A Mask Worn Too Long Cannot Be Removed

"He He Wei Ni Ya?!" Auger was utterly astonished. "W-Why are you here?"

"I told you not to call me senior. We're clearly in the same year... and I might even be younger than you." He Wei Ni Ya tilted her head, her fully restored golden curls cascading down like a waterfall. "And didn't I already tell you? I came to hang out with you."

"Hang out with me?" Auger still could not believe it.

He Wei Ni Ya patted the chair beside her. "Don't just stand there. Sit down."

Although he had no idea what was happening, when He Wei Ni Ya patted the chair and told him to sit, his mind barely had time to react before his body had already obeyed.

In the faint candlelight, He Wei Ni Ya's flawless profile appeared and disappeared in the shadows, making him instinctively lower his gaze.

Then he saw He Wei Ni Ya's body wrapped in his robe.

Auger was not tall. He was even a head shorter than He Wei Ni Ya, and particularly thin, so his robe was a size smaller as well.

Thus, on He Wei Ni Ya, the robe looked less like an overcoat and more like fitted clothing, clearly outlining the curves of the body she usually hid beneath her loose coat.

Auger's cheeks immediately turned red after just one glance, forcing him to lower his eyes again.

But then he saw He Wei Ni Ya's small, bare feet exposed beneath the robe.

There was nowhere left for him to look. Auger had been seated for less than ten seconds before springing back to his feet.

"What's wrong?" He Wei Ni Ya asked.

"Y-You, you, you aren't wearing shoes."

"Oh, the shoes." He Wei Ni Ya looked down at her feet, then shrugged. "Couldn't be helped. I had terrible luck on the way here. I accidentally stepped into a snow pit and took quite a tumble. I got soaked from head to toe, so I had to take them off for now. I even had to borrow your clothes... Hmm, is that not okay? Don't be so stingy. I'll wash them for you."

Auger was stunned. Something felt off, but he could not figure out what exactly. He did not even know where to look, and after a long while, he finally squeezed out, "I'm sorry."

"Huh? Why are you apologizing to me?"

"If you hadn't come to see me, you wouldn't have fallen." Auger could only stare down at his old shoes. "So... I'm sorry."

He Wei Ni Ya burst out laughing. "That reasoning is really... Fine, fine, then it's your fault. Can you sit down now?"

"I'd better stand..." Auger still did not dare sit.

He Wei Ni Ya sighed. "Please, I already fell over. I'm miserable and exhausted. Are you really going to make me keep looking up at you?"

Auger immediately sat down.

"Look up," He Wei Ni Ya said again.

Auger instinctively raised his head.

Then he saw He Wei Ni Ya pull out a corner of the inner shirt beneath the robe's collar. "I'm wearing clothes underneath," she said lazily.

Auger wanted to lower his head again.

"Don't lower your head," He Wei Ni Ya said. "I came all this way to see you, and you don't even dare look at me? Don't think of me as a friend anymore?"

Auger did not dare lower his head. He could only force himself to look at He Wei Ni Ya.

"That's better." He Wei Ni Ya nodded in satisfaction. "Just like class. You dared to look at me right under Professor Ariana's nose, but now you don't dare look at me?"

He Wei Ni Ya propped up the book spread across the table, using it as a small screen. Then she leaned down, hid her head behind the book, looked at Auger, and made a shushing gesture.

"How about it? Doesn't this feel like we're back in class?" He Wei Ni Ya deliberately lowered her voice. "Careful! Don't let Professor Ariana see us!"

In that instant, Auger felt as though he had been pulled back to the class where he had first met He Wei Ni Ya. Back then, she had hidden behind an upright book just like this and whispered to him, "Hey, hey, hey, what's your name?"

Auger relaxed, and the tension and unease in his heart vanished completely.

"He Wei Ni Ya... did you know I was on night watch today?" Auger asked.

"Of course." He Wei Ni Ya smiled. "You told me."

Did I tell her?

Auger could not quite remember.

