Chapter 60: The Weight of Affection

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The following morning, Lia Farrien awoke, roused by her own restless mind. She sat cross-legged on her bed, her gaze lost in the mountain of scrolls before her.

Klein had truly given her far too much. The thick stack of combat scrolls pulsed with a disquieting magical energy.

One particular scroll, inscribed with the eight-circle spell “Lance of Lightning,” made Lia Farrien hesitant to even place it alongside her everyday items, fearing an accidental chain reaction that might send her sky-high.

A soft knock sounded at her door.

“Come in,” Lia Farrien called out.

Adèle entered, carrying an exquisite wooden box, her face graced with her usual gentle smile.

“I heard you’re heading to the ‘Silent Valley’ for an academic expedition?” Adèle inquired.

Lia Farrien’s lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

‘Klein’s choice of words was certainly damnably refined,’ she thought.

“Yes, I’m going to verify some hypotheses regarding ancient magical environmental shifts,” Lia Farrien replied, her expression perfectly composed as she continued her fabrication.

Adèle placed the wooden box on the table and opened it, revealing a dozen crystal vials, each a different hue, meticulously arranged inside.

“These are potions I brewed myself,” Adèle explained. “Take them on your journey, just in case.”

She picked up a bottle containing a vibrant emerald liquid.

“This is ‘Jungle’s Breath’,” Adèle said. “When applied, it perfectly masks your scent, causing most magical creatures to completely ignore your presence.”

Next, she selected a vial filled with a viscous golden paste.

“This is ‘Golden Gelatin’,” Adèle continued. “It’s a top-tier alchemical balm for external wounds. Even deep cuts will quickly stop bleeding and heal with this.”

“And this one, ‘Deep Slumber’,” she added. “If you encounter an insurmountable danger, just scatter it. Remember to hold your own breath first…”

Lia Farrien stared at the rows of bottles and jars, her temples throbbing.

Yesterday, Klein had gifted her a mobile arsenal.

Today, Adèle had presented her with a portable alchemy lab.

‘Was she going on a treasure hunt, or was she meant to flatten the entire valley?’ Lia Farrien wondered.

“Sister Adèle, this is too much,” Lia Farrien protested. “Master Klein has already given me so much—”

“His are his,” Adèle interjected firmly. “Mine are mine.”

Adèle pushed the wooden box toward her with an undeniable resolve, a rare seriousness glinting in her gentle eyes.

“Master’s spell scrolls are incredibly powerful, but they also create a lot of commotion, which can attract unnecessary trouble,” Adèle explained.

“These smaller items, however, are often far more effective in many situations.”

A hint of worry entered her tone.

“The Silent Valley is a complex environment,” she continued. “We can’t rest easy with you out there alone.”

Lia Farrien met Adèle’s earnest gaze, finding herself unable to voice a refusal.

She discreetly tucked the box of potions into her spatial ring, its already limited space instantly becoming considerably more cramped.

“These alone won’t be enough,” Adèle declared, scanning Lia Farrien’s room. “You’ll need some truly practical items. Come, I’ll take you shopping.”

***

The commercial district of the Royal Capital was perpetually bustling with life.

Unlike the serene Academy district, this area vibrated with the vibrant hum of everyday life—the rhythmic clang of blacksmiths, the enticing aromas from eateries, and the boisterous shouts of mercenaries all blended into a lively symphony.

Adèle, navigating with practiced ease, led Lia Farrien down an alley specializing in adventurer supplies.

“Old John,” Adèle called out, “we need your best traveler’s backpack—one with spatial expansion, waterproof, and dustproof features.”

“Hey, isn’t that Miss Adèle? Coming right up!” A one-eyed middle-aged shopkeeper greeted them warmly.

Throughout the entire process, Lia Farrien remained in a detached state, akin to wondering, ‘Who am I, and where am I?’

She watched Adèle expertly select various pieces of equipment, items Lia Farrien had never even heard of.

There were boots crafted from monster hide, rumored to allow her to traverse any terrain as if on flat ground.

A seemingly ordinary cloak, yet capable of deflecting most scrying spells, was also chosen.

Purification stones, flint, high-energy elven rations, a small coil of incredibly tough spider silk rope… the list went on.

