Uriel’s POV
I was met with a horrid sight when I entered the quest reception, filled with thoughts of how to use Sasha’s advice.
It was unjust. The teachings of the Goddess Eien have always been with me, which is why Mark’s actions were unacceptable!
‘But, why am I moving?’ Anxiety sprouted within me as it always had.
However, the image of Luke’s back replayed in my head. My small frame pushed past the crowds of students, driven by a desire to stop this. The Hero’s grandson harassing an innocent lady would never be right. My heart throbbed, eyes blurry, but I kept moving.
‘Luke, he would be proud right?’
I found myself confronting the bully, only to end up reduced to a crying mess. Only for Luke to come to my rescue once again. For a saint to be like this, it was… utterly shameful. But, he said he needed me.
“Alright, that’s enough,” He spoke like a prince from the books.
I latched onto his arm, unable to let go. The stares from everyone around killed any sort of confidence I had left. I looked into his tired eyes.
‘I’m sorry,’ I wished to say, yet only tears came out.
Even though he dragged me to the receptionist, it was with a subtle care that only I could feel. He spoke about not wanting to have a partner, but his actions were filled with affection as if he knew of us before coming here.
-x-
After making it to the new area, I couldn’t have expected what would happen. I wished my eyes were betraying me, that what I was seeing was not real.
“Uriel, we should follow,” Lisana tapped my shoulder.
She pointed to the dense jungle below us, spanning with cliffs and ravines.
“I don’t think I could,” I replied still processing what I witnessed.
“Here,” She handed me a pair of peculiar lenses. “Binoculars can see far.”
Lisana spoke concisely, only delivering what she wanted to say efficiently. A cute trait, unlike my… cowardice.
“Hah,” I felt my mood lower once again. “Ah- why are you?”
Lisana put her hand on my head, “It’s okay.”
The dark thoughts gradually disappeared and a newfound respect formed within me for her. Despite such a small frame, she held the presence of a warm older sister. Or at least, that’s what I thought.
“Stay put,” She stretched slightly, “You can follow Mark.”
On her shoulder was a star-shaped padding, but I felt a tingle of mana from it. This meant it was not a simple decoration, but an actual enchanted item.
“Later,” Lisana waved before diving into the unknown.
I put the ‘binoculars’ to my eyes.
“Wh- what is this!” My vision enhanced, I could see much further and despite the amount of things blocking my sight, if I focused I could see past them. “Is that Lisana?”
A glowing blue light was visible, past a few cliffs. Below that light, was a dark blemish in the lens. It moved with great intensity, somehow out speeding the tailing of Lisana. This was not the first time the world painted him as such.
“Why was he such a dark colour?” I asked myself.
His magic missiles were of a dark tint as well, bordering on being grey. He might’ve not noticed it, but this put the others on edge when they first saw it in the class with Professor Clarisse.
“Wha!” My thoughts were halted by the appearance of a Chimera. I rushed forward, doing my best to get down without harming myself.
I chanted various blessings, allowing free fall and damage reduction. I did my best to follow the fleeting silhouettes of the two. As time went on, I managed to maintain a constant pace, ignoring the mountains of dirt covering me.
A frown floated atop my face, I forced the fluids in my throat back down. I had a mountain of debts to repay Luke, he couldn’t die until they were fulfilled.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
‘Really! I need to scold him when I see him!’
My heart leapt when I saw him fly into the sky, but he landed safely, calming my heart. As time went on, I felt new highs and lows, as if my heart was being led up and down a slope. However, I felt the blessings start to wear thin, meaning I had to stop.
I’d have to wait for either of them to pick me up at this rate… I truly felt pathetic once again, but it wasn’t my fault either. Instead, I focused this emotion into frustration.
“If this is what happens every time, I refuse to be in this party!”
-x-
Third Person POV
“So…” Julia trailed on, “What now?”
“His request,” Serina replied without a moment’s rest.
