ATAPOW Chapter 199
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Chapter 199: Seedling
“Are you going to Nolan City? Let me go with you.” Lil’ Sha said, her knees pressed together and her head lowered. She felt a sense of shame when it came to asking for help or inconveniencing others.
The atmosphere grew tense as a strange silence descended on the surroundings.
“Who told you that? I’m not going anywhere.” Ji Bai slowly spoke, shattering the momentarily silence that tormented Lil’ Sha.
“Don’t even think about lying to me. Ke’er has already told me everything!”
Ji Bai flitted his eyes to the side, as if he was avoiding the gaze from her purple pupils on purpose.
“Look at me and answer my question. You’re going to Nolan City, right?” Lil’ Sha leaned her face closer to his, her look serious and her gaze overbearing.
“Don’t come to conclusions based solely on hearsay.”
“Look at me and answer the question then, you jerk!”
“You’re right. I really am going to Nolan City.” Seeing that he could not keep it from her, Ji Bai, who preferred to avoid unnecessary confrontations, conceded.
“But I can’t bring you along with me.”
“Eeeh?! W-Why?” Displeased with his response, Lil’ Sha’s cheeks swelled up like a pufferfish.
“…” After a moment of contemplation, Ji Bai squatted down and stroked her golden hair.
‘I don’t feel like explaining the rest, so let’s fix it all with a head rub instead.’
“Stop treating me like a dog.” Lil’ Sha angrily bumped her head against Ji Bai’s hand as a protest.
“Why can’t I go along? You’d better explain things clearly!”
“No.”
“I’m going with you no matter what! You can’t stop me!”
“No.”
“Uuuu~ Are you sure it’s really a no? I know how to cook, be cute and coquettish at the same time. I can even be your little pajamas and warm up your bed during cold weather. Can’t you give it a bit more thought, please?” Tears, shining and transparent, welled up in Lil’ Sha’s eyes while her fuzzy ears drooped down. The sight of her drooping ears and head made her resemble an abandoned little kitten — Trapped in a cardboard box on a freezing winter street, desperately begging for someone to adopt it.
“No.” However, Ji Bai remained emotionless and unmoved.
“Darn it…” Lil’ Sha gritted her teeth upon realizing that her plans to charm Ji Bai had failed.
Seeing him remaining impervious to both the carrot and the stick, she feel like she was at her wit’s end.
“If there’s nothing else, I’m leaving.” Ji Bai didn’t wish to dwell on this topic any longer.
“No! Uuu, bring me along with you. It’s not like I won’t compensate you or anything. Don’t you need money urgently? We can have a little discussion about that…”
“No.”
“Are you a broken record? Can’t you come up with something new?”
“No.”
“Kuh~” Lil’ Sha bit down on a towel, forcefully restraining the impulse to leap at Ji Bai and sink her teeth into him.
‘No, I can’t give up like this. There’s still something I need to finish…!’
“Pwease, I beg you. Just let me come along with you, I promise I’ll be obedient and stick close to you. I won’t wander off for a second. ” Lil’ Sha shamelessly approached Ji Bai and lightly pulled on his sleeves.
“…No.” Ji Bai was unswayed.
“Uuu… Then why exactly?” LIl’ Sha felt that she was on the verge of tears.
“No means no.” Ji Bai turned his head around from the miserable sight of Lil’ Sha.
‘This girl truly has a memory of a goldfish. Did she forget so quickly about the time she nearly lost something ‘important’ in the sewers?’
Ever since that incident, Ji Bai had reflected deeply.
He didn’t possess the skills of a virtuous sage who could expound his reasoning in an eloquent and verbose manner.
Rather, he had difficulties expressing himself and tended to irritate others while remaining clueless on how to comfort them.
Therefore, he chose to substitute his words with practical actions.
By meticulously planning and taking care of every aspect.
After all, a knight had to be bold enough to take responsibility for their own actions.
