You're Still Alive? Didn't You Sacrifice Yourself to Save Us?

When a large snowball hit her in the face, Amelia couldn't help but let out a soft hiss. As the snowball broke, small snowflakes fell into her collar, and the chill made her hiss again.

Removing the white glove from her right hand and wiping the fine snowflakes from her face, Amelia's gaze locked onto the human man who had shoved a snowball into her face.

His azure eyes held both anger and confusion.

Did she mistake someone else for someone else? Same name, same appearance, but personality seems completely different from her former companion named Lance.

Lance, a former companion, was honest, taciturn, and disliked playing around.

When the group of them were laughing, chasing, and playing around, he would sit quietly to the side, not participating, and occasionally watching them laugh.

Most of the time, he preferred to stay to the side and study how to concoct extraordinary potions; he had the lowest profile in the team.

The viscount Lance of Saint Blue City before her was full of vigor and even more unruly than the children of Saint Blue City when he played around. He was quite different from the companion named Lance in her memory.

Another thing that bothered her was that her companion Lance had died in the final battle of the "King Sealing Demon Slaying" that year.

Even if he hadn't died back then and had survived by sheer luck, he should have disappeared into the annals of history long ago, given the lifespan of a human being.

Given Lance's strength back then, it would be quite remarkable if he lived to be three hundred years old.

Now that a thousand years have passed, it's impossible for Lance to still be alive.

Could it be that this Viscount Lance is the reincarnation of Lance?

If he hadn't been reincarnated, Lance would never have lived to this day.

Unless Lance faked his death back then and even concocted the "Elixir of Immortality" he mentioned.

Back then, the adventure team they formed all had their own dreams.

She remembered Lance's dream declaration when he joined the team. "To find the legendary elixir of immortality, or to collect the legendary substances of immortality, and to refine a batch of the Elixir of Immortality."

If Lance could truly have lived from a thousand years ago to the present, there is only one explanation: he survived the battle of "King Sealing Demon Slaying," then concocted the "Elixir of Immortality," and after consuming it, he has lived from a thousand years ago to the present.

Even if he didn't concoct the Elixir of Immortality, he may have had some extraordinary encounters and taken some divine medicine that could prolong his life.

If Viscount Saint Lan is indeed Lance, then her former companion has changed quite a bit.

Actually, she had been in Saint Lan for a few days and had been learning about the Dragon God Temple. She only started paying attention to it after she accidentally heard that Viscount Lans was named Lance.

Until today, on the day of the first snow, I met Lance.

He was exactly the same, only his temperament and eyes had changed. He was completely different from the somewhat timid and honest Lance from before.

The Lance of the past would never have done something like shoving a snowball directly in her face.

Amelia crouched down, rolled a snowball from the ground, and chased after Lance, who was mixed in with the crowd. She'd just confront him and run away? No way!

She caught up with Lance, threw the snowball in her hand at Lance's head, grabbed Lance's hand, and dragged Lance away from the crowd.

The playful citizens didn't pay much attention when they saw their Viscount being led away by a beautiful and noble female elf. In Saint Blue City, no one could harm the Viscount.

Even elves won't work.

The beautiful female elf must know their Viscount.

The young dragon, who was about to throw a snowball at Lance, saw the evil dragon being pulled away by the tall female elf and stood there blinking its purple-gold vertical pupils a few times.

The evil dragon Lance knows elves? Oh, it seems he knows some of the portraits in the Dragon Nest Study. There seem to be portraits of elves among them.

I didn't get a good look at the female elf who took the dragon away.

Never mind, let's play first.

Anyway, the female elf couldn't fool the evil dragon.

It's even less likely that she was someone the dragon used to like.

The young dragon started playing with her friends who followed her.

Amelia pulled Lance out of the crowd, let go of him, and stared at Lance's face. Did he blush?

Back then, if a girl in the team accidentally touched Lance's hand, Lance's face would turn red instantly.

Even calling him "Lance" would make him blush for a long time.

