Chapter 40

We are back in the Nightshade Forest in the demon continent, famous for its grinding spot for levels 70 to 80 players, although we are much deeper inside the forest for better experience rewards. The trees are so tall and thick here that any light that might've managed to break through the treetops is completely muted once it reaches the ground. A heavy silence fills the air, broken only by the rustle of leaves and birdsong. Even my own footsteps seem quieter here, as if the forest is sucking the sound out of the air.

The usual party members of mine are with me: Liz and Clarissa. We are currently resting after a long grind as I listen to the conversation of my two party mates.

"M-miss Lizbeth, this much is fine, right? I am getting some notifications about being restrained," Clarissa requested as she was being used as a life-sized body pillow by Liz.

"I told you, just call me Liz. And you said earlier that you want to return the favor for my help in the XP grind. I'm calling the favor now, so let me hug you for a little bit longer," Liz said as she rubbed her face in Clarissa's hair… I'm not jealous or anything that she easily gets to hug Clarissa!

"Okay... Miss Lizbeth," she murmured.

"Just a reminder, you haven't turned on your stream, right?" I quickly asked her.

"No, not yet, but I'm curious. Why don't you want me to stream whenever I help you both grind?"

"Just because," I dodged her question.

There are a few degenerates on her streams that I'm sure will add Clarissa and take advantage of her when they see how kind and naive she is on Liz's streams. Worst case scenario, an online predator might get to her.

"Fine, your wish is my command, milady," she exaggeratedly jested along with a mock bow.

"Don't go 'Ray' mode on me now."

"U-um guys, shouldn't we go back to killing monsters?" Clarissa interrupted our banter, clearly uncomfortable with the excessive skinship.

"I guess we had enough rest, let's go back to grinding," I suggested.

"Wait a second, I just received a P.M. from Rana. She saw you were online in our guild and wanted me to tell you to meet her at the HQ. You haven't added her to your friend list, right?"

After I shook my head, she continued.

"Then now is a good time! She can be a bit... difficult to deal with sometimes, but she is a good person at heart!"

Rana or FairyDust, our former guild master and Liz's cousin. I wonder what she would want from me.

"She is in the guild master's office right now. She is the one who usually handles the logistics because I'm quite bad at it," she smiled sheepishly before continuing. "I'll tell her if you wanna go there now. Oh, and don't mind us, I'll help Rissa while you're away."

"Sure, tell her I'm on my way to meet her," I said as I readied my teleport coordinates.

"He hehe, looks like it's just you and me now, Rissa. Come along now with big sis, and we will have some fun time together!"

What are you, a forty-year-old sexual predator?! Please don't say something that can be easily taken out of context!

I saw Clarissa visibly gulping at Liz's words before I vanished and reappeared at the guild hall. I mentally sighed as I left Clarissa to her fate. They have a good relationship, but sometimes Clarissa's shy nature just cannot handle Liz's aggressive moves to further their friendship.

Walking around the guild hall towards the leader's office, I saw the other members looking at me with varying expressions. Some with apprehension, some with respect, others uninterested. It seems like what Liz has been telling me is true, after all. My fight with Jarde had circulated via a video clip showing how I easily dispatched him in our duel. He was infamous for being a blabbermouth but with the skills to back it up. Someone handling him as easily as I did must have been a shock to other regular members of the guild. The only plus side here is that no one is bothering me. The downside is they probably think I'm a bloodthirsty PK-crazed maniac who just wants to remove regular members from this guild whenever I feel like it... not a good image.

After a while of walking around the unfamiliar guild hall, I... was lost. It's not my fault I'm bad at directions! I forgot that I seldom come here due to the previous incident, and this place is relatively large as our guild is considered on the upper high-end of guilds. As I was pondering whether to continue searching aimlessly or risk social interaction by asking other members for direction, a voice called out to me.

"Are you lost, kid?"

How rude! No way I can be mistaken as a kid.

I turned to look at the offender.

He is tall, with a lean figure draped in a dark cloak that seems to blend seamlessly with the shadows. His piercing eyes are the only visible feature behind that sleek mask he wears.

He has striking lock of white hair that contrasts sharply against the darkness of his attire. It's not just white, though; it's like moonlight caught in a whirlwind, flowing freely but always maintaining a certain controlled chaos. Strands of his hair might escape from under the edges of his mask, adding to his mysterious allure.

I identified him.

Aroganz

Hp: 100%

Mp: 100%

Lvl: 95 Guild: Concord of Heroes (Vice Guild Leader)

Duel wr: Hidden

Team Rank matches wr: Hidden

1v1 Rank matches wr: Hidden

Id #:*********** Introduction: Message me if you want to join our guild. I will personally test you.

