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ArabicArknights: The Prophet of Penguin Logistics — Chapter 31
Chapter 31: Witch
It was nearly an hour later when Lynn, still completely bewildered by the day’s bizarre sequence of events, finally regrouped with Texas and the rest of the crew. But the shock he felt was nothing compared to the bombshell Texas casually dropped on him. The puzzle pieces had suddenly snapped into place; their elusive target, Miss Talulah, was right here at the border outpost.
“Word on the street is that Lord Iron Fist came down personally to investigate, and then Miss Talulah herself stepped out of the shadows,” Croissant said. She straddled a wooden chair backward, resting her chin on her arms as she made two snapping, crab-like gestures at Lynn. Her expression was a strange mix of awe and envy. “She is a real beauty, you know? Dressed up all fancy like some high-society heiress from a top-tier city. She even had an entire entourage protecting her, supposedly Chernobog’s elite Arts guards. The way she moved and talked was like watching a noble step right out of a romance novel. Honestly, compared to her, we at Penguin Logistics are just a bunch of ugly ducklings. I feel like our entire presence and our looks just got completely steamrolled. Well? Aren’t you kicking yourself for missing out on the sight?”
“Impossible,” Lynn replied without missing a beat. “I refuse to believe there is anyone in this world more beautiful than the girls of Penguin Logistics. Getting to see so many gorgeous girls working around me every single day is already a miracle. I simply do not believe anyone could outshine you all.”
“Ugh.” Croissant stuck out her tongue, contorting her face into an exaggerated mask of disgust. “I do not usually get motion sickness, but I feel like throwing up right now. Prophet, where did you even learn to spout such sickeningly sweet lines?”
Despite her theatrical disgust, Croissant dragged her stool closer to Lynn, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial murmur. Beneath the playful banter, she had some surprisingly heavy intel to share.
The mission was officially over. Not a fake completion, but a genuine, verified success. They did not need to wade any deeper into Chernobog’s messy political swamp; they could pack up and head back to Lungmen tomorrow. Somehow, Talulah had materialized at the outpost and established a formal protocol with their client, a fact verified by multiple independent parties.
Normally, such abrupt resolutions were unheard of, but Chernobog’s internal reaction was the truly bizarre part. Talulah’s identity was shrouded in mystery. She was flanked by the black-robed guards known as Iron Fist’s hounds, along with specialized Originium Arts guard units. When she approached to confirm the details with Penguin Logistics, she carried the unmistakable weight of a major political figure. Yet, on paper, Iron Fist was supposed to be the sole supreme authority in Chernobog.
Simultaneously, word had leaked that Iron Fist himself was present at the outpost. He claimed to be conducting a routine public relations tour to connect with the citizens, but his first stop had been a beeline straight for the surveillance room.
No matter how Lynn looked at it, the timing and location painted a grim picture. Penguin Logistics had unwittingly stumbled into the crossfire of a massive conspiracy. The bizarre attempted bombing by the Infected, the sudden arrival of Talulah, and Iron Fist showing up with a retinue of Arts guards all pointed to a powder keg waiting to explode within Chernobog.
“Texas went ahead and booked a few dorms, and she has already contacted the boss,” Croissant whispered, leaning in so close that Lynn could feel the warmth of her breath against his ear. “She told the Emperor that we will not be taking any more contracts from Chernobog after this. We might lose out on a mountain of LMD, but safety comes first, right? And I noticed something else. Chernobog’s higher-ups do not seem to be as strictly anti-Infected as they claim. I actually saw several police officers in the direct subordinate units who were clearly Infected.”
“What? Are you serious?” Lynn blinked, his voice hushed.
“Dead serious. But keep your mouth shut about it. I only saw it by accident.” Croissant puffed out her chest slightly. “I was setting up a little stall outside the door, right? A few internal affairs guys wanted to come over and buy some of my stock, but the others tried to hold them back. I saw the Originium crystals on their skin when they were shoving each other. Luckily, I am quick on my feet. I just slumped over and pretended to be asleep, snoring and everything, like I had not seen a damn thing. Bluffed my way right through it.”
