Lucian followed the two beautiful girls onto the Lollo Logistics transport vehicle.
"Lumi, make sure Lollo Logistics sends me a temp worker's paycheck."
Lumi: "…"
She said sheepishly, "I don't have the authority for that…"
Chixia pinched Lucian's ear, "You're such a money-grubber! Wasn't scamming all that money from Aalto enough for you?"
Lucian winced, "Isn't this all to save up for your dowry?"
Chixia froze, then gave an awkward smile, rubbing his ear, "Oh… I guess I misunderstood you then."
Lucian gripped the steering wheel, eyes fixed ahead, "Ladies, hold on tight. This old driver's about to take off."
Just as he was about to hit the gas, Lumi suddenly said, "We're here!"
Lucian: "?"
The scene shifted. He didn't know where they were, but it definitely wasn't Jinzhou City anymore.
The area looked desolate, like an uninhabited zone untouched for years.
Lucian sighed, "I didn't even get to show off."
He'd wanted to flaunt his one-shot driver's license skills, but there was no chance now.
As expected of a dream—any thought could change the scene.
If Chixia suddenly vanished, Lucian wouldn't even be surprised.
"Is this Whining Aix's Mire? Why does it feel so eerie?"
Chixia, looking at the surroundings, shivered and clung to Lucian's arm.
The visibility was low, shrouded in fog, like a filter over their eyes.
Occasionally, low roars echoed from the distance. To the two girls, they were terrifying, but Lucian found them amusing.
They were the sounds of Tacet Discords.
[Someone's here.]
[No matter. I'll handle it.]
Thanks to his Language Mastery talent, even in a dream, Lucian could understand Tacet Discord speech.
Lumi took a deep breath, psyching herself up:
Lumi, don't be scared. As a Lollo Logistics navigator, you've got this! Plus, Intelligence Officer Lucian's here. No fear, no fear!
But then, a dark figure emerged from the shadowy corner of an alley.
"Hey!"
The air froze for two seconds. Lumi's legs trembled, and she and Chixia screamed in unison, "A ghost!"
Lumi clung tightly to Lucian's arm, burrowing into his embrace.
Chixia and Lumi seemed to execute a rocket headbutt, but Lucian didn't flinch, instead enjoying it.
The dark figure stepped out—it was the Exile from before.
Pointing at himself, annoyed, he said, "A ghost? Who? Me?"
Lucian nodded slightly, "Yup, you."
The Exile snorted, "Who are you?"
He looked at Lumi in her Lollo Logistics uniform, "You're with Lollo Logistics, right? Where the hell's my cargo!"
Lucian raised an eyebrow. Though he'd met the Exile before, this was Lumi's dream, so it made sense her subconscious didn't recognize him.
Lumi looked up at the Exile, exhaling, "Phew… scared me to death. I thought it was really a ghost…"
Growing up, her mother had told her tales of indescribable things in the mountains at night, making her fear the dark.
Chixia smirked, like a cat that got the cream.
She looked at the Exile, grinning, "Hmph, I knew you weren't anything good."
Exile: "?"
The Exile fumed, "I'm human, not a thing!"
"Wait, no… I'm… a thing?"
His mind was racing, clearly tangled up.
"Whatever! Just find my cargo already!"
Lumi hurriedly waved, apologizing, "Sorry, sorry, we'll find your cargo as soon as possible!"
Lucian asked, "Were you just looking for the lost cargo here?"
The Exile nodded, "Yeah! But not only did I not find it, I ran into a bunch of Tacet Discords. Nearly died out here."
"Though you're here to help find my cargo, I gotta warn you to be careful."
Lucian echoed the Tacet Discord's words arrogantly, "No matter. I'll handle it."
Exile: "…Big talk."
The Exile left quickly, as if something terrifying was chasing him.
Lucian turned, suggesting, "Alright, should we split up to search?"
Chixia immediately objected, "No way! Didn't you hear the Exile say there are tons of Tacet Discords here?"
"What if we two beautiful girls get attacked by them? You've gotta protect us!"
Chixia wasn't about to let Lucian out of her sight. They rarely got time together, so she had to make it count.
Lumi, meanwhile, stared blankly at Lucian's chest, savoring the earlier moment.
She remembered her mother saying to find a reliable partner.
Back then, Lumi didn't understand what "reliable" meant.
Her mother explained that the person you instinctively turn to in danger is the one you find reliable.
Lumi glanced at the puzzled Lucian. Could Intelligence Officer Lucian be that reliable partner?
Seeing Chixia hide in his arms earlier, it must be true…
But from their earlier reactions, Chixia and Lucian were already a couple…
What should she do… Lumi was troubled.
After all, Chixia was her good friend. She couldn't bear to break them up…
Lucian pinched Lumi's chubby cheek, "What're you thinking about?"
Lumi blurted out, "Partner…"
Chixia: "?"
Lucian: "?"
Lumi, realizing her mistake, waved frantically, "No, no… I mean… uh…"
Her face flushed, words failing her, wishing she could crawl into a hole.
Chixia crossed her arms, "Lumi, don't get any funny ideas. Remember what I told you."
"A flirt like Lucian needs a Jinzhou Patroller like me to teach him a lesson."
Lumi pursed her lips, glancing at Lucian before looking down, "Mm…"
Lucian said seriously, "Too small."
"Your perspective's too small!"
"Chixia, I've explained pure love to you so many times, and you still don't get it."
Lucian shook his head, sighing with a look of exasperation.
Chixia: "?"