Chapter 84
The number of horses, which was two when they left Ordo, increased to three as they departed from the Sedeth Kingdom.
It was a natural change that happened as their party of two became three.
Although Da-eun didn’t mind riding with Kana on the same horse…
No, to be honest, she actually preferred it over riding separately. That’s why when Kana suggested buying another horse—
‘Do we really need to buy another one? You’re light, so you can ride with me. It’ll save money too.’
She had said.
‘I don’t want to. It’s uncomfortable.’
Kana’s firm refusal crushed her attempt.
Since Kana was the leader, the one funding their travels, and the mascot of their group, Da-eun, who was merely a luggage-carrier, had no grounds to argue.
In the end, they set off each riding their own horse. However, now that Da-eun and Kana were riding on the same horse, it naturally left one horse unoccupied.
“You’re really smart…”
Da-eun realized just how intelligent horses were as she watched the unbridled horse following its former rider by itself.
“Oh my…!”
Celine, who was riding alongside them, glanced back at Da-eun and her eyes softened into a gentle smile.
“She’s sleeping…”
Kana was leaning against Da-eun’s body, eyes shut tight.
If you listened closely, you could hear faint, steady breaths coming from under the softly rising and falling cape.
Da-eun hesitated for a moment, raising her hand to stroke the girl’s head, but instead lowered her hand. She relaxed her body a little more, allowing Kana to lean on her comfortably.
“Yes, she didn’t get much sleep last night, so she must be very tired.”
“Ah… That’s right. I did see her tossing and turning throughout the night. Children tend to sleep a lot, so she must be extra tired.”
“Haha, yes, that’s true.”
Although Da-eun knew that Kana wasn’t just a child, it was hard to remember her true age when she looked at her.
Maybe it was because Kana didn’t have proper nutrition while growing up; her petite frame and youthful face made her look much younger than she really was.
Even if that wasn’t the case, there were moments when she showed childlike behaviors.
Stubborn, pretending to be indifferent but easily hurt, and occasionally playing mischievous pranks…
And then, leaning on someone she trusts like this.
Da-eun occasionally wondered how Kana would’ve turned out if she had grown up in a normal family.
“Celine, you must be tired too. Should we get off and rest for a bit?”
“I’m fine. Thanks to Lady Edel’s blessing, I can recover from this level of fatigue quickly. See? Don’t I look better compared to earlier?”
“Oh, you do, actually.”
“I don’t think Kana is really that tired either. She probably just dozed off because it’s comfortable in Joanie’s arms.”
“Comfortable…”
Da-eun’s expression turned odd as she whispered to Celine, careful not to wake Kana.
Da-eun had always been confident in her body.
While she didn’t particularly like exercising, she knew it was essential for her health and her passion for traveling. Because of that, she had exercised consistently, resulting in a well-toned body without any excess fat.
However—
Glance.
“They’re big…”
“Huh?”
“Oh, no. It’s nothing.”
Her confidence waned when she compared herself to Celine.
‘A certain part is…’
Distracted by Celine’s gentle grace, Da-eun looked down at her own chest.
It wasn’t small—actually, it was larger than average. But compared to Celine’s…
Wouldn’t Celine’s embrace feel more comforting than mine?
Just as Da-eun entertained such thoughts, a soft breathing sound tickled her ear.
‘Would Kana grow up to be like that?’
…A fully-developed Kana.
Da-eun pictured a future Kana in her mind.
A beautiful woman with flowing pink hair and an expressionless face.
Her serene eyes would give off an innocent charm despite her cold demeanor.
She would have a presence that could captivate ten out of ten people, a hundred out of a hundred.
Underneath that face, there would be long, slender limbs and a voluptuous figure…
Right when Da-eun’s imagination reached that point, the image of Kana blurred like a watercolor painting splashed with water, distorting beyond recognition.
Even as she tried to redraw the picture with her brush of imagination, the same thing happened over and over.
She drew it, and it blurred.
After repeating this process about three times, Da-eun finally gave up and put down the brush.
‘Hmm. This isn’t going to work.’
Even though I don’t always wish for Kana to remain as she is now, it’s hard to imagine her differently.
I’m just so used to her current appearance. It’s definitely not because of my lack of imagination.
“Huh?”
While Da-eun was expertly evading responsibility, something caught her eye.
Just like this “Midnight Sun” phenomenon, there are other regions across the Ardina Continent with distinct properties.
Some places, like here, have the sun up 24 hours a day, while others remain in constant darkness for 24 hours straight…
Although she hadn’t been to all of them, Da-eun had thought of visiting them someday, so she knew some general information.
Furthermore, since daytime with sunlight provides better visibility than night with shadows, regions with the “Midnight Sun” effect were quite popular among players.
After all, very few players enjoy the hassle of holding a torch while hunting.
For this reason, it wasn’t uncommon to encounter people in regions like the “Midnight Sun.”
But the person approaching from the opposite direction was different.
In Silia Online, even those who deliberately create bizarre characters—often called “veteran looks”—tend to hold back.
