Nicolle and Riel began their watch. Since they were both supporters, they simply watched from the mouth of the cave in silence. Shortly after, a storm arrived.
"So that's where this strong wind is coming from?" Nicolle said, reaching her hand out slightly toward the rain. "Riel, do you have an empty bottle?"
Riel nodded. She went to her bag, searched for the bottle, and handed it to Nicolle. "Here, Sis."
Nicolle took the bottle and began collecting the falling rain before it hit the ground to ensure the water was clean.
"Sis, is what Areta said true?" Riel asked.
Nicolle sighed. "It's true, Riel. I saw a large, dark castle during the day. It looked like the dragon castles I've read about in books. At the very least, this fissure is a Rank SS," Nicolle said firmly.
Riel fell silent instantly.
"But Riel, I will never leave you or the others. I won't sacrifice any of you, and I'll never let you die before me. If a sacrifice is needed, then it should be me, because you all still have such a long future ahead of you," Nicolle said with a sad face.
"DON'T SAY THAT, SIS NICOLLE!" Riel shouted firmly. She gripped Nicolle's hand tightly. "IF YOU GO, I'M GOING TOO! I DON'T WANT TO LOSE FAMILY EVER AGAIN!"
Nicolle was quiet for a moment, then whispered Riel's name and smiled softly. "Alright, alright."
The bottle was full of rainwater. Nicolle then took out a filtration bottle she had brought from an investor. She slowly poured the water in; the filter made the collected water much cleaner, and it was eventually sealed at the bottom of the filtration bottle.
"Now that this is done, the water still needs to be boiled before drinking," Nicolle said.
Riel looked at the bottle, which contained charcoal, fiber, and other filtration materials. "That's quite a hassle, isn't it? It feels like we've gone back to prehistoric times," Riel remarked.
Nicolle chuckled. "Well, what else can we do? At least we have the right tools," Nicolle replied in a light tone. She sighed as she looked at the dark, rainy sky. "It seems we don't need to wake the others just yet."
The tension in Riel's body and mind began to fade upon hearing Nicolle. Once calmed, Riel sat against the cave wall, while Nicolle continued to stare blankly at the heavy rain, stretching her hand out into the downpour.
A few hours later, the rain clouds vanished, replaced by bright sunlight. Nicolle and Riel then woke their companions.
"Rock, Nox, Areta, wake up. Sorry I woke you late, it was raining outside. It would have been difficult to travel in the rain. Let's keep moving, but be careful of the mud," Nicolle said.
Rock stood up immediately upon hearing Nicolle's voice. "It's okay, let's pack up right away."
Nox and Areta were jolted awake when Rock pulled them up, and they quickly packed their belongings. Because the roads were muddy, they walked very slowly.
Amidst the lush trees, the Sunflower party continued to train. They fought worm monsters, beetles, and even poisonous caterpillars. However, because these were low-tier monsters, the EXP they gained wasn't enough to level up.
One day, two days... the sun rose and set. They didn't know how long they had been walking; they lost track of the days. Finally, they found a cave near a large, clear river.
"Great! Now we can finally bathe!" Areta exclaimed.
"Oh, the Gods must have seen us struggling with these dirty clothes," Riel said dramatically.
Nicolle then spoke. "Since this river has two sections separated by a rock wall—upper and lower—I'll divide them up."
Nox was startled.
"Nox, why are you surprised? We are men and women, after all; of course we have to be separated," Nicolle said.
Rock then placed his hand on Nox's head. "It's just youthful ambition, isn't it?"
Nox looked up at the tall Rock. Seeing Nox's reaction, Rock gave a thin smile.
"The men will be in the lower pool," Nicolle decided.
Nox was startled again. Rock leaned down. "Since there's an energetic young man like you, this is to make it harder for you to peek, Nox," Rock said in a threatening tone.
With chills still running down his spine, Nox immediately prepared his bathing gear. Nicolle looked at the supplies Nox brought and was shocked because they were so complete.
"Wow, no wonder your bag was so heavy," Nicolle said. She was even more stunned by what Nox pulled out of his bag. "What? Natural detergent?! A full change of clothes?! Soap?! Even a portable hair dryer?!!!"
