Chapter 181 - 5
Qiuzi's not-so-large establishment was bustling with a considerable number of people.
“We’re rather out of place, aren’t we?” Franz murmured beside Anna, slowly sipping a sweet, flower-scented Tarnien liquor diluted with hot water.
“Yeah. We are.”
Anna replied, drinking a juice made from an unfamiliar fruit that had been placed before her. The juice, made from a fruit similar to a walnut called ‘ume,’ according to the chef Luan, was pickled with rock sugar and vinegar, giving it a refreshingly tart and delicious flavor.
Anna and Franz sat side-by-side at the pub’s tranquil wooden counter. The backless counter stools were all connected, resembling a long bench—a style she hadn’t seen much in other cities.
The small pub, which probably couldn’t hold more than twenty people including the counter, was currently overflowing.
The back of the establishment apparently contained Qiuzi's living quarters, but it was separated by a door and couldn't be seen from here. The second and third floors of the building were a boarding house. The entrance to the shop and the residence were completely separate, so Luan had told her they rarely saw the boarders in the pub. Luan himself was also a resident of the boarding house.
“This is pretty awkward…”
“Indeed.”
When she heard about this gathering, Anna honestly hadn’t wanted to come, but the moment Ritz hesitantly mentioned it would be at Qiuzi’s pub, she had unconsciously blurted out, “Then I’m going.” Now, she was regretting why she had said such a thing.
Being here, she couldn’t even hear what Ritz and the others were saying, surrounded by people as they were, and she certainly wasn’t capable of gathering information. She should have gone to bed early at the inn to recover from her lack of sleep the previous night.
But the mere thought of Qiuzi being with Ritz made her hate the idea of not being here. Was this feeling what they called jealousy?
Sighing softly so Franz wouldn't notice, Anna glanced around. Everyone in the pub, despite their varying heights and builds, carried a similar air and some kind of weapon. It was a strange atmosphere—boisterous and exceptionally cheerful, yet tinged with a hint of darkness. They all resembled Ritz when she had first met him.
Aside from a few soldiers, everyone gathered here was a mercenary, all of them acquaintances of Ritz. Active mercenaries, retired mercenaries who now ran shops in this city, former mercenaries who had married and settled down here—they were a diverse group.
At the center of it all were Ritz and Edward. Qiuzi was by Ritz’s side, and several former mercenaries surrounded the two of them, looking cheerful. Edward seemed to be deep in conversation with the old man named Touo, who had been introduced to Anna and Franz earlier.
When Anna and Franz were first introduced, people had flocked to see Anna. For some reason, they had all assumed she was Ritz’s daughter. After she frantically denied it and asked why they thought so, she learned the source was Qiuzi.
They apparently figured a man who had played around as much as Ritz could easily have a daughter her age. Furthermore, the Ritz these mercenaries knew was not the type to look after a child Anna's age, so if she wasn't his daughter, it was strange for him to be traveling with her.
Hearing that the image of Ritz she knew was completely different from theirs, Anna was at a loss for words. The first day she met him, Ritz had helped look after the children at the orphanage, so her first impression was that he was quite fond of children.
Later, when she heard he had stayed in Merite Village for a long time while babysitting, she had assumed Ritz had always looked after children. But in this city and on the battlefield, it seemed he was completely different.
The Ritz of Suien and the nearby battlefield town of Shujun was, by all accounts, a foul-mouthed, cheerful playboy. He would swing his greatsword, rush across the battlefield to earn high wages, and then blow it all on booze, tobacco, gambling, and women. He was merciless to those he disliked, but for those he took a liking to, he would buy them drinks and party hard. He was, they said,豪快—larger than life—both on the battlefield and in the pleasure quarters.
Stories similar to what Jin had told her came up several times. The only thing the Ritz she knew and the mercenary Ritz had in common was his skill at cooking. Otherwise, the image of Ritz was so different she couldn't even tell if they were talking about the same person.
Hearing all this again, Anna could only sigh. She had felt like she understood Ritz so well, but in reality, she knew nothing about him.
The Ritz in her mind was surprisingly more delicate than he looked, lonely, and a bit of a crybaby. He loved children, was caring, and was very, very kind and warm. But the mercenary Ritz seemed to have none of those qualities.
After the initial novelty wore off, the abandoned Anna and Franz sat alone at the counter, sipping their drinks. Luan placed a large platter in front of them. Warm steam rose before the downcast pair.
