Chapter 81 Returning to the Ship: Because there was a direction, the way back was easier than the way there...
Because they had a direction, the way back was easier than the way they came. Starting from the ladder, Buster simply jumped down, using his immense strength to land safely with Reinhardt in his arms.
It would take some time to get out of the forest, and Buster dutifully performed his duties as the mount, but he was seething with resentment.
With nowhere to vent his anger, Buster didn't want to affect Reinhardt, so he could only silently endure and digest it.
His memory flashed back to an hour before he stepped onto the stairs, standing in the long corridor filled with stars, facing the intangible god and asking him a question with resentment.
But the answer I received was chilling.
"He is not human; he was born to bear this responsibility," the god of wisdom said calmly. "Storm, to him, you are the accident. You are the biggest problem he needs to solve."
The Storm Lord wouldn't listen to any talk of excluding him. In his eyes, he and Reinhardt were one, and all he wanted now was for him to live.
However, the deity symbolizing wisdom said he could not help with this matter.
The power and authority of the gods have shifted downwards; he no longer has the ability to change the world. Maintaining the cloud library has also exhausted his remaining strength.
He was merely a man who had made a promise but was now at his wit's end. He couldn't even see a future for himself, let alone care about a madman who was determined to kill himself to carry out his scheme.
Buster still wanted to struggle, but the god of wisdom gave him a word of advice, pulling the storm leader, who was teetering on the edge of rage, back to the starting point.
"You've given him the seven emotions and six desires, and made him human, but what he does next is also his choice."
Reinhardt has now chosen to leave with him.
Buster suddenly realized he couldn't waste any more time dealing with irrelevant people. So without a word, he took Reinhardt away and prepared to try to prolong their time together.
The fierce rain was dampened considerably by the branches and leaves. Buster walked on the muddy ground, snapping out of his daze, and unconsciously tightened his arms, rubbing his face against Reinhardt's forehead.
His breathing was deep and even; the handsome fellow had clearly fallen asleep again.
Buster knew it was probably because he had gone too far in bullying them.
It's worth noting that Reinhardt didn't like sleeping at first.
But in their daily interactions, Reinhardt gradually got used to his presence and can now fall asleep peacefully in his arms.
Even though the journey was bumpy, he slept soundly.
This trust and change once made Buster feel satisfied and proud. But now, a bitter taste has grown in his mouth, and Buster feels somewhat lost.
...
After a pause, the Storm Leader suddenly seemed to realize something and couldn't help but stop and look down at Reinhardt's face.
He didn't used to sleep this much.
Could it be?
"Reinhardt." The Storm Leader lowered his voice and gently raised his shoulder, trying to wake Reinhardt.
The latter remained still, and its breathing was prolonged.
Buster felt a sudden tightness in his chest.
“Reinhardt.” He raised his voice and patted Reinhardt’s backside with the hand that was holding him.
The blonde princess, still half-asleep, groggily woke up and replied in a sticky voice, "...Hmm?"
“It’s alright.” Buster’s expression relaxed slightly. “It’s almost noon. Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat? I can get you some monkey meat.”
Reinhardt paused for a moment, then rejected the offer.
He seemed to realize the emotions hidden behind Buster's unusual behavior and immediately said in a calmer tone, "I'm not going to die anytime soon, please don't panic."
Buster felt he was doomed; he couldn't even bear to hear the word "death."
The journey home went as smoothly as they had imagined, and Reinhardt was able to meet Madonna and Victoria as he had hoped. These two vibrant women continued to live life at their own pace, doing whatever they loved, even after they left.
Upon seeing Reinhardt return, they immediately took the pretty little potato to their secret afternoon tea spot for a meal and chat. After enjoying the fragrant tea once more, Reinhardt took the initiative to tell them about Ms. Celine's decision to stay temporarily at the Cloud Library.
Then, it's his own business.
As expected, Madonna and Victoria reacted strongly. Perhaps due to their personalities, their emotions were more readily expressed.
Madonna nearly overturned the table when she stood up, but fortunately the table was sturdy enough to prevent a food disaster.
Madonna clearly wanted to say something, but was interrupted by the Storm Leader's cold words.
“Madanna,” Buster suddenly spoke, “everything should be ready. Let’s do it tonight.”
To prevent Reinhardt from being affected by Madonna and Victoria's emotions, and to give them time to process and calm down, Buster took Reinhardt back to his room before Madonna could say anything more after saying this.
Nothing had changed; the room was still the same. Reinhardt's own small bedroom was spotless, and his custom-made clothes were neatly hung in the closet.
Victoria kept ordering new suits for him, to the point that his small bedroom was practically turning into a walk-in closet.
Buster didn't want his emotions to affect Reinhardt, so he tried to remain calm most of the time.
He just became even more clingy than before, like a leech, refusing to be separated from Reinhard even when taking a bath.
It took a little while to get them out of the bathroom, and by the time Reinhardt's fingers were almost wrinkled from being soaked in water, they finally managed to leave.
Strangely, there was no dinner today, and it was very noisy outside.
"What happened?" Reinhardt asked Buster, looking down at him.
Buster, after all, wasn't Victoria, and wasn't as insistent on Reinhardt wearing a little skirt. After dressing Reinhardt in a simple shirt and casual trousers, he knelt down in front of Reinhardt, holding a towel, and carefully dried Reinhardt's long hair, which had been wet in the bathroom.
"You'll find out soon enough." Buster didn't give Reinhardt a direct answer to the question, but instead left it as a cliffhanger, piquing Reinhardt's curiosity.
Reinhardt, however, took this suspense as the answer.
He nodded obediently, his half-dry hair bouncing twice in front of Buster's eyes, inexplicably tickling his heart.
...If it weren't for concerns about Reinhardt's health and the fear of accelerating his supposed decline, Buster would have already rolled around with him in the bathroom.
Now, Buster feels sad whenever he thinks about it, his heart crushed by pain that is difficult to alleviate.
His Reinhardt…
Buster felt his eyes sting, so he gripped his hair tightly and silently pressed his lips to it.
He didn't want Reinhardt to notice his pain, but he underestimated Reinhardt's intuition and straightforwardness.
The beautiful god gently stroked Buster's lips with his slender fingers, as if to make sure he wasn't crying.
“Buster, aren’t you going to touch me anymore?” Reinhardt jokingly murmured in a relaxed tone, “You won’t be able to touch me anymore.”
Buster's hand jerked violently, and he felt a crack open inside his body.
After a pause, Buster curled his lips into a smile, letting Reinhardt "see" his smile.
Then he kissed Reinhardt's lips.
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Author's Note: Reinhardt: We won't see each other again.
Madonna: To be able to say it so calmly, to be honest, feels like hell.
Victoria: ...
Buster: ...
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