CHAPTER 13: FLOWERY WITCH OF RUIN

◉ Event: "Ashes of Naper Village"

[Loading Scene Data...]

[Objective: Investigate the Ruins of Naper Village]

[Bonus Objective: Help Survivors (3/10)]

･･･

The group finally came to a stop.

The wind was utterly silent.

Ahead of them was all that was left of Naper Village.

It was just ash, smoke and blackness.

The wooden homes were half-melted from heat.

Some were reduced to brittle skeletons of charcoal.

A toppled cart lay in the mud with its wheels still faintly spinning from the wind.

The air smelled of iron, ash, and something... foul.

Burnt flesh.

The ground was dotted with blackened shapes.

These used to be people.

Some lay in clusters, still clinging to each other.

Others were just... pieces.

A scorched doll’s head rolled beside a cracked well.

The wind whispered through its hollow eyes.

One of the adventurers gagged and covered his mouth.

Another turned away and painfully vomited behind a broken fence.

"By the gods..."

A knight muttered under his breath.

"They didn’t even stand a chance..."

Nero stepped down from his horse slowly.

His boots sank into the ash.

He stared at the ruins, unable to find words.

"It’s... horrible."

His voice sounded a little fragile.

Ardan exhaled heavily as he removed his helmet.

"This... was Naper Village..."

"A population of about two hundred and thirty."

Nero’s eyes widened.

"Two hundred...?"

He immediately felt sick.

Before now, he was used to waking up to the smell of flowers and beer in the morning. But now, standing on the ground where hundreds of people had been killed, his stomach turned so badly that he almost threw up in his mouth.

Ardan nodded grimly.

"Seventy-eight confirmed dead."

He held his helmet close and let out a sigh.

"The rest— burned, missing, or fled."

Nero’s stomach turned even more.

He looked out at the blackened horizon again.

"So... there are survivors then?"

The knight captain gave a slow nod.

"A few dozen. They’ve set up a camp about a mile east of here. Our quest is to slay the dragon and escort them safely to the neighboring town of Larian."

Nero lowered his head slightly.

"I see."

[Objective Updated: Help the Investigation Team search for survivors in the ruins.]

･･･

He walked among the ruins as the others spread out.

"..."

There were no words to speak as he watched.

The knights dug through the rubble.

The adventurers lifted broken beams.

Aldura knelt beside a burned man as her slender hands glowed in soft white light as vines of mana coiled gently around his wounds.

She was probably the most important person here.

And Merlin... she stood there.

The only thing that set her apart from the bodies lying on the burned soil was that she was still breathing.

Her violet eyes fixed on the charred horizon.

They were completely lifeless.

For the first time, she didn’t speak.

No smirk, complaints, or whining about alcohol.

It felt... wrong.

Nero’s chest tightened slightly as he watched her.

It wasn’t like her at all.

『Merlin...』

He wanted to say something—but couldn’t.

Because he already knew why.

He reluctantly turned away to help the others.

『Aldura told me... Merlin used to be a druid too. Well, not the kind that sees "sex" as enlightenment... but one who truly protected the forests. That was about four hundred years ago, back when she was still human.』

He moved a pile of stone using [Wind Attribute].

『She was born in an era when magic was outlawed.』

Nero walked through the ruins as his robe brushed against scorched debris.

He raised his hand.

"[Wind Attribute: Aero Boost]!"

A sudden gust burst from his palm to scatter heaps of ash and broken wood to clear a path.

『Humans believed anyone who could use it was cursed by demons. Even her parents were terrified of her.』

He coughed a little, shielding his eyes from the dust.

A pair of adventurers nearby cheered faintly.

"Nice one, kid."

The knights quickly used the path to drag out a young boy covered in soot.

『The day her power awakened, her village didn’t hesitate about killing her. They burned her home. Tied her up. Stabbed her. Aldura said Merlin didn’t remember much... just that something inside her snapped. The flames that came out of her were unstoppable.』

Nero’s hand trembled slightly as he stared at the scorched ground beneath his feet.

『She burned everything. Everyone.』

He almost felt like he could picture everything.

『Her family. Her home. Everything she ever knew.』

He walked toward Aldura, who was healing a little girl with half-burned legs. Nero crouched beside her and gently poured his healing potion into the girl’s mouth.

