“Why are you here?” Elara asked with clenched jaws.

“Elara?” I tilted my head out of confusion. “I’m here to find you. Look at how much I improved— ” I boasted but she dominated my voice with her shout.

“You’re really an idiot!” She shouted, resonating the vibration of air towards my head, clenching her fist and gritting her teeth.

“You shouldn’t have gone here! You never listen to me even once! Just how much are we gonna tell you that your life is important!?”

“Elara…” With a downturned face, I mocked.

“You can just listen to me once. It’s a simple request. You’re just a girl, Princess Veniara. I don’t want you to experience some gruesome fate.”

“I’m not a kid anymore, Elara,” I argued, bringing my spirits up. She somewhat offended me with what she’d said.

“You are! Stop pretending to be adult!”

“I’m not pretending to be adult! I just—” I stuttered, holding my arms as I turn sidewards. “I just want the power to protect anyone, to protect you. I wanted to be stronger than you to do that. Why are you like that, Elara? Be thankful I’m doing this for you.”

“You made me, a royal maid, your basis of power? No one asked you to protect me, not even anyone from your family! Because that job is mine!”

Suddenly, Ellyn entered in the middle of our argument. “Shut up, you two! You won’t reach anything at this point.

We came back to our senses. Our souls calmed down after throwing badmouths to each other. If Ellyn isn’t there, we wouldn’t finish our argument.

But I thought she tried to calm us down. “Why don’t you settle this in the Grayrat way?” Ellyn calmly asked.

Elara sighed too. “True. We won’t get anything at this point,” she said, drawing her dagger and posing a stance.

“Wait— What is the Grayrat way? And Elara, why are you drawing your sword?” I asked with a raising heartbeat, somewhat confused.

“As a former assassin, we aren’t trained to speak. We are trained to act,” Elara muttered as she rushed while pointing her dagger towards me.

“Elara, wait!” I exclaimed, but there’s no time to think of a reaction other than a counter.

I drawn my sword, Ruby, coliding it with her dagger. Her blade is like feather when it hits my sword. It slipped like an ice, no friction involved.

She randomly stabs her blade to where she sees my weakpoints, and having an enchantment on myself lets me see it. I can’t tell if she’s really serious or she’s just taken over by anger.

But even if her blade slids through mine, I can feel the force she put to her blunt attacks. I clenched my jaws while bathing in cold sweat.

On the other hand, she moves swiftly and calm. She isn’t having a hard time at all, completely different from me. She’s not only assassin in the name.

While we exchange our blows, Elara remarked. “If you’re capable of protecting me, you should be stronger than me.

“After all, I don’t need protection. I’m an orphan adopted by the royal family as their helper. Those two generous people gave me a chance to repent my sins, giving me but only one task… To watch over you, Princess.

“That means I’ll be incharge of changing your clothes, cooking your food, making sure you’re healthy. I made a promise to the queen that I’ll be the one to protect you.

“While the queen is away, I should be the one looking out for you. I promised her that I’ll always be by your side.

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“If I’m not suitable for that task, I have no other reasons to exist. Now that you can watch yourself— and you’re this strong, I’m not needed at all.”

As we continue clashing our blades, our argument heatens up to the mantle. The more she argued, the more I knew that I didn’t care about her feelings at all.

I’m focused on my own selfishness. I involved them into my self-centered reason of surviving my destined fate. The only considered living person in this world is myself.

I kept thinking that if I thought of them as an NPC, I wouldn’t bother about their feelings. I only thought of them as the book’s characters. I thought it wouldn’t hurt.

But I’m wrong.

Deep inside my pained chest lies my ideals, how I want my life to become. Now I finally have my past life’s goals, money and connections, I shouldn’t bring the past me back; else I would end up hurting people again.

They’re people, living people. They have flesh, blood, and a heart. They experience pain and suffering same as I do. We breathe the same air. We drop the same tears. We step on the same ground.

If I didn’t bring Ruby by now, I wouldn’t have lasted long in this fight. The moment I gained control of the ground, I spoke my thoughts.

