"Hmm. That's a lot of information to take in, prodigy. Have you ever considered becoming a bard?" Hadwin said after finishing the story.
"With my talent, this is just a waste of time, isn't it?" Zach asked, unable to help but smile. She didn't expect him to accept it easily, but at least he heard her out. "However, I have never been good at making up stories. Everything I tell you is true." I am actually a female version or a girl version of Zach. Get used to it gradually, folks, haha.
"You are the great hero, right? The one destined to lead the seven of us?"
"Exactly."
"You tried a thousand times and failed? Honestly, I'm surprised your head didn't explode, little miss Zach."
It felt like she had done this a thousand times before. But a lot of things are repetitive and she just blindly does the same thing over and over again. "So you can imagine why I screamed."
"Oh, but of course," he chuckled. "And, in all these timelines, you and I have always been rivals, right? Somehow, you've always been the one who was better than me."
"Well, that's usually the case. You win a few times, but I'm the hero," she said. “Leaders are supposed to be strong, right?”
The sun began to rise, and the light poured into the room, gentle and peaceful! She could now begin to see the details of his body. He was taller than she remembered, but his hair and beard were still the same flaming red. His eyes were slowly changing. "Then fate intervenes and you come back as a sweet little girl, right?" he asked. A little uncomfortable.
"Uh... uh, that last sentence is not important, I -" Suddenly, a hand fell on her head and patted her face gently, her cheeks turned red. .
"No, I get it. Lovely story, prodigy. You're not the first to try "Destined to be with me." But you're a little too young for me. We'll talk about it when you're older. How about talking about this?”
Her mouth fell open. She didn't expect the instance to be accepted. But she never expected him to suspect her of trying to seduce him. "You...you...you..." she said, trying to think of the right words to express, unable to properly express her annoyance.
"That's cute, Zach Jean, isn't it? But-"
"You arrogant bastard!" she shouted, clenching her hands, unable to control herself. She lunged at him, driving her right fist into his chest. He didn't move, just sighed. But she will make him regret this choice. He thought she was just a child, but she knew many secrets, enough to make her meager power stronger. She put the magic into her fist and released it at the moment of contact.
As soon as the call was connected, Joan's eyes widened and she stumbled back, her fingers covered in blood. It felt like every bone in her hands was shattered.
"Hey! Prodigy, what did you do?" he asked, kneeling in front of her and reaching out to take her hand.
Tears of pain filled Qiao An's eyes. how? She did everything she could to break him down. She didn't expect it to hurt too much, but it should at least knock him out. He didn't even wear armor. But as soon as her fist bounced away, his body felt like it was made of iron. No, stronger than iron. This has never happened before.
He took her hand and she let out a soft whimper as he forcefully opened her fist. "Your finger is broken," he whispered. "Damn it, what did you do?"
Zakjon looked up at him, tears flowing from the pain. Hell, she had one more card to play if she wanted him to trust her. She couldn't let it end like this, no matter how painful it was. "Y-your mother," she whispered.
"What?"
"Don't tell me. It's funny what you said. Especially the look on your face," he said, then stood up and let go of her hand. "Who is that?"
Zach Jean stared, and she expected him to be angry, but he just looked worried. Still, she had to push. "I don't have proof right now, but I can. I just need you to believe me—"
"WHO?" Hadwin asked, anger in his voice. She saw his hand wrap around the hilt of the sword. I felt a twinge of fear.
"Lord Anrol," Joan said softly.
However, this made the man pause. He looked confused now, rather than angry. "Lord Anrol? What-"
"They do everything for the same reason. Power. Greed. To control you. They-"
"Draw your sword, prodigy."
June stared at her friend with wide eyes. He couldn't be serious. She looked down at her injured hand, then back at him. "But my hand, it's-"
"It wouldn't be too hard if you beat me a thousand times, would it?" he asked before leaving her. "Your sword."
June sighed softly and nodded. It seems this is indeed the only way. She held out her left hand. It only took a moment, and with a small spark, her blade and scabbard appeared inside, a simple spell, although it made her more tired than she would like to admit. She tucked the scabbard under her right arm, drew the sword, and let the scabbard fall to the ground.
Hadwin drew her sword, and she couldn't help but let out a whimper. The blade burst into flames, surrounding the golden core. The hilt is shaped like a lion's stomach, from which the blade protrudes. She had fought this sword a thousand times, but never like this. They often call it "The Purity of the Lion," a sword that can cleave through any weapon or armor. If he touched her, she would be dead. To make matters worse, the sword can release flames from a distance, so even if she had enough mana to attack him with her own magic, she would only be burned to a crisp. The worst part is that he forces her to fight him with her off-hand while he fights with his main.
She had fought him many times. She considered this to be at least one advantage she had. More importantly, she knew how he would wield a sword. She knew his every move. He was now far less experienced than before, and she could use that to her advantage.
"Can we start?" he asked.
"Please," she said. He didn't hesitate. He ran straight towards her. But that's Hadwin, he's always going to attack. He was also much faster than her.
