Revive Rome: Wait! Why not make the empress fall in love with me first?
Chapter 129 - 33 Presumptuous Decisions

Chapter 129: Chapter 33 Presumptuous Decisions

"Thira, an Arcane Mage," Aske introduced each person to Hood one by one.

"Hello," Hood said.

The girl with the mask sounded young, probably the radio-wave type... The youth secretly tagged her in his mind.

"Eleanor, main combat output in the team, responsible for drawing enemy fire," Aske continued.

Dignified but seems very rigid, a Justice Knight big sister? Hood thought to himself.

"Nora, you’ve met her, the team’s Healer."

"Hello there!" Nora smiled and winked at him.

An angelic big sister! The embodiment of all things beautiful in the world!

Hood immediately responded with a smile while feeling inconsolably sad inside.

All the good ones are taken!

"Miel, team Sniper, long-range fire suppression."

"Um." Miel nodded slightly.

An emotionless loli? This character setup isn’t popular anymore, okay?

Hood internally ranted but nodded and replied on the surface, "Hello."

"Mia, team Scout, Thief."

"You don’t look much older either," Mia said with her hands on her hips, staring at him fiercely, "From now on, you call me big sis, got it? I can cover you."

How are those A’s going to cover me? Hood thought silently, feeling exasperated. I’m not even into lolis, okay?

"Peggy, team damage output, Agility Type Warrior."

Peggy coldly stared at him, giving Hood the chills.

This one... definitely a yandere, looks like she could draw a sword and stab someone any second.

"Sigrdrifa, team Armor-breaking Output, Power Type Warrior."

"Yeah, do well," Sigrdrifa patted his head.

Hood shrank his neck like a small animal, wondering whether this person was male or female. Indistinguishable!

"And finally, Medea, the Mind Mage."

Mind Mage? Dark, strong, and an assertive older sister? Wait a second...

Hood suddenly shivered and then heard Medea’s cheerful voice:

"It’s not polite to label people you just met, little brother."

She! Can! Read! My! Thoughts!

Hood’s mind went blank.

He no longer envied Aske. Being around a woman who could read minds? That must be torturous how has he even endured until now?

"Because I am open and honest, and I don’t have messy, dirty thoughts like yours," Medea’s voice resonated in his mind.

"Get out of my mind!" Hood roared internally, then added another line.

"Please."

"Hehe," Medea laughed.

"This is Hood," Aske introduced him to the girls, "A Lv.2 Mechanic, who has mastered the sequences of ’Mechanical’ and ’Energy.’ For now, he’ll be working with us temporarily, responsible for making and repairing everyone’s equipment."

The girls clapped their hands.

"There’s a problem with my gun; you might just be able to help me with it," Miel said. "Recently, when loading bullets, it feels a bit stuck."

"It might be the fragments of the bullet casings jamming the locking mechanism," Hood took the "Slaughterer III" rifle from her hands and skillfully disassembled it.

"Amazing design," he pointed at the revolving gun chamber, "The designer wanted to combine a sniper rifle with an assault rifle by using a revolving bolt structure; however, the explosion of the bullets in the gun chamber always produces small metal fragments which during the rotation fall into the mechanism, causing the rotation to not realign perfectly, hence the feeling of jamming when loading bullets."

"I will take apart the revolving mechanism and sand it down a bit," he squatted down and took out his toolbox.

"Not bad," Medea watched him work intently on the ground, asking Aske, "Where did you dig up this kid?"

"Just stumbled upon him," Aske replied.

"The kid has potential," Medea remarked.

"Too bad he doesn’t want to join us," Aske said, "He’s just temporarily working here and might leave any time."

"Should I manipulate him a little?" Medea asked.

"No need. If he’s not interested, why force him?" Aske responded.

"Aske." Nora came over, her cheeks still slightly red, "Do we need to go for more team supplies shopping?"

"Of course," Aske only then remembered the purpose of the team coming to Olin City, which was to buy the remaining Magic Potion Materials and see if there was a formula for Sequence II.

"Let Eleanor go with you," he pondered aloud.

Thus, Nora went out shopping with Thira, Eleanor, and others.

Aske left the room and stepped out into the corridor outside, leaning boredly against the railing, looking out at the scenery through the window.

From an altitude of over 3000 meters, one could clearly see Thessalonica in the distance, the Aegean Sea port, and the rolling mountains.

"What are you thinking about here all by yourself?" Medea’s laughter came from behind. "Are you thinking about your first kiss?"

"Do you really possess only Mind I?" Aske asked. "I feel like you can read my thoughts anytime, anywhere, as if you had High Sequence Mind abilities."

"Why don’t you first tell me how you feel about Nora?" Medea curiously asked.

"If I say I have no opinion, would you believe me?" Aske countered.

"And what about Peggy?" Medea asked.

"Why ask that?" Aske suddenly had a bad premonition.

"I only found out recently; she seems to have some feelings for you," Medea spoke leisurely. "Aske, that boy was right about you; you truly are a man of deep sins."

"I’ll go talk to her," Aske said, massaging his forehead.

"Talk about what? Has she confessed to you?" Medea scoffed.

Aske: ......

"You’ve already hurt one person’s heart; don’t hurt another. It’s better for you, for others, for the entire team," Medea continued. "Isn’t it good as it is? At least, apart from interests, there’s something else that binds everyone in the team."

Aske fell silent, suddenly as if realizing something, he asked suspiciously:

"Medea, could it be you..."

"Not entirely me," Medea said. "I can only magnify desire, not implant it from nowhere, understand?"

"If Peggy had no feelings for you at all, there would be nothing I could do."

"Can I interpret that as, you’ve played a role in fanning the flames?" Aske asked coldly. "You manipulated her desire?"

"I did indeed do so, but it was all for the team, not out of any personal gain for myself," Medea said, staring into his eyes.

"I’ve warned you before, people who come together for gain will eventually part ways for gain. It’s better to replace it with emotional bonds..."

She abruptly gasped as Aske had grabbed her collar and violently lifted her, pressing her against the railing by the window.

"Don’t do this," Aske said coldly. "Don’t play with people’s emotions."

"Isn’t it you who plays with emotions?" Medea sneered. "Neither accepting nor rejecting, just dragging things on as if dragging to the end of the world will solve all problems!"

"You should know," Aske said after a long silence, "I’m not from the same world as you."

"I have to go back eventually."

"Then why don’t you reject Nora?" Medea scoffed. "Tell her directly that you will leave one day, let her give up hope, and go find her own true love?"

"Or are you afraid that after rejecting her, she will truly give up and completely leave your team? Who could replace her as the healer then?"

Aske didn’t speak.

After a long while, he just released his hold.

Medea sat on the railing, murmuring:

"Aske."

"You’re a good man."

"Some things aren’t meant for you to do."

"Leave those dirty tricks to me."

"I will help you keep the team together."

The sound of the door closing heavily echoed as Aske had already left down the staircase.

Without leaving a single word.

Medea, gripping the railing, turned her head towards the horizon.

After a long moment, she seemed to speak to herself:

"Not from the same world?"

"Eventually will go back?"

"Just for such... a ridiculous reason..."

Medea closed her eyes and exhaled deeply, her lips twisting almost into a spasm:

"Stop dreaming."