Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 111

“We have arrived, Your Highness.”

Alveira looked out the spaceship’s porthole and realized they had landed in the spaceport of the colonial space station Nuica. The gyroscope-shaped artificial space station floated silently in space, generating gravity through rotation. Its central axis remained tilted towards the Empire capital, the “Unfallen Star”. When it belonged to the Empire, it was a fortress standing at the Empire’s border. Now, as an independent free city-state, it was no longer under royal control, yet it retained its subtle tilt, as if reminiscing about the glory of the past or silently mocking the rulers of the Empire.

The spaceport was located at the tip of the “gyroscope”, offering a magnificent view of the starry sky. From Alveira’s angle, she could see a silver-banded nebula, with the twin star system Rylier, commonly known as the “Binary Flame”, rotating deep within. The crimson light of the red giant star reflected off the banded nebula, resembling a ruby ring floating in the vastness of space—or a drop of blood on a white ribbon.

Alveira wondered why she had such a frightening association, perhaps because the fiery red reminded her of Joanna Begrel’s red hair. She had traveled millions of light years to reach here, but the female pirate had already fallen like a meteor among the stars, never to return.

“Your Highness?” the young man beside her asked softly. “What’s wrong?”

Alveira snapped out of her thoughts. “Nothing, just thinking about something. It’s nothing important.” She smiled slightly to ease the young man’s tension.

The young man was named Casper Shannon, a colonel in the Empire Royal Space Navy. When Alveira requested Joanna’s flagship, the colonel volunteered to escort her to Milantu.

“I have my reasons for doing this,” Casper told her during the journey. “My old friend Lagrange is now in Begrel’s pirate fleet. I haven’t seen him in two or three years. The last time I wrote to him, he was still in prison.”

Alveira knew that Alois Lagrange and Casper were classmates. When Lagrange was her brother’s guard, he often mentioned his promising friend in the Empire army. After being falsely imprisoned, Casper never stopped trying to clear his friend’s name, although with little success.

Alveira had seen Lagrange once on Joanna’s ship, back when she had just escaped the perilous Leiting and naively thought she could stay on the ship and follow Joanna into exile. But everyone advised her to go back: Joanna, Lagrange, Darius—they all urged her to return to the Empire capital and be a good princess instead of a wild girl running around with pirates.

But now? Joanna was dead, Lagrange was missing, Darius was fighting the Duke’s rebels on the front lines, and he had sent his most trusted ally to bring her to the pirates’ stronghold—life’s twists and turns were indeed unpredictable.

“What should we do next, Your Highness?” Casper asked. “The civilian ship route only goes to Nuica. We might need to find another way to get to Milantu.”

Alveira nodded. “I heard some black market traders regularly travel to Milantu for trade. Maybe we can hitch a ride with them.” She smiled. “And stop calling me ‘Your Highness’.”

Casper stiffened. “Yes…yes, I’m sorry, Your…Miss Alveira.”

“Thank you for flying with us. Please proceed to the port in an orderly manner under the staff’s guidance. Thank you.” The calm, unemotional voice of a female announcer echoed.

The crowd surged towards the elevator like a dense swarm of ants. Casper followed closely behind Alveira, occasionally reaching out to protect her from bumping into other passengers. This place was too dangerous, the colonel thought. If the princess were to get injured or harmed by someone with ill intentions, Darius Bayes would surely flay him alive.

As Casper worried about the princess’s safety, a man in gray clothes and a low-brimmed hat suddenly appeared from the back, tapping Alveira on the shoulder.

“Ah! Who?” Alveira was startled.

Casper’s heart tightened. He pulled the man away, ready to teach this scoundrel a lesson, but as soon as he raised his fist, his arm was grabbed firmly from behind, unable to move.

“What!” Casper struggled to free himself but was restrained even tighter. “Let go! You scoundrel!” In his panic, he saw the spaceport guards pushing through the crowd towards them, so he shouted louder to draw their attention.

Several guards wielded batons to disperse the crowd. “What’s happening here?”

“Someone attacked us!” Casper yelled.

“No!” Alveira jumped up, stopping the guards from approaching. “We are friends, just playing around!” She turned to the man who tapped her on the shoulder. “Isn’t that right?”

“Yes.” The man smiled brightly at the guards.

The person holding Casper’s arm finally released him. “Just playing around,” the person said with a laugh.

The guards frowned, scanning them suspiciously before putting away their batons. “This is a spaceport!” one guard said irritably. “Do not disturb the order.”

“Yes, yes, we’ll catch up somewhere else.” Alveira took Casper’s arm, pulling him away from the two men. “Let’s find a quiet place.”

Now it was Casper who was confused. The princess dragged him through the spaceport into the elevator leading to the station’s interior. Only when the small elevator was left with the four of them did she let go.

“Who are you?” Casper turned to the two strangers.

The man in gray lifted his hat slightly, revealing a pair of blue eyes. “Hey, don’t you recognize me, Casper? After all the times I let you copy my homework. You’re so heartless!”

“…Alois?”

The colonel blinked incredulously, then turned to the other person—a man with long silver hair and heterochromatic black and gold eyes. “Assassin Mourner?” He couldn’t help but grin. “My god…what are you doing here!”

“Quite the coincidence, isn’t it?” The long-lost friend spread his arms, hugging his shoulders. “I should be asking you. Why are you here with Her Royal Highness?”

“We…” Casper looked at the princess, unsure whether to reveal their mission. She nodded.

“We are going to Milantu.”

“Milantu? What are you going there for?”

Alveira said, “To find a ship suitable for revenge.” 

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 110

Alois endured the indescribable pain throughout the entire night, but the pain subsided by the next day. As morning light filled the room, he opened his eyes and tried moving his arm. The prosthetic responded to his will and moved. The sensation was so subtle that he wondered if he was experiencing phantom limb syndrome.

“It’s not a phantom limb. You have a real arm now,” the doctor said. “However, you’ll need a week of rehabilitation training to adjust the prosthetic to your body’s needs and achieve optimal functionality.”

Rehabilitation training began with simple grasping motions, progressing to more complex tasks like writing and typing, and finally to strength and agility tests. The resourceful doctor even called in Dominic to accompany Alois for a “pleasant” morning in the training room. After being thrown against the wall for the sixth time, the blond man staggered to his feet, cursing the doctor in Olympus dialect as he fled.

The doctor, dissatisfied, tapped the screen, recording the dynamic data. “What an attitude! Mr. Fairmont is a shareholder of this hospital, yet his subordinates are so rude!”

He turned to Alois. “How do you feel?”

“Pretty good, as good as before,” the young man said, looking at his metal left arm, which glowed dark gold under the white light. “Even more sensitive.”

The prosthetic wasn’t as he had imagined—a mere piece of stiff metal. It had touch sensitivity and could detect temperature changes. Apart from its somewhat unsettling appearance, it was almost identical to a normal arm. The only downside was its lack of softness, feeling hard and cold to the touch. Alois worried that Joshua might not like it. Every time he looked at the assassin with questioning eyes, Joshua would simply grip his hand tightly without saying a word, leaving Alois no opportunity to ask.

After completing the rehabilitation training, Alois signed his discharge papers and was half-heartedly escorted out of the hospital. Jolene and Kepler picked him up in a car, and the four of them returned to Joshua’s residence in Avalon. Jolene and Kepler left after having a cup of tea, as they had come to Olympus for business related to the casino and had already delayed their schedule due to Alois’s situation. Alois felt deeply apologetic about this.

“Don’t worry about it, child,” Jolene said, hugging him before leaving. “I’ll come visit you often.”

“We probably won’t stay in Olympus for long, madam,” Alois said. “I plan to head to Milantu in a few days.”

“Ah, right, I forgot. You have your own business too,” Jolene said, wiping her eyes. “I’ll see you off when you leave.”

“Thank you, madam.”

“Make sure to call me often,” Jolene urged like a nagging mother. “And make sure to visit Neo Venice when you have time, or I won’t let you off!”

“Yes, madam.”

Joshua still had many matters to attend to. The next day, he needed to transfer the final payments to Gabriel, Maverick, and hacker Rod, as well as find time to visit “Godfather” Fairmont and invite Miss Harlan to dinner. (She specifically requested Alois join, but Joshua refused. Alois happily agreed. “I won’t let you spend time alone with a beautiful lady,” he said. “Men’s jealousy is stronger than women’s. I’ve seen it now,” Harlan commented.)

Additionally, Joshua needed to organize his peculiar collection.

He first coaxed Alois to bed, then dragged a storage box to the room filled with eyes. The glass orbs could be discarded as garbage, while the real eyes would be sent to the hospital’s affiliated university for students to dissect. Joshua carefully removed each jar from the “hive” and placed it into the storage box. He was surprised to find he could no longer identify which pair of eyes belonged to which unfortunate soul. He used to be able to name them effortlessly, but now he couldn’t recall. Being a cold-blooded assassin felt like a thing of the past. Just a year ago, he was traveling across border planets, claiming his targets’ lives and adding their eyes to his collection. Now, as he stood there reminiscing, it felt like events from a decade ago.

