【Am I running a fever? No, that can't be it. Then why am I suddenly feeling so down?】
【Could it be that I'm still hung up on what happened this morning? But... I was just playing a prank, Master! I really didn’t do anything to you!】
【Is it that time of the month? No, it’s still a few days away... Hmm... Could it be...】
【A sign of early-onset dementia? (ΩДΩ)!!】
Nanako: "????"
Dammit!!
Nanako angrily bared her sharp teeth.
Chomp—
She bit down on his wrist.
Just when I was starting to feel a little sentimental, you had to ruin the mood I worked so hard to build!
Nanako doesn’t care if you’re the Great Lord of Violet or the Demon King!
As long as you’re by Nanako’s side!!
Nanako will treat you the same as always. If my disciple doesn’t behave, he’ll get a lesson from Nanako!
“Master, let go, let go! There are people around! Think about the image, the image! Don’t use your teeth! Oh my god...”
“Chomp—”
“Ouch—”
Elina and the other girls turned away, their faces flushed with embarrassment.
They had long noticed that the way these two interacted didn’t resemble a proper master-disciple relationship at all. Instead, it felt more like...
More like a sweet, lemon-scented romantic relationship...
Really... really now...
Don’t flaunt your affection in front of everyone like that...
At another table, the King of Secret Source glanced over at the scene.
Especially when he saw the pained yet helpless expression on Lynn’s face, memories from many, many years ago seemed to resurface in his mind.
Perhaps this was the kind of life he truly desired.
No matter how high one’s status or power, being able to live peacefully like an ordinary person with someone...
Maybe that was enough.
He smirked and raised his teacup.
Just then, Elina spoke up with concern:
“Lady Nanako, what should we do now? Last night, we were clearly affected by that mysterious force and all fell asleep. We still have no clue about the curse here...”
Nanako glanced at Lynn, propped her chin on her hand, and pondered:
“Yes, it’s indeed a tricky problem.”
No.
Actually, the issue here was probably already resolved by my disciple last night.
After all, the so-called King of Secret Source is sitting right across from us.
“Disciple, what do you think?” Nanako tilted her head and asked.
Lynn thought for a moment, then smiled slightly and said, “Since we’re vulnerable to that force at night, why don’t we just head straight to that volcano?”
At these words, the King of Secret Source froze.
Lynn continued with a mysterious smile, “There’s been a rumor that the ruins of the King of Secret Source might be beneath that volcano. If that’s the case, we could investigate and maybe even pick up some resources along the way...”
Instantly, the King of Secret Source was visibly shaken.
He quickly stood up, coughing awkwardly, and said, “Everyone, it’s been a pleasure meeting you. I have some urgent matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now...”
But before he could finish, Lynn immediately stood up and stopped him, laughing heartily, “No need to rush, Rein! Aren’t you a bard? Why not join us on this expedition to the ruins? It’ll be great material for your stories, don’t you think?”
The King of Secret Source was sweating profusely as he stammered, “Well... I think it’s better if I...”
“No need to decline, no need to decline!” Lynn wrapped an arm around his shoulder and chuckled, “If we find anything good, we’ll definitely share it with you, hahaha!”
Hearing that hearty laugh, the King of Secret Source grew even more anxious.
But with everyone watching, he couldn’t show it. He could only force a smile and keep wiping the sweat from his brow.
“Sure... sure, ha... haha...”
Sure, my foot!
Damn it, Lynn, you jerk!
(Furious)
I knew you were still holding a grudge over what happened earlier. You’re clearly trying to mess with me again!
No way!
I need to find an excuse to go back and grab everything I can. Otherwise, with your nasty personality, you’d probably strip the walls bare and take everything!
(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
You’ve pulled this kind of stunt before!
【Hehehe— Don’t blame me, buddy. I gave you a chance to leave last night, but you didn’t take it. Now you’re stuck with us today!】
【Watch me dismantle your walls and take them with me this time! ಠᴗಠ】
【Don’t think I don’t know why you’re here today. You know I’m hiding my identity, and you’re clearly here to mess with me. If my master were someone else, you’d be in trouble!】
【Karma’s a bitch! But don’t worry, if I do find anything good, I’ll share a little with you, hehehe—】
Nanako, standing nearby, was utterly stunned.
This...
Are they really brothers who’ve been through life and death together?
Why does it feel so... off?
This... this is so mean!
And why does Nanako get special treatment? Is my influence really that big?
...
Several hours later.
At the foot of the volcano.
Thick volcanic ash blotted out the sky, and the temperature was significantly higher than in Lakeside Town.
“Lady Nanako, the entrance to the ruins we discovered is right ahead!” Elina pointed forward and shouted.
Everyone immediately turned their gaze in that direction.
Through the dense volcanic ash, they could see the scattered remains of massive, broken stone pillars.
The area was littered with ruins and debris.
“Let’s check it out!” Nanako raised her staff and declared with the authority of a grand mage.
The King of Secret Source was drenched in sweat, his eyes filled with panic, as he forced a shaky smile and said,
“Uh... it’s so hot... I think I’ll just wait here for you...”
Before he could finish, Lynn quickly interjected with a laugh,
“Come on! We’re almost at the entrance. Let’s all go take a look. It’s not like we’ll lose anything, right?”
The King of Secret Source wiped his sweat and forced a smile, “Right... right...”
I have a few choice words I’d like to say right now!
This jerk!
He’s clearly just trying to mess with me!
No! I need to find a way to slip away now, while I still can. Otherwise, once they go inside...
Suddenly, the King of Secret Source’s expression changed. He pointed into the distance and exclaimed in shock,
“Look! There’s a pig climbing a tree!!”
“Where? Where?!”
Instantly, everyone’s eyes lit up as they followed his pointing finger.
The King of Secret Source turned around, a sly smile on his face, and prepared to make his escape.
Of course.
This ridiculous trick always works!
I’ve fallen for it countless times thanks to Lynn.
For a true expert, even the slightest distraction is a golden opportunity.
Goodbye, everyone! I’m out of here!
Hahaha—
Thud—
Just as he took his first step, a foot appeared in front of him, tripping him and sending him face-first into the ground.
Then he heard the girls exclaiming in surprise.
“Wow! There really is a pig climbing a tree!!”
“Amazing! How did it climb so high?!”
“Quick, record this, record this!”
“Ew, what are they doing? It looks like something weird is going on!”
Lynn also looked curiously in that direction, his expression perfectly convincing, showing no signs of deception.
But his other foot was busy stomping on the guy lying on the ground.
The King of Secret Source was dumbfounded.
He realized...
This ridiculous trick wasn’t going to work on Lynn.
But then...
He turned his head to look in the direction he had pointed.
And he was truly stunned.
“There... there really is a pig climbing a tree...”
Not far away, under a cluster of withered trees, a large white pig was clinging shakily to the branches of a tall tree.
And below the tree, in a small campsite,
a group of plump white pigs was engaged in some kind of large-scale, multi-pig activity.
“Oink— Oink—”
The sound of pigs squealing, so intense it made one's cheeks flush and heart race.