Endless Debt Chapter 1572 - 91: Minor Issues

"And so that coward Serey left like that, hiding away at the Undying Club, wasting time. I don’t understand what he’s waiting for—waiting for the moment of the world’s end? If he can endure this monotonous eternity, why doesn’t he have the courage to take that step?"

Olivia’s doubts echoed in Bologue’s mind; she was full of confusion and uncertainty, seeking answers from Bologue, hoping to get some explanation from him.

Bologue couldn’t say much. As an Undead, he was still too young, too young to be full of vigor and expectations for this world. Yet he understood Olivia’s feelings and could somewhat grasp Serey’s pain.

"So, everything will perish, right?"

His mind flashed back, Bologue once again returned to the evening not long ago, where he and Palmer strolled down the street, striding towards home.

Palmer seemed to come to his senses as he curiously asked, "Big as the Rhine Alliance, small as folks like me, we’ll all disappear in the torrent of time, like sand vanishing in the wind. And you, Bologue Lazarus, you’ll stand forever like a living tombstone."

"Probably, what’s wrong?"

"Nothing," Palmer didn’t look at Bologue again. Instead, his gaze shifted forward as he muttered, "Just sounds lonely."

Palmer’s casual words pricked into Bologue’s heart, and he suddenly felt something indescribable. No matter how he exhausted his mind to describe or characterize it, there was never a possibility of definition, like a dreamy illusion.

"Bologue?"

The voice interrupted Bologue’s distraction, and his blurry vision cleared. A familiar face appeared before Bologue’s eyes.

It was Bologue’s own face.

Bologue stood dazed in front of the mirror, blinking blankly, and it was only when the voice sounded again that Bologue remembered where he was and what kind of conversation he was having.

Looking at the other guy buried in work in the mirror, Bologue shook off the memory, asking clearly, "Are you joining me this time? Don’t need to conduct the project research?"

"No need, things like research don’t yield breakthroughs overnight. Besides, there are Belli, Mamo, and the others, leaving me out doesn’t impact much."

Bologue asked again, "Are you sure, Aimou? This mission is different from the past ones; you don’t need to take risks."

"Precisely because it’s different, that’s why I’m coming."

Aimou organized the files on the desk, preparing to hand them over to others for handling. The busy affairs had left Aimou slightly breathless, making her somewhat nostalgic for the days of fieldwork—even though they were fraught with danger, the time spent without hacking and slashing felt rather relaxed and pleasant.

Bologue tidied his tie, "Oh? Why?"

Aimou didn’t raise her head as she replied, "I’m a bit worried about you."

"Worried about an Undead?"

"Not worried about your life or death issues, just concerned about your mental health."

"Mental health?" Bologue puzzled for a moment, then turned to look at Aimou, "I’m pretty healthy mentally?"

Bologue wasn’t lying; he truly felt he’s mentally healthy, especially after returning from the Land of Secrets. The release of violence and the satisfaction of completing tasks made his mood unexpectedly good at that time. He didn’t think he had any problem.

"Here."

Aimou lowered her head to examine the forms while raising a hand, palm open, gesturing to Bologue like summoning a puppy.

Bologue’s confusion doubled; after buttoning his collar, he sat across from Aimou, placing his hand on her palm.

"And then?"

Ether’s glow shimmered in Aimou’s eyes, and in the next second, Aimou’s hand overlapped with Bologue’s. An inexplicable foreign sensation arose within Bologue’s heart; it felt like something unfamiliar had entered his body.

"Doctor’s diagnosis, don’t move."

Just as Bologue intended to withdraw his hand, Aimou further gripped it. Aimou lowered her head to write and sketch as if she genuinely was a doctor, writing Bologue’s medical record.

"What exactly are you doing?"

Bologue hadn’t gone on a mission with Aimou for a while and hadn’t been enveloped by the strange sensation of Heart Overlapping Shadow for a while. Although Bologue had lowered his guard against Aimou, this sudden intrusion left him somewhat unprepared.

"Checking... just checking."

Aimou put down the pen, her eyes closed in contemplation. Under the fusion of Heart Overlapping Shadow, their thoughts would transcend the limits of their bodies, intertwined and merged together.

Closing her eyes, Aimou could see Bologue’s thoughts—a cold metallic cube, sharply defined and exceedingly smooth, exuding absolute rationality and an indestructible solidity.

Bologue helplessly sighed, letting Aimou tamper with his thoughts. This kind of thing wasn’t the first time; Bologue felt like a humanoid device, with Aimou conducting "maintenance checks" every so often.

"Some issues might be easily overlooked by you personally but are easily noticed from an outsider’s perspective."

Holding this belief, Aimou observed Bologue’s mental state from the perspective of another.

It’s akin to a wondrous symbiotic relationship. Aimou is not only Bologue’s reliable Blacksmith but also a somewhat amateurish doctor. While she couldn’t perfectly heal Bologue, she could timely pinpoint Bologue’s problems.