CHAPTER 26 – SHARING IS CARING

It all started with him placing his hand down on the pedestal...

Rumored by Nero to be a direct descendant of an ancient race, capable of toppling those who live in the heavens, but in my eyes...? He was just a sweet young boy.

His eyes were glistening with a sense of wonder and excitement. The innocent air about him, oh how I've missed it... One after another, people come and go, but more often than not they all leave for the same purpose. Always after me, but never for me. It got tiring after so many years.

'Perhaps he would be the change?' I thought to myself, entertained by his reactions. Cheeks red from embarrassment quite suited his otherwise brooding outlook and unaware persona. So cute! The more I toyed with him, the more real my feelings towards him unexpectedly became. It seems that I played myself, as I never intended that to happen... But, I suppose it's as good of an opportunity as any.

I felt an unnatural pull towards him, as though fate so desired... Perhaps I subconsciously saw him as someone whose innocence to pray on, as my time in my prime would soon come to pass, and despite taking care of so many children, I had none of my own to speak of.

Three days ago, the poor little boy was found unconscious on the streets. I was shocked to see how badly injured he was. He must've gone through quite an ordeal on his first adventure out into the wilds, but oh, I was so proud of him. He really gave it his all. I did my best to nurse him to health, but he just wouldn't wake up. I already began to suspect the worst, but nevertheless, Nero and his friends entrusted him to my care. Back then, I hadn't realized what I was in for.

Restless nights one after another, I slept beside him, desperately trying my very best to heal him back to life, but it didn't end there... In my dreams, I began to see visions. The dreams beaming to my mind truly felt real. But though they were cryptic at best in their depictions, even then, I finally began to understand his reluctance. He has led a lonely life, far more bizarre than what my imagination could hope to comprehend, and even now, when he finally isn't alone anymore, he seeks distance to avoid losing someone dear to him once more.

To think his innocence would conceal so much hurt... 'If only he would give me a chance.' What a silly thought that was...

Day by day I found myself caring more and more about the poor boy, religiously taking good care of him, and today, on the third morning, I was finally able to wake up with a smile on my face. He was finally with us once more!

Funnily enough, I finally got the chance I longed for, as he kind of confessed to me this morning. But as embarrassing as it was, him stumbling to put his feelings into words, I was even more embarrassed to find myself involuntarily crying at his accidental sweetness. To think that was all it took... Oh my, I didn't think myself to be that easy.

Oh well... I don't mind.

⌈V-Violet! Can you please stop clinging to my arm! People are looking. It's embarrassing...⌋

⌈Not a chance!⌋

I giggled and pulled him even closer as we strolled across the streets of the capital together.

——————————

Four adventurers lined up in a grand hall…

An elegant snow elf, followed by an eager dark elf, a carefree dwarven girl and a determined young man. They all presented a glistening white stone, a Shard of Knowledge, to an old man, covered in the magical robes of a great sage.

⌈Well done, once again, adventurers. To think you would show such promising results within the first few days! The future of the world seems ever brighter.⌋

⌈Thank you very much, Arch Sage..⌋

The snow elf gave a deep bow and graciously accepted his compliments.

⌈It is I, and all of the Races who thank you. Providing the races with so many Shards of Knowledge within such a short period of time is unheard of!⌋

Though the Arch Sage enthusiastically praised the adventures, their mind seemed to be set on something else. Especially that of the young man...

⌈Hey, Arch Sage. Any news of Light yet?⌋

⌈No… I’m afraid not. I’m beginning to suspect the worst…⌋

Such words ignited worry and disbelief even in the eager dark elf and the carefree dwarf.

⌈Eh? No way! He can’t go down like that, can he? Can he!?⌋

⌈He can’t be gone! Right!?⌋

Yet their worries were shot down in an instant by the snow elf, who perhaps worried the most out of the four, yet concealed her worry all the same.

⌈I doubt that. After all, it’d be highly unlikely for– No.. It’d be impossible⌋

The conversation came to an abrupt end as a smooth voice of an older woman echoed across the chambers.

⌈Neerooo~, I’ve got some good news!⌋

⌈Violet. We have awaited you… How is the boy?⌋

⌈My, my.. Why don’t you ask him yourself?⌋

⌈⌈⌈!?!⌋⌋⌋

The people present froze the moment I stepped through the door. Yet there was one who wouldn’t stop in her tracks...

A green blob gelatinous goo threw itself at me, as a newlywed bride would greet her husband after he came home from a long day of work. I would have never thought that I’d be happy to receive such a reception from a Slime.

⌈*Master! Welcome back!*⌋

⌈Yeah... I’m back!⌋

I held Lime in my embrace and greeted the old man, Seth, and the girls.

