Not with Words, but with the Heart
The nun brought Lakrina before Enoch. Lakrina looked up at the man standing before her. He was tall, with grayish hair and slightly gloomy eyes. Broad shoulders and a downward gaze gave him an air of quiet intellect. That was Lakrina's first impression of Enoch.
Meanwhile, Enoch was also observing Lakrina. Silver hair, blue eyes, and a demeanor that seemed flustered yet strangely composed. That was enough. The girl before him was indeed the Lakrina he had been searching for.
"You are Lakrina."
"Ah, yes..."
Enoch spoke first. He knelt on one knee to meet the girl's gaze.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Enoch. As for my occupation... just think of me as a businessman or an inventor."
"My name is Lakrina. I heard you wished to take me away."
Lakrina spoke with a soldier-like formality. Perhaps because of her orphan background, she had grown up far too quickly.
"It seems the nun has already told you. Yes, that's correct. If you're willing, I'd like to take you with me right away. What do you think?"
"I'm fine with it. It's just..."
Lakrina fidgeted with her clasped hands. She clearly had something more to say. Enoch waited in silence.
Her lips parted slowly once more.
"If it's all right, may I ask why you want to take me?"
"A reason?"
"Yes. The reason."
"Hmm, a reason..."
Enoch rested a hand on his chin and pondered briefly. The reason for taking Lakrina was simple. With her, clearing the game would become far easier. But he couldn't say that outright. After organizing his thoughts, he licked his lips. It was time to speak.
"The reason is simple. Lakrina, I saw the makings of a hero in you."
"...What?"
Lakrina's eyes widened. The nun beside her reacted the same way. In a world where monsters invaded, the word "hero" carried immense weight. It was an answer neither of them could have imagined.
"A hero... When did you see that in me? I'm just an orphan to begin with."
"Does that matter?"
"Of course it does. I have nothing, and no real talents..."
Lakrina shrank back. The sudden declaration was overwhelming. Yet Enoch saw not disappointment in her, but hope.
She's still young. A few words and she's already shaken.
In the game, Lakrina had been the embodiment of self-deprecation and cynicism. She possessed extraordinary talent, but her background offered no support. Even after entering the academy, she endured schemes, bullying, ostracism, and quiet contempt as if it were inevitable. To survive, she killed her own heart and grew colder, and colder still, until not a single trace of warmth could reach her.
The world had pushed her, and fate had whipped her. The result was the Absolute Zero Swordswoman—a Boundary-level mage who could freeze an entire city with a single breath.
The Lakrina Enoch knew had carried that bitter history. But the girl before him now was not that hardened swordswoman. She was merely a timid child afraid of disappointing others.
In short, she was easy to handle.
After reaching this conclusion, Enoch spoke again.
"Lakrina."
"...Yes?"
"I don't particularly enjoy persuading others. It's a waste of time, and I have no intention of doing so anyway."
Lakrina lowered her head, as if she believed her attitude had disappointed him.
"Lakrina. This is purely out of curiosity, but what do you believe are the qualities of a hero?"
"A hero...? Talent, background, or perhaps mindset?"
"Is that all?"
"...Is that all? It's easy to say, but it's never simple."
Lakrina frowned, indignant. She had spoken her honest thoughts, yet he seemed to dismiss them. Still, Enoch could not suppress his smile. He knew the future she would walk—perhaps better than she knew it herself. Watching this girl desperately argue that she was no hero was, to him, genuinely amusing.
"Lakrina. I've heard enough of your theory on heroes."
"...It wasn't anything that grand."
"Really? Still, it's strange. Even after listening to you, I don't see the problem."
"What?"
Lakrina tilted her head, genuinely puzzled. Enoch met her gaze and pointed to himself.
"Listen carefully, Lakrina. There's one thing I can promise you."
"A promise...?"
"Yes. A promise. I can become your background—as family, as a teacher, as a patron, as a godfather. I'll support you from behind in whatever way you wish. Because—"
Enoch lifted his finger and pointed at the frozen Lakrina.
