Clap, clap, clap.
Just as Alan had finished speaking, a crisp sound of applause rang out from behind a nearby tree.
Everyone imdiately turned their heads toward the source of the sound.
A mont later, a young girl erged from behind the tree, dressed in an immaculate white Lolita outfit and holding a parasol in her hand. Her movents were graceful, her steps as light as air.
To most people, her sudden appearance in the middle of a perilous ancient mage ruin would've seed incomprehensible. A strange little girl? Here of all places?
But Alan didn't find it odd at all. He instantly recognized her.
She was the very sa mysterious girl who had appeared when Isabella was having a seizure—and had gifted them the Spirit of Fire.
Alan couldn't help but feel a complex swirl of emotion as he looked at her again. Her skin was pale and flawless, her round face tender and adorable—she looked like the type whose cheeks could be pinched and still bounce back like jelly.
But there was one imperfection.
Her eyes.
Those piercing, hawk-like eyes were too sharp for a child. Just standing there, she exuded an aura of knowing everything, as if she could see straight through Alan—stripping away every secret, every emotion.
"Well, well, well... And who's this little cutie? Where are your parents, sweetheart?"
Francis, being the socially fearless fool he was, imdiately stepped forward with a bright smile, eager to greet her.
"Francis, no—!" Alan called out.
But it was already too late.
Boom!
Francis was abruptly yanked into the air, soaring like a broken kite. He twirled helplessly in mid-air before crashing back to the ground with a heavy thud.
Alan's heart clenched. He rembered clearly that Francis had taken a shoddy mana recovery potion earlier. While it wasn't strong, it should have given him enough energy to at least stabilize himself or use a minor spell to reduce the fall.
The fact that he couldn't even manage that spoke volus about the little girl's overwhelming power.
Thankfully, she hadn't intended to kill him. Otherwise, Francis wouldn't have survived the fall.
"Ugh... ow, ow, ow! What the heck just yanked up like that?" Francis groaned, rubbing his sore back as he struggled to sit up, covered in dust and leaves.
But the little girl ignored him completely. She walked straight past the others and ca to stand in front of Alan, her eyes fixed on the figure behind him—Isabella.
She slowly extended her right hand toward Isabella.
Alan imdiately tensed up, shielding Isabella behind him like a wolf protecting its cub. His eyes were locked on the little girl, filled with wariness.
The girl clicked her tongue impatiently, then looked up and rolled her eyes at him.
"What's this got to do with you? Get lost. Don't get in my way."
"I won't," Alan said firmly, neck straight and unwavering. "Anything that concerns Isabella concerns . So you tell —does this have nothing to do with ?"
The girl pouted, clearly annoyed. "If Isabella cos with , she has a chance to survive. If she stays with you... well, she'll be dead within half a day."
"Says who?" Alan shot back. "I've been protecting her ever since she was a baby. For over a decade, she's never suffered a single hardship. So what makes you think she'll die just because she stays with ?"
The girl didn't even bother dignifying that with a direct response. She casually fiddled with her fingers, then looked at him with contempt. "You said it yourself. That was before. Now you've been dragged into a global power struggle. You can't even protect yourself, so what makes you think you can protect her?"
"Do you even understand what kind of nation the NK Kingdom is? They're not called an empire for nothing. Their national power is ranked among the top in the world."
"In your eyes, a Legendary-rank mage might be the pinnacle—but to them, that's just the starting point."
"And don't forget about the Dark Mage Mutual Aid Society. Don't think you've made a na for yourself just because you took down one of their lackeys. That organization has, in the past, combined their efforts to eliminate mages far stronger than Legendary."
"Could you do that? Could you take down soone above Legendary level?"
Alan stiffened. His eyes widened slightly.
"Stronger than Legendary...? What level is that?"
The girl didn't even blink. "It doesn't matter what level. What matters is that you, a re tier-silver, are nowhere near capable of understanding such things. And apart from those two obvious threats, there are still countless hidden factions across the Kener Continent just waiting to make their move against you."
"Tell , Alan. In the face of a world that's practically your enemy, can you guarantee Isabella's safety? Even if you could sohow keep dodging these ambushes, what about her? She's just an ordinary girl. No mana. No skills."
"In fact, isn't today's disaster proof enough that you can't protect her?"
As she said this, the little girl lifted one slender finger and jabbed it directly at Alan's chest.
Alan had no more words left.
She was right.
If he could protect Isabella, then she wouldn't have been kidnapped by that bastard Stephen and dragged into this ruin in the first place.
"Brother..."
Just as Alan stood there, struggling with guilt and hesitation, Isabella stepped out from behind him.
She positioned herself between her brother and the little girl.
First, she looked up at Alan. Then she turned to the girl.
Finally, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. Her body trembled slightly as she spoke.
"Brother… I… I don't want to be protected by you forever. I want to protect you. I want to gain the strength to keep you safe. Let go with her. I'll be fine…"
"What?!"
Alan's mind went completely blank.
That little girl—the one who used to cling to him and sniffle nonstop, the one who stayed up through the night quietly brewing potions to help him recover.
Now she was the one who wanted to protect him?
Alan's emotions surged in a chaotic torrent—touched, reluctant, fearful, uncertain.
All these feelings churned inside him, his nose turned sore, and his vision grew blurry with unshed tears.
Even Francis, dense and carefree as he was, fell silent.
Seeing Alan on the verge of tears, he couldn't utter a single word of comfort.
Because he knew Alan.
If the world collapsed around them, Alan would never flinch. As long as he could draw breath, he would never back down.
To see him cry? You might as well wait for the sun to rise in the west.
But now, just one sentence from Isabella had shaken him to his core.
It showed how much she ant to him—his only family left in this world.
Even the little girl seed montarily stunned.
Before making her appearance, she had imagined countless outcos. She pictured herself clashing with Alan in a fierce argunt, perhaps even using overwhelming strength to subdue him.
She'd even thought about what to do if Isabella refused to leave—would she have to forcibly take her?
But she hadn't expected this.
Not in a million years.
It felt like throwing a punch… only to hit nothing but soft cotton.
And for the first ti since she arrived, a flicker of uncertainty passed across the little girl's face.
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