siracusa TV.
"—Today's Lotto for the Dead has produced twenty-six winners. Did you guess the outcome of that fierce competition?—"
Felix changed the channel. A Siracusa drama appeared on screen. After watching for barely five minutes, he realized it was a story about lovers from rival families, clinging to each other amid endless family feuds. The plot revolved around how they managed to steal dates of less than ten minutes without damaging their families' interests during constant power struggles. It was painfully melodramatic.
Felix stared at the family crest shown in the series. Its design bore a strong resemblance to the Saluzzo family's style. He never would have guessed that the old man would invest in something like this.
At some point, Exusiai leaned against Felix's shoulder. Her face gradually flushed red, her breath carrying a sweet, wine-scented warmth. She looked as though she had just been pulled from water, her eyes glistening. Her small hands, not entirely well-behaved, rested against Felix's chest.
"Lemuel, you're a little drunk," Felix said softly.
"Mmm…" Lemuel hummed faintly. "Brother Felix, I feel a bit unwell."
"Where does it hurt?"
"I don't know…" She blinked, clearly troubled. "I just feel a little sad, but I don't know why. I asked my sister, and she said I'd understand after drinking… but I still don't understand…"
Her eyes filled with tears as she sighed, looking like a lost child. Those orange eyes were watery and delicate, carrying an almost fragile allure.
This was the first time she had shown such an openly girlish side, so different from her usual tomboy and carefree demeanor.
"Do you feel any better now?" Felix asked gently.
He took her hand, and Lemuel's fingers tightened around his. She leaned closer, her lips parting slightly before she exhaled a warm, fragrant breath.
"Brother Felix… my heart feels all tangled up."
"Lemuel…"
Felix held her hand, sensing how different she was from usual. He had heard before that Lemuel seemed to like him. Seeing her like this now, he finally understood.
Just as he was about to speak, Lemuel slumped forward, her eyes closing as she collapsed against him.
Felix glanced at the table and noticed that she had nearly finished an entire bottle of sweet wine.
Oh dear.
He wanted to laugh, but at the same time, she looked unbearably cute. After a moment of thought, he asked Clever to contact Lemuel's sister.
___
"You're not planning to double… huh?"
Lemuen pushed the door open, her face slightly flushed. When she saw Lemuel fast asleep on the bed, then noticed the empty bottle of sweet wine, she burst out laughing.
"Lemuel didn't drink just to work up courage for something, did she?"
"She did," Felix replied. "Lemuel's like a little kid. You have to give her a push with everything."
Lemuen sat down beside Lemuel and gently stroked her sister's face. "Even though she's an adult by age, she's still very childlike at heart. I'm actually a bit worried about her walking this world like this. Luckily, she has reliable companions."
"…I wonder how much she'll remember when she wakes up tomorrow," Felix said.
"Who knows?" Lemuen shrugged lightly. "I thought you called me because it was her first time, so I needed to set an example."
Felix thought for a moment. "Why don't you help her wash up first? We can set an example later."
Lemuen glanced at him and gave a soft hum. "Should I call Mostima over?"
"Tell me about your mission back to Laterano later."
The next morning, Lemuel woke up with a pounding headache, her body weak and unsteady. She forced herself out of bed and realized she was still in Felix's room. The room was empty.
A set of clean clothes lay neatly beside the bed. She changed into them and went to the dining table, where she found a note written in her sister's handwriting.
"Oh."
"Lemuel, I brought you breakfast. It's in the fridge. Remember to heat it up before eating."
"Okay~"
Lemuel opened the fridge and, just as expected, found her favorite red bean buns and Apple pie inside, along with a glass of chocolate milk. This was exactly the kind of breakfast she loved.
But then a thought struck her.
Why had her sister's note been left in Felix's room?
Tilting her head, Lemuel glanced toward the chair near the dining table and spotted a strand of blue hair resting there.
Was Mostima here last night too?
What on terra had they been doing?
Her mind descended into complete confusion. When fragments of the previous night resurfaced, her face instantly flushed red, like a ripe apple. She clearly remembered leaning against Felix's chest, calling his name in a soft voice, even holding his hand.
'Waaaaah, this is way too embarrassing. I can't face Brother Felix at all. I won't even be able to look him in the eye. It's just too mortifying.'
Lemuel finished her breakfast in a daze. Later, when she ran into Texas, she completely failed to respond when Croissant and Sora greeted her, as if she hadn't heard them at all.
"What's wrong with her?" someone asked.
The three operators exchanged confused glances.
Half a month later, the Venus entered the territory of Kazdel. As the ship passed through the Frontier District, countless mercenaries gathered near the city walls and across the surrounding ground, striking their weapons against their armor. Their eyes burned with fervor as they watched the Venus approach. They knew this vessel carried the heart of Kazdel, and that their king was there. He was the one who had given Kazdel a chance at salvation.
When people no longer struggle for food and clothing, when they are given a second path in life beyond becoming mercenaries, race ceases to matter.
On this day, Felix returned to Kazdel.
Amid a cacophony of voices, the operators disembarked from the Venus. Many of them had families in Kazdel, and this return to the Kazdel Mobile City was a long-awaited reunion. At the same time, fully armed Lightbearers escorted groups of people with their hands and feet bound by special restraints toward the city.
Most of them were Reunion Movement criminals who had committed heinous acts in Chernobog and Kursk. Having lived for so long in darkness, they were stunned by the sunlight, their faces pale with fear as they realized they had no idea what fate awaited them.
Elsewhere, the Emperor's Childrens were escorting red-named Reunion players. Each of these individuals had taken the lives of at least ten innocent people. Even as they were dragged forward, they continued to curse and struggle. Their judgment awaited them.
Felix stepped down from the Venus. At his side stood Loughshinny, Mountain, and Hellagur, along with Patriot, who had only recently recovered from a prolonged illness. His condition had improved greatly during his recuperation, and he was once again able to wield his weapon as he once did. He silently gazed at Kazdel City, familiar yet transformed. On the city walls stood the steadfast Goliath guards, while soldiers lined up at the gates to welcome their return.
"Patriot, take a good look at this place. This is a new era for Kazdel."
"…I believe it is," Patriot replied quietly.
Hoederer and his entourage stood before the city gates, bowing deeply to Felix in the formal salute of subjects greeting their king. Among them, Caren froze when she caught sight of Patriot. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief, her legs giving out as she nearly collapsed, overwhelmed by the suppression of her bloodline.
"Your Highness, this journey has been quite a long one," Hoederer said with a soft chuckle. "Although you did return once before, there was simply too much critical work piling up. Some of it was beyond my authority to review or sign."
"And the situation within Kazdel?" Felix asked.
"Yes. Very few members of the former Military Commission remain in Kazdel. The Scar Market has elected a new leader, one of our own. With their intelligence network, we now have comprehensive control over the city's movements. The eastern and western city-states have been completed, their garrisons fully equipped and ready for war at any time."
The two of them stepped onto the land of Kazdel itself. Stone bricks paved the streets, and vehicles moved steadily through the city. Aside from the absence of ultra-modern high-rise buildings, it was scarcely different from the mobile cities of Leithanien or Siracusa.
In the past, Kazdel had been a filthy, muddy place filled with crumbling structures. Vehicles had been unthinkable. Yet under the vigorous development led by the Tomorrow's Development, Kazdel had rapidly caught up with the world, steadily modernizing. New technologies such as solar power and automated systems had been introduced, along with countless new professions and development projects. For young Sarkaz, the future was no longer limited to life as mercenaries.
'Theresa… can you see this now?'