"You're looking for Mr. Raymond?"
Li Aoz glanced at the woman standing before him with a basket of Potato Flowers. "Then you'll have to put in some effort. He's been smashed into pieces smaller than a corpse chunk by now."
"Ah, Mr. Raymond... I should have known you'd end up like this."
The woman holding the Potato Flowers wiped away her tears and said regretfully, "A few years ago, he told me he'd buy out my contract. He didn't mind that I'd entertained drunkards, or that I'd been forced to work and offer my body to that awful boss, even though I was already damaged goods. He even said he'd give me a life of my own. But everyone knew his work was too dangerous. Sooner or later, he was bound to get himself killed."
"Hold on... aren't you a combat puppet? Logically speaking, shouldn't you be that boss's private property?"
"How can you say that?! Being someone else's private property does not mean I can't pursue my own life! I've endured that bastard for over twenty years, being exploited day and night, boohoohoo..."
"But you have to be a person first, not a human-shaped machine, right? Besides, you're plump and rosy, fair-skinned and pretty, and dressed even better than I am. Your boss... was he exploiting you, or making offerings to you?"
"Even if I wasn't exploited, can't I speak up for myself?! That's ignorance and prejudice! The lives of us combat puppets are lives too!"
Li Aoz waved a hand, having someone drag the crazy puppet away. He fanned the air before his nose with his hand and muttered:
"The air reeks of secondhand smoke. How annoying."
Just then, Fettis limped over. She stopped in place and reported:
"My lord, Dragon Island's underground forces have been fully consolidated."