“Then you are genuinely amazing,” Lynn said, sincerely admiring the Forte girl’s sharp instincts. “If they realized you had seen that, it could have caused a massive disaster.”
This level of high-stakes political warfare and upper-echelon oppression was far beyond the paygrade of a simple courier service. Getting tangled up in it would only lead to a quiet, nameless death in some frozen alleyway. For Croissant to recognize the danger and play dead was a rare stroke of brilliance. Combined with the cryptic warnings from that old Ursus bear, Lynn was absolutely certain that a catastrophic storm was brewing over Chernobog in the coming years.
“What are you two whispering about over here?”
Texas rounded the corner from the far end of the corridor, casually chewing on a stick of chocolate. Right behind her was Exusiai, effortlessly balancing a heavy cardboard box of miscellaneous supplies.
Seeing Texas, Croissant immediately let out a guilty little chuckle. She shot Lynn a quick wink, silently demanding his absolute secrecy, and then slipped into her assigned dormitory, leaving the door slightly ajar. Texas did not pay Croissant’s antics any mind. Since the night of the drinking incident, Croissant and Lynn had developed a solid camaraderie, so there was no need to pry.
Instead, the Lupo girl simply pointed a slender finger toward the furthest corner of the corridor. Her tone was flat and uncompromising.
“I am going to tidy up your room for you. Go wander around outside for a bit.”
Texas then pointedly glanced at the network cable coiled near the wall and shot Exusiai a meaningful look.
Exusiai blinked in confusion for a split second before her eyes landed on the portable computer and the high-speed network setup provided in the dorm. A visible shiver ran down the Sankta’s spine. She instantly plastered a blindingly sweet smile on her face and grabbed Lynn by the shoulders, physically shoving the bewildered young man toward the exit.
“Alright, alright, Prophet! You really need to start paying more attention to a girl’s delicate feelings, you know!” Exusiai chirped, pushing him along.
“Eh? Ah, wait… but this is my dorm! I have not even seen what the inside looks like yet, and you are kicking me out…”
“It cannot be helped! Texas suddenly felt the urge to take a shower in there. After all, we have been running around covered in dust all day. What, Prophet, are you saying you want to stay and watch?”
“But does she not have her own dorm for that?!”
“Details, details! Anyway, just go take a walk. We will call you when it is safe. Go play outside for now, okay?”
‘What in the world is actually going on?’
Lynn stared blankly at the heavy metal door that had just been slammed in his face. He scratched his head in utter confusion, then turned to look at Croissant, who had cracked her door open just enough to watch the spectacle unfold.
Seeing Lynn standing there looking so pitiful and helpless, a subtle, highly amused smirk spread across the Forte’s face. She gave him a slow, mocking thumbs-up.
Lynn sighed, forming a similar resigned smile, and opened his mouth to chat with her to pass the time.
Bang.
Croissant slammed her door shut too. A hollow echo lingered in the empty corridor.
“And here I thought I had finally gotten familiar with them…”
Lynn looked at the four tightly sealed dormitory doors, scratched his head again, and simply crouched down by the entrance, resigning himself to waiting until whatever secret operation they were running inside was finished.
He had not been squatting there for long, quietly gazing up at the pale moon hanging over the frozen wasteland, when a dark silhouette approached from the shadows.
The figure paused, clearly startled to find a young man crouching by the door like a lost puppy. She glanced at the row of tightly shut dormitory doors, a hint of genuine bewilderment briefly crossing her stunningly beautiful face.
“Are you an employee of Penguin Logistics?” she asked, her voice smooth and measured.
Lynn looked up. Taking in her elegant posture, the refined cut of her formal dress, and the unmistakable aura of authority she carried, he did not even need to think twice.
“Ah,” Lynn said, rising to his feet. “Are you Miss Talulah?”