"Hmm? Oh… it's Boss Lin Wei! What a coincidence, is there something I can do for you?"
"Pardo, fancy meeting you here." Lin Wei had stumbled upon a seemingly ordinary residential area, and there, basking in the sun on a second-floor balcony, was Pardo, curled up like a cat. Her usually restless tail lay draped lazily over the railing as she napped in the warm sunlight.
Sensing someone approach, her ears twitched, and she woke up.
"Nothing much, just taking a stroll. I thought the scenery here was nice, so I decided to take a break. I didn't expect to find you here. Seems I've interrupted your nap." Lin Wei stopped, ready to leave so as not to disturb her.
"A break? A busy person like Boss Lin Wei takes breaks?" Pardo looked at him strangely. Wasn't that her thing?
"Busy? You've seen other 'successors' like me in the Elysian Realm?… Scoot over, make some room…" Lin Wei looked around, realizing Pardo had the best spot – perfect sunlight, a clear view, and sheltered from the wind. He climbed up to the balcony and sat beside her.
"Meow? Meow…" Can, awakened by the commotion, saw Lin Wei and reluctantly shifted her plump body to make space, then curled back up and closed her eyes.
"...Thanks, Can, even though I was talking to Pardo." Lin Wei chuckled. The cat and its owner were adorable.
"Boss Lin Wei, you're… too modest…" Pardo shifted uncomfortably, fiddling with her ears, which had perked up in alarm. She forced a smile. "Even in our time, only the most important people dealt with Herrschers… Being with such an important person… I'm… a little… nervous…" Her voice trailed off. This was getting awkward. Time to leave.
"Important person? Don't be ridiculous." Lin Wei tossed her a silver coin, which arced through the air, catching the light. Pardo's eyes lit up as she snatched it, then looked at him expectantly, as if to say, Just name it.
Lin Wei looked at Pardo.
Pardo looked confused.
He looked at Can.
Pardo was even more confused.
He then shielded his eyes, glancing briefly at the sun before quickly looking away, his eyes stinging.
Pardo gasped!
She grabbed a bag from behind the door, rummaged through it, and pulled out a small sleeping mat, presenting it to Lin Wei like a precious treasure. "Is this what you're looking for, Boss?"
"Wow, you really do have everything, don't you?" Lin Wei looked at her bag, surprised by its contents.
He took the mat, laid it down, and stretched out on it. It was comfortable enough, though a bit short for his legs. A minor issue.
He settled down, taking off his jacket and using it as a blanket. The thin fabric quickly warmed up in the sun, providing a pleasant warmth.
He shifted, still feeling slightly uncomfortable, then opened his eyes and looked around, his gaze settling on the fat cat. She'll do.
He grabbed Can and used her as a pillow. Perfect.
"Mrow!" Can, awakened by the sudden change in her circumstances, was not pleased. She swiped at Lin Wei with her claws.
"Can!" Pardo yelped, grabbing the cat just in time. That could have been nasty.
"Whoa, feisty one, aren't you?" Lin Wei, his drowsiness gone, sat up abruptly, his reflexes sharp thanks to his recent training.
He had underestimated the cat, the ultimate creature capable of injuring even Durandal!
Can jumped off the mat and stalked off to find another napping spot, looking disgruntled.
Lin Wei chuckled, folded his jacket into a pillow, and lay back down.
"No desires on leaving home, my staff hangs idly on the wall.
Waking as the sun climbs high, senses clear and body free."
He closed his eyes, basking in the sunlight, feeling relaxed and carefree. A random verse from a poem he had long forgotten popped into his head. "Pardo, this life isn't so bad," he sighed contentedly.
"Huh? Oh…" Pardo hadn't understood the poem, but she understood the sentiment.
He was praising her lifestyle!
"Hee hee, well, I'm just an ordinary person, after all. So I just… hide in the back, relax, cheer people on… and stuff…" Pardo trailed off, feeling strangely embarrassed, scratching her head. She didn't understand why she felt this way. Perhaps it was because she felt closer to Lin Wei now?
Lin Wei, however, didn't notice her subtle shift in mood. He continued basking in the sun, even more relaxed than Pardo. "We're all ordinary people. There's nothing to be embarrassed about. Live within your means, surviving in this world is hard enough. Leave the heroics to others…"
"Hard? I don't think so? Days just… pass by, don't they?" Pardo tilted her head, confused by his words.
Lin Wei suddenly opened his eyes, staring intently at Pardo's delicate, almost timid face until she looked away, then he burst out laughing and closed his eyes again.
"You're right." How could he forget? This girl was a hero too.
Who said only those who saved the world were heroes?
