Faced with everyone’s piercing glares, Letia simply laughed it off.
No matter how one looked at it, talking about friendship and bonds one moment only to turn around and stab her best friend in the back twice for a man the next was a bit… eccentric.
But she couldn’t help it!
That was just her personality; she simply couldn’t resist being a little mischievous.
Life was bitter enough as it was, so shouldn’t one try to find more joy in it?
However, faced with the dark expression on Liz’s face, Letia’s guilty conscience finally got the better of her.
She turned to bolt.
“Ahem! Anyway, I’m heading back to Succubus Street to play! See you later!”
Before her voice even faded, she was already moving like a startled rabbit, completely disregarding any ladylike grace — not that she really had much to begin with.
With a graceful flip, she vanished through the nearest window with a sharp whoosh.
Only when Letia’s figure had completely disappeared did Jessica sigh deeply, pressing a hand to her forehead in exasperation.
“That girl is far too free-spirited. She’s like an unbridled…”
Jessica paused, then looked at Liz with a hint of an inquiry.
“Liz, are you really not going to do anything? You’re just letting her run off?”
“I can’t control her,” Liz said, shaking her head.
Her face showed little anger; instead, it carried a sort of indulgent helplessness.
“And… let her go.”
This overly calm response left Jessica even more puzzled, her brows furrowing slightly.
“Why?”
Liz’s gaze drifted toward the window where Letia had vanished.
Her eyes were deep, and her voice was low and steady.
“Letting her go find Red… just consider it a way for me to make up for the past.”
She paused, seemingly organizing her thoughts.
“Compared to our dilapidated Dawnblade, perhaps the current Red… needs someone like that lighthearted jester more.”
Jessica instantly understood Liz’s intention.
She wasn’t just letting Letia run wild.
She was taking this opportunity to completely let go of her complex, inexplicable ties to Red.
To be able to admit so calmly that Red needed someone else rather than insisting on competing with him… she had indeed changed a lot.
While Jessica was lost in thought, Liz continued speaking.
“I take back what I said before. Dawnblade will… continue to maintain its current roster. However, we will temporarily set aside our Dungeon raids. Instead, we’ll focus on sustaining ourselves on the lower floors. Once I’ve recruited enough members, we’ll head into the deeper levels again.”
After speaking, Liz stood up.
Judging by her posture, she seemed to be heading toward the Adventurer’s Guild.
“Are you planning to go to the Adventurer’s Guild to recruit people?”
“No…”
Liz shook her head.
“I’m going to take care of something even more important.”
Seeing Liz like this, Jessica was left completely in the dark, unable to make head or tail of it.
***
Shifting the perspective back to Red.
He had been sitting in the shop for an entire day.
People might not believe it, but Red’s act of flipping Letia’s skirt… really wasn’t because he was a pervert or had a thing for white stockings.
In reality, he had his own deeper reasons.
No matter how much he smiled, Red was well aware that a thick air of dejection still clung to him, something that was impossible to fully hide.
Letia knew this as well, which was why she chose to stay by his side.
But Red didn’t want his negative emotions to affect her.
That was why he had flipped her skirt — to make himself look as normal as he usually was.
Truly.
I’m not lying.
Those white stockings were indeed nice, though the open-crotch style was a bit… heretical.
But on second thought… it wasn’t exactly unacceptable?
Red shook those messy thoughts — like the feeling of “ready-to-eat” access — out of his head.
‘I should go sit at Rainwind Bridge for a while.’
Red sighed and walked out of the Weapon Shop.
After hanging up the “Closed” sign, he walked toward the distance under the glow of the setting sun.
After an unknown amount of time, he returned once again to the place where he had first met Litt.
The young girl’s gentle words seemed to echo in his ears, leaving his mind in a daze.
‘Let go.’
Those two simple words were far easier said than done.
Red sat on a stone bench, quietly watching the sun slowly dip below the horizon.
During his days in Dawnblade, despite being surrounded by many people, there was no doubt… back then, he was incredibly lonely.
After leaving Dawnblade, he thought he would be able to continue living in the accustomed darkness of his solitude.
But… Litt, a nun who was like an angel, had barged into his life.
She had opened a window for him, allowing a bit of warm sunlight to shine upon his body.
Her unreserved kindness had made him realize that this world wasn’t as cold and exhausting as he had imagined.
Red knew very well that Litt’s identity wasn’t simple.
He had actually been mentally prepared for her departure, but… he hadn’t expected it to end like this.
Thinking of this, the expression on Red’s face darkened.
What exactly was Otto’s reason for doing such a thing?
Even now, Red couldn’t figure it out.
Was it because Litt knew too much?
Or did he simply want Red to feel pain?
Or perhaps… he wanted to use Red’s hatred to accomplish some unknown goal?
When this last suspicion surfaced, Red’s expression became even more solemn.
Looking at it this way, he would have to go to the White Church to investigate further later on.
“I thought you would be at the Weapon Shop.”
Just then, a cool and familiar voice interrupted Red’s thoughts.
He looked up.
In the afterglow of the setting sun, Liz stood quietly before him, dressed in simple casual clothes.
“I didn’t expect you to be here…”
When Liz spoke, her expression was a bit stiff.
She felt as though she hadn’t communicated with Red in this tone for a very long time.
Despite having lived together since they were children, they now felt like strangers meeting for the first time, carrying a strange sense of awkwardness.
She racked her brain trying to find a topic.
After a moment, she spoke again.
“Have you still not let go of Litt?”
The moment those words left her mouth, Liz regretted them.
Her face turned slightly pale.
How was that any different from picking at someone’s scabs?
“No, I didn’t mean it like that.”
However, Red knew Liz well.
She really didn’t mean it that way.
She likely wanted to comfort him, but her ability to express herself was simply too poor.
“I understand. Did you need something from me?”
Red responded flatly.
“If you came to apologize, there’s no need. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Hearing this, Liz bit her lip.
After hesitating for a long while, she reached into her pocket, pulled out an Adventurer’s License, and handed it over.
“Your Adventurer’s License… I helped you re-register it.”
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