Endless Debt

Today is the Vow Festival, and everyone has gathered on the streets for the carnival or is attending various parties. The restaurant is pathetically empty, with Bologue sitting in the corner, several empty plates in front of him.

"How does it taste?"

Bologue wiped his lips and asked.

"Not bad, not bad, it's really delicious." Aimou was extremely satisfied.

She was overjoyed, but Bologue was feeling uncomfortable. Usually, he would eat very lightly in the evening, but at Aimou's insistence, he felt as if he had just participated in a competitive eating contest.

"Can I have a bit more?" Aimou whispered, "I want to try that."

"No! I can't eat anymore." Bologue sternly refused.

"Then... how about some wine?"

Aimou was curious about everything, and the first thing she did when entering the restaurant was to order every dish on the menu.

"In a way, you're only three years old, aren't you?" Bologue retorted, "Minors are prohibited from drinking alcohol."

"Huh?" Aimou was stunned for a moment, then said, "But you're an adult."

"It's you drinking; I'm just sharing the sensation." Aimou argued.

"That's just cheating."

"Hold on, I'm an Alchemy Puppet, not a human. Human rules shouldn't apply to me, right?"

"But Alchemy Puppets shouldn't have human senses, should they?"

Aimou realized she couldn't out-argue Bologue and quieted down completely. Bologue went to the desk to settle the bill, and with every step, he felt his stomach weigh him down heavily. It was a feeling he'd never experienced before.

The two strolled down the street, though in reality, it was just Bologue alone. On the road, he asked Aimou about the Constant Motion Core. With the continuous Ether replenishment, Aimou could maintain her Secret Energy release for a long time, and Bologue didn't have to worry about her suddenly running out of Ether and falling out of his body.

Aimou was responsible for maintaining the Void Realm of the Alchemy Workshop. Often, when internal issues arose, she used the Shared Chord Body to penetrate the machinery and perform operations and modifications.

"Actually, could your Secret Energy also allow you to become ethereal and thus avoid attacks?" Bologue asked.

It seemed that Aimou's Secret Energy truly deserved the title of the Deceitful Structure School. It not only influenced the Alchemy Matrix but also penetrated matter, making it extremely convenient to evade attacks in combat or infiltrate buildings.

"Hmm? The conditions are a bit harsh. If it's a solid, like a metal weapon, I can avoid it, but if it's imbued with Ether, based on the properties of Ethereum Mutual Exclusion, I would be disturbed and separated."

Aimou's voice echoed in his ear. Bologue himself didn't resist Aimou, which was why Aimou could successfully share a chord with him. If Bologue resisted Aimou, his own Ether would immediately expel Aimou.

"Is that so? But it seems there's no problem. With advancement, these defects should be addressed one by one."

Bologue finished speaking, a bit puzzled in his heart.

Aimou's positioning was quite peculiar, and he wasn't sure if Aimou could advance like a Condenser. But even if she couldn't advance like a Condenser, she could continually optimize and transform herself.

"Mm."

Aimou responded and soon started giggling.

"What are you laughing at?" Bologue asked.

"Nothing, just feels like... you're a giant robot, and I'm the one piloting the robot." Aimou said.

A strange metaphor. Bologue thought about it and felt that it wasn't entirely off the mark.

Who would've thought that another being—no, not even a person, but a wondrous life—was hidden within his body?

Uncertain of how long they wandered, the novelty of the scenes became familiar, repetitive, and tedious.

Bologue checked the time. There was still some time left before the night ended. He guessed that Palmer was currently on the phone with his fiancée, but he had no idea what kind of person Palmer's fiancée was.

Who could fancy someone like Palmer? Isn't the fiancée afraid that this unlucky fellow would be a hindrance?

Aimou hadn't made a sound for a while; she observed the world through Bologue's eyes.

Suddenly, Bologue stopped and asked Aimou.

"You haven't watched a movie, right?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Wanna watch a movie?"

Bologue looked at the movie poster on the wall; it was a new release. The cover featured mysterious figures wearing black coats, holding bright long swords, with looming sinister buildings in the background.

"Is this... 'Night Hunter'?" Bologue exclaimed.

"Oh wow, this book got turned into a movie!"

Aimou was even more excited.

Since Bologue and Aimou mentioned movies, she had been intensely curious about them, especially about this movie adapted from the 'Night Hunter' novel.

"Wanna watch it?"

"Sure!"

Bologue looked at the poster again, assuming it was a bloody horror movie. Wouldn't it make more sense for family-friendly films to be released during the Vow Festival?

