What's the Best Way to Catch a Ride? / Forgive Me for Living Unrestrained, Reckless, and Loving Freedom...

This was the first time Kanna had entered a city with a clear destination in mind, and she seemed rather excited.

"First of all, most towns in Siracusa have churches. Otherwise, where do you think the title 'Godfather' came from? However, most of these churches serve as offices for the local Godfather.

"Also, this is the last stop before Laterano. We need to obtain 'transit visas' here, or we won't be able to enter Laterano. But since it happens to be a time of 'transition,' I don't know whether the church is still operating."

Thinking of that gave Kal'tsit a headache as well.

But since they had already come this far, going to another city on the border would require several days of detouring. She could only grit her teeth and drive toward the church.

When they arrived at the church, they found that while it was not a battlefield, everyone entering and leaving wore grave expressions.

"Wait in the car. I'll go in and see whether I can get the visas processed. If I can't, we'll have to find somewhere to stay for a few days."

After getting out of the car, Kal'tsit instructed Kanna, who had been about to get out as well.

"Okay!"

Kanna had originally wanted to get out and see what the church looked like, but Kal'tsit would not allow it. She could only squat on the seat with a wronged expression.

But the moment Kal'tsit left her sight, Kanna sneakily climbed out of the car and jumped onto its roof. If she could not leave the car, then standing on top of it was fine, right?

Kanna discovered that two groups nearby were fighting fiercely. Axes, machetes, and crossbow bolts all flew straight for their opponents' heads, yet they never attacked the civilians carrying flowers toward the church. They even deliberately kept their distance.

It seemed the previous Godfather had enjoyed a fine reputation. Even with fighting all around, people still trembled as they passed through the battle zone to offer flowers at the church.

Unfortunately, why did these people insist on clinging to power until death before they were willing to let go? Wouldn't training and appointing a successor early, then transferring power in advance, have prevented this situation?

All that could be said was that since ancient times, once the beautiful poisoned wine called power was held in one's hand, no one had been willing to set it down easily.

Half an hour later, Kal'tsit came out. Her gloomy expression made it clear that her cryptic-speech skill had failed to secure two transit passes.

"The previous Godfather here, Corleone, was suddenly assassinated. Since someone at the scene saw that the assassin was dressed in church attire, the issuance of documents permitting travel to Laterano has been completely suspended. It looks like we'll have to take a detour."

Under circumstances like these, there was definitely no way to reach Laterano from here anytime soon. Though Kal'tsit and Kanna were not in a hurry, there was no need to remain here for long.

That left them with only one option: find another town to obtain their visas.

Just as Kal'tsit was preparing to drive away, more than a dozen people ran out of the church. Seeing that she was about to leave, they raised their weapons and blocked the vehicle.

"Sir, what do you mean by this?" Kal'tsit, who had rolled down the window, was clearly displeased.

Seeing the delicate Feline in the car and her impatient expression, the leader instantly got BOKI... Ah, he wanted this Feline to step on his face!

He could not help swallowing.

"My apologies, ma'am. I believe you have heard that the Godfather died in a shameless conspiracy. The culprit actually wore church clothing when he murdered our kind and just Godfather Corleone. Therefore, anyone connected to the church must temporarily stay at a hotel prepared by our family. We can only let you leave after confirming that you have nothing to do with the assassination."

Seeing his barely concealed lecherous expression, both Kal'tsit and Kanna understood what was going on.

"Say, Kal'tsit, ACE said you're even older than he is. So how do you maintain, um... such an ability to attract bad guys...?"

Kanna was instantly possessed by the spirit of a troublemaker and wanted to see how Kal'tsit would handle this situation.

"ACE? I understand..." She sounded very calm, but Kanna's ears could not be fooled by the teeth-grinding fury in her voice.

At that moment, far away on Rhodes Island, ACE inexplicably felt a chill run down his spine. He looked around, and after finding nothing, muttered whether he had caught a cold and if he should visit the Medical Department for a checkup.

"We are lawful citizens from Letalia. Until just now, we did not know what had happened in this town. Your suspicions are groundless, your argument is full of holes, and Godfather Corleone was a great man, but your actions will only disgrace him after his death..." After getting out of the car, Kal'tsit drew upon her "extensive" knowledge and immediately began tearing into them.