He nearly ran into her as she dashed to her right, narrowly dodging a low blow.
"Swan Falls." One of her more powerful spells, one she'd done a thousand times in her life, though technically she'd stolen it from him.
However, when she tried to pull out the magic in her arm to release the spell, it was blocked. He took a step back to avoid another swing from his friend. What went wrong? Why does she feel revolted? "Swan Falls!" She tried the spell again, this time pushing all her magic into the arm and forcing the spell.
Her arm exploded in agony and she was knocked into the air, her sword clanking at her side. Shock. She barely noticed Hardin kneeling over her, gently slapping her cheek, grabbing her painful arm and causing her more pain. "Hey? Hey! Prodigy? Prodigy! Kid! No-"
But this is too much. Darkness started at the edge of her vision and quickly closed in on her. She doesn't understand. Swa
fall was a simple spell that she had used a thousand times.
Can she really not do such a simple thing?
------
Consciousness slowly returned, with great pain. She tried moving her hands, and luckily, they all seemed to move correctly. Unfortunately, they both felt like the muscles in their bodies were being pushed to their limits, making each twitch more painful. She opened her eyes and looked around.
It's afternoon. Hadwin sat by the fire, but she saw no Rab or Lindis. He glanced at her and sighed. "Feeling better, Prodigy?"
"What happened?" she asked, trying to sit up but her body wouldn't move.
"You broke one of my hands and nearly wiped out the other when you tried to cast some stupid spell I'd never heard of. What on earth were you trying to do?
"Swan Falls," Joan said, looking up at the sky. "It's an ice spell. I've used it all the time."
"Oh? What do you want to do with it?
"Tap your thumb. It's been a little weak since that wild boar incident. I can't beat you without doing something dirty like this."
"Haha, you won't tell. So do you know about the wild boar?"
"I should, I'm right there."
Hadwin shook his head. "It's strange how you know this, but Lord Anrol doesn't."
"Huh?" She looked back at him and asked. "What about him?"
"He couldn't have killed my mother for two reasons. First, he had been dead for nearly ten years. Second, my mother was still alive."
Qiao An was stunned and opened her mouth. "Wait, wait a minute...what? Your mother, she is-"
"Live? Yes. At this rate, you may live longer than me."
"But that's impossible, she is, but, that's impossible, what to do?" It was difficult for her to understand this. There was no way his mother was still alive. She was supposed to be dead. Anrol killed her years ago. It was all an attempt to gain more control over Hadwin and his family.
"Exactly! I fought with you-"
"So I can only imagine you're a spy."
Zakjon stared at him, his mouth wide open. "Spy?" she asked.
"Your story has no chance of happening. So you can only be a spy. At least you look human. Maybe a servant of the devil. There is no other explanation. I will keep you under my watch for now."
"Keeping it?" She stared at him and asked again.
"Indeed." He turned to her fiercely, drew his sword, and pointed the tip at her. Flames erupted from the sword's blade. "When I deal with this troll, I will take you back to the kingdom with me. Will you...are you...are you laughing?" he asked, the anger on his face slowly turning to confusion.
Zach Jean couldn't help himself. Try as she might, she couldn't stop the laughter from rising in her throat. "I'm sorry. This is nothing personal, Hadwin. This is just ridiculous."
"What?" he asked, his own cheeks turning a little red. "Do you doubt the seriousness of your situation? Don't think that just because you're a child, I won't kill you. There are demons big and small, kid."
"I've seen you behave like this a thousand times. Those desert bandits, those nasty cave elves. Another time, during the coconut incident, Chase threatened to sell your underwear. And, if I I am your prisoner, and I know you will not allow any harm to truly come to me."
Hadwin just stared at her, mouth agape. Very confused, which made her laugh even harder. "Don't do that!"
"How?" he asked, his voice filled with annoyance. She could see his anger starting to build, but she knew he was far from reaching his limit.
"Because you are you, Hadwin. You will always be you. In all the lifetimes, the only ones who have not betrayed me and have not fallen into the devil's pollution are you and Andreas. That's why you do this. It's just so stupid. It's like a minstrel comedy. It's just horrible."
"Andreas?"
"Gentle Andreas, he wields a spear. You'll like him. To be honest, he's hard to walk on. Sleeps for too long, and frankly I believe he's too lazy for the demon lord to be try."
Hadwin sighed softly, and the flame on the sword went out. Sheathing it, he walked over to her and sat at her head. "You're so puzzling, Prodigy. I almost want to believe you."
"I hope so. I think I would feel the same way if our positions were reversed."
"But when we first met, you were very afraid of me. I thought you would faint if I touched you."
He is one of the legendary warriors hand-picked by the gods. As talented as she is, she is still just a newcomer. "It feels like it was a thousand lifetimes ago," she said softly. Constantly starting from scratch annoyed and numbed Zach!
