Chapter 56: Advice
Ailiya felt like she was falling apart.
After countless chases, dodges, and haphazard Flame Arrows, she’d finally taken down several tricorns, leaving her utterly disheveled. Shaking her head, bits of grass fell from her white hair. She grimaced, tugging at her sweat-soaked, wrinkled undershirt beneath the leather armor.
Panting, she pulled out her knife and knelt beside a dead tricorn, tongue lolling, to carve off its horn. “Done… that’s number nine.”
As the smooth ivory horn came free, Ailiya felt her last scraps of mana and stamina drain away. She tucked the prize into her waist pouch and collapsed backward onto the grass in a starfish sprawl.
My back aches… my legs ache…
The soft, springy grass, fragrant with its earthy scent, cradled her. Above, the dungeon’s eternal mana-crafted blue sky loomed. A gentle breeze brushed her cheeks, easing her exhaustion.
In this fleeting peace, Ailiya’s eyes drooped, lulled toward sleep.
A mischievous face loomed upside-down in her vision. “Planning to nap here?” Aurora teased. “Careful, or a tricorn might trample you into a pancake.”
“Ugh, don’t say creepy stuff!” Ailiya whined weakly.
Struggling to sit up, she saw Aurora holding two cloth-wrapped lunchboxes. “Come on,” Aurora said, shaking them. “It’s about noon. Let’s find a spot to eat.”
Ailiya glanced at the unchanging sky, timeless and disorienting. But food? Food’s always a win! Her spirits lifted, and she hopped up, trailing Aurora like an eager bunny.
At the heart of Dawn Plains stood a towering tree, its canopy a vast umbrella casting cool shade, its trunk thick enough for a dozen people to encircle. Soft light filtered through dense leaves, dappling the grass. A monster-repelling barrier made it a safe haven for adventurers, free from surprise horn-butts.
Clusters of adventurers lounged nearby. Ailiya and Aurora claimed a secluded corner by the tree’s roots, opening their lunchboxes.
A sudden boom of mana erupted nearby. Isabella stood elegantly beside a massive bear’s corpse, its fur glinting with crystalline shards—a rare beast of this floor. The ground around it was pierced by earth spikes, its body singed with burn marks. Clearly, Isabella had uprooted its lair with earth magic and roasted it medium-well with fire.
Not exactly appetizing scenery, Ailiya thought, chewing.
Isabella, with a flick of her wand, extracted a shimmering crystal from the bear, then sauntered over, looming over Ailiya. “Hmph, exhausted already? So pathetic.”
Ailiya shoved a rice ball in her mouth, mumbling, “Food’s fuel. Try never eating, if you’re so great.”
She scooted over, patting the grass beside her. “Join us, Isabella! I’ll share.”
“I brought my own,” Isabella sniffed, rejecting her offer.
With a wave of her wand, a luxurious picnic cloth materialized, followed by an ornate food box etched with intricate patterns. After casting a cleaning spell on her hands, she opened it, revealing an array of delicacies fit for a royal feast.
Ailiya glanced at her simple lunch—fried egg rolls and sausages. …Mine’s not as tasty anymore.
Aurora, noticing Ailiya’s drooling stare, elbowed her. “What’s wrong with my lunch?”
Catching Aurora’s irritation, Ailiya snapped to attention, shaking her head. “Nothing! It’s great!” She stuffed her mouth heroically.
While Ailiya and Aurora finished, Isabella nibbled daintily. Bored, Ailiya started chatting. “Isabella, why’re you here today?”
“I needed a Geode Crystal from that bear for alchemy,” Isabella replied.
“Where’re those two girls always with you?”
“Family matters called them home.”
“Do you like sweet or spicy food?”
“Spicy’s… not my thing.”
Ailiya’s questions flowed endlessly, and Isabella, ever the poised noble, answered each with patience and grace.
As Isabella finished her meal and packed away the box, Ailiya opened her mouth for another question. But Isabella’s eyes locked onto her, serious and piercing, silencing Ailiya’s usual cheer.
A breeze rustled the leaves overhead.
“Ailiya,” Isabella said, her voice stripped of arrogance, heavy with sincerity. “Don’t hold Lady Liliane back.”
Ailiya blinked, confused.
Isabella stood, adjusting her gear, her shadow enveloping Ailiya, her golden eyes unwavering. “Remember the bulletin board incident?”
Early in Ailiya’s time at St. Freya, her commoner status and role as Liliane’s maid had sparked slander and accusations.
“Why didn’t Lady Liliane defend you then?” Isabella’s words struck like a hammer.
Ailiya pointed at herself, puzzled. “For… me?”
“Back then, you were a thorn in every noble girl’s side. Liliane could’ve used the Winter name to shield you temporarily, but not forever,” Isabella said, stepping closer. “If she’s not at the academy one day, what you’d face would be a thousand times worse. Don’t underestimate noble ladies’ tactics.”
“The vice-principal and Liliane wanted you to resolve it yourself,” she continued, her voice rising with frustration and passion. “To prove with your own strength, to shut down those jealous girls with a resounding show of power! To show everyone Ailiya Winster is worthy of standing by Liliane von Winter’s side!”
She flung her hand out, golden curls and skirt swirling. “I won’t let some mediocre nobody stay at her side! She’s greater than you can imagine!”
Ailiya stared, stunned, at Isabella’s fervent expression, her eyes burning with conviction.
Adventurers around them began dispersing, resuming their hunts. Isabella took a deep breath, resuming her noble poise, and curtsied to Ailiya. “I apologize for my outburst.”
Before turning away, she added softly, “Think about it… as a friend’s advice.”
Meanwhile, by the tree’s roots, a patch of soil stirred. A dark red horn, glinting ominously, emerged silently from the earth.