Rodlan's Daily Activities

Very beautiful.

She is beautiful whether she is asleep or awake.

Miss Surtr raised her hand, her fingertips gently tracing the soft mattress a centimeter away from Kal'tsit's body. The delicate plush fabric was pressed down gently, then rebounded with its elasticity, subtly highlighting Kal'tsit's sleeping figure.

In terms of physique alone, Kal'tsit is not much better than Persephone.

But compared to that real eel, Miss Lynx at least has subtle curves.

"I don't hate you," Miss Surtr said softly. "I don't hate you, and I don't dislike you. I... just don't know how to approach you."

"I don't know what you really think of me... is it rejection or affection? I don't know, and I don't really want to guess. Because I'm a clumsy puzzle solver, and once I get involved in a puzzle, failure and something even worse are inevitable."

She let out a soft breath.

"But I don't know what I really think of you... Is it trust? Is it friendship? Or something deeper...? I don't know, and I don't know how to know. In the end, I'm not a very bright person. My IQ is only average, and my EQ... well, it's not very good. If it weren't for the experiences provided by the Dream Realm, I might not have lived to reach the Sarkaz Babel Tower. And the only thing I'm sure of is that I set a goal for myself before I went to the Sarkaz Babel Tower."

"I went to the Sarkaz Babel Tower for two people. One is Theresia, and the other is you—no, correction. First you, then Theresia. I came for both of you, and that's all I know about myself."

"Is it an attempt to protect? An attempt to care for? Or is it something deeper, a yearning for a deep connection and mutual understanding?"

"I don't know, and I've never figured it out—the one thing I'm sure of is that my heart won't change easily."

She stood up and straightened her clothes and skirt. Her expression gradually returned to calm.

"We will become very good friends... whether it's the you now or the you in the past. Of course, I must admit that I prefer to be with the you now. As for the you in the past, I can only watch over you from afar."

"I'm not stupid, although I'm not exactly smart. But I'm not extremely stupid either... Although I don't know what you're thinking, I think you don't have any negative feelings towards me."

"Sorry for saying so much. You didn't hear a thing... Just consider it me venting."

She took a deep breath and walked towards the door.

"I hope... we can get along well in the future."

She left.

After her figure completely disappeared outside the door, Kal'tsit, who was sleeping, twitched her fingertips slightly.

Chapter 198. Lordran's Daily Activities

Sunrise, moonset. Moonlight, stars.

A day of travel passes silently by, and one new night after another arrives.

As on previous nights, Miss Surtr took on the task of driving. And as always, this caravan, driven by gargoyles, didn't actually need to be driven.

All she needed to do was control the direction. Whether she was in the driver's seat or not made little difference—she could stand on top of the caravan, or sit on the gargoyle's shoulders. Of course, more often than not, she would leave the vehicle, take to the air, and ride the flames and storms, soaring through the sky.

Miss Surtr liked this feeling.

This feeling of freedom, as if walking on clouds and strolling among rainbows.

Sometimes she would make the gargoyles fly a little faster than the planned speed, and then she would try her best to catch up. When she gradually adapted to the sky and atmosphere, and the gargoyles could not keep up with her speed even when pushed to their limits, she would have the gargoyles drive the caravan through the sky when she encountered a place of interest, while she would descend and conduct a few minutes or tens of minutes of exploration.

That's very interesting.

It was also very enjoyable.

She would often descend from the sky, unleashing a fiery barrage that would incinerate bandits besieging merchant caravans. She would also offer food and water to lost travelers wandering the wastelands, pointing them in the right direction. Sometimes she would find a desolate, abandoned fortress teeming with bandits, which she would annihilate in a matter of minutes. More often, the ruins would be filled with monstrous creatures and crazed undead, significantly shortening the battle.

She does this all the time... it's become a habit. Whether in Terra or other dream realms, this kind of chivalrous life-saving has always been her preference.

Of course, unlike the depictions in martial arts stories, when she descended from the sky, she mostly saved not beautiful young girls, but rather traveling merchants from all over the country. And these people who were given a new lease on life by her often did not express their gratitude to her immediately. Instead, they would point fingers, complain about her arriving so late, or go further and make demands, feigning pitifulness or using moral blackmail to get her to provide more help.

She had encountered this kind of thing many times, not just now, but also in her past memories. And her choice, Miss Surtr, had always been to help only once.

Yes, I'll only help you once.

When she rescues a merchant from the jaws of a wild beast, she also chases away other predators within a radius of several kilometers. But she doesn't care whether the traveling merchant will get lost again and be killed by wild beasts after she points out the right way.

After freeing the captured civilians from the dungeon, she would use magic to heal their wounds and exhaustion. Whether these civilians would fight each other over the bandits' loot was entirely beyond her consideration.

She never paid any attention to those who claimed to be burdened with important responsibilities and wanted her to continue protecting and escorting them, otherwise many people might die or be injured. Even if the person called her cowardly, said she lacked a sense of responsibility and would cause the deaths of many people, she remained indifferent.

She's always been like this.

I have never agreed with the idea that saving someone's life means being responsible for that person.

—I'm only willing to help to this extent and then I'll leave. I never pay attention to anyone who points fingers at me or thinks I should do more.

I help people not because I'm kind, but because it makes me happy.

—But if helping makes me uncomfortable, unhappy, or goes against my principles, then I won't help. Even if I don't help someone who will die, I won't stand by and watch them die... Do you expect me to be the antidote for someone poisoned by the aphrodisiac? Don't even think about it, I simply won't stand by and watch them die.

—Because I'll go all the way to save lives, but where that "all the way" is, I decide.

Miss Surtr thought happily, and at the end of each short exploration that took a few minutes, she returned to the sky with a gaze that might be grateful, dissatisfied, or jealous.

Ordinary people should not be underestimated.

—But it shouldn't be taken too seriously.

Those who live for others deserve the glory of heroes.

—But the glory of heroes is useless to me... The essence of honor is the recognition and praise of others, and the self-satisfaction generated by years of education. And what value do these things, confined to one place, have for a wandering alien like me?

—I am not a god...though some people may think I am. But I am not.

—But then again, am I not human...? Ah, I am. I am the human I acknowledge. All I need is myself... and perhaps Laevateinn's acknowledgment. As for others, whether they acknowledge me as human, whether they consider me a god, what does it matter to me?

I should remember this principle well, and not be influenced or persuaded by others.

And, uphold it.

She stood silently in the sky, using her ever-recovering intellect to manipulate the clouds into a magnificent driveway—she knew it was somewhat ostentatious, but she no longer cared—why should she care? What difference did it make whether her actions were admired by millions or known to few?

It seems not.

It doesn't matter if it's there.

She envisioned controlling the cloud path to extend towards Fran, and as the rumors spread, cutting down all magical or miraculous powers that attempted to spy on her from afar.

And so, the night passed.

When daylight came, the two rare people in the world who could advise her learned of her thoughts and actions.