194. I Love My Brother-In-Law the Most!
You're a siscon.
Your favorite person? Your sister! Your most admired person? Your sister!
But have you ever even imagined—just imagined—that one day you would see your beloved, perfect sister, with a man, and then introduce him to you with a bright smile: "Hey, sis, this is your brother-in-law"?
Never, right?
So, when that day truly and unexpectedly arrived...
"Back! Back! Back!" Exusiai, like a ruffled hen, spread her arms wide, shielding the stiflingly laughing Lemuen behind her, warily watching the helpless Xiling as if he were a fierce hawk.
"Sis, don't be fooled! This kind of man is obviously a Playboy! Don't be fooled just because he's good-looking!" Exusiai stamped her feet anxiously, repeatedly turning back to reveal the truth to her older sister while keeping a watchful eye on Xiling.
"How am I a Playboy?" Xiling was both amused and exasperated, only able to cast a pleading look at Lemuen.
Lemuen couldn't hide her smile. She cleared her throat and said leisurely, "Well… whether he's a playboy or not, well, it's hard to say."
"Hey! You're not helping, you're adding fuel to the fire!" "
Lemuen tilted her head playfully, revealing an incredibly bright smile: "Hey!"
"Hey, my foot! If you don't help me, your sister's going to pull out a gun!" Xiling couldn't help but retort.
"Even if she pulls out a gun, it can't hurt you, right?" Lemuen blinked.
"Attitude! Attitude is key! Didn't you teach me before we came? Attitude is the most important thing!" Xiling emphasized.
"Oh? So you're blaming me for not having a good attitude?" Lemuen raised an eyebrow.
"Hey! I didn't say that!" Xiling quickly waved his hand.
Exusiai looked left and right. The two of them were exchanging barbs, and an indescribable atmosphere filled the air—wasn't this blatant flirting?
"Hey! I'm not really going to have a brother-in-law, am I?!" Exusiai desperately clutched her head, letting out a wail.
Her sister is getting married... that's absolutely unacceptable!
Meanwhile, excited whispers rippled through the stands.
"Awesome! This is exactly what I've been waiting for!" The Doctor and Texas, who had somehow found themselves seated nearby, each with a can of soda, watched with rapt attention, as if enjoying a captivating performance.
"Speaking of which, isn't that Exusiai's sister?" The Doctor took a sip of his drink, puzzled.
"I remember her being a Cardinal from Laterano. Why didn't she give us any advance notice before coming to Rhodes Island?" He looked at Texas.
Texas shrugged.
"Exusiai never mentioned that to me. You'll probably have to ask Cardinal Lemuen herself for details."
"True." The Doctor nodded, but a guess already formed in his mind.
"Cardinal Lemuen is probably here solely on her own behalf, unrelated to Laterano officials."
"Did she come specifically to see her sister...? It doesn't feel that simple." The Doctor's gaze unconsciously drifted towards Xiling, trying to find answers from him.
However, no matter how discreet his gaze was, how could it escape Xiling's notice? Xiling smiled and nodded in greeting.
After being discovered, the Doctor stopped trying to hide it, his gaze scanning Xiling like a scanner.
"Quite perceptive… can't discern any obvious racial features. Aegir? Doesn't seem like it… I wonder if Kal'tsit knows?" the Doctor mused to himself.
"Instead of looking away after being discovered, you're staring directly at me? Doctor, you're really different from what I imagined."
Xiling had thought the Doctor might be rather quiet, but now it seemed he was more cheerful than he thought…
Exusiai felt like the sky had fallen.
Her older sister, Lemuen, and that man named Xiling were holding hands, their intimate posture stinging her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to rush over and pry their hands apart, then tightly hold her sister's arm herself.
However, the warm and joyful aura emanating from her sister told her unmistakably: her sister was extremely happy.
"Even…even that won't work!" Exusiai suddenly grabbed Lemuen's arm from the other side, pulling her closer.
