episode_0024

On a typical day, the Bronze Adventurer was enjoying his daily routine when he heard the news that the Gold-ranked adventurer, Mileia, was looking for him at the guild.

Since the day they shared stories in Dyna Village, he had never had a chance to talk to her again.

Why is she looking for me now after all this time?

With the memory of being interrogated with a sword at his throat, Mileia’s summons didn’t sit well with him.

Surely she wouldn’t be summoning me for some strange reason again.

In this industry, it wouldn’t be good for rumors to spread that a famous figure like her was being ignored.

Reluctantly, he arranged a meeting through the guild.

Mileia called him to her house in Kubel.

As a frequent traveler, he found it strange that she had a house in such a place.

But for Gold-ranked adventurers, renting a whole house as a base whenever they visited a city was a common practice.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

Except for a weapon rack and a bed, the room was almost devoid of furniture, clearly meant only for sleeping.

The room was quite spacious, but with no common table or chairs, he could only stand awkwardly while looking at Mileia sitting on the bed.

“What business do you have with me? Our conversation should have ended back then.”

In Mileia’s expressionless gaze, he couldn’t help but speak sharply.

The memory of her holding a knife to his throat was still vivid in his mind.

“I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“I’m apologizing.”

Well, I understand that.

It had been over a week since that day.

It seemed odd for her to call him now just to apologize.

Moreover, her expression while apologizing matched the one she had when she held a knife to his throat.

Although he knew about poker faces, her icy expression made it seem like she was hiding some other intention.

“Yes, I accept your apology. Is there anything else you need?”

He wanted to leave this place quickly.

There were plenty of lucrative quests waiting for him.

Taking on another quest would be better than getting involved with this dangerous and unpredictable woman.

But Mileia didn’t seem to have any intention of letting him go.

“Yunoa, do you know the fastest way for an adventurer to succeed?”

It was a sudden question.

Success… Honestly, he was content with his life as a Bronze adventurer.

Compared to the days when he wore worn-out shoes with holes in the soles, was bullied by novice priests bluer than himself at the church, and worried about his daily meal like a vagabond, his current life was truly aristocratic.

“Well, raising your adventurer rank?”

Mileia shook her head at my answer.

“It’s strength. Overwhelming personal strength. The strength that opponents can’t even dare to challenge is what leads to an adventurer’s success.”

“I see.”

I thought to myself that it was stating the obvious, but I decided to go along with it to avoid any further complications.

“There was a time when a certain village was attacked by demons and its fate was sealed.”

“…?”

“It’s called the Tragedy of Shinsi. Have you heard of it?”

“No, this is the first time I’m hearing about it.”

Was she trying to vent or share something with me?

I was just a rookie adventurer who had recently become a Bronze rank.

What did she want to tell me?

All I could do now was quietly listen to her words.

Mireia said with a calm expression, “I am the sole survivor of that tragic incident involving the gods.”

I looked at Mireia with a slightly surprised expression.

Despite mentioning such a tremendous tragedy, she maintained a stoic expression without any change in her demeanor, which felt odd to me.

Mireia continued, “I had to become strong. Stronger than anyone else. Stronger than anyone in this world, to eradicate the demons, kill the Bloodstain who destroyed my homeland, and even…to kill the Demon King with my own hands. I lived with that thought in mind.”

Suddenly, the air in the room felt a bit colder.

I could sense a fanatical obsession with ‘strength’ in Mireia’s eyes.

“But by focusing only on moving forward, I forgot how to look back.”

“….”

“It’s the first time I’ve received such a harsh criticism from a novice adventurer.”

“I’m just a Bronze rank now.”

If it’s serious, then it’s serious, and if it’s wrong, it needs to be corrected.

Anyway, I understand well enough that she carries a heavy past.

But I still couldn’t understand why she was telling me this now.

“I need someone to set me straight. Like you, Yunoa.”

The atmosphere was getting strangely tense.

I only defended myself to dispel her doubts.

It seemed like she took my defense for survival at that time as some kind of ‘courageous advice.’

A novice adventurer, with nothing special to offer, giving direct advice to a Gold rank adventurer with a knife at her throat.

I wonder what possessed me to say such words at that time…

“I’m just an ordinary Bronze adventurer.”

“Yunoa, won’t you come with me?”

“Um, well….”

I was taken aback by Mireia’s straightforward proposal.

“As a top adventurer, Mireia, whose strength and fame spread throughout the continent, was a lonely woman.

And her excessive strength intimidated those around her. To adventurers, her words were law.

No matter how reckless Mireia’s judgments were, adventurers dared not oppose her.”

At that moment, a narration echoed in my mind.

“For someone like Mireia, who had lived believing only in her own strength, Yunoa’s words were more shocking than she could have imagined.

Having lost her homeland to a demon attack, she was horrified at the thought that a similar incident could have happened due to her flawed judgment.

Mireia needed someone who could clear her blurred vision.”

Could it be that Mireia’s reckless strategy of directly attacking demons during the extermination missions was due to this?

Indeed, from the stories circulating among adventurers in the guild, Mireia was an untouchable figure.

Among Gold rank adventurers, if there were ranks above, Mireia would undoubtedly be the first to reach them.

But it didn’t concern me, so I didn’t pay much attention to the rumors circulating around her.

However, the fact that no one dared to even advise her was surprising.

It was hard to believe that such a figure was standing in front of me.

A counselor who could give advice without hesitation…

I understand why she wants to take me with her.

But understanding the reason doesn’t mean I agree.

I only defended myself to survive.

I didn’t give advice to her in order to provide meaningful help.

Of course, if I were to follow her, something meaningful might happen to me as well.

But the burden I felt as a newly minted bronze adventurer was too much to bear.

Especially since humans are creatures prone to jealousy and envy.

Now that I had just stepped out of the novice stage, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of looks I would receive if I suddenly started traveling with Mileia.

There were many issues with accepting her proposal.

Furthermore, I was already living well.

Even if I wanted to gain fame and elevate my status as an adventurer, I wanted to do it with my own skills, not as her sidekick.

And above all else…

I was still afraid of Mileia.

“I’m sorry, but I will have to decline.”

I stated my refusal succinctly and firmly.

Mileia’s cold expression remained unchanged.

“Why is that?”

She asked.

I replied promptly.

“I’m not interested in being a sidekick.”

“….”

“Then, I’ll take my leave.”

And with that, I rejected Mileia’s peculiar offer and turned away.

It’s better to clearly refuse rather than leave room for ambiguity when rejecting someone. I didn’t want to invite unnecessary trouble.

But a few minutes after leaving her house, the narrator began speaking in my head.

“Yunoa decisively rejected Mileia’s offer to accompany her.

Mileia was perplexed. Since reigning at the pinnacle of adventurers, no one had ever shaken her like this.”

What, what is this?

“As Mileia continued to ponder Yunoa’s words, she found herself unable to shake the desire to keep him by her side.

If it had been any other adventurer, they would never have been able to refuse her offer.

But now, having been rejected by him, Mileia’s dry emotions were wavering.

Perhaps she had rushed things. Quietly blaming her own inexperience…”

Wait a minute.

“Mileia vowed once again to keep Yunoa by her side.”

Oh.