《I Became a Raid Boss》 Chapter 0 Chapter 0 What makes a boss monster strong? ¡°Well, it¡¯s probably high stats, right? Like attack power, health, and defense.¡± ¡°A monster that summons a lot of minions.¡± ¡°Spamming debuffs can be really annoying too.¡± ¡°Constantly using AoE (Area of Effect) attacks.¡± The answers may vary, but most people will talk about the boss¡¯s abilities¡ªthings like stats and mechanics. But what about a well-designed boss monster? ¡°A good backstory makes the boss morepelling.¡± ¡°I think the concept is more important.¡±¡°The difficulty should challenge the yer¡¯s spirit.¡± ¡°No matter how well it¡¯s designed, if it doesn¡¯t look good, it kind of loses its appeal, right?¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s tough, the patterns need to be fair.¡± When asked about a well-designed boss, you¡¯ll likely get a wider range of answers than when asked about a strong boss. The reason is that a ¡°well-designed¡± boss means it has a certain appeal, and what makes a boss appealing can vary from person to person. Some people find a boss¡¯s appearance captivating, while others might be moved by the boss¡¯s backstory. All these elementse together¡ªor sometimes conflict¡ªto create a more appealing (or well-made) character. That¡¯s why, when someone asks, ¡°Isn¡¯t this boss really well-made?¡± it¡¯s not unusual for someone else to respond, ¡°Hmm¡­ is it really?¡± And then there are people who just love to stir things up withments like, ¡°Honestly, I could make something better than this.¡± However, in an MMORPG, especially in a raid where many yers work together to defeat a boss, the standards for what makes a well-designed boss are somewhat established. Appearance, story, and concept. These are certainly important. When yers feel invested, their immersion in the game increases, and the more immersed they are, the more likely they are to stick with the game. But that doesn¡¯t mean all yers will quit the game if those things arecking. The way people enjoy games varies, and some yers simply enjoy the challenge of clearing raids, gathering gear, and making their character stronger. So, what does a well-designed raid boss need? ording to a man with about five years of MMORPG experience, the most important thing is, ¡°Can the yers see it as fair?¡± Let¡¯s take an example. Depending on the mechanics, some raids differ, but most raids focus on surviving the boss¡¯s attacks and depleting its health without dying. That¡¯s why almost every RPG game has a way to recover health. In some games, it¡¯s potions. In others, it¡¯s a specific role, known as the Healer. In other words, the Healer acts like a logistics unit, making it a crucial role that allows the battle to continue. On the flip side, if you kill the Healer, wiping out the party bes significantly easier. So, wouldn¡¯t it be efficient for the raid boss to focus on killing the Healer first and ignore everyone else? But would yers consider that reasonable? The reason the boss doesn¡¯t immediately target the Healer or spam instant-kill attacks from the start isn¡¯t because the boss is stupid¡ªit¡¯s because the game developers designed it that way. If the boss immediately killed the backline or killed the yers the moment they entered the boss room, would anyone be happy, eximing, ¡°Wow, this boss is really strong!¡± Or what if a boss with a ¡°general¡± concept summoned hundreds of minions to fight for it? You can only appreciate the appeal of a boss if the gamey allows you to experience it. If unreasonable mechanics prevent you from ying, no one will feel that appeal. Therefore, in the man¡¯s opinion, before a boss can be attractive, it must first be reasonable. A well-made boss can be both attractive and strong, but just because it¡¯s attractive and strong doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s well-made. *** ¡°Ah, damn it!¡± Bang! From this man¡¯s perspective, the boss he was currently challenging fell into the category of ¡°poorly designed.¡± No, even more than that, it could be categorized as ¡°terribly designed¡± or ¡°Why did they make it like this?¡± A boss room? Sure, there is one. If a boss room means a ce where you have a higher chance of encountering the boss than anywhere else. The boss moves all over the ce, so even initiating a fight is challenging. *** ¡°Did you die again?¡± ¡°No, seriously, does this make any sense? It ignored my taunt, ran straight at me, and killed me¡ªhow am I supposed to survive that?¡± ¡°Who forced you to y a Healer?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who chose the role, don¡¯t take it out on us.¡± *** In most MMORPGs, there¡¯s an aggro system. This system, also called threat, builds up when yers deal damage or use skills, and the monster attacks the yer with the highest threat. Tanks usually have skills to drastically increase their threat or pull aggro from others. However, this boss ignores the taunt skill and runs straight for the Healer. On top of that, its attack power is so high that one hit sends you to the afterlife. The boss is also packed with unreasonable features like only allowing one party to challenge it at a time. *** ¡°Okay, from now on, take a different Healer to the raid. I¡¯m going to join another group.¡± ¡°No, no, that¡¯s unfair! If you leave, we¡¯ll spend all day looking for a new Healer.¡± ¡°Not my problem.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything! Let¡¯s just kick the people who insulted you, or just take me with you when you raid¡­ heh.¡± ¡°Traitor!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry! Please don¡¯t abandon us¡­.¡± *** The man let out a bitter smile as he watched his party members quickly change their attitude, as if they had never tried to push him away. Contrary to the yful atmosphere and banter, the man¡¯s party was steadily heading toward total annihtion. After he died, the boss¡¯s next strike brought the fellow Healer to his side. At the same time, the boss turned and swung its sword, taking down three iing damage dealers in one blow. In a continued motion, the boss pushed away a tank and sent a sword beam to finish off thest distant damage dealer. Ignoring the sturdier tanks and focusing on the fragile Healers and damage dealers first, the boss had efficiently wiped them out. The only ones left were two tough, but now useless, tanks who couldn¡¯t heal and couldn¡¯t deal enough damage to defeat the boss. Momentster, thest tank fell, leaving only the boss, wearing a tattered hooded cape, standing alone on the battlefield. Watching the familiar light envelop the fallen party members, the man muttered, . ¡°Trash game. I can¡¯t do this anymore.¡± . One, two, three¡­ seven. . ¡°And now eight.¡± *** Is there some rule about always attacking in groups of eight? Once again, today I¡¯d cut down eight people¡ªno, eight moths¡ªbefore I staggered over to sit on a conveniently sized rock. It wasn¡¯t difficult. How much energy does it take to deal with enemies who fall with one swing of my sword? But the flying moths have their own level of annoyance¡­ Especially when the moths can wield swords and magic. So yeah, it¡¯s a bit tiring. I pressed my eyes with my fingers, sighing deeply. It¡¯s been so long since I started my life in this world¡­ How many years has it been again? I began counting on my fingers but gave up after folding them twice. It¡¯s been more than ten years, I think, but who cares about that? . ¡°I just want to eat chicken¡­¡± . Once again, I swallowed my unfulfilled desire and could only smack my lips longingly at the thought. Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Silia Online. A virtual reality game developed in Korea, Silia Online has taken the world by storm, gaining massive poprity as an MMORPG. However, when news of its development first spread, Silia Online didn¡¯t receive much attention. In an era where virtual reality games were alreadymonce, the word ¡°virtual reality¡± no longer held much appeal. Moreover, the MMORPG genre itself was losing its charm. While games and media were evolving to deliver strong, instant stimtion, MMORPGs took the opposite approach. Though there¡¯s enjoyment in role-ying and character growth, the pacing is too slow. To develop your character properly, you quite literally need to sink time into the game, making it a love-or-hate experience for yers. The few MMORPGs that survived managed to resolve this dilemma by allowing parts of the character progression to be reced with money¡ªwhat we call microtransactions. But¡­ As a result, these surviving games gained a reputation for being difficult to enjoy unless you spent money.Yet, Silia Online proudly proved otherwise. All those issues could be solved with good game design. ¡°If it¡¯s hard to endure the boring progression, why not just make the progression fun?¡± It was as if that¡¯s what they were saying. Many factors contributed to Silia Online¡¯s rise to the ranks of popr games, but yers frequently cited its graphics and freedom. Unlike other games where the graphics made it clear you were in a game, Silia Online¡¯s graphics felt so natural, like you¡¯d actually stepped into another world. And its freedom¡ªthere was no limit to what you could do. It gave yers the feeling that they had escaped the hardships of reality to enjoy a new life in a fantasy world. This appeal captivated heavy users, casual yers, young and old alike. ¡°It¡¯s not a game; it¡¯s a real other world!¡± ¡°They must have used thousands of aliens to develop this!¡± ¡°MMORPGs blur the line between reality and the game so much that we need regtions limiting ytime!¡± Comments like these becamemon. Thanks to this, other gamepanies suffered, butpetition is a brutal world. While otherpanies cried, gamers and Silia Onlineughed. It was the perfect realization of a beautiful world. *** Half a year had passed since theunch of Silia Online. Even after six months, the Silia Online-rtedmunity was more active than ever¡ªmore so than right after the gameunched. yers shared their knowledge with each other, and each new discovery left themunity amazed. At that time, one particr post started drawing attention. *** [Just found something really crazy, real-time;] The author was an adventurer who loved to explore. Ever since the game¡¯s release, they had been wandering around. Recently, they had been exploring the mountains near the Kingdom of Grasis when they stumbled upon something strange today. (A picture of a cabin in front of a flower field) A Cabin That Looks Lived In It seems like someone lives in the cabin. Judging by the state of the flowers, it also looks like the person who lives in the cabin is the one who took care of the flower field. At this point, you¡¯d think, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just someone living in the mountains, nothing special.¡± (Picture of a grave) (Picture of a sword) A sword stuck in front of the grave? Anyone can tell this sword looks incredible, right? I can¡¯t resist, haha. I¡¯m going to try pulling it out right now. (Picture of hand on the sword handle) (You Died) ???? I tried pulling it out, and I died instantly; I was so dumbfounded that I watched the rey. (Picture of a mysterious figure) At the exact moment I tried, I could barely see someone swinging the sword. Considering that a health bar popped up briefly, it¡¯s probably a Raid Boss. I should have switched to third-person camera mode! I mean, seriously, what¡¯s with these devs cing a sword here that anyone would want to pull and then hiding a boss right there¡ªso unfair. Anyway, I think I¡¯ve discovered a new boss. Next time, I¡¯ll try sneaking in and pulling it out. [Comments] ¡°Grave robber caught¡± ©¹ ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not a grave robber, call me ¡®Indiana Jones,¡¯ alright?¡± ¡°LOL, who touches someone¡¯s grave when they know people live there? You deserved to die.¡± ©¹ ¡°But seriously, how could anyone resist? If you can, you¡¯re not a man.¡± ©¹ ¡°Can¡¯t argue with that.¡± ©¹ ¡°No one can resist Excalibur.¡± ¡°Why does this game keep having new things to discover?¡± ©¹ ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s so fun to explore, for real. In other games, after a few hundred hours of exploring, there¡¯s nothing left, but in this game, there¡¯s so much to do that it¡¯s almost a problem.¡± ©¹ ¡°Uh, after a few hundred hours, haven¡¯t you yed enough?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to organize a raid party and check it out.¡± ©¹ ¡°Let us know how it goes!¡± ¡°Why did you even go hiking?¡± ©¹ ¡°Because the mountain was there.¡± ©¹ ¡°That¡¯s so badass.¡± ¡°Wow, that sword really does look amazing.¡± ©¹ ¡°I¡¯m curious about its stats. If you get it, let us know.¡± ©¹ ¡°Okay, wait for me, I¡¯ll try it out.¡± ©¹ ¡°Or so it¡¯s written, lol.¡± *** The sea of onlinemunities, filled with a mix of bait and real information. A post, thrown into this sea, was discovered by curious users, and soon, a swarm of people rushed to bring it to the surface. The uncertainty over whether the information was real, the discovery of a new Raid Boss, and the sword, which looked anything but ordinary, stuck in front of the grave. In a sh, the post that might have otherwise been buried rose to the ranks of the most popr posts. . ¡°¡­What the?¡± . The corpse vanished, dissolving into a mass of light. For a moment, I was startled by the sudden disappearance of the body, but then I thought, ¡°I guess that¡¯s possible.¡± There are spells that can make a person vanish in an instant, so a disappearing corpse isn¡¯t that strange. It might even be an artifact that delivers corpses to the deceased¡¯s family. If they had spent time developing defensive spells instead of spells like that, they might have survived a second longer. How unfortunate. I muttered this unspoken advice to myself as I walked away, inspecting every inch of my sword to see if any blood had sttered on it. ¡°¡­d there¡¯s no blood on it.¡± I don¡¯t care if blood gets on my sword, but it would be a problem if blood stained this Crimson Aegis. The stench of blood is for the living. We mustn¡¯t disturb the rest of the deceased. ¡°Pff.¡± As I was polishing it with an oil-soaked cloth, a suddenugh escaped me. The fact that I can cut someone down without a second thought and then calmly clean my sword¡ªit¡¯s almost funny. The old me, the one who lived on Earth before reincarnating, would have never imagined doing something like this. But now, there¡¯s been so much I¡¯ve experienced in this world that there¡¯s no time to dwell on nostalgia. I was just walking along when I blinked, and suddenly, I¡ªa grown man, though not very strong¡ªhad turned into a little girl. And everything around me was more fantasy-like than anything resembling modernity. I had no choice but to adapt in order to survive. When you¡¯re in a situation where your head might fly off if you lose focus for a second, there¡¯s no time to adapt slowly. Because of that, I¡¯ve often been asked why a girl behaves like a boy. ¡°Looking back, I must¡¯ve died, right?¡± Was it a traffic ident? Maybe I was hit by a truck. You know, there was that joke about reincarnating into another world if you got hit by a truck. It was just a meme from a neighbouring country, but after being reincarnated, I began to wonder if those people weren¡¯t pioneers who somehow knew the truth. ¡°I never really missed my old world, but¡­¡± Maybe because I now have a little more leisure in my life, I find myself thinking about my past world more often. ¡°I miss chicken.¡± What I miss the most is, of course, the food. The food in this world isn¡¯t bad, but I¡¯ve grown used to the artificial and intense vors, and I miss them. I¡¯m sure this body has never even tasted those kinds of foods. Is this a memory of the soul¡­? In any case, while the appearance of dimensional creatures proved that other dimensions exist, crossing between dimensions is a whole other issue. Unfortunately, it seems I won¡¯t be able to bring fried chicken from Earth back to Silia and tear into a drumstick here. If there were a way, I¡¯d try it right away. Get to work, wizards. ¡°¡­Maybe I¡¯ll give it a shot?¡± Not crossing dimensions, of course. I don¡¯t know how to do it, and even if I did, there¡¯s no guarantee that crossing dimensions would lead me back to Earth, so it¡¯s not an option. Maybe when I¡¯m an old granny with Gray hair, but until then, it¡¯s impossible. So I¡¯ll make chicken myself¡­! I hate anything that¡¯s a hassle, but when ites to chicken, that¡¯s a different story. With nothing else to do, living in istion in the mountains, my new goal starting today is to recreate the taste of chicken. ¡°I think there was a Cockatrice nearby.¡± A monster that looks like a mix of a chicken and a reptile, the Cockatrice. ording to people who¡¯ve eaten it, it tastes simr to chicken or even better, so I should be able to use it, right? Okay, so the most important thing¡ªthe chicken¡ªis ready. ¡°Flour, oil, salt, milk, eggs¡­.¡± What else do I need? I mentally checked off the ingredients I could remember and prepared to head down the mountain. I can¡¯t get the rest of the ingredients up here in the mountains, so I¡¯ll have to go down to the vige for the first time in a while. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± As I wrapped myself in my worn-out cape, I suddenly remembered what happened earlier, and my hands paused. I didn¡¯t expect anyone toe here, and I didn¡¯t think anyone would touch the sword in front of the grave, so my reaction had been a little slow. It still made me angry thinking about it, but what¡¯s the point of getting mad at someone who¡¯s already dead? ¡°It should be fine, right?¡± I was a bit worried about leaving and having something like what happened earlier ur again¡­. But there¡¯s no path here, so what are the chances someone else will show up? After all, it¡¯s been a year and a half since I¡¯ve seen anyone here. Still, I couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy as I hesitated in front of the grave for a while. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be back.¡± I pulled the cape over my pale pink hair and forced my unwilling feet to start moving. ¡®Take care.¡¯ It couldn¡¯t be, but somehow, the wind blowing felt as if it was telling me toe back safely. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Munch Munch. Chomp Chomp. ¡°¡­This isn¡¯t the taste!¡± After finishing the meal, I threw aside the now-bare bones of the Cockatrice leg. The vour is quite stable. I was worried it might taste gamey, but surprisingly, it was clean, tender, and had a pleasant chew to it. It just wasn¡¯t the taste I was looking for. I¡¯ve cooked quite a bit, so I had some confidence, but I guess it¡¯s too much to ask to replicate the pinnacle of modern science in one attempt. ¡°Guess you can¡¯t be full after the first bite, huh?¡±In fact, if I had seeded on my first try, I might have been disappointed, thinking, ¡°The taste I¡¯ve been searching for was this easy to make?¡± So, instead of feeling discouraged by the failure, I should takefort in the fact that I found a good ingredient. Some people might dislike the idea of eating monster meat, but I don¡¯t have any particr aversion. After all, monsters here are like wild animals back on Earth. They¡¯re just a bit more ferocious, a bit more dangerous, and have a much higher reproductive rate than wild animals. At first, I was reluctant too, but after eating it to survive, I realized it¡¯s tastier than expected. Since then, I¡¯ve been eating without hesitation. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± As I basked in the fullness, a breeze brushed past my cheek. I pressed down on my cape to keep it from flying off and enjoyed the wind for a moment, then nced around at the mess I¡¯d made. There¡¯s still a lot of ingredients left¡­. Because the Cockatrice was sorge, I had prepared a lot of ingredients, but it seems I bought way too much. Even the food I made was left over. Spices can be saved and usedter, but the milk and food will spoil if left out. I should have bought a storage artifact. I could just drink the milk, but I¡¯m too full to drink anything right now. After contemting for a moment, I made up my mind and poured the remaining milk into a cup. Gulp Gulp. ¡°Phew¡­!¡± Ugh, I feel like my stomach¡¯s going to burst¡­. But drinking this much, maybe I¡¯ll grow a bit taller? ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± I let out a deep sigh, knowing full well that it wouldn¡¯t happen. I don¡¯t need to be tall, but I¡¯d like to not be so short. In my past life, I was tall. Maybe this time, it¡¯s fate that I live small. Sadly, my height hasn¡¯t changed in years. Even though I¡¯m at the age where I should still be growing! I know the reason, and I know it couldn¡¯t be helped¡­ but it still stings. ¡°Let¡¯s finish cleaning up.¡± There¡¯s still some tidying up to do. I put the spices back on the shelf by type, and I¡¯ll eat the leftover chicken tomorrow. The weather is so cool, there¡¯s no way it will spoil in just one day, right? Once I finished tidying up, I nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Now, let¡¯s wrap things up.¡± nk. Srrrng. The sword at my waist slid out of its sheath with a metallic sound. The old and cracked iron sword looked like it could break at any moment. It sure hassted a long time. For an iron sword I hastily grabbed from a small vige cksmith, it¡¯s impressive that it¡¯s held up this long. I didn¡¯t even take good care of it, either. With this cksmith¡¯s skills, they might be able to forge a legendary sword one day. I smiled slightly, thinking of the cksmith¡¯s face, which looked rough but showed pure passion, and then swung my sword. Shing! A sharp silver arc shed through the air, scattering blood. Red blood sttered onto the blooming red flowers. It would have been a problem if the flowers were blue, but luckily they weren¡¯t. ¡°¡­!¡± It looked human at a nce, but the way it skittered around made it clear it was just a rat. I mean, whoes crawling around in the middle of the night like that? It couldn¡¯t be a person. And I¡¯m not the type to feel guilty about killing a rat. Oh, is this where the word Agape doesn¡¯t fit? Well, as long as the meaning is clear. It did feel a bit wasteful to use the sword that would one day be made by a future master craftsman just to kill a rat, but I didn¡¯t have anything else to use. Sorry, unknown cksmith. I¡¯ll make it up to you by buying a better sword next time. ¡°Hmm.¡± The rat¡¯s corpse vanished into a shroud of light. The same thing happened when I killed that thief this morning, and I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Could there be an organization I don¡¯t know about?¡± One¡­ no, two cases of this happening make it reasonable to suspect something. I¡¯ve heard that certain information guilds and assassin guilds use poison or artifacts that dissolve their bodies upon death to eliminate evidence, but I¡¯ve never seen or heard of anything like this. And now I¡¯ve realized something else. It was strange that the thief this morning managed to bypass my aura and touch the Crimson Aegis, but now, after killing this rat, I¡¯m sure. These guys have a different kind of presence. It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t feel them, but their presence feels oddly off. I was careless because it felt different from the usual presence of people I know, which is how they got so close. On top of that, their image was so faint that I couldn¡¯t make out their features clearly. ¡°The stealth I know involves reducing one¡¯s presence, but there¡¯s a method like this, too.¡± Coming up with something like this¡­ human creativity truly is amazing. But why would these people¡ªor whatever they aree here? I thought about it earlier too, but this is deep in the mountains with no path and difficult terrain. No matter how skilled an herbalist is, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for them to get all the way here. ¡°Could it be¡­?¡± I subconsciously tapped the sword hanging at my waist and shook my head. ¡°No, it couldn¡¯t be.¡± Yeah, it¡¯s just a coincidence. I tried to calm the uneasiness in my heart. ¡®But what if, just maybe, it¡¯s not a coincidence¡­?¡¯ I looked down at the sword hanging from my waist. The same red color, but unlike Crimson Aegis, this one had a deep, saturated hue. *** A short time after a post on themunity became popr, the author posted an update. [Indiana Jones Update] (You Died) I failed miserably, lol. I tried my best to sneak up without making a sound, but they spotted me right away and came to kill me. Attached to the post was the familiar death message that anyone who ys Silia Online has probably seen at least once. Those who had been eagerly anticipating the result were disappointed, while those secretly hoping for failure probablyughed. But that wasn¡¯t all. When I got closer, I enteredbat mode, and¡­ (Health Bar.jpg) I didn¡¯t think to take a screenshot earlier, but judging by the health bar type, this is definitely a Raid Boss, right? But do both the name and level usually show up as ??? like this? I don¡¯t do raids much, so I¡¯m not sure. If anyone knows, please let me know. Here¡¯s a picture of the boss taken in third-person view: (A person wearing a hooded cape.jpg) I thought about taking a first-person screenshot, but I got cut down so fast I didn¡¯t have time. If I hadn¡¯t already switched to third-person mode, I wouldn¡¯t have even gotten this shot. [Comments] Oh, it¡¯s definitely a new boss. How slow is your reaction time that you couldn¡¯t even take a proper screenshot? ©¹ He¡¯s just an old guy who likes to explore¡­ cut him some ck. ©¹ If you react like that, what am I supposed to say? ©¹ Garbage? ©¹ Boo, garbage. I was curious about the sword¡¯s stats, but it¡¯s a dead end. A reclusive swordsman living in the mountains? I can¡¯t resist; I¡¯m heading there right away, lol. ©¹ This was thest will and testament of the deceased. The name shows up like that when there¡¯s not enough information about the boss. But I¡¯ve never seen the level hidden too. I wonder if you get the sword as a drop if you beat it. ©¹ Since it¡¯s stuck in the ground, the drop item might be separate, maybe a first-clear reward? Even in a game with immense freedom like Silia Online, yers¡¯ thirst for discovery never seems to end. New clothes, new phone, newputer. There¡¯s always a certain excitement thates with new things. That¡¯s why the yers of Silia Online are constantly thirsting for new information, and information posts make up arge portion of the popr posts in themunity. The discovery of a new boss, in particr, was like rain during a drought for these eager yers. *** [Looking for mercenaries for new raid] [Let¡¯s learn about herbs] [Summary of the hot new boss rumors] [Spection: Identity of the new boss] [The importance of basic skills] [About the free mercenary city, Liberi] *** Posts like these popped up left and right. *** ¡°A new raid boss has appeared?¡± ¨C Well, technically, it¡¯s not that it ¡®appeared,¡¯ but that it was ¡®discovered.¡¯ ¨C Yeah, they haven¡¯t had a single update yet, so that¡¯s true. ¨C The fact that there hasn¡¯t been a single update and there¡¯s still so much to do in Silia Online is pretty amazing. ¨C There¡¯s still a lot that hasn¡¯t been revealed, and we haven¡¯t even finished the stuff that has been revealed, lol. ¨C And there¡¯s not a singlemon bug. ¨C Truly a god-tier game. ¡°It really is amazing. How did a game like thise out of our country¡­?¡± ¨C ? ¨C ?? ¨C Watch your words. ¨C Are you dissing Korean games? ¨C Streamer Joanie / Controversy ¡°No, no! That¡¯s not what I meant¡­!¡± Sensing the potential for disaster, streamer Joanie frantically waved her hands. ¡°I just mean it¡¯s surprising! Honestly,pared to overseas technology, our country¡¯s tech is a bit behind.¡± ¨C Hmm¡­ ¨C That¡¯s true, but ¨C ??? We made Silia, what are you talking about? You clearly don¡¯t know anything, lol. ¨C Before Silia, it¡¯s true most of the big games were from overseas. ¡°But look, they didn¡¯t even do any testing, and there¡¯s not a single bug. It¡¯s so optimized, there¡¯s nog. Even the best triple-S-tier overseas games weren¡¯t like this.¡± ¨C True. ¨C It¡¯s only exinable if they used aliens to make it. -I always waited for bugs to get fixed in those other games before I¡¯d y them, lol. ¨C Same, lol. The chat, which had been on fire, gradually cooled down, and people began agreeing with Joanie. Breathing a secret sigh of relief, Joanie quickly avoided the iing disaster. ¡°Well, the raiders must be pretty excited.¡± -Are you going to try it, though? ¨C Honestly, you¡¯re not bad at controlling your character. It might be fun to watch you try it. ¨C It¡¯s not really your main content, but watching you get cut down would be fun, lol. ¨C True, lol. ¡°I¡¯m not nning on trying it yet.¡± Joanie took a somewhat negative stance. ¡°Raiding is fun, but I enjoy exploring more. That¡¯s why you guys watch my streams, right?¡± ¨C True, true. ¨C There¡¯s a certain vibe to Joanie¡¯s adventures. ¨C It¡¯s always fun when you run into high-level mobs and die, lol. ¡°Unexpected things are part of the charm of traveling.¡± ¨C Charm (getting killed) ¨C Charm (getting hit) As Joanie bantered with her viewers, her eyes skimmed through themunity posts. The newly discovered boss had only been found recently, so the posts were filled with spection and little confirmed information. ¡°It¡¯s definitely interesting. Gives off an Excalibur vibe from the Arthurian legend. Maybe it¡¯s guarding the grave?¡± ¨C That¡¯s what people are specting. ¨C They¡¯re calling it the Gravekeeper for now. ¨C The real name hasn¡¯t been revealed yet. ¡°The Gravekeeper, huh? That¡¯s a good name. I wonder what its story is? I¡¯m curious.¡± -Most people are more curious about the drop items. ¨C Or its attack patterns. ¨C You just love the story, don¡¯t you? Joanie didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll check it out sometime, if I get the chance. But don¡¯t get your hopes up; I didn¡¯t say I¡¯m going to try it.¡± As a streamer, Joanie knew how her audience would react to certain things she said. Sometimes, she used that knowledge to get the reactions she wanted. Just like now. As expected, her viewers¡¯ments immediately spected about her trying the boss, but she had already shut it down, causing her to smile. ¡®The Gravekeeper¡­¡¯ Even though the cape covered most of its body, it was clear the figure was small in stature. A child? A dwarf? Or maybe an old man with a hunched back? What kind of story did the Gravekeeper have? And what was the significance of the sword stuck in the grave? Joanie¡¯s heart pounded with excitement at the mystery ahead. She wasn¡¯t nning on going anytime soon, but¡­ She had a feeling she¡¯d meet the Gravekeeper before long. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 ~¡±O, no trial shall break my loyalty, long live Grasis.¡±~ The quietly hummed melody came to an end. Ahem. ¡°As expected, military songs don¡¯t suit my voice.¡± It¡¯s originally a much more spirited tune, but with my delicate voice, it doesn¡¯t quite hit the mark. No matter how skilled a singer is, there are songs that just don¡¯t match them from birth. Just like that, it feels like the tone of the song and my voice arepletely out of sync. I could change the atmosphere with a rearrangement, but I can¡¯t do that, and even if I could, I wouldn¡¯t want to. ¡°Even so, you would have liked it, right, Garid?¡± This was Garid¡¯s favorite song. Whenever he drank, he would belt it out at the top of his lungs until the house shook. If I had to pick the most patriotic person I¡¯ve ever met, I¡¯d choose Garid without hesitation. A person who sings a military anthem even when thoroughly drunk¡ªhe¡¯s a model knight, after all. ¡­Hmm, saying it like this makes him sound like a drunkard. ¡°Still, don¡¯t you think I¡¯ve gotten better than before? I¡¯ve been practicing ever since you praised me, Garid.¡±This time, I hummed a folk songmonly heard while walking through the streets. ¡°I¡¯ll gather a bouquet of red flowers and offer it to you. When red flowers bloom in front of your house, you¡¯ll think of me. If red flowers bloom in front of my house-¡± I¡¯ll think of you too. Humming softly, I snapped off thevishly blooming red flowers one by one. ¡°Sorry. I don¡¯t think I can give these to you.¡± Though you can¡¯t tell since they¡¯re red, they¡¯ve been soaked with blood. I¡¯ll pick different flowers to give you, so don¡¯t be too disappointed. Muttering a vague excuse to myself, I let go of the bouquet of red flowers I was holding without any hesitation. The flowers were carried by the wind, scattering as they fell off the cliff below. Perhaps by this time next year, the cliffside will be covered in red blossoms. ¡°Did you know, Garid? Insectsmunicate with pheromones. They signal each other things like, ¡®there¡¯s food here¡¯ or ¡®this ce is dangerous.¡¯¡± I continued, brushing off the remaining pollen and leaves from my hands. ¡°Humans also have pheromones, but our ability to detect them has atrophied, so we can¡¯tmunicate the way insects do.¡± So, maybe the ones swarming toward me like they¡¯ve caught a whiff of pheromones aren¡¯t human but insects instead. After all, humans wouldn¡¯t have that ability anymore. At first, I thought they were thieves, then rats. But maybe they were actually insects all along. ¡°They really try everything, don¡¯t they?¡± Is there a bait here, or have they sprinkled pheromones? It¡¯s been several days since I¡¯ve been greeted by swarms of insects,ing back multiple times a day. I¡¯m not sure, but it feels like it¡¯s been well over a week. And the frequency of their visits is only increasing¡­ It¡¯s one thing to thin out the blood-sucking flowers a few times, but at this rate, my carefully tended flower garden will be wiped out. ¡°Act with no more than eight people. Anything more is cowardice!¡± It was pretty funny to think they must have some kind of code of conduct like that, but it didn¡¯t do anything to lessen my irritation. I walked with a heavy heart, gazing sadly at a corner of my empty flower garden. Then, I took out the sword that was effective in taking down thieves, eliminating harmful animals, and also in pest control. Apologizing internally to the cksmith who made the sword before the extermination job had be a routine for me. ¡°This time, let¡¯s try to protect the healer as much as possible. Two tanks should take care of the two healers, and the damage dealers should stay as close as they can.¡± ¡°The healers should prioritize putting shields on themselves over healing others.¡± ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡®¡­What are they saying?¡¯ If they¡¯re going to pick a fight out of the blue, at least speak in a way I can understand! I frowned at the group of eight, mumbling to themselves. It wasn¡¯t apletely foreignnguage. Thenguage they were using is the imperialnguage created by the ¡®Lo Arka¡¯ Empire, called ¡®Arkiish.¡¯ Although it¡¯s called an imperialnguage, since humans and various races each have their own uniquenguages, it can essentially be considered themonnguage of the Ardina continent. The reason is obvious; the Lo Arka Empire holds dominion over the Ardina continent. In that sense, it wasn¡¯t too strange or unfamiliar that those ruffians¡­ no, the insect swarm was speaking Arkiish. ¡®But so what?¡¯ That doesn¡¯t give me a reason to tolerate them. Nor do I have a reason to learn Arkiish. Given the Lo Arka Empire¡¯s influence, I¡¯m notpletely ignorant of Arkiish. I may not understand it perfectly, but I know the key words. ¡®Die, you bastard, help me, run away, mother, monster.¡¯ And so on. That¡¯s the essence of practical Arkiish. Knowing just that much is enough to survive. Yeah, just like right now. sh! ¡ª¡°Ahhh!¡± ¡ª¡°This crazy bastard is starting again!¡± ¡ª¡°Protect the healer, protect the healer!¡± ¡ª¡°How are we supposed to keep the shield intact when it¡¯s being cut in half!¡± ¡ª¡±Just use the party survival skill!¡± ¡ª¡±Does the party survival skill have no cooldown?!¡± Judging by the unusual positioning they took, it seems they must¡¯vee up with some kind of strategy while whispering earlier. But strategies only work to a certain extent if the opponent can keep up. No matter how shy a moth¡¯s movements are, it¡¯s powerless in front of a Master Mage¡¯s Hellfire. ¡®Their strategy was wed from the beginning.¡¯ If they wanted to protect the rear, the frontlines should¡¯ve stepped forward and shed swords. I didn¡¯t bother hiding my disdain as I raised my foot and kicked the center of the armor. This is what happens when you get too close. ¡ª¡±¡­Urgh! What kind of strength is this¡­?!¡± The armored swordsman let out a deting sound as he was sent flying backwards. Standing behind him was a mage, holding a staff. ¡ª¡±Aaah! Hey, move! He¡¯sing this way!¡± ¡ª¡±Do you think I¡¯m not moving because I don¡¯t want to? I¡¯m too heavy to get up!¡± What a sight to behold. The swordsman and the mage were tangled up together, sprawled on the ground. Judging by how close they were sticking together, they seemed to be quite fond of each other. I was satisfied, feeling like I had brought them closer. The asional screams they let out must be cries of joy. I don¡¯t understand Arkish, so I couldn¡¯t catch what they were saying, but I¡¯m sure it was something like that. While I can¡¯t help couples who decide to show affection in the middle of a battle, I could at least officiate their union. Squelch! ¡ª¡±¡­!¡± ¡ª¡±Urgh, gah!¡± The couple seemed to appreciate my officiating, judging by their groans of admiration, and happily left for their honeymoon. How romantic it was to fulfill their pledges of ¡°Let¡¯s be together until death¡± and ¡°Even in death, we¡¯re together¡± all at once. May their lovest forever. My next target was the crossbowman standing there with his mouth agape. He must¡¯ve been so shocked by the disappearance of his tworades that he forgot to pull the trigger, choosing instead to meditate for inner peace. I swiftly charged at him, slicing him down to help him continue his meditation in peace. Now, with the priest I took down first, the couple who left for their honeymoon, and the meditative crossbowman all gone, half their number had been wiped out in an instant. The morale of the remaining bugs visibly plummeted. ¡ª¡±Hah¡­ This attempt¡¯s a failure too.¡± They couldn¡¯t handle me when they rushed in with everything they had. Now, with half their forces gone and their morale shattered, there¡¯s no way they could stand a chance. If Garid, who valued courage, had seen this, he would have been disappointed for sure. But I don¡¯t mind at all. Still, if I had to say something, I¡¯d wonder why they even came here in the first ce. ¡®They don¡¯t seem to be throwing themselves into battle with a death wish, but at the same time, they don¡¯t look like they have any lingering attachments to life either.¡¯ The strange part is that even though their morale is broken, they don¡¯t run away. It¡¯s like watching someone somewhere between a highly trained assassin and aplete novice. Maybe they were threatened with death if they returned alive. In any case, people in this world have no regard for life, and that¡¯s the problem. Of course, I¡¯m no different from them. ¡°See? My body moves naturally, even when I¡¯m lost in thought.¡± I spoke, surveying the battlefield now soaked in blood. The corpses had long since disappeared, scattering into shimmering light. And once again, my sword neither broke nor bent, surviving the battle. At this point, it¡¯s almost like a challenge. ¡°At least the flower garden didn¡¯t get destroyed this time.¡± Thanks to fighting in the cleared patch where I¡¯d already pruned some flowers, I managed to prevent the swarm from gnawing at the garden. Still, I can¡¯t let this situation continue indefinitely. It¡¯s fine if there¡¯s no damage, like in today¡¯s battle, but that¡¯s unlikely to keep happening. I need to take measures before the garden turns into a barren wastnd. For Garid¡¯s sake. ¡°Hmm¡­ Looks like I¡¯ll have to go down to the vige again.¡± It hasn¡¯t even been that long since I brought back a load of supplies, thinking I wouldn¡¯t need to go down again for a while. But here I am, heading back already. You really never know what¡¯ll happen in life. I¡¯ll buy new seeds, some nting materials, gather information while I¡¯m there, and maybe pick up a decent sword too. I can¡¯t leave for too long since I never know when another swarm might show up, but if I go quickly, it should be fine. ¡°Oh, I just got a great idea.¡± What if I deal with any insect swarms I see on the way down? That should keep them froming back for a while, right? At the very least, it would buy me enough time to make my trip to the vige. Honestly, it¡¯s a genius n. With a satisfied smile, I turned around. *** [Real-time Boss Update] (Picture of a person wearing a hooded cape.jpg) (Picture of a dense forest-covered mountain.jpg) ¡°Boss has run away from the boss room, lolololol.¡± [Comments] ¡ª??? ¡ª??????? ¡ªWhat is this? A bug? ¡ªIs it a yer cosying? ©¸ Nope, it¡¯s not; all the top-tier raid parties trying to challenge the boss just got wiped out. ©¸ What the heck? ¡ªFirst bug of the season. ¡ªAny idea where it went? ©¸ No clue, everyone got wiped before they could see. ©¸ Lololol. ¡ªSo, no one can try now? ©¸ Judging by how it was guarding the grave, it¡¯ll probablye back eventually. ©¸ Oh, then wouldn¡¯t it be sweet to raid the empty boss room before ites back? ©¸ Maybe, but no one¡¯s left to raid it since everyone in the mountains got wiped out. ©¸ Shame, lol. ©¸ Did it n this? ©¸ No way, lololol. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 As countless posts rise and fall like the ebb and flow of the tides, the world of onlinemunities continues to cycle. Just like the phrase, ¡°No flowersts for ten days,¡± nothing stays vibrant forever. What flourishes will inevitably fade. This truth is exemplified by the fleeting nature of topics that grab the attention of many, only to quiet down a few dayster. Some useful and helpful posts remain, guiding users, while others, meant for fleeting amusement, are recalled with a, ¡°Remember when that happened?¡± This cyclical pattern was the ecosystem of themunity sea¡­ Yet, there was one topic that had stayed hot for over a week. It was all about the new Raid Boss, The Gravekeeper. *** [Gravekeeper Pattern Analysis]¡°If this helped, give me a thumbs up!¡± New Addition: Kick *** [Comments] ¡ª¡±¡®Skills¡¯? Ha, that¡¯s something only the weak use.¡± ¡ª¡±Patterns exist for those who cannot live without clinging to them.¡± ¡ª¡±Are you suggesting a small fry like you should use skills? That¡¯s a stretch.¡± ¡ª¡±This is a real mess, lol.¡± ¡ª¡±Also, please add ¡®kick¡¯.¡± ©» ¡°Added.¡± ©» ¡°(?).¡± *** A post analyzing Gravekeeper¡¯s attack patterns. [Progress of Raid Groups Trying Gravekeeper] 1st: PizzaIsBestHawaiian ¨C 54 seconds 2nd: Atomic ¨C 49 seconds 3rd: NeverAnotherWar ¨C 48 seconds 4th: Dragon¡¯s Tail ¨C 47 seconds 4th: Eclipse ¨C 47 seconds ¡°I¡¯ve only listed the top 5 groups. At first, it seemed like Dragon¡¯s Tail was in the lead, but they¡¯ve been falling behind, living up to their name. Eclipse is close, but I¡¯m leaving them tied for 4th since I¡¯m ignoring the decimal differences. PizzaIsBestHawaiian is currently in the lead with a significant margin. If things continue, they¡¯ll likely get the First Clear But don¡¯t count Atomic out yet.¡± *** [Comments] ¡ª¡±Progress? Lol.¡± ¡ª¡±Progress, huh? lol.¡± ¡ª¡±Is this some kind of hanging-on-the-bar endurancepetition?¡± ©» ¡°You all have great stamina, huh.¡± ¡ª¡±When there¡¯s a 5-second gap between 1st and 2nd ce, that¡¯s pretty overwhelming.¡± ¡ª¡±Why is Atomic in English?¡± ©» ¡°They¡¯re an international guild.¡± ©» ¡°Ah, I see.¡± ¡ª¡±The 1st ce guild name is something else, lol.¡± ©» ¡°Try it once! You¡¯ll die.¡± ©» ¡°You¡¯re part of the Anti-Hawaiian Pizza faction, huh?¡± ¡ª¡±What health percentage did you get to?¡± ©» ¡°100.¡± ©» ¡°What?¡± ©» ¡°100%.¡± ©» ¡°No effective hits so far.¡± *** A post sharing the progress of various raid groups attempting Gravekeeper. [Is This Right?] ¡°He ignores Taunt, avoids Crowd Control, and targets Healers first. Is this normal? His attack power is ridiculously high; even with Party Survival Skills, we die in one hit. Using a party-wide invincibility skill gives us two more seconds to live, but what¡¯s the point? They made the boss wrong.¡± [Comments] ¡ª¡±Shouldn¡¯t you just kill him before the healer dies? (I¡¯m clueless here).¡± ©» ¡°You¡¯re really going to die, lol.¡± *** [Why Is the Entry Restriction Like This?] (¡°There is already a party in this raid.¡± ¨C image) ¡ª¡±They split up the hunting grounds into channels, so why can only one party enter at a time? In other raids, multiple parties can enter simultaneously.¡± [Comments] ¡ª¡±This doesn¡¯t make sense. I don¡¯t get it either.¡± Various posts criticizing the game¡¯s developers and pointing out issues with Gravekeeper. Some users even went as far as to write posts to the developers asking for fixes, but no response came. Frustrated by theck of replies, yers began venting and specting amongst themselves. ¡ª¡±At this point, isn¡¯t it possible this is a special NPC?¡± ¡ª¡±Wait, it¡¯s not a monster? It¡¯s an NPC?¡± ©» ¡°NPC technically stands for Non-yer Character, so it could include monsters too.¡± ©» ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know that.¡± ¡ª¡±There¡¯s talk that it¡¯s part of the Main Story NPC.¡± ¡ª¡±Maybe we don¡¯t know the mechanics yet.¡± ¡ª¡±Or the devs just messed it up. I knew Silia Online was going downhill when everyone was hyping it as the next big thing. Now its ws are showing.¡± ¡ª¡±I feel like they¡¯ve made it impossible to defeat.¡± ©» ¡°Considering its attack power, it really doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± ¡ª¡±Maybe it¡¯s a boss you¡¯re not supposed to beat yet. We might need to level up more.¡± ©» ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of level; the boss itself is the problem.¡± ©» ¡°Ignores Aggro, evades non-targeted skills, prioritizes attacking Healers, entry restrictions. Just listing what¡¯s obvious, it¡¯s already this much.¡± ©» ¡°That¡¯s over the top;¡± ¡ª¡±The concept is cool though, sigh;¡± ©» ¡°I wonder what it looks like.¡± ©» ¡°It¡¯d be nice if it¡¯s a dignified swordmaster grandpa, slurp.¡± ©» ¡°??¡± Various spections were rampant, but no one coulde up with a clear answer. Its name, level, appearance, voice¡ªthere were far more unknowns than knowns, making it impossible to reach a conclusion. The fire that started from one user¡¯s post hadn¡¯t died down even after quite some time had passed. Instead, it was zing even more, fueled by numerous users¡¯ posts. Then, news came that didn¡¯t just add fuel to the fire but poured oil over it¡ª [Real-time Boss Update] It was news about the Gravekeeper¡¯s outing. *** ¡°¡­You¡¯re saying the Gravekeeper has disappeared?¡± ¡ªYep ¡ªYes ¡ªRan away, lol ¡°Ran away? What do you mean?¡± ¡ªCame out of the Boss Room, sliced up people, and vanished ¡ª???: ¡°The best defense is a good offense¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Even after hearing her viewers¡¯ exnations, Joanie couldn¡¯t understand, so she finally opened the inte. It wasn¡¯t hard to find rted information. Anymunity even slightly rted to Silia Online was talking about the same thing. Among them, Joanie clicked on the post with the most upvotes. A familiar figure she had seen a few times. The Gravekeeper,pletely hiding their appearance with a worn-out hooded cape, was descending a steep mountain. yers who were climbing the mountain in the opposite direction didn¡¯t notice they were getting closer to the Gravekeeper, as they were busy chatting among themselves. [¡°Huh? Why am I inbat mode¡ª¡±] By the time one yer sensed something was off, looked up, and discovered the Gravekeeper, it was already toote. sh! The Tank, who fell helplessly, made the armor he was wearing meaningless. The yers were helplessly taken down by an extremely efficient and ruthless ambush. The video ended with a sword being thrust into the chest of the person who was filming. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Joanie stared nkly at the video that stopped ying, leaving only the words ¡®You Died¡¯. ¡°Guys, what is this?¡± ¡ª¡±We don¡¯t know either;¡± ¡ª¡±So, there¡¯s chaos right now, people are asking if the boss is really hunting yers while roaming around.¡± ¡ª¡±Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be a raid?¡± ¡ª¡±For real, lol.¡± ¡ª¡±Isn¡¯t this a first?¡± ¡°Hmm, strictly speaking, it¡¯s probably not the first time.¡± Joanie, though not a frequent raider, had enough experience as a gamer to know a fair bit. ¡°There have been games where the boss room changes with the passage of time or where bosses change based on events.¡± Some games even had events where, to portray an impending apocalypse, a horde of monsters, including boss monsters, would attack towns. There were also cases where you had to meet certain conditions to trigger the boss¡¯s true form and clear the event. ¡°Usually, though, these are short-term events. yers would get frustrated if something like thatsted too long.¡± In simple terms, just enough to make yers feel a thrill. ¡°But it¡¯s still intriguing. Since it¡¯s Silia Online, it¡¯s probably not a bug¡­ maybe there¡¯s a reason behind it?¡± ¡ª¡±We believe in you, SilMen!¡± ¡ª¡±SilMen!¡± ¡ª¡±You don¡¯t believe in Demoninus? You don¡¯t believe in Demoninus? You don¡¯t believe in Demoninus?¡± ¡ª¡±sphemer!¡± ¡°Hey, no spamming.¡± She gave the spamming viewers a 5-minute chat ban as a gift, and the chat calmed down a bit. With a satisfied smile, Joanie stretched. ¡°But it¡¯s really curious. The people attempting it now are all top-tier yers, right? Yet they got wiped out without evennding a hit. They haven¡¯t even struck it once?¡± ¡ª¡±It¡¯s not about a first kill; they¡¯re aiming for the first hit.¡± ¡ª¡±World first hit, lol.¡± ¡°Their control must be insane. How well does the boss wield its sword?¡± Like any virtual reality game, in Silia Online, especially, physical movement skills were crucial. Guarding, parrying, dodging, attacking, moving, and so on. All the movements required in battle felt as real as moving your own body, and the game¡¯s remarkable freedom allowed far more than other games. While specs and skills usually made up for things, top-tier yers in raid content were always those who handled their bodies well. The fact that none of these yers had managed tond a single effective hit showed how skilled the Gravekeeper was with a sword. ¡°Could I get that good if I practiced? Like this, like this?¡± She mimicked swinging a sword. Swish, swish. ¡ª¡±No, no, no, no, no.¡± ¡ª¡±The streamer has zero talent in swordsmanship.¡± ¡ª¡±Watching this stream cost me 39.8 million won in dental imnts. Thanks a lot ^^.¡± ¡ª¡±What is this? Performance art? lol.¡± ¡ª¡±Correct! A gas station air dancer!¡± ¡ª¡±Don¡¯t ever call yourself a swordsman.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Joanie pouted her lips. She knew her swordsmanship was terrible. ¡®It can¡¯t be helped, right? It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve ever trained professionally.¡¯ She didn¡¯t really feel like investing time in learning either. She enjoyed exploring maps and wandering around much more. Grumpily watching the chat that kept making fun of her, Joanie sheathed her sword. ¡°Once this journey ends, I¡¯ll have to go check it out myself. I¡¯m really curious.¡± ¡ª¡±You¡¯re going to try with those skills?¡± ¡°Like I said before, I¡¯m not going to try. I just want to watch.¡± In any case, it was something to think about after her current journey. She was already close to her destination, so it would be a waste to turn back now. While spontaneous changes in ns could be fun, changing them at thest moment, not so much. Once she arrived, she nned to set up her tent, prepare a meal, and then¡­ Getting lost in thoughts of a leisurely rest, Joanie didn¡¯t notice the chat. ¡ª¡±Streamer, what are you doing!!!!¡± ¡ª¡±Behind, behind, behind, behind, behind!!!¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Thunk! By the time she snapped out of it and looked at the chat, the club had already reached the back of her head. Due to the level difference and a critical hit to her unguarded vital spot, Joanie¡¯s body crumpled in an instant. [You Died] As the familiar phrase greeted her in her darkened vision, Joanie let out a smallugh. It seemed like her destination was about to change after all. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 -¡°No, huh, what¡­.¡± The cksmith couldn¡¯t hide his astonished expression when he saw the sword I presented. -¡°¡­What the hell did you do to that sword to make it look like this?¡± Unable to hold back, he said that. Hmm, so this is what it means to ¡°curse with your eyes.¡± Since I¡¯ve only heard curses verbally until now, it feels quite new. ¡°I¡¯ve been hunting monsters and demons¡­.¡± -¡°Hm, you must be a mercenary.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve caught thieves and rats¡­ Lately, I¡¯ve been dealing with pests¡­?¡±-¡°¡­Pests? Just what is your profession?¡± In response to his baffled question, I merely shrugged my shoulders. -¡°¡­Well, however you use it, I shouldn¡¯t care.¡± ¡°Are you not angry?¡± -¡°What¡¯s there to be angry about? Tools are ultimately made for human convenience. If the user isfortable, isn¡¯t that what matters?¡± ¡°Heh.¡± His reaction was calm, contrary to what I had expected. ¡°Don¡¯t artisans take pride in that?¡± -¡°Of course, they do. I have hopes that the strongest swordsman would use my sword. But I truly believe that what¡¯s important is that the sword I made helps someone.¡± ¡°Ooh¡­ that¡¯s impressive.¡± p, p. -¡°Impressive, you say.¡± When I pped my hands, the cksmith quickly turned his head away. His ears, faintly visible between his hair, were reddening. -¡°However you use it is your business, but take care of it. If youe here, it will be a pity if it breaks at a critical moment and you die, right?¡± ¡°If I die, wouldn¡¯t I feel nothing¡­?¡± -¡°It¡¯s your surroundings that would feel that way.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Surroundings¡­ I don¡¯t have any of those. Still, I understood what he meant and quietly epted it. ¡°I¡¯ll make an effort.¡± -¡°Good. You¡¯re still young, yet you seem to be quite a skilled swordsman; you should live long, right?¡± ¡°A skilled swordsman?¡± At his words, I tilted my head. It¡¯s easy to tell I¡¯m young by my voice, but why does he think I have skill? -¡°If you had no skill, the sword wouldn¡¯t havee to this state. It would have broken before this.¡± ¡°Aha.¡± -¡°You must know how to swing it without putting too much strain on the sword for such techniques to be possible.¡± Though I pretended to be indifferent, perhaps he had affection for the sword he made. It seems there were some emotions tied to the term ¡°technique.¡± ¡°Can you fix it?¡± I have enough money to buy a new sword, but I¡¯d prefer to keep using the one I¡¯m ustomed to. The cksmith let out augh. -¡°Of course, I can fix it.¡± ¡°Oh, then¡ª¡± -¡°First, I¡¯ll melt it down, filter out the impurities, and replenish the missing iron¡­ Then, I¡¯ll hammer it diligently. It¡¯s a very simple task.¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that just making a new one?¡± -¡°You know well.¡± That means he can¡¯t fix it. Hmph. I puffed my cheeks. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go buy a new sword.¡± -¡°Choose one you like. Ah, I can take care of the one you were using in exchange.¡± ¡°No, thanks.¡± I shook my head and put the sword back. -¡°I¡¯ll use it until it breaks.¡± ¡°Do as you please.¡± Since it¡¯se to this, I should see how long I can use it until it breaks. And I¡¯ll tell the new sword that too. ¡°Be as sturdy as your predecessor.¡± I slowly looked around the cksmith shop, searching for the one that would be my sessor. ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing for me to say this, but that¡¯s a yawn.¡± -¡°You¡¯ll adapt easily since it¡¯s simr to the one you were using.¡± -¡°That one¡¯s pretty heavy, so it might be a bit much for you¡­ oh dear, I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡± The cksmith crossed his arms and watched me choose my weapon. As I paused to observe, a rough voice came from behind, offering exnations. I remembered how I would often cling to enthusiastic clerks in shops during my previous life. I recalled the times I was too shy to say I wanted to look around alone. ¡°Hmm.¡± This time, I didn¡¯t feel particrly pressured, probably because my personality had changed. ¡°I¡¯ll take this one.¡± I selected one of the many swordsid out and held it in my hand. It had a suitable grip, a stable center of gravity, and a sharp de. The fact that it was simr to my old sword was a bonus. Overall, it was a sword I liked. Moreover, it seemed sturdier. -¡°Can I ask you one thing?¡± ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡± -¡°With your skills, wouldn¡¯t it be better to buy a better sword? It doesn¡¯t seem necessary toe to such a humble cksmith to make a purchase.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve used enough famous swords to get tired of them.¡± -¡°Oh, is that so?¡± ¡°And¡­¡± Though he wouldn¡¯t see it, I gently tapped the sword and smiled slyly. ¡°If this sword hasn¡¯t broken after being treated so roughly, I think it¡¯s worth being called a famous sword.¡± -¡°¡­Ha, haha! That¡¯s quite apliment!¡± ¡°You can take pride in it. I think you have enough skill.¡± -¡°You seem like quite a skilled swordsman yourself. You, youngdy, know how to make people feel good. But are you not willing to negotiate the price?¡± ¡°Oh dear, that¡¯s a bit disappointing. Can I take back what I said earlier?¡± -¡°Is that even possible?¡± We exchanged jokes as I paid for it. He really wouldn¡¯t lower the price. Well, it was on the expensive side for something sold in a small vige cksmith, but given the quality, I couldn¡¯t reallyin. ¡°Isn¡¯t it difficult to sell things at this price in a ce like this?¡± -¡°I have to sell it a bit cheaper to the vigers. Selling at a higher price to outsiders like you helps make up for the losses.¡± ¡°Wow, is it okay to say something like that so boldly?¡± -¡°I¡¯m just joking.¡± The cksmithughed heartily. -¡°People here hardly ever buy things like this. Usually, they sell such items to traders.¡± ¡°I see.¡± So there are traders. That¡¯s why it felt strange. I cradled my new sword. I¡¯m sorry, but the belt is still upied by my predecessor. For the time being, you¡¯ll have to stay like this. Having bought the sword, I was about to head back to Garid¡¯s ce when I remembered something I¡¯d forgotten. ¡°By the way, is there anything going ontely?¡± -¡°The cksmith shop? Nothing much going on.¡± ¡°No, I mean on the Ardina continent.¡± While he may be skilled, I didn¡¯t expect a cksmith from a small vige to know about the pesky troubles bothering me. That kind of information should be found at the information guild. But perhaps I could pick up a small lead. For example, something like the emperor being assassinated or the empire copsing. Oh no, I just inadvertently revealed my wishes. -¡°Is there anything of note? The dimensional beasts are rampaging, humans are fighting among themselves, the elves are probably still holed up in the forests, and the dwarves are drinking beer.¡± ¡°Just the usual.¡± -¡°Perhaps the only unusual thing is¡­.¡± The rough-bearded cksmith smacked his palm down. -¡°Ah, yes! I forgot about Liberi!¡± ¡°Liberi? You mean the Liberi I know?¡± -¡°If what you know is ¡®the Free Mercenary City of Liberi,¡¯ then yes.¡± ¡°Why is Liberi relevant? They¡¯re just money-hungry mercenaries who¡¯ll jump into a battlefield for the right price.¡± -¡°I can understand why you¡¯d feel that way¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Noticing my sharp reaction, the cksmith scratched his cheek awkwardly. I quickly apologized, and he waved it off, saying it was fine. -¡°I feel the same way, so you don¡¯t need to apologize. Can I continue?¡± ¡°Sure. Please go ahead.¡± -¡°Recently, Lord Edel has brought people from across the sea.¡± ¡°Across the sea? Are you talking about Raxia?¡± -¡°No, I mean the eastern sea.¡± The east¡­ there wasnd there too. But for him to personally bring people from there, even the god Edel himself? -¡°During the process, Lord Edel bestowed his blessing, so they¡¯re called ¡®the Messenger of God¡¯ or ¡®the Apostle.¡¯¡± ¡°But what does that have to do with Liberi?¡± -¡°That¡¯s because the apostles belong to Liberi.¡± ¡°¡­Not the Sedus Kingdom? Whether they¡¯re the Messenger of God or an Apostle, if they have a blessing, wouldn¡¯t that mean they¡¯re part of the Edel Church?¡± -¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. They said they received the blessing, but they don¡¯t believe in the Edel Church, so it must be Edel¡¯s will.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a convenient statement.¡± Given that the god exists and has descended multiple times, the faith in Edel among the people of this world was absolute. Even tribes that worship other gods or natural elements ced their deities below Edel. ¡°So, because of these apostles or messengers, Liberi¡¯s influence has grown? Just because of that?¡± While it¡¯s true that poption equals power, is that really possible when the Lo Arka Empire is standing strong? -¡°It¡¯s because of the blessing.¡± ¡°Is the blessing that amazing?¡± -¡°It has various effects¡­ but if I had to choose the most amazing one, it would be this.¡± The cksmith nodded seriously. -¡°The power of resurrection. It is the power over life and death that only Lord Edel can wield.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± -¡°Even if you die, you don¡¯t die, and you can even resurrect other apostles. It¡¯s only natural that their influence grows.¡± Resurrection¡­? If that were possible, then why¡ª Suddenly, I felt a tightness in my throat, and my head became hot. Many things shed through my mind amidst the fading vision. But what strangled my neck the most was¡ª ¡°Garid¡­.¡± I know I don¡¯t deserve to receive a blessing. Even if I were Edel, I wouldn¡¯t bestow a blessing upon someone who doesn¡¯t even believe in me. But Garid is different. What¡¯s the difference between those called apostles and Garid, that he would only bestow blessings upon them? Is it that they cannot die, but the people of the Ardina continent who trust and follow you can die? Why? Thunk! -¡°¡­Hey! Are you alright?¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± My vision brightened again. I felt a heavy weight on my shoulder. The cksmith, gripping my shoulder tightly, was looking down at me with a worried expression. Only then did I realize that I had been holding my breath. ¡°¡­Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± -¡°That¡¯s a relief. You suddenly went quiet, and when I looked, you weren¡¯t breathing, so I was startled. Do you have some sort of illness?¡± ¡°An illness¡­ No, nothing like that.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I was just a bit upset.¡± -¡°Upset?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same for everyone wanting to avoid death, so why do only they receive special treatment?¡± -¡°Hm.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you feel it¡¯s unfair?¡± Opening up to him about my feelings was somewhat impulsive. Maybe I wanted to add another person to the list of those who dislike Edel, or perhaps I just wanted to vent my frustrations to someone. ¡­Well, I really don¡¯t know the reason. The cksmith remained silent after hearing myints. The only sounds in the cksmith shop, apart from the asional scraping of his beard, were the rough noises he made. How much time passed? Finally, he pulled his hand away from his beard. ¡°I do feel a bit unfair about what you said, but I¡¯m not envious.¡± -¡°¡­Why not?¡± ¡°Because to me, the blessing doesn¡¯t feel like a blessing.¡± Sensing the question in my eyes, he continued speaking. ¡°Not all apostles are the same, but I¡¯ve heard that many of them take up weapons and head into battle. Sometimes their targets are monsters, sometimes dimensional beasts, and perhaps even fellow humans. Themonality is that after a fight ends, they immediately head to the next battlefield. Regardless of victory or defeat, they continue on.¡± -¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want that kind of life. Even if you can be resurrected, you¡¯d still feel pain, wouldn¡¯t you? I¡¯d much prefer this life of swinging a hammer than to live one constantly thrown into battle.¡± -¡°But not all apostles are going into battle. Can¡¯t they just live that way after receiving a blessing?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then there¡¯s no need to be envious of that, is there? It¡¯s no different from the life we have now.¡± -¡°¡­But what if they suffer an unforeseen ident?¡± ¡°Then it would be unfortunate, I suppose. But I think receiving such poweres with a grave responsibility.¡± -¡°That¡¯s a convenient thought.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good way to live in this world. You might want to adopt it too.¡± He shrugged off the serious mood and let out a heartyugh. -¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of life you¡¯ve led, but I can guess to some extent. If I had lived a life like yours, I might think the same way.¡± ¡°¡­So?¡± -¡°Just saying that¡¯s how it is. I¡¯m not trying to persuade you; I¡¯m just sharing my thoughts, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re an idiot.¡± I shot back, and heughed again heartily. It wasn¡¯t even that funny, so why was heughing so much? Since neither of us intended to persuade the other, I pouted and turned away. ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± -¡°Take care. Treat it with care this time.¡± Although my mood soured, I had obtained a lead. The apostles who don¡¯t die and the endless swarm of pests. Even if the swarm isn¡¯t the apostles, their sudden appearance must be connected in some way. Ding. As I opened the door, a clear bell chimed in my ears. I half-stepped outside and turned my head back to look at the cksmith. ¡°Earlier¡­¡± -¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°You said your wish is for the strongest swordsman to wield the sword you made.¡± -¡°Well, isn¡¯t that the wish of every craftsman? Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t it be alright to look for another wish now?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± The cksmith looked confused as I closed the door behind me. I should hurry back, as the pests might return soon. Hugging the sword tightly, I hurriedly climbed the mountain path. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 ¡°Hello. My name is Shin Da-eun.¡± If Da-eun were to start her self-introduction, nine out of ten would begin with this sentence. ¡°I am 26 years old and a streamer broadcasting on FishSik.¡± Next would likely be a simple introduction of personal details. Among streamers, there are quite a few who do not want to reveal their identity. Some of Da-eun¡¯s colleagues also hide their faces or keep their identities secret because of negative perceptions about being a streamer. If personal details are revealed, troublesome matters could arise, and even though perceptions have improvedpared to the past, the look in people¡¯s eyes often changes when they learn about the profession. Da-eun had experienced this herself, so she could fully understand her colleagues who hid their upations. Nevertheless, the reason she reveals her job is partly because she had shown her face since she started broadcasting, and also because she does not want to be tied down by such things.Da-eun¡¯s mindset has permeated her broadcasts, and her content and videos have be themed around freedom and healing. ¡°This year marks five years since I started broadcasting, and my streaming name is ¡®Joanie,¡¯ which I derived from the English word ¡®Journey¡¯ as I love traveling.¡± She loves to travel. This is a sentence that holds the most significance in Da-eun¡¯s life. To name her streamer persona after a journey. Since her youth, she had traveled whenever she could, both domestically and internationally, and her parents supported her silently, understanding her passion. Given that she had been a child who was often sickly, what did money matter when she could finally run around healthily? Da-eun actually had a tough time dissuading her parents from supporting her even more out of concern for her. For Da-eun, Silia Online was a revolution. ¡°Wow¡­!¡± The sunlight wrapping around her skin, the wind gently caressing her hair, the soft earth felt through her shoes. Everything felt no different from reality. Da-eun enjoyed the refreshing nature that was hard to feel in real life. And she sensed it. She waspletely captivated by this enchanting world. *** A week after the first discovery. ¡ª ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Healer, you¡¯re dead!¡± A weekter. ¡°Just die already!¡± ¡ª ¡°Hey, crazy boss! Be reasonable!¡± ¡­ A few more dayster. ¡ª ¡°How did you die?¡± ¡ª ¡°I got my head sliced off in one blow. What about you?¡± ¡ª ¡°He destroyed my heart.¡± ¡ª ¡°Wow¡­ But why is your tone like that?¡± ¡ª ¡°I, foreigner. Not used to Korean.¡± ¡ª ¡°No way, when did the big data auto-trantion modulee out? That¡¯s nonsense!¡± ¡ª ¡°I, didn¡¯t understand. Korean is difficult.¡± ¡ª ¡°Crazy concept yer¡­!¡± Among yers, the Gravekeeper was considered an impossible boss to conquer at the moment, but could someday be the key clue to clearing the game. It was an NPC designed to prevent yers from progressing. Or perhaps it was a significant blunder by Demoninus, thepany that created Silia Online. Many yers gave up on clearing it, and the remaining yers were divided into two groups. Those who continued to challenge for the shining honor of a First Kill or First Clear or those who entered ¡°the mode ofplete enjoyment.¡± [Dragon¡¯s Tail Raid Group, Dering to Give Up on Clear] [Today¡¯s Mad Movie of the Gravekeeper Shot by Me] [Shouldn¡¯t it be called a funeral director instead of a gravekeeper?] What kind of gravekeeper buries people directly? [Comment] ¡ªI create my own work. ©» So it¡¯s self-employed then. [Achieved 2-Minute Solo as the Gravekeeper] (Timer.jpg) ¡°It¡¯s nothing much, lol.¡± [Comments] ¡ª??? How did you do that? ¡ªHacker, I¡¯m reporting you, bye; ©» Does Demoninus look like a hacker to you, idiot? ©» ¡°Real.¡± ¡ªIsn¡¯t the current first-ce engineering student unable to clear in under 2 minutes? ©» Yeah, that¡¯s right. [Guide] Achieving 2-Minute Clear as the Gravekeeper First of all, you don¡¯t need any buffs or prior preparations. Even if you apply buffs, you won¡¯t get to hit at all, and unless you¡¯re a tank, you¡¯ll die in one hit anyway. Just tossing in any weapon helps youst longer. Once you enter the boss room and enterbat mode, the very first thing to do is to head to the open area. If you sessfully reach the open area, just sit there and enjoy the Last Supper, lol. You can wait until you finish eating. Just a reminder: if you sit in the flowerbed instead of the open area, you¡¯ll die instantly, so be careful. [Comments] ¡ªLmao, wtf, lol. ¡ªThis is ridiculous, lol. ¡ªHow to be a ghost with good looks, please tell me. ¡ªI rushed here thinking it was a guide, and this is what I find, lol. ¡ªIsn¡¯t the Gravekeeper just watching in disbelief? ¡ª?? I followed what this post said, but I died as soon as I took out the food from my inventory? ©» Did you do it properly? I mentioned in the main text that sitting in the flowerbed is a big no. ©» I checked it¡¯s the open area, so what happened? ©» No screenshots or video? ©» Yeah, I didn¡¯t take any. ©» Then I don¡¯t know either. Just consider it bad luck. ©» Ugh; it stinks of bad luck. ¡ªActually, it was an environmentalist. ©» ¡°Kill the bastard ruining nature.¡± ©» That¡¯s¡­ quite persuasive¡­! Amunity filled with various antics and jokes. However, the enthusiasm for the Gravekeeper was clearly cooling down. [Basic Magic Operations] [The Gravekeeper¡¯s Reasons for Running Away] [About the Demon Race araboza] [101 Reasons Why the Knight Can Never Defeat the Sniper] Since a few days ago, the mentions had started to dwindle, and now there was a clear differencepared to its peak period. There was no clear progress, let alone a proper clear, so it was natural for the enthusiasm to die down. If things continued this way, it was obvious that the boss would be remembered as poorly designed and forgotten by yers. Yeah, unless something unexpected happened. *** ¡°Ugh¡­ guys, is this really the right way?¡± ¡ªYeah, it is. ¡ªJust go wherever you want~. ¡ªWhy do you keep asking when you¡¯re not going to believe it? This is the third time. ¡ªI¡¯m already a user who died from frustration. ¡°Seriously, this is strange!¡± Usually, the chat atmosphere during Joanie¡¯s broadcasts is asionally yful, but overall, it¡¯s quite mild. Given the calm nature of her streams, there isn¡¯t much reason to curse, and even when some troublemakerse in to stir things up, they get blocked immediately. ¡ªMessage deleted. ¡ªMessage deleted. ¡ªCan this person make it within today? (Actually don¡¯t know.) But today, the mood in the chat was quite different from usual. No one was defending or agreeing; everyone was throwing stones. As she blocked those who crossed the line, Joanie looked up. ¡°Is it really right to call this a path?¡± What is a path, anyway? By dictionary definition, it¡¯s a space created on the ground that people, animals, or vehicles can pass through. There are deeper meanings, but let¡¯s put those aside for now¡ª ¡°Isn¡¯t it too dense¡­?¡± This isn¡¯t the deep woods where I wanted well-paved asphalt or sidewalk paths. But if it¡¯s going to be called a path, at least it should be passable, right? Whaty before Joanie¡¯s eyes was a scene of thick trees and grass, along with a rugged mountainousndscape. ¡®They said the path was rough, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be like this¡­¡¯ Joanie sighed deeply as if the ground were sinking beneath her. ¡°The engineering students who try this must have passed through here every time they died. Wow, I really have to acknowledge that.¡± It takes quite a while to get to the nearest resurrection point, and even when they arrive, an exciting hike awaits them. Joanie thought it wouldn¡¯t be strange for an ordinary person to get annoyed and give up. ¡ªSo when do we go? When do we go? When do we go? ¡ªAt this rate, let¡¯s just sleep well at the inn and go. It¡¯s dangerous to hike at night; a tiger mighte and get you. ¡ªDid you juste from the Joseon Dynasty? ¡°Alright, fine. I¡¯m going.¡± Denying reality, she finally stepped into the treacherous mountain terrain. ¡°But didn¡¯t anyone think about making a path? That would make sense, right?¡± ¡ªThe engineering students are too busy trying to die. ¡°Well, that makes sense.¡± Instead of making a path, they¡¯d probably just bash their heads against it once more. Joanie easily epted this reasoning. Panting while climbing the mountain, she took a moment to catch her breath and wiped the beads of sweat forming on her forehead. ¡°Wow, this is really steep. I feel like at least one person must have thought about wanting to set fire to it.¡± ¡ª??? ¡ªWhat? ¡°Oh, no! I¡¯m not saying I would do that, just that there could be someone who might think that!¡± ¡ª<<<< Someone like that. ¡ªWhen someone says ¡°a friend,¡± it usually means it¡¯s about themselves. ¡ªIf you want to get chased out after receiving a permanent assassination order in Liberi, that might not be so bad. ¡°What¡¯s a permanent assassination order?¡± ¡ªIf you kill a lot of NPCs or umte bad deeds, you get one. ¡ªYou get permanently cklisted from the Liberi registry and can¡¯t rejoin. All NPCs be hostile, and you can¡¯t use the resurrection points affiliated with Liberi, plus various penalties piled on. ¡ªThey even periodically give quests to kill you to other yers. ¡°¡­So it¡¯s just telling you to quit the game?¡± Considering there can only be one character that can be created and that deletion and recreation are impossible, it was a rather harsh punishment. ¡ªKilling hostile NPCs doesn¡¯t matter, but if you kill a lot of vigers or such NPCs, that happens. ¡ªSeeing how you can¡¯t respawn after dying once makes it seem like they¡¯re discouraging you from doing so. ¡°So that kind of system exists¡­¡± Joanie found it quite surprising that such a system was present in Silia Online, known for its high degree of freedom. ¡°I thought in Silia Online you could do whatever you wanted without it being an issue.¡± ¡ªThere¡¯s spection that they did it to increase realism, but opinions seem to vary. ¡ªStill, under normal circumstances, you won¡¯t receive an assassination order. You usually get a warning first. ¡ªIs it not psychotic to massacre NPCs in a game? What¡¯s the point of tolerating psychos? ¡ªSo does that mean that great car thieves only do this game for psychos? It could be like that since it¡¯s just a game. ¡°Hey, hey, don¡¯t fight. If you fight, you¡¯ll get banned?¡± Joanie hurriedly closed the door to the arena, which was about to open. After locking it securely, she issued a stern warning, keeping her eyes peeled in case someone tried toe through the door. ¡°Anyway, are all those people under permanent assassination orders? They said they received one. If they¡¯ve paid the price, then there¡¯s no need for further discussion. If you want to argue about it, take it up with the gamepany, not my stream.¡± There are various ways to enjoy a game, so it¡¯s not possible to clearly divide what¡¯s right or wrong. Unless it¡¯s bug-rted y that exploits the system, is it really fair to criticize someone for using the systems that have been implemented in the game? In reality, this was a difficult issue with many discussions taking ce. Considering the severe penalties, it was evident that the gamepany didn¡¯t want yers to engage in such behavior. However, since it wasn¡¯t an external sanction but an internal one, Joanie thought it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. She also felt a certain dislike towards yers who enjoyed indiscriminate ughter. ¡°By the way, we¡¯re almost there, right? It feels like we¡¯ve been walking for a long time.¡± ¡ªWe should being up on it soon. ¡ªHowe we haven¡¯t encountered any mobs? ¡ªIt¡¯s fortunate we haven¡¯t; if we had, we¡¯d have to see the oven again. ¡ªOh¡­ ¡°¡­¡± That was true. ording to the information, the mobs that appeared on this mountain were of quite a high level, so it wouldn¡¯t be easy for her, at her low level, to take them on. Especially since she didn¡¯t focus onbat andcked proficiency. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything that could jinx it. Whenever someone does, something happens-¡± Kieeeek! ¡°¡­said that¡­.¡± ¡ªHahaha! ¡ªYou¡¯re doomed! ¡ªRunnnnn!!!!!! Words be seeds. Is there a situation that fits that proverb better than the current one? No sooner had her words ended than a monster with the head of a chicken appeared before Joanie: the Cockatrice. Moreover, it was a flying mob that wasn¡¯t even a good match for her. ¡°Um, I don¡¯t n to harm you, so can you just let me go?¡± Caw! Caw! ¡°¡­Yeah, that¡¯s not happening.¡± ¡ªThey said they have ns to harm you. ¡ªPlease press X to express your condolences. ¡ªX Unfortunately, the Cockatrice didn¡¯t seem willing to engage in conversation with Joanie. Should she flee? It was obvious she¡¯d be caught and killed in no time. epting death? Then she¡¯d have to make the long journey back to the resurrection point from here. If she encountered another mob on the way, she might have to embark on the same journey all over again. And¡­. ¡®I don¡¯t want to be hurt.¡¯ Joanie gritted her teeth and drew her sword. The chat was erupting with all sorts of opinions, but she didn¡¯t pay any attention. ¡®I can do this.¡¯ She just needed to remain calm and respond to the motions. Her grip tightened on the sword, the bones in her hand standing out starkly white. She took a deep breath in and out. After repeating that process about three times. Kyaak! ¡°¡­!¡± ¡®It¡¯sing!¡¯ The Cockatrice charged at her. With her focus honed to the limit, Joanie perceived the Cockatrice¡¯s movements in slow motion. The right leg pushed off the ground, followed by the left. The wings drawn back were tense, ready to strike at any moment. The head, with its deadly gaze fixed on her, separated from its body and slid away¡ª ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Whump! The head of the Cockatrice that was charging at her suddenly flew into the sky. The headless body fell to the ground, red blood gushing from the severed neck. Tap. epting the sudden change in situation, Joanie stared nkly, and a dark shadow lightly descended before her. ¡°¡­Gravekeeper!¡± The figure she had seen countless times in themunity stood prominently before her. ¡ªWow, he showed up; ¡ªThe Gravekeeper actually came dun..dun..dun.. ¡ªWhat is this? Why is he saving her? ¡°¡­I don¡¯t really know.¡± Anyway, she was alive, so wasn¡¯t that enough? The tension that had gripped her body rxed, giving way to a sense of relief. However, it was still too early to feel at ease. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Wait a second!¡± The ongoingbat state and the sword aimed at her. Even someone oblivious could understand what that meant. Though the old sword looked like it might break at any moment, Joanie knew that countless yers had returned to the resurrection point because of that very sword. Knock. Swallow. A drop of blood fell from the sword, and Joanie gulped. ¡°Wait a second! Time out!¡± Just like other yers had tried to talk to the Gravekeeper, there was no response. One step. Two steps. The Gravekeeper moved closer. Feeling like the Grim Reaper was approaching, Joanie¡¯s heart raced madly, and without realizing it, she shouted out loudly. ¡°Wait a second!¡± Suddenly. The Gravekeeper halted his steps. -¡°¡­¡®Granick¡¯?¡± At that moment, a gentle girl¡¯s voice unique to young girls flowed from behind the cape. ¡°¡­?!¡± ¡ª??? ¡ª??? ¡ª???? ¡ª!!!! Joanie and the viewers¡¯ minds went nk. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Once upon a time, there lived an exceedingly wicked dragon. Whenever the wicked dragon appeared, people screamed and hurried to escape. This was because wherever the wicked dragon passed, nothing was left behind. Fields were destroyed, houses crumbled, and livestock was devoured. The tyranny of the wicked dragon did not end there. It burned the elves¡¯ forests and looted the dwarves¡¯ treasures. The Ardina continent was stained with sorrow, anger, and despair. But just as the cries andmentations of all races reached the heavens, the red dragon Gracis appeared. To stop the tyranny of the wicked dragon, Gracis made a contract with a human.That human¡¯s name was Zigrid. He was amoner with no special abilities. However, Zigrid had one significant advantage. He was braver than anyone else. A human and a dragon. A human the size of a dragon¡¯s w versus a dragon asrge as a castle. There was no way a mere human could match a dragon that wielded magic freely. But with Gracis¡¯s help, Zigrid did not back down. mes flew, ice erupted, lightning struck, and the ground split apart, yet Zigrid pressed on. And finally, before the small human, the giant dragon fell. Zigrid, having achieved great feats, established a nation in the ce where the wicked dragon was defeated, naming the country ¡°Grasis¡± to honor Gracis who aided him. Moved by Zigrid¡¯s sincerity, Gracis gifted him a newnguage and treasures, marking the beginning of the great Grasis. ¡ªThis is a tale. I think the title was ¡°The Adventures of Zigrid¡±? For the children of Grasis, it was like a Bible. Although it felt too much like an epic to be a fairy tale, and too much like a fairy tale to be an epic, the title ¡°The Adventures of Zigrid¡± suited it well. As far as I know, the content of ¡°The Adventures of Zigrid¡± has some adaptations but is based on actual events. Zigrid, having defeated the wicked dragon with Gracis¡¯s help, established Grasis and named it after Gracis, and received a newnguage and treasures. Because of this, Grasis came to use a uniquenguage called ¡°Granic,¡± instead of the royalnguage, Arkish, even though the Arkish, created by the Arkash Empire, already existed. ¡°Some enthusiasts say it was due to Gracis¡¯s pressure.¡± Otherwise, would there be a reason to use Granic instead of the well-functioning Arkish? Whether true or false, it holds no significance now. Grasis has fallen. Soon, the number of those who know Granic will dwindle, leaving only a sentence in history books: ¡®There was once anguage called Granic.¡¯ ¡ª ¡°I thought it would be like that.¡± ¡°¡­Granic?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe that an Apostle could speak Granic. I stared at the woman, who had a startled expression while tightly gripping her sword with both hands. Her grip was awkward, and her stance was strange. It didn¡¯t even seem like she had any intention of attacking, but in that position, even if she swung the sword, it wouldn¡¯t have any real power. Recently, I figured out the identity of the swarming bugs¡­ that is, those attacking me, were Apostles. At first, I was skeptical, but upon closer observation, most of the attackers were familiar faces I had seen several times before. After hearing the cksmith¡¯s words, I was convinced of their identity as Apostles. The strange presence I felt must have been due to Edel¡¯s blessing. Realizing they coulde back to life and return made it easier to understand their nonchnt attitude towards death and their endless numbers. Of course, knowing they were Apostles didn¡¯t change how I dealt with them. I continued to sh, stab, and send them flying, just as I had before. As I kept killing them, my infamous reputation spread among the Apostles, and the frequency of their attacks greatly diminished. Later on, some of them seemed to give up and began acting strangely. The most absurd was when one suddenly showed up and set a dining table. I was genuinely taken aback¡­ the saying ¡°even dogs don¡¯t bother you while you¡¯re eating¡± from my previous life came to mind, so I waited until they finished eating. In any case, the woman in front of me seemed to have heard of my infamous reputation. That¡¯s probably why she was trembling like that. Yet, I still didn¡¯t understand why she hade all the way here; was she one of those who engaged in strange behavior? ¡°Do you know Granic?¡± ¡ª ¡°Granic? Grasis? Uh, what was it¡­ I¡¯ve heard a little!¡± ¡°Hm.¡± It seems she hasn¡¯t properly learned it. I could only manage a simple conversation and listening. I gazed at the girl for a moment, then swung my sword to shake off the remnants before sheathing it. I hade here to gather a meal and offer some aid, recalling the taste of the Cockatrice I had eatenst time, but this time it wasn¡¯t a bug; it was a person. I picked up the severed head and carried it along with the torso as I headed home. Due to my short stature, the Cockatrice¡¯s corpse dragged along the ground. If it¡¯s a person and not an enemy, there¡¯s no need to kill them. *** ¡°Is it¡­ dead¡­? Right?¡± ¡ªWhat? What¡¯s going on? A gathering?? ¡ªWhy did she spare you? ¡ªWhat just happened? ¡ªWow, her voice is amazing. ¡ªHer voice sounds so cute! The Gravekeeper turned their back as they picked up the Cockatrice¡¯s corpse. The legs of the dragging Cockatrice drew a round arc in tandem. When I heard the soft voice flowing from beneath the cape, Joanie¡¯s chat froze for a moment. There had been much spection about the identity of the Gravekeeper. They were said to be a swordsman who had achieved everything and lived apart from the world, or perhaps a magical weapon from ancient ruins, or maybe an undead, given their silence¡­ Among these spections, some suggested that the small stature meant it might be a child, but that was often dismissed as foolish or absurd. In the realistic world of Silia, it was unlikely for a child to possess such power. In fact, most of the NPCs the yers had encountered who were strong enough to be considered formidable were in their 20s, at the peak of their physical capabilities. After that, as they aged, they would grow stronger, but those who couldn¡¯t break past the wall of aging would fade away under the ravages of time. Those were the yers world knew of Silia. ¡®But this is actually happening.¡¯ I would need to see the hidden figure beneath the cape to be sure, but from the voice and build, it was hard to believe they were an adult. ¡®Is it a polymorphed dragon? But does polymorph magic even exist in Silia¡­? Or perhaps a Dwarf?¡¯ Thus, it was natural for these questions to swirl in Joanie¡¯s mind. ¡ªI¡¯m asking for the 156,189th time how you did that. ¡ªWhat are you doing not following her! ¡ªWhat¡¯s with the strangenguage? ¡°Oh, oh! I should follow!¡± Joanie¡¯sbat state had been canceled the moment the Gravekeeper sheathed their sword. Regaining her wits, she dashed along the trail marked by the dragged corpse, answering the viewers¡¯ questions. ¡°What I just did was Granic, thenguage used by the Grasis Kingdom.¡± ¡ªGrasis Kingdom? ¡°It was a kingdom that fell a year ago. And here¡­ the mountain where the Gravekeeper resides was once Grasis territory.¡± Given that it was a kingdom that had fallen just a year ago, it wasn¡¯t hard to hear the name Grasis. Street vendors, passing travelers, and circting rumors told the tale. However, despite the ease of collecting information, rtively few yers knew much about Grasis; most only knew that ¡®there was a kingdom that fell.¡¯ The reason for this was due to the nature of Silia Online. yers starting Silia Online would find themselves alone in a town with a Liberi branch. All yers were given was the identity of a mercenary affiliated with Liberi and the blessings of Edel¡ªthere was no main story or main quest like in other MMORPGs. It felt as if the game was saying, ¡®You are now a resident of this world,¡¯ without assigning any goals, leaving yers to set their own grand objectives and embark on thrilling adventures through their own efforts. Joanie liked that aspect very much. ¡°It¡¯s understandable that not many people delve into the finer details.¡± Especially those rushing to achieve the first clear wouldn¡¯t have time to spare. There were even pattern analysis teams dedicated to achieving the fastest clear, so they wouldn¡¯t have time to spend on such things. Of course, those interested would gather information and share it online, making it easy to obtain knowledge. While those running at full speed might find time to be interested and seek out articles posted by other users or directly learn about Silia¡¯s history, it had only been half a year since Silia Online was released. With so much to do and many interests to pursue, unless one was a yer who already loved that kind of thing, it would be easy to push it aside. ¡°yers speak in Arkish, the imperialnguage created by the Arka Empire. And Grasis was at war with the Empire until its fall.¡± ¡ªDid the Empire destroy it?? ¡°That¡¯s not it, but it might have been one of the causes. Anyway¡­ I was guessing that the Gravekeeper might not be from Grasis, right?¡± A mountain located in the ruined territory of Grasis. A Gravekeeper hiding away and keeping a low profile. Graves that seem to hold a story. Doesn¡¯t it just give off a vibe that something is definitely there? ¡°If the Gravekeeper is hiding in the mountains because of the downfall of Grasis, then they probably don¡¯t have good feelings toward the Empire, and using Arkish wouldn¡¯t reflect positively either.¡± But that¡¯s only if it¡¯s the case. It could be for another reason, or they might not even dislike the Empire. Believing in a low probability, Joanie rolled the dice, and it was just one of those stories where the dicended on six. ¡°I was lucky, that¡¯s for sure.¡± Joanie felt grateful that her efforts to learn Granic weren¡¯t in vain as she asked NPCs along the way. ¡ªBut most NPCs couldmunicate, right? The city folks in the old kingdom all understood. ¡ªSometimes there are NPCs who speak awkwardly. Are they also from the kingdom? ¡°I heard Grasis has been in decline for decades. They probably had been preparing for it beforehand. But I don¡¯t know that much.¡± If only those who had directly experienced it knew. Joanie¡¯s gaze shifted to the distant figure of the Gravekeeper. ¡ªUsually, would one even think about learning anguage? ¡ªThis is a victory of determination. ¡ªOur leader is indeed impressive. ¡ªYou go, Joanie! ¡°Thanks for thepliment.¡± Joanie chuckled at the friendly reactions in the chat. ¡°¡­But surely they won¡¯t kill me just for following them, right?¡± ¡ªOur leader is indeed impressive¡­ ¡ªHuh, She definitely seemed cool until a moment ago¡­? ¡ªLet¡¯s go Joanie ¡°Phew¡­ Yeah! It¡¯s do or die now!¡± She couldn¡¯t just turn back aftering this far! Pumping herself up by pping her cheeks, she hurriedly moved forward. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 [I wish they would stop talking about the Gravekeeper or whatever it is.] How long are they going to keep bringing up a poorly designed boss? This character is just a self-insert for Demoninus. I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s so good about it that people are praising it. [Comments] ¡ªIf only they focused on that¡­ ©» Seriously, just stop already. ¡ªIf you¡¯re unhappy, then create a more interesting plot yourself. ©» Is this even fun?©» Ignoring the existingbat system entirely, calling it a pattern? ©» It¡¯s super fun though! ¡ªJournals belong in journals. Even though the excitement has cooled down quite a bit, there are still sporadic mentions. Are they angry because someone disagreed with their opinion, or do they just find joy in setting the world aze, or do they feel a sense of mission to implement justice? Groups with torches in their left hands and pitchforks in their right roam themunity, igniting posts rted to the Gravekeeper. ¡ª ¡°Our target is over there!¡± ¡ª ¡°Burn everything! Leave not a single ash behind!¡± They avoid things out of fear or out of disgust. People, tired of the arsonists digging around, began to steer clear of them. As those fighting against the mes felt exhaustion and retreated, the remaining group reveled in their sense of victory, cheering loudly. ¡ª ¡°Let¡¯s ride this momentum and uproot it entirely!¡± ¡ª ¡°Let¡¯s do that!¡± Drunk on the sweet taste of victory, they pressed forward with the intention of exterminating all the ignorant ones opposing them. A reckless charge with no thoughts of retreat. No one stood to block their charge, and it seemed like their goals would be achieved. That is, until a massive obstacle suddenly appeared before them. *** [Real-time Gravekeeper Easter Egg Discovered] (Cutting off the head of a Cockatrice, the Gravekeeper appeared.jpg) (Pointing a sword at Joanie.jpg) (Gravekeeper walking away with their back turned.jpg) [Comments] ¡ªWhy did they let her go? ¡ª???? Is this real? ¡ªIt always attacks first, how did she manage that? ¡ªIs it really them? ©» No, that¡¯s a screenshot from Joanie¡¯s stream. ©» Isn¡¯t she the one who travels? Did she go to raid? ©» She¡¯s not going to raid; she said she¡¯s curious and just went to see. A new discovery that could be a clue to the strategy. The fire starters, unable to contain their momentum, crashed into the sudden obstacle without evasion. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t that they couldn¡¯t dodge, but rather they thought their heads were harder than the obstacle itself. *** [So what? Does that change the fact that it¡¯s a poorly designed boss?] [There are so many dumb kids out there. If wein now, they won¡¯t create another sh*tty boss again.] [It¡¯s disgusting that even noobs are flocking to this so-called great game. Why don¡¯t you go back to the games you used to y?;] But no matter how bright the lights, they mean nothing before the shining sun. People became so engrossed in the suddenrge bait that they paid no attention to the voices of the fire starters. For the attention-seekers, the best antidote is not attention but indifference. Even if they wanted to set fire, without any fuel to burn, the torches they held began to lose power and flicker out. ¡°We can¡¯t copse like this!¡± In the end, they tried onest desperate attempt as if they were ready to sacrifice their own lives. [Blocked by the Administrator.] It was thwarted by the colossal hand that controls the world, leaving only the abandoned pitchfork to grow cold. *** [Current Summary of Gravekeeper-rted Bait] Anyone who hunts a bit knows of the hunting ground called the ¡°Old Capital of the Kingdom.¡± If you head west from the Empire, you¡¯ll find it; it¡¯s a hunting ground full of high-level mobs, making it quite popr. Those who have seen it know, but aside from the asional wreckage, it¡¯s practically a wastnd, hence the moniker ¡°Old Kingdom.¡± Unless a significant amount of time has passed, there¡¯s no way the capital would have turned into a wastnd. But this is actually the capital of the Grasis Kingdom, which perished a year and a half ago in Silia¡¯s world. I don¡¯t know what exactly happened, but it¡¯s been less than two years since that happened. So what does that have to do with the Gravekeeper? (Joanie¡¯s encounter with the Gravekeeper.clip) A streamer revealed that the Gravekeeper hails from the Grasis Kingdom. It¡¯s not confirmed yet, but I think it¡¯s practically confirmed. The Grasis Kingdom speaks anguage called Granic, unlike ournguage, Arkish, used by other NPCs. The streamer spoke in Granic, so it¡¯s said the Gravekeeper paused in the video. The mountain where the Gravekeeper resides was part of the Grasis territory, and it seemed suspicious that they were hiding their identity, leading to spection they are from Grasis. Anyway, after confirming that the streamer spoke in Granic, the Gravekeeper simply let them go without killing them. Then a shocking fact was revealed: (Audio file) Until now, no one had sessfullymunicated, so we were unaware, but the Gravekeeper was actually a female! If they had attempted to speak in Granic, they would have known much sooner, but they kept speaking in Arkish, so the Gravekeeper never responded. Furthermore, considering Grasis was at war with the Empire before its downfall, it¡¯s not unusual for there to be animosity. All this time, we¡¯ve cursed the sh*tty boss, but aren¡¯t we the real bad guys who went with swords drawn, writing in anguage only we understood, and then tried to kill it because we couldn¡¯tmunicate? In fact, the first person who died was trying to steal the sword right in front of the Gravekeeper and got killed. Indeed, the real root of the problem is our own ignorance. Ah¡­ I¡¯m sorry for the nder, Demoninus..! I¡¯m sorry for ndering you, Gravekeeper! [Comments] ¡ªListening to the voice, it doesn¡¯t sound like a female, but rather a young boy? ©» If they¡¯re stronger than me, then it¡¯s definitely a female. ©» This is correct. ¡ªThe little Gravekeeper buries people. ¡ªLooking at it this way, it seems so simple that it¡¯s hard to believe no one knew it; ©» Most people are too busy leveling up. ©» Honestly, it¡¯s hard to keep up with the foreign yers who figure this stuff out. ¡ªPlease give a lot of attention to streamer Joanie~ ¡ªSo what happened? ©» It¡¯s still ongoing. ?? ©» Where did you see it? ©» (Joanie¡¯s stream link) ©» Thanks! ©» Haha, I can¡¯t resist; I¡¯m going to watch it right now. Themunity¡¯s transmission power is incredibly strong and fast. While words without legs may travel a thousand miles, in the world of the inte, words with wings soar far beyond that, heading towards ten thousand miles. And the results manifested in visible forms. ¡°Wait, the viewer count is¡­.¡± ¡ªIs our girl¡­ bing a global sensation? ¡ªJoanie! Joanie! Joanie! ¡ªRanked #1 by Forbes as the most influential inte broadcaster in the world. ¡ªThe surprise is just too funny, lol. One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand¡­ ten thousand?! Joanie¡¯s eyes spun at the viewer count she had never seen before. Originally, Joanie¡¯s broadcasts were on a scale that could easily be described as a ¡°big corporation¡± in the realm of inte streaming. She had arge number of regr viewers and subscribers. Whenever she went live, she received substantial donations. However, even Joanie had never encountered a viewer count like this one before. The tform, Fishsik, aimed more at the domestic market than the overseas one, and unfortunately, the domestic market wasn¡¯t veryrge. This was primarily because the poption was smallerpared to other countries. Because of this, even if someone was among the top broadcasters on Fishsik, exceeding one hundred thousand viewers was not an easy feat¡­. ¡°Is it still increasing?!¡± Even at this moment, the number of viewers watching Joanie¡¯s stream continued to grow. It was clear from the awkward Korean and foreignnguages mixed in the chat that not only Koreans but also foreigners were joining in. The trantion module applied to the broadcast wasn¡¯t very good, makingmunication difficult, but they were diligently trying to express their opinions in the chat. Seeing the wave of managers rushing in, screaming for help as Joanie remained calm, she felt relieved. ¡°Though it¡¯s regrettable¡­.¡± She knew very well the saying ¡°small gains lead torge losses.¡± After hesitating for a moment, she firmly pressed the button for ¡°one-week follow chat,¡± and miraculously, the wave of chat quieted down, allowing the managers to finally breathe a sigh of relief. The people who felt suffocated, with their hands tied and mouths shut, would leave, so the viewer count would likely decrease temporarily. But those who genuinely enjoyed her broadcast would remain anyway, so Joanie believed that imposing a limit was necessary to maintain the atmosphere of her stream. It was a correct decision. However, it was also a judgment that forgot human determination. [¡®q1w2e3¡¯ donated 10,000 won! Thank you!] ¡ªIf you take off that rag, it¡¯s 100,000 won. [¡®Anonymous Donor¡¯ donated 1,000 won! Thank you!] ¡ªIf you ask about Opfanmu, it¡¯s 1,000 won. [¡®Atomic¡¯ donated 100,000 won! Thank you!] ¡ªWTF! I can¡¯t understand what¡¯s happening! [¡®Anonymous Donor¡¯¡­] ¡°Small gains lead torge losses¡­.¡± As the chat became congested, a counter wave of donations surged in response. Unlike before, this time Joanie found herself unable to block them, conflicted. As she anxiously chewed on her innocent lips, someone came to her rescue. Suddenly. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Something was thrust in front of Joanie. A steaming piece of cooked protein, essentially a grilled chunk of meat. ¡°Uh, so¡­ how do I say ¡®eat this¡¯?¡± In her thin Granic dictionary, there were words like ¡°save me¡± or ¡°wait,¡± but there was no everyday phrase like ¡°Are you giving this to me to eat?¡± After thinking hard for a while, the gravekeeper was still persistently holding out the meat towards her. ¡°Whatever, I¡¯ll just take it!¡± Could it be that offering a chunk of meat to someone was a special dining etiquette in Grasis? ¡­She hoped it wouldn¡¯t backfire on her. When she finally decided to take it, thankfully, the gravekeeper focused on eating without any reaction. ¡°¡­Was it given to me to eat?¡± ¡ªThen is it meant to be thrown away? ¡ªWow, they¡¯re sharing food with someone they just met¡­What a character. ¡ªHow have we been treating this kind person until now¡­? ¡ªThis is meat grilled by the gravekeeper themself. Enjoy it thoroughly. ¡°But isn¡¯t this Cockatrice meat¡­?¡± She had never tasted monster meat before¡­ ¡ª??? ¡ªAren¡¯t you going to eat it? ¡ªIt probably tastes terrible. ¡ªMonster meat can actually be surprisingly good if you try it. ¡ªYou¡¯ve eaten that before? ¡ªNPCs actually eat it a lot. You can buy it at street vendors or inns. ¡ªI bought it and tried it, but it tasted bad; I threw it all away after one bite. ¡ªThat meat was low quality, which is why it tasted bad. But the good stuff is really delicious. But it was hard for Joanie to refuse this time, given the viewers¡¯ watchful eyes. ¡®In truth, it¡¯s not just the watchfulness¡­¡¯ Joanie¡¯s gaze was directed at the Gravekeeper. Would shemit the atrocious act of throwing away the meat they had grilled for her right in front of them? No matter how kind-hearted someone is, they wouldn¡¯t be able to contain their anger in such a situation¡ªone could even be killed for such an act. Just moments ago, she had been threatened by monsters, and now she was faced with the brutal, survival-of-the-fittest ecosystem, causing her body to tremble. As the time of hesitation stretched out, the mood in the chat became increasingly grim. ¡°Ugh¡­ fine!¡± In the end, Joanie couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure and closed her eyes, taking a bite of the meat. As someone who loves to travel, she had sampled various cuisines from around the world. Naturally, she had tried wild game as well, and even though she had experienced a wide range of vors, this was quite difficult to handle. The pungent smell of wild game hit her nostrils, and the tough texture made it feel like she was chewing gum rather than meat. It was probably due to the chef¡¯sck of skill, but it left such a strong impression on her that she had avoided wild game since then. Even if it wasn¡¯t wild game, she thought monsters would be even worse. Moreover, the way the Gravekeeper cooked was just basic grilling with minimal seasoning. Given that there was no process to remove the stench, the impact would be immense. Joanie thought so, but¡­ Chew, chew. ¡°¡­Huh?!¡± Joanie¡¯s eyes widened. Her teeth easily sank into the soft exterior of the meat. As she bit down, the juices trapped inside burst out, overwhelming her mouth. ¡°It is¡­ delicious?¡± The odor she had worried about was nowhere to be found. The texture was not tough at all; it was soft enough for a child¡¯s weak teeth to chew through. The subtle smoky vor from the grilling added a refined touch to the meat. ¡°What is this¡­ it¡¯s really good?¡± As if she had forgotten her earlier hesitations, Joanie began to devour the meat enthusiastically. The meat looked like it had jumped straight out of a cartoon, making it visually appetizing, and the viewers watching Joanie¡¯s stream swallowed their saliva in response. ¡ªI¡¯m going to hunt only Cockatrices from today. ¡ªThey say monster meat is delicious. ¡ªWow, she really eats it well¡­ ¡ªI¡¯m off to boil water for ramen. The Gravekeeper, who had been watching Joanie eat the meat ahead of her, continued to observe her intently, but she was too engrossed in her meal to notice. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 ¡®¡­What¡¯s wrong with her?¡¯ I thought she might want to eat something since she was staring at me, so I generously offered a leg, but she just kept staring nkly. Is she worried about getting poisoned or something? If she were going to do something so troublesome, she would have done it earlier. Even though i knew she was following me, I gave her something to eat, and now she¡¯s just worrying for no reason. Anyway, she will resurrect after dying. ¡°Uh, so¡­ how do you say ¡®eat this¡¯ in Arkish?¡± The woman who had been mumbling in Arkish carefully took the meat. Then she started observing it intently.¡®Should I just snatch it away?¡¯ Just as that thought started creeping in, the woman finally took a big bite. She opened her eyes wide and was eating frantically. She was enjoying it so much that I forgot I was even eating and just stared at her. Yeah, the Cockatrice meat is indeed delicious. I wondered if there was something wrong with me, but my taste was perfectly normal. ¡ª ¡°Ah, cough! It¡¯s so delicious that I just¡­.¡± The woman, who was eating happily, noticed my gaze and smiled awkwardly. There was no need for her to act shy since I had given it to her to eat. ¡ª ¡°It¡¯s frustrating that we can¡¯tmunicate¡­. If I had known this would happen, I should have studied harder. Is there anyone here who knows Grasis? ¡­Right, there wouldn¡¯t be.¡± The woman muttered in an iprehensiblenguage. Then, with a determined look on her face, she pointed to herself and said. ¡ª ¡°Joanie.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡ª ¡°Didn¡¯t you understand? Jo. An. I.¡± I tilted my head slightly, and she repeated the same words clearly again. So¡­ is she introducing herself? ¡°Joanie.¡± ¡ª ¡°¡­!¡± When I nodded in response, the woman, whose name seemed to be Joanie, brightened up. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± However, her previously bright face turned back to confusion as silence followed. In a typical introduction, when one person says their name, the other should also share theirs. But I didn¡¯t want to share mine. Me? My name? Why should I? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m in a position to say anything with my face hidden under a cape, but I didn¡¯t feel like revealing my name to someone who couldn¡¯t see my face. I also didn¡¯t want to get involved with others. ¡®You¡¯re so stiff. You look so cute, but your actions make you seem like a boy.¡¯ ¡­I know, Garid. Still, no is no. Unconsciously, I stopped my hand, which had been moving toward the choker around my neck. Instead, I stood up and headed towards the flower garden. ¡®Why do you grow flowers? Because they¡¯re pretty. Is there a need for a reason? You should appreciate your appearance. If your face weren¡¯t cute¡­ Oh, let¡¯s not talk about that. ¡­Ah! I¡¯m just kidding!¡¯ ¡®¡­You say that but¡­¡¯ Liar. Annoyed, I deliberately plucked a flower. I walked towards the grave, holding the pink flower that Garid particrly liked. The Crimson Aegis stuck in front of the grave felt even redder today. ¡ª ¡°Grasis¡­ Choi¡­ What¡¯s the next part say?¡± Joanie, who had been timidly following me while letting go of the piece of meat she had been holding, stumbled through the words on the gravestone. ¡°Grasis¡¯ Greatest Shield. Here Lies.¡± The sincerity was so admirable that I decided to share it specially. I didn¡¯t bring a friend, so don¡¯t get the wrong idea. I just thought you might like it since she can talk in Granic, so I let her tag along. I carefully ced pink flowers neatly in front of the Crimson Aegis. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Unfortunately, there was nothing left for the shield to protect anymore. Nothing at all. *** ¡°However you look at it, there seems to be a story behind it, right?¡± Joanie said as she trudged down the mountain path. No matter which way she looked¡ªnorth, south, east, west, up, or down¡ªthere were nopanions to converse with, but she wasn¡¯t crazy. There were viewers watching her. *** ¡°The inscription on the tombstone will be understoodter, so shall we decide what to do first?¡± Even if the gravekeeper read it out loud, that didn¡¯t mean she could understand it. Just because someone read an aliennguage to someone who didn¡¯t understand it didn¡¯t mean they¡¯d get the meaning. ¡ª ¡®Grasis¡¯ Greatest Shield. Here Lies.¡¯ *** ¡°Oh, what? Is there already someone who interpreted it?¡± ¡ªLots of capable people. ¡ªWell, with so many people watching. Haha. ¡ªThe greatest shield? *** ¡°Starting by gathering information on that wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea. The title of ¡®greatest¡¯ isn¡¯t given to just anyone.¡± Of course, it could be the subjective opinion of the person who inscribed the words¡­ ¡®When all else fails, I¡¯ll grasp at straws.¡¯ On one hand, it felt fun, like being a detective from a mystery novel, holding a pipe in one hand and a magnifying ss in the other. Most importantly, standing at the forefront of a path no one else had walked was more thrilling than she expected. While the influx of viewers was daunting, Joanie had long since resigned herself to it. ¡ª ¡°But whye down? Couldn¡¯t you just stay there?¡± ¡ª ¡°Seriously, I wanted to see the gravekeeper.¡± *** ¡°Like even i wanted to I¡¯d still feel awkward for staying even at a friend¡¯s house; I can¡¯t stay at the house of someone I don¡¯t know. And just because I want to stay doesn¡¯t mean I can. The gravekeeper has to permit it.¡± Above all, how could she strike up a conversation with someone who exuded such an atmosphere? Joanie recalled the back of the gravekeeper standing before the tomb of someone unknown. The cold demeanor that frustrated countless yers was vastly different from the atmosphere that seemed ready to fly away at any moment. Sometimes, people need time alone to get lost in their thoughts without any interruptions. Joanie turned away in silence and came down for that reason. *** ¡°Studying Granic, exploring Grasis history, gathering information¡­ Wow, there¡¯s so much to do. It feels like a work overload.¡± Joanie clicked her fingers while counting her tasks and let out a sigh. No one was forcing her at swordpoint to do anything, so she didn¡¯t have to if she didn¡¯t want to. *** [¡®Anonymous Benefactor¡¯ donated 10,000 won! Thank you!] ¡ª ¡°Can¡¯t you go back up? I¡¯m feeling dizzy here!;;¡± *** [¡®Atomic¡¯ donated 100,000 won! Thank you!] ¡ª ¡°I¡¯m curious about her identity.¡± ¡ª ¡°Hasn¡¯t that person spent like 500,000 won already?;¡± ¡ª ¡°Seems like they¡¯re really Atomic.¡± ¡ª ¡°Looks like famous overseas streamers are also watching the broadcast. Whoa.¡± ¡®¡­ It feels like something simr to a knife is being held against me, even if it¡¯s not an actual knife.¡¯ If she stepped back now, she could open a new chapter in her life. Goodbye, streamer Joanie. Hello, ordinary person Shin Da-eun. In that sense. Of course, it wasn¡¯t meant in a good way. Perhaps if more time had passed and she had aged a bit more, she might have thought differently, but Joanie still had no intention of retiring as a streamer. Even if her enthusiasm had dimmed significantly, the sun was still shining brightly in the sky. As Joanie strolled through the somewhat dim mountain forest filled with dense trees, an unfamiliar flower caught her eye. It was a red flower, adorned with prickly thorns on its stem. ¡°If youe at four in the afternoon, I¡¯ll start to feel happy from three o¡¯clock.¡± ¡ª?? ¡ªYea? ¡ªOh, are you a desert fox? At her sudden remark, the chatroom erupted with confusion. Joanie merely smiled and said, ¡°From today, my goal is to tame a fox!¡± If you want to get close to someone, you should hover around them. Depending on the situation, you might bebeled as an annoying person, but if you do nothing, opportunities won¡¯te. ¡°I¡¯ll also squeeze in some study time for Granic.¡± Having experience in learning multiplenguages, Joanie felt confident about picking up Granic. After all, she couldn¡¯t be stuck in a gravekeeper-infested mountain all day, so time wouldn¡¯t be an issue. ¡°I trust you guys will help with gathering information.¡± ¡ªUs?? ¡ª??? ¡ªAre we getting paid? ¡°You¡¯re curious too, right? Let¡¯s help each other out. Money? Let¡¯s just cover that with enthusiasm.¡± ¡ª???? ¡ªThe talent is ours, but the money goes to the leader¡­ ¡ªWe should¡­ start a revolution, right? ¡ª???? ¡ªSaying it so confidently about enthusiasm pay, you really are a true Hel Joseon streamer~ I shouldn¡¯t say that, right? ¡°Hey, no bad words allowed.¡± Joanie had anticipated some fiery responses, but the mes were stronger than expected. ¡®But still, they seemed to swallow their other remarks.¡¯ Even after she firmly expressed her intent not to go back up, those who insisted slowly disappeared. Clearing her throat, Joanie chuckled off-camera. ¡°Alright. If you post helpful information on the fan cafe, I¡¯ll send you a gift coupon. Not everyone, but I¡¯ll select about fifty people who are more helpful than others.¡± ¡ªHmm, not bad. ¡ªFifty people sounds pretty lenient. The public sentiment was quite positive. Who would dislike receiving gifts from a streamer they liked? With fifty winners, which was a generous amount, the possibility of being picked with a little effort wasn¡¯t low. ¡ªBut what kind of gift coupon? ¡°Um¡­ That¡¯s a good question. It should ideally be something rted to Silia Online. Ah, I got it!¡± As Joanie pondered for a moment, she lit up with a great idea. ¡°How about a Silia Online subscription card? A 10-month subscription.¡± ¡ªOh ¡ªOh ¡ª555 The monthly subscription fee for Silia Online was ten thousand won. Even with discounts for purchasing multiple months, a 10-month subscription would still cost nearly a hundred thousand won. The viewers¡¯ reactions were enthusiastic at the thought of distributing such a substantial amount to fifty people. Though it was a considerable sum for Joanie as well, thinking about the support she could gain from this investment made it not a loss at all. There would likely be new viewers arriving through the event, making it a strategic move that, in the long run, would be beneficial. However, there was something she hadn¡¯t anticipated¡­ [Joanie is hosting an event?] If you write useful information about Grasis on the fan cafe, she¡¯ll give away a 10-month Silia Online subscription. The period is from today for one week. It doesn¡¯t have to be strictly about Grasis; anything that could lead to clues about the gravekeeper is eptable. Since she¡¯s picking 50 winners, if you¡¯re interested, let¡¯s go! [Korean streamers, where can I see them?] I can¡¯t find them even when I search. I need help. [It¡¯s so noisy because of this unheard-of streamer.] Instead of that time, just y the game?? That way, my chances of being picked increase. It turned out there were quite a number of people watching her stream. Not just Koreans, but also viewers from East Asia and the Western world. Regardless of nationality, those interested in the gravekeeper were tuning into her stream. While not every viewer participated in the event she organized, even a portion of them constituted an enormous number. Some rushed in, eager for the prize, others wanting to unveil the gravekeeper¡¯s identity quickly, and some simply wanting to support Joanie out of fan loyalty. With various intentions, countless people flocked in, making it evident that Joanie¡¯s fan cafe had be a borderlessmunity. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 The Festival Began with Joanie¡¯s Event. Amidst the excitement where everyone was singing and dancing joyfully, there were those who couldn¡¯t fully enjoy the moment. ¡°¡­So, what do we do now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. Ah¡­ I thought we¡¯d get a First Clear this time.¡± ¡°Come on, don¡¯t kid yourself. We didn¡¯t evennd a single hit, so how could we get a First Clear?¡± ¡°Whose side are you on?¡± ¡°You jerk, are you working for the Gravekeeper?¡± These were the members of the raid group ¡°PizzaIsBestHawaiian,¡± among others, who had been relentlessly challenging the Raid Boss known as the Gravekeeper. To them, the Gravekeeper was a colossal mountain that needed to be conquered but seemed utterly insurmountable. Honestly, they believed that if ¡°absurdity¡± were turned into a character, it would be the Gravekeeper.Yet, the reason they hadn¡¯t given up on defeating the Gravekeeper was that the higher the mountain, the greater the sense of aplishment when it was finally scaled. ¡°A raid should be hard to be fun. If it¡¯s easy, is it really a raid?¡± Teaming up with friends to ovee a massive challenge¡ªhow romantic is that? Of course, the glory that would follow such a feat was also appealing. For these reasons, they never let go of hope and constantly searched for even the tiniest opening to exploit. ¡°My guess is that the Gravekeeper is hard because it¡¯s realistic. In other words, it doesn¡¯t behave like an MMORPG boss.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Think about it. In real life, would a boss monster mark a yer¡¯s head with ¡®I¡¯m going to hit this guy next!¡¯?¡± ¡°Well¡­ no, it wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Exactly. So, we need to approach it realistically too. Instead of tanking the damage and fighting, we should adopt the mindset of not getting hit at all. Of course, that¡¯s easier said than done.¡± Even in a realistic game like Silia Online, the bosses up to this point had followed MMORPG rules: targeting the yer with the highest threat, executing attacks in a fixed order, or randomly choosing from a set of attack patterns. Of course, how a yer dealt with that was up to their individual skill. But the Gravekeeper was different. It was a being that had cast off the chains of the MMORPG system. That¡¯s also why the Gravekeeper was viewed as a blemish in Demoninus, and yers cursed it for the same reason. Whether they liked it or not, the yers realized that they needed to break free from the conventional MMORPG logic to defeat the Gravekeeper. ¡°Healers, don¡¯t worry too much about healing. Stay in the back as much as possible. Tanks and DPS, if you get hurt, go to the healers to get healed. If you think it¡¯s too risky, just give them a shield. And if the Gravekeeperes your way, don¡¯t even look back¡ªjust run.¡± ¡°Tanks, don¡¯t be afraid to fight. Think of it as holding on for dear life. If you¡¯re just trying to survive on your own, everyone else will die, and then it¡¯s game over anyway. Stick close to the healers when you need to.¡± ¡°Andstly, DPS, wait for the tanks to hold aggro, then attack strategically. Don¡¯t just strike blindly¡ªcoordinate your attacks to leave no space for the boss to move. Always keep in mind that an attack coulde at any moment.¡± At first, things didn¡¯t go smoothly. Trying to break free from the familiar system they¡¯d relied on made real-timebat challenging, and problems arose in every area. Waiting too long for a heal¡ªdead. Trusting too much in a shield¡ªdead. Losing bnce while chasing the boss¡ªdead. Death, death, and more death. They even lost the progress they had made. Themunityughed at them. But, as they say, sometimes you need to take one step back to move two steps forward. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it¡ªyour attack pattern¡­! sh sh sh sh sh! Aaaah, help me!¡± ng! One of the dealers finally managed to parry the Gravekeeper¡¯s sword for the first time. Of course, they were immediately killed by the following strike, but it was an achievement that couldn¡¯t be understated. ¡°Finally, you¡¯ve be human¡­¡± ¡°The lowly sword-smacking plebeian, who couldn¡¯t even get a hit in before dying, has finally earned their keep. As the raid leader, I now have no regrets¡­¡± Moved by the aplishment, the raid leader uncorked a bottle of wine they¡¯d been saving for a special asion that very evening. After all, what could be more important than the day when the sword-smacking plebeians, who had been dying like reckless fools, finally became functional humans? They became more ustomed to attacking, their movements growing smoother. PizzaIsBestHawaiian and the other raid groups, with whom they shared information, beamed with joy. Finally, there was hope of pushing through the stalled progress. ¡°Though it¡¯s hard to deny that the boss was poorly designed¡­¡± ¡°But it also feels like the Gravekeeper fits Silia Online better than anyone.¡± In the end, they reached the point of glorifying the very Gravekeeper who had cut them down dozens of times, showing just how brightly their delusions of happiness were burning. That fire was so intense that the onlookers worried their hopes would burn out entirely. And then, as if on cue, honorary firefighter Joanie showed up. Shhhhhh! ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Thanks to Joanie, who unapologetically doused them with cold water, their fragile hopes were preserved. ¡°Seriously, what¡¯s the problem? Let them do what they want, and we¡¯ll keep smashing our heads against the boss! Are we not raiding anymore or what?¡± Despite someone¡¯s outburst, the gloomy atmosphere persisted. It all started with the Gravekeeper showing a hint of humanity. It began when Joanie, the one person who couldmunicate with the Gravekeeper, was saved. Afterward, the Gravekeeper quietly walked away, leaving Joanie behind, but not before sharing some food and standing silently in front of an unknown grave. This slight show of humanity caused an uproar in themunity. Some argued that the Gravekeeper wasn¡¯t an unfeeling raid boss but a human-like NPC. Others even started condemning those challenging the Gravekeeper as violent, which made it difficult to ignore the public sentiment. Even if the Gravekeeper had some human qualities, it was still a raid boss, wasn¡¯t it? Even if defeated, it would just respawn, so what was the fuss about? ¡ª ¡°They didn¡¯t say anything when we were getting ughtered!¡± ¡ª ¡°Are we not people too?!¡± Though their frustration bubbled over, it was like a single drop in the vast ocean. With even foreignmunities in an uproar, there wasn¡¯t much they could do. There were some who supported them, but it was undeniable that the timing wasn¡¯t ideal. On top of everything, the fact that only one party could enter at a time wasn¡¯t helping, and now, people were even climbing the mountain just to catch a glimpse of the Gravekeeper after seeing the broadcasts, reducing their time to attempt the raid. Honestly, that was a bigger problem than the public opinion. ¡°Well, in a way, it worked out.¡± The raid leader, who had been observing the situation, finally spoke up. ¡°To be honest, even if we kept bashing our heads against the boss, the chances of clearing it were slim to none. We¡¯d been convincing ourselves otherwise just to stay motivated, but there wasn¡¯t even a sliver of hope in sight.¡± As soon as the leader voiced the truth they had all been avoiding, everyone¡¯s eyes turned toward them. ¡°We should go with the flow.¡± ¡°Are you saying we should give up?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m saying we should take a break. Let¡¯s take a week off, gather information, and improve our skills. Maybe even look into some swordsmanship manuals or take a few lessons at a fencing academy. If that¡¯s too much, we could always y some Souls games.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying we should focus on leveling up our skills.¡± ¡°Exactly. And if, during that time, we find the Gravekeeper¡¯s weakness, all the better.¡± ¡°Well, when you put it like that¡­¡± ¡°It does kind of feel like we¡¯re the protagonists in a shonen manga. You know, facing a powerful enemy, getting beaten, then training hard anding back stronger? ssic.¡± The sharp gazes, once wary of a deration of surrender, softened again. The squad leader, who had briefly broken out in a cold sweat, spoke in a feigned calm tone. ¡°I¡¯ll pass the word to the other teams. What do you think about taking a short break?¡± ¡°What if they refuse?¡± ¡°If they can clear it by charging ahead, let them try. If they could¡¯ve done that, they would have cleared it already. Besides, the other squads are likely in a simr situation, so they probably won¡¯t say no.¡± Indeed, as the leader predicted, none of the leading squads rejected his proposal. They too had realized their own shorings. Thus began the miraculous union. The fiercepetition was set aside for a moment, giving rise to a brief but harmonious meeting. Later, this moment would be remembered as the historic ¡®Hawaiian Pizza Summit,¡¯ a peace conference in the truest sense. *** ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°Why, why us?!¡± The group of Apostles cried out in frustration as they were flung into the distance. Not that I could understand a word of what they were saying. Since I couldn¡¯t hurl them off the cliff, I threw them back down the mountain path they hade from, and their pitiful echoes faded into the trees. ¡°Good aim, strong throw.¡± If this were golf, it would¡¯ve been a hole-in-one, given the clean arc traced by thest Apostle I sent flying. Maybe I had a talent for golf after all. Could it be that I was an unlucky genius who never realized my potential because I never had the chance to try? Ah, the tragedy of never discovering one¡¯s natural talents due to the shorings of rote education. How sad. ¡°Hmmm¡­ but I guess this world might be better.¡± No, it¡¯s definitely better. Sure, Earth had its fair share of issues, but at least I didn¡¯t have to fear for my life every single day. In this world, there are loads of kids who don¡¯t even get a proper education¡ªjust handed a dagger from day one. Unless, of course, you¡¯re a child of the high and mighty nobles. Anyway, this ends the current defense mission. It seems the crack in my sword, Crimson Aegis, has grownrger, so I fought mostly using martial arts today. I moved around a lot more, and it turned out to be quite a stress reliever. As I was dusting off my hands, I felt a presence at the foot of the mountain path. ¡°Ha¡­ ha¡­ there, there he is¡­!¡± Another wave? Just as I was preparing for battle, a familiar voice pierced through the air. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± That voice¡ªit was Joanie, or whatever her name was. Panting heavily, Joanie stood before me, her greeting so casual it was as if she had just dropped by a friend¡¯s house. Her casual behavior left me momentarily speechless. ¡­What¡¯s going on? Chapter 11 Chapter 11 ¡°The most effective way to train animals is by using food.¡± ¡­This is it! While watching the video, Joanie suddenly sprang up from the sofa, kicking it noisily. If her mother, who cherished Da-eun dearly, had seen her, she would haveughed heartily and given her a yful smack on the back. But fortunately, her mother, who sometimes visited her apartment, wasn¡¯t here today, allowing Da-eun to dodge that fate. ¡°People are animals too, after all!¡± That was a wild leap in logic. If the viewers had heard that, they would have flooded the chat with question marks, but Da-eun waspletely oblivious. ¡°Since ancient times, offering a meal has meant more than just consuming food.¡±When a precious guest arrives, they are treated to a generous meal. There are many instances of people going out of their way to ensure that guests don¡¯t go hungry, even when their means are limited. Even a slightly awkward rtionship can quickly be close when sharing a meal together. In short, the act of sharing food fosters affection and increases intimacy while narrowing the distance between people. Moreover, it subtly makes it hard for the host to refuse any suggestions from the guest. ¡°If we share delicious food, we¡¯ll surely be friends in no time.¡± Remember how adults who offered food seemed cooler when we were young? Isn¡¯t it the same with the Gravekeeper? ¡°There¡¯s hardly anyone who doesn¡¯t like delicious food.¡± Though the initial thought process was odd, the conclusion drawn was quite usible. When ites to execution, Da-eun is all about action. Action means Da-eun. After concluding this, Da-eun quickly entered the virtual reality capsule and started her broadcast. In an instant, she transformed from Da-eun into Joanie and exined her n to the viewers. ¡°So, give me some rmendations for delicious food. Exclude anything that¡¯s hard to find or too expensive.¡± Food names poured in like a waterfall. The chat was filled with dishes that each viewer found delicious. Joanie meticulously noted down those suggestions, excluding duplicates and those that were too far or not feasible for her to acquire. Even if she added them to her inventory, food doesn¡¯tst forever. Since it¡¯s a virtual space, it can be preserved a bit longer, but that¡¯s about it. Although there were preservation bags created by magic engineers, they were too expensive for just anyone to buy. Because of this, yers who are poor at cooking end up eating tough jerky or nd soup after staying outside the vige for too long. ¡°Starting with meat dishes seems good, right? I¡¯ve gotten some before.¡± The Cockatrice meat she had tasted from the Gravekeeper was extremely delicious. However, there was indeed somethingcking. ¡°I just grilled it over the fire, and it was this tasty. Imagine how good it would be if it were properly cooked¡­¡± Just the thought of it made her mouth water. No, wait a minute. Joanie wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. ¡°I noticedst time that there didn¡¯t seem to be anyplicated cooking tools.¡± ¡ªWhen did she even see that? ¡ªMaybe she was thinking about stealing something? ¡ªHmm¡­ that seems usible? ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem usible at all. Anyway, since they live in the mountains,plicated dishes would be hard to make. So wouldn¡¯t they appreciate a dish that requires a lot of effort?¡± ¡ª¡±This is tastier than the meat you gave me.¡± ¡ªThis is a hierarchy of sorts¡­kh..khhi.. ¡ªPaying back kindness with malice¡­ just a true JOAT. ¡ªI won¡¯t wander too far. Take care. ¡°That¡¯s not it!¡± Fortunately, there was a ce not too far away that served delicious meat dishes. They make a dish by scoring the meat and then marinating it with all sorts of spices and wine, followed by a long process of preparation¡­ But she couldn¡¯t even remember the details well enough, so it must have been a dish that required quite a bit of effort. Along with the viewers who were constantly trying to sabotage her, she bought the food and headed back to the mountain where the Gravekeeper was. Whenever she spotted a monster, she would hide and wait for it to pass, and while riding, she bit her tongue studying Granic. Fortunately, this time, Joanie reached the Gravekeeper¡¯s dwelling without encountering any Cockatrices and wiped the sweat from her brow. ¡°Hello!¡± -¡°¡­.¡± As expected, there was no response. ¡®At least I wasn¡¯t chased away.¡¯ Coming in without being attacked was much better than receiving a brutal wee. Thinking positively, Joanie stepped forward. ¡°Food, reward!¡± -¡°¡­?¡± Struggling to form full sentences, Joaniebined short words tomunicate and pulled out the food she had stored in her inventory. It wasn¡¯t steaming hot like when it was freshly cooked, but she could feel some warmth. ¡°I, give food.¡± -¡°¡­Huh?¡± Ah, she thought she understood the meaning behind that sigh. Despite the sound being closer to a groan than words, Joanie held out the food to the Gravekeeper. The Gravekeeper, who had been staring intently at the food just like Joanie had the day before, finally epted it. In a moment that felt as moving as if a wild animal had approached her with puffed-up fur, she found herself muttering. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel like a wary wild animal?¡± -¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, no, no.¡± The Gravekeeper tilted their head at Joanie¡¯s not-quite-whispered thoughts. -¡°What is this¡­?¡± With a heavy sigh, the Gravekeeper used a fork brought from the cabin to pick up a piece of meat and put it in their mouth. In that tense moment. Chew, chew. ¡°¡­Uh oh.¡± No reaction¡­ at all¡­? Joanie had expected at least a slight response when something delicious was eaten, but the Gravekeeper merely moved the fork monotonously. They stabbed the meat with the fork, then put it in their mouth. Even chewing jerky would elicit a more colorful reaction. ¡°Could it be, it doesn¡¯t taste good?¡± Nom. ¡°¡­It¡¯s delicious.¡± Joanie¡¯s curiosity only deepened as she tasted her portion of meat. It would have been tastier if eaten hot, but even slightly cooled, it was sufficiently delicious. ¡ªSeems like their pride was hurt; ¡ª ¡°I shared my meat, and the next day they brought meat dishes. Are they trying to pick a fight?¡± ¡ªYes, that¡¯s right~ ¡ªDid they think it was a snack? ¡°Really¡­?¡± While Joanie was left confused, the Gravekeeper¡¯s bowl was empty. ¡°Seeing it all gone, I guess it wasn¡¯t bad.¡± How could they show no reaction at all, like a block of wood? At the very least, they could have shrugged their shoulders. ¡­Could it really be a biological golem or something? tter. The Gravekeeper set the bowl down and stood up. Without a word, they began focusing on tending the flower garden. ¡°¡­¡± It seemed that the n she thought would work had fallen apart from the very start. As Joanie stared nkly at the Gravekeeper, a spark ignited in her eyes. ¡°Ha¡­ huhu, huhuhuhu¡­! Right, it wouldn¡¯t be fun if it all came at once.¡± I never expected that from the start. There¡¯s really no reason to be disappointed now. Joanie clenched her fists tightly. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you react the same way when I present all gourmet delicacies the world has to offer!¡± ¡ªI¡¯m scared; ¡ªI¡¯m seeing this person for the first time, why is she acting like this all of a sudden? ¡ªFirst time? (more than a week of following the chat) From that day onward, Joanie¡¯s daily routine was the same. She would wake up in the morning, turn on the stream, and embark on quests to buy food. In her free time, she would check the fan cafe for new posts, and study using the hard-earned Granic dictionary. Finally, she would climb the mountain, offer food to the Gravekeeper, and be disappointed by the response. It was a monotonous routine that felt like a wheel spinning endlessly. Despite her efforts, even receiving help from viewers who usually wouldn¡¯t bother, Joanie¡¯s spirit was slowly wearing down due to theckluster responses. ¡°Ugh, ughuhuh¡­ Is delicious food really that disliked? Then should I try feeding them something weird this time¡­? Is there a Hawaiian pizza in Silia?¡± ¡ªHey, get a grip; ¡ªAny tips on not dying without pain?; ¡ªIs it really painless? ¡ªHaha, I¡¯m not feeling any pain~ ¡ª??? Why is Hawaiian pizza considered weird? For anyone else, it wouldn¡¯t be strange to give up in this situation. For a week, she hade every single day to offer food, yet there was not even a word of gratitude or any response, so how could she not feel exhausted? However, whether by misfortune or fortune, Joanie had a knack for enduring and persevering. ¡ªIsn¡¯t this enough by now? ¡ªMaybe it¡¯s better to find another way. ¡ªUgh, it¡¯s so frustrating, I¡¯m going to die. The viewers watching her stream were in despair, indicating that it seemed unfortunate for them. nk. The Gravekeeper quietly set down the dish. Once again, she had received a rejection that wasn¡¯t really a rejection. Now, she began to suspect whether they could even taste anything at all. ¡°Ehh¡­¡± Joanie sighed deeply as she ced the empty bowl in her inventory. ¡°Did I really make a mistake?¡± ¡ªYou¡¯re just now realizing that??? ¡ªHonestly, it¡¯s been a bit hopeless. ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± The usually confident Joanie could no longer hide her dejected appearance. Seeing her pitiful state, numerous donations came in tofort her, but her shoulders remained slumped. ¡°I guess I was too confident.¡± The excitement of being the first to discover something that no one else knew, the superiority of being a pioneer. As the emotions that had blinded her faded away, she finally thought that perhaps she might have been wrong. ¡°Still, maybe my favorability increased just a little? At least there aren¡¯t any more reactions of disbelief like at the beginning.¡± ¡ªSince when did Silia Online turn into a dating sim? ¡ªWow, a game where you can even date! ¡ªHow much have you spent just to raise your favorability? ¡ªIf you¡¯re going to date, you need to spend money, right? ¡ªThis isn¡¯t a date, it¡¯s just a wallet, though; ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s not talk about money, okay?¡± Joanie¡¯s voice grew gloomy as she recalled her thin wallet due to her rapid diet. Even though she never asked for anything, it was she who had brought the gifts out of her own ord, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel strangely wronged. What was the point of ming someone innocent? It was her own doing. Sigh. As Joanie watched the Gravekeeper sharpening the sword with a gloomy expression, she shook her head slightly. The short hair brushing her shoulders tickled her neck. ¡°Since I came early today and have some time left, shall we stay here a little longer before leaving?¡± ¡ªOh, sounds good. ¡ªLet¡¯s go. ¡ªQ&A, let¡¯s do it! But what should I do? As can be seen from the messages flooding the chat, people had many questions for the Gravekeeper. Joanie felt the same way. No matter how often she tried to engage, she still received no answers. Even if it wasn¡¯t a remarkable improvement, she believed that her skills in Granic had improved quite a bit through consistent practice. However, without any response from the other side, she had no way of knowing if she was actually making progress. They say that conversing with a native speaker is the most effective way to learn anguage, but what if the native speaker doesn¡¯t respond? Answer: Change to someone else. ¡°If I could do that, I would have!¡± Even though she knew the answer, it was frustrating that she couldn¡¯t act on it. ¡°Sword¡­¡± The oiled cloth slowly glided over the sword. Joanie watched the spot where the cloth had passed sparkle in the sunlight before suddenly pulling out her sword. ¡°Should I practice my swordsmanship? I can¡¯t always rely on being guarded.¡± Since she had nothing else to do anyway, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to practice. As she thought this and stood up, she found herself staring nkly ahead when it came time to actually begin. ¡°¡­So what now?¡± ¡ªStarting with a downward strike is a ssic rule. ¡°Downward strike? Like this?¡± Yap yap. Joanie raised her sword high above her head. If it were reality, her arms would have been trembling, but thanks to her stats¡¯ boost, she managed to hold it up without any problems. Downward strike, thrusting, shing upwards¡­ Whoosh, swish! The sound of the sword slicing through the air echoed in the quiet clearing. She didn¡¯t even know if she was doing it right. All she could do was hope that doing something would lead to a bit of improvement. ¡®¡­Phew!¡¯ It¡¯s just like attacking the Gravekeeper. Trying something without knowing if she was doing it right. Yeah, when has my journey ever gone exactly ording to my ns? Sometimes things don¡¯t go well, and that¡¯s just how it is. If she¡¯s lucky, there might be results. And then, at that moment. ¡®Huh¡­¡¯ At some point, the sword in her hand started to feel strangely light. As beads of sweat began to form on her forehead, Joanie lightly exhaled and lowered her arms. ¡°I¡¯ll take a quick break¡ª¡± -¡°¡­That¡¯s not how you do it.¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± An unexpected voice hit her ear. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Has it been more than ten years living in this world, or have I just rolled around too much? Now, the memories of my past life have be quite hazy. To be fair, I never really tried to remember them, nor did I write them down anywhere, so it wouldn¡¯t be strange to forget them. Instead of spending time trying to remember those things, I should have learned survival skills. Maybe that¡¯s why the memories I have left from my past life are all jumbled up. I can¡¯t recall what I thought was important, but I remember things I thought were utterly useless. For example, something like this. In my past life, I didn¡¯t particrly enjoy hiking.Yet, for some reason, I asionally found myself climbing mountains. When I finally reached the summit, I would often see vendors selling cold water or ice cream. I couldn¡¯t buy much since the prices were too high¡ªprobably because they had to carry heavy ice boxes all the way to the top¡ªbut I still remember the ice cream I splurged on once; it was incredibly delicious. So, why am I suddenly talking about this? It¡¯s because seeing Joanie, who carries food with her, reminded me of that time. ¡®No, it¡¯s probably closer to delivery food.¡¯ I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s even a delivery service thates all the way out here. Has the Silia civilization advanced without me even realizing it? I looked at Journey, who came as usual today, offering food. Is it really because I saved her from some Cockatrice that she climbs the mountain every day? And every time, she brings different food? ¡®What dedication.¡¯ At first, I was incredulous, but now I¡¯ve just epted it. It¡¯s not like I have to bother cooking or cleaning, so it¡¯s not a bad deal for me. However, it was a bit burdensome that she stared at me while I ate. It felt like she wanted something from me, but I couldn¡¯t figure out what. At first, I wondered if she had poisoned the food, but since my mana didn¡¯t react, it clearly wasn¡¯t poisoned. If I were susceptible to poison, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to survive this long anyway¡­ ¡®Today¡¯s food is tasty again.¡¯ So, I enjoyed the meal Joanie brought without giving it much thought. It wasn¡¯t as exquisite as the feasts of nobility, but it was quite delicious, so I found myself looking forward to it sometimes. After finishing my meal and putting down the dish, Joanie murmured something to Arkish again. ¡°Am I really wrong?¡± What was she talking about? Ignoring her mumbling, I took care of the sword by oiling it. It was already toote to improve it, but it shouldst a little longer. It was my way of showing respect to the cksmith who helped me. Swish! ¡°¡­?¡± While I was lost in thought as I polished my sword, Joanie was doing something strange. Normally, she would have already gone down by now, so I didn¡¯t even care why she was still around¡­ ¡®¡­What is she doing?¡¯ Is it a dance to wish for abundance? Or is she mimicking a balloon figure? Seeing her swing a sword while dancing, it might have some shamanistic meaning. One thing¡¯s for sure: it¡¯s definitely not swordsmanship. While I was pondering, her bizarre behavior continued. With a flourish, she swung the sword in a way that could only be described with an onomatopoeia. Finally, she stood still, her actionsing to a halt. Then, with a proud expression, she wiped her sweat¡­ -¡°Just a little break¡ª¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not how you do it.¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back and ended up speaking. If she had intended this, it would be an incredible talent. Even from the first time I saw her, her level of skill was unbelievable for someone holding a sword. I doubt even a month of practice would get someone to that level. ¡°Phew¡­¡± I had no intention of interfering with whatever she was doing. Can¡¯t you just ignore what¡¯s in front of you if it bothers you so much? ¡®Let¡¯s think of it as paying for the meal¡­¡¯ I feel guilty about getting so much and then wiping my mouth clean after eating. ¡°Listen carefully.¡± My swordsmanship differs from the formal techniques that knights learn. But that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t teach it. After all, I also learned with traditional techniques when I first picked up a sword, and by this level, it¡¯s easy to see where things went wrong. What I¡¯m trying to teach isn¡¯t swordsmanship, but something more fundamental. ¡°Don¡¯t hold it with both hands; hold it with one.¡± I removed her left hand, which was tightly gripping the sword. If you¡¯re trying to exert force momentarily, I could understand, but if you¡¯re going to hold it with both hands from the start, why use a one-handed sword at all? ¡°Your grip is wrong too.¡± Some might call it just the grip. But whether you¡¯re learning to handle a sword or anything else, the first thing you learn when using a tool is how to grip it. You need to master the correct way to hold it to use the tool most efficiently. ¡°Hold it like this.¡± This is something many beginner swordsmen overlook. To put proper force behind a sword, shifting the center of gravity with your fingers is essential. I demonstrated by pretending to swing the sword while adjusting my grip with my fingers. I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯ll understand. It¡¯s more likely she won¡¯t, but that¡¯s not something I need to worry about. ¡°Now for the stance.¡± I lightly tapped her closed legs, and Joanie awkwardly spread them apart. You need to have the right stance to smoothly transition between attacks and defenses. Of course, the stance changes depending on what you¡¯re fighting. There¡¯s effective swordsmanship against humans and effective swordsmanship against monsters, so it¡¯s natural that the basic stance varies as well. Still, that stance from earlier was just uneptable. Since words weren¡¯t getting through, I corrected her stance by physically guiding her, and she looked much better than before. ¡°Finally, let¡¯s cut.¡± In fact, I had one more thing to point out. The attitude with which she handles the sword. To me, that was the biggest issue. I¡¯m not saying to treat it like a lover or think of it as a twin. Sure, it¡¯d be nice to cherish it, but whether someone kisses or makes love to their sword is none of my business. But being afraid of cutting yourself with your own sword is just not right. If you¡¯re trying to intimidate someone, you can¡¯t be scared while swinging your own weapon. There¡¯s a difference between being cautious and being foolish, and this is clearly thetter. No matter how many times I tell her, if she¡¯s too scared to swing it properly, what¡¯s the point? Unfortunately, unlike what I¡¯ve fixed until now, I can¡¯t demonstrate this in action, so I decided to let it go. ¡®Even if she understood what I said, it wouldn¡¯t change anything right away.¡¯ Could someone who trembles after hearing a few words suddenly fight courageously? After demonstrating a few times while wielding the sword, I stepped back a few paces. ¡°Now, give it a try.¡± I¡¯ve only taught the basics, but for someone with no foundation, this should be sufficient. Joanie, who was nkly staring, suddenly seemed to snap back to reality. -¡°Uh, so¡­.¡± She fumbled her way through the things I taught her and took her stance. Eventually, taking a deep breath, she swung her arm wide. Swish! The sound was clearly different from when she was summoning something while iling the sword around. She still shows clear signs of being a beginner, but hey, this is something. Surprised by her own progress, she swung the sword a few more times. -¡°My swordsmanship skill suddenly skyrocketed! Wow, it can rise this quickly¡­.¡± I think I¡¯ve earned my keep now. ¡°Yawn¡­.¡± I¡¯m feeling a bit drowsy after eating and moving my body. I rubbed my eyes while stifling a long yawn. Whether she continues to practice or goes down the mountain, she¡¯ll figure it out herself. Even if she does something silly, I can catch her, so should I just let her be and get some sleep? Hmm, it¡¯s a tough decision¡­. *** After learning swordsmanship from the gravekeeper, Joanie¡¯s repetitive daily routine began to change slightly. She woke up early in the morning, turned on her stream, and logged into Silia. While going to the gravekeeper with delicious food that was well-known for its taste was the same as before, ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Hello, not ¡®hi.¡¯ Say ¡®annyeonghaseyo.¡¯¡± ¡°Annyeong¡­ ha? yo?¡± ¡°Annyeonghaseyo.¡± ¡°Annyeonghaseyo!¡± Unlike before when I would go down the mountain, now I stayed on the mountain, either talking with the Gravekeeper or practicing my swordsmanship. Perhaps there had been a change in mood, as the Gravekeeper often engaged in conversation. Even though he still refused to reveal his name, he would correct me if I spoke incorrectly, as in the case just now, and tell me the right way. ¡°Hello¡­.¡± Joanie repeated the words the Gravekeeper had taught her softly, shedding tears of joy in her heart. All the time and effort she had put in wasn¡¯t in vain¡­! Since I thought of the money spent on food as tuition, it didn¡¯t feel too wasteful¡­ Not really¡­ not really¡­ ¡®¡­a little, just a little bit wasteful.¡¯ It wouldn¡¯t be a lie to say it wasn¡¯t a small amount of money. However, seeing her swordsmanship skills rise at an unprecedented speed eased her troubled heart. Anyway, she had achieved her goal of befriending the Gravekeeper. ¡ªAchieved¡­? ¡ªHmm, it¡¯s ambiguous¡­ ¡°This should mean we¡¯re friends! Other people can¡¯t even strike up a conversation and get kicked out, but I can actually talk!¡± Seeing Joanie interacting with the Gravekeeper, quite a few new yers began to climb the mountain. They came not to defeat the Gravekeeper but to try and converse with him even once. However, their attempts repeatedly fell t. [Why can¡¯t I do it?] I learned Granish just to talk to the Gravekeeper, so why can she and I can¡¯t? I can bring him delicious food too! I can also learn swordsmanship from the Gravekeeper, pet him, and call him cute, so why? [Comments] ¡ªUh oh, why is this kid so angry? ¡ª (Scary, Con) ¡ªWhat kind of temte is this? Even when they tried to engage the Gravekeeper with food offerings, he wouldn¡¯t even acknowledge them. When they asked why, the wronged victims could not approach Joanie to ask directly, leading them to swarm around Joanie¡¯s broadcast. ¡ªWhy you? Why you? Why you? Why you? Why you? ¡ªHow did you talk to him? I want to know the method. ¡ªI didn¡¯t even get to see and died. ¡ªCan¡¯t you ask for me? However, Joanie didn¡¯t know why the Gravekeeper treated her differently, or why he was so lenient with her. She had tried asking him directly, but since no answer came, what could she do? Today, she continued to ignore the questions flooding the chat and rummaged through her inventory. ¡°Today¡¯s prepared food is¡­.¡± Drumroll. Making noise with her mouth, Joanie smiled slyly. There was something vaguely sinister about her smile. At that moment, a bowl filled with something bright red popped into her hands. ¡°It¡¯s none other than Volcano Fried Rice!¡± ************ (T/L Note: Given that the true gender of the Gravekeeper remains unknown to the yers, they tend to use pronouns based on their assumptions about the Gravekeeper¡¯s gender. As a result, many refer to the Gravekeeper using he/him pronouns.) Chapter 13 Chapter 13 In Korea, there is a cup noodle called ¡®Volcano Fried Noodles.¡¯ It features a mind-numbing spiciness and a subtle umami vor, making it a sensational hit among Koreans who love spicy food. It¡¯s so spicy that it¡¯s nicknamed ¡®Korean Language Injector¡¯ because it makes you involuntarily curse in Korean. There¡¯s a well-known story of a foreigner who ate the Volcano Fried Noodles and eximed while breathing fire, ¡°Don¡¯t Koreans know moderation?¡± With such extreme spiciness, it¡¯s no wonder that Volcano Fried Noodles ranks number one in noodle sales in Korea, demonstrating the Korean love for spiciness without needing to say more. Of course, there are many who dislike it. Among these Koreans, some expressed their dissatisfaction while ying Silia Online. ¡ª ¡°Why is there no spicy food in this game?¡± This was aint about the food.¡ª ¡°If it¡¯s a game made in Korea, shouldn¡¯t there be spicy food in it?¡± ¡ª ¡°Real. It should be spicy enough that you can¡¯t get out of the bathroom the next day to enjoy it properly.¡± ¡ª ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a bit much.¡± While there were spicy foods in the Ardina continent, they werecking to satisfy Korean ptes. ¡ª ¡°Grrr¡­! I need spiciness, I need spiciness¡­!¡± ¡ª ¡°Give me capsaicin!¡± ¡ª ¡°Yikes!¡± These spice addicts, suffering from withdrawal, were so fixated on intense vors that they started acting like spice zombies, their eyes wild and crazed, scaring both yers and NPCs. As the world of Silia faced a potential downfall due to spicy-zombie outbreaks, one of the zombies came up with a brilliant idea. ¡ª ¡°If there¡¯s none, let¡¯s just make it ourselves!¡± Thus began the project to recreate the spicy taste. This attempt to replicate vors from Earth was not the first of its kind. Many yers who had their sights set not onbat but on food had already tried, with both sessful and failed oues in abundance. Themon point among the unsessful attempts was that many were heavily influenced by modern food science. While they could recreate it, the effort was either too great, or it was simply impossible. The taste sought by the spicy-zombies fell into this category. Recreating the unique umami-spicy vor of Volcano Fried Noodles using only natural ingredients was no easy task, and thus their attempts repeatedly ended in failure. However, after persistent trials, one zombie¡¯s efforts finally bore fruit. ¡ª ¡°Wha, what is this vor?! It feels like my tongue is burning!¡± ¡ª ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t know¡­ This is what spiciness is!¡± ¡ª ¡°Water, give me water!¡± ¡ª ¡°Don¡¯t be foolish! Don¡¯t you know drinking water after eating spicy food makes it feel even spicier? Drink milk instead!¡± ¡ª ¡°You¡­ you did it¡­!¡± With immense effort, the restaurant ¡®Burning Phoenix¡¯ was established. The dishes served were two items that Koreans referred to as ¡®Phoenix Fried Noodles¡¯ and ¡®Phoenix Fried Rice,¡¯ alongside milk to soothe the burning mouths. Despite that, Burning Phoenix became immensely popr among many Koreans, foreign spicy food lovers, and even NPCs. The dish Joanie brought today was none other than the Volcano¡­ Phoenix Fried Rice. ¡°And right now, it¡¯s my lunch.¡± The fried rice, a vivid red that made one¡¯s mouth water just by looking at it. Joanie preferred fried noodles over fried rice, but bringing noodles up to the mountain where the gravekeeper lived would surely result in the noodles swelling and turning into fried rice. ¡°¡­But is it okay to give this?¡± As Joanie sniffed the spicy aroma wafting from the fried rice and grinned deviously, her rationality kicked back in. ¡°What if I get yelled at for bringing something like this? If all the rapport I built crumbles¡­?¡± ¡ª ¡°Worried about that now?¡± ¡ª ¡°Let¡¯s go~~~¡± ¡ª ¡°Honestly, aren¡¯t you curious about the leader too?¡± ¡ª ¡°For real, my mouth is watering, haha!¡± ¡°These dopamine addicts!¡± Of course, Joanie was curious too. Could someone eat this fried rice and show no reaction at all? Despite the effort put into preparing this dish with her stubbornness, she found herself hesitating and unable to move as the moment to serve it approached. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t bring it today¡­¡± ¡ª??? ¡ª?????? ¡ªI¡­.. ¡ªAbandon!!! ¡ª¡­.. ¡°Isn¡¯t it your responsibility if my favorability goes down?!¡± ¡ªWhy us?? ¡ªOur favorability is negative, you know? ¡ªStarting from zero might not be a bad idea. ¡°Ugh!¡± Joanie trembled with frustration. She had forgotten. These guys were obsessed with teasing her. ¡°What if I said I brought it because it¡¯s a trendy food? That wouldn¡¯t be a lie, right?¡± Hesitating, Joanie eventually opened her inventory to put the fried rice back in. ¡°Thinking it over, I really don¡¯t think this is right. Let¡¯s just not give it today¡ª¡± [Mission Received! ¨C Give Fried Rice] ¡ªUponpletion: 500,000 won ¡°Oh, five hundred thousand?!¡± Are they trying to buy me with money?! It was too much money to just dismiss. Seeing the mission funds ballooning as if it were a good catch, Joanie¡¯s eyes trembled slightly. It wasn¡¯t the money itself she coveted, but the implications of that money were terrifying. The fact that the mission fund had grown thisrge meant that the stakes had also risen significantly. If she gave up and canceled the mission, the chat would likely explode beyond a fire level. ¡°Alright! I can do this¡­ I just have to¡­¡± With a fluttering heart, Joanie set off to settle the debts brought on by her fried Phoenix noodles. ¡°Th-this is¡­¡± -¡°¡­¡± ¡°Today, I¡¯ll give you a meal.¡± Joanie, stumbling through the newly learned Granic, uttered her words. The Gravekeeper nced silently at the food Joanie offered, then looked back at her. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The gaze felt painful. She knew very well that a stare couldn¡¯t physically hurt, yet for some reason, she felt like someone was poking her with a needle. Or maybe it was a rusty old sword instead. ¡®You want me to eat this? Are you out of your mind?¡¯ It seemed the Gravekeeper¡¯s gaze asked that. ¡®Y-you know, maybe I should just give up on this whole thing¡­¡¯ As frightening as falling into the abyss was, could it be scarier than death? Joanie, feeling like her gaze was turning her into a pin cushion, wished for the Gravekeeper to refuse her offer outright. Even if they rejected it, that would be fine! They could throw it away without even aint! If that happened, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about losing favor or facing the wrath of an angry Gravekeeper. She could have her cake and eat it too; what a joy that would be. As her pounding heart transitioned from a thud to a mor and regret surged to the top of her mind, the Gravekeeper finally reached out a hand hidden beneath their cape. Thud. ¡°Eh?¡± Simultaneously, Joanie¡¯s hopes shattered. What had once looked appetizing turned into something that seemed like it could only be consumed by demons of hell in the Gravekeeper¡¯s hand. The hot, flowingva and the pitiful screams echoed in hell. The demon, who had been making fried rice in a gigantic pot, suddenly looked up and beckoned Joanie. ¡°Come on in. It¡¯s your first time in hell, right?¡± ¡°¡­Gah!¡± Joanie¡¯s face turned pale as she instinctively realized that if she didn¡¯t intervene now, what would end up in that pot wasn¡¯t rice but herself. ¡°Wait¡ª¡± But regret alwayses toote. Gulp. In the moment she momentarily lost focus, the Gravekeeper had already taken a spoonful of the red fried rice and popped it into his mouth. ¡®Please, please¡­.¡¯ Maybe the Gravekeeper could handle spicy food well. It might even suit his taste. ¡­What the hell was that stubbornness that led to such a foolish act? A flurry of useless hopes and self-reflection shed violently in Joanie¡¯s mind. Since it was already toote to turn back, she fervently prayed that the goodwill she had carefully built wouldn¡¯t vanish. -¡°¡­Cough.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± -¡°Cough! Cough! Ha, ha¡­.¡± Well, I¡¯m done for. Seeing the Gravekeeper react in a way she had long desired, Joanie let out a ruefulugh. ¡°At least I hope you didn¡¯t die in pain¡­¡± The demons that beckoned to her had already multiplied to three. Joanie opened the settings and dragged the pain ratio slider all the way to the left. ¡°Cough, cough¡­!¡± The Gravekeeper¡¯s cough seemed particrly severe, refusing to let up. As his delicate voice erupted into violent coughs, the chat filled with voices condemning Joanie. ¡ªUgh, trash¡­ ¡ªI¡¯ve reported this as child abuse. ¡ªThank you for using Joanie up until now. ¡ªLOLLLLLLLLLLL ¡°You all told me to do it! And besides, he might not even be a child?!¡± ¡ª?? : Seriously, she actually did what we said, LOL. ¡ªHuh? We never said that! ¡ªIf he¡¯s about to die from the spiciness, shouldn¡¯t we give him something? ¡ªThis is how you achieve a first clear. ¡°Ah, right¡­!¡± Joanie hurriedly pulled milk out of her inventory. It was something she had bought together with the fried rice from the ming phoenix. ¡°This¡­¡± Whoosh! Gulp, gulp! The Gravekeeper, who had never shown such a speed before, downed the milk as if it was thest thing he¡¯d ever do. With each gulp, his body, which had been trembling like a reed, gradually began to calm. The heavy breaths he had been struggling to release also started to settle. Sigh, ha¡­. Though it seemed the spiciness hadn¡¯tpletely faded, he was definitely looking better. Which meant Joanie¡¯s punishment was drawing near. She immediately bowed her head. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry!¡± -¡°¡­¡± The Gravekeeper didn¡¯t say a word. A suffocating silence. Am I going to drown in this silence? While the notorious sinner Joanie nervously awaited his response, the Gravekeeper finally opened his mouth. -¡°I¡¯m sorry, no, I should say I apologize, hey.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Contrary to Joanie¡¯s expectations, the words that came out weren¡¯t filled with rage. It wouldn¡¯t have been surprising if he had drawn his sword and dered he would kill her right there. ¡ªHe¡¯s forgiving us????? ¡ªThe true person of character, the Gravekeeper-sensei¡­ The unexpected gentle response stirred up both Joanie and the viewers. However, their shock didn¡¯t end there. ¡°Kana.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°My name, Kana.¡± In a voice that felt somewhat faint, the Gravekeeper spoke. ¡°It¡¯s a secret, so don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± ¡ª?????? ¡ª?????????????? ¡ªIs this the correct answer???? ¡ª??? Amidst a flurry of question marks, one particr chatment flitted past. Seeing it, Joanie silently agreed. No idea why this happened, but for now, let¡¯s just be thankful that she survived¡­. The Gravekeeper likes spicy food. Note that down¡­. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡± Thud. ¡°Is it that bad?¡± Nod nod. The girl with pink hair nodded her head sulkily. The man looked down at the girl, scratching his cheek awkwardly. ¡°I think it¡¯s a pretty name. It¡¯s cute, and your voice is pretty, so it suits the name perfectly, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­Still, I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ then how about this? For now, we¡¯ll call you something else, andter, when you feel okay about it, we can call you by your original name.¡±¡°¡­Okay.¡± ¡°What should it be¡­ Oh, I know!¡± The man grinned, revealing his teeth. ¡°Kana. From now on, your name will be Kana!¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s simple.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°Still, thank you.¡± Saying that, the girl showed a rare smile. *** A foolish woman. In other words, a dazed woman. She dared to enter the mountain, rumored to be home to a murderer, without fear, yet she gets scared just because she couldn¡¯t kill a mere Cockatrice. And then she goes and brings me food for over a week out of gratitude for saving her life. Even though she doesn¡¯t know how to properly hold a sword, she keepsing back to the mountain. Just seeing her makes me think those thoughts. Does she even consider that she might run into monsters again? She¡¯s the most foolish person I¡¯ve ever met. ¡­ Come to think of it, there was Garid. Correction. She¡¯s the second most foolish person I¡¯ve met. The biggest fool I know is Garid. Anyway, what kind of person climbs a mountain where they almost died just to thank someone for saving them? Whether she¡¯s an Apostle or not, it doesn¡¯t make sense. If she¡¯s not an Apostle, it¡¯s idiotic to throw away the life she barely saved, and if she is an Apostle, why go to such trouble when her life was guaranteed anyway? Of course, maybe she¡¯s not acting out of pure goodwill and has some ulterior motive. But I didn¡¯t doubt her. More precisely, there was no need to doubt her. Thanks to all the hardships I¡¯ve been through, I¡¯ve be highly sensitive to any malice directed at me, and there wasn¡¯t a hint of that in Joanie¡¯s actions. Even if she had some malice, I could handle her. Not even the senile snake of the Empire could easily harm me, so how could such a foolish and weak woman pose a threat? If she somehow managed to deceive my senses, then she¡¯d be stronger than me, and it wouldn¡¯t matter if I was cautious or not. If she¡¯s stronger than me, whether I see through her act or not, I¡¯m dead anyway. But if that were the case, she wouldn¡¯t need to pretend to be weak in the first ce. Hmm, let¡¯s change the topic for a moment. Subjectively speaking, my patience is not great. ¡®No, not great is an understatement. Ick patience, that¡¯s more urate.¡¯ Saying my patience is not great could sound like it¡¯s not bad either, but saying Ick patience leaves no room for misinterpretation. If someone handed me a marshmallow and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t eat this until tomorrow, I¡¯ll give you two more,¡± I¡¯d eat it before they even finished talking¡ªthat¡¯s the kind of person I am. Maybe it stems from my early experiences right after reincarnation¡­ but does the cause even matter? I don¡¯t regret myck of patience, so who cares? People say a hero can¡¯t stand injustice, and a viin can¡¯t suppress their desires. But I wasn¡¯t noble enough to be a hero, nor wicked enough to be a viin¡ªI was just a middling person. Andcking patience means I¡¯m somewhat impulsive. After thatst thread holding me snapped, as a middling person, I drifted like a leaf falling from a tree, promising myself I¡¯d never get involved with anyone again. ¡®Wait!¡¯ Why did I save her then, just because of that damn Granic? I was reminded yet again that I¡¯m impulsive andck patience. I saved Joanie, let her pester me every day without driving her off, taught her how to handle a sword and Granic, and even told her my name. Not a single thing was done without impulse. Sigh. Even now, I could still taste the lingering spiciness clinging to my tongue. Why does such food exist? More importantly, can this even be called food? What Joanie brought today was supposedly fried rice, but I¡¯d describe it more as an embodiment of human malice. Could you even survive after eating this? That¡¯s what it felt like, as if asking if I¡¯d live through the sharp sting that hit my brain. Puhuh¡­ It was so ridiculous that even I had tough a little. The spicy taste, filled with artificial vors and sensations I¡¯d never experienced in Silia, triggered a faint nostalgia deep in my memory. ¡°Joanie, Apostle, Edel¡­¡± Tap. Tap. As I lightly tapped the scabbard at my waist with my fingers, I fell into thought. The cksmith had said Edel had brought people over from the continent beyond the Eastern Sea and blessed them. Apostles who suddenly appeared one day and were infused with divine power through blessings. A taste I¡¯d never experienced before. A vor so intense, yet somehow evoking a sense of nostalgia from forgotten memories. Tap, tap. ¡°What are you scheming?¡± Edel. I looked up at the sky, just as I had once before, asking. The sky was still clear, and the god remained silent, as always. ¡°Sedeth Kingdom.¡± The holynd of the Edel faith and the ce where Edel descended. And where the divine power of Edel lingers more strongly than anywhere else on the Ardina Continent. Would going there reveal the truth? Even if that were the case, I wasn¡¯t in any rush to leave the mountain now. I still couldn¡¯t let go of Garid, and the senile serpent was surely watching with sharp eyes. Perhaps, when more time passes and Grasis Kingdom fades into a distant memory, it¡¯ll be fine. Whatever Edel might be doing right now, what does it matter to me at this very moment? I have ways to gather information, so there¡¯s no need to get anxious. I do have a reliable courier who brings me food every day¡­ or rather, an informant. Even though she¡¯s a clueless, foolish girl, an Apostle is still an Apostle, so she should know something. Considering the fact that unwee guests had shown up, indicating that my presence had spread, it seems Apostles have awork of information among them. One thing that worries me is that I impulsively revealed my name because of nostalgia from my past life¡­ ¡°I told her not to tell anyone.¡± A promise that¡¯s shakier than a pinky swear, and could easily be broken at any time. But, since it¡¯s her¡ªsomeone who brought me food every day out of gratitude for saving her¡ªmaybe it¡¯ll be fine? From the way she keeps asking me questions, it seems she wants to get closer to me. Maybe she¡¯s delighted, thinking she¡¯s gotten closer just because I told her my name. Sigh¡­ I moved to the mountain for a quiet life, but it¡¯s been far from peaceful. Why does something keep happening? Maybe a quiet life just isn¡¯t in the cards for me¡­ **** ¡°Kana.¡± Gravekeeper. Kana and Gravekeeper. Gravekeeper and Kana. How could two words create such different atmospheres? Rolling the hard-won name carefully in her mouth, Joanie thought. Just a moment ago, she had only been worried that the goodwill she had painstakingly built wouldn¡¯t crumble, but now that she had reaped an unexpected reward, instead of joy, she felt bewildered. The spicy fried rice she had prepared in a fit of determination, even ready to die, had been the right answer? ¡­Why? It was sheer luck, like catching a rat while walking backward. She didn¡¯t understand why, but wasn¡¯t it a good thing? After savoring the brief joy with her viewers, the worry started to creep in. ¡°He told me to keep it a secret¡­¡± At the time, Joanie hadn¡¯t been able to process what Gravekeeper¡ªno, Kana¡ªhad said, due to the shock of discovering that the ¡®key point¡¯ of winning favor had been ¡®Phoenix Fried Rice¡¯ and the sudden rise in goodwill. Plus, it wasn¡¯t a word she was familiar with. As she descended the mountain and recalled Kana¡¯s words, she looked it up and realized it was a secret¡ªhe had asked her not to tell anyone. From Joanie¡¯s considerable life experience, she knew well how quickly a secret ceased to be a secret. ¡®This is a secret¡­ but don¡¯t tell anyone.¡¯ If A tells B that, then B will go to C and say, ¡®Hey, A told me this, but I¡¯m only telling you. So, A said¡­¡¯ And C will run to D, ¡®So, A¡­¡¯ And it spreads, like that. Having been betrayed by trusted confidants before, Joanie had learned not to share secrets¡ªwhether hers or others¡¯. She intended to do the same this time, but her profession posed a problem. ¡ªIs Gravekeeper actually Korean?! ¡ªOh no, it¡¯s Kana-chan, not Gravekeeper! ¡ªKana! Kana! Kana! ¡®¡­It might be toote?¡¯ If she had known ahead of time, she could¡¯ve muted the stream, but it all happened so suddenly that she broadcasted Kana¡¯s name live. The secret. Everything. Easily over 100,000 people had seen it in real-time. When she thought about how many more would see it as clips or in various broadcasts and onlinemunities, the numbers were unfathomable. Hoping that so many people would keep the secret? ¡®Haha. No way.¡¯ Unless they were some alien race connected through neuralworks, all sharing the same thoughts, it was impossible. Just looking at the chat was proof enough, with people chanting Kana¡¯s name in unison. She just hoped no one with bad intentions would act on it. ¡°Alright, everyone. Let¡¯s calm down a bit, okay?¡± Why get so worked up over a game NPC? At the end of the day, it¡¯s just an AI¡ªalbeit a more advanced one than other games. That¡¯s what Joanie had been hearing non-stop from others during her days of struggling to win over Kana. But she didn¡¯t think of the residents of Silia as just NPCs. How could they be ¡°just NPCs¡± when they thought, acted, and spoke just like people? Even if they were ¡°just NPCs,¡± so what? Is it wrong to get immersed? After all, RPG stands for ¡°Role-ying Game,¡± doesn¡¯t it? ¡®Isn¡¯t it kind of like denying the whole RPG genre itself to criticize immersion when the whole point is to think like the characters in the world?¡¯ She believed the term ¡®over-immersion¡¯ itself was wed. That¡¯s how Joanie saw it. So, I¡¯ll do my best to honor Kana¡¯s request. ¡®Even though it feels like I¡¯m way toote¡­¡¯ I don¡¯t want to betray Kana, who trusted me enough to share. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Joanie bowed her head and begged. ¡°I don¡¯t want the unknown to be revealed. I just want to keep my promise to Kana.¡± Joanie¡¯s plea to act as if nothing were happening even in the game spread through variousmunities alongside the Gravekeeper¡¯s name. The broadcast of Joanie gained significant traction and sparked a strong reaction. ¡ª ¡°I wasn¡¯t even nning on leaving, so what?¡± ¡ª ¡°Kana-chan is a precious child¡­ We must protect her¡­¡± ¡ª ¡°She¡¯s the only one who can clear it; what else can we do?¡± ¡ª ¡°Aww, Joanie¡­¡± Even though they were busy backbiting and fighting, perhaps their true nature was kind.Moved by Joanie¡¯s heartfelt request, people decided to honor her plea, each for their own reasons. On the other hand, there were naturally those who harbored discontent. ¡ª ¡°Who does she think she is to tell us what to do?¡± ¡ª ¡°Isn¡¯t it enough to have waited a week? Now she wants us to wait again??¡± ¡ª ¡°If you want to do as you please, why not just y a single-yer game?¡± ¡ª ¡°Does she think being a streamer makes her a big deal? LOL¡± Those who felt displeased by Joanie¡¯s request began to speak out. Whether their reasons were valid or not, themunity quickly turned into a battlefield. ¡ª ¡°It¡¯s not about telling us what to do; she¡¯s just asking us to pretend like we don¡¯t know.¡± ©» ¡°Isn¡¯t that telling us what to do?¡± ©» ¡°Does this person not understand the difference between a request and an order?¡± ¡ª ¡°Who said we should wait? She just asked us to act like we don¡¯t know; that¡¯s basic readingprehension.¡± ¡ª ¡°If you¡¯re mad, why don¡¯t you be a streamer too?¡± ©» ¡°When you do be a streamer, you can do whatever you want, and the haters will shield you, but why not do it???¡± ©» ¡°Troll alert!¡± With supporters and dissenters, troublemakers and bystanders, and fence-sitters all congregated, the chaotic battleground was truly a sight to behold. The mes of war zed on, with moths throwing themselves into the fire. The moths ignited and emitted bright light, drawing in more moths. It became impossible to distinguish who was who as the chaos continued. Amidst the burning mes, some began to rise from the ashes, specifically those who had been extinguished by unseen hands. The spade that had lost its master was once again held in the owner¡¯s hand, and the wooden beam that had been ame was now a torch. Those who had turned to ash were reborn from the mes and re-entered the battlefield. ¡ª ¡°They shouldn¡¯t have given us any leeway from the start.¡± ¡ª ¡°Honestly, I was ufortable with that Hawaiian pizza meeting where they said not to try for a week. Is being part of the Purgatory Guild everything?¡± ¡ª ¡°I knew it would end up like this when the casual yers started causing a ruckus, LOL. Sigh¡­¡± In this total crisis, even the unseen hands eventually withdrew, transitioning to bystanders. The only one who could contain the situation¡ªthe manager¡ªhad also disappeared from the battlefield. Just when it seemed like the world mighte to an end, someone changed their mind. ¡ª ¡°Hey, do we really need to fight like this?¡± ¡ª ¡°What?! Are you giving up?¡± ¡ªNo, let¡¯s not fight here; let¡¯s go directly to Silia. We can block the mountain path and kill the streamer, or we can go and cause a ruckus there.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± If the advancement of firepower changed the paradigm of actual war, it was a single statement that transformed the paradigm ofmunity conflict. **** ¡°¡­What?¡± As Joanie was about to log into Silia as usual, she blinked in disbelief. ¡°War?¡± ¡ª ¡°Ooooooo!¡± ¡ª ¡°All-out war!¡± ¡ª ¡°Air raid warning! Air raid warning!¡± ¡ª ¡°Right now, the guilds are mobilizing, and it¡¯s chaos.¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± While Joanie, still unable to grasp the situation, logged into themunity, she had learned through experience that when events escted like this, themunity was usually the cause. As expected, themunity was inplete disarray. As Joanie carefully observed the traces of the horrific war, she held her throbbing head. ¡°This¡­ is this my fault?¡± ¡ª ¡°No, no, no, not at all. Just the trolls causing trouble.¡± ¡ª ¡°So you finally realized, huh? Did you think being a streamer gave you some sort of power?¡± ¡ª ¡°Looks like another troll is here.¡± ¡ª ¡°Joanie, you¡¯re not at fault! ?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Although she didn¡¯t want this oue, her words had sown the seeds of conflict. So, why did ite to this? Joanie struggled to regain herposure and re-read the messages carefully. In the midst of themunity war, someone¡¯sment had shifted the thoughts of many toward the mountain where Kana lived. They likely nned to either set up a blockade to prevent Joanie from entering or, in a childish manner, run to Kana to report. Disregarding the fact that they¡¯d be sliced by Kana¡¯s sword before they could deliver a message, it was not a bad idea. But just as there is light, there is darkness; as they came out, the defenders also emerged. Those who referred to themselves as the Kana Corps drove away the yers who had set up camp and took over the space, ring fiercely. Then, the opposing side, known as the ¡°Ouws,¡± rushed in again. Once the fighters began requesting support from their respective groups, the numbers began to swell, prompting the opposing side to do the same. This chaos swelled even further as yers who simply enjoyed PvP, bored yers, and those who were indifferent joined in, resulting in a war that ballooned like a snowball¡­ ¡ªThat was just the prologue to the war. ¡°How should I handle this¡­?¡± In less than a day, the incident had spiraled far beyond what Joanie could manage. Even if she shouted, ¡°Everyone, please don¡¯t fight because of me!¡± would that stop the war? ¡°Kana will think it¡¯s strange¡­.¡± After opening up her heart, it¡¯s natural to think something is off when the other person, who had been consistently present until now, suddenly stopsing. As Joanie fidgeted, unsure of what to do, a whisper arrived in her ear. [ Pine: Are you going to log in now, Joanie?] The sender was Pine, a fellow streamer with whom Joanie had a certain level of friendship, and the leader of the Hawaiian Engineering Club. Joanie apologized to her viewers and briefly covered her screen. [ Joanie: I was just about to log in¡­] [ Pine: It seems you understand the situation.] [ Joanie: Honestly, I don¡¯t fully understand.] [ Joanie: I didn¡¯t realize it would escte to this extent¡­] [ Pine: Don¡¯t think too seriously about it.] [ Pine: Isn¡¯t this part of the charm of RPGs?] [ Pine: If you don¡¯t like it, you can fight back.] [ Pine: That¡¯s what PVP is for, after all.] Was he trying tofort her? Though she couldn¡¯t precisely grasp Pine¡¯s intentions, his words eased Joanie¡¯s mind a little. [ Joanie: Are you also fighting, Pine?] [ Pine: Yes.] [ Pine: Ah.] [ Pine: Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯m with Kana.] [ Pine: Most of the Pern Engineering Club is on this side.] [ Joanie: Really?] Wasn¡¯t the Pern Engineering Clubposed of people who wanted to take down Kanaga more than anyone else? Joanie tilted her head in confusion, unable toprehend how they were willing to help her. [ Pine: The Ouws started the trouble with us first.] [ Pine: A man wouldn¡¯t avoid a fight that¡¯s been thrown at him.] [ Pine: Plus, there¡¯s no benefit in bowing down to a group we¡¯re at odds with.] In short, it was a statement saying there was no need topromise with a faction that offered nothing but enmity. ¡®Well, that makes sense. The Ouws¡¯ goal is to hinder me.¡¯ From the beginning, their purpose and reason were clear. Since they didn¡¯t like Joanie, they intended to cause her trouble. Blockades, wars, snitching¡ªthose were merely means to an end. [ Pine: Why don¡¯t you log in for now?] [ Pine: If youe to our side, I¡¯ll exin everything.] [ Joanie: Okay, I¡¯ll log in right away.] Wrapping up her conversation with Pine, Joanie promptly logged into Silia. ng, ng! ¡ª ¡°Kill him! Kill that bastard!¡± ¡ª ¡°What¡¯s the mage doing? Hurry up and cast your spells!¡± While she would usually be greeted by fresh air and the cheerful sound of birds, what awaited Joanie this time was the sharp sound of metal shing and a menacing atmosphere. Having logged off not far from the mountains, she immediately witnessed yers fighting upon her return. Seeing so many yers gathered, Joanie lowered her voice as much as possible. ¡°¡­It¡¯s worse than I thought.¡± ¡ªIt seems all the nearby yers have gathered. ¡ªIs it really morning with this many people around? ¡ªWho am I? ¡®Time Bill Gates.¡¯ Carefully moving to avoid detection, Joanie sessfully approached her allies. ¡°Joanie! Over here!¡± Spotting Pine, who was waving his arms to call her, Joanie hurried toward him. His armor was sttered with blood and dust, clearly showing he had been fighting just moments before. ¡°I came when you called¡­ but what about everyone else?¡± ¡°They¡¯re all fighting. I just stepped back for a moment to wee you.¡± Pine led Joanie to a makeshift tent he had set up. ¡°To be honest, the situation isn¡¯t good.¡± ¡°Is the front line unfavorable?¡± ¡°More than the front line¡­ it¡¯s the victory conditions that are the problem. We don¡¯t have any victory conditions, but they do.¡± ¡°Oh¡­.¡± ¡°We have to keep holding them back, but they only need to break through once to win.¡± ¡°Victory conditions¡­.¡± Joanie racked her brain, but no good ideas came to mind. If she approached Kana and tried to talk to him, what would she even say? ¡®There are guys trying to interfere between you and me, so don¡¯t listen to them and just ignore them!¡¯ ¡­That sounds very persuasive. In the first ce, she wouldn¡¯t even be able to say such a long sentence, and even if she did, there was no way he would believe her. She was the only one who couldmunicate with Kana; if a bunch of ruffians surrounded him, who would they think was at fault? ¡®Then it¡¯s impossible to reveal the truth.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m streamer Joanie, but I couldn¡¯t help it because of the broadcast. Sorry!¡± Even saying that wouldn¡¯t work since NPCs wouldn¡¯t hear it due to the filter, and even if there wasn¡¯t a filter, she¡¯d probably be called a crazy woman. With no answers in sight, Joanie¡¯s worries grew deeper and deeper. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 [Information: Let¡¯s Find Out Silia¡¯s Mercenary Rank] You¡¯ve just started ying Silia Online, the legendary MMORPG. You find yourself in a quiet vige and receive the title of Wood rank mercenary. Naturally, one might wonder, just how high is the Wood rank? First, mercenaries in Silia Online are divided into six ranks:
  1. Wood
  2. Bronze
  3. Silver
  4. Gold
  5. tinum
  6. Lord
If you¡¯ve read any fantasy novels or yedpetitive games, these ranks should feel familiar. The Wood rank, which you receive at the start of the game, is the lowest rank in the mercenary guild. It¡¯s essentially the rank you get just for registering with the guild. Unlike other ranks, it doesn¡¯t evene with an official mercenary badge to prove your status. In the game, most Wood rank NPCs you encounter are on par with small-town thugs, hardly a force to be reckoned with. Now, here¡¯s an interesting tidbit. If you¡¯re quick to notice details, you might wonder, why is there one rank that isn¡¯t based on a mineral? The Lord rank is distinct because it stands apart from the other ranks¡ªsomething we¡¯ll exinter. Currently, the yer with the highest level is Level 59 and holds a Gold rank badge. So, how strong is a Gold rank mercenary in the world of Silia? At this point, another set of rankses into y:
  1. Novice
  2. Beginner
  3. Expert
  4. Master
  5. Demigod
It¡¯s starting to get a bitplicated, so let me simplify things:¡ªNovice: A regr person who cannot use mana. ¡ªBeginner: Just starting to handle mana. ¡ªExpert: Proficient in using mana. ¡ªMaster: Has fully mastered both mana and weapons. ¡ªDemigod: A level beyond humans, transcending their limits. A Gold rank mercenary corresponds to the Expert level. While it may seem unimpressive, most inhabitants of Silia never surpass the Master rank, so Expert is still quite formidable. Interestingly, certain professions like mages start at the Beginner level because you need to be able to control mana to begin your path as a mage. Even within the same rank, strength can vary greatly, depending on skill proficiency, experience, and physical abilities. So, even if you manage to defeat an Expert NPC, don¡¯t underestimate your next opponent¡ªapproach with caution. As for the Lord and Demigod ranks I mentioned earlier, they are essentially one and the same. However, most people have never heard of these ranks because they exist only in legends. There¡¯s even a rumor that Arca, the first emperor who founded the Lo Arka Empire, was at this rank. (¡­skipping a bit¡­) That wraps up today¡¯s overview ofbat ranks. Due to the nature of RPGs, leveling up bes increasingly difficult as you progress, so the Expert stage can feel quite drawn-out. But remember, not all Experts are the same, so keep honing your skills and striving to grow stronger. In the next post, we¡¯ll explore the monsters of the world of Silia. If you found this helpful, feel free to drop a like! [Comments] ¡ªThanks for the info! ¡ªIt was so serious, then got surprisingly funny at the end, haha! ¡ªThere are so many Expert NPCs¡ªhow strong must a Master be? *** ¡°Joanie!¡± While Joanie was still trying to figure things out, someone burst into the tent with urgency. It was a woman dressed in typical cleric attire. She pushed open the tent p, hesitated upon seeing Joanie, and then introduced herself, a bit startled. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Lemony¡­ I¡¯m in Pine¡¯s raid team.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Joanie, the streamer.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on, Lemony?¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Lemony, who had been awkwardly greeting Joanie, suddenly remembered the reason she rushed in. ¡°The Wanderer Guild has requested a meeting!¡± ¡°Huh? The Wanderer Guild joined too?¡± Joanie was taken aback. The Wanderer Guild isn¡¯t a guild with a clear purpose. They¡¯re not out to gain power by bing stronger, nor are they a group just gathering to forge tools or hammer anvils together. People join the guild because they need a guild affiliation, but find that the requirements for joining other guilds are too stringent. That¡¯s why the Wanderer Guild has arge number of members, but they¡¯ve never acted as a unified group before. ¡°They didn¡¯t join officially as a guild. But maybe because so many of their members are participating in the war, the guild master decided to step in.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still amazing though¡­ Seeing someone obsessed with leveling upe to a ce like this means the situation must be pretty serious.¡± ¡°Are you going to ept?¡± After a brief moment of contemtion, Pine nodded. ¡°Why not? We can at least hear them out. Besides, with Joanie here, there¡¯s no way they¡¯d pull a sneak attack, right?¡± ¡°Huh? Why me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re with the big leagues. There are even rumors that just one word from you can change the whole dynamic of Silia Online. Word is, more than a few streamers have quit broadcasting after getting on your bad side¡­¡± ¡°Wait, why am I suddenly being ndered here?!¡± ¡ª dudududududu (shocked expressions) ¡ª No wonder the number of streamers has been droppingtely¡­ ¡ª The real power behind Silia Online, whoa. ¡ª Please, spare the streamers I watch! ¡°Oh no, that was a secret, wasn¡¯t it? Could you please just let this one slide¡­?¡± ¡°I said it¡¯s not true!¡± Joanie shouted, her face flushed with embarrassment, though she quickly calmed down, knowing Pine was just teasing. ¡°So, Pine, are you really the leader of the Kana faction?¡± ¡°Our guild was the first to fight, so we sort of ended up taking that position. It did bring some notoriety with it.¡± ¡°I honestly thought you¡¯d side with them¡­¡± ¡°As I said before, they were the ones who came after us first. Not much we could do about that. Besides, even if they hadn¡¯t, I still wouldn¡¯t have joined them.¡± Because I was rooting for Joanie. Pine smiled softly. ¡°You were rooting for me?¡± ¡°The way you and the Gravekeeper bicker¡­ It kind of reminded me of taming a wild cat. I got really invested in watching.¡± ¡°Bickering¡­? After all the times I got wrecked by it, that¡¯s what you saw? If it were me, I¡¯d be fuming with rage.¡± ¡°Well, tigers are still part of the feline family, right?¡± ¡°Is this that Stockholm Syndrome thing people talk about?¡± Lemony shook her head fervently, clearly disagreeing with Pine¡¯s reasoning. ¡°Let¡¯s head out quickly. If we¡¯re anyter, we¡¯ll get yelled at for cutting into their leveling time.¡± ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t put it past them to get angry, actually.¡± Joanie agreed with Pine¡¯s remark as she recalled the guild leader of the Wanderer¡¯s Guild, notorious for once streaming an entire day of silent hunting without saying a word. As they stepped outside the tent, the situation had calmed somewhat from earlier. Fights were still breaking out here and there, but the shing of weapons wasn¡¯t as intense. When they reached the center of the battlefield, a woman who had been waiting for them frowned. ¡°You could¡¯vee quicker, you know. Don¡¯t you realize time is money?¡± ¡°How do you always manage to be so predictable?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as apliment.¡± The leader of the Wanderer¡¯s Guild was also a streamer, though not asrge as Joanie or Pine, but with a loyal following nheless. Joanie knew there were quite a few people who had joined the guild because they were fans of her. ¡°So, what brings our dear Yuki, who usually lives for hunting, to grace us with her presence?¡± ¡°PVP and wars are all fun when they¡¯re just for kicks, but things have gotten out of hand. People are PK¡¯ing (yer Killing) innocent bystanders left and right, and theints keep piling up. Even I can¡¯t just ignore public sentiment forever.¡± ¡°Public sentiment? You¡¯re the one who does 24-hour non-interactive hunting streams!¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t hunting. That was me pushing my limits. I wanted to see how long I could hold out against an endless wave of enemies.¡± ¡°¡­Honestly, are you sure you¡¯re not an NPC?¡± ¡°How rude.¡± Yuki shrugged. ¡°Anyway, I didn¡¯t tell anyone to start PK¡¯ing. But people keep bothering me when I¡¯m trying to hunt.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so you¡­¡± Unlike Joanie, who had only exchanged a few words with Yuki, Pine had known her longer and kept teasing her. But when Yuki pulled the sword from the ground where she¡¯d stabbed it earlier, Pine finally shut up. ¡°So, what¡¯s this about, anyway?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make some rules.¡± Yuki drew a long line across the ground with her sword. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired of this? You die,e back, die again, ande back again¡­.¡± Even though people could resurrect indefinitely, their interest wouldn¡¯tst forever, and at some point, it would all end. But until then, it would just be an endless, pointless war of attrition. ¡°We¡¯ll take a short truce, reorganize, and then fight again. If you die, you¡¯re out for good. In the end, the side with no one left loses.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re proposing a deathmatch. Like a real war.¡± ¡°Do you enjoy this kind of fight? A battle without any nerve-wracking tension?¡± ¡°You¡¯re seriously¡­.¡± Pine shook his head. ¡°What happens when a side loses?¡± ¡°The losing side has to fully cooperate with the winning side. Our group already agreed to that. If anyone from our side doesn¡¯tply, we¡¯ll help you deal with them. But you have to do the same.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the deal, then fine¡­.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. So, if we lose, we¡¯re just supposed to ept that blockade they¡¯ve set up?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the problem? If you lose, isn¡¯t it normal to have nothing? Besides, this isn¡¯t like a pay-to-win game where they¡¯re using cash to boost their stats. You lost fair and square.¡± ¡°Well, still¡­.¡± ¡°And up until now, we¡¯ve been more than lenient with you. Honestly, if things hadn¡¯t gotten so heated, we wouldn¡¯t have bothered stepping in. Is it a crime to do whatever you want in an RPG? There¡¯s now saying it¡¯s prohibited.¡± Yuki¡¯s detailed reasoning left Joanie speechless. She couldn¡¯t think of any argument to counter her. ¡°Stopping people from doing whatever they want is also part of doing what you want. But to do that, you need strength. Otherwise, you need to gather so many people on your side that the fight isn¡¯t even worth starting. Comining that others won¡¯t listen to you without having that kind of power is just like a child throwing a tantrum.¡± ¡°Hey, hey. That¡¯s enough¡­.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not wrong, am I?¡± Yuki was confident, despite knowing Joanie had arge audience watching her stream. Meanwhile, Pine nervously looked around, sensing the tension. He lowered his voice, whispering to Joanie. ¡°This is actually a good oue, Joanie. If we look at the numbers, we¡¯re ahead. This is better than dragging out a war of attrition.¡± ¡°¡­Fine. I understand.¡± Joanie nodded at Pine¡¯s persuasion. That¡¯s right, after all, this was Silia Online, a world of freedom. Just because you didn¡¯t like what others were doing didn¡¯t mean getting angry would solve anything. You either had to persuade them or use criticism to sway public opinion. Finding something productive to do would be better than wasting time getting angry. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll-¡± ¡°Who said you get to make decisions on your own?¡± Step. Just then, someone approached, stepping over the line Yuki had drawn. A man with a creepy smile. Joanie looked over at Yuki, wondering if she knew him, but Yuki lightly shook her head in denial. ¡°If you¡¯ve got power, you can do whatever you want. That¡¯s true.¡± nk, nk. Behind the man¡¯s voice, a heavy sound echoed. Knights d in gleaming silver armor marched forward, their ranks shining in the sunlight. At least a hundred of them. The battlefield fell silent at the sight of their procession. On their shoulders, the ck sun emblem was painted. Joanie¡¯s eyes widened as she recognized it. ¡°The Imperial Army¡­!¡± Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Standing at the edge of the cliff, I gazed at the familiar view of the mountains. -¡°It¡¯s pretty noisy today.¡± It¡¯s a mood that makes me think of the past. Though, when I say the past, it¡¯s only been a year or two at most. -¡°Don¡¯t you think so?¡± -¡°You haven¡¯t changed a bit. Still as rude as ever.¡± ¡°Why would I be polite to an uninvited guest?¡± Schreng. The silver de slid out of its sheath.It was an old, worn-out sword with cracks running along it, but it still radiated a chilling aura. ¡°Or is this the kind of courtesy you were hoping for?¡± -¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting that kind of courtesy, but if it will help you relieve your frustration¡­¡± ¡°Tch.¡± I clicked my tongue and put the sword back. ¡°So, what brings you here? Feeling guilty for killing him and nowe to pay your respects? Or are you just here to make sure he¡¯s really dead?¡± -¡°Don¡¯t be like that. I¡¯ve been put out ofmission because of the wounds I received from that guy.¡± ¡°Hmph. A retiree? As if.¡± Sure, he may have been injured, but there¡¯s no way that old snake would sit quietly in retirement. He¡¯s probably operating from the shadows of the Empire, iming to be in recovery. -¡°I received a tip. One of the Apostles came to tell me that a girl named Kana lives in this mountain.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± A tip-off, huh¡­ -¡°So what? You came here to fight?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t test me. You and I both know we can¡¯t do that.¡± I turned away from the cliff and walked back. In front of the small cabin, a man who looked to be in his twenties sat on a roughly-made chair, wearing a neat expression. -¡°In fact, I don¡¯t want you dead. I¡¯d much rather have you join the Empire. Talented people are always in short supply. What do you think? Even now, if youe, I can ensure you¡¯re treated as well as any duke, maybe even better, if not as high as the Emperor.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± -¡°You¡¯ve never even been particrly patriotic toward Grasis.¡± The man tapped his cane against the poorly made chair. -¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to live in luxury in the Empire than like this?¡± ¡°If you let me drive my sword through your heart, I might consider it.¡± -¡°Hm, I see living in this mountain might not be so bad after all.¡± Clear air, beautiful scenery. The man joked with a grin. His smug face irritated me, and I spoke sharply, scowling. ¡°Cut to the chase. I¡¯m barely holding myself back from driving this sword into your repulsive face.¡± I¡¯d have done it already if I could, but as much as I wanted to, I couldn¡¯t. Wizards are always such a pain. -¡°You¡¯re so violent. Swordsmen, I swear.¡± ¡°Surprising. I was just thinking something simr.¡± The man clicked his tongue and mmed his cane to the ground. Mana surged rapidly, swirling and formingplex patterns. A Pact of Existence. It was the ritual of a wizard staking their very being. -¡°I have a favor to ask of you. If you do it, I¡¯ll protect the ce you hold so dear.¡± ¡°Protect? You?¡± -¡°You¡¯re still doubting me even after seeing this Pact?¡± ¡°I¡¯d trust a dimensional creature more than I¡¯d trust you.¡± -¡°Fine. I¡¯ll erect a barrier around here, one that no one can pass without your permission. It¡¯llst as long as I live. How¡¯s that? Is that enough for you?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡®He¡¯s such a cunning bastard that even with an Oath of Existence, you can¡¯t tell what tricks he might pull. Still, with such detailed conditions, it might be worth trusting him for now.¡¯ ¡°What exactly are you asking for?¡± -¡°You won¡¯t find it too harmful either, so hear me out.¡± Despite my crossed arms and obvious displeasure, the man remained as calm as ever. -¡°Earlier, I mentioned that one of the Apostles had reported about you, right? Because of that loudmouth, things have gotten a bitplicated.¡± The man began to exin. -¡°As you know, your notorious reputation precedes you. After the fall of Grasis, you disappeared, and no one could track you down¡­¡± ¡°No one could find me? Or no one dared to? Because they didn¡¯t want to die.¡± -¡°¡­Ahem! There are still many who remember you. And many who hold grudges.¡± ¡°Of course. I still remember what you did, after all.¡± -¡°Ugh, stop interrupting me and just listen. Anyway, after hearing the report, one of the knight orders set out on an expedition.¡± ¡°¡­After me? That¡¯s odd. Anyone who saw me on the battlefield wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to do that.¡± -¡°It¡¯s not that they wouldn¡¯t do it; they couldn¡¯t. Most of them are either dead or half-crippled.¡± The man smirked, turning my own words back at me. -¡°And they¡¯re not the ones who survived the war. This knight order was recently formed, full of young hotheads. It seems they¡¯ve developed a thirst for honor. Using the excuse of hunting monsters, they¡¯ve set out, but their real goal is to capture you.¡± ¡°From your perspective, I guess I am a monster. After all, you lot were always calling me one.¡± -¡°You don¡¯t understand Arkish, but you know that?¡± ¡°How could I not, when I heard it constantly?¡± How could I forget when they never stopped calling me a monster? I heard it so much that I could understand it without even trying. Besides, when you learn a newnguage, insults are often the first thing you pick up. ¡°Are you warning me? Telling me to be careful? Or are you asking me to spare their lives and send them back?¡± -¡°No. Quite the opposite.¡± The man stood up, using his staff for support. As he straightened his once-bent back, his shadow stretched long, like that of a snake. -¡°They are to be used ording to the will of the ck Master. A sword that runs wild and strays from its master¡¯s hand is no longer needed in the Empire.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I tilted my head slightly. ¡°With that kind of task, can¡¯t you handle it yourself?¡± -¡°As I mentioned earlier, I¡¯m just an old man now. It would be troublesome if I were caught using too much power.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how long you n to keep up that ridiculous act, but fine, I¡¯ll y along. Even so, this seems like a pretty one-sided deal in my favor.¡± -¡°Consider it my respect for a worthy rival. I don¡¯t want the death of a peer to be sullied either. And don¡¯t underestimate them too much. Even a sword gone rogue can still be quite sharp.¡± ¡°A sharp sword is still just a sword.¡± -¡°So, you agree?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± I dragged out my words. If you¡¯re asking whether there was anything suspicious about the offer, well, of course, there was. In fact, the whole thing reeked of suspicion. However, even considering that, the Oath he offered seemed necessary for me. In the past, I would have rejected it without even listening, but now, there was something I wanted to find out. Leaving Garid¡¯s tomb unattended had been bothering me, but with this detestable man being a Master Mage, at least I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the grave being defiled. The timing was so perfect it was almost suspicious. After a brief hesitation, I slowly nodded my head. ¡°Alright.¡± -¡°Good. Now, give me your hand for the Oath. ¡­Not that one.¡± ¡°What a hassle.¡± I withdrew my right hand, the one with the ring, and extended my left. ¡°I vow to make this Oath.¡± When the man shouted a simple activation word, the magic circle floating in the air dissolved back into the form of mana. The softly flowing mana wrapped around me, emitting a bright light as it was absorbed into my hand. For a spell that could potentially ruin someone¡¯s life, it had a rather gentle effect. As the mana fully dissipated, the man made a show of wiping sweat that hadn¡¯t even formed. -¡°Phew, it¡¯s done. As you know, I¡¯ve already put up a barrier, so you can rx.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re done, then get out.¡± -¡°So impatient. I was already leaving. I trust you¡¯ll handle things well, Kana.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t call me by my name.¡± -¡°Then what should I call you? The Crimson Reaper? The Bird of Death? Or perhaps, Kana¡ª¡± Swoosh! The swiftly charging de ripped the man¡¯s form to shreds. His body scattered into bits of mana before he could finish his sentence. It would¡¯ve been great if it were the real body instead of a clone. Of course, if it had been the real body, that senile snake wouldn¡¯t have been standing in front of me in the first ce, but I couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit of regret. He really does know how to push my buttons. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re scheming¡­¡± He imed to have learned through a report? With the Empire¡¯s intelligencework and that cunning snake¡¯s abilities, they probably already had a rough idea of my whereabouts. On top of that, he made a one-sided contract that only caused him harm, leaving me unaffected. He even sent the Imperial Army to me on purpose. The snake said he didn¡¯t know, but there¡¯s no way he didn¡¯t. In fact, it¡¯s likely the whole expedition of the army was orchestrated by his influence. Everything about it reeks of suspicion¡­ ¡°Still, I¡¯ll y along for now.¡± I was nning toe down anyway, the noise had been getting on my nerves. I thought I had finally escaped that wretched war, but living peacefully just doesn¡¯t seem to be in my destiny. Standing before the Crimson Aegis, I ran my hand over the hilt. As if beckoning me to use it, the familiar texture greeted my touch. This sword, embedded with a rare Dragon Orb, was crafted by a proud dwarf after much pleading and begging. I had named it Crimson Aegis, with the resolve to protect Grasis in my heart. A sword with a name like ¡°shield¡± ¡ª what an ironic yet fitting gesture from Garid. It made meugh back then. After Garid¡¯s death, the sword became mine, but¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t deserve to wield it.¡± That senile snake had said it, too. Why live in such a ce when Ick any patriotism? He¡¯s right, I have no lingering attachment to the fall of Grasis. The only thing that weighs on my mind is failing to uphold Garid¡¯s legacy. I failed to protect what needed protecting. How could I possibly wield a sword made for that purpose? As I closed my eyes and felt the warmth of the de, I forcefully pried my hand away, despite the lingering reluctance. It¡¯s fine ¡ª I have another great sword anyway. Gazing down at the worn de in my hand, I realized I had never given it a name. Well, I didn¡¯t expect to use it for this long. I had nned to toss it once it wore out, but who would¡¯ve thought it¡¯dst this long? A good name came to mind, so I decided to give it one. ¡°Alright, from now on, your name is Flyswatter.¡± A sword cherished enough to earn a name, huh? The cksmith who made it would be thrilled to hear that, wouldn¡¯t he? Yeah, he definitely would be. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Joanie tensed her body and asked, ¡°Why is the Imperial Army here?¡± ¡°An obvious question,¡± a knight stepped forward, pushing aside a man with a crooked smile. -¡°There is no ce beyond the reach of the great Arka Empire¡¯s ck sun. Not even the infamous Mad Continent.¡± His armor looked distinctly different from the other knights, and his intimidating tone indirectly revealed his rank. The fact that he stepped out alone among so many knights only proved he was extraordinary. Themander of the knights narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°I heard there was a criminal here; who are you?¡± ¡°¡­Criminal?¡± ¡°We are defenders of the criminal. Also, we are blind fools who know nothing of the Empire¡¯s glory.¡± -¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± Upon hearing the man¡¯s words, themander shrugged in an exaggerated manner.-¡°That¡¯s quite unfortunate. However, the Empire is generous. If you repent and reflect on your mistakes now, we can overlook minor faults. I wouldn¡¯t want to y arade I fought alongside.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean by that? I have never sided with the Empire.¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s referring to the time when we fought Grasis. The mercenaries from Liberi hired by the Empire also participated in that war.¡± ¡°Aha¡­.¡± Joanie and Pine whispered to each other. Even while talking, they subtly looked around, clearly showing signs of being pressured by the knights¡¯ imposing presence. The number of yers was much greater, but it didn¡¯t mean that everyone gathered here was on Joanie¡¯s side. Even if they epted Yuki¡¯s proposal to be appointed as the representative of the ouws and sessfully reached an agreement, it wouldn¡¯t mean they would turn into allies. Furthermore, even if they were on the same side, opposing the Empire was a different story altogether. In fact, quite a few people were stealthily withdrawing from the battlefield upon seeing the knights. -¡°What should we do?¡± -¡°Is that even a question?¡± Yuki grinned. ¡°Of course, we should fight.¡± ¡°¡­Yuki, weren¡¯t you an ouw?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the big deal when something more interestinges up than a position I was forced into? I¡¯m curious about how strong these knights are.¡± ¡°You crazy girl!¡± Pine hurriedly stopped Yuki, who seemed ready to charge at any moment with her sword drawn. ¡°If you do that, we¡¯ll all die!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you try to experience the thrill of struggle this time?¡± ¡°No way, you lunatic!¡± No matter how you looked at it, she clearly had been born in the wrong era. Or perhaps, in the wrong world altogether. As Pine attempted to reason with Yuki, he thought about that. ¡°Logically thinking, it would be wise to retreat¡­.¡± ¡°Eh, retreat?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± They were no match for the knights. While the knights were elite warriors with specialized training, they were just a ragtag bunch without even a propermander. He had no idea how powerful the knights were, but it was hard to believe that the Arka Empire¡¯s knights would be weak. Joanie bit her lip. It was great to tread paths others hadn¡¯t dared to walk, but was it really necessary to do so while shing with many yers and opposing the Empire? Memories from the past few days shed through her mind. The days she spent struggling to climb mountains, bringing food to Kana after he saved her life. It was she who had said thank you and promised to repay him, but now that she saw him not responding at all, it felt a bit irritating. How moved she was when Kana taught her how to wield a sword and shared his name with her. Joanie realized something. ¡°I will fight.¡± She tried to tame the fox, but in reality, the fox was not Kana, but herself. Some might ask if that¡¯s all it takes to form a bond, but for her, it was not ¡°just¡± anything. She had wished for such a connection ever since shey in the hospital a long time ago. And there was another reason as well. ¡°It¡¯s because of me that this happened. So, it¡¯s only right that I take responsibility. That¡¯s what it means to be an adult.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s cool.¡± ¡°Joanie¡­.¡± Pine looked at Joanie with aplex expression. ¡°I won¡¯t force you to fight along, Pine. I¡¯ve already received enough help from you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m more than willing to fight alongside you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Yuki.¡± It was a bit strange, but there was no more reliable ally than Yuki, who had the highest level among yers and extensivebat experience. ¡°Ugh, seriously¡­.¡± Pine scratched his head in irritation. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll fight too.¡± ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s okay? You could end up at odds with the Empire.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to be at odds with the Empire than with the viewers. Since it¡¯se to this, I might as well make a video out of it and rake in some views.¡± The profession of a streamer is one that thrives on public sentiment. While it¡¯s not eptable to be swayed blindly by the viewers, one cannotpletely ignore public sentiment; that¡¯s the nature of the job. Even now, as he showed a passive attitude, the chat was flooded with ¡°chicken¡± and ¡°scram.¡± With the word ¡°chicken¡± appearing alongside it. Naturally, Pine reacted with frustration. Even though he looked fairly handsome, he was definitely XY in chromosomes, and the word ¡°chicken¡± was a magical term that could never be tolerated once born male. ¡°Who¡¯s scared? The only thing that scares me in my life is a chicken sandwich!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ some¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡°It seems you have no intention of reflecting on your actions.¡± The captain, watching the banter among the three streamers, spoke up. He didn¡¯t show any particr sign of anger, despite hearing words that openly defied him. It was as if he thought their conspiracies would be utterly useless. -¡°Those foolish beings who cannot witness the glory of the ck Sun are always like that. Even when given the opportunity to realize their mistakes, they kick it away themselves.¡± ¡°Whatever the glory of the ck Sun might be, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve done anything wrong.¡± -¡°Not knowing the glory of the ck Sun itself is wrong.¡± Such arrogant words. But at the same time, they showcased the power of the Lo Arka Empire. There was no ce in the Ardina Continent that could escape the Empire¡¯s grasp. -¡°And to advocate for a sinner means you are on the same side as that sinner. As a knight who must uphold justice, I cannot just stand by.¡± ¡°Keep saying sinner, sinner¡ªwho¡¯s the sinner?¡± -¡°Are you pretending not to know?¡± The captain frowned. -¡°Thest sword of Grasis, the Red Reaper. A monster that has massacred countless citizens of the Empire.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re talking about Kana?¡± -¡°Ah, yes, that was the name.¡± He thought that Kana would be an extraordinary figure capable of ughtering yers, but for the Empire, her name seemed to carry even greater weight than Joanie had anticipated. -¡°The old folks trembled just mentioning that name. They said, ¡®If you call her name, the Reaper wille.¡¯¡± With a heavy thud, he took a step forward. A thick cloud of dust rose, and a weighty impact hit the air strongly. -¡°Nevertheless, that¡¯s merely a hollow reputation gained during war. Alone, she can do nothing; isn¡¯t it rather foolish to cower in fear?¡± The captain stretched out his arm. A ck cloak billowed violently, fluttering in the wind, following the silver armor. -¡°Today, we hunt the monster. We will sever its neck and show it to everyone. The monster you feared is nothing but this. We will cleanse the rotting knights and take their ce. For a better Empire! For the glory of the ck Sun!¡± ¡ª ¡°For the glory of the ck Sun!¡± Boom! A resounding echo followed themander¡¯s speech. Nearly a hundred knights struck their swords down with unerring precision. Even Yuki, who had been brimming with confidence, took a step back, eyeing them warily. -¡°I¡¯ll give you onest chance. If you step aside now, we¡¯ll pretend this never happened.¡± ng! ¡°Is that so?¡± Instead of answering, she drew her sword, bow, and staff. Those who would flee had already run away; the remaining ones were aze with fighting spirit. Compared to before, their numbers were distinctly fewer. On the other hand, some of the ouws had subtly slipped behind the knights, preparing to fight alongside them. It seemed they hoped for a few crumbs if they helped, or maybe they had no reason to pull back anyway. -¡°The Apostles don¡¯t die, right? Then engrave this clearly into your souls.¡± Swish. ¡ª ¡°For the greatness of the Empire!¡± The knights all drew their swords simultaneously. It was a tense situation. Contrary to the rxed expressions of the knights, the supporter of Kana¡¯s face were hardened, frozen in fear. No one seemed willing to move, tense and watching the knights¡¯ actions closely. But not everyone felt the same way. ¡°Hah¡­ I can¡¯t stand it¡­!¡± ¡°Hey, you crazy girl!¡± Yuki, twisting her body as if she were desperate to relieve herself, was the first to charge forward with her oversized sword in hand. With her rush as a signal, the knights began to form ranks and charge as well. ¡°Joanie! Get back!¡± ¡°Yes, I will!¡± Knowing Joanie¡¯scklusterbat skills, Pine hurriedly pushed her back. Everyone here had gathered to help Joanie. Even if she could resurrect at a revival point, they believed her death would break their morale. ¡°I¡¯ll confess to her once this war is over.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t set up gs, focus!¡± As the yers wrapped mana around their weapons, the knights responded by enveloping their swords and shields in mana as well. Unlike the unstable, erratic mana of the yers, the knights¡¯ mana remained stable and unwavering. Even if their levels were the same, their fighting power was not. It was a thought that came to mind at that moment. ¡°Uagh!¡± A brave knight who charged in was met with a red line across his body. He was thrown back against his shield and failed to recover, leaving this world. ¡°Hah!¡± Boom! A heavy sound echoed as the sword cleaved through the air, sending one knight flying far away. Could he block with his sword? For a moment, the knight pondered but chose to deflect the strike with the shield in his other hand. ¡°Gah¡­!¡± A groan escaped the knight¡¯s lips as he felt the weight pressing down on his arm. The woman before him was unlike the others¡­! With a single confrontation, the knight felt it and gritted his teeth. ¡°Ah¡­ this sensation of blood rushing¡­ it feels so good¡­!¡± Yuki, with her lips curled into a smirk, struck the ground again. She twisted her waist with all her might, turning her body as she swung her great sword. Thebination of body enhancement through mana and centrifugal force produced an astonishing speed. The knight couldn¡¯t parry the sword again. Whenever the knight took a step back, Yuki took a step forward; when he retreated again, she advanced once more. The captain clicked his tongue at the knight¡¯s pitiful disy, being overwhelmed by something so weak as a mere apostle. -¡°Tch. At this rate, I¡¯ll have to make him run a hundredps around the training ground.¡± The captain raised his sword high. Chills ran down Yuki¡¯s spine. It felt as if ice was being poured over her; she forced herself to withdraw her great sword and leaped backward. Swish! ¡°¡­!¡± A sword beam flew through the spot she had just upied. ¡ª ¡°Ugh, aaaaah!¡± ¡ª ¡°What¡¯s that! What¡¯s flying at us!¡± ¡ª ¡°It¡¯s a sword beam! Dodge!¡± Everything in a straight line with Yuki was sliced apart. People screamed while clutching their arms. Some couldn¡¯t even scream and turned into light halos. Others stood frozen in shock at the sight of their vanishedpanions. In the instant chaos, Joanie¡¯s eyes trembled. ¡°Stronger¡­.¡± The bacsh from her unexpected movement arrivedte. Ignoring the screamsing from her aching waist, Yuki took a deep breath. ¡°This might be a bit difficult.¡± She thought she had grown stronger from the relentless fighting, but instinctively, she sensed that she couldn¡¯t match the captain. If the boss was bound by the system¡¯s restrictions, she might have been able to defeat him, but this was war, not a raid or boss battle. The weak would not survive. Even after unleashing a sword beam that could split the earth, the captain showed no signs of fatigue as he raised his sword once more. With a low hum, mana gradually gathered. Once that mana fully coalesced, another strike like the previous one woulde. Yuki widened her eyes, focusing all her concentration on the captain. But the captain¡¯s gaze wasn¡¯t fixed on her. ¡°Dodge!¡± The endpoint of his gaze was Joanie. Hearing Yuki¡¯s urgent shout, Joanie turned her head, but the captain¡¯s arm was already swinging downward toward the ground. Swoosh! ¡°¡­!¡± A massive sword beam sliced through the air. Joanie¡¯s wide eyes captured the image of the sword beam racing toward her. ¡®There¡¯s no way to dodge this¡ª¡¯ As death approached, Joanie felt time elongate. She clearly saw the sword beam heading for her body. Yet, the elongated time was also shared by Joanie. Her eyes closed, sensing her impending doom. And thus, one second, two seconds, three seconds¡­. ¡°¡­?¡± After waiting for a few seconds with her eyes tightly shut, there was no pain. ¡°Did I die without even feeling pain¡­?¡± It would be better that way. ¡°What if I open my eyes and suddenly¡­?¡± Joanie trembled, forcing herself to open her eyes slightly. The first thing that caught her eye was pink. Soft pink hair, like cherry blossoms, swayed gently, and a sweet fragrance lightly enveloped Joanie. Next, she noticed a small figure, seemingly two heads shorter than Joanie, wrapped in a shabby ck cape. A girl stood confidently in front of her, holding a sword that looked like it could break at any moment. Though it was a figure Joanie had longed to see yet had never encountered before, she instinctively knew the identity of the girl. ¡°Kana¡­!¡± Chapter 19 Chapter 19 ¡°Sorry! I identally released a swarm of flies! They¡¯ll be crashing at your ce soon, so handle it!¡± With that feeling, I was gathering my insect-ying gear¡ªa fly swatter¡ªwhile trudging down the mountain after receiving amission from a client I¡¯d rather not see. I wondered why the Apostles were unusually quiet at the foot of the mountain, only to realize the bug swarm mentioned by the client had already arrived. There was no way they could¡¯ve made it all the way here from the imperial capital, so they must have used a teleport gate¡­ ¡°Looks like the payment is substantial.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be a small amount, that¡¯s for sure, unless there had been a groundbreaking development while I was holed up in the mountains. As I clicked my tongue at the imperial folks¡¯ careless economic sense, I noticed a guy who seemed to be the head of the knight squad start talking to someone I recognized. I couldn¡¯t hear their conversation from this distance, but it was the same old routine with the imperial folks¡ªnothing of substance, right? Glory to the ck Sun, the greatness of the empire, h h h¡­I was so bored. Isn¡¯t it about time they switched up their repertoire? Still, despite my feelings, an ordinary person might have felt the pressure. After all, the imperial power was genuinely impressive. ¡°Oh?¡± I thought the Apostles would react simrly, but to my surprise, Joanie and the Apostles began to takebat stances. I watched, my eyes lighting up. ¡°Oooh¡­¡± What an unexpected turn of events. They must know the power disparity is overwhelming, yet they bravely brandished their weapons. Perhaps it¡¯s an action they can afford since they¡¯d juste back to life after dying, but even so, deciding to fight back isn¡¯t an easy choice. ¡®Well, considering they kept charging at me while getting sliced up, I suppose it makes sense.¡¯ Thinking that made it somewhat understandable. If I could¡¯ve enjoyed some popcorn while watching, that would have been great, but there¡¯s no such thing as popcorn appearing out of nowhere, so what could I do? Instead, I settled down on a cliff halfway up the mountain and watched as the chicks peeped and yed. Chicks bravely battling against the fly swarm. ¡®¡­That sounds a bit strange.¡¯ Aren¡¯t the chicks at the top of the food chain in the food web? Anyway, as expected, the chicks¡¯ situation wasn¡¯t looking good. The enemy¡¯s heads hadn¡¯t even emerged yet, and every time the knights¡¯ swords gleamed, the Apostles were busy backing away without even managing to retaliate. Still, not every Apostle was helplessly overwhelmed. Some were straining every muscle to maintain the front lines. The one who stood out the most was a woman wielding arge sword at the front. Although her opponent appeared to be a low-ranked knight with little experience, it was impressive how she aggressively pushed forward with her offensive. At first nce, it might seem like she was swinging her sword mindlessly, but unlike others, there was a hint of expertise in her movements. On the other hand, my shuttle¡­ or rather, Joanie is¡ª ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s over.¡± I was watching from a step behind as others fought. If only I could follow even half of the courage that Big Sword chick had. When I saw her stand up to themander, I felt a bit proud, but of course. Though with Joanie¡¯s skills, stepping in wouldn¡¯t be of much help, if I¡¯m just standing frozen like this, I won¡¯t be able to respond if danger approaches, right? Just like now. Seeing themander gathering mana again after sending out his sword energy, I let out a deep sigh. Then I shook off my butt and stood at the edge of the cliff. ¡°I thought I would never raise my sword again to protect something.¡± I need to protect my precious shuttle¡­ no, my student. I keep saying the wrong words. I stomped the cliff with my right foot. The surrounding scenery twisted and blurred like a smeared watercolor painting. A moment of sudden eleration. Before I knew it, I stood tall right in the middle of the battlefield, where I had been far away just moments ago. Before my eyes, a crescent-shaped sword energy unted its bluish mana and rushed towards me. It was a pretty powerful sword energy, not something themander earned just by chance, but then again, it was only that much. There was no need to wrap it in sword energy. I drew my sword and cut through the seam of the sword energy. To nullify an attack that took the lives of countless chicks was sufficient with just two simple strikes. ¡®Cape, got torn.¡¯ The already ragged cape couldn¡¯t keep up with my movements and was ultimately torn apart. I bought it at a high price¡­ Feeling regretful, I was fiddling with the cape when Joanie, standing behind me, shouted with delight. ¡°Kana¡­!¡± ¡®¡­? ¡­I clearly said my name was a secret.¡¯ Why is she shouting so confidently? Still, seeing her standing her ground against the imperial bastards instead of running away made that voice not seem so annoying. And given the situation now, it hardly mattered. Suddenly appearing, I cast silence over the surroundings. The knights who were relentlessly pressing the apostles and the apostles who were being pushed back couldn¡¯t help but look at me with nk expressions. Well¡­ it¡¯s not unfamiliar. Even the ones who first faced me on the battlefield had that same expression. And the next typical reaction was usually¡ª ¡ª ¡°Ha, ha! The identity of the Red Reaper is such a little brat! Howughable! You were frightened by this little brat!¡± ¡ª ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡± Mockery and disdain. That senile snake at least spoke in a way I could understand, but this guy was rambling happily in anguage only he understood. I couldn¡¯tprehend the words, but judging by the way he was scoffing and scanning my body with a nasty look, I could tell what he meant. As themander finished his words,ughter began to spread among the knights. Knights who had been shing weapons slowly gathered behind themander, but the apostles didn¡¯t dare to stop them. It seemed they realized that rushing in recklessly would result in their own deaths. ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± Smirks peeking out from between their helmets. I¡¯ve seen this too many times, so I wasn¡¯t particrly moved. ¡ª ¡°All the worn-out swords match your looks, don¡¯t they!¡± ¡°Exactly, I told you to speak in a way I could understand.¡± It seems they were trying to insult me, but if I can¡¯t understand, what¡¯s the point? That snake seems to be so senile that he can¡¯t manage his subordinates properly. ¡°If you¡¯re a knight, you should speak with your sword.¡± Instead of attempting to converse with words that don¡¯t connect, I took up my sword. ¡°It seems you were having quite a bit of fun.¡± I raised my sword high, just as the leader had done. With a momentum that seemed to pierce through the high sun. ¡°That¡¯s not how you do it.¡± The power was quite strong, but the essence was just mindlessly packing and releasing mana. A foolish and simple swordsmanship without any technique. Using 100 mana to produce an efficiency of 50 and feeling proud about it is nothing short of ridiculous. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you a move, so watch carefully and learn.¡± In the blink of an eye, as brief as a single blink, the sword that was aimed at the vast sky was already descending toward the ground. Swoosh! Chop! ¡°Now do you understand?¡± Just how pathetic you are. *** A dramatic entrance reminiscent of aic book protagonist. Joanie stared nkly at Kana¡¯s back, who appeared like a miracle to save her. Though her front was obscured, just by seeing her back, it was enough to know that Kana had taken on a girl¡¯s form. ¡ª???????? ¡ª?????????? ¡ª WHATTT?!?!?!?! The viewers were not the only ones shocked by the delicate back that belied her overwhelming strength. In an instant, as if she had been on the battlefield from the beginning, Kana appeared and effortlessly dispelled the sword energies that had consumed numerous yers, drawing all eyes on the battlefield toward her. Pine was unable to hide his astonishment at Kana¡¯s appearance. ¡°Is it real, is it really¡­?¡± Is this really happening? The chat room was buzzing, mirroring his emotions. Her drowsy pink eyes blinked slowly. The hair that swayed in the wind made one feel an urge to stroke it. How soft would it be to wrap that hair between my fingers and stroke it down? Her round face and gently curved eyes created a mild impression of a girl. Her adorably charming face left one momentarily speechless. How could such a cute face, seemingly incapable of swatting a fly, disy such terrifying power? The shocking truth that the Gravekeeper, who had killed him countless times, was a cute and small girl left Pine¡¯s head spinning. However, Joanie, who couldn¡¯t see Kana¡¯s face, was only filled with concern. ¡°I know Kana is strong, but¡­¡± She didn¡¯t believe that Kana could win against so many knights. It¡¯s difficult for a few to defeat many, but it¡¯s not surprising for many to defeat a few. Moreover, the more numerous the attackers, the lesser the damage when they emerge victorious. Inbat, the number of participants is that important. ¡°Even if a raid boss dies, it will resurrect, but right now when it¡¯s not a raid¡­?¡± I don¡¯t know why Kana, who is stuck in a corner of the mountain, suddenly showed up here. Since she had run away once already, it was just something to overlook. However, unlike that time, now when entering a raid, the instance channel wasn¡¯t separated, and seeing theck of a health bar, it also didn¡¯t ssify as a boss. That meant she was no different from any other NPC. ¡°Run¡­ run away¡­!¡± Unlike herself, who could resurrect even after dying, Kana would note back to life if she died. Realizing this fact, Joanie wanted to warn Kana to flee, but her body, paralyzed by the fear of death, could hardly produce a voice. Kana raised her sword, not having heard Joanie¡¯s warning. It was the same action the leader had taken. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you a thing or two, so watch closely and learn.¡± Kana¡¯s arm blurred. ¡°¡­?¡± In the next moment, what had clearly been pointing to the sky was now directed toward the ground. Had she missed the swing due to tired eyes? Just as Joanie was about to rub her eyes. Chak-chak-chak! The air. The knights. The ground. Everything in the trajectory of the sword was split in half. Crash! The knights who had mocked Kana vanished, half of their bodies swallowed into the gaping maw of the abyss. Even seeing it with her own eyes, it was hard to believe as the battlefield once again fell into silence. ¡°What, what, what is this¡­?¡± Was it sheer luck that he was out of the attack range, or did Kana intentionally let him live? A fierce wave surged in themander¡¯s eyes as he lost more than half of his subordinates in an instant. The faces that had been so boldly mocking just moments ago were now pale with fear. ¡°¡­You were trying to capture something like that?¡± Ha ha, this is like a bad game. Pine chuckled emptily. So they had really just been ying around until now. It looked like the depth was over 10 meters at a nce. Not to mention the length. To catch a monster that could split the ground with a single swing of a sword? ¡°Yeah, no thanks.¡± No. He couldn¡¯t. As of today, the Kana raid was officially closed¡­ While Pine made that resolve, Joanie was also in shock. She had known it was strong, but she never imagined it would be this strong. The knights, who had been effortlessly cutting down yers until now, had lost more than half of their numbers in an instant. The remaining knights were in no better shape. The once soaring morale had been crushed in an instant, their expressions wishing to turn and flee at any moment. ¡®Well, how could they not be shaken after seeing that?¡¯ Why did she feel pity for the knights who had seemed so terrifying just moments ago? Joanie felt as if Kana¡¯s small back loomedrge like a mountain. ¡ª ¡°Mo-monster! No! A monster girl!¡± ¡°That reaction is getting old.¡± While the panickedmander screamed, Kana leisurely shook off her sword-wielding hand. Psssh. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The sword in the girl¡¯s hand crumbled to dust and fell like flour. Kana let out a short exmation, and Joanie made a dazed sound as she struggled toprehend the situation, while themander¡¯s face lit up with joy. ¡ª ¡°It¡¯s an opportunity! All troops, charge! Charge!¡± ¡°Now you want to rush in just because you think it¡¯s a chance? I kept a spare just for this¡­¡± Kana scoffed and adjusted her waist. Digging through. Dig, dig, dig. ¡­Dig. Kana¡¯s hand slowed down until it eventually came to a stop. ¡®¡­shit¡¯ ¡°¡­but I didn¡¯t bring it.¡± The knights approached right in front of Kana. They instinctively sensed that if they didn¡¯t act now, the opportunity might nevere again. As they charged forward with desperate steps and faces twisted in determination, Joanie anxiously grabbed the hem of Kana¡¯s clothes. ¡°Kana!¡± Feeling the presence, Kana turned around. The moment Joanie saw Kana¡¯s face, she gasped but quickly regained herposure and thrust out her sword. ¡°I¡¯ll give you my sword! Use this!¡± However, Kana did not ept the sword. ¡°I¡¯ll give you my sword!¡± Could it be that she didn¡¯t understand because it was in Arkish? She tried again in Granic, but Kana still didn¡¯t take the sword. Even as the knights drew closer, the girl merely gazed at Joanie with serene eyes. Joanie caught a glimpse of a whirlwind of emotions swirling in Kana¡¯s seemingly indifferent gaze. Red, blue, ck, and bright feelings. So vibrant that it was beyond words, and suffocating in its murky swirl, Joanie could not grasp its essence. But if she dared to name it, it would probably be called longing. Snapped out of her daze, Joanie suddenly realized. Though she wanted to see those eyes forever, this was not the time for that. ¡®If this goes on, she¡¯ll die!¡¯ I don¡¯t care, but you¡¯re really going to die! As Joanie fidgeted and paced anxiously, Kana finally opened her mouth. ¡°Canaria Grasis.¡± ¡°¡­huh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my name.¡± In her usual indifferent tone, the girl epted the sword that Joanie had extended. Swoosh. With a quiet slicing sound, the world was split in half. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 The girl¡¯s first memory was when she was four years old. A gentle tone and a cold gaze. Even a hedgehog thinks its younglings are beautiful, yet the faces of the parents looking down at the girl showed no trace of affection. ¡°Did you know? In the past, when entering a coal mine, they used to bring a canary. Canaries are sensitive to harmful gases that humans can¡¯t detect, so when the canary died or showed abnormal symptoms, people realized it was dangerous and evacuated,¡± they said. A bird that signals danger with its death, the canary. ¡°And that¡¯s why your name is ¡®Canaria.''¡± Please, willingly die for us. The little bird of the coal mine. ***A face dripping with concern. How long has it been since I¡¯ve seen someone look at me like that? In fact, there¡¯s no need to count the time. I¡¯ve hardly received such a gaze from anyone else before. Those aligned with the royal family or the aristocracy were busy mocking and belittling me, while those beneath me believed in me, feared me, knowing my strength. Of course, the Empire had no reason to be concerned about me. From the moment my memories began, I had only received feelings far removed from warm affections; thus, the expression on that person¡¯s face felt very foreign. ¡­It¡¯s ufortable. For some reason, a part of my heart felt unbearably ticklish. When it itches, it¡¯s fine to scratch it, but I didn¡¯t know how to relieve the kind of itch I felt now. *** ¡°Canaria Grasis. That¡¯s my name.¡± As I averted my gaze from the heart that charged straight toward me and organized the swarm of flies that had dashed in without knowing the topic, the ticklish feeling finally settled down. I lightly brushed off my sword and walked towards the only remaining fly. Fortunately, there was no ident of my sword turning into powder. *** ¡ª ¡°Ku, cough¡­!¡± ¡°How unfortunate.¡± You¡¯re really a pitiful creature. What on earth did you do to be out of the snake¡¯s favor? Sometimes people deceive themselves into thinking that their choices were made entirely of their own will. It¡¯s natural. How could one know that a great being exists if they couldn¡¯t even perceive it, let alone know that it governs their fate? In this case, that being was the snake. Perhaps I might be the same. *** ¡°If only you had more time, you might not have known.¡± Even though it wasn¡¯t an all-out attack, judging from the fact that you survived an attempt to kill you, you aren¡¯tpletelycking in talent. It¡¯s true that I¡¯m merely existing, but I suppose it¡¯s fair to say I have some talent. But what can I do? I¡¯m not the kind of person who would spare the life of someone who tried to kill me. I raised my sword indifferently. Themander clutched his waist, which had been sliced through his armor, gasping for breath. ¡°P-please¡­ save me¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I know that line well.¡± Surely, he was begging for his life, right? ¡°Yeah, sorry about that.¡± Thud. ¡°Grrr¡­¡± With a sound like bubbling blood, the light faded from his eyes, and I felt thest breath of life vividly transmitted through my fingertips. There was nothing novel about it. A person who casually attached eyes to cat dolls one day wouldn¡¯t feel any special sentiment upon doing the same to a dog doll. To me, this was exactly that level of event. Ah, but maybe I shouldn¡¯t have used a sword. It feels a bit uneasy returning something soiled that I borrowed. ¡°Well done.¡± In an attempt to make up for it, I wiped off just enough blood and returned the sword to Joanie. Perhaps she didn¡¯t like my action. Instead of epting the sword I offered, she had a look that seemed to convey she wanted to say something. ¡°Grasis¡­? Wow, was she royalty?! No wonder she looked so extraordinary; what if I get arrested for sphemy? But it¡¯s already been destroyed, so what does it matter? No, still¡­ huh? Just ask her directly?¡± Joanie, mumbling earnestly in archaic speech, cautiously asked me. ¡°Kana, Grasis?¡± She drew something that resembled a crown above her head with her finger. Though her grasp of the archaguage was clumsy, I understood what she was trying to say. I shook my head. ¡°No.¡± How could I be rted to such terrible people? The very thought of having the same blood as those who lounged around in a castle without doing anything sent shivers down my spine. She seemed to have some knowledge of Grasis, but perhaps she didn¡¯t know everything. Well, it¡¯s understandable; only nobles would know such information. After all, the story about the origins of Grasis and the customs surrounding it were almost like relics, basically just shells of what they once were. ording to the ¡°Zigrid Adventure,¡± Grasis is a kingdom founded by the first king, Zigrid, with the help of the red dragon Grasis. Whether it was Zigrid¡¯s sincerity in naming the kingdom after himself or some other reason, I don¡¯t know. For whatever reason, Grasis provided Zigrid with the Granguage and treasures, one of which was a ring named ¡°Grasis¡¯ Blessing.¡± This ring, created by Grasis and imbued with mana, became an invaluable treasure for Grasis, but¡­ The problem was that very few could handle the ring¡¯s overwhelming power. It felt wasteful to keep it in the treasury, too dangerous for the king to wear, and yet giving it outright to someone who could handle it wasn¡¯t a feasible option. While troubled by this, Zigrid devised a clever n. He decided to create an order of knights and appoint the strongest person in Grasis as themander of that order, entrusting them with Grasis¡¯ Blessing. Since it was a position to protect the kingdom, it fit well with the name ¡°Grasis¡¯ Blessing,¡± and as Grasis was incapable of pointing a de at royalty due to Grasis¡¯ arrangements, there was no reason to hesitate. Moreover, given Grasis¡¯ sentiment of reverence for the red dragon, it was impossible to look down on someone who could wield dragon mana, so they bestowed the title of ¡°Grasis¡± and regarded it highly. It was like being a representative. In reality, it was a way of blinding ourselves to the truth. Regarded highly? Nonsense. Over time, the meaning faded, and by my time, it had be apletely hollow and ineffectual custom. So, the average citizens of the kingdom would know nothing about it. The royal family mentioned it only during ceremonies. Anyway, it was only natural that I possessed the title of Grasis. After all, I was thestmander of the Crimson Aegis. ¡°¡ªBut saying this won¡¯t make any sense anyway.¡± Instead of exining in detail, I lightly brushed off Joanie¡¯s question with a vague denial. Joanie still looked utterly confused. ¡°¡­Is that a no? It must be a no, right? Ugh, then what¡­? No, more importantly, that¡¯s not the important thing right now¡­.¡± The more I looked, the more I realized she had a lot of inner monologue. I meant to convey with a gesture to take the sword and leave, but Joanie fumbled to grab it. Then, suddenly, she bent forward at the waist. I was taken aback by her sudden and unexpected action. ¡°Sorry. Secret, name.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Only after hearing her stammering in Granic did I understand Joanie¡¯s behavior. A mere three-word apology. But for some reason, those clumsy words resonated deeply within me. From her reaction, it seemed that the word had spread because of her, but she hadn¡¯t informed the Empire¡­ Despite being a coward, she didn¡¯t hesitate to confront the Imperial Army, so it wasn¡¯t as if she hadn¡¯t made an effort to redeem herself. More than anything, for some reason, looking at her made the suppressed itchiness within me try to rear its head again. ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s fine.¡± I averted my gaze from her. Then, as I waved my hand to adjust my hood that had been pulled down, I remembered that the connection had torn and awkwardly ruffled my hair. ¡°Um, do you want me to fix it?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll repair it, repair it.¡± Joanie, who had been looking at me with guilty eyes, this time waved her hand. With one hand, she seemed to hold something broad while the other grasped something long. ¡°¡®Repair¡¯¡­?¡± ¡°Yes! Repair!¡± So, she meant to say she would fix it? As I stared nkly, Joanie moved her hands again. This time, it was a gesture closer to sewing. I tilted my head slightly, then epted it without much thought. After all, it was a ruined garment. I didn¡¯t care whether she repaired it or sold it off somewhere. Still, I hoped she could at least fix it. As I took off the cape, a gust of wind brushed past my arm. Thud. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Greatsword chick?¡± While I was talking to Joanie, an Apostle wielding a greatsword stepped closer to me to greet me. Then, she thrust the greatsword, about my height, towards me. ¡°Let¡¯s fight.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Yuki!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± There didn¡¯t seem to be any malice behind it. When I tilted my head at the greatsword thrust toward me, the people around began to panic even more. Joanie had seen this so often that she was unfazed. The man behind was¡­ well¡­ Thanks to Edel¡¯s protection, his face still wasn¡¯t properly visible, but in another sense, he felt familiar. Like someone I had crossed swords with several times. Right? Wham. Thud. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Ha, haha.¡± ¡­It¡¯s a bit unsettling, but considering the effort of those Imperial bastardsing here iming they want to take me down, I¡¯ll let it slide this once. But there won¡¯t be a second time. As I turned my gaze away, I could hear a sigh of relief. I looked into the eyes of the Great Sword Chick and tried to read her emotions. In her eyes, a quiet me flickered. ¡®Aha.¡¯ There are sometimes people like this. They possess high self-esteem, charging forward without hesitation even when faced with a superior opponent. Such individuals usually have a strong desire for self-improvement, and rather than scheming in secret, they prefer to confront openly, so I don¡¯t mind them too much. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s bothersome that they have set their sights on me. As I pondered, I reached out to Joanie instead of responding. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Can I borrow your sword, just once more?¡± Especially this Great Sword Chick, whether in battle or now, is the type to annoyingly follow me around, even if I ignore her. It¡¯s better to just give her what she wants and send her on her way. ¡°No way, Yuki! Are you really going to fight with that? Are you out of your mind? Really? For real?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it more fun that way?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Joanie shook the Great Sword Chick¡¯s shoulder vigorously, but the Great Sword Chick remained unyielding. ¡°Even if you can¡¯t understand, just don¡¯t kill me¡­¡± I chuckled and shrugged at Joanie, who was extending the sword towards me. I really have no idea what she¡¯s saying. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 There¡¯s a famous saying known by every swordsman in the Ardina Continent: ¡°By crossing swords, one can understand that person¡¯s life.¡± I think this saying isn¡¯tpletely true, but it¡¯s not entirely false either. In reality, when you cross swords, you can feel certain things. If the movements are hasty, it means the person has a hasty personality; if they focus on evasion, it indicates they are passive. It¡¯s not just limited to personality insights. You can tell whether they learned swordsmanship through proper training or practical experience, what movements they prefer, and even which country they might hail from. Swordsmanship encapstes more than one might think. Whoosh!I lightly bowed my head to evade the momentum of the great sword that charged at me with the intent to tear my neck. Swordsmanship that relies more on technique and strength than psychological warfare. Oddly enough, the points of impact were slightly misaligned. My eyes were on guard for attacks that coulde from anywhere. It seems I often find myself fighting against beings rather than people. I can¡¯t shake the feeling that while this person doesn¡¯t seem tock experience facing humans, they haven¡¯t had many encounters using a great sword. As I dodged and blocked iing attacks, I pondered repeatedly. ¡°Should I let this go or not¡­?¡± That chick, who thrust her sword without hesitation even after seeing the previous attack, doesn¡¯t seem like someone I need to let off the hook. Besides, since she¡¯s an apostle, She¡¯ll simply return from the dead. But I think letting her go would just provoke her to charge in more. Hmmm¡­. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve made my decision.¡± I¡¯ll just show a glimpse of my skills. If she doesn¡¯t gain any insight from this, that¡¯s all there is to it, and if she does, she won¡¯t be a nuisance any longer. As I made that decision, Ipletely cut off the mana that was lightly wrapped around my sword. Perhaps sensing something unusual, the great sword user halted her swings and stepped back. -¡°¡­What¡¯s going on? Why the sudden change? You¡¯re not saying it¡¯s over already, are you?¡± People often refer to those who have reached a master level as having attained enlightenment. Enlightenment. It¡¯s just a two-character word, yet the weight it carries is beyond description. If that weight were light, there wouldn¡¯t be so many who have failed to surpass the wall of a master. Being a master isn¡¯t just about handling mana well; it¡¯s a level that requires mastering mana as well. Hmm¡­ What would be a good analogy? Right, let¡¯s put it in modern terms. Even if you have the best bullets, they¡¯re useless if you don¡¯t have a matching gun. In other words, the bullets are mana, and the gun represents the abilities that person possesses. Here, the abilities refer to skills, physique, soul, and so on, but let¡¯s skip over that¡­ In short, one can say that those who wear the masterbel are adept at handling at least one weapon like a ghost. I¡¯m one of those guys too. One Step Forward Peep, holding the great sword tightly, took a step forward. -¡°I was surprised thinking it was the end.¡± Her tone, seemingly light, carried a hint of pouting. However, her eyes were meticulously scanning my movements. She could have been angry for underestimating her since I had withdrawn my mana. Despite her passionate first impression, there was a cool-headed side to her. It made sense that she was the strongest among the Apostles I had encountered. As I slightly flicked my sword to signal her toe in, she understood my intention and firmly nted her feet on the ground. Perhaps she had felt something during our fight, as the great sword now targeted precisely at my head. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit unjust, pouting my lips in a slight sulk. ¡®I¡¯m the one struggling to face her like this.¡¯ While she effortlessly swung her great sword around. If our skills were equal, such attacks would have been risky for her to execute without hesitation. ¡°Ugh.¡± Would she even understand my predicament? With a sigh, I ced the tip of my sword against her great sword. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± In the next moment, Chick, with her great sword embedded in the ground, let out a bewildered sound. *** It¡¯s fun. It¡¯s enjoyable. It¡¯s not my moment of glory¡­ is it? Yuki cooled her heated head. Since starting Silia Online¡­ no, even throughout her entire memory, there had never been a moment this enjoyable. Anyone who had seen Yuki would inevitably say, ¡°A genius.¡± Whether it was ser, basketball, or kendo. Yuki had an innate talent for physical activities. After a day, she would catch up to what others took half a year to achieve; after a week, she would surpass what took a year; and after half a year, she would find herself looking down at those desperately climbing up from a lofty height. What was a towering mountain to others was merely a hill behind the neighborhood to her, so nothing could pique her interest. Conquest had to hold some value to be worthwhile. If she set her mind to it, there was nothing she couldn¡¯t achieve, and if she wanted something, there was nothing she couldn¡¯t obtain, making feelings like fulfillment,petitiveness, and passion emotions Yuki could neverprehend even if she lived a lifetime. If Silia Online hadn¡¯t been released, that would have certainly been the case. With every swing of the sword, the joy she felt, the struggle of life and death. Unlike the past when she could achieve anything easily, she was deeply captivated by a world where she had to pour in all her strength to realize her desires. Thus, Yuki found joy in her battle with Canaria. No matter how hard she swung, her strikes barely grazed her opponent, and when it seemed like she mightnd a hit, Canaria effortlessly blocked them with an expression that didn¡¯t change at all. A formidable opponent with no chance of being knocked down. A colossal wall she faced for the first time in her life. Looking at a wall so high that she couldn¡¯t even fathom climbing it, she felt a sense ofpetitive spirit for the first time. When Canaria used her mana, Yuki was initially disappointed, thinking their fun was over. But soon she realized her thoughts were mistaken, and she became filled with delight. Though the sword, dyed pink like Canaria¡¯s hair, regained its original silver color, Yuki remained vignt. If she could have defeated her opponent merely because she hadn¡¯t wrapped her sword in an aura, her de would have already touched Canaria several times. ¡°Be quick but don¡¯t rush; be strong but be precise.¡± With all her might, she brought down the weight of her great sword. Suddenly, a smile appeared on Yuki¡¯s lips. It was the most perfect sword path she had ever wielded. Despite her satisfaction, from a distance, it was a horrifying scene as a slender girl perpetrated a gruesome act. As she struck down with the great sword, imbued with mana, aiming for Canaria¡¯s head, Yuki was confident that this time, Canaria would not easily block it. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± The world flipped in an instant. No, it wasn¡¯t the world that flipped; it was Yuki herself. Her eyes, which had been focused ahead, were now gazing at the distant sky, and the great sword she had firmly graspedy discarded a little way off. ¡°Uh?¡± Once again, a dazed sound escaped Yuki¡¯s lips. She remembered Canaria bringing her sword close. And the next moment, she found herself sprawled on the ground. Yuki couldn¡¯t grasp what corrtion existed between the two events. She had thought for sure that she would block it, but she never imagined it would happen this way. ¡°What the hell happened¡­?¡± Yuki wasn¡¯t the only one who was confused. Those watching their battle also had no idea what had just urred. ¡°¡­What is that? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t answer that¡­¡± ¡°Still, you¡¯re the only one who learned swordsmanship from Canaria¡­ how should I address her? Anyway, you are the only one who learned from her.¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve watched my streams, you¡¯d know I haven¡¯t learned anything like that. Besides, I didn¡¯t even know Canaria was that strong.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ true.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°You were going to say something, right?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything! But Joanie, you call Kana so casually?¡± Pine¡¯s attempt to change the subject was sessful. ¡°Ah¡­.¡± Joanie scratched her cheek. ¡°At first, I was scared, but as I got to know her, she started to feel like a little sister¡­ So it¡¯s hard to speak formally to her.¡± ¡°You have a younger sister?¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Besides, Pine, you also called me casually when you were talking about the Gravekeeper and all. Why are you suddenly acting all formal now?¡± ¡°Seeing you in person makes it hard to call you casually. You know how when you call a celebrity¡¯s name casually, but when you meet them, you can¡¯t do that?¡± ¡°Aha, I get that feeling.¡± Understanding that sentiment, Joanie nodded. Pine cautiously asked, ¡°But what if she¡¯s actually much older than you, Joanie?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I mean¡­ think about it.¡± Pine nced briefly at Kana. Even upon a second look, her appearance could only be described as breathtaking. The cape that concealed such beauty felt like an act of great injustice. Right now, she looked merely cute due to her baby fat and petite frame, but the hint of elegance she exuded suggested that if she grew up safely, she would undoubtedly be a beauty capable of turning nations upside down. ¡°You know it¡¯s impossible to have that kind of strength at her age, Joanie.¡± Those who ranked among the strong in the Silia world were all somewhat aged individuals. This had been the discussion ever since the rumors about the Gravekeeper began circting. They dismissed ims that it was just a child as mere otaku delusions, saying it was silly to think that way. ¡®Back then, I didn¡¯t know. They were right all along.¡¯ Pine thought it was a ridiculous notion, reflecting back. ¡°Are you saying she might have done some kind of reverse-aging trick like in martial arts novels?¡± ¡°Well, I was just wondering if it¡¯s possible¡­¡± ¡°Honestly, it sounds more convincing if a dragon polymorphed instead.¡± Joanie dismissed Pine¡¯s nonsensical thought, but she wasn¡¯tpletely unaware of what Pine was saying. She too felt that Kana¡¯s strength was extraordinarily unreasonable. ¡®If she really is older than me¡­¡¯ In that moment, Joanie felt a wave of unease wash over her as she reflected on Kana¡¯s actions. The overwhelming desire to pet her and shower her with affection was palpable, but thankfully, she hadn¡¯tmitted any faux pas yet. If she had done something inappropriate to an elder, especially someone significant enough to be associated with a country¡¯s name, even if they weren¡¯t royalty¡­ Just thinking about it sent chills down Joanie¡¯s spine, and she let out a sigh of relief, burying her unspoken desires. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 A portion of the flies released by the troublesome client fell into the abyss, reminiscent of a Parisian hell, while the remaining flies died with their wings torn off. The snake¡¯s words were half right and half wrong. It was true that I was young and vigorous, but it wasn¡¯t as sharp as the snake warned. Objectively speaking, he was indeed strong. At that age, it would be hard to find a worthy opponent. That¡¯s why he must have gotten carried away and invaded this ce. However, even if it was a talent that might one day reach master status, right now it was just a na?ve rookie unaware of the sky¡¯s dangers. ¡­It feels strange that I¡¯m saying this when I¡¯m much younger than them. No, isn¡¯t this the moment I should use the memories from my previous life? I don¡¯t remember exactly, but I think I was over twenty, so let¡¯s just say my mental age is higher.With a high mental age and achievements, I have the right to say such things. Anyway, I perfectlypleted the troublesome client¡¯s request and forced the beak of the great sword to shut. Joanie and the man were having a rather serious conversation, and the apostles, having survived by not siding with the Empire, were ncing at me. What were they so curious about, poking their heads out like baby birds begging for food? I tilted my head at their iprehensible behavior but soon shrugged it off. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Now, how should I deal with these corpses? Leaving them for wild beasts or monsters to eat is one way, but there are so many that they¡¯d likely rot before finishing. Considering the stench and the risk of disease, I suppose I need to dispose of them. ¡°Such a bother¡­¡± If I were a wizard, it would be easy to burn them all at once, but at times like this, I feel a bit regretful for choosing the sword. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t have a means to set fire, but it¡¯s too excessive to use for this task, and considering the aftermath, it would definitely be more troublesome. So, what can I do? I have to use my body. ¡®This is why swordsmen¡­¡¯ Suddenly, I felt the insane snakeughing at me, which was quite unpleasant. Reluctantly, I dragged the corpses and threw them into the split ground. Thanks to the flies bing ¡°fare/ries,¡± it didn¡¯t take much effort. Our strongnd is beautifully clear. Since I¡¯m working hard for nature and environmental protection, the apostles watching also began to join in on this meaningful task. ¡ª ¡°Oh, look at this sword. Its stats are amazing!¡± ¡ª ¡°I can¡¯t wear the armor. Do we have any money?¡± As they busily rummaged through the corpses of the flies, it seemed they were more interested in the loot than the funeral rites, but they were indeed helpful. Finally, after tossing in thest king fly, I dusted off my hands. Shoveling dirt to fill this up is a bothersome task, so I think I¡¯ll just pour in some oilter. With the rewarding work finished, it¡¯s time to head home. ¡°Ah, right.¡± I still have one thing left to do. *** Despite my personal dislike for the snake brat, I must acknowledge that his skills are impressive. No, scratch that. ¡°Dislike¡± is too mild of a term; let¡¯s revise it to ¡°I want to tear him to shreds, but that¡¯s separate from my acknowledgment of his skills.¡± If his abilities had been even slightlycking, he would have already ceased to exist the moment he faced Garid, or he would have been torn apart by my hands a long time ago. This is precisely why being a Master is annoying. When one side takes action, the other side does too, and if a fight breaks out, both must be prepared to die, making it risky to intervene casually. Whenever a confrontation urs, it usually turns the surroundings into aplete mess, leading to a mutual destruction scenario where both sides merely eye each other warily. Of course, my homnd, Grasis, which was destroyed to the point of pride, was the exception. It was a situation where I had no choice but to fight, Master title or not. Thus, the reason I couldn¡¯t kill the snake brat wasn¡¯t that Icked the ability; rather, he knew that I was capable and made a point to run away from me. A fight can only happen face-to-face; capturing a guy who dodges and distracts me with all sorts of magic and tricks is an impossible task. It¡¯s frustrating, but he has the superior ability to control the battlefield, and at that time, I still had things to protect. That was a long introduction, but the essence remains the same. The snake brat is exceptionally skilled. ¡ª ¡°W-What is this?! This shouldn¡¯t be happening¡­?!¡± For someone iming to be a Master Mage, it¡¯s hard to believe that his barrier could be breached by mere thieves. Watching the Apostles banging on the barrier earnestly, I reached for my sword¡­ Ah, right. It was broken. Instead of drawing my sword, I purposefully made noise as I stepped forward, catching the attention of a few of those banging on the barrier. Their faces turned pale as if they had seen a ghost, and I found it quite amusing. Considering they reacted that way upon seeing the homeowner, it was evident they weren¡¯t exactly honorable. ¡ª ¡°¡­We¡¯re screwed.¡± I guessed that this likely meant they were done for. With the meaning of one guy¡¯s murmur in mind, I leaped into action. I grabbed the cor of the nearest man and mmed him into the ground. The man, who didn¡¯t understand what had just happened until his cor was gripped, gasped for breath after meeting the ground in a sticky embrace. Next was an unusually peculiar guy charging at me with a pole. The staff, while not entirely harmless, certainlycked the lethality of other weapons. It was only natural that wielding such a weapon while charging in would seem peculiar, especially given the context of a battle filled with blood and gore. There was no need to dodge something like this. Thud. ¡ª ¡°W-What?!¡± As I struck the side of the staff with the back of my hand, its bnce was immediately thrown off. The person wielding the staff should have had control, yet with every wobble of the weapon, their body swayed as well. In truth, their main weapon was not the staff but rather a dance designed to dazzle the eyes. After pausing to enjoy theical sight of them dancing in the midst of a fight, I executed a perfect kick to the top of their head. With the sound of a watermelon bursting, I caught the fleeing thief by the scruff of their neck and hurled them at another one. What does it matter whether it¡¯s this or that? The thief, now out of my hands, joyfully reunited with another as if entangled in the vines of the Man-susan (a type of nt). Their posture, which had been somewhat steady,pletely crumbled. It took less than a minute to take care of the remaining thieves. Given that they were the type who snuck into someone else¡¯s house while others were busy fighting, their skills were hardly impressive. What I did felt less like fighting and more like cleaning up. Soon, thest of the Apostles was engulfed in a swirl of light and vanished. Apostles are a curious lot. They don¡¯t have to worry about disposing of bodies. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡­So how long do they n on following me? I turned to nce at the little ones trailing behind like fledglings chasing their mother, watching them with a sullen expression. For a hundred reasons, I could understand Joanie¡¯s presence, but why were that sword-wielding chick and the dagger-wielding punk still following me? -¡°Do you think she¡¯s watching us? ¡­I mean, she did follow us because of the mission, but I¡¯m kind of freaked out. Are you okay?¡± -¡°Want me to fight her again if shee at us? I kinda want to go for round two.¡± -¡°Who are you even talking to?¡± Joanie, who had been silently observing their conversation, finally spoke up. ¡°If she really hated it, she would have taken action the moment we started following her. So, it¡¯s probably fine¡­ I think.¡± -¡°Why are you so calm, Joanie?¡± ¡°Me? Well, we¡¯ve shared a meal together a few times, so I doubt she would kill me.¡± -¡°¡­I hope she do kill you.¡± ¡°What?¡± -¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°What?¡± It didn¡¯t feel like there was much meaning in this conversation. Anyway¡­ I thought about driving away the intruders, but after putting in some effort for the first time in a while, I became toozy and decided to leave them be. I might as well treat it as a reward for their disyed courage. I stood in front of the barrier. Though its shape wasn¡¯t visibly apparent, I could sense a strange flow of mana enveloping the area. ¡°Hmmm¡­ What should I do?¡± Suddenly, it felt like the little snake had anticipated this situation. If that weren¡¯t the case, there would be no reason to allow entry without my permission¡ªmeaning if I did grant permission, they could enter. A snake wouldn¡¯t have the humanity and warm heart to consider visitors making the trek to such a remote ce. The more I thought about it, the more I felt like I had fallen into the snake¡¯s trap. It reeked of something sinister, but it was doing a fine job of protecting Garid¡¯s grave, so let¡¯s just overlook that for now. Even with that thought in mind, the reason I wasn¡¯t heading into my house was simple. ¡°¡­How do I get through this?¡± I tilted my head in contemtion. I felt like a child who had forgotten their key and couldn¡¯t get into their home. In reality, getting in wasn¡¯t difficult. If the door didn¡¯t open, I could simply rip it off its hinges. However, it wasn¡¯t as if I was breaking into someone else¡¯s home to capture a criminal, and just because my home¡¯s door wouldn¡¯t open didn¡¯t mean I could go ahead and tear the door down without a care. I had gone through the trouble of installing a security door only to immediately rip it off right after. Fortunately, my contemtion didn¡¯tst long. As I extended my hand¡ªthe one without the ring, meaning the one without the pact¡¯s symbol¡ªthe barrier shook as if responding. As the serpent¡¯s emblem faintly appeared on the bluish surface of the barrier, a holerge enough for a cart to pass through opened up. As I had felt earlier, in these matters, magic is indeed more useful than a sword. Though a sword might be superior in other aspects. With the three little chicks following me, I stepped into the barrier. Neither Joanie, who had been here many times before, nor the dagger guy showed much interest, but the sword-wielding chick, who was here for the first time, kept ncing around. Though I had given my tacit permission, I wasn¡¯t about to go out of my way to guide the uninvited guests. Instead, as I walked toward the cliff, I nced down at Garid and suddenly frowned. A blue flower I had never seen before quietly guarded the front of the tombstone I had left behind. ¡°Hmph.¡± What a silly act. As I clenched and then opened my fist while holding the blue flower, it vanished as if to say, ¡°What were you expecting?¡± Perhaps the little snake¡¯s words that it respected Garid weren¡¯t a lie after all. Moreover, since Garid had been relieved after fighting the snake, he might even be d that the little snake hade to find him. But what of it? The dead don¡¯t speak, and it¡¯s the living who must bear the burden of remembering those who have passed. Before I knew it, the three apostles had lined up behind me. It looked like I was leading this trio. Had those who followed me seen this, they might have clicked their tongues and remarked that I was again pretending to be a leader. If that were the case, I would have fully savored the authority of a leader. However, it had been three and a half years since Garid had passed away. And a year and a half since I had settled here. Even if it wasn¡¯t now, the thought of soon leaving this ce I had grown fond of made my heart feel unsettled. Suddenly, it felt like arge rock had been ced on my chest, suffocating me. I floundered like someone submerged in water, and finally managed to utter the name I longed for. ¡°Garid.¡± Rolling the name I had called out for nearly my entire life off my tongue, I suddenly blurted out the words that came to mind. ¡°Dad.¡± If it had been in the past, I would have never done something so embarrassing, but surprisingly, I didn¡¯t feel ashamed at all. Why had I turned away from such a simple thing when it was so easy to just say it? As always, regret came toote to torment me. Chapter 23 Chapter 23
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What I think about Grasis is that it wasn¡¯t a particrly good country. Among the royal family and nobles, who were too busy quarreling and fighting, there was one thing they all agreed upon. The past was glorious, the founding king was great¡­ But in the end, their fates were different. The royals pointed to the nobles¡¯ extravagance and arrogance as the reason the kingdom had grown weak. In turn, the nobles med the king and the royal family for their ipetence andvishness. Watching these fools, covered in their own filth, bickering among themselves was not just amusing but pitiful.Whether it was arrogance, decadence, ipetence, or extravagance¡ª Aren¡¯t all those usations applicable to them as well? And could there ever have been a nation that was doomed from the start? Now, with the pirs of the housepletely copsed, talking about how prosperous it once was, how glorious it used to be¡­ So what of it? If the past was so wonderful, why don¡¯t they just create a time-reversal spell and go back to the past? But they can¡¯t even do that, yet they keep pping their mouths. For that reason, I did not consider Grasis a good country, nor did I like it. Since the moment I regained the memories of my past life and became aware of my situation, I was destined not to like the country of Grasis. I found myself in a shabby shack in a dark alley, inhabiting the body of a four-year-old girl. The impoverished lived in constant worry, not about tomorrow, but about whether they could fill their stomachs tonight. Begging, pickpocketing, stealing, robbing¡­ depending on the circumstances, even venturing outside the city was risky, so it was far from a stable life. If luck ran out, they could die, and if fortune smiled upon them, they might fill their bellies for a day. So, I could only assume my so-called parents raised me as a kind of investment. They must have believed that if I refrained from eating one marshmallow today, I would receive ten or more marshmallows in return in the future. Ironically, it was a mindsetpletely opposite to mine. How did they n to recoup their investment? As they imed, I could have been a warning signal of danger, or perhaps a meat shield or bait. Or maybe they simply sold me off to a ve trader or a brothel. I could never know the answer. The ones who knew the truth became the garbage piled on the heaps of refuse under a particrly dark night, when even the moon hiding behind the clouds was reluctant to shine. ording to the slum dwellers, it was a matter of bad luck. The miner who died before the canary in the cage¡­ Truly, the world is filled with such ridiculous happenings. But that was that, and since the keepers of the birds had vanished, the remaining canary had to find a way to survive. The canary left its small, cramped cage and joined a group of orphans in simr circumstances. Life in the group was morefortable than expected. This wasrgely due to many of them trying to win my favor with food or by providing assistance. I couldn¡¯t exin why I didn¡¯t resort to forcibly taking from them. Perhaps it was the innocence typical of a young child? It is said that the purer a child, the more cruel they can be, but I want to believe otherwise. Two years passed like that, and then a horde of monsters invaded the city where I lived. In hindsight, it wasn¡¯t a particrly threatening horde. With proper preparation, it could have been repelled without any casualties; that¡¯s just the extent of it. However, as usual, the guard, who had been drinking, was unable to ring the bell to alert anyone of the danger, and the guard closing the door had also copsed beside him. It was as if they had left the door wide open, inviting danger in. Naturally, the monsters did not decline the invitation, and it took only a moment for the city to be a sea of blood. ¡ª ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­!¡± My legs feel heavy. Looking down, it feels as if I have strapped on heavy sandbags, but all I see are legs stained with dust and filth. Why? I didn¡¯t bother to ponder that question. It wasn¡¯t particrly important, and it was better to take another step than to spend time contemting it. When the screams first echoed through the city, I immediately headed for the small hole in the castle wall. It was a passage used to sneak items into the city. In fact, hearing screams in the city wasn¡¯t all that special. It could be the cries of the poor shing with nobles or the screams of ignorant mercenaries fighting¡­ In any case, such things were quitemon in Grasis. Still, I ran. Perhaps I felt a crisis that others could not, just like my new name suggested. Whatever the case, it allowed me to escape the city safely, but¡­ Khirruruk! Kyaak! ¡°H-huh¡­¡± Now, even my breaths came out in ragged gasps. As if they took pleasure in ying with their prey, the monsters chasing after me stopped and slowly approached. With blood dripping from their jaws and flesh clinging to their ws. As I stared at them through my blurred vision, I gritted my teeth. ¡°¡­Huh.¡± Maybe I will die here. It¡¯s true that I don¡¯t want to die, but I¡¯m not sure if I have any regrets¡­ I just know that I don¡¯t want to die helplessly. I pulled out the dagger from my pocket. Its condition was poor, as it had been obtained from rummaging through garbage, but it was no different from a lifeline for me. Taking a deep breath, I sped the dagger tightly in both hands. ¡ª Pat! ¡®¡­!¡¯ A monster in the shape of a wolf charged at me. With a heavier body than expected, I hurriedlyunched myself forward, and something ck zipped past my eyes, making my cheeks flush. I kept my eyes on the creatures while letting the blood that dripped from my body fall where it may. ¡°It¡¯s clear.¡± These guys are just ying with me right now. If they really wanted to easily catch and eat me, they would have done it shortly after I escaped the city. But instead, they lowered their speed just enough to let me escape, and instead of attacking all at once, they charged at me one by one, even intentionally missing their attacks. I can¡¯t help but notice that unless they¡¯re idiots. ¡°Ha, haha¡­¡± As I involuntarily chuckled, I suddenly recalled a certain fact. Had I smiled at all since regaining my memories? Surprisingly, I couldn¡¯t remember. It wasn¡¯t that I forgot; it was because I had never smiled. ¡°¡­Congrattions.¡± Somehow, it was odd that the kids were doing their best to entertain me in front of them, but you managed to do what they couldn¡¯t. Thanks to those creatures waiting for me, my breathing had calmed down. As the threat of death loomed, perhaps it was the adrenaline that kicked in because I no longer felt the weight that had been tying down my legs. Would hunting like this make the meat more tender? I probably didn¡¯t need to do that; my flesh should be tender enough as it is. While I indulged in such trivial thoughts, Iid my dagger down to aim at the monster. After all, I was at a disadvantage in both speed and strength. I had never properly learned how to fight, but for some reason, I felt that charging in first was the right answer, so I slightly bent my knees andunched myself towards the ground. Taat! My body sprang forward as if a spring had been released, quickly closing the distance between me and the monster. The monster¡¯s eyes followed my movements, while mine trailed after its eyes just a fraction slower. When I got close enough to feel its breath, it jumped sideways and evaded the rusty tip of my dagger. I forced myself to stop my body, which was being pulled forward by momentum, as if nting my legs firmly in the ground. In return, I swung my dagger toward the spot where it had leaped. Again, I missed. The distance was short, yet it wasn¡¯t the monster that dodged. The sound it made, a short ¡°crack,¡± felt like it was mocking me. If it had been a proper sword, or if only my arm was a bit longer¡­ Setting aside my fleeting disappointment, I jumped back, and the four sharp ws of the monster swiped through the air where I had just been. ¡°¡­Hoo.¡± Only three exchanges had taken ce, yet I was already starting to lose my breath. ¡­This is why having a child¡¯s body is so inconvenient. My limbs are short, so I have to move more than an adult, yet just a little movement leaves me breathless. There¡¯s no need to mention my strength and stamina. If I were to point out any advantage, at least I recover quickly. But recovery is something I can only do after surviving a fight and resting well, which renders that advantage meaningless in this situation. How much longer can I hold on? Once? Twice? Negative thoughts kept swirling in my mind, but I didn¡¯t show it and tightened my grip on the dagger. If I can¡¯t survive, at least I have to take one of them down with me. I¡¯m not thrilled with the exchange rate, but I know I should be grateful for even that much. That¡¯s how severe the disparity is. Before I could catch my breath, the monster swung its ws at me. Even though I was attacking with all my might, I must not have posed much of a threat because its rxed attacks were still filled with intent to take me down. ng! ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± The strong vibration that started from my dagger as I blocked its ws traveled up my arm and gnawed at it. I almost dropped my dagger. Ignoring the throbbing pain in my arm, I desperately racked my brain. ¡®How do I, how do I get out of this?¡¯ A chuckle escaped me uncontrobly. I must have been thinking about this the wrong way. If I was going to take it down anyway, I didn¡¯t need to worry about self-preservation. Even if my legs were torn off, if I could crawl and stab that cocky head with my dagger, it would be my victory. As I embraced that toxic mindset, I felt oddly relieved, as if breathing had be a little easier. Did the creature notice my change in mindset? Its eyes grew cautious as it faced me. I sighed as I realized I was engaging in a kind ofmunication that I had no expertise in, nor was it something I wanted to do. If I¡¯d known this would happen, I should have watched some dog training channels in my past life. Even amid all this, my body was diligently avoiding attacks, but my breathing was starting to bebored. As time went on, I became more ustomed to the attacks, and my evasive maneuvers grew more fluid, but that didn¡¯t mean my physical abilities suddenly improved, so it was impossible to turn the tide. If I just endure, surely an opportunity will arise. Just then, the moment I had been waiting for finally came. Kugh! ¡°¡­!¡± It¡¯s my chance! The monster, frustrated with how its prey kept dodging at thest moment, roared ferociously and charged at me. Big movements create big openings. Although the speed of the charge was difficult to react to, I had noticed it earlier and was prepared, so I managed to evade it by a hair¡¯s breadth once again. Boom! The monster, having passed me, mmed its head into the rock behind me. Seemingly dazed by the impact, I rushed towards it. Thud! Yelp! It¡¯s funny how it lets out a dog-like whine at times like this. ¡­That phrasing feels a bit off, but anyway. As the creature turned its body, I raised my hand as high as I could to finish it off. Suddenly! Wham! ¡°Gyaah?!¡± A heavy shock hit my back, and I went tumbling forward. ¡°Ugh, ugh¡­¡± Pain shed before my eyes. I had forgotten. I wasn¡¯t fighting just one of them. Even trying to rise was impossible, as I couldn¡¯t muster the strength to push myself up and kept face-nting into the ground. Ultimately, I lost even the strength to prop myself up and red at the approaching monsters from my fallen position. As if they had lost interest in ying, three of them were closing in on me simultaneously. ¡°You bastards¡­¡± The hand gripping my dagger trembled. In the end, it seems I wouldn¡¯t even be able to take one of them down. With my venomous gaze fixed on them, I prepared to meet my demise. The leading monster lifted its forefoot and then¡ª Whoosh! It vanished, spraying ck blood. The two beside it also met the same fate, with shes marking their bodies before they followed their fallenpanion to the afterlife. A man had appeared to fill the space left by the vanished monsters. ¡ª ¡°Brave girl! What¡¯s your name?¡± I blinked rapidly. ¡°¡­Sir, who are you?¡± ¡ª ¡°Ah, ¡®sir¡¯? How could you call me that¡­?¡± That was the beginning of my encounter with Garid. Chapter 24 Chapter 24
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¡°My name is Garid. I am the leader of the Crimson Aegis. Try calling me Garid oppa*.¡± ¡°¡­Uncle.¡± ¡°¡­Uncle.¡± ¡°Uncle.¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it a bit shameless to ask someone your age to call you oppa*?¡± ¡°Kuh¡­!¡± *(¡°Oppa¡± is a Korean term that means ¡°older brother¡± and is used by younger women to address older men)When I first met Garid, I used to call him Uncle. From my not-so-long life in the slums, I learned a few things, including that not everyone is kind, and that you shouldn¡¯t blindly trust someone just because they show you goodwill. At that time, the armor Garid wore was emzoned with the emblem of the Crimson Aegis, shaped like red mes, but living in the slums, I had no way of recognizing that. To begin with, the name ¡°Crimson Aegis¡± was just something I had heard in passing through rumors. ¡°Kana, would you like toe under my wing as my adopted daughter?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, ¡®adopted daughter¡¯ means a child that has been adopted¡ª¡± ¡°I know what it means.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so? So, do you have any thoughts on it?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s quite sudden. Why all of a sudden¡­?¡± ¡°This is also fate, isn¡¯t it? I admired how the little kid kept fighting against the monsters until the end. And it seems you have some talent too.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know if I can be a good dad. I probably won¡¯t be able to. But I¡¯ll make sure you can live without getting your hands dirty. I may look like this, but I have a lot of money.¡± ¡°Adopted daughter¡­. Okay, I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Oh, really? You will never regret it. Now, let¡¯s start calling me dad. Come on, repeat after me. Dad.¡± ¡°Uncle.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± As I became Garid¡¯s adopted daughter, over time, our bond grew stronger. ¡°¡­Garid.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah?¡± ¡°You said you¡¯d keep my hands clean. Is what¡¯s currently on my hands not water?¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m sorry! Ick cooking skills.¡± ¡°¡­Why aren¡¯t you cleaning up?¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s going to get dirty anyway, is there really a need to do it often? I can just do it when it gets unbearable. Hahaha!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Garid.¡± ¡°Uh, huh?¡± ¡°Die.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. KANAA?!¡± As I began to trust him more, the way I called Garid shifted from ¡°Uncle¡± to his name. ¡°Hey, Kana!¡± ¡°Commander, what brings you here?¡± ¡°Is there a ce I can¡¯t go to? More importantly, stop calling me Commander and just call me Dad, will you? Or just call me by my name like usual!¡± ¡°Commander, please keep personal and professional matters separate.¡± ¡°Oh dear¡­ You really think you¡¯re so special, don¡¯t you? Just go ahead and take the Commander position then¡­ cough cough!¡± ¡°¡­Commander!¡± ¡°Oh, great. Here we go again. Don¡¯t make such a fuss, Kana. It¡¯s not like this is the first time it¡¯s happened.¡± ¡°¡­How about just taking a break?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t do that. I¡¯d refuse to let you take the position of Commander. I can¡¯t just hand over this sweet spot to you.¡± ¡°Sweet spot? You mean being told to bark when told and bite when ordered?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I can¡¯t give it to you. You¡¯d definitely jump into a fight at the slightest inconvenience. How could I ever pass this position to you?¡± When Garid first entered the Crimson Aegis and rose to the position of vicemander, he was called Commander. He still used their names in private settings, though. ¡°Cough cough!¡± ¡°Garid¡­.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry¡­. I have no ns to die before I see you get married and have kids¡­.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re saying you¡¯d die with me when I do?¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not right! Even if you don¡¯t have kids, you still need to get married. Dying alone would be too lonely.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re not married either, Garid.¡± ¡°Yeah, but I have a daughter. A daughter who has grown up beautifully and makes me proud.¡± ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± Due to the aftereffects of injuries sustained from the ¡®snake¡¯, Garid¡¯s condition gradually worsened until he could no longer get up from his sickbed. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I wanted to see you get married, but¡­ it seems I can¡¯t keep that promise.¡± ¡°¡­You never promised anything in the first ce, right?¡± ¡°Haha, is that so¡­? Then I¡¯m relieved¡­.¡± ¡°Garid¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Kana.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Canaria.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± ¡°¡­My proud daughter, Kana. I love you.¡± ¡°¡­I love you too, Dad¡­.¡± What is it about just saying ¡°Dad¡± that feels so embarrassing? It was only in the moment of farewell that I could reveal the feelings I had kept hidden. *** Recently, if you were to ask people which broadcast is the most popr on Fishick, they would undoubtedly point to one specific show. Joanie¡¯s Broadcast Shining at #1 in Real-Time Viewer Rankings. Some might say it¡¯s only natural for her to be popr with such high viewer counts, but the massive gap between her stream and the one in second ce every time she goes live wasn¡¯t just a coincidence. And that was made possible by the Gravekeeper¡­ now known by the name Canaria Grasis. There was a suspicion that the developer might have downed a few bottles of alcohol when creating this absurdly difficult raid. A tomb adorned with a magnificent sword, cutting down all whoe near it while outright rejecting humans. It was clear to everyone that there was a deep story behind it, and people were captivated. When the once-grumpy Kana finally opened her heart and revealed her name, it caused some viewers to smile warmly without realizing it. Viewers were so engrossed in the process of Joanie bing friends with Kana that they felt as if it was happening to them. When Kana stood in front of the grave and uttered the word ¡°Dad,¡± they had no thoughts in their minds. This was because they couldn¡¯t understand. Even with the familiarity of a game in English, people were desperate for a Korean patch. But very few managed to learn thenguage of the game world, Granick, which was far more unfamiliar. And it wasn¡¯t just the locals. Pronunciation, way of thinking, grammar, etc¡­. People are inherently optimized for thenguage of their native country, making it quite challenging to suddenly learn a different one. ¡ª ¡°Games are supposed to be fun, so why do I have to study in a game?¡± For those reasons, many people either gave up on learning Granick or only memorized a few easy words. However, not everyone was like that; some viewers, including Joanie and a few yers, consistently studied Granick, allowing them to interpret Kana¡¯s words. ¡°She said ¡®Dad¡¯¡­¡± ¡ª ¡®Gasp¡¯ ¡ª ¡®Gasp¡¯ ¡ª Oh my god!!! ¡ª Not my baby!!!a It might be a word that slipped out due to suddenly missing her dad. But standing before the grave and speaking with eyes that looked like they might burst into tears, could one really think that? Unless you were utterly oblivious, it was a scene that left no choice but to shut your mouth. [No, you bastards] Are you even human?? To steal from a child like that? Are you really trying to steal the belongings of her dad right in front of her? [Comments] ¡ª? Why is this dude suddenly going crazy? ©» Is it time for his meds? ©» (Link) Go check it out ©» What is this? ©» You bastards; how can you act like that and still be human? ©» What a quick change of pace Kana calling out ¡°Dad¡± in front of the grave and the sword stuck there. It was only natural to assume that sword was her father¡¯s keepsake. [I didn¡¯t know!] I didn¡¯t know it was a keepsake¡­! Did I expect that to happen? Damn it; If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have acted that way. [Comments] ¡ª Isn¡¯t it normal to think that if something is stuck in a grave, it¡¯s a relic? ©» You just can¡¯t resist Excalibur. ©» Hey, don¡¯t say that! ©» You really believe that? ¡ª Are you watching, Indiana Jones? ©» ??? : What the hell, don¡¯t drag me into this; ¡ª Even in our industry, this is a bit¡­ In the middle of a lively argument, the mood changed to silence whenever a mention of parents came up¡ªthis was, in technical terms, a situation where they became tallh (stunned silence). The post written by the person who first discovered Canaria was bombarded with criticism, and soon, the targets of their ire became the engineering students who were just trying to run for Perclun. Caught off guard by the sudden attack, they expressed their grievances. [No, I wasn¡¯t trying to steal anything!] I just wanted to participate in the raid¡ª Don¡¯t associate me with them!!!!!!!! [Comments] ¡ª So you mean you just wanted to beat up a girl who lost her father at a young age and lives alone? ©» Wait a minute! ©» Wow, what trash. ©» Wow, what trash. ©» That¡¯s not true!!! ¡ª Officer, this guy is the one! ¡ª There¡¯s no trash like this in the world. [Honestly, this is just an RPG rule.] Didn¡¯t everyone do this when ying RPGs as a kid? When you find an open house, you¡¯d go in to loot it, and if there were jars or empty boxes, you¡¯d break them. You didn¡¯t know the backstory; if it looked somewhat interesting, you¡¯d want to interact with it, right? [Comments] ¡ª Dude; the level of freedom is different. ¡ª These days, in other games, if you loot in front of someone, you get arrested. ©» Isn¡¯t that normal? ©» Old games didn¡¯t have that. ¡ª The author is currently imprisoned in the imperial jail; please take down the post. ©» How did you know? ©» I was caught while looting a house and was thrown into jail right away. ©» What is this situation? ©» So you couldn¡¯t just loot without getting caught? LOL While there were a few people genuinely cursing, most took it as a funny incident. After some time filled withughter and chatter, posts about war or Canaria started appearing little by little. [The ones who are the most pitiful right now are] The ouws, of course. (The Knights of the Lo Arka Empire.jpg) The knights came and cheered for their victory, but (Canaria¡¯splete annihtion.jpg) They were all wiped out in an instant, LOL. It¡¯s honestly absurd even to look back on it; To think that even the rank 1 yer was struggling and got wiped out in one hit¡ªhow strong could that possibly be? [As of today, the idol of Silia is Canaria!] (Canaria appears.gif) (Canaria¡¯splete annihtion.gif) (Canariaughing.gif) (Canaria fighting Yuki.gif) A goat that¡¯s both cute and strong¡­ Looking at her again, she¡¯s incredibly adorable; I want to give her a candy and pat her head. [Comments] ¡ª Pedophile! Pedophile! ¡ª uhh¡­ (dials 911) ¡ª Ugh, this is a bit too much¡­? ¡ª (Canaria in shock pose) ©» ??? The pose is already out? ©» (Canaria nodding pose) [But am I the only one thinking this?] Isn¡¯t she the strongest NPC toe out so far? That could be reasonable. But isn¡¯t it weird for a kid who could just be a middle schooler to defeat well-trained knights? And not just barely win, butpletely wipe them out with just two swings? It¡¯s clear that the game developers were being too obvious about it, which turned me off a bit. [Comments] ¡ª I agree; I feel a bit off about it too. ©» It¡¯s not just a bit off, it¡¯s a lot. ©» Shut up, damn it. ¡ª It doesck some usibility. ©» Not just some. ¡ª Maybe she¡¯s a polymorphed dragon? ©» So she was Grasis, huh; ©» It was a deus ex machina situation; ©» What the hell does that mean, you nerd? ©» The nerds are getting excited and using impressive words again. Regardless of all this, it was undeniable that Canaria had be a popr figure in themunity. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 I can¡¯t quite remember when it was¡­ Although I can¡¯t recall the details well, there was a time when, for some inexplicable reason, Garid brought home flowers, which was unlike him. A muscr man with a long scar on his face tending to flowers¡ªwell, I suppose that¡¯s possible. Just because he has a rugged exterior doesn¡¯t mean he can¡¯t have such a hobby. The same goes for a well-groomed, gentle-looking person; you shouldn¡¯t trust them blindly either. You can have an impression, but don¡¯t jump to conclusions. I had learned the hard way that judging people solely by their appearances could lead to trouble, so I had to be cautious to survive. In bad terms, I could be described as overly suspicious. Thus, when I said that Garid¡¯s behavior was unlike him, it wasn¡¯t just because of his appearance. When I first arrived at Garid¡¯s house, I couldn¡¯t believe that the ce he confidently pointed to was actually a home where someone lived.The yard was overgrown with weeds and littered with discarded trash, and the furniture inside was arranged haphazardly, devoid of any thought for flow orfort. A musty smell, dust, and a mountain of tes smeared with food scraps, culminating in mushrooms sprouting in the corners. Was I in a house or a dump in a slum? I couldn¡¯t bring myself to clean it up, so we eventually abandoned that house and moved to a new one. Since then, I took over all the housework. So when Garid brought home flowers, I couldn¡¯t help but ask: ¡®¡­Are you out of your mind?¡¯ It was absurd that someone who couldn¡¯t even tidy up would suddenly want to grow flowers in the yard. ¡®You¡¯re on your own with that. I won¡¯t touch it.¡¯ -¡®Oh, how cruel! I never nned to ask you for help, anyway.¡¯ ¡®Why the sudden interest in flowers?¡¯ -¡®Well, I just thought it wouldn¡¯t hurt to grow some.¡¯ After that, Garid diligently tended to the yard, which had turned into a garden. I expected he would soon forget to take care of it and let the flowers die or lose interest, but he surprised me by regrly buying new flowers and tending to them with great care. One day, after sitting me down in the brightly blooming garden, Garid smiled broadly and said, -¡®Aren¡¯t they beautiful?¡¯ ¡®¡­They are, indeed.¡¯ -¡®Haha! See, I told you, you could do well if you tried. How about it? Don¡¯t you feel like growing a garden yourself? nting flowers and trees, huh? Right?¡¯ ¡®Not really.¡¯ -¡®¡­You¡¯re just so unfeeling.¡¯ I remember Garid grumbling about how a girl could dislike flowers more than he did. Even now, yearster, I still don¡¯t understand why Garid did such a thing, and I probably never will. So instead of trying to figure out the reason, I nted flowers in front of his grave. I hope these flowers bring him peace. ¡®¡­¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to see their faces, but I ended up seeing the imperial soldiers too, which made me feel quite emotional today. I turned my body, shaking off the faint remnants of mana left behind. Did they understand what I said? The three behind me were fidgeting, not knowing what to do. It was pretty funny to see even the greatsword-wielding chick, who seemed oblivious to others¡¯ opinions, cautiously ncing around. ¡°Um, uh¡­.¡± Joanie, who I could say I had a bit of a rtionship with, was hesitating to say something, but I was quicker to extend my hand. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Feed me.¡± I was hungry after exerting myself for the first time in a while. *** In the country I lived in during my previous life, Korea, there were a lot of sayings rted to food. ¡°Even Mount Geumgang looks good after a meal,¡± ¡°A ghost that has eaten well is also well-dressed,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother even a dog when it¡¯s eating,¡± and so on. From these, you can tell how much our ancestors valued food. The world I was reborn into, while less focused on meals than Korea, still recognized the importance of food. It was just that there were too many people who were so poor that it didn¡¯t mean anything. So, what I was doing now waspletely normal behavior. ¡°Uh, um¡­ Canaria? I promise I¡¯ll bring some tomorrow, so please don¡¯t be angry. Right, Yuki? Is there any leftover food?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way there would be any after logging in just to fight. There are some stone biscuits and preserved food¡­.¡± ¡°I have beef jerky.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d want to eat that¡­ Uh, Canaria, do you want to eat this?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡­Do you want to eat it? As I red sulkily at the beef jerky being pushed toward me, Joanie awkwardly pulled her hand back. I had eaten so much jerky during my time as a knight that I didn¡¯t even want to see it now. Even back then, I tried to make sure I had proper meals, but in situations where time was tight or I had to hide, I had no choice but to eat preserved foods like jerky. I let out a sigh while watching the greatsword-wielding chick chewing on the jerky. I knew it wasn¡¯t Joanie¡¯s fault. After all, I had never asked for a reward, and it wouldn¡¯t have been strange for her to stop bringing food at any time since she was doing it on her own ord. But it just had to be right now. Hearing Joanie¡¯s words that she hadn¡¯t prepared anything made my shoulders slump. It wasn¡¯t that I was expecting her food to be delicious. It¡¯s not that it wasn¡¯t tasty; it¡¯s just that I had eaten a lot of better things, so I felt indifferent. Despite being looked down upon both inside and outside, as themander of the knights, I had many meals with royals and nobles. Nobles and royals, regardless of what themon people eat, only care about filling their own stomachs, which is why the dishes served on their tablesck nothing in vor or presentation. Even if Joanie imed the food she brought was delicious, it didn¡¯t particrly excite me for this reason. However, the food she brought yesterday was different. To be honest, the taste wasn¡¯t really to my liking, but the insane spiciness made me want to p the chef¡¯s face; it oddly evoked a sense of nostalgia from my previous life. I was secretly hoping she would bring another dish that would trigger such nostalgia. ¡®There¡¯s no helping it¡­¡¯ Getting up from my seat, I trudged over to the cabin, gathered arge pot and some leftover ingredients, and returned to the open space. It was a hassle, but I didn¡¯t want to eat jerky, so I might as well whip up a simple stew. After roughly throwing in the ingredients and frying them, I added water and simmered for a while¡­ And there it was¡ªa stew that was just about decent enough to eat. Slurp. Yum, yum. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I was d to find some cockatrice meat left. The nutty vor of the meat melted into the stew, transforming it from just eatable to pretty good. I wish I had more ingredients and time. As I satisfied my longing, I shared the extra bowls I had brought with the three chicks. ¡°¡­Uh, are you giving this to us?¡± ¡°I never thought I¡¯d be eating food made by a gravekeeper in my lifetime¡­¡± Even if I hadn¡¯t invited them, they hade to my ce, so I had to offer them something to eat. After all, they had fed off me before. Most importantly, I felt I wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the gazes directed at me if I left the three of them to eat alone while I dined by myself. ¡°¡­This is better than I expected?¡± ¡°Right? I didn¡¯t have high hopes since you just tossed everything in, but it¡¯s perfect for a simple meal.¡± Slurp. Even while chattering away, they were eating well, so it must suit their taste. Fortunately, it seems my cooking skills, honed while feeding Garid, hadn¡¯t dulled. I decided to ignore them and continued my meal. The first to finish eating among us four was me. Since I started first and also ate less, I ced my empty bowl and spoon down and got up from my seat. Perched on the edge of a cliff, I stared nkly at the sun passing overhead. ¡°Should I leave¡­?¡± I wasn¡¯t worried about the empire invading. From what that snake said, it seemed they didn¡¯t want to stir me up while I was being quiet, so it would likely remain calm for a while. As a form of retaliation for the massacre of the Order, other beings mighte, but unless the snake bastard or the Imperial Army directly marches in, there¡¯s no way I could lose. However, the thought of leaving Garid alone still weighed heavily on my mind. To me, Garid was more of a father than my own, someone I could call a father without hesitation, but he was also the one who held me steady when I felt rootless and shaken. Therefore, losing Garid and the will he protected left me drifting in the world like a fallen leaf from a tree. Here, where he was buried, I would also meet my end. Despite this resolve, the thought of leaving made guilt prick at me. Do the dimensional creatures, the Empire, the Apostles, or Edel hold more importance than Garid? ¡­Without a doubt, that wasn¡¯t the case, but I still wondered why it troubled me. ¡ª Thud. Just then, someone approached. Joanie, trembling as if afraid of the sheer cliff, managed to sit beside me, stretching her legs into the distant void. ¡ª Pet pet. Then, she raised her hand and began to stroke my head. ¡ª ¡°¡­???¡± I had sensed her presence, but I never expected her to actually pet my head. I froze, my eyes wide open. ¡ª What is this? ¡ª ¡ª Even while eating stew, Joanie kept stealing nces at Canaria. With every blink of her eyes and every little movement of her mouth, Joanie silently screamed in her heart. Yet, at the same time, she couldn¡¯t believe that this cute girl had killed the formidable knights in an instant, casting a suspicious look her way. She looked like a girl who would be ying with flowers and hugging a doll¡­ Looking at her arms, they seemed even thinner than her own. No wonder there were still many who couldn¡¯t believe that this terrifying Gravekeeper was such a girl. She nced at Canaria, then at the stew, back and forth. Eating like a penny-pincher took a long time, so ultimately, Canaria finished her bowl first and stood up. Canaria sat on the edge of the cliff where the grave was. Although she sat there casually, the precariousness of her position made Joanie anxious as if she would fall at any moment. Watching her with worried eyes, Joanie suddenly asked Pine. ¡°Are you going to continue with the Perclun, Pine?¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t,¡± Pine decisively replied. ¡°Public sentiment is one thing, but I just can¡¯t imagine taking down Canaria¡­¡± ¡°I still want to fight. Thatst one was truly¡­ it was just so exhrating to think about¡­¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Pine, now too tired to chide further, replied half-heartedly. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of leveling up while waiting for the next raid to be discovered. What about you, Joanie?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± Unlike Pine, who had a clear n for the future, Joanie couldn¡¯t decide what to do next. Initially, her intention was to be friends with Canaria, but with things turning out this way, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of doubt. Whether she wanted it or not, the war that yers were fighting, with the Empire intervening, was sparked by her broadcast. To prevent the same thing from happening again, she¡¯d have to turn off her stream¡­ but abandoning her main job was not an easy decision. She felt like they had be closer, especially after revealing both her nickname and real name, yet it didn¡¯t seem like they had achieved the level of closeness she had initially aimed for. As she hesitated, Joanie noticed her bowl was empty. She gently set the bowl down and headed towards the cliff. ¡°It¡¯s high¡­¡± ncing down, the view was dizzying, causing Joanie to shudder as she carefully moved her feet. The small back she had seen from a distance still looked small up close. What kind of story did this small figure carry that made such a pained voicee out? As Joanie looked down at Canaria, curiosity suddenly struck her, and she instinctively pressed the information check button. This function could be used on objects as well as NPCs and yers, but it was mostly used to check yer IDs. While the information from objects or NPCs was based on what was known, yer information was disyed urately. For instance, if an NPC named A lied and said their name was B, it would show as B, and if someone mistakenly believed that a useless in water was a miracle cure, it would show as a miracle cure. Thus, this function was somewhat of a double-edged sword¡­ But Joanie didn¡¯t even know why she suddenly felt such curiosity. [Little Bird, Canaria Grasis] The name appeared just as Canaria had introduced, along with the title ¡°little bird.¡± Sometimes, NPCs were given titles like this. Though Joanie had seen Canaria, who was stronger than anyone she had encountered in Silia Online, she thought the title suited her very well. To Joanie¡¯s eyes, Canaria seemed like she could vanish without a trace with just a blink¡­ Carefully, Joanie sat next to Canaria and raised her hand to pet the little bird. Though she didn¡¯t know what story it carried, she wished the bird, which hadnded with its wings tucked in, could fly again. As Joanie smiled softly while looking at the surprised Canaria, whose eyes widened in unexpected shock at the sudden touch¡­ ¡®¡­She wouldn¡¯t kill me for this, would she?¡¯ No way, right? Even as she entertained suchte concerns, she savored the feeling of the soft texture wrapping around her fingers. As expected, Canaria¡¯s hair was incredibly soft.
