Without a doubt, the issue involving the “Entropist” was slowly turning into a turbulent, underground political game.

  Neither the court of Astralis nor the Nomeka family could remain indifferent to the emergence of such a reverse entity. For example, the unfortunate Grand Duke Klein could no longer even stay in his own residence, having to hide.

  As for the Empire, it was still impossible to predict how they would react after losing an elite unit.

  However... for now, these matters were still too distant to worry the little Alice on the run.

  At that very moment, homeless and aimless, she wandered the night streets of the city of Flaren.

  Flaren was a prosperous metropolis, and even at two or three in the morning, there were still some shops open. Though there were hardly any pedestrians on the streets, under the pale glow of the streetlights, the winter city still seemed full of life and light.

  But these lights, though they illuminated the streets cleaned by the street machines, could not light up the heart of a helpless little girl.

  After all, after exterminating the imperial soldiers who had been chasing her and crossing the forest to reach this unknown city, Alice’s “first escape plan” was already over.

  As for what to do next... to be honest, she hadn't thought about it yet.

  While avoiding surveillance cameras and walking through alleys, her heart was filled with endless confusion.

  Food, clothes, shelter, and transportation, the basic needs of life, which apply to everyone throughout history, were also essential for an Entropist. But what about Alice now?

  As for clothes, she only had her school uniform from Kaminiya Academy, stained with blood.

  The suitcase left by her father had been destroyed in the train explosion. Aside from that outfit, all she had was the magnetic card hidden in her purse and a notebook with Dr. Elock’s final words.

  That bloodstained clothing made it impossible for her to interact with other people.

  As for “food,” there was no question. Still only a middle school student, she hadn’t eaten since she fled from school, and now she could even hear her stomach growling.

  And what about “shelter” or “transportation”? That wasn’t even up for discussion. Alice didn’t know where she could sleep or where she should go.

  With the sky dark and the streets silent, it seemed as though the world had abandoned that girl, a victim of a tragedy. Just like the streetlights cast their glow indiscriminately, the winter night continued to deliver its relentless cold...

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  “It would be so nice if crying actually helped... Then I could just cry everything out, Nisha.”

  Forcing a bitter smile as she vented to Nisha, Alice tried to ignore the searing pain in her shoulder. She had never felt so exhausted in her entire life.

  Her luck, without a doubt, wasn’t the worst. The electromagnetic bullet hadn’t hit an artery, or she would have died within minutes, still just a girl.

  But she couldn’t say she was fortunate. Though the major blood vessels hadn’t been affected, the deep wound all the way to the bone still caused dangerous bleeding and unbearable pain.

  Pressing the wound hard, Alice felt the blood slowly trickling between her fingers. Her left arm hurt so much that she could barely move it.

  This wound couldn’t be ignored.

  “Nisha, this isn’t going to work. I need to find a safe shelter, I need to eat and drink to regain my strength, I need medicine to treat the wound... But I don’t have a single coin. The imperial army is definitely still hunting me. What do I do?!”

  Leaning against a wall, panting heavily, Alice felt her brain numb. She was thirsty, hungry, exhausted. And even without thinking much, she knew that without a penny, she wouldn’t be able to buy any of the things she needed.

  Any merchant who saw her bloodied like that would probably immediately call the local guard.

  So the question was... was there any other way besides the conventional method of buying?

  Staring fixedly at a store across the street, marked with the sign “24-Hour Convenience Store,” Alice frowned, her eyes trembling slightly.

  It was a small, ordinary store.

  The cashier seemed to be an awkward college student working a part-time shift. Through the window, Alice could see the products on the shelves.

  Instant hamburgers, lemon juice, liquor-filled chocolates, fried donuts, “Happy Farm” brand yogurt...

  All delicious things, which, though not as refined as the luxurious treats Alice was used to, would certainly fill her stomach.

  Moreover, she knew that this type of store usually also sold basic medications: gauze, antiseptics, painkillers...

  Things she desperately needed. Maybe she could endure the hunger and thirst for a little longer, and maybe even rest in a dark corner with Nisha's help.

  But the wound was still bleeding, and Nisha, as powerful as he was, couldn’t do more than serve as an improvised bandage.

  Alice, who had learned many things from her father, knew the importance of avoiding infections. She needed antiseptics.

  So... should she act?

  With Nisha’s combat strength, even a special forces unit would be easy to handle, and a convenience store cashier didn’t pose any threat.

  It would be enough to grab food to satisfy her hunger, clothes to disguise herself, and medicine to prevent the wound from worsening.

  But... was it the right thing to do?

  “Nisha, what should I... what should I do? I mean, should we... should we really steal these supplies? If you break the metal counter, you could threaten the cashier. We take the money and the items from the store and leave. As long as the Empire doesn’t send a battleship to the city, we won’t have to worry... But... But...”

  Talking to herself in a doubtful tone, Alice sank into a deep dilemma.

  She hadn’t hesitated to kill the imperial soldiers alongside Nisha, after all, they had been trying to kill her, they were “enemies,” and what she did was self-defense.

  But what about stealing from a stranger who had done nothing to her? Was that really the right choice? And if the girl decided to react heroically and fight against the “thieves,” would Alice have to... kill to keep the secret?

  The most important thing was... now that she was a fugitive, with no legal identity, would she have to live the rest of her life resorting to theft and robbery?

  The truth was that, at that moment, only eleven years old, Alice was faced with a dilemma on a “philosophical” level and didn’t know how to resolve it.