Chapter 1149: Chapter 12: Comrades-in-Arms

"I should have realized it earlier."

Palmer rubbed his neck, and there was a ghostly blue mark on his skin.

"I don’t have many friends, neither does Vasilina. We’ve been playing together since we were little, and not much has changed as we’ve grown up."

"So what?"

"So what?" Palmer looked shocked and emphasized, "Still ’so what’? Haven’t you noticed the problem?"

"You know I’m not good with these kinds of problems, I can’t even figure out my own issues."

"Oh God, can anyone help me?"

Palmer almost broke down, but after some wailing, he calmed down again and spoke in a very rational tone.

"I have my own job, my own social circle... I have a lot of things, but it’s different for Vasilina."

Upon mentioning this, Palmer’s expression fell into melancholy. He felt sad for Vasilina and regretted not noticing these things sooner.

"Vasilina grew up in the Clarks, she has no parents, her only friend is me, in that desolate place ravaged by the wind, there is nothing, no bustling big city, video stores, cinemas, not even damned fast food places."

Palmer’s voice suddenly rose, "She hasn’t even tasted delicious shrimp crisp bread!"

It sounded absurd, but coming from Palmer’s mouth, it seemed reasonable.

"So, Vasilina is really lonely. In her world, she only has me, but I went out to work."

"What do you plan to do?"

"She wants to come work at the Order Bureau, so she can see me every day."

"Classic love story, so what’s troubling you?"

Palmer fell silent and then sighed in helplessness, "I know she loves me, but obviously, with time and my negligence, her feelings have become... become somewhat..."

"Become somewhat what?"

"Somewhat distorted."

Palmer turned pale, he suddenly turned around, grabbed Bologue’s shoulders, looking tense, almost about to cry.

"You don’t know, she says weird things when speaking."

Weird things?

Bologue recalled Vasilina, the impression was of a short-haired, heroic woman, dressed very neutrally, like a noble gentleman, full of etiquette in her every move, compared to Palmer, she was truly the traditional aristocrat.

It’s hard to imagine such a person saying things that shocked Palmer.

"Can you repeat it?" Bologue asked.

"She... she..." Palmer’s voice shook, "She said she doesn’t want me to leave, she wants to tie me up, to always keep me by her side."

"What’s wrong with that? Very normal love talk." Bologue analyzed seriously.

Palmer broke down, "I thought so too, but when I woke up, I was really tied up!"

When Palmer woke from a dream, he found his hands chained, tied to the bed, and beside him, Vasilina was sleeping.

This wasn’t the first time Palmer had been tied up in a dream.

Palmer started rambling, "Vasilina never just talks, she acts for real!"

"Well, that’s nice, I like that about her." Bologue admired Vasilina’s practical spirit.

"Like hell you do!"

Palmer almost went mad, when he woke, Vasilina also woke up, and in the face of Palmer’s screams, a gentle hug from Vasilina stopped his wailing.

In that hug, Palmer could barely breathe.

After a morning of persuasion, Vasilina finally compromised, releasing Palmer but insisting on wrapping a chain around his wrist, so no matter where Palmer went, Vasilina would follow holding the chain.

Palmer protested, "Don’t you think holding onto this chain is weird!"

Vasilina silently untied the chain from Palmer’s wrist, which brought Palmer a bit of relief. Then Vasilina wrapped the chain around her own wrist, handing the other end to Palmer.

Palmer realized that during his absence, loneliness and yearning acted like catalysts, distorting Vasilina’s love. Palmer couldn’t imagine what would happen if he stayed longer.

Perhaps one day he’d wake up in a dark basement.

So Palmer crawled back to Oubos in Oath City that very night.

"Did you leave without saying goodbye?" Bologue discovered the issue.

Palmer’s expression froze.

"She’ll come sooner or later, right?" Bologue continued, "She can’t stand living like this anymore."

Without waiting for Palmer to say anything, Bologue asked, "Then here’s the question, Palmer, do you love Vasilina?"

"Of course!" Palmer answered directly.

