A Villain's Journey Begins in the Type-Moon World

"If I lose, you can do whatever you want with me. But if I win, then let your little leader learn a lesson. Someone as important as him should just stay in the base and be protected like a hothouse flower."

"I refuse!"

However, before Amiya could say anything, Kal'tsit stepped in front of her, seemingly sensing the killing intent emanating from her, and the atmosphere became extremely tense.

"What? Judging from your posture, do you want to take the place of this little leader and fight me?" When Talulah saw Kal'tsit step forward, she was not annoyed at all, but her smile became even deeper.

"So what if it is? It's your nature to resort to violence at the slightest disagreement. You're no different from those Ursus people. Even with a prophet of wisdom beyond your time to guide you, you're still just a 'rabble' gathered together by faith."

Kal'tsit showed no fear of Talulah, and Amiya looked at Kal'tsit in surprise. She knew that Blaze was still in their hands, and if they provoked her like this, wouldn't that only harm Blaze?

“Doctor Kal'tsit isn’t such a reckless person… Is she trying to win this battle of right and wrong and suppress the other party so that they will compromise and release Blaze? But that’s risky; there are better ways to resolve this.”

As Amiya pondered, she gazed at Kal'tsit, who was standing in front of her. With her mind-reading ability, many thoughts were transmitted from Kal'tsit to Amiya's mind, and she immediately understood why Kal'tsit was willing to take such a risk to do this.

"Heh, you're trying to provoke me? Looks like you're even more eager for me to make a move on you. Hmm... not only because you're confident you can win, but also because it aligns more with your expectations, am I right?"

Talulah paused again before continuing, "Or perhaps you've actually realized you've exposed a major flaw and are trying to distract me with this?"

"I don't understand what you're talking about. If you want to fight, then we can officially begin. If you want to continue talking, then sit back down. If neither of these is the case, then we've determined that you've lost the ability to communicate, and we'll take back our operators in our own way."

"Kal'tsit said coldly."

"Such a tough stance. Unfortunately, it's useless. When you stood in front of this little leader, all the things you said before became a joke."

Talulah removed her hand from the hilt of her sword, but instead of taking a proper seat, she continued to speak frankly:

“All my provocations just now were imitations of what your elite operator, Huang, did. If you would stand up for your leader, what about the soldiers on the battlefield back then?”

"Since you just attacked us with the ideology of the Reunion Movement, let me ask you this in return: your willingness to stand so resolutely in front of the leader means that you genuinely believe that people are born with inherent social classes, and that there is an insurmountable gap between infected individuals and ordinary people?"

"Speak up? Rhodes Island, which has always claimed to be saving the infected, is actually so hypocritical? Do you really think the infected are lowly from the bottom of your heart?" Talulah questioned coldly.

"..."

Upon hearing this, Kal'tsit fell silent. She knew perfectly well that her little trick had been seen through by the person in front of her.

Treat everyone equally. This is the most beautiful aspiration and wish under universal values, and everyone yearns for this ideal.

However, people are ultimately influenced by selfish desires, emotions, relationships, and so on, and no one dares to say that anyone can truly treat everyone equally.

That ideal is destined to be like the sun that everyone has always pursued. Although the sun is beautiful, those who cannot break free from their own constraints may never be able to catch it in their entire lives.

Using it to attack others is itself a form of self-inflicted pain.

Seeing Kal'tsit fall silent, Talulah's cold laughter grew louder as she said:

"Ha, that ideal, we admit we can't perfectly achieve it right now, but it will always be our ultimate ideal. But you think you can use that ideal to criticize us? You're not qualified!"

"More importantly, you have been twisting the facts from the beginning. The arrest of you was never a crime of disrespect! Rather, it was your interference in the internal affairs of our Reunification Movement, meddling and making irresponsible remarks, which is an insult."

"This has always been a matter between two organizations. Rhodes Island humiliated Reunion, and this is a purely diplomatic issue!!"

"What disappoints me is that all I see is your unreasonable and sophistry, and even in front of me, you once again point fingers at the ideals of our Integration Movement!"

"Can I understand that Huang's actions are not just an individual act, but rather a reflection of how your entire organization treats us?! If that's the case, then there's nothing more to say—let's start the war!"

"Our Reunion Movement is not afraid of the Ursus Empire, nor are we afraid of those hypocrites who use the guise of helping the Infected to secretly look down on other Infected and their organizations!"

These words made Kal'tsit's face turn pale. Talulah in front of her was clearly very young according to the investigation, and Amiya's information revealed that she had just experienced setbacks and blows and was not very mature.

But now, the other side's swift and decisive statement, the oppressive feeling of declaring war, and the final label of hypocrite have almost driven Rhodes Island to the brink of collapse. Such iron-fisted tactics are almost indistinguishable from, and perhaps even superior to, those of seasoned politicians.

"We...are not..."

"enough!"

