Natasha nodded in confirmation.
"To be honest, during this mining area conflict, many people were injured."
"With so many wounded, I alone can't keep up, and medical supplies are running low again…"
"I had no choice but to swallow my pride and ask Mr. Leon for help once more."
"He came to the clinic and was a huge help. Without him, many people's injuries would've worsened."
"Mr. Leon's medical skills are miraculous—those with minor injuries are already healed."
"Afterward, I offered my sincerest thanks, but Mr. Leon said—"
"'A Nameless on the path of Trailblaze doesn't fuss over short-term gains or losses.'"
"I'm truly grateful to Mr. Leon and to all you selfless Nameless."
Ah Xian's expression grew increasingly stunned.
"No way, they tucked this kind of plot into a missable choice?"
"Leon quietly embodying the Trailblaze ideals, silently helping the injured—this is the kind of character-building that wins people over!"
"Wait a sec, 'afterward'—does that mean he's already left?"
She realized the blind spot and quickly clicked the screen.
① "Leon's not at the clinic anymore?"
② "No need for thanks—that's the spirit of Trailblaze."
Option one.
Natasha: "He left about three minutes ago. You didn't run into him on the way?"
When she first saw Stelle, she'd found it odd.
Stelle shook her head. "No. Which way did he go?"
Natasha thought for a moment, realizing Leon hadn't headed toward the Goethe Hotel.
"West from the clinic's entrance."
The task marker updated.
Ah Xian left Natasha's clinic, heading to the task area.
As soon as she reached the golden task marker, the screen quickly went black.
When it lit up again, two figures appeared.
"Leon, my hubby, and… Sampo?!"
"What's going on here?"
Ah Xian was dumbfounded.
Not just her—the livestream audience was equally baffled.
The scene was just too bizarre.
Sampo was raising his hands in a French military salute, face full of panic, staring at Leon, who was pointing a gun at him.
"Bro… good brother, can we talk this out? Could you maybe put the gun down…?"
Leon remained unmoved, speaking in a calm tone.
"When we first met in the snowfields, your behavior could be explained as a hunter eyeing prey."
"In the prison, I helped you escape, and you led us to the underground. That deal's done."
"If you think your guide duties aren't over, you could've just openly followed us."
"Why sneak around, trailing us like a thief for so long?"
Hearing this, Ah Xian fell into thought.
With her closed beta experience, she had a broader perspective and could somewhat guess Sampo's identity.
Trailing them wasn't surprising, but she hadn't expected Leon to catch him red-handed in this storyline.
Sampo's eyes widened, shaking his head like a rattle drum.
"Me, me, me—your old pal Sampo absolutely means no harm. I was following you just to… to—"
"To ensure Miss Seele's safety! She's a valued client—can't let anything happen to her!"
Sampo, quick on his feet, changed his excuse, not caring how flimsy it sounded.
He'd almost said it was for the Trailblaze team, but he quickly realized Leon would see right through that.
"Client?" Leon slowly disengaged the gun's safety.
"Good brother, don't—really, a client! The scythe in Miss Seele's hands? I sold it to her!"
Sampo's face looked like he was on the verge of tears from fear.
Whether he was acting or genuinely scared, even Ah Xian couldn't tell if Sampo was putting on a performance.
"Good brother, good buddy, I swear not a single word's a lie! Miss Seele can vouch for me!"
The camera zoomed in on Leon's face.
His arm still raised, his eyes narrowed slightly, as if weighing the truth in Sampo's words.
Suddenly—
Bang!
A flash sparked from the dark barrel, the bullet grazing past Sampo's head into the night sky.
"Waaah!!"
Sampo looked like he'd been scared out of his wits, his legs trembling.
Leon's gaze carried a heavy warning.
"I'm not afraid of thieves stealing, but I hate being watched by them."
"I don't fear being stolen from or being targeted—anything aimed at me, I can handle."
"But if I find out you're scheming against my companions—"
"The next bullet will go straight through your forehead."
"And don't think you can get lucky. You should know I can make bullets curve."
"Got that?"
Sampo swallowed hard, trembling as he stammered, "G-Got it…"
Leon didn't say another word, his eyes unblinking, staring straight into Sampo's.
Sampo, unnerved by the gaze, felt an urge to pull out his mask and put it on.
This guy was terrifying!
Somehow scarier than some of the Nihility's Self-Annihilators, though he didn't know why.
Curving bullets didn't scare him—what scared him was Leon's unknown strength.
Impossible to gauge, completely unreadable.
The unknown was the most daunting, far more dangerous than any ordinary weapon.
Being a director wasn't easy when an actor kept defying expectations.
After a long moment, Leon spun the gun with two fingers and holstered it.
The coldness on his face vanished, instantly replaced with a sunny smile.
"Whoops, look at my trigger-happy reflexes. My bad, Sampo, good buddy."
"We're pals, right? You won't mind a pal's overreaction, yeah?"
Leon stepped forward, hooking an arm around Sampo's neck and patting his shoulder.
That smile.
As warm as could be.
As friendly as could be.
"Of course I don't mind. Brother Leon's just worried about his friends' safety. I get it, I get it…"
Sampo's body was tense, his smile uglier than a cry.
Oddly enough, he felt like Leon wasn't lying.
The consequences of being caught scheming against Leon's companions seemed worse than targeting Leon himself.
Maybe there really was a reflex component…?
"To make up for it, let me treat my good buddy to a drink."
Smiling brightly, Leon produced two glasses of wine, handing one to Sampo.
But from the player's perspective, there wasn't a hint of apology on Leon's face.
A smile hiding a knife?
A crocodile's tears?
Neither felt quite right to describe it.
But no one cared.
Most people had one line burned into their minds:
"I'm not afraid of thieves stealing, but I hate being watched by them."
"But if I find out you're scheming against my companions—"
[Father, he's just too much. I'm straight-up crying!]
[He's literally Star Rail's ultimate protective bro. How many companions has he lost to end up like this?]
[Yo, you hear that? Talking all knifey, huh?]
[Caring more about Stelle and March's safety than his own—where's the so-called selfish good guy vibe?]
[Who said he's good? If there's no knife in Leon's past, I'll livestream eating Stellar Jade!]
[Little greedy cat, what if there really isn't?]
[Even better. You really want to see Leon get knifed, huh?]
[When the Father who restores your daily stamina on the Express vanishes, you'll behave.]