Curse the Mainframe! 161 The Future is Uncertain

Compared to the loud atmosphere up there where they were partying like they were trying to forget about their worries, down below was like a shock of silence compared to that rowdiness.

Still, Tatiana didn't begrudge her comrades for it.

Mercenaries generally lived every day like it was their last and she had been the same right before she met Dietrich near Gorgestar Canyon.

Before she realized that her clan wasn't really wiped out, before she took over as leader for the mercenaries – fuck, she still felt anger from that thought occasionally – she'd been living every day like it was the last day she would be alive.

The constant threat of an imaginary enemy hanging over her head, along with the feeling that her life wasn't in her own hands caused her to make reckless decisions.

She hopped from place to place, in the end gathering others like her that she trusted.

There were stragglers, those who lost the will to live, those who were just as reckless as her – the good, the bad, she met them all.

Before she knew it, she'd gathered a sizable number of them, and they made her their leader.

They'd firmly lodged themselves into her flesh, like a thorn she couldn't quite get out no matter how hard she tried.

She didn't know if it was because they'd seen how casually she treated her life or whether it was the anger that burned quietly behind her eyes, but placing her on the top spot meant that Tatiana pushed herself even harder – even as she took on more responsibility.

They'd probably been trying to chain her down a little, to think harder, to live with caution, to give her another reason to stay alive – and it had worked – to an extent.

She could no longer be so reckless with her life if she didn't want to endanger her comrades who'd trusted her.

They were a small-sized mercenary group, but they were *her* mercenary group.

She'd long thrown away whatever paranoia that one of them might be an enemy. If she was going to use them, then she could only trust them fully.

It had been humbling, and vaguely terrifying.

Till today, she still didn't know how she got the courage to carry the weight of their lives in her own comparatively small hands.

When she thought about the weight of the life that was in her hands, she could no longer throw herself in as recklessly as she did before.

It was only then that she knew that the weight of a life was so heavy, so much more than could ever be described in mere words alone.

And it had made her ache, how her clan had been slaughtered so carelessly.

Only, now that she knew it was all a lie, she couldn't help but want to bash Alec's uncle's face in. She seethed.

Those part of her mercenary group were mostly older than her, though they'd taken in a few that were the same age or younger as a way of giving back to the community, but the core part of the group had all treated her like a daughter or a younger sister.

She'd found a home in them. A home that she'd supposedly lost those few years ago, filled with bloodshed, terror and so many corpses –

Tatiana was jerked out of her dark thoughts as the warmth from a big hand touched her hands.

Dietrich made a move to withdraw his hand when he saw that the dark clouds that had been gathering around Tatiana's head dissipated.

Tatiana's heart thumped.

Her lips curled when she saw the worry on Dietrich's face. Curling her fingers, she trapped Dietrich's hand in her own.

She laced their fingers together, and the only sound in the place was their breathing.

The silence seemed so much louder now that they were alone.

Unfortunately, the lighting in the place was inferior to the higher underground level, so Dietrich missed the chance to realize what was really going on.

Had he seen the smile on Tatiana's face, he would have clued in much sooner, but he didn't, so the only sight Tatiana was able to see was Dietrich's slightly foolish smile as he patted her head.

Tatiana stared at the man's illuminated lower jaw, speechless. Did he just pat her?? Like an errant kitten?

She burst out into light laughter, confusing him. How was it that a single touch from him could blow away all the dark clouds that clung around her incessantly?

Tatiana never had a crush before this, but that was the only way she could describe her feelings right now.

It wasn't love.

Not yet, at least. One day, perhaps, but she had no intention of forcing things down a narrow path only thinking about that. If it was the way of the world, then both of them had to have the same feelings, and she could instinctively sense that Dietrich wasn't there yet.  

But still, he was really treating her like a younger sister. She could see that he was interested in his eyes, but it appeared as if he didn't know what to do with those feelings, so they were regulated and repressed into something that fit the box.

That of a younger sibling.

A mischievous smile formed on Tatiana's face.

She'd let it pass… for now. But she wouldn't be passing the time lightly.

This oblivious man really…

There were definitely a lot of butterflies that flitted around him, so she would have to stake her claim before anyone else could. At least, until she knew whether or not they would work out.

Tatiana shone the torch that they'd been using further down.

So far, the path was straight and while it wasn't exactly narrow, it was barely enough space for three people to walk side by side.

Tatiana continued holding Dietrich's hand, walking leisurely along with him.

Dietrich peered at Tatiana. What little he could see of her was enough for him to realize that she really didn't seem to be dwelling on depressing things anymore.

Dietrich smiled and tried to let go, only for her hand to tighten.

Surprised, Dietrich looked at her with a question in his eyes, but only received a pout in return.

A strange feeling welled up within him that he didn't quite know how to describe.

Tatiana was acting different. It was a strange contrast to how she usually acted so confident and bold while directing the mercenaries, so he didn't know how to react.

…Well, seeing as she'd been feeling down earlier on, Dietrich would just pamper her this one. Like a proper big brother. Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.

Just like this, Dietrich created a misunderstanding for himself that would confuse his thought process a lot in the future.

The warmth that radiated from where they were joining hands made them feel less alone as they were walking in the relative darkness.

"Hm?" Tatiana stopped, seeing something flash slightly when she moved the torch.

Dietrich's attention was attracted as well, looking over.

They hadn't realized that the walls of the cave widened ever so gradually, and that the relative darkness they were previously in had lightened a little.

It had been a gradual change. So gradual that they didn't realize because of the torch they were using.

Tatiana put it out and realized that they were still able to see in albeit dim lighting.

Just where was the light coming from?

Tatiana realized that it was coming from the walls – they were made out of some sort of lightly luminescent material. Though it felt like rock, there was a faint glow from within.

The wall was strange.

There was no other way to describe it properly.

The light seemed to dim and brighten at odd intervals, and the shadows darkened and lightened accordingly.

The two Main Characters frowned at the strange wall. They had never experienced nor seen anything like it before.

Almost like she was hypnotised, Tatiana placed her free hand on the wall.

All of a sudden, the entire place shuddered lightly.

Then, the wall that had been acting strangely abruptly lit up, and a rather sizable eye opened, looking directly at them from behind the wall.

Dietrich's face changed immediately, pulling Tatiana along with him at a run.

Chapter end