About the time I was picked up and adopted by Tallulah

Although there was still no subtle difference in Hei's expression, the tail behind him had already drooped.

——To deal with such a person, it is more effective to make her realize how much trouble her actions have caused to the people she is loyal to, rather than attacking her directly.

Kal'tsit really likes the feeling of everything moving steadily along the path laid out in her mind.

——Then, in order to facilitate the completion of this order that you have been coveting for a long time, what kind of punishment will you impose on the private bodyguard beside you?

"I'm sorry, Hei, but it seems our partners are very concerned about that young man. You need to make greater concessions."

"No, sir...I was too aggressive."

Herman looked at Hei, who simply bowed his head in apology.

"Since you've acted so drastically against this young man, as a harsher punishment, you will serve as his personal bodyguard for the entire day. You will protect his safety, show him the charm of every corner of Xiosta, and unconditionally serve him and fulfill any request he makes."

"Eh?"

"...Yes, sir."

Hei was a little resistant, but still nodded in agreement.

——This isn’t good at all!?

Kal'tsit, who had been watching the show silently, suddenly became furious. It was her upbringing as the guardian of the earth that prevented the old lynx from shouting out loud.

"Wait a minute, Mayor Herman, I—"

"Don't worry, Dr. Kelsey. I will personally arrange the best meals and the most beautiful viewpoints for you."

"No, I mean..."

"Hey, secretary, cancel all my plans for today. Yeah, that's right. Okay—is that enough to show my sincerity, Dr. Kelsey?"

"..."

The old lynx blinked. Although he wanted to say something, he didn't know how to start.

Herman's proposal addressed the issue in every way. If he refused at this point, he would instantly go from being a "victim seeking reasonable compensation" to a "greedy businessman making unreasonable demands." The latter would clearly have a significant impact on Rhodes Island's reputation.

"[Solve the problem based on how it arose]—this is the creed I believe in, and I believe Hei can definitely complete the task. What do you think?"

"...Orson, come here."

Kal'tsit opened her mouth, thinking about whether there was any reasonable way to refuse, but in the end she reached out and pulled Orson over.

"Be careful with that guy."

"Don't worry, Miss Hei's melody no longer has the strange fluctuations it had when we first met. I believe we can get along well!"

Orson responded with a smile, while Kal'tsit covered her forehead.

——That’s why I told you to be careful not to lure that guy over as well…!

Although everything was indeed moving in the direction he had originally planned, but at the terminal... he seemed to have gotten on the wrong bus.

09. Poor Black, being played around by Orson

On the streets of the coastal city-state of Xiosta, two people, one tall and one short, of completely different genders, clothing and races, were walking one after the other.

"..."

Orson, who was walking in front, was still admiring and observing this unique city-state, enjoying the fresh feeling it brought him.

The boy was like Granny Liu who pulled out a weeping willow tree and entered the Grand View Garden. He was full of curiosity about the completely different city-state in front of him.

The Filin woman who kept a certain distance and followed behind Orson was wearing a transparent raincoat and swimsuit and had long silver-white hair. Her expression was not as comfortable and relaxed.

Her eyes were always fixed on the young man in front of her, and the expression on her face was a little subtle, as if she was embarrassed, alert, and curious.

"The paint on the exterior walls of Xiosta's buildings seems really thick. Is that for aesthetic reasons?"

"Those are separate coatings used for moisture protection."

"I see... Since buildings in Kiri Castle don't need to consider this kind of problem, the outer walls are usually built directly with bricks and cement. However, to keep the heat in, the spaces between the walls are filled with some highly insulating material."

Orson nodded and learned something new.

Hei frowned slightly. She took out her cell phone from her pocket and first saw the photo sent by Mayor Hermann of her and Dr. Kelsey on a cruise ship.

In the photo, Mr. Hermann is sitting in the luxurious viewing area with his usual bright smile on his face.

However, Kal'tsit beside him had the expression of a cat who knew that she was about to be dragged to take a bath. She didn't look happy at all.

Hei deleted the photos and then checked on Ceylon's current situation. He locked his phone again after learning that the young lady was staying at home.

