Chapter 15: 15. The truth of a Crimson ghost
AT THE SAME TIME
ALEXANDER
The boss floor still smelled like molten metal and death. Mostly death. The guardian’s corpse was split cleanly in half behind us, slowly collapsing into burning fragments while Rosalia stood beside me quietly like she hadn’t just erased a nightmare monster with one bullet and emotional support, which honestly felt illegal.
She stayed close too, very close. Almost glued to my side now. Every few seconds her crimson eyes drifted toward my hand like she was checking whether additional head pats were still a possibility. I pretended not to notice mostly because I was scared of encouraging whatever this was becoming.
"Too late." The sword pulsed once.
"Stop reading my emotions."I ordered.
"I am literally synchronized to your soul."The sword sighed.
"I want a refund."I said.
Above us, Scarlet and Noa finally reached the lower floor after practically breaking reality to get down here.
"Master!"Scarlet ran toward me immediately.
"I survived!"I raised both hands quickly.
Scarlet visibly relaxed, then her eyes shifted toward Rosalia. The atmosphere changed instantly, not hostile, just careful. Rosalia looked back calmly as Scarlet stepped closer to me protectively. Rosalia stepped closer too. The dungeon pressure somehow returned despite the boss already being dead. Noa arrived next, took one look at Rosalia, then at the bisected guardian, then at me.
"You summoned another problem."She said.
"I SUMMONED SURVIVAL."I screamed.
"Debatable."Noa crossed her arms.
Then footsteps echoed behind them heavy, steady. Zavier. The moment he stepped onto the boss floor, his eyes locked onto Rosalia and for the first time since I met him the legendary blacksmith looked genuinely shaken.
"Forge Master."Rosalia noticed immediately.
Her voice stayed calm.
"So you’re alive."Zavier exhaled slowly.
That sentence hit differently.
"Wait. You know each other?"I frowned immediately.
Rosalia looked away first, which somehow felt important.
"I should have guessed the system would drag you back eventually."Zavier stepped closer slowly, eyes fixed on her.
"Okay."I pointed between them aggressively. "Someone explain the terrifying assassin woman."
Rosalia quietly moved half a step behind me, like she suddenly didn’t want attention anymore. That was somehow weirder than the murder. Zavier looked tired suddenly, not physically, but old tired. The kind built from memories.
"Rosalia Anos was once the most feared assassin in the world."Zavier said.
"The Crimson Ghost..."Scarlet blinked.
"Impossible. She vanished over six years ago."Noa’s eyes widened slightly.
"I noticed the VANISHED part."I said. "Why is everyone acting like she’s a historical disaster?"
Rosalia lowered her head slightly, and Zavier answered quietly.
"Because kingdoms stopped going to war when she appeared."Zavier said quietly.
"What."I stared at him.
"One nation hired her once."Zavier continued calmly. "Only once."
Rosalia didn’t move.
"The war ended three days later."He said.
"Estimated casualties?"Noa looked toward Rosalia carefully now.
"Minimal."Zavier’s expression darkened slightly.
That surprised everyone.
"Then why was she feared?"Scarlet frowned softly.
"Because she only killed the people responsible."Zavier looked directly at Rosalia. The boss floor went silent again. "The kings, the nobles, the commanders, the people hiding behind armies." Rosalia stayed perfectly still as Zavier continued. "She ignored soldiers. Ignored civilians. Walked through entire battlefields and eliminated only the ones who started the wars."
"That sounds morally confusing."I admitted.
"It was."Zavier nodded. "Some called her justice, others called her a monster."
Rosalia’s fingers tightened slightly around her gun, very slightly, I noticed anyway.
"Emotional fluctuation detected."The sword whispered inside my head.
"Not helping."I said.
"Then why did she disappear?"Scarlet looked at Rosalia softly.
That question changed everything, Rosalia went completely silent.
"Because eventually the world realized something terrifying."Zavier closed his eyes briefly before answering. His voice lowered. "She never killed for money."
"Then why did she do it?"I felt my stomach drop.
"Rewards."Zavier looked directly at me.
I froze, and Noa narrowed her eyes immediately.
"Emotional reinforcement."She said.
Scarlet slowly looked toward my hand and Rosalia quietly looked away.
"NOTICE: SUMMON EMBARRASSMENT LEVEL INCREASING." The system appeared in tiny text.
WHY DOES THE SYSTEM TRACK THAT?!"I screamed.
"Rosalia evolved through affection."Zavier sighed.
"I beg your pardon."My soul left my body.
"The stronger the emotional connection, the stronger she became."Zavier explained. "Not romance. Trust. Praise. Acknowledgment."
"Head pats were efficient."Rosalia muttered quietly.
Scarlet blinked rapidly, Noa looked genuinely stunned.
"THAT CAN’T BE A REAL POWER SYSTEM."I pointed dramatically.
"It is."Zavier said. "And the governments realized that every time someone treated her kindly. "He gestured vaguely toward the dead guardian. "That happened."
I slowly looked toward Rosalia, and she avoided eye contact immediately.
"So why disappear?"I asked.
This time Rosalia answered herself quietly.
"They stopped seeing me as human."She said.
The atmosphere changed instantly, no jokes, no screaming, just silence.
"They feared empowering me."Rosalia’s voice stayed calm but softer now. "So they stopped rewarding me." Her crimson eyes lowered slightly. "No missions. No contracts. No contact."
"They isolated you..."Scarlet’s expression fell immediately.
"For safety."Rosalia nodded once.
"Psychological damage probability: severe."The sword in my hand pulsed uneasily.
"THANK YOU SWORD."I said annoyed.
"She vanished because the world decided the easiest way to control her..."Zavier crossed his arms slowly. His eyes shifted toward Rosalia again. "Was to make sure nobody cared about her."
Silence hit harder than the boss fight then suddenly Rosalia lightly tugged my sleeve and I looked down slowly. Her expression stayed mostly blank, but quieter now.
"You gave rewards immediately."She whispered.
"Well yeah. You killed the giant death furnace."I blinked.
"I like this contract."Rosalia stared at me for a few seconds and smiled.
Scarlet immediately stiffened, Noa looked concerned. Zavier covered his face with one hand.
"Oh no."He muttered.
"I DON’T LIKE WHEN PEOPLE SAY OH NO AROUND ME."I said.
At this moment, I knew that no matter how powerful Rosalia is I will protect her. She sounded like I was since I got kicked out of the academy, and I won’t let her suffer anymore.
