After Agent Carter stormed off in a huff, Arthur chuckled to himself for quite some time.
It was now midnight and the camp was quiet. Arthur's smile faded as he scratched his head, realizing that he still didn't quite know how to get along with Agent Carter.
Half a year had passed, and there had always been an indescribable feeling between Agent Carter and him.
Arthur knew what that feeling was… After all, the three great illusions of life couldn't possibly last for half a year.
But Arthur couldn't accept it.
Of course, it wasn't because of her face! That was just a tsukkomi. After all, Agent Carter was a beautiful woman with a striking appearance and extraordinary grace.
It was just that Arthur had some unilateral resistance… some inexplicable resistance.
Stepping out of the tent, he looked up at the starry sky. Fortunately, it was 1943 here… Otherwise, Arthur feared that if he looked up, he might see a purple face staring back at him.
That feeling… would be absolutely eye-watering!
Reaching out to touch the void, Arthur sighed softly, "Still… no sense of reality.
This was his reality, yet he remained resistant to this world.
For some reason, even after spending the better part of half a year in this world, he still felt out of place.
The time, the background, the thoughts and beliefs… These metaphysical things constantly envelop Arthur like a thick cocoon, entangling, enclosing, offering no escape.
Unbreakable, unshakable, and inescapable!
It gave him the feeling that there was always a barrier between him and this present world. Still, he couldn't understand why Colonel Phillips' concern and Agent Carter's emotions were so genuine.
"Maybe… it's because deep down I'm still in denial?" Arthur sighed helplessly. "My heart resists, but my body is honest…"
"Huh? Am I tsukkomi-ing myself?" Arthur was annoyed and ran his hand through his hair as he wandered aimlessly around the camp.
Walking around the camp after a mission was his usual routine.
Colonel Phillips' tent was brightly lit, and many officials were busy inside… writing, telegraphing, each fulfilling their duties.
Arthur also spotted Agent Carter, pursing her lips and looking displeased as she organized documents.
"Of the prisoners who returned today, how many already had 'killed in action' tags on them?" Arthur chuckled slightly. She seemed to have a lot on her mind…
Agent Carter seemed to sense something and before she could look up, Arthur turned and walked in another direction.
This was actually a place he was very familiar with.
But even in this familiar place, there was still a faint sense of detachment.
"I really wonder how those predecessors who crossed over did it. The moment they crossed over, they were able to immediately recognize reality and seamlessly integrate into the world of their previous lives. This… seems quite difficult."
As Arthur muttered to himself, he saw Steve approaching.
"Instructor?"
Steve noticed that Arthur looked rather cheerful.
"Man?" Arthur greeted him. "Weren't you out doing something fun with your best buddy?"
Steve's good mood immediately went out like a flame doused with water…
His mouth twitched and he said helplessly, "Instructor, can you please not call me 'man'?"
"Are you a woman?" Arthur quickly stepped back a few steps.
"It's not like that!!"
Even Steve, who was usually good-natured, started to show veins on his forehead when he heard that.
"I knew it… If you were a woman, your towering stature would be a bit intimidating." Arthur's mumbled voice was surprisingly loud. Finally, he asked, "By the way, what are you doing wandering around in the middle of the night?"
"I was actually trying to find you…"
As Steve said this, he felt uncertain.
"For what?" Arthur blinked. "Well, here we are by accident. Spit it out."
"Uh… I remembered what I wanted to ask you before we met, but after we met, how could I forget what I wanted to talk to you about?" Steve looked frustrated. It was all because Instructor Arthur was too unreliable, throwing his mental balance off with just a few words.
The words he wanted to say had completely slipped his mind.
"You're spacing out without even drinking…" Arthur gave him a disdainful look, then said, "There's nothing interesting in the camp, and nowhere suitable… Well, let's find a place to sit."
"Where?"
Steve asked when he saw that Arthur had already sat down on the ground.
After hesitating for a while, Steve stammered, "Is this the place you chose?"
"Yes, can't we sit here?" Arthur pointed to the ground. "Don't worry, even if it's a little damp, your serum-enhanced body won't get hemorrhoids."
"No, I'm not worried about that."
Steve felt as if he had just collected his thoughts, only to be interrupted by some sort of immense 'malevolence'.
The end result was two grown men sitting on the floor, looking at each other like they were meditating in Taoist practices.
"So… what exactly did you want from me?"
"I'm wondering, too…"
After Steve finished speaking, he patted his own head. "Oh right, now I remember."
Arthur sighed and looked at Steve with a mixture of frustration and disappointment.
"It's like this…" Steve collected his thoughts. "Tomorrow we return to London to rest. The comrades we saved this time also need time to recover."
"Mmm…" Arthur nodded.
"When I went to find Barnes, I found a plan of Schmidt's military factory."
Steve paused, gathered his thoughts, and continued, "The weapons Schmidt has developed are amazing! The weapons we confiscated from Hydra prove that. These military factories that produce such weapons pose a great threat to our allied forces. Currently, Schmidt may be on the defensive in the war, but once these weapons are widely used in Hydra's army, we'll be facing a disaster!
"Well, I have an idea…" Steve said, "With the layout of the military factories I saw, we can organize a team to destroy each of those factories! And Instructor… I need your help!"
Arthur was silent for a moment. When he first arrived in this world, he wouldn't have even considered such a suggestion; he would have rejected it outright!
But now… Arthur hesitated.
Finally, he spoke up, "When we get back to London, have Howard analyze exactly what those power sources are. I'll give you my answer then."