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!'

for a

girl got to eat. But

there

The changes were not instantly apparent, but to Sunny, who

blind girl seemed more… mature? She looked older, somehow. It was as if there was an invisible weight pressing down on her, the kind that people usually accumulated with the flow of years. Her

back, Sunny. I'm so happy

and turned away. This… wasn't exactly the kind of welcome he had expected from her. He had been sure that the blind girl would give him a hug, at least. That was how

shy

feeling that he already knew the true reason for her

the vision.

on one

did you

summoned a Memory that

Sunny raised an eyebrow.

"What is that thing?"

on a chair next to Changing Star and

silence. No one outside this

to tell Sunny that they were going to discuss something that had to do with the Bright Lord, Gunlaug himself. Suddenly, he

He sighed.

say that I'm surprised. If anything, it's strange that he didn't make

Effie giggled.

"Oh, did he ever…"

glanced at her, making the huntress

about to make a move. We have withstood his previous attacks, but they were just a rehearsal. A

Sunny raised his eyebrow:

great and mighty

and Nephis a strange

but I sort of agree with Sunny. What can this little imp… uh, no

"Hey! Offense taken!"

then

be misled by his act, Effie. Sunny might behave like a cowardly weakling, but in fact, he's the last person in the Dark City I would want to face in combat. He is far more dangerous than anyone

passed in

well. I guess the secret is out of the box. Surprise, everybody! I am actually

at Effie and added in a

except for you already knew. It

However, Neph interrupted him: