Chapter Ninety-Five: Choices for the Future

“Stand against the wall properly, watch the cup on your head. Walk from this end of the corridor to the other without letting the teacup fall. You know better than I do what happens if it does.”

Leaning against the wall with a bored expression, the beauty in the cheongsam tapped her pipe lightly. Before her stood the three sisters, their faces serious as they stood in the middle of the corridor. They were clad in elegant attire, balancing trays on their heads, each holding a cup of scalding hot tea. Their task was to walk from one end of the corridor to the other within five minutes without spilling a drop. The consequences of failure were, naturally, unthinkable.

“I know…” Eluka replied, her face drawn with reluctance. She had assumed that etiquette training would be dull and uninspiring, but this task was far more perilous than she had imagined. The persistent ache at the nape of her neck reminded her that this was no simple matter.

Unexpectedly, the seemingly lethargic Miss Yue proved to be an exceptional healer. When Eluka had accidentally burned herself earlier, Miss Yue merely tapped the afflicted spot, and the wound was completely healed—though the sting of the burn itself remained.

Now, if they wished to avoid a repeat of such pain, their only option was to learn diligently.

As the three sisters awkwardly shuffled forward, unfamiliar with the posture required, Miss Yue took a drag from her pipe. Suddenly, she lifted her head as if catching wind of something, tilting her ear attentively.

“Hey, it’s me. What’s up? The doctor got into a fight with someone in the dining hall? Did he take down the opponent? Oh… I thought so. Let him be. He’s been holding it in for too long. Finally found something fun to do. Just don’t let it cause us trouble.”

After issuing the brief command, Miss Yue drew another puff from her pipe and turned her gaze back to the sisters, who had stopped and were now staring at her.

“Miss Yue, what do you mean by that?” Eluka clenched her fists, her voice tinged with unease.

Miss Yue lazily exhaled a smoke ring, yawned, and replied nonchalantly, “Nothing much. Your master had a conflict with the Caesar Legion in the dining hall, and ended up killing the legion commander’s son.”

“What?!”

The three girls jumped in shock, their trays tipping instantly. Hot tea spilled onto their fair skin, leaving bright red burn marks. But Eluka, Chris, and Corona barely noticed the pain, rushing to surround Miss Yue.

“Is the commander alright? Is he hurt?”

“Where is he? We need to find him!”

“This is urgent…”

“Quiet!”

Miss Yue suddenly grabbed her pipe and struck each of them sharply on the head three times. With painful groans, the girls crouched down, clutching their heads in silence. Miss Yue gave them a cold look, then snorted softly after a moment.

“Making a fuss like children. What’s the rush? You’ve been with the doctor for some time… or wait, it doesn’t seem that long… Never mind. All you need to know is that this little incident means nothing to him. In fact, he probably started it.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Eluka frowned deeply, glaring at her. The others remained silent but wore displeased expressions. Miss Yue met their stares with a complex look, then sighed and spoke.

“Fine… I was planning to tell you eventually. Maybe now is a good time. Listen carefully. The reason for this is that the Caesar legion commander’s son insulted Miss Darleen and tried to flirt with her. That’s why he got killed. Understand?”

“So… it’s all Caesar Legion’s fault?”

“Thwack!”

Before Eluka could finish, Miss Yue struck her sharply on the head again. Eluka crouched in pain while Miss Yue snorted coldly.

“Use your brains. Why does the familiar familiar usually appear as a black cat, but deliberately take human form to hang around with the doctor? This is Vegas. With her beauty and uniqueness, how could she not attract attention? Not just here, anywhere she goes, she’s like fresh meat drawing flies. Yet she still does it. Do you know why?”

“Why?” The three sisters were puzzled.

“Humph… kids will be kids…”

Annoyed, Miss Yue leaned against the wall, pursing her lips at their confused faces.

“It’s simple… because the doctor wants to kill.”

“...Huh?”

“Don’t get it? Judging by your dumbfounded looks, you probably have no clue why he does it. It’s simple. Killing is entertainment to him. He loves slaughter and battle. He doesn’t care who he kills—a legion commander’s son or a beggar. His favorite pastime is to lure people into making fools of themselves before finishing them off. Whether it stirs up trouble with a faction, an organization, or puts a bounty on him, he couldn’t care less. To the doctor, if someone wants to kill him, all the better. If no one does, he’ll kill others to amuse himself. Now, do you understand?”

The three sisters were speechless, standing there dumbfounded. According to Miss Yue, Falen was nothing less than a bloodthirsty maniac. Though unwilling to admit it, recalling Falen’s actions since they met, it seemed not far from the truth. To challenge the entire Federation alone and massacre people in their own territory was hardly the deed of a sane person.

At the time, the sisters had not thought much of it, since the Federation had launched the first attack on the Ninth District. Naturally, they assumed Falen’s actions were a form of retaliation.

But from Miss Yue’s words, that was clearly not the case.

“He’s always been like this. If no one provokes him, he’ll find a way to provoke others. Of course, in the wasteland, people are all sorts of strange. People like the doctor are rare but not nonexistent. For them, fighting is their amusement, killing is their sustenance, death is their badge of honor. If you choose to follow him, you must learn to endure all this. You will constantly face trouble and danger. The doctor’s enemies don’t just target him; they target you too. They will try to defeat or kill you. The doctor may not care, but you must be prepared.”

Miss Yue sighed wistfully, looking out the window. Beneath the dim clouds, the distant wasteland seemed swallowed by darkness, blurred and indistinct.

“I, along with Alisa and the others, once thought about traveling with the doctor. But in the end, we gave up. Honestly, life in the wasteland is dangerous and thrilling. Being with the doctor is truly interesting. For a day or two, maybe. But a year, two years, three or four…”

Miss Yue trailed off, then reached out and gently patted the sisters' backs. With her touch, the sisters felt a cool sensation, and their burn wounds quickly healed. Miss Yue leaned back against the wall and waved dismissively.

“Alright, training continues. Afterward, you can think carefully about the life you want to lead. I believe this is why the doctor brought you here. His personality may be strange, but he’s good to his own… well, except for some unspeakable quirks. If you want, you can stay here. Our Fuyuan Guild needs capable warriors. If you don’t want this life, we can send you to other settlements. You know how to survive in this world, don’t you?”

The sisters said nothing, quietly turning to resume their walk down the corridor.

Then Eluka suddenly turned back, looking at Miss Yue with a question.

“So… doesn’t the commander fear one day being killed himself?”

“Heh.”

Miss Yue chuckled, took a slow drag from her pipe, and answered.

“I asked him that once. Guess what he said?”

“What did he say?”

“In this world, people die every moment, don’t they?”

(To be continued.)