Shadow Slave

The four people in the room reacted to his arrival differently.

Nephis seemed to be indifferent, as always. However, Sunny knew her well enough to notice a strange tension hiding in the depths of her calm grey eyes.

Caster greeted him with an amiable smile, but there was coldness hiding behind it. It seemed as though the handsome scion was not happy about this turn of events. Did he see him as a rival for Neph's attention, or was there more to it?

In any case, it was not Sunny's problem. He did not plan on returning to the cohort on a permanent basis. Caster could have all the attention to himself.

Effie looked at him with a genuine surprise.

"Doofus? You are actually alive?"

Sunny blinked and stared at her for a few moments, then said in an acrid tone:

"Sorry to disappoint."

She shook her head.

"No, no. Just… how the hell did you manage to survive three whole months in the ruins?"

He grinned.

"What can I say? I had a good teacher."

Since Effie was the one who taught him how to navigate the Dark City, that compliment was directed at her. However, the huntress simply shook her head.

"No student of mine would be stupid enough to actually live in the ruins. Not to mention returning looking so… feral."

'Do I look feral?'

Sunny took a mental picture of himself. Ragged clothes, dirty hair, a crooked grin, a hint of madness burning in his eyes… no, he couldn't see anything wrong with how he looked. In fact, the thought he looked great.

With an offended frown, he glanced at Effie and said:

"Yeah? Well… you look like you've gained a little weight."

…In all the right places.

'Focus, fool!'

huntress glared at him for

girl got to eat. But

there

to have changed the most out of all of them. The changes were not

seemed more… mature? She looked older, somehow. It was as if there was an invisible weight pressing down on her,

back, Sunny. I'm so happy that you

grew silent and turned away. This… wasn't exactly the kind of welcome he had expected from her. He had been sure

she is shy because of

that he already knew the true reason for her subdued attitude. He just didn't

vision. That

on one of the chairs and

you guys want to

and closed it. After that, he summoned a Memory

Sunny raised an eyebrow.

"What is that thing?"

on a chair next

cone of silence. No one outside this room will be able to hear

had to do with the Bright Lord, Gunlaug himself. Suddenly, he felt an irrational desire to be anywhere else but in this brightly lit

He sighed.

ready to obliterate you all? Can't say that I'm surprised. If

Effie giggled.

"Oh, did he ever…"

her, making the huntress fall silent, and

The Bright Lord is indeed about to make a move. We have withstood his previous attacks, but they were just a rehearsal. A few provocations to test out strength. Now, he

Sunny raised his eyebrow:

help the great

and Nephis a

with Sunny. What can this little imp… uh, no offense, Sunny… do that we

"Hey! Offense taken!"

then looked

Sunny might behave like a cowardly weakling, but in fact, he's the last person in the Dark

his face. A few moments passed in silence,

out of the box. Surprise, everybody! I am actually not a weakling. Who could have

he glared at Effie and added in a

except for you already knew. It seems that you

However, Neph interrupted him: