“I’m not makin’ fun of you, man! I’m sorry!” Garos yelled through the door. “I don’t care. I’ve got no business with you. Don’t ever show your face to me again.” “I came to pay you back!” “…Huh?” Nick was stunned. He reopened the door slightly. Garos put down his sword, sat on his knees, then put his hands together and bowed. “I stole from the party wallet and framed you. I’m sorry!” he said. “Don’t bow to me out in the hallway unless you want my foot in your face!” Nick yelled. “If that’ll make you feel better, then—” Nick kicked Garos in the jaw before he could finish his sentence, and Garos glared at Nick reproachfully. “God dammit, man! That hurt! I didn’t think you’d actually do it!” he shouted. “How the hell did you think I’d react?! You can’t treat people like that and expect to be forgiven with a simple bow! You should’ve come here ready for me to kill you!” Nick ranted. “Now that’s just unfair!” Nick kicked Garos’s sword down the hallway and lunged, while the ornaments on the sheath rattled like bells. Garos reflexively kicked up at Nick from the ground. Nick dodged it, but a thin blade on the edge of Garos’s shoe cut him on his chin. “Oh shit, I’m wearing combat shoes. Sorry,” Garos said. “You’re not supposed to attack back!” Nick yelled. And so a fight broke out. “Oww… Did that make you feel better?” Garos asked some time later. “Oh, shut up. That’s what you say after letting someone hit you without hitting back,” Nick retorted. There was a large red bruise on Garos’s face where Nick had hit him. He was also gingerly patting his side. That spot seemed to hurt more than it should have, given how lightly Nick had hit him. That might have meant that Garos had an existing injury, but Nick couldn’t be less concerned. He had basically won, but he’d taken a few punches and kicks, too. “You’re still as fussy as ever,” Garos said. “Oh, fine… You can come in. I’ll give you five minutes to talk. Don’t touch your sword,” Nick relented. “What if someone takes it?” “There’s no one here dumb enough to steal an adventurer’s weapon. Besides, you’re the one who taught me to be cautious of anyone who can kill you, even if they’re a friend or a lover.” In addition to being Nick’s former party member, he was also an older apprentice of Argus’s. As the senior, he’d taught Nick a number of lessons, most of them involving practical techniques one couldn’t learn from formal sword or martial arts training. Garos once took Nick to a dojo in the dangerous southeastern part of Labyrinth City to train, luring out thugs with money and attacking them. The point was to teach him how to deal with being surrounded, how to flee in a city, the subtleties of wielding a blade in tight spaces, how to immobilize a foe with a blow or a joint lock, and when to flee when someone was looking for a fight. Nick still made use of those skills now. His success in the Garbage Heap had even more to do with the knowledge he’d gained from Garos than from the fundamental combat techniques he’d learned from Argus. “Oh, I did say that, didn’t I?” Garos mused. “You were always taking me places and teaching me skills you said would be useful for guard work. Do you have any idea how many times you made me pay for your booze?” Nick said. “Why would I remember that? Well, that’s what I’d like to say, but it’s kinda why I’m here.” Garos picked up a bag and tossed it at Nick. It was full of gold coins. Each one depicted the sailor saint Braun from the creation myth and was worth ten thousand dina in this kingdom. Judging from the size of the bag, it probably contained at least three hundred thousand dina. “You didn’t obtain this doing some dangerous job, did you? Are you working as an assassin?” Nick asked. “Of course not! I got this doin’ guard work. My client took a likin’ to me after I ran off some thugs who attacked their carriage. They gave me a special bonus,” Garos explained. “So you’re working freelance now?” “Yeah. Argus doesn’t much like guard or bouncer work.” Nick knew Garos as an alcoholic, a gambler, and a philanderer, but he was also an elite swordsman. He was a master of a weapon called a katana that was imported from a ruined country called Nozomi, and he could even slice through steel and the hardest of monster shells. He was even better at fighting people than he was at fighting monsters; that was apparently what the katana was designed for. “If you have time for side gigs, you should go to a labyrinth,” Nick chided. “Combat Masters was only barely holding together because of the prep work you did for us. You know how important you were,” Garos responded, causing Nick’s anger to flare again. Combat Masters couldn’t take on the difficult labyrinths they did without careful preparation and sufficient funds. Weapons and armor were necessary, of course, and the work didn’t stop with buying and equipping them—they had to be maintained and eventually replaced. Food and medicine were essential as well, and they needed to buy magic tools and talismans for especially challenging labyrinths. Nick was saddled with taking care of all that preparation. He managed their funds and items and made sure his party members, who never saved any money, were ready to go. And yet he was kicked out of the party. “Says the guy who got me kicked out,” Nick snapped. Garos groaned. “At least let me clear up that misunderstanding.” “What’re you talking about?” Nick asked suspiciously. “Argus didn’t just abandon you, and he never believed my lie.” “…Really.” “You always had the wrong idea, Nick. Argus is a freakin’ powerhouse. He’d be a match for any S-rank one-on-one. But he has no interest in rank. The only reason he runs Combat Masters is to look after lowlifes like me.” “Who calls themselves a lowlife?” “You’re the only one who wasn’t. I actually always thought we were holdin’ you back.” “Seriously?” “You know Argus’s history, right? He was a mercenary in the Demon War. I was, too.” The Demon War was a war between human countries and demon countries that had ended ten years earlier. Demons were a race created by the demon god in ancient times, but they split from their master after deciding they didn’t want to keep living as puppets. They did not make peace with humans, however, and there had been many wars throughout the ages. “When wars end, it’s always sudden. Even the most skilled mercenaries end up unemployed. Argus started Combat Masters to look after people who can’t do anything other than fight,” Garos said. “…Wait. This is news to me. He was always talking our ears off about how he chose to be an adventurer and how adventurers should behave. Are the other members of the party former mercenaries, too?” Nick asked. “Yep. He always fed us those lines ’cause we didn’t start as adventurers. A few of us prolly would’ve ended up with bounties on our heads if he didn’t tie us down like that… Oh, that guy’s a perfect example.” “Who?” Garos pointed at the blacklist in the fan club report. “That Eishu guy. He’s the son of some grand master painter or calligrapher, and he made a name for himself makin’ talismans for the army. Then he got carried away in Labyrinth City and ended up as a wanted criminal,” he said. “Don’t tell me he was a member of Combat Masters,” Nick asked timidly, but Garos shook his head. “Nope, he wasn’t. He worked alone ’cause he hated takin’ orders… He did try to force us into buyin’ some talismans once, and Argus got so mad, he threw him out the door. Eishu already had a bounty on his head by that point. You were small, so you prolly don’t remember.” A vague memory resurfaced in Nick’s mind after hearing that. He could see Argus arguing with a grizzled talisman salesman. “Anyway, Argus always wanted to set a good example. He told us to forget our pasts when we moved to Labyrinth City and to work as adventurers, and made me swear to never talk about it,” Garos said. “Then why’re you telling me all this now?” Nick asked. “’Cause Combat Masters ain’t gonna be around much longer. I don’t need to keep his secrets anymore. You’re independent now, and we’re all about to retire. I’m gonna earn money as a bodyguard and move to the countryside,” Garos responded, standing up. “Hey, wait! What’s Argus doing?!” “He’ll have no trouble findin’ work if he goes freelance. It’s nothin’ you gotta worry about… How long do you plan to work as an adventurer?” “What’s that supposed to mean?” “I ain’t sayin’ you’re not cut out for it. But we humans can’t do violent work like this for too long. It breaks your body and your mind.” “That’s just your opinion. Plenty of decent adventurers have stayed healthy.” Garos smiled coldly, as if he knew Nick was bluffing. “That may be true, but never assume the man before you is a decent person. You’ll end up knockin’ on death’s door before you know it.” “Huh?” Nick said blankly. He didn’t immediately process what Garos said, but then he noticed