Chapter 41: The Girl’s Little Worries
“After completing this task, I’ll confess to him.”
…
“Eluka, what are you daydreaming about? Hurry up and use healing magic on me, I can’t hold on much longer!”
“Oh, oh!”
Eluka snapped out of her trance, waving her wand as she infused it with a large amount of magic.
“[Heal]!”
A magnificent magic array was constructed in an instant, brimming with vibrant energy that transformed into a green light, merging into the body of the man clad in close-fitting armor.
“Roar!”
Regaining his strength, Rode let out a loud roar. The blood-stained longsword in his hand emitted a sharp sword aura as he fiercely slashed towards the turbulent waves beneath his feet.
The lake’s surface was violently torn open, revealing the monstrous creature lurking beneath the deep waters.
It was a gigantic black fish, at least twenty meters in length, covered in scales as cold as iron and adorned with menacing bone spurs. Its head was protected by a tough exoskeleton, and a sharp horn protruded from its skull, pointing towards the sky with a chilling beauty that sent shivers down one’s spine.
This is the dominant-level magical beast, the master of Lake Beipole!
Looking at this terrifying behemoth, even Eluka, who had been an adventurer for three years and had seen countless frightening monsters, couldn’t help but feel a bit weak in the knees.
“Am I still not accustomed to being an adventurer?” she murmured to herself.
Taking advantage of the lull in magic, Eluka twirled a strand of her hair around her finger, her gaze complex as she looked at the man standing at the forefront, continuously battling the lake master.
Rode.
His nickname was the Ironblood Knight.
Three years ago, he became an adventurer and, like a soaring dragon, in just three short years, he became a B-rank genius adventurer.
In the land of Belrand, Rode had already gained some fame. And she, Eluka, was Rode’s childhood friend and, at the same time, deeply infatuated with him.
“Even though I became an adventurer because I like him, I still feel scared now…”
“I’ve been secretly in love with him for eight years, yet I don’t even have the courage to confess. Am I really that useless?”
“Am I so worthless that Rode would hate me?”
“Would he think I don’t deserve to stand by his side?”
“What should I do…”
Today, Eluka was still deeply immersed in the little worries of a girl. However, her troubles were far from just that.
“Now’s the time!”
Rode, who had forced the lake master to surface, issued another command.
“Quick, use magic to attack!”
“Y-Yes!”
In an instant, all distractions were banished from her mind. Instincts honed over three years kicked in, and Eluka immediately began waving her wand, chanting a spell.
“O Lord of ice and snow, I implore you…”
“Explosion magic!”
Someone was faster than her. At Eluka’s side stood a strikingly beautiful female mage with an ample bosom. It seemed she had been prepared for this moment long ago. Without even chanting, she unleashed a powerful spell as soon as Rode spoke.
The fierce blaze dispersed the darkness brought by the looming clouds, evaporating a vast amount of lake water in an instant. Simultaneously, it pierced through the lake master’s tough scales.
“Well done, Tia!”
Seeing the lake master’s defense pierced, Rode’s face lit up with joy. He praised Tia while seizing this rare opportunity, plunging his sword into the massive wound charred by the intense heat.
“Roar!”
The lake master roared, thrashing violently as lightning flickered and heavy rain poured down.
However, anyone could see that this terrifying dominant-level magical beast was at its last gasp, merely making a final desperate struggle. Because Rode’s sword was precisely lodged in the lake master’s heart.
Perhaps starting from tomorrow, after defeating the dominant-level magical beast, the Ironblood Knight Rode’s reputation would soar even higher throughout Belrand.
But Eluka wasn’t particularly happy.
She cast a cautious glance at the female mage named Tia and muttered to herself, “She gets thanks, but he says nothing to me? It’s so unfair.
Just because I’m not good at offensive magic, I can’t help in situations like this? But am I not your childhood friend? I’ve liked you for so long…”
Eluka took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing something surging deep within her heart.
“Die!”
On this side, Rode fiercely wielded his longsword, while the lake master gradually ceased its struggles.
Rode withdrew his sword, allowing the lake master to sink into the water, staining the lake with its crimson blood. Then, the corpse of the large fish with its white belly floated up from the deep red depths.
“It’s finally taken care of,” Rode said, landing on the lake master’s corpse after dispelling the levitation spell. He breathed a sigh of relief, his face lit up with joy.
With the defeat of this dominant-level magical beast, his merits were enough to promote him to A-rank!
“After reaching A-rank, there will be a huge increase in both wealth and reputation! It was worth it for him to take on this mission.”
“You both did well,” Rode said, lifting his head and smiling warmly at the two of them. “Your magic was spot on. It was another day saved by you two.”
“N-No… It’s not like that,” Eluka said, looking down at her toes, her face turning slightly red with embarrassment. “It’s because you’re so skilled, Rode…”
“It seems he still cares about me,” Eluka felt a hint of sweetness in her heart.
“Oh, you’re bleeding,” before Eluka could fully savor that sweetness, she heard Tia’s concerned voice beside her.
Tia flew to Rode’s side, looking at the wound on Rode’s arm with a worried expression.
It was a scratch left by a bone spur during the recent battle.
“Haha, it’s just a minor injury, no big deal,” Rode said.
“It must be treated promptly, or else what if it gets infected?”
Tia pouted playfully, then took out a scented handkerchief and carefully wiped away the blood from Rode’s wound before bandaging it.
“Even though you’re always so carefree, Rode, you still need to take care of your body. Otherwise, it’ll make those who care about you sad,” Tia said gently.
Rode couldn’t help but show a touched expression. “Tia, you’re really gentle. Having a teammate like you is wonderful.”
Tia’s cheeks turned slightly red. “Oh, stop it. I’m just doing what I should. But with you around, Rode, it always feels reassuring, no matter when.”
Eluka observed silently.
Watching the affectionate interaction between the two of them, Eluka almost snapped her wand in half.
“What are you two doing, being so close in front of a healing mage like me? If there’s an injury, couldn’t you just let me heal it? It’s not like you can think of me in the heat of battle?”
“And you, Tia,” Eluka thought, “you’re just bandaging him, but your chest clearly brushed against Rode’s arm. Are you doing that on purpose? What are you trying to show off?”
“If only there were something to punish this… this… woman,” Eluka couldn’t help but think bitterly.
But it was just a fleeting thought. After all, her image in front of Rode had always been that of a gentle, cute, and kind girl. A kind girl shouldn’t have evil thoughts. Yeah, she shouldn’t.
Or… shouldn’t she?
“Huh? Did I hear something strange?”
As Rode was enjoying the beauty’s bandaging service, his expression suddenly became serious, and he looked around.
But the torrential rain combined with the vapor evaporated by the explosion magically obstructed his view, making it impossible to see anything.
“Oh, don’t move, I’m still bandaging,” Tia scolded. “It must be your imagination, Rode. The lake master is already dead, isn’t it? There shouldn’t be any strange sounds.
Dominant-level magical beasts can’t appear at the same time anyway. Otherwise, due to territorial instincts, they’d start fighting on their own before we even had a chance to intervene.”
