I Don’t Want This Bad Ending

Adelyn decided to have a sparring match with Adam before she went to the Kingdom of Levinstone.

She always tries to fulfill her promise whenever she can and whenever it is within her capabilities. Well, she knew that there's also things that she can't help and she abandoned it, that's why she was trying to fulfill the little promises. That's also the reason why Adam and Adelyn decided to meet in the basement of the Monterio Guild. To spar.

The basement is actually used for secret meetings, deals, missions, and also as the training ground of the adventurer who would also take an advanced test to be promoted in rank. It was the size of the half building footprint and can be found in the second floor of the underground basement.

The cement walls and the lit torches is what can be seen in the four walls of the room. There is also at the side of the room where the wooden sticks are used for practices and the seats that can be found above the center stage so that audience can watched the adventurers who wants to advance their ranks.

Anyway…

Adam is looking neat and proper as there is no blood stain stuck to his face or his clothes. He was waiting for Adelyn who said that she will permit his request of sparring before she goes into her mission.

Adam has bright red hair along with his apricot almond eyes. He was standing there leisurely while his sword was lifted with one hand and resting on his shoulder. 

Moments later Adelyn walked in with her trademark black mask along with her casual training black pants and white shirt along with her black boots. Her chestnut locks are tied into a ponytail and her slender arms that contain enough muscles are circling in the air as she stretches her arm.

Adam looked at Adelyn who has always had that look that she doesn't care about her surroundings but always the one to take the action when she knew that someone is in danger. Like what happened to him during the battle with the Orc. 

He knew that Adelyn was making her the distraction so that she can attack while all the opponent's attention and attack will land on him. But after she saw the blood trickling down his face, he knew she got annoyed and tried to deal and kill the Orc to lessen the harm to others.

Of course, Adelyn… no, Evelyn doesn't know this herself. She always tried to use others but ended up taking the burden herself. Well, for Evelyn it was faster for her to act than to wait for people to rescue or shield her.

Adam and Adelyn positioned themselves as they had their stance a few feet from each other while they eyed and tried to predict each other's moves.

"Are we going to use real swords, Miss Adelyn?" Adam was the one to ask as he saw Adelyn leisurely picking up a sword in the side where the rack of swords are stacked.

"Huh? I thought we would use one, because you know… you're holding a real sword with you Adam" She replied as she motioned her chin to the direction of his sword in his shoulder.

"Oh this… I was just practicing earlier that's why."

"Hmm…"

Then Adelyn squinted her eyes to Adam. It was because she actually noticed that Adam seems to be talking a lot with her these days. And it's unusual… for her, that is. So, she just shrugged and asked directly.

"By the way Adam, is it just me or you become a little chatty?"

She looked at him as she stopped searching for a sword that fitted her as she picked one that was light in weight. Perfect for her stature, then she added words because she noticed Adam flinched in surprised. Which she found funny.

"Don't get me wrong, I love to talk. It's just that I thought that maybe you were pushing yourself to talk to me...? I mean as far as I know you're a man of a few words."

She said and approached him.

Well, she's not wrong. Adam is actually a man who only talks when it's necessary, but he can't help talking to Adelyn who claims that she loves to talk when her face always looks annoyed when someone approaches and talks to her.

Also, he found it amusing that this lady has the guts to nag and scold him whenever they cross paths. Because the regular reaction of people is to avoid his eyes and talk at him behind his back telling that he always looked ready to kill.

What can he say when his face is naturally born with a fierceness? 

Nonetheless, he found it comforting that Adelyn was treating her like a normal human being, well, sometimes too normal that he also found it weird. He has that title as the silent reaper in the guild because he kills his opponent by slitting their throat. Literally silencing them. And sometimes, he actually felt like she was scolding him and treating him like a younger brother and also he had this feeling that she was looking at him like a dog sometimes which he also found amusing.

Well, he's correct about that. Adelyn… no, Evelyn actually thinks like he is a dog sometimes.

Anyway… back to the topic at hand.

"We should use the practice sword." he said, still amused with Adelyn's nonchalant stance.

"It's fine, we can spar like this… but if you insist. Alright then."

After switching their real sword with a practice sword, Adelyn and Adam went to the center stage again.

The first to attack is Adelyn, she swings her sword will all force that the wind inside the lit and compressed room made a swoosh sound that resonated inside.

Adam wasn't flustered as he saw Adelyn's movements when they were in the Stygian Ruins and came prepared for her attack. He also swung his sword to counter Adelyn's attack.

He knew that he needed to treat this as a real battle because Adelyn's words that she said she won't hold back are true.

His hand that was holding the wooden sword felt a tinge as they clashed. He also saw a crack in her wooden sword and his because of the impact.

Now, it seems that it's time for him to counterattack. He jumped and swung his sword upward and saw that Adelyn was also preparing for his attack.

Adelyn knew that Adam is the type of fighter who doesn't use schemes in fights and acts purely of instinct. He's the most dangerous type of adventurer that you can encounter if you are the enemy, because he will charge you like a red bull while his body acts on its own according to what his guts tell him.

After a few exchanges, their practice sword gave up on them and broke into pieces. Well, it's to be expected, their physical strength is too much for the poor wooden sword.

She looked at Adam who also knew that the sparring need to end as they have already broken their weapons,

"I guess… it's a tie?" Adelyn announced.

"Hmm… tie." Adam agreed.

And both decided that they will continue their sparring when they have a chance again. She knew that Adam had a mission after just a week of coming back from the Stygian ruins.

Really… the guild master seems to be working him like a corporate slave.

"Anyway, I'll be having my mission too for a while, so I'll be gone for long. Just wanted to say goodbye." she just nonchalantly said.

Evelyn was actually saying goodbye personally to the people who she cared for and who helped her during the times in need.

"Where?"

"Hmm?"

"Where are you going?"

"Just going to take some payments…"

She was actually going to start making the people who stabbed them that day pay. She smiled at him and turned her back and waved her hand.

"Take some interest too…" Adam said that made Adelyn giggle.

"Yup"

***

Adelyn, Gil, and Cassandra are now in the Kingdom of Levingstone. Adelyn can already see herself frowning at the sight of statues from the temple of light that seems to be at every nook and cranny of the front city of the kingdom.

They have been in the second town and almost every house has small statues of the temple of light, well to be specific, the small statues of saintess.

Adelyn felt the need to ask about this peculiarity that is happening. She knew that the temple of light had gained some fame after they found out that Elise had light mana and thus proclaimed her the saint.

With her hood on, and the three of them walking side by side. Everyone could tell that they're not from here and are just travelers passing by.

"Old man! Can I ask?

"What is it lady?" the old man replied. He noticed them a while ago and thought that the travelers must have never heard about their saint because they kept on looking at the statues.

"What's with the statues?"

Alas, the old man was actually true. He chuckled as she saw the curiosity in the lady's eyes that he can only see as half of her face was covered by a mask.

"It's about our kind and pure saintess. Lady Elise von Acker"