Chương 149: I’m Not a Girl

Felicity, Ethan, and Agnes sat around an improvised table with Elion, Shigeru, and Firmin. They ate cold rice seasoned with pieces of octopus in silence. Despite the house being half-destroyed, the table and chairs were strangely intact.

"Delicious!" Agnes exclaimed with genuine enthusiasm. Shigeru smiled.

"Want some more?" Agnes nodded without hesitation, and Shigeru served her another generous portion. Firmin watched the scene in silence. His eyes settled on Agnes, who noticed him staring and met his gaze.

"What do you want?" she snapped.

"Looks like he's still hungry", Ethan pointed out.

"Share some of yours with him".

"And why should I?"

"Because we're guests…come on, behave yourself".

"Don't tell me how to behave". Despite her protest, Agnes put some rice onto Firmin's plate. However, she gave him only the white rice, keeping all the pieces of octopus for herself. Firmin said nothing. He simply gave a small nod and began to eat. Felicity was the first to finish. She got up and left the house. A moment later, Elion followed her.

"Would you like to come with me to fetch some water?" she asked. Felicity turned around.

"Fetch water?"

"Yes. There's a well a few kilometers from here. We're not the only ones who use it, so we might run into someone. A swordswoman like you could come in handy, assuming those two swords aren't just for show".

"They're not. But why ask me?" Elion gave a faint smile.

"Because you're the one who interests me the most. I've already figured Ethan and Agnes out…but you barely talk. I'd like to get to know you better. But if you're worried we might run into someone, I can ask Shigeru instead", she added. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Then she smiled.

"Or Ethan directly. Perhaps he's a better swordsman". Felicity sighed.

"No. If you want the better swordsman, that's me. Let's go". Elion smiled openly.

"I knew you were a proud one". They set off through the deserted streets, now almost completely covered in sand. The sun was slowly sinking toward the horizon, and the air was finally becoming more bearable. A pleasant breeze swept through the streets, easing the heat of the day.

"Can I ask you something personal?" Elion asked after a while.

"Go ahead".

"You and Ethan…are you a couple? And is Agnes, like, your adopted daughter?"

"No, we're not a couple. Ethan and Agnes are very close. They have something of a father-daughter relationship, even though they're not actually related".

"I see", Elion murmured. They continued walking for a few more minutes, until Elion ran a hand through her pink hair and stopped.

"I think I took the wrong road…" Felicity stared at her.

"Seriously?"

"It's been a long time since I was last here. And all this sand doesn't help. It makes it easy to lose your bearings".

"Should we go back?"

"No. Let's keep going forward". They continued on. The sky was slowly turning orange when, a little farther ahead, they saw smoke rising into the air. Elion quickened her pace, smiling.

"Oh! A hot spring!"

"That's not a well", Felicity pointed out.

"The well will be easy to find. A hot spring, on the other hand, is a rarity. We can't ignore it. This water is great for the skin".

"I don't think that's a priority".

"You're a swordswoman, right? I imagine your body has taken quite a few blows. This water will completely rejuvenate you. Trust me". Felicity sighed, then gave in.

"Fifteen minutes. Then we go find that damn well". She set her swords down and was about to undress when Elion suddenly stood up.

"No, wait…damn it, I didn't think you'd actually agree". Felicity looked at her in confusion.

"What's wrong with you? You were the one who suggested it". Elion looked visibly uncomfortable.

"Yes, you're right…but it feels wrong not to tell you. So I will".

"Tell me what?"

"I…I'm not a girl. I'm a boy".

"Huh?" Felicity asked, even more confused. Elion lowered his gaze.

"You see…I've been a slave since I was a child. And the slave owners I had…they always treated me and dressed me like a girl, even though I wasn't one. For many years, I had no choice but to live that way". He paused for a moment.

"Now I don't know what to think anymore. I know I was born a man…sometimes I still feel like a man, while other times…I feel like a woman. I don't know why". Felicity watched him carefully. She could see that he was truly confiding in her, showing her a part of himself that he had probably kept hidden for a very long time.

"You were a slave…is that why you want to bring the system down?" Elion nodded. Felicity stared at him seriously, then spoke in a firm voice.

"You told me all this to make sure I wouldn't feel uncomfortable?" Elion nodded again. Felicity shifted her gaze toward the hot springs.

"We can still soak our feet. After walking all this way, it makes sense". Elion smiled. They remained there for fifteen minutes, their feet immersed in the hot spring water as the sun slowly set before their eyes. When they got up, the sky was already dark.

"It's getting dark", Felicity said.

"Let's hurry and find this well".

"Felicity…thank you", Elion said.

"For what?" Elion smiled.

"Nothing. Let's go". And so they resumed their journey toward the well.