Sparkle's words drew Sāmu's attention to the snowdrift in the distance. Just then, the snowdrift moved... ever so slightly. The boy's pupils instantly constricted. He quietly swallowed and began to walk towards the snowdrift.
"Sāmu?" March 7th and Stelle both noticed his movement.
Dan Heng, who had been leading the way, also stopped. Realizing that Sāmu had spotted something unusual, he immediately summoned his spear, the Cloud-Piercer.
"I think I saw the snowdrift move..." Sāmu explained to the confused March 7th and Stelle.
March 7th focused her gaze and walked a circle around the snowdrift. "It does look a bit strange."
"Hey, it's no use hiding in the snow without making a sound! We've already found you!"
"Step aside, March." Dan Heng walked over with his spear. "The best way to deal with someone who's burying their head in the sand is..."
"...to smash the bell on their head."
His style was in line with Sparkle's expectations. With a thrust of his Cloud-Piercer, a hidden dragon emerged... or something like that.
Anyway, as Dan Heng's spear shot out, a voice cried, "Ouch!"
A tall, blue-haired man instantly and nimbly rolled out of the snowdrift, patting the snow off himself with a helpless smile. "I say, friend, was that really necessary? It's not a crime to burrow into the snow. What if it's my hobby?"
The Astral Express crew was not in the mood for his sophistry and took a menacing step forward. Seeing their numbers and momentum, the blue-haired man instantly backed down.
He gave a sheepish smile. "Ahem, alright, burrowing into the snow... is a bit weird, huh?" The man's standards were quite flexible.
He also took this opportunity to observe the members of the Astral Express. The one with the spear had a cold, unparalleled look, and seemed quite formidable. The pink-haired young lady was youthful and beautiful, pretending to be fierce, but it probably wouldn't be hard to fool her. After all, the wisdom in her eyes was practically overflowing.
The gray-haired girl had a tall figure and also looked cold and cool at first glance. But if one looked closely, one could find the same aura of wisdom in her pupils as the previous young lady.
Finally, the white-haired boy... This time, it was Sampo's turn for his eyes to nearly pop out of their sockets!
Oh, my dear Aha! Don't tell me you had a fling with the legendary Aeon of Beauty, Idrila! Otherwise, how can you explain the boy's unparalleled beauty! And how can you explain the Mask of Joy on his head?
Sampo was certain that it was the symbol of the Masked Fools. Why? Because he...
After staring at Sāmu for a long while, making the boy feel a little creeped out, Sampo suddenly and mysteriously uttered, "Wubby Wubby?"
"?" Sāmu was completely clueless.
But in his mind, Sparkle excitedly replied, [Wubby Baboo!]
This was one of their Masked Fools' secret codes. It seemed old Sampo had mistaken Sāmu for a Masked Fool who had come to Jarilo-VI for some fun. The mask Sparkle had given Sāmu wasn't her own, but another white fox mask. The aura of Joy on the mask could be felt by fellow walkers or Emanators of the Path of Elation. So, although Sampo would associate it with Sparkle, that woman he didn't want to deal with, he wouldn't equate Sāmu with her.
Seeing that Sāmu didn't react, Sampo sighed. He lamented the changing times; the new era had no ships to carry old Masked Fools like them. The new young fools didn't even know this famous secret code.
But it wasn't a big deal. As long as the other party didn't harm Jarilo-VI and was just here for some fun, Sampo was willing to play along and act out this scene perfectly.
"What are you mumbling about, what kind of gibberish is that!" Stelle looked quiet, but her aggression was maxed out.
"Uh, maybe I was buried in the snow for too long, and my brain got frozen?"
"Haha, my appearance was too abrupt. I deserved that poke, I should have, I must have! How else would I get to know you heroic folks? Haha..." Sampo vividly demonstrated what it meant to be adaptable, what it meant to be a "master of submission."
He thought this group was the Silvermane Guards of Belobog, so he had a flash of inspiration. "By the way, is Captain Gepard here? I know him well, we're buddies!"
"Who?" March 7th still had her hands on her hips, her tone questioning.
Sampo's expression froze for a moment, then he realized. "Oh, you're not the Silvermane Guards? You should have said so earlier, you had me so nervous."
"Silvermane Guards? What's that?"
"No way? You don't even know the Silvermane Guards?"
"The Silvermane Guards are Belobog's army, law enforcement, police... those guys are completely inflexible, the bane of our profession."
"Who's 'our'?" Dan Heng said coldly, his wariness of Sampo not yet dispelled.
But it was no wonder. Dan Heng had aimed his spear carefully, yet the man named "Sampo" had easily dodged it, with only the corner of his clothes being pierced. That at least proved one thing: this man's agility was extraordinary. And what kind of person needed such agile movements? A thief, or... an assassin?