Entering the cinema, it didn't take long for Bologue to come out looking utterly disappointed. It was the Vow Festival, and the movie tickets were already sold out in advance.

"Sorry," Bologue comforted, "I forgot that tickets need to be booked in advance for the festival."

Actually, Bologue had only been out of prison for a year. He understood this world but had been detached from it for too long. Even if he tried to catch up, there were still discrepancies in some details.

"It's nothing," Aimou replied.

Bologue sat on a bench at the street corner, communicating with Aimou in his mind.

Occasionally, passersby would glance curiously and perplexedly at Bologue, not understanding why he was so alone on the Vow Festival day, not to mention talking to himself, as if he were mentally ill.

Indeed, Bologue seemed like a mental patient, communicating with a voice only he could hear.

"So, why did you think of taking me out?" Aimou asked, "And why today? Is it because today is the Vow Festival?"

"It has nothing to do with the Vow Festival..." Bologue thought for a moment and replied, "Isn't today your birthday?"

"So?"

"A birthday needs a birthday gift, right?"

Bologue felt it was only natural. Even he received gifts from Adelle, so Aimou should have them too.

"Is this my birthday gift then?"

"Mm-hmm, it was all so sudden, this is the best we can do... consider it a thank-you for cooking for me."

After speaking, Bologue seemed to think of something, gazing up at the night sky.

The night sky was tinted a faint dark red by the radiant lights on the ground. All starlight retreated behind the clouds, as if this city existed outside the cosmic cycle, time frozen.

"But... this is a secret, Aimou," Bologue reminded.

"A secret known only to you and me?"

"That's right, make sure not to let Teda know, nor anyone else besides Teda." Bologue emphasized again.

This night's choice went against Bologue's style. He didn't consider himself a kind or gentle person, but in that situation, his mood couldn't help but align with Aimou's.

Placing himself in Aimou's perspective, Bologue felt as if he were trapped in swampy mud, struggling to escape. He couldn't stand Aimou's predicament, so he made an effort to take her away from there, though only for tonight.

Suddenly, Bologue remembered something and got up from the bench, walking silently toward the dim street area.

The night's festivities gathered in the Agreement District and nearby areas. Other cities had activities too, but nowhere near as lively. Therefore, once leaving the Agreement District, the city reverted to its original state.

Aimou didn't ask Bologue where they were headed. She was already very satisfied with tonight, everything she saw constantly impacting her soul.

"I came across something like this in a book before."

As Bologue advanced, Aimou spoke in his mind.

"Human childhood is always long, but after adulthood, time seems to fly past rapidly, as though ten years pass in the blink of an eye...

When you were a baby, your world was merely a small room. As a child, your world was the neighborhood you lived in. When you grew older, it was the streets, then the city, country, and continent..."

Aimou's voice was gentle, like telling Bologue a bedtime story, or like a child tired from playing, murmuring while resting on the couch.

"The book says human memory is structured by anchor points; humans don't clearly remember daily details but do remember significant days.

In human childhood, every day brought new discoveries, continually expanding the world.

Each day was important, hence there was an anchor point placed, inserted into the timeline of life.

During childhood, such anchor points filled every day, making each day extremely meaningful and memorable. But after reaching adulthood, this world offers nothing new to humans.

Humans may not set an anchor point for several years, decades, hence those lengthy periods become blurred."

"Childhood days are clearly visible, yet past days are vague... Is that why humans feel time passes so quickly after adulthood?"

Bologue muttered softly, slightly moved by Aimou's words. The long time in the Black Prison now seemed like fleeting smoke compared to his time in the military, where every day was distinctly vivid.

"It's been a long night indeed."

Aimou felt this way.

Neither of them spoke, leaving the busy Agreement District behind, walking into the murky dark. After a while, Aimou couldn't help but ask.

"Where are we going? Are you taking me back?"

"No, another place."

Bologue said as he looked into the distance. The parking lot maintained its desolate appearance, with only a few scattered old cars parked there, and not a single person visible on the stairs.

Today was the Vow Festival, everyone joined the celebrations, yet there were always some who strayed from the crowd, still steadfast at their posts.

The old projectionist dozed in the pavilion, the projector casting light and shadows, displayed on the giant screen.

"Looks like we made it."

Bologue found a suitable spot on the steps and sat down, a burst of noise emanating from ahead.

Aimou said nothing, she was entirely engrossed in the story unfolding on the screen, oblivious to the simplicity of the environment.

Inside the parking lot cinema, Bologue sat alone on the steps, the light and shadows casting his face pale, with a slender shadow extending into the endless darkness.