Thanks for the invitation. I am a parasite in Terra.

"It is better for the dead to have a place to be buried than to be eaten by wild beasts."

"What's more, to me, this behavior is more like a transaction."

"trade?"

Tracy asked in confusion. In response, Zuo Jian took out a small blood-stained bag from his waist and threw it to the other party.

He took the bag and felt the heavy weight and clinking sound in his palm.

After opening it, what caught my eye was the silver nameplates that filled the small bag.

"A certain mercenary said that in a place called Scar Emporium, the nameplates that mercenaries wore during their lifetime are liquid currency. The prices represented by the nameplates of different people are different. Many mercenaries have their own bounties."

The boy picked up one of the nameplates, feeling the cold metal texture.

No matter how powerful or legendary a mercenary was during his lifetime, his weight after death would be as small as this rough piece of iron in his hand...

“It’s so light.”

Tresis sighed subconsciously, and then threw the

The nameplate was put back into the bag.

"But, the deal you're talking about is..."

"It's the nameplate in your hand. It represents the value of a mercenary during his lifetime. I take it away, and in exchange, I will provide their dead bodies with value after death."

Zuo Jian stepped forward and put the bag that Tracys had returned to him around his waist.

"Isn't it still unnecessary?"

"You could have just taken the nameplate and disposed of the body, like most mercenaries do."

"Just think of it as me being a bit pretentious. And if I really do that, wouldn't I be the same as those mercenaries?"

Zuo Jian smiled, then took Tracy and walked towards the nameless town where Theresa was.

"So you don't like being treated as a mercenary."

"It's better to say that I don't like having a price tag on my life... No, I should say that I don't like anyone's life to have a price tag on it."

"But didn't you also take away the nameplates that represent the mercenaries' value?"

Tracy glanced at Zuojian with a bit of disdain, as if to refute the inconsistency between the principles he expounded and his actions.

"You're right. This is also a realistic point. Some things won't disappear just because you don't like them. Many times, in order to make things go the way you expect, you have to do something that you are not used to."

"Even I am no exception."

He and Tracy walked side by side across the wilderness on their way home, and soon the only sound between them was the friction of their boots on the yellow sand and gravel.

But soon, Zuo Jian spoke again.

"But, Tracy, although I will do things that I am not used to or even hate, no matter what the result and process are, I will draw a bottom line for myself."

"Bottom line?" Tracy listened to Zuo Jian say this word, as if he was thinking about the meaning behind it.

After all, for most people in Kazdel, the only bottom line for their survival is 'no bottom line'

"Okay, let's keep going, we'll be there soon." Zuo Jian took Tracys with him, looked at the earthen slopes with a large number of weapons stuck on them that could be vaguely seen not far away, and embarked on a completely opposite journey.

------------

--------

----

"Brother, you're back!"

As Zuo Jian pushed open the door of this simple but familiar little house, the pink figure inside noticed the movement outside and almost immediately put down the needlework in her hands, trotting over to check on Tracy's injuries.

"I'm fine... Theresa."

"Really? But you..."

Theresa checked Theresis' injuries with some concern, but the latter obviously intended to cover up. After making a few random remarks, he returned alone to his own small room.

Faced with her brother's attitude, Theresa had no choice but to look to Zuo Jian for help. She only heaved a sigh of relief after the latter gave her a look that told her not to worry.

"Zajian... You guys must have encountered a lot of enemies outside... After all, it's been so peaceful during this period... Normally, there would be enemies almost every day——"

"Don't worry, I will watch over Tracys. Rather, he is much better than I thought. Every time I fight with those mercenaries, I feel that he is a little stronger than the last time."

"Yeah......"

After listening to this, Theresa didn't seem to be very happy. She just returned to her seat by herself, and no one knew what she was thinking.

Zuo Jian looked at her, was silent for a moment, and suddenly spoke.

"But in the near future, he probably won't need to go out for 'training'."

"Hey? Why?"

"Because I'm planning to go out. If nothing goes wrong, I might be able to ease the situation of the mercenaries around here a little and make things a little more stable here."

Zuo Jian sat next to Theresa and told her that he was going on a long journey.

"Going out... to... Scar Mall?" It was obvious that Theresa knew a lot about this aspect, and she could even guess Zuo Jian's destination with just a little thought.

"Yes, so, Tracys, just let him rest here for a while..."

"Um....Zajian, can you take me with you?"

The girl interrupted Zuo Jian hesitantly, as if she had made some kind of decision.

"Theresa? Why do you say that?"

Zuo Jian looked at the tailor girl with some surprise. For a moment, he couldn't figure out why she would ask to follow him to Scar Mall.

You know, according to Zuo Jian's speculation, this "journey" should definitely not be a very pleasant one.

"My brother... practiced so hard for me. He said that if I practiced sword well, I would have a chance to be selected as a guard of the king's court, which would improve my current life."

"So....he has been eager to follow you, Zuo Jian, to train hard recently..."

