Chapter 22 There is no other reason for the relationship.
Perhaps because divine intuition is more acute, Reinhardt sometimes sensed the good or bad intentions of those around him without needing to speak.
Even if the Storm Leader has a foul mouth and behaves badly, Reinhardt can still genuinely sense goodness in him.
But the person standing not far away, observing him closely, evoked an inexplicable malice in Reinhardt. He felt like a bird trapped in a cage, being scrutinized and observed with strange eyes.
It's like... like going back to that dungeon.
Reinhardt felt a little uneasy, not only because of the voice, but also because of Victoria.
His voice was very clear in the relatively quiet store; there shouldn't be any situation where he couldn't be heard.
So where did Victoria go?
Reinhardt stood up, supporting himself on the table, and was about to walk towards the locker room. At the same time, his world of black cloth and white lines stirred anew.
The last customer to enter seemed to turn his head toward the waiter without speaking. After receiving the signal, the waiter headed toward the entrance of the store.
Reinhardt was unaware of what was about to happen, but he instinctively sensed danger.
The more dangerous it was, the more he wanted to make sure Victoria was safe. But he didn't expect that just as Reinhardt was about to approach the dressing room, the last man to come in also started to move and seemed to be moving closer to him as well.
"Ah! My marbles!"
Suddenly, the voices of several children came from the doorway.
The quiet room instantly became noisy, and Reinhardt heard the previously kind shop assistant coldly reprimanding him.
"go out."
But it was quickly drowned out by more noise.
The children's voices rose in waves, as if crowding into the room and getting closer and closer to Reinhardt.
He immediately saw many short little guys jumping around in the store, and the flustered shop assistants hurriedly called to the guards standing guard outside the door.
But such a small commotion wouldn't attract much attention. The waiter shouted for a long time before two guards came in, carrying spears to drive the children away.
Reinhardt noticed that the man who wanted to approach him was surrounded by another group of children, one of whom ran straight towards him and took his hand.
"Come with me quickly!" The childish voice was filled with anxiety. "Your friend is no longer here. If you don't leave now, you'll miss your chance to save her!"
What?
Reinhardt was taken aback and before he could react, the child grabbed him and tried to pull him outside.
Unable to budge him immediately, Reinhardt decided to check the locker room. Seeing this, the kid, regardless of whether Reinhardt could see him or not, simply broke down the locker room door.
Seeing that the room was empty, Reinhardt realized that he was telling the truth.
The boy kicking down the door seemed to enrage the man observing them, who ruthlessly pushed aside the other children surrounding him and angrily walked towards Reinhardt and the boy.
The latter quickly grabbed Reinhardt's hand and ran wildly out of the store.
"Catch them! Those two stole my wallet!" Talent scout Dirk's voice came from behind, and Reinhardt then confirmed the other person's identity.
The commotion on the street grew increasingly chaotic, and many guards, upon hearing Dirk's words, joined the chase for the thief. However, the street was too crowded, and the boy, with his agile movements, easily led Reinhardt into a dark alley.
It was only thanks to Reinhardt's slender build that he was able to follow the boy and squeeze into the narrow alleys, thus shaking off the guards.
After running for a while, Reinhardt, who hadn't done any physical exercise in many years, was pale and his clothes were soaked through.
Finally, after winding through a series of alleyways to the end, the boy led him into a giant hollow concrete pipe before stopping.
He could barely stand by leaning against the wall, but his biggest worry at that moment wasn't himself: "Your friends, those children..."
The kid was in much better shape than him. After letting go of Reinhardt, he walked to the pipe and looked outside. "Don't worry, they know this street better than I do and know how to escape safely."
“Thank you.” Reinhardt gasped for breath, trying to catch his breath. “But how did you know my partner was missing? Do you know where she went?”
“I don’t know where she went.” The kid shook his head and moved the trash and debris near the pipe in to block it, forming a natural barrier. “I’ve been following and observing that guy who hit on you for a long time. Almost every pretty girl he hits on disappears soon after, but the population turnover on this street is too high, so it’s hard to notice in a short time.”
Dirk? Reinhardt was startled and puzzled.
"But she went to change clothes... Is that store connected to talent scouts?"
The boy knelt on the ground, spreading newspapers on his hands.
“Hmm.” He nodded, forgetting that Reinhardt’s eyes were covered by a veil. “From what I’ve observed, that guy has connections with several shops around here. If you go into a shop to try on clothes, he’ll arrest you.”
"Come sit here, I've laid it out." He patted the floor he had just laid out, and when he looked up at Reinhardt, he realized that Reinhardt might not be able to see him.
Reinhardt reached out and took his hand, guiding the handsome fellow to sit down as he spoke.