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Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Thunk. Thooong! Just as I had expected, the Empire did not send any additional reinforcements. No matter how vast the Empire¡¯s poption may be, they wouldn¡¯t want to see their carefully trained knight squads being ground down. That much was certain. After all, knights don¡¯t sprout from the ground just by nting seeds and watering them, do they? It¡¯s no surprise they¡¯re not so eager to waste them. As for killing me¡­ What would they gain? A morale boost, maybe? Butpared to the risks, the reward seems minimal, don¡¯t you think? Swiiish! Thunk. Perhaps, as I previously spected, those sent before were merely pawns ensnared in a cunning scheme devised by that snake.Now that they¡¯ve been purged by my hand, there¡¯s no reason for them to waste any more of their precious forces. Whatever the case, the Empire, and that snake in particr, seem reluctant to cross paths with me. Not that I me them. Even if I am a master swordsman, I have no faction or backing. What would they possibly gain from provoking me? In that sense, it¡¯s logical¡ªalmost reasonable¡ªfor that snake to want to set aside any grudges and try to recruit me into the Empire. Of course, just because it¡¯s logical doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s likely. Thooooong! ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± I reached for the sword I had ced beside me. It was the sessor to the flyswatter I had bought during myst trip down to the vige. When the Imperial soldiers invaded, I had forgotten to bring it with me, so I hadn¡¯t been able to use it. But now, it seemed I finally had a chance. Ah, that cool, weighty sensation in my hand¡­ Thunk! The heavy thudding sound rang out again, as if something was being repeatedly struck. What do you call this? Noise between floors? But there aren¡¯t any floors here. Let¡¯s just call it noise. ¡°K-Kana¡­¡± Just as I was about to go eliminate the source of the noise, someone grabbed onto my arm. ¡°¡­Let go.¡± The hand belonged to Joanie, who had practically made this mountain her second home. Every morning, Joanie would climb up the mountain to find me. After having a light breakfast from the food she brought, she would either practice her swordsmanship or study Granic until just before noon. After we had lunch together, we spent the rest of the day in the same manner, descending from the mountain just before the sun fully set. And then, the next day, we repeated the routine. Joanie, who had brought a book written in Granik¡ªwhere she even found it, I didn¡¯t know¡ªwas slowly reading through it, holding my hand tightly. ¡°I¡¯ll say it,¡± she whispered. Her Granik had improved dramatically from the stuttering she started with just a few weeks ago, diligently asking me for help whenever she stumbled upon unfamiliar words while reading the book. Now, her skills had progressed beyond recognition. Though she still had a slight awkwardness in her speech, she could now form sentences instead of just uttering individual words. Her pronunciation had also be much smoother. ¡°¡­¡± But that wasn¡¯t the only change in our daily lives or in Joanie herself. Every day she visited, she had initially seemed afraid of me, unable to approach easily. However, since the day the Imperial Army had invaded, she¡¯d drastically reduced the distance between us. She started patting my head out of nowhere, speaking to me in a more familiar tone, and now, like this moment, she was holding my hand as if it were the most natural thing to do. If this had been before, such actions would¡¯ve been unimaginable. At first, I was flustered and missed the chance to pull away. Now, it felt too awkward to push her away, especially when she brought me food daily. I¡¯d feel guilty for treating her coldly when she clearly meant no harm, so I¡¯d half-given up on resisting and just let it happen. Surely, she didn¡¯t think of me as just a child. Well, in this world¡¯s terms, I wasn¡¯t technically an adult, but still¡­ ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you nice?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her gentle touch guided me back to my seat, where I sat down without resistance. Joanie stood up, pacing over to the barrier with slow steps. ¡°Yuki¡­ our Canaria is really upset. No, wait, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Joanie nced back at me before continuing. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired of doing that?¡± ¡ª ¡°Training is supposed to be tiring.¡± ¡°Just hitting the barrier all day doesn¡¯t count as training. Besides, I barely managed to stop Canaria from bringing her sword over today, so please stop. And don¡¯t act like you¡¯re enjoying this!¡± ¡ª ¡°¡­Tsk.¡± Yuki, the girl Joanie had been speaking with in Arkish earlier, grudgingly sheathed her massive sword, having given up on her efforts. How she thought she could break the barrier ced by a Master Mage without even properly controlling mana was beyond me. Of course, Yuki had no way of knowing that. Still, shouldn¡¯t she have given up after realizing it wasn¡¯t working? She¡¯d been banging on that barrier for about a week now since we first met about ten days ago. Back then, she hadn¡¯t been like this. Well, that¡¯s because I¡¯d let her inside the barrier back then, so she hadn¡¯t needed to try breaking it. But once I let her into the barrier, she kept bothering me by shoving her greatsword in my face, regardless of time or ce. I can humor someone once or twice, but she kepting at me, even after being knocked down several times, to the point where I had no choice but to kill her and kick her out. After that, I refused to open the barrier again, and she started swinging her greatsword, iming she¡¯d break it down. ¡­What in the world was going through her mind? Can you really call someone sane when they confidently dere they¡¯ll break down the door in front of the homeowner? ¡°Why don¡¯t you change your approach, Yuki?¡± ¡ª ¡°¡­Approach?¡± ¡°Like offering food, for example. Oh, and it¡¯s not kidnapping! It¡¯s just a friendly gesture, okay?¡± ¡ª ¡°If I give her food, will she fight me?¡± ¡°Unless Canaria kidnaps me, there¡¯s no way someone like me could kidnap her! What? Sorry, what did you say? Uh¡­ I¡¯m not sure. Since Canaria is so stoic, I can¡¯t guarantee anything, but it¡¯s got to be better than how things are now, right?¡± ¡ª ¡°Hmm¡­¡± While watching them talk, Yuki turned her head toward me, and our eyes met. We stared at each other for a moment before quickly looking away. ¡ª ¡°¡­What do kids like?¡± ¡°Well, it depends on the kid, but usually toys, dolls¡­ and they love snacks too.¡± ¡ª ¡°Toys, dolls, snacks¡­¡± ¡°Oh, since Canaria seems to enjoy gardening, it might be a good idea to bring her gardening tools or flowers.¡± ¡ª ¡°Gardening tools, flowers¡­ Thanks.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re grateful, could you stop knocking on the barrier? It¡¯s getting kind of loud, honestly¡­¡± It felt like the conversation was wrapping up, but why did I still feel like the root of the problem wasn¡¯t resolved? I tilted my head in confusion. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Another morning, just like any other. As I opened the barrier to let Joanie inside, Yuki, who had followed closely behind, tried to slip in. Suddenly. ¡ª ¡°Here, it¡¯s a bribe.¡± Yuki abruptly extended her hand, offering something. ¡°¡­?¡± A ck¡­ box? What she held out was a small box, adorned with a tiny red ribbon. As I eyed it cautiously, Yuki waved her hand as if to say, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take it?¡± ¡ª ¡°¡­It¡¯s a gift.¡± Joanie, who had been watching us, exined to me. ¡°It¡¯s a gift of apology. She¡¯s sorry for bothering you.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be true.¡± Even after hearing the exnation, I still couldn¡¯t believe it. The Yuki I knew would swing a great sword until the end, even if a knife were thrust into her neck; she wasn¡¯t the kind of chick who would calmly apologize like a well-behaved chick. As I squinted and red, Joanie subtly averted her gaze. Something feels off¡­ Since it doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s any hostility, maybe I should just see what it is. ck. ¡°¡­!¡± The moment I opened the lid, a strong, sweet scent assaulted my nose. With such an intense sweetness, I thought it might escape through the gaps, but somehow, it had been sessfully sealed inside the lid. I couldn¡¯t help but swallow my saliva at the enticing aroma. ¡°It¡¯s chocte. Want to try some?¡± ¡°Uh, uh¡­ no¡­.¡± The glossy ck color was captivating and wouldn¡¯t let go of my gaze. It must taste good. With a smell like this, there¡¯s no way it could be bad. But if I eat this¡­ I nced at Yuki. ¡ª ¡°What¡¯s wrong? This is delicious.¡± I know that¡­ As I stared at the chocte, Joanie picked it up without responding to my silence. My gaze followed her hand. ¡°Ah~¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡­She¡¯s really treating me like a child. Just as I was about to fume, a sudden burst of sweetness filled my mouth. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Good job.¡± ¡­Ah, I unconsciously epted it¡­! But I couldn¡¯t regret it; the chocte Yuki brought was too sweet. ¡­It was too delicious¡­ Although it was incredibly sweet, it wrapped around my tongue without being sticky, a taste worthy of being called the ultimate delicacy. As I closed my eyes and savored the soft sweetness, the chocte that entered my mouth melted away in an instant. ¡°Ah¡­.¡± With a sigh of disappointment lingering from the intense sweetness, Joanie chuckled softly. ¡°I have one more.¡± At that moment, Yuki pulled out another box from somewhere. It was exactly the same as the previous one. I nodded my head. ¡°¡­Come in.¡± I absolutely detested being bothered, but if it was a guest, it was a different story. They had shown sincerity, so I¡¯d let it slide. ¡­It¡¯s definitely not because I was swayed by the chocte. Definitely not. *** ¡°It¡¯s easy.¡± ¡ª ¡°It is easy.¡± Seeing Kana, who had hugged the chocte box and was skipping inside, brought a smile to Joanie¡¯s face. Yet, at the same time, a hint of disappointment lingered. ¡°If I had known it would be like this, I should have brought this from the start.¡± Would they have be friends faster that way? I couldn¡¯t help but think about it. ¡®The things I brought were tasty enough¡­ but perhaps they didn¡¯t suit her childish pte.¡¯ That being said, it was also strange that she reacted to spicy food. Shaking her head in confusion, Joanie reminded herself that at least she saw Kana looking happy. Although she didn¡¯t smile, just seeing Kana¡¯s stiff face soften a bit felt like a big achievement. Even though the high-end chocte was quite expensive, it didn¡¯t matter since it was Yuki who spent the money, so Joanie enjoyed the happiness without any burden. In the end, Yuki got what she wanted too. ¡°This is what they call a win-win.¡± ¡ª ¡°¡­Win-win?¡± Yuki nced at Joanie, who suddenly spoke an out-of-the-blue phrase, then shrugged and entered the open barrier. ¡°Ah, Kana, wait a moment¡­! I haven¡¯t gone in yet!¡± Following the two ahead of her, Joanie jumped into the barrier, and the unsteady barrier closedpletely. It was a bit different from usual, but it was still a rather peaceful morning. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 ¡°Kana, you need to eat.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Joanie gently spoke as she stopped Kana from opening the box of choctes. After a brief hesitation, Kana obediently set the box down. Watching Kana steal a nce at the choctes while Joanie retrieved food from her inventory, Joanie suppressed a smile. No one was going to steal them, so why couldn¡¯t she just wait a little longer? Seeing Kana like that, Joanie thought, No matter how strong she is, a kid is still a kid. ¡°And today¡¯s breakfast is¡­ drumroll¡­ voil¨¤, a jambon beurre! And here¡¯s some freshly made fruit juice to go with it.¡± ¡®Jambon¡¯ meaning ham, and ¡®beurre¡¯ meaning butter. As simple as the name suggests, making a jambon beurre isn¡¯t difficult. With ham, butter, and bread¡ªanyone could easily make it if they had those three ingredients. In fact, the jambon beurre Joanie held was something she had made herself. The word ¡°assemble¡± crossed her mind briefly instead of ¡°make,¡± but that thought quickly faded. After all, as long as it¡¯s delicious, who cares?¡°This one¡¯s for you, Kana. Yuki, you can have one + ¡°¡­.¡± ¡ª ¡°Thanks.¡± Joanie chose the jambon beurre with the most ham and handed it to Kana. Kids need to eat a lot and grow big, she thought. Not that the other sandwiches werecking in ham. In Silia Online, no matter how much you eat, it doesn¡¯t affect your real body, so calories didn¡¯t matter. Of course, Silia still had a sense of fullness, so you couldn¡¯t eat endlessly until you burst, but the fact that you could indulge in delicious but unhealthy food without worrying about the consequences was a definite perk. Taking a big bite of the ham-filled sandwich, Joanie smiled happily. ¡°This¡­ is the life. If I ate like this in real life, I¡¯d blow up like a balloon. If I finish this, I wonder how many hours I¡¯d need to spend on the treadmill¡­.¡± ¡ªHost looks pretty slim, so she¡¯s probably fine. -I eat like that all the time. -I used to eat like that, but my digestion can¡¯t handle it anymore¡­ -How old are you, if you don¡¯t mind me asking¡­? -LMAO -Honestly, with that much ham, it¡¯s too expensive to eat often. ¡°Yeah, it is expensive. Buying this at a caf¨¦ would break the bank. Even making it yourself is pricey. Bread, ham, butter¡ªit¡¯s all expensive. Nothing¡¯s cheap.¡± The ham in Silia was a little different from the ham Joanie was used to, but not drastically so. Well, ham is a kind of preserved food, she mused. Salted and dried for preservation, so it wasn¡¯t surprising that the taste wasn¡¯t too far off. Joanie nodded to herself, satisfied with her own reasoning. But still¡­ Her gaze shifted to something else. The pink-haired girl sat quietly, taking small, neat bites of the jambon-beurre. She ate slowly, without causing a fuss or drawing attention, gently nibbling away at the sandwich. Despite not using a knife and fork, there was a strange air of elegance about her, possibly because I now knew her true status. ¡®No way¡­ Kana is the Captain of the Kingdom¡¯s Knights?¡¯ At that age? Her appearance alone made it hard to believe, but thinking about the power hidden behind her gentle demeanor, it seemed entirely usible. Joanie was certain that the most popr character in Silia Online right now had to be Kana. Once for the discovery of the new raid boss, twice for the name ¡°Kana¡± spoken in a soft, delicate voice, and finally, the third time for the revtion of her looks and overwhelming power. Each time, themunity had exploded with excitement. Every time the news spread, not only gaming forums but even non-gamingmunities buzzed with talk about Kana. Considering the massive user base of Silia Online and the casual chatter that filled the forums, it was inevitable. The absence of any quest guide or system directing yers meant many users relied on thesemunities for information. Because of those three waves of excitement, not only were Silia Online yers familiar with Kana, but even those who didn¡¯t y knew of her. And the ripple effects were more significant than expected. Some yers, like Joanie, started studying the Grasis Kingdom, while others became interested in the history of the kingdom that had vanished, uncovering long-buried information piece by piece. One such piece was the story of the Crimson Aegis, the most prestigious knight order in Grasis. Bits of information, like the existence of the knight order, the castle of Grasis given to sessive captains, and the names of previousmanders, began to emerge. Although details about thest captain were oddly scarce, it was enough to deduce Kana¡¯s identity. After learning all this, Joanie began to understand why the Imperial Knights called Kana a traitor. ¡°Huh? You¡¯re done already? ¡­ Don¡¯t tell me it wasn¡¯t good?¡± Joanie asked, watching Kana as she ced the half-eaten jambon-beurre down. Could it be that she didn¡¯t like the taste? As Joanie anxiously asked, Kana shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m full.¡± Kana answered calmly, carefully wrapping the leftover sandwich and cing it to the side. Thank goodness, it wasn¡¯t just a polite excuse. While Joanie sighed in relief, Kana picked up a box, opened the lid without hesitation, and popped a chocte into her mouth. Nom nom. ¡°Pffft¡­¡± Her expression didn¡¯t change, but for some reason, it felt different from before. Joanie wondered if Kana had eaten less of the sandwich on purpose, just so she could get to the chocte faster. ¡°It¡¯s peaceful, isn¡¯t it?¡± Joanie knew that if she told Yuki, she would get a confused reaction, but Joanie found this kind of peaceforting. That¡¯s why when she traveled, she deliberately sought out quiet ces and often enjoyed peaceful camping. If only such days could continue forever. ¡®It¡¯s probably impossible.¡¯ Joanie nced at the chat window. 70% of the chat was in agreement with Joanie, 20% were asking questions or making demands, and 5% were clearly trying to be funny. And the remaining 5% were either talking nonsense or voicingints. ¡ª¡±We¡¯re seeing the same scene over and over again.¡± ¡ª¡±I¡¯m so bored I could die.¡± ¡ª¡±When are you going somewhere else, host?¡± ¡ª¡±Is she a wandering spirit or something?¡± ¡®It¡¯s only 5%, but considering the total number of viewers, it wasn¡¯t a small number.¡¯ At first, it wasn¡¯t this many, but as the days passed, the number grew, and now it had reached this point. ¡®I¡¯ve held out for quite a while.¡¯ No matter how beautiful the scenery, if you see it repeatedly, you get tired of it. Thanks to Kana, she managed tost a long time, but seeing more people express boredom, Joanie felt that the time to move on was approaching. As long as she was streaming, she couldn¡¯tpletely ignore the opinions of her viewers. There were still many who wanted to see Kana¡ªmostly foreign viewers¡ªbut that wouldn¡¯tst forever. ¡®Let¡¯s use this as a base and explore the surrounding areas. I¡¯ll name it the ¡°Grasis Kingdom Exploration Series.¡±¡¯ It wouldn¡¯t be immediate, but soon she¡¯d have to start traveling again. As she formted her ns, Joanie popped thest bite of food into her mouth. Smack! Before Joanie could finish eating, Yuki, who had already finished, impatiently attacked Kana but was struck down by Kana¡¯s sword, sprawling on the ground. Though she wasn¡¯t bloodied, Kana habitually flicked her sword before sheathing it and sitting back down. The bribe seemed to have worked since Kana didn¡¯t look particrly upset. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Joanie asked. ¡ª ¡°¡­Hehe.¡± A sinister giggle echoed. ¡°¡­Oh dear.¡± Joanie shuddered at the ominousughter. She couldn¡¯t understand how Yuki could find such joy in something like this when she couldn¡¯tst even a single round in a real fight. As someone who hated pain, Joanie couldn¡¯tprehend those feelings. Then, as she watched Yuki twitching on the floor, Kana suddenly spoke. ¡°Don¡¯te back.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The cold dismissal caught not only Joanie but also the chat by surprise. Yuki showed no reaction, possibly not understanding what was said. Joanie, who had been with Canaria since meeting her, had never heard her speak so decisively before. Although she had spoken with her sword, she hadn¡¯t verbally dered an expulsion. It¡¯s possible that Joanie didn¡¯t catch it because she didn¡¯t understand, but still. ¡°But, Yuki isn¡¯t a bad person¡ª¡± Just as Joanie was about to defend her by saying, ¡°No, that¡¯s not right,¡± she was met with a sharp nce from Canaria. ¡°You¡¯re no different.¡± ¡°Huh? Me too?¡± Canaria nodded. Joanie, confused by the sudden usation, asked again. ¡°Why? Why?!¡± I¡¯ve been nothing but good to you, how can you throw me away like an old shoe¡­! Joanie, recalling a line from a novel she once read, asked with a heartbroken expression. Canaria responded with short, clear words that Joanie could understand. ¡°I¡¯m leaving here.¡± ¡°¡­Leaving?¡± Joanie wanted to ask, ¡°Where to?¡± but she couldn¡¯t remember the Grasis word for destination. Instead, she shouted enthusiastically. ¡°Me, too!¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°I want to go with you!¡± Joanie cheered at what she felt was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She had been thinking of leaving anyway, and now Canaria was talking about leaving¡ªwhat perfect timing, as if she could read Joanie¡¯s mind! ¡®¡­Though, it¡¯s only possible if Canaria allows it.¡¯ Suddenly realizing the reality of the situation after her moment of excitement, Joanie began to chew on her lip, anxiously watching for Canaria¡¯s reaction. It didn¡¯t seem like she was entirely against it, but she didn¡¯t seem thrilled either. Canaria¡¯s face was as calm and gentle as usual. Joanie knew that there wasn¡¯t much for Canaria to gain by epting her offer. Joanie¡¯s abilities were far too insignificant for her to be considered a realpanion. She wasn¡¯t necessary as a guide since Canaria was already familiar with Silia. She couldn¡¯t even bring her food, like she had been doing up until now. Frantically thinking, Joanie finally remembered her only real value. ¡°Trantion! Kana, you don¡¯t understand Arkish, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll trante for you! It¡¯s frustrating when you can¡¯tmunicate!¡± If only they spoke the samenguage, she could have persuaded her more effectively. Joanie spoke more earnestly than ever before. Why is she suddenly acting like this? Kana blinked a few times, as if to say that, while Joanie nervously waited for her response. After what felt like an eternity, as if several autumns had passed, Kana finally spoke. ¡°¡­Do as you like.¡± ¡°R-really?¡± Nod. ¡°YESSSSS!!¡± Kana widened her eyes in surprise at Joanie¡¯s sudden shout, but Joanie, overwhelmed with joy, didn¡¯t notice. The worry she had felt earlier now seemed meaningless¡­ ¡°Who cares! I get to travel with Kana!¡± Ba-bam! Kana has joined the party! Joanie burst into loudughter, imagining such a message popping up, oblivious to the way Kana was now looking at her as if she had lost her mind. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 ¡°Garid.¡± If the beginning of being adult is defined by leaving the care of parents and bing independent as an individual, then I haven¡¯t yet outgrown my childhood. Perhaps, I never will. Garid is everything to me, after all. I sighed as I looked down at Crimson Aegis. ¡°¡­To be honest, I¡¯m still not ready.¡± Leaving Garid¡­ and stepping out into the world. ¡°I won¡¯t say something like ¡®Garid wouldn¡¯t want me to live like this,¡¯ though.¡± Maybe Garid truly wouldn¡¯t have wanted that, but I don¡¯t want to use Garid¡¯s wishes as an excuse for my actions.So, the fact that I¡¯ve decided to leave Garid for a while is entirely my own will. ¡°¡­There¡¯s something I need to find out.¡± Since it doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯d drag his lofty self all the way here, I¡¯ve got no choice. The thirsty one must dig the well. It¡¯s a relief that thanks to the snake¡¯s barrier, I don¡¯t have to worry about thieves. Since it was a life-threatening vow, I¡¯m sure there won¡¯t be any tampering with the barrier, so I should be safe for now. ¡°So¡­.¡± I hesitated for a long while, then finally opened my mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll be back, Dad.¡± I promise. I¡¯lle back. *** ¡°¡­Late.¡± If I had known it would be like this, I would¡¯ve set a specific time. I came down from the Forest to the usual spot where Joanie arrives, but even after expanding my Aura Perception, there was no sign of hering yet. Rustle, rustle. The person I¡¯m waiting for isn¡¯t here, but strange things are gathering. I looked around at the people surrounding me from a distance. Judging by their blurry faces, they must be Apostles. They don¡¯t seem hostile, so I¡¯m leaving them be, but being gawked at like this doesn¡¯t feel great. Hmm¡­ Tap, tap. She tapped the sword hanging from her waist. ¡­If they¡¯re an Apostle, wouldn¡¯t it be okay if they die once? ¡°Canaria!¡± As she was seriously contemting, a familiar voice reached her ears. ¡°J-Just a moment! I¡¯ming through! W-Whoa?!¡± Joanie, who had been struggling to push through the thick crowd, was suddenly shoved forward and popped out like she had beenunched. It was, in a way, a very Joanie-like entrance. ¡°You¡¯rete.¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry! Well, um¡­ I had a lot of preparations!¡± ¡°Preparations.¡± ¡°Yes, preparations!¡± Joanie proudly puffed out her chest as if exining herself, even though no one had asked. ¡°Trust me. I¡¯ll make you feel right at home!¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± ¡­Why doesn¡¯t she seem reliable at all? ¡°So, where are we going?¡± See? She didn¡¯t even ask about the destination before asking me to take her along. How can anyone trust someone like that? ¡°To the Sedeth Kingdom.¡± Grasis Kingdom is located in the western part of the Ardina Continent¡­ or at least it used to be. Meanwhile, the Sedeth Kingdom is in the southeastern corner of the continent, so it¡¯ll be quite a long journey. It wouldn¡¯t take long if I ran at full speed, but with apanion, that¡¯s out of the question. ¡°If we use the Teleport Gate¡­ Oh.¡± Joanie, who had been mumbling to herself, suddenly froze as if realizing something and nced at me, gauging my reaction. The Teleport Gate is a service run by the Tower of Magic, which operates under the Empire. Although the Tower isn¡¯t technically part of the Empire, they receive a massive amount of support from it. Naturally, they wouldn¡¯t want to upset the Empire. Plus, using the gate to reach the Sedeth Kingdom would require passing through several gates within the Empire¡¯s territory, and that¡¯s a bit tricky. After all, it¡¯s one thing for the Empire not to pursue me, and another for me to walk right into their territory. There¡¯s also another issue. ¡°Do you have a lot of money?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Crossing the continent via teleport would cost a fortune. There¡¯s a reason people prefer the hard way of traveling by carriage or horseback rather than using the quick and convenient Teleport Gate. The reason I was dumbfounded when I saw the knights invadingst time was because of that. They crossed over using something we wouldn¡¯t even use during a war, unless it was a life-or-death situation, so you can imagine how I felt. Looking at it that way, the snake¡¯s words about ¡°young and hot-blooded guys¡± seem a bit off. ¡°Rich and hot-blooded guys¡± is more urate. ¡°Then, are we walking?¡± ¡°We need to get a carriage.¡± Even I don¡¯t want to walk that far. Spending several days bouncing around inside a carriage isn¡¯t easy, but it¡¯s much better than walking for days on end. Not for me, but for this frailpanion of mine. ¡°If there¡¯s a caravan heading to Sedeth, we can join as guards. If not, we¡¯ll have to hire a coachman.¡± There are pros and cons to both options, so I can¡¯t say which is better. Besides, it¡¯s questionable whether there¡¯s even a caravan going to Sedeth from here. ¡°Let¡¯s go, for now.¡± ¡°Wh-where to?¡± ¡°To the vige.¡± We won¡¯t find a caravan or a carriage here. And to do that, we¡¯ll need to get through those Apostles¡­ Fine, I get it. Srrrng. ¡°Wait!¡± Wham! As I half-drew my sword, Joanie rushed over in a hurry. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to them¡­!¡± They¡¯re going to revive even if they die, so I don¡¯t get why she¡¯s so worked up. *** Garid¡¯s hometown is a small vige at the base of a rugged mountain. ording to him, he¡¯s been freely climbing that treacherous mountain, something even adults struggle with, ever since he was a child, but believe it or not. Whether Garid¡¯s words are true or not isn¡¯t important, so let¡¯s move on. In such a small vige, it was no surprise we couldn¡¯t find a caravan or a carriage, so we naturally set our sights on the nearestrger city. The closestrge city from here would be Ordo. When I asked Joanie if she knew about Ordo, she confidently nodded. ¡°Ordo? Of course, I know!¡± And then she started exining, though I couldn¡¯t understand all of it. From what I gathered, the city of Ordo still exists. ¡°Well, it¡¯s hard for arge city to copse all at once, isn¡¯t it? Now that I think about it, Grasis really pulled off something difficult. Anyway, after the fall of Grasis, it seems Ordo chose to remain an independent free city, likely due to having sufficient economic and military power to sustain itself instead of being absorbed into the Empire. Ordo, Ordo¡­ I might even run into some familiar faces there. ¡°Oh, right! Kana, take this.¡± ¡°¡­A cape?¡± ¡°I mended it. How does it look? Not bad, huh?¡± To be honest, when I handed over the torn cape to Joanie, who offered to fix it, I didn¡¯t expect much. If it worked out, great. If not, oh well. I¡¯d used it for a while and had grown fond of it, but it wasn¡¯t full of memories or anything. Buying a new one would just feel slightly disappointing, nothing more. What¡¯s truly important is something else. ¡­ I fiddled with the choker around my neck. ¡°¡­Yeah, it¡¯s fine.¡± The torn hood was neatly repaired as if it had never been ripped, and all the frayed spots were carefully patched up. If I looked closely, I could see the stitching, but from a casual nce, it was so tidy that you¡¯d barely notice it had been mended. I never expected Joanie to have such skill. ¡°They say even a rolling dung beetle has its own talents.¡± Had she opened a repair shop instead of wielding a sword as a mercenary, she might have made a fortune. ¡°Huh? Kana, what did you say?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± As I wrapped the cape around me with practiced hands and moved to pull up the hood, Joanie suddenly stopped me. ¡°Kana, wait a minute.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Could you, um, not wear the hood?¡± Her sudden request made me tilt my head in confusion. It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t, but¡­ ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Your cute face will be hidden.¡± ¡°¡­What nonsense are you saying?¡± To nonchntly throw out a line that sounds like something straight out of a cheesyic¡­ Maybe in my previous life, I¡¯d have been a bit flustered, but after going through all kinds of turmoil, it didn¡¯t affect me at all. I scoffed and turned my head away. I didn¡¯t wear the hood.¡± ¡°¡­So cute.¡± Joanie murmured softly. Kana tried her best to act nonchnt, but the tips of her ears, visible through her sweet pink hair, were flushed red, and there was a slight blush barely visible on her pale cheeks. Joanie watched Kana, who had turned her head away, with a warm smile. Even the viewers watching through the broadcast seemed to wholeheartedly sympathize with Joanie¡¯s feelings, as the chat room was in a frenzy. ¡ªSo cute, haha! ¡ªI want to pet her.. ¡ªWhy is it only you? Why only you? Why only you? ¡ªI want to talk to Kana too, ??? ¡°Ah, Kana is mine.¡± ¡ªSince when did the chicks have a say??? ¡ªIsn¡¯t it that Kana is not the host¡¯s, but the host is Kana¡¯s? ¡ªHey, can opener. ¡ªHey! The orders are piling up, so hurry and deliver! ¡°¡­¡± Joanie¡¯s eyes widened sharply as she saw the hyenas charging at her like they were ready to pounce. As expected, they were eager to tease her. Joanie let out a puff of breath and changed her expression to a victorious smile. ¡°Yeah~ No matter what you say, the one who¡¯s going on a date with Kana is me. Aren¡¯t you jealous? Isn¡¯t your stomach hurting? Aren¡¯t you envious? So what else can you do besides watch us?¡± ¡ªThis is just¡­ ¡ªMessage deleted. ¡ªMessage deleted. ¡ªShould I kill you, Master? ¡°Hey, no bad words allowed.¡± Keeping it light and yful. Joanie dealt with those trying to cross the line, subtly reminding them. ¡ªJust wait. I¡¯ming to kill you. ¡ªChecking the route to Ordo. ¡ªI sharpened my sword for this day¡­ ¡°Are you nning to fight? There¡¯s Kana beside me. Do you think you can beat our Kana? Come at me if you can~¡± ¡ªAh, haha, I feel like pping you. ¡ªUsing a child as a shield, aren¡¯t you ashamed? ¡ªUgly young woman. ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s nothing to me anyway!¡± Those who have eaten meat know how to eat well; while the context is slightly different, Joanie had experienced enough teasing from the viewers to know how to get under people¡¯s skin. Seeing the chat blowing up with anger as she had predicted, she kept grinning. Thement about hiding behind a child did sting a bit, but¡­ ¡®I¡¯ve already done it once; what¡¯s stopping me from doing it again?¡¯ As someone who had been protected by Kana when the Imperial Army invaded Lo Arka, Joanie brushed it off lightly. Whether it was right or wrong to take pride in that was not a thought in her mind. As she watched the flustered Kana and teased the viewers, the well-trodden path unfolded before Joanie¡¯s eyes. ¡°This path leads straight to Ordo. ¡­But Kana probably already knows that!¡± Joanie realized that Kana was from Grasis and, embarrassed, abruptly stopped her exnation intended for the viewers. This was akin to showing off in front of a pro. But Kana remainedpletely unfazed, while Joanie¡¯s face turned red from embarrassment. Waving her hand to cool her face, Joanie feigned indifference as she spoke. ¡°When we arrive, we¡¯ll eat something delicious¡­¡± Stomp, stomp. ¡ª ¡°¡­I found her.¡± However, she couldn¡¯t finish her sentence. Right in front of them, a stranger appeared, pointing a sword at them. ¡°Gulp!¡± For a moment, Joanie thought it was a knight chasing after Kana and lifted her head, only to be startled into a gulp by the sword aimed at her. Not an article, but a yer¡­! Joanie, realizing the identity of the intruder, asked in a trembling voice. ¡°Wh-who are you¡­?¡± ¡ª ¡°I came because you invited me toe!¡± ¡°Gulp!¡± Joanie, taken aback by the unexpected visit she had never imagined would happen, took a step back, then another. ¡ªHahaha ¡ªThis is hrious! ¡ªHahahaha ¡ªI won¡¯t forget you, martyr ???? The chat was already in a festive mood. Everyone wished for her death. As Joanie rolled her eyes to assess the situation, she suddenly smiled. ¡°Hmph! I have Canaria with me, you know?¡± Normally, she would have tried to persuade or find a way to escape, but now she felt secure with her strong escort. Joanie turned to call for Canaria. ¡°Canaria?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Look over there! They¡¯re blocking our way!¡± We have to¡­ take care of this, right? Joanie¡¯s expectation-filled gaze met Canaria¡¯s, who tilted her head. ¡°¡­So?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± This wasn¡¯t the reaction she expected¡­. Joanie, more flustered than when the intruder appeared, spoke again. ¡°Um, I mean, they¡¯re blocking our path!¡± ¡°Yeah, and?¡± But what Joanie didn¡¯t know was this: First, Canaria wouldn¡¯t draw her sword unless it was a special situation or there was hostility. Second, Canaria had an exceptional ability to sense hostility. In other words, Canaria, realizing that the intruder bore no ill will towards her, had no intention of stepping up first. ¡°It seems like they want to talk to you, so handle it well.¡± Though she didn¡¯t fully understand everything, Joanie could grasp Canaria¡¯s intention through her folded arms and stepping back. ¡°Ka, Canariaaaa!¡± ¡ª ¡°Ha, hahahaha¡­¡± The harmony of the despairing cry of someone betrayed by the one they trusted, the mockery of the intruder, and theughter of the viewers echoed together. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Joanie and the mysterious figure faced off with serious expressions as they shed swords. From the perspective of watching the fight, one might wonder, ¡°Is this really the face they make?¡± but I refrained from pouring cold water on the moment. ¡°You¡¯re holding up better than I expected.¡± Although a few weeks isn¡¯t enough time for someone¡¯s skills to dramatically change, it is sufficient to refine poor basics. I might be the only one to notice, but to me, Joanie from a few weeks ago and Joanie now are markedly different. Isn¡¯t that why they can hold their own against the mysterious figure? ¡°Hah¡­ Ya!¡± With a bizarre battle cry, Joanie swung her sword vigorously. The mysterious figure easily blocked the iing sword aimed at their chest and stepped back a couple of paces.The physical ability of the mysterious figure seemed slightly higher than Joanie¡¯s¡­ Yet Joanie could endure because the mysterious figure¡¯s level wasn¡¯t particrly high either. I¡¯ve always felt that Apostles are all inept in technique despite their physical prowess. With that level of physical ability, one would expect their technique to be somewhat decent, but it¡¯s oddly skewed. They are like someone who has rapidly grown strong without steadily building their strength. ¡°Is this also thanks to Edel¡¯s blessing?¡± ¡°Hah!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Look at this. Despite the negligible difference in strength, one is trying to crush the other, while the other is taking it as ites. ¡°This is a total mess.¡± Still, I¡¯ve definitely identified the problem. I¡¯ve known what the problem was for a while, but this fight gave me confidence. Fighting against someone of a simr level is indeed the best way to pinpoint problems. ng! While I observed apathetically, swords shed forcefully, causing Joanie¡¯s sword to fly from her hand. They need to pick up their sword quickly or retreat, but perhaps flustered, Joanie was fumbling as a sharp silver gleam rushed toward her heart. ¡°¡­Kyaaa!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± ng! ¡°Ugh?!¡± Thud! As I swiftly struck down the upper side of the rapidly approaching sword, the mysterious figure staggered and fell. It was an excellent moment to end their life. However, instead of plunging the sword into the exposed neck and back, I caught Joanie, who had copsed, and helped her back up. After all, what¡¯s so scary about dying if you cane back to life? Joanie was trembling like a quaking aspen. When I picked up the sword that had fallen to the ground and ced it in her hands, she finally took a breath and thanked me in a shaky voice. ¡°Th-th-thank you¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± I nodded casually. ¡°Why suddenly¡­?¡± The assant, caught off guard like a bolt from the blue, looked bewildered. It¡¯s no wonder; he must feel wronged to be interrupted just when he thought he had won. I never intended to let Joanie die, so I was nning to intervene just before the conclusion. But I felt a little bad about it. Even if she could be resurrected, it would mean another long wait for her to reach this point again. I couldn¡¯t afford to waste time like that. I took a coin from my pocket and flicked it with my finger. Ping! ¡°Uh? This is¡­.¡± It may not have any value as currency, but it could serve as a souvenir. Even if it couldn¡¯t be used as money, it was made of gold, so selling it for cash wouldn¡¯t be a problem. The assant reflexively caught the Grasismemorative coin I tossed but looked dazed. ¡°Why suddenly¡­?¡± ¡°Your reward.¡± Since I yed along with the fun for a bit, I figured he wouldn¡¯t have anyints about receiving a reward like that. The assant, looking at the coin this way and that, flipping it over and inspecting it, bowed his waist slightly. ¡°Thank you very much!¡± It seemed to convey gratitude, but why was he being so excessively thankful? As I tilted my head in confusion at his emotional reaction, the assant hurriedly stuffed the coin into his pocket, as if worried I might change my mind, then dashed off in a direction and disappeared. It was as abrupt as his entrance. While I stared nkly at the spot where he had vanished, Joanie approached me to speak. ¡°¡­Canaria, where¡¯s mine?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Did she give it to me? When I lightly ignored her, Joanie rolled on the dirt ground, throwing a tantrum. ¡°I want, I want the gift you gave, Canaria! Give it to me!¡± ¡°Waaaah!¡± ¡°Enough already.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± As I shoved the scabbard right next to Joanie¡¯s head, she suddenly sprang up from her previous position on the ground. Why is it that people only listen when violence is involved? I can¡¯t understand it. Tap tap. ¡­Ugh, dust. As Joanie dusted off her clothes that had be clouded from rolling on the ground, dirt swirled up. I stepped back to avoid the dust and gathered my thoughts. Joanie¡¯s issue is, as always, her excessive fear. It¡¯s the basic principle ofbat to inflict damage on the opponent while avoiding damage to oneself. I could let her be cautious about getting hurt, but there¡¯s a limit to that. You can¡¯t win by just avoiding attacks and ying defensively after finally gaining the upper hand; you have to strike back at some point. To put it more precisely, it¡¯s like she only attacks when she¡¯spletely sure of victory. To seize the advantage, you need to take the offensive to some extent, but she seems too afraid of counterattacks to strike. I had allowed the pesky big sword chick to bother her to help fix this habit, but ironically, the big sword chick didn¡¯t show much interest in Joanie, rendering my efforts fruitless. Now that I think about it, I haven¡¯t seen the big sword chick today. ¡°Where¡¯s the great-sword chick?¡± ¡°Yuki? Oh¡­ training. She said she went to train.¡± I see. How consistent of her. Thinking back, I doubt having the big sword chick around would actually help Joanie much. Considering the significant skill gap between Joanie and the big sword chick, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if the chick didn¡¯t hold back while sparring with Joanie due to her personality. The goal is to eliminate her fear, but it¡¯s clear that facing the chick would only make her more scared and withdrawn. ¡°¡­¡± Eliminating fear¡­ There is indeed a good way to do that. The Crimson Aegis, where the elite of Grasis gather¡­ ¡­That¡¯s a story from the past. The Crimson Aegis I know is where the nobles with some skill go when they can¡¯t join the royal knights, alongside those who are skilled but not of noble birth. Or perhaps it¡¯s a ce for those truly filled with patriotism, eager to fight the enemy. The ones who get into the royal knights don¡¯t have to take dangerous risks fighting against the enemy, while the nobles or royal family can always secure their lives with their elite guards. It¡¯s a dark humor, really, that they died before us. Still, the Crimson Aegis wasn¡¯t a ce with significantly inferior skills. The leader of the Crimson Aegis holds the position of the strongest person in Grasis, so it actually raises the bar even higher. The purpose of the Crimson Aegis was ignored, yet they rigidly adhered to such traditions, which was quite absurd. ¡®¡­I got a little distracted.¡¯ Anyway, there were often timid ones among the members of the Crimson Aegis. ¡®Hii, hiik?!¡¯ ¡®I-I can¡¯t do it! Please just kill me!¡¯ Those who stiffened like logs or retreated in fear. This reaction wasmon when guys who had honed their skills through sparring with others on the training grounds faced monsters for the first time. Of course, there were many who could fight calmly even without realbat experience. If they fought properly, they could win without breaking a sweat, but they just ran away in fear. And my simple solution at the time as the deputy leader was straightforward. ¡®Go.¡¯ ¡ª ¡®¡­What?¡¯ ¡®Go and fight.¡¯ ¡ª ¡®¡­Did I hear that wrong?¡¯ ¡®Then I¡¯ll make sure you hear it clearly.¡¯ ¡ª ¡®Wah! I curse you, Deputy Leader!¡¯ I¡¯d force them into a situation where they had no choice but to fight. ¡ª ¡®D-Deputy Leader?¡¯ ¡®Yeah.¡¯ ¡ª ¡®¡­Why are you giving me your sword?¡¯ ¡®Because you asked me to kill you.¡¯ ¡ª ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡ª ¡®¡­Bring it on, you damn monsters!¡¯ ¡­Or give them even greater fear. It was a little hurtful that they were more afraid of me just for unsheathing a sword than they were of the monsters, but isn¡¯t it better if it works out well? Oh, and for reference, the one who cursed me became incredibly brave after fighting the monsters for several days and even challenged me to a duel. ¡ª ¡®Hii, hiik¡­! Deputy Leader, I¡¯m scared¡­!¡¯ It seems like another phobia developed afterward, but that¡¯s none of my business. Even if they¡¯re apostles blessed by Edel, they¡¯re still human. There wouldn¡¯t be much difference between the kids I taught and others. In other words, if I push them hard enough, the problem will resolve itself naturally. ¡°W-Why am I suddenly feeling chills¡­?¡± Did she sense something? Joanie trembled and looked around. I¡¯m not doing this because I want to; I¡¯m doing it for your own good, okay? ¡°Got it?¡± *** [I got a gift from Kana, lol!] (Grasis Commemorative Coin.jpg) It doesn¡¯t look like imperial gold, but it¡¯s shiny and pretty. From now on, this is my house¡¯s treasure. [Comments] ¡ªNo way! ©» I¡¯m serious!! If you don¡¯t believe me, go watch Joanie¡¯s broadcast rey. ¡ªI¡¯ll buy it. ©» Nope, not for sale~ ¡ª?? ¡ªI was wondering who the brave soul was, and it turned out to be you. ¡ªIs it really true?? How did you get it? ©» I went head-to-head with Joanie, and when she tried to kill me, she gave this to me. ©» Wow, I¡¯m so jealous; [I want to receive a gift from Kana-chan too!] So, are you saying that if I follow Joanie around and pick a fight, I can get a gift from Kana-chan? Huff, huff¡­ a gift touched by Kana-chan¡­ I can¡¯t resist this; I¡¯m going to beat Joanie up. See ya! [Comments] ¡ªThat¡¯s a bit much¡­ ¡ªI bet you¡¯ll get cut up immediately. ¡ªGet out of here; ¡ªPlease die. So far, people who could only gaze at Kana through broadcasts due to her vignce and barriers were starting to have their suppressed desires boil over, especially after learning she wouldn¡¯t immediately draw her sword just because they met. [Can¡¯t I ask for a head pat instead of a gift?] I want to pet Kana¡¯s head too¡­ [Comments] ¡ªYou had hands, but now you don¡¯t. ¡ª???: Just mix it in a bit. Losing your hands like this¡­ ¡ªX cuss: my hands¡­! ¡ªAre you hoping to be Captain Hook in the future? ¡ªIs being chopped off guaranteed? LOL ¡ªOur Kana doesn¡¯t bite. Instead, she¡¯ll cut you up. [Wow! A fan meeting!] So, if I go now, Kana will chat with me, shake hands, hug, let me pet her, and even give me a gift? I can¡¯t resist this, lol. [Comments] ¡ªWhat are you even talking about? ¡ªThis is driving me crazy; ¡ªYou¡¯re a pedophile¡­ ¡ªDude, are you going to live like this again this year?? With her cute and gentle appearance contrasting her indifferent demeanor, Kana was secretly caring for Joanie while epting her affection, drawing people in. Those who wanted to get close to Kana and those who simply admired her heard the news, and yers who happened to be nearby started to gather, as if they were heading out to see a celebrity visiting their town. As a result, arge crowd of yers gathered around Joanie and Kana as they headed toward Ordo. ¡ª ¡°Ah, don¡¯t push me!¡± ¡ª ¡°Please form a line! Keep your order!¡± ¡ª ¡°It¡¯s not order; it¡¯s sequence, right?¡± ¡ª ¡°I¡¯m selling corn! I¡¯ve got popcorn too!¡± Before long, even merchants joined in, creating utter chaos. Kana really had to think deeply. ¡°Should I just kill them all¡­?¡± Since the day the imperial army invaded, Kana¡¯s view of the Apostle had plummeted, though her mood had improved somewhat. But the biggest victims weren¡¯t the onlookers like Kana or the Apostles facing death. ¡ª ¡°Hey, wanna fight? Let¡¯s have a go!¡± ¡ª ¡°Do you fight that well? Come up to the rooftop with me.¡± ¡ª ¡°Joanie! I¡¯m a fan! I¡¯ll hug you!¡± ¡ª ¡°Eek! Wh-what are you guys?!¡± On their way to Ordo, while having a pleasant time, Joanie ended up receiving a mountain of challenges, bing the biggest victim of the situation. Joanie was horrified by the countless PVP requests and looked around, but everywhere she turned, she was greeted by eyes that looked like they were staring at delicious prey. ¡°Waaaaah! Kana! Help me!¡± In the end, Joanie threw her dignity aside and clung to Kana¡¯s leg, bursting into tears. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 ¡°Finally, finally, I¡¯ve arrived¡­!¡± Ordo! Tears of joy streamed down Joanie¡¯s face as she gazed at the walls encircling the city. The people standing in line to enter Ordo pointed fingers at her, whispering as they watched her shout with open arms. ¡°¡­.¡± I pulled my hood down low and positioned myself at a distance. ¡°Ah, Kana!¡± ¡­Of course, her awareness is sharp when it¡¯s least necessary. She¡¯s terrible at noticing iing attacks, yet she instantly sensed my distancing and, like a ghost, closed the gap between us.¡°Why are you wearing a hood?¡± ¡°¡­Just in case someone recognizes me.¡± Not many people know my face, but there¡¯s always the chance, and I want to avoid unnecessary trouble. Even with my halfhearted answer, Joanie epted it and nodded. Seriously though, she was just on the brink of copse a moment ago, but now she¡¯s walking around fine. ¡°Turns out you were faking it.¡± ¡°Faking it?! I really thought I was going to die!¡± Joanie protested passionately in Granik, her fluency suddenly improving. She thought she was going to die, huh? ¡°I always saved you right before things got dangerous.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean¡­.¡± She started grumbling gloomily in Arkish, clearly dissatisfied. Joanie had expected something entirely different from our journey together. Instead of the intimate adventure she¡¯d envisioned, strange people kept getting in our way, and rather than helping, I just stood back, sometimes even urging her to fight faster. Sure, she was thankful for being rescued, but wouldn¡¯t it have been better if I¡¯d just stepped in from the start? What happened to the peaceful, romantic date she¡¯d imagined? Listening to her, it was clear she had lots ofints. I shook my head with a sigh. She doesn¡¯t realize these experiences are helping her grow, though. On the way to Ordo, Joanie had been targeted by Apostles. Some politely requested duels, while others suddenly drew their swords and demanded a fight. There were even ambushes and long-range attacks with magic and arrows, which I personally dealt with. My goal was to help Joanie improve her skills, not to torment her. Of course, when Apostles formally requested a duel, I let her handle it, regardless of the weapon used. One strange thing was that after each fight, the Apostles would give me an expectant look, as if waiting for something. I suspect it was because of the rumor spread by the first Apostle who left with some coins I had handed him. I¡¯m not some golden goblin or anything¡­. After giving out a few coins, I realized it was getting out of hand, so I closed my purse and substituted it with a handshake. That wasn¡¯t my idea, though¡ªit was something the Apostles themselves requested. Why they wanted a handshake, I still have no idea. ¡°Well, saving money is always good.¡± Of course, I didn¡¯t offer it to the Apostles who lost to Joanie. I only started giving it to the ones Joanie defeated because I felt bad for stopping the fights to save her life. There was no reason to give anything to those she had beaten. And then, for some reason, the Apostles seemed even more determined to charge at Joanie. What on earth had Joanie done to make so many people want to take her down? ¡°¡­¡± Joanie shot me a look like she had a lot on her mind for a second. Maybe it was just my imagination. Anyway, something strange was happening in Ordo since Ist visited. ¡ª¡±Next person, step forward!¡± Seeing the long line at the entrance made me think something was off, and I soon spotted the guards at the gate, conducting strict inspections on everyone going in and out. Now and then, a few people were turned away, suggesting this wasn¡¯t just for show. The checkpoint had always been there, but they hadn¡¯t enforced entry restrictions like this before. Maybe this change was part of their new policies as a free city? I tugged at Joanie¡¯s sleeve. ¡°What is it, Canaria?¡± ¡°That.¡± ¡°The inspection? What¡¯s wrong with it?¡± Joanie didn¡¯t seem to find it unusual, which meant it must be amon urrence. As I looked up at her, signaling for an exnation, she caught on and said, ¡°They¡¯re verifying identities. Things like mercenary badges or trading permits.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Joanie pulled out her mercenary badge as she spoke. The golden badge glimmered faintly in the setting sun. I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s a gold-ranked mercenary with skills like hers. The world must be ending. But this isn¡¯t the time to dwell on that. ¡°Identity¡­¡± There was no need to worry about that in the past. Who would question someone wearing the Crimson Aegis armor? But now, I had nothing to prove my identity. ¡°Next!¡± While I was deep in thought, the line ahead disappeared, and suddenly it was our turn. The interior of the checkpoint was quite bleak. A prison cell, desks, chairs, and equipment to prevent riots¡ªit was a ce that fit the term ¡°checkpoint¡± perfectly. The guard, dressed in meticulously polished armor, spoke in a firm tone as we approached. ¡ª¡±Could you remove your cape, please?¡± ¡°Kana, the cape.¡± Without hesitation, I took off my hood. The guard¡¯s eyes widened in surprise for a moment but quickly returned to their original state. ¡ª¡±Do you have anything to prove your identity?¡± ¡°Here¡­¡± ¡ª¡±Ah, you¡¯re a mercenary from Liberi. Understood.¡± The guard checked the mercenary badge Joanie handed over and nodded. Then he turned to me and asked, ¡ª¡±And this youngdy¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry. My sister doesn¡¯t speak Arkish. She¡¯s from a small, remote vige, and this is her first time in Ordo. I¡¯ll vouch for her. Could that work?¡± ¡ª¡±Hmm¡­ Since you¡¯re a high-ranking mercenary, your word should be enough. But I need to confirm one thing. What¡¯s the name of the vige you¡¯re from?¡± ¡°Uh, um¡­ What was it again¡­? I¡¯m not lying; I just forgot¡­!¡± Seeing the guard¡¯s growing suspicion, Joanie iled her arms, clearly flustered. From the way things were going, it seemed like myck of proper identification was causing an issue. ¡®Something to prove my identity¡­¡¯ Ah, I have something. Suddenly remembering, I rummaged through my pockets. It took me a bit to find it since it was thrown between Imperial coins and a Grasismemorative coin, but I finally got what I needed and showed it to the guard. ¡°Will this do?¡± ¡ª¡±Hmm? This is¡­¡± The guard narrowed his eyes and scrutinized the item I handed him. He examined it thoroughly, his demeanor serious, which made me think this might resolve things smoothly. nk! ¡°¡­Huh?¡± I was abruptly thrown into a cell on one side of the checkpoint. *** No way! Joanie practically fumed with anger. Not literally, of course, but she seemed furious enough to breathe fire. ¡°You truly, truly¡ªugh, you awful, awful¡­ argghhh!¡± After Canaria was imprisoned, Joanie was kicked out of the checkpoint. Desperate to prove Canaria¡¯s innocence, she passionately defended her, but suddenly paused. The struggles she¡¯d endured until now shed through her mind. Caught in a moment of doubt, Joanie gathered herself and raised her voice again. ¡°She¡¯s not a bad person! It¡¯s just that her vige is so remote, I can¡¯t remember the name!¡± ¡ª¡±If you continue making a scene, even as a mercenary of Liberi, I can¡¯t guarantee your safety.¡± ¡°But¡­!¡± No matter what she said, the guards¡¯ responses remained cold and rigid. Being left without herpanion drove Joanie to the brink of madness. ¡ªLOL ¡ªThanks for using Canaria up until now ¡ªA prison ending? Didn¡¯t see thating, haha ¡ªWhat happens if you¡¯re thrown in jail? ¡ªYou just wait until they release you. Even if you log out, when you log back in, you¡¯re still stuck in jail. ¡ªBut Canaria¡¯s an NPC, so who knows what will happen? The chat, filled withughter and jokes, paid no mind to Joanie¡¯s growing frustration. As she nced at the chat window with a look of helplessness, one of the stern guards spoke up. ¡ª¡±It¡¯s not because of her status.¡± The guard had seen the object Canaria presented. He didn¡¯t know much due to his lowly position, but he understood that it wasn¡¯t something a mere vige girl would possess. From the moment he firstid eyes on her, he had sensed something was off. However, when she revealed the object bearing the crest of the fallen Grasis royal family, it became clear her appearance was the least of his concerns. Despite the kingdom¡¯s fall, the misuse of a royal emblem was a serious offense. After imprisoning the girl, the guard immediately reported it to his superiors. If she was using the emblem without knowing its significance, she would face a severe punishment, regardless of her age. However, if she was truly connected to the royal family¡­ ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible,¡± the guard dismissed the thought. He didn¡¯t know all the members of the royal family, but he had never heard of a girl like this. Plus, after the invasion of the dimensional creatures, those who hadn¡¯t died had fled to the Empire. Why would they suddenly visit Ordo now? ¡ª ¡°I¡¯d sooner believe that Garid himself had returned.¡± The guard thought back to Garid, the one who had deeply loved Grasis. He remembered the scarred face of the man he had once glimpsed from afar, and a sense of bitterness swept over him. ¡ª ¡°Come to think of it, I¡¯ve never heard who reced Garid asmander.¡± The position ofmander had be vacant, and surely someone had filled it, but no details had surfaced. Rumors abounded ¡ª that the new leader was ruthless, killing enemies and subordinates alike without hesitation, that he was a giant twice the size of normal men, that he had once taken down royalty. But none of these rumors were ever confirmed. Once, he¡¯d even asked his superior in the Crimson Aegis, but his superior only gave him a terrified look and avoided answering. Even the supervisor, who always seemed terrifying to him, reacted like that, making it easy to believe the rumors were true. ¡®¡­I¡¯m thinking about pointless things.¡¯ The Kingdom of Grasis was already destroyed, so what was the point of dwelling on the past? Honestly, he felt that life was better now than before the fall of Grasis, so he didn¡¯t particrly miss the old days. Shaking off thest of those lingering thoughts, he pushed Joanie away with firm resolve. ¡ª ¡°I¡¯ll investigate, and if there¡¯s no issue, I¡¯ll release them. But please leave now. Normally, I¡¯d have to detain you as well, but since you¡¯re an Apostle of Edel, I¡¯m letting it slide.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to let it slide, you might as well release Kana too¡­¡± Joanie grumbled, but under the stern gaze of the guard, she backed off and quickly fled. ¡ªHow disappointing to abandon your ally and run away¡­ ¡ªScars on the back are a mark of disgrace for a swordsman; ¡ªJoanie / Controversy / Abandoningrade ¡°Shut up! And it wasn¡¯t running away, it was a strategic retreat! Staying wouldn¡¯t have changed anything!¡± Earlier, and even now, everything kept unfolding beyond Joanie¡¯s expectations, and she sighed again. Of course, in all this, she wasn¡¯t worried about Kana¡¯s safety. If the Kana she knew was in danger, even without a sword, she¡¯d probably destroy half the city to escape. However, Joanie wasn¡¯t eager to be a fugitive, constantly on the run either. ¡°What on earth did Kana hand over¡­?¡± Every time she thought she understood Kana a little better, something new popped up. And then, just as she thought she had a grasp, something else would emerge¡­ She really was like an onion. With thoseints in mind, Joanie started walking, trying to figure out how to free the little bird caged in the prison. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Former Crimson Knight and the Guard Captain of Ordo, Eric. Eric, born tomoner parents, was dissatisfied with his life. While his family struggled to survive day by day, the nobles lived in luxury, eating whatever they pleased, and wasting food without a second thought. If Eric ever dared to do something like that, his father would beat him to death. It wasn¡¯t just about food. Everything¡ªhousing, clothing, leisure¡ªwas far more abundant for the noblespared to themoners. It was unfair. But Eric couldn¡¯t voice such thoughts openly, as it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if he lost his head for saying them. So, he kept his frustrations to himself and one day asked his father a question. ¡°Father, how can I gain honor and wealth?¡± ¡°Honor and wealth? Well, there¡¯s no ce better than the Crimson Knights for that! It¡¯s where the strongest gather in Grasis Kingdom, so honor is guaranteed, and they must pay handsomely to keep such strong people, don¡¯t you think?¡±The phrase ¡°don¡¯t you think?¡± was more of a guess than certainty. After all, Eric¡¯s father was too busy making ends meet and had no real knowledge of the higher-ups. He was merely passing on old stories that had been handed down by word of mouth, filled with spection. But Eric was enchanted by his father¡¯s words and opened the gates of hell for himself. ¡°Are these really the strongest people in Grasis?¡± Eric knew he had talent with the sword. Although he started learningte, he caught up with his peers quickly, and within a few years, he had even defeated a former mercenary who had taught him. Of course, it was possible because his mentor hadn¡¯t learned proper swordsmanship, but it boosted Eric¡¯s confidence to the skies nheless. In fact, his talent was so impressive that he had little difficulty joining the Crimson Knights. Once in the order, Eric looked around at his fellow knights. They were either on par with him or slightly better, and he thought to himself: ¡°If this is all there is, the Captain must not be that special either.¡± With that thought, he challenged the Captain¡ª ¡ª ¡°¡­Pathetic.¡± But before he could even fight the Captain, he was mercilessly defeated by a young girl. Her pink eyes looked down on him coldly as hey beaten on the ground. From that day, after painfully engraving the defeat into his body, his nightmares began. ¡ª ¡°Eric, water.¡± ¡ª ¡°Eric, food.¡± ¡ª ¡°¡­You say you can¡¯t fight? Well, that¡¯s fine. Then fight me instead.¡± ¡ª ¡°I won¡¯t hold back, so dodge if you can.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh!¡± Eric, who had been dozing off in his office, suddenly jerked awake, as if he¡¯d had a dream of falling off a cliff. He wiped the cold sweat off his brow once he realized he was back in his familiar office, too shaken to even calm his pounding heart. ¡°Whew¡­ it was just a dream¡­¡± The dream about the first time meeting themander¡ªwhat a nightmare it was. Thinking to himself that it couldn¡¯t get worse, he took a gulp of cold water. The freezing liquid sent a chill down his body, slowly clearing the fog in his mind. On the day he challenged themander, the person who appeared before him wasn¡¯t themander, but a girl who introduced herself as the vicemander. He¡¯d seen her around the order a few times before, so she wasn¡¯t aplete stranger. However, every time he saw her, Eric had assumed she was some servant or errand girl helping with the knights¡¯ work. After all, no one had ever introduced her as the vicemander, and he couldn¡¯t have imagined that such a young girl could hold such a high position. When he asked if she was merely a secretary or assistant to themander, she tly denied it. Eric couldn¡¯t even begin to describe the bewilderment he felt at that moment. Did this mean that this little girl¡ªwho could only be about ten years old¡ªwas stronger than him and the other knights? No matter how hard he tried, it just didn¡¯t seem possible. He assumed the others were just humoring her because they found her cute. Though he felt a little bad, Eric, with his ambitions of bing themander, had no choice but to shatter the girl¡¯s illusion. ¡°Still, I¡¯ll make sure not to hurt her too much,¡± he thought. But at that time, Eric had no way of knowing that it wasn¡¯t the girl¡¯s illusion that would be shattered, but rather his own pride. ¡°If I had known, I would¡¯ve never challenged her.¡± Since losing to the vicemander, he¡¯d been forced to work like a dog. After all, he had arrogantly challenged themander. Although the grueling work had greatly improved his skills, Eric vowed that if he could go back, he would never make such a foolish choice again. ¡°Compared to back then, this is heaven.¡± There was no vicemander to boss him around like a dog, no battles with monsters, dimensional creatures, or the imperial army. His current life was peaceful¡ªhe only had to patrol regrly to maintain order and asionally deal with threats like criminals or monsters. The Eric who once chased after honor and wealth was long gone. ¡°Another day done,¡± he yawned, stretching his sore bodyzily. Beeeeep! ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± The sudden re of a call signal made him frown. Feeling annoyed at the disruption to his peaceful routine, Eric checked the source of the signal. ¡°The checkpoint?¡± Was someone causing a disturbance again? Scratching his head, Eric picked up the call from the checkpoint. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡ª¡±Uh, Captain¡­¡± ¡°Stop stuttering and speak properly.¡± ¡°Y-yes, sir! We¡¯ve apprehended two suspicious individuals. One is an Apostle, and the other is a young girl. The item the girl had in her possession seemed quite unusual, so we detained them in a temporary prison¡­ I think you should see it yourself.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Did you take a bribe?¡± ¡°N-no, sir!¡± ¡°I was just joking. Don¡¯t take it so seriously.¡± ¡®This guy¡¯s name was¡­ yeah, Garrett.¡¯ He¡¯s diligent and serious on the job, meaning he¡¯s inflexible, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯d ever take a bribe. ¡°Alright, alright¡­ I¡¯ll head there now. Just wait.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± After cutting off the connection with the checkpoint, Eric casually gathered his equipment and left his office. Upon arriving at the checkpoint, some of his subordinates, recognizing him, greeted him, but he brushed them off, uninterested in pleasantries. Garrett, who was already waiting outside, saluted as soon as he saw him. ¡°Sir!¡± ¡°Forget the formalities. I want to finish quickly and go home, so just tell me what happened.¡± ¡°This is what we found¡­¡± ¡°¡­What? A royal insignia?¡± Why is this here? Eric stared at the small badge engraved with the royal crest of the Grasis Kingdom, and a chill ran down his spine like he¡¯d just been doused in cold water. Something¡­ something about this feels wrong. He couldn¡¯t exin it, but the ominous feeling wouldn¡¯t go away. He could dismiss it as a gut reaction, but after years on the battlefield, Eric had learned to trust the instincts that had saved his life countless times. ¡°Wait, who gave this to you?¡± ¡°It was the young girl.¡± ¡°What did she look like?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ she was so cute, she could¡¯ve easily been mistaken for a nobleman¡¯s daughter. She¡¯s going to break hearts when she grows up, I¡¯ll tell you that.¡± ¡°¡­Was her hair pink by any chance?¡± ¡°Uh, yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°And her eyes, were they pink too?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct, sir¡­¡± Sensing something was off, Garrett started ncing around nervously. ¡°¡­Do you know her?¡± Garrett, noticing the shift in Eric¡¯s tone, now referred to the girl with more respect. Eric¡¯s face had already gone pale. ¡°¡­Where did you say she is now?¡± ¡°She¡¯s been locked in the temporary prison.¡± At those words, Eric instinctively scanned the checkpoint. Fortunately, the checkpoint remained intact, with no signs of damage. ¡°Garett.¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone what you saw today. And also¡­.¡± Eric, looking as though he had aged ten years in an instant, added: ¡°Please, try to be more flexible.¡± Leaving those sincere words behind, Eric walked into the checkpoint. His figure resembled his younger self, the one who once willingly opened the gates to hell. *** ¡°Canaria, take this.¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°If anyone bothers you or tries to make a move on you, show them this. It¡¯ll sort things out neatly.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± Garid, you liar. Neatly resolved, my foot¡ªit¡¯s only made things worse. Unless I used it in a way Garid didn¡¯t intend, and that¡¯s what caused all this trouble¡­. I sighed, staring at the iron bars blocking my path. ¡®¡­No.¡¯ I should just admit it. I acted foolishly. I didn¡¯t think through the consequences and used it to avoid a minor inconvenience, only to create a bigger mess. I¡¯m realizing once again how impatient I am¡­. As I reflected on my past actions, I felt a sense of injustice and pouted. But seriously¡­. ¡®Is throwing me in prison really necessary?¡¯ I know they understand Granick, so couldn¡¯t they at least hear me out? Sure, shing the royal crest might cause trouble, but I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d immediately throw me in jail like this¡­. It wasn¡¯t like I went around shing it for fun¡ªI¡¯d never even used it since receiving it. I never had to, since royalty and nobles who called for me knew who I was, so there was no need to show the crest. ¡®I don¡¯t want to cause a scene.¡¯ But quietly sitting in prison? That¡¯s even worse. Ugh. ¡°As long as I don¡¯t cause trouble for others, I suppose it¡¯s fine.¡± I tapped on the iron bars to check their durability and nodded in approval. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do it.¡± Sure, there might be someone who would be troubled by my escape, but that wasn¡¯t my concern. After all, the saying goes, ¡°Health is the most important,¡± meaning as long as I didn¡¯t get hurt, that was all that mattered. Just as I was about to grab the bars and channel my mana, I heard hurried footsteps, and a man burst into the checkpoint, mming the door open. Tatadat! Bang! ¡ª¡±Commander! Wait for me!¡± ¡°¡­Commander?¡± There aren¡¯t many people who would call me that. ¡°Ugh!¡± Stumbling slightly, the man who called me ¡®Commander¡¯ rushed towards me, nearly tripping over himself as he approached. Facing him through the bars, I finally recognized him. ¡°Hey there, Eric.¡± ¡ª¡±It¡¯s not ¡®Hey there,¡¯ it¡¯s Eric! Why in the world is the Commander locked up here?!¡± ¡°Because they locked me up.¡± I wouldn¡¯t havee here of my own ord. Muttering nonchntly, Eric scratched his head and fumbled in his pocket, pulling out a key to unlock the prison door. Creeeak. ¡°Is it really okay to open this?¡± ¡ª¡±Well, it¡¯s not like you¡¯d stay put anyway, right?¡± That¡¯s true. Stepping out of the cell, I found Eric plopping down into the authority chair. ¡ª¡±Do you know how surprised I was when the person who disappeared right after the war suddenly showed up?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡ª¡±It¡¯s not like I was asking you!¡± Eric, looking worn out, slumped down onto the chair across from me. Even though it had only been a few years since Ist saw him, he looked drastically aged. As far as I knew, Eric shouldn¡¯t be that old yet. What a pity¡­ ¡°It¡¯s all because of you, Commander!¡± he eximed. ¡°¡­Me?¡± ¡ª¡±Every day it¡¯s ¡®bring me water, get me food,¡¯ sending me on errands; when I finally think I can rest, you call me in and beat me up¡­!¡± Eric wasining to me with tears in his eyes about how much he was piled up with. I listened quietly to hisints for a while and nodded. ¡°Yeah, I see.¡± ¡ª ¡°¡­Is that all?¡± ¡°What kind of reaction do you want?¡± ¡ª ¡°Sigh¡­.¡± Eric sighed as if to say, ¡°What did I expect?¡± But listening to him, I felt a bit wronged myself. If someone saw us, they might think I was just a terrible person to deal with. ¡°You agreed to run errands, didn¡¯t you?¡± When he chose to challenge me instead of Garid, he and I made one agreement. If Eric won, he would take over the captain¡¯s position. But if I won, he would follow my orders withoutint. Even knowing that we were weighing different things on the scales, why was he saying something different now? ¡ª ¡°Ugh, well, that¡¯s true¡­.¡± ¡°The reason I pinched your butt was that you were too scared to fight.¡± ¡ª ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°The reason I called you on your day off was that you were getting too cocky.¡± I noticed his shoulders were tense, as if he hadn¡¯t recovered from thest encounter, so I put him in his ce. After a few more rounds, he finally started to tone it down. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t touched Garid in the first ce, I would have just left you alone no matter what you did.¡± Well, why would you poke at someone who¡¯s already hurt? Eric looked a bit guilty at that. ¡ª ¡°Oh, no, I didn¡¯t know the captain was sick back then¡­ If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have done that!¡± ¡°I could see you doing that, though.¡± ¡ª ¡°Hey! I¡¯m not that reckless!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± ¡ª ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡± When I gave him a suspicious look, Eric jumped up and shouted. Well, let¡¯s just leave it at that. Chapter 32 Chapter 32 ¡°Why are you here?¡± I thought I might run into a familiar face, but I didn¡¯t actually expect to see you. ¡°With your skills, you could¡¯ve gone somewhere much better.¡± ¡ª¡±Heh, Commander! What¡¯s so bad about Ordo? This is a great ce to live.¡± Eric grumbled as he leaned back in his chair. ¡ª¡±Ordo is my hometown, after all. I¡¯m done with being a knight, but I still need to make a living, and this kind of job suits me just fine.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Listening to his voice, which carried the weight of someone who had given up on many things, I thought back to the Eric of the past. It felt like just yesterday when he was a reckless pup, not knowing fear, but he¡¯s changed a lot.¡°Even a brat matures with age, I see.¡± ¡ª¡±A brat¡­ Well, yeah, I suppose so.¡± ¡°¡­Got something to say?¡± Eric gave me a look as if he¡¯d just heard something absurd, then quickly changed his expression. ¡ª¡±Oh, no way! How could I ever say anything to someone as great as you, Commander?¡± No doubt he¡¯s thinking, ¡®I can¡¯t believe a kid smaller and younger than me just called me a brat¡­¡¯ Predictable. Still, since he didn¡¯t say it out loud, I¡¯ll let it slide. ¡°That guard earlier¡­¡± ¡ª¡±You mean Garrett?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know his name. He didn¡¯t seem like an Ordo local. He didn¡¯t understand Granik.¡± ¡ª¡±He¡¯s from Ordo, and you¡¯re right¡ªhe doesn¡¯t speak Granik.¡± ¡°¡­How is that even possible?¡± ¡ª¡±Why wouldn¡¯t it be?¡± Eric answered while deftly pouring the tea. ¡ª¡±To be honest, Grasis has been in decline for a while now. The rich fled to the Empire, and they¡¯re teaching the new generation Arkish first. It¡¯s not that surprising that the younger ones don¡¯t speak Granik anymore, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°But you speak it.¡± ¡ª¡±Same reason as you, Commander. My father loved Grasis so much¡­¡± Right¡­ Garid¡¯s patriotism was also unmatched. But Eric¡¯s wrong about one thing. Garid could also speak Arkish. ¡®We might not be on good terms now, but who knows what the future holds? It never hurts to be prepared. In that sense, Kana, you should learn it too.¡¯ ¡®Not really interested¡­¡¯ ¡®Hmph, you¡¯re so cold.¡¯ I vaguely remember having that conversation. As Eric said, bothmoners and nobles alike were keen on learning Arkish before Grasis was destroyed, but that was only for those who could afford it. People like me, who were worse off thanmoners, couldn¡¯t even properly learn Granik and had to pick it up by eavesdropping. Of course, after being adopted by Garid, I didn¡¯t bother to learn Arkish simply because I found it too tedious. ¡ª ¡°¡­Please don¡¯t kill him. He¡¯s inflexible but diligent.¡± ¡°¡­What do you take me for?¡± It was slightly irritating, but I¡¯m not some crazy woman who would cut off the head of someone who just did their job. ¡°Unless it¡¯s you we¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡ª ¡°Wait, why am I dragged into this again¡­?¡± Eric grumbled as he pulled something from his pocket. It was the badge I had shown to Garrett, the guard, earlier. ¡ª ¡°I¡¯ll return this to you for now. I¡¯ll also give you something to prove your identity, so in the future¡­¡± ¡°Got it. You¡¯re telling me not to sh it around, right?¡± ¡ª ¡°I¡¯m d you understand. By the way, where have you been all this time? Quite a few people have been wanting to see you, but no one knew where you were.¡± ¡°¡­People wanted to see me? Who?¡± ¡ª ¡°More than a few. If I had to pick, the Deputy Commander was the most eager to find you.¡± ¡°Oh, the Deputy Commander.¡± Eric and I caught up on old times. ¡ª ¡°So, where were you?¡± ¡°Garid¡¯s grave.¡± ¡ª ¡°¡­Ah, why didn¡¯t I think of that.¡± ¡°Even if you had, you wouldn¡¯t have found it.¡± No one knows where Garid is buried. It wasn¡¯t my decision; it was his wish. We continued with small talk for a while. By the time the sun had fully set and the lights from the inn began to rece the searing heat of the day, we wrapped up our conversation. Eric took a sip of the now lukewarm tea and said, ¡°Still, it¡¯s nice to see you after so long, Commander.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t appreciate the ¡®still,¡¯ but yeah, it¡¯s good to see you too.¡± ¡ª ¡°What will you do now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to the Sedeth Kingdom.¡± ¡ª ¡°Sedeth Kingdom? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s because of the Apostle?¡± ¡°That¡¯s part of it.¡± I stopped there, and he nodded in understanding. ¡ª ¡°Shall we have dinner together? It¡¯s on me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got someone waiting for me. Maybe next time.¡± ¡ª ¡°Ah, right. Well, next time youe to Ordo, I¡¯ll treat you to a grand feast. Just don¡¯t get hurt and make sure toe back. Though, I doubt someone like you would even get injured.¡± ¡ªHahaha! Watching Ericugh heartily, I slightly lifted the corner of my lips. ¡°Who¡¯s worrying about who?¡± You should worry about yourself instead of me. *** Knock knock. ¡°¡­Have they left?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Garrett carefully opened the door to the checkpoint and stepped inside. Turning his head, he looked around for the girl but, upon confirming her absence, let out a sigh of relief. But relief aside, who exactly was that girl for his superior to react like that? Unable to contain his curiosity, Garrett asked Eric. ¡°Uh, Captain¡­¡± ¡°Forget it. Drop it.¡± Eric cut off his curiosity sharply. For a moment, Eric recalled the past. The image of Canaria when the previous captain, Garid, was alive, and the way she had changed after Garid¡¯s death. As he thought of both, he then recalled the Canaria he had just spoken with moments ago. ¡°She¡¯s definitely mellowed out.¡± Her expression and voice were still as emotionless as ever. Her face wasn¡¯t as rxed as when he first saw her, but it wasn¡¯t as rigid as thest time, either. ¡°It seems time hasn¡¯t only changed me, Captain.¡± Swallowing the words he couldn¡¯t say out loud, he smiled faintly. ¡®¡­Captain!¡¯ ¡®Quiet.¡¯ ¡®I can still fight! Didn¡¯t you say before, Captain, that there¡¯s no need for a cowardly dog that runs away in fear!¡¯ ¡®Stop spouting nonsense and retreat. That¡¯s an order.¡¯ Eric couldn¡¯t forget the pink eyes that looked down at him as he was defeated, but he also couldn¡¯t forget the small back that stood before him, blocking his path, bloodied. ¡ª ¡°To think a lowlymoner is part of the Crimson Aegis¡­ The honor of the order has truly fallen.¡± ¡ª¡¯¡­What?¡¯ ¡ª¡¯Ah, shoot. Did you hear that? My bad, I was just chatting with the others.¡¯ ¡ª¡¯You bastard¡ª!¡¯ ¡®Hey, you lot. What are you doing?¡¯ ¡ª¡¯¡­Yes?¡¯ ¡ª¡¯Ah! Commander!¡¯ ¡®You look free enough. Spar with me.¡¯ ¡ª¡¯Uh, no, that¡¯s¡­ I mean¡­¡¯ ¡ª¡¯Refusal is not an option.¡¯ And the scene of themander beating up the soldier who had been mocking Eric into a pulp also came to mind. ¡­Of course, that incident was certainly influenced by themander¡¯s personal feelings. Because of that, Eric couldn¡¯t hate the girl. ¡°If word of today¡¯s events leaks out¡­ then¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Gulp. Garrett swallowed hard. ¡°I swear, I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut¡­!¡± ¡°Good, good. It¡¯ste anyway. Go home.¡± ¡°Yes, sir! With honor!¡± Garrett quickly bolted out of the checkpoint. Since he was unnecessarily diligent, there was no need to worry about any secrets slipping out. Watching Garrett¡¯s retreating figure, Eric sighed deeply. ¡°You¡¯ve really changed a lot, littlemander.¡± To think that the girl who once lived aimlessly, as if she¡¯d lost all support, would now step into the world by her own will. Eric muttered, thinking he had lived long enough to see everything. ¡°Though your height hasn¡¯t changed.¡± He chuckled, saying something he wouldn¡¯t dare say to her face. Creeeak. Flinch! ¡°¡­!¡± Startled by the sudden noise, Eric looked around frantically. Not satisfied, he even opened the door and checked outside, mimicking what Garrett had done earlier, before finally patting his chest in relief. ¡°Phew, it was just the wind.¡± No need to get so jumpy over nothing. *** I used to think facing the past was an unpleasant thing, but it¡¯s not always like that. The heavy mood has lightened. No, it feels even better than before. ¡°This won¡¯t always be the case.¡± I may not be a kid who enjoys getting into petty faction fights, but if you asked me to choose, Eric would be on my side. If it were someone from a different faction that I ran into today, things wouldn¡¯t have ended so smoothly. There could have been bloodshed. In that sense, I guess meeting Eric was a stroke of luck. By the way¡­ where did Joanie go? I know she entered Ordo, but since we didn¡¯t make any prior ns, I have no idea where she could be. Although I had a feeling that Joanie would find me wherever I was, I wandered the streets looking for her anyway. Even though it was night, the streets of Ordo were brightly lit. ¡ª ¡°Wee! Staying the night?¡± ¡ª ¡°We¡¯ve got some top-quality meat just in¡ªcare for a taste?¡± ¡ª ¡°Hey, you! Come have a meal! We¡¯ve got great drinks too!¡± I couldn¡¯t understand the words, but the lively voices were clear. As I wandered through the lively streets of Ordo, with my hood pulled low, I soon found the person I was looking for. Joanie was standing in front of an inn, holding a sign written in Arkish. [Your words can change this rotten Ordo. Please lend your strength.] People either passed by her sign without interest or asked her questions out of curiosity. ¡ª ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a child I think of like my own younger sibling. But on our way into Ordo, she was wrongfully arrested by the guards. She¡¯s such a good¡­ kid¡­¡± ¡ª ¡°Oh no¡­¡± The people who heard her story gave her sympathetic looks. ¡®This doesn¡¯t feel good¡­¡¯ It felt like I would get dragged into something troublesome if I got involved. And usually, when I get this feeling, it turns out to be right. Just as I was about to quietly slip away, Joanie perked up and lifted her head. ¡°What? Is that Canaria? Where?!¡± My name, loud and clear. I quickly turned my back, but Joanie had already spotted me and tossed her sign aside, running towards me. ¡°Ca¡ªmy little sister!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s your sister¡­?¡± Instead of calling my name, she threw herself at me, hugging me tightly. People around us looked on with moved expressions. Some of them, particrly the more sensitive ones, even wiped tears from the corners of their eyes. Inside Joanie¡¯s tight embrace, I let out a quiet sigh. ¡®What a mess.¡¯ Really. Chapter 33 Chapter 33
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A New Morning Has Dawned. The gentle touch of the warm morning sunlight woke me from sleep, and I groggily rubbed my eyes. Even though I was used to camping and living in the wilderness, and could sleepfortably anywhere, it was still not as good as having a proper bed. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve enjoyed thefort of a soft bed and nkets that it made it hard to get up. I hugged the nket tightly and buried my face in the pillow, savoring the coziness. This must be what they call small but certain happiness.As much as I wanted to soak in thisziness forever¡­ ¡°¡­I have to get up.¡± I couldn¡¯t afford to keepzing around. I left thefort of my nest, grabbed my cape, and stepped out of the room. ¡ª¡±Oh, youngdy. You¡¯re awake?¡± I nodded lightly, acknowledging the innkeeper¡¯s greeting as I scanned the inn. It seems like Joanie hasn¡¯t woken up yet, as I didn¡¯t see her around. ¡ª¡±Would you like breakfast?¡± ¡°Do you have any meat dishes?¡± ¡ª¡±As long as you pay, I can make anything you want!¡± ¡°I have plenty of money, so make me the tastiest thing. Add only a little bit of vegetables.¡± ¡ª¡±Understood! One serving, right?¡± ¡°Make it two servings.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure when she would wake up, but if I ate alone, she would probably bother me about itter. A wise person predicts future troubles and prevents them beforehand. Today, I have grown a bit wiserpared to yesterday. ¡ª¡±Fresh orc meat came in this morning. Is that alright? Some customers don¡¯t like monster meat.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine.¡± Even though I didn¡¯t mind eating monster meat, that didn¡¯t mean I¡¯d eat any and all monsters. I avoided anything that looked too human or was grotesque to the point of being inedible. Also, anything that tasted terrible. There are people who enjoy such ¡°delicacies,¡± but I am not one of them. By those standards, orc meat was something I could eat. Unlike the orcs in fantasy novels from my previous life, which were almost like humanoid monsters, the orcs in this world are treated more like dangerous wild boars, and they look very simr to pigs. Their intelligence is also on par with wild boars. And more importantly¡­ ¡°Orc meat is delicious.¡± There are plenty of reasons why orc meat is so expensive. Though it¡¯s not as dangerous as other monsters, it¡¯s definitely harder to hunt than wild boars. But the main reason is simple: it¡¯s just so delicious. I really don¡¯t understand why some people dislike it. ¡ª ¡°You¡¯re ady who knows her stuff!¡± The innkeeper nodded vigorously in agreement with me. Joanie, who once brought a sandwich made from orc ham, seemed to enjoy Cockatrice meat as well. So, she¡¯d probably enjoy today¡¯s breakfast too. While I waited, the innkeeper brought out the dish just as Joanie opened her door and came out. ¡°Good morning!¡± Upon spotting me, Joanie gracefully approached and lowered her voice to ask: ¡°Did you sleep well, Canaria?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ Did you order this?¡± The smell¡­ it¡¯s amazing. Joanie sniffed the air, catching the mouthwatering scent of the grilled orc steak, and smacked her lips in anticipation. ¡°Eat up.¡± ¡°Huh, really?! Thanks!¡± Without hesitation, Joanie sat down and grabbed a knife. Seeing her, I picked up my own knife and brought it to the meat. The steak was so tender that it cut easily, without much effort. The grill was perfect, but now I had to see if it tasted as good as it looked. Chomp. Chew, chew¡ª ¡°¡­It¡¯s delicious.¡± Of course, a steak grilled this perfectly couldn¡¯t taste bad. The sauce on top wasn¡¯t too salty or sweet¡ªjust right. I had chosen this inn in a hurry, not paying much attention, but it seems I¡¯ve stumbled upon a hidden gem. ¡°With ingredients this good, the food¡¯s bound to be tasty!¡± The innkeeper smiled contentedly as he leaned against the counter, watching us eat. ¡°Ingredients? What kind of meat is this?¡± ¡°Orc meat.¡± ¡°¡­Orc?¡± Freeze. Joanie¡¯s hand, which had been moving energetically, stopped in its tracks. ¡°This isn¡¯t the orc I¡¯m thinking of, is it¡­?¡± ¡°I was thinking of a monster, but that¡¯s correct.¡± Clink! The fork and knife slipped from Joanie¡¯s hands. ¡°Oh, orc meat¡­ Are you telling me that the meat I¡¯ve been eating all this time was orc meat? Ugh¡­! ¡­What? Didn¡¯t I eat cockatrice meat just fine? Hey! That¡¯s different from this¡­!¡± ¡ª ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong? Does it taste bad?¡± ¡°N-No¡­! I¡¯ve never eaten orc meat before, but it was so delicious that I couldn¡¯t help it¡­¡± ¡ª ¡°Hahaha! They say there¡¯s never someone who eats it just once. It¡¯s expensive and hard to find, so youdies are quite lucky!¡± ¡°Ah, ahaha¡­¡± Even though Joanie wasughing, her voice sounded like she was about to cry, which made me shrug my shoulders. Why is she acting like that? ¡ª ¡°It¡¯s just a feeling! If you need more, just tell me. I¡¯ll give you as much as you want!¡± ¡°N-No¡­ I can¡¯t eat something so precious for free¡­¡± ¡ª ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be so polite! I¡¯m just happy to meet guests who appreciate the taste after such a long time. Those guys called apostles freak out at the sight of this. They don¡¯t know the deliciousness at all.¡± ¡®I¡¯m also an apostle, can¡¯t I just refuse¡­?¡¯ Nom nom. Regardless of Joanie¡¯s chatter, I focused on eating the steak. It was so delicious; why wasn¡¯t she eating it? It tasted better when eaten warm, after all. *** After finishing the meal, we were on our way out of the inn where we stayed for the night. As we entered a deserted alley, Joanie bent over and gagged. ¡°Ugh¡­ I feel like I¡¯m going to throw up.¡± She had been feeling queasy for a while, so maybe her stomach was upset? As I watched her in silence, Joanie spoke in a resentful tone. ¡°Kana¡­ You should have told me it was orc meat¡­¡± ¡°?¡± I tilted my head in confusion. Could it be that she had been feeling unwell because she ate orc meat? ¡°Did it taste bad?¡± ¡°It was delicious¡­ No! The taste isn¡¯t what matters!¡± I kindly corrected Joanie¡¯s words. ¡°What¡¯s important is¡­¡± ¡°The taste doesn¡¯t matter!¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°The problem is that I ate orc!¡± ¡°Why? You ate itst time too.¡± ¡°Last time? When?¡± At that, I mimed holding something long and eating it. In other words, I mimed eating a sandwich. ¡°The ham you hadst time, that was made from orc too.¡± Unfortunately, my tongue isn¡¯t sharp enough to identify all the ingredients of food I¡¯ve tasted once. Thanks to that, I¡¯ve managed to survive by eating just about anything, so it¡¯s not entirely a bad thing. Still, the reason I knew what that ham was made of was because orc meat has a distinctly different tastepared to pork. I wonder where on earth they got that ham; what a talent they have. ¡°That ham was made from orc?¡± Could it be that she didn¡¯t even know what kind of ham she bought? Joanie seemed taken aback, struggling to find her words. Of course, I was equally dumbfounded. ¡®How could she not know what she bought?¡¯ Thank goodness it was edible; what if it had been poisonous and she couldn¡¯t eat it? Though it¡¯s unlikely such a thing would be sold on the street, there¡¯s always that ¡°just in case¡± scenario. Is this what they call being airheaded? Leaving behind the foolish Joanie, I hurried along. With such a long way ahead, I didn¡¯t have time to entertain such silliness. ¡°Come with me!¡± I stepped out of the narrow alley and onto the main road. Time had passed while we ate breakfast, and I could see many people passing by. ¡°Where are you going now?¡± ¡°To the merchant guild.¡± I answered without stopping my pace. I had considered whether to buy a horse or a carriage, but I should save money if I can. Whether I would be escorting someone or requesting to join a group, I¡¯d sneak onto a merchant guild heading towards Sedeth or nearby; if there wasn¡¯t a decent one, I¡¯d n to buy one then. Merchant guild, merchant guild¡­ Muttering to myself, Joanie opened her arms wide. ¡°Leave it to me!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± The upper guard is more suited for someone like her, a mercenary¡­ ¡­ but I just can¡¯t trust her. I didn¡¯t trust her much to begin with, but after seeing that ridiculous look on her face, whatever trust I had just vanished. As I looked at her with suspicion, Joanie confidently told me to follow her and started walking. The ce we arrived at was the Liberi Ordo branch. But, am I forgetting something? ¡°I¡¯m not a mercenary.¡± It¡¯s one thing to dislike mercenaries, but can an outsider like me even ept a request? I wasn¡¯t trying to go all the way here for no reason. ¡°Um¡­ it should be okay, right?¡± Sure enough, it seemed she hadn¡¯t thought that far ahead, as the confidence in Joanie¡¯s voice disappeared entirely. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best!¡± Was she trying to say she¡¯d figure it out somehow? Clenching her fists, Joanie left me behind and went into the Liberi branch. Left alone, I crossed my arms and waited nearby for her toe back. ¡°¡­¡± I waited there for quite a while. Slowly, the eyes of passersby began to turn towards me. ¡ª ¡°Is that¡­?¡± ¡ª ¡°Doesn¡¯t it look like¡­?¡± ¡ª ¡°Why¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s annoying.¡± Had they never seen someone in a hood before? Why were they whispering about me like that? No, upon closer inspection, most of the murmurers were Apostles. Looks like my reputation has spread this far. Thankfully, it seems the annoying people whispering were keeping quiet, as even the Apostles seemed to fear the taste of public power. ¡°Canaria¡­!¡± Joanie bounced out of the building. ¡°I did it!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yep!¡± I can¡¯t believe this¡­ Maybe Liberi really operates on a wing-it basis. ¡°So, what¡¯s the destination?¡± ¡°Liberi!¡± The Free Mercenary City, Liberi. As Joanie spoke the name with a big smile, I thought about it. ¡°Liberi¡­.¡± It¡¯s supposed to be located in the northeast of the Empire, right? It¡¯s a bit far from the southern Sedeth Kingdom, but it¡¯s not too bad. It¡¯s not like the direction ispletely off either. ¡°When do we leave?¡± ¡°Um, at 10¡­.¡± ¡°10 o¡¯clock.¡± It¡¯s tight on time, but I don¡¯t really have anything else to prepare, so it should be fine. However, Joanie wasn¡¯t done talking yet. ¡°¡­ that means we have 9 minutes left.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°We need to run!¡± Before her words even finished, Joanie grabbed my hand tightly and sprinted down the street. ¡ª ¡°What the?! Watch where you¡¯re going?!¡± ¡ª ¡°Ow, my shoulder¡¯s gonna break!¡± ¡°Yikes! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m in such a hurry¡­! Ah! I¡¯m really sorry!¡± ¡°Geez¡­.¡± Well, I should have figured that. I wondered why things were going so smoothly. If she keeps bumping into people like that, I¡¯m not sure if my shoulders will hold up. I sighed as I watched Joanie rush forward, not knowing if she was trying to dodge the people passing by or just collide with them. Chapter 34 Chapter 34
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Most yers in Silia Online don¡¯t enjoy escort quests. First, the duration is simply too long. Although it varies by quest, yers are often tied down for anywhere from half a day to several days, which can be tiresome unless you have immense patience. Another problem is the reward. While some escort quests are generously rewarding, others leave yers feeling like they¡¯d be better off hunting monsters during that time. This is particrly true for low-level yers who find that most quests aren¡¯t worth the effort. There are many other reasons yers dislike escort quests, but most cite time as the main issue. The time in the world of Silia flows almost identically to real life. This means if you spend several hours escorting someone in the game, you¡¯ll need tomit that much time in real life, too. For yers who only have a little free time after work or before bed, this kind ofmitment just isn¡¯t feasible. [Escort quests are seriously underrated??] I skipped the bad ones, did the good ones for a week, and the rewards were amazing. It¡¯s dumb not to do them, seriously, why don¡¯t more people take these? [Comments]¡ªNot everyone¡¯s as jobless as you, buddy¡­ ©» Should we start calling you ¡®Time Bill Gates¡¯? ©» Get a job, loser. ©» lol; ¡ªHonestly, how are so many people wasting their lives on this trash game? ©»Please, just go outside!!! It got to the point where posts like this appeared. For all these reasons, escort quests were often handled by NPCs native to the world of Silia, rather than yers. And the same went for Joanie. Though Joanie had a reputation for being a frequent traveler, almost to the point of having restless feet, escort quests felt like shackles around her ankles. Even so, she took the escort quest. The reason she could make this decision was that her job was being a streamer. While not a dedicated gaming streamer, Joanie could afford to spend time ying games and streaming them for a living, which made the time constraints feel less burdensome than for other people. ¡®This is only possible because I have arge enough audience¡­¡¯ Joanie was well aware that smaller streamers, often called ¡®box¡¯ streamers, couldn¡¯t make a living off streaming alone and had to juggle other jobs to get by. ¡°Taking this quest doesn¡¯t really change anything.¡± Kana wasn¡¯t a yer; she was an NPC. So as long as Joanie was traveling with Kana, time was going to pass anyway. ¡°Might as well hear Kana¡¯s thoughts and get a quest reward, right? Two birds with one stone, as they say.¡± ¡ªWe call this freeloading. ¡ªIs this bus heading to Seoul?? ¡ªFreeloaders usually pay 30x more, you know. ¡°It¡¯s not a bus; it¡¯s a magic carpet. Haha! ¡­Oops, sorry.¡± ¡ª?????? ¡ª?????????? ¡ª??? ¡ªYou really make me want to say something nasty; ¡ªShall we have another PK match? ¡°¡­Please bear with me a little.¡± I thought I was really going to die. Joanie muttered weakly, reminiscing about the past. ¡®¡­It¡¯s only a day ago, but it feels like the distant past.¡¯ People who came rushing in, wanting to see Canaria in person, as if it were some celebrity fan meeting. ¡®And then there was that strange rumor going around that if you fought and beat me, Canaria would give you a souvenir¡­.¡¯ One fight ended, and then another one began, and after that, yet another one. It was never-ending. Thinking about how Canaria not only failed to stop it but also encouraged it, Joanie felt a wave of resentment, though the most frustrating thing was something else entirely. ¡°Why didn¡¯t she give me any gifts¡­! I wanted, I wanted a present from Canaria too!¡± Joanie made a fake sobbing sound. But the chat¡¯s response was cold. ¡ªCringe. ¡ªRich people problems, seriously¡­ ¡ªSelf-control at level 9999999 ¡ªYou hang out with Canaria, so¡­; Joanie was the only person who could apany Canaria at the moment. She may not have received a gift for winning a fight like others, but she could do something they could only dream of. For example¡­ ¡°Canaria.¡± ¡°?¡± Hug. ¡®Like hugging her like this.¡¯ Joanie wrapped her arms around Canaria, who was sitting beside her in the carriage. ¡°¡­¡± Even though Canaria¡¯s face was hidden under her hood, Joanie could guess what expression she had underneath it. After a brief moment of healing, Joanie let go of her arms, and Canaria moved further into the corner, as far from Joanie as possible within the confines of the carriage. But it wasn¡¯t like there was enough space to actually avoid her. Watching her like one would observe a small animal, Joanie stuck her tongue out mischievously. ¡°Heh. Are you jealous?¡± ¡ªMessage deleted. ¡ªMessage deleted. ¡ªDeleted message. ¡ª?? Something feels off¡­ The viewers, inmed by Joanie¡¯s teasing, filled the chat with messages. Joanie, the instigator of this chaotic scene, pretended not to notice the boiling chat. Meanwhile, the unfortunate chat moderators struggled to keep up with the flood ofments. A mercenary sitting in the same carriage chuckled warmly and spoke to Joanie. ¡ª¡±It seems you two get along well. Are you sisters?¡± ¡°Yes, but we¡¯re not blood-rted.¡± ¡ª¡±You look good together.¡± ¡°Hehe, thank you.¡± Joanie lied in response to the mercenary¡¯s question. However, no one in the carriage could expose her lie. ¡ª¡±I¡¯ve never seen an Apostle get along so well with a Silian before.¡± ¡°Is that so? Oh, you can just call me Joanie.¡± ¡ª¡±Is that alright?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡ª¡±Then, I¡¯ll call you Miss Joanie. My name is Catherine.¡± ¡°Feel free to just call me Joanie¡­¡± Catherine smiled gently. ¡ª¡±How could I, when you¡¯ve been called by Edel?¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡± Joanie awkwardly scratched her head, embarrassed by the soft refusal. Catherine¡¯s attitude wasn¡¯t all that different from how many NPCs treated yers. Respect for the Apostle of Edel. While some NPCs were more casual, it was clear through conversation that they too held yers in higher regard than other NPCs. ¡®Edel must mean that much to the Silian people.¡¯ The fact that Edel had descended to the mortal world before made it understandable, but as a yer, it didn¡¯t resonate much with Joanie. Joanie decided to change the subject. ¡°By the way, what rank are you?¡± ¡ª¡±I¡¯m a Silver-ranked mercenary. What about you, Miss Joanie?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Gold-ranked.¡± ¡ª¡±Wow, you seem younger than me, but you¡¯re already Gold-ranked¡­¡± ¡®As expected of someone called by Edel.¡¯ Or perhaps, ¡®As expected of an Apostle.¡¯ Joanie could easily guess the unspoken words hidden in Catherine¡¯s admiration. ¡®Though the more talented one is right next to me.¡¯ Joanie¡¯s eyes briefly nced at Canaria before returning to normal. It tickled her inside to receive praise while the truly gifted person sat beside her. Lowering her voice, Catherine spoke. ¡°It¡¯s a relief that you¡¯re here, Joanie. I was worried about theck of guards,¡± said Catherine, her voice full of relief. ¡°Aha, ahaha¡­,¡± Joanie chuckled awkwardly, unsure of how to respond, as she was just another passenger on the bus like Catherine. *** Clunk, clunk. The carriage carrying the group rattled along the uneven dirt road. Every time the wheels hit a bump, the carriage shook, causing those inside to wince in difort. ¡°Ow, ow¡­ My butt hurts so much¡­ I can reduce pain perception during battles, so why doesn¡¯t it work here?¡± Naturally, Joanie, who sat beside me, was among thoseining. If she weren¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t have referred to ¡°the people¡± in the first ce. As I watched people bouncing up and down with each jolt, a memory from my previous life came to mind. There was a ride simr to this¡ªround and bumpy¡­ I bit my lip, trying to recall the elusive memory, but gave up and shrugged it off. ¡°Are you okay, Kana?¡± Joanie asked me with concern, interrupting my thoughts. Just then, the carriage hit a particrly rough bump, and Joanie¡¯s body flew up, mming into the ceiling. Thud! ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine¡­!¡± Despite the pain in her voice, Joanie¡¯s words weren¡¯t slurred, so it seemed she hadn¡¯t bitten her tongue. She rubbed her head, which had collided with the ceiling, then gasped as if realizing something. ¡°Kana, how are you okay? How are you not bouncing around?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Did she hit her head so hard that she¡¯s lost her ability to speak coherently? I clicked my tongue in concern, and Joanie hurriedly waved her hands in dismissal. ¡°No, no¡­ The carriage is moving, but you¡¯re sitting perfectly still. How?¡± Ah, so hernguage skills weren¡¯t impaired; she just couldn¡¯t find the right words. It was still a strange thing to say, but I got what she meant this time. She was curious about how I wasn¡¯t bouncing with the carriage¡¯s movements. Well, even if I told her, she wouldn¡¯t be able to replicate it. ¡°It¡¯s simple. Just use mana.¡± ¡°Mana? How do I do that?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Will she even understand if I exin? I stared at her, conveying that meaning. If the big sword chick were a student who excels in both passion and talent, Joanie would be the opposite¡ªneither particrly passionate nor talented, at least in terms ofbat. She might be different when ites tonguage, but in this area, she¡¯s not the brightest. True to my analysis, Joanie quickly lost interest. Instead, she shifted closer, pressing herself snugly against my side. ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡± ¡°If I stick close like this, I¡¯ll be safe too.¡± Joanie didn¡¯t seem to care about my bewildered gaze and went a step further by hooking her arm around mine. Seriously? I can¡¯t believe this. ¡°Does this make mep¡ªwhoa?!¡± Thud! Joanie¡¯s rear lifted off the ground briefly, hovered in the air, and then plopped back down. ¡°Why isn¡¯t this working¡­?¡± ¡®¡­How could that work?¡¯ I¡¯m not some seatbelt. ¡°Oh.¡± Joanie let out a disappointed sound when I sighed and freed my arm from her grasp. ¡°Your sister seems shy.¡± ¡°She is! She¡¯s so shy it took forever for us to get close. Ugh, falling for her was such a crime¡­! No, I mean, not that kind of falling! Why do I keep pushing that narrative?!¡± They seem to be having a conversation that doesn¡¯t sit well with me. Suspicious, I nced forward and sensed something. It looked like neither of them had noticed yet, but soon enough¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± As I predicted, the carriage came to a stop. The two women, puzzled and exchanging nces, hurriedly opened the carriage door and rushed out upon hearing the shouting. ¡ª ¡°Monsters! We¡¯re under attack!¡± ¡ª ¡°Everyone, prepare for battle!¡± The mercenaries from the other carriages also jumped out, and the peaceful atmosphere quickly turned into chaos. Squeals erupted everywhere, reminiscent of pigs being ughtered. ¡°Well, guess we don¡¯t need to worry about dinner tonight.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­! Please don¡¯t say things like that¡­¡± As I casually stepped off the carriage, sword in hand, Joanie, who was bracing herself, gagged in disgust. It¡¯s funny, considering she had no problem eating before she knew what it was. How ironic. ¡°Are you going to help?¡± Joanie whispered, her voice barely audible, as if asking for a secret favor. I tilted my head. ¡°Just a little.¡± Since I was hitching a ride, I might as well pay for the ride, but I had no intention of going all out. Besides, I still had my goal of making Joanie stronger. After all, adversity makes people grow stronger. You know what they say: after the rain, the ground hardens. Maybe it¡¯s time Joanie finds out exactly why the old saying holds true. Chapter 35 Chapter 35
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Killing an Orc is quite simple if you think about it. Even though it¡¯s ssified as a monster, an orc is still a living creature, so striking vital spots like the heart or brain will kill it. Beyond that, there are plenty of ways to take down an orc¡ªbleeding out, dying from shock, electrocution, or burning. The list goes on. But for a rookie like Joanie, the methods are going to be pretty basic. ¡°Hyah!¡± Stabbing. ¡°Hah!¡±Or shing. I dislike wizards, but even I can¡¯t deny that this is why they¡¯re valued everywhere they go. Wizards are versatile. They¡¯re not limited like warriors, and they have numerous ways to attack and solve problems. Fire spells can burn enemies, or they can make the ground slippery, causing opponents to fall. That being said, it¡¯s not like warriors can¡¯t infuse their weapons with elemental power. Once they master mana control, they can channel elements into their attacks. Even if they don¡¯t have that skill, they can always buy an enchanted weapon¡ªassuming they have the money for it. But for beginners just starting with weapons, that¡¯s a long shot. Wizardsmand high prices for a reason. It¡¯s hard enough to be one without any talent for magic, and there aren¡¯t that many of them. When youpare a beginner wizard to a beginner swordsman, the wizard is obviously more useful. So, why am I rambling about this all of a sudden? ¡®Why¡­?¡¯ I clutch my head as I watch Joanie struggle against the orc. Orc hide is pretty tough, making them difficult to fight with weapons. But it¡¯s not like they¡¯re so tough that an expert swordsman would struggle. If Joanie were on that level, her mana-infused swordsmanship would slice through orc hide as easily as she¡¯d cut through a steak at breakfast. But watching her fight right now, I can¡¯t help but think a novice wizard would probably be more helpful. ¡­Wait, why should I feel bad? This isn¡¯t my fault. If anyone should feel bad, it¡¯s Joanie for having the skills of a beginner. ¡°Just¡­ die already!¡± Joanie¡¯s sword finally pierced the orc¡¯s neck with a fierce shout. ¡°Hyaaah!¡± After struggling against the orc¡¯s tough hide and bone, her sword eventually tore through its neckpletely. Despite my annoyance, I had to admit she was still better than a lot of low-rank mercenaries. But something about it still felt unsatisfactory. ¡°Kuuueeek!¡± A mercenary, absorbed in his fight with one orc, screamed as another one closed in on him. He couldn¡¯t block it, nor could he dodge. ¡°Ugh, Aaargh!¡± Schwack! ¡°Uh, uh¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Is this really that hard?¡± I mumbled as I cleanly severed the orc¡¯s neck, freeing the mercenary. For something like this, basic physical enhancement is more than enough without infusing mana into my sword. If someone has good physical abilities, they probably wouldn¡¯t even need that. Leaving the dazed mercenary behind, I lightly stomped the ground. ¡ª ¡°Th-thank you¡­¡± ¡ª ¡°I¡¯m alive¡­!¡± ¡ª ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± Every time I rescued a mercenary in danger, they reacted differently. After I dealt with an orc that was swinging an axe down at one of the mercenaries, the survivor copsed onto the ground. I decided to pretend I didn¡¯t see his pants darkening due to the damp liquid. It was only natural for him to be like that after barely returning from crossing the River Styx. ¡°Ugh!¡± Thud! While I was busy saving other mercenaries, Joanie took down thest remaining orc. She charged in at high speed, piercing through the orc¡¯s neck. The sound of frothy blood ceasing and the light fading from the orc¡¯s eyes confirmed it as Joanie retrieved her sword embedded in its neck. ¡°Ugh, gross¡­¡± I approached Joanie, who was shaking off the fat and blood on her sword, with a disgusted expression. ¡°Joanie.¡± ¡°Oh, Kana. You¡¯re back!¡± ¡°¡­Back?¡± I hadn¡¯t gone anywhere else. Even while helping the mercenaries, I was keeping an eye on Joanie as she fought. ¡°How was I? Did I do well?¡± She asked while mimicking sword swings proudly. It seemed she was quite proud of having taken down several orcs without any help. Considering she had defeated the most orcs, it was objectively true that she was the MVP of this battle, without a doubt. Of course, I excluded myself from that. An adult shouldn¡¯t intrude when kids are ying. Kids should be left to y among themselves. ¡°Help me a little when it¡¯s dangerous, like before.¡± ¡°Sweet lies or bitter truths. Which one do you want?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Joanie¡¯s eyes rolled around. After a moment, she answered. ¡°I, I¡¯d like sweet lies, please¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve gotten much better than before.¡± This is undeniably true. Calling it sweet lies and yet it¡¯s actually the truth¡ªit¡¯s a bit contradictory. ¡°¡­Sweet!¡± ¡°But¡ªuhm.¡± ¡°Wait! I didn¡¯t order bitter truths!¡± As I tried to point out the problem, Joanie seemed to sense it and quickly covered my mouth. Anyway, that¡¯s the problem with kids these days. They only want to hear nice things. No wonder they can¡¯t improve. ¡°Um¡­.¡± Just as I was looking at her with disapproval, someone approached and spoke. Honestly, I already knew they wereing. When I turned my head, the nearby mercenaries all bowed their heads. ¡ª¡±Thank you for your help!¡± ¡ª¡±Thanks to you, we survived¡­!¡± Hearing the words of gratitude, I nodded indifferently. I wasn¡¯t particrly pleased that the mercenaries were happy about it, so this level of response felt appropriate. ¡°Ha ha ha.¡± Joanieughed cheerfully. I was the one being thanked, yet it was Joanie who looked happy. I considered correcting the misunderstanding but decided it was too bothersome to do so. If I said something, it would feel like I was boasting. ¡ª¡±I didn¡¯t expect to encounter a horde of orcs in a ce like this¡­ Thanks to you two, I¡¯m alive¡­!¡± Once the mercenaries stepped back, traders came up to express their gratitude. I could understand the mercenaries since they were in the same situation, but the traders¡ªwell, they could be grateful, but¡­ Aren¡¯t they being overly thankful for something they hired us to do in the first ce? Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t know. For someone like me, who hasn¡¯t really been thanked much in my life, it was aplicated issue. So, rather than thinking about that, I shifted my attention elsewhere. So, surrounded by the scattered corpses of the orcs. ¡°¡­Do you want to eat?¡± ¡ª ¡°¡­.¡± If we¡¯re considering whether I want to eat or not, I guess I do, but it¡¯s not because I¡¯m seeing them now. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m some glutton obsessed with food, right? I sat silently, sulking, while Joanie asked the merchant. ¡°What do you do with the loot or byproducts?¡± ¡ª ¡°Usually, we assess the value and then purchase them, but for an Apostle like you, that wouldn¡¯t be necessary, right?¡± ¡°Eh? Why wouldn¡¯t an Apostle need to?¡± ¡ª ¡°Apostles have their own pocket dimensions, so you don¡¯t have to worry about your luggage increasing. When we buy from you, we typically offer a lower price¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I see¡­. But can you say that out loud?¡± ¡ª ¡°It¡¯s a consensus among the mercenaries, so it¡¯s not a problem. It¡¯s just a way to spare you the hassle of carrying everything. Of course, if you prefer, we can set aside a portion for you to carry, but that¡¯s quite rare. So, what would you like to do?¡± ¡°Um¡­ please handle it for me. Oh, but could you give me a little bit of the meat?¡± ¡ª ¡°The byproducts of the orc are mostly meat, which would lower the price considerably. Are you okay with that?¡± ¡°Sure. My little sister loves orc meat.¡± ¡ª ¡°Ah¡­.¡± The merchant¡¯s gaze shifted towards me. ¡ª ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll purchase it as agreed, but we¡¯ll also treat you to orc meat for dinner tonight.¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­ you really don¡¯t have to do that¡­!¡± ¡ª ¡°You don¡¯t have to decline. After all, if it weren¡¯t for you two, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to handle so many orcs without any damage. To be honest, I¡¯m a merchant focused on profit, so I can¡¯t give you much, but please ept this as a token of gratitude.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really saying you don¡¯t need to repay me!¡± ¡ª ¡°My goodness, you¡¯re so humble¡­! You¡¯re truly a role model for the Apostles.¡± ¡°I¡¯m seriously going crazy.¡± Joanie said with a quivering voice. Regardless of that, I stared nkly at the orc corpses, lost in thought. ¡®It¡¯s not unusual for orcs to gather in groups¡­.¡¯ They breed quickly, so even a pair can multiply rapidly. However, it¡¯s rare for a group of orcs to roam around in this scale. Usually, they leave some behind to guard their territory and only a few wander. When they move around in suchrge numbers, it¡¯s almost always when they¡¯re invading human or other monsters¡¯ territories. ¡°¡­Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Even if they increased in number and tried to expand their territory, we¡¯ve already killed them all anyway. There might be a few left in the area, but since we¡¯ve wiped them out like this, they won¡¯t be active for a while. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡± For some reason, Joanie, who was deep in despair, lifted her head and responded to my mumbling. ¡°Is something happening?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± No matter what, free food falling into myp is a good thing. Just like freshly caught pork tastes delicious, orc meat is freshest and tastiest right after being caught. Being outdoors, I can¡¯t expect a well-prepared meal like breakfast, but this has its own vor. It¡¯s like the difference between camping and a restaurant. I swallowed as I thought that if things go south, I might have to pay for the meat. ¡°See? You do want to eat, after all.¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± I do want to eat, but that¡¯s not really why I was lost in thought. ¡­Really. Chapter 36 Chapter 36
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Joanie spoke in a rather serious tone. ¡°Even if it¡¯s orc meat, when you think about it, it¡¯s not much different from pork, right? It¡¯s not like it¡¯s insects or tasteless, so there¡¯s no real reason not to eat it. Don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡ªIt¡¯s toote to argue now¡­ ¡ªYou¡¯ve got quite the tongue^^ ¡ªSo, were you nning to log out and run away? ¡°I-I didn¡¯t! I didn¡¯t do it, right? That¡¯s all that matters, so why are you picking at that?¡± If you log out in a non-safe zone, your character stays right where they are.Perhaps as a courtesy from Demoninus, there were many safe zones even outside the cities, and yers could even create their own if needed. Because of that, yers didn¡¯t feel too inconvenienced even if they spent several days away from the city, as long as there weren¡¯t any NPCs around. Safe zones outside the cities had no NPCs, and creating one was only possible if there were no NPCs present. yers spected about why Demoninus chose such a cumbersome system. The most widely epted theory was that it was to enhance realism. Since it¡¯s a game, they couldn¡¯tpletely abandon convenience, but allowing yers to log out anywhere would ruin the realism. So, the theory was that Demoninus designed the system to bnce convenience and realism while ensuring yers didn¡¯t feel disconnected from the NPCs. ¡®Only Demoninus knows the real answer.¡¯ Even when asked directly, Demoninus remained silent, so despite the theory¡¯s poprity on the inte, it never moved beyond spection. This,bined with the game¡¯s time dtion system, led to escort quests being dubbed ¡®the realm of the unemployed¡¯ or ¡®the privilege of the jobless,¡¯ which made sense. In short, Joanie hadn¡¯t escaped logging outst night to avoid eating orc meat¡ªshe simply couldn¡¯t log out. ¡®Streamers need to be shameless sometimes.¡¯ With a sly grin, huh? When Joanie first started streaming, she was all about being honest, but now, after gaining experience, she could handle situations like this. But viewers had grown experienced from watching streams too. ¡ªNot that she didn¡¯t log out, she couldn¡¯t. ¡ªssic Joanie dodging escape! Thumbs up! ¡ªDidn¡¯t anyone teach you that you¡¯ll pay with your hands if you get caught lying? ¡°¡­By the way, even if I use nap mode and keep watch whenever I can, I still get tired.¡± Joanie, feeling exposed, quickly changed the subject. ¡ªHaha, you¡¯re caught! ¡ªYeah, nothing beats lying in a bed. For sure. ¡ªBut I¡¯ve heard expensive capsules arefier than beds. ¡ªExpensive capsule vs expensive bed? ¡ªBed all the way. ¡ªBut beds don¡¯t have gaming functions¡­ ¡°Oh, right. I tried a really expensive capsule once, and I instantly got why people use them. The features are one thing, but thefort is on another level.¡± ¡ªIsn¡¯t the one you use already pretty expensive? ¡ªIt¡¯s definitely overkill for regr folks. ¡ªMy capsule disconnects randomly¡­ ¡ªYou should upgrade at that point. ¡°I thought the same thing, but is this what they call post-experience regret? Once you experience it, the downsides be painfully clear. Honestly, I almost gave in to the urge to buy it.¡± ¡ª¡±I¡¯m jealous you even have the money to splurge if you feel like it¡­¡± ¡ª¡±If you don¡¯t mind, could you at least buy me an ice cream?¡± ¡°Of course, I couldn¡¯t pay it off in one go. Maybe with a 48-month installment n? Ice cream? Hey, you can buy that much yourself!¡± ¡ª¡±48 months? LOL.¡± ¡ª¡±That¡¯s a voluntary ve contract right there.¡± ¡®But it was good.¡¯ Joanie smacked her lips. Not all expensive items are worth their price, but the capsule she experienced was quality she could understand for the cost. Back then, Silia Online hadn¡¯t been released yet, so she barely managed to resist the overwhelming temptation and conquer her impulse. ¡®Now, it might not be such a bad idea¡­¡¯ Now that Silia Online hadunched, the time spent in the capsule had increased significantlypared to back then. Joanie, swaying with the movements of the carriage, searched for reasons to buy it rather than to hold back. Then a question suddenly popped into her head. ¡°Does Kana even sleep?¡± Last night, thanks to the merchant group¡¯s kindness, Joanie and Kana had shared a tent, just the two of them. It probably wasn¡¯t pure generosity. It was likely an attempt to get on their good side. Even if the motives weren¡¯t entirely selfless, Joanie had noints since they had the spacious tent to themselves. That allowed her to observe Kana as she slept¡­ ¡®¡­Or didn¡¯t.¡¯ They say kids need a lot of sleep, but Kana sat wide awake, hugging her knees until Joanie logged out. When Joanie reconnected after sleeping in the capsule using a night watch mode, Kana was already up and active. She wasn¡¯t dozing off in the carriage either. Since NPCs do sleep, Kana must sleep too, but Joanie had never seen it happen, which made her wonder. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t sleep well, she won¡¯t grow taller.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± Even though Joanie had said it in Arkish, which Kana couldn¡¯t understand, Kana shot her a sharp re, as if she sensed something. Joanie pre-emptively apologized. ¡ª¡±LOL!¡± ¡ª¡±Hahaha, she sensed the burn!¡± ¡ª¡±Oof, detected killer intent there!¡± ¡°Utch Mm¡­.¡± Joanie gritted her teeth and warned her viewers, who were spamming random letters in chat, but her words, of course, had no effect. *** I watched Joanie talk to herself quietly. When I look closely, it seems she talks to herself quite a lot. Sheughs alone, then suddenly gets angry, and just when I think she¡¯s calmed down, she startsughing again. Watching her makes me wonder, ¡°Is something wrong with her?¡± It was strange enough behavior to make one question her well-being, but the woman riding the carriage with us, who introduced herself as Catherine, showed no reaction to Joanie¡¯s antics. Perhaps she was used to seeing her act this way. ¡®¡­¡¯ Or maybe¡­ ¡°Kana, what are you thinking about?¡± ¡°¡­Nothing.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± I dodged her finger, which was suspiciously trying to poke my cheek. What¡¯s with her obsession with poking me? Until now, I¡¯ve ignored it out of annoyance, but I think it¡¯s about time I set some boundaries. Meanwhile, the carriage we were riding in steadily moved toward our next destination. Since we hadn¡¯t encountered any monsters since we met the group of orcs yesterday, the merchant group¡¯s pace had quickened considerably. Although traveling straight through the Empire would be the fastest route on the map, roads are not always conveniently ced. There could be mountains, rivers, or dense forests in the way¡­ For that reason, this merchant group I joined was skimming the northern border of the Lo Arka Empire. Unlike the border control I was used to in my previous life in Korea, the Lo Arka Empire didn¡¯t have a solid border blockade; instead, they set up fortresses and cities, entrusting the border defense to the local lords. It feels like each city¡¯s territory serves as part of the border. Isn¡¯t this what they call a feudal system? I think that was the term. Anyway, even though we were crossing a small part of the Empire¡¯snd, it didn¡¯t seem to cause any significant issues. We just had to pay a bit of a toll. Was medieval Europe like this too? The reason I was suddenly thinking about such things was that the next stop for the merchant group was a small vige in a barony of the Empire. It originally belonged to the Grasis Kingdom, but after its fall, it was absorbed into the barony. Of course, as someone who¡¯s spent most of my time buried in the mountains, I wouldn¡¯t know such details. This was information I heard from someone else. Who? Who else but the Apostle, whining beside me? ¡°There¡¯s a flower garden near that vige. It¡¯s so beautiful that people even go out of their way to visit it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go see it together, okay? Kana, you like flowers, don¡¯t you? You¡¯ll love it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like flowers, so the premise is wrong from the start.¡± Since the premise is wrong, it¡¯s only natural that the conclusion, which is that I would enjoy it, is also incorrect. Even if the premise is wrong, there¡¯s still a chance of guessing correctly by luck. But unfortunately for them, it¡¯s wrong. As I sat there, feeling indifferent, Joanie seemed to grow increasingly anxious. ¡®If youe with me, I¡¯ll treat you to something delicious!¡¯ ¡®¡­I¡¯m not a child.¡¯ ¡®¡­O-Of course. Who would dare call you a child, my Kana?¡¯ ¡®¡­And I¡¯m not ¡®your¡¯ Kana either.¡¯ ¡­Even the way she spoke was already a lost cause. How could she continue speaking in such a soft, soothing voice, as if trying to console a sulking child, with a smile tugging at the corners of her lips? I furrowed my brow, irritated by the warm gaze directed at me, and let out a sigh. Did she really want to go see the flowers that badly? Come to think of it, almost every noblewoman I saw during my time with the Crimson Aegis seemed to love flowers. Maybe it¡¯s an instinct among women, though I can¡¯t say for sure. Whether it¡¯s because I was a man in my previous life or because my emotions have dried up from living such a harsh, barren life, I¡¯ve never really felt anything special about them. To be precise, I can acknowledge that they¡¯re pretty, but it¡¯s more like something you¡¯d think in passing, like ¡®Oh, that¡¯s nice,¡¯ and then just move on. I certainly wouldn¡¯t go out of my way to visit or sit around admiring them. Then suddenly, an image of Garid popped into my mind ¡ª Garid, sitting in front of a flower shop, watching flowers. It¡¯s a scene I¡¯ve never actually witnessed, but imagining it was easy. His rugged, muscr frame, the long diagonal scar across his right cheek, his rough, far-from-handsome face, and his short-cropped brown hair. He crouches down, eyes gleaming as he gazes at the flowers, with the flower shop owner standing awkwardly nearby. ¡®Pfft¡­¡¯ The image made me chuckle without realizing it. Was it a pureugh? Well, maybe not. It felt closer to a scoff, really. ¡°Oh?! Kana, youughed! You did, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Joanie couldn¡¯t even wait a second and made a big fuss about it. ¡°I didn¡¯tugh.¡± ¡°Come on, you did! It¡¯s okay tough. Why are you lying about it?¡± If anyone should be saying that, it¡¯s me. It¡¯s okay tough; why make such a big deal out of it? I looked at Joanie, who was squealing and holding hands with Catherine, with a pitying gaze. Sighing, I finally said, ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Oh, really?!¡± Joanie¡¯s voice shot up in surprise. ¡®Why was she so surprised when she was the one who asked to go in the first ce?¡¯ ¡°I thought you¡¯d keep rejecting it¡­ Seems like Canaria really likes flowers. Could it be that her indifferent reaction was just because she was embarrassed? Saying she¡¯s not a child and all¡­ Isn¡¯t she just too cute? ¡­Kill me?! Uggghh?!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, then forget it.¡± ¡°Not at all! Ah, I blurted it out because I was so excited¡­ Ahem¡­ No, I love it! So, it¡¯s a promise, right? We¡¯re going to see them together?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± If it looks good, I¡¯ll pick up some seedlings or seeds on the way back and show them to Garid. I¡¯m sure Garid would love them. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re almost there.¡± The atmosphere in the merchant guild became restless. Unlike yesterday, there didn¡¯t seem to be any urgency, so it didn¡¯t appear that monsters had attacked like before. Joanie, noticing this, opened the curtains and peeked outside. ¡°Oh, I can see it!¡± Her voice was filled with excitement. Joanie, who had been craning her neck to look outside, sat back in her seat with an embarrassed expression when she heard Catherine chuckling. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re really looking forward to this.¡± ¡°Haha¡­ I just love traveling¡­ Sorry, I got a little too excited, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°No need to apologize. It¡¯s nice to see you so excited.¡± I began preparing to get off the carriage. Though preparation was really just pulling my cape tighter and checking my belongings. As the carriage gradually slowed and the loud sound of the wheels faded, the characteristic bustling yet tranquil atmosphere of a small vige filled the space. When I peeked outside through the parted curtains, the sight of a picturesque vige, like something out of a painting, caught my eye. A young boy, whose eyes I met by chance, was filled with curiosity and anticipation. For sure, the visit of a merchant guild to a small vige like this must be a special event for a child like him. Although I¡¯d visited viges simr to this one before, I¡¯d never seen such an expression on anyone¡¯s face. I never traveled alone; I always moved with the knights, and the knights visiting a vige meant that the vige¡¯s guards or the lord¡¯s soldiers couldn¡¯t handle a situation on their own. So, the faces that greeted us then weren¡¯t filled with curiosity or excitement like that, but with anxiety, fear, and despair. As I nodded back at the boy who was waving with a bright smile, I thought to myself. I¡¯m sorry, Garid¡­ ¡®¡­But, this isn¡¯t so bad.¡¯ Chapter 37 Chapter 37
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Night. The time when the warm sun hides beneath the horizon, and the quiet darkness descends upon thend. It is a moment of rest for those weary from a long day¡¯sbor, a time when those burdened by worries sigh deeply andy down their troubles to fall asleep. However, night wasn¡¯t always as gentle as a nurturing mother. Behind its warm face that soothed everyoney a colder side, more chilling than the harshest winter wind. ¡°The original n was toplete the trade and leave right after, camping along the way. But judging by the time, we won¡¯t get very far.¡± ¡°It would be wiser to rest here for the night, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±¡°In exchange, we¡¯ll just have to leave a bit earlier tomorrow¡­¡± Those who wandered away from thefort of their homes knew all too well about the two faces of the night. No matter how high one held a torch or used antern powered by magic, it wasn¡¯t enough to fully illuminate the malice hidden within the darkness. Though the sun was still up for now, by the time they left the vige after their business was done, dusk would soon fall. They would have to set up camp not far away and face the dangers of the wild night. Rather than move and take unnecessary risks, it seemed better to spend the night in the vige, enjoying thefort it provided. With that thought, the merchant guild adjusted their ns slightly, deciding to stay in the small vige for the night. It was a bold decision, considering the extra wages for the mercenaries and the profit they might lose due to the dyed schedule. And so, the mercenaries found themselves with some unexpected free time. Some took the opportunity to hone their skills by swinging their weapons, while othersyzily on the soft grass, basking in the warm sunlight. One of them, however, was running around the vige, holding a young girl¡¯s hand. Joanie, with Canaria¡¯s hand in hers, roamed the vige and eventually came upon an elderly woman sitting in front of a small house, watching the street. ¡°Excuse me~ May I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Hm? What did you say?¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± The reply Joanie received was not quite what she had expected. ¡®That¡¯s right, this ce used to be part of the Grasis Kingdom a few years ago.¡¯ The elderly woman, being of an advanced age, would likely be more familiar with the Granguage than Arkish. Realizing her mistake, Joanie inwardly scolded herself. ¡°Hello. Could you tell me the name of this vige, by any chance?¡± ¡°Oh! You can speak the royalnguage. You must be a mercenary, eh? You¡¯re quite the rare one, youngdy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not very good at it, just a little. Hehe¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s more than enough, dear. So, you¡¯re curious about the vige¡¯s name? This ce is called Blum.¡± ¡°Blum¡­¡± Joanie repeated the name the elderly woman had given her. After repeating it to herself a few times, Joanie smiled brightly. ¡°It¡¯s a lovely name.¡± ¡°Hehe, thank you.¡± Engaging in small talk with the locals was something Joanie particrly enjoyed. Through conversations with the residents, she could vividly experience the culture and lifestyle of the ces they lived. Wasn¡¯t that the very reason she had gone to university? The reason she had studiednguages? Of course, her skill wasckingpared to a native speaker, but that didn¡¯t really matter. When foreigners visited a country and made an effort to speak thenguage, no matter how clumsy, very few people would judge them harshly. Hadn¡¯t that helped during her first cold encounter with Canaria as well? ¡®Well, there are exceptions. But those kinds of people tend to dislike you no matter what you do.¡¯ What a waste it would be to miss out on enjoying the journey because of fear of such people. Joanie¡¯s approach remained the same even in the virtual reality game Silia Online. ¡°So¡­¡± ¡°Wow, really?¡± Tug, tug. ¡°Hmm?¡± While Joanie was engaging in small talk in Granic with the elderly woman, she felt a sudden pull on her hand and looked down. Canaria, turning her head as if she didn¡¯t know what was going on, stood beside her. However, there was only one person who could have pulled Joanie¡¯s hand. ¡°Is she your little sister? Oh my, this olddy must have been talking too much and bored the young miss.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a kid.¡± ¡°Oh dear, my eyesight must be failing me with age. Would you prefer I call you ady then?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Joanie nodded, watching Canaria speak with the old woman. ¡®Canaria¡­¡¯ As she thought, even when talking to someone much older, she used informalnguage. Was it because she used to be a former captain of the knights? Joanie felt that Canaria¡¯s casual speech seemed quite natural. In reality, Canaria had used informalnguage since she was young, but Joanie didn¡¯t know that, so her misunderstanding was understandable. Still, despite using informalnguage, Canaria never came across as arrogant or disrespectful, which Joanie found quite surprising. ¡®Is it because of her voice? Or maybe her calm tone?¡¯ Joanie shrugged off the random thoughts that popped into her head. Who cares? She¡¯s cute, and that¡¯s enough. In fact, Joanie thought it would feel even stranger if Canaria used formal speech. ¡®And even if someone did find her rude, who could actually correct her habits?¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t take orders from someone weaker than me.¡± Joanie briefly imagined Kana boldly stating that while swinging her sword, but she quickly shook her head. ¡®¡­That can¡¯t be.¡¯ Kana wasn¡¯t that kind of person. Even if she ever had such thoughts, she¡¯d express them with her sword, not her words. ¡°I heard there¡¯s a famous flower field around here.¡± ¡°A flower field? Of course. It¡¯s the pride of our vige. Would you like to see it?¡± ¡°Yes. My sister loves flowers. Where should I go to find it?¡± ¡°Just follow that path over there.¡± ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s not within the vige¡­¡± No wonder she couldn¡¯t find it despite wandering around¡ªit was outside the vige. Feeling slightly aggrieved after searching for the flower field for so long, Joanie said her farewells to the old woman and set out once more with Kana to find the flower field. The path the old woman had indicated led beyond the vige, continuing all the way to a gentle hill at the base of the mountain. ¡°So, it wasn¡¯t maintained by anyone¡­¡± Joanie hadn¡¯t known much about the ce, having only heard there was a flower field, and had proposed the idea to Kana without looking into it further. ¡®If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have wandered around.¡¯ Joanie sighed as she climbed the hill. When the uphill path finally ended, she gasped at the sight before her. ¡°Wow¡­!¡± The hill was adorned with a vibrant array of flowers. The flowers, as if in a friendlypetition, disyed their charms by proudly showing off their petals, seemingly waiting just for Joanie. Unlike the orderly garden Kana had tended to, these wildflowers grew freely, blending together in a natural harmony, which gave the scene a different kind of appeal. No human hands could have created such a view. It was a spectacle that could only be born from nature¡¯s touch alone. A soft breeze carried the subtle fragrance of flowers, gently brushing against Joanie¡¯s hair. Lost in the scenery, Joanie suddenly realized that her hand was empty. ¡°¡­Kana?¡± At some point, Kana, who had quietly been standing beside her, was no longer there. As she looked around to find the girl, she spotted her not too far away, crouching down and gazing intently at an unfamiliar flower. Joanie quietly walked over and stood behind Kana, who was sitting in front of a small flower with delicate pink petals. Even though Joanie had approached quietly, Kana, undoubtedly already aware of her presence, remained engrossed in the flower, paying no attention to herpanion. ¡°Such a cute flower.¡± It kind of reminds me of Canaria. Not wanting to interrupt her, Joanie stayed silent, instead choose to crouch next to Canaria. They sat in front of the pink flower, which emitted a sweet fragrance, for quite some time. When Joanie¡¯s legs began to cramp, Canaria finally stood up. Joanie followed her lead, smiling. ¡°A beautiful flower garden, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Although there was no verbal reply, Joanie didn¡¯t miss the slight nod from Canaria. Joanie was tempted to stay and explore the area longer, but by now, the sun had already passed its zenith and was slowly sinking beneath the horizon. ¡°Maybe some of these flowers bloom at night?¡± If they waited, they could probably enjoy the sight of flowers blooming under the soft moonlight. However, Joanie chose to return to Blum Vige rather than waiting for the night toe. ¡°Skipping meals is a no-go.¡± Especially for a growing child. There was no rush¡ªafter all, they could always returnter after eating. Joanie took the shy girl¡¯s hand and retraced their steps back to the vige. By the time they arrived at the vige, half of the sun had already disappeared below the horizon. There was amotion. ¡°¡­Something feels off.¡± When they reached the vige gate, Joanie noticed that the atmosphere was different from when they had left. It wasn¡¯t just the usual evening bustle; something felt more chaotic, and there was an odd tension in the air. -¡°Maybe we should¡­ hurry?¡± -¡°But you can¡¯t just leave it like that¡­¡± -¡°It¡¯s not really¡­ our problem, is it?¡± Both the traveling merchants and the vigers were out, talking in hushed yet serious tones. Sensing something unusual, Joanie hunched her shoulders, taking cautious steps forward. ¡°Joanie!¡± At that moment, Catherine spotted Joanie and quickly approached. ¡°We¡¯ve been looking everywhere for you!¡± ¡°For me?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Why, why?¡± ¡°Well, since this is happening, I can¡¯t talk without you.¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°Did you not hear anything?¡± ¡°No. I was out for a walk and just returned¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­! You could have been in serious trouble. I¡¯m d you made it back safely.¡± Catherine momentarily showed a flustered expression at Joanie¡¯s words, but quicklyposed herself. From Joanie¡¯s perspective, everything was still shrouded in mystery. The way she spoke gave the impression that she was weing someone back from a battlefield, but when did going for a walk be such a dangerous affair? Noticing the questions flooding Joanie¡¯s mind, Catherine opened her mouth. ¡°There¡¯s been a group of ogres spotted nearby! Moreover, they¡¯re heading towards this vige!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Suddenly, a group of ogres had appeared, and they were on their way to this vige? ¡­Why? Joanie, bewildered by the unexpected situation, blurted out the first thing that came to mind. ¡°Did you perhaps smear honey on the carriage?¡± First, it was a horde of orcs, and now it¡¯s a group of ogres. What could possiblye next? A dragon horde? Catherine stomped her feet upon hearing Joanie¡¯s words. ¡°This is not the time for jokes!¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t really a joke¡­ Joanie, rolling her eyes, bowed her head deeply. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Chapter 38 Chapter 38
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¡®Ogre, huh¡­.¡¯ Joanie collected her thoughts. Was it a sort of trend? Ogres, alongside goblins and orcs, were a staple in many fantasy novels, games, and movies. Their strength and characteristics varied depending on the portrayal, but it was rare to see them depicted as weak. Tough skin, a massive frame, and the strength to lift a log with ease¡­ Perhaps following this trend, a monster called ¡°Ogre¡± also existed in Silia Online. While not asmon as goblins or orcs, they weren¡¯t particrly rare either. Joanie had hunted a few before.Not alone, though¡ªalways with a party. ¡°Do ogres usually travel in groups?¡± ¡ªThey usually wander alone. ¡ªSaw four of them togetherst time. ¡ªHeard they live in family units? Joanie casually asked, and though none were true experts, a few chimed in with what they knew. ¡ªThere¡¯ll probably be just three or four at most, right? ¡ªPeople are making a fuss over nothing. ¡ªLook at Silver being all cute, lol. ¡°I hope that¡¯s the case¡­.¡± Sure, the yers might know a lot about the monsters, but wouldn¡¯t the NPCs, the natives of this world, know even better? For them to use the phrase ¡°ogre horde¡±¡­ was it really just three or four? And even if it were that many, with the vige¡¯s current forces, they still wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. ¡°Did you know there was an ogre nest nearby?¡± ¡°No¡­ I had no idea. I¡¯ve lived in these mountains for years, and I¡¯ve never seen so much as a hair of an ogre.¡± ¡°¡­Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a hunter living in the nearby mountains. He¡¯s tasked with reporting any threats like monsters or beasts, and he¡¯s the one who alerted us about the ogre horde.¡± Even as Joanie and Catherine whispered to each other, the hunter continued speaking. ¡°There¡¯s no reason for ogres to live in such a small mountain with so little food. Unless they came from somewhere else, that is.¡± ¡°Came from somewhere else? Why would they?¡± ¡°How should I know? Maybe they fought among themselves or lost a territorial battle¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point right now. We need to figure out what to do.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Ahem¡­¡± At someone¡¯s words, the faces of those gathered in the square turned awkward. No one wanted to speak up first, each passing the burden to someone else. The first to step up was a young man. ¡°If we use the palisades and hold out until reinforcements arrive¡­!¡± ¡°Against ogres? Please, unless you want to get flung away along with the palisades.¡± Thatment sparked a heated debate among the vigers. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯sing this way? It could change direction. Maybe we don¡¯t need to worry about it?¡± ¡°What are we going to do if it attacks us while we¡¯re just sitting here? Just die?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just run away!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t! We haven¡¯t even packed yet, and if we flee and the house copses¡­!¡± ¡°Is the house more important than our lives?!¡± ¡°Young people can run, but the elderly¡­.¡± ¡°When will reinforcements arrive?¡± ¡°They just left, so even if they¡¯re fast, it¡¯ll take at least a few hours.¡± While the vigers were discussing these things, the merchant group and their hired mercenaries gathered to talk about their next steps. However, Joanie noticed that the atmosphere between the vigers and the merchant group was quite different. ¡°No matter how fast the ogre is, if we leave now, it won¡¯t catch up to us.¡± ¡°It might be tough, but we can push through to the next vige and rest there.¡± Almost everyone wanted to flee¡ªthere was no one, not a single person, suggesting they should fight. The rest, like Joanie, were simply observing the situation in silence, not offering any other opinions. ¡®Well, it makes sense. This isn¡¯t their home, and they don¡¯t have anything here they need to protect. There¡¯s no reason to risk their lives.¡¯ Just as Joanie suspected, the merchant group wanted to flee as soon as possible. But they hadn¡¯t done so yet because they still had somepassion in their hearts. It wasn¡¯t easy to just abandon the people they¡¯d beenughing and chatting with only moments before. They didn¡¯t want to fight, but they felt guilty about running away. As everyone hesitated, someone came up with a n. ¡°Why don¡¯t we ride in the empty cargo space, and we can let the vigers ride in the open seats of the wagons?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a great idea! We can¡¯t take everyone, but if we prioritize the elderly, children, and women, we can evacuate safely!¡± ¡°If there isn¡¯t enough space, we can throw out the less valuable goods. Sure, we¡¯ll lose some profit, but human lives are more important than money.¡± It was a way to save face while avoiding a fight. Since they were even willing to discard their valuable merchandise, no one could criticize them. Their self-preservation quickly turned into a rescue mission in the eyes of others. But does that make them bad? ¡®¡­No, not really.¡¯ Joanie shook her head. Unlike her, who could resurrect after death, the people of this world only had one life. Prioritizing their survival was the natural thing to do. And even if their primary goal was to run away, they were still offering help. While Joanie was deep in thought, one of the merchants went over to the vigers and conveyed the merchant group¡¯s n. ¡°¡­So that¡¯s the situation. We can take some of you to safety in our wagons.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± The overheated atmosphere had finally cooled down. In the midst of residents arguing about whether to leave or stay, no one criticized the merchant who offered to help with the evacuation. ¡°We¡¯ll try to gather the money somehow. Could you please help us?¡± One brave person spoke up. ¡°But fighting an ogre horde¡­ that¡¯s beyond us.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Their hopes were dashed by the merchant¡¯s response. Apart from Joanie, all the mercenaries hired by the merchant were silver-ranked. Though they could infuse their weapons with mana, their skills were still too immature to cut through the tough hide of the ogres. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving.¡± ¡°Grandma!¡± At that moment, an old woman pushed through the crowd. She was the one who had shown Joanie the way earlier. Recognizing the wrinkles on her face, Joanie¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I¡¯m old, won¡¯t live much longer anyway. I¡¯d rather stay here than suffer on the road.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about an old woman like me. Just go, all of you.¡± Whether the young man was her grandson, son, or just someone who knew her, he tried to persuade her, but the old woman was resolute. Even Joanie, who wasn¡¯t fluent in Granic, and those who didn¡¯t understand it at all, could sense the nature of the conversation between the old woman and the young man from the mood between them. ¡°Then we¡¯ll just take the others¡ª¡± ¡°No, wait! I¡¯ll convince her! Just give me a little more time!¡± ¡°But time is¡ª¡± ¡°Please, just a little bit longer!¡± The young man¡¯s desperate plea put the merchant in a difficult position. As he hesitated, unsure of what to do, Catherine approached Joanie. ¡°Joanie.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a gold-ranked mercenary, aren¡¯t you? Couldn¡¯t you help them?¡± Unintentionally meeting Catherine¡¯s eyes, Joanie held her breath. In her brown eyes, a storm of emotions raged¡ªpity, sympathy, guilt, sorrow. And a sense of kinship. ¡°A gold-ranked mercenary?!¡± Before Joanie could respond to Catherine¡¯s words, a man who had been talking with the old woman suddenly interjected between them. ¡°Please, help us! If things keep going like this, the elder will have no choice but to stay in this vige!¡± ¡°Come on, man! How do you expect even a top-tier mercenary to deal with a horde of ogres? I understand your concern, but don¡¯t push it.¡± Joanie made a conflicted expression. The man was right; she couldn¡¯t take on a group of ogres by herself. Ogres typically ranged from the high 30s to the low 40s in level, while Joanie was level 43. In terms of rank, she had only recently entered the realm of Experts, so even facing a single ogre, let alone an entire horde, would be overwhelming for her. ¡®More than that, I¡¯ve never fought an ogre solo before.¡¯ Fighting monsters alone meant that a single mistake could be fatal, but when in a party, teammates could cover each other¡¯s errors. Also, hunting was much faster with a group, which is why most yers teamed up for hunts. Only in cases where party formation was impossible, or for rare exceptions like Yuki, did yers go solo. ¡®Is there any way I can help¡­?¡¯ As Joanie pondered, her eyes caught the chat window. ¡°Is anyone nearby who can help? I¡¯ll make sure topensate you.¡± ¡ªAlready tried, but couldn¡¯t get into the channel because it¡¯s full. ¡ªWhoa, that many people? ¡ªI made it in though, lol. ¡°That was fast.¡± Her tension eased a little. If the channel was full, that meant at least a few dozen people were around, enough to easily handle a group of ogres. Feeling relieved, Joanie smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ve contacted the nearby Apostles. They¡¯ve all agreed to help.¡± ¡°Oh¡­!¡± ¡°Thank you so much!¡± The man, along with the other vigers, visibly brightened at Joanie¡¯s words. They had only chosen to evacuate because they saw no way to stop the ogres, but none of them actually wanted to leave behind the home they had worked so hard to build. ¡®If only Kana would step in, none of this would be necessary¡­¡¯ Even though Joanie had already relied on her quite a bit, she didn¡¯t want to depend too much on Kana. That would go against what Joanie had always strived for. Besides, the mercenaries didn¡¯t ask Kana for help either. Even though they had learned from past experience that Kana was stronger than them, the idea of a young girl fighting ogres was still too unbelievable for them to ept. Perhaps their pride wouldn¡¯t allow them to ask such a small girl for help. The merchant group, the vigers, and Joanie all prepared for theing battle. They waited with a unified heart for the arrival of more yers. Fortunately, the ogre had not yet appeared. Soon, yers began gathering in the vige of Blum. Ten yers gathered, greeted by the vigers with cheers, exuding confidence. Joanie, arms crossed, waited anxiously for reinforcements to arrive. However, despite the passing time, the eleventh yer showed no sign of appearing. ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on? Why aren¡¯t theying?¡± There had to be more yers, as the channel¡¯s capacity certainly wasn¡¯t limited to just this many. Joanie, sensing something strange, checked again. ¡°Still can¡¯t get into the channel?¡± ¡ª¡±Yeah, it says entry blocked.¡± ¡ª¡±Yup.¡± Could they be hiding just to mess with me? Or maybe the people who dislike me upied the channel on purpose¡­ Joanie chewed her nails nervously, contemting such thoughts, when suddenly a sinking feeling washed over her. She lifted her head, eyes widening in realization. ¡°No way¡­!¡± As if to confirm her suspicion, a system window appeared in front of her and the other yers. ¡°Mutation Event¡­.¡± Seeing the words on the screen, Joanie let out a hollow sigh, filled with dismay. Chapter 39 Chapter 39
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There is a system in Silia Online called ¡°channels.¡± No matter how much Silia Online prioritizes freedom, if too many yers gather in one area, it bes difficult to enjoy the game. To address this, the developers created the channel system to ensure a smooth gaming experience when a location bes too crowded. If we think of the world as a room, the channel system creates an identical, separate room to distribute the load. Normally, these channels do not affect each other at all. For instance, if a monster is killed in one channel, the same monster in another channel is not affected. The opposite holds true as well. However, during special events¡ªsuch as a ¡°Mutation Event¡±¡ªthe rules of separation are broken, and actions in one channel can impact others.For example, if Blum Vige, where Joanie is currently located, is destroyed by an ogre, this destruction would be reflected across all channels, and even the entire world. In short, whatever happens in one channel bes official history, hence the term ¡®Mutation¡¯. The exact conditions for triggering a Mutation Event remain unclear, though yers specte that it might be rted to NPCs. This theory arose from the observation that past Mutation Events were directly or indirectly linked to NPCs. However, just because an NPC is involved doesn¡¯t guarantee that a Mutation Event will ur, so the theory remains spective. Mutation Events are rare¡ªnot so scarce that yers only experience them once in their gaming lifetime, but not frequent enough to be consideredmon. As a result, Joanie knew about Mutation Events, but had never personally experienced one. The issue is that only those present at the moment of a Mutation Event can participate in it. This was evident from the viewers who tried to join Joanie¡¯s channel but were blocked. ¡°The vige¡¯s survival is on the line, so it¡¯s definitely a big deal¡­ but why now¡­?¡± After briefly despairing, Joanie calmly assessed the vige¡¯s defenses. There were about twenty vige guards, eight mercenaries hired by the merchant caravan, and eleven yers, including herself. Although more people could potentially fight, those were the numbers she considered for the actualbat force. In fact, Joanie was being generous with her assessment, and it wouldn¡¯t have been unreasonable to assume the real strength was even lower. After all, the vige guards in such a small settlement wouldn¡¯t be much help against an ogre. ¡®And the mercenaries likely won¡¯t make a huge difference either.¡¯ While they might be able to inflict minor wounds or distract the enemy, they wouldn¡¯t be able to deal any decisive blows. Ultimately, Joanie would have to rely on her fellow yers. After quickly analyzing the situation, Joanie turned to the other yers and asked: ¡°What are your levels? Oh, and your sses too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a mage, level 45.¡± ¡°I¡¯m, uh, level 35! A priest!¡± ¡°I¡¯m a level 40 barrier mage.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­.¡± As the yers introduced themselves in response to Joanie¡¯s request, her expression grew increasingly grim. ¡®¡­It¡¯s not enough.¡¯ Joanie didn¡¯t show it, but from what she could see, their current group wasn¡¯t equipped to handle a horde of ogres. Maybe they¡¯d have a shot if it were only three or four. But anything more, and they wouldn¡¯t just fail to defeat them¡ªthey wouldn¡¯t even be able to hold their ground. ¡ª ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡ª ¡°This looks tough.¡± ¡ª ¡°Their levels are way too low.¡± ¡ª ¡°Way too many healers.¡± ¡ª ¡°Why did those lowbies even join? They¡¯re just dead weight and dragging the group down!¡± ¡°If you talk like that, you know what happens, right?¡± It was true that they were underpoweredpared to what she had hoped for, but as someone who valued manners, Joanie refused toin about people who had willinglye to help. Whether as a streamer or just a decent person, that wasn¡¯t eptable behavior. So, she swiftly dealt with a few viewers whosements were getting out of hand. Once that was done, she turned her attention back to the yers. ¡°¡­Should wee up with a strategy? Anyone got any good ideas?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± An awkward silence fell over the group. For some reason, Joanie found this atmosphere strangely familiar. ¡ª ¡°I can¡¯t breathe-¡± ¡ª ¡°Man, this is so cringe, I¡¯m embarrassed for them¡± ¡ª ¡°Is this a group project?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Right, this was just like those group projects in college. Still, recognizing why it felt familiar didn¡¯t change the current situation. The NPCs, watching the yers, must have sensed the tension and slowly quieted down as well. ¡®If only we knew how many ogres wereing, we could n better.¡¯ She had asked the hunter who first spotted them, but even he didn¡¯t know the exact number. The moment he realized they were ogres, he had turned tail and fled, not even taking time to count. ¡°Um, Joanie?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just ask Kana for help?¡± A priest raised their hand and timidly asked. ¡°I mean, maybe she¡¯d listen to you even if she won¡¯t help us¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Joanie hesitated. Would Kana even agree to help? More than that¡­ ¡®I really don¡¯t want to ask Kana for help.¡¯ But there was too much at stake to be stubborn. Conviction and reality. Joanie was wavering between the two when a young man who had gone out on reconnaissance came running into the vige, shouting. ¡°They¡¯reing¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°How many? How many are there?¡± ¡°Are they headed this way? Where are they now?¡± ¡°There¡¯s ten of them¡­ They were far away earlier, but now they must be near the flower field!¡± ¡°Te-ten of them?!¡± Everyone who heard was shocked by the sheer number. Joanie was no exception. Even facing three or four would be tough, but ten? ¡°This is impossible¡­¡± Joanie muttered without realizing it. No way out of this situation seemed apparent. ¡°Let¡¯s run! We can still escape!¡± ¡°There¡¯s still time! Load up your stuff, quick!¡± ¡°Joanie!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Joanie¡¯s mind was swinging heavily toward reality. Feeling defeated and miserable, she lowered her head. ¡°Canaria¡­ I need your strength. Can you help?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Canaria remained silent. She neither reluctantly agreed nor tly refused. ¡°¡­Canaria?¡± Joanie, puzzled by herpleteck of reaction, slowly raised her head. The small bird wasn¡¯t looking at her. Canaria¡¯s gaze was fixed outside the vige, toward something far off. Joanie followed the direction of her stare and murmured without thinking. ¡°¡­The mountain?¡± *** Joanie was saying something, but I didn¡¯t have the attention to spare. I knew something was off from the start. Since the orc horde appeared, there were signs. The state of the orcs was too good to be merely driven out by an overcrowded territory. Now that I think about it, their true aim was probably evacuation. They were fleeing from an overwhelming enemy, seeking a new haven. And I¡¯d bet that the ogresing this way are no different. ¡­ I feel a presence from the mountain. They must have instinctively sensed dangering. Fleeing ahead of time¡ªare they able to sense the appearance of dimensional creatures? A canary that can detect the arrival of a dimensional creature¡­ now that¡¯s ironic. ¡°Canaria?¡± Joanie called my name again. What was she asking earlier¡­? Ah, right, she asked for help. ¡°Step aside.¡± She probably wanted me to kill the iing ogres. But she had no idea there was something far worse following them. If I just hide quietly in the mountains, it wouldn¡¯t matter, but unfortunately, it seems like the dimensional creature that appeared in the mountains has other thoughts. Perhaps, just as I sensed it, it might have sensed me too. Judging by the way it¡¯s approaching me. If it wants to die that badly, I can¡¯t help it. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you.¡± ¡°Uh, um? Thanks!¡± I looked at Joanie, who bowed her waist with a puzzled expression. ¡­That wasn¡¯t meant for you. There¡¯s no need to rify that misunderstanding. ¡®There¡¯s no time for that.¡¯ Swoosh. I drew my sword. ¡°¡­What? Are you really going to fight?¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you stopping me?! Hurry up and stop me!¡± ¡°Requesting a fight from such a young child¡­¡± It¡¯s so noisy. I ignored the chatter around me since I wouldn¡¯t understand anyway. ¡°Oh.¡± That¡¯s right. I momentarily paused in gathering strength in my legs to run and took off my cape. ¡°Here, hold this.¡± I don¡¯t want to see it getting torn likest time. Besides, this battle seems like it might get a bit rough. Without waiting for Joanie¡¯s reply, I tossed the cape to her and started running. Whoosh¡ª! The objects around me elongated. People, buildings, fences, fields, roads. An ogre. ¡°One down.¡± I lightly leaped while maintaining a speed that felt more like being shot than running, swinging my sword. The sword passed through the ogre¡¯s neck without any resistance. Next was the creature that seemed to be tearing into animal meat. It looked very hungry, so I shoved my sword down its throat. Again, there was no resistance, nor any sense of it. Being a Master and struggling to take down just an ogre would be quite shameful. If that were the case, my body would probably be rolling around somewhere on a battlefield. Or maybe I¡¯d be stuck serving a wealthy noble, trying to curry favor. ¡­Ugh. Just thinking about it makes me feel sick. ¡°¡­It¡¯s your fault.¡± You made me think about such unpleasant scenarios. For that crime, you deserve to die a hundred times. With a thinyer of mana wrapped around my sword, I beheaded the ogre. When I had in a total of four, including the first two, the surroundings that had been in chaos finally returned to their original state. Pshh. Kuh-whooom! The headless ogres copsed, shaking the ground. From their severed necks, red blood gushed out like a fountain. ¡°¡­Kruak?!¡± ¡°Yep. Kruak.¡± As far as I know, ogres aren¡¯t particrly known for their camaraderie. That said, if they witness theirrades being killed, they¡¯ll at least seek revenge, but the ones here didn¡¯t even seem to register what was happening to theirpanions. They were simply bewildered by the sudden copse of their previously healthy ally. It¡¯s understandable; seeing arade drop dead like that is shocking. Responding kindly to the ogre¡¯s question, I hunted down the remaining ones. One sh, one kill¡ªsimple yet effective. It didn¡¯t take more than a few dozen seconds for all ten ogres to fall. Even if they hade to their senses and decided to fight back, they wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance. The shock of losing their allies was too much for them to even think about grabbing their weapons. Killing such clueless creatures was like taking candy from a baby. After lightly shaking off the blood, I turned my body around. Now, then¡­ ¡°Hello. Did youe to see me?¡± Nice to meet you. I waved my hand toward the shimmering light in the darkness. Chapter 40 Chapter 40
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Catherine often dreamed of that day. The day when the makeshift wooden fence copsed, and monsters flooded into the peaceful vige. The small, warm home, the garden she tended with her parents, the house of the kind woman who treated her well¡ª all were mercilessly trampled beneath the feet of monsters. Catherine¡¯s hometown, much smaller than Blum Vige, thus disappeared. Holding her parents¡¯ hands, she fled down the rugged mountain path, vowing to be strong and never experience such a thing again. From that day on, she wielded a sword.Without anyone to teach her, she silently trained with the sword, spending days fighting monsters. ¡°Congrattions, Catherine. You have been promoted to Silver Mercenary.¡± Ultimately, Catherine seeded in earning her silver badge through her own strength. Silver Badge. A stage where she is recognized as a proper mercenary. On the day she epted the silver badge from Liberi, Catherine shed tears. Though she did not even know what the emotions contained in those tears were, as she wiped them away, she felt that she hade a step closer to her past vow. ¡®¡­Ah.¡¯ ¡­She thought so, but in front of the approaching ogre horde, Catherine realized. She had been mistaken to think she had be stronger after receiving the silver badge; she was still just the girl from the mountain vige who ran while holding her parents¡¯ hands. But there was something different from that time. Unlike the mountain vige where there was no one to help her and no ce to seek aid, now she could ask for help. So, Catherine asked Joanie for help. To please save this vige¡­ to save another Catherine. The kind-hearted apostle Edel epted her request, and everything seemed to flow smoothly. At least until they learned the number of ogres approaching the vige. ¡°W-what?! Ten?!¡± The people who had felt relieved were now searching for ways to survive, filled with terror. Catherine stood in the chaos of the za, muttering to herself. ¡®In the end, I couldn¡¯t do anything again.¡¯ She had rushed breathlessly for moments like this, but it turned out to bepletely useless. In her despair, her gaze suddenly fell on Joanie. Holding onto the girl who hade with her, speaking with a desperate voice. Catherine knew that girl was stronger than anyone present. However, no matter how strong the girl was, she couldn¡¯t fight against the ogres. Even if her swordsmanship was excellent, the difference in size between the girl and the ogres was vast. ¡°Get back.¡± The girl, hearing Joanie¡¯s words, drew her sword and stepped forward. Her footsteps headed towards outside the vige. ¡®Is she really going to fight?¡¯ At that sight, Catherine couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes. ¡°Stop¡­!¡± Though she hoped someone would help, she didn¡¯t want such a small girl to lose her life so easily. Just as she hurriedly reached out to stop the girl¡­ Swish. The girl shrugged off her cape as if it were cumbersome, and under the moonlight, Catherine caught sight of the girl¡¯s appearance and swallowed hard. The face hidden beneath the cape was younger and much cuter than she had imagined. She looked so gentle that Catherine thought she couldn¡¯t even squash a bug. Is such a girl really going to fight an ogre? The moment Catherine snapped back to her senses, she stretched out her arms toward the girl. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Catherine¡¯s arms swished through the air. ¡­She was definitely right here. The girl¡¯s figure hadpletely vanished. She wasn¡¯t the only one startled. Everyone watching the girl, surprised by her sudden disappearance, could not hide their bewilderment. ¡°Is she a¡­ wizard?!¡± ¡°Such a small girl is a wizard?¡± ¡°Are you suggesting that everyone here saw nothing but illusions at the same time?¡± ¡°Not that¡ª¡­Whoa?!¡± Whoooooosh! A sudden wind rushed in without warning, striking the people hard. Catherine struggled to regain her bnce, swaying as even adult men were blown off their feet by the fierce wind. The strong gust of wind seemed to be heading outside the vige. The girl hadn¡¯t disappeared. It was merely how it appeared to Catherine and the others. Realizing this fact, Catherine asked with a trembling voice. ¡°¡­What exactly is she?¡± Joanie replied with a powerless smile. ¡°She¡¯s just my sister.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± What should I say? Catherine, who had been twitching her lips, bowed her head deeply. ¡°¡­Thank you for listening to my stubbornness.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something I should be thanked for. Please save your gratitude for Canaria when she returns.¡± ¡°¡­Okay. I will.¡± The doubts she had felt until just now had long vanished. ¡°I will definitely do that.¡± A person well-versed in swords and mana wouldn¡¯t lose to mere ogres. *** ¡°Y-you¡¯re not going to fight the ogres, are you? If you do¡­¡± ¡°If I do, what? Should we go save them? There are not just one, but ten ogresing!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you embarrassed to let such a small child step up to help?¡± ¡°It¡¯s wrong for her to step up without being asked for help!¡± ¡®¡­.¡¯ Joanie quietly observed the people fighting amongst themselves. I understand wanting to help or suggesting to run away. But ming someone instead of thanking them¡­ ¡°That¡¯s a bit much.¡± ¡ªI¡¯m sorry, adults¡­ ¡ªShould I kill them? ¡ªUgh, that¡¯s gross, haha. The viewers felt the same way, and Joanie¡¯s chat was aze withments. One of the yers, who had been watching with a tired face, said, ¡°We should go help, right?¡± ¡ª ¡°Will we even be of any help?¡± ¡ª ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡ª ¡°Maybe it¡¯s already over¡­¡± Even if ogre hides are tough, are they tougher than the ground they stand on? I doubted that the ogres could withstand attacks that could split the ground apart. Moreover, the elite knights of the Empire, who were undoubtedly stronger than the ogres, had been annihted in an instant. Thus, Joanie sympathized with the notion that they wouldn¡¯t be of any help if they went. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± But that didn¡¯t mean she intended to stay behind. ¡°Even if we can¡¯t help, we can at least go to meet them. So, I¡¯m-¡± Joanie suddenly stopped speaking. It wasn¡¯t only her who fell silent. The townspeople who had been arguing, the merchants hastily loading their goods, and even the mercenaries who were fidgeting with their weapons¡ªall of them froze. ©¤©¤©¤! A resounding vibration that felt like it struck the soul rather than the body. A heavy and intense resonance felt even by those who couldn¡¯t handle mana. Joanie turned her head toward the mountain that Canaria had been looking at earlier. ¡°What is that¡­?¡± *** ¡°¡­Ugh!¡± Whoosh! I dodged the iing dark green w that wasing at me like it was going to crush my head and stepped back. No, if I got hit by something like that, it wouldn¡¯t just crush my head; my entire body would turn into mush. Personally, I¡¯m not particrly fond of small animals like dogs or cats, but for some reason, it seems they don¡¯t love me back. The day I first met Garid is the same as it is now. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so cold.¡± He responded with a rough huff of air. Could it be that he can¡¯t speak, or that he simply has no intention of having a conversation? Either way, my task is clear. ¡°Haah¡­¡± I let out a long sigh and adjusted my grip on the sword. The massive mountain that lies between Ordo and the vige, where the back of the vige meets the ridge of the mountain. The puppy in front of me is a creature that has emerged from the peak of that mountain. If one can call a dimensional creature, which is enormous enough to rival a castle wall, a puppy, that is. To be honest, it doesn¡¯t really resemble a puppy either. If I had to say, it looks more like a wolf, but wolves don¡¯t have six legs, nor do they have two heads, and they certainly don¡¯t have mouths on their bodies. Anyway, all dimensional creatures look bizarre. ¡°Is there a requirement for dimensional creatures to be ugly or something?¡± ¡°Grrr¡­¡± ¡°Or not?¡± I asked out of genuine curiosity, but that¡¯s a bit harsh. I might have treated him lightly, but this dimensional creature¡­ Hmm¡­ since it¡¯s a hassle to call it a dimensional creature every time, let¡¯s just call it a wolf. Anyway, this wolf seems quite strong, so I should focus a bit. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll lose, but if I get bitten, I might catch rabies¡­ ¡°Having six legs means one could be missing, right?¡± Sweeek! A pale pink sword aura ripped through the air. The wolf dodged to the side to avoid the vertical sword aura. To begin with, the sword aura was a feint. I had already arrived at the spot where the wolf would dodge and was preparing for my next attack. Canaria¡ª I still haven¡¯tpletely shaken off my feelings about my name. No matter how nice it sounds, I can¡¯t positively ept the name ¡®Canaria¡¯ knowing what my parents were thinking when they gave it to me. But still, the reason I named my sword technique after myself is¡­ ¡°Beak Pecking.¡± ¡®Why do you ask? It¡¯s thanks to Garid.¡¯ I charged toward the wolf that had not yetnded on the ground. In a split second, my body elerated rapidly, shooting out a pink sh of light. Once, then twice. Two simultaneous thrusts dove in like a bird of prey after its target, piercing the wolf¡¯s legs. Crack! Boom! The legs, urately hit by the two thrusts, tore apart like paper. The lower part of the leg fell to the ground as the wolf opened its mouth wide and let out a scream. ¡°Yip!¡± ¡°What the heck, it really is a dog?¡± Yip. Such an unfitting sound. I twirled my sword and adjusted my grip for another strike. Then, I unleashed a follow-up attack. I stomped down hard with my right foot and twisted my waist with all my strength. The force that began from my leg traveled through my waist and arm, connecting to the sword. I had once shown this technique to Joanie. Though calling it a technique was a stretch; it was just a way to swing hard. ¡°Grr!¡± Unfortunately, the recovery of the creature that had gone from having even legs to an odd one was incredibly fast. I had nned to make it even again. But, as it leaped back and swung its front paw, not only was my attack in vain, but I also failed to pursue it. If it had been a person, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to regain their senses so quickly after losing a limb. Dealing with non-human creatures is such a hassle. Monsters, foul creatures, or even little snake-boys¡­ The wolf looked down at me, not rushing in. It seemed to feel wary of me, yet didn¡¯t think it would lose. But there was something else that irritated me even more. ¡°You know, I really dislike tall guys.¡± Just because they¡¯re a bit taller, they act like they¡¯re something special, looking down at me. So, let me take off those legs first. Let¡¯s see if you can still look down when all your legs are torn off. Chapter 41 Chapter 41 To efficiently kill a living creature, targeting vital points is the best strategy. Even if you hit elsewhere, shock can still cause death, but attacking essential areas like the head or heart is far more effective. So, while I could easily kill the wolf I¡¯m facing by aiming for those vital spots, I¡¯m fixated on its legs instead. It¡¯s not that there are no vital points; no matter how different dimensional creatures may be, they still possess cores that serve as their hearts or heads that function as critical areas. I haven¡¯t caught one to dissect or study, but I¡¯ve learned this through hunting dimensional beings so far. So why am I not targeting the vital points and focusing only on the legs? ¡°Because it keeps scampering away.¡± After all, it¡¯s not as if I¡¯m able to aim for those vital points. Even the most insignificant creatures instinctively protect their vital spots, so how can a dimensional creature willingly expose its weaknesses?And more than that¡­ ¡°¡­It¡¯s annoying.¡± It¡¯s too high for me to reach. To effectively target a vital point, I need to get closer to the creature, which increases my own risk. So, I¡¯m attacking its legs first to reduce its mobility andbat effectiveness, waiting for the right moment. It¡¯s definitely not because I feel inferior due to my height or anything¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Well, it¡¯s true that it doesn¡¯t make me feel great. Anyway, thanks to my efforts, I managed to take off another leg and injure two of them. It should have made bncing easier now that I¡¯ve reduced it to an even number, but for some reason, I¡¯m not feeling particrly good about it. Would it be better if I made it odd again? Just as I was thinking that, I heard a low growl. ¡°Grrrr¡­¡± They say the sounds of apex predators can freeze you in ce, and I could understand that feeling. But if I¡¯m stronger, doesn¡¯t that make me an apex predator too? ¡°Grrr?¡± I tried to imitate the growl as a test, but the wolf didn¡¯t react. Instead, the mouths embedded in its body all opened simultaneously and began to emit a dark green mist. The flowers near the wolf wilted rapidly as they came into contact with the mist. ¡­Honestly, it¡¯s not a pleasant sight at all. I now had another reason to finish this fight quickly. By the way, while it doesn¡¯t bother me that I can¡¯t see through the mist, I¡¯m wondering how I should deal with it. It¡¯s definitely not because it suddenly found herbicide interesting, but it will surely have a negative effect on me as well¡­ ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± I briefly nced down at my ring, then shook my head and increased the output of my mana. I had been thinking too much like it was still wartime. Back then, I had to save my strength for the next battle, so I needed to expend the minimum amount of effort to kill the enemy, but that¡¯s not necessary now. Even so, there¡¯s no need to go all out to kill a mere chicken. Moreover, if the knife I use to kill the chicken also threatens my own life¡­ With a horizontal and then a vertical sh, Two cuts were made, sending pink sword energy flying. The crosses of sword energy, despite their intimidating aura, only disrupted the mist surrounding the wolf slightly. Well, I¡¯m not disappointed. I was just trying to gauge the effect of the mist while keeping it at bay. Sometimes, there are creatures that create a barrier around themselves to ignore attacks. Those types are a bit troublesome, but thankfully, this one seems to just dissolve its surroundings. Are you scared of getting touched by the mist? Does the fact that the mist obscures its main body make it hard to see? ¡°Then, I¡¯ll blow you away with the fog.¡± I folded my arms wide, my hand resting on my left hip. It looked as if I was performing a martial arts stance. The only difference was that my sword wasn¡¯t sheathed. Sensing something unusual, the wolf charged at me, but it had already lost distance while dodging the sword aura I had just unleashed, so by the time it reached me, my sword had already swung. Canaria Flight *** ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­!¡± Joanie sprinted relentlessly. Her breath was ragged, and her legs burned, but she didn¡¯t stop. Kana¡­! When the ominous resonance struck Joanie¡¯s soul, she regained her senses, and her body was already running the path she had walked with Canaria. Then, suddenly, she recalled the image of Kana gazing up at the mountain. At that time, she thought it was strange, but now she understood the reason why Kana had been doing so. Kana knew. That there was a threat even greater than the ogre lurking around. Each time a massive roar echoed and a heavy tremor shook the ground, Joanie¡¯s heart raced with urgency. The path that hadn¡¯t seemed so far while walking now felt painfully long. ¡ªIs she possessed or something?? ¡ª???? ¡ªWhat¡¯s going on? ¡ªThis is scary; Joanie and others who couldn¡¯t feel the tremors resonating with their souls viewed her with confusion as she ran like a madwoman. With no time to exin, Joanie dashed until she finally spotted something huge in a dark green hue. ¡°Dimensional Creature¡­?!¡± The identity of the enormous figure was a Dimensional Creature. ¡°Level 7, 78?!¡± ¡°What¡¯s something like that doing here?!¡± A Dimensional Creature of level 78. It was more than 20 levels higher than Yuki, who had the highest level among them. The yers who arrivedte, following Joanie, were also astonished at the sight of the Dimensional Creature. ¡°¡­This isn¡¯t the time for this! Where¡¯s Kana? Where¡¯s Kana?¡± Can Kana hold her own against such powerful dimensional creatures? Joanie searched frantically for Kana. ¡°Over there¡­!¡± One of the yers reached out, pointing at something. There stood a girl with pink hair. The already small girl looked even smaller in front of the gigantic dimensional creature. With a body so tiny, it seemed she would be blown away just by the creature¡¯s breath. Yet, Kana stood firm, facing the wolf without backing down. Every time the little bird pped its wings, the wolf screamed. As wounds began to umte on the enormous wolf, which seemed impervious to any attack, it writhed in pain. Under the moonlight, the girl danced, overwhelming the giant wolf. In this surreal sight, Joanie watched the battle between the two in speechless awe. A fierce exchange of blows ensued, and mist erupted from the wolf¡¯s body. In response, Kana prepared her stance to swing her sword. Just as Kana¡¯s fierce assault halted, the wolf charged forward. ¡°Kana¡­!¡± Joanie screamed as she saw the gigantic wolf charging at Kana, but she fell silent at what followed. The sword drew a graceful arc. The speed was by no means fast. Like a bird that had briefly descended, the sword soared softly towards the sky. The gentle yet powerful pping of wings captivated not only Joanie. ¡°Wow¡­.¡± Gasps erupted from various yers. Especially, a yer with a sword strapped to their waist looked so stunned that it seemed their jaw might drop. Joanie could fully understand that person¡¯s feelings. ¡®So that¡¯s how you can wield a sword¡­.¡¯ Joanie had only thought of the sword as a tool. A tool to strike, stab, and sh. No matter how well one wielded a sword, it would ultimately remain within those three categories. ¡®¡­I thought that way.¡¯ However, the moment she saw Kana wielding the sword, Joanie realized that her previous thoughts about her were entirely wrong. The bird with its wings spread took flight. Sometimes it swayed, sometimes it plummeted towards the ground, but it always aimed for the sky. A sword imbued with a strong will to soar towards the sky. The mist enveloping the wolf had long since been swept away by its pping wings. ¡°Should I learn how to use a sword properly¡­?¡± Joanie murmured, captivated by the enchanting flight of the birds. Of course, even if she learned, she knew she could never fly like that. But watching them inspired an impulse within her. ¡°Everything I¡¯ve done so far was just child¡¯s y¡­¡± ¡°I should¡¯ve just be a swordsman. Instead, I took on the burdens of an alchemist for no good reason. Sigh.¡± ¡°Should I change my path even now¡­?¡± yers captivated by swordsmanship expressed a mix of frustration andment. Just then, the pink bird that had been relentlessly shing at the wolf finally pierced its head. Or at least, that¡¯s what Joanie thought. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± A sigh of regret escaped Joanie¡¯s lips. In the final moment, the wolf desperately twisted its body, causing the sword that had plunged into its head to graze one side instead. Though it merely grazed, it was practically split in half, ensuring a fatal injury. Boom¡ª The massive wolf copsed to the ground. As the dust settled, its eyes still glinted with ferocious rage. Yet, with its body torn apart and its head nearly severed, there was nothing it could do. It could only re up resentfully at Kana, the one who had done this to it, while exhaling heavy breaths. Thud. Kana stepped lightly in front of the wolf and appeared strangely pleased. Joanie took a deep breath. Huff¡ª ¡°Ka-na!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Lost in her battle, Kana hadn¡¯t noticed Joanie and the other yers approaching her, causing her to flinch and shiver. Joanie was equally surprised, her eyes widening. Considering they hadn¡¯t spent long together, it was still the first time Joanie had seen Kana react with such shock. The Kana she knew was always stoic and blunt. Now, she feigned indifference, but Joanie clearly saw her round eyes darting back to her. A mischievous smile spread across Joanie¡¯s lips as she approached Kana. ¡°Kana, were you surprised?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t surprised.¡± ¡°Hey, i startled you.¡± ¡°¡­I wasn¡¯t startled.¡± Kana denied it, word for word, without a single mistake. Joanie, who found that adorable, shifted her gaze back to the wolf. ¡°It¡¯s really big up close.¡± The size was astonishing, prompting an involuntary gasp. If it had been in its proper form, she might have been awed by its majesty rather than feeling disgusted. Just how strong was Kana to take down such a creature without a scratch? As Joanie looked back at her, Kana simply blinked slowly. ¡°By the way, the flower garden ispletely ruined¡­¡± It had been a beautiful flower garden. Although not all of it had beenpletely destroyed, many parts were severely damaged¡ªttened, melted, and cut by the de. Joanie, wishing to see the flower garden under the moonlight, sighed with disappointment as she nced around and spotted something. ¡°This is¡­¡± A flower that stood tall despite the fierce battle. It was the pink flower that Kana had been gazing at for a long time when they hade earlier. Carefully crouching down, Joanie made sure not to crush the delicate petals. Having lost interest in Joanie, Kana nced up at the wolf with dissatisfaction and swung her sword down with the intent to drive it into the wolf¡¯s head. ¡®¡­What¡¯s with her attitude?¡¯ Joanie, sweating from the uncertainty of Kana¡¯s behavior, called out loudly to her. ¡°Kana, look at this!¡± ¡°?¡± Kana stopped her attack and turned to face her. ¡°It¡¯s the flower you like.¡± Although they were in the midst of a battleground, the pink flower and its surroundings remained miraculously unscathed. Kana, who had approached Joanie, also stared down at it in silence. A small pink flower, sparkling under the moonlight. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this flower look like you, Kana?¡± Joanie suddenly voiced a thought that hade to her during the day. It wasn¡¯t just because it was pink; it was also the small sizepared to other flowers, the faint sweet fragrance, and the subtly aloof aura it emitted. ¡®¡­Was that too cheesy of ament?¡¯ She wasn¡¯t trying to flirt or anything¡­ Maybe it was the magical aura emanating from the moon. Lost in her thoughts, Joanie found herself embarrassed, her cheeks flushing suddenly. She turned her head to tell Kana to forget what she had said, only to meet her gaze locked onto Joanie. ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong?¡± On the surface, Kana wore her usual indifferent expression, but something seemed different upon closer inspection. Her eyes were slightly wider, her mouth slightly agape, and her cheeks tinged with a faint pink. She looked like someone who had just heard something unexpected. Kana, who had been staring at Joanie without answering, abruptly turned her head away. ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± She then turned her back and started walking away, leaving Joanie to stare nkly at Kana¡¯s retreating figure. As Kana¡¯s small back grew smaller, at a distance where her voice could no longer be heard, Joanie mumbled to herself. ¡°¡­Was what I said really that cheesy?¡± She hadn¡¯t expected such a reaction¡­ Just a little, Joanie felt a sting in her heart. Chapter 42 Chapter 42 A garden full of various blooming flowers. A man with a grim face opened the fence and stepped into the garden. Despite his intimidating appearance, Garid¡¯s heart swelled as he looked around with a satisfied gaze. Suddenly, a thunderous shout erupted from his mouth. ¡°Hey! Canaria!¡± A passerby nearby jumped in surprise at Garid¡¯s sudden outburst. Garid scratched his head, lowering his gaze at the piercing stare of the passerby. His shout attracted the attention of those around, but the person he wanted to see was nowhere in sight. As Garid debated whether to shout again or just go inside through the door, it squeaked open.¡°¡­What is it?¡± A cute girl with pink hair and pink eyes peeked her head out, still looking sleepy as if she had just woken up. ¡°What? The sun is high in the sky, and you¡¯re still sleeping? It¡¯s important to sleep well, but you need to wake up early and move to grow taller!¡± ¡°If moving would make me taller, I would have grown already¡­ Don¡¯t annoy me when you know it¡¯s pointless.¡± Canaria, who usually showed a nonchnt reaction to whatever was said, always bristled at the mention of height. Garid knew this fact well. Still, he brought up Canaria¡¯s height purely for fun. ¡®Was that why he was teasing her?¡¯ As mentioned earlier, Canaria was often unresponsive, making her reactions when provoked stand out dramatically. ¡°So, what is it this time?¡± Canaria shook her head to shake off her sleepiness and asked with a clearer voice than before. ¡°What do you mean, what is it? Anyone would think I do this every day!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Canaria said nothing. Reading between the lines of her silence, Garid put on a disappointed expression. He quickly returned to his original demeanor, knowing that his earlier attempt had fallen t. Garid then extended his hand, which he had hidden behind him, towards Canaria. ¡°Here, what do you think?¡± ¡°¡­A flower? You made such a fuss just to show me this?¡± ¡°No, no! This isn¡¯t just a flower. Come on, take a closer look.¡± Saying this, he brought his hand closer to her. In the pot he was holding, there was a flower with impressive pink petals. Canaria, looking down at the flowers, nced at Garid with eyes that seemed to ask, ¡°So?¡± ¡°How about it? Doesn¡¯t it resemble you?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°It looks exactly like you. Small and just like you¡­ Just kidding, just kidding. Would I joke around if I was scared? Ugh, why did I even teach this kid how to use a sword¡­¡± He had already anticipated theck of a response, but he still felt a bit disappointed. Why don¡¯t children understand their parents¡¯ feelings? With a sigh, Garid set the flower pot down and spoke. ¡°Canaria.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°I wish you were like this flower.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°Look.¡± Garid, holding a small trowel, dug into the soil and transnted the flower from the pot. It took quite a while, but Canaria silently watched him work. When the task waspleted, the flower, which had been blooming alone in the pot, was now smiling shyly among other flowers. ¡°How is it? It was pretty before, but doesn¡¯t it look much prettier like this?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°You, too, like this flower, will be much prettier when you blend with others. Make friends, meet trustworthyrades¡­ And, oh? Maybe even get married to a guy you like, huh?¡± ¡°Stop meddling.¡± Canaria, who had been listening quietly, snorted and turned to enter the house, as if she no longer needed to hear any more. As Canaria¡¯s figure disappeared into the house, Garid clicked his tongue, left alone. ¡°If she would just tone down her temper a bit, guys would be lining up to be with her.¡± Garid suddenly imagined the scene of Canaria being pursued by suitors. A young man presenting a bouquet, and Canaria, shyly smiling as she epted it. The distance between the two, gazing affectionately at each other, gradually closes¡­ He hoped that one day Canaria would meet a good man and build a happy family, but as he imagined such a scene, his face contorted in disgust. If Canaria were to bring home some stranger, iming he was someone she liked¡­ ¡°¡­I¡¯d have to check if he¡¯s a good man.¡± And whether he had the ability to protect Canaria. Garid muttered ominously, resembling the bumbling, foolish friends he despised and avoided so much. *** *** ¡®¡­That was something that happened.¡¯ Although it had already been a few years, the memory was as clear as if it had happened just yesterday. I never imagined I would hear such embarrassing words again. ¡°How about this? Doesn¡¯t it look like you?¡± ¡°This flower, doesn¡¯t it resemble Canaria?¡± Different yet the same words. Reminded of the past, I simply stared nkly at Joanie and hastily left the spot. There was no real reason for me to leave, so why did I run away like that? ¡°¡­¡± Perhaps it was because I was enchanted by the sight of the flower that was exactly like the one Garid had brought. ¡®Did youe here before?¡¯ Of course, the nameless pink flower Garid brought might not only bloom here. But I couldn¡¯t shake the thought that he had visited this vige in the past. I know it¡¯s not a logical assumption, just a simple wish. But¡­ ¡®I just want to feel Garid¡¯s presence, even if it¡¯s just for a moment.¡¯ If I could feel like we were together, that would be enough. However, it was time to wake up from this sweet dream. ¡°There¡¯s an ogre corpse here!¡± ¡°Did you really take it down?!¡± ¡°¡­Huff! A dimensional creature¡­!¡± I thought they would have fled, but the upper guild members and vigers rushed over, staring in awe at the ogre and dimensional creature. The people who hesitated to approach could only draw closer when they realized the creatures were lifeless corpses. ¡°One of them isn¡¯t dead yet.¡± Dimensional creatures disappear, leaving only a core behind when their lifepletely ends. So the fact that there¡¯s a form left means that there¡¯s still a breath of life within them. Having lost three pairs of legs and their sharp teeth, they are practically corpses, merely waiting for their end. Pssssss¡ª ¡°Huff!¡± Just as I thought that, the corpse of the dimensional creature turned to dust and scattered. Seeing the panic as they fled, only to return, was rather amusing. As I cautiously surveyed the surroundings, my eyes met those of the vigers. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the child who disappeared earlier? Could it really be that she took down the ogre and the dimensional creature¡­?¡± ¡°She looks younger than our daughter, so it can¡¯t be her. It must have been the Apostles who did it.¡± ¡°Apostles? They don¡¯t look that strong¡­?¡± ¡°Oh dear, that¡¯s a dangerous thing to say¡­!¡± Some of the people who had been chatting among themselves approached me. ¡°Ahem¡­ Hey, did you see what happened here?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hey, hey?¡± ¡°Is your face so intimidating that you scared her?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s not me, but your face that scared her. Have you already forgotten how the butcher¡¯s son cried when he saw you? He was the same kid who smiled brightly even when looking at a pig carcass.¡± Um¡­ what are they talking about? ¡°Ah, wait a minute!¡± At that moment, the trantion device I had abandoned¡­ no, it was Joanie who rushed over. ¡°My sister doesn¡¯t know Arkish. If you have any questions, please ask me instead.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I thought it was strange that she wasn¡¯t saying anything. Your sister is quite cute.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°By the way, did the Apostles take care of those ogres and that dimensional creature earlier?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Joanie hesitated, seeming troubled, then turned her head towards me. ¡°¡­Kana? Why are you avoiding eye contact?¡± ¡°¡­Nothing.¡± I don¡¯t know why, but it feels awkward to meet her gaze. I said, without looking at Joanie, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Oh, right. They¡¯re asking if we were the ones who killed the ogres and the dimensional creature?¡± ¡°¡­So?¡± ¡°I thought it might be troublesome for Kana if I told them the truth¡­¡± Ah, I see. That¡¯s when I realized Joanie¡¯s concern. She must think I want to hide my identity because I wrap myself tightly in a cape. In reality, that¡¯s partly true. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, what should I do? Honestly, it wouldn¡¯t matter much if it became known now. Many people, including the snakes from the Empire and the Apostles, already know about me. Since I¡¯m going to wear a cape anyway, it won¡¯t make much of a difference if I be a bit more well-known. However, it was clear that it would definitely be a bit more bothersome than before. ¡°It¡¯s okay to speak the truth.¡± After a long hesitation, I made my decision. This wasn¡¯t the best answer after considering everything. To be honest¡­ no, it wasn¡¯t worth considering at all. This was just a whim. It was like the whims of a child, where today was one way, but tomorrow could be entirely different. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± I just felt burdened by the consideration that Joanie had shown me. If she wanted the credit, she could just say she did it; if she felt uneasy about that, she could just say I did it. Yet, she didn¡¯t do that and insisted on asking for my opinion. Such a trivial consideration that anyone could make. The reason I was being fickle was because of that trivial consideration. ¡°Instead, there¡¯s a condition.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not something difficult, right? Like making me fight monsters or something¡­¡± I shook my head. Of course not. Those things weren¡¯t hard at all, and I was going to ask her to do them without needing to attach any conditions. Brr¡ª ¡°Why do I feel a chill for some reason¡­?¡± Joanie trembled slightly. Even though it was night, it shouldn¡¯t be that cold. Seeing Joanie shivering, I tilted my head but decided to let it slide. She might just be the type to get cold easily. I said to Joanie, ¡°To me¡ª¡± Joanie¡¯s eyes widened likenterns at my words. Then suddenly, she raised her hand to pinch her cheeks and pped her face in an odd manner. Finally, after a few rounds of her inexplicable antics, Joanie grabbed my hand tightly. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll dly do it!¡± When you think about it, it meant more work for her, so I didn¡¯t understand why she looked so happy. A bright smile bloomed on Joanie¡¯s face. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 In the vast world of the inte, countless memes are born, and just as many fade away. Yet, amidst the endless tide of vanishing memes, there is one beloved pastime that has steadfastly endured in various onlinemunities. [Who¡¯s Better?] This pastime was none other than the ¡°Ranking Game.¡± The subject of this game changed every time. Sometimes, it would be famous singers; other times, skilled pro gamers, and even abstract things like movies or video games would be ranked. And of course, Silia Online was no exception. The fact that the game was popr meant there were a lot of people ying it, which in turn meant many yers would engage in this ¡°ranking¡± pastime. [So, who¡¯s the best at fighting?] Yuki¡¯s the obvious favorite, right??[Comments] ¡ªIsn¡¯t Yuki just high-level but not really that skilled? ©» ??? What nonsense is this? ©» Do you even know Yuki¡¯s PvP win rate? ©» I could beat everyone if I had a high level too. Curiosity about who the strongest yer was turned out to be prettymon. Among these curious yers, there were always some who thought differently. [I¡¯m not sure who fights the best, but] Isn¡¯t Joanie the strongest? She just calls on Canaria when she¡¯s about to lose. Insane. [Comments] ¡ªNot a swordsman, but a summoner; ©» Swords are just a ¡°hobby¡± for her. ¡ªWhy is the summoned creature stronger than the summoner? ©» Why is a can opener stronger than the owner? ©» ??? ¡ªGo, Canaria! Tackle! ¡ªCanaria¡¯s still a baby, but she rips people apart¡­ Joanie, by stats or skill, wasn¡¯t a contender for the top yers list. Even Joanie¡¯s fans acknowledged that. Joanie herself epted that truth without dispute. Thus, she didn¡¯t oftene up in conversations about powerful yers. However, themunity¡¯s attention suddenly turned toward something odd. [But just how strong is Canaria, really?] (Image of a dimensional creature seen from Joanie¡¯s perspective.) This was the dimensional creature from Joanie¡¯s recent stream. Its size wasparable to a small house. Sure, it¡¯s big, but maybe it¡¯s justrge and weak? (Image showing the level and health bar of the dimensional creature.) It was a level 78-dimensional creature. As many of you know, most people struggle to fight monsters of the same level one-on-one. It¡¯s even harder to fight creatures above your level. Even the insane yer Yuki struggles quite a bit when fighting monsters even slightly above her level. Given that, you can imagine how strong this creature was. (Gif of Canaria fighting the dimensional creature.) But Canaria wiped it out without a scratch. She didn¡¯t even seem tired afterward. Sure, level isn¡¯t always the definitive measure of strength, but it gives us a general idea. So, considering Canaria destroyed a level 78 creature with ease, it means her level is likely much higher than that. Even if it isn¡¯t, she¡¯s at least strong enough to obliterate a creature of that caliber. Back when yers were raiding to farm Canaria, there wasn¡¯t enough information to know her name or level. But now, things might be different. *** [Based on limited data, it¡¯s likely an Expert or even Master rank, but I can¡¯t be sure without more information from watching other Masters fight. However, it¡¯s uncertain, as there¡¯s not enough data to confirm it for sure.] But, even if Kana is a Master, there¡¯s still a problem. In Silia, the average age for someone to achieve the Master level is reportedly around their 60s. You might think it¡¯s because of ack of talent, but if you¡¯re talentless, you wouldn¡¯t even reach Master rank in the first ce. Even among the most talented, legendary NPCs referred to as unparalleled geniuses, most only reached Master rank after turning 40. So, if our cute and precious Kana is indeed a Master, it could only mean one of two things: Either she¡¯s an unbelievably prodigious and sickly girl who defied the heavens to achieve Master rank at a young age¡­ or she¡¯s an ancient sage who¡¯s regained her youthful appearance after years of intense training. [Comments] ¡ªThe conclusion is a bit questionable, huh? ¡ªSick? Yep, definitely sickly. ©» Yeah, but that makes her even cuter, doesn¡¯t it? ©» We caught you, pervert! ¡ªIt was kind of obvious she was a Master ever since she started slicing through knights. ¡ªSo, you¡¯re saying Kana is technically ¡°legal¡± now, right??? ©» So, it¡¯s okay to pet her and fawn over her??? ©» This guy is seriously dangerous; ©» You might need about nine lives to even attempt it. ©» Doesn¡¯t matter. If I die, I¡¯ll juste back alive~! *** [After watching Joanie¡¯stest stream, I changed my ss to a swordsman.] (Kana dodging in midair.gif) Honestly, how could I resist? I used to think watching swordsmen fight was frustrating, but after seeing Kana wield a sword, I switched immediately. [Comments] ¡ªWhat was your original ss? ©» Mage. ¡ªWait, aren¡¯t you the guy who used to trash-talk swordsmen? ©» Yeah, that¡¯s me. So, now all the swordsmen avoid me in parties. ¡ªEven the most toxic yers are reformed by the sheer brilliance of Kana¡­ ¡ªThat scene was legendary. I showed it to friends who don¡¯t even y Silia Online, and they got so hyped that they downloaded the game right away. ©» You¡¯re quite the salesman, huh? *** [Does it really matter whether she¡¯s a Master or not?] What¡¯s important is that Kana is adorable. In that case, go watch Joanie¡¯s stream where she¡¯s teaching Kana to speak Arkish. Kana¡¯s emotionless face paired with her awkward speech is irresistibly cute! (Joanie¡¯s stream link) Hurry and check it out! [Comments] ¡ªWhy are you the only one watching? Why are you the only one watching? ©» I wanna see too! I wanna see too! ©» I already gave you the link. Go watch it. ©» I¡¯m at work. ©» Who¡¯s holding a knife to your throat, forcing you to live a real life? ©» Dammit; ¡ª (Kana fan art appreciationment) *** *** ¡°This one?¡± ¡°Apple.¡± ¡°Good job. So, what about this one?¡± ¡°Carriage.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so smart, Kana! Then what¡¯s this one?¡± ¡°Idiot.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Loser?¡± ¡°¡­No! If it¡¯s not a person, say ¡®human¡¯! At the very least, say ¡®Joanie¡¯!¡± Joanie made a pouty face at Kana¡¯s response, pointing to herself. After their battle with the Dimensional Creatures, Joanie hadn¡¯t seen a single monster since. It was as if all the dangers they were supposed to face during the escort mission had been crammed into those two days. But it wasn¡¯t just the monsters that had changed. ¡ª ¡°It¡¯s time for dinner.¡± The merchants and mercenaries were bringing their meals to Kana and Joanie personally. ¡ª ¡°Huh? This seems different from what everyone else is eating.¡± ¡°Oh, surely not. Everyone¡¯s been given the same meal.¡± ¡ª Their food was much more luxurious than what the other merchants and mercenaries were eating. And besides that, people were now openly giving them looks of reverence or subtly striking up conversations. It was understandable why they treated Canaria that way. After all, she was the one who killed an Ogre and a Dimensional Creature without a single scratch. Naturally, people would want to form connections with her. ¡®But why me as well?¡¯ Joanie thought to herself, but after a moment of reflection, she realized it wasn¡¯t all that strange. It was Canaria who had sorted things out. And it was Joanie who had brought Canaria to the merchant guild in the first ce. On top of that, Joanie had been introducing Canaria as her younger sister to everyone. Even if people didn¡¯t believe that, the fact that they shared some kind of rtionship couldn¡¯t be ignored. So, it made sense that they couldn¡¯t treat Joanie lightly, or so she spected. ¡®But that¡¯s not really the important part.¡¯ Improved treatment? Gratitude from the vigers? Sure, those were nice. But for Joanie, the most significant gain was something else entirely. ¡°Teach me Arkish.¡± She never expected Canaria to make such a request. At first, Joanie was confused, wondering if this was a dream. But once she realized it was reality, she was thrilled beyond measure. On the surface, it seemed like a simple request to learn anguage, but it wasn¡¯t just that. It was a small step forward, a gesture from Canaria towards Joanie. From that moment on, whenever they had time, Joanie taught Arkish to Canaria. On the first day of the lesson, Joanie asked her, ¡°Do you know any Arkish already?¡± The most important part of teaching was to know the student¡¯s level. When Joanie asked, Canaria replied, ¡°Help me. Monster. Bastard. Die. Pain. Retreat. Brat. Aaahhh¡­¡± ¡°Wait, wait!¡± Joanie hastily covered Canaria¡¯s mouth as she spouted a string of ominous words. ¡®And thest one isn¡¯t even a word but a scream!¡¯ Joanie recalled that Canaria had been a knight fighting on the battlefield. People tend to learn bad words faster, and in a warzone, it¡¯s unlikely anyone was exchanging kind words. So, it made sense that these were the words Canaria knew. Realizing that Canaria¡¯s Arkish knowledge was almost a nk te, Joanie started teaching her the basics, like letters and simple words. In truth, Joanie herself wasn¡¯t very fluent in Arkish. She hadn¡¯t formally learned thenguage either¡ªit was just that the game system automatically tranted her speech into Arkish. So, in order to teach Canaria, Joanie had no choice but to study Arkish as well. Now, on top of studying Granic, she had Arkish to tackle. Her workload had doubled, but the thought that Canaria was relying on her made it all worthwhile. ¡°Canaria, you did that on purpose, didn¡¯t you?!¡± ¡°?¡° ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know. Arkish.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh, you think you can get away with it just because you¡¯re cute?¡± If that¡¯s what she thought¡­ ¡­She was absolutely right. Joanie clutched her chest as Canaria blinked her wide eyes, her pronunciation still awkward. Even if she knew that Canaria was saying things like ¡°idiot¡± and ¡°noob¡± on purpose, seeing that adorable expression made any desire to scold her disappear. ¡°Those are bad words, so don¡¯t use them from now on, okay?¡± ¡°Idiot?¡± ¡°Yes, that one.¡± ¡°Noob?¡± ¡°¡­That one too.¡± Ahem! As Joanie was giving Canaria her Arkish lesson, a coachman from the front of the tent cleared his throat, signaling his presence. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°We¡¯re about to arrive in Liberi.¡± ¡°Wow, already?¡± It was the announcement that marked the end of their long escort mission. While she had enjoyed the time spent with Canaria, it had been exhausting, so the thought of finally being able to rest brought a smile to Joanie¡¯s face. No more bruises from the bumpy ride, no need to use the Drowsy Mode, no more sleeping in a capsule with the Night Watch Mode activated. Now, she could finally lie down in a soft bed¡­ ¡°That¡¯s it for today¡¯s lesson!¡± Filled with excitement, Joanie dered the end of the lesson. Canaria, on the other hand, turned her gaze away from the now-busy Joanie and looked out the window. In the distance, the Free Mercenary City of Liberi wasing into view. -> MAKE ACCOUNT AND GET [50] COINS FREE!! Chapter 44 Chapter 44 The Second Race War, which erupted in the year 744 of the Sedeth Calendar, dragged on for decades. When war continues for a long time, lives are devastated. Refugees emerge, losing their homes and wandering, while those who should be working in their trades head to the battlefield. As the workforce dwindles, production decreases. With reduced production, taxes also drop. Additionally, the decreasing number of soldiers and knight orders protecting the cities was a serious issue. The very foundation of the promise ¡°pay taxes and receive protection¡± was shaken, causing unrest among the citizens. That was the reason why the mercenary profession began to rise. In truth, the mercenary profession existed long before, but it wasn¡¯t particrly popr. Whether it was monsters attacking the city or demons appearing nearby, soldiers and knights could usually handle it, making mercenaries essentially an off-season side job where people did trivial favors for others.But as the influence of the knights waned, people began using their taxes to hire mercenaries instead. As a result, a number of people started making their living solely as mercenaries. Among those mercenaries, groups withmon interests formed ¡°parties,¡± and when these parties grew or multiple parties gathered, they formed a ¡°mercenary band.¡± And during the Second Race War, there was one mercenary band that became the most renowned¡­ *** ¡°¡­That¡¯s the origin of the Free Mercenary City, Libery, known as the ¡®Libery Mercenary Band.¡¯¡± Joanie excitedly exined after arriving at Libery. Being in the mercenary¡¯s stronghold seemed to have energized her even more than usual. She was eagerly recounting Libery¡¯s history, a story I hadn¡¯t even asked for, probably because she was so hyped. She even went through the trouble of exining in Granic, which she wasn¡¯t familiar with. But¡­ ¡°I already know.¡± ¡°Oh, y-you do?¡± The problem was that it was unnecessary trouble. Even someone like me, who isn¡¯t particrly interested in history, knew about Libery¡¯s founding. Well, to be precise, I was forced to learn about it because of someone who used to talk endlessly about it. As Joanie exined, the Free Mercenary City started as a single mercenary band. As the band grew in power, fewer people were paying taxes, and naturally, this didn¡¯t sit well with the lords who were collecting those taxes. This led to a conflict between the mercenary band and the existing ruling ss, and when the mercenaries won, they established this ce¡ªLibery, the Free Mercenary City. In other words, Libery is both the name of the old mercenary band, the city, and the organization to which the mercenaries here belong. ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯ I nced over the city, hidden beneath my hood. Though I¡¯d heard about Libery countless times, this was my first time seeing it in person, and its scale was quite impressive. While not as grand as Grasis¡¯s capital, it was certainly bigger than most cities. At the very least, it was definitelyrger than Ordo. ¡®¡­Well, I suppose it makes sense.¡¯ It was once the capital of a small kingdom, after all. ¡°How long do you n to stay in Libery?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I could leave for the Sacred Kingdom right now if I wanted, but it seemed Joanie didn¡¯t want that. ¡°Can¡¯t we stay for just a few days?¡± She listed a dozen reasons, from how important rest was to how it would be a waste not to enjoy some sightseeing since we were already here. ¡°How about three days? No more, no less. Just three days! Please?¡± ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Huh? Wait, did you just say yes?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± There were a few things I wanted to ask Edel, but they weren¡¯t urgent. No need to rush. Most of all, while I was used to sleeping outside or in carriages for days, it wasn¡¯t something I particrly enjoyed. Joanie¡¯s face lit up when she heard my answer. ¡°Really? No take-backs, okay? You won¡¯t suddenly say tomorrow that we¡¯re leaving, right?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s leave today, then.¡± ¡°Oh,e on, don¡¯t be like that~¡± Joanie yfully acted cute and grabbed my hand, pulling me along. Libery seemed quite familiar to her, as her steps were confident without any hesitation as we walked through the streets. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°To Libery¡¯s headquarters! It¡¯s been a while since Ist came, so I figured I¡¯d report my results and show you around the base.¡± ¡°¡­Is it okay for me toe along?¡± ¡°As long as it¡¯s not a restricted area, it¡¯s fine. The only ce we¡¯ll probably go is¡­ what was it again? Oh right, the reception! The reception area is where they handle requests and jobs, so it¡¯s a ce civilians visit frequently.¡± That sounded reasonable. As we weaved through the crowd, therge castle that had been looming in the distance suddenly came into view. Not only did they take over the kingdom¡¯s capital, but they also left the royal castle intact and made it their headquarters. If any surviving members of the kingdom¡¯s royalty saw this, they might cry tears of blood. Still, it¡¯s better than some countries that are just ruins now. As expected from Libery¡¯s headquarters, there were a lot of people¡ªmercenaries, apostles, and ordinary adventurers filled the space. While I was observing the people around me, Joanie noticed my gaze and crouched down to meet my eyes. ¡°Are you interested in mercenaries? Or maybe¡­ you want to be one?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why not? If it¡¯s you, you¡¯d get exceptional treatment.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to.¡± Sure, I¡¯d probably be wellpensated. But what¡¯s the point if that¡¯s not what I want? If I were short on money, I might¡¯ve considered it, but I¡¯ve always earned more than I needed and never spent much of it. Garid often nagged me to use some of it, but the most I¡¯d spend would be on food, which is nothingpared to what I earned as amander. The royal brats were always irritating, like mosquitoes, but at least they paid me well. Probably because of their influence. ¡­ Just thinking about that face soured my mood. Even Garid, who usually shrugged things off, acted strangely uneasy around that guy. I dislike him, but objectively speaking, he was probably the most sane out of all the royals. When I asked Garid why he disliked him, he never told me. To this day, I still don¡¯t know. ¡°If you really want to know, try acting cute. Then I¡¯ll tell you.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± He said that once, but I didn¡¯t care enough to find out. In any case, I didn¡¯t need fame or fortune, so there¡¯s no reason for me to y mercenary. And honestly, I don¡¯t have great feelings toward Libery either, though they¡¯re not as bad as the Empire. Joanie didn¡¯t seem too bothered by my refusal and moved on without much hesitation. She looked at the long line at the reception and sighed. ¡°It might take a while¡­ Do you want to look around by yourself? I¡¯ll find you once I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find me?¡± I hadn¡¯t told her where I¡¯d be, so how would she know? In response to my confusion, Joanie pointed around us. Following her gesture, I scanned the area and nodded. It was true. It would be hard to miss me. I¡¯m not some caged monkey, so why are people staring at me like that? So many apostles were whispering and pointing at me that even the other mercenaries, who initially had no interest, started looking over to see what was going on. It was a chain reaction. One person attracted another, and that person attracted another,pleting a vicious cycle. ¡°Alright.¡± I had a feeling people would follow me no matter where I went, but standing still and bing a spectacle was worse. Leaving Joanie behind, I began to explore Libery¡¯s headquarters. The contrasting effect of the elegant interior and the rugged mercenaries was a strange sight. As I wandered, avoiding the mercenaries, I asionally encountered people who blocked my path. ¡°This area is restricted. If you¡¯re authorized, please show your credentials.¡± Their firm tone and the way they physically blocked the door made their intentions clear, even if I didn¡¯t fully understand their words. During those moments, I would turn around without hesitation and head elsewhere. If they said not to go in, then I wouldn¡¯t go in. There was no need to be stubborn if there wasn¡¯t a good reason to insist. So, as I wandered around exploring the various parts of the castle, with curious onlookers watching me, I suddenly heard something. Prick. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Ha!¡± ¡°Faster! Swing faster!¡± Faintly, I could hear shouts and the dull sound of shing metal. Drawn by the sound, I began walking toward its source. As I approached, the indistinct noises became clearer. Eventually, I arrived at a courtyard that was part of the castle. Before being seized by Libery, this space would have probably been used for its original purpose, maybe as a garden for growing flowers, but now it had be a training ground for mercenaries. Some were diligently striking wooden or straw practice dummies, while others sparred with each other using weapons. Among the trainees, I could spot a few Apostles as well. I thought they would never train in their lives, but¡­ ¡®Surprising.¡¯ Their skill was stillcking, but I had to give them credit for their dedication to training. It seemed that those practicing alone were likely beginners, just starting their mercenary lives, while those engaged in duels were at a slightly higher level. The more skilled ones were receiving guidance from a mercenary acting as an instructor. There was even an instructor. I had thought this ce was filled with a ragtag bunch who barely knew how to fight, but to think they would go as far as to train them systematically. It was more organized than I expected. ¡ª ¡°Hm? ¡­Take a break!¡± The instructor, who had been sternly instructing the mercenaries, noticed me. As he raised his hand, the mercenaries who had been sweating profusely and swinging their weapons let out sighs of relief. In contrast to his earlier strict tone, the instructor spoke to me kindly. ¡ª ¡°What brings you here? Did you follow an older sister or brother?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know Arkish.¡± Reciting the first phrase I learned from Joanie, the instructor scratched his head. ¡ª ¡°Hm, are you lost? That¡¯s troubling¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡ª ¡°You might get hurt by a stray sword if you¡¯re not careful.¡± The instructor, who was stroking his scruffy beard in thought, gestured to me. It wasn¡¯t some special mercenary hand signal, but amon gesture to follow him. Not knowing where he was taking me, I obediently followed. He led me to a door near the training ground and knocked. Knock, knock. ¡ª ¡°Captain, may Ie in?¡± ¡°Yeah,e in.¡± I followed the instructor into the room once the door opened. It appeared to be someone¡¯s office. A man sat at arge desk, buried in paperwork. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡ª ¡°I found a lost child. She seems to have lost her guardian, and it¡¯s too dangerous to leave her by the training ground, so I brought her here for now.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The man, who had been wrestling with documents, raised his head. Though his features had faded slightly with age, the handsomeness in his face had not beenpletely lost to time. He must have been quite popr with women in his younger days, considering his tall, striking appearance. And I knew his name. ¡°Aeron.¡± The bluish eyes turned towards me. Confusion, surprise, disbelief. Aeron¡¯s eyes went through these three changes in an instant, eventually settling into shock. ¡°No way, it can¡¯t be¡­ could it be¡­ really?¡± ¡ª ¡°¡­Are you the Captain¡¯s daughter?¡± ¡°¡­Daughter.