Chapter 112: A Favor

Two days had passed since that strange, frustrating, dangerous day I never wanted to relive.

In that time, I’d recovered enough, both physically and mentally.

The potion Leon had given me had healed my injuries. Rest had taken care of the lingering exhaustion. I no longer kept touching my neck or turning around at every footstep behind me.

The Ice King hadn’t contacted me during those two days.

I had no objection to it staying that way.

Still, one thing about that psychopathic Guardian kept bothering me.

How had he figured out I was Orochimaru?

It couldn’t have been Azure Flame. I hadn’t even possessed that ability while I was inside the Overlap.

And no one except Cecilia had seen my face.

I remembered how the little girl’s eyes lit up whenever she looked at me. When we’d met at her house, she’d played along even after her mother introduced me as a girl. She’d tried to keep my secret, even if her way of doing it had been a little strange.

I didn’t think she’d told on me to her father.

Then how?

I tightened my grip on the bar.

I supposed the only way to find out was to ask him.

I didn’t like that idea much.

I remembered the last message on my phone. That little face waving with such a cute expression...

I also remembered that same hand closing around my throat.

I’ll ask later.

Much later, if possible.

As for Yukie, we hadn’t had much contact beyond a few casual messages. She’d asked how my day was going, and I’d replied with similar questions.

We hadn’t talked about our next meeting.

I hadn’t mentioned the number her father had given me or what had happened that night, either.

I could say the last two days had been peaceful.

Except for one thing.

Marven Voss.

I gritted my teeth as I pulled myself up.

It was time to take that bastard out.

But thinking that didn’t make my anxiety go away.

What if I was still too weak?

What if I failed?

I could use Umbrella better than before. I’d gotten used to Storm Heart and learned that I could use Azure Flame on a weapon.

Still, none of that guaranteed I’d survive a confrontation with Marven. Especially when I thought about the Guardian protecting him...

What would I do if I needed a few more seconds to recover after an attack?

What would I have to rely on when I needed to be a little faster, a little stronger?

Potions.

That was the quickest solution I could think of.

The problem was that even a weak potion cost hundreds of thousands of Veyra.

Normally, I would have closed the page the moment I saw those prices and looked for another solution. But with the one million Veyra I’d won in the competition, I could afford a few bottles.

For the first time, I actually had the money to solve a problem like this.

Unfortunately, money alone wasn’t enough to buy them.

Selling potions or weapons to anyone who wasn’t a Guardian was strictly forbidden.

On every sales page I’d checked, the same requirement appeared after the product’s description and price.

Guardian ID.

Something I didn’t have.

And there was more to the restriction than keeping powerful items out of ordinary people’s hands.

Nexus energy.

The energy a Guardian’s body could use might become poison inside an ordinary person. Blood vessels unable to withstand the concentrated energy in a potion would rupture, and internal organs would suffer damage.

Dying in agony while trying to become stronger...

Not a very appealing option.

Though that hadn’t happened in my case.

I’d drunk Cecilia’s potions. Just two days ago, I’d used the one Leon had given me too.

My body hadn’t fallen apart.

Instead, I’d healed.

Maybe it’s thanks to White Snake.

I didn’t know for certain. All I knew was that the potions I’d already taken hadn’t caused the effects described.

For now, that was something.

I pulled my chin above the bar one last time, then slowly lowered myself.

I could always ask Eris.

I was sure she could find a way if she wanted to. But she’d ask why I needed the potions. What training I was in such a hurry to do, and why I hadn’t told her...

I didn’t know how long my explanations would hold up after the first question.

Ask the Ice King?

No.

No, no, no.

I wasn’t crazy enough to ask the world’s strongest Guardian for help by saying, "I’m getting ready to kill someone. Could you give me a few potions?"

Even if I hid that part, he’d ask questions.

And I didn’t want to find out all over again where I’d be, or what condition I’d be in, while trying to answer them.

My chances of getting any potions were almost zero.

Then someone else came to mind.

Rose.

I hung motionless beneath the bar for a while.

I couldn’t say I knew her very well. We’d only met a few times. I didn’t know how much I could trust her or how she’d react to a request like this.

But she was kind to me and meant well.

I tilted my head slightly.

Maybe she isn’t such a bad choice.

I let go of the bar and landed on the floor. Opening and closing my hands, I began thinking about what to say to Rose.

Starting with "Could you buy me some potions even though I’m not allowed to buy them?" probably wasn’t a good idea.

We could chat first.

That was what normal people did, right?

---

After getting out of the shower, I dried my hair with a towel.

I stood in front of the mirror and examined my face. There were no obvious signs of exhaustion beneath my eyes, and no marks from that night remained on my neck.

After fixing my hair a little with my fingers, I focused on my left wrist.

Umbrella spread up my arm as a black liquid. It flowed from my shoulders over my torso, soon forming a plain sweatshirt. Then it wrapped around my legs and formed a comfortable pair of pants.

I checked how the clothes fit and raised my arm.

I liked this thing more with every passing day.

I didn’t even have to stand in front of my wardrobe figuring out what to wear anymore. Thinking about what I wanted was enough.

I picked up my phone and left my apartment.

Rose’s place was two doors down. On the way, I went over the opening line I’d prepared one more time.

Then I knocked.

I waited.

No sound came from inside.

After waiting a little longer, I knocked again.

Still nothing.

I tilted my head toward the door.

Isn’t she home?

Maybe she was at work.

I took out my phone and checked the time.

20:07

I thought back to the time we’d last met at the pharmacy. She might still be there.

I turned off the screen and put the phone in my pocket.

"All right..."

I headed toward the elevator.

---

The pharmacy’s lights were on.

When I pushed open the glass door and stepped inside, I saw the familiar shelves and counter. The first time I’d come here, my hand had been bleeding, my head had hurt, and I’d been trying to figure out how to complete a ridiculous quest from the system.

This time, I’d come willingly.

I wasn’t sure whether that counted as progress.

Rose wasn’t behind the counter.

Another woman stood there instead. She looked up when she noticed me approaching.

"Welcome. How can I help..."

Her voice trailed off.

After staring at my face for a few seconds, her eyes widened.

"The Great Noctis?"

My steps slowed.

"Yes?"

A broad smile spread across her face.

"It really is you! I watch your streams."

"You do?"

I couldn’t quite keep the pleasure out of my voice.

"Your performance at the competition was incredible too. Could we take a picture together?"

My eyes drifted toward the back of the pharmacy. Rose was still nowhere in sight.

Then I turned back to the woman.

"Of course."

She was a little excited as she picked up her phone. When she came around the counter to stand beside me, I checked the screen and adjusted my position.

We smiled.

She took the photo.

"Thank you so much."

"You’re welcome."

While she checked the picture, I cleared my throat.

"By the way, is Rose here?"

She looked up.

"Were you looking for her?"

"Yes. I’m a friend of hers."

Just then, the door to the back room opened.

The moment I saw her short black hair, I turned toward her.

Rose stood in the doorway.

Her black eyes moved from her coworker to me. When she saw me, a smile slowly spread across her lips.

"Rose..."

I raised a hand, trying to look a little more at ease.

"Hi."

She walked over to me.

I was trying to remember the lines I’d prepared when she took my hand.

I went quiet.

She slipped her fingers between mine and squeezed my hand.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Let’s go..."

She lifted her eyes to my face.

"Honey."

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