At three o'clock in the afternoon, a vehicle was driving through the wilderness.
"Ahhh, I do not want to go back so soon! The moment I think about having to work again, I feel terrible!"
Inside the vehicle, Exusiai sat in the back seat clutching several large bags she had bought from Rhodes Island while loudly lamenting her fate.
Her complaints were all variations of the same theme: she wanted to stay longer and did not want to return yet.
For her, the time spent on Rhodes Island had been unbelievably relaxing.
Every day she could sleep until she woke up naturally. Once awake, there was the cafeteria to eat at, and every now and then she could enjoy meals and desserts made by Shirou. There was even a huge game room where everyone could gather and play together.
Most importantly, there was no work.
Every day consisted of eating, drinking, and having fun.
She wanted this heavenly lifestyle to last forever.
"Wake up. You already owe both me and Shirou nearly three months' worth of salary, If this continues, you will not be buying anything else for the next year. Repaying debt and purchasing ammunition alone will be enough to make you miserable."
In the driver's seat, Texas spoke while chewing on a special-flavor Pocky she had bought from Rhodes Island.
The fact that she had spoken so many words in one breath was proof enough of just how annoying Exusiai had been throughout the journey.
Texas had been forced to remind her of reality.
"Ahhh! Stop talking! Stop talking!"
Forced to face reality, Exusiai hugged her purchases even tighter.
Most of the items were related to firearms or firearm maintenance.
Such supplies were difficult to obtain in Lungmen, and most of them had been recommended by Rhodes Island personnel who regularly used guns. That was why Shirou and Texas had been willing to lend her money.
Had she been buying things out of personal greed like Croissant, hoping to import goods from Rhodes Island and resell them, the two would not have lent her a single coin.
In fact, they probably would have confiscated her wallet.
That was also why Croissant was not complaining like Exusiai.
Her wallet had already been confiscated by Shirou.
Her greatest source of joy had been completely eliminated.
"Besides, Boss has already sent people to hurry us along. If we do not return soon, I think he might personally come to Rhodes Island and drag us back."
From the passenger seat, Shirou added further explanation.
In truth, they could have stayed for several more days.
The main reason they had remained on Rhodes Island for so long was because Shirou needed daily medical examinations.
After several days of testing, it had been confirmed that some of his physical indicators were indeed improving.
If someone parted his hair and looked closely, they could even spot traces of red.
That had been his original hair color.
There was not much of it yet, but at this rate, a few more months would probably be enough for his hair to return from white to its previous color.
Which was good.
Whenever he thought about permanently sharing the same hair color as Archer, Shirou felt uncomfortable all over.
After confirming that his condition was improving and receiving permission to return to his previous routine, Shirou had spent the last few days making up for all the training he had missed.
He had enjoyed it immensely.
The operators training with him, however, had not shared that opinion.
So when Emperor's message arrived urging them to return, those operators had practically rushed to deliver the news and even exaggerated its urgency.
Neither Shirou nor the members of Penguin Logistics knew about that part.
After some consideration, they had simply decided to return to Lungmen earlier than planned.
There was another reason for Shirou as well.
He had the distinct feeling that the way Kal'tsit looked at him and Amiya was becoming increasingly strange.
He feared that if he stayed any longer, her misunderstanding would only deepen, so leaving quickly seemed like the safer option.
Besides, he also wondered whether Rope and Phal had been taking proper care of the children.
This trip had lasted far longer than expected.
In fact, when Lungmen finally appeared in the distance, Shirou felt momentarily dazed.
"I hope Boss shows us mercy and does not assign too much work."
Shirou was not the only one feeling sentimental.
When the others caught sight of Lungmen's outline, they all had their own thoughts.
Even Exusiai stopped complaining.
Together with Croissant, she began praying that Boss would take pity on their hard work and avoid assigning too many jobs.
"The Boss is not the problem. My agency definitely is not going to let me off so easily."
Listening to their prayers, Sora felt completely out of place.
Some people truly did not share the same joys and sorrows.
"Good news or bad news. Which one do you want first?"
After staring blankly for a while, Shirou finally heard his phone notification sound again.
Checking it, he found a message from Yith.
Aside from a brief greeting, most of the contents consisted of instructions from Boss.