¡± At the instructor¡¯s careful question, Aeron stopped being startled and smiled bitterly. He was already standing up before I realized. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this matter. You should head back.¡± ¡ª ¡°Yes, sir¡­!¡± After the instructor closed the door and left, silence fell between us. Although Aeron seemed mostly certain, there was still a trace of disbelief on his face. Wanting to help him, I pulled back the hood I had been wearing. My pink hair, once hidden under the hood, gently flowed down. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Vice-Captain.¡± ¡°No way, you¡­!¡± Aeron let out a breath of disbelief as our eyes met. Now that I had removed the hood and faced him properly, there was no trace of doubt left on his face. ¡°It truly has been a long time.¡± After hesitating for a moment, he spoke again. ¡°¡­Captain.¡± -> MAKE ACCOUNT AND GET [50] COINS FREE!! Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Aeron remembers the first day he met the little girl standing in front of him. Upon hearing that a horde of monsters was attacking, he rushed to assist, only to find the city already in chaos. Canaria was one of the survivors of that city. ¡®This child will definitely grow up to be great.¡¯ Garid said while looking down at the girl asleep in his arms. Despite facing overwhelming odds, she had shown courage, cold judgment, and an unyielding spirit¡ªqualities one wouldn¡¯t expect from a girl who seemed to be only five or six years old. Aeron, recalling how she had fought against the monsters, agreed with Garid. ¡®So¡­ what are you going to do? Should we look for her family?¡¯ Even though Aeron knew it was futile, he asked the question anyway. Her clothes were torn and tattered, her face and body filthy. While her face was cute enough to mistake her for a noble¡¯s daughter, her ragged appearance told a different story. Her parents were either gone or had not survived the chaos.¡®Let¡¯s search for them first, and if we can¡¯t find them¡­¡¯ ¡®¡­And if we can¡¯t?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll make her my daughter.¡¯ ¡®¡­Excuse me? All of a sudden?¡¯ Aeron had often seen Garid showpassion toward children who had lost their parents or lived in poor conditions, but this was the first time he had seen him go this far. Unable to hide his surprise, Aeron asked, and Garid smiled back. ¡®I like her.¡¯ The girl, having epted the offer of adoption, became Garid¡¯s daughter. Since Aeron wasn¡¯t just a colleague but a close friend of Garid¡¯s, he frequently visited Garid¡¯s home and often looked after Canaria in his stead. Despite using formalnguage, Canaria was as dear to Aeron as if she were his own child. ¡°You haven¡¯t changed, Captain.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°What do I mean? Of course, I¡¯m talking about your height. I told you back when you were young to stop eating just meat and eat your vegetables, but neither you nor Garid listened¡ª¡± ¡°Aah, ahh¡ªNot listening!¡± Canaria covered her ears, shaking her head, looking exactly like a child who didn¡¯t want to hear any more scolding. Aeron, dissatisfied, stopped his scolding, and only then did Canaria stop shaking her head. ¡°You know it wasn¡¯t because of my diet. If it weren¡¯t for that perverted lizard, I¡¯d be twice as tall as I am now.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sure no one else refers to Grasis as a ¡®perverted lizard,¡¯ Captain. And where did you get ¡®twice as tall¡¯ from?¡± Moreover, Canaria was probably the only person who could say such things without getting into trouble. ¡°Calling a pervert a pervert¡ªwhat else would you call him?¡± ¡°¡­Forget it. Let¡¯s move on. So, where have you been all this time? You disappeared right after the war ended, and no one could find you.¡± Aeron asked, though he had a rough idea of where she had been. ¡°Garid¡¯s grave.¡± ¡°I thought so.¡± Canaria¡¯s answer matched Aeron¡¯s expectations. ¡°¡­You already knew?¡± ¡°You never made any friends, nor would you throw yourself into the Empire¡¯s arms, so where else would you be?¡± ¡°Eric didn¡¯t have a clue, though.¡± ¡°Did you meet Eric too? What¡¯s he been up to?¡± ¡°He¡¯s been working as the captain of the Ordo City Guard.¡± ¡°¡­Captain of the Guard? Him? I can¡¯t picture that at all¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s getting older too.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± How old was Canaria now, anyway? Aeron did a rough calction. She had been six when he first met her, and a little over ten years had passed since then. ¡®She must be around seventeen now.¡¯ A young brat, not even twenty, talking down to someone much older than himself. On top of that, Kana looked younger than her actual age, which made Aaron find her words even more amusing. ¡°So, you suspected as much but didn¡¯te to visit? Garid will be disappointed.¡± ¡°Sometimes, one needs time alone.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Kana seemed confused, but Aaron merely smiled softly. ¡°Since the captain came all the way here, I¡¯ll have to pay him a visitter.¡± ¡°Sure. Oh, but not when I¡¯m not around. The snake set up a barrier.¡± ¡°¡­Snake? You mean, that guy?¡± ¡°Are there any other snakes you know of?¡± ¡°¡­What in the world happened? Is it rted to why you¡¯re outside?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not entirely unrted. Thanks to that snake, I got curious about something, which gave me a reason toe out.¡± Kana pulled up a chair meant for guests and sat down. Despite her small frame, her presence seemed to shrink even more behind therge desk, with only her head barely visible from Aaron¡¯s point of view. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten curious about the Apostles.¡± ¡°Apostles¡­¡± ¡°Do you know anything about them?¡± ¡°No, just¡ª¡± Aaron sighed deeply. ¡°Lately, Libery¡¯s been having a hard time dealing with the Apostles.¡± Brought to Ardina through Edel¡¯s guidance, these neers, while helpful, were causing more than a few problems. Aaron, as the Head Instructor, focused primarily on educational matters and didn¡¯t involve himself deeply in administration, but he was well aware of the current atmosphere in Libery. Most weed Edel¡¯s people with open arms, but¡­ ¡°There are definitely someints.¡± Existing mercenaries had spent years building up their skills and records, only to finally pass through rigorous evaluations and earn higher ranks. But the Apostles were different. Their evaluation process was far simpler¡ªpractically just needing a minimal record, which was much less than what was previously required. Many mercenaries felt the stark preferential treatment was unfair. ¡°People are saying things like, ¡®Does Edel¡¯s favor give them a free pass?¡¯ and ¡®Shouldn¡¯t the evaluations be fair, no matter what?¡¯¡± ¡°Can¡¯t they just follow the same rules?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that easy. If we simplify the evaluation process for current mercenaries, it will likely increase the number of deaths.¡± Apostles didn¡¯t need to be perfect in skill; after all, they could always revive, thanks to Edel¡¯s blessing. But the people of the Ardina continent had no such luxury. Lowering the evaluation difficulty could lead to mercenaries taking on jobs beyond their capabilities, risking their lives. Libery aimed to nurture mercenaries, not send them out to die. ¡°Then do the opposite.¡± ¡°¡­If that were possible, we would have done it already.¡± It sounded simple, but the problemy in how fast Apostles grew strongerpared to the pace at which they umted achievements. Even if they were slightly less skilled, their physical power and mana levels were on par with veteran mercenaries. But the real issue was something else entirely. ¡°How can we go against what Edel has personally dered? It was a divine revtion, no less.¡± ¡°¡­Edel did?¡± ¡°We¡¯re stuck. Can¡¯t do this, can¡¯t do that. It¡¯s maddening.¡± There was no ce on the Ardina continent, not even the mighty Lo Arka Empire, that could ignore Edel¡¯s divine will. Even they, with all their influence, bowed before Edel and the Sedeth Kingdom. ¡°Not only did he bring people over from across the sea, but now he¡¯s telling us how to handle them¡­ What could he possibly be thinking?¡± ¡°Who knows.¡± As Kana listened to Edel¡¯sints, she fell into thought for a moment. ¡°Across the sea to the continent¡­¡± ¡°Do you know something about it?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Kana shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to the Holy Kingdom.¡± To ask Edel. *** ¡°Are you really going to ask Edel?¡± Aeron rubbed his ears as if he couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. ¡°Besides, the oracle that was issued this time is said to have urred only once in hundreds of years. Do you really think that¡¯s possible?¡± ¡°If it can¡¯t be done, then it can¡¯t be. But trying is still an option.¡± Aeron showed a rather negative reaction, looking sulky. ¡°I¡¯m saying that it seems like you won¡¯t even get the chance to try. I can imagine you saying, ¡®I want to talk to Edel,¡¯ but do you think Edel is just a childhood friend living next door? If you say that, do you really think she¡¯ll respond with, ¡®Oh, I see! Come right in!¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­I wasn¡¯t thinking that¡ª¡± ¡°Of course you weren¡¯t! How long have I known you, Captain? You¡¯re just trying to fool someone who¡¯s already been fooled.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t deny Aeron¡¯s words. I, too, felt I would have acted the same way as he said. Pouting my lips timidly, Aeron softened his tone and said, ¡°Well, it might not bepletely impossible.¡± ¡°¡­You just said it was impossible.¡± ¡°ording to the gods, Edel hears all the prayers made in the prayer room. So if you offer your prayer sincerely, she might give you an answer.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not a believer.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t hurt to believe in Edel this time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I had no intention of suddenly bing religious, so that advice wasn¡¯t very helpful. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it after I go.¡± ¡°Do as you wish. When have you ever listened to what I said?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ignore everything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re so desperately avoiding vegetables.¡± ¡°¡­Are we back to that topic again?¡± The conversation had somehow looped back to my picky eating habits. Having heard the same thing for ages, I shivered and changed the subject. ¡°Enough with the ridiculous vegetable talk. Why are you working here?¡± Aeron, who had a lot to say, eventually swallowed his words and sighed deeply. ¡°This is what I learned. How could I do something else? I didn¡¯t want to go to the Empire, but when they offered me a position as the educational officer in Liberi, I epted it to finally escape my eternal vice-captain status.¡± Eternal vice-captain. That was one of the jokes we used to tease Aeron. He was the vice-captain when Garid was the captain, and when I took the vice-captain position, he briefly returned to being a regr member. After Garid died and I became captain, he returned as the vice-captain again. So, strictly speaking, he wasn¡¯t a ¡®forever¡¯ vice-captain, but it was a teasing remark to imply he¡¯d never be a captain. I had a vague memory of a simr expression in my previous life rted to a pro gamer, but unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t recall it. ¡°Should I get a job here too? Like you, as the education officer.¡± ¡°Please, spare me.¡± I shrugged my shoulders. I hadn¡¯t meant it seriously; it was just a joke to tease the eternal vice-captain. As I was about to say it was just a prank, Aeron beat me to it. ¡°Isn¡¯t it sad for the mercenaries?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡­Was that the problem? ¡°Why are the mercenaries sad?¡± ¡°¡­Do you really not know?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Not knowing, he was asking. If I knew, I wouldn¡¯t bother asking, right? He pped his forehead in frustration. ¡°Enough. In any case, please try to refrain from teaching anyone.¡± Because it would be sad for the person learning from the captain. At his additionalment, I blinked in silence. I kept blinking without replying for a long time. Maybe sensing something, Aeron lowered his hand from his forehead and carefully asked. ¡°¡­You don¡¯t mean what I think you mean, do you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh dear, Kana¡­¡± It had been so long since he called me by my name that I involuntarily flinched. Aeron sped his hands together. ¡°What kind of sin did that personmit in their past life to meet you¡­ I hope they go to a good ce.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t treat the person as if they¡¯re dead.¡± After all, they wouldn¡¯t die since they are an apostle. -> MAKE ACCOUNT AND GET [50] COINS FREE!! Chapter 46 Chapter 46 It¡¯s always a pleasure to catch up with an old acquaintance, especially when that person is someone with whom you¡¯ve shared memories over the years. ¡°You¡¯ve always been like this. Do you know what the mostmonint was whenever someone was asked what was the hardest part? They said it was because of you running them ragged. I¡¯ve never heard anyone say something like that to someone who wasn¡¯t even the training officer.¡± ¡°¡­The nobles were scheming-¡± ¡°If it were only the nobles, I wouldn¡¯t have mentioned it. The fact that you managed to unite both nobles andmoners, something even Garid couldn¡¯t do, makes you quite remarkable.¡± ¡°They¡¯re just exaggerating¡­¡± ¡°Exaggerating? No way. Do you think everyone else is like you? How many times have I told you that not everyone is as brilliant as you are?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ enough with the nagging¡­¡± ¡­But this is really tough. They say people tend to be more annoying with age. Maybe that¡¯s why this lecture is hitting me harder than it used to.I can¡¯t believe all of this nagging started just because I mentioned I was teaching someone. The long, soul-sucking scolding finally ended when Aeron cleared his throat and reached for his cup, leaving me dazed. It felt like my spirit had been drained by something scarier than any physical attack. As I sat there, dazed, Aeron cleared his throat again and asked, ¡°¡­So?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah?¡± ¡°The person you¡¯re teaching, is he a man?¡± ¡°¡­Huh? Well, no, she¡¯s a woman. Why?¡± I tilted my head at the random question that seemed a bit out of ce after such a long rant. I answered, but I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why he was asking that. ¡°That¡¯s a relief¡­ no, wait, that¡¯s not right. Just because she¡¯s a woman doesn¡¯t mean you can let your guard down. There are a lot of weird people out there, you know.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± What exactly is he thinking? He seems to be seriously contemting something, but it feels like it¡¯s not something worth getting to the bottom of. ¡°What does she do?¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean, what does she do?¡± ¡°You know, what¡¯s her job? Her hobbies?¡± ¡°Hobbies?¡± I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°Are you thinking of hitting on her?¡± People¡¯s feelings can be unpredictable, sure, but even so, it¡¯s a bit much to be interested in someone you¡¯ve never even met, isn¡¯t it? Especially considering the age gap between Aeron and Joanie¡­ hmm¡­ I don¡¯t know Joanie¡¯s exact age, but judging by her mannerisms, it¡¯s clear she¡¯s younger than me. Meanwhile, Aeron is over fifty. Sure, Aeron looks younger than his age and is much better-looking than most men his age, but still, isn¡¯t it a bit off? ¡°Uhh¡­¡± ¡­Well, even if they hit it off, it¡¯s not like I can stop them. Some women do like mature men with a bit of charm. Maybe Joanie is one of them. ¡°I¡¯ll cheer you on.¡± ¡°¡­Are you thinking weird thoughts again?¡± Unfortunately, since Joanie and I have never had a deep conversation about our preferences, I can¡¯t help much, but I can at least cheer them on! I clenched my fist in a show of support, but Aeron didn¡¯t seem too pleased. ¡°Canaria. You can be a bit na?ve sometimes. I¡¯m just trying to see if this person is trustworthy. What if she has bad intentions?¡± ¡°¡­Na?ve?¡± ¡­Me? Na?ve? If Eric were here and heard that, he¡¯d probably say, ¡°Vice-Captain, are you losing your mind?¡± And then, in return, he¡¯d probably get kicked by Aeron and roll around the training field. ¡°Alright, let me ask you this. How did you end up spending time with her?¡± ¡°She gave me something to eat.¡± ¡°¡­¡­she gave you something to eat?¡± ¡°Yeah. After I saved her from the Cockatrice, she started bringing it to me every day as a form of repayment. She brought it to the mountain where I live.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± Aeron looked rather serious for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s not impossible to understand. But¡­ has she ever shown any strange behavior?¡± ¡°Strange behavior¡­?¡± ¡°Has she ever touched you inappropriately or looked at you with bad intentions?¡± Touched me inappropriately or looked at me¡­? ¡­Too many times to count? She would hug me whenever she felt like it, pat my head, hold my hand. Even if she never looked at me with ill intent, there were times she made strangeughter. As I started listing the things that came to mind, Aeron¡¯s expression, which had been calm as he listened, gradually darkened. By the time I finished speaking, his face had contorted into something like a malicious demon. ¡°¡­That person.¡± ¡°Oh, her name is Joanie.¡± ¡°Right. That Joanie. Is she here right now?¡± ¡°Yeah. Joanie is part of Liberi too.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Aeron got up from his seat. I spoke to Aeron, who suddenly seemed to be getting ready to leave. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to meet this Joanie.¡± ¡°Why are you taking your sword?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll be needing it. You know as well as I do, there¡¯s no better tool for pest control.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Like hell you need it. I sighed. ¡°You¡¯re overprotective, Aeron. I¡¯m not a child.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°If it was something really inappropriate, do you think I would¡¯ve let it slide?¡± Aeron looked like he was about to flip over because of a small prank. If I had just let things go, he would have killed someone already. Despite knowing my real age, Aeron treated me like a child who had no clue about the world. Perhaps my words had an effect because the murderous aura around Aeron slightly calmed down. He plopped back into his seat with a tired voice. ¡°If this were back in the day, I would¡¯ve pinned you down and given you a good spanking.¡± ¡°Ew, that kind of kink?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about how you stress me out with your jokes¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, you caught me.¡± ¡°You never even tried to hide it in the first ce.¡± After learning how to properly use a sword and practicing for years, I surpassed Aeron¡¯s strength. But even knowing I had grown stronger than him, Aeron¡¯s overprotectiveness didn¡¯t stop. Ever since I became the captain, though, he rarely showed that side of him. Along with Garid, Aeron was one of the few people who worried about me. Ah, now there are three. ¡°Well¡­ Seeing you joke around like this puts my mind at ease.¡± Aeron¡¯s voice had fully returned to his formal tone, and his mood was back to normal. ¡°I was worried you¡¯d pick up a sword and storm the Empire, but it seems I don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°What do you even think of me?¡± ¡°Anyone who saw you back when you were the captain would think the same.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± From overprotection to exaggeration? ¡°Well¡­ I guess I was a bit sharp back then.¡± ¡°No one would call reducing someone to a pulp just ¡®a bit sharp.¡¯¡± ¡°That was to be expected.¡± I spoke firmly. No matter how upset you are, you don¡¯t just beat someone that badly for merely irritating you. He crossed the line, so it was justified. Sensing that I had no intention of backing down, Aeron shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Well, at least it doesn¡¯t seem like you got tangled with a truly bad person. But just in case, be careful. She might suddenly try to hug you or put her hands on you.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t a joke?¡± Holding hands, hugging, and petting. ¡°Even just this morning, it happened.¡± I¡¯m not exactly the most feminine person out there, and having grown up in a sweaty knight¡¯s order devoid of any trace of femininity, I didn¡¯t really know, but¡­ don¡¯t women generally enjoy that kind of skinship? It seemed like they did in my previous life, but could it be different in this world? Upon hearing my words, Aeron stood up again. ¡°Aeron?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Hey, Aeron?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Yep, this is hopeless. I nodded, realizing that Aeron was now in a state where any form ofmunication was futile. Sorry, Joanie. I couldn¡¯t protect you. But hey, you¡¯ll be okay since you can resurrect, right? ¡­¡­.right? *** ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Slurp. Nom, nom. The atmosphere in the drawing room had dropped even colder than the chilly northern air outside. In the stifling silence, the only sound in the room was the soft munching of Kana as she nibbled on her snack. ¡°This is delicious.¡± ¡®¡­How can you even eat right now?!¡¯ Joanie wanted to shout at Kana in frustration, but she couldn¡¯t, and that was her greatest regret. If she did, the man sitting across from her, ring at her with terrifying eyes, would surely not let it slide. ¡®How did ite to this?¡¯ All she had wanted to do was find Kana after wrapping up her performance review, which she had waited so long for¡­ But suddenly, she was brought to this drawing room by a man who had appeared alongside Kana. Well, ¡°brought¡± might be putting it mildly¡ªhis aura had been so threatening that it was more like she was dragged here. ¡°Is your name Joanie?¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± A deep, low voice¡ªoften described as a ¡°cave voice¡±¡ªthat was quite pleasant to listen to. Normally, Joanie would have liked this kind of voice, but right now, it felt no different from a tiger¡¯s growl, and her body stiffened in fear. Seeing how tense Joanie was, Aeron threw out a question. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± ¡°W-What?¡± The abrupt question caused Joanie to stutter and question him back, but the man didn¡¯t reply. Even Kana, who continued to busily munch on her snacks, seemed uninterested in rifying anything for her. ¡®Is he Kana¡¯s acquaintance¡­?¡¯ If he was a friend of Kana¡¯s, then he must be a fellow member of the knight¡¯s order, right? Desperately racking her brain, Joanie cautiously asked, ¡°Were you in the same knight order as Kana?¡± ¡°¡­Did she also tell you she was part of the order? Yes, I¡¯m Aeron, the former vice-captain of the Crimson Aegis.¡± ¡°Hiiieek¡­!¡± A pathetic squeal escaped Joanie¡¯s mouth. He¡¯s an even higher-ranked person than I thought¡­! ¡­Wait a minute. ¡®Is there any reason to be startled?¡¯ The man standing in front of her was the vice-captain. Kana was the captain. Given how much time she¡¯s spent with Kana, is there really any reason to freak out just because the vice-captain showed up? Thinking that, Joanie lifted her head confidently. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡®¡­Eek!¡¯ The moment she met Aeron¡¯s piercing gaze, she quickly looked down again. She understood that Aeron had been Kana¡¯s subordinate, but why on earth was she dragged here to face such a re? As she pondered this, a scene from a drama suddenly popped into Joanie¡¯s mind. It was that ssic moment where a boyfriend meets his girlfriend¡¯s father for the first time and nervously asks for his daughter¡¯s hand. Isn¡¯t this the same situation, just with reversed genders? Joanie felt a strong sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. ¡°Um, may I ask what your rtionship with Kana is¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how Kana feels about me, but I consider her a niece, almost like a daughter. I¡¯ve known her since she was very young.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± For the first time, Joanie managed to get a clear answer out of Aeron. But even though it made sense, she didn¡¯t exactly feel happy about it. So, this man named Aeron was very close to Kana. Not as dear as the father Kana always longed for, but much closer than most other people could ever hope to be. With that, the conversation fell into silence again. Feeling like she might suffocate if this kept up, Joanie mustered the courage to speak. ¡°So, what exactly did you want from me¡­?¡± ¡°I heard youid hands on Kana.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°You held her hand, hugged her, and stroked her, right? Is that correct?¡± ¡°Well, yes, but I think there¡¯s a bit of a misunderstanding¡­¡± One wrong word here, and I¡¯m dead¡­! Sensing death inching closer, Joanie frantically searched for a lifeline, her eyes darting around. nce. ¡°¡­.¡± But what she found was a rotten rope. The only person who could help her in this situation¡ªKana¡ªwas avoiding Joanie¡¯s gaze, turning her head away. Kana tried her best to appear natural, but Joanie could sense the awkwardness in her movements. ¡®Kanaaaa¡­!¡¯ I treated you so well, and now this is how you repay me? If you were upset with me, you could¡¯ve just said something! Isn¡¯t this way too much, trying to get me killed like this¡­? Joanie inwardly shed tears of blood, feeling utterly betrayed by the one person she trusted most. Rate this Series at NOVEL UPDATES Please!! -> MAKE ACCOUNT AND GET [50] COINS FREE!! Chapter 47 Chapter 47 ¡°¡­That¡¯s how it happened.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Joanie¡¯s exnation, which had taken nearly an hour, finally came to an end. Starting from how her family was poor and they couldn¡¯t even afford to eat out like everyone else¡­ After a long and detailed exnation, Joanie managed to convince Aeron. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying it was because you saw her as a little sister?¡± ¡°Y-Yes! Kana was just too cute! I swear on my life, I didn¡¯t have any ulterior motives or try anything! If I¡¯m lying, you can take my life right now¡ª¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you juste back to life anyway?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Joanie¡¯s eyes widened in response to the sudden remark.W-Well, he wasn¡¯t wrong, but was that really necessary? ¡°¡­Even if Ie back to life, my life is still precious.¡± It was a prettyme excuse, considering she had thought it through so hard. ¡°Fine, I understand. Kana may be a bit oblivious, but if you had other intentions, she would have noticed. It seems she liked you quite a bit.¡± ¡°¡­Ha, haha. Haa¡­.¡± ¡®¡­I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case, though?¡¯ Who in their right mind would try to assassinate someone they liked? Unless¡­ what was it called¡­ a yandere? Kids¡¯ feelings really are impossible to figure out. It would be great if she could just ask Kana directly, but the person with all the answers had long since dozed off, tired from being excluded from the conversation. Kana was peacefully asleep, resting her head on Aeron¡¯s shoulder. Joanie looked at the sleeping Kana. ¡®¡­She¡¯s so cute, I¡¯ll let it slide.¡¯ Not that she was all that mad to begin with, but seeing Kana sleep like an angel made whatever little frustration she had melt away. It was probably a simr feeling to why so many parents, after being worn out by their kids all day, feel at peace when they see them asleep. Seeing her so rxed, unlike when she was awake, Joanie couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡®Of course, she¡¯s cute when she¡¯s awake too.¡¯ But there was something special about this kind of moment. ¡°Kana is¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Joanie, who had been so absorbed in watching Kana sleep, forgot that Aeron was still there. His voice was softer than before, perhaps because he was mindful of the sleeping girl leaning on his shoulder. ¡°Kana¡­ has she been doing well?¡± ¡°Um, well¡­¡± Joanie hesitated. If ¡®doing well¡¯ meant eating and livingfortably, she could answer affirmatively. Though she lived deep in the mountains, Kana¡¯s home had everything she needed. ¡°She didn¡¯t seem very happy.¡± However, Joanie¡¯s answer was different. ¡°She looked really lonely.¡± Kana had pushed people away, keeping them at a distance with a sharp edge. Now that Joanie knew more about her past, it made sense. People had tried to steal her father¡¯s precious keepsake, and if that wasn¡¯t enough, they even came at her with weapons, intending to kill her. How could anyone be friendly in response to that? If the first step is wrong, none of the rest will be right. The yers who had climbed the mountain, regardless of their intentions, probably met their demise for that reason. Whether or not the SilMen had been involved was unclear. But, unlike others, Kana had epted Joanie, a fellow yer. ¡°Kana let me stay by her side just because I knew how to speak Granic.¡± At that time, Joanie¡¯s Granic was barely passable, only knowing a few words, but that had been enough for Kana. ¡°If she really hated people, she would¡¯ve ignored me, no matter how many times I visited.¡± Aeron let out a low hum after silently listening to Joanie¡¯s words. ¡°Just as I thought.¡± The Kana Aeron knew wasn¡¯t fond of physical contact. While she tolerated Garid¡¯s touch when he petted her, she never gave off the impression that she enjoyed it. For Kana to allow contact so easily now¡­ At first, Aeron thought it was because Joanie was also a woman. But now, he realized it was deeper than that. He adjusted his position slightly so that Kana, who had shifted in her sleep, could lean on him morefortably. ¡°Do you know about Garid?¡± Aeron asked. ¡°Yes, I heard he¡¯s Kana¡¯s father¡­,¡± Joanie replied. ¡°Technically, he was her adoptive father.¡± Garid had saved Kana when she was at death¡¯s door, after losing her family and home. He took her in as his daughter. ¡°When Garid once asked her about her parents, I was there,¡± Aeron recalled. ¡°She told him, ¡®My parents? They died long ago.¡¯¡± Later, Aeron learned that Kana¡¯s biological parents were despicable people. They never gave her the love a child should receive, which exined why the young girl always seemed so emotionally detached for her age. ¡°Garid was the one who filled that void of love,¡± Aeron added. To a child who grew up unloved, in the filth of street urchins, the experience of being cared for must have been an alien one. To Kana, Garid was the most precious person in the world. But in the end, Garid left her, sumbing to injuries from the war that he never fully recovered from. In the aftermath, Kana filled the emptiness left behind by his death with the desire to uphold his beliefs and avenge herself on the Empire. But after the fall of the Grasis Kingdom, she lost even that purpose and disappeared. ¡°What a foolish kid,¡± Aeron said with a bitter smile. ¡°She could have reached out to me if she felt so lonely.¡± He¡¯d known Kana since she was a small child. Yet, it seemed he hadn¡¯t been enough to fill the void in her heart. But now¡­ ¡°Looks like she¡¯s finally found someone to fill that emptiness.¡± Though she might not fully realize it yet, Joanie¡¯s interest in her had left an impression on Kana. Allowing physical contact was proof of that. Feeling a tinge of regret for not being able to be the one tofort Kana, Aeron nced at Joanie, reassured by the thought that the girl had found a new refuge. ¡°He wasn¡¯t her biological father, huh¡­¡± Joanie muttered, digesting what she had learned about Kana¡¯s past. If Garid wasn¡¯t her real father, then it meant that the bond between them was even more special. Joanie had noticed how deeply Kana cared for him despite not being rted by blood. Sensing the somber mood, Joanie decided to shift the conversation. ¡°By the way, Kana really seems to like sweet things and flowers. Was she always like that?¡± ¡°Sweet things, yes, but flowers? Are you talking about the ones you see by the roadside?¡± Aeron asked, puzzled. ¡°¡­Yeah, those flowers,¡± Joanie replied, confused by Aeron¡¯s reaction. Wasn¡¯t that what she was talking about? What other kind of flowers could there be? Aeron¡¯s expression suggested this was news to him. Sensing something unusual in his response, Joanie nervously swallowed. ¡°She didn¡¯t dislike flowers, but I don¡¯t remember her particrly liking them either,¡± Aeron said. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°She made a flower garden in front of her house and takes care of it like it¡¯s the most precious thing. I identally stepped on one of the flowers and¡­ well, it wasn¡¯t pretty.¡± Joanie stopped herself from mentioning the number of yers who had met unfortunate ends because of that flower garden. Aeron fell silent, lost in thought, his brows furrowing as he considered the unexpected revtion. Finally, he spoke. ¡°Do you think Kana is feminine?¡± ¡°Gasp¡­!¡± Was that an assassination attempt just now? Joanie took a sharp breath, having faced her second assassination attempt today. Sure enough, after Aeron¡¯s words, her chat window turned into a hellish frenzy. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not really sure what being ¡®feminine¡¯ means¡­¡± Trying to dodge the topic by ncing at her chat, Joanie attempted to avoid the inevitable with her well-honed skills in escaping social traps. Aeron, though perplexed by her determination to survive, borated. ¡°You don¡¯t need to overthink it. I¡¯m asking if she cares about her appearance or if she¡¯s ever shown interest in clothing.¡± ¡°¡­Come to think of it.¡± Joanie squinted her eyes as she tried to recall. ¡­Not really. ¡°She¡¯s probably been in the knight order too long, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°She was like that even before, but I suppose being in the order made it worse. Anyway, that¡¯s not the main point. You understand what I¡¯m getting at, right?¡± Aeron¡¯s gaze grew distant, as though remembering something long gone. ¡°Garid once asked me a simr question.¡± ¡®Aeron, what do girls like?¡¯ ¡®Is this about Kana?¡¯ ¡®Yeah. I wish she¡¯dugh and chat like other kids her age, but she¡¯s always so stiff, like a boy. Isn¡¯t there something I can do?¡¯ ¡®Hmm¡­ How about nting flowers?¡¯ ¡®Flowers? Why flowers?¡¯ ¡®Girls and children like flowers. Even if she¡¯s not interested right now, don¡¯t you think she¡¯d take notice if she sees you nting and tending to them? Then Kana might want to nt flowers too, and that boyish side you¡¯re worried about might soften.¡¯ ¡®That makes sense. I¡¯ll give it a try!¡¯ Garid faithfully followed Aeron¡¯s advice. Each time Aeron visited, he saw more flowers at Garid¡¯s home, a clear sign of his efforts for Kana. Unfortunately, Kana didn¡¯t show the slightest interest, so the n didn¡¯t exactly work. ¡°She probably didn¡¯t love the flowers themselves. She loved Garid, who loved the flowers.¡± Which is why she painstakingly gathered those flowers and created a flowerbed at the grave, so Garid could see the flowers he adored, even after death. ¡°In a way, it means Garid and I were half-sessful.¡± Whether in the past or now, one constant remains: children never fully understand their parents¡¯ hearts. It¡¯s only when they grow older that they realize, leading to regret. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Joanie¡¯s sigh lingered in the drawing room. *** ¡°Mmm¡­¡± ¡­Did I fall asleep? Was it because I snacked too much, or maybe Aeron and Joanie¡¯s iprehensible conversation lulled me to sleep like a luby? I¡¯d been feeling a bit drowsy, but when did I actually doze off? Slowly blinking away the remnants of sleep, I tried to shake off the lingering drowsiness. ¡°¡­?¡± Then suddenly, I made eye contact with Joanie, who had been staring at me. For some reason, her eyes were brimming with tears, ready to spill over at any moment. ¡°¡­Aeron.¡± ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ No.¡± ¡°¡­? So, did you sleep well or not?¡± Sensing my movement, Aeron greeted me, to which I gave a casual reply. It¡¯s not important right now. ¡°Did you hit her?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Joanie, did you hit her?¡± There were no visible signs of being hit. Since the only reason I could think of for her to be like this was that, I asked Aeron, who looked down at me with a perplexed expression. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m you?¡± ¡°¡­Whatever.¡± If he just meant to deny it, why did he say that? Anyone would think I was someone who just randomly hit others because I didn¡¯t like them. As I pouted, something suddenly charged toward me. ¡°Waaah! Kanaria!¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± What can I say? Of course, the identity of that something was Joanie. She dashed at me, sobbing and sniffling, and I was taken aback, unable to react in time, as I found myself embraced by her. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that¡­ I thought¡­ I was¡­uwaahhh¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± It was hard to understand her words since I was already struggling to hear, and her pronunciation was wrecked by her sobbing. As I tried to push her away, Joanie tightened her grip around me even more. I could break free if I really wanted to, since she couldn¡¯t be stronger than me, but¡­ ¡®Sigh.¡¯ Instead of pulling her away, I decided to go along with it and let my arms hang limply. I wonder how much she suffered from Aeron while I was sleeping. Part of the reason Joanie was suffering from Aeron was probably because of me, so I should just let her be. I told him to take it easy, didn¡¯t I? I shot a look at Aeron, conveying that meaning through my eyes. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not because of me.¡± As if responding to my silent usation, Aeron put a fist to his chest, looking exasperated. ¡°Canaria¡­.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Holding onto Joanie tightly, I swayed back and forth in response to her movements. She¡¯s been through a lot, so I¡¯ll let it slide this time. Rate this Series at NOVEL UPDATES Please!! -> MAKE ACCOUNT AND GET [50] COINS FREE!! Chapter 48 Chapter 48 The Tale of Two Lives A story about someone born with a silver spoon in a wealthy family, racing down an unobstructed path to sess, and a tale of another who, despite a troubled past, wed their way up a steep cliff to eventually stand tall at a great height. Which of these two stories resonates more deeply with people¡¯s hearts? Most would likely raise their hands for thetter. The tale of someone who was born with everything and seeded is seen as something expected, but the story of someone who overcame countless adversities to finally seed is not something to be taken for granted. Some may find sce in such stories, feeling a sense of kinship and hope, while others may find motivation to strive harder in their own lives. [Kana is so pitiful¡­] How hard must it have been for her at that young age¡­ [Comments]¡ª?? ¡ª??? ¡ªSuddenly? ¡ªSeems like many haven¡¯t watched the stream. And now here, another story that touches people¡¯s hearts has been added. The past of the NPC known as ¡°Canaria Grasis,¡± revealed by Joanie, was enough to evoke feelings ofpassion, if not outright sobbing, among the audience. It is said that indifference is scarier than hatred, but sometimes, interest can be more poisonous than indifference. Kana¡¯s parents belonged to that very category. ording to Aeron¡¯s exnation, they viewed their daughter not as a product of love but as a useful tool. Had they not died in an unfortunate ident, Kana might have be a ything for some wealthy individual with a peculiar taste or perhaps would no longer exist in this world. After losing her parents, young Kana, still in need of care, wandered the slums with other children in simr situations, receiving no help whatsoever. What kind of life she led is unclear, but anyone could guess it was far from ordinary. Just when it seemed she was somehow getting by, a horde of monsters attacked the city. Although she was fortunate enough to be rescued by Garid at the right moment, the experiences she endured were hardly something a six-year-old girl should have to face. Many people in the world have had unfortunate pasts, and countless others remain forgotten, but seeing such people in reality, it¡¯s rare for anyone to be able to simply ignore them. The reason Aeron shared Kana¡¯s past with Joanie was for that very reason. It was Aeron¡¯s implicit request to take good care of Kana. However, there was something he, as a native of the Silia world, could not possibly understand¡­ ¡ª??????? ¡ªThey said it would be clear today, but why is it suddenly raining¡­? ¡ªWhat a clich¨¦ story; what¡¯s sad about this? khikhikhi ..Wait, why am I crying? Behind Joanie, there are unseen hands¡­ no, unseen eyes. And not just a few, but over tens of thousands of them. As a result, what Aeron did not intend turned him into an unexpected tear-jerking phenomenon, making tens of thousands of eyes glisten with tears. At first, yers thought of Kana as a ruthless Raid Boss. A boss riddled with systemic ws, disregarding bnce. That was the first image of Kana. However, as time passed and information about Kana was revealed, that image continued to change. From a ruthless Raid Boss to a cute girl, from a cute girl to a girl with a story protecting her father¡¯s grave. And now, she is seen as a pitiful girl with a painful past. [About the flower garden in the boss room] I thought Kana was growing flowers because she liked them. But it turns out she was cultivating them because she thought her deceased father (Garid) liked flowers¡­ In reality, her father wanted her to like flowers, which is why he had her nt them. It¡¯s just so sad??? [Comments] ¡ªI really want to hit that way of speaking; ©» I get it, but it¡¯s also true she¡¯s pitiful.. ©» I agree with that.. [I wish I had a girlfriend like Kana] I wish I had a girlfriend who only looked at me, who wouldn¡¯t forget me even if I died, and would keep thinking about only me. If I ranked the popr NPCs so far, I think Kana would definitely be number one, ooh. (Pure love is the best.jpg) [Comments] ¡ªHmm¡­ I usually like NTR, but I can¡¯t help but admit this. ©» NTR fans die. ¡ªSo you mean you like a girl like Kana? ©» Huh? ©» Wait a minute. ©» I mean her personality, not her looks; ©» (Kana¡¯s older sister, Kon) ©» You can make excuses in front of the judge, let¡¯s go. ¡ªI think it¡¯d be sad if my girlfriend thought about only me even after I died. ©» Me too. ¡ªShouldn¡¯t we first worry about whether we can even get a girlfriend? [I want to cherish Kana so much] I want to feed her delicious food, Buy her everything she want, Take her to the amusement park and y together, Sing her lubies to help her sleep when she whines about having a scary dream, Catch cockroaches bravely when she¡¯s scared and thenfort her, And shower her with affection so she can forget all her painful memories. [Comments] ¡ªShall we deploy, Captain? ©» Hmm¡­ it¡¯s a bit ambiguous¡­ ¡ªIf it¡¯s about catching cockroaches, then it¡¯s right to spoil her ?? ©» Is it really that Kana would be afraid of just a cockroach? ©» I feel like she¡¯d break the house instead; ©» ???: Aaaah! A bug! (while breaking the house) ©» For every cockroach that appears, 100 million dies ©» It¡¯s the writer¡¯s fault for buying a house where bugse out in the first ce. ¡ªBy the end, it feels like she¡¯s just saying what she wants to do. ©» Wasn¡¯t it like that from the beginning? ¡ªWhy is this not just a fondness but true affection? ©» (Kana petting) Of course, not everyone feelspassion. [After all, it¡¯s only an NPC created by Demoninus.] It¡¯s a big deal, they¡¯re making a fuss about it. Anyway, pedos are rushing in just because a loli character came out tsk, tsk It¡¯s clear they pushed it out for poprity, but can¡¯t see that? It¡¯s truly disgusting, so please tone down the immersion a bit. [Comments] ¡ª ¡®True¡¯ ¡ªIf you¡¯re not going to immerse yourself, why y RPGs at all? ¡ªYes~ The cool-headed, rational, and wise author is always right~ ¡ªBy that logic, are there any games you can y? lol They¡¯re all just greed factories created by gamepanies, aren¡¯t they? ©» Even movies andics are made by people, lol ©» This person probably only watches documentaries. Please take down this post?? ¡ªYou¡¯re in thete stages of cool syndrome. Please prepare your family for the worst. ©» Doctor, please. Is my husband going to die¡­? ©» For a moment, I was confused, haha. But no matter how strong a man is, he cannot resist the violently surging waters. Though the currents in the online world, unlike in reality,ck substance, their force is by no means weak. Thus, those swept away by the current vanished, leaving only the raging waters that seemed like they would never stop. *** *** *** ¡°¡®I¡¯m enjoying the broadcast. Please buy something delicious for Kana with this money¡­¡¯¡± Rustle. A look of astonishment crossed Joanie¡¯s face as she read the note in her hand. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Last night, Joanie had logged out from the lodging provided by Aeron andid down in bed for the first time in a while, falling into a deep sleep. Having spent several days sleeping in a capsule due to a guarding mission, waking up on a soft bed felt like a heavenly experience. That said, she didn¡¯t regret taking on the guarding mission. Waking up refreshed and logging into the game, she opened the door of her lodging and found herself astonished. A mountain of items piled up in front of the door. ¡®Did I order this much delivery?¡¯ In that moment, Joanie almost forgot this was the world of Silia and thought such things. Some items were left with short notes like the one she had just read, while others were simply ced there without any apanying words. What bewildered Joanie the most was a handful of imperial coins ced neatly on one side of the floor. The contents of the notes varied greatly, but their intended meaning wasrgely the same. They were all messages indicating that they had enjoyed the broadcast and hoped this money (or these items) could be of some small help. For whom? ¡°Of course, it¡¯s for someone. Naturally, it¡¯s for Kana.¡± After reading a few more notes, Joanie realized that all these gifts were a reaction to yesterday¡¯s broadcast. In other words, these were all presents meant for Kana. ¡®But why was nothing like thisst time?¡¯ As Joanie pondered, she came to a conclusion. Last time, the identity of the grave that Kana had been guarding had been revealed, but Kana¡¯s past had not been properly disclosed. Moreover, the ce where Kana had lived was extremely remote, and there were barriers making it difficult to approach. However, where Joanie was currently located was within the Free Mercenary City, Liberi. Just considering the number of yers merely staying there was well over hundreds. Joanie rummaged through the pile of items stacked at her door. ¡°This is money. This is also money¡­ What is this?¡± ¡ªIs that a cookie? ¡ªYeah, that¡¯s a really expensive cookie. It¡¯s so popr that you can¡¯t buy it unless you stand in line in the morning. ¡ªWow, I¡¯ve failed to get that every time there¡¯s an open run; ¡ªIs it that good? ¡ªIt¡¯s pricey, but it really is delicious. ¡°Hmm¡­ is it really that tasty?¡± Joanie opened the small paper bag and took out the cookie. She stared nkly for a moment, then widened her mouth. ¡ªWhy are you eating that?? ¡ª??????? ¡ªDisappointing. I will unsubscribe. ¡ªStealing food from someone who couldn¡¯t eat it properly and had to grow up without it¡­ ¡ªUgh, trash. ¡°Oh,e on! I was just joking!¡± The chat room, which had been boiling like water, calmed down only after she hurriedly put the cookie back in the bag. ¡°By the way, isn¡¯t this too much? When on earth am I going to sort all of this out¡­.¡± ¡ªIsn¡¯t it actually a bit less?? ¡ªConsidering the number of viewers, it¡¯s actually not that much. ¡ªIf the channels hadn¡¯t split, there would have been a lot more piled up than this. ¡ªSo wouldn¡¯t there be the same amount in other channels? I feel like some people might not know about the split and left it there. ¡ªOh¡­ While Joanie was pondering how to handle the items, she heard heavy footsteps approaching. ¡°Did you sleep well? ¡­What are all these things?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡­.¡± Aeron greeted Joanie with a morning salutation but quickly wore a look of surprise upon seeing the pile of items at the door. His expression was strikingly simr to the one Joanie had made earlier. Fortunately, unlike yesterday, it didn¡¯t take long for her to exin the situation to Aeron. ¡°I was asked to take care of a child by my colleagues, and they sent these gifts to help.¡± Of course, she couldn¡¯t tell theplete truth, so there was a bit of embellishment. ¡°¡­You¡¯re not talking about Canaria, are you?¡± ¡°N-No, it¡¯s not that.¡± ¡®Well, I didn¡¯t say it,¡¯ Joanie thought, even though she felt a twinge of guilt and couldn¡¯t meet Aeron¡¯s eyes. Rate this Series at NOVEL UPDATES Please!! -> MAKE ACCOUNT AND GET [50] COINS FREE!! Chapter 49 Chapter 49 While rummaging through the piled-up items, Joanie ultimately gave up on organizing them. Stretching her back, Joanie asked Aeron, ¡°What about Canaria?¡± For the past few days, every time Joanie logged into Silia Online, Canaria¡¯s face greeted her. Of course, due to the hood, her face wasn¡¯t visible, and it wasn¡¯t like Canaria was genuinely weing her. Regardless, this made Joanie feel strangely awkward about being alone that morning. By the number of days, she had spent more time alone, but somehow this felt different. ¡°She¡¯s probably still sleeping. She tends to sleep a lot,¡± Aeron replied. ¡°Really?¡± Joanie squeaked at his response.¡°You say Canaria sleeps a lot? I¡¯ve never seen her sleep!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I mention she was ranked in the higher-ups? It¡¯s probably because she couldn¡¯t rx in that environment.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Was that so? Joanie thought that Aeron must know Canaria much better since he had spent significantly more time with her. Unless he was lying, his words seemed credible. Moreover, theck of any visible signs of Canaria only increased that trust. Aeron, ncing at the clock, said, ¡°We should wake her up soon. Do you want to join us?¡± ¡°Is that okay?¡± ¡°¡­? Aren¡¯t we having breakfast together? Or do you have other ns¡­?¡± ¡°No! I¡¯d love to join! Please let me eat with you!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Aeron, puzzled by Joanie¡¯s overly enthusiastic response, began walking ahead. Soon, he stopped in front of an ornate door and lightly knocked. Knock knock. ¡°Canaria.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± After waiting for a moment without a response, he knocked again. Knock knock. But still, there was no answer. ¡°It seems she¡¯s really still asleep.¡± ¡°¡­Could she have already woken up and left?¡± ¡°Do you think she looks like the type to do that?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Joanie pondered for a moment but quickly shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not likely.¡± Aeron grasped the doorknob. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s really okay to just go in? What if she gets mad that we barged in?¡± ¡°She¡¯s Canaria; she probably already knows we¡¯re here.¡± Creeeak. ¡°She¡¯s just pretending to be asleep.¡± Dismissively brushing aside Joanie¡¯s concerns, Aeron opened the door. The room Joanie received from Aeron the previous night was quite luxurious. Even though Joanie wasn¡¯t a frequent guest at high-end hotels, she couldn¡¯t help but be impressed by the room. However, Canaria¡¯s room was even more opulent than the one Joanie had stayed in the night before. The sheer size was far greater, and the furnishings and d¨¦cor were nothing short of spectacr. Joanie¡¯s eyes sparkled as she took in the scene, reminiscent of a royal chamber one might read about in history books, converted into a hotel room. ¡°Canaria, wake up.¡± Ignoring her surroundings, Aeron approached the bed and softly called out to the lump under the covers. Joanie halted her exploration and hurried to Aeron¡¯s side. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡®¡­Ack!¡¯ At the edge of the fluffy nket, a small head peeked out. Every time Kana let out a gentle breath, the raised nket would rise and fall along with it. Seeing Kana sleep peacefully with her round face, Joanie couldn¡¯t help but stifle a gasp. She had been adorable while snuggling against Aeron¡¯s arm, but curled up like a little animal made her irresistible. ¡®This has to be captured¡­!¡¯ Before taking a screenshot, Joanie quickly switched the broadcast screen to standby. ¡ª?? What¡¯s going on??? ¡ªMom, it¡¯s too dark here¡­ ¡ªHey, the lights are out! ¡ªI wanna see too! ¡°Hmph. I¡¯ll cover the screen for a moment to protect Kana¡¯s privacy.¡± There¡¯s a saying that the most despicable act is giving and then taking back. Knowing how petty and unpleasant that feels, people usually don¡¯t consider snatching back something they¡¯ve given, no matter how precious it is. Just like a couple who has grown apart might want to end things, unless they genuinely want to sever the rtionship. That was precisely the feeling the viewers watching the broadcast experienced. The darkness cast over the viewers¡¯ eyes, who had been smiling warmly at Kana¡¯s cuteness while sharing Joanie¡¯s view. In the moment of abrupt change, an intense reaction burst forth in the chat. Of course, Joanie¡¯s decision to cover the screen was not truly for the beautiful reason of protecting Kana¡¯s privacy. That was merely a pretty excuse to justify her actions; the real reason was to prevent exposing her disgraceful behavior. ¡ªStop with the nonsense and turn the screen back on while you can^^ ¡ªTeacher, my cat at home is very sick¡­ ¡ª?????????????????? ¡ªI¡¯m getting annoyed ¡ªWhat a kind person taking care of virtual character rights¡­ ¡ªWhat?! What¡¯s going on?! ¡ªWTF?!?!?!?! No one was naive enough to take Joanie¡¯s words at face value. Ignoring the chaotic chat, Joanie continued to fulfill her desires until, peeking through half-closed pink eyelids, she finally paused to check her overflowing screenshot folder. With a satisfied smile on her face, she turned the screen back on. ¡°Wake up now. It¡¯s time for breakfast.¡± Aeron spoke in a voice that waspletely different from how he spoke to Joanie¡ªa soft tone, akin to addressing a child. ¡ªOh my;; ¡ªI¡¯m a guy, but I think I understand why girls are charmed by voices like that??; ¡ª?????????? Like he was talking to a child¡­ No, in a genuinely affectionate tone directed at a child, the chat momentarily buzzed with excitement. As Kana looked up at him with sleepy eyes, they slowly closed again. ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t want to eat.¡± ¡°Gasp¡­ so cute¡­¡± Joanie clutched her heart at Kana¡¯s adorable protest, reminiscent of a child. ¡°You have to eat breakfast to grow taller.¡± ¡°¡­I told you not to talk about my height.¡± Kana¡¯s eyes opened again, ring at Aeron in dissatisfaction. ¡°I¡¯ll make you your favorite meat dish, so hurry up and wake up.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Unable to withstand the persistent coaxing, Kana finally propped herself up groggily. As if trying to shake off the sleepiness, she blinked repeatedly while sitting on the edge of the bed. Every time her eyes began to droop, her little head would nod towards the floor and then return. ¡°Kana, good morning! Did you sleep well?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. Good morning.¡± ¡®Kana¡­¡¯ She really loves her sleep¡­ Joanie was momentarily surprised by Kana¡¯s morning greeting, which she had never heard before, but soon broke into a warm smile. *** Toot- I poked the unholy something on my te with a fork. ¡°Stop ying with your food.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s meat, right?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it meat?¡± Aeron said calmly as he munched on some green greenery. And the same greenery he was eating was also piled on my te. ¡°Meat cooked with vegetables is not meat dish.¡± How could he not know such an important thing? Garnish on a steak is fine. You can just push it aside and eat. But if it¡¯spletely mixed in so you can¡¯t push it aside and eat, then it can¡¯t be called a meat dish. ¡°Isn¡¯t it time to stop being picky about food?¡± I scoffed. ¡°What does age have to do with not eating what you dislike?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s a point of pride.¡± ¡°Yet, you still think of me as a kid.¡± If he was going to say such things, he shouldn¡¯t treat me like a child. ¡°No matter how old you are, children always look like kids to their parents. I¡¯m not your parent, but I¡¯ve seen you since you were young, so I think it¡¯s fair to say I¡¯ve earned that right.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been like this since I was very young, so it¡¯s unchangeable.¡± ¡°Not a word of justification?¡± ¡°I grew up in an environment where I couldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Neither I nor Aeron seemed to care much, but Joanie looked at me with a horrified expression. I hadn¡¯t said anything wrong or inappropriate, so why was she acting like that? After rummaging through my te, I finally seeded in filtering out all the greenery and resumed my meal. ¡°How long do you n to stay in Liberi?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe about 2 to 3 days?¡± ¡°Hmm. It probably won¡¯t happen, but if you ever run out of money or need anything, just let me know. I¡¯ll help you however I can.¡± ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± Aeron, who usually pinched every penny, was saying this? I pointed my fork at him with a wary expression, and Aeron looked at me as if I were pathetic. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that because it was the Knight Order¡¯s budget at the time? If you waste it and run out of budget, you¡¯d have to go to the Treasury and plead, and I don¡¯t think you¡¯d do that well.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± I quietly picked up the meat and ate. I couldn¡¯t deny his words since I hadmitted the sin of spending. ¡®Give me money.¡¯ ¡®No, do you think money justes out when you say it? Do you think I can just throw a fit and get it? I don¡¯t have any! I don¡¯t have any!¡¯ ¡®But¡­¡¯ ¡®Ah, I told you I don¡¯t have it! Look, there¡¯s nothing, right?!¡¯ ¡®Here it is. Money that useless leeches consume without doing anything.¡¯ ¡®¡­Are you out of your mind?! I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear that, so please leave me alone for today!¡¯ I could still vividly recall the treasurer¡¯s voice as he shouted in panic. He was a bit uptight but wasn¡¯t a bad guy. I guess he must¡¯ve met his end that day. ¡°It¡¯s not that you¡¯re stingy; it¡¯s that you¡¯re reckless.¡± Aeron stood up, still giving me that pathetic look. His te waspletely empty, without a trace of greenery. ¡°Anyway, now that I¡¯ve said what I needed to say, I¡¯ll be going.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Where else? I have to work. Unlike you, I¡¯m not unemployed.¡± How nice it must be to be a rich NEET. You really don¡¯t know anything. Though I couldn¡¯t sit in the main seat, Aeron had worked in the Crimson Aegis far longer than I had, so he should have plenty of money. It seemed he couldn¡¯t even imagine a life without work. After the pitiful and unfortunate Aeron left the meal, Joanie came over to me, rummaging through the greens to see if any meat was left. ¡°Kana, Kana. What are you going to do today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± This bed is really nice. The bed is soft, and the nket is smooth¡­ If I could, I would love to lie here for hours, but I was unable to do so because Aeron woke me up, so I was thinking of fulfilling the dreams I couldn¡¯t have. ¡°Eh¡­¡± Joanie looked disappointed at my answer. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going outside?¡± ¡°¡­Why should I?¡± I didn¡¯t have anything to do. ¡°If you stay in the room, it¡¯ll be boring.¡± ¡°If I sleep, it won¡¯t be boring.¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go have fun~ Okay?¡± ¡°¡­Get away from me.¡± I frowned as I pushed away the annoying Joanie, who kept clinging to me. It felt like if I stayed still, spines would grow all over my body; she just couldn¡¯t sit still. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you something delicious. That¡¯s right, the chocte you like! There¡¯s a ce that sells super delicious chocte. Let¡¯s go there. What do you think?¡± ¡°Fine, just stay away from me.¡± If I ignored her, she would probably chase me all the way to my room, whining, so I finally waved the white g. ¡­Well, I might be here for two more days, so one day ofpromise should be okay. Just for today, I¡¯ll indulge her, and I¡¯ll lock myself in my room for the remaining days. It¡¯s just a retreat for my ns, not that I was enchanted by the chocte Joanie mentioned. ¡°If it¡¯s not good¡­¡± Stab! I stabbed the fork hard into the greens. ¡°Ugh, okay¡­!¡± Joanie nodded with cold sweat dripping down her face. It seemed my intentions were conveyed properly. Nodding in satisfaction, I brought the fork to my mouth. ¡°¡­Yuck.¡± ¡­As expected, this tastes terrible. Rate this Series at NOVEL UPDATES Please!! -> MAKE ACCOUNT AND GET [50] COINS FREE!! Chapter 50 Chapter 50 ¡°It¡¯s such nice weather, right?¡± If it had been a few weeks ago, I would have said something like, ¡°The sun is nice,¡± but now I can speak in fairly natural sentences. Looking at things like that, it seems to hold true that everyone has their own strengths. But¡­ is the weather really nice? I looked up at the sky for a moment. ¡°¡­¡± A sky filled with clouds greeted me. The sunlight that should have been shining down on the earth was unable to fulfill its role because of the clouds blocking it. It wasn¡¯t bad weather, but it wasn¡¯t exactly nice either; it was that ambiguous kind of weather.¡°It¡¯s not raining, the air is nice, and since the sun isn¡¯t too hot, it¡¯s a perfect day for a pic!¡± When the positivity king of this era, Joanie, said that, I guess that must be the case. I didn¡¯t want to pour cold water on her remark about the nice weather. Isn¡¯t it much better to think positively rather than to always speak negatively? ¡°How is it? Delicious, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I tried the chocte that Joanie had boasted about. ¡°Which one should I buy, this one or that one?¡± ¡°¡­They both suck.¡± I helped her choose a weapon. ¡°Canaria! Try this on, okay?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°Aw, don¡¯t say that~!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Alright then.¡± I watched Joanie¡¯s excited face as she picked up a piece of clothing, only to put it down again with a sulky expression. Joanie led me around every corner of Liberi. We went this way, then that way, and just when I thought we were going somewhere, we ended up in another cooking ce. Sometimes we even passed through the same alley more than three times. Given the inefficient routes we were taking, it seemed Joanie didn¡¯t have much of a n either. ¡°This one is pretty, and that one is pretty¡­ Which one would look better? Can¡¯t we just buy both? You guys are just saying that because it¡¯s not your money, right? That¡¯s why you don¡¯t have girlfriends¡­ Wait, I shouldn¡¯t say that, right?¡± I looked at Joanie, who had a rather serious expression as she contemted in front of the jewelry stand. Just then, our eyes met as Joanie raised her head. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Joanie, who had been staring at me, shifted her gaze from the ne she had been observing to the bracelet next to it. ¡­What was that? As I tilted my head in confusion over her strange behavior, a smell wafted through the air on the breeze and tickled my nose. ¡°Echh¡­!¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back a sneeze as it tickled the tip of my nose. ¡®What is this smell¡­?¡¯ It was a strange yet familiar scent. Instinctively, I began to look around for the source of the smell and soon spotted a restaurant with a bright red sign. ¡°It¡¯s ¡®Burning Phoenix.¡¯ Do you remember the spicy fried rice we hadst time? This ce sells that.¡± Joanie, who hade up next to me, said. ¡°Last time we got it from a branch, and this is the main store. Since my stomach is a bit empty now, shall we have lunch there?¡± Shaking my head, I replied. I didn¡¯t want to experience my tongue burning a second time. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it something you liked?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± ¡°Aww¡­ I was thinking of having it after a long time¡ª¡± ¡°¡­Cough, cough! What is this?! You call this food?! Gah!¡± Suddenly, a harsh shout cut off Joanie¡¯s words. Themotion was happening at a ce called the Burning Phoenix. With faces as red as the sign outside, a man was coughing incessantly while a flustered employee next to him was pacing back and forth, and other customers and passersby were watching the scene unfold. The man, clutching his throat and coughing, roughly swatted the employee¡¯s hand away. ¡°I came here because it¡¯s famous, and you serve me this trash? You¡¯ve ruined my mood!¡± ¡°Sir, you need to pay before leaving¡­!¡± ¡°How dare you ask me to eat this and pay? I can¡¯t pay! No, I won¡¯t pay!¡± ¡°Oh, please! If you¡¯ve eaten it, you have to pay!¡± ¡°Rather, I should be the one receiving money! I held back my anger, but if this is how it is, I can¡¯t hold back any longer! I think I need to see a priest, so hand over the medical fees!¡± Even in Liberi, the stronghold of mercenaries, there are such nuisances. Should I call it courage, or is it just reckless bravado? The man trying to leave the store was engaged in a tussle with the employee who was blocking him. Although the man looked like he could easily shake off a frail employee, he seemed to be mindful not to escte the situation too much. Instead, he kept irritably pushing away the persistent employee. Whack! ¡°Ahhh!¡± ¡°Do you know who I am? I¡¯m an Expert ss, Gold-tier mercenary!¡± Suddenly, the man forcefully shoved the employee aside and pulled out a card from his pocket. The card he disyed shimmered with a faint golden light. ¡°Gold-tier mercenary¡­!¡± ¡°An Expert ss?!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s handle this amicably. I won¡¯t hold you ountable, so stop bothering me.¡± Seeing the crowd react with murmurs at the sight of the card, the man wore a proud expression. ¡®Gold-tier¡­.¡¯ Is it really that impressive? I tilted my head in confusion. Gold-tier should only mean Expert level, yet it didn¡¯t seem worthy of such boasting. After all, Joanie right next to me is also a Gold-tier. As I contemted this, I let out a small gasp. ¡®There¡¯s a difference in standards from the Apostles.¡¯ I had forgotten that for regr mercenaries, an Expert level is quite high. Eventually, the uproar caused by the man led to the emergence of someone who appeared to be the owner, likely the Apostle of the store. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Oh, manager¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the owner? I almost died from frustration! I ate your food, and now my tongue is numb! How are you going to take responsibility for this?¡± ¡°Ah, I see how it is. ¡­Suzanne, I told you to call me immediately if something like this happens.¡± ¡°Uh, um¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to have you apologize, so lift your head. But more importantly, sir, you¡¯re asking forpensation? Didn¡¯t I exin this to you when you ordered?¡± ¡°¡­So, basically, you¡¯re saying you should be able to walk out without paying for the food and just for the medical fees!¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ I understand. Just go.¡± With the owner¡¯s words, the atmosphere shifted drastically. ¡°That¡¯s how it should have been from the start!¡± ¡°Manager¡­!¡± A man with a beaming smile and the disgruntled face of an employee. That was enough for me to understand the meaning behind the boss¡¯s words. Indeed, the most entertaining spectacle is watching a fight. ¡°Ah, now I get it.¡± Taking a step forward while watching the fight with keen interest, I found myself standing before the man. ¡°¡­Canaria?¡± ¡°Just wait.¡± His voice and face felt strangely familiar, and now I understood why. As I moved closer to stand in front of him, the man, who was about to leave, made a puzzled sound. ¡°What¡¯s this kid doing here?¡± ¡°Kid¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Huh? Is that your voice¡­?¡± His eyes widened. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, but your speech habits haven¡¯t changed at all.¡± ¡°Th-th-themander¡­?!¡± ¡°Yeah. Th-th-themander.¡± Had he recognized me, he instinctively spoke to me in Granic. Even in that moment, he referred to me as ¡°themander,¡± not ¡°themander-nim,¡± which revealed what he thought of me. Well, it wasn¡¯t something I was unaware of. ¡°Did you recognize me but not salute?¡± ¡°Hah! You think you¡¯re still themander just because you were one back then? Just because a ghost from the past suddenly appears¡­!¡± ¡°Well¡­ you¡¯re not wrong. But you were the one who called me ¡®themander¡¯ first. I just matched your rhythm.¡± ¡°¡­Shut up!¡± Kids these days. As soon as they¡¯re hit with a truth bomb, theysh out. I clicked my tongue. What was the guy¡¯s name again? I remembered he was with the same order as I was¡­ so he was part of the Crimson Aegis. I knew what he did, but I couldn¡¯t recall his name. He was amoner who had clung to the noble faction, ttering them at every turn. I could understand amoner aligning with the nobility, but he took advantage of their influence in such a slimy, juvenile way that I never liked him. ¡°What was your name again?¡± ¡°How dare you mock me like that!¡± ¡°Uh¡­ sorry¡­?¡± I meant to ask because I genuinely didn¡¯t remember. It was indeed rude to forget someone¡¯s name, so I sincerely apologized, but the man¡¯s face turned even redder. ¡°Forget it! I have things to do, so get out of my way!¡± Thud. Clunk. The man moved, not hiding his impatience. I stepped aside to follow his movements. His eyebrows twitched. ¡°¡­What¡¯s this? Move aside quickly¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to meddle in your affairs.¡± At this point, pretending to be a champion of justice felt hypocritical given my deep sins. ¡°So this is just me letting off steam.¡± I was quite annoyed by him because of what he did back then. I lifted my arm, hidden beneath my cape. ¡°Are you crazy?! You n to fight here?!¡± ¡°No.¡± This isn¡¯t a fight. I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to give you a lesson as someone who used to be your superior.¡± It might sting a bit, but good medicine is often bitter, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m sure this will be a good experience for him as well. Or not. ¡°Y-you¡¯ll regret causing amotion here!¡± ¡°Is that something you should be saying?¡± ¡°¡­Right! I¡¯ll inform the Empire of your whereabouts! Can you really ensure your safety?¡± ¡°Your news travels slower than the Apostles.¡± It¡¯s been ages since the Empire found out where I was. As none of my words seemed to take effect, the guy eventually let out a wild scream and charged at me, drawing his sword. ¡°Uwaaaah! Die!¡± -¡°Kyah!¡± -¡°C-call the guards!¡± In an instant, the area turned into chaos. Even in this condition, the trajectory of his sword was far cleaner than that of your average mercenary, despite his eyes being half-rolled back. ¡°Yap.¡± The sword of a man who had lost much of his rationality was no threat to me at all. I reached out like a beam of light and firmly grabbed him by the cor. Then, I lifted him up¡ª Boom! Thud! ¡°¡­!¡± And mmed him hard into the ground. The sound of something breaking echoed, along with the noise of the ground shattering, as the man hit the floor, trembling and rolling his eyes back in shock. Looking down at him, I suddenly recalled a name and snapped my fingers. ¡°Right, it was James.¡± That was his name. Now I remember. His expression, appearing very aggrieved while unconscious, was probably just my imagination. *** ¡°¡­How long has it been since you went out and caused trouble again?¡± ¡°Um¡­ About three hours?¡± ¡°You know I¡¯m not asking for real, right?¡± Aeron sighed and clutched his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± If anything was wrong, it was Liberi for epting James as a mercenary. I proudly held my head high. ¡°I can see you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. But did you really need to go that far?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t I kind enough?¡± ¡°¡­I have to admit, you¡¯re better than before. Last time, you turned him into a bloody mess.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Still, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯mplimenting you, so don¡¯t get too proud.¡± Aeron sighed again. ¡°Didn¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°Are you talking about him joining Liberi? Of course I didn¡¯t know. I¡¯m not in charge of personnel; I handle training.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have given a hint at least?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. At least, I don¡¯t recall hearing anything like that.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Aaron wouldn¡¯t have any reason to lie to me, so that must be the case. In fact, it¡¯s not that unusual for some low-quality scumbags to mix in with mercenaries. That¡¯s why there¡¯s a saying, ¡°There are those who will do anything for money.¡± Of course, if you actually do anything, you won¡¯te out of it unscathed, but it means that there are indeed such terrible people out there. James was just one of them. ¡°It seems he wandered around after the nobles disappeared and ended up in Liberi. Normally, he wouldn¡¯t have done anything so serious that he¡¯d face anything more than a warning, but¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not someone who would bring any good influence to Liberi, so we should drive him out. I don¡¯t have direct authority, but if I say something, they will take it seriously.¡± ¡°If only this had happened a long time ago.¡± ¡°Yeah, right?¡± This time, Aeron and I let out a simultaneous sigh. Neither of us was in a good situation, suffering from the headache that James had caused. They say that if the upper water is clear, the lower water will also be clear, but just because the upper water is clear doesn¡¯t mean the lower water is as well. Rate this Series at NOVEL UPDATES Please!! -> MAKE ACCOUNT AND GET [50] COINS FREE!! Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Aeron spoke in a baffled tone. ¡°¡­Why are you asking me that?¡± ¡°Eh, you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the Head of Training for Liberi, not a merchant.¡± Flip. Thud. He set down the document he was reading. ¡°If you want to find a merchant guild going to Sedeth Kingdom, you should ask at the guild itself.¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d know.¡±Aeron had always taken care of these kinds of things for me. I knew his current position had nothing to do with such matters, but I figured I¡¯d ask anyway, just in case. ¡°There are always merchant guilds heading to Sedeth Kingdom, but given the timing, I¡¯m not sure if there¡¯ll be any vacancies.¡± ¡°Timing?¡± I tilted my head in confusion. ¡°What timing?¡± ¡°Why, the Descent Festival ising up.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± It¡¯s already that time of year. The Descent Festival. A major festival celebrated in Sedeth Kingdom tomemorate the day Edel descended to the earthly realm. Given its scale and the immense stature Edel holds in this world, it was practically a global festival. Even other countries and cities held smaller celebrations to mark the asion. And in the Grasis Kingdom, this time of year meant the royals would be making a fuss over it. ¡°¡­A fuss, huh.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true, though.¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t deny that.¡± They indulge in all manner of luxury and pleasure under the pretense of honoring Edel¡¯s descent¡ªit¡¯s no wonder one would describe it as a fuss. ¡°But doesn¡¯t the timing of the Descent Festival make it a good thing?¡± Festivals always attract people. And if it¡¯s the Descent Festival held in Sedeth Kingdom, it would draw far more people than most celebrations. Where there are people, there will be merchants flocking to take advantage of their money. ¡°Merchant guilds heading there at this time usually travel together. While there are exceptions, that¡¯s generally how it goes.¡± ¡°Yeah, so?¡± ¡°When they travel together, their collective size naturally increases. Therger the group, the more people they need to protect it. Now, would it be better to hire individual mercenaries, or employ a trusted, established mercenary group?¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what you meant by no vacancies.¡± There are plenty of spots, but not ones that I could get into. ¡°There are still some guilds that might hire individual mercenaries, but you¡¯re not a mercenary. Even for those guilds, in a time like this, they wouldn¡¯t want to ept someone with an unclear background. It¡¯s a period when opportunistic wolves are prowling for chances.¡± ¡°Aeron.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Help me.¡± ¡°With what?¡± ¡°My background.¡± Fix it for me. Smack! ¡°¡­Ouch.¡± ¡°You think that¡¯s possible?¡± Aeron had somehow gotten close to me and flicked my forehead. If it¡¯s not possible, then fine, but there was no need to hit me. I red at him indignantly, but he clicked his tongue and glowered back. ¡°You¡¯re not even hurt, stop pretending.¡± ¡°My body isn¡¯t hurt, but my heart is.¡± ¡°Well, at least you¡¯re hurting somewhere.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡­Unbelievable. Before I could find the words to express my indignation, Aeron sat back down. ¡°I could register you as a mercenary in Liberi if that¡¯s the method you want.¡± ¡°No thanks.¡± ¡°I figured you¡¯d say that. There¡¯s no point in tagging along with a merchant guild anyway. In a time like this, traveling with a guild would just be a hassle. It doesn¡¯t suit your temperament.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ You¡¯re not wrong about that.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re set on going with a merchant guild, why not wait a little longer? Give it about a month.¡± ¡°A month¡­¡± ¡°Canaria.¡± Joanie tugged at the hem of my cape. She had been listening quietly until now¡ªwhy speak up all of a sudden? I looked down at her, wondering what she meant, but soon realized her intent. ¡°It seems waiting isn¡¯t an option.¡± ¡°It certainly doesn¡¯t seem so.¡± Aeron nodded in agreement with my words. Well, it¡¯s impossible not to notice when her eyes are sparkling like that. Like a sparrow unable to pass by a mill without stopping. Joanie, who had been listening to our conversation, showed strong interest in the Descent Festival. ¡°A festival¡­! Doesn¡¯t that sound like so much fun?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure.¡± Personally, I don¡¯t like crowded ces. Wherever there are people, there¡¯s bound to be trouble. After experiencing that several times, I¡¯ve grown averse to such situations. ¡°What do you n to do?¡± ¡°Well, I guess I need to find a carriage.¡± ¡°Ugh, a carriage¡­¡± Joanie seemed to grimace at the idea of riding a carriage again, likely remembering her bumpy ride to Liberi. Even people who¡¯ve ridden carriages a lotin about the constant jolting when traversing rough roads, so it must have been even harder for someone like Joanie, who¡¯s rarely used one. But if we don¡¯t ride a carriage, there aren¡¯t many other options. As I¡¯ve mentioned before, using the teleport gate isn¡¯t an option¡­ So, running or horseback riding. That¡¯s about it. ¡°Think you could run all the way there?¡± ¡°¡­To where?¡± Why ask such an obvious question? ¡°To Sedeth Kingdom.¡± ¡°Run all the way across the continent?! That¡¯s impossible, absolutely impossible!¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I tilted my head slightly. ¡°Once you start, you might find it¡¯s easier than you think. Why not give it a try?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way that would happen!¡± ¡­Well, if she¡¯s so adamant, running is off the table. Which leaves us with riding a horse. But could Joanie even manage that? When I asked, expressing my doubts, she hesitated before responding. ¡°I¡¯ve ridden a few times before. I¡¯m not great at it, but I could probably manage¡­ a little?¡± ¡°Why are you asking me?¡± ¡°The way you feel right now is exactly how I felt when you asked me earlier.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Pfft¡­! ¡­Ah, sorry.¡± Joanie quickly raised her hand to cover her mouth when I shot her a sharp re. But it was pointless; I¡¯d already heard everything, and the way her eyes curved into a mischievous smile made it clear. Just you wait. I¡¯ll make sure to pay you back for this humiliation someday. *** Our short break in Liberi came to an end. After the littlemotion on the first day, Joanie kept pestering me to go sightseeing together on the second and third days. ¡®Canaria, let¡¯s go out. If you stay cooped up in your room, you¡¯ll get moldy.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll buy you even better chocte than what we had yesterday. Please?¡¯ She stood outside my firmly shut door, trying to persuade me with all sorts of lines¡­ ¡®Canariaaaa~¡¯ m. ¡®¡­You¡¯re being too noisy.¡¯ ¡®Oh, it¡¯s Canaria! You finally came out?¡¯ ¡®If you want to go out that badly, grab a sword and follow me.¡¯ ¡®¡­Why the sword?¡¯ ¡®If you beat me in a fight, I¡¯ll go with you.¡¯ ¡®¡­.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t take orders from anyone weaker than me.¡¯ ¡®Good night, Canaria.¡¯ With that, she kindly pushed me back inside, telling me to go get some rest. After getting plenty of rest, we greeted the fourth day. We finished breakfast earlier than usual and stood at the gate leading out of Liberi. I nced up at the city wall for a moment before turning around. Aeron, who insisted on seeing us off despite my protests, stood there watching me. ¡°I owe you a lot.¡± ¡°Owe me? I¡¯ve never thought that.¡± Aeron turned his head abruptly. After a brief pause, he spoke in a shy voice. ¡°If things get tough,e find me anytime. You¡¯ll always be wee.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. I¡¯ll be sure to do that.¡± If it were Eric, I might be wary, but Aeron? I trust him. Pulling my hood down low, I poked Joanie¡¯s side as she chuckled warmly. ¡°What? Embarrassed?¡± What¡¯s she saying? ¡°Let¡¯s get moving.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to miss it, we can stay a little longer~?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to miss it.¡± ¡°Aw, I¡¯m going to miss it though. It¡¯s a bit sad that you¡¯re not.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Now even Aeron had joined in on the teasing, like they just couldn¡¯t help themselves. Ignoring theirments, I tugged at the reins of my horse. Knowing full well they were only trying to get a rise out of me, I didn¡¯t see any reason to indulge them. ¡°¡­¡± Still, maybe I could say just one thing. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll miss it a little.¡± Not much¡ªjust a little. After leaving those words, I wasted no time and began walking toward the exit of Liberi. ¡°Canaria!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Come back safely!¡± Aeron shouted loudly, waving his hand. ¡°Yeah, I will.¡± I waved back at him and continued walking, not looking back again as I left Liberi. Parting ways with a close friend is always sad, but knowing you¡¯ll meet again makes it a little easier. Aeron¡¯s not the type to fall easily, nor is he suffering from any kind of illness, so I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll meet again. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s push forward with new energy!¡± Joanie¡¯s spirited shout lifted the somewhat somber mood. Having such an enthusiasticpanion definitely has its perks in moments like these. Once we were a fair distance from Liberi, we decided it was time to ride our horses. As Joanie put one foot in the stirrup and tried to mount, she nced at me with a smirk. ¡°Canaria, think you can get on? Want me to give you a boost?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ignoring her, I hopped up with a single fluid motion. After a brief sensation of floating, Inded perfectly in the saddle. Snort. The horse under me gave a soft snort, adjusting to my weight. ¡°Hmph.¡± I smirked at Joanie, whose mouth was wide open in surprise. I¡¯ve climbed ces much higher than this¡ªthis is nothing. Watching me in a daze, Joanie gritted her teeth and struggled to mount her horse. Clearly sensing her difort, the horse let out a frustrated snort as she fumbled. ¡°¡­I did it!¡± Joanie finally managed to get into the saddle and let out a triumphant cheer. Anyone would think she had just climbed a treacherous mountain peak inhabited by Dwarves. Judging by how much she struggled just to get on, I don¡¯t even need to see her riding skills to know how bad they are. Good luck with that. I wonder how long she¡¯llst¡ªan hour? Two? With the image of Joanie screaming in my head, I rode forward cheerfully. Chapter 52 Chapter 52 ¡°Ugh, my back hurts, and so do my legs¡­ My whole body feels like it¡¯s been smashed to pieces¡­.¡± ¡°heh¡­¡± ¡°¡­Kana, what was thatugh just now? You weren¡¯t mocking me, were you? No way! Our sweet Kana would never do that.¡± ¡°I was mocking you.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little too blunt?!¡± Why shouldn¡¯t I be blunt? They say a gentleman¡¯s revenge is never toote, even if it takes ten years, but I¡¯m not a gentleman. My revenge came much faster. Of course, this much wasn¡¯t enough topletely satisfy me, but seeing Joanie¡¯s miserable face did lift my spirits a bit. When we first set out, Joanie¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t like that at all.It had been cloudy for days, but on the day we departed, the weather suddenly cleared up as if by magic. Her face had been just as bright. But as time went on, clouds gathered, and in the end, she ended up like this. ¡°I didn¡¯t know riding a horse would be this hard¡­¡± Joanie grumbled as she dismounted with as much struggle as when she first got on. ¡°If I be as strong as you, Kana, will I be able to ride effortlessly too?¡± If mastering horseback riding required reaching the pinnacle of martial arts, then you¡¯d probably have to be a dragon or unicorn transformed into a horse. Even kids much younger than her ride just fine, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a matter of skill. ¡°Like me, huh?¡± ¡°¡­Never mind.¡± Moreover, the apostles possess abnormally good physical abilitiespared to their level. Even if they took a few hits from an orc¡¯s club, they¡¯d probably be fine. No way a little horseback riding would wear them out. Conclusion: Joanie¡¯s suffering because she¡¯s weak. p, p, p. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t your conclusion a bit off?¡± ¡°Weak is weak.¡± ¡°Kana, you¡¯re starting to sound like a brat¡­¡± Ignoring Joanie¡¯s mumbling in Arkish, I continued. ¡°Of course it hurts when you¡¯re that tense while riding.¡± Being tense means your body¡¯s holding on to a lot of unnecessary energy. Spending several hours with your muscles strained like that? No wonder her body¡¯s screaming in pain. While tension can act as a lubricant that helps you respond quickly in certain situations, too much of it means nothing will go well. ¡°¡­If you knew that, you could¡¯ve told me sooner.¡± ¡°Joanie.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Some lessons are best learned through experience.¡± It¡¯s more effective to experience it firsthand rather than listening to advice a hundred times over. I¡¯ve turned countless recruits into functional people, so trust me on this. And whenever I say something like this¡ª ¡°¡­I would¡¯ve listened if you just told me!¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t believe that.¡± ¡ªthat¡¯s usually the response I get. I¡¯ve heard it so many times that it doesn¡¯t even surprise me anymore. At first, I took it seriously and tried to exin things, but all it did was confirm that I wasn¡¯t wrong. ¡°Tension, huh? ¡­Ow, ow! Let¡¯s rest a bit first. I¡¯m too sore to do anything right now¡­.¡± Joanie tried to mount her horse again, but ended up giving up due to muscle pain. Munching on some jerky, I shook my head as I watched her struggle. She¡¯s really trying her best. *** After dismounting and taking a short break¡ª ¡°Huh?¡± Joanie widened her eyes as if she¡¯d discovered something. ¡°A herd of water buffalo?¡± ¡°They¡¯re ¡®Rain Buffaloes,¡¯ a type of monster.¡± ¡°Monster? They look just like regr cows.¡± ¡°There¡¯s not much difference.¡± A herd of what looked like dozens of Rain Buffaloes passed in the direction Joanie was looking. ¡°Rain Buffaloes taste good.¡± ¡°¡­Do you judge monsters based on how they taste, Kana?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°¡­Sorry. That was a bit harsh, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Then what else is there to judge them on besides taste?¡± ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s where the problem is.¡± Joanie nodded as if she¡¯de to a realization. ¡°I guess for someone as skilled as you, no monster would really pose a threat, huh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± She¡¯s overestimating me. No matter how skilled I am, there¡¯s no way I could slice through every monster like they¡¯re steaks. There are countless formidable creatures¡ªLeviathan, Kraken, Peridis, and so on. And even dragons are technically ssified as monsters. ¡°Wait, a dragon is considered a monster? Never mind that. Leviathan, Kraken, Peri¡­ what was it?¡± ¡°Peridis.¡± ¡°Right, Peridis. I don¡¯t know how strong those creatures are, but they must be pretty tough for you to mention them. Just from their names, they don¡¯t sound like your average monsters.¡± ¡°True.¡± If those kinds of creatures roamed around casually, Ardina Continent would have turned into a monster paradise by now. I¡¯ve only ever read about them in stories or books, so I don¡¯t know their exact strength, but from the descriptions alone, they didn¡¯t sound weak at all. ¡°But they¡¯re seriously delicious.¡± Unlike orc meat, Rain Buffalo is a premium ingredient that almost everyone enjoys. It¡¯s so good that there¡¯s a saying: ¡°You might have it once, but you¡¯ll never have it twice.¡± ¡°¡­Huh? Isn¡¯t it ¡®You might not have it once, but if you do, you¡¯ll never have it just once¡¯?¡± ¡°Rain Buffalo meat is expensive.¡± You might get a chance to taste it once, but buying it a second time? It¡¯s too expensive. Most people just reminisce about the taste while sucking on their fingers. Well, considering most people have never even had it once, it¡¯s more like an expression to emphasize how delicious it is. If that doesn¡¯t give you a clear idea, just think of it as the kind of meat served on the tables of royalty. M ¡°And their milk is really good, too.¡± ¡°Uh-huh. Milk¡¯s important.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t say anything!¡± ¡°Yes, you did.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t teasing you, Kana! I was just saying it¡¯s important!¡± Yeah, right. Anyway, the meat, milk, leather, and horns¡ªall parts of the Rain Buffalo are used without waste. If it were possible to domesticate them, that would¡¯ve been great, but unfortunately, it¡¯s not, which is a real shame. ¡°Huh? Why not? They don¡¯t look that aggressive¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re monsters.¡± Most people who thought like Joanie and tried either ended up with one of two oues: They either got skewered by a Rain Buffalo¡¯s horns and went to Edel¡¯s side, or they failed spectacrly and lost everything and¡­ went to Edel¡¯s side. There¡¯s a reason why Rain Buffaloes are ssified as monsters. Normally, they look docile like this, but when it rains, they get much stronger and turn extremely violent. They go on a rampage and try to destroy everything they see, so you can¡¯t keep them confined, and they¡¯re too strong to control. ¡°Then why not raise them in a region where it doesn¡¯t rain much?¡± ¡°Just because it doesn¡¯t rain often doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯ll never rain.¡± And trying to raise them in those areas brings about another problem. ¡°Rain Buffaloes die if they don¡¯t get rained on.¡± So they be violent when it rains, but die if it doesn¡¯t? What a contradictory creature. ¡°Can¡¯t you just spray them with water?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t work.¡± These guys only respond to water that falls from the sky as rain. I don¡¯t know the exact reason, but since when did monsters have logical reasons for their behavior? ¡°¡­Now that you¡¯ve mentioned it, I¡¯m kind of curious. What do they taste like?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re curious, why don¡¯t you try it?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± Why isn¡¯t she moving? I stared at her, and Joanie broke into a nervous sweat. ¡°¡­You¡¯re not saying I should go catch one of those, are you?¡± ¡°You said you were curious.¡± ¡°Just because I¡¯m curious doesn¡¯t mean I have to satisfy that curiosity, right?! Eek!¡± ¡°Stop talking.¡± Mid-sentence, I gave Joanie a push, and she tumbled down the field. The peaceful herd of Rain Buffaloes perked up their ears, noticing her presence. ¡°U-Um¡­ If I attack one, will the others charge at me?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying dozens of them wille at me all at once?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°¡­Why are you doing this to me?! What did I do?!¡± I shrugged. No idea what she¡¯s talking about. ¡°They¡¯re seriously delicious.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not eating them! I mean, I can¡¯t eat them!¡± Joanie shrieked and backed away hurriedly. Seeing her retreat, the Rain Buffaloes lost interest and went back to grazing. ¡°Hmph.¡± Is it really that hard? I walked forward, leaving Joanie behind. The Rain Buffaloes lifted their heads as I approached the spot where Joanie had rolled, but upon seeing me, they immediately returned to grazing. ¡­That¡¯s a little annoying. The monsters and beasts are said to be sensitive to their surroundings, but was that just a rumor, or are these creatures particrly insensitive? Their indifferent reaction to mepared to how they responded to Joanie was quite irritating. As I approached a little closer, the buffalo finally turned to look at me warily. Even if they had tried to run, I would have chased them, but to stand their ground even when I¡¯m this close? They¡¯re clearly thinking that they can handle any threat I might pose. ¡°Arrogant, aren¡¯t you?¡± Crack! With a light swing of my hand, I brought it down on the head of the one standing at the front. The motion itself was effortless, but the result was anything but¡ª With a dull thud, the skull of the buffalo caved in, and it copsed to the ground. ¡°Mooaaaahhh¡ª!¡± The other buffaloes¡¯ demeanor changed instantly upon witnessing theirrade¡¯s misfortune. Gone was their leisurely grazing. Now, they pawed at the ground and snorted angrily, looking as if they might charge at any moment. ¡°nning to fight?¡± I grabbed the horn of the buffalo lying on the ground and lifted it. Its limp body rose into the air, following the motion of my hand. ¡°Mooaahhh¡ª!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°¡­Moooaah¡­¡± Their cries suddenly weakened, and the herd faltered. Even a low-intelligence monster could sense when something was off. It took them losing one member to realize it, but isn¡¯t that better than the whole herd being annihted? The buffaloes started looking around nervously at each other. If they were human, they¡¯d probably be saying, ¡°You go first,¡± or ¡°You¡¯re closer.¡± Their eyes darted around in a frantic exchange until they finally reached a consensus. Their gazes, which had been shaky and uncertain, solidified. Having made up their minds¡ª ¡°Moooo.¡± They began to ignore the limp body of their fallenrade, going back to munching on the grass as if nothing had happened. Satisfied, I nodded and started dragging the carcass back to where Joanie was. ¡°Moooorrr¡ª¡± ¡°Moooorrr¡ª!¡± One buffalo¡¯s cry started a chain reaction, and soon, the chorus of the Rain Buffaloes¡¯ cries echoed throughout the ins. They sounded like they werementing the fact that they couldn¡¯t avenge theirrade. Their cries seemed full of sorrow and regret. ¡°Be quiet.¡± I don¡¯t care if they¡¯re sad or not¡ªit¡¯s noisy. ¡°Ore at me now if you¡¯re that upset.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± The cacophony of cries vanished from the ins as if it had never been there. For creatures without the courage to retaliate, they sure were noisy. ¡°Kana¡­¡± When I arrived, dragging the Rain Buffalo carcass behind me, Joanie looked down at me with aplicated expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should say this¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ No, never mind.¡± She hesitated, then swallowed her words, leaving me hanging. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You might get hurt if I say it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I nodded. I¡¯ve heard all kinds of insults before. I¡¯m used to it, so it doesn¡¯t bother me at all. Besides¡ª ¡°If I get hurt, I¡¯ll just hurt them back.¡± My eloquence isn¡¯t great, so I usually respond to verbal wounds with physical ones. I¡¯ve always matched them in the field I¡¯m confident in, so they wouldn¡¯t have had anyints. Joanie shivered and let out a shriek after hearing what I said. ¡°¡­That¡¯s terrifying!¡± In the end, Joanie never told me what she was originally going to say. ¡­So what was it she wanted to say? Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Beep¡ª ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Chomp.¡± ¡°That looks delicious.¡± ¡°Mm. It is.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± What a wicked girl. If I had to put Joanie¡¯s emotions into words, it¡¯d probably be something like that. ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t eat.¡±¡°¡­Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°You also said you couldn¡¯t eat it.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh!¡± So what¡¯s the problem if I¡¯m not sharing? There¡¯s an old saying: Those who don¡¯t work, don¡¯t eat. When I looked at her nkly, Joanie twisted in agony. Hmm, I suppose that¡¯s enough teasing. I didn¡¯t intend to eat alone anyway; I was just messing with her a bit. ¡°¡­It¡¯s delicious!¡± Joanie, her face filled with bliss, started chomping down on the meat. It was quite a different sight from when she was eating Orc meat. After all, whether it¡¯s Rain Buffalo or Orc, they¡¯re all the same monsters. We had a rather pleasant meal and then left the Rain Buffalo herd, which looked at us with sorrowful eyes, and continued on our way. ¡°Sit firmly in the saddle and straighten your back.¡± ¡°Like this?¡± ¡°A little more¡­ like this.¡± ¡°Wow, Kana¡¯s giving me personal corrections¡­!¡± ¡°Smack!¡± ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°¡­Focus.¡± I continued the lesson after giving the unruly student a small punishment for not paying attention. ¡°You¡¯re putting too much strength into it.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just tell me to straighten my back?¡± ¡°I told you to straighten your back, not tense up.¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that the same thing?¡± ¡°How is that the same?¡± By the time the lesson ended, Joanie¡¯s posture had improved significantly. The process wasn¡¯t exactly smooth, but as long as the results are good, that¡¯s all that matters. As the first graduate of Kana¡¯s Horse-Riding School, Joanie left the following review: ¡°She was so kind when teaching me how to ride! Hehe, Kana¡¯s always so considerate.¡± ¡°¡­It wasn¡¯t like I was trying to be kind.¡± ¡°Feeling shy, are we?¡± Poke poke. ¡°Stop it.¡± I swatted Joanie¡¯s fingers away as she persistently poked at my cheeks. The issues with riding and swordsmanship are different, so of course, the way I teach would differ. Well, if she wants to misunderstand, that¡¯s her freedom. No need to correct her. *** *** *** ¡°Haaam¡­¡± Joanie yawned widely. After learning the correct posture from Kana, the muscle pain that had been guing her began to subside. Initially, she¡¯d thought, I should¡¯ve just taken a carriage¡­, but that regret soon turned into, I¡¯m d I chose to ride, long ago. It¡¯s faster and morefortable than a carriage¡­. ¡ª ¡°If you ride a magic-engineered carriage, it¡¯s even morefortable.¡± ¡ª ¡°Why haven¡¯t you bought one yet?¡± ¡ª ¡°Poor Kana, having to suffer because of her stingy leader¡­¡± ¡°You guys are acting all high and mighty because it¡¯s not your money, huh? If you¡¯re going to talk like that, at least give me the money!¡± ¡ª ¡°Excuse me??¡± ¡ª ¡°Are you encouraging real-money transactions right now?¡± ¡°¡­I should just stop talking.¡± The reactions in the chat were exactly as she expected: taunts and jabs at her so-called ¡°deration of idleness¡± as a streamer. They¡¯re always the same. Shaking her head, Joanie turned her gaze to Kana. Despite riding for hours, Kana showed no signs of boredom. She simply swayed back and forth with the horse¡¯s movement, without saying or doing much. If she weren¡¯t responding whenever Joanie spoke, she¡¯d almost look like a doll propped up in the saddle. ¡®Well, Kana is as cute as a doll.¡¯ So it wouldn¡¯t be surprising to mistake her for one. Joanie indulged herself in such thoughts for a moment. She was curious to see Kana¡¯s reaction if she voiced them out loud but decided not to give in to the impulse. With her hair fluttering gently in the breeze and her half-lidded pink eyes lost in thought, Kana looked like a picture-perfect scene. Joanie felt it would be a crime to disturb such a picturesque sight. After all, cuteness is justice. Joanie continued to reflect on this truth as she contentedly observed Kana¡¯s profile. Ordinarily, she would have dismissed statements like, ¡°I never get tired of just looking at her,¡± as typical cheesy talk. But watching Kana now, Joanie wondered if it might not be just an exaggeration after all. Had she been staring for too long? Kana, who had been nkly looking ahead, turned her gaze toward Joanie. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°¡­Huh? Did I say something?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything, but your eyes are annoying.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°They¡¯re annoying.¡± ¡°¡­Can you please stop saying that¡­?¡± Kana might look gentle enough that she¡¯d never even say a curse word, but if you actually listen to whates out of her mouth, there¡¯s a surprisingly sharp edge to it. Hit by this sudden verbal punch, Joanie mumbled dejectedly. ¡®Still, it¡¯s better than before.¡¯ Compared to when she used topletely ignore me whenever I spoke, even if it stings a little, this more lively version of her is much better. Whether or not that was her only reason for speaking, Kana soon lost interest and turned her attention back to the road ahead. Well, she tried to. ¡°Oh right! Kana, can I ask you something?¡± ¡°¡­What is it?¡± It seemed Joanie¡¯s sudden question sparked her interest. ¡°Why are you going to the Holy Kingdom? Now that I think about it, I remember you saying you were heading there, but I never heard the reason why¡­.¡± Hearing the question, Kana looked at Joanie as if she were seeing something bizarre. It was an incredibly rare expression for someone as stoic as Kana. ¡°Uh, heh heh¡­.¡± Joanie gave a sheepishugh. Even she knew it was a ridiculous question to ask at this point. It¡¯s been several days since they started traveling together, and she was only now asking why Kana was going to the Holy Kingdom? If she wanted to ask, she should¡¯ve done it earlier; if not, she shouldn¡¯t ask at all. Of course, the reason Joanie never considered it until now was that she was simply too excited about traveling with Kana. Even though the timing of her question was rather awkward, it wasn¡¯t a forbidden topic, so Kana calmly answered her curiosity. ¡°I got curious.¡± ¡°Curious?¡± Even if it¡¯s out of curiosity, who decides to go all the way to a country on the opposite side of the continent? Most people wouldn¡¯t, right? As one question was answered, another arose. Joanie asked again. ¡°Since you¡¯re going all the way to the Holy Kingdom, it must be something you can only find there, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Can I ask what it is?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°That figures~¡± She¡¯s quite straightforward. I had a feeling she¡¯d say no. Confronted with a firm refusal, Joanie epted it and backed down. Kana might not realize it, but ording to Joanie¡¯s observations, Kana¡¯s refusalse in two categories. There are the ones where, if you beg and plead, there¡¯s a chance she might change her mind. And then there are the ones where there¡¯s absolutely no room for negotiation. This time, it was clearly thetter. That¡¯s why, instead of pestering her further, Joanie decided to rack her brain on her own. ¡®If she¡¯s insistent on going to the Holy Kingdom, could it be rted to the Edel Church?¡¯ She didn¡¯t seem particrly religious, though¡­. ¡°Wait, she¡¯s not nning to be a nun, is she?¡± ¡ª ¡°What?¡± ¡ª ¡°Your imagination is something else.¡± ¡ª ¡°The tale of how I, the strongest swordsman, became a lowly nun.¡± ¡ª ¡°If she were to join, she¡¯d be a holy knight, not a nun.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. Kana in a nun outfit¡­? I wouldn¡¯t mind that, actually.¡± ¡ª ¡°Agreed;; That¡¯s too good to pass up.¡± ¡ª ¡°What? Are you telling me that if she joins the Edel Church, we get to see Kana in a nun¡¯s habit?¡± ¡ª ¡°Where do I apply to be a follower¡­?¡± ¡ª ¡°The Edel Church would explode in membership, lmao.¡± [¡®??¡¯ donated 10,000 won! Thank you!] ¡ª ¡°Actually, people¡¯s concept of nuns in media is way off. Real nuns wear clothes that don¡¯t reveal their figures to avoid attracting attention, and they definitely don¡¯t show their hair. So, if you look at the Edel Church¡¯s outfits¡ª¡± ¡°Oh¡­ thanks for the exnation!¡± ¡ª ¡°Genuine ¡®Lore¡¯ right there.¡± ¡ª ¡°Wow, food prices sure are high these days.¡± ¡ª ¡°10,000 won for rice??? Korea¡¯s economy is doomed.¡± ¡ª ¡°Thanks, that¡¯s exactly the info I needed!¡± ¡ª ¡°Streamer¡¯s expression, lol.¡± Joanie continued chatting with her viewers, having muted her microphone. Kana asionally nced at Joanie during these exchanges, but Joanie, absorbed in her conversation with the audience, didn¡¯t notice. And so, their horses continued to tirelessly gallop onward, making steady progress toward the Holy Kingdom. ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day.¡± How much time had passed? Just as the sun dipped below the mountain ridges, Kana finally broke her long silence. Joanie, who was starting to run out of things to talk about, weed Kana¡¯s words with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we camped out. Kana, have you ever camped before¡ªah, right, you definitely have.¡± Remembering Kana¡¯s previous upation, Joanie awkwardly cut herself off. If anything, Kana must have a lot more camping experience than her. ¡°But¡­ you¡¯re nning to camp here?¡± The location, the terrain¡ªit just didn¡¯t seem like the best spot to set up camp. While Joanie wasn¡¯t as experienced as Kana, she had enough camping know-how to recognize that. ¡°We just have to find a good spot.¡± Kana replied casually and lightly tapped her horse¡¯s side, prompting it to move at a slow, measured pace. ¡°Hey, I think I see a light over there.¡± While scanning for a campsite, Joanie caught sight of something glimmering in the distance. A flickering fire dancing atop neatly arranged logs. It could¡¯ve been a naturally urring fire, but logs don¡¯t stack themselves so perfectly. This was definitely made by someone. ¡°Hold on¡ª¡± Ovee with excitement, Joanie urged her horse forward, leaving Kana behind as she headed straight for the campfire. ¡°Hello~? Anyone here?¡± Who knew there¡¯d be a clearing like this in the middle of nowhere? If the person who arrived first was okay with it, it¡¯d be nice if they could camp together. Reaching the small clearing with the campfire, Joanie craned her neck, looking for its owner. Clip-clop. ¡°Joanie.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here!¡± ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± Kana, who had followed closely behind, let out a deep sigh. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± Kana parted her lips as if she had a lot to say but ended up swallowing her words. Instead, she turned her gaze toward a presence she felt not too far away. Rustle. ¡°Oh, are you travelers?¡± ¡°¡­A nun?¡± Appearing with the soft sound of twigs or leaves crunching underfoot was a young woman dressed in a nun¡¯s habit. She seemed like an adult but still had a hint of youthful innocence. Joanie¡¯s gaze unintentionally wandered to a certain area of the nun¡¯s figure, then she suddenly recalled the donation message from earlier and shook her head furiously. ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± the nun asked with concern. ¡°Ah, n-no¡­! There was a bug.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Most of the insects around here are harmless, but some do carry venom, so you should be cautious. Would you like me to take a look, just in case?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine¡­.¡± ¡®She¡¯s a real nun¡­!¡¯ The sight of the nun, who seemed to embody kindness itself, cleansed Joanie¡¯s darkened thoughts, making her feel purified. ¡°Are you camping alone out here?¡± Joanie asked. ¡°Yes. I parted ways with mypanions in the previous town, so I¡¯m by myself.¡± ¡°I-Is it okay if we camp here as well? We wouldn¡¯t want to impose¡­.¡± ¡°Of course, go right ahead. I don¡¯t own thisnd. I was actually worried about spending the night alone, but now I feel much safer with you around.¡± The nun smiled gently as she set down the items she was carrying. Dry branches and berries scattered around her feet. ¡°Kana, she said we can stay! We can camp here together!¡± ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± Seeing Joanie¡¯s cheerful wave, Kana let out another sigh. Chapter 54 Chapter 54 I looked at Joanie pitifully as she eagerly ran up to the woman who looked like a nun, wagging her metaphorical tail. How can she be so fearful during battles, yet so reckless in situations like this? It¡¯s quite contradictory. Does she only react strongly to immediate, visible threats? Observing her behavior like this makes me feel like a behavioral psychologist. Although, I¡¯m far from being an expert, let alone having ever studied the subject. I wonder if there are any professions like that in this world? I haven¡¯t really seen anyone who specializes in counseling or psychology. People here always seem to rush to the priests whenever something goes wrong. ¡®You got hurt by a monster¡¯s attack? Oh dear! Quickly, go see the priest for treatment.¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s an epidemic spreading? Contact the church immediately!¡¯ ¡®Father, forgive me, for I have sinned¡­.¡¯That¡¯s how it goes. Priests in this world are treated as some kind of panacea for everything. Anyway, I guess Joanie doesn¡¯t understand that in the wild, the dangers aren¡¯t just limited to monsters or beasts. It¡¯s fortunate that the person camping at the clearing was a nun from the Edel Church. If it had been some unsavory group, things could¡¯ve gone really badly. While I tied our horses to a nearby tree and prepared for camp, Joanie happily chatted away with the nun. ¡°Sorry for thete introduction. My name is Celine. I serve Edel as a nun. Please feel free to call me Celine.¡± ¡°My name¡¯s Joanie. You can call me whatever you like!¡± ¡°Yes, Joanie. ¡­Have you been guided by Edel?¡± ¡°Guided by Edel¡­? Ah, yes! I have. How did you know? Sometimes, people don¡¯t notice¡­.¡± ¡°Hehe. If one were unable to see the grace so deeply engraved upon you, they wouldn¡¯t be worthy of serving Edel. And also¡­¡± The nun¡¯s gentle gaze turned towards me. ¡°This youngdy here has received just as much grace as you have, Joanie.¡± ¡°Eh, Kana?¡± ¡°Is Kana her name? What a lovely name.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.¡± Hearing my name mentioned, I tilted my head slightly. While Joanie exchanged some words with Celine, she then turned to speak to me. ¡°Kana, this is Celine. She¡¯s a nun from the Edel Church.¡± I could have guessed that just by looking at her. Since she¡¯d been formally introduced, I couldn¡¯t just ignore her. I greeted Celine with a polite nod. Maybe not all of them, but every priest I¡¯ve met so far has been a good person or at least someone of decent character. And Celine seemed no different. Of course, I¡¯ve only known her for less than an hour, so I can¡¯t be certain, but from what I¡¯ve seen so far, she doesn¡¯t appear to harbor any malice. Maybe I can afford to lower my guard a little. ¡°Isn¡¯t it scary to camp alone in a ce like this? I¡¯d be too scared to sleep properly¡­.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ Joanie, you¡¯re kind. Don¡¯t worry. With this¡ª¡± ¡°Wow¡­!¡± ¡°If I borrow the power of Edel, there¡¯s nothing to fear.¡± Golden light emanated from Celine¡¯s hand, illuminating the darkness. The light shimmered and spread outward, like fireflies dancing in the night, encircling the clearing where we stood. ¡°Is that¡­ a barrier?¡± ¡°Hmm¡ªit¡¯s not quite a barrier. It¡¯s a holy spell, but it works simrly. So, yes, you could see it that way. Tonight, I¡¯ll be watching over you, so rest assured.¡± ¡°Um¡­ isn¡¯t that tiring for you¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve received such abundant love, so something like this is a breeze.¡± ¡®Hmm¡­.¡¯ I carefully observed the light surrounding the area. It wasn¡¯t as bright as when it first emerged from Celine¡¯s hand, but its soft glow seemed to create a protective wall around us. Curious, I reached out and poked at the light, finding that my finger easily passed through it without any resistance, going beyond the barrier. I¡¯d seen other priests create these safe zones before, but those were meant topletely separate the inside from the outside¡ªno one inside could go out, and no one outside coulde in. But with Celine¡¯s spell, there didn¡¯t seem to be any problem moving from the inside out. It¡¯s unlikely that it¡¯s been set up without any purpose, so it probably prevents entry from the outside. This is quite interesting. ¡°Kana, do you find it fascinating?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Joanie was watching me, a warm expression on her face, as I continued to poke and prod the barrier. ¡­That gaze is kind of annoying. *** * * * * *** ¡°Celine¡¯s holy spell must have fascinated her,¡± Joanie said with a satisfied smile. ¡°It would seem fascinating to most people.¡± Joanie smiled as she spoke, recalling how Kana poked at the barrier like a child ying with a new toy. Even though Kana now looked as if nothing had happened and continued to stare at the campfire, Joanie had seen it all. ¡®She really is still a child at heart.¡¯ Joanie found it cute how Kana pretended not to care, but she also felt a little guilty for bothering her. But she couldn¡¯t help it. You know how uncles can¡¯t resist teasing their nieces and end up making them cry? It¡¯s just like that¡ªI couldn¡¯t help but mess with her! Joanie internally justified her actions. While Joanie continued smiling, Celine suddenly asked her a question. ¡°Are you two also heading to the Holy Kingdom?¡± ¡°Yes, we are. Wait, ¡®also¡¯? Does that mean you¡¯re¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m also on my way back to the Holy Kingdom.¡± ¡°That¡¯s perfect! Since we¡¯ve met like this, would you like to travel together to the Holy Kingdom?¡± Joanie eagerly suggested, utilizing her natural friendliness, but Celine gave a hesitant smile, dying her answer for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s a kind offer, but shouldn¡¯t we ask for Kana¡¯s opinion as well?¡± ¡°¡­Oh, right.¡± Realizing she had gotten too excited, Joanie calmed down a little. Meeting a picture-perfect nun like the ones straight out of aic book made her lose herposure¡­. Joanie coughed awkwardly. She had a feeling Kana wouldn¡¯t care and would probably say, ¡®Do as you like,¡¯ but it wouldn¡¯t be polite to include a new travelingpanion without even asking her first. Even if it¡¯s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, and it¡¯s simpler to report something afterward than ask in advance, Joanie knew that repeating such behavior could erode trust. And she didn¡¯t want to break the bond she had worked so hard to build with Kana. ¡°Kana, Kana.¡± ¡°¡­Why do you always call me twice?¡± ¡°Well, doesn¡¯t it sound more affectionate? Just calling your name feels too cold.¡± ¡°Not really¡­.¡± ¡°Is that so? Anyway, Kana, Celine here is also heading to the Holy Kingdom. Would it be alright if she traveled with us? You know, it¡¯s more fun when there are more people traveling together.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not really sure about that.¡± Kana responded indifferently. As Joanie opened her mouth to try to persuade Kana again, Kana spoke up first. ¡°Do as you like.¡± It was exactly what Joanie had initially expected her to say. ¡°She¡¯s a nun, so I¡¯m sure she knows the way to the Holy Kingdom well.¡± No one had even questioned it, but Kana made a statement as if she were exining herself. Does she really want to maintain her aloof persona? Well, whatever! Joanie beamed brightly, having received permission. ¡°Kana said it¡¯s fine too!¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t say it was fine.¡± ¡°You hear her, right?¡± Kana, who had begun to understand a bit of Arkish, tried to refute Joanie¡¯s words, but Joanie remained steadfast. ¡°Um¡­ is that so?¡± Even Celine, who had been listening, was taken aback and asked cautiously. ¡°Of course! Kana isn¡¯t yet fluent in Arkish, so she can¡¯t express herself properly. Just now, she meant to say, ¡®It¡¯s wonderful! I won¡¯t object!¡¯¡± ¡°I-Is that so¡­? I suppose she¡¯s not very fluent in Arkish, but¡­¡± She doesn¡¯t look like someone who would say something like that, though. Celine swallowed her words. To her, Joanie and Kana seemed like quite an unusual pair. Joanie was lively, whereas Kana was reserved. Based on their personalities, Joanie seemed like the one who should be leading, but it appeared that the one in control was actually Kana. That didn¡¯t mean Kana was deciding everything on her own, though. ¡®There must be a reason why Lady Edel is watching over them.¡¯ Celine¡¯s eyes sparkled with a golden light as she grew more intrigued. ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll be in your care.¡± Celine spoke while avoiding Kana¡¯s disgruntled gaze. Thus, the three of them became travelingpanions, and thanks to Celine¡¯s holy spell, they spent afortable night together. The next morning, after having a simple stew made from the Rain Buffalo meat they had caught the day before, they tidied up the clearing and prepared to set off. Joanie stomped out the fire and poured water over it as she joked around. ¡°You can never be too careful with fire safety. This is the kind of education that really shines in moments like this.¡± ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right. Fire safety is very important.¡± ¡°Ah, ahaha¡­You heard that?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a wonderful teaching. I should share it with the children at the temple.¡± Joanie, who had suddenly been appointed the honorary fire safety officer of Silia Online,ughed awkwardly. She hadn¡¯t expected anyone to be listening to her mutterings. Having thoroughly ensured fire prevention and repacked their luggage, the group prepared to set off on their journey¡­ only to encounter an unexpected problem. ¡°Huh? Celine, where¡¯s your horse?¡± ¡°My horse?¡± ¡°Yes. The horse you rode here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have one, though¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Joanie was shocked by Celine¡¯s unexpected statement. ¡°Then how did you get here?¡± ¡°I walked.¡± ¡°Walked, you say?¡± ¡°Yes. Thanks to Lady Edel, it wasn¡¯t all that difficult.¡± ¡°¡­Lady Edel must have been quite athletic in her day.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. Is there some doctrine that forbids you from riding a horse?¡± ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s just that I ran out of travel funds. Embarrassingly enough, I miscalcted my expenses¡­.¡± Celineughed softly, and Joanie awkwardly mirrored her. But this was a problem. It wouldn¡¯t matter if they had an extra horse, but they only had two. Hearing Joanie muttering to herself, Celine scratched her cheek. ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine if you two go ahead without me.¡± ¡°¡­No! I won¡¯t abandon apanion!¡± ¡°A cpanion¡­?¡± Joanie¡¯s eyes widened. Celine instinctively took a step back, overwhelmed by Joanie¡¯s intensity. Completely ignoring her reaction, Joanie sharply turned her head toward Kana. ¡°Kana! I¡¯m sorry, but can we ride together?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Celine didn¡¯te here on horseback. It¡¯d be awkward for us to just ride away, so how about you and I share one horse, and Celine rides the other?¡± ¡°You two can just ride together.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be too harsh on the horse. It¡¯s better if I ride with light Kana.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll just run alongside. You two can each have your own horse.¡± ¡°Ah, Kana! Are you really going to be this heartless?¡± Joanie and Kana argued, neither willing to back down. Even though Celine couldn¡¯t understand what they were saying, she could sense the tension between them. ¡°Fine. Then I¡¯ll ride with that nun, Celine.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not allowed!¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Just because!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re honest about your reasons, I¡¯ll think about it.¡± ¡°¡­This is a perfect opportunity to stay close to Kana! There¡¯s no way I¡¯m missing out on this!¡± ¡°Just die.¡± ¡°Kyah! Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d think about it? Kana, you liar!¡± Kana picked up a branch with a nk expression and began chasing Joanie. Joanie screamed as she ran away, and Kana chased after her. Caught between them, Celine could only blink, bewildered by the sudden chase. The impromptu chase ended with Joanie copsing to the ground after taking several hits from the branch. ¡°I should¡¯ve known when you so recklessly suggested traveling together.¡± ¡°Kana, you agreed too¡­¡± ¡°I knew you¡¯d pester me if I said no.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true¡­ Ow! Why¡¯d you hit me again?!¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re annoying.¡± Kana snapped the branch she¡¯d used to hit Joanie and tossed the broken pieces aside without hesitation, then gestured toward Celine. ¡°Get on.¡± ¡°M-me?¡± ¡°Yeah. I did agree, so I have to take responsibility.¡± Kana muttered listlessly, tapping the saddle as if urging her to hurry up. After Celine awkwardly climbed on, Kana lightly nudged Joanie¡¯s side with her foot. ¡°Hurry up and get up.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ my whole body aches¡­. Maybe if Kana goes hoo~ and heals me, I¡¯ll get better¡­?¡± ¡°Just stay on the ground forever, then.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m up!¡± ¡®¡­What an amusing pair.¡¯ Watching them bicker, Celine suddenly realized she was smiling. ¡®Even if it weren¡¯t Lady Edel¡¯s will, I might have ended up traveling with these two anyway.¡¯ Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Joanie knew that, unlike the religions she was familiar with in reality, priests and nuns of the Church of Edel were considered to be of equal status. Therefore, the authority and abilities granted to the two positions did not differ. ¡°¡­Then, is there really a need to differentiate them?¡± This was Joanie¡¯s question, to which Celine replied: ¡°Although the positions are the same, the genders are different.¡± ¡°Is it because it¡¯s a distraction for training?¡± ¡°That¡¯s partly true, but it¡¯s mainly because we have different roles. For example, caring for orphaned children is a job typically assigned to nuns like me.¡± ¡°Ah, I see¡­?¡± ¡°However, it¡¯s true that the boundaries have be a lot less strictpared to the past. So, like you said, maybe it¡¯s better not to draw a distinction. I should propose this when I return¡­¡±¡°Th-that was just an offhandment, so you really don¡¯t need to do that¡­! Please, I¡¯m begging you, don¡¯t do it!¡± Joanie waved her hands frantically in panic, which made Celine chuckle softly. ¡°I was just kidding.¡± ¡°¡­If you joke around like that again, I might get used of heresy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Edel is merciful.¡± ¡°I really hope so.¡± Joanie sighed and hugged Kana, who was sitting in front of her, tightly. ¡°Hehe, soft and squishy Kana is the best¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Let go if you don¡¯t want to fall off the horse.¡± ¡°Just let me stay like this a bit longer. Sigh, ha¡­ Ah, it feels so nice¡ªOuch!¡± Joanie screamed as she attempted to rest her chin on Kana¡¯s head. Kana, who hadnded a surprise blow on the unsuspecting Joanie, scoffed. ¡°When I say don¡¯t do it, don¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°A-all right¡­.¡± Joanie, who had assumed Kana was just soft and squishy, found herself sticking out her tongue in pain after being struck unexpectedly. Although Celine was open to conversing, she rarely initiated conversations. On the other hand, Kana almost never started conversations and spoke only minimally when engaged. Thus, unless Joanie was ying pranks or engaging in light chatter, their journey was generally quiet. As they rode their horses, they asionally encountered other travelers. Sometimes, they ran into intimidating mercenaries; other times, it was a merchant group with wagons full of goods, or even a noble from a nearby small kingdom. Those who initially regarded them with wary eyes dropped their guard and greeted them warmly as soon as they recognized Celine¡¯s attire. How many days passed like that? Narrowing her eyes and looking far into the distance, Celine suddenly eximed in a bright voice: ¡°Ah, I can see the Holy Kingdom¡­!¡± ¡°Wow! Finally!¡± Joanie perked up and responded excitedly to Celine¡¯s words. Indeed, as Celine had said, a massive wall gradually began to appear on the horizon. Joanie was left speechless as she took in the majestic grandeur of the structure. ¡°Hehe. Is this your first time visiting the Holy Kingdom?¡± ¡°Huh¡­? Ah, yes¡­! I¡¯ve only ever heard about it before, but seeing it in person¡­ it¡¯s truly amazing.¡± The Holy Kingdom was more like a city centered around the sacred site rather than a typical country. In reality, apart from Sedeth, there were no other cities within the Holy Kingdom. It¡¯s just that the size of this city alone was so enormous that it could dwarf most fiefdoms. ¡°Is that some kind of holy magic?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a holy barrier created by Edel¡¯s divine power radiating from the sacred site.¡± Instead of building walls to protect itself from foreign invasions like other cities, Sedeth Holy Kingdom used a massive holy barrier to serve the same function as a fortress wall. For such arge area to be enclosed by a barrier¡­ Hmm, I suppose it¡¯s quite impressive, though I¡¯m not entirely sure how impressive. Joanie looked up at the holy barrier in the distance. On the other hand, Kana¡¯s reaction was slightly different from Joanie¡¯s. Although it was unclear what she was thinking, Kana gazed at the barrier with an expression full of weariness. Though they were sitting together on the same horse, their reactions were worlds apart. Watching them, Celine chuckled softly. *** Entering the Holy Kingdom was a simple task. ¡°Is it really okay to let us in so easily?¡± Joanie was so surprised that she couldn¡¯t help but ask. In fact, calling it ¡°simple¡± seemed like an understatement. All they did was exchange a few light greetings with the Holy Knights standing at the entrance before passing through the barrier. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re traveling with me. I vouched for your identities, which is why it was so easy to get through.¡± Celine¡¯s answer was straightforward. ¡°Then, does that mean it¡¯s moreplicated for others?¡± ¡°Of course. Didn¡¯t you see the group in front of us?¡± Joanie recalled the merchant group that had entered the Holy Kingdom just before them. ¡°Ah¡­ I thought they were just being thorough with the inspection because they were merchants. To prevent them from sneaking in anything that¡¯s not allowed or something like that¡­¡± ¡°Well, border control is handled by the Holy Knights, so I¡¯m not sure either. But I¡¯m certain that others don¡¯t get through as easily as we did.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Wait, if it was really that easy for us to get through, then does that mean¡­?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Is it because Celine is actually someone really important?¡± ¡°¡­Hehe.¡± Joanie was stunned by Celine¡¯s enigmatic smile. ¡°It¡¯s true?!¡± ¡°No way. I¡¯m just an ordinary nun.¡± ¡°People who say that usually aren¡¯t ordinary at all¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious. Even if you were traveling with another priest or nun, it would have been the same.¡± Celine deflected Joanie¡¯s suspicious gaze and changed the subject. ¡°By the way, do you two have a ce to stay for the night?¡± ¡°No. Neither Kana nor I have ever been to the Holy Kingdom, so we don¡¯t know where anything is. Can you rmend a good ce to stay?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ The inns are probably already full since the Descent Festival ising up.¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t even started yet, and it¡¯s already packed?!¡± ¡°That just shows how significant Edel¡¯s descent is.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Joanie was momentarily at a loss for words, hearing Celine¡¯s devout response. Now that she thought about it, it was like trying to book amodations or transportation during the peak season in reality¡ªit was nearly impossible. When she thought about it that way, it wasn¡¯t hard to understand. Joanie nodded, epting the situation. ¡°¡­I see!¡± But the person she was conversing with was distracted by something else. Celine crossed her arms and narrowed her brows slightly. ¡°An empty inn¡­¡± ¡°Um¡­ If we look around enough, I¡¯m sure we can find at least one ce, right?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee it. Even if there is one, you¡¯d have to do a lot of searching.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ What should we do? Should we just sleep outside¡­?¡± ¡°The church does have temporary amodations for those who can¡¯t find a ce to stay¡­¡± ¡°Really?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s literally a temporary shelter, so it might be a bit ufortable. Are you okay with that?¡± ¡°¡­That doesn¡¯t sound very reassuring.¡± Joanie hesitated to say she was okay, given the ominous tone of Celine¡¯s words. Seeing is believing, after all. Joanie and Kana decided to follow Celine¡¯s guidance and headed to the temporary shelter provided by the church. After finally seeing the ce for themselves, Joanie spoke up. ¡°This is not going to work.¡± She then turned to Kana for her opinion. ¡°What do you think, Kana?¡± Kana shook her head. She didn¡¯t even want to speak, simply shaking her head in disapproval. The temporary shelter was a massive tentrge enough to amodate dozens of people. While it could keep out rain and wind, it offered no ce to wash, and there wasn¡¯t even a minimal privacy screen for the individuals staying there. Neither Joanie nor Kana wanted to spend the night crammed into such a space with so many others, so they turned away from the tent without saying a word. ¡°It really is a ¡®temporary¡¯ shelter.¡± ¡°The free lodgings for pilgrims have also filled up already.¡± ¡°Well, I guess we have no choice but to keep searching for an empty inn¡­¡± Even if I have to rough it myself, I should at least find a proper ce for Kana. Joanie clenched her fist with determination. She could handle a little debuff from sleeping on the ground, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to have Kana, a resident of the world of Silia, sleep under such conditions. ¡°Kana is like a precious child. I must protect her.¡± If I run around until my feet are sore, I should be able to find at least one ce. Just as she was steeling herself to say goodbye to Celine and start searching, Celine, who had been deep in thought, pped her hands. ¡°Ah, how about this? If you two are okay with it, I can offer you an empty room at the church. There¡¯s only one room avable, so you¡¯d have to share, but¡­¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s fine!¡± Hearing Celine¡¯s offer that came at just the right time, Joanie nodded vigorously, worried that Celine might change her mind. ¡°If anything, we should be asking you if it¡¯s okay. Thanks to you, we got through the checkpoint easily, and now you¡¯re even offering us lodging. We feel like we¡¯re imposing too much on you.¡± ¡°Hehe, imposing? Not at all. I¡¯m the one who should be thankful to both of you. I was able to returnfortably thanks to yourpany, and you even put up with some inconveniences for me.¡± Prrr- Celine¡¯s gentle touch made the horse snort softly. Seeing Joanie get a nod of approval from Kana, Celine said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll lead the way,¡± but then she suddenly stopped. It was as if she remembered something she had forgotten. With a slightly awkward voice, she spoke up. ¡°Oh, but there¡¯s something you should know first¡ª¡± *** ¡°Sigh¡­.¡± I looked at the neatly folded item in front of me with aplicated expression. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m wary because I don¡¯t know what it is. The problem is that I know exactly what it is. As I stared down at it, reflecting myplex emotions, Joanie, who was humming as she wandered around, poked her head in. ¡°Kana, aren¡¯t you going to wear it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡­ I have to wear it. ¡­ I know I have to wear it, but¡­ ¡°A nun¡¯s habit on Kana¡ªthis is going to be amazing¡­!¡± Drumroll. I ignored Joanie¡¯s strange sound effects and sighed again. Yes, the item in front of me was clothing¡ªa nun¡¯s habit. Why am I, who isn¡¯t even a nun, being made to wear a nun¡¯s habit? ¡°Why, you ask? It¡¯s because staying herees with the condition that you wear the habit while you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s written all over your face.¡± At her words, I instinctively raised my hand to touch my face. Of course, there was nothing on my hand. ¡°Ahaha! Did you really think something was written there?¡± ¡°No.¡± I was just checking to see if my expression was that easy to read. That¡¯s what I said, but Joanie didn¡¯t look like she believed me at all. I gave up trying to persuade Joanie, whose face was stered with an irritating smile, and instead fiddled with the habit in front of me. Let¡¯s rewind time a bit. When we saw the temporary shelter, which looked impossible to stay in, and were about to lose hope¡ª Celine made a suggestion. She offered us an empty room in the temple. However, the avable room was in the convent, and the condition was that we had to wear a nun¡¯s habit while staying there. At the time, I thought it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal, so I agreed. But now that I have to wear it, I¡¯m not so sure¡­ It¡¯s not that it¡¯s revealing or cutesy to the point of being cringe-worthy, but why do I feel so reluctant? Knock, knock. ¡°Are you two still not ready? It¡¯s almost mealtime.¡± ¡°Ah, just a moment! Kana hasn¡¯t changed yet! Kana, it¡¯s almost time to eat. If you don¡¯t hurry, you won¡¯t get to eat. Or should I help you put it on?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± In the end, unable to resist Joanie¡¯s urging, I squeezed my eyes shut and reluctantly picked up the nun¡¯s habit. Chapter 56 Chapter 56 ¡°Oh my¡­!¡± Celine covered her mouth with both hands as her eyes sparkled. ¡°¡­¡± Squeeze. Feeling overwhelmed by the intense sparkle in her eyes, I tightly clutched the hem of the nun¡¯s habit and avoided her gaze. But her eyes stubbornly held onto me, refusing to let go. Sneak¡ª Only after I hid behind Joanie was I finally able to free myself from her prating gaze. ¡°What an adorable little sister! Wouldn¡¯t it be wonderful if you joined the Edel Church just as you are?¡± ¡°Ah, no way¡­! Kana decided to travel with me!¡±¡°Oh my, you can still travel even as a sister.¡± ¡°¡­But if you be a sister, you have to wear the nun¡¯s habit all the time, right?¡± ¡°You can dressfortably when you¡¯re resting, but when you¡¯re active, yes, you have to.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s still a no. I can¡¯t deny that Kana looks adorable in the nun¡¯s habit. But it would be a waste to limit Kana to just one type of clothing.¡± ¡°I see¡­ If that¡¯s the reason, then I suppose it can¡¯t be helped.¡± I could assure you that whatever the two of them were talking about would be of no benefit to my mental health if I listened. So, instead of trying to understand their conversation, I just kept fiddling with the hem of the nun¡¯s habit. I¡¯ve never worn anything like this before¡­. I mean, I¡¯ve never worn something that¡¯s meant exclusively for women. ¡­Why does it have a slit on the side of the skirt? If there¡¯s a slit, then what¡¯s the point of having a long skirt? Comining about it wouldn¡¯t change the fact that I was wearing this outfit, but if I didn¡¯t at least grumble a bit, I felt like I¡¯d lose my mind. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It suits you.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not worried.¡± I never wanted it to suit me in the first ce. I felt sorry for Joanie, who was clearly excited to enjoy the festival, but I needed to finish my business here as quickly as possible and leave. I tugged at Joanie¡¯s arm. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Pass on a message for me.¡± ¡°A message? Oh, to Celine?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± After hearing what I said, Joanie shed a mischievous smile. ¡°Say, ¡®Please, big sis~,¡¯ and I¡¯ll do it for you!¡± ¡°¡­¡± So the trantor I brought along for this kind of situation broke down. Facing an unexpected obstacle, I tilted my head in confusion. Uhm¡­ What should I do? As I pondered, a memory from the past came to mind. ¡®Oh no¡­¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ ¡®Oh, Vice-Captain. As you can see, the magic device is broken. If we continue like this, the mission will be impossible to proceed with¡­ Should we retreat?¡¯ ¡®Move aside.¡¯ ¡®Excuse me? What are you¡­ No, Captain! That¡¯s an expensive item! You can¡¯t just touch it recklessly!¡¯ ¡®You said it was broken anyway.¡¯ ¡®But hitting it like that¡­! Maybe a technician could¡¯ve fixed it, but if you keep pounding on it¡­.¡¯ ¡®¡­Just fixing it.¡¯ ¡®How is that fixing?! You¡¯re breaking¡ª¡¯ ¡®There, it¡¯s done.¡¯ ¡®¡­What the¡­? How is it working again? It shouldn¡¯t be possible¡­¡¯ ¡®If it¡¯s broken, just hit it.¡¯ ¡ªThat¡¯s right, that¡¯s what happened. The reason I remembered that incident was probably because I was meant to use the lesson I learned from it now. Yeah. That must be it. ¡°W-Wait! Let¡¯s just talk this out!¡± One thing¡¯s for sure, her ability to sense danger is unparalleled. I hadn¡¯t even raised my fist yet, but Joanie had already sensed my murderous intent and fled like a ghost was chasing her. Pretending to be disappointed, I looked away and nonchntly asked. ¡°Why did you suddenly run away?¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t act so innocent! I clearly felt it! That murderous intent from Kana¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just your imagination.¡± Even if I wasn¡¯t particrly observant, there¡¯s no way I¡¯dmit murder over something like this in the heart of the Holy Kingdom. ¡°¡­Where am I supposed to start with that?¡± ¡®Over something like this¡¯? Or maybe the part where I said ¡®in the Holy Kingdom¡¯? Joanie muttered quietly to herself. ¡°Ugh, forget it! So, what¡¯s this message you wanted to pass on?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fixed.¡± ¡°Huh? Fixed? What¡¯s fixed?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just ask if I can use a private prayer room.¡± ¡°A private prayer room?¡± I nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Given the time and content, using a private prayer room would be better than the public chapel, where others could see and hear. Of course, there was no guarantee that Edel would answer my question¡­ But if that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. ¡°Is Kana really that devout¡­?¡± Although she murmured skeptically, Joanie ryed my message to Celine. Celine, who listened intently, responded with a serious expression. ¡°It¡¯s usually only open to church members¡­ but I¡¯ll see if I can make an exception.¡± Joanie imitated Celine¡¯s tone as she delivered the response. Hmm, was that too much to ask for? Feeling a bit guilty, I nced at Celine, only to be met with the same serene smile I¡¯d seen for the past few days. I couldn¡¯t tell if she wasn¡¯t troubled at all or if she was just hiding it well. Unable to gauge her true feelings, I simply lowered my head and expressed my gratitude. ¡°Thank, you.¡± ¡°Thank you, yea.¡± ¡°Thank¡­ you?¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s nothing. But first¡­.¡± Celineughed and waved her hand, then pointed to one side. ¡°Shall we have a meal first?¡± *** ¡°Mmm~! This is delicious¡­!¡± ¡°Is it to your taste?¡± ¡°To my taste, you say.¡± Joanie put down her fork in response to Celine¡¯s question. Then, with raised eyebrows and a serious expression, she dered: ¡°Who could possibly say no to such exquisite food?¡± Celine¡¯s mood lifted as sheughed at Joanie¡¯s yfulment. ¡°I was worried it might not suit your pte, but I¡¯m relieved.¡± ¡°Not only did you provide us with a ce to stay, but you¡¯re also treating us to such a fine meal¡­ I feel like I¡¯m indebted to you.¡± ¡°As I mentioned before, the favor you two have done for me is far greater, so please don¡¯t worry about it. If anything, I feel sorry that this is all I can offer.¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®all¡¯? If it weren¡¯t for Celine, Kana and I might have ended up huddled together on the cold, hard ground for the night¡­ Although, when I think about it, that doesn¡¯t sound so bad either, does it?¡± Joanie trailed off mid-sentence, lost in thought. Kana watched her with a look of pity as she munched on a piece of bread. ¡°Judging by the fact that she¡¯s eating withoutint, it must be to Kana¡¯s taste as well. You might not know it, but she¡¯s actually quite picky.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get me started. She has the pte of a child and won¡¯t even touch vegetables. Do you know what she saidst time? She said¡ª¡± With her mouth running, Joanie went on and on. How much Kana disliked vegetables, how much she loved sweet things. After listening to Joanie¡¯s lengthy lecture on Kana¡¯s tastes, Celine¡¯s reaction was simple. ¡°She¡¯s adorable.¡± ¡°Eh¡ª?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think she¡¯s cute?¡± ¡°¡­Well, if you put it that way, she is kind of cute.¡± Whether it¡¯s the way she pouts at the sight of vegetables or the way she loses her mind over choctes. The gap between her usual demeanor and these reactions only entuates her cuteness further¡­ Joanie reluctantly agreed with Celine¡¯s words but couldn¡¯t hide her disappointment at not getting the reaction she wanted. Celine looked at Kana with warm eyes. ¡°I know how you feel, Joanie. You¡¯re worried about Kana¡¯s health, right?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s not exactly¡ª¡± Who¡¯s worried about whom? There are others to be concerned about, not me. Joanie was about to deny it jokingly, but Celine¡¯s next words came faster. ¡°We have children we take care of who are like that too. At first, I worried about them just as much as you do, but with time, they naturally overcame it. I¡¯m sure Kana will be the same.¡± ¡°R-right¡­.¡± Joanie broke out in a cold sweat at the unexpectedly serious response. ¡°That child over there, staring at us, was one of them too.¡± ¡°Celine¡­!¡± A young nun, who had been sneaking nces at Joanie¡¯s group from a nearby table, blushed deeply and ran off when Joanie looked her way. Watching her with a gentle smile, Celine turned back. ¡°So, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± It¡¯ll improve over time, huh. Joanie mulled over Celine¡¯s words and looked at Kana. Her expression was the same as always. But Joanie noticed it clearly. ¡®The angle of her eyebrows has risen by about one degree, and her lips are slightly more pouted.¡¯ And when she brings food to her mouth, unlike when she eats meat, there¡¯s a very brief pause before she eats. Putting it all together, Joanie came to the conclusion that Kana was currently displeased¡­! It was a conclusion drawn from Joanie¡¯s near-obsessive level of observational skills, which only activated when it came to Kana. Brrr¡ª ¡°¡­?¡± Kana shuddered slightly and looked around, seemingly sensing something off. Unable to find anything, she soon returned to eating. Joanie, anxious about her thoughts being exposed, finally let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I hope so.¡± Though, judging by how much she dislikes it, I¡¯m not so sure¡­ Crunch. Joanie swallowed her words along with the vegetables instead of voicing them. ¡°By the way, about what Kana asked for earlier. I found a solution.¡± ¡°What? Already?¡± It was good, but wasn¡¯t this too quick? Thinking so, Joanie ryed the news to Kana. ¡°But, I¡¯m not sure if Kana will like it¡­¡± Celine¡¯s gaze shifted to Kana. More precisely, on the nun¡¯s habit Kana was wearing. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Well¡ª¡± Celine hesitated, unable to speak freely. Growing frustrated, Joanie urged her to continue until she finally heard the answer. Upon hearing Celine¡¯s ¡®solution,¡¯ Joanie¡¯s thoughts were: ¡°¡­Will she ept that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± No one could say for certain. Kana, who had no idea what they were talking about, tilted her head in confusion. Chapter 57 Chapter 57 ¡°¡­What?¡± Kana furrowed her brows as she responded curtly. Her expression was far more dramatic than when she had to eat vegetables. ¡°So, Kana, you¡ª¡± ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m asking because I don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°¡­I thought so.¡± Hearing the noticeably sharper tone, Joanie started sweating nervously. Kana, who had subconsciously moved her hand to her waist, crossed her arms awkwardly when she didn¡¯t find anything there. Does she really hate it that much?Joanie couldn¡¯t really understand why. What Celine had asked of Kana was merely to pretend to be a nun. ¡°Why on earth do I have to pretend to be a nun?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about bing a nun, it¡¯s just pretending¡ª¡± ¡°Pretend or not, why do I have to do it at all?¡± In response to this valid question, Celine answered, ¡°As I mentioned earlier, the private prayer rooms are generally only avable to members of the Order.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°So, we have to be mindful when allowing outsiders into such a ce. It¡¯s to establish a minimum level of justification.¡± Kana listened intently to Celine¡¯s exnation, still with her arms crossed. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not like outsiders have never been allowed in before. If they¡¯ve made significant contributions to the Order or if it¡¯s for an exceptionally serious matter, permission can be granted.¡± ¡°An exceptionally serious matter?¡± ¡°A typical example would be cases rted to the racial wars.¡± If it¡¯s that serious, then I will personally take the issue to the Holy Father. When Celine said this, Kana fell silent for a moment. Then, the girl¡¯s response implicitly conveyed her refusal. ¡°Then what does ¡®significant contributions to the Order¡¯ mean?¡± ¡°It could be arge donation, or spreading the light of Edel far and wide¡­¡± Does Lady Kana fall into that category? Kana¡¯s answer was obviously ¡®no.¡¯ With such rules, there was nothing more to be said. In the end, Kana was the one who relented first. From the beginning, there was no way she could win a fight when she was asking for something on someone else¡¯s home turf. Still, she wasn¡¯tpletely defeated. She made onest attempt to resist. ¡°The Descent Festival is a huge event, so people from the Empire will definitelye. I have bad blood with them, so I can¡¯t risk being seen.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see, but this convent does not allow outsiders. You two are exceptions. If any problems arise, our Edel Church will support you.¡± ¡°¡­If no outsiders are allowed, there¡¯s no need to worry about being seen.¡± ¡°Attention doesn¡¯t onlye from outsiders, you know.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Every word she said was met with a perfectly prepared answer. Kana found herself speechless in no time. ¡°¡­What do I have to do?¡± To Joanie, Kana¡¯s disheartened expression made her look like a puppy with its tail drooping. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This is just to have a usible excuse. I won¡¯t make you do anything difficult.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re not lying, are you?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Celine¡¯s eyes curved gently as she spoke. Kana¡¯s body trembled as if she sensed a dark hand approaching her. *** ¡°Just sweep from here to there, and when you¡¯re done, wipe it down with this cloth.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Cleaning. ¡°We need to do theundry¡­ Can you help?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Laundry. ¡°Oh no¡­? We need to organize everything, but we¡¯re short on hands¡­¡± ¡°¡­Want me to help?¡± ¡°Oh, Sister, I appreciate the offer, but it¡¯s alright. These items are quite heavy, so it might be difficult for someone as young as you to help.¡± ¡°I can do it.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ No, no! If you get hurt¡ª ¡­Eh? How are you¡­?¡± ¡°I can lift this much.¡± ¡°My goodness¡­¡± Warehouse Organizing. Wearing the nun¡¯s habit, I went around the convent performing various menial tasks. Sweeping diligently, wiping, washingundry, organizing¡­ Watching me move around, Joanie made ament. ¡°¡­What the¡­? Why is she so good at this? I was expecting Kana to fumble around¡­¡± Tripping over a mop and falling. Breaking tes with a loud crash while washing dishes. Or carrying a pile of things only to drop them and end up on the verge of tears. ¡°¡­I was looking forward to seeing her act like a clumsy novice nun!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Isn¡¯t that beyond clumsy? More like aplete disaster. ¡°And then, after a series of mistakes, she¡¯d get scolded by a senior nun and lock herself up in her room, sobbing quietly. Then, the senior nun who scolded her would open the door, give her a warm hug and say¡­! Hehehe¡­¡± ¡°¡­Have you finally lost your mind?¡± This level of delusion is a mental illness. I shook my head. Up until now, I¡¯d lived a lifepletely unrted to being a nun. The same was true even in my past life. If anything, I was further removed from it back then. Because back then, due to the barriers of gender, I couldn¡¯t even consider bing a nun. But the things I was doing now were closer to what a maid would do than actual duties of a nun¡ªpetty chores. In a way, Celine had kept her promise not to give me any difficult tasks. ¡®Does this have any meaning?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s to show that even though you¡¯re not a believer, you have enough faith to experience what it¡¯s like to be a novice nun.¡¯ She¡¯dughed while exining that it was just for a minimum level of justification. Because of that, I wandered around the convent handling random chores scattered everywhere. Since the convent was quiterge, there were a lot of tasks, but it was nothing too difficult for me, having experienced the trials of the unknown heavens. If I would¡¯ve given up on something like this, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to live with Garid. Living with Garid, I¡¯d gotten used to all sorts of housework. So, Joanie¡¯s delusions were doomed to nevere true from the beginning. And even if I had caused all sorts of trouble and got scolded, I wouldn¡¯t have locked myself up in my room to cry. ¡°If you¡¯re going to say weird things, go away.¡± ¡°Huh? Will you be okay without me?¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t go away. Just stay quiet.¡± The reason Joanie was following me around, despite not needing to pretend to be a novice nun like I did, since she had no intention of using the private prayer room¡­ ¡®Everyone in the Holy Kingdom speaks Arkish, right? But you¡¯re still not very good at Arkish.¡¯ It was under the pretext of tranting, as I¡¯d struggle withmunication without her. That was why I brought her along from the start, so I had no reason to refuse. Although I didn¡¯t mind her just following along quietly, her constant chattering was starting to get a bit annoying. But I couldn¡¯t exactly get rid of her either. What a troublesome person she is. ¡®You¡¯ll get bored. Are you sure you¡¯ll be okay?¡¯ ¡®Hey, it¡¯s only a few days. I can endure that much for you, Kana.¡¯ ¡®¡­Hmph.¡¯ ¡­Still, I¡¯m a bit thankful. *** Squeeze¡ª Ssh. When I twisted the cloth with both hands, water poured out from it. It had already been three days since I started pretending to be a nun. ording to Celine, no matter how long it took, it wouldn¡¯t exceed four days, so today should be thest day of pretending to be a nun. ¡®¡­.¡¯ I really hope that¡¯s the case. I wonder how it¡¯ll turn out¡­ ¡°Oh, Sister! Are you finished?¡± As I was finishing up my cleaning, the nun who assigned me the task approached me with a bright smile. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not a sister.¡± I repeated the words I¡¯d grown tired of saying over the past few days. I knew that ¡°sister¡± didn¡¯t necessarily refer to nuns. ¡°With how well the habit suits you, that¡¯s a shame.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± But they definitely meant it with that implication when they said it to me. Even though they knew I wasn¡¯t an actual nun, just wearing a habit and working with them made them treat me like some new recruit. ¡­Why? I¡¯d asked Celine that question before, but she just smiled and didn¡¯t give me an answer. ¡°You did a great job. Would you like some candy?¡± ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Chomp. Still, I¡¯ll take the candy. Munch. Munch. Instead of using my dirty hands from cleaning, I received the candy directly in my mouth and rolled the sweet treat around as I scanned the hallway. A sparkling, clean hallway. No one would be able to im it wasn¡¯t cleaned properly. If anyone did, they¡¯d have to fall into one of two categories. Either they¡¯re someone who just wants to nitpick no matter what, or their standard of cleanliness ispletely opposite to everyone else¡¯s. The nun in front of me didn¡¯t fit into either of those categories. ¡°Your cleaning skills never cease to amaze me, Kana. It¡¯s almost a shame to even step on these floors.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just the basics. But, what brings you here?¡± It doesn¡¯t seem like she came to check on whether I¡¯m doing well or not. ¡°Oh, look at me, how forgetful.¡± The nun pped her hands together. ¡°Sister Celine has called for you.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡­Finally. Although Celine had said it before, things don¡¯t always go the way you want them to. I was prepared to work for another day if things didn¡¯t go as nned. I¡¯m d things worked out just as she said they would. ¡°That¡¯s great! Isn¡¯t it, Kana?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Joanie had tried to hide it, but it was clear she¡¯d been getting more and more bored as the days went by. Unlike me, she didn¡¯t even have the work to keep herself busy. It must have been so dull that, at one point, she took up a broom and joined me in cleaning, even though I hadn¡¯t asked. With our rare agreement on something, Joanie and I hurried over to where Celine was. ¡®¡­Wait a minute.¡¯ I didn¡¯t ask why she called me, did I? There¡¯s no way she called me over just to say, ¡°Please hang in there a little longer,¡± right? ¡°Thank you for all your hard work so far.¡± Thankfully, my worry didn¡¯t be a reality. ¡°You may now use the prayer room¡­ Would you like to use it today?¡± ¡°I can?¡± ¡°Yes. If you wish, you can use it right away.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go now.¡± Even if it¡¯s already muchter than I initially expected, there¡¯s no reason to dy any further. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting in the room, so take your time!¡± With Joanie¡¯s cheerful send-off, I followed Celine and arrived at the prayer room. It¡¯s a ce dedicated to a deity, after all, so it wouldn¡¯t make sense ifnguage alone mademunication impossible, right? ¡°Then, I¡¯ll take my leave now¡­.¡± After guiding me here, Celine left, as if her task wasplete. The prayer room became a space for only me. Well, it is a private prayer room, so it would be strange if I weren¡¯t alone. How much effort did I go through just to get in here? There was only a statue of Edel and a single cushion in the prayer room. I couldn¡¯t decide if it felt too barren or perhaps serene. With a mix of emotions, I carefully knelt down on the cushion. ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± I awkwardly sped my hands together, imitating the believers of the Edel Church, and hesitated for a moment. How should I start? I had many questions I wanted to ask, but now that I¡¯m here, I don¡¯t know where to begin. ¡°¡­Hello.¡± After some contemtion, I settled on a casual greeting you¡¯d give to a friend. If my greeting bothers them enough to respond, wouldn¡¯t that be a good thing? ¡°¡­.¡± No response came. I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t disappointed, but I was already prepared, so the disappointment wasn¡¯t overwhelming. I sighed and opened my eyes. And then. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Hmm, are you done already?¡± I found myself staring into a pair of eyes looking down at me, spinning with amusement. ¡­Wait a minute. ¡­Is that Arkish? Chapter 58 Chapter 58 ¡°¡­Pfft.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The sudden appearance of a figure speaking Arkish in the empty prayer room left me stunned. ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯m just kidding, kidding. As you thought, there¡¯s no way a god would be restricted by anguage created by humans, right?¡± ¡°¡­Edel?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Edel!¡± The woman, Edel, cheerfully made a V-sign with her fingers near her eyes. Given the divine aura emanating from her and the strange presence distinct from regr people, it seems she really is Edel. ¡­So, she¡¯s a god? This person?¡°¡­¡®This person?¡¯ Isn¡¯t that a bit too harsh?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I was certainly thinking that, but I didn¡¯t say it out loud. ¡­Come to think of it, she did say earlier, ¡®As you thought, there¡¯s no way a god would be restricted by a humannguage.¡¯ Could it be¡­ she¡¯s reading my thoughts? ¡°Correct~! Though I can¡¯t read everything. Our cute little canary¡¯s skills are so refined that it¡¯s not easy for me to read your thoughts.¡± ¡°So, you really are Edel.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I said, didn¡¯t I?¡± She did say that. It¡¯s just that I couldn¡¯t believe a god would behave in such a carefree manner. To be honest, instead of calling her a god, it feels more like I¡¯m talking to an unemployed person I might see in any vige. ¡°¡­Hey, you didn¡¯t forget that I can read your thoughts, did you?¡± I know. It¡¯s actually convenient. ¡°You¡¯re such a curious child.¡± Most people would feel ufortable if they knew their thoughts were being read, but not only do you not mind, you actually find it convenient. With a faint smile, Edel looked down at me with her mysterious silver eyes. ¡°But still, could you try to speak out loud? Like I said earlier, it¡¯s not easy for me to read your thoughts.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Good, good. So, what was it that brought our little canary all the way here? What were you so curious about?¡± Given that she can read my thoughts, she probably already knows why I came here, but Edel still asked me with a yful tone, pretending not to know anything. What am I curious about¡­? I came all the way to this holynd with the sole purpose of asking Edel my questions, but I never imagined that the god would appear before me in person. Even if I were to get an answer, I had only expected something like an oracle¡ª ¡°An oracle isn¡¯t something you should dismiss as ¡®merely an oracle,¡¯ is it?¡± ¡­Anyway, because of her unexpected appearance, I lost myposure and forgot everything I had prepared to ask, so I needed some time to gather my thoughts. It didn¡¯t take long to recall what I¡¯d been thinking about for so long. I was able to speak up soon enough. ¡°¡ªAre you the administrator?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Edel, who had been smiling, froze as if she had been caught off guard by my question. Just like I had earlier, Edel appeared to be sorting through her thoughts. After a moment, she finally spoke. ¡°I know you have a habit of speaking like that, but could you at least call me Edel? I¡¯m still a god, after all. It¡¯s not very dignified.¡± Edel started with words that seemed unrted to my question and took light steps. She walked over to the statue crafted in her likeness and leaned against it. I hadn¡¯t realized before meeting her in person, but the statue of Edel and her actual appearance were quite different. To be honest, if someone told me to find Edel based on the statue, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to. Then again, how many people have actually seen Edel in person? Most of those who have seen her are probably long gone. Thinking that made me realize just how extraordinary the current situation was. ¡°You say that, but you don¡¯t seem particrly moved by it. Anyway, there¡¯s no point in denying it now, is there? I didn¡¯t expect you to ask so bluntly.¡± Edel, who had spoken reluctantly, let out a small sigh. ¡°When did you start suspecting?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± If I had to pinpoint when it began, it might have been when I ate that outrageously spicy fried rice. The intense heat that awakened forgotten memories was not something you could easily experience in the world of Silia. But that alone wouldn¡¯t have made me suspicious. ¡°It doesn¡¯t add up. So many people came over from a continent across the sea that we didn¡¯t even know existed, and you granted them blessings.¡± ¡°The Demons came over that way too, didn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°But the Demons weren¡¯t epted that easily.¡± Why do you think two wars between different races broke out? It happened because the native people of Silia couldn¡¯t ept the Demons who were trying to settle on the Ardina Continent. Of course, I know well why the people of Silia were so adamantly opposed to the Demons¡¯ settlement, so I¡¯m not trying to me them. I¡¯m just stating the facts. ¡°Even considering the fact that you, Edel, gave them blessings, it¡¯s strange that so many Apostles settled here without causing muchmotion.¡± And that wasn¡¯t the only strange thing. ¡°Even if we take into ount that they came from another continent, their mannerisms were too different from those of the people of Silia, their growth rate was abnormally fast, and the power of resurrection, which is almost never mentioned in the continent¡¯s history books¡­¡± This was just listing a few of the main points; if I wanted, I could have gone on listing oddities forever. Even though I¡¯ve only recently started interacting with the Apostles, I could still sense that something was off, but the people who had been dealing with them far more often than I have didn¡¯t seem to feel much of a disconnect. They just brushed it off with, ¡°Well, they¡¯re Edel¡¯s Apostles, so that¡¯s probably why.¡± That reaction only deepened my suspicion. And¡ª ¡°What confirmed my suspicions was Joanie¡¯s behavior.¡± Joanie¡¯s actions and words nailed the final piece of my doubt in ce. No matter how much someone likes talking to themselves, she did it way too often. Almost as if she were conversing with someone. Even if she wasn¡¯t, her words and actions were enough to stir a sense of nostalgia for a distant home deep within my memories. That was one of the reasons why I decided to apany her. ¡°If you were suspicious, why didn¡¯t you mention it to her?¡± ¡°If this really is a world inside a game, like I suspect, nothing good woulde of me talking about it.¡± A character in a game realizing that they¡¯re just a part of a game and then speaking to the yer about it? Unless it was designed to happen that way, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for them to be deleted immediately. To think I would remember something like this when most other things are hazy. My past self must have really been into games. ¡°Heeh¡­ But if what you say is true, wouldn¡¯t you still be in danger right now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± For all I know, my current thoughts might also be manipted by someone else. Maybe I¡¯m just a character with the concept of ¡®a man from Earth reincarnated into another world.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯d rather die than live as a puppet being controlled. I just didn¡¯t want to die before learning the truth.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re not a puppet. If I had to describe you¡­ I¡¯d say you¡¯re more like a sword.¡± ¡°A sword?¡± A sword that¡¯s been well-forged and tucked away in one¡¯s bosom, prepared to face any danger. Edel, having said something cryptic, continued speaking. ¡°To put it simply, you¡¯re half right and half wrong. Just as you suspected, this world is indeed a game, but¡­¡± Edel spun around once. Was it just my imagination, or did she seem more transparent than before? ¡°¡­It¡¯s also a real world.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± It¡¯s either a yes or a no; there¡¯s no ¡®half fried, half seasoned¡¯ kind of answer for this! I couldn¡¯t help but grumble, and Edel let out a bitter smile. ¡°Don¡¯t think too hard about it. Just think of it like this: people from another world came to a real world. That¡¯s all.¡± Unlike you, they came over through the medium of a game. She exined it, but I still couldn¡¯t fully ept it. ¡°Is that even possible?¡± If what she says is true, doesn¡¯t that mean Earth¡¯s technology had advanced to the point where they could turn an entire other world into a game? How much time must have passed since I died for that to be possible? ¡°Of course, it¡¯s impossible. No matter how much technology advances, it can¡¯tpare to the power of a god, can it?¡± Edel agreed quickly. ¡°This world was originally fine, and my powers were intact. You know this, don¡¯t you? The beings that weren¡¯t created by me, the beings that aren¡¯t of this world. The ones that invade from other dimensions.¡± With her words, something shed through my mind. It wasn¡¯t hard to recall since I¡¯d fought against one of them not long ago. ¡°I¡¯ve been fighting them for a very long time. If you think of it in human terms¡­ for over hundreds of years. But I was ultimately defeated. The result of that defeat was¡ª¡± ¡°Dimensional Creatures.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Her reply was crisp and clear, almost refreshing. Dimensional Creatures first appeared on the continent when I was four years old, so it¡¯s only been about thirteen years since then. So that¡¯s when Edel was defeated. ¡°Those beings consumed, destroyed, and corrupted my world. And when a world crumbles, a god¡¯s power naturally diminishes as well.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s when people from Earth took advantage of that and turned this world into a game?¡± ¡°Huh? No, no! Even if my power isn¡¯t what it used to be, there¡¯s no way mere humans could have done that to me!¡± ¡°Then why did it turn out like this?¡± ¡°Pfft, are you getting upset? How cute.¡± Edel immediately picked up on my irritation and chuckled. No, it¡¯s not as if she¡¯s keenly perceptive¡ªit¡¯s because she¡¯s an actual god. I looked at her with displeasure. ¡°I made the choice to turn this world into a game. I believed it was the best option.¡± ¡°¡­Turning it into a game was the best option?¡± ¡°I made a contract with the god of Earth¡­ or, to put it in your terms, the Administrator.¡± With a strangely forlorn expression, she spoke. ¡°I turned Silia, a world I loved so dearly, into a game and bound it to their world. In exchange, they allowed it to continue existing.¡± If I hadn¡¯t done so, the only thing awaiting this world would have been destruction. Her voice, as she said this, was filled with countless emotions. ¡°So, that¡¯s why I said you were half right and half wrong. I¡¯m both the administrator of the game-world ¡®Silia Online¡¯ and its god.¡± How does it feel to have solved the problem? Do you feel good? Do you feel it was anticlimactic? Do you feel relieved? I replied to Edel, who was looking at me curiously. ¡°To be honest.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± ¡°It sucks.¡± ¡°Hahaha! Right? I thought so too!¡± Edel burst intoughter, clutching her sides. ¡­What¡¯s so funny? I really don¡¯t get it. Chapter 59 Chapter 59 World and Dimensions. They aren¡¯t exactly the same thing, but exining the difference between the two would require too much detail, so let¡¯s move on¡ª A god like Edel, who oversees an entire world, can perceive beings from other dimensions. ¡°But they only have knowledge of them. Gods don¡¯t interact with other dimensions. The risks are too high to cross the dimensional barrier just for idle conversation.¡± If Edel had taken that risk andmunicated with other dimensions, would the current situation have been different? It could have made things worse, bringing about an even greater catastrophe, or perhaps knowing about the Dimensional Creatures in advance might have allowed everyone to prepare, preventing any mishaps. One way or another, things would have been different. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly how the Dimensional Creatures came to be, but I do know what they want.¡± They invade other dimensions and absorb the energy of those dimensions.When a dimension¡¯s energy is drained, it gradually falls ill and ultimately meets its end. Just like the current state of Silia. ¡°I should have blocked them from entering from the start. By the time I realized, it was already toote.¡± Catching a rat that sneaks into your storage is a hassle, but it¡¯s doable. However, if the rats in your storage aren¡¯t just a handful but so many that you lose count, in the dozens, hundreds, or even more¡ª And if you keep catching them but they just keeping from some unknown hole that you can¡¯t block¡ª Then burning down the entire storage and rebuilding it from scratch might be the better solution. Or, you build a new storage and move everything inside to the new one. The Dimensional Creatures were like that. The only difference was that unlike a storage, a world cannot be destroyed and remade, nor can you simply move its contents elsewhere. After a long, arduous battle against the Dimensional Creatures, Edel chose to continue existing by submitting her world to another. A god has immense pride. And their pride in the world they¡¯ve created is no less. For such a god to swallow that pride and decide to subjugate her world to another, it only proves how much Edel loves the world she created. ¡­Or so she says. As I quietly listened to Edel¡¯s story, I suddenly interjected. ¡°So, Dimensional Creatures are that dangerous, huh?¡± I already knew they were dangerous, but to think Edel, of all beings, would be pushed to the brink like this¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but wonder. For someone who¡¯s said to be on the verge of downfall, the pressure she exudes is far stronger than anyone I¡¯ve met so far. It¡¯s hard to believe that she was overwhelmed by beings I could handle by myself. ¡°Of course, the strong ones are licking their wounds after battling me. It¡¯s not like I got beaten down without putting up a fight, you know?¡± ¡°But you lost in the end.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m going back.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°¡­Anyway! That¡¯s partly why. And since the hole in the dimensional barrier isn¡¯t that big yet, the really dangerous ones haven¡¯t crossed over. But as time goes on, stronger ones will starting through. When that happens, the rate at which this world falls into ruin will only speed up.¡± Tick-tock, tick-tock. Edel imitated the sound of a clock ticking. ¡°It¡¯s like having a ticking time bomb, I suppose?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t subjugating yourself to Earth solve the problem?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, no. That was just a way to slow down the timer on that time bomb. Unless the root of the problem is resolved, it¡¯ll eventually go boom¡ª!¡± ¡°¡­Why are you telling me all this?¡± Not only did she descend in person, but she¡¯s also exining all of this to me. Isn¡¯t this way too much kindness for just one human? Edel, who had been fiddling with the statue, approached me softly. Step by step. The closer she got, the more emotions I could read in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re already aware, aren¡¯t you? You are my sword.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°To kill those that ruined my world, I¡¯m willing to extend this level of kindness and more.¡± Her eyes, which always held a yful glimmer, revealed a sliver of deep-seated emotions that she had kept hidden. For a moment, I couldn¡¯t say anything. I never expected a god, who is fundamentally different from any mortal being, to show such human emotions. But that glimpse was fleeting. Quickly regaining herposure, Edel returned to her yful self, a mischievous smile curling on her lips once more. ¡°So, so, do you have any more questions? Feel free to ask anything. For my little bird, I¡¯ll tell you whatever you want to know.¡± ¡°Decide, am I your ¡®little bird¡¯ or your sword?¡± I guess it¡¯s only natural there¡¯s a reason behind her kindness. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m supposed to defeat beings that even a god couldn¡¯t ovee, but since she¡¯s gone this far, there¡¯s no need to refuse her offer. I did have a lot of questions, after all. This works out perfectly. Swoosh¡ª ¡°Alright then, what are you trying to aplish through the Apostles¡­ I mean, the yers? Is it your doing that no one else finds them odd? If so, did you arrange it so that I¡¯m the only one who can tell something¡¯s off? And¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªWait, wait, hold up!¡± Edel frantically waved her hand to cut off my barrage of questions. Sweat trickled down her forehead as she spoke. ¡°¡­Can you ask them one at a time? If you ask like that, I can¡¯t answer properly.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you a god? Can¡¯t handle this?¡± ¡°Ugh, you really are an annoying little brat.¡± ¡­If it weren¡¯t for that fact, I¡¯d have knocked you on the head already. Edel mumbled softly to herself, her voice so faint it was almost inaudible. But it was only for a moment. In an instant, her face softened, exuding an aura of benevolence. Her smile was so gentle, it seemed almost divine, and the atmosphere shifted dramatically. ¡°Is that what you really want to know?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± I felt my breath catch in my throat at her counter-question. ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡­None of that really matters. What I truly want to ask is¡ª ¡°¡­Why did Garid have to die?¡± If she has the power to grant such abilities to countless yers, saving a single person should¡¯ve been nothing. Even in game terms, it¡¯s just reviving a mere NPC, isn¡¯t it? Were the lives of the people in Silia nothing more than expendable entertainment for Earthlings? ¡°Calm down for a second.¡± ¡°I am calm.¡± ¡°Do you really think saying that with such a fierce look on your face makes you seem calm at all?¡± My face? When I raised my hand to touch my face, I felt the familiar texture of my soft skin under my fingertips. It didn¡¯t feel any different from usual. ¡°It¡¯s true that I possess the power to resurrect.¡± ¡°Then¡ª¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve never used it to satisfy personal desires. I would never break the cycle of life and death I created with my own hands. Do you know how troublesome and exhausting it is to bend the established rules?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s what the historical records said.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because either the person in question wasn¡¯t really dead, or they paid a massive price to twist the rules. If you¡¯ve read the historical records, you should have an idea of what they sacrificed.¡± I snapped back at her, agitated. ¡°I know that much¡ª¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡± Edel firmly cut me off. ¡°Maybe in the future, but right now, you¡¯re not strong enough to break the rules.¡± ¡°¡­Then what about the Apostles¡ª I mean, yers? They¡­! They¡¯re barely able to handle a single monster¡ª!¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± ¡°Calm¡­? Do I look like I can calm down right now?¡± ¡°See? You said you were calm, but you¡¯re not calm at all.¡± Edel sighed, as if she were dealing with a troublesome child, before continuing. ¡°I hate to admit it, but it wasn¡¯t something I aplished alone. It was the result of cooperating with Earth¡¯s Administrator.¡± Even though Silia is subjugated to Earth, Edel still retains authority over Silia. Likewise, the only entity able to interfere with humans from Earth is Earth¡¯s Administrator. Thus, the two of them worked together. ¡°They breathe like people, talk like people, move like people, but the Apostles¡¯ bodies aren¡¯t their real bodies. When the concept of ¡®death¡¯ doesn¡¯t exist, how can the concept of ¡®resurrection¡¯ exist?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± From the start, she never granted them the power of resurrection. ¡­Then why did Ie this far? When I first heard about the Apostles from the cksmith, I just wanted to confront Edel. But as time passed, I started to suspect that this world might really be a game. Rather than dying anding back to life, maybe it just looked that way, as Edel said. ¡°¡­Ha.¡± I let out a bitterugh, almost involuntarily. ¡­Why am I so disappointed now, when I¡¯d already thought that was the case? Maybe, deep down, I wanted Edel to acknowledge the unfairness and bring Garid back. Or perhaps I just needed a target to vent this boiling resentment toward. But after hearing Edel¡¯s words¡ª ¡°This way, I can¡¯t even resent you¡­.¡± I couldn¡¯t hold any resentment toward Edel. Somewhere in my mind, I unconsciously acknowledged that she had done her best in her own way. ¡°¡­.¡± I felt everything I¡¯d been holding onto crumble away. After leaving Garid¡¯s side, it was only this goal that kept me going. What do I do now? ¡­It felt as though the only light that had been guiding me had been extinguished, and a suffocating darkness settled in my heart. ¡°This isn¡¯t what you really wanted, is it?¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± Edel casually reached out to me. You¡¯re saying that¡¯s not what I wanted? Her statement, which directly contradicted my own feelings, made me reflexively respond. ¡°If that¡¯s not what I wanted, then what is it?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that something you should know? How would I know what¡¯s in your heart?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± She can read thoughts, and yet¡ª After saying something like that, she still spoke so indifferently. Edel¡¯s sudden counter-question snapped me out of my growing sense of emptiness. I raised my head in disbelief and looked up at her without bothering to hide my annoyance, but she just continued to smile at me with that same soft smile. ¡°Why do you think you came here with Joanie?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s because I needed someone to act as a trantor and to confirm if my suspicions were correct¡­.¡± ¡°If that were all, wouldn¡¯t there have been a simpler way? For example¡ª¡± Crackle! Edel¡¯s body suddenly sparked, and in the next moment, her previously clear form turned faint, almost transparent, as if the scenery behind her could shine through. ¡°It seems like that¡¯s all for today. Whew, calming down a child is really difficult. I¡¯m starting to respect humans all of a sudden.¡± ¡°What? Wait a minute¡­!¡± ¡°Even if you say that, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡± ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you say I could ask you everything I wanted?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect time would run out this quickly either.¡± Edel smiled sheepishly, saying, ¡°Sorry!¡± and winked with a yful expression. But even as she smiled, her figure continued to blur until she was barely discernible. ¡°¡­Three days. I should be able to recover enough in about three days. Come back then, and think deeply about what I said until then. If you have the resolve¡ª¡± Edel¡¯s words were abruptly cut off, and she vanished. The divine power that had filled the prayer room dissipated, leaving only traces of the sacred energy she had shed swirling in the air. In the prayer room, now suddenly enveloped in silence, I remained on my knees, blinking quietly. ¡°¡­So, what was it that I wanted?¡± For some reason, I felt as though Edel was smiling at me. *** *** *** Joanie¡¯s mood was exceptionally good today. ¡°Mmm¡­!¡± She woke up refreshed, after a sleep sofortable it could only be described as blissful. ¡°Ah, twin yolks!¡± She cracked an egg for breakfast, and it turned out to be a double yolk. ¡°Eh? Really? I actually won?!¡± She even received a call that she¡¯d won a prize from a raffle she¡¯d entered just for fun. After a series of small strokes of good luck like that, Joanie thought: ¡°Today¡¯s definitely going to be a perfect day¡­!¡± One of those rare, wless days that onlyes a few times a year. But she had overlooked something important. ¡°Ka-Kana?¡± Just because a day starts well doesn¡¯t mean it will end well. You know, like how they say the first impulse is just a fluke, or even if you buy takeout, you might not get to eat it¡­? There are so many sayings and instances that prove this to be true. Joanie, who had been chatting with her viewers in her room, turned to wee Kana with a cheerful face when she heard the door open, but upon seeing Kana¡¯s expression, she froze in aical, awkward pose. ¡°¡­You.¡± Kana¡¯s lips moved slightly, as if she were about to say something, but then she remained silent and threw herself onto the bed. Thud! She then pulled the nket over her head. Joanie muttered as she looked at the bulging nket. ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡ªTeenage angst? ¡ªPff, Kana¡¯s sulking. ¡ªThat¡¯s exactly how my little sister acts. ¡°Teenage angst¡­? Teenage angst?¡± ¡­Is Kana even at that age? Even if it was teenage angst, can someone who was perfectly fine until this morning suddenly act like this? ¡ªThat¡¯s what teenage angst is. ¡ªThey get upset for no reason, yeah. ¡ªI mean, that¡¯s just the nature of puberty. ¡°No, what I¡¯m asking is, does teenage angst start out of nowhere like this? Kana may have been a little rebellious, but she wasn¡¯t the type to act emotionally.¡± ¡ªWell, there¡¯s that¡­ ¡ªYep, that¡¯s a fact. ¡ªWho knows. ¡°¡­Sigh, I¡¯m the fool for trying to reason with you guys.¡± Joanie sighed deeply and turned her gaze away from the chat window. Could it be that she was just heartbroken because she didn¡¯t get what she wanted? But it didn¡¯t seem like disappointment. Analyzing Kana¡¯s behavior, Joanie finally raised the white g in defeat. The one thing she was sure of was that the Kana she¡¯d seen in the morning and the Kana she was seeing now seemed likepletely different people. ¡°I wanted to watch the Descent Festival with her¡­.¡± Joanie, who usually clung to Kana and whined and threw tantrums, couldn¡¯t bring herself to do that now. Everyone has their own line that shouldn¡¯t be crossed. Even a normally calm person can be a beast if someone crosses that line. The boundary in Kana¡¯s heart, as Joanie saw it, was usually set very high. It was low in some ces, but for the most part, it was too high to cross unless you deliberately tried to provoke her. But today, Kana¡¯s line was so low it seemed to sink underground. Approaching her now would definitely lead to trouble. With that realization, Joanie gulped. The sense of crisis she felt now was on apletely different level than when she¡¯d eaten that impossibly spicy Phoenix Fried Rice. ¡°¡­I guess it¡¯s okay to just let today pass! Yeah!¡± You¡¯ve been struggling for days, right? Just think of today as a day off! No way she¡¯ll be like this tomorrow too, right? Joanie tried to ignore the nagging anxiety creeping up on her and forced a smile. Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Joanie¡¯s prediction turned out to be¡­pletely off the mark. No, it was worse than just off. ¡°Kana, dinner¡­?¡± ¡°Not hungry.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re not eating¡­? Okay, got it.¡± Even during dinnertime¡­ ¡°Kana¡­ I want to lie down, can you scoot over a little¡­?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Ahaha, I suddenly feel like sleeping in a sleeping bag. I¡¯ll just sleep in the sleeping bag!¡±And even at bedtime. ¡°Good morning, both of you! ¡­Huh? Is Kana still asleep?¡± ¡°Looks like it¡­.¡± Even when Celine came by in the morning. Kana kept herself buried under the nket, refusing to show her face. It¡¯s already been two days since Joanie started waiting for her, thinking, she¡¯ll get over it eventually. She thought it would only take a few hours, or at most a day for Kana to calm down. But now, two nights have passed, and there¡¯s still no sign of her mood clearing up¡ªjust like a never-ending rainy season in the middle of summer. If it was only a bad mood, that would¡¯ve been fine. But Kana hadn¡¯t eaten in two days, hadn¡¯t gone to the bathroom, and hadn¡¯t even poked her head out from under the nket. If not for the asional rise and fall of the nket, Joanie would have started to worry that Kana might actually be dead. How can someone be like this? How can someone stay still like that under a nket for several days without moving? Joanie¡¯s concern had now turned into amazement. In fact, she had already tried to lift the nket off Kana once. ¡°Kana-ya~¡± ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± But Kana, like a ghost sensing her movements, had coldly shut down the attempt with a chilling warning. ¡°What in the world happened to make her act like this?¡± The audience of Joanie¡¯s broadcast started to lean more and more towards the theory that Kana was going through adolescence. ¡°Even if it¡¯s adolescence, staying like that for days doesn¡¯t make sense, does it?¡± ¡ª ¡°Adolescence can be different for everyone.¡± ¡ª ¡°Maybe she¡¯s going through a rough phase.¡± ¡°A rough phase¡­?¡± ¡ª ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you at least try to get her to eat something¡­? She hasn¡¯t eaten in days.¡± ¡ª ¡°I want to feed her, too¡­ but what can I do when she¡¯s like this?¡± Joanie¡¯s gaze drifted to Kana, buried under the nket. At this point, she wondered if the nket was like a turtle shell that had be part of her body. Kana¡­ Canaria¡­ Turtle¡­. With a thoughtful hum, Joanie propped her chin on her hand. Should she call her ¡°Ka-bok¡± (Kana + turtle) or ¡°Kana-bok¡±? (Turtle in korean is ??? pronounced ¡®Geobok-ee¡¯ therefore the ¡®bok¡¯) ¡ª ¡°Both sound awful.¡± ¡ª ¡°LMAO.¡± ¡ª ¡°Joanie, if you ever have a kid, make sure to go to a naming center to get help, okay?¡± ¡°Hey, let¡¯s see how good you guys are at naming things!¡± ¡ª ¡°We¡¯re not going to name anything.¡± ¡ª ¡°Us? Name something? Why?¡± ¡ª ¡°Legendary naming skills right here.¡± ¡°¡­These annoying little brats!¡± ¡­Wasn¡¯t that a good name, though? ¡°Kana-bok¡±¡­ it sounds kinda cute. Imagining Kana with just her head and arms sticking out from under the nket, Joanie¡¯s lips curved into a smile. ¡ª ¡°Look at her having strange thoughts again.¡± ¡ª ¡°Officer! There¡¯s a pervert over here!¡± ¡ª ¡°The pr bear cries again today.¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s not like that! Stop making the pr bear cry!¡± Joanie thought of Kana only as a little sister, someone she cherished¡ªnot in any weird way. A ban would be too harsh, so she decided just to mute the environmental activist worrying about the pr bear¡¯s wellbeing. ¡ª ¡°Someone died!¡± ¡ª ¡°Waaaahhh!!!¡± ¡ª ¡°Give me back my friend!!!¡± ¡°If you guys don¡¯t want the same fate, you better behave.¡± Joanie waved her fingers in a threatening manner. But, I really do need to do something¡­. She felt like Kana would hiss at her like a defensive cat the moment she tried to do anything. Just moments ago, she was thinking of Kana as a turtle, but now she found herself picturing her as a wary cat. Hmm, a cat, huh? Joanie pped her hands. ¡°What about ¡®Ka-nyang¡¯? Like Kana plus cat! It¡¯s not that different from her original name, and it sounds kinda cute, don¡¯t you think?¡± (Cat in korean is ??? pronounced ¡®khoyang-ee or Goyang-ee¡¯ therefore the ¡®nyang¡¯, also referring to the sounds cat make written as ¡®Nyang¡¯ in Korean) This time, the viewers didn¡¯t react too negatively. ¡ª ¡°Kana-nyang sounds pretty good. If you say it fast, it kind of sounds like ¡®Ka-nyang-nyang¡¯.¡± ¡ª ¡°Whatever it is, it¡¯s better than ¡®Ka-bok¡¯ lol.¡± ¡ª ¡°It sounds good, but your exnation is kinda cringy.¡± ¡ª ¡°Anyway, so what are you gonna do about it?¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± Joanie snapped back to reality, her thoughts about turtles and cats fading into the background. That wasn¡¯t the issue right now. Thinking that maybe Celine might know something, she asked her for help. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know what happened in the prayer room¡­.¡± With Celine bowing her head in apology, Joanie found herself bowing in return, feeling the need to apologize too. There were no good ideas, no one to help, and even when relying on collective wisdom, the ideas were unsatisfactory. Joanie could only sigh in frustration. ¡­Did she really meet a god? She was so desperate that such an absurd thought crossed her mind. Of course, it was quickly dismissed as nonsense. The room was bustling with activity. Joanie turned her gaze to the window. Unlike her troubled thoughts, the faces of the people outside were filled with excitement and joy. The usually quiet atmosphere of the convent seemed unusually lively today. And for good reason. ¡°This looks like fun¡­.¡± The grand festival of the Ardina Continent, spanning across the sacred kingdom, had begun¡ªthe Descent Festival. Joanie had been looking forward to this day ever since she first heard about the festival. She had eagerly anticipated wandering the festival hand-in-hand with Kana. But now, Joanie¡¯s disappointment was palpable as she stared out the window, watching the festivities. Suddenly, she shouted out loud. ¡°¡­No! It¡¯s too early to give up!¡± Back when Kana was still known as the Gravekeeper, Joanie never expected to get this close to the small girl. Sure, she had climbed up that hill to befriend her, but there was no guarantee it would work. She could have easily given up once Kana stopped responding. If she had settled for just being satisfied with basicmunication, she wouldn¡¯t have experienced traveling with Kana or sharing a room together as they did now. Persistence and sticking it out had led to sess. ¡°I¡¯ve endured far worse since I was young¡­ I can do this!¡± With determination zing in her eyes, Joanie clenched her fists. Sometimes it¡¯s helpful to leave people alone to sort out their emotions, but there are times when having someone pull you out can be even more helpful. Resolving to be that someone, Joanie took a step toward the bed. ¡°¡­Kana, I¡¯m sorry in advance.¡± With those brief words, Joanie lifted the nket. Swoosh! In an instant, a chilling sensation swept over her, and she turned sharply. That quick movement saved her life. Rustle¡ª Whoosh! ¡°¡­!¡± The nket pieces fluttered through the air, and a hot, stinging sensation burned across her cheek. It wasn¡¯t until she saw the trickling blood that Joanie fully grasped what had happened. The nket she had dropped hit the ground, and Kana, who had been curled up underneath it, was now pointing a sword at her, eyes cold. ¡°I told you¡­ not to do that.¡± Her voice was colder than it had ever been, colder even than when they first met. Had Joanie not turned in time, the sword¡¯s path would¡¯ve been unmistakably lethal. As Joanie traced the imagined trajectory of the de, her hair stood on end. Until now, no matter how much Joanie annoyed Kana, she had only ever been met with verbal threats or yful, harmless attacks. But this time, Kana¡¯s attack was filled with actual intent to kill. ¡°Anyway, you¡­©¤©¤©¤.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Kana¡¯s small lips kept moving, but no sound was reaching Joanie. No, it wasn¡¯t that there was no sound¡ªit was that she couldn¡¯t understand it. Confused and wide-eyed, Joanie nced at the chat. ¡ª ¡°Damn¡­.¡± ¡ª ¡°Kana¡¯s out of control.¡± ¡ª ¡°Did she almost die for real just now?¡± ¡ª ¡°I didn¡¯t even see the attacking.¡± ¡ª ¡°This is giving me PTSD from raids.¡± But the chat was only discussing the recent attack from Kana, with no mention of her words. Enough time had passed for Kana¡¯s voice to be broadcasted, yet there was no response to what she had said. ¡°¡­So that¡¯s how it is.¡± Kana, seemingly frustrated that her words weren¡¯t getting across, stopped speaking, scratched her neck in annoyance, and then lowered her hand upon feeling the choker under her fingers. ¡°We¡¯re done ying.¡± ¡°W-what do you mean?¡± Done ying? Joanie¡¯s mind went nk from the shock. It wasn¡¯t the idea that Kana had thought of their time together as ¡°ying¡± that stunned her¡­ but something else entirely. Joanie felt the weight of Kana¡¯s words, knowing they indicated a severance in their rtionship. Thus, she quickly regained herposure after having momentarily lost herself in the conversation. Half teasing, half serious about the gravity of the situation, Joanie ignored the contrasting atmosphere in the chat and spoke to Kana. If she said this, she might be theughingstock of the year, suffering for years toe. Still, she knew from experience that during times like this, it was better to put aside her embarrassment and speak honestly. ¡°¡­If there¡¯s something I¡¯ve done to upset you, could you please tell me? I know it might be embarrassing to say it directly, but I would really appreciate it. I like you so much, Kana, and I don¡¯t want to part ways like this.¡± People often say things they don¡¯t mean when their emotions overflow. This phenomenon urs regardless of age, but for children, who are less adept at managing their feelings, it happens more frequently. Surely, Kana was feeling that way too. ¡°¡­.¡± Did her feelings reach Kana? The girl bit her lip silently. If she kept doing that, her lips would surely get chapped¡­ Joanie thought to herself absentmindedly. After a while of ring silently at Joanie, Kana¡¯s eyes softened, returning to their usual state. At the same time, the sword pointed at Joanie dropped toward the floor, and the tense atmosphere surrounding Kana rxed somewhat. However, it wasn¡¯tpletely gone. ¡ªIs she going to do it? Is she going to do it? Is she going to do it? Is she going to do it? ¡ªGiant Joanie ¡ªCalming kids is the hardest thing in the world¡­ ¡ªEven the eptance Association would acknowledge this ¡ªDoes the eptance Association look like Joss? ¡ªI want to eat Joss Bar ¡ªNuh-uh; The chat exploded with reactions to Kana¡¯s change. ¡°¡­No. It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Kana muttered something iprehensible. Before Joanie could express her confusion, Kana¡¯s lips opened. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry for saying I was just ying with you.¡± ¡°Um¡­ It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s true that you yed with me. I admit, I must have been a bit annoying.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kana looked at Joanie, who wasughing lightly, with aplicated expression. But it was only for a moment. Kana hardened her expression again. ¡°But I really don¡¯t want to hang out anymore.¡± ¡°Even if I ask you what¡¯s wrong¡ª¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°Um, that makes sense?¡± It wasn¡¯t that she wouldn¡¯t tell her, but that she couldn¡¯t. In that moment, Joanie instinctively caught a clue that could help her turn Kana¡¯s heart, tucking it away in her memory box. ¡°Well, I guess we have to part ways here then. ¡­I was thinking of wandering around the kingdom like this, but what will you do after we part ways?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± Kana hesitated to answer, as if she truly had nothing in mind. ¡°¡­Maybe I¡¯ll go snake hunting.¡± ¡°Snake hunting?¡± Was she thinking of bing a ground dweller? Joanie was dying to ask that, but she instinctively realized that her time with Kana was limited. Honestly, just looking into Kana¡¯s vacant eyes was enough for anyone with a decent sense to see that. So instead of asking about Kana¡¯s vague response, Joanie spoke up about something else. ¡°Then, could we go on a date for thest time? The festival of descent starts today, and I wanted to go with you, but I didn¡¯t make any ns. It feels lonely to wander around alone, and I¡¯d be so disappointed if I didn¡¯t get to see it¡­ So please just apany me today. Okay?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Joanie watched Kana intently, her heart racing with anticipation. Finally, Kana¡¯s small pink lips parted. ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Phew¡ª It wasn¡¯t an enthusiastic eptance, but Joanie sighed in relief at having received some form of agreement. Chapter 61 Chapter 61 The Descent Festival, which honors the descent of the god Edel, began today. The streets within the Sedeth Kingdom were filled with a lively and festive atmosphere. ¡°Mom, I want that!¡± ¡°That? Hmm¡­ Okay, but just for today, alright?¡± ¡°Yay! Mom, you¡¯re the best!¡± ¡°Ha, only the best when it¡¯s convenient, huh?¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± An exasperated mother, who would normally scold her child, opened her wallet with a helpless smile, unable to resist her child¡¯s pleading. ¡°Ah¡­! I¡¯ve made such a mistake¡­ I¡¯m so sorry.¡±¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s just clothes; they can be washed. I wasn¡¯t paying attention either, so let¡¯s just move on.¡± Even when bumping into another passerby and ruining their clothes while carrying a drink, the passerby graciously brushed it off, in ordance with the principles of Edel¡¯s teachings that value mercy. ¡°Hey, honey, look at this. ¡­What do you think?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything¡­? Don¡¯t you like it?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ It¡¯s so beautiful I was momentarily lost for words.¡± ¡°Oh,e on, don¡¯t embarrass me~¡­.¡± ¡°Excuse me, customer. If you¡¯re not going to buy, could you move along?¡± Of course, even in such a bustling crowd, it wasn¡¯t as if there were no ruffians engaging in outrageous acts. But even those heinous acts seemed almost amusing to those intoxicated by the festive atmosphere. A peaceful scene that naturally evoked the thought that, if every day were like today, there would be no such thing as conflict in the world. It seemed impossible for anyone or anything to break the smiles and joyous mood that lit up people¡¯s faces. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Until a young girl and a woman appeared on the street. It wasn¡¯t because their appearances were rough or their behaviors intimidating. On the contrary, their looks were so stunning that people passing by couldn¡¯t help but stop and stare. First, the woman with short ck hair. With slightly upturned eyes, a tall and lean figure, and a well-toned body, she exuded a charming aura. As she walked by, men¡¯s gazes followed her like mas. The perfect harmony of natural beauty and diligent self-care. Few could resist being captivated by such an idealbination. However, as soon as people caught sight of the girl walking beside the woman, their minds no longer lingered on the woman¡¯s beauty. How could such an adorable child exist? With a round face and features so delicately arranged that it seemed impossible to replicate even if someone tried, the girl¡¯s cuteness incited a desire in onlookers to pinch her cheeks. The asional blink of her pink eyes radiated such cuteness that it made people clutch their chests, regardless of gender or age. If there was any w, it would be that her expression, contrary to her cute appearance, was rather stern. Yet, this only added an air of mystery. A girl who made one feel like hugging her tightly and protecting her. A girl who invoked a natural protective instinct. For now, she was merely adorable, but in a few more years, she was bound to be the greatest beauty not just of the kingdom, but of the entire continent. Yet, despite being such an adorable girl¡­ ¡°¡­Did they have a fight?¡± ¡°If I had a little sister like that, I¡¯d give in to her anytime. Why not just let it go?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they blood-rted? Then again, if they were real sisters, they wouldn¡¯t be like that.¡± Because of the tense atmosphere subtly exuding from them, people couldn¡¯t easily approach and could only watch from a distance. Whenever the girl¡¯s gaze fell upon them, an inexplicable pressure made them avert their eyes. Wherever the two went, the crowd parted, creating an empty space along their path. They seemed to perform a miracle, parting the sea of people. After walking like that for quite some time, The woman with short hair, Joanie, grabbed her head and shouted. ¡°¡­This is not the kind of festival I wanted!¡± ¡°Whoa, you scared me!¡± ¡°Geez, tsk tsk! No wonder she fought with her sister.¡± Having suddenly be the bad sister who fought with her sibling, Joanie was beside herself with frustration. Joanie already didn¡¯t know why Kana was upset in the first ce, and if this continued, they were headed for a dire situation where she might part ways with Kana altogether. Yet, all the people around her just clicked their tongues and pointed fingers at her. But she couldn¡¯t go around tellingplete strangers, ¡°Haha, that¡¯s not it at all. It¡¯s just a misunderstanding.¡± So she could only swallow her frustration alone. Instead of trying to exin to people, Joanie decided to focus her energy on talking to Kana. ¡°Is there anything you want to eat? I heard from the sisters that during the festival, you can find all sorts of delicious food that¡¯s hard toe by otherwise. And even if it¡¯s not food, there are lots of interesting things. If there¡¯s something you want, just let me know!¡± She had plenty of money! ¡­Well, technically, it was the money earned from disposing of the ogres Kana had defeated, so it was practically Kana¡¯s money anyway. Since Kana found it bothersome to carry the money around and handed it over to Joanie, saying she didn¡¯t need it, Joanie ended up with arge sum of money. Because of that, she felt a little guilty, so she didn¡¯t mind spending the money like this at all. And even if that wasn¡¯t the case, she still wouldn¡¯t have minded. ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Hmm, can¡¯t think of anything? Then how about some chocte, since you like it?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­Okay, then what about meat? I saw some skewered orc meat on the way here. There was even a line, so it must be a popr spot.¡± ¡°Not hungry.¡± But no matter what Joanie suggested, Kana only responded with short, curt replies. As if saying, ¡°I¡¯m ying along since you¡¯re insisting so much, but don¡¯t get any weird ideas.¡± Sigh. Joanie let out a small sigh, making sure Kana couldn¡¯t hear it. ¡­This isn¡¯t easy. It¡¯s true that she didn¡¯t want to part ways with Kana like this. There¡¯s nothing sadder than separating suddenly without even knowing the reason. But that wasn¡¯t the only reason she was holding onto Kana so desperately right now. ¡°¡­Alright! Then, how about we just wander around a bit? You might find something interesting if we explore a bit.¡± ¡°Do whatever you want.¡± Joanie enthusiastically shouted and held Kana¡¯s small hand tightly. Fortunately, this time, a sword didn¡¯te flying at her. Kana didn¡¯t pull away from Joanie¡¯s hand and quietly followed her lead. ¡®¡­¡¯ Joanie watched Kana¡¯s reaction for a moment and then shook her head vigorously. Unwanted goodbyes alwayse with regret and lingering feelings. Even if she ended up failing to convince Kana and they parted ways, she wanted to enjoy this moment as much as possible to minimize those lingering regrets. With a sigh, Joanie erased the sadness from her face and deliberately strolled energetically through the street. *** What am I even doing? I thought as I wandered through the kingdom¡¯s streets, led by Joanie¡¯s hand. Honestly, I didn¡¯t want to ept what Joanie was saying. That she didn¡¯t make ns to enjoy the festival with me just because she wanted to spend time with me¡­ I can¡¯t be sure, but it¡¯s probably not a lie. But so what? We¡¯re living in different worlds anyway. To them, I¡ªand everyone else¡ªare just NPCs in a game. If it¡¯s a rtionship that will forever run parallel without ever converging, it¡¯s better to cut things off here for both her sake and mine. ¡°¡­¡± But then, why? When I was about to refuse, I saw the long scar left on Joanie¡¯s cheek, and I found myself epting her offer without realizing it. If what Edel said is true, it¡¯s not even a real scar. While struggling with questions that seemed to have no answer, I finally found my own. ¡®¡­Because this is thest time.¡¯ No matter what, since I¡¯m the one who¡¯s cutting ties without properly exining why, I should at least show this much consideration. That¡¯s why I epted her offer. ¡­Yeah, that must be it. Even though I convinced myself of this answer, my heart still felt as heavy as a stone, as if it were being weighed down. While I wandered aimlessly in the depths of this metaphorical sea, Joanie diligently explored the streets. Sometimes she peeked around stalls selling sweet snacks, and other times, she stopped by ces selling monster meat. Now, she was browsing through a flower vendor¡¯s stall. ¡°Wow¡ªso there were flowers like these.¡± ¡ª ¡°They bloom only in the Great Forest. They¡¯re called ¡®Edel¡¯s Footsteps¡¯ since they only bloom at this time of the year.¡± ¡°Edel¡¯s Footsteps¡­ What a romantic name. Could you tell me its meaning in thenguage of flowers?¡± ¡ª ¡°It signifies the anticipation of a new meeting and the longing for those who have left. Here¡ªtake one.¡± ¡°Huh? You¡¯re just giving it to me? Is it really okay for me to take it?¡± ¡ª ¡°I¡¯m giving it because your sister is cute, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± The vendor, who had been talking with Joanie, nced over at us and lowered his voice. ¡ª ¡°Just make sure to reconcile with your sister. When ites to kids that age, even if you did nothing wrong, it¡¯s better to be the first one to make amends.¡± ¡°Ah, haha¡­ Thanks for the advice.¡± After finishing her conversation with the vendor, Joanie straightened her bent back and stood up. ¡ª ¡°Take care!¡± ¡°Thank you! I¡¯ll definitely buy one next time!¡± After that, we¡ªor rather, Joanie¡ªcontinued to enjoy the festival. Whenever she saw something even remotely interesting, she would rush over to me to ask about it, only to go back looking dejected when I gave no reaction. This cycle repeated until the sun, which had been gradually setting, finally disappearedpletely. Normally, this street would have been illuminated only by the faint lights leaking out from buildings. But even though it was night, the entire street was aglow, as bright as daylight. Joanie moved to the side of the street, avoiding the passing crowds. ¡°Thank you, Kana. I had a lot of fun thanks to you.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Could it really have been fun, dragging around an unresponsive person like a wooden doll? I squinted and studied her face, but there wasn¡¯t the slightest hint of a lie. We looked at each other for a moment, leaning on the lights of the street. Just like when I first encountered an Apostle, the divine power of Edel enveloped Joanie, obscuring not just her presence, but even her face. If I tried hard enough, I could just barely make out her features. For a while after we met, I made no effort at all to look at her face. But at some point, I found myself trying to catch a glimpse of her face. The cat-like beauty gazed at me with an expression I couldn¡¯t quite decipher. Perhaps she could see me just fine without making any special effort. Even in a trivial moment like this, where we were just looking at each other¡¯s faces, I could feel the difference between us. ¡°Kana, did you have fun spending time with me?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± ¡°¡­Really? Then I¡¯m d.¡± Joanie wore a faint smile. ¡°There¡¯s a ce I want to go. Will you stay with me until the end?¡± I nodded silently. I¡¯d already kept herpany this long; staying with her for a bit longer wouldn¡¯t hurt. Joanie, still holding my hand tightly, let go and began to walk somewhere. We walked for quite a while, and once we left the bustling streets, she suddenly began climbing a hill under the moonlit sky. Since it was only a small hill, we quickly reached the top, where a wide-open view greeted us. So this is the ce she wanted to go¡ª ¡°Here?¡± ¡°Yeah. Celine told me about it. She said the view of the Descent Festival from this hill is beautiful.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sure enough, even though it was just a low hill, it was higher than the surroundings, and from the top, you could see the whole city spread out below. Despite the pitch-ck darkness of the night, the city was just as lively as it had been during the day. We silently looked down at the city together, as if by mutual agreement. As silence filled the air, ¡°¡­You know?¡± Joanie broke the silence. ¡°When I was young, I couldn¡¯t even dream of climbing a hill like this. Because I was really sick. The¡­ priest even said that my life was at risk, that it was uncertain whether I¡¯d survive.¡± Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Premature baby, or preterm baby. An infant born before 37 weeks of gestation. Due to not having enough time to fully grow before birth, these babies typically have weak bodies and, in many cases, face a high risk of mortality. Joanie, also known as Da-eun, was one of those premature babies. She was born before she could reach full term and was ced in an incubator before she could even feel the warmth of her parents¡¯ embrace. Fortunately, there was no tragic scenario of her lonely breaths stopping inside the incubator. However, she was never as healthy as other children. There were times when she was bedridden with a fever for days on end, and other times when she fell into aa due to respiratory issues. Because she was inherently frail, young Da-eun¡¯s childhood was filled with frequent illnesses, making her a regr visitor at the hospital as if it were her second home. Especially around the time she was supposed to start elementary school, she was struck by a severe illness, resulting in a long-term hospital stay instead of attending school.While others were mingling with their peers, fighting, reconciling, and studying at school, Da-eun had to lie in a hospital bed, battling her illnesses day by day. Because of this, Da-eun had no memories of elementary or middle school and no friends to share such memories with. Even so, she was considered fortunate. Her family was financially stable, so she never had to worry about medical bills. Her parents never saw her poor health as a burden and always cared for her with love. Considering the families that fell apart from the strain of long-term caregiving or those who crumbled under the overwhelming weight of ever-growing medical expenses, Da-eun¡¯s situation could be considered a blessing. Although she knew this¡­ ¡°But I couldn¡¯t help but feel empty.¡± Her childhood stolen by illness. The frustration of being confined to a hospital. The loneliness of not having a single friend with whom she could share childhood memories. These feelings still haunted Da-eun strongly, even now that she was older. It was for these reasons that she started traveling. She thought that by venturing out into the wide world and experiencing many things, she could finally release the pent-up frustrations that had umted during her long battle with illness. Driven by this thought, Da-eun passionately learnednguages and pursued higher education. The moment she was old enough to travel alone, she began journeying through various regions and countries. This was only possible thanks to the support of her parents, who felt sympathy for Da-eun, who had been unwell since birth. Sometimes, she would casually mention that she had been in poor health when she was young and that she loved to travel. Because of this, her viewers knew about it, but never before had Da-eun shared her past in such detail. Absentmindedly, Da-eun¡¯s eyes swept over the chat window. Even though she had shared a part of her past that she had never spoken of before, the chat room remained quiet. ¡®Of course.¡¯ She had already ended the stream before climbing this hill. Her viewers had mored, but she had ended the stream abruptly without leaving any room for questions. It wasn¡¯t because she felt ashamed of sharing her past. With a deep sigh, Da-eun looked at the girl standing in front of her. Non-yer Character. In short, NPC. The girl wasn¡¯t a yer like Da-eun who enjoyed the game, but a resident of Silia Online created artificially by the game developers. She was nothing more than a programposed of zeroes and ones, thinking and acting as programmed by the developers. Even knowing that Silia Online boasted a level of AI sophistication iparable to other games up to now¡ª ¡®¡­Even so.¡¯ Whenever Da-eun looked into the girl¡¯s eyes or spoke with her, it felt like she was conversing with an actual person. At first, it was out of curiosity. The curiosity of wanting to uncover the Raid Boss that no one had yet conquered. It was mere curiosity that drove Da-eun up the mountain, but the moment she saw the girl, she waspletely captivated. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted a little sister.¡± Even Da-eun couldn¡¯t remember exactly why. She could only guess that, having been unable to connect with her peers since childhood, she had unconsciously wished for someone to fill that void. Or perhaps she wanted to share the love she received from her parents with someone else. However, she couldn¡¯t say such things to her parents, who were busy taking care of her, so her interest naturally shifted towards small and cute animals. Though, since she was often away from home, keeping pets was out of the question. Then, Da-eun found Kana. ¡°¡­I won¡¯t deny it.¡± Yes. The reason Da-eun clung to Kana was that she thought Kana could fill the emptiness in her heart. Da-eun finally confessed the emotions she had been hiding deep inside. Someone whom you view as a mere substitute for fulfilling your own desires¡ªa truth you wanted to hide forever out of shame. ¡°But not anymore.¡± The more time Da-eun spent with the girl, and the more she got to know her, the more the girl appeared differently in Da-eun¡¯s eyes. Her stoic demeanor was no longer a sign of indifference, but rather a shield to protect herself from getting hurt again. The way she tended to the flower garden was the girl¡¯s own way of remembering her deceased benefactor and father. Though she seemed uninterested in forming connections, always pushing people away, she also disyed a weakness to those who persisted. If she truly disliked people approaching her, she would never have shared her name, saved them from multiple life-threatening situations, or even tolerated Da-eun¡¯s presence without pushing her away coldly. Gravekeeper, the worst Raid Boss, Silia Online¡¯s idol, the Master Swordsman, the Empire¡¯s arch-nemesis, and so on¡­ The girl had many titles, but in Da-eun¡¯s eyes, she was just an honest yet untruthful child. A child who yearned for warmth yet hid away, afraid of the wounds others might inflict. That was how Da-eun saw Kana. ording to Aeron, Kana had a rather unfortunate past, which likely contributed to her behavior. This made Da-eun feel pity for Kana. She wanted to hold the girl¡¯s hand and let her feel warmth. She wanted to see a smile on her otherwise stoic face. Just like how her parents had done for her long ago. ¡°Can you believe just this one thing? That I truly like you, Kana?¡± Just as she had ovee her own illness, she hoped that this young girl, too, could ovee her scars. Da-eun, smiling gently, pulled something out of her inventory. ¡°Kana, would you hold out your hand?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± It was a in silver bracelet, without any borate decoration, but it exuded a subtle charm because of its simplicity. When Da-eun had been debating whether to buy a ne or a bracelet back in Ordo, she remembered that Kana already wore a ck choker around her neck, so she chose the bracelet instead. It wouldn¡¯t suit Kana to receive a ne when she already had a choker. Afterwards, due to themotion that ensued, Da-eun had missed the opportunity to give it to Kana and had kept it quietly in her inventory until now. Holding Kana¡¯s hand, Da-eun gently slipped the bracelet onto her wrist. ¡°¡­There!¡± Da-eun smiled brightly as she examined Kana¡¯s hand, still holding it. ¡°Yes, I knew it would look good on you. I really do have an eye for these things. Well, maybe it¡¯s because anything would look good on you.¡± Could there even be anything that wouldn¡¯t suit her? Even wearing rags would look good on her, so there was no way a bracelet like this wouldn¡¯t. ¡°I wanted to give it to you back in Ordo, but it somehow ended up being a farewell gift¡­.¡± Oh, but I¡¯m not saying this because I want you to take back your decision. Da-eun quickly added, afraid that Kana might misunderstand and see it as a bribe. ¡°I just want you to remember that there was someone like me.¡± As Da-eun¡¯s long, heartfelt speech finally came to an end, Kana stood still, without saying a word. Whether she was listening or not, or whether she was letting it go in one ear and out the other¡ª No one knew for sure, but Da-eun believed that Kana was listening to her. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± The streets that had been bustling even at night were now quiet, the lights that had illuminated the city one by one disappeared, and now, even the faint moonlight was obscured by the clouds, casting darkness over Kana¡¯s face, which Da-eun had been looking at. Perhaps enchanted by the magic of the night. Still holding Kana¡¯s hand tightly, Da-eun spoke impulsively. ¡°You know¡­ I can¡¯t give you the details, but the truth is, I¡¯m not from the continent across the sea, but from somewhere even farther away, somewhere very, very far.¡± Flinch. Kana¡¯s hand twitched slightly in Da-eun¡¯s grasp. The residents of Silia believed that yers like Da-eun came to the Ardina Continent, guided by Edel, from the continent across the sea. Kana was probably surprised because what she had known wasn¡¯t actually true. That¡¯s what Da-eun assumed. ¡°¡­I know.¡± ¡°¡­Huh? Uh¡­ You know?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Da-eun was surprised once at Kana finally speaking up, and twice at the content of her reply. But only for a moment. Regaining herposure quickly, Da-eun smiled softly. ¡°Everyone else doesn¡¯t know, but of course, Kana is smart enough to figure it out.