I Told You, This Isn't a Life Simulation Game! Part 24

"Then it depends on how you look at it."

Hen shrugged, then stealthily reached toward Xi Wang, trying to swipe a piece of candy. Xi Wang nimbly dodged, making Hen sigh in frustration. Xi Wang, meanwhile, raised an eyebrow with a somewhat smug expression—Hen had tried this plenty of times before, yet had never managed to get the candy box from Xi Wang.

Well... it did seem a little childish, but this counted as a little game between the two of them. After all... that was just how boys were.

"But doing this... will get you killed, along with the mission that was supposed to be carried out."

Cosmo said this.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're right. But I don't like lying. No one should bear a responsibility concerning the world without knowing the truth, so I showed them a way out."

Hen spoke indifferently... though the result of telling them the truth was that every member of the team he led had fled, leaving only Xi Wang, Cosmo, and himself behind.

"What else could I do? Cosmo, can you think of any other way for us?"

"..."

After learning the mission's true details, Cosmo naturally couldn't think of any good solution.

"Besides, even if I'm unlucky, isn't Wang here with me? You know, this guy went even further than I did—he didn't even bring his team along."

"No, it was just that the people on my team didn't catch up to me. Logically speaking, I was supposed to be in the third batch."

"Oh, come on, Wang, don't undermine me. Be careful, or I'll have Griseo draw on your face later. Griseo loves drawing. Let me think... how about a turtle?"

"...I don't mind. And if it's just a turtle, you're seriously underestimating Griseo's skill."

"...Why doesn't that work on you?"

"You can try that on Dr. Mobius."

"Tch... forget it. I don't want to wake up one day and find myself on an operating table. Even Blanca wouldn't be able to save me then."

Hen curled his lips, looking rather helpless.

"..."

Watching the two men still bantering before him, Cosmo pressed his lips together.

They were clearly walking a path toward death, yet they still looked so relaxed, even laughing and fooling around. It was as though they treated that solemn, tragic, heroic sacrifice as nothing at all...

Everyone had left... With so few people, it was impossible to complete the mission. In the end, they could only fail. The Herrscher would run rampant and kill the others. Even if he somehow survived, he would only be judged by Moth to Fire...

How could they still be so relaxed?

"That's not right."

The boy spoke.

"The mission won't fail like this, and those who left will survive."

His voice was firm, filled with resolve.

"...You're right."

Hen paused briefly, looking at the boy with appreciation before speaking again.

"You might really be able to do it, but there will always come a day when you can't. If this is what you insist on, then don't forget it... But I'd still advise you to take a good look at the choices other people make today. There's nothing wrong with being someone who retreats. At the very least, they can see their families' smiling faces again, right?"

"What about him?"

The boy pointed at Xi Wang, who had barely spoken at all.

"...This guy is different. He's much stronger than us, and if something really happens, he'll run faster than any of us."

"True."

"Hey! You should at least save me, shouldn't you? At least say you will!"

"...Alright, I promise."

Xi Wang tilted his head, then nodded in agreement.

"Alright, enough, let's go. It's time to set off... And don't tell Kevin what we just said. That kid was forcibly saddled with the title of captain, but he's still a young guy like you. He can't accept decisions involving sacrifice. Moth to Fire already has enough trouble as it is, so don't cause more trouble for the people upstairs~"

As he spoke, Hen grabbed Xi Wang and prepared to leave.

"...You're wrong, Hen."

But the boy spoke again. He seemed to have noticed something.

"Those people... they aren't retreaters. They're heroes."

"It's just that the moment that determines what kind of people they are is only arriving now."

"..."

Xi Wang slightly lifted his eyelids and casually swept a glance around before no longer paying attention. Hen, however, turned back in some surprise.

Only then did the footsteps around them gradually become clear. The people who had scattered moments ago, the soldiers who had just fled, gathered once more. Familiar faces reappeared, not one of them missing.

Standing among them, the boy revealed a rare smile. The pride within it was obvious to anyone with eyes—during this time spent with the captain and Hen, this was the first time he had gained the upper hand.

The boy tried to see surprise on Hen's face, or perhaps a trace of astonishment on Xi Wang's perpetually lake-calm expression... but he didn't get his wish.

Hen was only briefly surprised before returning to calm, showing no joy at the return of his Companions. Xi Wang didn't even show the slightest change in expression, as though he had expected it all along.

Then, a message came through the team communications, freezing the expression on the boy's face.

"...This is Kevin."

Kevin, from the first team—or rather, the leader of the first "suicide squad"—spoke over the comms.

"We've reached the Fifth Herrscher's location, and... found her corpse."

