Chapter 312: Cute Little Guide

"Are you sure you know where you’re going?"

"This is the fifth time you’ve asked me that, Instructor—and just like the last four times, the answer is still yes. Of course I do."

Azriel scratched his head, hiding his frustration as they continued walking.

’We should be close...’

"Really? Because it looks like you’re lost. You said you passed the village before, so why are you struggling to remember where it is? You look like someone indecisive, who doesn’t know which way to go."

"Well, I’m sorry, Instructor, but I wasn’t exactly keen on memorizing every damn tree in this cursed forest. In case you’ve forgotten, I spent three whole months dying here."

Ranni coughed and looked away.

"Right... I apologize."

Azriel huffed as they kept walking.

"Besides, if you hadn’t been so indecisive yourself, Instructor, this entire scenario could’ve ended the very first day we were sent here."

Ranni blinked, narrowing her eyes as she glanced at him coldly.

"What do you mean by that, exactly?"

Azriel suddenly stopped and turned to her, frowning.

"You don’t know?"

Ranni frowned in return.

"Know what?"

Seeing her confusion—genuine confusion—Azriel brought a hand to his forehead and let out a loud sigh.

"You really don’t know... I thought you were hesitating because of your compassion, but it turns out you’re just unaware. Seriously... how incompetent is everyone around me."

Ranni’s lips twitched.

"Do you want me to throw another spear at you?"

Azriel sighed again, then looked at her seriously.

"Right before you were sent into this scenario—like the rest of us—you were in your Soul Realm, yes?"

Though displeased, Ranni nodded.

"Then you should’ve received the scenario details. You remember the victory conditions, right?"

Ranni nodded again.

"Yes—prevent or ensure the fall of the royal family, stay alive until the final night, and an optional was to eliminate the key figures of both sides."

"Knowing all that, why haven’t you taken any action?"

Ranni’s expression twisted with confusion.

"Why haven’t I taken action? There’s nothing we can do until the final night. Our goal isn’t to play along with this scenario but to survive it. The best strategy is to wait until the final night and support whichever side is winning."

Azriel shook his head.

"I understand your logic, and it’s a safe plan—but it’s flawed."

Ranni’s lips twitched again.

"Can you get to your point?"

"The duration of the scenario, Instructor—it’s undefined."

"...Undefined? Yes, I remember. So what of it?"

"We don’t know when the final night is. It could be tomorrow... or it could take years, even decades, for all we know."

Ranni’s face darkened.

"So my theory," Azriel continued, "is that there is no final night—not unless we make one."

Ranni blinked in disbelief.

"What? There’s no final night?"

"Well—yes and no. There is one. It’s just that our presence—us, the participants—has altered when it will occur. That’s what I believe. The scenario wants us to create the final night ourselves. It could happen at any moment. Our influence in this world is strong enough to determine that outcome. The final night is the moment the royal family either wins or loses. And we can make either happen. You can, Instructor. At any moment, you could’ve chosen to end this by destroying the revolutionaries or the nobles and royals. That would’ve completed the scenario—and saved all the cadets you care so much about."

Her expression grew bitter as she looked away.

"You might be right... but you speak as if it’s easy."

"Isn’t it?"

Azriel tilted his head.

What was so difficult? Just kill them all, no?

He sighed, shaking his head.

"If you would just—"

Rustle...

A sudden sound cut him off. Azriel turned around sharply. Instantly, the same spear Ranni had used to nearly impale him the night before appeared in her hands, while Azriel summoned Void Eater.

Both narrowed their eyes, focusing on a particular tree.

"It has no mana... whatever it is, it’s suppressing it," Ranni whispered cautiously.

Azriel frowned.

No mana?

Suddenly, to Ranni’s visible shock and glare, Azriel called out loudly:

"We know you’re hiding behind that tree. Since I’m merciful and—sane, I’ll give you five seconds to reveal yourself before I obliterate that tree and everything behind it."

"Eek!"

A high-pitched scream rang out, and someone jumped from behind the tree.

"DON’T DO IT! I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY! PLEASE DON’T KILL ME!"

A little girl shouted, tears brimming in her wide eyes as she held both hands up.

She had brown twin-tails and matching brown eyes, wearing nothing but a potato sack with holes cut out for her arms and legs.

Instantly, Ranni dismissed her spear, her expression softening, while Azriel kept a cold, guarded stare fixed on the girl.

Ranni approached and crouched to the child’s level, offering a warm smile.

"We won’t hurt you."

She glanced at Azriel, silently urging him with her eyes. Reluctantly, Azriel dismissed Void Eater with a grim expression—but in its place, he summoned the Annoying Feather, letting it hover behind his back.

Ranni turned her attention back to the trembling child, maintaining her gentle tone.

"What’s your name?"

The little girl looked like she was trying hard not to cry. Her voice was small and frightened.

"L-Lia... just Lia... I have no last name."

For a moment, Azriel’s entire body froze.

’Lia...’