¡± It¡¯s probably because she¡¯s been to the continent across the sea, Da-eun assumed, brushing it off like that. ¡°This is a secret, but my name back home isn¡¯t Joanie. When I think about it, it¡¯s not fair that Kana told me her name, yet I didn¡¯t share mine. So, I¡¯ll tell you mine too. W-well, I know I¡¯m not really in a position to talk about keeping secrets, but¡­¡± She whispered softly. ¡°¡®Shin Da-eun.¡¯ That¡¯s my name.¡± If we meet again someday, could you call me by this name then? Just at that moment, the clouds parted, and the moonlight once again shone upon them. Under the moon¡¯s glow, Kana¡¯s face revealed an expression Da-eun had never seen before¡ªone filled with sorrow. ¡®¡­Ah, I finally understand.¡¯ Da-eun could now finally put a name to her emotions. This wasn¡¯t pity, sympathy, or mere admiration. It was all those things intertwined¡ªan attachment. She knew, without a doubt, that no matter how much time passed, she would never be able to let go of this child from her heart. Swish. Kana reached out her hand. The small hand gently touched Da-eun¡¯s cheek. The very same spot where Kana¡¯s sword had grazed her earlier that morning. Each time Kana¡¯s fingers brushed against the wound, Da-eun felt a faint burning sensation on her cheek. But she didn¡¯t even nce at her health bar. Instead, as Da-eun looked up, she noticed that the clouds obscuring the moon hadpletely vanished. Kana, who had been gently caressing Da-eun¡¯s wound for quite some time, turned around. One step, two steps. As Kana walked slowly away from Da-eun, she suddenly turned back. The girl¡¯s small lips parted slightly. *** ¡°So, have you made up your mind?¡± Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Get up in the morning, go to work, ande back home in the evening to enjoy some hobbies before going to bed. Then, wake up in the morning again, go to work, and fall asleep in the evening¡ªrepeating a simple cycle of daily life. Depending on the person, some might go to work at night, while others might go to school instead of work. There are small differences, but everyone has their own daily routine. Some people describe this as such: A life as dull as a hamster wheel, endlessly spinning with the same monotonous days, day after day. However, when faced with a situation that breaks this monotonous cycle, those same people often express difort. Repetition brings familiarity and stability. In other words, stepping out of the cycle means confronting unfamiliarity and instability. Da-eun was one of those people trapped in a hamster wheel.Waking up, washing up, having breakfast, lying down in her capsule-type virtual reality device, starting her stream, having a brief conversation, and then logging into Silia Online. Even feeling frustrated by Kana being buried under the nkets¡ªthat had be her recent routine. But today was different. ¡°Yaaawn¡­.¡± When Da-eun, who had just logged into Silia Online, sat up from the bed, someone approached her with small, quick steps. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, Kana!¡± Stretching her stiff body and yawning, she turned her head upon sensing a presence and greeted with a bright smile. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Usually, Kana wouldn¡¯t even acknowledge Joanie unless spoken to first. But today, she came to Joanie on her own. That alone was surprising enough, but it could still be brushed off as ¡°Maybe she¡¯s in a good mood today.¡± What truly shocked everyone was what happened next. Kana hesitated, fidgeting with her fingers, and then shyly opened her mouth. ¡°¡­Did Joanie sleep well, too?¡± ¡°Of course, I slept well, thanks to my Kana! ¡­Hm? Kana,e here for a moment.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Your hair¡¯s really messy. ¡­There, all fixed!¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°I should be the one thanking you, for letting me touch such soft hair.¡± Swoosh. Kana, who rarely showed emotions, made a barely noticeable small smile. She even rubbed her head slightly against Joanie¡¯s hand, as if wanting more head pats. ¡ª? ¡ª???? ¡ªMorning meeting??? What¡¯s going on??? ¡ª??????? Viewers, watching the situation unfold from beyond the monitor, collectively entered a state of shock and began spamming question marks in the chat. ¡­Kana, initiating a morning greeting, quietly approaching when Joanie called, and letting Joanie touch her hair? Even just that was beyond what the viewers could process, leaving them stunned. But when Kana smiled and rubbed her head like that, the audience collectively clutched their chests. The smile and affectionate gesture from the usually stoic girl had that much of a destructive power. ¡ªSomething¡¯s happening; ¡ªWakyaahaaa ?? ¡ªOMG, she¡¯s so cute???? ¡ªWhat on earth happened yesterday for her to go from wanting to break up to this? Did she use some kind of hypnosis app? ¡ªHow much is that hypnosis app? ¡ª(This user has died from excessive cuteness) ¡ªSo what exactly happened yesterday!!!!! ¡ª?????????????? The chatroom was a chaotic blend of fangirling and confusion. Joanie, who was patting Kana¡¯s head, nced at the chat and grinned. ¡°Curious? Want me to tell you?¡± ¡ªYesYesYesYesYes!!! ¡ªTell us what you saw! ¡°Hmm, you don¡¯t seem that desperate for it, though?¡± ¡ªDear teacher, I hope you have been in good health today. May peace be with your household always. If it¡¯s not too rude of me, could I perhaps inquire about what happened yesterday? ¡ªOh no, the mind games again. ©»(Message deleted) ¡ªAh! May I seek permission to ask for approval to disclose the matter of what happened yesterday¡­ if it¡¯s appropriate to raise such a question at all? ¡ªDo you chat alone or something? ?? ¡°Hmm! Fine. You all seem pretty desperate. If my dear audience wants it that much, I suppose I can tell you!¡± Joanie shed a satisfied smile. Then, lowering her voice as if whispering¡ª ¡°¡­But, I¡¯m not going to tell you.¡± It was no surprise that the chat exploded into a firestorm afterward. *** ¡°So, have you made up your mind?¡± As I entered the prayer room, Edel, who was sitting on a cushion, greeted me. It was an ironic scene¡ªto see her sitting on the very cushion meant for people to pray to her. If the person who ced that cushion saw this, they¡¯d probably burst into tears. ¡°I think the same.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t read my mind so freely.¡± ¡°How can I help it if I can read it so easily? If you don¡¯t like it, try harder not to let it show.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Edel, who had initially greeted me in a prayerful posture, loosened her legs and sat morefortably. ¡°It¡¯s time to finish our conversation.¡± ¡°Only if you don¡¯t run away again likest time.¡± ¡°¡­I told you, it wasn¡¯t running away. I simply ran out of time. That wouldn¡¯t have happened if I were in full strength.¡± ¡°Useless god.¡± ¡°What?! Hey! Are you done talking?!¡± Her face flushed in anger at my words, but she quickly caught herself and returned to her usual calm demeanor. Not that acting like nothing happened would erase the embarrassment she just showed. ¡°¡­I know. Ahem¡ªanyway, from the look on your face, it seems you¡¯ve more or less sorted out your thoughts.¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± I wonder if I looked carefree in Edel¡¯s eyes. I still didn¡¯t fully understand what Edel meant by ¡®what I truly want.¡¯ ¡­But still. ¡°Yes, I have organized my thoughts.¡± It was true that I felt more at ease. As I moved, the bracelet on my wrist jingled softly. Passing by Edel, who was still seated on the cushion, I approached the statue. I leaned against it, just like Edel had done a few days ago. I looked up at the statue¡¯s benevolent smile and asked her a question. ¡°You called me a sword, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Was it you who brought me to this world?¡± ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t me.¡± Edel shook her head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me who brought you into this world, nor did I ce you in that environment, nor did I make your benefactor die without recovering from his injuries¡ª¡± ¡°¡­He¡¯s not just my benefactor. He¡¯s my dad.¡± Edel, who had been surprised by my interruption, quickly regained herposure. ¡°Right. The fact that your father died that way¡ªit wasn¡¯t something I nned either.¡± ¡°Then¡ª¡± ¡°Ah¡ªwait, wait. Before we get into that, there¡¯s something you need to know first.¡± Ignoring my annoyed look at being interrupted, Edel continued. ¡°Didn¡¯t you find it strange? How your growth was abnormally fast¡­ Ah, I¡¯m not talking about your height, you know? That¡¯s more like it¡¯s slowed down to a halt rather than grown.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Of course, I found it strange. Other people could barely sense mana, let alone control it, yet I could wield it as naturally as breathing. I achieved the rank of Master, something people say takes at least until your forties, at only a mere teen¡¯s age. No matter how much of a once-in-a-century genius I might be, isn¡¯t that too fast? It was why I had suspected that Edel had brought me here in the first ce. She brought me from Earth and artificially elerated my growth. If that were true, it would exin my abnormal speed of development. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know this, but there¡¯s one thing gods always do when creating a world.¡± Edel said, ¡°It¡¯s to ce restrictions on the souls within that world.¡± ¡°Restrictions¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. On how fast they can grow, how strong they can be¡­ Things like that. There are more, but that¡¯s all you need to know for now.¡± ¡°Why are those restrictions necessary?¡± Is it to prevent them from bing too powerful and challenging their authority? ¡°There might be gods like that. But the primary reason is to protect the soul itself.¡± Think about a machine. If you run an engine too hard, it may produce high output for a moment, but it¡¯ll soon break down. ¡°The same goes for souls. If they grow too quickly or attain strength beyond their capacity, the soul breaks. What god would want a soul they painstakingly created to shatter in no time?¡± ¡°Then what about people who be stronger faster than others?¡± The so-called geniuses. ¡°It¡¯s because their souls are more resilient, allowing for a higher limit.¡± ¡°There are also people whoe back stronger after surviving near-death experiences.¡± ¡°During that process, their souls be strong enough to partially release some of their restrictions.¡± ¡°¡­I see. So, you¡¯re saying that my soul is resilient, right?¡± ¡°No. While your soul is indeed resilient, that¡¯s not the reason you were able to be this strong.¡± Edel denied my words without hesitation. She then opened the fist she had been clenching. ¡°There are no such restrictions on your soul.¡± ¡°Is it because I¡¯m from another world?¡± As I said this, a question arose in my mind. ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t there be restrictions from Earth¡¯s Administrator or something?¡± Given how strong I¡¯ve be, it doesn¡¯t seem like their restrictions would be any weaker than these ones. ¡°Bingo. You¡¯re sharp. Yes, right now, there are no restrictions on your soul. Neither the ones I created, nor those ced by that Administrator.¡± Edel pped her hands in confirmation, then her expression turned serious. The serene expression she had just moments ago vanished, reced by an impassive look as she continued. ¡°I told you a few days ago about the Dimensional Creatures. The ones that invade other dimensions to drain their energy. And that I¡¯ve been fighting them for hundreds of years.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Dimensional Creatures destabilize any dimension they appear in. So you can imagine what state my dimension is in after hundreds of years of fighting them. One day, while I was battling them, I felt a massive tremor in the dimensional barrier.¡± There had been countless tremors before, but that one was far more severe than anything Edel had ever experienced. And at that moment, both Edel and the Dimensional Creature she was fighting sensed it. ¡°That this dimension had briefly connected with another dimension.¡± Though it was only a fleeting connection, the path that had opened remained. ¡°Amidst the shaking dimensional walls, the other dimension, and the battle with the Dimensional Creatures, I failed to notice a single soul slipping through. I never thought it would even be possible.¡± How could anyone even imagine such a thing? For a weak soul to cross the barrier between dimensions¡­ To withstand the vortex between dimensions¡­ And then cross the dimensional barrier once more to enter a different dimension¡ªwho would ever think such a thing was possible? Even for a goddess like Edel, it would be an incredibly dangerous journey, with no guarantee of sess. Yet, that fragile soul endured it all and created a miracle. Just like forging a solid sword by heating it with intense fire and hammering it countless times, the soul grew stronger, having gone through all those hardships. ¡°A lot has been erased, and many things have been forgotten. The restrictions ced by Earth¡¯s Administrator were one of them.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°And that soul¡ª¡± I cut her off because I already knew what she was about to say. ¡°That soul is me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Edel nodded at my words. That¡¯s the hidden story behind the birth of a girl named Canaria Grasis. ¡°Do you know how shocked I was when I first discovered you? A soul I¡¯d never seen before appeared in my world, without any restrictions ced on it, and unnaturally tough, too¡­. But thanks to that, I could start nning my counterattack.¡± She grumbled in a small voice. And upon learning all of this, I¡ª ¡°I see.¡± ¡ªI just nodded. My calm reaction seemed to fluster Edel, who was the one sharing the story. ¡°¡­Huh? That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°What kind of reaction should I have then?¡± I know I undertook a grand adventure crossing dimensions, but I have no memory of it, so it¡¯s hard to feel anything about it. Besides, since Edel wasn¡¯t the one who orchestrated it, what else could I say? If she¡¯d been talking about my experiences after being born into this world, then I¡¯d have plenty to say. I shrugged. ¡°Is that why you coborated with Earth¡¯s god?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. Since they were already aware of your existence, it was obvious that if this world fell, Earth would be the next target.¡± They had an advantageous forward base in Silia, and even a direct path to their next prey. There was no reason for the starving Dimensional Creatures not to invade. ¡°That¡¯s why we made our decision. By downgrading this dimension, we¡¯d use the Creatures¡¯ power against them. I wasn¡¯t just sitting back and taking it; I found a way to use their power to our advantage.¡± That¡¯s why the world was constructed in the form of a game. By having yers hunt down Dimensional Creatures, it weakened their power. Even if we ultimately failed to stop them and Silia was destroyed, leaving Earth at the mercy of those monsters, the strength they umted here would serve as the foundation to resist them. That was the true nature of Silia Online, the strategy devised by Earth¡¯s Administrator and Edel to prepare for whaty ahead. Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Edel, who had arrived on Earth through an open path between dimensions, already knew there were numerous gods and equally diverse worlds. However, when she firstid eyes on Earth, she couldn¡¯t help but be amazed. This world was utterly different from Silia, the world she had created. It wasn¡¯t that she felt any inferiority. She was just astonished by how vastly different two worlds could be. Receiving help from Earth¡¯s god, Edel quickly adapted to Earth¡¯s ways. What would take humans hundreds or thousands of years to master, didn¡¯t require much time for her. Once she felt she had learned enough, Edel had a thought. ¡°This¡­ might be tough.¡±Earth¡¯s weapons were powerful, no doubt. But she had her doubts about whether they would be effective against Dimensional Creatures. Even if there were bombs capable of turning an entire region into a sea of fire, dropping them in cities filled with people wasn¡¯t an option. Even if, at most, such actions were permissible once or twice, repeatedly doing so every time a Dimensional Creature appeared would result in humanity¡¯s extinction long before the creatures were eradicated. What could be more foolish than using methods to protect the world that would ultimately destroy it? Even if that wasn¡¯t the case, Earth¡¯s weapons weren¡¯t enough to fundamentally stop the invasion of Dimensional Creatures. What could she do? As she pondered, something caught Edel¡¯s eye. Games. Specifically, virtual reality games where people enjoyed exploring and fighting in fictional worlds. At that moment, it felt like a lightning bolt struck her mind. ¡°By lowering the dimension and turning it into a game, I could have Earth¡¯s humans kill the Dimensional Creatures.¡± She nned to weaken the Dimensional Creatures by having the yers kill them. Of course, the ones the yers would be able to kill would be weak, like minnows or small fish in the grand scheme of things. But it might at least buy some time. With the approval of Earth¡¯s god, Edel immediately set to work. First, she exploited the power of the Dimensional Creatures to create isted, virtual dimensions cut off from the world of Silia. She called these ¡°virtual dimensions.¡± Whatever happened in these virtual dimensions had no impact on the original dimension. No matter how powerful a monster was in, or how many people from Silia¡¯s world died, Once the virtual dimension disappeared, it was as though none of it had ever happened. The creatures, although they appeared to move as if they were living beings, were merely shadowless echoes mimicking the behavior of their originals. This system became known as the ¡°Instance Dungeon.¡± The virtual dimension was, as the name suggested, a false one. However, if absolutely nothing remained after, the yers wouldn¡¯t find it enjoyable, so she ensured they could retain the items and experience gained inside. Channels, too, were another system she devised using dimensional istion, much like the Instance Dungeons. Edel had two main reasons for creating these channels. One was to prevent overcrowding from ruining the yers¡¯ enjoyment. The other was to deal a greater blow to the Dimensional Creatures. Normally, what urred in virtual dimensions had no effect on the original dimension. However, Dimensional Creatures, being creatures attuned to dimensions, were harmed even in their true forms when something happened to them in the virtual dimensions. Instance Dungeons, channels, growth systems, job sses¡­ After creating all the systems necessary for the game, Edel reviewed everything she had made and sighed. ¡°¡­Indeed.¡± She didn¡¯t believe that this alone would be enough to defeat the Dimensional Creatures. She only hoped it would buy enough time. Until the sword she had her eyes on was sharpened to its finest edge. ¡°¡­And that¡¯s how it happened.¡± Edel¡¯s words signaled the end of the long story. To think she spoke for that long without even drinking a sip of water. As expected, a god is a god. ¡°¡­I appreciate you acknowledging it, but don¡¯t you think the point is a bit off?¡± Edel, who had been staring at me in disbelief, now spoke in a quieter tone than before. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t care about the lives of my children. They¡¯re my creations, so of course, I cherish them. That¡¯s why I set up multiple safeguards¡­ but it wasn¡¯t enough to stop everything.¡± ¡°At the end of the day, it¡¯s just a game to them.¡± ¡°But if I hadn¡¯t done it this way, even more lives would¡¯ve been lost.¡± Far more lives than those imed by the incidents caused by Earthlings. ¡°Was there no other way? Like giving them temporary bodies like the Apostles, or restricting the yers to a sub-dimension instead of the primary one?¡± ¡°Do you think I didn¡¯t consider that?¡± Edel defended herself, exining that given how much had already been eroded, this was the best solution she coulde up with. ¡°Anyway¡­ even though I created that sub-dimension, there is one soul I couldn¡¯t copy into it. Because this soul endured crossing the dimensional walls and withstood the vortex, it developed a resistance to most dimensional pressures, making it impossible to duplicate.¡± You don¡¯t need me to say who that soul is, right? I nodded at her question that wasn¡¯t really a question. I wasn¡¯t foolish enough to not understand. ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is, this dimension we¡¯re in is the primary dimension.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡­Got it. Then is the reason I find the Apostles strangepared to others also because of my soul?¡± ¡°You could say that. Of course, the level you¡¯ve attained also ys a role, but you wouldn¡¯t have reached that level without the uniqueness of your soul. Still, I never imagined it would be strong enough to bypass the filtering, so it really surprised me.¡± ¡°Filtering, huh¡­¡± So that¡¯s how it was. I had always found it odd that no one reacted to Da-eun¡¯s monologues. It wasn¡¯t that they weren¡¯t reacting ¡ª they couldn¡¯t react. They couldn¡¯t hear her, and they couldn¡¯t even perceive that she was speaking. Of course, they couldn¡¯t respond. ¡°Can I eliminate the filtering if I raise my level even higher?¡± ¡°You can¡¯tpletely eliminate it, but you can reduce its impact. Actually, those at a level simr to yours should already be sensing something off.¡± A level simr to mine¡­ Several faces shed through my mind at those words. Among the faces that appeared and disappeared in rapid session, there was one that lingered longer than the rest. ¡®¡­.¡¯ My face twisted into a scowl. Suddenly feeling unpleasant, I quickly shifted the topic to erase the face from my mind. ¡°So, if we don¡¯t stop the Dimensional Creatures, even Earth will be in danger, right?¡± ¡°Why? Now that the people you care about are at risk, are you feeling more motivated?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not it.¡± I muttered defensively, just like Edel had earlier. It¡¯s not like I had a choice. If we don¡¯t stop them, we¡¯ll all die. That¡¯s all there is to it. ¡°When was it that you acted like you didn¡¯t care if you died?¡± ¡°¡­Shut up.¡± Edel chuckled softly as I frowned and, in a teasing voice, she said: ¡°¡®I promised I wouldn¡¯t leave¡¯¨C¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Whoosh! I lunged at Edel and covered her mouth. Through my small hand, which couldn¡¯tpletely hide her lips, I could still see the corners of her mouth curl up in a smug grin. ¡°H-How, how do you know that¡­?¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®how¡¯?¡± ¡°How do you know about that¡­?!¡± ¡°Oh, that?¡± Edel shrugged,pletely at ease, unlike my frazzled state. ¡°My power is weaker now, so I can¡¯t see everything, but I can still observe things happening within the Holy Nation. This is my home turf, after all; I should at least be able to do that, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh, are you embarrassed? Haha¡­! Don¡¯t worry. It was such a touching scene that even I got a bit teary-eyed!¡± ¡°¡­Forget it.¡± ¡°Hm? What was that?¡± ¡°I said forget it!!¡± ¡­Why is she watching something like that?! I grabbed Edel by the shoulders and shook her vigorously. But even as I did, she didn¡¯t resist the rough shaking and simply let her body sway with the motion,ughingzily. *** The soft moonlight and a young girl. Normally, Da-eun would have been entranced by such a dreamy sight, staring in awe. But right now, she couldn¡¯t afford that luxury. She could feel that this moment was crucial in determining her connection with Kana. Da-eun looked straight at Kana. Kana looked straight back at Da-eun. In what felt like an eternity, the girl¡¯s lips slowly parted. ¡°¡­My dad was my whole world.¡± A younger body, a different gender, an unfamiliar world. For Kana, everything had changed in an instant. But Kana wasn¡¯t given the luxury of time to adjust. Her parents saw her not as a person, but as a tool to make money, so of course, she never received the love or care that children are supposed to have. And even after her parents died, nothing improved for Kana. Sure, no one was there to exploit her anymore, but survival was still a daily struggle. If she showed her difort after being hit by punches and kicks, even more violence would follow. If she showed joy when something good happened, wolves would descend upon her. Under such circumstances, it was only natural that Kana¡¯s personality hardened. She learned to bury her emotions deep within, to kill them, in order to survive. The confusion brought by her younger body, her altered gender, and the new world she found herself in was something she shoved into the farthest corners of her heart. But then, someone reached out a hand to her for the first time. Warm words she had never heard before, warmth she had never felt before. There was no need to exin how muchfort they gave to the small girl. ¡°I knew that Dad wasn¡¯t in good health.¡± She had known, yet she still hoped. She had hoped that, like a miracle, he would recover and live a long life with her. But Kana¡¯s hopes were cruelly shattered. As Garid¡¯s health deteriorated day by day, he eventually left Kana behind. The little bird was left all alone, without her nest. ¡°¡­I have nothing left.¡± After all, she was nothing but an impurity. Every time she looked around and saw no one like her, Kana painfully realized that she didn¡¯t truly belong to this world. If that was the case, then she would rather leave no regrets. She had no intention of getting involved with anyone and nned to remain by Garid¡¯s side until her end. ¡°¡­That¡¯s what I thought.¡± Why do you keeping closer? A single tear fell from the girl¡¯s eyes. Her face was expressionless,pletely still, but that made her look even more pitiful. Da-eun, who had been silently listening to Kana¡¯s words, reached into her coat. When her hand emerged, it held a single flower. ¡°¡­?¡± Da-eun approached Kana and carefully tucked the flower into her hair. She then smiled softly at Kana, who was staring up at her with teary, confused eyes. ¡°Yep. It suits you well.¡± To think that such a pretty girl didn¡¯t dress up¡ªit was practically a global loss. Satisfied, Da-eun nodded approvingly. ¡°You asked why I keep approaching you, didn¡¯t you?¡± The answer was simple. Because Da-eun liked her and wanted to be friends. She wanted to look after her like a little sister. But even before that¡ª ¡°Because that¡¯s what you wanted, Kana.¡± ¡°¡­I wanted that?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± In front of Da-eun now was not an enemy of the Empire, not the swordswoman who could cut down dozens of knights with a single strike, not even the fearsome raid boss. Just a poor child who didn¡¯t even understand her own emotions. Chapter 65 Chapter 65 I once had this thought: What if the idea of a previous life is just a fantasy that a girl, tired of her harsh reality, conjured up to escape? The memories were too vivid for it to be just a fantasy, so I quickly dismissed that thought. But whenever I saw how different I was from others, the thought resurfaced from time to time. And meeting Edel confirmed once again that my memories weren¡¯t merely delusions. ¡®¡­So what?¡¯ Even knowing that, does it change anything about my life? Talking to Edel only made me more aware of how I was an impurity. I had memories of that other world, but I didn¡¯t belong to it. I was born in this world, but I didn¡¯t wholly belong to it either.An impurity that didn¡¯t belong anywhere. And I wanted someone to reach out to me? ¡°¡­No.¡± I never wanted something like that, not even once. ¡°No.¡± But Joanie immediately refuted my words. ¡°You never said it out loud, but Kana, you definitely wanted that.¡± Her voice was gentle, as if soothing a child. Without realizing it, I took a step back from her. ¡°Remember? When we first met, Kana, you saved my life.¡± ¡°¡­I was just trying to hunt a Cockatrice.¡± ¡°If that were the case, you could have just waited for the Cockatrice to kill me, couldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t want to waste time.¡± ¡°Fine, let¡¯s say it was that. Then why didn¡¯t you stop me when you knew I was following you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I thought Garid might like it if he saw you using Granic.¡± Kana would have known. She was right. Back then, I was well aware that Joanie was following me. Joanie took a step closer to me, and I instinctively took a step back. ¡°You even taught me swordsmanship and saved me from the Imperial Army.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I only taught her because her sword-swinging form was so terrible I couldn¡¯t bear to watch. The Imperial Army hade for me in the first ce, so if anything, they were the ones who¡¯d helped me. Each word. With every word Joanie uttered, I took another step back. And Joanie, in turn, took a step forward toward me. Despite the equal number of steps, the distance between us was clearly closing. Finally, she was close enough to reach out and hold my hand. ¡°More than anything, if you really didn¡¯t want me to get close, you would¡¯ve refused when I asked toe along. But you didn¡¯t, Kana.¡± It would¡¯ve been much more convenient and faster to go alone. ¡°¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t breathe. I had a desire to refute her words. ¡®Because I wanted to confirm whether my guess was correct.¡¯ Or, ¡®Because it would¡¯ve been troublesome if I couldn¡¯tmunicate.¡¯ I could think of a few more reasons. But the more I thought about them, the more I realized¡­ They were just petty andme excuses. There were far more efficient ways to verify my guess than watching her every move. The inconvenience of not being able tomunicate was nothingpared to the hassle of having her as apanion. Yet, as I struggled desperately toe up with a rebuttal¡ª Suddenly! ¡°¡­Ah.¡± I lost my words as I felt a sudden warmth. This wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯d been in her embrace. But for some reason, this warmth felt more special than usual. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Joanie, who held me close, said nothing. Suddenly, something hot began to roll down my cheek. It was only then that I realized I had been crying for quite a while. ¡°¡­I was scared.¡± Held tightly in Joanie¡¯s arms, I let the words that had been buried deep within my heart spill out. ¡°I was terrified of feeling everything fall apart and disappear again.¡± There may never be anyone like Garid who would ept me fully, but even if there were, they would eventually leave my side. Because I am an impurity that doesn¡¯t belong anywhere. So I would be left feeling as if I¡¯d lost everything again, abandoned and left alone in this world. That thought terrified me beyond words. Moreover, Joanie is a yer who sees this world as a game. If she lost interest, she could disappear at any moment. Even if she remained interested, something might happen in her real life that would keep her from logging in. If that happened, I¡¯d be left waiting indefinitely without knowing why. Just like a desert fox waiting for its prince, endlessly. At first, I might get angry. Then I might feel sad, thinking I¡¯d been abandoned. But eventually, all those emotions would fade away, leaving behind nothing but a relentless emptiness and void that would consume me. ¡°¡­I see.¡± Joanie, who was still holding me, gently stroked my back as she listened to my incoherent ramblings. When she finally released me from her embrace, the warmth that had filled my body disappeared along with her touch. As I shivered from the cold night air that seeped in during the brief separation, Joanie held out a flower in front of me. It was the same flower she had tucked into my hair earlier. ¡°Do you know the meaning of this flower?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡®Longing for someone who¡¯s gone.¡¯ And¡­¡± She bent down slightly so our eyes met. The face reflected in Joanie¡¯s eyes was a mess, to put it lightly. ¡°And ¡®the hope for a new encounter.¡¯ Isn¡¯t it fascinating? How two opposing meanings can coexist in a single flower? Perhaps the person who first came up with this flower¡¯s meaning realized¡ª¡± Joanie gently took my hand. Before I knew it, the flower she was holding was now in my hand. ¡°¡ªthat meeting and parting are inseparable. If there¡¯s a new meeting, then a new parting wille too. But this is what I believe.¡± Being afraid of the inevitable parting and therefore avoiding new encounters is truly a sad thing. ¡°If you choose not to meet anyone and live alone in solitude, wouldn¡¯t that be too heartbreaking?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± Looking back¡­ Except for when I lived with Garid, I was always alone. Even when I gathered with other children like me in the slums. Even after Garid left and I led the Order. I was always with someone, but I never felt that I was truly with them. ¡°Kana, you might not have realized it, but deep down, you must have thought, ¡®I don¡¯t want to be alone.¡¯¡± Joanie¡¯s thumb gently brushed my cheek. From my cheek to just below my eye. She carefully traced every inch, then smiled softly. ¡°I want Kana to be happy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®I want you to be happy.¡¯ Behind Joanie¡¯s voice, I heard another voice ovep¡ªa deep, familiar voice. A voice I longed for but could never hear again. ¡°¡­You won¡¯t leave me, will you?¡± Everythinges to an end, and I know that my time with Joanie will end too. Even knowing that, I asked her. And to my question, Joanie nodded exaggeratedly. ¡°Of course not. Would an older sister abandon her little sister?¡± ¡°¡­Promise me you won¡¯t leave.¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± The warmth that had faded now returned to me once more. ¡°I will never leave Kana behind.¡± Does she have any idea what I¡¯m really feeling when I say this? Probably not. She doesn¡¯t know that this world is not only a game but also a real world, or that the people in it aren¡¯t just programmed NPCs but actual living beings. She doesn¡¯t know that I¡¯m aware of all these things. Even so, I entrusted myself to the warmth of her embrace. And while I was still wrapped in Joanie¡¯s arms, I spoke softly to her. ¡°¡­My name is Canaria Grasis.¡± No, actually¡ª ¡°Just call me Canaria. Simply, Canaria.¡± ¡°Okay. Canaria.¡± ¡°¡­Please take good care of me from now on, Da-eun.¡± ¡°¡­! Yes! Of course, it¡¯s my pleasure!¡± Da-eun¡¯s face lit up as she hugged me tightly once more. It¡¯s suffocating. But still¡­ ¡°¡­¡± ¡­it¡¯s warm. *** *** *** ¡°Ugh¡­¡± I was exchanging morning greetings with Da-eun when suddenly, memories from the previous night flooded back, making my face flush with heat. The night when we finally untangled the mess of knots that had been so convoluted that I didn¡¯t even know where to begin. That night, Da-eun and I talked about many things. My childhood, what happened during my time with the Order, and the days I spent with Garid. It had been hard to start, but once I began talking, everything came out easily, without hesitation. Da-eun, too, shared a lot about herself. There were moments when she hesitated, trying to filter out things she couldn¡¯t say, but I could see she was trying her best to share as much as possible. Each time she paused, I pretended not to notice. Listening to her stories made me remember something. I didn¡¯t recall it exactly, but in my previous life, people used to broadcast themselves over the inte. I¡¯d always thought her monologues and the way her thoughts spread so quickly were strange, but it made sense when I realized she had that kind of job. For some reason, it seemed like Da-eun wasn¡¯t streaming that night¡­ Maybe she didn¡¯t want to share the honest conversation we had with others? If she were the type to publicize things like that, we probably wouldn¡¯t have gotten this close. Da-eun, noticing my awkward silence, turned to me and asked, ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± Saying I wanted to be alone, admitting I was scared, begging her not to leave me¡­ Back then, I¡¯d been so overwhelmed by emotions that it was fine, but thinking about what I¡¯d said now makes me cringe. ¡­Not that I regret it. If not for that moment, Da-eun and I wouldn¡¯t have been able to untangle the mess and stand together at the starting line again. Even though I insisted it was nothing, Da-eun continued to look at me with a concerned expression. Feeling embarrassed under her gaze, I scratched my cheek awkwardly and changed the subject. ¡°Our ns going forward¡­¡± ¡°What?! Are you leaving already?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± I shook my head. Although I¡¯d unloaded the old, festering emotions that had been rotting away inside me, it didn¡¯t mean I¡¯d suddenly regained interest in the festival. After struggling to get here all the way from Grasis territory, I just thought we could rest for a few days. ¡­And, well¡­ ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to see it?¡± The Descent Festival. I found myself unable to meet her eyes and nced away as I spoke. It felt too embarrassing to look directly at her and say it. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± I expected a quick response, but oddly enough, there was none from her. Puzzled by this strange silence, I turned to look at Da-eun again. I saw her staring nkly at me with a vacant expression. Why is she like that? As I tilted my head in curiosity, light returned to her eyes. ¡°¡­What¡¯s this? What is this adorable creature? Is it even legal to be this cute?¡± ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡± She¡¯s being ridiculous. I scoffed. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m talking about after the Descent Festival.¡± Will youe with me? I looked up at Da-eun, conveying that meaning with my gaze. She didn¡¯t disappoint me. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ming! So, where are we headed next?¡± Is she excited about the trip itself, or is it because she¡¯s going with me? Whichever it is, seeing her so happy doesn¡¯t feel bad. ¡°We¡¯re going to ¡®Laxia.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­Huh? Where did you say we¡¯re going?¡± ¡°To Laxia, the Great Continent.¡± Da-eun froze on the spot, still as a statue. Seeing her reaction, I quietly nodded. I guess it¡¯s not exactly the kind of ce that would make anyone jump for joy. Chapter 66 Chapter 66 The world of Silia, filled with adventure and romance. People venture out with swords at their waists, confronting powerful monsters with dazzling magic cast from their staves. There are Elves living in harmony with nature, and Dwarves hammering away at metal amidst the heat of a furnace. A world truly like a picture-perfect fantasy. However¡ª The world of Silia was not just filled with romance, as yers might imagine. Races that couldn¡¯t help but fight each other whenever their eyes met. The constant threat of monsters lurking around every corner. The tyranny of wandering rogues who roamed with swords at their sides.The history of the Ardina Continent was always steeped in blood and screams. But, if you asked what caused the most loss of life, people of Silia would unanimously say: The Race Wars that erupted twice. The 1st Race War was shorterpared to the 2nd, but since every race was hostile to each other and fought, the damage was catastrophic. On the other hand, the 2nd Race War was the opposite. The only ones fighting were the Demonic Race and Humans. The other races did support the humans, but the number of those who actively participated in the war was very few. However, because it dragged on for more than fifty years, it imed far more lives than the 1st Race War, where every race was involved. No one has ever been able to directly tally the number of victims, so there¡¯s no way of knowing the exact figure, but one thing is certain¡ªit wasn¡¯t a small number. And, the causes of the two Race Wars were the same. The Demonic Race. The two tragedies began when they crossed over from Laxia to the Ardina Continent. The war that raged for decades only ended when the Sedeth Kingdom intervened as a mediator and painstakingly foundmon ground. At the conference arranged to bring an end to the war, someone from the Human side asked the Demonic Race: ¡°Why did youe to Ardina and cause such chaos?¡± Their answer was simple. ¡°To survive.¡± The Demonic Race crossed over from Laxia to Ardina to survive. And the people of the Ardina Continent desperately fought back to survive. The start of this terrible war that imed countless lives and devastated countless people¡¯s lives¡­ ¡­was just that. *** *** *** After the Holy Kingdom, the next destination was Laxia, the homnd of the Demonic Race. Thinking about it like that, it felt a bit strange. ¡°¡­Are you going there to lop off the Demon King¡¯s head or something? Kana, are you actually a Hero?¡± Perhaps Da-eun felt the same way as she murmured such nonsense. ¡°Of course not.¡± There were people in Silia who were called Heroes. Although it was just a suggestion to go to Laxia, the mention of chopping off the Demon King¡¯s head seemed to imply that Da-eun had a very different image of what a Hero was supposed to be. In any case, it was a title that definitely didn¡¯t suit me. ¡°Why would I go kill someone who¡¯s living quietly?¡± ¡°¡­Huh? But aren¡¯t the Demonic Race supposed to be bad?¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± ¡°Why, you ask¡­? Didn¡¯t they start a war, kill people¡­? I heard they even control terrifying monsters?¡± Da-eun folded her fingers one by one as she replied. Putting aside everything else¡ª ¡°I killed people too.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Well, that¡¯s¡­ because you had no choice during the war, right?¡± ¡°I killed even after that.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Da-eun surrendered in defeat against my continuous retorts. Since it was all in jest, and I wasn¡¯t offended, I epted her surrender without furtherint. ¡­Well, it¡¯s not like Da-eun¡¯s image of the Demonic Race was particrly unusual or anything. If you were to ask the people of Silia about the Demonic Race, nine out of ten would probably say something simr to what she just said. Even though fifty years have passed since the end of the 2nd Race War, saying it¡¯s been ¡°just fifty years¡± is another way of saying it¡¯s ¡°only been fifty years.¡± There were still people alive who had directly experienced the war, so there was no way that fear and hatred could disappear. So, it¡¯s like this: Those who experienced the war harbor their own resentment toward the Demonic Race, and those who have never even seen them judge based solely on the stories they¡¯ve heard. Even the most urate information gets exaggerated and distorted as it passes from one mouth to another, turning into baseless rumors. ims like, ¡°They enjoy eating people,¡± or, ¡°They¡¯re aiming to conquer the world.¡± And then, there are those who believe such rumors¡­ This kind of cycle repeats itself over and over again. ¡°¡­Was it all false?¡± ¡°¡­Hah.¡± Like the person next to me right now. Garid¡­ my father was also one of those people who disliked the Demonic Race. But he wasn¡¯t someone who simply believed in rumors or held biases like most others did. In fact, it was quite the opposite. The reason he disliked the Demonic Race was simply because he lived through a time when it was impossible to like them. Thanks to my father, I was able to gain proper knowledge of the Demonic Race. And, I also learned why such rumors came to be. ¡°It¡¯splicated¡­.¡± Da-eun, who now felt as if everything she thought she knew had been shattered, wore a confused expression. ¡°So, were the Demonic Race actually good?¡± ¡°No. From the perspective of the people of the Ardina Continent, they are still the bad ones. Even if they had a reason, the fact remains that they invaded the continent.¡± ¡°A reason?¡± She tilted her head. ¡°What was the reason?¡± ¡°To survive.¡± I didn¡¯t know the exact reason why the Demonic Race had to cross the ocean and invade the continent. At least, not until I met and talked with Edel. After hearing their side of the story from Edel, I could understand why they made that choice. The beings of the Ardina Continent harness a mysterious power known as Mana. In contrast, the Demonic Race wields a different power called Magi. Because of that, their homnd was always filled with Magi, and without resistance to it, just being near them could pose a threat to one¡¯s life. To any being other than the Demonic Race, Magi was nothing less than poison. This was the reason the people of Ardina desperately resisted their settlement. If it was that bad just for them to stay there, imagine how saturated with Magi their homnd of Laxia must have been. Ironically, it was the abundance of Magi that forced the Demonic Race to leave Laxia and cross over to the Ardina Continent. ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t having a lot of Magi a good thing? The Demonic Race use Magi, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Mana¡­.¡± I almost said, ¡°Even if it¡¯s Mana, too much of it is lethal,¡± but I held my tongue. There¡¯s no way Da-eun, who¡¯s from Earth, would understand if I exined it like that. ¡°¡­Humans need water to live.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°But if there¡¯s too much water, you can¡¯t live.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, I get it now?¡± Unable to survive in a ce filled with excessive Magi, the Demonic Race left Laxia and settled on the Ardina Continent. Although it¡¯s not a perfect exnation, this much should be enough for her to grasp the gist of it. After listening, Da-eun looked like she¡¯d understood something and then seemed to delve into thought as if she were chewing on the idea. ¡°But¡­ if the Demonic Race couldn¡¯t endure it and had to flee, wouldn¡¯t that mean that I definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to endure it either, unlike you, Kana?¡± ¡°¡­Probably?¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll just have to wait until youe back! Be careful, Kana. ¡­N-no, I was just joking!¡± ¡°¡­Joking?¡± ¡°Y-yeah! It was a joke, so don¡¯t make that face. You¡¯re making me feel like trash¡­!¡± ¡°¡­That kind of joke isn¡¯t funny at all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­.¡± When I released my grip on Da-eun¡¯s clothes, she muttered in an extremely gloomy tone. ¡°I¡¯m trash¡­ Non-recyble trash¡­.¡± ¡°Are you going to make jokes like that again?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t! Never again¡­!¡± ¡°Alright, then that¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Kanaaa¡­! What have I done to such a nice person like you¡­!¡± Wham! ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± Da-eun suddenly hugged me tightly. I tried to shake my head, but her body blocked me, so I let out a sigh instead. ¡°I¡¯ve already made preparations, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Even though the bodies of the Apostles are tougherpared to their abilities, Da-eun still won¡¯t be able to withstand the Magi of the Demonic Continent. ording to Edel, the Magi at the heart of the Demonic Continent would be difficult for even me to endure. It was at that moment, as Da-eun tilted her head at my words¡ª ¡°Preparations?¡± Knock, knock. ¡°May Ie in?¡± ¡°Huh, Celine?¡± A knock on the door, followed by Celine¡¯s voice. Despite her confusion, Da-eun opened the door for her. ¡°Ah, good morning. Did both of you sleep well?¡± ¡°Thanks to you, yes. Did you sleep well too, Celine?¡± ¡°Hehe, yes.¡± ¡°But what brings you here? It¡¯s not time for breakfast yet, is it?¡± ¡°Oh, you haven¡¯t heard yet?¡± ¡°¡­No? Heard what¡­.¡± Da-eun tilted her head again. ¡°Lady Edel said that I should apany both of you. Of course, if you don¡¯t want me to, Joanie, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it¡­.¡± Are you against it? Celine¡¯s voice became slightly gloomy as she spoke, and Da-eun hastily waved her hands. ¡°Ah, no! Not at all! It¡¯s just a little sudden, that¡¯s all¡­.¡± ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s a relief. I was worried you didn¡¯t like me, Joanie.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯d dislike you, Celine.¡± While conversing with Celine, Da-eun bent forward and whispered to me. ¡°Kana. Could it be¡­ that ¡®preparation¡¯ you mentioned is¡­.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s Celine.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Wait, hold on a second!¡± Da-eun grabbed my shoulder with a light force, ensuring she didn¡¯t hurt me, and asked. ¡°Celine said that Edel told her to apany us, so¡­ Kana, did you¡­.¡± She gulped. ¡°¡­Did you talk to Lady Edel?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°In the prayer room? Just the two of you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Since it wasn¡¯t something to hide, I answered honestly. What matters is what we talked about. Just in case, I had asked Edel, and she said there was no need to hide it. On top of that, she even informed the higher-ups of the Church that she¡¯d spoken with me and instructed them to amodate me, unintentionally making me a prominent figure overnight. A divine message that hade down after decades, instructing them to provide convenience¡ªof course, it caused an uproar. If she was going to say something like that, she should have done it from the moment we arrived at the Holy Kingdom. If she had, I wouldn¡¯t have had to pretend to be a nun. ¡®Surely, she didn¡¯t do it on purpose, right?¡¯ Even though I thought it was unlikely, recalling Edel¡¯s behavior made me doubt. ¡°Am I the weird one? Is it something you can just talk about so casually, like having a private conversation with a god?¡± Da-eun murmured, seemingly half-dazed. I waved my hand slightly, but her eyes remained half-unfocused. It¡¯s a surprising thing to say, but is it really something to be this shocked about? If it were the people of Silia, I could understand why they¡¯d be so taken aback. To them, Edel is not just some vague figure they¡¯re unsure of, but a living god and the mother of all creation. But Da-eun, who¡¯s from another world, wouldn¡¯t feel Edel¡¯s presence to the same extent as they do. Despite thinking that way, I stayed silent and continued to observe Da-eun. Honestly, watching her panic was pretty entertaining. Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Demonic Race. Although the Demonic Race didn¡¯t exist on Earth, where Da-eun was from, she wasn¡¯t unfamiliar with them. ¡®They¡¯re a regr feature in fantasy novels, after all.¡¯ So much so that their absence would feel strange. Even though she had never actually seen one, Da-eun already felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity with them long ago. Although she was a bit flustered when Kana first mentioned them¡ª ¡®¡­That makes sense!¡¯ Come to think of it, there are countless creative works that portray the Demonic Race in a positive light. Since adding one more to that collection didn¡¯t make a significant difference, Da-eun quicklyposed herself.However, there was one thing she couldn¡¯tpromise on. ¡°If Celine ising with us, we should be safe. After all, Holy Power and Magi are natural enemies!¡± What is the Demonic Race¡¯s weakness? It¡¯s none other than Holy Power. The golden Holy Power that withstands the ferocious storm of Magi. The image of a frail priestess bravely confronting powerful Magi was enough to deeply stir the hidden romanticism within Da-eun. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Silia Online¡¯s ¡°Priest¡± ss hadbat abilities close to zero, she might have chosen to be a priestess without hesitation. For that reason¡ª While it was still terrifying to head to the home of the Demonic Race, Laxia¡ª Having the reliable tank and dealer Kana, and Celine, the healer, by her side¡ª Thinking about heading to Laxia with those two made Da-eun¡¯s heart, which had been still for a while, start racing again. ¡®It¡¯s totally a Hero¡¯s Party¡­!¡¯ Even though Kana had denied it, in Da-eun¡¯s eyes, the small girl looked like a dependable hero. ¡®¡­Wait a minute.¡¯ ¡­Something seemed off. Da-eun stopped her endless daydreaming and furrowed her brow. If Kana is the dealer, and Celine is the healer, then what¡¯s my role¡­? Of course, there¡¯s no rule that says a Hero¡¯s Party should only have one dealer, but no matter how much she thought about it, Da-eun couldn¡¯t picture herself ying an active role in the Demonic Continent. ¡­Am I¡­ just baggage? Was this secretly one of those stories of despair and regret? Kana, noticing that Da-eun was lost in some useless thoughts, looked at her with pity, but Da-eun didn¡¯t realize it at all. She only snapped back to reality when she heard Celine¡¯s puzzled voice. ¡°Hmm? Natural enemies?¡± Celine looked genuinely confused, as if she were hearing such a thing for the first time. Hearing her voice, Da-eun, who had been lost in her own world, was suddenly thrown into confusion. ¡°Wait, is it not true?¡± Double damage to Magi-type creatures, purifyingnds tainted with Magi, things like that. ¡°¡­There¡¯s no such thing.¡± ¡°No such thing, really.¡± Crash! Celine¡¯s direct reply struck Da-eun¡¯s head like lightning. ¡°My¡­ my dreams¡­.¡± Da-eun copsed, clinging to Kana, to soothe her wounded heart. Here we go again. Although the usual expressionless look briefly crossed Kana¡¯s face, she didn¡¯t resist Da-eun¡¯s embrace. Having regained her inner peace by hugging Kana, Da-eun spoke up. ¡°Then there¡¯s no real point ining along, is there? Ah, not that I doubt Celine¡¯s abilities¡­.¡± ¡°Hehe. I understand your concern.¡± Celine gently ced her hand over her chest. ¡°But even if I look like this, I¡¯m still a trainee saintess of the Edel Church. So you can rest assured, I¡¯m quite confident in my abilities.¡± ¡°¡­Trainee saintess?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­What is that, exactly?¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± Seeing the pride exuding from Celine, it seemed like it was something amazing. Da-eun didn¡¯t know what a trainee saintess was, but since it had the title ¡°saintess¡± attached to it¡­ Should she be impressed or just let it slide? While Da-eun wavered between these two options, Celine, having regained herposure, kindly exined. ¡°A trainee saintess is a nun who trains to be a saintess.¡± ¡°Huh? But isn¡¯t a saintess supposed to be chosen by Lady Edel?¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s an interesting way to put it. Since a saintess is more adept at handling Lady Edel¡¯s blessings than others, you could see it that way.¡± Though she phrased it differently, in summary, it meant ¡°not necessarily.¡± ¡°So it wasn¡¯t like that¡­.¡± If that were the case, then what does a saintess do? How does one be a saintess? And how many trainee saintesses are there? There were still so many questions. Kana, who was trapped in Da-eun¡¯s embrace, began to squirm, clearly ufortable. Sensing from the small movements within her arms that her time was running out, Da-eun decided to put off satisfying all her curiosity for now. There was no need to ask everything right away. After all, since they were going to be traveling together, there would be plenty of time to talk. Instead, Da-eun decided to ask the one thing she was most curious about. ¡°This¡­ really, really isn¡¯t because I don¡¯t trust you, Celine, but¡­ can I ask just one more thing? Just one more?¡± ¡°Of course. Feel free to ask anything.¡± ¡°I apologize if thises off as rude¡­ But being a trainee saintess means you¡¯re technically a lower rank than a saintess, right?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true, yes?¡± ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, Laxia, the Demonic Continent, is an extremely dangerous ce. If that¡¯s where we¡¯re going, shouldn¡¯t a saintess be sent instead of a trainee saintess? N-not that I¡¯mining, of course, since I¡¯m d you¡¯reing with us, Celine!¡± Even though Da-eun had no intention of belittling Celine, her question was more than enough to sound rude. Knowing this herself, Da-eun tried to soften her words withyers of disimers, but she couldn¡¯t hide her nervousness. As expected, the chat window exploded withments like ¡°habitual disrespect¡± or was filled with just the words ¡°me¡± and ¡°lock.¡± ¡®But still, it¡¯s something I¡¯m curious about.¡¯ Why would they send someone of a lower rank and leave the most skilled person behind? Or maybe it¡¯s because the position has more symbolic significance, so they can¡¯t send them to a dangerous ce? ¡°Oh! So that¡¯s what you were curious about?¡± Fortunately, Celine responded cheerfully, without the slightest hint of offense. ¡°The position of saintess is currently vacant.¡± So, as the strongest candidate, I ended up being sent. Her voice was full of pride as she said this. *** The Demonic Race didn¡¯t originally exist on the Ardina Continent. However, that doesn¡¯t mean they didn¡¯t exist in the world of Silia. Unlike the Dimensional Creatures that suddenly appeared with Edel¡¯s defeat one day, they had lived on a continent beyond the western sea for a long time. In other words, the Demonic Race is a race created by Edel¡¯s own hands. Humans, Elves, Dwarves, the Demonic Race, monsters¡­ from various beasts to even the smallest gnats. Except for the Dimensional Creatures, every living being in the world of Silia was born from Edel¡¯s hands. Oh, right, I should exclude myself from that list. In any case, why would Edel¡¯s Holy Power have a harmful effect on the beings she herself created? Anything in excess is never good, so staying exposed to it all day wouldn¡¯t be healthy, but it wouldn¡¯t have the dramatic effects that Da-eun was imagining. ¡ªThat¡¯s what I thought as I listened to Da-eun¡¯s words. And¡ª ¡°Idiot.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± That one word summed up my feelings. Sure, Da-eun is an outsider and couldn¡¯t know all these internal details, but¡­ I don¡¯t know, I just found it amusing to tease her, so I threw in ament. She recoiled as if struck by an arrow. ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­! I really didn¡¯t know!¡± That was the extent of the defendant¡¯s plea. If Holy Power and Magi were truly opposing forces like she thought, the Sedeth Kingdom would have never stepped in to mediate the Second Race War. If Holy Power opposed Magi, that would mean it¡¯s a power that defies Edel¡¯s will. ¡°Holy Power is a force rted to life.¡± Not all sacred spells are rted to life, though. ¡°That¡¯s why it can heal wounds, cure diseases, and even boost vitality to strengthen the body.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ so that¡¯s why¡­.¡± Hearing my words, Da-eun seemed to have a realization. ¡°That¡¯s why priests have higher healing capabilities than other healers, huh.¡± She suddenly muttered in Arkish, likely talking to her viewers. If I knew Arkish, I would have understood what she was saying. I don¡¯t regret not learning it, but hearing her talk¡ªno, hearing her pretend to talk to herself while actually conversing with someone else¡ªmade me realize I needed to learn it quickly. Not yet, though. There¡¯s still time. Yeah. ¡°Do you remember what I said about Magi?¡± ¡°Are you asking if I knew? ¡­You all knew this¡ªhuh? Kana mentioned it?¡± Da-eun¡¯s face turned from frustration to curiosity upon hearing something. ¡°Ahem, ahem. Kana, what did you say?¡± ¡°¡­I just asked if you remember what I said about Magi.¡± ¡°Of course, I remember. You said it¡¯s like poison to non-demonic beings. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Even though the Descent Festival was still ongoing, the streets were lively and bustling. With my hood pulled low, I strolled down the energetic streets with Da-eun by my side. ¡°Creatures thate into contact with Magi gradually be weaker.¡± The longer the exposure, and the higher the concentration of Magi, the stronger and faster its effects be. It¡¯s manageable if you have resistance to Magi, but not every living being is born with a resilient body or the ability to reach a high level of resistance. ¡°And for those who can¡¯t resist the Magi that has invaded their bodies, there are only two fates awaiting them.¡± Death, or bing a monster. The fact that there are an unusuallyrge number of monsters near thends where the Demonic Race resides isn¡¯t just a coincidence. Because of that, Grasis had quite a headache. Since just a short distance to the west was where the Demonic Race had settled, thends surrounding Grasis were overrun with monsters as well. ¡­ Well, it was their own fault, to be honest. It was an inevitable consequence that the monsters would start appearing in droves once the Demonic Race settled near Grasis. So, the entire Ardina Continent had agreed to support the subjugation of the monsters, but Grasis, with its disastrous diplomatic decisions, ended up driving that support away. If pushing away unity that transcends nations and races can be called a talent, then perhaps it was a talent of theirs. ¡°Now do you understand why people think it¡¯s impossible to coexist with the Demonic Race?¡± I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s also why rumors spread that the Demonic Race controls monsters. ¡°Y-yeah¡­ But why did you suddenly tell me all that? Now I¡¯m even more scared¡­.¡± Although Da-eun¡¯s physical body wouldn¡¯t truly die, or more urately, it would only appear as if she died, she still shivered at the thought. In the past, I would¡¯ve thought she was just being unnecessarily scared for someone who can¡¯t die anyway. ¡°¡­You seemed curious as to why we¡¯re taking Celine along.¡± But not now. After talking with Da-eun, I understood why she had such a pathological fear of pain. ¡°As I said, Holy Power is rted to life. So, with her Holy Power, she should be able to protect you from the effects of Magi.¡± Since even Edel has attested to her abilities, she should be able to do at least that much. If Celine¡¯s power is insufficient, it means I wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand it either. And if that happens, it¡¯d be better if¡­. ¡°¡­¡± ¡­ No, let¡¯s not go there. I quickly pushed that thought out of my head. I know it¡¯s just a thought, but that was too far. ¡°I won¡¯t let you die.¡± ¡°Kana¡­!¡± Upon hearing my words, Da-eun looked like she was about to burst into tears. Then, as if something suddenly urred to her, she stopped tearing up. ¡°So¡­ does that mean you¡¯ll teach me swordsmanship more kindly now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Kana? Hey, Kana? Can¡¯t you hear me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± No. Absolutely not. She¡¯s the one who wanted to learn swordsmanship, right? I¡¯m teaching her swordsmanship, not trying to kill her. If I¡¯m harsher now, she¡¯ll be better able to protect herself in dangerous situations, and that¡¯s more in line with not letting her die, right? Yeah, I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what it is. I turned my head away, pretending not to hear her. ¡°Waaah! I hate you, Kana!¡± True consideration for others often means being hated by them. It¡¯s a painful thing, but that¡¯s something I¡¯ll have to endure as well. Chapter 68 Chapter 68
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Death is a futile thing. Even more so on a battlefield where countless lives are extinguished. Comrades you had just shared a meal with a few hours agoy sprawled out, unable to even close their eyes. A superior who used to nitpick at every little thing you did, takes theirst breath with a gurgling sound of bloody foam. It didn¡¯t matter if they were a husband who hadn¡¯t been married long or a filial son taking care of his elderly mother. None could escape the cruel de of war. ¡®If youe back in one piece, it¡¯s a miracle. If you return with only minor injuries, it¡¯s heaven¡¯s blessing. And if you return alive even with a part of your body missing, you¡¯re incredibly lucky.¡¯There¡¯s a reason such sayings exist. No matter how tragic one¡¯s story was, simply making it out alive from the battlefield, where even your name could be forgotten, meant that you were incredibly fortunate. ¡®Yeah. Being lucky.¡¯ In the man¡¯s opinion, what you need most to survive on the battlefield is luck. Half-hearted strength doesn¡¯t mean anything. There were plenty ofrades who were stronger than him in the battlefield he¡¯de back from, yet only a few of them survived alongside him. The reason they were able to make it back alive was because they were a bit luckier than the others. Had he not instinctively turned his body at thest moment¡ª Had that sword aura veered just a little bit to the side¡ª ¡®¡­Another miss.¡¯ And if the demon that had mercilessly ughtered hisrades hadn¡¯t lost interest and left¡ª That day, what the man would have lost wouldn¡¯t have been his left arm, but his life. The demon, who had inflicted almost total annihtion with just a few sword swings, turned and left, and the remaining survivors barely managed to flee. There¡¯s no need to describe the morale of those survivors who ran away. But the man was different. After being forced out of the battlefield, missing an arm, he returned to his hometown. And as he was held in his weeping mother¡¯s embrace, he thought¡ª Could such power reallye from a human body? And from a girl who looked even younger than his own daughter? The man realized something. Half-hearted strength means nothing, but overwhelming strength¡ª Strength that can ovee misfortune¡ª Surviving might be luck, but strength is what determines the line between fortune and misfortune. That¡¯s why the man picked up his sword with his remaining arm. Dreaming of the day his sword would one day reach that demon. *** It had already been a few days since we left the Sedeth Kingdom and set out on our journey after the lengthy Descent Festival ended. In the monotonous routine of eating, riding, eating, and riding again, there were two things that Da-eun and I never skipped. Sword training andnguage study. ¡°¡­Do you two always train like this?¡± Celine asked with a bewildered expression. I was learning Arkish but was still clumsy with it, and Celine didn¡¯t know Granic at all. So, Celine and I could onlymunicate through Da-eun, who was the only one proficient in bothnguages. Or Celine had to stick to using only the most basic vocabry I could understand. But even that didn¡¯t lead to propermunication. And right now, Da-eun, who was supposed to trante our conversation¡ª ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± There was no response. It was as if she were a corpse. I poked her side, where shey sprawled on the ground, her face buried in the dirt, but there was still no reaction. What a shame¡­ She¡¯s gone so young¡­. May she find peace in the afterlife. Rustle. I gathered a handful of dirt and sprinkled it over her prone body. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not asleep yet¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, she¡¯s alive.¡± With a strange groan, Da-eun staggered to her feet. ¡®¡­An undead?¡¯ Seeing her rise like that, as if crawling out from the ground, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder¡ª Should I exterminate her? I subconsciously reached for my sword. Just then, I made eye contact with Celine. Judging by her somewhat ufortable expression, it seemed she had the same thought as me. ¡°Celine, could I ask you to help¡­?¡± ¡°O-of course, anytime.¡± As the golden mana flowed from Celine¡¯s hands and seeped into Da-eun¡¯s body, the small wounds on her skin healed, and the pale, lifeless look in her face began to disappear. Her clothes were still filthy, and she looked like she was about to copse at any moment, but at least she no longer resembled an undead. Propping herself up with her sword, Da-eun let out a long sigh. ¡°Really, I¡¯m always indebted to you, Celine. If it weren¡¯t for you, I¡¯d already be dead.¡± ¡°No matter how strong Kana is¡­ to that extent¡­.¡± ¡°¡­To be honest, Celine can¡¯t guarantee it either, right?¡± ¡°N-no, that¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°Oh,e on, just say it honestly. It¡¯s okay. Kana won¡¯t understand anyway, so it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°As a nun, how could I speak ill of someone behind their back?¡± ¡°Oh no! Speaking ill? That¡¯s too serious! I don¡¯t want to speak ill of Kana either, of course. This is just¡­ um, I just want to hear Celine¡¯s honest opinion.¡± ¡°Honest¡­ opinion?¡± ¡°Yes. You don¡¯t have to think too deeply about it. Just tell me how difficult the training feels.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ to be honest¡­.¡± ¡°Honestly¡­?¡± ¡°It feels¡­ very difficult.¡± ¡°Right?!¡± After chatting a bit with Celine, Da-eun instantly regained her energy. It was a dramatic change for someone who seemed to be on the brink of death just moments ago. ¡°Sometimes, it feels like the training is even tougher than what the Holy Knights go through¡­ Oh, but that¡¯s just speaking about the intensity of the training.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re still saying it¡¯s difficult, aren¡¯t you? Sigh, Kana¡¯s really pushing people to their limits¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Hearing my name mentioned here and there, it seemed like they were talking about me. I¡¯m frustrated. It¡¯s frustrating not being able to understand what they¡¯re saying, so I considered buying a magic tool that could trante. ¡®¡­The price, though.¡¯ After seeing the price, I quickly gave up on that thought. Or maybe it¡¯s more urate to say that my mind was made up for me. No matter how much money I¡¯ve saved up, spending that much at once is too much. If I¡¯d known it would be like this, I should¡¯ve asked Edel if she had any good solutions. Considering how people from Earth speak Arkish so fluently, Edel must have done something. The first time I spoke with Edel, I was too overwhelmed with emotions, and the second time, there were so many things to discuss that it slipped my mind. Earth, Dimensional Creatures, the Great Continent¡­. With suchrge-scale topics, there was no way I would¡¯ve thought about a trantor. And right after we finished talking about the Demonic Race, Edel disappeared, so there wasn¡¯t time for it. I¡¯ll just study as much as I can, and if it really doesn¡¯t work out, I¡¯ll consider buying a magic tool. I can always earn more moneyter. ¡°You seem fine. Want to keep going a bit longer?¡± ¡°¡­Please, have mercy.¡± ¡°¡­I just saved you, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°What I meant is¡­ not just keeping me alive¡­.¡± Da-eun put on an extremely pitiful expression. ¡°Da¡­ umm¡­.¡± I stopped as I was speaking and met Da-eun¡¯s gaze. Although I know her real name, she asked me to call her Joanie if possible. She said it felt more familiar that way. And she also mentioned that if there ever came a time when she wanted to be called by her real name, she¡¯d let me know. ¡­Saying this makes me sound a bit strange, but¡ª ¡®Isn¡¯t she being too obvious?¡¯ Of course, Da-eun has no idea that I know, so that must be why. Even though I thought her excuse was flimsy, I yed along with her. ¡°Didn¡¯t Joanie ask me to teach her?¡± If this way of teaching hadn¡¯t shown results, I wouldn¡¯t have had anything to say. ¡°You¡¯ve improved a lot.¡± This wasn¡¯t an emptypliment just to make Da-eun feel better. Her basic stance when holding a sword, as well as her overallbat skills, had improved significantly. She also had mostly gotten over her habit of flinching in fear at her own sword swings, and she could respond more calmly to iing attacks. ¡°E-ehehe. R-really?¡± Judging by her expression, she seemed to be asking if Kana was reallyplimenting her for once. Even though she looked skeptical, she broke into a bashful smile after hearing thepliment. Come to think of it, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever really praised her while teaching. Of course, it¡¯s because there wasn¡¯t anything worth praising, but seeing her react like this, it might not be a bad idea to givepliments every now and then. For the sake of effective education. ¡­Yeah, purely for efficiency. Seeing Da-eun smiling bashfully made the irritation in my chest subside a little. ¡°Then, shall we do a bit more?¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll fall for that? Absolutely not!¡± Watching Da-eun¡¯s back as she quickly ran away, as if worried I might try to catch her, I smacked my lips. ¡°Aww, it¡¯s not working.¡± *** Tap, tap. I stared half-mindedly at the crackling campfire. I think I once heard that fire yed the most significant role in humanity¡¯s development. Maybe that¡¯s why. Just sitting here quietly, watching the mes flicker, strangely calms my mind. ¡®How long has it been since I¡¯ve felt this at ease?¡¯ Thinking back¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever truly rxed since bing the captain. Or since my father passed away. With the constant annoyance of the royals and nobles, the ongoing war with the Empire, and the ever-looming threat of monsters¡­ Even after the fall of Grasis and shedding the cumbersome position of Crimson Knights Captain, nothing really changed. I always had to stay somewhat alert since danger coulde from anywhere at any time. So it¡¯s really unusual for me to feel this rxed right now. Thanks to Celine¡¯s Holy Magic, I don¡¯t have to worry about physical threats, and as for mental burdens¡­ ¡­It¡¯d be a lie to say I have none, but for some reason, I have this feeling that things will turn out fine, so I¡¯m not too worried. I wonder when I started having such optimistic thoughts. It was so ridiculous that I almost let out augh. ¡°¡­It¡¯s done!¡± All of a sudden, Da-eun shouted excitedly. It seemed she finally finished what she¡¯d been working on for the past few nights, huddled by the campfire. Whenever I tried to see what she was working on so diligently, ¡®It¡¯s a surprise, so no peeking.¡¯ That¡¯s what she said, so I couldn¡¯t figure out what she was up to. I could¡¯ve found out if I really wanted to, but I didn¡¯t want to pry after she made it clear she wanted to keep it a secret. But if you say it¡¯s a surprise, isn¡¯t it no longer a surprise, but just a gift? I tilted my head in confusion. In the meantime, Da-eun quickly tidied up her spot and came over to me. ¡°Ta-da! It¡¯s a surprise gift.¡± ¡°Uh, uh-huh¡­ I¡¯m so surprised. I didn¡¯t expect you to prepare something like this.¡± ¡°Pffft, what¡¯s that supposed to be? Were you acting? That didn¡¯t suit you at all!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± I went along with it, and this is what I get. As I puffed my cheeks in annoyance, Da-eun pinched them yfully. ¡°Aww, so cute~¡± ¡°¡­Hrmph mph.¡± She only let go of my cheek after seeing my eyes narrow into triangles. Rubbing my slightly warm cheek, I asked, ¡°So, what is this?¡± Da-eun flipped through a bundle of papers. Through the neatly bound sheets, I could glimpse some words written on them. ¡°These are word cards. With these, it should be easier for you to study and also for you to have conversations with Celine.¡± ¡°?¡± Hearing her name, Celine perked up from where she was sitting. She slowly got up and approached us. When she saw what I was holding, she eximed softly. ¡°Oh my, you¡¯ve finished it. You¡¯ve really put in a lot of effort.¡± ¡°Hmm. I worked really hard, didn¡¯t I!¡± Each sheet was filled with words in Granic and Arkish. And to aid understanding, there were small, simple drawings corresponding to the words. While Da-eun was proudly puffing up her chest, Celine and I looked through the word cards she had made. ¡°Wa¡­ter¡­ fish?¡± ¡°Yes, it means ¡®fish.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­What about this one?¡± ¡°That one means ¡®doll.¡¯¡± ¡°Aha.¡± ¡­It was written in Granic, but because of the drawing, I thought it was a monster. Objectively speaking, Da-eun¡¯s drawing skills were not very good. But still, her sincerity came through. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± I smiled at her, conveying my gratitude. Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Viewers who watched Joanie¡¯s broadcast¡­ And those who didn¡¯t watch but were still interested¡­ There was a recent topic that had been circting. [Just how strong is Kana-chan?] I get that she¡¯s ridiculously strong, but I have no clue how strong she actually is. [Comments] ¡ªWhy does this post feel like it¡¯s written by an old man? Actually, calling it a recent topic wasn¡¯t quite right. Kana¡¯sbat abilities had been a steady topic of discussion ever since she was called by the name ¡°Gravekeeper.¡±In other words, despite the long passage of time, it remained a captivating subject that continued to draw people¡¯s attention. Over that period, people¡¯s opinions had changed countless times. ¡°Honestly, Gravekeeper¡¯s patterns are just shitty. What boss wouldn¡¯t be hard if designed like that?¡± Sure, she¡¯s strong, but the real issue is that Demoninus made her absurdly difficult, so it feels even harder. In terms of purebat strength, there are many NPCs stronger than Gravekeeper. Some even went as far as topare her to bosses that had already been conquered long ago and were now farmed repeatedly for loot, making her feel like just another watered-down boss. A watered-down boss given advantages by the system. That was the initial reaction. But when Kana¡¯s hood was removed, and with just two shes she annihted the Imperial Knights¡ª [Holy shit, you all said she was a watered-down boss;] When did a watered-down boss be a hydrogen bomb??? Two shes from that watered-down boss could obliterate an entire nation, wtf;;; [Comments] ¡ªUh¡­ she was supposed to be a watered-down boss¡­? ¡ªI¡¯m going to go buy a watered-down boss crafting kit right now, lmao. ©» Wait, stop; ©» You trying to start World War III? People came to ept that Kana was more than just a system-favored boss. Of course, this level of power could only be achieved because Demoninus designed her that way, but isn¡¯t it the same for other NPCs? Naturally, people¡¯s curiosity grew. Even Yuki, regarded as the strongest among yers, couldn¡¯t stand against the Imperial Knights. Yet the Imperial Knights were quaking in fear, begging for their lives in front of the brilliant prodigy swordswoman, Kana. Just how strong was she? There was a brief stir when her true identity was revealed, but it didn¡¯t cause any major changes. ¡°What?! She was the Commander of the Crimson Knights of the fallen Grasis Kingdom?!¡± ¡­So what? Nobody even knows what that means, you goddamn nerd. Neither Grasis nor even the people of Silia would know what that title meant to an Earthling. Maybe they¡¯d understand if it were the famous Imperial Knights, but there was no way Earthlings would know about the strength of a kingdom that had already fallen. Being themander of the greatest knightly order of a kingdom was impressive enough in itself. But that was about the extent of their understanding. However, Kana shattered that perception once more. By taking down a level 78-dimensional creature. Who could have imagined a massive wolf-like dimensional beast,rger than a building, copsing at the feet of a small girl? If it were that easy, sports like boxing or wrestling wouldn¡¯t bother having weight sses. Even in a world of swords and magic, the basic rule ofbat that the bigger fighter has the advantage still held true. There¡¯s a reason yers avoidedrge monsters like ogres or golems. Yet Kana, in her small frame, defeated a massive dimensional creature that could have blotted out the sky. ¡­How? With just a single sword. That day, among the yers watching the broadcast¡­ Those who walked the lonely path of adventurers, partnering with their swords and the wind¡ªswordsmen¡ªcouldn¡¯t help but shed tears. How long had they endured the mockery of dirty archers and obnoxious magicians, being called nothing but ¡°sword idiots?¡± They didn¡¯t even know that it was the swordsmen who bravely shielded them in the frontlines so they could safely deal damage in the back! And it wasn¡¯t as if other melee sses wielding axes or spears would show understanding either. Sure, people often said swords were versatile weapons, but that¡¯s only true for those who received a certain level of training. For most Earthlings, who¡¯ve never held a real weapon before, this was just nonsense. It¡¯s far more effective to stab with a spear or bash with an axe than to swing a sword, which lowered the reputation of swords even more. Despite that, there were still many who chose the path of the sword¡ª But in the end, among yers, swordsmen were more often called ¡°aggro shuttles¡± or ¡°sword fools¡± than by the honorable title of ¡°swordsman.¡± For them, Kana¡¯s existence was like a bible. A bible that proved their path was not wrong. The radiant light awaited at the end of the road we walk. Countless sword idiots¡­ No, Swordsmen were mesmerized by the sight of the small girl. The influence of Kana was so great that even those who used other weapons were setting them down to take up swords. But even so, yers¡¯ curiosity was still not satisfied. The leveling system served as a tool for yers to gauge one¡¯s strength. Like some NPCs, Kana¡¯s level was not visible, making it impossible to know exactly how strong she was. However, considering she showed no signs of fatigue even after defeating a level 78-dimensional creature, it was clear that her level must be significantly higher. ¡ª ¡°She¡¯s probably stronger than the Imperial Emperor, right?¡± ¡ª ¡°Who says the Emperor is automatically strong? The Imperial Swordsmen could be stronger than him¡­.¡± ¡ª ¡°Rumor has it that the Grand Chief of the Elves in the Great Forest is super strong.¡± ¡ª ¡°Yeah, whatever~ One dragon¡¯s purr and it¡¯ll be grilled chicken.¡± ¡ª ¡°What kind of madman are you?¡± No one could now deny that Kana was strong, and the only question remaining was just ¡°how strong she really is.¡± And people knew from experience¡­ The most effective way to solve a mystery is to ask the person directly. ¡°Kana~¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Kana¡¯s pink hair, which had beenzily draped down, suddenly stood on end. Shin Da-eun scratched her head, looking at Kana, who instantly switched into alert mode, as if she were ready to peck someone with her beak at any moment. ¡®¡­Was this not the right approach?¡¯ Even Da-eun had to admit that her voice just now had been overly soft. It wasn¡¯t just sweet; it was so sharine that it could make one shudder. Even though this was the new and affectionate Kana, infused with dere-dere* qualities after having had an honest conversation with Da-eun, it seemed like it was still too difficult for her to ept Da-eun¡¯s tone of voice. *(roughly means to show affection for the other character.) ¡°Ahem.¡± Da-eun, her face slightly flushed, cleared her throat. Then, she spoke to Kana, who was still watching her warily. ¡°Kana, just how strong are you?¡± Kana blinked nkly at the sudden, out-of-context question. But Da-eun had a reason for asking this question. [Anonymous Benefactor has donated ¡­ won! Thank you!] [¡®DogThatBarksWhenEatingSomethingBad¡¯ has donated ¡­ won! Thank you!] [¡®Yuki¡¯ has donated ¡­ won! Thank you!] That reason was none other than donations. The messages contained in these donations were almost identical. They all asked if Da-eun could ask Kana directly. Having seen simr messages in the chat for a long time, Da-eun was quite used to it. She had always hesitated to ask because the question felt somewhat ambiguous to pose outright, but today, the donations were pouring in with a singr focus. The chat was now filled withments questioning the situation, swept up in the wave of donations. With the momentum building up like this, it was hard for Da-eun to ignore it any longer. ¡®¡­It¡¯s absolutely not because the amount is toorge to turn down.¡¯ It¡¯s just the atmosphere¡ªthe atmosphere¡¯s what made me do it. ¡­More importantly, what¡¯s up with this ¡°Yuki¡± person? Could it really be her? Da-eun, thinking it might be an impersonator, checked the donor named Yuki, only to burst into a smallugh upon confirming that it was indeed her Yuki, the real one. In any case, this was why Da-eun had asked Kana that question. But for Kana, who was suddenly asked ¡°how strong¡± she was, it was a bewildering situation. How on earth is one supposed to describe ¡°strength,¡± an intangible concept, with words? At the very least, if there were something topare it to, she could exin it in rtion to that¡­ ¡®¡­A point ofparison?¡¯ Kana¡¯s expression suddenly shifted, as if she had realized something. The girl leaped off the rock she had been sitting on and grabbed the sword hanging at her waist, still sheathed. ¡°¡­!¡± It¡¯s an attack! Whenever Kana drew her sword, Da-eun instinctively assumed a defensive stance. The memories from the past few days of training were etched deeply enough into Da-eun¡¯s body to evoke a conditioned response. If Kana had seen Da-eun¡¯s actions, she would have been delighted and pped her hands in approval, but Kana paid no mind to her behavior. With the chat bursting intoughter behind her, Da-eun awkwardly lowered her sword. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°¡­Wait.¡± h¡ª Kana dragged the tip of her sword sheath across the ground, leaving a long line. Seeing the sudden drawing in the dirt, Da-eun let out a confused, ¡°Huh?¡± Well, it was¡­ cute, but¡­ ¡°This is¡­ Joanie¡¯s level.¡± ¡°Ah-ha?¡± So that¡¯s what this is. Da-eun nodded her head. Seeing her response, Kana drew another line a little further away. ¡°This is Greatsword Chick.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ The difference is bigger than I thought.¡± ¡°It¡¯s actually a lot closer than before.¡± Kana added in a small voice that it used to be much farther apart in the past. Hmm¡­ Is that so? Well, Yuki is really strong, after all. Kana wouldn¡¯t lie about something like this. In any case, since it meant she had gotten strongerpared to before, Da-eun happily epted Kana¡¯s words. So, what about you, Kana?¡± ¡°I was just about to show you.¡± As if she had been waiting for that cue, Kana held her sword and dashed off with light, rapid steps. At first, Da-eun looked at her fondly, but as Kana grew smaller and smaller until she was no bigger than a fingertip, Da-eun could only stare at her with her mouth agape like an idiot. She could barely see Kana¡¯s tiny hand draw a line in the distance. Soon, the small bird-like figure returned, mission aplished. ¡°¡­Did you see?¡± Pride peeked through Kana¡¯s normally stoic expression. ¡­Da-eun had the urge to flick the small pink head that was swelling with arrogance. But, as the saying goes, thew is far, but the fist is near. If she did something like that, she might be punished with a ¡°10,000 times the training¡± sentence on the spot. In this case, it would be her fault for not being able to tolerate being teased by a child and resorting to violence, so even thew wouldn¡¯t be on her side. ¡®Inte streamer under fire for assaulting a young girl in a video game¡­¡¯ ¡®Excesses of inte broadcasting¡ªIs this okay?¡¯ ¡­Da-eun had no intention of bing the protagonist of such headlines. The children¡¯s song ¡°It¡¯d be great if I could be on TV¡± wasn¡¯t something she wanted to seee true in such a manner. So Da-eun forced a smile and spoke. ¡°Hehe,e on, don¡¯t joke around, okay?¡± ¡°¡­Joking?¡± Joking¡­? I¡¯m not joking. Kana¡¯s face turned deadly serious. Da-eun¡¯s forced smile faded away as well. Just as people on Earth call bronze-grade mercenaries ¡°junk-grade¡± and silver-grade mercenaries ¡°trash,¡± the residents of Silia have a special term to refer to those who reach the Master level. A word that means ¡°daydream¡± or ¡°idle fantasy.¡± The term ¡°Daydream¡±. Everyone who throws themselves into battle dreams of bing a Master. But among them, only a mere handful actually reach the Master level. Although the gap between Expert and Master is only a single step, that single step is as vast as the sky and earth. yers, backed by gods, may be able to reach that level more quickly than the residents of Silia¡­ ¡®Who knows?¡¯ At least for now, it seemed far off. Kana shook her head and handed a set of word cards to Da-eun. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Da-eun looked up, sensing a presence. Reading the word written on the card in front of her, Da-eun¡¯s eyes sharpened. ¡°What¡¯s this? ¡®Trash¡¯¡­? Wait, I¡¯ve never taught you a word like this!¡± Kana should only be learning good things! With that determination, Da-eun had filled the word cards with only proper and kind words, yet there it was¡ªan unwanted word, written boldly on the card. The word ¡®Trash¡¯ was written in a cute but crooked handwriting. While it¡¯s true that Kana knew that word, she shouldn¡¯t have been able to write it yet, as she still didn¡¯t know how to spell it out in Arkish. With her eyes still narrowed, Da-eun nced around and quickly found the culprit. After all, if it wasn¡¯t Kana or herself, there was only one other person it could be, and that suspect was avoiding eye contact in a guilty manner. Celine cleared her throat. ¡°Ehem! I¡¯m sorry. Kana asked me to teach her how to write it, and I just¡­ couldn¡¯t help myself.¡± ¡°Celineee!¡± Completely ignoring Da-eun¡¯s exmation, Kana picked up a pen and scribbled down the Granic trantion next to the word ¡°Trash.¡± She wrote ¡°Joanie.¡± Chapter 70 Chapter 70 When Da-eun asked me how strong I was, I showed signs of difort. Strength is always rtive, so even if she asked, there wasn¡¯t much I could answer. Let me give you a brief example. Let¡¯s assume I¡¯m fighting a snake that¡¯s coiled up in the Empire, one-on-one. It might sound arrogant, but I have no confidence in that fight. I would probably lose. However, if it were a battlefield where armies sh, the oue would surely end in my defeat. That creature excels at using tricks and magic to wreak havoc on an army, so even if my body remains intact, the army I lead wouldn¡¯t be. In fact, I¡¯ve been caught off guard by its magic more than a few times¡­Even if I wanted to kill that snake right now, there are reasons why I couldn¡¯t. ¡­If I had been willing to face mutual destruction, it might have been possible, but back then, I had something to protect, so I couldn¡¯t do it. That hasn¡¯t changed even now. Anyway, I used the most familiar example of the snake, but how could I answer about the strong ones in the Ardina continent when I don¡¯t even know about them? Usually, when I say ¡°I, the master,¡± people ept that and leave, but Da-eun, who already knows my level, probably isn¡¯t looking for that kind of answer. Da-eun was not satisfied with showing the differences between us and threw another question. ¡°Then, has Kana ever fought with all her strength?¡± ¡°All-out strength¡­.¡± Of course, I have. When I resisted the drunkard who was pulling my hand, for instance. Or when I recklessly confronted a thug, thinking I might die if I took more hits. Or when I faced a wolf monster while escaping the city and was on the verge of death. I always had to give it my all. If I hadn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t be here right now. ¡°¡­Cough!¡± As I quietly recited this, Da-eun suddenly sniffled. ¡°Not like that. No, I mean, how was it during your time as a knight?¡± She quickly changed the subject. But it was such an unnatural transition that I naturally noticed it. However, I didn¡¯t bother to nitpick. Talking about that time wasn¡¯t particrly pleasant for me either. ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± I pretended to think deeply. ¡°I think there were a few times.¡± Once in the war with the Empire, and a couple more against other threats. Da-eun¡¯s eyes sparkled at my words. ¡°An all-out fighting Kana. That sounds so cool¡­!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± She hasn¡¯t even seen it? ¡°It¡¯s not exactly a good thing.¡± Having to give it my all means that a strong enemy appeared, right? Even if I could win, fighting against such an opponent is exhausting, and it¡¯s something I¡¯d prefer to avoid. Then Da-eun had an ¡°aha¡± moment. ¡°Oh, no, I don¡¯t want Kana to suffer; I just think it would be cool¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. I get it.¡± Knowing Da-eun¡¯s personality, that statement isn¡¯t an excuse; it¡¯s genuine. Understanding that, I didn¡¯t find her words particrly annoying. There were also several reasons I didn¡¯t want to exert myself. ¡°If I give it my all, my body hurts, and strange things get tangled up¡­.¡± More than anything, ¡°It¡¯s noisy.¡± ¡°¡­Noisy?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± What I felt most strongly was that I didn¡¯t want to hear unnecessary chatter. Fighting while listening to meaningless drivel that doesn¡¯t help at all makes me feel like I¡¯m losing my mind. I nced at Da-eun, who seemed bewildered. ¡®In a way, I guess Da-eun is simr to that.¡¯ While there are detailed differences, maybe there are simrities when you look at it broadly. After all, Da-eun is always listening to the words of her viewers. Suddenly, she seemed remarkable. ¡°¡­Huh? Huh? Noisy? What do you mean by that¡­? You¡¯re not talking about me, are you?¡± Da-eun still had a confused expression, not understanding the situation. *** Methods to build resistance against magic are not limited to increasing one¡¯s level. There¡¯s always a reason why people with some money wrap themselves in expensive magical tools. Powerful magical tools increase your resistance to magic just by being carried on your person. To be more precise, it might be better to think of it as a kind of spare life that transfers damage meant for the owner onto the magical tool. Of course, there are other reasons to wrap oneself in magical tools, but. Then here¡¯s the question. What are the conditions for a magical tool to be expensive? ¡°Me! Me! I know the answer!¡± The only student, Da-eun, eagerly raised her hand. ¡°It¡¯s inscribing high-level magic!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not entirely wrong.¡± ¡°50 points!¡± What? Only 50 points?! Da-eun, who received the terrible score, was shaking with frustration. ¡°Why is that, Professor?¡± ¡°Inscribing high-level magic is just an intermediate process; it¡¯s not the fundamental cause.¡± ¡°¡­Not the fundamental cause?¡± ¡°Yeah. Why do you think wizards know they can get high prices for inscribing high-level magic, yet they still create cheaper magical tools?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Because theyck the skill?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true too.¡± To create good magical tools, the ability of the maker is indeed important. Just as a skilled artisan can create a fine sword, a capable magical engineer can produce excellent magical tools. I extended my arm. The bracelet on my wrist jingled, producing a clear sound. ¡°How much magic do you think can be inscribed in this bracelet?¡± ¡°Well, um¡­?¡± Da-eun, who was clueless about magic, avoided answering. I didn¡¯t know much about magic either, but this didn¡¯t require specialized knowledge about it. ¡°At best, it might be low-level magic.¡± ¡°L-low-level magic? But I still paid quite a bit for it¡­¡± ¡°The high value as an essory doesn¡¯t necessarily mean it¡¯s made of good magical materials.¡± Among truly expensive magical tools, there are some that are both visually appealing and perform well. Rings, nes, bracelets, hairpins¡ªthings that you can adorn yourself with and wear conveniently. What their prices are like¡­ ¡°You know without me saying, right?¡± ¡°Um, uh¡­¡± Do you know, or do you not? I believed she understood to some extent and moved on to the next exnation. ¡°The higher the grade of magic, the more mana is required for casting. When inscribing on a magical tool, the magic is condensed, so the demand is less.¡± Even so, can ordinary people who can¡¯t even feel mana handle the mana required for casting spells? Of course not. The magic cast from magical tools is all performed through the mana stored in those tools. You need durability to withstand the high-grade magic and capacity to store a significant amount of mana. Only when both of these conditions are met can high-grade magic be inscribed, making it an expensive magical tool. ¡°So, people with a lot of mana sometimes use magical tools made from materials that have high durability but low capacity.¡± ¡°¡­Um! Ipletely understand!¡± ¡°¡­You really understand, right?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± When someone says that confidently, it usually means they haven¡¯t understood at all. But seeing her confident expression made me uneasy, yet I let it slide since it wasn¡¯t a particrly crucial topic. ¡°So, Professor!¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I asked why we¡¯re heading north, but why are you suddenly lecturing about magical tools?¡± What I had discussed up to this point was merely a buildup to answer her question. ¡°If you¡¯re beside Celine, you¡¯ll generally be safe, but there are always exceptions.¡± If there everes a situation where Celine can¡¯t be by her side¡­ If something happens that neither Celine nor I can resolve¡­ To prepare for such events, I chose magical tools as insurance. If it¡¯s a magical tool specifically designed to withstand magic, it should hold up reasonably well even in Laxia, which is filled with magic. Honestly, I would have preferred to bring something like a relic from the Edel Church instead of a magical tool, but unfortunately, Edel said that wouldn¡¯t be possible. ¡°For me?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s just because it would be annoying if you get hurt.¡± Since I have a long way to go and I¡¯m busy, if she was to be affected by magic, I would have to stop to heal. So that¡¯s why. Really. Bam¡ª ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bam¡ª I averted my gaze from the warm eyes directed at me. As I sneaked a nce at Da-eun, suddenly¡ª ¡°Whoosh!¡± ¡°¡­Ugh?!¡± ¡°Ahhh, so cute~~!¡± Da-eununched a surprise hug attack. ¡­Is this how it¡¯s going to y out again? This had happened more than once, so I rxed my body and just let it happen. ¡°Yes, yes! I see, Kana was worried about her big sister~~?¡± ¡°¡­Ughhh.¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯re saying that¡¯s true? I knew it!¡± Totally wrong. Even if I said that, it wouldn¡¯t get through anyway. ¡°You two seem to be getting along well again today.¡± ¡°Hehe, really?¡± ¡°Yes, indeed. Even I, watching you, feel a little jealous. Hehe.¡± If Da-eun was going to talk with Celine, couldn¡¯t she at least let me go first? In the end, Da-eun only released me after giving my arm a few yful taps. Freed from the clutches of the demon, I fanned myself to cool my flushed face. ¡­So hot. ¡°The easiest ce to get magical tools is the capital of the Empire.¡± The Empire holds the hegemony over the continent, and in its heart¡ªthe capital¡ªpeople and goods of all kinds gather. Since I had never been to the capital, it was naturally something I had heard from others. ¡°Wait, but Kana¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah. So we¡¯re going somewhere other than the capital.¡± If I were going to the Empire, I wouldn¡¯t have aimed for the north in the first ce. Magical tool materials are often ores. And if you were to ask who handles ores the best in Ardina, everyone would give the same answer. ¡°Thend of the Dwarves. That¡¯s where we¡¯re headed.¡± If Elves have the Great Forest, Dwarves have the Great Mountains. While the formal name isn¡¯t the Great Mountains, and the country has a different name as well. ording to circting rumors¡ª ¡ª ¡°Humans call the forest where those pointy-eared guys live the Great Forest? We can¡¯t lose to that! So we¡¯ll call ours the Great Mountains!¡± ¡­That¡¯s how the name ¡°Great Mountains¡± came to be. Everyone who heard thisughed, thinking, ¡°Could it really be named that for such a reason?¡± However, having seen Dwarves myself, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the rumor was true. Well, it¡¯s not like they call a small hill the Great Mountains; it¡¯s a grand and majestic mountain range, so it¡¯s not entirely inappropriate¡­ If I think it was named for that reason, isn¡¯t it normal to feel a bit chilly about it? ¡°¡­Thend of the Dwarves!¡± As expected, Da-eun reacted strongly. Just like a sparrow wouldn¡¯t miss a grain mill, Da-eun seemed unable to contain her curiosity. That must be why she could bounce around without getting tired. Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Gulp, gulp¨C Thud! ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± The Dwarf, Brondin, mmed his beer mug onto the table with such force that it seemed like the table might break. Beer still left in the mug scattered into the air. The refreshing taste of a cold beer after a hard day of work was indescribable. Especially for him, who had been working in a sweltering environment, a cold beer was as precious as the rare elixir itself. Not that he had ever actually tasted an elixir. As he wiped the beer foam from his beard with regret, he let out a sigh, releasing the fatigue from his tough day. Soon, Brondin lifted the mug again and downed the remaining beer.¡°Phew, I just can¡¯t resist¡­!¡± Still unsatisfied, he eventually took out another barrel of beer from his treasured third possession¡ªthe magic refrigerator¡ªand only after drinking that did he let out a satisfied breath. For the record, his first treasure was the furnace, and his second treasure was his hammer. ¡°Now this is how you drink. Who needs those fancy fruit or herb-infused drinks¡­?¡± He clicked his tongue, shaking his head, as he thought about how he could never understand the tastes of the ¡°pointy-eared ones.¡± Screech. ¡°Oh, Master! You¡¯re back! You¡¯ve worked hard!¡± As he was savoring the lingering taste of the beer and grumbling about elves, someone opened the door to the workshop and walked in. The young man, his upper body gleaming with sweat, greeted Brondin enthusiastically, calling him ¡°Master.¡± Unlike the stocky Brondin, the young man had long,nky limbs. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®Master¡¯? I only gave you a few pointers because I didn¡¯t like the way you handled the hammer!¡± Despite his gruff words, there was no sign of dislike on Brondin¡¯s face. ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re absolutely right! With my skills, I wouldn¡¯t dare call myself your apprentice!¡± ¡°Hmph. At least you know your ce. But still, for a human, you¡¯ve got some perseverance. Keep it up, and you might be able to work as hard as a Dwarf one day.¡± The words were gruff but held a subtle warmth. Dwarves weren¡¯t particrly keen on taking apprentices from other races. Their strong muscles and thick skin allowed them to withstand the intense heat and long hours of cksmithing, something other races couldn¡¯t handle. Humans were somewhat better off in that regard, but still. As the young manughed heartily, he set down a box he had been holding under his arm. ¡°But Master, what¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t I tell youst time?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a Dragon Orb.¡± Brondin carefully opened the lid of the box. Contrary to his usual rough demeanor, his hands moved with caution. Inside the box was a golden gem. Both Brondin and the young man let out simultaneous gasps of admiration as the golden light emanated through the fine cloth. ¡°Ohhh¡­!¡± ¡°A Dragon Orb¡­!¡± Brondin, his hands trembling, reached out to touch the Dragon Orb but quickly pulled them back, fearing he might break it. He stared down at it with teary eyes. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d get the chance to hold one of these¡­¡± ¡°Is this your first time too, Master?¡± ¡°Of course! Do you think this is something you can just get your hands on because you want it?¡± Brondin shouted. A Dragon Orb. It was the name of a very rare gem found near a Dragon¡¯s Lair. Not only was it incredibly durable, but having been exposed to a dragon¡¯s mana for decades¡ªmaybe even centuries¡ªit had an extraordinary ability to absorb and react to mana. Moreover, each Dragon Orb had a unique characteristic. Depending on the type of dragon that influenced it, the orb¡¯s color varied. For instance, an orb found near a Red Dragon¡¯s Lair would be red, while one found near a Blue Dragon¡¯s Lair would be blue. Thus, the golden Dragon Orb they were looking at had been influenced by a Gold Dragon. Because of this, Dragon Orbs were highly coveted by many, though the supply was far too limited to meet demand. The fact that they were found near Dragon¡¯s Lairs meant you had to enter a dragon¡¯s territory to find them. And no dragon would wee an intruder into their domain, especially when it involved their precious treasures. Entering a Dragon¡¯s Lair was essentially a suicide mission. Even if someone managed to sneak into a dragon¡¯s territory, there was no guarantee they would find a Dragon Orb. This naturally limited the supply, and with the demand so high, the prices soared astronomically. ¡°I never had the money to buy one, and even if I did, with my old skills, I would¡¯ve ruined it anyway, so I gave up.¡± Brondin reminisced about the time when he had missed out on acquiring a Red Dragon Orb. It had been such a high-purity gem that all Dwarves with a craftsman¡¯s spirit coveted it. As he recalled the vivid red hue that still lingered in his memory, Brondin suddenly narrowed his eyes. ¡°But¡­ you, you¡¯re looking at it like this is familiar to you.¡± The young man flinched. ¡°H-Haha, haha! Th-there¡¯s no way.¡± The young man stuttered in response to Brondin¡¯s remark. ¡°Hrmm. It¡¯s just that seeing this ¡®Dragon Orb¡¯ in front of me makes it hard to believe.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I suppose. That could be the case.¡± Brondin nodded at the young man¡¯s words. The young man let out a sigh of relief, but Brondin, whose eyes were once again fixed on the Dragon Orb, didn¡¯t notice. ¡°But Master, what do you n to make with this?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know yet.¡± ¡°Eh? Didn¡¯t you buy it with a n in mind?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Brondin stroked his bushy beard. ¡°I don¡¯t know how many years I¡¯d have to wait if I missed this chance, so I just bought it. Thanks to that, I¡¯m broke for the time being.¡± In short, his purchase was an impulse buy. It was a gem that was nothing short of a dream for any artisan, so he had no regrets, but it was true that he¡¯d have to tighten his belt for a while. He closed the lid of the box again. ¡°You, go up the mountain tomorrow.¡± ¡°Eh? The mountain?¡± ¡°Yes. Go get some tools.¡± Processing a Dragon Orb couldn¡¯t be done with ordinary tools. Even though he didn¡¯t have an immediate n, he knew he¡¯d have to process it eventually, so he wanted to prepare in advance. The young man, who suddenly found himself with an unexpected hiking trip, wore a sullen expression. But the Master¡¯s words were absolute. ¡°¡­Understood.¡± Thus, he had no choice but to ept, contorting his delicate face as he did so. *** At the city located at the foothills where the Great Mountain Range begins. Baltora. We arrived at that ce. ¡°Ohh¡­¡± Entering through the city walls that showed both intricacy and sturdiness, Da-eun looked around and let out a soft sigh of admiration. ¡°Dwarves here, Dwarves there, and over there, humans¡­ Wait, humans?¡± She tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Isn¡¯t this supposed to be a Dwarven city?¡± ¡°Yes. Baltora.¡± ¡°Then why are there so many humans? Of course, there are more Dwarves, but still¡­¡± ¡°Is there a problem with humans being here?¡± ¡°Y-you know I didn¡¯t mean it like that!¡± Da-eun swiftly avoided beingbeled a racist. ¡°Baltora is a Dwarven city, but it¡¯s not their homnd. The true homnd of the Dwarves is over there¡ªthe Great Mountain Range.¡± Since Baltora was a city built for exchange and interaction, it wasn¡¯t unusual to see other races here. Well, except for elves, who had a very poor rtionship with Dwarves. Dwarves were renowned artisans. Even if it was just an ordinary sword, attaching the prefix ¡°made by a Dwarf¡± would increase its price by two or three times. Their craftsmanship was acknowledged by all races. Even the elves, who were notorious for being at odds with the Dwarves, recognized the quality of Dwarven-made goods. From simple ornaments to weapons and armor, and even to architecture. When it came to creating things, Dwarves had an innate talent. However, they had one shoring. ¡°Dwarves aren¡¯t good with magic.¡± They could forge sturdy items and construct durable buildings, but they couldn¡¯t enchant them with magic. If they were capable of wielding magic as well, the elves might have disappeared from the Ardina Continent after the First Racial War. They could only handle Earth attribute magic, but even then, it wasn¡¯t considered exceptionally skilled. Could they create magical items then? Of course, the answer was no. Creating magical items required not just craftsmanship but also exceptional magic skills. Upon hearing this, Da-eun pped her hands. ¡°Ah, so the Dwarves create the vessel for magic, and then humans infuse magic into those vessels, right?¡± ¡°Yep, that¡¯s right.¡± That¡¯s why there are quite a few humans living in Baltora. Even if they don¡¯t live here, there are those whoe to purchase high-quality items or for trading purposes. ¡°Kana, you sure know a lot¡­ You must¡¯ve studied hard. Good job!¡± ¡°Uhh¡­ That¡¯s not really the case.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± It¡¯s not like I studied hard, nor did I have any desire to know. The reason I know all these things is purely thanks to Garid. ¡°Kana, once things settle down a bit in Grasis, how about we go on a journey together?¡± ¡°A journey?¡± ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s travel around the continent. We could visit the Holy Kingdom, the Great Forest Nadiron, Baltora¡­ and by then, we might be able to go to the Imperial Capital too. What do you think? Just imagining it makes you excited, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­Do we really have to? I find staying home much more exciting.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to say you¡¯re excited, at least change your expression to match your words.¡± ¡­That¡¯s how it went. Thanks to his incessant rambling by my side, I ended up knowing quite a bit, whether I wanted to or not. Especially Baltora, which Garid had visited himself, making his descriptions even more vivid. But that¡¯s not the point right now. I need to find something worthwhile¡­ Heat wafted out from the rows of workshops. I felt the hot air blowing on my face as I looked around. Since I didn¡¯t know any artisans personally, I had no choice but to search one by one. There was one artisan I wanted to find, but I didn¡¯t know his name or what he looked like, so I gave up on that early on. ¡°Excuse me, but is it okay if I go off on my own for a while?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t, but¡­ is something the matter?¡± ¡°Well, since we¡¯re here, I¡¯d like to visit the temple. I¡¯ll go check if there¡¯s a ce we can stay, so take your time looking around.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ Wouldn¡¯t staying at the temple be too much of a bother again?¡± ¡°Haha. Not at all. They¡¯d probably be delighted.¡± Celine said she would go ahead and disappeared. After hearing her intentions through Da-eun, I nodded calmly. It¡¯s not like she¡¯s causing trouble; she said she¡¯d wait at the temple, so there¡¯s no reason to stop her. ¡°Then, should we look around a bit too?¡± ¡°What do you mean, look around?¡± I grabbed Da-eun, who was already showing a keen interest with her sparkling eyes. ¡°We have work to do.¡± ¡°W-work? What work?¡± ¡°Finding a skilled artisan.¡± And with that, I dragged her along to the nearest cksmith. ¡°Nooooooo!¡± I ignored Da-eun¡¯s long-drawn-out wail of protest. Chapter 72 Chapter 72 ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Da-eun let out a half-dead sound. ¡°I can¡¯t get rid of the hammering sound in my ears¡­ Kana, am I speaking properly?¡± My ears were ringing, so I wasn¡¯t even sure if I was speaking correctly. With her cheeks flushed, Da-eun fiddled with her ears as she spoke. I gestured towards her. Da-eun, looking puzzled, picked up on my gestures and bent her knees. Yes, now our heights matched. I whispered into her ear, which had finallye down to a perfect level.¡°How about we make up for today¡¯s training by doubling it tomorrow?¡± ¡°?! But we already did it earlier!¡± ¡°Sounds like you can hear me just fine.¡± Diagnosis result: no abnormalities. Still, I didn¡¯t fail to understand Da-eun¡¯s overreaction. When listening to the hammering sounds of metal while feeling the heat emanating from the forge, it really felt as if I had be a piece of iron lying on an anvil. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit much, Kana? How can you say something so terrifying without changing your expression?¡± Da-eun grumbled and straightened her knees. ¡°But, have you still not found a ce you like?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°¡­Is their skill thatcking?¡± ¡°Umm¡­ no, not really.¡± I lightly denied Da-eun¡¯s whisper, as if she was afraid someone might overhear her. If I said that the skills of the cksmiths in Baltora werecking, most of the cksmiths across the continent would probably have to retire. It was simply that the conditions hadn¡¯t been right. Some ces only dealt with weapons, while others only handled armor. Just when I finally found a ce that made magical tools, they said the partnered wizard had gone on vacation. There were even ces where satisfactory materials were unavable, or where I would have to wait over a month to start working because of backlogs in bookings. I could wait for about a week, but a month was pushing it¡­ I really liked the ce, but I couldn¡¯t afford to wait a month, so I reluctantly left the workshop. If I had nned to pick something up that was already made, I wouldn¡¯t have gone through this trouble, but I needed a custom magical tool, which caused the hassle. Not that I wasining about the trouble. This was what you would call a necessary investment. ¡°Shall we rest a bit?¡± ¡°Yeah. Please.¡± At Da-eun¡¯s earnest request, we sat by the fountain located on one side of the workshop street. As expected from the city of Dwarves, there were structures throughout the streets that showcased their skills, just like this fountain. As Da-eun yed with the water gushing from the fountain, she finally looked like she wasing back to life. ¡°I don¡¯t think I could ever work in a forge, even if I died.¡± I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d let me work there anyway. While I was lost in those thoughts, I quietly rolled a candy around in my mouth. I had high hopes for the beer-shaped candy, but it only looked like a beer mug; its taste was just like regr candy. ¡°It just tastes like candy.¡± Da-eun, who also put the candy in her mouth, shared the same sentiment. ¡°Remember those snacks that looked like beer? I thought this would taste simr, but I¡¯m a bit disappointed. As you guys said, it wasn¡¯t really that tasty, but I had some expectations because of the memories.¡± By the way, Da-eun had initially tried to dissuade me from buying this candy. She had said that kids shouldn¡¯t drink alcohol or something like that. No matter how much it was just candy, she strictly prohibited me until she received confirmation from the merchant selling the candy that it didn¡¯t contain any alcohol. Even if Dwarves were crazy about beer, there¡¯s no way they would put alcohol in candy¡­ ¡­Wait, thinking about it, Dwarves might actually do that. As I pondered seriously, Da-eun gently ced her hand on my head. ¡°Were you that curious about the taste of beer?¡± ¡°Not really¡­¡± ¡°In a few years, you¡¯ll be able to drink it too. By then, you might even regret why you wanted to eat something tasteless like this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m not curious.¡± I repeatedly denied it, but Da-eun clearly didn¡¯t believe me. Better to die thanin. Knowing that my words would only elicit an ¡°A, poor you¡± reaction, I decided to abandon the unproductive banter and savor the sweetness of the candy. Even after learning my age and realizing I wasn¡¯t a child, Da-eun continued to treat me like one. Just like what happened a little while ago. She said it was because she was older, but¡­ I suppose arger reason was my appearance. So, even after a few years, her attitude probably wouldn¡¯t change. Given that my body likely wouldn¡¯t grow any taller from this short stature. Even if I did grow, it would probably take more time than others. ¡°Kana, even if you make such a pitiful face, what¡¯s not allowed is still not allowed! You¡¯re still a child, so you can¡¯t drink alcohol!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Da-eun mumbled something to herself, as if having a conversation of her own. ¡°Instead, I¡¯ll buy you more beer-vored candy, so let¡¯s make do with that, alright?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t need it.¡± It¡¯s not something special, and it¡¯s not even that tasty, so why bother? Even though I said I didn¡¯t need it, Da-eun insisted on buying a handful of candies from the merchant and came back. It¡¯s not like she¡¯s spending my money; it¡¯s her own, so who am I to stop her? I just shook my head. Crash! ¡°?¡± I was sitting by the fountain, lightly swinging my legs, savoring the peace, when I sensed amotion nearby. Wondering what was going on, I craned my neck to get a better view of the source of the noise. The epicenter was a workshop. Like other workshops, it exuded a faint heat, but there were no customersing in and out, and no sound of hammering¡ªonly loud crashing noises echoed from inside. Were they breaking something? Just when I thought the chaotic workshop had quieted down a bit¡ª Bang! Crash! ¡°It¡¯s gone! It¡¯s gone!¡± The door swung open, and a dwarf tumbled out, along with a heap of random objects. He didn¡¯t seem to care about the scattered items and instead whipped his head around frantically, searching for something. After circling around the workshop a few times, he copsed in front of it, gasping for breath. He looked utterly devastated, like a gambler who had lost everything. ¡®¡­Did he lose his wedding ring or something?¡¯ It reminded me of one of my subordinates who had once lost his wedding ring. His face was just like this¡ªwandering aroundte into the night, eventually dragging his feet back, empty-handed. The next day, he showed up to work looking even more exhausted than after battling monsters for days on end. The saddest part was that he found the ring that same evening. His expression ofplete emptiness left such a deep impression on me that I vowed never to lose a wedding ring if I got married someday. Then again, I realized that if I were to get married, I would be the bride, so I quickly dismissed that thought from my mind. Anyway, the dwarf I was watching now didn¡¯t lose a wedding ring, but he looked like he had lost something just as important. Other dwarves started gathering around the despondent dwarf, one by one. ¡°What do you think happened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe a thief broke in.¡± Contrary to the curiosity in Da-eun¡¯s voice, I sounded indifferent. If it really were a thief, well¡­ ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate.¡± ¡°¡­Huh? That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°What else is needed?¡± ¡°Like helping him find the lost item or catching the thief¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a guard.¡± I¡¯m not a detective, and I¡¯m not even a mercenary who moves for amission. And if I did try to help, would that dwarf even wee it? Some outsider, a kid at that, suddenly stepping in to help? It would be lucky if I just got kicked out. More likely, he¡¯d find me suspicious. ¡°Really? If a kid like you offered to help, I¡¯d find it heartwarming.¡± Da-eun seemed to think differently, but I still had no intention of intervening. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± If we linger around here, we might get caught up in it. I figured we had rested enough to regain our energy and told Da-eun to get up. ¡°Eh, can¡¯t we rest a little longer? I¡¯m still tired.¡± ¡°No.¡± It¡¯s not that she¡¯s tired; she just wants to keep watching. I firmly rejected Da-eun¡¯s plea and held out my hand. She grumbled a bit but obediently took my hand. At times like this, it feels like I¡¯m the one taking care of her, not the other way around. Hand in hand, we started heading toward the next workshop. ¡°My Dragon Orb that I spent my entire fortune on¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± If it weren¡¯t for what I heard from behind at that moment. Even though I don¡¯t know Arkish well, I could still understand the words within that sentence. ¡°Dragon Orb¡± was pronounced the same way in both Granic and Arkish. ¡®Dragon Orb¡­?¡¯ Seeing how desperately he was searching, it seemed he had lost something quite important. Could it really be the Dragon Orb he had lost? While I understood the desperate look of the Dwarf, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how he had managed to lose something so valuable. Most people would probably sleep with it cradled in their arms out of anxiety. Unless someone was wealthy enough that money poured in like water, but judging by the Dwarf¡¯s lost expression, he didn¡¯t seem to be that way. ¡°¡­Hmmm.¡± My interest was piqued, just a little. ¡°Uh, uh? Kana, where are you going?¡± ¡°Over there.¡± ¡°You said you weren¡¯t interested before.¡± ¡°Now I am.¡± It¡¯s said that someone lost a Dragon Orb, how could I not be interested? I led Da-eun as we squeezed through the crowd. Most of the crowd was Dwarves, so it wasn¡¯t hard to get through¡­ ¡­But the fact that my height was simr to the short Dwarves didn¡¯t feel particrly good. ¡°Ughh¡­! I¡¯m done for!¡± In the center of the crowd sat a Dwarf who had gone beyond despair and was now wailing while pounding the ground. I stepped closer to him, who was crying so hard that his proud beard was soaking wet. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ugh! What¡¯s this? You little one.¡± The Dwarf stopped crying and looked me over with reddened eyes. His gaze, which seemed ready to pierce through my hood,nded on the arm exposed outside my cape, which was holding hands with Da-eun. He grimaced at my arm, which had been revealed because of our sped hands, with tears streaking down his face. ¡°You look like you belong to the same kin, but Ugh! How can a Dwarf have such arms and not feel ashamed?¡± ¡°¡­Pffft!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Da-eun quickly covered her mouth after hearing the Dwarf¡¯s words. By that point, she had already heard everything, though. Seeing Da-eun react like this, I could somewhat guess what he had said. ¡­Just endure it. I suppressed the anger rising from within and tightly pulled Da-eun¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ll help.¡± The Dwarf raised an eyebrow, having heard my words through Da-eun¡¯s trantion. ¡°What? You¡¯re going to help?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Although I¡¯ve never seen your face before, what makes you think I would trust you to take on this job?¡± I had braced myself for immediate suspicion, but this response was surprisingly gentle. Perhaps it was because he was feeling hopeless. Either way, this kind of reaction was good for me. ¡°Here. Look at this.¡± ¡°¡­A ring? Why are you suddenly showing this¡ª¡± I discreetly extended the hand with the ring in front of him, making sure others couldn¡¯t see. At first, he responded with indifference, but as he examined the ring, his mouth gradually opened wide. The Dwarf, whose eyes seemed ready to pop out, trembled as he reached for my hand¡ªmore specifically, the ring. However, because I withdrew my hand, he ended up grasping at thin air. ¡°The demonstration ends here.¡± ¡°J-Just a little more! Show me a bit more!¡± ¡°No.¡± If you want to see more, you know what to do, right? The Dwarf nodded like crazy, his expression frantic. Chapter 73 Chapter 73 ¡°What is this? How¡­ How is this even possible¡­?¡± The dwarf¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared intently at the ring. He knew it couldn¡¯t be true, yet the fervor in his gaze was so intense that I half-wondered if he was worried the ring would wear down under his scrutiny. All traces of worry about his lost Dragon Orb had long vanished from his excited expression. ¡®These dwarves, I swear¡­¡¯ With the exception of a few entrics, nearly all dwarves are devoted to creating excellent items with utmost passion and dedication. They take pride in their craftsmanship, but they aren¡¯t so arrogant as to not recognize superior work when they see it. It¡¯s said that they used to be that way in the distant past, but I wouldn¡¯t know about that. Naturally, it¡¯s rare toe across an item that can satisfy their discerning eyes. Even if they casually hammer something together, it ends up being superior to what most cksmiths can create. How could anything mediocre catch their attention? So, the dwarf¡¯s reaction right now was proof that the ring I was wearing was far from ordinary. ¡°Can¡¯t you just take it off and show him? ¡­He¡¯s asking if you could,¡± Da-eun tranted for me.¡°No.¡± I tly turned down the dwarf¡¯s request. ¡°With a piece like this, I understand why you¡¯d be so attached to it.¡± The dwarf looked disappointed but epted my refusal without further argument. But the confusion wasn¡¯t over. ¡°Why not just take it off and show it to him? It¡¯s not like he could steal it or anything. Isn¡¯t it more ufortable to keep holding out your hand like that for so long?¡± Da-eun¡¯s question was reasonable. It would definitely be easier to just take the ring off and let him examine it, rather than holding my hand out for several minutes. Not to mention, his excited breathing tickled the back of my hand now and then as he peered at the ring, almost like he was about to bury himself into it. ¡°Is it that precious to you?¡± ¡°Precious¡­? I don¡¯t know about that, but it¡¯s definitely valuable.¡± After all, it was crafted by a dragon and was once considered a national treasure. Well, considering that the Grasis Kingdom is no longer around, I guess ¡®once was a national treasure¡¯ would be more urate. ¡°H-hieeek¡­¡± Hearing my exnation, Da-eun, who had been looking at the ring like it was just a pretty piece of jewelry, suddenly recoiled in shock. ¡°Th-this is that national treasure?¡± ¡°Yeah. Didn¡¯t I mention it?¡± ¡°No! I just thought it was a pretty ring¡­.¡± Muttering in disbelief, Da-eun looked at me as if I were some kind of alien being. ¡°So that¡¯s why it felt weird to see you wearing it. If it¡¯s such a valuable ring, then I suppose it makes sense not to take it off.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I won¡¯t take it off¡ªit¡¯s that I can¡¯t.¡± If I do, something strange mighte for me. Those damn snakes are such a problem. ¡°Is this made from the Dragon Orb? But something feels¡­ off.¡± ¡°Stop looking at it.¡± ¡°W-wait¡­! Please, just a little longer¡­!¡± I ignored the dwarf as he reached out desperately. If I left him to it, I knew he¡¯d be staring at it for days without a break. ¡°You¡¯ve seen enough. Let¡¯s talk business now.¡± I hadn¡¯t shown him the ring to entertain him or to expand his appreciation for craftsmanship¡ªI did it to draw his interest and make our conversation easier. Haven¡¯t you heard the saying, ¡°Liking free things will make you go bald¡±? The dwarf jerked back in shock, brushing a hand over his hair. It seems that even dwarves, who are more obsessed with their beards than anything else, fear the idea of going bald. *** ¡°¡­So, that¡¯s what happened.¡± Hmm¡­ Let me get this straight. ¡°So, you told your apprentice to bring back the item yesterday, didn¡¯t tell anyone else about it, and this morning, when you woke up, the Dragon Orb was gone¡­ Is that correct?¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s what it looks like.¡± ¡°So where is this apprentice now?¡± ¡°I sent him up the mountain to fetch some tools needed for the job. I got an idea for a project, so I went to open the box and found it empty.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± That¡¯s everything the dwarf told us. Just from what I heard, there isn¡¯t much to go on. I was tilting my head thoughtfully when Da-eun whispered quietly in my ear. ¡°Hey, doesn¡¯t this apprentice sound suspicious? He¡¯s the only one who knew about the Dragon Orb, right? And they realized it was gone only after he left for his errand.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s definitely suspicious, but¡­¡± Is the apprentice really the culprit? If he were someone driven by greed, he wouldn¡¯t have delivered the Dragon Orb to his master in the first ce. Even if he didn¡¯t know it was a Dragon Orb, it¡¯s hard to believe that he wouldn¡¯t have at least opened the box to check it. While it¡¯s true that the apprentice is the most likely suspect, there¡¯s still not enough evidence to draw any conclusions. Moreover, it¡¯s strange for us, as outsiders, to suspect him when his own master, who knows him better, doesn¡¯t. ¡°Ah¡­ That¡¯s true. So, what should we do now?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just wait until the apprenticees back.¡± Even if he¡¯s not the culprit, he¡¯s the closest person to the victim and may have noticed something suspicious. With no other clues to go on, we had no choice but to wait. ¡°When do you think he¡¯ll be back?¡± ¡°He left early in the morning, so he should return in a few hours.¡± While waiting for the apprentice, we engaged in some casual small talk, like learning each other¡¯s names. It was then that I found out the dwarf¡¯s name was Brondin. ¡°Why are you helping me?¡± ¡°After seeing you panic over losing something as valuable as a Dragon Orb, I got curious. And maybe if I help, I¡¯ll get a little something out of it too?¡± ¡°¡­We dwarves are known for appreciating honesty, but isn¡¯t that a bit too straightforward? Well, if you do find it, I won¡¯t be stingy with the reward¡­ though, unfortunately, I¡¯m broke right now.¡± We also talked about this and that. ¡°You want to know about me? I craft weapons, armor, tools, devices, magical items¡­ A little bit of everything.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ You can make all those things? That¡¯s amazing!¡± ¡°E-Ehem! W-well, it¡¯s not that impressive¡­ This is something I madest year. What do you think? Interested?¡± ¡°Ooh¡­! It¡¯s amazing!¡± I also took a look at some of the things he¡¯d made. Every time Da-eun let out a gasp of admiration, a wide smile spread across Brondin¡¯s rough face. For a dwarf who takes great pride in his craft, Da-eun¡¯s honestpliments were probably more pleasing than any other praise. Thanks to that, Brondin¡¯s mood softened considerably, so I had noints. Fortunately, we didn¡¯t have to wait too long. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Kana?¡± I turned my head towards the presence I felt approaching from outside. Among the countless presences moving around outside, one was headed straight for this workshop. Soon, the door to the workshop opened, and a young man walked in¡ª ¡°Master, I¡¯m back¡ª ¡­Huh?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The moment his eyes met mine, as I was lowering my hood, he froze in his tracks, his foot still on the threshold. The sunlight spilling through the door shattered against the youth¡¯s muscr upper body and handsome face. Seeing the young man, who must have surely captivated the hearts of many women, I couldn¡¯t help but think: ¡®¡­Why is he shirtless?¡¯ Did he really want to show off his body that badly? Objectively speaking, he did have a good physique, but I had no interest in seeing a man¡¯s bare chest. To me, it was nothing but an assault on my eyes. I quickly averted my gaze from the gruesome sight that was steadily degrading my vision. ¡°¡­Why are you here?¡± ¡°I should be the one asking you that¡­.¡± Creeaak. Thud. The young man, revealing his shock without hiding it, finally stepped inside the workshop after my reply. Ignoring the surprised gazes of Brondin and Da-eun, he set down the tools he¡¯d been carrying. ¡°So, you are the apprentice Brondin mentioned?¡± ¡°Did he really say that? Hah. He always used to boast that he¡¯s not my master and he¡¯s only showing me a few things, acting all high and mighty¡­ But look at him now, huh? Anyway, your tone hasn¡¯t changed a bit.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my tone?¡± I frowned slightly at his sudden criticism of my manner of speech. ¡°If anything, your tone is just as strange.¡± While others pretended to be dignified and reserved, he always spoke in a friendly tone as if talking to a close friend. There was nothing particrly odd about his tone, but it definitely didn¡¯t match his status. He grinned, ignoring my wordspletely. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s good to see you again, Canaria. Ah, do you still hate being called that?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t really feel that happy to see you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s harsh.¡± ¡°It really is a strange feeling seeing the face of someone I thought was definitely dead.¡± Da-eun crept closer and cautiously asked. ¡°¡­Do you know him?¡± ¡°Oh, an Apostle who speaks Granic. This is quite fascinating! Nice to meet you!¡± ¡°Uh, um¡­ It¡¯s nice to meet you too?¡± The young man approached Da-eun with sudden familiarity, and she responded hesitantly. Da-eun, when ites to sociability, usually wouldn¡¯t lose out to anyone. But his social skills seemed to surpass even hers. ¡°¡­.¡± Or is it because of something else? I didn¡¯t miss the fact that Da-eun¡¯s face was turning a shade of red, and her gaze kept darting to the young man¡¯s exposed torso. ¡°So that¡¯s the type you like.¡± ¡°?! N-no, that¡¯s not it! It¡¯s just¡­ unusual to see someone walking around half-naked, so I looked without thinking!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I get it. I support you.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s really not like that!¡± For me, even though I have a body like this, I¡¯m not really a woman at heart, so seeing something like that doesn¡¯t do anything for me. But I can understand why Da-eun might feel that way, given she¡¯s at that age. ¡°¡­I know you¡¯re not interested in such things, but hearing you say that still kind of hurts.¡± ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The young man gave a wry smile, while Da-eun seemed puzzled. And in that moment, I broke the silence and spoke disapprovingly. ¡°Talking about yourself like that, huh?¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve grown used to getting hurt like this. So, what do you think?¡± ¡°What do I think of what?¡± ¡°My body, of course. I think it¡¯s pretty much perfect. What do you think?¡± The young man twisted and turned his body. He bent his arms and twisted his waist, and every time he moved, his muscles seemed to writhe like a living creature. I looked at the confident young man¡¯s face and bluntly said: ¡°Disgusting.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re walking around half-naked.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s weird. Unsightly. Stupid. You look like an idiot.¡± ¡°S-stop¡­! I¡¯m sorry, okay? Please stop¡­.¡± Beaten down by a relentless barrage of verbal attacks, the young man staggered, battered and bruised. Who told him to go around shirtless for no reason? I snorted dismissively. ¡°¡­I have no idea what¡¯s going on here.¡± Brondin muttered in bewilderment, still unable to grasp the situation. After things calmed down a bit, the young man, who had somehow managed to find and put on a shirt from somewhere, sat down with us in a circle on the workshop floor. Although he was dressed, the clothes he had managed to find were much smaller than his build, making it look like they might rip at any moment. Among the four of us, who were cautiously observing each other, it was Da-eun who broke the ice first. ¡°I¡¯m Joanie. I¡¯ve been traveling with Kana. As you might have guessed, I¡¯m an Apostle of Lady Edel.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯ve been traveling with that girl? That must be quite the ordeal, huh?¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t say pointless things.¡± ¡°Pointless? I bet that friend of yours, Joanie, would agree with me.¡± ¡°A-ahaha¡­ It hasn¡¯t been that tough, really.¡± It should have been tough, though¡­ Thinking that, I shot a skeptical look at his leg and kicked it. ¡°Ow! Geez, a girl kicking so unreasonably hard¡­!¡± ¡°¡­But you must have known Kana for a long time too, right? Does that mean you¡¯re from Grasis?¡± ¡°What, did Kana even tell you things like that? Wow¡­ she¡¯s really mellowed out.¡± ¡°¡­Want to get kicked again?¡± ¡°Um, I¡¯ll politely decline.¡± When I lifted my leg slightly, he recoiled. Clearing his throat with a cough, he then began to speak. ¡°You¡¯re right. As you guessed, I¡¯m from Grasis, born and raised. I guess you could say I¡¯m an old friend of Kana¡¯s.¡± ¡°Old friend, my foot.¡± ¡°Well, I suppose it¡¯s time I introduce myself properly.¡± He abruptly stood up and gave a deep bow with his arms crossed. It was an overly exaggerated, yet somehow elegant and dignified greeting. Da-eun, overwhelmed by the near-perfect gesture, pped her hands in awe. Smiling brightly at her, he spoke: ¡°Nice to meet you. My name is Ashi¨¦ Grasis.¡± I was once the prince of Grasis. Chapter 74 Chapter 74 If I had to describe the character known as Ashi¨¦ Grasis in one phrase, I would say this: ¡®A royal who is not like a royal.¡¯ He treats those below him with kindness, while maintaining enough dignity so as not to appear weak. He keeps his grace so he¡¯s never looked down upon, yet refrains from indulging in extravagance. In both the arts of learning and martial prowess, he never neglected either and always honed himself, bowing down to look after those of lesser status. Most of the relief policies carried out by the royal family likely came from his mind, right? If you only hear this much, you¡¯d probably think: ¡°Eh? Isn¡¯t that ideal? Why do you say he¡¯s not like a royal?¡± A frugal, clean-living royal who cares for the people.He¡¯s the very model of an ideal royal, isn¡¯t he? But the royal family I knew in Grasis wasn¡¯t like that at all. To me, the term ¡®royal¡¯ referred to human scum who squandered the national treasury on luxuries and indulgence while draining the people dry to fill their own bellies. Saying it like this makes me feel like a revolutionary who shouts for the guillotine. ¡°¡­Um, Kana. Is it really okay to say such things? He¡¯s still a member of the royal family¡­¡± ¡°So what? I¡¯m sure he thinks the same way.¡± ¡°Hmm. It stings a little, but she¡¯s not wrong.¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± Da-eun, who had been ncing nervously at Ashi¨¦¡¯s reaction, let out a breath¡ªwhether of relief or something else, I wasn¡¯t sure. Did she think she¡¯d be dragged away for l¨¨se-majest¨¦? Even if Ashi¨¦ really had such a temperament, with the fall of Grasis, there¡¯s no way anyone could prosecute for l¨¨se-majest¨¦ anymore. ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? He¡¯s a royal who¡¯s not like a royal.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I see that now.¡± Seeing her nod, I could tell she finally understood what I meant. Because of Ashi¨¦¡¯s personality¡ªno, his peculiar traits¡ªhe was treated as an outcast or a heretic within the royal family. Simply put, he was like a ¡®swan mistaken for a duckling¡¯ among the clumsy ducks. Even so, they didn¡¯t cast him out. Why? Was it because of his remarkable skills? Or perhaps ast shred of familial affection? Or maybe for some other reason? Whatever the reason was, I wasn¡¯t particrly interested in finding out. And there¡¯s no need for me to know now, anyway. What I¡¯m truly curious about is something else. ¡°How are you still alive?¡± ¡°¡­When you say it like that, it almost feels like I shouldn¡¯t be. I know that¡¯s not what you meant, though.¡± Ashi¨¦ muttered bitterly. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I was just lucky. As you know, I wasn¡¯t one to stay holed up in the royal pce. On the day of the kingdom¡¯s downfall, I happened to be outside the capital, so I was able to avoid disaster¡­ That¡¯s the story. I could give you a touching tale about how knights sacrificed their lives to buy me time, allowing me to escape safely from the pce, but sorry to disappoint.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting that.¡± If they were the knights personally selected by Ashi¨¦, perhaps, but not the royal knights. Those guys didn¡¯t join the royal guard out of concern for the royal family¡¯s safety, but for their own gain. Would those selfish jerks really do something so noble? ¡°¡­So, why are you suddenly pretending to be a cksmith?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not pretending. I¡¯m still an apprentice.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± ¡°¡­You really haven¡¯t changed.¡± His voice carried a sense of longing. I pretended not to notice the emotion in his tone and simply shrugged. Ashi¨¦ hesitated for a long moment, his expression pained yet filled with nostalgia as he recalled the past. Everyone, caught up in the mood, quietly waited for him to speak. ¡°¡­After you rejected me.¡± ¡°Eh?! Ah, no¡­ Please, continue.¡± ¡°¡ªAfter being rejected by you, I kept thinking. What was Icking? What was it that made you not see me as attractive? My looks? Wealth? Personality? I pondered deeply, but none of them seemed to be the answer.¡± ¡°¡­Well, the first two aside, I think personality might be it.¡± But my words were lightly ignored. ¡°Then, one day, I came to a realization. Women are drawn to a man¡¯s masculinity.¡± ¡°Wha?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Both Da-eun and I questioned in unison at the conclusion he reached after skipping several steps in logic. No, I mean, it¡¯s not entirely wrong, but¡­ wasn¡¯t that a bit too sudden? While we stood there bbergasted, his words continued. ¡°So then, what does it mean to be masculine?¡± Masculinity means being different from femininity. Ashi¨¦ began his argument with this rather obvious statement. This and that, h h¡­ Honestly, it wasn¡¯t a very interesting topic, so I ended up letting his words in one ear and out the other after a while. Even Da-eun, who had been tranting for the viewers asionally, fell silent at some point. The long-winded speech of Ashi¨¦ came to a sudden halt¡ª Not because he wanted to, but because I decided it had to. If I let him go on, there¡¯d be no end to it, so I put a stop to the endless flow of words. ¡°¡­I get it. So, what you¡¯re saying is, if it¡¯s a job typically done by men and not women, then it¡¯s considered masculine?¡± ¡°Yes. There are plenty of male cksmiths, but female cksmiths are rare, aren¡¯t they? You¡¯d be lucky to find one among dozens.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Da-eun¡¯s expression was twisted beyond recognition at this point. I nudged her side when she murmured, ¡°Is this guy really a prince?¡± Well¡­ when you think about how some men build their bodies through exercise to look good for women, it¡¯s not entirely wrong, I suppose. But still, bing a cksmith for such a reason, when he used to be a prince, is a bit odd. Can love really drive people to go that far? While I found it impressive in a way, remembering that the object of his love was me made me feel ufortable. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you walk around half-naked for that reason, too?¡± ¡°It¡¯s part of doing things only men can do.¡± ¡°No. Most men don¡¯t want to walk around half-naked.¡± Even though Ashi¨¦ acted nonchnt, it was clear that the downfall of Grasis had dealt a heavy blow to him. He used to be a decent guy, apart from his obsession with me¡­ What a pity. I guess it¡¯s not surprising. Whether he liked them or not, he lost all his blood rtives and even his country, so it¡¯s understandable that he wouldn¡¯t be fine. If Ashi¨¦ had been born twenty years earlier¡ªno, even ten years earlier and taken the throne, maybe Grasis wouldn¡¯t have been destroyed. The guy¡¯s pretty pitiful in that regard. ¡°So, Kana, I¡¯ll ask you again. Won¡¯t you be my partner?¡± ¡°Get lost.¡± ¡­Except for this part. *** *** *** ¡ªAshi¨¦ is a total creep¡­ ¡ªIs he seriously confessing right now, lololol ¡ªFrom a fantasy perspective, it might not be that weird? Don¡¯t they usually get engaged and married young in those settings? ¡ªI¡¯m from Silia, and I agree. ¡ªNo, Silia folks don¡¯t talk like that¡­ ¡ªNo matter how you look at it, isn¡¯t Kana way too young? I can¡¯t imagine seeing her as a romantic partner. ¡ªBut there are a lot of people who think like that, though? With his shy record of a second confession and second rejection, Ashi¨¦ was gloriously¡­? given the title of ¡°Pedo¡± by Da-eun¡¯s viewers. Of course, there was no way Ashi¨¦ would know this, but he did notice that Da-eun¡¯s gaze on him felt ufortable for some reason. However, he didn¡¯t have the time to nurse his heartbreak. They had the serious matter of solving the ¡°Dragon Orb Theft¡± incident. Ashi¨¦ received a rundown of the situation from Brondin and Da-eun. Unlike others, despite being a royal of Grasis, he could speak Arkish fluently, so there were nomunication issues. ¡°Does anythinge to mind?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Ashi¨¦ seemed to think for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°No, not really.¡± ¡°Do you have any idea when it might have gone missing?¡± ¡°After receiving it yesterday and handing it over to my master, I haven¡¯t touched the box since. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d handle my master¡¯s possessions without permission.¡± ¡°Hmm!¡± Brondin nodded, arms crossed. It was an excellent answer as a disciple¡ªone that could earn a perfect score¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t exactly helpful for solving the case. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Even though Ashi¨¦ had returned afterpleting his errand, the situation wasn¡¯t making any progress, and Da-eun groaned. What does Kana think of all this? I nced at Kana, who was simply watching them with nk eyes. Just like how Brondin observed us when the three of us were talking. Seeing Kana¡¯s expressionless face, Da-eun thought: ¡®¡­So cute.¡¯ No, that¡¯s not it¡­! Da-eun pped her cheeks lightly, trying to pull herself together. No matter how reliable and dependable Kana was in battles, she wouldn¡¯t be of much help in a situation like this. Kana caused the problem, and now Da-eun had to clean it up. However, rather than feeling discouraged, Da-eun¡¯s determination red up even more. ¡®This is my chance. A chance to prove my abilities to Kana. If I can solve this problem without Kana¡¯s help¡­¡¯ She imagined Kana looking up at her with sparkling eyes, saying, ¡®Da-eun¡­ You¡¯re amazing,¡¯ and grinned to herself. But she still couldn¡¯te up with a good solution. So, she made a choice. ¡°Help me, everyone!¡± She decided to ask her viewers for help. Humans are inherently social creatures. We live inmunities and societies because it¡¯s impossible to do everything alone. Therefore, Da-eun felt no shame at all in asking for help. ¡ªYou sure talk the talk, huh? ¡ªJoanie for Congress!! ¡ªUh, is that even right? ¡ªI think the culprit is the limping guy. ¡ªAre you Korea¡¯s Sherlock Holmes? Not that the viewers were particrly helpful, though. Da-eun, skimming through chats like, ¡®I think the culprit is¡­ [See More],¡¯ clicked her tongue. ¡°I should¡¯ve been reading more mystery novels or at least yed some mystery games to improve my deduction skills!¡± With her smooth deflection of responsibility, the chat window quickly filled up with hooks, as if ready to roast her alive. ¡°¡­Come to think of it¡­¡± Ashi¨¦, as if he had just recalled something, opened his mouth. ¡°Master, there wasn¡¯t anyone who visited the workshop yesterday, right?¡± ¡°Huh? Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± There were no new requests, and no customers came to buy anything. After all, he had hung a sign on the door saying, ¡®Closed Today!¡¯ in in view, so there weren¡¯t many people who would¡¯ve bothered to knock. This was Baltora, the city of Dwarves. Even if one cksmith closed their doors, there were countless other workshops willing to wee potential buyers. ¡°And you always make sure to lock the door when you sleep, Master?¡± ¡°Of course, I do.¡± The door of Brondin¡¯s workshop was something he had crafted himself. It was made of iron, sturdy, and had a meticulously crafted lock. No ordinary thief would dare try breaking in. It wasn¡¯t a door that could be picked with a cheap lockpick from some third-rate thief. ¡°But it was broken into.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Brondin, who had been happily chatting away, was suddenly silenced by Da-eun¡¯s single remark. Considering she had just been admiring his craftsmanship, her bluntment delivered a heavier blow. Ashi¨¦ cleared his throat, redirecting their attention. ¡°If a thief really did break in, then it must have happened between the time I left work and returned the next morning¡ªin other words, it urred at night. And like I said before, Master locked the door before going to bed.¡± ¡°Yes. I clearly remember locking it and double-checking it yesterday!¡± ¡°There are only two ways to open a locked door: someone opens it from the inside, or they use a key. Since there¡¯s no way Master would¡¯ve opened it for someone¡­¡± ¡°The culprit has the key, then?¡± Ashi¨¦ nodded at Da-eun¡¯s final conclusion. ¡°The door made by Master is sturdy. If someone forced it open by unconventional means, there would surely be signs. This door isn¡¯t one that could be breached without leaving a trace.¡± Brondin quickly ran over to the door. He examined the lock, looked at the doorknob, then checked the lock again before stepping back to inspect the door. After fussing around with the door, his beard trembled. ¡°¡­There are no signs of forced entry! Could the thief¡¯s skills really be better than mine?!¡± ¡°No, Master. There¡¯s no way a thief could surpass your skills!¡± ¡°¡­My apprentice!¡± ¡°Master!¡± ¡®¡­What a ridiculous scene.¡¯ Da-eun wrinkled her nose in disgust at the sight of the two men embracing each other, drenched in sweat. She took over, finishing the rest of Ashi¨¦¡¯s statement that he hadn¡¯t yet managed to say. ¡°We should find out who else has a key. Can you think of anyone?¡± Brondin released Ashi¨¦ from their embrace. With a somewhat unwilling expression, Brondin hesitated, but couldn¡¯t withstand Da-eun¡¯s persistent prodding. ¡°There¡¯s only one person aside from my apprentice.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± With a face full of reluctance, he finally opened his mouth to speak. Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Excluding Brondin, who insisted on staying behind to guard the workshop, the remaining three¡ªmyself, Da-eun, and Ashi¨¦¡ªleft the building. I was reluctantly dragged out by Da-eun, and as we walked down the street, she exined what had happened. After hearing the full story, I couldn¡¯t help but feel bewildered. ¡°¡­He gave a spare key to a partnered Magitechnician?¡± ¡­Why? ¡°He said it was annoying to have to open the door for him all the time, and there might be asions when the Magitechnician would need to drop by the workshop when he wasn¡¯t around.¡± ¡°Master trusted that magician.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± ¡°¡­Is that really something to be okay with?¡±¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be?¡± Considering the temperament of Dwarves, it seemed almost natural. ¡°Dwarves don¡¯t trust others easily, but once they do, they trust them to the end.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s surprising. They seemed so open and easy to befriend.¡± ¡°Being close doesn¡¯t necessarily mean they trust you.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Da-eun tilted her head in confusion. It was clear she hadn¡¯t quite grasped the concept, so I offered a brief exnation. ¡°The ¡®trust¡¯ of Dwarves isn¡¯t the kind of belief you¡¯d think. It¡¯s something a bit deeper¡­ hmm¡­.¡± As I struggled to find the right word, Da-eun interjected with the answer. ¡°It¡¯s more like a sense of loyalty or faithfulness than the usual belief?¡± ¡°Yes, loyalty.¡± Although it varies from individual to individual, Dwarves generally have a straightforward and bold nature. Moreover, as I mentioned earlier, once they ce their faith in someone, they adhere to it until the very end. That¡¯s why some people describe Dwarves as being ¡°true to the core.¡± ¡°You know, like, ¡®Wow, that guy is truly genuine.¡¯ That sort of feeling.¡± For Dwarves, loyalty is as valuable as life itself. Even if they¡¯re betrayed, they don¡¯t turn their backs unless it¡¯s a significant incident. It¡¯s probably due to this nature that Brondin didn¡¯t suspect Ashi¨¦, who seemed like the most likely culprit. ¡°Ah¡­ So that¡¯s why Brondin was reluctant to talk about it. He thought it would be an act of betraying his trust.¡± ¡°Most likely, yes.¡± ¡°Even so, I still didn¡¯t like that Magician guy.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°There was just something off about his vibe. His impression was unsettling.¡± ¡°¡­That sounds familiar.¡± I nced at Da-eun, who was muttering to herself something like, ¡°Are you one of those face-reading experts who show up whenever a case happens?¡± I then turned to speak with Ashi¨¦. ¡°Tell me more.¡± Impressions and atmospheres are subjective. Since they aren¡¯t scientifically or magically proven, one could easily dismiss them, but I didn¡¯t ignore his words. Even though Ashi¨¦ had suspicious tastes and was half-crazed due to the fall of his homnd¡­ Hmm, now that I think of it like that, my trust in him is suddenly plummeting. ¡­Anyway, if it were someone else saying this, it might be different, but since it was Ashi¨¦ who said it, it was worth looking into. Back when he was a prince, Ashi¨¦ was famous for his discerning eye. All the people around him were chosen by him personally, and each one was exceptionally skilled. Many nobles and royals often tried to recruit those talented individuals, but¡­ No one ever epted the offers, dering, ¡°I will serve Lord Ashi¨¦ for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°He always smiled, but it felt like there was something else hidden behind that smile. It just didn¡¯t sit well with me. It¡¯s just my feeling, so you can ignore it.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± The issue was that even if Ashi¨¦¡¯s judgment was almost always right, it still relied on his feelings, so itcked solid proof that could convince others. That¡¯s why even Ashi¨¦ told me to just brush it off. ¡°No, I¡¯ll trust it.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯ll take it to heart because you said it.¡± It wasn¡¯t difficult to keep in mind, and it was something I could easily do. After I made that casualment, I was lost in thought for a moment when I noticed that everything around me had gone quiet. I looked up. Da-eun and Ashi¨¦ had stopped walking and were staring at me. ¡°¡­What?¡± Did I have something on my face? Puzzled by their stares, I looked back at them, and Ashi¨¦ sighed deeply. ¡°¡­This is why I can¡¯t let go.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Kana, you shouldn¡¯t say things like that so lightly. It could be misunderstood.¡± ¡°¡­??¡± Caught between Ashi¨¦, who was sighing deeply, and Da-eun, who was gently patting my head, I was left in the dark. Even when I kept asking what was going on, neither seemed willing to give me an answer. What the heck¡­? *** Although Kana unintentionally stunned Ashi¨¦ for a brief moment, the group safely arrived at the workshop of the Magician who had a partnership with Brondin. Objectively speaking, it wasn¡¯t a situation serious enough to warrant the word ¡°safely.¡± However, for someone whose heart still harbored lingering feelings even after confessing and being rejected twice, ¡°safely¡± might be the right expression. Max¡¯s Workshop. Da-eun intently examined the signboard, which was written in a simple and straightforward manner, without any embellishments. ¡°Is the Magician¡¯s name Max?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Max Gramov. A man of noble origin from the Arka Empire.¡± ¡°The Empire?¡± Kana¡¯s ears perked up. ¡°The Empire¡­ and a Magician¡­?¡± Although it was a voice that anyone would find adorable, why did it send shivers down my spine? ¡®¡­Well, I already know the reason.¡¯ Ashi¨¦ gave a bitter smile. Garid and Ashi¨¦ had never been on bad terms. Garid was loyal to Grasis, and Ashi¨¦ respected his capabilities, so there was no reason for them to dislike each other. That is, until Ashi¨¦ started to have feelings for Kana. It¡¯s like the dilemma of a father who wants his daughter to meet a good man and be happy, yet can¡¯t stand the thought of letting her go. Because of this, their rtionship became awkward when Ashi¨¦ began courting Kana, though it never escted to a point of mutual distrust. Garid only saw Ashi¨¦ as the ¡°thief trying to steal his daughter away,¡± and thus, Ashi¨¦ always ended up flustered whenever Garid was around. This was why Ashi¨¦ could fully understand the emotions Kana must have felt upon Garid¡¯s death. While he might not have been as devastated as Kana, the grief he felt was no less intense. He also shared Kana¡¯s bitterness toward the Empire. ¡°Calm down. If you draw your sword here, it¡¯s not going to end well.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Kana replied curtly. Ashi¨¦ found her answer surprisingly reassuring. Seeing Kana¡¯s troubled expression, Da-eun averted her gaze. ¡°But, is it really necessary to have a separate workshop like this? If they¡¯re partners, wouldn¡¯t it be easier for them to work in the same workshop? It¡¯d be more cost-effective and convenient.¡± Rent prices, property costs¡­ Da-eun even folded her fingers as she thoughtfully worried over the financial affairs of aplete stranger she had never met. However, her concerns were misced. ¡°Coboration and merging are two different things. Even if they¡¯re partners, they still work on distinctly separate tasks. How could they share the same space?¡± ¡°¡­Oh, I see.¡± ¡°And if they did, the Magicians wouldn¡¯t be able to stand it.¡± Listening to hammering and banging all day can fray anyone¡¯s nerves. Even Ashi¨¦, who had grown ustomed to the cksmith¡¯s workshop, sometimes found his nerves on edge. One could easily imagine how such noises might affect Magicians, who are generally more sensitive to their surroundings. No cksmith would want to see a magic circle explode in their workshop, nor would any Magician want to experience that. And neither would Ashi¨¦, the cksmith¡¯s apprentice. That¡¯s enough chit-chat. Even though he wasn¡¯t particrly close with Max, Ashi¨¦ stepped forward and knocked on the door, since they were at least acquainted. Knock, knock. ¡°Is anyone there?¡± The wooden door lightly trembled under his knock, but there was no sign of anyone inside. No voice asked who it was, and there were no footsteps approaching the door. After listening intently for a moment, Ashi¨¦ knocked again. ¡°Mr. Max, it¡¯s me, Agie, Brondin¡¯s apprentice.¡± ¡°Huh? You¡¯re using a pseudonym?¡± ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s best to avoid trouble.¡± Having instantly grasped Da-eun¡¯s implication, Ashi¨¦ shrugged his shoulders. Perhaps even using his real name wouldn¡¯t have caused much trouble. After all, it¡¯s not easy to imagine that a prince of a kingdom would be working as a cksmith¡¯s apprentice. However, to be safe, Ashi¨¦ had decided to reveal his true identity only to Brondin, while using a pseudonym with everyone else. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too simr to your real name?¡± ¡°If someone can recognize me just by my face, they¡¯ll know who I am no matter what name I use. In that case, it¡¯s better to use something they¡¯re familiar with.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Da-eun tilted her head slightly but epted the reasonable exnation and stepped back. ¡°But still, why isn¡¯t heing out?¡± The sound of knocking that had started as gentle tap-tap had now turned into bang-bang, to the point where it was hard to distinguish whether it was still knocking or just hitting. A bead of sweat rolled down Ashi¨¦¡¯s forehead, his lips pressed so tightly that they turned white. Watching him pound on the door as if he were about to break it down, Kana took a step forward. ¡°Should I just break it?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She slumped back, pouting at the firm rejection. Seeing her hand resting on her sword¡¯s hilt, Da-eun quickly grabbed Kana from behind, both to satiate her own desire and to stop Kana from doing anything reckless. The stubbornly closed door neither broke nor opened. Ashi¨¦ stepped back, panting heavily. Although he had failed against something that wasn¡¯t a dimensional creature, monster, or even a human, his effort hadn¡¯t been in vain. ¡°¡­Why are you banging on someone else¡¯s door like that? If it¡¯s closed, you should just leave quietly.¡± A Magician from the workshop next door, unable to endure the noise any longer, emerged and grumbled. At the same time, the three of them turned their heads sharply towards him. Taken aback by the sudden attention, the Magician flinched. ¡°Wh-what? It¡¯s not like I said anything wrong¡­¡± He tried to sound tough, but his voice was already losing its momentum. As Ashi¨¦ approached, the already faint voice shrank further. Standing in front of the much smaller Magician, Ashi¨¦, who was taller than average, looked more like a thug trying to extort money. ¡°Do you know Max?¡± ¡°W-well, Max? Yeah, I know him¡­ sort of.¡± ¡°I am Agie, the apprentice of Brondin, who has a partnership with Max. I came here to see him, but the door is locked. Do you happen to know where he might be?¡± ¡°That¡­ I¡¯m not sure. We¡¯re not exactly close.¡± ¡°Still, you might have some idea¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Realizing that Ashi¨¦ had no intention of intimidating him, the Magician immediately turned aloof. Seeing his indifferent responses, Ashi¨¦ dug into his pocket and pulled out a gold coin. ¡°¡­Gasp!¡± ¡°Are you sure there¡¯s really nothing you can think of? If not, that¡¯s unfortunate¡­¡± ¡°W-wait a moment¡­!¡± The Magician, who had been so dismissive earlier, frantically grabbed Ashi¨¦, who had started to turn away. He racked his brain, searching through his memories until his eyes widened. ¡°I remember! Yesterday evening, I saw him leaving with arge bag! We¡¯re not close, so I didn¡¯t ask where he was going, but he looked like he was in a hurry. I thought it was strange at the time.¡± ¡°Did you see which direction he went?¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t really notice¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± Ping! Ashi¨¦ took out another gold coin and flicked it with his fingers. The Magician¡¯s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out of his head. Gulp. He audibly swallowed. ¡°If you help me find him, I¡¯ll give you all these gold coins.¡± Will you help us? Of course, the answer was a resounding yes. Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Carrying arge bag and heading somewhere in the dead of night when everyone else is asleep. Constantly looking around to make sure no one else sees him, nervously checking his surroundings¡ªanyone would find such behavior highly suspicious. Escape under the cover of night. That was the phrase that came to the magician¡¯s mind. ¡°¡­You¡¯re asking if anyone is close to Max? Probably not. He often said that this ce isn¡¯t where he¡¯s supposed to be and that one day he would leave to be a royal magician.¡± The magician¡¯s demeanorpletely changed after receiving the gold coins. The previously slouched and indifferent attitude was gone, reced by the utmost courtesy, as if he was serving a VVIP. Although his eyes asionally drifted to Ashi¨¦¡¯s pockets, that was understandable. ¡°There are ways to make them courteous without spending money. Want me to show you?¡± Especially effective for magicians.Though I offered out of kindness, Ashi¨¦ turned me down with a tone that suggested he found my suggestion absurd. ¡°No need for that. Keep your hand off your sword.¡± Ashi¨¦ murmured something like ¡°Why is this kid getting so aggressive?¡± as the magician hesitantly asked a question. ¡°Um, excuse me, are the three of you from the Grasis Kingdom?¡± ¡°Huh? Why do you think that?¡± ¡°Your ent is familiar. I lived in Grasis for a short while, so it¡¯s a bit nostalgic¡­¡± ¡°Where we¡¯re from doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Ashi¨¦ abruptly cut off the conversation between Da-eun and the magician, then turned to the magician, who scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying no one knows where Max went?¡± ¡°Well, yeah¡­ Who would want to get close to someone who always talks like that? At least, among the people I know, no one¡¯s close to him.¡± ¡°This is really¡­¡± ¡°¡­What did he say?¡± ¡°He asked if there¡¯s anyone close to Max, and the answer was no one.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Hearing this, Ashi¨¦¡¯s credibility rose even higher in my eyes. What did Brondin see in Max to trust him with the workshop key? From what I¡¯ve heard, Max doesn¡¯t seem to have a good reputation around here. If it¡¯s that bad, people probably would have warned Brondin about befriending Max. ¡®Maybe¡­ Brondin doesn¡¯t have any friends either?¡¯ Hmm, if that¡¯s the case, I can understand it. It¡¯s not a crime to have no friends. ¡°It seems like we have no choice but to enter the workshop.¡± While I was lost in thought, Ashi¨¦ seemed to havee to a conclusion and reached for the door handle. Of course, it didn¡¯t open. With a shrug, he turned to look at me. ¡°Kana. Could you?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Although I had jokingly ced my hand on my sword earlier, I wasn¡¯t actually nning to draw it here on the street. If I pulled out a gleaming sword in broad daylight, while people were walking around, it would definitely attract attention. I wouldn¡¯t do something like that. Besides, if I pulled out my sword just to break into someone¡¯s workshop, that would make it even worse. At least not in Baltora, the city of Dwarves¡­ the city of craftsmen. So, I walked up to the door empty-handed. Then, I raised my hand, lowered it again, and turned back to rejoin the group. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Um, Kana?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to open the door? Why did youe back?¡± ¡°?¡± Da-eun, who had been watching me nkly, asked in a dazed voice. Ashi¨¦ didn¡¯t show it much, but he seemed to be silently agreeing with her. Looking at the puzzled faces of mypanions, I let out a small ¡°Ah,¡± nodding as I realized what they were confused about. Was that what they were puzzled about? ¡°I already opened it.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Here.¡± When I pushed the door, it swung open without any resistance, as if it had never been locked in the first ce. Da-eun let out a dumbfounded sound at the sight of the workshop¡¯s interior beyond the door. There was also someone else who seemed dumbfounded for apletely different reason. ¡°H-How¡­ how did you¡­?!¡± The magician¡¯s jaw dropped in shock. ¡°It¡¯s big enough for a fist to fit in, huh?¡± Looking back and forth between my small hand and his mouth, I barely managed to suppress the urge to test it out. But still, even for a magician sensitive to mana, to notice this¡­ I had underestimated him a little because he looked scared of Ashi¨¦, but he might actually be more skilled than I thought. When Da-eun asked what I did, I kindly answered. ¡°I cut the lock with a sword beam.¡± ¡°¡­You used a sword beam without a sword?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I can slice through a rock with a branch, so that¡¯s nothing. I just don¡¯t use it much because making a sword out of mana is inefficient, but it¡¯s not that difficult. ¡°If you practice, Joanie, you can do it too.¡± ¡°I appreciate the encouragement, but¡­ that seems a bit out of reach, don¡¯t you think?¡± There¡¯s an old saying to dream big, but it seems like Da-eun, already worn out by reality, has forgotten how to dream. That¡¯s unfortunate. But¡ª ¡°Putting Joanie aside¡­ Ashi¨¦, why were you surprised?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t surprised.¡± ¡°You were standing there stupidly, not even realizing the door was open.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just because I didn¡¯t know. How could I know it was open when I couldn¡¯t see anything?¡± ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you see?¡± ¡°¡­Not everyone in this world is a genius like you.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± I remember him practicing the sword quite diligently, though not as much as a knight. Maybe it¡¯s because he picked up a hammer instead of a sword¡ªhis skills don¡¯t seem to have improved much from a few years ago. ¡°What about an rm spell¡­? Or an anti-theft spell¡­?¡± Leaving the magician, who was still muttering in disbelief, behind us, we entered the workshop. Open drawers, scattered papers, and an overturned trash bin spilling its contents onto the floor¡­ Even with the best of words, there was no way to describe the scene other than aplete mess. ¡°¡­Is this what magicians¡¯ workshops usually look like?¡± Da-eun frowned as she took in the scene. ¡°Of course not.¡± Denying her words, Ashi¨¦ scanned the workshop. I also followed him around, checking every corner of the workshop for any clues. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Picking up a piece of paper from the floor, I sighed quietly. ¡­As expected, I can¡¯t understand it. Defeated by thebined onught of magic and Arkish, I obediently put the paper back down. The workshop was filled with traces left behind by the magician named Max. It was his workshop, after all, so it was only natural. ¡°This is¡­¡± Ashi¨¦, who had found something, picked it up. Da-eun, who had been wandering nearby, quickly ran over. ¡°Did you find something?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something Master made a long time ago. I remember him making it as a custom order, but then he had to make another one because the magic circle got damaged. But if that¡¯s here, then¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like a good sign, no matter how you interpret it.¡± If he didn¡¯t deliver thepleted item, Brondin would have been notified. Since there hasn¡¯t been any word from him, that¡¯s probably not the case. It¡¯s more likely he lied about it being damaged and got another one made. Naturally, what he¡¯d gain from that is money. Besides that, we found some iplete magic tools and broken remnants of magic circles, but nothing that could help us track his whereabouts. The only thing we gained was a higher likelihood that Max is the culprit. ¡°There¡¯s nothing valuable left.¡± Judging by the state of the room, he must¡¯ve swept up everything that could be worth money, even in his rush. Should I call that being thorough? The three of us gathered with empty hands and put our heads together. ¡°What do we do now?¡± ¡°Should we go after him now? But if he leftst night, it might already be toote¡­¡± ¡°The mountains are dangerous at night, so he probably didn¡¯t leave yesterday. Even if he left the city, it would¡¯ve been after dawn.¡± ¡°¡­The mountains are dangerous at night? Why?¡± ¡°You stay out of this.¡± As we were racking our brains, we heard a voice calling us. ¡°Um¡­¡± At some point, the magician who had followed us in and was looking around the workshop called out to us quietly. ¡°You¡¯re looking for Max, right? If so, there¡¯s one way¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Ashi¨¦¡¯s head turned so quickly it looked like it might break. Startled by his intensity, the magician continued speaking under the pressure. ¡°There are people who will do anything if you pay them. They aren¡¯t exactly the most trustworthy bunch, though.¡± ¡°¡­Could it be?¡± ¡°Ah, do you already know? If you do, that makes things easier.¡± Hearing the magician¡¯s words, Ashi¨¦ made a reluctant expression. Naturally, I had no idea what they were talking about, so I couldn¡¯t understand why he looked like that. *** * * * There is a teleport gate in Baltora as well. However, using the teleport gate from Baltora costs more than using it from other cities. This is because Baltora is quite far from any city with a teleport gate. Would a person, who devised a n to steal the Dragon Orb out of greed and, even in haste, swept up anything that could be worth money, be willing to pay that hefty teleport fee? The answer was, of course, ¡®No.¡¯ No matter how expensive the teleport gate fee might be, it¡¯s nothingpared to the Dragon Orb¡¯s value. With a small cost, he could¡¯ve ensured both safety and stability, but Max, blinded by money, chose a different option. Thunk. ¡°¡­Gasp!¡± Max jumped, startled by the hand ced on his shoulder. ¡°Why are you so jumpy?¡± ¡°N-no. ¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Geez.¡± The mercenary, who had ced a hand on Max¡¯s shoulder, scratched his filthy hair. Watching dandruff shower down, Max frowned but quickly adjusted his expression. No matter how dirty and lowly these people were, he was the one in a tight spot. If he irritated them unnecessarily and caused any friction, it wouldn¡¯t end well for him. To escape the city, Max had chosen to rely on a mercenary group operating out of Baltora. They¡¯ll do anything as long as they¡¯re paid. The fact that such words were openly circting and even boasted by the group themselves spoke volumes about theirck of integrity, but their skills were undeniably solid. If Brondin caught wind of his actions and came after him, they¡¯d get rid of him without asking questions. ¡®Though that¡¯s unlikely.¡¯ Feeling the leather pouch inside his pocket, Max smiled faintly. That fool Brondin would never even suspect that he was the culprit. ¡®But that guy¡­ Ashi¨¦¡­ he¡¯s different.¡¯ He¡¯s someone who¡¯d never liked him from the beginning, so he might notice something and gather people to chase after him. The mercenary group was insurance for such an asion. He wasn¡¯t entirely free from concerns about betrayal, but since he had proven his status as a noble from the Empire, it should be fine. They wouldn¡¯t want to make an enemy of the Empire, after all. ¡°By the way, you really just want us to take you to another city?¡± ¡°Yes. Just get me there safely, and I¡¯ll pay you handsomely.¡± ¡°Well, if we can earn money for such an easy job, that¡¯s good for us.¡± The man with the dirty hair said that as he draped his arm over Max¡¯s shoulder. Like one would with a close friend, the man slung his arm around Max¡¯s shoulder and spoke in a quiet voice. ¡°You must have done something pretty shady, huh? What, did you kill someone or something?¡± ¡°¡­Something like that.¡± ¡°Whoa! You¡¯re quite a scary guy! We¡¯d better be careful around you.¡± Max wanted to immediately shrug off the man who was acting so familiar with him, but he held back. Murder, my ass. There¡¯s no way he would personally do something so filthy. But if he admitted he was on the run after stealing something, there¡¯s no telling what these money-grubbing bastards might do. It was better to be treated like one of them than to reveal the truth. The manughed loudly, but his eyes, tinged with a faint red bloodthirst, glinted as he looked at Max. ¡°Anyway, just trust us. No matter what happens, we¡¯ll protect you.¡± The man¡¯s arm slid off gently. Confirming that the man was no longer watching him, Max finally let out a sigh and brushed off the stench that lingered on his shoulder. Chapter 77 Chapter 77 No matter how carefree mercenaries were, they still had their own rules. Some of these rules were strictly enforced by Liberi, while others were not formally documented but were tacitly understood among mercenaries. One such unspoken rule was: ¡°Never disclose information about your employer.¡± It was eptable to boast about one¡¯s exploits at the tavern over a drink. However, speaking about an employer in too much detail was considered a betrayal of trust between a mercenary and the client who had entrusted them with the job. Clients would not think well of a mercenary who, after being hired, turned around and sold their information. For this reason, unless the situation involved severe moral or legal vitions, most mercenaries would turn a blind eye to minor ws for the sake of survival. But the Red w Mercenary Group was different. The mercenaries of Red w didn¡¯t belong to Liberi and didn¡¯t care about building trust.If one were to describe them in a single phrase: A bunch of lowly thugs. Despite that, the Red w Mercenary Group could still operate openly because they would take on jobs other mercenaries wouldn¡¯t. In short, they handled ¡°dirty work.¡± ¡°Just like always, you know what to do?¡± ¡°Of course! We¡¯ll handle it without leaving a trace, so don¡¯t worry!¡± Murder. ¡°Ahem, I¡¯ve developed a new hobbytely¡­ Can you find me a young and healthy one?¡± ¡°Why would you say that, sir? You should know I¡¯m well acquainted with your tastes! Male or female? Which would you prefer?¡± ¡°¡­Ahem! A female.¡± ¡°Got it~ Just give me a little time, and I¡¯ll deliver her right to you!¡± Kidnapping. As well as theft, robbery, arson, and more. If you were willing to pay, they would eagerly take on any inhumane task, making the Red w Mercenary Group an ideal tool for people with shady backgrounds. ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone.¡± Ashi¨¦ spoke directly as soon as he entered a building located in a rather secluded area of the city. The building¡¯s exterior appeared normal, but there was an ominous atmosphere inside. ¡°Do you know a magician named Max?¡± He didn¡¯t use the polite tone he had been using in Baltora. Instead, it was closer to amanding tone. The innate authority and charisma in his voice made Da-eun¡¯s eyes widen. He really is a prince¡­ It wasn¡¯t that she doubted what Kana and Ashi¨¦ had said before. However, due to his friendly manner of speaking and the shock of their first meeting, it was difficult for Da-eun to fully grasp the fact that he was a prince. But the aura exuded by Ashi¨¦ now¡ªone that made the thought of defying him impossible¡ªmade Da-eun fully realize that he truly was a prince. And she wasn¡¯t the only one who felt it. The mercenary standing before Ashi¨¦ gulped nervously, overwhelmed by the pressure that dominated the atmosphere. Normally, he would have bared his yellow teeth and cracked pointless jokes, but now he couldn¡¯t even attempt it. ¡°Um¡­ Are you a noble from the Empire?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern.¡± ¡­So he¡¯s a noble! The mercenary bowed even lower. Judging by this intimidating demeanor, he must be a noble of the Empire¡­! And not one of those random, low-ranking nobles they often encountered, but a genuine aristocrat. In reality, Ashi¨¦ was neither an Imperial noble nor affiliated with the Empire at all, but there was no way the mercenary could have known that. ¡°So, do you know him?¡± ¡°Max¡­ you mean?¡± ¡°Yes. A man with thin eyebrows who looks rather edgy.¡± At those words, a certain man shed through the mercenary¡¯s mind. A man in a robe carrying a ratherrge bag, who had visited earlier this morning. He thought it odd that the man had arrived at dawn, urgently asking to be escorted to another city, but now it all made sense. This man must be connected to that one. Quickly piecing things together, the mercenary grinned. This might be a big opportunity. His position within the Red w Mercenary Group was somewhere between a subordinate and an officer. Upper management criticizes him for not being able to manage his subordinates, while the subordinates, unaware that they are following orders from above, curse and call him all sorts of names. To top it off, he didn¡¯t even get paid much more than the lower ranks. Stuck in the middle, constantly beaten down from both sides, this current situation, where all the officers were away, appeared to him as the perfect opportunity to take a hefty reward behind their backs. He didn¡¯t know exactly what the rtionship was between the man in front of him and Max, but judging from how he personally came all the way here, it seemed urgent. Being a high-ranking individual, he must also be wealthy¡­ The mercenary¡¯s hunched back straightened up, ever so slightly. ¡°Well¡­ I might know something, or I might not¡­ I drank a lot yesterday, so my memory is a bit hazy, I¡¯m not really sure.¡± The mercenary¡¯s ambiguous response made Ashi¨¦¡¯s eyebrow twitch. Having faced individuals far more cunning than this mercenary back when he was a prince, Ashi¨¦ could see through his intentions as clearly as ss. ¡®So, he was here.¡¯ He also realized that Max hade to the Red w Mercenary Group. If it were just a matter of knowing, the mercenary wouldn¡¯t have reacted this way. As Ashi¨¦¡¯s expression showed his displeasure, the mercenary swallowed nervously, but he still didn¡¯t reveal Max¡¯s whereabouts. Not because he had amendable sense of duty to protect his client, but because of money. ¡°If I could clear my throat¡­ with something refreshing¡­ I might be able to remember¡­ But I don¡¯t have money to buy anything nice. It¡¯s quite a problem, really.¡± Even though the mercenary believed Ashi¨¦ to be a true noble, he still dared to act confidently. He was certain that he was the only one who knew Max¡¯s whereabouts, so he boldly assumed that Ashi¨¦ wouldn¡¯t dare to harm him. However, just as courage and recklessness are only a hair¡¯s breadth apart, so too are confidence and arrogance. Ashi¨¦ already knew what kind of people the Red w Mercenaries were. People who had long since discarded basic human decency. He had no intention of handing over gold coins to such people. ¡°Kana.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Step. At Ashi¨¦¡¯s call, Kana stepped forward. ¡°¡­Huh? A kid?¡± Seeing a small girl in a hood step forward, the mercenary scratched his chin. Trying to gauge Ashi¨¦¡¯s intentions, the mercenary let out a small sigh of understanding. ¡°Are you offering this child aspensation?¡± It wasn¡¯t unheard of for people to trade others as payment. It just wasn¡¯t amon urrence. Especially not involving such a small child, something he hadn¡¯t seen even during his long tenure with the Red w Mercenary Group. Trading people required a lot of effort, and he didn¡¯t want to draw the attention of the officers, so he wasn¡¯t particrly pleased with the prospect. The mercenary, trying to get a closer look at the girl, somewhat reluctantly pulled back the hood she was wearing. The next moment, as he met the girl¡¯s calm, pink eyes, he found his breath caught in his throat. ¡°¡­Oh.¡± He¡¯d seen and held countless women in his arms over the years, but this was the first time he¡¯d seen such a girl. Despite his preference for voluptuous women, he was momentarily entranced by her looks. If he were to put her up for auction, he¡¯d earn enough to fill several pouches with gold coins, and if he kept her hidden and waited, she¡¯d grow into an unparalleled beauty. To sell her now for money, or to keep her locked up until she matured¡ªhe couldn¡¯t decide. He wanted the money, but the thought of giving her away to someone else left a sense of regret. ¡°¡­Huff, huff!¡± Snapping out of his envious contemtion, the mercenary regained hisposure. Getting such a reward for merely revealing the whereabouts of one magician? No matter how he thought about it, this was a deal he couldn¡¯t lose. He hurriedly grabbed the girl¡¯s hand and was about to ept Ashi¨¦¡¯s offer. Or so he thought. Squish! ¡°Filthy.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Why is my hand on the ground? Awareness came first, followed by pain. ¡°Ahhh! My- my hand!¡± The mercenary screamed, clutching his spurting wrist. His right hand, which should have been attached, was now lying on the filthy floor. Ashi¨¦ had never intended to negotiate with him. Even if he had, he would never trade a person, and it was absurd to consider someone as powerful as Kana as a bargaining item. The man who had paid for his repeated mistakes now wept in agony. He would have done so loudly if not for the cloth stuffed in his mouth. ¡°Shh.¡± The girl, who had calmly stuffed the cloth into his mouth, ced her index finger to her lips. In her pink eyes, the image of his tear-streaked, snot-covered face reflected back at him. The mercenary no longer saw her as beautiful. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­.¡± Max leaned against a giant tree, gasping for breath. ¡°Let¡¯s handle this like adults, okay? No need to make this difficult for both of us.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Aid-back voice followed byughter. Max didn¡¯t respond and instead darted his eyes around nervously. Mercenaries, mercenaries, and more mercenaries. Everywhere he looked, he saw nothing but mercenaries, leaving no path for escape. ¡°I said I¡¯d pay more!¡± ¡°Once we reach the next city, right?¡± Molden, the leader of the Red w Mercenary Group, sneered at Max¡¯s words. Molden¡¯s eyes gleamed with undisguised greed, and his enormous belly jiggled every time he took a step. ¡°But you see¡­ For some reason, my instincts are telling me that whatever¡¯s in that bag of yours is worth a lot more than the petty cash I¡¯d get for escorting you.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Max instinctively hugged the bag tighter, his face showing a hint of panic. Seeing this, Molden chuckled softly. Was he speaking from knowledge? Or was it just a gut feeling? Max frantically tried to think. ¡°If- if you treat me like this, do you think the Empire will just let it slide?!¡± ¡°Oh? Now you¡¯re even worrying about us? I¡¯m so touched, I might cry.¡± ¡°¡­Damn it!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Nothing you¡¯re worried about will happen. You think the Empire will bat an eye over the death of a scion from a failing family?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Max¡¯s heart sank. How did they know? Stripped of his only weapon, Max was filled with regret. The Teleport Gate was expensive, yes, but it wasn¡¯t impossible to afford if he¡¯d used up all his savings. Why did he hire these people? He should¡¯ve just gone down the mountain alone. Or hired a proper mercenary group. There were countless regrets running through his mind, but among them, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have stolen the Dragon Orb¡± was not one of them. ¡°I¡¯ll give you everything I have. Just¡­ please spare my life.¡± Finally, Max swallowed his pride and bowed his head. As valuable as the Dragon Orb was, it wasn¡¯t more precious than his life. Only now, with his life hanging by a thread, did he abandon his greed and pride. ¡°Hm¡­.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s not enough, I¡¯ll enchant your equipment with magic.¡± ¡°Ooh, magic~.¡± Max¡¯s face brightened at the positive reaction. Yes, this will do. As long as I stay alive, there will be a chance for revenge. Concealing his true intentions, Max forced an awkward smile as he looked at Molden. But his hopes were ruthlessly crushed. ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Magic, yeah, sure, it¡¯s nice. But don¡¯t you think that¡¯s not quite enough of a reason to let you live and risk the possibility of future trouble?¡± ¡°M-my magic will surely be of help-¡± ¡°Yeah, I know that.¡± Seeing the murderous glint in Molden¡¯s eyes, Max finally realized that no matter what he said, they had never intended to let him live. And that they had been waiting for the right opportunity ever since he¡¯d stepped foot into their hideout. Max¡¯s mouth opened wide. ¡°Help me-!¡± ¡°Whoa, look at this guy.¡± ¡°Boss, should we just kill him?¡± ¡°Leave him be.¡± In this deep forest, there was no one around. Molden, who had ambushed Max knowing this, watched Max¡¯s desperate plea as if he were watching a child throw a tantrum. Just as Molden predicted, Max¡¯s frantic shout echoed throughout the forest, but no one came to his aid. ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­!¡± Max tried to back away, but his path was blocked by a tree. ¡°D-don¡¯te any closer!¡± He shouted in a frenzy, pulling out a magical artifact from his bag and hurling it at Molden. But such trinkets did nothing to halt Molden¡¯s advance. Even the shield Max conjured by draining all his remaining mana shattered under Molden¡¯s swinging de, and Max¡¯s heart pounded so hard it felt like it would burst. Finally, as the shadow of death climbed up to his throat, about to swallow him whole¡ª ¡°Found you.¡± A soft voice interjected between them. ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± ¡°Blech!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Apanied by three nearly dead bodies. Zombies¡­? Seeing the girl leading three zombies, Max stood frozen in shock, his fear of death momentarily forgotten. Chapter 78 Chapter 78 The sudden appearance of mysterious figures brought the situation to a temporary standstill. Thanks to that, Max, whose life had been extended, slid down to the ground, leaning against a tree. His legs seemed to have given out, and he struggled to get back up, but his movements were nothing more than futile iling. Even if he had the strength left to run, it was unlikely he could escape. Tap, tap. ¡°Ashi¨¦, get up. Is that him?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ A-ashi¨¦¡­ Da¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, Ashi¨¦.¡± So, is that guy really Max or not?Kana lightly tapped Ashi¨¦¡¯s back with her dainty hand and asked again. But Ashi¨¦, face down on the ground, was too busy retching. ¡®¡­Ashi¨¦?¡¯ At the sound of the familiar name near his ear, Max barely managed to lift his head and, upon seeing the familiar faces, his eyes widened. ¡°How is he already here¡­?¡± He thought they woulde after him, but not this quickly. And the guy throwing up against the tree right next to him¡ªwasn¡¯t he the magician working at the workshop next to his? ¡°Hey, hey! What the hell is going on here? Didn¡¯t I tell you to keep watch? Are you not managing your men properly? You¡¯ve really gottenx¡­ Life¡¯s been treating you well, huh?¡± ¡°¡­Sorry, boss.¡± Watching this ridiculous charade unfold, Molden scolded his subordinate. But neither Molden, who gave the scolding, nor the subordinate, who received it, took the situation seriously, as they chuckled among themselves. Molden wasn¡¯t happy with the fact that his orders to keep watch had been ignored and that no one had reported this trespasser¡¯s entry. His men were probably cking off somewhere, hiding. With a lifted corner of his mouth, yet eyes void of any emotion, Molden scrutinized the uninvited guests. One magician, one woman who looked like a swordsman, one annoying-looking guy. And one child. Molden smacked his lips as he took in the appearance of the girl wearing a cape. Perhaps his subordinates, knowing his tastes, had let her pass just because they liked the look of the girl. Molden soon shook his head at the thought. Unless they were nning to sneak her away without reporting it to him, his men weren¡¯t smart enough to do such a thing. So, the fact that this girl, who looked like she was sculpted by Edel herself, appeared in front of him must be fate¡­ Or so Molden thought. ¡°Seems like I¡¯m lucky today.¡± Molden grinned, baring his yellow teeth. ¡°How about I give you some delicious snacks? Why don¡¯t youe over here?¡± Tsk, tsk, tsk. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°What¡¯s this? Why aren¡¯t you responding?¡± Clicking his tongue like he was calling a stray puppy, Molden waved at the girl, but he narrowed his eyes in confusion when she didn¡¯t respond. Normally, people would react with disgust when he acted like this, but the girl just stared nkly at his face, showing no other reaction. One of his perceptive subordinates, who was always quick to notice such things, approached him and spoke quietly. ¡°Boss, I don¡¯t think she understands us. It seemed like she was speaking a differentnguage when she was talking with the others earlier.¡± ¡°Really? Did shee from some obscure kingdom in a far-off continent?¡± Molden¡¯s words were unexpectedly sharp. Even as a hint of disappointment crossed his mind, when he looked at her face, he couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡®It¡¯s fine even if we can¡¯t speak to each other.¡¯ Rather, the thought that he could dye her mind with his own colors made his lewd thoughts swell even more. ¡°Weak.¡± ¡°¡­And that¡¯sing from someone who treats people so harshly?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a guy; I¡¯m a girl, so it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure, girl.¡± ¡°But I told you to go faster.¡± ¡°How was I supposed to know you¡¯d carry people around like they were luggage?¡± Having regained some strength, Ashi¨¦ staggered to his feet. Though not as bad as the others who were still vomiting, Da-eun, who had been as pale as a corpse, seemed to have regained some of her original color. ¡°Blerrggh!¡± Though there were still those who hadn¡¯t recovered. Kana looked down at the magician and muttered something like, ¡®This is why mages are useless,¡¯ in a voice dripping with swordsman superiority, as Ashi¨¦ approached Molden. ¡°Molden, leader of the Red w Mercenaries.¡± ¡°Oh? Hey, guys, I guess I¡¯ve gotten pretty famous. If even some fop like you knows who I am.¡± ¡°Congrattions, boss!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Whether they were mercenaries or just a band of bandits was unclear. Their actions were worse than that of amon bandit group, but in any case, Ashi¨¦ looked at them with aplex expression before speaking. ¡°I¡¯ll get straight to the point. I have business with the person behind you. So, won¡¯t you step aside?¡± ¡°Oh my, you have business with our employer? May I ask what it¡¯s about?¡± ¡°¡­He stole something from my master¡¯s workshop.¡± ¡°Master? Workshop? What¡¯s this? I thought you were someone important with that stiff demeanor of yours, but you¡¯re just an apprentice?¡± Molden, who had already found Ashi¨¦¡¯s good looks and tall stature annoying, made no effort to hide his disappointment. To think that a mere apprentice would speak to him so disrespectfully. Although a lowly sense of inferiority-driven anger welled up within Molden, he forcibly suppressed it. It wouldn¡¯t do to get angry on such a joyous day. Thus, Molden put on a facade of calmness. ¡°¡­You seem quite confident, trusting in that subpar mage and swordsman of yours, but I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ve been hired to protect someone, you see.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯re protecting anyone right now.¡± ¡°Oh,e now. It¡¯s just a ¡®small¡¯ misunderstanding. We¡¯re very close, right?¡± ¡°Pl-please help! I¡¯ll make sure to reward you generously if you save me¡­!¡± ¡°Oh dear, you don¡¯t understand me at all.¡± The world is truly cruel. Molden shrugged and twirled his sword. The sunlight striking the serrated de scattered into a myriad of reflections. ¡°I¡¯ll make a proposal. Leave the women and all your belongings behind, and I¡¯ll spare your lives.¡± ¡°Those are words you don¡¯t mean.¡± ¡°¡­Seems like you¡¯ve been serving a rather ill-tempered master, huh? You¡¯re quite perceptive.¡± ¡°He does have a bit of a fiery temper.¡± ¡°Must be tough serving under such a master. But don¡¯t worry.¡± Screech¡ª The moment Molden finished speaking, the mercenaries surrounded them and drew their weapons. ¡°There won¡¯t be a need for that anymore. Guys, you know what to do?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch the women, right?¡± ¡°Come on, boss. It¡¯s not like this is our first job. Why are you saying that?¡± ¡°So, you choose the hard way.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Had he lost his mind from fear? Scratching his head, Molden dismissed Ashi¨¦¡¯s iprehensible words as the ravings of a lunatic. The unnaturally calm expression on Ashi¨¦¡¯s face must be due to that as well. ¡°Heh, heh heh¡­ It¡¯s all over now¡­.¡± A mage, a swordsman, a mere apprentice with some muscle, and a little girl. On the other hand, they were greatly outnumbered and each of them was a veteran killer. Max, who had momentarily harbored a glimmer of hope at the appearance of these unexpected guests, finally gave up and let out a madugh. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°What else? We kill them all.¡± ¡°Ki-kill them?¡± ¡°They¡¯re trash that won¡¯t do anyone any good by staying alive. Garbage should be disposed of quickly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m no janitor.¡± Kana muttered discontentedly as she drew her sword. It was only then that Molden and his men noticed that Kana was carrying a sword, but it didn¡¯t make them feel threatened. A small girl wielding a longsword as big as her body. One would doubt whether she could even lift it properly, let alone swing it. If they were cowards who got scared at such a sight, they wouldn¡¯t have made a living killing people for money. Due to her short arms, the tip of the sword Kana was holding dragged along the ground, leaving marks behind. ¡®How cute.¡¯ I¡¯ll just take that dangerous thing away and shower you with affection. Molden smiled contentedly. The Red w Mercenaries began to slowly close the distance. ¡°Hey little girl, be good. Put that down ande over here, will you?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll hurt yourself if you get a cut trying to resist. That would hurt, right?¡± ¡°¡­What are they saying?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind it. It¡¯s all nonsense anyway.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± ¡°Ka-Kana, do your best¡­!¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Is it something that requires doing your best? Kana tilted her head, but she still happily epted Da-eun¡¯s cheer. The mercenaries felt a sense of difort at the sight. ¡®¡­What is this?¡¯ Why are they so calm? The group¡¯s reaction was far too calm, despite having sent a young girl to her death, or perhaps an even worse fate. ¡®Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ If these nobodies had interfered, things would have gotten very troublesome. And the girl might have gotten injured in the process. Molden stoodfortably, waiting for his subordinates to bring the girl to him. However, one second, two seconds, and then a full ten seconds passed, yet his subordinates remained frozen in ce as they approached the girl. ¡°What are these idiots doing¡­?¡± Up close, she must have looked even prettier, causing them to be captivated. Even though he could understand their feelings, Molden¡¯s fury was palpable as he shouted at his subordinates for daring to covet something that was his. ¡°You bastards! Why aren¡¯t you moving?!¡± Yet, his subordinates still didn¡¯t move. Eventually, as his rage boiled over and he took a step forward to intervene himself¡ª Almost as if waiting for this moment, diagonal lines appeared on the bodies of his subordinates who had approached the girl. Swoosh¡ª! Thud! Like puppets with their strings cut, his subordinates crumpled to the ground. Their torsos and lower bodies, which had once been a single whole,y scattered separately. Roll¡­ ¡°¡­!¡± Molden¡¯s eyes widened as he locked eyes with one of the lifeless bodies on the ground. It was wearing a grim smile. A face that couldn¡¯t even fathom dying¡ªone that didn¡¯t even realize it was already dead. Molden began to question reality. Maybe¡­ maybe they¡¯re still alive. Despite denying the situation unfolding before him, Molden¡¯s body instinctively took a few steps back. ¡°Wh-what have you done?!¡± The voice that burst from him no longer carried any of its previousposure or confidence. ¡°Magic¡­! Yes, it must be some trick that mage pulled¡­!¡± ¡°Wh-what are you saying¡­ Ugh, ugh¡­!¡± Molden couldn¡¯t even entertain the idea that such a massacre could have been caused by a small girl. It was only natural. Even Da-eun, a yer ustomed to countless fictional scenarios, would be astonished by Kana¡¯s overwhelming strength. While Molden¡¯s actions were cruel, to someone like him¡ªwho operated on themon sense of this world¡ªwhat he had witnessed wasn¡¯t just outside the norm; it was utterly impossible. Watching Molden il about, Kana tilted her head. ¡®He¡¯s only at the Expert level.¡¯ His capabilities were as unimpressive as the despicable deeds he had carried out. For someone like Kana, casually dismissing the idea of ¡°expert-level¡± strength made seasoned warriors clutch the back of their necks and copse in shock. He looked stronger than his subordinates, but just by that much. If they all attacked together, he wasn¡¯t someone they couldn¡¯t defeat. Why would his subordinates follow someone like him? ¡®Hmm, who knows.¡¯ There must be a reason for them to follow him. Thinking like this, Kana¡¯s eyes scanned the remaining enemies. Seven left, including the leader. They were stronger than the ones she¡¯d just dealt with, but not enough to pose any threat to Kana. ¡®To Kana, that is.¡¯ ¡°Joanie.¡± ¡°Y-Yes?¡± Da-eun, who had been leisurely observing from behind, flinched at the sudden call. Why¡­ why is she calling me all of a sudden? Answering unconsciously, Da-eun¡¯s voice trembled with unease as she asked nervously. ¡°¡­Kana, that¡¯s not it, right? I believe that Kana is a gentle person.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡± ¡°Haha¡­ haha¡­¡± Kana¡¯s lips curled up into a slight smile. Seeing the harmless smile, Da-eun began to let her guard down¡ª ¡°Hurry up. You need to train.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Only to have her heart shattered by those words. ¡°We already did training today!¡± ¡°The more you train, the better it is.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s true. It¡¯s true, but¡­!! This is too dangerous! You said they¡¯re the kind of people who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill if they were paid!¡± Momentarily speechless by Da-eun¡¯s statement that was spot on, Kana quickly reassured her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll never let you die.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s touching and all, but should I be thankful for this?¡± ¡°Up to you. Now,e on.¡± Realizing she wouldn¡¯t be able to change Kana¡¯s mind, Da-eun trudged forward reluctantly. Behind her, Ashi¨¦ looked at her with pity. She hesitated for a moment, but eventually drew her sword. There was no sign of motivation or enthusiasm in her movements. ¡°I take back what I said about Kana being gentle¡­¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± ¡°¡­You really don¡¯t know?¡± Kana tilted her head to the side. Seeing Kana¡¯s genuinely confused expression, Da-eun suddenly felt a strong urge to pinch the girl¡¯s soft and adorable cheeks. ¡°In what world does this count as being gentle?!¡± ¡°Um¡­.¡± Isn¡¯t it kind to help someone improve their skills without risking their life? Hearing Kana¡¯s indifferent response, Da-eun could no longer hold back and stretched out Kana¡¯s chubby cheeks. Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Although it requires the use of tools, for modern people, flying is not a mysterious or miraculous feat. Even Da-eun used to frequently travel overseas, practically making foreign countries her second home¡ªthough the frequency has decreased recently. Thanks to that, Da-eun¡¯s airline mileage ount was fully stacked. But even for someone like her, flying through the sky without any tools was something she couldn¡¯t even imagine¡­ ¡­To be honest, whenever she bought a ne ticket, she did think, ¡°If I could fly, I could save so much money on tickets¡­¡± and fantasized about flying through the sky. But Da-eun knew that it was realistically impossible. ¡®I¡¯m not a bird. How could a human fly through the sky with just their body?¡¯ That¡¯s what she thought until she flew through the sky on Kana¡¯s back. ¡°Kyyaaaaaaah!¡±Each time Kana¡¯s small feet pushed off the ground, she, along with Da-eun clinging onto her back, soared into the sky. Pushing off the ground, they leapt upward. Normally, this would be called a jump, but Da-eun couldn¡¯t bring herself to call it that. What sort of jump easily clears the height of several stories of a building? Kana¡¯s movements were more akin to soaring. What¡¯s more, she would lightlynd on tree branches and leap up again, or even kick off the empty air¡ªdoing things that would make any physicist faint if they saw it. But Da-eun didn¡¯t have time to admire any of this. Being carried through the sky on the back of a girl much smaller than herself was not a pleasant experience. Her body swayed here and there, the scenery around her changing rapidly¡­ Just as she thought they were descending, they would shoot up again, and just as they started ascending, they¡¯d suddenly plunge downward. The Kana Express, providing a truly unforgettable ride experience, pierced through the dulled sensations granted by the system and gifted Da-eun a solid bout of nausea. If not for the system, she was sure she¡¯d be clutching onto a tree or the ground, retching like the two others. After suffering from motion sickness for a while, just as she thought she could finally catch her breath¡ª ¡°Hurry up. We have to train.¡± Now they were supposed to fight mercenaries, which made Da-eun feel like crying. But thew is distant, and fists are near. Kana wouldn¡¯t actually strike her, but Da-eun had no choice but to give in and follow Kana¡¯s instructions. ¡°Fine¡­ If Kana got involved, it¡¯d be over in less than a minute. She¡¯s putting up with this annoyance for my sake, after all. And my skills really have improved.¡± ¡ª¡±Would love to see Joanie get smacked, thumbs up!¡± ¡ª¡±Since when did she change jobs to diator?¡± ¡ª¡±When someone dies, there¡¯s a story that Joaniees to greet them first. I really like that story.¡± ¡ª¡±We call this ¡®mental victory.¡¯¡± Da-eun¡¯s viewers loved seeing her get bossed around by Kana. After all, viewers of personal streams and broadcasts often have a mischievous streak. Knowing this, Da-eun would y along with their jokes and even tease them back. Buttely, she felt that the viewers had be even more mischievous than before. ¡®I don¡¯t think they used to be this bad¡­¡¯ She could guess the reason. It was probably because arge influx of viewers had joined after she first started talking with Kana. If she had to say whether she liked it or not, she¡¯d definitely say she liked it. The overall vibe of the broadcast had changed a little, but it hadn¡¯t deviated much from the original atmosphere, and it wasn¡¯t a bad change, so there was no reason to dislike it. ¡­Though, sometimes, theirments did get on her nerves. ¡®At least they don¡¯t seem to dislike Kana, so that¡¯s a relief.¡¯ If they had started criticizing a child for being rude to an adult, this reaction wouldn¡¯t have happened. Da-eun didn¡¯t want to see a child with a painful past being hated. ¡°Joanie?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, sorry. I was lost in thought for a bit.¡± Da-eun, who had been pouting at the chat window, snapped back to reality at Kana¡¯s voice. Now wasn¡¯t the time to be worrying about such things. Gulp. Facing the intimidating faces before her, she swallowed hard. ording to what Ashi¨¦ had said, these were people who hadmitted all sorts of heinous crimes¡ªmurder, arson, robbery, rape, theft¡­ ¡®Can I really win against them?¡¯ Their levels were simr to hers or even lower. But she knew that just because an opponent¡¯s level was lower didn¡¯t mean she¡¯d automatically win. ¡°So, w-who am I supposed to fight? You¡¯re not saying I have to fight all seven of them, right?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Kana may transform into a fearsome instructor whenever training started, but she would never assign Da-eun an impossible task. And from Kana¡¯s perspective, asking Da-eun to handle seven seasoned mercenaries ustomed to killing was something she couldn¡¯t aplish even if she died and came back to life. ¡®¡­Even if she died and came back to life?¡¯ In that case¡­ As Da-eun, who had been staring intently at Kana, spoke. ¡°Kana.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just asking to make sure¡­ You¡¯re not thinking anything weird, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Um, excuse me? Kana? Why aren¡¯t you answering?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Anyone can see that¡¯s the reaction of someone who was thinking something strange.¡± ¡°I said I didn¡¯t.¡± Da-eun hates getting hurt. Even though the system dulls her sense of pain significantly, it doesn¡¯t mean she can¡¯t feel it at all. Kana didn¡¯t want to force her to experience death on purpose. ¡®It might speed up the growth of her skills if other people did that, but¡­¡¯ For Da-eun, it would only have the opposite effect. That kind of approach is only suited for battle maniacs like the chick with the greatsword. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a choice. Who do you want to fight?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no option for not choosing anyone, is there?¡± ¡°So you want to fight all seven of them. What great spirit.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll choose now, okay?¡± Da-eun carefully examined the faces of the mercenaries. Their faces alone were enough to break her resolve. Did they turn ugly because they did such things, or did doing such things make them ugly? While pondering deeply and examining their levels, Da-eun pointed at one of them. ¡°That person.¡± It was the mercenary with the lowest level among the seven. Even though level isn¡¯t an absolute measure of strength, without knowing their abilities, choosing the lowest opponent was the best course of action. ¡°Hmm. Okay.¡± Kana made a nasal sound that suggested she wasn¡¯t entirely pleased, but she respected Da-eun¡¯s decision. ¡°Then, there¡¯s no need for the rest.¡± That one sentence was enough to determine the fate of the remaining six who weren¡¯t chosen. They had friends who went ahead, so they wouldn¡¯t feel too resentful following after them. ¡°Ah, maybe it would¡¯ve been better to keep the leader alive.¡± ¡°¡­What? Where did thate from all of a sudden?¡± ¡°If we capture him alive and hand him over, we might be able to collect a bounty.¡± ¡°If there was a bounty, he would¡¯ve been caught long ago.¡± ¡°Hmm, maybe.¡± The man, now left alone after losing all hispanions in an instant, looked as if he had just seen a ghost. His body might appear ridiculous, bloated with fat, but Molden¡¯s strength should never be underestimated. How many mercenaries had nned a revolt after underestimating him, only to have their heads lopped off? Every morning, the men saw the heads hanging on poles and swore never to oppose Molden. But that same Molden, the Expert Swordsman Molden, had died without even putting up a fight. Something absolutely impossible for someone at the Expert level. ¡°M-M-Master¡­!¡± It was only natural that the man reached this conclusion. ¡°Why is a Master here¡­?!¡± But more than that, the fact that the small girl everyone had underestimated was a Master¡ª ¡°This has to be a dream¡­¡± He thought it was the worst kind of nightmare and pped his cheek. But all it did was leave his cheek red and sore. There was no waking up from this nightmare and returning to reality. ¡°Hmm, it broke.¡± The man lost all will to fight and even dropped his weapon. Kana¡¯s murmuring left Ashi¨¦ unable to hide his disbelief. ¡°If it were you, would you still think of fighting when faced with a Master?¡± ¡°If it were me, I¡¯d fight.¡± If he¡¯s going to die either way, why wouldn¡¯t he choose to fight? Ashi¨¦ found himself speechless at Kana¡¯s nonchnt reply. There are many who speak confidently, but when death is right before them, they¡¯re unable to act as they im. But Kana would have done exactly that¡ªshe¡¯s lived her life that way. That¡¯s how she first met Garid. ¡°¡­Yeah. You really would have done that. Anyway, if you didn¡¯t want to break him, you should have killed himter. You could¡¯ve predicted this would happen.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ but.¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°His eyes annoyed me. I¡¯m not some piece of food.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He kept staring at her and licking his lips. Just enduring it until that point was the best Kana could do. Ashi¨¦, who had been listening silently, ced his hand on the girl¡¯s head. ¡°?¡± ¡°Well done.¡± ¡°¡­??¡± What? Praise? Here? Kana tilted her head in confusion at the suddenpliment, and then quickly shook her head to shrug off his hand. ¡°I wanted to let her experience realbat for a change.¡± The man trembled at the sight of the girl¡¯s indifferent eyes. ¡°If it¡¯s like this, he¡¯s useless.¡± ¡°¡­Whew.¡± Calling a person broken¡ªit was a chilling phrase depending on how one interpreted it, but at least it was fortunate for Da-eun. ¡®Fighting monsters is one thing, but fighting humans¡­ that¡¯s a bit too much.¡¯ It¡¯s a relief that I didn¡¯t have to fight. ¡°Should I say that if he wins, I¡¯ll let him live?¡± ¡°Are you really going to spare him?¡± ¡°Depending on the situation.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t bother. Even if you let him live, he¡¯ll just do the same thing again.¡± ¡°S-s-spare me! I promise I¡¯ll live a good life!¡± ¡°Hmm? Did he understand what we¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡± Just as Ashi¨¦ said, the man didn¡¯t understand their words, but with his instinctive sense, he realized they were discussing his fate and shouted desperately. It was a miracle born out of his sheer desperation to survive. ¡°Live a good life, you say?¡± ¡°Yes? Yes, absolutely! I swear I will!¡± ¡°What does living a good life mean?¡± ¡°¡­Uh, not stealing other people¡¯s money, not killing people¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that just what any civilized person should do?¡± If Kana had understood, she probably would have said, ¡°Huh? But that¡¯s what royals do,¡± but unfortunately, not understanding their conversation, Kana was busy dodging Da-eun¡¯s hand as she tried to pinch her cheeks. Ashi¨¦ shook his head as he watched the man struggle to answer. To the man, Ashi¨¦¡¯s swaying hair looked like the scythe of the Grim Reaper. ¡°Just as I thought.¡± ¡°H-help the unfortunate¡ª¡± The man¡¯s words didn¡¯t reachpletion. A sword pierced through his chest. The hilt of the sword was a shape all too familiar to the man. The de that had spilled the blood of so many others now ended with drinking its owner¡¯s blood. Thud. Ashi¨¦ watched coldly as the soulless body copsed to the ground. ¡°¡­Well then.¡± But being cold doesn¡¯t necessarily mean indifferent. His gaze, now filled with a chilling anger, shifted elsewhere. To the tree surrounded by mercenaries, where Max had copsed in front. ¡°It seems we have a lot to discuss.¡± Max, don¡¯t you think? ¡°¡­!¡± Max¡¯s heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. Chapter 80 Chapter 80 ¡°¡­Ohh!¡± With trembling hands, the Dwarf, Brondin, received the Dragon Orb, tears of gratitude streaming down his face. I don¡¯t have a hobby of enjoying watching others cry, but seeing a rough-looking Dwarf shedding big, chicken-like tears was quite a sight, making it hard to look away. Well, considering he had recovered his lost Dragon Orb, it wasn¡¯t surprising that he reacted this way. The Dwarf, who had been clutching the golden gemstone and sobbing, finally stopped crying after a long while. ¡°¡­It¡¯s all thanks to you. Thank you, truly¡­.¡± Sniffling as he spoke, Brondin hesitated before continuing. ¡°I never thought I would find it again. May I ask how you managed to find it? Ah, don¡¯t misunderstand, I¡¯m not doubting you! If you don¡¯t want to tell me, that¡¯s fine too.¡± It¡¯s just that I¡¯m curious.At his words, we exchanged nces. *** A few hours before handing the Dragon Orb to Brondin. We sessfully secured Max from that ragtag group, the Red w Mercenary Group. Yeah, it was ¡°Red w.¡± Such a childish name that I barely remembered it. Anyway, we seeded in securing Max from the Red w Mercenary Group. I say ¡°secured¡± instead of ¡°rescued¡± because we couldn¡¯t guarantee whether we¡¯d harm him or not. ¡°What should we do?¡± Looking at Max¡¯s face, which had gone so pale that it made me wonder if it was even possible for a person to look that white, I asked Ashi¨¦. ¡°It would be cleaner to kill him.¡± His words were as straightforward as his tone. Shin Da-eun, who had been quietly listening, opened her eyes wide in surprise. ¡°K-kill him? He¡¯s guilty, but it¡¯s not like hemitted a crime that warrants death¡­¡± The punishmentws in this world vary by country, but they are generally harsher than on Earth. To be exact, they are harsher for certain sses. For example, it¡¯s legal in this world for a noble passing by to kill amoner just because they blocked the road with their cart. Of course, iming ¡°I killed him because he blocked my cart!¡± would be embarrassing, so they usually find some other ridiculous crime to justify the execution. Even in such a world, though, theft alone isn¡¯t enough to be sentenced to death. I don¡¯t know much about the Dwarves¡¯ws, but I suspect they aren¡¯t too different from human nations in this regard. ¡°If it were an ordinary theft, sure.¡± ¡°¡­Theft is theft, how could it be different?¡± ¡°This is no ordinary theft. It¡¯s the Dragon Orb¡­¡± Seeing the confused expression on Shin Da-eun¡¯s face, I stopped talking. ¡­She doesn¡¯t get it. Judging by her reaction, she probably thinks it¡¯s just some expensive item based on our response. ¡°Joanie.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± I whispered into Shin Da-eun¡¯s ear as she leaned in. Hearing the price of the Dragon Orb, she gasped and quickly understood. ¡°Now I understand why you¡¯re saying that¡­¡± ¡°Right?¡± Indeed, nothing convinces an adult like money. Shin Da-eun, being an adult herself, understood the situation right away. You know, it¡¯s like exining a house to adults. They don¡¯t care about the shape or the structure, but mention the price, and they suddenly be interested. It¡¯s the same principle. ¡°Sure, it¡¯s about the money, but I just don¡¯t want to keep someone like him alive.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Ashi¨¦ and I, both being from Grasis, were on the same page. ¡°Why? Because he¡¯s from the Empire?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the only reason. He may not be as bad as the mercenaries, but he¡¯s still not a good person.¡± ¡°Yup, yup.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard for you to grasp, isn¡¯t it?¡± While Ashi¨¦ and I nodded, Shin Da-eun seemed unable to understand. Well, it¡¯s not surprising since she¡¯s not used to this sort of thing. And no, it¡¯s not just because he¡¯s from the Empire. Sure, I have my issues with the Empire, but that doesn¡¯t mean I want to kill every single Imperial. That might have been true in the past, but not anymore. There¡¯s another reason why I agreed with Ashi¨¦. ¡°Do you know why he hired those mercenaries?¡± ¡°Um¡­ wasn¡¯t it to ensure his safety while descending the mountain?¡± Shin Da-eun¡¯s answer was perfectly reasonable. Although it varies depending on the type, most mages are able to exert greater power when they¡¯re in a prepared state. That¡¯s why it¡¯s typical for mages to have a vanguard who can buy time and create a prepared environment for them to act. It¡¯s the usual approach for most mages. However, in terms of answering Ashi¨¦¡¯s question, it was incorrect. ¡°If that were the case, he would¡¯ve hired people more reliable than these guys.¡± Ashi¨¦ frowned and kicked at one of the corpses lying on the ground. Oh dear¡­ desecrating the dead, are we? ¡°He was trying to kill me, knowing I would follow.¡± ¡°¡­Th-that¡¯s absurd.¡± ¡°Absurd? If we were weaker, it would be our bodies lying on the ground right now, not theirs. Besides, the way that leader was looking at him, it wouldn¡¯t have ended with just death. No, I¡¯m sure he would¡¯ve faced something worse than death.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± ¡°Why do you keep nodding your head like that?¡± Why wouldn¡¯t I nod? ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, why not ask the person directly?¡± Seeing Shin Da-eun¡¯s still uncertain expression, Ashi¨¦ shrugged. ¡°Even if that¡¯s true, do you think that guy, Max, would answer properly? I don¡¯t think he¡¯d confess so easily¡­¡± ¡°He will.¡± Ashi¨¦ pointed his finger at me. ¡°Because he doesn¡¯t want to die at her hands.¡± ¡°¡­Why me?¡± I grumbled, annoyed that I was suddenly dragged into the conversation after quietly listening. Maybe Ashi¨¦ still thinks that I won¡¯t hit him because I¡¯m clinging to some old sense of glory. Back then, I endured his advances not because I liked him, but because he was royalty. ¡°¡­You call that enduring?¡± ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t hit him, did I?¡± With a face full of things left unsaid, Ashi¨¦ turned away. Max, who had been trembling like a leaf as if he¡¯d seen a monster, sensed Ashi¨¦¡¯s gaze and shrank back even more. Ashi¨¦, who had been interrogating him harshly, began sharing the results of the questioning.