‘If Lil’ Sha is truly unable to overcome the trauma of that day for the rest of her life, to the point where it shatters her ability to function in her daily life…’
‘Then I shall devote myself to protecting her and taking care of her for the rest of my life, until the day I cease to exist.’
While it was too late for Ji Bai to fulfill his obligations to the deceased Xiaomu, he made sure to keep the memories of her alive in his heart and supported her close friends by transferring a substantial portion of reward points from each commission he took to them.
That was why he had inquired with Lan Yi about Xiaomu’s surviving family or friends and requested their contact information.
After the incident had come to an end, Lil’ Sha had surprisingly emerged from the trauma unscathed, leaping and frolicking about without exhibiting any signs of psychological damage.
She continued to be a kind young lady whose words carried more bark than bite.
This was the only thing that Ji Bai could find solace in.
“I’ll take my leave first.” After undergoing a series of tumultuous events, Ji Bai had grown somewhat tired. The color of the sky on the other side of the windows had already turned orange, signaling the arrival of dusk.
He had another long trip ahead of him, which made it crucial for him to rest up. However, there was still much preparation he needed to complete beforehand.
He felt guilty for always leaving Ke’er alone at home, when she had wholeheartedly taken care of him.
However, that might be for the better, as he could not allow himself to be selfish and have Ke’er focus her eyes solely on him for eternity.
In a world where demons and humans struggled to coexist peacefully, she had to engage with and familiarize herself with individuals donning all sorts of masks, discover friends who shared her passions and interests, and ultimately find a soulmate who truly belonged with her.
This option was much more desirable than chaining her to his side and compelling her to live solely for his benefit.
Ji Bai did not want to see such a situation unfold.
A bird in an iron cage would never get a chance to spread its wings and soar high into the skies. Ke’er would eventually have to part ways with him and find a life that was truly her own.
He was merely one of the many temporary stops in her life.
Thus, Ji Bai had been intentionally limiting his interaction with Ke’er, in hopes that she would increase her contact with her friends.
As Lil’ Sha watched his figure retreating in the distance, she gritted her teeth. Fiddling with the precious stone necklace nestled against her chest, the gaze radiating out of her eyes carried a complex mix of emotion.
“…I must go there, no matter what!”
一一一一一一一
“Boss, give me your recommendation.” Ji Bai swaggered his way into the blacksmith shop, after tossing the letter Lan Yi gave him onto the table.
Lin Tuo, who sat at the counter, felt the corners of his mouth twitch. After receiving the token from Ji Bai, he brought it to his nose and took a sniff, an intoxicated expression reflecting on his face.
“There’s still some of her aroma left…”
Ji Bai shot a slightly contemptful gaze at Lin Tuo.
“Cough, cough! …It’s Lan Yi who sent you here, right?” Realizing that his action heavily resembled that of a pervert, Lin Tuo feigned some dry coughs.
“Goodbye.” After a long silence, Ji Bai chose to leave.
Instead of using weapons crafted by this guy, he would be better off wielding that piece of black iron to cut down his opponents. At least its hardness was guaranteed and it would not break down so easily.
“Ehh? Don’t leave. You may not trust my character, but you must have faith in the weapons I’ve crafted!”
“I don’t believe you’re capable of crafting anything impressive.” Ji Bai narrowed his eyes.
“Hmph, one look at your amateur appearance tells me you know nothing. Come, let me show you some fine work.” As he spoke, a spark of delight ignited in Lin Tuo’s cold smile, and he ventured deeper into the store.
“Hmm?” Ji Bai furrowed his brows.
‘Forget it, I’ve nothing to lose anyway.’
Ji Bai shrugged and trailed behind him.
“Hehehe! What do you think? Are you shocked? All of these are actually the culmination of my life’s work.”
The inner room was not particularly large, yet a dazzling array of glimmering weapons filled the display cabinets lining both sides of the room.
