Night World Players

Chapter 98 Happy Birthday, Gray (Two in One)

Thick smoke rose from the black chimney.

The copper pot was steaming, and the fresh dishes were tumbling up and down in the boiling water.

Gray sat obediently in her chair, looking at the thing in the middle of the dining table that Rust called "hot pot", and was a little confused for a moment.

However, looking at the boy in front of him who had already begun to eat heartily—

Gray followed Rast's example and carefully picked up the pair of bamboo stick-like tools called chopsticks.

Then, he picked up the food from the copper pot, dipped it in the oil dish, and then put it into his mouth.

The next moment, Gray's emerald green eyes widened unconsciously.

This cooking method, which she had never seen before, produced quite amazing delicious food.

Brother Rast, he is such a mysterious man.

As a wanderer, Gray herself has traveled across the continent over the years.

She has been to most of the countries and towns that still exist in human history and has seen a wide variety of customs and cultures.

However, Gray had never seen this cooking method called hot pot.

She originally thought that when she grew up...

After joining the shore watcher organization and becoming a shore watcher like his brother Rast.

Maybe I can catch up with my brother Rast.

However, it now seems that the mystery surrounding Brother Rast has not diminished as he has grown up, but has become even thicker.

Thinking of this, Gray couldn't help but cover up by picking up food with chopsticks, and secretly raised her head to glance at the person in front of her.

Across the table, the black-haired, black-eyed young man seemed to have finished his meal and was leaning lazily on the table.

His profile was bathed in the light of the fire, its features clear and deep.

It slowly overlapped with Gray's memory of the end of Dongshui Town, when the figure disappeared in the black flames.

It's been seven years.

Seven years is enough time for a young and naive child to grow up.

It is also enough to make the unforgettable memories of the past weather over time and distort into an invisible shape.

However, Brother Rast's appearance has not changed at all.

Time seemed to have stopped for him, and the passage of time left no trace.

For some reason, the face of the boy in front of me was so familiar, exactly the same as in my memory.

Gray felt it inexplicably.

Deep in the heart, some emotions fermented by memories that tossed and turned day and night...

Clearly, it surged again.

In order to hide this inexplicable emotion, Gray stood up and tried to reach for the bottle of wine on the table.

But then, she saw that the lazy Rast in front of her suddenly became sharp.

"Are you old enough to drink now?"

"According to the laws of the city-state near the Watchtower, anyone over the age of seventeen can drink."

"Brother Luster...I'm already eighteen years old."

Gray returned the elegant smile and poured herself a glass of wine.

That’s great... Even though seven years have passed, Brother Last still hasn’t forgotten everything that happened in Frozen Water Town.

After so many years, their relationship has not deteriorated.

In the eyes of brother Rast, I am still the orphan girl who needs to be taken care of in the mayor's house.

She raised her glass and drank the wine in one gulp.

The cold wine flows down the wall of the glass into the throat, with a slightly sour taste.

Just, I don’t know why.

I feel a little inexplicably lost.

……

The other side of the dining table.

Last was also looking at the girl in front of him.

The little girl who was like a young beast and didn't understand human nature has now grown into such a graceful and elegant girl.

Last couldn't help but sigh in his heart that girls change a lot when they grow up, and he felt like his daughter was growing up.

Thinking of this, he stretched himself and calmly made a shooting gesture with his fingers.

Besides egg fried rice, hot pot is one of the few dishes that Rast can make.

Because these cooking techniques did not come from Deep Blue Harbor, but from his memories of his previous life.

Of course, the taste of delicious food and so on... still need to be deleted.

After all, Rast doesn't want his threshold for food to be raised too high, thus losing the sense of surprise when tasting Xiao Ai's cooking.

While completing the mental suggestion——

Gray's hesitant voice also rang in Rast's ears.

"Brother Luster."

"I'm sorry about what happened to Sister Hiltina."

"It was all because of saving me that Sister Hiltina..."

Gray's words were filled with an apology that was difficult to conceal.

From her perspective, everything in Dongshui Town was actually caused by her.

It was because he could not control the power in his body and could not release it freely, so he attracted the covetousness of pollutants.

It also dragged down so many shore guards, including Sister Hiltina, who died in it.

Judging from their performance in Frozen Water Town at that time, it was clear that Sister Hiltina and Brother Last had a very good relationship.

It is even possible that they are in a romantic relationship.

My companion and lover died because of me, even if it wasn't intentional...but it's only natural that Brother Rust would hate me for it.

It turns out that in the eyes of Gray and the others, classmate Hiltina has already died heroically?

Looking at the gray-haired girl in front of him with her head lowered like a cat that had done something wrong, Last was also slightly stunned.

Of course, if one's past deeds truly had an impact on the night world, such an evolution would indeed occur.

After all, ordinary night travelers other than himself cannot leave any traces of their past in the night world.

It is impossible to form a team in the Final Night World, and Hiltina can no longer enter the world line of this night world.

To the people in Gray's world, Hiltina's death is no different from her death.

I don’t know how Hiltina would feel if she saw my tombstone standing in the mausoleum of the Shore Watchers’ headquarters.

Thinking of this, Last couldn't help but reach out his hand and used the head-patting move on Gray again.

Not to mention, this little guy's head feels pretty good to the touch.

"Don't blame yourself. It can't be helped."

"As shore guardians, whether it's Hiltina or myself..."

"When I joined the Shore Watch, took the oath, and wore the winged emblem, I was prepared to die in battle."

