After the little drama, Fu Li, Vill-V, Aponia, and the recently captured Pardofelis sat together in a spacious and bright dining room. The atmosphere was very relaxed.
Although the misunderstanding had been cleared up, Vill-V insisted that because another girl had slept in Fu Li's bed, he had to switch rooms with her. Pouting and acting spoiled, she left him with no choice but to agree.
Aponia, for her part, maintained her gentle smile as she introduced the local delicacies of Twilight Street to Fu Li. Pardo, on the other hand, was looking at Fu Li with an expression full of gratitude, as if he were her great benefactor.
As a career criminal, it was the first time someone had let her off the hook so easily. In the past, whenever she got into trouble at the orphanage, the Great Demon King Aponia would punish her by making her sweep the floors!
Still, she wondered why he was looking at her so strangely.
"By the way... Pardo, why did you end up in the orphanage?"
Fu Li suddenly voiced the question on his mind. In his eyes, a girl like Pardo shouldn't be accustomed to being bound by rules.
Sure enough, Pardo first glanced cautiously at Aponia. Seeing no reaction, she began to explain her reasons to Fu Li with a frustrated look.
"Sigh, Bro Li, let me tell you, I get so mad just thinking about it."
"Originally, I had a small shop. I'd 'procure goods,' feed the stray cats, and bask in the sun every day. I was living a carefree life, just like an immortal."
"But one day, Aponia suddenly decided she wanted to give all the stray children a home, so she started adopting orphans from all over and set her sights on me."
"I strongly refused at first, but I just couldn't stand Aponia's nagging. In the end, I had no choice, so I joined."
At this point, a bitter expression appeared on Pardo's face. It was clear she was truly vexed.
Hearing this, however, Vill-V nodded with a rare sense of empathy.
"I didn't expect us to be so similar in that regard. If Li hadn't found me back then, I probably would have left the magic troupe to make a living on my own."
"Huh? Was it for freedom, too?" Pardo asked, delighted.
"Freedom? Perhaps." Vill-V first nodded, then shook her head. "But it was more that I just couldn't get along with them."
"Couldn't get along? Did they bully you?" Pardo asked curiously.
"Bully me? A little, maybe. But the main thing was..."
At this, Vill-V lifted her chin slightly and said proudly, "They were too dumb! They couldn't appreciate my creations!"
"Creations?" Pardo's interest was immediately piqued, her eyes shining. "What kind of things? They sound amazing."
"Just some small inventions."
For some reason, when facing these two, Vill-V was uncharacteristically friendly. She immediately pulled a few small items from various places on her person and placed them on the table.
A deck of playing cards... a miniature camera... high-tech handcuffs... a multi-tool lockpick... and an exquisite lighter.
Placing these items on the table, Vill-V spread her hands generously. "Take a look. If you like something, I'll give it to you as a gift."
"Really?" Pardo's face lit up. After a moment's hesitation, she picked up the lighter.
"Thanks, Sis Vill-V."
"Hmph, it's nothing. Just some small gadgets I threw together."
Watching the two reconcile so quickly, Fu Li secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then guiltily averted his gaze.
Seeing these two get along... it feels a bit strange...
"By the way, Mr. Li." Aponia suddenly spoke, drawing Fu Li's attention.
"Hm? What is it, Aponia?" Fu Li tilted his head, looking puzzled.
"Actually... Li, you know that I am special. So, I want to remind you, your future destiny is fraught with hardship. No matter what, you must be careful."
This abrupt and cryptic sentence immediately captured Vill-V's attention. At first, she thought Aponia was cursing her Li, but she was surprised to see Fu Li's chopsticks pause for a moment.
What's going on?
Having lived with him for so long, Vill-V naturally understood Fu Li. She could tell that he actually believed this woman's seemingly nonsensical words.
And... what does she mean by 'special'?
While Vill-V was lost in thought, Fu Li's brow furrowed slightly.
Aponia was a smart girl. Coupled with her ability to see the threads of fate, he had no doubt about the truth of her words.
However, in his previous lives, he had also been fated to die, but she had never given him such a blatant warning.
For some reason, Fu Li suddenly felt a faint sense of unease in his heart.
"...I understand."
In the end, Fu Li simply nodded. Under the mystified gazes of Pardo and Vill-V, who looked at them as if they were speaking in riddles, he and Aponia resumed their meal in unison.
[In the days that followed, Aponia took you and Vill-V on a thorough tour of Twilight Street.]
[The old Twilight Street was a place where all sorts of unsavory characters ran rampant, but under your direction, it has become civilized and orderly. Several of the tech companies under your name have established their core development here.]
[But during your tour, the First Honkai Eruption, which was originally supposed to occur a year later, suddenly descended.]
---o---
Author's Note:
PS: The protagonist as seen by the AI. Fu Li