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!'

him for a few moments, then

eat. But also… wanna

finally, there was

of them. The changes were not instantly apparent,

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.

so

she grew silent 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 it always happened in his

is shy because of

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

vision.

on one of the

did you guys want to

it. After that, he summoned a Memory that looked like a bone flute and placed it on the table. Immediately, something in the room imperceptibly

Sunny raised an eyebrow.

"What is that thing?"

a chair next

silence. No one outside this room will be able to hear what we're talking about

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

He sighed.

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

Effie giggled.

"Oh, did he ever…"

making the huntress fall silent, and turned

they were just a rehearsal. A few provocations to test out strength. Now,

Sunny raised his eyebrow:

help the great and mighty Changing Star

gave him and Nephis a strange look,

agree with Sunny. What can this little imp… uh, no offense,

"Hey! Offense taken!"

smiled, then looked

fact, he's the last person in the

A few moments passed in silence, with everyone staring at

of the box. Surprise, everybody!

Effie and

for you already knew. It seems that

However, Neph interrupted him: