Seeing Heifni finally look back at him, Colin suddenly smiled.
He spoke slowly, and his words made Heifni take him seriously.
“Since this matter is really important to you, then you should work hard to accomplish it. As for whether there’s hope? Do you really believe there isn’t? In this world, it’s actually quite hard to find something that’s completely hopeless.”
“Keep in mind, even the strongest Demon Lord was once slain by a Hero wielding a holy sword. I’ve even heard stories about a Demon Lord who fell in love with a human, and in the end, they both found happiness.”
“Things that ordinary people think impossible can still succeed. So how can you believe that what you want to achieve has no hope? Maybe it’s just a difference in perspective, or you’re convincing yourself there’s no hope.”
“But no matter what, whether there’s hope or not can only be known if you keep going. If you give up now, then there really won’t be any hope.”
Colin’s heartfelt words made a light flicker in Heifni’s eyes again.
But soon, that light dimmed once more.
“…What good is it for you to say these things? It’s not your problem anyway. You don’t have to care about me.”
Hearing this, Colin’s expression turned serious.
He gently adjusted Heifni’s posture so their eyes met.
Looking at the puzzled Heifni in front of him, Colin spoke each word deliberately.
“Of course I have to care. You’re the mage in our squad! Without you, what would the rest of us do? We need you, so naturally, we won’t turn a blind eye to what you’re going through. Otherwise, this wouldn’t even be called a squad.”
He paused briefly, then placed his hand on Heifni’s head and stroked it gently.
“Heifni, you don’t need to worry so much. If there’s a serious problem, we can face it together. So don’t be so discouraged. I still need you.”
Heifni stared blankly at Colin, feeling the touch on her head. Only after Colin finished speaking did he withdraw his hand.
Colin wanted to see Heifni’s expression to confirm how she felt after his speech.
But Heifni turned away, not letting Colin see her face.
Seeing this, Colin could only wait patiently for her to regain her composure before continuing their conversation.
At the same time, Heifni was touching her flushed cheeks.
She had just unexpectedly obtained the thing she wanted most: Colin had touched her head!
After hearing Colin’s words, she no longer felt so discouraged.
More than that, she even felt she still had a chance!
Because Colin had just said to her: He still needs me!
Th-this, this, this is practically a confession of love! Could Colin really feel that way about her? No, no, no, she couldn’t think so rashly.
With Colin’s ironclad mindset, he definitely didn’t mean it like that!
But just because it’s not now doesn’t mean it never will be~ Based on what Colin said, maybe she really still has a chance!
Heifni had already started imagining what might happen in the future.
But she didn’t dwell on those thoughts for long, stopping herself with strong willpower.
Now was not the time to fantasize!
Heifni turned back to face Colin calmly.
Colin was puzzled.
This little girl had looked utterly lost just moments ago, so how could she be so calm now? Could it be that my words actually worked? That quickly?
Looks like I really have a knack for this.
Colin silently filed away the words he had just said on a whim.
If there’s another chance, he’d say them again—maybe he could help others regain their confidence just like Heifni did.
Although Colin was still pondering where else those words might be useful, he didn’t neglect to observe Heifni’s condition.
After a long silence, Heifni finally opened her mouth slowly, as if she wanted to say something.
Colin immediately stopped thinking and listened carefully.
“…Um, you can go now. I’m fine. No need to worry anymore.”
??? Already fine? That’s too quick! Is she trying to fool me?
Colin eyed Heifni skeptically.
But he truly didn’t see the lost expression he’d seen before.
Instead, he sensed a strong fighting spirit radiating from her, as if she was preparing to give her all to accomplish something.
Seeing this, Colin nodded half-believing and decided to leave it at that for now.
Once they returned, he would keep observing her.
If no further issues arose, then she really was okay.
Heifni looked uncomfortable under Colin’s scrutinizing gaze.
So she changed the subject, trying to get him to leave first.
She still hadn’t fully settled her feelings!
“Uh, do you have anything to do later? Staying here longer is fine, right?”
Hearing Heifni’s words, Colin suddenly remembered why he had come to this shop in the first place.
He wanted to see if there were any magical items suitable for Liyami, so he could buy one to give her.
Because he was going on a “walk” with Liyami soon!
Thinking this, Colin quickly checked the time and realized he was already past their agreed meeting time.
He gave Heifni some reminders, saying he would continue to check on her later, then hurriedly left.
Only after Colin completely disappeared from her sight did Heifni begin to consider what to do next.
She left the magic item shop and walked through the bustling streets as usual.
Though she wanted to keep her thoughts on future plans, she couldn’t help but recall what Colin had just said: I need you! I can’t live without you! (That last sentence was Heifni’s own imagination.)
At that thought, a sweet smile involuntarily spread across her face.
She lifted her head and looked around at the nearby shops and passersby.
The world suddenly felt so beautiful that she no longer wanted to think about anything else, just to stop and appreciate the moment.
With a smiling sigh, Heifni decided not to worry about troublesome matters today.
She would reward herself with a true rest.
With that thought, Heifni entered the nearest restaurant, intending to try if it offered better food.
Of course, it wasn’t that she disliked the places she usually went to, but she wanted to explore more new things.
After all, even the best food can become tiresome eventually.
When that time comes, she would go find even better food!
Though she hadn’t figured out an effective solution yet, she had made up her mind.
No matter what the future holds, she would keep moving forward with a smile, just as she always had.