"Lia is a cute name," Ranni said kindly, trying to soothe her.

She extended her hand, and a small horse made of water appeared above her palm. It galloped gently through the air, circling around the girl’s head.

Gradually, Lia’s eyes lit up with wonder.

"...Wow!"

Ranni smiled as the girl became entranced by the water horse. She then walked over to Azriel, her warm expression faltering into a twitching smile as she noticed his still-cold demeanor.

"Can you not look at the child like that? I understand you’ve been on edge since we entered this forest, but she’s just a little girl."

Azriel rolled his eyes.

"This ’little girl’ might be an enemy for all we know. Don’t get too attached."

Ranni sighed.

"I won’t."

She returned to Lia, crouching once more and softening her voice.

"Lia," she said gently.

The child looked up, blinking innocently.

"Can you tell me where you came from?"

Lia’s eyes widened, as though the question struck a nerve. In an instant, she clamped her tiny hands over her mouth and shook her head rapidly—so violently that her twin tails whipped against her own cheeks.

Ranni blinked in surprise, then smiled again.

"You’re not allowed to say, are you?"

Shyly, Lia nodded, still clutching her mouth.

Ranni brought a finger to her own lips, leaned closer, and whispered,

"Then... can you guide us instead?"

Lia tilted her head thoughtfully, blinking a few times. Then she smiled and nodded with enthusiasm.

"Unn!"

"That’s wonderful!"

Ranni looked just as excited as the child.

Azriel, watching the exchange, wore a dry expression and sighed internally.

Ranni turned to him, still beaming.

"See? I got us a cute little guide!"

’...You’re supposed to be an instructor, aren’t you?’

*****

Holding Lia’s hand, Instructor Ranni walked beside her while Azriel trailed behind in silence, his guard up for any potential threat.

Naturally, while Ranni chatted with the little girl—trying to learn everything she could about her—she remained cautious. Apparently, Lia was seven years old and had escaped from an orphanage. She had been bullied by the other orphans there.

’Reminds me of that one shoujo childcare novel... those were dark times indeed.’

The female protagonist, bullied by both the caretakers and the other children at the orphanage—no proper clothes, barely any food... no one willing to adopt her because of how malnourished she looked.

Then, of course, the duke would arrive. The little girl would catch his eye, and he’d adopt her.

Plot twist: she was actually the duke’s biological daughter all along!

From there, it was all uphill—marrying the crown prince, getting revenge, and so on.

Nathan had recommended that one.

After that... Azriel might have gotten a bit hooked.

Just a little.

Only a bit.

...Really, just a bit.

Eventually, Lia shouted,

"We’re here!"

The three of them came to a stop.

Before them stood a polished wooden gate.

’So this is the village...’

A single dirt road led inside. The edges of houses could be seen beyond the gate, the entire village surrounded by towering trees—yet none of them encroached upon it. Not a single root dared to breach the perimeter.

Ranni turned with the little girl to look at Azriel. He, in turn, glanced at Lia, then back at the instructor.

"Go deal with her. We’ll meet back here at midnight. Then we’ll complete our mission while everyone’s asleep. You know what our target looks like from the notebook—just avoid him. If anything goes wrong, send a signal. I’ll find you immediately."

There was still plenty of time until midnight—enough for both of them to do what they needed to.

At least, that was true for Azriel.

Ranni frowned slightly.

"What are you going to do in the meantime?"

Azriel shrugged.

"Nothing much. I’ll just be roaming around. I could use a break after... you know."

Looking into his eyes, Ranni hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"Very well. I’ll see you here at midnight."

Azriel nodded as she turned her attention back to Lia.

The girl looked up at her, saddened.

"Will you leave me, Miss...?"

Ranni shook her head gently.

"Of course not. I’ll be with you the whole day. And I’ll help you get rid of all your troubles."

"Really...?"

"Really."

"Promise?"

"Here—let’s pinky promise."

She crouched and extended her pinky. Lia’s eyes lit up, and she smiled brightly before hooking her little finger with Ranni’s.

Ranni gave one last glance to Azriel, then nodded before she and Lia entered the village.

Azriel watched their backs until they were out of sight.

His expression darkened.

"Hooo..."

He breathed out deeply.

"Hooo..."

There was an itch on his neck—an annoying, infuriating itch. But it wasn’t the Annoying Feather.

That was floating right in front of him, swirling lazily in the air.

Azriel scratched his neck.

Again. And again. But the itch wouldn’t stop. He scratched harder, until his nails dug into his skin and blood seeped out.

Eventually, the itch faded.

Azriel pulled out a simple cloth and wiped the blood from his neck and fingertips. Then, wordlessly, he burned the cloth with a small crackle of lightning.

He summoned the Crazy Flask.

Staring at it for a moment, he opened it and took a sip.

"Ah..."

Afterward, he dismissed the flask. Then, with a flick of his fingers, the Annoying Feather vanished as well.

Azriel began walking toward the village.

"I was planning to take this route anyway..."