Chapter Thirty-Two: Really Just Buying Bread

This is the greatest justice in the world, the most eternal truth of the universe. At the same time, it is also evil—unspeakable, profound evil!

She wore a white top and a red skirt, with a white-and-red wrap-around skirt tied at her waist. Her deep blue eyes and long pink hair were striking, and the single, swaying cowlick atop her head was even more eye-catching. Beside her stood a pure white unicorn, equipped with a shield and a broadsword hanging on either side.

A Guardian—a descendant and avatar of the God of Wisdom, Nymell. She was one of the individuals he was searching for. Perhaps she knew some secrets, such as Tana... However, he still had no leads on the Dark Knight who mastered time and space, or the Creator who opened the rifts.

"Um, I am Mael. Migo is so hungry he might not make it until tomorrow. Could you sell me some food? Anything clean will do."

The Guardian, who called herself Mael, took some gold coins from a bag hanging on the unicorn, walked a few steps forward, placed them on a rock, and then hastily retreated. Although she had initiated the conversation, she was clearly on guard.

"This horse... can't it just eat leaves?"

Yelin took out some mana juice and a few loaves of bread, placed them on the same rock, and stepped back.

"Ah, Migo isn't a horse, he's a unicorn. Well... he eats everything, but he prefers human food. Yes, that's it."

Mael picked up the bread, flustered, and bowed hurriedly. "Thank you."

"No, no need to thank me. Don't bow so low, I’m getting a bit dizzy... Is this the power of justice?" Yelin took a deep breath, feeling a sense of wonder. It was a charming power.

Mael asked tentatively, "Are you alright? It's cold and windy; you shouldn't be out here."

"No... I'm fine, I'm fine."

An angel. This was definitely an angel! Although her sister, Paladin, was a wingless angel in the true sense, at this moment, she was an angel—an angel of justice!

"By the way, what about you? Where do you live?" To uncover more hidden secrets, one had to be a friend first. A thick-skinned approach was necessary.

"I live... over there. I won't disturb you any further. Thank you for your help. Migo, let's go..." Mael pointed in a direction, bowed again, and disappeared into the moonlit woods with her unicorn. As for the direction... she said she was going to Hendon Myre, but she had pointed toward the Forest of Grandis. It was unclear if she was confused or doing it on purpose.

"Very vigilant, yet pure and kind-hearted. And she's adorable. Compared to Shiat, who isn't gentle at all with her Illusory Sword Dance, this soft,萌 girl is simply..."

"Hmm...?"

...

"But Shiat is also very cute! Her personality is bold and generous, her demeanor is elegant, her figure is great, and she is incredibly strong. She’s a great beauty, too. That hint of heroism in her beauty is the most attractive thing—it makes her impossible to refuse. Such a girl is one in ten thousand—no, you wouldn't find such a perfect existence in a billion people."

Cold sweat... (≖_≖)

"Hmph!"

Shiat pulled back the Hidden Dragon Greatsword she had leveled at his throat and pouted. "Who was that just now?"

"Just a passerby, buying bread."

"Buying bread in the middle of the night? Even the gods wouldn't believe that."

"It really was someone buying bread! I swear to the heavens, hey!"

"Heh, I bet it was some secret little lover you're seeing on the side, and she came chasing after you because you left without saying goodbye. Better give her some compensation."

She had seen him place items on the rock as soon as she stepped out of the tent, and after the pink-haired girl took the items, she hadn't said more than a few words before riding off on her horse. A girl looking for bread in the wilderness in the middle of the night? Who would believe that!

Her tent was some distance away, and having just woken up, she hadn't seen clearly at first. But after walking over to Yelin and hearing him mutter about how someone wasn't gentle and comparing her to a stranger, her temper flared.

"Although I usually talk nonsense, it really was just about buying bread. But her identity is a bit special. Remember the elven girl you met on the way to Billmark? It was her!"

"Really? How do you know it was that girl?" Shiat was full of suspicion. She remembered not mentioning the girl's features at the time—or rather, she had mentioned one very obvious feature...

