The next morning, Linda woke up shivering, a bundle of blankets shaped like a burrito lying beside her. She sighed and placed both hands over her face, dragging them downwards, passing her fingers over her eyes and cheeks. She sat up and shook her head before muttering a curse at the snoring blanket burrito. Her feet found her slippers as she swung herself off the bedside and stood up, opening the curtain after a moment of hesitation. The first rays of sunlight were starting to peek over the walls of the first sector.

Linda frowned as she recalled Miriam’s words. Should she head towards the entrance of the capital? Miriam wasn’t a trustworthy person; then again, neither was she. If she had time after visiting Hailing Academy with Cleo, maybe she’d go. The threat of dying that Miriam mentioned hadn’t fazed her. As long as Cleo stayed alive, Linda would be fine with anything. The lizardman held her fortune after all. Linda nodded to herself and closed the curtain before heading towards the driver’s seat of the carriage without changing her pajamas. She always set off early to beat the rush of traffic even though there wouldn’t be any carriages crazy enough to drive through the first sector after what happened.

As she drove out of the alleyway the carriage was in and rounded a corner onto a scarred road, she wondered what she would be doing if she hadn’t met Elrith Caelum and his sister that day. If her curiosity hadn’t gotten the better of her, she wouldn’t have stopped and picked up their group. Maybe she’d still be in the second sector selling her goods and becoming rich in a legitimate manner instead of following a thief around all day. Scuffling sounds came from behind her, and Linda turned her head. Cleo was waddling over, dragging the blanket along the ground. “Morning,” the orange lizardman with blue stripes said and yawned, tiny tears forming in the corner of her eyes. She smacked her lips a few times before plopping herself down beside Linda, leaning against the angel’s side while yawning again. “Breakfast?”

“Toast,” Linda said. Cleo rummaged around her miniature dimension and pulled out a piece of warm bread and placed it into Linda’s outstretched palm. She pulled out a boiled egg for herself and gnawed on it, biting into the shell. The two ate in silence with the occasional curse escaping from Linda’s mouth as she was forced to make detours around patches of black fire and collapsed buildings. The burning holes in the ground reminded Cleo of the ability Raea had used when she had evolved after Selena’s death. The lizardman finished her meal and hoped Raea was okay.

“Orange,” Linda said. Cleo pulled out a grapefruit, placed it into Linda’s hand, and watched the angel struggle to peel it with one hand while driving. Linda managed to strip away a slice and popped it into her mouth. She spat it out a second later before glaring at Cleo. The lizardman blinked at Linda with an innocent expression on her scaly face.

Linda sighed and shook her head before eating the rest of the fruit—no point in wasting food or effort. She tossed the peel over the side of the carriage and into a black flame. It was incinerated in an instant. Her brow furrowed as she snuck a glance at Cleo. “You mentioned before that it might be Raea who set the first sector on fire?” she asked.

“Most likely,” Cleo said and nodded.

Linda fell silent for a moment. “So … remind me again why we’re looking for her?” she asked.

“Because,” Cleo said and pulled the blanket around herself tighter.

Linda waited for more, but it didn’t seem like Cleo was going to continue. “Because what? If she’s the one who set the fires, there’s no way she’s going to be in Hailing Academy. There’s no way she’s even going to be in the first sector,” Linda said as she swerved the carriage around a fissure. “If she hadn’t already escaped, then she’s most likely captured by now.” Cleo didn’t say anything as she stared at her feet. Linda sighed. “Look. You’re an extremely capable lizardman, more capable than some angels I’ve met, but you’re not going to be able to save Raea if she’s on death row. And quite frankly, even if she wasn’t on death row, I really don’t think she needs your help in anything. Look at what she’s done.”

Cleo frowned as her tail swished. “So what?” she said and glared at Linda.

“So nothing,” Linda said and shook her head. “You and I, we could escape to the third sector, wait out the war, and profit in the aftermath. There won’t be much risk to our lives, and we’ll be set for life if we exploit the right resources. Why don’t we do that instead of chasing after someone who can kill me without even meaning to?” Though Linda was trying to convince Cleo to change her mind, she was still driving towards Hailing. The academy’s peak came into view, and Linda was surprised when she saw the undamaged roads surrounding the neighborhood.

“Because she’s my friend,” Cleo said and furrowed her brow. “And I have nowhere else to go.”

“Aren’t I your friend too?” Linda asked. “And didn’t I just offer you a place to go?”

Cleo blinked. “Are we friends?” she asked. “I vaguely remember you chasing me down with a crazed look in your eyes.”

“Of course we’re friends,” Linda said and nodded. “Haven’t I taken good care of you?”

Cleo scratched her chin before reaching into her space and pulling out a bag. It clinked as she plopped it onto Linda’s lap. “What’s this?” Linda asked and raised an eyebrow. She undid the strap at the top and was nearly blinded by a yellow light. “The purest kind of yellow crystal? This is for me?”

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“It’s a test,” Cleo said and crossed her arms over her chest while shedding her blanket. “Throw it into that fiery pit over there and I’ll believe you’re my friend.”

Linda stared at the bag in her lap before staring at Cleo. Her forehead wrinkled. “There’s no need to be so excessive, right?” she asked and wet her lips. “You’re killing me here. Can I just throw myself in instead?”

“No. I saw how fast you sold out Owen and them. With how you’re acting right now, I’m sure you’ll abandon me in the future too if it’ll benefit you.”

