14 Magic and Redefine

"Look! It's the town of Silvafall!" Alden shouted from his carriage seat, bringing everyone to attention.

From afar, one could see walls extended in the distance.

"Finally!"

Everyone shared Jack's enthusiasm. The feeling of exhaustion from everything that had transpired today, and from walking all day yesterday; they were most definitely delectated to see their arduous journey conclusively coming to an end.

Viola could see its broadening stone walls clearly from where she was. She immersively gazes at the sight; her heart raced with avidity. A real fantasy world town for the first time... Fantasy civilization at last!

Yet, despite the town walls being visible from where they are, there's still about a thirty-minute walking distance between them.

To pass the rest of the time, they decided to converse in the meantime now that everyone has a sense of respite—that they are no longer perpetually walking ceaselessly but knowing that their destination was in sight.

"By the way, how did you do that earlier?" Layla, with an inquisitive expression, initiates a question with Viola.

"Do what?" Viola blinked as she waited for clarification.

"Casting magic without any invocation. This is the first time I get to witness something like that. How do you do that?" Layla inquired and eagerly waited for her reply.

She was interested in Viola's magic that had been egging on her curiosity for a while now and had built the courage to finally ask.

"I just can?" Viola shrugged, unsure about explaining this.

"B-But, I heard that only the most talented people like The Sages could possibly cast magic without chanting. I'm not even sure if court mages could do it!"

Being a mage herself, Layla is exceptionally excited and is intent on getting more details on it.

"Well, my method is a little... unorthodox, to say the least... How do you guys cast magic?" Viola curiously asked, using this opportune moment to shift the subject away from her and learn more about the magic of this world.

Layla studied Viola's expression for a bit, wondering if it implicatively insinuates that she has been unknowingly utilizing magic differently from everyone else.

Thinking nothing of it as she recalled her being from a faraway and possibly isolated place away from the world, she then decides that it wouldn't hurt to expound to her everything she knows to her about magic while secretly hoping she'd learn something new from Viola.

"Like this..." Layla closes her eyes for a brief second before invoking a small gust of controlled wind to appear in her palm. "This is just me conjuring my mana and is easy enough for early mages to conjure. But if I were to use a proper spell, I would have to concentrate more while chanting a magic incantation through a medium. At least... this is how I invoke magic."

Viola intently studies the use of the conjuring wind spell while listening to everything that Layla is explaining with her extensive knowledge of the magic of this world.

"Normally, each spell requires an incantation to effectively channel it as it is imperative to convey your will through a clear chant. It helps to draw in the surrounding mana necessary for the spell that you are casting.

"But, if you are experienced enough, you could even shorten your chants without lowering the efficiency of the spell." Layla continues her explanation, "However, it's not that simple. Not only does one need to have an aptitude with certain elements to be able to cast magic, but one must also have enough talent to at least be able to manipulate the mana within them and from the surroundings while comprehending and utilizing Magical Formulas."

As Layla continues explaining, looking very much engrossed in her own lecture, Viola was a little taken aback by there being so much to know about magic in this world and how it was made to be more convoluted and elaborate than she had originally perceived.

'Okay... So far, magic in this world sounds like it operates in a similar conception to most fantasy settings. The higher one's mana control is, the lesser the mana consumption and the more effective the skill will be. Pretty much textbook examples.

'But with the cheat-like abilities that come with the skill, 『Cosmic Mind』, my mana manipulation and control are practically flawless while the mana consumption of any lower-level skills is almost nonexistent—or just very little to be noticed thanks to my speedy mana recovery so that shouldn't pose a problem for me.' Viola mused on as Layla continued on.

"The use of Magical Formula is needed in order for spells to work. These formulas come in the shape of runes in magic circles which are embedded in magical tools and mediums like staves, wands, and tomes—which are channeled through catalysts such as Magic Stones.

"Magic users can then use them to manifest the pre-drawn magic circles to help simplify and channel their mana and cast their spells with enhanced proficiency." Layla continued explaining as Viola made sure to listen and analyze every detail of what she was observing.

'Magic circles... Magical Formulas... I think it may be possible for me to manifest magic circles without a medium of sorts. But for Magical Formulas, I just did what I felt was right.

