Chapter 33 The partnership remains on this ship, becoming our partner...
The Storm Leader couldn't understand why this sudden apology came about, but at least it opened a small door.
So he seized the opportunity to talk, calmly putting down the taciturn, blonde beauty. He even patted her collar, which she had ruffled.
Why apologize?
The beautiful woman with her hair down gathered her thoughts before speaking: "I almost disrupted your plans, but at this moment, I have no better choice than to save Victoria."
The Storm Leader asked in confusion, "What plan?"
How come he doesn't remember making any plans?
It was the son of the god, with his eyes closed, who answered his questions: "This is my plan to revive your deceased loved ones, and that is why I am here."
He had to stay alive to ensure the plan could proceed smoothly, which was the only reason Reinhardt felt apologetic.
Buster, however, sensed something was amiss; the statement sounded rather strange. His scrutinizing gaze weighed heavily as he slowly scanned Reinhardt, remaining silent for a long while before finally grasping the shift in focus between the two.
"What is our relationship in your eyes?"
What kind of relationship... Reinhardt wanted to find a word to describe it, but after thinking about it, he could only think of the sentence he had said to Erna back then.
"Cooperative relationship".
The Storm Leader's face contorted for a moment. He gritted his teeth, his voice sounding as if he had boarded a spaceship and sped towards an extremely cold region, crashing through a mountain along the way.
"Is that how you view Madonna and Victoria as well?" You could sense his suppressed anger.
Reinhardt, however, remained obedient.
"yes."
Honesty doesn't always guarantee a good answer. For example, Buster was so angry at Reinhardt's honesty that he almost laughed out loud, the curve of his mouth more terrifying than if he had just killed someone.
He admitted that his initial purpose in saving the person was indeed to get his help to revive them, but these days, Madonna, Victoria, and Celine have all genuinely been kind to him.
Which business partner would be like a saint, constantly monitoring the daily routines of their partners?!
Even the most foolish person should be able to tell that they've started treating him as a partner!
These concerns and concerns were genuine, but now they've been categorized as "partners" and "plans," becoming part of an exchange of interests!
The Storm Leader smiled and nodded: "You're right, that's exactly it. That was indeed my purpose in rescuing you and bringing you aboard, and that's also why I wanted to fatten you up. Madonna and the others treated you so kindly not because they liked you, but entirely because of your status as the Son of God!"
The Storm Leader's face was so dark it could have yielded a kilogram of charcoal, and he spoke through gritted teeth, as if he were ready to tear the Son of God to shreds at any moment.
Is that so? Is this the answer you wanted?
Listener Reinhardt expressed his doubts.
This is a well-established fact, so why did the other party add a question after it?
Before he could figure it out, Buster started another round of madness.
"What's your reason for being so eager to save Victoria? Is it to repay a debt of gratitude? Or do you feel it's part of an equal exchange?"
Reinhardt wanted to say yes, but the Storm Leader, enraged, clearly didn't care about his answer and turned to stride outside.
Before closing the door, he left with a cold remark: "Forget it, we're just business partners. Your motives don't matter!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Buster slammed the heavy door shut with a soft thud that sent chills down one's spine. Reinhardt was left alone in this relatively unfamiliar space.
It wasn't too bad; the place was filled with familiar scents, so he wasn't afraid of the unfamiliar surroundings. It was just that, as a guest, he always felt unconsciously reserved.
Furthermore, the room's occupant was not present, amplifying the sense of restraint to the extreme and making Reinhardt want to return to his own bedroom as soon as possible.
But as soon as the idea came to him, he suddenly lost interest.
Neither this space nor the space he thought he could "go back" to truly belonged to him.
Reinhardt pondered for a moment, then quickly resigned himself to the situation and decided to leave the bedroom. After all, this place belonged entirely to Buster, and he shouldn't occupy someone else's private space.
His fingers pressed against the bed, and he was about to get up when the door was opened from the outside.
The Storm Leader, who had stormed out, returned and strode towards Reinhardt. His usually swift and decisive footsteps were unusually heavy, like falling stones striking Reinhardt's sensitive heart.
Thinking the other party had come to kick him out of the bedroom, Reinhardt wanted to leave before they could say anything more hurtful, but the Storm Leader stopped in front of him and said something very loudly.
"Feel sorry."
Reinhardt slowly uttered a question mark.
Unbeknownst to him, the Storm Leader had been regretting his actions the moment he stepped out the door. As an adult who, despite some setbacks in his upbringing, was physically healthy and grew up in a perfectly healthy environment, Buster only realized, as he closed the door, that his anger was unfair to someone with a completely different cognitive pattern.
Regardless of whether Reinhardt was also extremely calm and detached over the past decade or so, that painful period alone was enough to destroy any normal human being.
His body was indeed freed, but his soul remained trapped in a cage, unable to find a way out.
It seems his demands were excessive.
What frustrated Buster even more was that Reinhardt's reasons for boarding the ship were indeed as he believed. And their spontaneous friendliness afterwards was, in Reinhardt's eyes, merely part of a transaction. Buster had never accurately conveyed his goodwill to him. To someone with a distorted sense of self, no matter how friendly they were to him, there was always a dividing line between "you" and "me."
What right does he have to be angry about Reinhardt's efforts to distance himself?
Holy Father!
Buster thought for a moment, cursing the country that imprisoned Reinhardt while simultaneously cursing himself.
He himself caused the problem, yet now he blames Reinhardt.
“Reinhardt, I’m sorry I was a bit harsh just now, but I want to clarify something,” Buster said. “My wife and I aren’t treating you like this just because of your ‘function,’ but because we’re trying to welcome a new partner.”
“If they are just partners, ensuring your food, clothing, shelter, and safety is enough. They don’t need to go to so much trouble to be your friend. Of course, they don’t do these things in the hopes of getting anything in return…” He paused, then said, “Well, actually, they do want something in return, at least some response.”
As Buster spoke, he took the ointment again, dabbed it on his finger, and continued to apply it evenly to him.
"You don't need to have any burdens, and you don't need to think too much. If you want, whether this matter succeeds or not, whether it ends or not, you can stay in the military pirate group, stay on this ship, and become our partner."
"You don't need to tell me the answer right away. Of course, as the leader of the Storm Bandit Gang, I welcome your joining, but your final decision on whether to stay or leave is still up to you."
The Storm Leader's hands were as big as his temper; although they had some calluses, the palms were very warm.
Like a lit candle, Reinhardt tried to imagine what the flame looked like based on his distant memories, but unfortunately, even his memories were already blurred.
Reinhardt, who had been showing no emotional fluctuations, suddenly blurted out a harsh question.
If bringing someone back to life required him to give his life, what would Buster choose? Would he tell him, as he did today, that he was one of their partners, or would he resolutely choose the former?
He desperately wanted to speak; the impulse was on the tip of his tongue—a rare moment of anticipation for Reinhard. But his reason clearly crushed this sudden expectation.
During those long, desperate times, the only thing he learned was not to expect anything.
Without expectations, he will not feel pain no matter what the future holds.
Including now.
He lowered his head quietly, waiting for the last flickering flame to die down, before nodding to indicate that he would give the matter serious consideration.
As for the rest, Reinhardt silently chewed it up and swallowed it back down his throat.
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Author's Note: Buster is coming over.
Storm Leader walked over
The leader submitted an adoption application.
The golden kitten silently turned its head away.
Storm Leader is greatly affected.JPG
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Yay! The format is exactly like a staircase (↑).
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