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.
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"No, no. Just… how the h.e.l.l 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!'
The huntress glared at him for a few moments, then laughed.
"A girl got to eat. But also… wanna die?"
And finally, there was Ca.s.sie.
Ca.s.sie seemed to have changed the most out of all of them. The changes were not instantly apparent, but to Sunny, who knew her so well, they were unmistakable.
The 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 acc.u.mulated with the flow of years. Her demeanor was calmer, more restrained. Almost… cold.
"Welcome back, Sunny. I'm so happy that you are alright."
Giving him a polite smile, 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 head.
'Maybe she is shy because of Kai.'
However, Sunny had a feeling that he already knew the true reason for her subdued att.i.tude. He just didn't want to admit it.
It was the vision. That d.a.m.n vision…
Chasing away the feeling of dread, he sat down on one of the chairs and offered another one to Kai.
"So… what did you guys want to discuss?"
Nephis and Caster exchanged glances. Before saying anything, Caster walked over to the door and closed 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 changed.
Sunny raised an eyebrow.
"What is that thing?"
The handsome young man sat on a chair next to Changing Star and said:
"This Memory has an enchantment that creates a cone of silence. No one outside this room will be able to hear what we're talking about now."
Ah. This fact alone was already enough to tell Sunny that they were going to discuss something that had to do with the Bright Lord, Gunlaug himself. Suddenly, he felt an irrational desire to be anywhere else but in this brightly lit room. The wide window began to look very alluring.
He sighed.
"So, the Bright Lord is finally ready to obliterate you all? Can't say that I'm surprised. If anything, it's strange that he didn't make a move much earlier."
Effie giggled.
"Oh, did he ever…"
Nephis glanced at her, making the huntress fall silent, and turned to Sunny:
"You are right. 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 is ready to act in earnest. And that's why I need your help."
Sunny raised his eyebrow:
"How can a c.o.c.kroach like me help the great and mighty Changing Star of the Immortal Flame clan?"
Effie gave him and Nephis a strange look, then cleared her throat.
"Don't take it to heart, princess, but I sort of agree with Sunny. What can this little imp… uh, no offense, Sunny… do that we can't? I mean, he is a decent scout, but…"
"Hey! Offense taken!"
Changing Star smiled, then looked at Sunny.
"Don't 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 thinks he is. Isn't it right, Sunny?"
The smile froze on his face. A few moments pa.s.sed in silence, with everyone staring at him. Finally, Sunny sighed.
"Oh well. I guess the secret is out of the box. Surprise, everybody! I am actually not a weakling. Who could have thought?"
Then, he glared at Effie and added in a mocking tone:
"Oh. My mistake. Actually, everyone except for you already knew. It seems that you are…"
However, Neph interrupted him:
"That's why he was able to survive three months in the ruins, just like he had survived two in the Labyrinth. Sunny is an extremely formidable fighter."
'Wow. Is she trying to flatter me?'
"...He's just a bit of a devious a.s.shole. But that's exactly what makes him so dangerous."
'...I guess not.'
Looking at Effie, Sunny shrugged and smirked.
"If you don't believe her, just ask Night."
Suddenly dragged into the conversation, Kai coughed, hesitated for a moment, and then said:
"Uh… yes, I can confirm. He is indeed a bit of an a.s.shole."
Sunny's face twitched.
"Not that! Tell them how I saved you!"
The charming archer fluttered his eyelashes with an innocent look, then added:
"Oh, right. Indeed, Sunny saved me in the ruins last night. He is a very exceptional and resourceful individual."
Sunny glanced at Effie with triumph. He didn't really want to provoke the tall huntress any further… but she did call him a little imp…
"See, Night has known me for just one night, but even he was able to see how fearsome I am. You and I, on the other hand, had hunted together for an entire month. How come you're so dense?"
Whatever. It's not like he would be spending a lot of time with Effie. Let her boil with anger…
With a teasing smile on his lips, Sunny turned to Nephis and asked:
"Anyway, what exactly do you want me to do?"
Changing Star hesitated, then said:
"I want you to take Effie to your hideout in the ruins and keep her safe there for about a week."
Sunny blinked.
Oh, no.
'...I'm dead.'