Chapter Index





    Ch.100100. Not Giving Up

    # Late at Night

    Chloe was curled up, wrapped tightly in her blanket. Dinner had long since ended, and she had finished a refreshing bath… but strangely, sleep wouldn’t come.

    [What has made my servant so gloomy today?]

    A chuckling voice reached her ears. Chloe pouted and pulled the blanket over her head.

    Just as she was trying to manage her complicated feelings, it seemed the owner of the voice had no intention of leaving her alone. A sudden gust of wind made her blanket flutter and slip away.

    [Don’t hide from me.]

    Whoosh. A palm-sized girl emerged from thin air. A semi-transparent figure with a blue-green hue. If others could see her, they would surely be shocked, but fortunately, only Chloe could see the girl directly.

    “Please don’t disturb me.”

    [What am I disturbing? Your pathetic moping? Your self-loathing steeped in inferiority? Either way, it’s difficult to watch.]

    “Then don’t look.”

    [You and I are bound by soul. Even if I don’t want to see, I have no choice. So, what exactly is the problem?]

    Boreas grumbled, crossing her arms. Chloe let out a deep sigh. The sight of Boreas flitting about in front of her was truly irritating.

    Since forming their contract through the trial, Boreas would occasionally appear in this small spiritual form. Since maintaining this form consumed Chloe’s divine power, Boreas’s appearances were rare.

    At first, facing a deity had been awkward, but now she had grown accustomed enough to interact comfortably.

    “…I have something on my mind.”

    She could share secret thoughts that she couldn’t tell others. Chloe muttered as she slowly lowered her blanket. Boreas smiled slightly and asked.

    [Do you not like it here?]

    “That’s… not it.”

    It wasn’t that the new environment made her uncomfortable.

    The problem was with herself.

    [Is it the girl Elin that’s bothering you?]

    Boreas, who had been floating in the air, landed on top of Chloe’s head. Chloe didn’t answer. But her tightly clenched fist was answer enough.

    [Indeed, that child was beautiful. A face that could enchant any man. Even I, who has sat on the divine seat for ages and seen countless humans, must acknowledge it. She might be one of the most exceptional elves.]

    Chloe’s shoulders trembled. Those words revived the evening memories she had been trying to forget.

    The clear, transparent silver hair that flowed down when she removed her hood. Green eyes like fresh leaves. A flawless beauty that seemed to blend all aesthetic elements of this world in perfect harmony. Though Chloe had confidence in her own appearance, that confidence was completely shattered upon seeing Elin’s face.

    “So you think so too, Boreas. Well, I suppose that’s natural… she’s so much prettier than someone like me.”

    Chloe bit her lip hard and lowered her head. She felt something dark rising inside her. From the moment she first met Elin, she had been constantly comparing herself to her.

    Regardless of what Elin might think of her, Chloe considered Elin a rival. At that time, she hadn’t yet reached a conclusion about her feelings toward Rex, but somehow, whenever she saw Elin, hostility would surge within her. Or perhaps it was closer to wariness. Chloe let out a hollow laugh.

    She knew she was no match.

    Elin was an exceptional mage, while she was merely a veteran adventurer. And even as a veteran, her skills as a Sanctifier were third-rate at best. Background? An orphan with nothing to her name and mountains of debt. Things too embarrassing to boast about anywhere. If there was anything in which she might surpass Elin, she thought it would only be youth and appearance.

    The kiss.

    On that rainy day. Her first kiss with Rex had been shared without proper consent or mood, but she was satisfied that she had gone one step ahead of Elin.

    She had secretly felt smug watching the oblivious Elin. If you just stay passive like that, he’ll be taken by me. How foolish. Don’t you know love doesn’t happen by just standing still? That’s what she had thought.

    But she was the fool.

    What she thought was her advantage had been overtaken in an instant. From the beginning, there was nothing about her that was better than Elin. Realizing this, gloomy emotions welled up… and Charlotte’s offer to teach her arcane magic, Rex’s smile saying he looked forward to the future—all of it was forgotten in darkness. And now she had ended up like this.

