Find a Troubled Girl after leaving the Guild

"I am, I am, I am Li Ang’s—"

Her pupils lost focus, finally forming a look of not knowing where to look.

"You all, anyway, you all step aside."

The black-haired young girl snapped back to reality, anxiously reaching out to push them away.

"What’s this about?"

Zoe and Andasu were the first to react, no longer sticking by Li Ang and stepping forward to block in front of Meluna.

"Who exactly are you? Such a strange person," Zoe asked.

Meluna looked at Li Ang longingly.

Li Ang glanced around; Otto was calmly talking to Meimei, who looked like a child who had done something wrong, and Farina, with her arms crossed, showed no intention of participating, while the Moon Concealing Rabbit had disappeared and couldn’t intervene.

Everything was stacking up on him.

Why have I ended up in this situation? Li Ang asked himself.

Not long ago, my goal was clearly to form a stable and reliable Sky Cavalry.

He took a deep breath and told everyone, "Calm down first."

He pointed at Meluna, "The one we were looking for is this swordsman; her name is Meluna."

Dorothy had figured it out early on, and although ALulu’s expression was always neutral, she probably understood as well. Andasu never really cared much, as long as she could stay by Li Ang’s side.

Zoe shouted abruptly, "Ah! Isn’t she, isn’t she your—"

"Yes, she’s my ex-girlfriend."

This was undeniable; faced with the situation, it had to be admitted.

"Oh."

Zoe responded with a calmness that exceeded Li Ang’s expectations.

He had worried she might shout and provoke Meluna.

Sometimes, he was uncertain about Zoe’s bottom line, about what might make her unhappy; usually, there was no standard.

"Let’s go."

Zoe, as if treating Meluna like a passerby, acknowledged her presence, and since there was no further issue, she was ready to leave.

She pulled on Li Ang’s hand, "Spend more time with me, your current girlfriend. Now that she’s found, let’s head back."

Cr-creak-creak!

Meluna lowered her head, but the grip on the hilt of her sword tightened.

"Say less," Dorothy cautioned, somewhat frightened, promptly stopping Zoe.

Though she believed the rustic girl and the bulls and dogs could discern each other’s strength, these folks tended to disregard their surroundings altogether once in motion; it’s just that they hadn’t encountered a formidable opponent yet.

But I am different, a socially experienced person who acts appropriately. Dorothy thought proudly, deliberately showcasing her awareness of the current situation.

"However, about your definition of a current girlfriend, I must say, who agreed to this?" Dorothy muttered softly.

Zoe widened her eyes, "Isn’t this obvious?"

They nudged Li Ang as they headed back, but a surge of Magic Power had already risen from Meluna.

"Meluna."

Li Ang called out to her.

The black-haired female swordsman’s aura suddenly faltered, and tears welled up at the corner of her eyes.

"Li Ang..."

Li Ang was taken aback; after spending so much time together, she had always been indifferent to everything. This was the first time he saw her like this.

But now, he had nothing left to say.

The questions and misunderstandings he had about her had long turned into frustration through self-analysis and speculation during sleepless nights, replaced by a sense of relief and freedom, with the final traces of expectation and attachment fading away.

At this moment, he just felt a bit tired, a little too lazy to keep contemplating her matters.

At one point, he guessed this woman was just too self-centered and lacking in common sense, leading her to suddenly leave. But still, there was a limit to everything; when the magnitude is too much, it changes its nature.

Even if unintentionally, her unexplained, prolonged disappearance was akin to a breakup.

"Otto needs to see you."

This was Li Ang’s final message to her.

He considered her setup as being from a parallel world, "Perhaps you know him?"

Meluna turned to look at Meimei and said, "Know... probably..."

"That’s good then."

Li Ang brushed off the team members as they left.

"No, no!"

Meluna rushed forward, clinging to him and brushing away the other young girls.

They didn’t want to be at her mercy, but despite lacking the Water Control Ability, under the enhancement of Magic Power, her strength was overwhelming, easily pushing them aside.

Zoe immediately adopted a defensive stance.

"Take her with us on the ship? One more isn’t too many?" Dorothy remarked with a slightly self-deprecating laugh.

"I don’t want you all together."

Meluna held onto Li Ang tightly, "Let’s go home, back to how it was before."

"No."

Li Ang shook his head decisively.

Meluna was at a loss for words, only gripping harder.

She suddenly winced, feeling a sharp pain, realizing she was hurt by his Demon’s Hand because she was holding on too tight.

"It’s my fault, sorry. I was gone for so long, and you encountered the Demon; I could have—"

"It’s nothing," Li Ang gently pried her fingers away, pulling his hand free.

Ordinarily, he couldn’t have matched her strength, but as Meluna and his strength held, she sensed his resolve, which struck her heart, causing her to gradually relent.

"Is it that you’re tired of me, preferring their youthful—"

"Meluna, stop it," Li Ang interrupted, halting her ridiculous and bizarre speculations.

The black-haired young girl froze instantly.

"It’s nothing to do with them; I told you, don’t think about things this way."

Li Ang shook his head, "Do you really have the nerve to say these things?"

Meluna’s expression showed a hint of timidity, retreating half a step.

"I don’t know, sorry. I realized too late, I realize I was wrong now..."

"Too late then, isn’t it?"

Li Ang asked, "Do you think it’s because I didn’t love you enough?"

"No, it’s not that, I kept thinking about you..."

"How do you think I felt being left in the dark after your sudden disappearance?"

Li Ang pressed on, "When I needed you, I didn’t even know why you left without a word. Do you know how long I searched for you? Do you know how people mocked me because you disappeared? Do you know that before you left, I was preparing to propose to you?"

"Ah?!!" The surprised outcry wasn’t from Meluna but from the four team members beside Li Ang. Even Farina raised an eyebrow.

Dorothy patted her chest, "Phew, I almost went from second wife to mistress."

"That’s going too far!" Zoe exclaimed, "Even I read in books that this is one of the most important things in life, right?"

Andasu and ALulu, who were initially avoiding direct contact with Meluna, also showed slight anger in their eyes.

Meluna’s eyes briefly sparkled, only to be extinguished into deep melancholy.

"Now, does it mean, Li Ang will never again propose to me..."

"Do you know how many arrangements I made, and how it felt to apologize under the bizarre scrutiny of others to cancel all the plans?"

Li Ang smiled, now indifferent.

"I actually suspected all along that your reason for leaving might be very simple. But the more I thought like this, the more meaningless it seemed; our matters seemed nothing more than a joke to others."

"Goodbye then, and let’s not meet again."

He pushed Meluna away and turned to leave.

Whether the Water Dragon wanted one of them, or both of them, for now, he didn’t have the energy to care. It seemed at least Meimei could stay; the embodiment of the Water Dragon had temporarily vanished, but regarding the Divine Spirit, there shouldn’t be an issue.

He just wanted to get off this island, heading staight for the City of the Ship’s Rudder.

As for making equipment, with the materials in hand, it didn’t necessarily have to be done at this forgery.

Meluna stood in a daze, watching Li Ang’s departing figure, the expression on her face slowly transforming into a complete sense of panic.

Farina quietly watched; she was supposed to follow the leader, but she was a bit worried.

With a thud, the sword in Meluna’s hand fell into the muddy water on the ground; even though the mud couldn’t hide the splendor of the Treasure Artifacts, she bent down, her trembling hands searching fruitlessly.

She suddenly rushed to grab him, but she was so weak she couldn’t even stand, bending her knees and kneeling in the mud.