NOVPUB“Maamu-sama was kind to an adventurer like me, who had no idea what I was walking into. I was saved by you as well. I am sorry that I have not been able to repay you for your kindness, and for what you have suffered.”
“Oh, no! If it weren’t for you, I would be the one…”
And then they became silent, realizing that any further exchange would be futile.
Natasha used to be a rising star. In fact, she had tried to reapply for the 1st Rank Promotion Examination right before the death of one of her party members.
After she heard the news, she found herself alone, wandering around aimlessly, and as if she had become a cripple.
While being treated like family by De Mile, Natasha learned how to be a human. By returning to her roots before she was an adventurer, her upward aspirations somehow disappeared.
It was at this point that she came to her senses. Even if she had become a 1st rank, she realized the darkness that lay ahead of her.
“…I had seen so many great adventurers, and I felt like I didn’t want to lose. I felt frustrated when I saw people being pampered. I even got so involved in the adventuring business that I didn’t learn the news of my parents’ death in the countryside until much later…”
Litty thought of the faces of her parents in Ruiz Village, and seeing Natasha’s crestfallen expression, Litty could feel more strongly that she didn’t want to do something she had to regret and not take action until it became too late.
“It’s not enough to just want to be something. You need something beyond that… something that makes you want to keep moving forward, you know?”
Natasha’s words became something of a reminder to Litty as well. Just like how she also wished to have an adventure and be the hero of her story, only to be forced to face reality at some point.
Putting her hands on her chest, Litty closed her eyes and thought.
“Roma-san, Kuufa-san, I want to learn. Through my adventures, I wish to go to many places and meet many people…. I would like to learn many things I don’t know.”
“That’s very typical Litty. But if you know too much, you might end up like that old man Sage. What do you think?”
“I think he knows a lot… he experienced something that made him think that way. You know, I don’t like him. So I don’t think I will follow in his footsteps.”
“It’s also a learning experience to know a bad example. I’ve had that experience myself.”
Roma looked at Litty and Kuufa after thinking about something. Kuufa was with the former slave girl cuddled up to her, and Aquaria looked like melted candy because she was so bored.
Roma was impressed by this scene, which she had never imagined when she had set out to become an adventurer.
“How about we name our party… X-Piece?”
“X-Piece?”
“Compared to what we can find in the world, we are just a small part of it. Even that Sage is the same. But even if we are small pieces now, we will definitely grow bigger as we gain experience through our adventures… and the connections we make, slowly becoming a bigger piece of the world.”
“I see! So you’re saying that we’ll be linking experiences together for a long, long time!”
“Yes. If you think of it as a source of strength, even if we face difficulties, we can always start over.”
For Litty, who had only been looking for the excitement of adventures, Roma’s perspective was refreshing.
Experience was not just about fighting, it was about everything. The more you accumulated, the more fun the adventures would be, Litty believed, and she was full of positivity.
“We are X-Piece!”
“Myaan!”
“But one day, we’ll get bigger…!”
“Kuufa-san like it too!”
“It’s making me feel strong!”
“Are you excited, Master?”
