Chapter 43 Love at First Sight: I Thought You Couldn't Speak
At the agreed time, Buster, having finished his medicine with Reinhardt and transformed back into his normal appearance, carried Reinhardt to a teahouse not far from the city gate.
The fox-type beastman already surpasses others in appearance. He is about 1.86 or 1.88 meters tall, with a handsome and dashing appearance, and an charisma similar to that of an idol star. Men and women passing by are unconsciously attracted to him.
The Storm Leader spotted him from afar as he talked with a group of men and women.
Noticing the arrival of the Storm Leader, the fox orc bid farewell to the people surrounding him and then walked towards Buster.
Good morning, have you had breakfast yet?
Buster didn't bother to reply, and the fox-orc didn't care either. He smiled, turned around, and pushed open the teahouse door, entering the room first. As Buster stepped inside, he saw a group of people gathered in a corner of the teahouse.
No more, no less, exactly six.
“I didn’t have time to introduce myself yesterday. My name is Budney.” The fox-orc led him to the table, introduced himself, and then gestured with his hand toward a man with a buzz cut, “This is our captain, Duko.”
Du Ke is also a strong man with particularly well-developed arm and chest muscles, but unfortunately he is a bit short, so his proportions look a little unbalanced.
His features were surprisingly peaceful, with smiling eyes. In contrast, the fox-beastman, who should have been stereotyped as cunning and ruthless, appeared to have sharp eyebrows and bright eyes.
But that's not important. Budney introduced everyone else present, and Buster glanced at everyone before nodding and revealing his pseudonym.
“Byrne,” he said, looking at the blond guy he was holding, “this is my brother, Hart.”
"He's going too?" Du Ke's gaze fell on Reinhardt. "We're not going to give up any more money than one person."
"No need," the Storm Leader said succinctly.
He never cared about that little bit of money anyway.
As long as there's no money involved, everything is fine. Whether this person will be a burden or need help is none of the other teammates' business.
They were all worldly adventurers who had seen all sorts of things. They didn't care what their companions carried, as long as it didn't get in their way.
"Alright." Du Ke, the team leader, took his legs off the table, slapped his thigh, stood up, and stretched. "Everyone's here, let's go."
So the group of seven headed out of the city.
The city is protected by a barrier that forbids the use of any summoning spells, let alone teleportation arrays. They can only activate the summoning arrays when they leave the main city and go to a very far place.
But all of this was irrelevant to the blind son of the god; he remained like a quiet puppet, sitting in the Storm Lord's lap. The latter's steady gait, its consistent swaying warding off the cold, and the warmth emanating from the chest pressed against his, made Reinhardt feel a little drowsy.
But he couldn't fall asleep.
The sliver of conscience he had cultivated before being imprisoned in the dungeon prevented him from acting recklessly. But this inexplicable sense of security truly made him drowsy.
Barely managing to stay alert, he sensed Buster stop, and the fox-orc who called himself Budney spoke.
"This is Taimo."
It's a new name, Reinhardt guessed, and he was probably the eighth teammate guarding the teleportation array.
After gathering, they exchanged a few pleasantries and then hurried on their way before daybreak.
After an unknown amount of time, they walked from the snow-covered plains into a large forest where branches and leaves still remained. Compared to the vast expanse of white outside, the forest seemed much more vibrant. Although most of the plants had withered and died due to the low temperature, a few were still flowering and bearing fruit.
This place is not suitable for using flying machines, because flying machines are powered by crystals, and most living beings can sense crystals. Therefore, if you want to approach your prey silently, it is best to walk or be a race with the ability to fly.
The weather was cold, and the snow smelled cool and refreshing, mixed with a hint of plant fragrance. However, sometimes breathing too much caused a headache, forcing Reinhardt to cover his mouth and nose as well.
Occasionally, people would talk along the way; the fox-orc... no, Budney would also occasionally ask Buster some questions. Reinhardt listened to him ramble on and on for a long time before finally showing signs of stopping.
"It's getting dark, let's rest here now."
They chose a relatively spacious flat area with a small hill nearby that effectively blocked the fierce winter winds.
