Chapter 283: Close Protection

After Freya learned of the potential killing intent Ansu might face, she spent the following days transformed into a literal bodyguard, staying by his side every second.

And by close, it was in the most literal sense of the word.

As the two of them walked back to the camp, Ansu glanced sideways at the tense little Holy Maiden beside him. She was gripping his arm tightly, her body pressed so closely against his that they were practically joined at the hip.

Ansu spoke helplessly, "Freya... you really don't need to stay this close."

But Freya shook her head firmly, her small face set in a determined line. "No! This is for your safety. I won't leave your side for even half a step!"

As she spoke, she scanned their surroundings with sharp, vigilant eyes.

It was as if every Stayans in the camp who offered a friendly greeting might suddenly reveal themselves to be an assassin.

Lord Ansu's situation was dangerous; he had to be protected by her and her alone!

After all, in this divine realm, Gulzan was a god-like existence. The two of them were fighting against the malice of an entire world.

She would absolutely never let anything happen to Lord Ansu!

Ansu opened his mouth, wanting to softly explain, "Actually, it hasn't even started yet..."

He hadn't begun guiding Leon to suspect Gulzan, so the killing intent wouldn't manifest quite so soon.

However, before he could finish his sentence, Freya hugged his arm even tighter.

Ansu felt the subtle sensation of her soft, ample curves pressing firmly against him...

His voice trailed off, and he silently swallowed the rest of his words.

...

Ansu had already made an appointment with Leon, and the two of them headed toward the small wooden cabin once more.

When they knocked and entered, they found the interior exceptionally dark.

"It's so dark..." Freya whispered, a flicker of soft holy light igniting at her fingertip to illuminate the small space around them.

Ansu surveyed the room. To prevent outsiders from spying, Leon had intentionally replaced the curtains with a thicker, dark fabric. Drawn tight, not a single ray of sunlight could penetrate, making the entire room feel incredibly oppressive.

In his current state, Leon looked like a severe psychiatric patient...

"Sorry, it's a bit dark. I'll light the lamp right away," Leon said quickly, turning to light the kerosene lamp on the desk.

The dim, yellowish light barely managed to drive back the shadows in the room.

"Please, sit down. I'll pour you both something to drink."

When Leon returned with the black tea, he saw the two of them sitting so close together they were practically embracing.

He froze for a moment. "The two of you are..."

Then he gave a helpless smile. He knew they were close, but did they really have to show off their affection like this right in front of him?

"It's, it's nothing..." Freya's cheeks flushed crimson as she quickly let go of Ansu's arm and moved a small distance away.

Yet her gaze remained locked onto Ansu, and she still didn't dare to move too far from him.

"How are you feeling today?" Ansu asked gently, his tone full of concern.

Lately, he had been acting as Leon's psychiatrist.

Leon trusted no one now and was only willing to confide in him. Anyone else would likely have dismissed him as a madman babbling nonsense.

"I..." Leon hesitated, his gaze falling on Freya with a hint of uncertainty.

"Don't worry, I won't breathe a word of your conversation," Freya spoke up immediately.

Leon already trusted Ansu implicitly, and he could tell that Freya was quite simple and lacked any hidden agendas.

After a moment's hesitation, he set aside his reservations.

"Sigh, it's the same as always." Leon raised a hand to his forehead, his expression exhausted and pained. "Even though you always tell me not to overthink, those thoughts... I just can't suppress them."

He was being driven to the brink of madness.

Ansu nodded slowly.

The seed of doubt in Leon's heart had long since taken root and sprouted, growing wildly until it coiled around his sanity like suffocating vines.

From doubting his own existence to questioning the entire world—if this continued, he would eventually lose his mind completely.

Suddenly, Leon stared intently at Ansu and lowered his voice. "Do you know something?"

He had always felt that Morris was a calm and intelligent person.

Over the past few days, whenever Morris faced him, he seemed to hesitate, clearly hiding something he hadn't yet said.

"You must know something, Morris. Please, tell me!"

Leon clenched his fists, his voice filled with earnest pleading.

At this moment, Ansu was the only lifeline he could grasp.

Hearing him ask so proactively, Ansu knew the time was ripe. He allowed a trace of hesitation and unease to flicker across his face.

Wary of what had happened in the simulation, he certainly couldn't reveal directly that Gulzan was the root of everything.

He could only guide him through indirect hints.

"I only have a faint suspicion... I can't guarantee it's entirely correct."

"Tell me!" Leon's eyes lit up.

"Regarding the strange things happening to you, regarding the source of all these mysteries," Ansu said calmly, speaking slowly, "why don't we try to reason backward from the result to deduce the motive?"

Leon watched him unblinkingly, his expression full of expectation.

Ansu continued, "Lately, you've been living in seclusion. The Chosen One is almost never seen in the camp. Rumors are already flying everywhere; some even suspect you were mortally wounded in battle."

"If something truly happened to you, the self-proclaimed Chosen One, people would inevitably wonder... Can the Chosen One die? And die in a mere skirmish against demihumans?"

"Leon, if you were to fall here before even leaving the Talin region, before you had the chance to save the world, would the people still believe you were the true Chosen One?"

"You would be nothing more than a fraud who impersonated the Chosen One."

Leon's pupils shrank as he fell into deep thought.

Even though he didn't go out, he could sense the atmosphere of pessimism permeating the camp through his window.

"There are many rumors now, including negative comments about the Chosen One," Ansu said, looking at him. "Fortunately, Isera and the tribal elders have suppressed them. I told them you were on a secret mission and that much of the information couldn't be revealed, which barely managed to stabilize morale."

Reasoning backward from the result to the motive... Leon pondered this repeatedly. Suddenly, a faint answer began to form in his mind.

Could the enemy's goal be to trap me in this dazed state so that when the next battle starts, I'll be completely useless?

Leon voiced his thoughts aloud.

"Perhaps it's even more far-reaching and more sinister than that," Ansu said, his gaze serious. "The enemy's goal might be to ruin you directly. This isn't a conspiracy against the Staya tribe; this is a conspiracy against you, against the Chosen One."

Leon's entire body jolted. The black magic Morris had mentioned before flashed through his mind, and a terrifyingly clear answer surfaced.

If this speculation was true, there was only one person capable of such methods—

The evil black mage of the Wolfgar tribe, High Priest Gulzan.

It really was him. So Gulzan was behind all of this!

The two of them exchanged a look, an unspoken understanding passing between them.

"We have to find a way to deal with this!" Leon's eyes gradually grew firm, the previous listlessness swept away. "Tomorrow, I'll assemble the hero party and the Staya high-ranking members. We'll formulate a new battle plan."

"First, you need to go get some proper sleep," Ansu said, patting his shoulder and advising him softly. "If others see you in your current state, it will only trigger more panic."

Leon gave a sincere smile of gratitude.

"Thank you, Morris. If it weren't for you, I really don't know how I would have held on during this time."

"No need to thank me," Ansu smiled. "Didn't I say it? We're partners."

"Yes!" Leon nodded heavily, raising a hand to clap Ansu firmly on the shoulder. "We are good partners, good brothers!"

...