Who Will Win - 4
"Eh...?"
Elizabeth looked just as flustered. She stared blankly at her sword, which had just shattered the giant crab's leg, before whipping her head around.
"Yohan?! What are you doing here?!"
"This isn't the time to worry about that!"
I spotted the wound on Elizabeth's arm and immediately cast Heal. It was only a slight improvement over basic scratch recovery, but it seemed enough for a gash like that.
"...Thank you!"
Elizabeth gave a small nod and fell back. At the same moment, a pincer came crashing down. She blocked the shockwave from the man-sized claw with a swing of her sword, then shouted to the heroes behind her.
"Attack!!"
"Yes, miss!"
"Haaap!!"
Elizabeth and the heroes began assaulting the giant crab. As I watched, I turned at the sound of footsteps beside me.
"Looks like you've got it handled. And with you here, she'll get a breather too."
Jin Siyeon said it with a deadpan expression as she climbed into the jeep. But she didn't drive off. She just sat cross-legged with her eyes closed.
Left alone naturally, I had nothing much to do. If anything, just re-buffing Elizabeth once cooldowns were up.
I considered buffing the other heroes too, but they seemed better off than her, so I went all-in on Elizabeth.
-Kuuung...!!
The giant crab couldn't hold out against the onslaught on its tough shell from Elizabeth and the heroes. It finally collapsed.
Panting as she glared at it, Elizabeth sheathed her sword. While the heroes handled cleanup, she approached me. The soft ends of her eyebrows were arched—she was a bit pissed.
"Why are you here?!"
"Huh? Was I not supposed to come?"
"Well... that's not it... Huh? Ohohoho! I see! So that's what it was?!"
A chill ran down my spine.
"Wh-what did you think...?"
"Yohan! You were that excited for our training together?! You came to help me so we could train right after! Ohohoho!! Your mouth said no, but your body was honest!"
"Ah... uh..."
Is that how it works?!
"Come on, then! Let's go! But Siyeon?! You're here too?!"
"Hmph. Can't I be?"
"No reason you can't! How about joining training with us for old times' sake?!"
"Pass. Kim Yohan. I'm heading out first."
Jin Siyeon said it cynically, spoke to the driver, and soon the jeep pulled away.
Elizabeth watched her fade into the distance with a faint smile, then turned to the heroes who'd finished with the crab.
"Everyone, great work! See you next time!"
"Yes. You too, miss. But who is this...?"
"Ufufu! My... friend!"
"Oh! Nice to meet you! We're heroes of the Taylor family!"
Yeah, figures.
"Kim Yohan."
"We'll take you back to the Academy for now. Hop in."
One of the heroes brought over a nearby jeep similar to the one I'd ridden with Jin Siyeon. As we climbed aboard, Elizabeth beamed.
"What's so funny?"
"Hehehe! Nothing! By the way, your Heal seems a bit stronger now?"
"Gear boost. Ah. Want another?"
The holy relic and Subhuti's prayer beads. Plus my holy power had grown a bit. I'd healed her earlier, but my heal amount was so low, she'd need a few more.
I cast Heal on Elizabeth again. Leaning back in the bumpy jeep with her eyes closed, she let out a low sigh once the recovery kicked in.
"You didn't have to come all this way..."
"I just did. Don't sweat it."
"Still. Anyway, thanks to you, I got out of that pinch. I'll give you a proper training session today."
"We're here."
"Oh? Already. Thanks for all your hard work, everyone."
The hero in the front seat spoke as we arrived near the gate. They glanced at us with grins—fitting for Taylor family heroes, the burly one removed his sunglasses and peeked at Elizabeth stepping out.
Only after she'd walked off and started chatting with Taylor family folks by the gate did he speak.
"You're the miss's friend?"
"Yes."
"Hmm..."
What're you getting at? As I looked, he hesitated, then blurted it out.
"Take good care of the miss."
