Half an hour later, the milk, bread, and even some of the dried fruit that Piers had brought were all eaten up by Katarina.
Katarina had finally recovered a small fraction of her strength.
Piers also fed some milk to the Electro Cicin in Katarina’s hand—fortunately, the Electro Cicin wasn’t dead yet.
“It really is you.
How did you end up here?
Didn’t you already become one of Lord Marionette’s subordinates?” “To rescue you, of course.
Otherwise, who would want to come to this godforsaken place?” “Why bother saving me?
Don’t you dislike me…” Katarina’s voice suddenly turned a bit cold, and she shifted her body off to the side.
“Can’t I save someone I dislike?
It’s not like we have some deep blood feud.
We were colleagues, after all.
And right now I’m the one who saved your life—is this how you treat your savior?” The story between Piers and Katarina went back to when Piers was still under the Doctor’s command.
Back then, Piers wasn’t even an adult yet—after all, he’d only just turned eighteen not long ago.
But because Piers was indeed good-looking, he never lacked for admirers—all of whom assumed he was already grown.
Katarina was one of them.
She had confessed to him many times, but each time Piers turned her down.
Over time, her love turned to resentment, and she gradually began to distance herself from Piers—or, to be precise, to avoid him.
It was a bit like a schoolgirl in a puppy-love romance who, after being rejected by the one she confessed to, couldn’t swallow her pride and so deliberately kept her distance.
“I never asked you to come save me…” “Oh, right, right, right.
I really should’ve brought a recorder to tape you—that’s not what you were saying when you rushed up and threw your arms around me just now.” Piers’s words suddenly reminded Katarina of how, just moments ago, she’d mistaken him for a hallucination brought on by starvation and had even planted a kiss on his face.
She fell silent, turning her head away.
See?
Faced with a hard question, she just doesn’t answer.
How is it that I’m surrounded by so many tsunderes?
“All right, all right, let’s get out of here first.
It’s stuffy and hot in here.” “It’s no use.
We all know about the conflict between the Fatui above and Liyue.
The Fatui have already abandoned us.
There’s no getting out.” The moment Katarina finished speaking, Piers flicked her right on the forehead.
“Have you gone stupid from hunger?
I came in here to find you—do you really think no one’s waiting to pick us up?
Or do you think I’d travel all this way just to die here with you?” “Actually…
dying here together…
wouldn’t be so bad…” “What did you say?” “Nothing.
I’ve rested up enough.
Let’s head up first.” Katarina immediately changed her tune, but Piers had actually heard her clearly—he just couldn’t quite bring himself to believe it.
Scared me half to death.
If you wanna die, pleeease don’t drag me down with you—”living together” I can accept, but “dying together”?
No waaay.
“All right, let’s go.
See if there’s anything else you need to bring.” Piers said this out of habit, then felt a little foolish after asking—she’d nearly starved to death; what could there possibly be in this tent worth taking out?
But just as he was thinking this, Katarina dug a palm-sized notebook out of the haystack and clutched it in her hands like a treasure.
“At a time like this, you’re still thinking about bringing back recorded data?
Let me see what it is.” Piers assumed it was data Katarina had recorded for the Doctor and reached out to take it—but who’d have guessed, she suddenly turned all bashful and tucked the notebook against her chest.
“It’s…
it’s not recorded data.
It’s…
it’s just a diary I wrote out of boredom.
There’s nothing worth reading…” These two really were blood sisters—both stammer the moment they get nervous.
“Forget it, then.
I really don’t make a habit of reading other people’s diaries.” Piers stood up and led the way in front, with Katarina following behind.
Still, Piers used adeptal arts to keep wary of the Katarina at his back—her state was very unstable right now, and what if she took things too hard and stuck a knife in him from behind?
Fortunately, all the way out of the lower mining area of The Chasm, Katarina never did stab him in the back.
“All of you, change your clothes first, then head to the Northland Bank and register the headcount.
Leave half of the search party here; once the Northland Bank confirms the numbers, the rest can go back.” “Yes, sir.” Piers looked over this group of Fatui being supported—some even carried over.
One chubby Cryo member had practically been dragged over on a straw mat by four Electro Cicin Mages.
“…Those who can’t move on their own should rest here for now.
Those who can move, change your clothes and come with me to the Northland Bank to register the headcount.” After roughly tallying the numbers, Piers, together with half of the group, took the rescued Fatui who could move on their own and left The Chasm.
Fortunately, the road from Liyue Harbor to The Chasm had been well repaired by the Liyue Qixing.
Though somewhat weak, these Fatui had, after all, undergone rigorous training, and the whole walk to Liyue Harbor passed without any sudden incidents.
After registering and reporting the headcount at the Northland Bank, Piers, in his capacity as a Harbinger, sent a letter to the Cryo Tsaritsa requesting that these people be transferred away from the Doctor’s command, and then sent them back by ship first.
This was the most Piers could do to help them.
The Doctor was notorious; there was no need to even reproach him in the letter—no amount of cursing would do much good.
It was better to just transfer these people to another Harbinger’s command.
Katarina had hemmed and hawed that she wanted to wander around Liyue Harbor, but once Piers told her about her younger sister’s situation, she reluctantly went back.
That night, another batch was sent out from The Chasm in waves.
After registration at the Northland Bank, the numbers matched—though several of them were already stone dead.
Piers felt rather helpless, but this truly was the best possible outcome.
He let out a sigh, changed into some inconspicuous clothes, and headed out to clear his mind.
Even at night, Yujing Terrace was just as lively as during the day—at most, the firelight was a touch dimmer and yellower than sunlight.
As Piers walked down the street, he seemed to suddenly remember something and used adept power to convey his inner voice to Guizhong.
“Come to think of it, you’ve actually got an acquaintance around here, and they happen to be nearby.
Want me to take you to see them?
Though it’s so late, they might already have gone to sleep.” At that moment Guizhong, making use of her soul form, was darting back and forth in front of those bustling stalls.
Hearing Piers’s inner voice, she floated straight over in front of him.
“Who?” “Madame Ping.” “Who?” “Hehe, you’ll know once we get there.” Piers was already at Yujing Terrace, so getting to Madame Ping’s usual little stall would only take a moment.
Still, in case Madame Ping had a habit of turning in early, he quickened his pace a little.
Unfortunately, by the time Piers and Guizhong arrived, that familiar little stall was already deserted—with only two Glaze Lilies blooming there in the corner.
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