Nicole sat alone atop the bell tower at the center of Northsail, watching as the bustling city was bathed in the glow of the setting sun. From her high vantage point, she could see the canal that ran through Northsail.
The clear river water reflected the orange sunlight, casting a gentle ripple of warmth over the white bricks along the canal. She sat idly on the third floor of the bell tower, counting the passing cargo ships on the canal. When she reached the ninth ship, a chilly breeze swept through the old building, causing Nicole to shiver. It was then that she realized the tear stains on her face.
Nicole wiped her face vigorously, then, in a fit of defiance, picked up a stone beside her and threw it with all her might into the distance. The stone traced a parabolic arc and plunged into the canal. Nicole didn't hear the splash of the stone hitting the water, but she did hear a voice from behind her.
"Didn't Rivern teach you not to throw stones around carelessly, little Nicole?"
Nicole turned around and saw Quigeta leaning against the iron door on the third floor of the bell tower.
She knew him. This swordsman, as sturdy as a city wall, was one of the sponsors of the Dawn Prayers in Northsail, a good friend of Rivern, and a renowned swordsman in the city. He used to be the leader of the mercenary group "Frostwolf," but later disbanded the group and opened a small restaurant in the city with his former members.
"None of your business." Nicole glared at him, then turned her head away, leaving him with a cold shoulder.
"Even if it didn't hit anyone, hitting the flowers and plants by the roadside, or the little shrimp and fish in the water, isn't good either." Quigeta didn't mind Nicole's coldness; instead, he casually walked over to her side.
It was only then that Nicole noticed two children playing and roughhousing on the arch bridge above the canal. Suddenly, a sense of guilt rose in her heart, realizing that her earlier action could indeed have hurt them.
But she had no intention of apologizing for it.
Seeing Nicole remain silent, Quigeta asked casually, "Still upset? Hmm?"
"None of your business." Nicole hugged her knees, buried her head, and said angrily, "I know, you’re all just waiting to laugh at me. You are, and even Rivern is."
"Laugh at you?" Quigeta crossed his arms and leaned against the column of the bell tower, speaking with a sarcastic tone, "A joke would at least bring some laughter. What happened with you doesn’t even qualify as a joke. Sorry, I can’t even force a laugh."
Hearing this, Nicole didn't respond, but her hands, which were hugging her knees, had already left red marks on her skin from gripping too tightly.
Quigeta noticed this and allowed a faint smile to cross his face. He continued, "Rivern is quite the fool, too. He'd rather have you hate him than let you hate yourself. If he hadn't confessed to you about the informant incident, you might never have known."
"Leave. I don't want to talk to you," Nicole ordered sullenly.
"What did you say? The wind is too strong, I can't hear you," Quigeta pretended not to hear, deliberately staying put.
Nicole remained silent.
As time passed, the setting sun cast longer and longer shadows over the city. The two children on the arch bridge continued to play, seemingly having forgotten about dinner time. They were having a great time sparring with wooden swords.
Quigeta watched them from a distance, and a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
With a swift motion, he lifted his foot and deftly hooked the short sword off Nicole's back with his toe. The blade traced a graceful arc in the air before the hilt landed steadily in Quigeta's hand.
Nicole noticed Quigeta's action and angrily looked up, "What are you doing? Give me back my sword!"
The swordsman smiled at her, "If you want it, come and get it yourself. Besides, don't you have another one at your waist?"
Nicole was finally provoked. She stood up, and her once short shadow suddenly stretched long.
A gust of wind blew through the bell tower, and the swirling clouds blocked the last rays of sunlight from the west. In an instant, the two on the bell tower were engulfed in shadows.
Time seemed to stand still.
On the arch bridge, the girl holding the wooden sword shouted as she launched an attack on the boy opposite her. At the same time, Nicole drew another short sword from her waist and thrust it forward with all her might.
A flash of light sliced through the shadows as Quigeta's short sword blocked the attack. Despite Nicole's full strength, she couldn't move Quigeta an inch.
"Your strength is lacking, little Nicole," Quigeta commented with interest, "but your agility has improved."
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Nicole remained silent, abandoning the attempt to overpower Quigeta. She quickly stepped back, pulling a dagger from her thigh. She reset her stance, holding the short sword in her right hand and the dagger in her left, and launched a second attack on Quigeta.
After a moment of surprise, Quigeta showed an approving smile.
"Come on, keep going."
On the arch bridge, the boy knocked the wooden sword out of the girl's hand. Just as the wooden sword was about to fall onto a cargo ship emerging from under the bridge, the girl didn't give up. She actually climbed over the bridge's railing, reaching out to grab the wooden sword...
Another gust of wind swept through, mercilessly tearing apart the clouds in the west. The setting sun emitted its last rays, momentarily bathing the entire city in a brief but brilliant light.
The third floor of the bell tower seemed like a stage illuminated by the sunlight, with the two actors standing straight, as if waiting for the signal to start the second act.
At this moment, Nicole was missing a dagger in her hand, while Quigeta had a shallow wound on his left arm.
"See, even without that beast, you can still fight," Quigeta said, glancing at the wound on his arm and asking with confusion, "I really don't understand. Why are you so stubborn about becoming a beast tamer?"
Nicole's expression wavered, but she still retorted, "You wouldn't understand!"
