Chapter 69

"No, not at all." Mostima waved his hand dismissively. "It's just that I suddenly realized there's quite a difference between your personalities and Han Fei's."

Mostima couldn't imagine Han Fei holding the book, turning the pages with a refined air. She couldn't even picture that scene. She could only imagine Han Fei, after getting the book, looking around after only a few glances, and then chatting with people.

But this is actually very much like the Laterano; the Laterano are always lively and always have inexhaustible energy.

Even as they get older, their inherent love for adventure never fades.

In contrast, Andoain is nothing like a Laterano.

He was too quiet, not in a bad way, but his life had always been dull and monotonous, so out of place in the ever-bustling Laterano.

Even after living in Laterano for so many years, he remained Laterano and was still the same person.

Just as Mostima couldn't have imagined Han Fei would be quietly reading, Mostima also couldn't have imagined Andoain would be so "restless" like a Laterano.

"I think our captain is fine the way he is now," Fiammetta spoke up in support of Andoain. "If the captain suddenly turned into Han Fei, I might not be able to adapt."

As the subject of the discussion, Andoain maintained his smile and made no attempt to interrupt.

Mostima glanced at Fiammetta and saw a light of trust in her eyes.

That was devoid of romantic feelings, based on the team members' trust in a serious and meticulous captain.

Without a doubt, Fiammetta enjoys her current life, savoring the simple yet interesting daily interactions with her friends.

"Yes, such a drastic change in temperament is still too strange."

Mostima responded, but her gaze thoughtfully swept over Andoain's calm profile.

Empathy is a unique ability of the Sankta. It cannot instantly guess what the other person is thinking like mind reading, but it allows the Sankta to sense each other's emotions and psychological state.

Just then, an excited voice chimed in. "Hey, everyone's here! What are you chatting about?"

The three looked in the direction of the sound and saw Han Fei walking over with great interest, followed by Lemuen was walking briskly and clearly in a good mood.

"We were talking about you," Mostima said bluntly, "You and the captain are worlds apart."

"Gab!"

Han Fei strode over to Andoain, casually put his arm around his shoulder, and laughed, "Take a good look at yourself. I don't think my looks are any worse than your captain's, right? How come there's such a huge difference?"

Andoain's shoulders tensed almost imperceptibly for a moment, then gave a helpless, bitter laugh. He didn't push away the excessive intimacy, but simply shook his head slightly and closed the book on his lap, as if this small action could shield him from some of the overwhelming, intoxicating energy.

Clearly, the composed Sankta was not comfortable with such direct enthusiasm, but due to etiquette and manners, he could only silently accept this "friendship" that left him feeling somewhat at a loss.

Volume 1: Chapter 101 The Lone Bird

Okay, stop teasing him.

Lemuen walked over to Han Fei, poked his cheek, and looked at him with a mixture of amusement and helplessness.

"What do you mean by teasing? This is called a close and friendly interaction."

Even so, Han Fei still released Andoain.

Andoain was not displeased by Han Fei's actions. He still wore his gentle smile and said, "This is indeed not a prank."

Finally, he glanced at Han Fei and smiled, "As for what you just said, Han Fei, I agree. You are indeed very handsome."

Han Fei turned his head, raised an eyebrow at Lemuen, and said smugly, "See? This is mutual recognition between handsome people like us. Don't you know what it means for good-looking people to appreciate each other?"

Looking at Han Fei's appearance, Fiammetta reached up to rub her forehead and gently shook her head. She really couldn't imagine how strange it would be if the gentle and considerate captain turned into Han Fei.

Lemuen's fingers moved nimbly, pinching instead of poking, she pinched Han Fei's cheek, a "kind" smile on her face, and said, "What, are you saying I don't understand you? Or do you think I'm not good-looking?"

"Uh, no, I didn't mean that." Han Fei immediately surrendered. "Of course you're beautiful, really, you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, your eyes are like stars."

Just then, a soft "click" was heard, and the SUV door was pushed open. Texas appeared beside the vehicle.

Her gaze immediately fell on the hand pinching Han Fei's face, then calmly shifted to Lemuen's face.

Their eyes met briefly in mid-air. Lemuen calmly withdrew her hand and softly asked, "Is your injury any better?"