"But...I..." Theresa sat aside, lowered her head and looked at her clasped fingers, and spoke with some concern.

“But I don’t want to

Hiding behind him like this, I want to...go and see the people of this land myself..."

........

...

"Really? Then you'd better convince Tracys. I'm worried that this guy will come here excitedly with injuries all over his body and accuse me of kidnapping his dear sister."

"So, you agreed?"

"Ah."

"Okay, I'll talk to him right away!" After getting a positive answer, Theresa walked into Theresis' room excitedly.

Zuo Jian looked at the girl's back and couldn't help feeling emotional.

Perhaps this girl named Theresa initially just wanted to step out of the circle of protection established by her brother, or perhaps she simply wanted to see what kind of land she lived on.

Or maybe, the other party's purpose is even more pure, like proving to the brother who has always protected her that she does not actually need his desperate care.

But no matter what the process was, Zuo Jian had already guessed the result.

Because he could see that...Theresa was a...kind person.

No matter what her original purpose was, after she personally walked through Kazdel, this land of suffering, and witnessed the suffering of the Sarkaz and the infected with her own eyes... this innate kindness would plant a seed filled with ideals in her heart.

A seed that attempts to save all Sarkaz and the infected.

But before that...

"What a joke!!! Absolutely not!!!"

The boy's roar was almost deafening, and Zuo Jian covered his ears as if he had expected it. Then, accompanied by a rough sound that almost made the door go into a second repair state, Tracy kicked the door open.

The young pink-haired Sarkaz rushed out with his eyes wide open and a sword in hand, without even having time to put on his clothes. It seemed that he was still wrapping himself in bandages just a few seconds ago.

Behind him, Theresa was desperately pulling at the corner of his clothes, trying to stop him from rushing to the left.

"Brother! It's really okay! Don't be like this! Brother————"

However, Theresa's attempts to stop him seemed to have no effect. The girl just grabbed the boy's clothes and was dragged all the way to Zuo Jian.

Tracy was staring at Zuo Jian at this moment, then he raised his hand and raised his sword!

"What on earth were you thinking!? Why did you let Theresa accompany you to the Scar Emporium!!!"

"Not to mention that there are almost only mercenaries in the area, just the mercenaries we encountered along the way are so dangerous!!"

Facing the boy's threat, Zuo Jian raised his eyebrows and thought unconsciously in his heart.

It's almost there. Tracy has obviously become a lot calmer during this period of time...only during battles, but he can't help himself when it comes to his sister.

.....No, that's a good thing.

It is normal to have such an expression when your family is in possible danger.

"I appreciate your attempt to protect your sister, Tracys, but your action of pointing a sword at me is obviously impulsive and reckless."

"So what? Tell me! Why did you take Theresa away?"

"Brother! Don't be like this, it's me..."

"Tracy, I promise you that as long as I am alive, I will not let your sister get hurt. Can you rest assured?"

"What......"

"I just think that Theresa is qualified to make a decision for her own future after she has truly seen the so-called real situation around her."

"At that time, her choice will be to continue hiding under your wings as a protected tailor girl, or to choose to step out of your protection, stand on her own, and follow her own ideas."

"Don't you think your sister should at least be qualified for this?"

"Or do you intend to keep protecting her like this until the day you are no longer around, or you neglect to do something, and then let her suddenly face the bloody facts of this land? After your layer of protection is torn off?"

"Don't you think this is too cruel?"

"I......."

Tracy clenched his fists, as if he wanted to refute, but he couldn't find a reason.

Until Zuo Jian patted his shoulder

"This is your sister's own choice. I think it is necessary to respect her. As for the safety issue..."

He paused for a moment and looked at Theresia behind Theresis.

“I promise you that as long as the individual named Zuojian is still alive in this world, I will do my best to protect Theresa, no matter the time, no matter the place, no matter the space.”

On the side, Theresa, who was patting her brother on the shoulder, was subconsciously stunned when she heard Zuo Jian's promise, as if she couldn't expect him to make such a... solemn promise.

......

"I understand...but...but...I still want to say..."

"Protect her...please...Zuojian..." Tracys seemed to have used up his last bit of strength and hit Zuojian on the chest.

"Well, I will."

(Tsk... I changed the second half of this many times, but it always gives me a weird feeling of déjà vu... It's like... a brother-in-law entrusting his sister?)

(Uh uh, I'd better not think about these things. I'll write more stories about Theresa every day.)

(What? Laurentina? Uh...it's okay, I'll win.)

(I guess so.)

Chapter 33: Zuo Jian begins his quest for power

"Did you bring your clothes?"

"Bring it!"

"The emergency dry food..."

"Yes, brother. Don't stuff it in. There's not much food left at home. What are you going to eat if you stuff it all in?"

“…Here.”

Theresis looked at her sister, and after a moment's silence, she turned around and took out a small cloth bag from under the shabby floor of the cabin, then carefully placed it in Theresis's hand.