"Start with the good news."
Texas made the decision for the team.
"The good news is that the Boss has already prepared a party for tonight. It is being held at Boss's bar, The Ends of the Earth, and there is a huge table full of delicious food waiting for us."
Shirou faithfully relayed the message.
The moment everyone heard that a party and a feast had been prepared, cheers erupted from the back seats.
Only Texas remained calm enough to ask the next question.
"And the bad news?"
"The bad news is that work starts again tomorrow. Tonight's party is the Boss's final act of mercy."
The instant Shirou finished speaking, the cheers vanished.
They were replaced by a chorus of sighs.
The phrase "from the highest highs to the lowest lows" could not have described the atmosphere more accurately.
Shirou, however, had already prepared himself mentally, so the emotional drop did not hit him nearly as hard.
Passing through Lungmen's checkpoint proved relatively painless.
Thanks to Yith, all the necessary arrangements had already been handled in advance.
Everything was perfectly legitimate.
The paperwork had simply been processed ahead of time, allowing Shirou and the others to avoid waiting.
"Tsk, tsk. Honestly, I am not even used to Lungmen anymore. After seeing so many battlefields and ruins, a lively scene like this almost feels strange."
Looking out at the bustling city, someone could not help but voice that thought aloud.
After entering Lungmen, Exusiai quickly recovered her spirits. She pressed herself against the car window and looked at the scenery outside.
"Exusiai, this looks a little dangerous. I suggest seeing a doctor."
Hearing Exusiai's words, Croissant patted her on the shoulder and said,
"Huh? Why would I need to see a doctor?" Exusiai asked, completely confused.
"Do not movies always say that people returning from long-term battlefields have extreme reactions? I am worried that one day you will suddenly start running around firing your gun everywhere. My shield can stop rubber bullets, but the problem is that I would never point my shield at you!"
Croissant explained with a completely serious expression. In return, she received an eye roll from Exusiai and laughter from the other three.
"Do not worry. The professional psychologists on Rhodes Island already examined her.
Exusiai is probably just not used to the difference between Ursus and Lungmen yet.
Besides, after staying on Rhodes Island for so long, even I am a little unaccustomed to seeing the lights of a big city again."
After laughing for quite a while, Shirou finally explained the situation.
Rhodes Island naturally had this kind of evaluation system. After the operation in Chernobog, everyone involved, including the operators, had received a certain level of medical and psychological assessment. Usually, however, the people involved would not even realize it was happening.
Even Shirou had only learned about it from Ace and Scout, two veteran elite operators.
"Right, right, that is exactly what I meant!"
Exusiai hurriedly nodded in agreement, afraid that if she reacted even a second too slowly, the others would carry her off to the hospital for treatment.
"I am having a little trouble adjusting too..."
Texas, sitting in the driver's seat, looked noticeably irritated. The reason was simple: traffic in Lungmen was rather heavy today.
Recently, she had spent most of her time driving with the accelerator practically floored. Now that she was stuck in traffic, she found it difficult to adapt.
"Calm down. Safe driving is important. I really do not want to end up at the Guard Department right after returning to Lungmen."
Seeing Texas looking as though she might slam the accelerator down at any moment, Shirou quickly tried to calm her.
After several deep breaths and some persuasion from Shirou, Texas gradually settled down.
After all, if she got arrested and taken to the Guard Department, today's party would be ruined. By the time someone bailed her out tomorrow, she would have to go straight back to work without a break.
She understood that trade-off perfectly well.
When they arrived at Emperor's bar, The Ends of the Earth, everyone got out of the car and headed inside ahead of Shirou.
Shirou had to retrieve the souvenirs he had prepared for his boss and for Yith from the trunk.
There was not much, and none of it was expensive, but it was the thought that counted.
"Little brother from Rhodes Island, this is Penguin Logistics party time! Outsiders are not welcome!"
Carrying several large and small boxes into the bar, Shirou finally heard his boss's voice again after so long.
But was there even anyone from Rhodes Island here?
With that question in mind, Shirou looked around. Since Emperor had closed the bar for today's party, there was nobody present besides Penguin Logistics.
Although, speaking of Rhodes Island...
"Boss, it's me!"
