Tessa sprang to her feet at Xiao Ran's words, pointing at him with a complicated expression tangled with astonishment, dissatisfaction, hurt, disbelief, and even anger.
"Y-You... how could you do this?!"
Xiao Ran stood as well and slowly walked toward Tessa. After gently patting her head, his previously domineering tone softened. "I told you before: to protect you, I can pay any price. Anything that can threaten you, or threaten Mithril, my partner, is something I cannot accept."
"This incident happened too suddenly, and it felt deliberate. I imagine you already have suspicions about that unknown armed organization. No matter how one looked at it, an organization like that seizing a U.S. military base without reason defied common sense. To ensure your safety, and to stop you from making the wrong choice and getting hurt or causing Mithril to suffer losses, this was the only thing I could do."
"And even with your status, it is impossible for you to understand everything about this world, including all its mysteries. I have no way to explain any of it to you. You only need to trust me. If everything is truly just a conspiracy, as I suspect, then if I do not do this, everything that happens next will be something you never want to see."
"This time, perhaps the target is not merely Amalgam. It may include me as well. And if that is truly the case, then the enemies we are about to face are absolutely not opponents Mithril's current people and machines can handle."
"Ring, ring, ring~~"
The phone in the conference room suddenly rang. Richard glanced at Xiao Ran, who was slightly bent over and gently patting Tessa's head with a warm expression, then at Tessa, whose stubborn, unyielding face and entire posture radiated dissatisfaction. He let