Chapter 303

Chapter 306: People in Black Usually Have Shady Business (Please Subscribe!)

With wide eyes, Ais endured the pain in her body and immediately dashed forward.

However, with her temporarily unable to use magic, she was completely incapable of catching up to Reivice who had been hurled away.

All she could do was watch helplessly as Reivice crashed through the fence of Rivira Town, soared past the scene of shattered rocks and crystals, and then plummeted off the cliff edge of this island.

Ais twisted her eyebrows and came to an abrupt stop at the cliff’s edge. Leaning out to look down, she saw that Reivice’s figure had already shrunk to the size of a pebble, blending into the dark night.

Not long after, splashes erupted on the lake’s surface.

Witnessing this, Ais realized she had let slip another chance to learn about her mother.

The name “Elia” mentioned by the red-haired woman was none other than her mother’s.

Certainly, jumping down might have allowed her to continue the pursuit, but it would also likely result in her own death.

After all, she couldn’t use magic now, and her body wasn’t in its best condition after the battle.

Reivice might be swimming underwater; no matter how intently Ais stared from the cliff, she couldn’t see any trace of her. Only a small “black dot” remained where the water had been disturbed earlier.

It was probably the blood from Reivice being washed away.

“…”

Clamping her lips tightly, Ais suppressed her expression and squeezed her fingers on the Sword of Despair until they turned white.

In the end, the young girl could only return to Rivira Town with regret, etching this lesson deeply into her heart.

Next time, there would be no escape for her!

When Ais returned to the Crystal Street area, the battle had already ended.

Tione and Tione together had defeated the giant man-eating flower.

All the other scattered man-eating flowers were wiped out. With the monsters invading Rivira Town eradicated, the entire town was filled with cheers from adventurers.

Surviving life-and-death battles during the monster invasion and then sharing joy with comrades—this had become routine for the adventurers of Rivira Town.

Even though this invasion was much stronger than before, they still made it through!

As for the town that was already half-destroyed… no big deal, just rebuild it!

After all, they’ve rebuilt it three hundred thirty-four times. Rebuilding it for the three hundred thirty-fifth time isn’t much different!

“Lost the enemy?”

On Crystal Street, Izay saw Ais returning and asked cautiously.

It was just his tone.

If you looked at his expression, you’d find that Izay wasn’t surprised by this situation. After all, he had watched the battle unfold.

Ais’s final attack was undoubtedly powerful.

But at the same time, the girl had unconsciously held back.

At the end, Ais clearly had the chance to pierce Reivice right there and leave her, but she didn’t.

Izay guessed the reason.

Ais, due to lack of understanding, hadn’t seen Reivice as a monster yet, but rather as a powerful “tamer.”

In other words, an adventurer, a human.

Facing a human, even if an enemy, the girl subconsciously didn’t want to kill. Hence, the last blow was “a knock-back” instead of “a piercing.”

If a monster stood in front of Ais, she’d surely stab it through without hesitation.

“…Yeah… let her escape…”

Upon hearing Izay’s words, Ais hesitated for a moment, then admitted with frustration.

“Ah, if she escaped, then so be it. Don’t sulk, it doesn’t suit you. There will be another chance next time.”

Looking at the girl standing before him, Izay reached out and patted her cheeks, forcing a smile onto her face.

With that, Ais’s eyelids involuntarily drooped, her mouth bending upward under external force, somehow looking inexplicably cute.

If you ignored her slightly aggrieved gaze…

But this situation didn’t last long.

Just as Izay was playing around with the girl’s cheeks, Ais suddenly collapsed.

After exhausting herself using magic and chasing at full speed despite the pain in her body, the side effects had caught up.

Ais could barely stand steady; if Izay hadn’t acted quickly to support her, the girl would’ve experienced the comfort of the ground firsthand.

“Hmm… did we come at a bad time?”

“Ahahaha… I’ll go check on Tione instead.”

Riviria and Finn, who were about to approach, stopped in their tracks upon seeing the two getting cozy.

Meanwhile, with a “click click click” sound, Refia froze in place like a statue when she was about to come over.

……

About an hour had passed since the massive invasion of the man-eating flowers.

After a brief rest, the adventurers residing in the town began the reconstruction work in an orderly manner.

Izay’s group, however, took refuge in a high-class inn located at the eastern edge of Rivira Town.

“Nako’s Inn,” an inn run by several elf girls.

When selecting the location initially, the girls deliberately chose a secluded spot in the eastern forest to avoid suspicion, targeting their fellow elves as customers.

Other adventurers wouldn’t bother traveling far into the forest just to stay overnight; they followed the principle of proximity.

This reclusive and elegant attitude suited the elves’ style well.

After surviving the man-eating flower invasion, this remote inn was one of the few remaining structures in Rivira Town.

By the way, Izay’s group didn’t find this place themselves.

They were warmly invited by the elf girls.

Refer to the helpless Riviria for details~

Though Mom-san was happy to have a place to rest in such circumstances, the respect from her own kind was giving her a headache.

In a large room specially reserved by the owner, wooden furniture dominated the space, illuminated by the warm glow of magic stone lamps harmonizing with the wooden decor.

Izay and Finn’s group were all gathered here, along with a nervous outsider in the corner.

“So… Miss Lulune Louis, could you please share all the information you know with us?”

Finn leaned on his arms, exuding an air of authority. The Halfling Tribe Leader, after learning the general situation from Izay and Ais, focused on this outsider connected to the “real culprit.”

Perhaps the origin of everything couldn’t be entirely attributed to the red-haired tamer.

Finn believed that the mysterious black-clothed person who initiated this mission should also bear some responsibility.

Moreover—mysterious or not, people in black usually have something to hide.

This theory was originally proposed by Loki, and after years of evidence, Finn had no choice but to agree.

(Fels: What the hell…)