Light of Arad: Forerunner

Chapter 28

It was still a refreshing afternoon before the sun had set, and Lenny was busy gazing at Hendon Myre, her red eyes wide open in awe.

“This is the capital of the Duchy. Not bad, right?”

“…It’s magnificent. Honestly, if we’re just comparing splendor and bustle, the Imperial Capital might be better, though.”

“Oh, right. The Imperial Capital… Haha, but still, Hendon Myre has its own charm.”

Jinseong spoke to Lenny, pretending to be generous, but somehow he felt embarrassed afterward.

In reality, Hendon Myre was considered one of the more beautiful background maps in the game *Dungeon & Fighter*, and Jinseong had thought so himself. But, in truth, he had never been to the Imperial Capital.

‘It’s not in the game yet, so I can’t help it… But then again, does that mean I can visit it here? The capital of the De Los Empire, which I’ve never been to?’

Though he couldn’t go right now, the possibility that he might experience something here in Plain: Arad that he hadn’t in the game crossed his mind.

“Yes, I was just about to say that. The unified colors, that somehow warm, white feeling, it really seems to warm your heart.”

Lenny continued her pure admiration.

Although she didn’t know what the Imperial Palace looked like, it was true that the unique colors and sentiments of Hendon Myre, which honored the Grand Magician Meyer, stood out compared to other places.

“So, where should we go first? How about starting with Remidia Basilica? It’s… probably not as grand as Remidia Chrysos in the Empire, but it’s still the headquarters of the church.”

Jinseong spoke as he walked toward the center of Hendon Myre.

“Yes! That sounds perfect! Chrysos is too covered in gold, it’s a bit overwhelming, and it doesn’t have a good reputation either. But I’m excited about Remidia Basilica! I wonder if some of the Four High Priests might be there!?”

It was just a casual suggestion, but Lenny reacted much more enthusiastically than Jinseong had expected.

The religious setting in the game *Dungeon & Fighter*.

Thanks to the defeat of Apostle Ozma, who had demonized and divided humanity, the Priesthood had spread vigorously across the continent.

“Oh, you’re interested in the Four High Priests? To be honest, I didn’t think you had much interest in religion, Lenny.”

Jinseong responded with a shy smile, surprised by Lenny’s unexpected reaction.

And there was, of course, only one reason for Lenny’s interest.

“Of course! The skill they showed in ruthlessly slaughtering the Imposters during the Black Crusade! Their overwhelming power! Even during training at the Knight Academy, I was thrilled by their reputation!”

Naturally, she wasn’t interested in religion, history, or doctrine.

What fascinated her were the records of the people from the church who fought against the 11th Apostle, *Chaos Ozma*, and their descendants.

“Ah… well, whatever it is! Let’s go!”

Jinseong, dazzled by the excitement in the red-haired knight’s eyes, took the lead and began walking through the streets of Hendon Myre.

They visited the Priesthood’s headquarters, Remidia Basilica.

They toured around the city hall, which doubled as the residence and office of the Queen of the Duchy of Bell Myre.

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And at the Moonlight Tavern in the back alleys, they met with Shusia and others to hear stories about Aganzo and Van’s past, as well as exchanged brief greetings with G.S.D., whom Jinseong regarded as his mentor.

Although it hadn’t been long since Jinseong found himself in Plain: Arad, his experiences as a *Dungeon & Fighter* player hadn’t vanished, allowing him to enjoy what could be called a date with Lenny for the entire afternoon.

After spending the day exploring various parts of southern Bell Myre, the two finally returned to the main road of Hendon Myre as the sun began to set.

“The smell of bread… It’s the same delicious smell as the bread we had at the tavern earlier.”

“Hehe, that’s right. This shop supplies milk and bread to the Moonlight Tavern. Would you like another one?”

Where the two were headed was a small shop.

More noticeable than the small shop itself was the girl standing outside, calling for customers.

“Hello~ Your pockets seem quite heavy! What can I get for you? We have everything!”

It was Kanna from the general store, boldly advertising her wares. Anyone familiar with the game would recognize her items: “Kanna’s Delicious Handmade Bread” and “Kanna’s Delicious Milk.”

“Please give this lady a bread and milk. As for me—.”

Jinseong ordered a snack for Lenny and then pulled something from his bag.

He handed it to Kanna and said,

“—Could you prepare these for me?”

This wasn’t just for Lenny.

It was the real reason Jinseong had planned to visit Hendon Myre, even if he were alone.

“Heh! It’s been a while since someone’s asked for these! Sure, no problem! As long as you’ve got the money!”

Excited about the large order, Kanna went inside the general store to retrieve the requested items, leaving a moment of silence.

While munching on bread and milk, Lenny glanced at Jinseong and finally spoke up.

“Jinseong… Why are you so… nice to me?”

It was a question she had mustered up the courage to ask, and Jinseong was momentarily flustered by it.

* * *

“Um…”

Jinseong’s eyes darted from right to left.

What should he say?

Should he explain, ‘My first objective was to buy some things from Kanna, and I had to come to Hendon Myre anyway’?

Or perhaps, ‘I wanted to test how players would react to walking around Hendon Myre with Lenny. That’s why I took you with me.’