'With 『Cosmic Mind』 doing all the work for me, I can process the best formulas for magic while theoretically tapping into the system of magic and mentally construct a magic circle in no time at all. No tools or hand drawing needed. I would have to test it out in the near future...' Viola thought to herself with a gleam of keenness in her eyes.

"But keep in mind - Magical Formulas also required to be memorized and mentally visualize for effective spell channeling. Proper formulas that have been taught and studied for an extending period of time are usually required for any mage; otherwise, they won't be able to cast spells properly. But I'm sure you probably already knew this..."

This snippet of information caught Viola's attention regarding her magic use.

Beginner-level magic casters normally require an invocation or incantation in their spells to help direct mana to a certain pattern to channel their magic and create the spell effect. They require absolute focus when dealing with magic they aren't experienced in, and the slightest disturbance can make them lose focus.

There are also other factors involved like thought process, emotions, and spirit; it is why it's exceptionally important for mages to have a calm mind, especially during critical moments.

A mage isn't considered 'full-fledged' unless they could at least invoke spells amid a battle—where there is an abundance of disturbance and pressure—and could still function as a competent mage.

It's similar in EFO as well for early players when casting magic would lock the player in place until the cast time is complete. The casting time could even get interrupted should they receive the slightest bit of damage.

Of course, once you reach a higher level and unlock skills associated with magic that would not only allow their cast time to be shortened or even instantaneous, but also multicasting would be possible; allowing them to move around, fight with other weapons, or casually sip tea while casting a barrage of spells at their enemies without problems. Any "Magical Formulas" or magic circles were there just for aesthetic purposes.

Regardless, the differences are overwhelming between early and late players and it would be of no surprise for that to work similarly in the current world as well, now that magic is genuinely a thing.

When she could cast her first magic—which was 『Light Magic』—not only could she have already comprehended all the intricate details from observing the younger sister earlier, but additionally skipped many of the nonessential steps and invoked all the essential ones simultaneously. The results: increased mana efficiency, amplifying mana circulation, direct mana input, enhanced spell output, and many more.

She even took it a step further by adding her own custom characters—that she remembered seeing from the game—and fine-tuning any corrections to the Magical Formulas she had observed for flawless synergy. Surprisingly, it worked like a real charm. And even though it was the first time Viola had ever done something like this, it was what she believed at first, was the "normal" way of casting magic.

"However, for elves, it may be different. If I'm correct, elves borrow power from The Spirits. For starters - you would probably need to be attuned to the Elemental Spirits first in order to use magic." Layla paused to check over her knowledge of the subject. "But since you're a half-elf, it may not entirely be the case for you, but I'm still unsure. The concept should still be the same, I believe."

'I'm not an elf at all, though, but that's good to know at least. Whether I'm an elf or not, magic is magic. From all the novels that I have read—when it comes to magic—it's all about imagination. What you imagine will manifest into something from your mana, or something along the lines of that...'

It's fundamental to visualize mana as a viscous fluid of a sort, and then mentally manipulate it while using one's body as the modulator to the outside mana. This step is necessary to practice for all beginner magic users.

The next step is to mentally transcribe the appropriate runes for each magic spell to incorporate into Magical Formulas for magic circles. But thanks to the skill 『Cosmic Mind』, these steps have already been fully mastered beyond the norm.

All that's left is the third step: Visual Imagination. Where you simply visualize your intention when casting a specific spell - like a candle flame when you want to cast a fire spell or a waterfall when you want to cast water. The performance of one's spell varies according to one's imagination... Whether they have the necessary mana for such performances is a different story.

'But what if I imagine something at a scientific level? Instead of simply imagining something, knowing how that 'something' works should make a big difference. Bringing technical Earth knowledge into the mix like many of the stories I read... Why not give it a shot?' Viola thought, being too excited when the subject was magic-related, and couldn't hold back testing out some magic on the fly.

She closes her eyes and focus.

When channeling a certain element, like Wind, one should become attuned to that element. Like feeling the natural breeze wrapped around every inch of her body, becoming one with the wind. The sensation was quite enjoyable.

Using what was taught by Layla as a reference if needed, she begins forming the necessary formula in her head for the spell she intended to cast; making each rune complex while keeping the bases as straightforward as possible to avoid unnecessary drawbacks and interference, allowing a solid magical foundation for smooth and instantaneous activation of the magic circle.