Looking down at his clothes and then at the stack of souvenirs that was tall enough to cover his face, Shirou realized that Emperor had mistaken him for someone else.
"Who? Penguin Logistics does not have any white-haired people! Do not think you can fool your way in!"
Perhaps the music was too loud, or perhaps Shirou's voice had changed slightly. Whatever the reason, Emperor failed to recognize his outstanding employee and instead tried to throw him out.
From his perspective, not only did the clothes not match, but the hair color and height were completely wrong as well. Penguin Logistics certainly did not have anyone this tall.
The guy was ridiculously tall!
How was Emperor supposed to feel about that?
"How about taking a closer look, Boss?"
Watching the scene unfold, the members of Penguin Logistics each grabbed something they wanted to eat and settled in to enjoy the show.
To make it even more entertaining, Exusiai kindly reminded her boss while helping herself to a slice of apple pie.
"Boss, surely one month is not enough time for you to forget someone's voice?"
Setting the souvenirs aside, Shirou finally revealed his face in front of Emperor.
His expression was filled with helplessness.
"What? So it's you, Shirou... indescribable penguin screech!"
At first, when he saw Shirou's face, Emperor's brain had not fully processed what he was seeing. Several seconds later, however, he finally realized the extent of Shirou's transformation.
He knew Shirou was still young and growing, but there was no way someone could change this much in a single month.
Or had he somehow traveled one year into the future?
In that instant, countless bizarre thoughts flashed through Emperor's mind.
"That is the familiar feeling. Hearing the boss scream like that really makes it feel as though I am back in Lungmen."
Shirou and the rest of Penguin Logistics reacted immediately, covering their ears. Croissant even commented nostalgically.
"That is a little strange, but I cannot deny it. Hearing boss's scream really does make it feel like coming home."
Exusiai first teased Croissant for the remark, then found herself agreeing with it as well.
That really felt even more like coming home than seeing Lungmen's scenery.
"Stop making sarcastic comments and explain what happened already!"
After the screeching ended, Emperor pointed at his employees and scolded them.
The situation was already difficult enough to understand, and his own employees were standing there laughing at him. Nobody would be able to tolerate that.
"To put it simply... we ran into the Emperor Blades, fought them and then due to certain reasons, I ended up like this."
Knowing that his boss disliked long explanations, Shirou followed the principle of keeping things brief and gave Emperor a highly condensed summary of what had happened.
"Emperor Blades? So you actually ran into them? Kid, your luck is terrible."
Upon hearing that Shirou had encountered the Emperor Blades, Emperor looked at him with a complicated expression.
Before Shirou left, Emperor had only mentioned them casually. He never expected the boy to actually run into them.
Was Shirou unlucky? At least Yith and Wei had provided him with information about the Emperor Blades beforehand.
Was he lucky? Well, he had still ended up encountering them.
"Shirou fought approximately six Emperor Blades."
Texas added from the side.
"Lungmen profanity. Kid, you really had it rough. Still, I am sure you gave those guys a thorough beating, right?"
After hearing Texas's addition, Emperor's expression became even more sympathetic.
Running into Emperor Blades during a trip to Ursus was already bad enough. Running into six of them was enough to make most people despair.
Unfortunately for the Emperor Blades, the person they met was Shirou. Emperor had complete confidence in his employee and was certain Shirou had beaten them badly enough to send them running.
"I only managed to eliminate one. The others were impossible to deal with. Whatever is under those suits of armor is difficult to handle."
Originally, Shirou had not intended to publicize the matter.
Emperor's first reaction upon hearing it had been annoyance rather than admiration, which was proof enough that this was not exactly something worth bragging about.
Besides, Shirou felt that if he did not speak up soon, Exusiai and Croissant would start wildly exaggerating his accomplishments.
Things like "he cut down Emperor Blades with a single swing" or "he punched Catastrophes into submission" sounded exactly like the kind of stories they would tell.
To prevent his boss from developing strange misconceptions about his combat abilities, Shirou explained the situation honestly.
"Well done! That is my employee! By the way, did you run into that Black Snake fellow?"
Hearing Shirou's achievements, Emperor immediately changed his attitude and eagerly asked about the Black Snake.
He was tired of hearing Wei Yenwu constantly worry about that guy. The topic had practically given him calluses on his ears.