"Come to think of it, because of that incident at noon, I didn't get to eat... Kal'tsit should be able to enjoy a nice afternoon tea with Mr. Hermann, so I don't have to worry about it. Miss Hei, did you have lunch today?"

When passing by a seafood restaurant, Orson remembered that he had not eaten yet, so he stopped and turned to ask Hei behind him.

"Please don't mind me."

Hei responded indifferently, although she had indeed only drunk a glass of milk in the morning so far today.

"So you haven't eaten yet, right? In that case—let me check the coupons... Wow, I didn't expect there were actually some. Then let's go eat something here~"

Orson took out his wallet and actually found a 40% off coupon that matched the restaurant's name among a thick stack of discount coupons.

I'm sorry, innkeeper, but I will definitely accept your last wave——!

Orson held the discount coupon in his hand and observed two seconds of silence for his boss. Then he walked into the restaurant happily, ready to taste the special food of the Xiosta city-state.

Unlike his previous life—of course, perhaps not Orson's own—in any case, unlike the incredibly convenient transportation of his previous life, Terra, with its lack of basic transportation links, rarely offers authentic cuisine from another country in the same place. Orson, a gourmet graduate of Master Gumi's school, naturally wasn't about to miss an opportunity like this to sample authentic local specialties.

"..."

Kuromoto wanted to say something, but in the end she just sighed silently and followed Orson into the restaurant.

"Welcome~ Please come in, both of you."

Hei and Orson were led by the waiter to a seat near the window. Hei had just sat down opposite Orson. After seeing the knife on the table, he recalled the previous conflict in the restaurant and his expression became a little awkward.

"Miss Hei, what would you like to eat? Or do you have any recommendations?"

Orson, who was sitting opposite him, did not feel awkward or uncomfortable at all. Instead, he studied the menu with an expectant look on his face, and asked Hei's opinion from time to time.

"...Aren't you angry?"

Facing the boy in front of him, Hei, who had been silent and conflicted all the way, finally asked the question he wanted the answer to the most.

The guy in front of him wanted to deport him and even planned to use force, so why could this young man still maintain such a complacent attitude?

"—"

Hearing Hei's question, Orson, who was originally flipping through the menu, paused for a moment. Then he closed the menu and put it aside, his eyes meeting with the Filin girl in front of him.

"I've expelled many people from this city-state: suspected smugglers, illegal immigrants without proper household registration permits, armed individuals suspected of being assassins, desperate drug addicts hoping to get rich quick... I've encountered many unwanted impurities in this city, and without exception, upon receiving my 'expulsion order', those people, without exception, all chose the most violent and extreme resistance."

Hei looked at Orson and whispered about his daily life in this city.

"Why do you think it was me? How did I offend you? Show me the evidence!" Those people yelled similar words while actively attacking me. In most cases, I had no choice but to use force to suppress them.

Hei's tone was very calm, as if the topic she was talking about was not the dangerous violent acts that were obviously directed at her, but getting up every day to clean the room and take out the trash.

"Under the mayor's management, Xiosta welcomes everyone. Even someone like me, infected with oripathy, can find a place... But freedom doesn't come without a price or a threshold. At the very least, I need to provide a safeguard and judgment for this 'freedom'."

Hei gently stroked the knife on the table while talking to Orson about his work.

"Mr. Orson, until now I still don't think there's anything wrong with making the decision to 'expel you from Xiosta,' because this is my job and a necessary process for Xiosta to continue functioning. But... I did make an error in judgment and acted too aggressively. You've proven in many ways that you're not the terrifying existence I originally thought you were, with ulterior motives for this city. I won't refute these mistakes."

"..."

"..."

After Hei told the Chimera in front of him what was in his heart, there was a brief silence between the two.

Hei has already expressed her inner thoughts on the matter. All she can do next is wait for Orson's "judgment" of her.

"Ha, of course I am angry."

After a moment of silence, Orson sighed and responded.

"I finally get to go on a trip with someone important, and when I'm about to have dinner at a restaurant, I'm suddenly asked to leave the city, and they even threaten to use force. Any normal person would be angry."

Orson stared at Hei with a complaining look. The other party's resentful expression made Hei feel guilty all of a sudden.

"so you……"

"But I didn't maintain this anger for two reasons. First, Kel'tsit was already angry on my behalf and acted accordingly."