“Eat this.”
In the light, Luan had a completely different impression than the night she first saw him. Back then, his long hair had been disheveled, and he had been beaten up and tattered, so she hadn't realized. But his lightly tied vermilion hair shimmered in the light, and his kind eyes were a beautiful cobalt blue, so captivating she could get lost in them. His overall feminine appearance was quite beautiful, enough to mesmerize even Anna, a woman herself.
The dish Luan pointed to with a beautiful smile was a whole large fish, boldly fried, with some kind of sauce drizzled over it. She was surprised by the dish, which seemed at odds with his delicate face, but she closed her eyes in bliss at the fragrant aroma. The smell of oil was filled with the scent of fresh green onions, and the rising steam was slightly sweet and sour.
“Sweet and sour fried whitefish. You don’t see this much in the Yuresla Kingdom, do you?”
“Wow…”
“It’s one of my specialty dishes, I suppose.”
With a triumphant smile, Luan deftly arranged small plates and chopsticks. In this country, the tools for serving food were not knives and forks, but two long sticks called chopsticks.
“Here, eat it while it’s hot. It’ll lose its crispiness if it gets cold.”
“Thank you for the food!”
Anna reached for her chopsticks to try the new dish. She still couldn’t use them well, but it would be a waste not to eat this. Beside her, Franz reached out with a blank expression.
“Don’t you like fish, Franz-kun?”
“I like it.”
“Oh, you do?”
Luan turned to Anna with a puzzled expression. She smiled and explained.
“Franz is happy. But he rarely shows it on his face.”
“Is that so? Well, that’s a relief.”
Most people meeting Franz for the first time were bewildered by his expressionlessness, but to Anna, who had known him for a long time, he was quite easy to read lately. Franz, expressionless, put a piece of fish in his mouth, paused for a moment, and then chewed slowly.
“Oh, it seems you like it, Franz.”
“…Anna.”
Franz looked at her with obvious displeasure.
“What is it?”
“Even I am capable of saying that much.”
“Oh, sorry, sorry.”
“You two are strange.”
Luan chuckled and brought out something from behind the counter. It looked like shredded daikon radish with some kind of dressing.
“Have some of this, too. It’ll cleanse your palate since there’s a lot of oily food.”
“Thank you.”
She took a bite of the salad without hesitation. A crisp texture, a refreshing tartness, and a lingering spiciness on her tongue.
“It’s spicy.”
“It is. It has chili peppers in it.”
“Chili peppers, huh…”
While Anna and Luan chatted about the food, Franz silently continued eating both dishes until he had finished his portion. It seemed the food here really suited his palate. Having barely eaten lunch, Franz finally seemed to relax after moistening his mouth with the liquor from earlier and looked up at Luan.
“I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“Are you of the Soukai Clan?”
“…I am.”
For a moment, Anna tilted her head, not grasping the meaning of their conversation, but then she understood in an instant and couldn't help but shout.
“Soukai Clan?! Luan-san is?!”
In the next moment, every eye in the pub turned to her. She hastily covered her mouth with both hands.
“You’re too loud.”
“Sorry. But, we’re gathering information to meet the Soukai Clan, right?”
“We are.”
“Then couldn’t we have just asked Luan-san from the start?”
It was best to ask the Soukai Clan about the Soukai Clan. That’s what she thought when she said it, but Franz shook his head slightly.
“But Ritz didn’t do that.”
“Oh…”
“I think Ritz knows something, too.”
“…You’re right…”
Since he had been talking to Qiuzi, Ritz naturally knew about Luan, so the fact that he was seeking information elsewhere meant something was up.
Luan remained silent, a complex expression on his face as he tore at the herbs in his hands for the next dish. Eventually, he slowly looked at Franz.
“How did you know, Franz-kun?”
“…When we first met, that man in the other shop told the madam she was ‘acting like a humanitarian by hiring a Soukai Clan member.’ As far as I can see, you’re the only employee here.”
“Maybe they live in the boarding house?”
“If that were the case, you wouldn’t have tried to get your cook back.”
“Ah. You’re right.”
Anna sensed a sad undertone in his gentle voice.
“I am indeed of the Soukai Clan. But it’s been a long time since I left my home. So even if you ask me for information, it will only be as much as what the people of Suien know. The madam should have told you that.”
“…I see.”
