VIP Chapter 451: She Belongs to Me From the Beginning
“Iaar? Is someone calling you?”
“Oh no. It’s the adventurers I met when we went to fight the Fire Dragon before. They’ve recognized me… What should I do, what should I do… If they recognize you…”
Iaar’s tone was filled with worry. Although there wasn’t any “wanted” poster for Will circulating in public, Carver, who knew the information, might have already spread word within the Adventurer’s Guild to search for his location.
However, Will simply adjusted his hat, covering half his face in shadow. “It’s fine, hiding my appearance a bit like this should be enough. Since it’s people who recognized you, let’s just talk to them for a bit. Otherwise, it’ll be more suspicious.”
He watched the carriage approaching from behind and slowly stopped.
“You’re right.”
With that, Iaar turned to the side of the road and walked forward a few steps.
“It really is you! We heard before that the Fire Dragon was defeated by the White Castle. You must have played a part in it, right?”
Will saw a couple getting off the carriage, seemingly husband and wife. However, from Will’s perspective, the age difference between them was quite noticeable; one of them had graying hair, while the other was still young.
“White, Emily, I didn’t expect to see you here… But, the Fire Dragon before wasn’t… It wasn’t me who killed it, at least not the final blow…”
“Is that so? What a shame,” White sighed. “But it’s truly a miracle that someone could defeat the Fire Dragon that even you couldn’t.”
“Indeed, it was something beyond our combined strength. Sigh. Then we won’t push the matter.”
“…”
Will leaned against the wall nearby, silent, watching. They were Iaar’s former teammates. There must be some reason why they were determined to hunt the Fire Dragon—however, with Shuna’s monocle that allowed him to see magic fluctuations, Will could roughly guess it. The man carried a considerable amount of residual “frost magic,” and he wasn’t driving the carriage; he was lying down inside. Will guessed that he might have encountered a troublesome frost-based enemy in some dungeon, leading to his current physical disability and gray hair. Therefore, the couple before them were likely genuinely in love.
“…So, Iaar believed my lie back then partly because she had encountered a similar case beforehand.”
The three didn’t chat for too long, merely exchanging brief pleasantries as former temporary teammates about their next destinations.
“Oh, right, this is for you, Iaar.”
“What is this… woven bracelets…?”
“They don’t have any magical effects, nor were they brought from a dungeon. They’re purely made from fabric we bought.”
Emily handed Iaar one orange and one brown bracelet. The colors seemed to be chosen to match her and Will’s hair colors.
“We’re heading off to find a good place to live in seclusion now. But… it’s good to see that you seem to have found peace. It’s a good thing.”
“Hm?”
Iaar herself hadn’t realized how much her mental state had improved. She raised her head, and Emily leaned in, whispering to her conspiratorially—
“People at the Adventurer’s Guild have heard, more or less… stories about you from the Hysterm Family, but…”
Emily gestured towards Will, leaning against the wall without speaking.
“That gentleman, is he Iaar’s current lover? I can tell that Iaar has found someone who can help her move on, no longer just a maid who follows ‘Young Master.’ This is a good thing. Let’s continue on, just like us.”
“No, he’s actually…”
Iaar’s words caught in her throat. She wasn’t sure if this was the right time to reveal Will’s identity. But… as she hesitated, a warm breeze carrying the scent of late spring brushed past her, lifting the hem of her long skirt slightly. With this gust of wind, Iaar felt Will, who hadn’t moved closer before, quietly walk to her side with the breeze.
“This is for you. Thank you for accompanying Iaar for that while.”
He raised his hand, holding several potions with a red color reminiscent of flames, as if they were burning.
“Sir, what… what is this?!”
“Witch’s potions. I understand that frostbite. The Witch has had a solution for it for a long time. You didn’t need to go to such lengths to hunt the Fire Dragon.”
He said it with great nonchalance, completely concealing the fact that he had instantly identified White’s condition.
“Th-thank you so much!”
“It’s nothing, just a small favor.”
“D-dear, is… is this alright? If… if they recognize you…”
Iaar, flustered, lowered her head and obediently asked Will. For Will, perhaps the most undesirable thing for people to see was his appearance.
“Do you think I would have stepped out if it wasn’t alright?”
Will smiled and unreservedly slung an arm around Iaar’s shoulder.
“Oh, yes. Will—if you want to thank me, just remember this name.”
He waved his hand towards the couple in the carriage and said this.
“And, Iaar wasn’t taken away by anyone else. She has only belonged to me from the beginning.”
As the wind blew his hat off, his short brown hair and his heterochromatic eyes—perhaps Will’s most distinguishing features—were revealed.
“Huh… Huh? Dear… Are you… are you jealous?”
“It’s already exposed anyway, Carver will find me eventually.”
“That’s true. But I find that being thought of as your ‘lover’ instead of a ‘maid’ is also a good thing.”
Will felt Iaar nuzzle her ear against his chest as she said this.
“With this identity, I don’t have to worry about being abandoned by Will’s side anymore, right?”
Then, she put on the bracelets the couple had given her on her right hand.
“However…”
Will looked up at the blue sky as they walked towards the city. The Hysterm Family home wasn’t far from the town with the Adventurer’s Guild. It should only be a few steps away.
“Once we enter the city, there’s something I need you to help me do at the Adventurer’s Guild.”
“What is it?”
“Have you ever used the Adventurer’s Guild’s question board function? There’s a question posted there. I need you to bring me back all the reply letters to that question.”
“I can… Huh?! Could it be that you… are communicating with someone?”
Iaar pouted.
“You’re quite sharp about this. Hmm… A comrade in enemy territory.”
Will sighed, thinking that since they had discovered such a big secret about Reviers, then… as for the dungeon that was “Death Hall,” which should be very close to the truth. Shuna… When she met Emperor Daisianwei, would she discover even more secrets than they had?
“The question is…”
“Can you see wandering giant whales at the deepest part of the dungeon?”
Thinking back now, was the question Will posed also a kind of… hint about the current situation?
