"Alright, let's get moving!"
March 7th looked at Sampo in front of her, speaking with a no-nonsense tone. "You're taking our payment, so you'd better do a good job!"
"Exactly! Grrr!" Bai Ming chimed in beside her, adding a playful growl for emphasis.
"You don't need to copy that part!" March nudged Bai Ming with her shoulder.
"QAQ Boohoo... March, am I not even worthy of being your loyal little dog anymore?"
"..."
"QAQ Really I'm not?"
"Alright, alright!" March was already blushing furiously. "Stop looking at me with those puppy-dog eyes! It's embarrassing!"
"Hehe~"
Sampo waved a hand, slipping right back into his earlier, carefree persona. "Of course I'll lead the way. Come on, I'll take you straight to our lovely Belobog!"
With that, Sampo took the lead. Bai Ming, still holding March's hand, followed right behind. Dan Heng brought up the rear as usual. But unlike before, his gaze was now fixed on Sampo's back, his hand tightening subtly around his weapon. It was like he was ready to drop an attack at any moment.
Footprints pressed into the snow in this neat little line.
"So..." March, her hand still in Bai Ming's, looked at Sampo leading the way and asked, "Sampo, why are you so afraid of the Silvermane Guards anyway? From what you said, you're just digging up old stuff from under the snow... Is that really enough to make you that scared of them?"
"Ah, well..." Sampo didn't turn around, his tone evasive and light. "Yeah, why is that? I'm not really sure myself, haha!"
Not long after he finished, he felt something press against the small of his back. Yep. It was Bai Ming's baseball bat.
"Sampo," Bai Ming's cheerful yet menacing voice came from behind. "March asked you a question! please answer it properly will you?!"
"Tsk... a pair of real tough customers," Sampo muttered under his breath.
"What was that?!"
"Nothing, nothing!" Sampo waved a hand dismissively. "If you're asking why I'm scared of the Silvermane Guards..." He scratched his head. "...Let's just say I happened to... acquire a few ancient relics of, uh, negligible value. And those sticklers decided it was some major crime! They wouldn't even agree to a 70-30 split!"
"That... that harsh?" March couldn't help but sound a bit sympathetic.
"Right~?" Sampo latched onto her tone. "If they were just a bit more flexible, they wouldn't be living such a hard life. Total blockheads." He waved a hand. "Ah, forget it. Let's not talk about such a downer. By the way, where exactly are you folks from? Your clothes don't look like anything from around Belobog."
March was about to answer when Dan Heng, from the back, cut in. "Lead the way first," he said, his gaze steady on Sampo. "We can discuss all that once we're in the city."
"Tch." Sampo gave a soft, displeased click of his tongue. He'd thought his casual question would just slip right out. He hadn't expected Dan Heng to shut it down. This guy was the only one who gave me an out earlier... Figures he'd be the one to block me now. Can't win.
Despite the schemes running through his mind, Sampo showed none of it. He was facing a trio, and two of them acted like seasoned warriors though one was a bit more crazy than the other.
"You're right!" Sampo agreed heartily. "With this wind and snow, it's no place for a proper chat! We'll talk all about it once we're safe inside the city!"
Having said that, Sampo resumed leading the way, launching into a bit of a monologue. "You know, I live by seven survival rules. One of them is: never leave footprints in the snow. To that end, I even developed my own secret technique—Treading Snow Without a Trace."
Faced with Sampo's continuous chatter, Dan Heng deliberately lowered his voice, speaking just loud enough for March and Bai Ming to hear. "March, Bai Ming. If we really do run into these Silvermane Guards... we hand this Sampo over."
"This..." March looked back at Dan Heng, her expression conflicted. "Do we really have to?"
"Just stating the plan if things go south," Dan Heng replied, his face impassive. "If he gets us into the city without trouble, all the better. But if something goes wrong... March, you don't want Himeko having to come down here to bail us out, do you?"
"Better the hired hand takes the fall than us, huh?" Bai Ming couldn't help but quip. "Dan Heng, you're ruthless! But—it's not like we can't do it! March, let's go with this plan, okay?"
"Mhm." Seeing both Bai Ming and Dan Heng on the same page, March nodded. "Okay, I understand. We'll do that."
The wind howled on. The snow kept falling. Sampo's non-stop chatter continued. The man really could talk! And every sentence seemed to have a point—probing for information about the trio.
Luckily, Dan Heng had already seen through this. So, their strategy for dealing with Sampo's verbal probes was...
To answer in kind!
Sampo: "Your outfits look really sharp! Where'd you get them? Definitely not something you can find in Belobog! Tell me! Let your buddy here make a little side profit, eh? Haha!"
Bai Ming: "Haha!"
March 7th: "Haha!"
Dan Heng: "...Haha."
"..." Sampo glanced back over his shoulder, his expression pure bewilderment. This trio's responses were utterly bizarre. What were they playing at?!
Just as Sampo was pondering this, figures emerged from the swirling snow ahead. They were clad in blue military uniforms and silver helmets, each holding a sharp military axe. Even in the muted daylight, the axe blades gleamed coldly.
The moment Sampo saw them, his face fell. It was the unmistakable look of a mouse spotting a cat. He hurriedly turned back to the trio, his voice laced with panic.
"Hey... remember the Silvermane Guards I mentioned? Well, here they come."
Sampo's tone was almost panicked, but not one of the three behind him responded. This made him even more frantic.