He had truly changed a lot.

“What are you thinking about?” someone said from the doorway.

Joshua was startled, dropping the jar, which rolled a few times on the floor. Alois stood leaning against the doorframe, watching him.

“Why are you awake?”

“I never slept.” He walked over to Joshua, picked up the jar, and handed it back to him. “Why are you putting them away?”

Joshua looked at him, then at the jar in his hand. “I don’t need them anymore.”

“You don’t like collecting eyes anymore?” Alois said with a playful smirk.

The assassin put the jar in the storage box and stood up to kiss Alois’s eyes. “Now I just need your eyes.”

Alois’s eyelashes fluttered like a butterfly landing on his lips.

“Just don’t take them out.”

“Your eyes are the most beautiful on you.”

Alois smiled, his blue eyes shining like gems. Joshua’s heart stirred, and he captured his lips, his hot tongue invading deeply, exploring every soft corner. Alois, unsteady on his feet, was pulled tightly into Joshua’s embrace.

“Mm…” Alois struggled to breathe, feeling like he was floating. He gripped Joshua’s back, accidentally pulling some hair. The assassin let go of him in pain.

“Sorry.” Alois quickly released him. “I… I still can’t control my strength well…” He looked down, feeling like a guilty child, hiding his metal prosthetic behind him. Joshua grabbed his hand and pulled him back.

“It’s okay,” the assassin said. “I like it when you hurt me.”

He tried to joke to lighten the mood, but Alois didn’t laugh, instead looking even more dejected.

“Joshua, will you not like it?”

“What?”

“The prosthetic.”

“Why would you think that?”

Alois avoided his gaze. “Because… it’s not very nice to look at, and it feels uncomfortable…”

“You think I care about that?” Joshua held his left hand. “If I cared, I wouldn’t have chosen this model in the first place.”

Alois nodded. “The doctor… the doctor told me.”

“I love you. I love every part of you. If I care about anything, it’s hating the person who broke your hand and blaming myself for not taking better care of you.”

“It… It’s not your fault…” Alois nearly cried.

Joshua hugged him, his fingers brushing over the cold metal. He stared at the nearly empty shelf, which used to be filled with his dark, twisted memories. Now, he was emptying it, just like he was clearing his heart to make room for someone else.

He thought, ‘It’s time.’

“I have something to give you. Wait here.”

He released Alois and left the room, returning with a small black box.

“I’ve carried this for a long time, wanting to give it to you, but I never had the courage,” Joshua admitted. “I wasn’t ready, and I was afraid you’d refuse, so until now…”

Alois looked puzzled. “What is it?”

Joshua opened the box.

Inside, lined with soft white velvet, were two rings. The rings were crafted from a type of gemstone, glowing a beautiful pale purple in the faint light, with intricate engravings of flowers that surrounded the letters J and A.

Alois felt like he was suffocating, as if all the air had been sucked out of the room the moment the box opened. His throat trembled, and after a long while, he managed to speak in a hoarse voice. “This is… for me?”

“Yes.” Joshua nodded. “Will you accept it?”

In Milantu, he had asked Alois for rainbow obsidian and had “Spider” craft these rings. He had always wanted to give them to Alois but had never taken the step. Joshua had to admit he had a cowardly side. He feared Alois would reject him and lacked the courage to give everything to another person.

But now things were different. He was ready to embrace his future partner, to spend his short yet long life together, dedicating his life, soul, and love to that one person.

“Will you accept it?”

Alois blinked, tears streaming down his face. He could barely speak as he answered, “I will.”

Joshua took one ring and slid it onto Alois’s left ring finger. The prosthetic glowed softly under the ring’s light.

“Will you help me put mine on?”

Alois, still sniffling, placed the other ring on Joshua’s finger. The ring changed colors with the angle, shifting from pale purple to light blue, pale green, pink, and crimson.

“It’s beautiful,” Joshua said. “Do you like it?”

Alois couldn’t speak, only nodding vigorously.

They embraced tightly, as if they were always meant to hold each other and would never be apart again.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 109

“Stop touching me, Joshua! What do you think you’re doing?”

Joshua froze, then gave a suggestive smile. “What? Did my touch turn you on?”

He moved his hand to Alois’s groin, where it was already getting hard. Alois was always so sensitive in front of him. Just a few touches could ignite his desire. Joshua knew every spot on this body, exactly where to stimulate for the best response.

“Joshua, we’re in a hospital.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you—”

“I’m not trying to do anything like that, really,” Joshua said honestly. “It’s you who can’t control yourself.”

“Who do you think caused this in the first place?” Alois growled.

“What do you mean?” The assassin lifted the hem of Alois’s hospital gown, slipping his hand inside to tease his cock. “Are you talking about me making you hard?” He lightly licked Alois’s earlobe. “Or me training you to be this sensitive?”

Alois felt that no matter how he answered, it would be wrong. So, he decided to keep quiet. If he had just felt a bit aroused before, now it was becoming unbearable. He spread his legs, wanting Joshua to touch him more fully, but the assassin seemed to be teasing him deliberately, avoiding the most sensitive spots and only giving him a teasingly light pleasure.

“Can’t you take this seriously?” he finally swore.

Joshua’s smile deepened. “How seriously do you want me to take it?”

What else? Just do it! Do I need to teach you? Alois screamed internally. If he wasn’t in a condition where he couldn’t move, he would have flipped over and taken control himself!

He really wanted to. Just as he was about to act on this thought, Joshua pulled the covers off, exposing his naked lower body to the air.

“Hey, are we really doing this?”

“Do I look like that kind of person?” Joshua held Alois’s erect member. “Your body isn’t fully recovered, so just lie back and enjoy.”

Before Alois could respond, the assassin bent down and took his cock into his mouth. He went all the way to the base, until the head was deep in his throat, then slowly withdrew, repeating the motion several times. It felt strange, but not unpleasant. Hearing Alois moan in pleasure even made Joshua happy.

On reflection, they had known each other for so long and done everything together, but this was the first time Joshua had given him oral. While the assassin himself enjoyed being serviced, he had never done it for Alois. Subconsciously, he was still influenced by the shadows of his youth, perhaps mixed with some arrogance and inexplicable pride, making him reluctant to “lower himself” to do such things. Now, looking back, this kind of pointless resistance was utterly foolish—how selfish had he been in his relationship with Alois!

Joshua felt a wave of self-loathing for his selfishness. But then he thought, sometimes being selfish was necessary. Making Alois happy was one thing but keeping him close was another. For the latter, he would use any means necessary.

He licked and sucked on Alois’s penis, wrapping his lips around the swollen head, his tongue swirling over the tip, occasionally brushing over the small slit. As he noticed the young man’s breathing and heartbeat quicken, he licked even slower, savoring the entire length from base to tip, then taking the balls into his mouth. When his teeth grazed the surface, he heard Alois gasp.

“Stop, Joshua…” Alois’s breath was ragged. “I’m going to… cum…”

“Do it. I’ll swallow it all.”

Alois’s remaining right hand clenched the bedsheet, his body trembling as he ejaculated. Joshua kept his penis in his mouth, swallowing all the semen. The taste was strange, but because it was Alois’s, he liked it.

“How do you feel?” he asked.

Alois didn’t speak and just nodded. The gown’s hem was still open, revealing his flushed skin, as if he had just been violated rather than pleasured. Joshua went to the bathroom to wring out a towel, cleaning his body (and removing any evidence to avoid the perceptive doctor’s suspicion the next day), then straightened his clothes and laid back beside him.

“Joshua, you…” Alois turned his head closer to the assassin. “Don’t you need it?”

“I’ll take care of it myself.”

“I can help you…”

The assassin silenced him with a kiss.

“Your body isn’t fully recovered.” Joshua smiled. “Once you’re completely well, we’ll have plenty of time to ‘take care of it’.”

“…Okay.” Alois mumbled, burying his head in Joshua’s chest.

The scheduled day for the surgery quickly arrived. Alois was taken into the operating room to have the prosthesis installed. Despite the doctor’s repeated assurances that nothing would go wrong, Joshua still paced anxiously outside the operating room for most of the day. After the surgery, he followed Alois back to the ward, where the young man was still in post-anesthesia sleep.

“Surgery isn’t the scary part,” the doctor said seriously. “It’s the 24 hours after the anesthesia wears off that are the hardest.”

When Alois woke from his sleep, he understood the doctor’s words.