Orson raised his finger and made a number.

"The reason I didn't argue with you initially was because I wanted to ensure this hard-earned vacation went smoothly and without any unexpected incidents. But Kal'tsit didn't seem to think so. She prioritized my safety and status over travel, so... I'm actually quite happy."

Orson couldn't help but smile when he said this. Generally speaking, Orson is the one standing in front of others. But like when he had a conflict with Hei at noon today, Kal'tsit took the initiative to protect Orson. In fact, this teenager didn't have many contacts.

Because of this, when Orson saw Kal'tsit getting angry for him, he felt subtly happy despite being a little angry.

"And secondly, your melody has calmed down a lot, completely different from before. There's no point in me pursuing responsibility now."

"……melody?"

Hei blinked, not quite understanding the meaning of the words coming out of the boy's mouth.

"It can be considered as something like inner voice, but it's certainly not as precise as mind reading. It's much more general. I can only roughly sense the changes in the other person's inner emotions."

"..."

Hearing that the other party could sense some of her inner emotions, Hei became a little embarrassed again. After all, she knew very well that when she was confronting Orson, her mentality was completely different from when she usually expelled those people.

"But actually, I have some questions for Miss Hei—why did you use such a radical attack method at the beginning? Could it be that you also…"

"No, for most suspects who need to be expelled, I usually choose to persuade them in a relatively deserted area, and only suppress them after they use violence."

Hei corrected Orson's thoughts, saying that he was not a madman who would swing a knife at anyone he saw.

"Uh, then why is it that I'm an exception? What on earth did I do to offend you...?"

After hearing Hei's explanation, Orson rubbed his hair awkwardly and complained softly.

Others would first present facts and reason with others to try to persuade them, but why do you start by saying “Sina, JO Taro!”?

Orson, who had just said that he was no longer angry, became a little upset when he thought about this.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Orson. Your... aura is making me a little too nervous. You evoke a feeling unlike anyone I've ever met. If I had to give an example, I'm confident I could subdue those people with a plastic fork, but I'm not sure what the result would be if I fought you head-on."

Hei responded with a sigh, and it was clear that she had high expectations for Orson's fighting ability.

"I've met many people, both living and dead—I can easily discern their auras. Most so-called 'killers' and 'assassins' aren't opposed to killing, but the scent of blood isn't overly strong either."

"And those who are stained with blood, such as mercenaries or soldiers, will have a more obvious sense of discipline and organization."

"Yeah, that's how it is!"

"..."

Orson nodded seriously, and seeing the other party's expression, Hei mentally complained that this was not some after-school cram school.

"But you... you're not a killer or a soldier, yet you're just as bloody. This kind of existence is truly unique, so unique that I'm not even sure what you want from Xiosta. And you happened to have such close contact with Miss Ceylon, so I took such an extreme approach."

"Throwing a flying knife at someone isn't extreme enough, is it?"

"When I was in the mercenary group, I always tested it like this..."

Hei did not refute Orson's sarcasm, but just turned his eyes away and muttered to himself in a very low voice.

"It's not just your relationship with Miss Ceylon, actually—"

Hei stopped talking midway and looked at the young man in front of her. The expression on his face was not only curious, but also seemed to be mixed with concern for her.

While listening, Orson maintained a very straight sitting posture. Although Hei didn't want to admit it, he looked like a knight.

——Why are you so sunny and optimistic?

Hei couldn't understand why Orson, who had a similar past to her, could take a completely different path. This confusion was the root cause of her actions.

The guard lady didn't seem to want to continue talking, so Orson didn't ask any more questions.

"I roughly understand the situation, Miss Hei. So, can you please promise that you will not try to expel Kel'tsit and me again in the future?"

Orson looked at Hei and asked him softly.

"If you will not do anything that harms this city, the master, and the young lady, then I swear that I will never do the same thing again."

"Is 'myself' not included?... But let's leave it at that for now, Miss Hei. Next up is Kal'tsit. Hmm, I have a feeling M3 will bite her tonight... And wait, tonight..."

Orson accepted Hei's promise, and then began to think about his companions. As he thought about it, the boy put on a shy and embarrassed expression.