This girl, who steadfastly embraced life amidst the ruins, was a true hero.
Compared to her, he felt rather inadequate.
A strange smile touched his lips.
"Um… is something troubling you, Boss Lin Wei?" Pardo's sharp intuition sensed his troubled thoughts. She looked around. No one else was around, and Can was useless. It seemed she was the only one who could offer help. Remembering her duty as a Flame-Chaser, she spoke up.
Then, after a moment of hesitation, she added, as if making a great sacrifice, "Don't worry, this consultation is free!"
Right, I can hear your heart breaking, Lin Wei chuckled, sitting up. He couldn't resist teasing her. "So generous? That's not like you, Pardo."
Upselling, bundling, creative "acquisitions"… he had witnessed her various money-making schemes during his time here.
"Well, business is about long-term gains. You can't… drain the pond to catch all the fish, right?" Her analogy was surprisingly accurate.
Lin Wei looked at the shrewd yet innocent catgirl, his mood lifting considerably.
"So, ask away! I'll tell you everything I know!" Pardo declared, puffing out her chest, then quickly backpedaled. "Well, if it's something I don't know… then I can't help you… hee hee…"
"It's alright. Thank you, Pardo. I'm feeling much better now." Lin Wei shook his head, then reached out to stroke her soft hair and her strangely textured ears, making her blush.
He smiled, lay back down, and sighed. "This is how life should be, isn't it?"
Pardo's battles were long over. He shouldn't burden her with his problems.
...
"Hua? It's rare to see you in the hall." Lin Wei, having just parted ways with Pardo, returned to the hall and saw Hua standing by the wall, lost in thought.
"Ah, Lin Wei, it's you. My apologies, I was… distracted." Hua seemed to snap out of a trance, hanging a photo back on the wall, then staring at it again.
Lin Wei walked over and saw the photo – a picture of Hua and a red-haired woman.
Whether due to memory degradation or damage to the photo itself, only Hua's young, slightly uncertain face was clear. The figure beside her was blurry, barely discernible.
Only the splash of red remained vivid.
"This photo is important to you, isn't it?" Lin Wei asked gently, standing beside her, looking at the photo with her.
Hua shook her head, then hesitated, nodding uncertainly. "Perhaps it was, but I don't remember. I'm different from other memories. I periodically reset my memories to a certain point in time, to ensure 'I remain myself.'"
Her expression and tone were calm, as if this act of self-annihilation, akin to "suicide" for a memory, was as normal as breathing.
"...What about our time together? Will you erase those memories too one day?" Lin Wei felt a surge of frustration.
It would mean their time together was just a fleeting dream.
He disliked goodbyes, especially feeling like he was being left behind.
Even though he knew the real Fu Hua was still alive in the real world.
But he was greedy. He didn't want to be insignificant to this "Hua."
"You misunderstand," Hua shook her head. "You are different from other successors. The Elysian Realm has changed because of you. These recent events are relatively important memories, I will store them separately. Besides, you brought me news of the real Hua, which is also important to me."
Lin Wei nodded, understanding.
"Lin Wei," the person, was indeed insignificant to this memory of "Hua."
But he hadn't expected much, just… not to be forgotten.
Returning to the topic at hand, he picked up the carefully framed photo, tracing the splash of red, asking a question he already knew the answer to. "This photo… it's important to you, isn't it?"
Of course, it was important, or she wouldn't have kept it so carefully.
But she had forgotten.
As expected, Hua's eyes turned distant, but her expression and tone remained calm. "Perhaps, but I don't remember. It no longer evokes any memories. I only know that it's a photo related to me, nothing more."
"That's… sad, isn't it?" Lin Wei carefully hung the photo back on the wall, making sure it was secure. It was, after all, a part of Hua's soul.
"Perhaps, but I don't remember, so it doesn't matter now," Hua replied, her tone flat. Considering her earlier pensive state, it seemed like she was trying to convince herself, but Lin Wei knew she genuinely believed it.
She was stubborn like that.
"But I know who she is," Lin Wei said calmly.
Hua turned sharply, staring at him intently, then looked away, murmuring, "Of course, you know the real me."
A wave of panic washed over her, shattering her composure. She couldn't decipher the meaning of that panic – guilt? Longing? Excitement? Or perhaps, a fear of confronting the past?
"Yes, I'm friends with the real Hua, so I know some of the stories from the past. If you want to know, I can tell you." Lin Wei always referred to her as "the real Hua," not "the true Hua." In his eyes, the girl before him was also a living being, no different from himself.
Hua's breath hitched, her chest rising and falling rapidly. After a moment of internal struggle, she calmed down, shaking her head and sighing. She glanced at the photo again. "No need, thank you for the offer, but I've lost those memories completely. Even if you told me, it would be like listening to someone else's story. It wouldn't bring back my memories, only add to my confusion. It's pointless."
