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ArabicArknights: The Holy Son's Leisurely Life — Chapter 9
Chapter 9: A Relationship of Deep Understanding
Exusiai. A top-tier courier for Penguin Logistics and an absolute fanatic for apple pie.
Though her codename carried the weight of divine authority, she wasn’t exactly manifesting seven holy swords to smite her enemies. Seven high-caliber firearms, however? That was light work.
More, she was Lucian’s childhood sweetheart. They had practically grown up glued at the hip, sharing everything from secrets to snacks. Because of this, Lucian knew her inside and out. He knew her height, her weight, her erratic quirks, and her hyperactive hobbies. He even knew the exact count and shape of her moles—whether they were star-shaped or perfectly round—including the ones tucked away in places she couldn’t even see in a mirror.
Their bond ran deep. After all, she had essentially eloped with him from Laterano.
For the rigidly conservative Sankta, leaving their homeland was a rarity reserved for absolute necessity. Running away from home on a whim was practically unheard of. Yet, she had abandoned her entire life in the holy city just to roam the chaotic world by his side. To any outsider looking in, the nature of their relationship was glaringly obvious.
These two Sankta were definitely…
“Exusiai, your apple pie is ready.”
Lucian set a steaming, freshly baked plate on the coffee table. Exusiai sat on the sofa, arms crossed tight over her chest, watching his domestic routine with narrowed eyes. Lucian’s culinary mastery was an established fact of life, and Exusiai had been spoiled by his cooking since they were kids. She knew his flavors better than anyone.
Today, however, she was thoroughly displeased. Extremely unhappy.
She didn’t reach for the golden-crusted pastry. Instead, she tilted her chin up, parted her lips, and let out a demanding, “Ah~.”
Lucian paused. He wanted to pretend he hadn’t heard that.
But Exusiai’s hand shot out, her fingers mercilessly pinching the soft flesh of his thigh. “Ah~, Ah~!! Ah!!!”
“Alright, alright, keep your voice down,” Lucian sighed, conceding defeat.
He carefully sliced a small piece of the warm pie, lifted it with a fork, and fed it directly into her waiting mouth. Only then did her stormy expression soften. Her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel as she chewed, swallowed, and immediately opened her mouth again. “Ah~.”
Was she acting spoiled, or just weaponizing her cuteness?
Left with zero alternatives, Lucian resigned himself to pampering his regressed childhood friend, hand-feeding her more than half the pie. To wash it down, he pierced the seal of a soy milk cup with a straw and handed it over.
Exusiai slurped down half the cup in one long, enthusiastic draw, letting out a highly exaggerated sigh of relief. “Phew, ah! I’m alive again.”
Her mood flipped like a switch. The gloom vanished, replaced by a radiant grin. She grabbed the ends of her long, fiery red hair and began brushing the soft strands against Lucian’s neck, teasing the sensitive skin. “I’m back, Lucian~. I worked so incredibly hard out there. The wind was brutal, the air was dry, and my poor skin is practically cracking. But the second I walk through the door, I catch you taking advantage of my absolute best friend. How exactly are you going to compensate me?”
“I’m already apologizing with food, aren’t I?” Lucian chuckled, swatting lightly at the tickling hair. “Besides, it was a complete misunderstanding. Nothing happened between Texas and me… regrettably.”
“Ugh. The fact that you specifically emphasized ‘regrettably’ makes you absolute scum,” Exusiai muttered, squinting at him with mock disgust.
Texas, of course, had already executed a flawless tactical retreat. The moment the tension spiked, she had dumped the entire burden of appeasing Exusiai onto Lucian, claiming she needed to ‘watch the shop’ before vanishing into the front room.
Lucian knew Exusiai wasn’t genuinely furious. This was just their standard rhythm.
Slipping into a more comfortable position, Exusiai unceremoniously dropped her head onto Lucian’s lap, twirling a lock of her own hair around her finger. “I was only gone for a few days. I even asked Texas to keep an eye on you, and you used the opportunity to trick my good friend into your bed. Isn’t that crossing a line? Texas acts all cold and aloof, but she’s actually super easy to fool. You are strictly forbidden from making a move on her, got it?”