something. Garos was somehow holding the katana that Nick had kicked down the hall. He had his right hand on the hilt and was ready to strike at any moment. Nick hadn’t thought he’d let his guard down at any point during the conversation. “Try m—” Garos swung the blade at him before he could finish his sentence. The blade traveled a perfect arc for his neck, bringing certain death. “Man… You’ve gotten a lot stronger,” Garos said. “Shut the hell up,” Nick seethed, glaring at him and sweating. Nick had realized he had no chance of dodging Garos’s swing. The man’s overwhelming speed rivaled Olivia’s, and Nick was in a disadvantageous position sitting down. So he’d put his hands together and caught the blade. He’d first cast Light Body to significantly increase his speed, then once he stopped the blade between his palms, he cast Heavy Body to give himself strength far beyond Garos’s expectations. As Nick caught the katana, he realized he might be able to use that technique to replicate what Olivia did when she threw him out the window. “I thought I’d give you a little more instruction, but I guess that won’t be necessary,” Garos said. “You think I’m happy to hear that from you? You just went easy on me, didn’t you?” Nick asked. “Yep. But I won’t hesitate to kill you if my next job requires it. Got that?” He reached for his weapon, but Nick slapped his hand away and threw it out of the room. They heard it stab into the wall of the hallway. “Hey, what gives?!” Garos shouted. “Don’t think this money is enough to make us even. You’d better hesitate if you ever end up with a chance to kill me. You’ll carry that guilt for the rest of your life,” Nick warned. “What?!” Garos responded, clearly unsure of what to say. After a short silence, he began to snicker. “Man, you haven’t changed at all. You’re not still givin’ guild receptionists and merchants a hard time, are you?” “Better that than being as careless as you! Are women still swindling you out of your money?!” Nick fired back. “Shut up! Look around you, bud! Your room is covered in Agate posters and merchandise!” “I’m not being swindled! I chose to invest in her!” “That’s even worse!” “Excuse me?!” Their argument devolved into another fistfight, until Nick ran out of steam and Garos slipped out of the room like smoke, leaving the bag full of coins. Nick stared at them silently without pocketing them. Something about this farewell seemed final. If they ever did see each other again, it wouldn’t be as former comrades. Neither would hold back in a fight, even if it meant killing the other. Nick knew it. That was their last interaction as fellow apprentices. One week had passed since the Survivors’ adventure in Pot Snake Cave. Nick had finally recovered enough for the party to go to the Adventurers Guild. “What took you all so long to make your triumphant return? Who do you think you are, cabinet ministers? You should’ve come sooner.” The woman facing the Survivors was Vilma, a guild employee. She was a white-haired old woman, but her dignified manner and sharp eyes gave her an intensity that many active adventurers lacked. She was a former adventurer herself and was truly strong. Nick didn’t argue in response to her slight provocation, surprising everyone. “I don’t wanna be here… Can I go home?” he asked. “Nick, please show a little more enthusiasm,” Zem said with a strained smile. Nick was the perfect picture of the phrase “down in the dumps.” He was hunched over, despite his usual good posture, his eyes were lifeless, and his gloom seemed to pervade the whole space. “When did you become so spineless? You just cleared Pot Snake Cave,” Vilma said. She wasn’t trying to provoke him; she was genuinely confused by his behavior. “He has been this way since he realized he might have dropped a concert ticket in the labyrinth,” Zem explained. “You’re always so careless,” Karan said. They both stared at Nick with disbelief, but he just sank back into the conference room’s couch. “It was an S-tier ticket for the Hundredth Anniversary Concert. And I can’t have it reissued ’cause a bunch of assholes have been making forgeries… Argh! Damn it all! I’m so stupid!” Nick complained. “Hmm, I see. I don’t know if that makes you lucky or unlucky…,” Vilma muttered. “Huh? What could possibly be lucky about losing my ticket?” Nick asked. “Never mind. Save your hobbies for after work. You’ve already gotten your reward, so the only thing left to