A dull longsword and a heartbroken villager

“No, it’s impossible for me and this idiot to be together,” Bray said outright.

"Is that so? That's great!" Virginia's eyes widened, and she patted her chest.

"Come in and have a seat. It's surprising that you have time to come see me."

"Levy, wake up." Bray gently patted Levy's back.

"Ugh." Levy reluctantly opened her eyes.

Then, upon seeing so many people around him, he was immediately stunned.

"Bray, where is this?"

"There are so many people."

“A hotel,” Bray said irritably.

"Ugh... there are so many people." Levy shrank behind Bray.

Ignoring Levy's complaints, Bray began to greet the group that had come over.

Well, Bray was still quite curious as to why so many people suddenly had the leisure to come and see him.

“What’s so strange about looking for my brother? Doesn’t my brother welcome me?” Lux glared at Bray.

A bead of cold sweat trickled down Bray's forehead.

“Lux, you can come anytime,” Bray said.

Lux snorted.

"Well, actually Lux wanted Mr. Bray to watch her final exams," Virginia said with a smile.

Students in the magic department of the Imperial Academy must undergo an assessment at the end of the academic year, which is called the final battle.

After a long period of development, the final exams have evolved into competitive battles with a more competitive feel.

"There's such a thing?" Bray remarked sarcastically.

"The students actually want to fight."

"... "

"Don't worry, I'll go see my Lux's dashing figure." Bray smiled at Lux.

Although her smile wasn't gentle at all.

However, it still made Lux very happy.

"Hehe~" Lux even started giggling, just like Naruto.

"Hmm, they have this kind of thing here too. I thought it was only found in Yundu Kingdom." Naruko kept reaching for the cookie jar on the table while stuffing cookies into her mouth.

"This competition looks interesting." Naruko swallowed the cookie in her mouth with difficulty.

“Swallow it before you speak,” Bray said.

"Cough cough, wait, it's hard to swallow." Naruko pounded her chest.

“Hey, Mr. Bray, please remember to check on my side too,” Virginia blurted out in a moment of inspiration.

"Ahem, Your Highness." Blanche couldn't stand it anymore.

"Well, if Mr. Bray doesn't have time, you don't have to go." Virginia cupped her burning face, not daring to look Bray in the eye.

“Sure, it’s just watching the game, it won’t be much trouble,” Bray said casually.

"Really, really?"

“Really.” Bray nodded.

“My match time with Lux doesn’t conflict with yours, so don’t worry,” Virginia said.

"Hmm," Bray responded softly.

"Brave, I'm hungry." Levy nestled softly against Bray's back.

Naruko ate all the cookies, and Levy barely ate any.

This was a disaster for Levy, who gets hungry very easily.

“Let’s just have dinner then,” Bray said.

"Ahem, it's only 4 PM!" Naruko exclaimed in surprise. Bray, holding Levy's hand and dragging Naruko along, walked down the road.

His sister asked him to watch her final exams, and as her brother, Bray certainly wouldn't stand her up.

And today is the day of that competition.

The only slightly troublesome thing is that it takes a lot of time for Bray to walk from the middle city to the inner city.

As for taking a car, that's impossible for Bray.

If he's not in a rush, Bray prefers to take a walk.

Anyway, Levy prefers walking to taking a car.

Walking can lead to many interesting experiences, so just go for it!

It was precisely because of Bray's choice that he met an unexpected person.

A woman who made it impossible for Bray to stay calm.

“Long time no see, Bray.” A woman lifted the hood of her black coat, revealing a delicate face beneath.

“Shay…” Bray finished speaking and then fell silent.

Abrupt, even bewildered.

Naruko and Levy wisely kept quiet.

Levy had never seen Bray react like this before, and she couldn't help but feel a little nervous, her tail not even wagging.

"You...aren't you dead?" Bray felt as if his voice was blocked by something, making it incredibly difficult to utter each word.

"Oh, you've heard?" Shar smiled and flicked a strand of her hair.

“I didn’t die, I was saved,” Shar said.

"Is that so?" Bray covered his face with his hands, trying to hide his expression.

"It's been so long! I never expected to see you here," Shar said, her voice filled with joy.

"What is the purpose of the royal capital, Bray?" Shar asked curiously.

