XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
I offered the tribute.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“Hehe. Thank you. I’ll use it well!”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
The artifact I gave to Lapis was a pair of pure white gloves.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
They didn’t have any special abilities.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Just auto-cleaning and cleanliness maintenance.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Squeeze-
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“Hehe…….”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Even so, Lapis hugged them to her chest as if they were a sacred relic, treasuring them immensely.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
When I told her to wear them, she stared at me with eyes that said it was a waste.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“I Don’t save them unnecessarily. If they tear later, I’ll give you new ones.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“But……..”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“If you save them and end up hurting your hands, it would hurt my heart more.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“I’ll wear them right now!”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
The surface reason was to prevent injury while handling threads.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
I figured giving her at least that much would make her less angry.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Does a Sin of Wrath even need this kind of worry?
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
She probably wouldn’t get hurt even if she swung a sword.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
The thought crossed my mind for a moment, but Lapis was overjoyed.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Yes.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
As long as the person in question likes it, that’s fine.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Apparently, it was something Innocence had prepared for her.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
This was a secret to the grave.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
For Innocence’s sake, and for mine.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
As soon as Innocence stepped outside, he looked up at the sky.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“The moonlight is bright.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Oh, indeed.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
The moonlight was especially bright tonight.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“The constellations are visible too.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Exactly.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
The weather is nice; should I just sleep?
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Without going anywhere.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Innocence, who had closed his eyes briefly while gazing at the sky, turned his body.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“Now go meet her. Evan. Isn’t this what you’ve been waiting for?”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“Finish your meeting with the shrine maiden well. We’ll wait here.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Shrine maiden.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
She was on that back mountain.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
The sand back mountain that had formed just minutes ago.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
On a night when the night sky was beautiful.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Evan…… had to meet the shrine maiden.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Her, who might not be a shrine maiden but a witch.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Evan seriously pondered.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
……Should I just not go?
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
***
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
In the end, I came.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
The shrine maiden was sitting atop the sand mountain, gazing at the sky.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
The atmosphere was completely different from usual.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
She wasn’t wearing the hat she always pressed down tightly.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Her hair, as if containing the night sky, fluttered.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Mana particles scattered near her body sparkled like light.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Instead of speaking to her immediately, Evan remained silent for a moment.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
……She won’t get angry if I speak, right?
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
It was absolutely not because he was scared.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
It’s only natural not to disturb someone when they’re focused.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
You never know.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
She hadn’t crossed her legs, but this could be the process of reaching enlightenment.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“You came. I thought you might leave without saying anything since you were silent.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Ah. Damn.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
No.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Evan maintained the most expressionless face possible.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
In truth, his face was already cramping, so there was nothing to maintain.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
To prevent his voice from cracking, Evan asked with as much tension in his throat as possible.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“It’s a misunderstanding. I thought you might be busy for a moment. How is your body?”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
‘……Fufu. Yes. A little.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Unlike usual, the shrine maiden had a subdued atmosphere.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
The shrine maiden, with constellations at her back, slowly turned her body.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Eyes like flowing galaxies.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Small tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“……I sometimes wonder.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“Does the life I live have meaning? What can I achieve by living onward……. Am I merely a piece moving in that sky?”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
No, suddenly TMI?
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
She was throwing out such a deep topic out of nowhere; I didn’t know what to say.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Should I comfort her?
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Should I sing that she was born to be loved?
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
After pondering for a moment, Evan slowly opened his mouth.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“..I often think the same. Am I actually a chess piece, everything flowing as prearranged?”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“You too?”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“Yes.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Of course, he had thought about it.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Evan was not of this world.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Suddenly possessed, ordinary macho Lee Han-ol.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
He had sometimes wondered if something like a god existed.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“But no answer came. Moments don’t go as one wishes, but does that mean every moment I live flows as scripted?”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“I”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“I made various choices while living, and all were my choices. I don’t think another’s will intervened in them.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“My life is mine to live, isn’t it?”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Tsk.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Is this right?
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Did it work?