What followed was Kevin's brief report and speculation about the scene, but Cosmo was already somewhat dazed. Clearly, he had guessed why those people had returned once more... and that answer dealt quite a heavy blow to a young man like him, one who believed in justice and saw good and evil in clear terms.

"So, do you understand now?"

Xi Wang, who had barely spoken until then, finally opened his mouth.

"At this very moment, someone as passionate, unafraid of sacrifice, and as young as you are is incredibly precious."

That was why Hen had hoped that you, like everyone else, would leave together—would "run away" together. At the very least, children like you could still survive. At the very least, the future could still have people like you in it.

Or perhaps you could truly learn from those who had retreated: learn to back down from certain things, to "avoid" them. That way, at least you could live a little longer... There was nothing shameful about that, nothing deserving of scorn. It was only human nature.

"If you still want to persist, then go on."

Xi Wang opened the candy box again, popped a piece of candy into his mouth, and spoke casually.

"There are barely any brave people left who are willing to sacrifice themselves."

Those who remained were merely timid cowards, or people who "weren't ready yet."

That was why Xi Wang and Hen had not been surprised when their Companions fled in the beginning. Rather, it had been only natural. Someone like Cosmo, who had chosen to stay, was the odd one out.

After all...

"The heroes you seek, the kind you admire, all died on earlier battlefields."

Xi Wang calmly stated a fact.

Hmm, Just Candy

The campaign against the Fifth Herrscher ended so abruptly that everyone was left at a loss, especially after you had made so many preparations. Moth to Fire had even mentally prepared for every squad to be wiped out, all so they could obtain information on the Herrscher and allow Elysia to kill her... but none of that could proceed now.

Moreover, even though the Herrscher was already dead, Moth to Fire's higher-ups were not pleased. Instead, they became even more anxious. Based on the traces Kevin found at the scene, the Herrscher had been killed in an instant. Such terrifying combat power, capable of instantly killing a Herrscher, existed outside their control—making them feel even more threatened.

Thanks to this, many plans that had once been shelved due to their dangers were brought up once again—they needed power capable of countering that terrifying force, and any minor price paid for it was inevitable and necessary.

...In any case, they would not be the ones paying that price.

But this led to another problem—the research team led by Dr. Mobius and Dr. Mei suddenly gained much greater influence, even becoming capable of swaying discussions. That was undoubtedly something certain people did not want to see.

Someone had to undergo those dangerous experiments—but that person could not be themselves; an overwhelmingly powerful weapon could be developed—but it had to be in their hands; there could be someone calling the shots—but that person had to be themselves; sacrifices were acceptable—but the returns had to far outweigh the costs... They had always clung to such ideas, pulling against one another in Moth to Fire's meetings.

And now, at this table of power that had already maintained a delicate balance, several more people had suddenly forced their way in. Worse, because of their importance, they could not conveniently be kicked out... That infuriated some people.

After thinking it over for a long time, they still chose to employ methods Outside of rules, and thus contacted—Poison Chrysalis.

Since it was inconvenient to kick you out directly, then there would be nothing to say if you suddenly died, right?—What a swift, clean, and simple method. It was not as though they had never used it before. It did not matter.

They needed a Moth to Fire that was stable enough, obedient enough, and could be perfectly held in their hands. Therefore, occasional pruning was necessary.

After all, only then could they deal with Honkai better and with greater focus, could they not?—That was what they said.

And at this moment, Poison Chrysalis's blade was, for the first time, aimed so clearly at someone seated at Moth to Fire's conference table.

"Sakura? Sakura? Were you thinking about something?"

"Ah... Sorry, Elysia."

Sakura snapped back to herself, removed her earphones, and spoke with a hint of apology.

"Hehe~ I don't mind~ Sakura looks adorable when she spaces out too, you know~?"

Elysia sat down beside Sakura. Their similarly pink long hair swayed behind them, and their equally beautiful faces were close together. The two looked just like sisters.

"Were you thinking about something? Let me guess... Xi Wang? Or perhaps... me?"

"Elysia..."

"Hehe~ So it was me after all~"

"No, that wasn't an answer just now..."

"Then it was Xi Wang? Ah~ You two really do have such a good relationship~"

"...Elysia, stop teasing me."

Sakura sighed, unwilling to get too entangled with Elysia on this subject... mainly because she could not outtalk her.

"Well~ Sakura looked like she was really troubled, so... do you feel a little better now?"

Elysia spoke lightly.

"...I'm fine."

"Eh~ Is that so? Then Sakura really did run into some trouble, didn't she? Do you need the cute and charming Elysia to help? You should know that Elysia is ve~ry well-connected, you know~?"

"..."

Sakura fell silent and closed her eyes, seemingly pondering something.