Kal'tsit wanted to say something more, but Talulah interrupted her directly:

"Finally, it's you, who hasn't even introduced yourself or given your name, who's been rambling on and on... What? Has the leader of Rhodes Island lost control of the situation? Ha, I'm here to speak with your supreme leader—you, are you the leader of Rhodes Island? Who's really in charge on Rhodes Island?!"

These words struck Kal'tsit like a devastating blow, leaving her speechless. It was tantamount to sowing discord between her and Amiya, and it directly exposed the somewhat distorted leadership dynamics within Rhodes Island.

Kal'tsit naturally hoped that Amiya could take over the important task, but she always felt that Amiya wasn't ready yet. The questioning from the other party was a further probing of Kal'tsit, asking if she understood her place. (The last two lines are a nonsensical string of characters and phrases, likely a result of OCR errors.)

If Amiya was placed in the leadership position, why not let her take a chance? If you believed Amiya wasn't ready, why push her to this position so early?

She wanted to protect Amiya, but at the same time, she hoped that Amiya could lead her and everyone on Rhodes Island back to fulfill Rhodes Island's former ideals. It was this conflicted state of mind that created a psychological vulnerability in Kal'tsit.

"Alright, Dr. Kal'tsit, let me do it."

Just then, a small hand tugged at Kal'tsit's hand, who had been looking down. Amiya smiled gently, shook her head, and said, "It's alright, things can't get any worse than they are now. Let me try."

Chapter 95: Relying on Amiya Against the Wind

“I’m sorry, Ms. Talulah. The person you just spoke with was my attending physician, Kal'tsit, who is also my guardian. Because of my immaturity, Kal'tsit is often in charge of the management and negotiations of Rhodes Island.”

"Therefore, I am well aware that the doctor's actions just now have once again represented Rhodes Island's position and hurt your organization. Whether it is my immaturity or habit, as the leader of Rhodes Island, I still condoned Dr. Kal'tsit's remarks just now."

"Therefore, I, representing Rhodes Island, should bear all the consequences. Given our three actions, I know I have no room for explanation. And we never had the intention to fight you."

“You may offer us any price that Rhodes Island can afford, and Rhodes Island is willing to take appropriate action to address our mistakes.”

"If Rhodes Island cannot afford your demands, we are willing to withdraw from the Snowfield and will not interfere with your war with Ursus."

Amiya spoke very sincerely and earnestly, almost completely handing over the initiative in this negotiation.

However, Talulah did not immediately give in, but instead said calmly:

"Can't afford it and just quit? Do you think it's that easy? Besides, do you think we'd let a tiger return to the mountain? You all know how much our trust in you has diminished after these three actions. You think you can just leave with empty words?"

Faced with Talulah's questioning, Amiya took a deep breath, as if making a decision, and said:

"Well... how about this? I'm willing to stay here as a hostage so that Rhodes Island can leave completely. Once the situation on the snowfield becomes clear, you can release me."

"Use me as a hostage; this is the only way I can think of to regain your trust."

"No! Amiya, you're being too impulsive," Kal'tsit immediately rebuked.

"Dr. Kal'tsit! Listen to me this time, and don't let things get any worse. Infected people shouldn't be hurting each other."

However, Amiya seemed incredibly resolute at this moment. She looked directly into Kal'tsit's eyes, causing Kal'tsit to finally close her eyes, as if she had acquiesced to Amiya's choice.

Talulah, watching this scene, clicked her tongue in amazement and said:

"I want to know, why do you have such courage, knowing that you are at odds with us, to still offer yourself as a hostage? Aren't you afraid of dying on the battlefield due to some kind of 'accident'?"

“You wouldn’t do that.” Amiya shook her head and said, “I am indeed the leader of Rhodes Island, the leader of an organization that is at odds with you. But I also have another identity: an Infected.”

"If Reunion is an organization dedicated to building the best possible future where both the Infected and ordinary people can be happy, then you wouldn't, and shouldn't, use underhanded tactics to indiscriminately kill an Infected person. After all, we don't have any real deep-seated hatred for each other, do we?"

“What if?” Talulah said, her eyes flashing with malice.

"That proves that my doctor did not wrong you... If so, then you are indeed the real enemy, nothing more than fraudsters who exploit the infected to achieve some kind of benefit."

Amiya's expression changed abruptly at that moment, and her aura slowly rose. With a clench of her fist, the surrounding Originium energy seemed to be drawn in, slowly rotating and gathering towards Amiya's outstretched right hand.

After days of training, Amiya was able to manipulate the black Originium energy entities even without revealing the Demon Lord's power. At this moment, Amiya's aura seemed almost as strong as Talulah's.

“If that’s the case, even if I’m taken hostage, you might not be able to take my life. And I will fight my way out and expose your true colors.”

"If you want war, then let's fight!"

After the last six finished speaking, Amiya's momentum reached its peak, and she retorted sharply.

"Ha ha……"

Sensing Amiya's will, Talulah couldn't help but clap her hands.

"At such a young age, you are poised and measured, neither arrogant nor humble. You are courteous yet spontaneous, cautious yet decisive. You truly have the talent of a leader, Miss Amiya. I underestimated you before."

