Gara took a deep breath and slowly let it out, his thoughts drifting to the sheer misfortune a single Student of the [Mad Scientist] had caused.
He didn't even want to imagine the damage done by the others, their followers, or the source of it all.
Pushing those thoughts aside, he looked up again. "Thank you for answering," Gara said quietly.
[White Space] waved it off. "No worries."
Leif raised a hand.
The old man glanced at him and nodded. "Go ahead."
Leif straightened slightly. "Once we're back in the Story World… should we be careful of your Contractor's enemy organization?"
The old man nodded.
Both Gara and Leif tensed immediately.
He noticed their reaction and continued calmly, "You don't need to worry too much. You won't be attacked every day, or everywhere you go."
He paused, then added, "But you should stay on guard. If they make a move, the attackers will be around your level. Maybe one level higher—if you have allies of a similar Rank nearby."
Leif nodded. "Understood."
Gara let out a quiet breath, his grip loosening just a little.
It was still unsettling to him, of course. Not just the warning itself, but what it meant. One moment, his life had been ordinary—comfortable, even—and now it demanded constant vigilance.
Every step forward carried the possibility of an attack.
The worst part was knowing none of this had been his choice.
He hadn't agreed to any of it.
[First One Out] had chosen him as his Champion without a word, without consent, and dragged him into a conflict far larger than himself.
Whether he liked it or not, he was involved now.
That thought led him to another.
Leif.
Had Leif agreed to it?
The blonde-haired young man had been saved by the one he represented, just as Gara had—but had that salvation come with a choice? Or had Leif, too, been bound as a Champion against his will, pulled into this path without ever being asked?
Gara realized he'd never questioned it. Never asked.
He decided he would—later. Somewhere private.
"Is there any way to find out who's involved in the Competition?" Gara asked, his voice steady despite the tension beneath it.
The old man shook his head slowly. "Not right now. Unless your enemies choose to reveal themselves, you have no way of knowing."
He paused briefly before continuing, "In the future, when you're stronger, there will be ways."
"I see," Gara said, giving a small nod. "Thank you."
Leif spoke up next. "How strong would we need to become to reach that point?"
The old man shook his head again. "That, I can't answer."
He continued calmly, "I can't tell you much about the Competition either—even if I wanted to. As I explained earlier, it has rules that must be upheld."
"One of those rules," he said, his tone unchanged, "is that Champions who are too weak aren't allowed to learn certain things until they reach a required level of strength."
"Why those rules exist, who made them, and everything tied to them…" he trailed off slightly. "Those are things I can't divulge to you right now."
"Understood," Leif said. "Thank you for answering."
Gara exhaled sharply, unable to hide his frustration.
The old man let out a quiet sigh. "I would like to help you more," he said. "I can tell you're good people. But I'm not allowed to interfere beyond this."
"I've already fulfilled my role here," he continued, "in the [Rashanz] Fragment."
"Still," Gara said, leaning forward slightly, "thank you. For saving our lives earlier. And for helping provide a way to fix my cracked Story."
Leif nodded. "We're grateful."
The old man smiled faintly. "As I told you before, I was paid for it. There's no need to thank me."
"Even if you were paid," Gara replied without hesitation, "you still deserve it."
He gestured lightly as he spoke. "A policeman keeps stability and gets paid for it. A firefighter puts out a burning building and gets paid too. That doesn't mean people shouldn't thank them."
The old man went quiet, considering his words.
Then he chuckled. "That's… solid logic."
He nodded once. "Very well. I'll accept your thanks."
Leif spoke again. "Could we stay with you for the night?" he asked. "And leave the Fragment together with you tomorrow morning?"
[White Space] smiled and nodded. "Of course. I don't mind."
"Thank you," Gara said.
"Thank you," Leif added.
The old man chuckled. "That's enough thanks already."
Gara laughed in response, while Leif allowed himself a light smile—about as close to a full chuckle as he ever got.
They spoke for a while longer after that, the tension easing as the conversation shifted to simpler topics.
Leif talked about Dark Town, where he had spent the majority of his time in the Story World before meeting Gara.
The red-haired young man, in turn, spoke about the White Clouds—where he lived and worked under Dante.
[White Space] mentioned the Silver Empire, where he had been living recently.
And so, time passed by quickly, and before they noticed, another hour had gone by.
Gara seemed to be hesitating at the moment, shifting slightly on the couch.
The old man chuckled seeing that, "Out with it already."
