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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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My attempt to buy Elsie some new clothes had ended in failure.
It was a shame, really. From a fashion enthusiast’s perspective, the outfit I picked out would have looked amazing on her.
But this time, Elsie’s judgment was sound.
“Come to think of it, you knew I was a girl all along, didn’t you?”
Her sudden question caught me off guard.
The consequences of all my little white lies were finally catching up.
“Well, it’s not like it really matters, does it?”
To my surprise, she brushed it off easily.
“This is so good!”
Elsie was happily munching on skewers, both hands occupied.
We had just finished a hearty dinner at a restaurant, no less.
Seeing her pack away so much food at her size was always a sight to behold.
If she were back in Korea, she would make a killing as a food YouTuber.
“We got everything on the list, right?”
Elsie asked between bites, her cheeks smeared with sauce.
I nodded.
I had used the shopping trip to stock up on my own supplies while getting Elsie everything she needed.
“Then, there’s somewhere I want to go. Want to come with me?”
“Somewhere you want to go?”
“Yeah, I found it while I was wandering around looking for a place to sleep before.”
“Is it far?”
“It’s close by!”
I had no reason to refuse. I was curious to see this place she wanted to visit.
And thus began my long and arduous journey of regret.
‘This uphill climb is never going to end!’
The steep, seemingly endless incline continued on.
Sure, it was a short distance on a map, but I didn’t expect it to be all uphill!
Elsie skipped along effortlessly, while I, unable to openly use the Power of the Wind, struggled to keep up.
“How much further?”
“Almost there!”
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, we reached an open clearing.
Beyond the clearing, something shimmered, catching my eye.
‘Is that…?’
Below us, a vast landscape unfolded.
In the middle of it all sat a gigantic ore, glowing red like a ruby.
It was Basil’s Barrier Stone.
“You can see it from here if you climb high enough.”
Being the sole protector of Basil from annihilation, the Barrier Stone was heavily guarded, enclosed by a high, thick wall.
Only a select few with special permission were allowed inside.
But from up here, we could get a clear view of the Barrier Stone beyond the wall.
‘Are those faint lines around it some kind of magical barrier?’
It seemed they had taken precautions against long-range attacks from this vantage point.
As I was analyzing the Barrier Stone and its surroundings, Elsie spoke.
“Isn’t it beautiful?”
“Huh?”
“The fact that this single red stone created the sky above us, painted with the colors of sunset.”
I followed her gaze.
Above us, the sky was awash in vibrant hues of red and orange, just like a sunset.
“Yeah, it is.”
If I had left Basilium without seeing the Barrier Stone with my own eyes, I would have regretted it.
After all, the Barrier Stone was the cornerstone of the hero system in this world.
The most fundamental duty of a hero was to return fragments of the barrier to the Barrier Stone, extending its lifespan.
Heroes existed for the sake of the Barrier Stone, and through it, they protected the world.
As someone aiming to become a hero, witnessing the Barrier Stone was an essential experience.
“Hey, El…”
“Um…”
Our voices overlapped.
“You first.”
“I… I was wondering if I could ask your name?”
Fair enough.
One of the few advantages of being Allen Blake was obscurity.
Elsie wasn’t someone I needed to hide my name from.
“It’s Allen Blake. Just call me Allen. I doubt there’s much of an age difference between us anyway.”
“Allen…”
Now it was my turn to ask the question I had been putting off.
“Elsie, are you planning on staying in Basil?”
“Huh?”
“Do you have somewhere in mind that you want to go next?”
Elsie pondered for a moment.
Then, with a determined look, she replied,
“To be honest, I was thinking of going to Sak once I saved up enough money. But I don’t have any money right now. And I have no idea how I’m going to earn any…”
As expected.
If she had survived until now, her player must have been guiding her towards Sak.
But her answer gave me an idea.
‘The player, even if they aren’t a complete newbie, they definitely lack experience.’
This was another reason why this particular route was so difficult.
Elsie had no way of knowing how to earn enough money to reach Sak on her own.
There was a clear disconnect between her player’s command and her current reality.
And I was going to exploit that disconnect.
“Elsie, listen to me very carefully, and remember what I’m about to tell you.”
This was probably going to be a route no one had ever attempted before. No, scratch that, this was a completely new route.
Because it involved me, Allen Blake.
“Have you ever heard of the Lidval family?”
“The Lidvals? I’ve heard of them. They were the ones who led the Crimson Knights in the past. But they’ve fallen from grace now.”
“And what about the Rose Knight?”
She shook her head.
“From what I know, the Lidvals are one of the few families that haven’t betrayed the king yet. The coup forces haven’t touched them because they’re no longer a threat.”
Elsie’s eyes widened.
I continued,
“The Rose Knight became a hero for the sake of restoring the Lidval family to their former glory. And she’s only one step away from achieving that goal.”
It would still be a few years before she found the Rose Sword.
But before that, there was something she wanted to put in place.
“She’s looking for a successor. I heard she recently left for the southern part of Basil. There’s only one village in that area. With her appearance, it shouldn’t be too hard to find her.”
I reached into my bag.
Inside was a worn-out robe I had placed there earlier.
It was the one Gwen had given me.
Now that I could buy new clothes, I had no need for it.
“Show her this and tell her you were sent by a boy named Allen Blake. Ask her to take you in as her successor.”
Knowing Gwen, she wouldn’t hesitate to take Elsie under her wing.
Elsie, if raised properly, could become one of the strongest characters I knew, easily within the top five.
She may be weak now, but her talents were of the late-blooming variety.
Gwen would surely recognize her potential.
“Did you get all that?”
As I asked if she had memorized everything,
“Allen…!”
I was suddenly tackled in a hug.
Looking down, I saw Elsie’s newly dyed black hair.
Her hands gripped my clothes tightly.
“Thank you…”
I felt something warm against my chest.
Elsie was crying.
“Thank you so much for helping me.”
Having raised her countless times before, I understood how she felt.
Betrayed by the Royal Knights she had trusted, forced to flee for her life, she had no one to rely on.
It was embarrassing to admit, but I was probably the first person she had been able to truly trust.
I gently patted her head as she sobbed.
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Later that evening, back at the inn…
I went over my preparations and plans, getting ready to leave.
Elsie watched me quietly with swollen eyes. Finally, she spoke up hesitantly,
“Allen, this might sound strange… but can’t I go with you? To see this Gwen person?”
“I’m afraid not. I have somewhere else I need to be.”
I couldn’t impose on Gwen any further than I already had. I didn’t want to use her for anything other than my goal of becoming her successor.
We both had our own paths to take.
Perhaps we would meet again, after we had both achieved what we set out to do.
“So… tomorrow morning really is the last time I’ll see you?”
“I’m afraid so.”
With that, I blew out the candle by the bed.
“Goodnight, Elsie.”
I left the room.
She had insisted on sharing a room, but after what had happened earlier, it felt awkward, knowing that she knew that I knew she was a girl.
Of course, there were other reasons as well.
‘Now, shall we?’
The truth was, tomorrow morning wasn’t our last goodbye.
I was leaving tonight.
Elsie wouldn’t find me in this city when she woke up.
‘But first, I need to take care of one last thing.’
I opened my Status window and scrolled down to the Stigma category.
There, I saw the newly unlocked Secondary Inherited Stigma.
I focused on the Inherited Trait.
I had enough SP to inherit it, thanks to the points I earned from defeating the Demon King. But for some reason, I hadn’t inherited it yet.
‘It’s about time.’
Especially since I needed it now.
Without hesitation, I inherited the Trait.
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