Unlike other games where you can delete and recreate your character or make another one, in Silia Online, you could only create one character.
If you didn’t like your character and deleted it, that was it.
There was no second chance.
Of course, some still sought uniqueness despite that.
“…His left arm.”
A man in shabby attire was walking towards Da-eun from the opposite side.
Where his left arm should have been, only an empty sleeve fluttered in the wind.
He looked like a Silian, but what sort of story could have led him to wander alone in the Midnight Sun region?
Feeling a twinge of curiosity, Da-eun steered her horse to the man’s left to avoid him.
Step.
“Huh?”
Sometimes this happens.
When you meet someone on a narrow path, and you both move in the same direction to avoid each other, resulting in an awkward moment.
Da-eun thought this was one of those times when the man shifted to the left along with her horse’s head.
But when it happened twice in a row, she realized she needed to change her thoughts.
She halted her horse, sensing that they would collide at this rate, and the man stopped his steps in unison.
It was clear this wasn’t a coincidence.
“…Do you have business with us?”
Da-eun, keeping her distance to ensure she could flee if he made a move, asked cautiously.
It was a deliberate action, conscious of the sword hanging at the man’s waist.
“No.”
The man replied in a rough voice.
“Then, may we pass?”
“No.”
“…Why not? Didn’t you say you have no business with us?”
“I did. I have no business with you.”
The man, as if retracing Da-eun’s words, drew his sword.
The aged blade, missing a few teeth, still exuded a keen, sharp energy like his worn-out appearance.
His eyes harbored an emotion that was hard to discern, whether it was hatred or reverence.
Following his gaze, Da-eun realized that his eyes were fixed on the girl cradled in her arms.
‘Could it be…’
As if confirming her suspicion, the man’s rough voice flowed out.
“After losing my comrades and left arm to a demon, I came to a realization. The thing that determines a human’s fate isn’t a god, nor is it some insignificant luck. It is strength alone that decides one’s fate—both one’s own and that of others.”
The man’s tone was calm as he recalled his past.
“After that, I roamed the continent, dedicating myself to the sword, determined to take control of my own fate. During those travels, I heard a rumor about a pink-haired girl who defeated a group of Ogres and Dimensional Creatures. When I heard that rumor, I instinctively knew the demon had returned and began pursuing it.”
Thus, we meet again.
As soon as the man finished speaking, Da-eun, who had been listening quietly, opened her mouth.
“Are you from the Empire?”
“I was. But now, I’m just a wanderer.”
“Did you come looking for us to take revenge on Kana…?”
“No.”
“Pardon?”
Da-eun let out a rather dumbfounded voice at the unexpected reply.
She had naturally assumed that it was for revenge, but hearing that he didn’t come for that reason was surprising.
“I came to prove something—that my fate is in my own hands.”
“Fate and proving it… You don’t seem like someone who’s all about romantic ideals.”
“This is the truth, not some romantic notion.”
“Ah, I see.”
It seemed like he was here to fight Kana, but it didn’t appear to be a lie when he said it wasn’t for revenge.
Honestly, Da-eun couldn’t understand the difference between proving oneself and seeking revenge, but she could tell that the man was being genuine in his own way.
If his sole purpose was revenge, there would have been no need to block their path and have a conversation. He would have attacked as soon as he saw Kana sleeping.
‘What should I do…?’
Celine, who made eye contact with Da-eun, smiled awkwardly as if she was in a difficult position too.
Though she looked troubled, it didn’t seem like she had any intention of stopping the man.
“It’ll be fine.”
“Well, I guess so…”
As Da-eun sighed, she felt a familiar weight at her waist.
It was something she had initially found terrifying, but had recently become accustomed to.
A sword.
‘…I’m scared of fighting. I don’t like getting hurt, and I don’t want to hurt anyone.’
Because she understood pain, Da-eun was sensitive to the pain of others as well.
That’s why she avoided fights.
“…But still.”
Hesitation faded from Da-eun’s eyes as a determined resolve shone through, and the slight tremor in her hand that held the reins stilled.
“That proof, may I also try to achieve it?”
“You?”
The man’s eyebrows rose in surprise.
“I’ve taken an interest.”
“You don’t look like someone who’s just interested.”
“You won’t know who’s stronger or weaker until you try, right?”
She wanted to stand alongside Kana, not hide behind her.
Maybe no matter how many monsters she hunted and leveled up, she might never be able to catch up to Kana.
But even so, she didn’t want to give up.
‘Kana asked me to take good care of her.’
Of course, that request probably didn’t mean something like, ‘Fight on my behalf.’
So this was purely Da-eun’s own resolve.
“If that’s what you wish.”
Perhaps sensing Da-eun’s determination, the one-armed swordsman shrugged his lone shoulder.
If she got down, it would naturally wake Kana up.
Da-eun called out to Celine.
“Celine. Could you take care of Kana—”
“There’s no need for that.”
Da-eun lowered her head at the familiar voice coming from her embrace.
Kana had already opened her eyes and was staring straight at her.
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