After roughly assigning the night watch duties, the members of this makeshift team lit a fire, sat around it, and ate their own food.
Buster was about to go to the toilet, but considering it wouldn't be convenient to take Reinhardt with him, he whispered a message to Reinhardt, left him at the camp, and went to relieve himself somewhere further away.
Reinhardt was sitting quietly in the visual world of the black canvas when a short man sitting directly opposite him suddenly picked up a stone from the ground and threw it at him.
Just before the rock hit Reinhardt's face, it was intercepted by a hand that suddenly appeared.
Reinhardt saw the owner of the hand shake his head in that direction, and after the other person made an impatient 'tsk' sound, he threw away the stone and handed Reinhardt another large object.
"Would you like some sweet potato?"
The aroma of hot, rich, and sweet food filled the air, but Reinhardt thought of Madonna's words.
Don't eat anything given to you by strangers when you're out.
His fluffy head tilted, and he turned slightly toward Budney, nodding politely in thanks.
"It's alive." A whisper came from the direction where he threw the thing.
Laughter from others around them came in, but it was not very clear.
Budney didn't participate, but his tone carried a hint of amusement. Fortunately, his gentle manner prevented Reinhardt from feeling offended.
He moved closer to Reinhardt and slowed his speech: "Your name is Hart? That's a nice name. I think you've heard me introduce myself. My name is Budney."
If Victoria were there, she would have clearly told Reinhardt that this behavior was called flirting. But unfortunately, he was alone now, and Reinhardt didn't know how to respond, so he just nodded obediently in silence.
A few soft strands of long golden hair peeked out from under the fluffy hood, and his obedient movements made one's heart itch.
Budney laughed. "I thought you couldn't talk."
Reinhardt honestly replied, "I only have a problem with my eyes."
His magnanimity made Boudni raise an eyebrow, showing a hint of surprise.
He believed that many people with physical disabilities are often unwilling to talk about their disabilities and cannot be so open-minded.
With a quick glance, Budney leaned closer to Reinhardt, who felt an indescribable, complex fragrance approaching him.
Then a whispered word escaped his throat.
"You've suffered a lot because you had to rely on your brothers to get things done."
Boudni's statement is quite insightful. For someone with a physical disability who has to rely on others to survive, it's not just about feeling gratitude towards the other person, but also about accumulating pain and despair.
Those who overreact may transfer their pain onto others to vent their emotions, but most people choose to endure it silently.
However, the inferiority complex caused by disability is hard to erase and will only grow as one 'drags down' others.
But as beneficiaries, this despair and inferiority are often swallowed back by guilt, chewed over and digested alone in countless days and nights, for fear of causing more trouble to others.
Budney's words were not about Buster's hardships, but rather from Reinhardt's perspective. Under normal circumstances, they might have struck a chord with some people.
Unfortunately... Reinhardt was never disciplined, nor was he bound by such strong moral constraints.
Besides, whether or not he retrieved his eyes was irrelevant to him. He simply wanted to help Buster and revive someone important to him.
Therefore, Reinhardt did not react in any special way, and Budenney's plan to get closer to him failed.
But the more silent he was, the more he aroused other people's curiosity. Budney loved challenges, especially when it came to people he was already interested in.
He showed no sign of frustration, and instead laughed, "Are you and Byrne brothers? You don't look very alike."
Why ask that?
Reinhardt remembered that Buster had brought up this issue before joining the team, so he didn't understand why the other man was asking further questions.
“Because I fell in love with you at first sight,” Budney said bluntly. “I want to know if I have a chance to pursue you.”
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Author's Note: Madonna: Don't eat food given to you by strangers when you're out!
Victoria: There's still water!
Celine: Don't go with just anyone!
Reinhardt (nods) (nods)
Buster: Don't let just anyone hit on you!
Madonna: ...?
Madonna: Putting aside the fact that this is not something Reinhard can control, I feel like you're smuggling in your own agenda.
Victoria: If you wake up late, don't blame others for pursuing your wife first...
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The thought of the ambiguous, bittersweet tug-of-war between the two of us made me excitedly writhe like a maggot on the bed.
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