    [Looking at you, I think my servant tends to underestimate herself too much.]

    “…What?”

    Chloe raised her head with a puzzled expression. Boreas jumped from Chloe’s head and descended to eye level.

    [This isn’t just to comfort you, but my honest opinion—objectively, your appearance is not inferior to Elin’s.]

    “What do you mean?”

    [If that child is a flower on a cliff, then my servant is a flower that catches the eye even in a garden of vibrant blooms. You know, that one flower overflowing with vitality that instantly captures attention.]

    Boreas, speaking haltingly, crossed her arms with a gruff tone.

    [Anyway! What I’m saying is that you don’t lose to anyone in terms of beauty. Be glad! You’ve received divine recognition.]

    Chloe stared at Boreas with wide eyes. Boreas cleared her throat and turned away.

    [So, how long are you going to keep whining? If you’ve fallen behind, just catch up. A good opportunity has come, so seize it, work harder, and grow until you can stand proud.]

    Though her tone was gruff, the warmth behind it was palpable. Chloe slightly raised the corners of her mouth and nodded.

    “Thank you.”

    [Well, to think the day would come when I’d comfort a human. And when you said you were worthless… if you truly were worthless, I wouldn’t have chosen you in the first place. So stop blaming yourself.]

    Boreas blurted out with an embarrassed face, then vanished from sight in an instant. A low voice echoed afterward.

    [You have more potential than you think. If you’re anxious, trust in me who is always watching over you.]

    “…Yes.”

    Though the connection would remain even without the spiritual form, Boreas’s voice was no longer heard. Is she embarrassed? Chloe smiled softly and lay down on the bed. Why couldn’t she find such a simple answer until Boreas told her?

    “…I’ll become stronger.”

    Strong enough to reach him. Chloe stretched her hand toward the dark ceiling, then slowly lowered it as she closed her eyes.

    ***

    “She’s already fallen asleep.”

    Charlotte looked at the wall with a dispassionate expression. Seeing through a wall was something any Sanctifier of a certain level could easily do, not just her. The presence coming from beyond the wall was clearly that of someone in deep sleep.

    “At least she doesn’t snore. Well, if that guy snored, I wouldn’t have left him alone all the way to Edenhar. I have sensitive ears, and I get irritable when it’s noisy around me.”

    “Why are you here?”

    Charlotte stared at Elin with awkward eyes. Elin, who had closed her book and risen from her chair, spoke.

    “It’s wrong to speak ill of Rex.”

    “…I wasn’t exactly speaking ill of him.”

    As the retort escaped her lips without thinking, Elin’s brow furrowed. Ah, really. Charlotte scratched the back of her head irritably. This wasn’t like her. When she had a purpose, she would pursue it clearly, without concern for others’ feelings. That’s how she had lived her entire life. But the words she needed to say now were ones that even Charlotte hesitated to speak.

    She needed to ask, but somehow she hesitated, and ended up blurting out nonsense that wasn’t even funny.

    “How annoying.”

    Charlotte drained the glass of water on the table in one go and set it down with a thud. The words she couldn’t say during the day. Yes, she had to ask. With that resolve, Charlotte narrowed her eyes and looked at Elin.

    “Are you the daughter of Elperion?”

    After a brief silence, Elin replied.

    “Yes.”

    The answer was affirmative. Though she had expected it, it wasn’t easy to accept. Charlotte pressed her throbbing temples and asked again.

    “Do you know what that means?”

    “I do.”

    “I see. It’s not really my place to meddle in others’ affairs, but… are you okay with this?”

    “…”

    This time the answer was delayed. Elin, with her usual indifferent face, shifted her gaze. The wall. Beyond it, she could feel Rex’s energy as he slept soundly. Elin’s lips curled into a smile.

    “I’m fine.”