Gara laughed, calming himself a little. "Can I check on the little girl? See how she's doing?"
Before the old man could answer, Leif spoke up. "I'd like to do the same, if possible."
The old man laughed, then nodded with a warm smile. "I'm even more certain of my earlier assessment now," he said. "The two of you really are good people."
"Of course you can check on her," he continued. "Actually, once we were done talking, I was planning to go see how she's doing myself. We might as well go together."
Gara and Leif both smiled.
The three of them stood from the black couches, and after that, followed the old man out of the white guest room and into the hallway.
"Do you know the way to where she's being kept, Mister [White Space]?" Gara asked as they walked.
The old man nodded. "I do."
"I left her earlier with some Rashanz maids," he explained calmly. "She was frightened—and dirty. I asked them to help her bathe, let her relax a little, and make sure she was given something warm and nice to eat."
"Thank you for explaining," Gara said.
Leif spoke next. "Is the [Rashanz Emperor] involved in all of this?" he asked. "You mentioned earlier that the Rashanz helped with the girl."
The old man nodded. "He is."
"When I first met the emperor," he continued, "I asked for his help. He agreed—without asking for anything in return."
"He sent Rashanz scientists to assist me," the old man said. "They helped separate her from the Chimura-like monster."
Leif nodded. "Thank you for the answer."
Gara spoke up after that. "What's her name?"
The old man chuckled softly. "Runa."
Gara thanked him again, and then silence fell as they walked through the hallways.
The red-haired young man found himself quietly pondering the old man's personality. Despite being an SS Ranker, he treated them like his grandchildren.
He told stories of legendary figures in the Story World, answered every question they had, and even explained why some things couldn't be told. He had gifted them the white vial and given instructions on how to fix Gara's cracked Story.
It was… a lot.
Gara had only ever dealt with arrogant higher-Ranked people. Few were genuinely kind, and even then, there were limits.
There was Dante, his boss and an A Ranker, who was somewhat annoying—but that had its own appeal. As an F Ranker, Gara could insult him, talk back, even push boundaries in ways he couldn't with others.
Still, the truth remained: most people above your Rank wouldn't tolerate even a single odd glance.
Seeing someone like the kind old man was rare.
And Gara couldn't deny it—it left an impression.
Leif, on the other hand, wasn't as surprised. That came from the way he had grown up. His clan was composed of high-leveled figures—his father had been an SSS Ranker, his older brother an A Ranker like Dante.
They had all been kind to him, and even somewhat respectful, since he was the son of the clan's leader.
Gara, by contrast, had grown up in a Fragment far less relaxed. Once inside the Story World, aside from Dante and his coworkers in the Story Guides Workshop, everyone else had been arrogant and overbearing.
[White Space] was the first person he had met in the Story World—outside of Dante—who was genuinely kind.
Of course, that excluded the [First One Out] and the [Kid Who Never Grew Up], but even so, this was rare.
...
The walk to where the little girl was kept didn't take long—only a few minutes.
Along the way, the old man asked a few questions and made some light jokes, but that was about it. Neither Gara nor Leif asked anything further.
They felt a little embarrassed—after all, the old man had already given them so much information freely.
If a Blue Trade Agent had seen him, they would have torn their hair out. Information was precious in the Story World, after all.
After a few more steps, the old man finally stopped beside a blue door.
A Rashanz guard stood there—blue eyes and skin to match, two white horns, and two arms, clad in black armor and holding a spear. He greeted the old man with a smile, then nodded politely at Gara and Leif.
Gara judged the guard to be roughly C Rank in the Story World. He returned the greeting, and so did Leif and [White Space].
The old man then asked, "Is Runa inside? Could we check on her?"
The guard nodded and stepped aside, helping to open the door for them.
From inside, they could hear the voice of a little girl chatting with a woman.
When the door opened, they saw a red-skinned Rashanz woman in a maid outfit speaking with a little girl.
The girl had pure blue eyes and long, beautiful blonde hair, no older than eight or nine. She wore a white dress and was excitedly talking to the maid.
At the sound of the door, she turned and froze at the sight of three figures: Gara, Leif, and [White Space].
The old man smiled warmly and stepped inside. "How are you?" he asked.
The little girl immediately stood up from her chair and darted behind the maid.
The maid looked slightly awkward. "What's wrong?" she asked.
Runa pointed forward at Leif. "Scary," she said.
The room fell silent for a moment.