Before he could get any reaction, the Silvermane Guards ahead spoke first. Brandishing their weapons, one of them and yelled out to others in a commanding tone.
"Suspect and his accomplices spotted! Apprehend them immediately!"
With that, the Silvermane Guards began a unified, disciplined charge. The snow on the ground erupted in frothy waves under their synchronized steps—an intimidating display. No doubt about it, this was a properly trained unit.
A real military squad!
Sampo grew even more desperate. He immediately appealed to the trio. "Help a guy out, pals! I really don't wanna get nabbed by these Silvermane Guards! Otherwise, I won't be able to guide you anymore!"
Of course, Sampo wanted to squeeze some profit out of these strange, tight-lipped newcomers. After all, he'd gotten slashed the moment he stepped out today. Going back empty-handed would be a total loss. To that end, he'd already planned to demand an exorbitant fee upon arrival—a classic shakedown!
But money was money. If earning it meant getting himself captured... the loss would far outweigh the gain! So, if these three would just lend a hand, Sampo promised himself he'd vanish the moment they stepped into the city. Make the money, but don't get caught. Surely they'd help him out... he was their guide, after all!
With this thought, Sampo cast a pleading look at the trio.
However—as a silver-tongued merchant of dubious goods, Sampo quickly realized something was off. Because these three didn't look like they were preparing to fight at all!
Dan Heng, on the far left, stood with his arms crossed, spear in hand, looking like a freshly peeled-off door god poster—imposing but utterly still.
In the middle was March 7th. Her hand was tightly held by Bai Ming, as if afraid she'd slip away. And the look she was giving him... How to put it? It held a hint of pity, like looking at a condemned man.
To her right was Bai Ming. While she seemed to be gazing adoringly at March, Sampo could clearly sense her tightening her grip on that baseball bat. She seemed the most likely to act!
After this quick assessment, Sampo didn't hesitate. He chose Bai Ming.
"Big sis, lend a hand! I really don't wanna get caught by the Silvermane Guards!"
"Don't wanna get caught, huh?!" Bai Ming laughed boisterously. "Alright! I'm a person who believes in repaying kindness! I absolutely won't let you get caught!"
Hearing this, Sampo's anxious heart finally settled a bit. These three were clearly a unit. If one was willing to help, the other two would surely join in. That would also buy him the perfect window to escape! Besides—Sampo hadn't forgotten the experience of hiding in the snow and getting a blade-slash to his backside from Bai Ming. It wasn't a serious injury, hadn't even broken the skin, but that didn't mean she wasn't capable! With her here, he figured he was safe! Maybe— heh —he could even turn the tables and loot something from these Silvermane Guards.
The more Sampo thought about it, the more excited he became. He could almost feel it—today might be his most profitable day yet!
However, Sampo soon realized something was very wrong. Because while Bai Ming did let go of March's hand and did draw her weapon... her target didn't seem to be the charging Silvermane Guards at all.
Wait—it was him! Bai Ming was walking straight toward him!
"What are you doing?!" Sampo pointed frantically to the side. "The Silvermane Guards are over there!"
"I know!" Bai Ming cracked her knuckles, the sound sharp in the cold air. A bright, utterly harmless smile spread across her face. "I'm just doing what you asked!"
"What I asked?!" Sampo was utterly confused. "I asked you to stop those Silvermane Guards!"
"Nope, nope!" Bai Ming shook her head vigorously. "What you said was, 'I don't wanna get caught by the Silvermane Guards'!" She even turned to ask March. "March, wasn't that it?!"
"Sure was!" March agreed instantly. "Sampo definitely said 'don't wanna get caught by the Silvermane Guards' or something like that!"
"See?!" Bai Ming grinned. "That's what everyone heard! All you wanted was to 'not get caught by the Silvermane Guards'!"
"Fine, fine!" Sampo cried, watching the guards close in. "Then just make sure I don't get caught!"
"You got it! Your wish is my command!" Bai Ming raised her baseball bat and brought it down squarely on Sampo's head. "We won't let the Silvermane Guards catch you... we'll hand you over to them ourselves!"
With a solid thump, Sampo's eyes widened in sheer disbelief before he crumpled to the snowy ground.
He probably never dreamed that the people who just hired him as a guide would knock him out cold the next moment.
Looking at the unconscious Sampo, Bai Ming couldn't help but ask Dan Heng, "Dan Heng, why did we have to knock him out anyway?"
"I'll be honest—" Dan Heng patted the pouch on his clothes. It made a soft, empty poof sound. "—I realized after I spoke to him that I didn't actually bring any money down from the Astral Express."
"Wait, me too!" Bai Ming exclaimed. "The card Asta gave me is still in March's room!"
"Eh?! I didn't bring any either!"
"..." Dan Heng let out a long-suffering sigh. He had a feeling this journey would be anything but smooth.
Meanwhile, the charging Silvermane Guards skidded to a confused halt, staring at Sampo, who had just been knocked out by his own 'accomplices.' Was this internal strife? Or what?!
As they stood there, unsure what to do, someone suddenly shouted from their ranks, "Commander Gepard has arrived!"
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A/n: Hey over on my patreon there are currently two for the time being exclusive books which are
Zenless Zone Zero: Loving Daily Life Starting in New Eridu
Honkai Impact 3rd, I Can Transform into a Valkyrie!
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