In Terra, a Hunter and a Bad Woman — Chapter 28

Deliver a package to a gang on the outskirts of Lungmen.

The job itself was not complicated. For some reason, the roads were unusually quiet, and no other gang members were wandering around.

In less than half a day, the team arrived at their destination.

The moment Texas stopped the car, Exusiai, who had long since grown bored, eagerly jumped out and hoisted the package onto her shoulder.

"Let me deliver this package~ I'm so sleepy from sitting in the car that I'm practically about to doze off."

Exusiai said with a grin.

Texas, still holding a Pocky between her lips as she drove, nodded in agreement before turning to look at the drowsy Croissant beside her.

"Croissant?"

"Huh?"

"Go with Exusiai, so she doesn't cause trouble again."

"Ehh~ What a pain. Exusiai should be able to handle it herself, right?"

Croissant complained, but she still obediently got up, carrying her shield as she moved closer to Exusiai.

She was the typical sort whose actions betrayed her words.

Maria wanted to go with them too, but Exusiai refused with a grin.

"Texas would be bored guarding the car alone, so keep her company. Leave this to the two of us."

With that, she left without looking back.

After falling silent for a moment, Maria turned around and sat back down in the passenger seat.

For a while, only the two of them remained sitting quietly inside the car.

Texas rested her hands uneasily on the steering wheel. Her eyes alternated between watching Exusiai enter the factory through the window and stealing glances at Maria beside her through the rearview mirror.

She seemed completely restless.

That unusual attitude left Maria silent.

After a pause, she hesitantly looked at the other woman.

"Miss Texas..."

"Yes!"

Texas suddenly answered loudly.

"..." Confused, Maria suddenly recalled the encyclopedia she had read on the road and turned to look at Texas's tail.

It was stretched perfectly straight...

"Are you nervous?"

"...No."

"Is that so..."

Maria gently chose not to expose her feelings, though she found it somewhat strange.

"Your attitude toward me... seems a little different."

"Is it?"

"...I am not an insensitive person, Miss Texas. Your companions have made it quite clear that your usual demeanor should not be like this."

"..."

Texas fell into an awkward silence.

After thinking for a moment, Maria suddenly spoke.

"Do you have time right now?"

"..."

"I have a story I would like to tell... but it requires a listener."

They were only temporary teammates, but since she did not know how long she would have to remain partnered with the person before her, it was necessary to maintain a decent relationship.

After some thought, Maria decided to tell a story and bring them a little closer together.

"I can probably take on that responsibility."

Maria's manner of speaking was strange, but Texas, as if she had long since become accustomed to it, agreed without hesitation.

"I once... knew a Lupo girl too. She was still a child at the time."

Once she was sure the other woman was willing to listen, Maria slowly began telling the story of herself and that foolish little Puppy girl.

"She was clumsy and foolish... Sometimes, I would directly call her Puppy... because I thought she was just like a little dog."

Texas fidgeted, her hands gripping the steering wheel awkwardly as her tail lightly swayed.

"At first, I was not particularly kind to her, but that was mainly because of my own reasons."

"She was full of wildness. Although she rarely spoke to me, I could tell that it was a form of self-protection born from loneliness... I did not dislike that."

Texas's ears began to twitch, and her tail relaxed, swaying unconsciously.

"She was innocent and foolish, but not bad. It was merely that prolonged loneliness had made even her way of speaking somewhat abnormal."

"We did not spend much time together, because I had gone there with a purpose... Yet even so, by the end, we had still formed a certain friendship."

"But in the end, I left her directly without explaining anything... Even now, I do not know how she is doing."

"The reason for all of this was our lack of communication... If we had communicated enough, perhaps we would have reached a different ending."

As Maria spoke, she turned to look at Texas beside her.

Texas turned to look at Maria as well.

There was a hint of surprise in her widened eyes.

"So, Miss Texas, if you have any questions, you can say them directly. Communication is an indispensable step in interpersonal relationships... That is what I believe."

Maria looked at Texas, awkwardly steering the story toward what she truly wanted to say.

She felt that Texas's strange attitude toward her must have a reason... and she wanted to know what that reason was.

The reason she had brought up her experience with that Puppy girl now was simply because it was the story freshest in her mind, and it did indeed have a theme of communication.

It was a good choice.

But Texas had already widened her eyes at this point.

Is she... talking about me?

Maria... Maria must be talking about me!

Sure enough... it was her! It was Maria!

Maria really did remember me... and recognize me.

It's just... the things she said...

I was a little young back then, but... was I really that bad?

And Puppy... was that how Maria saw me?

Unexpectedly, Texas did not find the nickname disrespectful at all. Instead, warmth welled up inside her.

She had thought all memories of the past were unsettling.

But... perhaps that was not entirely true.

Lost in thought, Texas turned to look at Maria.

She sat quietly in her seat... just as she had when Texas first saw her: strong, cold, yet concealing a tenderness that ordinary people could not perceive.

As she thought, Texas lowered her head.

Just as she gathered the courage to say something to the other woman.

Maria suddenly frowned and raised a hand.

"There's a sound..."

"Huh?!"

Texas froze, then immediately turned her head.

Just as Maria had said, Texas could clearly sense the suspicious figures lurking in the side alley through the one-way glass.

They wore black suits and were spying in this direction, their behavior strange.

But...

"They aren't here for us."

Maria quickly made her judgment.

Although these people were approaching from this direction, their attention was not on the car at all. Instead, they were staring at the distant factory...

Which meant...

Boom—!

Flames burst out from inside the factory in an instant!

"Everyone! Charge!"

Like a starting pistol.

All the suited figures rushed into the factory.

Maria understood their target at that moment.

Their target was the gang hiding here!

"Not good! Exusiai!"

Texas's eyes widened instantly.

I, Maria, Am No Good Person!

As long as the money was right, Penguin Logistics could deliver anything.

This was the rule Emperor had set when Penguin Logistics was first established.

Of course, that fun-loving penguin never imposed troublesome regulations on his employees. He merely made it clear that Penguin Logistics was very flexible—anything could be delivered, provided the price was right.

However, through word of mouth in Lungmen, Penguin Logistics had become some kind of mysterious, all-purpose organization. Some even claimed that if you paid enough, Penguin Logistics could deliver your letter straight into the hands of Lungmen's ruler, Wei Yenwu!

Though that part was actually true. Emperor, the boss of Penguin Logistics, did indeed know Wei Yenwu.

But that was beside the point.

In short, because of Penguin Logistics's seemingly all-powerful capabilities, they quickly drew the attention of the criminal forces active in Lungmen.

From time to time, those groups made use of Penguin Logistics's unique qualities to handle things that were inconvenient or difficult for them to do themselves.

For example... transporting bombs!

Vrooom—!

With the accelerator slammed to the floor, the calm armored vehicle instantly roared to life.

Texas did not hesitate. She drove straight into the factory, where flames still burned from the explosion.

After the blast, she had more or less understood what was going on.

Without a doubt, this was another gang war.

One side must have learned that their rivals would be coming to this factory today, so they deliberately placed an order with Penguin Logistics. The cargo was the bomb that had just caused the explosion!

Things like this had happened before, and everyone had survived them, but Texas could not help worrying.

After all, facing artillery shells head-on was not something one could survive every time.

The roaring armored vehicle brutally smashed through the sealed iron gate. All kinds of flying objects frantically struck its body, interfering with the judgment of the two people inside.

Even so, Texas still spotted Exusiai and Croissant on the second floor, stubbornly holding their ground.

"Texas~ Over here, over here~"