Chapter 183 Doing nothing will lead to accomplishing nothing.
Since my mentor was involved in this whole affair, I suddenly stopped feeling nervous.
That mentor who often put me through trials in different ways, even though he would always throw me into dangerous environments, would still secretly watch me struggle through the mud while eating popcorn, always ready to step in and protect me—although this protection wouldn't stop until I was truly in mortal danger.
Based on what I currently possess, the timing for this intervention is estimated to be after I am resurrected and threatened with death again.
Admittedly, successfully overcoming this ordeal would indeed lead to an explosive growth in my various abilities, but the near-hellish difficulty also made me so angry that I wanted to protest on the spot.
I thought that running to a place like this would allow me to escape my tutor's secret surveillance!
No wonder he's the ultimate mentor for perverted, obsessive stalker women!
...But that's not entirely true. After all, when I really encounter difficulties, the most reliable person is still my mentor who will always stand behind me.
It's really a contradiction.
After repeatedly comforting Hikari, who was still emotionally agitated, I had no choice but to coax her into sleep. Only after confirming that she was not having nightmares did I step out of the tent, sit on the edge of the campfire, and stare blankly at the waning moon overhead.
"Why are you the only one sitting here?"
Shenxue, who returned late from the depths of the forest, frowned and looked around. Behind her followed Annie, who carefully stepped across the knee-high grass, holding up the hem of her sweater.
I raised an eyebrow and scanned them up and down, noting their fresh scent: "Are you clean?"
"Just a quick wash, it'll get dirty again soon anyway."
Miyuki seemed to have done just that; most of her clothes were simply wiped clean of dust, with only a few excessively damaged pieces being replaced—not nearly as meticulously as the care she had given to her pair of swords. Anne, on the other hand, judging from her brand-new clothes and the damp undergarments she was holding, had most likely undergone a thorough cleaning from head to toe.
Perhaps I stared at her for a little too long, or perhaps Annie was being a bit too sensitive at the moment. The girl suddenly took a small step back, her face flushed, and turned towards the leaping campfire: "W-what are you doing! Staring at me like that!"
“To be clear, I wasn’t staring straight at you.” I looked away, somewhat bored. “Secondly, I just wanted to make sure you’ve been away for so long. Have you encountered any danger, or been injured and need medical treatment?”
"Hmm, no, not at all." Annie shook her head, then glanced around. "Isn't Hikari going to take a shower?"
As she spoke, she lifted her foot and walked toward the tent closest to me, preparing to step inside.
I stopped her: "Don't disturb her. Everyone is tired today, and it was so hard to get her to sleep. Let's talk about it tomorrow morning."
"Yeah, that must be really uncomfortable..."
Anne lowered her head and remained silent for a while, then walked back to the spot where I had been sitting. After sitting down casually, she patted the spot next to her and looked at me: "Come on, I have something to tell you."
Miyuki adjusted her longsword: "Then... I'll go on patrol?"
I shook my head: "There's no need. I just set up some wild animal scare devices nearby. If nothing unexpected happens, tonight should be a peaceful night."
Shenxue glanced around and nodded. "Indeed, there seems to be a faint aura of a ferocious beast lingering around, giving the impression of a marked territory. If I'm not mistaken, it should be the one we got today, right?" As she spoke, she took a closer look at the Pegasus that were either pacing or gliding back in the distance, as well as the gray wolves lying peacefully. "But look, those guys don't seem to care much. It seems the effect isn't as good as you imagined."
"Just to be on the safe side, let me go and check again, shall I?"
I hesitated for two seconds, then nodded: "Then I'll trouble you."
"It was just a small favor."
In just a few flashes, Shen Xue's figure disappeared into the dark depths of the forest.
The area quieted down again, with a sparse breeze rustling through the treetops and the faint sound of a stream flowing in the distance.
A quiet atmosphere lingered between Annie and me, as if there was a transparent membrane between us. We could clearly sense each other, yet we didn't know what to say. In the end, one of us could only look at the firelight, and the other looked up at the dim moon, maintaining this silent desolation.
I don't know Anne very well.
Anne Farns, who claims to be a noble descendant of the Farns family, likes to refer to herself as "this young lady" when she's being tough. She's naive and not very brave, but she's quite curious and afraid of being alone. Occasionally, she does some strange things that defy common sense. She's not very good at cooking and can only grill some simple meat dishes. She has no bad intentions and is searching for Restless, who is said to live in Hengyao City. She is a young girl in the prime of her life who is currently looking for her way home.
Apart from that, everything else remains a mystery.
She seems to have an unusual obsession with the former kingdom and a certain understanding of it. Although in an era where most research materials on the former kingdom have been destroyed, even if she lies casually, she wouldn't be easily exposed, she still gained the approval of Yao, who currently has the most books consulted and the most knowledge in the Little Garden. It seems there might indeed be some connection.
But how could that be possible?
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
