Chapter 39: I Want to Travel with You

The battle lasted only a short twenty minutes before ending abruptly.

It was a total mess…

The players had basically been wiped out.

Out of more than 1,000 people, fewer than 100 remained, and that was only thanks to Lucoco transforming into a healer a few minutes into the fight, exhausting herself to save them.

The ground was littered with dissipating arms, legs, and other such things…

There was also unassigned equipment being scavenged and carried away by the surviving players.

Maintain grace in front of the Little Saintess?

Give up the equipment on the ground to leave with dignity?

Only a fool would do that.

Perhaps the Little Saintess would think: ‘Wow, this guy actually just left! He really is a person without greed.’

And then?

There was no then.

For example, take those few idiots who, with looks of righteousness, walked past the Little Saintess while she was clearly handing out quest rewards.

True, they were rewarded with a cute smile from the Little Saintess, but that smile was clearly forced, wasn’t it?

Her lips were twitching as she tried to hold back laughter; couldn’t they tell?

If a guy who was limping, missing limbs, covered in wounds, and about to bleed to death walked past you, would you think he looked cool?

‘Little Saintess! Why are you just watching? Give me a heal!’

‘Sorry, can’t do it. Die! You noob! Do you have any idea how hard I worked to heal you earlier? Do you have a red form? All you know how to do is charge in blindly!’

In summary, players participated in similar tasks almost once or twice every month.

The Chosen—what a resounding title!

Rescuing distressed princesses and princes, resisting monster tides in some place or another, following someone to suppress a rebellion, or surrounding and annihilating evil organizations…

Wherever there was danger, there they were.

The more dangerous the task, the higher the proportion of The Chosen involved, except for ultimate challenges like facing the Demon King.

They didn’t break even with repeated use and remained tireless as long as they were given some rewards.

So, please feel free to use them to your heart’s content!

In this world, there were far too many places that needed players—those beasts of burden!

—

“It should be around here.”

Du Lin moved slowly toward one side of the battlefield, looking down as if searching for something.

Something like something black, shiny on the outside with a small red flower, which some people might use to serve rice.

“Du Lin, what are you looking for?”

Su Yue curiously approached and tilted her head to ask.

Du Lin leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Underwear! Shoes!”

“You lost your underwear and shoes?”

Su Yue looked puzzled and instinctively bent down to lift the corner of Du Lin’s skirt.

“Idiot! They’re Lucoco’s!”

Du Lin slapped Su Yue’s bottom, producing a crisp *thwack*.

“Ouch!”

Su Yue gave a strange cry and stood up straight while rubbing her rear.

“You want to collect them?”

“Do I look like that kind of person?”

Du Lin glanced at her with a look reserved for ‘perverts’ and continued to rummage around.

Perhaps, until some day in the future, she would beat her chest and stomp her feet, deeply regretting this moment…

***

On the other side, Sebas stood beside Lucoco, radiating an aura that told strangers not to approach.

In truth, there was no need to project any intimidation.

Just by Sebas standing there, the players wouldn’t dare get close.

This guy’s “great achievements” had long been unearthed by players who followed every lead.

He was a Great Demon who lived in various places for decades and traveled between towns.

He had no interest in NPCs but took great pleasure in messing with players, right up until he suddenly disappeared decades ago.

Surprisingly, in all the records, there were no accounts of this guy actively attacking the Light Camp.

As long as no one provoked him, nothing would happen—except for players, of course.

Word was that in some places, he even had descendants left behind from his love with human women, though it was now unknown how many generations had passed.

Lucoco looked exhausted as she checked her quest panel:

✧ **[Please place the rewards into the slots, up to five categories.]** ✧

‘What should I give?’

She thought while rummaging through her bag.

The chests from the **[Demon King’s Treasury]** could make up the bulk of it, but as a Saint, it couldn’t be just chests, right?

There were so many players!

She wouldn’t give out the **[Unranked Seal]** chests.

For those around Level 15…

hmm…

70% would be common chests, a bit over 20% would be Elite Class chests, and finally, she would use a few Level 20 Boss-tier chests as the grand finale.

Also…

some Mithril from the bottom of the lake, a pinch of Piao Piao Bug molted shell fragments, and two of Luti’s fish scales as special rewards.

There was still one category left.

Then… it would be this!

With a strange grin, she added a small bottle of mucus from a tentacle…

—

The battlefield was quickly cleaned up.

The players looked toward Lucoco with lingering reluctance, sighing as they left one after another.

Those with high levels used the **[Return to Town]** button immediately.

Those whose levels weren’t high enough either chose to head toward the nearest village or simply took their own lives, losing some experience to respawn at the nearest village’s resurrection point.

***

Lucoco glanced at Du Lin and Su Yue, who were still rummaging through things on the other side of the battlefield, then looked down at the Female Priestess still sleeping on the ground.

