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ArabicArknights: The Holy Son's Leisurely Life — Chapter 47
Chapter 47: A Jar of Spilled Vinegar
“Phew! Ahh! That icy kick! I just couldn’t hold back!”
With one arm still loosely restrained, Blaze popped the tab of a fresh beer can with her free hand, tilted her head back, and chugged the entire thing in a matter of seconds. She finished the display by letting out a loud, unabashed burp.
Her drinking habits mirrored those of a middle-aged uncle fresh off a construction site; there wasn’t a single trace of feminine grace to be found.
What an absolute waste of a pretty face and a stellar figure. Lucian mentally filed her away in the exact same category as Croissant.
He walked back over to the low table, setting down a freshly prepared plate of appetizers. “The grilled squid is ready. Big Sister Hoshiguma, do you need anything else?”
“No need.”
Although Hoshiguma was also a heavy drinker, she consumed her alcohol with far more quiet intensity than Blaze, silently downing can after can without making a scene. She leaned back against the plush sofa cushions and beckoned to Lucian with a slight curl of her finger. “Sit down. Keep me company.”
“Alright, alright.”
Having no real choice in the matter, Lucian obediently took a seat beside the tall Oni. The moment he settled in, she casually slung an arm around his neck and pressed a glass of wine into his hand.
Just as Lucian reluctantly accepted the drink, another heavy thud echoed beside him.
Exusiai had squeezed onto the sofa right next to him, her face beaming with a bright, entirely unconvincing smile. “Don’t leave me out! Let’s all drink together. Lucian’s shrimp crackers are amazing, Blaze, you should eat more of those too.”
Lucian raised an eyebrow, glancing at the Sankta pressing against his side. “Why are you crowding me? Go keep the big cat company.”
Exusiai gripped her own drink with both hands, her halo glowing a little brighter. “Croissant and Texas are keeping her company.”
Except for the unfortunate—or perhaps lucky—underage Angelina who couldn’t participate in the drinking games, the rest of Penguin Logistics had gathered around to make a ruckus. Croissant and Texas were currently sandwiching Blaze on the opposite side of the table. It was entirely unclear what sort of backroom deal they had struck with Exusiai to run interference for her.
Croissant, naturally gifted at striking up conversations, was already chatting intimately with the Feline. “Heh heh, so Big Sister Blaze is a mix of Victoria and Yan? No wonder your name is so uncommon around here.”
Blaze waved a hand dismissively, her cheeks slightly flushed from the alcohol. “This isn’t my real name, actually. Rhodes Island Operators all have codenames, but some people just use their real names anyway. Since I was born in Yan, I just go by this.”
“Operator? Is Rhodes Island a company?” Hoshiguma asked.
Her tone was perfectly calm. She seemed to be casually sipping her drink, her gaze drifting lazily around the room rather than focusing on Blaze, making the question sound like nothing more than idle bar chatter.
But Lucian, who had been tricked by her subtle interrogations more than once, knew better. Hoshiguma was a master at this kind of casual probing; she was quietly dissecting Blaze’s background.
However, Lucian trusted Hoshiguma implicitly. She was one of them, so it didn’t matter if she learned a bit about Rhodes Island.
Blaze didn’t seem to have any intention of keeping secrets anyway. She grinned, leaning forward. “Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals. You can even look it up on your phone if you want. It’s a private company that treats Oripathy patients and fights for the basic human rights of the Infected. I’m one of their employees.”
Without a hint of hesitation, Blaze hooked a finger into her collar and pulled it down. “Of course, I’m also an Infected!”
Just below her collarbone, an irregular, jagged black crystal protruded sharply from her fair skin. It was a stark, heartbreaking sight against her otherwise healthy complexion.
Lucian couldn’t help but let his gaze linger on the crystal for a few extra seconds. Blaze’s infection was quite severe; he had sensed that much the moment he first shook her hand.
What truly stood out was her attitude. Most people treated the Infected like a walking plague, hiding their own conditions in absolute terror. Yet Blaze was remarkably open about her status, even carrying a strange sense of pride when she admitted it. That kind of unshakable confidence didn’t just appear out of thin air; it was undoubtedly tied to her identity as a Rhodes Island Operator.
Beside Lucian, Exusiai suddenly panicked. “Wait, Blaze! Pull it up, pull it up! It’s showing!”
“Huh?” Blaze blinked, looking down at her own chest. “It’s not showing, is it? Look, the crystal is covered perfectly now, right?”
Exusiai nearly choked on her drink. “Your underwear is showing! It’s black! Why do you act like everything is fine as long as the crucial bits aren’t exposed? There is a man sitting right here!”
Blaze blinked awkwardly, processing the information. “Ah. Right. That’s true.”
