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Chapter 9: A Fight to the Death

The embassy of the Verdant Council.

In the deepest room guarded by the rangers, the candlelight flickered all night, staging the secret preparations belonging to the Chair of the Verdant Council’s daughter.

Elven descendants tend to be laid-back and chill, but even they couldn’t help but be curious—why did Nia, who hadn’t returned to the embassy in years and didn’t seem like a political figure, suddenly come back and plan something so important in secret?

“This is good! You know, men are really simple creatures; no matter what you wear, showing a bit more skin will naturally attract them!”

“Naive, too naive. Listen up, the unseen is always the best. Being conservative gives room for imagination; the more you cover up, the more a man will crave you!”

Jenny and Amy, two lifelong single ladies, were currently discussing with Nia while holding a stack of skirts.

Nia, who usually hated being lectured, assumed the posture of a model student, sitting cross-legged on her bed jotting down notes seriously.

To win over Roy, she was dead serious this time.

First, she had to put in the effort into her appearance, ensuring that Roy couldn’t look anywhere else at first glance.

Believing in the power of teamwork, Nia specially invited her best friends to help.

She even called in Natasha.

Natasha had once been Janthea’s friend and was a childhood companion to Nia, guiding her onto the path of being an Adventurer—definitely a reliable, mature big sister.

With Amy from the Winter Empire, Jenny from the Golden Sands Kingdom, and the mature big sister Natasha, as Roy would say, with so many buffs stacked, how could they possibly lose?!

Forget about lionhearted princesses and holy maidens of White Harbor; it was the era of stacking buffs!

Thinking this way, Nia chewed on her pen and asked, “Does Sasha have any advice? I remember you talked about dating in the past, right?”

“…I broke up ages ago.”

After a brief silence, Natasha snapped back to reality from her memories and spoke in a tone of someone with experience, “Clothes aren’t that important.”

“If you really want to make progress, it’d be better to focus on the date itself.”

“For example, a thrilling yet romantic adventure.” As she spoke, a hint of nostalgia slipped onto Natasha’s face.

This hit Nia right in her sweet spot, and the elven girl snapped her fingers, “That’s good!”

But then again, considering that Roy was already at Sequence 4, it probably wouldn’t be that easy to thrill him.

Looking at her overflowing notebooks and a dizzying array of dresses, Nia felt like she was staring at a mountain of homework, and pain was evident on her face.

This amusing sight made Natasha chuckle, “Didn’t expect you to be so invested sometimes, huh?”

“I thought you were all about enjoying adventures.”

“Sasha understands me, but not much.”

Nia set down her notes, gazed at her reflection in the mirror, and laughed softly, “Other things can slide, but when it comes to matters of the heart, how can I not pay attention?”

There’s no love without reason in this world.

The male and female protagonists in adventure stories always have to go through a lot before finally coming together.

But if you want to take it a step further and faster, you can’t rely on fate’s charity, right? If you want something, you gotta work for it.

Nia knew full well she wasn’t the one who had been with Roy the longest, nor was she his first love, and definitely not the most powerful or reliable one.

But even so, she didn’t want to give up.

Casually tossing her loose nightgown aside, she looked at her delicate figure in the mirror, her hydrated skin shining. Nia occasionally swayed her waist, revealing a teasing smile, biting her lip with longing, and then presenting a sweet yet innocent demeanor with puffed cheeks, playing the game of emotions.

To get something, you must first give something. To gain a reward, you have to learn to take risks.

For Nia, this was not only a principle for Adventurers; it applied to love as well.

Her face, her body, and—most importantly—her feelings.

Leaning slightly forward, Nia half-closed her eyes, stuck out her tongue, and tapped her cheeks with her fingertips, adjusting the final details.

A mix of shyness, purity, playfulness, and a dash of sincerity would create a smile more perfect and intoxicating than golden honey wine.

“Hmm~ now that’s more like it~”

Jenny, who had been mesmerized from the side, swallowed hard before exclaiming, “Perfect! Absolutely perfect!”

“Just go bare and leap into his arms, flashing that smile—forget men, I’d be moved too!”

Amy, having finally snapped back to reality, chimed in.

“No, no, it should be in an elegant long dress, raising a glass with him on a summer night, casually showing that smile… then you’ll be in for an unforgettable night.”

With both friends showering her with compliments, Nia was getting a bit dizzy:

“Hehe, as expected of us; it looks like winning over Roy is just a matter of time.”

Seeing the joy that couldn’t be hidden on Nia’s face, resembling a chirpy little bird, Natasha was a bit lost in thought.

She seemed to see her past self.

Once upon a time, she was just like Nia, wholeheartedly showcasing her beauty for someone.

But…

The evening breeze brought a strand of soft light.

Bright green birds fluttered in from outside the window.

As Nia and the others settled down, Natasha stepped forward to collect the letter.

Janthea’s familiar, a regular contact from the Verdant Council.

That’s what Natasha thought, but upon unsealing the letter, she paused slightly in surprise.

Nia caught a whiff of something bad, asking, “Is something wrong?”

“Well, not really; it’s just—”

Natasha suddenly hesitated to meet Nia’s bright smile.

“There’s something strange deep in the forest. The Verdant Council is calling for a forest meeting, and Lady Janthea hopes you can attend, so you must return during the summer break, no matter what.”

Jenny and Amy exchanged worried glances.

Summer break was just around the corner.

Roy’s schedule was quite packed.

The Saint’s Guards always had to accompany the Saintess, spreading the blessings of Holy Light. The Lionheart Kingdom was in a post-war recovery phase, heavily relying on the dragon-slaying hero.

Only Nia, without any particularly compelling reason, had no special way to keep Roy by her side.

This meant Nia might not see Roy for quite a long time; this weekend might be their last opportunity for a while.

No one knew how to comfort the elven girl, and the room fell into silence.

However, it was Nia who broke the silence first.

“It doesn’t matter; it’s come to this, might as well fight to the death!”

Nia looked back at the mirror.

Her smile was still bright, but it wasn’t as innocent as before.

But who cares?

She knew very well that things wouldn’t go smoothly, and all that was left to do was seize the opportunity.

If time was running out, she had to make the most of it with an unforgettable date to fully capture his heart.

 

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