That name looks familiar. Have I fought this guy before? He's wearing a mask, so I can't be sure of his appearance, although he gives off a veteran vibe, likely due to him being our current vice leader and all.

"Yes, kind of. Excuse me, but can you direct me to the guild master's office?"

"Did Dust call for you?" he said in a low, raspy voice that added to his mystique.

"If by 'Dust' you mean the former guild leader, then yes, she did."

"I see..." he eyed me for a second, like a predator analyzing his prey. My gut feeling was right. This guy is not someone to be messed with.

After what felt like an eternity, he then voiced out his response in a raspy voice. "Go straight down corridor, then turn right. Head inside an ornate door with grandiose designs."

"Okay, got it, thank you," I said, giving him a quick, polite bow.

As I turned around to leave, he called out to me. "Oh, and a word of advice... be careful around that woman," he said as he left in the other direction.

What the heck? That is some foreboding words to say! Now, I'm a hundred times more nervous about meeting her on my own. Should I call on Liz for backup? No, that won't do. Liz said that her cousin wanted to talk to me alone. It would be rude to bring someone into a private conversation. Well, I just hope I'm not getting scolded for something I did or inadvertently did.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I entered the office after knocking politely. I am nervously wondering if I did something wrong or offended the former guild master somehow. I don't want to get on her bad side as I got the feeling this woman is not to be trifled with. My danger senses are seldom wrong, so I'll also trust my gut feeling on this one. Somehow, I feel like a student about to be scolded or something as she turns to see who the visitor is. For her part, though, she gave me a welcoming smile.

Wait, calm down, Kat. You did nothing wrong; just act clueless and aloof, then deny if there are any allegations. If there is one thing I learned from watching crime movies, it is to never ever admit to anything!

"Oh my, you're here! Great timing. I had just finished talking to our vice leader. You may have met him on his way out?"

I nodded.

"Oh, want some tea? It doesn't add any real-life satiety or quench your thirst, of course, but it still stimulates the taste and smell receptors. Nevertheless, it is a good drink if you want to relax and take it easy," she politely offered.

"I'm fine, thank you," I, in turn, politely declined.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, may I ask why you called me here alone?"

She paused for a bit, staring at me with a hawkish gaze as if analyzing my very being. "Oh my, I swear all the best players always have this no-nonsense personality. Well, I guess that is to be expected. The rumors always say that Yuusha is very curt."

My heart pounded like a bass drum, and instant panic welled within me.

"H-how did you...?" I stopped as I noticed her reaction.

She was just as surprised as me. Crap, I've been had. She wanted me to confirm if her suspicions were correct, and in my panic, I fell right into her trap. I cannot fake confusion now, as my shocked reaction has already given it away. I doubt that I could lie through her keen, observant eye.

"Oh my, oh my, so you really are Yuusha? Looks like Liz hit the jackpot in recruiting you. To think that the legend herself joined our guild instead of going back to her old one, huh, what kind of charisma does that girl have?" she gave a genuine giddy smile as if she had won the lottery herself.

"...How did you find out?"

"Oh, because of some crumbs here and there."

I stared at her to carry on. My sister's legacy is at stake here. I need to handle this as cautiously as I possibly can.

"First, about the Paragon guild's unusual offer. Their guild leader is currently requesting an alliance."

"I see..."

An alliance between guilds is not uncommon. Basically, we help each other out in securing grinding spots or other things that need camaraderie. Both guilds will also agree to the non-PK rule of members between the two. This is to prevent what would have likely happened if Ariadne and Liz had not teamed up for the Abyss dungeon.

"I thought to myself, why would one of the top guilds in the CoA want to collaborate with a relatively unknown guild like ours? I mean, don't get me wrong, we are a strong guild in our own right, but to an OG guild like Paragon, we have nothing that worthwhile to offer," she smiled as if remembering something funny before continuing.

"Even though I heard from Liz that she became friends with their vice guild leader, I doubted that it would warrant an alliance to a relatively unknown guild. Very few people nowadays are that altruistic, you know? Either they really want to help us, or they think we really could provide help to them. Sure, Liz is good, but it doesn't warrant full cooperation with the Paragons guild."

"So it got me thinking maybe there is something they need from us? Someone from our guild that they want to help? Maybe there was a different factor at play? Only one thing comes to mind: the mysterious new officer that Liz recruited, who also soloed an overpowered abyss boss if Liz were to be believed. Knowing her, she doesn't lie on these things," she said as she eyed me knowingly.

So Celeste is still looking after me even if I'm not in their guild anymore by offering an alliance to our guild, huh? I have mixed feelings about that. On the bright side, I'm glad about the gesture, but on the other hand, it led to my identity getting exposed. Celeste was always someone who did things by following her heart and not thinking things through too much, so I can't blame her. She also probably didn't know how perceptive this woman in front of me could be. Dust must have picked up a lot just from talking to her depending on her line of questioning as Celeste could be a little too... emotional. Someone as sly as this woman could take advantage of that flaw easily.