With that, she charged at him again.
"Then why don't you make me understand," Quigeta said with a smile as he met her attack.
The last rays of light from the west disappeared. The entire city finally fell into the embrace of the night.
On the arch bridge, the girl caught the falling wooden sword, and the boy caught the girl who almost fell off the bridge. The cargo ship silently glided under the bridge, leaving ripples on the canal.
"Should I let go?" Quigeta asked.
At this moment, Nicole's body was hanging outside the bell tower, with only her left foot barely supported on the outer wall. Quigeta held her left hand and asked again, "Should I let go? If you want me to pull you up, then admit that you've lost, admit that you don't have the talent to be a beast tamer, and then go back and apologize to Rivern properly. Say that you shouldn't have lost your temper with him. It's your fault, so what right do you have to blame others?"
Nicole bit her lip in frustration, remaining silent.
The short sword in her right hand had been broken by Quigeta's immense strength, and now Nicole's hand was empty. If Quigeta let go, she would fall from the third floor of the bell tower. She glanced at her dangling right leg, fear rising in her heart.
Nicole finally understood that Quigeta was too strong; she was probably not even a tenth as skilled as he was. He wasn't even using his preferred weapon, yet he could so effortlessly defeat her and push her to the brink. If he were to draw the long, curved blade on his back, she probably wouldn't last three seconds before being sliced to pieces.
Although she was certain that Quigeta wouldn't actually hurt her, the vast difference in their strength terrified her. If she were facing someone other than Quigeta, someone with no connection to her, and if such a powerful person had murderous intent towards her, would she be able to survive?
The answer was obvious.
Nicole's expression turned grave, and she remained silent.
Quigeta watched her and continued, "You rely too much on Rivern. For today's incident, you must have wanted to seek comfort from him, right? So when you found out that it was Rivern who reported you, you felt betrayed by him. Am I right?"
Quigeta's words pierced Nicole's heart with every sentence, leaving her unable to argue. With each word he spoke, her feelings of shame grew stronger.
"Are you still hoping that Rivern will suddenly appear and save you from this predicament? Wake up, girl! Everyone fights their battles with fate alone. If you can't learn to be alone, to embrace solitude, you'll always be nothing but a child who knows nothing but how to whine!"
Hearing this, Nicole clenched her empty hand into a fist.
Nightfall descended, turning the sky into a deep shade of purple and blue. Countless lights illuminated Northsail beneath the night sky. The city did not fall asleep in the darkness but instead came alive.
On the arch bridge, the boy struggled to pull the girl back up. The two of them sat on the ground, exhausted and panting, then exchanged smiles.
By the canal, a woman walked towards them. She waved from a distance, and the two children happily stood up and followed her.
The sky gradually turned from purple-blue to deep blue, and a crescent moon slowly rose.
Nicole suddenly realized that, compared to the vast night sky, she was so small and insignificant. Under the cover of this endless night, perhaps only the silver moonlight could stand against it. But how could she ever become that revered silver moon?
As the night wind blew through the bell tower, suddenly, in the darkness, another light source appeared besides the moonlight.
At some point, the stars began to twinkle, their faint yet brilliant light flickering like crystals scattered on deep blue silk.
Nicole looked up at them and took a deep breath.
In the darkness, her eyes shimmered with the same light as the stars.
"I won't give up. If you want to let go, go ahead," the girl said calmly, turning her head to look at Quigeta.
Quigeta frowned, "This stubborn girl, I can't believe I can't handle you."
With that, he decided to loosen two fingers as a threat.
At the same time, Nicole suddenly pulled out a small crossbow hidden under her short cloak and aimed it at Quigeta's forehead, pressing the trigger without hesitation.
This caught Quigeta off guard. Relying on his quick reflexes, he leaned back swiftly, avoiding the attack, but inadvertently letting go of the hand holding Nicole.
Quigeta frowned, "You stubborn girl, do you really think I can't handle you?"
With that, he decided to release two fingers as a threat.
At the same time, Nicole suddenly pulled out a small crossbow hidden under her short cloak and aimed it at Quigeta's forehead, pressing the trigger without hesitation.
This was something Quigeta hadn't anticipated. Relying on his quick reflexes, he swiftly leaned back, avoiding the attack, but inadvertently let go of Nicole's hand.
Quigeta's heart sank.
Just as he reached out again to catch the falling Nicole, a nimble figure jumped up from below. A small leather boot landed squarely on his nose, using his face as a stepping stone, before landing gracefully on the ground.
"You little brat!" Quigeta immediately turned around, cursing and pointing his sword in the direction where Nicole stood.
It was then that he realized Nicole hadn't used a crossbow, but a grappling gun. She had used it to shoot a hook that latched onto the bell on the fourth floor of the bell tower, then climbed up using the attached rope.
The bell, now bearing Nicole's weight, began to sway.
A deep and melancholic bell toll echoed from above, resonating throughout Northsail. The moonlight fell lightly on the swaying bell, gently brushing over the girl's wavy short hair.
Standing in the night wind, she said earnestly, "I'm not a little brat, my name is Nicole."
Quigeta chuckled. He tossed the sword back to Nicole, then headed toward the iron door on the third floor.
"Let's go. Time for dinner."