She turned to Sebas.

“Sebas, what are the side effects of your **[Teleportation Magic]**?”

“It consumes rationality. Simply put, if I use it too much, I’ll start having fits…”

Sebas said indifferently, smiling at the players who didn’t dare come near.

“Can you send us back to the Manor without any issues?”

Lucoco rubbed her temples, feeling her body start to protest.

“No problem.”

Sebas snapped his fingers.

“Whoa—what is this?”

“Wait! I haven’t found—!”

Du Lin and Su Yue felt the ground vanish beneath them.

Before their cries could finish, they fell into a black vortex.

Seeing this, Lucoco also used a tentacle to wrap up the Female Priestess on the ground and vanished into the vortex beneath her feet.

A few seconds later, they landed steadily on the grass of the Manor.

‘This is much steadier than Lucia’s teleportation magic…’

“Urgh… *cough cough cough*…”

Lucoco bent over and dry-heaved.

Perhaps her energy depletion was too severe, or maybe… she had drunk too many mana potions?

“Whoa! So high!”

“Let go!”

With a *splat*, Du Lin and Su Yue fell from a height of three or four meters.

Du Lin unfortunately ended up on the bottom, her Type 36 padding failing to provide any damage reduction.

‘It’s good to be young and so energetic.’

Lucoco felt her vision beginning to blur.

Waves of exhaustion washed over her.

In a daze, she crawled back to her bedroom.

Had she bumped into Lucia on the way?

She couldn’t remember clearly; her head was spinning and her ears were ringing…

What was her tentacle holding?

She forgot.

It didn’t seem right to leave it on the floor, so she just tossed it onto the bed.

‘Goodnight…’

Lucoco collapsed onto the soft, large bed and fell asleep instantly.

—

It wasn’t until two days later that Lucoco finally woke up.

She had been changed into clean pajamas, likely by Lucia.

She sat up groingily, rubbing her eyes as she looked around.

‘Where did that Half-Elf I brought back go?’

***

She didn’t find the Half-Elf, but there was a set of clean clothes next to her pillow.

There was also a note:

[Lucoco, be a good girl and stay home. Your Sister Yinuo and Du Lin were taken away by Du Lin’s mother—it might take a day or two. If you need anything, find Uncle Sebas, Sister Su Yue, or Aunt Are. They are all in the Manor.]

“Are? Is that the Half-Elf’s name?”

Lucoco muttered as she opened her system panel to check.

‘After the **[Advancement]** yesterday, it seems some skills have leveled up… Let’s see…’

**[System Appraisal: D → C]**

Can appraise Elite Class existences.

**[Logic Magic Affinity: C → B]**

Logic Magic learning efficiency greatly increased.

**[Unranked Seal: C → B]**

Seal strength increased, duration extended.

**[Magic Field: C → B]**

Outputable mana volume increased, defense limit raised.

**[Levitation]**

Proficiency increased to 40%.

‘What about my level? Hmm… it’s Level 23. Even though I was just leeching assists, the experience reduction is too harsh.’

*Knock, knock, knock.*

“Lucoco—time to get up—the sun is shining on your little bum—”

Su Yue’s muffled voice came from outside the door.

“Oh—”

Lucoco closed the system page, glanced at the clock on the wall, and climbed out of bed to start changing.

“Do you want your sister to help?”

Su Yue’s voice was full of anticipation.

***

Lucoco, who had just put on her small garments, let a smile play on her lips as she lazily walked over to open the door.

“Oh! Lucoco, you haven’t finished changing!”

Su Yue slipped into the room like a gust of wind, shutting the door behind her.

She looked in surprise at Lucoco, who was only wearing her undergarments.

“Help me… Dress your Emperor…”

Lucoco turned around, raising her hands high and calling out sluggishly.

“As you wish, my Majesty!”

Su Yue’s eyes sparkled as she responded excitedly, her mind screaming: ‘I want to hug her so badly! Ugh!’

A moment later…

“So cute—”

Su Yue gave Lucoco a peck on the cheek, staring unblinkingly at her in the mirror.

‘Yes! Cute! But…’

Lucoco reached up and undid her twin-tails, letting her short hair fall loose.

‘A dignified Demon King doesn’t like twin-tails. This is more comfortable.’

“Aw… Lucoco… it took so much effort to tie those.”

Su Yue pouted with regret, picking up the comb again to smooth Lucoco’s hair.

“Where did Mom and the others go?”

“Them… they went to the main city of Echo Territory to handle some business. Archbishop Beta came by and said a lot of things.”

Su Yue’s voice dropped, and her movements with the comb slowed.

“Mmhmm…”

Lucoco hummed softly, listening quietly to what Su Yue had to say next.

