I want to just drift through life in Type-Moon.

Page 64

Having seen through the ways of the world, observing without speaking, yet silently influencing it—such a person is destined for greatness. That is why Arthur chose to stay by his side, quietly protecting him and allowing him to grow slowly.

Moreover, Arthur was also somewhat afraid, afraid that Yue Zhengling had strayed from the path of the sage and become one of those terrifying beings.

"Lingjun, is there really no way at all?" Orange, born into this world, had very complicated feelings. Moreover, Basemelo Loreleia kept giving her meaningful glances. Since that was the case, she decided to at least ask.

"No hope, just waiting to die. Goodbye." Yue Zhengling said sullenly, his breath making Chengzi a little itchy.

Orange looked helplessly at Barthelon Loreleia, her eyes seemingly saying that she had done her best.

“I’ll offer all the relics preserved by the Bartholomew family in exchange for a way to completely save the world!” Bartholomew Loreleia gritted her teeth and said to Yue Zhengling. This was a flash of inspiration she had from the items Yue Zhengling and Weber were trading.

Le Zhengling's head moved, and everyone seemed to see hope, but in the end he just shook his head.

"Add all the relics of the Clock Tower!" Barthezello said again, unwilling to give up. Even Orange was tempted by these words, but she quickly suppressed it. She didn't want to force Yue Zhengling, so she didn't say anything more.

Le Zhengling still didn't make a move, and in the end, Barthemello had no choice but to give up. But unexpectedly, at this critical juncture, Rani spoke up, "Add our Atlas Institute's relics to the list."

Le Zhengling looked up at Rani, puzzled.

Rani nodded calmly. "I'm telling the truth, but what we at Atlas Academy want to know is what threats exist in this world, and how to save it. Also, please don't reveal the method to defeat Master."

"If we add the alchemy of the Atlas Institute to the latter problem, then it's a deal!" He'd get a huge benefit, and the only price he'd have to pay was the threat to the world that he knew about. He wouldn't lose much by revealing it, and whether they could escape those difficulties would depend on their efforts.

Although Yue Zhengling was most interested in the research data of the Atlas Institute, the Atlas Institute's rules forbade sharing one's research results with others, otherwise one would be punished more severely than death. That's why he hadn't asked for those data before, only the finished products.

Now, a new opportunity has presented itself, and he wants to acquire the most basic alchemy techniques from the Atlas Institute.

“…Okay.” Rani did some calculations and nodded gently in agreement.

Seeing this, both Barthezello and Waver felt uneasy, because this deal might have blocked their path to defeating the so-called Sands of Osiris, but they couldn't refuse it.

Because if they really overcome the Atlas Academy hurdle, they will face endless unknowns. If it is really as serious as Yue Zhengling said, they will have to consider more issues.

Should the current state of this world be changed back? If it is changed back, will they be able to cope with the disasters to come? And most importantly, can the people who have become Philosopher's Stones turn back? If they can turn back, then they will have the confidence to stop the disasters that are about to happen.

As someone in a position of power, the focus of thought is not on the present, but on the future. This heavy responsibility weighs heavily on Weber, but for Barthemello Loreleia, a true noblewoman, the responsibility is even heavier.

Unlike Weber, who was born a commoner, she possessed a noble consciousness and a strong sense of self-discipline and responsibility. She knew early on that she should act as a wall to protect those under her protection, creating a safe haven for them to live in peace. However, this upheaval in the world dealt her a severe blow, even tearing open a wound in her heart that would never heal.

Now that she has the chance to make up for the mistakes she made in the past due to ignorance, she will take on any cost. Originally, after realizing the importance of Yue Zhengling, she planned to take advantage of Chengzi's unpreparedness to snatch Yue Zhengling and then escape back to the Clock Tower.

In the days that followed, they tried to extract the information they wanted from him, but things got out of control from the very beginning.

