"W-what...?"
Ikoma was completely at a loss.
Stay behind?
In a situation like this, Fang Li still wanted to stay behind?
Had he gone mad?
Seeing Ikoma fall into confusion, Fang Li smiled as though he had seen through his thoughts. "Relax, I'm not crazy. It's just that I absolutely can't go to the Iron Fortress right now."
"Why?" The question in Ikoma's heart nearly burst from his mouth. "Compared to Mima's Hayajiro, isn't the Iron Fortress much safer?"
"That's only true for now." Fang Li's tone was unusually calm. "If Tenbatsu Mima can't find me on his own Hayajiro, he'll definitely go looking on the Iron Fortress. Then, all he has to do is pin some charge like attacking the general's son on me, and he'll have every right to conduct a search, won't he?"
"But isn't Lady Ayame there?" Ikoma said. "Lady Ayame will definitely help you."
"Miss Ayame might help me, but that doesn't mean I'll necessarily be able to evade them." Fang Li shook his head. "The Iron Fortress is only so big. If the Hunting Group wants to search it, there won't be anywhere they can miss. Once they find me, Miss Ayame will be dragged into trouble too."
After all, Tenbatsu Mima's target had always been Yomogawa Ayame.
To use Yomogawa Ayame as a way into Kongo Fortress and take his revenge, Tenbatsu Mima would eventually make a move against her.
So, if Yomogawa Ayame gave Tenbatsu Mima something to hold over her, he would certainly be more than happy.
"In that case, rather than hiding in the Iron Fortress, I might as well hide here," Fang Li said. "This place has already been searched, so the warriors will definitely lower their guard. And the more dangerous a place is, the safer it becomes.