Julia scratched her chin, staring at Serina. ‘What is there to say? Ugh, I’ll just do a quest for some pocket money.’
“I’ll see you some other time,” She bowed, leaving Serina to finish her breakfast.
“Mmm.”
Rushing forward, there was a commotion in the reception area. In fact, within her peripheral vision, she found the commoner escapee.
‘So this is where he ran off to,’ Julia nodded. ‘I’ll have him join me for sure!’
However, despite her expectations, he had run off to the middle, coddling the saint candidate. A sight shocking to all the students there. Who would expect one of the spearheads for the Order of Unity to be tied to a nobody?
‘That is what a friend would do, what a noble like myself would do as well. So, what is this feeling within me?’
She clenched the space above her heart. Frustration built up within her, as she marched to the quest board. Without a thought, she grabbed the one closest to her.
“Take it!” Julia ordered the lady who was being covered for by Luke, “I’d like to embark on a quest right now.”
“Ah, yes,” The receptionist stamped the paper. “You may go in now.”
She stomped her way to the teleporter, unaware of the turbulent emotions that raged in her mind.
-x-
Julia however, found herself in a strange predicament. Forgetting the previous commotion with Luke, she questioned herself.
‘Why is she here again!?’
Inside the teleportation device, two opposites stood by each other.
‘I didn’t realise that’s what the receptionist meant!’
“Serina, why are you doing this quest?” Julia found some courage to ask.
“Don’t you remember?” She replied with a disinterested look. “Luke asked me to.”
“Yes- but, what about yourself?” Julia pouted perhaps out of jealousy or maybe disappointment.
“Hmm?” A confused look rose from her.
“Do- do you not care for your wellbeing?” A careless question was raised.
“Myself…” Serina mumbled. “Luke is more important.”
‘What happened between the two? From the looks of it, that commoner Luke never interacted with her before the academy, and I met him first. Right?’
Her brain became heavier the more she delved into speculations.
‘Agh! I might as well just ask, I don’t care if your family caused our issues anymore!’
She gulped, speaking with care, “So, why is that?”
“He is an escape,” She muttered with a completely serious expression. “And thus, my everything.”
At the start, Julia may have disregarded anything she said as mumblings of a murderer. However, after their various interactions and the reclamation of Fen, she began to harbour doubts. Hence, more questions were created in her mind than answers.
Of which she wouldn’t be able to receive as she found herself in a desert.
“Goodbye,” Serina monotonously said, flying into the sky in a completely different direction from where the quest’s locations were.
…
“No, seriously, I don’t get it anymore!” Julia grabbed her head, steam gushing out as she thought. “Luke doesn’t seem to have heard this, or he’d be acting differently!”
‘Do I tell him what she thinks of him, and would he even believe me?’
“Agh! This’ll be the best way to blow off some steam!”
Julia readied her family’s heirloom, pointing it at the sandworm in front of her.
“Your elder variants were my first, and now you’ll be next!”
She floated atop a platform of sand, swerving behind the emerged worm. She dug her rapier into the back of its head, where it breathed out.
A shockwave blasted the ground beneath them, a hole being gouged into of the monster’s head. The ability of telekinesis, and the support of Lumen Grace, boosted her prowess to heights the average students could never reach.
In her hands was a brightly shining stone, perfectly spherical, unlike the one Luke would summon.
[Julia De Gracia]
[Age: 16 ] [Race: Human]
[Attributes]
Vitality: Tier 0 (57%)
Agility: Tier 0 (63%)
Strength: Tier 0 (48%)
Mana: Tier 0 (94%)
[Skills]
Telekinesis (A+) (75% Proficiency - Evolution Possible)
Mana Sense (A) (90% Proficiency)
Mana Control (B) (45% Proficiency - Evolution Possible)
[More skills to view.]
“It’s not enough,” She gritted her teeth. “I must grow stronger. My family will return to prosperity.”
‘That devil, I can’t forgive it.’