Nicolle was speechless from the shock. Nox stopped unpacking, turned toward Nicolle, and smiled.
"There, Sis Nicolle, I'm finished with my things."
"Yes... Yes..." Nicolle replied, still in deep shock.
Rock saw Nox come out of the cave. "Is that really all for bathing?" Rock asked. Nox loudly confirmed it.
Nicolle then came out of the cave, and Rock looked at her. "Nicolle, is that for real?" Rock asked, pointing at Nox. Nicolle just nodded.
After everyone gathered their bathing supplies and built a fireplace to dry their clothes (separated as well, of course), they immediately plunged into the river as if they were playing.
First, they cleaned the mud from their clothes using the water. Once the mud was gone, they hung them on wooden branches placed near the fireplace. Only then did they truly bathe in peace.
While soaking, Nox's head kept wanting to look upward, but his view was blocked by Rock. "I know your train of thought, young man. Better follow the rules!" Rock said firmly.
Then, Nox thought of a question. Since it was just him and Rock, it was a good chance to talk. "Brother Rock, what is your relationship with Sis Nicolle? You two seem very close."
Rock responded to Nox's question. "Hmm, how should I put it?"
Nox's curious gaze eventually made Rock give in. "Okay, okay, I'll tell you. I'm the son of the gardener at Nicolle's estate."
"So when did you two first meet?" Nox asked.
Rock answered, "I'm three years older than her. You could say I've known her even before she was born. And when Nicolle was born, I met her."
"'Beautiful...'" I said back then. I then reached out my index finger to her. Nicolle's tiny hand gripped me gently. In my heart, I said, 'My Lady, I will continue to be the person you trust.' I said that and marked those words in my heart. To this day, I remain her sanctuary."
Nox looked at Rock's resigned face.
Rock... He made a Knight's Vow that prevents him from marrying his master. He is hindered by the status of a commoner and a noble. Even though Nicolle is a lady from a fallen family, a noble is still a noble. Moreover, Rock is bound by a strong soul promise; it might only be broken if they experience death and form a new bond in the next life (reincarnation).
It was clear from Rock's face that he loved his lady deeply, but destiny would not allow it.
The bathing session ended, and it was time to eat. At this moment, Nox was the only one wearing fresh, new clothes. The others stared at Nox's face with various expressions—envy or laughing at themselves—until Nox felt overwhelmed by the attention.
"That makes no sense! How did all those things fit into such a small bag?!" Areta asked while fanning the fish from the river.
"You just have to force them in, right?" Nox said teasingly while drying his hair.
The atmosphere became quiet. Then the fish was cooked, seasoned with special spices Nicolle had made from forest ingredients. Riel, who was starving, immediately devoured the fish.
"Mmm, this is delicious, Nicolle! Just like what my chef used to make," Riel said.
Night finally arrived. Rock gazed at the love he could never reach, Riel felt nostalgic for the past, Areta laughed at the jokes Nicolle made, and me?
"Now it's answered; we have three nobles and two commoners with power that cannot be underestimated," I thought to myself.
I hoped that we would survive this fissure. Would we survive? Or perhaps not? I didn't know. Just seeing the high-tier monsters passing by gave me chills, and inside that dungeon castle was a monster more terrifying than all of them. Our chances of survival were very slim; if we were lucky, perhaps only one of us would survive.
After eating, we fell asleep without a guard because this place was deemed unlikely for monsters to visit. I lay down and fell silent, thinking about something.
The stars inside the fissure were different. This was a world nearing its end. Dimensional fissures like this could happen naturally, but I felt that the mixture of dimensions here felt engineered.
It was like... someone deliberately lured us to die in this fissure.
That was the thought that whispered to me as I lay there. Where did that thought come from?! I didn't know either. I eventually fell into a deep sleep amidst the questions that kept surfacing in my head.
As I slept, I felt a cold touch stroking my head.
"Who is that?" I thought in my mind.
The figure touching me chuckled and left. From the laughter, it wasn't Riel, Areta, or even Nicolle.
"Then who was it?"
~ To Be Continued ~ Story & Art = Nexus Venus