6 6. The tears of the Beauty.

The woman who called herself Eliza uttered a few statements that only served to deepen the labyrinth of questions in Zephyr's already dazed mind.

'What's forgotten? What's happening?' He seethed with irritation as the game remained frustratingly unresponsive. Deciding to approach the situation with caution, he addressed Eliza, and the woman, on the verge of tears, halted to look at him. It was as if she had been yearning for those very words.

"Eliza," he called, taken aback by the unfamiliar sound of his own voice. Since he was inhabiting the character of Mordret, his physical attributes had been altered, leaving him surprised.

The game had been designed with an astonishing level of detail. He recalled watching a V-tuber in a white fox-girl cosplay perform impressive stunts, laughing in her high-pitch voice, and breaking controllers as if it was made out of cardboard had left him awestruck. The sensory experience the technology provided was truly magnificent.

Mordret's voice, deep, composed, and authoritative, posed a question that demanded an answer. 'Damn! I wonder who the voice actors are for all these characters,' Zephyr pondered, his interest piqued.

Despite his inner turmoil, Zephyr maintained his composure and inquired, "What happened?" He chose a simple question, planning to adjust his perspective once he had enough information about the current situation.

"My Lord... Did you perhaps forget what happened?" Eliza's cheerful countenance turned solemn, though she quickly pushed those thoughts away. For some reason, Zephyr didn't want to deceive those innocent eyes, but he had no other choice. Eliza's gaze had an unwittingly melting effect on him, but breaking the game's rules was out of the question.

"Yes, I did. I only remember you," Zephyr replied, curious about Eliza's reaction.

Eliza waited for a few moments as if wanting to hear more from her Lord. When she didn't receive further input from Mordret, she surprised Zephyr with her response.

"I see. Then, let me tell you, My Lord," Eliza's words lost their warmth, and suddenly, her eyes turned cold. Zephyr felt like he was becoming a stranger to the beautiful girl before him.

"A week ago, your barony on the Northern border was attacked by a Beast Raid. A hundred Beasts, ranging from Rank 5 Dormants to their guardian Vile of Rank 2, assaulted our settlement," Eliza spoke slowly, allowing Zephyr to absorb the information piece by piece.

"While you were bravely defeating the Rank 2 Vile Beast, you were poisoned in the eyes and lost your sight. Additionally, the Karakir Tentacle suddenly went berserk, and in order to save the villagers, you fought the beast... alone." Her words carried a mix of sadness and anger, but she behaved more distantly than before.

Her demeanor had changed slightly, and the affectionate gaze was no longer stable. Her facial expressions were less pronounced, and she concealed her emotions more effectively, behaving more like a servant should.

"However, to bring glory to your name, you single-handedly defeated a Rank 2 Vile Beast as a Rank 6 Advanced. It's nothing short of an incredible achievement," Eliza's final words dripped with undeniable pride.

"Lastly, you were brought back to the mansion and properly healed by the best healer in the barony. However, you insisted on resting strictly for a while," Eliza added.

"I see," Zephyr nodded, gaining a clearer understanding of the situation. 'So this Mordret is a feudal Lord. He fought to protect his barony from the Beast Raid, and the reason I couldn't see during the battle against the tentacle monster was because my eyes were poisoned... I see.'

"My Lord, I will take my leave," Zephyr was interrupted by Eliza's abrupt announcement.

"Hmm..." Observing the girl's appearance, he noticed that she hadn't slept in the past three days, evident from the dark circles under her eyes. Her unique hairstyle from earlier now looked like a mess.

"My Lord, please don't leave this room until your injuries have completely healed. While the enchantments in the mansion can mend your injuries, they aren't as efficient as those in this room," she hurriedly explained, then left the room as if feeling suffocated.

As Zephyr lay on the bed, he couldn't see a glistening drop of water near the door.

"Well, that settles everything," he blinked a couple of times. Even though he was accustomed to solitude, he found himself not disliking Eliza's company

Probably, it helped him get over Mira--"Tsk, you thought of her again." Zephyr attempted to facepalm but quickly regretted the gesture.

"Oww!! Ow! It hurts! It fucking hurts!" Now that he no longer had beauty to distract him, the pain in his body became more pronounced.

Maybe Eliza failed to recall or simply avoided telling him, but Mordret's body was battered--simply put, it was fucked.

When he was brought back, his state was like that of a ragged doll. His bones were crushed, his skin was peeled, flesh torn and pulled out, and blood spilled everywhere.

If not for the fact that the healer had given their all to save him, Mordret might've died just from the blood loss. However, it was still not enough.

"Fuck…" Zephyr cursed. His muscles were sore, and his bones made cracking sounds that both pained and reassured him they were fine. His eyes were as good as new, and his skin, except for the scratches and deep gashes, looked plump and healthy.

"Does this room have some healing enchantment?" He questioned, recalling reading about such runes in books of swords and magic.

And as proof, he could feel the itchy sensation of his skin regenerating, healing those scratches and gashes.

"It's so surreal." Zephyr allowed himself to sink into the soft mattress.

Although he wanted to peruse the books in the corner and learn more about this world, he was a patient guy. His weak heart had already been through adventures he had never faced before. For him, this was a much-needed break.

He needed to sort things out in his mind. He also had to explore those four options in the system. The case of Mordret's character directly or indirectly affected his progress in the game.

Everything was about to begin, but before he delved deeper, Zephyr desired a good sleep that would serve as the beginning of his new journey in this strange game.

...

As Eliza stepped out of her Lord's room, all sound from inside was muted.

Eliza touched the pendant she wore and whispered, "Why can't you ever be wrong? Just once... Just once, I would've prepared for it earlier..." Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"My Lord... Why did you forget everything?" Eliza lost strength in her legs, collapsing to the floor.

"You said you would remember me... You promised me..." Her eyes swelled with tears.

Eliza's tight grip did not affect the fragile-looking pendant at all. The blue butterfly glowed brightly, casting the same hue in the girl's blue eyes.

***

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