Silence still hung in the air, broken only by the faint sounds of water and bubbles being displaced—clear and distinct.
Lortisa carefully applied her strength.
She didn’t know if she might accidentally hurt him with the slightest misstep.
The young man’s shoulders and back before her were not broad, nor did they carry the slightest hint of muscular strength.
He was just ordinary, at best giving off the impression of “Hmm, he’s a guy.”
Not to mention that compared to the reliable comrades or respected rivals she had met since joining the military, this physique was far from qualifying.
Even from the perspective of an average soldier or mercenary, his build was still insufficient.
The only small comfort was that Vis’s back and waist bore no visible scars.
“Have you always worked as a mercenary?”
Lortisa suddenly spoke.
Vis paused briefly and nodded.
Her hands stilled for a moment in silence.
Wondering “Why?” Vis thought for a moment and straightforwardly added:
“This line of work… suits me better.”
It wasn’t a half-hearted excuse but rather a candid truth.
From the perspective of gathering “Wish Power,” mercenary work was the most direct, flexible, and convenient option—like daily gigs on a labor market.
Besides, having crossed into this world, he couldn’t wield magic as the game settings had described.
An ordinary person from a normal world like him had no other obvious career options.
“Suitable…”
Lortisa quietly pondered his answer.
(Yes, this way suits him better to help others? Just like back then?
Simply because he was willing, he kept going until now?
He clearly deserved a better future…)
A faint ache slowly fermented in the girl’s heart.
Hidden from Vis’s sight, she raised her eyes,
Gazing into his emerald pupils, as if a flicker of emotion passed through them.
“You… do you always operate alone?”
She couldn’t explain why, but when she asked this, a tension long absent stirred within her.
“More or less.”
Vis nodded again.
It wasn’t that he never teamed up with others—there were benefits to numbers and mutual support.
But collecting “Wish Power” required personal involvement.
Coupled with his method of selecting contracts based on the “Wish Power” points, which differed greatly from typical mercenaries who worked for pay,
Vis basically had no fixed teammates—only temporary partners.
Even if he operated under the banner of a mercenary organization, he was a rare “lone soldier.”
“That’s really—”
Lortisa instinctively straightened, almost blurting out her true feelings.
She stopped herself with a soft breath and forced out:
“Too… well, too unfortunate.”
“Tell me about it.”
Vis slapped his knee with a snap.
A wealthy noble’s sorceress prepared the gear and handled daily expenses; a neighborly little sister priest took care of healing; an experienced warrior elder sister led and strategized; he himself used various items drawn from “Wishes” as backup trump cards—
This was how a protagonist’s adventure life should look after crossing into another world!
But reality was…
Damn unfortunate.
He was alone, and the “Wishes” were always clear skies and white clouds, with no guaranteed rewards.
He felt like complaining out loud. If he had some rum nearby, maybe he’d have downed two pounds by now.
Vis’s resentment almost seeped out through his pores like a shadow behind him.
But at this moment, Lortisa had no thought to notice his mood.
Her mind was consumed by just that one answer.
(Vis, he is truly alone now—completely alone, no companions by his side, let alone lovers, family, or beloved…)
As if he had lost an immensely precious treasure, and even after regaining it, he remained unchanged,
As if… it was destined to belong to him.
Fate had kept him until now.
She had prayed countless times to the Lord of Wishes, never expecting that the day of reunion would come so soon.
It was fine if he didn’t recognize her.
Memories might be beautiful, but Lortisa decided not to rely on the filter called “the past.”
Let him get to know her again, accept her, and win his love—that was also part of growing up, wasn’t it?
When that time came, she would confess to him, telling him that the girl from before had lived well as instructed, blossoming into the radiant Lortisa…
Both lost in their own thoughts, the quiet between them felt strangely fitting.
(But the most important thing is to keep him here first…)
Lortisa steadied the ripples in her heart and deliberately adopted a casual tone, lightly asking:
“So, Vis, have you ever thought about staying in the army—”
“—Sergeant!”
Before she could finish, a sharp voice rang out from outside the curtain, its rich volume completely drowning out the words of the young female sergeant.
With his back to Lortisa, Vis only caught his name being called and none of the rest, his attention immediately drawn to the noise by the door.
“Sergeant, quick, quick!”
The approaching voice was accompanied by ground-shaking footsteps—no doubt who it was.
Lortisa’s brow tightened slightly, but her displeasure didn’t affect her expression; her gaze turned ice-cold.
She grabbed a bath towel, wrapping herself partially, and rose to lift the curtain and step out.
“Karin, what’s the matter?”
“Sergeant, are you done washing?”
The female deputy officer was still fully armored, her square face tense.
“The Earl has ordered that all company sergeants report to the command tent shortly for a meeting to discuss… a plan to eradicate the Tide of Calamity.”
Lortisa paused, seeming to digest the news.
After two seconds, she nodded calmly:
“Understood.”
“Please hurry.”
Karin didn’t push further.
Knowing this meticulous superior well enough, once told, no further reminders were needed.
Still, she was somewhat puzzled.
They had followed orders and brought that mercenary boy into the single-person bath prepared for the young female sergeant, no mistake.
But they’d only seen him go in, never come out?
Now Lortisa was stepping out, obviously having just finished washing, her hair still damp.
Relying on her height, the female warrior tried to peer over the sergeant’s head discreetly to look inside.
But that little curiosity was instantly caught by Lortisa,
Who narrowed her eyes slightly:
“You go ahead and inform them first; I’ll be there shortly.”
“Alright… alright.”
Karin nodded nervously and hurried away.
Thanks to the deputy’s loud voice, Vis could hear the conversation clearly from outside the curtain.
(Here it comes, here it comes—the very thing we just talked about is about to start!)
Though he didn’t know the details, eradicating the Tide of Calamity was no problem for this border kingdom army.
At last, it was time to reclaim Serenity Town.
(So, “Wandering Dust” components, you’d better stay put and not cause me any extra trouble.)