Fool's Library

Time seemed to be frozen in time for him, and the passage of time left no trace.

For some reason, the face of the young man in front of me was so familiar, exactly the same as in my memory.

Gray felt it inexplicably.

Deep in the heart, certain emotions fermented by memories that tossed and turned day and night...

Clearly, it surged again.

In order to hide this inexplicable emotion, Gray stood up and wanted to reach for the bottle of wine on the table.

But then, she saw that the lazy Rast in front of her suddenly became sharp.

"Are you old enough to drink now?"

"According to the laws of the city-state near the Watchtower, anyone over the age of seventeen is allowed to drink."

"Brother Luster...I'm already eighteen years old."

Gray returned the elegant smile and poured herself a glass of wine.

It’s great... Even though seven years have passed, Brother Last still hasn’t forgotten everything that happened in Frozen Water Town.

After so many years, their relationship has not deteriorated.

In the eyes of her brother Last, she is still an orphan girl who needs to be taken care of in the mayor's house.

She raised her glass and drank the wine in one gulp.

The cold wine flows down the wall of the glass into the throat, with a slightly sour taste.

Just, I don’t know why.

I feel a little inexplicably lost.

……

The other side of the dining table.

Last was also looking at the girl in front of him.

The little girl who was like a young beast and didn't understand human nature has now grown into such a graceful and elegant girl.

Last couldn't help but sigh in his heart that girls change a lot when they grow up, and he felt like his daughter had grown up.

Thinking of this, he stretched and calmly made a shooting gesture with his fingers.

Besides egg fried rice, hot pot is one of the few dishes that Rast can make.

Because these cooking techniques did not come from Deep Blue Harbor, but from his memories of his previous life.

Of course, the taste of delicious food and so on... still need to be deleted.

After all, Rast doesn't want his threshold for food to be raised too high, thus losing the sense of surprise when tasting Xiao Ai's cooking.

While completing the mental suggestion——

Gray's hesitant voice also rang in Rast's ears.

"Brother Luster."

"I'm sorry about what happened to Sister Hiltina."

"It was all because of saving me that Sister Hiltina..."

Gray's words were filled with an apology that was hard to conceal.

From her perspective, everything in Dongshui Town was actually caused by herself.

It was because he was unable to control the power in his body and could not release it freely, so he attracted the attention of pollutants.

It also dragged down so many shore guards, including Sister Hiltina, who died in it.

Judging from their performance in Frozen Water Town at that time, it was clear that Sister Hiltina and Brother Last had a very good relationship.

It is even possible that they are in a romantic relationship.

My companion and lover died because of me, even if it wasn't intentional...it's only natural that Brother Rust would hold a grudge against me because of it.

So, in the eyes of Gray and the others, classmate Hiltina had already died a heroic death?

Looking at the gray-haired girl in front of him with her head lowered like a cat that had done something wrong, Last was also slightly stunned.

Of course, if his past deeds really had an impact on the night world, such an evolution would indeed occur.

After all, ordinary night travelers other than himself cannot leave any traces of their past in the night world.

Since it is impossible to form a team in the Final Night World, Hiltina can no longer enter the world line of this night world.

For the people in Gray's world, Hiltina's death is no different.

I don’t know how Hiltina would feel if she saw her tombstone standing in the mausoleum of the Shore Watchers’ headquarters.

Thinking of this, Last couldn't help but stretch out his hand and used the head-patting move on Gray again.

Not to mention, this little guy's head feels pretty good to the touch.

"Don't blame yourself, it can't be helped."

"As shore guardians, whether it's Hiltina or myself..."

"When I joined the Shore Guard, took the oath, and donned the winged emblem, I was prepared to die in battle."

"For the shore defenders, dying in battle while defending the Broken Coast is not a misfortune, but a great honor."

"I think if Hiltina were still alive, she would definitely agree with me."

As he spoke, Rast stopped what he was doing.

Then, he looked at the brand new, shiny silver wing emblem on the chest of the girl whose gray hair was a little messy because of him.

"To be honest, when I told you those things, I actually wanted you to give up the idea of ​​becoming a shore guard."

"After all, the responsibilities that shore keepers bear are far heavier than the obligations they enjoy."

