Though grumbling about being cowardly for running away, Rushvatte was riding his white tiger mount on the front next to Tier during their ride towards Grandar. If Tier was not mistaken, elf mystics have a passive ability named [Pathfinding] that increases the movement speed of all non-enemy characters as long as they stay at the front of a formation. Therefore Tier slowed his mount a bit just to give Rushvatte a slight lead.

“Why are you slowing down?” Rushvatte asked.

“Your passive.”

“What passive, bro?” Renma asked. He was riding a skeletal horse - which Tier suspected that he bought from Rottendor, the city of undead, by utilising Nubram’s portal. Behind him, the two orcs were riding dire wolves.

“[Pathfinding],” Rushvatte answered. He quickly hastened his mount to properly lead them.

However, Tier was still a bit careful. He questioned, “But, do you remember the way to Grandar?”

Rushvatte didn't answer for a couple of minutes before finally affirming, “I think I know….”

“Nevermind,” Tier sighed. “I’ll just direct you later.”

It was then that they heard a frustrated wailing from far behind. Tier shuddered, and so did his companion.

“Now that’s what I call angry toxic wailing,” Axxe crackled.

While the others were laughing, Tier was a bit distracted by his own thoughts. He was even more sure about who Slicer was. He remembered even back then as Slasher, that person was already toxic. And Tier didn’t even bother to stop him and just laughed at the toxicity and the victim from the sideline. Remembering all that had made him nauseous.

Things didn’t turn out better when they reached Grandar and split up with the two orcs. It was not about Slicer, but another interaction had triggered an awkward situation.

“Manda, what are you doing here?” Rushvatte dashed past the inner gate of Valroshar to where Manna was chatting with Nubram, Flick, and Zackhs.

“Um… playing the game?” answered Manna halfheartedly.

“You know that’s not what I meant!”

“Excuse me,” Manna crossed her arms and lifted her own chin. “Do I need your permission to play what I want?”

“This is not about permission, but your condition!”

The raging Rushvatte turned to his friends, without heeding the existence of Zackhs, and asked curtly, “Since when did you guys know?”

“Just now, for devil’s sake,” Tier shrugged nonchalantly. He didn’t want to bother much about whatever happened between the two, not to mention he was no one to begin with compared to the closeness between the two of them.

Zackhs, who gazed alternatingly between Manna and Rushvatte, then took a step back and reached the area of his cheekbone on his dark helmet.

Incoming whisper from Zackhs.

[Buddy, are they exes?]

Tier gritted his teeth. He slowly turned at Zackhs. His stares were all that he needed to convey, 'Really? At this kind of timing?”

“Chill, mah boy, Mana was saving us from Lyra just now,” Flick tried to mediate the high tension between the childhood friends. “Though Pras was the one dieded in the end.”

“Like Steven said, I’m a survivalist.” Tier smiled lazily. “I guarantee your survival.”

“Bro, I think it should be the other way around.”

“It’s okay, Renma,” Zackhs cheerily jumped into the conversation. He tapped Tier’s shoulder. “He was cool blocking the damage for Manna and me.”

Tier sighed, he cursed under his breath “Shut up, man.” Then he gave Zackhs the stare to cease the avenger’s clearly wrong timed attempt to wingman him.

“Aarrggh,” Rushvatte snorted. “How can I relax if this kid….”

The elf stopped, then sighed heavily. He opened his command windows, clearly to log out. “... whatever, I got a headache, see y'all tomorrow. I haven’t studied yet,” he said before logging off.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Sure, cya.”

After Rushvatte was gone, Flick turned to Tier and asked, “Pras, is there any homework?”

“Are you seriously asking him?” Renma protested. “He would’ve done the homework on the day it was given.”

“Stop exaggerating, boar.”

“Darn you, leyak.”

“My, I did not know you are that diligent,” Manna commented with her usual flat tone. She then turned to Flick and assured, “Do not worry, there is no homework or assignments for tomorrow.”

Manna’s comment had caused Zackhs nudge Tier with his shoulder. This in turn caused Tier to give another death stare at the avenger which indirectly said, “Do it one more time and I will freaking misdirect some minotauros at you.”

“Assignments or not, so, we’ll continue tomorrow?” Nubram yawned. He looked down on his bottom left, probably checking for time.