While walking with Lenny, who was an NPC that didn’t exist in the game, several players had passed by, but none had reacted to Jinseong or Lenny.

‘Even if I had waved at them, they wouldn’t have seen me or Lenny, just as I hypothesized. And it worked out well enough…’

Players couldn’t see Lenny, interact with her, or even notice the conversations Jinseong had with her. Explaining that would be pointless.

So Jinseong said,

“It’s because… I want you to have good memories, Lenny.”

Because that was also the truth.

Lenny’s red eyes blinked quickly, growing wider in surprise.

Her face, which seemed confused, gradually flushed with warmth.

She was undoubtedly interpreting Jinseong’s words in several ways, but in the end, she couldn’t meet his eyes and had to look away.

“It’s… it’s a little overwhelming to be treated so well. I mean, shouldn’t we be worried about the Commander, too?”

“The Commander will be fine. He’s not the kind to die here. He’s someone you admire, right?”

Jinseong grinned as he said this.

The comment, however, instantly wiped the flush from Lenny’s cheeks.

“Admire? What do you mean? It’s respect… He’s one of the Four Weapon Masters! The Commander of the Knights! Van of the Short Sword! I—I just respect him as a knight of the Iron Wolf Knights, that’s all!”

“Alright, alright. No need to get angry.”

“I’m not angry—… Ah, never mind.”

Even though she had raised her voice, it wasn’t from genuine anger.

Lenny glanced sideways at Jinseong, her expression one of mild frustration.

And Jinseong had to force himself to avoid meeting her eyes.

After all, Jinseong wasn’t clueless about what Lenny might be thinking and feeling toward him.

‘It’s probably not outright romantic feelings, but something closer to gratitude—a sort of appreciation that has grown into something more, like she said.’

The important thing wasn’t what those feelings were.

If he excluded his personal tasks for the day, the real reason Jinseong had brought Lenny to Hendon Myre was simple.

“Lenny.”

“What?”

The red-haired knight responded gruffly.

Jinseong thought back to the sight of her effortlessly swinging her massive greatsword while fighting the brainwashed GBL cultists.

Thinking of that difference in her demeanor made Jinseong chuckle before he finally spoke.

“Don’t get angry, alright? Lenny, is there anything you want to do? A wish, maybe.”

“Huh? Why do you ask?”

“Oh… just curious? Haven’t you ever imagined what you’d want to do before the end of the world, so that you wouldn’t regret anything? Something like that.”

It was a rather serious, even random, question.

One that made Jinseong feel embarrassed just asking.

“Pfft, I haven’t known you that long, Jinseong, but… you really are an odd one. Sometimes you’re so carefree, and then suddenly you’re all serious, saying unexpected things. Oh! But I mean that in a good way, mostly.”

Lenny looked at Jinseong with a curious smile.

But Jinseong’s expression remained serious, so she continued.

“And as for a final wish… I guess I’d want to be with my mother. I don’t think I’d have many regrets otherwise. I already achieved my dream of joining the Iron Wolf Knights, I’ve trained under a great Commander and Vice Commander, and though some adventurers are annoying… I get to talk to someone I like—like you.”

Lenny was openly expressing her feelings, but instead of brightening, Jinseong’s face darkened.

Puzzled by his reaction, Lenny tilted her head.

“Jinseong? Why do you look so—”

“Oh, no. I’m just… moved by your words. Ahem, right. Since you’re someone who has no regrets today, it means you can live your best tomorrow.”

“Ahaha, what? There you go again, being serious.”

Lenny blushed at Jinseong’s awkward sincerity.

Seeing her like that, Jinseong muttered to himself in a very low voice.

“Even if it means facing impossible… odds.”

Even if it meant risking her life.

“Hm? What did you say?”

Lenny hadn’t heard clearly and asked, but Jinseong didn’t repeat himself.

There was no need to tell her.

“Shall we head back? We’ve finished what we needed to do today… and you should probably return to the Knights.”

“…Head back? I—”

Lenny started to inch closer to Jinseong.

Startled, he quickly pulled out the remaining teleportation potion and pressed it into her hand.

“L-let’s go! We need to go! Yeah, let’s go!”

Jinseong, as expected, was weak against such a direct personality.

Lenny pursed her lips, but even she couldn’t bring herself to be more forward.

Soon after, the two returned to West Coast and went their separate ways.

Jinseong returned to the Wizard’s Guild, and Lenny went back to the temporary barracks of the Iron Wolf Knights.

Each of them reflected on the day’s events before falling asleep, though it didn’t take long for sleep to come.

And by the time morning came, they no longer had the luxury of such thoughts.

Later that morning, while preparing something at the Wizard’s Guild, Jinseong finally caught sight of a female archer player and her nickname.

‘She came down from Behemoth. She must be here to request reinforcements after discovering a bunch of Lotus’s eggs… at this point, the quest is pretty obvious.’

It wasn’t hard to guess how the quest would unfold.

There was only one reason why an adventurer would visit the Wizard’s Guild at this moment.

“Thank you for taking the time, Adventurer. Can you believe that these few brief moments… might determine the fate of all of Arad?”

It was to meet Iris Fortune Singer, the puppet being manipulated by Apostle Hilder.