Editor : Amethyst00



"We're going to be chased. They'll catch up to us. Then something really bad will happen, right?"

"Ugh, seriously! You're whining so much! No matter how many come at us, we just knock them all down!"

Azonia spoke irritably, looking at Aaron, who muttered with a haggard expression.

Aaron looked like he was about to cry as he glanced at Azonia.

"But I'm scared…"

"……"

Azonia silently looked up at the sky.

She wasn't surprised anymore that this coward was the hero who had saved the world.

She had seen Aaron like this too many times to be surprised.

Azonia, still gazing up, smiled with resignation.

Unexpectedly, Azonia knew exactly how to comfort this kind of Aaron.

"Don't worry. No matter what happens, I'll protect you."

"……"

Hearing that, Aaron widened his eyes and looked at Azonia.

"What?"

Azonia looked annoyed.

The absurd notion of someone saying they'd protect the great hero.

But Azonia did have the strength to protect Aaron.

Because Aaron wasn't yet the complete Hero.

The same went for the other great heroes.

'Of course, even in this timeline, they already have legendary strength.'

But compared to the fully realized heroes of the final chapter, they were still like rookies.

'The heroes of the final chapter literally possess mythical power.'

Unlike Aaron, Azonia was already a completed hero.

At this point in time, Azonia was clearly the senior to Aaron.

And in terms of raw ability, she surpassed this cowardly version of Aaron.

Hearing Azonia's words, Aaron blinked vacantly.

"That's… cool."

"Yes, yes. Be very impressed."

"Um…"

"What now?"

"I, I… I'm a guy…"

"You mean you're manly?"

"N-No… that's not…"

Aaron fidgeted with his fingers, then asked with a bright red face:

"Do you… have a boyfriend…?"

"Why do you ask?"

"J-just… um, what kind of guys do you like?"

Azonia's eye twitched slightly.

Aaron now had a strangely determined look in his eyes.

Azonia recognized that look.

It was the look he got when attempting something near-impossible.

The look of a Hero showing courage.

'Wait… is this guy…?'

Azonia felt a dizzying headache coming on.

'Did he just… fall for me? No way. That can't be.'

She forced herself to deny it.

She already knew that Aaron had someone he had promised his future to.

'Wait… was this before he met Lisa? Even if so, I'm completely different from Lisa.'

Rolling her eyes, Azonia replied:

"I don't have a boyfriend at the moment."

Aaron's face brightened.

Seeing that, Azonia had a sinking feeling something had gone horribly wrong.

'Wow. This is a first.'

She pondered seriously.

'Would he lose interest if I beat him up a bit? No, even if he's like this now, he's still a great hero. That wouldn't be right.'

While Azonia was contemplating how to deal with this situation—

"Huff! Huff!"

Suddenly, harsh panting came from somewhere.

Azonia smelled something familiar.

"Ah! It's Lord Aaron! It's really Lord Aaron—!"

"Eek?!"

A girl suddenly jumped out from nowhere and clung to Aaron's leg.

Aaron screamed in terror.

"Lord Aaron! Huff! Huff! You're amazing! I admire you! Huff!"

"W-Who is this now?!"

Aaron shrieked, terrified, as he stared at the dazed-eyed girl.

Watching this, Azonia thought:

'Looks like she got swept in too. When did she show up?'

While she pondered, the girl had already climbed onto Aaron's back.

"Huff! Huff! You're so cool! Haaah!"

"Eeeeeek?!"

Aaron screamed even louder.

Azonia watched and thought:

'Both the senior and junior are out of their minds. Should I beat both of them to knock some sense in?'

bl

Freyna walked silently in front of Bihar.

"Um… is this the right way?"

"Don't ask. Just walk and look ahead."

"Y-Yes."

Startled by Bihar's cold tone, Freyna quickly looked forward.

The reason she walked ahead was simple.

Bihar still hadn't completely dropped her suspicions of Freyna.

If something were to happen, it would be easier to subdue her from behind.

Having the rear was an advantageous position.

Freyna understood this and wore a tense expression.

The misunderstanding hadn't been completely cleared up.

Bihar still found her suspicious.

'I need to show I'm harmless.'

In conquering a hero's world, forming bonds with the world's locals was essential.

For that, trust was crucial.

Freyna resolved to follow obediently and avoid further suspicion.

Still, she couldn't help but glance back occasionally.

With the progenitor of shadows right behind her, it was only natural for an inexperienced Freyna to react this way.

Bihar noticed Freyna glancing at her and asked:

"Is there something on my face?"

"N-No."

