Anvil entered Lotus's room.
The room was the same as his, but the walls were painted light pink, giving it a feminine touch. The bed, table, and many pieces of furniture were also painted pink.
The bed was filled with various stuffed toys, ranging from small hand-sized ones to large body-sized ones. They looked fluffy and cute.
A sweet fragrance lingered in the room. The combination of the scent and design gave it a very girly vibe.
"Your room is cute." Anvil tried giving a compliment.
"Eh?" Lotus was confused by the sudden remark. "Thank you."
"Are you prepared? Also, are you sure there's no surveillance here?"
Anvil had seen quite a lot of cameras in the academy. While there wasn't one in the room, it was possible a hidden camera was installed.
"Yeah. The academy can't have cameras in the students' rooms. That would be a violation of privacy," she said.
"So, how will you get me out?" she asked eagerly.
"I need to test it first. I don't know if this will work or not," he said.
Then he used the [Skill] he hadn't used much before.
[Shadow Pocket].
His faint shadow darkened and expanded to his size.
"Wowwww!" Lotus's eyes twinkled. "Is this your [Skill]?" she asked.
"Yeah," Anvil replied. "Now step on the shadow."
"Okay!" Lotus stepped on it.
"Alright, don't resist."
Suddenly, the shadow acted like quicksand.
Lotus sank.
"Woah! Woah!" she exclaimed but didn't move. "Amazing," she whispered.
Anvil had thought of this after remembering the [Shadow Pocket] description.
It could store anything the size of his shadow.
Lotus barely reached his chest, so she was small enough to fit the criteria. The description didn't mention anything about mass, so it was possible weight didn't matter.
Regardless, Lotus was small, so she likely wasn't too heavy.
As she sank, she didn't resist and was completely swallowed by his shadow.
"Are you fine?" Anvil asked.
He hadn't been sure if he could store living creatures, but this confirmed he could.
"Yes. This place is amazing. It's quite cramped and dark, but it still feels amazing."
Anvil's body shuddered.
Her voice traveled straight from his shadow into his body.
It didn't reach his ears but moved through his bones.
It felt so strange he couldn't describe it in words.
"Good. Let's get out."
"Okay!"
———————————
Anvil reached the academy's gate, and no teacher crossed his path.
He passed the gate with a nonchalant expression. Still, no teacher appeared, so he assumed it was safe.
He traveled without changing his expression, heading straight to the dungeon he had visited last time.
[Eight-Eyed Monstrous Lion Den].
As he reached the [Dungeon] entrance, he suddenly stopped.
He felt a gaze and immediately turned around.
He saw a person. Their entire body was covered in black clothing from head to toe.
Only two holes for the eyes were visible.
"Anvil." The person called his name. "I have a warning for you." His voice was monotonous, almost mechanical.
"What?" Anvil's heart sped up. He thought it was someone from the academy warning him about bringing Lotus here.
But the next words completely shocked him.
"Lotus's father doesn't like flies hanging around his daughter. It would be beneficial for you to completely disappear from her life. If you don't heed this warning, your corpse will join the countless others who didn't."
Anvil composed himself. He didn't reply.
"This is just a warning. Next time, we will directly attack. Don't think you can fight back. We have hundreds of A-ranks in our group. Think carefully."
Anvil was about to respond, but a strong wind blew against his face. In that instant, the person disappeared.
Anvil couldn't even see the movement. It was instant, as if the person had teleported away.
"What the heck?" Anvil stood frozen on the spot.
———————————
"I… have a father?" Lotus's voice echoed in the dungeon.
As Anvil entered, the first thing he did was pull Lotus out.
Lotus's expression was blank. She was deep in thought. Disbelief, rage, yearning, sorrow, and a bit of joy flickered across her face.
Anvil could sense the storm of emotions that surfaced and faded quickly.
"You never knew?" he asked.
"No," Lotus replied softly. "I was raised in an orphanage until I was nine. Then someone brought me to the academy. From then until now, I was never allowed to leave." She paused.
"I… was very lonely." Her voice quivered as she tried to compose herself, forcing an expressionless face.
"I was always alone for as long as I can remember. No kids ever played with me. They never talked to me. I tried my hardest, but all the children avoided me. I felt so… hurt and lonely. Only the staff treated me kindly, but there was always a distance, as if it was just an act." She paused again.
A tear fell from her eyes. "I don't know how I endured those years, but I never cried. I always hoped someone would be my friend one day." She raised her eyes to Anvil.
She flashed a smile—gentle, yet far too mature for her childlike appearance.
"I guess I got used to the loneliness. But still, I tried to be cheerful, hoping it would make others want to be with me. But it never worked. I never knew why. Then, when I was nine, a person took me away from the orphanage."
"I don't know who he was. He just dropped me in the academy and left." She stopped and looked around the dungeon, observing every corner.
"I was filled with joy. I thought I was finally free from loneliness. I thought I could finally make friends." She stopped, her body shaking.
"I-I tried my best. I really did." Tears streamed down her face. "I made friends!" she shouted.
"But all my friends disappeared. No… no one stayed with me. I thought they had just gone away…" She wiped her tears with her hands, but they kept flowing.
"I never knew… it was because of me… they all died because of me! Such kind souls, such kindhearted people were killed just for being my friends. Why?" She froze.
A red aura burst from her body, dense and blazing like fire.
"WHY?! JUST WHY?!" she roared.
"What did I do to deserve this? Who is my father?! Why did he do this? Just why?"
She knelt, crying loudly.
"Ju-just why? I don't know anything. Am I what everyone said I was?" She stared at Anvil with teary eyes.
"Am I cursed?"
Anvil's heart stirred. He felt her emotions.
Sorrow, rage, and loneliness burned in those pure eyes.
His chest ached.
He… too was lonely.
He walked to her, knelt down, and patted her head with a gentle smile.
"You are not cursed." He took a deep breath and hugged her petite body.
"You are bright, cheerful, and amazing," he whispered in her ear. "Don't worry." He comforted her.
"I am your friend, and I always will be."
"But…" She raised her head, peering into his eyes. "What if you too… die? What if they kill you? If… if you die too, I-I…"
"I won't die." He reassured her. "You'll protect me, won't you?"
"I-I-I…" She stuttered. "I couldn't save anyone before."
"That's because you didn't know. But now you do. So, will you protect me?"
"Yes!" she answered resolutely. "I'll protect you with all my might. I'll make sure no one can even scratch you."
"Then I'm glad. So don't worry. We'll always be friends." His smile was bright and gentle.
"Friends." Lotus's eyes teared up again.
She rested her head on his chest and sobbed, washing away her sorrow with tears.
Anvil held her in his arms and looked up.
The dungeon looked brighter than usual.