Chapter 155 Black Footprints
"Hoooh..."
"You seem tired, Goddess Norn. Was the work to maintain the world's outer shell too much?"
"Well, that's part of it, but as I continue with [Shura the Scorching Flames], it feels like my heart is being squeezed tighter and tighter."
"Is that so? I thought there weren't any major depressing events this time..."
"But, there's still the damage from Ms. Rose in the last chapter, and Ms. Shura seems to be getting more unstable. Plus, you know, with the Star Crown Beast and that shadow licker, there's no relief from the anxiety."
"That shadow licker, though..."
"B-because that person was super scary! They suddenly called Ms. Shura 'honey' and attacked while looking all dreamy. Plus, she killed Mr. Iggy, who was supposed to be an ally, just because he got in the way..."
"That was a pretty blatant crazy character. Just in this chapter, she has taken down at least 5 people. She even tried to pick up noble Twelve Seats while being the head of the big noble Reskuvan."
"Even when fighting face to face, she's so strong... and then she can hide in the shadows and assassinate too. That's just unfair!"
"Yes. It's just bad luck to catch her eye. Iggy and that couple who 'happened to encounter' her too."
"Ah... right, Ms. Lisemone and Mr. Cassander. They were on the run, weren't they?"
"You remembered them well, even though they had such a short appearance. They ran into something much scarier than a beast at the worst possible time... You felt their strength and fear too, right, Goddess Norn?"
"Yes... in fact, the first battle was a losing event. Well, it was also the awakening event for Ms. Shura."
"The Scorching Flames sword Lævateinn, right? Thanks to that, Shura's already strong firepower increased even more. She will definitely be a key in future strategies. This is what it means to shine as the protagonist!"
"Her hair changed all of a sudden, it was really amazing! But, that makes me a bit worried about Ms. Shura's mental state. It seems like she's still affected by Ms. Rose. Someone needs to support her. But Mr. Quollio is... well, and Ms. Lyam seems to have her own issues too... For now, Ms. Sham is really the one bringing comfort."
"Well, she is the mood maker of the party, after all."
"Oh, but that knight order leader might actually step up in that role. Remember the event in the library when the Libra Star Crown Beast went wild? When Ms. Shura was in trouble from that mental attack, he came in and sliced the beast in half! That was so cool!"
"Yeah, for sure. If he hadn't shown up, Aegir Library might have turned into something like the Orphanage in Korghi Village."
"It would be great if someone reliable like him could join them. I wonder if there will be a time when he and Ms. Shura fight side by side... but I feel like Mr. Quollio's sister would give him a scary look."
"Haha, maybe! Please continue the game and see for yourself."
"That sounds a bit ominous and scary."
* * *
"By the way, Assistant. Um, about Ms. Lisemone's face... I only saw it for a moment, so it might just be my imagination, but doesn't she look a lot like Ms. Rose?"
"Oh, Goddess Norn. Did you notice that?"
"Yes! So, could it be that they are long-lost sisters?!"
"Unfortunately, that's not the case."
"Ugh. Then why do they look so much alike?"
"The answer is simple... it's a [production cost] issue."
"Huh? Production, cost?"
"Yes. To be honest, Ms. Lisemone is practically a background character. But since she's the daughter of the Twelve Seats family, people can't just draw her as a plain background character. However, she doesn't have enough screen time to justify spending too much on her design..."
"So, does that mean it's just reusing things?"
"In everything, there are tough situations, Goddess Norn."
"Ugh. How boring! I thought it was some kind of foreshadowing!"
"But even if their role is brief, they are quite tragic figures. They really have no luck. If the head of the Reskuvan family hadn't been assassinated, their future wouldn't have been closed off."
"Huh? Why is that?"
"The head was assassinated, and the Reskuvan mansion was in total chaos. In that situation, they couldn't even think about searching for the two. They managed to leave the country smoothly because of the confusion from the assassination. They probably didn't intend for that to happen."
"...That's just..."
"Because the obstacles that tried to separate them were removed, their future was crushed too. It's such an ironic story."
"...Yes."
"That's why online, there's a saying 'Rose's face never gets rewarded.'"
"No way! What a narrow saying! I'm so glad I didn't say that!"
"Oh, and Assistant. About the last scene..."
"Last scene?"
"You know... the last scene with [him]. That's going to be really bad, right...?"
"Ah, well. She caught the attention of something much scarier than Zetsu."
"Ugh... So, does that mean he will appear...?"
"Yes. It's like a trio. That [person] from the original story is definitely involved."
"Oh no... I only have bad feelings about this..."
* * *
More than the countless beads of sweat flowing like a waterfall, the sinking red of the sunset blurred his world.
"Hah... Hah..."
He slumped down, trying to catch his breath.
The training sword lying beside him was stained red by the sunset, looking like it was soaked in blood.
Looking at his hands, throbbing with pain, he saw fresh blood blisters burst, making a terrible sight.
Ah, what a waste.
A quiet regret rises, knowing noble blood flows inside.
People's nature can't really change so easily.
Arrogant pride feels like a reflex now, something they just can't lose.
Still, he felt some kind of progress.
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