Chapter 664.2: Have We Met?
A bit embarrassed by the sudden enthusiasm, Battlefield Cheerleader scratched his neck. “A K-10 exoskeleton, with full protection system. Got one in stock?”
“Of course! Right this way!” Handing off his station to another clerk, the man led him eagerly to the warehouse.
There, Battlefield Cheerleader tried on a K-10 exoskeleton that fit perfectly. After fastening the seals, he donned the helmet, checked his reflection, and, satisfied that he was completely unrecognizable, paid and left.
He strode through the bustling streets toward the northern trading district.
The moment he stepped into the inn’s main hall, the nearby players fell silent.
The first to recognize him was Darkest. His eyes bulged as he leapt from his stool. “Holy, Pang-”
Before the name could fully leave his lips, a gust of air whipped past and clamped a gloved hand over his mouth.
“Shut it! Don’t shout names! I’m on a mission!” Battlefield Cheerleader’s panicked voice was muffled by the helmet.
Grinning, Eye Owe Money patted him on the shoulder. “Relax, brother. He’s speaking mandarin, these NPCs don’t understand us anyway. But seriously...” He leaned in with a smirk. “What are you thinking?”
Battlefield Cheerleader blinked, confused, letting go of the struggling Darkest. “What?”
Eye Owe Money jerked his chin toward the bar.
Following his gaze, Battlefield Cheerleader saw a girl standing there with a tray in her hands, staring at him.
She was small and fair, with a delicate nose and fluffy light-brown hair tied in a ponytail, pretty and demure, not like a player at all.
She looked familiar, though he couldn’t recall where he’d seen her.
Switching instinctively to Federation speech, he asked awkwardly, “... Who are you?”
Hearing his slightly clumsy accent, Lisa’s eyes widened, shimmering with disbelief and tears.
“I... I’m Lisa.”
Lisa?
Battlefield Cheerleader stared blankly. The name didn’t ring a bell, but the more he looked, the more familiar she seemed.
“Have we... met before?”
Lisa nodded quickly, her cheeks reddening as she gathered her courage. “Yes! Back at Fallen Leaf Camp. When General McClennan rewarded you with me and the others... I, I was yours!”
“AHEM!” Battlefield Cheerleader nearly choked on his own saliva.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Spring Water Commander and Darkest struggling not to laugh, their faces twisted in agony from holding it in. His toes practically drilled into the floor from embarrassment.
As he coughed, Lisa hurried behind the bar, poured a cup of hot water, and rushed back to him, offering it with both hands. “Please... have some water.”
“T-thanks...” He tried to bring the cup to his lips, only for it to clink loudly against his sealed helmet, splashing water down his front.
Only then did he remember he was wearing an exoskeleton with full protection measures.
“Pfft, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Darkest exploded in laughter, clutching his stomach, while even Old White cracked a smile at the sight.
Lisa, oblivious to the others, reached up to help remove his helmet, but he gently stopped her hand.
Trying to escape their teasing gazes, he set the cup down on the bar and said quietly, “Come with me.”
He led her through a side door into the courtyard between the main inn and the annex.
The yard was empty and dimly lit, with a few flowerbeds and a line of washbasins.
Glancing toward the main building to make sure no one was watching, Battlefield Cheerleader took a deep breath and removed his helmet. “Sorry, couldn’t talk earlier. Long story short, I’m on an important mission. ‘Pangolin’ is just my codename. When I’m sneaking around, call me Battlefield Cheerleader. That’s my real name.”
He hesitated a moment, unwilling to say his full username or the stupid nickname his friends used.
Lisa nodded seriously, committing the name to memory. “Mm! I’ll remember.”
“Thanks for understanding. So... you’re one of the survivors from Fallen Leaf Camp? I thought you looked familiar.” He smiled awkwardly. “Are you the only one here? What about the others?”
“They’re around,” Lisa said softly. “Some are still in Dawn City, others moved on and started new lives...”
She explained everything that had happened, how soldiers of the Storm Corps had taken over the camp after he left, how Hooke, the innkeeper, had given her a job as a waitress.