King Arthur's choice, Orange's persistence, and Atlas's interference finally revealed her weakness. The only solution now is a deal: to offer Yue Zhengling an irresistible price to make him reveal the information he knows.

Once she knew the problem, she believed that she would find a solution someday. It's all about human effort; she wasn't one of those people who backed down at the sight of difficulties. The reason the Barthero family had been able to prosper and endure was because they understood a principle: time can solve everything. Problems that can't be solved now will definitely be solved in the future.

“In that case, please come back to Atlas Academy with me.” After seeing Yue Zhengling agree, Rani suddenly felt a sense of urgency, because she was afraid that something else might happen.

She couldn't even begin to calculate this person's behavior, and everything about him was a mystery. Even after connecting to the pseudo-spiritual particle calculator, Tri-Hermes, she couldn't find any information about him.

To this world, Yue Zhengling was merely a passerby and an outsider, which is why the simulated spirit particle calculator, Tri-pointed Hermes, had no information about him. Moreover, no one knew that Yue Zhengling, as a special being, was gradually sealed off from the world from the moment he entered it, and after he left this world, perhaps no one would remember him.

The bond between them is something that no one can share with him except in the world he was born into—except, of course, in very rare cases.

Le Zhengling himself was unaware of this, but perhaps even if he knew, he wouldn't care much, because for him, his social circle in both lifetimes was extremely small, and the so-called ties were often just a kind of trouble. This once again demonstrated the contradictions within him.

"No rush, I want to stay here a little longer—at least until I see what happens next." Yue Zhengling resumed his half-dead state, exuding a salty, unambiguous vibe.

Upon hearing Yue Zhengling's reminder, everyone remembered the threat outside. Weber had actually been keeping an eye on the enemy's reinforcements, and now, the information had arrived.

After reading the report in his hand, Weber's face was ashen, but he still spoke to Grey and the others in a calm tone: "Grey, find a way to break through with Lord Barthemello."

Having spent so much time with Webber, Grey naturally knew that her master was in a very bad mood, the worst she had ever been, which meant that the report must contain unexpected bad news.

"Get out of there as soon as possible!" Weber closed his eyes in anguish, not wanting to tell his disciples what exactly was going to their side, because knowing would only lead to greater despair.

“I understand, teacher. Lord Barthemello, let’s go.” Grey nodded, while Barthemello glanced at Yue Zhengling and Orange, then took out his communicator and tossed it to Arthur.

"You should already know how to use it. I hope you will keep your final deal. When the time comes, use this communicator to contact the Clock Tower and tell us everything about the disaster. I expect you to keep your promise." Bartholomew looked at King Arthur, who could have become an important fighting force, with a complicated expression, but in the end, he withdrew his words of advice.

"Well, it's alright if you leave, but Grey, you still have things to do, right?" Yue Zhengling regained her normal expression and looked at her with expectant eyes. "I said I wanted to ask you to help me choose a few clothes, you won't go back on your word, will you?"

After hearing what Yue Zhengling said, Grey remembered the deal she had agreed to earlier, and then she looked at Yue Zhengling with a troubled expression.

Le Zhengling turned to look at Weber, "You're not thinking of breaking the contract, are you?"

Weber looked thoughtful. Knowing the strength of the enemy's reinforcements, he was already somewhat disheartened. Moreover, even excluding those reinforcements, the army surrounding them was beyond Gray and Barthezmero's ability to handle.

Moreover, he felt that staying with Le Zhengling might give Grey a chance to survive, since they still didn't know whether the arriving divine beasts and the mechanical constructs outside would launch an attack.

Should we take a gamble? Weber pondered this in his mind, sweating profusely with anxiety.

“Lord El-Melloi II, if I were you, I wouldn’t break my promise. Sometimes, the consequences of breaking a promise can be unbearable.” Orange, who had been quiet all along, suddenly spoke up. After all, as a member of the Clock Tower, there were some relationships that needed to be considered.