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Honestly, Evan didn’t even know what he was saying.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
He was possessed.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Then there’s no helping it.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Live first and see.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Evan glanced at her reaction and took out an item from his pocket.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“By the way…… I have something for you.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
‘……For me?”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“Yes. Dungeon conquest reward; didn’t you take yours separately?”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“Are you really giving it to me?”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
The shrine maiden smiled. It was a somewhat sad smile.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“I…… almost killed you all. Whether it was my will or not, I nearly failed everyone decisively. And yet…… you’re giving me a gift?”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“Yes.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“Don’t you hate me?”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“I don’t hate you.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Am I crazy?
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Dual personality is a flaw, but.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
She clearly belongs to the good side. One of the few main allies.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Of course, I have to take care of her.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“Everyone has circumstances. I understand you.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“I won’t ask why it happened.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Truthfully, he was curious.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
No, how could he not be?
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
What did she do to get dual personality, or did the person change?
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
But knowing can be poison.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
This was exactly that.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Rather than touching a time bomb, calling the bomb squad was best.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Absolutely not because he was scared.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“Understanding……”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
The shrine maiden, muttering a few words, stared at Evan.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“What is that?”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“It’s a chessboard. I thought it might help when using your abilities.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
‘……Chessboard?”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“Yes. It should help with brain rotation.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
He watched her reaction, worried she might not like it.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
As repeatedly said, absolutely not because he was scared!
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Just in case she didn’t like it, he’d have to give something new.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“Gift
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
The shrine maiden, muttering something, met Evan’s eyes.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Eyes as if the night sky had settled in.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Moist eyes gazed at Evan for a moment, then softly curved.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“Thank you. A gift like this with sincerity…… it’s the first time.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
The shrine maiden stood from her seat and carefully approached Evan.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
She still seemed conscious of that rampage incident, appearing cautious.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Evan held out the chessboard.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
The moment the hand holding the chessboard and Lapis’s fingers slightly touched.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Crackle!
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“!……!!”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
……!”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Hurriedly pulling back his hand from the thrilling sensation climbing his finger.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
What was that?
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Static electricity?
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“Are you alright?”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
‘Fu. Fufu.’
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
The shrine maiden let out a laugh.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Until just now
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Evan flinched.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Why was she suddenly laughing so scarily?
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“Yes. I’m fine. I…… seem to have misused my ability for a moment.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“Then I’m relieved. By chance, do you not like the item?”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“No. It’s not that.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
The shrine maiden shook her head urgently and hugged the chessboard tightly.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“It’s…… so much to my liking that I laughed.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
But that laugh was too sticky.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
While Evan inwardly felt uneasy, the shrine maiden strode toward Eugene.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Close enough for her hair to tickle his nose.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“For a moment.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
The shrine maiden lowered her head.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Close enough to see only her forehead for a brief moment
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
‘Fufu!
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
With a low laugh, the shrine maiden stepped back.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
She bowed her head deeply.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“Thank you, Evan. This matter…… I will never forget.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“I’m glad if it helped.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Hugging the chessboard preciously, the shrine maiden who raised her head whispered softly.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“In fact I don’t know yet……”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“I still don’t know well. If living like this is right, if I’m merely a piece on this chessboard.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“Even so, just now, I felt it. Thanks to you. Evan.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
The shrine maiden’s cheeks flushed.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“Do you believe in fate?”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
……
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“I don’t believe in it. But I think it exists.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
‘……Fufu. Yes. That’s enough.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
The shrine maiden whispered in a sweet voice.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“Until the day our fates touch again someday…… I will wait.”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
With those words, the shrine maiden took one step back.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
About a minute passed after she vanished.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Gone?
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Really gone?
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Evan, glancing around hurriedly.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
After confirming there was truly nothing.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
With a sigh, he swept his hair back.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Phew.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
I lived!! I really lived!!
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Truly, so much had happened.
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
Evan praised himself.
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Honestly, this time was pretty cool?
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Ah
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But I feel like I forgot something.
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Ocera had asked to convey regards to the shrine maiden.