By the end, Battlefield Cheerleader was smiling warmly. “Good. I’m glad you’re all living normal lives now. That means my efforts weren’t wasted. How about you? Happy with the work?”
Lisa nodded hard, cheeks flushed, eyes glimmering like moonlight. “Mm! Everyone’s been so kind to me... and they said you’d gone on a long journey, but if I waited here, you’d come back someday. So I’ve just... kept waiting.”
“Waited, for what...? Ah, if that was McClennan’s order, you don’t have to. You’re an New Alliance citizen now. You belong to no one, not even me...” he chuckled helplessly at her flustered expression.
For him, that whole storyline was just an old side quest long concluded. He had seen Fallen Leaf City himself on the way here, rebuilt, thriving.
To him, that expansion had its happy ending.
“It’s not because of anyone’s order...” Lisa puffed her cheeks, then ducked her head shyly. “I just wanted to thank you. For giving me a new life.”
Battlefield Cheerleader smiled and ruffled her hair. “No need to thank me. That’s what we do, people from the shelters. It’s our job. Our mission.”
He hadn’t expected that side quest to have an epilogue like that. Without realizing it, he had changed someone’s life. Looking at the girl before him, a faint warmth stirred in his chest, a feeling no other game had ever given him.
Maybe it was because this one felt too real.
That warmth, reaching deep into his soul, was worth more than silver coins or contribution points. Maybe that was why he had kept enduring that ridiculously long undercover mission, without complaint.
Feeling his hand on her head, Lisa looked up with reluctant eyes and whispered, “Will you... come see me again? I’ll always be here.”
Battlefield Cheerleader smiled. “Sure. Once my mission’s done. I might be sent somewhere else soon, but I’ll come by when I can.”
Her face lit up, pure joy and relief shining through. “Mm! It’s a promise! I’ll wait for you!”
...
At that same moment, several heads were huddled by the inn’s back door, peeking into the dark courtyard.
Yaya munched on her snacks, whispering in excitement, “No way, right? Battlefield Cheerleader wouldn’t actually pull a beast move... would he?”
Teng Teng, neck aching from the cramped position, sighed, “Why do I feel like you’re hoping he will?”
Yaya giggled. “Hehe, I bet a 100 silver coins on this! But come on, isn’t this cute? Lisa’s been waiting a whole year, that’s true love!”
Teng Teng edged away from her slightly, uneasy at her grin.
Eye Owe Money clenched his fists. “Come on! Why’s that dog not kissing her yet? Don’t tell me he chickened out!”
Watching his bet slip away, he nearly lunged forward to push Battlefield Cheerleader’s head down himself.
Darkest yawned. “So who wins, then?”
Spring Water Commander chuckled and patted his shoulder. “Looks like a draw to me. Let’s go, he’s coming back.”
The crowd scattered from the doorway just as Battlefield Cheerleader and Lisa returned inside.
When they walked back into the bar, Old White, who had been quietly drinking the whole time, couldn’t help but smile. He had guessed exactly what had happened.
As Battlefield Cheerleader passed the counter, Old White asked, “Not staying for a drink?”
“No, still on duty. I’ve got to report back soon.” He paused, glancing toward Lisa’s small figure disappearing into the kitchen, then added, “The Army’s envoy plans to make contact with the Bugra Free State. Banteno told me to invite their diplomats to the camp. Oh, and tell the administrator to keep an eye on Banteno’s adjutant. Word is, he’s one of the Marshal’s Imperial Guard, sort of like our Guard Corps. Couldn’t get more than that out of him.”
Old White nodded gravely. “I’ll pass it on.”
Battlefield Cheerleader gave him a look halfway between exasperation and amusement. “You really dragged this out for a whole year just for that? Was it worth it?”
Old White chuckled, tilting his mug. “Come on, isn’t it better to discover a hidden side-story yourself? If I’d told you an NPC just wanted to thank you, would it have meant the same?”
Rolling his eyes beneath the helmet, Battlefield Cheerleader muttered, “I’ll buy you that drink next time.”
As his broad back vanished into the noisy tavern crowd, Old White raised his mug slightly toward the door, smiling. “I’ll hold you to it.”
