The Second Volume: Life and Death in the Northern Territories - Chapter 106: Grudges

There's a saying, "Press your advantage and strike while the iron is hot."

"I said, this staff member, grandpa..."

Ignoring the screaming crowd, I slowly walked towards the old man at the registration desk.

"W-What's wrong?"

The old man seemed startled, looking flattered, his eyes practically glued to me.

I said in the sweetest voice I could muster, "Grandpa... I'm so sorry, we forgot to bring the registration fee. Um, could you please lend us some?"

She gently tossed her long hair aside, revealing a neck so exquisite it seemed too delicate to touch. She slightly unzipped her leather jacket, revealing her jade-like collarbone. Wow, that worked! The old man's jaw practically dropped.

"Ah--Sure! Of course! I'll pay!"

"It's a deal then... Don't let Grandpa's current age fool you, he must have been a handsome man when he was young... Bye-bye then~~"

She blew him a kiss, and the old man clutched his heart, kneeling down with a blissful expression.

Could it be that I went too far and scared the old man so much that he had a heart attack...?

Thus, the four members of Ferruggio Silver Wolf Team successfully completed their registration, shook off their adoring followers, and rode away triumphantly.

"Just like that, you left..."

Emilia stared blankly at them as they walked away, or more precisely, at Ally.

"Why can't you just say what you mean, Amy?" Messiah suddenly asked.

"Straightforward, speak frankly? What are you talking about?"

"This is it."

Messiah pointed to Emilia's hand, where she held two small bundles of banknotes, totaling 20,000 Tong Coin. Ten thousand were naturally for their registration, and the other ten thousand...

"You greeted Miss Sena first, probably just to help her with the registration fee, but you were too embarrassed to admit it—"

"Shut up! Shut up! What help? This is charity, charity, you know?"

"Alright, let's leave it at that. But Amy, you really value Miss Sena."

"I've told you so many times, I just wanted to see her looking like a loser! Don't talk nonsense! All that 'I care' stuff... I'm just furious, okay?!"

"Angry?"

"That's right, I'm furious!" Emilia huffed and crossed her arms.

"What Ferruggio Silver Wolf Team... that idiot, is he still stuck in the past?"

So, thanks to my efforts, we solved the registration problem without spending a single penny.

I feel disgusted with myself for being like this; I'm such a scheming person... I hope this is the last time, and there won't be a next time.

"Hey Captain..."

"Eh!? What brings you here?"

Ally blushed instantly. She glanced at me timidly, then immediately turned her head away.

"Seeing how strongly you're reacting, I think I'd better cover my face."

""Don't!""

The two sisters shouted at the same time.

"Well..."

"Wouldn't it be such a waste to cover up such a beautiful face?"

"Looks like it'll take some time for you guys to adjust... Never mind, I'm just curious about your relationship with that Emilia."

"Me and Emilia..."

Ally frowned, as if she had gone through some kind of internal struggle, and then sighed.

"Ailin, you should explain this. You're the one with the clearest perspective."

"Huh? Me? Ugh... Okay then!"

Ailin glanced at us shyly and began to tell her story.

"Our racing team, back when Dad was in charge, was always rivals with Abidar and her team. But as they say, enemies are destined to meet, and every time Dad competed, we'd run into their team. That's how we met Emilia. How should I put it... she never did anything really outrageous, but for some reason, she and my sister just couldn't stand each other. They'd argue the moment they met, though it was kind of like a bickering couple. And even though my sister said she hated Emilia, she was always incredibly happy when she sparred with her."

"Who would be happy about that! I just wanted to see her expression when she failed! If you're asked to explain, then don't spout nonsense!"

"Ah... but my sister was clearly very happy, boohoo..."

"Hey, hey, hey, don't cry! I'm sorry! I was too impulsive!"

So, Ally and Emilia really are... best friends. Let me imagine their doujinshi.

"Captain, I have a question too," Givinia said, her expression somewhat serious.

"What's wrong now?"

"Actually, I've felt something was off for a while... but are we really the Ferruggio Silver Wolf Team?"

An awkward silence fell instantly.

Ally froze, Ailin silently turned her head away, and only I was still a little confused about the situation.

"I know quite a bit about the history of motorsport. Ferruggio Silver Wolf Team, a world-class team back in the day, was founded more than 20 years ago by the legendary Elton Senna, and achieved brilliant results. However, eight years ago, Elton's beloved car suddenly malfunctioned during a race and crashed into a barrier, thus ending the life of a legend. The team, severely weakened, disbanded after only one year and faded from people's sight..."

"So what?"

"I heard Elton has two daughters... you must be the ones."

Ally lowered her head and remained silent, neither confirming nor denying, before finally speaking after a long while.

"I only want to make two points," she suddenly raised her head, a hint of determination in her eyes, "First: Ferruggio has not disbanded! Never! Second, I have two purposes for participating: one is to revive the team's former glory, and the other is..."

The resolve in his eyes was replaced by hatred.

"We must avenge that bastard with the best possible results!"

The rooftop of the most luxurious hotel in Port Turltukha--

"It's noon now, and registration has just closed."

Have you received the list?

"It's right here, please take a look."

A young man with black hair took the list and browsed through it page by page. The more he looked, the more disdainful his expression became.

"Hmph, as expected, a large portion of them are unknown cannon fodder. The strong teams include... Spirit Cat, Vino Lions, Rantiluss... and... tsk, is that Abidar Beauties? Those brats have finally arrived."

"Still holding a grudge about losing to Emilia Yotan last time? How petty of you, Lewis."

Another middle-aged man spoke up. He was thin, with blond hair and slightly dark, light blue eyes.

"Tch! If it weren't for that idiot blocking my way, I would have finished long ago! That girl was just lucky... Hmm? This team is..."

Lewis's eyes narrowed as he carefully examined the name listed ahead of the Abidal Beauties Team.

"Hey, hey, hey... Alba, I've spotted an interesting contestant!"

"It's rare to find something interesting. So, tell me, which team are you from?"

"They are—" Lewis grinned mischievously, "the Ferruggio Silver Wolf Team, and their captain is Ally Cena."

"..."

The man paused for a moment, then sighed softly, at the same time emanating an indescribable Killing Intent of menace from his body.

"So it's finally happened, Ally? Are you in such a hurry to take revenge on your uncle...?"

Alba Sena walked to the window and looked into the distance.

"Hmph, very well, let me see just how much you've grown!"

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Every time I finish writing, I think I must proofread it carefully this time, but I always end up being lazy...