Parting

Chapter 31: Parting

Having lost the best chance to tease Sharla before their parting, Bryce spent breakfast without thinking too much, just casually talking about his time on Earth with her.

A lot of things made sense to Sharla after she learned about Bryce being the best in his club activities and tournaments, with the best of the best. She believed his strong mental played a crucial role in his achievements — Sharla wasn't too far off the truth.

At last, after breakfast, Bryce and Gengo faced the healer.

"For someone who told me about 'two swords', you were pretty bashful this morning," Bryce smirked and prepared to take a physical blow, for Sharla's reaction upon awakening was adorable.

Sharla lifted her eyes and replied with the same smirk, "For someone with clear plans and principles, you sure wasted your chance for some cuddles."

Not expecting that, Bryce shrugged and went for a normal parting hug without any other intent. When both of them tightly wrapped their arms around each other, Gengo stared at them with tears.

"Don't die too early, hero. I'll see you in the future."

Those were odd words for their parting. But even though the world was vast, there were too many heroes, and not everyone had a chance to see the top, let alone stay at the spire of the world's hierarchy. And even if Bryce wasn't a hero, going from a village to a city was never safe, either.

Bryce patted her back and replied, "Dying is not an option for me, for I don't want to be a protagonist, you know? I'll see you in the future, too, good girl."

"I know that you will." Sharla did her best to bring out her most splendid smile.

Then, Gengo received a hug from the healer, and both spoke in their languages and tones.

Bryce then helped Sharla with her backpack. It was stuffed with epic-grade meat for Sharla's adventure back to the Freedom Metropolis. She also said she wouldn't request help from mercenaries on her way back, treating it as a challenge for her self-growth.

Going on his own adventure with Gengo by his side, Bryce naturally couldn't question her plans. Moreover, Bryce, still irritated by his overthinking, hadn't given any thought to his present for Sharla, the epic-grade meat, which could cause her many problems if found out.

He knew she was aware of it, though.

Finally, Sharla took a few steps behind, waving at the duo, then turning around, she took steady steps forward, hiding her tears from them.

Gengo barked a few times, then found himself alone on the road. He quickly went after his friend and sometimes turned around to look at Sharla's back, stopping it after she was utterly gone on the horizon.

"You just made things harder for you, Gengo," Bryce said while walking as though nothing significant had happened.

With his heart yearning for Sharla's smile already, Gengo couldn't understand how Bryce was so composed. He didn't turn around to take a good look at Sharla's back, and having said a few words, he also didn't waste any time on their parting.

Gengo barked, asking all those questions.

Bryce faintly smiled and ruffled Gengo's hair, "Unless something significant happened to Sharla to enable her to stay with us for an adventure, our parting was inevitable. Yes, I've grown fond of her, but it's not a strong feeling, maybe some of my guilt stops me, too, and I believe my feelings will never cloud my judgment.

"Look at it from a different perspective. You are a level forty adventurer. You team up with others of the same level, then work together to become stronger. Out of those people, you level up the fastest, and your potential and future are somewhere else, somewhere higher. Your friends lag behind, clearly having problems. What do you do?" Bryce asked, his eyes pinning down his friend.

Gengo already sat, knowing the answer.

Knowing and wanting to acknowledge was a different matter, however. He wished for his friend to be surrounded by trustful friends who would always help him. Thinking this way, Gengo realized that he and Sharla weren't so helpful when monsters under the villain's command surrounded them.

Sharla, in particular, was slow and tender. She could only defend herself through her protection skills, which weren't limitless because of her mana points, which were far lower than Bryce's.

"You change teams." Bryce then replied to his question, then added with a smile, "If those friends would get angry at you in such a case, then they weren't your friends, to begin with, Gengo."

Gengo knew that his friend was right, but he still couldn't help but feel sad. He cried, looking smaller and weaker, obviously remembering that he was useless, too.

Bryce couldn't bear his friend's sadness. After taking him off the road, both of them sat on a grass slope, and while Gengo still looked down with his tail low, Bryce looked ahead at the swaying trees, his hand combing through his friend's fur.

Doing his best to find the right words to encourage his friend and to tell him how important he was to him, Bryce recked his brain hard. But then, out of a sudden, Gengo growled and looked straight into Bryce's eyes.

He seemed angry and disappointed, even more than before!

He barked again and again and again, yet Bryce couldn't understand the cause of his feelings. So far, he has recalled all events in another world, trying to find clues.

Gengo then shrank to the size of a puppy, then quickly became his usual size.

Bryce saw through the hint and took out the vampire's snack.

"Yes, I killed them." Bryce's words didn't exert any pressure on Gengo.

The dog kept staring at the heart instead. At first, he shivered, but after some time, Gengo tamed some of his fear and continued gazing at the terrifying object in Bryce's hand.

True, it was as clear as the sky that Bryce had killed the villain and his servants. But as he remained the same friend as he always was, Gengo wasn't worried about Bryce. Still, Bryce hadn't had time to talk about it with Gengo, and the dog knew about it, but he was more worried about himself.

If he had the strength and courage to be by Bryce's side, he would be able to help him more and ensure that nothing bad happened to his mindset!

Gengo growled again, his teeth bare, trying to look intimidating. In this way, he told Bryce he wanted strength, too, and that he would do his best to achieve it.

However, to Bryce, it looked like a shallow show.

"You don't have that within you, Gengo. You don't have any hint of killing intent."

Gengo barked louder and stepped forward, only to make his owner smile faintly.

Bryce roughly stroked his dog's head and deeply said, his words coming from the bottom of his heart, "Don't change."

He sounded so quiet and weak, so unlike himself, that Gengo's sounds trailed off, his emotions faded off his face, and he sat down, gawking at his owner with his usual, lovely eyes.

Bryce looked away, gazing into the swaying forest, a few seconds passed in stillness, then he parted his lips, "I fear nothingness. I'm genuinely scared of it. That's why I don't want you to change. I want you to be by my side the way you are now, my best friend whose heart is his strongest muscle, the strong heart that gives him the courage to protect his friends and me. My family that I will always pour my hero's skills on, no matter how weak you are. With you by my side, I know I can tread between good and evil."

To all rules and principles, there were always a few exceptions.

For the current Bryce, Gengo was that exception.

And it'd take a lot for someone else to be on the same level.