Without uttering a single curse word, she berated them for a full ten minutes. Even the two sides that had been fighting bloody battles nearby lowered their weapons and looked over curiously. Passing pedestrians were drawn in by Kal'tsit and formed a circle around them.

Looking at the spectators packed three layers deep inside and out, Kanna could not help sighing. Watching a spectacle was everyone's instinct.

"Enough, you bitch! I challenge you to a duel!"

The leader's face was red with rage. If being insulted at first had felt a little good, then being scolded for so long in front of a crowd was humiliating enough to reach Bolívar.

The crowd erupted at his words. It was bad enough that a grown man could not out-argue a woman, but he was shamelessly challenging her to a duel with a weapon.

Looking at the woman's build, she clearly did not seem capable of fighting him.

"Fight! Fight!" At some point, Kanna had sat on the car roof, holding sunflower seeds in one hand and watermelon in the other, happily playing the role of an innocent spectator.

"Don't forget you're my guard. If he wants to duel me, you have to stand in front of me!" Seeing Kanna fanning the flames, Kal'tsit immediately ordered her around without ceremony.

"Uh..." Kanna scratched her head. It seemed she really had come along as Kal'tsit's guard.

The people nearby were even more shocked upon hearing their exchange. It was one thing for this woman's tongue to be venomous, but her heart was this cruel too. She was actually sending a child who looked no older than ten into battle.

In their eyes, no one but evil Sarkaz would do such a thing.

The man was even more furious. It was one thing to scold him, but now she wanted a child to duel him too. Did she think he could not even defeat a child?

"Damn it! How dare you look down on me!" With a roar, the man completely lost his mind and swung his longsword at Kal'tsit.

Just as he was about to enjoy the woman's desperate cries and spraying blood, a door panel suddenly blocked his path.

A door panel?

Though he wondered where a door panel had come from, his hands did not slow down. Instead, he tried to cleave both the obstacle and Kal'tsit behind it in two.

But his wish went unfulfilled. With a sharp clang of metal, the longsword in his hand shattered against the "door panel."

Only then did he realize it was not a door panel at all, but an absurdly wide greatsword.

Those in the distance had seen it clearly. The moment the man attacked, Kanna had pulled an outrageously shaped greatsword from beneath her on the car roof. With one swing of her hand, the greatsword tore through the air and, in an instant, embedded itself between the man and Kal'tsit.

Kanna lightly jumped down from the car and landed atop the greatsword's guard.

Judging by how the greatsword had remained completely still after taking the heavy blow and had even shattered the opponent's weapon, it was certainly no ordinary weapon.

The man stared in disbelief at the Little Dragon Person who had suddenly appeared before him. Before he could react, Kanna reached out and lightly flicked his forehead.

The man spun dramatically in place before collapsing unconscious to the ground. The others looked at the unconscious man, utterly at a loss.

"Are you still not going to move aside? We have no grudges or grievances, so there's no need to fight to the death, right?" Even though killing these people would have been as easy as breathing for Kanna, she did not do so. Going on a killing spree over something this minor would have been too much. She was not some homicidal maniac.

Those people also realized that Kanna had held back. After exchanging glances, they lifted the man from the ground and retreated toward the church in embarrassment.

Once one side had left, the surrounding spectators gradually dispersed as well. Only a few people carefully observed Kanna and Kal'tsit, then quietly departed after realizing they were not anyone they knew.

No one pursued them after the vehicle left the town, which relieved Kal'tsit considerably. Killing someone here would have made entering Laterano troublesome. This had also been a test after she heard from Outcast about Kanna's massacre in Victoria. The result satisfied Kal'tsit: Kanna was not the sort to indulge in slaughter. Her previous actions had most likely been an extreme reaction to witnessing a tragedy.

Not long after they had traveled, a silver-haired Lupo girl suddenly dashed out from the roadside and blocked the car.

"Yo! Looks like we're fated. Are you headed to Scone Town, the next stop? How about giving me a ride?"

The girl wore a wild expression. After examining her, Kal'tsit frowned slightly. "An Infected?"

"Ha! Don't worry, I won't die anytime soon. I'll just hitch a ride on the roof, so I won't inconvenience you." Hearing Kal'tsit's question, the girl awkwardly scratched her head.

"Get in!" Before she could say more, Kal'tsit opened the rear door.

"Ahahaha, thanks! Sitting inside is much more comfortable..." The girl was not one to hesitate. She immediately darted into the car, leaned against the rear seat, and wore a contented expression.

