Chapter 44: And You, My Friend

April 11th, Tuesday, 6:20 AM.

“Morning.”

Bried greeted, her gaze shifting to the side.

“You seemed badly injured yesterday. Can you still move today?”

Siloque felt something was off and tried stretching his body.

“I think I’ll be fine.”

Not to mention pain, Siloque actually felt full of energy, like he had endless strength.

The only trouble was that it took a lot of effort to push his sister off him this morning, and his HP dropped by 3 points…

After leaving his sister’s room, he just had to bump into Dad, enduring the terrifying aura of a middle-aged office worker saying ‘I’m going to kill you’…

“Is that so? Today’s first goal is a 15 km run. We’ll start after the warm-up.”

Leaving these words, Bried turned her back to him and began warming up.

“Bried, did you come to my house yesterday?”

Bried’s voice remained calm.

“I visited at the wrong time. As long as your injury is fine.”

She never looked directly at him.

This sense of distance—Siloque felt a bit nostalgic…and relieved.

Nostalgic, because it reminded him of the first time he met Bried when he fully awakened in this world.

Relieved, because it seemed the idea that Bried liked him really was just an illusion.

But still…

“Bried, why are you suddenly pretending we’re not close?”

It was so deliberate that Siloque found it hard to ignore even if he wanted to.

Bried clearly paused, her orange ponytail swaying.

“….I’m not.”

“Are you angry?”

“I’m not angry.”

“……”

Siloque decided to push a bit further.

“With your emotions so calm and low, Bried, is it that time of the month?”

“……”

Normally, any girl hearing that would yell sexual harassment.

But Bried didn’t react, still with her back turned, her expression hidden.

However, Siloque guessed she probably didn’t understand what ‘that’ meant…

“I mean, Bried, are you on your period?”

“…..It came at the beginning of the month. It doesn’t affect exercise.”

She answered calmly and seriously.

Even without using Lv8 vision to examine closely, Siloque could see Bried’s ears turning red beneath her orange hair.

***

April 14th, Friday, 7:31 PM.

First floor, Area ?, Maple Court Garden.

By the lakeshore under the Sacred Tree, Siloque held a rope, with Cass securely tied at the end, engaged in a fierce battle with a Maple Court Knight.

Since the 11th, Siloque’s days had been… pretty good, and pretty lazy.

Bried’s attitude towards him was deliberately stiff.

He didn’t know what was wrong with her.

One day she was in the mood to visit, then suddenly turned cold the next.

Even joking with her only got awkward responses.

He hadn’t gone to her house to cook again either—Bried said it crossed a line…

Meaningless.

Siloque was reminded of asking questions to his strict history teacher after class in his previous life.

What did I do to offend her?

A woman’s heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea.

Siloque was also…whatever.

Fine, he always saw her as a friend and strict teacher.

To be honest, having a character he liked suddenly distance herself for no reason wasn’t something he could ignore completely.

But Siloque wasn’t going to force the relationship.

After all, she’s the protagonist’s wife. Keeping distance might not be a bad thing.

Compared to Bried, the protagonist—Cass—had basically become Siloque’s EXP ATM these days.

Relying on Cass’s powerful learning ability and combat talent, after each training session with his teammates, Siloque would either take him monster hunting for practical combat or practice with Maple Court Knights.

Each time, Siloque would demonstrate how to fight, then Cass would figure it out himself.

The standard combat routine—Siloque would make a token attack to weaken the monster (not much damage, mostly insulting), then Cass would engage and land the LA (last attack).

As long as you dealt damage to a monster, you’d get EXP when it died.

Though it was less than Cass’s share, the monsters were strong, so Siloque still racked up a lot of EXP and Crystal Cores.

Siloque leveled up to Lv9, Cass to Lv10.

The LINE balance easily reached four digits.

The joy of easy victories—so sweet.

Clang!!

Cass slashed through the Maple Court Knight’s vines, his white blade piercing the deep brown armor with ease.

“………”

The Maple Court Knight in the distance stood its long-handled sword upright in satisfaction before its body crumbled to dust.

Maple Court Knights were probably just defensive mechanisms, without any emotions.

Siloque was sure of it.

But he could sense the warrior’s spirit in the Maple Court Knight—a spirit that relished battle and didn’t mind losing.

“…No surprise. The activation must have spread to this floor too.”

Siloque murmured, watching Cass wave at him excitedly.

He waved back, celebrating the victory.

Siloque looked at his own hand.

Defeating a Lv10 Maple Court Knight, Siloque didn’t feel the thrill of leveling up.

…The bottleneck of leveling up had arrived.

Except for the rare 5% respawn rate late-game monsters, the high-level, high-EXP monsters on the first floor no longer moved the experience bar.

Grinding here wouldn’t yield enough EXP for leveling up anymore.

For Cass now, the first-floor monsters were only a hassle, not unbeatable.

His rapid progress made even Siloque sweat.

Time for the next step.

“Huwaa!”

Cass sheathed his sword, splashed through the water to Siloque, and washed his face with the clear lake water.

“Recently, swinging my sword feels more natural, like it’s becoming part of my body.”

“It means your talent and potential are strong. Keep it up.”

“Mm! It’s all thanks to you, Siloque. Without your help, I never could’ve leveled up this fast. Thank you!”

Cass’s sincere smile revealed white teeth.