Upon completing the construction of the magic circle, the spell was ready to be cast. This process was practically instantaneous to her thanks to her super thought process.

While completing that process, at the same time, she mentally visualizes not just strong wind, but a condensation of wind. A vortex that continuously spins faster. Thinner. Sharper.

Siphoning wind from the surrounding humidity and have them kinetically circulate, forming an updraft while rhythmically channeling wind through that updraft spiral with a sharp downdraft, greatly increasing the speed and pressure of the wind in many directions.

When she had visualized what she wanted, she then begin to channel mana through her body. The feeling of focusing on one's mana felt like a placidly flowing river of water throughout her body. It was like she could feel her mana in every single blood-flowing vein in her body. This process of imbuing mana and optimizing it felt like second nature.

Just when she felt that her body was in alignment with the Wind element and was ready, she tried to manifest the mana and convert it to 『Wind Magic』 in her hands based on her aforementioned theory.

When she does, a warm feeling begins to flow towards her hand and a vigorous condensed gust of wind begins to manifest in the palm of her hands atop a small but intricate magic circle. The gust of wind circulates in a refined vortex just as she imagined before.

The small gust in her palm was so strong that just its miniature scale would've been enough to create a powerful draft that would've blown away her surroundings if she hadn't taken measures to carefully condense the wind and contain it in her palm using mana.

Layla's eyes widened at the refined and potent 『Wind Magic』 Viola conjured in her palm.

Wanting to test out her first offensive spell, she targeted the nearest boulder some distance away from the road, and fired a single wind blade with great speed and precision from the many violent gusts of wind from her hand—once again, without any invocations.

The invisible blade screeched through the air faster than the wind itself and landed on the boulder with a *slice* sound.

At first, no visible damage could be spotted from the boulder; however, the top half of the boulder from where the wind blade supposedly landed subsequently started sliding off and landed on the ground adjacent to it with a *rumble* revealing a truly clean cut on the boulder.

Her spell was a success!

[Skill: 『Wind Magic』 has been successfully obtained.]

Perhaps a little too successful, as within the same breath of time when the rock was sliced, a small explosion erupted in the far distance from the direction of the spell Viola had just fired. It was no doubt to everyone that it was caused by the same wind spell she had just fired off.

Viola, unaware of how stupefied everyone was at the spectacle she just performed, was internally elated at her "successful" 『Wind Magic』 test.

『Wind Magic』 are known for their lack of power and range. But the thought of a mere fundamental wind spell that this girl just cast was not only capable of possessing such insane power but also its incredible range—was nothing short of stupendous, as it demonstrated its exceptional potency and mastery of the emitted spell.

Viola then turns back and blissfully said, "Is that how you do it?" while looking very much like a little girl showing off and looking for praises.

But in reality, she was just overly thrilled for pulling off such a successful magic in her first attempt.

"That's... amazing..."

Layla stared dumbfoundedly at the inconceivable sight while struggling to articulate the desired words to describe the mind-bogging result of Viola's spell.

"It's far stronger and more precise than what I can cast, or anyone could cast for that matter! At most, I can leave cut marks on trees but this... H-How? How do you get so good at it?" Layla inquired with great vigor.

"Um, that was my first time casting 『Wind Magic』..." Viola dubiously answered, not entirely sure of how to properly explain it in a way that would make any sort of sense to them.

"Wh-what!?" Layla exclaimed incredulously, her eyes widened in surprise by the unanticipated answer.

Indeed, what wasn't said was that everyone watching was just as thoroughly surprised and perplexed as Layla was, but didn't express it at the same level.

To everyone else, if their jaws haven't been dropped low enough, to be able to cast a magical spell efficiently for the first time would take weeks of learning and months of practice and many years of additional training to possibly reach the level of proficiency Viola just showcased. Yet she did it after just a brief explanation on the subject while making it seem like the simplest thing in the world.

Being surprised is underselling it. A genius in fighting and magic? Are there any more incredible surprises that this little girl in front of them could conjure up in a single day?

Layla in particular was visibly becoming more and more exhilarated about Viola's particular case.