But he did not think too deeply about it, only asking with slight concern, "But is it really okay for you not to return tonight?"

Then Auger heard He Wei Ni Ya sigh softly. "Auger, you really don't know how to chat."

"...Huh?"

"I'll teach you. When something like this happens, don't start by asking such practical questions." He Wei Ni Ya said, "I ran out in the middle of the night to have fun. Why do you think that is?"

Auger panicked again. "Ah, I don't know."

"You don't even know that, and you call yourself my friend... Pfft, alright, alright, don't make that face. I was only joking." He Wei Ni Ya sprawled across the table, her voice gradually softening. "I'm just... a little tired. I want to escape for a while, so could you not ask so much for now?"

"...Alright."

"And don't tell anyone, okay? You know, if Mentor finds out I stayed out all night, especially while Snowthorn Beasts are around, he'll scold me to death."

"Of course!" Auger said earnestly. "I won't tell anyone."

"Mm." He Wei Ni Ya smiled. "I believe you."

Seeing He Wei Ni Ya smile, Auger instinctively lowered his head again. Then he suddenly remembered that she had told him not to lower it, so he immediately raised it. He then saw He Wei Ni Ya examining the book he was supposed to read tonight.

"No way, I thought you'd be reading something interesting." He Wei Ni Ya said in surprise. "You're reading a textbook in the middle of the night? 'The Use of Common Staffs'—isn't that Professor De La Man's Player Basics class?"

Auger said somewhat awkwardly, "I-I'm not able to take Professor De La Man's class yet."

As soon as he said that, Auger saw He Wei Ni Ya's brow furrow for a moment, and he immediately apologized.

"I-I'm sorry. I know someone at Bronze Tier like me shouldn't be reading this..."

"What are you thinking?"

Before he could finish, he felt something lightly tap his head. When he looked up, he discovered that He Wei Ni Ya had tapped him with a staff.

"I am a little unhappy, but it isn't because you're reading this textbook. It's because... why didn't you just ask me?"

"...Huh?" Auger looked bewildered.

He Wei Ni Ya's brief frown earlier had indeed come from anger.

But she had not been angry with Auger. She had been angry with herself.

She had actually failed to remember that Auger, as someone at Bronze Tier, was not qualified to enroll in Player Basics yet.

It was a complete mental lapse. Mostly because the battle with Ayman had drained too much of her strength and focus, leaving her exhausted in body and mind, with her thoughts struggling to keep up.

But she still could not allow herself to say such things, because that remark might hurt Auger's pride and make him unconsciously distance himself from her, destroying the persona she had carefully cultivated for him over the past year.

That was something He Wei Ni Ya could never accept.

So she had to immediately find a way to make amends.

Like this.

"Ask you?"

"Yeah." He Wei Ni Ya wrinkled her nose, looking even more displeased. "What, are you questioning my ability? You should know that in Professor De La Man's class, I got... a passing grade!"

Her imposing momentum faltered at the last moment, but she quickly recovered and declared grandly.

"But that's still more than enough to teach you!"

"Come on. First, let me tell you about the Universal Notes inscribed on a staff and the Exclusive Notes carried by the user."

"Universal Notes are things engraved onto a staff that can temporarily substitute for various notes, but they need to be used together with the Player's own notes."

"For example, to cast a four-note spell, you need one of your own Exclusive Notes plus three Universal Notes from the staff."

"So Players must rely on staffs to cast spells with more than one note."

"And the number of notes a staff can be inscribed with directly determines its value."

Under the flickering candlelight, the animated girl explained knowledge to the shy but attentive boy.

"Come on, give it a try. Cast a spell."

"Ah, wouldn't that damage your staff..."

"Hmm? Are you looking down on my staff?"

"N-No..."

"Ah, did you understand all that?" He Wei Ni Ya rubbed her sleepy eyes while turning the pages. "Then the next point is the composition of an orchestra."

"Um... He Wei Ni Ya, if you're sleepy, you should rest."

