The next day arrived, at the same wind-and-rain bridge where Red first met Litt.
Red was standing there quietly, waiting.
But this time, he wasn’t waiting for Litt, but for someone else.
Thinking back to last night’s events, Red couldn’t help but sigh again in his heart.
Litt really might be an angel.
Her attitude toward him—and probably others too—was utterly defenseless.
But thinking it through, only someone raised in such a lofty environment could grow into such a relaxed and kindhearted girl.
But things can’t stay like this.
The world outside is dangerous, human nature is unpredictable; with her personality, she’s bound to get into trouble.
So… even if he couldn’t walk alongside her, maybe he still needed to protect her.
Although there were probably people watching over her from the shadows, it didn’t hurt for him to act as her visible guardian.
Maybe he should visit the White Church’s monastery when he had the chance?
Come to think of it, he hadn’t really seen what Litt looked like when she was working.
As Red was thinking, a petite and delicate figure approached him.
“Red, good morning! Have you eaten yet?”
The one who appeared before Red was none other than Letia.
After several busy days, he had finally finished the battle plan Letia requested.
He had come here now to hand it over to her.
After this, he would have nothing more to do with the Dawnblade.
“I’ve eaten.”
Of course Red had breakfast before coming, and the breakfast Litt made was indeed delicious.
Besides, if he skipped breakfast, Litt would puff her cheeks and glare at him—looking angry, yet not quite angry—which was both amusing and exasperating.
“Uwah… that smile is so weird,” Letia’s voice intruded at just the wrong moment, snapping Red out of his thoughts.
“You look like a monkey in heat… Ow, ow, ow!!”
“You’re the last person qualified to say that to me!”
Red didn’t go easy on her at all.
He pinched Letia’s cheeks with both hands, kneading them like slime, again and again.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
Seeing Letia admit her mistake, Red let go of her cheeks.
As soon as he let go, Letia stepped back twice, rubbing her now-reddened cheeks.
“So, what were you just thinking about, Red?”
“Nothing much.”
Red shook his head, gazing at Letia’s face.
Now that her face was red from being pinched, the girl looked even cuter.
Then, a sudden thought flashed through his mind.
With her cheeks red like this, her face—already a bit similar—now looked even more like Litt’s.
But apart from their faces, they had no similarities at all in height, figure, or personality.
Still, if they stood together, people might really mistake them for sisters.
This ridiculous idea lasted only a moment before Red brushed it aside.
Composing himself, he pulled out a thick, neatly bound stack of papers from his backpack.
“I’ve finished the battle plan you asked for. Here you go.”
Red handed over the thick stack of papers.
Rather than calling it a battle plan, it was more like an overall analysis of the dungeon floor.
To use a metaphor, it was like a strategy guide in a game.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that with this in hand, it’s as if you held the map and key to the twenty-fourth floor.
The plan was only a part of it.
But with this material, even if something unexpected happened, they could quickly adjust their original plan.
To make this detailed document, Red had spent the past few days traversing the entire Nightbright Town, interviewing and researching the hero teams that had once cleared the twenty-fourth floor, and adding in the samples he had investigated on the twenty-third floor.
Only then had he managed to put this together.
No one but him knew how much sweat and effort went into it.
But it was precisely this sweat and effort that had helped the Dawnblade overcome danger after danger in the past.
Of course… that was all in the past now.
With the battle plan finished, it was time to prepare for his Shop and his cooperation with the Gilded Chamber of Commerce.
After glancing at the papers, Letia noticed that this battle plan was even more detailed than any before.
She looked up at Red.
But before she could ask, Red spoke first.
“I was worried you wouldn’t understand, so I added extra notes.”
“If I were still with the Dawnblade, I could probably get even more information and samples.”
“But since I’ve already left, this is all I can do for you.”
“As for anything below the twenty-fourth floor, since I can’t investigate or collect samples myself, I naturally can’t make any more new battle plans for you.”
After listening to Red, Letia carefully flipped through the contents, letting out a meaningful sound.
“Hoh… honestly, I thought you would just half-ass this, considering your relationship with Liz isn’t exactly good.”
“Do I look like that kind of person to you?”
Red sighed.
“Even if my relationship with Liz isn’t good, I’m not the kind to break my word. Since I promised, I have to do my best.”
“If that’s the case… can I take it to mean,” Letia’s lips suddenly curled up, “that you did all this for me?”
“What kind of bizarre logic is that!?”
Red couldn’t hold back his urge to retort, but Letia didn’t care at all and kept going.
“What’s this, are you embarrassed?”
Whenever he was dealing with Letia, Red felt an indescribable sense of helplessness.
Yet he couldn’t deny—being around her, he did feel rather relaxed.
Just… she made him lose his temper from time to time.
Just like now.
Watching Letia slap his shoulder and laugh boisterously, Red’s forehead throbbed with veins.
His eyes were full of desire…
The desire to kill.
Perhaps sensing the murderous intent radiating from Red, Letia quickly wiped the grin off her face and said nonchalantly,
“But since you helped me, Red, I do want to repay you properly.”
“Revenge?”
“Repay.”
“A beating?”
Red slowly retreated until he was over three meters away from Letia before he could feel safe.
Who knew what tricks this black-hearted priest of the Holy Light would come up with.
Yet contrary to Red’s expectations, Letia didn’t try anything funny.
She pulled a recording crystal from her pocket, solemnly walked up to Red, and placed it in his hand.
“This is…?”
“The White Silk Bishop’s video.”
“Which bishop?”
“The one you’re thinking of.”
Their eyes met.
No words were needed.
“Letia… you’re truly my dearest friend.”
“Not at all, not at all. It’s only right.”