“No, perhaps we Soukai Clan who live in Suien are even less informed than the people here.”
Luan said this with a sorrowful smile and put something like pasta into a pot of boiling water. As he continued to work without stopping, Franz asked again.
“That’s… because of discrimination, isn’t it?”
“Discrimination?”
When she tilted her head, not understanding the situation, Luan smiled.
“That’s right.”
“Is it because of the current situation?”
“No. The people of Suien have never really liked the Soukai Clan. And on top of that, we have this trade suspension. Naturally, the reception toward the Soukai Clan living here is harsh.”
“Why? Why don’t they like you…?”
Unable to hold back, she interjected in their conversation, and Luan smiled.
“You see, we have quite a long lifespan. We live for nearly eight hundred years. And we use the power of water. The people of Suien are afraid that one day, we Soukai Clan will take over their city. After they die, we will still be alive, you see.”
“That’s…”
Lifespan was something decided by the Goddess, so it couldn’t be helped. Why that would be a source of discrimination, she didn’t understand. To Anna, Luan explained in a way that was easy to grasp.
“Of course, the Soukai Clan has no such intentions. We just want to live our lives quietly. But when the matter of pearls, a vested interest, gets involved, a seed of doubt sprouts in both sides. The people of Suien think that if the Soukai Clan takes over the city and starts free trade, Tarnien will be exposed to threats from other countries.”
To interact while doubting each other, how lonely. They should just help each other and get along. That’s what she thought, but she couldn’t come up with a way to make that happen. As Anna was lost in thought, the calm Franz questioned Luan.
“But there are still members of the Soukai Clan living in Suien like you, right?”
“There are. Many of the Soukai Clan question the idea of living a monotonous, long life in a confined space. There are more than ten such Soukai Clan members in this city.”
“I see…”
“There aren’t many places that will accept us, so we can’t be picky about jobs. I wanted to be a cook, so I was lucky the madam took me in.”
“No jobs… because you’re Soukai Clan?”
“That’s right.”
At that, Franz fell silent. He seemed to be thinking about something, his gaze fixed on a blank wall. After a moment of silence, Franz asked again.
“Do you think there are other races besides the Soukai Clan that have trouble finding work while living among humans?”
Anna didn’t understand what the question meant, but Luan seemed to, and he smiled.
“I think so. People fundamentally fear things that are not human.”
“I see…”
“But I think there are many demi-humans who want to interact with people, like me. If there were more places to accept them, perhaps more demi-humans would come to the cities. Then I think discrimination would decrease… but that’s just a dream.”
“I suppose so.”
Franz seemed to have some thoughts on the matter. Since Anna didn’t know what they were, she could only watch in silence. As she zoned out, a thought came to her. She glanced at Ritz, still at the center of the mercenaries.
Come to think of it, Ritz was someone who had a hard time living among humans. He had said it was painful to watch people die one after another while he was left behind. Did Ritz also harbor an unspoken sense of alienation toward humans, like Luan? She had never asked. And was that sense of alienation something that Anna, whose lifespan would also differ from humans, would one day possess?
Perhaps at that time, just having someone by her side who could fill that mutual sense of alienation would be a help. Even if they were just a guardian and their charge, would living side by side help them both?
Even if they weren’t the most important person to each other, even if they couldn’t be lovers like Qiuzi…
“Luan, could you bring out the next dish? The tables are empty.”
The sound of Qiuzi’s voice at close range made Anna jump.
“Coming right up, Madam.”
Luan cheerfully emerged from behind the counter, carrying several large platters of the noodle dish from before.
“Mutton and vegetable rice vermicelli.”
“Oh, that looks delicious. Take it to the tables.”
She thought Qiuzi would leave then, but for some reason, she sat down next to Anna, whose body had tensed up completely.
“Are you having fun, Anna?”
A rich, sweet voice. Anna could never use such a tone. Not knowing what to say, Anna gave a small nod.
“Sorry for monopolizing Ritz. You must be lonely, right?”
It was as if she were talking to a child whose father had gone off to work. The tone somehow pierced her heart.
“Not really… I’m fine.”
“You think so? But he’s like a father to you, isn’t he? I’m sure Ritz feels bad for leaving you alone.”
Her words were kind, but her presumptuousness about Ritz’s feelings angered her. A sense of rivalry welled up—I’m the one who knows Ritz—but she hesitated to say it out loud. Ever since Tashkur, she hadn't been able to read Ritz's heart.