"Female elf, please have some self-respect. I've already told you, you've mistaken me for someone else. My name is Lance, but I'm not the Lance you know."

"You are definitely not the Lance I knew more than a thousand years ago. You have changed a lot. If it weren't for the surprise that you inadvertently showed in your golden-red eyes when you looked at me just now, I might have really thought that you were just a human who looked exactly like my former companion and had the same name."

It's amazing. The world is so big. I never thought that one day I would meet my teammates, who have been dead for who knows how many years, in this remote corner of the world.

[The Non-Existent Potion Master]. A thousand years later, all you want to say to me is, "Sorry, you've mistaken me for someone else"?

Amelia smiled broadly. She was truly happy to meet her former teammate in the human world a thousand years later, not to mention that this teammate still owed her money.

Before the battle of "King Sealing Demon Slaying," Lance told them two short stories, "A Battle with No Back to the River" and "Burning the Boats."

The gist of the story is that if they want to achieve final victory, they must cut off their escape route and face the final battle with a "win or die" mentality.

After hearing Lance's story, they remained silent for a long time. Later, they realized that what Lance said made sense.

Then they decided to travel light, entrusting all their useless belongings to Lance for safekeeping.

As Potion Master, Lance only needed to prepare enough extraordinary potions for them. Although he could also go to the battlefield, his combat power was ultimately no match for theirs.

He probably knew this too, so when distributing spoils, he would only take things that were not of much value.

They handed over all their money to Lance for safekeeping.

Lance said that the money was a loan from him, and if they were all alive after the final battle, he would return the valuables they had given him intact.

If they were to die, these valuables would be placed in their graves as keepsakes. However, to everyone's surprise, during the final battle, when they were about to be defeated, Lance, who should not have been on the battlefield, suddenly appeared.

He placed the valuables they had given him on the ground one by one, and in order to save them and defeat the powerful demon king Lance, he sacrificed himself in front of them.

This granted them immense power in a short period, enabling them to defeat the powerful Demon King. After the "King Sealing Demon Slaying" campaign, they gained both fame and fortune, choosing to sacrifice their own Lance and earning the title. "The Non-Existent Potion Master."

Only the members of their squad knew how dazzling and brilliant the light emanating from the [Non-Existent Potion Master] when he flaunted his existence to them.

The Potion Master sacrificed herself in front of them back then caused her to bleed for a long time afterwards.

Speaking of which, it will be the anniversary of Lance's death in a few days.

She didn't know if her other teammates remembered Lance's death anniversary, but she always remembered Lance.

If she doesn't get a reasonable explanation, she'll offer sacrifices to Lance in front of this viscount in a few days.

"It suddenly occurred to me that the time you chose to sacrifice yourself was also in winter. Your death anniversary is approaching."

"???"

Lance felt his luck had been a bit bad lately. The world was so big, yet his former teammates still managed to run into him in some corner of the world. Amelia, a member of the [Radiant Sun] Hero Party, recognized him at a glance. Her dream was to one day become a [Evil Dragon Elf Knight].

She was an elf who only wanted to sign Dragon Knight Contract with an evil dragon. When I met her, she was quirky, rich and silly. If you went out with her, as long as you were shameless enough, she would pay for all your food, drinks and entertainment.

When he Potion Master in the [Radiant Sun] Hero Party, he liked to be Amelia's little shadow, following Amelia around and eating and drinking for free.

When he's broke, all he has to do is sigh in front of Amelia, and Amelia 'll come running up to him like a silly deer and ask what's wrong. If he says nothing's wrong, Amelia will press him for details. When he stammers that he doesn't have money to buy medicine, Amelia will lend him the money so he can buy the medicine.

Of course, this has something to do with the "persona" he used back then.

When I joined the [Yaoyang] Hero Party, my strength lay in my honesty and straightforwardness; I wasn't glib or smooth-talking.

Over time, the team members came to trust him. They felt that this honest and simple Potion Master, who didn't have much money, was too reliable. They lent him money without worrying that he would default on his debts.

