Chapter 18

Roya Greyrat had stopped paying attention to the version of himself in the Sword Art Realm; he'd lost all faith in that counterpart. Now, he could only depend on his own strength.

He, Roya Greyrat, dreamed of becoming a Shadow Eminence.

But the question lingered: how could he make that happen?

First, his combat skills needed to reach their peak. Unfortunately, in this world, swordsmanship held sway, and in a straight fight, he didn't stand a chance against the Dragon God.

He was still growing, far from the overwhelming power he craved.

As the boy sank into deep thought, mulling over his future plans, a faint, elegant fragrance and a soft touch approached from behind.

It was Roxy's scent.

Roya's eyes flicked open. At that moment, Roxy was wrapping her arms around him, her gentle hands ruffling his hair.

"Would you like to hear my story?" Roxy asked softly. The brush of her hair against his cheek sent a tingling, almost electric sensation through him.

Roya nodded. Roxy was opening up to him—there was no reason to turn her down.

"My life hasn't been easy," she began. "I was born without the telepathic gift my people usually have. When my parents realized I couldn't speak through thoughts, they kept me indoors and wouldn't let me leave. They even started learning written language from the ground up just for me. But the first time I went outside and tried to connect with others, I saw how different I was from the village kids. I broke down in tears." A glimmer of nostalgia flickered in Roxy's eyes as she spoke, her face softening with memory.

"Then a traveling magician named Bradicand visited our village. Through him, I discovered how vast the world was and started learning basic magic under his guidance. But after I grasped the beginner level, my teacher left without a word."

"As a member of the feared Migurd demon race, I was born with blue hair that sometimes looked greenish in certain light—a trait that brought me endless trouble.

In this world's tales, four hundred years ago, a green-haired Sperd with a ruby on their forehead went mad, slaughtering demons—men, women, children, even their own kin.

Because of that, the closer a race's hair color was to green, the more they were feared and avoided. It even turned into a bedtime story parents used to scare their kids."

"At fourteen, I slipped away from home and signed up as an adventurer. But since my race stops aging in appearance at fourteen, even when I was seventeen, other adventurers treated me like a kid. It took me years to find a place where I fit.

Eventually, I met my first real companions: Nokbara, a horse-headed beastman; Brez, a pig-headed beastman; and our leader, Hakendiru. Three years later, we'd climbed to a B-rank adventuring party."

"But good things don't last. The days of hard work, laughter, and friendship ended suddenly. During a mission, a magical disaster struck.

A massive boulder fell and crushed Hakendiru instantly. With our leader gone, the team fell apart. That was when I first realized how fragile life is and how cruel reality can be.

When I reported it to the local guild, their cold, detached response made me question what life was even worth." Roxy sighed, her gaze drifting as the memory washed over her.

"Alone again, I ended up at a port, staring at the sea in despair. Eventually, I boarded a ship and headed for another continent—Miris.

This world has seen three wars between humans and demons. Even in peacetime, the towns I passed through were thick with prejudice.

I even had to bribe guards just to get in or out of some places. Luckily, the port town I landed in wasn't as harsh. A kind guild receptionist helped me settle in, and I was even offered a job at the guild.

After some reflection, though, I chose to stay an adventurer and took out a loan for a new magic staff."

"After hitting A-rank, I joined a group of adventurers tasked with infiltrating the inner circle of a merchant obsessed with young girls to investigate his shady dealings. There was a risk of losing my dignity, so I wanted to say no.

But when they offered four times the usual pay, I caved. I tied my hair into twin tails and managed to catch the merchant's attention—though my teammates teased me relentlessly for it. I often had to switch outfits for the mission.

When the investigation wrapped up, the merchant caught on, knocked me out, and locked me in a dungeon. There, I met other captives. With their help, I broke a window and escaped with my companions' support. The guild then tasked me with escorting the victims back to Mirisian."

"Even in Mirisian, my race and the local customs brought setbacks. Once, a knight ambushed me, wrongly assuming I'd kidnapped a beastman girl.

After talking to the girl's parents, I learned more about the area. Even though I was the one facing prejudice, I kept my distance from others to avoid stirring trouble.

My travel funds shrank due to unfair treatment toward demons, stalling my plans to move on. Later, I met Mei, someone from my home continent, who invited me to work at a tavern."

"After saying goodbye to Mei, Gadarf, and the tavern owner, I set out again, this time for the Asura Kingdom."

"In the Wyrm King Realm, I met a demon bard who wanted to write a song about me. During an escort mission for a merchant caravan, I accidentally killed a bandit. Haunted by my old captain's death, my view on life had changed, and guilt gnawed at me.

I kept casting healing magic on the bandit's broken body, even though it was pointless. Afterward, the bard and I parted ways in the Wyrm King Realm."

"When I reached my teacher's homeland, the Asura Kingdom, I took a guild job to visit his home and push him to finish writing Wanderlust Chronicles.

I urged him to keep at it, then continued my travels. I spent four years at a magic university, sharpening my skills. Under my master, Jinas, I mastered the Water Saint-tier spell 'Thunderstorm Cloud.' Feeling confident and a bit reckless, I clashed with him and left on sour terms.

Later, while looking for work in the Fittoa Territory, I was hired as the Greyrat family's magic tutor."

"So that's my story. Pretty pathetic, huh? And kind of childish," Roxy said, her voice laced with a bittersweet edge.

Roya blinked, briefly tempted to toss out a sappy line but thinking better of it. Instead, he ran his small hand across Roxy's forehead and gave her a warm, genuine smile—one that softened even his usually serious, youthful face.

"Not at all," he said. "To me, Master Roxy, you're incredibly brave. No matter what you've faced, you've pushed through. Even after setbacks, you meet every challenge head-on."

"Is that so?" Roxy's faint disappointment faded, and she managed a bright smile. "Well, thank you."

"So, Master, did you like my gift?" Roya leaned in close to her ear.

Roxy delivered a quick chop to his head, her face blank. "Too close," she said flatly. Then, with a sigh, she gazed out at the dark night beyond the window and murmured, "How could I not like it?"