Then, she looked up at Xiling and declared earnestly, "Hey! If you want to be with my sister, you have to get my approval first!"
Lemuen smiled mischievously, looking at Xiling with her sister, as if to say: See, I told you so!
Xiling sighed helplessly, "I'll try my best."
Under everyone's watchful eyes, he reached into his Starry Cloak and took out an exquisite, long, rectangular box, handing it directly to Exusiai:
"A gift for our first meeting. I hope you like it."
"Huh? A gift for our first meeting? That's so frivolous! Sis, look at this guy!" Exusiai immediately seized the opportunity to criticize him. She found fault with everything Xiling did.
"Oh?" Lemuen's smile deepened, guiding the conversation with interest.
"Why don't we see what this frivolous man has prepared for you?"
Seeing her sister's "watching the show" expression, Exusiai's heart skipped a beat: This is bad; this thing is probably going to hit her sweet spot!
She secretly made up her mind:
"Hmph! Whatever it is, I'll stick to the line and say it's okay or I don't like it! I'll be stubborn to the end. What can you do about it?"
She released her sister's hand, reluctantly and politely said "thank you," and then took the box from Xiling.
"Hmph, my older sister must have picked it out for me, right? I want to see what this thing is." Exusiai complained, her hands constantly fumbling for the switch, but there was no switch on the box; the whole box was like a cube.
"…Something's not right." The Doctor, who had come over, observed it and made a judgment in his mind.
"It looks like there's no switch on it," Texas said suspiciously.
"Put your hand on it, say your name, and it'll open," Xiling instructed from the side.
"Was it that amazing?" Exusiai's curiosity was piqued. Without hesitation, she placed her hand on the surface of the box.
"Lemuel."
The moment the words left her lips, the entire box underwent a strange transformation.
Countless glowing lines suddenly spread out from where Exusiai's hand touched it, and under the gaze of the Doctor, Texas, and Exusiai, a floating projection screen appeared above the box.
[Registrant: Lemuel]
[Equipment Binding Successful]
Amidst exclamations of "Holy crap!", the box instantly disintegrated, turning into specks of light and dissipating.
Exusiai looked down at the object that had appeared out of thin air in her hand.
"Cool!"
The exclamation escaped her lips, completely forgetting the boastful declaration that had been playing on repeat in her mind.
It was a uniquely designed gun.
Sleek lines outlined a futuristic silhouette, the red and white color scheme a perfect match for her.
This design—she'd never even heard of it, let alone seen it before! Exusiai couldn't help but repeatedly stroke the cold metal gun with her fingertips, her delight impossible to hide.
"That thing's design...isn't right?" The Doctor's gaze turned to astonishment.
Seeing Exusiai's expression, Xiling relaxed, secretly relieved—those 8000 points were well spent! He'd scoured the entire shop, finding this in a technologically advanced world.
Seeing Exusiai's eagerness to play with her new weapon, Xiling quickly issued a friendly warning:
"Ahem, well...I suggest you don't try this thing out inside Rhodes Island. It's quite powerful; one shot would probably make a hole in Rhodes Island."
The air seemed to freeze instantly...
Xiling's words left everyone present petrified and speechless.
Even Kal'tsit, who had just received the notification and rushed to greet Cardinal Lemuen of Laterano, paused in her tracks upon reaching the vicinity, a rare look of astonishment crossing her face at this explosive statement.
"Wh…what the hell?!" The Doctor was the first to recover from the shock, pointing at the gun in Exusiai's hand, his voice trembling.
"Are you sure? You're not joking, right? Make a hole in it!"
Exusiai's hand, which had been stroking the gun, froze abruptly, as if burned.
Logically, she should have questioned this exaggerated claim, but Xiling's words made her instinctively believe it—this thing could really easily penetrate Rhodes Island!
Lemuen then smiled leisurely: "So, Lemuel, do you like this gift?"
