Chapter 390: Side Story, Dream Flower (13)

In line with Central Asia's famous ever-changing environment, the lake was in the middle of a lush forest.

The British Royal Guild pitched a tent near it, creating a campsite using the tall trees as their ceiling and soft blades of grass as their floor. It created quite a beautiful ambiance for them.

"... Are we really going to sleep with the enemy? After the Hall is over, shouldn't we capture Xtra?"

"I don't know. Finley could've really been the bad guy."

"Even if he actually had criminal intentions, the fact stands that he killed him. Isn't that grounds for private prosecution?"

The members' whispers, including Marcus, flowed through the wind. However, Rachel pretended not to hear them and devoted herself to her training.

Now that every minute and second was crucial, she had no time to stand around doing nothing.

Sitting cross-legged, she was about to communicate with the forest spirits but stopped abruptly. Hearing the voices outside her tent was proof in itself of her lack of concentration.

"Sigh..."

It was difficult to focus in her current state. She hadn't yet recovered from mana exhaustion, which frustrated her. Even her fundamentals, like mana circulation, felt clogged up.

She sat sullenly, opening and closing her hands.

"Vice-captain?" Fermin, who called out to her, was peering through the certificate on the smartwatch.

"Where do I use this certificate?"

—[Hall Certificate]—

▶Name: Fermin Kirby

▶Public Grade: D +

▶Affiliation: British Royal Guild

▶CIass: Healer

▶Relationship: None

*You must have this certificate to enter the Hall.

*You belong to the 'British Royal Guild,' allowing you to use their various facilities and systems.

*You will be granted what you desire with sufficient achievements.

She got that they could enter the Hall only with this certificate, but she couldn't figure out how to use it other than that. According to one of the paragraphs, it indicated it had other uses.

"I don't know. For now—"

"Whoa!"

"Ahh!"

Her sudden scream surprised Rachel.

"Look at this, Vice-captain!" She was now holding a card in her hand, which was empty just a few seconds ago. "It came out of the smartwatch!"

"What? How did you do that?" Rachel tilted her head.

"Here. See this 'convert to reality' button? Press it."

"Uh..."

Just before she could, a wooden stick flew through the air and landed right next to Rachel.

"What?! A surprise attack?!"

Startled, Fermin immediately unleashed her mana, but Rachel stopped her. She knew whose stick this was. As expected, she got a call from Xtra a few moments after.

- It's an extract made by crushing medicinal herbs. Its taste is stronger than potions since it hasn't been neutralized, but its rejuvenation ability is more potent.

Only then did she notice a reagent bottle tied with a knot at the end of the stick.

Gathering around her, the members looked at the glinting dark green concentrate.

"... Thank you."

As soon as she hung up, they looked at her teasingly.

"Was this what they called utmost devotion?"

"Where did he even find that herb?"

"Our Vice-captain really attracts nice guys."

Rachel didn't know what to say to them. All she could do was keep her silence.

"Then I-I'll be going. Take a break, everyone."

She sprinted into the tent, zipped it up, and looked at the reagent bottle. It only had a few drops, but its color was ominous.

"Whew..."

But now, she wasn't in a position to be picky about being sweet or bitter.

Rachel took a deep breath and poured it all into her mouth.

As soon as it touched her tongue, a taste beyond her imagination erupted. The sensation of chewing on a decaying insect ran through her esophagus and to her periphery in an instant.

She bent down like a shrimp and groaned.

"Argh..."

That didn't mean she could vomit it.

She had to endure for five minutes before regaining her senses.

- I told you it wouldn't taste good.

Xtra sent her a message as she drank water.

- Are you okay now?

"Blargh, blaaargh."

After a couple of sickening pukes, she checked her condition.

The essence seemed to have cleared her blood vessels, considering her mana circulation had returned to normal.

Rachel nodded with satisfaction.

"... Yes. Thanks to you, I think I feel better."

- Now then, take out your certificate.

"My certificate?"

- Yes. I'll teach you how to use it.

She pulled it out. As Fermin did, she pressed the button that said 'convert to reality', and a card popped out of her watch.

"Are you talking about this feature?"

- I see you already know that.

"Yes. I learned about it a couple of minutes ago."

- Aside from that, its shape and grade will change depending on your achievements. With it, you can get what you want. It doesn't matter what it is for as long as you have enough achievements. And if you use the guild's common vault...

She listened intently to Xtra's words.

* * *

[A miraculous field that makes everything possible, where everything can be resolved!]