do is the report,” Vilma responded. “Oh, right. Let’s get it over with…,” Nick said gloomily, making an effort to collect himself. He faced Vilma and told her about the mutant pot snake they’d encountered. “You all are finding mutants on every adventure,” Vilma commented. “You’ve got that right. How do we keep getting so unlucky? Does the world just hate us?” Nick complained. “Stop thinking that you’re special. That mindset is so typical of young people. Fourteen mutant monsters have been sighted over the last three months. Your encounter rate is rather high, though,” Vilma said gravely. “So mutant numbers are increasing after all. Do you think it’s coming?” Nick asked. “Yes, I think so. Estivation is almost here, though, so it’s more likely to happen in the winter,” Vilma answered. The other Survivors were confused by their ominous exchange. Tiana spoke up for the group. “What’s coming?” she asked. “A Stampede,” Nick answered. Nervous comprehension dawned on his party members’ faces. A Stampede was a disaster-grade event, when a massive number of monsters spawned and left their labyrinths to attack human settlements. The abundance of monsters out in the world enriched the ground with miasma, which fed life to the demon god. That meant it was a sign of the demon god’s resurrection. “That’s really bad!” Tiana shouted. She started to jump to her feet, but Nick stopped her. “Calm down. Most Stampedes are small in scale, just like earthquakes and storms. As long as it isn’t a massive, once-in-a-few-centuries Stampede, there’s no risk of the demon god being resurrected,” he reassured her. “Really? I’ve never heard of Stampedes happening around the capital,” Tiana said. “That’s ’cause there aren’t many labyrinths around the capital, and the mana in the ground is stable. Here, we’re surrounded by labyrinths and much less stable ground, so small Stampedes are pretty common. There was one three years ago, right?” Nick asked. Vilma nodded. “Yeah. There were three monster hordes. One was made up of over five hundred goblins, one had golems, and the other consisted of tree monsters. Some traveling merchants fell prey to them on the highways, but they were stopped before they reached any farming villages or towns.” “Oh, that’s not as bad as I thought… I expected a nationwide emergency,” Tiana said. “It would be if the Stampede was big enough to reach the capital, but that only happens once a century or so… Oh, wait. You might be in for a hard time, Tiana,” Nick mumbled. “What do you mean?” Tiana asked suspiciously. “When the Stampeding monsters leave their labyrinths, they mostly emerge onto expansive plains and highways. Dragon knights are more suited to taking them out than adventurers. It’s best to crush them with mobility and numbers.” “What do dragon knights have to do with me?” “You don’t know? The dragons and their jockeys that compete in dragon races are recruited to fight as dragon knights. Races will be canceled for around a month until the Stampede is suppressed.” Tiana’s face went blank until the meaning of what Nick said set in. “No! I don’t want that to happen!” she screamed. “Sorry, but—” “There are a lot of important cups in the winter, like the Big Dipper Memorial and the Pumpkin Stakes! Do something about it!” Tiana whined. “Calm down, Tiana. There’s no guarantee that’ll happen!” Nick said. Vilma put a hand to her forehead and sighed for the umpteenth time. “Nobody’d ever know you high-strung kids were on the cusp of C rank.” “Oh yeah, I wanted to confirm the promotion,” Nick said, relieved by the change of topic. “That’s fine with me. You all are free to go to Pioneers and take on more lucrative jobs. You can also take on more dangerous labyrinths. I wish you luck in continuing to increase your rank. Well, that’s what I would say, but…” Vilma paused. “First, I have a job for you. It’s a bodyguard job. You all have never done one of those, right? Want to give it a try?” “Oh yeah, I’ve heard of that.” Karan sounded interested. “Bodyguard and escort jobs are typically handled at the Travelers branch of the Adventurers Guild, but this place and Manhunt also handle ones that stay in the city,” Nick explained. “Have you ever done one?” Karan asked. “We did a decent amount of them in Combat Masters. Argus and Garos were really good; everyone wanted to hire them…,” Nick replied with a mixed expression. He had just remembered what had happened with Garos. “What’s