"but--"

His voice paused, and he couldn't help but smile: "Now it seems that there is no need to say these words."

"Well, let's change the subject."

"Can you tell me about your experiences after leaving Frozen Water Town?"

……

The room was brightly lit and the fireplace emitted waves of warm heat.

The atmosphere between the two people, which was originally a little strange due to their reunion after a long separation, became natural again after they had a good meal and a drink.

"Later, I went to many places in mainland China."

"But the more I traveled to those places, the clearer and more distinct my longing became."

"really--"

"I still want to be a shore guard like you, brother Rust."

"It's not just because of my longing for your handsome figures, Brother Rust and Sister Hiltina, in my memories."

"It's also because of a desire that comes from the heart."

"So later, I went to great lengths to find the Shore Keepers' headquarters, passed all the assessments, and became a member of the Shore Keepers."

"I think only in this way can I get closer to the figure of you in my memories."

Under the orange light, Gray's pretty white face was stained with a few blushes.

This was her first time drinking.

Under the influence of alcohol, Gray felt her mind became much more active.

"Brother Rust, are you going back to the Watchtower for a short rest this time, or are you staying at the headquarters?"

"If it's convenient for you, Brother Rust..."

"Afterwards, can we still have dinner together like we do now?"

Under normal circumstances, Gray would never say such blunt words.

But at this moment, under the influence of alcohol, he felt envious of the "home" that other classmates had, and a yearning to find a place to settle down again.

However, Gray transformed the thoughts surging in her heart into words and blurted them out subconsciously.

"Just a break between missions."

"Of course, my repair this time will take a little longer."

"But once I'm ready, I'll go on my mission."

Last's words were somewhat drawn out: "This is the direct order given to me by the leader."

"I don't know how long it will be before I return to the Shore Watchers headquarters again."

As expected, is that the case...

After hearing Luster's answer, Gray couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.

However, just as she adjusted her expression and didn't want Last to notice what she was thinking.

"Little Gray, I heard that you are currently in the reserve and have not been assigned any mission yet?"

"Ah."

Gray nodded, but the loss in her heart deepened a little.

With her intelligence, she naturally understood what the reserve force meant.

However, this is an inevitable result.

Gray was very clear about the power of destiny within her, and how much chaos it would cause if it was released without restraint.

All the disasters and misfortunes that had accompanied her previous life were caused by this.

Therefore, this is something that Grey must learn to restrain, suppress, and hide, and cannot show it at will.

Today, Gray has been able to suppress her own power, preventing it from running wild due to mental fluctuations and interfering with the outside world.

At the same time, she has also initially mastered her abilities.

For example, Gray ranked first in most of the tests in the new shore guard training camp.

It wasn't just because of that time spent traveling around the continent that Gray's skills and experience far surpassed those of other newcomers.

It is also because she can interfere with her own destiny to a certain extent.

Give yourself the upper hand in the assessment, or make something bad happen to your opponent.

However, luck is something so mysterious that ordinary people naturally cannot understand it, and Grey did not dare to reveal it casually.

In addition, he seems unable to awaken his superpowers and is an extremely rare "person without superpowers". It is natural that he is considered to have no potential for development.

But, the next moment.

But she heard that gentle voice ringing in her ears again.

"In fact, Chief Sissel has also discovered your extraordinary qualities."

"It's just that your power is too special. Being left behind as a reserve isn't actually giving up on you, but rather a form of protection for you."

Luster's eyes fell on Gray again.

"But, Gray, you yourself don't want to be just a vase protected by others, right?"

"The shore guardian you dreamed of and longed to become—"

"This isn't a goal that can be achieved simply by staying in headquarters and shouting empty slogans."

For some reason, there was a hint of mystery in Last's words.

"So, have you truly decided to become a shore guardian?"

“Even if I lose everything, no longer bathe in glory, no longer be the savior hero surrounded by flowers and applause in the eyes of the world.”

"Instead, they walk in darkness, bearing the stigma and cold stares..."

"I can also continue to move forward unwaveringly for the unrealistic ideal in my heart."

The light flashing in the depths of Luster's dark eyes suddenly made Gray feel a little unfamiliar.