From daggers and longswords to pikes and shields, every imaginable weapon could be found here.
However, this display failed to spark Ji Bai’s curiosity, nor did he hold much hope for it.
After all, Lin Tuo was merely a human; The weapons he crafted could never surpass that limitation. No matter how impressive they appeared, it was futile. Any random weapon would suffice.
Ji Bai surveyed his surroundings, feeling that the weapons were too flashy and lacked substance. They appeared more suited for theatrical performances and rehearsals rather than actual combat.
While scanning the room with his eyes, Ji Bai’s gaze was drawn to a somewhat dusty silver longsword, which had been casually discarded in a corner.
It was considerably less noticeable than that ostentatious array of weapons.
“This one.”
“Eeeh? Y-You really want this sword??” Lin Tuo’s initial reaction was one of surprise, as he saw Ji Bai pick up the sword that he had nearly forgotten.
“Yes, that’s right. Is there a problem?”
“…Alright. Just make sure to take care of it properly.” Lin Tuo sighed, as he wore a somewhat complicated gaze and looked at Ji Bai, who was currently using a cloth to wipe dust off the sword.
一一一一一一一
In a certain maid cafe along a street.
“Pink-chan.”
“…”
“Pink-chan??”
“…Ah, Miss Green. Is something the matter?” Sensing that someone was calling her, Ke’er was startled out of her daze.
“The coffee is overflowing.” Green pointed at the tilted pot in Ke’er’s hands and the coffee spilling over the edge of the cup.
“…Ah! Sorry, I’ll clean it up.” Realizing her mistake, Ke’er’s furry ears drooped downwards.
Her hands moved unceasingly, quickly returning the coffee back into the receptacle and cleaning up the coffee spilled from the cup.
“It seems that Ke’er hasn’t been at her best lately… How about you return home for today and take a break?”
Ke’er recent unusual behavior was apparent to everyone.
She first served the wrong dish to a table, accidentally spilled coffee and milk onto a customer’s clothes, and overall, made various other small mistakes she wouldn’t typically make.
Even the fox-eared store manager, who rarely showed her face and spent most of her day in her room watching serial dramas, had caught wind of the situation. As a result, she arranged a series of psychological counseling sessions and ideological education for Ke’er.
As for the result— Well it was clear for everyone to see: It seemed to have no effect at all.
The fox, immersed in daydreams and serial dramas all day, harbored high hopes of rescuing the lost girl. However, the outcome had already been determined before she even conceived such an idea.
The manager’s efforts proved futile in stopping Ke’er from entering a daze whenever possible. At times, the light in her eyes was barely visible during conversations.
This caused everyone in the store great anxiety.
“…I’m fine.” Ke’er insisted, shaking her head like a rattle drum as she rejected Green’s suggestion.
“But…”
“There seems to be dust on the cabinet, I’ll go and wipe it off.”
Hints of concern flickered in Green’s eyes as she watched Ke’er walk away with a cloth in her hands.
‘He doesn’t seem as worried about me as he used to be. Did I do something wrong, or have I been inadequate in some areas that caused him to slowly distance himself from me…’
‘That’s right. Even the number of times he’s been away from home has suddenly increased lately. He must be getting tired of me to the point that he doesn’t want to see me anymore, right?’
‘Why did that happen? Where exactly is the problem here, and what went wrong? Have I failed to embody his ideal image of a woman?’
‘I’ve been putting in effort behind the scenes, learning how to cook, how to provide assurance, and how to make myself more likable… But even with all that, is it still not enough for me to be with you?’
Ke’er absentmindedly wiped the cabinet. The light reflecting off the glass and onto her large eyes seemed to be consumed by an emptiness that appeared to expand rapidly.
One could even see a trace of indiscernible black air radiating out of her.
The seeds of confusion and the longing to be accepted by a certain someone had taken root in Ke’er’s heart, gradually germinating and growing. No one, including her, knew what fruit it would bear in the end.