She turned and walked away.
Lin Wei watched her go, sighing.
He knew she would probably erase the memory of this conversation, retreating back into her peaceful ignorance.
She was stubborn, both the memory and the real one.
"Don't be sad~ Hua is a strong girl, just… not very good with words. That's why she seems a bit… distant." Elysia materialized beside him, patting his back consolingly. "You're good friends with the real Hua, you should understand, right?"
Lin Wei walked towards the lounge, ignoring Elysia's touch. "Yes, it's precisely because I understand that I feel sad. The real Hua wouldn't run away."
"Oh? Are you saying she's changed a lot?" Elysia's eyes lit up, blocking his path. She wouldn't let him go until he elaborated. This topic was too interesting to drop.
"No, Hua has never changed," Lin Wei replied, glancing back in the direction Hua had gone, his voice wistful. "The Hua you know… she just seems distant. In reality, she's just used to relying on others. When those she relies on are gone… that's when she truly shines."
"Oh?" Elysia smiled, her eyes gleaming, her thoughts unreadable. Lin Wei, looking away, missed the subtle shift in her expression.
Hua is strongest when she's solo, without the "bonds" of teammates.
Not to mention the real Vermillion Knight, but even in the Elysian Realm…
Lin Wei remembered, in the original storyline, after Elysia and Kevin's memories were declared dead, the remaining Flame-Chasers were in disarray, filled with fear and suspicion. It was Hua who stepped forward, taking charge, searching for a solution.
That was her initiative, her decisiveness.
Unfortunately, she never realized how capable she was.
Even her original squad leader hadn't realized how exceptional her quiet, introverted teammate was.
Not until fifty thousand years later, when she faced Kevin, her former comrade turned enemy, with unwavering resolve and no fear.
"When she's with her teammates, she doesn't even know which foot to put forward. But when they're gone, she amazes everyone."
"But by then, we'll all be gone. Such a pity." Elysia, having read his thoughts, sighed, then smiled, gently smoothing the frown from his forehead. "But it's alright. See? I'm here, we're here. We understand."
Lin Wei froze. Why do I feel like I've been played again?
He turned and walked away without a word.
"Hey! Don't run away! Tell me more about Hua!" Elysia pouted, frustrated. He always did this, running away before she could get more information.
She stamped her foot, her cheeks puffing out, then her eyes lit up, and she chased after him. "Oh, and Kevin too! Tell me, has he become even more like an ice block in the real world? Tell me more about what's happening outside, pretty please? Hey, why are you running faster?"
…
Having finally escaped Elysia's clutches, Lin Wei entered the memory terminal.
Feeling dejected, he decided to visit the affable Kalpas for a chat.
Despite his gruff exterior, Kalpas could be surprisingly engaging.
Hua and SAKURA had told him that Kevin had probably sealed off the paths to Mobius's domain. And after spending so much time here, he was familiar with the layout of this area, so he easily navigated the familiar paths towards Kalpas's domain.
After crossing several areas, he started to feel uneasy.
The scenery was unfamiliar.
Sensing something was wrong, he quickly retreated, but the path behind him had also changed.
Was he lost?
No, he had been tricked.
He summoned Pandora, shifting it into its railgun form – Zither's Lament – and held it at the ready, scanning his surroundings warily, prepared to call for Yae Sakura if necessary.
"Who could it be?" He considered the few likely suspects.
Aponia? Mobius? Or Vill-V?
He was starting to form an answer, but he needed confirmation.
The silence didn't last long. A loud, booming female voice echoed from all directions. "Welcome! Our long-awaited audience has finally arrived! Now, let us welcome our guest from afar, having crossed the chasm of fifty thousand years, to witness the greatest magician of the Previous Era, the creator of all escape arts – Vill-V's – Magic Theater!"
The voice, amplified as if by countless hidden speakers, was deafening.
Heh, Vill-V, huh?
Now that the mystery was solved, Lin Wei relaxed.
He should have known that rejecting her "invitation" wouldn't be the end of it.
Well, if he couldn't escape, he would face it head-on. Who was he afraid of?
"The greatest magician of the Previous Era? I'm truly honored!" Lin Wei dismissed his Divine Key, smoothed out the wrinkles on his clothes, and bowed elegantly, like a nobleman – a gesture he had learned from Gray Serpent. "The greatest magician of the Current Era offers you his sincerest respects!"
"Huh?" The voice on the loudspeaker sputtered, caught off guard.
Lin Wei smirked inwardly. Posing? He could do that too.