Vol 2 Chapter 111: Agreement
When Veronica returned to the Colorful Clouds Wetland, perhaps because she had come back earlier than expected, or maybe because Lin Xiaolu and the others were busy elsewhere, the observation cabin used by the Fangting City team was completely empty.
But honestly, she didn’t have the energy to care about that right now, because there was something even more troublesome waiting for her.
—Mu He was also staying here.
Not just staying here, but the cabin Mu He was living in was only a few hundred meters away from where Veronica and the others were.
And when Veronica confirmed the details with Mu He, she realized that the girl she had found familiar during the encounter near the hot springs the night before had actually been Mu He herself.
It was just that, even at that time, Mu He had been wearing a mask, so Veronica hadn’t recognized her.
By this point in the conversation, even though Veronica had tried her best to hold back her unnecessary curiosity, she still couldn’t help but ask.
“Why do you need to hide your identity?” Veronica still found it strange.
“For a mission,” Mu He explained further.
“A mission from the Nation?”
“A mission from the Nation.”
Veronica still felt like something was off, but judging from Mu He’s tone and demeanor, it didn’t seem like she was lying. Based on her experience reading people, Mu He didn’t seem like someone who was good at lying, either.
“By the way, how did you recognize me?” After a brief pause, Veronica decided to clear up another question first.
“Recognize you?” Mu He tilted her head slightly, looking puzzled. “Isn’t Captain just Captain?”
Veronica was caught off guard by that response and paused before rephrasing her question.
“I disguised myself for the mission, just like you.”
“Disguised?” Mu He looked at her in confusion, her gaze briefly sweeping over Veronica’s face and body before lingering for a few seconds. Then she asked, even more puzzled, “Where?”
“My hairstyle, clothes, and... I guess my makeup?”
Veronica listed off the details in a tone that even she wasn’t fully confident in. “I think I at least look different from twenty years ago, right?”
“Ah, I guess that’s true.”
Mu He nodded belatedly. “Captain doesn’t have long hair anymore.”
Veronica was at a loss for how to respond and could only blink in silence.
“Mm. Because Captain is just Captain. Even if you say you’ve changed, I don’t think you have.”
As they spoke, Mu He had already reached her cabin. She lifted her hand to activate a spell, and in a flash of light, the barrier at the door was lifted.
“Want to come in for a bit?” she asked, tilting her head slightly, her tone calm. Content orıginally comes from 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩·𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢·𝔫𝔢𝔱
Veronica politely declined, using a typical social excuse. “Your companions are probably inside too, right? It’d be a little awkward for me to barge in.”
Hearing that, Mu He walked a few steps into the observation cabin, as if to take a look around.
Then, she came back out, dispelling the visual barrier on the cabin and showing Veronica the inside.
“It’s fine, they’re not here.”
“...Still, I won’t bother you. Let’s leave it for today.”
Veronica declined again. “It’s getting late, better to go back and rest.”
She didn’t know exactly what kind of people Mu He’s companions were. Even though she herself was in disguise now, considering how Mu He had seemingly ignored her “Gentian” identity, she felt a bit uneasy. She was starting to wonder if Mu He’s companions might also see through her disguise.
She knew well enough how well-known “Cornflower” was in the magical nation—not out of arrogance, but based on objective facts. Back then, she had been truly famous. So she had to avoid interacting too much with anyone who might recognize her, even if her injuries had improved.
Mu He didn’t seem to think too deeply about what Veronica might be worried about. Since Veronica didn’t want to go in, she didn’t push the matter and instead asked,
“Then... tomorrow...”
“Mm, see you tomorrow.”
She had accepted Mu He’s invitation to have a meal together the next day.
Partly out of politeness, and partly out of genuine feelings. After all, now that she had returned to the nation, all those memories she had deliberately set aside were inevitably coming back. She didn’t want to be too indifferent toward the comrades she had once fought alongside, especially someone like Mu He, who was a bit different from the rest.
After spending the afternoon with her, Veronica could tell that Mu He wasn’t in a great state—at least, her mental state wasn’t exactly optimistic. It was honestly a bit worrying. So perhaps it was necessary to get a better understanding of her situation and see if there was anything she could do to help.
That said, since they hadn’t been in touch for so long, Veronica didn’t want to dive too deep into Mu He’s life just yet. Until Mu He was ready to open up, she didn’t want to pry. For now, accepting Mu He’s kindness, agreeing to a meal, and revisiting a bit of their past seemed like the right thing to do.
“See you tomorrow, then.”
After getting Veronica’s confirmation, Mu He nodded, lowered her gaze slightly, and stepped back into her cabin. Standing by the door, she softly muttered something like, “Success.”
Then, as if remembering something, she looked up.
“Do you need me to drive you tomorrow?”
“...I have something to take care of in the morning.”
Veronica’s gaze shifted as she replied.
“Where to? I can come pick you up at noon.”
“It’s a bit far, and they probably won’t let cars in, so no need. Let’s just meet somewhere later.”
Veronica’s instincts told her that if she stayed any longer, Mu He would definitely try her best to “show off” that convertible of hers. So she decisively cut off the conversation.
“Mm, let’s do that. I’ll stop bothering you now.”
With that, she turned to leave.
“...Rosam ducat, Luna servet.”
Almost at the same time, just as Veronica was about to make her exit, Mu He suddenly spoke out, seemingly out of nowhere.
It was a phrase completely unrelated to the rest of their conversation, but Veronica understood what it meant.
“Roses lead the way, the moon guards the return.”—This had been the greeting and farewell oath used by soldiers during the war twenty years ago. The rose referred to the Rose Palace, while the moon, in the magical nation’s traditions, was often associated with death, eternal rest, and similar concepts. This oath had been a promise soldiers made to one another: to defend the honor of the magical nation with their lives.
She turned around and saw that, sure enough, Mu He had raised her hand at some point, palm out, offering a standard military salute of the Nation’s forces.
For a moment, Veronica felt as if she had caught a glimpse of something—perhaps something that explained why Mu He had ended up the way she was now.
“Roses lead the way, the moon guards the return.”
But this wasn’t the time to dive deeper into those thoughts.
So, like Mu He, she returned the oath as her farewell. Then, she raised her hand, trying to perform that once-familiar, now-almost-forgotten salute.
But she couldn’t do it.
Her hand lifted halfway and then got stuck, unable to rise to her temple. It was as if something was holding it back, abruptly stopping her mid-motion.
So she let her hand fall back down.
She said to Mu He, then turned and walked in the direction of her own cabin.