HSR: Getting Chased! [25]

---

Knock knock knock... "Hey? Anyone home? Hellooooo! Mooooom!!"

Outside, Sampo clutched a "priceless" fake antique in his arms and knocked once more on the door where Cava and the others were staying. Just as he finished knocking, the door swung open, and a large hand grabbed him, dragging him inside.

"Long time no see, brother Sampo."

Cava, with a kind expression, tossed Sampo onto the floor, greeting him like an old friend, while sparks of electricity danced in his hand.

"Uh... gulp... H-Hello there..."

Seeing the familiar face, the "pleasant memories" of their last encounter flooded back into Sampo's mind. He instinctively gulped and raised his hands in front of him, looking fearful.

"Sampo, oh Sampo! Always chasing after quick profits! Look where it got you—caught by this group of troublemakers again! I’m done for! They’re going to make a spectacle out of me again!"

Sampo regretted everything. He had just heard that some company employees, fresh from a meeting with the Supreme Guardian, were staying at the hotel. Thinking they were just a group of naive big spenders, he'd rushed over to make a quick buck. Now, instead of earning money, it seemed like he might lose his own skin.

"Heroes! I swear, I haven’t done anything wrong this time! I was just trying to earn a bit of extra cash, nothing illegal or immoral, I promise!"

Sampo sat on the floor, begging for mercy, wondering if it was just bad luck or a curse that brought him face-to-face with this living nightmare again.

"Oh? I didn’t say you did anything bad. But you did leave us in quite a hurry last time, didn’t you? We’ve been thinking about you ever since."

Cava spoke calmly, his fingers tracing through the air, manipulating the lightning needles as they danced.

"By the way, you owe us some compensation, right? How about we settle that now?"

Cava crouched down in front of Sampo, still smiling, as the electric needles hummed in his hand.

"Uh... Compensation? Of course! Sampo always keeps his word. I promise I won’t let you down! I'll make sure you’re fully compensated, no problem at all!"

Sampo forced a grin, gritting his teeth. There it was—his years of carefully built-up fortune in Jarilo-VI, about to be squandered just to keep these people off his back.

"Oh, I knew you were a stand-up guy, Sampo. Tell you what, we’re looking to visit the Underworld. I hear you’ve got a secret way to get there. Why don’t you be our guide? We’ll deal with the compensation later."

"The Underworld? Why didn’t you say so earlier? Sampo knows it like the back of his hand! No problem! What’s the plan? Sightseeing? Food tours?"

Hearing "Underworld," Sampo’s spirits lifted. If he could get them down there, he could slip away. They wouldn’t be able to find him in the depths of the Underworld!

"Alright, then. Lead the way."

Cava gave an approving nod, patting Sampo on the shoulder and even straightening his collar. "Let’s get going."

"Now...?"

Sampo’s face paled at Cava’s calm demeanor.

"Of course, now. Lead on."

Cava’s tone was unwavering.

"Ah... well then, follow me. Sampo’s Underworld Tour is about to start..."

Sampo muttered dejectedly, shuffling towards the door with a heavy heart.

Seeing Sampo’s "enthusiastic" demeanor, Cava smiled in satisfaction. Turning to the rest of the group, who stood in stunned silence, he said:

"Well? Why are you all standing there?"

"Uh… Oh, we’re leaving now?"

March 7 looked at the downtrodden Sampo, then nervously glanced at Cava.

"Of course."

Cava nodded, completely certain.

"Do we really need to leave so quickly? Even though the Supreme Guardian has been corrupted by the Stellaron, she should still have some rationality left, right?"

Dan Heng asked, still puzzled as to why Cava was in such a hurry.

"I gave her a container filled with Himeko’s coffee."

Cava stated this with a straight face.

"..........." x3

The group fell into a collective silence. Meanwhile, Bronya looked utterly confused. "Himeko’s coffee"… Was that something special?

"I think we need to leave immediately."

For once, March 7 looked deadly serious.

"Indeed, no time to waste."

Dan Heng, arms crossed, nodded in agreement.

"Let’s go!"

Stelle wasted no time, already heading out the door.

"Uh… wait, what?"

Bronya was thoroughly baffled. What kind of magic did this "Himeko’s coffee" have to make the Trailblazers so panicked?

"Wait a minute. Why am I even going to the Underworld with you?"

Only now did Bronya realize—there was no actual reason for her to join the Trailblazers on this trip.

Hearing Bronya’s question, Cava turned around, his expression calm.

"Would you choose survival, or cling to hope?"

With that cryptic response, Cava turned back and resumed following Sampo out of the Goethe Hotel.

"……"

Bronya stood in silence, torn. She had planned to stay and find a way to reason with her mother, but… would her mother even listen to her?

Remembering how her mother had publicly berated her earlier, Bronya felt a choking sense of despair.

Was that woman still her "mother"?

Clenching her teeth, Bronya made her decision and followed Cava. She had to believe in him, not just for the Iron Guard, but for all of Belobog.

Because… she had no one else left to believe in.

However, as soon as she stepped outside, she was greeted with an utterly bizarre sight.

Who am I? Where am I? And why is Sampo covered in needles?

Bronya rubbed her eyes, thinking it might be an illusion, but no—there Sampo stood, looking utterly defeated, his back riddled with Cava’s lightning needles.

"Let’s go, Mr. Sampo."

Cava clapped his hands, smiling warmly at Sampo.

Now that Cava had taken full precautions, he was sure Sampo wouldn’t dare disappear on them again during the trip.

"Boss… Can we do this without electrocuting me?"

Sampo asked weakly, his voice slightly garbled from the numbing effect of all the needles.

"Don’t worry, it won’t slow you down. I know what I’m doing."

Cava smiled confidently. If Sampo didn’t try anything stupid, the needles wouldn’t hurt him—on the contrary, they’d probably make him feel better than he had in years!

"I really am a good guy, helping to cure him of all those years of pent-up mischief!"

Cava thought to himself, quite pleased.