Ch.122Chapter 122. Lin and Their Crossing Paths (4)

Rabin immediately stopped Lin from trying to find Lucy.

“I’m right here. Focus on me.”

Rabin was being unusually assertive.

Though Lin was worried about Lucy, since Arsil had gone with her, Lin reluctantly accepted Rabin’s date invitation.

Strictly speaking, Lin had no reason to chase after Lucy who had left of her own accord.

“Have you eaten?”

Lin shook her head.

Throughout the date, Lin had only been walking for a long time, troubled by thoughts of Lucy who was broken with regret.

Even Lin, who enjoyed walking, would naturally be tired after walking for half a day with only a sugar candy to eat.

“Wait here. Don’t go anywhere.”

Rabin gave Lin firm instructions before disappearing.

In the meantime, Lin looked around.

The people who had stared in surprise when Lucy ran away screaming were now laughing and chatting as if nothing had happened.

People really only care about themselves unless there’s someone else’s misfortune or spectacle to watch.

Lin just hoped this wouldn’t become unnecessary gossip among the people of Rowellina.

“Here you go.”

Rabin appeared with two steaming stir-fried noodles.

It was a simple street food of thin noodles stir-fried with cabbage in a spicy sauce, but Lin looked forward to the familiar taste.

“How much was it?”

“Don’t worry. I made quite a good profit today.”

When Lin tried to pay for the food, Rabin lightly declined.

“Don’t tell me you picked the pockets of Rowellina’s people?”

“I only took from those who seemed like they might have wronged you.”

Rabin said casually while taking a big mouthful of noodles.

“Biscon’s wallet was especially fat, which made me happy.”

Lin burst into laughter at Rabin’s joking manner.

Though quiet and modest, Rabin was relieved to see Lin laugh.

After that slight laugh, hunger took over.

Lin pushed the stir-fried noodles under her mask.

Rabin stared intently at Lin’s focused eating without distraction.

“What?”

“You’re cute.”

“I don’t have a single cute thing about me.”

“Your actions are cute.”

Then, a moment later, Rabin added very quietly:

“And your face is cute too.”

Lin, who knew well that her appearance was ordinary to anyone’s eyes, felt both embarrassed and dissatisfied.

As they were finishing their noodles, Lin launched her own counterattack.

“Rabin is definitely beautiful though.”

“Kuhp! *cough*!”

Caught off guard by the sudden compliment, Rabin choked.

After gulping down the drink Lin handed her, Rabin’s face was flushed.

“Really?”

“Huh?”

“Did you really say I’m beautiful?”

“Of course.”

“More than Arsil?”

Why is Arsil being brought up here?

Lin was about to look around when…

“Look at me and answer properly.”

Somehow, lately Rabin seemed quite possessive.

Lin answered, hoping Arsil wasn’t nearby.

“You’re prettier than Arsil.”

“More than Lucy too?”

“More than Lucy too.”

At that, Rabin puffed her cheeks.

“But you let some other woman give you a kiss mark?”

“I… um… I’m sorry.”

“You’re in trouble, seriously.”

“I won’t do it again.”

She tried to be clever but ended up losing more than she gained.

After they both finished their noodles, they continued with casual conversation.

“I heard the evacuation of Church State refugees to Valtercrua is complete.”

“Well, it was originally expected to take about three days. The priests like Ruben and the children stayed behind?”

“Yes, there’s plenty of the provisions you helped secure, and it seems Lord Garin is protecting them well.”

“That’s good.”

It truly was good news.

Those children and priests would become a new family for Arsil.

With how Arsil had changed recently, he would surely lead and protect them well.

Whether Lin and Rabin would join them remained uncertain.

“They say Valtercrua actively welcomed the refugees. Makes sense since they’ve gained a new source of income.”

“They’re wealthy enough to buy indulgences from the Church State. Essentially merchants at heart.”

“The interesting part is that they were wary of refugees banding together, so each guild pulled in refugees whose interests aligned with theirs, splitting them up. They’ve been incorporated into guild forces according to their preferences.”

“So they’re trying to completely erase the refugees’ identity as Church State citizens.”

“It’s cruel, but from Valtercrua’s perspective, it’s much better than risking trouble.”

“Cunning.”

“Nothing in this world is free.”

As Lin shrugged at Rabin’s firmness, she suddenly realized that Rabin’s hand was gently stroking her arm.

The sensation of her thumb slowly caressing downward felt somehow erotic and sensual.

When Lin subtly extended her hand, Rabin naturally took it while licking her lips.

Since Lucy had disappeared, her gaze had consistently been that of a predator eyeing its prey.

—

“Haa… haa…!”

Lucy ran and ran and ran some more.

Her body felt unbearably heavy due to panic.

Lucy, who had been running at the pace of an adult man at best, finally stopped in a deserted area when she was completely out of breath, looking down at the ground as she let out the breath she’d been holding.

“*Cough*! Ugh…!”

Her stomach kept churning.

Dry heaving, Lucy spat, but her stomach only turned over with nothing coming out.

Though dirt stained the dress she had carefully put on, Lucy sat down on the ground with her legs stretched out, panting.

“Are you okay?”

A water bottle suddenly appeared before her.

It was Arsil.

Though she wanted to tell him to go away, Lucy weakly accepted the water bottle and drank.

“Was this what you were talking about yesterday?”

The hero asked, staring into space after barely moistening her throat.

Arsil heavily and slowly affirmed her question.

“I’m sorry, I should have been more specific.”

“It’s fine. I would have gone on a date with Lin anyway. Because I’m an idiot.”

She tried to drink more water but stopped as another dry heave rose.

“Why didn’t I know?”