He woke up in pain, a pain comparable to when his hand was amputated. It was like the feeling of a bound hand being released, the pain and numbness from the blood circulation restoring. The artificial nerves in the prosthesis connecting to the body’s nerves felt similar but more intense. Alois felt like the area in contact with the prosthesis was burning, with thousands of steel needles coursing through his nerves, not missing a single opportunity to torment him.

He had to endure the pain awake; painkillers would negate the surgery’s effect.

Joshua stayed with him, and Jolene and Kepler also came. To distract from the pain, Alois asked Jolene to continue telling stories of their past. He focused all his attention on listening, trying to forget the pain in his body. When visiting hours ended and the doctor came to chase everyone away to let the patient rest, the pain still hadn’t ceased.

“I feel like I’m dying, Joshua.”

The assassin held him, kissing him constantly. “Hold on,” he said. “It’ll be over soon. If it still hurts, just bite me.”

So Alois did bite his shoulder. Joshua silently bore the pain. He shouldn’t have to suffer like this, Joshua thought. If I could take some of the pain for him, even a little…

A warm drop fell on his shoulder.

“What’s wrong?” Joshua quickly got up.

Alois had tears at the corners of his eyes. “It really hurts…” he sobbed.

Joshua hugged him tightly, his chin resting on the top of his head. “Cry if you need to.”

“I won’t.”

“Then keep biting.”

“You’re bleeding.”

Joshua realized his shoulder was bleeding from the bite. This small injury was nothing, he thought.

“I’m fine.”

Alois sniffed. “But I can’t bear to hurt you.”

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 108

The day after being transferred to a regular ward from the treatment pod, Alois woke up.

He felt like he had been suddenly yanked out of water after drowning, his lungs feeling uncomfortable. He took several deep breaths before realizing he could breathe. The sunlight was blinding, the window wide open, and the curtains drawn back, letting all the light flood in. Although it might have been a beautiful sight, it was extremely dazzling.

Alois closed his eyes, but the sunlight still pierced through his eyelids, creating a dark red haze in front of his eyes, like blood spreading out before him. He tried to cover his eyes, struggling for a long time without success. Then he remembered that his left hand was gone—broken under torture.

There was a rustling sound as someone pulled the curtains closed, darkening the room. Only then did Alois open his eyes, feeling parched and dizzy.

The mattress shifted and sagged slightly as someone sat down next to him. “You’re awake?” the person said gently.

“…Joshua?” Alois was startled by his own hoarse voice.

Joshua brought a cup of water, lifting him up slowly to help him drink. Alois felt a bit better. He grabbed Joshua’s sleeve with his only hand, stubbornly pulling him closer. “Joshua, is it really you?” he asked. “I’m not dreaming, am I?”

“You’re not.” Joshua set the cup aside, gently brushed a lock of hair from Alois’s forehead, and leaned down to give him a kiss. “Thank God, you finally woke up.”

Alois’s heart trembled. Joshua was really there beside him, looking a bit tired and haggard, but his hands and lips were warm. This wasn’t a dream. He had left that hellish place and returned to Joshua’s side.

“I…” Tears almost spilled from Alois’s eyes. “I thought I would never see you again…”

Joshua lifted him slightly, holding him close to his chest. “It’s all over,” the assassin whispered. “Don’t be afraid. I will always be here to protect you. No one will ever take you away from me again…”

The door to the ward was rudely pushed open, and Dominic entered, holding a large bouquet of flowers.

“Why is it so dark in here?” He nonchalantly pushed Joshua aside, placed the flowers in the vase on the bedside table, and then took it upon himself to open the curtains, letting bright sunlight flood the room.

“Now it looks like a proper ward!” he said, satisfied.

“What are you doing here?” “Who are you?” Joshua and Alois asked simultaneously.

Dominic’s face scrunched up. “Who am I?” He stared directly at Alois. “I’m your savior. I personally pulled you out of that damn collapsing building, and you dare ask who I am?”

Alois felt very awkward under his gaze. “Uh… thank you…”

Dominic tossed his golden head. “It was nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Didn’t you just ask for my thanks? And now you tell me not to worry? What do you mean? Alois screamed internally. He wanted to defy the decorum of a patient, jump up from the bed, and shove that golden head into the flowers—if he still had his left hand.

“And you.” Dominic turned to Joshua. “I’m here on behalf of Mr. Fairmont. Can’t you be a bit more polite?”

“I’ll visit personally to thank you another day.”

After a while, Joshua added, “Thank you, Dominic.”

Only then did Dominic leave, satisfied.

Not long after he left, Jolene and Kepler arrived, almost as if they were taking shifts. The moment Jolene saw Alois, she threw herself on him like a mother leopard reuniting with her cub, bawling loudly. Alois was utterly confused, his eyes darting between Joshua and these unfamiliar people, trying to find answers in their expressions but failing.

Joshua, unsure how to explain this complicated situation, sought help from Kepler. The loan shark smiled shrewdly and said to Alois, “Do you remember me, kid?”

In fact, Alois found the man somewhat familiar but couldn’t quite place him. Joshua whispered a hint in his ear. “Noe Venice.” Finally, he remembered the man’s identity.

“Ah… the loan shark!”

“My name is Erwin Kepler,” the loan shark said, making a gesture toward the still-sobbing Jolene. “This is Jolene Cavendish. We are friends of your father.”

Alois blinked. “My father’s… friends?”

“Yes, though you probably don’t know us.” Kepler gave a somewhat bitter smile.

Jolene looked up with tearful eyes. “We searched for your father for a long time after he disappeared…” She sobbed. “I had almost given up hope, but then we found you… Child, you…” She took Alois’s face in her trembling hands. “You look so much like your father…”

The young man was at a loss. “I… actually, I…” he stammered. “I don’t really remember what my father looked like… He passed away when I was very young, and there are no photos…”

Jolene hugged him tightly. “Oh, you poor child!” She pulled out her communication terminal from her bag, tapped a few times, and a holographic photo appeared. “Look, this is a picture of us with your father.”

In the photo, a group of young people stood in a row. Alois immediately recognized Jolene and Kepler; they hadn’t changed much, just aged. Jolene pointed to a young man in the corner. “See, this is your father.”

The young man was looking off to the side, seemingly distracted, like a solitary bird, not quite fitting in.

Alois touched his own face. The young man in the photo did bear some resemblance to him. Was this really his father? He couldn’t remember his father’s face, nor his mother’s. Her image was just a blurry shape behind frosted glass. Was this what his father looked like when he was young?

“Can I have a copy of this photo?”

“Of course, child.” Then Jolene took his hand and began recounting the past. Learning that his father was a famous master thief, Alois was quite shocked. But once he accepted it, it all seemed to make sense. Jolene spoke with tears streaming down, and Alois kept comforting her, making it seem as if she was the patient and he was the visiting family member.

If not for the attending doctor barging into the ward and ordering everyone to leave to avoid disturbing the patient’s rest, Jolene would have gladly talked for three days and nights. Under the doctor’s stern gaze, Jolene reluctantly left with Kepler, reminding Alois to rest well before departing.

Joshua was allowed to stay since Alois needed care. The assassin, who had probably never taken care of anyone in his life, was initially clumsy, prompting Alois to tease him for a long time.

“I can do this,” Joshua retorted. “I’ll take care of you from now on.”

“What about after I get the prosthesis?”

“That won’t change. Don’t even think about refusing me.” The assassin pushed him back onto the bed. “How do you feel? Tired?”

Alois shook his head. “I’m so happy,” he said. “I have two more family members now.”

Joshua ruffled his hair. “Get some rest. The surgery is scheduled for next Tuesday. They say it will be tough.”

“Can it be tougher than losing a hand?” Alois tried to joke, but Joshua’s face darkened. He quickly changed the subject. “I feel a bit cold.”

“Should I turn up the heat?”

“No.” Alois shifted to make space on the bed. “Come up.”

“…If the doctor sees, he’ll probably punch me.” Despite his words, Joshua removed his outer clothes and shoes, climbed onto the bed, and held Alois in his arms. He accidentally touched the left stump, causing a faint gasp of pain.

“Sorry.” Joshua quickly adjusted his position, embracing the young man’s back. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Alois nestled into his chest like a wounded animal. “It just hurts a bit.”

“It’s all my fault. I didn’t protect you. I’m sorry.” He kissed the black hair scattered on the pillow. Apologizing was all he could do; he didn’t dare ask for Alois’s forgiveness. Because of his negligence, Alois had suffered so much. He felt he deserved to die a thousand deaths.

Joshua felt as if something had struck his chest, making it hard to breathe. His heart felt repeatedly stabbed, dripping blood. When Alois was injured, he had felt as if he wanted to rip his own heart out. But even that wouldn’t bring any relief. He couldn’t turn back time to correct his mistakes, nor could he defy nature to restore Alois’s hand.

