White breaths scatter into the air. Like winter has been torn and decorated here, a thin mist rises, filling the view like an aurora.
It's beautiful. It wasn't the time to say that, but it really was. I was completely captivated by the breathtaking scenery and could only stare at it blankly for quite some time.
A surge of emotions overwhelmed me, making me encounter something unknown.
I never felt this kind of sensation until now. I almost never experienced this sharp awareness of being alive.
I was lost in thought when suddenly, I heard soft breathing behind me. A girl with a small build clung to me and her warm body.
I was completely caught off guard.
Eleanor was hugging me from behind. I didn't expect her to do something like this in this place.
Why?
I quickly tried to gather myself and pull away from her to check her condition.
But for some reason, she tightened her arms around me, holding me even tighter. I didn't know why she was like this, but sensing it wasn't normal, I stayed still for a while.
Then, before long, she began to speak to me.
"I'm sorry."
"… What are you sorry for?"
"For misunderstanding you. For trying so hard to hate you all this time. For everything."
A slight dampness began to seep into my back.
No…
No way, is Eleanor crying right now?
The [Golden Fox] I knew, [Genius of Acting] who could control even the smallest flicker in her pupils in the place where billions of gold come and go?
Why?
I had never imagined this situation, I couldn't help but be shocked. She wasn't this kind of character.
"You have nothing to apologize to me."
I spoke honestly. That was the truth.
Even if I had to lose a considerable amount of my lifespan to save her. But thanks to the dragon, I could recover it.
Besides, just by gathering the dragon materials here?
I could craft equipment that's typically made much later in the game.
In any case, this world, Inner Lunatic, is a place where you have to keep risking your life.
No, I can say it's my world now.
Anyway.
I stood there quietly, as there was still another problem to deal with.
"For not telling you about Shane earlier, I truly apolo…"
"Don't apologize. wasn't it all to help me?"
"… What?"
Why is she acting like this?
I seriously pondered that, but it didn't last long, because Eleanor gently lifted her head and showed me her face. I quickly turned around and looked at her.
I have to confirm why she was in this state.
And when our eyes met.
I realized how foolish my careless thought was.
"….You're crying more than I expected."
"Such thing… Couldn't you just pretend you didn't notice?"
Eleanor was crying so earnestly.
Without any pretense or mask. She was crying like a child.
I thought her eyes were just a little wet.
It seems it wasn't due to her being too shocked. As I mentioned earlier, it was my own mistaken assumption.
'I didn't expect her to be so shaken. I was too careless.'
Because Eleanor always appeared so strong on the outside, I had misunderstood.
I thought she wouldn't care much about me and only saw me as a business partner. I never expected her to be this shaken by the danger I faced.
But when I heard her trembling voice, I realized how wrong I was.
"Are you… okay? You looked like you were in so much pain… How did you wake up? Wasn't it dangerous?"
"Not really…"
"Liar."
She cut me off.
"I've told you before. When you lie, your pupils are spinning"
"You're as sharp as ever."
"Was it because of me? Are you….. really okay now?"
The usual Eleanor wouldn't have asked something like this.
She preferred to keep her distance from others.
I had also kept my distance from her. No matter how much inwardly I liked Eleanor.
or how much affection I had for her, it was all just within the game.
So I didn't think much of it.
Even if I were on the verge of death, she'd handle it all on her own. I just believed she would.
But now, is there lies in those clear, sincere eyes that are gazing at me?
No
Eleanor was genuinely crying out of concern for me.
She was worried I might die. Just like Talia, Zitri, Rona… She was just like the others. When I really think about it, she's only fifteen years old.
No matter how skilled a merchant or how excellent her abilities were, she was still young. By my standards, even more so.
I realized I needed to approach her a bit more carefully this time, so I answered.
"I'm fine. Now"
"… It seems you're not lying."
Come on, believe me a little.
Why doesn't she trust people?
Anyway, you cry your eyes out but notice stuff like this right away..
It would be nice if she learned how to trust people a bit more.
"I'm not lying"
"Why did you save me?"
"What?"
I frowned without realizing it.
It was a question I hadn't expected at all. Why was she asking something like this?
What am I supposed to say here? How do I adjust to her changed attitude?
I still don't really know.
