Chapter 6: A Troubling Reunion in Kana

“Xiluo’er, try this.”

Eve, resting her face on one hand, used a fork to pick up a piece of bacon, placing it onto the plate before Xiluo’er.

The next morning, Eve and Xiluo’er sat in the Adventurers’ Guild hall, enjoying their breakfast.

Apparently believing Xiluo’er to be somewhat malnourished, Eve had taken it upon herself to pile her plate with various foods.

Xiluo’er dared not refuse, lowering her head to her plate and chewing, chewing, chewing.

Eve herself seemed to eat very little, instead watching Xiluo’er with her perpetually expressionless, ‘sanwu’ face.

Although Xiluo’er knew Eve simply possessed the ‘sanwu’ trait, being stared at so blankly still made her feel a little flustered.

‘Sister, eat your own meal! Why are you staring at me like this?’

Fortunately, it wasn’t long before someone else captured Eve’s attention.

“Eve!”

A golden-haired girl with a high ponytail pushed open the Adventurers’ Guild doors. After a quick scan of the room, she waved towards Eve, who was seated in a corner.

Eve’s gaze successfully shifted away from Xiluo’er.

“Rona? What brings you here?”

“I was patrolling nearby, so I thought I’d drop by and see you.”

The golden-haired girl, Rona, walked over to Eve’s side with practiced ease, casually pulling up a chair and sitting down.

“And I heard you had an accident yesterday. Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Eve shook her head. “It was this child who was hit.”

“I see.”

Rona looked towards Xiluo’er, who was still diligently eating her meal.

At that moment, Xiluo’er seemed to recall something and lifted her head.

‘Rona… Rona?’

‘Oh my god, Rona!’

Only then did Xiluo’er remember the significance of the name “Rona.” After instinctively looking up, her eyes met Rona’s curious gaze.

A familiar face appeared before her. Upon confirming that the person here was indeed the Rona she knew, Xiluo’er nearly choked on the food in her mouth, erupting into a violent fit of coughs.

“Cough, cough, cough…”

“Eat slowly, there’s no need to rush, Xiluo’er.”

Eve quickly extended a hand and patted Xiluo’er’s back.

‘How could I not be flustered? Do you even know who Rona is?’

Rona’s full name was Rona Cross. She was a member of the Cross family, the most renowned knightly household in the entire kingdom.

Like most knights, Rona was upright, kind, and yearned for justice. Upon reaching adulthood, she had come to the border city of Kana as a squire.

To Eve, Rona was a dear friend. They hadn’t seen each other in a long time since Rona began her service in Kana. With Eve’s current mission from the city lord bringing her here, it was a reunion after a long separation.

However! From Xiluo’er’s perspective, Rona was far from simple.

In the game’s storyline, Rona’s upright personality was merely a facade; her true identity was that of a cultist hidden within Kana.

This particular storyline in Kana was inextricably linked to Rona.

At the climax of the Kana storyline, when Rona’s true identity was exposed, she had already murdered the city lord, plunging the city into chaos. Rona herself was then consumed by a cult ritual, transforming into a monstrous creature.

Considering this, how profound must Rona’s cunning truly be? She had feigned an upright personality and concealed her identity as a cultist, so meticulously that even her closest friend hadn’t detected a single anomaly.

As her friend, Eve had known and trusted Rona the most. Yet, faced with the brutal truth, Eve was ultimately forced to kill the deranged, monstrous Rona, bringing an end to the turmoil in Kana.

Afterwards, Eve, as the game’s protagonist, embarked on her quest to defeat the Demon Lord. The Kana storyline served as the game’s prologue.

‘However…’ Xiluo’er smiled wryly to herself. ‘This prologue alone reveals the game’s dark and harrowing nature. Your best friend turns into a monster, and you’re forced to kill her with your own hands. No normal person could easily bear such a burden.’

‘It’s no wonder Eve transformed from her initial innocent, expressionless demeanor into the ruthless individual she would later become.’

“I… I’m fine.”

After forcing the food down, Xiluo’er immediately averted her gaze, no longer daring to look at Rona.

‘Please, she wanted no association with such a dangerous individual!’

Nevertheless, observing Xiluo’er’s visibly flustered expression, Rona narrowed her eyes.

‘Is this child’s reaction a bit too agitated?’

A knight’s intuition made her sense Xiluo’er’s aversion towards her.

Rona stared intently at Xiluo’er, then asked with a smile, “What’s your name?”

“Xi… Xiluo’er.”

Xiluo’er instinctively avoided her gaze, refusing to meet Rona’s eyes.

‘This child might be trouble.’

She had been in Kana and a member of the City Watch for some time now, and she had seen reactions like Xiluo’er’s in others before.

When patrolling the city and encountering those loitering in alleyways—the kind who were clearly idle troublemakers—

They would all instinctively avert their gaze, just like this.

This was Rona’s accumulated experience as a member of the City Watch.

Moreover, as a border city, Kana’s transient population was a mixed bag, making it notoriously difficult to manage. She had also heard that yesterday, this child had suddenly appeared and blocked the path of Eve’s carriage…

At that hour, the streets weren’t particularly busy, and the road should have been quite clear, shouldn’t it?

Rona glanced at Eve; her friend seemed to harbor no suspicions whatsoever.

Without a change in her expression, Rona shifted her posture, remaining seated and continuing to observe Xiluo’er.

Her fingers began to tap a rhythmic, seemingly casual beat on the table.

“Xiluo’er, did you just wander into Kana?”

“Ah? Yes.”

“Then where did you come from?”

“This…”

Xiluo’er’s heart tightened. Though Rona’s questions seemed like simple conversation, she instantly realized she was being scrutinized.

‘It shouldn’t be like this. I haven’t even exchanged two sentences with her.’

‘Is her intuition really that absurd?’

Xiluo’er became even more convinced of her earlier assessment: Rona’s cunning and depth were far greater than they appeared on the surface.

‘It truly fits for a hidden cultist, doesn’t it?’

“This…”

Xiluo’er clutched her clothes tightly, still unsure how to respond.

“Rona.”

Fortunately, at that moment, Eve interjected from beside them, cutting Rona off.

Eve simply shook her head, offering no further explanation.

In her view, Rona’s seemingly innocent questions might inadvertently reopen Xiluo’er’s emotional wounds.

Xiluo’er quietly let out a breath of relief, loosening her grip on her clothes.

‘It’s a good thing Eve stepped in to help. Otherwise, I truly wouldn’t have been prepared to handle such an unexpected interrogation.’

Rona withdrew her gaze from Xiluo’er, understanding that her probing for the day had gone far enough.

“Rona, you seem quite busy lately.”

Eve’s words quickly shifted Rona into a more casual mood. She immediately slumped onto the table like a deflated ball, sighing as she replied, “Oh, don’t even get me started.”

“It’s all because of the recent disappearances in the city. The City Watch patrols have been significantly intensified.”