What is happiness?
In her previous life, this was already an overdiscussed topic for Vyea, but she hadn’t given it much thought at the time. Her mind was always empty, only concerned with what to eat for lunch and which game to play at night.
But someone once said, a cat eating fish, a sheep eating grass, Ultraman defeating a little monster—that is happiness.
Yet, after being summoned to this world of swords and magic and becoming a Brave, Vyea found herself falling in love with the feeling of power surging endlessly within her whenever she leveled up.
As long as she kept fighting, she could keep leveling up.
The higher her level, the more welcome she became among humans.
The stronger this positive feedback, the happier she felt.
Looking back now, Vyea couldn’t help but envy her former simple self.
However, the true start of her integration into this world must have been when the Brave’s party was officially formed, leaving their mark on this land full of magic and miracles.
How nostalgic it was.
Such is the past—once gone, it is gone forever. It can only be remembered, never recreated.
Those who accompanied her then are now no more than people who, after leaving, let the tea cool—just another old story.
Vyea opened her eyes and looked to her side at the beautiful girl with golden hair and golden eyes, smiling sweetly. Many people and events, countless forgotten details, flashed through her mind. It was as if she was awakening from a long, hazy dream.
“‘Parting from the Red Mansion brings sorrow through the night, scented lamps half-curtained by tasseled drapes….’” The golden-haired, golden-eyed girl suddenly recited poetry, smiling as she reached out a hand to Vyea, who was still crouched on the ground, golden strands falling onto her full chest.
This was a poem Vyea often read aloud to herself when they traveled the continent together in those days.
Back then, Flavail had thought this poem was beautiful—and she still did now.
Her heart seemed to skip a beat. The white-haired little girl lifted her face, gazing at her wife’s beautiful face so close, as if wanting to engrave it in her memory forever.
Suddenly, the wind picked up. Vyea raised her hand and grasped her wife’s outstretched hand—soft and cool—and sighed softly, continuing:
“‘Now I recall the joy of Jiangnan, how youthful spring robes were thin, riding horseback leaning on a slanting bridge, red sleeves beckoning from the towers…’”
“At that time, youthful spring robes were thin.” Vyea repeated dazedly.
As these words echoed, she suddenly smiled, holding tightly to her wife’s hand, watching as Flavail’s form began to grow faint and illusory, and softly said:
“Goodbye.”
“Goodbye.” Flavail cheerfully waved her other free hand. “This time, let me rest just a little longer.”
The soft, cool sensation vanished. Vyea’s left hand suddenly felt empty, as faint golden motes of light swirled around her like fireflies, flitting toward her like moths to a flame, and then—
Disappeared the instant they touched.
Vyea, restored to her girl’s form, stopped reminiscing, stopped reciting. Lost in thought, she gazed at the empty world before her, as if she were still that youth beneath the royal capital’s city walls.
At this moment, the Mana within her surged to the seventh tier.
Boom!
A tremendous explosion echoed in the mist—support fire from the Ark’s Magical Crystal Cannon.
No one knew when it happened, but the Captain, whose five senses had been scrambled, suddenly regained his sight, hearing, and touch. Once he recovered, he instantly realized they had fallen into an Illusion—the ship had not truly been frozen in time, nor had the equipment and weapons “crashed.”
It was all a conclusion drawn from their muddled senses, though he still didn’t know why some awareness had suddenly returned.
Worried it was only temporary, the Captain immediately organized his crew to launch ranged attacks from the surrounding mist at the Demons attempting to infiltrate the Ark.
“Reporting, Captain! The Engine Room Crew is ready! Magic Drive Engine is restarting! In three minutes we’ll be able to leave these waters!”
“Hurry, use the Communication Talisman Stone to try to contact the Braves! They may have fallen into a Demon’s trap!”