Chapter 41 - Crazy?

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After taking a moment to make sure his thoughts don't affect the way he walks or expresses himself, the student quickly makes his way out of the refuge.

Behind him, the stranger, who is still sitting on the ground watching him hurriedly leave, ends up thinking about the boy's last words.

"I'm not sure what just happened, but I hope I didn't scare him... I shouldn't have grabbed his arm, but for some reason, seeing him smile like that somehow warmed my heart."

"He reminded me of her."

"I wish I could see that again..."

Still lost in thought, the man gets up and starts walking towards the room he's staying in, near the exit.

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[Early morning | outside the refuge]

Upon leaving the refuge, the boy dives into his thoughts as he walks quickly.

"Damn! What am I thinking? That guy, even though I couldn't really see his face, he really looked like a gangster."

"His eyes made me lose track of time while I just stood there staring without saying anything... How long did this last? Seconds, minutes, hours? How the hell did I make the situation so awkward?"

"Seriously, how could his eyes be so deep? Like a concentrated little ruby. I really wonder what he looks like without that hood."

Without realizing it, the student's face turns red at the thought.

"Shit... I shouldn't think about it too much... I only gave him some advice once. I doubt we'll ever see each other again."

"Now that I think about it, that guy looked really familiar. Have I met him before? Well, whatever, it's not my problem anyway."

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After walking for a few minutes, he finally finds an open area with a calm and quiet atmosphere, without any trace of noise.

As he approaches, he notices a small, worn wooden bench in this isolated spot.

As soon as he sits down and begins to think about various things, the cold early morning wind hits his body, making his breath sting slightly.

"I really needed to catch my breath after helping so many people. I wonder how the atmosphere in that place could be so suffocating."

"How do the elves manage to endure all that pressure? It felt like an emergency room in a hospital, where doctors are constantly trying to save patients in critical condition."

The student then lets out a sigh of discouragement, his gaze still fixed on the dense trees in the area.

"Thinking about it now, if it weren't for my abilities, I'd probably already be dead or among the lost people on the road."

"This world is really a son of a bitch in that sense, where the strong take advantage of the weak. If you're kind, you'll be used by others. This world is not fair."

He thinks dryly, scratching his chin as if in deep thought.

"When I was fighting that demogorge in the village, my magic skills weren't having as much of an effect as I expected."

"I've never thought about relying on my magic, especially since I can barely control it. What'll happen if I run into a monster that's immune to it? I don't want to admit it, but I'd be screwed in those moments... damn."

"Well, thinking about it now, maybe learning how to handle a sword wouldn't be so bad, right? Maybe... Kazuki could help me."

"He knows how to handle a sword, plus he's one of the best swordsmen in the kingdom. Ah, right, I'll ask him later."

"This afternoon, it was funny seeing his reaction when he was jealous of that elf. He seemed really cold, even his gaze was different..."

"The expression on his face while he was threatening that guy was really... exciting."

"Shit, what am I thinking?"

The thought comes spontaneously to his mind, and his face burns. He bites his lip and looks at his hands, not liking where his rebellious thoughts are going.

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After organizing the events in his mind, the student stands up from the bench, preparing to return to the refuge.

Before leaving the area, he notices the figure of a person ahead. Despite the darkness surrounding the region, it's still possible to see the silhouette distorted by the shadows.

"By the way, is it just me, or is there really someone over there near the cliff?"

Seeing that makes the boy walk toward the figure, driven by curiosity: After all, who would be crazy enough to be so close to the cliff, just a few meters from falling?

As he slowly approaches and the distance between them decreases, the person's appearance begins to become visible.

An elderly woman, around eighty to ninety years old: long gray hair, almost white, a simple brown dress with no embroidery, and an indifferent expression on her face.

— The stars are magnificent, don't you think, young man? — she comments upon noticing the student's approach.

Hearing the old woman's hoarse voice, the boy is surprised by her reaction, knowing that she was aware of his presence.

He glances up briefly before answering, examining the sky dotted with countless bright stars that seem to form constellations.

Not knowing her intent in asking that, he responds naturally to the question without hesitation.

— Incredible... The view from here is spectacular, almost too much, even — he comments, still admiring the sky above his head.

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