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……Did I convey it?
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***
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Celestial magic.
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A now-forgotten magic, usable only by Elora.
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Folding space, manipulating time just a little.
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Authority usable only because the heavens permitted it.
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Thus, she always moved using blink or space folding.
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But why.
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Today, of all days, she didn’t want to use it.
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The shrine maiden moved with her own steps.
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The rustling sensation of sand touching her feet.
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The cool sensation felt outside.
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She slyly detached the chessboard.
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In that instant, all five senses changed.
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As if the entire world was watching the shrine maiden.
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But the moment she gripped the chessboard tightly.
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All those sensations vanished.
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Liberation.
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A feeling as if finding freedom.
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The shrine maiden felt something rising from within. Unable to hold it, she let it out.
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“Heu…… Fuhahahaha!”
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It was an exceedingly awkward laugh. She thought it was the first time laughing so loudly.
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It was true.
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The shrine maiden had always suppressed herself.
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Beyond that sky, she could see and hear the meaning of the constellations.
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Always monitored in every action, manipulated.
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That was her fate, and she always felt fate watching from all sides.
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But now, how to describe it.
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No one was watching.
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Like being under the moonlight with no clothes on, fully exposed.
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‘…Fate.’
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As if dancing, she wandered the desert slowly, showing soft body lines.
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The shrine maiden closed her eyes, accepting all these feelings…… and recalled once more.
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Fate. He…… said he doesn’t believe in fate. But he doesn’t think it doesn’t exist either.
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Doesn’t believe.
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But doesn’t think it’s absent.
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An attitude one might have toward ordinary people.
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But, somehow.
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Because Evan said it, it felt different.
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To say such words calmly in front of a witch who was nearly swallowed by fate and became a monster.
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‘……Could this be related?’
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The gift Evan gave.
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Chessboard.
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Did he think of her as a piece on the chessboard, or as someone who could control the chessboard?
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What did it mean.
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Both.
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The shrine maiden pondered for a very long time.
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Walking and walking the desert, even when the nearby scenery changed.
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“It’s been a while.”
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Such pondering did not end even when she coincidentally met a connection.
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The Assassin King, as always lying in beggar attire.
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Amid elves collapsed spewing blood from their necks, the Assassin King lying casually greeted the shrine maiden.
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“Isn’t it the shrine maiden?”
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“It’s been a while, Assassin King. Did the fortune I showed you back then fit well?”
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“Yes. It fit very well. Thanks to it…… it felt like the great demon of Angola avoided me.”
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Euhuhu, the Assassin King laughed and rose from his seat.
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He roughly rummaged through the pocket of a nearby collapsed elf.
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“Ah. Here it is.”
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The Assassin King took out what seemed a precious gem and tossed it to the shrine maiden.
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“Since it’s been a while, read my fortune once more.”
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“Fortune, you say?”
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“Not doing business now?”
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The shrine maiden briefly looked down at the chessboard.
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After gazing for a moment, the shrine maiden said.
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“Instead. How about a game with me?”
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“Game?”
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“Yes. I received a gift this time.”
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When the shrine maiden held out the chessboard, the Assassin King readily agreed.
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Chess was deep in history, recorded even in annals. Of course he knew how.
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“Know the rules?”
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“No.”
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“Here, this is like this…….”
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The shrine maiden moved the pieces on the chessboard as the Assassin King taught.
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Some pieces move one square, some only forward, some in all directions but only one square.
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Tap tap tap.
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She moved pieces one by one.
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Then, as if possessed, the shrine maiden pulled one piece back.
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An action she absolutely should not do.
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“……Shrine maiden?”
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But nothing restrained her.
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In that moment, the shrine maiden burst into laughter.
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Euhuhuhaha.
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“Something wrong?”
XyZaBc1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+-=[]{}|;:,.<>?/~`
“No.”
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The shrine maiden, leaking laughter kkk kkk, smiled brightly.
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“I think I finally understand.”
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Ah.
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I think I finally get it.
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What Evan meant by giving this.
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