Adèle even purchased a copy of the *Field Survival Compendium*, meticulously explaining how to navigate by observing the stars and flora.

Lia Farrien followed Adèle, laden with an armful of items, her cheeks feeling rather warm.

Since arriving in this world, she had either been waited on in the estate or engrossed in research within the Mage Tower. Wilderness survival knowledge was a complete blind spot for her.

“Did you remember this?” Adèle asked, pointing to a plant in the compendium. “If you encounter ‘Weeping Vine,’ you absolutely must walk around it. Its sap has potent hallucinogenic effects.”

“Yes, I’ve got it,” Lia Farrien nodded emphatically.

Inside Old John’s shop, Lia Farrien noticed a “Business Transformation” notice posted near the counter. The family crest emblazoned upon it seemed oddly familiar.

“Old John, is this another item consigned by an adventurer?” Adèle asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

“Ah, don’t even get me started,” the one-eyed shopkeeper sighed, lowering his voice.

“This belongs to the Hal family. Ever since their seven-circle master departed, it’s been like a tree falling and monkeys scattering; several core alchemists have left.

Now, they’re desperate to sell off their workshops to recover funds, pushing prices incredibly low. I’ve heard the Vitera family has already snapped up several lucrative assets.”

Lia Farrien’s gaze settled on the notice, covered in terms and conditions.

‘Once the gears of an era begin to turn, they crush more than just one individual,’ she mused.

By the time all the supplies had been procured, dusk was beginning to settle.

Back in the Mage Tower, Lia Farrien gazed at the small mountain of luggage in her room, starting to question whether the fallen noble’s treasure was truly worth such an elaborate undertaking.

That evening, as Lia Farrien clumsily attempted to categorize and stuff all her new acquisitions into her spatial ring, a familiar figure appeared at her doorway.

He stood there impassively, watching Lia Farrien struggle with a tangled coil of spider silk rope.

An awkward silence hung heavy in the air.

Lia Farrien paused her efforts, rising to her feet with a touch of discomfort.

“Klein.”

Klein said nothing, simply walked straight in, and took the messy tangle of rope from her hands.

His fingers, long and strong, performed a few simple twists and turns, transforming the chaotic rope into a neat, beautiful knot, ready for instant use.

“This way, it won’t knot when you need to use it,” he stated in a level tone.

Then, like a monarch surveying their domain, he began inspecting the items Lia Farrien had packed.

He picked up the newly acquired boots, his fingertips tracing their surface as a faint trace of magic seeped in, reinforcing their enchantment.

He then took the cloak, refolding it meticulously to reduce the space it occupied.

He spoke not a word, conveying everything solely through his actions.

Throughout the entire process, Lia Farrien stood quietly to the side, simply observing.

She suddenly felt that the man before her was as clumsy as a child when it came to expressing emotions. He seemed not to know how to voice his concern, resorting instead to the most straightforward, unadorned method: piling everything he deemed good before her.

‘Childish, yet utterly impossible to refuse,’ she mused.

After inspecting everything, Klein retrieved a heavy money pouch from his own spatial storage and dropped it onto the table with a resonant thud.

“For the road,” he stated.

Lia Farrien opened it for a quick glance, almost blinded by the glittering gold coins within.

The sum was more than enough, not just for the Silent Valley, but to travel around the entire kingdom and still have plenty left over.

A strange, heavy emotion lodged itself in her chest.

It felt like a red-hot brand, tightening her heart, making it difficult to breathe, yet simultaneously bringing an unprecedented sense of peace.

Lia Farrien swiftly suppressed the emotion that threatened to overflow.

“Thank you, Master,” she managed.

Klein gazed deeply at her, a flicker of almost imperceptible pity passing through his blue eyes. Then, without a word, he turned and walked towards the door.

Just as he was about to step out, he paused, not turning back, and simply left her with a low-voiced instruction.

“Remember to return safe and sound,” he said. “Don’t be stingy with those scrolls; use them immediately if things go south.”

The door gently clicked shut behind him.

Lia Farrien stood frozen, only truly coming back to herself after the heavy wooden door softly closed before her.

‘In this world, could someone truly love her so clumsily, yet so tenderly?’ she wondered.

Lia Farrien sat on the edge of her bed, clutching the money pouch tightly to her chest, tears falling onto it, blooming into wet stains.

