"Pretty good, haha, little Baskin, you had some good luck today and snagged a nice little bargain for us."
After responding in an indifferent tone, the inherently aloof "little Baskin" turned and left the warehouse, heading back in the direction he came from. The person doing the accounts wasn't upset by his impolite behavior but cheerfully greeted the next person.
*He was right... Thankfully, he chose this aloof, expressionless face...*
Glancing back at the expression of the person doing the accounts and confirming there was nothing unusual, Leon felt a sigh of relief in his heart, grateful for his choice.
Amy's list of suspected rebel procurement agents had about twenty people. He chose this little Baskin because his personality was aloof and taciturn, and he seemed not very sociable.
Although such a person wasn't very hidden, due to his lack of communication and expression, it was least likely to reveal anything when information was scarce. If he were a more cheerful, talkative person, it would be much harder to appear "normal."
After surveying the surroundings, Leon set his sights on the building at the center of the valley.
Since he had successfully infiltrated, the next step was to complete the task: prioritize finding the grandparents suspected of having memory manipulation abilities and try to get the Princess's erased...
Just as Leon was about to start his investigation, the chubby uncle who had helped him from behind earlier quickly chased after him from the warehouse.
After calling out to the "stubborn" little Baskin, the unshaven chubby uncle couldn't help but complain,
"Why didn't you call me to lend a hand with that full barrel of oil? What if you hurt your back? It's no small matter."
*I knew it; thinking I had good luck was definitely an illusion!*
Seeing the familiar person initiating a conversation with limited information, Leon felt a headache coming on. He then tried to maintain little Baskin's aloof persona, responding coolly,
"I tried lifting it and felt it was fine, so I just carried it back myself."
Seeing him still playing strong, the chubby uncle became a bit angry, and with puffed cheeks, he scolded,
"I tried lifting it earlier, and I nearly hurt my back. How can your body handle carrying such a big barrel of oil for so long?"
"Besides, when you passed the door earlier, you almost tripped, and I saw it all from behind! What's the point of showing off?"
*Really... Knowing this would happen, I should have held back a bit and not touched the door frame and handle directly.*
"Why are you so stubborn, kid?"
Seeing little Baskin stubbornly keep silent with his head down, the chubby uncle sighed and said,
"I know you're bitter inside, trying to find things to do to numb yourself, but also pay attention to your body; don't exhaust it too much. You may not notice when you're young, but when you're older..."
"Mind your own business!"
Worried about investigating the situation and fearing that talking too long would give him away, Leon was eager to shake off this kindhearted but chatty uncle. He raised his head, glared at him, and unceremoniously said,
"I know my body well enough! I don't need you to nag me."
"You... What's up with you?"
Startled by the suddenly irate "little Baskin," the chubby uncle was taken aback and then said with a hint of suspicion,
"Little Baskin? Why are you acting a bit strange today? You never talked to me ..."
*Ah, looks like even if you look exactly the same, the familiar people can still tell the difference. Did he already notice something wrong?*
As Leon's eyes darted around, thinking about how to cover up, the chubby uncle made his own conclusions, saying with a bit of annoyance on his kind face,
"Is it old Baskin? Did he hit you again these past couple of days? Did he steal your money to buy booze?"
Taking Leon's silence as acquiescence, the chubby uncle's round face quickly turned red. He grabbed Leon's wrist and rolled up his sleeve, finding several long bruises on his elbow.
"Damn it! That bastard! He'll die from those damn drinks one day!"
After swearing angrily, the chubby uncle grabbed the "domestic abuse victim" Leon, heading back in the direction they came, saying angrily,
"We can't let this go on! You come back with me to confront him! I'll help you get your money back!"
*Oh no... I worked so hard to get in here, and now I'm getting taken back out without having done anything?*
Having only just strayed a little from his script and been found out, Leon dared not improvise any further, allowing the chubby uncle to drag him away, looking back every few steps, getting further from the suspicious building at the center of the valley...
Just as Leon was reluctantly dragged back to the door, about to cross the strange portal door and leave the valley where the rebels gathered, the old iron warehouse door twisted twice and then made a loud bang, turning into a redwood door carved with floral and bird patterns.
As the hinge softly creaked, the redwood door was pushed open from the outside, and a middle-aged man who still looked quite young, but with some gray hair at his temples, walked in.
"Were you guys heading out?"