"Of course we did! Shirou even turned him into art! Look, I took a picture!"
Before Shirou could organize his thoughts, Exusiai eagerly pulled out her phone and showed Emperor a photograph.
The image showed a crystal formation with a human silhouette trapped inside.
The picture was somewhat blurry due to the distance involved. The only reason they had managed to capture it at all was because the vehicle had equipment similar to a telescope, and Exusiai had zoomed in as far as possible.
"What?! Send me the exact location! I am going to sell this to Wei Yenwu right now! He will absolutely love it!"
Emperor became excited the moment he saw the picture.
This was a golden opportunity to skin that old dragon alive financially.
Just as he had said before, Wei Yenwu hated the Black Snake so much that he would definitely pay to see the man's miserable fate.
"It is in Chernobo—"
Hearing that there was money to be made, Croissant immediately started giving the location, only to be interrupted halfway through by Shirou.
"There is no point going there now. I already blew the Black Snake and the Originium crystal to pieces."
Shirou's words instantly extinguished Emperor's dreams of fleecing Wei Yenwu.
After all, there was nothing left.
However, Shirou's next sentence reignited those hopes.
"Although there are plenty of photographs. I took them myself when I went to confirm the situation afterward. Most of them are stored at Rhodes Island, though. If you want them, Boss, you can ask them for a few copies."
"Clear photographs will do. Still, Shirou, why did you blow up something so valuable? If it were still there, we could have drained that old dragon's wallet dry!"
At this point, Emperor felt as though his emotions had been riding a roller coaster.
At least there was still something he could sell, so things were not a complete disaster.
If he had a choice, however, he definitely would have preferred the crystal to remain intact at the site. That way he could have completely emptied Wei Yenwu's pockets.
"When I was investigating the area, the Black Snake was not completely dead yet. To be safe, and to prevent anyone from wandering into danger, I destroyed both him and the crystal together."
Shirou could only sigh at his boss's priorities.
At the time, there had been no better option. Besides, he had no way of knowing that Emperor planned to sell the information to Wei Yenwu.
He had simply thought his boss would be happy to hear the good news.
He certainly had not expected Emperor to start packaging it as a commercial product.
"Tch, then it cannot be helped. Still, your trip was full of disasters. How about I hire someone to cleanse your bad luck afterward?"
After hearing Shirou's explanation, Emperor agreed that he had made the right choice.
If he had been there himself, he would have done exactly the same thing.
"No need. However, the Black Snake seems to have many incarnations. We eliminated two of them this time. They were also partly responsible for all the chaos in Lungmen before. Things should be much quieter around Lungmen for quite some time now."
Shirou politely but firmly declined his boss's offer and briefly explained what he had learned about the Black Snake.
It was valuable intelligence. Letting Emperor and Yith know ahead of time would help them make future arrangements.
As for the fact that both incarnations of the Black Snake had ultimately been dealt with by Chi Xiao...
Shirou felt that information should remain known only to Wei Yenwu.
Otherwise, Emperor would definitely find a way to charge him an outrageous amount of money for it.
After all, the man had provided him with a great deal of information. Shirou considered this a fair form of repayment.
"Hmph, that is good news. But are you sure you do not need it? On this trip you ran into a Catastrophe, Emperor Blades and the Black Snake. I think your luck is pretty terrible."
After learning this information, Emperor thought about it for a moment. His expression became surprisingly serious.
That seriousness lasted only briefly before he returned to his usual carefree self and continued teasing Shirou.
"I really do not need it! This was just an accident!"
Being mocked to his face for having bad luck made Shirou's eyes twitch slightly, though he still replied with a smile.
If it had been Exusiai or Croissant saying it, he would have already taken action.
The problem was that this was his boss, so he endured it.
At this point, the only people he could freely take action against without hesitation were the "fluorescent light person," the "croissant person," and the "chainsaw big cat."
"Hmm? Fine then. If you ever need it later, come find me. Since everything is settled, hurry up and go eat!... Wait! How did you people almost finish all the food already? You bunch of employees who have no respect for your boss! Indescribable penguin screech!"
After being rejected several times, Emperor gave up on the subject and waved one of his little penguin flippers, signaling for Shirou to go enjoy the food.
