Chapter 175 To protect for love’s sake (1/2)

Chapter 175 To protect for love’s sake

“Authentic Tears of the Forest Goddess, twenty silver coins.”

“Alright, I’ll buy it.”

Early morning, inside an antique store inside Eichemalar. Rinloran watched the shop owner fetch a red garnet bottle. He put his hand inside the pocket of his school uniform, then his face suddenly turned awkward.

He said he was buying it, but he didn’t have his wallet on him. He had to have forgotten it inside his room.

“You don’t have your wallet? I’ll lend you some first,” a somewhat shy voice came to his ears just then.

“Nikita?”

Only after looking back did Rinloran realize Nikita had come inside somewhen.

He hesitated for a fraction of a second, then nodded. “Alright, I’ll pay you back when we return to the athlete village.”

After Nikita paid for him, the two of them walked out of this antique store, both a little taciturn.

Nikita was different from the other Agate Lake girls Sophia called crazy and deranged, devoid of the style of a demure lady. She’d always been the shiest and quietest one in the team. Meanwhile, Rinloran was the least talkative one in team Holy Dawn. Both of them had set off together from St. Lauren, but they’d barely exchanged a few words along the way.

Two people walking together but not saying anything, that would a curious scene to see.

Rinloran was a boy on top of that, so after a dozen steps, he took the initiative to quietly ask, “What a coincidence, why were you also in that antique store?”

“I saw outside they seemed to have some spider queen medicine inside, the kind that can accelerate spiritual strength training for people with elven bloodlines, but I found out it wasn’t the case when I went in.” Nikita looked at Rinloran, seemingly a little embarrassed, her voice tiny.

Rinloran made a sound of agreement. Seeing Nikita had fallen quiet again, he took the initiative to say once more after a few more steps, “Are you going back to the athlete village now?”

Nikita nodded. Her steps slowed down all of a sudden. “Do you perhaps mind going back together with me?”

“Of course not.” After a blink, Rinloran bluntly said, “Actually, I feel you’re too reserved. You never talk, so I can only take the initiative to talk to you.”

“Sorry.” Nikita shyly hung her head down, apologizing in a quiet voice.

“In fact, all of us are friends, there’s no need to be polite or to be reserved. Just say whatever you want to say.” A smile floated on Rinloran’s lips at her appearance. “Don’t look like you’re a student following a teacher.”

“I… I get it…” Nikita said, fiddling with her fingers in embarrassment.

“Look at you, you’re at it again.” The smile on Rinloran’s lips was even more pronounced now.

Nikita finally lost some of her nervousness and awkwardness. “Well… Why did you buy the Tears of the Forest Goddess? Are you going to give it to someone?”

“No.” Rinloran shook his head. “It’s just that we’d often sprinkle a little of it back when I was little, I’m fond of the smell. These head-clearing doses manufactured from forest flower dew are a rare sight nowadays. I saw it by chance, so I wanted to buy it.”

“Your elven bloodline is very pure, is your father or your mother an authentic elf?” Nikita asked, unable to hold back her curiosity.

Rinloran’s steps faltered for a second. He wasn’t keen on answering at first, but he was also afraid Nikita would misunderstand, so he finally said in a quiet voice, “My father comes from a pure-blooded elven clan, my mother is also a half-elf.”

“My goodness, that’s an amazing elven bloodline,” Nikita exclaimed in surprise. “Rinloran, you have amazing talent, so why don’t you join team Holy Dawn? You don’t like fighting, perhaps?”

Rinloran didn’t want to be uncommunicative, but this question still made him a little taciturn.

“Sorry,” Nikita hurried to apologize, a little at a loss what to do when she saw Rinloran acting different from before.

“No, it’s my own problem.” Rinloran took a deep breath and shook his head at her with a serious air. “It’s because I’ve always thought that, though defending our homes and country is an arcane master’s vocation, truly fighting without regard for anything else will certainly bring your loved ones deep anguish if anything unexpected were to happen. Some people may even be unable to forgive you.”

Nikita suddenly heard something from his words. She felt an ache deep in her heart. “Is it because someone made you some promise but never came back to see you in the end…? Is that why you’re unwilling to forgive, unwilling to become a battlemaster going to war like them?”

Looking at the ground at his feet, Rinloran nodded.

“But they must have missed you very much.”