Arknightcraft Modpack
Chapter 523: My Name's Santiago
"Can you calm down a bit…?"
At this moment, Lin Yuhsia felt like her brain was about to explode. What kind of terrible luck had she accumulated over several lifetimes to run into someone like this? If he didn't want to negotiate or trade, then fine—don't! But who the hell turns into a suicide bomber the moment a conversation goes slightly wrong?
How was anyone supposed to have a normal conversation like this in the future?
"Cut the crap. Lead the way. If you keep annoying me, I'll press the button right now. Don't test the patience of a mad man."
Steven raised an eyebrow at the girl in front of him. He had no interest in discussing pointless trade matters with her. With bombs as leverage, he didn't believe the girl would dare act dishonestly. This was the source of his confidence to speak so boldly—at this moment, no one could challenge his authority.
Seeing him say that, Lin Yuhsia could only shut her mouth for the time being and try to calm this boy who might lose his mind again at any moment through her actions.
At this point, she had already begun to regret why she had stopped those two Shadow Guards from taking him away earlier. If he had just been captured back then, how could things have become this troublesome now?
If Steven really detonated the bombs on his body here, who knew whether the explosion might affect Lungmen's operations? If the interior of the mobile city were damaged, repairing it with Lungmen's current capabilities would be nearly impossible.
Not to mention that above them was still a residential area. The casualties caused by the explosion alone would already be something Lin Yuhsia did not want to see.
So the only thing she could do now was exactly what Steven had demanded—take him to see her father.
At the very least, if he was present, it wouldn't be so easy for Steven to detonate the bombs on his body. And with her father's Originium Arts, there would also be a way to limit the explosion to a safe area.
Because Lin Yuhsia stopped speaking, the underground tunnel was soon filled with nothing but the sound of their footsteps hitting the ground. The atmosphere quickly grew silent.
"Actually, what I mean is that we don't have to talk about those relationship-damaging trade deals. Just chatting casually like normal is fine by me."
Lin Yuhsia was used to silence, but Steven clearly wasn't the type who could tolerate loneliness easily. They had barely walked a few steps before he grinned and sidled up beside her, starting a conversation again.
Lin Yuhsia's only response was a roll of her eyes.
The one who said not to talk nonsense was him, and now the one coming over to chat was also him. What kind of weird problem did this guy have?
Lin Yuhsia considered herself a fairly good-tempered person, but facing someone this erratic, even she found it hard to suppress the surging anger inside her.
"Don't be like that. When I get bored, I might just pull the trigger and blow myself up. But if you chat with me and build a good relationship, maybe we can become friends in the future. Between friends, I'd be happy to talk about trades."
Steven continued smiling cheerfully at the girl in front of him.
"Are you sick in the head?"
"Yep."
"Tch. If you want to become friends, then at the very least, can you tell me your name?"
Already gradually getting used to Steven's bizarre answers, Lin Yuhsia sighed.
Since he said he wanted her to chat with him, even just to calm him down, she could only follow along. Besides, as he said, the more they talked, the more she could learn about him. Maybe she might even find some weakness.
Though as the price for that, Lin Yuhsia felt that her blood pressure today would definitely be ten or twenty points higher than usual.
"My name stands unchanged whether standing or sitting: I am Iberia's Mad Bomber. But you can call me Santiago."
Steven patted his chest, showing not the slightest bit of embarrassment about giving out a fake name.
"…That is an Iberian name, but both your accent and appearance clearly make you a Columbian, okay?"
Lin Yuhsia's lips twitched. Did this guy seriously feel no psychological burden when lying? With his looks and background, saying his name was Santiago or something—did he think she was a three-year-old child?
"Bah. What about you? I can't just call you Jerry… or Miss Mouse, can I?"
Steven looked the girl up and down. Judging purely by physical characteristics, calling her Miss Mouse wouldn't really be wrong. The only reason it sounded strange was because her aura as a beautiful girl was too strong. Otherwise, that bare tail—clearly the kind only a mouse would have—wasn't something ordinary people could pull off.
"By the way, do you like eating cheese?"
"Could you stop with that weird prejudice? I have a name. You can call me Lin—or my full name, Lin Yuhsia."
Unlike Steven, she had no intention of hiding her real name. Lin Yuhsia stated it frankly. It wasn't a secret anyway, anyone who asked around in Lungmen's slums could find out what the daughter of the legendary 'Lin Gray' was called.
"Oh, that's way more poetic than I expected. Looks like your dad really likes you. If it were me, I'd probably name you Pinky or something."
Steven carefully examined her name. One thing he had to admit was that for someone terrible at naming things like himself, this was far beyond his level.
"My relationship with my family isn't something for someone like you to comment on. So then, Mr. Santiago—if I ask as a friend—what exactly do you want to ask? Can you tell me?"
Noticing that Steven seemed to return to a relatively normal state when chatting casually, Lin Yuhsia probed again. Since he wouldn't respond to force, she might as well try a softer approach.
"Actually it's nothing much. My friend and I had just arrived in Lungmen when someone welcomed us with a little 'gift.' As a polite and well-mannered guest, I believe in returning favors. So naturally I have to prepare a return gift for them. As for how to find these hospitable hosts, the only option is to ask your dad."
To Lin Yuhsia's surprise, Steven answered the question casually, directly explaining why he wanted to find the Rat King.
Though his words carried a bit of mystery, for someone like Lin Yuhsia—who was already quite familiar with Wei Yenwu—the meaning was clear enough.
Simply put, someone had targeted him, so he wanted to ask the Rat King for information about the culprit. It was a very simple matter, yet he had chosen the most complicated possible way to handle it.
Perhaps that was exactly how someone with such an unconventional way of thinking differed from ordinary people.
"If that's all it is, then I'll choose to believe you this once."
Frowning slightly as she glanced at Steven, Lin Yuhsia silently led him through a somewhat hidden exit. They emerged directly in front of a small shop located in Lungmen's city district.
Through the glass window, Steven saw a half-meter-tall rat inside stirring a pot of still-soft candy with a large ladle.
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
—'Isn't this basically Ratatouille?'
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Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
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Tn: I updated the story daily, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
Latest Chapter: Chapter 617: A Bold Guess[1]
Link: https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-160680628[2]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-160680628
[2] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-160680628