Seeing Talulah's reaction, Amiya felt a sense of relief and her aura gradually subsided.

"So you mean...?" Amiya couldn't help but ask.

"You have won back this opportunity for Rhodes Island. As you said, we will make some demands. If Rhodes Island can meet them, Miss Huang's return and our deeper cooperation are not out of the question."

Talulah then sat back down and slowly said:

"Remember, this is because of the trust you have earned, Miss Amiya. Therefore, these requests must be carried out personally under your supervision."

“That’s natural,” Amiya nodded.

"So the first point is: Miss Huang, because of her actions, she needs to stay in the Reunion Movement for three months of labor and mission assignments."

Talulah then added:

"Don't worry, she won't be allowed to do anything particularly dangerous, and she will personally relay everything she does to you."

"Three months of labor? Does it start from now, or does it include the previous period?" Amiya couldn't help but ask.

"Naturally, the count starts now. In the past month, we haven't done any particularly heavy work. In fact, we've been treated like royalty, eating and drinking well. We haven't even settled the food expenses with Rhodes Island yet."

Talulah then took out a letter, placed it on the table, and handed it to Amiya.

“This is a letter written by Miss Huang. You can find out clearly in the letter whether what I said is true or not, and how she is doing in the Reunion Movement,” Talulah said.

“Ha…” Amiya opened the letter, glanced at its contents, and sighed.

She knew Talulah wasn't lying; after reading the letter and learning about Hoshiguma's current easy life, she felt that all the worry she and Kal'tsit had given Hoshiguma for so long had been in vain.

"In that case, I'll leave Huang in your care. I trust your character, as Huang's letter is the best proof of that."

Amiya said earnestly.

Huang, far away, never imagined that because of Kal'tsit's poor decision-making and her overly comfortable and relaxed environment, she would continue to fall into someone's clutches for as long as three months.

Meanwhile, the negotiations continued, with Talulah requesting Rhodes Island to provide drug support and purchase the drugs at a price far below market value, only slightly above cost.

Amiya was accepting of this, but she did make one request: that when Talulah and the others bartered food, they could agree to exchange it for food priced at 10% below the market price.

And Talulah also promised this.

After outlining a series of minor requirements, Talulah formally made her final request:

Rhodes Island needs to send a group of specialists to help them integrate the movement and draw the attention of picket lines and the military in certain areas.

As for the specific regions, once enough candidates have been selected, the Reunion Movement will unilaterally make the task assignments.

"This is far too risky. It's playing with the lives of our Rhodes Island operators. I cannot accept it."

Amiya shook her head and said:

"While we support the great cause of the Reunion Movement, it does not mean that I and everyone on Rhodes Island are ready to join the war."

“Of course that’s not what I meant, Miss Amiya.”

Talulah said quite seriously:

"In fact, all you need to do is create some false disturbances, just enough to draw the scouts and Ursus away. There's no need for you to fight alongside the Ursus."

"It's just harassment, not a direct confrontation. Given Rhodes Island's talent pool, surely they can manage something this simple?"

After hearing Talulah's words, Amiya fell silent again. After some careful consideration, she finally nodded in agreement.

"Very well, then we'll return all these Rhodes Island operators to you for now. Consider it interest on the advance payment."

Talulah stood up, extended her hand, and said:

“I still admire you, Miss Amiya. Perhaps Reunion is a better fit for your development than Rhodes Island.”

"No, thank you for your kindness, Miss Talulah. I'd rather stay here at Rhodes Island and lead everyone... It's not that I necessarily want to be in a leadership position. I just want to put that ideal into practice in my own way."

Amiya reached out and shook hands with him. In a daze, Amiya saw the other person's mental landscape once again.

This time, I could see it more clearly. Indeed, just as the other party said, Talulah in front of me was truly carrying her sins and moving forward towards a better future without hesitation.

“Alright, then I look forward to our next meeting, Miss Amiya… As for you…”

Talulah withdrew her hand, looked at Kal'tsit who had stopped speaking, and sneered, saying:

"She is much more mature than you think... and you, and your remarks, make me laugh."

"Gada—"

The sound of clenched fists rang out, but Kal'tsit's expression remained largely unchanged. Talulah, on the other hand, walked straight out of the room and left without looking back.

Chapter 96: Unveiling the Secret

As Amiya and her group walked back, Kal'tsit remained silent for a long time. (The last two lines appear to be random characters and are left untranslated.)

Amiya looked at Kal'tsit with some concern. She could sense that Kal'tsit's mind was in turmoil, but all she could do was remain silent.

Today, that woman named Talulah really went too far in attacking Kal'tsit. It was also the first time Amiya had ever seen someone refute Kal'tsit so quickly and leave her speechless.

However, Amiya knew that this wasn't because Kal'tsit was incompetent. Rather, she understood that Kal'tsit's risky move this time was entirely for her sake.

Once a suitable location for a camp was found, the other Rhodes Island operators, under Amiya's command, began setting up the camp. Each operator tacitly kept their distance from Amiya and Kal'tsit.