"Then what are you resisting?"

Palmer slumped down entirely, muttering to himself, "Yeah, what am I afraid of?"

He thought for a long time, "Maybe it’s change."

"Change?"

"I’m used to my current life," Palmer glanced at Bologue, then at the living room full of records and tapes, "Every day involves fighting, drinking, watching movies; it’s quite satisfying."

Bologue said, "But now someone else has entered your life, she’s not just acting as a friend, she’ll delve deeper, inseparable, like a shadow."

Palmer came up with a rough idea, "That’s an unknown life, people always feel anxious about the unknown."

"You’re like a wild dog running on Wind Source Highlands, now someone’s coming with a chain, wanting to tie you up," Bologue said, "You can’t imagine a life being chained, nor can you be sure if you can still run like you do now."

"Domestication," Palmer muttered, "Being domesticated by another person, having a home, no longer a wild dog."

"This isn’t passive, it’s you actively hoping to be domesticated by her, thus becoming a part of her, and she becomes a part of you."

Bologue spoke while picking up a notebook, writing and drawing on it.

"Will you really resist? You won’t, you’re just a little unaccustomed, sooner or later you’ll experience the feelings Vasilina does, you’ll willingly hand her the chain, asking her to tame you, just like she handed you the chain."

As Palmer listened to Bologue, he was somewhat lost in thought, belatedly realizing, "Damn, Bologue, what have you been through during this business trip? Did you receive Serey’s true teachings?"

In Palmer’s eyes, the cold expert suddenly transformed into a scholarly love guru, it was incredible.

"No, it’s just that I’ve recently been researching these things." Bologue said, continuing to write.

Palmer didn’t understand, "Why research this?"

"I seem to be caught in... a dilemma similar to yours, maybe that’s how life is, solving one problem leads to the next, one after another, never stopping."

Bologue put down the paper and pen, spoke seriously, "I solved my emotional issues, but what followed was confusion about intimate relationships, awe of change.

I’m like you, accustomed to this life, maintaining boundaries, but now someone else has entered my boundaries, how should I interact, nurture emotions, and even mutual domestication?"

Palmer’s expression was a bit dumbfounded, he rubbed his head, "Wait, Bologue, you’re being too professional, can you be more straightforward?"

"Oh."

Bologue thought for a bit, then asked in an absolutely straightforward manner.

"Palmer, what should you do after entering a romantic relationship with someone?"

"What should I do? Naturally, it’s about eating, watching movies, checking in daily..."

As Palmer spoke, his voice grew quieter, then he uttered a sharp cry again.

"Huh? What are you talking about? Did I hear you right!" Palmer completely forgot the troubles that were bothering him.

"You heard me right," Bologue continued, "In this aspect, I find you and I are quite similar. Both of us have somewhat overcome our inner dilemmas, but after overcoming them, a new world, tighter relationships leave us bewildered. Perhaps we can assist each other."

Bologue spoke as he reached out to Palmer, and the two clasped hands like comrades fighting together.

Palmer came to his senses, "No... hold on, mister, where did you get an intimate relationship? With Sword Axe? Are you a fetishist?"

Bologue remained calm, "Aimou, Aimou Yazhede, I haven’t mentioned this to you?"

"No, not at all, completely not."

Palmer’s mind went blank, his current feeling was like a psycho killer suddenly saying they’ve fallen in love, next up they’ll keep slashing to save for a down payment, repay a mortgage, and welcome sweet life along with more delightful slashing.

It sounded kind of... kind of nice.

"Damn it! When did this happen!" Palmer shouted.

"Shortly after the Decline Plague ended," Bologue didn’t understand Palmer’s response, "I thought you all knew."

"Huh?"

Palmer recalled Bologue’s interactions with Aimou over the past few months, suddenly finding a bewildering funniness, as well as hopelessness regarding Bologue’s personal emotions.

"You seem to be harder to domesticate than me." Palmer retorted using Bologue’s words.

Bologue said unhesitatingly, "That’s okay, at least in the short term, your troubles are bigger than mine."