wrong?” Karan asked. “N-nothing. The clients are usually rich, so the jobs become a real pain if you upset them in any way.” Vilma smiled at Nick. She reminded him of a witch taking delight in a suspicious nightly ritual. “Oh? Are you sure you want to talk about a job from this client that way? I can picture you a few minutes from now kneeling before me and begging, ‘Please let me take this job!’” she teased before handing a piece of paper to Nick. Though suspicious of Vilma’s attitude, he began to read it. “I couldn’t tell you why, but the client chose you all for this job. If you don’t want it, though, by all means, tell me. I’ll give it to a different party,” Vilma said playfully. Nick didn’t even hear her. His eyes darted across the page, hands shaking. He read it multiple times, ensuring the words would stick in his head. “Wh-what is it, Nick?” Bond asked. “Is this…real life?” Nick finally said. Sensing that they weren’t getting anywhere, Tiana snatched the paper from Nick’s hands. “Hey, what’re you doing?!” Nick complained. “Let’s see here… It’s a weirdly long job. I don’t love the idea of being tied down by guard work until the end of next month. We probably won’t be able to explore any labyrinths,” Tiana said. “Yeah. I figure the job will last until after the concert,” Nick said. “Concert? What?” Tiana read the document again. “The main locations for the job will be the client’s office, Starmine Hall, the southern town hall, and other event venues within Labyrinth City. The client is…Jewelry Production.” “That means we’ll be working as bodyguards at idol concerts,” Nick explained, his voice shaking. The other Survivors put their palms to their heads. “So what’ll it be?” Vilma asked. “Please let me take this job!” Nick begged, fulfilling Vilma’s prediction. Broadly speaking, Labyrinth City got poorer and cruder the farther southeast one went. The most impoverished part of the city was the Garbage Heap, where residents settled down in abandoned buildings and expanded them with their own amateur construction. The people there led decadent and dangerous lives. By contrast, the opposite side on the northwest of Labyrinth City was known for its sanctuaries, research facilities, aristocratic and magic schools, luxurious restaurants, and wealthy residential districts. The government office buildings and political agencies of Labyrinth City were located in the center of the city, so the most powerful bureaucrats and political leaders actually didn’t live in the northwest, but the district still had a high threshold for entry. The wealth made it easy for any visitor to feel out of place, which served as its own form of security. That made it a perfect base for an idol agency, as long as it could afford the high property value. “Should we really have come here dressed so obviously as adventurers? I feel out of place,” Bond complained. The Survivors didn’t exactly fit in among the people walking the streets in the northwest district of the city, and the primary reason for that was their clothing. Most men wore a suit and tie or majestic robes, while the women wore blouses tailored specifically for them or glittering robes that looked like magic school uniforms. “That’s not our fault. Besides, armor is at least semiformal. These clothes would be appropriate to wear if we were invited to a noble mansion,” Nick argued, but his party members could tell how happy he was to be here. The slightly higher pitch of his voice gave him away. “Don’t forget why we’re here, Nick. This is a bodyguard job. If you start acting like a creep around the idols, you’re gonna pay for it,” Tiana warned. “Yes, you should act naturally. I am worried that your image of these idols will be shattered upon actually meeting them,” Zem said, giving advice of his own. “D-don’t worry, I’ll take the job seriously,” Nick said. Nick had jumped on the job immediately when Vilma offered it, but Tiana and Zem quickly admonished him. He normally inspected the contract and asked question after question before accepting any job, to determine its legitimacy and the chances of actually receiving the reward, so the others were taken aback by his behavior. Nick regained his composure after that, but he didn’t find anything wrong with the job’s terms. Vilma teased them because she knew they would accept it. “Make sure you stay focused, okay? They might ask us about the paladin. I doubt they would’ve contacted us