Life in Lakeway was beginning to settle into something dangerously close to normal.
And honestly?
That terrified me a little.
After constant fighting, traveling, training, and surviving, the quiet of the manor almost felt unnatural. The halls no longer echoed emptily. Yura's laughter carried from room to room. Shina had somehow claimed half the library already, while Hera argued daily with Kyoko over who technically owned the eastern balcony.
Kyoko believed it was her nesting perch.
Hera believed dragons shouldn't drool on royal furniture.
Neither side was willing to compromise.
Meanwhile, Sangui had become the manor's self-appointed guardian, patrolling every hallway dramatically like an overworked knight captain.
Surprisingly…
it felt nice.
Dangerously nice.
The dungeon spoils alone had left us with enough gold to live comfortably for years if we were careful. Not that I planned on sitting around doing nothing.
That sounded boring.
And expensive.
Mostly expensive.
"I still think we should hire maids," Yura said while reviewing a list at the dining table. "This estate is enormous."
"You just don't want to clean."
"Correct."
"At least she's honest," Hera muttered while sipping tea elegantly.
Shina pointed toward the massive stack of books beside me.
"Speaking of problems… Shiro bought more."
"It was ONE bookstore."
"You spent forty gold."
"…Knowledge is important."
"You bought a cookbook called One Hundred Monster Meat Recipes."
"Extremely important knowledge."
Yura buried her face into her hands.
I ignored her suffering proudly.
Eventually I stood, stretching lazily.
"I'm heading into town. We still need supplies."
"And more books," Hera sighed.
"And more books."
---
Lakeway during the day felt completely different from Exium.
Bigger.
Louder.
Alive in a way that never truly slept.
Magic illuminated signs above stores while enchanted fountains sprayed glowing water through the plazas. Merchants shouted over each other while adventurers walked the streets wearing armor ranging from practical to completely ridiculous.
One man was carrying three swords and no shirt.
I genuinely had questions.
Still—
something felt off.
At first, I ignored it.
Just another presence in the city.
But after the third street turn—
the same presence remained.
Following me.
Quietly.
Deliberately.
Interesting.
I casually continued walking, pretending not to notice while extending my senses slightly.
Small frame.
Light footsteps.
Skilled concealment.
Definitely trained.
Not an assassin though.
Too… hesitant.
Curious now, I turned down a quieter alleyway before masking my mana completely and leaping silently onto a nearby rooftop.
A few seconds later—
she appeared below.
Pink hair.
Silver half-mask.
The same girl from Suigin's carriage.
She paused beneath me carefully.
Searching.
The instant she looked upward—
I dropped behind her silently.
Steel flashed immediately.
CLANG.
A sword stopped inches from my throat after I barely leaned backward in time.
Fast.
Way too fast.
The pressure behind that strike alone cracked the stone beneath her feet.
"If you truly intend to take me," she said coldly, silver eyes glowing faintly, "you'll have to prove yourself."
"…I'm sorry WHAT?"
No response.
She attacked again instantly.
Her blade tore through the edge of my robe as I twisted sideways barely avoiding another lethal strike.
Okay.
Definitely not misunderstanding anymore.
This girl was insane.
"I genuinely don't know what you think I did!" I shouted while dodging another slash.
"You approached me first."
"You followed ME!"
"You noticed?"
"…THAT'S your concern?!"
Another strike came immediately.
I pivoted backward and sprinted out of the alleyway before she carved the entire wall apart behind me.
People screamed and scattered as we burst into the crowded streets.
She chased me relentlessly.
Every rooftop.
Every alley.
Every shortcut.
No matter where I moved—
she remained right behind me.
Fast.
Precise.
Controlled.
It felt less like fighting an adventurer and more like being hunted by a prophecy.
By the time we reached the outer gardens surrounding the manor, I finally stopped running.
Mostly because my pride got offended.
Also because she almost sliced my hair off.