  1. How did you know your master bought the Dragon Orb? A. I overheard him bragging about it when he was drunk.
  2. What did you n to do with the Dragon Orb? A. I was going to sell it in another city.
  3. Why did you hire mercenaries? Was it to kill us? A. Absolutely not. It was just in case I ran into monsters.
  4. Stop lying and answer honestly. A. ¡­I¡¯m sorry. Please forgive me just this once.
There was more, but this was the gist of their conversation. After watching the exchange between them, Shin Da-eun realized that Ashi¨¦ was right and looked quite dejected. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Do as you wish.¡± If it were the old me, I would have killed him without hesitation the moment I heard his answer. Even if he didn¡¯t know who woulde after him when he set his n in motion, in the end, his actions were aimed at killing me. But this time, I was merely here as someone who came to retrieve the stolen item for Brondin. It made more sense to leave the decision to Ashi¨¦, who was more deeply involved than I was. ¡°Well, he¡¯s still detestable, so¡­¡± I approached Max and extended my hand. Seeing my empty hand without a weapon, Max recoiled and fell back in fright. It¡¯s pitiful to see a grown man scared like this. This is why mages are no good. Clicking my tongue in disapproval, I spoke in as gentle a voice as I could. ¡°Hand over everything you have.¡± Maybe it wasn¡¯t so gentle after all. *** Whether or not to tell Brondin the truth. After a lot of internal conflict, Ashi¨¦ decided to inform his master without hiding anything. His reason was that Brondin had the right to know, even if it would hurt him. ¡°¡­I see. So, it really was Max¡­¡± As expected, Brondin, who had been betrayed by someone he trusted, looked deeply heartbroken. ¡°So, what happened to him?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s how it ended.¡± Ashi¨¦ remained silent. Brondin nodded quietly, understanding everything. ¡°Master, are you alright?¡± ¡°Even if I¡¯m not, I have to be. But more importantly, I see a face I¡¯ve never seen before.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a mage working at the workshop next to Max¡¯s. I provided a lot of help in finding him this time.¡± ¡°¡­It wasn¡¯t anything that great, as you said. The one who truly did the great work was¡ª¡± ¡°?¡± The mage, who was conversing with Brondin, nced in my direction. Why is he suddenly looking at me? ¡°It was her.¡± ¡°¡­That youngdy?¡± ¡°Yes, Master. If it weren¡¯t for her, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to recover the Dragon Orb, let alone make it back here safely.¡± ¡°Well, if she possesses such a magical artifact, then it¡¯s entirely possible.¡± Brondin stroked his rough beard thoughtfully. The golden gem that had been nestled inside Max¡¯s coat was now carefully ced in a luxurious box lined with fine fabric. Brondin gazed at the Dragon Orb with aplicated expression. ¡°Earlier, you mentioned wanting some leftovers as a reward. Since you helped recover this precious item, I naturally have topensate you, but as I mentioned before, I¡¯m currently broke. I spent all my money buying this.¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t say it¡¯s not disappointing, but we volunteered to help first¡ª¡± ¡°So, I propose this: I¡¯ll make a magical artifact using the Dragon Orb. Would you like to buy it?¡± ¡°¡­Sorry, what?¡± ¡°Of course, it won¡¯t be free. I have to earn a living too. But I promise to sell it to you much cheaper than any other magical artifacts.¡± ¡°W-wait a second¡­!¡± Shin Da-eun hurriedly ryed Brondin¡¯s words to me. ¡°¡­He¡¯s saying he¡¯ll give us a magical artifact made from the Dragon Orb?¡± ¡°Yes, but we¡¯d still have to pay for it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s to be expected.¡± If he had offered it for free, I would have felt too burdened to ept it. Even if it was something that couldn¡¯t have been recovered without me. Honestly, offering a magical artifact made from a Dragon Orb at a price lower than other magical artifacts is practically giving it away for free. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take it.¡± ¡°¡­Master. If you¡¯re short on money, I can cover the cost.¡± ¡°Nonsense! What kind of talk is that to say to our benefactor! Besides, I didn¡¯t acquire this to make money¡ªI simply wanted to handle it myself! As long as I have enough for some beer, I¡¯m fine. I can make that much money by selling any magical artifact!¡± The gloom that had overshadowed Brondin¡¯s face lifted as he burst into heartyughter. ¡°What kind of magical artifact do you want? I¡¯ll make it exactly as you wish!¡± ¡°I want a magical artifact that can withstand Magi.¡± ¡°¡­Magi?¡± Ashi¨¦¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°Why Magi?¡± ¡°Because I need it.¡± ¡°Do you think I asked because I don¡¯t know that? I¡¯m asking why you need it.¡± Ashi¨¦ asked with an unusual persistence. I didn¡¯t have an obligation to answer, but I didn¡¯t have a reason to hide it either, so I told him our next destination. ¡°The Demon Continent, Laxia. That¡¯s where we¡¯re going.¡± Watching his usuallyposed face contort was far more amusing than I expected. Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Rustling. A girl sitting at the desk busily waved her pen in her hand. As the girl¡¯s hand moved, ck ink rushed wildly beyond the neat square boxes. The girl paused for a moment to nce at the letters that had escaped the boxes, unsatisfied. However, her hand, which started moving again, showed no signs of being particrly more careful, and the letters born from her hand, like its siblings before, escaped the constraining square framework and ventured into the vast world. Shin Da-eun gently stroked the girl¡¯s pink hair while conversing with Celine. ¡°¡­So that happened.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know so much happened while I was gone. If I had known it would be so hard, I would have gone with you¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, no. Thanks to Kana, I didn¡¯t suffer at all. Of course, when I was carried on Kana¡¯s back and thought I was going to Lady Edel, it felt a bit different, though.¡±¡°Hehe. Hearing you say that makes me want to experience it too.¡± ¡°Oh, you shouldn¡¯t say such things even as a joke!¡± Celine replied with more teasing, causing Da-eun to flinch and try to stop her. That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s not something a person should do. When she was first carried on Kana¡¯s back, Da-eun imagined a romantic scene from a movie where the male and female leads held hands and walked through the sky, but she painfully realized that reality is different from movies. ¡®Reality¡­.¡¯ As Da-eun pondered alone, she chewed over those two characters in her mind. If the viewers had heard her thoughts, they would surely have teased her for being addicted to the game. However, unless she spoke up, the viewers wouldn¡¯t be able to know what she was thinking. ¡®Well, even if they did hear¡­.¡¯ ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Oh, it was just a soliloquy.¡± Da-eun dismissed Celine¡¯s question as something not worth much concern. After all, even if she told the truth, Celine wouldn¡¯t understand it due to the filtering. No, she wouldn¡¯t even hear it at all. ¡®¡­.¡¯ Shaking her head, Da-eun tried to shake off her bitter feelings. ¡°Anyway, it seems like we¡¯ll have to stay in Baltora for about another week.¡± A week. The time it takes Brondin to craft magical tools. Not just any magical tools, but ones made using Dragon Orbs, and the time to create them through custom orders was quite short. Although Ashi¨¦ had worries after hearing Brondin¡¯s words, the dwarf merelyughed heartily, his beard waving. ¡®What¡¯s the big deal? A few sleepless nights should do the trick.¡¯ No matter how much they heard, it only raised concerns, yet no one dared to refute his words. Who would dare contradict a dwarf, a race renowned for their expertise in crafting? If there was a problem, it was that Max, who had made an alliance with Brondin, had vanished, leaving no one to inscribe the magic. ¡®¡­Am I supposed to do it?¡¯ ¡®You don¡¯t want to?¡¯ ¡®No! I will do it! Please let me do it!¡¯ That issue was resolved by forming a new alliance with the wizard who had helped find Max. In addition, there were conditions, such as showing the ring Kana wore during the working period, but that was not particrly difficult, so it was dly epted. ¡°Then it seems the two of you have sessfully achieved your purpose foring to Baltora.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I suppose so? The process was a bit sticky, though.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Even Lady Edel, who values mercy as a virtue, doesn¡¯t forgive those kinds of people.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Of course. Still, it¡¯s nice to see you think that way, Joanie.¡± ¡°Oh my, why are you making me embarrassed?¡± At Celine¡¯s suddenpliment, Da-eun¡¯s face flushed, and she fanned herself. It wasn¡¯t to the extent that she wanted to crawl into a mouse hole, but she felt embarrassed and found it hard to meet Celine¡¯s eyes. As she looked around, she finally noticed the paper Kana was scribbling on. And the traces of ink dancing on the paper, closer to drawings than letters. ¡°Kana! You need to write in the box; how can you let it spill out like this!¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s annoying.¡± ¡°If you write carelessly because it¡¯s annoying, your handwriting won¡¯t look pretty!¡± ¡°What does it matter if I¡¯m not showing it to anyone?¡± ¡°¡­But if you write properly, you can concentrate better, and it¡¯s easier to read¡­.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Despite having thought up a good reason, Kana remained indifferent. With Kana¡¯s stubbornness, Da-eun eventually pulled out her trump card. ¡°If you write all crooked like this, it¡¯ll look like a child wrote it. Right, Celine?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, yes. Joanie is right.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re such a fool.¡± Celine nodded in response to Da-eun, not fully understanding what she was saying. Kana, watching this pitiful scene, sighed and resumed her writing, which had been momentarily interrupted. The ck ink decorating the white paper was now neatly confined within the square framework, unlike before. *** A weekter. As the day broke, we packed our things and left the church, heading towards Brondin¡¯s workshop. ¡°Wow¡­!¡± As Da-eun¡¯s mouth dropped open, cheers erupted. ¡°How is it? Do you like it?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± How could she not like something after seeing this! Seeing Da-eun¡¯s blissful smile made the fatigue that had filled Brondin¡¯s face lighten a little. I took a look at the ring-shaped magical tool Brondin had given Da-eun. To be honest,cking an eye for aesthetics, I thought, ¡®It¡¯s pretty, but is it really that pretty to react like this?¡¯ ¡®As long as the receiver is happy, that¡¯s what matters.¡¯ I nodded my head as I watched her bouncing with joy. It wasn¡¯t like I was the one receiving it. ¡°Thank you, Kana¡­! I¡¯ll use it well!¡± ¡°¡­Why are you telling me that?¡± ¡°Well, if it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten it! You paid for it too¡­ I could have paid, you know. Should I give it to you now?¡± ¡°Forget it.¡± I was taking her to the perilous Laxia because of my stubbornness, so I felt I should do this much. But knowing Da-eun¡¯s personality, she probably would have followed even if I hadn¡¯t insisted. ¡°Your hands were shaking while saying that, so how can I take the money?¡± ¡°What? I-I was shaking? That can¡¯t be¡­! Of course, it¡¯s true that I¡¯m a little short on money¡­!¡± ¡°Just kidding.¡± Da-eun flinched and looked down at her hands, pouting her lips. Our rtionship had grown much closer than when we first met on the mountain. As I stretched out my arms toward her, the bracelet hanging from her wrist jingled. ¡°This is a thank you for the bracelet. ¡­I just realized I hadn¡¯t given you anything in return.¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t give you something so great that you need to thank me. It¡¯s just a bracelet from a street vendor.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± I denied her words, a faint smile appearing on my lips. ¡°It was special to me.¡± The value of an item isn¡¯t solely determined by its price. As Da-eun quietly listened to me, an indescribable light welled up in her eyes. In that moment, a sense of unease crept down my spine. If this pattern continues¡­ ¡°Kana¡­!¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Once again, embraced in Da-eun¡¯s arms, I resigned myself and epted the hug. ¡­As expected, it turned out this way. I¡¯m now used to this kind of development. But¡ª ¡°It¡¯s suffocating¡­¡± I won¡¯t say not to hug me, but can¡¯t you do it a little softer? However, Da-eun¡¯s arms around me didn¡¯t loosen; instead, she hugged me even tighter. As I surrendered and nestled in her embrace, I could hear a murmuring voice from above. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll truly cherish it.¡± ¡°¡­Do as you wish.¡± ¡­This ticklish atmosphere is not to my taste. I cautiously raised my arm, which had been hanging limply, and gently patted Da-eun¡¯s back. I did it carefully, making sure not to identally break or burst anything. As if that was a signal, her arms slowly loosened. Since her voice was moist, I wondered if she was crying, but when I looked up at her face after being released from the hug, there were no traces of tears. Her nose was red, and her eyes were filled with moisture, as if she were about to cry at any moment. ¡°Ahem!¡± When I turned around at the sound of a cough, Brondin was looking awkwardly at us. ¡°You two are such good sisters. It¡¯s really nice to see.¡± Well, is it okay to exin things now? As Da-eun stepped back from me, she smiled, looking a bit embarrassed. ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Ipletely understand your feelings. However, I haven¡¯t slept in days and feel like I¡¯m about to copse. Honestly, a magician should be the one exining this, but¡­ I passed out as soon as I finished my work, so what can I do?¡± Brondin rubbed his bloodshot eyes. With each passing day, his eyes became redder, to the point where they looked like rabbit eyes. Having visited him daily, I could feel his changes acutely. His gazended on the ring I was wearing. ¡°Honestly, I must admit I feel a bit regretful. If my skills were better, I could have made it even better.¡± When I asked Brondin for the magical tool, I didn¡¯t specify what form I wanted it to take. Thus, the magical tool made for Da-eun took the form of a ring solely because Brondin decided on it. If he hadn¡¯t been inspired by seeing the blessing of Grasid I possessed, it might have turned out differently. ¡°Even thinking about it again, I don¡¯t understand. What kind of artisan made something like that¡­.¡± His voice seemed to be tinged with jealousy and awe as I shrugged my shoulders. I never told him that it was an item made by a dragon, not a craftsman. It wasn¡¯t that I thought he wouldn¡¯t believe me. Rather, I knew he would believe what I said. There was no way I would tell someone who boasted about buying a Dragon Orb while drunk. Brondin seemed to be halfining, but he didn¡¯t look like he was expecting a response from me. Instead of asking more questions, he changed the subject to the ring. He talked about why he designed it this way, its durability, and what kind of magic was embedded in it. He excitedly chattered away, even including some self-praise, until he yawned loudly, stretching his mouth wide. This was around the time the conversation veered back to his childhood. After wiping away the tears that had collected at the corners of his eyes, he rubbed his bloodshot eyes again. ¡°I really need to go to sleep now. There¡¯s still so much more to say.¡± ¡°Thank you so much for making such a wonderful item! You¡¯ve worked hard, so please get some good rest!¡± ¡°Yeah, Master. You might copse otherwise.¡± Ashi¨¦, who had be a formal disciple of Brondin through ourst adventure, teamed up with Da-eun to push Brondin¡¯s back. ¡°If it¡¯s fatigue, I can restore you¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªShh.¡± If I let Celine¡¯s words go unchecked, something undesirable would happen. I instinctively felt this and covered Celine¡¯s mouth. ¡°Ugh?¡± ¡°Ahaha! It¡¯s nothing.¡± Brondin, who had been resisting, ultimately could not withstand the two¡¯s strength and disappeared into his bedroom. Only then did we all let out a sigh of relief. ¡°He looked really tired¡­.¡± Except for one person. Celine stared at the bedroom door, unable to let go of her lingering feelings, while we all looked at her in disbelief. Chapter 82 Chapter 82 After leaving Baltora, Da-eun¡¯s mood soared for several days. ¡°Hehe.¡± Whether she was riding a horse, eating, or getting ready for bed, she couldn¡¯t help but smile as she looked at the ring on her finger. It was impossible not to notice, even if one tried to ignore it. ¡°Kana, did you know? The meaning of a ring changes depending on which finger you wear it on. For example, wearing it on the left hand¡¯s ring finger means ¡®a token of love,¡¯ which is why wedding rings are always worn on the left hand¡¯s ring finger.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± Now that I think about it, I guess there was such a meaning on Earth. Was it customs? Or should I call it superstition? Anyway, I didn¡¯t know if there was anything like that in Silia.I wasn¡¯t interested in such things, to begin with, so how could I know? ¡°What does it mean then?¡± ¡°Huh? This one?¡± Da-eun smiled widely. The ring on her left index finger sparkled, reflecting her smile. ¡°It¡¯s a secret!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± What¡¯s this? I wasn¡¯t particrly curious about it, so I didn¡¯t mind, but I felt somewhat defeated by Da-eun. Even though it was just a conversation that had no actual winning or losing. ¡°You really must like it.¡± ¡°Of course! It¡¯s the first gift you¡¯ve ever given me, Kana!¡± ¡°Hehe, you¡¯ve already said that more than five times.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.¡± I didn¡¯t know what Celine said, but Da-eun, hearing her words, shyly smiled and quickly hid her hand. There weren¡¯t any people around, and even if someone saw, there would be few who could tell that Da-eun¡¯s ring was made from a Dragon Orb at first nce. Most would probably just think, ¡®Wow, what an elegant and beautiful ring!¡¯ If they were bad people, they might think afterward, ¡®I should steal that!¡¯ or ¡®I should kill her and take it!¡¯ ¡­But is it really possible to steal something from yers? Back in the days when I lived on the mountain, I had cut down a considerable number of yers, but I never saw anyone drop their items. I couldn¡¯t just ask Da-eun such a question either. I decided I would ask Edel about itter, swallowing my curiosity. *** The continent of Laxia is across the Western Sea. So, it was a given that to reach Laxia, we had to return to the ce where we set out from, and that was once part of Grasis. Of course, it was revealed by smart people that thend I was standing on was not t but round. Therefore, if we took a ship from the eastern edge of the Ardina continent and continued sailing eastward, we might eventually reach Laxia. However, I had never heard of anyone arriving in Laxia that way. After all, how many people have even seen Laxia firsthand? I couldn¡¯t just embark on a journey without knowing how long it would take or what route to take. Our goal was to go to the Great Continent, not to explore new routes. Moreover, talking endlessly about finding a ship to Laxia in the Eastern Sea wouldn¡¯t yield any responses. To the Ardinians, the continent of Laxia is akin to and of death. ¡°Hmm? Isn¡¯t that the same for the west? In terms of perception, I think the west, where you encounter monsters more often, would be worse?¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s true.¡± Da-eun¡¯s sharp observation. Indeed, as she said, the evaluation of the Demonic Race worsens the further one goes west. ¡°So, if we go to the western edge, we won¡¯t be able to find a ship to Laxia either? No one would want to head into a death trap. Hmm, it¡¯s unfortunate, but it can¡¯t be helped, right?¡± With a beaming smile on her face, Da-eun said. ¡°Here it is.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°A person who wants to go into a death trap.¡± Knock, knock, knock. Me, Celine, and Da-eun. As I pointed to each of us in session, the flowers ofughter that bloomed on her face withered in an instant. Well, it¡¯s not entirely wrong, I suppose. Just getting close to the Demonic Race¡¯s vige would be suicidal for the Ardinians affected by magic. No sane person would want to go to Laxia. Even if someone managed to get a ship and go, wouldn¡¯t a normal person die during the voyage? They probably wouldn¡¯t even know the route to Laxia. ¡°¡­Just as I thought, right?¡± Da-eun¡¯s face lit up again. ¡°Still, we¡¯re going.¡± ¡°¡­Just as I thought, right?¡± It was the same phrase as before, but the emotion felt in her voice was like night and day. Anyone who saw this would think she was being dragged to a ughterhouse. ¡°If there¡¯s no ship, we can just run.¡± ¡°¡­Where to? Into the sea?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What does that mean¡­?¡± At that moment, Da-eun suddenly stopped as if she remembered something. ¡°No, if it¡¯s you, Kana¡­.¡± She mumbled softly before raising her head suddenly. ¡°It might be possible! But Ipletely oppose it! I don¡¯t want to experience that ever again¡­! Just once was enough to make my stomach turn!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same with seasickness on a ship?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different! It¡¯s different!¡± Da-eun, who was shouting as if she would copse on the floor, finally quieted down after I told her I was joking. It wasn¡¯t because of her strong opposition that I changed my mind. It was just that if we really crossed like that, I might face some hardships on the way back¡­ Yeah. That¡¯s why. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Kana? What¡¯s with the sudden expression?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing. You just looked serious, so I wondered if something was wrong.¡± A serious expression? I didn¡¯t think I had made one. As I blinked nkly, Da-eun scratched her cheek in response. ¡°Is it just my imagination?¡± ¡°Just nonsense. Anyway, it¡¯s difficult for me to go that way too, so I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Gasp¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard you say it¡¯s difficult.¡± ¡°Difficult is difficult.¡± If I were to slip and drop her, I would have to fish her out again. If I held on too tightly to avoid dropping her, her hand might get crushed. I had a lot to worry about too. I tilted my head for a moment. Now that I said it, it seems more like a hassle than actually difficult. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what you meant by difficult. Then that makes sense.¡± I didn¡¯t know what she understood, but seeing her nod meant she found her own answer. ¡°But what should we do then? We can buy a ship with money, but we can¡¯t just buy someone who can steer the ship with money¡­. Kana, do you know how to steer a ship?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°I figured as much. Does Celine know how to steer a ship?¡± ¡°Hmm, no. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t be of help.¡± ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯m the same, anyway.¡± Da-eun was startled and bowed her head to Celine. Seeing her like that suddenly made me feel mischievous. ¡°Joanie, that was mean.¡± ¡°¡­Kana doesn¡¯t even know what Celine said! If you want to understand, you should study hard!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± Da-eun mercilessly ruffled my hair. The pink threads swaying in front of my eyes were ufortable, making me unintentionally whine. Afterpletely turning my head into a bird¡¯s nest, Da-eun began to gently smooth it down again. ¡°So¡­ Celine doesn¡¯t know how to steer a ship either, do you have any good ideas?¡± Though her words took the form of a question, her voice seemed to imply she was sure I had a way. I decided to meet Da-eun¡¯s expectations. ¡°I told you earlier. ¡®For Ardinians to go to the Demonic Race¡¯s homnd, Laxia, is tantamount to suicide.¡¯ So, if we aren¡¯t Ardinians, that solves the problem. Da-eun¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at my words. ¡°Are you thinking of hiring a Demonic Race?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± That¡¯s why it¡¯s great to be with quick-witted people. Just a single word, and they immediately grasp the intent behind it. ¡°The Demonic Race must know the route to Laxia. They might be able to withstand the magic.¡± Even if they came to the Ardina continent because they couldn¡¯t withstand Laxia¡¯s magic, being a race that lives alongside magic, they should be able to endure the time it takes tond and disembark when the ship reachesnd. Isn¡¯t this what we mean by a suitable selection? ¡°Uh, um¡­ The n sounds usible, but¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°Will the Demonic Race actually listen to us? I don¡¯t think they¡¯d have a good opinion of Ardinians¡­ Don¡¯t you think they might mistake us for plotting something in Laxia?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡± ording to what Edel told me, they wouldn¡¯t be able to refuse our proposal. Just like Da-eun was worried, they might not trust my and Da-eun¡¯s words. However, they would certainly trust Celine¡¯s words. Celine is a nun serving Edel. And not just any nun, but a nun with the status of an apprentice saint. ¡°¡­What does it matter that Celine is a follower of Edel? Oh, is it because the Holy Kingdom mediated during the race war?¡± ¡°Wrong. It¡¯s not that they trust us because the Holy Kingdom mediated, but they ept mediation because they trust the Holy Kingdom.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Everything that exists in Silia was created by Edel¡¯s hand. In a world where gods exist, that is epted as doctrine. Even if hundreds of years pass and Edel¡¯s descent disappears from everyone¡¯s memory and records, it would be different then, but at least that time is not now. Moreover, the Demonic Race also knew that they were created by Edel¡¯s hand. ¡°If we only consider piety, the Demonic Race might be more devout than the Holy Kingdom.¡± If that were not the case, they wouldn¡¯t have lived in Laxia for such a long time. ¡°Hmm??¡± Da-eun still looked confused. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean, but is it okay to say that?¡± Da-eun nced at Celine. Even though she knew she wouldn¡¯t understand, it seemed she was still concerned about what she said. Well, it¡¯s natural to think that since I said something like that in front of the apprentice saint of the Holy Kingdom, she would be upset if she heard it. However, if it was Celine, she wouldn¡¯t be upset even if she heard what I said. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡± She would also know the story about the Demonic Race. Starting to feel a bit annoyed, I decided to stop talking there. After all, when we go to Laxia, she¡¯ll understand what I meant, so there¡¯s no need to exin everything in detail right now. What do you call this? ¡°S¡­¡± Hmm, I¡¯m sure it started with an S, but I can¡¯t quite remember. I twirled my hair in thought, but when I ultimately couldn¡¯t recall it, I cleanly gave up. ¡°¡­What the heck is it? Huh? What does it mean?¡± But unlike me, Da-eun couldn¡¯t cleanly give up and clung to me. When I wouldn¡¯t open my mouth, she puffed up her cheeks in a clear show of sulking. It seemed she was trying not to meet my gaze, but I could clearly feel her eyes on me. Who on earth is treating whom like a child? I sighed and shook my head. Chapter 83 Chapter 83 ¡°Ashi¨¦.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ashi¨¦!¡± ¡°Ah, m-master! When did you get here?¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®when¡¯? I¡¯ve been here for a while, you fool!¡± Ashi¨¦, who had been lost in thought, snapped back to reality at Brondin¡¯s loud voice. While clicking his tongue in disapproval, Brondin looked at him with an expression that showed he understood. ¡°Did you like that littledy that much?¡± ¡°If you put it like that, it makes me sound like some kind of creep. We¡¯re not that far apart in age anyway¡­ No, wait, more importantly, how did you know?¡± ¡°How could I not notice when you¡¯ve been nervously following her around like a dog needing to pee? Even now, you¡¯re still moping around like a dog that needs to go.¡±¡°¡­Needing to go? Dog? Seriously?¡± Despite thinking it was a very Dwarf-likeparison, Ashi¨¦ couldn¡¯t deny Brondin¡¯s words since they struck a chord. ¡°If you feel that way, why didn¡¯t you just go ahead and confess already? Like a man, huh? Don¡¯t act so cowardly¡ª¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I already confessed. Three times.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Once during the Grasis Kingdom era, once when they reunited a few days ago, and once more on the day she left. From the look of Ashi¨¦¡¯s dejected posture, Brondin could guess what the result of those three confessions was. What was he missing? Ashi¨¦ sighed as he looked at his well-built muscles, which he was proud of. ¡°¡­Well, hang in there. She¡¯s not the only woman in the world, you know.¡± He hadn¡¯t thought he would be rejected this soon. Feeling like he had unintentionally hurt his disciple, Brondin awkwardly patted Ashi¨¦¡¯s back in constion. While feeling the rough pats on his back, Ashi¨¦ sank into thought. ¡°She¡¯s going to the Great Continent Laxia.¡± Ashi¨¦ had never been to Laxia himself. If someone like him, who hadn¡¯t reached that level of mastery, were to go there, he would be poisoned by Magi and die within minutes. But through ancient records and various documents, he knew well how dangerous Laxia was, so when Kana said she was heading there, he couldn¡¯t help but try to dissuade her. ¡°Isn¡¯t there any way you don¡¯t have to go?¡± It wasn¡¯t because he loved Kana. Even if it were an acquaintance instead of someone he had unrequited feelings for, Ashi¨¦ would have said the same thing. He knew very well how strong Kana was. But even her strength was no guarantee that she would survive in the heart of Laxia, where Magi overflowed. There simply wasn¡¯t enough data for him to make that judgment. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°What do you mean, why? You¡¯re about to walk into certain death, so of course I¡¯m worried!¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Kana¡¯s reaction showed that she didn¡¯t quite understand what he meant. Was it because she didn¡¯t understand the meaning of ¡°certain death,¡± or did she not understand why worrying was natural? Either way, it was frustrating all the same, and just as Ashi¨¦ was about to speak, Kana¡¯s small lips opened first. ¡°But I have to go.¡± As always, her voice was calm but carried a strong will. Had she ever shown such strong determination for anything besides matters rted to Garid? After thinking for a moment, Ashi¨¦ concluded that the answer was no. The reason she bore hatred against the Empire and revealed her animosity toward the Imperial Court¡¯s magicians was, in the end, due to Garid¡¯s death. And so, hearing that voice, Ashi¨¦ couldn¡¯t bring himself to try and stop her anymore. ¡°¡­I see.¡± How could he stop a child filled with hope instead of despair, looking forward to the future rather than harboring hatred for someone? ¡°Then, be careful, and I¡¯ll be here waiting for your return.¡± In the end, Ashi¨¦ couldn¡¯t hold her back and gave her a nonchnt farewell. If only he had been stronger, he could have at least said he would go with her. He had never hated his own weakness as much as he did now. ¡°By the way, master.¡± Ashi¨¦ suddenly spoke up to Brondin, who was awkwardly trying tofort him. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Have you ever been in love?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Silence quickly fell over the workshop. The unanswered question created an atmosphere of solemnity between them. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s get to work.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Their conversation ended there. With a drooped atmosphere, Ashi¨¦ followed his master, holding a hammer, as Kana¡¯sst words echoed in his mind. ¡°¡®Don¡¯t wait¡¯¡­ What did that even mean?¡± ¡°You fool! What are you doing just standing there? Get in here!¡± ¡°I¡¯ming! I¡¯ming!¡± Muttering something that seemed meaningful, Ashi¨¦ rushed into the cksmith at the sound of his master¡¯s call. *** ¡°¡­It¡¯s bright.¡± I squinted my eyes, looking up at the sunlight shining down on me. Though not as strong as the midday summer sun, it was still bright enough to make me frown. I prefer sunny days over cloudy ones. I¡¯d rather bask in the sunlight than be soaked by the rain, but only rtively speaking. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m particrly fond of such weather. If you asked, ¡®Which do you prefer, sunny or cloudy days?¡¯ I would pick sunny days¡ªjust that level of preference. So, the sunlight shining down on me right now didn¡¯t make me feel especially happy or annoyed. If this were a normal situation, that is. ¡°What time is it right now?¡± ¡°Huh? Let me see¡­¡± Da-eun hurriedly checked the time. After hearing her answer, I looked up at the sky again. In summer, the sun rises early and setste. The same rule applied to Silia, despite it being a different world. But right now, it wasn¡¯t summer, and even if it were, the sun should have set by now. So, why is the sun still right above me? ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Kana, I get it, you don¡¯t like the sun, but you can¡¯t just go charging at it. No matter how close it seems, it¡¯s really, reeeaaally far away.¡± ¡°¡­I know.¡± What in the world does Da-eun think of me to be saying something like that? It seems like I¡¯ll need to set a time soon to have a talk with her. ¡°¡­Ugh, why do I suddenly have chills¡­!¡± Da-eun shivered all over. ¡°It¡¯s definitely not cold right now, so why?¡± Just as she said, the weather was rather warm. Warm enough that it wouldn¡¯t feel strange to take a nap right here and now. But as I¡¯ve mentioned several times, it¡¯s not daytime; it¡¯s nighttime, so I couldn¡¯t call it a nap. ¡°Ah, Kana, this is your first time seeing the ¡®Midnight Sun,¡¯ isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Midnight Sun?¡± Something faint in my memories from my past life seemed to recall that term. I couldn¡¯t remember the cause, but it was a phenomenon where the sun doesn¡¯t set even at night. Does such a phenomenon exist in this world too? As I tilted my head in curiosity, Celine gave a gentle smile and said, ¡°Lady Edel¡­ will, it¡¯s because of.¡± It was clumsy speech reminiscent of Da-eun when I first met her, but I understood what she wanted to convey. ¡°This phenomenon is because of Edel?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ yeah, that¡¯s what they say.¡± I asked Da-eun for confirmation, but she replied with a somewhat uncertain tone, as if she didn¡¯t know the details either. Could it be due to fighting the Dimensional Creatures? Or was it a phenomenon created by Edel intentionally? Whatever the reason, it seems certain that it¡¯s happening because of Edel. No wonder I felt something strange as we entered this region¡ªit must¡¯ve been due to this phenomenon. I stopped ring at the sky and started unpacking my things. It felt odd to be preparing for camping with such bright surroundings, as if it were still day¡­ Even though it¡¯s bright out, the time itself waster than when I usually set up camp. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll be able to sleep properly with this much light. With a shrug, I gathered some firewood to light a bonfire. *** The result? I couldn¡¯t sleep properly. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not okay.¡± My body is fine. The body of a master isn¡¯t so fragile that it would be affected by not sleeping for a day or two. But my mind is a different story. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m feeling sleepy enough to die from a few sleepless nights or anything like that. How should I put it? It¡¯s just that not being able to sleep properly when I¡¯m supposed to makes me feel unpleasant. How can I sleep when the sunlight is piercing through my eyelids? I honestly want to run straight to Edel and ask why she made such a phenomenon. ¡°Celine, did you sleep well¡­ no, I guess you didn¡¯t.¡± Celine, who was tidying up her sleeping bag, also had a hint of darkness around her eyes, different from usual. Although she clearly didn¡¯t get proper rest like I did, her attitude toward Da-eun remained as gentle as ever. ¡°¡­Embarrassingly, that¡¯s true. Did you sleep well, Miss Joanie?¡± ¡°Haha¡­ I¡¯m a bit dull when ites to these things.¡± ¡°I envy you.¡± Unlike the two of us, Da-eun was perfectly fine. The reason for this is probably because she¡¯s an Earthling. While we genuinely try to sleep, she merely pretends to sleep. With that thought, Da-eun¡¯s giggling face looked irritating, so I poked her in the side with my finger. Poke. ¡°Kyah?! W-why did you do that all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± That¡¯s the price for having a good sleep alone. Da-eun looked bewildered after the sudden ambush. Seeing her confused face lightened my mood a bit, and I folded the finger I had pointed sharply at her. I knew that myck of sleep and Da-eun¡¯s good sleep weren¡¯t her fault. So, what I just did was purely out of childish spite. ¡°Why is Kana acting like this?¡± Da-eun still had a puzzled look on her face. It¡¯s only a minor tantrum, so understanding it would be weirder. ¡°Is it because you couldn¡¯t sleep well? Hmm, I guess so? You do look a bit upset.¡± Da-eun spoke as if she were talking with her viewers. Even though I could hear everything, I pretended not to notice and diverted my attention. ¡°¡­?!¡± ¡°Yap! Got you!¡± A long arm wrapped around my waist and lifted me up in a sh. The ce where Da-eun, who effortlessly picked me up, put me down was on her horse. ¡°You¡¯re tired, right? Why don¡¯t you ride with me today? If you doze off and fall off your horse, it could be dangerous.¡± ¡°Not really¡ª¡± I wasn¡¯t tired enough to fall asleep, and even if I did fall, I wouldn¡¯t get hurt. But before I could finish my sentence, Da-eun hopped onto the horse. She mounted the horse much more skillfully than she did in the past and pressed her body close against my back. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this remind you of when we first met Celine?¡± ¡°¡­It does.¡± I nodded slightly at the soft,ughter-filled voice. It hasn¡¯t even been that long, yet it feels like a memory from long ago. Back then, I was holding the reins, but now, Da-eun is the one holding them. The warmth that felt unfamiliar on my back now feltforting. So many things have changed in such a short time. I found myself thinking about that, and I slowly leaned into the warmth behind me. ¡­I guess it¡¯s okay to close my eyes for a bit. Chapter 84 Chapter 84 The number of horses, which was two when they left Ordo, increased to three as they departed from the Sedeth Kingdom. It was a natural change that happened as their party of two became three. Although Da-eun didn¡¯t mind riding with Kana on the same horse¡­ No, to be honest, she actually preferred it over riding separately. That¡¯s why when Kana suggested buying another horse¡ª ¡®Do we really need to buy another one? You¡¯re light, so you can ride with me. It¡¯ll save money too.¡¯ She had said. ¡®I don¡¯t want to. It¡¯s ufortable.¡¯ Kana¡¯s firm refusal crushed her attempt. Since Kana was the leader, the one funding their travels, and the mascot of their group, Da-eun, who was merely a luggage-carrier, had no grounds to argue.In the end, they set off each riding their own horse. However, now that Da-eun and Kana were riding on the same horse, it naturally left one horse unupied. ¡°You¡¯re really smart¡­¡± Da-eun realized just how intelligent horses were as she watched the unbridled horse following its former rider by itself. ¡°Oh my¡­!¡± Celine, who was riding alongside them, nced back at Da-eun and her eyes softened into a gentle smile. ¡°She¡¯s sleeping¡­¡± Kana was leaning against Da-eun¡¯s body, eyes shut tight. If you listened closely, you could hear faint, steady breathsing from under the softly rising and falling cape. Da-eun hesitated for a moment, raising her hand to stroke the girl¡¯s head, but instead lowered her hand. She rxed her body a little more, allowing Kana to lean on herfortably. ¡°Yes, she didn¡¯t get much sleepst night, so she must be very tired.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ That¡¯s right. I did see her tossing and turning throughout the night. Children tend to sleep a lot, so she must be extra tired.¡± ¡°Haha, yes, that¡¯s true.¡± Although Da-eun knew that Kana wasn¡¯t just a child, it was hard to remember her true age when she looked at her. Maybe it was because Kana didn¡¯t have proper nutrition while growing up; her petite frame and youthful face made her look much younger than she really was. Even if that wasn¡¯t the case, there were moments when she showed childlike behaviors. Stubborn, pretending to be indifferent but easily hurt, and asionally ying mischievous pranks¡­ And then, leaning on someone she trusts like this. Da-eun asionally wondered how Kana would¡¯ve turned out if she had grown up in a normal family. ¡°Celine, you must be tired too. Should we get off and rest for a bit?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thanks to Lady Edel¡¯s blessing, I can recover from this level of fatigue quickly. See? Don¡¯t I look betterpared to earlier?¡± ¡°Oh, you do, actually.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think Kana is really that tired either. She probably just dozed off because it¡¯sfortable in Joanie¡¯s arms.¡± ¡°Comfortable¡­¡± Da-eun¡¯s expression turned odd as she whispered to Celine, careful not to wake Kana. Da-eun had always been confident in her body. While she didn¡¯t particrly like exercising, she knew it was essential for her health and her passion for traveling. Because of that, she had exercised consistently, resulting in a well-toned body without any excess fat. However¡ª nce. ¡°They¡¯re big¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Oh, no. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Her confidence waned when shepared herself to Celine. ¡®A certain part is¡­¡¯ Distracted by Celine¡¯s gentle grace, Da-eun looked down at her own chest. It wasn¡¯t small¡ªactually, it wasrger than average. Butpared to Celine¡¯s¡­ Wouldn¡¯t Celine¡¯s embrace feel moreforting than mine? Just as Da-eun entertained such thoughts, a soft breathing sound tickled her ear. ¡®Would Kana grow up to be like that?¡¯ ¡­A fully-developed Kana. Da-eun pictured a future Kana in her mind. A beautiful woman with flowing pink hair and an expressionless face. Her serene eyes would give off an innocent charm despite her cold demeanor. She would have a presence that could captivate ten out of ten people, a hundred out of a hundred. Underneath that face, there would be long, slender limbs and a voluptuous figure¡­ Right when Da-eun¡¯s imagination reached that point, the image of Kana blurred like a watercolor painting sshed with water, distorting beyond recognition. Even as she tried to redraw the picture with her brush of imagination, the same thing happened over and over. She drew it, and it blurred. After repeating this process about three times, Da-eun finally gave up and put down the brush. ¡®Hmm. This isn¡¯t going to work.¡¯ Even though I don¡¯t always wish for Kana to remain as she is now, it¡¯s hard to imagine her differently. I¡¯m just so used to her current appearance. It¡¯s definitely not because of myck of imagination. ¡°Huh?¡± While Da-eun was expertly evading responsibility, something caught her eye. Just like this ¡°Midnight Sun¡± phenomenon, there are other regions across the Ardina Continent with distinct properties. Some ces, like here, have the sun up 24 hours a day, while others remain in constant darkness for 24 hours straight¡­ Although she hadn¡¯t been to all of them, Da-eun had thought of visiting them someday, so she knew some general information. Furthermore, since daytime with sunlight provides better visibility than night with shadows, regions with the ¡°Midnight Sun¡± effect were quite popr among yers. After all, very few yers enjoy the hassle of holding a torch while hunting. For this reason, it wasn¡¯t umon to encounter people in regions like the ¡°Midnight Sun.¡± But the person approaching from the opposite direction was different. In Silia Online, even those who deliberately create bizarre characters¡ªoften called ¡°veteran looks¡±¡ªtend to hold back. Unlike other games where you can delete and recreate your character or make another one, in Silia Online, you could only create one character. If you didn¡¯t like your character and deleted it, that was it. There was no second chance. Of course, some still sought uniqueness despite that. ¡°¡­His left arm.¡± A man in shabby attire was walking towards Da-eun from the opposite side. Where his left arm should have been, only an empty sleeve fluttered in the wind. He looked like a Silian, but what sort of story could have led him to wander alone in the Midnight Sun region? Feeling a twinge of curiosity, Da-eun steered her horse to the man¡¯s left to avoid him. Step. ¡°Huh?¡± Sometimes this happens. When you meet someone on a narrow path, and you both move in the same direction to avoid each other, resulting in an awkward moment. Da-eun thought this was one of those times when the man shifted to the left along with her horse¡¯s head. But when it happened twice in a row, she realized she needed to change her thoughts. She halted her horse, sensing that they would collide at this rate, and the man stopped his steps in unison. It was clear this wasn¡¯t a coincidence. ¡°¡­Do you have business with us?¡± Da-eun, keeping her distance to ensure she could flee if he made a move, asked cautiously. It was a deliberate action, conscious of the sword hanging at the man¡¯s waist. ¡°No.¡± The man replied in a rough voice. ¡°Then, may we pass?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­Why not? Didn¡¯t you say you have no business with us?¡± ¡°I did. I have no business with you.¡± The man, as if retracing Da-eun¡¯s words, drew his sword. The aged de, missing a few teeth, still exuded a keen, sharp energy like his worn-out appearance. His eyes harbored an emotion that was hard to discern, whether it was hatred or reverence. Following his gaze, Da-eun realized that his eyes were fixed on the girl cradled in her arms. ¡®Could it be¡­¡¯ As if confirming her suspicion, the man¡¯s rough voice flowed out. ¡°After losing myrades and left arm to a demon, I came to a realization. The thing that determines a human¡¯s fate isn¡¯t a god, nor is it some insignificant luck. It is strength alone that decides one¡¯s fate¡ªboth one¡¯s own and that of others.¡± The man¡¯s tone was calm as he recalled his past. ¡°After that, I roamed the continent, dedicating myself to the sword, determined to take control of my own fate. During those travels, I heard a rumor about a pink-haired girl who defeated a group of Ogres and Dimensional Creatures. When I heard that rumor, I instinctively knew the demon had returned and began pursuing it.¡± Thus, we meet again. As soon as the man finished speaking, Da-eun, who had been listening quietly, opened her mouth. ¡°Are you from the Empire?¡± ¡°I was. But now, I¡¯m just a wanderer.¡± ¡°Did youe looking for us to take revenge on Kana¡­?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Da-eun let out a rather dumbfounded voice at the unexpected reply. She had naturally assumed that it was for revenge, but hearing that he didn¡¯te for that reason was surprising. ¡°I came to prove something¡ªthat my fate is in my own hands.¡± ¡°Fate and proving it¡­ You don¡¯t seem like someone who¡¯s all about romantic ideals.¡± ¡°This is the truth, not some romantic notion.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± It seemed like he was here to fight Kana, but it didn¡¯t appear to be a lie when he said it wasn¡¯t for revenge. Honestly, Da-eun couldn¡¯t understand the difference between proving oneself and seeking revenge, but she could tell that the man was being genuine in his own way. If his sole purpose was revenge, there would have been no need to block their path and have a conversation. He would have attacked as soon as he saw Kana sleeping. ¡®What should I do¡­?¡¯ Celine, who made eye contact with Da-eun, smiled awkwardly as if she was in a difficult position too. Though she looked troubled, it didn¡¯t seem like she had any intention of stopping the man. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Well, I guess so¡­¡± As Da-eun sighed, she felt a familiar weight at her waist. It was something she had initially found terrifying, but had recently be ustomed to. A sword. ¡®¡­I¡¯m scared of fighting. I don¡¯t like getting hurt, and I don¡¯t want to hurt anyone.¡¯ Because she understood pain, Da-eun was sensitive to the pain of others as well. That¡¯s why she avoided fights. ¡°¡­But still.¡± Hesitation faded from Da-eun¡¯s eyes as a determined resolve shone through, and the slight tremor in her hand that held the reins stilled. ¡°That proof, may I also try to achieve it?¡± ¡°You?¡± The man¡¯s eyebrows rose in surprise. ¡°I¡¯ve taken an interest.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look like someone who¡¯s just interested.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t know who¡¯s stronger or weaker until you try, right?¡± She wanted to stand alongside Kana, not hide behind her. Maybe no matter how many monsters she hunted and leveled up, she might never be able to catch up to Kana. But even so, she didn¡¯t want to give up. ¡®Kana asked me to take good care of her.¡¯ Of course, that request probably didn¡¯t mean something like, ¡®Fight on my behalf.¡¯ So this was purely Da-eun¡¯s own resolve. ¡°If that¡¯s what you wish.¡± Perhaps sensing Da-eun¡¯s determination, the one-armed swordsman shrugged his lone shoulder. If she got down, it would naturally wake Kana up. Da-eun called out to Celine. ¡°Celine. Could you take care of Kana¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Da-eun lowered her head at the familiar voiceing from her embrace. Kana had already opened her eyes and was staring straight at her. Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Even though she had woken up, Kana remained leaning against Da-eun, checking her physical condition. The condition¡­ yep, it¡¯s not bad. Perhaps because she took a short nap, she felt that her mood had returned to its usual state. ¡°¡­¡± After confirming that there were no issues, I looked forward. A one-armed swordsman was blocking our path. I had known for a while that someone was up ahead. In fact, it was because of that presence that I had woken up. ¡®Hmm.¡¯It wasn¡¯t a face I remembered. But judging by the way he was radiating fighting spirit, it seemed he knew me and wanted to fight. Perhaps he¡¯s someone I met on the battlefield. Maybe he even lost that left arm of his during that time. ¡®A one-armed swordsman, huh.¡¯ In this world, it¡¯s not umon toe across people missing a limb or having some physical impairment. With wars against neighboring countries, battles against monsters and beasts, and invasions by Dimensional Creatures, Silia is quite far from being a peaceful world. People had to wield weapons and fight to survive and protect themselves. The scars left on their bodies were the evidence of the fierce struggles they had endured. So I didn¡¯t particrly mind the fact that the man standing before us had only one arm. What surprised me more was that he still picked up a sword and stood up again despite losing one of his arms. For most people, even minor wounds could be a deterrent to picking up a weapon again, let alone losing a part of their body. Especially an arm, which is a vital body part even for mundane daily activities, let alone life-and-death battles. Without an arm, you can¡¯t hold a sword with both hands. Even if you wield a one-handed sword, it¡¯s hard to maintain bnce during the swing without the other arm, making it inherently unstable. For these reasons, it was extremely rare to see swordsmen return to the battlefield after losing an arm¡­ ¡°It¡¯s impressive.¡± Yet, here he was, standing before me. Losing an arm and still making it here must have taken an incredible amount of hard work. The scars all over his body spoke of the struggles he must have gone through to get to this point. ¡°Y-you¡¯re awake?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been awake for a while now.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. Were we being too loud?¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± I shook my head gently. ¡°I¡¯ve been awake since before that.¡± ¡°O-oh, I see. Then why were you pretending to be asleep all this time?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t pretending.¡± I was just closing my eyes, not trying to deceive anyone. Da-eun chuckled softly and patted my head. ¡°If you¡¯re still sleepy, you can sleep more.¡± ¡°No.¡± I¡¯ve slept enough. ¡°If a guestes, you have to greet them.¡± That¡¯s the duty of a host, isn¡¯t it? Of course, technically speaking, this isn¡¯t our home, and he¡¯s not exactly a guest, but he dide looking for me. Just as I was about to gather my legs and lightly jump off the horse. A slender yet healthy arm gently wrapped around my waist. ¡°Kana, would you let me handle this situation?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°I want to try my hand at this thing called ¡®proving myself.¡¯¡± ¡°Proving?¡± She doesn¡¯t know exactly what he said, but having spoken with him, she should have realized that he didn¡¯te with good intentions, and yet she says that? Blinking in confusion at her strange words, Da-eun jumped off the horse. ¡°Here we go.¡± She seemed quite ustomed to dismounting now. Landing neatly on the ground, she drew her sword. ¡°That man said he wants to prove his strength. And since I¡¯m curious about how strong I¡¯ve be after learning the sword from you, it¡¯s a perfect opportunity, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± ¡°Eh?!¡± Da-eun is Da-eun, not the chick wielding a greatsword. In other words, there¡¯s no way she would say something that aggressive. I narrowed my eyes into triangles and red at her, and Da-eun feigned a hurt expression. ¡°You¡¯re so mean¡­.¡± ¡°Not mean at all.¡± Naturally, I didn¡¯t believe her words. It was only a few days ago when she trembled at the thought of fighting mercenaries. There¡¯s no way she could have changed overnight. If human nature were that easy to change, then those aristocrats I had beaten up wouldn¡¯t be walking around with their heads held high. So, Da-eun¡¯s true intentions must be different from what she¡¯s saying. Knowing that, I tried to read her mind. ¡°¡­Tsk.¡± ¡°¡­??¡± To put it bluntly, it was impossible. I could get a rough idea of a person¡¯s mindset or what kind of life they¡¯ve led by watching how they wield a sword, but I didn¡¯t have the skill to read thoughts in a situation like this. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Of course! This is my chance to prove myself to Kana too. That I¡¯ve be this strong! So, you don¡¯t have to tell me to extend my training sessions anymore!¡± ¡°¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t speak for the first part, but I could sense her genuine feelings in thetter half of her words. She had been so confident, but now that I was staring at her intently, she averted her gaze ever so slightly. ¡°¡­It¡¯s Kana¡¯s fault for making me go through such grueling training every day.¡± She might have looked away, but she seemed unwilling to bend her stance. While sneaking nces at me, she threw those reproachful words my way. When our eyes met, she flinched and turned her head quickly. ¡­There¡¯s a lot I¡¯d like to say. ¡°It¡¯s too much.¡± I could tell just by the way she held her sword that she wasn¡¯t a match for that man right now. Even considering the fact that he had only one arm, he was still stronger than Da-eun. Sparring with a powerful opponent can be beneficial, but still¡­ I doubt that man will hold back enough to make it worthwhile for her. ¡°Why?! You made me fight those mercenaries before.¡± ¡°They were just nobodies, and I even let you choose your opponent.¡± As expected of those useless fools who liked to cause trouble. Their skills were pathetic. That¡¯s why I had made Da-eun fight them back then. ¡°¡­Is he really that strong?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s that strong. Even if the Greatsword Chick came here, she¡¯d lose.¡± I exined it to her in a way she could understand, and Da-eun fell silent. It seemed that she gauged strength based on me and the Greatsword Chick. ¡°Even so, if you really want to fight, convey this message to him for me.¡± ¡°¡­All of a sudden, I¡¯m getting the feeling that I don¡¯t really want to fight anymore¡­?¡± ¡°You said you wanted to prove yourself. Tell him, ¡®When you fight me, I¡¯ll spare your life, so you don¡¯t kill me either.¡¯¡± ¡°Can I¡­ not do that?¡± ¡°Quickly.¡± ¡°Heeing¡­¡± I never imagined there¡¯de a day when I would say something like this after fighting so many deadly battles. Lost in these strange emotions for a moment, I watched as Da-eun, with a frown on her face, approached the man and spoke. He listened to her with a puzzled expression at first, but then he nodded readily. ¡°Did he agree?¡± ¡°Yes. But he said there¡¯s no need for you to go easy on him. He¡¯s considering it as repayment for having spared his life before.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± What a confident thing to say. It seems he came fully prepared to die, judging by the calm demeanor he¡¯s maintained. ¡°Celine.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Over here.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°¡­Come over here.¡± ¡°Oh, you mean,e over this way?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I pulled Celine, who still hadn¡¯t grasped the situation, and stepped back from the battlefield. Though I doubted he would break his promise, I made sure I was ready to leap out at any moment in case he did. I then gestured to Da-eun. ¡°Good luck¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to cheer me on, can¡¯t you do it with a little more enthusiasm? Like a kiss on the cheek or something¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t make myself more enthusiastic, but I can do something to boost Joanie¡¯s motivation.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll definitely win ande back!¡± Da-eun, having dashed forward, now stood in front of the man. At least it seems she¡¯s got the motivation now. *** ¡°Huu¡­.¡± Her heart pounded wildly from the overwhelming tension. Da-eun tried to steady her rapidly beating heart, gripping her sword tighter. ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with the demon?¡± ¡°She¡¯s my sister¡­ not by blood, though.¡± The man seemed curious about her rtionship with Kana, so Da-eun answered. This time, it was Da-eun who asked the question. ¡°Why do you call Kana a demon? Judging by your actions, it doesn¡¯t seem like you truly see her as one.¡± If he really thought she was a demon, shouldn¡¯t he be attacking her without mercy? The answer to Da-eun¡¯s question was simple. ¡°It¡¯s just a habit.¡± ¡°¡­Oh, I see.¡± Well, okay then. Da-eun had no intention of rebutting such a statement and closed her mouth. An awkward atmosphere settled between Da-eun and the man. ¡­This is so awkward! Da-eun¡¯s eyes darted around as she screamed inwardly. ¡°¡­Well then, I¡¯ll let you have the first move.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± It seemed the man also felt the awkwardness, as he scratched his head sheepishly and broke the silence. Da-eun gratefully epted his gesture. ¡®I can¡¯t see his level¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t an umon urrence, so she didn¡¯t think much of it. With tension wound tight, Da-eun charged at him. Her first attack¡­ ¡®A downward sh¡­!¡¯ She started the fight with the move she had practiced the most. It was a fairly fast strike, but the man blocked it effortlessly with his only arm. ng! Da-eun¡¯s sword shed with the man¡¯s and bounced off with a sharp, screeching noise. ¡®I expected this!¡¯ She didn¡¯t resist the recoil from the sh of their swords and took a couple of steps back. She quickly regained her posture and dashed forward like a sh of light. Although it didn¡¯t seem like a sh of light in Kana¡¯s eyes as she watched from afar, that¡¯s what it felt like to Da-eun. ng! Blocked again. This time, Da-eun was visibly shaken. Thrusting was the type of attack that she struggled the most to deal with during her sparring sessions with Kana. It was hard to predict where it wouldnd, and even if she could read it, it was too fast to block in time. So, whenever a thrust came her way, she usually chose to dodge by throwing herself aside, but the man blocked it easily as if it were no big deal. ¡°Grr¡­!¡± In that case, I¡¯ll go even faster! She clenched her teeth. Her sword swung relentlessly. At a nce, the man¡¯s strength seemed greater, but surprisingly, there wasn¡¯t much of a difference between them in terms of power. Because of that, Da-eun was able to counter some of the man¡¯s attacks as they flew at her asionally¡ª However, as the fight continued, her steps were gradually being pushed backward. Thwack! ¡°Ugh?!¡± A kick following a sword strike. Da-eun, who had been too focused on blocking the sword, didn¡¯t notice the iing kick and was sent sliding back. A sound different from the usual light shing rang out, and the surging pain made her grimace. ¡®¡­He¡¯s fast. And strong.¡¯ She exhaled the breath she had been holding as she rubbed her throbbing abdomen. Even if she aimed for his remaining arm, his legs, or even vital areas like his heart or throat¡ª The man seemed to know her every move and effortlessly blocked her attacks, countering them as if he could see right through her. Even when Da-eun feigned an attack to his throat and then aimed for his arm instead, the man¡¯s sword followed hers like a shadow. The range of a swordsman is determined by the length of their sword. Da-eun had tried every move she could within her range, but all of them were blocked. As her attacks failed tond, she became increasingly desperate. If she gripped her sword with both hands instead of one, the power behind her strikes would increase. Given that his strength was simr to hers, if shended a hit, his stance would copse. Having instinctively calcted this, she adjusted her grip on her sword and swung it down forcefully at him. It was the strongest attack she had made so far. ¡°Haah!¡± ng! ¡°¡­!¡± The man, who had always parried her attacks head-on, tilted his sword at an angle to receive her strike. As Da-eun widened her eyes at the unexpected maneuver, her body, which had followed through with the attack, was now plunging toward the ground. The man¡¯s sword, with no hesitation, struck toward Da-eun¡¯s exposed body. Swoosh¡ª Thud! ¡°Ah, ugh¡­!¡± She managed to twist her body at thest moment, avoiding a fatal blow, but couldn¡¯tpletely evade the strike. Rolling several times on the ground, Da-eun rose to her feet, only to find crimson blood gushing from her shoulder. ¡®Ah, it hurts¡­.¡¯ If the system¡¯s reduced pain perception was making her feel this much, just how painful would it have been without it? It was as if a second heart had sprouted in her shoulder, thumping intensely with heat. Biting her lips, her face now clearly showed the signs of imminent defeat. Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Shin Da-eun felt like she was facing an unbreakable stone wall as she stared at the one-armed swordsman. She could reach out and touch it, and even attempt to scale it. But the wall before her was too tall and solid to cross or break down. ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡± Da-eun gasped for breath, clutching her bleeding shoulder. From behind Kana¡¯s usually expressionless face, she seemed to catch a glimpse of disapproval. Was it because she wasn¡¯t fighting as well as Kana expected? Or was it because Kana was upset that she was losing? ¡®¡­I hope it¡¯s thetter.¡¯ Though she hoped it was thetter, Da-eun knew all too well how strict Kana could be whenever she taught swordsmanship.Taking a deep breath, Da-eun slowly exhaled. After several deep breaths, her rough breathing gradually steadied. Her heart, which had been racing with excitement, also calmed down. ¡®Let¡¯s admit it.¡¯ Kana was right when she said it was impossible. The man was a level above her. Before now, they seemed evenly matched¡­ She even thought she was defending well enough¡­ But none of that mattered. The truth was, Da-eun¡¯s sword couldn¡¯t break through his defenses, while his sword broke through hers. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ She had tried everything she could think of. The move she had practiced the most and her strongest skill were all rendered useless. If the man were like an imprable fortress, she might have given up. But because he was just within reach, it made her all the more frustrated. ¡®What would Kana have done?¡¯ Instinctively, Da-eun thought of the strongest person she knew, Kana. Even when she sparred with Kana, Da-eun¡¯s sword couldn¡¯t touch her. No, perhaps saying it didn¡¯t touch her was inurate. During their spars, Da-eun was too busy defending against Kana¡¯s strikes to even attempt an attack. There were times when she thought she had blocked Kana¡¯s de, only for it to slide down and aim for her throat, or when a terrifyingly fast thrust would make her blood run cold. ¡®Hmph. As expected, this is impossible.¡¯ Reflecting on the sparring sessions, Da-eun shook her head vigorously. To her, Kana¡¯s swordsmanship was like magic. It was like watching a coin disappear only to reappear inside a cup. She could see the result, but had no idea how it was achieved. That¡¯s why Da-eun couldn¡¯t replicate Kana¡¯s swordsmanship, no matter how hard she tried. Acknowledging this, but still unable to give up, Da-eun sought other methods. ¡®Should I mix in more feints? Or abandon defense and go on the offensive¡­?¡¯ Her head was spinning so fast it felt like it would explode any second now. ¡°You seem to be deep in thought.¡± The man¡¯s voice brought Da-eun¡¯s whirling thoughts to a halt. ¡°I see now. You must be one of the so-called Apostles.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°No wonder¡­ For your skill to be socking despite your level¡­ That makes sense.¡± ¡°¡­Lacking¡­ skill, huh.¡± She knew she wasn¡¯t skilled, but she thought she had improved a lot since receiving Kana¡¯s guidance. Feeling as if she¡¯d been punched in the gut by a stranger she¡¯d just met, Da-eun staggered back slightly. The man, on the other hand, looked at her as if wondering why she was acting like that. After a moment of puzzlement, he spoke. ¡°You must be aware that I¡¯m missing an arm.¡± ¡°If you have eyes, it¡¯s hard to miss.¡± ¡°Then you must also know that I¡¯m vulnerable to attacks from my left.¡± ¡°Well¡­.¡± Even Da-eun, who wasn¡¯t experienced inbat, knew that much. ¡°Knowing that, why don¡¯t you target my weak spot?¡± ¡°What?¡± Did the man she¡¯d been crossing swords with just now say something like that? What¡¯s more, he was asking why she wasn¡¯t attacking his weakness. Da-eun couldn¡¯tprehend what he was saying, and asked back in confusion. ¡°Are you pitying me? Even with one arm, I¡¯m stronger than you. You must have felt that yourself. Do you have room to spare for pity?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t¡­ pity¡­.¡± Da-eun started to deny it, but then stopped herself. Sometimes, when she swung her sword, it would head toward his left side. Of course, those attacks were blocked, but his reaction was slower than when she aimed elsewhere. Why hadn¡¯t she targeted his empty left side more? As Da-eun pondered over it, she caught the answer in the corner of her vision. ¡ª ¡°Are you attacking a disabled person? That¡¯s low, despicable, cowardly.¡± The chat window was filled with jeers like that. Most of them were probably just saying it to mock Da-eun rather than actually meaning it. Even though she knew that. ¡°So, that¡¯s how it is.¡± This was a fierce struggle to exploit each other¡¯s weaknesses¡ªa desperate battle, not some childish y or a mere joke for anyone¡¯s amusement. Da-eun closed the chat window and raised her sword. The man then assumed his stance as well. Their exchange of blows that followed was even more intense and brutal than before. ¡°Grr¡­!¡± The man swung his sword down hard from above, aiming directly at Da-eun¡¯s heart. The force of his strike caused the tip of her sword to waver, and Da-eun, who was about to lose her bnce and roll on the ground¡ª Whirr- Caught herself by cing her hand on the ground and spun around, sweeping her leg out. If the man had both arms, this attack wouldn¡¯t have worked, but since he had used all his avable methods to parry Da-eun¡¯s sword, he had only two options left. Dodge, or take the hit and endure it. The man chose to dodge. It was because Da-eun¡¯s kick, despite being delivered from an unstable stance, was surprisingly powerful. Pure physical strength. An attack that leveraged the inherent physical advantage of the Apostles. ¡°Seems like you finally understand.¡± Utilize your own strengths while exploiting the enemy¡¯s weaknesses. Seeing that she had finally grasped this fundamental principle ofbat, a faint smile appeared on the man¡¯s lips. But only for a brief moment. The man quickly wiped away his smile and adjusted his grip on his sword. ¡°Still, it¡¯s not quite there yet.¡± Even if you know you have a weakness, failing topensate for it is foolish. Especially since his weakness was so tantly obvious that, like Da-eun had mentioned, anyone with eyes could see it. He had spent a great deal of timepensating for his weakness. A bluish Mana enveloped the man¡¯s sword. Screech! ¡°Eek?!¡± Da-eun recoiled, startled, as a blue sword beam flew past her. sh- The remnant trace of the sword beam that she couldn¡¯t fully avoid left a thin red line on her cheek. Seeing the sword beam shatter a tree behind her, slicing it cleanly in half before it copsed onto the ground, Da-eun¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°¡­Sword aura is cheating!¡± ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you have the ability to wield Mana as well?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t! I can¡¯t do something like that!¡± ¡°Is that so.¡± The man nodded in response to Da-eun¡¯s outcry. And then, he raised his sword again. ¡°That¡¯s perfect, then.¡± ¡°¡­W-what do you mean, ¡®perfect¡¯?¡± ¡°If you have no way to counter sword aura.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± The man answered Da-eun¡¯s question by unleashing a flurry of blue sword beams. ¡°Ahhh!¡± Da-eun screamed and ran, trying to escape the barrage of sword beams. The effective range of a sword is usually determined by its physical length, but if a swordsman can envelop it with Mana, that¡¯s a different story. Of course, since the sword is still the medium forunching sword beams, there are ways to counter it. However, since Da-eun didn¡¯t know those methods, all she could do was continue dodging. ¡°An opening¡­!¡± Despite the overwhelming disadvantage, she looked for a chance with gleaming eyes. ¡°Not so fast.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± But the man, who had already read her movements, swung his sword at the waiting moment, forcing her to hastily block. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± By the time several more red lines had been drawn on her body, Kana, who could no longer watch, intervened to end the fight. ¡°Celine.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± When the Holy Power enveloped Da-eun¡¯s body and seeped through her wounds, new flesh began to regenerate. The wounds on Da-eun¡¯s body disappeared in an instant, leaving only the dried red bloodstains on her skin as evidence that she was ever injured. As Da-eun caught her breath, the sound of small footsteps approached her. ¡°How was it?¡± ¡°It was exhausting¡­¡± Da-eun copsed to the ground as she spoke, putting all her sincerity into those words. Kana looked down at her and spoke in a teasing tone. ¡°I told you it was too much for you.¡± ¡°You did. I should¡¯ve listened to you.¡± Da-eun knew that the man had never shown his full strength while fighting her. Judging by how only his breathing had slightly faltered, even the storm of sword energy he unleashed at the end wasn¡¯t his full power. The world is vast, and there are many strong people out there. Completely drained, Da-eun flopped onto her back. ¡®Ah, right. The dust¡­¡¯ She worried about getting dust on her clothes for a moment but quickly gave up andid her half-lifted body back down on the ground again, too tired to care. ¡°How was it? Didn¡¯t I do better than before?¡± ¡°A sweet lie or a bitter truth. Which one do you want?¡± ¡°I feel like we¡¯ve had this conversation before.¡± And if she remembered correctly, she didn¡¯t get a very good response back then, either. ¡°Pfft.¡± Just as she murmured bitterly, a lightughter drifted down over her bowed head. ¡°You¡¯ve improved a lot.¡± When she instinctively lifted her head, she saw Kana¡¯s lips forming a soft smile and her eyes curved gently. As Da-eun nkly stared at the innocent smile of the pink-haired girl, she couldn¡¯t help but smile herself. ¡°Then¡­ maybe we don¡¯t need to increase the training time¡­¡± ¡°If you had trained more, you would have won.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re absolutely right.¡± Da-eun¡¯s shoulders slumped down. Kana, who awkwardly patted her, then stepped forward. ¡°Have you been waiting long?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Even though he didn¡¯t get much time to rest after the fight, the man¡¯s expression didn¡¯t show any sign of resentment. The slight fatigue he had umted was already gone, and despite unleashing a storm of sword energy earlier, he hadn¡¯t used much Mana. Kana¡¯s slight nod was enough to make the man charge forward. Enveloped in excitement, the man¡¯s skill exceeded his best performance. The speed was iparable to when he fought against Da-eun. -! The moment his first attack was blocked, heunched another. Head, chest, legs, and back to the head again. ¡®Oh my god¡­¡¯ Da-eun watched in awe as the swords shed at a speed that was almost impossible to follow with her eyes. Despite the ferocious onught, Kana calmly parried without even blinking. The sound of shing swords echoed ceaselessly. Kana merely defended, while the one on the offensive was the one-armed swordsman. The man, firmly nting his feet on the ground, swung his sword toward the girl¡¯s neck. With just one step, Kana pulled her right foot back and twisted her body to dodge it. She attempted to swing her sword, but the man had already retracted his arm andunched a horizontal sh. Kana instantly halted her attack and raised her sword vertically. A textbook defense to block a horizontal sh. Swoosh- ¡°¡­!¡± Instead of the sharp sound of swords shing, a faint noise, like the brush of a feather, resonated. The sword the man swung with all his might slid down Kana¡¯s sword without resistance and lodged into the ground. The direction of his horizontal strike was forcibly changed to a vertical one, an almost magical maneuver that left the man wide-eyed. A memory of Da-eun¡¯s struggle shed through the man¡¯s mind. The man ced his hand on the ground, attempting to use his remaining bnce tounch a kick. However, his counterattack failed to materialize. ¡°Hiya!¡± ¡°Gah!¡± An adorably soft shout apanied a powerful blow that struck his back. With his already unstable posture, the impact only worsened his stance, and he couldn¡¯t maintain his bnce as he was thrown to the ground. Swoosh- As he desperately tried to get up with one arm, a cold de pressed against the back of his neck. Feeling the warm liquid trickling down his back, the man released his grip on his sword. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve lost.¡± The moment the battle¡¯s oue was decided. Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Chapter 87 The Crimson me Knights had a question they would always ask new recruits, a tradition of sorts: ¡°Why did you join the Knights?¡± When asked, some gave bizarre answers, some gave responses simr to others, and some couldn¡¯t answer at all, mumbling and stuttering through it. The fate of those in the third group was usually not good. Most of them would lose their resolve and leave of their own ord, and in the worst cases, they would be carried out as corpses. The ones who became stronger the fastest and clung on with the most tenacity were always those who answered, ¡°For revenge.¡± People who had lost parents, siblings, lovers¡­ or sometimes even a close friend. Those with a strong reason would endure and ovee whatever hardship came their way. Having seen this time and again, I never denied the importance of having a goal and a motive for a person¡¯s strength. I was probably not the only one who thought that way. The world is filled with stories of heroes who awakened due to some sort of incident, and the fact that there are so many of these stories is proof that many people think the same way as I do¡­ Or maybe it¡¯s just that people like to see stories of oveing adversity and achieving sess.In any case, the one-armed swordsman was also someone who had experienced such a turning point. He lost hisrades, and then his left arm, deciding from that moment to be stronger. And I was the one who provided that turning point for him. ¡®¡­But why doesn¡¯t he hate me?¡¯ If I were in his position, I wouldn¡¯t be able to see myself in a good light. I didn¡¯t know why, but as long as he didn¡¯t act hostile towards me, I had no reason to kill him either. Even after the first duel ended, I crossed swords with him several more times. ¡°It¡¯s still beyond my reach¡­ But thank you.¡± Maybe it was helpful that I didn¡¯t use my full strength. By the end of ourst duel, he was smiling with satisfaction. Watching him slowly walk away, having awkwardly expressed his gratitude in broken Granic, Da-eun spoke up. ¡°What was that all about¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± It was a question I couldn¡¯t answer. This was the first time someone who had faced me as an enemy was showing emotions other than vengeance or fear. However, his lighthearted departure left asting impression on me. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off him until his figure disappeared beyond the horizon. I still couldn¡¯t understand what was going on in his mind. *** ¡°Looks like we¡¯ve gotten attached¡­¡± Neigh¨C Da-eun, unable to hide her reluctance, gently stroked the horse¡¯s muzzle. It seemed like the horse also felt the same, as it shook its head and snorted while being caressed by her. ¡°There¡¯s no helping it.¡± From Ordo to the Sacred Kingdom, and from the Sacred Kingdom to the western continent, the city bordering the territories of the Demonic Race¡­ We had traveled together for several weeks, so it was only natural that they grew attached. But even though I understood her feelings, that was why we had to leave the horse in this city. If she didn¡¯t want to see the horse fall victim to the corruption of magi and turn into a monster. ¡°Besides, Celine can¡¯t stay with it all day long.¡± ¡°I guess¡­¡± Da-eun, looking a bit dejected, gave the horse onest pat on the muzzle before letting go of its reins. Having parted with the horse, we stepped back out into the streets. The fact that this city borders the territory of the Demonic Race means it is constantly under threat from monsters. Perhaps that¡¯s why most people walking the streets carried weapons on them. There were quite a few Apostles as well. I pretended not to notice the gazes directed at us. ¡°Let¡¯s just buy what we need and leave quickly.¡± ¡°Huh? You¡¯re not nning to rest here?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± The atmosphere of the city we were currently in wasn¡¯t something you could even call good, not even as a joke. Living right on the edge of life and death, always facing the unknown threats that could arrive at any moment, people were bound to have such an attitude. Some might say, ¡°Then why don¡¯t they just move to another city?¡± But even for a city like this, abandoning the ce you¡¯ve worked hard to settle down in and moving somewhere else is not an easy decision to make. Not everyone here is like that, but most of the people living in this city are in dire straits. Mercenaries using the city as a base are also in such urgent need of money that they¡¯re willing to risk their lives. Ah, but Apostles are an exception. Anyway¡­ I could understand why the city was in this state, but understanding and staying here were twopletely different things. Just walking the short distance from the city gates to the stables, I witnessed several skirmishes break out. I had no desire to rest in such an environment. It felt like even if we rested here, it wouldn¡¯t really be rest. Crash! ¡°~~~~~!!¡± ¡°~~! ~~~~!¡± Before I could even finish my thought, a stall was destroyed, and fruits went flying. Plop. I caught an apple that came flying at high speed. The condition¡­ Hmm, not bad. Taking a bite out of the ripened apple, a fresh, crisp texture and tangy juice filled my mouth. Did I take too big of a bite? The juice that didn¡¯t make it into my mouth trickled down the corner of my lips, so I wiped it off with the back of my hand. Ugh, sticky. Looking around for something to wipe with, I noticed Da-eun was distracted by themotion nearby, so I casually wiped my hand on the hem of her clothes. It seemed there had been a problem between a fruit vendor and a mercenary. If they were to fight using strength, the mercenary would obviously win, but no sane person would wield a weapon in a ce like this. Which means, that mercenary arguing with the vendor must be out of his mind. ng! The mercenary grabbed a gleaming axe in his hand. His eyes, now lost in rage, shone just like the de of his axe. ¡°Whoa, are you crazy?!¡± ¡°Hey! Stop him! Someone stop this guy, now!¡± Sensing the escting tension, other mercenaries watching from the sidelines grabbed him and dragged him away somewhere. Thanks to that, his actions ended as an attempt, but judging from the gazes of the nearby merchants, it didn¡¯t seem like that mercenary would be able to conduct his business freely in this city anymore. He¡¯d probably have to pay more than the average price just to buy a single apple. ¡°Really peaceful, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­Peaceful?¡± Obviously, that was sarcasm. Ignoring Da-eun¡¯s bewildered gaze, I took another bite of the apple. It was still delicious. ¡°Kana, that apple.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± What about the apple? I lifted the apple I¡¯d been munching on, showing it to her. ¡°Joanie, do you want a bite too?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡­ That apple, didn¡¯t it just fly over here earlier? So, you haven¡¯t paid for it, have you?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°You should pay for it. You can¡¯t just eat it like that!¡± I sheepishly hid the apple behind me, which I had been proudly holding a moment ago. Shaking her head as if she couldn¡¯t believe it, Da-eun walked up to the vendor. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My little sister picked up a fallen apple and ate it. Here¡¯s the money for it¡­¡± ¡°Oh, my! I wouldn¡¯t have noticed if you had just let it pass, but thank you for being honest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind, just make sure to tell your sister not to pick up things and eat them. She could get sick from eating something off the ground, especially in a ce like this¡­¡± ¡°A ce like this¡­?¡± ¡°Miss, it seems like this is your first time in this city, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. How did you know?¡± ¡°It¡¯s rare to find someone who would go out of their way to pay for a single apple in the middle of amotion like that. Normally, people would just think they got lucky and keep their mouths shut.¡± ¡°Heeh¡­ Is that so?¡± Zrrp. While conversing with the merchant, Da-eun threw me a sharp re. I quietly hid behind Celine. ¡°Oh dear,¡± Celine muttered with a wry smile, but still pulled the hem of her nun¡¯s habit to cover me. ¡­It¡¯s not like I intended to eat it secretly or anything. It¡¯s just that¡­ I got caught up in the atmosphere. ¡°If you leave the city and go a little further, you¡¯ll enter the territory influenced by the Demonic Race. That¡¯s why people here rarely leave the city. And if they do, it¡¯s usually heading ind. Oh, except for the mercenaries.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of the magi, right? Is this city okay?¡± ¡°Yes. There are priests and nuns sent from the Sacred Kingdom. Thanks to their efforts, the city is rtively safe¡­ But¡­¡± The merchant suddenly lowered his voice. ¡°There are still people who try to sell items contaminated with magi at a cheaper price, so you have to be careful. Especially with food.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ So that¡¯s why you warned me not to pick up things off the ground?¡± ¡°Yes. If someone eats something contaminated with magi, it could lead to severe poisoning. Even if it¡¯s not that, picking up something a mercenary dropped could lead to trouble. The mercenaries here are much rougher than those in other ces.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Da-eun nodded her head and looked around. She was ncing around, as if searching for something, and soon found me hiding behind Celine. Striding over, she ryed the conversation she¡¯d had with the vendor. ¡°You understand, right, Kana? You can¡¯t just put anything that looks tasty into your mouth.¡± After finishing her exnation, she emphasized her words to me with utmost seriousness. However, my reaction was¡ª ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it fine?¡± ¡ªI mean, what¡¯s the big deal? I had eaten things that were slightly contaminated by Magi before without any problems. Besides, even if I got into a fight with mercenaries, I¡¯m confident I could take them down. ¡°¡­Kana!¡± Da-eun¡¯s eyes lit up with anger at my response. She thenunched into a rapid-fire lecture, exining that even if something wasn¡¯t contaminated with Magi, eating things off the ground was unhygienic, could lead to illness, and so on¡­ ¡°Ugh¡­ Fine, I won¡¯t eat it. Happy?¡± I surrendered, raising a white g after listening to her nagging until my ears were about to fall off. It¡¯s not like I ate anything off the ground, nor did I have any intention of doing so¡­ And seriously, I¡¯m not a child who would just pick up random things to eat. Although, there was a time when I had to eat like that to survive¡­ ¡°Promise me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so childish¡­ Fine, I get it.¡± I grumbled as she held out her pinky, but when I saw her eyebrows twitch, I quickly linked my pinky with hers. Since I was the one at fault in this situation, I obediently let her pull me along, bowed my head to the vendor, and he waved his hand dismissively. ¡°It happens. Here, would you like a cherry?¡± ¡°Tha¡­ Thank you.¡± I ended up getting another fruit out of nowhere. I looked up at Da-eun, wondering if she¡¯d want to eat it, but she was busy talking to the vendor and didn¡¯t pay me any attention. When I offered it to Celine, she smiled gently and declined. Well, I guess I¡¯ll have to eat it myself. Chomp. ¡°So, what brings you to this city? It¡¯s not exactly a ce that nobledies would visit.¡± ¡°Haha, well, I¡¯m a mercenary myself.¡± ¡°A mercenary? Ah, I didn¡¯t notice the sword you¡¯re carrying. Well, it¡¯s not a bad ce for mercenaries to earn some money. Back in the days of Grasis, there were no support funds or anything, but ever since it copsed, support funds for exterminating monsters are regrly provided¡­¡± ¡°Were you originally from Grasis?¡± ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯m from another kingdom. I ended up here while looking for work. As you can see, the situation¡¯s not great, though.¡± He shrugged, gesturing to the ruined stall. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s good to earn money, but if you ever feel something¡¯s wrong with your body, it¡¯s better toe back quickly. I¡¯ve seen too many people lose their lives by being greedy.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Thanks for the advice. But I¡¯m not here to make money.¡± ¡°Huh? Then why did youe to a ce like this¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m nning to go to the Demonic Race¡¯s vige.¡± ¡°¡­The Demonic Race¡¯s vige?¡± The vendor, who had been casually conversing with Da-eun, scrunched his face. With a clear expression of disgust, he spoke. ¡°You mean that ¡®garbage dump¡¯?¡± Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Garbage Dump. The dictionary definition is ¡°a designated ce for disposing of garbage,¡± but¡­ In the western continent¡ªformerly the territory of the Grasis Kingdom¡ªthe term Garbage Dump held a different connotation. It referred to a ce where trash that couldn¡¯t mingle with humans gathered to live. It was where the Demonic Race, who came over from Laxia, resided. That was what people meant by Garbage Dump. *** The path leading out of the bustling city toward Laxia. Da-eun, who had been deep in thought all this time, suddenly spoke up.¡°Kana, did you know? That they call the ce where the Demonic Race lives a ¡®Garbage Dump.¡¯¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you were thinking about?¡± I was wondering what she was so deeply contemting, but it turned out to be nothing much. ¡°I knew. So what?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I just thought, people really do hate the Demonic Race more than I imagined.¡± ¡°Garbage Dump is a mild term. There are far worse ones.¡± ¡°This is mild?¡± ¡°Yeah. For example¡ª¡± Words like ¡®bleep¡ª¡¯ or ¡®bleeeep¡ª¡¯. ¡°Wait, Kana, stop!¡± ¡°There¡¯s also ¡®bleeeep¡ª¡¯, and mmph¡ª¡± ¡°Stop! No more bad words!¡± Da-eun¡¯s slender hand covered my mouth. I tried to shake my head and free myself from her grasp, but Da-eun¡¯s hand persistently held onto me and wouldn¡¯t let go. ¡°Mmmff¡ª¡± ¡°You can¡¯t use such bad words! Got it?¡± ¡°Puhah! I only mentioned them because you seemed curious.¡± ¡°Regardless, it¡¯s a no. How would others feel if they heard such words? And saying things like that will rot your brain and make your cute face ugly.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s some serious effect.¡± But, seeing how dimwitted nobles and royals get, I doubt it¡¯s because of bad words. Their speech might have been refined, but the intent behind their words was impure. Those who despised direct speech twisted even simple phrases multiple times over. What sounded like apliment was often an insult, and if it seemed like an insult, it was definitely an insult. Wait,e to think of it, I guess it was always an insult, wasn¡¯t it? ¡­So, was that why I got angry whenever I listened to them? ¡°Joanie. How would you feel if someone said, ¡®You have a natural talent for swordsmanship¡¯?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Isn¡¯t that apliment? I¡¯d feel good if it were me.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s not.¡± What that really means is, ¡°You¡¯re too dumb to do anything else, so you¡¯ll be swinging a sword for the rest of your life.¡± Da-eun looked at me with a skeptical expression. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that a bit of a stretch? They could genuinely beplimenting you.¡± ¡°Who knows? Until you experience it yourself, you won¡¯t understand.¡± People never truly understand a statement¡¯s weight until they¡¯ve gone through it themselves. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t bother trying to convince her and shrugged, steering the conversation back to the original topic. ¡°Anyway, do you see why I said Garbage Dump is mild now?¡± ¡°Um, yeah¡­ I guesspared to those, it¡¯s pretty tame¡­¡± Da-eun seemed to be recalling the deeply resentful things people have said about the Demonic Race and spoke reluctantly. ¡°Still, calling it a Garbage Dump¡­ It does feel a bit wrong.¡± It¡¯s less malicious inparison, but ultimately, it¡¯s still lumping the Demonic Race together as trash. No wonder Da-eun felt ufortable about it. What¡¯s interesting is that even the Demonic Race didn¡¯t deny the term. Some of them even chastised themselves more harshly than humans did. ¡°They consider themselves sinners.¡± They may have been driven by necessity, but they took the lives of countless people across the Ardina Continent. And they were sinners who abandoned their duties and fled. Thus, the Demonic Race refused to name the ce they lived. They believed they didn¡¯t deserve the right to name it. ¡°¡­Duties? What duties?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon.¡± ¡°Gah¡­¡± After all, the reason we¡¯re heading to Laxia is precisely because of that. I responded to Da-eun, whose lips were pouting, as I looked forward. Beyond the distant horizon, shrouded in thick Magi, thend of sinners came into view. Step by step. As we approached the Land of Sinners, the dense Magi in the air grew thicker, trying to press in on me. But it couldn¡¯t break through the Mana I hadyered around myself, so it merelyshed out powerlessly. I nced over at Celine, who maintained her usual gentle expression, as if this level of Magi didn¡¯t bother her at all. That was expected. The real concern was Da-eun. I looked back at Da-eun, the weakest among us, and the one I worried about the most. ¡°Huff¡­ I¡¯m okay. It¡¯s not too bad.¡± Thankfully, Da-eun, the weakest member of our group, seemed to be holding up just fine. She looked a little pale, but that was probably due to nerves. The ring on her finger was gleaming, indicating that the magic artifact was functioning as intended. Well, considering it was made from the Dragon Orb, it would have been odd if it didn¡¯t work at all. The real test, however, would be whether it remained effective once we entered Laxia. ¡°It¡¯s dark¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s dark?¡± ¡°It means it¡¯s dark.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Just as she said, even though it was far from sundown, the area around us was shrouded in darkness. The sunlight was clearly shining down from above, but it felt like we were looking through an opaque veil due to the Magi in the air. If a normal person came here, they wouldn¡¯tst more than a few minutes before coughing up blood. ¡°Oh, I see a vige!¡± Celine, with her hand shielding her eyes, suddenly eximed brightly. A stockade visible through the thick Magi. She must have spotted it too. From a distance, the stockade looked high and sturdy enough to be mistaken for a fortress wall. Yes, it certainly looked sturdy, but¡­ if one wanted to bring it down, it probably wouldn¡¯t be too difficult. ¡°¡­Kana?¡± ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t saying I would do it.¡± I was referring to monsters, beasts¡­ or humans, not myself. If I had meant myself, I wouldn¡¯t have made such a tentativement like, ¡°It probably could be brought down.¡± I can slice through castle walls; why wouldn¡¯t I be able to destroy a measly stockade? ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡± Though this exnation left me feeling oddly unsatisfied, I managed to convince Da-eun. As we exchanged trivial banter, the distant stockade quickly loomed right before us. ¡°Stop!¡± Just as we found the entrance to the stockade and were about to enter the vige, a deep voice rang out from above. Looking up, I saw a man with a bloodless white face and ck horns protruding from the sides of his head, staring down at us from the watchtower. ¡°What brings humans here?!¡± ¡°We¡¯re here to board a ship.¡± ¡°What did you say?!¡± The man¡¯s sudden outburst startled Da-eun, making her flinch and dart her eyes around nervously. ¡°Does he think we¡¯re here to invade Laxia?¡± She whispered anxiously. But her worry didn¡¯tst long. ¡°I can¡¯t hear you! Speak louder!¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like it.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess not¡­¡± With the man¡¯s response, Da-eun let out an awkward chuckle. I prodded her side. ¡°Joanie, you tell him.¡± ¡°Why? Can¡¯t you understand him?¡± ¡°If I couldn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t have responded, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. ¡­Wait, we¡¯re not even using Granguage, so how is he understanding us?¡± ¡°Think about thatter. Just speak up; he¡¯s waiting.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. But if you can understand, why don¡¯t you just speak for yourself, Kana?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too much hassle to yell.¡± Raising my voice is such a pain. Could there be a more bothersome task? My straightforward reply made Da-eun close her mouth. She looked like she had a lot more to say, but as I tugged at her robe, she sighed and shook her head. I think I heard her muttering something like, ¡°You cheeky little brat,¡± but it was probably just my imagination. ¡°We¡¯vee to board a ship heading to Laxia!¡± ¡°¡­Laxia?¡± The man who had been shouting loudly suddenly fell silent. Dong¡ª Ding¡ª! Then, a bell from the watchtower began to toll. After a short while, themotion inside the stockade began to grow louder. Rumble, rumble¡ª With a heavy scraping noise, the enormous gate of the stockade started to open. Naturally, what emerged from within were members of the Demonic Race. About ten in total, the Demonic beings held their weapons at the ready, disying intense vignce toward us. ¡°K-Kana¡­ Can I hold your hand?¡± Perhaps feeling nervous at the Demonic beings¡¯ tant hostility, Da-eun gripped my hand tightly. Her hand, as pale as her face, was damp with sweat. ¡°Why are you so nervous?¡± ¡°W-Why wouldn¡¯t I be¡­? What if a fight breaks out¡­?¡± ¡°We fought just finest time.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s¡­.¡± Da-eun mumbled and swallowed her words. The confidence she had disyed when confronting the one-armed swordsman had vanished, and she¡¯d reverted to being a coward. See? People¡¯s true nature doesn¡¯t change that easily. Enjoying a moment of triumphant satisfaction, I squeezed Da-eun¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll protect you.¡± There¡¯s no way I¡¯d lose to enemies of that level. Da-eun, who had been staring nkly at me, suddenly smiled brightly. ¡°Kana, is it okay if I fall for you?¡± ¡°¡­That would be a bit troublesome.¡± ¡°Haha, just kidding! There¡¯s no way I¡¯d fall for my little sister!¡± Still, that was pretty cool. Muttering softly to herself, she squeezed my hand back just as firmly. ¡°With such a dependable little sister, why was I even nervous?¡± Although I was aware I¡¯d just said something quite embarrassing¡­ At least her tension had eased. That¡¯s what mattered, right? ¡°What business do you have in Laxia?¡± While we were chatting, one of the Demonic beings stepped forward and asked. Judging by his gear, the man who posed the question seemed to be the highest-ranking among the group. ¡°I¡¯ll exin.¡± Before I could answer, Celine stepped forward. The divine energy that bloomed from her hand gently swirled around us before reaching out to the Demonic beings. They, who had been startled by the sudden influx of divine power, felt the gentle touch of its energy soothing their bodies, and they gradually rxed, lowering their weapons. ¡°Does this exnation suffice?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re a nun who serves Lady Edel, aren¡¯t you?¡± The man¡¯s previously stern demeanor shifted almost instantly. ¡°Huh?¡± Regardless of Da-eun¡¯s confusion over the sudden change in attitude, the man continued. Bowing his head deeply, he gestured with his hand. Following his signal, the group of Demonic beings that had surrounded us parted to either side. ¡°Our apologies for the intrusion.¡± ¡°No, you were just doing your duty. But may wee inside and continue this conversation?¡± ¡°Anyone who serves Lady Edel is always wee.¡± Celine turned toward us and smiled brightly. ¡°We¡¯ve received permission, so let¡¯s head inside.¡± Chapter 89 Chapter 89 The Demonic Race¡¯s vige seemed simr to the viges in Grasis, yet oddly different. Grasis and the Demonic Race¡¯snd are situated right next to each other, so they must have unknowingly influenced each other over the years. ¡°This ce has a strange vibe¡­¡± Da-eun, who was looking around, shared her impression. ¡°They¡¯re smiling, but it feels like there¡¯s something lurking beneath. Do you think something happened?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Even if you ask me, I have no way of knowing. ¡°Is there actually something that even the all-knowing Kana doesn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°¡­Are you teasing me?¡±¡°No, not at all!¡± But she didn¡¯t seem serious about it. Just as I sent a suspicious look Da-eun¡¯s way, the man leading us down the street began to speak, sensing my difort at the stares directed our way. ¡°It¡¯s probably because it¡¯s rare to see someone who appears perfectly fine.¡± ¡°A perfectly fine human, you mean?¡± ¡°Yes. Most of the humans we¡¯ve encountered are those who¡¯ve sumbed to Magi and are on the brink of death, or those whoe charging at us with reckless abandon.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± The man didn¡¯t borate further, but it wasn¡¯t hard to guess what he left unsaid. Whatever it was, it probably wasn¡¯t a pleasant memory. Da-eun must have thought the same as me because her previously chattering mouth went quiet. Somehow, the atmosphere grew heavier. Within this thick tension, we arrived in front of a building where the man finally stopped. ¡°¡­We¡¯ve arrived.¡± ¡°And this ce is¡­?¡± ¡°This is the Lord¡¯s Manor.¡± ¡°A manor?¡± I looked up at the building. Compared to the surrounding structures, it wasrger and more ornate. That much was true, but it didn¡¯t carry the same grandeur one might expect from a ce where someone important lived. If I had to describe it, it felt more like the home of a well-off merchant. Creaaak. At that moment, the manor¡¯s door swung open. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m not a lord, and this isn¡¯t a manor¡­¡± The voice came from inside the manor. The person who appeared as the door opened was a woman with anguid look in her eyes, her tone matching her appearance. Her already paleplexion, characteristic of the Demonic Race, was entuated by deep, dark circles under her eyes, making her look as if she might copse at any moment. Between her disheveled ck hair protruded two long, ck horns. They were significantlyrger than the horns of the man who guided us. ¡°Her horns¡­¡± However, her right horn was only half as long as her left, as if someone had snapped it off. ¡°Ah, this¡­?¡± When Da-eun murmured while looking at the jagged edge of the broken horn, the woman raised her hand and lightly touched the damaged part. ¡°It got cut off.¡± ¡°¡­Would it be rude to ask how it happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something to be embarrassed about¡­ This is my proudest scar.¡± Her face bore nothing but pure pride as she spoke. ¡°It happened while I was fighting a Dimensional Creature in Laxia¡­ It was quite a formidable one¡­ But I took it down with my own hands, of course.¡± She puffed out her chest as she said that. It was quite a proud stance, but considering she looked younger than Da-eun and her tired expression, it didn¡¯te off as imposing. Much like the manor she lived in. ¡°My Lord, perhaps it¡¯s best if we head inside first.¡± ¡°Ah, shall we?¡± The longer we lingered in front of the manor, the more eyes were drawn toward us. It seemed news had spread about the appearance of humans, as the number of Demonic beings hovering around us clearly increased. Noticing the cautious atmosphere, the woman gestured towards us. ¡°Come in¡­¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± ¡°Mm, thank you¡­¡± With the man leaving, it was just us and the woman left in the manor. The woman who led us into what seemed to be a parlor paused as she lifted the teapot. ¡°Would you like some tea¡­? Ah, but maybe humans shouldn¡¯t drink this¡­?¡± ¡°Huh? Why not?¡± ¡°Because the tea leaves are infused with Magi¡­ You seemed fine on the way here, so it might be okay, but you never know¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, that could be a problem. Then I¡¯ll just have water¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll drink it.¡± ¡°¡­Hm?¡± At my words, the woman looked at me curiously. She nced up and down at me, from head to toe, and then focused her gaze back on my face. ¡°If you really want to, I won¡¯t stop you¡­ But it¡¯s a bit bitter; are you sure you¡¯ll be fine?¡± ¡°¡­Is there anything sweet?¡± ¡°There was, but I¡¯m all out¡­¡± ¡°Then I won¡¯t have any.¡± ¡°I see¡­ And what about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have some, please.¡± In the end, only Celine was served tea. A fragrant yet slightly bitter aroma filled the parlor. Click. ¡°Phew¡­ How about we start with introductions¡­.¡± The woman ced her teacup down and spoke with a long sigh. ¡°My name¡¯s Artisha¡­ Call me Arti or Tisha, whatever you prefer¡­.¡± With a slow, deliberate tone, Artisha took a sip of her tea. ¡°I¡¯m Joanie. Feel free to call me Joanie.¡± ¡°Canaria.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Celine. Pleased to meet you.¡± Following her lead, we introduced ourselves. Artisha, who barely reacted to our names, picked up the teapot. Drip, drip. She poured the tea into her empty cup and asked us, ¡°What brings humans to a ce like this¡­?¡± ¡°We¡¯re heading to Laxia.¡± Pause. ¡°¡­Laxia¡­?¡± The tea pouring into the cup came to an abrupt stop. ¡°There¡¯s only one Laxia I know of¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s the one. Laxia, the homnd of your people¡ªthe Demonic Continent Laxia.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­.¡± The fatigue vanished from Artisha¡¯s face, her eyes sharpening instantly. From beside me, I faintly heard the sound of someone swallowing nervously. ¡°Whether you can get there or not is one thing, but¡­ why do humans want to go there¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯re really cautious.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯d be wary if someone as powerful as you said you wanted to go to Laxia¡­¡± ¡°Mm, that¡¯s a valid point.¡± Her words seemed to pierce right through my power level. A stranger suddenly appearing, iming they want to visit Laxia¡ªher homnd, no less¡ªwas bound to raise suspicion. So instead ofmenting her distrust, I swiftly got to the main point. ¡°We¡¯re here to help fulfill the wish of your people. ¡­Would that be a sufficient answer?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not something humans should know about.¡± Thud. ¡°How on earth did youe to know that?¡± Artisha set down the teapot, her eyes brimming with unmistakable wariness. Ominous Magi began to seep out from her broken horn in ominous streams. What a hassle. I brushed away the Magi with a casual wave of my hand, as if swatting away a buzzing mosquito, and called for someone who could vouch for my identity. ¡°Celine.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Understanding my intention perfectly, Celine unleashed a level of divine power she had never disyed before. The golden waves pushed back the Magi that had filled the room. Seeing the divine power gently repel the Magi as if soothing a child, Artisha¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. ¡°This amount of divine power¡­ Are you some kind of saint?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°¡­But you have the potential to be¡­.¡± Artisha nodded her head in understanding. ¡°Yes¡­ If that¡¯s the case, it makes sense¡­.¡± Bringing Celine along was a great decision. There¡¯s no need for lengthy exnations¡ªjust show divine power, and they¡¯ll ept it without question. Of course, my main goal was to protect our group from the effects of Magi and to prepare for any unexpected situations, but having such versatility is always a good thing. ¡°Wait a moment!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Shin Da-eun, who had been shuffling her feet nervously since she felt left out of the conversation, suddenly jumped in. ¡°What exactly is this ¡®wish¡¯ you mentioned?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Artisha turned her gaze to Da-eun as if to ask, ¡°Who is this?¡± Even though Da-eun flinched slightly under the coldness of Artisha¡¯s stare, she held her ground and stared back. ¡°The other two seem to know, but¡­ you don¡¯t?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just following Kana¡¯s lead. Even when I asked, I was told I¡¯d find outter, so how would I know?¡± ¡°Talking about other people¡¯s circumstances without permission is rude.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t throw logic at me like that in a moment like this!¡± Why was she yelling? Da-eun really has a temper sometimes. I asked for Artisha¡¯s permission. ¡°Can I exin?¡± ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t mind¡­.¡± Artisha granted permission more easily than I expected. I thought she might hesitate a bit, considering that the Demonic Race sees their departure from Laxia as something to be ashamed of. Since I¡¯ve gotten permission, I should start exining before Da-eun starts sulking. ¡°The original name of the Demonic Race is ¡®The Purifier n.¡¯¡± ¡°The Purifier n?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Hearing this would naturally bring up more questions. ¡°What do they purify?¡± As expected, Da-eun¡¯s reaction was typical and straightforward. ¡°Magi.¡± They purify Magi and convert it back into ordinary Mana. That¡¯s the destiny and duty given to the Demonic Race¡ªthe Purifier n¡ªby Edel. In the world of Silia, there¡¯s an energy called Mana. People often think of Mana as a means to grow stronger or as a convenient power source, but in truth, Mana is more like the air that living beings need to survive. The problem is that, like air, Mana can also be polluted. As it flows through various life forms and as time passes, Mana bes contaminated and turbid. When it bes polluted, Mana adversely affects living beings. Edel, aware of this, created a system. A system that gathers polluted Mana, purifies it, and releases the purified Mana back into the world. A cycle that epasses the entire world of Silia. ¡°That polluted Mana is what peoplemonly call ¡®Magi.¡¯¡± ¡°Then¡­ the Demonic Continent Laxia is¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± It¡¯s the final destination of the system Edel created. The ce where polluted Mana is purified and returned to its original state. That¡¯s what the Demonic Continent Laxia truly is. If you think of Magi as waste, then calling Laxia andfill wouldn¡¯t be entirely wrong. Although, people probably didn¡¯t know that when they started calling it that. ¡°And the ones responsible for handling that massive purification were¡ª¡± ¡°It was us¡ªthe Purifier n.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like much after hearing it, huh?¡± Shin Da-eun, who had been listening to my story with a nk expression, blinked her eyes. ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s actually a big deal.¡± Chapter 90 Chapter 90 ¡°The goddess, appearing in the form of a woman, spoke. ¡®There is something I must ask of you.¡¯ Her voice, so reverent that just hearing it was overwhelming, caused the people to bow their heads. How could they dare to lift their heads and gaze upon the voice of their creator, the mother of all things? Hearing this, I spoke to Edel. ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you embellishing it a bit too much?¡± ¡°No way! Every child who faces my true form reacts like that!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± ¡­Why, though?No matter how I look at it, she still seems like a goddess with a few screws loose. ¡°You¡¯re the strange one!¡± ¡­In any case, the goddess, standing before her creations, bestowed upon them her divine authority. The authority of purification, a power that returns what is corrupted to its original state. ¡°If you have such authority, why not just do it yourself?¡± ¡°A god¡¯s position is incredibly demanding, you know. Monitoring to ensure the system is running smoothly, checking if there are any intrusions¡ªjust keeping an eye on all of that keeps me constantly busy.¡± ¡°But you couldn¡¯t stop it, could you?¡± ¡°¡­Are you going to keep saying that?¡± ¡°Sorry. Please continue.¡± The goddess, while granting them authority, also gave them a mission. Their mission was to purify the polluted Mana and return it to the world¡ªan honorable duty to maintain the bnce of the world. Having been blessed with divine authority and entrusted with such a noble mission, the creations shed tears of joy and pledged to fulfill their duties to the goddess. And, just as the goddess intended, for tens, hundreds, or perhaps even more than a thousand years, they remained steadfast in their roles, dutifully carrying out their mission. Then, one day, they realized that the divine power they had received from the goddess was weakening. The authority, once powerful enough to purify any corruption, gradually weakened over time to the point where they could no longer cleanse even the smallest speck of impurity. Eventually, it disappeared entirely from within them. They were bewildered. But more than that, they were despairing. ¡°The children believe they lost their divine authority because of their own wrongdoing.¡± They thought the goddess had taken back her gift because they had neglected their mission. But the truth was different. While battling the Dimensional Creatures, Edel was pushed into a corner, and her power started to diminish. The authority of purification originally belonged to Edel. The strength of the Purifier n originated from Edel, and as her power weakened, the authority she had shared with them also diminished and eventually vanished. It wasn¡¯t until muchter, as she was barely fending off the relentless attacks, that Edel realized what had happened. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry for what they¡¯ve endured. They suffered because of my inadequacy¡­.¡± Laxia, thend where polluted Mana gathers. When the authority of purification disappeared, and the Mana could no longer be cleansed, Magi gradually began to engulf Laxia. Ordinary living beings would not have been able to endure it and would have perished. But the Purifier n was different. Created to cleanse polluted Mana and having wielded the authority for so long, their bodies slowly adapted to resist Magi. Their hair and eyes turned ck as Magi tainted them. Conversely, their skin turned pale white, and ck horns sprouted on both sides of their heads. The horns, growing darker andrger, helped their bodies to better manage the flow of Magi. Thanks to this, they were able to survive in the Magi-infested Laxia¡­. But as time passed and the concentration of Magi deepened, even those who could withstand it began to fall. Even among the Purifier n, there were varying degrees of strength, and those born after the loss of the divine authority were more susceptible to Magi than the previous generations. With each passing generation, they became more vulnerable to Magi, while the concentration of Magi in Laxia only increased. At this rate, it was clear the n would perish. Thus, the Purifier n made a decision. ¡®Goddess Edel¡­ please forgive us for abandoning our mission and leaving.¡¯ Leaving behind those who could still endure it and those who would rather die than forsake their mission, they set out on a journey. They sailed across the sea, seeking a new continent where they could survive. As a result¡ª ¡°War broke out.¡± This was the start of the First Race War, followed by the Second Race War. Having heard the full story from Edel, I couldn¡¯t quite understand. Is a mission really that important, even at the cost of one¡¯s life? ¡°I told you, you¡¯re the strange one. The children I created can¡¯t help but instinctively revere me when they see me.¡± ¡°¡­I still don¡¯t get it.¡± Is it a feeling akin to having a parent? Thinking of Garid, I then recalled the faces of my biological parents, and my expression twisted. Edel nodded knowingly, folding her arms. ¡°It¡¯s an instinct of the soul, so it¡¯s natural that you don¡¯t understand. Anyway, was this exnation sufficient to grasp the overall situation?¡± ¡°For now, yes. So what do you want from me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± She slowly released her sped hands. Like a butterfly set free, divine energy fluttered softly from her hands. ¡°Liberate those children.¡± Release them from the heavy shackles of their mission. ¡°Can¡¯t you just do it yourself?¡± ¡°If I could, I would have done it already. Unfortunately, my power has weakened too much to influence Laxia. Besides, if I intervene directly, the situation could worsen, and there¡¯s a chance that they might detect it.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re useless.¡± ¡°Yes~ Yes~ I¡¯m sorry for being such a useless goddess~ So, wouldn¡¯t the very capable Kana-chan help this powerless goddess out~?¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s with the ¡®Kana-chan¡¯ now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a popr phrase on Earth these days. Isn¡¯t it cute?¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Edel¡¯s expression soured instantly. *** ¡°Kana?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah.¡± Lost in thoughts about my conversation with Edel, I was brought back to reality by Da-eun calling my name. To think of Edel calling me ¡®Kana-chan¡¯¡­ It¡¯s still horrifying no matter how many times I think about it. ¡°So, should I call the Demonic Race by their original name, the Purifier n?¡± ¡°Call them whatever you¡¯refortable with¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. So, is the Demonic Race¡¯s long-cherished wish to return to Laxia and fulfill their original mission?¡± ¡°Well¡­ for me, yes¡­.¡± ¡°For you¡­?¡± Not only Da-eun, but I also questioned Artisha¡¯s uncertain reply. ¡°Kids these days don¡¯t really have a sense of mission¡­. Some even hold grudges against Edel¡­. Who knows what¡¯ll happen to the world¡­.¡± Tsk. Artisha clicked her tongue. Starting with ¡®kids these days¡¯ and leading into concerns for the world¡ªit flowed naturally together. ¡°You feel oddly familiar.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°Ah, no! I definitely didn¡¯t mean it felt like Kana!¡± Startled by my words, Da-eun, who was sneaking nces at me, responded in a panic. As if. For the sin of making baseless usations, plus the added sin of lying, I delivered her punishment. ¡°Gah!¡± Da-eun let out a strange scream as she fell to the ground. Artisha didn¡¯t even spare a nce at Da-eun, who was now clutching her side on the floor. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for these horns, I would¡¯ve stayed in Laxia¡­.¡± The horns are organs that allow the Demonic Race to endure Magi. Though Artisha still has one intact, allowing her to live in the presence of Magi, the broken one means she likely wouldn¡¯t have been able to withstand the dense Magi that permeates Laxia. ¡°But¡­ to think that not a Demonic Race member, but a human, would offer to fulfill our wish¡­.¡± How curious. Artisha said this as she took a sip of tea. ¡°Kana isn¡¯t just any human.¡± ¡°A human is a human. What¡¯s different¡­?¡± ¡°She met Edel directly and received a request from her.¡± ¡°¡­From Goddess Edel? She made a request to this little one¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, really.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡­Little one. Well, I suppose that makes sense. Considering how young I lookpared to my actual age, I understand why Artisha would react that way. I decided to forgive her for calling me a ¡®little one¡¯ right to my face. So, what I¡¯m about to say isn¡¯t out of spite for being called little. ¡°What? Don¡¯t believe me, old hag?¡± ¡°¡­Old hag?¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. It slipped out.¡± ¡°¡­What a rude little brat you are¡­.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t get much etiquette training when I was young.¡± ¡°¡­Ack! She¡¯s using her ultimate move!¡± Before I knew it, Da-eun, who had risen again, pped her hands over her mouth. ¡°¡­.¡± Artisha was momentarily at a loss for words, seemingly stunned by my self-deprecatingment. I wasn¡¯t really bothered by it, though. There¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of, so why should I care? ¡°She¡¯s still young, so it¡¯s understandable¡­.¡± Artisha quietly backed down. A single bead of cold sweat trickled down her pale forehead. ¡°Th-that aside, Kana! Why would you call a youngdy like her an old hag! It¡¯s not like you were looking at me that way too, right? Gasp, could it be that you didn¡¯t call me ¡®sister¡¯ on purpose¡­?¡± ¡°What nonsense.¡± I grabbed Da-eun by the hair and pulled her down from the train of delusions she was on. ¡°The Demonic Race has a much longer lifespan than humans. They age at an incredibly slow pace.¡± That means they only look young and aren¡¯t necessarily young in age. Although, it might be worth confirming if she¡¯s actually young or not. ¡°Like you, Kana?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Kana, you look a lot younger than your actual age too.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. Like me.¡± Even with one horn broken, the aura she emitted earlier was quite fearsome. From that, I could guess how formidable she must have been in her prime. She was probably among the stronger members of the Demonic Race. ording to Edel, there¡¯s a limit to how strong beings in Silia¡¯s world can be. That likely applies to the Demonic Race as well, so Artisha must have spent a great deal of time reaching that level. ¡­Or so I spected, and judging by how Artisha bristled at my words, it seems I was right. Once Artisha backed down, the tension gradually eased. ¡®¡­Should we make peace?¡¯ ¡®Yeah¡­.¡¯ Artisha and I exchanged nces, and we both nodded in agreement. ¡°It¡¯s still hard to believe, but I¡¯ll trust you¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re willing to help us?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll at least hear you out¡­.¡± It¡¯s not like she could ept without knowing what kind of help we needed. Da-eun, who had been halfway out of her seat, scratched her head sheepishly and sat back down. ¡°We need two main things.¡± ¡°Two things¡­?¡± ¡°A ship to take us to Laxia, and a captain who knows the route and can steer it.¡± We can probably figure things out once we¡¯re inside Laxia. It wouldn¡¯t be right to ask such a thing from someone who fled because they couldn¡¯t withstand the Magi. ¡°If that¡¯s all, I can help¡­. We have enough ships, and I can steer one myself¡­.¡± ¡°You, Artisha?¡± ¡°Do you not want me to?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that¡­ It¡¯s just that you¡¯re a lord, right? It¡¯s surprising to hear that a lord knows how to steer a ship.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the kind of lord you¡¯re imagining. I just don¡¯t have a better title, so I¡¯m called a lord¡­.¡± ¡°I see¡­. Still, is it okay for you to leave your position?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like there are many who can withstand the Magi around Laxia anyway¡­.¡± Finding someone strong enough to handle it would be difficult. Finding someone who can steer a ship would be even harder. Artisha yawned widely as she said this. ¡°Then, can I ask for your help-¡± ¡°Ah, but not right now¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Just when things were going smoothly, her words threw a wrench in the gears. I tilted my head in confusion and waited for Artisha to exin, watching as her mouth slowly opened. Chapter 91 Chapter 91 ¡°I can¡¯t leave my position right now¡­.¡± Artisha started to speak. The story began with, ¡°It was a few months ago¡­.¡± ¡°Monsters around the vige were found dead¡­. At first, I thought it was just territory disputes, like monsters usually do¡­.¡± But that wasn¡¯t the end of it. More and more hunters returned empty-handed, and even powerful monsters that were normally hard for them to hunt were found dead. At that point, Artisha realized that something unusual was going on. She assembled an investigation team to look into it, and soon enough, the team led by Artisha herself was able to identify the cause of the problem. In fact, it was so easy to find that it was strange they hadn¡¯t discovered it sooner. A massive body covered in thick scales. With each p of its pair of wings, a storm-like wind would blow, and its sharp ws easily tore through the hides of its prey.And the final touch was the dark crimson me flickering inside its gaping maw. ¡°We call it ¡®Krumo¡¯s Shadow¡¯¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Krumo?¡± Why was that name suddenly being brought up here? The name ¡°Krumo¡± was one that no one living on the Ardina Continent would be unfamiliar with. After all, it was a name often heard since childhood. The name of the evil dragon that once drove the Ardina Continent into despair and ruin. That was the name of Krumo. And the evil dragon Krumo was in by Zigrid with the help of Grasid. Of course, founding myths are often exaggerated to justify the ruler¡¯s power, but I knew for a fact that Krumo being in by Zigrid was neither an exaggeration nor a lie. So, it was a name that shouldn¡¯t havee out of Artisha¡¯s mouth. Why was the name of a dragon that died hundreds of years ago suddenly being mentioned here? Artisha noticed my gaze, which demanded further exnation. ¡°If it were really Krumo, this ce would have already been reduced to rubble, so it¡¯s probably not the real one¡­.¡± It seemed that even Artisha, who came from Laxia, knew about the story of Krumo. ¡°Then why did you call it Krumo?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say it was Krumo¡­. I said it¡¯s ¡®Krumo¡¯s Shadow¡¯¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same thing.¡± Whether it¡¯s ¡®Krumo¡¯s Shadow¡¯ or whatever follows that name, it doesn¡¯t matter. The important part is why that name is being mentioned at all, not the words thate after it. ¡°It called itself Krumo with its own mouth¡­. But of course, I couldn¡¯t believe it, so we¡¯re just calling it that¡­.¡± Maybe it really is Krumo resurrected. But its power is far from what it was during its prime. If it had the same power as back then, it would have been rampaging and destroying the Ardina Continent out of fury over its death. It¡¯s different from the Krumo in the stories, but at the same time, it¡¯s not something to be taken lightly considering its strength. Simr but different. That¡¯s why they gave it the name ¡®Krumo¡¯s Shadow,¡¯ as Artisha exined. ¡°Krumo¡¯s Shadow, huh¡­.¡± Hearing it just like that, I can¡¯t quite get a grasp of it. Just because one of her horns were cut off doesn¡¯t mean she lost her sight, so it should be a creature that lives up to its name to some extent. I absentmindedly fiddled with my long side hair and got lost in thought. ¡°Is that why you can¡¯t leave your position?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­. If I leave, I won¡¯t be able to respond properly if it attacks¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± If it was that powerful, it would have attacked long ago. More importantly, what kind of vige is it that copses if one person is gone? That¡¯s not an ideal structure in any way. I grumbled inwardly and suddenly stopped, struck by a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. ¡­Wait. Why does this feel so familiar? It reminds me of a country that was destroyed recently¡­. Ah, is that why it was ruined? ¡°I understand your situation.¡± If you¡¯re an optimistic person, you might suggest to trust others or that everything will be fine. But Artisha wasn¡¯t an optimistic person from what I could tell, so saying those things wouldn¡¯t resonate with her. And I didn¡¯t want to make such idealisticments either. However, it seemed Da-eun had a slightly different thought process from the two of us. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be okay if you go ande back quickly?¡± Da-eun cautiously raised her hand and voiced her opinion. Naturally, her opinion was rejected at a speed close to light. Along with a question of whether she could take responsibility if anything happened. I patted Da-eun¡¯s drooping shoulders and turned to face Artisha. ¡°Then when do you think you¡¯d be able to leave your position?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be possible until that thing disappears or settles down somewhere else.¡± In other words, she couldn¡¯t leave until she was certain that it waspletely safe. Considering these people had fled Laxia to settle on the Ardina Continent just to survive, it was understandable that they prioritized safety. Moreover, since we were the ones making the request, it wasn¡¯t like we could force them to do anything. Yeah, their aspiration. We are offering to fulfill the aspiration they¡¯ve longed for, so perhaps it¡¯s not entirely a one-sided request. But I still haven¡¯t given them enough reason to believe that I can fulfill that aspiration. If I pushed my position too forcefully in this situation, I might end up hearing something like, ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind¡­ I¡¯m not going¡­.¡± It didn¡¯t seem like Artisha would do that, but you never know. I dodged Da-eun¡¯s hands as she kept trying to pat my head and spoke. ¡°Then we just need to get rid of it.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± ¡°You said it¡¯s impossible as long as that thing, whether it¡¯s Krumo¡¯s Shadow or whatever, is still around. So, if we get rid of it, then the problem¡¯s solved, right? That¡¯s easy.¡± Eliminate the source of the problem to resolve it. It¡¯s a simple solution. But Artisha blinked as if she couldn¡¯t understand this simple solution. ¡°¡­Easy?¡± Then, looking oddly more tired, she let out a deep sigh. ¡°It¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t tried to hunt down the shadow¡­.¡± Artisha gulped down the contents of her cup in one go. She did it as if she were drinking alcohol rather than tea. nk! When she ced the teacup back on the saucer, her hand moved a bit more roughly than before. ¡°The bottom line is, it¡¯s impossible¡­. We don¡¯t have the strength to take it down¡­.¡± For whatever reason, it hadn¡¯t invaded yet, but even the Demonic Race didn¡¯t have the ability to defeat it. An unproductive and stagnant standoff without progress or retreat. That was the current situation between Krumo¡¯s shadow and the Demonic Race. After hearing Artisha¡¯s exnation, I spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°You¡­?¡± Artisha looked at me with a doubtful expression, to which I raised a finger. A pink mana started to flicker on the tip of my finger. Flick. With a slight movement of my finger, the handle of the teacup fell off. ¡°You infused your mana with color¡­?¡± Artisha was shocked, sending me a gaze full of disbelief. If previously, Artisha¡¯s look was one of pure disbelief, as if questioning, ¡®You have that level of power?¡¯, now it seemed like she couldn¡¯t believe what she had just witnessed. ¡°You¡¯re not just a cocky little brat, are you¡­.¡± Muttering to herself, Artisha regained herposure. ¡°So, what do you think? Do you see some potential now?¡± ¡°If a strong individual like you is willing to help, I¡¯d definitely wee it¡­.¡± As expected, seeing is better than hearing a hundred times. While nodding and once again affirming the wisdom of the old saying, I felt someone tugging at the hem of my clothes. It was, of course, none other than Da-eun. ¡°Krumo¡¯s Shadow¡­ isn¡¯t that way too dangerous? Kana, you said it yourself before. Dragons aren¡¯t easy to deal with.¡± ¡°Did I say that?¡± ¡°Um, back when we faced the Rain Buffalo¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm. Maybe I did.¡± Now that she mentioned it, I vaguely remembered having that conversation. I might have worded it a bit differently, but the general meaning was the same, so there was no need to correct her. Perhaps weighed down by the name of Krumo, Da-eun was fidgeting and couldn¡¯t sit still. ¡°If it were a real dragon, that¡¯s true.¡± I¡¯d need to see it in person to be sure, but just listening to Artisha, it didn¡¯t sound like it was an actual dragon. If it possessed that kind of power, the Demonic Race, including Artisha, would¡¯ve already packed up and fled or been annihted. ¡°But it¡¯s still dangerous, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± I readily agreed with Da-eun¡¯s words. ¡°But we can¡¯t just sit around and wait.¡± Sitting with our arms crossed, hoping it would simply relocate on its own, would be nothing more than wishful thinking. We don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s nning to move, or if it¡¯ll move at all. Just waiting around in hope doesn¡¯t suit me. And also¡ª ¡°I¡¯m getting curious.¡± To quench this curiosity, I¡¯d have to face it directly. Judging by the fact that it called itself Krumo, it seemed capable ofmunicating unlike lower-tier monsters, so it might be worth trying to have a conversation. If it refuses to talk, well¡­ Maybe a bit of physical conversation will change its mind. Tap, tap. ¡°Kana, you¡¯re scaring me¡­.¡± Da-eun, trembling, backed away from me as I absentmindedly tapped on my sword¡¯s scabbard. ¡­Should I show her what being really scary looks like? That thought flitted through my mind for a moment before vanishing. She¡¯s overreacting, and it¡¯s a bit annoying, but now isn¡¯t the time to assert dominance. ¡°Anything I should be aware of? Any peculiarities?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not exactly sure¡­.¡± Artisha shared what she had observed with me. It can fly, it¡¯s extremely fast, it¡¯s shrouded in Magi, and it can¡¯t use magic, and so on. Listening to her, I tilted my head. ¡°Just hearing about it, I¡¯d believe it was a wyvern.¡± A monster resembling a dragon that can fly but can¡¯t use magic? Isn¡¯t that just a wyvern? But Artisha shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s enormous¡­ too big to bepared to a typical wyvern¡­.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°And it can also breathe a destructive breath¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely not a wyvern.¡± Breath attacks are the exclusive domain of dragons. There¡¯s no way a mere lesser dragon species like a wyvern could use a dragon¡¯s signature breath attack. It doesn¡¯t seem right to call it a dragon since it can¡¯t use magic, yet calling it a wyvern feels off because it can unleash a breath attack. ¡°I¡¯ll know more once I see it for myself.¡± I carefully organized all the information I¡¯d gathered from Artisha in my mind. ¡°When will you go¡­?¡± Unlike Da-eun, Artisha didn¡¯t try to stop me. In fact, she looked at me with a subtle sense of anticipation. ¡°Tomorrow.¡± There¡¯s an old saying that you should strike while the iron is hot. It¡¯s better to get it over with quickly rather than dragging it out. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, shouldn¡¯t you go today instead¡­?¡± I pretended not to hear Artisha¡¯s cautious suggestion. Chapter 92 Chapter 92 It suddenly opened its eyes. A pitch-ck darkness where not even a sliver of light could be seen. -I am¡­ Surrounded by an embracing darkness, it recalled a name. -I am Krummo¡­ At that moment, emotions flooded its mind. Rage, fear, sorrow,ment, despair¡­ Emotions pouring in without any filter. Among them, it began to be engulfed by the most intense and overwhelming emotion.That emotion was rage. Where did this zing rage, as if intent on burning everything to ashes,e from? Suddenly, something shed before its eyes. Something red, burning intensely like the fury it felt. Recalling the red light that had once cleaved through its body, its breath momentarily halted. -¡­ Huff¡ª The fear of death. Its consciousness, wrapped in cold chains, became faint as it sank deep into a dark abyss¡ª A fear that would ultimately scatter into nothingness. It gasped for breath, harshly. But it was only for a moment. -How dare they¡­! Rage red up inside it once again. -How dare they turn me into this state¡­! Those wretched vermin, not even worth an ant¡¯s value, dared¡­! A dark crimson fury erupted from its mouth. The intense rage it spewed could melt even the toughest of rocks. It wanted to tear apart and kill those vermin who dared cast it into this cold darkness right at this very moment. It wanted to revel in the song ofmentation and despair as it drifted off into sleep. However¡­ It knew it was still weak. No scales as strong as steel, nor ws sharper than any renowned de. Therefore, for now, it had to grow its strength. In the darkness that wrapped around it, it quietly opened its eyes. Waiting for the day when it would spread its wings again and soar into the sky. *** ¡°Kana.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± A face I longed to see. A face I thought I could never see again. The moment I saw that face, it felt as though my breath stopped. The kind voice calling my name, and therge scar on his cheek. Everything was just as I remembered. ¡°Garid¡­¡± No. How much did I regret after being left alone? Even though I knew he was different from those who merely gave birth to me, why did I keep avoiding those three letters, ¡°Dad,¡± as if it was something so awkward? I won¡¯t regret it anymore. ¡°Dad.¡± ¡°¡­¡± My dad didn¡¯t say anything in response. He simply opened his arms. ¡°¡­Dad!¡± His embrace was firm yet warm. I surrendered myself to the warmth I thought I could never feel again. Something I had yearned for, wished for, and desired with all my heart. There was a mountain of things I wanted to say. How lonely I was after he left, what I had gone through, and how sorry I was for treating him so coldly. After sifting through the mountain of words piling up inside me, I ended up burying my face in his chest and uttering one sentence that epassed it all. ¡°I missed you¡­¡± To see Dad again, I went to the Sedeth Kingdom and met Edel. Just as Edel told me, I went to Laxia and fulfilled the Demonic Race¡¯s long-cherished wish. It would be a lie to say it wasn¡¯t hard. But now that I¡¯m able to see Dad again, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore. As if listening to my silent rambling from the depths of my heart, Dad extended his arms and patted my back gently. I felt that gentle patting and slowly closed my eyes. ¡°Kana.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Are you happy?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± His gentle voice soothed my heart. It felt as if all the hardships I¡¯d been through were finally being rewarded. If only this moment couldst forever¡ª ¡°Are you happy after stealing my life?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± There was no more gentle voice or warm gaze. What remained was a face full of hatred, looking down at me with utter contempt. As if cold water had been sshed over me, the drowsiness that had clouded my mind suddenly cleared away. ¡°¡­I, Kana!¡± ¡°Hah¡­ Haa¡­.¡± I nced around. It wasn¡¯t until I saw Da-eun¡¯s worried face, holding my shoulders carefully, that I came back to my senses. ¡®It was¡­ just a dream.¡¯ Realizing that it was a dream, my rapid breathing began to gradually calm down. ¡°Oh my goodness, look at this cold sweat¡­ Your back ispletely soaked! Did you have a nightmare or something?¡± ¡°A nightmare¡­ Yeah, maybe.¡± ¡°Are you okay? Should I get you something warm?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine.¡± I stopped Da-eun, who looked like she was about to rush out to get some warm water any second. If it¡¯s called a nightmare¡­ then I guess it was. Calling a dream where Dad appeared a nightmare¡­ I felt a wave of guilt rising in my chest, and yet, recalling that face contorted with loathing, my mind seemed to freeze. ¡°This won¡¯t do. I¡¯ll go tell Artisha, and you should just rest for today.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. Don¡¯t make such a fuss over it.¡± ¡°Kana!¡± Da-eun raised her voice. But I didn¡¯t back down on my words. Sensing my resolute stance, she, who had been trying to change my mind with a strong tone, shifted her approach and spoke in a softer voice. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to postpone it if you¡¯re not feeling well? What if you get hurt while pushing yourself when you¡¯re not in good condition¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just in a bad mood, not in bad shape.¡± ¡°Still¡­¡± ¡°No ¡®still¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­Fine. But if it really doesn¡¯t seem doable, promise me you¡¯ll postpone it. Okay?¡± ¡°I said no ¡®still¡¯.¡± Grumbling like that, I noticed Da-eun stood her ground, unwilling to give an inch. In the end, she made me promise by locking our pinky fingers, and only then did she back off, seemingly satisfied. How can she be so happy about a promise that isn¡¯t binding in the least? Da-eun smiled, visibly more at ease. ¡°Then shall we go have breakfast?¡± ¡°¡­Breakfast?¡± ¡°Yep! We can¡¯t go fight on an empty stomach. Eating is important! No matter how cute you are, Kana, I can¡¯t let you skip your meals.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t n on skipping my meals¡­¡± I tilted my head while shaking off my damp clothes. ¡°We can just eat here, can¡¯t we?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? When you¡¯re invited to someone¡¯s house, you should have meals with the host.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true. But aren¡¯t you forgetting something?¡± ¡°Huh? Forgetting something?¡± What could it be? I debated whether to remind her of what she missed, but decided against it. Well, there¡¯s no rule saying the host has to serve the meal. Worst case, we can serve it ourselves, so eating together as Da-eun suggested isn¡¯t a bad idea. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re short on food. I threw off the sticky clothes and changed into my usual outfit. ¡°It would¡¯ve been nice if you wore something prettier¡­¡± Ignoring Da-eun¡¯s quiet grumbling, I finished changing and walked out with her. It wasn¡¯t a big house for a lord¡¯s mansion, so it didn¡¯t take long to find the dining room. ¡°Ah, you two are here?¡± ¡°Celine! You¡¯re up early.¡± ¡°Hello¡­¡± Celine and Artisha, who were already there before us, greeted us warmly. As always, Celine greeted us with a gentle smile but widened her eyes in surprise. ¡°Kana, you don¡¯t look well¡­ Did something happen?¡± ¡°She said she had a nightmare. It must have been a really bad one because she was sweating and moaning even while she was asleep.¡± ¡°Kana¡­ had a nightmare?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit unexpected, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry to say this, but yes, it is.¡± ¡°Haha, I understand how you feel. Kana always seems so strong, so it¡¯s hard to imagine her showing any signs of weakness.¡± ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± ¡°Huh? Just some light morning greetings.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± It didn¡¯t seem like that at all. I gave her a suspicious look, and Da-eun lowered her gaze, smiling softly. ¡°Don¡¯t doubt me.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that tone?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t it sound reverent?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Even Edel didn¡¯t speak like that. Or maybe¡­ thinking back, it might¡¯ve been because Edel was unusual in the first ce. Not that I expected reverence, but I never imagined that a deity would speak so informally. Saying she studied Earth¡¯s civilization and culture might not have been a lie, considering she casually used phrases that didn¡¯t exist in Silia. Even I, who came from Earth, can¡¯t remember them properly. ¡°What were you doing, Celine?¡± ¡°We were talking about themunication methods used by the Purifier n.¡± ¡°Oh, I found that fascinating too. Even though thenguage is different, you can still understand each other¡­ How does it work?¡± ¡°To be precise, it¡¯s not the words that you understand but the meaning behind them¡­ You¡¯re not hearing the words but reading the intention conveyed through the mana in the words¡­¡± ¡°Mana in the words?¡± ¡°All living beings unconsciously emit mana¡­ Since we are sensitive to both mana and magi, we¡¯re ustomed to reading it¡­ And it¡¯s also easy for us to imbue our intent into mana and convey it¡­¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why I could understand what Artisha was saying¡­¡± I didn¡¯t fully understand what Celine and Da-eun were saying, but I could understand what Artisha was saying. Reading someone¡¯s intent through the mana they emit when they speak¡­ That¡¯s quite intriguing. I wonder if I could do it too? I had a strong desire to try, but based on what I¡¯d heard so far, imitating Artisha would be impossible. As I attempted to release some mana to test it, I felt three pairs of eyes watching me and quickly retracted it. Instead, I focused on paying closer attention to Artisha¡¯s words. Meanwhile, Artisha continued her conversation with the others as if my presence didn¡¯t matter. Artisha¡¯s voice had anguid quality, and just listening to it made me feel drowsy. Perhaps it was because I had a nightmare. ¡°Haaah¡­¡± I fought against the drowsiness, suppressing a yawn that escaped my lips, and overheard Celine and Da-eun murmuring to each other. ¡°Kana seems very sleepy.¡± ¡°Well, children usually need a lot of sleep.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me a child¡­¡± ¡°Ah, sorry. You just looked so cute yawning that I couldn¡¯t help myself¡­ Huh? Wait a moment.¡± Da-eun suddenly leaned forward. Feeling ufortable with her face so close, I instinctively leaned back. ¡°Kana, did I speak in Granic?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Listening to Artisha¡¯snguid voice had made me so rxed that I answered without thinking, but¡­ maybe I really did reply in Arkish. No way, did I actually seed? ¡­Just like that? Chapter 93 Chapter 93 The faint flow of mana. It was a weak current that I wouldn¡¯t have even noticed under normal circumstances, but with focused concentration, I could sense it now. ¡®So this is what it¡¯s like.¡¯ I finally understood what Artisha meant when she said that living beings unconsciously release mana. Feeling the flow of mana, I slowly opened my closed eyes. Nod. ¡ªNod. In response to my signal, Da-eun also nodded. ¡°Kana. Did you know that your sister really, really likes you?¡± It was a phrase I wouldn¡¯t have been able to understand before, as I had only just started learning Arkish.But it¡¯s different now. I¡¯ve learned how the Demonic Racemunicates from Artisha. I read the intention Da-eun conveyed through her mana. ¡°¡­¡®I¡¯m an expert who can¡¯t even properly use a sword. What a noob I am¡¯?¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s totally wrong!¡± Da-eun shouted. ¡°How could ¡®I really, really like you¡¯ turn into ¡®I¡¯m a noob¡¯?!¡± ¡°Hmm, I think it¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not possible! That¡¯spletely different!¡± ¡°But if I can¡¯t understand, what am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°Then could you just say you don¡¯t get it¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to. It hurts my pride.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh, I can¡¯t stand it! You¡¯re so annoying!¡± S-t-r-e-t-c-h¡ª ¡°¡­Mmngng.¡± Da-eun pulled at my cheek, stretching it out. I couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡®I didn¡¯t know my cheek could stretch this far.¡¯ ¡°Be honest. You¡¯re just understanding what you want to understand, right? Otherwise, how could you catch words like chocte, meat, or kid, but not understand other sentences?¡± ¡°Mmmng?¡± ¡°¡­What are you saying? I can¡¯t understand you.¡± ¡°Mmng¡­.¡± If you want me to understand, at least let go of my cheek and talk. It doesn¡¯t hurt, but looking at my cheek being stretched out like a sticky rice cake makes me feel weird. When I sent her a pleading look, Da-eun finally let go of my cheek. I didn¡¯t need a mirror to know that my cheek had turned bright red. I rubbed my warm cheek as I grumbled. ¡°Is this really my fault?¡± After I began to understand Da-eun¡¯s words, we conducted a lot of experiments. Checking if I could understand when Da-eun and Celine spoke Arkish, and testing if Celine could understand me in return. The sess rate was less than half¡­ around 30%, or perhaps even less. It¡¯s not a high sess rate overall, but considering that it¡¯s a skill I¡¯ve only just acquired, wouldn¡¯t you say it¡¯s a satisfactory achievement? That¡¯s what I think. ¡°You can¡¯t expect to be good at something right from the start.¡± ¡°¡­Of all people, you shouldn¡¯t be the one saying that, Kana!¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± ¡°You seriously don¡¯t know? You always teased me, calling me a noob!¡± With an indignant voice, Da-eun reached out to grab me again. I was caught off guard before, but not this time. I shook my head vigorously, dodging her grasp. ¡°It¡¯s easier to understand things you¡¯re interested in¡­.¡± Artisha, who had been quietly watching our exchange, spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s the same with listening¡­. If people are talking about something you¡¯re not interested in, do you really pay attention to it¡­?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Not really, I guess?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how it is¡­. Honestly, it¡¯s amazing you seeded even once¡­. You¡¯ll be able to read other things once you get used to it¡­.¡± ¡°See? Even Artisha says so.¡± This means I wasn¡¯t doing it wrong. ¡°Don¡¯t look so smug.¡± Unable to catch me, Da-eun clicked her tongue in frustration and lowered her hand. Even though she looked at me with an irritated expression, she didn¡¯t seem to have the resolve to try again. It was quite a sight. I guess she should¡¯ve trained harder instead of cking off. With that in mind, I also needed to train to develop my newly acquired skill further. ¡°We¡¯ll have a simple meal and then head out.¡± I decided to put that off forter. Since we already had ns for today. ¡°Are we leaving already?¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Got it¡­¡± There was only one objection. But even that was more of a differing opinion than aplete opposition. ¡°We don¡¯t know how long it will take, so we should head out as early as possible.¡± If we end up getting therete and it¡¯s already dark, it¡¯s going to be a hassle. Even though I¡¯ve long surpassed the point where darkness hinders me, I still feel an instinctive aversion to it. ¡°Kana, you don¡¯t like the dark either? No matter how mature you act, there¡¯s still something adorable about you.¡± ¡°Yeah. It reminds me of the time I lived in the back alleys, so I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m joking.¡± The mood suddenly turned somber. I said it was a joke, but Da-eun¡¯s expression showed no signs of brightening up. ¡­It really was just a joke. Despite my efforts to lighten the mood that I had unintentionally shoved into a metaphorical gutter, all my attempts ended in failure. No, failure would have been better¡ªmy efforts only made it worse. No matter what I said, her gaze was filled with a deep understanding, so I eventually gave up trying to exin. Myck of social skills and conversational ability weren¡¯t enough to pull the atmosphere out of the gutter, so instead of trying to change the mood, I opted to switch topics altogether. ¡°Anyway, I n to head out soon. Artisha.¡± ¡°Yes¡­?¡± ¡°Please guide us.¡± ¡°I was nning on going with you anyway¡­ I want to see that thing fall¡­.¡± Despite her drowsy tone, the belligerent Artisha readily epted my request. ¡°I¡¯ll help, too.¡± Through Da-eun¡¯s trantion, Celine, who had been listening to our conversation, also offered to assist without hesitation. There was no reason to refuse help from a nun in training, so I dly epted her assistance. Me, Artisha, Celine, and a few members of the Demonic Race who would help us. Our party to hunt down Krumo¡¯s Shadow was almostplete. I wasn¡¯t sure how much help Artisha and the other Demonic Race members would be, but since Artisha was confident, it should be fine. ¡°Then, let¡¯s eat and head out right¡ª¡± ¡°Joanie, stay here.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± I cut off Da-eun¡¯s words. ¡°M-me?¡± ¡°Is there anyone else here with that name?¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t, but¡­ No, that¡¯s not the point!¡± Da-eun pushed her chair back with a forceful thud and stood up. ¡°Why am I the only one being told to stay behind when Celine and Artisha are going too?!¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re weak.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Her words of protest were cut short. It seemed she couldn¡¯t bring herself to deny her weakness. After hesitating for a moment, she finally found something to say. ¡°W-what about Laxia? Laxia is just as dangerous, but you said I could go there¡­.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not going to fight in Laxia¡ª¡± ¡°Still! It¡¯s dangerous all the same.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Is that so? ¡­So, do you really not want to stay behind?¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to go. I just don¡¯t understand why I can¡¯te with you this time.¡± Was she that afraid of being left alone? Unlike her usual self, who shuddered at the mere mention of ¡°fighting,¡± she was being unusually stubborn this time. No matter what I said, she stood her ground. ¡°Why are you being so stubborn about this?¡± ¡°¡­Kana, you were being stubborn earlier too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s different.¡± It wasn¡¯t stubbornness¡ªI was just stating something I was supposed to do. Besides,bat ability is directly rted to fighting. ¡°It¡¯s not different at all.¡± Da-eun shook her head. ¡°Are you saying all this because you¡¯re worried about me? Because you¡¯re afraid I might get hurt while fighting Krumo¡¯s Shadow?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± ¡°I feel the same way. How can I just sit back and watch while my little sister is going off to do something dangerous?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Da-eun said that her concern was the same as mine. Honestly, I found it a bit frustrating that she kept insisting oning to dangerous ces. For a moment, I even wondered if she had some other purpose. But then, the flow of mana carried by her words reached me. It was filled with the worry and concern she had mentioned. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°Then¡ª¡± Even so, I couldn¡¯t just ept her words at face value. ¡°It¡¯s still a no.¡± I¡¯m confident in hunting down enemies, but I¡¯m not confident in protecting someone. Protecting others was my father¡¯s specialty. ¡°Fine¡­ I¡¯ll just wait here, then.¡± Seeing that things were getting heated, Celine finally stepped in to mediate, and Da-eun reluctantly backed down. But it was clear from her expression that she wasn¡¯t happy about it. ¡­I don¡¯t n on changing my decision, but I do feel a little bad. It¡¯s partly because I made her feel left out, and partly because I had those unfounded suspicions. Even though I hadn¡¯t said it out loud, the fact that I even considered such thoughts weighed on my mind. ¡°¡­When I get back.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°When I finish the hunt ande back, I¡¯ll do you a favor.¡± Looking puzzled, Da-eun tilted her head. ¡°Oh¡­ Usually, this is where you call it a ¡®wish,¡¯ right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s too grandiose.¡± ¡°Then¡­ does that mean I get to hold you and cuddle you all day if I want?¡± ¡°¡­Is that what you want?¡± I hesitantly nodded. Should I call that simple, or should I say she¡¯s honest about her desires? ¡°If that¡¯s what you want.¡± ¡°Yay! You promised, so you have to keep it. Okay?¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Da-eun probably had no idea what I was thinking. Even though I didn¡¯t lie, I couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling of guilt, as if I had deceived her. ¡°I¡¯ll definitelye back alive.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°If Ie back safely¡­ yeah, let¡¯s have a meal together.¡± ¡°W-wait, Kana¡­?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Joanie, you know how skilled I am. I¡¯ll take care of it quickly ande back, so just wait for me.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re doing this on purpose, aren¡¯t you?! You¡¯re deliberately setting a g, aren¡¯t you?!¡± ¡°A g? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± I told her not to worry, but instead of easing her anxiety, Da-eun¡¯s face only grew more tense than before I said anything. What¡¯s going on with her? I don¡¯t get it. Chapter 94 Chapter 94 The group finished their simple breakfast and set off to hunt Krumo¡¯s Shadow. Da-eun was left alone at Artisha¡¯s mansion. Even the owner of the house had left, so there was absolutely nothing Da-eun could do. Artisha told her not to worry, but as a guest, Da-eun couldn¡¯t just go rummaging through the house without the owner present. ¡°Haa¡­¡± Da-eun, sitting on the bed and staring nkly out the window, let out a sigh. It was the kind of deep sigh that would have made her mother yell, ¡°Don¡¯t sigh so deeply, or the ground will sink!¡± while giving her a smack on the back. ¡°Weak¡­ because I¡¯m weak¡­¡± Da-eun reflected on what Kana had said.She knew she was like the person who always got assigned the role of ¡°the weakest among the Four Heavenly Kings.¡± She understood that it was herself. And even if she had gone with them, she knew she wouldn¡¯t have been much help. No, it would¡¯ve been lucky if she wasn¡¯t a hindrance. Her kind-heartedpanions would have likely been too preupied worrying about her to fight properly. An absolute burden. Like a waterlogged log in the middle of a fight. ¡°But¡­ I just didn¡¯t want to sit back and watch.¡± If the group, especially Kana, came back injured after hunting Krumo¡¯s Shadow, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to forgive herself. That¡¯s why Da-eun stubbornly insisted on going along, even though she knew she would be of little help. ¡°Thinking back, I feel a bit sorry now¡­¡± She wondered how much trouble she had caused Kana with her stubbornness. Da-eun smiled bitterly as she thought about the little girl who had pretended not to care but had secretly been watching her reactions. ¡ª ¡°Too weak khikhikhi¡± ¡ª ¡°??? : You don¡¯t belong in our party.¡± ¡ª ¡°Kicked out of the party for being weak, I awakened cheat abilities and now I¡¯m getting revenge on those who abandoned me.¡± ¡ª ¡°Nah, that¡¯s too tough¡­¡± ¡ª ¡°But Joanie-nim, there wasn¡¯t anything you could do because you¡¯re too weak ?? Don¡¯t feel bad ??¡± ¡ª ¡°Isn¡¯t she strong, though? She¡¯s at least the channel owner, right?¡±
  • ¡°Yeah, but no.¡±
  • ¡°She¡¯s strong enough. If things get tough, she can just say, ¡®Kanaemon, help~¡¯ and that¡¯s it~¡±
  • ¡°Ah, that¡¯s it hihihi¡±
Da-eun¡¯s viewers were busyughing at her misfortune. At a nce, it looked like they wereforting her, but if you looked closely, they were actually making fun of her. It was the kind of chat called ¡®baiting¡¯ or ¡®subtle mockery.¡¯ Phew. Da-eun sighed briefly and switched the broadcast screen. She switched to her usual outro screen used for ending streams. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll wrap up today¡¯s stream here. If I feel like it, I¡¯ll be back onter.¡± ¡ª ¡°Huh?¡± ¡ª ¡°What?¡± ¡ª ¡°WTF; You¡¯re leaving already?!¡± ¡ª ¡°How long has it been since you started streaming, and you¡¯re already quitting?!¡± ¡ª ¡°Don¡¯t go, don¡¯t go, don¡¯t go, don¡¯t go, don¡¯t go, don¡¯t go¡­¡± ¡ª ¡°Mom, it¡¯s cold, mom, it¡¯s cold, mom, it¡¯s cold¡­¡± ¡ª ¡°Go ahead~ end the stream~ I¡¯ll just hold my breath until youe back~¡± ¡ª ¡°She says that, but?¡± ¡°Okay then, bye.¡± The viewers¡¯ints pierced the sky, but Da-eun paid no attention and ended the stream. Whetherter today or tomorrow, it¡¯ll be chaos when she turns it on again. Da-eun could already picture the chat burning with fury from her angry viewers. ¡°Future me, good luck!¡± But that would be her future self¡¯s problem. Even though her future self would curse at her with words like ¡®idiot¡­ irresponsible¡­¡¯, right now, Da-eun only felt refreshed. ¡°What should I do now¡­?¡± She turned off the stream, and thought about logging out and doing some housework. After a brief moment of contemtion, her hand brushed against something long, hard, and cold. It was the longsword she used. Da-eun stared nkly at the sword. ¡°Weak¡­ because I¡¯m weak.¡± Kana¡¯s voice reyed vividly in her mind, as if a recorder had been turned on. ¡°How can weak people live with all this frustration?¡± She thought she had improved a lot. Da-eun muttered with a sullen voice, recalling how even Celine had tried to stop her. ¡°Maybe I should practice my swordsmanship.¡± Just wait. I¡¯m going to train hard and knock down that proud nose of Kana¡¯s someday. It was a resolve with almost zero chance of bing a reality, but at least it was motivating her. Holding her sword, Da-eun left the mansion. Her determination could bepared to that of a general making a vow before heading to war. Word must have spread overnight, as the Demonic Race beings no longer viewed her with as much caution as yesterday. Yesterday¡¯s gazes were 20% curiosity and 80% caution, but today it seemed to have reversed to 80% curiosity and 20% caution. Da-eun approached one of them and asked if there was an empty space where she could train. ¡°Ah, over there? Okay, Thanks for your help!¡± Thanks to a kind member of the Demonic Race, Da-eun easily found the vacant lot. It was exactly as described¡ªa vacant lot, nothing more. ¡°Well, I did ask for an empty space.¡± It was Da-eun herself who politely declined when the member of the Demonic Race offered to show her a proper training ground instead. ¡°I don¡¯t really like practicing while being watched by strangers.¡± Da-eun still remembered the stares she received when she first set foot in a gym¡ªthe stares of those seasoned gym-goers sizing her up. Of course, the atmosphere was a little different¡­ but she definitely wanted to avoid those ¡°That¡¯s not how you do it¡± kinds of nces. Swinging a sword in empty air was something she was used to, after all. ¡°So it was like this, right?¡± Da-eun assumed her stance, recalling the small hands that had once corrected her posture. The grip of the sword, which had felt awkward before, now felt more familiar. To think a day woulde when she¡¯d train on her own¡­ It was the kind of situation that would make her viewers gasp, her friends gape in shock, and Kana feel a twinge of jealousy¡­ or maybe not. Da-eun chuckled softly at her own silly thoughts. Swish! The sword cut through the air with a sharp sound. To an observer, it might have looked like an impressive and powerful sh, but Da-eun, the one performing it, merely furrowed her brow slightly. ¡°¡­I still don¡¯t get it.¡± How on earth do you control mana? When she used a skill, mana did gather on her sword, but that wasn¡¯t what Da-eun wanted. What she wanted was to be able to handle mana without relying on a skill. That was the level Da-eun aimed for, but she was still far from grasping it. One time, she asked Kana how to control mana better. ¡°Mana?¡± ¡°Yeah. I want to use mana like you, Kana.¡± ¡°You¡¯re already using mana¡­ Oh, right.¡± Kana nodded as if she understood something. ¡°If you want me to teach you, I can.¡± ¡°-Teach me?¡± ¡°Start by practicing your swordsmanship.¡± If you keep moving your body, you¡¯ll naturally learn how to handle it. That¡¯s what Kana told her. ¡°If you still can¡¯t get it, I¡¯ll teach you directly.¡± ¡°Uh, okay¡­ Thanks.¡± It was definitely a kind offer, but why did it feel a little unsettling? Even though she had promised to get help from Kana, Da-eun was still anxious. She also wanted to show Kana that she could master it without help. ¡°I wonder if Yuki knows¡­¡± For some reason, Da-eun felt like Yuki might know the answer. Mumbling to herself, she tried various ways to handle mana. Of course, her attempts failed this time as well. ¡°Haa¡­¡± Da-eun, who had been swinging her sword non-stop, felt a dull ache in her shoulders and arms and decided to sheath her sword. How much time had passed? Maybe it was just a few minutes, or maybe it had been hours. Even though her body was exhausted, Da-eun couldn¡¯t help but smile, feeling proud of herself for getting so immersed in training. With this much effort, maybe she was at least one step¡ªno, half a step¡ªcloser. Growl¡ª ¡°Ah.¡± As if to scold her for wishful thinking, her stomach growled at just the right moment. Although there was no one else around, she awkwardly scratched her cheek and nced around. ¡°My stomach¡¯s already empty¡­ Guess I should head back and eat¡­ ¡­Wait, I don¡¯t really have to.¡± Da-eun realized there was no point in going back since there wasn¡¯t anyone waiting to eat with her anyway. The ingredients back at the mansion were all tainted with Magi¡­ Maybe it would be better to eat here. ¡°No, wait. They might¡¯ve already finished off Krumo¡¯s Shadow since it¡¯s just a monster with a grand-sounding name.¡± Mhm, Kana is strong, so it¡¯s really possible. Alright. Let¡¯s head back to the mansion. Darting back and forth. Pacing around. After wandering aimlessly around the vacant lot, Da-eun finally decided on her destination. As Da-eun was about to head back to the mansion, she suddenly noticed that the sky had darkened. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Is it going to rain? ¡°Rain would be a pain¡­¡± Muttering to herself, she looked up at the sky. Her eyes slowly widened. Whoooosh¡ª A fierce wind whipped through Da-eun¡¯s hair. But she couldn¡¯t care less about her messy hair. A gigantic shadow loomed over the sky. The smell of burnt ashes wafted through the wind. ¡°What¡­ is that¡­?¡± Before Da-eun could voice her question¡ª BOOOM! Crimson mes rained down onto the ground. *** *** ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°This is definitely the ce¡­.¡± Artisha, who was leading the way, tilted her head. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Look¡­ There are traces left here¡­.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I scanned the massive w marks and the scattered remains of monsters. It certainly seemed like the right ce. But the spot that looked like its nest had no sign of Krumo¡¯s Shadow¡ªor even the shadow of Krumo¡¯s Shadow. The shadow of a shadow¡­ That¡¯s a weird thing to say. ¡°We¡¯ll probably find something if we keep searching.¡± If it¡¯s got dragon-like traits, it mighte back to its nest once it senses an intruder. So, we¡¯ve been searching around the area, waiting for it to show up for hours. ¡°¡­It¡¯s noting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really noting¡­.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s noting.¡± The thing still hadn¡¯t shown even a hint of itself. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s already moved to a new nest?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s actually a relief¡­¡± Artisha murmured, sounding uneasy. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Normally, I would¡¯ve told her not to say such ominous things, but I felt the same sense of foreboding. But there was no point in saying it out loud. Saying something like that would only lower our morale, after all. ¡°But it really is close to the vige.¡± It was almost surprising that there hadn¡¯t been any shes so far. If I focus, I think I can even see the vige. As I looked towards the vige out of curiosity, something caught my eye. ¡°¡­Artisha.¡± ¡°Yes¡­?¡± ¡°Is Krumo¡¯s Shadow a monster with ck scales, that looks a bit like a wyvern?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Why¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± So this was the source of the ominous feeling both Artisha and I sensed. I nodded slowly and said in a low voice, ¡°We¡¯re screwed.¡± Looks like we weren¡¯t the only ones who thought of attacking first before getting attacked. Chapter 95 Chapter 95 When an earthquake urs, you must quickly shut off the gas and electricity and move to an open space free of falling objects. If you cannot leave the building, protect yourself by hiding under a sturdy table or simr structure. In case of a fire, loudly alert others and cover your mouth and nose with a wet towel, then evacuate while staying low. Da-eun also had a general idea of what to do in other scenarios like typhoons, tsunamis, avnches, and even in the event of war. Some of this she had learned because she was curious and looked it up herself, while other things she learned through safety training. However, she swore she had never received any training for a situation like this. Of course, that was natural. There was no way there could be guidelines for what to do when a dragon attacks on Earth. ¡®Actually¡­ if I search for it, there might be something.¡¯If there were guidelines for how to act in the case of a zombie outbreak, it wouldn¡¯t be too surprising if there were something simr for this. Considering that stories about Hunters have been poprtely, there might even be someone who has written about such things. But would reading that really help? Da-eun was doubtful. ¡°R-run away!¡± ¡°Ahhh!¡± Every time its giant wings brushed by, buildings crumbled, and the mes it breathed down scorched the ground. It was hard not to think such things. The searing heat brushed against Da-eun¡¯s cheek, snapping her back to her senses. ¡°Run, I have to run¡­.¡± But where to? The buildings are crumbling like flimsy straws. ¡°Just move, anywhere¡­!¡± If she stayed in the empty clearing, she¡¯d just be an easy target. So far, it hadn¡¯t paid her any attention, but she couldn¡¯t count on that continuing. Thus, Da-eun began to move. ¡®There¡¯s no way Kana lost. We just got separated, that¡¯s all.¡¯ Ignoring the ominous thoughts that crossed her mind. As she proceeded, a scene of utter chaos unfolded before her eyes. It wasn¡¯t just Da-eun who was panicking from the sudden attack. Demons were running out of burning homes, fleeing somewhere. Others were hiding with their children held tight in their arms. There were even some Demonic beings Da-eun recognized from the day before. ¡°Quick, attack!¡± ¡°B-but it¡¯s not reaching!¡± ¡°Damn it! Are our magic and arrows just for show? Use whatever you¡¯ve got¡ªmagic, arrows, anything! Are you just going to sit here and watch the vige burn?!¡± ¡°Captain! We¡¯re out of arrows!¡± ¡°Then throw rocks if you have to!¡± Magic formed from Magi, arrows, and even stonesunched toward the sky. Most were blown away by the gusts from its wings, and those that did manage to reach it couldn¡¯t inflict any significant damage. After traveling such a long distance, theycked power and were blocked by the dragon¡¯s tough scales. It¡¯s just unfair. This must be why air superiority is so important. ¡°¡­Could I help?¡± Da-eun gauged the distance between the sky and the ground. The distance between the dragon and herself. As she considered it, Da-eun shook her head. ¡®It¡¯s impossible.¡¯ She didn¡¯t need to think long. She did have a skill to send out sword beams, but her attack couldn¡¯t reach that far up into the sky. Even if it could, it would likely disperse harmlessly against its scales, just like the magic cast by the Demonic beings. Her tightly clenched fists turned pale. ¡°¡­I really was just being stubborn for no reason.¡± The emotion that had been lingering vaguely in her mind now approached Da-eun directly. It was a sticky, paralyzing sense of helplessness creeping up from her toes. It was that same emotion that had trapped young Da-eun and refused to let her go, once again attempting to devour her. ¡°No.¡± Smack! But Da-eun didn¡¯t let it consume her. With a resounding smack that echoed through the air, Da-eun pped her own cheek and opened her eyes wide. It¡¯s true she had been a burden. It¡¯s true she had made things difficult for Kana. But that doesn¡¯t justify sitting down and giving up right now. Those things are what she¡¯ll need to apologize for and seek forgiveness when they meet again¡ªgiving up and acting like a victim here isn¡¯t going to solve anything. ¡°Hoo, ha¡­.¡± Da-eun took a deep breath. Even though she had steadied her resolve, it was still impossible for her to fight. However, fighting wasn¡¯t the only thing she could do right now. ¡°Help! The building copsed, and I¡¯m trapped¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯ming! Hang in there for just a little longer!¡± With a grunt, Da-eun exerted her strength and slowly lifted the heavy rubble of the copsed building. Even for her strong body, it wasn¡¯t an easy task. Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead. ¡°I-I¡¯m free!¡± Thud! ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­ Cough, cough!¡± Da-eun released the debris as soon as she confirmed that the demon trapped underneath had safely crawled out. She inhaled a lungful of the thick dust stirred up by the impact and began to cough violently. ¡°Thank you, thank you so much!¡± ¡°I thought humans hated all of us¡­.¡± ¡°Cough¡­! Ah, no, it¡¯s not like that. More importantly, it¡¯s dangerous here, so please get to safety.¡± Thanks to the ring she wore, Da-eun didn¡¯t have to worry about being contaminated by Magi, so there was no reason for her to avoid them. She brushed off the gratitude directed toward her and moved on to her next target. Da-eun tirelessly ran around the vige, rescuing people, giving no chance to catch her breath amidst the cmity brought by the dragon¡¯s attack. Because of her efforts, despite the chaos, there were not as many casualties as one might expect. Nevertheless, there were still those she couldn¡¯t save. A lifeless arm protruded from the rubble. Arge pool of crimson blood had gathered below the limp arm. ¡°Hoo¡­¡± Da-eun forced herself to look away from the blood-drained limb. You know it couldn¡¯t be helped. Focus on something else for now. She spoke to herself, almost as if hypnotizing herself to keep going. ¡°Aahhh! Mommy!¡± ¡°-A child?¡± Da-eun¡¯s head whipped around at the sudden sound of a child¡¯s cry. Standing in what used to be an alleyway was a small child, covered in dust and minor scratches, crying out with all their might. Had they simply lost their mother? Or was it¡­? Da-eun didn¡¯t have the luxury of time to guess at the child¡¯s circumstances. A massive eye shifted. Even though the child¡¯s cries were loud, they were no louder than the screams and shouts filling the area. But that long, vertically slit pupil radiating a dangerous aura locked precisely onto the child. And Da-eun noticed it, too. ¡°D-danger!¡± Da-eun bit back the rest of her words as she hurled herself forward. Crash! ¡°Urgh¡­!¡± Her rushed dive made hernding less than graceful. Ignoring the slight pain that shot through her body, Da-eun hugged the child tightly. The child, likely startled by the sudden movement, stopped crying and looked up at her with wide, round eyes. It had been a rough movement, but it seemed her effort to shield the child paid off; there were no visible injuries. A single tear, brimming on the edge of the child¡¯s eye, dropped onto Da-eun¡¯s clothes. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± The child looked a couple of years younger than Kana. Of course, their actual age was probably much younger, but that was how it appeared based on their outer form. ¡°Did you get separated from your mom?¡± Even as Da-eun asked, she felt anxious. If it wasn¡¯t just a matter of losing track of their mother¡­ If it was a situation where the mother, after sending her child out of a copsing house, watched their small back with a faint smile as the building¡¯s debris¡ª ¡®Ahhh!¡¯ Da-eun furiously shook her head to rid herself of the tragic image. If that were the case, it would undoubtedly be a traumatic memory for the child, but given the circumstances, she couldn¡¯t simply not ask. Fortunately, the child nodded. ¡°I was holding onto Mommy¡¯s hand, but then Mommy disappeared¡­.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± It seemed that the child had let go of their mother¡¯s hand while evacuating. In emergency situations, it¡¯s not umon for families to get separated, so Da-eun understood it easily. ¡°Do you want big sis to help you find your mom?¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Of course. I promise.¡± But before that¡­ Da-eun subtly nced behind her, making sure the child didn¡¯t notice. The ground, melted by the intense heat, wasid bare before her. And there it was¡ªthe ominous eye that was still focused in their direction. The Demonic beings who were fighting against the dragon seemed to have noticed her situation, as they were shouting something. The distance made it difficult to hear clearly, but she could guess they were telling her to run or do something to not draw its attention. She felt the acrid smoke fill her lungs as she stood up. ¡°You damn pedophile.¡± Out of all the Demonic beings, for the creature to specifically target this child¡ªit had to be some kind of sick obsession, Da-eun was sure of it. The malevolent dragon that drove the entire Ardina Continent into fear. For a monster that bore even a fragment of that dragon¡¯s name to be a pedophile¡­ Just a single statement was enough to turn it into that. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the ¡®Shadow of Krumo¡¯ to have that kind of shadow¡­!¡± A regr pervert might not be scary, but a capable pervert is terrifying. And if it¡¯s a fire-breathing, flying pervert, wouldn¡¯t it be even stranger not to be scared? That was what Da-eun thought. ¡°Stick close behind me, okay?¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± The clothes Da-eun wore weren¡¯t that big. However, her frame, which was slightly above average, was enough to hide the small child behind her. With the child concealed behind her back, Da-eun contemted. Should she just stay hidden? But it¡¯s watching from above, so hiding wasn¡¯t an option. With a target already marked, running wouldn¡¯t let her escape so easily either¡­ ¡°Ugh¡­ I have no choice.¡± She had to trust the Demonic beings. Srrrrng¡ª! The de slid out of its sheath. Despite the intense heat caused by the fireball spat by Krumo¡¯s Shadow, the sword Da-eun held felt chillingly cold. The cool sensation steadied Da-eun¡¯s mind little by little. To think that the object that once seemed so terrifying could now provide a sense of reassurance. You never know what life has in store. As soon as she readied her stance, a fireball came flying at her. If she tried to cut through a fireball with a regr sword, she¡¯d end up with a charred lump. ¡°Haat!¡± Yet, even though it wasn¡¯t easy, Da-eun sessfully sliced through the fireball. Split down the middle, the fire lost its form and rapidly lost power. ¡°Since I can¡¯t use Mana, I have no choice but to rely on the sword¡¯s skill¡­!¡± She maintained herposure and deflected the series of crimson mes that came her way. It was only possible due to the absurd specs unique to Apostles. ¡®Fast¡­ But it¡¯s not too fast to handle.¡¯ She¡¯d been hit with much faster attacks before! Confidence swelled within Da-eun. If she could just hold out, help would surelye in some form. Just as she thought, some of the Demonic beings who had been attacking the dragon began rushing toward her. I¡¯ll get the child to a safe ce and then escape myself. As she formted her n, a fierce gust of wind brushed against her cheek. ¡°Ugh¡­?!¡± The air was rapidly being sucked toward a certain direction. Da-eun looked up to find where it was heading and froze in horror. The dragon¡¯s chest had swollen to an enormous size. Its mouth, wide open, revealed crimson mes visible between its jagged teeth. Da-eun knew exactly what that meant. ¡°A Breath Attack¡­!¡± The kind of powerful attack that couldn¡¯t bepared to the petty fireballs thrown until now! ¡°I can¡¯t block that¡­¡± If she faced the Breath Attack head-on, even a sword cloaked in Mana would be turned into ashes without distinction. Sensing the impending disaster, Da-eun instinctively searched for a ce to hide. But¡ª There wasn¡¯t a ce left in the half-destroyed vige that could serve as shelter against the Breath Attack. ¡°B-Big sis¡­¡± A small, fragile hand gripped the hem of Da-eun¡¯s clothes. Seeing the anxiety-ridden expression on the child¡¯s face, she made up her mind. Squatting down to meet the child¡¯s eyes, she pointed toward the Demonic beings. ¡°When I count to three, you¡¯re going to run over there. Got it?¡± ¡°What about you, big sis¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± It seemed displeased by her continued interference. The eye that had been targeting the child was now focused on Da-eun. At least like this, the child should be safe. She gently patted the dirt-covered head of the child. ¡°One¡­¡± Carefully, she rose up, ensuring the child wouldn¡¯t enter the creature¡¯s line of sight. ¡°Two¡­¡± She turned halfway and spread her clothes wide. ¡°Three!¡± At her signal, the child bolted off. Fortunately, the eye showed no interest in the child. ¡°I should run away too¡­¡± ¡­But there¡¯s nowhere to run. If that¡¯s the case, then I have no choice but to stand and fight. With a resolute expression, Da-eun raised her sword. ¡®How long can I hold out?¡¯ She immediately brushed the thought aside. It¡¯s not about how long I can hold out. ¡°I¡¯m going to survive.¡± The moment she spoke those words, the suctioning wind stopped. The chest, which had been expanding endlessly, also ceased its swelling. Fwooosh! Immediately after, the crimson Breath Attack poured down onto the ground. ¡®¡­Grrk!¡¯ The immense pressure transmitted through the sword left her unable to even let out a groan. Her arms quivered as if they might break at any moment, but Da-eun gritted her teeth and held on. Ssssss¡ª The hem of her clothes touched by the Breath Attack caught fire in an instant and started burning away. Amidst the intense heat that felt like it was cooking her alive, she desperately hoped and prayed for this moment to pass quickly. How many seconds had passed? There wasn¡¯t even time to count. As she stood holding the sword, she suddenly realized the suffocating heat that had been tormenting her was gone. The pressure that had been on the verge of snapping her sword had vanished as well. ¡°Did¡­ did I really¡­ make it?¡± Did I really endure the Breath Attack? Da-eun cautiously opened her eyes. The mes she could feel through her tightly shut eyelids werepletely gone. The only thing that remained was the Shadow of Krumo, pping its wings furiously as if in frustration. ¡°Ah, haha¡­! I did it! I actually did it!¡± Overwhelmed with joy at having survived, Da-eun let out a triumphant shout. Enduring a Breath Attack¡ªwasn¡¯t that a monumental feat in and of itself? Da-eun surrendered herself to the thrill running up her spine¡ª ¡°¡®Did it,¡¯ my ass.¡± ¡­or at least she was about to, when a sharp voice cut through from beneath her. ¡°What, you barely survived getting roasted, and now you¡¯re getting all cocky?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Da-eun stiffly lowered her head as if her neck was creaking. A face she knew all too well looked up at her with a disdainful expression. Holding a sword she had never seen before¡ªa pale red one¡ªwas a familiar young girl. Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Crack! Its ws struck down on the corpse of a monster that had already stopped breathing. The ws easily pierced through the hide without any resistance, tearing apart muscles and splitting the corpse in half. Crunch, crunch. It savagely chewed on the monster that once ruled over the fears of mercenaries but had now been reduced to mere chunks of meat. Red blood dripped down between its sharp teeth. After devouring the remaining half without leaving a single piece behind, it scratched the ground irritably. ¡°Not enough¡­.¡± This was not enough to sate its hunger.These alone were not enough to restore its former strength. To regain its strength¡­ The prey that looked like humans but gave off an ominous scent. When it first encountered those prey, it had instinctively fled due to the ominousness that rang an rm bell deep within its instincts. The closer it got to those beings, the more it felt as if its own existence was being twisted. But now, it understood. In order to regain its strength, it needed to consume those prey that gave off that ominous scent. It had realized that it, too, now emitted a scent simr to theirs. It turned its gaze. Toward the distant, tranquil scenery of the vige. *** ¡°Was it really just a coincidence that Krumo¡¯s Shadow attacked the vige while we were away?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s too long and cumbersome to keep saying Krumo¡¯s Shadow. Let¡¯s just call it Shadow for short.¡± ¡°Anyway, was it really just a coincidence that the Shadow appeared?¡± ¡°Or did it target the vige knowing it was vulnerable?¡± ¡®Hmm, I have no idea.¡¯ Personally, I¡¯d like to believe it was a coincidence. If it¡¯s thetter, then that means it has a level of intelligence, which would make it an even more troublesome opponent. Either way, what needs to be done doesn¡¯t change. ¡°We have to go back.¡± As soon as possible. Artisha¡¯s voice, saying this, was cold and firm. Thenguid tone that had always hung in her words had disappeared, as if it had never existed in the first ce, making me wonder if she was the same Artisha. A serious-talking Artisha feels so strange. It hasn¡¯t even been a day since we met, and yet, the image of her in my mind has already solidified as someone endlessly lethargic. Of course, that aside, I fully understood why Artisha was reacting this way. There¡¯s no way that creature, which had torn apart all the monsters around itsir, hade to the vige with good intentions. Expecting it to suddenly show up and say, ¡®Hi, I¡¯m the new neighbor, Krumo. Please take care of me,¡¯ is not being optimistic¡ªit¡¯s just being in stupid. ¡°Canaria.¡± For the first time, my name slipped out of Artisha¡¯s mouth. ¡°Please help.¡± ¡°I was nning to do that anyway.¡± I came here in the first ce to do exactly that, so there¡¯s no need to ask me so earnestly. I¡¯d be in trouble too if the ships bound for Laxia were destroyed due to that thing rampaging around. More importantly, the vige isn¡¯t only upied by the Demonic Race right now. ¡®I should¡¯ve brought her out with me when I had the chance¡­.¡¯ Sometimes, the decisions that seemed like the best option at the time turn out not to be, in hindsight. Yeah, just like right now. As I let out a sigh, frustrated and preparing to set out, a warm presence gently reached out to me. ¡°¡­Celine?¡± Celine and I didn¡¯t talk much. It wasn¡¯t that it was awkward or ufortable¡ªit was simply thenguage barrier. Whenever Celine spoke to me or I spoke to her, we had to go through Da-eun, which made the whole process tedious. Thanks to the word cards Da-eun had made for us,munication had improved a little, but having a natural conversation was still difficult. That¡¯s why Celineing over to pat my back like this was a first. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay.¡± A short sentence. Maybe it was because of that brevity. I could feel the sincerity of her heart in those words. ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Well, we have the magic tools, so we should be fine. Because it¡¯s made of the Dragon Orb, it should have some resistance against attacks that use Mana¡­. If it¡¯s crushed by that enormous body, it won¡¯t matter, but as long as it has even a bit of intelligence, it won¡¯t recklessly descend to the ground. That¡¯s what the wings are for, after all. ¡®Hmm, maybe not.¡¯ If the Shadow really has a personality simr to a Dragon, then that could be a different story. If it¡¯s anything like the one I know, it would scoff, thinking that mere humans couldn¡¯t possibly harm it, and charge straight in. ¡°Hoo¡­.¡± I should stop overthinking this. Panicking and worrying here isn¡¯t going to help solve the situation at all. ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± Exhaling a faint breath, I drew upon my Mana and shot off without waiting for a response. ¡®Ah, I should¡¯ve brought Celine along.¡¯ Her Holy Arts would¡¯ve been helpful. But it¡¯s toote to regret now; I¡¯m already far ahead. It would be better to arrive and fight first rather than go back to carry Celine over. With the sparks shing and the Magi ring violently, it already seems like a huge mess over there. Even as the surrounding scenery blurred and distorted, my eyes stayed focused on my target. As the distance between me and the vige closed, the figure of the creature became clearer. ¡®It¡¯s definitely not a Dragon.¡¯ Not only is its size too small, but it also can¡¯t use magic. A Dragon, known as the Lord of Magic, unable to cast spells? That¡¯s a ridiculous joke. Say something like that in a cheap tavern, and you¡¯d get scolded for spouting nonsense. ¡°Talk sense,¡± they¡¯d say. Though I was lost in trivial thoughts, I ran diligently, and soon, the entrance to the vige came into sight. Even though I could see it, the actual distance was still quite far, but at this pace, I¡¯d cover it in no time. Luckily, I¡¯m not toote. Just as I was about to feel relieved, I saw the Shadow taking a deep breath. ¡°A Breath Attack¡­?¡± ¡­Come to think of it, despite not being able to use magic, it can still use Breath Attacks. I have no idea what made it so angry, but it had stopped shooting fireballs and was now preparing tounch a Breath Attack. This is bad. It wasn¡¯t just mimicking the form of a Breath Attack¡ªseeing the immense amount of Magi gathering around it was unsettling. ¡°Magi¡­ Breath¡­.¡± The more I understand, the more absurd this bes. But ridiculous or not, I had to block its Breath Attack. Where the Shadow¡¯s gaze was fixed stood someone very familiar to me. ¡®What did you do to get into this situation¡­.¡¯ No, I can guess. If it¡¯s Da-eun, she probably meddled where she didn¡¯t need to. I won¡¯t say it¡¯s wrong, but¡­. Seeing her standing boldly in front of the Shadow, holding her sword as if to block it, made me let out a helplessugh. With that determined expression, she clearly knows what it means when that thing takes a deep breath, yet she¡¯s still trying to block it. No matter how much power she borrows from the Dragon Orb, there¡¯s no way it¡¯ll work. ¡®¡­Guess I have no choice.¡¯ I withdrew some of the Mana encircling my body and directed it elsewhere. Buzz¡ª A small vibration rang out as the ring started to glow red. Simultaneously, fierce Mana surged within me, sending searing pain through my body as if I were being stabbed all over with needles. ¡°Urgh¡­!¡± I clenched my teeth, but couldn¡¯tpletely suppress the groan that slipped out. ¡­This is why I don¡¯t want to use it. As I always feel, Dragon Mana is just too ferocious. Every time I activate it, it leaves my body in shambles. No matter how much this is an item directly gifted by a Dragon, it¡¯s practically a burden. The personality of this item is just the worst¡ªwhoever made it did a fantastic job of being absolutely nasty. ¨C It¡¯s been a while since you called for me, and you haven¡¯t changed one bit. ¡°People die if they change.¡± ¨C No, I meant your appearance. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡­Whose fault do you think that is? Responding halfheartedly to the voice ringing in my head, I reached out my hand. In my hand was now a sword, faintly pink yet tinged with a pale red hue. ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± Suddenly, augh escaped my lips. To think I¡¯m standing against an Evil Dragon, borrowing the power of Grasid. It almost feels like I¡¯ve be the protagonist of an old story. Of course, I¡¯m not Zigrid, and I didn¡¯t directly make a contract like he did, but the creature in the sky over there isn¡¯t the Evil Dragon from back then either. It¡¯s just a feeling, that¡¯s all. I gripped the familiar sword and infused it with Mana. Whoosh¡ª! The red Mana, darker than my usual one, flowed along the de. It looked as if I were holding a zing me in my hand. There¡¯s no time to waste. The Breath Attack it had already unleashed was pouring down on Da-eun. Swoosh! With a light leap, I jumped over Da-eun¡¯s head. The searing heat, mixed with Magi, rushed towards me as if it would swallow me whole. It¡¯s quite hot for a fake Dragon¡¯s Breath Attack. ¡°But it¡¯s nothingpared to the real thing.¡± While still airborne, I swung the sword down. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤! Red mes blossomed along the sword¡¯s path. The mes, flickering like a mirage, seemed weak, as if they would be extinguished any moment in front of the crimson Breath. However, the small me that bloomed amidst the intense ze did not wither. Ssshhhh¡ª! Rather, the mes began to devour the Breath flying toward it and pressed forward. Little by little, but surely. The further it advanced, the stronger and more ferocious the mes became. As the mes burned through the Breath and reached the source¡ª Fwoosh¡ª Sensing the danger right in front of its neck, the Shadow abruptly stopped its Breath Attack and quickly moved its body away. It was almost amusing to see it il around, desperately trying to avoid the mes despite itsrge size. ¡­For now, this is taken care of. I turned to look at Da-eun behind me, and fortunately, she seemed unscathed. Not that she would¡¯ve been hurt, since I blocked the attack from the front. Da-eun¡¯s tightly shut eyes slowly opened as she nced around. ¡°Ah, ahaha¡­! I did it! I did it!¡± Confirming that the Breath Attack had stopped, she jumped around with joy. I could clearly feel Da-eun¡¯s emotions flooding into me, leaving me baffled. ¡°You did it, huh.¡± ¡­Sure, I get that you¡¯re happy to be alive, but am I invisible or something? The way her gaze just barely skimmed over me made me wonder for a second if she was doing it on purpose. ¡°Barely saved you from getting burned to a crisp, and this is what I get.¡± If I hadn¡¯t helped, she¡¯d be one of those ashes scattered around here. Or perhaps she would¡¯ve been incinerated without leaving even a trace. Suppressing the throbbing pain in my body, I grumbled to her. Chapter 97 Chapter 97 ¡°Cough¡­¡± Trying not to make a sound, I forcibly suppressed the cough that threatened to escape, along with the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth. ¡®My body¡­.¡¯ Despite the overflowing vitality, my body condition wasn¡¯t good. It was practically like forcibly doping with someone else¡¯s mana. It couldn¡¯t possibly be good. And it wasn¡¯t just anyone¡¯s mana¡ªit was a dragon¡¯s mana. Still,pared to the first time I activated this blessing, my condition was far better. Back then, the bacsh had knocked me out for several days. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have touched it back then.¡¯ Curiosity was a sin. I¡¯d only touched it because I found it strange that my father, who never cared about trinkets, had a ring in his possession. Who could¡¯ve known things would turn out like this¡­?Back then, I didn¡¯t have the skills I do now. I couldn¡¯t handle, let alone resist, the violent mana of the Red Dragon that coursed through me. To my still-undeveloped body, that mana left behind a scar¡ªno, more like a lethal poison. As if the already malnourished body wasn¡¯t enough, the overwhelming strain added on top of it¡­ resulted in this stunted form. It wasn¡¯t that my growth waspletely halted, but the energy that should have gone into growth was redirected to recovery, making it seem like I¡¯d stopped growing altogether. ¡­Or so the one responsible for turning me into this state had exined so kindly. ¡ª¡­Isn¡¯t that not my fault? ¡®You were the one who eagerly jumped at the chance the moment I touched it.¡¯ At that time, I had literally just touched it. I hadn¡¯t even thought about activating any blessing. How could I have known that a perverted lizard was sealed inside the ring? ¡ªIt¡¯s your fault. With such an enticing soul, how could I possibly resist? ¡­ Grasid¡¯s words were essentially saying, ¡®You tempted me first.¡¯ His shamelessness left me at a loss for words. I¡¯d told him countless times to buzz off, ever since he started showing that unwanted attention. But from the moment we met, Grasid had been babbling nonsense like, ¡®Would you like to be mine?¡¯ or ¡®I like your soul,¡¯ and had no intention of leaving me alone. As a result, Grasid¡¯s blessing was now effectively bound to me. *** ¡°Ka, Kana¡­? You¡¯re Kana, right?¡± ¡°Are you already old enough to start forgetting?¡± Oh dear, what a pity¡­ ¡°No, no! I¡¯m still young and healthy!¡± Da-eun shook her head violently when I looked at her pitifully. ¡ªIs she an ally of yours? She smells unfamiliar. ¡®Stay out of it.¡¯ ¡ªAre you jealous? Don¡¯t worry. I have no intention of leaving you for someone else. ¡®¡­Can¡¯t you just go away already?¡¯ ¡ªNo. One day, I swear, I¡¯ll yank this thing off my finger and toss it into a boiling volcano. ¡­No, he¡¯s a Red Dragon. He might actually like that. I¡¯ll have to bury it deep at the bottom of the ocean instead. ¡°For a moment, I thought you weren¡¯t Kana because of your outfit¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, this?¡± Rattle. Swoosh. As I lightly moved my body, the lightweight armor I wore made a slight rattling sound. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much.¡± ¡°Nothing much? It¡¯s amazing¡­! The armor, the cape¡­ You look just like a knight!¡± ¡°Uh, really¡­?¡± I scratched my cheek. I hadn¡¯t expected her to react so strongly. ¡ªQuite a lively girl. ¡°Yeah, I agree with you.¡± I turned away from Da-eun, who was looking at me with admiration, as I agreed with Grasid¡¯s words. ¡°Um, that¡ª¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talkter.¡± ¡°Ah, y-yeah! Right, now¡¯s not the time to just be chatting¡­.¡± Even while talking to Da-eun, my body was throbbing with pain. If it¡¯s already like this now, then when the bacshes¡­. To minimize the inevitable aftermath, I need to wrap up this situation quickly. But before that, I need to ask something. ¡®Grasid.¡¯ ¡ªWhat? ¡®Do you know anything about that guy?¡¯ ¡ªThat one? It¡¯s quite an interesting fellow, but I don¡¯t know it personally. ¡®He called himself Krumo.¡¯ ¡ª¡­Krumo? Grasid¡¯s indifferent voice became a bit clearer, as if the name was not something he could easily ignore. Grasid let out a nasal sound, examining the creature, and soon gave his answer. ¡ªNo. That thing isn¡¯t Krumo. I watched him die with my own eyes, so it¡¯s impossible for him to havee back alive. ¡®¡­I see.¡¯ ¡ªBut I think I know what that thing really is. ¡®What it really is?¡¯ ¡ªYes. Dragons are beings often referred to as the ¡°Masters of Magic.¡± The reason they are called that is because of their unrivaled ability to control mana and their sensitivity to it, more so than any other creature. Although they possess a physical body, they are beings that are essentially akin to pure mana. That¡¯s what dragons are. ¡ªAll life leaves behind remnants of consciousness when it dies. Normally, these remnants scatter and disappear quickly. But a strong consciousness, especially from a being as close to mana as a dragon, is different. Krumo left behind a remnant of intense hatred even after his death, and that remnant lingered in the form of mana instead of dispersing. Grasid, who witnessed Krumo¡¯s death, was aware of this fact. Yet, Grasid didn¡¯t interfere with that remnant. The reason was simple. Even he couldn¡¯t predict what would happen if he carelessly touched it. Rather than meddle and cause a catastrophe, it was better to let it naturally fade away. Even if it was a remnant, it was ultimately just a lump of mana. Over time, it would disperse into the earth, the wind, or the sky. It couldn¡¯t wreak havoc like it did in life, so there was no reason to interfere. However, there was something Grasid hadn¡¯t foreseen. The massive system that regtes the world of Silia¡ªthe purification system¡ªhad broken down. The Demonic Race, unable to survive in Laxia, migrated to the Ardina Continent, settling near the area where Krumo¡¯s remnant lingered. The mana-filled remnant was altered by the influence of the Demonic Race, and as a result¡­ Ta-da. And thus, a monster called ¡°Krumo¡¯s Shadow¡± was born. ¡®It all came full circle, huh?¡¯ Only the Demonic Race ended up being pitiful. Just when they finally found a ce to live, it turned out to be right next to where the Evil Dragon died, and now they¡¯re stuck with this mess. It must have thought it was Krumo because it was formed from Krumo¡¯s lingering consciousness. ¡®If you knew, you should¡¯ve taken care of it.¡¯ ¡ªCan I be honest? ¡®¡­What is it?¡¯ ¡ªI forgot about it because I was asleep. ¡®¡­.¡¯ Of course, a lizard like him is of no help. It was a reminder of that undeniable truth. ¡°I had a little hope. If you really hade back from the dead¡ª¡± There might¡¯ve been a possibility. I muttered inwardly as I readjusted my grip on my sword. After all, I¡¯d already received an answer from Edel. What was I even hoping for? I felt like an idiot and let out a crooked smile. Meanwhile, the shadow seemed to have sensed something when it looked at me. -The red¡­ that me¡­! Ah, ahh, AAAAAAAHH!!! The shadow twisted its body. With each painful scream, the heavens and earth trembled as if weeping in anguish. -Grasid¡­! You filthy traitor, you¡¯re standing in my way again¡­! ¡°Traitor?¡± I tilted my head at the unexpected word, but Grasid dismissed it firmly. ¡ªDon¡¯t mind it. It¡¯s just the nonsense of a long-dead wraith. ¡°I see.¡± It seems like there¡¯s something between them, but I¡¯m not really interested. ¡°Whatever happened between you two, deal with it yourselves.¡± Whoosh¡ª ¡°You¡¯ll pay the price for trying to mess with what¡¯s mine.¡± After cutting through the Breath attack, the mes that had subsided red up once more. Maybe that¡¯s where the saying ¡°Even a dead fire should be watched carefully¡±es from. Well, of course not. But regardless, the shadow, which was already convulsing,pletely lost its mind when it saw me channeling sword energy. -¡°GRASIDDDD!!!¡± The shadow threw aside its strongest weapon, Breath, and charged at me with a reckless physical assault. ¡°Joanie.¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± I only called her name, but Da-eun, understanding perfectly, immediately took off running. As expected, she¡¯s got an uncanny sense of when to back off. ¡°You can call me Da-eun now!¡± ¡°¡­Is that really what¡¯s important right now?¡± For her to say something like that while running away¡­ She sure has gotten braverpared to before. That¡¯s enough pointless thoughts for now. It¡¯s time to deal with this fake lizard that¡¯s charging at me. Its size is smaller than the dimensional creature that took the form of a wolf that I fought recently. But the strength emanating from it feels simr, if not greater. It¡¯s not an opponent to take lightly. It doesn¡¯t need any fancy tricks; if it just crushes me with its massive body, I¡¯d end up as a t piece of jerky. But¡ª ¡°If I don¡¯t get squashed, that¡¯s all that matters.¡± I haven¡¯t lived such an easy life that I¡¯d get taken down by a mindless lizard charging at me. The tip of my sword drew a smooth arc. Compared to its massive frame, the arc I drew seemed pathetically small. But my sword hadn¡¯t stopped yet. Swoosh¡ª From a point to an arc. From an arc to a semicircle. And finally, a circle of me was drawn and stood still. It¡¯s a technique that¡¯s a bit tough to execute with my own power, but if I borrow Grasid¡¯s strength¡­ ¡°I can even pull off something like this.¡± Canaria Style ¨C Wind Cutter The shadow¡¯s body was engulfed within the circle of mes. A massive body contained within a small circle. The sword that had stopped cut diagonally through the circle. shhh! A massive wound was carved onto the shadow¡¯s body. -¡­! KRAAAAAARGH!!! The shadow twisted in agony, letting out a tormented scream. ¡°¡­Tsk.¡± One hit isn¡¯t enough, huh? -Wha, what have you done?! Still, it seems the damage registered properly. The eyes that had flipped back into its head returned to normal. There¡¯s a saying that the best remedy for a crazy person is a good beating. It seemed to have regained its sanity after taking a hit. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much.¡± All I did was include the space it upied inside the circle I drew with my sword and then severed the space along with it. When you think about it, it¡¯s a simple technique. If I were a bit stronger, I wouldn¡¯t have even needed to draw a circle. -¡­No matter how many times I see it, your talent is absurd. ¡°Thanks for thepliment.¡± -This doesn¡¯t make sense¡­! How can a mere human possess such power¡­! Right, it¡¯s you, Grasid! You cowardly bastard! I shrugged my shoulders. It¡¯s true, so I don¡¯t have much to say. Without Grasid¡¯s help, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to perform that technique so easily. ¡°But you know¡­¡± With a crooked smile on my face, I spoke to the shadow. ¡°Is there really any need to feel resentful?¡± The most important thing in a fight is staying calm. It¡¯s much easier to deal with a creature that only acts on instinct rather than one that uses its reason. ¡°If you were strong, none of this would have happened. But you lost because you were weaker than Grasid, right?¡± -¡­What did you say? ¡°Calling others cowardly after losing¡­¡± Ahahaha. I didn¡¯t bother suppressing the mockingughter that escaped. ¡°That¡¯s pathetic.¡± There¡¯s nothing like taunting to make someone lose their temper. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤! No sooner had I finished speaking, the shadow lunged at me. The light of reason that briefly returned to its eyes disappeared without a trace. It¡¯s so agitated by just a few words. How simple-minded. It¡¯s no wonder it¡¯s just residual thoughts. ¡ªIf it were me, I¡¯d probably fall for it too. ¡®Then you¡¯re just as pathetic.¡¯ Isn¡¯t it odd for a dragon to be provoked by such trivial taunts? Despite its massive frame rushing toward me¡ªbigger than most buildings¡ªit didn¡¯t frighten me at all. The desperate, final outburst of a wounded lizard isn¡¯t intimidating. If it had any sense, it would have tended to its wounds first before attacking again. ¡°You¡¯re an idiot to the very end.¡± The sword in my hand began to grow. One span, two spans, three spans. The mes that expanded rapidly formed a massive sword that reached up to the sky. The shadow, finally snapping out of its rage, hesitated and tried to stop when it saw the sword towering over it. But it was toote to run now. ¡°Well then, goodbye.¡± The massive sword descended toward it. And at that moment¡ª Scarlet mes engulfed the world. When the seemingly endless mes finally subsided, Nothing remained where the shadow once stood. *** ¡°¡­Haa.¡± Maybe I overdid it a bit. I released Grasid¡¯s blessing and sank down to the ground. Even that bothersome Grasid, who wouldn¡¯t stop talking once awake, was silent now. That must mean my condition is truly terrible. It¡¯s not that he¡¯s choosing not to speak, but rather, he probably can¡¯t because of my current state. My body, filled with the rampaging mana of a dragon, felt like it was tearing apart. ¡°Urgh¡­¡± ¡°Kana!¡± As I curled up and endured the pain, I heard Da-eun¡¯s voice reach my ears. It seemed she had rushed over the moment she saw the shadow disappear. I couldn¡¯t greet her properly since I was busy trying to bear the pain. ¡°¡­Why, why are you like this?! Are you okay?!¡± ¡°¡­I- I¡¯m fi- ¡­Cough!¡± Ugh¡­! Just as I barely managed to lift myself to respond, something hot surged up from within me. Before I could suppress it, it spilled out, staining the ground red. The smell of fresh blood filled the air. ¡°B-Blood?!¡± ¡­It doesn¡¯t look like saying I¡¯m okay will work this time. I thought that as I looked at Da-eun¡¯s face, pale from shock and panic. Chapter 98 Chapter 98 The sensation of vomiting up a hot mass of blood is unpleasant no matter how many times I experience it. The searing heat burning my throat and the iron stench rising from my insides¡ªneither feels any less revolting. It¡¯s meaningless to talk about my feelings when blood, meant to flow inside my body, is spilling out through my mouth. ¡°Cough¡­ Cough¡­¡± Despite such nonchnt thoughts, my body continued to cough up chunks of blood. Whether it¡¯s vomiting blood or spitting blood, no matter how you look at it, it¡¯s definitely not a sign of a healthy body. Externally, I might appear fine, but inside, my body was a wreck¡ªlike a mushy mess. ¡®Damn¡­ I¡¯m going to die at this rate¡­.¡¯ I¡¯m used to enduring pain.In the back alleys, where thew of the fist is stronger than thew of thend, a little girl is the weakest of the weak. Even if it hurt, I couldn¡¯t show it. I had to swallow my pain down, because I couldn¡¯t afford to be weak. But, even for me, the pain I¡¯m feeling now is difficult to get used to. What initially felt like small needles pricking me has now escted to a sensation as if my insides were being finely sliced by a de, and then rubbed with salt. The body that I¡¯d managed to stretch out briefly curled up again. ¡°How, how could this be¡­ No, wait! Celine. If I get Celine¡­!¡± I caught a glimpse of Da-eun¡¯s resolute expression through my blurred vision caused by the pain. ¡°Kana, hang in there. I¡¯ll bring Celine here.¡± Her voice was filled with hope that Celine, a trainee saintess, would be able to heal me. Da-eun¡¯s expression was full of anticipation as she watched Celine and her party arrive and pour divine power into me. But. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Celine? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It seems that I cannot heal Lady Kana with my power.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°Of course¡­¡± Having anticipated this oue from the beginning, I slowly got up, staggering. I leaned on a long sword, which had a simple appearance and served as my cane, in ce of the red sword that had vanished the moment I lifted Grasid¡¯s Blessing. ¡°This isn¡¯t a regr injury¡­¡± It¡¯s the result of being overwhelmed by the mana of a Red Dragon, known to be exceptionally savage even among dragons. How should I put it¡­ it¡¯s hard to describe in words. It¡¯s not that there¡¯s an actual wound left, but more like my body has been overloaded from enduring excessive stress. So, it¡¯s no surprise that Celine¡¯s holy magic had no effect. ¡°Okay! I get it, so just stop talking! You¡¯re still bleeding¡­!¡± Da-eun cut me off, swiping the corner of my mouth with her sleeve. Her white sleeve was stained bright red with my blood. ¡°Oh.¡± No wonder it felt like something was constantly flowing. I hadn¡¯t realized I was bleeding because I was too busy talking. How careless of me. ¡°I actually thought it was saliva for a moment.¡± Da-eun said she mistook it for drool because I was reacting way too calmly. Blood or saliva, letting something drip from your mouth makes you look just as sloppy, doesn¡¯t it? ¡°It¡¯s definitely different! And more importantly, stop talking if you¡¯re in pain!¡± The soft sensation of cloth brushed against my lips again, and her other sleeve was also turning red. It¡¯s going to be troublesome to wash out the blood from her white clothes. As I stared nkly at the bloodstained cuffs of her sleeves, a thought crossed my mind. ¡°¡­Huh.¡± ¡°Kana?!¡± ¡°Lady Kana!¡± Just a moment ago, I had been looking ahead, but now my vision was turned toward the ground. nk! The sound of the longsword, which I had been using as a cane, ttering to the ground snapped me back to reality. ¡®I¡¯ve fallen, haven¡¯t I?¡¯ No wonder the ground seemed so close. Thankfully, it¡¯s not because I¡¯ve shrunk; I just fell over. The sound of my surroundings echoed dully, as if I were submerged underwater. And just like that, my vision began to blur. ¡®¡­I guess I overexerted myself a bit.¡¯ That was myst thought before my fading consciousness turnedpletely ck. *** *** Is this what it feels like for families waiting for a patient in surgery? This was an entirely new experience for Da-eun, who had always yed the role of the patient. Step, step. The sound of pacing footsteps and nails being bitten filled the short hallway. Creak. The sound of the firmly closed door¡¯s hinges moving. It was a sound that could easily have been missed, but Da-eun, who had been on edge, caught it immediately. Perk! Like a rabbit pricking up its ears, Da-eun dashed toward the opening door. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°How is she?! Is she okay?¡± Celine, who had juste out of the room, stiffened under the pressure of Da-eun¡¯s intensity. ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Seeing Celine¡¯s deeply flustered expression, Da-eun realized her mistake and took a step back. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I understand.¡± Celine¡¯s face, momentarily shocked, softened into a gentle smile. The time spent with Kana and Da-eun. It was only a few weeks, but it had been enough for Celine to get to know them. Even though she often acted prickly, Kana was always particrly kind to Da-eun, and Da-eun looked at Kana with eyes dripping with affection. It was impossible not to notice. ¡®Of course, she¡¯d be worried about the girl she cherishes so much lying unconscious in bed.¡¯ ¡­It¡¯s heartwarming. Celine, who had been watching Da-eun with a mix of admiration and perhaps even a hint of envy, shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not a physician, so I can¡¯t give an exact diagnosis¡­ but Lady Kana¡¯s body seems to be fine.¡± ¡°I see¡­.¡± Da-eun¡¯s expression didn¡¯t brighten much after hearing Celine¡¯s words. While it sounded reassuring to say there was nothing wrong with Kana¡¯s body, it also meant that Celine¡¯s power couldn¡¯t heal her. ¡®Dragon¡¯s mana, huh¡­.¡¯ I had thought it was extraordinary, given that it was a national treasure, but I never imagined it would be something so remarkable. Remembering Kana knocking down Krumo¡¯s Shadow, which had been burning the vige, without letting itnd a single hit, Da-eun shivered. But great power alwayses with a great price. The girl who defeated the shadow in an instant had copsed, her face turning even paler than its usual whiteness, and even after several hours, she had yet to regain consciousness. ¡°I guess all we can do is wait¡­.¡± Kana is strong, so she¡¯ll wake up soon. Da-eun consoled herself, but she couldn¡¯t calm her anxious heart. ¡®She looked like she was in a lot of pain.¡¯ Kana had tried to act like everything was fine, putting on aposed front. But Da-eun, who had been talking to her, could see it clearly. The lips turned pale from clenching in pain, the cold sweat running down her forehead, the oddly unfocused gaze, the tightly furrowed brows, and the voice filled with suffering. There were many other signs that hinted at Kana¡¯s condition, but in the end, she couldn¡¯t withstand the pain and copsed, so there was no need to say more. ¡°How is she doing¡­?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no particr change in her condition.¡± Artisha, who had been away for a while, returned. The attack by Krumo¡¯s Shadow had caused immense damage to the vige. Many buildings were destroyed, and many casualties urred, so not only were there numerous patients, but there were also hardly any proper ces for the residents to stay tonight. Gathering in one of the few intact buildings was the best they could do. Under such circumstances, Artisha had generously offered her residence, one of the few undamaged structures, to Da-eun and her party. Da-eun was both grateful and ufortable about Artisha¡¯s hospitality. ¡°Is it really okay for us to use such arge space all by ourselves?¡± In a situation like this, it felt awkward to upy a spacerge enough for dozens of people with just their small group. So, she had subtly mentioned it several times, but Artisha¡¯s determination was unshakeable. ¡°A debt of gratitude must be repaid¡­.¡± You saved the vige, so what¡¯s a mere mansion inparison? There was also another reason. ¡°It¡¯s not good for patients to be exposed to our Magi.¡± Even if the vige was already saturated with Magi, it made a difference whether they shared the same space or not. While it might not matter when someone is in good health, Artisha¡¯s opinion was that they needed to be cautious now that Kana had lost consciousness and copsed. ¡°Hmm¡­ if that¡¯s the case¡­.¡± Da-eun reluctantly stepped back when Artisha brought up Kana¡¯s condition. ¡°If you need anything, just let me know at any time¡­ I¡¯ll help in every way I can¡­.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing I need right now. I¡¯ll let you know if I think of anythingter.¡± ¡°Alright¡­. Oh, by the way¡­.¡± I didn¡¯te here just to say this¡­. Artisha pped her hands lightly as if she had just remembered. ¡°I almost forgot to mention¡­ For the next few hours, don¡¯t go outside¡­.¡± ¡°What? I wasn¡¯t nning to go out, but¡­ is there a particr reason?¡± ¡°A group of monsters has been spotted approaching¡­. Normally, we¡¯d be fine since we have the barricades, but¡­.¡± Trailing off, Artisha nced out the window. Her dark eyes reflected the ruined, charred scenery of the vige. ¡°As you can see, the state of the vige is a mess¡­. So, stay here as much as possible¡­. There might still be some stragglers left.¡± ¡°A group of monsters?¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± To think that a monster horde would appear when they hadn¡¯t even finished dealing with the shadow¡¯s attack. It was a perfect example of one disaster following another. Da-eun carefully offered a suggestion. ¡°Should I help?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that¡­. Even though it¡¯s a monster horde, it¡¯s notrge enough to overwhelm us. We can handle it on our own¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief, but¡­ it¡¯s a bit strange.¡± Da-eun suddenly recalled something she¡¯d read somewhere. Wasn¡¯t it called Heinrich¡¯s Law? It¡¯s a statistical principle stating that before a major ident urs, dozens of minor idents and warning signs, stemming from the same cause, tend to happen first. For incidents to be happening one after another like this¡­ Could this be a sign of something much bigger brewing? Da-eun felt a surge of anxiety. But she wasn¡¯t insensitive enough to voice such thoughts outright to someone who had already been through a disaster, so she changed the subject subtly. ¡°Why now of all times?¡± ¡°Who knows¡­. Maybe they thought it was an opportunity¡­.¡± Unlike the anxious Da-eun, who was chewing her lips nervously, Artisha seemed indifferent. In fact, she even stuck out her tongue and licked her lips as if savoring something. ¡°Besides, we¡¯ve been short on meattely, so this works out just fine¡­.¡± ¡°Gah¡­.¡± Da-eun made a strange sound in response to Artisha¡¯s words. Monster meat. For Da-eun, who came from Earth, the idea of eating monster meat was something she could never get used to. She knew it was edible, but there was still a lingering hesitation when it came to actually eating it. Noticing the strange look she was receiving, Da-eun cleared her throat. ¡°¡­Ahem, I hope it¡¯s nothing serious.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Why are you saying that while looking at me¡­?¡± ¡°Huh? Who else would I say it to but you, Artisha?¡± Da-eun asked, clearly puzzled. Artisha silently gestured with her chin. As if telling Da-eun to look over there, Da-eun¡¯s eyes rolled toward the direction indicated. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± The tightly closed door had swung wide open. And through the open doorway, a small girl was leaning against the doorframe, quietly watching her. ¡°Bugs are always drawn to a strong light¡­.¡± With a face as exhausted as Artisha¡¯s, Kana spoke. Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Blink. ¡®¡­A familiar ceiling.¡¯ If it¡¯s possible to call a ceiling you¡¯ve only seen for a day ¡°familiar,¡± that is. ¡­Why am I here? As I tried to gather my thoughts, the throbbing pain in my head tightened its grip even more. ¡°Ah, I remember now¡­¡± At least I seeded in recalling the memory. I took down Krumo¡¯s Shadow, then copsed from the recoil of the Blessing. Judging by the fact that I can¡¯t remember anything after that, it seems like I fainted and have just regained consciousness.No wonder my head hurts so much; I was forcibly knocked out and then regained consciousness. After lying down for a few hours, I feel a bit better than I did before passing out. The sensation of my body being torn apart is still the same, though. I forced my still feeble body to stand up and headed toward the source of themotion. ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± Da-eun¡¯s face lit up with joy. As I took a small step back, Da-eun, who had been ready to run over and hug me, paused in her tracks. ¡°Are you still in pain?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not exactly fine.¡± There¡¯s no point in lying about it. The moment I spoke, Da-eun¡¯s face, which had been full of joy, quickly darkened. She frantically hovered around me, seemingly at a loss, unable to bring herself to touch someone in pain. ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t you be lying back down instead of standing? What if your condition worsens? Come on, let¡¯s get back to bed and rest properly. Even if it¡¯s stuffy, make sure to keep yourself covered¡­. Okay? Good girl¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± What the hell is she doing? Just watching her makes me think this could go on forever. Whack! ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°Enough.¡± When a machine malfunctions, a good smack fixes it. The same goes for Da-eun when she¡¯s malfunctioning. Da-eun, clutching her head after the light smack, finally quieted down. I nodded with satisfaction as I watched her. Maybe I have a talent for this sort of thing. I might even be able to make a living out of it someday. Da-eun, who had been rubbing her head and groaning, suddenly jumped up. ¡°Violence is not okay!¡± ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ve survived using this method all my life.¡± ¡°¡­When you put it like that, I have nothing to say! Suddenly making a point like that is totally unfair!¡± Da-eun started pulling at her hair in frustration. Seeing her beautiful hair getting tangled between her fingers made me feel a little¡­ Not sorry at all. It¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve seen Da-eun act like this. Besides, she¡¯s probably just exaggerating, so I don¡¯t need to worry. ¡°You¡¯re awake¡­¡± ¡°Artisha.¡± Artisha acknowledged me with a slight nod. But¡­ ¡°Feels like you¡¯re keeping a bit of distance.¡± We weren¡¯t exactly close to begin with, but Artisha was definitely keeping her distance right now. It wasn¡¯t just my imagination either; she was clearly cautious, constantly gauging my reactions. When I took a step closer as a test, she took two steps back. ¡­What is this? As I narrowed my eyes and red at her, Artisha, flustered and unlike her usual self, answered awkwardly. ¡°Um, I was worried the Magi might affect you¡­¡± ¡°Ah.¡± So, that¡¯s what it was. I thought she was afraid of me or something and avoiding me because of that. This might sound like a delusion from a teenager or self-conceit, but¡­ Having experienced simr situations before, I can¡¯t help but think like this. I made an excuse to no one in particr. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Even though I¡¯m not in the best condition, I won¡¯t be affected by that level of Magi.¡± ¡°Really¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t lie about things like this.¡± Judging by the suspicious look in her eyes, she probably thought I was pretending to be tough to save face. As I mentioned before, I wouldn¡¯t bother putting in that kind of effort for someone I¡¯m not particrly close to. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right! Kana would never do something as considerate as that! She¡¯s probably thinking, ¡®No way could some low-level Magi like yours affect someone as great as me.¡¯ Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Da-eun, who seemed to have calmed down for a moment, started malfunctioning again. It appears I went too easy on her earlier, and now she¡¯s back to being broken. How hard should I hit her to fix her without breaking her entirely? As I clenched and unclenched my fists, Da-eun, sensing the danger, quickly scurried away. Surprisingly, Da-eun¡¯s antics seemed to have worked, as the suspicion in Artisha¡¯s eyes faded away. ¡°I¡¯m jealous¡­¡± ¡°¡­Of what?¡± ¡°That you can withstand the Magi¡­¡± My eyesnded on Artisha¡¯s broken horn. Artisha yearns for Laxia. If her horn hadn¡¯t been broken, she probably wouldn¡¯t havee to the Ardina Continent. But even so, Artisha did not regret losing her horn. There was a sense of pride¡ªpride in having protected something precious in exchange for her horn. Offeringfort to someone with such pride would be an insult. Especially if it came from someone as inexperienced as me. ¡°If you try, you can probably do it too.¡± ¡°Do you really think so¡­?¡± I hope so¡­ Artisha smiled faintly. ¡°Thank you¡­ Because of you and Joanie, the number of casualties was significantly reduced¡­¡± She said that it was because of me that they were able to kill Krumo¡¯s Shadow. And thanks to Joanie, who ran around tirelessly helping with the rescue, the number of victims was minimized. ¡°Hmm.¡± So, Da-eun did something like that. I wondered why the Shadow seemed so agitated¡ªturns out Da-eun¡¯s rescue efforts must have really gotten on its nerves. ¡°You said you were looking for a ship to Laxia¡­ I¡¯ll make sure to get you the best ship possible¡­¡± ¡°As long as it doesn¡¯t sink, I don¡¯t really care.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t treat a benefactor that way¡­¡± ¡°Well¡­ do whatever you want.¡± I straightened my body, which had been leaning against the doorframe. ¡°Don¡¯t you have something you need to do right now?¡± ¡°Something to do¡­?¡± Click. ¡°Exterminating pests.¡± I raised the sword I held in one hand. ¡°Those monsters, they¡¯ve gathered, haven¡¯t they?¡± ¡°You heard¡­?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you talking loud enough for me to hear?¡± ¡°Sorry¡­ I guess I was speaking too loudly¡­¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re really different from yesterday.¡± No, not even yesterday. The Artisha now was noticeably different evenpared to this morning¡¯s Artisha. For someone to change so much in such a short time¡­ she must genuinely be grateful, not just saying it out of courtesy. ¡°This is my responsibility, so I¡¯ll handle it.¡± If it had been a regr monster attack, I would have just left it for them to deal with. But this time, I can¡¯t turn a blind eye. Because the reason the monsters have gathered is because of me. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Smack! ¡°Ow!¡± I gave Da-eun a divine punishment on the head as she tried to sneak into the conversation, seemingly having forgotten her past transgressions. ¡°Do you know why there are especially dangerous monsters near a dragon¡¯sir?¡± No matter how powerful a monster may be, it knows that challenging a dragon would turn it into a monster. ¡°Because of their strong territorial instincts?¡± ¡°More than their own lives?¡± ¡°Hmm, so I got it wrong. What¡¯s the right answer, Professor?¡± Da-eun¡¯s expression showed no hint of regret for getting the answer wrong. In fact, she seemed almost amused by it. At this point, I think Da-eun is just having fun. The answer didn¡¯te from my mouth, but from somewhere else. ¡°Because of the Mana¡­ Right?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I nodded slightly at Artisha¡¯s cautious question. It could be, as Da-eun said, that some of the creatures have such strong territorial instincts that they won¡¯t relocate. But the biggest reason is the Mana spilled by the dragon. Mana that is pure, free of any contamination. With that kind of Mana continuously flowing out, they¡¯re willing to take risks and settle nearby. Just as Mana is a source of life and a means to grow stronger for humans, it¡¯s the same for monsters. ¡°And this ring is imbued with the dragon¡¯s Mana.¡± To be precise, it¡¯s not just Mana¡ªit¡¯s the dragon itself dwelling within. But since the oue is the same, there¡¯s no need to correct myself. ¡°I wanted to tell you earlier¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°You know why.¡± At that, Da-eun¡¯s expression shifted to one of realization. Thinking back, I definitely overexerted myself. I ended up using too much power because I was not in a good mood at the time. There was also a sense of urgency. Given the level of that creature, I could have killed it without invoking the Blessing. ¡­But if I had done that, the damage might have been greater. In that sense, maybe my choice wasn¡¯t entirely wrong, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I overused Grasid¡¯s power. I sighed deeply and staggered forward. ¡°W-where are you going?!¡± ¡°I told you, since it¡¯s my responsibility¡ª¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do!¡± ¡°Hiya!¡± With a small, cute cry, I suddenly found myself lifted off the ground. The familiar scent and sensation that approached me. Without any hesitation, Da-eun, who was now holding me in a princess carry, walked back into the room I had just left and gentlyid me on the bed. Then, she covered me with a moderately thick nket, pulling it up to the very top of my head. ¡°Mmmph.¡± The whole process was so smooth and natural that I didn¡¯t even have time to protest. I finally managed to snap out of it and poked my head out from under the nket. ¡°What are you doing¡­?¡± ¡°Leave this to us, and you rest like a proper patient!¡± ¡°She¡¯s right¡­ We¡¯re not so weak that we¡¯d need your help for something like this¡­.¡± Artisha, who had followed us in, echoed Da-eun¡¯s sentiments, and even Celine, standing behind her, nodded in agreement. I looked at the three of them, all united in stopping me, with an incredulous expression. ¡°What nonsense.¡± ¡°Ah-ah! Tsk, tsk!¡± Ignoring their words, I tried to sit up, but Da-eun, with a stern look, pushed me back down onto the bed. ¡°See? You fell back with just my feeble strength. Kana, you need to rest and stabilize yourself.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± In this state, I¡¯m confident I could take down as many people at Da-eun¡¯s level as they throw at me. Yet, whether I looked annoyed or not, Da-eun just threw the nket back over me. This time, leaving only my eyes visible. ¡°Anyway! We¡¯ll take care of it, so Kana, you just rest up! If I catch you out there, I¡¯m going to spank your bottom! Scared yet?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡­Unbelievable. I was so dumbfounded by her stern re and her ridiculous threat that I didn¡¯t even know how to respond. Even if I were a child¡ªno, even if I were a child, I doubt I¡¯d find such a threat scary. I watched nkly as the three of them left, drawing the curtains and firmly closing the door behind them, and then I let out a breath. ¡°¡­Even if you ask for my helpter, I won¡¯t help.¡± Yes, absolutely not. I nodded firmly, making that resolution. ¡°¡­¡± Still. ¡­Well. It doesn¡¯t feel all that bad. I pulled the nket over my head, covering myselfpletely. ¡°¡­It¡¯s hot.¡± This heat¡­ It must be from being wrapped too tightly under the nket. Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Two days have passed since Krumo¡¯s Shadow attacked the vige. I still haven¡¯t left the sickbed, and in front of me was Da-eun, holding a spoon and smiling brightly. ¡°Kana, say ah~¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°My arm¡¯s getting tired. Come on, say ah~¡± ¡°I can¡­ eat by myself¡­.¡± ¡°A patient¡­ talking back¡­?!¡± ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± ¡°Oh, oh no, it¡¯s going to spill! If you don¡¯t eat it quickly, the red stew will drip all over the white sheets, and then the person doing theundry will have a hard time cleaning it! Kana, you wouldn¡¯t ignore such a thing, right? No, you wouldn¡¯t, because you¡¯re kind and thoughtful-¡±¡°Ah-¡± ¡­ My ears are going to bleed at this rate. I reluctantly opened my mouth, and only then did Da-eun finally stop talking. Looking satisfied after achieving her goal, Da-eun began humming a little tune. As I chewed and swallowed the stew filled with finely chopped meat, I spoke. ¡°I think Da-eun would be better as a bard than a swordswoman.¡± ¡°Huh? Really? Well, I do have a bit of a knack for speaking. I also think my singing skills aren¡¯t that bad¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± That wasn¡¯t what I meant, but¡­ Since she seems satisfied, let¡¯s just leave it at that. ¡®¡­ How did things end up like this?¡¯ Being fed like a baby bird¡­ what a pitiful state I¡¯vee to. Sighing inwardly, I epted another spoonful of stew from Da-eun. To be honest, my condition still wasn¡¯t great. Although I was better than I was two days ago, there were still moments when the dull pain caused me to furrow my brows. But even so, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m so weak that I need this level of care, yet the way everyone looks at me feels like they¡¯re watching a bird that¡¯s had its wings broken. Yesterday, I thought I¡¯d go out for a short walk and opened the door, but then¡ª ¡®Wait a minute! Kana, where are you going?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m feeling stuffy. I just want to get some fresh air.¡¯ ¡®You can barely walk, and you want to go out? I¡¯ll open the window for you, so bear with that. Okay?¡¯ ¡®No.¡¯ ¡®¡­ There¡¯s no choice, then. Celine, please take care of it.¡¯ ¡®Leave it to me.¡¯ ¡®?!¡¯ ¡­ They went as far as using holy magic to keep me inside. I probably could¡¯ve broken through if I tried, but I was so dumbfounded that they¡¯d go to such lengths that I just obediently went back inside. That¡¯s not what holy magic is supposed to be used for. And that wasn¡¯t the only thing bothering me. ¡ªHmm¡­ Hooh¡­ I see¡­. ¡®¡­ Can you at least keep your muttering to yourself?¡¯ ¡ªNo, I don¡¯t want to. ¡®You said you woke up earlier. Go back to sleep.¡¯ ¡ªYou woke me up, didn¡¯t you? Now you¡¯re telling me to leave as soon as we¡¯re done talking? That¡¯s too much. As soon as my body started to recover a bit, the lizard immediately noticed and began to pester me again. This was another reason I didn¡¯t want to activate the blessing. Shouldn¡¯t dragons have a more serious demeanor? The dragons I know weren¡¯t like this. ¡ª¡±It¡¯s a bias.¡± ¡®Yeah. Seeing you, I¡¯m sure of it.¡¯ ¡ªThat¡¯s also a bias. Do you think I show this side to just anyone? I¡¯m showing you kindness because I like your soul. ¡®¡­Ugh.¡¯ ¡­It feels gross. Does he expect me to be all, ¡°Wow, what an honor!¡± and be happy about it? If this lizard thought I¡¯d be thrilled by his favor, he was sorely mistaken. Well¡­ I¡¯ve been enduring both inside and out like this. Whenever I say I¡¯m thirsty, they bring me water, and if I say I¡¯m hungry, they serve me food. Not a feast, but still tasty enough. Most importantly, the absence of any green, leafy vegetables was what I liked the most. ¡°Of course, the best trick with picky eaters is to cut the veggies so small they can¡¯t see them.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t say anything!¡± Anyway, if you ask whether this is ufortable orfortable, it¡¯s definitelyfortable¡­ Without lifting a finger, everything I need is brought to me. How could it not befortable? But beingfortable and feeling stifled are two separate things. ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± Laying down quietly has helped me recover faster than I expected. Just one more day. Maybe two at most. I resolved inwardly as I obediently epted the food Da-eun was offering me. *** Da-eun looked nervously at Celine. ¡°¡­How is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± ¡°Hehe, right?¡± Da-eun finally let out a sigh of relief and grinned proudly when Celine said it was tasty. For the past few days, Da-eun had been in charge of preparing meals for the party. Since food touched by the hands of the Demonic Race would naturally be tainted with Magi, it was only logical. ¡®Though, that¡¯s just an excuse.¡¯ It¡¯s not like only the Demonic Race knew how to cook. Celine was right next to Da-eun the entire time. For simple dishes, Celine could have easily handled it. Even though she knew this, Da-eun took on the troublesome task herself for one reason. ¡®So cute¡­!¡¯ It was because she wanted to see Kana munching on the food she made. Every time Kana chewed, her round, chubby cheeks moved. Da-eun and Kana talked about the things they hadn¡¯t been able to say before. Da-eun apologized for stubbornly ignoring Kana¡¯s words and putting her in a difficult position. Kana, in turn, apologized for leaving Da-eun alone, which led to her experiencing something dangerous, and for misunderstanding her. When asked what misunderstanding it was, Kana firmly kept her lips shut and didn¡¯t say anything more, so Da-eun couldn¡¯t find out. But seeing how Kana went along with her stubbornness over the past few days, Da-eun thought it must have been bothering her quite a bit. ¡°What on earth did she misunderstand?¡± Although she was curious, Da-eun didn¡¯t ask Kana about it. It hadn¡¯t even been a few days since she apologized for making Kana feel troubled, so she didn¡¯t want to make the same mistake again. And so, she quietly buried her small curiosity inside her. ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s finally the day.¡± Celine, who was helping Da-eun with the tableware, spoke. ¡°Pardon? ¡­Oh, you mean our trip to Laxia?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Oh, right¡­ Da-eun had momentarily forgotten about Laxia, but now she remembered Kana discussing the ship and the schedule with Artisha. She also remembered that they were set to depart tomorrow. ¡°Are you still nervous?¡± ¡°No, not really.¡± Da-eun shook her head back and forth. When Kana first told her they were going to the infamous ¡®Magic Continent,¡¯ Laxia, she had been nervous. However, after spending a few days in the Demonic Race¡¯s vige, known by humans as the ¡®Garbage dump,¡¯ she realized that the image of the Demonic Racemonly known to the world was far from the truth. The Demonic Race weren¡¯t vicious monsters who tamed savage beasts and ate humans alive. They were just like normal people, with the exception of having horns and a different skin color. In some ways, they even seemed more innocent. Listening to what others say isn¡¯t always the answer. Da-eun, who once again learned the lesson that one must see and judge things for themselves, no longer felt afraid of Laxia. ¡°Laxia is just another ce where people live, after all.¡± Da-eun gazed fondly at a flower ced on one side of the kitchen. Even though it had withered due to Magi, it had once bloomed brilliantly. Thinking of the child¡¯s face, who smiled brightly as she held out the flower as a token of gratitude for saving her, put Da-eun in a good mood. ¡°¡­But, will I really be able to handle it?¡± However, she couldn¡¯tpletely shake off her anxiety. Especially after the recent attack, Da-eun, who hade to recognize her limits, couldn¡¯t easily ovee her unease. Despite the numerous members of the Demonic Race who praised her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure everything will be fine.¡± ¡°Uh, um¡­¡± In any case, Da-eun didn¡¯t really have a choice. At this point, all she could do was follow along. Besides¡ª ¡®I promised I wouldn¡¯t leave. I made that promise confidently, so I can¡¯t run away just because I¡¯m scared.¡¯ With the magic tools and Celine by her side, she thought she could manage somehow. With a somewhat optimistic mindset, Da-eun scooped stew into a bowl. Leaving for Laxia was one thing, but she still had to eat well. Da-eun, holding the stew with finely chopped vegetables, headed to Kana¡¯s room. ¡®Oh,e to think of it¡­¡¯ If they were departing tomorrow, that meant she¡¯d have to get back to her main job starting tomorrow. The time to resume her streaming, which she had abandoned under the pretext of taking care of Kana, was right in front of her. ¡®¡­Maybe I should rest a bit longer?¡¯ Knowing what kind of reaction her fans would have once she resumed streaming, Da-eun hesitated. She had suddenly stopped streaming and hadn¡¯t gone live for several days, so it was bound to be quite amotion. An inner demon whispered to her. ¡®Honestly, you¡¯ve worked hard up till now. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to rest a little longer, right?¡¯ Not wanting to lose, an angel also whispered. ¡®If you¡¯re going to rest anyway, it might not be a bad idea toe back when everyone¡¯spletely calmed down.¡¯ ¡­Was that really an angel? Looking closely, its wings seemed to have turned ck¡­ Although the sweet temptation swayed Da-eun, she ultimately managed to ovee it. ¡°I¡¯ll just exin the situation first¡­¡± Past me, why were you like that? ¡®But I didn¡¯t want to show them that I was struggling.¡¯ That¡¯s never something to beughed at. Stupid girl, irresponsible girl¡­ Da-eun consoled herself from theplicated feelings by scolding her past self with every word she could think of. Chapter 101 Chapter 101 The sun was just right, and the breeze blew cool and refreshing. It was an exceptionally fine day. ¡°¡­After resting for just a few days¡ªYou¡­ you¡­ You crazy bastards! It¡¯s because of you guys picking on me! You kept teasing me for being weak, so I went and trained! What are you going to do about it?! To be honest, I¡¯ve been streaming quite a lot recently. Honestly speaking, I¡¯ve been streaming all day long for the past few weeks, except when I was sleeping. Can¡¯t I take a break sometimes? Am I right or not? Huh? Am I right or not?! Say I¡¯m right, now!¡± It might not be such a good day for some, though. From a spot a little away from Da-eun and herpanions, someone was raising their voice and speaking fervently. Even though they were speaking quite loudly, no one seemed to find it strange. It must be something rted to that other world. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. It was my fault¡­¡± Raising her voice in a heated argument, only to eventually back down¡ªit was such a typical Da-eun thing to do. But still¡­Even so, suddenly doing a handstand like that¡­ isn¡¯t that a bit odd? Bringing her hands together and standing upside down¡ªDa-eun¡¯s antics caught the attention of Celine and many others, seemingly unaffected by Edel¡¯s filter. ¡°¡­Joanie?¡± ¡°Ah, huff¡­ huff¡­ Yes? Did you call me?¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s a workout that¡¯s trending among Apostlestely.¡± ¡°Oh, I see¡­ But why so suddenly¡­?¡± ¡°Whew¡­! Phew, I feel like my body¡¯s been getting a bit dulltely. This exercise is really effective for building back muscles, flexibility, and bnce. Would you like to try it, Celine?¡± ¡°Um, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll have to pass. I¡¯m not very confident with physical activities.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°¡­Joanie?¡± ¡°Honestly, I think it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t try it, Celine. ¡­¡®Do a kneel-down bow for Celine and get 10,000 won?¡¯ What nonsense is that? Do you think I don¡¯t know your true intentions? You promised to post the clip of me fighting with Krumo or something, and I did the kneel-down bow just as you asked. That¡¯s it, okay? You perverts¡­¡± ¡°What a peculiar person.¡± ¡°Yeah, I agree.¡± I nodded in agreement with Artisha¡¯s words. I didn¡¯t mean it in a bad way. If Da-eun hadn¡¯t been so unique, we probably wouldn¡¯t have gotten this close. It seemed that Artisha felt the same way, as a small smile crept onto her lips while looking at Da-eun. ¡°Thanks to Joanie, my hostility towards humans has decreased quite a bit¡­¡± The long-standing war between the Demonic Race and the Humans. The Second Racial War left behind a strong animosity between them. Although the Demonic Race was responsible for instigating it, they had their own reasons rted to ¡®survival.¡¯ While they could understand the Humans rejecting them, for the sake of their own survival, they had no choice but to view them as enemies. Especially those born during or after the war¡ªthey showed a strong hostility towards Humans,cking theplex emotions that the previous generation of the Demonic Race harbored. However, on the day Krumo¡¯s Shadow attacked the vige, They witnessed it. A Human, running tirelessly without concern for their own injuries, just to protect them. The heroic figure who selflessly risked their life to save a child they didn¡¯t even know. Of course, that alone wasn¡¯t enough topletely dissolve the animosity that had built up until now. ¡°But it¡¯s a start, realizing that good people exist¡­.¡± It seemed that Artisha was troubled by the newly born Demonic Race members who held unconditional hostility toward Humans. Breaking the chain of hatred, huh. ¡­Well, I¡¯m not so sure. Even if we¡¯re the ones breaking free of the chain, the other side will likely still be tangled up in it. It¡¯s a thought I can¡¯t fullyprehend, but it¡¯s not my business to argue one way or another. So instead of rebutting Artisha¡¯s statement, I changed the subject. ¡°Are you all set?¡± ¡°Everything¡¯s perfect.¡± The ship to take us to Laxia, the supplies, the route¡­ Artisha proudly puffed out her chest, saying that she hadn¡¯t overlooked a single detail. ¡°¡­You¡¯re the one steering, just like we discussed?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m the only one who can resist the magi as well as handling the ship.