"I knew you'd be here."
The tranquility of the "cemetery" was broken. Lin opened his eyes, which had been in a light doze, lighting up the darkness like a dim lamp.
Three girls entered one after the other. The scattered footsteps immediately made the place lively, and they all swarmed toward Lin.
Hua saw the faintly glowing names on the wall. She bowed respectfully and spoke in a lowered voice, "Are these all the fallen warriors? Excuse the intrusion..."
"You only ever hide in gloomy places like this, that's why you're a block of ice all the time." Himeko grabbed his face from behind and rubbed it, a mischievous smile on her face. "Didn't even come to the Party to see the dress I picked out for little Seele. What, are you too good for me now that you're a Captain?"
"Captain, please keep your voice down!" Seele was overwhelmed with embarrassment, trying her best to stop Himeko from disturbing the slumber of the heroic Seeles, but she couldn't help glancing at Lin's eyes. She felt a little disappointed to find he wasn't even interested in looking at her.
But this is just Squad Member Lin, right?
She quickly consoled herself and cheered up.
"What are you afraid of? Half the names here are old friends of mine. Humph, do they dare have an opinion about me?"
Lin sighed, thinking that there would be no peace today either.
"What is it? The Party is about to start. Why have you come to find me?" Lin's voice softened somewhat after taking off his helmet. He turned his wheelchair around and asked the three.
"Well, these two couldn't stand a certain aloof boy suffering in loneliness. They abandoned a room full of handsome guys at the Party just to come find a reclusive guy who covers his face all day," Himeko said with a smirk and a shrug.
Lin turned his gaze to the two standing further back.
Lin's gaze, which could freeze a thermometer, would make anyone nervous when fixed upon them.
They were afraid Lin would coldly dismiss them as being redundant. Lin rarely scolded people, but when his rare sarcasm emerged, it was always Zhen Huan-level, hitting hard with every carefully chosen word.
But Lin didn't do that. Just as Himeko understood, he could understand others; it was only his lack of words that made him seem unfeeling.
He nodded slowly. "It's alright. You don't have to mind me."
"No! Squad Member Lin, continuing to be this downcast isn't good for your health! You only just got out of the repair pod!" Seele short hair trembled. She pursed her lips and stepped forward to persuade him.
Lin wanted to say that he wasn't downcast and that he had been out of the repair pod for about half a month, but before he could speak, Hua agreed and added.
"That's right. Martial artists also talk about state of mind. If you constantly dwell in negative emotions, the healing of your injuries will slow down, which is not helpful for returning to the battlefield."
"..."
Lin hesitated upon hearing that the healing of his injuries would slow down. Seele secretly gave Hua a thumbs-up.
Squad Member Hua, good job!
After careful consideration, he nodded: "Fine. Let's go to the Party."
"Eh?" Seele was stunned.
Lin gave her a confused look.
"N- Nothing."
She had only intended to keep Lin company with some conversation; she hadn't expected him to volunteer to go to the Party.
"The Party doesn't start for another half hour. Lin and Hua are moving to the Seventh Squad, so let's take a picture before we break up as a memorial."
Himeko dashed out to find someone to help take their photo, pulling Hua along with her. Immediately, only Lin and Seele were left in the area.
"Um, Squad Member Lin..." Seele still preferred to call him this; anyway, he didn't seem to mind. "Are you feeling a little awkward? We seemed to be talking over you."
"No."
"That's good." Seele breathed a sigh of relief. A shy smile appeared on her very girlish face, and she walked behind Lin, placing her hands on the handles of his wheelchair. "I'll push you."
Lin had said that maintaining his status quo was best. His greater love for humanity seemed to have overridden his smaller love for an individual, preventing him from ever stopping beside one person.
But Seele felt that this was enough. She watched Lin's back. Even if he wouldn't turn around, it was enough to satisfy her.
That's right, this is enough...
"Seele, the dress suits you. It's beautiful."
A short sentence drifted into the girl's ear, stopping her heart for a second.
It was just a simple compliment. The tone was exactly the same as his usual coldness, completely flat...
But her heart, which had been calm moments ago, was now beating violently and uncontrollably.
...
"Raiden Mei, what are you looking for?"
The rarely seen helmeted man appeared before Raiden Mei. This time, he was holding some silver coins that looked familiar to Mei. He casually placed them on the counter in the lounge and proactively asked Mei a question.
Mei was usually wary of Lin, but she realized that he usually didn't speak in riddles like Kevin, making him one of the few straightforward types, and unlike Elysia, it was easy to distinguish truth from falsehood with him. It seemed like a good idea to ask him for information.
So, Mei walked up to him and slowly recounted the rumors about the darker side of the Moth of the Flame.
After Mei finished speaking, Lin, sitting on the sofa, lowered his head and remained silent: "..."
Mei waited for a while but Lin didn't speak. She asked subtly, "Are you asleep?"
The statue raised its head and said faintly, "No. I'm considering the pros and cons of disclosing information about Mobius to you."
"Pros and cons? That person named Mobius is also one of the Flame-Chasers, isn't she? Are you afraid of her?"
"The pros and cons I speak of are for you. Whether exposing you to Mobius prematurely will have an irreversible negative impact on you and the Elysian Realm, and whether your pursuit of a certain truth will do the same."
Lin's finger gently tapped his arm armor, making a slight metallic sound. He said, "Obsession with a certain thing, the starting point may be good, but the resulting outcome is not necessarily satisfactory."
"...I know the feeling." Mei thought of a certain blonde man upon hearing this sentence, and her mood instantly soured.
"The pursuit of saving lives, ultimately evolving into a tragedy of widespread death. Examples like this were not uncommon in my era." Lin stood up, picked up the silver coins he had just put down, and handed them to Mei.
"What are these..."
"Place them in Pardofelis's shop when you pass by. They are her reward for helping me find something."
Lin then took out a vial of shimmering green liquid and handed it to Mei. In response to her puzzled look, he said heavily, "I've thought it over. Mobius has been watching you since the moment you entered the Elysian Realm, but she has yet to appear. That is more concerning than simply telling you information."
"Rather than listening to my explanation, it might be easier for you to meet her in person."