“I didn’t want to be strong to kick you out! I wanted to be strong because I treasure you. I don’t want you to suffer longer because of what I do.

“I just— I’m just scared. What if I see that same thing happen again? I don’t want to see someone precious to me lose her life.

“That is why I decided to be strong… I’m sorry that I didn’t notice you’re worrying so much for me. I’m a selfish princess, a spoiled brat, an unmannered bastard.

“I’m sorry that I lied to you. Please go back to us.”

After everything I’ve said, her face didn’t change. Her look at me is a set target to death. Her flaming red eye suddenly froze my body, chilling my spine.

I have nothing else to say. I dropped my sword, telling her that I surrender myself. Her deadly stare just gets stronger, making my legs tremble.

She gripped her dagger, showing her nerves across her arm. She leaned forward as she ran, maintaining full speed.

“You’re open!” She shouted with confidence.

But suddenly, the dagger she’s pointing at me flew upwards. Elara didn’t stop, rather, Ellyn stopped her.

“Don’t interupt, senior! This is between us,” Elara growled.

“You have a viscious opponent, more deadly than she seems,” Ellyn replied with a mocking tone. “Are you throwing your assassin’s pride by falling into a trap? You let yourself be lured.”

Ellyn stared at where the light comes from as Elara follows her gaze. White diamond dimmed light stickered on almost all the trees around us.

“Vexous Infinity: it’s a planted blade that shoots like a gun but will take time to setup. No one uses it since its light level is hard to manipulate. Only saint-level magic can configure its light intensity without draining mana.

“Considering the Princess’s mana capacity, I can see thirty-two more blades pointed at you, waiting to be launched,” Ellyn explained. “Are you still willing to step up?”

After moments of silence, Elara sighed with a smile. “The fight has been decided from the start.”

“When I was a kid, I’m once like you, easily driven by emotions. Charging towards a battle without thinking, I’m just too dumb.

“That’s why as I grow up, I want to become the Guardian of the Children and the protector of the dumb. I have stopped you for that reason,” Ellyn explained, looking at the bright moon.

“I’m no kid, Senior Ellyn!” Elara exclaimed and pouted.

“Oh, look? You’re younger than me, meaning, you’re still a kid.”

Elara gritted her teeth and clenched her fists out of frustration. “Damn you!”

It seems like they’re in good terms. I stood up and cleaned dust in my clothing before I called Elara.

“Elara…”

“P—Princess Veniara,” Elara mocked with her sweet maiden voice coming back again.

“I—I’m sorry!” I shouted, bowing to her waist level. “I’m sorry I’ve said those harsh things to you! I’m sorry I made you misunderstood my intentions.”

Elara squealed and pulls me back standing straight. “Princess, stand up! It’s my fault for rushing out without notice. I’m sorry too. I’m the one at fault at misunderstanding!”

“No, I should be sorry!” I demanded, but Elara doesn’t want to lose either.

“Princess, I’m the one at fault. Please forgive me.”

“Gosh, won’t you stop?” Ellyn yelled with crossed arms, annoyed at us. “Would you want to settle it again in a Grayrat way?”

Elara and I both looked at Ellyn with a poker face. We let the caws of crows dominating the air of silence. We exhaled air like a pulse, then we bursted the tickle in our lungs as we excessively laugh.

After she realized, Ellyn joined laughing too. I can’t imagine having friends to share laughter at is this fun. This is the first time I never feared having fun.

But suddenly, fear entered me from a different source. From a distance, we heard a shout from a voice deeper than human range.

“Huge mana! Feed me mana! Huge mana!”

A breathless knight appeared in our place and ran towards Elara. “Royal maid, a giant golem appeared out of nowhere! It’s now destroying the knight’s camp!”

“That Elliot, always excellent in ruining reunions. You can lead us the way.”

Elliot? That’s a familiar name I only encountered in this world. He was mentioned many times, but no one told me who he really was. From what I can tell, he’s our enemy.

Ellyn angrily clenched her jaws as she grips Elara’s shoulder. “You’ll explain to me everything of your dark plot.”