[Welcome to the Hall!]

[The Hall meeting is starting soon! Please look forward to entering the field!]

Spam-like messages poured into their smartwatch, all sent by the Hall. In this place deprived of radio waves, their smartwatches had been reduced to but a toy for it to play with.

"A miracle..."

Chae Nayun, looking at it, felt once again convinced.

A 'miracle' field. This space seemed to be randomly exhibiting miracle stone fragments.

"Nayun, would you stop thinking about that and look at this?"

Yoo Yeonha called out to her.

Entering the Hall, Essence of the Strait unpacked in the dormitory it assigned them to. After so long, the two became roommates again.

"Sure."

She fiddled with the 'Hall Certificate' for a few moments, then a bag of ramen dropped out of it. Nayun's eyes widened slightly.

"What? How did you do that?"

"Like this. I thought this much should be possible since the certificate stated we could get rewards for as long as we have enough achievements. Lo and behold, what I wanted actually did appear."

"Whoa... Why did you think of ramen, though?"

"... Huh?"

She flinched, her confidence toning down.

"That's weird, isn't it? Why did I? I-I don't know. But I'm really looking forward to how the Hall will turn out." Yoo Yeonha smiled out of feigned interest.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. And this ramen isn't really that big of a deal. Should I just throw it away?"

"No, don't. Give it to me. It's been a long time since I ate one."

"... Huh? Oh, hey~ Nayun, since when do you eat ramen? Is there any occasion for you to want to have an upset stomach? It's okay. I'll get rid of it."

"No. you don't need to... And I'm not that sensitive to it anymore."

"I. Said. It's. Okay."

Yoo Yeonha put it in her backpack. She then licked her lips.

"... I have to prepare for the meeting now."

Chae Nayun really admired that about her.

She excelled not only as an entrepreneur but also as a hero. If she were to judge her level, she would probably have passed the introductory level of upper-intermediate class.

"Do you want to come?"

"Huh? No, you know I can't handle those kinds of things."

"... That's true."

It was already late in the evening, with everyone already sound asleep, when Yoo Yeonha established comms with Seoul using a crystal ball to give orders.

During the day, she thought critically, calculating their every move and measuring the distance, ultimately allowing them to find the right way. Still, she never looked tired or disheveled.

Of course, she wasn't technically the 'original' Yoo Yeonha, but since she was formed from her unconscious, she was still her.

"Hey, aren't you tired? You haven't slept all week."

"I brought a bed anyway. It's okay."

Taking down notes, she smiled with satisfaction.

"A bed... Oh~ That thing you wasted loads of money on?"

"What do you mean, waste?"

There were rumors she had spent billions on it. However, she simply frowned and motioned for her not to say such things to dismiss it.

"Don't you know Jinzel? It's the best premium furnisher to ever exist. They put out this new bed that I could barely win at an auction. I didn't want to get weaker because of unsatisfactory sleep, so I decided to bring it with me, but if it breaks down, it'll mean trouble."

She proudly showed off the small-sized bed she had stored in her high-end expansion backpack. Kim Hajin made it with [Young Dwarf's Dexterity], used it for three days, and sold it off as a used one.

"Oh, I shouldn't have taken it out. It makes me want to lie down."

Yoo Yeonha sniffed the sheet once and lay down on it with a bright expression.

Chae Nayun tilted her head.

"Why did you smell it?"

"What?"

"You sniffed it."

"... What are you talking about?"

Chae Nayun smiled bitterly, thinking she did it unconsciously, as Yoo Yeonha pulled her blanket over herself.

"Anyway, I'm going to sleep for a bit since I already took it out."

"Oh, okay. Goodnight."

"Yeah."

She fell asleep as soon as she lay down on it, making Nayun envy her swift slumbering ability. After watching her for a moment, she took out a miracle stone from her pocket.

"Phew~"

She looked at the shining golden crystal, remembering her past, the memories that made her who she was today, piece by piece.

However, once she had completely assembled it, that would mean having to bid farewell to everything and everyone in this world to go to a different realm where she wouldn't be known.

'When that time comes, will I be able to do well?'

Would she be able to be happy without regrets?

Chae Nayun leaned against the window and looked up at the sky from where civilization had disappeared. From her perspective, it looked like an entirely different world.

"How many are there?"

She began counting the stars.

For each of them, she remembered someone dear to her, someone she wanted to see again, couldn't see anymore, loved, hated, grateful for...

Strangely enough, there was only one person who satisfied all of those conditions.