There was an awkward silence among them for a moment due to the question. They all knew the condition might not be suitable considering Lyra and Slicer could still be roaming around. Not to mention the already awkward situation due to Rushvatte’s reaction to seeing Manna here.

Renma was the one who finally broke the silence, “I’m actually getting sleepy.”

“Boy, you’re right. Meeting Lyra is kinda scary. I’ll go buy some stuff first before logging out.”

“Whew, okay then, cya all tomorrow.”

“See ya all, buddy. I’m gonna take a stroll around for a moment.”

“Bye-bye.”

Manna waved at her friends, and Zackhs, who left the spot. Renma and Nubram immediately logged out. Meanwhile, Pras saw Flick give a sly smile when he walked away. Zackhs was also direly suspicious in his eyes.

Realising Tier was still not moving, Manna asked, “Why are you still here, diligent deskmate?”

Due to the nonexistent other factors that could distract part of his brain, Tier started to stutter, “Um.. yeah, perhaps soon, I'm gonna log off… just need to… buy some arrows… uh... how about you?”

“Still waiting for Dia-nee to get home, I am going to play a bit more.”

“A-alone?”

“Of course.”

“Oh… okay.”

“I will see you tomorrow, diligent deskmate.”

While walking away, Manna waved her hand low but gracefully at Tier like a dignified princess passing flocks of her subjects. Yet, it was not just infatuation that struck Tier’s mind at that moment.

All this time, in school, Pras did see her talking or joking with her friends from class or from the badminton extracurricular. Yet, he had just remembered how the girl was often seen walking alone. He wondered if this was the side effects of popularity itself, that the popular person might be secretly lonely.

“I have been thoroughly disappointed,” said a handsome pale man who wore the exact same armour as Zackhs. The person had a pair of sharp big fangs that made Tier thought that he was some sort of vampire.

“Who the devil are you?”

The person sighed again, “And I am disappointed yet again, my good buddy.”

It took Tier a moment to realise it was Zackhs. He questioned the supposedly undead, “Why are you not rotting?”

“Vampires are undead,” Zackhs smirked and showed a thumbs up as if it was the brightest idea he ever had.

“Damnit, man.”

“Boy, he was not the only one who feelz disappointed,” This time Flick appeared from his stealth mode. Gripping his hands on Tier’s shoulder, he rambled, “For look ahead, my friend. Had you not seen the greatest chance available for you?”

“What are you talking about again?”

Flick shook his head disappointedly. He raised his right index finger and mentioned the past even today, “The first strike was when you had all the time in the world to talk with Mana as your deskmate, but you didn’t.”

Flick raised his middle finger as well. “Then during lunch, you instead fell silent and chose to talk to us, letting Mana feel lonely yet again.”

The rogue’s face turned grim, he warned, “It is true that chances don't come twice, because it will come again and again, even three times. But will you risk it? Just like a batter trying to hit that ball, will you let it be three strikes and you're out?”

“Uhh, you know, I don’t really understand what he meant, but,” Zackhs commented, “For real buddy? This is a golden chance. Go for it. Don’t waste such a thing. Don’t you like her? Then fight for her attention.”

“B-but.” Tier shook his head. “Someone like her, won’t it be easy for her to get a party to level?”

“Boy, so what if that is easy for her? Just be there, man, that way at least you have a chance, not being there is definitely zero chance.”

“Also, don’t waste her effort,” Zackhs added to Flick's words, “She told us that she was looking for you guys. Despite her calm demeanour, I could see a bit of excitement when she met you all in that savannah and also when she explained to us that she had asked Steven about all of your whereabouts.”

The image of Mana and Manna walking alone flashed in Tier’s mind. He was reminded of himself when he often walked alone among the business of the crowds. Even though he did enjoy the loneliness, he also hoped that from time to time there are people offering their hands to help or just to greet him. It was Ega, Pitoy, and the others that had been the one to greet him and not leave him alone.

But, could he be sure the same was happening to Mana? That there were those kinds of people around her? But, Tier thought that he had no right to reach out to Manna.

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You be not water, but rivers and oceans…

Past and fear be da chain to our spirit.

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Tier drew a deep breath, remembering the words of the rakhs NPC he first met. He knew he shouldn’t be too full of himself, but by pretending that he had no right meant he was full of himself being the coward. He should let Manna decide how to view him.

“Thanks, guys.”

“Go for it, buddy.”

“Now, that'z what I’m talking about.”