Chapter 10: Logout 1

"I'll be back in a bit. It doesn't look dangerous, so just wait here."

"Outside... Ah! Are you talking about the Divine Realm? Did something happen there?"

"...I have to go listen to a lecture."

As far as Aine knew, the fragments of Chaos were beings who flowed into the Middle World and enjoyed their missions as if they were entertainment.

But perhaps even such beings had their own duties and obligations in their original world.

Feeling a sense of reverence for the PCs who had to carry out two world-spanning missions simultaneously, Aine nodded. Nick then looked at him with a troubled expression and pointed at Aine.

"Don't go anywhere while I'm gone."

"...!"

Aine's face was filled with emotion at those words. Although their relationship had been initially distant, it was possible that trust had formed through various experiences.

It felt good to be a reliable presence to someone. Aine felt a surge of energy and clenched his fist.

"Where would I go without you, Hero? Trust me! I'll protect you!"

Moved by Aine's enthusiastic response, Nick blinked a few times and sighed before continuing.

"I mean, don't get left behind while wandering around alone."

"That's too much…."

In truth, from Nick's perspective, Aine was not a very reliable companion. While he could handle spirits, he hadn't shown any significant contributions, which was a natural reaction.

"Don't follow a stranger who offers you food."

"I won't follow!"

"Don't wag your tail and chase after any noise."

"I'm a half-elf, not a beast, so I don't have a tail!"

"Don't open the door if someone delivers a package you didn't order."

"What kind of package is that!"

Most of Nick's warnings sounded like scolding a child. Despite Aine being more familiar with the area, it felt like an unfair scolding, but Aine nodded to reassure Nick.

"Don't worry. Go ahead!"

"Got it... Logout. Confirm."

As he finished speaking, his eyes went out of focus, and he walked over to a nearby tree, collapsing onto the ground.

Aine's eyes widened, worried that Nick might be dead. He had expected something grand, like the gates of the Heavenly Realm opening and angels carrying Nick away, or blinding light descending and vanishing in an instant.

"Hero?"

Naturally, there was no response.

It was as if only his soul had left. Aine glanced around nervously before crouching next to Nick.

Usually, Nick was aloof and gruff, but his current peaceful appearance was hard to believe.

Aine's silver hair was calm, almost exuding a sense of sanctity.

"I wonder when he'll be back."

Aine thought he was used to being alone, but since joining the mercenary guild, especially recently, he had grown accustomed to being with someone, mainly Nick.

Feeling a sense of emptiness, Aine took out a wind spirit stone.

"I ask the freest of all. I return a part of you, so answer my call according to the contract."

As he chanted and infused mana, a small, child-like spirit appeared from the stone.

Windy, a low-level wind spirit. Though not powerful in combat, it was useful for various tasks.

For example, creating a pleasant breeze to cool down, or exploring the surrounding area. It was a highly versatile spirit.

Most importantly, Windy was...

"Phii."

Very cute.

Due to the wind spirit's friendly nature, it often formed a close bond with its contractor.

Since it required little maintenance mana, it was common to see adventurers who studied spirit magic carrying one.

"It's been a while since I called you. This is the Hero. We'll be traveling together from now on."

"Phit?"

Aine pointed at Nick, and Windy playfully circled around before hovering above Nick's head.

Though the wind spirit was weightless, Aine was worried it might wake Nick, so he placed Windy on his own head and stared at Nick.

Now that he looked, Nick's sleeping position didn't seem very comfortable. The area was slightly off the path, with grass and gravel everywhere.

Aine decided to clear the ground and move Nick to a more comfortable spot.

Fortunately, he was stronger than he looked.

Aine tried to lift Nick by his knees and waist.

Or, tried to. But Nick's body didn't budge.

"...I'm not that weak."

"Phihihihit."

"Don't laugh!"

Since Nick's inventory was likely heavy, Aine decided to move the bag first.

But even the bag wouldn't budge. It felt like ordinary leather, but it seemed impossible to deform it even slightly.

"How am I supposed to run in an emergency...?"

He considered piling up dirt to hide them, but a sudden hole in the ground would be more noticeable than a person resting.

"Hero, wake up. Hero. I can't run alone."

Thinking this might bring him back, Aine poked Nick's cheek.

"Since this is the case, we need to protect the Hero, Windy."

"Phit!"

Aine perked up his ears to detect any sounds and heightened his vigilance.

Spirits were sensitive to unstable emotions and mana, making spirit mages skilled at detecting threats.

Aine was considering summoning an earth spirit when he heard a rustling sound.

"Ah! Who's there!"

