The Price of Love and a Dangerous Path

“You mean…love?”

There are countless kinds of love in this world, but Chris only knows one kind of love.

This fire, still burning fiercely within her chest, refused to be extinguished; she was utterly consumed by it.

Yet, when faced with the prospect of harming the one she loved, she found herself utterly incapable.

She simply could not bear to cause him pain.

At her core, Chris was a gentle soul.

True affection, she believed, necessitated a mutual journey.

At least, that was her conviction.

Though she disagreed with Noyu’s brand of affection, hearing Bai Wanting’s unwavering words brought a faint blush to her cheeks, and an aura of pure happiness emanated from her.

‘To be with the person you love… could it truly be such a blissful experience?’

A flicker of hesitation crossed her mind.

‘What if, back then, she had disregarded all obstacles and pulled her master to her side…’

‘What if she had eliminated Aile from the very beginning…’

‘Surely, her master’s gaze would have rested solely upon her.’

‘Perhaps the ‘ordinary’ affection she had clung to for so long had been a grave mistake after all.’

“Um, Miss Bai Wanting!”

Chris clasped her small hands tightly, for when it came to romance, she was undeniably a complete novice.

Her only expertise lay in unrequited love, where she was a seasoned veteran.

She began, a hint of awkwardness in her voice:

“I… I have a friend! This is a problem my friend is facing… Yes! It’s definitely my friend’s problem.”

“…”

Eliza watched them silently, knowing full well that Chris’s predicament was beyond her ability to resolve.

“Hmm… a friend? A friend…”

Bai Wanting, choosing not to expose the pretense, chuckled softly.

“Heh heh, go on and ask.

I’ll do my best to answer you.”

“She, she’s been secretly in love with someone for a very, very long time! Truly ages.

But that person always only treats me… treats her as a sister or a daughter, and it truly vexes her!”

“Hmm… a senior-figure type, then?”

“She had so many chances to confess her feelings to him, yet each time, fear held her back.

Finally, she gathered her courage and resolved to declare her true affections, only for him to vanish without a word.”

‘He truly made me search for ages!’

‘Once I find Master, I’ll punish him with three days of the silent treatment!’

‘…Three days might be a bit too long.

How about three minutes instead?’

“So… have I been wrong all along?”

“Does he… not like me even a little?”

‘Was seeking an ordinary love a mistake from the very beginning?’

Chris clutched her sword, her mind consumed by images of her master, so much so that her magic unconsciously began to leak outwards.

“Miss Chris, you are mistaken.”

Bai Wanting declared to her without hesitation.

“Eh?”

“If your affection for him truly runs deep, then allow me to instruct you.”

“No… it’s not me! It’s a friend… it’s my friend…”

“Miss Chris, it won’t do to be insincere with your own heart.”

Chris had heard those very words from someone else before.

“Ugh… it’s me! It is me! I’m the one who was abandoned!”

Chris could no longer maintain the pretense; when it came to love, she refused to betray her true feelings.

“But, how deeply do you love him?”

Bai Wanting scrutinized the young woman, as if appraising her very worth.

“I would offer my heart.”

Chris replied without a moment’s hesitation.

This was the one answer that would never waver.

In those eyes, Bai Wanting saw no trace of shadow; the girl’s fervent passion stirred something within her.

“If you love him so profoundly, could you truly bear to watch him be devoured by another?”

“Devoured?”

Chris’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“Heh heh, then try to imagine… that woman you despise the most.”

Chris closed her eyes, and Aile’s face instantly materialized before her.

‘No… it’s not hatred… truly… she merely took everything that rightfully belonged to me.’

Bai Wanting began to narrate slowly.

“She straddles the man you love, slowly leaning her head against his chest.

He gently strokes her hair, and they embrace, their gazes locking in deep kisses…”

The instant the imagined figures began their actions, Chris felt her mind teetering on the brink of collapse.

She yearned to strangle Aile, who was passionately kissing her master, and take her place.

Even though she knew it was merely a figment of her imagination, a profound jealousy surged within her towards Aile.

What she had always accepted suddenly became utterly intolerable.

She would never condone it.

She would never agree.

Should such a day ever come, she might very well be driven to madness by envy.

‘So that’s how it is…’

Noyu’s words, Bai Wanting’s words, echoed through her mind.

“Make him understand that you are the one who loves him most, and he will undoubtedly reciprocate your feelings.”

“And if words alone are insufficient, then make him understand with your body.”

‘So this was what she had been lacking.’

“But, I cannot harm him.”

Chris’s expression darkened; she simply could not defy her master’s commands.

While she certainly possessed the power to compel her master, she harbored no desire to inflict pain upon him.

“Who said anything about harming him?

Look, isn’t this merely a potent remedy?”

Bai Wanting plucked a stalk of the Phantasmal Glowcap Mushroom (TL Note: A fictional mushroom with luminescent properties, often used in fantasy settings for its effects on perception or emotions.) and gently placed it in Chris’s hand.

“A remedy…”

Chris stared blankly at the object in her hand, a faint heat rising in her nostrils.

“Furthermore, for his happiness, such a small sacrifice is negligible.”

The seductive voice caused Chris to swallow hard.

‘That’s right… if it’s for Master, she, she is merely ensuring Master isn’t deceived by strange women!’

‘There’s a perfectly valid reason for all of this!’

‘If she only uses a tiny bit, even Master will surely forgive her.’

‘She has legitimate grounds!’

“A remedy! This is truly a wonderful remedy, Teacher Bai Wanting!”

Seeing Chris’s eyes sparkle as she looked at her, Bai Wanting finally exhaled deeply.

While she generally harbored no fondness for most women, those with boyfriends were an exception.

Moreover, the girl’s feelings mirrored her own, meaning they wouldn’t approach Xiaoqian, thus posing far less danger.

“I knew you would understand me, Miss Chris… I’ll cheer for your romance!”

“Teacher Bai Wanting! Only after meeting you have I finally understood! Love is something one must fight for!”

“Still, I truly wish to see what your boyfriend is like.

He must be incredibly happy, right?”

Bai Wanting’s gaze was instantly enveloped by an impenetrable darkness.

“Yes, he’s very happy.

But he’s quite shy and doesn’t like to meet others, so…”

“Oh, I see!”

Chris couldn’t help but marvel at the endless wonders of the world, but her comment was merely a passing thought; her attention had already shifted to collecting Dragon Candle Powder (TL Note: A rare, mystical powder derived from a mythical ‘Dragon Candle’ or ‘Candle Dragon’, often possessing magical properties.).

‘The day I find Master, I’ll force-feed him ten bottles without a word, won’t I?’

“Heh heh.”

As they conversed, the trio gradually drew closer to the heart of the secret realm.

The further they advanced, the more Bai Wanting felt an oppressive weight pressing upon her chest.

Finally, as the forest reached its end, the scenery within the secret realm abruptly transformed; ethereal blue flames enveloped the entire world, and on the nearby grassland stood countless winged figures, their wings broken.

Their faces contorted in grotesque grimaces, they roamed the land like walking corpses.

The oppressive aura they exuded caused even Chris to frown.

This place was far more terrifying than the outside world; Bai Wanting was on the verge of fainting.

“Angels? Or… fallen angels…”

“This is rather troublesome.”

Chris drew her sword.

Angels, as they were called, were beings that surpassed level 100.

While she possessed the ability to slay gods beyond her own level, she wasn’t confident in her chances of escaping unscathed here.

The sheer number of wandering angels before them was simply overwhelming.

‘Who could have possibly wrought such a thing?’

To so easily banish angels into this shattered world, and judging by their mindless state, perhaps countless trillions of years had passed since their fall.