in this roundabout way if they found us out, though,” Tiana said. “I know. We never would’ve been able to take this job if it hadn’t been given to us directly. We would’ve had to be really lucky if we applied,” Nick replied. The Survivors hadn’t actually signed an official contract for this bodyguard job yet. They might have signed one at the guild if it was a basic escort, but this job involved working as bodyguards for over a month. They would sign the actual contract after the client interviewed and tested them. The party was heading toward the office of the client—Jewelry Production—to gain their approval. “Good. I don’t want you getting nervous and fidgety. It would be rude to the people we’ll be protecting,” Tiana warned. “That’s enough, Tiana. He’s already much better now than when he’s in idol mode,” Karan said to calm the mage down. “Eh, I guess you’re right. Whatever happens, happens. Are we almost at the meeting place? Where is it?” Tiana asked. “We’re supposed to meet a guide at the bridge, but…I don’t see anyone,” Nick answered, looking around. Just when he started to wonder if he had the wrong location, Karan tugged on his sleeve. “Look at them, Nick. They’re amazing,” she said. “Who?” Nick asked. Karan pointed toward a river. A group of girls in casual attire was running and shouting on the riverside. They stood out in this district even more than the Survivors did. “Quit dragging your feet! Raise your voices!” “Yes ma’am!” “I can’t hear you! Yell loudly enough to reach the fans in the back row! Your voices should travel to the peaks of the Five-Ringed Mountains!” It was a training session. A pink-haired girl in dark red athletic gear was calling to the girls with a loud, aggressive voice one wouldn’t expect from her small physique. She seemed to be some kind of leader or trainer, and the other girls didn’t complain—or couldn’t complain—as they obeyed her commands and pushed themselves. Some of the girls were too exhausted to move a finger, while others were still running and exercising with ease. Nick found the sight heartwarming. Argus had pushed him just as hard, and he didn’t slack on his training now that he was independent. He would never think to train in a wealthy residential district like this, though. “I wonder who they are. You don’t typically see all-female knight or mercenary groups. This is a weird place to train, too,” Nick said. “Yeah,” Karan agreed. “Eh, whatever. We need to focus on finding our guide. They might be somewhere near the pink-haired girl,” Nick said, looking around. “You might want to look again,” Karan responded. She pointed to the riverside a second time. “Huh? Yeah, I see them. I don’t think they’re… Wait.” Nick stared at the girls by the riverside, looking flustered. “Hey, that looks like Agate. And is that Topaz and Amber beside her?” “How can you tell from this far away? Can you put that skill to use in labyrinths, please?” Tiana nagged. Bond made a ring with his fingers and looked through it at the riverside. That was a habit of his when using Search to look at something in the distance. “That blue-haired girl is definitely Nick’s idol— Oh, they noticed us,” he informed the group. The pink-haired girl turned around and smiled. Her face had a tranquil, statuesque beauty, and her smile had all the radiance of the sun. Even Nick’s party members were captivated by her appearance. “Yoo-hoo! Over here! You’re the people sent by the guild, right?” she called out. The Survivors could hear her surprisingly clearly even though she was on the opposite side of the river. Strangely, however, her voice wasn’t ear-piercingly loud; it instead sounded as if she was right next to them. “How is she doing that? That’s crazy,” Karan said, surprised. “She’s not yelling. She simply strengthened the directionality of her voice. We are the only ones who can hear her,” Bond said. “What do you mean, Bond?” Tiana asked. “The sound waves of her voice are not spreading. She is using a strengthening spell on either her vocal cords or her throat,” Bond deduced. He sounded impressed. Nick offered a further explanation. “Sound crackles when you use a magic item to amplify a voice. That happens ’cause the sound collides with dust and other things inside the magic item. It’s hell on your ears. But somehow, some of Jewelry Production’s idols can use a technique to get around that. It’s called Vocal Guidance.” “Can you stop trying to make it sound