They walked side by side without exchanging a single word. The bustle of the city—vendors shouting, footsteps of passersby, the clinking of coins—filled the silence between them, yet only made the distance feel more real.
Elian glanced at Amelia from the corner of his eye. The girl kept her head lowered, her steps stiff. Her face was calm, but from the way her fingers were clenched, Elian knew—she was angry. Or perhaps… disappointed.
"Did you become afraid of me after what happened earlier?" Elian finally spoke, his tone flat. "I suppose that's normal. After all, not many people can talk about killing so calmly."
Amelia stopped walking.
She slowly turned and looked straight into Elian's eyes. "Would you have killed him… if he really hadn't let us pass?" Her voice was hoarse, on the verge of breaking.
That gaze wasn't anger. Elian could feel it—it was sadness mixed with disappointment.
Without answering, Elian raised his hand and flicked Amelia on the forehead.
"Ah!" Amelia winced, reflexively clutching her forehead with both hands.
"Are you stupid?" Elian snorted. "What kind of lunatic kills someone just because they weren't allowed to use a teleportation altar?"
Amelia looked at him uncertainly, trying to read his expression.
"What kind of person do you think I am?"
Amelia lowered her hands and tightly gripped the edge of her clothes. "At first, I thought you were a good person," she said softly. "But now…"
"You think I'm evil?" Elian cut in.
Amelia shook her head. "I… I'm not sure."
Elian began recalling the background of Elian from the game. "You know, ever since long ago, I've often tortured people and extorted information from them. So tell me—do you think I'm still a good person?"
Amelia's eyes widened, shocked by Elian's confession. "I don't know… was there a reason you did those things?"
Elian was surprised by Amelia's response. He hadn't expected the conversation to turn in a direction he hadn't planned.
"I don't know. Maybe someday we'll find out."
Amelia lowered her head. "Then what's your reason for getting close to me all this time? Why have you been kind to me… why have you cared about me?"
Elian noticed how hoarse Amelia's voice sounded, as if she were about to cry. "I don't know. When I met you, I felt different," Elian continued. "Since meeting you, I've felt like I had to change…"
"Do you think… someone as bad as me can change?"
Elian understood that Amelia wasn't foolish at all. She might have already felt that Elian's behavior toward her was strange and had begun to suspect something. To most people, redemption stories were nothing more than empty talk—but to Amelia, redemption was a story that touched her heart.
Amelia lifted her gaze, looking at the bustling city streets, then took a deep breath before meeting Elian's eyes again. "I… can't say for sure. But I do know one thing," her voice trembled softly. "You were honest about your past with me. I hope that from now on, you'll truly change."
Elian smiled teasingly and added, "Unfortunately, my reason for wanting to change is you. If you weren't by my side, I might go back to being a bad person."
Amelia frowned upon hearing Elian's words. "If that's the case, then I'll always stay by your side so you won't do bad things."
"Hahaha…" Elian laughed lightly. "Are you making a reservation to become Miss Arcadia?"
Amelia's face flushed red. "N-no! I mean… as a friend!"
"Alright, alright." Elian raised his hands. "Then come with me to meet the city lord. As a future—ah, friend—you need to learn noble etiquette."
Amelia pinched Elian's side in annoyance.
Not long after, they arrived at the city lord's grand mansion. After Elian presented the Arcadia family crest, they were welcomed with great respect.
After waiting briefly in the garden, the city lord finally appeared before them.
A middle-aged man approached with calm, dignified steps. His gray hair was neatly slicked back, while his sharp black eyes seemed to grasp Elian's very being in an instant. He wore a long dark-blue coat with fine gold embroidery along the edges—simple, yet clearly signifying high status.
Elian immediately opened his status panel:
Name: Casian ValmorGender: MaleAge: 39Sequence: ???Magic Power: ???Personality: EvilTrait: Charismatic, Visionary, Calculative, Neutral
Rank: ???
Strength: ???Dexterity: ???Agility: ???Constitution: ???Intelligence: ???Wisdom: ???Charisma: ???
Knowing Casian's personality, Elian immediately stood and greeted him politely.
"Viscount Casian, I've heard your name before. I never expected we'd have the chance to meet today." Elian stepped forward and shook his hand.
"Oh, aren't you Mr. Elian, heir of the Marquis Arcadia family? I'm honored that you'd visit my humble residence. Servants, prepare the finest wine we have!" Casian commanded loudly.
"No need, no need. We're only here to greet you. As you know, I'm a student of Astryx Academy, and we came here for a certain matter."
Casian noticed something and glanced toward the woman sitting behind Elian, who was calmly eating cake.
"This young lady is…"
"She is—let's say, someone precious to me."
"Oh, how rude of me." Casian walked over to Amelia and bowed. "My name is Casian Valmor. May I know the lady's name?"
Amelia was startled and quickly stood up. "My name is Amelia."
Casian carefully observed Amelia.
"Please don't take offense, Lord Casian. Amelia and I decided to keep our relationship hidden until we are officially engaged. That's why she doesn't wish to mention her family name."
Casian's eyes gleamed as he understood something. "No need to worry, Mr. Elian. In any case, I believe talented people like you belong together, and I will support your relationship."
"Mr. Casian, there's actually something I'd like to discuss with you privately."
Casian sensed something and immediately invited Elian to walk around the garden to talk.
After quite some time, they returned looking much closer than before. Amelia, seeing how naturally they spoke as if they'd known each other for years, grew curious about how Elian could become close to others so quickly.
After exchanging farewells, Casian left, leaving Elian alone with Amelia.
Elian walked up to Amelia and slowly raised his hand, placing a ring on her finger.
Amelia was shocked by the sudden situation, her mind going completely blank.
"This is a storage ring. That way, you won't need to carry bags and books that would weigh you down," Elian explained.
"I can't accept this. It's too expensive," Amelia firmly refused, realizing how valuable the ring was.
"Mr. Casian noticed that we didn't have storage rings, so he gave one to each of us as a gift for reaching Class S. You don't need to overthink it. Mr. Casian is a very kind person—he's even built many orphanages to shelter children. That's why we didn't see any homeless kids during our trip," Elian said, showing the identical ring on his own hand.
Amelia felt relieved and amazed by Casian's kindness. "I didn't expect someone that kind to exist. I'm sure he's helped many people live better lives."
Elian laughed at Amelia's words. "You're right. Even in his prime, he established many orphanages throughout the Kingdom of Celestra."
Hearing that, Amelia admired Casian even more.
"By the way, why did you lie again and say I was your partner or something?" Amelia asked with a stern face.
"I was just joking," Elian smiled.
They soon left the mansion. Along the way, Amelia taught Elian basic knowledge about harvesting medicinal herbs and what he needed to know before climbing a mountain.
They spent the day searching for aether roots in the mountains. Nothing interesting happened, since Amelia was so familiar with the terrain that Elian never got the chance to catch her when she slipped or trigger any other cliché scene.
After collecting the aether roots, they returned to the city, and Elian invited Amelia to walk around and enjoy the nighttime atmosphere. Amelia insisted on seeing the orphanage Casian had built, and Elian reluctantly agreed.
Unfortunately, the children were already asleep that night. Still, Amelia looked satisfied seeing rows of children sleeping on beds, protected by a roof over their heads.
A servant explained the good deeds Casian had done for the children.
Elian noticed the servant carried a faint metallic scent, and his face twisted in disgust as countless thoughts churned in his mind.
"I hope I can become like Lord Casian someday," Amelia smiled and turned toward Elian, who was wearing a disgusted expression.
"Mr. Elian?"
Elian snapped back to reality and smiled at Amelia. "I'm tired. Let's go home."