Chapter 81 - Sunset
"Then, I'm gonna crash for a bit. You two keep an eye on Lulu."
"It's morning, and you're sleeping again?"
Irina, who had been deep in conversation with Kania before heading upstairs, tilted her head at Frey's words.
"Sorry, I just can't shake this exhaustion no matter how much I sleep. Just an hour."
Frey's words rang true—dark circles shadowed his eyes. For someone who had supposedly slept a full week, he looked utterly drained.
"Alright... sleep well, then."
"Thanks. Let Kania know when she gets here."
With that, Frey lay down and slipped into sleep almost instantly.
"Frey... asleep?"
Irina watched him for a moment before approaching the deeply slumbering boy.
"...Yeah, out cold."
She examined him carefully—he was so gone, he wouldn't notice if someone carried him off. Memories from the past week flooded back, when she had nursed him in their secret hideout in the forest near the mansion after his trial plunged him into that coma.
"How brutal must that trial have been, to leave him this wiped out after a whole week of sleep?"
Irina had some sense of the ordeal's ferocity.
"I... wanna get out..."
"Frey! Are you coming to?"
"This place... is hell..."
Every few minutes, Frey would mutter deliriously from the bed in their hideout.
"Irina..."
"F-Frey?"
When he finally called her name, she thought he'd overcome the trial and woken up.
"Why'd you change like that... why..."
But he hadn't awakened. He was just despairing over the version of her trapped in the trial.
"...Hoo."
Remembering that, Irina couldn't bear to stay by his side in her right mind. The trial—clearly born from her mistakes—was tormenting him every moment.
"Ugh... ughhh..."
"F-Frey!"
Then one day, he started convulsing, his face deathly pale. Irina's guilt hit its peak.
"Wh-what do I do? What should I do?!"
"Irina, calm down first..."
"Kania, take me into Frey's dream. Please."
Desperate to help him through his obvious nightmare, Irina begged Kania, who had been trying to infiltrate his trial.
"An unknown force is blocking entry. I'm sorry."
Kania could only shake her head.
"Frey, you're resting peacefully now, right?"
Snapping out of the memory, Irina stroked his hair as he lay with a serene expression and whispered the question. No answer came from his deep sleep, of course, but she finally relaxed. At least he wasn't muttering in agony.
"...Irina? What are you doing?"
"Eek."
Irina flinched at Kania's voice from behind and whipped around.
"Uh, well... could you watch Lulu over there?"
"Me?"
Irina hesitated, then pointed at Lulu slumped beside Frey's bed. Kania frowned.
"Yeah, Frey said to leave her with you."
"And you?"
"Me... I'm supposed to clean the room."
Avoiding Kania's gaze, Irina grabbed a broom from the corner and started sweeping.
"...Hah."
Kania eyed her disapprovingly but sighed as Lulu stirred on the floor and approached her.
"Clean thoroughly, please."
With Lulu on her back, Kania left the room. Irina paused her sweeping, glanced around, then turned back to Frey.
"...Oh."
Approaching cautiously, she spotted the scar on his shoulder and bowed her head.
That... from when he protected me in the Ashen Forest and got bitten by the Fenrir.
Recalling how he'd desperately shielded her magicless self, Irina thought of the evaluation where she'd hurled fireballs at him. Trembling, she lifted his shirt.
".....!"
Burn scars—her burns—stood out vividly on his body.
That's weird... all his wounds have turned to scars?
Every injury Frey had ever taken was scarred over. Stunned, Irina traced them gently.
...I have to find that person.
After stroking them for a long while, she steeled herself. For Frey—who bore countless unhealing scars because of her, endured near-death trials, yet forgave her—she'd seek out the one she'd sworn never to approach again.
And whatever the price—even her own life—she'd extend his lifespan somehow.
"That'd be the only atonement I can offer you."
Murmuring, she hesitated, then leaned in and kissed his cheek softly.
"N-now, back to cleaning."