‘Yes,’ she thought.

‘They love her.’

‘It was a love more selfless, more pure, than even that of her birth parents.’

‘When she was merely an infant, abandoned by her father in the depths of the mountains, *she* had risked her life to rescue her.’

‘It was she who taught her magic, who taught her how to protect herself.’

‘It was she who taught her how to survive, who taught her how to love.’

‘Yet, this very person, she had unhesitatingly pushed into the abyss with her own hands.’

Lia Farrien clutched the money pouch even tighter, sobbing until she could barely breathe, able only to scream the name of that departed soul in her heart, over and over again.

‘Sister… Sister…’

‘She knew she didn’t deserve to speak her name.’

‘But she had already lost everything.’

‘All that remained was this pitiful, pathetic sister, whom she had pushed into the abyss.’

‘So, please forgive me.’

‘Let me call your name one last time.’

‘Sister.’

She still remembered how, on the night before her sister’s execution, she had cried and begged her to save her.

“You must come back alive!”

These words were deeply etched into Lia Farrien’s mind, becoming the driving force for her continued struggle to survive in the days to come.

***

Klein had not gone far; he stood in the courtyard, gazing at the crescent moon above, lost in thought.

He pondered whether he should tell Lia Farrien.

Isabelle was not dead.

Years ago, to escape that desperate situation, Isabelle had not hesitated to split her soul. One part remained in her body to divert the pursuers’ attention, while the other was hidden within Lia Farrien.

Thus, in a sense, Isabelle had indeed died.

Her consciousness, her memories, were severed, leaving only a hollow shell of a body, which the soldiers had taken away.

The part of her soul within Lia Farrien, being too weak, had remained dormant.

Only when Lia Farrien began cultivating magic did this fragment of a soul start to awaken.

“Don’t you feel that Lia Farrien’s personality has changed significantly since she started cultivating magic?”

A voice suddenly sounded beside him.

Klein turned, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly as he saw Roman, who had appeared beside him at some unknown moment.

“Your intuition is sharp,” Klein conceded.

Roman smiled, then looked up at the moon, his tone laced with complexity.

“I sense a very familiar aura from Lia Farrien,” he explained.

Klein remained silent, listening intently.

Roman paused, glancing at Klein, an unreadable emotion flickering in his eyes.

“Do you know,” Roman continued, “I sense Isabelle’s presence within Lia Farrien.”

Klein’s expression abruptly shifted.

Ignoring Klein’s reaction, Roman pressed on, “Moreover, this presence is growing increasingly potent.”

“She will fully awaken very soon.”

Klein whirled around, staring at Roman, his eyes wide with shock.

“What do you mean?” he demanded.

A knowing smile spread across Roman’s face.

“Isabelle,” Roman stated, “she is returning.”

Klein’s pupils abruptly constricted.

A realization struck him, and his face twisted into an exceptionally grim expression.

“Why are you telling me this?”

Roman smiled, then patted Klein’s shoulder, saying meaningfully, “You will know soon enough.”

With that, he turned and departed.

Klein stood rooted to the spot, unmoving for a long time.

He looked up at the moon, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

‘Isabelle is truly returning?’

‘Then what about Lia Farrien?’

“What should I do?” Klein’s voice, in the empty courtyard, sounded profoundly lonely.

He suddenly felt a deep weariness.

He did not know how much longer he could endure.

He looked up at the moon, his eyes filled with confusion.

He did not know if his choices were right or wrong.

He did not know if he could continue to protect Lia Farrien.

He did not know if he should continue to protect Isabelle.

He did not know if he should continue to protect this world.

He did not know if he should continue to protect this hypocritical world.

He did not know if he should continue to protect this world full of lies.

He did not know if he should continue to protect this world full of deceit.

He did not know if he should continue to protect this world full of betrayal.

He did not know if he should continue to protect this world full of despair.

He did not know if he should continue to protect this world full of pain.

He did not know if he should continue to protect this world full of death.

He did not know if he should continue to protect this world full of hatred.

He did not know if he should continue to protect this world full of slaughter.

He did not know if he should continue to protect this world full of bloodshed.

He did not know if he should continue to protect this world full of sin.

He did not know if he should continue to protect this world full of darkness.

He did not know if he should continue to protect this world full of fear.