Moreover, Orange has a hunch that there is a reason why Yue Zhengling kept Grey, and that reason should be related to Arthur.

Arthur looked over approvingly, and Orange returned a look that said, "That's all I can do for you." Then, the two of them exchanged a knowing glance with Yue Zhengling. Although he didn't seem to show any reaction, he couldn't hide the smile in his eyes.

“…Then let’s wait a bit longer, and we’ll analyze whether there are any other safe ways to help you.” Weber made the decision after Orange’s reminder, then stood up and went to the cabinet behind him to take out a box.

Inside was a corner of Alexander the Great's cloak. When Barthez mentioned trading the relics from the Clock Tower, he knew he couldn't escape, but of course he didn't give it all away.

Although it's hard to bear, it seems I still have to cut the cloak in half again, and the other relics also need to be processed in some way. I'll separate the parts that can be separated, and if not, I'll have to give them away whole.

Chapter 150 Changing Clothes

"Lingjun, how do you plan to send out your manuscripts?" Carrying Le Zhengling ahead, Chengzi looked at him with curious eyes.

"Huh? A manuscript? Did I really send what I wrote to you, Sister Orange?" Yue Zhengling looked at her with interest. "I thought the contents of that envelope would be destroyed."

"Hmm, no, the forensic department gave it to Aoko." Orange had synchronized her memories with another world and was very interested in what had happened.

Barthelo Loreleia, who was following behind them, had a slight change in expression, and the others also perked up their ears.

Le Zhengling looked at Chengzi with a puzzled expression. "Why was it given to Qingzi? And why did the Clock Tower Forensic Department get involved?"

"Huh?" Orange stopped in her tracks. "Aren't those manuscripts for Aoko?"

"How could I possibly give something so important to that destroyer Qingzi? Didn't I write your name, Sister Chengzi, on the envelope?" Le Zhengling frowned, realizing that things had become a bit complicated.

“…Ah, I see. It’s because the names of the letters on the envelope were burned, so they got the wrong person.” Orange sighed speechlessly, but then frowned. “No…that woman is clearly from the past, so logically they shouldn’t have made a mistake. So their original order was to deliver the letter to Aoko?”

Thinking of this, she looked at Basemelo behind her with a suspicious gaze, but quickly shook her head.

"Unlikely. Barthezmello wouldn't do that. No, he probably didn't even care about what happened. If so, did someone else get involved? Or rather, who was the original client?"

Barthezmello, who was puzzled by her gaze, was also a little curious, but after thinking about it, he decided it was better not to cause trouble for himself.

"Sister Orange?" Yue Zhengling called her softly.

"What's wrong, Lingjun?" Orange replied absentmindedly, clearly concerned about the details of that matter.

"Don't think about it. You've already seen that thing, and it didn't happen in this world, so you can't find the answer." Le Zhengling brought her face close to hers with a carefree attitude. "Those things are not important to us right now."

"That's true." Orange breathed a sigh of relief. If he hadn't reminded her, she would have forgotten that it didn't happen to her in this world. Memories with emotions are indeed a strange thing. It seems that she still has a long way to go on her journey as a magician.

As a magician, she has completed the task of discovering the physical prototype. It seems the next step is to conquer the key of the soul prototype. The things left behind by Araya Souren are a good key, and the soul prototype seems to be related to the Third Law. If that's the case...

Thinking of the third method, Orange had a new plan. Lingjun's current body is that of a heroic spirit. Although her technology could create a body that could accommodate his spirit origin and be no different from that of an ordinary person, there might be some minor problems.

That means he can't grow up. But if the Third Method is used to make Lingjun take flesh, he might be able to grow up smoothly, and the Third Method should be able to make up for the deficiencies in his soul.