Turning his head nervously, a head popped up from the bushes.

It was a flower deer, tilting its head innocently and looking at Aine.

Since it was just an animal, Windy didn't alert him. Aine, feeling embarrassed, gently stroked the deer's nose.

"Sorry. I'm just being too sensitive…."

The deer shook its head, as if to say it didn't mind, and approached Aine and Nick.

Aine was surprised by the deer's lack of hesitation, even towards Nick.

While Aine, with his high affinity for nature, was used to this, he didn't expect the deer to be so comfortable with a human.

"He's not dead."

"Phuruk."

The deer's casual poking made it seem like it was treating Nick as a corpse.

Still, it was fortunate that it wasn't hostile, and Aine, feeling bored, used Windy to play with the deer, attracting various birds.

One landed on Aine's shoulder, another on the deer's back, and one...

"You can't sit there."

"Grub?"

A pigeon perched on Nick's face.

"Don't scratch with your claws."

"Phuruk."

"Got it. You can handle it. But, you know, the person you're sitting on... is a hero."

Aine spent time talking about Nick, and more small animals approached.

Nick, leaning against a tree, and the gathering of animals created a scene straight out of a fairy tale.

Aine was enjoying the moment when Windy's voice reached his ears.

"...Phii!"

"Why, Windy?"

As Windy stared at one side of the forest, the animals also looked in that direction.

Aine followed their gaze, feeling an inexplicable sense of foreboding, like an old scar throbbing in his heart.

Or, like seeing mold on a tempting fruit, making him uneasy.

The mold seemed to be spreading, bit by bit.

'What is it...?'

But the feeling soon faded, like waking from a nightmare.

Just as Aine was about to move towards the source, Nick stirred.

"I'm back... Ah! What's this!"

As Nick logged back in, the animals scattered.

The flapping of wings and falling feathers turned the area into chaos.

"Y-You're back?"

"What did you do to me...?"

"I didn't do anything! The animals came on their own!"

Nick, removing animal fur and feathers from his body, stretched and made a few gestures in the air. A familiar 'environment setting.'

"Does it look like I'm dead? When you log out, you can choose how your body appears. You can look like you're sleeping, or make your skin pale and your body cold to look really dead, or turn to ashes and reassemble when you log back in."

"Sleeping is better."

"Boring... Anyway, how much farther to the next town?"

"Quite a bit. It will take a few more days."

Pushing Nick's back, Aine glanced behind him.

The sense of foreboding was gone.

It was just a mistake. Probably just the presence of someone passing through the forest. Aine decided to believe that.

***

Aine and Nick continued walking through the forest, taking breaks, and Nick logging out again.

"Where are we going?"

"To Estel first. It's a place where spirit magic is advanced."

"Have you been there before?"

Aine nodded, recalling Estel.

"Yes. I learned there with the guild master's and vice-guild master's recommendations. It's one of the top places in the kingdom for spirit magic. We should be almost there, right?"

"Shouldn't there be signs of a city, like paved roads?"

"Estel prioritizes nature, so development is limited."

As they neared the city, other adventurers began to appear.

Aine, who had tied his hair back, let it down and covered his ears.

"...It's fine. Just a precaution."

Noticing Windy's worried look, he placed it on his shoulder and gently patted its head. A passerby admired Aine and Windy.

"I've never seen a spirit so friendly. Do all spirit mages in Estel have that level of bond?"

Feeling proud, Aine's lips curved up, but he noticed Nick's strange expression.

"Why, why! I can be happy when praised!"

"It's not that... Didn't you say you're a half-elf?"

"Yes? So?"

"You seem to have a good affinity for nature. Last time you fought the lich, your movements were unusually fast... huh."

"What's that about?"

"Yongyong."

"?"

Aine's expression crumpled at Nick's sudden cuteness.

"Don't look at me like that! Is this some kind of... yong. yong. gae-yong. profanity filter?"

"Profanity filter?"

"Exactly. It prevents explicit profanity from being said..."

There were spells that prevented certain words from being spoken or caused intense pain when they were.

Perhaps in the Divine Realm, they placed such a curse on all fragments of Chaos before sending them to the Middle World.

To maintain a minimum level of dignity, Aine interpreted it in his own way and nodded.

"Definitely, the Hero seems to be one of the odd ones among the fragments of Chaos. It's necessary to have some restrictions."

"What? Cancel it! I'm a good and ordinary light user!"

"Good... but! What does that say about other PCs?"

"You still have a lot to learn."

Aine's words made Nick's face stiffen.

"It's good to know. We're considered odd even among ourselves. Especially NPCs like you need to be careful."