Nightfall crept in silently.
Vivian’s group had erected the tents at the bottom of the Mangal Mountains and lit a bonfire to illuminate the surroundings.
With Vivian their leader, the girls sat around the bonfire but their gazes were all toward one side.
Xi En’s back was facing them as he walked further way.
Vivian had a worried expression as she watched Xi En while Diyeer, Lumiya, and Meilica exchanged wincing looks.
“Uh, Vivian,” Lumiya asked timidly, “What’s the matter with him?”
Everyone had the same question on their minds.
Obviously, they now noticed something wrong with both Xi En and Vivian.
“Weren’t you guys doing fine chatting just now? Why suddenly…”
Meilica spoke up as well but trailed off not knowing how to continue.
Under such circumstances, even Diyeer casted an inquisitive gaze toward Vivian.
Vivian could only sigh.
“I don’t know what’s wrong either,” she said helplessly, “Suddenly, Xi En became a changed person.”
Recalling their conversation, Vivian realized that Xi En went silent after she said something along the lines of “Warriors should never appear again”. No, he actually said something to her later.
“I’m going to walk around the area.”
With that, he left.
“Did I say something wrong?” Vivian began to reflect on her own actions instead.
“I don’t think it’s your problem,” said Diyeer faintly, “It’s probably a man’s issue.”
Diyeer was blunt but this was how she was. As what Xi En had sensed earlier, she was decisive and composed, but a little quiet. Even in Lamigione, quite a number of male Adventurers feared her.
On the other hand, Lumiya and Meilica brightened up when Xi En was not around. Lumiya was still timid, but she was not stumbling over her words. Rather, her speech was eloquent now. As for Meilica, it was like a shackle had been unlocked, hence she appeared more animated.
This was the true face of Vivian’s team.
Vivian was gentle and considerate. On the other hand, Diyeer was cold with few words. Lumiya was timid and shy, while Meilica was no longer a ball of nerves like earlier. She was actually quite a lively person, but she had restrained herself because of Xi En’s presence.
Now that he was not here, she was not as high strung.
“Are you worried about that man, Vivian?” Meilica asked cheerily, “You’ve always been nice but you seem different this time.”
“Is that so?” As if not expecting this comment, Vivian was stunned for a bit.
“I think so too.” Lumiya stole a glance at Vivian and hesitated. “I feel like Vivian’s paying more attention to… Mr. Xi En than the newbies in the past.”
Vivian was aware of it now that Lumiya echoed the sentiment.
Although she was nice and caring to everyone and took great care of the newbies, her treatment of Xi En seemed better than it was for the newbies they had in the past.
It could not be helped.
“Since Xi En beat the Golem, I feel like he probably has some secret that we don’t know of.” Vivian said honestly without the intention to hide anything, “Although I don’t know what secret he has, I’m deeply curious about it.”
Otherwise, she would not have told Xi En about the team’s actual situation so soon and sided with him in front of her teammates.
This was not to say Vivian would not do the same for the others. It was just that she would be prudent in finding an appropriate time to explain the eccentricities of her team members to the person and would not be partial to Xi En which seemed to be the case.
They had only spent a day together. No matter how kind and caring Vivian was, she would not care for someone of the opposite sex whom she had yet to fully trust. In this case, however, Vivian appeared biased toward Xi En. Perhaps, she noticed that he was rather different from the others.
Moreover…
“You guys know that I’m not quite the same as normal humans or mortals, right?”
Vivian’s words quietened down the girls. She smiled and said, “Due to this difference, I feel differently toward individuals who are unusual.”
Vivian’s implication was clear to the girls.
“You mean, that person gives you a different feel?”
Diyeer looked at Vivian.
“Yes.” Vivian nodded and said, “That’s why I can’t help giving him more attention. Because he has a secret and it’s a big one.”
Vivian had her hunches.
“I think Xi En’s been blessed by a highly placed god.” Vivian said in conviction, “The blessing, it feels like to me, is ranked higher than the princess’s. I need to keep an eye out.”
