Chapter 794: The Protagonist’s Love Story (Part 1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 794: The Protagonist’s Love Story (Part 1)
Ariel opened her eyes.
Gentle sunlight squeezed through the gaps in the sheer curtains, casting slender, graceful shadows across the room before pooling in her palms, bathing her entire field of vision in tranquil, beautiful hues.
Perhaps because she had been asleep for so long, her consciousness was still a bit blurry. However, as her long lashes fluttered open, she could still discern that the ceiling above was not one she recognized.
The recessed ceiling, the crystal lampshades, and the formations carved from expensive magic metal—used merely to maintain the room's temperature—all radiated a level of gaudy opulence that was practically blinding.
"...What happened? And where am I?"
Ariel’s head still throbbed, as if her previously fractured spirit had not yet fully healed. Her memories were a chaotic mess; it seemed it would take some time to sort through them. She couldn't remember at all why she was lying in a place like this.
But she certainly hadn't come here of her own accord. A place that looked this expensive was far beyond her means.
Of course, it wasn't that she couldn't afford it now, but as someone entirely focused on self-improvement, she would never waste money on such meaningless extravagance. This place reeked of the "dirty wealth" typical of noble parvenus. It was repulsive.
As that thought crossed her mind, Ariel’s spirit jolted, and she immediately grew alert.
The cautious habits she had cultivated since childhood prompted her to carefully slip out from under the covers. The blankets were incredibly warm and soft, possessing a gravitational pull like a black hole; it took a massive effort of will to break free. Once she sat up, her sense of alarm only intensified.
She wasn't wearing her usual clothes, but rather a thin nightgown.
The nightgown was white, with lace trim at the cuffs and hem. The V-neck opening at the chest was perfectly cut; despite her... modest proportions, it actually managed to reveal a hint of an alluring cleavage.
Furthermore, the silk texture was exceptionally soft, feeling like flowing water against her skin. It was clearly high-grade silk. With Ariel’s sharp eye for value—an eye that never missed its mark—this nightgown alone was worth at least half a year’s rations.
Of course, none of that was the main point.
The point was that she, Ariel Bugard, was currently in a strange place, sleeping in a massive bed, wearing a strange nightgown!
Dammit, who changed her clothes?
It certainly wasn't her. She didn't have a habit of sleepwalking, nor did she have any memory of doing so... but it wasn't like the nightgown had grown onto her body by itself!
Could it be...
Ariel’s heart skipped a beat. With a trembling hand, she slowly lifted the hem of the gown...
Steeling herself with a grim resolve, she looked down...
Thank goodness.
The worst-case scenario hadn't happened. There were no traces of that sort of thing. She was still pure. Most importantly, the thing she intended to save for the girl she loved most was still there.
Ariel let out a long sigh of relief, her heart settling slightly.
But she didn't let down her guard. Because the moment she looked down, she discovered another grave issue—
"Teacher..."
Ariel looked at her hand.
Her hands were fair and slender. Despite years of grueling training, they bore few scars, yet Ariel felt they looked incredibly wrong at this moment.
On the middle finger of her left hand, there was a faint, circular red mark.
Day and night of training had left no marks, yet that faint red indentation was so clear—for ten whole years, she had worn an ancient bronze ring on that finger, almost never taking it off.
Her teacher resided within that ring. Throughout those ten years, even in her most perilous moments, Ariel had never felt lonely because she knew her teacher was there, right by her side—even if Teacher Peles spent most of her time sleeping due to her soul-body state.
And now, with the ring missing, she had completely lost her connection to her teacher.
"My storage magic ring is gone too, and I don't know where Heavenly Fire is."
Ariel dazed for a moment.
Since the day she had burned down that small courtyard over a decade ago, this was perhaps the second time she truly felt she was all alone. No teacher, no weapon, stuck in an unknown enemy camp, and wearing nothing but a thin silk nightgown.
A nightgown that wasn't even hers.
A surging sense of loneliness threatened to swallow her whole...
"No!"
Ariel shook her head violently, dispelling those uncharacteristic feelings of weakness.
"I am no longer the weak girl I used to be!"
That’s right. Ever since she walked out of that courtyard, she had been moving forward on the path of becoming stronger. She had never been a coward; how could she possibly succumb to a mysterious predicament like this?
She was Ariel Bugard!
Ariel’s expression returned to one of firm determination, and her mind began to race. After a brief moment of thought, she decided the priority was to figure out the current situation and reclaim her belongings.
The question was... where should she start?
Click.
Right then, the faint sound of a door opening reached her ears. Through the hazy veil of the bed curtains, Ariel’s keen senses picked up a slight breeze entering the room, followed by an unfamiliar figure.
Someone was coming.
Perfect. Heaven is on my side.
Suppressing her excitement, Ariel scanned her surroundings.
Though it was just a large, seemingly harmless bed, Ariel saw many things she could use. She stealthily rolled up the soft bedsheet into a makeshift rope, gave it a tentative tug with both hands, and nodded in satisfaction.
The durability was good, and it wouldn't make any noise. Judging by the intruder's footsteps, they were likely just a weak Second-Tier Martial Artist. This would be more than enough to handle them while leaving them alive for questioning.
Having quickly finalized her battle plan, Ariel held her breath and waited. As the figure drew near, she quietly parted the curtains, tightened her grip on the sheet, and lunged.
The person happened to have their back to her, allowing Ariel to accurately loop the sheet around the figure's neck. She pulled with all her might...
"Ah!"
The person let out a startled cry, their hands instinctively grabbing both sides of the sheet.
Ariel sneered inwardly. How could a mere Second-Tier Martial Artist possibly break free...
"Eh?"
The next moment, Ariel’s eyes widened.
With a gentle pull, the intruder easily neutralized Ariel’s flawless ambush. The sheet was yanked open and then hoisted upward, passing effortlessly over the person's head.
Because the intruder was about half a head taller than Ariel, she was lifted right along with the sheet. She ended up dangling there, wobbling on her tiptoes, looking quite ridiculous.