Once she made up her mind, she went ahead and did it. Orange smiled as she looked at Le Zhengling. Anyway, Le Zhengling was a heroic spirit now and wouldn't age. She could also change into a healthy body at any time. There was plenty of time. Although the world was a bit terrible right now, it was still quite convenient to collect resources. She could conduct research without any worries and didn't have to worry about the designated seal.

“Lingjun, how about I help you with your health later?” Chengzi hugged him and started walking again.

"Um... if you're serious, that's fine, but if you want to add anything weird to that body, then I'd better not." He rolled his eyes in annoyance, feeling a little scared by Orange's aggressive gaze.

"Then it's settled. After all, having a physical body is more useful than a heroic spirit's body. You're practically weightless right now, so it doesn't feel real when I hold you." Orange knew what he was worried about, but she didn't care.

"...So it has no weight. No wonder you didn't complain of being tired after carrying it for so long, Orange." Yue Zhengling couldn't have any direct feeling about her current body. Her five senses were fine, but she wouldn't know what weight was without weighing it.

The thought of being weightless brought to mind the image of a haughty woman with long, straight black hair. Was he now in the same situation as that woman?

The group walked to the floor dedicated to clothing, which featured major mid-to-high-end mass-market brands from all over Europe. (The truly wealthy wear bespoke clothing from brands, the super-rich wear haute couture, and Europe's super-aristocrats have their own dedicated clothing design studios.)

With little time to spare, Grey first carefully examined Yue Zhengling a few times, then walked to the trendy clothing section, quickly picked out three outfits, and walked back expressionlessly.

After looking at the clothes, Yue Zhengling chose the black and white three-piece suit, and then asked Grey to find him a hat and goggles, and a pair of boots.

"Sister Orange, put me down." When they arrived at the changing room, Yue Zhengling pushed Orange's shoulder.

"Your body has adjusted? Don't you need me to help you change?" Orange looked at him with a teasing smile.

"I've gotten used to it, and I can feel it all over my body, so you don't need to bother me anymore~" Yue Zhengling replied jokingly.

Orange nodded, then bent down and slowly placed Yue Zhengling on the ground.

Because of the spirit origin conversion, Yue Zhengling's legs touched the ground again after regaining his body, but he was not used to it and swayed as soon as he stood up. Fortunately, Chengzi had the foresight to not let go so quickly. She took a step forward and let Yue Zhengling lean on her.

When his cheek touched the gentle and kind-hearted Yue Zhengling, his expression tightened. Then, he placed his right hand on Chengzi's arm and slowly pushed the distance between them, trying to stand up straight again.

Orange supported his other hand, helping him stand up shakily like a child learning to walk. After a few steps, he regained the feeling of walking.

After five steps, Yue Zhengling nodded to Chengzi and slowly withdrew his hand. Chengzi also nodded in understanding and let him take a few steps. After there was no physical contact between Yue Zhengling and Chengzi, their breaths reappeared.

Arthur's ahoge twitched, instinctively protecting the two of them from behind. Seeing Arthur's action, Rani stopped moving her index finger.

Taking the clothes from Grey, Yue Zhengling went into the fitting room. Then a rustling sound came from inside. The curtain of the fitting room trembled a few times, and a corner of the blue hospital uniform was revealed through the bottom gap.

Orange resisted the urge to go inside, her mind wandering.

Chapter 151 The Promise Between Ling and Arthur

When Yue Zhengling pulled back the curtain, everyone was pleasantly surprised.

Because most of the people present were Westerners, and Orange, being an Easterner, did not fit their impression of Easterners, but the person in front of them now, Le Zhengling, was exactly the opposite, completely matching the impression of modern Easterners.

His black hair, his features, which are not very three-dimensional but are very dignified, his height, which can be described as petite, and his calmness, which is completely different from the strong desire for self-expression of Westerners, all indicate that he is a true Easterner.

Standing still, Yue Zhengling ignored everyone's amazed gazes and carefully looked at herself in the mirror of the fitting room in the bright light.