Sometimes, when it was suggested that medicine be used to settle debts, the team members would readily agree.

Just a while ago, I was thinking about how a hero suddenly unleashed his power and killed the Demon King. And now, not long after, a member of the Hero Party has appeared in Saint Blue and even captured this Potion Master who had always been relatively unknown.

She really can't stand being nagged at all.

It seems I can't keep up the act anymore.

Amelia is no longer as easily fooled as before; she has grown wiser over the past thousand years.

Lance saw the future dragon cub in Amelia; the dragon cub a thousand years from now would be just as intelligent as Amelia.

The dragon cub is a young dragon that has eaten the Wisdom Fruit.

"Amelia, you may have really mistaken me for someone else."

"You called me by my name, and you still say I've mistaken you for someone else?"

A blush appeared on the exquisite and flawless face of the female Amelia, a flush of excitement.

He really is Lance.

The human before them was Lance, the Potion Master had chosen to sacrifice himself in front of them all those years ago.

It's too unbelievable! She never imagined that she would encounter that "honest and simple" Potion Master from a thousand years later! Thinking of the words "honest and simple," Amelia's azure eyes flashed with shame and annoyance. She'd been tricked!

Back then, they were all fooled by this honest and simple -Potion Master who blushed easily! "Ah, it seems my guess was right. You've become wiser, much smarter than you were a thousand years ago. If it were you a thousand years ago, you would have bowed and apologized if I said that, and you wouldn't have been able to react for a moment."

Lance raised his hand and smiled as he brushed the snowflakes that had fallen on Amelia's head.

"Long time no see, Amelia."

"Long time no see, you liar Lance!"

Amelia stepped forward and hugged Lance.

Lance's body stiffened slightly for a moment, then he gently patted Amelia's back a few times and pushed Amelia away.

After a long separation, Amelia expressed her excitement with a hug.

For the sake of the food and drink I got along with you a thousand years ago, I won't give you an over-the-shoulder throw. "You're all grown up now, so you can't just hug me like that anymore. This is a one-time thing, there won't be a next time."

Lance chuckled and ruffled Amelia's hair; no matter how big she was, she wasn't as big as him.

He was more than two thousand years older than Amelia.

It's different. It's really different. Lance the conman, he's really different from a thousand years ago.

The gesture of rubbing a girl's head was something Lance, a thousand years ago, could never have done.

But now it seems so natural and casual.

His tone and manner of speaking have also changed. A thousand years ago, Lance always seemed timid and insecure when he spoke.

Now, he exudes an irresistible charm in every gesture.

Just standing next to him gave her a comfortable, pleasant, and easygoing feeling Amelia noticed that her mindset seemed to have changed as well.

When she handed the large snowball to Lance with a smile, she was somewhat arrogant, waiting for Lance to greet her first.

Without a second thought, Lance shoved the snowball right into her face.

It's not her fault, you really can't blame her.

Every member of the Radiant Sun Squad carries a certain sense of superiority when facing Lance.

Even before Lance chose to sacrifice himself, the members of the Radiant Sun Squad might have had the mindset that they were the ones carrying Lance.

It is Lance honor for Lance to team up with them.

Therefore, when it came to dividing the spoils of war, they all felt it was only natural that Lance would take something worthless.

Potion Master, after all, only there to assist them in battle; they don't have much combat power themselves.

Is the conman Lance really that weak in combat?

Viscount Lance of Saint Blue City is not only good at concocting potions, but he also seems to be a Beast Tamer! How infuriating!

It's an act!

The way Lance acted when she was with them was an act, and she had been putting on an act for several years. Facing the current Lance, she felt no sense of superiority at all.

Even when she met Lance's gaze, she felt a moment of self-consciousness. The woman a thousand years later was far superior to the woman a thousand years ago.

It is also better than itself a thousand years ago.

Logically speaking, she shouldn't have these feelings.

Could Lance a thousand years from now be more outstanding than her a thousand years from now?