Then he turned around and discovered that the other four had already demolished more than half of the banquet table.
It was obvious they had been hungry for quite some time.
To welcome them back, he had deliberately refrained from eating anything himself. If Shirou's stories had not been so entertaining, he would probably have already eaten his fill by now.
And yet now...
More than half the food on the table was already gone!
Did these people have any respect at all for their boss?
"Yith! Bring me some wine!"
The more Emperor thought about it, the angrier he became. He immediately called for Yith to bring him wine.
He was going to start enjoying the feast right away.
"Make the most of this party. In a few days, I will find some time to thoroughly discuss everything that happened with you, especially that golden pillar of light that destroyed the Catastrophe and the matter of the Emperor Blades."
Only after Emperor headed toward the dining table did Yith finally find an opportunity to speak with Shirou.
News of the golden beam that had neutralized the Chernobog Catastrophe had already spread among many people.
Other factions might not know where it came from.
But Yith did.
He had never expected Shirou to be capable of something on that scale.
His curiosity had been completely ignited.
However, his professional discipline prevented him from immediately bombarding Shirou with questions. Instead, he had allowed the boy to rest for a while first.
This was the last bit of mercy he was willing to show.
"Hahaha... would written reports work instead?"
Knowing Yith's personality all too well, Shirou let out an awkward laugh.
He had to struggle a little.
Otherwise, he would probably end up trapped with Yith for an entire day, repeatedly recounting every detail while reliving the experience.
"That is acceptable. If the reports are not detailed enough, I will still invite you over for an interview."
Naturally, Yith preferred written documentation, provided it was comprehensive.
With that, he left to carry out the task assigned by Emperor.
A good bottle of wine required many steps before it could be properly enjoyed, and he was the only one present who knew how to handle them.
Well, perhaps Shirou could as well.
Even though he did not drink, he seemed to have experience working in bars.
Still, Shirou was the guest of honor at this party, so Yith chose not to trouble him.
"Whew... thank goodness written reports are enough. Later I will talk to Doctor and ask for a copy of Rhodes Island's records related to this operation. That should be enough to satisfy him, right?"
Watching Yith walk away, Shirou finally let out a sigh of relief.
The Rhodes Island reports were far more detailed and comprehensive than anything he could write himself.
As one of the people directly involved, he had clearance to access portions of those files.
As long as Doctor or Amiya helped him make a copy of the sections he was authorized to view, he could hand them over to Yith and call it a day.
"Shirou! If you do not come right now, Exusiai and the others are going to clear out everything!"
Before Shirou could finish celebrating his escape, Sora hurried over from behind and began pushing him toward the dining table with both hands.
With Emperor joining the feast, the speed at which the food was disappearing had increased dramatically.
If Shirou stood around daydreaming for even a few more minutes, he would probably have to buy snacks on the way home just to fill his stomach.
Seeing this, Shirou could only sigh helplessly and move forward at the pace Sora was pushing him.
At the same time, he reminded everyone:
"Eat more slowly. Eating too fast is very hard on your stomach."
"What kind of motherly comment was that!? No wonder Doctor personally appointed you as the team mom!"
Croissant immediately blurted out a retort, completely forgetting that she still had food in her mouth.
The moment the words left her lips, she realized...
She was doomed.
Slowly turning her stiff neck toward Shirou, she saw his gentle smile.
Behind him, Sora was frantically making hand signals, urging her to run for her life.
Without a second of hesitation, Croissant snatched the untouched chicken leg from Exusiai's hand and bolted.
"Stop right there!"
Having her food stolen, Exusiai naturally had no intention of letting Croissant get away. She immediately gave chase.
Right behind her came Shirou, still wearing that frighteningly gentle smile.
"She never learns."
At the dining table, Texas leisurely took a sip of her drink while enjoying the chase unfolding before her eyes.
"Well, it is Croissant, after all."
After delaying Shirou for a few precious seconds and buying Croissant enough time to escape, Sora returned to the dining table. Together with her boss and Texas, she watched the scene unfold before them.
This was something that would never happen at the Chernobog camp or in Rhodes Island's cafeteria.
Only here could they witness a sight like this.
Lively, cheerful, and full of energy.
That was Penguin Logistics.