Chapter 98: Happy Birthday, Grey (Two-in-One)
Thick smoke billowed from the dark chimney.
The copper pot bubbled with hot steam, and fresh ingredients rolled up and down in the boiling water.
Grey sat obediently in her chair, staring at the object in the center of the dining table that Rast referred to as “hot pot,” feeling a bit bewildered.
However, gazing at the boy in front of her, who had already begun to feast,—
Grey still tried to imitate Rast, carefully picking up the pair of chopsticks resembling bamboo sticks.
Then, she picked some ingredients from the copper pot, soaked them in the oil dish, and then brought them to her mouth.
In the next moment, Grey’s green eyes widened involuntarily.
This cooking method she had never seen before produced an astonishingly delicious taste.
Brother Rast really is a mysterious person.
As a wanderer, Grey had traveled the continent over the years.
She had visited most of the existing countries and towns of humanity, experiencing a variety of customs and cultures.
However, Grey had never seen the cooking method known as hot pot.
Originally, she thought that once she grew up…
After joining the Guardian of the Shore Organization and becoming a Guardian like Brother Rast…
She might be able to catch up with Brother Rast’s footsteps.
But now it seemed that the mystery surrounding Brother Rast had not lessened with her growth; rather, it had thickened a bit.
Thinking this, Grey could not help but disguise her action of picking up food with chopsticks as she secretly raised her head to glance at the person in front of her.
Across the dining table, the black-haired, black-eyed boy seemed to have finished his meal and was leaning lazily against the table.
His profile was illuminated by the light of the fire, with sharp and profound contours.
In her memory of the end of Frozen Water Town, that figure disappearing into the dark flame slowly overlapped.
It had already been seven years.
Seven years was enough for a youthful and naive child to grow up.
It was also enough for once-etched memories to weather with time, twisting into an incomprehensible shape.
However, Brother Rast’s appearance had not changed in the slightest.
Time seemed to have frozen on him, and the flow of time had left no mark.
For some reason, looking at the extremely familiar face of the boy in front of her, which was identical to her memories—
Grey inexplicably felt a surge of emotion,
Deep inside her heart, certain feelings that had fermented from her restless nights and days…
were clearly surging once again.
To mask this inexplicable emotion, Grey stood up and reached for the wine bottle at the edge of the table.
However, she then saw the originally lazy Rast suddenly sharpen his gaze.
“Have you reached the age where you can drink?”
“According to the laws of the city-states near the Tower of Vigilance, one can drink at seventeen.”
“Brother Rast… I’m already eighteen.”
Grey replied with an elegant smile and poured herself a glass of wine.
How nice… Even after seven years, Brother Rast still remembers everything from Frozen Water Town.
After many years, their relationship had not deteriorated.
In Brother Rast’s eyes, she was still that orphaned little girl in the mayor’s house who needed to be taken care of.
She raised her wine glass and drank it in one go.
The cold liquid slid down her throat along the cup’s wall, bringing a slight sourness.
However, for some reason,
there was a sense of inexplicable loss in her heart.
…
On the other side of the dining table.
Rast was also looking at the girl in front of him.
That once childlike girl, as unsophisticated as a young beast, had now grown into such a graceful and confident figure.
Rast couldn’t help but feel amazed at how girls change as they grow, reminiscent of the feeling of “my daughter has matured.”
Thinking this, he stretched lazily and discreetly made a g*n gesture with his fingers.
Besides fried rice, hot pot was one of the few dishes Rast could make.
Because these cooking skills did not come from Deep Blue Harbor but from his memories of his past life.
Of course, the taste of delicious dishes… still needed to be erased.
After all, Rast did not want his threshold for food to be raised too high, thus losing the element of surprise when tasting Xiao Ai’s cooking.
While performing mental suggestion—
Rast’s ears also picked up Grey’s hesitant voice.
“Brother Rast.”
“I’m so sorry about Sister Hiltina.”
“It was all to save me, so Sister Hiltina…”
Grey’s words carried an unmistakable trace of regret.
From her perspective, everything in Frozen Water Town was indeed caused by herself.
It was because she couldn’t control the power within her, unable to tame it, that she attracted the attention of the pollutant.
She had also dragged many Guardians down with her, including Sister Hiltina, who had perished in the process.
From the events in Frozen Water Town at that time, it was clear that Sister Hiltina and Brother Rast had a good relationship.
They might even have been in a romantic relationship.
It was only natural for Brother Rast to hold a grudge against her if his companion and lover died because of her, even if it were not intentional.
So, in Grey’s eyes, had Sister Hiltina already sacrificed herself heroically?
Looking at the grey-haired girl in front of her, who was lowering her head like a cat that had done something wrong, Rast was also slightly taken aback.
Of course, if his past deeds truly affected the Night World, such an evolution could occur.
After all, those ordinary Night Travelers outside of himself were unable to retain their past footprints within the Night World.
And in the End of the Night World, teams could not form; Sister Hiltina likewise could no longer enter this particular world line of the Night World.
For the people of Grey’s world, Sister Hiltina was indeed no different from being dead.
He couldn’t help but wonder what Sister Hiltina would feel if she saw the tombstone erected in the Guardian Headquarters cemetery.
Thinking this, Rast reached out again and used his signature head pat on Grey.
Surprisingly, this little one’s head felt quite nice to pat.
“Don’t blame yourself; it couldn’t be helped.”