Perhaps this ex-lover sitting before her could read Ritz’s heart better now. And maybe Ritz preferred the mature Qiuzi over Anna, who was acting in a way that made no sense.
“Qiuzi-san.”
“Yes?”
“You like Ritz, don’t you?”
“Huh?”
Qiuzi’s expression was one of someone who had been asked something completely unexpected, which in turn bewildered Anna.
“Um, you were lovers, right?”
“Yes. A long time ago, though. Luan, the usual, please.”
Luan, having finished serving the food, silently made a beautifully colored cocktail and handed it to Qiuzi. Poured into a tall glass, it was the color of a stunningly clear sky. Qiuzi toyed with it in her beautiful white hands as she gazed at Anna.
“Why do you ask such a thing?”
Her pale brown eyes, shining with interest, had a lively spark. It was clear Qiuzi was enjoying this conversation. Realizing this made her a bit hesitant, but for some reason, she couldn't stop herself from continuing.
“Because… you kissed.”
“Yes, I did. A greeting.”
“But a greeting kiss is on the cheek or forehead, right? A kiss on the lips is for the one you love most, my foster father said…”
She said this in her usual tone and then felt embarrassed. To be talking about her foster father in front of Ritz’s ex-girlfriend like this, how childish. As she bit her lip, Qiuzi laughed cheerfully.
“‘Father,’ you mean Ritz?”
“No!”
“Oh, really?”
Qiuzi held the cocktail up to the pub’s lamp as if to see through it and gently swirled the glass.
“A kiss on the lips is for the one you love most, huh… I like that. A feeling I’d forgotten.”
“Is that not true? Can you kiss anyone, Qiuzi-san?”
If so, it doesn’t have to be Ritz. The thought must have shown on her face, because Qiuzi poked Anna’s forehead with a long, white finger with a mischievous expression.
“Of course not just anyone.”
“Then…”
“If what you say is true, then maybe I still love Ritz. And him, for not resisting…”
“…”
She couldn’t speak. It was no contest between Anna and Qiuzi. Anyone could see that Qiuzi was the one who looked good next to Ritz, not Anna. In terms of appearance, the age gap between Anna and Ritz was too large, and their atmospheres were too different for them to be a match. Ritz was a former mercenary captain, and Anna was an orphan-turned-church girl. In normal life, they would never have had a point of contact.
As Anna fell silent, Qiuzi, for some reason misunderstanding, smiled gently and placed a hand on Anna’s head, stroking it.
“I’m sorry, it was a joke.”
“…A joke?”
“Yes. You looked so worried, so I was just teasing you. I have no lingering feelings for a past lover. Neither does he. It was just nostalgia.”
Qiuzi stuck out her tongue slightly. It was an innocent gesture, like a child caught in mischief, but it pierced her heart. Just teasing… It felt like she was being told that even if they vied for Ritz, Anna wasn't even worthy of being Qiuzi's rival, and her hands trembled slightly.
“Ritz is that kind of person, you know. You must be putting up with him all the time. You’re a good girl.”
Being treated like such a child made something in her head snap. Though usually patient, Anna found herself slapping Qiuzi’s hand away and glaring at her sharply.
“Don’t touch me.”
“Anna?”
“I’m not a child.”
“…Oh, did I say something to offend you?”
With the余裕—the composure—of an adult, Qiuzi looked toward Ritz. Ritz, who must have been watching them, shook his head with a troubled expression. He would have normally stepped in immediately, but he seemed to have no intention of doing so. The moment she realized that, the anger she could no longer suppress was directed at Qiuzi before her.
“You don’t know anything…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Don’t talk like you know everything.”
“Anna? You’re being difficult, I don’t understand.”
Qiuzi’s tone, still like she was placating a willful child, frustrated her, and she stood up.
“I said I’m not a child! I’m not that much younger than you!”
“…?”
Qiuzi looked behind her in confusion. Even that got on her nerves.
“I’m thirty-two years old, you know.”
“Anna… what are you…?”
“You’re about forty, right? That’s not even a ten-year difference, is it? So why do you act so grown-up? Is it okay to act like an adult just because you look older? That’s not fair!”
She knew. Qiuzi was an adult. A respectable adult who had retired from being a mercenary and was running a pub. Even though Anna was over thirty, she was a child who had been sheltered in an orphanage. But just because she was older, she had no right to suddenly appear and act as if Ritz belonged to her.