Blushing furiously despite no one watching, she shouted to herself and resumed sweeping. Her proud archmage self from the past would have fainted in shock.
......
"So you've been watching Lulu this whole time?"
"Yes. It was Young Master's order..."
Frey, waking after an hour, summoned Kania. She hurried over from the next room, where she'd been tending Lulu.
"Where's Irina?"
"She said you ordered her to clean."
"...Did I?"
Half-asleep when he spoke, Frey couldn't recall clearly. But with Lulu safe and the room spotless, it didn't matter. He stood.
"Young Master? Where are you going?"
As he prepared to head out, Kania asked curiously.
"Oh, gotta prep for the 'slave market raid.' Heading to the Information Guild for intel."
"Intel? I can handle that for you."
Frey smiled kindly, but Kania looked puzzled. As Starlight's butler and real power broker, she excelled at gathering information.
"It's not just intel. There's another reason to go to the guild."
"Another reason?"
"Yeah, that sub-heroine I mentioned—the 'guild leader's daughter.' Time to show my face."
Kania's expression chilled.
"I see. Then I'll accompany you."
"Sure, guard the house... what?"
Frey, turning to leave, froze in surprise.
"Accompany you?"
"Yes, as you heard."
"What about Lulu?"
"Leave her with Irina."
Kania stated it flatly. Frey sighed softly.
"I appreciate the concern, but... she's no ordinary girl. I'd rather keep our connection hidden."
"She's still just the guild leader's daughter."
Proud of her status, Kania frowned. Frey chuckled.
"True, she is the guild leader's daughter."
"Then why...?"
"...She's also a duke's daughter."
Kania blinked blankly.
"One of the empire's three dukedoms—Sunset family, alongside Starlight and Moonlight."
"Sunset? The imperial Sunrise's distant branch?"
"Exactly. You know your stuff."
As Kania looked confused, Frey smirked.
"Fallen from power, so they're ignored and reclusive... but a dukedom's still a dukedom."
"Why is a duke's daughter slumming it as the underworld guild leader's kid? Even I never knew in past loops—must be a deep secret..."
"Long story, and she only enrolls as a freshman in Loop 2. Details later—gotta go."
Frey headed for the door. Kania blurted desperately,
"Young Master, at least let me go to the guild..."
Irina poked her head from the next room, cutting her off. Kania scowled.
"What?"
"Uh... Lulu's out cold, so use your black magic to enter her subconscious..."
"Later."
"Huh?"
Kania cut her off as Frey primped in the mirror, spritzing cologne. She clenched her fists.
"......Something I must check."
Her eyes locked on Frey, now humming and combing his hair.
......
"Hey, stop here for a sec."
"Yes, sir! Right away, Young Master!"
Kania, allowed to accompany him but wait at the guild entrance, blinked as Frey halted the carriage midway.
"Young Master? Why stop suddenly?"
"Need to grab something."
He stepped out and walked off. Kania peered out suspiciously.
"...A flower shop?"
Frey entered. She watched tensely as he emerged with a lavish bouquet of roses. Her face darkened.
"Let's go."
Frey, oblivious or not, just gazed at the flowers quietly.
"...Young Master? What's with the bouquet?"
Kania finally asked. Frey sighed.
"Gift for Rosewin."
"Rosewin?"
"For the duke's daughter I mentioned."
Leaning back, he prompted Kania's fidgeting question.
"Young Master... do you like her?"
"...Huh?"
He tilted his head. Kania pouted.
"You... did makeup you never do, cologne... and that bouquet..."
"So? If I said yes, what then?"
"Th-that's... well..."
Teasing, Frey grinned mischievously. Kania averted her eyes.
"Um... not sure."
Black aura roiled faintly from her shy form.
"Kidding. It's to piss her off—deliberately."
Frey dropped the joke seriously. Kania looked baffled.
"You primp and bring flowers... how's that off-putting?"
"Best way to make her hate my guts."
"...I don't get it."
Perplexed but relieved, Kania gazed out the window.