The little one whimpered softly but stopped crying.

『Apparently, she slaughtered so many people and wasted so many villages she was called the Witch of Ruin. So, she fled to the Forest of Dreams... and fortunately, that’s where the druids found her.』

Aldura smiled faintly as she brushed the child’s hair.

"You’ll be okay now..." she whispered.

Nero stood beside her quietly.

『So yeah. That’s why they’re sisters.』

He nodded approvingly.

Time passed. Hours slipped away.

The ruins slowly stopped smoking.

The moans of the wounded became whispers.

And the first stars appeared above.

･･･

Nero wiped the sweat off his brow and looked around.

The others were resting by what used to be the village square.

But Merlin... she hadn’t moved an inch.

Still staring at the ashes.

Nero walked up to her slowly.

Her back was to him as her long hair glimmered faintly under the dying sun.

"Are you... alright?" he asked softly.

No response.

He tried again, a little louder.

"Merlin?"

After a long pause, she spoke without turning.

"We should go join the others."

She kept her head low like she was ashamed.

As if she didn’t want him to see her face.

"We don’t want to be left behind."

She started to walk away—but Nero reached out and gently caught her arm.

She turned, a little surprised.

"If you ever need someone to talk to..."

Nero said quietly.

"I’m here."

For a moment, her eyes softened.

[ⓘ Merlin will remember that...]

[ⓘ Merlin’s trust has significantly increased!]

She smiled faintly and leaned in.

Close enough that he could smell the faint trace of smoke and her usual jasmine perfume.

No harsh scent of beer this time.

"You’re sweet..."

Then, before he could react, she gave him a small peck on the cheek.

"But I’m really fine."

She walked past him with her usual calm grace.

Yet her hands trembled slightly at her sides.

Nero stood there a moment longer with his hand holding the spot she’d kissed.

『That’s the first time a woman’s ever...』

･･･

[Quest Updated:

Escort Survivors to Camp]

The caravan began to move again.

This time, with the survivors among them—wounded, tired, and trembling.

Nero rode slowly behind Merlin and kept his eyes on her the entire time.

She didn’t look back once.

『Maybe that’s why she took me... Nero in.』

He thought quietly.

『After my own village was destroyed, she probably saw herself in me. A kid who lost everything.』

He sighed softly and shook his head.

[ⓘ System Log Updated]

‣ [Objective: Help Survivors (10/10)] – Completed!

‣ [Reputation +150 — "Naper Village Survivors"]

‣ [EXP +2500]

‣ [Wind Attribute Proficiency +15%]

‣ [Fire Attribute Proficiency +5%]

‣ [Lightning Attribute Proficiency +10%]

‣ [Title Bonus: "Mediator of Madness" → Enhanced!]

‣ [Loot Obtained: «Healing Root» x10]

‣ [Level Up! → LV. 26]

Then another one popped up.

[ⓘ You have earned the respect of Aldura]

‣ Would you like to romance Aldura?

[YES] [NO]

Nero’s look immediately went half-lidded.

"Can’t I romance a normal woman?" (눈_눈)

He placed a hand on his chin.

『Still... it’s sort of tempting to romance them...』

Not that he was that shallow, but he wanted to see how sex with them would feel.

Romancing Merlin would probably mean she’d take him to bed and tease him until he popped a boner so hard it felt like it’d explode. And then she’d just leave him there.

Romancing Aldura would basically be him emptying his sack to a sex-hungry elf.

『What if elves in this world are really good in bed?』

He was already worried.

『I can’t believe romancing Merlin would be safer...』

He was going to leave it at that.

His conscience wouldn’t let him romance her.

Yet he didn’t know.

[ⓘ You have already romanced Merlin...]

Nero’s brows immediately shot up.

"Eh? No. I haven’t."

But the game never made mistakes.

[ⓘ Her affection unlocked the romance route.]

‣ Relationship Progress: 14%

‣ Merlin’s Affection: 36%

‣ Main Objective: To fully romance Merlin you must use all her hidden story events and make sure she doesn’t fall for your romance rival instead.

‣ Bonus Objective: Deflower the Great Mage

Nero held his head in his hands.

『Wait—MERLIN’S A VIRGIN—!?』 Σ(°ロ°)!!!

To him, that was the biggest shock of all.

Maybe she was called a great mage for other reasons.