"Ah. Sure. Actually, I should be the one asking that."
For a buffer to shine, party members matter. No matter how good the buffs, a lousy party wastes them.
In that sense, Elizabeth was top-tier. She'd probably be a staple in any raid party.
"I see. Haha."
He scratched a scar on his cheek and clammed up.
Elizabeth was watching from the gate, so I got out too. On my way to her, I felt eyes on my nape. Glancing back, the two heroes in the jeep stared right at me.
"Yohan?! Hurry up! Time is money! Friend!"
So bright. Yeah. Let's go.
"Ughhh..."
Elizabeth kept her promise too well. She wrung me out like a rag in training.
Wish she'd slacked a bit on this one.
"Great work today! Here!"
Chugging Taylor family special protein while resting, I watched her hop on my training machine. Groaning, I added weight to the barbell I'd been lifting.
"...You good?"
"This much...!! I have to...!!"
Explosive attack power for monster fights needs strength and stamina. Especially for a frontliner like her—that weight was par for the course.
I couldn't lift that even with buffs, but she raised and lowered it multiple times before exhaling and walking over.
"Phew..."
"You're working hard."
"I have to."
Her voice held a touch of bitterness.
"Anyway, got time?!"
"Plenty."
It was six PM—perfect for dinner.
"Let's go!"
After a quick rinse, Elizabeth and I headed to the cadet cafeteria. Being a holiday, it was quiet—lots of cadets eating out. She ordered her usual hamburger steak set; I got my ramen set.
"Mmm~! The cadet cafeteria's hamburger steak is always delicious! Should I ask the family chefs to make this?!"
"Don't you eat better stuff at the Taylor estate?"
"Ahahaha... True."
Her voice softened a bit. She cut the steak daintily, chewed gracefully, and swallowed.
"But it has memories."
"Oh. Mom again?"
The set cost a whopping 15,000 won—peanuts for Taylor wealth and fame. I recalled a similar story recently. Caramel. She loved that cheap candy I could afford easily.
"...Yes. When I was little, Mom took me out and bought me one."
"Makes sense. Kids love hamburger steak."
Sour, sweet, easy to chew.
"Hehe! Right? Ah. And there were lots more!"
"You ate that in England?"
"Ah. I was in Korea back then."
Beaming, Elizabeth shared childhood memories. Walking rural paths with Mom, snacking in hole-in-the-wall shops.
"Training was tough and miserable, but those made it fun!"
Seemed precious. Chewing her steak, lost in the past, she paused and asked.
"Hey, Yohan. Can I ask a favor...?"
"What?"
"Tomorrow's a holiday too, right?"
"Yep."
"If it's okay, could you come out with me for a bit?! There's a place I want to visit."
"No big deal. Where?"
"Ohoho! It's a secret! But it'll be fun, promise!"
"Well, you won't drag me somewhere weird. Ah. It's not a training spot, right? Tell me it's not."
Elizabeth averted her eyes.
"Th-there is that too."
Just give up.
The next morning at the meeting spot, Elizabeth waited, checking her watch on her wrist over her cadet uniform. She lit up and waved wildly when she saw me.
"You're here! Come on, let's go!"
Like a retriever on a walk, thrilled, she led me to a gate. Not Academy zone, apparently.
"In we go!"
She went first; I followed. We emerged at...
"...Seoul?"
Seoul. Hit hard in 1999 and 2012, but still Korea's capital.
"Welcome, miss."
"Let's ride."
We took the same car as last time, cruising Seoul streets. Through bustling areas, we arrived at...
"Here."
An old district, steeped in nostalgia.
"Mom and I came whenever training got tough."
Strolling it, Elizabeth smiled softly. Then, with a slightly awkward look, she glanced at me slyly.
"Walk around with me?!"
"Ah. This is nothing."
"Ohohoho! Then let... Eek?!"
"What?"
"N-no, nothing! Ohohohot!!"