“I already told you, it was a misunderstanding. Nobody tricked anyone.” Lucian caught her hand as she tried to tickle his neck again. “What’s with this attitude, anyway? Are you jealous that I’m stealing Texas away from you?”
Exusiai nodded with aggressive enthusiasm. “Obviously! Texas is mine. I’m not just handing her over. If you want her, you have to cough up at least five hundred million LMD as a betrothal gift!”
“What are you, a mother selling off her daughter?”
Lucian flicked her forehead, and they fell back into their comfortable bickering.
Anyone with a functioning set of eyes would take one look at their casual intimacy and immediately label them a couple. Yet, neither of them would ever admit to it. Perhaps they were just too used to each other after a lifetime of shared history, or perhaps they genuinely lacked the capacity to view one another through a romantic lens.
Objectively, Lucian knew Exusiai was gorgeous. If she ever bothered to pose for a sultry photoshoot, he might actually feel a spark of arousal. But sitting right here, with her head in his lap? He felt absolutely nothing. It was a bizarre paradox.
Exusiai likely operated on the exact same wavelength. That was the only reason she could completely disregard his gender, clinging to him, hugging him, and invading his personal space without a second thought. It was impossible to tell if she saw him as a surrogate brother or just the ultimate best friend.
Having exhausted her teasing, Exusiai stretched her arms high above her head and nestled deeper into his lap. “This run was exhausting. The client was way out in the middle of nowhere, and I had to ride my motorcycle through the wastelands for hours. My hair is a frizzy disaster. I seriously want to chop it all off! A short bob would be so much easier.”
Dense as a brick when it came to certain nuances, Lucian gave a casual shrug. “Then cut it. You’ve been talking about cutting it since we left Laterano. Just go for it.”
Exusiai shot him a withering glare. “This scumbag… he really has zero self-awareness. He’s a total long-hair fetishist, and who exactly does he think I’ve been growing it out for…”
“Hm? What was that?” Lucian tilted his head. “The wind outside must be too loud, I didn’t catch that.”
Exusiai’s eye twitched. She drove a swift, merciless fist directly into his kidney.
Despite the physical assault, the playful tension slowly bled out of the room. Exusiai wasn’t actually mad, and Lucian knew it was time to shift to business.
“This client of yours,” Lucian began, his tone sobering. “You said they were near Chernobog, right? I caught the news earlier. There’s a massive commotion brewing over there. Did you run into any trouble?”
“Nope. I didn’t even set foot inside the city limits,” Exusiai replied, rolling over to look up at him. “This client wasn’t your average job. I went in thinking I was picking up some desperate stowaway trying to sneak into Lungmen. But when I hit the designated coordinates, you’ll never guess what was waiting for me. A massive landship!”
Her eyes sparkled with residual awe.
Terra was a world plagued by relentless natural disasters—Catastrophes that ranged from meteor showers to localized earthquakes and violent storms. Worse, these events were intrinsically tied to Originium. After the initial physical devastation, the affected areas would be saturated with lethal Originium pollution, rendering them uninhabitable for normal people.
To survive this brutal reality, modern civilization had adapted by building their cities atop colossal mobile platforms. Guided by professional Catastrophe Messengers who charted the shifting storms, these mobile cities could physically drive out of harm’s way. It was the only way to endure.
However, landships of that scale were strictly the domain of sovereign nations. A private client operating an independent landship was a first, even for the seasoned couriers of Penguin Logistics.
“I met their leader, too,” Exusiai continued, her tone laced with intrigue. “A really young Cautus girl. The contract is for a guide inside Lungmen. They want someone to help them handle the city and avoid any problematic jurisdictions.”
“Playing it safe, huh?” Lucian mused, rubbing his chin. “So, this landship is planning to dock in Lungmen for supplies? What nation do they fly under? Do they need to specifically avoid the Lungmen Guard Department?”
Exusiai shook her head, her red hair fanning out across his legs. “They don’t belong to any nation. They call themselves Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals. It’s an organization dedicated to sheltering and treating the Infected.”