Illimitable Until Death - Chapter 16

Finally, Fang Li naturally rejected Yomogawa Ayame’s invitation.

The title of “samurai” may sound grand, but in this era, in this country, the samurai class has long been decayed.

Leaving aside the rest, just look at the samurais in Aragane Station, and you’ll understand.

Cowardly and timid.

Bullying the weak and fearing the strong.

Lack of initiative.

Lacking dignity.

That’s how the samurais of today are interpreted.

Because of Kabane’s existence, the minds and bodies of the samurais have already been worn down to an incomplete state.

In the original work, there were numerous occasions where the samurais, out of fear of Kabane’s existence, sparked conflicts and even slandered and killed ordinary people. It was not a strange occurrence.

Therefore, in this era, the samurais may seem to be assisting in governing the various stations, but in the hearts of ordinary citizens, they are almost indistinguishable from tyrants.

People don’t respect the samurais; they only fear them.

That’s the state of this era.

Perhaps this is why Konochi Kurusu is so persistent about the dignity of the samurais?

At least in Fang Li’s eyes, among the samurais in the original work, only Konochi Kurusu and Araka Kibito can truly be called samurais. The rest are just disappointing existences.

Therefore, Fang Li doesn’t want to become one of these people.

Even if it means getting closer to Yomogawa Ayame and protecting her, and thereby completing Main Quest 2 more effectively, Fang Li doesn’t want to do it.

Of course, Fang Li won’t state the reason because it will only hurt both sides’ harmony.

Regarding this, Yomogawa Ayame was a bit disappointed. It seems that she really wanted to help Fang Li and help him get rid of the identity of a wanderer.

As a future station administrator, such kindness is not a good thing.

But no one dislikes a kind person.

Fang Li is the same.

So Fang Li chatted a little more with Yomogawa Ayame, and during that time, he kept making her smile.

It’s not that Fang Li is particularly humorous; it’s just that this era lacks entertainment. As someone who lived 18 years in the information explosion era of the 21st century, Fang Li’s casual stories piqued Yomogawa Ayame’s curiosity and made her laugh incessantly.

This resulted in two outcomes.

One is that Yomogawa Ayame, as a sheltered young lady who hadn’t experienced much entertainment, rarely opened up and spoke with a hint of the charm unique to an innocent young girl, while still maintaining her manners.

The other is that Konochi Kurusu didn’t say another word throughout, but stared at Fang Li with a fierce gaze, as if looking at a bitter enemy. Rather than wanting to draw his sword and kill Fang Li, it seemed more like he wanted to pounce on him and take a bite.

In this pleasant conversation, Yomogawa Ayame suddenly seemed to remember something important and exclaimed in surprise.

“Ayame-sama?” Konochi Kurusu saw this as an opportunity to intervene and immediately asked, “What’s the matter?”

“I… I almost forgot,” Yomogawa Ayame said anxiously, “I still need to help my father repair his short-barreled steam gun today.”

At those words, Fang Li raised his head and looked at Yomogawa Ayame.

“————!”

In this moment, Yomogawa Ayame felt a chill spreading throughout her body.

Because, in that instant, Yomogawa Ayame saw it.

In the eyes of the wanderer she was conversing with, a hint of icy blue light flickered in his ordinary gaze.

That icy blue light seemed capable of robbing Yomogawa Ayame of her body temperature, as if it could erase the life within her, creating an illusion.

An illusion that she was not facing a person, but a god.

An illusion of Death God.

At that moment, Yomogawa Ayame couldn’t help but take two steps back.

“Ayame-sama?” Konochi Kurusu asked, puzzled. “What’s the matter?”

“Fang…Fang Li-san?” Yomogawa Ayame ignored Konochi Kurusu and looked at Fang Li with a frightened expression. She trembled as she spoke, “You… just now…”

Seeing Yomogawa Ayame’s terrified appearance, Fang Li inwardly cursed.

“I’m sorry, Ayame-sama,” Fang Li apologized sincerely. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“No…” Yomogawa Ayame placed a hand on her chest and hesitated for a moment before asking, her voice trembling, “But… your eyes just now…”

“My eyes?” Fang Li feigned confusion. “What happened to my eyes?”

Seeing Fang Li’s puzzled expression, Yomogawa Ayame regained her composure and looked into Fang Li’s eyes again.

There, she saw only a pair of ordinary dark eyes.

Could it be that I was mistaken just now?

That thought arose in Yomogawa Ayame’s mind.

Before she could come up with a reason, Fang Li reminded her, “Ayame-san, didn’t you say you wanted to help your father repair the short-barreled steam gun?”

“Oh… right.” Yomogawa Ayame nodded. “That’s why I came to find Kurusu. I wanted him to accompany me and act as my guard.”

“Then let’s go out quickly.” Although Konochi Kurusu was curious as to why Yomogawa Ayame suddenly overreacted, he still said, “If we delay the matters of the Consul General, we might face punishment.”

“You’re… you’re right.” Yomogawa Ayame still seemed somewhat concerned, but when she thought about the main task at hand, she had to bid farewell to Fang Li.

Just like before, Fang Li maintained a relaxed tone without any abnormality as he conversed with Yomogawa Ayame, and he saw her off with Konochi Kurusu.

Once Yomogawa Ayame and Konochi Kurusu had both left, the smile on Fang Li’s face gradually disappeared, replaced by a sigh.

“It seems like I need to find an opportunity to hone my control over the Mystic Eyes.”

Although Fang Li could suppress the activation of the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception with his will from the beginning, during fluctuations in his emotions, the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception would still involuntarily activate.

Just now, although the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception only surfaced for an instant, Fang Li clearly saw Yomogawa Ayame’s Death Lines.

The Death Lines crisscrossing Yomogawa Ayame’s body seemed to be tearing her apart, giving Fang Li the feeling that she was being ripped apart.

However, he never expected Yomogawa Ayame to be so sensitive that she noticed something was amiss.

“But repairing the short-barreled steam gun?”

This matter had only just come to Fang Li’s mind.

In the original work, on the very day the plot began, Yomogawa Ayame went to repair her father’s short-barreled Steam Gun.

“It seems that the plot has finally started.”