⌈K-Kiddo… You’re... alive!? I was sure you were a goner… I’m, uh... sorry I punched you.⌋

⌈You better! Though, I guess I did deserve it… After all, Violet gave me one long lecture about how worried you were. I guess I kinda forgot I had to be back before sundown...⌋

⌈S-She did!? But she said she… Well, I guess I did get a good scolding from Grace too. Hah! Anyway... You better not run off like that again! Besides, what even happened to you? Did get full of yourself and challenged a Regular-Rank Trail or something!? You were in awful condition when you came back…⌋

Should I tell him? Well… I suppose it’d be an adequate excuse for my antics, and it would give me something to brag about, after all.

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⌈Nope.⌋

⌈Thank the Gods... Then what did you do? Did you clear multiple Trails like Lumi did!? Did you hear that she managed to clear four in total within the first day! Now isn't that amazing!?⌋

⌈Four? Ah.. Well… Not quite that either.⌋

⌈Three?⌋

⌈Twenty three Usual-Ranks.⌋

I proudly exclaimed, puffing up my chest.

⌈Ah.. Still recovering from the concussion… I’m sorry about that one.⌋

But to my dismay, Seth wasn’t having any of it.

⌈And one Peculiar-Rank one.⌋

I desperately tried to insist.

⌈You really should get some more rest..⌋

But neither was Lumi. 

Even Violet joined the fray, voicing her disbelief.

⌈P-Peculiar? But someone with an Usual-Rank class would die in an instant. After all, I would know…⌋

Ah… This’ll be good. I can feel it already. If they aren't going to believe me, I'll just have to make them.

⌈Lime! You know what to do!⌋

⌈*Yes!*⌋

⌈Huh?⌋

Their gasps of disbelief were silenced by a lone clink that faintly echoed from the white walls of the empty hall, as Lime spat out a Shard of Knowledge on the marble floor.

⌈T-The slime is intelligent and it was fooling me all this time!? Color me impressed... And annoyed. Is this what an Arcane Slime is capable of!?!⌋

Even the Arch Sage seemed to be baffled.

Well, I do suppose Lime’s wits and dimensional abilities are quite amazing, but it doesn’t end there, old man. Oh no, it doesn’t.

The lone clink became a chiming ensemble, as Lime continued to spit out the bright white crystals from the endless depths of her transdimensional belly.

The pile kept on growing as one shard after another was added to the crystal heap. And the last but certainly not the least, as a cherry on the top, Lime finally spat out the ominous red shard of Forbidden Knowledge.

⌈Well… There you have it, ladies and gentlemen. 24 Shards of Knowledge, collected by yours truly, all within a single day.⌋

I followed the presentation of the wealth I had amassed with a deep, grandiose bow.

The long silence that followed made it all worth it.

Well. Kind of...

The silence was long enough to become painfully awkward.

Hello..? Anyone home?

I could feel my hands getting awfully sweaty… Please, someone, say something!

⌈A r-red shard!? I have a faint recollection of the Gods informing me of red shards yet… Violet, this isn’t the norm on Peculiar Trails, right?⌋

The long silence was finally broken by the old man.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

⌈N-No… I’ve never seen a red shard either.⌋

The old man picked up the red shard from the pile and inspected it, but as soon as he tightened his grasp around the crystal, bright red sparks flew about, burning the surface of his hand.

⌈F-Forbidden Knowledge!? How did you get your hands on this, young man!?⌋

⌈Will you believe me?⌋

⌈I have no choice but to do so. Please, let us know.⌋

⌈Well... It all began when I decided to enter a Regular Trail.⌋

⌈But..?⌋

⌈But as soon as I entered, the difficulty of the Trail changed. The clear skies on the Trail turned blazing red, and the gentle breeze into a howling gale. It was then that I suddenly found myself facing a Peculiar monster.⌋

⌈May I inquire you of this monster’s name?⌋

⌈It was The Great Burning Woodland Spirit, an Unique-Rarity monster with an affinity for both Nature and Flame…⌋

⌈Please... Do go on.⌋

And so I told them of the intense fight I had against the blazing behemoth. I might’ve exaggerated some parts here and there. And I most definitely left out the part where I thought the heat of my burning clothes was the warmth of afterlife…

Though I could sense a bit of disbelief, they seemed to mostly believe it. Seth especially seemed quite ecstatic.

⌈You’re a fricking genius, kiddo! How did you figure out that you needed to climb the arms? And how did you even find time to think in a situation like that!?!⌋

⌈A genius? Hardly...⌋

If I'm honest, I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed. My knowledge mostly amounted to 'Don't get smacked or you die.' and 'Hit the glowy spots, those are the weak points. Obviously...'

⌈Oh my, no need to be so modest. Your friend is right... A genius indeed. Quickly deducting the vital points of the opponent and carefully planning to take them down, even in the face of grave danger. That, along with quick judgment and swift execution of said plan. Your analysis of the movements of the opponent was also far beyond what an adventurer of your rank should be capable of... What an unbelievable feat.⌋

Violet seemed to reinforce Seth's opinion.

⌈I-Indeed.. It would seem that you've far surpassed me once more..⌋

Lumi, despite probably hating me with a passion, seemed to be quite impressed too, yet her words weren't uttered without a hint of shame. She didn't even try to conceal her feelings.