“Lucy…”

“Wherever I go, the foolish things my past self did follow me. My conduct that both Lin and I know about…”

All her preparations for today felt detestable.

Perhaps it would have been better to just buy lots of street food and stay at the lodging with Lin.

“I envy Rabin.”

She meant it sincerely.

Standing before the thief who was much weaker than herself, Lucy always found herself feeling incredibly small.

She had thought thousands of times about wanting to be as pure as that woman in front of Lin.

“It’s not fair. How am I supposed to compete with a childhood friend who has only ever looked at him?”

“You know, that’s really hurtful to me.”

Come to think of it, Arsil was also a childhood friend who had only longed for Lin.

Lucy saw Arsil getting upset for the first time in a while.

“Not fair? I’m someone who even envies you.”

“You envy me? Seriously?”

Frowning and turning her head, Lucy was speechless when she saw the tears welling up in Arsil’s eyes.

“I also lived only looking at Lin like Rabin did… but now I can’t even speak to him unless I have business. I can’t whine about being afraid of being alone like you do, I can’t cling to Lin’s arm. I wanted to apologize, to ask for forgiveness, but except for that one time, my requests to look at his arm have been repeatedly rejected.”

Though the tears had welled up, they didn’t fall.

But Arsil’s face was contorted from the effort of holding them back.

“We both did unforgivable things, but the only difference between you and me is who Lin chose during the Demon Lord subjugation. Because of that one choice, you can stay by Lin’s side.”

Neither Arsil nor Lucy looked at each other.

Arsil raised her head, surrendering her tears to the sky.

“From when I wake up until I go to sleep, I imagine countless times: what if Lin and Rabin had told me in advance? If they had told me the truth about Sewage Alley and the Church State beforehand, wouldn’t I have acted better?”

But Arsil immediately denied her own hypothesis.

“It’s a childish thought. It’s not that I needed to hear the truth to act better; I should have been a better person from the start to deserve hearing the truth. I know that now. But still… I’m so envious of you that it drives me crazy—that you can cry and suffer by Lin’s side.”

“……”

Lucy remained silent.

She hated herself for finding comfort in the fact that there was someone in a worse situation than her own.

Gritting her teeth, Arsil wiped away her tears.

With reddened eyes, the saint told the hero what she needed to do.

“We should go back. You said you couldn’t be without Lin, so why did you come all the way here leaving him behind? Besides, this is the opposite side of the square. Even if we enter, it’s inside the square and will take time to reach the hill where Lin is.”

It had grown quite dark around them.

The fireworks would start soon.

“Get up.”

“I’m not taking your hand.”

“This is the right arm I promised to give you, so you can take it.”

“……”

It hurt her pride to be outmaneuvered by Arsil’s words.

Lucy took Arsil’s hand without argument and stood up.

“Let’s go, straight this way.”

As they got closer to the square, it became harder to move due to the crowd of spectators.

While pushing through the crowd, Lucy asked Arsil:

“Did… did everyone see me getting a forehead kiss from that bastard?”

“…By coincidence, the entire hero party was around here.”

“Was Lin here too?”

“…He was.”

Lucy bit her lip hard.

“He was playing bright music with a mask on and holding an instrument. When suddenly a huge, beautiful firework exploded and people naturally looked up… just then, you were receiving that kiss from that man. That’s how it became famous.”

Bang!

No sooner had Arsil finished speaking than the fireworks began to explode.

Bang! Bang!

Various colored flowers adorned the night sky.

Sometimes quick, sometimes slower but more spectacular explosions.

“I wanted to see them with Lin…”

Just as Lucy’s wistful murmur escaped, a massive dragon-shaped firework passed over people’s heads.

Everyone shouted in excitement and surprise, following the dragon’s path with their eyes.

The flying dragon rose vertically right around the hill.

Being so large, the dragon’s body burst into a rainbow of colors at what seemed like not a very high altitude.

BOOOOM!

“Wooooow!”

The light from the fireworks momentarily brightened the surroundings.

Amidst the cheering crowd, Lucy and Arsil clearly saw it.

Two figures embracing and gazing at each other on the terrace on the hill.

They saw it clearly.

Lin, with his mask removed, kissing Rabin’s forehead.

Bang!

As the fireworks began, Lin, feeling uncomfortable about being in a high place, tried to take Rabin down.

But Rabin held Lin’s arm and wouldn’t budge.

“Lin.”

“Rabin, let’s go down.”

“No, I don’t want to.”

The fireworks bathed Rabin in various colors.

But her hands holding him and her eyes were trembling.

The thief gathered her courage and embraced his waist.

“Lin.”

The thief pleaded desperately.

“Give me certainty.”

Putting aside all pride, she begged the man before her.

“Tell me whose woman I am, confirm that I am yours.”

Lin hesitated.

He hadn’t even cured the demonic energy in his arm to express his feelings to her.

Though he was confident he could be healed at the end of this war, it was still an unfulfilled event amidst numerous variables.

He didn’t want to burden Rabin for life if something went wrong with him.

But Lin gave in to impulse at Rabin’s next words.

“Lin, could you bear it if I were with another man?”

He had never imagined such a thing, nor did he want to.

He removes his mask.

A tense face is revealed.

“Are you angry…?”

“Be still.”

Firmly supporting the back of Rabin’s head, Lin brought his face close to hers.

“Lin, what I just said…”

“Shh.”

Eyes closing naturally.

Lin slightly lifted her bangs and kissed Rabin’s forehead.

“Ah…”

Even just that made the silver-haired girl feel like her heart would stop, and

BOOOOM!

Above the two, a massive dragon firework exploded like a blessing, giving birth to countless sparks.