"I’m about to go crazy."
Following "Elle," the wandering child couldn’t stop complaining, "I wake up from a freaking nap, and there’s this beautiful blonde woman telling I’m her husband... but before I can even do anything, she doesn’t say another word and just starts asking for money—"
"That’s fine, giving money to the wife makes sense. But then she says that my son has been detained by the casino again. Tells to go redeem him in the afternoon, I’m freaking lost... If my son gambles, I’d freaking break his legs! And here you are, taking two hundred thousand from and then not planning to redeem him, so what the hell are you planning to do?"
"Ah, and then, you wouldn’t believe it. My daughter cos ho. Blonde hair, blue eyes, really pretty... just looks nothing like ."
"She brings her classmates ho to hang out... I take one look, seven lads. I think to myself, can’t have such a dirty mind, didn’t say much... and then, damn, one of the lads—a fellow who’s like thirty or forty, old enough to be my uncle—says my daughter told him he could co to for a job."
"Alright, I give. Anyway, I figure this is just a copy, not my money, so I’ll give whatever... but at least this uncle was polite, ca to discuss it with ."
"But then two more young punks co along, right out with extortion—saying my girl owes them tens of thousands, and that they have evidence of tax evasion by my daughter, given to them by her. What the hell, what’s up with this bunch of losers?"
"I go inside to find out what’s going on, and damn, it really is a damn situation—they’re drinking with a CD on. The kind with a turntable like in KTV, kissing and stripping... my blood pressure shot right up!"
The wandering child didn’t stop complaining, "I was just about to throw those foolish kids out when the phone rings. Looks like it’s the spy I planted with my wife, probably her driver or so servant... He says he saw my wife getting cosy with two n going into a hotel, damn, really damn it."
"Is this still a family tradition? Isn’t this plot too freaking dramatic? Boss, is this a nightmare? When can I wake up from this dream?"
"...Don’t panic, it’s just a nightmare."
Annan didn’t even know what to say and could only offer a quiet consolation, "Then what happened?"
"Then you guys showed up."
The wandering child said, took a deep breath to calm himself, "I really want to see what other twists this crappy nightmare has in store..."
Annan was montarily overwheld by the wandering child’s side of the story.
—Out of everyone, yours seems the worst. Even the pace of your storyline is tighter than the others’.
No wonder you’re the one going mad the fastest...
If Annan had arrived later, he might have already flipped the table in frustration.
"...In this nightmare, if you don’t continue to play the assigned character, you’ll go mad?"
Upon hearing the nightmare rules Annan described, the wandering child repeated.
"Elle" nodded with empathy.
"...But I feel like if I keep acting, I’ll go mad all the sa."
"But the good news is, now that I’m here, you have a chance to break through."
"Elle" narrowed her eyes, "As a wealthy tycoon and a major collector, it makes sense for us to do business, right?"
"Hmm, reasonable."
"So, it would also make sense for us to want to purchase so items from you, right?"
"Reasonable, reasonable."
"Then I’ll write you a list. As an important client and the daughter of the artist Amos, I demand that you provision these items personally for to exchange for Amos’s most valuable painting... You are to deliver them to this martial arts gym—by the way, Taste of Wind Goose is right here. Since Amos’s painting is an heirloom art piece, it would be very reasonable for you as a major collector, wouldn’t it?"
"Yes, absolutely reasonable!"
The wandering child cheered with relief.
As long as he could find a reasonable excuse to leave this godforsaken place, even if it ant working, it would be a relief. But every ti he was about to step out, a sudden ergency at ho and a phone call would pull him back...
And this ti, it was a truly important "matter."
"However..."
"Elle" said, dragging out the word.
"...but?"
"As a millionaire, you’re being blackmailed with evidence against you, rational or not. You also love your children and wife imnsely, abandoning them wouldn’t befit your status."
"Elle" said leisurely, "However... you hire rcenaries to help resolve this matter. I believe that would be quite reasonable as well.
"Of course—during a hostage rescue, if a rcenary accidentally injures the hostage, causing them to faint from their injuries, it’s an unavoidable and necessary sacrifice. You would definitely feel pain and sorrow over her coma."
"But where would I find rcenar..."
The wandering child stopped mid-sentence, suddenly freezing.
He glanced at Selicia... and instantly got the idea.
"Selicia is out of the question."
Annan smiled, saying, "She is rely an ordinary, Gold-rank Transcendent student after all.
"But Delicious Wind Goose is fine. A Sword Saint owes you a favor for so reason and decides to help you with so under-the-table jobs that can’t stand the light of day... including rescuing soone, silencing, and avenging a cheating wife, doesn’t that sound reasonable?"
"...I understand now."
The wandering child nodded, speaking in a heavy tone.
Before Annan had finished speaking, he had already grasped the logic of this nightmare.
In simple terms... it ans that for every action he takes, he must find a reason within his "identity."
This he was not afraid of.
He was not the sa as Delicious Wind Goose.
If Delicious Wind Goose is regarded as a highly intellectual and serious professional card ga player,
—then the wandering child is a card ga player skilled in bluffing,
"Back when I had a thick head of hair, even my hairdo was good at playing cards... I get this!"
The wandering child’s eyes suddenly lit up.
He asked in a serious tone, "So, where is the list? There’s no ti to lose; I’m ready to set off now."
What he implied was that given more ti... who knew what those rascals intended to co up with next; the sooner he left, the sooner he’d transcend.
Selicia beside him also seed pensive.
She probably understood how to help her crew now.
Soon, Annan finished writing the list and handed it to the wandering child.
"Black rams’ horns, black billy goats’ horns... these are materials for a ritual, right?"
The wandering child confird, "Is there any additional requirent? Like, they must be cursed materials or sothing?"
"The part requiring cursed materials, I have already specifically noted on the list."
"Elle" stood up with a smile, saying, "Then I will go to Delicious Wind Goose and wait for you... Let’s part ways here, Miss Selicia."
[Eh...?]
Elle’s voice, filled with doubt, echoed in Annan’s mind.
[Didn’t you say... this place can’t hold rituals to True Gods?]
—That’s the issue, Elle.
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