When I didn't answer quickly, she kept pressing me.
"Was it because you're a good person? Or… was there some other feeling you had toward me?"
"I don't understand what you mean."
"Please don't avoid the question. Like at the party that day. Please don't leave me alone. Can't you just tell me?"
"Eleanor de Rivalin."
"Just tell me you don't hate me… can you just say that? if you do, then no matter…"
"The reason to hate you"
To Eleanor's tears, I felt my emotions intensify, and before I knew it, I added.
"There never was."
"… Why. Seriously. I treated you harshly… why are you…"
"I'll say it again. There was no reason to. I have no right to judge someone else's life."
"…."
Finally, she seemed to calm down a little. Eleanor looked like she was regaining her composure.
I almost said something more, but I kept my mouth shut.
Then, naturally, I stepped away from her.
"We need to move. I'm fine now. Dean Noah and the others will come to rescue us. Staying near the ice dragon's corpse is dangerous."
"… Yes. I understand."
Before we moved, I gathered the materials I got from the ice dragon's body and put them in my inventory.
Just because you can't retrieve items from your inventory outside, doesn't mean you can't put them inside.
While I was busy looting the corpse, for some reason.
Eleanor, who had been watching from behind, giggled.
… What?
"What?"
I couldn't help but say what I was thinking.
She laughed innocently and said,
"It's just… even in a situation like this, it's just like you.."
"Noisy"
At least she seemed to be feeling better, which eased my worries a bit.
As I took a moment to breathe, I started thinking about the rewards and how I'd crush that damn Professor Aleph's face.
In addition, I also needed to quickly set up a plan to deal with Rick, who was at the center of all this.
"Let's move."
After collecting everything I could from the corpse, I started walking through the snow-covered path.
Of course, I wasn't just walking aimlessly.
Why?
Because I sensed two powerful mana presences flying toward us.
We'd probably meet them halfway.
'Besides, to think those two lazy persons come to rescue me.'
I felt a sense of pride again as I watched Eleanor matching my steps, following right behind me.
——————————————————
Meanwhile, at that moment…
Noah von Trinity and Astrid von Kaliud.
Two persons were caught in confusion.
"….So. Nox's heart started beating again, and instead, the ice dragon was dead. Is that what you're saying?"
[That's right.]
Astrid slowed her pace slightly as she said that.
It was a completely unbelievable situation, but considering what Nox had done so far, it was quite possible.
After all, he had already dealt with several GrandDukes of the 72 demons. At this point, it wasn't all that surprising that he had taken down a dragon.
They had gotten used to Nox's feats that they thought like that. It couldn't be helped.
After all, it was the only way to wrap their heads around it.
"The ice dragon in this area was already adult, right?..Probably?"
[It should be a decent one. Though its power came from breaking taboos and eating humans.]
"Nox… No matter how I think about it, he's an incredible boy. Astrid, what do you think the odds were of Nox taking down that guy alone?"
[One hundred percent.]
With that, Astrid picked up the pace again.
She continued.
[But there's a condition.]
"Hm. That's a surprisingly clear answer. So, what is it? That condition?"
[He would need to fully master the Dragon's Breath, open his lower dantian, and intentionally stop his heart. Afterward, if he forcibly opened his mental world…]
"…"
[If he did that, he could have 100% killed the ice dragon. His swordsmanship is already exceptional. If he used it well…]
"….And the chances of that?"
[Also 100 percent. Our disciple… is completely insane.]
"Haa… I knew it, but Nox is really…"
Even Noah was at a loss for words at this point.
How could a human stop their own heart, then forcefully breathe and reach such a realm? Not even her would go that far.
What does Nox believe in to push himself to such extremes?
Noah shook her head.
But even amidst that, both she and Astrid had only one thought.
They wanted to meet their disciple as soon as possible.
That was all.
——————————————————
When Nox cleared the path ahead, plowing through the snow.
The girl following behind him was remembering her earlier actions, her face flushed bright red.
'W-W-What did I just do…?!
But it was already done. Even though she was overwhelmed by emotions she had never felt before, as typical of her, she quickly adapted.
Later, she decided to start thinking about her feelings little by little.
Why had she burst into tears at that moment? Why did just being behind him make her feel so warm?
Everything.