In the endless cycle of the two stopping → talking → raging → then resuming their mutual beating, the pattern repeated over and over.
The sun slowly rose.
At this moment.
In the corridors of Qlipoth Fort.
A crowd had gathered.
There was Cocolia, Serval, Gepard who had just started his shift, along with other officers and Silvermane Guards.
The Silvermane Guards who had been on night duty and should have gone off to rest didn't leave either—they squatted outside the hallway with the others, munching on the drama.
"They've been at it all night—when are they finally going to stop?" Serval sat in a circle on the floor with a few others, each holding a hand of cards.
Cocolia indifferently played two cards and said gravely:
"No idea. They're too noisy—my room's nearby, I couldn't sleep at all."
Pela clutched her cards, pouting:
"Then someone should go break it up! They're fighting so badly now that even the staff who came to Qlipoth Fort on official business can't focus. Everyone's just blocking the way eating melon!"
Dan Heng sat silently on the floor, gripping his cards:
"So the work environment in Qlipoth Fort is this relaxed?"
"?" Pela looked at Dan Heng in shock:
"Wait, Mr. Dan Heng? I thought you two said the Astral Express is still docked at the space station? How are you here?"
Dan Heng silently played a hand of cards, his expression calm and unruffled:
"I just got here. While they were fighting, the pillows disintegrated into cotton, so they opened the door to my room and took my pillow too."
"…"
Everyone glanced into the room—at this point, it looked like a blizzard was raging inside.
The battle had continued from deep night into morning, with no sign of stopping.
The cotton and fluff flying everywhere had even started slowly spilling out from the room!
Dan Heng, with a head full of white fluff, couldn't help glancing back at the room.
The two war gods, that certain someone and March 7th, were still passionately clashing.
"…"
Dan Heng looked for a moment, then silently pulled out his phone and sent a message to Himeko and Welt each.
A long while later.
Around noon.
Welt and Himeko each dragged out one criminal from the swirling white fluff.
Sunlight poured into Qlipoth Fort, shining on the faces of the two parents.
Welt carried that certain someone, who was trussed up like a turkey, and sighed:
"A lot of the staff's pillows got completely destroyed by you two. Sigh."
Himeko dragged March 7th along and said coldly:
"Heh, quite the troublemakers, huh? Couldn't cause enough chaos on the space station, so you came running to Qlipoth Fort? Not embarrassed at all?"
After receiving Dan Heng's message, the two had immediately come down from the Astral Express and headed to the space station.
They kept searching for rooms that still had pillows left. Finally, the two seized the chance and rushed into the light screen that was absorbing pillows.
Thus, the current scene came to be.
While dragging March 7th, Himeko stared at that certain someone on Welt's shoulder and frowned:
"Are you a little bit of a pervert? Why did you plant beacons in so many people's rooms—are you insane?"
That certain someone said in a pained voice:
"No… they're all short-term coordinates. Last time there was that super perverted fat guy chasing me, right? I got chased and ran into all sorts of rooms—the coordinates are from back then."
"Hmph, perverted? Can they be more perverted than you? I'd like to see just how perverted they can get!"
"…"
After the two war gods were dragged to the main hall of Qlipoth Fort and lectured, Himeko and Welt finally left.
Only Dan Heng remained.
At this point, that certain someone and March 7th were kneeling side by side, heads lowered, silent.
At the head sat Cocolia, with Serval standing beside her constantly taking photos.
Lining both sides of the hall were officers and Silvermane Guards of various ranks eating melon, including Pela and Gepard.
Once Himeko and Welt left, that certain someone and March 7th slowly raised their heads.
That certain someone immediately glared at Dan Heng on the floor ahead and shouted angrily:
"Dan Heng, what the hell? How could you sell out your teammates?!"
Dan Heng stood calmly to the side and said gravely:
"Actually, I just wanted to report that they're safe."
March 7th knelt on the ground, narrowing her eyes:
"Report they're safe? You reported us straight onto the floor?"
That certain someone grumbled unhappily:
"It's all your fault—they even took my General Peppy away!"
March 7th continued accusing:
"It was clearly your fault to begin with, and now I'm kneeling here too. Dan Heng, you're really something!"
Dan Heng: "…"
In the main hall of Qlipoth Fort.
Dan Heng silently endured the torrent of curses from the two, utterly speechless.
How did the scolding end up on him?
Was breaking up the fight wrong now?
Cocolia sat at the head with dark circles under her eyes, legs crossed, growing more irritated the more she listened. She said coldly:
"Enough. Go do whatever you're supposed to do—stop lingering in Qlipoth Fort and annoying me."
Thus.
In front of everyone, the two were hauled out by the Silvermane Guards.
After that certain someone and March 7th left, Qlipoth Fort finally returned to its usual quiet.
Pela also had dark circles under her eyes and was extremely exhausted.
But when she looked at the pile of white fluff stuck in her hair, she muttered:
"So troublesome… that room's completely uninhabitable now, and the hallway's full of feathers and cotton too!"
Serval stood beside Cocolia and smiled:
"What's there to worry about? Just make them clean it up themselves."
…
One hour later.
In the lobby of the Goethe Grand Hotel.
A man and a woman sat together, eating heartily.
Fried chicken, skewers, all kinds of food covered the table, along with plenty of drinks.
March 7th said excitedly:
"Damn, you're loaded now? How much did Cocolia and the others give you?!"
That certain someone laughed proudly:
"Heh, they haven't even paid me yet—the museum only opened for one day yesterday."
"Huh? One day? Then where did all that money in your hands come from? Eat like this today and tomorrow you're broke?!"
To March 7th's question, that certain someone grinned and answered:
"Heh, it's all from those nobles—and they subtly hinted they want me to open back doors for them!"
"Open back doors?" March 7th was stunned for a second:
"Isn't that just bribery? You actually dared to take it—and you really plan to open back doors for them?"
"What are you saying? Once the money's in my hands, it's mine—why should I have to do anything for them!"
That certain someone crossed his arms, sitting beside March 7th, and said matter-of-factly:
"They gave it to me voluntarily. I didn't steal or rob—this is voluntary contribution, got it?"
"But you didn't do anything for them."
"So what?"
"Because, in normal development, you should be facing a whole series of retaliatory actions. So you'd better be careful from now on."
"? They think they're worthy? I just want to earn a little pocket money here. If they dare block my side hustle, I'll smash right through!!"
"6."
At the table next to them, a group of nobles silently gripped their wine glasses tighter, teeth clenched:
"Damn it…"
…