Chapter 33: See you
"Though it was an unexpected adventure, I've enjoyed my time here," Vis said, his eyes on Reylin, "It's been just three days for us, but from what I've inferred, your three days were similar to what we had experienced today."
He glanced at the black spear and smiled, "This is farewell until the guild competition."
"Yeah, see you," Reylin shrugged, and the hand shook Vis' hand.
However, the white-haired man didn't let his hand go.
It was odd, and the onlookers gawked at them while Reylin and Vis kept eye contact. At last, Vis' lips parted, "Nice to meet you, I guess."
"..."
With these words, Vis turned heels, and his teammates waved back at Reylin and the hero's party! They became closer, and one could only wonder how the relationship between the two guilds would develop!
Reylin closed his eyes and turned around as well.
Maya flinched, "Not even saying goodbye to us?!"
"I've added you to my friend list. Won't you pester me today? I am sure you will," Reylin arched his back and looked at Maya with quiet teasing eyes, "A good lady knows the limits."
"I am not the type to gossip! I won't spam!" Maya crossed her arms, reassuring her new friend.
Reylin was on the spot.
She would talk with him more just because of the beautiful sunset he had made. That guy was a strong and particular type! Other than her interest, Reylin was also stronger than anyone else Maya had seen so far!
He had already promised to help her guild too!
The Hero would often send messages to him, just for a talk.
"See you," Maya said while waving her hand.
Next, she faced her friends, and it was time to... "Run away!"
In another part of the destroyed forest, the players stared at the system messages. It was a brief message about the dark matter's zone's end and the kill count.
[Kill Count - 0]
"How the fuck?" The player whispered to himself as if his mom watched for his language from behind.
However, many players similarly voiced their disbelief.
"That girl! We leveraged her skill, but this can't be real! Cruel! So cruel!" The realization struck them at last.
The players knew that the hero's skill was what allowed them to kill many monsters. Without her skill, they would have killed significantly less! Nonetheless, they had worked for it. They worked together, and their help played a significant part in the whole dark matter zone!
A little reward would be fine, wouldn't it be?
"That hero snatched all our rewards!"
"Where is she?!"
"Ferocious Bear? More like Sly Bear! That lass!"
The players threw their eyes around, looking for the hero or the footprints leading to her! Alas, the hero and her party were nowhere, and so were the tracks! She was long since in the city, ready to move further into the Jolni Province!
Her adventure was oddly pleasant, "So many rewards! Ah, the rewards soothed my pain! I no longer feel bad about the players."
"Oh, really now? I think the pyromaniac would pat you for such words," Helpless Help whispered shyly.
"I don't want his pats!" Maya pursed her lips, staring at Helpless Help for bringing out such weird words.
-
"You were part of that disaster, weren't you?" A cold voice rang out in Reylin's ears.
It was a voice that didn't ring eerie, however. It was just a part of her nature, and Reylin's eyes rose to look at Yuki and her snow hair.
He smiled, "Have you already investigated it?"
Reylin was part of the Blue Rose's Family due to his second class. He knew the secret meeting rooms, and his return was to one of them.
In this room, Yuki sat with her body covered by the usual black robes.
She exposed her face, but just voice alone would have been enough to identify herself.
"We expected the dark matter to move irregularly after the players' introduction," Yuki said with a stoic expression, "We have been monitoring our lands, particularly those close to our capital, and we were ready should you players fail."
"I see," Reylin said, "I was ready with a long explanation, but I believe the burnt forest won't surprise you then."
"Have you seen any residents?" Yuki nodded to Reylin's words, then immediately asked.
Reylin shook his head, "It was chaos. I didn't pay any attention to others, but monsters and a few special individuals. If there was a resident nearby, I think he would have screamed for help or run the furthest away possible. Can't really tell which choice would be the wisest."
The players wouldn't care about the residents, especially the common in such an event. They would pay attention to the unique ones that would give them quests, but not the regular ones known as cannon fodder.
Thus, the decision was quite hard.
Nothing transpired on Yuki's face as Reylin revealed his thoughts bare.
He asked, to change the topic, but also to not waste more time here, "There's going to be the guild competition soon. I know you want to have things under your control, but that's not the best approach."
"Players' growth is limitless. We have gone through it already." Yuki's eyes closed.
"I am not saying it's limitless but far greater than yours. In the old age in our world, arranged marriage was common between families. Nowadays, this practice lasts in the old clans and wealthy families where descendants are the slaves to their parents' wealth and traditions." Reylin explained.
"Are you saying that we should marry our royalties and nobles off?" Yuki's eyes opened, and evident dislike to such a topic rippled in her hues.
Reylin shook his head, "You provide benefits only. That's not that bad of an approach as players seek fantastic items and adventurers. You can make them go around the world and do that dirty work, for example, clearing up bandits. I am pretty familiar with that.
But, that won't last in the long run. Let's use our relationship as an example."
"Please, do." Yuki nodded.
"I know that you do dirty things in royalty's place. I know that you are an ice mage with a pretty face. That's all, really. If you had opened yourself more during our training day, I would have felt closer to your profession and the quest.
Should that small accident not appear, I wouldn't have felt that close to you. I swore to repay you for that help during my battle with the noble, and those weren't empty words. If this kingdom ends up being corrupted from the inside, I will protect it as long as it is your wish, just that one time." Reylin said.
After saying this much, the flames unconsciously lit up around his finger, and he made circles with it as if playing with a puppy.
His eyes turned profoundly calm, and he continued after Yuki had pondered a little about his words.
Reylin carried on, "If you give a quest to clear bandit camp, say how badly they'd treated your merchants and citizens. Emphasize merchant losses and citizens' feelings to make players closer to your people.
The marriage between average players and citizens will eventually happen. Royalty one, however. That will be the nail in the coffin to show the world that players can care about residents.
Enough of that, however. I have said enough to bring you on a good track. Let's put it into practice now," Reylin said.
He rested his head on his hand while the other played with the fire, his eyes on Yuki.
She faintly smiled, "Why am I the ice mage? Who has created the Black Rose? Which one do you want to hear?"
"The former," Reylin instantly replied.
And the ice mask melted a little.
Reylin also received more than just Yuki's past, and that was a help for the guild competition for The Hero Party.