like it’s some earth-shattering discovery?” Tiana said wearily, but Nick ignored her and looked at the pink-haired girl, who was beckoning them over despite their obvious bewilderment. The history of Teran, the Labyrinth City, was at once long and short. The name Teran dated back over a millennium. The land had once hosted a facility called the Teran Magic Laboratory. Later, it fell under control of the demon god vanguard and came to be known as the Teran Cluster. Mankind retook the land during the war with the demon god and built a defense institution called the Teran Distortion Agency. Many more destructive events ravaged the land, until a massive Stampede finished it off and turned it into a ruin surrounded by labyrinths. Eventually, the region once again saw major development and became what was now known as Labyrinth City. The destroyed and abandoned buildings were cleared away to create vacant plots, and adventurers helped grow the economy by collecting materials from monsters, which were either exported or processed within the city to create magic items. Some adventurers retired to work in commerce and industry—or if they were smart enough, to get involved in the city’s politics. One person named Diamond, the leader of an adventurers’ party called the Adamantine Ensemble, had a major influence on the city’s entertainment industry. Her party was the predecessor of the modern-day Jewelry Production, and unusually, every member could sing and dance. They eventually discarded their swords and staves, but not their music, and they performed live in the streets, at bars, and even outside the city as they devoted themselves to aiding Labyrinth City’s development. That was how a unique music culture formed along with the development of Teran itself. “So essentially, the original Diamond laid the foundation for modern idols,” Nick said. After they met her at the riverside, the pink-haired girl led the Survivors to a rudimentary building that looked like a warehouse. The mechanical atmosphere and ducts running along the ceiling made it look like a repurposed factory. “That’s why Diamond is a special name. Idols at this agency inherit a number of different jewel names, but only one girl every ten to twenty years gets the name Diamond, like you. Some get slightly different names like Pink Diamond or Black Diamond.” “Wow, you know your stuff! I’m impressed!” The Survivors had been led to a reception room inside the warehouse-like building. Just like Nick said, the pink-haired idol’s name was Diamond. She was petite and slightly taller than Tiana, and she was wearing dark red track pants and a T-shirt with a large word from the ancient civilization’s language printed on the front. Her long pink hair was too glossy and soft to belong to a human, swaying and bobbing at the slightest movements. Diamond’s most attention-grabbing feature, however, were her eyes. They were large, full of energy, and most of all, extremely adorable. “Thanks,” Nick said, doing his best to remain composed before the most famous idol alive. If he wasn’t on duty, he probably would’ve asked her to sign his armor by now. “By the way, do you come to my concerts, Nick?” Diamond asked. “Your solo concerts always sell out immediately. The only times I’ve seen you is when you appear as a surprise guest at Aggies’s concerts,” Nick explained, the words flying out of his mouth. His party members normally would’ve ribbed him for the way his speech accelerated when idols were involved, but they were overpowered by Diamond’s mystical presence as well. It wasn’t out of fear or awe, however. “What’s wrong? You’re still nervous, aren’t you? Come on, smile! Show me those pearly whites! It’s an adventurer’s job to smile!” Diamond said. “No, it’s not,” Tiana commented. Diamond gave her an enthusiastic wink and a thumbs-up. Tiana chuckled, then seemed to be shocked by her own behavior. “Stop acting all stuffy and formal! Or would you rather join us and work as idols? You look like you have good balance, dragonian girl! Have you danced before?” Diamond asked. “I performed the Dragon Dance when I was a kid. I don’t hate dancing, but… I don’t want to quit working as an adventurer,” Karan said. The Dragon Dance was a traditional dragonian dance. It involved dancing along to percussive instruments, and it was performed at summer and winter solstice festivals and to give a warm welcome to travelers.
Chapter 66
28 min read