The little elf’s soft voice held a hint of grievance.
Anyone targeted for no reason would find it difficult to maintain a good mood.
This reminded the mushroom of when it had first met the elf.
Looking back at that time after learning the language of this Another World, it was just as she had suspected. The elf had been facing verbal abuse from her companions that bordered on bullying.
Although someone had stepped in to help her then, they had tripped her and sold her out the moment a crisis arrived, leaving her as a sacrifice to the Wolf King to delay the monster’s pursuit.
Judging from that experience, the injustice she faced at the academy was likely not much different from what she had encountered in the Labyrinth.
Moreover, the opposing camp included a high-status figure like the Duke’s Daughter. With her power and influence, she only had to show a hint of dislike for a crowd of people to rush forward to curry favor by tormenting Lumina.
The lonely, helpless elf had to endure the malice of the entire group alone, which was truly heartbreaking.
Lumina’s background technically wasn’t inferior… As the biological niece of the Academy Principal, her influence in the Empire might not match that of the Duke’s Daughter, but for a guardian to allow her niece to suffer on her own turf meant she was hardly a competent elder.
Of course, Marlow could only criticize the elf’s aunt in her heart. She wouldn’t dare point out her faults to her face.
As for a Legend-rank Ranger who was nearly at the level cap, the mushroom naturally knew when to be submissive. However, when it came to dealing with a group of brats, she truly wasn’t afraid.
As the elf’s good neighbor, she naturally wanted to help her escape her terrible current situation.
Beyond being unable to stand her guardian’s neglect—and the rule forbidding Lumina from revealing their relationship—there was also a unique sense of possessiveness. Only she was allowed to tease the little elf.
In the mushroom’s view, the elf’s class was also part of the reason.
A kind Priest was always soft and tolerant in the face of malice. This well-intended compromise would never make wicked people find their conscience; instead, it only fueled the flames.
And so, she offered the elf some advice.
“The next time you encounter a situation like this, you should snap back firmly. How does that saying go? ‘If others do not provoke me, I will not provoke them; if others provoke me, I will surely strike back.'”
“A large portion of people just follow the crowd. They have no opinions of their own and just believe whatever others say. If you are too weak, they’ll think they’ve found a soft target and keep squeezing. But if you show your thorns like a hedgehog, they won’t dare open their mouths.”
Although she couldn’t jump to conclusions since every situation was different, the underlying logic of this Another World was that the strong were respected. Therefore, “battle high” seemed like a powerful way to resolve most conflicts.
This was something she highly advocated for.
“Shouldn’t it be ‘mushroom’? ‘If I don’t provoke the mushroom, the mushroom will provoke me’…”
Perhaps because Marlow’s previous theory mentioned “people” too many times, Lumina muttered a small comment.
She was very happy that Miss Marlow was getting emotional over her experiences. Only someone who truly cared would feel sadness, happiness, and anger on her behalf.
Her aunt would likely keep a cold face and remain unmoved.
Let alone caring for her, protecting her, or even devising a plan for her.
The elf hugged her favorite Deer Plushie, resting her chin between the antlers. Feeling a bit touched, she curled into a ball and rolled from the left side of the bed to the right, then rolled back and lay prone, her small feet kicking the blanket idly.
However…
‘I really can’t do it.’
While Miss Marlow was right and her concern was flattering, “no” meant “no.”
She guiltily shifted her gaze and whispered, “I can’t beat them.”
‘You can’t beat them?’
Marlow recalled the red-haired girl’s System Panel.
[Status Window]
[Name: Raciel Clinck]
[Race: Human]
[Class: Mage]
[Level: 29]
[Skills: Fire Magic LV 4, Water Magic LV 3, Wind Magic LV 3, Mana Detection LV 2, Mana Storage LV 3, Precision LV 1, Human Language Mastery LV 2, Noble Etiquette LV 8…]
[HP: 3400 (+500 Holy Fruit)]
[MP: 1650 (+200 Mana Condensing Necklace)]
***
Although she hadn’t had time to check carefully, the opponent’s MP, HP, and various attributes were much higher than the elf’s.
The base attributes for the Mage and Priest classes weren’t that different—high Mana and Intelligence but weak Defense. However, Raciel was clearly a “pay-to-win” player. The extra bonuses covering almost every category had forcibly built her into a stat monster.
Adventurers usually had extra “+” attributes displayed on their System Panels, which came from the equipment they wore.
The elf had them when they first met, but they likely disappeared because her clothes were severely damaged, losing that “Defense: +10” attribute.
Once the durability of equipment providing extra stats was exhausted, the additional stats would vanish. Well, that was reasonable.
That being said, judging solely by the attributes on the System Panel, the elf was almost guaranteed to lose.
It was no wonder she was so dejected and lacked confidence.
But reality was never determined by simple data alone, and more importantly, the elf was never fighting alone.
She said with absolute certainty, “Of course you can win. You still have me.”
The mushroom and the elf were essentially one.
If there was a difference between the two, it was only that the elf had chosen a pure support class and suffered from an equipment disadvantage compared to the “pay-to-win” player.
With her assistance, she believed they could bridge this seemingly insurmountable gap.
“So, wait for a good opportunity. Build up some momentum first. Once more people are paying attention, defeat your opponent perfectly in front of everyone.”
“As long as you can show your strength, others will have to weigh their own abilities before they try to bully you.”
‘It’s perfect,’ she thought, but the elf suddenly sat up and waved her hands repeatedly.
“No, no.”
“What do you mean, no?”
Lumina hesitated, unable to explain, before finally stammering out, “Violence can’t solve everything. There must be a gentler way.”
‘If there were a way, you probably wouldn’t have ended up in this situation.’
Marlow was momentarily speechless.
‘Her “Holy Mother” heart is overflowing.’
But did this mean the elf was a perfect fit for her class? After all, in many stories, Priests were often characters whose innocence bordered on stupidity.
‘So it’s an occupational hazard. That’s fine, then.’
As if knowing her words wouldn’t hold up, Lumina said awkwardly, “Fine, fine. Let’s not talk about this anymore. I know what I’m doing.”
‘You’d better.’
She said lazily, “Then I won’t interfere.”
It was rare for her to be so enthusiastic. If the elf didn’t accept it, she wouldn’t force it, but if she regretted it later and came back to beg for help, there would be a price to pay.
“Mm-hmm.”
The brief exchange ended. Lumina was likely very tired, because by the time Marlow remembered to set a time to visit the market, she had already fallen asleep.
Her hair spread out like a small white flower. Her left hand was raised above her head, clutching a tilted pillow, while her right arm hugged the plushie, the two antlers propped against her rounded chin.
Her bangs were pushed up, revealing eyebrows that weren’t usually seen.
Her eyebrows were a bit short, looking a bit like elongated commas. Her eyelashes were thick and long, and her lips were moist and lustrous. As the sunlight leaking through the curtains draped over her face, the elf seemed to be glowing.
‘No, no.’
She forced herself to shift her attention, refusing to keep staring at the elf’s sleeping face like some creep.
She had to admit the elf was beautiful, but it was still a bit short of being truly captivating.
She was just a bit concerned that the girl had fallen asleep with her stomach exposed. After all, to a traditional person from her old home, covering the stomach was an ancestral rule that could never be changed.
‘That is definitely the reason.’
Unfortunately, the mushroom had no hands or feet and couldn’t warmly cover the elf with a blanket like a parent.
In this situation, there was only one thing she could do.
That was to use her Mycelium to simulate a bit of pain, so that when the elf woke up, she would remember to cover herself with a blanket when sleeping in the future.
‘Ah, she really is a child who makes a mushroom worry.’