Exusiai swallowed hard, as if handling a fragile, priceless treasure, carefully transforming the weapon that had pierced the ship back into a box and handing it to her older sister for safekeeping.
Then, she cleared her throat, and under everyone's gaze, she leaped forward, directly towards Xiling!
"I love brother-in-law the most!!!"
Xiling steadily reached out and grabbed Exusiai's arms like a child, gently spinning her around twice before setting her back to the ground.
The moment her feet touched the ground, Exusiai immediately clung to Xiling's clothes, her eyes shining like a fangirl seeing her idol:
"Brother-in-law! Brother-in-law! How do you have such an amazing weapon?! It's so cool!"
"...I bought it." Xiling's answer was concise and honest.
Those two simple words.
Xiling's words once again convinced everyone, and the Doctor stood earnestly before Xiling.
"How much, bro? Give me your contact information. It's for nothing more; I just want to get a couple."
The Doctor, however, was internally roaring: "Buy! No matter what, I have to buy it! When the time comes, I'll see who's blind enough to look at them with malice, and I'll just pull out my weapon and then—rata-ta-ta!"
He even had a contingency plan: if the other party refused to reveal their source, he'd immediately cling to Xiling's leg and put on a show of a tough guy shedding tears!
Even if he had to risk his handsome, dashing face, he had to get this supply channel from this guy!
What does it mean to shoot through Rhodes Island?
You couldn't do that even with Victoria's city defense cannons!
It's all for Rhodes Island!
Just as the Doctor was gathering his emotions, preparing to implement his leg-clinging and wailing strategy, footsteps sounded behind them.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Kal'tsit. The Doctor shrank back, his heroic spirit for Rhodes Island instantly dissipating.
Kal'tsit, standing beside the group, asked Lemuen in a cold voice, "Cardinal Lemuen, welcome to Rhodes Island. Is there some urgent matter that you weren't informed of upon your arrival beforehand?"
Lemuen maintained her smile: "A private visit, Dr. Kal'tsit. Mainly to introduce someone to my lovely sister."
Kal'tsit's gaze shifted to Xiling. In that brief scrutiny, a thought uncontrollably flashed through her mind: "...I can't see any obvious racial features...but the silhouette...it really does resemble her."
Her gaze unconsciously swept over the Doctor beside her, who looked bewildered by her sudden gaze.
Kal'tsit's gaze locked onto Xiling again, her inner doubts quickly suppressed by a cold rationality: "No, it's just that he resembles her."
Years of experience had built a barrier of understanding that allowed her to instantly reject the idea—there was absolutely no way the other person could belong to the same race as the Doctor.
Human? In her knowledge, humans simply couldn't possess the...indescribable aura emanating from the being before her. It was a deeper, more fundamental difference. Kal'tsit took a deep breath, her expression impassive, and said, "To present a weapon capable of drilling a hole in this ship as a greeting gift on our first meeting...that's quite a unique way to show friendliness, and..."
"According to Rhodes Island's security regulations, any visitor and their belongings must be registered in advance. It seems...you haven't left any information."
Faced with Kal'tsit's calm gaze, Lemuen looked innocently at Xiling with a mischievous smile. Xiling, in turn, instinctively turned his gaze to...the Doctor.
The Doctor looked bewildered: "...Why are you looking at me?"
In a flash, a brilliant idea struck the Doctor! "I understand!"
Now was the perfect opportunity for him, the commander of Rhodes Island, to step forward and protect the arms supplier! This was for the greater good!
The Doctor swiftly stepped in front of Kal'tsit, shielding Xiling and the others behind him:
"Kal'tsit! Don't make things difficult for my friends!"
Kal'tsit calmly stared at the Doctor, who, taking advantage of his back to Xiling and the others, frantically winked at Kal'tsit:
"This guy stands here like a wild boss. Only you, you stinky cat, dare to breathe on him here. Breathing on your own employees is one thing, but this guy of unknown origin, casually pulling out a weapon and giving it away, and you dare to breathe on him!"