"Just visiting Lux. I'm glad you're alright, that's all that matters," Bray said softly, without making any further moves.

"Lux is also in the capital."

"Yes, I'll be studying here. Imperial Academy."

Bray frowned slightly. Shar's demeanor had changed a lot; she was no longer the country girl she used to be, but more charming and alluring.

Ultimately, experience will change a person.

Although he didn't know what Shar had gone through, Bray didn't intend to investigate.

Just as people don't often share their own experiences with others, many people also don't want to bring up their own experiences.

"Lux is indeed a very capable girl, much more capable than me." Shar smiled, her hands clasped together.

Bray paused for a moment, and in a daze, he saw the girl from before again.

However, that feeling of excitement seems to have faded away.

Indeed, love is something that, once gone, never returns, and even when it does, it has changed.

“You’ve changed a lot, Bray.” Shar looked at Bray with a smile in her eyes.

“You too, Sharon.” Bray’s tone was full of helplessness.

“You must have been feeling really bad back then,” Shar suddenly said.

Bray paused briefly, then shook his head.

"Fortunately."

“She’s nothing like the cheerful Bray, but she’s quite charming this way,” Shar said.

“…” Bray didn’t say anything.

That blow was a devastating experience that changed my personality.

Personality can be changed. A gloomy person can become cheerful, and similarly, a cheerful person can become as decadent as Bray.

Once things change, it becomes incredibly difficult to restore them.

However, Bray didn't feel there was anything wrong with it; the change was the change.

"You've become an adventurer too? I can't believe it." Shar smiled, pursing her lips.

“Yes, I can’t imagine it either.” Bray lowered his eyelids.

"How have you been lately?" Bray asked.

"I feel very happy and open to the truth, both physically and mentally."

Although he felt there was something strange about what Sharon was saying, Bray didn't realize it for the time being.

I can only assume I'm being too sensitive, perhaps because I've been dealing with too many troublesome things lately.

"Bray, are your eyes injured?" Shar suddenly touched Bray's eye patch.

“Hmm, it’s been dug out…” Just as Bray was saying this, his right pupil contracted and he took a step back.

"What's wrong, Bray?" Shar tilted her head and looked at Bray with a puzzled expression.

"N-nothing," Bray waved his hand.

In an instant, a sharp pain shot through those empty eye sockets.

It was a soul-wrenching pain, but fortunately, Bray's "heart" was strong enough to endure it.

However, a bead of cold sweat still trickled down his forehead.

Sweat dripped down his cheek, onto his chin, and then onto the ground.

"Where is Bray planning to go?" Shar asked.

“Lux has a match today, I’ll go check it out,” Bray said.

“What a coincidence! I also want to go to the academy.” Shar looked at Bray with great joy.

“But I probably can’t go with Bray,” Shar sighed regretfully.

Is it urgent?

"Well, I guess so. I'm still a pastor, I have a lot of work to do," Shar said softly.

“She’s a pastor, that makes sense.” Bray knew that Sharl had become a pastor after leaving the countryside.

Considering how busy Father Thun was, Bray could understand.

"Goodbye, Bray. It's so nice to see you again." Sharle said, her hands behind her back, swaying lightly with her feet.

"Goodbye." Bray nodded, making no attempt to stop him.

This reunion was not as romantic as I had imagined.

Bray, on the other hand, didn't feel much emotional fluctuation; in fact, he had some doubts.

Watching Sharon's departing figure, Bray touched the hilt of his longsword.

"Bray, are you unhappy?" Levy looked up at Bray with a blank expression.

"I'm not happy, but I'm not sad either." Bray stroked Levy's hair, and there were some things he wanted to say, but in the end, he didn't say them to Levy.

"Wow, what a beauty!" Naruko's exclamation completely broke the atmosphere.

"Your Holiness, is this someone we know?" The acolyte stood respectfully beside Shar.

"Even if they are acquaintances, please be careful. We cannot expose ourselves in the open."

“Of course I know.” Shar took off her coat, revealing a slightly alluring clerical outfit underneath.

Combined with the lines on her profile, it looks exceptionally alluring.

"I just saw someone I used to be in love with and wanted to say a few words." Shar brushed her long hair aside and smiled.