Chapter 24, Night

Before I know it, I’m sinking into a dark ocean as sheer cold penetrates my body. An image of Euvialin's annoyed face pertains to my mind. Ahh, that's right, I kicked her; just why the hell did I do that? Did I drown after I was shocked by Euvialin?

Without even being able to absorb what was happening, the sound of shattering glass was reverberating in my surroundings. Cracks appeared all over the place. Realizing I was about to wake up, I prepared myself for what was to come.

A myriad night sky welcomes me as soon as I open my eyes. It’s already night; did I pass out for that? Despite waking up, the shattering sound continues. I realize I’m lying on the ground, and my body refuses to move, so I turn my head to my right, where the sounds are coming from.

Just to notice, Euvialin was putting up barriers non-stop with the same indifferent look on her. But the same barrier keeps getting shattered by Cilestia, who's continuously lunging at it with her orb body.

What are they on about?

I thought that Euvialin noticed my awakening. Then Cilestia followed her gaze and proceeded to enthusiastically assault my face and rub it with her orb body. Which didn't hurt.

Did I make her worry?

I proceed to pat Cilestia, who’s still eagerly shoving herself into my cheeks. “I’m fine. I'm fine.”

My words seem to reassure her and take a distance. But eventually, I turned toward Euvialin, who got closer to me. If Cilestia has eyes, she's definitely glaring at her.

“You have a lively auto defense," Euvialin remarked, but only focusing on me. Ignoring Cilestia, who’s basically shaking in front of her.

Auto-defense, a skill that protects the user when they're unable to fight or immobile. Cilestaia was often misunderstood as auto defense, including Lhina. Autodefense can take different forms—magic or physical. There is also a type of auto-defense where the body moves on its own to protect itself when the user loses consciousness.

Cilestia will always protect me. So it's easy to misinterpret it as auto-defense from an outsider's point of view. But's that no problem at all?

“Ain't you gotten a little overboard? "I said it sarcastically.

"Mhm, I forgot that you don't have resistance."

Hearing her say that without remorse, pop a vein in my head. Before I could say something in return, I realized she was much more soaked than me. Seeing that, I instantly realized why a person who rarely shows up was still here.

"Thanks for saving me," I said, looking directly at her. "You save me, right? Thanks."

Euvialin nods her head. "I noticed that your mana is panicking, then I realized that you can't swim."

Ahh, so that's how it is. I swiftly grab Cilestia's orb body, who is still pestering Euvialin. And bring her closer to me.

"Stop it, would you? She just saved me, and you panicked while she was doing that," I said, pinching the non-existing cheeks of Cilestia.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

While I'm busy fooling around with my mana, a certain emotion reaches me.

Hmm, it’s from her. Were we alone in this place that emotion wouldn’t leak out aside from her?

I let go of Cilestia. And turn toward Euvialin. She still has an indifferent look on her face. Blankly staring at me.

“Are you lonely? "I inquired, curiously.

Euvia lowered her eyes a bit. "I don't know."

Huh? What she said just complicates things, but she certainly leaked emotion earlier.

Loneliness—no, it also gives the feeling of tiredness. As if tired of everything, that's what it felt like. I'm quite familiar with emotion. Lhina also leaked something like this before, but it's long gone.

This kind of situation is quite similar to a certain cliché. It's most common in those overpowering characters: god, demon lord, and any supreme being. They possessed strong power capable of anything. But in that certain cliché, they're tired or sometimes have enough of watching stupid mortals. Having a long life span bored them. Sometimes I desire a normal life. In the worst case, they experience something terrible. Losing interest in anything, even the world itself.

I don't know what happened to Lhifhina and Euvialin to have such an emotion. But I'm not insensitive to asking about that. They will tell me if they want. And not if not. There's also no information about them in the novel. I'm blind when it comes to them. But Lhifhina doesn't have that emotion anymore. She seems to be enjoying her life lately.

As for Euvialin, she's not completely emotionless. Character development might still occur for her. If she's lonely, maybe spending time with someone might solve the problem. Maybe she doesn't know what it is to care for others, or maybe she forgot it. Either way, it doesn't matter. If someone is what she needs, then maybe...

She seems to be delving into her thoughts. But I decided to start a conversation while Cilestia was quiet.

“I’m sorry for kicking you earlier."

“Mhm." She nods her head without a hint of change in her expression.

It was a hollow response, but if she really lacks emotion, why are we here? She’s here..... She saved me.

“You said you don't care about anything, right? "

“Right..."

“Even if the world ends."

“Mhm doesn’t matter.”

She clarified indifferently that that was something to be expected. She's the same in the novel; she didn't even bat an eye when the world ended. That’s the answer that'll surely happen in the future, but...

“Even with all of that," with my still paralyzed body on the ground, I look directly into her eyes; thus, she reciprocates, "You still save me."

She seemed to flinch a bit and seemingly couldn’t comprehend my words.

"If you really don't care about anything, you will leave me there. I bet I'm lifelessly floating in the lake by now if you haven't turned back."

Well, Cilestia will probably do something before it ends like that. But let's not say that.

Euvialin entered deep contemplation, disoriented by my words. Her apathetic self has a gap. Even when I kicked her, she got mad. She has emotions. As she said, I don't care about anything.

But I highly doubt that; to my eyes, it looks like she wants to forget emotion.

Well, either way... ain’t she thinking for a while now?

I noticed she was already sitting, and with her hand on her knee, she rested her head, looking down at me. Hmm, she looked cute—a cool creature like her doing this posture.

Don’t think too much about it," I said, hoping to lessen her thoughts.

“.........mhm."

"........"

So after contemplating that much, that's the response she came up with? This’ll get us nowhere; I’m not good at talking either. Well, talking is not just a way of making a relationship. I guess I need to take another route.

"You don't have to force some words out; I’m not fond of this kind of taking either.” I can feel a weird atmosphere on my chest where Cilestia sits, though I decided to keep my focus intact on Euvialin.

"How about this? Let's try spending time together. If we can't get along, you can hide. Though I doubt it, I’ll leave you alone," I said, grinning at her.

Euvialin widens her eyes, then, for the first time... I see her with a relaxed expression.

"Hmmm, I suppose, after all, you really found me."

***

After a few minutes, the numbness in my body finally disappeared. Rousing up from my feet, I stretch my body.

“Ahhh, it feels good to freely move my body ag....achooo!!!!"

Cold, my clothes were still wet, and it was in the middle of the night. There's no doubt I'd catch a cold.

At that moment, a voice appeared on my back.

"You’re really a strange one; your immunity to normal things is lower compared to a normal child in this world, and you might get sick easily. Above all, you don't act like one."

Without looking behind my back, I knew it was Euvialin. “You’re the one to talk; ain't you worse than me? "

There was a short pause in her voice. It seems my words hit her. ".......I can't say, but ain't you going to need to get a bath? You might catch a cold."

Hearing that, I couldn't help but guffaw. "What is this, a slice-of-life world where the character got sick easily from getting wet?!!"

I don't know what Euvialin's expression is right now, but I can feel a slight turmoil in her. "No, it might happen because you're likely prone to common illnesses."

What she said is true; I can tell my body is no different than it was in my past life. “I guess it's time to call it a day."

"Didn't you hear? There wouldn't be any water tonight because of sudden outrage. Even if you go home now, there wouldn't be any water."

"What!?! Then what am I supposed to do now?

I felt a strong blow on my back, meeting my reflection on the water.

Not again?!

“I can solve that problem for you."

Unable to catch her face, I saw a slender leg that landed on the ground. Most likely the one that used to kick me; thus, I sank into the lake again.