"For the shore defenders, dying in battle to defend the Broken Coast is not a misfortune, but a great honor."

"I think if Hiltina were still alive, she would definitely agree with me."

As he spoke, Rast stopped what he was doing.

Then, he looked at the brand new, shiny silver wing emblem on the chest of the girl whose gray hair was a little messy because of himself.

"To be honest, I said those things to you because I wanted you to give up the idea of becoming a shore guard." "After all, the responsibilities that shore guards bear are far heavier than the obligations they enjoy."

"but--"

His voice paused, and he couldn't help but smile: "Now it seems that there is no need to say these words."

"Well, let's change the subject."

"Can you tell me about your experiences after leaving Frozen Water Town?"

……

The room was brightly lit and the fireplace emitted waves of warm heat.

The atmosphere between the two, which was originally a little strange due to their reunion after a long separation, became natural again after they had a good meal and a drink.

"Later, I went to many places in the mainland."

"But the more I traveled to those places, the clearer and more distinct my longing became."

"really--"

"I still want to be a shore keeper like you, brother Rust."

"It's not just because of my admiration for the handsome figures of Brother Rust and Sister Hiltina in my memories."

"It's also because of the desire from the heart."

"So later, I took great pains to find the headquarters of the Shore Keepers, passed all the assessments, and became a member of the Shore Keepers."

"I think only in this way can I be closer to your figure in my memory."

Under the orange light, Gray's fair face was stained with a few blushes.

This was her first time drinking.

Under the influence of alcohol, Gray felt her mind became much more active.

"Brother Rust, are you going back to the Watchtower for a short period of time to rest this time, or are you staying at the headquarters?"

"If it's convenient for you, Brother Rust..."

"Afterwards, can we still have dinner together like we do now?"

Under normal circumstances, Gray would never say such blunt words.

But at this moment, under the influence of alcohol, he felt envious of the "home" that other classmates had, and yearned to find a place to settle down again.

However, Gray transformed the thoughts surging in her heart into words and blurted them out subconsciously.

"It's just a refresher between missions."

"Of course, my repair this time will take a little longer."

"But once I'm ready, I'll go on the mission."

Last's words were somewhat slow: "This is the order given directly to me by the leader."

"I don't know how long it will be before I return to the Shore Watchers headquarters again."

As expected, is this the case?

After hearing Luster's answer, Gray couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.

However, just as she was reorganizing her expression and didn't want Last to notice what she was thinking.

"Little Gray, I heard that you are in the reserve force now and have not been assigned any mission?"

"Ah."

Gray nodded, but the disappointment in her heart deepened.

With her intelligence, she naturally understood what the reserve force meant.

However, this is an inevitable result.

Gray is very clear about the power of destiny in her, and once it is released without restraint, how big a wave it will cause.

All the disasters and misfortunes that had accompanied her previous life were caused by this.

Therefore, this is something that Grey must learn to restrain, suppress, and hide, and cannot show it at will.

Today, Gray has been able to suppress her own power, preventing it from running wild due to mental fluctuations and interfering with the outside world.

At the same time, she has also initially mastered her abilities.

For example, Gray ranked first in most of the tests in the new guard training camp.

It's not just because of the time spent traveling around the continent that Gray's skills and experience are far superior to other newcomers.

It is also because she can interfere with her own destiny to a certain extent.

Give yourself an advantage in the assessment, or make something bad happen to your opponent.

However, luck is something so mysterious that ordinary people naturally cannot understand it, and Grey did not dare to reveal it casually.

In addition, he seems unable to awaken his superpowers and is an extremely rare "person without superpowers". It is natural that he is considered to have no potential for training.

But, the next moment.

But she heard that gentle voice ringing in her ears again.

"In fact, Chief Cecil has already discovered your extraordinary qualities."

"It's just that your power is too special. Being left behind as a reserve is not actually giving up on you, but a form of protection for you."

Luster's eyes fell on Gray again.

"But, Gray, you don't want to be a vase protected by others, right?"

"The shore guard you dreamed of becoming—"

"It's not a goal that can be achieved just by staying in the headquarters and shouting empty slogans."

For some reason, there was a hint of mystery in Rast's words.

"So, have you really decided to become a shore guardian?"

“Even if I lose everything, no longer bask in glory, no longer be the savior hero surrounded by flowers and applause in the eyes of the world.”

"Instead, they walk in the darkness, bearing the stigma and cold stares..."

"I can also continue to move forward unswervingly for the unrealistic ideal in my heart."

The light flickering in the depths of Lust's dark eyes suddenly made Gray feel a little strange.

However, facing that meaningful look.

Gray nodded solemnly.

They have all passed the assessment and become members of the shore guard.

If I retreat now, then wouldn't Sister Hiltina's sacrifice and the longing in my heart that I think about day and night become a joke?

"In that case, I just happen to be in need of some help when I go out on this mission."

"Then you can follow me."

"After all, others may not know, but I know... You are the witch who controls fate and can bring us good luck."

Luster smiled.

"So, in the following time——"

"In order to be useful in the mission and not hold everyone back, work hard."

As he spoke, Last put on the shore guard's standard windbreaker hanging on the back of the chair.

His back, which was walking towards the door, paused for a moment.

"at last……"

On the dining table, a small and exquisite wooden box appeared at some point.

"This is a birthday present for you."

"Happy birthday, Grey."

(End of this chapter)