Then Gara burst out laughing, clutching his stomach.
[White Space] touched his chin, smiling quietly at the scene.
Leif, on the other hand, let out a resigned sigh and turned away, feeling decidedly unwelcome.
The old man stepped forward. "Why do you think he's scary?" he asked gently.
Still hiding behind the maid, Runa whispered, "He tried to hurt me."
The old man's throat went dry.
He remembered the events clearly: when the girl had been attached to the Chimura-like monster, Leif had tried to end her suffering by killing her—before He intervened and saved her with the help of the Rashanz scientists.
From Runa's perspective, it had looked like he was trying to hurt her. The old man understood that. In reality, the situation had been far more complicated.
Gara, who had been staying behind a rock, hadn't been seen by the girl and was therefore not considered a threat.
Leif couldn't argue, so he stayed silent by the door, watching.
Gara, having finally calmed down after laughing at the blonde-haired young man, stepped forward.
"I'm Gara," he said, a grin on his face. "Owner of [Root of All Things], E Ranker." He paused, then asked, "What's your name?"
Immediately, he facepalmed himself hard in a comedic motion. "Ah—sorry! Let me start over. Do you know about Stories and things like that?"
Runa found his antics a little funny and relaxed slightly. "Yes," she said softly. "My name is Runa."
Gara's eyes lit up. "That's amazing! You're so smart, and your name… it's wonderful!"
Runa puffed her chest forward, her confidence growing. "Of course I'm smart. I'm a genius!"
Gara couldn't help but laugh at her boldness.
Runa puffed her cheeks. "I'm not lying! I am a genius!"
The old man reached out and patted her head. "Yes, yes, you are."
The maid chuckled lightly and nodded in agreement. "That's right."
Runa smiled brightly at having her statement believed and pointed at Gara. "Haha, see? I was right!"
Gara chuckled and took a slow step forward. "Yes, yes—you were."
The maid then cleared her throat softly. "If you'll excuse me, I'll leave you to it for now. I'll return later."
"I'll miss you," Runa said immediately.
Warmth filled the maid's chest. She patted the little girl's head gently. "I'll be back in a while."
Runa nodded, satisfied, and the maid left the room.
Leif remained by the door, silent, uncertain of what to say or do.
The old man took a seat on a nearby chair.
The room was painted in soft shades of pink. A large pink bed sat at its center, accompanied by a dressing cabinet, several chairs, and a single white table.
Gara gestured toward the bed. "Go on."
Runa climbed up and sat down, swinging her legs lightly. Gara pulled a chair over and sat opposite her.
"How are you feeling now?" the old man asked.
"I'm doing much, much better!" Runa said, kicking her legs as she spoke. "All thanks to big sis Rosa. She was super kind and really nice to me."
"The maid?" Gara asked.
Runa nodded enthusiastically, continuing to praise the young Rashanz woman.
"She washed my hair really gently," Runa said, her legs swinging. "And she gave me warm food and stayed with me the whole time. She even told me stories so I wouldn't be scared."
"Sounds like she took very good care of you," the old man said, nodding.
"Yeah," Gara added with a grin. "Big sis Rosa's a pro."
Runa puffed her chest slightly. "She is! She said I was brave too."
"That was really nice of her," Gara said with a smile.
Runa nodded firmly.
'She's not afraid of Rashanz… that means she's seen other species before. She's not sheltered. That's good.' Gara thought to himself.
"Do you feel safe now?" the old man asked gently.
Runa nodded again. "Mhm. This room is nice. And big sis Rosa said no one bad can come in."
"That's good," Gara smiled. "You deserve that."
Leif remained by the door, silent, watching.
The conversation continued naturally, little pieces falling into place as Gara got to know her better.
She was an F Ranker. She had a Borrowed Story. Her parents had died a long time ago, and she had been left alone in the Story World. For a while, she wandered—until a kind couple took her in within the Antorio Empire.
That had been a few months ago.
Then one night…
"I was playing outside," Runa said quietly, her legs no longer swinging. "And then…"
Her fingers clenched the fabric of her dress.
"I don't remember what happened after that," she whispered. "But it hurt. A lot. And then I was… stuck. Tied to the monster."
Her voice trembled.
"The monster…" she swallowed hard. "It killed a—"
"No—no, no!" Runa suddenly cried out, her words breaking apart as tears spilled over. "I don't wanna remember! I don't—!"
Her small body shook as she started crying in earnest.
