After the monsters retreated, Ian half-supported and half-carried Amivy, leading Xiao Bai Gou, as they hurried forward for some distance.
Only when they were far from the dark cave entrance did he let her sit down slowly, leaning against a rock.
Amivy was completely drained, almost limp, and the wounds large and small all over her body ached terribly.
She gasped for breath and looked at Ian.
The mask on his face was still the same, only stained with a bit of soot.
After confirming they were safe, Amivy finally asked why Ian had appeared so late.
Hadn’t he promised not to deceive her?
“So, you dog. Why did you show up so late? And you came from outside the cave.
Weren’t you the one who said you wouldn’t lie to me?”
Faced with Amivy’s questioning, Ian didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he pointed at the sky.
Amivy looked up in confusion, following the direction he indicated. What she saw made her pupils contract sharply.
In the sky, beneath the dazzling Crystal Sun, a thin, needle-like black shadow hovered.
“That… is the Holy Sword?! It came out?!”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Ian’s voice interrupted her shock.
“As you can see, the test was very successful. Your courage and kindness successfully drew the Holy Sword out of the Crystal. You have gained its recognition.”
“As for why I appeared so late, it’s because I was waiting. Waiting for Your Highness to completely lure the Holy Sword down.”
Here Ian paused, glanced at Amivy, then continued.
“But as you can see, although it has left the Crystal Stone, it still hasn’t descended. It’s as if something is still missing…”
After hearing Ian’s explanation, the faint joy Amivy had felt at the Holy Sword’s appearance was quickly replaced by self-doubt.
She lowered her head, looking at her hands—scarred, covered in dust and bloodstains—and her voice was a little hoarse.
“So… even after I went that far… gave it my all, almost died… it’s still not enough? It still won’t fully acknowledge me? Am I… am I really not the Hero it was waiting for?”
The memories of being denied and abandoned in childhood surged back like a flood.
Was all her effort and courage just a joke?
If she couldn’t even obtain the Holy Sword, could she still be considered a Hero?
Just as Amivy was sinking into deep self-doubt, Ian glanced at her, crouched down, and began checking her wounds while speaking.
“Your Highness, you’ve already done more than enough.
At least in my eyes, being able to face your own fear and entrust the hope of survival to your companion is already extraordinary…”
As Ian treated Amivy’s wounds, he continued.
“Your Highness, you are a true Hero. You don’t need the Holy Sword to validate anything. You have already proven your courage to me…”
“But can a Hero without the Holy Sword still be called a Hero?”
Amivy’s voice was low and dispirited.
She wasn’t asking Ian; she was questioning herself.
She stared at the thin, needle-like shadow of the Holy Sword clearly visible in the sky, her eyes vacant.
Giving it her all, even risking her life, only to receive a half-baked “recognition”—that was more discouraging than outright failure.
“Your Highness…”
Ian’s voice was calm.
He took out the trauma medicine he had prepared overnight and applied it to Amivy’s wounds.
“A Hero doesn’t need the Holy Sword to prove anything. A Hero doesn’t need anyone else’s approval. Someone who can overcome their own fear and help others is a true Hero. Do you understand?”
After applying the medicine, Ian looked directly into Amivy’s eyes.
Though Ian had never been a Hero himself, as a transmigrator, he had heard plenty of grand principles.
From Ultraman to Black Myth, Ian had listened to and watched countless positive stories.
Comforting a major plot protagonist with low self-esteem was too easy.
If Ian wanted, he could talk to Amivy for a whole day and night about the big truths taught to him in his childhood by those Fruit People, Armor People, Lightbulb People, Star Core Elves, Not-People, and so on.
Guaranteed to leave Amivy speechless every time.
But Amivy was, after all, a plot protagonist. Under Ian’s “sincere” and “earnest” gaze, she regained her confidence.
Amivy looked into Ian’s “serious” and “sincere” eyes.
For a moment, Ian overlapped in her memory with the “her” from that rainy night—the one who had come against the light, offering care and encouragement.
That brief daze calmed the storm raging in her heart.
‘Yeah…’
‘Why should I use a sword I haven’t yet obtained to deny everything I’ve already done?’
‘When surrounded by monsters, I was scared to death, but my hand that threw Xiao Bai didn’t tremble.’
‘In the slums, I was cold and hungry, but my hand that handed out the bread didn’t hesitate either.’
‘Those choices were made by me, without any external force, without the title of “Hero” weighing on me.’
‘The Holy Sword’s recognition is important, but it’s more like an added “certification,” not the “qualification” itself.’
‘As Ian said, being able to overcome fear and help others is in itself proof of courage.’
A warmth began to rise anew from the bottom of her heart.
Amivy took a deep breath, looked into Ian’s eyes, and replied.
“I understand. Even without the Holy Sword, I am still a Hero. My own Hero.”
With that, Amivy supported herself against the rock and stood up firmly.
“That’s the spirit, Your Highness.”
Ian nodded in approval.
“Self-doubt only drains energy; it does nothing to solve the problem. What we need now is analysis and action.”
He also stood up, dusted off his hands, and glanced over the various wounds on Amivy’s body.
“For now, the most important thing is to return to the Shelter and recover from your injuries.”
“Alright! I’ll listen to you.”
Ian nodded again, then extended his hand to Amivy.
“Can you walk, Your Highness? Or do you need help?”
Amivy assessed her condition.
After Ian’s treatment and some rest, she was able to walk on her own.
But looking at Ian’s outstretched hand, the masked man before her once again overlapped with the image of “her” from that rainy night in her memory.
In a daze, Amivy, as if possessed, placed her hand on Ian’s.
“Not… not really. You’ll have to support me…”
Because she was lying, Amivy’s voice trembled slightly.
But Ian didn’t mind. He just thought she was in pain.
“Alright. Watch your step.”
Ian said no more.
He picked up Xiao Bai Gou, who had fallen asleep since they left the cave, and supported Amivy as they walked toward the Shelter.
The “Crystal Sun” stretched their shadows long, casting them across the rugged ground.
Amivy glanced sideways at the man beside her, catching the faintly familiar scent of medicine.
She knew she had likely found the “her” who had been the only one to reach out to her on that rainy night…