Alois had once said that if Joshua got hurt, he would be sad. Joshua felt the same way. Every time he saw Alois’s prosthetic, he would remember those words and feel immense pain. Joshua told himself that compared to what Alois had suffered, his own pain was nothing. He needed to remember this pain to avoid repeating his mistakes.

He felt Alois’s body tremble slightly in his arms. He touched the young man’s shoulder blade, shocked to find how thin he had become—in just a few days, he had lost so much weight. This realization hit Joshua hard. He moved his hand down to Alois’s waist, gently feeling it. Indeed, he had grown thinner.

Joshua felt like crying.

Suddenly, Alois pushed him away, exasperated. “Stop touching me, Joshua! What are you doing!”

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 107

In the end, Joshua couldn’t resist Jolene and was driven to another room designated for family members to rest. “Get a good sleep,” the casino owner commanded in her usual authoritative tone. “When I come to get you, if I find your eyes open, I promise they won’t open again.”

The assassin wasn’t easily intimidated by such threats, but he didn’t dare go against Jolene’s wishes. Though she wasn’t married and had no children, her demeanor was like that of a strict mother, making people obey. After she left, Joshua lay in the modestly furnished room, constantly replaying in his mind what he had heard from Jolene.

Master thief. Figaro. Neo Athens.

These words, when connected, seemed to hold some mysterious power, hinting at the truth Neo Athens had hidden until now. He should have figured it out sooner!

He took out his communication terminal, transforming it into a projector, and placed it on the floor.

“Leonard,” Joshua called out to the AI.

Leo, ever meticulous in his robe, appeared above the terminal. Today he looked especially solemn, likely because he had overheard Joshua and Jolene’s conversation through the hospital’s internal surveillance.

“Do you know what I’m going to ask?”

Leo folded his hands in his sleeves and squinted. “Ah, let me guess… you want to ask if the thing Figaro stole from Neo Athens was me?”

Joshua said nothing, implicitly acknowledging the AI’s guess.

“Yes. It was me.”

As expected, but the assassin was still a bit surprised by Leo’s frankness.

“What, did you think I’d be evasive?” Leo sneered. “What’s there to hide? Even if you didn’t ask me, Giorgione or Norlin Titian would tell you the answer.”

“They all know it was Figaro who stole your chip?”

“Of course. It’s no secret among the higher-ups in Neo Athens.”

“And Alois?” Joshua asked. “Do they all know Figaro is Alois’s father?”

“Of course—no, they don’t.” Leo dragged out his words. “Otherwise, he wouldn’t still be here.”

“How did you end up on Joanna’s ship?”

“That’s a long story.”

Joshua pressed his temples. “You’re confusing me.”

“Shall I tell you the whole story?”

“If it helps me understand the facts, go ahead.”

Leo pondered. “Let’s start from when Figaro stole the chip from Neo Athens. As you know, he received a mysterious and challenging mission to steal a chip containing a high-end AI—that’s me. He succeeded, and we left Neo Athens safely, but he didn’t deliver me to his employer.”

“Why?” Joshua asked, following Leo’s habit of timely questioning.

“Because he made a mistake. He got curious about his spoils and inserted the chip into his personal computer, and then…” Leo made a blooming gesture. “I woke up.”

“Seems like you didn’t do anything good once you woke up.”

“Oh, how can you say that? It hurts my feelings.” Leo pretended to be hurt. “I analyzed the situation immediately after waking up and persuaded Figaro not to hand me over to his employer—if I hadn’t, the galactic situation would have been overturned. Figaro was smart; although a thief, he had a sense of justice. He knew the item he had stolen could cause unprecedented disaster if misused. I advised him to flee, take his family far away, and I would create a new identity for him, erase all traces, allowing him to live the rest of his life worry-free—the price wasn’t handing me over. He could sell me or keep me for personal use. I didn’t care.” The AI spread his hands. “A great idea, ensuring both galactic peace and his future.”

“Did Figaro agree?”

“Why wouldn’t he?” Leonard shrugged. “He said he wanted to seek asylum in the Empire, so I got him tickets to the Empire capital and created a new identity for him. He changed his name to ‘Garcia Lagrange’, his wife was Ellen, and his son was Alois. Garcia Lagrange was an antique dealer who made a small fortune and moved his family to the capital, living a carefree life. No one knew he was the infamous ‘Figaro the Thief’. Not even his close associates could find him, let alone his employer or Neo Athens. He sold me to an underworld merchant, and we never contacted each other again. I drifted through the black market until Joanna bought me. She was twenty then, still a young girl.”

The AI sighed. “You humans have such short lives.”

Joshua felt no sympathy. He had long understood the fleeting nature of life, to the point of being numb to sorrow. “Did you always know Alois was Figaro’s son?”

“Ah, yes.” Leonard tilted his head. “I knew the first time I accessed his records.”

“And you kept it from him and from me?” Joshua asked.

“What else should I have done? ‘Hey, are you old Lagrange’s son? Hi! I’m an old friend of your father’s! He’s the one who stole me from Neo Athens!’ Should I have said that? Or ‘Hey, Joshua, I’ve got a secret for you. Your lover’s dad is the one who stole me from Neo Athens! It’s fate!’ Would that have worked?”

Joshua felt his chest tighten. “Does anyone else know? Does Joanna know?”

“So far, you’re the only one I’ve told,” Leo said seriously. “But I only learned later that Figaro died in the war. You humans always…”

Joshua quickly stopped his lament. “Why did Figaro join the military later?”

“You don’t know? The ‘Great Conscription’ of 1397. One-quarter of the Empire’s adult males were forcibly enlisted. Figaro was just unlucky.”

“So his death in the Battle of Dacia was a mere accident?”

Leo’s expression became very peculiar. “You mean that friendly fire incident? You suspect someone murdered Figaro and disguised it as an accident?”

“I have to suspect.”

Joshua had heard of the infamous “non-combat loss”. Allegedly, an Empire cruiser mistakenly attacked a supply ship, thinking it was an enemy, causing the supply ship to sink with no survivors. Alois’s father happened to be on that supply ship. The incident was filled with doubts, not least why the cruiser mistook the ship for an enemy. The captain claimed that after issuing the attack order, a scout identified the “enemy ship” as a supply ship. The captain ordered a ceasefire, but the computer system “malfunctioned”, and the attack continued until the supply ship sank.

The incident, full of inconsistencies, was deliberately downplayed and covered up by the Empire military, with everyone under a gag order. Unless the relevant documents were declassified seventy years later, no one would know the truth.

“To be honest…” Leo hesitated uncharacteristically. “I don’t think it was an accident. I believe someone orchestrated it.”

“You mean the so-called ‘malfunction’ and ‘error’ were deliberate?” A sense of foreboding rose in Joshua. “Who could cause such a massive ‘malfunction’ in a warship’s system? The AI of Neo Athens?”

“No.” Despite his dislike for his three siblings, Leonard was somewhat protective. “I can assure you they weren’t involved.”

“You swear?”

“On Isaac Asimov, John von Neumann, and Alan Turing.”

“Then who could it be? Human hackers couldn’t have such power.” Joshua’s voice grew lower. “Could there be a fifth AI in the world?”

Leo didn’t answer. He didn’t know and couldn’t speculate.

“Was Alois’s father silenced? By his employer?”

Leonard remained silent.

“Who was his employer? You must know.”

Leonard’s eyelashes fluttered. “I didn’t initially know, but I deduced the most likely answer.”

“Who?”

“Not a specific person, but a coordinated entity—a personified organization—the Federal Parliament.”

Joshua was speechless for a long time, stunned by the complexity of the truth.

“Will you tell him?” Leo turned his face. “Tell Alois all this?”

“He has the right to know. If he wants to know, I won’t hide it from him.”

Leo pursed his lips. “If he wants to know, let me tell him. If you relay it, God knows how you’ll distort the facts.”

“Don’t slander me!”

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 106

After the surgery, Alois was directly placed into a medical pod. Immersed in a treatment fluid filled with nutrients and nanomachines, he would largely recover in about a week. Since visits weren’t allowed, Joshua watched the pod’s interior from the reception room screen, barely leaving. Despite the doctors’ repeated assurances that there would be no complications, he refused to leave, having barely slept in days, only napping on the reception room sofa when Jolene forcefully ordered him to rest.

“You can’t go on like this,” Jolene scolded him in a maternal tone. “Even if you watch him all day, he won’t heal any faster. Look at you, so haggard. If he wakes up and sees you like this, won’t he be even more upset? If you care for him, go rest immediately.”

Joshua’s stubbornness was beyond her expectations. “No,” he resolutely refused. “Last time… last time I left him for less than an hour, and this happened to him…” The assassin clenched his fists. “I will never let him out of my sight again, not even for a second.”

Jolene held her forehead. She had never known the assassin was such an obsessive person. His demand was unreasonable, yet impossible to refuse. Jolene thought, if my lover went through something like this, I might become the same, wanting to be with him 24/7, even if it meant being joined at the hip.