The old man leaned forward, about to speak—
But Gara was faster.
He stood in an instant and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace. One hand gently brushed through her hair, the other patting her head in slow, steady motions.
"It's okay," he said softly, firmly. "You don't have to say it. You don't have to remember."
"You're safe," he continued, lowering his voice. "It's over now. No one's going to hurt you again."
Runa clutched his shirt, sobbing into his chest.
"I'm right here," Gara said. "I've got you."
Slowly—very slowly—her crying began to quiet. Her grip loosened just a little, her breathing evening out as she leaned into the warmth of his hold.
Leif stayed where he was, silent.
The old man watched the scene quietly, saying nothing.
Gara slowly loosened his hold, giving her space. Runa allowed it, though she stayed close. She hesitated, then looked up at him with watery eyes.
"Can I… hold your hand?" she asked quietly. "I'm still scared."
Gara smiled and sat beside her. "Of course."
He took her hand gently in his, his thumb brushing over her knuckles, and used his other hand to wipe the remaining tears from her cheeks. "You know," he added lightly, "you're super adorable."
Runa blinked—then her expression brightened, just a little.
The old man smiled at the sight. "He's right," he said warmly. "You've been very brave. Stronger than most grown-ups would be."
Runa straightened up at that, clearly pleased.
Leif watched from the back of the room, still silent. A faint, uneasy smile crossed his face as her earlier words echoed in his mind.
The monster had killed people while she was tied to it.
He pushed the thought away. The girl had been through more than enough. That much was clear.
He then let out a quiet sigh and said nothing.
Gara, sensing the heaviness lingering in the air, shifted gears. "Hey, wanna hear something weird?" he said, leaning back a little. "Some of my adventures as a Story Guide."
Runa's eyes lit up immediately. "Weird?"
...
After a few stories went by, and Runa laughed, the tension in her heart easing a little, the red-haired young man seemed to remember something else.
"Oh yeah," Gara said. "I once had to redo a Fragment four times."
"Four?!" Runa gasped. "That's a lot!"
She tilted her head. "Story Guides redo Fragments so they can guide Players better, right? But isn't four too much? Or… maybe too little?"
Gara laughed. "Depends on the Story Guide—and the Fragment."
"But that one?" he continued, lowering his voice slightly. "That one wasn't even for my job."
Runa leaned forward. "Then why?"
"It was an F Ranked Fragment called [Ice Ninja]," Gara said. "You get Ice Techniques from it."
"Ooooh!" Runa breathed.
"But the final boss?" Gara grinned. "A Contracted Player."
Runa's eyes widened. "Huh?!"
"A Dragon."
"Eh—?! A Dragon?!" she squeaked.
Leif sighed from the back of the room, a smile tugging at his lips.
The old man chuckled softly.
"Every single time," Gara continued dramatically, "that Dragon burned me to a crisp."
"Eeeek!" Runa covered her mouth.
"But in the end," Gara said, tapping his chest proudly, "we became friends."
"Friends?!" Runa burst out laughing.
"And not just that," Gara added. "He even promised to teach me Fire Techniques one day."
Runa stared at him in awe. "You… you made friends with the boss of a Fragment?"
"And a Dragon!!!" she added, practically vibrating with excitement.
Gara laughed along with her, enjoying her reaction.
As he kept going, he couldn't resist throwing in a few remarks toward Leif.
"And then there's this guy," he said, casually jerking a thumb toward the door. "The edgy, mysterious type. Always standing in the shadows like he's part of some tragic legend."
Runa giggled and glanced at Leif.
Gara went on to tell her about the time he and Leif had each led a group of kids, turning it into a full-on competition. "We played something special from the White Clouds—Petal Drift."
"That sounds fun!" Runa said. "I've never heard of it."
"Yeah?" Gara said proudly. "It's great. You guide petals to a certain target to win, and, of course, I won."
He continued explaining it while slipping in more stories—mentioning Leif here and there, always in the most teasing way possible.
The blonde-haired young man didn't say a word, but the slight tightening of his jaw made it obvious he wasn't pleased.
He was enduring it—for now.
Anyone paying attention could tell he was storing it all away, ready to return every jab the moment he got the chance.
The old man couldn't help but laugh softly at the exchange.
This time, he didn't speak much. He simply listened in silence alongside Runa, watching as Gara carried the conversation and slowly eased the weight in the room.
Time passed quietly, the mood settling into something warm and calm.
