Mirena's Blessing

The night stands still as clouds obscure the silver light of the full moon. The celebrations in Rodena Town come to an abrupt end when someone they've never seen before holds one of their own.

Pressed against her throat, the sharp blade of a dagger. A wrong move is enough to separate the head from the body, and Mirena understands it. As soon as he grabbed her, she tried to escape, ending with a knick on her neck, deep enough for fresh blood to drip out and run down the icy blade.

Even swallowing in such a situation can prove dangerous. The unknown man holding the dagger whispers. "I'll release you half-blood, but don't interfere with my work!"

Through the corners of her eyes, she looks at the sleeping young man. From her rose lips, her voice comes out as she grinds her teeth. "You won't harm him…"

He tightens his grip by pulling her closer to him, almost crashing into her bones. Not only that, but he also puts pressure on the dagger by pressing it against her neck. "You are not in a position to negotiate half-blood!"

Unable to fight back, Mirena waits for an opportune moment to appear. What she didn't expect was the disappearance of Nox. Both the silver-haired girl and unknown man share the same shocked expression.

While holding her hostage, the corner of his eyes searches for his target. He turns around in a frantic state, looking for his target. Nox is nowhere to be seen. His broken voice comes out. "Wh-Where is he…?"

A gust of wind picks up, carrying a howl with it. The moment it reaches their ears, a chill penetrates their spines, leaving them with shaking knees and trembling bones.

Mirena smiles in silence and relaxes her muscles. She closes her eyes and waits.

The next gust that follows carries a deafening silence, which makes the attacker sweat profusely. In his panic, he tightens his grip over Mirena. A cracking sound followed by gritting teeth and a groan from her part changes the pressure in the atmosphere at a rapid pace.

From the attacker's shadow, Nox emerges and grabs his dagger wielding hand. Any harder and he would snap it in half.

He groans from the pain and releases Mirena, who Nox takes by the waist and pulls her to his side. Without thinking, she willingly allows herself to get pulled and hugs him as soon as their bodies touch.

Nox's purple eyes glow when a change in gravity takes place, pushing the attacker to the ground.

From the continuous forces that push the ground down, it creates a small crater, with the unknown person in the centre.

When Nox stops his attack, he slides down the hole he made and picks that man up by the hair. He coughs and spits blood every few seconds. In a nonchalant voice, the young man with glowing purple eyes speaks. "Who are you?"

In his state, with bleeding pores and orifices, he still tries to attack. He pulls out a hidden dagger and forces it in Nox's direction. It makes a whistling sound as it cuts through the air.

Nox grabs the blade seconds before it wounds him and, with a twitch, he snaps the blade and breaks his hand. "Let me ask you once more. Who are you?"

Finishing his question, Nox grabs his other hand and breaks it. "Better safe than sorry!"

"N-No more…!"

Tears, snot and blood, along with bones sticking out, strikes fear in the hearts of the townsfolk who stand around watching. They are uncertain if they should cheer or simply remain silent during the storm and wait until it passes. The young man releases the attacker, making a thud as he hits the ground. Nox takes a step back and sits cross-legged in front of him.

After a few coughs and a mouthful of blood, he lets out with a pained voice. "M-My name is Roi, and I'm Lady Jenna's team member!"

Nox turns to Mirena, whom he left outside the crater. "Lady who?"

Of course, Nox knew who she was. He baited Roi so he could vent his frustration at hurting Mirena, but to his surprise, he remained calm and collected. Both of his hands being broken, played a part as well.

In a trembling voice, but calm voice, Roi speaks. "Lady Jenna is… She's the Hero you fought!"

Someone from the onlookers mocked. "Hero?"

The rest of the townsfolk jeered and started laughing.

The reaction of the people surrounding him confuses Roi. He always believed that everyone loved the heroes. He thought that especially in this town where his Lady Jenna created a base of operations, would adore her. Instead, he realizes the opposite. In this town, she's abhorred.