“As a Guardian, whether it’s Sister Hiltina or myself…”
“Once we became Guardians, took the oath, and wore that wing emblem, we were already prepared to d*e in battle.”
“For Guardians, dying to protect the Broken Coast is not misfortune but great glory.”
“I believe if Sister Hiltina were still alive, she would agree with my words.”
As he spoke, Rast paused his hand.
Then, he focused on the shiny new silver wing emblem on the chest of the slightly disheveled hair girl.
“To be honest, when I first said those words to you, I actually wanted you to give up the idea of becoming a Guardian.”
“After all, the responsibilities that Guardians bear are far heavier than the duties they enjoy.”
“However—”
His voice trailed off with a smile: “It seems there’s no need to say such things now.”
“Then, let’s change the topic.”
“Can you tell me about your experiences after leaving Frozen Water Town?”
…
The room was brightly lit, and the fireplace radiated waves of warmth.
The atmosphere between the two, initially a bit awkward due to their long separation, became natural again after the meal and drink.
“Later, I went to many places on the continent.”
“But the more I traveled, the more clearly I realized the yearning in my heart.”
“Indeed—”
“I want to become a Guardian like you, Brother Rast.”
“It’s not just because of the admiration for the handsome figures that you and Sister Hiltina held in my memories.”
“But also a heartfelt desire.”
“So later, I went to great lengths to find the Guardian headquarters, passed all the tests, and became a member of the Guardians.”
“I think only by doing so can I get closer to the figures of you in my memories.”
Under the orange-red light, a few blushes adorned Grey’s fair face.
This was her first time drinking.
Under the influence of alcohol, Grey felt her spirits lift significantly.
“Brother Rast, are you just briefly back to the Tower of Vigilance for rest, or will you stay at the headquarters?”
“If it’s convenient for you, Brother Rast…”
“Can we have meals together like this again in the future?”
On usual days, Grey would never say such straightforward words.
But at this moment, under the influence of alcohol, the envy for other classmates’ “home” and the longing for a place to belong turned her flowing thoughts into words, escaping her lips instinctively.
“I’m just resting between tasks.”
“Of course, this time my rest will be a bit longer.”
“But once I’m ready, I’ll have to go carry out my mission.”
Rast’s voice was somewhat prolonged: “This is a direct order given to me by the Leader.”
“Who knows when I’ll be back at the Guardian headquarters again.”
Indeed, is that the case…
Hearing Rast’s response, a sense of loss surged within Grey.
However, just as she was re-composing her expression, not wanting Rast to notice her feelings—
“Little Grey, I heard you’re in the reserves now, without any assigned tasks?”
“Mm.”
Grey nodded, but the feeling of loss deepened even more.
With her intelligence, she naturally understood what being a reserve meant.
However, it was an inevitable result.
Grey was aware that the power named Fate within her, if released unchecked, could cause great upheaval.
The disasters and misfortunes that had accompanied her earlier in life arose because of it.
Therefore, this was something Grey had to learn to constrain, suppress, and hide, not something she could display freely.
To this day, Grey had managed to suppress her own power, preventing it from running rampant due to mental waves and interfering with the outside world.
At the same time, she had also begun to grasp her abilities.
For example, in most of the assessments within the new Guardian training camp, Grey had scored first place.
This was not only because her time traveling the continent had given her skills and experience far beyond those of other newcomers.
But also because she could, to a certain extent, interfere with her fate.
Allowing herself to gain an advantage in assessments or causing some misfortunes for her opponents.
However, luck, such a mysterious thing, ordinary people would certainly not understand, and Grey did not dare to reveal it easily.
Additionally, it seemed she couldn’t awaken any special abilities, leading to her being labeled as a rare “powerless person” without any training potential, which was only to be expected.
But in the next moment—
She heard that gentle voice sounding again in her ear.
“In fact, Leader Ciser has also already noticed your uniqueness.”
“However, your power is too special; remaining as a reserve isn’t actually giving up on you but a form of protection.”
Rast’s gaze fell on Grey again.
“However, Grey, you wouldn’t want to be just a protected vase, would you?”
“The Guardian you dream of becoming—”
“Isn’t something that can be achieved by just staying at the headquarters and chanting hollow slogans.”
For some reason, Rast’s words clearly carried a hint of deeper meaning.
“So, are you truly ready to become a Guardian?”
“Even if you lose everything, no longer bask in glory, and no longer be that savior hero cloaked in flowers and applause in the eyes of the world.”
“But walk in darkness, bearing scorn and cold eyes…”
“And still be able to unwaveringly pursue that unrealistic ideal in your heart.”
The light flickering deep within Rast’s dark eyes suddenly made Grey feel a sense of strangeness.
However, facing that meaningful gaze,
Grey still solemnly nodded.
Having already passed the assessments and become a member of the Guardians.
If she were to withdraw now, wouldn’t Sister Hiltina’s sacrifice and the longing that haunted her day and night become a joke?
“In that case, I happen to lack some helpers for this mission.”
“When the time comes, you can come along with me.”
“After all, others may not know, but I know… you are the witch who controls fate and can bring us good luck.”
Rast smiled.
“Then, in the time to come—”
“Work hard so you can be of use in the mission and not drag everyone down.”
While saying this, Rast put on the Guardian uniform coat that had been hanging on the chair.
He paused for a moment as he headed toward the door.
“Finally…”
On the dining table, a delicate wooden box had appeared at some point.
“This is a birthday gift for you.”
“Happy Birthday, Grey.”
(End of Chapter)