    For now. Elin swallowed the rest of her words and smiled. Not understanding the meaning behind that smile, Charlotte turned away with a frustrated expression.

    As the door closed and she walked down the dark corridor, Allen approached.

    “Should we send word to the Great Forest?”

    “No.”

    Charlotte shook her head.

    “Those arrogant ones… I don’t even want to tell them, but even if I did out of goodwill, it wouldn’t mean much.”

    “…Pardon?”

    “That meticulous old man wouldn’t have sent Elin out without any countermeasures. He probably already knows everything. Let’s just wait and see for now.”

    Charlotte looked up at the moonlit night sky and added.

    “Though I don’t know how much time is left.”

    I’ve taken on a troublesome one. Charlotte muttered to herself as she walked away. Allen followed behind and whispered.

    “You shouldn’t go to sleep. There’s work left to do.”

    “…I’ll do it when I wake up tomorrow.”

    “No, you won’t.”

    Charlotte’s expression contorted.

    ***

    There was no answer.

    No matter how many times he tried, the result was the same. He wanted to challenge himself more, but unlike his will, his body was honest. Rex exhaled roughly and collapsed on the ground. The phantom that had been silently looking down at him dispersed like a mirage.

    ‘Did it just smile?’

    The phantom summoned through the Mind Forge had no consciousness. That’s what he had been told. But the last image of the vanishing phantom seemed to be mocking his fallen form…

    [It’s your imagination.]

    “Tch.”

    Rex clicked his tongue and struggled to his feet. After being thrown around, beaten, and sent flying—after all kinds of hardships, his entire body ached.

    [Your wounds have already healed, yet you’re still complaining.]

    Kaordix smirked with a playful expression. Rex brushed the snow off his body and snapped back.

    “Just because my body is fine doesn’t mean the pain disappears. I died at least ten times.”

    His most recent opponent had been an unnamed Sanctifier. A Master level. He had guessed he couldn’t win, but his stubbornness made him challenge repeatedly. The result was what he was experiencing now. First his neck was severed, then his waist was cut in two, and finally his nose was smashed by a fist.

    Even without using Divine Release, the gap between him and a Master was still as vast as heaven and earth.

    [I told you to start with opponents at your level. There’s no need to rush.]

    It was a reasonable point, so he had nothing to say. Kaordix had suggested that he start with opponents at the Flame level and gradually progress through victories. Rex had broken that rule and summoned a Master. He knew what the outcome would be, but his competitive spirit had suddenly flared up. Rex scratched his cheek awkwardly and averted his gaze.

    “Still… I lasted longer than before.”

    [If you end up dead anyway, it’s all the same. What I worry about, my lord, is that you might despair.]

    Kaordix surveyed the snowy landscape with a serious expression. The space was destroyed from countless battles. The snow covering the ground was dug up in various places, and massive scars remained. The damage Rex had sustained would be restored when he woke up, but the fatigue accumulated in his mind wouldn’t disappear.

    [The Mind Forge is a power optimized for drawing out potential. If you can overcome hardship, you will grow unrecognizably, but I worry that you might lose motivation due to repeated defeats before that happens.]

    “What, that’s what you were worried about?”

    Kaordix blinked and looked at Rex. Rex shrugged his shoulders.

    “If I were to despair over something like that, I wouldn’t have made it this far. I have goals. The first is to protect my people. After that, it’s to beat the hell out of Shaharon, that Apostle of the Abyss who came before.”

    Rex picked up the Zweihander that had fallen to the ground.

    “Until then, I absolutely won’t give up. Even if someone tries to force me to, I’ll shut them up and keep getting stronger.”

    […]

    “So.”

    Rex said with a smile.

    “One more time, okay?”

    [You really are…]

    Kaordix murmured in an incredulous voice.

    [The best servant.]

    “Of course.”

    Rex snickered as he raised his Zweihander.

    And so time passed.

    Part 1 – End


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