Despite her sympathy, Jolene’s rationality hadn’t dropped to such an unreasonable level. “Go rest, now, immediately,” she ordered. “If you don’t want to be knocked out and dragged away, do as I say.”

Joshua glared at her defiantly, and Jolene glared back. As the tension in the room mounted, the reception room door suddenly opened, and a doctor entered, dispelling the tense atmosphere.

The doctor handed a report to Jolene and a transparent display board to Joshua. Adjusting his collar, he said politely, “Everything is going smoothly so far. Once the patient is moved to a regular ward, we can prepare for the prosthesis installation surgery. I’d like to get the family’s opinion on which type of prosthesis to use.” He tapped the display board, which immediately showed a dazzling array of images and data.

“Do you have any recommendations?” Joshua hadn’t studied medicine in a long time and was clueless.

“I personally recommend this one.” The doctor pointed to the display board. “The GK211001 model, the most advanced among realistic prostheses. The surface is covered with new silicone, making its appearance and feel indistinguishable from a real limb.”

Joshua frowned. “What does this data mean?” he asked. “The sensitivity and strength don’t seem very high.”

The doctor rubbed his hands together, an action that reminded Joshua of flies in summer. “Well… although it doesn’t look high, in reality, unless the patient is involved in high-intensity or high-precision work, this prosthesis is completely adequate.”

“No.” Joshua shook his head. “Alois is a pilot. He still needs to fly his fighter… He can’t be without a hand…”

The doctor looked at him with sympathy. “Then I recommend the GT3900.” He tapped the display board again, revealing another prosthesis. Unlike the previous realistic model, this one was made of metal, its dark golden surface seemed to have light flowing through it. “You can see its data—its strength, speed, and sensitivity are all very high. Once installed, it can be as agile as the original limb, even better. However, for performance, you must sacrifice some appearance. It doesn’t pursue the high realism of the GK series, but its performance is unmatched. As you can see, it has a high-sensitivity pressure metal surface and a dissociation heat insulation layer…” Seeing the doctor about to launch into an extensive product introduction, Joshua raised his hand to stop him. “We’ll take this one.” He glanced at Jolene, who had no objections, and handed the display board back to the doctor. Satisfied, the doctor left.

Joshua crossed his arms, anxiously saying to Jolene, “I’m not sure if this is the right decision… Shouldn’t we wait for Alois to wake up and get his opinion?”

“I think he will agree,” Jolene said kindly. “You did the right thing. Appearance doesn’t matter. What’s most important is that it can help him in his future life.” She looked at the screen where the young man was still sleeping peacefully. “Tell me about you two. I haven’t heard the full story. How did you meet?” She smiled. “Would you mind telling this old lady?”

Joshua gathered his thoughts and recalled his first encounter with Alois. “We met on the prison planet Hecate…”

He seemed to travel back in time, reliving the moments of meeting, knowing, and falling in love with Alois. He talked about escaping Hecate with Joanna and boarding the Lady of the Night; about arriving in Neo Venice and reveling in the sea breeze; about coming to Milantu and sharing confessions under the deep red starlight. He recounted their quarrels and reconciliations, facing dangers and fighting side by side. Joshua realized how much they had been through together. All the most beautiful, joyous, thrilling, sorrowful, and peaceful moments in his life, he had experienced with Alois. They had walked together until now and would continue to walk hand in hand into the vast future.

When he talked about repeatedly rejecting Alois’s love, Joshua deeply regretted it. Alois was such a good person, sincerely loving him, willing to give everything for him, yet he had foolishly rejected him time and again. Joshua wished he could travel back in time and slap himself. If only he had accepted sooner, they would have had more time together—ideally, he would have committed to him the first time they met instead of teasing him. Joshua had never regretted his foolishness as much as he did now.

“You really love him,” Jolene said after listening to Joshua’s remorseful account. “Meeting someone who truly cares for you isn’t easy. I only understood this at my age. It’s wonderful that you realize it now.”

She looked down at the report in her hands. “His parents would be happy for you two.”

Joshua suddenly turned. “Alois rarely talks about his parents. They passed away when he was young, and I never dared to ask.” He saw the report in Jolene’s hand—a DNA identification report. “You know about his parents, don’t you?”

Jolene smiled bitterly, spreading the report. “He really is Figaro’s son… Do you know Figaro?”

Joshua was stunned. The answer was unexpected but made sense. “In Olympus, everyone knows the name ‘Figaro the Master Thief’.” Even before Joshua arrived at the colony, Figaro was already a legend in the underworld. His fame was so great that even after more than twenty years, his name still echoed among the people.

“Perhaps it was fate. Back then, Kepler, our other companions, and I met Figaro in Olympus. And now I meet his son here. It’s like drawing a big circle and returning to the starting point.” Jolene’s eyes grew moist. “Figaro was the best among us. No one could compare to him. He was a loner, often disappearing without a trace, but whenever a mission needed him, he was always there. He treated his companions very well… We were like family. I was even a bridesmaid at his wedding.” She wiped her eyes. “His wife, Alois’s mother, was an ordinary person who never knew our true profession and thought Figaro was an antique dealer.” She laughed self-mockingly. “One time, Figaro received a special mission. I don’t know the details, but he acted alone without calling us. I only know he went to Neo Athens to steal something…”

“Neo Athens?” Joshua interrupted her.

“Yes. Neo Athens. Missions there are much tougher than elsewhere. I don’t know if Figaro succeeded, but after that, he disappeared completely, leaving his family behind. Calls and letters went unanswered—he vanished as if into thin air. I thought something must have happened to him, or he had to go into hiding for some reason… We’ve been searching for years without any news. I had almost given up hope…” Jolene pressed the report to her chest, eyes closed as if praying. “But then I met his son. Even if I can never see Figaro again, I can still help his son… This must be a blessing from above, finally fulfilling my wish.”

Joshua placed a hand on her shoulder. “The Lord has not only just blessed you, Ms. Jolene. When Alois wakes up and learns he has gained two more family members, he will be very happy too.”

But the assassin thought: Neo Athens.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 105

Annoying drizzle fell into the unfinished building, tapping on the rusty steel bars with an unpleasant, sharp sound. The rain on Olympus was highly acidic. Without protective anti-corrosion coating, buildings would be eroded beyond recognition in a few years.

Raindrops hit the silver blade, bursting into countless splashes like a fleeting flower, blooming and withering in an instant. The short knife and the blade clashed at speeds invisible to the naked eye. The fierce friction of metal produced dazzling sparks, and the sound of the blades slicing through the air intertwined with the rain, creating a mournful battle song.

Joshua stepped forward, his short knife stabbing into Faraday’s left shoulder, only to be blocked by something hard, nearly breaking the blade. The assassin withdrew his weapon, cursing under his breath. Who knew how many parts of this guy’s body had been turned into machinery, making it hard to find a weak spot. Using this advantage, Faraday’s attacks were wide and reckless, full of openings, but they couldn’t be penetrated.

“How do you like this mechanical body?” Faraday laughed. “I love it! I wish everyone could be like this! How about giving your lover a mechanical body too? Would you like that?”

He swung his blade, which Joshua firmly parried.

“Don’t impose your preferences on others, you pervert.” Joshua deflected the blade, gripping his short knife in reverse and thrusting forward. The knife’s edge hit Faraday’s chest, the sensation still one of striking metal. Joshua dragged the knife down hard, the scraping sound against the metallic skin was bone-chilling. When it reached the abdomen, it finally pierced into flesh.

“Seems like you’re not entirely a machine.” Joshua smirked.

Faraday maintained his manic smile, eyes wide as if he didn’t feel the pain. He grabbed the blade with his good hand, ignoring his fingers being cut, blood flowing down the edge, and pulled it out.

“Doesn’t matter.” He grinned. “If it breaks, I’ll replace it. Wherever it doesn’t work, I’ll replace it with machinery. Even organs can be replaced with artificial ones. I don’t care!”

“Why don’t you replace your brain too!” Joshua pulled back his knife, aiming for Faraday’s head. It seemed the only place left where he could deliver a fatal blow. The assassin imagined plunging the blade into those hateful eyes, through the skull, turning the brain to mush, and exiting the back of the skull—just the thought excited him.

Simply sending him to hell would be too merciful. Joshua wanted to tear the man in front of him to pieces, dismantle his limbs, pull out his organs, expose them to the sun, slowly taking his life, making him suffer the pain Alois endured!

The short knife swung faster and faster, forcing Faraday into a corner of the building. With the crisscrossing steel bars behind him, a formidable enemy in front, a gloomy sky above, and an endless abyss below, he was trapped again.

Am I going to die? Faraday thought. No, no, I can’t even be considered “alive” now, so how can there be “death”? I merely exist or turn into nothingness.