Seeing his own incredibly perplexing face again, one that could easily lead people to mistake his gender, he frowned unhappily. But this appearance was probably beyond change; however, it would likely change as he grew older.

He patted his face to cheer himself up. The sick period was over. Although he was more vulnerable than usual when he was sick, that period ended when he left Orange's embrace. As a male, he had already done enough of being spoiled.

Le Zhengling's eyes sharpened. He picked up the wand he had placed aside while changing clothes, turned around and walked out of the dressing room. "Alright, let's head to Atlas Academy."

He looked at Rani, "You can escape from Barthezello on your own, right?"

Upon hearing Yue Zhengling's reminder, Basemelo and Grey remembered that they were going to take Rani hostage. So, they quietly formed a pincer movement from the front and back, blocking Rani's escape route.

Rani pushed up her glasses. "Yes, we originally planned to go into the Clock Tower to find out what was going on, or wait for rescue, but it seems that's no longer necessary. According to the previous deal, I'll take you to the Atlas Institute."

Le Zhengling smiled meaningfully, "That's very good, but I would like to ask, do you have control over what surrounds you?"

Rani shook her head and explained, “I can’t control them, but they won’t attack me either. They are mechanical constructs that transform living beings still active in the world, and once killed by them, they become the Philosopher’s Stones that make them up.”

"Well, in that case, I don't need to worry about it." Yue Zhengling believed Rani's words. Although she couldn't completely guess what Rani was thinking, as an absolutely rational android, her way of doing things was actually just like that.

"When will the things that are here to pick you up arrive? We'll wait for you outside in a bit." Although it's not impossible for him, Orange Sister, and Arthur to go directly to Egypt, transportation is extremely troublesome in this post-apocalyptic world. Besides, he guessed what was coming to pick up Rani, so he could just hitch a ride.

“They’ve arrived, but I don’t know if those who have come will obey my orders.” Rani looked calmly at Gray and Barthezmero surrounding her, seemingly without any worry whatsoever.

"It's okay, I should be able to fool them anyway." Yue Zhengling shrugged indifferently and then walked to Arthur's side.

"The game of hide-and-seek must continue, and just like the announcement, there are only 500 days left. If you don't catch me, this world will be taken over by someone." Yue Zhengling raised his head and looked at Arthur with frank eyes.

Arthur reached out and gently placed his hand on the top of his head, a relieved smile on his face. "So, have I caught you now?"

"I've probably caught half of them." Yue Zhengling squinted. "Bound by my position, I can't say anything, but for now, I'll allow you to stay by my side, okay?"

"Ah, then I won't be polite." Gently stroking Yue Zhengling's hair, Arthur mustered his courage. "Please believe me, if I can't pull you up next time, let's fall down together."

Le Zhengling knew what Arthur meant, so he looked at King Arthur, who had given up his duty as savior for him, with surprise. "Is this really a good idea? The opponent is a being from a higher dimension than anyone can comprehend."

“It’s alright.” Arthur shook his head.

"And I might not necessarily choose this world." Yue Zhengling turned her head and looked at the three people who had already made their move.

“It’s alright.” Arthur shook his head again.

"It might destroy the world, you know?" Yue Zhengling asked again in a nonchalant tone.

Arthur hesitated for a moment, then shook his head again, "It's alright."

"You've given so much, but you might end up with nothing. Can you really accept that?" Yue Zhengling looked at Arthur seriously. It seemed that Arthur's mindset had really changed. His original way of trying to correct him no matter what had happened had changed a lot.

Having shared a spirit origin with Arthur, he knew that Arthur's thoughts had not changed. However, Arthur's worries about himself and his regret for the other person had surpassed his original thoughts.

“Ling, whatever choice you make in the end, I will not interfere, but before that, I hope you can take a good look at this world and treat the people who care about you kindly.”

Arthur looked at Orange, "You can get used to loneliness, but you can't get used to being alone. There will always be people who are willing to stay by your side."