"Alright, alright, the truth is, while you were sleeping, Lebius ca by."
Palr sat in a wheelchair, with Bologue pushing him from behind.
Unlike Bologue, who resurrected and healed completely, Palr still bore injuries which, even with the healing from an alchemy potion, required so ti for recuperation.
According to him, while he was battling to the death with Sandbox, Palr was being chased by a group of ghouls. To eliminate these ghouls, he almost drained his own ether.
After all the fierce fighting, Palr miraculously only suffered minor injuries, but when Bologue passed out, to prevent himself from falling into the valley, he held on tightly to avoid falling... and accidentally twisted his ankle.
This was the most severe injury Palr sustained throughout the battle.
"While you were being treated, I was there with an IV, enjoying the nurses applying ointnts, and then being interrogated by Lebius."
It was really just a debriefing on the mission, but anyone stared at by Lebius would feel like they were being interrogated.
"Debriefing the mission?"
Bologue was puzzled. This was a personal feud, and he hadn’t ntioned it to Lebius at all.
When Bologue woke up, his biggest confusion was why he was in a sanatorium. In his view, his actions that night violated an unknown number of Field Operations Departnt regulations. He thought he would wake up in prison, undergo interrogation, and then be sent to the Black Prison.
"Yes, debriefing the mission. I don’t know how, but it seems our fight that night was classified as a Special Operations Group mission," Palr thought for a mont, "maybe it was to cover for us."
Cover for us?
Would Lebius do such a thing? Bologue wasn’t sure. In fact, he didn’t really know Lebius well.
Getting to know soone is always a difficult task. No one knows what’s behind their mask... perhaps another mask.
The two paused in a corner of the garden, Bologue sitting on a bench, while Palr turned his wheelchair to face him.
"Who knows if it’s covering for us or sothing else? Anyway, he presented a stack of docunts before , all in order... I suspect this guy has been planning this for a while, like he predicted you would seek your revenge."
At this thought, Palr felt only admiration for Lebius, truly worthy of being his boss.
"So how did you report?"
Bologue glanced at the flowers and plants around him. After staying in the gloomy Oubos for so long, seeing these vibrant colors always brought a sense of peace.
"I just told the truth."
Palr waved his hand.
"I said everything I knew, from eting you on the road, to you guiding to chase the train," Palr only then realized a point of doubt, "wait, how did you know the exact location of the train? Even Crow’s Nest hadn’t figured it out."
After Bologue passed out, Palr stumbled around the scene for a while.
He saw those grotesque and strange ghouls and also saw Sandbox, whom Bologue had pounded to death, lying there in a bloody ss. Palr couldn’t even see his face, but not long after, he saw the Secret Sword lying beside it.
In the Order Bureau, the Secret Sword was not only a symbol of the enemy’s identity but also an important trophy. It was only then that Palr realized that the two of them had actually confronted a Prayer Believer wielding the Secret Sword... Well, actually it was just Bologue alone.
A cold wind blew through, bringing Palr a chill and a sense of dread, but after kicking Sandbox’s corpse a few tis, his fear vanished completely.
Palr opened the carriage.
Gazing at the mountain of Philosopher’s Stones and Liquid Spirit Potions, Palr repeatedly opened and closed the carriage door, confirming several tis that it wasn’t an illusion, and then looked at the long carriage behind.
Is this... raiding the ho of the King’s Secret Sword?
At that mont, even soone like Palr, who was born into extraordinary nobility, experienced what it was like to be a so-called nouveau riche.
"I have my ways, don’t underestimate an expert."
Bologue had no intention of telling Palr about the Tyrant. The Debtor maintained a certain vague connection with the Devil, and once Palr knew about the existence of the Tyrant, he might step into that trap constructed by the real lie.
"Alright, after all, you are the expert."
Palr did not press further. Everyone ought to have so secrets. If Bologue wasn’t willing to tell, there was no need to force it.
After all, everything was over. Like in a clichéd story, they had eliminated their enemy and ca out unscathed. The ti spent in the Border Sanatorium felt like a vacation, and there was nothing better than that.
"Wow, this place is really nice, full of beautiful girls. Just watching from afar is satisfying."
Palr looked around, clutching his chest, "I feel like my soul is being healed."
Bologue also looked around, though he wasn’t as excited as Palr, but he genuinely felt peace and harmony, followed by a surreal sense of illusion.
His na was Bologue Lazarus, living in Oubos Shenbei District of Oath City, employed at the Rhine Alliance Order and Security Bureau Field Operations Departnt Special Operations Group. His daily work consisted of hacking people, slaying demons, maintaining world peace, and the like. He wasn’t much of a smoker or heavy drinker, enjoyed music and movies, and listened to Dudel’s "Gray Mist, Industry, and Delicious Shrimp Crackers" program every morning.
Bologue felt he was quite normal... normal my ass.
After living this crazy life for too long, even he had been fooled, and now that he was completely relaxed, not needing to hack anyone, nor worry about being hacked, Bologue found himself afraid, even as he enjoyed the tranquility.