"You're freakishly strong," I admitted while taking my stance. "But if you can see the future or whatever this is… then you already know I'm not your enemy."
She said nothing.
Only raised her sword again.
"…Cool. Communication skills of a brick wall."
She vanished forward instantly.
I blocked just in time.
Our weapons collided violently, magic exploding outward and tearing apart nearby flowerbeds.
Yura was going to kill me later.
Probably literally.
I stepped sideways and unleashed steam magic immediately, combining fire and water to flood the garden with dense white fog.
For a brief moment—
silence.
Then—
WHIRL.
Wind exploded outward from her body, scattering the fog instantly.
Silver eyes locked onto mine again immediately.
No hesitation.
No fear.
Just certainty.
Interesting.
I darted forward before she could react fully and managed to land a mana-drain spell against her shoulder.
Her expression shifted slightly.
Then light erupted.
A beam of radiant magic slammed into my crossed arms hard enough to launch me backward through part of the garden wall.
"…Ow."
Okay.
Definitely strong.
Maybe stronger than us physically.
Which was concerning.
Very concerning.
"Alright then…" I muttered while standing slowly.
Magic surged around me.
Dark violet energy cracked through the garden violently while gravity distorted beneath our feet.
The ground shattered.
Trees bent sideways.
Even the air itself grew heavier.
For the first time—
her expression changed.
Excitement.
I vanished.
Appearing directly in front of her instantly.
Gravity magic activated fully.
Her body froze in place as invisible pressure crushed downward around her.
The ground beneath her feet cratered violently.
Sweat rolled down her face.
Yet—
she smiled.
"I knew this would happen," she whispered softly.
Then—
everything changed.
Light exploded outward from her body.
Not destructive.
Not painful.
Warm.
Ancient.
The world disappeared.
---
Darkness.
Absolute.
Silent.
Cold.
I stood alone within an endless void.
No sound.
No stars.
No life.
Only emptiness.
Then her voice echoed softly around me.
"This… is your heart."
I looked around silently.
And realized—
she was right.
It was empty.
Not evil.
Not broken.
Just…
alone.
Then light appeared.
A vision unfolded before me slowly.
A kingdom.
Beautiful.
Alive.
Golden rivers flowing beneath massive bridges while dragons soared peacefully above enormous cities.
People laughed openly in the streets.
No fear.
No hatred.
No war.
At the center—
stood me.
Older.
Stronger.
Wearing a crown woven with dark violet crystal.
And beside me—
Yura.
Shina.
Hera.
Others too.
Faces I didn't recognize yet.
Children laughing nearby.
Peace.
Real peace.
"In the western lands," her voice whispered gently, "you will become king."
The image shifted again.
Battles.
Flames.
Blood.
Then—
me standing against endless darkness alone.
Still smiling.
Still fighting.
"This future is already moving toward you."
The vision shattered.
The void collapsed instantly.
---
I dropped to my knees back within the garden, breathing heavily.
The pressure inside my chest hurt.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
Because for the first time since arriving in this world—
I saw something beyond survival.
Not revenge.
Not strength.
Not fear.
Hope.
Real hope.
Before I realized what I was doing—
I reached forward and wrapped my arms around her waist tightly, pressing my forehead against her stomach.
Warm.
Human.
Real.
"…I didn't want to fight you," I whispered shakily.
For several seconds—
she simply stood there silently.
Then slowly…
her hand rested against my head gently.
The silver mask had fallen away during the battle.
Without it—
she looked younger.
Kinder.
Lonelier.
Just a girl carrying too much responsibility.
"If that future truly exists," I murmured quietly, "then I'll make it real. No matter what stands in my way."
She looked down at me softly.
And smiled.
Not coldly this time.
Not distantly.
Warmly.
"Then let's reach it together."
She extended her hand.
This time—
I took it willingly.
And somewhere deep inside me—
something ancient stirred quietly.
Watching.
Waiting.
Interested.