"You found out just from that?" I said, amazement seeping out from my voice.

"Not really, I did my due diligence too of course. I had asked some of my connections here and there to know more about the Paragon's guild. Can't be playing this game for so long and not make new friends can I?" she winked as if to mock me... I have friends too you know!

I stared at her a bit irritated. This woman is so vexing.

"I also had another clue. Your nickname also rings a bell. If I am not mistaken, it stands for "new" in Portuguese, right," she continued.

"...Yes."

"Then it can also mean you want a new start, not something a total newbie will name themselves. That removes a lot from my list of candidates on who your main account is. But of course, there is also a likelihood that you are an entirely unknown player, but judging how the Paragon's guild leader desperately wants to get on your good side, that possibility is out of the window."

This woman is incredibly sharp. I can understand now where all those warnings from earlier came from.

Then, she nodded to herself as if realizing something.

"Hmm, I see the picture now," she continued. "Liz's efforts somehow made you go back to playing the game, and as repayment for her help in overcoming... whatever you went through that made you quit, you want to return the favor by helping her win the u20 tournament, am I correct?"

I stayed silent, my apprehension palpable. She correctly guessed my main motive for joining the u20. As if sensing my anxiety, she reassured me.

"Oh my, please be at ease. I won't pry about your personal life. I'm not that disrespectful to break a taboo for us CoA players. I also do not want to get into Yuusha's bad side. I do not want to receive death threats from die-hard fans all around the globe, you know," she paused for a second before continuing.

"Also, don't worry too much. Someone who has no knowledge of you personally, like myself due to Liz always bragging about you, won't find out your identity that easily. No one will also know the conversation between me and Paragon's leader about the alliance. You know, she even threatened me that it should stay between the two of us. Your former teammate is so scary," she dramatically voiced out, lacking any of the said fear in her countenance.

I guess that sounds like Celeste, overprotective of her friends and ruthless to her enemies. Paragons wouldn't be as strong as it is today without her defining traits.

As I visibly relaxed, she posed a question of her own.

"Oh, forgive me for prying a little, but does Liz know? She doesn't seem to be keeping any huge secret like this from me, and I know she would not be able to keep her mouth shut if she knew her idol was right beside her the whole time."

"…No, not yet,"

"Hmm... may I ask why that is?"

I pondered for a second on why I was hesitant to tell her the truth.

"It's just... I want her to treat me as her friend and an equal. I fear that if she knows the truth, our relationship right now would change."

People fear change, and I'm no different. Frankly, I am a coward at heart, as evident by my play style. I dodge people and turn a blind eye to things that can hurt me, never facing them head-on. Liz is one of the very few close friends I have made in my life, and I do not want that to change because I cherish the current relationship that we have. I'd like to think I'm getting better every day, one step at a time, and maybe someday I'll be able to tell Liz the truth and, hopefully, continue my sister's legacy.

"I see... you seem so mature that I forgot that you're still young after all."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I replied, irritation seeping out of my voice at being called a kid again.

"Nothing much, really," she smiled before continuing.

"You kids think too much, just do what you need or want to do. Your youth is short, after all, so don't leave any regrets."

I paused for a second, digesting her words.

"I'll think about it," I said as I stood up to leave.

"Oh, before you go, add me so we can communicate in private without Liz being the middleman. You don't want me to call you out on guild chat whenever I have something important to discuss, right?"

"I guess that's true."

"Hehe, I can't wait to brag to my in-game friends that I added Yuusha to my friend list," she smiled slyly.

I glared at her.

"Oh my, please don't be upset. I'm just kidding, you know. As I told you, I don't want to get on your bad side. Humph! I swear, the top players of this game just don't have any sense of humor."

Maybe it's because your sense of humor is skewed, to begin with!

"Anything else?" I asked exasperatedly, getting tired of dealing with her.

"Oh, perhaps your online autograph, too. I would be able to sell it to die-hard fans at an incredibly high price!"

"I'm going."

She pouted. That cute gesture made me think that she might actually be related to Liz, barring the personality, of course.

"Fine, but ask if you need any help, alright? And also," she paused, her face turning serious, "Thank you for getting Liz out of that slump in the qualifiers. I still sometimes beat myself up for not noticing earlier what she was going through, but thankfully, your reassurance gave her the push she needs to play at her best without any worries," she gave me a genuine smile, a far cry from her mischievous demeanor earlier.

"No need for that. I only did it because I wanted to," I said, hiding my embarrassment at her genuine gratitude as I headed out of the room.