Flustered, Freyna shook her head, then fidgeted and apologized.

"S-Sorry."

'What the? Why is she looking at me?'

Bihar found Freyna oddly distracting.

She acted indifferent and cold, but Bihar was also flustered.

This was the first time she'd met someone with a similar presence to her own.

'Though she's far more inexperienced than me.'

A strange atmosphere lingered between them.

Bihar spoke.

"Turn left."

Freyna followed her instruction and entered the left corridor.

A door came into view.

As they approached, the door opened silently.

"Ah…"

Freyna let out a small exclamation.

It was an office.

There were many items inside, but it wasn't messy or cluttered.

The books on the shelves were neatly arranged.

The room's appearance reflected its owner's personality—balanced and orderly.

Just as she felt, a woman sat at the desk.

A breathtakingly beautiful woman.

'The Wise Queen, Lysinas.'

Freyna felt her heart tremble.

She had seen Lysinas once before when she appeared in the world, but only from afar.

Now, Lysinas stood right in front of her.

Exactly as she looked in the legends.

She had seen Kyle and Luna earlier, but this felt different.

'I was too shocked back then and only caught a glimpse.'

Freyna gulped.

"What a cute little summoner."

Lysinas looked up from her papers and smiled warmly.

Then she stood up.

"Come over here."

She gestured to the guest table in the office.

Freyna nervously sat down, and Lysinas took a seat next to her.

She stared directly into Freyna's eyes.

Her gaze felt like it pierced through thoughts, and Freyna quickly looked away.

Lysinas just chuckled softly, watching her.

Bihar brewed tea from a kettle in the office.

Because Lysinas had accepted Freyna as a guest.

Clink-clink—

Bihar set the teapot down in front of Lysinas.

"You sit too, Bihar."

"Huh?"

Bihar looked slightly confused at Lysinas's words.

Lysinas patted the seat beside her with a warm smile.

Bihar, still puzzled, sat beside her.

Trickle—

Lysinas used telekinesis to float the teapot and pour tea into cups.

"Ah, thank you."

Freyna took the cup and sipped cautiously.

It wasn't a luxurious taste.

But it made her feel calm.

As she relaxed, she could finally take in Lysinas and Bihar.

Both had black hair and black eyes—almost like family.

'Feels like… a mother and daughter.'

Appearance-wise they could pass as sisters, but the atmosphere didn't match that.

While observing them, Freyna accidentally met Lysinas's gaze.

"Do we look like a mother and daughter?"

"Eek?! Huh? Agh!"

Caught off guard, Freyna spilled her hot tea and yelped.

Lysinas gave a guilty smile.

"I must have startled you."

"N-No."

Freyna shook her head quickly.

Lysinas smiled softly at her flustered reaction.

'She's like a real goddess…'

Freyna watched her in a daze.

"Right."

Clink—

Lysinas set down her teacup and nodded.

"As Kyle said, this girl is not a traitor."

Freyna sighed in relief.

"And though suspicious, she's not a bad child either."

At that, the lingering doubt in Bihar's eyes completely vanished.

The suspicion that even Kyle's words couldn't dispel was erased by Lysinas's declaration.

Freyna found that curious.

'To Bihar, does Lady Lysinas's word carry more weight than Lord Kyle's?'

Though Kyle is the progenitor of shadows, little is known about Bihar's background.

As Freyna puzzled over it, Lysinas simply watched her in silence.

Eventually, Lysinas spoke.

"Bihar. Could you go call Kyle?"

"Yes."

Bihar stood and left the room.

Now alone, Lysinas turned to the still-nervous Freyna.

"What's your name?"

"I'm Freyna."

"Freyna. Why don't you come sit over here?"

Lysinas patted the empty seat beside her.

Freyna cautiously moved and sat next to her.

"Excuse me for a moment."

Lysinas smiled and took Freyna's hand.

Freyna's face turned bright red.

Up close, Lysinas was breathtakingly beautiful.

'She doesn't have the seductive power of Lord Damien or Elena-sunbae…'

Damien and Elena have bewitching charm that captivates people.

Lysinas had none of that, yet her beauty left people awestruck.

It wasn't just her appearance.

It was the charisma born from her compassion.

Lysinas examined Freyna's hand and said:

"Such clean hands."

"Huh?"

"You haven't stained them with blood yet, have you?"

"……"

"Living in darkness, having that much power, and still not spilling blood…"

"I'm just… not strong enough…"

"In the future, even hunters get to choose, it seems."

"What?"

Freyna could only stare in a daze as Lysinas smiled at her gently.