"Alright, alright, not 'our,' not 'our.' Let's just say we met by chance. We can at least get to know each other, right?"
"My name is Sampo Koski."
At least for this moment, Sampo's smile exuded a highly infectious sincerity, and it didn't seem like he was lying. And he indeed wasn't.
Dan Heng and March 7th exchanged glances. Stelle glanced at Sāmu. The boy, relying on his own judgment, hesitated for a moment before introducing himself softly, "My name is Sāmu. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Sampo."
Seeing Sāmu give his real name, the other three members of the Astral Express followed suit.
"Dan Heng."
"I'm March 7th!"
"The King of the Trash Cans," Stelle said proudly.
"Still with the 'King of the Trash Cans'!" March 7th couldn't help but retort fiercely.
But Sampo tilted his head slightly. "Tatarov?"
"What did you say?"
"Ah, n-nothing." Sampo quickly waved his hands.
The more Dan Heng looked at him, the more suspicious he seemed. Sāmu, on the other hand, having heard the System Sister's evaluation, was not as wary of Sampo. The System Sister had said he was... not a bad guy.
However, what Sparkle didn't mention was that he was also a guy she looked down on, a guy she liked to tease. Because a mature "jester" would not be influenced by so-called "emotions." But Sampo, because of his feelings for "Jarilo-VI," had stayed on this icy, godforsaken planet. Unlike Sparkle—there was no emotion in this world that could tie her down! Nothing could stop her from seeking her own fun, from completing her aesthetic of Elation!
"Excuse me, Mr. Sampo, could you take us to a nearby human settlement?" Sāmu asked politely, his clear, boyish voice as pleasant as wind chimes.
Although it was unclear if he was "white on the outside, black on the inside"—the type of Masked Fool who pretended to be pure and innocent but was actually a master manipulator behind the scenes—it didn't stop Sampo from developing a considerable liking for the boy.
No wonder the legendary Aeon of Beauty, Idrila, though she had suddenly disappeared one day and her whereabouts were still unknown, still had an organization called the "Knights of Beauty" who held a firm faith in her and searched for her relentlessly throughout the sea of stars.
In contrast, a certain "jester" god~ If he were to suddenly disappear one day, many of the Masked Fools who believed in him probably wouldn't be sad, but would instead shout, "Good riddance!" Maybe even the disappeared Aha himself would shout "Good riddance!" from his coffin that couldn't hold him down.
"You mean Belobog, the 'City of Preservation,' the 'Everwinter City'... heh." Sampo sneered.
But since this fellow Masked Fool's stage was in that place... "Alright, I'll show you the way. Who can say no when I, old Sampo, am so helpful and kind-hearted!"
"Come with me, boy. Quietly now, don't let the Guards find us!"
Sampo led the way, with Sāmu following closely behind. Stelle also followed Sāmu without hesitation. Although March 7th and Dan Heng were still hesitant, it was a two-against-two tie, and more importantly, Sāmu's vote carried more weight. So in the end, they followed along.
Sampo was a chatterbox. Along the way, he tirelessly taught Sāmu the tricks of their trade for avoiding the Silvermane Guards. "Rule number seven: leave no footprints. I have a unique skill, you could say I walk on snow without a trace, specifically for shaking off the pursuit of the Silvermane Guards..."
— "Swish!"
The sound of a halberd plunging into the snow interrupted Sampo's words and surprised the members of the Express. In front of them, a squad of guards in heavy blue and black military uniforms and silver iron helmets had appeared.
"What's this?"
"Uh, like I said, pursuers."
"???"
"Suspect and his accomplices found! Arrest them immediately!"
The Silvermane Guards instantly swarmed forward.
March 7th anxiously explained, "M-misunderstanding! We're not with him! Hey, wait, where's that Sampo guy!"
Sampo, who had just been in front of them, had now vanished without a trace, thoroughly embodying the four-character mantra of "retreat, withdraw, sell out, flee"! And he had indeed, as he had said, not left a single footprint in the snow.
Sampo's final farewell came from a distance. Or was it a piece of advice for Sāmu?
"Rule number eight—never trust your colleagues!"
Otherwise, you won't even know how you died! Sampo had learned this the hard way! Even his mask was taken by that bad girl and he still hadn't gotten it back!
"Damn it, we were tricked!"
"I'm sorry... Sister March 7th." Sāmu's expression was full of guilt towards his companions.
"Ah, it's okay, it's okay! It's not Sāmu's fault at all! Besides, it's just a few grunt soldiers!" March 7th summoned her ice bow and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Dan Heng and Stelle beside her. The three of them protectively surrounded Sāmu.
So what if the Silvermane Guards had numbers?
Advantage: Me!
-------
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