Reinhardt did not refuse his kindness. After slowly sitting down, he continued to ask, "If he could catch her as soon as he entered the store, why would he bother to strike up a conversation?"
"Are you an idiot?" the kid said, frowning. "Not everyone will come into the store. It doesn't cost much to verbally entice them first. If it works, wouldn't that save even more time?"
"I've learned something new..." Reinhardt thought to himself in surprise.
The interior of the pipe was relatively cramped, but fortunately, there was ventilation at the other end, and Reinhardt's breathing and heartbeat gradually calmed down.
His mind was racing with thoughts; he was very worried about Victoria's safety.
"Do you know where he'll take her? Can you help me save her?"
“…I can help you.” The boy didn’t hesitate. “But I don’t have complete information about where they’re holding the hostages yet; I just have some clues.”
The boy seemed anxious and asked, "Is the woman accompanying you your lover?"
Reinhardt didn't understand how the topic had turned to this, but he patiently shook his head in response.
"no."
"Is she your sister?"
No, not exactly.
"Huh? Then who is she to you? Just a friend?" The kid's voice sounded increasingly frustrated.
Although Reinhardt sensed his frustration, he couldn't understand the reason and could only honestly reply.
"We should say that we are partners."
Reinhardt was acutely aware of why he was on the ship, always keeping his identity in mind, and never dared to hope that he would become their friend or anyone's special person.
"...Just partners?!"
The child's head drooped visibly.
Reinhardt could only ask, "What direct connection does our relationship have with saving her?"
Inside the pipe burned an old kerosene lamp, its candlelight scattering gently through the glass shade. The warm yellow glow enveloped the Son of God, unexpectedly evoking a sense of peace and tranquility.
Like a light snow falling outside, they sat quietly around the fireplace burning with firewood inside, a gentle warmth infused with the scent of happiness.
The kid looked at Reinhardt like this and his eyes inexplicably welled up with tears.
Fortunately, the only guest here couldn't see him. He lowered his head and said somewhat dejectedly, "If that person wasn't important to you, why would you be willing to risk your life to save her? Saving someone isn't that simple..."
Reinhardt smiled gently and said in a low voice, "So the person you want to save is someone very important to you, right?"
The boy was stunned, his eyes filled with disbelief.
How did you know?
The good-natured Reinhardt didn't like keeping people in suspense.
"Because you've been observing talent scouts."
“I believe you are kind. If you noticed something was wrong with the talent scout, you might have done the same to save other strangers as you did just now,” Reinhardt said. “But after our conversation, I can sense that it’s not that simple. Perhaps you saved me not only to save a person, but also to find an ally.”
“If I’m not mistaken,” Reinhardt said, “you were watching us until Victoria was confirmed to have been captured, then you mobilized your associates to rescue me.”
...
A deathly silence suddenly fell over the air.
Reinhardt couldn't see the boy's facial expression and could only judge his current state based on his limited vision.
The boy froze for a moment, his face turning pale as he stared intently at the handsome man before him. He seemed surprised that the other man was so clever, able to dissect his plans and thoughts in the blink of an eye.
He thought the other person would blame him after figuring out the answer, so he waited on edge for her next move, but to his surprise, the beautiful blonde woman remained motionless in the same position for a long time.
It seems, it seems, that they are not angry about it.
"Why aren't you reacting?" the kid asked, puzzled.
"How should I react?" Reinhardt was even more puzzled.
The kid immediately stood up, his voice booming uncontrollably: "I'm angry! I'm furious! Because I used your friend as bait, indirectly causing your friend to get arrested!"
The anger was amplified infinitely by the corridors of the pipes, making Reinhardt's ears hurt a little.
He turned his head to the side, trying to avoid the noise. Once the boy had calmed down a bit, Reinhardt spoke calmly: "But aren't the real perpetrators the talent scout who arrested her and the people behind him?"
"..."
"I knew it was going to be troublesome." The kid slumped to the ground, utterly dejected. "You're so calm, there's no way you'd be willing to risk your life to save her."
Reinhardt didn't hesitate and said softly, "I do."
"I don't believe it." The kid said, "Who would risk their life for a business partner? Unless you have a crush on her, or some other special reason."
“There’s no other reason.” Reinhardt shook his head and said, “If I had to give a reason, is it alright if she and her cherished companions are both very good to me?”
A note from the author:
----------------------
Buster: Show them your ruthless side! (Roaring menacingly) Ah!!
Reinhardt (uncomprehending): Ah—
Buster (fiercely): His Holy Father! More ferocious! Shout it out! Ah!!
Reinhardt (trying to open his mouth): Ah—
Buster (with a blank face): ...
Reinhardt: ?
Buster: Never mind, let's eat.
———
My poor baby
TAT
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