Volume 3, Chapter 7 – Dirty Old Man

Don’t underestimate an old man with graying hair.

Maybe he’s a martial arts master!

For some reason, Anran thought of a book, of a heroine who tried to steal something and got caught by an old man, thereby opening the prelude to her own magnificent two-thousand-year life.

Pushing that random thought aside, Anran did not relax her guard in the slightest.

An old man who could appear behind her without making a sound was definitely no ordinary person.

His hair was gray-white, and he was clearly advanced in age. The muscles on his face had slackened, and deep wrinkles lined his forehead.

Even so, the sharp light shining from his eyes was impossible to ignore.

It was as if they held something that could erupt at any moment and swallow a person whole.

The old man’s hand rested on the mechanical switchblade.

“Who are you?”

After Anran asked the question, the old man ignored her and picked up the mechanical switchblade himself.

He did not seem to have any intention of answering her. Instead, he examined the switchblade in his hand with great seriousness.

That intent gaze made it seem as though he were studying some profound discipline.

Only shallow grooves had been cut into the blade, making it look like a slightly fiercer fruit knife. The old man’s thumb lightly slid along the blade all the way to the handle. Right after that, his thumb rubbed at the decorative-looking spring on the handle.

Nothing happened.

He rubbed it again. Still nothing happened.

What the hell is he doing?

Anran had no idea. She quietly edged backward. Behind her was a drill press. If the old man suddenly raised the knife and rushed at her, she should dodge quickly to the left.

“Hm?”

The old man finally spoke again.

Anran’s heart tightened.

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The old man twisted the spring again with his thumb. Still no reaction.

“What’s going on? Why won’t it retract?”

Holding the knife, the old man shook it up and down, the blade reflecting sunlight so brightly it nearly blinded Anran.

“Come on, retract already. What the hell is this? Is this knife busted? Didn’t it retract just a second ago?”

Anran’s lips began to twitch, and her body started trembling. This…

“Ah.” The old man suddenly let out a long sigh. He scratched the back of his head, and the annoyed look on his face was instantly replaced by a smile. Staring at Anran like an inquisitive student, he asked, “Um, how do you use this knife again?”

Thunk.

Anran’s heart stopped for a moment.

So you really are the comic relief the monkeys sent over!

“Don’t look at me like that. You’ll make me embarrassed, haha.” The old man handed the knife over.

“…”

Anran carefully took the knife back.

Although the old man was acting like a clown and made people want to punch him, the stranger he acted, the more wary Anran became.

She took the mechanical switchblade, and then…

Turned and ran!

“Holy crap, why are you running?” The old man was stunned by Anran’s reaction.

According to the normal script, shouldn’t Anran have taught him how to use the knife after taking it back?

Gripping the mechanical switchblade, Anran stood at the innermost part of the workshop and pointed at the old man from afar.

“Don’t come any closer!”

“Young lady.” The old man’s expression turned serious. “Strictly speaking, I’d count as your grandmaster.”

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Anran’s expression froze. Is your brain broken?

I don’t even have a master.

The old man beckoned. “Come over here and teach me how to use this knife, or I’m going to spank you.”

“…”

Anran’s right hand suddenly clenched tight, and her gaze instantly sharpened.

So he was an old pervert.

Heh. Then there was no need to hold back.

In an instant, the aura around Anran changed completely.

It was as if she were gradually becoming one with the razor-sharp blade.

After personally executing more than a dozen Morningstar Resistance members, Anran was absolutely not some kindhearted person. If you were deceived by her somewhat cute appearance, that would only be the prelude to a hymn sung by the abyss.

Current Charm: 7.

“Hm?”

The old man’s footsteps suddenly halted. He narrowed his eyes and began sizing Anran up seriously.

Anran bent her body slightly, force gathering at the tips of her toes, ready to spring out at any moment.

Just then, a shout suddenly came from outside the workshop.

“Gray, why did you suddenly come over here!”

Confusion, and a trace of coldness.

That was Colin’s voice. Anran recognized it right away.

Had Colin, who had been lying in bed all this time, come out?

Did he know this dirty old man?

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The moment he heard Colin’s voice, Gray immediately shifted his attention to Colin.

With a beard-blowing, eyes-bulging look, he strode over full of spirit. “No respect for your elders. You actually called me by my name!”

“I’m not at the research center anymore,” Colin replied.

“Even if you’re not there now, you used to be. I’m still your elder no matter what, and yet you call me by my name!” Gray seemed very dissatisfied.

Standing inside the workshop, Anran could not see what they looked like, but their conversation seemed to reveal some interesting information.

She put away the knife and walked out of the workshop.

On the platform in front of Eudora’s house, Colin sat in a wheelchair, Eudora stood behind him pushing it, and Gray was stamping his feet.

It looked very much like the warm family scene of a household under the setting sun.

A wife pushing her mobility-impaired husband while talking with a father-in-law who was like an old mischievous child.

“I assume you came to find me because you have some business,” Colin said.

Gray smiled. “Can’t I have come specifically to visit you?”

His gaze swept over Colin’s legs.

“Drop the act.” Colin’s eyes were a little cold. “Your eyes already gave you away.”

Gray kept smiling. “Still as observant as ever.”

Colin remained unmoved. “If you’ve got something to say, let’s talk inside.”

“Fine.” Gray nodded.

Eudora pushed Colin back into the house, and Gray followed after them. Just as he was about to enter, his gaze suddenly landed on a certain window of the house.

Gray’s pupils suddenly contracted. Although he controlled his expression well, he still could not stop a look of shock from appearing on his face.

Anran followed Gray’s gaze and looked over.

Aila was standing by the window, looking outside.

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Gray followed behind Colin and went inside.

Anran waved at Aila.

“????)?”

She had originally thought Aila would either not come over or would go around and come out through the house.

Who would have thought that Aila would pull the window open, rise onto her toes, and climb right out through it?

“…”

Anran stared at the dust splashing up around Aila’s feet.

Cold sweat broke out all over her.

“Do you know that person just now?” Anran asked.

Aila shook her head.

All kinds of little movements she made radiated curiosity.

Looks like she wanted to know Gray’s identity too.

The research center. Had Colin worked at the research center before opening the repair shop?

No wonder the manager of one small repair shop could have three basic professions at the same time and possess so many weapon blueprints.

That meant this research center definitely belonged to the officials of Twinmoon City.

There were still many secrets hidden on Colin’s person. The questline involving him and Aila definitely had more to come, otherwise the game designers would never have spent so much effort shaping this character.

Anran was actually a little glad she had stayed.

“First, let’s make a sheath for the mechanical switchblade.”

Having made up her mind, Anran returned to the workshop, and Aila followed her in.