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ArabicArknights: The Prophet of Penguin Logistics — Chapter 7
Chapter 7: Lazarus’s Archives
It seemed as if some cosmic will was at work; the moment you encountered one stroke of bad luck, a relentless chain of misfortunes was guaranteed to follow. Especially after crossing over into this world, right as the main storyline was kicking off, Lynn was absolutely certain that scenes like this would become a regular occurrence.
Still, having it shoved directly in his face before he even had time to wash up was a bit much. The sheer speed of the ambush left him mildly surprised.
And yet, looking out through the windshield, he couldn’t shake a strange feeling.
He felt that Croissant didn’t seem to be in any real danger. It was a baseless intuition, but he trusted it. Sure, the girl wore an awkward, strained smile, and the men in black had her physically cornered, but her micro-expressions and relaxed posture told a different story. Lynn simply felt she had absolute confidence in her ability to break out of that encirclement whenever she pleased.
“…I’m going out to negotiate. Wait for my signal.”
While Lynn was lost in thought, Texas decisively snatched the keys from the ignition. She pushed the car door open, stepped out into the chilly Lungmen night, and slammed it shut behind her.
“Ah, Texas. I know you. Penguin Logistics’ best driver. And quite the famous Vanguard.”
A slightly taller man separated himself from the pack of black-suited thugs. He crossed his arms, letting out a low chuckle as he looked down at the Lupo girl who barely reached his chest.
“If you folks at Penguin Logistics can stick to your own motto, then we won’t interfere with each other. But recently, you’ve crossed the line. You’re just a delivery company; stick to moving boxes. I know you’re tough fighters, but don’t forget, you aren’t the only ones operating here in Lungmen.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Texas calmly fished a slim cigarette from her pocket. She brought it to her lips, struck a light, and took a slow drag. Exhaling a thin plume of pale smoke, she squinted up at the towering man.
“Penguin Logistics never interferes with other organizations’ so-called secret files or classified materials. We rarely cross the line. And on the off chance we do, you wouldn’t even realize we were the ones who did it.”
“Still playing dumb? Fine, I’ll spell it out. The Lazarus File is not something you can handle.” The tall man frowned, his expression twisting in disgust as he watched Texas puff away. “You got the message this afternoon, didn’t you? If you know what’s good for you, drop it immediately. To put it bluntly, we’re just a bunch of hired hands. There are a lot of powerful people watching this situation from the shadows.”
“…The Lazarus File? What is that? Some kind of project document?”
Casually stubbing out the cigarette against the asphalt, Texas looked between Croissant and the tall man with feigned confusion, her fluffy tail flicking lazily behind her.
Inside the cabin, the atmosphere shifted.
“Hey, Prophet.”
Watching Texas stall the men in black, Exusiai reached over and poked Lynn in the ribs, leaning in to whisper against his ear. “How is it? Are you a little nervous running into a scene like this for the first time?”
“Not really.”
Lynn shifted his weight, putting a sliver of distance between himself and the energetic Sankta, his brows furrowing as he watched the standoff outside.
“Neither Croissant nor Texas seems to show any actual signs of panic. Besides, if they were truly in mortal danger, Texas would have just floored the gas and gotten us out of here, rather than stepping out to chat.”
“Eh? But wouldn’t it be normal to risk everything for a friend?”
“If it were truly for a friend, the professional move would be to remember the offense, escape, and seek revenge later. I don’t think seasoned operators would act emotionally and walk straight into an obvious trap. Unless…”
“Unless?”
“Unless the gap in strength between the two sides is overwhelmingly in your favor.”
“Ahaha~ Spot on.”
Exusiai beamed with pride, her eyes fixed on Texas, who wasn’t giving an inch to the towering thug.
“Don’t let the small size of our company fool you; everyone here is an elite. And since a lot has happened recently, this is the perfect opportunity to smoke out whoever is stirring up trouble behind the scenes. I know Croissant and Texas can handle those guys. But for now, we have our own job to do.”
“What job?”
“Remember those hidden rats? Lock onto them and minimize the threat.”
Exusiai breathed softly into Lynn’s ear. She shifted her posture, remotely angling her weapon from inside the darkened vehicle toward the shadowy rooftops radiating that uneasy aura.
“Don’t overthink it. Texas and Croissant have their methods. We have ours.”
The soft warmth of her body pressing against his back offered a strange sense of reassurance. Her slender finger was steadily hooked over the sniper rifle’s trigger. The sweet, comforting scent of apple pie washed over him, thick and unmistakable.
“I trust you.”
Holding Lynn by the waist, Exusiai rested her head against his shoulder. She kept the heavy gun perfectly steady and murmured softly, her voice taking on an almost hypnotic quality.
“I trust you unconditionally, just as I trust my own limbs, my own parents.”
Despite the intimate posture, Lynn found his mind entirely clear of any disrespectful thoughts. Accompanied by her soft, almost prayer-like words, he watched the glowing halo above Exusiai’s head flare to life, emitting a hazy, brilliant light that bathed the car’s interior. Her usually cheerful eyes sharpened into something lethal, piercing through the dark Lungmen night, locked onto the towering buildings shrouded in shadows.
As if afraid he might slip away, she reached out with her free hand and grasped his palm. She guided his hand in a strange, lifting gesture, pointing out into the darkness. Her voice grew more ethereal, a soft murmur that made Lynn’s mind spin slightly.
“I have absolute trust in you; I have complete confidence in you.”
The Sankta girl spoke slowly, her thumb flicking the safety off her weapon.
A crisp, mechanical click echoed in the cabin, and a heavy, dangerous aura began to bleed from the seemingly clumsy firearm.
“And you will lead us out of this predicament. You will lead us away from this land of strife. So, Prophet… please tell me. Tell me the future. Show me those who stand against us.”
“…Do you just mean call out their positions?”
“Mmm~ Yes. How does it feel?”
The girl, bathed in the overhead streetlights and her own halo’s glow, smiled cheerfully from behind him.
“Can you not be so formal? It sounds… weird.”
“Then pick a style you like! ‘For the apple pie’? ‘Long live Penguin Logistics’?”
“No, just speak normally. And don’t put too much faith in this feeling of mine; my luck has never been exactly stellar.”
“It’s fine. I trust you, just as I trust myself.”
“So can you please stop talking like that?”
Breathing in the subtle fragrance of apple pie, Lynn narrowed his eyes, focusing his attention on the surrounding urban terrain. The strange, prickling aura of murderous intent flared in his mind. It was a miraculous sensation, identical to the danger sense he used to rely on when playing competitive games back in his old world. He could practically see the ambush lines drawn across the environment.
Several figures were perched on the adjacent high-rises, while a few more crouched by the concrete wall bases and alley entrances. Though they were cloaked in the Lungmen night, Lynn could clearly sense the crossbow-wielding thugs lurking in the blind spots. Their movements were sloppy, amateurish—frequently letting their limbs drift out of the shadows. Even the ones who managed to stay hidden gave away their positions through sheer predictability.
It was as simple as shooting turkeys in a barrel.
“…Thirteen people. That really is a lot.”
As Lynn rattled off the exact coordinates, Exusiai’s lips curled into a sharp, confident smile, her eyes tracking the sneaky figures in the dark.
“Now that they’re locked in, all that’s left is to wait for Texas and Croissant’s signal. If everything goes smoothly, we’ll still have time to grab dessert when we get back.”
“Is that so? I actually feel like the atmosphere is taking a turn for the worse.”
Watching the negotiation outside, where the kinetic tension was rapidly reaching a boiling point, Lynn couldn’t help but sigh. Given his usual luck, this standoff was probably not going to end in a peaceful compromise.