"You not only could use 『Light Magic』, but also 『Wind Magic』 as well... Normally, having dual affinity was considered a rare sight. I only have the magical aptitude for Water and Wind while my sister has the magical aptitude for Water and Light.

"If this is really your first time casting 『Wind Magic』, h-how many elements do you have an affinity with?" Layla asked Viola with a look that can be described as more than just eager.

"Well-"

Reluctantly, Viola was about to make up an excuse but didn't even get the chance to when she was cut off by the overly passionate Layla.

"-And not only were you able to use magic without chanting, but you even managed to manifest a magic circle on your own without any use of magic tools or mediums! To be able to ignore such an essential step is just... impossible! A-And to be able to cast spells so well like that - I'm not even sure if even the Sages of Alenthia could do something so amazing.

"It's... incredible! I never heard of anyone that could do that! Just what in the world are you?!"

Layla rapidly lean in closer with evident eagerness in her very eyes, which caused Viola to recede a bit, an apprehensive look plastered on her face. She was beginning to wonder if she had done something she shouldn't have.

Having a girl so close to her like this is definitely making her uneasy, especially with the girl's ambrosial scent that is causing her vampiric nose to be drowning in ecstasy. It also doesn't avail at the fact that the scent of humans has by far the most delightful aroma she had smelled in this world.

"Um... Sister?" The younger sister, Lyra, timidly called for Layla's attention, seeing that her personal questions may cause discomfort to their new friend.

Though, that might not be the only reason for her discomfort.

"Erm... right sorry. I got too carried away and start getting too personal..."Layla said, no longer overly excited but now looking a little sheepish from her action.

—But who could blame her? In front of her, is someone that has displayed unimaginable knowledge and power of magic all from a single spell.

But Viola didn't mind all that much, as she finds this expression of her's to be much better than her gloomy mood from before.

Perhaps it's how she can take her mind off of the dark thoughts from before with the subject of magic—which she obviously has a passion for.

But speaking of magic, it seems like the people of this world aren't too well versed in their advances in magic due to their underdeveloped concepts and inert systems. Unlike in the game where everyone has access to advanced theories and concepts in magic, arcane, and even Magi-Tech, all at the push of a button—here, it seems a bit underwhelming in comparison.

Perhaps this world is just a little behind in its advances in magic. But she shouldn't be too quick to judge just yet.

Regardless, this would also bring to mind the fact that her great proficiency in magic and the ability to cast without chanting would definitely stand out in this world.

But the thought of having to pretend to recite an embarrassing cringy chant every time she wanted to cast magic was just not worth the embarrassment to her—so she wasn't going to let this trivial dilemma stop her from having fun with magic.

After the lengthy conversation with Layla about magic which helped pass the time, Viola glanced around at her other new friends walking beside her. That's when she notices the young adventurer boy that hasn't said a word yet and looked like he was in a daze.

Hence why she decided to grab his attention.

"Your name is Cain, right?"

"U-uh, y-yes!" Cain stammered, barely able to form the words he wanted to verbally express due to how flustered he is when someone like Viola, who he has been mesmerized by ever since he saw her, suddenly spoke to him.

"Well, nice to meet you." She gave a friendly smile that, to everyone else, was too cute to ignore. "So you're adventuring too?"

"Y-yes! I, uhh… I only just registered recently and I'm still inexperienced. Ahh…"

Seeing that he is quickly losing himself in her beauty and cuteness again and starting to trail off, she just nods at his reply and continues the conversation.

"By the way, for an inexperienced adventurer, you did pretty good back there, all things considered," Viola spoke in a good-natured tone.

"Oh, uh- thank you, Miss Viola."

Her aberrantly eccentric way of verbalizing, which is a stark contrast to her fairy-like appearance, helped snap him out of his stupor while getting him a little more comfortable talking with her.

"But I... I don't know. All I did was froze as my friends got hurt... Maybe I'm not cut out to be an adventurer. If anything, you're the one that is truly amazing, Miss Viola."

"Well, I did say I was like that as well when I was your age. It's called 'first time'. It's kinda like having your first night with a girl. Of course, you're gonna freeze up. One way or another, the excitement may even be too much as you'll find it over before you could even realize you fucked up."

Indeed, no one present could blame him for stiffening up as he did. Onlookers might blame him for his incompetence, but... you won't know until you experience it firsthand—when everything happens so fast while you stand in one place with a million thoughts running through your head and adrenaline pumping through your body... undecisive of which move to decide upon before it's too late.

