“What are you talking about, Mom?”
Liz vaguely heard her mother saying something, but she couldn’t quite catch it.
“It’s nothing. Since that’s the case, I won’t bother you any longer.”
The communication crystal was disconnected.
The woman on the other end muttered in confusion.
“That’s strange… I remember Liz and Red used to get along so well when they were little, didn’t they?”
“People change,” the man sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper snorted coldly.
“If he leaves, it’s his loss. My daughter could never marry someone as ordinary as a commoner like him.”
“But, dear… deep down, you actually think Red is a pretty good kid, don’t you?”
“…How could that be.”
The man fell silent for a moment before replying.
But no matter what they thought, the matter of social status wouldn’t change.
They were great nobles of the Imperial Capital.
Even if Red and Liz really got together, it would have to be Red joining their family.
Otherwise, it was out of the question.
“Besides, just find the Academy Headmaster where Red learned. Wouldn’t that solve it? Do you really think this little thing could turn the world upside down?”
“But Red is self-taught, you know,” the woman replied with a smile.
“Everything he’s mastered so far, he learned and invented himself. From what I know, that Little Spider is only one of his simplest creations.”
“……”
The man was momentarily speechless.
To reach such a level as an artificer without any formal training was rare…
No, as far as he knew, Red was the only one.
“And there’s more. I showed this Little Spider to the Academy Headmaster at the Magic Academy. His reaction—it was as if he’d seen a ghost. He kept muttering, ‘How does this thing move?’ And considering how popular it is right now, its value speaks for itself.”
“If it comes to it, we’ll just find someone better.”
“But look at those Playboy Nobles in the Imperial Capital—can any of them compare to Red?”
“……”
At this, the woman sighed.
“That’s why I wonder… which side of the family does our silly daughter get her personality from? Why is she so hopelessly clueless?”
As she spoke, her gaze slowly fell on the man with the newspaper, the meaning unmistakable.
“And by the way, dear, you’re holding the newspaper upside down.”
“ Tsk… Nag, nag, nag.”
He clicked his tongue, flipped the newspaper right-side up, and continued pretending as if nothing had happened.
On the other side, after hanging up, Liz picked up her knight’s sword again.
But her swings were clearly less sharp than before.
And it was true.
If it were anyone else, she might have ignored it, but… even her own family said such things.
Her heart couldn’t settle for a long time.
So, after training for a while, she sheathed her sword and called out to Bethany, who stood not far away.
“Is the operation plan ready?”
She intended to go to the Dungeon.
Just to prove herself.
“Not yet…”
Faced with the pressure Liz gave her, Bethany’s throat felt a bit dry.
“It’ll probably be a few more days?”
“As soon as possible. Time waits for no one. We’ve rested long enough.”
It was impossible to move forward with the investigation into the White Church, and she was unwilling to accept the situation with Red.
Her only path seemed to be fighting on in the Dungeon.
“Is this really okay?”
Just then, an untimely voice chimed in.
Turning around, they saw Letia sitting atop the wall, looking down at the three of them.
“Letting your emotions get the better of you will only harm yourself.”
She wasn’t wrong.
Liz’s reaction at this moment was exactly as the script had predicted.
In short… she was getting impatient.
But the more anxious she became, the more dangerous it was.
In the end, she’d end up dragging Dawn’s Edge down with her in the Dungeon.
If Liz insisted on going, Letia wouldn’t mind quitting the party right now.
The only reason she stayed with Dawn’s Edge was to avoid straying too far from the script, giving herself some foresight into the future.
To put it bluntly, if there’s a free cheat, why not use it?
But if Liz really insisted on heading into the Dungeon when nothing in the script had changed…
Sorry.
Anyone who wants to go can go.
She wasn’t about to die.
Even if it meant straying from the script and heading into uncharted territory, Letia was willing.
One more day alive is still a day, isn’t it?
Facing Letia’s words, Liz’s brows furrowed, her expression frosty.
She hated being contradicted, but Letia continued.
“Do you really want to conquer the Dungeon, or are you just looking for a reason to show off to Red?”
“If it’s the former, I’ll go with you. But if it’s the latter, do you think this is fair to your family and to those of us who trust you?”
“Wake up, Liz. There are a thousand ways to prove yourself. You don’t have to pick the most dangerous and reckless one.”
Letia’s tone was unusually calm, as if she were speaking of the most mundane thing in the world.
“……”
Liz stayed silent.
She glanced back at Bethany and Jessica, then at Letia sitting on the wall.
No one knew how long she stood there before she turned away from them.
“…We’ll rest here and recover. I’ll have my family help recruit new members. Once the newcomers arrive, we’ll enter the Dungeon.”
With that, she left the training ground with heavy steps, never once looking back.
It seemed she’d cooled down a little.
Night fell.
This time, Letia didn’t return home to look for Red.
Instead, she chose to stay at Dawn’s Edge.
She wanted to observe Liz’s situation.
If this girl remained so stubborn, then it really would be “you can’t reason with someone set on dying.”
And there was something else…
Even after she’d said so much, the script didn’t seem to have changed.
It was maddening.
She’d been so frank—there was no way she’d go to the Dungeon with Liz just to get killed—yet the predetermined facts of the script wouldn’t budge…
Don’t tell her that even if she hid at home, she’d still be teleported to the Dungeon and chopped to bits, right?
Then how had Tessaia’s fate been rewritten back then?
Letia recalled the situation at the time.
But after a long time thinking, she still couldn’t figure out anything useful.
Just as Letia was at a loss, Liz came out of her room.
She’d changed into a loose set of home clothes, and when she saw Letia sitting in the living room, she walked over and sat down next to her.
“Cooled off?”
“Mm…”
Liz nodded, her face still as sour as ever, but at least she didn’t look so agitated.
At the time, Letia had thought Liz looked as if she couldn’t wait to storm into the Dungeon that very night, seeing Red in every corner, wanting to beat him to a pulp.
But after Letia’s words, it seemed Liz had regained some reason.
That was good.
Just as Letia thought this, a sudden stab of pain hit her head.
A scene more familiar than anything else appeared once again.
The good news…
The original script had indeed changed.
The bad news…
Only Liz’s had.
She didn’t know what would happen to Liz next, but as for herself… she was still headed for a gruesome end.
Faced with this outcome, Letia had to admit, she really was about to break down.
Damn it, why?
There’s something wrong with this damn script!