For a moment, the falling raindrops stopped. Time and space froze before him, and he heard a prolonged creaking sound, then time resumed.

The steel bar, pierced by a laser earlier, could no longer bear the weight above. Under gravity, it snapped, collapsed, and fell with a loud crash.

Joshua reacted quickly, retreating along the uneven corridor to the other side of the floor. By then, a third of the building had collapsed, the remaining part maintaining a precarious balance. Rain fell gently on the rubble, like tears mourning the dead.

Faraday was nowhere to be seen, likely buried under the rubble. His chances of survival were slim; even if he lived, he couldn’t escape the surrounding net. Though his death was dramatic, it was still too merciful.

Joshua didn’t dare linger in the dangerous building, finding a path through the scattered steel bars to go downstairs.

Suddenly, Jolene’s voice came through the earpiece. “Joshua? Are you okay? I saw part of the building collapse.”

“I’m fine, madam,” the assassin replied. “What about Alois? Have you found him?”

“We’ve found him. He’s alive but badly injured, currently in an ambulance. He…”

Joshua was no longer listening.

Alois was alive. He was alive. He was badly injured, but he was alive.

Ecstasy and bitterness filled the assassin’s chest. By the time he regained his senses, Jolene was still talking, urging him to leave the building quickly as it could collapse entirely at any moment. He was drenched, tears mingling with rain on his cheeks.

Dominic had suffered some minor injuries, but after being bandaged, he was mostly fine. He was now respectfully opening the hospital corridor door for “Godfather” Fairmont, leading him to the floor where the operating room was located.

The light above the operating room door was still on. Jolene sat on the bench outside, Kepler standing beside her, bent over, saying something to her. She nodded, choking back sobs.

“Ms. Jolene.” Fairmont raised his hand, and Dominic immediately understood, stepping back. “It’s been many years, and it’s so good to see you again.”

Jolene looked at him with tear-filled eyes. “Fairmont, it’s you… You’re here.”

The “Godfather” displayed perfect gentlemanly manners, pulling out a handkerchief and handing it to Jolene. “Don’t be sad, Jolene.” He took the liberty of dropping the formalities. “Is the child alright?”

Jolene took the handkerchief, sobbing. “The doctor… The doctor said he’s not in any life-threatening danger… but… but his hand…”

Before she could finish, the corridor door burst open with a bang. The Mourner rushed in, drenched, his hair in disarray, dripping water. Dominic quickly followed, tugging at his clothes. “Calm down. This is a hospital. He’ll be fine!”

The Mourner ignored him. He walked to the operating room door, staring blankly at the light above the door, before turning around and collapsing beside Jolene.

“He… Is he alright?” the Mourner asked softly.

Jolene, startled by his despondent look, forgot her own tears and quickly comforted him. “The doctor said he’s badly injured but not in life-threatening danger. Once the surgery is over and he’s in the treatment pod, he’ll recover in a week. But his hand…”

“Is it gone?”

Jolene didn’t know what to say, so she silently handed Fairmont’s handkerchief to Joshua. The assassin took it without a word, clutching it tightly, as if holding back immense sorrow and anger.

“Don’t worry, Mourner,” Fairmont said, stepping in front of him. “This hospital’s prosthetic installation technology is among the best on the planet, on par with those in Neo Athens or Asclepius. With a prosthetic, the child will live a normal life. Don’t worry.”

Joshua nodded silently. Fairmont sighed inwardly for him.

……

Leslie Faraday opened his eyes. The rain washed over his body, and even though most of his body was mechanical, he still felt cold. The weight on his body told him he was buried under the rubble. He tried moving his limbs. His hands could still move, but one leg was pinned down. Luckily, it was his prosthetic. He carefully sat up, dismantled the joint of the prosthetic, freeing himself, then dug the prosthetic out from under the rubble and reattached it.

The process took a lot of time. The prosthetic was severely damaged, but still barely usable. Faraday limped out of the rubble. With fallen steel bars everywhere, he sometimes had to crawl on all fours. His abdomen hurt terribly, not just from the Mourner’s injury but internally as well, likely from the fall. Even artificial organs, if damaged and untreated, could lead to death. Faraday had no hope of any comrades surviving. He needed to find a hospital quickly, repair his damaged limbs and organs, and report the defeat to the Duke.

He staggered out of the rubble, heading toward the center of Takamagahara. The rain and pain made every step torturous, and he soon collapsed.

A bright light stung his eyes. His functioning cybernetic eye saw a ground car screech to a halt before him, splashing dirty water.

“Why did you stop suddenly, Epolyne?” a man said.

“Someone collapsed in the middle of the road. I had to stop or I’d run him over,” a woman replied.

“Oh, you didn’t hit him, did you?”

“He ran right into the road!”

“Come on, every driver says that.”

Someone turned him over, face up. Faraday saw a young man with glasses crouching beside him. He said weakly, “Help… save me… save me…” Each word brought blood gushing from his mouth.

“He’s asking for help.” The man seemed amused rather than sympathetic. “Epolyne, look, so many parts of him have been replaced with prosthetics.”

The woman named Epolyne said, “It’s quite similar to your experimental concept, Doctor.”

The man’s eyes lit up with excitement, like a child with a new toy. “Epolyne, get him into the car! I’ve found a new test subject!”

“It’s not good to just pick people off the street, Doctor.”

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 104

The abandoned sewer was filled with a putrid smell, as if something had rotted there. Joshua guessed it was probably rats. These resilient creatures had followed the settlers from Old Earth to various planets, setting up camps and conquering the new world in their own way. They were born in darkness, died in darkness, decayed in darkness, and then became darkness itself.

The assassin held a flashlight high, dispelling the thick darkness. Dominic Fourier led the way, with two other assassins following behind. The rest of the group, along with Jolene, were attacking from the front of the building. There were no surveillance cameras in this abandoned building, and Leo had risked using a military satellite, but it was of little help. That’s fine, Joshua thought. Both sides were equal, and now it was all about strength.

At the end of the sewer was a rusty ladder. A group of rats, startled by the light and footsteps, scattered in all directions. Dominic, holding the flashlight in his mouth, was the first to climb the ladder, struggling to move the manhole cover.

“Let’s go.” He leapt up like an agile feline. Joshua followed closely behind.

Exiting the sewer, they found themselves in a narrow lightwell, flanked by walls stacked with layers of steel bars, like towering mountains pressing down, leaving only a small patch of starry night sky to catch their breath.

Dominic opened a holographic map, pointing to a small red dot. “This is where we are. Ms. Jolene will attack from this direction—” His finger slid along a line to the top of the map. “If the enemy doesn’t want to die with us, they’ll escape in this direction. Capture any one of them and find out where the hostage is being held.” He glanced at Joshua, as if asking, “Do you understand?”

Joshua felt insulted. “I understand.”

“The priority is to rescue the hostage,” Dominic said. “Don’t get entangled with the enemy. Even if they escape the building, your AI and hacker can track down any stragglers.”

“…I know that too.”

“Then let’s split up as planned.” Dominic pointed to the earpiece in his ear. “Stay in touch.”

“What’s going on?!”

A loud explosion echoed into the small interrogation room, causing Leslie Faraday to release the nearly lifeless hostage and push the door open to question the guard standing by.

“D-don’t know, Mr. Faraday.” The guard stammered, meeting the unfeeling cybernetic eye.

Faraday kicked him to the ground. “Useless!” His half-metal skull had a built-in communicator, now filled with static noise, irritating him. “What’s happening!” he barked at his men downstairs.

“Reporting! There’s an intruder!”

“Who?”

“Unknown!”

Faraday spat. “How many of them?”

“M-many!”

“Damn it!” A bunch of useless fools! He grabbed a submachine gun from a nearby subordinate. “You stay here. I’ll check it out. Don’t let the hostage escape!” As if that guy could escape!

The chaotic sounds of battle reached Faraday through both the communicator and the air. Annoyed, he jumped down a makeshift steel ladder, landing on a platform. From here, he could clearly see the battle below—a group of strangers was fighting his men. The enemy’s weapons were excellent, and they were well-trained and coordinated—not a random band of robbers but an organized and disciplined army.

Could it be that the Mourner had already discovered their hiding place? Where did he gather these people from?

Faraday tried to contact “Salesman”. Earlier, Salesman had messaged that the chip was safely stored in the bank, but there had been no word since. Had something happened to him? Or had he defected with the chip? If it was the latter, was it his own decision or the Duke’s order?

The sounds of fighting grew louder, and Faraday felt increasingly uneasy. He had been closer to death than anyone else and should no longer fear it, but in reality, his previous brush with death made him value life more. If he died, he wouldn’t achieve his goals, restore his honor, or get his revenge.

There was still a small squad on standby at the top of the building, awaiting his orders. He ordered them to retreat. Running away wasn’t cowardice. It was preparing for the next victory.

