Chapter 64: An Anticlimactic Job Well Done?
The ghost archer moved toward the suspended water with the empty bottle clutched in its hands while the six of them watched from a safe distance.
"If this thing dies, you owe me a replacement."
Ronan said.
"You’re already getting magical water. Could probably buy an entire army if you find the right collector."
The archer reached the edge of the infinity-shaped flow and uncorked the bottle. It dipped the glass into the stream, and the water curled around the opening, flowing upward into the container rather than being scooped.
"That’s not normal water," Anastasia said.
"No shit," Alexander muttered.
The bottle filled completely in seconds. The archer pulled it back, corked it, and stood perfectly still.
"Huh."
Ronan tilted his head.
"Anticlimactic."
"Don’t jinx it."
Elena stepped forward, her staff raised, and scanned the area with a pulse of blue light. The magic rippled across the chamber, washing over pedestals and walls and the floating water itself.
"Nothing. It’s clean."
Alexander exhaled and walked toward the archer, taking the filled bottle and replacing it with an empty one. The process repeated four more times. Five bottles total, just as planned.
Two for Ronan, three for Alexander’s group.
The infinity water kept flowing, undisturbed by the extraction, its figure-eight shape never wavering.
"Alright."
Alexander tucked the last bottle into a reinforced pouch on his belt.
"We’re done here."
"Already?"
Ronan gestured at the hundreds of pedestals they’d passed.
"You’re really not going to grab anything else?"
"You want to test your luck with traps, be my guest. My contract’s fulfilled."
Ronan glanced at the treasure gallery. And his porter instincts screamed at him to take everything that wasn’t nailed down.
The money alone, even if they weren’t that powerful, would be absurd.
But his survival instincts were far louder. And besides, Anastasia was still worth as much as a million. There was no need to risk their lives for a little more.
"Sarael, anything worth grabbing?"
She tilted her head, her violet eyes scanning the pedestals.
"Nothing that feels important."
"Then we’re done too."
The six of them retraced their steps through the gallery, past the pedestals, and back toward the staircase. The violet flames still burned along the walkway when they emerged from the statue, and the void below was as dark and endless as before.
No one spoke on the walk back. The tension had shifted. Alexander’s group had what they came for, but they were still traveling with an S-Rank who could kill them all if he changed his mind about the deal.
Ronan didn’t blame them for being nervous. He’d be nervous too.
When they finally emerged through the stone archway and back into the frozen forest, the cold hit like a wall. Yvraine recast the warming spell without being asked, and Anastasia’s shivering eased almost immediately.
Alexander turned to face Ronan, his greatsword still in hand but pointed at the ground.
"We’re heading back to Frostheim. You?"
"Same direction. But we’ll walk separately."
"Good."
Alexander almost smiled.
"No offense, but I’ve had enough of you for one night."
"None taken."
The three of them disappeared into the trees, their footsteps crunching through the snow until the sound faded into the wind. Ronan waited until he couldn’t hear them anymore before turning to Anastasia.
"You did good."
"I didn’t do anything. All of you handled everything while I watched."
"That’s the point. You watched. You saw what a dangerous fight looks like, what kind of traps to expect, and how to negotiate with strangers who might stab you in the back. That’s enough."
Anastasia just sighed, looking around.
"So, you aren’t curious about that city below the ruin?"
"I am, but I’d rather not die. Not until I have the ability to fly."
✧ ✦ ✧
Once again, Anastasia took the lead, this time far more irritated and cursing under her breath.
After finishing their exploration of the strange ruin, she hadn’t expected Ronan to keep going, using teaching her as an excuse to lead them deeper into the middle of nowhere.
But Ronan wasn’t really paying attention to that.
As long as she wasn’t suddenly being mauled by a wild bear, she could handle herself without him intervening.
"How’s the dress?"
"It’s comfortable. It feels just like the bedsheets back at home. But I was more curious about the city... I may not be the smartest goddess, but it’s obviously meant for me. Even if I forgot about it."
"Forgot, huh?"
His grandma had never really mentioned an ancient civilization worshipping Sarael before. To him, Sarael had just been a local goddess that his family worshipped.
But what they found in that ruin made that harder to believe.
He was starting to wonder if his entire family line used to live in places like that. It was the only explanation he had right now for why his family had worshipped, or even known about, Sarael.
"Well, I don’t mind. As long as you’re here, my dear believer... my dear husband..."
Sarael nuzzled Ronan’s cheek, looking content despite seeing a place that seemed to belong to the height of her worship.
"You’re worth far more than a few million believers."
Ronan couldn’t help but laugh. Was he really that special? Or would any believer who accidentally bumped into her in Tartarus get the same treatment?
The thought alone made him jealous and anxious...
So he asked. Obviously, he asked. If anything could be answered by Sarael herself, there was no need to hide it.
"Why do you like me so much anyway? Is it because I bumped into the shrine and prayed to you again?"
He asked, and Sarael immediately froze. Her eyes flickered slightly.
[Error]
[Entity is... confused]
Sarael fell silent. Her arms were still around his neck, her chin resting on his shoulder, but her whole body had gone still.
"Ronan..."
Her voice was smaller than he expected.
"I don’t know."
The softness in Sarael’s voice was enough to make Ronan backtrack. He shifted her from his back into a princess carry.
"...Then there’s no need to answer. Whatever the real reason is, you’re mine now. That’s what matters."
Sarael’s eyes brightened at the declaration, and she wrapped her arms around his neck again.
"Thank you, Ronan."
Not long after—
"A-A cave! I found somewhere we can stay!"
Anastasia had finally found a place to rest.
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