Chapter 123: Cha.122 Wasting Time

“You guys were lucky that the princess sent that message.”

Adlan said this as he walked beside Qasim, but the boy didn’t understand. He tilted his head and asked what the old man meant.

Adlan raised a finger and pointed toward the now-distant castle.

“We were supposed to arrive tomorrow, but we received a message asking for help.”

Qasim opened his mouth as he recalled the exact moment he had seen the butterfly escaping from the princess’s room. Then he remembered something else and quickly asked Adlan.

“What happened to the princess? Is she okay?”

Adlan raised an eyebrow and stared at Qasim before frowning.

“Why do you keep talking like that? You sound weird.”

Qasim took a step back in shock at the sudden comment, but Adlan continued.

“Her Majesty is fine. She has already been transported to the northern city.”

Adlan then gently tapped Qasim on the back before laughing.

“Although you have such a weird way of talking, I can see that you have a big heart too.”

Qasim stayed silent, not knowing whether he should laugh or cry.

Suddenly, a new voice called out to them.

“Uncle Adlan, you’re here! Oh, the new member is with you too!”

Qasim looked to the side and saw a boy walking toward them. He had short, neatly arranged brown hair with a honey-like color that gave him a warm appearance.

He wore a light brown shirt and a dark brown shirt underneath his white armor. As he waved at them with a cheerful smile, Qasim noticed a lute resting on his back.

“Kabil! Where have you been, man? The commander started getting worried after you suddenly disappeared.”

Kabil clapped his hands together apologetically.

“I just wanted to check on my brother. Oh, it’s nice to meet you… Qasim, right?”

Kabil turned toward Qasim and extended his hand with a gentle smile. But before Qasim could respond, Adlan placed a hand on Kabil’s shoulder.

“This is Kabil, our bard and probably one of the few people who doesn’t hate it when I mess with him. Isn’t that right, you little brat?”

Adlan started pinching Kabil’s cheeks as if they were toys, while the poor boy begged him to stop.

“A bard?” Qasim asked, confused.

Kabil then turned to face him and nodded before pulling out his lute and playing a single note.

That one note alone made Qasim feel energetic. It was as if a switch had suddenly flipped inside his brain, filling his body with warmth.

“That’s insane!” Qasim said in surprise.

Kabil laughed and explained while looking at his lute.

“This is my weapon. It’s empowered by a spirit that boosts everyone’s confidence, power, and happiness.”

Adlan then grabbed Kabil by the head and turned him to face him.

“Did you find Habil yet?”

“No… I think my brother is still out there killing monsters. You know how determined he is to be like the commander.”

“I see…”

Adlan was about to grab Kabil’s cheeks again, but then he felt someone staring at them from the shadows.

He raised his head and found a short girl wearing a vivid, two-toned outfit split sharply down the middle, combining vibrant crimson with midnight blue. A two-pronged cap drooped lazily over her brow, each soft horn tipped with a silver-colored bell.

A jester?

Qasim immediately noticed the similarity.

“Oh, fuck…”

Adlan covered his face, clearly annoyed by what he saw.

The girl was resting comfortably between two spikes. She tilted forward slightly and rested her head on one hand.

Adlan’s expression hardened as he spotted the girl staring at them from above. Kabil nervously waved at her in an attempt to say hello, but the girl ignored them both and focused on the newest member of this show—the white-haired boy who claimed to be from a world known to be inhabited by idiots.

The physical world.

Everyone would be shocked to hear that this boy had traveled all the way here just to play his destined role in this ultimate tragedy—

“What is she talking about?” Qasim pointed at the girl with a confused expression.

Adlan simply waved his hand and rolled his eyes.

“Just ignore her. She’s crazy.”

Kabil joined in, but with a gentler tone.

“She thinks that this whole… curse is just some kind of show, and that we’re all actors or something like that.”

Adlan then pushed the two boys forward while shouting angrily at the girl.

“Instead of lying your ass around doing nothing, you should help!”

“And quit talking nonsense! It’s annoying to hear your voice!”

The jester simply curved her hand into the shape of a mouth and started mocking Adlan as he talked, pretending that he was speaking far too much.

Adlan was fuming with anger, glaring at the jester so intensely that his eyes looked like they might fall out. But eventually, he took a deep breath and led the boys forward, putting some distance between them and her.

“Well, that was an interesting and fun first meeting! What do you think, audience?”

Qasim narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth in confusion as he watched the jester talking to the sky.

“Why is she talking to herself now?”

“I told you to ignore that brat,” Adlan spat.

“She usually does that. It’s like she’s talking to some invisible audience watching this show,” Kabil explained.

Qasim blinked a couple of times before questioning it inside his mind.

*What if there are more mentally unstable people in this place?*

…

After some time, the main expedition returned to the northern city.

Qasim walked with them as they passed through the gates, where he saw a scene almost similar to the previous city.

*Cici…*

Qasim thought about the girl when he remembered that she would now be the leader of the new team in the western city. A huge responsibility now rested on her shoulders.

He turned to look at Yasmin and found her quiet.

*Even she thinks about her… Or not. It’s actually hard to tell.*

Qasim then looked ahead and noticed that the northern city was actually a long line of cities that had yet to fall.

The people there looked a little different. They had more serious expressions, and even ordinary people seemed to be training.

Qasim took a deep breath as he looked up at the dark sky.