Invasion [Towards the Outpost] Chapter 20

“According to the investigation we conducted at the time, most of the sentinels who died in the contaminated zones received almost no compensation. Their benefits were heavily deducted at every level, leaving their families with a pittance that was simply outrageous.”

Back at the Guide Academy, she was a quick, decisive, and capable young woman, having written numerous investigative reports on sensitive topics. But now, she had left that world behind. Her gaze was confined to the household, where she had become a gentle wife and mother.

As she spoke, she scooped two spoonfuls of fruit puree into the twins’ bowls, insisting they finish it. At the same time, she instructed the maid to fetch her husband’s formal attire for the evening banquet.

Between tasks, she also took a generous spoonful of homemade blueberry jam, spreading it on freshly baked cupcakes before handing one to Lin Yuan.

Their family’s finances had been strained in recent years, yet they still had to maintain the dignity expected of nobility in public. As a result, all household expenses were cut to the bare minimum, leaving just one maid to handle the trivial matters of aristocratic socializing.

Lin Yuan bit into the cupcake, savoring the rich layers of blueberry jam and the soft, fragrant cake. She deeply admired guides like Cao Yun-yun who, while caring for sentinels, managed to orderly handle countless mundane and complicated tasks, all the while maintaining a cheerful and gentle demeanor.

If it were her, even with all her tentacles lending a hand, it would have been impossible.

Of course, those tentacles each had a small, somewhat useless brain, which only added to the chaos.

“Oh, darling, are you really going to those contaminated zones?” Cao Yun-yun finally found a rare moment amid the chaos and sat down opposite Lin Yuan. “My goodness, I can hardly believe a guide would apply for such a job. But then again, it’s so like you.”

Though their outlooks on life differed, they always understood and accepted each other, which had sustained their friendship over many years.

“Yes, I have my reasons,” Lin Yuan showed her pass. “And besides, once I’m there, I won’t have to endlessly attend these banquets. You know I’m not good at that sort of thing.”

Guides stationed at the White Tower had mandatory duties every year, including attending extravagant banquets hosted by nobles, so lavish they were almost unbelievable.

After all, guides were the empire’s most precious creations, meant to be displayed like exquisite flowers—served on platters to decorate opulence when necessary.

“Yes, banquets,” Cao Yun-yun clapped her hands, pleased to have successfully changed the subject. “So, are you dressing like this for tonight’s dinner?”

Lin Yuan glanced down at her clothes and shoes, finding nothing amiss. She wore a gown and shoes that made walking difficult.

“You should know, that bastard Jiang Yangshuo will be there tonight,” Cao Yun-yun pressed her hands on Lin Yuan’s shoulders, her expression serious. “Especially at times like this, we must stand tall. We can’t let those bastards look down on us.”

“Xiao Yuan, this is a battlefield—the battlefield for us guides.”

A battlefield...?

Though a little guilty for letting her concerned friend speak without full attention, Lin Yuan’s mind wandered amidst Cao Yun-yun’s passionate words.

She recalled the memory she had seen days ago beneath the sea.

A body pierced through by giant fingers.

Flesh and blood smeared on the ground like mud.

Eyes that remained wide open in despair even after death.

That was the true battlefield, Yun-yun—the real battlefield.

Is struggling over a sentinel, pulling each other’s hair, really a battlefield?

Chapter 10

Cao Yun-yun coaxed the twins into the bedroom, finished her makeup, and changed into her gown.

Coming down from the second floor, she spotted Lin Yuan still sitting at the window ledge, lost in thought.

She appeared to be a docile, quiet guide, perhaps just fond of daydreaming.

Yet Cao Yun-yun sensed it was a kind of disguise, a shell that barely allowed her to appear as someone who conformed to the “rules” here.

Who living in this world didn’t wear a shell? The only difference was whether they had the courage to break free, Cao Yun-yun thought.

“Where did you get that gown? It doesn’t seem to fit very well,” she asked.

Lin Yuan usually wore the white gowns issued by the academy. Today, perhaps because she had come from home, she had somehow found a black dress.

Sitting cross-legged on the window ledge, the smoky black skirt swirled like mist, making her limbs look long and her skin porcelain white.

But the dress was too sharp, too cold—unsuitable attire for a guide.

“I don’t know. I found it at home; I think it belonged to my mother,” Lin Yuan replied.

See, this girl knew a gown was needed for the banquet.

For her, as long as she could get a gown on, that was enough.

Whether it fit or complemented the gentle aura a guide should have was of no concern.

“It’s a bit big. Let me alter it for you,” Cao Yun-yun sighed and fetched her sewing kit to take in the waist and hem of the dress.

“Your mother was a sentinel, right?” Cao Yun-yun asked as she bent over, biting off a thread.

Lin Yuan stroked the hem lightly. “Yes. She was tall and very fast—a strong person.”

I dreamed of her a few days ago, Yun-yun.

Once the alterations were done, Cao Yun-yun took Lin Yuan’s hand and spun her around.

A raven-hued jacket, a smoky gray underskirt, and a gradient hem, all simple and neat with no extra decoration except a line of descending rhinestones along the waist.

Lin Yuan, naturally aloof, was made to look like a being untouched by worldly dyes, an entity from the deepest abyss, almost ready to transcend this world.

Cao Yun-yun was dazzled by her appearance. Even as a guide, she looked stunning.

She quickly shook her head to dismiss such thoughts.

No, no—this was inappropriate.

She helped Lin Yuan re-style her hair and picked up her own makeup kit.

Lin Yuan held her wrist to refuse.

“Makeup is to please yourself,” Cao Yun-yun chuckled inwardly. “Even the male guides and sentinels dress up beautifully for these banquets.”

“If it’s to please myself, I must first want it,” Lin Yuan shook her head repeatedly. She disliked the feeling of stuff on her face, and her tentacles disliked it even more.

One by one, the tentacles raised their heads, opening their various-sized suckers to signal their disapproval.

Cao Yun-yun produced a lipstick. “At least put on some lipstick. I made this myself with beeswax and rose essential oil. It smells nice and is a bit sweet.”

Hearing “sweet,” Lin Yuan licked her lips in agreement.

The two young women dressed and adjusted their gowns, then hurried out, almost running as time was tight.