"So, what's your exact relationship with her?"
After silence, she asked casually. Frey, staring at the bouquet, murmured,
"...You'll find out eventually."
He clammed up. Kania, still impassive, extended her hand out the window.
- Shooo...
Black energy wisped from her palm.
......
"Kania, wait here."
"...Understood."
The carriage stopped in a dim alley. Frey sighed, stepping out, and stopped Kania from following.
"Won't be long—don't worry."
"Ah, Young Master. Your collar's crooked."
Grabbing him, she widened her eyes and straightened it fussily.
"Huh? I fixed it before..."
"There. Perfect now."
Frey tilted his head at her attentiveness. Kania smiled and stepped back.
"Farewell, then."
Eying her oddly, Frey scratched his head and entered the Information Guild.
"Welcome, sir... gah."
The counter girl froze mid-greeting smile.
"You know the drill. VIP room. Fetch Rosewin."
"...Yes."
The tense guide led him underground.
"How's Rosewin these days?"
"Uh... as a mere guide, I don't..."
"You know something."
"Sorry... really don't."
"Tch, useless."
Glare from Frey made her shrink. He sighed at a lavish door.
"Go in first. I'll get Rosewin..."
- Creeeak...
Ignoring her, Frey entered and muttered,
"Been a while here too..."
Glancing around, the door opened. Someone entered slowly.
"Ah, Rosewin!"
Frey's face morphed into a dopey grin. Propping his chin, he drawled,
"Missed ya. Anything bugging you lately?"
"Heh, must've been dying to see me?"
The girl smiled with her eyes and sat across from him.
"So... what commission this time?"
"Heard anything on the 'slave market' thing?"
"Oh, that?"
She grinned.
"A thousand gold. Regular discount..."
"...Just a thousand? Make it two."
Pulling out a gold pouch, Frey prompted her wide-eyed gasp, hand to mouth.
"Too much! You don't have to..."
"It's fine, Rosewin. You know I'm loaded."
Shrugging, he eased her worried frown.
"But... rumors say intruders looted Starlight Mansion..."
"Huh? Where's that nonsense from?"
"Not true?"
"Nah, or I couldn't pay this. Haha."
His sunny, dumb grin made her nod sharply for a split second.
"Right... got it. Here's the info..."
"Add another thousand—dig deeper."
"...Gasp."
More pouches out, her jaw dropped.
"You sure? This is way too much..."
"Told you, fine."
Waving off her concern, Frey flushed and pulled something out.
"Oh, almost forgot—this is for you. Thought of you when I got it."
"Wow..."
A bouquet of blooming roses in every color.
"Never gotten flowers before..."
"So, Rosewin, free this weekend...?"
Gazing enchanted, she snapped pitying eyes as he probed.
"Oh no, got plans."
"This week, then..."
"Schedule's packed... sorry."
"Sometime this month..."
Persistent, Frey pressed. Rosewin clapped suddenly.
"Oh, new slave market intel just came in!"
"Oh, uh, yeah?"
"I'll grab it—wait here!"
"Uh, s-sure..."
Brushed off, Frey scratched his head. Rosewin smiled.
"Thanks for the flowers, really! I'll treasure them!"
She winked at his renewed blush and left.
"...Fuck, I hate him."
Outside, she dumped the bouquet on the guide.
"Burn it."
"C-can't I have it? It's expensive..."
"Do what you want. I can't even look at it."
Striding down the hall, the guide hurried after, baffled.
"Why do you hate him so much? Rich, handsome, does whatever you ask..."
"You want me to like the empire's top scumbag? Thinks he can buy people and struts on his looks?"
Sneering, Rosewin sighed.
"I despise guys like that. If he weren't VIP, I'd have kicked him out."
"So, what's your type, Rosewin?"
"Me...?"
Pausing thoughtfully, she blushed faintly.
"...The hero who's about to appear."
"A hero?"
The guide frowned. Rosewin beamed dreamily.
"Serving him is my dream—and my destiny."