Their gazes met briefly in the air. Lemuen released her grip without a word, her tone as gentle as ever. "Is your injury any better?"

"You've fully recovered."

Texas responded to his concern with a blank expression, and walked straight up to Han Fei without stopping.

Her gaze swept over Andoain beside Han Fei, her heterochromatic gray-blue eyes filled with a silent plea.

Andoain initially looked slightly puzzled, but then realized what was going on. A knowing smile appeared on his lips as he silently stood up and offered his seat.

"Thanks."

Texas thanked him in a low voice, sat down next to Han Fei, and her tone returned to its usual businesslike efficiency. "Boss, your medicine is very effective. I'm ready to jump into a new battle at any time."

"That's good." Han Fei breathed a sigh of relief, his smile serious. "But don't take such risks next time. My life is much tougher than you think."

Texas didn't respond, but simply looked at him silently. Her silent gaze clearly conveyed her resolve—you say your piece, I have my own principles.

The Siracusa gangs are united by family ties, and besides, abandoning their comrades is something Texas wouldn't do.

Even if time could turn back, and she were given another chance, Texas would still stand guard in front of that tent without hesitation.

"I can't go against your wishes..."

Han Fei sighed helplessly and habitually reached out to rub Texas's soft hair.

Texas was slightly taken aback, but did not resist at all, and simply accepted this comforting reassurance that was tinged with helplessness and indulgence.

"Alright."

Andoain put away his book, stood up, and said, "Now that everything is settled, we should prepare to go to our next destination."

Han Fei had no objections. He had already searched all the corpses he needed to find, and staying here would only mean going out to collect some bird eggs at most.

While the bird egg might contain the Heart of Africa, Han Fei felt that completing the team's mission was more important than the elusive concept of the Heart of Africa.

Get it done quickly so we can get back to Laterano sooner. If we have a bit more time left, we might even try to sneak a bite inside the stadium.

Who knows, maybe we'll even have some kind of adventure involving Notarial Office or the Pontifical Hall.

Before this, Han Fei would never have expected to be able to eat at these places. Without someone familiar with the area to guide him, it would be too conspicuous for someone who is neither Sankta nor Liberi to wander around in these places.

But now, given his connection with the team, shouldn't he be able to sneak in and grab a bite or two?

Anyway, he was just touching the container, not stealing anything, so it wouldn't negatively impact the team's reputation.

Soon, the luggage was packed and unpacked.

The low growl of the engine shattered the tranquility of the wilderness. The off-road vehicle, laden with passengers, kicked up dust as it sped toward its next destination.

However, the anticipated goal seemed to have evaporated into this vast wasteland.

Was it the disastrous defeat in last night's surprise attack that made the Sarkaz so wary, or were the dead lying by the campfire their very target?

The wheels rolled over the parched earth, circling futilely across the vast wilderness for a long time.

As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but jagged rocks and withered weeds. Even as the dusky twilight began to paint the sky, stretching the setting sun into a golden arc, the mission objective remained elusive.

Looking out the car window at the desolate scene, Han Fei couldn't help but click his tongue and say, "Damn it, is there really no one here?"

Who knows?

Mostima, in the front seat, turned her head, her voice as languid as ever, "Maybe you were right, those unlucky bunch we bumped into this morning were..."

Just then, a sudden beeping communication sound interrupted Mostima's words.

"It's my communicator."

Fiammetta explained briefly, then took out her communicator, frowned, and said, "It's a distress call; the coordinates aren't far from us."

Andoain asked, "Do you know who sent it?"

Fiammetta looked at the message on the communicator and explained, "It's signed by the Laterano Guard; they need support. The coordinates aren't far from us; I'll be back soon."

Are you sure you want to go?

Han Fei frowned and said, "Is it possible that this is fake news?"

"Whether it's true or not, you'll only know when you go there."

Fiammetta answered crisply, having already checked and slung the crossbow over her shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll be right back. If anything happens, I'll let you know immediately."

She opened the car door, and the evening breeze blew in, ruffling the stray hairs on her forehead.

Just before jumping out of the car, she seemed to sense the lingering worry in Han Fei's eyes. She turned back and gave a reassuring smile, but her tone was unusually firm. "Protecting merchants is the duty of the Laterano Guard. I'm just going to fulfill my mission; there's no need to be nervous."