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°Why¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± I nced at the long dark circles hanging under Artisha¡¯s eyes and shook my head. Well, it should be fine. If pushes to shove, I can just beat her awake. ¡°¡­?¡± Sensing something eerie, Artisha looked behind her several times, rubbing the back of her head. Unable to find anything unusual, she ended up with a troubled expression on her face. ¡°Even though it¡¯s probably toote to ask now¡­ are you sure you don¡¯t need more rest?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve rested enough already. If I rest any longer, my muscles might start deteriorating.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to agree with me.¡± I shot an irritated look at Artisha, who nodded as if she had nothing to do with it, despite being one of the culprits who confined me to bed in the first ce. ¡°I¡¯m not one to forget a grudge, you know. Just so you¡¯re aware.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s a little scary¡­¡± Artisha shivered. Yeah, that¡¯s the normal reaction. Unlike someone who would briefly be afraid and then grin and hug me, Artisha¡¯s response was textbook perfect. ¡°Caught you, Kana!¡± ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± Speak of the devil¡­ No sooner had I thought about her than that someone came running over and scooped me up in a hug. I felt myself lift off the ground and calmly said, ¡°Put me down.¡± ¡°No way! You said you haven¡¯t fully recovered yet. Just stay quietly in my arms! Hehe, you¡¯re so soft.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Warmth spread over my head. What¡¯s so great about my hair that she keeps rubbing her cheek against it? If this is what my dad meant by looking ¡°girlish,¡± then I think it¡¯s safe to say that I¡¯ll never be able to look like a proper girl for the rest of my life. It¡¯s Da-eun who¡¯s going to be exhausted from holding me like this, not me. Thinking so, I let all the strength drain out of my body and went limp. Da-eun let out a goofy chuckle, pleased by my reaction. ¡°You¡¯re like a cat when you do that.¡± ¡°Cat or whatever, it doesn¡¯t matter. If everything¡¯s ready, let¡¯s get going.¡± ording to the n, we should¡¯ve already finished our checks and set sail. The dy was because of Da-eun¡¯s sudden handstand performance. I didn¡¯t intend to criticize since I had enjoyed watching it, but shouldn¡¯t we depart now that it¡¯s over? ¡°Or do you want to do it one more time?¡± If she wanted, I could help her out. Hanging upside down from the mast while sailing might be a unique experience. When I added this quietly, Da-eun shook her head so vigorously that it made a buzzing sound. ¡°N-no, I¡¯m fine!¡± She then promptly carried me onto the ship. The ship Artisha had prepared for us was quiterge. It was big enough to make me wonder, Are just four of us really going to be on a ship this size? It wasn¡¯t about wastefulness or anything like that. It was a simple curiosity about whether just four people could actually handle such arge ship. I didn¡¯t know for sure, but a ship of this size would definitely need a lot of hands. Well, she probably prepared it knowing it¡¯s possible. No way would she have prepared a ship like this just out of gratitude without considering the logistics. ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­ I¡¯m confident when ites to sailing¡­¡± Artisha, who had somehow followed us aboard, seemed to have read my thoughts and spoke up. ¡°When you live near the sea, you can¡¯t help but get used to it¡­ If you want to catch fish, you have to go out to sea¡­ Of course, that¡¯s besides the fact that I just really enjoy sailing¡­¡± ¡°Oh, really? So, is fishing your hobby or something like that?¡± ¡°No¡­ I just like steering the ship¡­ When I¡¯m out on the sea, feeling the breeze blowing in from Laxia¡­ it brings back memories¡­¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°It worked out, didn¡¯t it? You can finally go to Laxia, just like you wanted.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I guess¡­ Although I still won¡¯t be able to set foot onnd¡­¡± Artisha nodded as I quickly finished Da-eun¡¯s hesitant sentence for her. While we exchanged a bit of small talk, Celine boarded the ship as well, and we did a final check to ensure we hadn¡¯t missed anything. After confirming there were no problems with the ship, Artisha unfurled the sails and hoisted up the anchor that had been sunk into the seabed. ¡°Nnngh¡­ Up¡­ it goes¡­¡± ¡°Do you need some help?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine¡­.¡± At Da-eun¡¯s gentle offer, made as she approached, Artisha firmly shook her head, her strained voice practically sapping the energy of anyone who heard it. In reality, though her voice sounded strained, she didn¡¯t seem to be struggling much as she wound up the anchor. Perhaps she wasn¡¯t exaggerating when she said sailing was her hobby. Without epting any help, Artisha finished the preparations for departure and wiped the beads of sweat off her forehead. ¡°Well then, shall we set sail?¡± ¡°Do we not need to row?¡± ¡°Do you want to row? Here.¡± Thud. ¡°Ah, no, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­!¡± Da-eun looked distressed as she held the oar Artisha handed her with one arm. Then, as if realizing something, she nced down at me, who was still being held in her other arm, and her face brightened up. ¡°Well, if I think of it as rowing together with Kana, it might not be so bad¡­?¡± ¡°Why would I?¡± Why would I want to do that, especially when I hadn¡¯t even said I would? Not understanding why she would think such a thing, I tilted my head slightly. She looked down at me with eyes full of betrayal. ¡°¡­Are you serious?¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®are you serious?¡¯ Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s weirder to make someone as valuable as me row?¡± ¡°That¡­ is true.¡± ¡°I wanted to have a pedal boat date¡­,¡± Da-eun muttered something iprehensible. I looked up at Da-eun¡¯s dejected expression with a mix of pity and disbelief, then snatched the oar from her hand. Whoosh. I threw it far off into the distance. ¡°Ahh!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need something like that.¡± Artisha probably never intended to row the boat in the first ce. She was likely just teasing Da-eun. Judging by the way she was suppressing a grin, it was obvious. Catching on, I shot her a look, and Artisha adjusted her expression and spread her hands wide. A low hum filled the air¡ª From her outstretched hands and her intact horn, a dense amount of Magi began to flow out. The Magi soon turned into a fierce gust of wind, striking the sails. ¡°Whoa?!¡± With the sudden eleration, Da-eun lost her bnce and wobbled. For a moment, she squeezed my abdomen with all her strength. I wasn¡¯t truly out of breath, but the unexpected pressure made a strangled sound escape my lips. ¡°¡­Ack.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry¡­!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sorry, why don¡¯t you put me down now?¡± ¡°Boo, did you get tired of me?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to, then put me down.¡± Finally, I was released from Da-eun¡¯s grip and regained my freedom. Stretching my arms up towards the sky, I loosened up my stiff body as Da-eun watched with a satisfied smile. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just¡­ you look cute when you stretch.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± She finds the strangest things cute. Ignoring her familiar, yfulment, I continued stretching my stiff limbs. Da-eun¡¯s gaze stayed fixed on me until I finished my stretches. Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Sway¡­ ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± A single boat drifted alone on the vast blue sea, tinged with a hint of ck. Swoosh¡ª Every time a gentle wave rippled, the red fishing bobber would sink briefly before rising back up again. It was a peaceful and tranquil scene. However, Da-eun didn¡¯t seem to think so. Her half-closed eyes idly watched the bobber with a bored expression.Jerk! Suddenly, the bobber plunged deep into the water. Her previously half-closed eyes shot open, and her hand gripped the fishing rod tightly. As if the boredom from just moments ago had never existed, her face lit up with excitement as she pulled hard on the rod¡ªonly for her expression to turn into disappointment. ¡°Boo¡­¡± No fish had taken the bait, and the hook still held the untouched bait as if nothing had happened. Plop. With a disinterested hand, Da-eun cast the line back into the water. Thus began another long and uncertain wait. Blinking slowly as she followed the bobber¡¯s movements, Da-eun spoke. ¡°¡­Kana.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Kana. Kanaaaaa.¡± Why is she calling me like that? I was sitting beside her, practicing sensing the flow of Mana, but I couldn¡¯t ignore her constant calling and finally responded. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I want to be a fisher of men.¡± What Da-eun usually said was half nonsense, half chatter, so it rarely helped to listen carefully. So, sensing more nonsenseing, I turned my head away. ¡°That¡¯s mean.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± Despite iming she¡¯d be a confident angler when she picked up the fishing rod, she was now fidgeting, too bored to sit still. ¡°If you¡¯re that bored, why not spar or train a little?¡± ¡°But if I fight on the boat, it¡¯ll sway too much, making it hard to keep my bnce.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you need to experience it in advance. If it¡¯s too tough, at least practice your stance. It¡¯ll help you keep your bnce.¡± ¡°Pfft¡­ Why can¡¯t you just y with me?¡± Pouting her lips, Da-eun grumbled andined but carefully set the fishing rod back on its stand. ¡°Make sure to watch closely if it catches something, okay?¡± ¡°¡­Me?¡± ¡°Since I¡¯m training like you suggested, Kana, you have to take responsibility too!¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± She said it so confidently that it confused me. I tilted my head, and Da-eun stuck out her tongue yfully. ¡°Heh, just kidding.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll watch it.¡± ¡°Huh? Really?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no big deal¡­ It¡¯s not even difficult.¡± The One-armed Swordsman and Krumo¡¯s Shadow. Perhaps the encounters with them had sparked something in Da-eun, as she¡¯d been diligently trainingtely. Without me saying anything, she¡¯d voluntarily gone out to practice her swordsmanship. I couldn¡¯t believe it when she even came to me, lying in bed, to ask about sword techniques¡­ ¡®¡­Who are you?¡¯ ¡®Huh?¡¯ ¡®Ah, it¡¯s nothing.¡¯ Given all that, my reaction was perfectly justified. Who would¡¯ve thought that Da-eun, who used to ck off, would suddenly start showing such initiative? It was truly a heartwarming development. If a student does something praiseworthy, isn¡¯t it the teacher¡¯s duty to reward them? ¡°Wait! If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯ll take a different reward! I want to cancel what I just said! I can¡¯t waste a reward from Kana on something as trivial as watching a fishing rod¡­!¡± ¡°Nope. You can¡¯t take it back.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so unfair¡­!¡± ¡°If you keep working hard consistently, I¡¯ll give you another reward.¡± ¡°You promised.¡± I hadn¡¯t even specified what kind of reward, yet Da-eun¡¯s enthusiasm red up once again. ¡°Hey, Kana. Have you ever gone fishing before? Do you know how to catch a fish?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you just pull it in?¡± ¡°Beep! Wrong answer! Sometimes you have to apply strength, and sometimes you have to ease up to tire out the fish. The key to fishing is not just pulling blindly. It takes a lot of energy that way, and if you¡¯re not careful, you could even break the rod. It¡¯s amon mistake beginners make, so it¡¯s good to know.¡± Da-eun continued to babble on about how it¡¯s all about the subtle push and pull, or how timing the hook set is crucial. Standing in front of the fishing rod, listening absentmindedly to Da-eun¡¯s Fishing 101 lecture, I finally spoke up. ¡°If you¡¯re that good, why haven¡¯t you caught anything yet?¡± ¡°¡­You¡­! You just hit a sore spot!¡± Seeing my hand reach for the rod, Da-eun wiggled her fingers menacingly and quickly ran away. ¡°Just you wait!¡± Watching her run off, leaving behind lines that sounded like something from a third-rate viin, I briefly turned my gaze back to Da-eun, who now looked more like a proper swordsman. Then, I refocused on the bobber swaying in the water. I¡¯d caught fish before, but I¡¯d never gone fishing. Holding a fishing rod felt very unfamiliar. It made sense that I didn¡¯t know how to hold it properly, but even so, I instinctively adjusted my grip to find the center of bnce, as if it was second nature. Should I be proud of myself for that? It wasn¡¯t really something to ponder over. ¡°It¡¯s better than being clumsy.¡± Even getting the posture right is something. When I first met Da-eun, she couldn¡¯t even hold her stance properly. I spoke lightly, badmouthing Da-eun as smoothly as the water flowed. No, it¡¯s not badmouthing if it¡¯s true. As I remained lost in thought, listening to Da-eun¡¯s asional grunts, the sound of the waves hitting the boat, and the wind as background music, I felt like I could understand why some people liked fishing. It¡¯s like stepping away from the world and enjoying a moment of rxation. Well, I understood it, but I didn¡¯t particrly want to take it up as a hobby. I¡¯d rather use this time to swing my sword once more or take a nap. Sploosh! ¡°¡­?¡± I was spacing out when the bobber suddenly plunged deep into the water. Watching the bobber disappear into the dark blue waters¡ª ¡°Huh.¡± It wasn¡¯t until I felt the heavy weight through the fishing rod that I realized a fish had bitten. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s biting.¡± Sensing themotion, Da-eun quickly approached. ¡°What, what?! Did you catch something?!¡± ¡°Seems like it.¡± ¡°¡­You sure? You¡¯re not talking about me, right?¡± Suspiciously narrowing her eyes, Da-eun only withdrew her suspicion after I showed her the trembling fishing rod. ¡°Sorry. You were so calm, I thought you were joking.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a fish. No need to make a big deal out of it.¡± ¡°But¡­ don¡¯t you feel anything, like the thrill of the catch?¡± ¡°¡­Not really?¡± The sh of swords is much more intense, isn¡¯t it? I tilted my head and asked, and Da-eun let out a deep sigh. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡­ Ugh, let¡¯s just catch the fish first. Can you feel the fish struggling?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°When it¡¯s resisting hard, let the line out a little, and when it weakens, pull it back. You repeat this process to tire it out. Got it?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°¡­Do you get it or not?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I think I can just pull it in. Crreeeak! ¡°Kyaaa! Kana!¡± As I tried applying some force as a test, the rod suddenly bent sharply and made an ominous creaking sound as if it was about to snap at any moment. ¡°Oooh¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®oooh¡¯! It almost broke!¡± ¡°But it didn¡¯t. Do you want to catch it, Joanie?¡± ¡°No! You have to catch it yourself! I can¡¯t steal Kana¡¯s first ever catch.¡± ¡°First ever¡­?¡± Personally, I was thinking, ¡®Is this something worthmemorating?¡¯ but since Da-eun was adamantly refusing, I had no choice. I don¡¯t like this slow and careful approach. Hmm. Alright, let¡¯s do it this way. With that thought, the dark brown fishing rod slowly turned a light shade of pink. After confirming that even the submerged fishing line was infused with mana, I pulled back on the rod. Sash! With a loud ssh, a pitch-ck fish burst out of the water and shot up into the air. Thud! The fish fell onto the deck, sshing water everywhere as it followed the arc of the rod I swung. The creature, forcibly yanked out of its habitat, struggled desperately to return to its home, but the high railing denied it that chance. Leaving it like this seemed a bit cruel, though. It was thrashing around so vigorously that it looked like it could circle the entire deck at least once if left alone. I should probably calm it down. ¡®So¡­ I think it went something like this.¡¯ Recalling what I¡¯d seen before, I clenched my fist and lightly tapped the fish on its head. Thwack! ¡°Oops.¡± ¡­I misjudged my strength. I meant to give it a light tap, but the moment I heard the sound, I knew what would happen to the fish. Crack. The fish¡¯s head caved in, molding perfectly to the shape of my fist. Even though my fist isn¡¯t that big, the tiny dent I left in its vital spot was enough to snatch its life away. I briefly mourned for the fish, which went limp as if it had never been thrashing around in the first ce. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t even know where to begin.¡± Used mana just to catch a fish? Or silenced a fish with a single punch? Da-eun, who¡¯d been watching me, mumbled in disbelief. Leaving aside the former, she could probably do thetter herself, so why make such a big deal? ¡°What¡¯s this fish called?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obviously a monster?¡± ¡°So, its name is ¡®Monster¡¯? That¡¯s interesting~¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not a fish; it¡¯s a monster.¡± ¡°¡­Aha?¡± What a ridiculous conversation. Only then did Da-eun understand what I meant and scratched her cheek awkwardly. ¡°I thought its name was ¡®Monster.¡¯ Don¡¯t they have names?¡± ¡°Only the stronger ones that haven¡¯t been hunted for a long time. Not this one, though.¡± Just because they¡¯re the same species biologically doesn¡¯t mean monsters look the same once they be one. If you were to give each and every monster you saw a name, you¡¯d never finish. ¡°¡­So we can¡¯t eat it?¡± ¡°We can eat it.¡± ¡°Wow! Then let¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°Only once. You only live once, after all.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m joking.¡± ¡°¡­Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yeah. If ites to that, we have Celine, so no matter how painful it is, we won¡¯t die.¡± ¡°That means we can¡¯t eat it!¡± Did she already forget why we ended up cooking back at Artisha¡¯s residence? She was horrified at the thought of eating monster meat back then, so why is she now drooling over this? Da-eun¡¯s shoulders drooped. ¡°I just wanted to show you the fun of eating a fish you caught yourself¡­.¡± ¡°What a strange thing to get attached to.¡± So that¡¯s why she was being so stubborn? ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you didn¡¯t have to show me. I already know, though I don¡¯t find it that enjoyable.¡± ¡°¡­Eh? But you said you¡¯ve never fished before¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never fished, but you don¡¯t have to catch fish only with a fishing rod.¡± I know another way. I swung my sword lightly towards the sea. A gentle ssh rose, and soon, a fish with its head cleanly sliced off floated to the surface. ¡°Like this.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not romantic at all!¡± ¡°You¡¯re still catching and eating it, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different! Totally different!¡± I went through the trouble to show her, but for some reason, Da-eun looked even gloomier than before. ¡­Why? Chapter 103 Chapter 103 ¡°What should we do with the caught fish?¡± After a short discussion, we decided to hand the fish over to Artisha. Although it looked like an ordinary fish with pitch-ck scales, the Magi emanating from its body told us it wasn¡¯t just a regr fish but a monster. I thought this level of Magi wouldn¡¯t be harmful even if consumed. I was disappointed that we couldn¡¯t eat it, but Da-eun insisted on not eating it. ¡°Us Apostles have a culinary tradition of eating fish raw, sliced into thin pieces, without cooking it. What do you think? Artisha, would you like to try it?¡± Artisha seemed skeptical after hearing Da-eun¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Eating fish raw¡­? I can¡¯t really imagine that¡­.¡± ¡°Could it be poisonous?¡±¡°Hmm, we¡¯d have to eat it to find out¡­.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Isn¡¯t it toote if we find out only after eating it?¡± ¡°A little bit should be fine, right¡­?¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound reassuring at all.¡± Da-eun and Artisha continued their discussion, their heads close together. The conversation, which started with whether to eat the fish as sashimi, soon turned into a debate on whether it was poisonous. Watching the two chat so closely stirred a strange sense of nostalgia within me. There was a time when I had such discussions too. Debating whether monster meat was edible or not. ¡®Captain.¡¯ ¡®Oh, Kana. What¡¯s up?¡¯ ¡®This.¡¯ ¡®Hmm? The monster we caught earlier, huh? Why¡¯d you bring it all of a sudden?¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t you think we could eat it?¡¯ ¡®Hmm¡­ With your level of resistance, it should be fine. Sure, let¡¯s have some monster meat after a long time.¡¯ ¡®Yay!¡¯ ¡®¡­Vice-Captain, the meal is ready, so stop thinking about eating strange things ande over. And Captain.¡¯ ¡®Uh, y-yeah?¡¯ ¡®Instead of encouraging the Vice-Captain to eat strange things, shouldn¡¯t you, as a guardian, be stopping her? What if it¡¯s poisonous?¡¯ ¡®I mean, unless it¡¯s something like the ¡°World Tree¡¯s Bane,¡± neither Kana nor I would be affected by most poisons, so why worry?¡¯ ¡®¡­Captain, have you forgotten that the Vice-Captain is still young? Children¡¯s bodies are weaker than adults¡¯. I don¡¯t care what happens to you, Captain, but if the Vice-Captain gets poisoned because you were careless, it¡¯d be a disaster, a disaster!¡¯ ¡®R-right¡­ ¡­Wait, what do you mean you don¡¯t care what happens to me?¡¯ ¡®And what if this makes her start eating random things off the ground? Do you want people to point fingers and gossip if the Vice-Captain picks up things off the street and eats them?¡¯ ¡®¡­That would be bad! Kana! Sorry, but no monster meat grilling today!¡¯ ¡®¡­Do you two want to get hit?¡¯ The memory of Dad beingpletely flustered in front of Eren, who was frowning, came back to me vividly. As I dug up that dust-covered memory, I tilted my head. Hmm, I guess this situation is a bit different¡­ Well, the general context is the same, so it¡¯s fine. That was just the first memory that came to mind, but I had a few other simr experiences. For example, when our rations ran out due to an unexpectedly long journey, or when ingredients were contaminated with Magi while fighting monsters. Each time, a heated debate would ensue. Just like now. Whenever a group of individuals with enough power to resist light Magi gathered, this sort of situation always seemed to arise. ¡°¡­Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Surprisingly, it¡¯s fine¡­ It¡¯s chewy and savory¡­.¡± ¡°No, I meant if you¡¯re feeling any ill effects after eating it.¡± ¡°Ugh, cough¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t suddenly start pretending like that.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t this what you wanted?¡± ¡°Why would I want that?¡± While I was lost in my memories, their conversation had progressed further. They were now taste-testing the raw sashimi, neatly sliced into pieces. Artisha shared her thoughts on each bite she took, while Celine, using her divine power, provided support on the side. Even if she was just a novice, Celine was still a candidate for sainthood. Using such high-level personnel for something as trivial as eating monster meat¡­ I wonder how the followers of the Church of Edel would react if they saw this. As I pondered this, I approached them. Nom. ¡°Gasp¡­!¡± ¡°Nom nom¡ª¡± ¡°Ka-Kana! You can¡¯t eat that! It¡¯s dirty, dirty!¡± ¡°¡­Dirty?¡± Artisha¡¯s expression shifted dramatically after suddenly beingbeled as someone eating ¡°dirty¡± things. ¡°Ah¡­! That¡¯s not what I meant! I was worried that, since Kana¡¯s not part of the Demonic Race, eating monster meat might be dangerous¡­!¡± Realizing her slip of the tongue, Da-eun hastily tried to exin herself. Gulp. Despite Da-eun¡¯s frantic exnation, I continued to chew the sashimi and swallowed it. In the world of Silia Online, while there was a culture of eating raw meat, there was no tradition of consuming raw sea creatures, so this was my first time eating sashimi. Of course, if you consider my past life, this wasn¡¯t my first time. But since I didn¡¯t remember how it tasted or what the texture was like, I suppose it could be considered the first. Either way, my first experience with sashimi wasn¡¯t bad. It had a slightly fishy taste, but the subtle savory vorbined with the chewy texture made it quite enjoyable. As I picked up another piece, Da-eun looked at me with curiosity. ¡°Is it good?¡± ¡°It¡¯s decent.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s surprising. Most people are repulsed when they try it for the first time.¡± That¡¯s because I¡¯ve had it before back when I lived on Earth. ¡­Not that I could say that, and even if I did, she wouldn¡¯t understand. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve had worse things before?¡± ¡°Worse things?¡± ¡°Like bread picked from a trash can, or half-rotten meat.¡± ¡°¡­Be honest. You¡¯re saying that to guilt-trip me, aren¡¯t you? Hm? You¡¯ve been doing that a lottely¡­¡± Hmm, I wouldn¡¯t say no to that. But I didn¡¯t want to admit it so easily, so instead of answering, I picked up another piece of sashimi. ¡°Sigh¡­ Fine, eat as much as you want. It¡¯s good to see you enjoying your food.¡± Da-eun gently stroked my head. From the way her voice carried a hint of pity, it seemed what I had just said had made quite an impression on her. Well, objectively and subjectively, I did have a rough life. But there was something Da-eun misunderstood. ¡°That half-rotten meat was actually a great find.¡± Would street kids living in the back alleys even get a chance to see such expensive meat? Even if it was half-rotten, finding meat was like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. ¡°Yeah, yeah. I get it. Just eat more¡­.¡± She continued stroking my head, speaking as if something strange happened. ¡°You must¡¯ve had a really hard life¡­.¡± Swoosh. Artisha pushed a few more pieces of sashimi toward me, and I gratefully epted her offer. If I remembered correctly, we used to dip it in sauce, but since there was no sauce here, there was nothing I could do about it. Even Celine, who had been observing with divine power, joined in on the meal, and seeing her, Da-eun, who had been hesitant, reluctantly took a seat. However, she still seemed ufortable. While the others ate the sashimi in regr-sized pieces, Da-eun cut the already small pieces into even smaller bits before eating them. She clicked her tongue as she chewed. ¡°The meal isn¡¯tplete unless we make soup with the leftovers¡­¡± ¡°Soup¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah. You gather the head and bones and boil them together¡ªit¡¯s really delicious.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± Artisha didn¡¯t seem very interested. Understandable. Even I, who knew what Da-eun was talking about, didn¡¯t find her description particrly appetizing. After the meal, Celine blessed us with her divine power, just in case, and we cleaned up. The fish had been sorge that even with the four of us eating, there was a lot left over. ¡°What should we do with the leftovers?¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s raw fish, just throw it into the sea¡­ Or use it as bait¡­.¡± ¡°But what if the fish eat it and turn into monsters?¡± ¡°Do you think there are any normal fish left around here?¡± ¡°Ah, good point.¡± With that, we disposed of the leftover sashimi, and Da-eun, havingpletely lost interest in fishing, returned the rod to its original ce, concluding the series of events. As soon as the meal ended, everyone scattered to do their own thing, almost as if it had been nned. Da-eun leaned against the railing, staring nkly at the sea, while Celine stood beside her with her eyes closed, enjoying the breeze. Artisha was piloting the boat. Now that I think about it, the only one really doing any ¡°work¡± was Artisha. Of course, myself included. ¡­Since I¡¯ve eaten and feel drowsy, and have no other tasks, maybe I should just take a nap. I slowly blinked as I sat on a reclining chair with a gentle slope. Warm sunlight and a cool breeze. Though the air was tinged with Magi, the atmosphere was still perfect for a nap. Emptying my mind and feeling the wind, my eyelids gradually grew heavier. La¡­- ¡°¡­?¡± As I allowed my slowly closing eyes to shut, a faint melody carried by the wind reached my ears. It wasn¡¯t a clear song with lyrics, but a soft, humming tune. Thinking that Da-eun might be singing a luby, I lifted my heavy eyelids. But to my surprise, the source of the humming wasn¡¯t Da-eun. ¡°What¡¯s that sound?¡± Da-eun was bewildered by the humming she heard from somewhere and was searching for the source. Celine, standing next to her, was doing the same. If it wasn¡¯t Da-eun or Celine, then the only one left was Artisha. But I quickly dismissed that thought. Out of all people, Artisha humming a tune seemed the least likely. Besides, the pitch of the sound was too high for me to confuse it with hers. Artisha¡¯s voice was on the deeper side, after all. At that moment, Artisha approached us and casually spoke. ¡°It¡¯s a Siren¡­.¡± ¡°A Siren?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­. It¡¯s a monster that lures its prey with songs and steals their life¡­. Looks like one has made its nest nearby¡­.¡± As soon as Artisha finished speaking, the faint mist over the water began to clear. And what emerged were figures¡ªdolls. Those dolls were floating on the water, circling the ship we were on. Da-eun, unable to hide her tension as she watched them, tilted her head. ¡°¡­They¡¯re ugly, though.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± La¡­ ¡­The Siren¡¯s humming seemed to stop for a moment. Maybe it was just my imagination. Chapter 104 Chapter 104 ¡°Hm¡­¡± I leaned halfway over the railing and looked outside. As I was watching the heads floating on the sea, which had darkened since earlier, Da-eun gently wrapped her arms around my waist. ¡°Be careful. You might fall if you¡¯re not careful.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Even if I did fall, I wouldn¡¯t get hurt, but there was no need to coldly dismiss someone who was concerned for me. After all, we weren¡¯tplete strangers. Anyway¡­ The sea looked more ck than blue now, with long hair floating like seaweed, giving it an eerie feel. I understood why Da-eun said what she did. ¡°They¡¯re really ugly, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Gasp¡­ That¡¯s too harsh¡­¡±¡°Too harsh?¡± ¡°I mean, that¡¯s too harsh to say.¡± ¡°¡­Was I too harsh?¡± ¡°Of course! Even if it¡¯s a monster, calling it ugly right to its face would hurt its feelings. Even if it¡¯s true¡­¡± ¡°That would probably hurt them more.¡± And wasn¡¯t Da-eun the one who first called them ugly? I turned to look at her with that thought in mind, and she must have realized it too, because she quickly avoided my gaze. To be honest, there are many monsters uglier than a siren. Including the creatures from the Abyss. Yet, the reason why the sirens seem so hideous is probably because they resemble humans in a disturbing way. When you see something trying to imitate humans poorly, it stirs an unsettling feeling inside. I feel like there was a specific term for that, but I can¡¯t quite remember. After looking down at the grotesque, disfigured faces covered in scales, I lost interest and pulled my body back inside the ship. Along with that, I also removed Da-eun¡¯s hands, which were still holding onto my waist. I ignored the slightly disappointed look on her face. ¡°Their voices may be captivating, but with faces like that, anyone lured by their song would probably run away screaming once they saw them.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just tell me I was being harsh earlier?¡± ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s true. If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t want to go anywhere near them.¡± ¡°Hm, that¡¯s true.¡± It was funny how she was now making superficial judgments about appearances after lecturing me, but I agreed with her. Seeing their sharp fins and fish-like teeth glint in the light, anyone about to throw themselves into the sea under their spell would probably snap out of it real quick. ¡°Siren songs are imbued with mana that ensnares the mind¡­ People who fall for it forget themselves and blindly chase after the melody.¡± ¡°Huh? But we¡¯re fine, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°We¡¯re supposed to be.¡± I pointed to the ring glinting on Da-eun¡¯s finger. ¡°Do you know how expensive that magical artifact is? If it couldn¡¯t even block a siren¡¯s attack, we¡¯d have already turned the ship around and headed straight back to Baltora.¡± And I¡¯d have to grab Brondin by the cor and m him into the ground. Luckily, since the artifact was holding up against the mana, it didn¡¯te to that. ¡°Kana, did you already know about sirens?¡± ¡°Yeah, but this is my first time seeing one in person.¡± Sirens are sea monsters, so it¡¯s only natural that I, who lives onnd, wouldn¡¯t have encountered them before. ¡°Mm-hmm! Kana, you¡¯re certainly more grounded than most people.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll ask before I hit you. What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°¡­Eh, you¡¯re really going to hit me?¡± Da-eun may act a bit silly at times, but she¡¯s actually very pretty. Now, here she was, on her knees, looking up at me with pitiful eyes and acting all cutesy. I shook my head at Da-eun, who was shrinking away from me. She let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I won¡¯t hit you. I¡¯ll just throw you into the sea.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°What nonsense.¡± Since Da-eun seemed to be spouting nonsense after being mesmerized by the Sirens¡¯ song, wouldn¡¯t it be proper to send her over to them? At my added words, Da-eun peeked out over the side of the boat. The Sirens were still circling the boat, as if beckoning her to join them. One of the Sirens locked eyes with Da-eun. ¡°¡­¡± ¡­ Sirens are monsters hostile to humans. So it¡¯s not strange that they would look at us with animosity. Shhh! ¡°Eeek?!¡± But even considering that, the Siren seemed particrly hostile towards Da-eun. One of the Sirens waved its arms menacingly, causing Da-eun to instinctively pull her head back like a turtle¡­ Just as she was about to pull back, I grabbed her, and her body lunged forward over the railing. ¡°Kyaaaa! Kana¡¯s trying to kill me!¡± ¡°Your friends are waiting for you. Hurry and go to them.¡± ¡°I was wrong! I made a mistake, please spare me!¡± ¡°Oh? I thought you liked the sea more than thend?¡± I thought she preferred the sea, considering she said I was closer to thend. Why does she dislike it so much? I stopped teasing her halfway, and Da-eun sighed in relief. The Sirens, who had been circling the boat, disappointed that their prey had escaped, withdrew their arms. ¡­What were they even doing? Did they really think I¡¯d throw Da-eun overboard? The world¡¯s gone mad. ¡°Would you like to go on your own, or should I¡­?¡± Srrring At the mere sight of my sword, the Sirens quickly scattered. I hadn¡¯t even attacked, let alone properly threatened them, but Da-eun looked on in quiet awe at how they dispersed like ants. ¡°You¡¯re so charismatic¡­¡± I awkwardly sheathed my sword, which I had been prepared to swing if they didn¡¯t leave peacefully. ¡­Now they were fleeing as if I had done something terrible. But I hadn¡¯t done anything. It was nice not to have to move around much, but I felt a little uneasy and absentmindedly fiddled with my sword. They weren¡¯t out of range yet¡­ maybe I should¡­? ¡°Kana, you¡¯re not thinking something bad, are you?¡± ¡°No.¡± I immediately denied it, but Da-eun didn¡¯t seem to believe me. ¡­I¡¯m telling the truth, why doesn¡¯t she believe me? I pouted, feeling wronged for the first time in a while. ¡°They¡¯re monsters that are harmful to humans, so it¡¯s not bad to deal with them. It¡¯s a good deed.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re not wrong¡­ But if you promise to spare them and then attack, wouldn¡¯t that be cruel? It goes against the spirit of fair y¡­¡± ¡°¡­Fair y? This isn¡¯t a duel.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean literally fighting fair. I just mean it feels wrong¡­¡± ¡°You feel guilty about the strangest things. And besides, I never said I¡¯d spare them.¡± I never promised not to attack them if they left peacefully. So, technically, I wouldn¡¯t be breaking any agreement. ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Da-eun tilted her head, half in doubt, but seemed to ept my reasoning. ¡°That does make sense¡­¡± ¡°Of course. Unlike some people, I don¡¯t spout nonsense.¡± ¡°As expected of you, Kana! ¡­But who exactly were you referring to when you said ¡®some people¡¯?¡± ¡°Artisha, I have something to ask you.¡± ¡°Um, Kana? Why are you ignoring me?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­.what is it?¡± ¡°Heyyyy~? Can¡¯t you hear meee~? Ka¡­ ouff!¡± ¡°Geez, seriously.¡± She¡¯s being a real nuisance. I pushed Da-eun away as she shoved her face into mine and continued the conversation with Artisha. ¡°Were Sirens always living in this area?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I¡¯ve never had a reason toe out this far¡­ Or do you want to hear about when I first arrived¡­?¡± ¡°When was that?¡± ¡°Probably over ten years ago¡­.¡± ¡°Then never mind.¡± They say ten years is enough time for everything to change. Unless it¡¯s a powerful and long-living monster like a Dragon, I doubt an intermediate monster like a Siren would stay in one ce for that long. So, hearing about when Artisha crossed over to the Ardina Continent wouldn¡¯t be of much help. ¡°But why are you asking all of a sudden¡­?¡± Sirens live in a sea where Magi flows so thickly that even fish can turn into monsters. ¡°It¡¯s just kind of curious.¡± Isn¡¯t it odd that they¡¯re living here of all ces? It¡¯s not like there¡¯d be any fishermen operating in these waters, and with all the Magi, there wouldn¡¯t be many marine monsters around for them to feed on. So why stay here instead of moving north or south? Even at the risk of being tainted by Magi. Artisha responded nonchntly to my question. ¡°Well¡­ maybe they were just passing through¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm, true.¡± That¡¯s a possibility. Come to think of it, assuming the Sirens have nested here just based on a brief encounter might be jumping to conclusions. I guess I¡¯ve been overly cautioustely because of all the things we¡¯ve been through. ¡°Puhaha! I think it¡¯s not a bad thing! There¡¯s nothing wrong with being cautious and prepared!¡± Da-eun, standing on tiptoe to make up for her height difference, shook off my hand as she spoke. ¡°¡­Yeah, true.¡± ¡°Eh? That¡¯s all the reaction I get? I went out of my way to take your side¡­.¡± ¡°I never asked you to.¡± ¡°Hey! Give me back my effort!¡± ¡°¡­Was that something that required effort?¡± ¡°Of course! Taking someone¡¯s side is like offering a kind of guarantee. So you should be extra careful with those kinds of words! If this keeps piling up, one day it¡¯lle back to bite you!¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± No matter how I look at it, I don¡¯t think a few words of support have that much weight. I listened, wondering what she was on about, and sure enough, it was just more nonsense. As I was about to ignore her like usual, a sudden idea popped into my head. I drooped my eyes on purpose. ¡°¡­So you¡¯re not going to take my side anymore¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Ack! A sneak attack¡­! You sneaky little¡­ that¡¯s unfair!¡± Da-eun clutched her chest and staggered, eventually copsing to the ground as I looked up at her with those drooping eyes. Nonsense monster, defeated. Standing victoriously over Da-eun¡¯s fallen body, I gave a proud nod. ¡°You¡¯re having fun, huh¡­¡± Artisha¡¯s exasperatedment, as she looked at us pitifully, was a bonus. Chapter 105 Chapter 105 The sail swelled tautly, and the ship sped through the sea. It wasn¡¯t as fast as a ship built with Earth¡¯s technology, but considering it was being powered by just one person, its speed was unbelievable. Moreover, since it didn¡¯t require any fuel, it was incredibly eco-friendly¡­ ¡®Or is it?¡¯ Was it really right to call magi eco-friendly? Da-eun, feeling uncertain about her own words, tilted her head in confusion. ¡®¡­Maybe not.¡¯ After all, it¡¯s not very eco-friendly if the energy turns animals into monsters and makes nts sick. That was the conclusion Da-eun reached after a brief moment of thought.Anyway, the reason Da-eun was able to enjoy such a fast and pleasant voyage was thanks to Artisha, who spent all her time navigating the ship except when recovering her strength. ¡°Can Kana do something like this too? ¡­Hmm, never mind. Forget I asked.¡± Da-eun quickly withdrew her question, which she had asked out of curiosity. ¡®Kana could probably do it¡­ but¡­¡¯ She had a feeling that if Kana tried, the ship would end up half-wrecked. Or the sail would be torn to shreds. In that case, Da-eun would be left either drifting across the vast sea in a tattered ship or flying through the sky in Kana¡¯s arms. ¡®That kind of extreme experience¡­ I don¡¯t want to do that again.¡¯ Da-eun, who wanted to live a long, healthy life, firmly refused the idea of another heart-pounding, body-flying experience. Da-eun tried to calm Kana, who seemed pouty, perhaps thinking she was being ignored. A few dayster. Da-eun finally spottednd. Thanks to the system, her senses had been dulled, and she hadn¡¯t felt seasick despite the rough journey. However, the boredom and frustration of being in a confined space remained unchanged. She had been eagerly awaiting the day they would reachnd. But now that the long-awaitednd was close enough to see¡­ ¡°¡­.¡± Gulp. Da-eun couldn¡¯t easily shout for joy. ¡®ck soil¡­ I think ck soil is supposed to be really good for farming¡­¡¯ But Da-eun was sure that the ck soil she was seeing in the distance wasn¡¯t the kind they meant. Even though thend was dark, she felt no sense of lifeing from it, even from afar. It felt as though if you nted a seed, instead of growing, it would rot away immediately. That wasn¡¯t the only thing making Da-eun anxious. The thick ck fog, like a mist, rose up, blocking the sunlight. Even though the sun was shining brightly, the whole ce had an eerie and gloomy atmosphere. If this were a novel, this would definitely be the setting for the final chapter. Da-eun¡¯s courage wasn¡¯t big enough to boldly step foot into a ce like that. As the ck wind whipped the sail, the ship, which had been speeding along, also came to a stop. ¡°This is as far as I go¡­¡± ¡°Huh? ¡­Oh, I see.¡± Hearing Artisha¡¯s sudden statement, Da-eun turned to look at her face and immediately understood. Even with her usual paleplexion, Artisha looked even paler, as if she could copse at any moment. Right, she had been forced to leave Laxia because of her broken horn¡­ ¡°Even now¡­ it¡¯s a bit too much for me¡­¡± Artisha¡¯s breathing was far from calm. Seeing her gasp for breath as if someone were choking her, anyone with a heart would find it impossible to ask her to continue. Da-eun gently patted Artisha on the back as she gazed at Laxia with a mix of frustration and regret. ¡°Thank you for guiding us.¡± As Celine¡¯s holy power enveloped Artisha, her deathly pale face gradually regained some color. ¡°The chieftain is in the center of Laxia¡­ The road is clear, so it won¡¯t be difficult to get there¡­¡± While the people of Ardina called the leader of the Demonic Race the ¡°Demon King¡±, the demons themselves, including Artisha, referred to him as the ¡°Chieftain¡±. Considering their original identity as the Purifier n, the title didn¡¯t seem all that strange. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a small boat, so take that and go.¡± ¡°Is that really necessary? We could just run that distance¡ªmmpf.¡± ¡°P-please, we¡¯ll take the boat!¡± Da-eun quickly covered Kana¡¯s mouth to stop her from spewing nonsense. Ignoring Kana¡¯s disgruntled gaze, Da-eun let out a sigh of relief. Along with Da-eun, the group transferred to the small boat tied to therger ship. The boat,cking even a sail, would¡¯ve been cramped if three adult men had boarded it, but for two adult women and the much smaller Kana, it was perfectly fine. ¡®If there were three people like Celine, maybe it¡¯d be a bit tight¡­¡¯ ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°I felt a gaze¡­ but I guess it was just my imagination.¡± Da-eun, who had been staring intently at a certain part of Celine, quickly feigned innocence. Celine, despite the uneasy look on her face, didn¡¯t seem to suspect anything thanks to Da-eun¡¯s perfectly nonchnt reaction. Thus, Celine didn¡¯t notice Da-eun¡¯s sly grin, and the truth sank quietly beneath the surface¡­ Thwap¡ª ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡­If there hadn¡¯t been another witness, that is. Da-eun suddenly remembered the pink-haired girl standing beside her, who was clearly not pleased. Da-eun gulped as she locked eyes with Kana¡¯s pink gaze, which was filled with both disdain and scorn. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Kana.¡± ¡°What.¡± Da-eun gave her a thumbs up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. One day, you¡¯ll grow as big as Celine. Though, on second thought, that might be a bit sad. I won¡¯t be able to carry you like this anymore.¡± ¡°Just die.¡± ¡°Waaaah?! Stop! I¡¯m really going to fall overboard¡­!¡± I-I almost fell¡­! Having narrowly avoided being tossed into the sea, Da-eun sat back down, feeling the dampness of her hair as she tried to catch her breath. ¡°You two look so close. Watching you warms my heart.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re joking, right, Celine?¡± ¡°Huh? No, I meant it¡­¡± ¡°¡­Well, thanks.¡± I appreciate being called close, but how can anyone think that after what just happened? Or maybe it just looks that way because I was the victim. Perhaps, from a third person¡¯s perspective, it did seem like a moment of closeness. But that doesn¡¯t exin why Da-eun¡¯s viewers were flooding the chat with hooks and anchors after hearing Celine¡¯s words. ¡°Is this a chatroom or an anchor factory¡­?¡± ¡°Here, catch this.¡± ¡°Catch what¡­? What¡¯s¡ªWhoa?!¡± Thump! Hearing a voice from the deck, Da-eun instinctively ducked her head to avoid the shadow looming over her. Kana reached out and caught the object that had been falling from above. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll need it¡­¡± What Artisha had thrown was a wooden oar, with one end t and the other narrow like a stick. It was the same object Da-eun had touched the day she first boarded the ship. ¡°That boat doesn¡¯t have a sail¡­¡± If they rode the currents toward the continent, they might be able tond without rowing. But waiting for the right currents in these waters wasn¡¯t exactly an option. If they were to drift off into the ocean, that would be the worst possible situation. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Huh? Why are you giving this to me?¡± ¡°¡­? You said you wanted to row.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I never said I wanted to row, though.¡± ¡°¡­Really? Then I guess I have to do it¡­ or maybe I¡¯ll ask Celine.¡± Kana¡¯s voice trembled slightly, and Da-eun¡¯s eyes twitched as well. ¡®This is definitely a trap¡­ Kana¡¯s cunning trap to lure me in!¡¯ Even knowing that, there wasn¡¯t much Da-eun could do about it. ¡ªJoanie/Controversy/Child Abuse ¡ªMe ¡ªMe ¡ªNo saying bad things like dumping hard work on a child and taking it easy ¡ªBoo ¡ªBoo, you trash ¡ªI¡¯ve unsubscribed,,, ¡°Now that I think about it, my dream was to be a boatman!¡± Rowing against the rough waves was beyond Da-eun¡¯s strength, so she half-snatched the oar from Kana¡¯s hands. It wasn¡¯t that she had any intention of passing the task to Kana in the first ce¡­ the same went for Celine too. ¡®How could I ask her to row with those delicate arms?¡¯ Sighing deeply, Da-eun adjusted her grip on the oar with both hands. She wasn¡¯t very skilled, but it wasn¡¯t her first time either. If she rowed impressively, maybe Kana would look at her with respect, right? With hopeful thoughts, Da-eun adopted a rather credible rowing posture and began rowing with enthusiasm. ¡®Even a slow bug can roll, right? Seems like Da-eun finally found something she¡¯s good at.¡¯ ¡­Wait, that¡¯s not respect. That¡¯s not even apliment; she¡¯s just mocking me, isn¡¯t she? No matter how hard Da-eun tried to imagine it, the results weren¡¯t encouraging. With a sour expression, she continued to row. But strangely, it didn¡¯t feel like they were moving at all. The reason for that quickly became apparent thanks to Kana. ¡°Idiot.¡± Slide. Kana¡¯s hand had untied the rope that had been anchoring the boat, and now it gently slipped into the water. ¡°Ugh, how embarrassing.¡± Da-eun buried her face in her hands, her ears turning bright red. ¡°Have a safe trip¡­.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°See you soon.¡± ¡°Thank youuu¡­.¡± With those simple farewells, the boat sliced through the water toward Laxia. *** After days of sailing, Da-eun finally set foot onnd. ¡°¡­Urgh!¡± It¡¯smon for people to feel seasick when they step ontond after spending a long time on a boat. Having adjusted to the boat¡¯s constant rocking, their bodies find it difficult to adapt to the stillness of solid ground. However, Da-eun¡¯s nausea wasn¡¯t due to seasickness. ¡°¡­The corpses.¡± Celine muttered, her expression filled with despair. They hadn¡¯t expected a warm weing crowd, but¡­ no one had anticipated this sight either. Corpses. And more corpses. No matter where they looked, there wasn¡¯t a single living person. Only the dead remained to greet the party. Da-eun squeezed her eyes shut. Chapter 106 Chapter 106 For a few days, I was bedridden from the aftereffects of activating the blessing. And for several days, I sailed toward Laxia. During that time, I worked hard to learn themunication methods of the Demonic Race. The aftereffects of the blessing, which had left me bedridden, were now barely noticeable, so I had no trouble moving my body, but it still faintly scratched at my nerves. Also, the fact that I couldn¡¯tmunicate properly was starting to be frustrating. As a result, I was able to reach a satisfactory level. Though I still couldn¡¯t understand the entire conversation, I could grasp the gist of what was being said. For example, if someone said, ¡°The apples are really cheap and tasty,¡± what I¡¯d understand would be, ¡°Apple, cheap, tasty.¡± The information was fragmented and disconnected, but¡­¡®Because the intent was so directly conveyed, it was enough to understand the meaning.¡¯ So, it was sometimes easier toprehend than through conversation. As long as I had enough vocabry to read between the lines of these fragments, I could piece things together. Even for someone like me, who lived far from any sort of formal education, I had enough vocabry for that. There were still times when I couldn¡¯t fully understand, and moments when my words weren¡¯t properly conveyed, but I knew I would improve over time, so I wasn¡¯t too worried. ¡°Is this¡­ an attack?¡± That¡¯s why I could understand when Celine spoke with a devastated expression as she looked at the corpses. ¡°No.¡± I approached one of the bodies sprawled on the beach. Although it had started to decay, it was still in good enough shape that I could estimate the cause of death. ¡°There aren¡¯t any big wounds, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that.¡± The other bodies I saw seemed simr. There were some small wounds, but nothing severe enough to be the cause of death. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Da-eun kept retching. Well, it wasn¡¯t surprising since, as an Earthling, Da-eun likely hadn¡¯t seen such sights before. Unless she lived in a conflict zone, which I doubted. Celine, though not as shaken as Da-eun, was clearly disturbed as well. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t an attack, then why¡­ are there so many bodies¡­?¡± ¡°No idea.¡± Just like them, I had only just arrived at the scene. ¡°That¡¯s something we¡¯ll have to figure out.¡± Why did they die? And why were the bodies left here unattended? ¡®¡­Do the Demonic Race not have funeral customs?¡¯ But then again, I¡¯d seen Artisha running around tirelessly, collecting the bodies. The more I thought about it, the more it felt like I was getting lost in a maze, so I stopped pondering for a moment. Meanwhile, Da-eun, who had barely stopped her dry heaving, staggered over. ¡°Ugh¡­ Kana, are you okay¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m used to it.¡± It wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯d seen a decaying body. I had seen them often enough growing up, so it would be ridiculous to act squeamish over a few bodies. I¡¯d seen far worse than this. Besides, after fighting in battles, if I were to act like Da-eun and start retching now, those I killed wouldugh at me from beyond the grave. ¡°¡­¡± I didn¡¯t regret killing them because if I hadn¡¯t, I would have died. Still, there were moments when I wondered what it would¡¯ve been like if I had followed my father¡¯s advice and lived a peaceful life. Of course, even if I could go back, I would likely make the same choices. But, it¡¯s okay to wonder, right? I exhaled briefly and turned around. I saw Celine, closing her eyes and offering prayers for the dead, and Da-eun, pale-faced. Noticing the significantly brighter glow from Da-eun¡¯s ring than before, I said, ¡°We don¡¯t have time. Let¡¯s go.¡± It¡¯s sad, but we can¡¯t afford to stay here and mourn forever. That¡¯s not why we came all the way from the distant eastern shore. Whether I wanted to or not, if we headed to the center, we¡¯d uncover the truth. ording to Artisha, there seemed to be some Demonic Race members still alive there. ¡°Ugh, yeah¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± I looked up worriedly at Da-eun, who was murmuring absentmindedly like someone half out of it. Would she be okay¡­? I brought her along because of my selfishness, but seeing how uneasy she seemed, I began to wonder if I should¡¯ve left her behind. ¡°Should I send her back now?¡± Even though Artisha¡¯s boat had already drifted far away, we could still catch up if we tried. Of course, we wouldn¡¯t be able to catch up using the small boat we had switched to, so I¡¯d have to put in some effort. ¡°No! I¡¯m really fine!¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Of course! Totally fine! Can¡¯t you see these bulky muscles?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see anything.¡± ¡°What? After all the hard work I put into exercising? Look, Kana! Take a good look.¡± ¡°If you win an arm-wrestling match with me, I¡¯ll admit it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just soft, boneless meat. Please enjoy me¡­ Ow, ow, ow! Did you actually bite me?! Did you really bite?!¡± Da-eun hastily pulled her arm away. Her pale arm, which she had proudly shown off earlier, was now marked with a clear bite mark. I wiped my mouth casually, as if nothing had happened, and calmly said, ¡°¡­You told me to enjoy you.¡± ¡°I was just joking! Who takes that seriously?!¡± ¡°Well, here I am.¡± ¡°Why is it that you only listen well at times like this, when you ignore me every other time?!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to start listening now?¡± ¡°I mean, you¡¯re not wrong, but¡­¡± Da-eun, who had been nodding as if agreeing, suddenly sharpened her gaze. ¡°You¡¯re not really like that, Kana!¡± ¡°Buuu-¡± ¡°This brat!¡± Da-eun grabbed both my cheeks and squished them. If anyone were to see me now, they¡¯d probably think my protruding lips made me look like a fish. ¡°Haha, you look like a fish. So cute.¡± Of course. Celine chuckled softly, expressing a sentiment simr to what I had just thought. ¡°Buuu-¡± I almost spat at her. But for some reason, I had a bad feeling, so I held back. It felt like I¡¯d see the worst of humanity if I didn¡¯t¡­ Anyway, it seemed like the tension had eased, which was a relief. Da-eun probably didn¡¯t realize how much I was considering her feelings. ¡®I should be the bigger person as an adult.¡¯ Yes, exactly. ¡°¡­Your gaze seems a bit disrespectful.¡± ¡°Buuu?¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ What am I even saying to a kid¡­¡± ¡°I can hear you.¡± ¡°I wanted you to hear it.¡± Da-eun pinched my squished cheeks lightly before letting go. Thanks to my newmunication skills, I could now somewhat understand what Da-eun was saying as well. ¡°Falling for someone is a crime¡­ What? A lolicon? Hey! Do you think falling for someone only has that meaning? It can also mean a pure feeling of being drawn to someone! I don¡¯t care. Ban anyone talking about pr bears or whatever!¡± Unlike with Celine, even though I understood Da-eun¡¯s words, I still didn¡¯t fully get them. ¡­Pr bears? Why bring up pr bears all of a sudden? The pr bear I remember is a bear that lives in the Arctic, but is there another kind? ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t just Da-eun¡¯s words I didn¡¯t understand; I also meant the path we had to take ahead. Seeing how I felt more unfamiliar than close to Da-eun, who is from the same world as me, I guess I¡¯m more of a Silia person than an Earthling. Even if there are memories that the fierce vortex between dimensions and the harsh experiences couldn¡¯t erase. ¡°¡­We still have some time.¡± I¡¯ll think about it when the timees. When the timees. ¡°Rest in peace¡­¡± With Celine¡¯s solemn farewell as thest gesture, we left the coastline littered with corpses behind. Celine seemed troubled by leaving the bodies as they were, but she didn¡¯t insist on burying them before we went. Instead, she promised to take care of it on her way back to the Ardina Continent. As Artisha said, we followed the paved road and headed toward the center of Laxia. We walked for a while. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The state of the road was far from good, to say the least. The stone pavement, whoseying date was a mystery, was cracked and uneven in ces, and ckened bushes or debris frequently blocked the path. One thing was clear¡ªit wasn¡¯t much help for walking. When you think about how roads are supposed to make travel easier, it wasn¡¯t doing a great job. ¡®Still, I guess it¡¯s better than nothing.¡¯ ¡°Whoa?!¡± It seemed like Da-eun disagreed with my thoughts because, almost immediately, she stumbled over a protruding stone. I quickly caught her by the waist to prevent her from falling. ¡°Be careful.¡± ¡°Th-thanks.¡± Leaving Da-eun, who was patting her chest in relief, I looked around. ¡°It¡¯s stuffy.¡± ¡°Huh? You¡¯re talking about me?¡± ¡°No. The air.¡± ¡°Whew, I thought you were calling me stuffy¡­¡± ¡°Well, you can be a bit stuffy.¡± ¡°What?!¡± But this time, I wasn¡¯t talking about Da-eun; I was referring to the heavy, oppressive air around us. Even the simple act of walking took more effort than it should, thanks to the magi surrounding us. I don¡¯t know how big Laxia is, but if they call it a continent rather than an ind, it probably isn¡¯t small. If it¡¯s already like this now, how much worse will it be in the center? ¡°I still don¡¯t see anyone.¡± ¡°Only corpses.¡± ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± Though not as many as we saw on the beach, we asionally came across cold, lifeless bodies as we walked along the road. ¡°Were these people also heading toward the sea like the others?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± I half-heartedly agreed with Da-eun¡¯s words as I drew my sword. To deal with the monster that was growling as it approached from a distance. ¡°Don¡¯t bother me.¡± Screech! The monster, still clinging to life in Laxia, was quite resilient, but that was as far as it went. The beast, which had bared its teeth so ferociously, soon fell into the eternal silence of death after being struck by my sword energy. What kind of creature had that been before it turned into a monster? Judging by the horns, it might¡¯ve been a cow. After dealing with a few more monsters along the road, Da-eun nervously spoke up. ¡°K-Kana, why didn¡¯t you tell me to fight this time?¡± Ah. So that¡¯s why she kept fidgeting, gripping and releasing her sword and stepping back and forth. She must have been expecting me to tell her to fight. ¡°The monsters here are pretty tough.¡± The one that appeared just now was something Da-eun could probably beat if she gave it her all. But if she wastes her energy and ends up poisoned by magi, that would be a disaster. With the fuse of the magi bomb burning away with every second, there was no room for carelessness. Andstly¡ª ¡°I said I¡¯d protect you here, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Kana¡­!¡± I¡¯m just keeping my promise. So, there¡¯s no need to look at me with such a moved expression. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Just because a creature bes a monster doesn¡¯t mean it loses its ability to reproduce. In fact, it seems that bing a monster might even increase their fertility. Once a creature turns into a monster, even those that were once different species can mate and have offspring. Upon hearing this, Da-eun, filled with curiosity, asked with bright eyes. ¡°That¡¯s fascinating. But how can that be possible if they¡¯re different species?¡± How is that possible? Well¡­ ¡°How would I know that? I¡¯m neither a monsterologist nor a biologist.¡± ¡°Oh, right¡­¡± It¡¯s only natural that I know more than Da-eun since I¡¯ve spent more time in this world, but knowledge is another matter.That¡¯s not too different from how it is on Earth. The reason I¡¯m bringing this up all of a sudden is because, as I was dealing with these monsters, I started thinking about it. ¡°It must have been a nice ce to live before.¡± Considering how overrun it is with monsters now. Perhaps they were thrilled to find prey untainted by magi, and that¡¯s why they kepting at us, annoyingly persistent. Just like this. Slice. With a light cutting sound, the monster that had been charging at me flew through the air, head severed. The monster, with its maw wide open, died without even being able to close its greed-filled eyes. Its corpse would likely serve as food for the other ravenous monsters. The irony of a creature that charged in to devour bing food for others. ¡°What a nuisance.¡± It¡¯s a waste to pour out my mana, and smacking down each one that rushes at me is just in annoying. I wish they¡¯d just avoid me. Can¡¯t they sense their ce and stay away? When you think about it, the idea that wild animals are good at sensing danger might not be true after all. ¡°Maybe they found you more approachable than their instincts suggested? After all, you¡¯re small and cute!¡± ¡°Hm, you¡¯ve got a point.¡± ¡°What¡­?!¡± Da-eun¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Wait, does that mean you¡¯re finally admitting you¡¯re cute, Kana?¡± ¡°¡­? What nonsense are you spouting now?¡± ¡°Nonsense? You literally just said I have a point¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Judging by her expression, it seemed like Da-eun hadpletely misunderstood me, so I kindly corrected her misunderstanding. ¡°I meant about them underestimating me. Because I¡¯m small, it makes sense that they¡¯d think I¡¯m an easy target, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Da-eun pursed her lips. Seeing her eyes darting around frantically, it looked like she was trying to figure out a way out of the situation. Then, after a moment, she squeezed her eyes shut tightly. ¡°If revealing the truth is a crime¡­!! Then I will dly pay the price¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Oh, really.¡± Speaking in such a resolute tone, like a knight heading to war to save the nation, took the wind out of my sails. I know the best response is to not engage with such tant teasing. But as always, there¡¯s a difference between ideals and reality. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I moved my hand, measuring one span, then two. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Measuring the length.¡± ¡°Length? What length?¡± ¡°How much I¡¯d need to cut you to be the same height as me.¡± More or less this much? As I tilted my head, looking at my outstretched fingers, I suddenly felt a heavy weight hanging from my waist. ¡°Spare me!¡± ¡°Cutting off a little bit won¡¯t kill you. There are plenty of people who live without legs.¡± ¡°There¡¯s such a thing as death by shock¡­! Many people die from leg amputation!¡± ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t know that. Then how about cutting from the top instead? As long as I shorten the overall height, it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s from the top or bottom.¡± ¡°¡­That would definitely kill me. No chance of survival.¡± ¡°But Joanie alwayses back to life, right?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I didn¡¯t think about that?¡± Da-eun mumbled, ¡°You¡¯ve caught me off guard.¡± Normally, when we had conversations like this, Celine would step in to stop us. And as expected, this time was no exception. ¡°Both of you, I think it¡¯s time to stop with the jokes.¡± ¡°Jokes?¡± ¡°¡­It was a joke, right? Please tell me it was a joke.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ it was a joke. Just a joke.¡± I said exactly what she wanted, but Da-eun¡¯s uneasy expression didn¡¯t go away. Still, it wasn¡¯t my role to care about that, so I drew my sword. Not to perform surgery to shrink Da-eun¡¯s height, but to deal with the monsters drooling as they charged at us. It was only natural that momentster, the monsters¡¯ heads were flying through the air. *** A new day had dawned, and our journey toward the center continued. We had walked a considerable distance, and the oppressive magi surrounding us now was much stronger than what we had felt by the shore. As a bonus, stronger monsters attacked us too. Shaaak! A massive shadow loomed in front of me. It moved at such a high speed that it left a faint afterimage, but my eyes didn¡¯t miss its form. A giant w, drenched in magi. If I were scratched by that, I¡¯d likely die from magi poisoning. No, most people would probably be split in two before they even had a chance to die from the poisoning. Despite these thoughts, I made no attempt to block or dodge the wing at me. Just as the w was about to touch my body¡­ Bang! A golden light shed, and the w rushing toward me suddenly stopped in its tracks. Grrr? The monster appeared visibly confused, perhaps baffled by the golden wall that had suddenly appeared and halted its attack. Its fierce face morphed into one of bewilderment, which was amusing to see. ¡°Can¡¯t understand it? That¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t need to.¡± I don¡¯t have the habit of exining things to the dead. Some people are into the macabre, but I¡¯m not one of them. Click. Thud! I sheathed my sword and turned away from the monster. A heavy thump behind me told me that somethingrge had fallen to the ground, but I didn¡¯t bother to look back. Da-eun gave me a round of enthusiastic apuse. ¡°Was that how you¡¯re supposed to do it?¡± ¡°Yeah! The true strong ones never look back at explosions.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± I acted ording to Da-eun¡¯s request, but I still didn¡¯t understand the meaning behind it. Romance sure is difficult. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that what romance is about?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I suppose.¡± If Da-eun says so, then that must be it. Whatever the case, the client is satisfied, so I guess that¡¯s all that matters. Shaking my head at the unsolvable puzzle, I turned to Celine. ¡°Thanks. It was easy this time, too, thanks to you.¡± ¡°Oh, no need to mention it. I just did what I had to do.¡± Originally, I had nned to deal with the attacking monsters all by myself. However, at some point, after we fended off several attacks, Celine made a suggestion. ¡°Though I may not be of much help¡­ would it be okay if I assisted you during battles?¡± At first, I declined her offer. Whether the monsters attacked in groups or gave me no breathing room, they were never a real threat. Just¡­ a nuisance. In such situations, I thought relying on Celine¡¯s help would be overkill and unnecessary. ¡°How about thinking of it as an efficient investment rather than overinvestment? There are times when one person might need to exert the strength of three, but with two people, you can manage with just one unit of strength each. Besides, I feel guilty just watching you fight alone.¡± Celine continued to persuade me like that. I had intended to keep Celine¡¯s strength in reserve just in case, but I couldn¡¯t argue when she said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same for you, Kana?¡± Da-eun also strongly supported Celine¡¯s reasoning, and in the end, I allowed her to join the battle. Sometimes, majority rule is unavoidable. It¡¯s not like it was something that put me at a disadvantage. Besides, I¡¯m well aware of how much power a cleric can bring to a fight, so there was no reason to stubbornly refuse. In reality, being able to deal with the monsters without worrying about getting hurt has made things much more convenient. Since I no longer had to focus on evading or defending, I could pour all my energy into attacking. ¡°You¡¯re living up to the title of apprentice saint.¡± ¡°Thank you for thepliment. You¡¯re also incredibly skilled, Kana.¡± ¡°Well, fighting¡¯s all I¡¯ve done to make a living, so I¡¯d better be good at it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve also trained my body to serve Lady Edel, so I can¡¯t help but be good at this.¡± ¡°¡­You never lose a word, do you?¡± Even though we were praising each other, it wasn¡¯t really a conversation where anyone could im victory or defeat. I nced at her, and Celine covered her mouth, letting out that trademark softugh of hers. Shaking my head, I recalled the original reason I had momentarily forgotten due to the monster attack. There was a house built just a bit off the road. We were supposed to check this ce. ¡°Anyway, this one¡¯s empty too.¡± I peeked into the house and spoke. There was no need to worry about someone scolding me for looking inside without permission. After all, there was no door to knock on and no homeowner to grant me permission. The remnants of where a door once stood and the abandoned state of the interior left no sign of life. Cough, cough! ¡°Ugh, so dusty¡­ Celine, do you happen to know a holy spell to clean up dust?¡± ¡°Sh-should I try making one?¡± ¡°No, no! That¡¯s really not necessary¡­¡± I looked around at the furniture covered in so much dust it was practically white, then stepped back outside. Normally,ing out of a dirty ce into a cleaner one would feel refreshing, but with the thick presence of Magi in the air, it didn¡¯t make much difference. As we headed deeper into the center, we saw more houses that hadn¡¯t been visible in the outskirts. This was proof we were heading in the right direction, but at the same time, it gave me an eerie feeling. All the houses we hade across were eerily empty, not a single rat in sight, as if it had been nned. ¡°As we move closer to the center, shouldn¡¯t more people be living in the outskirts if the Magi is stronger here?¡± That¡¯s what I thought, but the scene unfolding before my eyes was theplete opposite. ¡®Could I be wrong?¡¯ That thought crossed my mind, but fortunately, the others seemed to agree with my line of thinking. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± Once we reach the center, we¡¯ll get the answers to all these questions. That¡¯s what I thought as I looked ahead¡ªtoward the horizon, where a thick mass of ominously swirling Magi was waiting. Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Thud! The night is cold. With the sun that provided warmth now hidden below the horizon, it¡¯s only natural. However, it doesn¡¯t feel as chilly as one might expect, perhaps because the difference between day and night temperatures isn¡¯t that great. Thud! On the continent of Laxia, which is covered by Magi, the sunlight never fully shines through. As a result, even during the day, it often feels cool. Noticing that the fire¡¯s once zing mes had dwindled a bit, I threw in another log. The mes, which had momentarily hesitated, eagerly devoured the wood and red up fiercely again. The warmth radiating from the fire gently enveloped the surroundings. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Celine stirred in her sleep. It seemed the sudden warmth in the air was unfamiliar to her. Still, she didn¡¯t seem to dislike the cozy warmth wrapping around her, as she neither opened her eyes norined, returning instead to her peaceful breathing. And Da-eun¡­Yep, she¡¯s sleeping soundly. She was so deeply asleep, not moving an inch, that I reached out and ced a finger under her nose just to be sure. Feeling the faint breath tickle my finger, I withdrew my hand. Thud! ¡°¡­No learning ability at all?¡± As I checked on mypanions, I heard a sound, as if something was banging against something else. After three failed attempts, you¡¯d think it would stop by now¡­ I sighed and, without bothering to stand, drew my sword. Wielding a sword in this position wouldn¡¯t allow me to put my full strength into it. After all, I was swinging it using only my arms. Not to mention, with my small frame, I already have to be careful to keep the sword from dragging on the ground when standing, so sitting made it even harder. But despite knowing that, I didn¡¯t bother getting up. It was enough to deal with the thing that kept annoyingly banging against the barrier Celine had created with her holy magic. Swish In an instant, a gust of wind, as sharp as a de, swept through the campsite. That was all it took to silence the pest that had been rudely banging on our door in the dead of night. Disturbing my thoughts deserves the death penalty. Honestly, I¡¯d just been spacing out, staring at the fire, but words are all about how you spin them. Yawn¡­ Watching the mes dance as they flickered in the fire naturally made me yawn. I felt strangely drowsy¡­ The night watch I¡¯m familiar with has a more tense, alert atmosphere. But thanks to Celine¡¯s holy barrier, it felt more like we were on a peaceful getaway trip. In truth, there wasn¡¯t even a real need to stay on watch. Most creatures wouldn¡¯t be able to break through her barrier, and if something strong enough did, I¡¯d wake up to it instinctively. ¡ª¡±So why are you sitting here all alone, moping?¡± Grasid remarked. ¡®I¡¯m not moping. I¡¯m just organizing my thoughts.¡¯ ¡ªIn my eyes, it looks the same. ¡®Well, maybe that¡¯s how lizard eyes see things. I¡¯ll let it slide.¡¯ ¡ªTsk, that sharp tongue of yours¡­ ¡®If you don¡¯t like it, you can leave.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t worried about something like, ¡®What if it actually leaves?¡¯ There¡¯s no way Grasid would abandon me, and if it did, that would be exactly what I want¡ªan opportunity to shake off this clingy perverted lizard. Now that I think about it, maybe I¡¯ve gotten used to Da-eun visiting me every day because of Grasid¡¯s constant presence. Not that I¡¯m thankful for it, though. ¡ª¡­Ahem! Not that I dislike it. ¡®Then stay quiet.¡¯ Just as I thought, my sharp words made Grasid back down quickly. ¡ªIf you have so many worries, why not share them with me? ¡®¡­Me? Share my worries with you?¡¯ ¡ª¡±I¡¯ve lived long enough to offer some help. Trust me, you won¡¯t lose anything by confiding in me.¡± ¡®Nothing to lose? Of course, I¡¯d lose something. I¡¯d have to actually talk to you. Do you know how exhausting that is?¡¯ ¡ª¡±¡­You¡¯re the first and will likely be thest person to treat me like this.¡± ¡®Old man, times have changed.¡¯ Even as the years passed, dragons still remained revered, but the influence that Grasid once had was not what it used to be. No wonder those royal brats treated the Crimson Aegis with such disdain. I didn¡¯t really want to pour out my troubles to this perverted lizard, so I asked something that had just popped into my head. ¡®Your kingdom fell. Do you regret it?¡¯ ¡ª¡±I made a contract with Zigrid, not his descendants. Besides, didn¡¯t I already do enough for them? Do you know how much effort I put into making that ring?¡± ¡®You¡¯re trying to say you worked hard on it, even putting off healing the injuries you got from fighting Krumo, right?¡¯ I¡¯d heard the story so many times that I could recite it in my sleep. ¡®And yet, there weren¡¯t many who could actually use it properly.¡¯ ¡ª¡±¡­I got carried away while making it. I couldn¡¯t help it. After all, it would¡¯ve been embarrassing if some nobody used an artifact granted by a dragon.¡± ¡®You¡¯re so full of yourself.¡¯ In the end, it means you made it thinking only about your own pride, without considering whether anyone could use it. What¡¯s the point of creating something more impressive than what the dwarves can craft if no one can wield it properly? And to top it off, you added that annoying restriction¡ª¡¯royal blood must not taint it.¡¯ ¡ª¡±To be precise, not just any royal blood, but only ¡®royal blood of Zigrid¡¯s lineage.''¡± ¡®Same difference.¡¯ ¡ª¡±Imagine creating a sword for someone only for that sword to end up hurting them. Wouldn¡¯t that be ridiculous? I was preventing such a tragedy.¡± ¡®So, in the end, it¡¯s all about your pride again.¡¯ As expected, a dragon is the embodiment of vanity. From the start, Grasid never cared about the Grasis or Zigrid. As I conveyed that thought, Grasid began to yap again, trying to justify himself. But since my intention was to provoke him, I just pretended to pick my ears and let his words go in one ear and out the other. If you¡¯re going to speak freely inside someone¡¯s mind, you should at least pay a price, right? That¡¯s how I see it. ¡ª¡±¡­But I wouldn¡¯t have done so much if I didn¡¯t care. I took it seriously¡ª¡± ¡®¡ªHold on. Be quiet.¡¯ ¡ª¡±¡­.¡± The chatter in my head stopped, and silence fell over the area. Not that it was noisy to begin with since we weremunicating telepathically. But in the quiet night, between the crackling of the campfire and the asional gust of wind, a foreign sound slipped in. ¡­Creeeak, creeeak. It was the sound of something dragging across the ground. Could it be a monster? ¡®No.¡¯ I immediately shook my head. It didn¡¯t feel like a monster¡¯s presence. Besides, if it were a monster, it would¡¯ve charged at us by now, or approached more stealthily instead of making noise like that. And this wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯d sensed this kind of presence. It was a feeling I often encountered in people who were injured and struggling to move. Which meant the approaching figure was¡­ ¡°Human.¡± It was probably one of the Demonic Race, specifically from the Purifier n. Sure enough, emerging from the thick darkness into the firelight was a figure with pale skin¡ªa member of the Demonic Race. The man staggered forward, and when his eyes met mine, he froze in shock. It seemed he hadn¡¯te looking for us intentionally. Of course, he could be acting, but even if that surprised look was fake, I wouldn¡¯t be too upset. There was no helping it, after all. ¡°You people¡ª¡± ¡°Shh.¡± I raised a finger to my lips, gesturing toward my sleepingpanions. The man quickly shut his mouth. At least he had good sense. The man cautiously approached the campsite without much warning,ing closer to where I sat. Thunk. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± The man let out a short breath, whether it was a gasp of amazement or a sigh, I couldn¡¯t tell, as he collided with the divine barrier that Celine had erected. His trembling hand reached out to trace the barrier, feeling its surface. ¡°The divine power of Lady Edel¡­ I never thought I¡¯d feel it again in my lifetime¡­¡± He was so ovee with emotion that tears began to fall from his eyes. Watching this scene, I blinked in mild disbelief. ¡®He looks like a fanatic¡­¡¯ I understood the significance of Edel to these people, so I refrained from making any snarkyments, but I had to admit it was quite something to see someone react this emotionally to divine power. It wasn¡¯t something you¡¯d see often on the Ardina Continent. It was refreshing in its own way. The man continued to sob quietly, overwhelmed by the divine power, and after some time, he finally stopped his silent weeping. Without even wiping his swollen eyes, he spoke in a cracked voice. ¡°I see¡­ You must be from the Ardina Continent.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± There was no reason to hide it, so I answered him without hesitation. ¡°Do you know Artisha?¡± ¡°Oh! Have you met her?¡± ¡°Yes, she brought us here.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Her condition must be poor¡­¡± Mentioning Artisha¡¯s name along with the divine power seemed to lower the man¡¯s guard even more. If I were lying, he¡¯d be falling right into a trap¡ªhe seemed like the kind of person easy to scam. And speaking of which¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be in the best shape yourself. For a second, I thought a corpse was walking toward us.¡± ¡°¡­Haha, you can tell.¡± ¡°You¡¯re practically reeking of death. If you¡¯re nning to die, do it somewhere else. I don¡¯t want to deal with a body here.¡± I didn¡¯t want to wake anyone up, but the way this man looked, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if we ended up with a corpse to deal with by morning. Reluctantly, despite all my efforts to keep things quiet, I had to wake Celine up myself. ¡°Celine. Wake up.¡± ¡°Mm¡­ Kana? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Is there a monster attack?¡± Rubbing her sleepy eyes, Celine asked me, to which I shook my head. That sort of thing was always happening anyway. If a monster strong enough to warrant waking her had appeared, the whole area would¡¯ve already been in chaos. ¡°No, I need you, Celine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite an exciting statement. Are you confessing?¡± ¡°¡­No. I get that you¡¯re still groggy, but pull yourself together.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Due to thenguage barrier, I often ended up talking mostly with Da-eun, unintentionally leaving Celine out. It had bothered me for a while, so I was d we couldmunicate now, but¡­ For some reason, ever since she started understanding me, Celine seemed to be picking up some of Da-eun¡¯s quirks. The once gentle andpassionate Celine had changed. Should I be happy that we were closer now, orment that she had been influenced by Da-eun? Feeling a mix of emotions, I guided Celine toward the man. Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Celine removed her hand from the man¡¯s shoulder, and the golden divine power that had been swirling around him gradually dissipated. Hisplexion, though still pale, looked considerably better than it had before she treated him. At least now, he no longer seemed on the brink of copsing from exhaustion. ¡°I¡¯ve done all I can,¡± Celine said softly. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°You were about to say thatplete healing is impossible, weren¡¯t you?¡± the man interrupted, his voice calm. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my own limitations¡­¡± Celine lowered her gaze in regret. ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize,¡± the man reassured her. ¡°I was already at death¡¯s door. Thanks to you, I¡¯ve been granted a bit more time. How could I possibly me you for that? Please, don¡¯t speak so harshly of yourself.¡± He knew well that the scythe of death still loomed close. Yet, the way he faced his impending fate with such eptance was both admirable and unsettling. ¡°When I chose to undergo the Ascension Ritual, I already made peace with this oue,¡± the man stated. Hearing the unfamiliar term, Celine couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°The Ascension Ritual?¡±¡°It¡¯s a ritual where one forcefully absorbs Magi to elevate their spirit and body,¡± I answered, sensing Celine¡¯s confusion. ¡°He¡¯s part of the Demonic Race¡­ or rather, you might know them as the Purifier n.¡± The man gave me a wary look. He wasn¡¯t expecting me, someone not of his kind, to be familiar with such a deeply guarded ritual. But, thanks to Edel, I had learned of it. ¡°As the youngdy mentioned,¡± the man said, slightly more at ease, ¡°the Ascension Ritual is an ancient practice where Magi is epted into the body, raising one¡¯s level of existence¡ªboth physically and spiritually.¡± Celine tilted her head, clearly puzzled by the concept. ¡°You mean¡­ by epting Magi, you can ascend to a higher state?¡± ¡°Yes, though it¡¯s as dangerous as it sounds,¡± the man admitted with a chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re correct in thinking that it¡¯s no simple feat.¡± ¡°Forcefully cramming Magi beyond your limit into your body is bound to be dangerous,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s like eating food until you can¡¯t fit anymore, except the food is something rotten, and your stomach will either explode or make you sick.¡± The man nodded gravely. ¡°Yes, the risks are high. So far, only two people have survived the ritual¡ªour previous chieftain and our current one.¡± ¡°Two people¡­¡± Celine murmured, her face clouding with concern. The man took a deep breath, preparing to reveal more. ¡°Before I answer any further, let me tell you about our duty. Since you were brought here by Artisha, you must already know our purpose.¡± ¡°You¡¯re responsible for purifying the polluted Mana, right?¡± I said, cutting to the chase. The man¡¯s eyes gleamed with a hint of respect. ¡°Exactly. Given that, I can keep this brief.¡± He then exined how Edel had once gifted the Purifier n with the ability to cleanse Magi, but over time, that power faded. As Magi began to overflow, their mission became more urgent, though many of the younger generation had chosen to flee, putting their survival ahead of their sacred duty. ¡°I couldn¡¯t stop the children from leaving,¡± the man continued. ¡°As important as our duty is, their lives are just as precious.¡± I recalled the vige of the Demonic Race back in Ardina. Even when they smiled, there was always a shadow lurking behind their eyes¡ªa reflection of the guilt they carried for abandoning their sacred task to stay alive. ¡°Those of us who remain are either still capable of carrying out the mission or have resolved to die here, regardless of whether we seed or not.¡± It became clear that, for this man and many like him, the Ascension Ritual was ast, desperate attempt to reim what they had lost¡ªboth power and purpose. Yet, even with such sacrifices, the odds of sess were staggeringly slim. ¡°What¡¯s so special about that mission anyway?¡± I muttered, sounding more like aint. The man chuckled softly at my grumbling. ¡°Those of us who can¡¯t hold on any longer are left with three choices,¡± the man began to exin. ¡°First, follow the others and head to the Ardina Continent. Second, ept death. And the third is¡­¡± ¡°The Ascension Ritual,¡± I interrupted, easily guessing the third option. He gave me an impressed look. ¡°Exactly. If we seed in the ritual, we can stay here in Laxia. And if we fail and die¡­ well, most of us have already made peace with that.¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not part of the Demonic Race?¡± the man asked, half-serious. I lifted a lock of my hair and smirked. ¡°You want to check for yourself?¡± He waved his hand dismissively. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m truly suspicious of you. It¡¯s just that you¡¯ve hit the nail on the head so precisely.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯ve already read the answer sheet,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Answer sheet? Oh, but there¡¯s one thing you¡¯ve misunderstood. We don¡¯t face the Ascension Ritual thinking that failure doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Of course. Everyone would prefer to seed,¡± Celine chimed in before shrinking back, realizing she¡¯d misunderstood the man¡¯s point. ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant,¡± the man rified. He continued, ¡°Even if we fail, our deaths still contribute to Laxia and to our people.¡± ¡°Even in failure?¡± I asked, curious now. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± the man said with a smile. ¡°Finally, I get to share something you didn¡¯t already know. When we die after failing the ritual, the Magi we carried also dissipates with us.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­,¡± I began to protest, but he cut me off. ¡°It¡¯s true. Though our bodies are tainted by Magi¡­¡± He ced a pale hand over his chest, ¡°¡­our souls remain pure.¡± In the final moment of death, when the soul leaves the body, it mixes with the Magi and dilutes the pollution, buying time. While not a full purification, it prevents an immediate overflow of Magi. ¡°The Ascension Ritual is performed in remote areas to avoid idents. Those who fail often go to secluded ces to die alone,¡± the man exined. A vivid image popped into my head¡ªbodies scattered along the coast, as well as those who had died on the road, never making it to their destination. Celine must have had the same thought because she covered her mouth in horror. ¡°That¡¯s insane¡­¡± she whispered, barely able toprehend it. I couldn¡¯t help but smile grimly. ¡°Then again, who am I to judge?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± the man asked, not quite catching my mutteredment. ¡°Never mind,¡± I waved it off. ¡°So, is everyone who¡¯s still alive gathered at the center?¡± He nodded. ¡°Yes. Most of those who lived on the outskirts have gone to the Ardina Continent. The ones who remain have moved to the center. If we don¡¯t stick together, the vige won¡¯t survive.¡± ¡°Yeah, makes sense,¡± I agreed. With fewer people, it would be impossible to maintain a vige without consolidating. The conversation that had started off long-winded finally reached its conclusion with a shocking revtion. Even though I¡¯d heard about the Ascension Ritual from Edel, I hadn¡¯t realized how the participants viewed it. Like Celine, I was left deep in thought about the weight of the Demonic Race¡¯s sense of duty. It was far more intense than I¡¯d imagined. The man seemed to sense that his story was finished and politely asked, ¡°If it¡¯s not too much to ask, may I inquire something as well?¡± ¡°¡­What is it?¡± I replied, curious about his question. ¡°Why are you all heading toward the center?¡± the man asked, wasting no time. ¡°You sure are quick to ask,¡± I noted with a smirk. ¡°Haha¡­¡± Well, I suppose there really wasn¡¯t a chance to say anything until now. ¡°That Ascension Ritual you mentioned.¡± As I spoke, the campfire, which had been dying, was already smoldering. I tossed in the remaining firewood, and the mes grewrger than I had ever seen before. ¡°I¡¯m going to try it too.¡± Of course, unlike you, I¡¯m not thinking, it¡¯s fine even if I fail. Sacrificing my soul for the benefit of others? Yeah, that¡¯s not me. I¡¯m not the self-sacrificing type. I will seed. No matter what. As I poked at the fire with a stick, stirring the mes, I suddenly noticed the silence. When I looked up, both the man and Celine were staring at me with identical expressions¡ªlike they were asking if I had lost my mind. ¡°¡­What?¡± Shouldn¡¯t Celine, at least, already know what I¡¯m thinking? ¡°Edel didn¡¯t tell you?¡± I asked. Celine quietly nodded. ¡°No¡­.¡± ¡°Aha, no wonder.¡± So, you don¡¯t even know our objective, do you? It¡¯s strange, right? Working together without knowing the shared goal is clearly absurd. What was Edel even doing, not exining something like this? It¡¯s why having a proper leader is so important, I thought. In that sense, I was a fairly good superior back in the day. At least, no misunderstandings like this ever happened under mymand. No matter the chatter from below, the final decision was always mine. And if I sensed any disagreement, I would quickly assert control. Usually, it was the noble-born knights who caused problems. But even the rebellious ones woulde to see my way after a good, earnest conversation. Of course, each time, the number of patients in the infirmary mysteriously increased, but knights getting hurt during training isn¡¯t that big of a deal, right? BAM! ¡°That¡¯s not the point!¡± Celine suddenly stood up, her voice unusually loud. I flinched at her outburst, which was quite unlike her, and frowned. ¡°You¡¯re going to wake her up. Lower your voice.¡± ¡°Are you seriously considering doing it after hearing that failing means your soul will disappear?¡± she demanded, ignoring my warning. ¡°We only use that method to dilute the Magi; failure doesn¡¯t mean the soul will disa¡ª¡± A sharp re from Celine silenced the man instantly. Even though he was likely much older than her, given that he had called Artisha a child, he lookedpletely cowed by her presence. ¡°You¡¯re misunderstanding something,¡± I said calmly. ¡°This was Edel¡¯s idea.¡± ¡°¡­Edel¡¯s?¡± Celine¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Yeah.¡± Honestly, I wouldn¡¯t have even thought about trying it if Edel hadn¡¯t told me. ¡°What on earth for¡­?¡± Celine asked, still in disbelief. ¡°What for? I already told you.¡± The purpose of the Ascension Ritual, as the man exined. I needed a higher level of power, and if I seed in the ritual¡­ ¡°It¡¯s to raise my level,¡± I stated inly. I¡¯ll reach a much higher level than I am now. Oh, I phrased that wrong. ¡°It¡¯s not if I seed¡­¡± ¡°I will definitely seed.¡± Like I said before, failure isn¡¯t even a consideration. Chapter 110 Chapter 110 ¡°You need to start working on raising the tier of your soul.¡± Once I agreed to cooperate, Edel began to exin her n to me. ¡°What exactly is a tier?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the right to grasp higher power. The qualification to break free from naturalw. The proof of one¡¯s existence¡­ and many other things. But even if I exin it this way, it probably doesn¡¯t make much sense to you, right?¡± ¡°Is it like a state of mastery?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not exactly the same. But if it¡¯s hard to understand, you can think of it that way. Tier and mastery are closely rted. Does that make a bit more sense now?¡± ¡°No, I still don¡¯t really get it¡­ So why do I need to raise my tier?¡± ¡°You need to raise your tier in order to defeat the Dimensional Creatures.¡± ¡°¡­Just keep exining.¡±With every word Edel said, more question marks appeared in my mind. But I figured that if I kept raising questions, we¡¯d never get through this conversation. If we took it too slow, she might disappear on me again, just like the first time we met. Although she said it wouldn¡¯t happen this time, my trust in Edel wasn¡¯t exactly high. ¡°To stop the Dimensional Creatures, I downgraded this world and subordinated it to Earth, right? I made it sound easy, but it¡¯s actually not a simple thing. Subordinating one massive entity of energy to another of equal size is no easy task. If the adjustment is off, both worlds could be torn apart, leaving no trace behind.¡± The reason it was possible was because the world of Silia had already been invaded by Dimensional Creatures and wasn¡¯t in aplete state, and even in that state, Edel hadn¡¯t lost her administrator privileges. Thanks to Edel¡¯s full cooperation as an administrator, Earth¡¯s administrator was able to incorporate the energy mass of Silia, which had shrunk, under its control. ¡°Being subordinated to another world isn¡¯t always a good thing. Think of it like this: the higher dimension is a person standing at the top of a waterfall, and the subordinated world, the lower dimension, is a person standing at the bottom. The person at the top can easily affect the person below, but how easy do you think it is for the person at the bottom to influence the one above?¡± No matter how hard you throw a stone, it wouldn¡¯t reach them. And climbing the waterfall against the current is even more unrealistic. ¡°Can¡¯t you just use sword energy or something?¡± ¡°You could throw sword energy, or use magic, or try to endure the torrent with a strong body, but those aren¡¯t things ordinary people can do, right? Those are the things only someone with ¡®tier¡¯ can achieve.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± The right to break free from naturalw, she had said. After listening to her exnation, I think I¡¯m starting to understand a bit. Basically, tier is a tool that lets you affect those higher up, whether it¡¯s with a sword or magic. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Even though she¡¯s probably reading my thoughts, she didn¡¯t outright deny what I was thinking, so it must not be too far off. ¡°Could you not use divine power for something like that¡­? Anyway, affecting the higher dimension from the lower one is incredibly difficult¡­ No, it¡¯s much harder than that.¡± ¡°I get that part. So? How is that rted to me needing to raise my tier?¡± ¡°Ah, this is so embarrassing¡­¡± Edel grumbled. ¡°Up until now, the Dimensional Creatures and I were on equal footing, or maybe I had a slight advantage. But after losing to them and being subordinated to Earth as a lower dimension, I¡¯m now below them. Even if it¡¯s just a slight advantage, an advantage is still an advantage. In Silia¡¯s dimension, I can¡¯t effectively fight them. That¡¯s why I turned it into a game.¡± ¡°So, you used beings from a higher dimension to hunt enemies in a lower dimension?¡± ¡°Exactly! You catch on quicker than I expected.¡± ¡°¡­Quicker than expected?¡± I narrowed my eyes at the words, as if she hadn¡¯t expected me to understand. Somehow, this felt familiar¡­ ¡°Oh, I remember now.¡± The mages, full of hot air, used to say things like this. That I could sense mana, but because I was too stupid, I ended up swinging a sword instead of using magic. Of course, whenever I heard that, I kindly corrected their misunderstanding. And as a bonus, I¡¯d help straighten out their hunched backs from sitting at desks all day, which they really appreciated. Could Edel be one of those types? ¡°Ahem! That¡¯s not the point right now, is it? Anyway, let me tell you how you can raise your tier.¡± Edel awkwardly changed the subject, avoiding my persistent gaze. And what she said next was the absurd method known as the Ascension Ritual. After all her talk about having a trump card, she casually suggested what was essentially a suicide mission, even rmending Laxia as a prime suicide spot. I looked at her in disbelief and asked again. ¡°Are you really telling me to do something like that?¡± This doesn¡¯t make any sense! Fools who tried to absorb more mana than they could handle in order to elevate their mastery were often found in history books and various records. Why do I call them fools? Because their tragic end was written alongside their stories in those records. Perhaps there are sessful cases that weren¡¯t recorded, but at least from what¡¯s documented, I haven¡¯t seen any sessful examples. If it were that easy to elevate mastery, then anyone could be called a master. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Since your soul endured the dimensional vortex, you can definitely withstand this ordeal too. ¡­Theoretically speaking!¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s really reassuring.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but sarcastically remark, considering that nothing good ever came out of someone mentioning ¡°theory.¡± ¡°That was a joke! This is for our precious Canaria and the one and only sword. Would I really joke about something like this?¡± ¡°I said it because I feel like you might.¡± The way I see Edel, she¡¯s always so carefree that it¡¯s hard to trust her. Even though I decided to cooperate with her, I¡¯m not willing to gamble my life on it. If she had made an offer like ¡°I¡¯ll give you the strength to kill a snake, but if you¡¯re unlucky, you might die¡± a few months or weeks ago, I probably would¡¯ve epted. But not anymore. ¡°Having an attachment to life is beautiful. It¡¯s a privilege that only those who bear life can possess.¡± ¡°If you want to sing praises of humanity, do itter when you¡¯re alone. I¡¯m not someone who finds beauty in humanity, so I can¡¯t agree with you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a hymn to humanity, but a hymn to life. But if our dear Canaria wishes, I¡¯ll stay quiet.¡± As soon as she said that, Edel really closed her mouth. ¡­And this is why I can¡¯t trust her. If she were to suddenly say, ¡°Oops! I¡¯m out of divine power¡­ I did use a lot, huh~¡± and disappear, I¡¯d have toe all the way back to find her again. That would be a tedious and awful ordeal, so I urged Edel to get on with it. ¡°Hurry up and exin.¡± ¡°Shall I?¡± The moment I finished speaking, Edel immediately started chatting away as if she hadn¡¯t just been silent moments ago. At first, I listened halfheartedly without much expectation, but as sheid out her various reasons and logic, I began to understand why she was so confident. ¡°You raise your tier, the poor children are freed from their duty, and I regain my strength. It¡¯s a win-win-win, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Yeah, except for the part where everything goes wrong if we fail.¡± ¡°Well, if you¡¯re going to die anyway whether you do nothing or fail, wouldn¡¯t it be better to at least try? You¡¯re not the type to sit back and let yourself be crushed, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± I had enough of being trampled on helplessly when I was a child. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°An excellent choice.¡± The possibility of failure and the penalties that woulde with it still loomed. However, if Edel¡¯s words were urate, it wasn¡¯t such a low-chance gamble after all. The fact that there were no other options, as Edel had mentioned, also yed a part in my decision. ¡°But is it really okay to leave the fate of the world up to just me?¡± ¡°Well, if you think of it not as just a single human, but as a hero who crossed dimensions to save the world, it doesn¡¯t sound so bad, does it?¡± ¡°Haha. A hero, huh?¡± I let out a dryugh that sounded as if all moisture had left it. A hero. That¡¯s a title that doesn¡¯t suit me at all. Well, considering that Edel didn¡¯t seem to put much weight on the word either, I¡¯ll leave it at that. There are still plenty of things I¡¯m curious about. ¡°You said that once I raise my tier, I¡¯ll be able to interfere with higher dimensions, right?¡± ¡°Yep. I already told you that, didn¡¯t I? ¡­Ah, so that¡¯s what you were curious about~?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Edel smirked as she read my mind and shed a mischievous expression. With an understanding smile, she nodded. ¡°Of course, you¡¯ll be able to do what you¡¯re thinking.¡± ¡°I told you to stop reading my mind.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, hurry up and raise your tier.¡± I wonder if, after sessfullypleting the Ascension Ritual, I¡¯ll finally be able to hit this cheeky goddess. If so, I think I¡¯d be more than happy to go through with the ritual. I clicked my tongue briefly. ¡°What if people lose interest in this world and stop ying the game? Wouldn¡¯t that mean this world would disappear too?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if it fails, it will still remain as a lower dimension. If it seems like interest is dropping, I can just imnt suggestions. Like, ¡®You find this game fun and want to keep ying¡­¡¯ something like that. But that won¡¯t happen.¡± Edel¡¯s face was filled with pride as she said, How could anyone get bored of a world as captivating as the one I created? ¡°Captivating, huh¡­?¡± It wasn¡¯t something that resonated deeply with me. I tilted my head in slight confusion, but soon shook it off to clear my thoughts. No, that doesn¡¯t really matter. What Edel thought about her world was none of my business. From the moment she exined her n, one thing had been on my mind. The question I had been holding onto, I finally asked Edel. Chapter 111 Chapter 111 A brief moment was given to a man who could die at any moment. However, that time was merely a fleeting instant¡ªinsignificantpared to the lifespan he could have had. Yet, to someone whose body, soul, and spirit had been shattered by the failure of the ascension ritual, it was a luxury. ¡°In truth, I thought I would die on the way before reaching my destination. I was well aware of my own condition.¡± The man who had received a reprieve offered a faint smile. Even though Celine had done nothing wrong, seeing his smile brought a sense of guilt to her face. ¡°The time I¡¯ve given you won¡¯tst long.¡± ¡°Yes, I can sense that my life¡¯s me is almost extinguished. But what does that matter? I¡¯ve already lived long enough. I¡¯ve seen buds sprout and petals fall hundreds of times. Ah, not that I¡¯m boasting about living a long life.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really think it sounds like boasting.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then I¡¯m relieved. Anyway¡­ when I think of this as cing a period at the end of a long life, I feel rather at ease.¡± The man, who had been talking quietly by the campfire, stood up. Was he nning to leave? Sensing his intention, Celine grabbed his arm. ¡°If you recuperate in a ce with little Magi, you could live longer. It won¡¯t be easy to get there, but if you¡¯d like, I can write you a letter of rmendation to go to the Holy Kingdom.¡±¡°I appreciate the offer. But there is still something I wish to do, so I must respectfully decline.¡± ¡°Something you wish to do?¡± ¡°Yes. I want to recover the remains of those who walked this path before me¡­ It¡¯s something I¡¯ve long desired to do, and now, I finally have the chance.¡± ¡°If you wanted to do it that much, couldn¡¯t you have done it sooner?¡± ¡°If I went there and something happened, it could tarnish their legacy. You might call it excessive worry, but as long as there was even the slightest risk, I couldn¡¯t act carelessly.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ so that¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°But now, I too am someone who has undergone the ascension ritual. I have no reason to hold back any longer. Although my broken body won¡¯t be able to build a worthy resting ce for their noble sacrifices, at least I can recover their remains.¡± The man spoke of using hisst breath, his final me, not for himself but for those who had passed. ¡°¡­If you were given a chance to live, shouldn¡¯t you just focus on living? Do you know how many people would sacrifice others¡¯ lives without a second thought just to survive?¡± You don¡¯t even have to look far. Even the Demonic Race fled to Ardina Continent for simr reasons. Ah, I¡¯m not ming them. I just don¡¯t understand why you¡¯d give up so easily, even when given a chance that others couldn¡¯t obtain, that¡¯s all. After all, I used to wish for a miracle like that myself. ¡°I believe that meeting a meaningful end is more valuable than living at the expense of others.¡± ¡°A meaningful end¡­?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it true that a parent who takes a sword in ce of their child would feel regret? But that same parent would also feel relieved and grateful that their child survived. To them, their child¡¯s life is more valuable than their own.¡± The man gave me a gentle smile, even though I still couldn¡¯t understand him. ¡°That¡¯s how it is.¡± ¡°¡­Then what if your child or a friend took someone¡¯s life to save you? What would you think?¡± ¡°Well, I suppose I¡¯d feel miserable. As I said before, I don¡¯t want to live at the cost of others.¡± ¡°Even if that life was a ruthless criminal¡¯s?¡± ¡°Yes, even then.¡± Following his logic, wouldn¡¯t that mean he should spare anyone who rushes at him on the battlefield, even with a sword? If I were to take his life, wouldn¡¯t that mean I survive by taking another¡¯s life? Well, with that kind of personality, I suppose it¡¯s no wonder he clung to the mission given to him by Edel¡­ ¡°As expected, I can¡¯t understand it.¡± ¡°I know my personality is frustrating. But I¡¯ve lived like this my whole life, so it¡¯s hard to imagine living any other way. Even if you find it frustrating, could you be patient with me?¡± ¡°Why would I need to be patient? I¡¯m not your master, and how you live isn¡¯t my concern.¡± ¡°Haha, you¡¯re right about that.¡± The man nced upward. A faint light began to seep through the dense fog of Magi. ¡°It¡¯s already thiste. I¡¯m truly sorry to both of you, but I must be going. As the Sister said, I don¡¯t have much time left.¡± ¡°Ah¡­! Wait a moment¡­!¡± Celine, holding the man¡¯s hand, closed her eyes gently. ¡°I can¡¯t apany you, but may Edel¡¯s blessing go with you¡­¡± After offering her blessing, Celine watched as the man prepared to leave. His preparations amounted to nothing more than tightening the opening of a small bundle on his back. He dusted off the wrinkles and dust clinging to his clothes and bowed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what your purpose is, but if you¡¯vee all the way to this dangerous Laxia, you must have high aspirations. May Edel¡¯s light be with you all. And¡­¡± In his ck eyes, which held a faint glimmer of light, was the image of a girl with pink hair. ¡°If I had more time, I could have listened to your worries. It¡¯s a pity I couldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this? Are you trying to y guardian? Sorry to say, but my guardian spots are already full.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I wonder, is the person behind you, the one sleeping, one of them?¡± ¡°¡­What, what?!¡± I unconsciously let out a high-pitched noise and quickly covered my mouth with my hand. Fortunately, my voice wasn¡¯t loud enough to wake Da-eun, who continued to sleep soundly, her breaths steady. Confirming Da-eun¡¯s state, I lowered my voice and spoke. ¡°¡­Why would you even think something like that?¡± ¡°Is it odd? You¡¯ve been paying a lot of attention to her since earlier. It seemed to me that you care for her deeply.¡± ¡°Care deeply¡­ I suppose I could concede that, but wouldn¡¯t most people think of it as consideration for apanion, not a guardian? There¡¯s a limit to making such leaps in logic¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re right. I apologize if I made you ufortable.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize.¡± ¡°Thank you for your kindness.¡± The man¡¯s eyes crinkled warmly. ¡°Well, it may not be a guardian¡¯s role, but isn¡¯t it the duty of the elderly to give advice to young people when they¡¯re struggling with something?¡± He spoke of himself as an old man without hesitation. It was a stark contrast to those who go to great lengths to appear younger. Yet, it was somewhat amusing that, in front of me, this man seemed younger than those who desperately tried to hold on to youth. But considering that he had spent his entire life purifying Magi, perhaps it wasn¡¯t all good. ¡°Seeking answers through contemtion is nothing to be ashamed of. I believe that constant reflection and thought is the path to bing a better person.¡± ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you the philosophy professor. Didn¡¯t you say you were short on time? Stop lecturing and hurry on your way.¡± Making assumptions about my feelings and then babbling on and on¡­ It annoyed me, so I snapped back. By conventional standards, my words would be considered impolite, worthy of criticism. But, well, why would I start caring about that now? If I did, I wouldn¡¯t be speaking so casually in the first ce. I¡¯ve already been casually addressing Edel, who could be considered the most revered figure in this world, so what would be the point in trying to be polite now? Waving my hand as if shooing away an annoyingpanion, the man gave a small bow. ¡°I hope you achieve what you desire.¡± ¡°Yeah, you too.¡± Wishing good health, or to be careful¡­ I avoided such noisy farewells because I knew they held little meaning. Besides, it felt too awkward to say such things to someone I¡¯d only recently met. As she watched the man slowly disappear into the darkness, Celine murmured softly. ¡°Will we be able to see him again?¡± ¡°We might. But I can¡¯t promise what state he¡¯ll be in.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Celine gave me a reproachful look. It was quite rare for her to look at me like that, so I nced away. ¡­Yeah. Even I thought my words were a bit too harsh. I knew it, butforting someone with gentle words just wasn¡¯t my style. ¡°It¡¯s good to be sympathetic, but don¡¯t dwell on it too much. It¡¯s a problem that will resolve itself once the task is done.¡± ¡°¡­Yes. I remember.¡± It wasn¡¯t so muchfort as it was a reminder of reality. But as long as the result was good, that¡¯s all that mattered, right? Seeing Celine¡¯s resolute expression, I added a remark to encourage her resolve. ¡°Surely, you¡¯re not nning to let me die, right? I believe the kindhearted apprentice saintess wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Of course not. Even without Edel¡¯s guidance, I¡¯d dly help. Losing the adorable Miss Kana would be a loss for all of humanity.¡± ¡°Strange. I don¡¯t recall asking for that kind of ttery.¡± ¡°ttery? It¡¯s my true feelings.¡± I didn¡¯t need to ask where Celine had learned such teasing. No doubt, the culprit was the one snoring away behind me. It was better than being called ugly, but even when hearing such remarks, I couldn¡¯t muster much emotion. All I could think was, ¡®And what am I supposed to do with that?¡¯ ¡°Miss Kana, your ears are turning red.¡± ¡°No, they¡¯re not.¡± It must be the campfire that made them look that way. I ignored the warm glow in Celine¡¯s eyes, which held a gentle warmth like the fire crackling before us. ¡°Sorry for waking you up suddenly. Want me to wake you again if you want to sleep more? Even though dawn is breaking, you could still sleep for another hour or two. If needed, we can dy our departure.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Now that I¡¯m up, watching the sunrise to wee a new day doesn¡¯t sound bad. But are you sure you¡¯re okay, Miss Kana? You seem like you haven¡¯t slept at all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the master, so I should be fine.¡± I chatted casually with Celine as we watched the sun rise. Though the Magi lingering in the sky dulled its usual brilliance, it wasn¡¯t an entirely unpleasant sight. As if on cue, we began packing up the campsite just as Da-eun woke up, rubbing her eyes. ¡°You should have woken me up if something like that happened¡­!¡± Herints about missing out on the early morning event were an extra touch to our day. Well, it¡¯s her fault for not waking up. Click here -> Chapter 112 Chapter 112 We calmed Da-eun, who was whining, and left behind the unexpected encounter, embarking on our journey toward the central area. As usual, we dealt with the monsters that attacked us, explored the homes where the Demonic Race had lived, walked along the path, and when night fell, we lit a campfire and prepared for camp. And so, two days passed. We finally arrived at what appeared to be our destination. ¡°Hmm.¡± I scratched my cheek as I looked at the ck barrier that blocked our way. It resembled the sacred barrier that once protected the Sedeth Kingdom, as well as the one Celine had cast, but the flickering ck color gave off a peculiar sense of unease when gazing upon it. ¡­This could be a bit troublesome. ¡°Do you think we can break through it?¡±¡°We can, technically.¡± It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t really want to do so. The purpose of a barrier is to separate the inside from the outside, right? So, if a barrier is set up, it means there was a reason to keep the inside and outside apart, and breaking a hole through it could undermine that reason, potentially causing trouble. For example, what if a monster too strong for us to handle escapes¡­? Well, I think the chances of that are extremely low, but still, since this is the heart of the Demonic Race, I¡¯d rather avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings. When I exined this, Da-eun gave me a curious look. ¡°¡­Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ It¡¯s surprising that you¡¯re thinking such considerate thoughts, Kana¡­ Ouch!¡± ¡­Anyway. If the Magi here is this dense, destroying it entirely is impossible. Even if I create a hole just big enough for three people to pass through, it¡¯ll probably repair itself quickly. It¡¯s better to avoid unnecessary risks. But still¡­ nce. My gaze brushed over Da-eun, who was clutching her shin and grimacing. Da-eun didn¡¯t look well. If she heard me, she¡¯d probably say, ¡°It¡¯s because you kicked me, Kana!¡± But even before I kicked her, herplexion hadn¡¯t been great. When she first set foot in Laxia, she was doing okay, but as the Magi around us thickened, her face grew increasingly ashen, and now it lookedpletely pallid. Well, she¡¯s held on for a long time. Da-eun is at the Expert level. Even I, who am far more advanced, find the Magi of Laxia burdensome, so Da-eun must feel it even more. The fact that she¡¯s endured this long is impressive, if not excessive, for an Expert. It¡¯s probably thanks to the magical tools she has, but it seems even those have reached their limit. ¡°Celine, could you cast the sacred barrier on Joanie?¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± ¡°W-Wait, there¡¯s no need for that¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sweating like crazy, so don¡¯t act like there¡¯s no need.¡± ¡°¡­Haha, you caught me? But you said we should save our strength since we don¡¯t know what might happen. It doesn¡¯t hurt that much¡­ I think I can still manage, so it should be fine, right? If it gets too bad, I¡¯ll let you know¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be foolish.¡± I cut off Da-eun¡¯s muttered excuses with a firm tone. ¡°I told Celine to conserve her strength for situations like this.¡± What did you think I had her save her strength for in the first ce? And while it might not hurt as much thanks to Edel¡¯s blessing, that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re perfectly fine. Do you think I¡¯d just nod and ept it if you say that while showing obvious signs that you¡¯re not okay? ¡°¡­Haha.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a hassle, but I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± ¡°Leave it to me. This is my role, after all.¡± As Celine¡¯s divine power enveloped her, Da-eun¡¯splexion visibly rxed. ¡°Phew¡­ The DOT damage is gone. I thought I¡¯d have to drink a potion, but I¡¯m relieved. What? You think I¡¯m trying to save potion money for profit? That¡¯s ridiculous! No way I¡¯d do that.¡± If she was going to sigh in relief, why insist on not receiving the blessing? I shook my head at Da-eun¡¯s puzzling behavior and turned my attention back to the barrier. Unlike the barricades set up in the viges of the Demonic Race that fled to the Ardina Continent, this barrier showed no signs of an entrance. ¡°No choice, then.¡± Muttering softly, I drew my sword. Da-eun, who had been watching my actions, spoke with a perplexed tone. ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you say earlier that you wouldn¡¯t break through? I¡¯m pretty sure you mentioned wanting to avoid any misunderstandings.¡± ¡°Yeah, I did.¡± ¡°Then why did you draw your sword? Wait, are you nning to cut me down with it¡­?!¡± ¡°You must be feeling better if you¡¯re joking around like that.¡± Come to think of it, I had felt like something was missing yesterday and today, probably because Da-eun hadn¡¯t been babbling as much as usual. She hadn¡¯t been clinging to me as much, either. If I said that out loud, she¡¯d probably make some annoyingment like, ¡®Our Kana, were you lonely because your big sister wasn¡¯t hugging you? Come here, hug all you want,¡¯ so I kept those thoughts to myself. ¡°If I don¡¯t break the barrier, it should still react if I make a move it can¡¯t ignore.¡± If explosions go off in the yard, can you really pretend you didn¡¯t hear them? I poured mana into the sword in my hand. Woooooong¡ª! The sword, filled to the brim with mana, vibrated violently, letting out a shrill howl. It only held together because it was crafted by a skilled cksmith¡ªif it had been a poorly made sword, it would¡¯ve shattered into iron dust long ago. This wasn¡¯t a technique that cared about the sword¡¯s durability. There wasn¡¯t a hint of finesse; it was just brute-forcing mana into the de. Creak. But I guess this sword has reached its limit, too. It was a faint sound that could have been lost in the wind, but my sharpened hearing caught it. It was the cry of a sword pushed to its breaking point. If I pushed more mana into it now, it would shatter with a final scream. I already had enough mana gathered to cause amotion, so there was no reason to waste it and lose a useful weapon. I stopped pouring in mana. What I held was a massive, pink-colored sword that could be called a greatsword. I gripped the sword, which had lost its original color and shape, and swung it toward the sky. A pink Sword Beam soared through the air. There was no obstacle to block the Sword Beam, no enemy to cut through. Crrraack¡ª! Even I, along with Da-eun and Celine, who were watching, instinctively covered our ears. The Sword Beam shot out straight, creating a harsh noise. It was a sound more fitting for ¡®grinding down¡¯ or ¡®shattering¡¯ rather than ¡®cutting.¡¯ And soon, I could see with my own eyes what my Sword Beam had struck. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this result.¡± In the wake of the Sword Beam. The clear blue sky shone through where the Sword Beam had passed. I looked at the surreal sight of the blue sky peeking through the dark Magi with curiosity. Right, there was the Magi. What my Sword Beam had cut through was the Magi that had shrouded the sky. If I had used less mana, the beam would have been swallowed by the Magi, but thanks to the reckless power I had poured in, my Sword Beam sliced through the dense Magi and reached the high sky. ¡®I only intended to create a simple shockwave.¡¯ The grating noise that tore through our ears and the refreshing, open view weren¡¯t part of my n. Originally, my intention was simply to gather arge amount of mana. If I amassed enough mana to shake the surroundings, anyone with decent skills would inevitably notice. I shot the Sword Beam toward the sky to further signal our presence, not to show off my power or¡ª ¡°You¡­ split the sky¡­.¡± ¡­Or to say something as cringeworthy as Da-eun just did. Still, seeing the blue sky for the first time in days isn¡¯t a bad feeling. Even if it won¡¯tst long. ¡°Consider it my gift.¡± I think that¡¯s enough of a housewarming present. I asked nonchntly, turning halfway around. By now, several members of the Demonic Race had gathered behind me. ¡°So, how do you like it?¡± nk! And just like that, I found myself behind iron bars¡­ In other words, I was imprisoned. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡­Why? More importantly, didn¡¯t something like this happen not too long ago? *** Fortunately, I regained my freedom not long after. It was thanks to my testimony that I didn¡¯t harm the barrier and only called out to the Demonic Race inside, as well as Celine¡¯s divine power, which had a 100% sess rate in persuasion. Honestly, thetter seemed more important than the former, but I think I deserve some credit too, right? ¡°As a leader, I had to do what was necessary, so I will not apologize.¡± The woman who released me from the cell spoke. The man I had seen a few days earlier had seemed young, but the woman before me now looked even younger. In terms of human age, she would be in her early twenties. She was a beauty with a gentle downward curve to her eyes. ¡°Why is everyone so well-endowed¡­.¡± Poke. I nudged Da-eun, who made a strangement with envy-filled eyes as she looked at the woman. Why would she envy something that¡¯s just a lump of fat? And it¡¯s not like I¡¯m saying this out of insecurity. I never wanted something like that in the first ce. Besides, having something like that would only get in the way when swinging a sword. ¡°Leader? Are you the chieftain of the Demonic Race?¡± ¡°¡­Your speech is a bit short, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a habit.¡± ¡°Bad habits should be corrected, don¡¯t you think? While it¡¯s not easy to break a habit ingrained in you, it¡¯s not impossible if you put in the effort. So, you should try to change, starting now.¡± ¡°I never said it was a bad habit. And I used informal speech with Edel too. Do you think you¡¯re higher than Edel? If so, I¡¯ll use formal speech.¡± ¡°¡­The busy Edel wouldn¡¯t waste time chatting with a mere girl like you. If you think you can deceive me with such an absurd lie¡ª¡± ¡°What Kana says is true.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± If it had been a lie, a nun of Edel¡¯s church would have been the first to rise in anger. But instead of showing anger, Celine defended me, which left the woman speechless. She alternated between looking at me and Celine with distrustful and conflicted eyes before sitting back down in her chair. ¡°¡­The end times must be near.¡± Her reaction sparked a sudden impulse in me. What would she do if I told her Edel¡¯s true nature? Would she deny it, saying that Edel could never be like that, or would she ept it? I was curious, but my n was thwarted by Celine, who immediately noticed my intention and stopped me. ¡°Please don¡¯t make things difficult.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t even said anything yet.¡± I was just being a little petty because she imprisoned me. Come to think of it, she seems strangely familiar. I tapped the hilt of my sword, lost in thought, then snapped my fingers. ¡°You, what¡¯s your rtion to Artisha?¡± ¡°¡­Do you know Artisha?¡± ¡°She¡¯s the one who brought us here, so of course I know her.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Is that child doing well?¡± ¡°Not sure. I didn¡¯t get a good look, but she seemed to be getting by.¡± The woman¡¯s eyes glimmered with a longing expression, as if reminiscing about something. ¡°So, what¡¯s your answer to my question?¡± ¡°She is my daughter.¡± ¡°Oh, I thought so.¡± It was a predictable answer, so it didn¡¯t surprise me much. Judging by Da-eun¡¯s wide-eyed expression, though, she seemed to think differently. Click here -> Chapter 113 Chapter 113 I examined the woman¡¯s face again closely. I had thought they looked simr before, but after hearing her answer, the resemnce to Artisha became even more apparent. The gentle, almost sleepy eyes, the slender jawline. Her voice also had a subtle simrity to Artisha¡¯s¡­ If you took the exhaustion off Artisha¡¯s face, this might be what she would look like. ¡°Having a grown-up daughter with that appearance¡­ Isn¡¯t that cheating¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°What do you mean possible! She looks the same age as Artisha, or even younger¡­¡± ¡°A mother who looks younger than her daughter? That only happens inics,¡± Da-eun muttered. The fact that the Demonic Race can live for a long time without aging was something she should have known by now. Well, I could understand why Da-eun might feel that way. Justina¡¯s appearance could easily pass for a minor if you were being generous.¡°If my daughter brought you here, then you must be trustworthy. I am Justina. That is my name.¡± ¡°Your way of speaking is weird.¡± ¡°You impudent child, are you in a position to speak to me that way?¡± ¡°Hm, I suppose not.¡± After poking fun at her, I was immediately met with a sharp retort. How cunning, using straightforward logic¡­ Truly fitting for the leader of a n. Very wise indeed. ¡°I¡¯m Canaria. Just call me Kana.¡± With Justina¡¯s introduction setting the tone, Da-eun, Celine, and I all introduced ourselves. Da-eun hesitantly raised her hand. ¡°Um¡­ What should we call you?¡± Her voice trembled with nervousness as she asked. ¡°Why are you so nervous?¡± ¡°¡­From a human perspective, this is like meeting a king. Honestly, I¡¯m more amazed that Kana can respond so casually.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Is that so?¡± I heard Da-eun¡¯s words but still didn¡¯t quite understand. After all, hadn¡¯t all the people she met so far been far from ordinary? Even standing next to her were a former knight captain and a trainee saintess, not to mention that she had even met a deputy leader and a prince before. She hadn¡¯t been this tense then, so why now? ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re looking down on them just because their kingdom is already fallen?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not!¡± ¡­Could she really be that kind of person? As I shot her a disappointed look, Da-eun frantically shook her head. ¡°Well, I got to know you and Celine before finding out who you were, so I didn¡¯t have time to be shocked¡­ And honestly, Ashi¨¦ didn¡¯t really feel real to me.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± ¡°But I did feel nervous when I talked to Aeron! Though, maybe it was for a slightly different reason¡­¡± ¡°Different reason?¡± ¡°¡­Ah. Let¡¯s just forget I said that.¡± Nervous is nervous, what does she mean by ¡®a different reason¡¯? Even after pressing her further, Da-eun firmly shut her mouth without giving me any answers. ¡­Something is fishy. Even though I felt that way, I had no choice but to stop my questioning. After all, it wasn¡¯t just the three of us here, and we couldn¡¯t keep chatting among ourselves forever. ¡°If you¡¯re done chatting, may I speak now?¡± Of course. Just as the conversation began to dwindle, Justina interjected. ¡°Humans call me the Demon King, don¡¯t they? You can continue to call me that, or you can call me Lady Justina, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Th-then, I¡¯ll call you Lady Justina.¡± ¡°Sure. Justina.¡± ¡°And where did the ¡®Lady¡¯ go, leaving it behind?¡± ¡°In the Ardina Continent.¡± With an expression full of things she wanted to say, Justina stared at me for a long while before turning her gaze away without a word. It was as if she were saying, ¡°Better to bear it than die.¡± ¡°¡­Perhaps.¡± A single word slipped from Justina¡¯s lips. She hesitated, unable to continue her sentence easily, but eventually closed her eyes tightly, as if she had made up her mind about something. ¡°¡­If it¡¯s not too much trouble, could you tell me a little more about Artisha?¡± It seemed that a simple assurance that she was doing well wasn¡¯t enough to ease the mind of a mother worrying about her child. ¡°Was it that hard to ask?¡± ¡°¡­How could it not be difficult to ask about the well-being of a child I drove away with my own hands? Anyone with a sense of shame would naturally feel the same.¡± ¡°Oh. Um, sorry.¡± ¡­I didn¡¯t know that. Scratching my cheek awkwardly, I watched as Justina let out a deep, weary sigh. ¡°I did not say that expecting an apology. It is my burden to bear¡ªwho else could I me?¡± ¡°Artisha spoke as if she left on her own.¡± ¡°That is because she is kind enough to cover for others¡¯ faults¡­ Judging by your expression, it seems you are curious about what happened.¡± ¡°To be honest¡­ yes, I am curious.¡± ¡°It is nothing too remarkable.¡± Though Justina¡¯s eyes were directed at us, it was clear she wasn¡¯t truly seeing us. Lost in a distant memory, she began to recount her story slowly. The previous leader of the Demonic Race. That is to say, Justina¡¯s husband and Artisha¡¯s father, who was the only person to have sessfully undergone the Ascension Ritual, yet he was also a failure. He believed that if he could ascend once more, he might be able to resolve the Magi that gued Laxia. With that hope, he attempted the Ascension Ritual again but vanished without a trace, along with arge amount of Magi. After him, Justina took on the role of the leader. ¡°As he did, I too attempted the Ascension Ritual. It is the leader¡¯s role to shoulder responsibilities befitting their position, is it not?¡± Artisha was displeased with Justina¡¯s decision, but she did not oppose it. After all, Artisha was also a member of the Demonic Race. She could understand Justina¡¯s sentiments. ¡°On the day I conducted the Ascension Ritual, a creature called a Dimensional Creature appeared.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± I tilted my head in confusion as I listened quietly to Justina¡¯s story. ¡°When did this happen?¡± ¡°I do not recall exactly, but it must have been several decades ago. But why do you ask?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ curious.¡± The first appearance of a Dimensional Creature on the Ardina Continent was only a little over a decade ago, but she spoke of decades. The timeline doesn¡¯t seem to align, does it? ¡®Is time flowing differently between the Ardina Continent and here?¡¯ For a moment, I entertained the thought with a chuckle. ¡®That can¡¯t be true.¡¯ I had thought that the Dimensional Creature from over a decade ago was the first to appear in the world of Silia, but perhaps that wasn¡¯t the case. Though I hadn¡¯t heard anything specific from Edel, it made sense that a ce where corrupted mana gathered would be more vulnerable. Justina resumed her story after a brief pause. ¡°However, I was preupied with the Ascension Ritual, and news of the creature¡¯s appearance reached me btedly. Had it appeared a little earlier orter, I would have confronted it myself¡­¡± Under normal circumstances, the strongest, Justina, would have dealt with it herself. But the creature appeared at an oddly perfect time, as if taking advantage of the moment she was immersed in the ritual, leaving her unable to intervene. In her ce, Artisha stepped forward. ¡°Because of that fierce battle, Artisha lost one of her horns. For us, horns are as vital as the source of our life. Even though she was in such a state, Artisha wanted to stay here, but Laxia¡¯s environment was too harsh to endure with just one horn.¡± So Justina made the decision to send Artisha away to the Ardina Continent, against her daughter¡¯s wishes. To save Artisha. It was a decision she made as a mother, even before being the leader of the Purifier n. ¡°How could I stand by and watch my daughter slowly die? I could not bear it. All I had left was my daughter.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think your reaction is rather dry?¡± ¡°Would you prefer I cried?¡± ¡°¡­Never mind. That would feel like I was forcing an apology.¡± It wasn¡¯t just an issue of my sensitivity. It wasn¡¯t even a sad story in the first ce, so isn¡¯t it natural to respond calmly? ¡°Artisha was regretful about losing her horn, but she said she was proud.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Just what I said.¡± She fought against a powerful foe and was able to protect her people. Artisha said that her broken horn was a badge of honor that proved that. ¡°If she says she¡¯s proud, wouldn¡¯t it be more disrespectful to feel sad about it?¡± ¡°¡­I was short-sighted. You¡¯re right, insolent child.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t really need to add the ¡®insolent child¡¯ part, did you?¡± ¡°I added it deliberately because you left behind what you should have brought.¡± ¡°¡­Petty.¡± Holding onto that one missing ¡®title¡¯¡ªhow childish can she be? ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s the end of my story.¡± Her eyes were expectant. So, now that she¡¯s done with her story, she wants me to share mine, right? I tugged on Da-eun¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Joanie, it¡¯s your turn.¡± ¡°¡­Huh? For what?¡± ¡°She said she wants to hear about Artisha. Go ahead and tell her.¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m the one?¡± Talking isn¡¯t my style. Reluctantly burdened with the task, Da-eun seemed flustered, but under Justina¡¯s expectant gaze, she hesitantly began to speak. From the moment we first met Artisha to when we brought her to Laxia. Other than the time Krumo¡¯s Shadow attacked, I didn¡¯t think there were any particrly significant events. But Da-eun had a knack for making even those ordinary stories sound captivating. Even I, who had been there at the time, found myself listening intently. Is this what they call the talent of a streamer? If she had been a bard, she would¡¯ve excelled¡ªmy assessment became all the more convincing. But¡­ ¡®Isn¡¯t she embellishing it too much?¡¯ I twisted a lock of my hair with an awkward smile. Calling me a hero of the vige, saying I fought off the shadow without regard for my own well-being. With all the flowery words and praise, I didn¡¯t know where to put myself. ¡°I didn¡¯t think she had such a spirit of self-sacrifice. Quite surprising.¡± ¡°Of course. Our Kana is very kind.¡± ¡°No, I think your first impression was more urate.¡± See? Even Justina says the same. I wasn¡¯t sacrificing myself to save the Demonic Race¡ªI just foolishly overexerted myself. The one who truly saved them wasn¡¯t me, but Da-eun. ¡°She fought against a Breath Attack to save a child.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°T-that was reckless¡­¡± ¡°Even if it was reckless, offering one¡¯s life for others isn¡¯t something just anyone can do. You should take pride in that.¡± After hearing about Da-eun¡¯s achievements, followed by Celine¡¯s tireless efforts in tending to the Demonic Race day and night, Justina¡¯s expression softened considerably. I¡¯m d the shameless praise paid off. Click here -> Chapter 114 Chapter 114 No matter how cold-hearted a person is, it¡¯s hard to remain indifferent to someone who has shown you kindness. Especially if it¡¯s not directly to them, but to their child, whom they cherish dearly. Only a mother without a shred of maternal instinct could stay indifferent in such a situation. ¡®That¡¯s not all, though.¡¯ ording to what Artisha and Justina said, the Demonic Race members who moved to the Ardina Continent did so merely to survive, not because of any significant conflict with the others. It seems like they left their cherished home to establish a new ce, so while there might have been some friction, it wasn¡¯t serious enough to be worth mentioning. Judging by how they don¡¯t even bring it up, any conflicts were likely minor. So, it¡¯s only natural that they would look favorably upon us, who helped save their people living far away. ¡°So,¡± Justina started again, her voice much softer than before. ¡°Why did youe all this way and cause such a disturbance? Surely you must have had some intention behind your actions.¡±¡°If I tell you, will you listen?¡± ¡°I will try to think positively about it.¡± ¡°I asked if you would listen, not just think positively about it.¡± ¡°Yes, I said I would consider it positively, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°You could just say, ¡®If it¡¯s within my power, I will dly listen to your request.''¡± ¡°Are you mimicking my way of speaking? How amusing.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t say unnecessary things.¡± Now Da-eun¡¯s interest has been piqued because of what she said. I ignored Da-eun, who was covering her mouth and staring at me with twinkling eyes. ¡°Did you know? The weight of words changes depending on who speaks them. Words from someone in a position of authority, like myself, carry a weight heavier than gold. How could I speak carelessly?¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± It¡¯s true. Ordinary people can bear the consequences of their words alone, but for someone in a leadership role, their words can affect others as well. If they speak without thinking, how can others trust and follow them? I, too, restrained myself when I was themander, even if I wanted to act on my own ord. If someone like Aeron, who knew me back then, heard what I just said, they might say, ¡°Did you call that restraint?¡± But I stand by my words. Even when the king acted foolishly, the prince flirted, or the duke made unreasonable demands¡­ Even though many things irritated me, I didn¡¯t cause a scene each time. I acted quite rationally in those situations. Considering that, Justina is fortunate to have someone like me who understands. ¡°And I didn¡¯t cause a disturbance.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Justina responded with a tone of disbelief, as if she had just heard something absurd. ¡°Well, I mean¡­ it was just a knock.¡± If we¡¯re talking about right and wrong, it¡¯s your fault for not having a door in the first ce. As I confidently lifted my head, a brief but fierce look shed in Justina¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s only natural that there wouldn¡¯t be a door, as it wasn¡¯t meant for entry or exit in the first ce. And if you intended to knock, there could have been a more polite way to do it¡­¡± ¡°But it was fast, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Efficiency does not mean it was the best approach. If you do not understand that, I am willing to lock you back up in prison.¡± ¡°Uh, I¡¯ll pass on that. I¡¯m more ustomed to being the one doing the imprisoning than being imprisoned.¡± More importantly, so the reason there wasn¡¯t an entrance was that it wasn¡¯t designed with that in mind? ¡°So, how do you get food supplies, and what if someone wants to go outside? What happens to those who fail the Ascension Ritual¡ª¡± ¡°Enough, enough.¡± Justina waved her hand dismissively. ¡°When you¡¯re done with your business, I¡¯ll have someone guide you around the vige, so could we return to the original topic now? For someone who knocked so impatiently, you seem quite leisurely now.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± It was just too amusing how she got riled up every time I prodded her, using that old-fashioned tone. We¡¯ve wasted enough time, so let¡¯s skip the small talk and get to the point. ¡°I came here for the Ascension Ritual.¡± ¡°¡­The Ascension Ritual, you say?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, there¡¯s no way a human would know about the Ascension Ritual, but you didn¡¯t seem surprised when I talked about it earlier.¡± She muttered to herself, ¡°That was my mistake¡­¡± I shrugged at Justina¡¯s words. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that just show how much you care about Artisha?¡± ¡°¡­Ahem!¡± Justina cleared her throat, obviously flustered, but she didn¡¯t seem displeased by my words. ¡°Did Artisha tell you about it?¡± ¡°No. I heard it from Edel and from a guy I met a few days ago.¡± ¡°A guy? ¡­Ah, I see.¡± Even though I just said ¡°a guy,¡± it seemed like Justina had figured out who I was referring to. Well, of course she would. ¡°Alright. I understand.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re agreeing more easily than I expected.¡± ¡°You traveled all this way despite knowing the risks, so you wouldn¡¯t listen even if I told you to turn back, would you? And since Edel herself spoke of it, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s any ill intent. I have no reason to refuse.¡± ¡°I thought I¡¯d have to convince you with a long speech, but I¡¯m d I don¡¯t have to. Let¡¯s start right now, then.¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s not possible.¡± ¡°¡­Why not?¡± Wasn¡¯t she just giving her permission a moment ago? I looked at Justina with annoyance, feeling like she had just ruined the good mood. Unbothered, Justina calmly sipped her tea with a serene expression. ¡°No matter how you look at me, what¡¯s impossible remains impossible.¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking why it¡¯s not possible. You¡¯re not going to ask me to hunt a dragon for you too, are you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea. Can you bring me one?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, I could get one for you right now.¡± ¡ª¡­. I nced toward Grasid¡¯s blessing. I was sure he could hear our conversation, yet he pretended to be asleep, keeping silent, which was incredibly irritating. He never says anything in moments like this. ¡°You¡¯re quite the braggart, aren¡¯t you?¡± Justina dismissed my sincere words as mere bluffing. ¡°It seems there¡¯s been a misunderstanding, so let me rify. When I said it¡¯s not possible, I meant it¡¯s literally impossible at the moment. Did you think the Ascension Ritual is something you can just do whenever you want?¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. If it were that easy, would anyone be able to recklessly raise their rank and burn their soul like some lunatic?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ve got a point there.¡± So she is aware that it¡¯s a reckless act. ¡°As you know, the Ascension Ritual involves forcibly infusing an overwhelming amount of Magi. In other words, you need a sufficient amount of Magi to perform it.¡± ¡°I get what you¡¯re saying. You mean that since a ritual was performed a few days ago, the Magi hasn¡¯t replenished yet?¡± ¡°Though your speech is far from polite, it¡¯s convenient that you catch on quickly.¡± ¡°Thanks for thepliment. But, is the Magi we have now really not enough?¡± Even now, while we¡¯re talking, the weight of the Magi presses heavily on me. The pressure here is much stronger than in other ces, but considering it¡¯s where all the polluted Mana gathers, it feels weaker than I expected. Maybe that¡¯s because the Magi was neutralized during the Ascension Ritual? Justina shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s woefully insufficient.¡± ¡°Then, how long do I have to wait for the Magi to gather again?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, Justina spread her fingers wide. ¡°This much time should be enough.¡± She kept one hand spread out while the other moved, opening and closing. Then, as if she had made up her mind, she showed me her open hand. That is, a hand with all five fingers spread. ¡°Five days? That¡¯s manageable.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s five months.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°This is already the minimum estimate. It¡¯s a process that exchanges one life for another, so wouldn¡¯t you expect it to take at least that long?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°¡­Are you broken?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you be broken after hearing that¡­?¡± ¡°Kana, you shouldn¡¯t say ¡®broken¡¯ when talking about a person, but rather ¡®worn out¡¯.¡± ¡°That sounds strange too¡­ No, that¡¯s not the point right now.¡± I thought she meant I had to wait just a little while, so I assumed it was five days. I never imagined it would take five months. There¡¯s no way I couldst that long in Laxia. It¡¯s not just about the boredom; I could end up dying from gradually sumbing to Magi poisoning. I asked if there was another way, but Justina didn¡¯t nod in agreement. Well, it¡¯s not something that can be hurried just because I push her¡­ ¡°Things just gotplicated.¡± ¡­It¡¯s troublesome. If I think about it simply, I could go back to Ardina and return in five months. But the situation isn¡¯t so rxed that I can leisurely wait for the Magi to umte. Even if it¡¯s not urgent, the sooner, the better. p! Justina, who had been quietly watching me struggle with my thoughts, suddenly pped her hands. ¡°You must be tired from the long journey. How about resting today and continuing the discussion tomorrow?¡± ¡°I think we should do as Lady Justina says. You haven¡¯t had a proper rest for days. Even if you seem fine now, it could affect your health.¡± ¡°Oh, then can I explore the vige? I¡¯ve been curious about it!¡± ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± Before Justina¡¯s words had even fully settled, Celine and Da-eun eagerly voiced their agreement. I expected it from Da-eun, who¡¯s always been fond of ying around, but I never thought Celine would join in too. And she just had to bring up my health, so I couldn¡¯t even argue. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do that.¡± In the end, I reluctantly agreed, having lost to the majority vote. Click here -> Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Da-eun looked around the room. ¡°It¡¯s spacious¡­¡± The guest room that Justina provided for Da-eun was quiterge. The headboard of the wooden bed had a glossy shine. When Da-eun touched it, she could feel the smooth texture of the wood. ¡®Isn¡¯t this what they call a patina from frequent use?¡¯ Da-eun thought to herself while stroking the headboard. She considered that anything would end up this way after long use, but wooden furniture seemed to acquire a patina more readily. The glossy, faded bed that Da-eun was touching was proof that many hands had touched it over a long time. Someone who valued cleanliness or preferred new things might have been horrified and run away. But at least Da-eun wasn¡¯t that type of person. If she had to choose, Da-eun found this kind of furniture more endearing. ¡°It has a charm. It feels kind of serene.¡± Living in a country house with a yard, sitting on a worn-out rocking chair, and looking outside. Short grass swaying in the wind, and the asional chirping of birds acting as raindrops that gently soften a deste heart.That was the kind of peaceful life Da-eun wished for. If you asked people in Korea walking down the street, ¡°What kind of house do you want to live in?¡± probably about half would give an answer simr to Da-eun¡¯s. To those who were used to living in apartments, the life depicted in country houses from movies, dramas, andics they had seen since childhood was enough to form a dream. ording to those who had actually lived in such homes, maintaining a yard and other facilities was tough, and it was impossible to live there if you were scared of insects. But despite that, a country house remained an ideal for many. Though the room Da-eun was currently in wasn¡¯t exactly that type of country house, the traces of time left on the furniture and throughout the room matched her taste perfectly. It wasn¡¯t shy, but it was a room carefully prepared for any guest who might stay. ¡°Look at this.¡± Da-eun brushed her finger along the furniture. Her finger, which she held up for emphasis, remained spotless and pristine, with not a speck of dust on it. ¡°They could¡¯ve just left it if they knew no guests would being, but seeing how clean it is, I guess they¡¯ve been maintaining it regrly.¡± Was it a belief that they might someday return to normalcy? As Da-eun chatted with her viewers, she continued to explore the room. Knock, knock. ¡°Yes! Just a moment!¡± Bang! When Da-eun opened the door after hearing the knock, she was greeted by a man with a stern expression. ¡°¡­I heard you requested a tour of the vige.¡± ¡°Oh, right! Are you¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The man nodded silently. ¡®He¡¯s a quiet type.¡¯ Even with just a brief exchange, Da-eun could easily guess his personality. But being reserved didn¡¯t mean he was rude. Even though it had been a long time¡­ or perhaps it was his first time meeting a human, he showed no signs of awkwardness or curiosity. He simply carried out his duty, as if to say he was just doing his job. ¡°Are we leaving now?¡± ¡°¡­Whenever you¡¯re ready.¡± ¡°Ah, I see¡­ then, let¡¯s go now.¡± Still, it was a bit ufortable. Da-eun¡¯s personality meant she found it easier to be around talkative people rather than quiet ones, so she subtly tried to read the man¡¯s mood. Why wasn¡¯t it like this when she got to know Kana? ¡®It¡¯s different making friends with a child than with an adult.¡¯ No matter how mature she pretended to be, Kana still had that childlike quality. Moreover, with their different genders and theck of any shared experiences, Da-eun couldn¡¯t help but be more cautious. Following the man out of the room, Da-eun went around knocking on the rooms of herpanions. ¡°Celine! We¡¯re going to tour the vige, would you like to join us?¡± ¡°Kana, do you want toe along for a vige tour?¡± After knocking on the doors, it wasn¡¯t long before a blonde woman opened her door and stepped out. ¡°A vige tour?¡± ¡°Yes. Even viges within the same country have different lifestyles depending on their location. Since we¡¯ve crossed the sea, don¡¯t you think it¡¯ll be quite different from the viges we saw on the Ardina Continent? I find that sort of thing interesting.¡± ¡°I think I understand what you mean. Now that you mention it, I find it interesting too.¡± Celine nodded and joined the group. Only one person was left now. The practical leader of the party, the fighter, the mascot, and the stress-reliever¡­ ¡®Huh? Did Kana have this many roles¡­?¡¯ Thinking about Kana, Da-eun tilted her head, feeling puzzled. Even the travel expenses mostly came out of Kana¡¯s wallet, so she¡¯d been relieved of her role as the sponsor too. ¡®If this were a group project, wouldn¡¯t this be enough for my name to be left out?¡¯ Even as she thought, ¡®I¡¯m not that bad, am I?¡¯ a strange sense of unease made it hard for Da-eun to say it confidently. But why is she taking so long? Knock, knock. ¡°Kana~?¡± She called out again in a sweet voice, but the pink-haired girl did not appear, and there was no sounding from beyond the door. ¡°Why isn¡¯t she responding?¡± ¡°Maybe she¡¯s sleeping?¡± Celine suggested as Da-eun looked puzzled. ¡°¡­Already?¡± It hadn¡¯t even been twenty minutes since she went in, right? ¡°Kids need a lot of sleep.¡± ¡°She wouldn¡¯t like it if she heard you say that.¡± ¡°Fufu.¡± Ignoring the cheeky-soundingughter, Da-eun knocked on the door again. After a few more knocks, the door finally creaked open, and pink hair peeked out from the gap. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Were you sleeping?¡± ¡°No.¡± She says no, but her hair is all ttened. Hmm¡­ should I point it out or not? Seeing her pink hair pressed down like a small, cute animal, Da-eun decided not to mention it. Because it was cuter that way. ¡°Really? Well, we¡¯re nning to go explore the vige. Want to join us, Kana?¡± ¡°Vige tour? No, thanks.¡± ¡°Why? You seemed interested earlier.¡± ¡°That was then, this is now.¡± Kana replied coolly, indicating that she¡¯d changed her mind. They say a woman¡¯s heart is like a reed. To Da-eun, a child¡¯s heart was like a field of reeds. A field of reeds in a strong wind, to be precise. So it wasn¡¯t particrly strange if her feelings changed suddenly. ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± Looking at Kana¡¯s oddly sulky expression, Da-eun realized that it wasn¡¯t just a simple case of her changing her mind. ¡°Wait, are you still sulking?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kana, who had partially emerged, retreated a bit more behind the door. Now, only one eye peered out at Da-eun through the gap. She didn¡¯t say anything, but her actions spoke volumes. Celine spoke up in an exasperated tone. ¡°I told you, it was just a joke¡­¡± The whole situation had started with ament from Da-eun. ¡°Kana, since you¡¯ve gotten more used to that ability, shouldn¡¯t you start speaking in Arkish now?¡± Until then, Da-eun had been tranting for Kana out of necessity due to thenguage barrier. Now that Kana had learned a new ability, she couldmunicate directly with Celine, making Da-eun think it was no longer necessary for her to act as a trantor. When speaking in Granic, Kana¡¯s words could reach Celine, but Da-eun¡¯s words could not. They could understand each other through interpretation, but naturally, a dy urred. After hearing Da-eun¡¯s words, Kana¡¯s cheeks puffed up. ¡°¡­So, you¡¯re saying I¡¯m a bother now?¡± Even in her usually calm tone, there was a hint of prickly annoyance. Noticing this, Da-eun quickly tried to correct her mistake. ¡°Oh, no, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­! I just thought Celine might feel left out¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kana¡¯s cheeks remained puffed up, so Da-eun desperately tried to convince her that she didn¡¯t mean it that way. She kept apologizing all the way until they entered the room Justina had prepared, and only then did it seem like Kana¡¯s mood had lightened a bit, enough for Da-eun to feel relieved. ¡®Guess she wasn¡¯t fully over it yet. Still, I¡¯m d I know why she¡¯s upset this time¡­.¡¯ Back in the Holy Kingdom, it was hard because I couldn¡¯t even guess why she was upset¡­. The ordeal had brought them closer, but even now, thinking about it made Da-eun feel nervous. This time, though, knowing exactly why Kana was upset made it more adorable than bothersome. ¡°Up you go!¡± Da-eun flung the door open and hugged Kana tightly. ¡°How could I ever look away when I have such an adorable Kana? You¡¯re always my top priority. Like I said, it¡¯s just that excluding someone is never good. But Kana¡¯s kind, so you understand that exclusion is bad, right?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to stop treating me like a kid?¡± ¡°Hmm~? Well, if Kana stays upset, I¡¯ll have no choice but to treat you like one.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not upset, so put me down already.¡± If she really didn¡¯t like it, she could have struggled to get free. She didn¡¯t resist when Da-eun opened the door or hugged her, yet she pretended not to like it. But mentioning this would probably make Kana retreat into her room, so Da-eun swallowed her words, letting the not-so-honest girl go. ¡°¡­Fine. I was worried about that too, actually.¡± ¡°Then why did you¡ªwait, never mind.¡± I almost made the same mistake again. Da-eun wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. Thankfully, Kana hadn¡¯t caught on to what she was about to say. ¡°Good girl. Thanks for understanding.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kana shot Da-eun a sharp look, feeling like her words had been stolen. But Da-eun brushed off the re and patted the girl¡¯s head. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s head out now. We don¡¯t want to miss the sunlight, do we?¡± It was already getting dark, but better than after the sun hadpletely set, right? With that, Da-eun smiled brightly. *** ¡°Look! It¡¯s a cow!¡± Da-eun hopped up and down with excitement. Then, she suddenly stopped and tilted her head. ¡°¡­But why does it have eight legs?¡± ¡°You just noticed?¡± She pped in response to Da-eun¡¯s very quick observation. It wasn¡¯t meant as apliment, but there was no need for Da-eun to look embarrassed about it. She sighed and took a step closer to Da-eun. ¡°It¡¯s a monster.¡± At first nce, it looked simr to themon cows found in Ardina, but this creature was no cow¡ªit was a monster. ¡°Raising monsters¡­ Only the Demonic Race coulde up with something like this.¡± If an Ardina person tried this, they¡¯d be dragged to the execution ground and have their head chopped off immediately. Not only would they be used of harboring danger, but they would also be med for spreading Magi poisoning and disorder. Besides, it would be impossible since monsters wouldn¡¯t just obediently follow humans. I wonder how they managed to tame it. ¡°Are they raising it for food?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Da-eun, who had eagerly asked the Demon Race member, deted at his curt reply. ¡®So, that¡¯s how they¡¯ve been securing their food supply.¡¯ Of course, just raising livestock wouldn¡¯t produce enough food to feed so many of the Demonic Race. Perhaps that¡¯s why fields growing crops could be seen throughout the vige. I had high expectations since it¡¯s the Demon Continent, but raising livestock and farming to survive isn¡¯t that different. Then again, they were originally known as the Purifier n, so maybe it¡¯s only natural. ¡°Kana! Look at this! It¡¯s a chicken with six legs!¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not a chicken; it¡¯s a monster.¡± Despite her blunt response, she was already walking towards Da-eun. A chicken with six legs¡ªhow could she ignore that? Click here -> Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Animals with eight legs, chickens with six legs. There were other creatures, too¡ªlike monsters resembling pigs with wings or sheep with three heads¡ªstrange creatures of all kinds. These were just the ones that somewhat resembled animals from the Ardina Continent after careful selection. Among them were some monsters whose appearance made you wonder, ¡°Can you even eat something that looks like that?¡± If these creatures were introduced to the Ardina Continent, they would revolutionize the culinary industry in many ways, but unfortunately, they weren¡¯t edible for us. ¡°Is that unfortunate?¡± ¡°Well, you never know. It might taste amazing.¡± Aren¡¯t you curious? Da-eunughed as if she couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°You¡¯re really full of curiosity, Kana. But you know, right? You can¡¯t just eat anything.¡±¡°¡­I can still think about it.¡± ¡°Sure, sure.¡± It¡¯s thanks to such daring attempts that people ended up eating monsters like the Green Rabbit. Shouldn¡¯t we also follow in the footsteps of our ancestors who willingly offered themselves for the sake of future generations? If you let the fear of failure hold you back, you¡¯ll just stagnate and decay. ¡­Just kidding. If I really cared about the future, I wouldn¡¯t have holed up in the mountains and given up on everything. ¡°If the price of failure is death, isn¡¯t it natural to be afraid¡­? Wait. More importantly, the ¡®Green Rabbit¡¯ is edible?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you tried it?¡± ¡°Most people wouldn¡¯t even think of eating something like that, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡± Normally, I would have called Da-eun dramatic, but this time, I couldn¡¯t help but agree with her. Considering the appearance of the Green Rabbit, there¡¯s no other way to think. Its fur is green, it drools venom from its mouth, and its long ws are sharp enough to easily tear through any leather armor. It¡¯s called a Green Rabbit because of its long, rabbit-like ears. But other than the ears, it doesn¡¯t resemble a rabbit at all. People keep talking about changing its name. They always bring it up but never actually try to change it. They¡¯re too used to it now, and they worry that changing the name would just cause confusion. ¡°I heard that even its skin, blood, and organs are soaked in poison. How can anyone eat that¡­?¡± ¡°You have to drain the blood as soon as you catch it, then soak it in a mana solution for 30 days to remove the toxins. Oh, but the internal organs remain toxic even after that, so you can¡¯t eat those. Be careful.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not nning to eat it or make it¡­.¡± You can only eat the meat. And even though soaking it in a mana solution prevents it from decaying, you still need to be careful to avoid spoge. Green Rabbit meat is a premium ingredient that you can only get through careful handling to ensure it doesn¡¯t rot or retain toxins. ¡°Every time, I realize just how serious you are about food, Kana.¡± ¡°¡­Me?¡± ¡°Yes. You might bezing around like a cat under the sun, but when ites to food, your eyes light up.¡± ¡°Why a cat?¡± ¡°Well¡­ because you¡¯re like a cat?¡± So, why a cat? It seemed like Da-eun¡¯s answer missed the point of my question. ¡°Well, if you hadn¡¯t been so interested in food, we probably wouldn¡¯t have be this close.¡± ¡°¡­What do you think I am?¡± It¡¯s true that I appreciated how Da-eun always brought food, saving me the trouble of preparing meals. But if that was all, I wouldn¡¯t have paid much attention to her. ¡°So, what was the reason?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not going to tell you.¡± It¡¯s a story that¡¯s a little difficult to put into words. It¡¯s a story that could shake the very foundations of the world, so I kept my mouth shut, and Da-eun, with a mischievous smile, clung to me. It was clear that Da-eun, with her talent for misinterpreting things, had once again drawn her own conclusions about my reaction. I knew from experience that responding ambiguously would only make things moreplicated without providing any rification, so I gently pushed Da-eun away and continued exploring. This area, the center of Laxia, was equivalent to the capital in other countries. As expected, it had a variety of things, but¡­ How should I put it? It had a pastoral feel to it. It didn¡¯t have the kind of morous atmosphere that I associated with capitals. ¡°Joanie, have you ever been to the capital of the Empire?¡± ¡°Imperial capital? Oh, you mean Solorok? Of course, I¡¯ve been there! It¡¯s the Empire¡¯s capital, after all¡­ um, sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t mind.¡± It¡¯s not like I joined the war by pledging allegiance to the Empire, and it¡¯s not like you can¡¯t go there for sightseeing. ¡°Phew¡­ that¡¯s a relief. But why did you suddenly bring that up?¡± ¡°How does this cepare to that?¡± ¡°This ce? Hmm¡­¡± After a moment of thought, Da-eun gave her answer. ¡°It¡¯s peaceful.¡± And humble too. Was she being mindful of the nearby members of the Demonic Race? Da-eun whispered thest part softly. ¡°I see.¡± If we¡¯re talking about the capital of that Empire, it¡¯s bound to be more extravagant than the capital of Grasis, certainly not less so. I mean, in other countries, they wouldn¡¯t be farming in the middle of the capital city, so there wasn¡¯t much point inparing them. Maybe because they live with a single-minded determination to fulfill the mission given by Edel, other aspects of life besides the essentials like food, clothing, and shelter haven¡¯t developed much. Spending five months in a ce like this? ¡°I definitely need to find another way.¡± It was a moment when my resolve grew stronger. *** Tap, tap. What should I do? After returning from our vige tour, I found myself lost in thought. No matter how much I think about it, staying here for five months is impossible. But returning to Ardina and thening back is a hassle, and I don¡¯t have the time to wait out those five months anyway. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Kana~¡± Tap, tap. ¡°¡­Ugh, stop it.¡± Why does she keep poking me? I red at Da-eun, who had been tapping me for a while. ¡°Are you still thinking about that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m stuck waiting for five months, so of course.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that bad. You could go somewhere else while waiting, right?¡± ¡°If I could do that, I would have¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? Is there a reason you can¡¯t? Come to think of it, since leaving the Sedeth Kingdom, you haven¡¯t had a proper break, have you?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I rested in Baltora, for days even.¡± ¡°But that was because you had no choice while waiting for the Magi device to bepleted. I¡¯m talking about rest where you don¡¯t have to think about anything and can fully rx. You know, like when we were in Liberi.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Even if not that, you just seem a bit on edgetely, Kana. Is it because of what you talked about with Edel?¡± Honestly, it¡¯s hard to believe she spoke with a deity, but¡­ Da-eun muttered to herself. ¡°I can¡¯t say it¡¯s unrted.¡± ¡°What did she say to you that could be so serious¡­?¡± When I first heard about the Ascension Ritual, Da-eun tried to stop me desperately. She said that unlike her, I only had one life, and even offered to take on the role herself. Of course, I didn¡¯t ept her suggestion. ¡­An Expert thinking they could rece me? An Expert who hadn¡¯t even reached that rank through their own strength? ¡°That¡¯s a funny joke.¡± Click here -> Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Liberi, Sedeth, Baltora. Except for Ordo, which we visited first, every major city we stopped in took from a few days to a week to pass through. Of course, those times weren¡¯t wasted meaninglessly. In fact, they were times we needed to spend. But it¡¯s true that such waits felt tedious. ¡®¡­It might be worth a try.¡¯ So, as soon as I heard Da-eun¡¯s words, I went straight to Justina. Fortunately, or perhaps not, Justina was still in her office, handling her duties. I wondered for a moment what kind of work she might be doing, but before I could ask, Justina questioned me about why I had returned.After Da-eun and I took turns exining, Justina, who had been listening quietly, spoke up. ¡°¡­If I understand you correctly, are you saying you want to gather the Magi of the Demonic Race to obtain the Magi needed for the Ascension Ritual?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I have a lot to say about that.¡± Justina pressed down on her eyes. She looked more tired than when I had seen her during the day. She looked so weary that, with a bit of dark circles, she might even be mistaken for Artisha. ¡°Do you really think that¡¯s possible?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not?¡± ¡°It is not.¡± ¡°Why? Doesn¡¯t it seem feasible enough?¡± ¡°Hoo.¡± Justina let out a short sigh and spoke. ¡°Yes, the idea itself is good. But do you know how difficult it is to gather that amount of Magi? It would require collecting all the Magi from everyone here, and even then, it might barely be possible.¡± ¡°Then can¡¯t we just do that?¡± ¡°Listen to the end. These people struggle just to sustain themselves, and do you think they could remain intact amidst the Magi released by so many at once?¡± ¡°Maybe if we absorb it quickly, it might be okay.¡± ¡°It would not be okay at all.¡± ¡­She was firm. Her words left no room for rebuttal. ¡°Even if, as you say, it were somehow possible, there¡¯s another issue. To us, Magi is like a necessary evil. It is what drives us toward death, but at the same time, it¡¯s also what allows us to continue living. In other words, using up all our Magi is the same as draining all our life force.¡± ¡°Well, I hadn¡¯t thought of that.¡± ¡°¡­Draining life force?¡± ¡°Think of it like draining all the blood from your body.¡± ¡°Gasp.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not quite that extreme.¡± Magi exhaustion is no different from mana exhaustion in name, but the risks are indeed the same. In severe cases, it can endanger one¡¯s life or leave permanent disabilities. However, it is rare for a person to reach a life-threatening state solely through their own will. ¡°Joanie, can you hold your breath until you die?¡± ¡°Wha- what did I do wrong? Why are you suddenly saying something so ominous¡­?¡± ¡°¡­I thought you didn¡¯t understand, so I¡¯m trying to exin it to you.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, I see?¡± When I looked at her pitifully, Da-eun gave an awkwardugh. ¡°Without using your hands or any tools?¡± ¡°Yeah. Just holding your breath naturally until you reach death?¡± ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t think so. Wouldn¡¯t you unconsciously start breathing at that point? There¡¯s this thing called the survival instinct.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Even someone with strong willpower wouldn¡¯t be able to do it. ¡°It¡¯s the same with mana. It¡¯s fundamental to life, so even if you try to use it all, it¡¯s not easy to push yourself to the limit.¡± That¡¯s why while typical cases of mana exhaustion aremon, it¡¯s extremely rare to see someone suffer such severe mana exhaustion. Unless someone has a will strong enough to risk death or is influenced by another¡¯s will. ¡°It¡¯s still bad for you either way.¡± ¡°It seems you already know, so I don¡¯t need to exin further.¡± Thud. Justina closed a thick book and signaled that the discussion was over. ¡°If you¡¯ve said your piece, you may leave now. It¡¯s about time I went to sleep.¡± ¡°Hold on. I¡¯m not done yet.¡± ¡°¡­What else is there?¡± Justina¡¯s eyes turned sharp as she looked up. ¡°You don¡¯t necessarily have to use up all the Magi, right? If you only use about half, then the Magi exhaustion you¡¯re worried about wouldn¡¯t happen, would it?¡± ¡°Did you ignore what I said earlier? I told you that we¡¯d barely manage to gather enough if we collected all the Magi from everyone here. Even then, I can¡¯t guarantee it would work¡­ Or do you not understand what ¡®all¡¯ means?¡± ¡°We can make up for the shortage of Magi from somewhere else.¡± ¡°¡­Make up for Magi?¡± Where from? Justina¡¯s question was met with me quietly raising my hand and pointing outside the window. It was already night, and the twilight had given way to darkness. The moonlight seeped through the Magi, faintly illuminating the ck barrier. ¡°There¡¯s something perfect right there.¡± ¡°Are you referring to the barrier, by any chance?¡± ¡°The barrier? If you mean that pitch-ck wall, then yes.¡± ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Bang! ¡°The barrier is crucial for preventing the Magi in the center from leaking out and protecting the inside from external threats! If we were to remove it and fail, it would bring about a disaster¡­ Such a thing is utterly uneptable!¡± Justina, uncharacteristically agitated, struck the desk as she vehemently argued. I listened quietly, waiting until she finished and caught her breath before speaking. ¡°Then, do you n to keep throwing people into the Magi every time it umtes? Knowing they¡¯ll die?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t look to me like you value their lives all that much. Isn¡¯t there a big gap between what you say and what you do?¡± ¡°¡­They volunteered willingly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just dressing up the fact that you stood by and let it happen.¡± ¡°You also came here seeking to perform the Ascension Ritual. By your reasoning, I should be stopping you from undergoing the ritual as well. Is that what you want?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°In that case, there¡¯s no need to discuss this further. Although I am upset, I acknowledge that your point has some merit, so I¡¯ll overlook your rudeness this time. But the next¡ª¡± ¡°The premise itself is wed.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± When I interrupted Justina¡¯s words, she furrowed her brow slightly. ¡°You can¡¯t put them and me on the same level.¡± Even if they failed, they intended to offer their souls to contribute to the world. But I wasn¡¯t like that. ¡°I¡¯m going to seed, no matter what.¡± If I expected failure, I wouldn¡¯t havee here in the first ce. I still have things I want to aplish while I¡¯m alive. ¡°You seem to have confidence in excess. But do you know? That overconfidence can be a shortcut to ruin.¡± ¡°I appreciate the concern, but it¡¯s really unnecessary.¡± I¡¯ve never had excessive confidence. I did what I could do, and I did what I had to do. That¡¯s how I¡¯ve always lived, from my childhood until now. And it¡¯s no different now. ¡°I understand your unease. But we can¡¯t stay cooped up behind these walls like trapped animals forever, can we? If that¡¯s what you want, I won¡¯t stop you, but that¡¯s not the case, right?¡± They say that age makes people stubborn¡­ Maybe that¡¯s why convincing Justina, who must have lived for at least a few hundred years, wasn¡¯t easy. Seeing how unmoved she was, I clicked my tongue. ¡°Edel said that after performing the Ascension Ritual, you no longer have to worry about the mission that binds you. You¡¯re free to live as you please.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Justina¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Are you saying that Lady Edel said such a thing¡­?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t lie about something like this.¡± ¡°She said we don¡¯t need to worry about the mission¡­ Are you certain she said that?¡± ¡°Yes. She even apologized for making things so hard until now.¡± ¡°Are you absolutely sure she said that?¡± ¡°How many times do I have to say it? Yes, she did.¡± Justina asked me the same question over and over. Honestly, I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t annoyed by having to give the same answer repeatedly. But understanding why Justina reacted this way, I patiently gave her the same response every time she asked. Yes. I¡¯m kind like that. Justina, who had been leaning forward, questioning me, finally leaned back into her chair. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought ill of the mission that Lady Edel bestowed upon me. However, there were times when it felt overwhelming¡­¡± She spoke of when she felt the power of purification weakening, when she realized her body was changing to adapt to the Magi, and when she had to resort to the Ascension Ritual as ast resort. And countless other moments that weighed heavily on her shoulders, she said. ¡°So, do you feel relieved?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early to ask that? We haven¡¯t even seeded in the Ascension Ritual, nor have we begun preparing for it.¡± And to ask such a thing outright¡­ Justina grumbled. ¡°No sense of empathy at all¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s how I grew up.¡± ¡°There it is¡­! Kana¡¯s signature move¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Signature move, really?¡± It seemed Da-eun had stayed quiet for once, but the moment the mood lightened, she started spouting nonsense again. I quickly dealt a jab to Da-eun¡¯s side to quiet her down and waited for Justina¡¯s answer. It didn¡¯t take long before Justina shook her head and spoke. ¡°A life without a mission¡­ It¡¯s still hard to imagine.¡± At this point, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Edel had put them under some kind of hypnosis. Just as I was thinking that¡ª ¡°But I will ept your proposal. As you said, we can¡¯t live trapped behind the barrier forever.¡± ¡°A wise decision.¡± Justina, who seemed unshakeable, was swayed the moment Edel¡¯s name came up. If I had known this, I would have brought up Edel from the start. All the other talk was just a waste of time. Click here -> Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Chapter 118 The silver de gleamed. The sword smoothly pierced through the hide. It was like sticking a fork into pudding, but the result was far from peaceful. sh. The monster¡¯s head flew through the air. The lifeless head spun, scattering blood everywhere. ¡°Oh.¡± I made a mistake. My original n was to neatly separate the head from the body, but I ended up using too much force while getting distracted. Now I¡¯m all sticky¡­ I grumbled as I roughly wiped off the blood clinging to my body. ¡°Ah¡­ Kana, you shouldn¡¯t say things like that carelessly¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯re starting again?¡±I wondered what nonsense she was going to spout this time. With my arms crossed, I waited, and Da-eun took out a white handkerchief from her pocket and rubbed it against my cheek. Rub rub. Squeeze squeeze. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hehe, hehehe¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re trying to wipe it off, right?¡± ¡°¡­Of course! There, all done!¡± As soon as I finished speaking, Da-eun quickly pulled her hand away from my cheek. The once pure white handkerchief was now stained with the dark red of the monster¡¯s blood. Even if washed, it might be hard to restore its original color. And since it¡¯s covered in monster blood, it won¡¯t be usable anytime soon because of the magi. If I took this to the human viges in Ardina, they might treat me like a terrorist. ¡°A clean and shiny Kana, all done!¡± ¡°Clean and shiny? I still feel sticky, though.¡± Even though the blood was wiped away, the unpleasant stickiness and the lingering difort remained. Naturally, it wasn¡¯t washed off with water. ¡°See, you shouldn¡¯t say things like that. In this world, there are some really strange people who¡¯ll take even normal words and think strange things.¡± ¡°¡­What could they possibly imagine from feeling sticky? And what even is this ¡®strange thinking¡¯ you¡¯re talking about?¡± ¡°¡­Some things in this world are better left unknown. I want you to stay pure and innocent just like you are now. Can you understand this sister¡¯s feelings?¡± ¡°Sure. At least I understand that Joanie is one of those strange people.¡± ¡°¡­Kana, what do you mean by that¡­? You just haven¡¯t met really weird people! I¡¯m actually pretty normal!¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± But, the way she says, ¡®I¡¯m pretty normal,¡¯ shows that she knows she¡¯s weird. If she truly believed she was normal, she would have just said so. Ignoring the strange person who insisted she was normal, I shook the blood off my sword. ¡°How many did we catch?¡± ¡°With this one, it¡¯s exactly twenty.¡± ¡°Quite a lot.¡± Instead of Da-eun, who was still mumbling, Celine answered my question. ¡°Would you like to take a break if you¡¯re tired?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not tired. Just bored.¡± Repetitive tasks get dull no matter what they are. And especially when the task is as monotonous as this, it gets even worse. ¡°A monotonous task, huh?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Wait for the monsters to arrive. When they get close, separate their heads from their bodies and send them on their way. That¡¯s it. If a powerful monster came, one strong enough to make the air heavy with magi every time it breathed, I wouldn¡¯t have the luxury of such idle thoughts. But, unexpectedly, there weren¡¯t any exceptionally strong monsters in the center of Laxia. Contrary to my expectations, it turned out that the center of Laxia didn¡¯t have monsters as strong as those in the Ardina Continent or even the outskirts of Laxia. After hearing my words, Justina calmly replied. ¡°That¡¯s why the barrier was made in the first ce, wasn¡¯t it?¡± One of the barrier¡¯s functions: to prevent the gathered magi in the center from spreading throughout the continent. Even though it couldn¡¯tpletely stop some magi from seeping out, Justina said that without the barrier, Laxia¡¯s situation would have been much worse. ¡°The life force and strength of a monstere from magi. With only this much magi, it¡¯s no wonder there aren¡¯t any monsters that can pose a threat to you.¡± ¡°By that logic, shouldn¡¯t there be such monsters inside the barrier? I haven¡¯t seen any even inside.¡± ¡°A farmer must always keep an eye on the field. If pests appear, they must be caught immediately.¡± Even if a monster withtent potential were to be born outside the barrier, it would just end up as prey for other monsters. Unlike other creatures that instinctively shun magi, monsters aren¡¯t concerned with such things. The environment of Laxia, which is conducive to the emergence of monsters, ironically hinders the blossoming of their true potential. ¡°So, the reason such monsters were asionally seen in Ardina is¡­¡± ¡°It must be because there are no natural predators. When an exceptionally strong monster is born, it will devour other monsters and grow stronger.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about that. I¡¯m not interested.¡± ¡°¡­Weren¡¯t you the one who brought it up, Kana?¡± ¡°Joanie, it¡¯s not nice to falsely use people.¡± ¡°No¡­! But you definitely brought it up¡­!¡± Da-eun pounded her chest in frustration. I watched her for a moment and then tugged at her sleeve. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Da-eun looked at me with a touched expression. ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± How could I not be, when she¡¯s pounding her chest like that? ¡°Joanie, you like big chests, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°If you keep hitting your chest like that and it caves in, what if it gets smaller?¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait.¡± Huff¡­ Da-eun took a deep breath. And she exhaled even faster than she inhaled. After taking a few deep breaths, she spoke in a voice that tried to sound calm but was anything but calm. ¡°I have a lot to say, but let me ask this first. That¡­ liking big chests, what exactly do you mean by that?¡± ¡°¡­? It¡¯s exactly what it sounds like. You¡¯re always jealous of Celine, so I thought you liked them¡­¡± Was I wrong? I tilted my head in confusion, and Da-eun¡¯s expression softened as if relieved. ¡°Oh¡­ is that what you meant¡­? Next time, could you phrase it in a way that doesn¡¯t cause misunderstandings?¡± ¡°Was there room for misunderstanding?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just ¡®was there¡¯; it was overflowing with potential for misunderstanding. Ugh¡­ this is getting out of hand again. Kana just said that¡¯s not what she meant, so stop harassing that poor pr bear! A pr bear has feelings too!¡± I couldn¡¯t have understood that statement before, but now I do. It¡¯s a surprisingly useful ability, after all. Nodding in satisfaction, I suddenly found myself the new target of her attention. ¡°And besides, pounding on your chest doesn¡¯t actually make it smaller.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? If it only got smaller, that¡¯d be fine, but do you know how many people die from a copsed chest cavity?¡± ¡°¡­Do I look like an idiot who¡¯d pound my chest hard enough to copse my ribcage?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hey, Kana?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Answer me.¡± ¡°Hmm, who could she be talking to?¡± Da-eun usually called me ¡°Kana¡± or ¡°Kana-ya¡± when she spoke to me. Even when we talked face-to-face, she¡¯d use my name. This must be one of Da-eun¡¯s habits. At first, her sweet, almost ticklish voice felt awkward, but now I¡¯ve grown quite used to it. Anyway. What I¡¯m trying to say is that if she were calling me, she¡¯d use my name, so when Da-eun says ¡°Hey,¡± she must not be referring to me. Hmm, then who could she be talking to? It¡¯s unlikely she¡¯d address Justina like that, so could it be that she¡¯s on casual terms with Celine now? As I feigned ignorance, Da-eun suddenly reached out and grabbed my waist. ¡°Ah.¡± Suddenly, my perspective rose, and my feet dangled in the air, not touching the ground. ¡°You, you. Are you trying to throw me into despair? You cheeky little brat! I¡¯ll punish you, so take it!¡± ¡°¡­Haha, that tickles.¡± Even though my face was clean, my clothes were still drenched in blood. But Da-eun didn¡¯t seem to care that her own clothes were getting dirty. She rubbed, hugged, and tickled me¡­ After a bit of time passed, Da-eun, who had been making a fuss, finally set me down. She seemed quite satisfied, whether she noticed the blood smeared on her face or not. ¡°Whew¡­¡± ¡°You seem like you¡¯re reflecting on your actions, so I¡¯ll let you off this time. Be a good person from now on.¡± ¡°¡­Reflecting, you say?¡± Celine, who had been watching from the side, tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Of course. Just look at Kana¡¯s expression. She looks remorseful, doesn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°It just seems like she¡¯s ticklish¡­ By the way, Da-eun.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°¡­Um, well¡­¡± Celine hesitated, struggling to speak. Meanwhile, I took a deep breath, trying to calm my still rapid breathing. Finally, when I waspletelyposed, Celine, who had been hesitating, spoke up. ¡°I sometimes felt like I was being watched, but you were envious¡­ If it was something I could give you, I would have, but it¡¯s not something I can just hand over¡­¡± ¡°¡­Why is Celine saying that too!¡± This is all Kana¡¯s fault! Da-eun cried out, nearly in tears. At least it seemed like it wasn¡¯t my fault. I pretended not to notice, turning my gaze away as I spoke to Justina, who looked at me with a pitying expression. ¡°We should move. It seems like all the monsters in this area have been dealt with.¡± While more woulde eventually if we waited, it seemed better to change locations. There were two reasons why we were hunting monsters outside the barrier. One was to eliminate potential threats in case the barrier disappeared and monsters invaded. The other was to gather enough magi, using the monsters¡¯ corpses topensate if there was a shortage when retrieving the barrier. As I said before, it wasn¡¯t too difficult a task, and even if the magi gathered this way was a drop in the bucket, it was better than doing nothing. It was a simple matter of luring in monsters with mana and taking them down as they approached. ¡°I share the same thought.¡± Justina nodded in agreement with my suggestion. ¡°How much longer do we have to keep doing this?¡± ¡°We should probably circle around once, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°By circling around, you mean¡­¡± ¡°I mean around the barrier.¡± ¡°¡­That much?¡± The vige¡­ or city¡­ of the Demonic Race? Either way, the scale of the barrier that both protected and isted the ce was considerable. While it wasn¡¯t as vast as the holy magic that surrounded the Holy Kingdom, it would take quite a while to make aplete loop around the barrier. It wasn¡¯t just a matter of moving either; we had to lure in monsters, defeat them, and then move again¡­ ¡°¡­Let¡¯s finish quickly.¡± If I didn¡¯t want to spend the night outdoors, I¡¯d have to keep moving. Deciding on that, I started walking before waiting for Justina¡¯s response. After all, while she agreed with the n, she had no intention of moving until we cleared the nearby monsters. It seemed I¡¯d have to dig my own well if I wanted water to drink. And as for those two¡­ I wondered how long they would keep at it. Hoping to avoid being caught up in their bickering, I pretended not to notice Celine and Da-eun squabbling with each other. Click here -> Chapter 119 Chapter 119 ¡°Wow¡­¡± Shin Da-eun let out a gasp of amazement. ¡°Should I call this a spectacle?¡± As she looked at the mountain of monster corpses, she turned her gaze toward me. ¡°What do you think, Kana?¡± ¡°¡­Why are you asking me that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s best to ask the artist about the intention behind the art, right? What if I interpret it my way and you say, ¡®That¡¯s not what I meant at all¡¯?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to worry about that.¡± This isn¡¯t a work of art, and I¡¯m not some kind of artist. What intention could there be?¡°Would anyone even see that as a work of art in the first ce?¡± ¡°Kana, even if it seems meaningless to us, if the creator is trying to convey something through it, then it can be considered a work of art.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m not a creator.¡± What kind of message could there be? I¡¯m not exactly someone who¡¯s into art, after all. If I want to say something, I¡¯d just say it outright instead of delivering it in such a roundabout¡ªlet¡¯s call it cultured¡ªway, which just feels suffocating to me. Along the same lines, I¡¯m not into appreciating art, either. When was it again¡­? Ah, I remember. It was when I got invited to a banquet hosted by a noble. *** ¡®I¡¯m so proud of this piece.¡¯ ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯ ¡®I spent over a hundred gold coins just to acquire this!¡¯ ¡®¡­That much?¡¯ ¡®Yes! Even someone as uneducated as you must have heard of Fernando, right? This is his tenth masterpiece. Being able to acquire it was nothing short of a miracle¡­ all thanks to Edel¡¯s grace.¡¯ ¡®No god would grant grace for something as trivial as buying a painting.¡¯ ¡®Trivial?! What do you mean by that?! It¡¯s an item you can¡¯t buy, no matter how much money you have!¡¯ ¡®¡­Sure, sure. But is this why you called me over?¡¯ ¡®Yes, isn¡¯t it magnificent? ¡­Ahem! Well, if you¡¯re interested, I could give you a special exnation about the piece¡­?¡¯ ¡®No need. I¡¯m not really interested.¡¯ ¡®¡­How could you! Fine, whatever! I¡¯m busy too, you know?! I made time for you, and this is the thanks I get¡­!¡¯ *** Was she the daughter of an earl or a marquess? Anyway, a noble around my age hosted the banquet and bragged about acquiring a rare painting. But since I¡¯d never even heard the name ¡°Fernando¡± before, her bragging didn¡¯t leave much of an impression on me. When I reacted indifferently, she ran off with a face that looked like she was about to cry or sulk¡ªI wasn¡¯t sure which. ¡°Ran¡± might sound odd, but her hurried steps could only be described that way. By the way, when I told my father about this when I returned home, he said to me: ¡®¡­You need to be a bit more sensitive.¡¯ I still vividly remember the subtle, indescribable expression on his face when he said that. The point of this story is that I have zero interest in art. If she¡¯d shown me a famous sword instead, I might have had a more passionate reaction. ¡®Yeah, that happened.¡¯ I finished my brief reminiscence and lifted my head. Around the pile of monster corpses, members of the Demonic Race were busily moving. What they were doing now was extracting Magi from the corpses of the monsters. It wasn¡¯t something my group, including myself, could help with, so we just stood by and watched them extract the Magi. Now that we¡¯vee this far, there¡¯s truly no turning back. Not that I ever intended to turn back anyway¡­ If I had to make aparison¡ªright, it¡¯s like putting meat on the fire. You can¡¯t take half-cooked meat off the fire. ¡°Uh, um¡­ that¡¯s a very Kana-like analogy¡­¡± ¡°A Kana-like analogy?¡± ¡°There are otherparisons you could have made, but you specifically went with meat. It really shows how much you love meat.¡± ¡°¡­Is there something wrong with that?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not wrong. It¡¯s just¡­ cute, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things you find cute.¡± I brushed off Da-eun¡¯s yfulment as I was used to it. A brief pause settled in our conversation. Even as talkative as Da-eun could be, she couldn¡¯t speak non-stop for 24 hours, so naturally, there were moments when our conversation would lull. Usually, Celine would jump in during these pauses, but today, she remained unusually quiet. When I nced over at Celine, her face was visibly tense. ¡°Are you nervous?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I suppose I am. It¡¯s my first time being entrusted with such an important role. When I think that if I make a mistake, Kana might be in danger, I can¡¯t seem to calm down¡­ Was it that obvious?¡± ¡°Yeah, a lot. Anyone would think you were the one performing the ritual, not me.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you nervous, Kana?¡± ¡°Of course I am.¡± I¡¯m human too, so how could I not be nervous? Da-eun¡¯s mouth fell open at my answer. ¡°You can get nervous too, Kana?!¡± ¡°¡­If that¡¯s what you thought, then why did you ask?¡± ¡°No, I just¡­ hearing you say it out loud is surprising¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s so surprising about it?¡± ¡°Well, I just can¡¯t imagine you being nervous, Kana. Even now, you say you¡¯re nervous, but your expression and actions don¡¯t seem like it at all.¡± A tense face, sweating, fidgeting nervously without being able to stay still. ¡°That¡¯s how most people are, right?¡± Da-eun said. There was only one response I could give to that. ¡°I can act like this because I¡¯m used to it.¡± How many times have I put my life on the line? When I first headed into battle, I was incredibly nervous. Though I don¡¯t remember it well, I might have been shaking like there was an earthquake. But when something like that happens dozens or hundreds of times, you can¡¯t help but grow numb to the tension. The fact that I had be strong enough that my life wasn¡¯t easily threatened also helped. ¡°And I¡¯ve told you several times already¡ªI don¡¯t n to die here.¡± ¡°Kana, do you know what¡¯s the number onest word among young men? It¡¯s ¡®It¡¯s fine, I won¡¯t die.¡¯ None of the people who die in idents thought they would die. idents always happen unexpectedly. You need to be careful, always!¡± ¡°¡­Ugh, you¡¯re nagging.¡± h, h, h. Who doesn¡¯t know you have to be careful? She¡¯s so loud about things everyone already knows. As Da-eun¡¯s rambling came to an end, I removed my hands from my ears. ¡°Anyone would think you¡¯re my mom.¡± ¡°¡­Having a cute daughter like Kana would be great, but for now, can¡¯t you just call me ¡®big sister¡¯? Saying I have a grown-up daughter makes me sound too old!¡± ¡°Grown-up¡­¡± I nodded. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll do that.¡± ¡°What, what? Did you like the word ¡®grown-up¡¯ that much?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°As if! The corners of your mouth are practically touching your ears.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± I reflexively put my hand to my mouth. My lips were in a straight line, not showing the slightest movement. While I couldn¡¯t see myself in a mirror, I knew my mouth wasn¡¯t curved upward the way Da-eun described. When someone says the corners of your mouth are touching your ears, it means you¡¯re smiling broadly. As I shot Da-eun a sharp look, she smiled cheerfully. ¡°See, you liked it, didn¡¯t you? If you hadn¡¯t, you wouldn¡¯t have checked. Gotcha!¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t checking because I felt guilty, I was checking because it was absurd. There¡¯s no way I would have smiled that big.¡± ¡°¡­Now that I think about it, I¡¯ve never seen youugh out loud. I¡¯ve seen you smile or chuckle lightly a few times, but that¡¯s about it. Celine, have you ever seen herugh?¡± ¡°No, if even Joanie hasn¡¯t seen it, how could I have?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°¡­Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°I mean, you can smile sometimes, so it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know how tough¡­¡± ¡°Shall we try a healing spell?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a great idea!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Wait a minute. I had just said that absentmindedly, but suddenly they were having a whole discussion about it. It wasn¡¯t a joke, apparently, as Celine¡¯s holy power swept over my body. Feeling the warm sensation enveloping me, I stood there bewildered as Da-eun and Celine whispered to each other with surprisingly serious expressions. ¡­This is ridiculous. ¡°Do I really need tough like that? It¡¯s not like I neverughed at all, just like Joanie said.¡± It¡¯s just that nothing¡¯s happened to make meugh that way. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ But it¡¯s been quite a while since we first met, hasn¡¯t it? Are you saying that in all that time, nothing has ever made youugh out loud?¡± ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen, Kana seems to have a very high threshold for expressing emotions. Even beyondughing, I haven¡¯t seen her disy strong feelings all that much.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not always like that. If something bothers her, she shows it right away. Like when she disapproves of my swordsmanship or when there are vegetables on the table¡­¡± ¡°Aha, I see. As expected, Joanie knows Kana better than I do.¡± ¡°Hehe. It¡¯s all about the time we¡¯ve spent together. If you try harder, Celine, you might reach my level. Kana is surprisingly straightforward.¡± ¡°Right, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°¡­You do realize I can hear everything you¡¯re saying, right?¡± I¡¯m not some tree standing by the roadside, so why are they talking like I can¡¯t hear them? As I opened my mouth, struggling to hide my disbelief, Da-eun clicked her tongue and wagged her finger. ¡°Gossiping behind someone¡¯s back is mean. That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying it to your face.¡± ¡°Wow. This is the first time a ¡®fair point¡¯ has sounded so unfair.¡± Da-eun seemed to have a talent for making everything she said sound likeplete nonsense. Otherwise, there was no way to exin why her words sounded so strange. Even if Da-eun were to say that the sun rises in the east, I¡¯d probably question it once. ¡°Honestly, reading Kana¡¯s emotions isn¡¯t that hard¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Is that¡­ so?¡± ¡°You can kind of see it. Like, ¡®Oh, she¡¯s in a good mood now,¡¯ or ¡®Better not bother her, she¡¯s in a bad mood.¡¯ By the way, right now, you¡¯re feeling incredulous, but you¡¯re not in a bad mood.¡± ¡°This is seriously ridiculous.¡± ¡°Alright! I¡¯ve made up my mind!¡± Da-eun clenched her fist with determination. ¡°From now on, my goal is to make Kana burst outughing!¡± ¡°So, you¡¯ve finally decided to switch to being a bard. Good choice.¡± Even though choosing one¡¯s path is a personal decision, it¡¯s hard not to feel pity watching someone waste their talent. That¡¯s why I apuded Da-eun, who seemed to have found her calling. ¡°Huh? A bard? What are you¡ª¡± ¡°Let¡¯s end theedy act there.¡± A voice cut in, interrupting Da-eun¡¯s words. It was Justina, who had been moving around busily, now standing beside us. ¡°The extraction isplete.¡± ¡°That was pretty quick.¡± ¡°Now all that¡¯s left is to withdraw the barrier. Once that¡¯s done, there¡¯s no turning back. If you have any second thoughts, speak now.¡± Second thoughts, huh? Suddenly, Da-eun ced her hand on my shoulder. Her hand was trembling slightly. She had pretended to be calm up until now, but it seemed she couldn¡¯t hide her nerves at thest moment. Even though I was the one at the center of this ritual, why were others more nervous than I was? I wondered if Da-eun realized¡­ ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± ¡­that her trembling actually helped to solidify my resolve. I have to keep moving forward, so there¡¯s no turning back for me. Click here -> Chapter 120 Chapter 120 In front of Justina¡¯s house, there is a moderately sized za. A long time ago¡­ a very long time ago, the entire n would often gather in this za to discuss important matters or ask after each other¡¯s well-being. Actually, calling it the ¡°entire n¡± is a bit misleading. Back then, the number of the Purifier n was sorge that they couldn¡¯t all fit in this za. ¡®I never thought I¡¯d see this sight again since those days¡­.¡¯ The za was filled with people. Although they weren¡¯t lined up in a perfectly orderly fashion, the sight of so many people gathered together was enough to stir Justina¡¯s emotions. ¡°Chieftain?¡± ¡°¡­Hm? Why are you calling me?¡±¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing.¡± Had she lingered too long in her thoughts? Hearing the voice calling her, Justina came to her senses and noticed the concern in the faces looking up at her. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, so go on down.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± With a firm dismissal, the man stepped down from the tform. Justina watched with satisfaction as he obeyed her without question. ¡®Artisha always disliked this sort of thing.¡¯ She had said it felt too authoritarian. But Justina believed that proper authority was essential for leadership. Being close with the n members was nice, but there were times when a leader had to show their gravity. It was more reassuring for people to think, ¡®This is someone we can trust and follow.¡¯ Justina remembered Artisha saying, ¡®I don¡¯t want to be respected for things I didn¡¯t achieve¡­.¡¯ ¡°Such a cute thought¡­¡± Artisha believed that the respect and treatment she received were because of her parents. But Justina thought that Artisha fully deserved the respect she got. This wasn¡¯t just because she was Artisha¡¯s mother. Having grown up watching her parents¡¯ actions, Artisha had always been concerned for the well-being of the n. When the Dimensional Creatures appeared, she was the first to fight them, which was proof of her dedication. Finishing her brief reminiscence, Justina swept her gaze over the crowd. As her gaze reached them, the murmuring gradually subsided until it finally stoppedpletely. ¡°I trust everyone is aware of the situation.¡± Justina got straight to the point without any preliminaries. Despite the abrupt start, no one shook their heads. ¡°If there is anyone here who opposes this n, speak up now. Although, I won¡¯t withdraw it even if there is opposition.¡± Her joking tone brought a few smallughs from the crowd. As Justina, smiling, looked down, her expression grew stern. ¡°Also, I won¡¯t be repeating every detail again. We¡¯ve already discussed this once before. It would only be tedious to say it all again.¡± Just after being persuaded by that cheeky child, Justina had gathered the n to exin the n. Of course, even then, she wasn¡¯t seeking their approval. ¡°Since this decision has been made, you must follow it.¡± There were no objections. ¡°When this is over, many things will change.¡± Whether those changes were good or bad, they would not be able to return to their current lives. But¡­ Justina recalled the face of the young girl who had spoken so confidently to her. There had not been a hint of doubt on the girl¡¯s face. Was it because of Edel¡¯s words? That didn¡¯t seem to be the case, considering how she spoke¡ªshe didn¡¯t seem particrly devout. Perhaps, Justina cautiously spected with her wisdom from many years, the girl¡¯s beliefy in her own strength. On the other hand, Justina and her n believed in the words of their creator, Edel. The reason Justina was ultimately persuaded by the girl was because of something Edel had said, so there was no need to borate on their devotion. They might believe in different things, but they were headed in the same direction. So, there was no reason not to join forces. ¡°It seems no one has changed their mind.¡± Even after a considerable time had passed since Justina finished speaking, none of those gathered in the za opened their mouths. Instead, as she quietly observed their faces, which now showed more resolve than before, Justina nodded. ¡°Then, let us begin.¡± Justina raised her hand. The massive barrier that enveloped the vige slowly began to dissolve. *** Haven¡¯t you had experiences like that, maybe once in your life? Like when you pull on a loose thread on your clothes, only for the whole garment to unravel, leaving you flustered? What I was seeing right now was exactly like that. The barrier was like the clothing, and the magi was like the threads that made up the cloth. The strands of magi that detached from the barrier fluttered in the air. If left alone, they would surely disperse into the atmosphere without a trace. But the Demonic Race, including Justina, skillfully guided the magi and gathered them into a single ce. ¡°It¡¯s getting a bit hard to breathe¡­¡± As the barrier was halfway undone, Celine, who had been observing, spoke up. Considering that Celine rarely voiced difort even when things were tough, the pressure she felt must have been significant. ¡°It is indeed.¡± I felt it too. Even though we were some distance away, I could feel this much pressure. It felt like all the magi in the air were trying to force me to submit. ¡­As much as I hate to admit it, it¡¯s a feeling simr to when I first encountered that snake-like creature. A few days ago, before the Ascension Ritual, the magi in the air was supposedly at least twice as dense as it is now. How many days could someone endure in such an environment? ¡®Well.¡¯ Even I wasn¡¯t confident in that. Honestly, I had been underestimating things a bit until now, but seeing the magi gather like this made me truly understand why Laxia is called the ¡®Magi Continent.¡¯ ¡°Of course, humans named it that because it¡¯s the homnd of the Demonic Race.¡± Cough¡­! ¡°¡­Are you okay? If it¡¯s too much, you can go inside.¡± ¡°N-No¡­ I can still manage¡­.¡± Among us, I have the highest level of mastery. And though not quite at my level, Celine¡¯s abilities are far beyond those of an ordinary person. Since both of us were feeling the pressure, there was no way Da-eun, with the lowest mastery, could be fine. Even though Celine¡¯s holy power was enveloping Da-eun with a strong glow, Da-eun¡¯splexion was pale, like she could cough up blood at any moment. Gulp. Da-eun pulled out a bottle from her pocket and downed its contents. She gulped down a potion as red as blood in one go, giving her a brief moment of relief. If she¡¯s struggling like this already, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if she copsester. ¡®Grasid.¡¯ ¡ª¡­Why are you calling? ¡®¡­Are you sulking?¡¯ For some reason, Grasid¡¯s voice sounded curt. Oops, it¡¯s not a voice¡ªit¡¯s a thought. ¡ªNot particrly. It¡¯s just that I find it irritating when you ignore me and only call on me when you need something. ¡®Hmm.¡¯ He did have a point. I couldn¡¯t deny it because my actions spoke for themselves. Most of what he says is trivial, so I had been intentionally ignoring him, but now I feel a little guilty¡­ ¡®Then why don¡¯t you go find someone else?¡¯ ¡­Not really. He sure has a lot ofints for someone who¡¯s freeloading. Besides, if anyone should feel bothered, it¡¯s him, not me¡ªso I have no reason to back down. ¡ªAhem. It wasn¡¯t that irritating. ¡®That¡¯s a bit disappointing.¡¯ ¡ª¡­Sigh. So, why did you call me? ¡®Oh, right. Can you help ease the burden Da-eun is feeling?¡¯ ¡ªAre you joking? That¡¯s quite an amusing joke. ¡®So it¡¯s not possible after all.¡¯ ¡ªIf you n to overwhelm her with mana instead of magi, then sure, it¡¯s an interesting idea. Of course, Da-eun wouldn¡¯t be able to endure Grasid¡¯s mana. It would only make things worse rather than better. I suppose I could take off the ring and give it to Da-eun. ¡ªNo. ¡®Yeah. I thought you¡¯d say that.¡¯ His reaction was exactly as expected, and I nodded. It couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°¡­Huh? Kana?¡± ¡°This should make it a little easier, right?¡± I grasped Da-eun¡¯s hand with the hand wearing the ring. ¡°Although it¡¯s not as effective as wearing it directly, it¡¯s an item crafted by a Dragon, so it should have some effect.¡± When I suddenly grabbed her hand, Da-eun, who seemed visibly flustered, let out a shy smile. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s definitely better.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Kana, you¡¯re the best. Heh, it¡¯s so soft¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± I meant for her to feel its effects, not the touch of my hand. I was certain it would be helpful, but her reaction made me a little skeptical. ¡­If things get worse, I might have to forcibly send her back home. Meanwhile, the barrier continued to unravel quickly, and the pressure in the surrounding area intensified. And finally, the barrierpletely disappeared. ¡°¡­Phew.¡± Even though Celine¡¯s sacred power had been radiating strongly for a while now, it was hard to stand straight and keep my back upright. Celine, though staggering, managed to hold on, but Da-eun hadpletely copsed onto the ground. Beside Da-eun, empty potion bottlesy scattered. ¡°¡­Everything is ready now.¡± The Demonic Race members also looked much paler, but Justina, the only one who appeared unaffected, approached me. She gazed at me silently for a moment before suddenly smirking. ¡°You don¡¯t look toofortable. Have you thought about retreating now?¡± ¡°Can I retreat just because I want to?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°Then stop joking around.¡± ¡°¡­Ah!¡± I let go of Da-eun¡¯s hand as I chided her. Realizing a moment toote that I had let go, Da-eun made a disappointed sound, reaching out at the empty space. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Can¡­ Can¡¯t Ie with you¡­?¡± ¡°You know you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I pointed to the swirling ck vortex that raged continuously. If Da-eun stepped into that, she wouldn¡¯t just sumb to Magi poisoning¡ªher whole body would be torn to shreds. That¡¯s why even Celine had to help from a distance. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°Ah¡­!¡± There was no need to drag out farewells that weren¡¯t even final. Ignoring the sighsing from behind, I strode forward. ¡°Small in size but with the heart of a true warrior.¡± ¡°Is that supposed to be apliment?¡± ¡°That depends on whether you seed or not.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll take it as apliment.¡± Brushing off Justina¡¯s remarks lightly, I took another step toward the Magi. ¡°Just in case you forgot, I¡¯ll tell you onest time.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not necessary. Once I go inside, I need to empty all the Mana in my body and ept the Magi that you release, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± I had heard about how the Ascension Ritual worked several times already. Now that I had confirmation that my memory was urate, there was no need to dy any further. ¡°I¡¯m going.¡± ¡°May you seed¡­.¡± With Celine¡¯s brief farewell, I stepped into the vortex of Magi. ¡°¡­Ugh!¡± A pressure iparable to anything I had felt before pressed down on me. If I let my guard down even for a moment, I would be crushed by the pressure and never rise again. Realizing this, I clenched my teeth and drew out my Mana. Crack! The pink Mana in my body mixed smoothly with the golden holy power, shing against the sharp des of Magi. One step, then another. As I pushed forward, enduring the pressure that weighed down on me like a mountain, the unpleasant noise in my ears suddenly vanished. However, the suffocating presence of Magi remained. ¡®Not exactly the eye of a storm¡­¡¯ I grumbled inwardly for a moment. Realizing what I needed to do, I immediately released the Mana from my body. As I let out a significant amount, the surrounding Magi seemed to dilute, making it feel like breathing had be slightly easier. Maybe there was no real difference, and I just felt that way. ¡°Haa.¡± I had already said many times that there was no turning back¡­. Now, it¡¯s truly, really irreversible. With all my Mana emptied out, leaving was no longer an option. So instead of wasting time on unnecessary thoughts, I spread my arms wide. ¡°¡­!¡± The moment I resolved to ept the Magi, the wandering Magi around me began flooding into my body. It was different from the violent Mana of Grasid and from the Mana I had wielded. Thick, sticky, tainted Magi. ¡°Gah!¡± Before I could even feel the pain, my body reacted first. In the faint light, the blood I vomited onto the ground was not its usual red but pitch ck. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Thud! In the next moment, I found myself on my knees, staring at it. I tried several times to force myself back up, but my limp body refused to obey. ¡­No. ¡®¡­Do I really need to stand up?¡¯ As that thought crossed my mind, a calmness settled over me. Yeah. There¡¯s no need to struggle to get up. It¡¯s not that hard, right? I just need to close my eyes and let myself be carried away by the darkness that pulls me. That way, I won¡¯t have to feel this pain that¡¯s eating away at my body. ¡°¡­Yeah. Let¡¯s do that¡­.¡± I quietly sank into theforting darkness that weed me. Click here -> Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Thud. The staff hit the ground with a dull sound. The staff, with its sleek white body and decorations embedded with various jewels, was so beautiful that even a person without a keen eye for art would inadvertently express admiration. It looked like something that could be considered a piece of art. Most people would be afraid of it getting dusty or scratched, carefully keeping it safe. However, the man holding the staff didn¡¯t care about such things. Instead, he kept tapping the ground with the end of the staff as if saying it didn¡¯t matter. He then looked up at the sky with aplicated expression. A clear sky. A bright, cloudless sky greeted the man. A sky that anyone would describe as beautiful weather, but to the man, the weather meant nothing. Whether it rained, thundered, or a fierce storm swept through¡­ the man¡¯s demeanor would remain unchanged. And of course, it made sense. What the man saw in the sky wasn¡¯t the weather. ¡°Edel, I have done as you willed.¡±The flow of mana, sometimes shing, sometimes intertwining, and sometimes flowing gently¡ªthis was the fundamental flow that formed this world. Even for a wizard, who explores mysteries and mimics miracles, it is not easy to see the flow of mana with the naked eye. And perceiving it in such detail was a testament to the man¡¯s extraordinary level. However, the man who stood at such a high level couldn¡¯t hide his troubled heart. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know if what I did was right. Sometimes, I wonder if I¡¯ve misunderstood your will.¡± In truth, Edel had never directly conveyed her will to the man. So, what the man did was interpret the flow of the world as he perceived it, guessing the will of the divine. Until now, he had believed without a doubt that this was Edel¡¯s will. Yet now, anxiety was crashing like waves within his heart. ¡°Many things will burn. And many things will crumble.¡± The flow of mana, which always seemed to move in one direction even though it appeared chaotic, was now flowing elsewhere. Towards somewhere high in the sky. ¡°And those who will suffer the most from this cmity will be the Empire that I belong to.¡± The man did not proceed with this action because he held a grudge against the Empire. He simply realized that there were things more important than the Empire. What use is cherishing the room you live in if the entire house is about to copse? Understanding this, he had done everything he could, including making a reluctant pact and sending the girl away from her safe haven. But he could not erase the unease in his heart. The man, who had been murmuring as if speaking to Edel, suddenly furrowed his brow. He sensed a group of people approaching within the wide range of his Aura Perception. ¡°¡­Tch, small fries.¡± Even without his intervention, the barrier he had set up would prevent them from entering. But he was irritated by the mere fact that someone was approaching. ¡°How dare an outsider, who was lucky enough to gain power, look down on me.¡± Challenging his barrier meant challenging his magic. The man did not like that at all. Thud. Boom! As he struck the ground with the staff, a deafening thunder echoed across thend. After a single sh of lightning from a clear sky, the presences he had sensed vanished without a trace. ¡°Hah¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have to deal with such trivial matters¡­¡± Shedding his serious tone, the man grumbled. ¡°It¡¯s frustrating when no one appreciates my kindness. This kid probably doesn¡¯t even realize the trouble I¡¯m going through for her.¡± He would be lucky if she didn¡¯te charging at him with a sword the moment she woke up. The man looked down at the girl lying at his feet. With blood-stained lips and a deathly pale face, she appeared as if she were dead, but the faint rise and fall of her small chest indicated that she was still alive. ¡°Hey, couldn¡¯t you have raised your daughter a bit more gently? She¡¯s quite the little troublemaker. You have no idea how terrifying it was whenever she came at me, trying to kill me.¡± Twitch. ¡°¡­!¡± The man, who had been grumbling as he looked at the gravestone, flinched. The fingers of the pink-haired girl moved. It was a very brief movement, but the man didn¡¯t miss it. ¡°¡­Already showing signs of regaining consciousness? She¡¯s a remarkable one. Well, that¡¯s probably why she was chosen by Edel.¡± Despite his admiration, the man¡¯s actions became urgent. Bringing someone from faraway Laxia all the way here was no easy task, even for a wizard at the peak of his field. He had prepared for this for a long time, using numerous catalysts, and the target had been in a weakened, unconscious state with no Magi blocking the magic¡­ It was only possible because of all those conditionsbined. If even one of them had been missing, it would have been impossible. And because this task was impossible to do through a mere clone, the man had brought his real body here. If the girl who often snapped at him for only sending clones instead of facing things head-on had seen this, she would have been thrilled. The man, fully aware of this, hurried to prepare to descend the mountain. ¡­ Before leaving the barrier, The man looked back onest time. ¡°She cared deeply for her father, so she probably won¡¯t act recklessly.¡± He figured that even amidst her frenzy, her deep attachment to this ce might cause her to restrain herself instinctively. It was a slim hope, but the man clung to that faint possibility. ¡°Leaving someone who wants to kill me so badly¡­ Life sure takes unexpected turns.¡± Clicking his tongue, the man drew upon his Mana. A magic circle formed instantly, emitting light. ¡°¡­Oh. I forgot.¡± ¡­Nothing happened. The realization of the magical adjustments he made to bring the girl here hit him btedly. ¡°Ah¡­ Do I really have to go through this at my age?¡± With heavy steps, the man began to descend the mountain. For someone known as the Sage of the Empire, it was a rather ungraceful departure. *** ¡°Is it¡­ over¡­?¡± Da-eun, who had been sprawled out, regained consciousness. The Magi that had been constricting her had vanished without a trace. Not only that, but the persistent damage effect that had been sapping her strength since she set foot in Laxia, as well as the debuff of ¡°Magi Poisoning¡± that had been suppressing her abilities, had disappeared. Finally able to breathe freely, Da-eun struggled to her feet. Indeed, as she had thought, the fierce ck currents that had been swirling around were nowhere to be seen. ¡°I did it¡­!¡± If Kana had failed, the Magi would still be present, so it must mean she seeded. Da-eun¡¯s face lit up with relief. But only for a moment. Looking at the ce where the Magi had once raged, Da-eun saw people gathered in a circle around the spot where the Ascension Ritual had taken ce, and a sense of unease crept in. Instead of celebrating the victory, why were they acting like that? ¡°Celine?¡± In the midst of the quiet, Da-eun spotted a familiar head of blonde hair and approached her. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Celine?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, Joanie.¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong?¡± Celine, who always responded with a warm smile, now had a vacant expression, as if her mind was elsewhere. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s¡­ um¡­¡± Celine hesitated, unable to continue. Da-eun, unable to hold back, pushed through the crowd, certain that a small girl awaited at the end. She couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of battle Kana might have fought within that suffocating Magi, but at least she could offer a hug and someforting words. ¡°Excuse me, let me through, please¡­!¡± After struggling through the crowd, Da-eun finally caught sight of an open clearing. The ground bore rough scars, etched deeply by the Magi, evidence of an intense battle. ¡°¡­!¡± Seeing the circr markings on the ground, Da-eun felt a chill run down her spine. If she hadn¡¯t listened to Kana earlier and insisted on going in with her, she would have undoubtedly been torn to pieces. Though in reality, she would have resurrected at a revival point before that happened¡­ Nevertheless, it would have been a grim end. Now, she was nearly at her destination. ¡°Whoa¡­!¡± Da-eun, pushing through thest row of people, suddenly stumbled, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. Before her nose could hit the ground, a hand reached out to steady her. Firm yet gentle, Justina¡¯s hand caught Da-eun¡¯s arm and helped her stand upright. ¡°Be careful.¡± ¡°Whew, thank you¡­.¡± Thanks to Justina, Da-eun avoided the embarrassment of a bloody nose and breathed a sigh of relief. Then, she realized that the ground she nearly fell on was a different color than its surroundings. It was a deep ck, like poured asphalt. A strange scent wafted into Da-eun¡¯s nose. ¡°Is that¡­ blood?¡± It was a smell she had encountered countless times as a child, now rising from the ground. Justina spoke. ¡°The Ascension Ritual was sessful. As she said, all the Magi that had engulfed Laxia has disappeared.¡± So, that¡¯s what she meant when she said she would free us from our burden. ¡°It is truly an unbelievable achievement.¡± Justina, who had checked several times in disbelief, now had no choice but to ept it. The air around her felt as clean as it had been long ago, when the power of purification was still intact. However, Da-eun wasn¡¯t as moved by Justina¡¯s reflection. What mattered most to her was something else. ¡°¡­Where is Kana?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°No way, right?¡± A missing presence. The ck liquid that stained the ground around them. A response that never came. Everywhere she looked, there were only elements that amplified her anxiety, causing Da-eun¡¯s eyes to tremble. ¡°Ah, ah¡­¡± Thud! Da-eun¡¯s knees hit the ground. The sticky liquid soaked her knees, and the metallic scent of blood filled her nostrils. It couldn¡¯t have been a coincidence that she glimpsed the figure of the pink-haired girl in that moment. She was no stranger to death. Since starting Silia Online, Da-eun had encountered death more times than she could count on her fingers. ¡°Kana¡­¡± But just because she could remainposed about her own death, it didn¡¯t mean she could be just asposed about the death of others. Especially if it was someone she deeply cared about. ¡°Kana¡­¡± Unlike herself, who coulde back to life, Kana could not. So, she would never meet her again. As that realization sank in, tears welled up in Da-eun¡¯s eyes. Just like a dam breaking, the emotion that she had held back surged forth¡­ ¡°Wait! I think you¡¯re misunderstanding something, so let me rify. I never said that disrespectful child was dead.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Da-eun froze at Justina¡¯s words. ¡°¡­She isn¡¯t dead?¡± ¡°Is that what you were hoping for?¡± ¡°No! Of course not!¡± Da-eun, startled, quickly denied it. Justina couldn¡¯t help but smirk, seeing the obvious relief on Da-eun¡¯s face. ¡°How about we change locations first? This doesn¡¯t seem like a suitable ce for a long conversation.¡± ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 122 Chapter 122 ¡°¡­?¡± The girl opened her eyes. ¡­But what does it mean to open one¡¯s eyes? She did not know the meaning of the action, nor what she had just done. Still, the girl rose to her feet. Swoosh¡ª At that moment, a thick ck mist spread out from the girl¡¯s body. It was the aura of corruption, a breath of death that was nothing less than a lethal poison to any living creature. Even the flower field beneath the girl¡¯s feet could not escape the mist.In an instant, the flowers lost their vitality and withered away. As the girl nced around, her eyes caught sight of a bent flower. ¡°¡­¡± She didn¡¯t like it. Instinctively feeling this, the girl swung her arm. Whoosh. Her arm sliced through the mist. The mist split along the path of her swing, momentarily dispersing before creeping back together again. The girl managed to scatter the mist briefly, but she couldn¡¯t drive it awaypletely. It was only natural. It wasn¡¯t real mist to begin with, and since it emanated from the girl¡¯s own body, such a simple gesture could not solve the problem. However, the mist also couldn¡¯t harm its master. The mist that drained the vitality from every living thing¡ªflowers, grass, trees, and even tiny insects¡ªcould not bare its fangs against its master. The girl¡¯s arm remained unaffected, just as it had been before it touched the mist. iling. Annoyed by theck of control, the girl iled her arms. The sight was as innocent as a child ying in the sand, yet the consequences of her actions were far from light. The more the girl moved, the more her arms stirred the mist, causing it to spread further and engulf the flower field. Eventually, the girl sensed something was wrong and stopped trying to scatter the mist. Puff¡ª With her cheeks puffed up, she red at the mist. Thud. ¡°!¡± The girl took a step without thinking and saw the mist move along with her, causing her pink eyes to widen. Tap-tap-tap-! The girl quickly moved her short legs, hurrying out of the flower field. The mist that had hovered over the flower field rushed after her, trailing behind into the open space. In the process of leaving the field, more damage was caused, but fortunately, there were still more healthy flowers than those that had withered. As she surveyed the flower field with satisfaction, the girl¡¯s gaze suddenly stopped, as if caught by something. Beyond the field, near a sheer cliff, stood a long object embedded in the ground. Despite the considerable distance, the girl¡¯s eyes were fixed on the vivid red, unable to look away. ¡°¡­¡± The girl felt stifled. Even as she clutched at her chest, as if to tear it apart, the suffocating feeling did not go away. She wanted to go there. She shouldn¡¯t go there. Two conflicting instincts fiercely shed within her. In the end, the instinct that prevailed was the one telling her, ¡°You must not go.¡± Stumble. The girl, unable to hide her lingering disappointment, still faithfully followed her instincts. She passed by the empty space marred with dark marks, and even the small cabin, as she started to move further away from the flower field. Thud! ¡°¡­?!¡± The girl, driven by the single instinct to get as far away from the flower field as possible, bumped into something invisible. She stopped, rubbing her slightly reddened forehead after the light impact. A pure question arose in the girl¡¯s mind. What had stopped her? Tilting her head in confusion, the girl finally noticed the transparent wall blocking her path. ¡°¡­¡± She didn¡¯t like it. It wasn¡¯t just because it was blocking her way. Like when she left the flower field, her instincts whispered to her. But this time, there was a clear difference. While her instincts had whispered not to damage it before, now they were telling her to destroy it immediately. I don¡¯t like this. The girl moved ording to her instincts once more. Woong¡ª The girl¡¯s hand grasped the empty air. Though nothing existed there, a sword had appeared in her grip before she realized it. It was a pitch-ck sword, shrouded in a sinister ck mist that allowed no trace of light. Even if the sword the girl held was a peerless de, and even if it was the sort of sword that a swordsman who cherished fine weapons could not resist, no ordinary person would be able to wield it easily. The ominous aura emanating from the pitch-ck sword was enough to unsettle not only the mind but also to provoke an instinctual fear. And even if one managed to ovee their instincts and sessfully grasp the sword, they wouldn¡¯te out unscathed. The pitch-ck sword the girl held was a manifestation of the ck mist surrounding her. Most people would have their life force drained as soon as they touched the mist. It was a fearsome object, but the girl wielding it remained unaffected. She took up a stance with the pitch-ck sword. A diagonal sh from the lower left to the upper right. A ck serpent bared its fangs as it lunged towards the wall that blocked the girl. Crash! The gleaming fangs sank deep into the wall. The ck serpent, not satisfied, twisted its body, intent on ripping the wall apart. But that onlysted for a moment. Despite pouring all its strength into the attack, the ck serpent failed to tear through the wall, eventually losing its form and scattering. All that remained was a massive scar on the wall, difficult to believe was left by a single sword. ¡°¡­¡± The girl¡¯s eyes filled with discontent. There was no one to stop her, but even if there had been, they wouldn¡¯t have had the chance as the girl charged forward. The tip of the sword, which had been aiming straight ahead, struck the barrier. sh! The barrier flickered intensely. But only for a moment. As the ck aura that flowed from where the sword was embedded began to slowly consume the barrier, the intense flickering quickly faded. When the barrier had finally lost all its light, what stood before her was not the translucent wall that had blocked her, but a massive, ckened wall. The girl looked up at it expressionlessly, though there was a hint of satisfaction in her gaze, and she took another step forward. Judging by its appearance, the ck wall seemed like it would be even stronger in blocking her path. But just before the girl¡¯s foot touched the wall, it quietly opened. As the girl walked through the gap, wide enough for two or three people to pass, the lush greenery outside weed her. Even the trees, brimming with life and stretching their branches as if to cover the sky, bowed as the ck mist touched them. But that was outside the girl¡¯s concern. The girl, whose mere presence wilted everything around her, continued walking. Without knowing where she wanted to go, or where she should be, she moved as if she had to, down the mountain. Far to the east. Unaware that the original owner of the barrier had just realized the anomaly and was pulling their hair out. *** ¡°¡­She disappeared right after the Ascension Ritual ended?¡± ¡°Yes, indeed. You have asked the same thing three times already. Can you stop now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just too hard to believe.¡± Da-eun sighed. Justina, who had overseen the Ascension Ritual, had witnessed everything clearly. Not only the Magi gathered here but all the Magi in Laxia had been absorbed into Kana. Of course, this wasn¡¯t a situation that Justina had anticipated, and she felt something was off, but the situation had already slipped out of her control. All Justina could do was prevent the Magi from scattering elsewhere. After minutes that felt like a thousand years and dozens of minutes that felt like eons, the flow of Magi surrounding Kana visibly weakened. Justina could not hide her shock as she watched Kana absorb the remaining Magi entirely. No matter how high one¡¯s standing, how could a mere girl who wasn¡¯t even of the Demonic Race handle such a vast amount of Magi? No. Even if she were of the Demonic Race, attempting to contain such a massive amount of Magi would have caused her body to burst long ago. Even Justina, who had achieved a significant leap in her own growth, could not have absorbed even a fraction of the Magi that Kana had taken in. It was an event that defied description, beyond what could be called a feat. Justina, suppressing her astonishment with the chains of duty, approached the copsed Kana. That was when a light suddenly enveloped Kana¡¯s body, shining intensely. Justina reflexively closed her eyes against the blinding light, and when she opened them again, Kana was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Now that I think about it, it seemed like magic.¡± ¡°Magic¡­¡± But who, where, and why? The fact that Kana was alive was fortunate, but new worries surfaced. ¡°What if someone who held a grudge against Kana abducted her¡­?¡± Or if it were the act of a pervert intending to do something terrible to Kana¡­. Da-eun unconsciously bit her lips repeatedly. Given how much blood Kana lost, her condition couldn¡¯t be good. ¡°It might cause further misunderstandings, so I¡¯ll say this upfront. We are not the ones who kidnapped her.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t really suspect you.¡± To be precise, she didn¡¯t have the mental space to entertain such suspicions. Da-eun¡¯s mind was so filled with worry and concern that there was no room for other thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m not particrly well-versed in magic, but¡ª¡± A gentle voice snapped Da-eun out of her thoughts. ¡°The culprit is likely a very skilled mage.¡± ¡°Huh? Why do you say that?¡± ¡°Spatial maniption magic is not something that can be easily cast. Furthermore, specifically targeting someone like Kana out of all these people is even more challenging.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Now that she heard it, it was such an obvious point that she felt embarrassed for not realizing it sooner. ¡°A skilled mage¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably one of the most renowned mages on the Ardina Continent. That¡¯s what I think.¡± ¡°Why would such a person kidnap Kana?¡± The timing is suspicious too. It was as if they had executed their n with perfect timing, just waiting for this moment. Questions piled up one after another, and Da-eun let out a sigh. ¡°I just hope nothing bad happens¡­¡± Now that it was almost certain that Kana had been kidnapped by someone, Da-eun¡¯s hope was a slim one, but she couldn¡¯t help clinging to it. ¡°I, too, will dispatch people to find the child.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to help us?¡± ¡°¡­Do you think I am some ungrateful wretch?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ that¡¯s not what I meant. ¡­Thank you for your help.¡± ¡°I am not helping. I am doing what must be done.¡± Justina let out a huff and gestured with her hand. Following her gesture, members of the Demonic Race swiftly scattered in all directions. Watching them, Justina turned her head and asked Da-eun and Celine. ¡°What will you do?¡± Their answer was already decided. ¡°We¡¯ll join the search.¡± ¡°Yes. We can¡¯t leave without finding Lady Kana.¡± ¡°In that case, I will assign people to apany you. While the Magi has dissipated, the monsters likely remain.¡± Justina nodded, as if she had already expected their response. With that, dozens of search parties were formed, scouring Laxia as if turning it inside out, and Da-eun believed it was only a matter of time before they found Kana¡¯s whereabouts. But¡ª ¡°¡­What?¡± Contrary to Da-eun¡¯s expectations. The news of Kana, whom she had been desperately searching for, came from an entirely unexpected ce. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 123 Chapter 123 The girl needed to get away from the ce where she had woken up. Following her instincts, she descended the mountain. Her pace wasn¡¯t particrly fast or slow, but it didn¡¯t take long for her to reach the foot of the mountain. Step by step. With each step the girl took, the lush branches lost their vitality, snapping off, while animals and monsters held their breath and hurriedly fled. As such, the only things that could stand in her way were the rugged terrains, but even those couldn¡¯t halt her steps. Thud. The girl stood at the edge of arge rock. It was merely the result of walking where her steps led her, not her intention. But still¡ª The rock she stood on was sorge that one could almost call it a cliff without exaggeration. Even a fully grown adult would suffer injuries if they leaped from such a height, and for a girl much smaller than an adult, the danger was even greater. So, a normal person would have sought a path around it or, if unable to find one, would have carefully descended by using the cracks in the cliff.Swish¡ª The girl continued forward just as casually as she had up to this point. As if she were walking across t ground spread out before her. If someone had been beside her to witness it, they would have either screamed and covered their eyes from the horrifying scene about to unfold or rushed to save her. They would soon realize that their efforts had been in vain. Beneath the girl¡¯s calmly descending steps, a ck mist gathered. Tap. The mist that had previously allowed the girl¡¯s arm to pass through now solidified, firmly supporting her. As if she had anticipated this result, the girl showed no sign of surprise as she continued to descend step by step, easily reaching the bottom of the cliff. After passing a few more trees, the girl finally arrived at an open in. ¡°¡­?¡± The in was marked with a huge sh. Curious about the straight and clear mark that looked as if it had been drawn with a brush on a canvas, the girl tilted her head and approached it. As she got closer, she could see the sh more clearly. What had looked like a line from a distance was actually a fissure created by the splitting of the ground on both sides. The deep crack, which seemed difficult to escape if one slipped and fell into it, was filled with scattered piles of ckened ash. ¡°¡­.¡± For the first time since escaping from the wall, the girl¡¯s unbroken steps came to a halt. ¡®©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤! ©¤©¤©¤¡­!¡¯ ¡®©¤? ©¤©¤©¤.¡¯ ¡°¡­.¡± The girl furrowed her brow as if something was tickling her mind. ¡­It¡¯s frustrating. What was the identity of the faint voices she could hear? What were they saying? She didn¡¯t know anything, but she lingered for a long time in front of the fissure, pacing around the area. It wasn¡¯t until several more minutes had passed, even after the voices hadpletely faded from her mind, that the girl started walking again. When the voices fully stopped, so did the itch that had been bothering her. ¡°¡­It¡¯s a shame.¡± A startled gasp escaped from the girl¡¯s mouth for the first time. Surprised by the sound she had made unconsciously, she quickly covered her mouth. Her wide-eyed reaction while holding her hand over her lips revealed an innocent, childlike side to her¡ª If it weren¡¯t for the ck mist extending from her, anyone who saw that sight would have been unable to resist a warm smile. ¡°¡­Ah, ah?¡± Realizing that the sound that had startled her came from her own voice, the girl hesitantly spoke again. Fascinated by the sound of her own voice, she continued to utter simple sounds, much like a baby speaking for the first time. While she was ying around with her voice like this, two shadows appeared on the empty in. Two men approached the fissure, just as the girl had earlier, and peered into it. But there was a clear difference between their actions and the girl¡¯s. While the girl had shown only pure curiosity, the intense gaze with which the men examined the ashes suggested they had a specific purpose. The men noticed the girl before she noticed them. Unaware of the approaching strangers, the girl continued to y, her soft voice carried on the wind reaching the man holding a sword. The man, who had straightened up, suddenly noticed the girl standing a fair distance away. ¡°What the¡­ There¡¯s someone over there.¡± ¡°Have you never seen a person before? Instead of wasting time saying nonsense, why don¡¯t you start searching for anything useful? Even a piece of armor could make us a fortune!¡± ¡°Everything¡¯s burned down. Do you think anything would be left? And if it was just a person, I wouldn¡¯t have said anything.¡± ¡°Metal has a high melting point, so something might have survived. And you ran here the moment you heard we might strike it rich.¡± ¡°How was I supposed to know it would turn out like this? Ah, just look around already!¡± ¡°Tch¡­ You¡¯re making such a fuss. If I find nothing here, I¡¯ll share your embarrassing moments in the group chat¡­ uh¡­?¡± Reluctantly turning his head at his friend¡¯s urging, the other man¡¯s expression initially twisted in annoyance, then changed to one of surprise. Was he seeing things correctly? After blinking several times and rubbing his eyes, the man realized it wasn¡¯t an illusion. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that Canaria? Wasn¡¯t she supposed to be in Laxia?¡± ¡°Is it a cosy?¡± ¡°Cosy?¡± Muttering, ¡°Could it be¡­?¡± at his friend¡¯s words, the man looked at the girl, then shook his head to dismiss the thought. Though he wasn¡¯t particrly knowledgeable about cosy, even he could tell this wasn¡¯t it. Even if someone could match the hair color and eye color, it would be nearly impossible to perfectly imitate the face and build. Moreover, the appearance of the NPC ¡°Canaria¡± he knew wasn¡¯t something that could easily be replicated. If she had amon look, she wouldn¡¯t have be such a famous figure among the yers. ¡°If that¡¯s cosy, wouldn¡¯t it be more urate to call it transformation rather than cosy?¡± ¡°They say a woman¡¯s transformation is always innocent, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you spouting all of a sudden?¡± The man, annoyed by his friend¡¯s chatter, gave him a light smack on the head and started walking toward the girl. ¡°Ow¡­ If you¡¯re going to hit me, do it gently! That knocked a chunk off my health bar.¡± Grumbling while holding his head, the friend followed behind him. As the distance between them shortened, and the girl¡¯s appearance became clearer, the man walking ahead became certain. The girl standing there was undoubtedly the NPC he knew. ¡­Although there was an inexplicable feeling about it, and he had no idea how someone who was in Laxia just yesterday could be here now or why they might be here. It seemed like his friend, who was following behind, had simr thoughts, judging by the surprised look on his face. ¡°What the¡­ It¡¯s really her?¡± ¡°¡­? Shouldn¡¯t you be the least surprised?¡± He was the one who insisted on checking in the first ce. Hearing this, his friend scratched the back of his head. ¡°I just thought it might be someone who looks like her¡­ Hey, have you ever seen Canaria before?¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking at her right now.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not talking about now. You know what I mean, stop ying dumb. It makes me want to punch you.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re so upset, why don¡¯t you fight me? Want to bet some gold?¡± ¡°¡­¡± His friend fell silent. His pride was wounded¡­! But while a bruised ego could be mended, lost gold coins wouldn¡¯te back. Knowing the difference in skill between them, his friend swallowed his irritation. Meanwhile, the man took a deep breath and continued. ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ve never seen her in person.¡± He had seen her plenty of times in broadcasts and photos. That¡¯s why it was fascinating for him to see the famous NPC right in front of him. ¡°Hey, hey. But doesn¡¯t she look a bit different? It¡¯s not like what you see online.¡± ¡°People always say that celebrities look different in real life.¡± ¡°No, I mean, she¡¯s really different. It¡¯s like she¡¯spletely out of it.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Is that so?¡± The man looked over the girl again. And soon, he understood why his friend had said that. Instead of Canaria¡¯s usual sharp and hardened demeanor, a pure and innocent childlike expression upied her face. And that wasn¡¯t the only thing. If it were the girl they knew, she would have noticed their approach long ago and either attacked or kept a close watch on them, yet now she was so distracted that she didn¡¯t spare them even a nce. Poke, poke. As the man pondered the differences, he felt a touch that snapped him out of his thoughts. ¡°Hey¡­ What do you think about trying to capture her?¡± ¡°¡­What? Capture what?¡± ¡°Canaria, of course.¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind? Did you eat something bad?