"That... was an interesting comparison..." Jack murmurs to himself, but trails off, not knowing what else to say after having overheard that interesting bit, to which Viola chuckled at his reaction.

But, whether it sounded like a joke or not, the way Viola said it truly sounded like it was spoken from experience.

"At the end of the day, not everybody can play the hero. Especially when it comes down to taking a life for the first time. It's perfectly normal, and for what it's worth, you still did pretty well for your first time~" Viola gave him a cute smirk which succeeded in both perking the young adventurer up and also flustering him either from her beauty and kindness—or the unintended innuendo.

These were the wise words that her father once told her the one time when she told him that she wanted to grow up to be just like him. That's when he warned her about what would happen when that time would come and that she would have to act in the face of such dangers.

The part about 'first time with a girl', however, was when she only briefly felt that excitement of ALMOST getting her first time with this one girl back when she was a man. Unfortunately, the only thing she really got that day was blunt force trauma.

Viola shivered and groaned internally after remembering something she wished she could permanently forget.

The crazy woman bashed her head with an encyclopedia after finding a picture of her sister in her wallet.

Immediately concluded that she was having an affair; she was chased out of the house with the very book she was hit with without giving her a single second to explain or grab any of her clothes on her way out. It was the first time she went streaking thanks to that little misadventure.

'Haa~ I should've known she was cray-cray, but I was too drunk and horny to pick up any of the signs... not that I was ever good at that.' Viola inwardly let out one of her 'stressed sighs'.

'But in a way, Sis kinda saved me there. Making out with that crazy demon lord that night would have been equivalent to a bad case of a cliché ecchi "Master-Servant" gone wrong. I'm glad I had that window of opportunity to book it. Haven't seen her since after the two weeks of stalking though. Truly a coalescence of terror and suffering...' Viola couldn't help but shiver under her skin.

While ruminating on her... most interesting recollection, Cain was staring at her unblinkingly, admiring her beauty while also ruminating about what she had said earlier.

Seeing this, Brady gave Cain a hardy slap on his back with enough force to make the young adventurer stumble a couple of steps.

"C'mon, don't be embarrassin' yourself now, kiddo. What happened to that manly bravery you had when you stood against those bandits earlier?"

That also caused him to snap out of his mesmerization, but who could blame him? To him, Viola was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life, yet here she is conversing with him like a friend. Who wouldn't be flustered?

"Ah! S-sorry! I was just lost in my thoughts..." Cain quickly made up an excuse, gulping down his breath.

He started composing himself and once again thought about what Viola had said to him.

He knew what he was getting himself into when he signed up as an adventurer, and he knew that what Viola had said earlier was right.

Albeit, he expected to be dealing with mostly Demonic Beasts and monsters in this line of work, after what transpired today with the bandits, he knew that it isn't that simple⁠—that if he remains as an adventurer, sooner or later, he will face other humans that he would have to fight against.

If he doesn't kill but freezes up like he did earlier today - not only he, but his friends could get hurt, or even killed. It's up to him to start getting used to the path he chose.

But the thought of taking a life still weighs on his mind. Layla, who was walking beside him, took notice of this and reassures him.

"It'll be all right, Cain. For me, it was... hard to digest at first. But like Viola said, it'll be fine if you know you are doing it to not only protect yourself but the ones you care about. She helped me realize that in the end, it's about survival."

Layla was quite confident about it considering that, not long ago, she had her first kill. It was one of the bandits that tried to charge at her and her sister.

During that time, it was a spur-of-the-moment decision for her to protect her sister at all costs. She cast an offensive Wind magical spell hoping to fend off the charging bandit. But during the moment of panic and adrenaline, she didn't have time to properly concentrate while aiming her spell, and the wind blade that she fired off landed right at the bandit's neck, cutting it and spraying blood everywhere. It was only after the battle was when she felt the bandit's droplets of blood on her face and realized what she had done.

Thinking about it again, she once again felt chills about that moment, but quickly recomposed herself when knowing that her sister was safe due to the action she took. She was truly grateful to Viola for quickly opening her eyes to that.

