Meeting an Old Friend

The crowd watched as the trio left.

"First a Brayvion Fire Master, and now a beautiful Arvus Battle Mage Tamer!" One of the soldiers couldn't help but speak out.

The captain remained on the floor. Still trembling. She realized that in her fear and pain, she had relieved herself and was lying on the pool of her own soiled waste.

"Captain…!"

"Quick! Thaw her and take care of her wounds!"

The Spear Blade maidens were all moving.

"...Send a message to the bosses! Someone… stepped on our dignity!" The captain spoke in anger and pain.

The rest of the soldiers kept silent as they saw the Spear Blade Maidens react. Like the Sword Quest mercenary group, the Spear Blade Maidens have a notorious leader. The twin Arvus were feared within the region.

But unaware of this, Crystal had already boarded the small boat that had now set sail to go down the river.

Crystal remained quiet and appeared distant, but her heart was pounding. She was shocked at what she had done. Brent deserved death. The Sword Quest Mercenary group kept a secret collection of women, and Crystal didn't have any issues killing them.

But the maidens had no crime other than stepping on her dignity. But she couldn't control the rage. She was trying to keep her emotions in check.

"You sure have changed, Crystal." The boatman suddenly spoke.

Crystal was surprised that the man called him.

She turned around and couldn't recognize the man.

"Who…?" She asked and held on to her sword.

"Relax! It's me! I may have grown thin since you last saw me, but it's me! Fatty Kin!"

"Kin?!" Crystal was surprised. This was one of Crystal's classmates back in Merchant's Rest.

"You've… you've changed! You even look good!" Crystal was amazed. He thought this man only offered to help her in his beauty.

"Yes! But honestly, if we talk about changes, you sure have changed. I heard you had a strong ice affinity. But to think you'd have awakened it! What an envious advantage! In terms of skill, you seem capable of revealing powers at the levels of an Arvus even though you aren't."

Crystal was surprised at his comment.

"Wait… How would you know that I'm not an Arvus."

"I've taken and completed the Skill Test of Arvus. I just need one more test and the blessing in the kingdom to finally become one." Kin smiled.

"…! You are close to becoming an Arvus?!"

"Well, what about you? I haven't seen you in a while. I've just finished the test in the west and am headed back home. But now, you're an ice mage and a beast tamer! And your beast…" Kin couldn't help but look at the raptor.

He felt great danger from it and even saw how fast it was.

"I don't think I stand a chance against this… I have a feeling that it can even deal with an Arvus…" Kin answered.

"It's a long story. But since you're the boatman, I will give you a choice. Keep my secret, or your corpse will." Crystal's eyes lit up with ice.

"What…?!" Kin was shocked.

"I was the woman they were looking for. I killed Arvus Brent."

"...Brent of the Sword Quest Mercenaries?!" Kin exclaimed.

"Yes. She wanted to rape me and make me part of their collection. It seems this Sword Quest Mercenary is involved in the sex trade."

"...Aren't most of them? That's like how the big names gather resources to fund their groups. Even the Spear Blade Maidens do that. However, I know they traded male slaves and turned the women into part of their teams. But the fact that they have two more Arvus apart from their founding twins proves that their trade is much more lucrative."

Crystal was shocked.

"They do? Now, I don't feel guilty for what I did."

"Oh? Here, I thought you'd defend your fellow females and rejoice that the men are being taken in."

"Lives that suffer are what bother me, Kin. But I'm still amazed at what you've become."

"You wanna know a secret?" Kin smiled.

"You were… sort of why I pursued this path."

"Me?!"

"Yeah. We weren't friends, but I was trying to be yours. Yet, you were often involved with many powerful men because you were beautiful. So, I never got the shot. I decided I had to be an Arvus to have a chance at someone as beautiful as you." Kin smiled and tried to hide his embarrassed face.

Crystal was surprised at the sudden confession. Even though Adam had told her the Charm in her would cause men to have courage and make crazy leaps of fate and confess to her, she was stunned that it was so soon.

"...I just killed f- ah… two women!" Crystal corrected herself as she almost admitted to killing the Sword Quests.

"How can you so calmly talk about that?"

"Killing? Don't know how many you killed, but you weren't being unreasonable. I've done similar things. Although, your ice makes the reveal of strength much cooler than mine." Kin laughed.

"But I am shocked that you killed an Arvus. This raptor did it, or was it by your hands?"

"It was a… cheap shot. But he deserved it. That pervert had plans for me to make me their plaything."

"...It's a dangerous world out there, Crystal. You should have just stayed at home."

"I did. I was kidnapped only recently. I managed to escape because of the earthquake." Crystal revealed.

"Kidnapped?! By who?"

"You'll find pretty soon… Are you really headed for Merchant's Rest?" Crystal asked.

"...Yes. I was planning to go there by morning. Are you… alright?"

"…" Crystal didn't answer. There were just so many thoughts in her head.

"...I can see why you don't trust people anymore. It must have been difficult. I'm sorry I asked."

"I am both… exhausted, but at the same time, I've never felt better. If this was the old me, I'd be crying out in desperation. I would be weeping in sorrow. But at least now, the anger keeps me strong."

Kin didn't answer and kept rowing.

"So, an Arvus, huh? You sure have turned into someone awesome. But I have to be very frank, Kin. I don't have any interest in any kind of romantic ties." Crystal answered.

"...So there's a guy?"

"...Yeah."

"Was it that… fire sword Brayvion?"

"Fire sword, Brayvion? There was a Brayvion here?" Crystal feigned ignorance.

"You didn't know? He's not the guy?"

"No. The guy that hurt me… was a Challenger." Crystal didn't want to say it was a Divine but spoke of a Challenger.

"A… Challenger?!"