"Because you already possess everything else."
"..."
"What did you mention? Talent, qualities, background, mission, mindset? Yes, and countless other things besides. That's why it's so amusing. The only thing you lacked was a background. When you listed everything you already had, it almost sounded like bragging."
"...I—"
"Enough."
Enoch placed a finger over Lakrina's lips before she could speak.
"This pointless back-and-forth ends here. So does the unnecessary self-deprecation. What we need now is not words, but action."
Enoch pointed to her heart. Despite her efforts to remain composed, it had been pounding ceaselessly. Even the nun who had watched over her, and Lakrina herself, did not know for what purpose it beat. In the steady rhythm of that heart, everyone lost their words. Whether the thoughts rising within were excuses or anticipation, no one could say. The only thing that spoke without wavering was one truth: the memory of a lone blade that had stood in the chill of the Ice and Snow Realm, fulfilling its duty to the very end. The only person who remembered the girl's original fate. Enoch. There was only one such person.
"Lakrina."
"..."
"From now on, I will not ask your mouth. I will ask your heart."
Meeting her eyes, Enoch spoke quietly—not to the mouth that calculated reality, but to the heart that had shouted louder than a hundred words. Because what had shaped her was never her mouth, but her heart.
"Lakrina."
"..."
"I will make you a hero. Will you follow me?"
Lakrina did not answer at once. Nothing blocked her this time, yet her mouth refused to open. Her heart, however, cried out louder than words ever could. The feeling was too vast to put into speech. So instead of words, she offered action.
—Thud.
Lakrina's small face rested gently in Enoch's palm. She had so much she wanted to say, but none of it would leave her lips. So she placed it all there, as it was. She did not know why, but somehow she felt he would understand. And he did.
Enoch looked down at the girl burying her face in his hand and let out a quiet chuckle.
"You had many things to say, but couldn't bring them out with your mouth. So you handed them over like this. Something like that?"
"......"
"You've made a good choice, Lakrina. Welcome aboard."
Lakrina nodded with her face still buried in his palm. It was her affirmation.
@
A short while later, Lakrina lifted her head. Her face was a mess—tears, snot, and everything in between. Enoch considered offering a handkerchief, then decided washing her face would be better.
"Go wash up first. If you have friends you're close to, say your goodbyes."
"...Yes."
Lakrina rubbed her eyes and headed back inside the building. Enoch finally stood up. The nun, who had been standing quietly, sniffled and spoke.
"It's the first time I've seen Lakrina show her emotions so openly. I thought I had taken good care of her, but it seems she had been holding a lot inside without realizing it."
"She's still young. At that age, even small wounds feel heavy. It isn't your fault, Sister."
"Do you think so? I hope you're right."
The nun pulled out a tissue and wiped her tears, then bowed her head to Enoch in gratitude.
"Still, I'm relieved. It seems Lakrina has found a better guardian than I expected."
"I'm not so sure. After all, I'm the one planning to send her to the harshest front lines. She might resent me later."
"No, she won't. Lakrina is a strong child. She doesn't seem like the type to be swayed against her own will."
After saying this, the nun quietly added, "You'll have quite a difficult time ahead." Enoch merely smiled. He already knew how stubborn she could be. If she lacked that stubbornness, she never would have endured the contempt at the academy in the first place.
"Ah, by the way, Sister?"
—Sniffle.
"Yes?"
Enoch once again held out a bundle of money toward the nun. She paused, momentarily confused. What now? Was he telling her to blow her nose with it?
"Lakrina was far less wary than I expected. I suppose that's thanks to you speaking well of me? This is a token of my appreciation. Please use it for the orphanage's operations."
"...Just put it away."
She had already received more than a year's worth of operating funds. Accepting any more would be pure greed. The nun sighed softly. He was clearly a good man, but his spending habits seemed far too casual.
"Sister? This bundle is worth fifty thousand Kro. Not ten thousand."
"I know that..."