She knows she still has a long way to go to being a powerful mage strong enough to protect her sister from any danger.

"Yup~ I would be lying if I said I didn't feel some sort of uplifting spirit when I'm killing my enemies sometimes. When your enemy makes your life a living hell, it sometimes felt great to unleash some hell yourself!" Viola cheerfully jests to preserve the mood, as questioning as that sounded.

"For me, I didn't really feel a damn thing at first. It's the thoughts that linger after, that get to ya. So to me, the less ya kill, the better." Brady said to Cain in reassurance, wanting to add to the conversation.

Brady could oddly relate to Viola - as she gave off a familiar feeling of someone who also took too many lives, and at the same time, lost too many.

He was also right about one thing... the realization that hits you afterward. It made her rethink her choices every time she had to bury her friends at a funeral. She had thought that she had chosen what she wanted... but she was wrong...

Nevertheless, everyone was successful in cheering up the young adventurer, and was now starting to be able to take his mind off of his concerns thanks to the uplifting atmosphere.

He is, however, curious about what Viola felt when she was once in his shoes as he watches the little girl striding along with him—with her swaying gleaming purple hair along with the idly fluttering ribbons of her dress as she walks, the prominence of her pointy ears, and her pink-amethyst eyes with slitted pupils lambent even in the daylight; who looked like she has no right to have such experiences over a subject like death—blithely humming an unfamiliar tune like any normal little girl.

It's surreal that this girl, as intrepid and carefree as she is, is a person who doesn't even bat an eye when standing against a group of menacing bandits without anything on. This mismatching disposition of hers is what makes her truly beholding to look at unlike anything else.

"Um, thank you... for everything you said, Miss Viola!" Cain flusteredly thanked and bowed towards her, hoping to recover and deviate from the earlier awkward moment.

"Vio's fine." She gave a reassuring smile.

"Y-yes... Vio."

Emboldened by her benign manner, Cain blushed heavily while trying to hide it. But like a weight off his back, he exhales a breath of relief and smiles afterward.

The encouraging comment said by such a cute girl really cheered up his mood and made him a bit more relaxed around Viola—who he now looks up to—while at the same time his curiosity is piqued about her age.

Not two paces behind him, the two sisters were whispering to each other.

"Sister, are little girls the type Cain is into?" Lyra blissfully asked her older sister.

The inexplicable question asked by the younger sibling caused her older sibling to jolt in surprise.

The same could be said for Cain and Viola after having overheard it: Cain was now in a state of fluster once again while Viola was put in a state of aghast.

While Layla tried to clear the misunderstanding caused by the innocence and curiosity of the younger sibling, Viola was rattled by the revelation.

The thought of making her first impression with the people of this world she'd just met resulted in unintentionally seducing someone of the opposite sex with the natural charms of her new body greatly appalls her.

'Bloody fantastic... Making first impressions was never my forte, but this is a new low—even for me!'

Once again, the mention of her age from earlier, when paired with the discrepancy in her appearance, will just cause more puzzlement. Even now, everyone was still wondering about her exact age since she gave such a vague answer earlier.

For one - she may be of an elven heritage that possesses longevity in lifespan and beauty. She could be over a hundred for all they know. She's also quite poised, especially from the way she carries herself - her unique idiosyncrasy, quirkiness, and her distinctive eccentricity; she doesn't speak like how a little girl should speak.

And especially if it's true about her being level 100 - a level that was not only extremely difficult to reach, but also must have taken a great amount of time to get to, which is not something humans or anyone could easily obtain even if they were to train their whole life. It's also isn't difficult to believe if she were at that level, considering everything they have seen before.

However, the subject was promptly discontinued when everyone noticed her exasperated and discomforting expression resulting from the awkward misunderstanding earlier, which deterred them from touching on the matter any further.

Nonetheless, everyone continued to converse more with one another throughout the rest of the trip.

Despite the occasional unblinking stares and gawks she kept receiving from everyone, like the guards (and felt abashed whenever she noticed it), she got along nicely with the people she just met thanks to her laid-back temperament.

During conversations, she'd also learned that these adventurers were tasked with an escort request: to guard a merchant—Aldin—and to safely escort him to the town of Silvafall.