Gara then seemed to consider something, before he cleared his throat and glanced at Leif. He then turned back to Runa. "You know… Leif's not a bad guy."
Runa tilted her head, uncertainty flickering across her face. "But… he was scary."
"Yeah," Gara said easily. "He kinda looks like that."
Leif let out a slow breath through his nose.
"But when he saw you back then," Gara continued, his tone softening, "you were hurting. A lot. And he didn't know how else to help."
"He wasn't angry," He added. "And he definitely wasn't trying to scare you."
Runa fidgeted with her fingers. "Then… why did it feel like that?"
"Because it was confusing," Gara said. "And painful. Anyone would be scared."
She stayed quiet, thinking.
"He's the kind of guy who does things without explaining them," Gara went on. "Terrible at talking. Even worse at smiling."
The old man nodded. "That's true. His heart was in the right place."
Runa looked toward Leif.
Leif straightened slightly, meeting her gaze—but still said nothing.
Runa hesitated, then nodded. "…Okay."
She looked back at Gara. "If big bro Gara says he's not bad… then he's probably not."
"And if you're friends with him," she added, "then Mister Leif can't be a bad guy."
The old man smiled. "I agree."
Leif let out a quiet sigh, the tension leaving his shoulders. A small smile crossed his face.
Gara grinned. "See? That wasn't so hard. You could've just said something earlier instead of standing there like a shy statue."
Leif shot him a look. "I'm not shy. You're just annoying."
Runa burst out laughing.
The old man chuckled along with her, amused by the easy, silly exchange between the two.
Gara kept trying to make fun of Leif, who finally stepped forward and stood beside them, trying to defend himself and growing visibly annoyed.
Runa laughed throughout it all—she didn't say much, but she also didn't flinch or react when the blonde-haired young man moved closer.
The old man watched the scene with a gentle smile.
His view of Gara had shifted, for the better.
Time passed as the red-haired young man continued joking and telling stories.
Eventually, Runa began speaking to Leif here and there.
He answered in short, simple sentences.
He wasn't good with children, but his quiet, mysterious aura only made Runa more curious.
Little by little, he started talking more.
He told them about Dark Town—about how he once joined a guild, only to leave shortly after because it was full of idiots.
"Idiots like Gara," Leif added flatly.
Gara immediately shot back, offended and loud.
Laughter filled the room and lingered there for a long while.
...
After a while, there was a knock at the door.
The guard opened it and announced, "Dinner is ready. You're invited to dine with the company of the Emperor."
Gara's heart practically jumped out of his chest. His knees gave out slightly, and he swayed for a moment.
Runa couldn't help but giggle. "Scaredy cat!" she teased.
Leif let out a small, amused smirk and added his own dry teasing, venting a bit of his earlier frustration at Gara.
The old man chuckled and shook his head. "It's a normal reaction," he said softly. "Any E Ranker would feel nervous when invited to dinner by an X Ranker—the Emperor of an entire species, no less."
Gara sighed, running a hand down his face. "I understand why Mister [White Space] and Leif aren't scared… but what about you, Runa?"
The little girl puffed out her chest. "Big sis Rosa told me the Emperor's super nice. So why should I be scared? It doesn't matter if he's stronger—Gramps is way stronger than me, but he's super kind."
[White Space] smiled and gently patted her head. "That's right," he said warmly, clearly enjoying being called Gramps.
Gara was taken aback by her logic. It made sense… in its own way—but it was undeniably a child's reasoning: to trust others so completely, so blindly.
'Well… oh well,' he thought.
With that, their small group set off, accompanied by the guard who guided them down the hallway toward the dining room.
—End of Chapter.
-------
Such an adorable little girl!
Gara: I mean, she is, isn't she?
[White Space]: That, she is, yes.
Gara: Ah! What... What is Mister [White Space] doing here?
[White Space]: Do you not want me here?
Gara: No, that's not what I meant. I was just a little taken aback, that's all.
[White Space]: Anyways, you should think about letting the other characters participate once in a while.
Gara: Like who?
[White Space]: For example, your friend Jack, or your boss, Dante. Or that Lavia girl who's always after your hand for marriage.
Gara: Don't... Say it weirdly like that, and out of those three, only Jack is allowed here. The other two are... Nope!
Leif: Huh, so you'll replace me just like that? I see how it is. Wait a second... Why do you get to decide? Why can't I choose who we talk to?
Gara: Cause... I'm the mc, remember?