Chapter 178: Roza

When Blanche woke up, she quickly realized that Nicky might be good at many things, but cooking... that was clearly not one of them. Then again, she wasn't exactly an expert herself. So...

Her breakfast, consisting of a far-too-runny omelet, a tomato, dried fish, and rye bread, was light-years away from Kiyan's cooking.

Nevertheless, she thanked Nicky with a smile before sitting down in front of her plate.

She ate without much enthusiasm, still groggy with sleep. Her spoon sank into the barely cooked eggs, and when she lifted it, the still-runny yolk stretched lazily before falling back onto the plate.

Blanche stared at the result with a doubtful expression.

She had never been a fan of eggs that undercooked.

But Nicky had made them for her.

So she ate.

One bite.

Then a second.

By the third, she had stopped thinking about the taste.

What wouldn't you do for your family?

The thought brought a small smile to her lips.

Because, yes...

Nicky was now part of it.

She probably never would have imagined that such an excitable, talkative pixie, who was apparently incapable of staying still for more than thirty seconds, would find a place in her daily life. And yet, his presence now felt almost natural.

He had his flaws.

Many of them.

But he also had that disarming loyalty, that contagious energy, and his own unique way of caring about others.

He was one of them.

And Blanche protected her own.

Even when they were incapable of protecting themselves.

Her gaze settled on Nicky.

The little creature seemed perfectly at ease, already busy telling her something else with grand gestures.

Blanche sighed.

He was adorable.

But he was also desperately vulnerable.

She had watched him enough to know that.

He relied on his powers, his speed, and that harmless appearance that naturally encouraged others to underestimate him. But against a truly trained opponent, that wouldn't be enough.

And Blanche refused to wait until one day he found himself in a situation where his abilities were no longer enough to get him out of it.

It was time for him to learn how to defend himself properly.

Not just how to run.

Not just how to dodge.

How to fight.

She slowly set down her spoon.

An idea had just taken root.

She could teach him herself.

After all, she'd already learned how to fight from teachers far more intimidating than him. She knew what it meant to learn how to take a hit, anticipate an opponent's moves, and strike at the right moment.

And above all, she knew just how much of a difference training could make when a situation went wrong.

Blanche looked at the pixie again.

He had absolutely no idea what was coming.

Her smile widened.

"You're going to suffer," she murmured to herself.

Nicky looked up.

"Huh?"

Blanche immediately picked up her spoon again.

"Nothing."

She swallowed another bite of eggs.

Very innocently.

He would learn how to defend himself.

Even if that meant she had to become his teacher.

Or perhaps...

Another solution popped into her mind, and it made her snicker.

Nicky wondered what she had in store for him... then Blanche offered to take care of lunch.

Nicky thanked her with a wide smile, temporarily forgetting his worries.

Worries that were, as it turned out, perfectly justified.

"I was starting to think you'd never offer..."

"Are you coming hunting with me?"

The young man happily accepted, far too delighted at the prospect of not spending yet another week alone.

The Player led her into the vast forest of giant fir trees near the goblin dungeon. Farther down, between the great plain leading to the hospital, stretched another area bordered by the upper reaches of the river, where fields extended as far as the eye could see before disappearing into enormous snow-covered mountains.

The only patch of greenery untouched by snow, with a mild climate.

To Blanche's delight, she discovered rabbits, pheasants, geese, ducks, and even swans hiding among the tall undergrowth. She chose one of the plumpest birds and demonstrated her favorite skill to Nicky.

He immediately complained, since he had to catch his prey with his bare hands.

But he didn't complain for long.

Delighted at the thought of finally having meat for lunch, he explained the somewhat strange layout of the area to her, promising to show her the Map of the Outworld someday.

Being alone with Nicky on their little outing did Blanche a world of good.

The handsome young man was full of surprises.

After a while, he suddenly murmured, his voice tense:

"I think we're being followed."

Blanche immediately went on alert, only to relax when she recognized the enormous gray she-wolf with orange eyes, hiding behind a giant tree.

"Oh... that's Roza."

She gently moved away from Nicky and approached her.

The wolf immediately came closer.

Blanche sacrificed one of her pheasants and offered it to her.

Roza thanked her with a fluffy nudge of her head.

Unexpectedly, she didn't run away when Nicky approached as well, even as she was already tearing the bird in two, half in her jaws and half beneath her paws.

"Roza?" the Player asked.

"Yes. She saved me during my second quest. Ever since then, she follows me whenever she sees me."

Nicky gave her an admiring look.

"You're not afraid?"

Blanche tilted her head, not really understanding the question, while stroking the wolf between the ears.

Her fur was unbelievably soft.

"You've never seen Fen in his true form, have you?"

Nicky admitted that he hadn't.

As if to punctuate the conversation, the wolf suddenly stood up and licked his face.

The pixie recoiled with a grumble, while Blanche burst out laughing.

"You could've waited until you'd washed your tongue! Damn it, now I smell awful, and it's sticky too! By all the gods, what did I do to deserve this?!"

Sympathetically, Blanche helped him clean himself with her scarf and a little water.

Her beautiful wool scarf was definitely not looking like much anymore.

Nicky continued ranting against the giant wolf for a while, while she calmly accompanied them on the way back.

Strangely enough, she seemed to like the Player very much.

She kept teasing him.

"Is it just me, or is this creature really intelligent?"

"Of course," Blanche replied without thinking, while Roza stared at Nicky. "She's human."

The warrior stopped dead.

Blanche did too.

Roza did as well.

"Repeat what you just said," the fae ordered.

Blanche obeyed...

Then suddenly realized the full extent of what she'd just revealed.

Roza was the first animal she'd ever seen with an aura.

But familiars often retained their animal forms.

She simply hadn't noticed the difference.

"But... who are you?" the dark mage whispered to the wild animal.

The wolf barked briefly before calmly walking away.

"Strange," Nicky concluded. "To be continued in the next chapter..."

Blanche nodded and, on the way back, explained her aura-perception skill to him.

Nicky was the first to discover what his looked like.

Apple green at its center, symbolizing hope.

Pale pink for boldness and a healthy dose of naivety.

A white finish representing purity and innocence, ringed by a vivid orange, vibrant with vitality.

Pure optimism.

Even though the overall description was flattering, the Player wasn't particularly fond of having his naivety pointed out.

He had to admit, however, that it was sometimes true...

He was just a little slower on the uptake than everyone else.