She quickly adjusted her clothes, pulling her collar back up and offering a sheepish, apologetic smile. “My bad, my bad! Everyone else here is a girl, so I completely forgot Lucian was a guy. You’re right, I’m drinking with my girlfriend’s boyfriend right now. Total foul on my part! I’ll down three cups as a penalty!”
What on earth did she mean by ‘girlfriend’s boyfriend’? Lucian was entirely speechless.
While Blaze was undeniably gorgeous, her self-awareness as a woman was hovering right around the same baseline as Croissant’s. Spend enough time with her, and you would inevitably just start seeing her as one of the guys.
Exusiai, looking highly suspicious, leaned closer to Lucian, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Lucian, you were staring just now, weren’t you? What exactly did you see?”
Lucian rolled his eyes at her. “Besides black lace, what else was I supposed to see? I was looking at the Originium crystal.”
Though, admittedly, the other sights had been very nice to look at. Very generous, and very soft.
Exusiai still looked thoroughly annoyed, her halo buzzing with static.
On the other side of the table, Hoshiguma spoke up again, her voice cutting through the noise. “An organization that actively treats the Infected and guarantees their human rights… that is quite rare.”
She took another slow sip of her drink. “But, Miss Blaze, are you aware that Lungmen strictly prohibits the Infected from entering the city? If the Lungmen Guard Department discovers you, you will be deported immediately.”
Blaze scowled, her carefree expression vanishing. “Huh? How annoying. Who cares about garbage rules like that?”
She downed her three penalty cans of beer in rapid succession and immediately cracked open a fourth. “I don’t follow rules that piss me off. If they want to fight me or arrest me, they can certainly try.”
She paused, wiping her mouth, and then pointed a finger across the table. “And if you ask me, aren’t you guys even stranger?”
Blaze looked at each member of Penguin Logistics, a curious smile playing on her lips. “I’m pretty good at reading people. None of you are Infected, are you? So why did you go out of your way to help us? Why do it?”
“No particular reason,” Lucian said, taking a relaxed sip of his own drink. “We help because we want to. Whether someone is Infected or not doesn’t change whether they’re a good person or a bad one. The Infected face a lot of discrimination, so naturally, they need a bit more help. Honestly, as long as there’s a need, it doesn’t matter if it’s an ordinary person or an Infected… Hey, why are you all looking at me like that?”
As Lucian spoke, he realized the room had gone completely quiet. Not only Blaze, but Texas, Croissant, Exusiai, and Hoshiguma were all staring at him intently.
Blaze’s reaction was the most extreme.
Her eyes lit up, and she broke into a massively satisfied grin. Leaning entirely across the low table, she threw her arms around Lucian and pulled his head directly into her chest!
“Lucian, I like you! You’re a seriously good guy! That way of looking at things is a million times better than just blindly favoring the Infected, and you’re not one of those self-important hypocrites either! Exusiai, you have excellent taste in men!”
Lucian’s voice was slightly muffled. “Well, thank you very much.”
Summoning an immense amount of willpower, Lucian grabbed Blaze by the shoulders and forcibly peeled himself out of the suffocating, soft embrace.
Blaze blinked, looking genuinely surprised. “Oh! I didn’t realize you were so strong. You look so thin under those clothes.”
Lucian snorted, adjusting his collar. “Don’t underestimate men. And don’t just go around hugging guys like that. What kind of behavior is that for a grown woman?”
The big Feline grinned mischievously, entirely unrepentant. “No, no, it’s fine! I’d only do this because you’re Exusiai’s man… Ah, Exusiai, don’t glare at me like that, it was just a joke! I just see Lucian as a brother! Alright, alright, I’ll drink three more cups as a penalty!”
Faced with the absolute death glare of a fully jealous Exusiai, Blaze obediently backed down, reaching for more beer.
As soon as Lucian settled back into the sofa, he felt Hoshiguma lean in close.
“Good. It looks like a trustworthy organization,” she murmured quietly.
Her breath brushed against his ear as she whispered, “If she’s acting, then she is the greatest actress I have ever seen. If Rhodes Island were a more cautious, shady organization, they would never let a loose cannon like her come into Lungmen alone. It seems that while their public slogan sounds a bit idealistic and suspicious, they are fundamentally above board. You can interact with them more deeply.”
“…Thank you for checking them out for me, Big Sister Hoshiguma,” Lucian replied, his expression twisting into a complicated grimace. “But please, can you not lean so close? Exusiai is pinching my leg under the table, and it actually hurts.”
Lucian didn’t know what had gotten into the Sankta today, but Exusiai was reacting as if an entire warehouse of vinegar jars had just shattered all over the floor. She was incredibly sensitive tonight.