Gradually, she grew sleepier. Perhaps it was the sense of security from being held by Kaito, or perhaps seeing Kaito sleep so peacefully made her drowsy as well. Eventually, the Fire Keeper slept soundly...
In the night, Kaito's eyes opened.
Of course, it wasn't because danger was approaching. Perhaps as he thought, this was truly just an ordinary beginner area.
Apart from some specific areas being somewhat dangerous, other areas were as usual.
Perhaps the closer to the center of the Lands Between, the higher the danger.
Moreover, judging by the game's content, the center of the Lands Between was the main battlefield of the entire world. Everyone holding a Great Rune was in that region, as were all the major factions.
So, besides the Deathroot from the Erdtree causing Those Who Live in Death to appear in other areas, there were hardly any enemies.
'Someone is watching me?'
Kaito didn't get up after opening his eyes, didn't even move. He only noticed through some indescribable perception that someone seemed to be staring at him in the middle of the night.
Clearly, it wasn't an enemy.
If it were an enemy, Kaito would have already sprung up, weapon in hand, and dealt with them before they could approach.
If he couldn't win, he would immediately take the Fire Keeper and flee. Life was more important; there was no shame in running.
However, the person staring at Kaito had no ill intent. They were simply staring at him, watching him, which was intriguing.
'Was it the Two Fingers?'
The Two Fingers represented the so-called Greater Will.
All Maidens obeyed the Two Fingers' orders to assist and guide all Tarnished who came to the Lands Between, leading them onto the path of becoming the Lord of the Golden Order.
The Fire Keeper was no exception.
Perhaps this was why the chat group's Mission 2 mentioned uncovering the hidden story and triggering the perfect ending.
The so-called perfect ending was likely the Age of Stars ending.
Following the path of the Golden Order again was ultimately a way to prolong the system; over time, it would weaken again, leading to more problems.
It was like the cycle of dynasties.
A dynasty rises, then falls centuries later, only for another to rise, repeating endlessly. No dynasty lasts forever.
Even the position of Universe Overlord in the To Love Ru World wasn't permanent; it all depended on how long Kaito lived.
After his death, if no one could maintain peace in the universe, then ambitious individuals would certainly be sharpening their knives.
What about the Age of Stars ending?
It means telling all the Outer Gods, extraterrestrial civilizations, etc., to get lost, returning the rule of this world to its own inhabitants. What kind of outcome, what kind of ending, and what path it takes from then on would be entirely their choice.
Even if this process is very long and even cruel, ultimately, the beings of this world decide for themselves, not by extraterrestrial civilizations or Outer Gods.
'Hmm...'
'Apart from the Two Fingers of the Greater Will, could it be the Three Fingers?'
That was possible.
With a different ideology from the Two Fingers, the Three Fingers sought to completely destroy this world and reset it.
The Lord of Frenzied Flame came from this.
Of course, Kaito also considered another person.
That person was none other than Melina, the Wooden One.
But Melina was in the center of the Lands Between, not here, so Kaito thought there was a certain probability, but not a certainty.
'Melina...'
'If it was her staring at me, what was her purpose?'
'In the game, the Tarnished started without a Maiden, but my Maiden wasn't dead.'
'Moreover, the Fire Keeper was held by me around the waist, sleeping with the sky as our blanket.'
'Ranni?'
'Also unlikely. Contact with Ranni required Melina to give the Tarnished the Spectral Steed Ring before Ranni would be interested and appear before the Tarnished.'
Not long after, the sensation of being watched began to fade.
Whether the person sensed Kaito's suspicion and detection, or simply had watched enough.
Kaito waited a while longer, and after confirming no one was staring at him anymore, he finally went back to sleep.
Elsewhere...
At this time, the other women were resting with their own Maidens.
Each woman had a different personality, but surprisingly, all the Maidens had very similar personalities.
They didn't talk much, but would silently guard behind you, stepping forward when needed.
They would explain when you were confused, and when you were hungry, they would take the initiative to gather food and cook for you.
Akina, Sephie, Irisviel, Misuzu, Shodai, Sayuri, Mika, and Mamako were all doing relatively well. Due to their personalities and having experienced many things, they adapted to the environment, life, and their Maidens very quickly.
The relationships between them were very good.
Tearju and Yor, however, due to their personalities, even though they both had combat ability, they tended to...
Be timid.
But when they got serious, they were surprisingly fierce.
Tearju was okay; at worst, she would flip the table and throw a flurry of punches, using Eve's body transformation ability to attack wildly, annihilating the enemies and leaving her Maiden stunned.
Yor?
Goodness. After being scared to her limit, she would immediately switch gears, her body radiating killing intent. Using her superb assassination skills to wipe out the Those Who Live in Death surrounding them, the Maiden beside her had already started writing her will.
Because she had just felt she might die under Yor's blade herself.
Too terrifying!!
Finally, Hirano.
Her strength wasn't weak, but compared to Tearju, who had already experienced adventures, and Yor, who was an assassin by nature, her progress was the slowest among the group.
The Snow-Snow Fruit gave her considerable combat power, and the cards Kaito gave her enhanced her physique, so she wasn't weak by any means.
But even with the martial arts card Kaito gave her...
Hirano still wasn't very comfortable with this kind of fighting and killing.
She could handle cutthroat competition in business, or scheming in politics, but killing Those Who Live in Death still made her uncomfortable.
Especially in the disgusting swamp, on the foul and sticky liquid.
However, Hirano's adaptability was decent. Even though her progress was currently slow, after adapting these past few days, she was starting to bring out her competitive spirit.
…
The next morning, Kaito woke up.
After freshening up with the Fire Keeper's magical help, guess who he saw?
"Oh? Isn't this Yor Briar! What a coincidence, are you also heading to the harbor town?"
"Aaah? I-Is that you, Mr. Kaito?"
"Haha, it's me. What, seeing the real person for the first time, is it weird?"
"N-No, not at all! By the way, I haven't had a chance to thank you for the B-rank physique enhancement card you gave me. If it weren't for you, I might have collapsed from exhaustion o(T_T)o."