"But… how is that possible? The Antimatter Legion isn't here. How could those Fragmentum creatures alone destroy all of Punklorde? Even if those corrupted monsters are powerful, they shouldn't be able to defeat Punklorde so quickly."
Himeko voiced her doubts about the masked merchant's claims.
"Hehehe… Miss Himeko, I know the situation on Punklorde, and I know where the Stellaron erupted. What do you suppose would happen if the Fragmentum were to imitate the legends of the past? The Aether Cartridges containing their life stories are all located there, after all."
The masked merchant simply responded with a laugh.
"..."
In the end, their conversation concluded with the masked merchant's departure. Before leaving, he "lent" the inn to the Astral Express, stating that the IPC could pay him the Credit Points once interstellar communication was restored.
Seeing an opportunity, Wende also made a deal with this mysterious merchant. He purchased a detailed map of the entire Scrapyard. Naturally, the bill would also be footed by the Corporation.
"A pleasure doing business with you."
After handing the map to Wende, the masked merchant turned and left without a second thought, as if the interest he had just shown in the [Nameless] was merely a fleeting whim.
"That guy is really a weirdo… No, wait, all the Masked Fools are weirdos!"
March 7th shook her head as she watched the merchant's retreating figure. Her impression of the Masked Fools was that they were all terrible, bad people.
"As followers of [Elation], their concepts of good and evil cannot be judged by ordinary standards. However, everything they do has but a single goal: to achieve [Elation]," Dan Heng stated clearly, well-versed in the ways of the Masked Fools.
"Indeed. People whose good and evil, truth and falsehood are indistinguishable are the most frightening," Wende agreed with a nod before heading back into the inn.
Himeko reported the current situation to Welt and asked him to keep a close eye on any movements from the Legendary Tower from the Express.
Rustle…
Wende spread the detailed map of the Scrapyard across the table. This map was largely similar to the one Veyl had provided, but the locations were far more detailed. Many specific landmarks were marked, including the location of the underground reservoir they were most concerned with. It was situated within the territory of a faction called the "Cinder Gang," very close to the Survivor Base—only twenty kilometers away.
"If we move quickly, we can reach that underground reservoir within an hour and a half. But I'm afraid the journey won't be peaceful."
Looking at the map with its tangled web of factions, Wende felt it fit his stereotype of the Scrapyard perfectly.
"Benefactor, let's rest for a while today. Look, the path to the reservoir passes through the intersection of three factions. Although one is the Survivor Base, this Cinder Gang and the Scavengers… it seems unlikely they will let us pass so smoothly."
Having been a traveling merchant for many years, Tingyun was very familiar with such places where different powers converged and knew the best ways to resolve such situations. But clearly, gentle negotiations were not an option now. While the masked merchant's words didn't make the trip to the Legendary Tower absolutely urgent, they couldn't afford to waste any more time.
"Tingyun is right. We'll rest for the night. Tomorrow morning, Stelle, March, and Dan Heng will first go and gather some intel from the people in the Survivor Base. It would be even better if we can get some information about the Cinder Gang and the Scavengers. As for Wende…"
Himeko looked toward Wende and the two women behind him, Tingyun and Jingliu.
"You three will scout ahead over there. As soon as we have the intel, we'll head over to join you immediately."
"Alright."
Wende nodded, having no objections.
"In that case, everyone get some rest. Oh, right…"
Himeko seemed to have thought of something. Her eyes shifted between Wende and the two women behind him, and for some reason, a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.
"The soundproofing here is… ahem."
After two slightly awkward coughs, Himeko headed upstairs to her room, leaving a confused Stelle and March staring after her. Dan Heng, however, shook his head with a helpless look, casting a slightly reproachful glance at Jingliu.
He was immediately met with Jingliu's sharp glare, which sent his gaze retreating…
"Er…"
Wende felt a little awkward. But this inn hadn't had a single guest before they arrived, and there were just enough rooms for each of them to have their own. This gave him a reason to…
Hmm, suddenly, his mood improved quite a bit.
Wende wished everyone a good night, walked up the stairs, found a room, and promptly locked the door from the inside.
"Umm…"
Tingyun decisively looked toward her "strategist," Jingliu.
Jingliu simply smiled and shook her head.
Seeing this, Tingyun just nodded thoughtfully.
"Ding… Unlocking the Path of [Order]. Progress: 25%."
Deep in his slumber, Wende was completely unaware of the system's notification.
The next morning, March 7th emerged with dark circles under her eyes. Looking rather listless, she sat down on the living room sofa, picked up a steamed bun made by Wende, and collapsed, eating her breakfast with her eyes closed.
"What's wrong with March? Did you not sleep well last night?" Stelle asked strangely, looking at March who resembled a panda.
"Wuu… The soundproofing in this inn is really bad, and the environment is terrible! I think I heard a pipe leaking somewhere last night. It was dripping all night long, and it was so noisy I couldn't sleep…" March said with an aggrieved expression, taking a fierce bite out of the bun in her hand.
"Wende Can you help perk me up"
Seeing Wende slowly approaching with a new plate of breakfast, March decisively used her act cute offensive.
Wende was startled when he saw the heavy dark circles under her eyes. He quickly took out an acupuncture needle and lightly pricked a few acupoints around her eyes. The dark, pooled blood quickly dissipated.
"There, there. You're a big girl now, don't be so childish," Wende said with a smile as he ruffled March's hair.
"Hehe…"
"By the way, are there this many ingredients available for cooking here in the Scrapyard?" Himeko asked with some confusion, holding one of Wende's steamed buns.
"Of course not. I got these from Meryl's place."
Wende shrugged. Meryl had been complaining that she had no use for all the high-grade flour her family bought. It was only reasonable for him to help her use some of it.
"So just how much stuff did you swipe from Meryl's?"
March, who had been grinning foolishly just a moment ago, suddenly sat up beside Stelle with a vigilant expression and quietly asked Wende.
"Er… not that much, I think?"
Wende scratched his head.
"Tsk… So the real reason Stelle can't ever keep her hands to herself has been found!"
Little March looked at Wende, who was scratching his head and playing dumb, with an expression that said I've seen the truth. So it turns out the upper beam was crooked all along!
Wait a minute, what was Kafka wanted for again?
Suddenly recalling this point, March's gaze toward Stelle couldn't help but carry a hint of sympathy.
Is this… what they call heredity?