¡± What a ridiculous suggestion. The man and his friend were only just above level 30. Even when yers much stronger than them, those who could really fight, had banded together, they had failed to defeat her. There was no way the two of them could manage it alone. Seeing the man¡¯s negative reaction, his friend tried to persuade him more gently. ¡°Look. There¡¯s definitely something wrong with that Ascension Ritual or whatever it was. She¡¯s clearly not in her right state. Don¡¯t you think we could take her down now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s nonse¡­¡± The man was about to dismiss it as nonsense, but he paused when he looked at the girl. ¡­It made sense. There were nopanions to protect her, she didn¡¯t seem mentally sound, and she wasn¡¯t even minimally armed. It was the perfect situation for an ambush. At the very least, it was clear that they wouldn¡¯t get another opportunity as good as this. ¡°Dozens of parties rushed in to im the First Clear, but none seeded. If we manage to do it, wouldn¡¯t that be a massive breakthrough? We¡¯d get tons of interview requests, and the news would spread everywhere¡­¡± His friend was right. Though it wouldn¡¯t be as glorious since they weren¡¯t capturing her in her prime, they would still receive attention they had never experienced before. The man was a gamer. He had always admired professional gamers who raised trophies inpetitions or those who seeded in taking down a boss monster for the first time, basking in the spotlight. He dreamed of standing alongside them. Though he had long epted the limits of his talent and chosen to enjoy the game casually, a small piece of that dream still glittered in his heart. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s do it.¡± After all, it¡¯s just a game. Even if they died, they could simply respawn, right? The man drew his sword. ¡­He briefly felt guilty about attacking a defenseless girl who was ying around, but the overwhelming desire for glory crushed that feeling into oblivion. ¡°Hah, that¡¯s the spirit, my friend.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you pay me back for thest three months of overdue friend fees before you say that?¡± Exchanging lighthearted banter, they turned on the recording function. After all, no one would believe them if they just told the story, so they nned to submit the recorded video as proof of their conquest. Once all preparations wereplete, they boldly charged toward the girl. Thud, thud, thud! ¡°?¡± Hearing the sound of footsteps running toward her, the girl turned her head and met their gaze. However, the distance between them and the girl had already closed. Just three more steps, and a swing of the sword, and the pink-haired girl would fall, bleeding. It weighed on their conscience to think of killing a young girl, but it was just a game, after all. Even if they were criticized by those who liked her character, it would be nothingpared to the glory and attention the man would receive. With that unwavering belief, the man pushed off the ground with all his strength¡­ tter, tter, tter¡ª ¡°¡­Huh?¡± But why wasn¡¯t he moving forward? Feeling puzzled, the man tried to lower his head, but his body wouldn¡¯t budge. Rolling his eyes with a dumbfounded expression, he eventually realized that he was lying t on the ground. Thud. In his fading vision, he saw his friend copse, spilling ck liquid. In the dimming darkness, a familiar death message greeted him. ¡°¡­?¡± The men, who had recklessly rushed in, were devoured by the ck mist and vanished without a trace. The girl stared curiously at the spot where the men had disappeared, as if finding their sudden disappearance strange, before losing interest and turning her head away. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 124 Chapter 124 A word without legs can travel a thousand miles, but a word carried by radio waves can cross tens of thousands of miles in the blink of an eye. Da-eun, who was in Laxia, was able to hear the news thanks to the diligent run of radio waves through the sea of the inte. ¡°¡­Kana was spotted on the Ardina Continent?¡± And it was right beneath the mountain where Da-eun first met Kana, where Kana had turned her back on the world and secluded herself. What is going on here? Da-eun knew from Justina that Kana had disappeared after being caught up in a teleportation spell. But the fact that Kana, who had vanished, was not in Laxia but in Ardina, and moreover, at a mountain far from the coast¡ªdid that even make sense? It wasn¡¯t like she used a teleportation circle. Da-eun, thinking that her viewers were pulling her leg, frowned.¡°Does that even make sense?¡± ¡ªNo, it¡¯s real; ¡ªHave you been tricked your whole life?? ¡ªIf you don¡¯t believe it, go check it out yourself. ¡ªIt¡¯s causing a huge stir, and you didn¡¯t know until now? ©»Not everyone is constantly checking the forums like you. ¡ªI want to punch this stubborn disbelief right in the chest (This message has been deleted.) ¡ªIt¡¯s even on the fan caf¨¦, so go check it out. ¡°¡­Alright, alright. I¡¯ll check.¡± Amid the unrelenting mor from the viewers, Da-eun asked for a moment and paused her search to ess her fan caf¨¦. The post her viewers mentioned was not hard to find, as it stood out among the countless posts with an overwhelming number of rmendations and views. Though many posts were discussing the same topic, Da-eun put off reading those for now and clicked on the most rmended one. ¡°¡­!¡± And then, as Da-eun looked at the photo attached at the top of the post, her eyes widened. A picture showing a pink-haired girl, ying around with her hands. Could she have seen it wrong? After scrutinizing the photo as if she could pierce through it, Da-eun came to a conclusion. She hadn¡¯t seen it wrong. From the start, the girl named ¡®Kana¡¯ that Da-eun knew was such a distinctive person that it was hard to mistake her for someone else. Besides, hadn¡¯t Da-eun stayed closely with Kana for weeks? To the point where they were almost inseparable throughout the day. After spending so much time together, putting aside even her life outside, how could she mistake Kana for someone else? The only remaining possibility was that the photo might have been doctored. ¡°¡­Was this photo edited?¡± ¡ªHah, lol ¡ªI really want to say something bad now; ¡ªJust keep living like that forever~ ¡ªBut could it really be edited? It¡¯s worth being suspicious, so why¡¯s everyone so angry; ¡ªEditing, huh¡­ These people must believe the Earth is t ¡ª (This message has been deleted.) ¡°Ugh¡­¡± All she did was say one thing, and the chat window exploded. It was good that her stream¡¯s audience had grown, but with that came an increase in trolls trying to ruin the atmosphere. The managers Da-eun appointed were busy dealing with them, swiftly banning and muting disruptive viewers. As those who thought theirments would get lost in themotion were silenced, the heated atmosphere began to cool down. Meanwhile, Da-eun, who continued to examine the post, frowned. The post not only included the photo but also a few lines of text and a video. The video showed two men charging at Kana but failing to evennd a proper attack before meeting their end. ording to the text below the video, they thought she didn¡¯t seem quite right and rushed in hoping to im the First Clear, only to be swiftly defeated. ¡®They attacked because she didn¡¯t seem quite right.¡¯ ¡°Click. How foolish.¡± Chat: ¡ª¡±Yeah, they really are stupid, lol.¡± ¡ª¡±I heard they were low-level yers, so what were they even thinking?¡± ¡ª¡±They probably thought ¡®it¡¯s fine if it doesn¡¯t work out.¡¯ I mean, even if you die, you just respawn.¡± ¡ª¡±But why did they go there in the first ce?¡± ©»¡°There are people who roam around picking up pieces of armor left by the Sun Knights that Kana scattered. I heard you can make some money selling those.¡± ©»¡°Who would even buy that stuff?¡± ©»¡°Apparently, some people buy them as souvenirs.¡± ©»¡°And even if not for that, there are those who go just to visit like it¡¯s a tourist spot. Anyway, quite a few go.¡± That wasn¡¯t what she meant when she called them foolish. It was different from what she intended, but Da-eun let out a sigh of relief as she watched the chat agreeing with her. After advising her viewers to refrain from excessive criticism, Da-eun changed the subject. ¡°More importantly, that¡­ that¡¯s Magi, right?¡± Around Kana in the photos and video, a sinister-looking ck mist was swirling. And it looked exactly like the Magi that Da-eun had been seeing over the past few days. The deaths of the two who charged at Kana were likely caused by the Magi. Still, for the Magi to be dense enough to kill two people in an instant¡­ Da-eun swallowed hard. ¡°What on earth happened?¡± Being subjected to horrible experiments by a mad wizard, getting killed by someone seeking revenge, being caught by a maniac and suffering unspeakable things¡­ Da-eun was d to know that the dark thoughts swirling in her head were wrong, but the situation wasn¡¯t good. From what Da-eun could see, Kana didn¡¯t seem normal. Her appearance in the short video, and in the subsequent witness ounts as well. Kana was acting like an innocent child, unaware of the ways of the world. ¡°Justina, is it possible to lose one¡¯s memory as a side effect of the Ascension Ritual?¡± ¡°Lose one¡¯s memory, you say.¡± Justina, hearing the unexpected question, touched her lips. ¡°If you¡¯re talking about losing one¡¯s mind, then yes.¡± ¡°Losing their mind? How does that happen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not somethingplicated.¡± They might be alive and breathing but remain nk, unresponsive to external stimuli, or they could gopletely mad and die in a frenzy. Hearing Justina¡¯s words, Da-eun¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Then does that mean Kana could end up like that too¡­?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s hard to say for sure, but the chances are low. The cases I mentioned were all failures of the Ascension Ritual.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Then why is Kana acting this way? Justina noticed that Da-eun was deep in thought. ¡°Do you have any thoughts on the matter?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Justina, who had been living isted from the outside world in Laxia, couldn¡¯t possibly know about the yers¡­ or the Apostles. There hadn¡¯t been a chance to exin it before. Realizing this now, Da-eun briefly exined the Apostles to Justina. Of course, she couldn¡¯t exactly say that they came from another world, and even if she did, it wouldn¡¯t make sense, so she framed it as them having arrived in Ardina guided by Edel from a continent beyond the Eastern Sea. Justina¡¯s eyes sparkled with understanding. ¡°Edel¡¯s blessing, you say. I did think it strange that a weaker one, unlike the others, managed to make it all the way here, but that would exin it.¡± ¡°Ah, ahaha¡­¡± ¡°So, thanks to Edel¡¯s blessing, you¡¯re able tomunicate with others even from far away? And through that, you were able to find that child?¡± ¡°Yes. Another Apostle found her.¡± ¡°You seem to have a special bond with that child, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve verified it well. There¡¯s no need for me to add anything.¡± ¡°A¡­ a special bond¡­ It¡¯s not like that.¡± Da-eun turned away bashfully, clearing her throat. ¡°¡­But, does it really seem that way?¡± ¡°Is there anyone who wouldn¡¯t see it that way? Anyway, are you nning to leave now?¡± ¡°I suppose so.¡± Da-eun had followed after Kana from the beginning. If Kana hadn¡¯te here, she wouldn¡¯t have set foot in Laxia at all. After the Ascension Ritual ended, she had remained only to find Kana, and now that she had discovered Kana¡¯s whereabouts, there was no reason for Da-eun to stay in Laxia any longer. ¡°Justina, would you like toe with me to Ardina? You don¡¯t have any reason to stay in Laxia anymore.¡± ¡°One could also say there¡¯s no reason to leave. What would we gain from crossing over there but more conflict? Even if we do move, it should be done slowly, over time.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s true¡­¡± Having already seen the remnants of war, Da-eun could easily understand those words. Just then, an unexpected person joined the conversation. ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, Justina, could I stay here for a while longer as well?¡± ¡°¡­Celine? You¡¯re staying in Laxia?¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s still something I need to do as instructed by Edel. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t see the search for Kana through to the end¡­¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no need to apologize¡­ If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t have made it this far, so I should be thanking you foring with me until now.¡± ¡°That too was because of Edel¡¯s guidance¡­¡± ¡°¡­Oh,e on! Are you saying everything you did for me was because Edel told you to? If not, then just ept my gratitude, please!¡± It was unfortunate to part with apanion she had grown fond of, but Da-eun couldn¡¯t cling to Celine when she had her own duties to attend to. ¡°I came with three, but I¡¯m leaving alone.¡± Thinking that made Da-eun feel a little lonely, but the thought of needing to find Kana quickly brought her back to her senses. ¡°She¡¯s leaving without even repaying her debt. That cheeky little girl. If you find her, could you give her a good smack with this?¡± ¡°This is¡­ Are you asking me to give this to Kana?¡± ¡°What did you think I meant? I told you to hit her with it. What you do after that is up to you.¡± ¡°Haha, okay, I¡¯ll make sure to do that.¡± Da-eun put the item Justina handed her into her inventory. The rest happened quickly. Da-eun returned to her lodging and packed up her belongings, as well as Kana¡¯s. She thoroughly checked to ensure she hadn¡¯t forgotten anything, and once she was satisfied, she was ready to depart. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for someone to take you to Ardina.¡± ¡°Um¡­ No, that won¡¯t be necessary.¡± From the center of Laxia where Da-eun was, it would take a few days to reach the coast, then several more days by boat to reach Ardina. Even then, it would take a few more days to reach the mountain where Kana was. Even with the shortest estimate, it would take at least a week, and more generously, over two weeks. Da-eun didn¡¯t have that kind of time. ¡®I can¡¯t leave the room in a mess¡­¡¯ Da-eun drew her sword in a quiet, deserted ce. ¡®¡­It¡¯s still scary.¡¯ She hated pain, and she feared dying. However, this was the only way she could think of to reach Ardina quickly. Even though she had lowered her pain sensitivity to the minimum, so she shouldn¡¯t feel much, Da-eun¡¯s heart began to race as she faced the tip of her gleaming sword. Was it thanks to the training she had done with Kana, or was it for some other reason? She couldn¡¯t tell, but strangely, it wasn¡¯t as frightening as it used to be. ¡°Liar. You said you¡¯d keep me safe so I wouldn¡¯t have to face death.¡± Da-eun let out a big sigh, muttering aint she didn¡¯t really mean. If she hesitated any longer, she would never be able to go through with it and would end up giving up entirely. With her eyes tightly shut, Da-eun drove the sword into herself. Thud! ¡°¡­What?!¡± ¡°Joanie!¡± Justina and Celine urgently tried to stop her sudden action, but Da-eun¡¯s sword had already pierced her neck. She felt the cold touch of the de briefly, and then a sudden, hot pulse coursed through her. As her vision slowly dimmed, she thought she glimpsed a sh of golden divine power. ¡®I¡¯ming now.¡¯ She was going to find that deceitful liar and give them a piece of her mind. Before her visionpletely cked out, Da-eun recalled the photo she had seen online¡ªa vige ruined by Magi, with Kana standing over it. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 125 Chapter 125 The young generation who hadn¡¯t experienced war and the yers, outsiders who had crossed dimensions, couldn¡¯t fully grasp it, but the scars left by the Second Species War were scattered all across the Ardina Continent. It was only natural. It had been less than fifty years since the war had ended. Even though directbat had decreased significantly in the final stages of the long war, due to the involvement of the Sacred Kingdom and the exhaustion from the prolonged conflict, no one remembered those times fondly. For this reason, aside from a few cases like the Sacred Kingdom, there were hardly any people who liked the Demonic Race. One such person was the young man guarding the entrance of a moderately-sized vige called Kan. The young man, who had just turned twenty this year, had not experienced the Species War. But he had heard about how things were back then so many times that his ears could bleed. ¡°Jack.¡±At the sound of someone calling his name, the young man, Jack, sighed and turned around. It was a familiar voice, but not one he was particrly happy to hear. ¡°Sigh¡­ I keep telling you, it¡¯s dangerous here. You shouldn¡¯te.¡± As Jack expected, the person speaking to him was someone he knew. An old man with a cane, used to support his unsteady legs. The old man, tapping his bent back, red with bulging eyes. ¡°What? Dangerous? You fool, back when I was young, I went through much worse than this!¡± Jack let out another sigh. It was already his second one. Jack could easily predict what the old man would say next. ¡®Do you know how my leg ended up like this?¡¯ ¡°Do you know how my leg ended up like this? It¡¯s a glorious scar from fighting desperately against the monsters that invaded the vige!¡± ¡®Three days without sleep, battling nonstop¡­¡¯ ¡°Back in my day, the Demonic Race attacked so often that we had to fight for three days straight without a wink of sleep!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I get it. Now please, just go back home.¡± ¡°Kids these days, getting scared of a few monsters¡­ Tsk!¡± Jack had heard the story so many times that he could recite it himself. If you only listened to his words, the old man sounded like a war hero who had bravely fought against the Demonic Race and monsters threatening the vige. However, Jack knew that the old man¡¯s reality was far from being a war hero. The reason the old man had a bad leg was because he had tripped over a rock while picking herbs in the mountains when he was younger. Simrly, the stories about sleepless nights fighting the Demonic Race were lies. Jack had learned the truth from other elderly vigers, making the old man¡¯s stories seemughable. Yet, the reason Jack never pointed this out was that, despite his tall tales, he knew the old man wasn¡¯t a bad person. ¡°Here, take this and eat.¡± Whoosh. Thud. The bread the old man tossed arched through the air. Jack caught it easily and grinned. ¡°I told you, you shouldn¡¯t be giving me things like this.¡± ¡°Lick your lips before you speak, you brat.¡± Standing guard was tedious. Spending the entire day standing at the vige entrance on watch¡ªhow could it not be dull? Thus, though Jack had grumbled when the old man visited, he didn¡¯t actually mind it that much. It certainly wasn¡¯t just because he was getting food. ¡°Nothing unusual?¡± ¡°In a quiet vige like this, what could possibly happen? At most, maybe a lost monster would wander in¡­¡± ¡°Hey! If you let your guard down like that, you¡¯ll invite trouble!¡± ¡°Who said I¡¯m letting my guard down? I¡¯m just saying.¡± Jack yawnedzily, brushing off the old man¡¯s words without much thought. He kept his eyes turned toward the vige outskirts, knowing that if he seemedpletely inattentive, the old man¡¯s nagging would only get worse. It was because of this that Jack was able to notice the anomaly. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°What is it? Something wrong?¡± ¡°That¡­ don¡¯t you see it?¡± ¡°Are you bragging about having good eyesight right now? Fine, you punk! Your poop sure is thick! You think you¡¯re so sharp!¡± ¡°Geez, why bring up poop while I¡¯m eating bread¡­ I mean, why talk about dung while I¡¯m eating? You¡¯ve ruined my appetite.¡± Jack grimaced as he imagined a foul smelling from his bread. But that aside. Jack tucked the half-eaten bread into his pocket and kept his gaze fixed outside the vige. If his eyes weren¡¯t deceiving him, someone was approaching the vige. ¡°¡­A girl?¡± Jack muttered in confusion, frowning deeply. It wasn¡¯t unusual for merchants or travelers to visit the vige, but it was rare for a young girl to wander around outside alone. Besides, she wasn¡¯t armed, so she didn¡¯t seem like a mercenary looking for work. ¡°Jack.¡± Maybe she was a child who had wandered off from a nearby merchant caravan? ¡°¡­Jack.¡± Or, with such a delicate face, perhaps she was the runaway daughter of some noble family. ¡°Jack!¡± ¡°¡­Whoa, you scared me!¡± Lost in his thoughts while watching the girl, Jack was startled back to reality by the old man¡¯s sharp voice. ¡°Why are you shouting like that? Are you losing your mind?¡± Jack asked irritably, trying to calm his racing heart. ¡®Losing my mind? Why would I? But how can you let your guard down like that as a watchman? Typical young fool¡­¡¯ he might have expected the old man to scold him like this. But contrary to Jack¡¯s expectations, the old man wore a serious expression Jack had never seen before. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s not paying attention! But that¡¯s not the issue now! You have a whistle, right?¡± ¡°Huh? A whistle? Of course, I have it¡ª¡± Though puzzled, Jack reached for the whistle hanging from his belt. As a watchman, his role was to blow the whistle to alert others when danger approached the vige. ¡°Blow it now!¡± ¡°What? Now?¡± ¡°¡­Oh, for heaven¡¯s sake, you fool!¡± The old man snatched the whistle from Jack¡¯s hand and blew it himself. Fweeeeee¡ª! A sharp sound echoed throughout the vige. In an instant, the vige fell into silence. Beeeep! Beeeep! For a moment, it was quiet, but soon sharp sounds erupted from various corners of the vige in response to the old man¡¯s urgent whistle. Whether it was due to the old man losing his mind or an actual emergency, Jack¡¯s instincts leaned toward thetter. With his weapon firmly gripped, Jack asked, ¡°So, what exactly is going on?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you see that over there?¡± ¡°A girl?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a girl or not!¡± Frustrated by Jack¡¯s inability to understand, the old man thumped his chest. ¡°No¡­¡± Jack felt wronged in his own way. How could he know what the old man meant when he hadn¡¯t even exined it properly? ¡°I¡¯m talking about Magi! Magi!¡± ¡°Magi?¡± At that moment, Jack¡¯s eyes finally caught sight of the ck mist writhing around the girl. Even though Jack had grown up rtively peacefully, he had seen monsters before. Therefore, he could recognize the ck mist enveloping the girl as Magi. ¡°¡­Demonic Race?¡± Even as Jack muttered this, the girl was steadily approaching the vige. Feeling the tension build, Jack suddenly felt a hand grabbing the back of his neck, making him choke out a sound. ¡°If you have time to mumble, you should be running!¡± ¡°Cough, cough! ¡­Huh? Running? Shouldn¡¯t we stop her?¡± ¡°Do you think you can stop that?!¡± Following the old man¡¯s finger, Jack quickly understood what he meant. Anyone would have grasped the danger upon seeing the foliage that the ck mist touched wilt almost instantly. While the world around them was being tainted in darkness, the girl, who was the source of that darkness, was radiating vibrant colors like a flower just beginning to bloom. ¡°You could just stop her.¡± ¡°¡­Hmph! If I weren¡¯t so old, I could take care of her in one blow¡­¡± The old man¡¯s earlier bravado shrank back down. Jack¡¯s brief hopes of having a reliable ally also deted. That figures. Sighing, Jack picked the old man up onto his back. There was no way he could escape quickly with that bad leg of his. ¡°Hold on tight.¡± ¡°If only I were ten years younger¡­¡± ¡°Come on, old man, not again. If you bite your tongue, it¡¯s not my fault! Stopining and hold on tight.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Jack confirmed that the old man had shut his mouth and stomped the ground. A few minutester, aplete silence settled over the peaceful vige of Kan. *** A girl wandered aimlessly down the road. She had no destination. She simply walked wherever her feet took her. Thus, the girl moving eastward was purely coincidental. ¡®©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤?¡¯ ¡®©¤©¤. ©¤©¤©¤©¤.¡¯ ¡®¡­©¤©¤.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Perhaps she instinctively felt she needed to go east, but that wasn¡¯t particrly important. At least not to those caught up in the girl¡¯s journey. When caught in a typhoon, most people pray for survival or resent the approaching storm, rarely questioning why the storm came. The girl¡¯s presence was simr. Swish! An arrow sliced through the air. The sharp arrowhead gleamed as it aimed for the girl¡¯s life. However, the girl was oblivious to the arrow flying toward her. Even if she had noticed it, how many could avoid an arrowing at them from such a close distance? Regardless, it was clear that if things continued like this, the girl would lose her life, blood sttering everywhere. If the girl had been just an ordinary girl by appearance, that would have certainly been the case. Just before the arrow could reach the girl¡¯s head, the ck mist surged and sshed like a wave. Thud. ¡°?¡± The arrow lost its strength as it struck the ck mist that stood like a solid wall in front of it, falling to the ground. Even throwing a dead branch onto the roadside wouldn¡¯t be as pitiful as that. Attempting to take her life was an obvious act of hostility. Suddenly threatened while walking down the road, the girl seemedpletely unaware of the danger, blinking her eyes. And before her stood a figure. ¡°¡­Commander. How did you end up like this?¡± Eric asked, his voice filled with an indescribable mix of emotions. There was no response. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Eric wasn¡¯t a devout follower of the Edel faith. He believed in the existence of the goddess Edel and that she watched over the world of Silia, but he wasn¡¯t pious enough to prioritize religion above all else. This belief of Eric¡¯s had remained unchanged from his childhood to adulthood¡ª However, there was a time when Eric had fervently prayed to the goddess. To the point where his mouth would fill with bile¡­ No, even after spitting out the bile, he continued to roll on the ground, desperate. ¡®Oh Edel, if you have any pity for me, please just let me hit her once¡­ Just once.¡¯ Eric had been relentlessly trained under the vice-captain Kana¡¯s hand, praying for the strength to touch a demon. Naturally, that prayer never came true, and Eric never seeded in his coup.No matter how much he clenched his teeth and endured in hopes ofnding a single blow, there was a limit. Even after enduring bone-crushing training, no hope emerged, and the defiant Eric gradually transformed into a gentlemb. In the end, until the downfall of Grasis and the scattering of the Crimson Knights, Eric never managed tond a single hit on Kana. ¡®One can¡¯t ovee a natural disaster.¡¯ A massive, unyielding fortress. That was how Eric thought of Kana. No one, no matter who, would dare to bring him down. At least, that¡¯s what he thought¡ª ¡°They say a woman¡¯s transformation is innocent. Looking at how her image changes every time, it seems the captain, who used to be like a mere tomboy, is still a woman after all.¡± ¡®He must still have strength to spare if he¡¯s joking around like this.¡¯ He wondered if he would receive a cold retort. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so.¡± Expecting a response from Kana, Eric gave up when he met those pure, nk eyes staring back at him. It¡¯s one thing to hide your expression, but it¡¯s not easy to control the emotions reflected in your eyes. So, seeing such a gaze meant that Kana not only didn¡¯t register Eric¡¯s words, but also failed to recognize him entirely. ¡°Not that the captain is the type to hide her feelings anyway.¡± Srrng. Eric drew the sword that had been resting in its sheath. ¡®Come to think of it, I¡¯ve been using this sword for a long time.¡¯ This sword was chosen by the captain too. The thought of facing her with that very sword filled him with guilt¡­ ¡°Who am I kidding.¡± Eric let out a dry, hollowugh. ¡°When I first heard that demons had appeared, I worried it might mean another war. When I heard about their appearance, I thought it was impossible. As you know, pink hair and pink eyes aren¡¯t exactlymon.¡± Even so, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to believe it. That the captain, who had gone to the Holy Kingdom, had returned as a demon. It was a statement that couldn¡¯t even be dismissed with augh over a drink. So, when Eric first saw Kana, he couldn¡¯t help but doubt his own eyes. ¡°Back when I used to run wild without a care in the world, you taught me that the sky is high. At that time, I resented you, but thinking back now, I believe I¡¯m alive today because of you.¡± And so, that debt¡ª I will repay it. ¡°You all, avoid getting too close and attack from a distance.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The demonic energy swirling around Kana was clearly dangerous at a nce. It was said that just touching it could drain one¡¯s life force in an instant. Even Eric, who had faced many monsters, had never encountered such a strong demonic aura. Pushing back his subordinates from Ordo, Eric summoned his blue mana, preparing for battle. ¡°It¡¯s going to sting a little.¡± With those words, Eric charged forward. Towards the captain he revered. *** ¡°¡­Ugh, cough!¡± Dark, dead blood sttered onto the ground, making a distasteful sound. ¡°Captain!¡± ¡°¡­Stop making a fuss.¡± Coughing up blood wasn¡¯t a normal condition. Eric halted his subordinates, who had rushed over upon realizing his state. ¡°Really¡­ you¡¯re unbelievably strong.¡± Eric wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and lifted his head. Unlike Eric, who was covered in dust and wounds after being thrown around, the girl standing over him was spotless, not a speck of dirt on her. ¡°¡­Phew.¡± At a nce, it might look like they had fought a fierce battle. But what Eric had experienced was not a fight¡ªit was a one-sided trouncing. Initially, Eric had intended to subdue her without inflicting too much harm, but the moment he swung his sword, he realized how arrogant he had been. Just getting close was enough for the thick Magi to gnaw at him. His sword, swung with all his strength, was blocked by the Magi and couldn¡¯t even graze Kana¡¯s skin. Kana just stood there, watching Eric¡¯s every move, not bothering to dodge or defend against any of his attacks. Her unblinking eyes, as if nothing was happening right in front of her, ruthlessly scraped at Eric¡¯s pride. ¡°No, honestly, isn¡¯t this cheating? As if being strong wasn¡¯t enough, you go off and learn some strange technique¡ªhow is amoner like me supposed to cope?¡± But just because his attacks were ineffective, Eric couldn¡¯t retreat. If he backed down now, no one would be left to stop Kana, and she would enter the city without any obstacles. The very city of Ordo, Eric¡¯s hometown, where countless people lived. If they started evacuating right now, they might manage to flee in time¡­ ¡®But will everyone really follow the evacuation orders?¡¯ Eric, who had encountered countless human behaviors during his time as a knight, didn¡¯t think so. Even if everyone miraculously evacuated, how long would they have to stay away from the city? A day? Two days? ¡­Or perhaps they wouldn¡¯t be able to return for over a week. There wouldn¡¯t be enough supplies or ces for the entire city¡¯s poption to stay for days, so they would have to rely on neighboring cities, but even those ces wouldn¡¯t easily amodate such arge influx of people. What about the economic losses from a city being paralyzed for days, or the administrative efforts needed to get things running again? Just thinking about it gave Eric a pounding headache, so he forced himself to stop thinking about it. In fact, he wondered if there was even a need to think about such things. After all, the Magi would make the ce uninhabitable for humans anyway. ¡°So, Captain. Even now, won¡¯t you turn back?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Acting cute won¡¯t work. You know I¡¯m not someone who would fall for your charms, so why bother?¡± She tilted her head slightly, and it did look cute. But the fear etched into Eric was far greater than any cuteness. Just like no one would be swayed by a monster trying to act cute, Eric wasn¡¯t fooled by Kana¡¯s actions. Srrng. Eric, feeling hisbored breathing ease, stood up. Within Eric¡¯s blue eyes, the ck Magi was reflected. Magi. The problem was the Magi shrouding Kana. Because of that Magi, his sword couldn¡¯t touch her, and just walking close was a threat to other lives. If the rumored king of the Demonic Race were to appear, would they not look like this? He scoffed. ¡°Demon King, huh.¡± Fighting the Empire might be one thing, but thinking she conquered the Demonic Race out of boredom was an absurd thought. Yet, Eric didn¡¯t know. That while Kana hadn¡¯t exactly conquered them, she had done something simr. Dismissing his own thoughts as foolish, Eric racked his brain. ¡®A way to prate the Magi¡­¡¯ Ironically, what came to Eric¡¯s mind at that moment was the girl standing before him. Among all the swordsmen Eric knew, Kana was the strongest. So, it was only natural that Eric thought of Kana when searching for a solution. A master swordsman is often regarded as the embodiment of a swordsman¡¯s bible. Recalling the swordsmanship Kana had used when hunting monsters, Eric quickly shook his head. Knowing the answer didn¡¯t mean he could replicate it. Unless he kept training to reach a higher level, it was impossible for Eric to wield such techniques at his current skill level. ¡°But¡­ perhaps, if it¡¯s just a little¡­ a very little bit¡­¡± Maybe he could imitate a clumsy version of it, even if it didn¡¯te close. Since retreating wasn¡¯t an option, he had to try something¡ªanything. He couldn¡¯t keep relying on arrows to keep her at bay forever. His blue eyes shone with determination. ¡°Shhh¡ª¡± His breathing settled, sinking deep. From Eric¡¯s mouth, a faint breath escaped like mist. In the reflection of his sword, raised to eye level, the image of the pink-haired girl appeared. Could he reach her? ¡ªNo. The thought itself was wrong. ¡°It will reach her.¡± Clenching tightly¡ª Ericbined his most polished strike with the memory of that blow, aiming to break through the barrier that blocked him. Hwoooosh¡ª! A blue aura surged around Eric¡¯s body. In that moment, he forgot every technique he had practiced countless times. His subordinates, the trees, the path, the rocks. Everything Eric saw became bathed in blue. Within the world where even he was tinted in blue, there was only one figure with color. The moment Eric became aware of it, the world seemed to be sucked into a single, tiny point. That which swallowed everything eventually devoured Eric¡¯s consciousness¡ª ¡°¡­Ha.¡± After what felt like an eternity. When Eric regained his senses¡ª The world, once dyed in blue, had returned to its original state. The leaves were green, the rocks were dark, and fallen leaves were scattered messily across the path. Everything appeared as Eric had always known it, yet¡ª Eric knew. ¡°¡­How is it?¡± He knew that his strike had reached Kana. Srrk¡ª A thin red line appeared on Kana¡¯s cheek. Her small hand, trembling as it rose, brushed over the wound, and a drop of red blood trickled down her finger. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± As she stared at the falling blood droplet, her pink eyes slowly turned toward Eric. The glimmering light in her eyes dimmed, reced by darkness. ¡°I told you, I¡¯d reach you.¡± Eric grinned widely. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 127 Chapter 127 A strike that encapsted his entire life. Eric¡¯s strike pierced through the dense Magi surrounding Kana and reached her. ¡®¡­Could I do it again?¡¯ No, it was impossible. Eric shook his head. He had charged forward with nothing but the single thought that he must reach her, and when he came to his senses, he had seeded. How he used his swordsmanship, how he managed to reach Kana¡ª Even Eric, who had delivered the strike, couldn¡¯tprehend it. ¡°¡­Hah!¡±But one thing was certain. Even if it was a miracle born of repeated coincidences, if he couldnd a blow once, he could do it again. The greatest realization was that his limits didn¡¯t end here. Of course, the price he paid was not insignificant. ¡°Gasp¡­ Huff¡­ If you have the strength tough¡­! Couldn¡¯t youe down and run yourself, huh?¡± ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m out of strength.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± The first price was that he had exhausted all his strength after entering a state ofplete focus, leaving him without the energy to lift a finger. Eric hadn¡¯t expected this oue, thinking it was the end for him, but thanks to a subordinate who realized his state and carried him away, he managed to survive. Swish! ¡°Ahhh! The captain¡¯s gone mad!¡± ¡°¡­Ack! Don¡¯t scream in my ear! Huff¡­ You sure can move those fingers for someone who ims to have no strength left!¡± ¡°Oh? You think I¡¯m lying, kid? Look at this arm and tell me I¡¯m full of strength!¡± ¡°Ugh, move your orc leg out of the way. I can¡¯t see where I¡¯m going!¡± ¡°What? Orc leg? Orc leeeeg?!¡± ¡°Is that really important right now?! Just do something about that, quickly! Whoa!¡± Sensing danger, the man instinctively threw himself to the side. He almost fell from the sudden change of direction while running, but he managed to regain his bnce. In the end, his decision was the right one. Crackle! The ck Magi swept through the spot where the man had just been standing. Dark, jagged marks remained on the ground, with traces of Magi slowly rising from them. Without time to catch his breath after narrowly escaping death, the man continued to leap away from the attacks that came from behind. Kana, who had previously refrained from attacking first or responding aggressively, shifted her attitude the moment Eric¡¯s sword struck her. Now, Eric was fleeing from Kana, who unleashed a torrent of Magi with her deadened eyes. This was the second price Eric had to pay. In truth, it wasn¡¯t so much a price as it was a way to fulfill his goal of luring her away. But seeing how the Magi continued its furious rampage, splitting dozens of trees without losing momentum, he felt no sense of aplishment. ncing back. ¡°Hm.¡± Eric, still carried on his subordinate¡¯s back, looked behind them. Fortunately, Kana¡¯s walking speed wasn¡¯t much different from before, so she couldn¡¯t catch up to them as they fled at full speed. This allowed the man to dodge her attacks. ¡°If the captain were in her right mind, this distance wouldn¡¯t even matter. Lucky, huh?¡± ¡°If she were in her right mind, we wouldn¡¯t need to do any of this in the first ce!¡± ¡°¡­Oh. That¡¯s a smart point.¡± If Kana had heard this, she might have pped her hands, remarking that she¡¯d chosen a loyal subordinate. ¡°Go right.¡± But instead of apuse, what fell upon them was Magi. Following Eric¡¯s instructions, the man turned without question. Guided by his instincts and Eric¡¯s directions, the man managed to escape the forest sessfully. Far in the distance, they reached an open space where the horizon stretched wide. Catching his breath, the man asked Eric: ¡°Do you really think this will work?¡± ¡°Of course! It¡¯ll definitely work.¡± ¡°Ah, as expected, Captain, you always have a n.¡± ¡°Well, if it doesn¡¯t work, we all die. What¡¯s the big deal?¡± The man¡¯s expression instantly turned cold. Of course. I was a fool for even trusting a guy like this for a moment. ¡®Should I just drop him here and escape on my own?¡¯ While the man was seriously contemting this, Eric spoke. ¡°Kidding. It¡¯ll definitely work.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure. Of course, it will.¡± ¡°¡­You little¡ª¡± Eric red at the man with his sharp eyes. How dare he show such insolent behavior toward a superior like the sky! ¡®Back in my day, such behavior wasn¡¯t even imaginable. He dares challenge a superior like me?¡¯ It¡¯s the end times. They say a frog forgets when it was a tadpole, and Eric clicked his tongue as he looked down at the man carrying him. He wanted nothing more than to get up and scold him, but¡­ Unfortunately, Eric was in no state to move without the man¡¯s help. ¡®¡­Ugh! If only I had my strength.¡¯ Eric, with a tear trickling down, spoke with a trembling voice. ¡°¡­Ahem. If I¡¯ve treated you poorly before, I apologize.¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s this about all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I just thought that in times of crisis, we should stick together closely.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve said it many times before, but if you have the strength to talk nonsense, then get off my back. It doesn¡¯t feel great carrying a big guy like you.¡± ¡°¡­Hey! You think this is fun for me?! I hate this too, you know!¡± ¡°Well, then you can get down!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t! I don¡¯t have the strength!¡± Though Eric couldn¡¯t remember ever being particrly unfair, he figured that subordinates might have felt differently. Worried that he might be abandoned, Eric gained confidence from the man¡¯s reaction that he wouldn¡¯t be left behind. ¡­Even if the look of utter disgust made him feel a bit sour. Just a little. ¡­Really, just a teeny-tiny bit. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t trust it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That guy. If it was possible to trap her in this open space, we could have done it sooner. Why drag her all the way here? Doesn¡¯t it seem strange?¡± ¡°Since when have those wizards ever done things that made sense? Why are you being so picky?¡± ¡°¡­True. You¡¯re right about that.¡± Because he¡¯s a wizard. That single word was enough to convince the man. The disdain for wizards, which began with Kana, spread to Eric and then to others through him. ¡°And you can trust that guy.¡± ¡°¡­Captain, did you eat something strange? Or did you brush against the Magi¡­? Ugh, it¡¯s my fault. I should have protected you better¡­¡± ¡°Quit the dramatics.¡± Eric tapped the man with his leg, which had regained some strength. ¡°That guy is the most skilled wizard I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you a former member of the Crimson Knights?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. So?¡± ¡°So, then¡­ Is he from the royal court as well?¡± ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t your tone getting a bit too polite?¡± ¡°What? Oh, no, don¡¯t use me. When did I ever do that? I¡¯m not the kind of person to disrespect strangers like that.¡± ¡°Yeah, right.¡± The man¡¯s words flowed smoothly as if his tongue was coated in oil, making Eric roll his eyes at the ttery. ¡°He¡¯s not a royal wizard.¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s this? I got all tense for no reason. Next time I see him, I¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s even more than that.¡± ¡°¡ªI¡¯ll treat him to Ordo¡¯s special products until he¡¯s stuffed.¡± Even justparing their status, the wizard who came to see Eric was in a league of his ownpared to a court wizard from the Grasis Kingdom. The Arka Empire, ruling over the Ardina Continent. How could someone known as the Sage of the Arka Empire bepared to a court wizard from a small country? Having witnessed the magic he wielded on the battlefield firsthand, Eric knew that such aparison was impossible. ¡®¡­What¡¯s his real intention?¡¯ But suspicion remained. Why would someone of such skill and status suddenly appear and offer help? How he knew was secondary; his true intentions remained a mystery. ¡®Maybe he¡¯s using us as a shield.¡¯ Beyond Ordo, if you head further east, you reach the Empire¡¯s territory. ¡®If the Captain enters the Empire¡¯s territory like this, it¡¯ll cause a huge uproar.¡¯ Though Eric didn¡¯t particrly like the Empire, he didn¡¯t think the sight would be pleasant. Crack! As Eric pondered, the trunk of a tree at the edge of the forest snapped. With a loud thud, the dust settled, revealing the figure of a girl. Even though she was at a considerable distance, Eric could tell that her pink eyes were locked onto him. ¡°I¡¯m not into clingy girls.¡± ¡°So, are you saying you¡¯d be interested if she weren¡¯t clingy?¡± ¡°¡­You little¡ª¡± Are you trying to send me to my doom? Eric unconsciously nced around and, realizing that no one else could hear their conversation, let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Listen closely. My type is a woman with a fantastic figure, where everything is just right¡ªnot some in little kid like her.¡± The moment he finished speaking, Kana¡¯s gaze sharpened, ring at him. It was probably just his imagination. The man barely listening to Eric¡¯s excuses bit his lips in frustration. ¡°Will this really be okay?¡± ¡°What now?¡± ¡°That person¡­ She seems to know you, Captain.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Eric fell silent. Since she tantly called him ¡°Captain,¡± he didn¡¯t think she¡¯d miss the connection. After a moment of silence, Eric spoke up. ¡°It better be.¡± Even if it wasn¡¯t okay, he couldn¡¯t just leave things as they were. ¡°She¡¯s relentless enough to chase me to the ends of hell, so what can I do? Her persistent nature hasn¡¯t changed a bit, then or now.¡± They chatted as they slowly retreated backward. Kana followed, steadily advancing toward them. As she reached the center of the clearing, scattering her dark Magi¡ª ¡°¡­!¡± sh! A hidden magic circle in the clearing suddenly emitted a blinding light. Sensing the unsettling Mana from the magic circle under her feet, Kana¡¯s eyes narrowed fiercely, and the Magi surrounding her expanded rapidly. But the magic circlepleted itself faster than Kana could react. With intricate geometric patterns, the circle finished, and a massive silver barrier rose in the clearing. The man, watching the scene with his mouth agape, muttered without realizing it. ¡°¡­Did we¡ª¡± Boom! ¡°Wah?!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Before he could finish, the barrier shook with a deafening noise. The ground trembled so much that the man lost his bnce and fell over. Eric, who had been riding on his back, also tumbled to the ground. ¡°Ouch, my back¡­¡± Eric, clutching his back and groaning, sprawled out on the ground. Unlike the rxed Eric, the man, with a tense expression, kept his eyes fixed on the barrier. ¡°¡­Is it over?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± Even after that, the barrier shuddered several more times, apanied by sounds like something being torn apart. But it held firm in its ce. Only then did the man, finally relieved, copse onto the ground. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 128 Chapter 128 ¡°¡­Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± The man asked Eric. ¡°We managed to trap that monster¡­ No, that girl, but not all the dangers around here have disappeared. What if a monster shows up? In your current state, you wouldn¡¯t be able to handle even a single goblin.¡± ¡°Hey! No matter what, I can handle a goblin¡ª¡± Eric¡¯s voice, which had risen in protest, gradually faded away until it disappeared into the air. While he had regained a bit of strength, he still couldn¡¯t move properly. As a result, he could do nothing but tremble under the pitying gaze of his subordinate, feeling humiliated. But he tried to look on the bright side. Despite his irritating tone, wasn¡¯t he ultimately showing concern? Thinking that way, Eric¡¯s sharp temper cooled down a bit. ¡°Imagine, the captain of Ordo¡¯s guards dying to a mere goblin. How embarrassing would that be? If you died like that, no one would ever respect us as guards.¡± ¡°You little¡­!¡±Yeah, he¡¯s worried, alright. It¡¯s just that his concerns are slightly misdirected. The man wasn¡¯t worrying about Eric¡¯s safety but rather about the reputation of the guards. Unable to hold back, Eric gritted his teeth. ¡°Just wait until I recover.¡± ¡°People who say ¡®just you wait¡¯ are never really that scary.¡± ¡°Oh yeah? Then I¡¯ll show you what real fear looks like myself.¡± ¡°Well, then I suppose I should make sure that never happens.¡± ¡°Whoa, you little brat! Watch out, or I might actually strike you!¡± Despite their banter, Eric knew that the man had no real intention of staging a mutiny. If he had, he would have done it long ago. So, Eric took it as a joke, not taking the words seriously. But they couldn¡¯t joke around forever. ¡°Enough of that. Most of the monsters likely fled during themotion earlier, so the situation you¡¯re worried about probably won¡¯t happen. So don¡¯t worry about me and just go.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t recall anyone evering back safely after saying something like that.¡± The man gave Eric a doubtful look but still stood up. ¡°Try not to die.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Ericzily waved his hand, watching as the man disappeared into the trees before lowering his arm. ¡°That brat, always with the ominous remarks. Who¡¯s dying here? I haven¡¯t even gotten married yet.¡± Eric had no intention of dying in a ce like this. His dream was to marry a kind, gentle woman, live a peaceful life, and quietly close his eyes one day in front of his grown children. Though, at the moment, the only woman he knew well was the barmaid at his favorite tavern. But you never know¡ªperhaps love woulde unexpectedly. Eric firmly believed that one day, fate would bring him such a miraculous encounter. ¡°Maybe I should have asked him to set me up with a nicedy instead.¡± A light voice suddenly came from behind Eric, interrupting his mumbling. ¡°Where have you been all this time?¡± ¡°I was negotiating with your superiors. So, do you need one?¡± ¡°¡­Need what?¡± ¡°A nicedy, of course. If you want, I could introduce you to a few.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course. For a promising talent like you, why not? But it¡¯s up to you to win over their hearts. Even as a mage, I can¡¯t just manipte someone¡¯s feelings at will.¡± ¡°I thought that was something mages could do?¡± ¡°Haha. Well, it¡¯s not impossible, but would you really be satisfied if you won their heart that way? A love gained through shortcuts fades quickly.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you for the wise words. I¡¯ll remember them for life.¡± ¡°No need to thank me. I¡¯m just d I could offer some advice to a bright young talent.¡± A man, holding a staff that looked more like an antique art piece than a practical tool, stood behind Eric without him noticing. Although their casual conversation suggested familiarity, Eric found it hard to get used to talking with him like this. ¡®¡­It¡¯s a bit ufortable.¡¯ Honestly, Eric was not ustomed to conversing with this man so casually. Just a few years ago, they had been fighting to the death, and now trying to chat like nothing had happened felt more awkward than anything else. Noticing Eric¡¯s difort, the man smiled and spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. You didn¡¯t fight because you wanted to, right? Same goes for me. We were both in the same boat, so there¡¯s no need to hold a grudge.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say we were exactly in the same situation¡­ but I suppose you¡¯re not entirely wrong since we started it.¡± ¡°Exactly. The real troublemaker is gone now, so let¡¯s get along from now on. No point in humans fighting each other, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eric had to stifle augh. The man¡¯s words weren¡¯t wrong, but hearing them from him, of all people, was almostical. A man known as the Sage of the Arka Empire talking about dreams and ideals that sounded like they belonged in a child¡¯s mouth¡­ Eric was proud of himself for not bursting intoughter right away. ¡°Why do you keep calling me a promising talent, anyway? It¡¯s embarrassing to hear that from the Sage of the Empire.¡± ¡°You should reward subordinates who aplish things. You achieved something remarkable, so I¡¯m simply showing respect. Honestly, I didn¡¯t expect you to seed. It surprised me when you managed tond a blow on her.¡± ¡°¡­You saw that too?¡± He hadn¡¯t even realized he was being watched. Then again, if he could detect someone of that skill level, the man wouldn¡¯t be called the Sage of the Empire. The title ¡°Master Mage¡± was enough to dispel any doubts Eric had. ¡°That was just a lucky hit. I didn¡¯t even know what I was doing. If she had been in her right mind, it wouldn¡¯t have worked.¡± ¡°Even so, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you achieved something significant. Modesty is good, but too much of it can be insulting. Even she would have praised you for that strike.¡± ¡°Not so sure about praise; she chased me like she was out for blood.¡± ¡°You know she¡¯s always been a bit awkward with her feelings. It¡¯s just her way of showing embarrassment, so try to understand.¡± ¡°At this rate, her embarrassment will kill a lot of people. But is that thing safe?¡± ¡°A failure once, but it won¡¯t fail again. Last time, it was built with a different goal in mind, so it had a w. But this time, it¡¯s a barrier made solely for blocking her. You can trust it.¡± ¡°¡­A failure once?¡± Eric muttered at the strange remark, but the man had no intention of exining further. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not going to hold forever. We should resolve this quickly.¡± The man pointed toward the barrier. A dark energy was slowly rising from the ground where the radiant silver barrier touched the earth. ¡°How long will it hold?¡± ¡°At most, a week. At the shortest, until tomorrow.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the difference between a week and a day too big?¡± ¡°That¡¯s only in the worst case. As long as I don¡¯t provoke her, it shouldst longer.¡± A week. Not a long time, and Eric¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°Now that I think of it, I haven¡¯t exined what I discussed with your superiors, have I?¡± Let me exin now. The man tapped the ground with his staff before continuing. ¡°As you know, Magi is more toxic to living beings than any poison. Facing her means being prepared for death. Even if you survive, there¡¯s no guarantee you¡¯lle out unscathed, just like your current condition.¡± ¡°¡­Hah, so you were aware of my condition.¡± Eric forced a bitter smile at the man¡¯s words. ¡°As the man said, Eric¡¯s body wasn¡¯t in good condition. While it was true he had exhausted all his strength, the umted Magi from repeated shes was slowly eating away at his body. ¡°But we have a useful card, don¡¯t we? One that isn¡¯t afraid of Magi poisoning or death.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re thinking of bringing in the Demonic Race?¡± ¡°Oh,e on. Why burn the whole house down to catch a bedbug?¡± ¡°Then who are you talking about?¡± The man¡¯s lips curled into a smile. ¡°I¡¯m talking about those whom Edel personally brought here. If there¡¯s anyone who would face her fearlessly, it¡¯s them, those who cannot die.¡± ¡°The Apostles¡­¡± Eric finally understood whom the man was referring to. Indeed, if it were them, they could fight against the Magi emanating from Canaria without being affected. However¡ª Eric expressed his doubts about the man¡¯s n. ¡°I don¡¯t think they would be able to aplish that.¡± They had great power, but if the question was whether they could defeat the Commander, the answer was a definite no. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Edel will be watching over them.¡± ¡°¡­Do you really think so?¡± ¡°Of course. This is all ording to Edel¡¯s will. And¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Before Eric could voice his doubts about the cryptic words of the so-called sage, the man continued. ¡°Strength isn¡¯t everything. Who knows? Perhaps through their interactions with the Apostles, she might regain her senses.¡± ¡®Snake.¡¯ Ericpletely understood why the Commander, Canaria, called this man a snake. Always acting like he knew everything, never revealing his true intentions, slithering around like a cunning serpent. ¡°What if a week passes without any results?¡± ¡°Well, in that case¡­¡± The man shrugged. ¡°The Empire will have to step in.¡± There would be considerable damage, but leaving things as they were would cause even greater losses. That¡¯s what the man implied. No matter how powerful Canaria was, she couldn¡¯t withstand the might of the Empire on her own. In such a case, there was only one oue awaiting her. ¡°¡­.¡± After a moment of silence, Eric asked onest question. ¡°Then, when do you n to mobilize the Apostles?¡± ¡°That will be¡ª¡± The man replied. *** ¡°¡­An extermination order?¡± Da-eun, hastily moving through the city, stopped as if entranced, staring at the notice on the wall. The description on the low-quality paper was all too familiar to her. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 129 Chapter 129 Silia Online is a game that has gained worldwide poprity. Because of this, there are countless streamers who focus on Silia Online as their main content. One such streamer is the leader of the PizzaIsBestHawaiian raid group, known as ¡°PineapplePizza,¡± or simply ¡°Pine.¡± Pine, who had been a general game streamer, waspletely captivated by the new world¡¯s allure the moment he first logged into Silia Online. The sense of reality that felt no different from the real world, the non-restrictive system, and the immersive feeling of bing a part of the world. He had yed countless games before, but none had ever given him such a powerful impression. The so-called game of a lifetime. Pine was convinced that Silia would be his lifetime game, and his transition from a general game streamer to a dedicated Silia streamer was only natural. Silia offers a multitude of choices to yers just starting out. One could pick up a hammer and be a cksmith, take up weapons and face enemies as an adventurer, or be a farmer in a quiet vige.Pine chose the path of a mercenary. Although being a cksmith, farmer, or restaurant owner each had their own appeal, he believed that the essence of an RPG lies in joining forces with allies to defeat powerful foes. So, Pine gatheredpanions, formed a raid team, and made challenging bosses his main content, known as ¡®raids.¡¯ The sense of aplishment that came from defeating a nauseatingly strong enemy after repeated attempts was indescribable. The harder the boss, the brighter the sense of achievement when defeated, so Pine never gave up, even on raids that seemed impossible to clear. However, there was one boss that even Pine, brimming with determination, had given up on. The Gravekeeper, a boss known as Canaria Grasis. Havingplicated patterns? That was manageable. Even the most brain-twisting patterns could be mastered with enough repeated attempts. But Canaria was far from being such a boss. ¡°They really made it like crap.¡± There were no standardized patterns. If there was one thing to note, it would be that she targets the backline first, but knowing that didn¡¯t help much with the strategy. It wasn¡¯t a delightful kind of challenge, just overwhelmingly harsh. As he gradually lost his motivation due to the boss¡¯s impossibly high difficulty, Pine gave up entirely after witnessing Canaria slice through Imperial Army knights as if they were nothing. ¡°That boss isn¡¯t meant to be beaten.¡± There needs to be some indication of progress for repeated attempts to be worthwhile, but how could one even hope to defeat a monster that could split the earth with a single blow? Disappointment over the failure? When there¡¯s no chance of sess, there¡¯s nothing to be disappointed about. After giving up on the raid, Pine asionally heard news about Canaria but didn¡¯t pay much attention to that NPC. At least, that¡¯s how it was¡ª ¡°¡­What is this?¡± Pine stared nkly at the system message that appeared before him. ¡°An extermination order? What¡¯s this? Have any of you seen something like this before?¡± ¡ª???? ¡ª?? ¡ªA gathering? Is it really a gathering? ¡ªI¡¯m scared; ¡ªI have no idea; ¡ªNope, nope, nope ¡ªWho would see something like that when quests are still given out analog-style? The viewers¡¯ reactions were no different from Pine¡¯s. The system in Silia Online, if put kindly, offered a high degree of freedom, and if criticized, it simply neglected the yers. There was a basic interface, but it didn¡¯t force or rmend any particr actions, staying true to a hands-off approach. But the message before Pine¡¯s eyes clearly carried a sense of ¡®encouragement.¡¯ [Extermination Event Triggered!] The message that began with those words warned of an impending crisis on the Ardina Continent, saying that if this crisis wasn¡¯t resolved, a great disaster would befall them. ¡°It¡¯s obvious they want us to do something.¡± ¡ªIsn¡¯t it just a heads-up? ¡ªWould they really send a message like that just to inform us? Your readingprehension is a joke. ¡ª (Message deleted.) ¡ªWhy are you so angry? ¡ªSeems like he¡¯s having a bad day at home~ Under normal circumstances, Pine would have been excited, thinking, ¡°Wow! A big event!¡± ¡ªBut why does this guy look like that? ¡ªRight? He looks like he just ate something awful. ¡ªOh,e on; don¡¯t talk about curry when someone¡¯s eating poop. ©» ? As the viewers pointed out, Pine¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t particrly bright. That¡¯s because, the moment he saw the system message and the name on the notice, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to wee it with open arms. ¡®Canaria, of all things.¡¯ Why was that nameing up here? Pine unknowingly rubbed his forehead. ¡°¡­Can someone exin?¡± The chat flooded with messages. Thanks to his viewers, Pine managed to piece together what had happened. ¡°So, right after the Ascension Ritual or whatever it was ended, she suddenly disappeared, and when she was found in Ardina, she had lost her mind?¡± ¡ªYeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ¡ªYep ¡ªExactly right, yeah ¡ªThat¡¯s right ¡°Sigh¡­ Joanie must be having a tough time.¡± ¡ªShe immediately went into respawn mode, saying she was going to find Kana. ¡ªI thought it wasn¡¯t Joanie when I saw that¡­ ¡ªSo, what are you going to do? Try again? ¡ªTime for revenge~ ¡°¡­No, I¡¯m not going to.¡± Understanding the situation didn¡¯t suddenly give him courage. Being told to defeat a boss that could crack the ground with a single hit and slice through massive Dimensional Creatures like nothing? If he hadn¡¯t faced her before, he might have considered it, but having already been thoroughly beaten, he wasn¡¯t feeling particrly enthusiastic. ¡ª? ¡ª???????? ¡ªNo way; ¡ªAre you chickening out? Are you chickening out? Are you chickening out? Are you chickening out? ¡ªYou¡¯re disqualified as a man¡­ ¡ªThen, aren¡¯t you bing a woman? Even better ¡ªWho is this guy again? ¡ªUgh; But that was Pine¡¯s situation, and the viewers couldn¡¯t care less. Even if he closed his eyes and covered his ears, the flood of criticism toward Pine showed no sign of stopping. In the end, Pine raised the white g. ¡°Alright, alright! I¡¯ll ask my raid members! But if even one person says no, we¡¯re calling it off. Got it?¡± ¡ªOk, ok ¡ªGood lol ¡ªShouldn¡¯t a raid leader just push through? Hmm¡­ ©»Each raid has its own style Pine¡¯s lips curled into a small smile as he read the chat. His excuse had worked perfectly. There was no way his fellow raid members, who had suffered along with him, would agree to this, so it was practically a bluff. ¡®Just as nned.¡¯ However, Pine was unaware. He didn¡¯t know that, contrary to his expectations, all his raid members would unanimously agree. Had he known, he wouldn¡¯t have made such an offer, but since he couldn¡¯t see the future, Pine could only smile while hiding his true feelings. Pine was smiling¡­ *** *** A massive silver barrier. Standing in front of it, Pine spoke in a voice filled with regret. ¡°¡­Why am I here?¡± ¡ªBecause that¡¯s a ¡®promise¡¯ ¡ªNod ¡ªUnlike certain others, it¡¯s nice to see someone keeping their promise, haha ¡ªOh no, stop; Viewers are essential for a streamer, but sometimes they can be more bothersome than a nagging rtive, and this was precisely one of those times. Since he had been the one to bring it up first, he couldn¡¯t reallyin to the viewers. Muttering to himself in frustration, Pine directed his irritation toward his raid members. ¡°You all have such nerve. Even after dying so many times, you still want to do this?¡± ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you curious to see how things have changed?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a trip down memoryne, right?¡± ¡°A darkened Kana? How could I miss that~¡± Hearing their varied and quirky responses, Pine shook his head. Who on earth had gathered such peculiar people together? ¡®Ah, it¡¯s me.¡¯ He should have gathered more normal people. As Pine regretted his choices, Lemonie, the healer of PizzaIsBestHawaiian raid group, curiously examined the barrier. She didn¡¯t just look at it¡ªshe even tapped it a few times with her hand. ¡°What¡¯s got you so curious?¡± Unable to hold back, Pine asked as he watched her. ¡°Huh? Oh¡­ It¡¯s just that being here makes it feel like a real raid. Before, it felt more like a field boss¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Hearing Lemonie¡¯s words, Pine nodded. That was true. It wasn¡¯t just about whether the stage was open or closed. Previously, wherever they encountered Canaria would instantly be the Boss Room. To be honest, it never really felt like they were entering a battlefield with determination. But being in a ce with such a clear divide between inside and outside made the tension feel more palpable. ¡°Still, shouldn¡¯t they fix this too if they¡¯re making improvements? Why did they keep the restriction where only one party can enter at a time?¡± Does Demoninus even do their job? Despiteing as quickly as they could, Pine¡¯s raid group still had to wait because another party had already entered before them. ¡°Aren¡¯t you bored, Lemonie?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve done a lot of open runs¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± ¡°We can enter now!¡± While they were chatting, the Boss Room opened, likely because the party that entered first had been wiped out. ¡°Is everyone ready to get beaten up?¡± ¡°Woo! You¡¯re not even thinking about winning, just preparing to get beaten! What a fearless raid leader!¡± ¡°For real, for real. How can we trust and follow someone like this?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re ready, hurry up and go in. We might get cut in line.¡± Pine ignored the shouts of ¡°The raid leader is sending us to our doom!¡± and pushed them forward. As soon as they crossed the barrier¡¯s entrance and entered the Boss Room, it was as if they had stepped into another world. The sky was dark, and the ground even darker. The scene resembled the environment of Laxia as he had seen it on streams, and Pine swallowed hard. While they were building up their tension and scanning the surroundings, one of the raid members suddenly shouted. ¡°Whoa?! Damn, we¡¯re taking damage over time!¡± ¡°What?¡± Startled, Pine quickly checked his HP. Sure enough, just as they had said, his HP was gradually decreasing. And above it, a debuff called Magi Poisoning hovered. ¡°Should I start healing?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s not enough to kill us, so just leave it for now. Use a party-wide heal once our HP drops to about half.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely different from before¡­.¡± But there was an even more significant change. ¡°The attacks¡­ aren¡¯ting?¡± Even after entering the Boss Room, no attacks came their way. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like that had never happened before, but there was a crucial difference between then and now. Back then, it had felt like the enemy had fully acknowledged them, as if saying, ¡°Sure, let¡¯s see what you can do.¡± But now, it seemed unaware of their presence, not even ncing in their direction, just sitting there dazed. A pink-haired girl, shrouded in ck Magi, crouched down. One of the raid members let out an exmation upon seeing her. ¡°Wow, look at the atmosphere.¡± ¡°How can you say that looking at her?¡± ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t it cool?¡± ¡°Jeez¡­.¡± Pine, who was about to scold him, remembered that he was the same person who had been raving about ¡°Darkened Kana¡± before entering, so he held his tongue. In some ways, he could understand. ¡°A ssic trope of a once-heroic character turning dark and bing an enemy. This is gourmet.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t whisper weird stuff in my ear. And besides, Kana was never a hero.¡± ¡°Embrace the truth¡­.¡± Pine shook his head and brushed his ear, then drew his sword. ¡°You all remember the basic tactics, right? Every man for himself. Healers, focus on shields from maximum distance.¡± He didn¡¯t believe they could defeat her. Besides, they had once fought alongside her against the Imperial Army, so he didn¡¯t really feel motivated to defeat her either. From the beginning, Pine had only nned to observe, so his enthusiasm was at rock bottom. ¡°Start the pull.¡± Following Pine¡¯s uninspired order, a man with a shield stepped forward. ¡°Hup! Flying sh!¡± With a short and intense shout, a Sword Beam flew toward the girl. It wasn¡¯t very powerful, but it had a long range and high aggro generation, making it a skillmonly used to initiatebat. ¡®She¡¯ll dodge it, of course.¡¯ Pine watched the Sword Beam fly with little expectation. If she were the type to be hit by something like that, they¡¯d have seeded long ago¡­. Wham! ¡­right? ¡°¡­?¡± ¡­Did I see that wrong? It looked like the Sword Beam actually hit her? As Pine rubbed his eyes, startled by the unexpected scene apanied by a clear impact sound¡­ Swoosh¡ª The girl, who had been motionless, slowly rose to her feet. Her pink eyes, shadowed by darkness, turned toward them. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Pine blinked. Looking up at the white domed ceiling that rose toward the center, he thought to himself. ¡®What was the term for this kind of ceiling construction¡­?¡¯ He was sure he had learned about it during his school days, but it was so long ago that he couldn¡¯t recall. Besides, he had never been particrly interested in architecture. ¡°Aah¡­ A strange ceiling.¡± Muttering a phrase that had be a meme among yers, Pine got up and was greeted by the calming atmosphere of the temple. Waking up here meant he had met his death. ¡°Gueegh¡­¡± ¡°Uwoooh¡­¡±Other raid members who had met the same fate as Pine began to wake up one by one, groaning in odd ways. To an outsider, it might sound like they were in pain, but Pine didn¡¯t even flinch. It wasn¡¯t the first time they¡¯d done this. Knowing it was just a silly joke, he saw no reason to waste energy reacting to it. ¡°Grrrraaah!¡± As he ignored the raid members and checked his inventory, a zombie-like moan reached his ears. ¡°Sigh¡­ Aren¡¯t you tired of doing that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my character. Please respect it.¡± ¡°Makes me feel like exorcising you.¡± If he felt the urge, he should act on it. Pine attempted an exorcism (physical), but the ¡°zombie,¡± who had sensed his intentions, had already leaned back and retreated, causing Pine¡¯s attempt to fail. ¡®¡­A mosquito?¡¯ That looked exactly like the mosquitoes that be a menace every summer. Buzzing near his ear only to vanish when the lights are turned on, then returning once you give up and lie down again¡­ Look at that. As soon as he seems to have given up, it starts creeping closer again. ¡°Enough. Come over here and sit down. The others, too.¡± Pine called out to the raid members in a tone reminiscent of a mother who had found her child¡¯s hidden report card, and they quickly gathered. Once all the raid members had gathered, Pine spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m not the only one who thinks something¡¯s off, right?¡± ¡°Well, our raid has always been a bit strange.¡± ¡°¡­No, I mean.¡± ¡ªThe name itself is pretty strange. ¡ªRight? Who even eats Hawaiian pizza? ¡ª (This message has been deleted.) ¡ªAaaah! Someone¡¯s died!!!! ¡ªdddddddd (trembling sounds) ¡°Heresy is punishable by death.¡± One of Pine¡¯s stream chat rules. ¡®No ndering Hawaiian pizza¡¯¡ªthose who broke this rule faced mass purges. Pine dealt with the heretics who had popped up at this opportunity and let out a sigh. ¡°I pity those who can¡¯t appreciate the charm of Hawaiian pizza.¡± ¡ªHonestly, the real pitiful one isn¡¯t us¡­ ¡ªShh! ¡ªHush¡­! ¡ªHawaiian pizza is the best in the world, as recorded in ancient Goguryeo watermelon art. ¡ªMaybe that¡¯s why they fell? <<<<< You¡¯re out of here. There were a few who showed signs of rebellion, but he could overlook that much. After all, Pine hadn¡¯t chosen his nickname and the raid group¡¯s name because he was head over heels for Hawaiian pizza, but because he enjoyed watching people¡¯s reactions of distaste. He wasn¡¯t genuinely angry. p. ¡°It¡¯s obvious our raid is weird, but is that what you¡¯re really asking?¡± ¡°Can you say that with pride?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with saying it? We¡¯re already known as the ¡®vor-ignorant¡¯ raid group.¡± Standing a little apart from the group, Lemonie hesitantly raised her hand. ¡°Um, I think I know what you¡¯re trying to say. You mean it feels like we¡¯re really doing a raid¡­ right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± None of the raid members questioned Lemonie¡¯s words. It was just a brief joke, but they all felt the same way. If the definition of a raid is ¡°fighting a strong enemy together with multiple allies,¡± then what they did before could technically be called a raid as well. But that wasn¡¯t what Lemonie was talking about. ¡°Instead of targeting the backline first, it attacked the person with the most umted threat. It didn¡¯t dodge or block attacks, and it didn¡¯t react until we made the first move.¡± ¡°There were even attacks that seemed like part of a pattern.¡± In other words, the previous version of Canaria behaved in a way that was the exact opposite of what they had just described. ¡°It felt like fighting other Raid Bosses.¡± If the old Canaria had been an NPC acting on its own whims, now it felt more like it was following a set of behaviors programmed by the developers, just like other Raid Bosses. ¡°We¡¯ll need to try a few more times to be sure, but even from what we¡¯ve seen so far, the difference is clear.¡± ¡°It made me wonder, ¡®Is this even the same boss?¡¯¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you think the previous version was better?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Everyone¡¯s heads turned toward the raid member who made thement. Feeling the sudden attention, he scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°It just had this cool vibe, like an unbeatable, invincible enemy. It felt unique, and now it¡¯s kind of disappointing.¡± ¡°Even Demoninus must have thought this wasn¡¯t right.¡± A high difficulty level is fine, but there should be a reasonable limit. ¡°It might be more realistic for a boss to dodge and block attacks instead of just standing there like a dummy, but honestly, it never made sense before. Even notorious bosses like Darkness Spirit and Royal Ring aren¡¯t like that.¡± ¡°If you think of it as something intentionally made unbeatable¡­¡± ¡°Well, in that case, I guess that makes sense.¡± In games, when developers want to convey a message through the story or the game world, they sometimes do it indirectly through a powerful enemy. There are many instances where an unavoidable defeat is used as a narrative device, known as a ¡°defeat event.¡± When yers face such a challenge, do they rage, saying, ¡°This game is trash. How are we supposed to beat this?¡± ¡®Not many people do that.¡¯ They know. To put it bluntly, these elements exist to make yers feel a sense of thrill. ¡°But Canaria isn¡¯t that kind of NPC.¡± But it didn¡¯t make sense to consider Canaria as an NPC created for that kind of narrative. If she was made for that purpose, she would have been more stationary instead of cutting down yers mercilessly every time she made eye contact. At least, that¡¯s what Pine thought. ¡ªHmm¡­ ¡ªGlrgrk? ¡ªMaybe it¡¯s just a difference in taste? Not everything has to have a serious tone. ¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯m not trying to convince anyone. I just wanted to point out that it¡¯s different from before. Everyone agrees on that, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The attacks did feel soulless.¡± ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Pine fell silent at someone¡¯s question. If he had just wanted to point out the differences from before, there wouldn¡¯t have been any need to gather the raid members and discuss it seriously. When you spend a long time working together, there are things you start to understand without needing to be said aloud. You get a sense of what the other person is thinking, how they¡¯re feeling, and whether they¡¯re in good or bad shape. And if Pine could sense this about them, it meant they could sense things about him too. ¡°Do you want to do the raid?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡± Having his thoughts read so clearly, Pine decided to speak honestly. ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to hear your opinions. I wanted to know what everyone else thought.¡± There are many reasons to want to challenge it again, likepetitiveness, curiosity, or a desire for revenge. Even so, the thought of taking on the challenge again didn¡¯te easily. ¡®Because I¡¯m scared of overwhelming power?¡¯ That wasn¡¯t the reason. The memories of being effortlessly cut down were still vivid, but the changed version of Canaria didn¡¯t disy the same overwhelming power as before. Maybe it was more out of a sense of guilt. Or perhaps it was because public opinion mattered. Pine started to speak but then paused, giving everyone time to gather their thoughts. It could seem like he was trying to shift responsibility, but this was how he had always led the group. He listened to everyone¡¯s opinions and then made the final decision himself. ¡°Pine, I have a question¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Thud, thud. As Pine waited for the raid members, tapping his foot, Lemonie spoke up. ¡°What is Joanie up to right now? I can¡¯t imagine she¡¯s just sitting still¡­¡± ¡°Oh.¡± If you¡¯re curious, why not just watch her stream? Despite thinking that, Pine shared what he knew about Joanie¡¯s situation. ¡°Joanie is¨C¡± *** ¡°¡­You¡¯re asking me to help with the raid?¡± ¡°Technically, I¡¯m asking you to help subdue it¡­ Yes. Since you like fighting strong enemies, I thought it might appeal to you, Yuki¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pass.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Before Da-eun could finish speaking, Yuki rejected the offer outright, leaving her blinking in confusion. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m some crazy girl who jumps at every fight?¡± ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you? ¡­Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Da-eun, who had spoken without thinking, realized her mistake when she saw Yuki ring at her. ¡°Ahem¡­ Even if you¡¯re not crazy, you do like fighting, right? Isn¡¯t that true?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then¨C¡± ¡°Then.¡± Thud! Yuki mmed her greatsword into the ground with force. She leaned against the sword, not caring that the dirt it kicked up was soiling the hem of her pants. ¡°So, I¡¯m not doing it.¡± Talking with Yuki had never been easy, but today it was especially difficult. Da-eun had to suppress the urge to punch her chest in frustration. Having a high level and being skilled were two different things. However, Yuki was the highest level and most skilled person Da-eun knew. She hade to Yuki, thinking that her natural talent would be helpful, even if their coordination wasn¡¯t perfect. But all she was getting was rejection without even a proper reason. Had Yuki sensed Da-eun¡¯s frustration? Yuki, who had been fiddling with the hilt of her greatsword, suddenly spoke up. ¡°I already went to see her.¡± ¡°Who?¡­No way?¡± ¡°Yes. Master.¡± ¡°¡­Master?¡± In the time she hadn¡¯t seen her, Yuki had changed the way she referred to Kana again. The title felt odd, making Da-eun frown. Yuki, however, continued in her usual calm tone. ¡°I went to see her, crossed swords¡­¡± Yuki ced her hand on her chest. ¡°¡­But my heart didn¡¯t race.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight if it doesn¡¯t make my heart race.¡± What kind of reasoning was this? Da-eun¡¯s mind froze again at the iprehensible exnation. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Anyone who enjoys manga or anime has probably seen this kind of story progression at least once. It¡¯s the kind where a brainwashed or mentally broken person snaps back to their senses due to the heartfelt plea of someone dear to them. Though it¡¯s a rather clich¨¦d scenario, the reason it remains popr is that it is deeply impactful. Da-eun asked herself. Am I the most important person to Canaria? ¡®¡­I¡¯m not sure. But¡ª¡¯ She could answer confidently if asked whether she wasn¡¯t important to her. ¡®That¡¯s not the case.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t mere self-importance. The difference in the way Canaria treated otherspared to how she treated Da-eun was ringly obvious.When Da-eun spoke, Canaria listened. Even when there was no reason, she would casually approach Da-eun and start a conversation. She would joke naturally, sometimes adding yful physical contact. These behaviors were evidence that Canaria considered Da-eun to be close to her. Even when dealing with Celine, with whom she had grown quite familiar over weeks of traveling together, Canaria didn¡¯t behave the same way. So, Da-eun thought. ¡®¡­Maybe, if she sees me, Canaria might snap back to her senses.¡¯ She thought that even though she was now lost in her emotions, if she saw Da-eun, it might be like a miracle, bringing her back to her old self. With hopes for a dramatic ending, Da-eun walked towards where Canaria was. ¡°¡­Canaria?¡± However, the moment Da-eun entered the barrier and faced Canaria, her hopes crumbled to pieces. Though she called Canaria¡¯s name, Canaria didn¡¯t respond, staring nkly into space. It was as if she didn¡¯t even recognize her own nameing from Da-eun¡¯s lips. As Da-eun, feeling a swell of unease, took a few more steps closer¡ª Canaria¡¯s vacant pink eyes slowly shifted toward her. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± And in the next moment, Da-eun found herself facing a ceiling that felt both unfamiliar and familiar. After staring nkly for a while, Da-eun gingerly touched her chest with trembling hands. It was exactly where the sharp Magi had pierced her. What truly confused Da-eun wasn¡¯t the fact that she had died. ¡®Canaria attacked me.¡¯ The moment she realized this, Da-eun felt like she was waking up from a dream. She realized that wishes are just that¡ªwishes. She btedly understood that optimistic thoughts alone wouldn¡¯t change anything. To think that everything would go well just by meeting and talking it out. It was a thought so naive, it seemed foolish. ¡°What should I do¡­?¡± She hade with the sole thought that she needed to meet Canaria, without any concrete n, and had never considered what to do if she failed. As she anxiously fretted, Da-eun found an answer in the viewers¡¯ lively chat messages. Some suggested that weakening Canaria first would at least make a conversation possible. Thinking there was some merit to this, Da-eun immediately put the idea into action, leading to the current situation. ¡°What on earth does it mean, a fight that doesn¡¯t make your heart race?¡± A fight is just a fight¡ªwas there really a difference between one that made your heart race and one that didn¡¯t? As someone whose heart pounded wildly at the mere thought of facing an enemy with a sword, Da-eun couldn¡¯t understand this concept at all. However, Da-eun wasn¡¯t the only one who found the other iprehensible. ¡®Why can¡¯t she understand this?¡¯ Yuki couldn¡¯t understand Da-eun either. If she went out of her way to ask for help, it meant that despite their differences, they must have felt the same thing. ¡®What a hassle.¡¯ She could have swung her sword dozens of times instead of spending time here. Even with that thought, Yuki didn¡¯t leave. ¡°Master¡¯s swordsmanship is beautiful.¡± Yuki knew she wasn¡¯t good with words. But if someone asked her to praise Kana¡¯s swordsmanship, she could do it all day. How sharp the straight lines were. How fluid the curves traced by the sword¡¯s tip were. She couldn¡¯t understand how Canaria, with her small frame that seemed barely able to lift a sword, could execute such beautiful swordsmanship, but Yuki didn¡¯t care about such trivialities. ¡®Instead of worrying about that, I should just observe and learn.¡¯ That¡¯s why Yuki always found the discussions in the chat about authenticity and uracyughable. How could anyone look away when the truth and the answer were right in front of them? How was that possible? ¡°So, I¡¯ve watched every video where Master appears. I even regrly follow Joanie¡¯s streams.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh, I know Kana is amazing. I get it, so can we move on to the main point now?¡± It was clear Yuki could keep talking about it all day if left alone. Unable to endure Yuki¡¯s praises any longer, Da-eun interrupted with a weary expression. ¡°What does the beauty of Canaria¡¯s swordsmanship have to do with Yuki¡¯sck of excitement?¡± ¡°¡­The swordsmanship Master disys now isn¡¯t beautiful.¡± The power behind her strikes couldn¡¯t be ignored, but there was no beauty in the way Canaria wielded her sword. It felt like looking at her old self, who thought that simply shing, stabbing, and cutting with strength was all there was. Realizing this, Yuki¡¯s motivation quickly faded. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight a sword that¡¯s swung without meaning or understanding.¡± ¡°¡­Did you travel to another world or something? Or maybe you have memories of a past life?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been reading too many novels.¡± ¡°Well, I think you¡¯re the same, Yuki. I¡¯d bet that if you were born a few hundred years ago, you¡¯d have left your name in history.¡± Anyway¡­ Da-eun finally started to understand what Yuki was saying. Even she could tell that Kana¡¯s behavior now wasn¡¯t natural. This girl, who had roamed around freely since appearing on the Ardina Continent, suddenly turnedpletely passive after being trapped in the barrier. Even assuming she had lost her reasoning and was operating on instinct, it didn¡¯t make sense. It was as if someone else was controlling her. ¡°Following a script is boring.¡± Before meeting Canaria and gaining her insight, Yuki might have easily agreed. But having gained her realization and heightened her threshold, Yuki wasn¡¯t particrly interested in Da-eun¡¯s request. ¡°Are you really not going to help?¡± ¡°No.¡± Da-eun, unable to give up, asked again, but the answer was a firm rejection. What would have happened if Da-eun wasn¡¯t there? There might not have been fights among the yers, and perhaps the Imperial Army wouldn¡¯t have invaded either. There would have been other big and small changes, too. ¡®And me as well.¡¯ Even Yuki might not have gained her realization as she had now. She might have visited out of curiosity, thinking, ¡®There¡¯s a boss like that?¡¯ but she wouldn¡¯t have been met with the same kind of duel as before. It all happened because Da-eun met Canaria and brought her into the world. Because of this, Yuki felt a sense of indebtedness, even if she didn¡¯t fully admit it. ¡°Still, it¡¯s impossible.¡± Yuki couldn¡¯t muster any excitement at the thought of fighting someone who looked like her master but wasn¡¯t truly her master. Da-eun tried several times to persuade her, but Yuki¡¯s resolve was firm. A determination that hardly wavered. As Da-eun grew tired of trying to persuade her and considered giving up, a sudden idea shed in her mind. ¡°If your resolve is that firm, I suppose there¡¯s nothing I can say to change it. Sorry for bothering you.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a bother.¡± ¡°Oh,e on, don¡¯t lie. Anyway, I¡¯ll go ask someone else for help.¡± Da-eun pretended to turn away, making it seem like she was about to leave, but then she suddenly stopped. With her body facing forward, she turned her head slightly and asked Yuki, who was waving her hand. ¡°But, are you really okay with this?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°This raid will onlyst for a week. Beyond that, the barrier won¡¯t be able to withstand the Magi that Kana holds¡­ or so they say. Oh, and since a day has already passed, there are only six days left now.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Yuki had seen the notices. They were posted all over the ce, so it was harder to avoid them than to see them. ¡°Do you know what happens if we fail to subdue her within a week?¡± ¡°¡­What happens?¡± ¡°The Empire will personally step in to deal with it.¡± She doesn¡¯t seem too interested yet. Da-eun watched Yuki¡¯s expression and continued speaking. ¡°As you know, Yuki, there¡¯s a longstanding bad blood between Canaria and the Empire. They can¡¯t stand each other.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re trying to ask for sympathy because it¡¯s pitiful¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that, just listen. Given the situation, if Magi keeps leaking like that, what do you think the Empire will do? They¡¯ll definitely decide that she needs to be eliminated, won¡¯t they?¡± That was almost certainly the case. Negotiations were only possible with those who could listen. No one would try to reason with a ticking time bomb. It wasn¡¯t explicitly stated in the subjugation order, but it was an easy conclusion to reach. ¡°Canaria is strong, yes, but¡­ do you think she can hold off the Empire if theye at her with full force?¡± ¡°It would be difficult. No, it would be impossible.¡± ¡°Exactly. She might be able to inflict some damage, but in the end, she¡¯ll be defeated. And as I just mentioned, being defeated means death.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± The thought of speaking about the death of someone precious to her was unsettling. ¡®But if I can save her this way¡­¡¯ Da-eun steeled herself. Perhaps her efforts had paid off. ¡°¡­What¡¯s your point?¡± The fish had taken the bait. Da-eun smirked to herself, hiding her satisfaction as she observed Yuki¡¯s change in attitude. ¡°This is a big enough incident for the Empire to get involved, so it¡¯ll surely go down in history. If that happens, you¡¯ll never get to see the swordsmanship of Canaria that you find so beautiful ever again. Are you truly okay with that?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Well, unless you n to keep reying the old videos over and over, that is.¡± If a reason to act doesn¡¯t exist, then one should create one. Da-eun had keenly understood that Yuki wasn¡¯t someone who would be swayed by sympathy orpassion, so she brought up the one thing Yuki cherished¡ªswordsmanship. Without waiting for Yuki¡¯s response, Da-eun started to walk away. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be off¡ª¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll help.¡± Just as nned. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 132 Chapter 132 ¡°Now that Yuki has joined, there are two of us¡­.¡± Da-eun spread her hands wide. ¡°We only need six more.¡± ¡°¡­Only ¡®six¡¯ more?¡± ¡°Well, with Yuki as our strongest member, it¡¯s fair to say we only need six more.¡± ¡°Ah, I get it.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡±Was she always this shameless? Come to think of it, if she weren¡¯t shameless, she wouldn¡¯t keep challenging Canaria even after getting rejected time and again. She also wouldn¡¯t have pulled stunts like ignoring the viewers¡¯ints and running non-stop hunting streams for 24 hours without rest ormunication. And yet¡ª Thud! ¡°Ah! Why did you hit me all of a sudden?!¡± ¡°Your gaze was disrespectful.¡± ¡°¡­Judging someone guilty just based on suspicions goes against the principle of presumption of innocence, you know.¡± Da-eun didn¡¯t realize it. That her reaction was only solidifying Yuki¡¯s suspicions. Yuki withdrew the hand she had used to discipline Da-eun. ¡°Do we really need to gather a full party? There¡¯s no entry restriction, so wouldn¡¯t two be enough?¡± ¡°Yuki, you¡¯re strong, but that¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Yuki tilted her head, clearly not understanding, which prompted Da-eun to sigh. ¡°You haven¡¯t done any raids, have you?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t joined a party, but I¡¯ve taken down plenty of bosses.¡± ¡°Not like that. I¡¯m asking if you¡¯ve ever done content ssified as a ¡®raid.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°I figured as much.¡± The term ¡°raid¡± is said to have originated from a specific MMORPG. At first, it referred to when dozens of people banded together to tackle special bosses or dungeons. But over time, with the rise of various games, many different types of raids have emerged. Some people even debate whether certain things should be called ¡°raids¡± at all, while others argue, ¡°That¡¯s not a raid!¡± Whether people epted them or not, many things carried the name of a raid. ¡°Silia Online¡¯s raid system adheres to the principle that ¡®multiple people must work together.¡¯ It¡¯s not something you can clear just because you¡¯re skilled or high-level.¡± Of course, being high-level and skilled would make it easier. ¡®One day, if a yer with power on Canaria¡¯s level emerges, they might be able to solo low-level raids.¡¯ Some games put systems in ce to prevent that by capping yer levels and stats, but Silia Online doesn¡¯t have such a system. ¡°Six people need to stand on tforms, and the other two have to withstand a high-damage AoE attack. If you fail to counter this, it deals near-fatal damage to the entire map. Do you think two people can handle a pattern like that?¡± As I mentioned before, if you had overwhelming strength to defeat the boss before the patterns emerged or had the defense and health to tank the damage, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. But at their current level, neither option was possible. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Joanie dislikebat content?¡± ¡°I studied hard.¡± When your body is weak, you have to make up for it with your mind. ¡­Or was it the other way around? Da-eun scratched her head. Anyway, since it was information she had known for some time, Da-eun found it easy to acquire new knowledge. ¡°All the raid bosses, except one, worked like that. And¡­.¡± ¡­That one eventually became the same too. Da-eun held back her words and offered a bitter smile. Yuki, who had been watching Da-eun with an unreadable expression, let out a small sigh. ¡°How do you n to gather the remaining six people?¡± ¡°Recruiting them isn¡¯t difficult.¡± If Da-eun and Yuki asked their viewers, ¡°Anyone want to join the raid with us?¡± they would rush in like a swarm of bees. However, they couldn¡¯t be sure about the skills of the people they gathered this way, nor if they might cause any conflicts. This was the downside of a ¡°pickup group,¡± or what some called a ¡°public party.¡± Since you had to gather whoever was avable at the time, there was no way to know what kind of people you were teaming up with. ¡®But what can we do? Neither Yuki nor I belong to any raid groups.¡¯ When there¡¯s no teeth, you have to chew with your gums. ¡°¡­Hm?¡± That was when Da-eun received a whisper message. *** ¡°The atmosphere doesn¡¯t seem too good.¡± ¡°Well, considering the timing, it makes sense.¡± Da-eun agreed with Yuki¡¯s remark, which she casually dropped while looking around. It was an added surprise that she seemed to read the room. ¡°It¡¯s probably because of the subjugation order. People would protest with both hands raised if you tried to build andfill in front of their houses. So, would they be happy about having a bomb nearby? Especially when that bomb is almost certain to go off.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just cut it down before it explodes?¡± ¡°¡­Are you being serious?¡± ¡°That was a joke.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t sound like a joke at all¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªBut it was a joke.¡± ¡°¡­Let¡¯s just say it was.¡± If Yuki had said it wasn¡¯t a joke, Da-eun might have seriously wondered if Yuki was some kind of cavewoman. It wasn¡¯t very convincing, but since she said it was a joke, Da-eun decided to believe her for now. ¡°So, where are we going right now?¡± Da-eun made a face as if she couldn¡¯t believe Yuki¡¯s question. ¡°¡­I told you earlier, we¡¯re meeting someone who said they¡¯d help.¡± ¡°Did you?¡± ¡°Somehow, I thought this would happen.¡± Yuki¡¯s reaction was like she was hearing it for the first time. Da-eun felt like she was finally understanding what kind of person Yuki was. Ignoring Yuki, who looked like she had a question mark floating over her head, Da-eun scanned their surroundings. They had agreed to meet somewhere around here¡­. ¡°Joanie!¡± Da-eun¡¯s head snapped around at the sound of someone calling her nickname. A familiar face waved at them from a caf¨¦ terrace. Da-eun grabbed the still-dazed Yuki and headed toward the man. ¡°How have you been? Wow, how long has it been since west met?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first time we¡¯ve met in person since the war.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I really appreciated your help back then. If it wasn¡¯t for you, Pine, things wouldn¡¯t have gone so smoothly.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think that¡¯s quite right. Even if I hadn¡¯t stepped in, it wouldn¡¯t have made much difference, you know?¡± Pine gave a wry smile. At the time, he had intervened because he didn¡¯t like the other side picking a fight, but looking back, he hadn¡¯t needed to get involved. No matter what those small fries had to say, a single swing of the sword would have settled it all evenly. But Da-eun shook her head, rejecting Pine¡¯s assessment. ¡°Canaria said she was impressed by the way the fledglings stood up against the Imperial Army. If you hadn¡¯t intervened, the Imperial soldiers wouldn¡¯t have even bothered toe.¡± ¡°Wait, that¡¯s how it was?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Hearing it put that way, it didn¡¯t sound entirely wrong¡­. ¡°But that means, in Canaria¡¯s eyes, our fight looked like a bunch of chicks chirping at each other, huh?¡± ¡°With that level of power, it¡¯s not strange to see it that way.¡± But still, Pine couldn¡¯t shake off the strange feeling, leaving him with a somewhat awkward expression. ¡°Enough about the past.¡± Yuki, who had been showing signs of boredom, jumped into the conversation. ¡°Just tell us what you mean by ¡®help¡¯ since we¡¯re busy.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I even ask how you¡¯ve been?¡± ¡°You¡¯re watching me on stream every day, so what¡¯s the point?¡± ¡°No sense of sentiment, huh?¡± Pine clicked his tongue but quickly moved on to the main topic. ¡°After the subjugation order was issued, we took a vote on whether or not to attempt the raid. The result was split right down the middle.¡± ¡°Which side did you vote for, Pine?¡± ¡°I was, of course, against it.¡± If Pine had been an ordinary yer who simply enjoyed raids, the oue might have been different. But he wasn¡¯t ordinary, and unlike Yuki, he didn¡¯t have the luxury of ignoring public opinion. ¡°Huh. So why are you offering to help me if you voted against it?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Narrowing his eyes, Pine gestured for Da-eun toe closer. Understanding his intention, Da-eun turned off the audio for the stream and leaned in toward Pine. ¡°¡­By saying I¡¯m helping Joanie, I can maintain good public rtions. It¡¯s a win-win since I get to do what I want while earning some goodwill.¡± ¡°¡­Wow.¡± Da-eun was genuinely impressed. ¡°You really are a scary person.¡± ¡°Hey now, just call it practical thinking. And even if that weren¡¯t the case, I would¡¯ve helped you, Joanie.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because it benefits my stream. If things go well, I could even expect a trickle-down effect.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s the same thing in the end.¡± As expected, it wasn¡¯t pure goodwill that motivated him to offer help. But Da-eun wasn¡¯t disappointed. ¡®Just because it¡¯s not pure doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s not goodwill.¡¯ She was in a situation where she had to clutch at any straw, so there was no room to be picky about sincerity or practicality. In fact, Pine¡¯s transparency made him more trustworthy. Having a clear reason like ¡°It¡¯s beneficial for the stream¡± meant she didn¡¯t have to worry about being double-crossed. ¡®Not that there¡¯s zero chance he could be lying.¡¯ If Pine did try to pull something shady, his stream would blow up like fireworks. ¡°What about the raid group you lead, Pine?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to discuss with you, Joanie. Earlier, I mentioned the vote being split evenly, right? Normally, I¡¯d decide whether to go ahead or not and lead the group, but this time I decided to change the n a bit.¡± Four and four. It was such an awkward number. *(4 is considered unlucky number in east Asian cultures) Thinking that, Pine folded down the fingers on one hand. ¡°Those who don¡¯t want to participate can sit it out, and only those who want to join will participate.¡± With Pine, who initially opposed, now leaning toward approval, that left three slots open. The number of raised fingers matched the avable slots. ¡°So, how about it? Would you like to join as temporary members of our raid group? It¡¯ll be easier than finding six people on your own.¡± We¡¯re a pretty well-known raid group, you know. Pine smiled confidently. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Pine¡¯s raid party leaned more toward creating strategies rather than following existing ones. It was a natural tendency. The timing when Pine usually tackled a raid was often soon after its release, meaning it was typical for no guides to be avable, let alone any raid parties that had managed to clear it. Analyzing patterns and crafting strategies from scratch was much more difficult than simply following a pre-existing guide. However, the thrill of zing a trail was far more intense than simply walking in someone else¡¯s footsteps. ¡°But this time, things will be a bit different.¡± Pine spoke as he handed out the prepared materials. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest. Our chances of sess aren¡¯t high.¡± One day had already passed out of the short week allotted for the raid.Instead of seasoned raid members, they had recruited two inexperienced individuals. And there was still that annoyingly restrictive rule that allowed only one party to enter at a time, which severely limited their total number of attempts. ¡°So, we¡¯ll be borrowing the strategies of the previous raid groups.¡± Though Pine made it sound grand, it wasn¡¯t particrly special. Whenever word spread about how far a particr raid group had gone, it wasmon to look into how they overcame specific challenges. Even so, Pine had a reason for emphasizing his approach. ¡°As you suggested, we won¡¯t be mindlessly banging our heads against the wall. Got it?¡± Time to open the textbooks. Yuki pouted at Pine¡¯s firm tone. *** ¡°¡­Let¡¯s do this.¡± Wipeout. ¡°Ahh! I¡¯m going to die! Please heal me!¡± ¡°The healer is down!¡± ¡°What?! When?!¡± ¡°They couldn¡¯t pass the mark, and it exploded!¡± Another wipeout. ¡°Hey, keep the aggro under control!¡± ¡°How am I supposed to keep the aggro when I¡¯m constantly using AoE heals?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t just die from the DoT! ¡­Oh.¡± And another wipeout. The ceiling that greeted them upon opening their eyes and the path leading back to the battlefield had be all too familiar. As Pine staggered to his feet, he started to sort out his thoughts. ¡°What¡¯s the problem here?¡± The answer came to him immediately. ¡°Everything.¡± There wasn¡¯t even a need to pinpoint a specific issue. But if he had to choose the most frustrating part, Pine could do so without hesitation. The magi that ate away at their health as soon as they entered the barrier. The magi that dealt more damage the closer they got to Canaria,plicating their attempts to handle other patterns. Damage that normally wouldn¡¯t be fatal turned deadly due to the sudden influx of DoT damage. Trying to counter this by usingrge-scale healing skills recklessly only made it impossible to manage aggro and mana. In the end, they had to walk the tightrope of healing just enough to keep everyone alive without drawing too much attention. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± As could be seen from Lemonie, one of Pine¡¯s raid party¡¯s healers, this was far from an easy task. Pine patted the shoulders of Lemonie, who looked pale and worn out. ¡°You chose to be a healer. Tough it out with all your might.¡± ¡°¡­I want to quit being a healer¡­¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Whine¡­¡± But not all the news was bad. Pine¡¯s biggest concern, Da-eun and Yuki, were surprisingly showing good results. Yuki didn¡¯t sync well with others, but she made up for it with her individual skills, so it didn¡¯t cause any issues. On the other hand, Da-eun¡¯s individual skill was slightlycking, but she put in the effort to cooperate with others. Moreover, she had an advantage that Pine hadn¡¯t anticipated¡ªthanks to the Dragon Orb, she was less affected by the Magi. ¡°Joanie, how much did you say that was?¡± ¡°Huh? How much was what?¡± ¡°That¡­ the magical tool you got from Canaria in Baltora.¡± ¡°Oh, this? I got it cheaper thanks to Canaria, but the original price was¡ª¡± Thinking about whether he should get one for himself, Pine quickly gave up after hearing Da-eun¡¯s answer. ¡°How long do you think this party willst?¡± Pine changed the subject. ¡°I bet 3 minutes.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s a cup of instant noodles. Then I¡¯ll bet on 1 minute.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit harsh? They couldst longer.¡± ¡°Then, Pine, you bet on over 5 minutes¡ª¡± ¡°Two minutes. I¡¯ll bet two minutes.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s no fun.¡± Betting on how long the other party wouldst in the barrier was a great way to kill time. By the way, so far, not a single party hadsted over five minutes, so betting on more than 5 minutes was seen as a long shot and a symbol of bravery among them. Though, it would be more urate to call it recklessness since it had never seeded. When the timer had just crossed two minutes, the barrier¡¯s entrance opened. ¡°Ah¡­ if only they hadsted a bit longer. The noodles aren¡¯t even cooked yet.¡± ¡°Raw noodles aren¡¯t too bad.¡± The group dusted off and stood up from where they had been sitting. ¡°No matter how short the trial time is, waiting is always boring.¡± ¡°If the special streamer Joanie steps in, wouldn¡¯t you be able to enter without waiting?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re joking, right?¡± Da-eun couldn¡¯t hide her exasperation as she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not even a specialized Silia streamer, and I don¡¯t have that kind of influence. Besides, because of thest incident, there¡¯s a new controversy.¡± ¡°Controversy? Oh, the power abuse controversy.¡± ¡°¡­You knew and you still said that?¡± ¡°Oh, how could I possibly say that to a special streamer like Joanie? But a power abuse controversy? That¡¯s a bit amusing.¡± ¡°Well¡­ it was a demanding request.¡± ¡°Are you going to enter or not?¡± Yuki, who had already been standing at the entrance, tapped her greatsword impatiently. Not only Yuki but the people around them and those waiting behind them were sending sharp res their way. If Pine¡¯s raid party dyed their entry, the others waiting for their turn would also be dyed. Unless someone loved waiting or had a hobby of wasting time, this wouldn¡¯t sit well with them. As they entered the Boss Room, the Magi wrapped around their bodies, and their HP began to drop gradually. In a typical raid, the Tank would pull the Boss, signaling the start of the battle. In other words, as long as they didn¡¯t enter the Boss¡¯s detection range, the fight wouldn¡¯t start unless they initiated it, giving them time to review important strategies before diving in. ¡°You know what to do, right? Healers, pay extra attention to the duration of your HoTs and the mark management.¡± However, in the Canaria raid, the suffocating Magi started draining their health as soon as they entered, leaving no time for a rxed chat. Pine quickly spat out only the most critical instructions. ¡°Alright. This time, let¡¯s try tost over 5 minutes.¡± With a brief countdown over. Pine¡¯s raid party charged straight at the pink-haired girl who sat there nkly. Pine had a fleeting thought. If anyone else saw this scene, wouldn¡¯t they think it was a brutal sight of eight grown adults ganging up on a frail young girl? But even with that thought, Pine didn¡¯t stop swinging his sword. After all, isn¡¯t there a saying that life seems like aedy from afar but a tragedy up close? That seemingly delicate girl was, in reality, a monster that had crushed numerous raid parties. If you hesitate out of pity, all that awaits is death. Pine steeled his resolve. [You Died] ¡°¡­.¡± ¡ªhahahahahaha ¡ªLOL ¡ª???: ¡°This time, let¡¯s try tost over 5 minutes.¡± ¡ªDid you learn your lesson, risk-takers? LOL ¡ªMy memories are gone¡­ ¡ªWhere am I?? Who am I?? They were met with the familiar phrase. It was just over 4 minutes since the battle began. *** ¡°This makes it six days now.¡± A man in a hooded robe quietly stepped down. No matter how quietly he descended, it was impossible for him to bepletely invisible to the crowd gathered before the barrier, yet no one paid any attention to the man who suddenly appeared. With a matter-of-fact air, the man walked forward and ced his hand on the barrier. Voom! ¡°Oh dear.¡± ¡°What the¡­?¡± ¡°Did you hear something?¡± The barrier shook violently, as if resisting the man¡¯s touch. ¡°Even in this state, you¡¯re still as troublesome as ever.¡± The barrier, cast by the Sage of the Empire, had turned dark, reaching up high into the sky. With this much of it consumed, it would be impossible to regain control. The man thought that if he meddled further, the monster, sensing his mana, might break out of the barrier, so he withdrew his hand. ¡°I had hoped that seeing the Apostle you cherished so dearly might snap you out of it.¡± His gaze turned to a woman. She had sharp, upward-tilted eyes and couldn¡¯t hide the gloom that surrounded her. ¡°I suppose I was wrong. Perhaps the bond wasn¡¯t as deep as I thought, or maybe the prison holding you was just that unyielding.¡± And he hadn¡¯t achieved his other objective either. ¡°To think you couldn¡¯t even handle a puppet dancing on a string.¡± But that was alright. This development was also one that the new god Edel had foreseen. A hint of pity shed across the man¡¯s face, momentarily visible through the folds of his robe. ¡°I came all the way here just to say goodbye. Though you were my enemy, you were someone I could respect.¡± How much better would it have been if you had been born in the Empire instead of Grasis? The man had always regretted that and had made countless efforts to bring Canaria over to his side, but no amount of effort could quell the anger of a child who had lost their father. ¡°When morninges, this barrier willpletely copse.¡± Even if it doesn¡¯t copse, a barrier whose control has been lost will no longer be able to contain the monster. And the Empire¡¯s sharpest sword would meet the monster. All the preparations for her were alreadyplete. All that remained was to wait for time to pass. ¡°Fighting against you was quite enjoyable.¡± With those words, a surprisingly light farewell, the man turned away. Step by step, he walked away, and before anyone realized it, his presence vanished entirely. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°What? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Just now¡­ wasn¡¯t there someone here?¡± ¡°Huh? No one¡¯s here.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± ¡°You must be tired. Please, take a rest.¡± It felt like someone was definitely there. Da-eun tilted her head but obediently leaned back against the tree. Maybe she was just too tired and seeing things, as they said. ¡®¡­I¡¯m so tired.¡¯ Ignoring the flickering white afterimages, Da-eun gently closed her eyes. *** Pine¡¯s raid party ultimately failed to subdue the target. The seventh sun rose. The barrier that once stood tall, seemingly reaching the sky, had turnedpletely ck. Woooom¡ª The barrier, now tinged with a pitch-ck hue instead of its former silver, emitted an ominous hum. At the same time, it shook violently, as if an earthquake had struck. Suddenly¡ª The barrier, which had seemed on the verge of copsing, stopped as if by a miracle. Had it managed to hold? ¡°¡­Whew.¡± One of the onlookers let out a sigh of relief, almost unconsciously. Ssshhhh¡ª Like sugar dissolving in water. Like a sandcastle blown away by the wind. The massive barrier slowly began to dissolve. Even as everyone stood in awe at the surreal sight, the barrier melted away rapidly, shrinking to the size of a slightly tall fence in no time. And finally, it disappeared without a trace. The dense Magi trapped within the barrier surged forth like a storm. ¡°¡­Guh!¡± ¡°Ca-can¡¯t¡­ breathe!¡± Those who were too close to the barrier clutched their throats in agony. Those who realized the danger and quickly retreated survived, but those who didn¡¯t were left lying cold and lifeless on the ground. A tense silence hung over the battlefield. Tap. A soft footstep echoed. Someone nced in the direction of the sound and murmured unconsciously. ¡°¡­The Demon King.¡± Between the thick, swirling Magi, a pair of pink eyes glowed serenely. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 134 Chapter 134 ¡°Your appearance is a mess.¡± The Edel I saw after a long time looked quite different from the one in my memory. For a moment, I even mistook her for someone else¡­ no, another god. The hair that once shone brightly with divine power had lost its luster, and her once-sparkling eyes were now clouded with darkness. ¡°Haha. Isn¡¯t that the pot calling the kettle ck? Aren¡¯t we both in the same boat here?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡­That¡¯s true. As Edel pointed out, my condition wasn¡¯t great either, making it hardly appropriate for me to criticize her appearance. In this state, it was like a dog covered in chaff scolding a dog covered in dung. So, I changed the topic. ¡°¡­Where is this ce?¡± I remember performing the Ascension Ritual, but when I closed my eyes and opened them again, I found myself in this strange ce. The sky, tinged with blue, was filled with countless star-like objects, and the river seemed to flow with a fragment of the sky itself, like a sea of stars. Edel looked at me with a baffled expression. ¡°That¡¯s what you ask, not right when you wake up, but now?¡±¡°They say it¡¯s never toote to ask.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just beingte.¡± ¡°But the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was you, Edel.¡± If she didn¡¯t like it, she shouldn¡¯t have been in front of me. Anyone else would have reacted the same way I did. ¡°If you were an ordinary person, you wouldn¡¯t pick a fight with someone as soon as you woke up.¡± Edel sighed and turned away. A shooting star trailed a long tail as it fell behind her back. ¡°You weren¡¯t expecting me to say something like, ¡®This is the world inside your mind,¡¯ were you?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± My inner world could never be this peaceful, nor this beautiful. Not that I believed in the concept of an inner world, anyway. ¡°Well, how should I put it? The ce where souls cycle? The origin of the world? My home? Whatever it is, it¡¯s not a ce that exists physically.¡± ¡°¡­You say it doesn¡¯t exist physically?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Normally, it would be impossible for us to have a conversation like this.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand. If this ce doesn¡¯t exist physically, then how can I be here? But I¡¯m standing right here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I said it¡¯s usually impossible.¡± Edel pointed at me with her finger. ¡°If you still had a physical body, you wouldn¡¯t have been able toe here.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Surely, you don¡¯t think that¡¯s your body, do you?¡± ¡°If this isn¡¯t my body, then what is it?¡± I pinched my arm, whichcked any visible muscles, and felt the sensation of pinching as well as the softness of my skin. ¡­I hated to admit it, but the short stature, the stubby limbs, everything matched my memory. After confirming my pink hair swaying near my waist, I looked back at Edel. She, struggling to hold back herughter, finally burst out when our eyes met. ¡°Pffft! That¡¯s your basis for judgment?¡± ¡°Don¡¯tugh.¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry. It was just too cute, I couldn¡¯t help myself.¡± Edel wiped away the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. ¡°Let me rify, since you seem confused. The only part of you here is your soul. Your physical body is still ying around in the lower world. That was the n from the beginning, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Right, that¡¯s what it was. Hearing Edel¡¯s words brought back my hazy memories. ¡°Shift the burden of the Ascension Ritual entirely onto the soul¡­.¡± ¡°Your body isn¡¯t strong enough to withstand all the Magi in Laxia.¡± It¡¯s true that my body, which had reached the level of a master, was tougher than most. But it wasn¡¯t nearly strong enough to endure such a massive amount of Magi. ¡°Despite my soul being tempered as it crossed dimensions, its durability has be absurdly high.¡± So, the n was to shift the burden of the Ascension Ritual onto the soul, aiming for a rise in rank, and Edel would handle any remaining Magi that couldn¡¯t be processed¡­ That was the n. It was even anticipated that my soul might get ejected from my body like this. And now, I finally understood why Edel ended up looking like that. ¡°Honestly, I was a bit worried, but you did better than I expected.¡± ¡°¡­Did it work?¡± If things had gone ording to n, my rank or whatever should have risen, but I didn¡¯t feel anything noticeable. Unlike when I reached the master level and felt like I had the world in my hands. As I clenched and unclenched my fist, trying to gauge my strength, Edel nodded. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not the best oue, but it¡¯s a satisfactory one. I twisted the flow of mana that gathers in Laxia to direct it towards myself and even improved the constitution of the Demonic Race. Now, they won¡¯t be persecuted because of the Magi like before.¡± ¡°If only you¡¯d done that earlier, how nice it would have been.¡± ¡°If the Dimensional Creatures hadn¡¯t invaded, none of this would have been necessary. This method is also more dangerous. If I¡¯m not careful, I could lose my status as a deity and fall.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that still a risk now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different. Now, even if I fall, there¡¯s a higher being to manage things in my ce. Anyway,e over here, will you?¡± Edel gestured for me toe closer. As I approached, she drew out divine power and traced a circle. The glowing light disappeared, leaving behind a circr mirror. What it reflected was me, yet not me. Seeing the girl facing off against dozens, maybe hundreds, of people, I immediately understood what Edel was trying to show me and spoke irritably. ¡°Is this little act necessary?¡± ¡°An act, you say? I¡¯m doing my best in my own way¡ªto make sure your body doesn¡¯t harm others. Wouldn¡¯t it be sad if I let it run wild and it ended up hurting your loved ones?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The best oue would have been for you to withstand the full burden of the Ascension Ritual, but you couldn¡¯t do that, right? So, the next best option is all we have.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± I understood, but that didn¡¯t mean I had to like seeing myself dancing in the mirror. I clicked my tongue in frustration. Why is it attacking so inefficiently? What¡¯s with that ridiculous swordy? Unable to bear it, I jabbed Edel in the side. ¡°If you¡¯re going to control my body, at least do it properly.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not the one controlling it, you know? Even if I could, I wouldn¡¯t. A god shouldn¡¯t indulge in massacres, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s the Imperial Army.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not. If you want that so much, why don¡¯t you do it yourself?¡± ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± If I could, I would have done it already. She¡¯s only saying that because she knows I can¡¯t. Not fun at all. ¡°Your fun isn¡¯t the point.¡± Edel, who had been crouching and staring into the mirror, straightened up. Her gaze, looking down at me, no longer held the yful glint it had just moments ago. ¡°It¡¯s about time you made a decision, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve given you plenty of time, but now is the moment to choose. Each option has its pros and cons, and there will be regrets no matter what you choose.¡± It wasn¡¯t a sudden statement¡­ after all, Edel had warned me that such an oue would await if things went ording to n. ¡°Now then, what will you choose?¡± To remain in this world and wield unchecked power. Or to cross over to the other side. ¡°Make your choice.¡± I looked into the mirror. The ¡®me¡¯ inside the mirror was still shing swords with the Imperial Army. asionally, familiar faces appeared, and seeing the red wounds scattered across their bodies, it was clear they hade prepared for the worst. ¡®¡­Looking back.¡¯ From the moment I first came to my senses until now, I¡¯ve lived a life far from smooth. The girl in the mirror dances. A ck sword extends, slicing through the shoulder of a knight charging at her. Though no sound reaches me, it¡¯s easy to imagine his mouth wide open, screaming in pain. It¡¯s a sight I¡¯ve seen countless times¡­ I am familiar with the smell of death, mingled with fear and blood, and the expressions twisted with hatred. Even during my few happy moments, there was always a sword in my hand, so I could never call my life smooth. ¡®But¡ª¡¯ Even in such a life, there were things worth remembering. Those memories allowed me to endure this long. But the strongest pir that supported me is now gone. I thought I had nothing left¡­ So why am I still hesitating? ¡°¡­¡± As I hesitated, a few more wounds appeared on the girl¡¯s body. A ball of fire descended from above, colliding with Magi and scattering embers everywhere. Suddenly, I felt as if I had met the girl¡¯s gaze. The moment I read the emotion in those deeply twisted eyes, I spoke as if possessed. ¡°¡­I am.¡± *** ¡°¡­Disgustingly strong.¡± Spit. The fourth sword of the Imperial Army. Robert spat, and the ckened blood sttered onto the ground. Without even a moment to grimace, heunched himself forward. ng! The girl had drawn close, her ck sword aimed at his throat. Arge fireball suddenly flew toward the girl. Her pink eyes nced at it, and the weight pressing down on Robert vanished in an instant. Boom! With a loud explosion, the cloud of dust that briefly filled the air settled, and the girl had already retreated far back. Catching his breath, Robert bowed his head. ¡°Thank you for saving me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only natural forrades to look out for each other. Don¡¯t let your guard down; we don¡¯t know when another attack mighte.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Responding to the Sage¡¯s words, Robert tightened his grip on his sword, keeping his eyes on the girl. The girl with striking pink hair was someone he knew well. The enemy of the Empire, the Red Reaper, the Death Bird, the Cmity¡­ Despite her seemingly gentle appearance, she bore a slew of fearsome titles. The reason the Empire couldn¡¯t easily crush Grasis, a nation much smaller inparison, wasrgely due to her. To subdue her, the Empire would have had to invest considerable resources, but Grasis wasn¡¯t worth that much to them. On the other hand, leaving her unchecked meant that she would decimate their troops every time she appeared on the battlefield. She was a troublesome opponent, no matter how they approached her. ¡°That she¡¯s without reason is a relief. It would be terrifying if she wielded such power with a sound mind.¡± Even without any advanced techniques, she overwhelmed with sheer strength. One could only imagine what she would be like if she wielded skill. ¡°If she had reason, we wouldn¡¯t even be in this situation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Taking advantage of the brief respite as the girl retreated, Robert quickly assessed the battlefield. The girl who threatened the Ardina Continent. More than half of the knights they brought to subdue her had already fallen. The remaining knights were also injured, far from being in any proper condition. ¡°Wow, damn¡­ How is this even possible?¡± ¡°What are you going to do if it doesn¡¯t make sense? If you have time to talk, hurry up and fight!¡± Even as Robert assessed the battlefield, the Apostles charged at the girl. Their effort wasmendable, but their attacks didn¡¯t make much difference in the grand scheme of the battle. ¡°Aaargh!¡± Most of them couldn¡¯t even reach her, let alonest a single exchange before they died. They were useless. Making a cold assessment, Robert muttered quietly. ¡°Sir Redin.¡± ¡°Why are you calling me?¡± A nonchnt voice responded. ¡°How many more shots can you fire?¡± ¡°I can shoot as many arrows as I want. The problem is that damn Magi makes them miss.¡± Redin, the Empire¡¯s Fifth Bow, grumbled as he approached Robert, his mana-infused arrow nocked. ¡°I¡¯ll create an opening. Can you deliver your strongest shot?¡± ¡°Hah! You usually dismiss me as just an archer, so what¡¯s with the change of heart? Did you have a change of mind?¡± ¡°Can you do it or not?¡± ¡°There it is, no change at all.¡± Creaaak! Redin drew his bowstring taut. The bow¡¯s frame bent, making a strained sound as if it might snap at any moment. ¡°Is that even a question? Of course, I can. No, I¡¯d rather be asking you. Please, make me an opening.¡± Robert smirked slightly. Despite hisid-back attitude, Redin was someone with pride in his skills. Among the injuries on the girl, none were from Redin¡¯s arrows. He hadn¡¯t managed a single effective strike so far, and it had clearly wounded his pride. ¡°What about the Seventh Sword?¡± ¡°You mean that guy? Didn¡¯t you see him? He got ahead of himself, took a hit, and copsed.¡± ¡°Hah.¡± It was true that his skills werecking, but he wasn¡¯t an easy opponent either. Despite having three of the Empire¡¯s swords and a Sage, they were struggling to maintain even footing, and were slowly being pushed back. The overwhelming power of the girl sent a shiver through Robert. ¡°This might just be where I meet my end.¡± ¡°Oh, so does that mean I get to be the Fourth Bow now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Robert didn¡¯t respond. It wasn¡¯t worth replying, especially since the girl had just cut down several Apostles and turned her gaze to him. What could she possibly resent so much to look at him with such eyes? As he looked into the girl¡¯s hate-filled eyes, Robert gathered his gray mana. His silhouette stretched long. Swish! Robert¡¯s sword, appearing before the girl, traced a lower trajectory than usual. Aimed at the level of her head, the de would have struck near the abdomen if his opponent were a grown man. Without a hint of surprise at the sudden attack, the girl¡¯s ck sword blocked his strike. ng! Instead of the sharp sound of des shing, a grating noise, as if something was being scraped away, echoed through the air. Robert had already anticipated his attack being blocked, so he immediately followed up with his next move. Ssshh¡ª Keeping his de locked with hers, Robert¡¯s sword slid smoothly, as if gliding against the dark de. The tip of the sword reached the girl¡¯s pale neck. If he thrust the sword in now, her life would end, spraying crimson blood. ¡°Tch.¡± But Robert had no choice but to pull back his sword. He had noticed the Magi creeping up from where their des were locked together. If sacrificing himself could bring peace to the Empire, he would dly do so. But the Magi that mped onto Robert¡¯s sword wouldn¡¯t allow any harm to its master¡¯s body. Fwoosh! The moment he withdrew his de, the Magi, in the form of a spike, shot out. The gleaming Magi aimed precisely at his neck. Was it intentional, or just a coincidence? Either way, it was dangerous, and Robert had to deflect it with his mana-infused left hand. ¡°¡­It stings.¡± His left hand throbbed as if he¡¯d just blocked a heavy chunk of metal. He had boasted about creating an opening, but such an opportunity was hard to find. Yet, if he allowed himself even a moment of frustration, a spike of Magi would undoubtedly pierce his heart. Instead of sighing, Robert stomped the ground with force. Boom! A powerful shockwaveden with mana rippled through the ground. The Magi swirling beneath his feet faltered under the pressure. However, the girl remained undeterred. As Robert twisted his head to evade the iing strike from her ck de, a memory shed through his mind. ¡®If you seek to take a life, you must be willing to risk your own.¡¯ Words from his master when Robert had just started on the path of the sword. It was obvious advice, but one he had forgotten somewhere along the way. After reaching a certain level, those who could threaten his life became few. He could take lives without having to risk his own. Why had those long-forgotten words resurfaced now? ¡°¡­Are you telling me to risk my life?¡± Are you rebuking me, asking why I hesitate when I imed I would sacrifice myself for peace? No one had actually said this to Robert, yet he let out a hollowugh. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll wager my life.¡± As the saying goes, sometimes the soft can ovee the strong¡ª But against overwhelming power, such a saying bes meaningless. So, if he nned to oppose that immense strength with technique, he would need to match it with a certain level of power. At least enough to sh swords. ¡°Hmph¡­!¡± Robert gathered his mana. ¡®If I keep gathering mana like this, I¡¯ll die.¡¯ Instincts screamed at him to stop, but he ignored them. A vast amount of mana began to converge on his sword. Finally, even the mana that was barely sustaining his life was drawn into his de, and Robert let out a twisted smile. Beyond his unusually clear vision, he saw the girl¡¯s face tense with anxiety. ¡°This is thest sword strike from the Fourth Sword. Please, ept it.¡± With those words, Robert swung his sword¡ª ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤! The sky turned gray. And then¡ª A streak of light tore through the faded world. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Gray mana surged fiercely. ¡°¡­Whew~¡± Redin whistled as he watched the gray storm whipping past beyond the bowstring. Robert ranked fourth among the swords of the Empire. Though it was true that he was stronger than Redin, the Fifth Bow, the force Robert was emanating now could hardly be seen as just that of the fourth rank. Even though Redin knew that he and others held hidden tricks up their sleeves, he could confidently dere: ¡°This¡­ looks like I¡¯ll really be the Fourth Bow.¡± That wasn¡¯t some hidden trick; it was a full-force strike. A blow gained at the cost of staking his life, suppressing the instinctual urge to survive with unyielding willpower. Witnessing this, Redin pped inwardly in admiration. ¡°Wow. Our senior is really something when ites to loyalty.¡± He couldn¡¯t let go of the bowstring to p, so he did so in his heart. But being impressed was one thing, and wanting to risk his life like Robert was another matter entirely. ¡®Loyalty? Sure, that¡¯s great.¡¯After all, the reason Redin could enjoy his luxurious lifestyle was that the Empire held him in good regard. So, if someone were to ask, ¡°Does loyalty put food on the table?¡± he could answer, ¡°It actually does.¡± But if his job to earn a living put his life at risk, he could abandon loyalty without hesitation. ¡°Still, I should at least show some respect.¡± He didn¡¯t want to be questioned by the esteemed Sage, after all. Ssssss¡ª Hoo¡­. Redin¡¯s gradually slowing breaths came to aplete stop. His figure, as he stared intently in one direction, looked more like a well-crafted doll or a still painting than a living being. He paid no mind to his hair whipping around in the fierce currents of gray mana, keeping his focus solely on his target. Finally, the opportunity came. Robert¡¯s sword shed, aimed squarely at the girl¡¯s shoulder. Even with Redin¡¯s eyes, trained by years of archery, he couldn¡¯t see how the oue had been reached. But even that lightning-fast strike hadn¡¯t reached the girl. ¡®It¡¯s open.¡¯ Redin¡¯s keen eyes caught the moment when the Magi surrounding the girl momentarily dissipated. Before his brain could issue amand, his well-trained fingers moved instinctively. Some might say, what¡¯s so special about nocking an arrow and shooting it? But even those who thought that would be left speechless if they saw the arrow Redin had just released. The light gathered on the bowstring shot forward. Paaaaat¡ª!! A light, perhaps too distant to call arade yet too close to call a mere ally, shot forth through the opening Robert had created at the cost of his life. Thebined full-force attack of two Masters pierced through a thick wall and reached the ruler. ¡°¡­!¡± Whoosh! A light, soft sound rang out. But the result was anything but light. The girl¡¯s body, struck by the light, was sent flying into the distance. ¡°¡­! Kana!¡± A scream-like shout echoed from somewhere, as if it were a signal. Redin finally exhaled the breath he had been holding and lowered his bow. The price of unleashing such a fatal shot was not a small one. The gray Magi gradually dispersed, revealing the scene. Even though Redin couldn¡¯t fire any more arrows today, it didn¡¯t matter. The pervasive Magi around them was receding, and the prey, struck by the arrow,y motionless on the ground. ¡°When I heard they were bringing three of the Empire¡¯s swords and even the Sage, I honestly thought it was overkill.¡± They had gathered enough power to easily crush a small nation and directed it all at a single person. If this wasn¡¯t an overinvestment, then what could be? ¡°So, what do you think after seeing it for yourself?¡± ¡°It might actually not be enough. If they were going to bring three, they should have brought more, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Haha. We couldn¡¯t defy strict regtions, could we? Losing two capable members is truly a pity.¡± ¡°Haha¡­.¡± Strict regtions, sure. But if they truly wanted to, they could have overlooked such regtions. Redin hid his true thoughts behind a pleasant smile, following the Sage¡¯s lead. ¡°I never imagined that a wraith of a fallen kingdom could wield such power. Even so, it¡¯s only natural for a wraith to return to where it belongs.¡± ¡°Well, I agree with you on that.¡± The Sage tapped the end of his staff against the ground. ¡°But isn¡¯t it a bit too early to feel assured?¡± ¡°¡­Pardon? What do you mean¡ª?¡± Ssshh¡ª ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Redin instinctively turned to look at the spot where the girl had fallen, his voice slipping out in shock. He had clearly seen the arrow pierce her heart. Even a Master-level fighter, or someone stronger, wouldn¡¯t survive with a pierced heart. That was for certain. ¡°¡­How is this possible?¡± The girl, whose heart had been pierced, was staggering back to her feet. A clear mark where the arrow had passed through her chest was still visible. As Redin watched in shock, the girl finally stood upright, coughing up blood. ¡°¡­It hurts, you know.¡± ¡°¡­Did she just talk?¡± ¡°Never seen someone speak before?¡± The girl, Kana, spoke nonchntly and then nced at the sword in her hand. ¡°Hmph.¡± With a flick of her hand, the jet-ck sword disintegrated like dust. What should have left her empty-handed now saw a pale red sword forming in her grasp. ¡°I almost died of frustration.¡± The Magi might be a menacing weapon, but wielding it without finesse drastically reduced its effectiveness. Using such a powerful weapon so clumsily was a shame. Even the system created by the so-called administrator was poor in design. ¡°Putting a hole through someone¡¯s chest¡­ Well, I suppose I should thank you for giving me the advantage.¡± Thud. The sharp de pointed directly at Redin. Three different hues of Mana flowed along the sword¡¯s edge¡ªan ominous ck Mana that felt dangerous just to look at, a fierce red Mana that seemed capable of tearing anything apart, and a pink Mana that, while not as distinctive as the others, held a presence that couldn¡¯t be ignored. ¡°Insane.¡± Redin let out a breathlessugh, seeing the three colors of Mana blend effortlessly without shing or merging. Three different colors¡­ It was so unrealistic that it was almostughable. ¡°Now, it¡¯s time for Phase 2.¡± ¡°Phase 2?¡± ¡°Oh, you wouldn¡¯t understand if I put it like that.¡± Muttering something unintelligible, Kana pulled her arm back¡ªthe same arm that held the sword. ¡°¡­!¡± Danger¡­! Without time to think, Redin¡¯s body rolled across the ground. ¡°Ugh!¡± A dull impact sent a shiver through Redin. He had only enough strength left to move, so following the suddenmand caused his body to ache. But that pain didn¡¯t matter. If he hadn¡¯t thrown himself out of the way, he wouldn¡¯t be alive to feel pain at all. ¡°Ha, haha¡­.¡± Behind him, a massive hole had opened up in thendscape. The center of the lush mountain had been carved out in a perfect circr column, leaving a clean, gaping void. ¡°I tried to make a matching one for you.¡± You dodged. ¡°Matching one?¡± Redin reflexively repeated Kana¡¯s murmur. Matching, my foot. If that had hit, it wouldn¡¯t have just left a hole¡ªit would have erased himpletely, leaving no trace that Redin ever existed. Reading the emotion in Redin¡¯s voice, Kana shrugged her shoulders. ¡°You never know, you might have survived.¡± ¡°No. If I took that, even a dragon would die.¡± ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating. Look at me. I got a hole in my chest, and I¡¯m still alive.¡± Cough. Kana coughed, and dark red blood spilled from her mouth. Her clothes, covering her chest, were stained deep red. Redin, watching her, muttered under his breath. ¡°Monster¡­¡± ¡°The Empire¡¯s folks always call me that.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it natural to call a monster a monster?¡± ¡°Mm¡­.¡± Kana didn¡¯t argue. There was no point in arguing with someone who wouldn¡¯t listen. They weren¡¯t exactly having a friendly conversation in the first ce. Kana was far from the kind of person who would chat warmly with someone who had pierced her chest. ¡°Oh, you¡¯vee back to your senses.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°If you frown like that, even I might get hurt.¡± ¡°Sorry. I have a fear of snakes.¡± ¡°Haha, I get it. Girls your age tend to be particr. Compared to most, you¡¯re actually pretty mild.¡± ¡°Really? Then, that¡¯s unfortunate.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Unexpectedly, her reaction was different. The Sage had expected her to bare her teeth and rush at him, but her calm response made him tense. ¡°Because I intend to show you just how particr I can be.¡± ¡°Damn¡­.¡± Before the words had fully left her mouth, a sword beam came flying. No, it had already transformed beyond just a sword beam¡ªit was a phenomenon. The Sage frantically swung his staff to defend against it. The barrier, once used to imprison others, was now deployed to protect his own life. Though hastily erected, it was still a barrier created by someone at the pinnacle of magic. It wouldn¡¯t be damaged by any ordinary attack¡­ but the attack he faced now was far from ordinary. The sword energy, imbued with the three distinct natures of mana, struck the barrier. Crack! Snap! Rip! The sword energy collided with the barrier, biting, tearing, and slicing through it. Even a barrier crafted by the esteemed Sage proved no different than the hide of a low-level monster before such an attack. It was meaningless to consider what might have happened if he had more time. The staff in the Sage¡¯s hand shone brightly, the mana stones embedded within it glowing in unison. Threads of silver wove through the air, and in an instant, a magic circle materialized. Leap. The moment the magic circle glowed, Kana¡¯s back came into the Sage¡¯s view¡ªa defenseless, exposed back. Crack¡ª A shattered fragment of space struck her slender back. Boom! sh¡ª! A roaring thunder followed, and a blinding sh descended. Perhaps it was an expression of anger at the mountain that had been left with a gaping hole. Thence of lightning, falling from the clear, cloudless sky, was enough to evoke the wrath of a god. An advanced magic spell, iprehensible even to most ordinary mages, was unleashed in an instant. It demonstrated why he was called the Sage of the Empire without a doubt, but his expression remained far from pleased. Sizzle¡­ The electric current that had coursed through the ground faded, and the fractured space mended itself. In the crater left by the impact of the lightning, a pair of pink eyes emerged. ¡°Why don¡¯t we call it a draw?¡± ¡°If you were going to say that, you shouldn¡¯t have attacked in the first ce. Then I might have considered it.¡± ¡°You attacked first. This was self-defense.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not self-defense; it¡¯s excessive retaliation. I attacked once. You attacked twice.¡± ¡°Come on now, you have to consider the strength of your attack.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t care about that.¡± Kana retorted. ¡°And besides, you¡¯re the one who attacked me while I was just standing there. So, if anything, this is self-defense on my part.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get things straight. If we¡¯re going to argue like this, I saved the life of your old subordinate. You owe me for that.¡± ¡°¡­I do appreciate that.¡± He was one of my lingering regrets, after all. I¡¯m grateful you prevented me from dealing with that regret myself. ¡°That¡¯s that, but we still have unresolved grievances between us.¡± As long as the deep-seated resentment buried in the core of their hearts remained, a peaceful resolution between them was impossible. ¡°I see.¡± The Sage nodded calmly, acknowledging Kana¡¯s resolve. He already knew that persuading her was out of the question. He also knew that Kana woulde for his life. Yet, he remained unperturbed. ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate. I wish I could help ease your resentment, but I have too much at stake here.¡± After all, though he was present in this ce, it wasn¡¯t really him. Even if his heart were pierced and he died here, he would not truly die. ¡°You know that, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Considering that, you sure ran away in a hurry.¡± ¡°I still have things to do, so I can¡¯t just leave myself to die.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Kana raised her sword again. ¡®¡­Pointless.¡¯ Even though she knew it was just a projection, she still charged in, determined to kill it. It seemed she waspletely out of her mind, even if she looked calm. The Sage could see Kana¡¯s life force dwindling by the moment. If she kept this up, she would face death sooner rather thanter. Predicting the imminent future, he began drawing a magic circle to prepare for the approaching attack. ng! But contrary to the Sage¡¯s expectations, Kana¡¯s sword pierced not where he stood but into empty space. The crimson sword seemed to stop as if it had pierced through something unseen. ¡°What are you¡ª¡± Just as the Sage was about to question her strange behavior, a pale, delicate hand reached through the void where the sword had struck. ¡°¡­?!¡± The Sage¡¯s body, as if being pulled by some unseen force, flew through the air. ¡®¡­No!¡¯ For the first time, a sense of rm broke through the Sage¡¯s usual calm demeanor as he was thrown through the air. And right in front of his eyes, the pink-eyed girl grinned brightly. ¡°Aha! Got you atst.¡± ¡°What the¡ª¡± Before he could fully react, Kana swung her arm, sending the Sage hurtling once more. ¡°Gah!¡± The hard ground greeted him. ¡°How does it feel to be pulled out of your nest?¡± Kana looked down at the Sage, who writhed in pain, and smiled cheerfully. ¡ª Click here -> The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 136 Indeed, a Master Mage¡­ I suppose that¡¯s the term for it. The spells pouring down were all far from ordinary. ¡®If I were going to fall to something like this, I wouldn¡¯t have survived this long.¡¯ They know as well as I do that I won¡¯t fall to these attacks. So instead of focusing all my energy on countering the spells raining down on me, I directed my attention elsewhere. ¡®¡­So this is what it was.¡¯ With my heightened sense of Aura Perception, I detected a thread-thin strand of mana. In the past, I wouldn¡¯t have even noticed it, and even if I had, I wouldn¡¯t have known what to do with it. At most, I might have severed the connection with a projection.And if severing the connection was all it took, there¡¯d be no need to detect it in the first ce; I could have just destroyed the projection. But now, things are different. I could clearly feel the presence of a snake coiling at the end of the mana thread connected to the projection. ¡®Can I do this?¡¯ The answer came immediately. ¡®Yes. Of course.¡¯ Even though I had never tried it before, my instincts told me I could pull it off. I reached out, following my intuition. Across a distance so vast that it should have been unreachable, I grasped the body of the snake coiled in its nest. ¡°Aha! Finally caught you.¡± Damn snake. How much trouble have I gone through just to catch this snake? Just counting the times thate to mind easily, it¡¯s been over ten times. Each time I thought I had it, it would escape, and when I thought I finally had it, it turned out to be a projection. ¡°Ahaha, ahahahaha!¡± That¡¯s why this victory feels so sweet. Sinceing into this world, have I everughed this much? Am Iughing because I feel good, or do I feel good because I¡¯mughing? It doesn¡¯t really matter. ¡ª¡­You¡¯re mad. ¡®Mad? How rude.¡¯ Who wouldn¡¯t be happy after finally achieving what they¡¯ve longed for? I wasughing so hard I forgot about the dull pain in my chest, only stopping when I finally coughed up a mouthful of blood. I could have crushed it the moment I caught it, but I deliberately didn¡¯t. Partly because I wanted to see that smug face it had refused to show until now¡­ But more importantly, because doing so wouldn¡¯t ease the grudge I¡¯ve umted. Consider it a bonus for saving my old subordinate. I wonder how long it¡¯ll keep squirming. Even after a small exertion of force to throw it down, a so-called Master Mage is writhing pathetically on the ground. You have to give it to wizards¡ªthey sure know how to exaggerate. ¡°How does it feel? Too shocked to even speak?¡± Then again, I can understand. Being yanked out of the safest ce they thought existed and suddenly dropped into an unfamiliarnd¡ªwho wouldn¡¯t be bewildered? ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve been through it myself. If you struggle to survive, you¡¯ll adapt in no time.¡± ¡°¡­What on earth are you saying, cough!¡± The Sage tried to speak but coughed up dark, clotted blood instead. It seems my advice, offered as a senior who has crossed dimensions, didn¡¯t quite resonate. After retching for a while, he finally managed to calm down, wiping his mouth as he stood up. ¡°You¡¯ve be aplete monster.¡± ¡°Since you could do it, why wouldn¡¯t I be able to?¡± ¡°Think about your age. Who would have imagined that a girl not even twenty could pull this off?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± That¡¯s true. ¡°So what?¡± Whether it¡¯s something unimaginable or something that doesn¡¯t make sense, there¡¯s no denying the reality that he¡¯s standing in front of me right now. ¡°If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t just stand there.¡± Before I even finished speaking, the staff in his hand gleamed. His signature technique¡ªSpatial Leap. My eyes darted quickly, reading the flow of mana. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Did you think I¡¯d let go of the catch I worked so hard to reel in so easily? After putting in all that effort to block that troublesome Spatial Leap, my conclusion was that unless I could interfere with space itself, I couldn¡¯t stop him. ??? ¡®Canaria Style ¨C Wind sh¡¯ was a technique created for that reason, but even after developing Wind sh, I couldn¡¯t catch the Sage. The gap in our understanding of space was too vast to capture him with such a crude technique. ¡°But if I can see it so clearly like this, I don¡¯t need any deeper understanding.¡± If a swordsman can¡¯t cut what they can see, are they really a swordsman? My sword, gleaming with a mysterious light, sliced through space. The de moved through the tangled, intertwined spaces, cutting a small knot. It was the very flow I had been tracking all along. ¡°Goodbye.¡± ¡°¡­¡± In the blink of an eye, the Sage, who had been in front of me, reappeared several meters away. There was no sound. With a stiff expression, he attempted to flee, but each time, my sword severed the space he aimed for. He ran, I blocked. After about five repetitions, the Sage stopped his leaps. ¡°It¡¯s no fluke, then.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the kind of thing you can manage by luck. Shouldn¡¯t you have realized that when you were dragged here?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± The Sage lowered the arm holding his staff. Did he give up, realizing escape was impossible? ¡°Even now, is there no chance you¡¯d change your mind?¡± No, he hadn¡¯t given up. Even with no wind blowing, the hem of the Sage¡¯s robe billowed wildly. ¡°You already know how I¡¯ll answer, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I figured.¡± The mana enveloping the Sage began to flow away. The youthful appearance vanished, revealing the figure of an elderly man with a dignified presence. This was the true appearance of the man known as the Sage of the Arka Empire. ¡°It would have been nice if you had been born in the Empire. Fate can be so cruel.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to agree with you, but I can¡¯t help but agree with that statement.¡± ¡°Could this too be the will of Lady Edel¡­?¡± ¡°No.¡± I firmly shook my head. ¡°This is my will. And it¡¯s yours too.¡± Don¡¯t you dare try to escape under the name of a god. ¡°Heh. Is that so?¡± And that was the end of our conversation. A stream of silvery mana drew a line. Between the parted boundary, the dim night sky emerged. sh¡ª! Goooong¡ª A massive meteor that had been drifting through the night sky tore through the boundary and descended upon the ground. Its colossal mass, capable of easily crushing a castle, pressed down on the air. Yet, even with this enormous mass looming closer by the second, my mind remained at peace. ¡°I¡¯ll return the favor.¡± Just as the Sage had done, I too swung my sword downward. Like paint spreading through water, the three-colored mana spread softly, tearing through space. Beyond the rift in space, arge, sturdy-looking castle, various buildings, and well-maintained streets came into view. These were unfamiliar sights to me. But I wondered, would it be the same for those on the other side? Before I had a chance to resolve my curiosity, the yawning rift devoured the zing meteor. ¡®Hmm.¡¯ Despite the meteor falling into the Imperial capital, the old man¡¯s expression remained unchanged. Did he think others would be able to handle it? Yet, he couldn¡¯tpletely ignore it, as the spells he cast at me afterward were generally smaller in scale¡ªthough their lethality wasn¡¯t any less than that of a giant meteor. Sssak¡ª The red sword sliced through the shimmering mana. The silver mana, which failed to form a spell, scattered thickly in all directions. Pssss. Red shes etched themselves through the thick mist. The spells that had been subtly surrounding me all reverted to a state of pure mana. Not stopping there, I reached out with my left hand¡ªthe one not holding my sword¡ªinto the air. Crunch! With a sound like crumpling paper, the scenery warped. Amid the distortedndscape, the figure of the old man seemed to flicker in and out. Snap! The ground beneath my feet opened into an abyss, and at the same time, a barrage of freezing spears rushed in. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the frozen air shattering and falling along the trajectory of the spears. There were easily more than dozens of such spears, creating the illusion of a sudden ice age. Haa¡ª My breath fogged up, turning to frost in the air. Below mey the abyss, while all around, freezing spears threatened to chill even my soul. ¡°¡­Heh.¡± Suddenly, augh escaped my lips. I can say with certainty: in a battle involving weapons, there is no one who can defeat me. Even if those weapons were created by magic, as long as they took the form of spears, they couldn¡¯t harm me. I drew in a short breath. Shing¡ª A single sh cleaved through the spears. One spear fell to the ground, but dozens more were still hurtling towards me. But I didn¡¯t swing my sword again. Because there was no need to. Swish, swish, swish! Dozens of shes weaved between the spears. Like a spider spinning its web, the shes crisscrossed the air, snaring their prey. The number of shes was precisely forty-five¡ªexactly matching the number of spears split and vanished. Finally, I lifted my heel and stomped the ground firmly. Boom! ¡°It reeks, so shut your mouth.¡± The dense Magi, which had been hungrily attempting to swallow me, was instead consumed by the abyss. Screeching¡ª! The grating noise that scratched at my ears quickly ceased. The soft earth beneath me weed my return. A wizard demonstrates great power in a prepared environment. Even though my body had wreaked havoc while I was unconscious, the arrangements he had put in ce still lingered, leaving me at a disadvantage until now. ¡°It¡¯s my turn.¡± Now, that ends. I thrust my sword into the magic circle that subtly revealed its markings and kicked my legs forward in session. sh! The old man¡¯s face, which had been far away, was now right in front of me. The sight of his long beard, stained with dried blood, was utterly unappealing. ¡°Haha! What a sight¡­!¡± It would be even more delightful if I dyed that beardpletely red. Just as the red sword seemed to waver, the next moment, it was touching the old man¡¯s chest. ¡°¡­[Get away]!¡± My body was lifted into the air. Without resisting the force pushing me away, I rotated my body a few times mid-air. Tap. A perfectnding worthy of a ten out of ten. As such, I didn¡¯t need time to regain my bnce. A follow-up charge. My long hair brushed against my back as I moved. sh. As I rushed towards the old man, I tilted the vertically held sword handle at an angle and swung it. The ground scratched by the tip of the sword split open, revealing the earth beneath. Unfortunately, the old man¡¯s skin didn¡¯t split open. Instead, I shattered the sturdy barrier surrounding him, leaving a red line on his body. If he had tried to escape using spatial teleportation, he would have been sliced in half. I clicked my tongue in frustration and tightened my grip on the space I held with one hand. ¡°You¡¯re pretty nimble for your age. Aren¡¯t your knees aching?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± The old man replied with only his ragged breaths. After being holed up in hisir, only controlling his duplicate, he must find this a grueling experience. Having his spatial teleportation blocked and needing to run himself must make it even more so. ¡®¡­It¡¯s not enough yet.¡¯ The face of my father, enduring pain, shed through my mind. This level of pain could never be enough to repay the suffering my father felt. But. ¡°Let¡¯s end this.¡± I swallowed the hot, metallic-tasting blood rising in my throat. ¡®Dad, I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ Still, I did my best, so please forgive me. Swallowing the unreachable forgiveness along with the blood, I raised my sword. The old man¡¯s face stiffened, sensing the end was near. ¡®The sword that will mark the end.¡¯ I already knew the answer. A sword technique created with the will to soar into the sky. It was a technique I forged when, thanks to my father, I finally broke free from the cage that had bound me to the name given by my parents. The red sword that had been trailing on the ground swayed, and the little bird, born in the lowest ce, pped its wings. It wavered, plummeted, and faltered. At times, it collided with the silver wind and shattered. But the little bird never gave up. And finally, when the little bird fully spread its wings¡ª Canaria Style ¨C Ascension Saaa¡­ The brilliantly colored wings cut through the old man¡¯s body. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 137 ¡°Whew¡­¡± As I steadied my slightly ragged breath, the crimson sword in my hand dissolved into tiny mana particles, scattering away. That¡¯s why I like using a sword made of mana¡ªit doesn¡¯t break, even if I pour in a little too much strength. Of course, maintaining it requires a lot more energy than a regr sword, and it¡¯s so difficult to control that it¡¯s not a technique I¡¯d use lightly. There¡¯s a reason why swordsmen go to such lengths to find a legendary de. It¡¯s much easier to find a sturdy, sharp sword and swing that around than to weave highly concentrated mana into a precise de and keep it stable throughout a fight. I shook off the lingering mana of Grasid that clung to my hand and stepped forward. Where the radiant glow that once colored the world had faded, one old man remained standing. ¡°As expected of a Master Mage¡­ I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d survive that.¡± They say, ¡°Even if it¡¯s the enemy who killed your parents, some things are just¡­¡± It¡¯s a saying used when someone finds it too cruel tomit a certain act or tries to stop someone from making a drastic choice. But the flip side is, when ites to the one who killed your parents, the grudge runs that deep. To me, that old man was such a person.The one who stole my father¡¯s life, my sworn enemy under the heavens. But even if he was my mortal enemy, one I couldn¡¯t share the same sky with, I had no choice but to acknowledge his abilities. The old man, hearing my unfiltered words of admiration, slowly opened his closed eyes. Under the light, his gaze was more serene than ever. ¡°Survived, you say. Does this look like survival to you?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Well, after all, I was aiming to cut you in half with that attack. ¡°Just managing to avoid being split in two¡ªI¡¯d say you did pretty well.¡± ¡°Ha ha¡­ Should I take that as apliment?¡± ¡°By the way, you might want to change the way you talk. Hearing that kind of tone from such an old face¡ªit¡¯s painfully awkward.¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote for that; it¡¯s already stuck. At my age, there¡¯s no changing it.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Hearing such lighthearted words from his deep, resonant voice brought about an odd sense of dissonance, but there¡¯s nothing to be done about it. Like he said, it¡¯s toote to change now. A crimson line ran straight across the old man¡¯s chest. While it had narrowly missed his heart, it was still a mortal wound. If the attack he suffered had been ordinary, and if a capable healer had been nearby, he might have survived. However, the mana seeping into the wound was slowly eating away at him, burning and rotting his body. Just like what had happened to my father. Perhaps noticing my gaze, the old man, who had been tracing the crimson line across his chest, spoke bluntly. ¡°How much time do you think you have left?¡± ¡°Well, more than you, at least.¡± ¡°With my age, I¡¯d expect no less.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no rule saying who goes first.¡± ¡°Still, don¡¯t you think you should outlive an old man over a hundred?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s quite an age.¡± ¡°Ha ha. Truth is, even I don¡¯t know my exact age anymore. I stopped counting after a hundred.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hearing him say that, it makes me sound like a jerk who¡¯s constantly picking on old people. Not that age matters when ites to a life-or-death battle. The Magi seeping into his wound crawled up his neck, reaching his face, turning it ck as it spread. The old man spoke with his now darkened face. ¡°I have a favor to ask. Won¡¯t you hear me out?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we were ever close enough for that.¡± ¡°Oh,e on. It¡¯s not much to grant the wish of a dying man, is it? Do you know how much effort I put into guarding your father¡¯s grave? All those pests that kepting¡­¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll hear you out, at least.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± The old man showed me his staff¡ªa staff that was barely holding together, with only the neck of it remaining intact. His gaze wandered to a few other ces, and mine followed his. A longsword, now turned to dust. Fragments of a shattered bow remained. Though in better shape than the other three, a greatsword with a chipped de appeared in dire need of repair. ¡°I know you¡¯ve got a lot of anger. But surely taking down three Imperial swordsmen and a Sage must have been enough of a release?¡± ¡°This is¡­ unexpected.¡± I realized what the old man was getting at. ¡°¡­It¡¯s really something new.¡± To think that the once-proud Sage of the Empire would beg for mercy. As I pondered, he stroked his long beard. ¡°It¡¯s not strange for a defeated dog to ask for the victor¡¯s mercy, is it?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re not wrong¡­ But I thought you¡¯d hold out to the end. Something like, ¡®No one will touch the Empire while I still draw breath!''¡± ¡°Haha. That¡¯s amusing.¡± Even as he chuckled, he didn¡¯t deny my words. Well, considering death was at his doorstep, trying to sound brave would be meaningless. ¡°Mercy, huh¡­¡± My decision didn¡¯t take long. I nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± In truth, there wasn¡¯t much need for him to ask. It wasn¡¯t as if I could keep pursuing vengeance with this worn-out body. Besides, after killing the Sage who bore most of my hatred with my own hands, my remaining feelings toward the Empire had mostly faded. If my father hadn¡¯t died at the hands of the Sage, I probably wouldn¡¯t have held any particr grudge against the Empire at all. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Upon hearing my answer, the old man offered a faint smile. His dull eyes, void of light, disappeared beneath his eyelids. That was the end of the old man once known as the Sage. ¡°¡­It really doesn¡¯t suit him, even in the end.¡± They say vengeance is empty. But, I don¡¯t know. I couldn¡¯t quite put into words what I was feeling at that moment, but if I had to, it felt closer to a sense of relief or freedom rather than emptiness. Maybe the Demonic Race felt something simr. ¡°Whew.¡± My eyelids felt a little heavy. The urge to lie down and take a nap grew stronger, but unfortunately, I still had things left to do. I drew out all the Magi lingering in my body and dispersed it into the air. Some of it lingered nearby, some blended into the atmosphere, and some drifted away, disappearing into the vast sky. Eradicating all the Magi from the world of Silia was impossible. Since mana is what forms and sustains this world, the contamination of mana is inevitable. If it can¡¯t be stopped, then it¡¯s better to adapt to it. That was why I changed the system that previously gathered Magi into Laxia to instead spread it throughout the world of Silia. And when the Magi umted beyond a certain point, it would be sent to Edel for purification. ¡®¡­Is that the right choice?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s better than letting it build up until it explodes beyond control. Besides, my children can ovee this much.¡¯ With the system changed, all that remained was the Magi I held within myself. Now, even that was gone. With the two forces that had sustained my dying body now fully drained, an overwhelming sense of exhaustion washed over me. ¡®So, do you regret it?¡¯ ¡­Maybe a little. It was only after achieving my goal that I began to recall the things I had left behind. From the small joys like meals I¡¯d once enjoyed to the ces that held memories¡­ and even the rtionships I had forged. Hmm, I don¡¯t particrly miss Ashi¨¦. ¡°¡­Come to think of it. I wanted to take that flower with me.¡± Going to the Holy Kingdom was as far as my n went; I never imagined things would turn out like this. Once the dam broke, other regrets began to surface, one after another. But what could I do? ¡°Now, maybe¡­ I can rest a bit.¡± I¡¯d say I lived a rather hectic life, wouldn¡¯t you? I copsed onto the ruined battlefield and looked up at the clear blue sky. Days like this should be overcast to set the mood. Edel really has no sense of style. As I gazed up absentmindedly, I let out a sigh. ¡°Next time, maybe a little more¡­¡± ¡°Kana!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± At the sound of a familiar voice, my head snapped around so fast it nearly broke. I wanted to stand, but the overwhelming exhaustion clinging to my body wouldn¡¯t let go. Behind the familiar face, I saw many others. Shin Da-eun rushed to my side, her eyes filled with turmoil. I raised a hand that still had some strength left, waving it feebly. ¡°Hey there.¡± ¡°Kana, your body¡­¡± ¡°This?¡± I ced my hand on my chest, and it came away sticky with blood. ¡°¡­Ah! D-doesn¡¯t it hurt?¡± ¡°Hmm, not really.¡± It had hurt before, but now the pain was almost gone. What remained was a hollow feeling. ¡°¡­That makes it even worse! Wait, no, this isn¡¯t the time for this! A healer, no, a priest! We need to get you to a priest! Oh, if only Celine were here¡­!¡± p. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± I lightly brushed away Da-eun¡¯s frantic hands as they clung to mine. Her stunned voice followed. ¡°It¡¯s no use.¡± Even if the Pope himself came, it wouldn¡¯t change anything. My heart waspletely pierced and shattered¡ªthere was no saving me now. If I hadn¡¯t pushed my tier higher using Magi, I wouldn¡¯t have survived even this long. Blink. ¡°Ah.¡± My vision dimmed for a moment as sleepiness washed over me, and when I opened my eyes again, I found myself staring up at the sky. Something about this felt familiar, like I had gone through it just a short while ago. ¡°Cough¡­¡± A small cough sent dark, lifeless blood trickling down the corner of my mouth. What I saw next was a face full of sorrow. It seemed she had realized that the end was near. ¡°Kana¡­¡± Warmth enveloped my cold, mmy hand. Da-eun had once told me about her past. About the parents she was born to, her childhood, and how she had lived. As we shared stories buried deep in our hearts, I came to understand the depth of Da-eun¡¯s feelings. Yet, there was one question that still remained unanswered. ¡°Da-eun, can I ask you something?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, anything.¡± Da-eun answered with a face that looked like she was about to burst into tears¡­ In fact, tears were already streaming down her cheeks. I stared at Da-eun¡¯s tear-streaked, disheveled face for a moment, then shook my head weakly. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s with that? You know how to make people angry.¡± This cheeky kid. Da-eun muttered, her expression twisted in a way that made it hard to tell if she wasughing or crying. I didn¡¯t find it unsightly at all. Then, as if she had suddenly remembered something, Da-eun pulled out an item she had been carrying. It was a longsword with a familiar shape, exuding a somewhat antique charm. ¡°Justina asked me to give this to you, as a gesture of thanks.¡± ¡°I doubt she actually put it that way¡­¡± And besides, what¡¯s the point of giving a gift to a dying person? Even if I wanted to ept it, I couldn¡¯t. So¡ª ¡°That thing.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Hold on to it for me, Da-eun. As you can see, I¡¯m not really in a state to take it.¡± Hearing this, Da-eun¡¯s face crumpled into tears again. She looked like she might burst into tears at every word, making it hard to say anything more. ¡°Just don¡¯t go using it however you want.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m absolutely going to use it however I want. I won¡¯t even take care of it properly, I¡¯ll bang it against rocks, and, oh yeah, I¡¯ll use it to chop up all the vegetables you hate.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°So¡ª¡± Squeeze. Da-eun¡¯s grip tightened around my hand. Even though I couldn¡¯t feel it anymore, I was sure that¡¯s what happened. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t leave me. You promised not to abandon me, so why are you trying to leave first¡­?¡± ¡°Even if you say that¡­¡± It¡¯s not something I can control. If wanting to live meant you wouldn¡¯t die, then my father would still be here. And so would that old man lying over there. So, I gave a gentle smile. ¡°It¡¯ Because I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll meet again. Before I could finish, the strength left my bodypletely. And the familiar darkness¡ª ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 138 ¡°Kana¡­?¡± Da-eun¡¯s arm, stretched out reflexively, felt a weight on it. It was light. The face of the limp girl bore a peaceful expression. As if she might open her eyes at any moment. However, the warm touch that had always apanied the girl was no longer there. ¡­ For a long time, Da-eun looked down and silently pulled the girl into an embrace. *** [Joanie: Taking a break from streaming today] Exactly as the title says. [Comments] ¡ªAh, this sucks;¡ª ¡°Today¡±? LOL ©»It means she¡¯s taking a break today too~ ©»Is she nning to quit streaming? ©»She¡¯s making tons of money; do you think she would quit? ¡ªWhat¡¯s the reason this time? ©»What else could it be? ©»She said it¡¯s because of work. ©»And you believe that? You¡¯re so naive lol. ©»Who said I believed it? I just said it, okay; ¡ªProbably busy with her new boyfriend. ©»Got the PDF saved, have fun. ©»The troll got caught lol. ©»Does he think using a VPN means he won¡¯t get caught?? [Who cares about Joanie or whatever] Whye here just to make a fuss? Go back to your own space and talk about your beloved streamer. [Comments] ¡ªYeah, we¡¯re not leaving~. ¡ªDon¡¯t like it? You know what to do lol. ©»Ugh, jerks. [I just don¡¯t get it] Why cry for days over a dead NPC and even skip streaming? Isn¡¯t that taking immersion too far? Honestly, isn¡¯t it a little off-putting? It makes me think that games really are a problem. ? [Comments] ¡ªThis whole ¡°games are a disease¡± nonsense makes me want to punch someone. ©»Was I wrong? ©»Do you think you were right? ©»Don¡¯t just throw it back at me, give me a logical rebuttal. ©»Lol, posting garbage and then acting logical when you get called out lolol. ¡ª¡¯Loser.¡¯ ©»Can¡¯t argue back, so now you resort to calling me a loser lol, sigh. ©»Triggered? ©»You¡¯re the one triggered, idiot. ©»Unlike you, I have a job and friends. ©»Oh, sure, yeah, whatever you say lol. ©»Look at you, getting all worked up. ¡ªIt¡¯s clear that you¡¯re not a gamer. [The real reason Joanie is taking a break.txt] Anyone who¡¯s been deeply moved by a game, book,ic, drama, or movie will know what I mean. When something you¡¯re truly engrossed in ends, there¡¯s this lingering feeling. Like when a trip ends and you feel like you¡¯ve been left behind, and you realize you can¡¯t watch those characters live their lives anymore, and it feels¡­ empty, like you can¡¯t focus on anything else. Joanie is probably feeling like that right now. If humans can immerse themselves in even pixted games, imagine what it¡¯s like with Silia Online, where the line between reality and fiction blurs. Anyone who saw Joanie¡¯s expression when she was with Kana can guess how she felt about Kana. If you¡¯re not utterly clueless and socially inept, you¡¯d know. It wasn¡¯t just any NPC dying in the ultra-realistic world of Silia Online; it was an NPC she¡¯d gone through so much to befriend and cherish. Of course, it¡¯s a huge shock. Honestly, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Joanie quits Silia Online over this. [Comments] ¡ªTrue, totally true. ¡ªI get everything, but why bring up being single? ©»Um¡­ ©»I didn¡¯t want to end up like this!!!!! ©»I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ ¡ªYeah, that¡¯s right. After the ending of The Last of Land, I couldn¡¯t touch another game for a while. ©»LOTL was a masterpiece, no doubt. ©»If only the second game had been better¡­ ©»??? The first game is the only one that matters. ©»This guy¡¯s a time traveler! ¡ªHonestly, most of the peoplementing here aren¡¯t serious. ©»Most of them are just trolling or trying to get a rise out of people. ©»Ignoring them is the best answer. ¡ªThat¡¯s what we call over-immersion lol. Look at these nerds agreeing. ©»Normal people might feel sad after a sappy movie, but they don¡¯t cry like you guys. ©»Yeah, yeah, you¡¯re right, now can you please leave your room? [If you don¡¯t understand Joanie] Maybe you¡¯ve lost all your sensitivity? Of course, it¡¯s sad when a money and viewer-generating machine breaks down. If I were Joanie, I would have cried too. If you don¡¯t cry, you¡¯re either amunist or a psychopath. Either way, watch out if there¡¯s someone like that around you. [Comments] ¡ª¡±Wow, what a unique idiot.¡± ©»¡±Caught amie.¡± ¡ªWhere do these people keep crawling out from? No matter how many we catch, there¡¯s no end to them, damn.¡± ¡­ Thements under the post titled [Taking a break from streaming today]. Da-eun¡¯s emotionless, dark eyes slowly moved as she scanned through thements. Among them, there were quite a few messages wishing her a good rest. However, the ones expressing discontent and harsh reactions to her break were far more prevalent. It was understandable. After all, Da-eun had been on a streaming break for four days now. For someone who used to stream every day, taking such a break without providing a detailed exnation was bound to drawints. And Da-eun understood their frustration. ¡®¡­I don¡¯t want to do anything.¡¯ Not only streaming, but she also had no interest in doing anything else. She couldn¡¯t even muster the will to eat, and only when her stomach growled from unbearable hunger would she force down a piece of bread. ¡°¡­Maybe I should just quit everything.¡± She knew the word ¡°death,¡± but it was her first time experiencing the departure of someone she had been so close to. Da-eun had no idea how to fill the deep sense of loss that lingered in her heart. She just thrashed about in the emptiness, feeling that everything was pointless. Buzzzz¡ª Da-eun¡¯s phone vibrated, lightly trembling. Since Kana¡¯s sudden departure, those who knew Da-eun¡¯s situation had reached out with calls and messages expressing their concern. Some shared their own experiences, offering empathy. It was likely one of those again. Da-eun¡¯s hand hesitated, reaching for her phone. ¡®Do I really need to look?¡¯ She had said she was okay every time, but they surely knew she wasn¡¯t. She was tired of hearing the same predictable words. As she debated whether or not to read the new message, Da-eun¡¯s hand¡­ ¡­ Thunk. ¡­finally picked up the phone. The brief vibration suggested a text message or an app notification. Da-eun nced at her phone without any expectation or interest. As expected, the messenger app glowed with a new message. ¡°¡­?¡± Da-eun¡¯s eyes suddenly widened. ¡°¡­Demoninus?¡± If it was Demoninus, wasn¡¯t that the name of thepany that developed Silia Online? Da-eun double-checked the message several times, but the name ¡°Demoninus¡± at the top didn¡¯t disappear. ¡®It¡¯s phishing.¡¯ Realizing her eyes weren¡¯t ying tricks, Da-eun thought as much. There was no way Demoninus, known for never bothering with small announcements, would directly message a mere streamer like her. They should know when to joke around. Normally, she would have just shrugged it off with a ¡°Ha, phishing,¡± but Da-eun wasn¡¯t in a good mood today. Her fingers hovered just above the report button when¡­ ¡°¡­?¡± ¡­she noticed something. The message said they¡¯d also left the same message on her game ount, just in case she didn¡¯t believe it. Thinking it was still likely a scam, Da-eun¡¯s body moved sluggishly toward the capsule. And, sure enough, she found the exact same message in her game ount as on her phone. ¡°Is this¡­ real?¡± Da-eun confirmed that the message was sent through the official ount of Demoninus and slowly read through it. Unlike other phishing texts, it didn¡¯t contain any links, requests for calls, or replies. It was formal but simple: an invitation to visit their headquarters if she was interested in their proposal. ¡°Demoninus has something to offer me?¡± The verypany that always maintained such an aloof stance? Da-eun muttered, her face scrunching up in frustration. ¡°Is this some kind of joke¡­?¡± There¡¯s no way Demoninus didn¡¯t know what had recently happened. They surely knew what Da-eun had gone through, so reaching out to her at this particr time felt like mockery. ¡°Sigh.¡± Da-eun bit her lip and exhaled deeply. ¡°Am I overreacting¡­?¡± Whether she epted the offer or not, just the fact that she had received a message from Demoninus would be enough to be a hot topic. If she streamed and shared what had happened, the response would be explosive. Besides that, as someone who genuinely enjoyed Silia Online, Da-eun didn¡¯t have much reason to refuse¡­ at least, not before her recent loss. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go.¡± After a long deliberation, Da-eun made up her mind. She would go. She would go and ask. Stumble. As Da-eun tried to get ready to go out, her body suddenly lost bnce and staggered. It wasn¡¯t surprising, given that she hadn¡¯t eaten or rested properly for days. Looking into the mirror, Da-eun saw a face streaked with dried tear stains¡ªshe was a mess. ¡°I should eat something first¡­ And take a shower.¡± ¡®But how did Demoninus get my phone number?¡¯ The question briefly crossed Da-eun¡¯s mind. ¡®It must¡¯ve been in the personal information I provided when I signed up.¡¯ Not wanting to dwell on it too much at the moment, Da-eun brushed off her curiosity. *** And so, she arrived at the Demoninus headquarters. Standing before the familiar building, Da-eun, though still pale but now cleaned up and wearing makeup, entered without hesitation. She approached what seemed like the reception or customer service desk, and a staff member greeted her with a bright smile. ¡°What brings you here today?¡± ¡°Well, I received a message saying you had a proposal for me¡ª¡± ¡°A proposal?¡± The staff tilted their head, looking puzzled as if they had never heard of such a thing before. Da-eun began to wonder if it really was a phishing scam. ¡°Could you tell me your name?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s Shin Da-eun. My Silia Online username is Joanie.¡± ¡°Oh! Are you perhaps the streamer¡­?¡± Nod. ¡°Please wait just a moment. I¡¯ll check on that right away!¡± After enthusiastically typing on the keyboard, the staff member soon spoke in a positive tone. ¡°Ah, there it is! I apologize for the inconvenience. This is our first time handling something like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Please take the elevator over there up to the 10th floor.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been watching your streams!¡± The staff member hastily added, and Da-eun replied with a forced smile as she stepped into the elevator as instructed. ¡¯10th floor, 10th floor¡­ the CEO¡¯s office?¡¯ Going straight to the CEO¡¯s office? That seemed odd. But Da-eun¡¯s hand had already pressed the button, and the elevator was moving. Since there was no turning back, she crossed her arms and waited for the elevator to reach its destination. Before long, the elevator stopped with a cheerful chime. ¡°Wee.¡± As the door opened, a woman with long hair greeted Da-eun. Her hair color wasn¡¯t much different from the typical color of Koreans, but something about it seemed different. Before Da-eun could fully process her thoughts, a soft sensation pulled her hand. ¡°¡­Eh?¡± ¡°What are you doing? Hurry up ande in.¡± It was a strange experience¡ªbeing grabbed and pulled by someone she had never seen before¡ªand Da-eun¡¯s mind momentarily froze. ¡°E-excuse me¡­! Who are you?¡± The woman leading Da-eun looked back with a puzzled expression, as if Da-eun had asked something obvious. ¡°I¡¯m the CEO, of course, since this is the CEO¡¯s office.¡± ¡°The CEO?¡± This young-looking woman? Regardless of Da-eun¡¯s confusion, the woman continued to stride forward, dragging Da-eun deeper into the office. ¡°Wait a minute¡ªwhere are you taking me?!¡± ¡®How is she so strong¡­?!¡¯ Regaining someposure, Da-eun tried to shake off the woman¡¯s grip, but the hand holding her was firm and unyielding. ¡°You¡¯ll understand when you see.¡± She responded nonchntly, sounding almost bored, as she continued to drag Da-eun along. Da-eun, who had forgotten her lingering emptiness for a moment, felt a surge of fear. Was she being dragged off to some horrible fate? Would they lock her up and demand a ransom? Or perhaps conduct some horrifying experiments? With her mind spinning with all sorts of terrible scenarios, Da-eun couldn¡¯t free herself from the woman¡¯s grip as she was dragged along. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Finally, they stopped in front of a door, and Da-eun was released. ¡°Go on, open it.¡± ¡°¡­What is this ce?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out. Just open the door.¡± ¡°No.¡± Having encountered one suspicious situation after another, Da-eun¡¯s guard was at its highest. There was no way she would obediently follow an order to open a door in such a situation. Like a hedgehog facing its predator, Da-eun bristled, eyeing the woman warily. The woman shrugged. ¡°I dragged you here because you were being slow, not because I nned to force you. If you really don¡¯t want to, you can just leave.¡± ¡°Then¡ª¡± ¡°But you¡¯ll regret it if you just leave.¡± ¡°¡­Are you threatening me?¡± Would they really let her leave in one piece? Was that a threat? Da-eun asked, but the woman shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not a threat. It¡¯s a piece of advice.¡± ¡°Hard to trust advice from someone who dragged me here against my will.¡± ¡°I told you, I dragged you because you were dragging your feet. You looked like you were about to move into the elevator, so I figured it was necessary.¡± ¡°¡­I wasn¡¯t that slow.¡± The woman¡¯s lips curled into a smile. She didn¡¯t say anything, but it was clear she didn¡¯t agree with Da-eun¡¯s words. ¡®Regret it, huh?¡¯ What a joke. She had already experienced more than enough regret over the past few days. A little more regret wouldn¡¯t faze her, so there was no reason to feel inclined to enter this suspicious room. But¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Hesitating, Da-eun¡¯s feet moved forward. ¡°Just so you know, it¡¯s not because of what you said.¡± Her instincts told her she had to open this door. It had nothing to do with the woman¡¯s words¡ªabsolutely not. ¡°Of course.¡± With a sly smile, the woman¡¯s face irritated Da-eun, who then reached out to the doorknob. ¡®Seriously. What could happen?¡¯ Taking a deep breath, Da-eun pulled the door open. The scene inside the room unfolded before her. It wasn¡¯t ab or a cell meant to confine someone, but a typical office. However, what truly caught Da-eun¡¯s attention was something else entirely. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± There was an object that clearly didn¡¯t belong in an office. If this were a game where one had to spot abnormalities, she would have pointed it out immediately¡ªa decently sized bed. On the luxurious-looking bed, a girl was lying half-reclined against the headboard. Swish¡ª The girl¡¯s eyelids slowly lifted. ¡°¡­You¡¯rete.¡± Her pink eyes, filled with anguid expression, revealed themselves. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 139 Warmth touched both of my cheeks. ¡®It¡¯ The warmth from Da-eun¡¯s hands felt no different from before. But somehow, it felt different¡ªwas it because of the texture? ¡®So, this is what it felt like.¡¯ Unlike Joanie¡¯s hands, which were always soft, Da-eun¡¯s hands were slightly rough. Still, they were soft. I half-closed my eyes. And, with a gentle hand softly brushing my cheek, I allowed myself to rx into it.The pounding heartbeat that had been racing began to settle. ¡°¡­Are you a doll?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Or no¡­ maybe an android? It looks so lifelike.¡± Just for a moment. Predictably, Da-eun¡¯s strange remarks shattered my peaceful state of mind. In disbelief, I opened my half-closed eyes and stared, only to see Da-eun¡¯s expression turn surprised, despite her previously serious face. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ did you call me here to show me a doll made in this image?¡± ¡°Huh? Not at all.¡± ¡°Or is it like a brain-in-a-vat situation, where a person is trapped inside a game to act like an NPC¡­?¡± It was strange from the start, hearing about an unknownpany that suddenly created a sensation like this. The woman who brought Da-eun, Edel, sighed after overhearing Da-eun¡¯s mutterings. ¡°If that were the case, don¡¯t you think it¡¯d make no sense to bring you here just to show it?¡± ¡°¡­Are they trying to use my brain?¡± ¡°Your imagination is quite extraordinary.¡± She then nced my way. ¡°I understand why you¡¯d stay with her.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not why I stayed with her.¡± It was amusing in its own way, but I¡¯d been bewildered far more often. I sighed lightly, just as Edel had, and raised my hand to gently remove Da-eun¡¯s hand from my cheek. Her hand, which was still softly touching my cheek. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect some touching reunion or anything like that, but I didn¡¯t expect it to go like this, either.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess that kind of thing wouldn¡¯t suit you.¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t ask for your opinion.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something I have to be asked to share, you know. ¡­Hmm, now that I think about it, maybe it wouldn¡¯t look so out of ce, after all.¡± Just what is she about to say now? As a sense of foreboding crept in, I moved to stop Edel from speaking, but her mouth was quicker. ¡°You know, that time in the mountains. You were begging tearfully¡­ it was quite a sight. Want to give it another go?¡± ¡°Just die.¡± ¡°¡­What exactly are you two talking about?¡± Seeing me conversing with Edel, Da-eun, feeling something was off, interjected. I paused for a moment and gazed into her eyes. In her shimmering eyes, a reflection of the pink-haired girl appeared. Once again, I hadn¡¯t expected my reunion with Da-eun to look like this. To be honest, it felt a little embarrassing to call it a reunion after just a few days apart¡­ But regardless of what I thought, from Da-eun¡¯s perspective, it was the return of someone she had seen die right in front of her, so perhaps it wasn¡¯t wrong to call it that. ? Or maybe even a miracle. So, to restore some order to the chaotic atmosphere of this reunion, I opened my mouth. What should I say upon meeting her again? After a lot of thought, this is what I chose. ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Canaria¡­..Well, just Canaria.¡± I thought about saying myst name for a moment, but then shook my head. I liked sharing my father¡¯sst name, but Grasis was a name given by the kingdom, not his family name. Besides, the connection with Da-eun wasn¡¯t made as ¡°Canaria Grasis.¡± It was an introduction I thought wasn¡¯t half bad. As I nodded, ¡°¡­Canaria?¡± Da-eun¡¯s gaze sharpened. Her eyes red with intensity, her cheeks and hands asionally trembling. While it was nice to see her face, once lifeless, now filled with vitality, ¡®Why is she like this?¡¯ I tilted my head in puzzlement at Da-eun¡¯s reaction, which was clearly an expression of anger. She seemed to be struggling to find the right words, swallowing repeatedly, before shifting her fierce gaze from me to Edel. ¡°Whether you brought someone who looks simr or made someone cosy¡­ did you think I¡¯d be happy with this? Not a chance¡­!¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Just because you¡¯re buried in code and game development doesn¡¯t mean you can dismiss emotions as trivial!¡± ¡°Hold on¡ª¡± ¡°And you¡­ no, you¡¯re just as guilty. Even if you got paid to do this, you shouldn¡¯t toy with someone¡¯s heart like this!¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t get paid, though.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying you did this without even getting paid?¡± Da-eun¡¯s eyes twisted even more fiercely. She looked as if she might storm out any second, so I gestured to Edel. ¡®Do something.¡¯ In response, Edel shook her head. ¡®It¡¯s your responsibility. She¡¯s angry because of you, so you should calm her down.¡¯ ¡®How is this my fault?¡¯ ¡®Then is it mine? She got like this after hearing your introduction, didn¡¯t she?¡¯ ¡®¡­You could have given her a proper exnation beforehand.¡¯ ¡®You agreed to this too, remember?¡¯ Though we didn¡¯t actually exchange words, interpreting our nces conveyed this general meaning. Or maybe not? In any case, it looked like I needed to calm Da-eun down. ¡°Even if you¡¯re a gamepany, you can¡¯t treat yers like this! No, actually, that should make it even less eptable¡­!¡± ¡°Alright, I get it, but first, calm down¡ª¡± ¡°How am I supposed to calm down?!¡± Da-eun, still fuming, showed no sign of settling down. Like a dog barking fiercely and darting around in excitement. I may not know how to handle animals, but I do know how to calm them down. Mana flickered at my fingertips. Paat. Slice! The edge of the bed¡¯s headboard fell away, showing a clean cut as if sliced by a de. ¡°Shh.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­What?! Did you just cut the bed?! Do you know how expensive this bed is?!¡± ¡°How would I know? If you told me to calm her down, you should have been prepared for something like this.¡± ¡°When did I ever say that?!¡± ¡°You told me with your eyes just now.¡± ¡°This brat ispletely insane!¡± ¡°Acting so surprised when you already predicted it by reading my mind.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t! I can¡¯t read minds anymore!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Edel exined that since my power level had risen and my body now contained Magi, she could no longer read my mind as she did before. Ah. I nodded in understanding. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve be even less useful.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Edel ground her teeth, unable to bring herself to retaliate. Maybe the reason Edel was acting more humantely had something to do with that. ¡°Mana¡­? That can¡¯t be¡­¡± My thoughts were interrupted by Da-eun¡¯s murmur. She was staring at the pink mana on my fingertip with disbelief. She even tried to touch it, so I quickly dispersed the mana. She clearly saw it slice through the edge of the bed, so what was she thinking, reaching out like that? ¡®Well, I guess it¡¯s possible.¡¯ It would be easy to mistake it for special effects or some kind of trick. After all, such power doesn¡¯t exist in this world. ¡°Do you still not believe it?¡± I raised my arm, and the long, cumbersome patient gown slipped down. Clink. The bracelet on my wrist made a clear, ringing sound. ¡°¡­!¡± Da-eun¡¯s eyes shook violently. In an instant, she stepped forward and grabbed my wrist. I could have easily pulled away if I¡¯d wanted to. But instead, I allowed her to hold my wrist. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t she be more amazed by the Sword Beam than the bracelet?¡¯ The bracelet could easily be reced with something simr. As I swallowed this thought, Da-eun clumsily fiddled with the bracelet. After examining it for a while, she let go of my wrist. ¡°¡­Could it really be¡­?¡± And yet¡ª ¡°No. There¡¯s no way. This isn¡¯t some novel¡­¡± She seemed on the edge of believing, yet some remaining sliver of rationality held her back from fully epting it. For a true swordsman, they should be able to cut through anything in their path. And so, to sever Da-eun¡¯s lingering doubts, I stepped forward. *** ¡°¡­So that¡¯s what happened.¡± With Edel¡¯s help here and there, I managed to finish my exnation. After the initial disy of mana, I had to repeat it several times, referencing past events as proof. ¡°Are you really Kana¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Really, truly?¡± ¡°I said I am.¡± ¡°¡­There isn¡¯t a hidden camera, right? If it turns out to be some prankter, I¡¯ll seriously be angry. I¡¯ll report it to the media without hesitation.¡± ¡°Go ahead¡­¡± Exhausted, utterly exhausted. ¡®Maybe I should just say no¡­¡¯ A mischievous thought crept in. Endure it. Patience brings blessings. Suddenly¡ªwham! Just as I held back that mischievous thought, Da-eun wrapped her arms around me. ¡°Kana!¡± ¡°Urk.¡± ¡°I-I thought you were really dead¡­!¡± ¡°Mmph¡ª¡± Well, I did die, actually. Alright, I get it, but could you let go of me now? Although this body in this world is likely weaker than the one in that world, Da-eun¡¯s grip was the strongest it had ever been. I raised my hand to push her off but stopped with a sigh. Amid her muffled words, I could faintly hear her sobbing. ¡°So then, I just¡­!¡± ¡°There, there.¡± Her words were so jumbled and incoherent that I couldn¡¯t make much sense of it, but¡­ It must mean she had a hard time. I patted Da-eun¡¯s back gently with the hand I¡¯d raised to push her away. ¡®Regardless¡­¡¯ I was just as d to see Da-eun again. After a while, her sobbing quieted down. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Could you let go now?¡± ¡°¡­Kana, you haven¡¯t changed at all.¡± ¡°They say when a person changes suddenly, it¡¯s a sign they¡¯re close to death. Since I died once and came back, it¡¯s only natural I wouldn¡¯t change.¡± ¡°Pfft, what¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Da-eun chuckled in disbelief but finally released me from her embrace. ¡°Your face is a mess.¡± ¡°¡­Hey, just because you look cute doesn¡¯t mean you can say that so casually.¡± With her face all tear-streaked and runny, Da-eun looked at me with a pout. Luckily, I think she hadn¡¯t worn any transferable makeup; otherwise, it would have been a real mess. And luckily, there was a big height difference between us. If we¡¯d been closer in height, I¡¯d be drenched by now¡­ ¡°¡­Kana. Can I ask you something?¡± While I was lost in thought, Da-eun, who had finally cleaned up her tear-streaked face, asked with swollen eyes. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You said earlier¡­ that you chose toe to Earth even though you could have stayed in Silia¡¯s world.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Could you¡­ tell me why? Not that I¡¯m not thrilled you¡¯re here with me, of course¡­! I was just curious¡­¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve been hesitating because you wanted to know?¡± ¡°I mean, it might sound like I¡¯m criticizing your decision toe back¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t see it that way.¡± As for why I came here¡­ I pondered how to exin it, tapping my fingers lightly on the bed until they brushed against Da-eun¡¯s slightly rough hand. I gazed at that hand for a moment, then smiled. ¡°Just because.¡± There are plenty of reasons. But for now, I just wanted to say it this way. ¡°I just¡­ wanted to.¡± ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 140 When I heard about Edel¡¯s n in the Holy Kingdom. ¡°¡­If my power ascends.¡± I asked Edel. ¡°So, if I could rewrite the system as you said, could I¡­ bring back my father¡­?¡± ¡°Could you revive him? Well, it¡¯s not impossible.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°But, are you sure about that?¡± ¡°Your father is likely reincarnated and living a new life by now.¡± ¡°¡­So what?¡±¡°Even if we could retrieve his memories and physical form with some effort, would he be happy to be revived that way? The man named Garid doesn¡¯t seem like the type who would be.¡± I paused. I wanted to say, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± or ¡°My father would be d,¡± but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say it so easily. I believe that as long as a soul is the same, the person remains the same. But would my father, who¡¯s now living a new life, think that way? Maybe he¡¯d think he¡¯d only regained life by sacrificing someone else¡¯s. And knowing him, he would never be pleased with a life reimed at the expense of a stranger. Would he resent me? Would he ask why I revived him? Would he resent me for not wanting to live off another¡¯s life? Or would he be grateful? Would he embrace me, saying he missed me? Or perhaps, both. He might resent me deep inside, but suppress it for my sake, because my father is kind. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn¡¯t foresee how my father would react when we met again. Would I have understood him if we had shared more conversations? Now, I feel I¡¯m starting to understand what it means when people say children can¡¯t know their parents¡¯ hearts. ¡°You still have time, so think about it carefully. But don¡¯t take too long.¡± Edel granted me a reprieve, knowing I couldn¡¯t readily give an answer. When everything was over, she asked me to give her my answer. She spoke of sess as though failure wasn¡¯t even a possibility. With my answer postponed, I left the Holy Kingdom and traveled to Laxia, meeting many people along the way. Some were familiar, some were strangers, and some remembered me one-sidedly. The conversations I shared with them left me with small andrge doubts alike. But the one who confused me the most was a member of the Demonic Race I met in Laxia, who was struggling along with a body on the verge of death. ¡°Well¡­ I think I¡¯d feel miserable. As I said, I don¡¯t want to live at the cost of others.¡± ¡°Even if it was the life of a heinous criminal?¡± ¡°Yes, even so.¡± That was something I could never agree with. But if Garid had heard his words instead of me, he would have agreed. He would haveughed heartily, pped him on the back, and maybe even invited him out for a drink. ¡°Choose.¡± After experiencing all of that, when I once again stood before Edel, the path I had postponedy open before me. Edel told me that I could no longer dy my choice among the many paths before me. ¡°¡­I will.¡± I had no intention of dying any longer anyway. ¡°I will leave.¡± To a new world. No, to the world I once lived in. The desire to see my father again hasn¡¯t disappeared. But more than wanting to see him¡­ ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t want to be hated.¡± Fear overshadowed my longing. ¡°Hmph. So, our little Kana is a coward?¡± ¡°¡­Can¡¯t you just call me a dutiful daughter instead?¡± And I began to feel that bringing my father back would only dishonor the life he had led. ¡°You can¡¯t spend forever longing for someone who¡¯s gone.¡± After all, he must be living a new life now. What I must do is ensure that his new life unfolds peacefully, just as he once saved me when I was on the brink of death. Now, it¡¯s my turn to repay that debt. ¡°And also¡­¡± I murmured softly as I looked at the girl fighting and bleeding in the mirror Edel had made. ¡°I want to live¡­ too.¡± To experience what a normal life is like. *** ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ what I wanted.¡± That single sentence encapsted all my thoughts. ¡°Just¡­?¡± Da-eun repeated my words, sounding a bit confused. After repeating the same gesture a few times, she seemed to process it and nodded. ¡°So, does this mean I get to be with Kana now?¡± ¡°¡­Is that really enough to satisfy you?¡± ¡°Emotions aren¡¯t always so easily exinable, are they? There are people who feel a fateful connection the first time they meet and end up marrying. Isn¡¯t ¡®just because¡¯ enough reason too?¡± ¡°You sure like to talk about emotions, Da-eun.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh!¡± Da-eun¡¯s face flushed red, probably recalling the passionate speech she had given earlier to Edel and me. Then, suddenly, she looked troubled, her expression filled withplex emotions. She truly disyed an array of expressions fitting of someone knowledgeable in emotional theory. What could she be thinking about? Before I could ask, Da-eun, hesitating, opened her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Until now, I always thought the world Kana was in was¡­ just a game. I mean, by ¡°You don¡¯t need to exin. I already know.¡± ¡°Huh? You¡­ know? How?¡± ¡°¡­Uh, Edel told me.¡± I ignored the surprised look on Edel¡¯s face that seemed to say, ¡°I did?¡± But just because the words had been spoken didn¡¯t mean the questions had been answered. ¡­It is a game, though. The gods of both worlds coborated specifically to create it in the form of a game, so isn¡¯t it natural to think that way? When I shared my thoughts, Da-eun hesitated again. ¡°But¡­ back in the Holy Kingdom, you got angry¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, that.¡± They say the ground hardens after the rain, and that incident helped bring us closer. Though at the time, I was a bit harsh. ¡°¡­Sorry about that.¡± Looking back, there was no reason to be mad at Da-eun. If anything, I should have taken it up with the one who created this world as a game. ¡°I was¡­ a bit powerless.¡± ¡°People who are ipetent always say that. Anyway, um¡ªdon¡¯t worry about it.¡± Comforting words aren¡¯t my forte, so I tried to brush off Da-eun¡¯s words when a forgotten curiosity resurfaced. It was a question I had wanted to ask back in Silia but didn¡¯t get the chance to. Maybe now, I could finally get an answer. ¡°Why were you so kind to me?¡± ording to Da-eun¡¯s own words, if she had thought of Silia as just a game, there wouldn¡¯t have been any need for her to treat me kindly. Yet, she had treated me warmly, even sharing details of her life in this world. ¡°¡­As I said before, I just wanted you to be happy, Kana.¡± ¡°What I mean is, why would you care so much about a mere NPC?¡± ¡°A mere NPC? You¡¯re not.¡± Da-eun¡¯s tone was resolute. ¡°I can¡¯t quite put it into words¡­ but it just felt that way.¡± ¡°Were you just copying me?¡± ¡°No! I wasn¡¯t!¡± ¡°You¡¯re reacting so strongly that it makes me even more suspicious.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s not that!¡± When I narrowed my eyes, Da-eun flinched and jumped up in surprise. Only after I told her it was a joke did her anxiously waving hands settle down. ¡°Looking back, I think what I felt was that ¡®fateful connection¡¯ I mentioned earlier.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Oh? Your face is turning red! Are you embarrassed?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± As if anyone would be embarrassed by something like that. Despite my denial, Da-eun persistently looked around, trying to catch my gaze. ¡°¡­Enough already.¡± Thwap! ¡°Ow!¡± Da-eun finally calmed down after receiving what could only be described as a calming dose¡ªa light knock on the head. I watched her clutch her head in pain, displeased. ¡°More importantly, aren¡¯t you forgetting something?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°When you introduce yourself, there¡¯s something you¡¯re supposed to do, right?¡± ¡°¡­Ah!¡± Introducing oneself isn¡¯t just one-sided; it¡¯s about both parties getting to know each other. Realizing what I meant, Da-eun let out a small exmation. She cleared her throat, adjusted her posture and clothes awkwardly, and extended her hand with a bright smile. ¡°I¡¯m Shin Da-eun! Looking forward to being with you!¡± sping her hand, I felt the warmth of her touch, and I smiled back. ¡°Yeah. Looking forward to it.¡± It was just a handshake, but why was my heart racing? ¡°Is this¡­ love?¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t say weird things right in my ear.¡± I shoved Edel, who acted more like a gossiping noblewoman than a deity, to the side. Love? What love. Edel, with her smushed cheeks, mumbled. ¡°You said you wanted to experience a normal life. Well, that includes love, so why¡¯s it so weird?¡± ¡°If that isn¡¯t a strange time to be talking about love, then what is?¡± ¡°Love can bloom at any moment.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Had Magi seeped into her brain? Deciding it was pointless to argue, I opted to ignore Edel. ¡°But¡­.¡± Looking around, Da-eun spoke up. ¡°Are you staying here, Kana?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days, but for now, yeah.¡± ¡°A few days? Then why¡­.¡± ¡°Are you only now calling me?¡± ¡°¡­How did you know?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious what you¡¯d say, Da-eun.¡± Answering her was easy. ¡°I needed time to get my strength back too.¡± After crossing dimensions, I needed time to recover from the aftereffects and adapt to my body, so I¡¯d been lying in bed for days. Even now, if I tried to step out of bed, I probably wouldn¡¯t make it more than a few steps before copsing. ¡°So you¡¯re not wearing that hospital gown for no reason.¡± ¡°Does anyone wear this kind of thing for no reason?¡± ¡°Surprisingly, some people do¡­.¡± Finishing her sentence, Da-eun looked at me sheepishly. ¡°Then¡­ does that mean you¡¯ll keep staying here, Kana?¡± ¡°Yeah. Most likely.¡± Since I had neither money nor a ce to stay, I¡¯d have to stay with Edel for now. Not that it wouldn¡¯t be possible to scrounge up some money by shaking down Edel, but with my condition, staying here was the only option. ¡°Then¡­!¡± Hearing my answer, Da-eun squeezed her eyes shut and shouted. ¡°Come live with me at my ce!¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Stunned by her sudden offer, I stared nkly at Da-eun. Later, Edel would describe my expression at that moment as ¡°having a clueless look on my face.¡± ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 141 In an Office-tel in Seoul ¡°Yaaawn¡­¡± Dong-hyuk, the security guard of the building, stretched as he yawned. ¡°Ugh, so boring.¡± When he had first started working here, he had felt nervous. It was a high-end office-tel, after all. ¡®People who live in ces like this are supposed to be difficult, right?¡¯ He had read about all sorts of experiences and horror stories online: residents asking guards to take out their trash, buy cigarettes or alcohol, scolding them for not greeting properly. Dong-hyuk was sure that the residents here would be just like those he had read about. ¡®If it gets too much, I¡¯ll just quit,¡¯ he thought. Then, he could tell his friends about it over a drink and say, ¡°Some people are really like that.¡± At least it would make for some cheap conversation fodder.However, to his surprise, being a security guard at the office-tel wasn¡¯t as bad as he had expected. In fact, it was quitefortable. There were no obnoxious residents, and the workload wasn¡¯t all that heavy. He thought, maybe he could stay here for a long time. As he stifled another yawn, Dong-hyuk tried to focus on his work. His duties varied, but the most important one was to keep suspicious people out. That was why, with his eyes narrowed, he was staring hard through the ss doors when¡­ ¡°Yaaawn¡­¡± He soon found his gaze dropping again with a sigh. To enter the building, one had to pass by the security office where he sat. Unless hepletely looked away, he would spot anyone trying to enter. Satisfied, he turned his attention to other tasks. Knock, knock. Then, he heard a soft sound, like someone tapping on something. Looking up, Dong-hyuk saw a small girl standing in front of the door. ¡°¡­A foreigner?¡± He muttered as he took in the girl¡¯s vibrant pink hair, reaching down to her waist. But there were no foreign residents in the building, as far as he knew. Could it be that one of the residents dyed their hair? But that didn¡¯t seem right either. Dong-hyuk had worked here for several months, and he had never once seen a girl that smalle and go from the building. ¡®Even a recluse would go out at least once¡­ wouldn¡¯t they?¡¯ After a moment of pondering, Dong-hyuk made a simple conclusion. ¡°She must be a guest.¡± He chuckled at himself for spending so long overthinking something so trivial. As he nced back at the list of residents, he noticed something peculiar. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± The girl who had been there just moments ago had vanished without a trace. He could¡¯ve sworn he saw her standing there in front of the door. ¡®¡­A ghost?!¡¯ A sudden chill ran through him, and his body shuddered. No person could disappear so suddenly like that. If a ghost dared to show itself in broad daylight, it must be an especially powerful one! ¡°Of course, something was bound to feel off¡­¡± The idea that he might be working in a haunted office-tel sank in as he imagined himself now the protagonist of a horror game instead of a regr job. As he stood there, panic-stricken¡­ ¡°Kaa¡­ Ah-hem¡­! ¡­Are you okay?!¡± A gentle voice cut through his thoughts. Looking up without thinking, Dong-hyuk spotted a familiar woman helping the small girl, who had apparently tripped, up from the ground. ¡°Does it hurt? How could you go ahead without me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± The woman brushed the dust off the girl¡¯s clothes, scolding her lightly, while the girl responded nonchntly. Only then did Dong-hyuk realize that the girl hadn¡¯t disappeared suddenly but had simply fallen out of his line of sight. The realization hit him, and with it, a wave of embarrassment flooded over him. ¡°Ugh Talking about daylight and ghosts¡ªthis was all because of the horror game stream he¡¯d watched a few days ago. Dong-hyuk, who had let his imagination run wild, felt like Icarus plummeting down after flying too close to the sun, gripped by shame. ¡°Uh, is something wrong?¡± The voice that addressed him snapped him out of his shame spiral, allowing his survival instincts to take control again. ¡°Ahem! I, uh, just had a cramp in my foot. But, who might this young one be?¡± ¡°Oh, she¡¯s a girl who will be staying with me from now on.¡± ¡°Did shee from abroad?¡± ¡°Well¡­ yes, something like that.¡± ¡®What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡¯ Dong-hyuk thought, feeling slightly puzzled by her vague answer, though hepleted the registration process swiftly. The girl, still looking a bit unsteady, walked with the woman¡¯s support. ¡®I feel like I¡¯ve seen her somewhere before¡­¡¯ Dong-hyuk stared at the girl¡¯s back, struck by an odd sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, when she suddenly turned around, causing him to quickly look away. If she caught him staring, she might think he was some kind of creep. And it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine what would happen if rumors spread that the office-tel¡¯s security guard was ogling a young girl. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Thankfully, the girl didn¡¯t seem to notice. She paused briefly, then continued walking away. ¡®But still, she¡¯s incredibly cute.¡¯ Even her voice was cute. ¡°A celebrity, maybe? Or a child actor? With a face like that, she could be anything.¡± That would exin his sense of familiarity; he might have seen her in some video or ad without realizing it. Sigh¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s get back to work.¡± Dong-hyuk pped his cheeks lightly to refocus and picked up his tablet. Fortunately, no one had witnessed his foolishness. Except for one person. *** Meanwhile, the girl¡¯s perspective: Why was he staring at me like that? If I¡¯d sensed hostility or anything suspicious, I¡¯d have told him off, but there was none, so it felt awkward to say anything. ¡°¡­Are you tired?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°You look a bit unwell. Maybe it would have been better to stay longer at Demoninus to recover¡­ I might have pushed you too hard.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not because of that.¡± It¡¯s because I asked to live together¡­ Seeing Da-eun murmur those words to herself, I shook my head at her. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ a little strange, that¡¯s all.¡± The words tumbled out like an excuse. But it wasn¡¯t entirely a lie. Even though I had once lived on Earth, the memories felt blurry, like they were fading away or about to be erased at any moment. I was feeling two conflicting emotions simultaneously: unfamiliarity and familiarity. After Da-eun had made her sudden proposal to live together, everything happened very quickly. ¡°Well, why not?¡± ¡°¡­Eh? Are you sure you should answer so easily?¡± ¡°This ce is too stifling; I don¡¯t like it.¡± Since I had been considering moving out of Demoninus at some point anyway, I had no reason to refuse. ¡°Suit yourself. You wouldn¡¯t listen to me anyway, would you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why you¡¯d go out of your way to take care of such a bothersome brat.¡± Edel felt the same way, even urging me out the door with a look of relief. And that¡¯s how I ended up standing in front of Da-eun¡¯s office-tel. Things had moved so fast that I hadn¡¯t had a chance to ask her something important. ¡°Are you really okay with this, Da-eun?¡± ¡°Huh? Where did thate from?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve taken in a freeloader.¡± ¡­As much as I hated to admit it, I wasn¡¯t exactly useful in my current state. No, I was more of a hindrance, barely able to walk on my own. She would have more expenses to cover than when she was living alone, and I¡¯d be more of a nuisance than a help. ¡°More of a nuisance? Not at all! I thought it was a bit too big and lonely to live here alone, anyway.¡± ¡°And the money?¡± ¡°If I was worried about that, I wouldn¡¯t be living in a ce like this. Oh, right, Kana, you probably don¡¯t realize just how expensive this ce is.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t tell if she was trying to reassure me or bragging. Her smug attitude was pretty annoying. ¡°Besides, you helped me so much. You saved my life, covered almost all the travel expenses on your own, bought me that expensive ring¡­ It¡¯s only fair I give something back!¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you buy me a house?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s a bit¡­¡± Da-eun¡¯s confidence instantly deted. ¡°I mean, I could buy you a house, but could you really live alone? Things on Earth are very different from those in Silia.¡± ¡°I¡¯d manage somehow.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just think so lightly about it! Do you know how many kids get into idents because they meddle with things they don¡¯t understand?¡± ¡°¡­A kid?¡± ¡°Of course, you¡¯re a kid! If you don¡¯t know anything, you¡¯re still a kid, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I hadn¡¯t told Da-eun that I had lived on Earth before. In a way, I was like a newbie with prior experience¡ªbut without clear memories, I was just like a beginner. So I couldn¡¯t really argue back, and I stayed quiet. It wasn¡¯t just that I didn¡¯t remember things, but the fragments I did remember didn¡¯t match what I was seeing now. Take that thing in Da-eun¡¯s hand, for example. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°This? It¡¯s a phone.¡± ¡°¡­A phone?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ How do I exin this?¡± The phones I remembered didn¡¯t look like that¡­ but Da-eun misinterpreted my stunned reaction and started exining excitedly. In any case, my memories weren¡¯t very helpful. ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t know this? This is called an ¡®elevator.¡¯ It¡¯s a device used for going up and down tall buildings efficiently.¡± When I hesitated to respond, Da-eun, seizing her chance, teased me with a broad grin. Annoyed by her attitude, I pouted. ¡°Showing off over something like that¡­¡± ¡°¡®Something like that¡¯? You should humbly ept the conveniences of modern civilization, you little thing!¡± ¡°I could do this too.¡± ¡°Really? Kana, you think you could make this? It may look simple, but it actually operates on a highlyplex principle. It¡¯s not something you can just easily make.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say I could make it. I said I could do it.¡± ¡°¡­Not make it, but do it?¡± A hint of unease crossed Da-eun¡¯s face as she looked me in the eye. ¡°Well, it just has to go up and down, right?¡± I know a way that could be much faster. It might be a bit dizzying, but the results are guaranteed. ¡°Want me to show you?¡± ¡°¡­No, that¡¯s fine.¡± Da-eun backed down. As an awkward silence began to settle, the elevator arrived with a cheerful ding at just the right moment. Da-eun stepped out quickly and hurried to the door. Beep. Beep beep beep. Click! ¡°Hurry on in! This will be Kana¡¯s home from now on!¡± She was so excited that she practically flung the door open and kept urging me toe inside. Did she forget that I could barely walk on my own? I shot her a look, then slowly made my way forward, bracing myself against the wall, step by step. ¡°¡­Oh, sorry.¡± Realizing her oversight, Da-eun came back to help me, and finally, we arrived at the door. With a wide swing, the door opened fully, revealing Da-eun¡¯s home. ¡°¡­Wow.¡± As Da-eun stood beside me, beaming with pride, I stepped forward. The space wasrge and luxurious¡ªdifferent from the grandiosity of the pce I¡¯d grown tired of, but with a sophisticated charm of its own. And yet, something else greeted me. ¡°Da-eun.¡± ¡°Hmm? What do you think? Do you like it?¡± ¡°¡­The ce is messy.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Scattered items and bits of trashy around the ce. It reminded me of the first time I had visited my dad¡¯s house back in the day. Though it wasn¡¯t quite as bad as that¡­ Why are the people who bring me ces always like this? ¡°I-I usually clean every day! I¡¯ve just been a bit too stressed these past few days, so I didn¡¯t get around to it!¡± ¡°Jeez¡­¡± Oh well. I can¡¯t exactly scold myndlord, so I¡¯ll have to bear with it. With a sigh, I dragged my weary body inside Da-eun¡¯s home. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth!¡± *(An office-tel is a type of building in South Korea thatbines both office and residential spaces.) ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 142 ¡°Huff¡­ Here we go¡­!¡± Whoosh, tap! ¡°¡­When did I even order this?¡± Muttering to herself as she nced into the box, Da-eun was busy moving around. Up until they arrived home, she had been chattering excitedly about throwing a wee party and other celebrations. But, as soon as they got there, the first thing she did was start cleaning up her chaotic mess of an apartment. Party¡­ ¡°Here, of all ces?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In this pigsty?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll clean it up.¡±It¡¯s not like I expected anything grand, like the kind of party nobles host. But seriously, a party in a pigsty? Not exactly the atmosphere I had in mind. ¡°I was going to make a delicious meat feast for us¡­.¡± ¡°We can still eat after you clean up.¡± There was a brief moment of temptation, but I managed to ovee it. Such strength of will is not easily achieved. ¡°Need some help?¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s not like I¡¯m desperate enough to ask an injured person for help! Besides, this is my mess to deal with¡­ so I¡¯ll take care of it myself.¡± ¡°¡­Fine. Do as you wish.¡± Thud. Whirrr. Something brushed against my foot, causing me to nce down. The robotic vacuum, busy cleaning up, changed direction and moved away. The spot it had just cleaned sparkled as it went. It even wiped up dust and mopped the floor all on its own. ? ¡°Convenient.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Mhm. Which makes it even more impressive that Da-eun managed to make such a mess despite having it.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ I already told you! I thought you were dead, and I was mourning! I was so devastated! How could you not understand¡­ Kana, you¡¯re so mean!¡± ¡°Ugh, gross.¡± ¡°¡­Now I¡¯m really hurt.¡± Regardless, thanks to her diligent efforts, Da-eun¡¯s apartment quickly returned to its original state. She organized the mountain of boxes, disposed of the garbage, and soon the glossy marble floors and spacious rooms were visible again. Then, as if on cue to mark the end of the cleaning, a loud sound echoed through the room. Grumble! ¡°¡­Ah!¡± Da-eun quickly wrapped her arms around her stomach. ¡°I¡­ I just haven¡¯t eaten properly in days.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Honestly, I hadn¡¯t thought anything of it. It¡¯s not like I¡¯d judge someone for being hungry. ¡°Good job. Let¡¯s eat now.¡± ¡°¡­Sniff.¡± Da-eun, who had been sniffing, tilted her head at me. ¡°Wait a second. I¡¯m the one who still has to order food, right? Almost felt touched there for a second!¡± ¡°So, are you not going to eat?¡± ¡°Of course, I am¡­.¡± Da-eun picked up her phone, which had been lying in a corner, and tapped at it. ¡°Since you don¡¯t know what foods we have, I¡¯ll choose something delicious for us.¡± ¡°Chicken.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Chicken, I want to eat chicken.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Is that¡­ not allowed?¡± ¡°N-no, it¡¯s not that you can¡¯t¡­ But how did you know? Did I ever mention it?¡± ¡°¡­Edel told me. She mentioned there was such food.¡± Edel, borrowing your name for this one. Da-eun might ept the idea that she once casually mentioned ¡°such food exists,¡± but using Edel¡¯s name makes it easier. ¡°Ah, so Edel¡­ told you.¡± As expected, Da-eun immediately epted it. Ever since learning that the woman who brought her here was a goddess, she had been acting respectfully, as if she¡¯d never spoken casually before. ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s order chicken, and also¡­.¡± ¡°And also?¡± ¡°There should be lots of food at a party!¡± I mean, she¡¯s not wrong. ¡°But what if there¡¯s leftovers?¡± ¡°Then we can just eat it tomorrow.¡± With a triumphant expression, Da-eun raised her hand. ¡°Aha, this is something called a refrigerator. It¡¯s used to keep ingredients and food from spoiling.¡± Sigh. ¡°Bet Kana couldn¡¯t do that even if she tried.¡± ¡°¡­Sure, you¡¯re very impressive.¡± ¡°Hehe, are you pouting?¡± As we joked and bantered, time flew by, and the food Da-eun ordered began arriving one by one. Just how much did she order? I nced through the dishes as they came in. ¡°Cake?¡± ¡°A party isn¡¯tplete without a cake!¡± ¡°¡­You think we¡¯ll have room for cake after all this?¡± ¡°There¡¯s always a separate stomach for dessert. Plus, this one¡¯s from a super famous ce, so you¡¯ll be blown away by the taste if you try it. Want a quick bite now?¡± ¡°No thanks. Not interested.¡± I had plenty of cake back in Silia. Right now, with something in front of me that I once craved so badly I considered catching a Cockatrice to cook it, I¡¯m not going to ruin my appetite with cake. ¡°So~ how does it look? Doesn¡¯t it look delicious?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Pfft¡­ You say you¡¯re not interested, but your body¡¯s being honest, huh?¡± A sweet scent tickled my nose, and before I realized it, my head had turned toward the cake. I quickly shook it away. ¡°¡­Just looked because of the smell.¡± Ignoring Da-eun, who was hovering with the cake, I opened the food packaging instinctively, releasing a fragrant aroma that burst forth. And nestled in that aroma was a golden-fried chicken glistening with an alluring coat of batter. Gulp. If I grabbed that drumstick and took a big bite, that crispy coating would give way to a rush of juices, and the tender meat inside would wee me. I could only imagine how divine the spices in the batter would taste. This time, I couldn¡¯t resist. Drawn by the sight, I reached out, only to watch it disappear before my eyes. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Nope, not yet. We¡¯re going to set the table and eat together.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°No matter how cutely you look at me, the answer is still no!¡± Ignoring my disappointed hand reaching out, the devil herself took the chicken she had snatched from me and set it on the table. After setting the rest of the food on the table, Da-eun picked me up once more. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s eat.¡± ¡°¡­Eating is one thing.¡± I leaned my head back, and Da-eun¡¯s face filled my view. ¡°Why are you holding me?¡± ¡°Hee-hee! That tickles when you move!¡± ¡°Then you could just put me down.¡± How could she sit me on herp and thenin it tickles when I move? I looked up at her with a disgruntled expression as she giggled strangely from above, gathering my hair to keep it from brushing her arms. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°And I don¡¯t want to sit here like this.¡± ¡°Just this once. Can¡¯t we stay like this, just this once?¡± ¡°¡­Do as you like.¡± Her voice trembled like a candle me about to go out, so fragile that it surprised me into giving in without thinking. ¡°Really?! No take-backs?¡± ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s hard for me.¡± Fine, but when she starts whining about leg cramps, I¡¯m not going to pay her any attention. Ignoring Da-eun, who was chattering away happily, I reached out, finally grabbing what I¡¯d been dreaming of. As I held it, I could feel the crispy coating crackling under my fingers. Closing my eyes, I took a big bite. Crunch! ¡°¡­!¡± ¡­Yes, this is it. Sure, Cockatrice meat was tasty, but this¡ªthis was the taste I was craving. It had that unmistakable, indulgent, unhealthy vor. ¡°Kana, are you¡­ crying?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not crying.¡± It¡¯s delicious, but it¡¯s not that emotional. Retorting back, I finished the chicken drumstick in my hand. It¡¯s so good. ¡°Want another drumstick?¡± I froze. ¡°¡­Are you sure?¡± ¡°For you, I¡¯d give you as many as you want! Here.¡± Da-eun picked up another drumstick and ced it in my hand. For a moment, it was as if there was a halo of light shining behind her. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Maybe Da-eun¡¯s kinder than I thought. ¡°A taste so divine, it captivates across worlds¡­ Such a frightening vor¡­.¡± Right now, even Da-eun¡¯s nonsense didn¡¯t sound annoying. She watched me eat with satisfaction before joining in herself. Together, we ate the chicken and other dishes. Da-eun didn¡¯t hold back at all, fearlessly devouring everything, though there was so much food that leftovers were inevitable. If we tried to finish it all, we¡¯d burst. Our pace slowed, and as we began nibbling on dessert instead of the main dishes, Da-eun turned to me. ¡°Kana.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± She looked at me, her expression serious. ¡°What are you nning to do next?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Already full, I leaned against Da-eun, habitually feeling my waist before realizing¡ª ¡°¡­Oh, right, it¡¯s not there.¡± Feeling the emptiness, I tapped my lips lightly instead. ¡°First, I¡¯ll recover fully.¡± ¡°And after you¡¯re recovered?¡± ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll go hunt down the Dimensional Creatures.¡± It was part of the reason I crossed over into this world in the first ce. The world of Silia had already been defeated once by Dimensional Creatures. Since it was subordinated as a lower dimension of Earth, Silia¡¯s dimensional rank has weakened, making it hard to resist the invading creatures effectively. If I use my full strength, only about 80 or 90 percent of that will impact them. In contrast, Earth¡¯s rank is higher than the Dimensional Creatures¡¯, so if I exert the same power here, it¡¯ll have a greater effect. To sum it up, Earth¡¯s at the top, then the Dimensional Creatures are below, with the world of Silia even lower. It¡¯splex, but simply put, it¡¯s more efficient to kill the Dimensional Creatures here on Earth than to fight them in Silia. ¡°¡­¡± After my straightforward answer, Da-eun fell silent. She paused, fork mid-air, as if lost in thought, then finally spoke up. ¡°¡­Honestly, I still can¡¯t fully believe it.¡± ¡°What can¡¯t you believe?¡± ¡°That Demoninus¡¯s CEO is a god, that the world¡¯s in danger¡­ and that Kana¡¯s right here in my arms.¡± ¡°Understandable.¡± I could see why Da-eun felt confused. I figured it wasn¡¯t something an ordinary person could easily ept just because they¡¯d heard it. And it¡¯s not because she gave me her chicken drumstick or anything like that. ¡°Maybe nothing will even happen.¡± Edel managed to bind the Dimensional Creatures to Silia and regain some power by eliminating part of the Magi from Laxia, so maybe nothing will happen for a while. Earth might remain safe, even until Da-eun grows old and passes away. Though, of course, it¡¯s uncertain, so I can¡¯t make any promises. ¡°And I¡¯ll make sure nothing happens.¡± Even though Da-eun got tangled in this hidden truth because of me, none of it was something she needed to bear. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡± I murmured to myself as if making a vow, unwilling to lose something important again without knowing it. ¡°¡­¡± A light weight settled on my head. Da-eun, who had been silently listening, ced her hand on my head, stroking it gently. ¡°I thought this time, it was my turn to protect you¡­¡± ¡°¡­Protect me? You, Da-eun?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be strong to protect someone. And in a capitalist society, money is strength!¡± ¡°Wow.¡± It was the perfect example of an adult hardened by reality. Muttering to myself, I leaned a bit more into Da-eun as she held me. ¡°¡­You¡¯re already doing a good job of protecting me, Da-eun, so be confident.¡± Because you¡¯re giving me what I need most. ¡°¡­You¡¯re not talking about the chicken drumstick, right?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± How strange¡­ I thought it was such a touching moment, but with that singlement, she killed the mood entirely. I sighed heavily. ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t worry too much. Just keep enjoying Silia as you have been. It¡¯ll be helpful.¡± ¡°¡­I haven¡¯t logged in for days¡­¡± ¡°¡­Just try to get the gist of it.¡± As the already dissipated atmosphere lingered, I shook my head, feeling a strange sensation on my hair. With a sense of dread, I ced a hand on my head. Slick. Instead of the usual softness, there was a faint sticky slickness. ¡°Da-eun¡­ by any chance, did you¡­ not wash your hands?¡± ¡°¡­Gasp.¡± Da-eun hurriedly hid her hands, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. That response was answer enough. That night, a scream echoed through an officetel in Seoul. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 143 ¡°Mm¡­.¡± Sitting on the bed, I blinked absentmindedly. A memorable night on Earth had passed. Though I¡¯d been on Earth for a few days now, I hadn¡¯t really felt it, having spent all my time in a hospital bed recovering. And having Edel by my side made it feel even less real. So this situation felt strangely new to me. The soft nket and bed, the cool breeze circting in the room¡­ it was all like something out of a dream. Sigh ¡°Fyu¡­.¡±The quiet breathing beside me was what made it all feel real the most. Apparently, it was true that Da-eun had gone through a lot emotionally; she¡¯d boasted all night that she¡¯d keep me up talking, but she had fallen asleep just minutes after lying down, and was still lost in her dreams. ¡°¡­.¡± I gazed at Da-eun¡¯s peaceful face for a moment. Then, I gently pulled the shared thin nket up to her shoulders, careful not to wake her, and slipped out of bed. Feeling slightly better than yesterday, I approached the thick ckout curtains covering the window. As I lifted the curtain slightly, a bright ray of sunlight streamed in. They were so thick that it had been impossible to tell if it was morning or not, but it seemed my internal clock was on point. Da-eun¡¯s ce was on a high floor, so when I looked down from the window, the entire view below stretched out before me. Watching the people moving busily between buildings so different from those in Silia, I pulled the curtains all the way open. Swish! Sunlight flooded the once-dark room. The bed where Da-euny was no exception. ¡°Ughhh¡­.¡± As soon as the light hit her, Da-eun squirmed and let out a strange sound. ¡­Is she a zombie? Should I be seriously considering getting rid of her? As I contemted this, Da-eun the zombie curled up deeper into the nket. Her wiggling stopped, and the gentle, rhythmic sounds of her breathing started seeping out from under the covers once more. ¡°Wake up.¡± Of course, I had no intention of watching her fall back asleep, so I grabbed the nket that was covering her. ¡°Just five more minutes¡­.¡± ¡°No. Get up now.¡± The sun¡¯s already up. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± At my firm tone, Da-eun groaned softly, cautiously opening her eyes. Between her slightly parted eyelids, her dark pupils slowly came into view. Looking drowsily around, much like I had earlier, she suddenly broke into a bashful smile. ¡°Hehe.¡± ¡°Why are you smiling all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just happy that the first thing I see when I wake up is Kana.¡± ¡°¡­And why is that so great?¡± ¡°It means yesterday wasn¡¯t a dream.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Da-eun¡¯s voice held pure joy. I averted my gaze a bit, feeling slightly embarrassed. ¡°Just hurry up and get ready. You said you were busy today.¡± ¡°Mm¡­ But I feel like if Kana gave me a big hug, I¡¯d wake up instantly~?¡± ¡°Really? Then keep sleeping.¡± ¡°Eek.¡± ¡°Or maybe I should help you sleep forever?¡± Honestly, putting people to sleep suits me more than waking them up. ¡°¡­Fine, I¡¯ll get up.¡± Da-eun shot out of bed quickly. After roughly tidying up her bedding and sshing some water on her face, she sat down at the dining table. Once the leftover food from yesterday was reheated and ced on the table, it made for quite avish breakfast spread. Da-eun, picking up a piece of rice cake soaked in spicy red sauce, spoke up. ¡°Today, like I mentioned yesterday, I¡¯m nning to take you out to buy the things you need, Kana.¡± Thanks to the administrator on Earth, the most critical issue¡ªmy identity¡ªhad been sorted out, but aside from that, I had nothing to my name. Oh, and there was the hospital gown and the outfit I was currently wearing. After realizing I didn¡¯t own anything, Da-eun suggested we go shopping for essentials, including clothes. ¡°Are you really okay with it?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, you mean money? Don¡¯t worry about it. I haven¡¯t been traveling muchtely, so I have a lot saved up. Even my ountant told me to spend a bit more. It¡¯s a good opportunity.¡± ¡°¡­Your ountant told you to spend money?¡± ¡°Yeah, the more I spend, the better it is when ites to taxes. I even get refunds¡­ but this might be a bit much for you to understand, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Then she reached toward my head, hand raised. But I hadn¡¯t forgotten. The indignity I suffered yesterday. I red at her. ¡°¡­I made sure there¡¯s nothing on my hands this time.¡± Da-eun, sounding hurt, spoke with a slight whine, but I was unmoved. Squinting at her suspiciously, I watched as she withdrew her hand, looking disappointed. ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s no need to rely on Edel for this. If she took her ¡®daughter,¡¯ this much is the least she can do to save face!¡± ¡°Who are you calling a daughter?¡± Edel¡­ as my mother? Pretty much anyone would be better than my actual parents, but still¡­ ¡°Ugh.¡± Just imagining Edel saying, ¡°Daughter~ Mom is here~¡± in a sweet voice made my mood drop instantly. If I were a naive youngdy from some noble family, maybe it would fit, but Edel is far from that image. Da-eun nodded. ¡°True. For a god, she didn¡¯t quite have the gravitas.¡± ¡°And yet, you were terrified the moment you found out she was a god.¡± She¡¯d been so rattled she could barely speak. ¡°¡­Well, you never know! What if I did something to annoy her and she punished me? It¡¯s better to be cautious¡­.¡± ¡°If you could be punished for such trivial things, I¡¯d have been smitten at least ten times over.¡± As we continued chatting over breakfast, I gradually felt afortable fullness settle in. ¡°Ah¡­.¡± I was full. With a satisfied sigh, I set down my fork. Da-eun, still not finished, kept picking up food, her hands moving non-stop. I tilted my head slightly and asked. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m making a list of what to buy. We¡¯ll obviously get clothes, and we don¡¯t need a new toothbrush since I opened a new one yesterday, but we¡¯ll need other toiletries¡­ Ah! And we¡¯ll need a pillow and nket too.¡± ¡°Why the pillow? Isn¡¯t the one from yesterday good enough?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a guest pillow. You need one just for you, Kana.¡± Couldn¡¯t I just keep using the guest pillow¡­? When I suggested as much, Da-eun brushed it off, saying, ¡°We¡¯re living together now, so you need one that you actually like.¡± Well, it¡¯s her money to spend¡­ If she¡¯s so keen on spending, I should at least help out a little. ¡°Buy me a bed too.¡± She froze. ¡°¡­Do you really need a bed? I thought the one we have is more than big enough for the two of us.¡± That¡¯s true. Even though there¡¯s no ss system here, when I first saw Da-eun¡¯s bed, I couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡°¡­Is Da-eun a noble?¡± Da-eun¡¯s bedroom contained a bed sorge that it naturally raised questions. ¡°With someone Kana¡¯s size, I bet eight people could lie down on it.¡± ¡°No way, that many¡ª¡± I should have said no way. But Da-eun seized the opportunity as I hesitated. ¡°It does sound possible, right? If we¡¯re careful, maybe even ten could fit.¡± ¡°¡­Do I look like a brick to you? No, we¡¯re getting a new bed.¡± What¡¯s the use of it being spacious? While sleeping, Da-eun always tried to cuddle up, rendering the extra space useless. If she did it while awake, I¡¯d shove her away, but I couldn¡¯t exactly do that when she was asleep. So I had to keep escaping her grasp and find a spot to sleep on my own. ¡°I¡¯m not some hugging pillow¡­¡± ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m just used to hugging something when I sleep¡­ but I promise I won¡¯t do it anymore, okay?¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± I let out a low sigh, finding her promise a bit hard to believe. *** After getting upte and preparing ourselves, we drove downtown. Once Da-eun parked the car, she handed me something. ¡°Kana, wear this.¡± ¡°¡­A hat?¡± I epted it, but why? Seeing my confused expression, Da-eun exined. ¡°Do you remember what I told you about my work?¡± Last night, with a serious look, Da-eun had revealed her profession to me. She looked as if she were about to head out on a life-or-death mission. After a lot of hesitation, she finally admitted that she worked as a streamer and even streamed when she was in Silia. ¡®Ah. Okay.¡¯ ¡®¡­That¡¯s all you have to say?¡¯ ¡®? What more should I say?¡¯ She seemed surprised at my calm reaction. She probably expected some kind of criticism, but I had already guessed as much, so it wasn¡¯t a big deal. ¡®You mentioned that you streamed even when traveling around Earth, right?¡¯ ¡®Uh, yeah¡­¡¯ ¡®Then that¡¯s all that matters.¡¯ ¡®¡­Huh?¡¯ ¡®Since you shared your secret, I¡¯ll share one of mine. ¡­I¡¯ve known for a while that you were talking to other people.¡¯ ¡®¡­What? H-how¡­?! Wait, Kana! What do you mean by that?!¡¯ Something like that. I nodded. ¡°Yeah, you told me yesterday.¡± ¡°I feel shy saying it, but¡­ I do have quite a few viewers. Someone might recognize you. Most people would think it¡¯s cosy, but it could be a hassle.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t have to wear it if you¡¯re okay with it, but what do you think?¡± ¡°Mm, I¡¯ll wear it.¡± I didn¡¯t know how popr Da-eun was, but since she mentioned it so modestly, she must be fairly well-known. Since I was already used to hiding my face, I put on the hat without fuss. ¡°¡­It ¡°Y-yeah, it is¡­¡± The hat was so big that its brim came down over my eyes. ¡°Well, at least it hides your face!¡± Da-eun said, giving a thumbs-up. ¡°I can¡¯t see properly, so it¡¯s hard to walk straight.¡± Da-eun lowered the thumb she had been holding up. ¡°¡­Still, Da-eun will help me out. Right?¡± ¡°¡­! Of course! Just trust this big sister!¡± With bold enthusiasm, Da-eun led me confidently into the shopping mall. I looked around through my partially obscured vision. ¡°It¡¯s really fancy.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it? I felt the same the first time I came here, wondering if it was really okay for me to be here¡­¡± The sophisticated interior practically screamed ¡°expensive items.¡± Even though it wasn¡¯t my money, I couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit uneasy about all this. Unaware of my thoughts, Da-eun moved forward without hesitation. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Holding tightly onto Da-eun¡¯s arm for support, I asked. ¡°First, we¡¯re buying clothes.¡± ¡°Clothes?¡± ¡°Yeah, if the size doesn¡¯t fit, we¡¯ll need alterations. If anything needs adjustments, we can leave it to be tailored while we shop for other things. It¡¯s more efficient time-wise, right?¡± ¡°Do we really need alterations?¡± ¡°Of course! If your clothes look strange, people will judge. They¡¯d say things like, ¡®Oh my, what¡¯s her sister doing, letting her sibling walk around like that?¡¯ ¡­like that.¡± Da-eun raised her voice to imitate a nosy aunt from the marketce. The impression was pretty spot-on, though I wasn¡¯t exactly convinced. After all¡ª ¡°I don¡¯t care if they judge me.¡± ¡°¡­You little¡ª¡± Suddenly, she pressed down on my head. ¡°Ouch.¡± I let out a small groan at her firm hand pressing down on me. ¡­I hope this doesn¡¯t make me any shorter. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 144 As Da-eun was walking beside me, she suddenly spoke up. ¡°Kana, you don¡¯t like anything tooplicated, right?¡± ¡°Is this self-reflection?¡± So, she¡¯s finally opened her eyes. To think she¡¯s reached the point where she can objectively assess herself¡­ it¡¯s truly touching. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Even if you¡¯re a bit of a nuisance, I can understand to some extent.¡± ¡°¡­I was talking about clothes, clothes.¡± ¡°Oh, so it wasn¡¯t self-reflection?¡± ¡°Do you want to get scolded?¡±Da-eun raised her hand. It looked like she was about to smack me on the head, but knowing she would never actually hit me seriously, I just stood there, watching her. At most, she¡¯d pinch my cheek. And since I¡¯d teased her, I figured I could take at least that much. ¡°Oh my, oh my!¡± ¡°To think she¡¯d hit such a small child¡­ tsk, tsk.¡± ¡°She looks like she¡¯s not in the best health either¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Of course, the people passing by didn¡¯t know we were joking. Da-eun, who had jokingly raised her hand, noticed the murmurs around us and awkwardly lowered her hand. If she had acted confidently, people might have thought it was just a joke. But her embarrassment made it look even more suspicious. Receiving all the stares, Da-eun mumbled to herself with a bewildered expression. ¡°Why do I have to be treated like this when I¡¯m the one who always gets hit by Kana¡­?¡± ¡°Who said you always get hit?¡± ¡°You hit me yesterday too!¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you deserved it, Da-eun.¡± When you grease up someone¡¯s hair, there¡¯s a price to pay. I pretended to sniff my long hair, and Da-eun¡¯s face showed a slight twinge of guilt. ¡°It still feels like there¡¯s a hint of chicken smell¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible! No way!¡± ¡°Though, if you¡¯re walking around smelling like chicken, it might not be so bad.¡± ¡°No! I can¡¯t allow that! Corrupting Kana¡¯s scent with something like chicken smell would be an unforgivable offense.¡± ¡°¡­You sound like a bit of a pervert.¡± For real. ¡°Anyway, what do you think?¡± ¡°You mean about the clothes? I likefortable ones. Didn¡¯t you already guess that?¡± ¡°I figured, but I thought I¡¯d check just in case. After all, you might have had to dress that way out of necessity in the other world. Now, go on, be honest.¡± ? ¡°I already told you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not embarrassing to like pretty clothes, you know. Just admit it, okay? Come on, confess your true feelings!¡± ¡°¡­Are you asking for my honest opinion or just the answer you want to hear?¡± ¡°Hehe, you caught me?¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t even trying to hide it in the first ce¡­.¡± Da-eunughed bashfully. As for clothes¡­ Of course, I¡¯d prefer something neat over something shabby. But to put it another way, I don¡¯t need anything more special than just neat clothes. ¡°Kana, look at that! Isn¡¯t it so pretty?¡± Even now, Da-eun was going overboard with excitement. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s really pretty.