A deluxe coffin for two
By this time Lorry and Fors had already moved far away from Bairang Avenue.
"What are those?" Fors looked at the black or vermilion coffins parked by the roadside and walked over curiously.
His gaze swept over the stretcher-like object beneath the coffin, and the thickly cloth-wrapped wooden sticks extending to the left and right. Combining his memories, Lorry guessed:
"It looks like a local mode of transportation?"
His tone was slightly hesitant, because his memories differed somewhat from those in the Original Novel.
"A means of transportation?" Fors looked it over with great interest. "Using a coffin as a means of transportation, stemming from the worship of 'death'?"
As he spoke, he turned to look at Lorry.
Her expression was uncertain, as if she wanted to try but was also a little afraid.
The conversation between the two attracted the attention of a group of dark-skinned local natives dressed in linen trousers and short-sleeved shirts beside the coffin. One of them, his expression slightly changed, walked over and hurriedly explained in broken Loenese, "No, no, there is no 'Grim Reaper' now. We only worship the great ' Lord of Storms '."
His tone was hurried, as if he was afraid of causing a misunderstanding:
"This is a local custom, yes, just a local custom, but it is indeed a means of transportation. Would you like to try it, beautiful ladies?"
This man had an extremely sharp eye; he accurately spotted a potential customer at a glance. Seeing the other party hesitate, he rolled his eyes and said again:
"I can call for a bigger coffin, the kind that two people can lie in without feeling cramped, lined with the finest velvet, so it won't feel uncomfortable at all."
A larger coffin... Fors was clearly interested and wanted to experience it.
Aside from feeling a bit unlucky, there shouldn't be any other problems, right? After all, it's a unique source of income for the local area... Thinking this, Lorry nodded slightly.
Fors's face lit up with joy, and he asked the local man:
How long do we need to wait?
"Soon." With business coming in, the local grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, and pointed to the street corner ahead.
"This road is too narrow, and the administrator won't allow us to park large coffins here, so they all wait on the wider road over there."
"Ten minutes at most."
After saying that, he asked the two of them for a deposit and strode off in that direction.
"Let's go inside and buy something to eat." While waiting, Fors saw a Restaurant selling local shaved ice and pulled Lorry over there.
There were two or three customers ahead of them; it looked like it would be a few more minutes before it was their turn.
A thought struck Lorry, and he said to Fors:
"You line up here, don't wander off."
I'm going to the Washroom.
Fors hummed in agreement, then mumbled, her face slightly flushed:
"I'm not a child anymore..."
She waved her hand. "Go on, I'll wait for you here."
Guided by the Restaurant Attendant, Lorry made it to the Washroom, found a relatively clean cubicle, and began to fantasize, expending his Spirituality.
Soon, the Scholarly Man appeared.
"It is risky to travel in an external coffin-shaped vehicle." It silently recited the divination statement in Hermes, repeating it seven times.
Swish!
The Yellow Crystal swung rapidly counterclockwise.
This means there is no risk.
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Only then was Lorry completely relieved. He reached out and pressed the flush button, letting the Scholarly Man burst like bubbles amidst the rushing water.
He washed his hands and returned to the Restaurant lobby, where he saw Fors sitting by the window with a small bowl of colorful shaved ice. Upon seeing him, Fors said:
"You forgot to mention your preferred flavor, so I only bought my own."
As she spoke, she scooped a spoonful of shaved ice into her mouth, a satisfied look on her face, and recommended, "You should try this mixed kind, it tastes great."
For some reason, seeing that bowl of colorful shaved ice reminded Lorry of the artificially colored ice chips he often saw his classmates eating at the school gate in his past life.
There's a strange similarity between the two.
He shook his head slightly with a hint of resistance and sat down opposite the woman.
"But it's really delicious..." Fors's expression was a little regretful.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she asked the Attendant for a small spoon. Smiling, she scooped out a large mouthful and held it out to Lorry: "Have a taste."
Seeing Lorry in a daze, she stretched her hand out again.
The distinct flavors of tropical fruits burst on the tip of the tongue, and a refreshing coolness spread from the mouth throughout the body. Lorry nodded slightly.
"It's really delicious."
"Why do you seem so serious when you're with me now..." Fors muttered softly, handing the spoon to Lorry.
She pushed the mixed shaved ice to the middle of the table, shoveling the shaved ice half-heartedly, her gaze fixed on the window, watching the sounds from the street.
Suddenly, she heard a cough from the other side, followed by a sound:
"It doesn't taste as good as the one before."
"..." Fors paused, turned to look at Lorry had said those words in a serious tone, her face flushed slightly, and she looked away as if fleeing for her life.
She scooped up a spoonful of shaved ice and put it in her mouth to help cool down.
Three or four minutes later, Fors saw eight natives dressed similarly carrying a black coffin, led by the local who had just collected the money.
"I'm leaving," she said, but she didn't move.
Lorry stood up first and extended his right hand. Fors smiled and then got up. The two linked arms and walked towards the local public transportation outside.
"Where are the two bosses planning to go?" the local man collecting the money asked, then explained, "They only speak the local Dutanese."
"Just find any high-end hotel," Lorry said.
"Understood." The local man who collected the money nodded, then spoke a long string of words to the natives carrying the coffin, before looking at Lorry again:
"It's all arranged. They'll take you to the best hotel here, the King's Inn. The cost, well, after deducting the deposit, will be 10 soli."
"Just give them to them when you get there."
After saying this, he took two steps forward, had his companion lower the coffin, lifted the thinner lid that resembled a door, and made an inviting gesture.
Lorry's gaze swept over the local man, ignoring the slightly expensive price, and he continued to look down at the thick red velvet blanket and long pillow inside the coffin.
It was fairly clean, probably recently changed. No wonder it took ten minutes to get here from such a short distance... He nodded slightly and helped Fors climb into the coffin.
Then, pushing off the edge, he leaped in and lay down beside her.
Lorry could clearly feel the woman next to him pause breathing for a few seconds the moment his head hit the long pillow.
The two people didn't speak, silently watching the lid slowly close.
Whether it was due to the drop in temperature at dusk or just his imagination, Lorry felt a chill in the air, as if he were in an air-conditioned room.
Could this be considered another form of sharing a bed? He put the previous thought aside and began to seriously consider this question.
Suddenly, a cold hand reached out.