"Are you crazy?!"
Watching the Doctor frantically winking at her, Kal'tsit took a deep breath and calmed down.
She had indeed been a little nervous.
Regardless, Lemuen's status as a Laterano Cardinal was undeniable, and excessive, especially hostile questioning could indeed cause unnecessary suspicion and resentment among the other Laterano operators on Rhodes Island.
Sensing the change in atmosphere, Xiling felt she should say something to ease the tension.
"Ahem, regarding the registration, it was our oversight," Xiling said sincerely.
"Our way of arriving at Rhodes Island was rather...unusual. We didn't use regular transportation; we teleported directly. We landed near the kitchen and happened to run into Ms. Exusiai, whom we're looking for."
Xiling suggested, "If you don't mind, we can go and complete the formal visitor registration procedures now, what do you think?"
Xiling's proactive attitude in taking responsibility and offering a solution finally eased the almost frozen atmosphere.
The Doctor also breathed a sigh of relief, immediately turning around with a warm smile and spreading his hands towards Xiling:
"Wow! So it involves Originium Arts related to space? Impressive! My apologies!"
The Doctor then seemed to remember something, slapping his forehead suddenly:
"Oops, I was so busy shooting that I forgot to introduce myself! I'm the Doctor from Rhodes Island."
"Xiling. Let's just say I am...the leader of a not-so-famous organization," as Xiling introduced himself, pointing to himself.
Facing this self-proclaimed leader of an organization, Xiling, the Doctor's smile widened, and he warmly extended his hand:
"A pleasure to meet you, Leader Xiling!"
"A pleasure to meet you, too, Doctor," Xiling replied, extending his hand in return.
The two hands clasped tightly, both wearing incredibly sincere smiles.
However, on a level unseen by others:
The Doctor's inner monologue: "Organization leader? Which organization? Not even a name… deliberately emphasizing this to elevate his status and prevent us from underestimating him? Tsk, looks like this sourcing channel… is a bit too hot to handle."
Xiling's inner monologue: "The Silver King? The Sword-Holder of the Magic Society? Who in this world knows that… calling him an unknown organization leader wouldn't be a problem at all!"
Exusiai looked left at the Doctor, then right at Xiling, feeling that the smiles on these two men's faces… were a little strange.
And… weren't their handshakes taking a little too long?
Lemuen poked Xiling on the back with her finger.
Kal'tsit, standing nearby, simply kicked the floor hard. The two who had been shaking hands snapped out of their reverie and quickly released each other's grip.
"Ahem!" The Doctor cleared his throat, immediately changing the subject:
"Distinguished guests have come from afar! Kal'tsit, let me, the Doctor, show them around Rhodes Island! To fulfill my duty as host!"
The Doctor looked at Kal'tsit, his eyes filled with expectation mixed with a barely perceptible hint of guilt:
"Let me make this clear! I didn't volunteer to avoid work!"
Kal'tsit silently stared at the Doctor, her eyes seeming to say, "Do you think I believe you?"
A few seconds later, she took a deep breath, as if making some compromise: "...Heh. Never mind." She turned to the shadows and called out, "Red."
A little girl in a red coat silently emerged from the shadows in the corner.
"Please accompany the Doctor and the others," Kal'tsit instructed, clearly implying that accompanying also meant surveillance.
The little girl named Red nodded, her gaze lingering on Xiling for a moment before shifting away.
"Well then, gentlemen, I must excuse myself for now. I have some urgent matters to attend to." Kal'tsit nodded slightly to Lemuen and Xiling, said no more, and turned to leave the corridor.
Seeing this, the Doctor shrugged and invited, "Well then, it's time for your tour of Rhodes Island. I, the Doctor, will be your guide, showing you the different sights of Rhodes Island."
"Thank you for your help," Lemuen nodded with a smile.