Chapter 53

After seeing Lin'er and Ke'er off, Luolin and the others stood there watching them until they safely entered the village.

'Alright, time to set off.'

Luolin turned back and said.

'We've wasted quite a bit of time, we need to hurry up now.'

Although he said this, it was he who had suggested taking a detour to escort them here earlier.

'You guy, are you perhaps tsundere?'

Ailuka said from the side. Luolin glanced at her, then laughed out loud.

'You... what are you laughing at?'

'Nothing, I just find it amusing that one day I'd be called tsundere by a tsundere.'

Ailuka was stunned for a moment, then two blushes flew across her face.

'Who are you calling tsundere!? You're the tsundere, your whole family is tsundere!'

If Ailuka were a cat, she would surely have her fur standing on end by now.

However, the distance to Xikaer City was truly getting closer and closer. With just a bit more travel, they should really be able to arrive.

At a certain moment, the sky darkened once again.

Luolin and the others set up their tents for the night again. Today should be the last night they'd be staying here.

Tomorrow they would enter the city.

After Shirna fell asleep, Luolin and Ailuka sat by the fire. Ailuka glanced at Luolin a few times, then immediately looked away.

Then, after a while, she looked at him a few more times and looked away again.

'What exactly do you want to say? Why do you keep glancing at me?'

Luolin said somewhat helplessly. Only then did Ailuka turn her head slightly.

'Hmph! Who, who's looking at you? I'm just looking around.'

Ailuka said. Luolin didn't argue with her.

'Is that so... Well then, is there something you want to say?'

'I'll take the night watch today, but don't misunderstand, this is just a senior taking care of a newbie like you!'

Ailuka emphasized the latter sentence, as if saying that was the most important thing.

'You won't fall asleep, will you?'

'Do I look like that kind of person?'

'Yes.'

'.....'

Ailuka was left speechless by Luolin. The key point was that she really had fallen asleep last time.

'However, I'll trust you this once.'

Mainly because Luolin couldn't hold on anymore either. He had been sleep-deprived these past few days.

Luolin yawned. Only then did Ailuka realize that he seemed to be very tired from recent events too.

Cooking, keeping watch, scouting the path—he had been doing everything.

'I say, after we enter the city tomorrow, what do you plan to do?'

Ailuka asked again.

'What else can we do? Didn't they tell us to take Shirna to the auction house?'

Luolin said matter-of-factly.

"Are you really going to send Shirna to the slave market? If she's sent there..."

"She has a slave mark on her. If we try to escape with her directly, we won't be able to get away. You know that, right?"

Luolin reminded Ailuka, and only then did Ailuka remember this matter.

"Hmph, of course I know! I don't need a newcomer like you to remind me!"

After Ailuka finished speaking, she fell silent for a moment:

"But is there really no other way?"

At this time, Luolin had already stood up:

"Ailuka, don't forget that Luna is still waiting for us to rescue her."

"Luna... Luna again!"

Ailuka's emotions suddenly became somewhat strange for some reason.

"Are you two very close?"

Ailuka suddenly asked, which made Luolin feel strange, and moreover...

[Resentment Value +20]

"???"

How is there resentment now?

"Not close at all. You've known her longer than you've known me."

Luolin answered honestly.

"Then why are you so concerned about her? I, I of course know we must rescue her, but... ah, I don't know how to say it!"

Ailuka twirled her hair.

Luolin could actually understand Ailuka's feelings. She simply couldn't choose between these two difficult options.

"Ailuka, don't misunderstand. I'm not a simp."

Luolin said.

"I just want to strive for a perfect ending as much as possible."

With that, Luolin walked toward the tent.

"A perfect ending?"

Ailuka pondered for a moment. Would sending Shirna to the slave market be a perfect ending?

When Ailuka came back to her senses, she realized that Luolin was walking toward Shirna's tent.

"Smack!"

A shoe hit Luolin.

"Wait, where are you going to sleep?"

"Going to the tent. I'm going to sleep with Shirna."

"Sleep my ass! Get back here!"

Ailuka shouted loudly, pointing at the empty space beside her.

"Come sleep over here!"

Then, as if remembering something, she continued to explain.

"This is for Shirna's safety. I must keep an eye on you!"

Ailuka still had a righteous appearance, but there was an unshakeable meaning in her words. At least Luolin could be certain that if he didn't comply, the next thing thrown at him wouldn't be something like a shoe.

So, heaven and earth bear witness!

I'm truly being forced into this!