“You thought I was going to take your father away, didn’t you? My attitude was poor. I’m sorry, Anna.”
“Ritz is not my father!”
“But I heard he’s your guardian.”
“That’s not it! Ritz and I are more than that.”
She wouldn't even put her on the same playing field as a woman. It was incredibly frustrating. Tears threatened to spill, but she felt if she cried now, she would lose. She looked at Ritz in the crowd and saw he was standing up. His expression was one of confusion, different from before. The moment their eyes met, Ritz scratched his head and looked away. It was the expression he made when he was trying to figure out how to resolve a situation.
“Ritz, get over here and do something.”
“Hm, yeah, I guess so.”
At Qiuzi’s urging, Ritz started walking toward them. For some reason, he was unnaturally avoiding her gaze. Would he never look at her directly with those eyes again? The thought was unbearably lonely.
“Ritz.”
For the first time in a while, she looked him straight in the eye and said his name. His guilty, averted eyes finally met hers for the first time in a long time. It was the expression he made when he was unsure about something. But she was done waiting for Ritz’s words.
He didn’t even make an excuse or apologize for kissing Qiuzi in front of her. If that was the case, he could just tell her she was a nuisance, but instead, he looked at her with a lonely expression. Because Ritz’s attitude was so uncertain, Anna didn’t know what to do either.
He would no longer stand between them and casually support her like he used to. That much was clear.
She loved him so much, so why had they grown so far apart? What did Ritz really want to do from now on?
“Ritz, you remember our promise, right?”
The promise… to give up completely if one of them found someone they loved. Ritz seemed to understand from her tone, and he nodded with a bitter expression.
“…Yeah.”
“It’s a little early, but you can act on it whenever you want.”
She said it as if cutting him off, and Ritz was openly flustered.
“No, wait a minute.”
Ritz reached out to place a hand on Anna’s shoulder. She slapped it away with all her might. The sound was louder than she expected.
“Ow…”
“Like that actually hurt you!”
“Anna.”
“It’s always, always like this. You never tell me what’s important.”
“…”
“If you can’t talk to me in words I can understand, I can’t wait anymore.”
Don't say it, it's the one thing that will hurt Ritz the most, she thought, but the words wouldn't stop.
“We can’t live together anymore. I don’t know you anymore, Ritz!”
As expected, the words left Ritz frozen in place. She hadn’t meant to hurt him. It was just her taking out her frustrations. She knew that, but this anger was real.
“I’m going back first.”
With that, Anna gathered her belongings. On the other side of the table, the mercenaries were still buzzing with lively chatter. In that cheerful atmosphere, Ritz stood alone, stunned, while Anna prepared to leave.
Her eyes fell on Qiuzi’s glass. A cocktail the color of a clear sky. An adult drink that Anna, who had been drinking juice all night, hadn't even been offered…
In that instant, she impulsively grabbed the cocktail and downed it in one go. She wanted to defy Qiuzi, who kept treating her like a child. After drinking this, she would walk out coolly, like an adult woman.
“Anna!”
But contrary to her expectations, it was Qiuzi who let out a scream. When she turned, she saw a panicked Qiuzi standing at an angle.
“This stuff is really strong, you know!?”
“Huh…?”
Her head was spinning something fierce. She hadn't expected the alcohol to be this strong. It was no boast, but Anna was an extreme lightweight. She had gotten dizzy once just from a single lick Ritz had given her.
In her spinning vision, she could see a deeply shaken Franz. She vaguely thought it was too bad she’d been so loud next to him while he seemed to be deep in thought, but her body wouldn’t obey her.
“Hey, no, pull yourself together.”
“I’m fine!”
Out of pride, she brushed away Qiuzi’s outstretched hand and tried to walk on her own, but in the next moment, her legs gave out.
“Ah…”
The floor and counter were hard wood, so it was probably going to hurt. The moment she had that oddly calm thought, Anna’s world went dark.
It was Ritz, who had just watched Anna down the drink right in front of him, who panicked. He knew her tolerance for alcohol was practically nonexistent, yet he hadn’t been able to stop her. Without a moment’s hesitation, he reflexively caught Anna as she crumpled.
“Whoa, that was close…”
Seeing Anna unconscious in his arms, her face bright red, he let out a sigh of relief. If she had hit the floor, she would have been injured. But as his relief set in, he was gradually rendered speechless by the precious warmth of Anna in his arms after so long.
