Arc | Chapter. 83: Desire (Patreon)

Chapter. 83: Desire

Meika didn’t have time to think anything further when the voice of Arc echoed in her ears.

“Anything you want to say?”

She blinked, and saw the white-haired woman standing in front of her. Meika didn’t even know how Arc got there so fast. There had been no sound, no movement, there hadn’t even been so much as a gust of wind. Her eyes grew wide as her mind slowly understood what was happening.

“Y-You own the Dragon of Water?”

Her question seemed to make the woman pause, before she shook her head and sighed. Meika just blinked in confusion, she didn’t understand what was even going on⁠— or what she had just witnessed. The Crownbearer Wyvern had been slain rather effortlessly, and it had even been thrown out of the mountain as if it had been a meaningless sack of potatoes.

Meika didn’t really comprehend anything, but she didn’t even know what to ask. The white-haired woman seemed to be losing interest by the second, which didn’t make sense. Meika panicked⁠— this situation was not something she had ever prepared for, and sure she was an experienced adventurer but who even got the chance to interact with S Tier beings?!

“A-Are all of you heroes or something?” she blurted.

At that moment, Arc paused, before shaking her head. “No, we are not heroes, and I’d seriously appreciate it if not a single soul hears about this or of what you witnessed.”

“What about the Dragon of Water?“ Meika asked nervously.

“The Dragon of Water is…” Arc trailed off before looking behind her at the fallen man. “Well, a special thing. Let’s just say he made some mistakes, but it is not a permanent arrangement or anything.”

“Right…” Meika looked at the man on the ground, her mind was still struggling to process the fact that it was the Dragon of Water⁠— and then she paused. “Is there proof of him being the Dragon of Water?”

“Eh?” Arc tilted her head. “I mean, either way he’s the Paladin of Water, or whatever, so that’s well enough to not spread information. I hope you understand.”

“Right…”

Meika nodded. That was true, even if the man wasn’t actually the Dragon of Water, and even if his joke had been a half truth⁠— it was very much a shocking thing. It was still an S Tier adventurer of incredible renown that was enslaved⁠— for one reason or another.

Not only that but by a C Tier adventurer out of all people.

Of course, Meika understood that Arc was clearly a much higher Tier, at least A Tier⁠, but the general public did not know that. Which only meant that if the news got out, a lot of things could go wrong, and Meika held such information…

Though, she wasn’t planning on giving it away, she didn’t have a death wish.

“So I guess, after this we will never see each other again?”

“Well, maybe on the street and unlikely as adventurers, but yeah this never happened,” Arc said nonchalantly. “It’s for the best.”

“Right it is…”

Meika felt awkward about the atmosphere and situation, in the background Malz and the red-haired boy were talking, while the green haired woman just stood around, Ceylon sticking close by.

She didn’t really understand what was going on. Or what she should do now. She didn’t want her opportunity in meeting extraordinary people to just end like this, but at the same time what could she really do…?

Was there something⁠—

Well she could certainly threaten Arc but that would be…

Well, to put it kindly, it could potentially be the worst mistake of her life. But still, Meika didn’t want to pass an opportunity like this. It was something that she would never forgive herself for if she just let it go like that.

“Could I perhaps request your help for any requests?”

“Hm.” Arc began to think and turned to Ceylon in the distance. “For as long as Ceylon needs to level up, yes I suppose so.”

“Right…”

So it was still a very tentative thing⁠…

Meika didn’t want a surface level relationship with Arc or her friends, she didn’t want to be their friend either, but she wanted more. She wanted to have access to them; as a contact, an acquaintance she could come to if anything happened, even if it was at a price. Meika just didn’t want to feel like a stranger to them…

She turned to Arc who seemed to just be staring at the man on the ground rather curiously, her expression rather weird⁠— there was a mixture of amusement and some confusion.

Meika knew she didn’t have all that much time to think about things, so she made her request clear.

“I want to be tutored by you or any of your friends.”

Arc paused, and turned to her confused. “I don’t think I can tutor you with anything, and as far as Malz, Regis’karr or Faral…” she craned her head. “I’m not sure I could ask, I guess.”

Meika paused. Her request had been heard. But the names of the other companions also seemed familiar. Huh… Meika felt somewhat weirded out by that but decided not to voice it out as she just nodded.

“Right, if I could trouble you to ask...”

Meika was uncertain, and nervous, but contrary to her expectations, Arc just nodded again before calling out to them.

“Can y’all come over?”

The group paused, and soon they came, ignoring the man who seemed to be awkwardly limp their way. Finally, the group of people arrived before them and Arc asked.

“Well could any of you train Meika? I think she’s a melee class so something related to that.”

“Right I am…” Meika nodded nervously under the scrutiny filled gaze of the people here.

“Well, I can’t really do much. All I know is shadow magic.” Malz shook her head.

“As for me, well I’m a mage so can’t help either,” Regis’karr said.

“Right…” The woman called Faral nodded. “I think I can maybe help if it’s training.”

Meika blinked, containing her excitement.

Arc turned to her. “Well I guess Faral will help you.”

She enthusiastically nodded. “Thank you, I look forward to being trained by someone as strong as you.”

“That’s good,” Faraal said, simply meeting her gaze. “Well, then let’s start now?”

“Now? Meika was confused and turned to Arc. “Is that alright?”

“Sure if it’s not too long.” The white-haired girl shrugged.

“Alright, let’s start now,” the green-haired woman smiled.

Meika gulped, and in response Faraal waved her hand. A powerful wind current swept through the ground and Meika sent flying and tumbling across the forest⁠— what? Her heart rushed as she held onto her sword⁠— it was already starting?

She gulped as she rose from the ground in high alert⁠. She didn’t know what was happening but⁠—

And a gust of wind came from behind. Meika turned only to see a blade of magic coming her way, Faraal held onto it with a vicious grin.

Meika raised her sword in defense, but the sight just made her wonder:

Had I made a mistake?

And the sword hit, Meika felt her wrist nearly snap as she was sent flying into a tree.