* * *

Two days later, the British Royal Guild stood in front of the maze, overwhelmed by the gigantic spectacle. It was as if skyscrapers had lined up before them. They weren't scared, however. Everyone thought they'd be able to overcome its challenges quickly since their goal would only be to find the right way out of it.

"Let's go in."

Rachel led the guild in the same way as usual.

She had almost completely healed from mana exhaustion after taking a two-day break instead of a single day off. And thanks to the Licorit meal they ate, her condition was even better than ever.

"Yes!"

"Let's go~"

The British Royal Guild went into the maze.

"Well, it's a bit large, but it's not that unique," Fermin muttered, giving it a once over. As she said, its entrance was no different from an ordinary maze. It had walls flanking them and dirt right under their feet.

- Turn right.

"Walk a little and turn right at the fork."

Rachel moved based on Xtra's instructions.

- Now turn left.

"Now turn... we're going left."

"Turn left, go left?"

- I won't make fun of you, so please feel free to speak.

"..."

They seemed to be traversing the maze rather smoothly, finding no danger in their path. As a result, her subordinates slowly lost their nervousness and soon began chatting.

Licorit, which tasted as amazing as rumored, and attribute harmony, which she recently learned, were their main topics.

While pretending not to be interested, Rachel's ears pricked up and eavesdropped on their conversations about her achievements.

In the midst of it, their surroundings changed in an instant.

Red-brick-like remains of buildings had begun appearing sparsely on the dirt floor. They didn't care about it at first, but the more they walked, the more unfamiliar objects appeared. They found fragments of statues, toxic ponds filled with stagnant water, and marble tiles.

"... What's this?"

"This must be the civilization that was built on this land before. What's left of it, that is." Fermin answered Marcus's question. They were convinced that was the case, but Rachel felt otherwise.

She took out the crystal ball to send a message to Xtra.

"We...?" She stopped.

It had gone dark.

They had lost their means of communication with him.

Now that she thought about it, he hadn't spoken in a while. She just thought they should keep going straight...

"Vice-captain, what's going on?" Fermin asked, noticing her hardened expression. As much as she wanted to let them know, she knew they would be anxious if they learned of this fact.

"It's nothing."

Rachel hid the crystal ball and mobilized Windy, sending her in every direction to find the routes with no danger before moving forward.

"This is creepy...."

"Everyone should be a little more alert now. Karen, Dale?"

"Got it. Applying buffs now."

Her bodily sensations soon sharpened.

"..."

The more they traversed through Central Asia's alienating ruins, the more she felt an eerie sense of congruity and familiarity from them. At some point, Rachel stopped.

Before her was a small sign, it was broken and distorted, but she could still make out the English letters engraved on it.

[Henry VIII...]

Henry VIII.

Rachel stiffened. For a moment, she felt as if her feet were failing her. Her pupils lost focus, and her heart froze.

This was the traumatic space left in Rachel's chest.

Thousands of civilians had been slaughtered here, leaving her as the massacre's only survivor. That nightmare later came to be known as the Hampton Palace incident.

"... This place feels familiar."

Even the members noticed their perimeter's oddity to an extent. They, too, were British citizens, after all. It was only natural for them to remember the incident at the time.

More importantly, their situation escalated as fast as a lightning strike.

Right in front of them, red mana began to flutter. Silently, the British Royal Guild drew their weapons. Rachel, who had been staring blankly at the ground, slowly raised her head.

Her sights landed on dozens of figures on the other side of the old palace's ruins, each of them wearing black robes and exuding murderous auras.

Their scents were similar to those who attacked the procession the other day.

One of the enemies looked at them and smiled.

"That annoying guy is gone. Great."

'Annoying guy? Do they mean Xtra?' Rachel staggered. With her legs weakened, she could barely stand upright.

"Are you okay, Vice-captain?"

She tried to answer Fermin's question by saying yes, but her head spun. This scenery alone was like hell for her.

"Vice-captain?"

"... I'm fine."

Nevertheless, she pulled her senses back together. She couldn't run away in this situation. Above all, she was their Vice-captain. It was her obligation to protect her subordinates.

Then she heard a voice.

"Do you remember me, Princess?"

Rachel didn't answer. No, she couldn't answer.

It wasn't Lancaster, but she knew who he was.

She remembered all the victims' mothers, fathers, parents, and children that fell on that day. It was a burden, her karma, she had to carry for the rest of her life.

Now, they stood right in front of her.