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re not being genuine at all.¡± In other words, I¡¯m not feeling it. I can tell it looks different from other clothes, but I don¡¯t really understand what¡¯s supposed to be pretty about it. ¡°When that happens, you should imagine how it would look when worn. Just picture yourself in it, thinking, ¡®Oh, this would look like that on me,¡¯ and it might start to seem pretty to you.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Imagining what it would look like on¡­ Imagining myself in a fluttery dress, I tilted my head. ¡°I still don¡¯t really get it.¡± ¡°Really? In that case, it would be easier to understand if you try it on yourself. How about it?¡± ¡°Maybe I shou¡­ no, I don¡¯t want to.¡± So that¡¯s what she was aiming for from the start. The subtle way she led me in that direction was so smooth that I almost fell for her scheme. As I shook my head, snapping back to my senses, Da-eun clicked her tongue and backed off. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s buy a few tracksuits, some pajamas, maybe two or three casual outfits¡­ I¡¯ll keep it simple.¡± As she muttered to herself, Da-eun dragged me around to various stores that primarily soldfortable clothing. Browsing, trying clothes against my body, even trying some on. By the time we entered the third store, I couldn¡¯t help but ask Da-eun if it was necessary to go to so many ces. Couldn¡¯t we just buy everything in one ce? Da-eun looked at me wide-eyed, as if I¡¯d said something strange. ¡°When you buy clothes, you¡¯re supposed to check out different ces before deciding.¡± Though, it was funny to hear that from someone who eagerly whipped out her card whenever she saw clothes she liked. And so, I followed her around, feeling the weight of the shopping bags on my arm as they grew to more than three. Hmm. ¡®Isn¡¯t¡­ isn¡¯t this going beyond my own intentions?¡¯ Da-eun¡¯s process for buying clothes went like this: Whenever she found something she liked, she¡¯d tell me to try it on. Then, after I came out wearing it, she¡¯d smile contentedly and give a thumbs-up. Then, she¡¯d pay for it. From the moment she picked out clothes to the point they were neatly packed in bags hanging on my arm, the process was seamless. The problem was that it all flowed smoothly without me saying a single word. But, surprisingly, Da-eun wasn¡¯t just picking whatever she liked. ¡°Oh, this one¡¯s nice too.¡± Everything she picked suited my taste perfectly. So, naturally, I had no reason toin about not being asked for my opinion. Honestly, I was a bit surprised since I expected Da-eun to just choose things randomly ande up with some excuse. ¡°Well¡­ I wish I could buy what I want, but after all, these are clothes for Kana to wear. So I have to follow Kana¡¯s preferences.¡± ¡°¡­You¡­ you¡¯re not Da-eun, are you?¡± ¡°How rude!¡± Because of that, what I expected to be a rather noisy day actually turned into a peaceful one. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t this too short?¡± ¡°You¡¯re only going to wear it at home anyway. Isn¡¯t it better to befortable if you¡¯re wearing it at home?¡± ¡°I guess it would befortable¡­¡± There were a few outfits that I felt a bit hesitant about, but they didn¡¯t cross any boundaries, so I epted them. Like Da-eun said, they did seemfortable. After dropping off some clothes that needed alterations, I sat on a bench to catch my breath. Getting this tired after only a little walking¡­ ¡®I need to get better soon.¡¯ Feeling frustrated, I unconsciously pressed my heel into the ground. Crack. ¡°Oh.¡± The tile cracked from where my heel touched. ¡­ I know nothing about this. I tried to rub away the crack with my foot, only to realize that Da-eun had disappeared. ¡°¡­?¡± She said she¡¯d go pay, but where did she disappear to? As I looked around, I spotted Da-eun standing in front of a clothing store. She hadn¡¯t noticed me approaching and was peering into a shopping bag. Finally, I reached her side and gave her a light tap on the back. ¡°Da-eun?¡± ¡°Ah¡ª!¡± Da-eun jumped up. Not an exaggeration¡ªshe actually jumped and turned to look at me, clutching her chest in surprise. ¡°K-Kana¡­ it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°Why are you so surprised? It¡¯s like you¡¯re doing something suspicious.¡± ¡°S-something suspicious? No way! I would never.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Something was off. I was about to question her suspicious behavior¡ª ¡°But, aren¡¯t you hungry? I heard the food court here is supposed to be really good. It¡¯s around lunchtime anyway, so why don¡¯t we rest and grab something to eat?¡± ¡°¡­Sure.¡± I nodded, closing my mouth. After all, it¡¯s not unusual for Da-eun to be up to something odd. *** ¡°How was it? Pretty good, right?¡± ¡°Well¡­ yeah, I¡¯d say so.¡± True to Da-eun¡¯s enthusiasm, the food was quite delicious. Of course, even though Earth has a more developed food culture than Silia, food from a ce like this can¡¯t quitepare to what I ate when I was dragged to feasts back then. When lives are on the line if the dish is made poorly, it¡¯s hard to match the vor of food crafted with such seriousness. Still, the food here had its own charm; it wasn¡¯t bad. ¡°Why are you eating that, though?¡± Not that I could understand what Da-eun ordered. ¡°Because it¡¯s tasty! If you¡¯d tried a bite, you¡¯d get it too¡­¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ no thanks.¡± I shuddered just thinking about the fiery red dish Da-eun was happily devouring. Just the thought made my tongue feel like it was stinging. While I was shaking slightly, Da-eun nced at me and chuckled. ¡°¡­Why are youughing?¡± ¡°Why do you think? Because Kana is adorable¡­ and it reminds me of the past.¡± ¡°The past?¡± ¡°Yeah, like when you first told me your name.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Right. That thing¡­ that was either food or torture. ¡°To be honest, when I brought that to you, I thought you might die. Like, ¡®Are you giving me this to eat? Are you trying to kill me?!¡¯¡­ It felt like that.¡± ¡°The fact that you knew and still did it is quite infuriating.¡± ¡°But, back then, Kana was so difficult! I¡¯d try talking to you, and you¡¯d barely answer¡­¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re confessing that you brought it to mess with me?¡± ¡°¡­Uh, did I just say that?¡± Criminal Da-eun. The charge: messing with food. Verdict: guilty. ¡°The verdict is way too harsh!¡± ¡°Attempted murder is always taken seriously.¡± If I hadn¡¯t had memories from my previous life, I might have actually died. That¡¯s how intense the taste was. ¡°¡­Thank you for sparing my life?¡± ¡°If you understand, do better from now on.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± What a cheeky kid¡­ Mumble¡­ Da-eun muttered something quietly, probably thinking I wouldn¡¯t hear. I heard it all, you know. A littleter, Da-eun and I, with her arm around my waist, continued exploring the mall. Now that we¡¯d taken care of the essentials, it was time to pick up other necessities. A fluffyforter, a soft pillow, a giant stuffed animal big enough to wrap my arms around¡­ Wait, what? ¡°¡­A stuffed animal? Why this?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s cute. Doesn¡¯t it look like you?¡± ¡°In what way?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a canary! Just like you, Kana!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Well, anyway¡­ We arranged to have the bulkier items delivered and carried the rest or put them in the car as we shopped. p! ¡°Oh! I almost forgot!¡± Da-eun pped her hands as if something crucial had juste to mind. ¡°I almost forgot the most important thing.¡± Then, she suddenly wrapped her arm around mine. ¡°Is there still more to buy? I want to go home now¡­¡± ¡°Hehe. You called it ¡®home.¡¯ Let¡¯s just get this onest thing, and we¡¯ll go home. Deal?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Honestly, I was exhausted. The ce was packed, and squeezing through the crowd meant I kept bumping into people¡­ But since she said it was thest thing. ¡­Even though I feel like she¡¯s said it was thest thing at least five times now, I¡¯ll trust her one more time. The ce Da-eun brought me to was a very modern-looking store. Though all the stores we¡¯d been to so far looked modern, this one felt even more so, probably because of all the gadgets around. ¡°Kana, you need a phone too. I don¡¯t usually buy from ces like this, but we¡¯re in a bit of a rush.¡± ¡°In a rush?¡± It didn¡¯t seem like we were in any hurry. Da-eun didn¡¯t mind my mild doubt as she took my hand. ¡°See anything you like?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I nced around. And answered, ¡°No.¡± ¡°How could I have a preference when I don¡¯t even know what any of this is?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there something you like the look of, at least?¡± ¡°Not really¡­.¡± So even when Da-eun asked again, I could only give a simr answer. I just didn¡¯t get it, no matter how much I looked around. I scratched my cheek and tugged on Da-eun¡¯s sleeve. ¡°I¡¯ll just get the same one as you.¡± She didn¡¯t seem like the type to settle for anything bad, so her choice should be reliable. After I said that, Da-eun looked at me with an oddly touched expression. ¡°So, you wanted to use the same one as your big sis¡­ got it!¡± After that, everything moved quickly. Da-eun asked the staff to bring over a phone identical to hers, and within moments, they handed it over with a big smile¡ªlikely because it meant a sale. In no time, the phone was activated, and the payment wasplete. I don¡¯t really know the prices here on Earth, but I doubt what we spent today was cheap¡­ Da-eun must be quite well-off if she can buy things so easily without hesitation. ¡°All done! Here, Kana, this is your phone¡­ Hold on.¡± I reached out to take the phone she handed over, but she quickly pulled it back, leaving my hand hanging mid-air. I suppose it doesn¡¯t count as teasing if she hadn¡¯t actually given it to me. As I sat there, watching her fiddle with the phone, she eventually ced it in my hand. ¡°It¡¯s my number!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you took it back?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t let anyone else have the honor of being the first contact saved in Kana¡¯s phone!¡± ¡°Honestly¡­¡± She was making a big fuss over nothing. But still, it didn¡¯t feel bad. ¡°Thanks.¡± When I smiled a little, Da-eun returned my smile and patted my head. Feeling the pat through my hat, I held the phone she¡¯d bought me tightly. For some reason, just looking at her number disyed on the screen made me feel oddly reassured. After a while, Da-eun helped me to my feet. ¡°I¡¯m d you seem to like it. Well, now that everything¡¯s done, shall we go home? You can look at your phone back at home, right?¡± Her tone was gentle, coaxing. I nodded. ¡°Yeah, but¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°How do I turn this thing off?¡± ¡­I wasn¡¯t staring at it because I wanted to. Da-eun stared at me nkly for a moment before bursting intoughter. ¡°Here, this is how you tap.¡± Then she carefully went through everything, exining each function, though herughter slipped out now and then. ¡­Just because I didn¡¯t know, she didn¡¯t have tough so much. I pouted a bit. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 145 [So, when is Joanie << It¡¯s already been five days off!!! Come on, I¡¯ve already exhausted all my excuses!!!!!!! [Comments] ¡ªIf you¡¯re still waiting, it looks like you¡¯re not done with them yet. ¡ªLame streamer got her easy rewards from NPCs, and then her honey pot broke, so now she can¡¯t go back to it, LOL. ©» ??? Joanie isme? ©» She was a big deal even before starting Silia Online, LOL. ©» Obvious troll. Just ignore and don¡¯t feed.*** The differences between Earth and Silia are so many that listing them all would be exhausting. But if I had to choose the biggest one, it would probably be ¡°the foundation upon which each civilization developed.¡± Silia¡¯s civilization is rooted in mana, while Earth¡¯s is built on thews of nature. Who knows? For now, Earth¡¯s technology is certainly convenient, but maybe one day, Silia could develop to Earth¡¯s level. Or, maybe one day, Earth might even learn to harness mana like Silia. ¡°Thetter is actually quite possible.¡± And the reason I¡¯m thinking about this all of a sudden is that¡­ As I was getting ready to go out with Da-eun, I suddenly realized something I had overlooked. When Da-eun suggested I disguise myself to avoid hassle, initially, I took her words to mean it would be annoying because people might recognize me. In Silia, I had to hide my identity due to the Empire, but here, I¡¯m not a criminal, so should I really hide? As much as I hate hassles, living like a fugitive doesn¡¯t sit well with me. When I told her this, Da-eun shook her head and exined: ¡°It¡¯s not just criminals who cover their faces. Lots of people do it just to avoid recognition¡ªfamous singers, actors, and so on.¡± That¡¯s when I remembered that this world is incredibly advanced inmunication technology. In Silia, even if I were to reveal myself, the news would spread only by word of mouth. But here, it could spread across the entire world in a matter of seconds. No one would seriously believe the ¡°fantasy-like event¡± of an in-game NPC showing up in real life. Still, seeing the unabashed posts on Da-eun¡¯s phone made me ept her advice without further argument. If there¡¯s a hell on Earth, surely that¡¯s it. It was truly horrifying¡­ Anyway, for those reasons and Edel¡¯s advice to hold back as much as possible, I n to keep a low profile for the time being. *** ¡°¡­Okay? Absolutely, absolutely do note in. Got it?¡± ¡°I said I got it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll y with you lots after, so even if you miss me, hold it in, okay?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s likely.¡± She doesn¡¯t need to worry that much. ¡°It¡¯s soundproof, so you won¡¯t hear anything, but¡­ just ignore any sounds you do hear, alright?¡± ¡°What if it¡¯s an actual emergency?¡± ¡°An¡­ an emergency¡­?¡± Da-eun put on a mock-serious face at my question. ¡°Well, life is fleeting¡­ sudden, unexpected tragedy could happen at any moment.¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t mean it that seriously.¡± ¡°Oh! I have an idea!¡± Da-eun grabbed my phone. She fiddled with it for a moment, then handed it back to me. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°I set it so that if something happens to me, Kana will get an alert on her phone. This way, you¡¯ll be notified if anything goes wrong, and you won¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ alright.¡± ¡­I didn¡¯t really mean for her to go that far. Not expecting her to be so thorough, I nodded, a bit taken aback. Satisfied, Da-eun patted my head, then suddenly gasped. ¡°Oh no, look at the time¡­ I¡¯m going to bete! Kana, I¡¯m going to start streaming now, so remember everything I told you!¡± Then, before I could even answer, she dashed into her room. Judging by her frantic pace, it seemed she really was pressed for time. ¡°But¡­ why is she dressed like that?¡± She wasn¡¯t going to attend a banquet or anything, so why was she wearing such a stiff outfit? ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure she has her reasons.¡± Shrugging, I picked up a piece of chocte and popped it into my mouth. Munch. *** ¡°¡­I¡¯m notte, right?¡± Pant, pant¡­ Da-eun caught her breath as she checked the time. Thankfully, she sighed with relief upon confirming that it wasn¡¯t yet the scheduled time. ¡°How many days has it been? Four? Five?¡± Whatever it was, showing upte after taking a break for several days would surely invite quite a reaction, and it didn¡¯t take much to imagine what that would look like. It would be like pouring gasoline on a zing fire. If this were a campfire, watching the mes would be enjoyable, but since the fire was in her own ¡°house,¡± she couldn¡¯t exactly just sit back and watch. ¡°It¡¯s my own fault, after all¡­¡± Her half-hearted break notice was hastily written and posted because she couldn¡¯t muster the motivation to do anything else, so people had every reason to be mad. Still, judging from the unexpectedly mild responses, it seemed some people understood Da-eun¡¯s situation. ¡°¡­Or maybe not?¡± Back in her traveling days, she remembered getting even gentler responses. With a strange, indescribable feeling, Da-eun checked her outfit onest time. The formal suit she hadn¡¯t worn in a while still fit snugly, and that snug fit felt stifling. ¡°Whew¡­¡± Standing in front of a green chroma key screen in her formal suit, Da-eun took a deep breath. She was well aware that thebination of a suit and a green chroma key screen was a long-standing tradition in the world of inte streaming. It may have started as a setup for serious apology videos, but it had since be a meme, often used for yful or lighthearted apologies. Still, this was her first time doing it herself, and Da-eun felt a bit nervous. ¡°¡­It¡¯ With onest check of her streaming settings, Da-eun clicked the start button. ¡ªHere we go~ ¡ªRock ¡ªOn ¡ªMom, I¡¯m freezing ¡ªRock ¡ªAsking for the 456,189th time: Why are youte? ¡ªJoanie, I¡¯ve actually loved you for a long time. I¡¯ve been hiding my feelings because Icked the courage, but now I won¡¯t¡ª ¡ªSeriously, dude, this isn¡¯t your private chatroom. ¡°Wow¡­¡± As the flood of chat messages poured in, Da-eun involuntarily winced. And she thought to herself: ¡°Thank goodness Kana isn¡¯t watching this.¡± This was the reason she had stopped Kana from watching her stream. Da-eun had been streaming for a long time and was familiar with inte culture, so she could handle it. But for Kana, who wasn¡¯t used to this, the chaotic flood of messages would have been overwhelming. Someday, Kana might encounter this kind of thing, but at least it wouldn¡¯t be today. ¡°Ahem, hello, this is Joanie.¡± ¡ªIsn¡¯t she supposed to be dead? How did shee back to life? Haha ¡ªJoanie¡¯s dead; this is Joanie Mk2. ¡ªAha! ¡ªDidn¡¯t youe back too quickly? I¡¯m worried you might get the bends. ¡ªLook at that shiny face, LOL. [10,000 won donation from ¡®Please Don¡¯t Get Sick!¡¯ Thank you!] ¡ªIt must¡¯ve been tough, but thank you foring back. Don¡¯t worry about the chat and take a longer break if you need it. ¡ª??? ¡ªWho are you to make that decision?? ¡ªSo sweet~ ¡ªEw, cringe¡­ ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for not exining properly and taking an unexpected break for several days.¡± As soon as Da-eun got straight to the point, the chatroom red up, then calmed down slightly. She exined that she had been exhausted from streaming non-stop for weeks, and the unexpected loss had hit her hard, leading to severe burnout. Viewers each shared their own thoughts after hearing her calm exnation. ¡ªShe really has been working hardtely. ¡ªHonestly, it makes sense she¡¯d be in shock¡­ I felt down, too, when I thought I¡¯d never see Kana again. ¡ªUgh, look at the over-invested ones getting all worked up, lol. ¡ªWho¡¯s gonna roast her? ¡ªHmm¡­ but didn¡¯t she already take breaks when she was in the ¡®Garbage Dump¡¯? ¡ªHuh? Now that you mention it¡­ She said she recorded stuff back then but didn¡¯t even upload it. ¡ªShall we burn it, Master? ¡°Ah¡­¡± Da-eun¡¯s expression froze for a moment as they hit the mark. ¡°I-I¡¯ll upload it soon¡­¡± ¡ªOh ¡ªGot it! ¡ªLooking forward to it! Even though it had sparked quite a controversy back then, somehow, it ended up helping her smooth things over now. Da-eun nced through the now-calmer chat and sighed in relief. [A 5,000 won donation from ¡®Anonymous Benefactor¡¯! Thank you!] ¡ªSo, when are you returning to Silia Online? ¡°Silia Online¡­ hmm.¡± ¡ªWould you want to go back? ¡ªIs there any reason she can¡¯t? ¡ªAh, there goes the hype! ¡ªI mean, wouldn¡¯t it be strange if she felt like ying after an NPC she was fond of died? ¡ªAre you going back to traveling, then? ¡°I¡¯ll return eventually, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be anytime soon. Like I said, after living in Silia for weeks, there¡¯s a lot of stuff I¡¯ve been putting off, so I¡¯ll probably pick it back up after I handle everything.¡± ¡ªTrantion: She has no intention of ying Silia, so if you bring it up again, expect to be ¡°cut down.¡± ¡ªThere it is! ¡ªI¡¯m Joanie, and I approve of this message. ¡ªJoanie doesn¡¯t talk like that¡­ ¡°No, I¡¯m not saying I won¡¯t y, I¡¯m just really busy.¡± ¡ªGot it, haha. ¡ªAh, is that the angle you¡¯re going with? ¡ªAbsolutely, everything the host says is right. ¡®¡­Stubborn fools.¡¯ No matter how sincerely she exined, they wouldn¡¯t believe her. Da-eun muttered under her breath, clutching her throbbing head. She hadn¡¯t considered quitting Silia, especially now that she knew Kana was alive and living with her. ¡®Kana said that ying Silia helps her.¡¯ So, after finishing her urgent matters, she nned to go back. But the chat was full of disbelief. ¡°Believe it or not, that¡¯s the n¡­ and I¡¯m also nning to start traveling again soon.¡± Traveling with Kana would be so much fun. When they¡¯d been in Silia, Kana had led her around, so now it would be Da-eun¡¯s turn to guide her. Imagining herself traveling with the small girl, Da-eun couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡ªIs she smiling? ¡ªSmiling? ¡ªHey, she¡¯s smiling. ¡°¡­Anyway, I apologize again for taking a break without any notice.¡± Da-eun bowed deeply. Fortunately, the response was positive. After all, she had at least posted a brief announcement, and many recent viewers had joined to see Kana, so they understood Da-eun¡¯s feelings. ¡ªBut it does feel empty¡­ I liked seeing them bicker and have fun. ¡ªI watched the videos on repeat during the break. ¡ªThere¡¯s even a memorial line now. ¡ªReally? ¡°A memorial line? People are doing that?¡± ¡ªHmm? Why are you being informal? ¡ªIs that a bit too casual? ¡ªAre we your friends or something? ¡°Hey, the apology stream is over. Now it¡¯s just us chatting.¡± ¡ªSo shameless; ¡ªPeople are going to where Kana ¡°died¡± to leave flowers and stuff. ¡ªSome people were even crying. ¡ªHm¡­ sentimental much? ¡ªHost, aren¡¯t you going to visit, too? ¡°Hmm¡­¡± After a brief moment of thought, Da-eun shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± Da-eun thought that if she actually went there, it would be the strangest thing. Knowing that Kana was perfectly fine, participating in a memorial felt bizarre. ¡®It¡¯s like they¡¯re holding a service asking her to die again.¡¯ Of course, the viewers had no way of knowing Da-eun¡¯s circumstances. ¡ªThat¡¯s rough; ¡ªWas I the only one being genuine here? ¡ªWell, as expected lol, the overly invested fans getting their money¡¯s worth¡­ (message deleted) ¡ªThis is a bit disappointing¡­ ¡ª ?? To them, it felt like a betrayal that someone who imed to truly care about Kana would refuse to visit a memorial. Just as Da-eun realized she should exin herself and quickly opened her mouth to respond¡ª Crash! Bang! ¡°¡­?!¡± A loud noise suddenly came from outside. It was so loud that it prated the soundproof booth, causing Da-eun to flinch in shock. ¡ªWhat was that? What happened? ¡ªSounded like something broke? ¡ªIs it a thief? ¡ªAt that level, wouldn¡¯t it be a robber, not a thief? ¡ª ;; Shouldn¡¯t you check it out? The viewers expressed their concern as the noise filtered through the mic. But Da-eun didn¡¯t hear theirments. Bang! She had already opened the door to the soundproof booth and was running out. ¡®Kana¡­!¡¯ She¡¯d mentioned feeling unwell¡ªcould she have copsed? If she¡¯d known, she would¡¯ve stayed by her side¡­! Heart pounding with worry, Da-eun rushed toward the source of the noise¡ª ¡°Are you¡­ okay¡­?¡± And then she saw it. Kana was standing on tiptoe on a chair, reaching out toward a high shelf, with pieces of a broken te scattered on the floor. It looked like a battlefield. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°What¡­ are you doing?¡± ¡°¡­There was chocte up there¡­¡± Kana looked away, rolling her eyes as if trying to avoid Da-eun¡¯s gaze, and Da-eun put a hand to her forehead. And she thought to herself, It seems like Kana really is just like a cat. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 146 Da-eun didn¡¯t have any particr reason for cing the chocte on that high shelf. ¡®Snacks¡­ should be put in the cupboard.¡¯ If they were within easy reach, she would be tempted to eat them every time she walked by, so she made a habit¡ªa quirk, really¡ªof putting snacks somewhere harder to reach. Today¡¯s grocery arrangement was simply the result of her routine. But there was one difference today. She now had a housemate, and that housemate had watched her organizing everything. Here¡¯s how it all went down. After Da-eun left to start her stream, Kana, who was left alone, was scrolling through her phone when she suddenly felt the need for something to snack on. She remembered that Da-eun had put some snacks in the cupboard. She likely wouldn¡¯t have listened even if Da-eun had told her not to eat any, but in any case, Da-eun hadn¡¯t said so, so Kana headed straight to the cupboard. ¡®Oh.¡¯Kana¡¯s hand couldn¡¯t reach the cupboard. Of course, it was only natural. Even for Da-eun, who was taller than the average Korean woman, it wasn¡¯t easy to reach, so for Kana, who was much shorter than her peers, it was nearly impossible. There was a time when Kana could move through the air like it was solid ground, but indoors, that wasn¡¯t an option. Not to mention, in her weakened state, even attempting such a move would surely slow her already sluggish recovery. Even after jumping several times, her hands just wouldn¡¯t reach, so Kana looked up at the cupboard with frustrated eyes. Why did that cupboard have to be unnecessarily high, making her suffer? A product created for human convenience was, ironically, making life harder for her in this ridiculous situation. Finally, Kana dragged over a chair from the kitchen. Standing on the rather high chair and stretching up, Kana¡¯s hand finally touched the chocte. ¡®¡­Oops.¡¯ Maybe it was because of all that shopping, but a sudden wave of fatigue hit her, and she momentarily lost her bnce. Instinctively, she grabbed whatever was nearby. ? And the result was¡ª Crash! Thud! Just as Da-eun ran out in a hurry, a full-blown disaster had unfolded. Luckily, Kana hadn¡¯t fallen, but every te her iling hands had brushed against came tumbling down and shattered into pieces. ¡®¡­I messed up.¡¯ Without even grabbing the chocte that was at her fingertips, Kana muttered to herself as she surveyed the disaster zone. That was the whole story. After hearing Kana¡¯s slow, hesitant confession, her gaze averted, Da-eun sighed. When will I be able to clean up this mess? Da-eun looked around with a troubled expression, then turned to Kana. ¡°You¡¯re not hurt, are you?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Hurt? Me? Da-eun had half-expected such a response, but to her surprise, Kana answered without resistance. ¡®She must have been really startled¡­.¡¯ Kana, who was usually so confident, looked genuinely dejected. Seeing this unexpectedly childlike side of her, Da-eun, who had considered scolding her for such a major ident, softened. Her protective instinct, mixed with pity, pushed away her irritation. ¡®Yeah. For her to do that, she must have really wanted a snack, especially when she¡¯s unwell.¡¯ Da-eun¡¯s gaze softened,pletely won over by Kana¡¯s unintentional charms. ¡°It¡¯s a relief you¡¯re not hurt. As for the tes¡­ I can always buy more. Just stay where you are for now.¡± To prevent Kana from stepping on any small shards she might not have seen, Da-eun added this instruction, worried Kana might misunderstand her intentions. After confirming that Kana nodded, she left to get cleaning supplies. Sweeping up therge pieces with a broom and vacuuming up the smaller shards, she meticulously removed even the tiniest splinters with tape. Then, she lifted Kana, who was still standing on the chair. Kana¡¯s light weight and warm body were fully supported in Da-eun¡¯s arms. Hanging there, staring straight at Da-eun, Kana lowered her eyes. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, no, no. Kana, you didn¡¯t do it on purpose, right? Besides, it¡¯s my fault for putting it up there in the first ce, so let¡¯s just call this a mutual mistake. Yeah?¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± ¡®Hmm. That was a pretty mature response, if I do say so myself. Good job, Shin Da-eun!¡¯ If Kana had heard, she would have thought, ¡®That¡¯s Da-eun for you,¡¯ and any goodwill she¡¯d felt for Da-eun just now would¡¯ve been significantly reduced. But, since Kana couldn¡¯t read Da-eun¡¯s thoughts, she remained unaware of what Da-eun was thinking. ¡°Ipletely understand now why families with kids use stic dishes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a kid, you know.¡± Having picked up on the context, Kana retorted sulkily. ¡°Oh? If you¡¯re not a kid, then I might need to punish you for breaking the tes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh no, looks like I¡¯m broken too.¡± Caught in a verbal trap, Kana froze stiffly. Sway, sway. ¡°¡­Put me down.¡± Kana, who had turned rigid like a piece of wood, swayed wherever Da-eun¡¯s hand moved until she finally snapped back to her senses. Only after Kana¡¯s eyebrows started to twitch did Da-eun set her down. If I don¡¯t stop here, I might get scratched. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s a relief it wasn¡¯t something serious. For a moment, I really thought we were being robbed.¡± Looking back, Da-eun realized she¡¯d have nothing to worry about even if there were a break-in, thanks to her trusty ¡®guard cat.¡¯ But at the time, she was genuinely startled by themotion. As she gently stroked Kana¡¯s soft hair, Da-eun¡¯s eyes suddenly widened. ¡°Oh, the stream¡­!¡± She¡¯d had this nagging feeling that she was forgetting something, and now she remembered¡ªshe¡¯d dashed out in the middle of streaming! Since she hadn¡¯t grabbed her phone on the way out, she couldn¡¯t check, but she could easily imagine the state of the chat right now. Compared to the mess Kana made, it was probably pure chaos. Thinking about diving back into that pandemonium, Da-eun couldn¡¯t help but stifle a sigh. ¡°I have to get back to work, so no more idents, okay?¡± Da-eun peeled open the chocte she had taken from the cupboard. She ced it in Kana¡¯s mouth, dusted off her knees, and got up. ¡®How nice it would be to just lie down and sleep with Kana like this.¡¯ But reality is cold¡­ Hugging Kana and drifting off now would feel good in the moment, but it could mean sleeping on the cold streetster. ¡®And if that happened, I wouldn¡¯t be able to stay with Kana either¡­¡¯ That must never happen! With renewed determination, Da-eun returned to the soundproof booth, sat down, and took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± As expected, the chat was an utter mess, with worries,ints, and some chaotic trolling all mixed in. Seizing the moment, she brushed aside some of the rude remarks and exined, ¡°What happened? Oh, the tes fell and broke. That¡¯s why I was a bitte after cleaning up.¡± ¡ªOhh ¡ªWhy did the tes suddenly break? ¡ªWas there an earthquake? ¡ªDoesn¡¯t she live in Seoul? No rms went off. ¡ªDid you move to Japan? ¡°Oh, um¡­ I think they copsed because I didn¡¯t stack them properly after washing. It was a total mess.¡± ¡ªMy tes copsed just yesterday¡­ ¡ªAt least it happened while you were streaming. ¡ªYeah, if it had been while cooking, you could¡¯ve been hit on the head; ¡ªIt could¡¯ve been dangerous; ¡ªCrazy guy lol ¡ªLOL ¡°¡­Pfft! Really, is almost getting my head cracked open that funny?!¡± ¡ªUm? ¡ª??? ¡ªYou¡¯re the oneughing, so why me us? ¡ªAnyway, nothing broke, right? Seeing that Da-eun was safe, her concerned viewers immediately returned to their usual antics. However, not everyone thought the same way. ¡ª¡±Am I the only one who thinks it¡¯s strange? Why did the tes suddenly fall like that?¡± ¡ª¡±She said she didn¡¯t stack them right.¡± ¡ª¡±If they weren¡¯t stacked properly, they should¡¯ve fallen sooner. How does it make sense for them to full out of nowhere during her stream?¡± ¡ª¡±It¡¯s ¡®fall¡¯ not ¡®full.¡¯¡± ¡ª¡±Why can¡¯t you spell?¡± ¡ª¡±So what are you trying to say?¡± Questions filled with suspicion. Though thesements were fewpared to the overall chat, they were enough to stir up others. Da-eun¡¯s moderators moved to delete them, but the chatroom had already descended into chaos, with viewers either agreeing with or arguing against the theories. ¡ª¡±Did she bring her boyfriend over or something?¡± ¡ª¡±Boyfriend? Give it a rest; that¡¯s baseless.¡± ¡ª¡±Isn¡¯t it weird she took a few unexpected days off too?¡± ¡ª¡±Why do these weirdostch onto streamers who don¡¯t even do fan service?¡± ¡ª¡±Streaming with a cam isn¡¯t fan service?¡± ¡ª¡±So just because she uses a cam, it¡¯s automatically fan service?¡± ¡ª¡±Please stop feeding the trolls.¡± ¡ª¡±This is getting nasty.¡± ¡°Haah.¡± To think they could blow something as small as broken tes out of proportion like this. Da-eun sighed, impressed by their bizarre imagination but reluctant to argue back. She didn¡¯t have a boyfriend, as they suggested, but she did live with someone, which wasn¡¯t exactly a lie. Despite the moderators throwing around bans and temporary blocks, the uproar wasn¡¯t calming down, so Da-eun finally decided to set things straight. ¡°Alright, alright. Calm down and listen up. The truth is, I have a younger cousin staying over. That noise earlier? That was my cousin messing around and causing trouble.¡± ¡ª¡±Huh?¡± ¡ª¡±Wait, so your cousin caused that mess?¡± ¡ª¡±What? So it was a lie?¡± ¡ª¡±Of course! Makes sense. How could tes just randomly break like that, right? lol¡± ¡ª¡±The ones who were pushing the boyfriend theory have some nerve calling it ¡®of course.''¡± ¡°They came to cheer me up because I haven¡¯t been feeling great these past few days.¡± ¡ª¡±If it¡¯s your cousin, couldn¡¯t you have just said so?¡± ¡ª¡±Seriously, why lie about it in the first ce?¡± ¡ª¡±Lol, guess why.¡± ¡ª¡±How is this troll still not banned?¡± ¡ª¡±Does your cousin know you¡¯re streaming?¡± ¡ª¡±Invite the cousin on stream!¡± A clever mix of truth and a little lie. ¡°Why did I lie? ¡­Because if I told you all right away, things would go crazy, like this.¡± Da-eun pointed out a message in the chat asking to bring her cousin on stream. ¡°See? You think I¡¯d want to tell the truth when I know this is how you¡¯ll react?¡± ¡ª¡±lol, true.¡± ¡ª¡±LOL¡± ¡ª¡±Caught in the act.¡± ¡ª¡±Are they a girl?¡± ¡ª¡±Huh? She said cousin, why are you asking if it¡¯s a girl?¡± ¡ª¡±Well, if it¡¯s a cousin, they¡¯ll look like the streamer, so they must be pretty, right?¡± ¡ª¡±That¡­ makes sense¡­?!¡± ¡ª¡±Now I kind of want to see them too.¡± ¡°Dream on. I¡¯m never showing them on stream. Even if I wanted to, I couldn¡¯t. My cousin has to agree first.¡± ¡ª¡±Can¡¯t you just ask?¡± ¡ª¡±Just give it a try!¡± ¡ª¡±I¡¯ll hold my breath until the cousin debuts, inhale!¡± ¡ª¡±Inhale!¡± ¡ª¡±Says so here?¡± Before thetest topic could cool, they seamlessly picked up a new one. Why were they so curious about someone else¡¯s cousin? Though Da-eun firmly denied them, she let out a sigh as the chat remained lively with curiosity. At some point, viewers even started putting up donations for a ¡°show us the cousin¡± mission. The initial amount was small, but as it grew bit by bit, it soon added up to an impressive sum. It was enough that even Da-eun found it hard to ignore¡ª ¡°Yeah, no. Mission cancelled.¡± ¡ª¡±Aw.¡± ¡ª¡±Rejected.¡± ¡ª¡±That sucks.¡± ¡ª¡±Well, if they¡¯re a private person, so it can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡ª¡±Dang.¡± Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Da-eun cancelled the mission. It was a choice that went against public opinion, but since this was a family matter, the viewers mostly understood and epted it. Afterward, Da-eun wrapped up the stream with a few updates and stories. And so, the broadcast, which had taken an unexpected turn due to Kana¡¯s mishap, finally ended, and the once chaotic atmosphere settled down. ¡­At least, for now, it seemed that way. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 147 ¡°Haa¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Haaaa¡­¡± ¡°¡­Da-eun.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Sighing like that won¡¯t cause the ground to cave in, you know.¡± Unless it were a dragon¡¯s Breath Attack, that is. Not only was she sighing, but her face was filled with so much worry that anyone looking at her might think she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. Still, I was curious about why Da-eun was sighing. After all, it wasn¡¯t just for a day; she¡¯d been like this for three days straight now.If it was just one day, I could have brushed it off as ¡°Da-eun being weird again.¡± But when it¡¯s two, then three days in a row, it¡¯s hard to ignore. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°It just looks like you¡¯ve got a lot on your mind.¡± Da-eun awkwardly scratched her head. ¡°¡­You noticed?¡± ¡°How could I not?¡± It was like her whole body was screaming, ¡°I have a problem!¡± Why did she think anyone wouldn¡¯t notice? I just sat quietly, waiting for her to speak, and Da-eun sighed once more before sitting across from me. Plop. ¡°It¡¯s nothing big.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like ¡®nothing¡¯ to me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really nothing¡­ Well, it¡¯s a bit of a headache, though.¡± To tell or not to tell. It seemed Da-eun¡¯s internal scale had finally tipped. ¡°Well, you know¡­ remember the day you broke the dishes, Kana?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± It¡¯s not like it happened that long ago. If I didn¡¯t remember, I¡¯d either be shameless or really forgetful. Unfortunately, I¡¯m neither of those. ¡°¡­But why?¡± Could it be that she¡¯s bringing it up now to scold me? Of course, the dish set we bought yesterday was more expensive than I thought¡­ It did make me realize my mistake more deeply. But she said she wouldn¡¯t get mad. Feeling a bit on edge, I held my breath and waited for Da-eun to continue. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not ming you, Kana.¡± Noticing my expression, Da-eun waved her hands to reassure me. ¡°It¡¯s just, I was streaming when the dishes broke. The noise got picked up on the stream. I told them it was my cousin who had an ident, but now they keep pestering me to bring my ¡®cousin¡¯ on the stream. I kick them out whenever they mention it, but they just keep popping up everywhere. It¡¯s driving me crazy¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Finally, I understood the meaning behind Da-eun¡¯s sighs. She feels uneasy about having me on her stream, yet ignoring it only makes the chat worse. ¡°Well, I can keep the chat in check on stream, but in the fan caf¨¦ ormunity forums, it¡¯s not that easy. Now there are people saying I¡¯m lying to cover up a secret boyfriend. And as my poprity¡¯s grown, so have the weird ones in my fanbase.¡± If it were back in the day, even if she did have a boyfriend, things wouldn¡¯t have gotten this intense. Da-eun muttered to herself. ¡°If it really were a boyfriend, at least it wouldn¡¯t feel so unfair.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°I kind of wish I¡¯d been born a guy too. It feels unfair.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Half-joking, half-serious, I threw the words out there, and Da-eun¡¯s narrowed eyes took a slow look over me. Then she shook her head with a smile. ¡°I won¡¯t allow that! Kana is perfect as she is now!¡± ¡°¡­Why does Da-eun get to decide that?¡± ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s the situation. Sigh¡­ It¡¯s not like I can just take a break, either.¡± ¡°If you want to rest, just take a break.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already taken a few days off, and the viewers still aren¡¯t fully reassured. If I announce a break in the middle of all these boyfriend rumors, it¡¯ll only make things worse.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯splicated.¡± In moments like this, maybe Silia is the better choice. ¡®¡­Or maybe not?¡¯ I quickly dismissed that thought. Although it¡¯s not exactly the same, simr situations happen in Silia too. Mainly in the social circles where the nobles gather. Who¡¯s eyeing whom, who supposedly has a secret lover somewhere¡­ People would go on and on about these things as if they were the most entertaining stories in the world. And given that some of them actually had the power to bury someone¡¯s reputation, it was truly nasty. Thinking about it now, maybe gossiping about others is just part of human nature. ¡°If it were me, I would¡¯ve just taken the break.¡± And left the aftermath to Aeron. To my rather irresponsible suggestion, Da-eun responded like this: ¡°But then I wouldn¡¯t be able to buy Kana delicious choctes.¡± ¡°Hm. Well, in that case, I suppose there¡¯s no choice.¡± You should¡¯ve said that from the start. I nodded, and Da-eun¡¯s face looked a bit exasperated. But the look didn¡¯tst long before her face returned to one of deep concern. ¡°Unless I n to quit this job entirely, taking breaks is the worst choice I can make.¡± Judging by what she said, Da-eun doesn¡¯t seem to be thinking about quitting streaming anytime soon. It¡¯s not easy to give up a job that supports you without any backup ns. As I pondered over Da-eun¡¯s worries with her, a thought came to mind. ¡®Is this really something worth stressing over?¡¯ In the end, the viewers only want one thing. They just want Da-eun to introduce her ¡°cousin¡± on the stream. If that¡¯s the case, the solution is simple. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°¡­Kana will?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t we trying to keep things as low-profile as possible? Did you change your mind?¡± ¡°Nope, not that.¡± I shook my head slightly, indicating that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°We don¡¯t have to actually show my face, right?¡± Point. I pointed at something, and Da-eun followed the direction of my finger. ¡°¡­Oh!¡± She let out a brief exmation. What I was pointing at was a costume headpiece. If I put that on, you wouldn¡¯t see even a strand of my hair, let alone my face. I don¡¯t know why she has something like that at home, but it seems perfect for the situation at hand. ¡°I just need to alter my voice a little.¡± If I do that, no one would think I¡¯m Canaria. And even if someone does, voicing it out loud would only make them sound like they¡¯re delusional. ¡°¡­This could work.¡± Da-eun stroked her chin, clearly seeing the logic in my n, and responded positively. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to burden you¡­ but if you¡¯re okay with it, could you do it for me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with it.¡± It would be strange to oppose the idea when I was the one who suggested it. There¡¯s no reason to worry, especially since I won¡¯t be showing my face. Above all¡ª ¡°If my sponsor disappears, that¡¯ll be a problem for me too.¡± ¡°¡­Kana, your true feelings slipped out.¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t slip out; I meant them.¡± ¡°Kana, Kana, what are you saying¡­?¡± However, even with what seems like a perfect n, there was one w. ¡°What if they still don¡¯t believe it, even after I go on stream?¡± Wouldn¡¯t that make all our efforts pointless? I tilted my head as I asked, but surprisingly, Da-eun didn¡¯t seem to be worried. ¡°That¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve done my part by introducing you, right? I have a clear justification, so if anyone acts out, I can ban them. And those who won¡¯t believe me now wouldn¡¯t believe me no matter what I do.¡± This whole thing shouldn¡¯t have gotten this big anyway. ¡°There are always people who enjoy stirring things up¡­¡± Da-eun muttered, certain that this mess had been fueled by troublemakers. With my n epted, we sat down together to go over the story we¡¯d present. Although, in reality, it was mostly Da-eun who came up with the details. Since I hadn¡¯t been on Earth for long, I still wasn¡¯t familiar with its culture or Da-eun¡¯s family situation, so it was only natural. ¡°How is it? Doesn¡¯t it sound pretty convincing?¡± ¡°Da-eun, was being a writer your dream?¡± ¡°What? Haha, not at all! Like I said before, I hate sitting still for too long!¡± Da-eunughed lightly, waving her hand as if the thought was absurd. Still, her storytelling skills were pretty impressive. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s from watching a lot of dramas or reading books?¡± Da-eun suggested, attributing her storytelling abilities to indirect experiences. In any case, thanks to ¡°amateur writer¡± Da-eun, wepleted our little deception. ¡°When should we introduce me?¡± As I repeatedly read over the details we¡¯d written, memorizing them, Da-eun asked me about the timing. When, huh? I tapped my lips lightly and tilted my head. ¡°They say to strike while the iron is hot.¡± If we hesitate, I¡¯ll just end up seeing Da-eun sigh for another day, right? She sighed so often that, if I were a sensitive person, I¡¯d have smacked her on the back ages ago. I let it slide, but hearing it so often was exhausting in its own way. ¡°Let¡¯s do it today.¡± ¡°¡­Where did you learn to say something like that?¡± In a past life. But of course, I couldn¡¯t say that, so I just shrugged lightly. *** *** It¡¯s not umon for viewers to want to see a streamer¡¯s family. There are various reasons. Some hope to hear stories from the streamer¡¯s past that they haven¡¯t shared themselves. Others expect to see an unfiltered, hidden side of the streamer. And some just want to see the chemistry between family members in a candid, casual setting. The strong demand to see Da-eun¡¯s ¡°cousin¡± was for simr reasons. While the initial spark may have been lit by a few malicious troublemakers, the fact that the topicsted this long indicated that many viewers were, in fact, genuinely interested. So, when Da-eun announced that she¡¯d introduce her ¡°cousin¡±¡­ ¡ªHahahaha finallllyy!!!!! ¡ª ¡°We won!!!!¡± ¡ª ¡°If you¡¯re excited for the stream today, like thisment lol.¡± ¡ª ¡°What¡¯s with the hype?¡± Many cheered. It was finally an opportunity to see the ¡°cousin¡± that had been hidden so carefully. While she wasn¡¯t an immediate family member, there were bound to be some stories about her. ¡ª ¡°Am I the only one curious about how her cousin looks?¡± ¡ª ¡°If she looks anything like the streamer, she must be pretty.¡± ¡ª ¡°Bet the cousin is just another anime-obsessed nerd.¡± ¡ª ¡°If she was actually pretty, she¡¯d have shown up by now. Must be a real in Jane.¡± ¡ª ¡°Do you think everyone just wants to show off if they¡¯re pretty?¡± ¡ª ¡°Says the one who¡¯s insecure about his own looks.¡± ¡ª ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys afraid of getting sued? She¡¯s a private citizen, y¡¯know lol.¡± Excitement about her appearance was palpable. Da-eun rarely showcased her looks on stream. However, it was hard to say that her appearance hadn¡¯t contributed to her rapid rise in poprity. Objectively, Da-eun had a striking appearance, and there were certainly followers who¡¯d subscribed because they were drawn to her looks. Naturally, people thought, ¡°The cousin must be pretty too, given they share some blood!¡± It was more wishful thinking than logical deduction. Realistically, whether Da-eun¡¯s cousin was beautiful or not was irrelevant to the viewers. But the appreciation of beauty is instinctive, so why overthink it? With everyone waiting in anticipation, the seconds ticked away as the promised stream time approached. Though it wasn¡¯t her peak viewer count, a significant number of people were eagerly waiting for the broadcast to begin. Finally, the tightly shut door opened. [Joanie has started streaming.] [Introducing the Cousin Special] ¡ª ¡°Here¡¯s my addiction!¡± ¡ª ¡°Let¡¯s goooo!¡± ¡ª ¡°Firstment!¡± ¡ª ¡°Hey Joanie!¡± The chat filled rapidly. The surge in viewers momentarily caused the chat tog. Usually, when Da-eun started her stream, she would disy a loading screen and wait for people to join, but perhaps because she sensed the influx, this time, the camera was already live, showing the soundproof booth. Viewers cheered, thrilled by the straightforward start with no dys. However, after one minute, two minutes¡­ and then three minutes passed with no changes to the screen. Neither the supposed ¡°cousin¡± nor Da-eun herself appeared, and just as the chat began to murmur with curiosity¡ª Creak. The soundproof booth¡¯s door opened. Thud. A child wearing a cat mascot costume walked in and sat in the chair. Clearly, this was no adult. The chat froze for a moment, then erupted. Head tilt. The cat costume tilted its head, as if puzzled by their reaction, which seemed to be the cue for the chat to explode. ¡ª ¡°??????¡± ¡ª ¡°?¡± ¡ª ¡°???¡± ¡ª ¡°??¡± ¡ª ¡°A gathering?¡± ¡ª ¡°Lololol¡± ¡ª ¡°OMG lololol¡± ¡ª ¡°Whaaat¡± ¡ª ¡°Could it be??¡± As the costume-wearing girl stared at the whirlwind of confusion in the chat¡ª Canaria thought to herself. ¡°This¡­ this must be hell.¡± ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 148 Reincarnation¡­ No, I guess it¡¯s now my ¡°pre-reincarnation.¡± Anyway, if I exclude a past life I barely remember, I¡¯ve never once felt motion sickness. Even the first time I rode a carriage, I thought it was a trashy experience, but I didn¡¯t feel dizzy. That was even before I reached a higher state, so you can imagine what it was like afterward. In short, I¡¯ve lived my lifepletely free of motion sickness. But the moment I saw the scene unfolding before me, I couldn¡¯t help but murmur to myself. ¡°¡­Dizzying.¡± Ah, so this is what motion sickness feels like. So Da-eun really watches all this while streaming?Seeing all this noise just below the sound of animal cries? ¡°¡­That¡¯s just because you¡¯re here right now, it¡¯s not usually this intense.¡± I turned my head to stare at Da-eun, who had somehow crept up beside me, and she murmured defensively. ¡°If there¡¯s even a trace of human decency left in them, shouldn¡¯t they behave whether I¡¯m here or not?¡± ¡°Hey, sis.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°It¡¯s mean to hit people with facts.¡± ¡°¡­??¡± ¡ªI¡¯m too hurt inside right now¡­ ¡ªWhoa¡­ nder¡­ Whoa¡­ ¡ªThank you for the gift of truth. ¡ªI¡¯ll sue you for this nder. ¡ªShouldn¡¯t little sis be suing all of you? ¡ªWe¡¯re sor ¡ªSure~ Even if you say that, we¡¯re not stopping~ ¡°¡­This is tough.¡± It didn¡¯t look like Da-eun had any ns to stop streaming, so I thought I¡¯d try getting used to it, but it¡¯s harder than I thought. Even if Da-eun says this reaction isn¡¯t the norm, it doesn¡¯t seem particrly unusual either. ¡°You don¡¯t need to understand, sis. Actually, don¡¯t even try to understand. It won¡¯t do you any good¡­¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± I have to admit, I agree with her. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s okay?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°You¡¯re listening to all of this.¡± ¡°Ohh. Are you worried they might get hurt by it? Don¡¯t worry. They don¡¯t even blink at things like this.¡± ¡ªTrue, but why does it bother me so much? ¡ªUnlike some people, she¡¯s actually very sweet haha ¡ªPlease grow up just like this¡­ ¡ªActually, please don¡¯t grow up like this¡­ ¡ª? ¡ª? ¡ªHow old is she? ¡°I¡¯m letting it slide this time, but if anyone asks about her personal info again, it¡¯s a ban. The only thing I¡¯ll say is that she¡¯s a minor. And since she¡¯s a minor¡­ you all get it, right?¡± ? ¡ªI¡¯ve opened my notes app ?? ¡ªCan you stop taking notes and hold your breath instead? ¡ªHonestly, it was pretty clear she wasn¡¯t an adult given her size ?? ¡ªNo way!!!! Not legal!!!! ¡ªThat¡¯s a good thing <<< Now you, get out. ¡°Legal?¡± I plucked ament that had almost slipped past me in the flood of messages. The word ¡°legal¡± means something doesn¡¯t break thew, right? Was there something we were talking about that warranted such a word? Curiously, I tugged on Da-eun¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Da¡­¡± ¡­Ah, I shouldn¡¯t call her that here. ¡°¡­Sister.¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯m your sister!¡± ¡ª? lol ¡ªWhat¡¯s up with the energy? haha ¡ªWTF I almost jumped out of my seat; ¡ªWhy¡¯s she so excited? ¡ªIf she was going to love it this much, she should have brought her sooner, right? (deleted message) ¡°Are there age restrictions on streams?¡± ¡°Age restrictions? It depends on the stream. Some streams have age restrictions if the content isn¡¯t suitable for minors.¡± ¡°What kind of stream wouldn¡¯t be suitable for minors?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Like streams with drinking, excessive exposure, games with age restrictions¡­ things like that.¡± Then she leaned in closer to me, making sure her voice didn¡¯t get picked up by the mic, and whispered: ¡°¡­It¡¯s stricter here.¡± ¡°¡­True.¡± In Silia, things were much more rxed that way. In a world where it¡¯s not strange if you die at any moment, it¡¯s funny to worry about things like that, right? Plus, the standards for being considered an adult were more lenient. ¡®Can you wield a weapon and fight? Great, you pass!¡¯ ¡­Something like that. Compared to Silia, Korea here is an incredibly peaceful country, so naturally, people¡¯s awareness of human rights is higher. At first, I didn¡¯t get why something wasn¡¯t ¡°legal,¡± but after Da-eun¡¯s exnation, it all made sense. ¡°I totally understand now.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°Yeah. So you¡¯re saying you¡¯re streaming content unsuitable for minors, right?¡± ¡°Pffft¡ª?!¡± ¡ªLOLLLLL? ¡ªhahahahahahahaha ¡ªHello, adult streamer Joanie! ¡ªI almost pretended I was watching adult content when my parents came in while I was watching Joanie¡¯s stream. ¡ªConfirmed: sis¡¯s stream is R-rated ¡ªNo wonder it¡¯s appealing. (Message deleted.) Pffft! Da-eun, who had been calmly sipping from her tumbler, spat out her water. ¡°Hack, hhhck¡­! cough!¡± Even while choking, she pounded on her chest, visibly struggling. After what seemed like forever, she finally managed to catch her breath. ¡°I really thought I was going to die¡­¡± She looked at me with a deeply exasperated expression. ¡°You said you totally understood!¡± ¡°? I understood, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°In what universe is that understanding?!¡± ¡ªAh, ¡°I totally understand¡± = not understanding ¡ªYep, got it ¡ªDid¡­ I get it? ¡ªSince she said it, it must be right! ¡ªYep lol What did I get wrong? We were all fine until my age came up, and that¡¯s when the term ¡°legal¡± popped up, so there¡¯s an age-rted issue, right? If a minor can¡¯t stream age-restricted content, then logically, Da-eun must be streaming that kind of content. Isn¡¯t that a perfect conclusion? ¡°Yep, it¡¯s wless reasoning.¡± ¡ª??? It¡¯s a sound deduction with no counterarguments. ¡ªAs a detective myself, I shed a tear while giving it an upvote. ¡ªJoanie, that¡¯s low ¡ªSis made a correct point but won¡¯t admit it. Tsk tsk. ¡°What¡¯s right about it! Do you know how many minors watch my stream?¡± ¡°Eh.¡± Judging by her reaction, I guess I was wrong. I don¡¯t feel that bad, though, since Da-eun isn¡¯t exactly the best actress. ¡°So then, why did you say that?¡± ¡°¡­Sis.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Are you ready for a brutal truth?¡± Brutal truth? Clueless, I nodded, and Da-eun leaned close, whispering to me. Listening closely to her exnation, I could finally understand everything clearly this time. ¡­ ¡ªLMAO ¡ªHow can we see her expression through the mask? ¡ªSo much disdain; ¡ªWhat¡¯s going on? I don¡¯t understand ¡ªIf you don¡¯t get it, just stay silent~ ¡ªAre they not afraid ofwsuits? ¡ªFor real, she¡¯s a minor and a private individual, yet they¡¯re going full throttle. ¡ªIsn¡¯t going to prison a win if you get rewarded for it? ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Da-eun bowed her head, apologizing with a guilty look. ¡°Mm, there¡¯s no need to apologize. It¡¯s not like¡­ you¡¯re the one at fault, sis. It¡¯s those beasts¡­¡± ¡ª?? ¡ªgasp; ¡ªwhat ¡ªTrue¡­ ¡ªpraise lol As I was speaking, I paused, thinking, ¡®Maybe that was too harsh?¡¯ Normally, I¡¯d let it fly without a second thought, but this isn¡¯t my stream. I can¡¯t ruin Da-eun¡¯s livelihood, after all. ¡°¡ªIt¡¯s just her viewers being like that.¡± ¡°¡­Thanks for understanding.¡± ¡°Still, I think you need to set some boundaries.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I thought the same. Before, it was fine to manage things loosely¡­ but since my audience has grown, I can¡¯t let things slide as before. Anyway, I¡¯m sure they didn¡¯t mean it seriously.¡± ¡°You think so¡­?¡± ¡ªYeah, exactly ¡ªTrust us on this ¡ª^^7 ¡­Not convinced at all. Either way, Da-eun doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s going to let this situation continue. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t want her stream turning into a zoo. ¡°Since we¡¯re on the topic, why don¡¯t we set new rules for the stream today?¡± ¡ªNo no no no no ¡ªYes, yes, yes, yes ¡ªHow about dissecting anyone who objects? ¡°Ooh, that¡¯s not a bad idea.¡± ¡ªYou [bleep]!! (message deleted) ¡ªWhere do you live??? ¡ªKill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill ¡ªSetting rules is good, but can you turn up the mic volume a bit? ¡°The mic volume? Is it too low?¡± ¡ªNo, no, it¡¯s fine. ¡ªNah, it¡¯s alright? ¡ªWe can hear the streamer just fine, but it¡¯s hard to hear the sibling¡¯s voice. ¡ªYeah, it¡¯s true; the sibling¡¯s voice is a bit low. ¡ªIf we max out the volume, the streamer¡¯s voice gets too loud. ¡°Hey! What¡¯s wrong with my voice?¡± As Da-eun screeched, the chat collectively screamed, ¡°Kyaaa!¡± Watching the scene unfold in front of me, I found myself lost in thought. The sound is low, huh? Well, that¡¯s on purpose; I¡¯m intentionally speaking softly. If anyone said they could hear me clearly, I¡¯d nned to make it even quieter, but I guess there¡¯s no need for that. Why? Simple. It¡¯s in case anyone found my voice suspicious. Even if it¡¯s different from my usual tone and muffled by the costume, someone might still recognize it. Da-eun and I had already discussed this, so she didn¡¯t mind ignoring the viewers¡¯ints about the sound. ¡°It¡¯s because my sibling is a bit shy, so just bear with it.¡± ¡ªEh? ¡ªShy, what now? ¡ªFor someone who¡¯s shy, they¡¯re pretty blunt¡­ ¡ªShy, my foot. If they were any shyer, they¡¯d be stabbing us with a pitchfork. ¡ªDoesn¡¯t want to talk to rejects like us, I see. ¡ªThis little [bleep] (message deleted). Of course, I¡¯m not actually feeling shy. ¡®That¡¯s what I say. What are you gonna do about it?¡¯ I don¡¯t have much fondness for Da-eun¡¯s viewers, who constantly badger her about trivial things. Not that I hate them outright, but there¡¯s no reason to do as they wish. ¡°¡­I¡¯m too shy to say more.¡± ¡ªSo shameless, lol ¡ªI believe it. You¡¯re definitely the streamer¡¯s rtive ¡ªWait, wasn¡¯t this a budding innocent character? Why does it feel rotten? ¡ªHonestly, you¡¯d do great at streaming. ¡ªYeah, let¡¯s just have the sibling take over the streamer¡¯s channel from now on. Ah, so this is the vibe. It¡¯s that back-and-forth banter where everyone teases and gets teased. The earlier chaos aside, I think I could get used to this kind of atmosphere. Leaning back in my chair, I watched as Da-eun continued with her stream. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 149 The girl¡¯s head, which had been nodding unsteadily, finally slumped down. ¡°¡­Huh.¡± Startled, she lifted her head for a moment. Nod¡­ And then, therge costume head started to droop again. ¡ªLooks like she¡¯s tired, huh? ¡ªFalling asleep is adorable ¡ªKids should be sleeping at this hour ¡ªWhat were you doing with herst night, huh? (message deleted)¡°Are you sleepy?¡± ¡° ¡°¡­So are you sleepy or not?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay to go to sleep if you want.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really not sleepy¡­¡± ¡®Totally unconvincing.¡¯ Da-eun watched the constantly drooping costume head with growing concern, wondering if Kana¡¯s neck might snap at this rate. Eventually, she gently picked Kana up. ¡°That¡¯s it. Time for bed.¡± ¡°Mmm¡­¡± At first, Kana mumbled with slight dissatisfaction, but soon she started softly snoring. Da-eun chuckled softly, carried her to another room, and gentlyid her on the bed. After briefly shifting, Kana wrapped herself cozily in the nket, clearly enjoying its feel. ¡°Kana, really¡­ you should at least take off the costume before sleeping.¡± I don¡¯t think I could sleepfortably with that on. How can she sleep so soundly wearing it? Was she just that tired, or maybe she¡¯s used to it? Putting her curiosity aside, Da-eun carefully removed the costume head without waking Kana. ¡°Goodnight.¡± After propping a pillow under her head, Da-eun left the room and returned to her soundproof booth. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± ¡ªPushcart ¡ªCadmium ¡ªCar Center ¡ªKindness ¡ªOh, she¡¯s back!! ¡ªPfft! ¡ªYou put her to bed? ¡°Put her to bed¡­? Well, she didn¡¯t wake up, so I justid her down.¡± ¡ªI see. ¡ªWell, it is that time. ¡ªFor a kid these days, she sleeps early. ¡ªWait, how old is she again? ¡°She¡¯s a bit frail, that¡¯s why.¡± ¡ªA delicate girl? Whoa¡­ ¡ªDoes she have a health issue? ¡ªSomehow, she did look a little fragile. ¡°Not a serious illness. I¡¯d rather not go into it, but she¡¯s not in great health. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want her on stream¡­¡± ¡ªWe¡¯re sorry¡­ ¡ªTrash humans¡­ ¡ªHonestly, I did feel a bit bad; ¡ªThis wouldn¡¯t even be allowed on another stream. As Da-eun trailed off, the viewers picked up on her hint, reading between the lines. Even though Kana could probably still win if she fought, her poor health was indeed real. ¡®It¡¯s not a lie, after all.¡¯ Da-eun tilted her head with a smirk. ¡ªAren¡¯t you going to bed too? ¡°Me? Hmm¡­¡± Da-eun nced at the time. She¡¯d started the streamter than usual, and after chatting so much, time had flown by. It was indeed gettingte. ¡°I should get going too. Can¡¯t exactly leave the stream running while I sleep, so I came back to wrap things up.¡± ¡ªNoooo!!! ¡ª?? ¡ªJust a little longer, please ?? ¡ªI only just joined¡­ Maybe it was thanks to the new rules, but the chat was much calmer. Of course, not as many viewers as before, since she had been liberal with the bans and kicks, but¡­ ¡®Still, this is much better.¡¯ She should have set things up like this from the start. When popr restaurants lose their appeal, it¡¯s often because they can¡¯t keep up with the service or quality due to an influx of people. Da-eun realized once again that there wasn¡¯t anything particrly special about streaming. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s time to hire more staff¡­?¡¯ Since starting Silia Online, her streaming style had changed a bit. There were so many changes, but she was still trying to manage things like before, which naturally led to issues. ¡®I should probably give out bonuses, too.¡¯ If even Da-eun was feeling this way, it was likely that the staff members helping her with management were struggling even more. As she finished organizing her thoughts, the chat lit up. ¡ªYou guys really seem close. ¡ªTrue, lol. ¡ªUsually, even if you¡¯re close as kids, it gets awkward when you get older. ¡ªIt depends, but that does happen often. ¡ªI was close with my cousin, but after middle school, it got awkward, lol. ¡ªIf she rushes tofort her cousin just because she¡¯s sad, how close are they¡­? ¡ªNot just close, she seems genuinely kind-hearted. ¡ªBut then, why doesn¡¯t she treat us like that¡­? ¡°Haha, my sister is kind, that¡¯s true.¡± Technically, she wasn¡¯t even a real cousin, and she hadn¡¯t exactlye over to console Da-eun, but it was true that her presence wasforting. So, perhaps it wasn¡¯t entirely a lie? Thinking this, Da-eun smiled gently. Her smile, drawn while thinking of Kana, caused another uproar in the chat. But anyone crossing the line was promptly ¡°cut down¡± under the rules she had set. ¡°As I said before, we¡¯ll be living together now, so I know she¡¯lle up in conversations sometimes. But if anyone brings her up randomly or says anything weird, it¡¯s an instant ban. And if it gets worse, I won¡¯t hesitate to send an invitation.¡± ¡ª? ¡ªInvitation? ¡ªA fan meeting? ¡ªYou think? ¡°A fan meeting invitation, yes. If anyone wants a fan meeting with the police, go ahead and keep acting up.¡± While Da-eun didn¡¯t enjoy locking things down so tightly, sometimes, as with going to work every morning, there are things you have to do even if you don¡¯t want to. ¡®Back in Silia, I caused nothing but trouble¡­.¡¯ Someday, the cmity that hade to Silia¡ªas Kana and Edel mentioned¡ªmighte to Earth too. If that day arrived, she wouldn¡¯t be able to hide anymore. But until then, or until Kana¡¯s feelings changed, she would do things as Kana wished. ¡°Alright then, I¡¯m really going to head off now. Goodnight, everyone.¡± ¡ªByeee! ¡ªThanks for today! ¡ªBye-bye-bye-bye-bye! With that thought, Da-eun ended the stream. The familiar face on the now-ckened monitor gave her a faint, bitter smile. ¡°¡­Still, I ended up relying on her again.¡± How embarrassing. Was there any difference between her current self and when she was in Silia? Da-eun, feeling negative thoughts slowly creep up, pped her own cheeks with a sharp sound. p! ¡°Get a grip!¡± There¡¯s no difference, really. It¡¯s ridiculous toin about being in a tight spot now. ¡°Kana even said it. Don¡¯t worry so much.¡± Since the mess was caused by her actions, she should clean it up herself. That was probably Kana¡¯s way offorting her, seeing her sigh heavily. ¡°She always acts indifferent, but she¡¯s surprisingly kind.¡± Kana had probably said it offhandedly, but Da-eun didn¡¯t know that. Thinking Kana was being considerate, she smiled, pleased. Dwelling on past mistakes would only mean ignoring Kana¡¯s kindness. With that, Da-eun decided to move forward instead of regretting the past. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll get her some chicken tomorrow¡­ She seemed to like it bestst time.¡± Murmuring to herself, Da-eun picked up her phone to check the feedback on today¡¯s stream. She started with the fan cafe, a space created for her, where posts about her ¡°sister¡± had visibly decreased, thanks to her warning. After skimming through the posts and feeling satisfied, she began typing quickly. ¡°Next up¡­¡± Themunity forum. She didn¡¯t particrly like this ce, but since most rumors emerged here, she couldn¡¯t ignore itpletely. Cutting off any budding trouble here could resolve most issues. ¡°Hm¡­¡± As Da-eun filtered through the endless posts on themunity, she tilted her head, noticing something. ¡°Why is it so quiet?¡± Da-eun had expected people to ignore her warning and create chaos, but surprisingly, it was calm. Even when her sister was mentioned, thements focused on things like ¡°They¡¯re living together¡± or ¡°She¡¯s not in good health,¡± with manyments centered on the broadcast content itself. Though, of course, not all of them were. It was only after reading a particr post that Da-eun realized why. ¡°Oh, was it because of this?¡± The post summarized an incident where Da-eun had filed charges against those who had thrown malicious words at her in the past. Since she¡¯d pursued punishment without leniency or settlements, it had left asting impression in her memory. The fact that she was a minor was revealed as well, making it clear that no one with anything to lose would risk it. ¡°The Child Protection Law can be a painful thing¡­ Thankfully, it doesn¡¯t seem necessary to take it to court this time.¡± Hiring awyer was no problem. The real issue would be if Kana¡¯s identity got exposed during the legal process. Those bold enough to face awsuit would likely brag about it online. However, it seemed that wasn¡¯t going to happen right now, and Da-eun sighed in relief. [Am I the only one finding this strange? ;] Doesn¡¯t it seem suspicious that the person who was depressed over an NPC¡¯s death suddenly cheered up as soon as her cousin came over? (A photo of Kana sitting in a chair.jpg) (A photo of a girl in a cat costume sitting in a chair.jpg) Even their body shapes are simr. Am I the only one suspicious¡­? A few posts suggested a link between her cousin and Kana, raising suspicions. ¡ªSo, what¡¯s your point? ©»Yeah, what¡¯s your point? ¡ªDo you think the Earth is t? ¡ªIf you¡¯re being controlled by nano-chips, please wave a carrot. ¡ªYeah, yeah, and of course, the moonnding was fake. These conspiracy theories quickly got shut down, treated as jokes. Just as Da-eun had expected. Seeing the sessful oue of her exnation broadcast, Da-eun left themunity with satisfaction. Yawn¡­ With all the issues that had gued her for days resolved, and nothing worrying her anymore, Da-eun finally felt the fatigue she had forgotten about. She yawned widely and rubbed her eyes. ¡°I should go to bed, too¡­¡± Click. Da-eun turned off the lights in the soundproof booth and staggered over to the bed. When she got there, Kana, still in the exact same position Da-eun had left her in, weed her. She looked like a snugly wrapped cocoon. Click. ¡°Pft.¡± Da-eun let out a smallugh as she took a picture of Kana, who was fast asleep with only her face peeking out. So adorable. Then, she carefully climbed onto the bed and wrapped her arms around the bundle that was Kana, making sure not to wake her. ¡°Mm¡­¡± Kana made a small, grumbling sound, as if ufortable. But clearly exhausted, she didn¡¯t open her eyes and quickly drifted back into deep sleep. ¡°Just a little while like this¡­¡± Da-eun thought she¡¯d just stay this way for a moment, then get up to wash her face¡­ clean up a bit¡­ But against her intentions, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Zzz¡­ Soon enough, her dark eyes werepletely closed. In the quiet, dark room, only two soft breathing sounds filled the air. *** The next morning. Woken by the sunlight filtering through the half-closed curtains, I looked around in confusion. ¡°Why am I lying here¡­?¡± I had been streaming with Da-eun, and now¡­ Only blinking in bewilderment at the unfamiliar situation for a moment, I tried to sit up to shake off my drowsiness. I tried, but¡­ If Da-eun hadn¡¯t been holding me tightly. Snore¡ª ¡°¡­¡± With a nket wrapped around me and Da-eun holding me in it like a bundle, I couldn¡¯t move at all. All I could do was blink in silent bewilderment. ¡°This is¡­ suffocating.¡± I muttered my feelings aloud, but Da-eun showed no signs of waking up. ¡°Hmm.¡± After a moment of contemtion, I decided not to resist the warmth of the nket surrounding me and closed my eyes. Oh well. Might as well sleep a little longer. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 150 After a small incident, time flew by like an arrow. ¡°Can you believe it? Baby Kana is already taking her first steps¡­ As your big sis, I can die in peace now.¡± ¡°You wanna die for real?¡± My body, once weak and aching like I¡¯d been through a beating, had recovered significantly. Not only could I walk now, but I could also do intense exercises without any trouble. ¡°Aww. I liked carrying you around, though.¡± Da-eun pouted, pushing her lips out in disappointment. I simply ignored her. The freedom of moving my own body again was too good to let anyone spoil. But those helpless days are over now. At first, I thought, ¡°I¡¯ll probably grow old and die before I fully recover,¡± but eventually, I picked up momentum, and things improved rapidly. Seeing my progress, Da-eun had something to say: ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to my diligent nursing, isn¡¯t it?¡±Well¡­ she wasn¡¯t exactly wrong. Even though my injury was a bit different from typical wounds, it¡¯s true that staying well-fed and rested was more beneficial than running around aimlessly. Whenever I mentioned craving something, she¡¯d get it immediately, and sometimes, without me saying a word, she¡¯d bring new dishes she thought I¡¯d like. Da-eun took good care of me. ¡­Now that I think about it, everything she did was rted to food, but she helped in many other ways too. For instance, she¡¯d always help steady me so I wouldn¡¯t fall. Given the size difference between us, it must¡¯ve been tiring, but she never showed any sign ofint. Any decent person would feel grateful for such kindness, so I was prepared to acknowledge Da-eun¡¯s efforts. ¡°So, as a thank you, how about a little kiss on the cheek?¡± The moment she said that, with hopeful eyes, any gratitude I felt evaporated. A kiss on the cheek? I¡¯d have to be under some kind of spell to agree to that. ¡°Da-eun, are you insane?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with a kiss on the cheek?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a kid. Why would I kiss anyone?¡± ¡°Kisses aren¡¯t just for kids! This level of affection is natural between close people.¡± ¡°Okay, whatever. You go ahead and kiss whoever you want.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then¡­ Kana just agreed! Come here, let me kiss those soft, squishy cheeks!¡± ¡°Ugh, I didn¡¯t mean on me!¡± ¡­Anyway. After many ups and downs, I managed to regain most of my health, and I¡¯m finally free from being confined. Or so I thought. ¡°¡­Now, what am I supposed to do?¡± I confidently dered my freedom, but I didn¡¯t really have anything I wanted to do. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Da-eun asked. ¡°Breathing.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± I was lying around in my room, just like when I was still recovering. But hey, wasn¡¯t this the ¡°different life¡± I wanted? Besides, I have someone who takes care of all my needs. When I was sick, this felt suffocating, but now¡­ it doesn¡¯t seem so bad. I guess it¡¯s all in how you view things. ? ¡°Kana, have you reached enlightenment or something?!¡± Da-eun suddenly hugged me as I rolled around on the floor. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me behind!¡± ¡°¡­Ack. What¡¯s with the drama?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you about to reach spiritual enlightenment?¡± Enlightenment, my foot. I twisted around to slip out of Da-eun¡¯s arms. She tried to hold on with all her might, but she was no match for my renewed strength. I looked at Da-eun¡¯s defeated expression with a teasing smile. ¡°Pathetic.¡± ¡°Oooh¡­ You little brat!¡± ¡°Bleh.¡± I stuck out my tongue, challenging her toe at me if she didn¡¯t like it. Da-eun¡¯s body shook with frustration. ¡°My sweet, innocent Kana is tainted¡­¡± ¡°I was never yours, and I was never innocent.¡± ¡°This is all because of the inte!¡± She yelled, storming off to who knows where. ¡°¡­What was that.¡± Watching Da-eun leave in a loud flurry, just as noisily as she came, I buried my head back into the pillow. I mean, it wasn¡¯t like Da-eun¡¯s antics were new or anything. By now, her not doing this would feel more unusual. Calm andposed Da-eun? That¡¯s practically an urban legend. ¡°Sigh¡­.¡± As Iy there, staring nkly up at the ceiling, suddenly¡ª ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Hi!¡± Da-eun¡¯s head popped out of nowhere. Her timing felt unusually quick today. Usually, after pestering me with nonsense and getting shut down, she¡¯d stay quiet for a while, but here she was, back already. ¡°Why are you back so soon?¡± ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m not the Da-eun you know. I¡¯m future Da-eun, sneaking over here while present Da-eun is away!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± How was I supposed to respond to that? With a yful grin, she plopped down beside me. ¡°Do you like the mountains or the sea better, Kana?¡± ¡°¡­? Why the sudden question¡ª¡± ¡°Uh-uh, answer sincerely! This question is as legendary as ¡®mom or dad,¡¯ ¡®ck bean noodles or spicy seafood noodles,¡¯ and ¡®spicy cold noodles or in cold noodles!¡¯¡± For the record, I like mom more. Da-eun, having dropped a line that would surely hurt her dad¡¯s feelings, pressed me for an answer. Pausing myzy rolling around, I thought it over. Mountains or the sea, huh. Hmm¡­. ¡°Neither, really.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°But if I had to pick¡­ I like the mountains better.¡± Though I¡¯ve had plenty of tough times in the mountains, I also have lots of memorable ones there. My father¡¯s grave is in the mountains too. ¡°So, why are you asking this all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I told you! It¡¯s a ssic question. It¡¯s the perfect way to break the ice with people you¡¯re not that close with. It¡¯s light, easy to answer, and can lead to other topics.¡± ¡°Other topics?¡± ¡°Yeah. For example, ¡®Oh, you like ck bean noodles? Have you tried the Chinese ce run by that one chef? It¡¯s amazing.¡¯ You can connect it like that.¡± ¡°Ooh.¡± p, p. The way she linked ideas so smoothly was impressive. I found myself pping, almost entranced. Da-eun did an exaggerated bow in response. ¡°Of course, since Kana and I are super close, I don¡¯t need to ask these kinds of questions!¡± ¡°No, I think you should still ask them.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s so mean.¡± Sniff, sniff. Da-eun pretended to cry at my blunt words. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve decided!¡± But only for a moment. Da-eun raised herself and proudly dered. I looked up at her nkly. ¡°Let¡¯s go out! To the mountains!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s boring being home all the time. Isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡­Boring? I do get restless sometimes, but not to the point where I¡¯m climbing the walls or anything. ¡°Come on, really!¡± Noticing myck of enthusiasm, Da-eun hooked her arms under mine and pulled me up. Even with that, myck of interest didn¡¯t change, so I just let myself droop. ¡°Oh, who would doubt you¡¯re Kana if you didn¡¯t act like such a cat¡­!¡± ¡°Ngh¡­¡± She lifted me with a bit of force, and before I knew it, I was cradled in her arms as she sat down on the sofa. Da-eun gently patted my head. ¡°Except for that one shopping trip, you¡¯ve been at home every day. I felt sorry seeing you cooped up here aftering to Earth.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any need to feel sorry. Thanks to you, I¡¯ve been livingfortably.¡± ¡°Oh, r-really? Hehe¡­ If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m d.¡± As I spoke sincerely, the hand stroking my hair paused briefly. Then, it resumed, now feeling even softer than before. ¡°Hm¡­¡± I closed my eyes halfway, savoring the feeling of her gentle hand on my head as I drifted into thought. Although I said otherwise, it wasn¡¯t a bad suggestion. As I¡¯d mentioned, there were times when I felt a bit bored. Not that anything special would happen if I went to the mountains, but it would at least be a nice change of pace. Should I go or not? The decision didn¡¯t take long. ¡°Don¡¯t feel pressured; if you don¡¯t want to, it¡¯s okay to say no. What matters most is what Kana wants.¡± ¡°All right. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Okay, if you don¡¯t want to, then¡ªwait, what did you just say?¡± Da-eun¡¯s voice rose as if she hadn¡¯t expected me to agree. ¡°Should we not go?¡± ¡°No! How about we leave right now?¡± ¡°¡­Without any preparation?¡± ¡°To journey with the sky as our friend, the clouds as our nket¡ªnow that¡¯s the essence of travel, right?¡± I held her back, reining in her eagerness to head out immediately. ¡°Ugh!¡± I used just a tiny bit of force in holding her back, but hey, all¡¯s well that ends well. *** Once I agreed to Da-eun¡¯s idea of going on a trip, things moved along swiftly. ¡°I¡¯ll handle all the preparations!¡± True to her confident promation, Da-eun made the ns, gathered the items we¡¯d need, and organized everything herself. ¡°Hah¡­ Kana¡­ could you, um, help me carry this?¡± Ah, so not entirely alone. With the trunk packed to the brim, Da-eun wiped the sweat beading on her forehead. ¡°All right, soldiers! Ready for takeoff?¡± ¡°You said to leave all the prep to you.¡± ¡°Obviously, I meant mental preparation! Or did you trust your mind to me too? That wouldn¡¯t be so bad!¡± ¡°Not a chance.¡± Leaving the overly excited Da-eun to chatter on, I climbed into the car first. With the trunk packed full, and the back seat also filled with luggage, my only option was to sit in the front. Even if it hadn¡¯t been, I would¡¯ve sat up front anyway. ¡°Kana, it¡¯s polite to sit up front when someone else is driving.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°The back seat is the seat of honor.¡± ¡°Hm, I see.¡± Maybe there is such a rule; I had no reason to insist on sitting in the back anyway. Once Da-eun settled in the driver¡¯s seat and buckled up, she said, ¡°We¡¯re heading to a campsite halfway up the mountain. I confirmed that no one else has made a reservation, so we can enjoy ourselves without worrying about anyone spotting us.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Having heard this before, I nodded without any objection. Suddenly, Da-eun, holding the steering wheel, burst intoughter. ¡°Doing this reminds me of our first trip together. Back then, we wereing down from the mountain. Isn¡¯t it fun that now we¡¯re going up?¡± Our first trip¡­ Ah, yes. That time, when I decided to head toward Sedeth. Da-eun was right; things were much different now¡ªdifferent timing, different means of travel, different purposes, and even a changed rtionship between Da-eun and me. ¡°Yeah.¡± But some things hadn¡¯t changed from then until now. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± I smiled softly at Da-eun, liking that even with the passage of time and a world that had shifted, some things stayed the same. I had a feeling this would be a wonderful trip. ¡ª Click here -> The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 151 ¡°Hmm~¡± Da-eun was nodding her head to the rhythm of the musicing from the speakers. She mentioned it was a song from a drama¡¯s OST or something. Having neither heard the song nor watched the drama, I couldn¡¯t offer much more than a simple ¡°Oh, I see,¡± but I could understand why Da-eun was so into it. Even to someone like me who knew nothing about it, the song was lively and fun. Not that I would start bobbing my head or tapping my fingers along like the person next to me. ¡®Isn¡¯t she going to bump her head at this rate?¡¯ As Da-eun¡¯s movements grew more intense, I couldn¡¯t help but speak up. ¡°Is it safe to move around like that? Isn¡¯t it dangerous?¡± ¡°I have the auto-drive feature on, so it¡¯s fine!¡± Then she added, ¡°Back in the day, even with auto-drive, you had to keep your hands on the wheel. But now, technology has improved so much that you don¡¯t even need to sit in the driver¡¯s seat. It¡¯s perfectly legal!¡± ¡°Really¡­?¡±I tilted my head, unsure. If that¡¯s the case, why even have a driver¡¯s seat? ¡°There are still situations that require manual control, like emergencies or when you need to get somewhere fast.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Anyway, this feature¡¯s safety has already been proven. Since it was implemented, traffic idents have dropped dramatically. If it wasn¡¯t safe, the government wouldn¡¯t have approved it, right?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s that safe, shouldn¡¯t idents not happen at all?¡± ¡°Oh,e on, that¡¯s too much to expect. If someone crashes into you like a maniac from behind, it¡¯s hard to avoid that. Even a person couldn¡¯t dodge that. So, just rx and enjoy.¡± ¡°I was never really worried¡­¡± She gave a small smirk. Judging by that smug look, she probably thought it was cute that I was acting unafraid when I was supposedly scared moments ago. But really, I wasn¡¯t scared in the slightest. What reason did I have to be afraid? ¡°Even if there¡¯s an ident, I won¡¯t get hurt. Do you think I learned mana just for show?¡± Of course, the severity of the ident would matter, but if I got hurt in a minor car crash, even Edel¡¯s snake wouldugh at me from the afterlife. Besides, I didn¡¯t buy this car with my own money, so I don¡¯t need to worry about that, either. People who have nothing to lose have nothing to fear. Da-eun¡¯s eyes widened as she took in my words. ¡°¡­So that means¡­¡± She sounded shaken as if something had hit her. ¡°You weren¡¯t scared¡ªyou were worried about me¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Her words were so unexpected that I tilted my head again. Oblivious to my confusion, Da-eun continued, feigning a teary voice. ¡°So, you mean you¡¯re fine, but you were worried I might get hurt in an ident. Right?¡± ¡°¡­Not at all.¡± Sniff ¡°Kana, you¡¯re so kind-hearted it¡¯s bringing me to tears¡­¡± ¡°I told you, it¡¯s not like that.¡± Da-eun raised a hand to wipe her eyes, which were dry as ever. She clearly had no intention of listening to my actual words. I couldn¡¯t even begin to guess what logic brought her to that conclusion, so I gave up trying to understand her. ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy, Da-eun.¡± Everyone¡¯s free to think what they want. And it¡¯s always the warm sunlight, not the icy northern winds, that makes a traveler shed their coat. Seeing Da-eun smile foolishly to herself, my gaze softened. ¡°¡­That look hurts.¡± I was definitely giving her a warm, sunlit look, yet Da-eun, who had been lost in her own fantasy, suddenly fell back to cold reality. How strange. As Da-eun¡¯s over-the-top excitement died down, the music in the car changed to a more soothing tune, as if it could read our mood. As I nkly stared at the passing scenery outside, Da-eun, who had been silent for a while, suddenly spoke up. ¡°Hey, Kana.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°That thing called mana¡­ could I use it too?¡± ¡°¡­Mana? You mean this?¡± ¡°Yeah! That!¡± I let a little mana spark up at my fingertip, and Da-eun eagerly nodded. ¡°Why the interest in mana?¡± ¡°It¡¯s cool! And it seems really useful¡­ Like you said earlier, even if there¡¯s an ident, you wouldn¡¯t get hurt.¡± ¡°Yeah, it is useful.¡± If nothing else, being able to protect yourself alone makes it a very appealing skill. Although, reaching that level would take a fair amount of time. As Da-eun looked at me with hopeful eyes, I nodded slowly. This world, Earth, originally didn¡¯t have mana, but ever since Silia became linked to it, mana has started emerging here. People just haven¡¯t realized it yet. ¡°With effort, you might be able to use it.¡± ¡°Really?! Then could you teach me?!¡± ¡°Teaching isn¡¯t the hard part, but are you sure you can manage it? You couldn¡¯t even grasp it back in Silia.¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± Of course, your real body wasn¡¯t in Silia, so it might be different this time¡­ but considering that you had system assistance back then, it might not be that different. It would definitely be challenging. ¡°Still want to try learning?¡± When I gave her a look that said as much, Da-eun hesitated for a long while before finally nodding with a determined expression. ¡°If it¡¯s okay with you, I¡¯d like to learn!¡± ¡°Sure. Got it.¡± ¡°Really?! You promise?¡± ¡°I said yes. Even if you end up crying and want to quit, I won¡¯t go easy on you.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s kind of scary.¡± Since it¡¯s not difficult for me, there¡¯s no reason to refuse. ¡­Although, who knows what might happen in the future. ¡®I hope nothing bad happens, though.¡¯ It¡¯s just a wish; I can¡¯t guarantee that what I¡¯m worried about won¡¯te true. Gathering my thoughts, I looked at Da-eun, who was now gazing at me with a mix of fear and anticipation. ¡°We¡¯re starting as soon as we arrive.¡± ¡°C-couldn¡¯t we wait until we get back home¡­?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Aww¡­¡± Da-eun pouted. *** Screech. After hours on the road, the car finally came to a stop. Just as Da-eun had said, the auto-drive feature had safely taken us to our destination. ¡°Gah¡­! Ahh, it feels so good to be out.¡± As soon as we arrived, Da-eun threw open the car door and stretched her arms high. Judging by her refreshed expression, being cooped up in the car must have been pretty ufortable. ¡°Mm¡­¡± I felt the same, so I stretched as soon as I got out of the car. It was fast and convenient, but it left me feeling a bit restless. Still, it was much better than a carriage. Suddenly¡ª ¡°Wha?!¡± While I was lost in thought and stretching my arms, a peculiar sensation touched my hand, raised toward the sky. Startled, I tried to pull my hand back. ¡°Ahaha! Gotcha! Sorry~¡± ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡± Realizing it was Da-eun¡¯s hand holding mine, I frowned slightly. ¡°If you¡¯re going to stretch, do it properly! Reach up on your tiptoes like this! That¡¯s how you grow taller.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not stretching to grow taller, just loosening up.¡± So that¡¯s it¡ªanother jab about my height. Does she even realize that the more she jokes about this, the more trouble it¡¯s going to bring herter on? ¡®She must not realize it.¡¯ Looking at her, I briefly wondered if maybe she secretly enjoyed the idea of future pain, though, surprisingly, Da-eun was not the type to enjoy suffering. I watched her with a sympathetic look as she cluelessly invited trouble upon herself, then twisted my hand free from hers. As if celebrating my newfound freedom, a cool breeze brushed past my cheek. ¡°The air is so refreshing, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah, it really is.¡± The air in Seoul could never be described as pleasant¡ªit always felt smoky and stifling, like breathing through a haze of Magi. But here, far from the city and halfway up a mountain, the air that filled my lungs was remarkably fresh. ¡°I love being able to take in fresh air like this. It¡¯s such a sharp reminder that we¡¯re somewhere different, away from the usual. I¡¯m sure others would just say, ¡®Air is air, stop being so dramatic,¡¯ but still.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Kana? Why are you so quiet? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°¡­What could possibly be wrong? Not at all.¡± It¡¯s definitely not because Da-eun¡¯s words hit too close to home. ¡­I mean it, really. I wasn¡¯t thinking anything that bad. I was just wondering if you could really feel it that deeply, so I paused to take in the air myself. I quickly changed the subject. ¡°Is that part of why you like traveling so much, Da-eun?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ one of the reasons, yeah. Like I said before, I spent so much time in the hospital when I was younger that I just wanted to get out and see ces.¡± Then, as she spoke, Da-eun gave a slight smile. ¡°Plus, experiencing new cultures and ways of life helps me realize my life isn¡¯t the only one out there. Things I thought didn¡¯t matter start to look different too. I guess you could say my perspective broadens. It just opens my mind up, and I love that feeling.¡± When Da-eun finished, a short silence fell between us. I thought back to her excitement each time we arrived in a new city. Did she feel that same way when traveling through Silia? As I mulled it over, I shook my head slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t really get it.¡± In Sedeth, Baltora, or any other towns we visited¡­ I could tell they were different from where I was from, but I never felt my perspective expanding like Da-eun described. ¡°It¡¯s like when someone with a heavy burden doesn¡¯t have the luxury to take in the scenery. You were probably too burdened at the time, Kana.¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably it.¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s it.¡± Da-eun squatted in front of me, bringing our eyes slightly out of alignment. She must have noticed it too because she awkwardly straightened up. ¡°So, my dream is to one day go traveling with you, Kana. I want to show you everything I¡¯ve seen, heard, and felt. ¡­Though, right now, it might be a bit difficult.¡± Because Kana has something she needs to do first, right? ¡°But once things settle down, want to go on a trip together? Ah, maybe that sounded too much like a g¡­¡± Da-eun extended her pinky finger toward me with a slightly bashful smile. ¡®Honestly¡­¡¯ I raised an eyebrow and let out a soft smile. Every time she says something nice, she has to spoil the moment. But this time, instead of giving her a hard time, I raised my own pinky finger. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do it.¡± Our pinkies intertwined, and before long, we both started chuckling softly. ¡°It¡¯s a promise now. Even if youter change your mind or try to back out, I won¡¯t let you.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Da-eun threw back my words from earlier, right back at me. ¡°If you¡¯re offering to pay, why would I refuse?¡± ¡°Y-you bratty little Kana! Did you really have to say that in such a touching moment? Does ruining the mood make you happy?!¡± Who¡¯s the one to talk? ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 152 The camping ground was silent, with not a single person around. Yet, I didn¡¯t feel lonely or deste in the slightest. If it were someone else here instead of me, wouldn¡¯t they feel the same way? After all, anyone who went out of their way to find such a secluded campsite would likely be someone seeking a quiet escape from the gaze of others. ¡°Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°He-eek¡­¡± Sadly, Da-eun seemed too out of it to respond. I clicked my tongue as I watched her unfocused ck eyes wobbling unsteadily. ¡°Why are you acting like this when I didn¡¯t even make you do anything difficult?¡±¡°He-h-hick¡­¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± ¡­Is she an animal? The sounds Da-eun made were bing less and less human as time passed. If this continued, would she regress to a monkey? ¡®I¡¯d actually like to see that.¡¯ Of course, something like that wouldn¡¯t actually happen. ¡°Let¡¯s stop here.¡± ¡°Heeeeek¡­¡± The moment I removed my hand from her neck, Da-eun slumped down like a puppet with its strings cut. ¡°You¡¯re so dramatic.¡± ¡°I¡­ I wish I were just being dramatic¡­ Huuu¡­¡± ¡°You are. It didn¡¯t even hurt, did it? Am I wrong?¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t hurt, but¡­ I don¡¯t know! It was just an indescribably strange feeling!¡± Da-eun, sprawled over the small table, shuddered. As I took a seat in the chair beside her, Da-eun¡¯s head turned towards me. ¡°This wasn¡¯t what I expected at all¡­ I was imagining sitting cross-legged and meditating or channeling energy through my body, or at least swinging a sword until I could feel the Mana¡­¡± ¡°¡­Channeling energy?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure what that even meant, but whatever it was, it clearly wasn¡¯t what I had done. What I¡¯d actually done was let my Mana flow onto Da-eun. To be precise, it wasn¡¯t quite like channeling it inside her; rather, I allowed it to gently touch her skin. Like pouring water over oneself while bathing. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t normally teach it this way, either.¡± I didn¡¯t know how wizards learned this stuff myself. Since it¡¯s a path one can¡¯t even begin without innate talent, I could only guess they¡¯d sense Mana instinctively before they even started. However, the path of a swordsman is different. ¡°Learning to use Mana this way wouldn¡¯t be useful anyway.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re a swordsman, you should know how to wield your body, right? What¡¯s the point if you only know how to use Mana? It¡¯s not like Mana can cast spells.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ So you¡¯re saying you have to unify body and mind to truly wield power?¡± ¡°Where did you even pick up something like that?¡± ¡°From a book. Want to read it, too, Kana?¡± ¡°¡­Maybeter.¡± I wasn¡¯t so sure about viewing Mana through the mind, but it wasn¡¯t entirely off-topic, so I nodded. ¡°Just like using Mana to strengthen the body is pointless if you don¡¯t make contact, a solid foundation in physical techniques is necessary for it to have meaning. Also, as your senses be more honed through training, you naturally be sensitive to the flow of Mana around you, making such a roundabout method unnecessary.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Huh? But why did you do it this way for me?¡± ¡°There are plenty of reasons for that¡­¡± There wasn¡¯t enough time to go through all of them. With the sun dipping low beyond the mountains, it seemed like evening wasn¡¯t far off. And I couldn¡¯t ruin our dinner ns by exining things all night when Da-eun had already said, ¡°I prepared premium meat for tonight, so look forward to it!¡± ¡°Besides, Da-eun, you aren¡¯t trying to learn Mana to fight, right?¡± While I think there¡¯s no harm in knowing how to fight, this country is practically a paradisepared to the blood-soaked, scream-fillednd of Silia. Time was undeniably too short to do things properly. Moreover, if things continued the way the Administrator and Edel intended, the current imbnce between body and Mana would eventually be reconciled to some extent. ¡°I thought it¡¯d be better to at least teach you the basics quickly, instead of taking too long on this.¡± ¡°Kana, you always have everything nned out, don¡¯t you¡­?¡± ¡°Did you think I was teaching you without any thought?¡± ¡°¡­A little?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, no, I didn¡¯t mean you¡¯re clueless, Kana! It¡¯s just¡­ you know, there¡¯s that saying that geniuses can¡¯t understand the minds of ordinary people! And you¡¯re the genius among geniuses, Kana¡­ Plus, being good with a sword doesn¡¯t necessarily mean you¡¯re a good teacher¡­¡± Logically, it made sense, but for some reason, it was incredibly irritating to hear. ¡°Have you already forgotten who taught you in Silia?¡± ¡°¡­Actually, that just makes me trust you less.¡± ¡°¡­Looks like I have to really put you through the wringer now.¡± ¡°Ugh, no¡­! But that¡¯s not fair, Kana! It¡¯s your fault!¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Da-eun yelled back. Crossing my arms, I waited to hear what she had to say, and she raised her voice, sounding frustrated. ¡°You said you¡¯d teach me swordsmanship, but then you just threw me into fights with other people¡­! And just when I was getting used to that, you started sparring with me yourself¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What I wanted was a gentle Teacher Kana, not a terrifying drill sergeant¡­¡± Listening to herints, I slowly uncrossed my arms. Hearing her vent like this made me almost feel¡­ ¡ªNo, not really. ¡°It worked, though, didn¡¯t it?¡± Da-eun¡¯s face crumpled as she took the hit. ¡°Ugh¡­ Yeah, I guess¡­¡± ¡°And if I recall correctly, I didn¡¯t just throw you into sparring right from the start.¡± I remembered correcting her sloppy form because I just couldn¡¯t stand watching it any longer. Where was all this exaggerationing from? ¡°I was wrong¡­¡± Da-eun raised a white g. ¡°As an offering of apology, I humbly present this chocte to you! Please forgive me!¡± ¡°¡­Just this once.¡± Normally, someone who failed a rebellion deserves the death penalty, but since she seemed genuinely remorseful, I¡¯d let it slide just this once. With that minormotion resolved, we busied ourselves preparing dinner. Da-eun went to the pile of firewood stacked at the edge of the campsite, grabbing a bundle and starting a fire, while pulling out various tools with unknown purposes. As I helped her carry the supplies, I casually asked her a question. ¡°Do you always do it this way?¡± ¡°What do you mean? Oh, you mean the preparations? Not always like this.¡± Da-eun, crouching to poke between the logs, straightened up. ¡°Sometimes, if I want to rx, I¡¯ll go to a mping site or even a hotel. But today, I came here on purpose to remind myself of when we used to travel together, Kana. Back then, we had to prepare everything ourselves, right?¡± Though it hadn¡¯t been that long ago, Da-eun looked at me with a nostalgic gaze, as if recalling a distant past. Memories¡­ is it? ¡°¡­It wasn¡¯t too bad.¡± ¡°Right? Hmm, now that I think of it, I wonder how Celine is doing?¡± ¡°She¡¯s probably eating well and living her best life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so cold!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not cold; it¡¯s the truth. Someone as capable as Celine would have a hard time not thriving.¡± ¡°Ugh! I was just wondering how she was doing. Do you have to respond so harshly?¡± Pouting, Da-eun ced the meat on the grill. Before long, the scent of roasting meat filled the air around us. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if the smell attracted some wild animals. The smell was so intense it felt like it could attract wild animals. Though it wasn¡¯t my first time grilling meat outdoors, why did it feel so much more mouthwatering? ¡®Or maybe it¡¯s because I already know how good it¡¯s going to taste?¡¯ Without Da-eun noticing, I swallowed the saliva gathering in my mouth. ¡°In Silia, it¡¯s more important to know whether someone is alive rather than how they¡¯re living.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± In Silia, there aren¡¯t many ways to contact people who are far away. Of course, it¡¯s different for the wealthy, but not everyone has that kind of money. Since anything can happen at any time, you simply wish for everyone¡¯s survival. You can catch up on what they¡¯ve been up to when you reunite. Hearing this, Da-eun, who had been busy grilling, dropped her arms, looking gloomy. ¡°¡­I¡¯m ¡°? Why are you apologizing all of a sudden?¡± ¡°¡­I called you coldhearted without knowing all that.¡± ¡°Oh,e on. That¡¯s hardly something to apologize for.¡± Feeling sorry over something so trivial¡­ ¡°I wasn¡¯t saying it to make you feel bad. Besides, I know I can be a bit blunt.¡± Dad used to say it to me all the time too. He¡¯d always ask why his daughter had to be so curt. I¡¯ve heard it so many times by now that hearing it again didn¡¯t even faze me. ¡°So don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Kana¡­¡± ¡°If you keep worrying, the meat¡¯s going to burn.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If it burns, I won¡¯t forgive you.¡± The tears that had been welling up in Da-eun¡¯s eyes dried up as quickly as a desert. ¡°Seriously¡­¡± With a sigh, Da-eun flipped the meat with her tongs. Fortunately, the bottom side, facing the fire, had taken on a delicious color. ¡°Yeah. Just like you said, Kana, she¡¯s probably doing fine. And worst-case, we can always go see her in Laxia.¡± ¡°Laxia?¡± ¡°Oh, did I forget to tell you? Celine said she¡¯d stay in Laxia to finish some business.¡± ¡°Right. Got it.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem too surprised.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing surprising about it.¡± Celine staying in Laxia was hardly a big deal. I¡¯d already heard that Edel had given her some tasks, so there was no reason to be surprised. Da-eun, who had been absorbed in grilling, suddenly wore a bittersweet smile. ¡°I wish Kana coulde to Silia too.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°¡­Hm?¡± ¡°I can go, you know?¡± ¡°You can?¡± Da-eun¡¯s eyes widened at my response before she let out an ¡°Oh¡± as if she¡¯d realized something. ¡°Oh, right. You could use a capsule.¡± ¡°No. That won¡¯t work.¡± There¡¯s no way an artificially created body could properly contain me. ¡°Then¡­ how do you go?¡± ¡°Like this.¡± Sometimes seeing is believing. I picked up a stray branch and swung it, and the scene beyond the campfire split open. Seeing the exotic view on the other side, Da-eun¡¯s mouth fell open. ¡°It¡¯s not something I can do often, but it¡¯s notpletely impossible.¡± After all, my body over there is technically dead. It may look simple, but there are a lot of details to consider. ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t look simple at all.¡± Da-eun muttered with a serious face as I shrugged and popped a piece of meat into my mouth. ¡°You can eat like that?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Of course, I could. The meat really was as high quality as she¡¯d promised¡ªit melted in my mouth. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 153 Tap. ¡°Huh?¡± A small knocking sound broke my thoughts as I finished eating. A cold touch grazed my hair, making me look up at the sky. ¡°Oh? It¡¯s raining?¡± It seemed Da-eun had felt the drops too, as she followed my gaze upward. Then, she tilted her head. ¡°They didn¡¯t say it¡¯d rain today, so it¡¯ll probably stop soon.¡± Drip-drip-drip!¡°Ahh!¡± ¡°Wow. Impressive.¡± No sooner had Da-eun spoken than the sparse drops turned into a steady rain, soaking the ground. Changing the weather with a single word¡ªisn¡¯t that real magic? Of course, it wasn¡¯t actually raining because of what Da-eun said, but the timing was uncanny. We quickly retreated into the tent to avoid the downpour. Pitter-patter. The raindrops relentlessly pounded on the tent roof, as if bitter about missing us. ¡°This is weird. The weather wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this¡­.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s strange.¡± Rain poured down on what had been a clear night, with stars dotting the sky. Sure, the weather can be fickle, but it was still disappointing. Looking up at a starlit sky has a certain charm, something I hadn¡¯t done properly sinceing back to Earth. ¡°Kana, did you know? Actually, the ¡®stars¡¯ you¡¯re seeing might just be satellites. Satellites are artificial structures that orbit¡ª¡± ¡°¡­Did you really have to bring that up right now?¡± ¡°Pfft¡­ just kidding. There used to be rumors about it, but when it was proven false, they mostly faded. So, you¡¯re really looking at stars.¡± ¡°Wow. Truly fascinating. Thanks so much for telling me.¡± ¡°Anytime!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Never mind. Instead of engaging in her silly banter, I turned my gaze outside the tent. I watched as raindrops fell outside the extended canopy, hitting the ground in thick streams. The rain was so heavy that a shallow depression was already filling and overflowing. I considered waiting for the rain to stop before going out again, but it didn¡¯t look like it would be stopping anytime soon. Thud. ¡°You going to sleep?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯ste, and there¡¯s nothing else to do.¡± ¡°Ah. Right¡­ it is prettyte. I guess it¡¯s about time we turned in.¡± Following my words, Da-eun bustled around, changing into her pajamas. While she was doing that, Iy down in the sleeping spot I had already prepared. It wasn¡¯t as soft and cozy as home, butpared to the days when I slept on the bare ground, it was practically like a royal bed. As I nestled into the sleeping bag, listening to the rain¡­ ¡°¡­I ¡°Mmm.¡± ¡°Kana, wake up.¡± ¡°Whaa¡­¡± A gentle touch shook me awake, apanied by a soft voice. ¡­Had the rain stopped already? I listened carefully, but the sound of raindrops hitting the tent roof was gone. It had been a decent luby. ¡°Time for breakfast. I was thinking of making something quick with the leftover meat fromst night. You¡¯re not interested?¡± ¡°¡­Why are we calling this breakfast at this hour?¡± ¡°It¡¯s barely been any time since dinner, and I justid down to sleep. Why are you already talking about breakfast?¡± Da-eun¡¯s words were obviously nonsense. I dismissed her talk as her usual nonsense, grumbling irritably as I buried myself back into the sleeping bag. Then, Da-eun¡¯s voice dropped in tone. ¡°¡®Why breakfast at this hour?¡¯ It¡¯s precisely because it¡¯s morning! The sun¡¯s already high up.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s actuallyter than usual.¡± Springing up! I shot up out of the sleeping bag. The outside, which had been dark earlier, was now brightly lit. ¡°¡­??¡± I blinked in confusion, trying to make sense of the situation. ¡­Howe? ¡°Pff, you fell asleep the moment youy down, didn¡¯t you even notice morning hade?¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying I fell asleep?¡± I was certain I had just closed my eyes for a second. ¡°Yup. You probably didn¡¯t dream of how tense I was all night, Kana.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°You were so deeply asleep that I was actually worried someone might just carry you off. So, really, if you got a good night¡¯s rest, it¡¯s all thanks to me!¡± ?? ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± Ignoring Da-eun¡¯s smug expression, I started moving to head outside the tent, following the sound of the birds. ¡°Hey! Kana! Are you really going outside in your pajamas? You need to change first!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter, does it?¡± ¡°Tsk! You should listen to your older sister. A girl shouldn¡¯t act so carelessly. You shouldn¡¯t reveal too much skin, you know.¡± ¡°¡­Really? You think I¡¯m showing skin?¡± I looked down at what I was wearing. The sleeves covered half of my hands, and the pants went down to my ankles. Plus, I¡¯d buttoned everything snugly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it. Besides, there¡¯s no one else around, anyway.¡± ¡°But you never know! What if we suddenly run into someone hiking?¡± ¡°Fine, fine.¡± I wasn¡¯t going far, just a few steps out, but she was making a fuss about it. Covering my ears with my hands in resignation, I grabbed a jacket and put it on. ¡°Happy now?¡± ¡°Tsk¡­¡± Ignoring Da-eun¡¯s disapproving nce, I went outside. Squelch. The ground squished with a soft, wet sound as I stepped on it. Looking at the puddles everywhere, it seemed the rain had continued after I fell asleep. Maybe that¡¯s why the air felt so much fresher with each breath. As I took in the nature around me, Da-eun, who had followed me out, began moving busily. In no time, she whipped up a hearty meal by frying the leftover meat and rice into a stir-fry, and even added some broth from a packet she¡¯d brought. She moved so swiftly that a decent breakfast was soon ready. To my surprise, there was more leftover food than I remembered. Quite a bit, actually. Each spoonful of rice brought up a piece of meat, which was pretty satisfying. ¡°Heh, you¡¯re really enjoying it. Is it good?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then, want to try some veggies?¡± ¡°No thanks.¡± Trying to sneak them in, huh? Not a chance. After finishing our modest but satisfying breakfast, we began packing up the campsite where we had spent the night. ¡°Camping is great and all, but the cleanup is such a pain¡­ Oh, Kana! You¡¯re not supposed to take that out like that!¡± After packing up the tent and gathering the trash, we found that time had flown by. ¡°¡­Should we just have lunch here before heading back?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re up for doing the dishes one more time, I won¡¯t stop you.¡± ¡°Grr¡­¡± Clearly not thrilled with the idea of washing dishes again, Da-eun climbed into the car. The ride back home felt a bit calmerpared to the trip there. ¡®¡­Home, huh?¡¯ The word popped into my mind, and a quiet chuckle escaped my lips. ¡°¡­Pfft.¡± ¡°Hm? What did you say?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Nothing, really.¡± ¡°Hm? ¡­Well, if you say so, Kana! Anyway, should we stop at a rest area on the way back? We can fill up on gas and grab some tasty snacks!¡± ¡°Stopping is fine with me.¡± Not that she needed my permission. Still, something about it felt off. It was like she was assuming I wouldn¡¯t say no. ¡°You don¡¯t seriously think I¡¯d say yes to anything just because you mention food, right?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Why aren¡¯t you answering?¡± ¡°Of-of-of course not¡­ No way would I think that! Haha.¡± ¡°Look me in the eye and say it straight.¡± ¡°Keeping your eyes off the road is dangerous, you know.¡± ¡°Coming from someone who danced while driving, that¡¯s rich.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t dancing! I was just¡­ caught up in the mood.¡± Ah, so that¡¯s why she¡¯d been baiting me with food every time she suggested something. Now it all made sense. As I red at Da-eun, who was pretending not to notice, she kept driving smoothly down the road. ¡°It¡¯s sweet.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s good, right? I could never finish it alone, but it¡¯s perfect sharing with you, Kana.¡± We stopped at a rest area along the way and picked up a snack called deli manju to share. I think I might have vaguely had it ages ago. Whatever, it¡¯s pointless to dwell on something I barely remember. After munching through a skewer of rice cakes and sausages, I feltfortably full. ¡°Hold still for a moment.¡± Swoosh. ¡°Got it. Hehe, with sauce smeared on your mouth like that, you really are like a kid, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Then doesn¡¯t that make you a kid too, Da-eun?¡± ¡°¡­Ah! When did that happen?!¡± Mocking me without realizing she had bright red sauce on her lips¡ªhow fitting. Watching her, flustered and wiping her mouth, brought a crooked smile to my face. ¡°When did this happen¡­?¡± ¡°Dummy.¡± ¡°¡­Gasp!¡± Suddenly, Da-eun took a deep breath and, with apletely serious tone, asked, ¡°¡­Could you say that one more time?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That word, the one you just said. Just once more, please?¡± ¡°¡­Dummy?¡± I mean, if she¡¯s asking, sure, but why would she want me to say that again? While I tilted my head in confusion, Da-eun suddenly burst out. ¡°This isn¡¯t the same!¡± ¡°¡­! You scared me.¡± ¡°One more time! Just one more time, please!¡± ¡°I already did it once. But why do you even want me to do it?¡± ¡°I want to record it because it was so cute. What you just did was cute, but the first one was absolutely adorable. Can you do it like that just once more?¡± ¡°¡­No. I won¡¯t do it. Never.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± So that¡¯s what this was all about? I thought it was something serious. Shaking my head, I saw Da-eun pouting with her lips stuck out. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll just have to dismantle the ck box¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± I don¡¯t know what a ck box is, but I can tell that Da-eun is nning something foolish. If only she wasn¡¯t driving. I smacked my lips, consoling myself over the missed opportunity. Even while we were ying around, the car continued to move, and before we knew it, we entered familiar streets. I haven¡¯t been here many times, yet it feelsfortable. Is it because I subconsciously find this ce to be home? After a quick procedure, the car stopped in the underground parking lot. ¡°Do we need to take this?¡± ¡°Oh, no. It¡¯s too big to keep at home, so let¡¯s just leave it here.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Even after only grabbing the essentials, both hands were full. After all, it seemed wrong to leave Da-eun to carry all the luggage by herself, especially after all her effort from nning to the entire trip. Helping her carry the bags, I stepped into the elevator with her. ¡°Did you enjoy it?¡± While watching the numbers on the disy change rapidly, Da-eun suddenly leaned in and asked. It was a sudden question, but I understood right away what she was asking about. So, I nodded. ¡°Yeah. It was fun.¡± ¡°¡­Hehe. I¡¯m d you had fun.¡± Da-eun¡¯s wide eyes softened into a gentle smile. Ding. The elevator doors opened as we reached our floor. ¡°Alright!¡± We picked up the luggage we had set down for a moment and carried it out. With home right in front of her, Da-eun¡¯s previously weary steps became light once again. Humming a little tune, Da-eun opened the door. ¡°Whew¡­. We¡¯re back!¡± As always, Da-eun left the customary greeting when returning home. Normally, I¡¯d be the one to respond to her greeting, but since I had gone out with her, there was no one left to answer. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re back now?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡­That¡¯s how it should have been. But then, a strange voice echoed from inside the supposedly empty home. Caught off guard, Da-eun froze on the spot. ¡°¡­.¡± I tightened my grip on the luggage, heightening my alertness. Footsteps sounded, and soon the owner of the voice revealed herself. ¡°Oh my!¡± The middle-aged woman who appeared opened her eyes wide upon seeing me. ¡­There was something familiar about her face. While I was staring at her face, wondering why she seemed familiar, the answer suddenly came to me from an unexpected ce. ¡°Uh, Mom¡­?!¡± ¡°Ah.¡± That¡¯s why. No wonder she seemed so familiar. Seeing her face, which made me think, ¡®This is probably what Da-eun will look like when she¡¯s older,¡¯ I nodded in understanding. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 154 ¡°Oh dear¡­¡± Kim Yerim. To Da-eun, she is Mrs. Kim Yerim, or simply ¡°Mom,¡± as Da-eun affectionately calls her. Yerim exaggeratedly grabbed her lower back as if feeling some ache. ¡°Am I getting old¡­?¡± In her early twenties, she had met someone she loved, married young, and had a child, making her rtively young among parents with grown-up children. But while she was younger than other parents with children of a simr age, she wasn¡¯t exactly that young anymore. ¡°My daughter doesn¡¯t even show her face. Sigh, I guess when you¡¯re old, it¡¯s time to just¡­¡± Yerim, with a face that looked quite young for her age, muttered words that she didn¡¯t truly mean as she briskly continued on her way. Since her only daughter hadn¡¯t been visiting, she had no choice but toe herself. It had been quite some time since shest saw her daughter¡¯s face, so she figured the side dishes she¡¯d brought before must be all gone by now.tter. The containers of side dishes clinked dully against each other inside the shopping bag she carried slung over her shoulder. ¡°She¡¯s probably been eating whatever is convenient, as usual. What is she nning to do if she doesn¡¯t take care of herself¡­?¡± Although the illness that had gued Da-eun was long gone, to Yerim, Da-eun was still a naive and fragile child. Carrying all the things she¡¯d packed, Yerim finally reached her daughter¡¯s ce. ¡°Hmm?¡± She had been expecting the ce to look a mess, as usual. But when she opened the door, she let out a curious sound. The room, although not perfectly spotless, was surprisingly neat. More things had been added since herst visit, yet the room seemed tidier than before. ¡°Did I tell her I wasing?¡± It wasn¡¯t like she¡¯d nned this visit; she hade on a whim. After a moment¡¯s thought, Yerim shrugged. Well, it wasn¡¯t a pigsty, so there was no reason toin. Thinking perhaps her daughter had finally matured, she went to put away the side dishes she¡¯d brought into the fridge. ¡°Oh my, why is there so much junk food? Eating this kind of stuff isn¡¯t good for you, you know.¡± Though she frowned with disapproval, she continued tidying up. ¡°But where has she gone off to now?¡± After all the containers were ced in the fridge and the shopping bag was empty, another thought crossed her mind. If she hadn¡¯t cared about her daughter, she wouldn¡¯t havee to her house with food herself. It wasn¡¯t that shecked concern; she simply knew her daughter loved wandering around. ??? ¡°Does she even have ns to get married¡­?¡± She wished her daughter would finally settle down. But since she was the kind of child who had more things she couldn¡¯t do than things she could, it was hard to hold her back when she wanted to pursue what she loved. And so, Yerim once again buried her wishes within herself. She found herself hoping her daughter might find a nice husband while out on her travels. ¡°Sigh¡­ I¡¯m home!¡± They say if you speak of the tiger, it will appear, and sure enough, Da-eun¡¯s voice floated in from the entrance. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re finally home?¡± Yerim muttered with a hint of resentment, but her face lit up with a warm smile as she heard her daughter¡¯s familiar voice. Rushing out to greet her daughter, she was met with a familiar face. ¡°Oh my?¡± And next to her, she saw a small, pink-haired girl clutching her belongings tightly, her eyes filled with cautious curiosity as she looked up at Yerim. *** ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I made something like this, so I hope it¡¯s alright. Does it suit your taste? It¡¯s not too hard, is it?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ it¡¯ ¡°Pffft¡­ That way of talking is so weird! You didn¡¯t just say ¡®goo-goo gaa-gaa,¡¯ did you?¡± ¡­As if I¡¯d say that. I shot Da-eun a sharp look for making such an absurdment. Even though I had no trouble speaking casually to Edel when I first met her, it wasn¡¯t as easy with the woman in front of me¡­ that is, Da-eun¡¯s mom. How to put it¡­ She just had this inexplicable aura. As I crunched on my cookie, trying to read the situation, she gave me a warm smile and said, ¡°If it doesn¡¯t feel natural, you can speak casually.¡± ¡°Uh, uhm¡­ okay¡­¡± ¡°As for what you can call me¡­ Hmm, why not try ¡®Ajumma¡¯ (Ma¡¯am)?¡± *(Ajumma refers to a middle-aged or older married woman. It¡¯s sometimes tranted as ¡°aunt¡±, but it doesn¡¯t refer to a close family rtionship.) ¡°Hold on a second!¡± Da-eun, who had been grinning brightly, interjected. ¡°Not ¡®Ajumma¡¯¡ªhow about this? Since Kana is like my little sister, she should call you ¡®Mom¡¯! Go on, try saying it¡­ Uh¡­ Ah!¡± p! ¡°What do you mean, ¡®Mom¡¯? Stop being silly and behave yourself!¡± ¡°Ow¡­ can¡¯t I even make a joke¡­?¡± Da-eun let out a groan, clutching the spot on her back where her mom had smacked her. It was a sight that just lifted my mood. But even her mom¡¯s stern hand couldn¡¯t hold Da-eun back. Recovering quickly, Da-eun jumped up and protested. ¡°Having a cute daughter like Kana should make you happy, right? Actually, Mrs. Kim Yerim should be grateful!¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Is this what they mean on the inte by a ¡°fire-attribute child¡±? As I watched in awe of her daring words, her mom nodded. ¡°Hm, I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡­Is that really something you should agree with? I was caught off guard by her response, which was so far out of the expected range that I was briefly left speechless. ¡®Ah, right.¡¯ That warm smile had made me momentarily forget, but the person in front of me was indeed Da-eun¡¯s mom. In that case, maybe it made sense after all. Thinking this, the questions that had been swirling in my mind melted away. ¡°But this child¡­ was her name Kana?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then Kana must have her own parents. With such a lovely child, they must have cherished you dearly. If you were to call me ¡®Mom,¡¯ it might make your parents who raised you feel hurt. As a mother, I couldn¡¯t do that to them.¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Da-eun gulped audibly. Though I didn¡¯t mind at all, Da-eun suddenly covered her mouth, ncing at me with a look of concern, making the atmosphere feel a bit strange. ¡°¡­Why are you acting like that?¡± From what I had observed so far, Da-eun¡¯s mom was quite perceptive. And judging from her reaction, it seemed my hunch was right, as she cautiously asked, ¡°So¡­ about that, um¡­¡± ¡°Parents¡­ aren¡¯t here.¡± Even though she said I could speakfortably, there was still some hesitation. As I stumbled through my words, Da-eun¡¯s eyes softened with sympathy, perhaps misunderstanding my awkwardness. It really didn¡¯t matter to me, though. While it was true I didn¡¯t have the best memories of my birth parents, the memories had faded a lot by now. And thinking of my father¡­ Garid still left an ache in my heart, but I had resolved to move forward. I couldn¡¯t let myself be trapped in the past forever. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°My birth parents passed away long ago, and my father died a few years ago.¡± ¡°¡­Birth parents? Father?¡± Yerim¡¯s eyes spun, unable to keep up with the rapid information that poured out. ¡°¡­Mom. Could youe here for a second?¡± Unable to watch any longer, Da-eun took her mom¡¯s hand and disappeared into another room. I could have listened in if I wanted, but I chose not to bother. After a short while, the door opened again. Ajumma, now seated before me once more, looked at me with slightly reddened eyes. ¡°Is there anything you¡¯d like to eat?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Or has Da-eun been bothering you at all? If she¡¯s giving you trouble, just let me know, and I¡¯ll scold her properly.¡± ¡°Mom!¡± The already warm atmosphere grew even cozier. Listening to her voice, now soft enough to melt, I tugged at Da-eun¡¯s clothes and whispered just loud enough for her to hear. ¡°¡­What exactly did you say?¡± ¡°Oh, I just told her about your past. I couldn¡¯t tell the whole truth, so I adjusted it a bit. ¡­Ah,e to think of it, I didn¡¯t get your permission before sharing. Sorry¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. If you hadn¡¯t said it, I would have, so it doesn¡¯t matter¡­.¡± ¡°My mom is naturally pretty sensitive.¡± ¡°Seems that way.¡± Whispering. Da-eun filled me in on the details. I had to admit, my past wasn¡¯t exactly pleasant. But I couldn¡¯t help but think, was it really something to react this way over? Having an unpleasant past doesn¡¯t necessarily mean it¡¯s umon. In Silia, there were many people with pasts simr to mine and even more with worse ones. A long time ago, during the days I spent in back alleys, the group I belonged to was a prime example of that. ¡°But that was in Silia. If something like that happened in Korea, it would have been a huge deal.¡± ¡°Hm, really?¡± I guess that¡¯s true. Different worlds, different perspectives. ¡°You should be helping someone like her, not the other way around. Really¡­!¡± ¡°I told you, there were circumstances!¡± ¡°Circumstances? What kind of circumstances could justify relying on a child like that? And you think you can talk back?¡± ¡°Ouch, ouch!¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not a child, though.¡± I didn¡¯t know exactly how Da-eun had exined it, but seeing her get smacked on the back repeatedly and crying out, I figured it was probably fine. As long as it all worked out in the end, that¡¯s what matters. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not fine at all!¡± I thought I faintly heard Da-eun¡¯s shout, but perhaps it was just my imagination. *** Did my past really leave such a deep impression? ¡°So, you¡¯re nning to live with Kana from now on?¡± ¡°Yes. She has some rtives, but they¡¯re too busy to properly take care of her. So I volunteered.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Good for you.¡± Even upon hearing that her daughter would be living with a stranger, she epted it without hesitation. There was a minor inconvenience where Edel became my rtive for exnation¡¯s sake, but I managed to hold it together. ¡°In that case, you¡¯ll need more side dishes, right? You¡¯ll also need extra money for the two of you to live. How about I give you a bit of allowance?¡± ¡°No, thanks. You know I earn plenty on my own.¡± Despite Da-eun¡¯s insistence that they could make do with what they had, her mom went out to buy more groceries and ended up setting up a big spread. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you eating so well. Here, try this too.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Mom, Kana doesn¡¯t eat vegetables.¡± ¡°Oh dear, picky eating isn¡¯t good for you¡­.¡± Throughout the meal, she kept looking at me with a pleased expression. It would be a lie to say it wasn¡¯t a bit overwhelming¡­but, it wasn¡¯t all that bad. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be heading out now. But if Da-eun bothers you, make sure to tell me. You saved my number, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s bothering who¡­?¡± ¡°Alright, alright. Call me if you need anything. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°No! Don¡¯te!¡± Ignoring Da-eun¡¯s protest, her mom got in the elevator. Watching the doors close and the elevator descend, Da-eun muttered. ¡°Seriously. I wonder who her real daughter is. If she was going to be like this, why did she scold me?¡± ¡°Da-eun.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°How old did you tell her I am, exactly?¡± She looked at me like I was aplete child. Did she exaggerate my age? With that meaning in mind, I asked, and Da-eun shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t lie about that. Anyway, it¡¯s true that Kana¡¯s not an adult yet, right? So Mom probably thinks she should look after you.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I see.¡± ¡°Besides, Kana is really tiny.¡± ¡°Die.¡± Pinch! ¡°Ow!¡± She just had to say one more thing to get herself in trouble. Just like her mom earlier, I ignored Da-eun as she clutched her side and went into the house. ¡°¡­.¡± Maybe it was just my imagination, but somehow, the house felt warmer than usual. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 155 ¡°Kana, Canaria.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you know what¡¯s bad about living separately from your parents?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Tap, tap. ¡°Kana, Canaria.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you know what¡¯s bad about living separately from your parents?¡± ¡°¡­Sigh.¡±I let out a sigh and lowered my phone. Da-eun was staring at me with an overly cheerful expression. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired of this?¡± She¡¯s asked the exact same question four times now. Word for word. ¡°Well, if you had answered, I wouldn¡¯t have to ask four times!¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s time to give up.¡± ¡°Giving up doesn¡¯t exist in my dictionary! And if it did, it¡¯d only be when counting cabbage!¡± ¡°What kind of concept is that?¡± ¡°A brave leader concept. How is it? Does it suit me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s silly.¡± ¡°¡­That can¡¯t be!¡± Crash! A lightning bolt struck Da-eun on the head. ¡°I thought it was perfect¡­¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense. So what is it you want to say?¡± I already knew it would be something useless, but ignoring her would only make her keep pestering me. So I crossed my arms, ready to listen. ¡°Ahem¡­ Well, you see, it¡¯s that you don¡¯t get to see your parents¡¯ faces often.¡± ¡°Wow. Really? Did you know, Da-eun?¡± Since she¡¯d just told me something so amazing, I thought it was only right to repay her. ¡°When you eat, you feel full. And when you sleep, you don¡¯t feel tired anymore. Amazing, right?¡± When I responded indifferently, Da-eun shouted. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m being serious!¡± ¡°What I said is true too.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not joking!¡± Then began Da-eun¡¯s monologue about how you only realize someone¡¯s absence after they¡¯re gone, how it feels oddly empty to live away from parents after a lifetime with them, and how even if they live close, you don¡¯t get to see them much because of work. ? Listening quietly, I spoke up as she was finishing. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that just an excuse?¡± ¡°Gah!¡± She¡¯d gone on and on, but wasn¡¯t that the gist of it? ¡°If you really don¡¯t have time, you could spare a bit and visit. You waste more time just loafing around. If you used that time to visit, you could have gone ten more times.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m hurt, Kana¡­¡± ¡°Use that hurt to go pay them a visit instead.¡± Hack! Da-eun mimicked spitting blood. Then, with a sullen look, she muttered, ¡°Canaria¡¯s gotten so prickly¡­ Preferring her phone over conversation¡ªit must be her rebellious phase. Soon, she¡¯llin if her clothes get washed together with mine, m doors, and demand an allowance instead of advice¡­¡± ¡°Seriously, what are you talking about?¡± ¡°More importantly, Kana, do you know what¡¯s good about living separately from your parents?¡± ¡°¡­What is it?¡± ¡°Not having to see their faces so often!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Looks like Da-eun really does have a fire element. Burning bright, she could probably get through winter without a heater. ¡°When you live together, you inevitably start to get on each other¡¯s nerves. The little things build up, and sometimes that strains feelings.¡± Living apart means you don¡¯t have reasons to fight, and it makes you appreciate each other more. ¡­Or so Da-eun said. ¡°So, what¡¯s the point?¡± ¡°¡­Momes over way too often!¡± With that, Da-eun practically shouted, as if she¡¯d been waiting for the moment. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m happy to see her! Really, I am¡­! But shees over so often! And every time she brings more nagging along with her!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°And now, the fridge is so full of side dishes that I don¡¯t have room for anything else! I can¡¯t even keep my beer cold anymore¡­.¡± ¡°So¡­ you went through all this trouble to say that?¡± From ignoring my silence, to the stirring, grand speech¡ªit was all just to build up to this one statement? I was honestly stunned. ¡°If it bothers you so much, why don¡¯t you just tell her to stoping?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not easy. If it was just about me, I¡¯d tell her to stop, but she says she¡¯s worried about you. How can I turn that down?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± So that¡¯s how it is? ¡°That¡¯s right! Otherwise, my mom would¡¯ve already stoppeding over. So, how about it¡­? Could you talk to her for me?¡± ¡°Talk to her about what?¡± ¡°Just say something like, ¡®I¡¯m fine, so you don¡¯t have toe by so often~.¡¯¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± The decision was quick. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°¡­Why not?!¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s fun, obviously.¡± Da-eun copsed, looking like she was in shock. She probably never even dreamed that I would refuse. But really, I don¡¯t have any reason to say anything. Unlike Da-eun, I don¡¯t mind her mom¡¯s visits. Plus, every time shees, I get to watch her smack Da-eun on the back with gusto¡ªit¡¯s the highlight of my day. ¡°No¡­ If this goes on, my and Kana¡¯s cozy home will be overrun¡­!¡± Beep beep beep. The sound of the front door unlocking came just in time. A now-familiar voice called out. ¡°Auntie¡¯s here~! How¡¯ve you been?¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°¡­So it¡¯s ¡®Auntie¡¯s here¡¯ now instead of ¡®Mom¡¯s here¡¯?¡± ¡°Who would enjoy being weed by a daughter who doesn¡¯t even greet her?¡± ¡°Well, Kana doesn¡¯t greet you either!¡± ¡°Aww, so jealous of a kid? Very mature of you!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± As usual, today¡¯s mother-daughter exchange ended with Da-eun¡¯s defeat. Even as the defeated party, Da-eun kept pouting and tried onest desperate plea. ¡°Why do youe over so often?¡± ¡°Really? Who was the one who kept bawling, saying I shoulde whenever I wanted?¡± ¡°¡­That was then!¡± ¡°Da-eun, were you crying?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right! Kana,e here! You wouldn¡¯t believe how Da-eun acted the first time she moved out on her own¡ª¡± ¡°Ahhhh! Not listening!!¡± ¡°¡­Did this girl eat a train whistle for breakfast?¡± Da-eun¡¯s anguished cry to protect her dignity filled the house. She kept shrieking until Auntie covered her ears, grimacing, and only then did Da-eun finally quiet down. When Auntie took her hands away from her ears, she leaned over and whispered to me. ¡°If you¡¯re curious, I¡¯ll tell youter.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Pat pat. She gave me a light pat on the head and headed into the kitchen. Lately, she¡¯d been doing this every time she visited. Watching her, I started counting silently. It should be any moment now. One¡­ two¡­ Threeeeee¡ª ¡°Oh my, look at this!¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t three a bit too long?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± My timing was perfect, down to the second. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Auntie¡¯s voice filled with disapproval reached us, despite Da-eun¡¯s attempts to badmouth me. ¡°You still haven¡¯t eaten the japchae I broughtst time, or the stir-fried fish cakes before that. But you did finish the beef jangjorim¡­ So, Da-eun, did you order delivery food again?!¡± ¡°No,e on! How could I possibly finish it all?¡± ¡°Sure, sure.¡± This time, I couldn¡¯t help but agree with Da-eun. Auntie¡¯s cooking was pretty good, and finishing most of the side dishes wasn¡¯t hard¡ªexcept for the vegetables. But with the leftover side dishes piling up, and now another waveing in, it was no wonder our fridge was always full. Da-eun, now defensive, lifted her shirt slightly and pointed to her belly. ¡°I eat so much that I¡¯m getting a belly! And Kana¡ª¡± Whip. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Da-eun turned to me, but for some reason, didn¡¯t say anything else. As I tilted my head, she looked at me with a puzzled, almost astonished expression, eyeing me up and down. ¡°¡­Why haven¡¯t you gained weight?¡± Squish squish. Her hand suddenly slipped under my shirt and prodded at my belly. ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still soft¡­¡± Completely baffled, I couldn¡¯t even think of aeback. Da-eun just stroked her chin with a very serious look. ¡°I mean, I eat bnced meals, but Kana¡¯s been eating only stuff that makes you gain weight. So why isn¡¯t she gaining any?¡± ¡°Do you think you¡¯re the same as someone Kana¡¯s age? At that age, whatever they eat turns into height, not weight.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± ¡°Kids her age grow noticeably even if you don¡¯t see them for a while.¡± Pfft! Da-eun trembled, trying to hold back herughter, as I red at her. Though she didn¡¯tugh out loud, she might as well have been openlyughing. ¡°¡­Why are youughing?¡± Auntie, noticing Da-eun¡¯s barely containedughter, narrowed her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not teasing Kana about her height, are you? Just wait. Right now, you might be taller than Kana, but she¡¯ll shoot up in no time and be much taller than you.¡± ¡°Pfft! Hahaha!¡± ¡°¡­Having fun, are we?¡± ¡°Ahem! Well, Kana¡¯s still growing, so that¡¯s¡­ quite possible.¡± Da-eun, who couldn¡¯t hold back herughter, sank under my cold stare. Sigh¡­ Da-eun knew the story behind Grasid¡¯s Contract. She wasn¡¯t sure if it still applied to her now that she¡¯d crossed dimensions, but living in this body was likely inevitable. However, Auntie didn¡¯t know this backstory, so it wasn¡¯t like she was intentionally teasing me. ¡­Still, I couldn¡¯t deny it left me feeling a little down. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay.¡± Pat pat. ¡°Take your hand off me.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± If I didn¡¯t, she might get scratched. Da-eun withdrew her hand with an annoying smirk, her voice as rxed as could be. ¡®I¡¯m so done with this¡­¡¯ Maybe Da-eun was right. She¡¯d said that living together inevitably leads to moments of tension. Looking back, even the things I¡¯d brushed off did seem to make some sense in their own way. ¡®¡­No. That¡¯s not it.¡¯ I shook my head. Sense, my foot. The attack I just took was so strong it must have thrown me off. ¡°Oh, right! How could I forget?¡± Auntie pped her hands. ¡°I almost forgot to tell you. Hey, how about you and Da-eune over to Auntie¡¯s ce sometime soon?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Out of nowhere? As I blinked at the sudden suggestion, she offered an exnation. ¡°Your uncle¡­ Da-eun¡¯s dad, suggested bringing you over.¡± ¡°What? Dad did?¡± ¡°Yeah. I mentioned that Da-eun¡¯s living with someone, and he thought it¡¯d be a good idea to have a meal together and meet you.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± If my daughter were living with someone unknown, I¡¯d probably be curious, too. Auntie added that if it made me ufortable, I didn¡¯t have toe. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll go.¡± I nodded casually. No doubt my own dad would¡¯ve reacted the same way. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 156 ¡°Da-eun.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°What kind of person is your dad?¡± ¡°Why are you asking about my dad?¡± Da-eun looked puzzled for a moment, then nodded as if she understood. ¡°Ah, are you feeling nervous because you¡¯re about to meet him soon?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not nervous.¡± ¡°Hehe, there¡¯s no need to be so nervous. Didn¡¯t Mom already tell you? They¡¯re just meeting you to put a face to the name.¡± ¡°I said I¡¯m not nervous.¡±¡°My dad, huh¡­ Hmm¡­¡± Even though I¡¯d said twice that I wasn¡¯t nervous, Da-eun didn¡¯t seem to take it in. ¡°He¡¯s like¡­ the typical father, you know?¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not the best at expressing himself openly, but he loves his family. He might seem a bit standoffish, but deep down, he¡¯s warm¡­ you know, that kind of person.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I think I understand what she means. Seeing me nod, Da-eun gave a gentle smile. Perhaps she wasn¡¯t seeing me but rather recalling something distant from her own past. ¡°When I was younger, I honestly felt a bit hurt. I used to think, ¡®Here I am, in so much pain, and my dad doesn¡¯t seem to care at all.''¡± She remembered her father, who would visit her in the hospital, quietly watching over her without saying a word before leaving. His demeanor contrasted sharply with her mother¡¯s, who would always ask if she was hurting, if there was anything she wanted, full of gentle concern. ¡°It was¡­ scary¡­¡± As a young girl, Da-eun felt distant and intimidated by her dad. ¡°Though it didn¡¯t take me long to realize I was wrong.¡± Her dad, who would stay by her side until she fell asleep, even though he had to leave early for work the next day. The look in his eyes, unable to tear himself away, worried that his daughter might hurt while he was gone. One night, when the full moon was high, Da-eun awoke to see her father¡¯s expression¡ªone she had never seen while she was awake. ¡°It was then I understood¡­ my dad really loves me.¡± Love can be simple, can¡¯t it? Even in his hectic life, he¡¯de to see his sick daughter. Standing watch over his sleeping child. All of that¡­ that was love. Da-eun said this, a smile so warm it lifted anyone¡¯s mood shining on her face. ¡°Love¡­¡± Even people who share the same memories interpret them differently, so how could I fully empathize, havinge from a different background? Unlike Da-eun, I wasn¡¯t sick as a child¡ª ? Well, actually, I was sick. But my upbringing, my experiences, even my world¡­ all different. iming to fully understand what Da-eun described would be a lie. Besides, Garid and Da-eun¡¯s descriptions of their fathers¡¯ personalities weren¡¯t exactly alike. ¡°Is that so.¡± Still, I could rte a little, and understand, as much as an outsider could. All I could do was nod in response to Da-eun¡¯s smile. But, you know, even though I¡¯ve been trying to hold back from saying anything that could ruin the moodtely, since I¡¯ve felt more like ¡°Da-eun¡± myself these days¡­ I just can¡¯t hold back anymore. ¡°By the way, Da-eun, why don¡¯t you go visit your parents?¡± ¡°¡­¡± At this point, let¡¯s take a look back at Da-eun¡¯s words of wisdom: ¡®Living apart is great because you don¡¯t have to see each other¡¯s faces often. Living together just stirs up unnecessary emotions. It¡¯s annoying when Mom visits too frequently.¡¯ ¡°You say all those precious things about love, yet you leave behind gems like those remarks. How could I not give you a hard time?¡± ¡°Argh! No, it¡¯s not like that!¡± ¡°Ehhhhh¡ª¡± ¡°Not all love has to be like that, you know! Even if I don¡¯t see them often, I still call my parents every day and send them allowance money too!¡± ¡°¡­Okay, okay.¡± Clearly feeling stung, Da-eun sputtered out her words in a hurry, emphasizing she wasn¡¯t some unfilial daughter or someone with a ¡°fire attribute¡± disposition. After a few more derations of her love for her parents, she looked me straight in the eyes. ¡°Got it?¡± ¡°I gooot it¡­¡± ¡°Good. That¡¯s all I wanted.¡± Da-eun, visibly flustered, wiped away the cold sweat on her face. ¡°Anything else you¡¯re curious about?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have anything I¡¯m curious about anymore¡ª¡± I tried to respond as steadily as I could, despite my words sounding squashed and drawn out. ¡°So how much longer are you going to keep holding onto me?¡± Her hand continued to squish my cheek, apparently enjoying how soft it was. I had been letting her do it out ofziness, but wasn¡¯t she getting bored of it by now? Da-eun firmly shook her head. ¡°This is punishment for you trying to nder me. Take it like a champ!¡± ¡°But you were doing this even befo¡ªmpf!¡± ¡°Oh-ho! Does a mere convict dare to talk back?!¡± ¡­She just wanted an excuse to keep poking at my cheeks. Unable to get the words out properly with my cheek squished, I could only silently endure her touch. *** *** *** ¡°Let¡¯s have a meal together sometime.¡± This is right up there with phrases like ¡°I¡¯ll treat you if I win the lottery,¡± or ¡°Shall we go hunt a dragon together?¡± ¡°¡­is what I read on the inte.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but Kana, I think you should cut back on inte time.¡± ¡°I go online less than you do.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s part of my job.¡± ¡°It¡¯s part of my job too.¡± ¡°Kana, your role in our house is being the adorable mascot, not an inte diator!¡± ¡°¡­diator? I don¡¯t get it, but it¡¯s really not like I go online that much.¡± Really. Anyway, the expression ¡°let¡¯s grab a meal sometime¡± implies that you might n to, but it¡¯s usually just empty words. But the invitation I received to have a meal was a bit different from that typical interpretation. After all, it was the father of the house owner where I was staying who wanted to meet me, so I couldn¡¯t treat it as a casual greeting. For that reason, I was now standing in front of a stranger¡¯s door with Da-eun. ¡°Kana, here, take this.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I instinctively took the item Da-eun handed me. It was¡­ ¡°A drink?¡± ¡°It¡¯s polite to bring a little gift when visiting someone else¡¯s home. Not that you always have to, but it¡¯s never a bad idea, right?¡± ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡± ¡­though it did feel a bit strange. Seeing my hesitation, Da-eun bent down slightly to meet my eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t this feel a little weird?¡± The house in front of me: Da-eun¡¯s family home. The item in my hand: a box of drinks. It may seem like there¡¯s nothing strange about this situation, but¡­ ¡°This is something Da-eun bought herself, though.¡± She bought a gift to bring to her own family¡¯s house, with her own money. ¡°No matter how you look at it, it¡¯s kind of odd.¡± Of course, it couldn¡¯t be helped since I didn¡¯t have any money, but still. Da-eun shrugged it off as if it were no big deal. ¡°So what? What matters is the sentiment behind the gift, not the gift itself.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s like I¡¯m taking the credit with your money.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. What¡¯s the big deal if it¡¯s my money? I can bring a small gift to my parents¡¯ house. Besides, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll understand anyway.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± ¡°And honestly, who could find fault with an adorable kid like Kana carrying a box of drinks?¡± ¡°I wish you hadn¡¯t added thatst part.¡± She just had to tack on some cheesyment at the end. We chatted for quite some time, but fortunately, Da-eun¡¯s parents didn¡¯te to the door. Whether it was because we kept our voices low or the house was well-insted, I wasn¡¯t sure. Either way, it would have been awkward if they¡¯d overheard us, so I was relieved they hadn¡¯t. ¡°Ready to go in now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ding-dong! The doorbell chimed cheerfully. ¡°You don¡¯t know the code?¡± ¡°I do. I just wanted toe in as a guest this time.¡± Bang, bang! ¡°Is no one here?! Come forth and wee me!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± She started banging on the door with such amotion that I felt foolish for my earlier thoughts. Who¡¯d notice the unfamiliar kid holding a drink box when their only daughter was outside pounding on the door and shouting nonsense? Cre-eak. The door opened to reveal Da-eun¡¯s mom, looking bewildered. ¡°If you¡¯re here, juste in quietly. What are you doing?¡± ¡°How dare you! I¡¯ve graced you with my presence, yet you don¡¯t wee me properly¡­ Ow!¡± Whack! ¡°Quit the nonsense ande inside, you brat!¡± ¡°Ouch, that hurt! No violence!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to get hit, don¡¯t act like you deserve it! ¡­Oh.¡± The woman, who was hitting Da-eun on the back, softened her expression when she noticed me and smiled kindly. ¡°Kana, you¡¯re here? Was it hard for you to get here? No, no, let¡¯s not talk here. Come in and let¡¯s chat, okay?¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± ¡°Honestly, who¡¯s the real daughter here¡­.¡± Zap. ¡°¡­.¡± At the sharp look, Da-eun¡¯s lips, which had been ready with a retort, fell silent. I was half-pushed into the cozy interior of the house, weed by a warmer atmosphere than in Da-eun¡¯s apartment. And the moment I saw the middle-aged man sitting on the couch in front of therge TV, I knew. ¡®This must be Da-eun¡¯s dad.¡¯ It was obvious from his stiff expression as he pretended to watch TV, making a desperate effort to act like he wasn¡¯t aware of us. Snicker. ¡°Am I right?¡± ¡°¡­Looks like it.¡± He was just as she had described him. ¡°Come here, sweetie.¡± At Da-eun¡¯s mother¡¯s gesture, I timidly stepped forward, and that was when he finally looked at me. ¡°¡­Uh, you¡¯re here?¡± A tone that was somehow both stiff and awkwardly gentle. I nodded my head. ¡°Hello¡­ I mean, hello, sir¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard about you from my wife. Just speakfortably.¡± ¡°Yes, you can just call him ¡®Uncle.¡¯ Don¡¯t worry, he may look a bit gruff, but he¡¯s actually very warm-hearted. That¡¯s why I married him.¡± ¡°¡­Ahem! Why are you saying such embarrassing things?¡± Oh, he¡¯s blushing. Though he grumbled, it was clear he didn¡¯t mind thepliment, as a faint blush crept up his ears. Thanks to Da-eun¡¯s mom joining the conversation, the mood lightened up, and he, too, looked more rxed as he spoke. ¡°So, you¡¯re going to be living with my daughter?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. Uh, yeah.¡± ¡°To be precise, I¡¯ll be taking care of Kana!¡± ¡°Right. Please take good care of Da-eun.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± I tilted my head, waiting for him to continue, but he remained silent, his lips pressed firmly together. ¡­Is that it? ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 157 ¡°You don¡¯t belong with our family!¡± Ssh! That kind of dramatic scenario wasn¡¯t what I was hoping for. I¡¯m not marrying Da-eun, so there¡¯s no reason for me to hear something like that. ¡°¡­Would it make sense if we were just living together?¡± Of course, nobody would say something like that in real life. ¡°Kana, you sure do like dramas, huh?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really like them that much.¡± ¡°Oh, really? The fact that you can recite lines like that tells me you¡¯ve seen quite a few.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen that many.¡±¡°Sure, sure. Of course, I believe you. But remember, too much TV isn¡¯t good for you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t sound like you believe me at all.¡± ¡­Wait. Didn¡¯t we just have a simr conversation earlier? I tilted my head, feeling a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. ¡°But you know? Surprisingly, people do say things like that in real life sometimes.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°What you just said, ¡®You don¡¯t belong with our family!¡¯¡­ Stuff like that.¡± ¡°¡­They say things like that in real life?¡± ¡°Yeah, apparently.¡± ¡°So, do they also say things like, ¡®Here¡¯s some money, now break up with my kid¡¯?¡± ¡°W-well¡­ Maybe? ¡­Wait a second.¡± Da-eun squinted her eyes suspiciously. ¡°You have seen a lot of dramas, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I told you, I haven¡¯t.¡± A ssic is timeless, after all. It¡¯s the same on the inte. I just saw a few memes floating around, that¡¯s all. But why am I even defending myself? That¡¯s when I realized how ridiculous this was. ¡°This is all Da-eun¡¯s fault.¡± ¡°¡­Huh? It¡¯s my fault?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you keep bringing up weird stuff.¡± ¡°S-sorry¡­?¡± ¡°As an apology, hand over some chocte.¡± ¡°No way, that¡¯s not happening.¡± Da-eun almost pulled chocte out of her pocket out of instinct, but then she regained her senses and looked serious again. Too bad. That would have been nice. ¡°If you eat chocte before dinner, it¡¯ll ruin your appetite. Let¡¯s have it after dinner, okay?¡± ¡°Some ces serve meals paired with chocte, you know.¡± ¡°Not in my house.¡± She sighed as she said it. ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re adjusting well, Kana, but I worry you¡¯re picking up strange things along the way¡­.¡± ¡°Anyone would think you were my mom.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a daughter as cute as Kana, I¡¯d wee it any day!¡± ¡­I¡¯d rather not. Thanks to Da-eun¡¯s sudden interruption, the conversation drifted into something odd. But what I really wanted to talk about was this: Her dad¡­ Da-eun¡¯s dad epted me way too easily. Like I said, I wasn¡¯t expecting him to throw water at me or hand me an envelope of money. But still, wouldn¡¯t it make sense for the father of an only daughter to show some level of concern about her moving in with someone? Things like, what I do for a living, whether I have an ie, or how long we n to live together¡­ You know, typical stuff. Da-eun listened quietly as I voiced my doubts, nodding along. ¡°Of course. I told them all of that beforehand.¡± ¡°Da-eun?¡± ¡°Yeah. After Mom came byst time, I thought it was best to let my parents know I¡¯d be living with you. It would worry them if they found out suddenly.¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re not wrong¡­¡± But wasn¡¯t it a bitte to realize that? It¡¯s like fixing the barn after the horse has bolted. Da-eun continued talking, oblivious to my reluctant gaze. ¡°So, I¡¯m pretty sure Dad genuinely meant just having dinner together. I mean, if it felt like I was living with some delinquent, he might have objected to us living together. But Kana isn¡¯t that kind of person, right? Even if you¡¯re a little annoying at times.¡± ¡°Hey kids, dinner¡¯s ready!¡± ¡°Okay, we¡¯reing!¡± ¡°Hurry up before it gets cold!¡± ¡°Geez¡­ I said we¡¯reing!¡± Muttering in annoyance, Da-eun extended her hand toward me. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go eat.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Ignoring her outstretched, eagerly waving hand, I just walked out of the room. Da-eun followed, grumbling behind me. All this fuss over me not holding her hand. ¡°Oh, there you are! Sit down¡­ Why does it look like a fish came instead of my daughter?¡± Da-eun¡¯s mom paused while setting down a pot, greeting us warmly. ¡°Huh? Have you ever seen a fish this cute?¡± ¡°Quit the nonsense. Just sit down already.¡± If she wasn¡¯t holding that pot, I bet she would¡¯ve smacked her on the back. That look in her eyes seemed to say as much. I jumped into my seat, and across from me, Da-eun¡¯s dad, who had been watching her antics, met my gaze. ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± An awkward silence hung between us. I didn¡¯t usually start conversations with anyone other than Da-eun. And Da-eun¡¯s dad, as she mentioned, was a bit reserved, so naturally, there wasn¡¯t much talk. It might be different if we¡¯d met several times before, but that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°Why is the air so stiff in here? I feel like I¡¯m suffocating.¡± Luckily, Da-eun stopped squabbling with her mom and took her seat, sparing me from the dreaded one-on-one conversation with her dad. ¡°Whoa¡­ What¡¯s all this?¡± Da-eun gasped dramatically. ¡°Wow, Mrs. Kim Ye-rim¡¯s cooking skills are shining today! This table could break under all this food.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re too much.¡± ¡°You should do this for me every day. Come on¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Once again, Da-eun earned herself a light smack. A momentter, a small bump appeared on her head as her mom, ignoring the dazed Da-eun, turned to me. ¡°How¡¯s the food? Is it to your taste?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s delicious.¡± ¡°Phew, I was worried it might not suit your taste.¡± It didn¡¯t feel like just a politement; she genuinely seemed relieved. ¡°Actually, I wanted to get you something even nicer than this¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± I shook my head. There¡¯s no way this could be called anything less than delicious. Even though the dishes and side dishes she had served before were tasty, today, she really seemed to have put her heart into it. ¡°It¡¯s better than takeout.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Kana may be cheeky, but she never lies. So be proud of that!¡± ¡°It¡¯s really delicious.¡± ¡°Thank you for saying that. Eat as much as you want.¡± ¡°¡­Am I being ignored?!¡± On top of that, all the dishes were mostly meat, which fit my taste perfectly. ¡°Between my cooking and Mom¡¯s, which one do you think tastes better?¡± ¡°Oh,e on! Why would you ask something like that when she¡¯s eating?¡± ¡°This one.¡± ¡°Oh dear, oh my.¡± ¡°Huh? Where did the person go who was scolding me for asking that?¡± As we were chatting andughing, a strange thought crossed my mind. They¡¯re all treating me warmly right now, but would they still act this way if they knew what I did in Silia? ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Kana?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I realized I had stopped eating when I heard my name. I also noticed that all three pairs of eyes were on me. ¡°Maybe we should¡¯ve gone out to eat¡­?¡± ¡°If we had, Kana would¡¯ve probably turned it down. Even if it doesn¡¯t look like it, Kana is quite shy around new ces. She¡¯s like a cat in that way.¡± ¡°Is that really something you should be saying?¡± ¡°How is that a bad thing to say?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Da-eun couldn¡¯t help herself and started bickering with her mom, while her mom sighed and responded, and her dad, seemingly used to this, focused solely on his meal. Watching them, I suddenly felt like my thoughts werepletely unnecessary. After all, it was more a simple curiosity than a serious concern. Even if they didn¡¯t treat me like this, it¡¯s not like I could do anything about it. It¡¯s not as if I could suddenly repent, nor did I intend to. So, let¡¯s stop with the pointless thoughts. I resumed eating, picking up a piece of meat. As soon as it entered my mouth, it didn¡¯t exactly melt, but after a few bites, it disappeared in an instant. But I wasn¡¯t disappointed¡ªthere was still plenty piled on the te. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± I stretched my arm toward the te. However, my short arm couldn¡¯t reach the distant te beyond the barrier of other dishes, no matter how hard I tried. Now, that¡¯s a real disappointment. ¡®But there¡¯s still plenty to eat.¡¯ There were still things I hadn¡¯t tried. As I set aside my regret and looked for other dishes¡ª Swoosh. ¡°Ahem.¡± Casually, Da-eun¡¯s dad cleared his throat as he pulled the dish of seasoned greens in the center of the table a little closer. Then, he subtly shifted the meat nearby into the now-vacant spot, picking up arge bite of greens and cing it in his mouth, as if his intention had been solely to eat the greens. ¡°¡­.¡± I bowed my head slightly in acknowledgment, and he promptly looked away, pretending he hadn¡¯t noticed anything. ¡­Oh, I get it. That¡¯s how it is. When I reached out again, my chopsticks finally grasped a piece of meat, unlike before. I brought it to my te, paired it with rice, and took a bite. ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Chew, chew. It was just as delicious. Yet, for some reason, this time¡­ it tasted a little sweeter, a little warmer. *** Sitting on the sofa, I reflected on the memories. ¡°They really are a family.¡± What I saw at Da-eun¡¯s family home was a bit noisy, yet not something particrly unusual. But does family really have to be special? The subtle affection and consideration embedded in their interactions spoke volumes about their bond. What especially left an impression was Da-eun¡¯s dad. Beneath his reserved demeanory hidden warmth. Da-eun once told me: ¡°Love isn¡¯t just about seeing each other all the time and talking constantly.¡± She probably said it just to avoid something, but¡­ Still, it brought me a bit offort. It felt like my past interactions with my own dad weren¡¯t entirely wrong, as if they were telling me I didn¡¯t always have to be so formal or distant. The heavy burden in a corner of my heart seemed to lift just a little. ¡°Haah¡­ Kana¡­ would you help me carry this stuff?¡± ¡°I¡¯m too full to move.¡± ¡°I¡¯m full too¡­!¡± But that¡¯s that, and this is this. ¡°If you lost the bet, ept it quietly.¡± ¡°Grr¡­!¡± Da-eun, who had enthusiastically suggested rock-paper-scissors to decide who¡¯d carry the bags, let out a defeated groan. But, well, that¡¯s not really my problem, is it? ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 158 Buzzz- ¡°¡­.¡± Buzzzzzz! ¡°¡­Uh, Kana?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to pick up?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± So? Da-eun looked at me, confusion practically radiating from her as she stared.¡°But why aren¡¯t you answering?¡± ¡°It¡¯s annoying.¡± It¡¯s obviously spam. Why bother? At first, I used to answer without a second thought. But every time I did, it was about loans, inte offers, investments, and things like that. ¡°Ah, right.¡± Da-eun nodded as if she understood perfectly. ¡°There really is a lot of spam. I used to get so annoyed that I seriously thought about turning my phone off.¡± ¡°Then just turn it off.¡± ¡°But then I¡¯d miss important calls. Hmm¡­ Well, for you, most of your calls are spam since you don¡¯t really have anyone to keep in contact with.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± I haven¡¯t shared my contact with anyone else, so who would even call? I only gave my number to Uncle and Auntie, but unless something¡¯s going on with Da-eun, they wouldn¡¯t reach out to me first. So any call I get right now is obviously spam. Unlike other spam calls that usually give up if ignored, this one kept calling persistently. But if I keep ignoring it, it¡¯ll eventually give up, right? Head tilt. I tilted my head, suddenly feeling like I¡¯d missed something since Da-eun started talking. Then, as I reyed the conversation in my mind, I found what had felt odd. ¡°I didn¡¯t share my number with anyone, so how am I getting spam calls?¡± I haven¡¯t signed up for anything, either. ¡°¡­Oh.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Kana, you¡¯re not supposed to uncover the secrets of the world.¡± ¡°Here we go again.¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s with that look, like you¡¯re listening to some sleazy sales pitch?¡± ¡°Wow.¡± p, p. ¡°You read me perfectly.¡± How did she see right through my thoughts? I pped to apud her insight. ¡°That¡¯s not apliment! You¡¯re mocking me, aren¡¯t you?¡± Da-eun raised her voice but quickly regained her calm. ¡°Anyway, there are some ¡®grown-up matters¡¯ tied into this. Baby Kana doesn¡¯t need to know just yet, so I¡¯ll exin it to youter, okay?¡± ¡°¡­Baby?¡± ¡°¡­Oh my! Kana¡¯s acting cute! Ahh, why didn¡¯t I record this?!¡± ¡°You think that looked cute?¡± Yep, Da-eun¡¯s definitely not thinking straight. Shaking my head, I noticed my phone, which had been vibrating this whole time, finally stopped. Looks like they gave up. ¡°If the buzzing bothers you, just flip the phone over next time. It¡¯ll gopletely silent that way.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Still, there are times when Da-eun says something actually useful. So, when she starts talking, I try to listen, at least a little. ¡°¡­Sometimes? ¡­Try? Is that really all my words amount to?¡± ¡°That¡¯s already being very generous.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so mean!¡± Da-eun pouted, acting like I¡¯d said something terrible. But isn¡¯t it true that the harsher and more bitter the truth, the harder it is to swallow? ¡°That¡¯s why, to be a better person, one has to ept it humbly.¡± ¡°You say weird things too, Kana!¡± ¡°¡­Oh no, I¡¯ve caught Da-eun Syndrome.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re really too much.¡± Da-eun sniffled as she said this. I scratched my cheek. ¡®¡­Should I apologize?¡¯ It¡¯s not like I feel guilty because I made her cry. She¡¯s not actually crying, and she doesn¡¯t even look hurt, so there¡¯s no reason to feel guilty. See? She¡¯s even smiling right now. Through the small gap between her fingers, I could see the corners of her mouth curling up slightly, so I sighed. Once, I asked if I was being too snappy with her. ¡®Huh? No, not at all. I actually like that Kana acts friendly towards me. I mean, I¡¯m the only one you treat this way, right?¡¯ ¡®¡­Well, that¡¯s true.¡¯ ¡®So it¡¯s fine! It just means you feelfortable around me.¡¯ She¡¯d said this with a bright smile. I had a lot to say at the time, but seeing her clear smile made all those words disappear. ¡­Anyway. Considering that even Auntie would p Da-eun on the back when she starts her nonsense, I didn¡¯t think what I said was too harsh. So why was I hesitating to apologize? It¡¯s because Da-eun¡¯s in charge of the snacks, of course. If she got annoyed, she¡¯d threaten to withhold snacks, so I had no choice. It¡¯s not like eating too many snacks would harm my health, but since Da-eun¡¯s the one paying for them, and I¡¯m basically freeloading, I have no option but to listen to her. ¡®Ah, I¡¯m hungry¡­ Maybe I¡¯ll have a snack. ¡­Huh? Where¡¯d all the snacks I bought the other day go?¡¯ ¡®¡­.¡¯ ¡®Wait, what? There¡¯s no chocte, no candy, no bread? I bought enough to fill a truck¡­.¡¯ ¡®¡­.¡¯ ¡®Uh, Kana? Don¡¯t just stand there, answer me!¡¯ ¡®I¡­ didn¡¯t eat them.¡¯ ¡®So, what? Did Auntie sneak in and eat them? Or maybe a hungry thief took only the snacks?¡¯ ¡®¡­Maybe a rat took them?¡¯ ¡®Aha. So we have rats now, huh?¡¯ ¡®¡­.¡¯ ¡®Kana.¡¯ ¡®Y-yeah?¡¯ ¡®Snacks. Confiscated.¡¯ ¡®¡­!¡¯ ¡­Honestly, I did eat quite a lot. I told myself I¡¯d just have a couple, but by the time I looked around, there were only empty wrappers everywhere. Such terrifying addictiveness¡­ Even though my memory was a bit hazy, I still clearly remembered the taste of chicken. After enduring a lecture and a cavity check, I was finally freed from Da-eun¡¯s re. With my guilt, and since she usually lets me do whatever I want, control over the snacks shifted to Da-eun. So, if I wanted my snacks today, I had to keep my mouth shut. One wrong word here, and I¡¯d cross the line. ¡°Da¡­¡± ~? ¡°Huh?¡± As I was about to call Da-eun, her phone began to y a song. It was the same song she had mentioned liking on ourst trip to the camping site. With perfect timing, the ringtone went off, making her miss the sound of my voice as she picked up her phone. ¡°Hello?¡± Maybe it wasn¡¯t someone she knew well. Da-eun¡¯s greeting was the typical formal response you¡¯d give to a stranger. ¡°Yes? Who is this? ¡­Ah. But why are you calling me¡­?¡± From what I could hear, it seemed like a call from someone unexpected. By this point, my curiosity quickly faded. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m interested in eavesdropping on other people¡¯s calls. So I stopped paying attention to Da-eun and slumped onto the sofa. Even though there wasn¡¯t anything particrly interesting about the conversation, I still felt a bit deted now that it ended so abruptly. ¡°Buu-¡± I mumbled nonsense into the cushion, maybe with a hint of dissatisfaction. ¡°¡­Kana.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Kana?¡± ¡°¡­Hm?¡± While I was lying there with my face in the cushion, Da-eun gently tapped me on the back. Was the call over? There¡¯s no way I could have fallen asleep in such a short time. No one just sleeps and wakes up without even knowing it. ¡°All done?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that¡­.¡± When I raised my head to ask, Da-eun looked at me with a slightly troubled expression. Or maybe she was gauging my reaction. ¡°They want to talk to you.¡± ¡°¡­To me?¡± I blinked in surprise at herpletely unexpected words. ¡­Who could it be? Was it Auntie or Uncle? I wanted to ask, but Da-eun handed over the phone, gesturing for me to take it quickly. ¡°¡­Hello?¡± I used the same greeting Da-eun had just given. But I noticed my voice sounded even more stiff than hers. -¡­Hello? Did you seriously just say ¡®hello¡¯? ¡°¡­Ow.¡± The sudden loud voice nearly made me drop the phone. That voice¡­ sounds oddly familiar. I didn¡¯t catch what was said because of the shouting, but the familiarity made me think it was someone I knew. ¡°Who is this?¡± -Who do you think?! You¡¯re doing this on purpose, aren¡¯t you?! ¡°Ah.¡± So, it was Edel. Realizing who was calling, I let out a short sigh of recognition. ¡°Long time, no see.¡± -¡­ Though I greeted her out of the fondness we shared from working on the same n and spending several days together, there was only silence on her end. After a long pause, just as I was about to hang up, Edel finally spoke. -Haah¡­ I¡¯d rather die than deal with this. So, why haven¡¯t you been answering your phone? ¡°Phone calls? You actually made one?¡± -I just called a moment ago! ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right.¡± The missed call on my phone matched the number of the current call. ¡°My bad. I thought it was spam.¡± -You¡­ really? After that many calls, you couldn¡¯t check at least once? ¡°I did think it was persistent. But how did you get my number?¡± -Well, as a god, isn¡¯t it natural for me to know? ¡°Hmm¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t exactly wrong, but¡­ ¡­Watching this supposedly mighty god get upset over a few missed calls made it a bit hard to take seriously. In some ways, she¡¯s oddly human. -Well, I might not exactly be a ¡®god¡¯ anymore, technically. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have just left a message if I didn¡¯t answer? There are plenty of messaging apps nowadays.¡± -What¡¯s with that weird, old-fashioned tone? ¡°¡­¡± -If you have something to say, it¡¯s better to talk over the phone. It¡¯s faster to share opinions that way. But these days, kids are afraid of phone calls¡­ guess it¡¯s true. First, she calls me old, and now she¡¯s calling me a kid. Which tune am I supposed to dance to? ¡°Just get to the point already.¡± I wasn¡¯t in the mood to go along with the whims of this unpredictable god, so I cut off Edel¡¯s chatter right there. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 159 ¡°Demoninus is calling me?¡± -Yeah. Demoninus. Thepany that created Silia Online, and the target of jokes about torturing aliens. ¡®Huh¡­?¡¯ ¡­That¡¯s not entirely wrong, is it? Even though the true owner is the god of Earth, it¡¯s Edel who outwardly represents it. And, in a way, I¡¯m also part of Demoninus. Edel and I aren¡¯t Earthlings, so calling us aliens isn¡¯t incorrect. Of course, it¡¯s not like they said that knowing the truth, nor are we actually being tortured.But why are they suddenly telling me toe to Demoninus? -I¡¯ll exin in detail when youe. It¡¯s probably nothing serious, but I¡¯ll ask anyway. When can youe? ¡°¡­What do you mean, ¡®probably nothing serious¡¯?¡± -You¡¯ve beenzing around in your room all day with nothing to do. ¡°¡­.¡± It¡¯s true, but it feels oddly irritating. ¡°You said you couldn¡¯t use your powers, right?¡± -I never said I couldn¡¯t use them at all. Besides, this isn¡¯t a power; it¡¯s just simple insight. ¡°Good for you.¡± -I know I¡¯m amazing. For a moment, I felt a mischievous urge. -So, when are youing? Edel¡¯s words came out just a beat ahead, making me lose my timing. ¡°I¡¯lle today.¡± As Edel said, I don¡¯t really have anything to do. I might as well treat it as a walk and go. After confirming my agreement, the call ended. I handed the phone back to Da-eun. Da-eun, as if she¡¯d been waiting, asked. ¡°You¡¯re going to Demoninus?¡± ¡°Yeah. They said they have something to talk about, so I should go.¡± If they¡¯re calling me specifically to talk, it¡¯s probably something work-rted. Suppressing my reluctance, I sluggishly got up. ¡°Do you want toe along, Da-eun?¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to, but¡­ Sorry, I have work today, so it¡¯s not possible.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s nothing to apologize for.¡± ¡°I also have ns tomorrow¡­ But I think I can go with you the day after. How about postponing it?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I already said I¡¯d go today.¡± I don¡¯t want to procrastinate. It feels strange to go out alone since I always go with Da-eun, but that¡¯s all it is¡ªjust a bit strange. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m nervous or scared. I¡¯m not a child; why would I be? And I can¡¯t expect Da-eun, who has her own job, to just drop everything for me. Since I don¡¯t want to dy, I¡¯ll go alone. When I said that, Da-eun looked at me with a proud expression. It was like the face of a mother watching her child go on their first errand alone. ¡®I kind of want to kick her.¡¯ Does Da-eun know what I¡¯m thinking? She must not; otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be making that face. ¡°Our Kana is all grown up now¡­ This big sister has no regrets left¡­¡± ¡°You just had to say it.¡± If she has no regrets, she won¡¯t have anyints either. Thud! ¡°Ah!¡± Da-eun copsed, clutching her shin. Looking down at her from above, I scoffed with a smirk. ¡°I didn¡¯t even kick you that hard, and you¡¯re alreadyining.¡± ¡°W-Well, don¡¯t you know sneak attacks deal 1.5 times more damage?¡± ¡°Hmm, fair point.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s easier to slit someone¡¯s throat when you catch thempletely off guard.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not the kind of answer I was hoping for.¡± Da-eun muttered in a disheartened voice and quickly changed the subject. ¡°Anyway, do you know where Demoninus is? Or how to get there?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a matter of taking a car?¡± ¡°And do you know how to take a car?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± You just open the door and get in. ¡­is what I wanted to say, but I knew that wasn¡¯t what she was asking, so I kept my mouth shut. Straightening her bent knee, Da-eun regained her full height and looked down at me. Her gaze, exuding a sense of authority, made me instinctively take a step back. It was then I realized¡ªI was actually intimidated by Da-eun¡¯s demeanor. ¡­Did I really just get overwhelmed by her presence? ¡°Come here and sit down.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Before I could even feel embarrassed about my wounded pride, I obediently sat down on the sofa as Da-eun instructed. After confirming that I was seated, she spoke in a mock-serious tone. ¡°From now on, I willmence a lecture.¡± ¡°A lecture?¡± ¡°A lecture to ensure that Kana can safely go out and return. It¡¯s a mandatory course, so listen carefully!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Out of nowhere, Da-eun produced a pair of sses and perched them on her nose. Seriously, where does she even get these things? While I was mulling over that thought, her lecture began. *** There¡¯s a saying: ¡°A moment feels like three years.¡± It means that even a short amount of time can feel unbearably long when you¡¯re anxiously waiting for something. ¡°I get it already, so please stop¡­.¡± Right now, I felt like I had lived through six years of autumn. Even though not much time had actually passed ording to the clock, it felt as if I¡¯d endured six cycles of fall. It was a strange sensation, though it made sense given how desperately I wanted her lecture to end. Slumped on the sofa, I waved a white g of surrender. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s review onest time. How are you getting to Demoninus?¡± ¡°I can take a bus, but since I¡¯d need to transfer midway, I should take a taxi instead¡­.¡± ¡°And how will you get back?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll either take a taxi or, if it gets toote, I¡¯ll ask Da-eun to pick me up¡­.¡± ¡°And if a stranger offers you candy?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just take it and¡­ wait, hold on. That¡¯s not something we discussed.¡± When I unconsciously answered, only to realize the absurdity of it, I shot her a re. But Da-eun met my gaze with an indignant look, as if to say I can¡¯t believe I have to spell this out for you. ¡°That¡¯s just basicmon sense! I shouldn¡¯t even have to tell you that! No, this calls for another round of¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about saying something so horrifying.¡± I¡¯d rather run to Demoninus than endure another round of that torturous lecture. Forget about hiding my identity or whatever. ¡°¡­Was it really that bad?¡± ¡°Yes. Really.¡± ¡°I thought I was pretty good at exining, though.¡± Sigh. Well¡­ If I put aside my personal feelings, Da-eun¡¯s exnations weren¡¯t that bad. After all, the information did stick in my head. It¡¯s just that her tone and voice were so gentle, like she was talking to a child, that it made the whole experience unbearably tedious. And to be fair, I¡¯m not used to sitting still and listening to someone talk for so long. In any case, I don¡¯t want to hear any more. ¡°I¡¯m leaving now.¡± ¡°Wait. Should I call a taxi for you?¡± ¡°You can do that?¡± ¡°Of course. These days, finding something that can¡¯t be done would be faster. Plus, if you call it like this, you don¡¯t even have to pay when you get off. It¡¯s super convenient.¡± ¡°¡­Then why did you bother exining all of that to me?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± She¡¯d exined everything¡ªfrom how to pay with a card to how to hail a taxi. Turns out, none of that was necessary. ¡°¡­Ah!¡± Her wandering eyes finally settled back into focus. ¡°You can¡¯t just think about getting there! You have to consider the return trip too! Kana, you don¡¯t know how to call a taxi yet, do you?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± ¡°For an impromptu excuse, that wasn¡¯t bad.¡± If she had answered immediately, I might have bought it, but after fumbling like that, it wasn¡¯t very convincing. ¡°Oops¡­!¡± The banter ended there. I had a growing sense of urgency that if I stayed any longer, I¡¯d only make it home by dinnertime. And tonight¡¯s dinner was supposed to be ribs. ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Seriously, just wait a second and take this with you!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± She handed me a small, pink, oval-shaped object slightly smaller than my palm. I was about to press the button in the middle when Da-eun stopped me. ¡°Don¡¯t press it now.¡± ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Oh, um¡­ It¡¯s a self-defense device. If you¡¯re in a dangerous situation, press the button in the middle.¡± ¡°This tiny thing is supposed to be a self-defense device?¡± It was nothing like the self-defense tools I knew¡ªswords, spears, or even clubs. How was this small thing supposed to protect me? ¡°¡­Those things are called weapons, not self-defense tools. Anyway, if someone suspicious approaches or you¡¯re in danger, press it. Got it?¡± ¡°Got it.¡± It didn¡¯t seem like I¡¯d need it, but since she gave it to me, I epted it. Now, there was really no time to waste, so I left the house. Instead of stopping me, Da-eun followed me outside to see me off. I got into the taxi she¡¯d called. ¡°Take care of her, driver!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll get her there safely.¡± Still, if the auto-driving feature works so well, do we even need drivers? The thought crossed my mind but didn¡¯t linger. Maybe there were situations where human intervention was still necessary, like I¡¯d heard before. The taxi smoothly weaved through the city streets. ¡°Nice weathertely, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Is that person earlier your sister?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­.¡± The driver tried starting a few conversations, but after I responded with either silence or short answers, he gradually stopped talking altogether. He might have found the silence awkward, but I found it morefortable this way. Leaning back, I rxed and focused on the scenery outside. Before long, the taxi arrived in front of Demoninus. ¡°Youngdy, we¡¯re here.¡± I nodded and stepped out of the car. Even though I¡¯d spent several days in this area, it was my first time looking at the building like this. Tilting my head back to take it all in, my neck began to ache. These buildings were just too tall. I understood why they were built like this¡ªlimitednd and all¡ªbut staring up at them always left me feeling overwhelmed. ¡°¡­.¡± But¡­ Where do I go now? As I sifted through my memory, I realized I¡¯d only been told toe to Demoninus. No one mentioned where exactly within Demoninus I should go. Thankfully, my confusion was short-lived. A man approached me as I stood hesitating in front of the building. ¡°This way.¡± An unfamiliar face. But I sensed a familiar energy from him, so I quietly followed behind. Rather than entering through the main entrance, we went in through the emergency exit at the back of the building. We weaved through various paths until¡ª ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Yeah, it has.¡± Before I knew it, Edel was standing right in front of me. The man who¡¯d brought me bowed slightly to Edel, as if signaling his task wasplete, then left. I gestured toward his retreating figure. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°An angel. Or a messenger. Call him whatever you like.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him before.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t, but he¡¯s been around for a while.¡± Edel, who¡¯d been standing while focusing on her paperwork, stamped something and set the documents aside. Only then did she look up and¡ª Tilted her head. She tilted her head in confusion this time. ¡°What¡¯s that thing hanging from your pocket?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°That thing. The one hanging from your pocket.¡± ¡°Oh, this? Da-eun gave it to me. She said it¡¯s a self-defense tool.¡± ¡°¡­A self-defense tool?¡± Edel muttered as if she¡¯d just seen something bizarre, then shrugged. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°¡­What is it?¡± ¡°Nothing. A self-defense tool¡­ Yeah, that¡¯s what it is.¡± Even though I kept pressing her, Edel refused to borate. She was definitely hiding something¡­ Something fishy was going on. ¡®I can¡¯t let this slide.¡¯ As soon as I get home, I¡¯m interrogating Da-eun. With that resolve, I set the suspicion aside for now. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 160 Raising my head, I saw Edel giving me a lukewarm nce. ¡°You.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve softened a lot.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Calling someone busy all the way here and then making random remarks out of the blue? I tilted my head skeptically. ¡°Did you call me here just to exchange pleasantries?¡± ¡°I¡¯m allowed to share an impression or two, aren¡¯t I?¡±Edel brushed off my sarcastic remark with ease and crossed her arms. ¡°When I first saw you, you were brimming with venom, but now you¡¯ve really mellowed out.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve changed much.¡± ¡°Things like this are often noticed better by people who haven¡¯t seen you in a while.¡± Says the one who isn¡¯t even human. ¡°With how you are now, even if an Imperial Army stood before you, you¡¯d probably settle for just breaking an arm or a leg.¡± ¡°¡­You think so?¡± ¡°Yes, I do. Seeing the venomous little brat turn out like this, I guess the saying about the importance of one¡¯s environment holds true.¡± ¡°So, by saying that, you¡¯re admitting Silia was a bad environment?¡± ¡°Forget it. You haven¡¯t changed at all. You¡¯re exactly the same as when you were in Silia.¡± ¡°No takebacks.¡± ¡°You never take apliment gracefully, do you?¡± ¡°That was apliment?¡± ¡°What else would it be? Did it sound like an insult?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I agree with her, but the world has more surprising people than I thought. Edel¡¯s earlierment about me having ¡°softened a lot¡± could very well have been a disguised way of saying, ¡°There¡¯s no one as delusional as you, living in a dream world.¡± ?? ¡°¡­Fine, just sit down for now.¡± Edel rubbed her eyes as she spoke. Obediently, I sat across from her. As if waiting for this, Edel immediately began to speak. ¡°You¡¯ve probably guessed why I called you here.¡± ¡°Because of the dimensional creatures.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Just as I expected. ¡°You¡¯ve had plenty of rest. You should be fully recovered by now.¡± ¡°Well¡­ yeah. Honestly, I figured you¡¯d call me soon.¡± ¡°And yet, you didn¡¯t answer my calls. Anyway, before we get into the main topic, I have a question. You opened a dimensional passage recently, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°A dimensional passage?¡± What¡¯s that? ¡°Oh.¡± I tilted my head for a moment before realizing what she meant. That thing I showed Da-eun during our camping trip. I was momentarily confused because I hadn¡¯t heard it called a ¡°dimensional passage¡± before, but that must be what she was referring to. I recalled the date and mentioned it to Edel for confirmation, and she nodded. ¡°So that¡¯s what you call a dimensional passage.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a ceholder name.¡± ¡°But how did you know?¡± ¡°Who do you think granted you the authority to interact with dimensions? Plus, it¡¯s something I keep a close eye on. We can¡¯t afford to fall for the same tricks again.¡± Edel casually tapped the desk with her fingers. ¡°So, why did you do it? Did you notice anything unusual?¡± ¡°I just wanted to show it off.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, I figured as much. Still, even though I expected it, hearing it confirmed is pretty infuriating.¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± I never thought I¡¯d hearnguage like that in person, let alone from Edel of all people. This was¡­ oddly refreshing. ¡°¡­What¡¯s done is done, so I¡¯ll let it slide. But don¡¯t do something like that again¡ªthose things might catch on.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I wasn¡¯t nning to do it again anyway. It took a significant amount of energy, and there¡¯s no need to show it off anymore. Edel added that it was probably fine, but just in case, I nodded in agreement. I could understand why she reacted so sensitively to this. After all, we¡¯re both in the same situation, having lost our homnds. Raising her chin, Edel continued, her voice calm butced with authority. ¡°Your tier has already increased. From now on, you need to use the unique traits of your soul to grow even stronger¡ªand handle the dimensional creatures as part of the process.¡± ¡°You mean I should kill the dimensional creatures and gain experience from that?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Well¡­ should I call it a problem?¡± ¡°If there¡¯s anything that bothers you, just say it. There might be something I overlooked.¡± After all, voicing my concerns wouldn¡¯t cause any harm. Now that I had implicit permission, I decided to share the doubt I¡¯d been harboring. ¡°Even if you say to gain experience, I¡¯m not sure if I can actually get stronger like that.¡± For Earthlings who y Silia Online, that might be possible. They have the protection of the system, with experience points and stats. By fighting enemies and steadily umting experience, they can eventually stand against overwhelmingly powerful foes. But for Silia¡¯s natives, it¡¯s different. Though they also ¡°gain experience¡± throughbat¡ª The difference lies in whether they grow stronger for certain, or only might grow stronger. Silia¡¯s natives don¡¯t gain experience points or level up just by fighting. Their growth entirely depends on themselves. And I¡¯m no exception. ¡°I¡¯ve long since passed the stage where I could grow stronger just through fighting.¡± If I were to feel any thrill or gain any enlightenment, it would have to be against an enemy as powerful as the Sage of the Empire I killed with my own hands. I voiced my thoughts, and Edel shook her head. ¡°Getting stronger doesn¡¯t necessarily mean reaching a higher state of being. By fighting them, won¡¯t you be familiar with their methods? That should make dealing with them easier.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ so that¡¯s what you mean?¡± If that¡¯s the case, then I suppose it makes sense. Leaning back against the chair, I conveyed my understanding and that I had no further questions. ¡°The signs from those creatures have been unusualtely. While the barriers remain intact for now¡­ the feeling is ominous.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± There was no need for more exnation. If Silia copses, this world will be next. I crossed dimensions to prevent that from happening. Edel let out a deep breath. It was a sigh of relief, carrying an inexplicable sense of reassurance. ¡°Honestly, I was a little worried when I saw you again after such a long time. Like I said earlier, you¡¯ve softened a lot.¡± ¡°As I mentioned earlier, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve changed much.¡± ¡°¡­As I also mentioned earlier, these things are more noticeable to someone seeing you after a while.¡± ¡°As I also men¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªStop.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Faced with her sharp interruption, I stopped mid-sentence and closed my mouth. ¡°The fact that you¡¯re joking around with me like this is proof enough, isn¡¯t it? Would the old you have done something like this?¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± The old me¡­ ¡­It¡¯s true. When I first met Edel, I wasn¡¯t like this. Sure, I might have cracked a joke or two, but the atmosphere back then was definitely different from now. ¡°Still, it¡¯s a relief. You haven¡¯t dulled¡ªyour de has simply be more refined.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same thing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. Before, your de was so sharp it cut even its wielder. Now, that sharpness is directed solely at your enemies. That¡¯s a big difference.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Edel chuckled as if she¡¯d narrowly avoided being cut herself. ¡°I¡¯m not joking, you know. I¡¯m serious.¡± I ignored her unnecessary rification. ¡°It seems humans grow stronger when they have something to protect.¡± ¡°¡­I just don¡¯t want to lose Da-eun. That¡¯s all. And it¡¯s also my world now.¡± ¡°I never even mentioned her name.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°How adorable.¡± Edel smiled warmly as she spoke. Annoyed by her infuriatingly smug grin, I pushed back my chair and stood up. ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°I understand you¡¯re embarrassed, but the conversation isn¡¯t over yet. Sit down for a bit longer.¡± At some point, Edel had risen and now ced her hand on my shoulder, gently pushing me back into the chair. ¡°While I said all this, dimensional creatures aren¡¯t the kind of monsters you encounter as casually as the ones wandering around the streets.¡± Edel¡¯s statement was spot-on. Unlike the monsters or beasts that appear frequently, dimensional creatures are unpredictable. If I had to make aparison, they¡¯re like cockroaches hiding in your house. You know they¡¯re there and that they¡¯re harmful, but since they¡¯re invisible, you can¡¯t catch them. Then, just when you¡¯ve almost forgotten about them, they suddenly pop out and give you a nasty surprise. Not that anyone would actually enjoy such surprises. ¡°¡­Pfft! That¡¯s a pretty good analogy,¡± Edel said, stifling augh at my words. ¡°Exactly, they¡¯re like that. But what if you already had a cockroach trapped in a cup?¡± Her words were oddly grounded and human for a goddess. I responded with an equally practical answer. ¡°You¡¯d kill it.¡± As much as I¡¯d like to just fling the whole cup out the window, that¡¯s not an option. ¡°There are a few of them we¡¯ve managed to trap using their own methods. And among them is one that has a connection to you.¡± ¡°¡­A connection to me?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the one that destroyed the Grasis Kingdom.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Her unexpected remark didn¡¯t shock me as much as she might have anticipated. Edel seemed unsurprised by my calm reaction and continued in a matter-of-fact tone. ¡°Since you already have a connection to it, how about starting with that one?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the connection, but that doesn¡¯t sound bad.¡± My homnd¡¯s nemesis! I¡¯ll avenge it! ¡­Of course, I didn¡¯t feel anything like that. I didn¡¯t have any particr affection for the Grasis Kingdom, after all. If anything, they had been subtly provoking me, and had the kingdom not fallen, I might have been the one to overthrow it in a few years. Still, it was the country my father loved. So, let¡¯s call it avenging him on his behalf. ¡°Do I need to keep hiding myself there too?¡± ¡°That¡¯s up to you. If you don¡¯t mind the hassle, you can reveal yourself. Otherwise, keep a low profile.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I¡¯ll need to think that over. As I dusted off my clothes and stood, Edel mentioned onest thing before I left. ¡°You lost your weapon in thest battle, didn¡¯t you? If you go to the one you care about, you¡¯ll get a new sword.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a sword with Da-eun?¡± ¡°It¡¯s one she got from Justina. Didn¡¯t you hear about it?¡± Did she mention something like that? In any case¡ª ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± That wasn¡¯t particrly relevant to me. ¡°When your purpose is to protect something, there¡¯s no sword, no matter how legendary, that canpare to the one you already have.¡± Come to think of it, I¡¯ve been neglecting its upkeep. It¡¯s time to give it a thorough polishing again. ¡ª Click here -> The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 161 Da-eun raised both arms tightly against her ears and dered, ¡°It¡¯s a personal safety rm!¡± ¡°¡­A personal safety rm?¡± ¡°Yes¡­!¡± For the record, I didn¡¯t tell her to do that. I had merely brought up the item Da-eun had given me yesterday because it crossed my mind. But instead of giving me a proper answer, she started dodging the question and punishing herself. The phrase ¡°a guilty conscience needs no user¡± must have been made for moments like this. It was clear she had done something suspicious again, so I crossed my arms. Da-eun shivered as if my stance alone was intimidating. ¡°What¡¯s a personal safety rm?¡±¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s something moremonly used in neighboring countries than ours¡­ When you press the button, it makes a loud noise¡­? It¡¯s meant to alert people in dangerous situations¡­ Yeah, that¡¯s what it¡¯s for¡­.¡± ¡°Dangerous situations?¡± ¡°¡­Like when there¡¯s a disaster or an ident. Situations like that.¡± On the surface, it didn¡¯t sound like anything strange. But¡­ My instincts told me that Da-eun was hiding something. Honestly, even without instincts, her guilty reaction made it impossible not to be suspicious. If it were something so simple, she wouldn¡¯t be reacting so dramatically. Thud! ¡°Exin. Properly.¡± ¡°Eek!¡± ¡°¡­Now.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll tell you!¡± I hit the wall next to Da-eun¡¯s head and growled. Immediately, she straightened up and responded sharply, though only for a moment. As she cautiously nced around, her eyes began darting about. ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you going to do it?¡± ¡°Do what?¡± ¡°Say, ¡®I don¡¯t need it!¡¯¡± ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡± Tilting my head in confusion, I narrowed my eyes sharply. ¡°You¡¯re still in the mood for jokes, huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s a rule¡­!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m Under my unrelenting gaze, Da-eun bowed her head like a remorseful criminal. ¡°But¡­ this situation is kind of thrilling¡­ Is this what they call a ¡®wall m¡¯?¡± Flick! ¡°Ow!¡± Da-eun, who had been spouting nonsense, finally closed her mouth after receiving a sharp flick to the head. ¡°The original purpose of the device is crime prevention. It¡¯s used to scare away criminals or alert others when someone dangerous approaches¡­.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°¡­It was made to protect those who can¡¯t defend themselves, like children. It¡¯s seen as somethingmonly used by kids, for cases like abductions¡­ Yes¡­ that sort of thing¡­.¡± ? ¡°And you gave me this as a self-defense tool?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Why did she even have something like this? That didn¡¯t matter. ¡°What¡¯s yourst wish?¡± Da-eun¡¯s eyes darted wildly. They rolled so fast I almost thought I could hear the gears in her brain spinning. But nothing coherent came out of her mouth. As if Death¡¯s scythe was grazing her neck, threatening to spill a single drop of blood, Da-eun screamed desperately to save herself. ¡°Judge! I¡¯m innocent!¡± ¡°¡­Judge?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still a self-defense tool, isn¡¯t it? I didn¡¯t lie, so I don¡¯t think I deserve to be interrogated like this!¡± ¡°Oh, so because you didn¡¯t lie, you think you¡¯re not at fault?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct! I even told you when I handed it over! I said to press it if you encountered a suspicious person or a dangerous situation!¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Then¡­! Ouch!¡± Once might seem too cold-hearted, so she got two. Da-eun teared up after receiving two flicks to the head. Seeing her so moved made me feel a bit warm inside. As Da-eun sniffled and asked, ¡°Why¡­?!¡± I replied with a smirk. ¡°That¡¯s not why you gave it to me, though.¡± You¡¯re worried I¡¯ll fall victim to a criminal? Da-eun, who knows better than anyone how strong I am? No way. ¡°¡­No!! I really am worried! I was scared that some weirdo might approach Kana or lure her away with snacks!¡± ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s say you were worried. But did you really think I¡¯d fall for that?¡± ¡°Of course not! ¡­Ow!¡± In the end, Da-eun confessed her ¡°crime¡± with her own mouth, and a lovely threeyered ¡°ice cream¡± formed on her head. To put it simply, she gave it to me as a joke. Like saying, ¡°You¡¯re just a child, so carry this around.¡± No wonder Edelughed at me yesterday¡ªthere was a hidden meaning behind it. ¡°Wait a minute! It¡¯s still a self-defense tool!¡± Da-eun urgently shouted as I stepped closer for judgment. ¡°You¡¯re nning to repeat what you just said?¡± ¡°Just listen to me first! If some weirdo approaches Kana, you¡¯ll definitely teach them a lesson, right?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± My silence was taken as agreement by Da-eun. ¡°But here¡¯s the thing¡ªthis is Earth. Even if the person is a heinous criminal, once you¡¯re involved in an incident, you¡¯ll have to deal with the police investigation. That means you¡¯ll have to reveal your identity, and there¡¯s a chance the media might expose it too. It¡¯d be a huge hassle, right? You¡¯d hate that, wouldn¡¯t you? That¡¯s why I gave it to you!¡± Wow. How much oil did she pour on her tongue? Her words were flowing like a stream. ¡°And by doing so, you¡¯d also save the person who approached Kana.¡± ¡°¡­Why do you think I¡¯d kill someone who approaches me?¡± ¡°Huh? You wouldn¡¯t?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t.¡± What does she take me for? Does she think I¡¯m someone who goes around killing random people? As I clicked my tongue, Da-eun shrank back, her shoulders hunching. ¡°I thought you¡¯d say something like, ¡®No mercy for criminals!¡¯ and cut them down.¡± ¡°When did I ever say something like that?¡± I¡¯m not that righteous. ¡°There¡¯s only one person I¡¯d want to kill.¡± ¡°Huh? There¡¯s someone you want to kill? Who is it¡­?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not me, right?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Of course, it was a joke. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d kill Da-eun. Honestly, she annoyed me, but the three flicks to her forehead were enough to let go of all my resentment. ¡°Eek! A murderer! There¡¯s a pink-haired killer trying to kill me here!¡± ¨DAnd yet. They say to be cautious even around extinguished mes, but Da-eun didn¡¯t just rekindle the fire; she poured gasoline on it. Fueled by her zealous support, the dying embers in my heart roared back to life. zing. As I clenched my fists and watched Da-eun run away screaming, I muttered. ¡°If I catch you, you¡¯re dead.¡± ¡°Ahh! How romantic¡­!¡± I wonder if she¡¯ll say the same thing once I catch her. With that thought in mind, I leapt toward Da-eun. *** After a lively game of tag. Despite all her antics to escape, Da-eun was eventually caught and paid for her crimes. After cleaning up the mess we made of the house, Da-eun and I gathered in the living room again. ¡°This is fascinating, no matter how many times I see it.¡± Beyond the open space, Edel, peeking beyond the dimensional pathway, spoke. Da-eun, looking equally fascinated, tilted her head curiously. ¡°Can I go through this too?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know?¡± I hadn¡¯t asked about the specifics. ¡°Probably not.¡± Unlike me, who somehow crossed barriers, navigated whirlpools, and arrived in Silia, The term ¡°pathway¡± suggested something more stable, but¡­ It was uncertain whether an ordinary person like Da-eun could even cross through the pathway. ¡°Even if it were possible, I wouldn¡¯t let you.¡± Crossing over through Silia Online involves using a false body, so it¡¯s safe. But using this method means taking your real body with you. Every injury, even death¡ª You¡¯d have to face it fully. ¡°I was just curious. I don¡¯t actually n on going.¡± ¡°For someone who¡¯s ¡®just curious,¡¯ you seem disappointed.¡± ¡°Well¡­ honestly, I am a little curious. But safetyes first.¡± Then, she shed a bright smile. ¡°Besides, even without this, I still get to see Kana.¡± ¡°¡­What a cheesy thing to say.¡± It was cheesy, but not annoying enough to react harshly. A mere side-eye sufficed. ¡°Your face turned red!¡± ¡°No, it didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°It did. Want me to take a picture and show you?¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t!¡± I turned away from Da-eun, who had already picked up her phone. ording to Edel, the flow of time had been deliberately synchronized between Earth and Silia during the process of dimensional subjugation. Even if there were discrepancies, they would be minor. No matter how much time I wasted there, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about time passing significantly here. ¡°Still, you can¡¯t get so carried away that you forget your responsibilities.¡± Conversely, wasting too much time here could endanger the other world. Edel mentioned that applying higher-dimensional rules to a lower dimension wasn¡¯t too difficult. In any case¡ª Since I had already spent a lot of time ying tag with Da-eun, it was about time to leave if I wanted to return before sunset. Although there was plenty of time until the sun would set, I didn¡¯t know how long the fight would take. ¡°So, that¡¯s why.¡± ¡°Sure, sure.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not running away because I¡¯m embarrassed.¡± ¡°Sure, sure.¡± ¡°Da-eun, do you want to get hit?¡± ¡°No.¡± Honestly¡­ Shaking my head, I turned toward the dimensional pathway. ¡°Kana!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Be careful not to get hurt, and let¡¯s eat something delicious when you¡¯re back, okay?¡± Da-eun expressed her regret that she couldn¡¯t join me because of her schedule. I was used to traveling alone, fighting alone. However, the reason I didn¡¯t feel lonely now wasn¡¯t because of familiarity. ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± After all, I had a home to return to. Knowing that warmth would greet me if I endured a brief moment of solitude, I stepped into the dimensional pathway without hesitation. Familiar scenery weed me. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± Dad. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 162 A cabin built with roughly stacked logses into view. It¡¯s far from the house I live in with Shin Da-eun or even the home I used to live in with my dad back in the day. But even though it¡¯s just a shabby cabin, it was once my home. Seeing it again fills me with quiet nostalgia. ¡°¡­It¡¯s pretty.¡± Old. I raised my hand and ran it along the wall of the cabin. The rough texture of the unpolished wood, now full of deep cracks, greeted my fingers. Come to think of it, how long has it been since I left this house? Hmm¡­ A month? Two months?I¡¯m not one to count such things, so I can¡¯t say for sure, but it¡¯s clear that I¡¯ve been away for quite some time. Still, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s been that long, and yet it¡¯s changed so much. I once heard that a house, untouched by human hands, quickly loses its vitality. Could the cabin I lived in have grown old for the same reason? Or perhaps it was already in bad condition, and I just hadn¡¯t noticed before. ¡°Most likely thetter,¡± I muttered to myself. It wasn¡¯t built using any special techniques or processed with special materials. The signs of wear must have been there all along¡ªI simply hadn¡¯t paid attention to them. Staring nkly at the cabin, I opened the door and stepped inside. The interior was lightly dusted with ayer of powdery gray. When I rested my hand on a surface, a thick smudge of dust clung to my palm. Well, since I¡¯m here, I might as well take some things. They aren¡¯t particrly important, but a few items with sentimental value found their way into my bag. Then, I stepped back outside. Looking at the cabin once more, I mused to myself: ¡°Hm.¡± I won¡¯t be staying here again. Should I just tear it down? I could leave it as it is, but if it copsester, turning from a house into a heap of debris, that¡¯d be an eyesore. After a bit of deliberation, I decided to leave it alone for now. After all, I¡¯d be returning to Silia periodically from now on. I coulde back every so often and check on it. If it looks like it¡¯s about to fall apart, I¡¯ll repair it¡ªor demolish it¡ªthen. I also tidied up the dead flowers around the cabin. They were not just withered butpletely shriveled and ckened. Once the lifeless blooms were gone, the flower bed looked bare, but it was far better than leaving the dead flowers there. ¡®There¡¯s so much to do¡­.¡¯ I¡¯d worked hard to maintain this ce before. Swallowing my bittersweet feelings, I turned toward my final destination. At the edge of the flower bed. Standing before my father¡¯s grave, I felt a very different emotion well up in my chest. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. ¡­Is it urate to say it¡¯s been a while?¡± Even if it¡¯s only been a few months, that¡¯s enough to call it a while, isn¡¯t it? ¡­I guess I¡¯m in no position to criticize Da-eun for this. ¡°You know, Dad, I actually remember my past life.¡± The memories are faded, riddled with holes, and so tattered that it¡¯s hard to say whether I can truly call them memories at all. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, I let out a sigh-like monologue. ¡°I went back to the world I lived in during my past life.¡± Right now, I guess you could call it¡­ just a walk. Even when you were alive, Dad, I never talked this much. It felt unfamiliar, fumbling with my words, but it wasn¡¯t as awkward as I thought it would be. As my rambling drew closer to an end and the sound of the wind grew louder than my voice, I reached into my bag and took out something I¡¯d brought from Earth. ¡°In the ce where I live now, there¡¯s a culture of offering gifts to the spirits of the deceased to honor their memory¡­ or their soul, I guess? Something like that.¡± A translucent green bottle. Pop! As soon as I opened it, a strong alcoholic smell hit my nose, making me grimace. ¡°Ugh!¡± Some drops got on my hand, and out of curiosity, I touched them to my tongue¡ªonly to recoil in disgust and stick my tongue out. Even though I¡¯ve been through plenty of hardships, why does this taste so bitter? Only after I urgently popped some chocte into my mouth did the bitter taste clinging to my tongue start to fade. If you have money to buy something like this, why not spend it on sweet snacks instead? That thought crossed my mind as I poured the liquor onto the ground. ¡°This isn¡¯t exactly how it¡¯s done, but¡­¡± With no one here to correct me or judge me, does it really matter? ¡°I just wanted you to know about this custom.¡± I don¡¯t know how people drink this, but since you loved alcohol so much, Dad, I figured you¡¯d appreciate it. I know you¡¯ve already reincarnated and are living a new life now. I know that¡­ ¡°Because memories are something you can cherish.¡± And, in a way, this is also a bribe. Drip¡­ A single drop of soju fell from the bottle¡¯s mouth. I tilted the bottle further and eventually held itpletely upright. After thest drop fell, nothing else came out. Closing the cap and putting the bottle back in my bag, I reached out my hand. The grip was familiar, almostforting. Swoosh. Grasping the handle, which seemed to radiate faint warmth, I pulled with strength. The sword embedded in the ground slid out with little resistance. At the same time, a radiant crimson light scattered in all directions, as if celebrating its newfound freedom. ¡°Yeah. You must have been frustrated too.¡± Born from the hands of a skilled artisan and once wielded by a master swordsman across the world, being stuck in the ground must have been unbearable. I understand that feeling. Even though it had likely endured storms and harsh weather in my absence, the de still radiated a sharp, intense energy. ¡°Crimson Aegis.¡± As the name suggests, it¡¯s a sword meant to protect what one loves. For someone like me, who failed to protect anything and has nothing left to protect, I couldn¡¯t wield this sword. ¡ªUntil now. ¡°But now, I have something to protect.¡± So don¡¯t me me for taking you. This is for the sake of protecting the world where Dad lives. I even brought a bribe, so I hope you¡¯ll forgive me. Sliding Crimson Aegis into its sheath, I turned away. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± And next time, I¡¯ll bring a better drink. You¡¯d prefer that over some trivial snacks, wouldn¡¯t you? As if agreeing, a faint warmth emanated from the sword at my side. *** *** *** Where the Sage¡¯s barrier once stood, a wall made of Magi now loomed tall. It¡¯s fine to block entry, but leaving it unattended wouldn¡¯t be ideal either. After all, this was only a pseudo-barrier created with Magi. When I ced my hand on the ck wall, it crumbled in an instant, returning to its original form. Ipleted the process by redirecting some parts and sending the rest to where Edel resides. Then, I paused to think. ¡°What should I do?¡± I need to set up defenses to prevent others from ruining this ce. But I don¡¯t have the same talents as the Sage, so I was deliberating when a good idea struck me. The final battle with that creature. Come to think of it, I learned something valuable back then. Drawing on that realization, I sketched out a solution. Saaa¡ª The space along the edge of my unsheathed sword twisted and swirled for a while. Once I sheathed the sword, the distorted space returned to its original state as if nothing had happened. From the outside, everything appeared perfectly normal. It looked like stepping forward would take you to the flower bed beyond. But as I tested it by stepping forward, the scenery in front of me twisted instantly. When I stepped back, the scene returned to normal. ¡°Hmm, hmm.¡± Satisfied with the result, I nodded contentedly. The twisted space would confuse anyone who stepped into it. If they continued to push forward, an invisible wall would eventually block them. Most would give up at the first stage, but the doubleyered mechanism was designed to handle those lucky enough to make it through. If someone manages to break through even that, well, there¡¯s nothing else I can do but confront them directly. But I doubt many could manage that. This security mechanism is imbued with the intricacies of spatial maniption. At the very least, they¡¯d need to reach the Master level to even attempt a serious challenge. Only those worthy shall pass. Leaving behind the security system crafted with all the insights I¡¯d gained, I turned away. ¡°¡­?¡± But then, something unfamiliar caught my eye. White bouquets, neatly arranged in soft curves. Most were wilted, but a few still looked fresh. Puzzled by the clearly intentional cement, I tilted my head in curiosity. ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know.¡± I soon dismissed it. Perhaps some strange trend started while I was away. I¡¯d gathered my belongings, tidied the flower bed, and set up the security system. Time had flown by, leaving no room for further dy. I hadn¡¯t nned on doing any of this, after all. When I came to deal with the Dimensional Creature, small bothersome things kept catching my attention, leaving me no choice but to address them. It was necessary anyway. At least I could be thankful that reaching the capital of Grasis¡ªor what used to be its capital¡ªwouldn¡¯t take long. When I traveled with Shin Da-eun, I had to match her pace, but now that I was alone, I could move as fast as I wanted. If need be, I could leap through space, just as the Sage had. The only reason I wasn¡¯t doing so was that I¡¯d never tried it before. Considering what I¡¯d just aplished, I was confident it¡¯d work, but I couldn¡¯t risk something going wrong. ¡°If I¡¯d known, I should¡¯ve practiced more.¡± It¡¯s been quite a while since my body fully recovered. With a slight sense of regret, Iunched myself forward. Toward the base of the mountain, where my old home once stood. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 163 ¡®An object to cover my face?¡¯ ¡®Yeah. Like a robe or a hooded cloak¡­ something like that.¡¯ Shin Da-eun pondered for a moment after hearing my question. ¡®But is it really necessary to use something like that?¡¯ ¡®What do you mean? Are you telling me not to hide it?¡¯ Covering Kana¡¯s cute face is absolutely out of the question! Determined to kick her if she said anything like that, I listened closely to Da-eun¡¯s exnation. ¡®No, that¡¯s not entirely wrong, but that¡¯s not what I meant. The things you mentioned could easily reveal your face if you move too vigorously, right? So, I thought it might be better to use something like a mask instead.¡¯ ¡®¡­Oh.¡¯She¡¯s right. It would definitely be more ufortable, but if the goal is to cover my face, that would be better. If the mask on my facees off or gets damaged, that likely means I¡¯m in danger anyway. Feeling proud of her for finally saying something useful, I gave her a thumbs-up, to which Da-eun responded with an ¡°Ehehe¡± and augh. ¡®I actually have something good for that. Want to take a look?¡¯ ¡®Something good?¡¯ ¡®Wait a sec. I¡¯m pretty sure I left it here¡­ Ah, found it!¡¯ Da-eun rummaged through a box and triumphantly held up something. ¡®It¡¯s a fox mask. Honestly, I think a cat mask would suit Kana better, but¡­ unfortunately, I don¡¯t have one. Should I order one now¡­? Hmm. But considering your slyness, maybe the fox is more fitting¡­¡¯ ¡®Why do you even have something like this?¡¯ ¡®Since I work in broadcasting, I end up buying all sorts of things. Either out of curiosity or as event props.¡¯ ¡®¡­You use things like this for events?¡¯ ¡®Aah¡­! Wh-where did you find this?!¡¯ ¡®In the box.¡¯ ¡®This was something I bought for punishments¡­¡¯ Da-eun hid the bizarre object behind her back while offering an excuse. ¡®I swear, I didn¡¯t buy it because I wanted to. Got it?¡¯ ¡®Yeah, I¡¯ll believe you.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m serious¡­ Anyway, do you want to use this?¡¯ ¡®Is it okay?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s just gathering dust, so why not? It¡¯s a piece of merchandise from an anime I used to like, but I never used it because it¡¯s kind of embarrassing.¡¯ ¡®Why?¡¯ ¡®People don¡¯t usually walk around wearing masks. Unless there¡¯s a specific reason, you almost never see it here. Besides, it¡¯s not something that fits well in our culture. So, I kept it as a disy item.¡¯ Keeping a disy item in a box? Feeling a small sense of doubt, I took the fox mask. tter. And now, it¡¯s the source of the difort currently covering my face. When I absentmindedly touched my face, I felt a hard surface instead of soft cheeks and quickly dropped my hand. For a disy item, its fit wasn¡¯t bad, but the sense of confinement was unavoidable. Still, it was nice not having to worry about it being blown off like when I wore a hooded cape. Back then, I had to press the hood firmly to keep it from flying off. As I gazed at the fast-passing scenery and let my idle thoughts wander, my destination soon came into view. A deste ruin. I stopped my swift steps and lightlynded on the ruins where the remnants of buildings were scattered grotesquely, and the scenes of the past faintly ovepped. ¡®This looks like where the stables used to be.¡¯ And over there, it seems to be where the bakery once stood. Whether I¡¯m right or not, there¡¯s no way to know. Immersed in nostalgia, I wandered through the past. ¡°¡­¡± And then. As if caught on something, my steps came to a sudden halt. Among themon rubble, something familiar caught my eye. ¡°This is¡­¡± Picking it up, I muttered a short sigh-like phrase. So this is the ce. This is the house where I lived with Dad. I stared at the familiar object¡ªa fragment of the gate that once stood firm at the house¡ªand then dropped it to the ground. Clinging to something like this seems a bit much, even for me. There are plenty of other things to reminisce about, anyway. ¡°Still, it¡¯s kind of amazing. Even after so many years, something like this remains.¡± Is it because it¡¯s made of iron? It was clear it had been left unattended, enduring countless storms, yet it still managed to retain much of its original form. Although it was tinged with red rust. Perhaps the gate fragment had traveled a great distance to reach here through some unknown means. But my instincts told me this was my old home. The surrounding geography was roughly simr. But that was all. There was nowhere to enter, and even if I could, there wouldn¡¯t be anything inside. What would I do by going in? I already knew, long ago, that nothing was left. ¡°¡­Thinking about it like that makes me a little angry.¡± It doesn¡¯t matter that Grasis was destroyed, but I can¡¯t forgive the fact that my home was ruined. ¡­That¡¯s how I feel. Boom! ¡°Hmm.¡± As I burned with the mes of vengeance at this intolerable atrocity, a loud noise pierced my ears. However, it wasn¡¯t unexpected. I had already seen people wandering the nearby area as I approached. While encountering them wouldn¡¯t be an issue, it was better to avoid them. I adjusted the slightly crooked mask and pulled my hood tightly over my head. The goal was the royal pce. ¡­The ce where it used to stand. It still amazed me that such a massive pce had been toppled so quickly, but on the other hand, the thought, ¡°Those guys could do that,¡± also lingered in my mind. They were the type to only think of their own safety. As soon as trouble arose, they probably fled. Well, it¡¯s not like sacrificing one¡¯s life for the royal family is a worthwhile endeavor. Finding where the pce used to be wasn¡¯t difficult. I had walked that path countless times before. I could probably find it with my eyes closed if I exaggerated a bit. In the past, every step on this road used to fill me with unbearable displeasure. ¡°Huh-huh.¡± But now, as I walked along the wrecked path, I felt oddly cheerful and even hummed a quiet tune. My mood was light, and my steps became naturally buoyant as I skipped and leapt over the debris. Thunk! As my foot hit the ground, a dull sound echoed. ¡°Grrrr¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, it wasn¡¯t the ground.¡± Why were you lying there, of all ces? A monstery sprawled out, foam frothing at its mouth. On its head, a small footprint was clearly imprinted. ¡°If you die from something like that, it makes it look like I¡¯m heavy.¡± So hurry up and get up. ¡°Oooh.¡± The fallen monster staggered to its feet. Its dazed eyes suggested it still had no idea what had happened to it. ¡°You can go back to sleep now.¡± sh. The monster¡¯s head flew through the air. I had no more business with it now that I¡¯d proven I wasn¡¯t heavy. To think it sacrificed its life to prove my innocence¡­ how admirable. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± After a brief moment of silence, I lifted my head. That¡¯s when I locked eyes with someone staring at me from a distance. Though the face wasn¡¯t visible from so far away, I knew exactly who it was. ¡°¡­The Greatsword Chick?¡± Her real name was Yuki, if I remembered correctly. Though, of course, that¡¯s not her real name either¡­ ¡°To meet here of all ces.¡± What a coincidence. Still, seeing Yuki didn¡¯t warrant any dramatic reaction from me. Maybe if it were Da-eun, it¡¯d be a different story. Sure, I taught her a thing or two, but only a little. Besides, it would be absurd to approach someone who thought I was dead and greet them warmly. So let¡¯s just pretend not to know her and pass by. sh¡ª Yet, contrary to my intentions, Yuki¡¯s gaze remained fixed on me. In fact, she seemed to be staring even more intently. ¡®¡­Did she notice?¡¯ That thought crossed my mind¡ª ¡®No way.¡¯ I dismissed it as a figment of my imagination. Although I had heard from Da-eun that I had been a notorious Raid Boss in Silia Online. In the end, I had made a rather memorable exit as an NPC, hadn¡¯t I? Step, step. As I organized my thoughts, Yuki slowly walked toward me, one step at a time. ¡®She won¡¯t recognize me anyway.¡¯ Thinking so, I prepared to ignore the approaching Yuki and hastened my pace. But then, when she was suddenly right in front of me, Yuki spoke. ¡°Master.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Startled by the unexpected address, I flinched. ¡®¡­Ah, crap.¡¯ I quickly realized my mistake and made a grimace. Thankfully, following Da-eun¡¯s advice and wearing a mask had been the right decision. Otherwise, my expression would have given everything away. ¡°It really is you, Master.¡± Bang! Yuki¡¯s voice, filled with certainty, delivered the final blow. Shake, shake. Although she seemed convinced, I firmly pressed my lips together and shook my head. ¡°Not you?¡± Nod. ¡°Then say something.¡± Shake, shake. ¡°You really are Master.¡± Shake, shake, shake, shake! ¡°Hmm.¡± After my desperate head-shaking, Yuki stopped her questioning. As if deep in thought, she rubbed her chin for a moment, then suddenly ced her hand on her greatsword. Woong¡ª! She swung her absurdlyrge greatsword. The massive de sliced through the air. Had I not stepped back, the greatsword would have cleaved through more than just the empty space¡ªit would have struck my face. ¡°¡­Ha.¡± I let out a hollowugh, unable to believe it. Swinging a greatsword at someone out of nowhere? And judging by how precisely it targeted my head and the strength imbued in the swing, it wasn¡¯t a half-hearted move either. Had an ordinary person been struck by that blow, the fight would have ended immediately. If they couldn¡¯t block it, they¡¯d die. If they did block it, their arms would break from the force. Dodging it would be nearly impossible. Such an unfair strike. ¡°¡­She¡¯s genuinely talented.¡± She¡¯s grown to this extent in such a short time. Even with the system¡¯s blessings, it wouldn¡¯t have been easy. But that¡¯s that¡ª ¡°And this is infuriating.¡± She attacked me, so she has to pay the price. Creak. I dragged my right foot back in a long motion and spun my body in ce. At the same time, I lightly pushed off the ground with my left foot, causing my body to rise gracefully into the air. Then came the kick. It was far too short to reach Yuki, so while the kick formed an elegant arc, it sliced through nothing but air. Just like Yuki¡¯s greatsword a moment ago. However, the results were far from the same. ¡°What are you¡ª?!¡± Wham! Yuki, who had been observing my movements a few steps away, was suddenly lifted into the air. Crash! Thud! tter! And just like that, she was flung to the side as if hit by a car, crashing into the debris. Judging by the loud noise, the damage seemed considerable. ¡°Not my problem, though.¡± She attacked first, after all. Shrugging, I tapped the ground lightly with my foot. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 164 It was undeniable that my leg had cut through empty air. Then why had Yuki flown away, her body folding into a ¡°<¡± shape? And why did I feel this heavy sensation in my leg? ¡°Hmm. Not bad.¡± The answer was simple. My attack had indeed reached Yuki. It wasn¡¯t aimed at her directly but at the space she upied. It was the first time I had tried such a strike with my leg instead of a sword, but the sensation wasn¡¯t bad at all. ¡°I probably won¡¯t use it often, though.¡±It felt like a temporary workaround. Calling an attack that incorporates the intricacies of space a mere ¡°workaround¡± might seem absurd, but that¡¯s the truth. I am a swordsman, not a martial artist. Still, knowing how to move my body allowed me to execute such an attack. I stopped pondering and turned to where Yuki had flown. ¡°Is she dead?¡± Well, I had kicked her with the thought that it didn¡¯t matter if she died. Knowing she¡¯d just revive, there was no need to hold back. While I didn¡¯t go all out, I didn¡¯t bother controlling my strength, so it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if she died. Especially since this was her first time encountering such an attack and she had no chance to defend herself. ¡°Not my problem.¡± Repeating the words I had just uttered earlier, I shrugged. I hadn¡¯t expected her to recognize me from such a distance, so her approach had caught me off guard. Still, this should be the end. Even if she revived somewhere and came looking for me again, I¡¯d be long gone by then, so I wouldn¡¯t see her again. Sure, there was a chance we¡¯d meet again by coincidence in the future. ¡°But that¡¯s not something I can control.¡± I can¡¯t see the future, after all. Even Edel, who calls herself a god, couldn¡¯t foresee her own fate and ended up being defeated by Dimensional Creatures. What could I possibly do? ¡°That arrogant brat¡­!¡± I almost felt like I could hear Edel shouting. Of course, it was just my imagination. ¡°Ah, right. I don¡¯t have time for this.¡± I was already busy, and now more time had been wasted because of Yuki. I turned my gaze away from the ruins where Yuki was buried and started walking again. I needed to get back to what I was doing. -That was when it happened. Crumble. Crumble. ¡°Ugh¡­ I almost died.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± From behind, I heard the sound of debris falling and a familiar soft, feminine voice. That voice unmistakably belonged to someone I knew. ¡°It¡¯s been so long, but you¡¯re still so harsh.¡± Without thinking, I turned my head to look behind me. Covered in dirt and looking like aplete wreck, Yuki was stepping out from the rubble. She raised a hand and shook her head, causing dust and small fragments to scatter around her. ¡°It really is you, Master.¡± ¡°¡­How are you alive?¡± Unable to keep my voice hidden anymore, I asked Yuki. I hadpletely abandoned the thought of maintaining my secrecy. My curiosity to get an answer was stronger than anything else. ¡°A feeling.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I just felt it. ¡®This is dangerous.¡¯ So I blocked it.¡± Although I realized it toote, which is why I ended up like this. Yuki proudly showed off her battered body as she spoke jokingly. ¡°You blocked it?¡± I hadn¡¯t seen her block anything. And with Yuki¡¯s level, it wasn¡¯t an attack she could defend against. When I tilted my head in confusion, she exined. ¡°I used mana to reinforce my body.¡± ¡°Ah¡­?¡± Her exnation cleared up one question but gave rise to another. ¡°But didn¡¯t you say you got hit?¡± ¡°If I had just taken the hit, I would have died, so I blocked it.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± It kind of made sense¡­ While I was caught up in Yuki¡¯s logic and hesitating, she took another step closer. From up close, her eyes sparkled with curiosity. ¡°I knew you were alive. There¡¯s no way Master would die so easily. Thatst time¡ªit must have been some kind of clone or decoy, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡° ¡°Ah¡ªwait a second.¡± Before she could get too close¡ªjust within the range where our swords could meet¡ªYuki suddenly stopped. Standing at that precise boundary, she swung her massive sword. Amidst the scattering blood droplets and dust, I caught sight of her lips curling into a smirk. ¡°When swordsmen meet, just chatting is so unromantic. So¡­¡± nk. ¡°Let¡¯s fight first and talk after.¡± Let me show you how much I¡¯ve grown. She pointed her enormous greatsword at me as she spoke. The de, almost asrge as an adult man, was held perfectly steady with one hand. Unless you had incredible arm strength, such a feat would be impossible. The fact that Yuki could manage it, with her slender, seemingly untrained physique, made it even more unbelievable. Of course, if she were using mana, it wouldn¡¯t be entirely impossible, but Yuki was holding that massive sword purely with her physical strength. The power of yers¡­ Feeling yet another wave of irrationality, I opened my mouth. ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Why would I? Leaving Yuki looking dumbfounded, I turned and began walking away. *** *** *** ¡°Just one fight, please.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Just once¡­ If you fight me just this once, I¡¯ll be satisfied and leave.¡± Lies. Ignoring Yuki¡¯s whining, I thought to myself. This wasn¡¯t a fight¡ªit would be me humoring her. And even if I fought her once, she wasn¡¯t the type to just leave me alone afterward. I remembered the days when she used to pound on my barrier every single day back in the mountains. If someone else had been as annoying as Yuki usually was, I would have cut them down immediately. But since this was exactly what Yuki wanted, I steadfastly refused to draw my sword. ¡°How did you know it was me?¡± Instead, I asked her. How had she recognized me? ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if you fight me.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t tell me.¡± Sure, I was curious, but not curious enough to force her to talk. As I stubbornly turned my head away, she hastily spoke up. ¡°Mana! I sensed Master¡¯s mana!¡± ¡°¡­My mana?¡± ¡°Yes. I suspected it after seeing your stature and gait, but when you hit me earlier, I was certain.¡± ¡°So, you sensed not just mana, but my specific mana?¡± ¡°Yes. Your mana is special, Master.¡± Incredulous at her im, I asked again, but her response didn¡¯t change. It was surprising enough that she had noticed from my gait, but her following words were even more startling. Unless I¡¯d deliberately made my mana obvious, it shouldn¡¯t have been detectable. To test her, I subtly released a sliver of mana¡ªjust enough to remain undetected. ¡°¡­?¡± Flinch. At once, Yuki¡¯s entire body stiffened. ¡°Unbelievable.¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh in disbelief. ¡°You really are¡­.¡± No, that¡¯s not the way to put it. I almost blurted out, ¡°You must¡¯ve been born into the wrong world,¡± but I swallowed the words halfway. ¡°¡­You¡¯ve got talent.¡± ¡°Is this what they call a ¡®talent freak¡¯?¡± I muttered awkwardly, recalling a phrase I¡¯d seen on the inte. ¡°I hear that a lot.¡± ¡°Of course you do.¡± Some people are given one-on-one lessons and still can¡¯t grasp the basics, while others, like her, just figure things out on their own. ¡°You¡¯re starting to pique my interest a little.¡± ¡°Really¡­?¡± ¡°But I¡¯m still not going to fight you.¡± Yuki¡¯s face lit up momentarily before darkening again at my follow-up statement. If she had a proper mentor, she would have be exceptional by now. If she had peers who started on the same day, they would have been envious and despairing at her talent. Tap, tap. I lightly tapped my fox mask with my fingers as I thought before finally speaking. ¡°Do you want to fight?¡± ¡°Seriously?!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Her expression went from gloomy to practically glowing, like a sun had risen on her face. She looked so delighted that it felt like the snow from the deepest winter could melt in an instant. ¡°But not with me. With someone else.¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± ¡°If I watch and find the fight satisfactory¡­ Hmm, I¡¯ll give you a reward.¡± ¡°¡­Oh!¡± ¡°But if it¡¯s disappointing, I won¡¯t associate with you ever again.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± Yuki hefted her massive greatsword onto her shoulder, grinning confidently. ¡°I¡¯m the best when ites to using my body.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯ll be looking forward to it.¡± To be honest, I hadn¡¯t even realized someone like Yuki existed, let alone expected to meet her here. This was a whim. Seeing her incredible talent had sparked a fleeting thought: ¡°Maybe I should teach her.¡± Having someone dependable around wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing. If the worst-case scenario Edel mentioned came to pass, it would help to respond faster. ¡°Who am I supposed to fight, though?¡± ¡°Wait.¡± She wasn¡¯t some dog waiting by her food bowl, but her fidgeting made me imagine dog ears perking up on her head. Ignoring her impatience, I scanned the area for the target Edel had mentioned. ¡°Found it.¡± I located what I was looking for. Standing before a visibly distorted flow of mana, I channeled the holy power Edel had bestowed upon me. Wooooom¡ª The warped mana flow quivered, revealing a hidden scene. What had appeared to be a ruined wastnd was now an empty clearing. Stepping onto the ground where a royal pce once stood, I gestured toward Yuki, who stood there staring nkly. ¡°A¡­ dungeon?¡± ¡°Get in.¡± Even if this was the ruined capital of a fallen kingdom, I didn¡¯t think Yuki could handle the Dimensional Creature that had destroyed an entire city. Still, it would be a good test of her potential. As if sensing our intrusion, a massive entity began to stir. Its enormous eyelids lifted, revealing two massive, violet orbs glowing like twin moons on the earth. What I¡¯d thought was part of the fortress wall turned out to be its legs, and what reached skyward like pirs were its arms. A giant vaguely humanoid yet distinctly otherworldly. Its eyes, glowing with a dark violet hue instead of whites, gleamed ominously as it slowly rose to its full height. Rumble, rumble, rumble! The ground shook so violently it felt like an earthquake. ¡°You expect me to fight that?¡± ¡°Are you scared?¡± If you are, you can back out. I teased lightly, and Yuki scoffed as if I¡¯d just said something ridiculous. ¡°As if.¡± She took a step forward, speaking confidently. ¡°Watch carefully.¡± Watch me fight. Her confidence was unmatched as she smiled boldly, nting her feet firmly andunching herself forward. ¡ª Click here -> Chapter 165 Today was not a special day for Yuki. As usual, she logged into Silia Online, fought monsters, beasts, and sometimes even people. When evening came, she would return to reality and go to bed. The only variation in her routine was whether she turned on her broadcast or not. Yuki¡¯s daily life was no different from a hamster running endlessly on its wheel. But Yuki liked this routine. Her previously mundane life had found excitement. Now, she could do what she loved and even make money doing it. What more could she want? People often say that when a hobby bes a job, the fun and excitement fade. That saying didn¡¯t apply to Yuki. For her, fighting with her life on the line wasn¡¯t a job.*** ¡°Haa¡­¡± Canaria. Although Yuki acted nonchnt around the girl she called her master, deep down, she had been surprised. Canaria¡¯sst moments. When she had fought the mage from the Imperial Army, it was undoubtedly the master Yuki had known. Yuki understood that monsters¡ªthose ¡°mobs¡± as yers called them¡ªwould respawn. But when she witnessed Canaria¡¯s death¡­ ¡°So this is the end.¡± That¡¯s what she had thought. Even if Canaria had once been a Raid Boss, her final moment had been deeply intertwined with someone else¡¯s fate. It was hard to imagine that someone who had met such a death would simply respawn like any other mob. ¡°But she¡¯s back.¡± ¡°What are you mumbling about?¡± The delicate voice from behind made Yuki smile faintly. It was the same calm yet slightly arrogant tone she remembered from her memories of Canaria. That voice, along with the familiar demeanor, made it easier for Yuki to ept Canaria¡¯s return. ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling a bit frustratedtely.¡± Recently, every time Yuki swung her sword, she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was off. Someone who had never encountered a wall wouldn¡¯t know how tall it was or how small they were inparison. But for someone who had faced such a wall¡ªeven glimpsed the towering mountain beyond it¡ªthey would realize their own insignificance. That was precisely what Yuki felt now. Watching the battles of Canaria and the powerful figures from the Imperial Army had unknowingly raised her standards. As a result, she was no longer satisfied with her own swordsmanship. Though ying monsters strengthened her mana and body, that wasn¡¯t the kind of strength Yuki sought. Even after training with videos left by Shin Da-eun, she didn¡¯t feel she was making any progress. She had considered seeking out a stronger individual for guidance. But today, Yuki stepped forward with her frustration bottled up as usual. That decision turned out to be the best one she had made recently. Her unresolved dilemma. She was about to meet someone who could help her solve it. ¡°A satisfying fight¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t a particrly difficult request. Yuki had always fought with everything she had. So hearing those words didn¡¯t really change much for her. After all, Canaria probably didn¡¯t expect her to defeat this giant. ¡°But this thing is way too big.¡± Yuki looked up. A massive shadow stretched across the ground. It was sorge that it felt like night had fallen over the entire area. Her greatsword, which had easily shattered the heads of monsters, seemed like nothing more than a toothpick before this giant. Even if she jumped with all her might, she would barely reach its knee. She couldn¡¯t figure out how to fight it. But that was Yuki¡¯s problem. Boom¡ª ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± The giant Dimensional Creature standing before Yuki wasn¡¯t concerned with her struggles. A simple motion of lifting and cing its foot. A casual movement without much force caused the ground to tremble violently, making even Yuki, who was standing firm, wobble. As she stumbled, a chill ran down her spine. Crash! Without thinking, Yuki threw herself to the side. To be honest, ¡°threw¡± wasn¡¯t the right word. ¡°Toppled¡± would be more urate to describe the clumsy scene. Even amidst the chaos, a thought shed through Yuki¡¯s mind: if her broadcast had been on, she would¡¯ve be aughingstock. It was an act of survival, so there was no shame in it. That¡¯s what Yuki told herself. But she certainly wouldn¡¯t have enjoyed being ridiculed by viewers. ¡°I¡¯m d the broadcast isn¡¯t on.¡± As she felt the storm-like gust of wind from the giant¡¯s movement sweep past her, Yuki thought to herself. ¡°¡­Pfft.¡± A softugh, like the pping of a bird¡¯s wings, lingered near Yuki. It was a delicate sound, unsuited for a battlefield where lives were at stake. ¡°¡­Oh, right.¡± The moment she heard it, Yuki suddenly remembered that she wasn¡¯t alone here. While she was rolling across the ground desperately trying to survive, someone else was casually watching andughing. Suppressing the surge of anger that rose momentarily, Yuki pushed herself up and caught sight of what had just passed above her head. It was a hand, the size of a medium-sized monster. The hand that had failed to crush Yuki retreated, crumpling the wreckage around it, and returned to its owner. With its massive, slow movements, the hand obscured the giant¡¯s line of sight. ¡°This is my chance¡­!¡± Having eyes meant the giant had vision. Now that its sight was blocked by its hand, this was the opportunity. Of course, there was a chance its eyes were just for show, and it could sense its surroundings through other means. ¡°I can¡¯t consider everything.¡± The gap in power was too overwhelming to ount for every possibility. As the weaker party, she had to take the risk and exclude certain factors to seize even a small chance. Havinge to a quick conclusion, Yuki sprang to her feet and dashed toward the giant. Dust and pebbles scattered with every powerful step, but she paid them no mind. ¡°Hah!¡± Taking a deep breath, Yuki filled her lungs with air. Her muscles seemed to swell as the air spread throughout her body. It might have been her imagination. But that¡¯s how it felt to her. Tap tap tap¡ª Boom! With a brief running start, Yuki leaped into the air. She soared upward with a sound like an artillery shell being fired. Her body bent back like a tautly drawn bowstring. For an ordinary person, the weight of the massive sword slung over her back would have caused them to topple backward¡ªor, in the worst case, snap their spine. But her sturdy body and the mana coursing through her muscles prevented such disasters. ¡°Weight, force, potential energy¡­ anyway.¡± Her thoughts jumped from one concept to another as she tried to piece it all together. What was she aiming for when she swung her sword? There were many desires, countless reasons¡ªbut in the end, they all converged on one thing: To defeat the opponent. ¡°What I want¡ª¡± Silence from the enemy! Yuki¡¯s deeply bent back snapped forward. Instead of resisting the weight of the sword, she spun gracefully in the air¡ª And then, Boom! A meteor crashed onto the giant¡¯s foot. The sound that rang out was so overwhelming that it was hard to believe it was just a sword striking a foot. The resulting shockwave rippled through the air. Buzz¡ª The aftershock vibrated through her body, causing Yuki to briefly furrow her brow. But there was no time to dwell on it. Forcing her trembling arms to obey, she pulled back her sword and retreated quickly. Had the attack seeded? Or had it failed? She didn¡¯t know. ¡°There¡¯s bound to be some reaction.¡± Even if the giant merely lifted the foot she had attacked, Yuki would be sent flying into the air and crash into the ground. She wasn¡¯t ready to be a stter just yet. Her prediction was spot on. A sound reverberated¡ªwhether it was a scream or a roar of rage, she couldn¡¯t tell. ¡°Urgh¡­ gah!¡± Just the sound alone sent an uncontroble shockwave rippling through her body. Cough! Before she realized it, her mouth opened, and a hot lump surged up from deep in her throat, escaping as if it had been waiting for the chance. Looking at the crimson blood pooling on the ground, Yuki let out a bitterugh. ¡°This is insane.¡± Just from a roar, she had taken this much damage? The health bar that had barely recovered after her fight with Canaria had now plummeted to less than half. The giant was so strong that Yuki felt fortunate to have survived even a single strike. ¡­Despair alone couldn¡¯t fully capture the current situation. ¡°-Heh.¡± But Yuki smiled. She noticed the giant¡¯s awkwardly raised right foot. A dark violet liquid was dripping from the top of its foot. Though,pared to the giant¡¯s massive size, the wound was less than a pinprick¡ªno, more like a scratch from a pencil. ¡°Still, I managed tond a hit, didn¡¯t I?¡± There was something so satisfying aboutnding a hit against an overwhelming opponent. Perhaps the giant understood Yuki¡¯s mocking words. Crack! The ground beneath its foot tore apart roughly. The atmosphere surrounding the giant grew even heavier. ¡°You only got hit because you let your guard down. Why get so angry?¡± Getting mad after being careless¡ªit¡¯s nothing but pathetic. Yuki stuck her tongue out as she drank a potion. Feeling a slight return of vitality to her body, she adjusted her grip on her greatsword. The giant, its glimmering eyes ring, began to move its arm. ¡°Something like this¡­¡± ¡°I can just dodge it.¡± ¡­Or so she thought, before her body froze. ¡°It¡¯s fast!¡± A massive shadow loomed over her, blocking out the sky. Was this what it felt like to be trapped beneath the Buddha¡¯s palm? Seeing the approaching palm, far faster than before, Yuki felt death closing in. But then¡ª ¡°Are you giving up already?¡± ng¡ª! The palm, which surely would have turned Yuki into a pool of blood, bounced back as if struck by something. Under the brightened sky, Canaria stood with her crimson sword in hand. ¡°You cane back to life, so you¡¯re quick to give up. Back in my day, we struggled with everything we had just to stay alive¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a boomer, Master.¡± Yuki muttered, more exasperated than relieved. But somewhere deep inside her, ¡°If it¡¯s her, she really might have done that.¡± Yuki couldn¡¯t help but think. ¡ª Click here -> The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!