"Yes, Apollo was planning to take advantage of Hestia, so I had to teach him a harsh lesson."
Yuri tried to comfort the girl who was clearly worried about him. He walked over to her, placed his hands on her shoulders, and gently made her sit beside his bed.
"Don't worry. You already know my strength. I defeated that... that fierce Bete with ease. I could even defeat a level 5 adventurer, let alone those scumbags from the Apollo Familia."
His words calmed the anxious elf girl a little, and her previously troubled and confused mood settled down quite a bit.
But she was still very uneasy.
The risks for Yuri were too high.
From his life to his soul, and even his future lives—if he really lost, it wouldn't just mean being entangled with Apollo for decades. A future like that was nothing short of a nightmare.
"But that Bete didn't use magic."
Ryuu nervously gripped the edge of her clothes and said:
"Magic is a power that allows a person to defeat enemies many times stronger than themselves. Even an adventurer with exceptional martial skills will fall if struck by magic."
"And among Apollo's followers, there are two teams of mages. Though Hyacinthus is the strongest, that doesn't mean there aren't other level 3 adventurers and mages."
"It's far too dangerous to fight an entire familia alone."
The more she spoke, the more uncertain Ryuu seemed to become.
She now looked completely conflicted and worried, just like a wife who had sent her husband off to war. Even knowing it should be an easy battle with a high chance of victory, she remained deeply anxious.
Yuri felt a bit powerless in response to this.
"Then... you should help me."
He could only say, "I can tell you're a powerful adventurer. How about temporarily joining the Hestia Familia? What if you help me during this War Game? You don't even have to fight. For example, you could cheer for me and celebrate my victory."
This was the most reasonable approach Yuri could think of.
Not only could it ease Ryuu's mind, but it could also bring this beautiful elf into his familia.
"I... I..."
The boy's suggestion made her instinctively want to agree, but then she remembered something and grew hesitant.
Yuri knew she was still held back by her past, so he reached out and took her hand.
"Whether it's the War Game or any other crisis, they're nothing to me. The main reason I invited you is because I want you to become part of my family."
When Ryuu heard the word "family" from Yuri, she paused.
It had been a long time since that word had reached her ears, but when it was spoken by the boy in front of her, it touched the softest part of her heart.
She felt the warmth of Yuri's palm, his emotions, and his body heat. After a moment, Ryuu clenched her teeth and made a decision.
"Yuri, even though it's already late, I want you to come somewhere with me. I want to tell you about my past."
The two got ready and entered the dungeon.
This time, Ryuu moved swiftly and tore through the monsters of the first eighteen floors like a whirlwind. After about three hours, they reached the forest in the safe zone of the dungeon.
Ryuu seemed very familiar with the terrain of the forest. She walked confidently through the trees and crystals without encountering any monsters. After about twenty minutes, they arrived at their destination.
"This is it…"
Passing through a narrow tunnel formed by trees, they reached a cemetery.
A small clearing surrounded by slender trees and glowing crystals.
A beam of light shone from above, and several wooden cross-shaped grave markers tied with rope were arranged there.
"When I miss them, I sometimes ask Mia for permission to come here."
Ryuu reached into her pouch and pulled out a small bottle. When she uncorked it, the aroma of wine filled the air. She poured it over several specific graves in order.
"Ryuu, is this—?"
"It's the grave of my former companions."
She looked up, her sky-blue eyes meeting Yuri's, instantly captivating his soul.
"Since you invited me, you were bound to find out one day… I don't want to regret not telling you personally later. Even if it's just my stubbornness, are you willing to hear about my past?"
As she asked this, Yuri immediately sensed something and nodded.
"My registered name with the Guild was Ryuu Astraea, and I'm on the Guild's list of dangerous individuals."
"My adventurer status was revoked long ago... and there was a time when I was a wanted criminal."
"The familia I belonged to was called the Astraea Familia. I served under Astraea, the goddess of justice and order. Back then, I was quite well known."
"Our familia didn't just explore the dungeon—we also helped keep Orario safe. That made us many enemies. At the time, I swore upon the emblem engraved with the sword and wings of justice, and in the name of Astraea, that I would do everything I could to protect peace in Orario alongside my companions."
"One day, a familia set a trap in the dungeon and killed every member of Astraea Familia... except me. I couldn't even recover their bodies. I had no choice but to build graves for them on the 18th floor. They used to love this floor. They always joked that if we died, we should be buried here."
Maybe because she was remembering those times, the corners of Ryuu's mouth curved slightly, though her eyes turned dark and sorrowful.
"I survived and told everything to Goddess Astraea, then begged her to leave Orario. After much pleading, she agreed."
"You wanted her to flee the city?"
"No, that's not it."