"Thanks for this morning!" As the car continued onward, the girl suddenly spoke.

"This morning? We didn't do anything this morning. We were just passing through." Kal'tsit's expression did not change as she replied calmly.

"Fine, but you drew those idiots' attention, so you still helped me quite a bit. If you have an enemy, come find me and I'll deal with them for you. For today's sake, I can give you a discount." The girl grinned. Though she was talking about murder, her gaze did not ripple in the slightest.

"You're an assassin! Did you kill that Godfather Corleone in town?" Thinking of the girl's profession, Kanna asked.

Rather than hiding it, the girl openly admitted it. "That's right, I did it. That guy looked like a diligent old good man on the surface, but he used the opportunity presented by the border between the two countries to run child smuggling operations. He was usually very cautious. I had been watching him for a long time, and only recently found a chance to strike."

"Then he deserved to die! But you didn't clean up your tail properly!"

As Kanna spoke, she casually extended a hand out the window, and a Lightning Wedge slipped from her hand onto the ground.

Hearing Kanna's words, the silver wolf touched her tail and found no dirt on it. As though she had thought of something, she turned and stuck her head out the window.

"Stop looking. It's only two cars, no big deal." With that, Kanna flicked a finger and sent another Lightning Wedge toward the first one.

Just as the cars behind them caught up, a streak of violet light shot across the road ahead and landed in front of the pursuing vehicle.

Then, with a tremendous boom, the lead car was blown completely onto its side at the roadside. The car behind it hurriedly braked and stopped, not daring to continue the pursuit.

"That's not right! If they came to catch me, why did they only send two cars? I remember there were quite a few cars in town!" The silver wolf looked puzzled.

Kanna and Kal'tsit exchanged a glance in the front. They guessed the cars had not come for the girl, but were most likely pursuing the two of them. However, while they could previously have righteously claimed they had nothing to do with the attack, they were now tied together. So there was no problem stopping these people.

Only the silver wolf in the back seat looked conflicted. Why had they sent so few people to hunt her down, and why had their attitude been so utterly uncommitted?

"By the way, how did you get out of there so quickly? The 'transition' may be fierce, but they won't attack civilians." After a while, the silver wolf stopped dwelling on the earlier question and asked about their journey.

"It's because of you. You killed the Godfather while wearing church clothes, and now they've suspended the 'visa' process here. We need to go to Laterano, so we can only go somewhere else and get them again." Kanna did not mind much. To her, this was a trip anyway. Playing somewhere else made no difference.

"Ahaha, is that so? Then sorry about that!" Though the silver wolf crouched in the back seat and said she was sorry, she did not look apologetic at all.

"My name is Kanna, and the one driving is Kal'tsit. What about you? You said we could come find you if we needed something, so at least give us a name. Siracusa is huge. How else would we find you later?"

"That's true! Call me Lappland! I don't currently feel like changing my name. If you need me, leave a message at any bar in Scone Town. I'll come find you once I receive it." The silver wolf casually shook her head, her eyes wandering around the car.

"Lappland? A nice name. Are you working for Laterano now?" Kal'tsit, who rarely spoke while driving, finally opened her mouth.

"Not exactly! Laterano pays well, their people are straightforward, and they never delay payment. Siracusa is too chaotic. You finally finish a job, go back, and find that the employer has already been taken out. You can't even find anyone to settle the bill with, which is a real hassle." It was clear that Lappland had no complaints about her current life and was quite pleased with being an assassin.

"Have you ever considered living under another identity?" Kanna glanced at Lappland's healthy, powerful-looking thighs. On one thigh, a conspicuous black spot was exposed, spoiling the beauty of her body.

That black spot was a phenomenon that appeared when an Infected person's Originium concentration reached a certain level and condensed on the skin. It was also proof of being Infected.

Lappland's bold clothing did not attempt to conceal that she was Infected, and as an assassin, she noticed Kanna's gaze on her thigh.

"Forget it! See this, little one? I'm Infected. An Infected person who might go boom and explode. Aren't you afraid?" Lappland openly pointed to the black spot on her leg, her lips carrying a trace of mockery.

"Kal'tsit, can we tell her who we are?"

"Though I do not think Miss Lappland would be willing, there is nothing to hide about our identities. Perhaps Miss Lappland may become one of our clients in the future..."