“Should we take the hostage?” the squad leader asked.

Faraday initially wanted to say “take him,” but bringing the hostage would slow their retreat. Besides, the hostage couldn’t move in his current state. If he died on the way, they’d have to deal with the body.

“Kill the hostage,” he said. “Leave no loose ends.”

“The boss says to kill the hostage.” The guards at the cell door exchanged glances.

“Is that okay?” one asked. “If we leave him here, he’ll surely be dead by tomorrow.”

“The boss probably wants to speed things up.” His companion peeked into the cell. The walls were smeared with blood, looking like a crime scene. A dark red figure lay in the corner, barely alive.

“Give me the gun.” His gun had been taken by the boss, and the weapons room was on the other side of the floor. He didn’t want to run that far, so he grabbed his companion’s submachine gun and walked into the cell.

“Oh, poor guy,” his companion said. “The boss tortured him so badly, and now he’s going to die. Give him a quick death. Just hearing his screams hurts me. If the boss had a bit of humanity, he’d…” He didn’t finish, as a blond man in black appeared like a ghost, slitting his throat with a hunting knife.

The guard inside the cell was unaware of what was happening behind him. “Humanity?” he responded absentmindedly. “What’s that? Can you eat it?”

Then a cold blade pressed against his back.

“No,” someone whispered from behind. “It’ll choke you.”

The knife pierced his heart, spilling droplets of blood. Dominic withdrew the knife and caught the falling body. He gently laid it down, closed the dead man’s eyes, and then approached the corner of the cell.

The hostage they needed to rescue lay there. As the Mourner had described, his left hand was gone, his right hand was cuffed to the wall, either broken or dislocated, and his body was covered in various wounds, likely from different torture devices. The air was thick with the smell of burnt flesh, suggesting the furnace on the other side of the cell had been used.

Dominic pressed his earpiece. “Ms. Jolene?”

“Dominic? Have you found the hostage?”

“Yes, madam, on the west side, ninth floor, in a windowless room.”

“…Is he alive?”

Dominic brushed aside the blood-matted hair and felt for a pulse on the hostage’s neck. “He’s alive.” The assassin sighed in relief. “But it’s best not to let the Mourner see him… He’ll go mad.”

Joshua was nearly going mad. He had searched layer by layer upwards, not encountering a single enemy. He checked every room, hoping to find Alois or at least run into an enemy to vent his anger on.

But he found no one, not even a rat. At one point, he even suspected Dominic had set him up; that blond guy didn’t look trustworthy.

Every second wasted increased Alois’s danger. Joshua was burning with anxiety, forgetting to conceal his presence. He might be discovered, but he welcomed it. If he couldn’t find the enemy, let the enemy find him.

A laser beam brushed past his ear, piercing the rusty steel framework behind him. The already unstable framework groaned but didn’t collapse immediately.

Joshua quickly pinpointed the enemy’s location and returned fire.

Ping!

The beam entered the shadows and bounced out at a strange angle—it had been deflected by something.

“Come out.”

The sound of one heavy and one light footstep told Joshua the enemy had a mechanical leg. That explained the deflected beam; advanced metal prosthetics could reflect light.

Leslie Faraday stepped out of the shadows, his intact eye fixed on Joshua like a fly on food, while his cybernetic eye spun aimlessly in its socket.

“Mourner?” His half-metal, half-flesh face twisted into a grin. “Here to save your lover?”

The gun was aimed at the center of the smile. “Where is he?”

Faraday dropped his gun, and a sharp blade popped out from his prosthetic limb. “In the arms of the Lord.”

The Mourner’s pupils contracted sharply.

He threw away his gun, drew a short knife from his leg, and then slowly removed the white flower pinned to his chest, tossing it forward gently. The flower twirled in the air like a feather.

“For you.”

The short knife struck like lightning as white petals fluttered and scattered.

---

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Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 103

Jolene Cavendish stepped out of the carriage, and the night wind blew her painstakingly groomed hair into disarray again. It was still early morning, and the red lands of Olympus lay quietly asleep under the star-studded night sky, while those active at night had just woken up from their dreams.

Seven or eight black hovercars were parked in a row by the roadside, each car occupied by three or four men with grim expressions. The leading man, about thirty years old, had his light golden hair tied into a ponytail. Jolene noticed he had two guns at his waist.

“Are you Mr. Dominic?” Jolene walked towards the man and extended her hand.

“Yes, I am.” Dominic was a trusted subordinate of the Fairmonts, the family’s top assassin. He took Jolene’s hand and kissed it. “Mr. Fairmont asked me to kiss you on his behalf, madam.”

“Fortunately, Kepler isn’t here, or he would definitely throw a fit,” Jolene said in a conspiratorial tone. “Don’t tell him.”

“I’ll keep it a secret.”

Dominic’s green eyes then turned to the person behind Jolene—a silver-haired man dressed in a black coat like the Mourner’s outfit, with a white flower pinned to his chest. His eyes were dark as the night, but a ring of flame seemed to burn around his pupils. This was the “Abyssal Fire”, the purgatorial flames that burned all enemies to ashes.

Dominic nodded in greeting to him. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Mourner.”

“You too, Dominic Fourier.”

The two shook hands.

“When are we departing?” Dominic asked.

“We’re waiting for Mr. Kepler’s instructions.”

“Where is he?”

“At the New Zurich Bank.”

Kepler walked into the 24-hour lobby of the New Zurich Bank, where the teller, who always wore the same expression, looked up and smiled at him. “How can I help you, sir?”

“I have something to deposit.”

“Do you have an account with us?”

Kepler recited a string of numbers. The teller checked the computer for a moment and asked, “What do you want to deposit?”

“A small item.” The loan shark placed a thin chip on the counter, producing a faint sound upon contact. The teller put on gloves, carefully picked up the chip, placed it in a storage box, and called a colleague to take the box to the bank’s vault.

“The item you wish to deposit has been received. Please press your fingerprint.”

Kepler pressed his index finger on the fingerprint scanner, which lit up green. The teller handed him a paper receipt.

“That’s it?” The process was so simple that it surprised the loan shark. He had expected to be led into a small room and subjected to rigorous verification.

“Yes.” The teller smiled. “Do you need any other services?”

“No.” The loan shark folded the receipt twice and put it in his pocket, then turned and left the bank. He turned a corner and entered a large supermarket, pretending to shop while putting on an earpiece for his communication terminal. An AI and a super hacker were working in shifts, analyzing and organizing the collected data for him.

“The bank has sent a receipt of the item to the vault owner,” the AI Leonard said through the earphone. “Successfully hacked into the surveillance system. Two suspicious targets identified. Someone is following you, Kepler.”

The loan shark picked up a makeup mirror and saw two men sneakily watching him from behind a shelf. He put down the mirror and quickly walked into the supermarket’s public restroom. After a while, one of the men followed him in. Kepler pretended to wash his hands and, when the man walked up behind him, suddenly turned and punched him in the abdomen. The man screamed in pain, clutching his stomach. Kepler chopped the back of his neck, rendering him unconscious, and dragged him into an empty stall. The other man, who had been waiting outside, rushed in upon hearing the scream. Kepler knocked him out in the same way and dragged him into the same stall. After thinking for a moment, he pulled down their pants, closed the stall door, and walked out of the restroom.

A supermarket security guard heard the noise and approached. “Is everything okay, sir?”

Kepler stopped him. “No, nothing. Just two young men.” His face seemed to say, “You know what I mean.” The guard nodded knowingly. “Young people, they’re impulsive.”

“Indeed,” the loan shark agreed. He bought a towel and left the supermarket, then walked back to the bank. This time, he didn’t go directly to the lobby but waited quietly at a nearby corner.

A rustling sound came through the earpiece. “He’s here.”

A man in a black suit walked into the bank.

“Is he alone?” Kepler asked.

“No, he has two accomplices in the car. There’s a black ground vehicle at your two o’clock. Do you see it?”

“I see it. Buy me some time.”

“Okay. I’ll create a computer malfunction in the bank.”

Kepler pulled out the gun at his waist, attached a silencer, unlocked the safety, and confirmed it was ready to fire. He put it back in his pocket and walked towards the ground vehicle. The two people inside noticed a stranger approaching and immediately became alert. Kepler gave them no time to react. Once he was within shooting range, he drew his gun and fired. Two bright beams pierced through the car window and the two men’s heads.

“He’s got the item and is about to leave the bank.”

Kepler opened the car door and arranged the two bodies as if they were resting against the seatbacks, then hid on the other side of the car. After a while, the man who had gone into the bank to retrieve the chip returned. He gasped upon seeing the bullet holes in the car window. At that moment, Kepler leaped onto the car roof and used the momentum of his fall to knock the man to the ground. As he landed, he shot the man’s hands and stuffed the newly bought towel into his mouth as he screamed, muffling the sound.

