Mercer's words left Lucy with a face full of question marks, then she seemed somewhat disgusted and chuckled, "Huh? Are you giving me the 'good person' card in advance?"
"Tsk, that's why I'm afraid kids like you might misunderstand...
Let me just put it this way, my preference is for all the beautiful girls over eighteen, not that those under eighteen aren't good...
It's just a basic moral concept."
Mercer sighed as he spoke. If he really were a fourteen-year-old boy, it would be fine, but inside, he's actually a twenty-seven or twenty-eight-year-old adult.
He didn't lie to Lucy.
He truly didn't mind causing a scene. He liked the feisty loli-mom image of Rebecca from "Edgerunners," and he was also interested in the wild and sultry Pan'an from games.
To be honest, he also found David's mom to be charming in her own right...
As for Lucy, a leading lady-level beauty in anime, cool and charming, he naturally liked her even more.
But finding someone pretty and cute is one thing, and getting mixed up with the current Lucy, he would feel like a pervert.
"... I'm starting to believe your psychological age is over twenty now."
Lucy pouted, curled up in her seat, "I hate being called a little kid... You better skip it next time, or I'll get mad."
"Got it, young lady," Mercer said with a laugh.
"Young lady isn't okay either!" Lucy raised her voice. "Besides, my birthday is in December, I'll be fifteen soon... Born in seventy-five, adulthood seems so far..."
"Why? Are you in a hurry?" Mercer teased.
"... Huh? What are you talking about?"
Lucy became anxious, "What's there to be in a hurry for, to enter your preferences?
I just don't like being seen as a kid by you... Clearly, there's not a big age gap between us; aren't you fourteen too?
We're probably the same age! No, am I maybe a few months older than you?"
Seeing his guilty look as he avoided her gaze, Lucy muttered, "Mercer, to be honest, I think you're a bit narcissistic."
The car stopped temporarily—Cassidy and Daichi, with Kyoko, drove up from the hillside and merged onto the highway.
Then they stopped and swapped seats.
Daichi drove the big pickup with Kyoko in the middle of the convoy, while Cassidy and Leon led the way in the van, with Mercer's car at the end of the line.
When Daichi honked twice and started moving, only then did Mercer press the gas pedal and follow.
With the old cowboy leading the way, Mercer didn't even need to plan the route. He just had to press the gas and follow easily.
Then he responded to her earlier question, "Ahem, indeed, I do think I'm quite charming..."
Lucy glanced at him a few times, but in the end, couldn't help but laugh at his narcissistic words, saying with helplessness, "In any case, I really don't like it."
"I know, you feel you can help me, you're not someone who needs to be taken care of, you want to contribute too, otherwise you'd feel like a burden."
Mercer candidly expressed his thoughts:
"But I just feel like I should be taking care of you guys, how should I put it... You can call me conceited.
You can call me a chauvinist too. In my view, those with the ability should take on more, I'm willing to carry this pressure moving forward, it makes me feel more real...
I don't know how to say it, I always feel if I came to this world and still let you all suffer, I'd have come for nothing.
My purpose in this world is to make everyone live better, be happier. That's my current goal.
The scope of 'everyone' isn't too much or too little, I want to accomplish this step first before considering larger goals, like making the world a better place.
Right now, I'm just taking the first step in accomplishing my life goals, compared to the guilt you feel...
Maybe I owe you an apology because I am indeed influencing your life and future based on my own thoughts and will.
But you also don't have to feel special, later I'll probably do this to many others, some will like it, and some won't, but I'll do it because it's what I like and want to do.
So..."
He turned his head, grinning at Lucy, "Bear with it, seventy-five isn't so far from adulthood, huh?"
"... You're a bit annoying."
Lucy rolled her eyes at him, then curled up on the chair, resting her chin on her hands, and her bright eyes quietly watched him, his radiant smile reflected in her eyes:
"Is a life striving for others' happiness really joyful?"
"Super joyful, because making some people happy and content means that some jerks will live miserably... and who said my life's purpose is just this?"
Mercer laughed, opened the window, and the wild wind blew in the yellow sand, with the distant yellow sandstorm vaguely forming.
Lucy, struggling to keep her eyes open against the sudden gusts of wind and sand, still tried to make out his excited form leaning out, capturing the storm with his hand.
He shouted loudly, trying to ensure the wind didn't drown his voice:
"Life is a journey, the fun isn't at the destination, nor is it about whether you can reach it!"
"It's about what you experience as you travel along!"
"Look, the people around me are laughing with me, heading for freedom. Arasaka, that jerk I hate, is probably frowning now, past difficulties have been conquered, and there's a vast world ahead still to explore!"
"My happiness is that simple—feel the storm? It's coming!
Haha! I've long wanted to personally challenge such a storm!
To hell with houses, money, cars, jobs!
Woohoo!!!
Ahem, cough cough, ptooey, ptooey..."
He shouted, got a mouthful of sand, then ducked back into the car, spitting out several mouthfuls of sand before rolling up the window again.
He turned to Lucy, who seemed a bit dumbfounded, gave her an awkward smile, wiped his lips with his hand, and spat a few more times.
Damn, how did the wind speed increase so quickly?
"Pfft..."
Lucy couldn't help but laugh, but then, like him, she burst into a hearty laugh, stretching her body, opening the window, and sticking half of herself out to feel the storm while taking a deep breath:
"Woohoo!!!"
She shouted back, only to eat a mouthful of sand, quickly shrinking back, closing the window, and coughing violently, even dry heaving a couple of times, then spitting repeatedly.
They exchanged glances and couldn't help but burst into laughter, their laughter echoing in the car, even overpowering the sound of sand hitting the windows.
"Sasha... Sasha..."
The radio near the car's A/C suddenly crackled with Sasha's voice.
"Hello? Kids, can you hear me? You should have a radio too, right? If you copy, please respond, over."
Mercer picked up the radio, pressed the button, "Copy, old cowboy."
"Copy that, copy that!" Tetsuya Daichi's voice came through, with the faint sound of Kyoko shouting in the background.
"Attention, slow down vehicles, maintain convoy formation, always make sure you can see the taillights of the vehicle in front!
Don't lose direction in the dust storm!
If you lose the target, say so immediately! The convoy will slow down to coordinate with team members!
Now, I'm taking you all to a temporary shelter I know for a break, it's at least an hour and a half away!
Make sure you don't lose yourselves before that.
Don't get too excited too soon, this thrill is just beginning!
Everyone watch out! Ha Dabo is coming!"