Chapter 36: You Really Dont Consider Iresha at All!
Chapter 36: You… Really Don’t Consider Iresha at All!
The sudden turn of events left Lin Wei momentarily stunned.
According to his plan, he was supposed to ignite a massive quarrel within the Hero’s party, drain their energy, and secure his own safety amidst the chaos.
So how had things escalated to the point where he was now caught in the crossfire himself?
Wait—where was the archer?
Shouldn’t that elf archer be jumping in right about now to smooth things over? The Hero’s fighting with his own party because of me—shouldn’t she be seizing this chance to say a few sweet words and win him over?
Are you even trying, archer? Do you even know how to compete for love?
“I…”
Come to think of it, this was probably the first real argument he’d ever witnessed between Iresha and the Hero in months.
Sharp words, merciless and direct, stripped away every hidden thought lurking deep in their hearts. The Hero, Oshu—who only moments ago had been bristling with anger—now faltered in the face of Iresha’s own fury.
But he quickly drew a deep breath, as if to steady himself, and tried to explain in a softer, more patient tone.
“Our training journey in Lotai is almost over, Iresha.”
He shifted to a calm, measured voice.
“Soon, we’ll head to the northern Border Wall and from there, enter the Northern Countries, where we’ll finally confront the demon.”
“After that, the road ahead will be full of danger—we won’t have the safety we’ve enjoyed so far. As the Hero, before we set out, it’s my duty to make sure the party is fully prepared.”
“And Eileen… just happens to need a compatible enhancement gem.”
If it had been before, faced with Oshu’s gentle, earnest pleading, Iresha might have relented for the sake of their childhood friendship. She might have forced herself to be patient, handing the gem over to Eileen for the good of the party.
But now, confronted with such a blatant shift in his attitude, Iresha felt a surge of inexplicable irritation.
Was this Oshu’s true self?
After all, even as childhood friends, they hadn’t seen each other in over a decade.
In her memory, Oshu had always been like this—kind, considerate. Yet now, his ability to switch moods so quickly felt oddly calculating, almost transactional.
It was as if he’d put on a gentle voice simply because the situation demanded it.
Was he only speaking this way because it was for Eileen’s sake?
“What if I refuse?”
Her delicate, beautiful face went cold in an instant.
Iresha stared at Oshu, her gaze icy. There was no hesitation, no time for careful thought—she simply blurted out the question, driven by the surge of her emotions.
“This… Why?”
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go!
Her abrupt rejection left Oshu completely stunned. He’d been prepared to gradually persuade her, but now his mind went blank.
He looked at Iresha in disbelief, unable to comprehend how things had taken such a turn.
Just recently, their relationship had been perfectly harmonious. Iresha had clung to him, begging him to accompany her on a labyrinth adventure.
How had a single night changed everything? Was she angry because he hadn’t gone with her?
But Eileen’s archery skills needed improvement, too. They were all companions—how could she possibly show such blatant favoritism at a time like this?
“There’s no reason. I just don’t want to give it,” Iresha replied coolly. “When I teamed up with Lin Wei in the labyrinth, I promised I’d pay him for his help. So what’s the problem with giving him an enhancement gem I don’t even need?”
Or is it really because of this person?!
As soon as Iresha explained, Oshu’s glare snapped to Lin Wei, brimming with anger.
If anything had changed over the past few days, it was that—for some reason—Iresha had gotten tangled up with this guy.
“I don’t know what you did to Iresha,” Oshu said, gripping the sword at his back, his tone taking on a threatening edge. “But you need to understand—we’re the party destined to save the world and defeat the Demon Lord.”
“If Iresha promised you payment, then as her companions, we’ll honor it—with gold.”
“But that enhancement gem happens to be something our party needs. So I’m going to have to ask you to return it—and from now on, keep your distance from Iresha.”
If this guy was the problem, then the solution was simple: keep him away from her. Even if he’d misjudged things before, now that Iresha was involved, Oshu wasn’t about to let it slide.
“Hah? Telling others to stay away from me, Oshu—”
“Are you out of your mind?”
Lin Wei and Iresha spoke at the exact same time, their voices ringing out in perfect unison.
Iresha froze for a split second, glancing instinctively at Lin Wei, clearly surprised he’d said exactly what she was thinking.
“I have to ask, Hero—do you have some kind of problem with me, a humble adventurer? Or do you just enjoy making my life difficult?” Lin Wei stepped forward, putting himself between Oshu and Iresha, his tone edged with impatience.
Honestly, Lin Wei would have loved nothing more than to play dead and avoid attention altogether.
But things had escalated too far. Even if it meant getting swept up in this emotional crossfire, he had no choice but to face it head-on.
After all, Lin Wei had never been the type to let others fight his battles for him.
Except, of course, for that useless elf archer—honestly, even when handed the perfect chance, she couldn’t do a thing.
He shot a sidelong glance at the tall, flower-crowned girl with pointed elven ears. Lin Wei could only sigh in exasperation before turning his attention back to Oshu.
“Iresha already said it, didn’t she? She doesn’t want to give you the gem—she wants to give it to me as payment for our cooperation. Is that really so hard to understand?”
Lin Wei faced down the Hero’s drawn sword without the slightest trace of fear.
“And what does my relationship with Miss Iresha have to do with you, exactly? On what grounds are you telling me to stay away from her? As her companion? As the Hero? Or as the guy who promised to take her to the Pascal Labyrinth, only to ditch her for another woman—leaving Iresha to go alone, where she nearly got killed in a goblin outbreak?”
“Hero Oshu, you really are the type who only ever thinks about himself. Not once do you stop to consider Iresha’s feelings.”
Each pointed word struck home, leaving Oshu momentarily at a loss for how to respond.
Only now did he finally remember why Iresha was so furious with him.
Back when The Holy Church had summoned them to Lotai for training, he’d personally promised Iresha that he’d go with her to the Pascal Labyrinth as soon as they arrived.
But then, in his eagerness to help Eileen improve her archery, he’d completely forgotten that promise.
So that’s why she was angry?
But even so, who was this guy to question him about it?!
“What goes on between me and Iresha is none of your business, outsider,” Oshu snapped, his face twisted in anger. The sharp rasp of his sword sliding in its sheath echoed in the air, a glint of silver flashing at his side.
“She’s only giving you the gem because she’s throwing a tantrum. If you hand it over now, I’ll still pay you a fair price in gold… Or are you really planning to fight me, the Hero, over this? Adventurer.”
“Oh? The great Hero wants to pick a fight with a lowly commoner like me?” Lin Wei grinned, snapping his fingers. Compressed Mana gathered in his palm, his eyes shining with challenge.
“You’re going too far, Oshu!” Iresha snapped, gripping her staff in frustration. Was he really willing to cause a scene in the Adventurers’ Guild, all for Eileen’s sake? Had he lost his mind?
The atmosphere grew instantly tense.
Even though they were tucked away in a corner and most people were distracted by the ongoing interviews about the aftermath of the goblin disaster, the palpable hostility in the air drew more than a few curious glances their way.
“What’s going on here?”
At that moment, a solemn voice rang out across the hall.
A dignified, middle-aged man stepped forward from behind the guild counter.
His golden eyes radiated a sacred aura, and his stern, unsmiling demeanor commanded instant respect.
“It’s… Bishop Alec of Lotai!” someone whispered.