Hateful!

A thousand years ago, she would have been the one touching the head.

She patted Lance's head, and Lance should be happy.

But just now, when Lance touched her head, she felt it was perfectly normal and even happy. It was so strange.

The source of this strange phenomenon is Lance, a thousand years in the future.

"Can you please stop treating me like a child? The tone you just used clearly indicated that you were treating me like a child. Don't think I can't tell."

"I don't treat you like a child; I treat you like an adult."

"Then why did you speak to me in that tone?"

"I think of myself as an old man, and this is the tone an old man uses when talking to a child who has just come of age."

"."

Where did the honest and kind-hearted Lance from a thousand years ago go? "You wouldn't have said such a thing a thousand years ago."

"Because I am honest and kind."

"."

Amelia and Lance's gazes met in the air. When she saw Lance's eyes, she subconsciously recalled the way Lance looked at them a thousand years ago. At that time, she only felt that Lance's gaze was sometimes strange. Now she understood. It wasn't the way he looked at his peers, but the way he looked at children.

Especially when their team went out on missions and accidentally provoked some powerful creatures, Lance's eyes would occasionally flash with a hint of helplessness.

Speaking of which, when their team goes out on missions, they occasionally encounter incredibly powerful monsters, but they always manage to escape safely inexplicably. Could this also be related to Lance?

How did you end up in Saint Blue City?

"I heard that there were evil dragons in the Red Maple Kingdom, so I came to the Red Maple Kingdom. I also heard that the Lord of Holy Blue built a Dragon God Temple that was recognized by the Dragon God, so I was a little curious and came to take a look. I didn't expect to meet you in Holy Blue."

Amelia adjusted her mindset. She was an adult now, and she couldn't let the conman Lance continue to treat her like a child.

"Liar, how have you survived until now? We clearly saw you sacrifice yourself back then, how could you come back to life?"

"You should ask me who I sacrificed myself to back then."

To whom did you sacrifice yourself?

"I sacrificed myself."

"???"

He sacrificed himself? Is this the same honest and kind-hearted Potion Master from back then?

"No, you're wrong. If you sacrificed yourself, how do you explain our increased combat power?"

"You were all shocked by my death. I heard a legend that if you want the hero to become stronger during battle, you must randomly sacrifice one of the hero's teammates."

I sacrificed myself on a whim, and to my surprise, you and the hero suddenly unleashed your full power right after I did. The key thing is, you actually crippled the Demon King!

Although he secretly cast a dragon spell on them to enhance their combat power and defense when he sacrificed himself, Amelia did not believe Lance's claim.

She didn't believe that Lance would sacrifice himself for a baseless legend.

Before the "King Sealing Demon Slaying" campaign began, the honest and kind-hearted Potion Master Lance must have already considered his fate.

A thousand years ago, she thought the honest and kind Potion Master was the one with the simplest background in the team.

That was what she thought until they met again.

However, it took her only a few minutes after their reunion to realize how wrong she had been.

Lance was hiding too much.

Fortunately, the conman Lance never intended to harm them. As an elf, she could intuitively sense whether a person was good or bad.

I chose to join the [Radiant Sun] team because the members of the [Radiant Sun] team made me feel at ease.

Amelia recalled some of the strange behaviors she had unconsciously displayed back then.

For example, when faced with danger, she doesn't instinctively seek out the strongest hero in the team, but instead instinctively goes to the side of the honest and simple-minded Lance.

Having noticed this behavior before, she concluded that the honest and kind-hearted Potion Master was too weak. She subconsciously moved closer to Lance to protect Lance. Seeing Lance now, another thought suddenly surfaced in her mind: Could it be that her subconscious told her back then that the honest and kind Lance was more reliable than the strongest hero in the party, leading her to subconsciously move closer to him? This subconscious behavior wasn't about wanting to protect Lance, but rather a subconscious feeling that the honest and kind Potion Master Lance could protect her. The more Amelia thought about it Lance, the more likely this seemed.