It also turns out that the two sisters only just met with Cain, Jack, and Brady recently and decided to party up with the guys to conveniently take on the escort quest together. It was an ideal party matchup; having fighters upfront with range and magic support from behind with a healer. One could see how good of an idea it sounded.

But - of course, they were only a last-minute temporary party—so they weren't familiar with each others' approaches, nor had a party name or made any achievements worth noting by the Guild.

Of course, Viola couldn't help but start reminiscing about the ideal party she used to have back in the game. But it wasn't just an "ideal" party, but an ideal family. Something she had lost long ago...

The adventurer party also took a circuitous but safe road around Silvafall Forest to avoid going too deep into the forest—where the more frightening Demonic Beasts dwell at.

It wasn't until they were near the outskirts of the forest that they made contact with Duke Helder's company along the way and decided to travel the rest of the way together.

However, they were only able to travel for about an hour until they were ambuscaded by the bandits, but were saved thanks to Viola's unceremonious appearance. Supposedly, the road leading from the forest to the town of Silvafall was often used by travelers and adventurers, so bandit attacks were more common on the road than Demonic Beast attacks.

And that's how it all transpired. The entire rest of the journey had been peaceful compared to the events before.

And after conversing with these people in this world's language for quite a while now, Viola had become completely fluent in the language to the point where she no longer has a trace of an accent, as she now sounded perfectly like a native speaker. Another convenient perk from her current favorite skill.

But because of that (and to her surprise), she couldn't help but get a little talkative occasionally when she had kept everything cooped up back on Earth. Aware of this, she forced herself to be more reserved.

As mellow as she was most of the time, the feeling of receiving such an abundance of human interaction after so long still felt foreign to her—even more than being in a fantasy world.

'I shouldn't get too attached to these guys; I'd lost too many that I had gotten close to before. Bad things always happen to those that are close to me... And who knows how long people last in a fantasy world. It's best if I just keep a distance if I can help it...'

Although she won't lie that she is at the least bit enjoying the company of other people for the first time in a while, she was still reticent given her circumstances, and sometimes would rather remain furtive when possible. She plans on separating when the time arrives.

But as much as she would like to keep her identity from being exposed too early; if she sees people in trouble, she'll jump in to save them as she did with these people. That's just how she is—that's how her father was as he refused to abandon people to their fates. Even if her identity were put at risk, abandoning people right in front of her was never her thing. It's one of the reasons why she chose to serve...

'A wise man once said, "The more that is given, the more that is expected." Right now, cheat-level power was given to me. I don't know from whom or where, nor do I know if they are expecting something out of me. Regardless...'

• • •

"Remember - it's not about being a hero. When you are strong, you would often feel responsible for the weak. When you choose to guide them to the right path, make sure you yourself do not lose sight of your own path."

• • •

Someone with common sense once said that to her back in the military.

She was killed in her previous life because she failed to heed the last part. Though she is very strong now, she's not one to make the same mistakes twice. She won't let the feeling of responsibility control her life this time. She'll decide who she'll protect and to whom she'll give her sympathy.

It's time to break the chains of burden and take control of her own life and future in this new world.

This new life...

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A/N: PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE FOR THIS CHAPTER AS I HAVE SOME NOTICES I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS WITH EVERYONE! Thank you!

Really sorry for the sudden long wait, everyone. I'm sure y'all wondering why the unannounced long hiatus. Two words: Nursing Program. I'm sure you guys know what that means and it doesn't mean vacation in Tahiti. It's been very busy for me and it will only get busier. I've only had time to finally finish the next chapter within all the chaos that's been happening in my life, but, I can't keep you guys waiting like this. It's a dick move. So with that being said, I will try to squeeze time to continue working on my novel. DON'T WORRY, it won't be dropped anytime soon. I have too much love for my work to be doing something like that. So anyway, this was an extra long chapter to make up for the hiatus. Once again, please let me know of any grammar errors down to the smallest punctuation errors and details as I find that to be greatly appreciated in strengthening my writing skills. And just a bit of a warning: no promises on how soon the next chapter will be released thanks to all the chaos, but I will try to get it out ASAP. But anyway, once again, please read the Author's Note below as I have another important note I would like to address to you all. It's nothing serious, but it would be nice if y'all are made aware of what's written down there. Alrighty, if nothing else, I'll see you guys in a bit! ^^