Linda gnashed her teeth as she picked up the bag: it was so heavy and so full and so shiny. So expensive. Her arm trembled and swayed back and forth. This bag of the purest-grade yellow crystals was worth more than what Cleo had taken from her—hundreds of times more. She could accept it and cut ties with the lizardman right now. She’ll have made a profit, it was a clear case of easy money. So why was the decision so difficult?

Cleo didn’t say a word as a bead of sweat rolled down Linda’s cheek. If the angel didn’t throw away the bag, then she’d leave. It was better than being betrayed in the future.

Chapter 287

Linda sighed as she released the bag into her lap, stopped driving, and leaned back to stare up at the sky. Cleo lowered her head while biting her lip. So that was that then. The lizardman stood up and turned to leave. Unease gnawed at Linda’s chest. “You know,” Linda said slowly as she played with the bag in her lap. “You’re not the first person to give me an ultimatum.”

Cleo stopped moving and turned around. One of the pouches of poison powder Palan had given her was in her hand. “And?” she asked. “If you don’t throw it away, then I’m not staying.”

“It was my family,” Linda said, not meeting Cleo’s eyes. “They saw the early signs of greed when I was growing up. My parents gave me a choice—give up my greedy thoughts or leave the family. I was seven at the time.” She clenched the bag in her lap. “Of course I said I’d abandon my greed. What seven-year-old child would want to be given up by their family?”

“Then why are you here?” Cleo asked and furrowed her brow.

Linda pulled a crystal out of the bag and rolled it around her fingers, the golden glow casting shadows on her seat. “I said I’d stop, but it was always there. How can you go against your nature?” she asked and raised her head, storing the crystal in her pajamas. “I was seventeen when I lost control. One of my relatives died of old age. They buried him with a priceless heirloom. Something inside of me broke when I saw his casket go under. I snuck out that night.” Linda reached into her shirt and pulled out her necklace. It was a golden phoenix with rubies spreading out from its body like crystalline flames. “This is the heirloom. After my deed, I went to my grandfather and requested funds to leave the capital to become a merchant.”

“So you’re not going to throw away the bag?” Cleo asked and pointed at the angel’s lap.

“Hey. I’m telling a story here,” Linda said and frowned. “Aren’t you supposed to ask me something like ‘do you regret it’ or ‘what happened after that’?”

“Not interested if I’m going to be leaving anyway,” Cleo said and shook her head.

Linda sighed. “Well,” she said and hugged the bag to her chest. “I do regret it. I regret hiding my greed and not leaving earlier when I could’ve. This life is so much more fulfilling than the one in the capital. I gave up my family for money.” She inhaled and met Cleo’s gaze. “I’m going to give you up as well. You’re just a hitchhiker I picked up. I’ll accept this as payment for my services for bringing you to the capital.”

The pouch in Cleo’s hand nearly burst. “If it means anything,” the trembling lizardman said. “I thought of you as my friend. I don’t give grapefruits to strangers when they ask for oranges.” Her body deflated as she sighed. “I hope you don’t try to stop me from leaving then.”

Linda’s forehead wrinkled as Cleo turned around and climbed off the carriage. “You think you can survive in the first sector by yourself?” she asked with a dry mouth. Those weren’t the words she wanted to say, but they spewed out of her like a flood. “You’re a lizardman with a missing owner. That’s even worse than a slave. No one will want you. In everyone’s eyes, you’re nothing. The friend you’re looking for is a criminal on death row.” Cleo continued to walk away without looking back. Linda clenched her hands and yelled, “Good riddance, you stupid blanket hog!” She slammed her hand on the orb in the carriage’s dashboard, causing it to drive away in reverse.

Cleo’s lips trembled as she continued down the road to Hailing Academy, her tail dragging against the ground behind her. She sighed and stored the pouch of poison away before turning her head. The road was empty. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting. Cleo stamped her foot as her tail stuck straight up into the air. “Stupid Linda! Stupid, greedy, pig-headed Linda!”

She sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. “It’s okay, Cleo,” she said to herself as she forced herself to walk. “You’re magnificent. You don’t need her. Raea’s waiting for you to find her. Palan needs your sass in his boring life. You’re the main character of this story—remember that. Every main character is bound to encounter setbacks.” She slapped herself on her cheeks, copying Raea, and straightened her back while holding her tail up high. “It’s not the first time you’ll be living on the streets by yourself, and this time, you have enough food to last for several years. No more crawling through windows to steal food from the farm animals. This should be easy.” A tear rolled down her cheek, but she wiped it away while sniffling. A carriage rumbled, causing her to turn around. Her eyes widened as it continued to rush towards her without pause. She leapt to the side with a curse and rolled on the ground.

Her brow furrowed. If she hadn’t dodged…. She shook her head and dusted off her clothes. Linda was right—she was a lizardman without an owner. Now wasn’t the time to mope. Cleo narrowed her eyes as she jogged towards Hailing Academy. At least the collar she wore prevented people from capturing her on sight, but slaves weren’t allowed outside at night without an angel to accompany them. She had to make the most use of the sunlight while she could. It was a shame Elrith and Sally weren’t here to accompany her—she could’ve used a mount.

When the gate to Hailing Academy came into view, Cleo’s steps slowed down as she gasped for breath. She used her hands to review the items inside her space as she thought of a way to bypass the gate. Should she sneak in? Try to negotiate? What would Palan do—other than force his way in? Her hand clasped around an object. Maybe she could use this. She took in a deep breath and knocked on the gate.