"Sleepy? Who's sleepy! I'm not sleepy at all. I'm glowing with energy! Tonight, I'm going to explain these points to you thoroughly, ah..." He Wei Ni Ya could not help yawning. "Take notes, quickly!"

"...Alright!"

"Mmm... do you understand everything?"

He Wei Ni Ya lay sprawled across the table, her eyes nearly unable to stay open.

"Next are melodies... melodies containing more notes are harder to compose... and also more... complicated."

"He Wei Ni Ya... why don't you rest?"

"Sh-Shut up." He Wei Ni Ya's head drooped. "I-I'm full of energy... Have you heard a Seven-Note Melody... I-I have."

"I also want to... compose... a Seven-Note Melody..."

"Snore... snore... snore..."

He Wei Ni Ya began to snore softly.

Auger finally closed the notebook filled with an entire page of notes. Looking at He Wei Ni Ya, who had fallen completely asleep, he carefully rose to his feet, afraid of waking her.

He wanted to put another layer of clothing over He Wei Ni Ya, but he had no more clothes. He wanted to let her sleep in a bed, but not only was there no bed here, even if there were, he would not dare touch He Wei Ni Ya.

After struggling with it for a long time, he could only push the candle closer to He Wei Ni Ya. Then he turned and prepared to leave the room.

But just as he was about to reach the door, he remembered something. He turned back, bowed solemnly to He Wei Ni Ya, then said in a very soft but firm voice.

"Thank you, He Wei Ni Ya."

At last, he left the room with his notes and books, leaving behind the only mana candle that could provide warmth.

Click.

The door closed softly.

Almost at the same moment, He Wei Ni Ya opened her eyes.

There was no longer any sweetness or exhaustion in her eyes. There was only an icy coldness.

She sat up and began arranging her clothes.

At that moment, Bai Wei's lazy voice sounded in her mind. "Was there really any need to go that far?"

Though she was not surprised by Bai Wei's appearance, He Wei Ni Ya's body still paused for a moment before she asked flatly, "Doesn't Mr. Visas need to rest and recover? Instead of sleeping in the middle of the night, you've been watching me?"

"Not at all." Bai Wei laughed. "Sleeping isn't nearly as interesting as watching you. You're far too interesting—more interesting than my previous two partners. Watching you alone is like watching a whole crowd."

He Wei Ni Ya ignored Bai Wei's teasing. She looked out the window and knew dawn would arrive soon, so she quickly began clearing away any traces of her visit.

Such as the bloodstains beneath her feet.

Then Bai Wei said unhurriedly, "Let me give you a piece of advice. If you wear a mask for too long, it becomes easy to forget who you are."

"Does Mr. Visas have experience with that too?"

"Of course." Bai Wei smiled. "Deep experience."

He Wei Ni Ya frowned slightly. Normally, she might have considered the meaning behind Bai Wei's words.

But she had no time for that now. If she did not return before dawn and someone found her in the library, it would be troublesome.

But not yet.

After patiently waiting for roughly twenty minutes, He Wei Ni Ya pushed open the door.

She immediately saw Auger asleep at the counter in the main hall.

She knew Auger would fall asleep, because while explaining things to him earlier, He Wei Ni Ya had added a few hypnotic melodies. For her current self, that was not difficult.

She had originally intended to leave directly, but when she saw Auger trembling slightly in nothing but a thin shirt, she stepped back inside, took out the mana candle, and placed it beside him.

It was then that she noticed an open ancient book lying on the counter.

Auger must have been reading it when he sat there earlier.

She did not pay it much attention and merely glanced at it out of habit. Then her pupils narrowed slightly.

Because on that page was a familiar word—"Visas."

Once she realized what Auger had been reading, He Wei Ni Ya casually slid her right hand over the table and naturally tucked the book beneath her arm, preparing to leave.

Then she heard Auger murmur in his sleep, "Thank you... He Wei Ni Ya..."

He Wei Ni Ya acted as if she had heard nothing. Her body did not pause in the slightest as she walked straight into the snow just before dawn.