Afraid he might sink into it... but sotis a little rest like this was nice.
Thinking of this, Bologue touched his chest. The cross necklace was still there, bringing a sense of reassurance.
Following Palr’s example, his gaze wandered and settled on a girl nearby.
That was a striking girl, with platinum blonde hair styled into a bun at the back of her head, her neck as white as a swan’s. Standing in the sunlight, she seed to be glowing.
She had her back to Bologue, so Bologue couldn’t see her face. Her dark green cloak and coat seed sowhat ill-fitting, too large for the girl. She barely held it up like a clothes hanger, hiding her figure.
For a mont, Bologue had a strange speculation that perhaps the girl was an elf erging from the forest, needing to wear oversized clothing to blend in with the human world.
Raising her hand, her exposed arm was also hidden under black ice sleeves and gloves. Looking downward, her ankles beneath the cloak showed the sa black, resembling worn stockings.
Bologue’s leisurely gaze gradually grew serious.
"Bologue!"
A deep shout interrupted Bologue’s thoughts, Palr reached out and forcibly turned his head back, making his gaze fall onto Palr’s face.
"What are you doing, Bologue!"
Palr had a face full of tension, and Bologue couldn’t understand why.
"Appreciation, do you know what appreciation ans? Your gaze is already getting a bit lascivious, isn’t it!"
Palr’s tone had begun to distort; who would’ve thought his cold-blooded assassin partner would have such a side. Although everyone likes beautiful girls, one must adhere to boundaries, as it’s not good to impact others.
Palr always joked, but coming from the Clarks family, he valued these things greatly. He often said that although tis have changed, etiquette must still be upheld; otherwise, how are we different from barbarians.
Bologue also felt the surrounding eyes on him, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Oh, I understand."
Bologue answered coldly, not wanting to dwell on this topic with Palr.
"Speaking of which, is that your type?"
Palr suddenly stood up on one foot from the wheelchair, sat on the long bench, and wrapped his arm around Bologue’s shoulder, asking in a very serious tone, a stark contrast to his earlier elegance.
Palr had also seen the girl. He had no choice but to notice her; she shone brightly in the sunlight.
"When it cos to long legs, Belli’s are the best. If you’re willing to let her experint on you, she might even wear stockings for you."
Palr tempted him, mastering Belli would an a constant supply of alchemy equipnt, and Palr hadn’t forgotten this. A re sacrifice of male charm could turn the Special Operations Group into a rich force within the Field Operations Departnt.
Bologue remained silent.
Palr also fell silent.
The silence lasted half a minute, Palr’s gaze gradually turning odd. Who knows what his brain structure is like; he seed to have discovered an earth-shattering secret, his voice cautious and hesitant.
"Gee, I thought only weapons and corpses could make your brain secrete dopamine."
Bologue kicked Palr off the bench, making him yelp in pain as he tried to crawl back to his wheelchair.
That kick made Bologue feel his mood lighten considerably, and he turned his head to search for the girl’s figure, only to find she’d already disappeared.
Bologue was indeed observing the girl’s "stockings," but unlike Palr’s assud lascivious thoughts, Bologue felt a sense of familiarity from those "stockings."
That profound black reminded him of the alchemical materials covering phantom shadows, the girl’s limbs seed wrapped in a layer of iron-repelling paint.
Bologue quickly dismissed these thoughts, deciding to borrow so books on alchemical materials after leaving, hoping to find so clues.
"But... with only one Prayer Believer escorting? I sohow feel that the operation that night went too smoothly."
Thinking back now, Bologue felt hidden beneath one conspiracy was another; despite battling for so long, no King’s Secret Sword reinforcents ever arrived.
Although the train had already safely left Opus, Bologue still felt sothing was amiss.
"Not just one Prayer Believer; during our operation, a squad was captured in Lebius City, comprised of several Condensers and Prayer Believers, I guess they were the reinforcents, too bad for them running into Lebius."
Palr added, "You can check out the action report later."
"Lebius? Captured?"
Bologue’s mind wasn’t on the squad but on them being captured by Lebius, that cane-leaning, wheelchair-bound Lebius?
He rembered the day the Special Operations Group mbers introduced and acquainted themselves; Lebius was certain he wouldn’t participate in fieldwork.
"Oh, right, that’s considered a big event in the Field Operations Departnt, but you just woke up, I haven’t had a chance to tell you."
With too much happening in the past couple of days, Palr didn’t know where to start.
"Lebius made a coback, literally returned, re-entered the Field Operations Departnt sequence, acting alongside his partner during our train pursuit."
"Geoffrey?" Bologue felt like he’d woken to a changed world.
"Yes, now everyone says the twin terrors of the Field Operations Departnt are back."
Palr excitedly waved his hand, knowledgeable of Field Operations Departnt rumors being years ahead of Bologue.
"Lebius of the Wolf Pack, Geoffrey of the Tiger Eye."
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