Chapter 36: The Drunken Oracle and a Dream of the Past

“Noah?”

From Yufinika’s lips spilled a name Yalin had never encountered.

The name, it seemed, belonged to the ‘white moonlight’ of her heart – a cherished, unattainable ideal.

Yalin wasn’t in the habit of prying into others’ pasts.

However, if they brought it up themselves, he wouldn’t object.

Beyond that, Yufinika stood out as the most utterly unhinged woman he had ever met.

Even for the sake of his future safety, Yalin felt it necessary to learn more about her.

Thus, he patiently waited for Yufinika to continue.

“No… Noah, why… why did you do that?”

“I… sob, what did I do wrong…?”

To his disappointment, Yufinika mostly managed only fragmented sobs, with just an occasional, muddled phrase breaking through.

Based solely on these scattered words, it was impossible to deduce what had truly transpired.

Moreover, her emotions towards Noah were strangely convoluted, a perplexing blend of love and resentment that made their true relationship utterly inscrutable.

Yufinika whimpered and mumbled for quite some time before finally falling silent and sinking into a deep sleep, prompting Yalin to abandon his eavesdropping attempt.

In her deep slumber, Yufinika shed her haughty aura entirely, curling up quietly on the sofa like a small animal.

Her smooth, alabaster thighs lay casually crossed, brushing softly against each other, while her flat, unblemished abdomen was entirely bared, offering a fleeting glimpse of the gentle curve of her chest.

Perhaps due to being covered by clothing for so long, the skin of her lower abdomen was noticeably fairer than that of her arms and thighs.

The stark demarcation in skin tone was, to put it mildly, rather provocative.

Yalin shook his head, finding it difficult to reconcile the drunken woman before him with the image of a legendary adventurer.

To unilaterally propose a wager, only to then unilaterally succumb to drunkenness, struck Yalin as remarkably cavalier.

Yalin fetched a small blanket, intending to cover Yufinika.

Though she was a lunatic (TL Note:  is a derogatory slang term for an eccentric or unhinged woman.), Yufinika was still, after all, his employer.

As a professional sycophant (TL Note: is a derogatory slang term for someone overly eager to please, a ‘bootlicker’ or ‘sycophant’.), attentive to every detail, such a minor task was naturally one he had to perform well.

And, most importantly.

Perhaps it was a habit from his previous life, but he truly couldn’t stand seeing people sleep with their navels exposed.

They’d catch a cold, didn’t they know?!

They’d turn into a ‘jet warrior’ (TL Note: Slang referring to someone suffering from explosive diarrhea.) and then they’d be sorry!

As the blanket descended, an intensely dangerous aura suddenly surged forth.

Yalin instantly retracted his hand.

Almost simultaneously, the unconscious Yufinika abruptly sat upright, drawing a dagger from the cuff of her boot.

The blade flashed, leaving a long gash directly on Yalin’s arm.

Had Yalin not been on guard, his entire arm might have been severed clean off.

Yufinika’s eyes remained tightly shut, yet her entire being radiated an incredibly piercing killing intent.

“What the fu—” (TL Note: is a censored slang phrase, a milder version of a strong expletive.)

Cold sweat streamed down Yalin’s back as he couldn’t help but utter the veiled curse, yet his body dared not move an inch.

Only after a long moment did she retract the dagger, then softly slump back down.

But Yalin knew that despite her current harmless appearance, should he approach her danger zone again, Yufinika would undoubtedly kill him in an instant.

What a terrifying woman, capable of instinctively attacking even in her sleep, relying solely on her body’s primal reflexes.

‘Right, right, right, now I understand why you’re a legendary adventurer.’

A few wisps of black mist appeared, and Yalin swiftly tended to his wound, silently returning the blanket to its place.

‘Forget it, I’m not your mother; do whatever you want.’

Yufinika had a very, very long dream.

The familiar figure appeared in her dream, just as always.

From a young age, Yufinika was different from others.

While everyone around her considered safeguarding the Great Forest their life’s mission, she alone harbored boundless curiosity about the outside world.

She once secretly snuck into the elder’s study late at night, solely to find the forbidden book that chronicled the world beyond.

Although her actions were later exposed, and she was punished by being forbidden to eat for three consecutive days, her yearning for the outside world did not diminish; instead, it grew even more fervent.

The boundless azure sea, the majestic mountains piercing the clouds, the diverse races, and their unique, dazzling cultures.

All of it profoundly captivated her.

Thus, at the age of fifteen, she willingly relinquished the blessings of the gods and departed from the homeland her ancestors had inhabited for generations.

However, the outside world was not as wonderful as she had imagined.

On her very first day in town, she was swindled out of all her money, left disheveled and wandering the streets.

Her unique elven identity and striking beauty, moreover, attracted countless individuals with ill intentions.

Fortunately, the swordsmanship she had learned since childhood allowed her to escape several dangerous situations.

Yet, such a life quickly pushed her to the brink of despair.

It was when Yufinika found herself at her wit’s end that she met a young man named Noah.

Noah was a rookie adventurer.

Kind-hearted, he took Yufinika in despite having little money himself, giving her all of his meager food.

It was Noah who allowed Yufinika to experience warmth from a stranger for the very first time.

To survive in the town, the two formed an adventurer’s team, barely making ends meet by taking on simple quests.

At that time, neither of them was particularly strong.

Although Noah was a mage who had graduated from Elanmia, he only knew basic spells.

And while Yufinika had learned swordsmanship since childhood, her technique was unrefined, proving of little use in actual combat.

Once, they unexpectedly encountered a magical beast in the mountains.

Though its danger level wasn’t high, it was certainly a formidable opponent for the two of them at that time.

During the fierce battle, Yufinika accidentally fell to the ground, and before she could even get up, the fanged maw of the beast was already looming before her.

Just as she believed death was certain, Noah risked his life to save her.

Although he was the mage who should have been protected, his slender figure resolutely shielded Yufinika.

In the end, they successfully repelled the monster, but Noah suffered severe injuries, with crimson blood continuously gushing from his chest.

Yufinika could only stand by, tears streaming down her face, utterly helpless.

From that moment, she resolved to become the most formidable swordswoman and protect Noah.

Yufinika began to practice swordsmanship diligently, day after day.

Whether in bitter winter or scorching summer, she toiled on the training grounds, sweating profusely, refusing to give up even when her hands were calloused and her wrists too sore to lift.

With her talent and perseverance, her swordsmanship advanced by leaps and bounds, and she completed one difficult quest after another.

Her reputation gradually spread throughout the town; more and more adventurers came to know and acknowledge the elven girl.

She traveled to many places, met diverse people, and personally witnessed the seas and mountains that had once haunted her dreams.

She believed she had finally become the person she had aspired to be as a child.

Yet, she alone failed to notice that the young man who had always been by her side had, imperceptibly, changed.