They had not long become Rank Seven Braves. In a matter of days, the manipulated beast army would launch a decisive battle against the Braves stationed within the city.
A pall of pessimism hung over the city, given their overwhelming disadvantage. Many fled under the cover of night, hoping to escape the monstrous horde.
Yet, the wilderness forests proved far more perilous. Most of those who sought refuge there never returned, perishing amidst the trees.
Despair, thick and suffocating, enveloped the city.
One evening, Chiling sat alone on the grassy cliffside, gazing blankly at the stars above. Silverbloom, sensing her heavy heart, soon joined her, sitting shoulder to shoulder.
The brilliant moonlight seemed to drape the cliff in a thin, silvery veil. Leaves rustled softly in the breeze, a symphony mingling with the chirping of insects, making their silhouettes appear a little less solitary.
As time passed, Chiling inevitably found herself thinking of her mother.
She recounted countless stories about her mother, her voice a continuous stream from when the moon first appeared until it hung high in the sky. By the end, she was weeping uncontrollably, a veritable fountain of tears.
“Go home. I’ll be here.”
There was no elaborate comfort, only a calm suggestion to return, to see her mother one last time. Yet, Chiling refused.
“I’ve already lost her. I cannot lose you too…”
Those were the last words she uttered that night, her voice hoarse with emotion.
****
The brief memory silently faded. Lena observed Chiling, whose face was etched with distress, and resolved to meet Roland tomorrow, appearing as the Silverbloom Sword Princess.
She had no idea why Roland wished to see her, but she yearned to mend the strained relationship between Roland and Chiling. If successful, this would be a form of atonement for Chiling.
“Sometimes, I truly wish Silverbloom were here with me. She’s so gentle; she would surely find a way to help Roland and I reconcile.”
Chiling sighed, her words startling Lena.
Lena covertly glanced at Chiling, only relaxing when she realized Chiling wasn’t paying her any attention.
She had almost believed Chiling possessed mind-reading abilities and had seen through her.
Later, Celia and the others chatted with Chiling until late. It was only when the moon hung high in the mid-sky that Chiling prepared to leave.
However, Lena spoke up, inviting her to stay. She mentioned the late hour and the availability of empty rooms in the villa, suggesting Chiling spend the night.
Chiling readily agreed, much to Celia’s excitement. This meant she would hear even more tales about Silverbloom.
Unfortunately, Lena would never allow her to stay up late.
Under Lena’s persistent urging, Celia dejectedly went to bed, her hopes of hearing more stories utterly dashed.
Chiling, who had observed the entire exchange, couldn’t help but feel a touch of bewilderment.
‘A Brave resident actually listens obediently to a landlady?’
Having witnessed such an unusual dynamic for the first time, she couldn’t help but remark, “The way you two are, it’s more like a mother and daughter.”
“I’ve always regarded Celia as my own child.” Lena smiled sweetly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
Chiling offered no reply. In that moment, she inexplicably felt that the woman before her possessed a peculiar charm, one that made people unconsciously trust her words and unreservedly open their hearts to her.
‘How truly strange.’
Shaking her head, she returned to the room Lena had prepared for her.
Lying on the bed, the moment she closed her eyes, Silverbloom’s image floated into her mind.
Silver hair, a warm smile—Silverbloom drew closer and closer, until just as their hands were about to touch, she vanished abruptly, like a bubble.
The nightmarish ending caused Chiling to snap her eyes open. She gasped for breath, her back drenched in sweat. The room before her was Lena’s private bath. After blinking twice, seeing only the dim ceiling, she silently closed her eyes once more.
****
Braves’ Guild, Training Ground.
“Roland, watch out!”
A startled cry rang out, instantly jolting Roland from her daze. However, the sandbag hurtling towards her was too close to evade. She tensed her body, bracing herself to endure the impact.
Thud—!
A dull thud echoed through the training ground. Despite her Rank Four Brave strength, she was sent flying several meters backward, lying on the ground for a considerable time before slowly recovering.
“Are you alright, Roland?”
The brown-haired girl rushed to her side, helping her up from the ground. Her other teammates also gathered around her, their faces etched with concern.
“I’m fine.” Roland waved a hand, covering her bleeding nose.
“Perhaps we should skip training today? Take a day to rest, Captain. You really should adjust your state.”
Roland had been constantly distracted during training, even making mistakes on the most basic exercises. Her teammates could all tell she had a lot on her mind today.
“My apologies.”
“You don’t need to apologize to us, Captain. Everyone has their off days, especially since you’ve looked after us for so long…”
Her teammates didn’t actually require an apology from Roland. After all, it was usually *they* who were out of sorts. It was rare for their Captain to be like this, and they even felt a sense of relief, their own pressure considerably lessened.
“Roland, can you tell us what happened? Perhaps we can help you solve it?”
“No need. Just let me be alone for a moment.”
Rejecting the brown-haired girl’s concern, Roland walked alone to a bench by the training ground and sat down in solitude.
Her preoccupation was quite simple: she yearned to meet Senior Silverbloom.
Yesterday, she had gone to Lilia’s residence, hoping to glean some information about Senior Silverbloom. Unexpectedly, Chiling was there, leading to her return empty-handed.
However, did this not imply that even Chiling had not managed to meet Senior Silverbloom?
Realizing this, her mood inevitably grew heavier.
Chiling was Silverbloom’s former teammate, yet even she couldn’t meet her. Then, wouldn’t Roland’s chances be even more remote?
It made sense, she mused. Senior Silverbloom was the strongest of her era, several tiers above someone like Skyfire. It wouldn’t be easy to meet her.
Once she acknowledged the slim chance of meeting Senior Silverbloom, she found herself uncontrollably despondent. There were some matters she believed only Senior Silverbloom could resolve.
Beep, beep, beep—
Her communicator chimed at that moment. Roland frowned as she retrieved it, and upon seeing the message, she grew even more impatient.
‘Sharlene?’
The Guild Master usually had nothing but bad news, mostly involving tiring and difficult assignments. She had long seen through Sharlene over the years.
Despite grumbling to herself, she rose from the bench and headed towards the Guild Master’s office on the second floor.
Knocking three times, she then unceremoniously pushed the door open.
“Sharlene, I don’t know why you’re looking for m—”
Mid-sentence, she saw a silver-haired, golden-eyed beauty seated gracefully on the sofa in the center of the office.
Upon seeing Roland, the beauty blinked, revealing an exceedingly sweet smile.
“S-Senior Silverbloom?!”