"Shameless, pervert! I'm going back to sleep." After a flurry of chaotic thoughts, Shiat kicked him and ducked back into the tent. Having already come out, she felt she had to do something to make the trip worth it.

"Sigh, how can I get close to her..." He scratched his hair in utter frustration. Whether it was the mature, evil-leaning Tana, the straightforward Shiat, or the sometimes simple, sometimes cunning Seria, none were as hard to talk to as this Guardian—or rather, Elven Knight.

He hadn't forgotten that Shiat once said the girl was quite powerful. Shiat could cut him down like a game, which meant this soft-looking girl could likely do the same. He had always suspected that if Shiat had been slightly less injured at the time, she would have stabbed him when he touched her shoe...

No one slept well that night because it suddenly started raining in the second half of the night. The first half had been moonlit like water, but the second half brought a downpour that didn't let up until morning. The weather was quite strange.

Sleeping in the tents was impossible, so they huddled in the wagon shed, yawning and bleary-eyed. Seria pulled back the curtain, looked at the road obscured by the mist of the heavy rain, and sighed slightly. "We can't travel in this weather. Who knows how long it will rain."

"Doesn't look like it's stopping anytime soon..." Krah lay listlessly, chewing on a piece of bread with jerky and milk—that was breakfast.

"Hey, don't you master the Fifth Element? Go down and build a house. We can't stay in the carriage forever, and the two horses shouldn't be standing in the rain." Shiat kicked Yelin; she hadn't slept well either, and her mood was low.

"Tana, you do it. The houses I make with my mana only last two hours before collapsing."

"Heartless," Tana rolled her eyes, but still hooked her finger. Dense vines grew from several giant trees, creating a simple structure with three walls. Large leaves served as the roof, and delicate branches were used to hang a hammock.

"Rainy day, time to liven things up. Not bad!" Linus laughed heartily, downed several cups of wine, and curled up under the carriage awning to fall asleep. He didn't even wake up as the rain drummed incessantly on the roof.

This ability to be content with whatever came his way made Yelin truly envious.

"By the way, I met that elf last night—the one Shiat mentioned. She was buying bread from me." With nothing better to do, Yelin started the topic, also to see if Tana had any special reaction. The Elven Knight's hidden identity was actually quite similar to Tana's...

"Is that so? What a coincidence." Pinosia heated a cup of milk in her palms. Her reaction was almost identical to Shiat's earlier. Buying bread in the middle of the night? Tell it to the ghosts.

"Sister, he might be telling the truth..."

"Krah, don't take his side just because he gave you two sets of clothes..."

Krah tugged at Pinosia's sleeve and pointed toward the girl sheltering from the rain under a giant tree. Even her cowlick was drooping from the downpour.

Huh?

"Close your eyes, you animal!" Shiat slapped a hand over his eyes and then shoved his head into the ground, refusing to let him lift it.

"I'll go get her." Tana produced a leaf-umbrella, hurried to the Guardian's side, and whispered, "Why didn't you come over sooner? You're soaked."

"Um... I used plants to form a small hut to cover myself and Migo, but I didn't expect the rain to last this long. My mana ran out, Sister Tana..."

"Come with me to change clothes. But listen, that person being held down on the ground—no matter what he asks you, just play dumb and act cute, you understand?"

"Who is he? I bought some bread from him last night."

"Huh? You really bought bread from him in the middle of the night?" Tana was surprised. In the lonely middle of the night, a sudden, naive girl appeared, and that beast was actually selling bread with a straight face?

"Forget it. Just remember not to say anything. Also, keep your guard up against that guy. He has no sense of propriety, and girls like you are the easiest to deceive."

"Lady Nymell and Lady Karoso will protect me." Mael's tone was sincere and pure. At least from the first impression yesterday, he didn't seem like a bad person...

"So, how many fragments have you found?"

"One... piece..."

"One? That's not bad. I didn't expect there to be fragments of Lady Karoso on the Arad continent."

"Not even one..." Mael blushed, bowing her head shyly, though she couldn't see her own feet.

Tana: ...