“Don’t make noise, kid.” Kepler opened the car door, kicked the man inside, and fired two more shots at his legs before climbing in. He pressed the gun to the man’s forehead and said, “Now, I ask the questions, and you nod or shake your head. Understood?”

The man nodded frantically. The car was filled with a strong smell of blood, and the two companions in the front seat were already dead. He knew if he dared to resist, he would soon join his companions in the afterlife.

“Are you the assassin ‘Salesman’?”

Nod.

“Are you a subordinate of Duke Winnet?”

Nod.

“Is the Duke in Olympus?”

Shake head.

“Did you plan this absurd kidnapping?”

Shake head.

“You take orders directly from someone else—another subordinate of the Duke?”

Hesitation, nod.

“Is your ‘superior’ currently at the place where Alois Lagrange is being held?”

Nod.

“Can you contact your ‘superior’ now?”

Nod.

Kepler searched him for a while and found a communication terminal. “With this?”

Nod.

“I like honest kids,” Kepler smiled. “Now, goodbye.” He pulled the trigger.

Three bodies in the car posed a problem. So Kepler dragged the driver’s body to the back seat and drove to “Godfather” Fairmont’s territory. He would handle the three dead bodies perfectly, leaving no trace. The terminal taken from the “Salesman” was connected to Kepler’s terminal, and Leo was scanning its data to locate the “superior” and the place where Alois was being held.

Joshua smoked under the starry sky. He had borrowed the strong-tasting cigarette from Dominic, which he wasn’t used to. But with nothing else to do, he smoked one after another until a pile of cigarette butts formed at his feet.

“Joshua?” Leo’s voice came through the earphone.

The assassin threw away the half-smoked cigarette. “Have you found it?”

“Yes. I’m sending the analyzed address to you now.”

The enemy’s location was sent to Joshua’s communication terminal. Dominic leaned over, pointing at the holographic satellite map. “I know this place. It’s an unfinished building in the Takamagahara District. Although the building was never completed, the land remains privately owned and is usually off-limits… and no one wants to go there anyway.”

Joshua glanced at Dominic. “What’s the terrain like around it?”

“There should be an abandoned sewer left from the construction. Here.” Dominic pointed on the holographic map. “The entrance is here and leads inside the building.”

Joshua stared at the holographic model of the building, memorizing every room, staircase, and passage.

“Let’s go.” He stomped out the cigarette butt, grinding it into the red soil.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 102

Joshua stood in the center of the study, with Jolene and Kepler standing beside him. The holographic projection arranged the surroundings to resemble a conference room. He hadn’t used the “meeting” mode in a long time. The last time was when a prominent client had required him to cooperate with several peers to execute a mission, necessitating him to stay in the study around the clock for instructions or to give orders. “Meeting” mode meant he had encountered a tricky case that he couldn’t handle alone and had to summon the best in the field to assist him.

“Fairmont,” Joshua called out a name. A man’s three-dimensional projection appeared to his right front.

“Here,” the man said.

“Maverick.”

“Present!”

“Rod.”

“At your service.”

“Gabriel.”

“So, you need my help too, huh!”

“Harlan.”

“My pleasure.”

With each name Joshua called, a figure appeared near him. He summoned a total of five people—four men and one woman—all influential figures in Olympus’s underworld. Each name alone was enough to shake the planet. Now, they were in the same room, brainstorming and contributing to the same cause.

“Long time no see, Mourner,” Harlan said. She was a beautiful woman with long curly hair. “I thought you’d never appear in Olympus again.”

“Didn’t you switch to piracy?” information broker Gabri said. “Why are you back? Pirate life not good enough?”

“Let me guess, a tough mission?” Maverick said. He was the planet’s most renowned assassin broker. “Can’t handle it alone? I’m intrigued.”

Joshua smirked, accepting his friends’ jests. Yes, friends—he used that term. These people could have refused his request, but they came, attending a virtual meeting just to help him. This almost amounted to “friendship”. Joshua always thought of himself as a loner, but in times of trouble, he realized he did have friends.

“Who are the two beside you?” Fairmont asked. He was the godfather of Olympus’s largest mafia. “Am I seeing things, or do they look like Erwin Kepler and Jolene Cavendish from Neo Venice?”

“You’re not mistaken.” Jolene smiled. “Didn’t expect to see you here, Mr. Fairmont.”

“I’m surprised too. Forgive me for not being able to kiss your hand, madam. If possible, after this matter is resolved, may I invite you for tea?”

Kepler coughed, and Jolene rolled her eyes at him. “I’d be honored, sir. But right now, there’s something more urgent.”

Fairmont nodded gracefully and turned to Joshua. “Speak, Mourner. What brings us together?”

Joshua clasped his hands behind his back, instinctively trying to appear more righteous in front of the godfather. “Strictly speaking, it’s not a big deal,” he said. “But if you delve into it, it could be a huge matter.”

“Don’t beat around the bush. Get to the point.”

Joshua knew he had piqued the godfather’s curiosity. So, he briefly explained Alois’s kidnapping, omitting details about the Yasha and only mentioning that the Duke needed a chip crucial to the galactic balance.

“I can’t let the Duke get the chip, nor can I lose Alois.”

“I doubt the chip is as important as you say.” Harlan flicked her curls. “Is it worth our effort?”

Joshua said, “Joanna Begrel personally escorted it to the Duke. If it wasn’t important, she wouldn’t be dead now.”

“God bless her.” Fairmont made a cross gesture on his chest, and the others followed suit.

“Olympus is our territory. Neither the Duke nor anyone else is allowed to touch it,” the godfather said. “Mourner, what do you need from us?”

Joshua glanced at the influential mafia boss. “First, I’d like to borrow some manpower. The enemy are likely numerous and well-armed subordinates of the Duke—I require your support.”

“Consider it a personal favor.” The godfather, known for trading favors, would eventually reclaim them. “Dominic and his squad will assist you.”

“Much appreciated.” Joshua turned to Harlan. “Miss Harlan, this operation is significant. I don’t want the police, or any officials involved.”

Harlan, well-connected in both legal and illegal circles, was admired by many. “I’ll try to persuade Andrew,” she said.

“Best to frame this as a simple gang conflict.”

Harlan tapped her lips with her fingers. “Hope your lover is handsome. If he’s ugly, I won’t help.”

“Just don’t target him.”

Joshua then addressed information broker Gabri. “You must know the whole truth.”

“Oh, I’m not omniscient. You overestimate me,” Gabri said. “You know our trade has rules.”

“I won’t put you in a tough spot. I just need to know one thing. Is the assassin ‘Salesman’ in Olympus?”

Gabri smiled wryly. “You already know. Why ask me?”

“To silently abduct someone from my house, only ‘Salesman’ could manage that. Tell me his whereabouts. He’s the key.”

Gabri pondered for a moment.

“Alright, but I charge a lot. I’ll send the bill to your email.”

“I think I can afford it.” Joshua turned to the assassin broker. “Mr. Maverick…”

“Stop right there.” Maverick raised a hand. “My rules are stricter than Gabri’s. I won’t disclose my assassins’ locations, even if we had a good collaboration.”

“I won’t ask such an impolite request.” Joshua stared at him. Despite the distance across half the planet, Maverick felt a chill. He had many assassins, but Mourner wasn’t under his control. It was rumored that this silver-haired assassin had killed a peer and traveled from the distant frontier planet to Olympus. Maverick believed that if he ever angered Mourner, he too would die under his ruthless gun.

“What do you want?” Maverick swallowed hard.

“If you receive similar requests, please refuse. Inform your friends not to take such jobs either.”

“Do you think I’m stupid? Turning down money?”

“I’ll pay double to cover your losses or buy off your assassins’ ‘mistakes’.”

Harlan interjected. “So generous. Being your lover must be bliss.”

“I’m the fortunate one.”

Lastly, Joshua looked at the silent Rod, a disheveled young man and one of Olympus’s top hackers. He could virtually extend his reach to every networked place on the planet.

“Rod, I need your help.”

The hacker twisted his neck. “You have a great AI,” he said softly. “Why do you need me?”

“No AI is perfect.”

“I don’t often work with people.” The hacker wiped his nose. “But I’ll try this time.”

“…Thank you.”

Joshua clapped his hands, and four of the five disappeared instantly, leaving only the information broker’s image in the room. Joshua needed to discuss details with him.

“Is there anything we can do?” Jolene finally spoke.

“I recall you mentioned knowing someone at the spaceport.”

Jolene glanced at Kepler. “Yes, a friend of Kepler’s.”

Joshua said, “I want to catch the enemy all at once and not let them leave Olympus. Please ask your friend for help, ensuring none of them escape.”

Kepler leaned slightly. “Consider it done.”

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