CHAPTER 276: LOST IN CALM, FOUND IN CHOICE ( 276 )

"Yeah... agree, Ridan." Hazuki nodded as he took in another deep breath of the clean valley air.

"Only stupid people think going to a big town is some kind of healing vacation."

He scoffed.

"No! It costs a lot, it’s crowded, noisy, and you go home more tired than when you left."

Ridan chuckled, floating upside down lazily.

"Well said, wise sage of meat and lazy walks."

"Hah. Shut up." Hazuki smirked slightly.

He turned his head, gazing over the open horizon.

"This world is huge, right? I’ve only seen humans, beastkin, halflings... and now dwarves."

Ridan nodded slowly.

"Yep. You’ll meet more. Centaurs. Mermaids. Fairies. Maybe even dragons in human form if you’re lucky. This world’s full of all kinds of folk."

"Yes, yes... and also ancient spirits." Hazuki grinned and raised his arms theatrically.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Come see the rare, floating, annoying ancient spirit! Just five copper a peek! Take a picture? One gold!"

Ridan glanced down at him, expression blank.

"...Wow. Crazy guy."

He floated in slow circles.

"There’s no one here except you and me. Who are you even talking to?"

Hazuki looked off to the side dramatically.

"...Nothing."

"Alright! Let’s move now! Chop chop!" Ridan shouted, floating ahead like an impatient tour guide.

Hazuki groaned, stretching his arms over his head.

"Haa... you’re really the annoying one, Ridan."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let’s go do that kill quest already!" Ridan spun once, leaving a spiral trail of mist behind him.

"Hait hait," Hazuki chuckled, picking up his pace with a light step.

"Hazuki..." Ridan called, floating lower beside him.

"Hmm?"

"What would you do if the guild gave you a quest to escort a noble?"

Hazuki blinked.

Then made a face like he just smelled spoiled meat.

"Hah? No way. That’s a pain in the ass!"

Ridan smirked knowingly.

"Heh... that’s so like you."

Hazuki shook his head, waving a hand dismissively.

"Why the hell would I need to escort some noble or royalty? They’ve got knights and elite guards for that. Stronger than me."

"True. But not everyone trusts those people." Ridan said casually, glancing up at the sky.

Hazuki scoffed.

"Well, if they want someone to babysit them, they can find another fool."

"Not only that..." Hazuki muttered, still walking.

"This whole adventurer system... I’m B+ rank now, right? That means there’s gotta be rank B, A, A+, S... maybe even some crazy SSS Hero Class or something out there."

He scoffed.

"So why would they need a ’weakling’ like me?"

Ridan floated backward in front of him, arms crossed.

"Who knows? Why ask me that? I’m just the ancient spirit floating around, not your career consultant."

Hazuki narrowed his eyes.

"You’re the one who brought it up."

Ridan shrugged.

"I just wanted to know if you’d take the quest if the pay was good. You know... big bag of gold, land deed, luxury bath—"

"Yeah, and right after that they slap a collar on me and I become their personal errand boy. No thanks." Hazuki waved him off like swatting a fly.

"Not just a pain in the ass... that’s also stupid to the core."

He shook his head firmly.

"I don’t care if it’s the queen of the elves or some super hot dwarven empress with jiggly boobs, still a no."

Ridan floated up with a teasing grin.

"Ohh~ so if it’s Ellyn asking, you’d say yes?"

Hazuki stumbled slightly.

"Th-that’s different!"

"Uh huh~ sure it is."

"Shut up."

"What if you weren’t bound by the pinky promise, Hazuki?" Ridan asked, his tone strangely casual.

"Hmm?"

"Just asking, you know. Imagine if you never met Ellyn. No promise. No weird sacred oath."

Hazuki walked in silence for a moment.

Then replied softly.

"Ah... maybe. Just maybe... things would be different."

Ridan floated down beside him, still grinning.

"Like you’d jump at the chance if some elven beauty—super hot, sexy, flawless—opened her arms and invited you in, right?"

Hazuki gave a tired chuckle.

"Don’t know, Ridan. Honestly... I don’t know the answer to that."

Ridan stared at him.

Then smirked.

"Why not? That’s your chance to finally lose your virginity, Virginzuki!"

Hazuki sighed deeply, his eyes drifting to the wide-open valley around them.

The sky above. The stream nearby. The quiet.

"Maybe, Ridan. Maybe I would."

He paused.

"But... what for?"

"I’ll never know what the future holds, Ridan." Hazuki muttered, his gaze set on the quiet path ahead.

"I can’t control it. Can’t change it. And if I hadn’t met Ellyn back then... I don’t even know if we’d ever have crossed paths."

Ridan floated beside him silently, listening.

"I don’t know if I’d be this strong. Or if I’d still be some weakling—working whatever jobs I could find, getting drunk at cheap stalls, wasting money at brothels just to feel something."

A bitter smile tugged at his lips.

"Maybe I’d end up worse. Lost. Numb. Just... existing."

He breathed in slowly.

"But now?"

He looked down at his hand, the pinky promise ring faintly glinting in the light.

"Now, I don’t regret a thing."

A small smile formed on his face.

"I met Ellyn. That annoying kid who tricked me into making a pinky promise... and bound me without even letting me realize what it meant."

He chuckled quietly.

"And somehow... it’s not bad."

Hazuki’s voice softened.

"I think about it sometimes. Not just how I’m bound... but what about her?"

He kicked a small pebble on the path, watching it roll.

"She’s still young. She has a whole future ahead of her. Yet she’s tied to someone like me. An older guy from another world, a guy with no dream, no title, nothing special."

He paused.

Then whispered.

"And still... she smiled. And said ’uncle’. Like it meant everything."

For once, Ridan didn’t interrupt.

He just stayed beside him, drifting quietly.

"Alright! Enough of that." Hazuki shook his head, waving away the mood.

"Show me the way to the monster quest, GPS!"

Ridan perked up immediately, floating a little higher.

"Yes, yes! Finally! The signal is strong! Now follow me. From here—straight ahead."

Hazuki nodded and took a step forward—

"And when you find a cliff... jump down." Ridan said with a perfectly straight face.

Hazuki froze.

"OI!! Be serious, you damn cloud!"

"Hahaha~! Got you again, Dumbzuki!" Ridan spun like a mischievous compass.

Hazuki groaned.

"You’re lucky I can’t hit spirits."

"I’m lucky you’re too slow to try." Ridan stuck his tongue out midair.

"Now move it! Adventure awaits, o’ great Heelsman!"

Hazuki rolled his eyes, but his lips curled into a faint smile.

"Show me the way, old ghost! Let’s get this over with."

"Roger that, Virginzuki. Destination: monster guts and loot galore!"

( End Of Chapter )