The other passengers in the car did not intervene. They were already used to similar emergencies and had absolute trust in Fiammetta's judgment and abilities.

Her lithe figure leaped off the train and quickly disappeared into the vast twilight, rushing towards the coordinates of the distress call.

Volume One: Chapter 102 Lock and Key

The weather changes in an instant. Just over an hour later, thick, inky clouds swallowed the entire sky, pressing down heavily as if to crush the earth.

Looking out the rain-streaked car window, Andoain saw layers upon layers of leaden clouds so thick they were unsettling, giving rise to a heavy, suffocating feeling.

"It might rain, let's find a place to camp."

Andoain's voice rang out in the suddenly dimly lit carriage, carrying an undeniable gravity.

With the rain coming down unpredictably, he had to find a shelter for the team that could protect them from the wind and rain.

The off-road vehicle continued to roam across the wilderness, its wheels grinding through the mud, the roar of its engine sounding particularly jarring in the increasingly desolate landscape. Rain began to fall sporadically, pattering against the roof of the vehicle with a dull, rapid drumbeat.

"Was there someone over there just now?" Lemuen suddenly asked, pointing to a patch of jagged rocks on the left.

Han Fei and Andoain looked in that direction, but the rain blurred their vision, and all they could see was desolation.

"Where?" Andoain pressed.

Lemuen pointed in the right direction for Andoain, saying, "To the left, behind that big, curved rock."

Andoain glanced to the side but did not see the figure Lemuen had mentioned.

"To the left, behind that big rock that looks like a curved claw," Lemuen pointed confidently.

Andoain examined the area closely but still found nothing. However, trusting Lemuen, he decisively ordered, "Drive over and take a look."

The vehicle turned around and drove closer to the boulder.

It turned out that there was a hidden downhill slope behind it, which had been perfectly concealed by the shadow of the stone. When you reached the top of the slope, the view suddenly opened up - a hunched figure like a ghost was staggering forward, and a little further ahead, a dark cave entrance was like a giant mouth of the earth, abruptly embedded in the wasteland.

"Those are Sarkaz."

Through the rain, Andoain could make out the twisted horns on the man's head, and then his gaze locked onto the deep cave.

"We need to explore that cave," Andoain paused, "If it's safe inside, we can spend the night there."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a deafening roar echoed from the sky.

"Crack--Boom!"

A blinding white flash of lightning tore through the dim sky, followed by a thunderclap that made the car body tremble!

Almost simultaneously, the long-brewing downpour finally poured down, the dense raindrops instantly forming a violent whip, lashing the earth and stirring up a misty spray.

In the rain, the hunched Sarkaz figure seemed startled by the thunder, suddenly quickening its pace, staggering, and swiftly swallowed by the dark cave entrance, as if being devoured by a giant beast.

The off-road vehicle cut through the thick rain and stopped in front of the cave.

The group quickly got out of the car, their clothes instantly soaked by the icy rain.

The cave entrance was filled with a chilling aura, a mixture of earthy smells and an indescribable musty odor, causing Han Fei to frown.

Before entering the cave, Andoain warned, "Be careful, we don't know what's inside. There might be Sarkaz lying in ambush."

Han Fei remained silent, skillfully and silently putting on the heavy explosion-proof equipment piece by piece. The thick metal parts clanged together, producing a particularly jarring "clang" sound in the quiet rain.

Don't ask, the answer is I'm the vanguard, but the Shield Dog.

After saying that, Andoain looked at Mostima and instructed, "You stay outside and keep watch. If anything happens, notify us immediately."

"Good."

Mostima nodded in agreement.

Given the current situation, it's impossible to let everyone enter the cave. Everyone knows nothing about what's inside. If this is the only exit and everyone goes in, and there are Sarkaz lying in ambush outside, then they'll be trapped like turtles in a jar!

Upon hearing this, Han Fei turned to Texas: "You stay too. We need support outside. If anything happens, you can help her as well."

Mostima is currently armed, with a bolt-action rifle slung over her shoulder; she's not the elegant mage with her powerful area-of-effect attacks anymore.

A flicker of worry crossed Texas's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination. "Alright. Be careful, leave the outside to me."

She gripped the sword hilt tightly, her gaze silently conveying her stance to Han Fei: I will ensure your escape route is secure.