In the end, Mercer decided to take them to the campsite's small restaurant to eat and chat.
The small diner at Adcardo Camp was essentially a mobile food truck with some basic tables and chairs set outside.
The food was the classic fried meat, fries, and some kind of unidentifiable vegetable salad, mush.
Mercer took a bite of the fried meat; it looked like fried chicken, tasted though...
The meat inside had a texture more like a starchy sausage, but oddly enough, it did have a bit of a protein flavor and juices,
Well... Mercer decided not to ponder too deeply about what ingredients were in it, lest he loses his appetite.
The group tacitly focused on eating first, and once most had finished, Mercer leisurely began to speak.
"Alright, looks like we're done eating, shall we talk?" Mercer poured a can of cola into a cup, adding ice cubes extravagantly, took a sip, and squinted his eyes in satisfaction.
"..." Leon, sitting nearby, opened his mouth repeatedly, looking at Lucy's somewhat indifferent expression, unable to say a word.
Finally, Tetsuya Daichi sighed and straightforwardly said, "I want to become a wanderer with Leon."
His words made Leon turn his head in surprise to look at him.
But Tetsuya Daichi just looked at Mercer and seriously said, "On one hand, I feel I can't be of much help, on the other hand..."
He sighed, then said, "I honestly don't want to live that kind of tense life anymore."
Tetsuya Daichi spoke earnestly:
"Staying in the wilderness, although dangerous, but...
I don't know, the closer I get to Night City, the more inexplicably panicked I feel; the city full of corporations and gangs makes me feel very uneasy.
I don't want to live like before... Mercer, I'm sorry.
Compared to returning to a city full of concrete and steel, I yearn for the dust of the wilderness more... sorry."
"And me... I, I'm actually just scared." Leon also honestly shared his thoughts.
"I've heard you say a lot about taking down Arasaka, becoming a big figure in Night City...
Initially, it was quite motivational, but after a couple of encounters on this journey, I realized I'm not cut out for it at all."
Leon dared not meet Mercer's eyes, just lowered his head, mumbling to himself:
"Remember the first time I got injured, that time we encountered the Chaotic Blade Association, and I got a hole shot through my shoulder?
Honestly, that night, I tossed and turned and couldn't sleep, always thinking — what if the bullet was slightly off and it pierced my heart, or shattered my skull...
I don't want to die, Mercer, I... I'm sorry."
Young people often have the illusion that when they step onto the battlefield, they're not the ones who'll die.
And this illusion usually dissipates with the first bullet wound.
Those who can withstand this disparity, who can accept this reality, are qualified to continue on the battlefield.
Unfortunately, Leon wasn't one of those people, at least not now; everything on this journey had already left him exhausted.
Finally, reaching a free place to rest, with a relatively safe haven, Leon no longer had the courage to step into danger voluntarily.
Lucy wanted to say something but, in the end, said nothing, just pursed her lips, withdrawing her gaze, and sipped at her iced coffee.
Kyoko, however, didn't hide her somewhat sad expression, turning to look at Mercer, then Lucy, but eventually lowering her head.
As the youngest sibling, everyone, whether in life or in danger, always instinctively placed her in the safest spot.
This feeling of being protected made Kyoko feel as if she were living in a warm family.
They had all fled from Arasaka together, experienced a long journey, and now finally reaching the destination, they were going to part ways...
But Mercer just coolly nodded: "Alright, you two stay here, then have a proper talk with Cassidy about how to stay."
Seeing he had no intention of persuading them to stay, Kyoko could only bite her lip in confusion and say nothing more, while Mercer turned to her:
"What about you? Will you stay here too?
Actually, it's not bad; you're still young, waiting a few years before making a decision isn't too late.
Staying with Adcardo is much safer than being in Night City, after all."
"...I, I still want to go with you."
Kyoko said, not very confidently, "I haven't figured out what I want to do in the future... but I don't want to be apart from you and Lucy."
People have affinities, and compared to brotherly Leon and Tetsuya Daichi, she felt closer to fellow girl Lucy and the mature and reliable Mercer.
"Got it. Then you stay here for now, and I'll bring you over once I've got a place sorted in Night City."
After saying this, Mercer paused, then turned to look at Lucy:
"Tomorrow morning, I'll head into the city with Pan'an; she knows the lay of the land, and in case of danger, she can drive us out quickly if needed. You stay here at the camp for a few days, wait until I've got everything sorted."
"Okay, you... be careful."
Lucy didn't say much more; she felt the two of them had already discussed everything necessary and understood each other's thoughts, so there was no need for further elaboration.
Mercer nodded, then leisurely sipped on his cola: "Alright! We've finally reached our destination, so everyone should be happy. I'm going back to the tent to contact some people."