Her statement surprised the girls.
“A higher ranked blessing than the blessing on the princess?” Lumiya gasped, “How’s that possible?”
“It isn’t.” Diyeer was quiet for a moment before she softly said, “The princess received the blessing from one of the three Goddesses. There is only one being out of the deities to give a blessing that is ranked higher.”
“Exactly, only one.” Vivian lowered her voice. “But that being has never appeared and has been staying in the sacred territory of Divinity since the war ended a millennium ago. How could someone have her blessing?”
More precisely, even in the faraway past, no one had ever received that being’s blessing. At least, Vivian had not heard of the highest being ever given anyone a blessing.
“But who could it be if it isn’t her?”
It was because of this doubt that Vivian could not stop thinking about Xi En. The girls understood it then.
“So, Mr. Xi En is no ordinary person?” Lumiya asked in puzzlement, “But, isn’t he a newbie Adventurer without much potential who’s only gotten to Level 10 at the age of 20 and acquired zero skill?”
It was all the more possible for this person to have a secret…
“I can more or less understand what Vivian feels,” Meilica spoke up suddenly. There was a slight hesitation before she said, “Actually, I feel something different in him too.”
“You?” Vivian, Diyeer, and Lumiya looked at Meilica in shock.
“Hmm.” Meilica was a little abashed as she vocalized her feelings. “For some reason, ever since we met, I can feel… how should I put it, an exceptional sense of amiability from him?”
It was a jaw-dropping revelation.
Elves were a race famous for their purity and sanctity. Usually, they would not feel close to a man they knew nothing about.
In addition to the harassment by male Adventurers in the past, how could Meilica feel amiable toward a male Adventurer she did not know?
Yet, Xi En made her feel that way.
If this had been a novel written in Xi En’s past life, this kind of feeling would probably be taken as a sign to throw herself at him. At any rate, Meilica was not delighted with this unexplainable feeling. Instead, she was a little scared.
That was why she was so distressed in front of Xi En. Perhaps, it was the most natural reaction of a truly sacred and pure female.
The others were surprised.
“Even Meilica felt it?”
Lumiya was baffled.
“…”
Diyeer wore a frown.
“Elves are birthed from Nature and are the closest to Nature and the world. They’re even called the race closest to the deities.” Vivian murmured, a little astonished. “To make an elf have a sense of closeness from the beginning, logically, only the deities could do that.”
Was Xi En a deity?
That was impossible.
“The deities are only females, right?”
Diyeer pointed out in a forthright manner.
“That’s correct.” Vivian affirmed. “Because the first god born, that’s the Supreme God, Omnis, is a goddess. The other deities got their power from her and became gods by being appointed the roles and given the authority. The Supreme God, Omnis, is the true form of the deities. So, all of them are goddesses and can only be goddesses.”
In this case, Xi En was certainly not a deity.
What was he then?
Recalling his performance just now and his overreaction toward the Devil and the Warrior, Vivian’s gaze gleamed.
‘Is he…’
Before Vivian’s thoughts could even be processed, Diyeer looked up.
“Since that man is so special, what’s your plan?”
Diyeer asked curtly.
“What’s my plan?” Vivian broke out of her trance and pondered before saying, “We don’t have to do anything extra. Just train him like a normal newbie.”
Whatever secret Xi En held, Vivian did not intend to find out before she could determine that it was something bad. After all, who was without secrets?
She had a secret absolutely no one knew too.
It was not just her, even Diyeer…
Vivian looked at Diyeer and gave it a thought before telling her, “Xi En doesn’t seem to be in the right frame of mind now. It’s too dangerous for him to roam alone. Don’t let him know but can you please see to it that he’s protected in the meantime?”
Diyeer did not respond to the request, but she stood up after a while and went toward where Xi En was headed.
Lumiya and Meilica continued chatting as they watched Diyeer. As for Vivian, she could not help thinking, ‘Hopefully it’s not what I think it is.’
Otherwise, this world was going to be in havoc again.