⌈Ah, well… Now that you put it that way…⌋

Getting praised sure feels great. I don’t think I have the wits to warrant the title of a genius, but I suppose my fight was quite impressive.

⌈But what about the rewards!? Surely you got some nice rewards, didn’t you?⌋

But of course, Brigid would be interested in the rewards rather than the fight. I wonder if it's in the dwarven blood to be interested in artifacts…

⌈Oi, Lime! Do you have the rings?⌋

⌈*Yes! Right away!*⌋

Lime spat out six rings in total, beautifully fashioned into the shape of coiling dragons. The ornamental draconic beasts held bright, faintly glowing gemstones in their fangs.

All the rings shared the same design, but the colors of the gemstones and materials varied. Everyone present, apart from the old man, was entranced by the rings. I’m not too good at reading emotions, but even I could clearly see that they wanted to get a closer look.

⌈Go ahead. It’s not like they’ll break.⌋

And the moment I gave permission, their hands immediately reached out to grab one of the rings. Everyone seemed to have their eyes on a specific ring...

I guess they do have a really cool design, and it’s not often you see S-Rarity articles… But aren’t they inspecting the rings a little too vigorously!?! They're just jewelry...

The two elves, captivated by the beauty of the rings, began to converse.

⌈These rings.. They’re all Peculiar-Ranked S-Rarity rings..⌋

⌈Eh, eh!? Lumi… are you sure!?⌋

⌈Yes. There’s no mistaking it.. And... if you take a closer look at the color schemes..⌋

⌈Right!? That’s what I was thinking too! Nee~, doesn’t this bronze and blue ring suit me?⌋

Well, now that you think about it... They do suit their current holders.

I was left with the black metal Fusion ring, sporting a white gem. Lumi held the silver Fission ring, which had a gemstone that matched perfectly with her turquoise eye. Violet, on the other hand, was completely enthralled by the amethyst adorned golden Amp ring, which she seemed to measure against the ring finger on her left hand… The bronze rings that Grace and Brigid held, both seemed to fit very well with their sapphire and topaz jewels. The scarlet gem on Seth’s ring matched his eyes perfectly too…

I think I can see where this is going. I can most definitely see where this is going...

⌈Nee~, Mister Light..⌋

Oh no, you don’t. You’ve been calling me a weirdo all this time!

⌈Excuse me, a person with very reasonable desires.. Could you perhaps consider..?⌋

Oi! And now you stop calling me a pervert!?

⌈Well, I gotta admit, I, too wouldn’t mind…⌋

Yes... Of course, you wouldn’t. You’ve been calling me kiddo, despite the fact that it was me who paid for your food and inn fees.

⌈I promise I’ll forge you a new blade of equal value!! Maybe. Sometime in the future…⌋

At the very least Brigid was ready to give something in return! But still, her offer isn’t exactly tempting…

⌈Oh my… I’m not sure whether I’m ready to receive a ring from you yet. After all, it’s only been a couple of nights…⌋

And you are going in that direction… Of course, you are.

⌈Young man..⌋

The Arch Sage called to me...

⌈To acquire such artifacts in such a short time... It isn’t a feat to be taken lightly. You do realize, that what you’ve just presented to us, far exceeds the rarity of national treasures? Could it be that you were sent by the Gods to bring salvation? Surely, if the Champion of the Gods harbors such unbelievable power, he would have a heart to match, no? And besides, it’s not like you can equip more than a single ring at a time anyway…⌋

⌈Eh? I’m not some Champion of the– Oh...⌋

Yes. Of course…

Et tu, Nero?

⌈Alright, alright! I get it. You can have your goddamn rings!⌋

⌈Eh? Really!?! Thanks, weirdo!⌋

A whole half a second of appreciation..? Thank you very much!

⌈Y-You.. have my uhh… gratitude..⌋

⌈Are you for real, kiddo!?! Awesome!⌋

I'm seriously considering taking them back.

⌈THANK YOU! I promise to try harder in the smithy for you!⌋

⌈Oh my…⌋

⌈And as for you, Violet. Don’t you dare put it on your left-hand ring finger.⌋

⌈Alright, alright~. I’ll do my best to receive that permission...⌋

Though I didn’t exactly eagerly part with my new treasures, after witnessing the pure bliss of my friends ogling the rings in amazement somehow made me feel as accomplished as I did after downing the giant. It really was worth the struggle, huh?

The Arch Sage called out once more… Though I really shouldn’t call him an Arch Sage anymore, since all he is, is a sly old man with a tad too much authority…

⌈I knew you had the heart...⌋

Well... 'Treasure your friends as I did you...' There you have it, grandfather! I hope you're watching. Your boy is finally growing up!

⌈But that isn't what I'm currently after. Something feels different about you, no?⌋

The old man continued...

⌈How come?⌋

⌈I can’t seem to quite figure what you are anymore…⌋