He swallows the next mouthful of blood, to drown his misguided belief and tears that followed. He looks at Nox sitting in front of him. "Why?"

From his own memories and history he studied in school, his biased answer escapes his mouth. "People who rule with the strength of their fist it's almost a certainty that they don't have any real supporters!"

He looks over at the locked houses in Rodena. "Rulers who favor only the privileged…"

He directs his gaze towards Mirena. "And oppress those who are different, their days are numbered!"

Mirena shivers and hugs herself as the memories of the past surface, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. She shakes her head to regain her composure, but her saddened face reveals her thoughts to those who look at her.

Earlier, Roi called her half-blood repeatedly. He didn't feel any hostility or hatred towards her, but his expression shows how his words could have heard the silver-haired girl. His eyes are wide open. His mouth has a slight gap, and his breathing is erratic. He looks at Mirena and shakes his head with exaggerated motions. "I-I…"

Nox stands up and walks towards the shivering girl. He gently pats her shoulder and turns around, looking at Roi. "As long as you understand…"

He leans forward and whispers in Mirena's ears, making her blush. "Heal him, if you don't mind!"

Mirena is unsure whether she should heal the person who threatened her and Nox. She looks at the state he's in. Sitting in that pool of blood inside the crater. She turns toward Nox and sees his back as he walks away. She understands from his demeanor that he has no further reason to fight against the already defeated Roi.

The townsfolk watch in silence, as Mirena slides down the crater and walks at a steady pace to the wounded Roi. She stands in front of him with her bloody neck visible, making him see what he did for whatever reason he thought was right.

She closes her eyes, and a dim green light emits from her body. The longer she concentrates, the brighter the light becomes. Rampant shadows grow in all directions until the light subsides and only a glowing green outline of her figure remains.

Grass grows rapidly from her feet and outwards, replacing the smell of iron to that of the freshness of nature. The reddened soil turns green. Dumbfounded, the people watching can only gasp at the sight.

Their chattering of amazement reaches the pink-cheeked girl's ears as she tries to ignore them, and concentrate on the task at hand. Her wound, caused by the blade, closes on its own, leaving no trace.

While gathering mana in her hand, she reaches out and touches Roi's shoulder. Her soft-spoken voice reaches Roi's ears as he gradually regains his composure. "Bare with me, this might hurt a bit…"

Roi nods and waits in silence to be treated. His broken bones get back together and the creaking sound they create, make the townsfolk's hair stand. A cold sensation goes through them, making them shiver for a moment.

While healing Roi, the only thing Mirena could think of is how Nox knew she could heal. They didn't catch up, or have the time for her to warn him and provide the information she learnt.

Nox's appraisal reveals the information unbeknownst to Mirena. He wanted to keep silent about it, but the situation demanded that he spoke out. After leaving the crater, Nox returned to Mirena's home and packed. He felt it was time he left Rodena and returned to the Abandoned Village.

While rummaging through his belongings, a fleeting thought crossed his mind. His voice came out before he could properly give it some thought. "Title Deeds!"

From the Inventory, he brings out a scroll. Upon opening it, he reads. "Title Deeds of Rodena Town"

A familiar blue see-through screen opens in front of him.

[/Side Quest\]

Sign Title Deeds?

Yes | No

[/Side Quest\]

He tabs the Yes option and the translucent screen gets replaced by a green one.

[/Rodena Town Title Deeds\]

Title Deeds Signed | Owner: Nox

Defence: +10

Magic: +5

[/Rodena Town Title Deeds\]

{Loading…}

[Congratulations! You are now the owner of Rodena Town!]

{Loading…}

[Hidden Bonus! Cooldown reduced by 50%]

Seconds after the screens vanished and Grimmy's voice faded out, a new sound rings in his ears followed by Grimmy's mechanical voice.

{Loading…}

[Rodena Town's development is available!]