Free Web NovelThe dim night sky.
On the silent, empty path, Vieya wandered aimlessly.
She thought Flaviel was just hiding on purpose, quietly staying in the dark.
When she had searched everywhere, disheveled and desperate, Flaviel would jump out like the Great Demon King she was—appearing before her, pointing at ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) her nose, laughing while comforting her.
If there was enough time, she would even accompany her for a walk—just the two of them.
Like ordinary human lovers, they would talk about each other’s hobbies on the road, do a few mischievous things together, then make up and shake hands afterward...
That was how it always went whenever the two of them quarreled in the past.
But unfortunately, most of the time back then, Vieya had been the one waiting for Flaviel to take the first step.
Sometimes, when Flaviel couldn’t bring herself to apologize directly, she would deliberately change into another form—as if switching into her loli form or mature form to apologize somehow made it less embarrassing.
Even though all their memories were shared...
Back then, Vieya hadn’t understood.
But now she did. Because after she “shrank,” aside from her body, not much else had changed.
Though... perhaps Flaviel’s wasn’t really “shrinking” at all...
“......”
Vieya silently fiddled with the yellowed diary. She truly had so many things she wanted to talk to Flaviel about face to face.
All the things she hadn’t wanted to face back then, and whatever it was that Flaviel had gone through in her final days...
But why are you avoiding me?
Did your energy run out? Did you vanish like a bubble?
Or... was it like the diary said—after using her three chances, she disappeared completely?
But even counting this time, I should still have one chance left, shouldn’t I?
Vieya refused to believe that the Demon King who had just been poking her in the waist a while ago had now burned out her power so completely she couldn’t even leave behind a shadow.
“Damn it... can’t she survive a day without teasing me? Right—when I first met her in Mount Aisa, it was under that temple courtyard. Maybe I should go take a look there?” freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
“When I see her, I’m definitely going to scold her good!”
“Maybe... huh?”
Vieya suddenly lifted her head, faintly sensing that the atmosphere around her was changing.
Quiet—too quiet.
The stillness of the air felt like the tense calm before a storm.
The moon in the sky began to move, visibly shifting like a clock hand turning backward.
“This is...” Vieya’s heart skipped a beat. “The seven-day limit... has come?”
At the same time, faint voices calling her name echoed in the distance—it was Rania and Menesis.
...
Elsewhere.
“What? You’re saying Miss Cleric ran out?”
Luna frowned. “Did something happen? From what I’ve seen of her along the way, she’s not the kind of person who loses her head or causes trouble for others.”
“I don’t know the details—ask that pudding-sized Menesis. She’s short but loves to jump up and slap people on the shoulder,” Yuancherin said, jutting her chin toward the door. “Anyway, the moment I woke up, I heard she’d scared some poor girl to tears.”
“Menesis isn’t the type to lack tact,” Luna said, but her brows didn’t ease.
Kare looked astonished. “Someone actually made Ye-sis cry? No way! She doesn’t look like your average girl at all.”
“And weren’t you supposed to be interrogating that guy? What are you doing here?” Yuancherin asked.
“With Ark there, it’s fine. I was just nodding off anyway,” Kare shrugged. “Still, where’s Menesis? Haven’t seen her either.”
“Little Pudding went off to find her. Made the mess, now she’s gotta clean it up,” Yuancherin said with a bit of schadenfreude. “Wonder if she’s found her yet... sigh.”
“......”
Kare sighed helplessly. “Lin-sis, come on, now’s not the time to be kicking someone when they’re down.”
After a pause, he added, “They went off that way. Should I grab Pus and the others and go look for them? It’s pitch dark out there. If Ye-sis runs into trouble, what then?”
“That depends on Captain Luna,” Yuancherin said, looking to her.
Luna shook her head. “Miss Cleric isn’t foolish. The fact she could suppress the Holy Sword proves that much. With Menesis and the Hero Lady accompanying her, there shouldn’t be a problem.”
“But we should stay here a little longer and wait for their return before deciding on our next move.”
Luna turned to Yuancherin. “What time is it now?”
“Almost four hours,” Yuancherin replied. “Those miners might be heading back toward us soon.”
“Then we’ll hold position here until dawn,” Luna said. “If any fighting breaks out in town during that time, we’ll move together to assist.”
“What about the prisoner?” Kare scratched his head.
“Tell Ark not to give him any chance to stab us in the back.”
“Got it, I’ll tell Ark right now!”
Kare darted off toward the interrogation room next door.
“That kid’s probably going to gossip with Pus about Menesis and Vieya’s ‘tragic love feud’ or something,” Yuancherin muttered, clicking her tongue.
“They’re friends...” Liufir murmured weakly, half distracted.
“No—wait!”
Standing at the doorway and scanning the whole town, Luna suddenly stiffened. Her eyes locked on the moon above, and she quickly turned back toward Yuancherin. “What time is it now?”
“Didn’t we just—”
Yuancherin stopped mid-sentence. She suddenly froze as realization struck, and she rushed back into the room where they’d been resting.
Moments later, she emerged holding both an hourglass and a magic crystal clock, her face pale. She looked at Luna and Liufir.
“Time’s gone wrong... they’re both running backward.”
Luna’s expression darkened. “Looks like the time has come. The so-called seven-day cycle... has descended again.”
“Go next door and call Rakaide and the others. Deal with the prisoner—beforehand.”
...
“Vieya, stop messing around. Come back with us. I really didn’t mean to scare you...”
Menesis jogged up behind Vieya, hands on her knees, panting lightly as she tried to coax her patiently. “Whatever it is, we can talk about it back there.”
Rania also stepped forward, blocking Vieya’s path, completing their two-sided encirclement. “There are people waiting for you back home,” she said softly. “Don’t let them down.”
“...Sorry for causing trouble.”
Vieya took a deep breath, forcing down all the turmoil in her heart connected to Flaviel. Her eyes lowered.
“It was impulsive of me earlier. But now... I want to temporarily end my contract with Fairy’s Wings.”
“You... what do you think that contract is?!”
Menesis straightened in disbelief, her gaze instinctively falling to the small notebook in Vieya’s hand.
“That diary—does it record something unspeakable? Is that why you’re acting like this? Is it?!” Suddenly, her tone flared with anger:
“Aren’t you saving money? Didn’t you say you wanted to give your daughter a better life? Didn’t you say you were a good mother?”
“We’ve already found something tied to the Hero! Just bringing out a piece of that broken armor will complete the request—enough money for an ordinary person to live comfortably for a lifetime!”
“But now you’re throwing all that away—for some shabby diary you can’t even tell is real or fake, that could even be a trap?!”
“You don’t understand...” Vieya whispered.
Seeing her like this, Rania—who had been standing silently nearby—felt a sudden confusion rising inside her.
She realized that even now, she still didn’t truly understand this white-haired girl before her, whose identity was wrapped in mystery.
