—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“…….”
A light, gentle voice cut through the quiet air.
The woman who addressed him wore a warm, friendly smile, her demeanor open and approachable, not a hint of wariness in her eyes.
“Buying holy stones, I see. You must be a first-year preparing for the dungeon next week, right?”
As she spoke, the faint sunlight streaming through the window glinted off her long, flowing blue hair, creating a soft, shimmering halo.
Her sharp, golden eyes, catching the light, seemed to pierce through him, their intensity a stark contrast to the gentle atmosphere surrounding her.
“That’s right.”
He replied naturally, a sense of familiarity stirring within him. He knew who she was, there was no doubt.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Lucy, a third-year.”
Her name confirmed his suspicions.
Lucy Dioltopo.
The final heroine of the game.
Her snow-white skin, reminiscent of Snow White, her elegant features, and the wide-brimmed, ornate witch’s hat that was her trademark, all caught his eye.
A short, sleek wand, about 30cm long, hung at her hip.
“I’m… Arnold.”
He introduced himself formally, placing his right hand on his chest. She tilted her head slightly at his name, then muttered to herself, as if trying to recall something.
“Arnold? Arnold… Ah, I remember!”
She scratched her temple, as if the name was familiar, then her eyes lit up, and she nodded in recognition.
“Do you know me?” he asked.
“I know of you. I’ve heard rumors about the top-scoring freshman, though I haven’t seen any proof.”
She rested her chin on her hand, her eyes gleaming with curiosity and interest, but her expression was unreadable, as if she was hiding something.
He knew the name Arnold Stenman was infamous, so it wasn’t surprising that she had heard of him, for better or worse.
“You’re quite prepared, aren’t you? The Shrine of the Depths is filled with undead and negative energy, so items imbued with holy power are very effective there.”
She chuckled, praising his preparedness. Her tone was light, but there was a hint of intrigue and anticipation in her voice. And the reason for her proactive approach was clear.
The golden badge gleaming on her chest was a symbol of academic excellence, awarded only to top-performing students. As he had mentioned before, the final exam was a team-based assessment, with each team assigned an upperclassman as a mentor.
The badge indicated that she would be a team leader in the upcoming dungeon exploration next week. And unless the story deviated significantly, she would likely be assigned to Varis’s team.
“I’m also exploring the dungeon with the first-years next week. Perhaps this is fate.”
Her eyes sparkled with a strange mix of anticipation and playfulness.
“If there’s a connection between you and me… perhaps we’ll be on the same team.”
She smiled enigmatically and turned to leave, her movements calm and confident, as if even this moment had been planned.
“Anyway, if we’re meant to be, we’ll meet again.”
She waved lightly and disappeared out the door. But in that last moment, he caught a glimpse of a faint sadness behind her smile.
He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination or if she was hiding something.
But she was probably sad… because—
“Here are the accessories imbued with holy stones.”
—the shop clerk’s cheerful voice interrupted his thoughts.
He walked over and received the items he had ordered, his mind still preoccupied with the heroine he had just encountered.
Lucy Dioltopo…
Meeting her meant he had come a long way on this journey.
◇ ◇ ◇
“Master, you’re back?”
Eilly looked up as he returned, a welcoming smile on her face.
The others, who had been about to leave, also stopped and turned their attention towards him. The room fell silent, all eyes on him.
“Yes.”
He nodded in response to her greeting.
“Did your discussion go well?”
He asked about the dungeon, looking at everyone.
Eilly nodded, her eyes downcast.
“Yes, we’ve finalized our plan.”
She bowed her head respectfully, her demeanor calm and polite.
“But since it’s almost time for our next class, we were about to disband.”
She looked up at him, a thoughtful expression flickering across her face.
“By the way, Master… what’s in that bag?”
Eilly looked at the bag in his hand curiously. Something was shifting inside, and her curiosity piqued.
“Just a moment -”
He reached into the bag and slowly pulled out an item.
“Elisha.”
“Yes?”
“This is for you.”
He handed her a ring. It was a simple silver band with a gleaming, golden holy stone set in the center.
He had given it to her simply because it would be useful for the dungeon exploration.
“O-Oh? Arnold…?”
But Elisha’s eyes widened in surprise, and she froze, speechless. A moment later, she lowered her head, unable to hide her emotions.
“Is this… really for me…?”
Her voice trembled, her eyes filled with a mixture of surprise and deep emotion.
“Hmm?”
For some reason, the ring seemed to have a profound effect on her. She looked as if she had received the greatest gift in the world, her lips trembling, her eyes welling up.
“Is this… really…? Oh… I’m so happy… to finally receive a gift like this from you…”
Her smile was a bittersweet mix of joy and sadness. He felt a pang of unease, a strange sense of foreboding.
What did this gift mean to her? He had simply given her a useful item for the dungeon exploration, but Elisha seemed to be interpreting it differently.
“Master…”
A tense silence filled the air.
“Um… what’s the meaning of… that ring?”
Eilly’s eyes narrowed as she looked at him, her voice quiet, but her gaze sharp, filled with suspicion and unease. A shadow flickered in her eyes.
“…….”
He tried to answer, to explain, but he couldn’t find the words. The coldness in her eyes and voice was more than just suspicion.
“A-Arnold…”
Melina also spoke, her expression clouded with anxiety, a deep sense of disappointment and regret in her eyes, as if she had lost something precious.
Her gaze was also filled with an unspoken question.
“Doing that… so openly… in front of us… that’s… a b-bold move.”
The atmosphere grew heavy and oppressive. He felt a strong sense of foreboding, a feeling that something was terribly wrong.
“G-Guys?”
Varis, sensing the tension, tried to intervene, but his words were ignored, lost in the heavy silence, drowned out by their emotions.
“Master?”
“You’ll explain this, right?”
Eilly’s voice grew colder, and Melina looked at him expectantly, their expressions serious.
“Master, please tell me it’s not true…”
“So… you like Elisha…”
They muttered, one by one, their gazes filled not with affection, but with a strange sadness, as if they had been betrayed.
“Thank you, Arnold!”
Only Elisha seemed genuinely happy, beaming with joy, as if she were in a different world.
“…….”
Something was definitely wrong.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Hi Lord Fourth here!
I’m new to translating so if you find some mistakes or inconsistencies let me know about it on the dedicated channel on discord.