Until Tashkur, it had been a feeling of supreme happiness, accompanied by a smile full of trust, something he could experience every day. But now, how distant it felt.
“What are you thinking, Ritz?”
A chillingly cold voice came from directly behind him. He must have come over at some point.
“If you were thinking for even a moment that you’re happy, that’s utterly ridiculous.”
There was no need to see who had spoken. The condemnation filling that voice left Ritz unable to even turn around. His body froze at the sound of genuine anger he hadn't heard in a long time.
Sensing there was some kind of situation, Qiuzi clapped her hands loudly.
“It was fun seeing you all again, but we’re closing for tonight. Ritz and his group will be in Suien for a while, so feel free to invite him for a drink sometime.”
At Qiuzi’s words, which left no room for argument, everyone began to pack up and leave, though with dissatisfied expressions. Once the mercenaries and soldiers had left, leaving only Qiuzi and Luan, Ritz felt the presence of Edward, who had been drinking silently, begin to move.
Before he could turn, a sharp impact struck the side of his face. It was a heavy blow from Edward’s fist, though it lacked the force of his prime. The taste of metal spread through his mouth as his lip split.
“Ow…”
“You understand, don’t you? You are the one who cornered this child. The pain in her heart is nothing compared to the fist of an old man like me.”
“I know…”
“If your attitude wavers, she becomes confused. If you had remained as you were before, things would not have become so tangled. Am I wrong?”
“You’re not.”
“How many more years have you lived than this child? Was all that time wasted?”
Those words stung terribly. He was painfully aware of his own personality, which hadn’t matured in decades. Unable to even rub his aching cheek, Ritz gazed down at Anna in his arms. She was completely unconscious.
“Just a little more, just give me a little more time, Ed.”
“Talking is more important than taking time.”
“If I don’t have a proper conclusion, I’ll just end up hurting her again!”
He yelled, not knowing what to do, and Edward gave a cold smile.
“Is making a decision for the two of you by yourself your idea of a conclusion? Don’t make me laugh.”
“But it’s the only thing I can do.”
“That’s called forcing your will on others. Remember that, you fool.”
With that parting shot, Edward rapped Ritz on the head and sat down next to Franz. The concern of a friend could be felt more than anger from Edward, which made his position even more untenable.
“Do you have any wine, Luan?”
“Yes, from last year.”
“Then I’ll have some. Franz, what about you?”
Addressed, Franz finally snapped out of his frozen state.
“Ah… I’ll have some as well.”
With Edward and Franz settling in to drink again behind him, Ritz stood up, holding Anna. The most important thing to do now was to take her back to the inn and look after her. If the liquor was that strong, she might feel sick in the middle of the night.
“Qiuzi, sorry for the trouble.”
“Ritz… that girl…”
Qiuzi, having likely pieced together the situation from their conversation, looked up at Ritz with a bewildered expression.
“Yeah… well… it’s something like that.”
“I’m shocked… You were known for being a womanizer, but… she’s still just a child.”
He turned to face Qiuzi’s accusatory tone with a wry smile.
“I haven’t laid a hand on her.”
“I’d despise you if you had.”
“Haha. Well, you’re right about that.”
Qiuzi’s reaction, glaring at him with a deep frown, was only natural. If any other man were parading around with a girl Anna’s age, he would suspect some kind of foul play himself.
“So how old is she? She can’t be more than fourteen or fifteen.”
“Well, she looks like a kid.”
“Looks like?”
“The trouble is, she’s not a kid on the inside. You heard what she said earlier, she’s really thirty-two.”
“No, that’s…”
Qiuzi’s eyes widened.
“That’s right. It’s true. And just like her, I don’t age like a human. She and I are companions who live on the same timeline.”
“Then, Ritz, you…”
“I’m of the Clan of Light. Sort of.”
“You weren’t human?”
“Yeah. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have shown up in front of you looking exactly the same as I did back then.”
He had never revealed his identity among the mercenaries. Some might have wondered why Ritz looked the same after decades, but mercenaries came and went, and no one stayed for decades. That’s why the battlefield was a convenient place.
“I’m surprised. To think you, too…”
“That’s right. Me too, Qiuzi. When you think about it, you and I have a strange connection.”
“…You’re right.”
Without looking back at Qiuzi, who stood there lost in thought, Ritz gave a slight wave.