Ryuu firmly denied it, saying it was due to more selfish and shallow reasons.
"I just didn't want her to see me consumed by hatred and resentment."
Then, revealing her feelings from that time, she spoke clearly:
"Driven by grief over losing my companions, I sought revenge against the Rudra Familia on my own."
Stealth attacks, traps, all-out assaults—the Rudra Familia was annihilated.
"That can't even be called justice. Fueled by hatred, I didn't let a single suspicious person go. If they had any connection to Rudra, I took them down."
That's why her name appeared on the Guild's danger list.
Her excessive vengeance sparked resentment among adventurers, organizations, merchants, and others. They even placed a bounty on her head.
The price of acting recklessly and openly... Even considering her past accomplishments, the Guild had no choice but to punish her. Moreover, some Guild staff suspected of collusion with Evilus were harmed, making it impossible to overlook the matter.
Since Goddess Astraea, who had fled the city, was still alive, her Falna and abilities remained, and "the wind" still blew throughout the city, spreading unrest and fear.
"In the end, I ran out of strength. After taking revenge on everyone, I collapsed in a dark alleyway with no one around."
Perhaps she had already known she would burn herself out.
Having completed her revenge and lost her goddess and companions, she had nothing left to hold on to.
"I was covered in blood and dirt… People who do foolish things really deserve that kind of fate."
"…"
"But then…"
"How are you feeling?"
A warm hand held her dirty one.
It was Syr who had saved her.
Her repeated kindness and sacrifice—which Ryuu back then would have called 'annoying meddling'—brought her back to the land of the living.
"Syr, who rescued me, asked Mia to let me become a waitress at the Hostess of Fertility… and she even made me dye my hair."
Since she always wore a mask during her days as an adventurer, all she had to do was hide her surname and change her hair color to avoid recognition.
Ryuu finished her life story in a gentle tone.
"…I'm sorry to make you listen to all that."
"In short, I'm a disgraceful, rude elf… I've failed your trust. Someone like me… might not be qualified to become a part of your familia, Yuri."
She spoke those self-deprecating words with a calm expression, but her body trembled, and her hands were clenched so tightly they turned white.
Yuri knew clearly that the girl in front of him was afraid—terrified.
She feared that after revealing her true identity and dark past, he would reject and shun her.
Yuri's expression softened, and he asked:
"Ryuu… Do you regret telling me this? If I told someone else, you'd be in danger, right?"
"I believe in you."
Then the elf girl gathered her courage, reached out, took Yuri's fingers, and showed an expression that seemed to say, as expected.
Yuri looked a little puzzled.
Ryuu gave him a teasing look—it was the first time Yuri had seen her like that.
"Yuri, you're the third person I've ever held hands with… and didn't let go."
Ryuu said this seriously, still holding his hand.
The first person was a cheerful, red-haired adventurer who invited her to join Astraea Familia.
The second was a kind-hearted tavern girl who slowly brought warmth and a sense of home to her cold self.
And the third was…
"It's you—"
Ryuu looked at Yuri with determination.
"You always say you're from the countryside, but in truth, you're a sly and cunning guy."
"You're lazy, but you always help me with the work."
"You love teasing Chloe and the others, but you never go too far."
"I can tell you really care about all of us."
"So even if I reveal everything about myself to you, I'll never regret it."
"Ryuu…?"
"You're a very kind man."
The aura she exuded made Yuri unable to say anything else—he could only call her name.
At that moment, her sky-blue eyes slowly closed and then opened again after a while.
"I've been really happy lately, with you."
Ryuu smiled.
Her calm and composed face softened into a gentle smile.
Her delicate eyebrows relaxed, and her small lips parted slightly.
Ryuu's smile was like a charming white flower, moving Yuri deeply.
Only then did he realize firsthand that an elf's smile was incredibly dangerous.
Especially an elf who usually appeared stern and serious—their smile became even more enchanting. Yuri couldn't help but stare in a daze. That kind of smile alone was enough to make someone fall in love.
Elves possessed more than just beauty.
They had a sweet smile they showed only to those they trusted.
Before him was the bright sunlight, swaying flowers and plants in the graveyard, and her—head slightly bowed.
A sudden impulse surged in Yuri's heart, and he pulled the elf girl into his arms.
"Yuri…"
The girl, body tense, didn't dare move.
"Ryuu, it seems like you still haven't truly faced your own heart."
---
(End of Chapter)
Give me some power stones there you go~😉
On Saturday I was coming back from an event with my younger brother, and suddenly he told me there was something in my hair and I asked him to take it out. I felt a small sting of pain, so I thought it was a hair strand.Imagine my surprise when he showed me a WHITE HAIR, bro, I'm 20 years old, I've been so stressed lately that I even got a white hair on my head.