Su Yue paused, then mimicked a sophisticated tone:

“As friends of the Saint, the performance of you two was commendable. But if you wish to become the Saint’s **[Holy Knights]**, you are still far from enough. This is the token to open the **[Holy Knight]** trial mission. You might need it. This is not a command or a request, just an opportunity for you to increase your strength and obtain glory, even if you fail the trial.”

*Pfft.*

Lucoco couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Su Yue’s tone was just too strange, like someone speaking Korean with a thick Japanese accent.

“Then, he shared some secrets with Lucia and Yinuo.”

Su Yue returned to her normal voice, pinching Lucoco’s cheek as a form of revenge.

“So, what do you think, Sister?”

“I really want to go traveling with you, Lucoco.”

Su Yue said loudly with a smile.

After speaking, she let out a long sigh.

“But… since you chose us, we will! We will definitely become Holy Knights!”

“When…”

“When we are ready for the journey.”

“Then… we will set off together, and then look forward to… meeting again on a day no one knows.”

Lucoco leaned back, falling into her embrace.

“Yeah!”

“Then it’s a promise.”

“It’s a promise! Come, pinky swear with your sister.”

Su Yue reached out her hand, looking at her with a beaming smile.

“Pinky swear.”

Lucoco smiled too, reaching out her small hand.

—

The sound of hurried footsteps…

“Sister, slow down!”

“Oh, hush! The snowman might melt in a bit.”

Su Yue pulled Lucoco out of the cabin and onto the deck.

“This snow is a magical creation; it won’t melt that easily…”

“I know! But…”

Su Yue brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and turned to point into the distance.

“It would be such a waste to miss such a beautiful sunrise!”

“Mmhmm…”

Lucoco’s dazed eyes gradually brightened.

The clouds on the horizon stretched like silk, waking up and spreading out in layers.

A glow slowly rose from the horizon, like a shy girl slowly lifting her veil to gently caress the quiet snowy plains.

A breeze blew softly, lifting a veil-like mist and carrying snowflakes that danced like feathers…

“So—”

The snow accumulated on the deck’s flagpole suddenly fell!

“Ouch!”

It knocked the girl’s head to the side, interrupting her smile before it could fully bloom.

‘Why does it get interrupted every time I want to recite a poem? Damn it!!’

‘Is it a rule of the world? Then next time, maybe I should try thinking of a bard’s song?’

“Hahaha! Lucoco, come down and play in the snow!”

Sebas’s unique voice came from not far away.

“Coming!”

Lucoco rubbed her head.

In her peripheral vision, she caught sight of a roe deer at the foot of the hill, stepping lightly and tossing its head.

‘Looks so familiar…’

“Stop looking! Sister is going to carry you to play in the snow!”

Su Yue stepped forward, picked Lucoco up, and ran down.

“I can walk by myself, put me down…”

Lucoco ‘struggled hard,’ her small fists drumming against Su Yue’s arm.

“No, hahaha!”

Su Yue giggled, carrying Lucoco until she reached two snowballs before putting her down.

The snowman was very exquisite.

Sebas was currently sticking arms into it.

And beside him, that beautiful priestess girl was making a nose for the snowman.

She had a scent that Lucoco found familiar…

It wasn’t Lucoco’s own scent!

It was something else, more like a feeling of being with one of her own kind, making her instinctively want to get close.

It was precisely because of this that Lucoco had brought her home.

Seeing Lucoco arrive, Are smiled.

Her movements were elegant and proper as she performed a salute.

“Good morning, Lady Saint.”

‘People who have studied etiquette really are different; she’s so elegant.’

Lucoco marveled, spreading her arms slightly to perform a childish morning greeting.

“Good morning, Sister Are.”

“Hehehe.”

Are covered her lips and laughed softly, her eyes curving into crescents as she looked at Lucoco with affection.

Lucoco’s small face turned red under Are’s gaze, completely beyond her control.

‘She must have undergone professional training! Could I use my title as the Saint to recruit such an elegant lady? She seems very reliable; the team happens to be missing someone like her.’

Lucoco was thinking this when Su Yue suddenly lunged over and grabbed her.

“Lucoco, wait a second!”

“Hmm?”

Lucoco turned back to look at her.

“A photo! Let your sister take a photo first!”

“Oh, okay…”

“Come on, make a peace sign!”

Su Yue impatiently made a gesture.

“Like this!”

“Like this?”

Lucoco raised her small hand.

“Yes, yes, yes! Just like that. Don’t move, don’t move. Look over here!”

Su Yue ran excitedly to the other side.

Setting her position, Su Yue turned around, her fingers tapping the system interface rapidly as she shouted to the other two, “Master Sebas! Sister Are! Look over here!”

Sebas gave a brilliant smile, leaning over slightly and waving his hand.

Are didn’t understand at all.

She had just stood up and raised her hand, trying to copy Lucoco’s gesture…

“Cheese—”