She closed her eyes and tried to move her hands, but they didn't respond. "It feels like... I guess... imagine your life ten years ago. You might be able to pick up some pieces of it, right? But it's still just a memory. Just what was. That happened. You might not remember all of it. thing, but nothing more than that. A memory. That's what the last twelve years of my life have felt like. Memories. It's as if one day I fell asleep and lived a thousand lives, and then this morning I left off The place goes on. I feel more like that person now than myself. However, I also feel more like myself now than that person. Honestly, it feels maddening. It's as if both sets of memories are fighting, Trying to figure out what I should look like now, what's worth remembering and what's not important. I'm losing my mind."
"What if there is?"
"Do you believe I have? Tell me, Hadwin, what do you want to ask me? What answer would be sufficient to prove that this is not crazy?"
Hadwin sighed and crossed his arms. "Okay, what's my full name?" he asked.
She stared at him, then giggled again. "Well, you did ask some vulgar questions, didn't you?"
"Oh? Then-"
"Hardin Lelan
He was shocked and turned pale. "H-How do you know that story?"
"Well..." She closed her eyes and tried to remember. How many times had he told her this story? once? twice? No, maybe dozens of times. They all blend together. Her cheeks turned red as she remembered some of the things he had told her. "This is not a story you often tell me. But Hadwin, there were times when we were very close. We kept little secrets from each other. I think if I had known about this situation at the time, I would have told you only one person .”
"Will I?" he asked.
"Sometimes. But not in all of life. There are points where I can barely stand you and I'd gladly push you off a high cliff if I didn't need your sword."
He snorted slightly and shook his head. "Good. I believe you. Now what?"
"Easy. We save everything. You help me."
"What if I refuse?"
Zakjon sighed and stared at the sky above him. How many times had she believed all hope was lost? How many times had she believed it was impossible? Not even while she was alive, but during the time she was alive? “Then I try again. And again. And again. I try again and again until my mind is broken and my soul is shattered.
But I must! Can't give up, especially now. I have experienced the consequences of failure. I will not give up. If I did, I'd find a way back to the Magic Academy. "
Hadwin stared at her, unable to look away. Finally he spoke. "Joan. I'll help you. But on one condition."
"Yes? Name your price."
"Don't ever look like that again," he whispered, looking away from her. "No child should have to look up to the sky in such despair. It's heartbreaking."
"Fair deal," she said before closing her eyes. "I won't make you regret it."
"I've felt it," he said softly. "I have a feeling you're going to take me to the deepest reaches of hell and back again."
"Well, we only did it a few times."
"Wait, what?"
"Uh, nothing. It's not important."
"I disagree."
"More details later. Our first priority should be to kill this troll and proceed from there. Once we kill it, I'll be in your custody, right?"
"We?" he asked.
"Us. It's easy to kill. Once I can move..." She tried to raise her hands again, but to her annoyance, they refused to move. She sighed softly in annoyance.
"You know before? I would get a few cuts and maybe pass out. But within a few minutes I would be back on my feet and running. I'm so fragile now. Trouble!"
"You are twelve years old."
"I was younger when I killed trolls!" she snapped in annoyance.
"You turned into a girl. Still a virgin, haha."
Her cheeks turned scarlet and she shook her head. "It doesn't matter. My magical control should easily make up for the weakness of a woman's body."
"For that matter. You said you were a boy Zack, didn't you? Why did you decide to come back as a girl?"
"I don't know. I was told that it was chosen by... I was, that is, that doesn't matter..." she said softly. "I think Destiny thought it was funny, maybe..." She couldn't help but ask again. Why isn't she bothered? Many times throughout her life she wondered how things would be if she were a woman. Of course, in those days, she would have given almost anything to be a woman, but what man wouldn't? Is trying really that wrong? Is this why she looks like this?
But her life has not been easy so far. She was not a wanted criminal, but that was her choice. But if she knew she would come back like this, how would she change her choice? The strange thing was that she knew she didn't want to change into this new form. Compared to some of her previous lives, she figured if she had to live in this form for a thousand lifetimes, it wouldn't be so bad.
"Can you still move?" Hadwin asked. "Magic is supposed to heal your hand. But—" He stopped, looking up. He jumped to his feet and drew his sword.
"What?" she asked. After a while she heard no sound, then a faint shout. Something broke through the leaves. The distance is getting closer.
"Drink this," Hadwin said, kneeling and pushing a small blue bottle to his lips. She drank it. Mana potion?
She felt the energy return to her body and quickly got up.
"Wow. I don't think I've ever felt better.
"Lord Hadwin!" Rab's voice interrupted her. She turned in the direction of the sound, just before Rab and Lindis broke through the tree line. "Troll! Troll! Help us!"
Joan's eyes widened as a tree fell behind them, the massive frame of the reflective troll clearly visible. Previously its body had always been a gleaming silver, rather than the normal gray of a troll. Its body now looks more like polished obsidian.
"Ha. Can you take a look?" Joan chuckled. "It seems that the reflection troll is just one of the obsidian trolls of the God of Hell." She stretched out her right hand.
"What? Do you know what that beast is?" Hadwin asked.
"Yes, I do. We used to destroy quite a few of them. It's easier than I thought, old friend."