…Siloque felt like a released hunting dog had returned with prey, begging for its master’s reward.

“Siloque, do you want to fight? I’ll pull you.”

“Wait, let’s rest first.”

Siloque considered the next action plan.

Now that their levels were decent and Cass’s skills on this floor had been honed to the limit, it was time to move to the next floor and obtain the protagonist’s exclusive weapon—a powerful new piece of gear.

But that meant meeting that Evil Demon Society woman.

That person had left Siloque with significant psychological trauma—he wasn’t eager…

Just as Siloque idly drew circles in the water, Cass suddenly spoke.

“By the way, Siloque…why are you so good to me?”

“Ah?”

Maybe it was on a whim.

Maybe it was the rush of reaching Lv10 so quickly these days.

No longer having to fear first-floor monsters—a lingering sense of strength.

“What do you mean, so good to you? You make it sound like I only spoil you.”

“That’s not what I mean…”

Cass smiled wryly, rubbing his damp blue hair, trying to stay calm.

“…We only met on the first day of school. Before that, I didn’t know you existed. Bried never mentioned you as her childhood friend either. When we first met, you told me…uh…about the world line of despair and darkness? I didn’t understand what you meant back then…”

“But everything that happened afterward proved you were telling the truth. Defeating Cliff, rapid leveling up—every time I was in trouble, you helped me. Why would you do so much for me? For an ordinary explorer like me, nothing special, why give so much help…”

Cass turned away, pretending to admire the grand tree.

Little did he know Siloque was thinking: Is this kid showing off?

Ordinary?

Then what am I, a leech?

“Why are you starting to act weird like Bried…”

“Bried?…….It’s just, Siloque, I’m curious.”

Cass didn’t want to make Siloque uncomfortable.

Growing up surrounded by people and elite education, Cass sensed a little.

Siloque approached him for some purpose.

This person knew he was the Benor Corporation’s next heir.

For money?

For power?

But each time, Siloque still risked his life to help.

If it was all an act, Hollywood owed Siloque at least three Oscars.

Could it really be just for…

That reason made Cass—Kartia’s heart pound.

But Siloque answered quickly.

“Because we’re friends.”

“…Ah? Friends?”

That answer left Cass stunned for a while.

“I heard Bried mention you. You’re helpful, kind to others, responsible, and don’t change your attitude based on someone’s strength. Cass, I respect that about you. I want to be friends with someone so upright and righteous. I think you don’t need any special reason to want to be friends with a good person.”

“I-I see? Hahaha…friends…being friends is nice too.”

Cass scratched his cheek, embarrassed.

Confirming this answer brought a slight sting to his heart.

But it was fine.

If I could one day tell Siloque my true identity, what kind of expression would he show?

Could we still be friends?

Would he acknowledge and accept the real me?

While Cass struggled with these thoughts.

He didn’t notice Siloque’s right hand digging into his thigh.

Because he’d said something out of character, his face turned purple, lines of frustration spreading.

Siloque hurriedly changed the subject.

“Cass, how are things going with Kersey and Bried?”

“Ah? Oh.”

Cass snapped out of it and followed Siloque’s lead to change the topic.

“Pretty good. Bried’s skill now lets her control within 50 meters. As you suggested, they’re practicing in the Slime Cave in Area B. It’s spacious, and the Slimes’ soft, bouncy bodies keep Bried from getting hurt, but…”

Cass looked uncomfortable, guilt written all over his face.

“What’s the problem?”

“I don’t like lying.”

“How is it lying? I told you, if they ask how you know, just say a teacher taught you. Anyway, don’t mention my name.”

“I know! But…it was all your idea, Siloque! The one they should thank is you! Can’t I just say you taught them?”

“No.”

Siloque replied righteously.

So far, everything was going smoothly.

I can’t join Cass’s team in person. Forget Bried, but I can’t let Kersey fall for me too (?)

Even if I don’t want to, when handling this mission, I can deal with Norius once and for all.

The resolve to slay the Minotaur outweighed the psychological scars.

Siloque took a breath and extended an invitation.

“Cass, are you free around the 20th on the weekend?”

“I am… I’m usually home on weekends, and there’s no one else…do you want to come to my house?”

“No.”

Siloque answered instantly, making Cass’s face freeze.

“We’ll be heading out both days. We’ll be staying overnight.”

“Eh?”

Cass’s face turned bright red.

“Why are you blushing? I mean spending two nights in the Dungeon, not camping or a picnic. What are you imagining?”

“Nothing! Two nights, right? It’s fine, I can arrange it.”

Anyway, on weekends at home, there’s no one to talk to.

Cass’s whispered words reached Siloque, who interpreted them as: Cass is really a free young master, able to play however he wants.

“Then meet at noon on the 21st at the Dungeon Commercial District, McDanlaw. The spot where you wore that weird suit last time.”

“You don’t have to call it weird…Are we going hunting? Wherever you say, Siloque, I’ll go with you.”

“This time, no hunting.”

Siloque grinned mischievously.

“We’re going to the second floor to get your exclusive weapon.”

“Wait, did I hear that right? The recommended safe level for the second floor is Lv15!”

“Yeah, the second floor.”

“Siloque, even a random monster there is stronger than Cliff—you’re joking, right?”

Siloque’s eyes said he wasn’t joking.

Cass’s expression could only mean one thing.

You’re crazy?