Rhodes Island accepted all sorts of people with hidden identities, but after this brief contact, Kal'tsit believed Lappland was not someone who would be willing to settle down. Her eyes were full of defiance and wildness. Unless she found a bond she was willing to accept, Rhodes Island could not keep her.

"We're from Rhodes Island, a medical organization specializing in researching and treating the Infected. The one driving, Old Kal—teacher, is also the head of Rhodes Island's Medical Department..." Kanna had nearly called her old hag, but after catching Kal'tsit's glance, she changed her words.

"I knew it. The moment I got in this car, I felt like it smelled of disinfectant. I thought we were colleagues at first! As for working for a medical company, forget it. Sounds boring. But do you have any effective, cheap medicine? I have a pretty good network in both Siracusa and Laterano. We could split the profits fifty-fifty and make money together, how about it?" Hearing Kanna's words, Lappland waved dismissively, then immediately began considering the Infected medicine trade.

"Rhodes Island's pharmaceutical business is handled by dedicated departments and operators. We do not authorize others to sell it. If Miss Lappland requires treatment, you may find a Rhodes Island medical office in Siracusa or Laterano. We will provide patients with an appropriate treatment plan at a very reasonable price." Kal'tsit frowned at Lappland's words, unable to understand why Kanna was interested in such a money-grubbing Lupo.

"Tch! Boring..." Lappland leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, seemingly unwilling to continue talking.

Perhaps because the upper ranks in that town were busy fighting over the position of "Godfather," the group faced no further pursuit. Before night fell, the vehicle reached the foot of a great mountain.

After jumping out of the car, Lappland adjusted her weapons and headed toward the mountain without looking back. "If you don't want to take an extra day to detour, drive along this small path tomorrow morning and cross this mountain. You'll reach Scone Town. I won't be traveling with you. Farewell, if fate allows!"

"Farewell, if fate allows!" Kanna waved and watched Lappland vanish into the darkness.

"Stop watching. Rhodes Island can't leash that wolf." Kal'tsit calmly carried a box containing dinner from the car and spoke helplessly to Kanna, who was still looking in the direction Lappland had gone.

"Do you think Lappland truly has nothing she cares about, like she acts?" Kanna asked, accepting the pizza Kal'tsit held out to her.

"That has nothing to do with us! Don't think I didn't notice. You didn't listen to your lessons at all today. I put the audio player here. Listen for two hours after dinner, and then I'll test you."

Kal'tsit did not want to talk to Kanna and tossed her a phonograph.

Kanna took a critical hit -99999. Kanna was heavily damaged.

The next day, Kanna hugged the audio player and sat in the back behind Kal'tsit, expressing her dissatisfaction with last night's painstaking studying in a way that prevented Kal'tsit from seeing her.

Following the shortcut Lappland had provided, the car indeed saw Scone Town below after crossing the mountain.

The entire journey had taken a full day less than expected. Kanna could not help complaining that this was Terra after all; its infrastructure was truly terrible.

That afternoon, before the sun set, the vehicle successfully entered the town.

Kanna discovered that although dusk had already arrived, the streets remained brightly lit. The reason was that there were many Sarkaz along both sides of the road, all dressed in church attire.

"These should be missionaries from Laterano. From now until we leave Laterano, we'll be dealing with these people quite a bit. Remember, we are only passersby. Do not voice any objections to Laterano's doctrines, and do not provoke any Laterano people, especially Sarkaz." Kal'tsit was not surprised to encounter Sarkaz missionaries in this border town. Worried that Kanna might inexplicably provoke Laterano people like she had those Siracusans, Kal'tsit issued a rare warning.

"Don't worry. They all have halos like Grandma Outcast, so they must all be good people. Besides, I really didn't know back then, hehe..." Kanna did not fall for Kal'tsit's scheme and once again emphasized that she had "not known" it was a Siracusan "taboo."

Seeing a car enter from outside, many people turned to look. Kanna was not timid in the slightest and rolled down the window, sticking her head out.

Seeing a child inside the car curiously peeking around, the people nearby all smiled.

"Big sister, are there any good dessert shops around here?" Kanna waved at the nearest Sarkaz woman and shouted once she approached.

At Kanna's words, everyone burst into laughter. It was well known that Laterano people loved sweets, and any dessert praised by a Laterano person was bound to have its own special qualities.