The message sent by Cliffman was, to be precise, a request or perhaps a demand.

He wanted to meet Liana.

From the beginning, it wasn't a matter for me or Charlotte to decide.

Of course, we could have told her to meet him, but we didn't want to do that.

Did Cliffman have the right to say he wanted to see Liana?

It wasn't as if Cliffman would be on our side if we let him meet her.

Even if he did join our side, would Cliffman's power hold any great significance for us at this point?

Cliffman had undoubtedly grown stronger and significantly improved his skills.

However, in a situation where Master-class and Archmages were prevalent, Cliffman's power would have little significance.

He could not be a variable like Kono Lint.

Such things could be considered.

But we decided not to take those factors into account.

We didn't even want to think about them.

Relationship issues were important.

Maybe they were the most important thing in the world.

That was what I believed.

The world had come to this point because of those damned relationships and emotional issues.

If I hadn't been the Demon King Valier.

If Ellen hadn't been Ragan Artorius's younger sister.

If Charlotte hadn't been the emperor's daughter.

Becoming close without properly resolving those issues was the root cause of all problems.

We should not treat such issues lightly.

Therefore, in the end, this was not a matter for me to decide.

It was up to her to decide.

"Me?"

Liana wore an indescribable expression upon hearing Cliffman's message.

Her dilated pupils told just how surprised she was.

During the Temple days, Cliffman had been a timid fellow.

No, even that was an understatement.

He didn't know how to handle women or men, and it took months after countless encounters in the training arena for them to exchange their first words.

Moreover, when girls like Ellen or Harriet spoke to him, he would stutter and sink into silence.

In other words, he had a day's worth of social skills, and his capacity was as small as a soy sauce dish.

He would often become dazed while interacting with someone and collapse.

On the other hand, Liana had no problem with strangers.

Although she seemed quite irritable on the surface, she was actually quite easygoing and didn't take things to heart.

She was always proactive, and it was always Liana who suggested going somewhere to have fun after becoming friends with the others.

Someone who discriminated against everyone.

Someone who discriminated against no one.

Although they were opposites, I believed that people with completely different personalities got along better than those with similar ones.

In fact, Liana had always been dragging the passive Cliffman around since some point in time.

Although I was the one who decided to let Cliffman participate in the Mister Temple contest, Liana was the one who supported him the most.

Eventually, the two became close.

When Duke Grantz died, they pledged to avenge me together.

But on the day the Gate incident occurred, Liana appeared to save me without saying a word to Cliffman.

She hadn't told him the real cause of her father's death or her decision to rescue me.

Could that be called a betrayal?

Although the events of the Temple days had taken place a few years ago, they felt like something that had happened decades ago.

Everyone had changed.

Both Liana and Cliffman had changed.

Cliffman, who had always been passive and struggled with dealing with people, requested to meet Liana.

And then.

Liana, who had always been active, bold, and acted as if she didn't know the word 'shyness.'

"..."

Liana's face turned pale, and she trembled.

Was Liana's behavior a betrayal or not?

Liana wouldn't have wanted to take Cliffman on the dangerous path.

At that time, I really had no significant power. Following me and trying to save me, who was imprisoned by the Empire, was insane.

The only one who had decided to act with Liana that day was Harriet.

Liana didn't even know that the Vampire Lords were trying to save me.

It was a life-threatening, crazy act, and Liana must have expected death that day.

So, she couldn't tell Cliffman about it.

She couldn't take Cliffman with her on a practically suicidal mission.

But even if it wasn't a betrayal, there could be a feeling of betrayal. I don't know how Cliffman felt about Liana's actions.

Of course, Liana wouldn't know either.

Cliffman only said he wanted to meet Liana, not how he felt about her.

I also don't know what Cliffman thinks about me.

Like Christina or Ludwig, he might have wanted to question my responsibility.

We've been through too much to imagine it would be like our time in the temple.

Neither Liana nor I could know what purpose and with what feelings Cliffman wanted to meet.

So, Liana's face turned pale and she trembled.

She didn't know what to expect. After all, she could be attacked.

Because so much had changed, Liana wasn't the old Liana, and Cliffman wasn't the old Cliffman.

It was only natural to be afraid.

Not because the meeting was dangerous.

Seeing and hearing firsthand how things had changed, the moment of confirming it, could be terrifying.

Charlotte and I couldn't judge this message.

At the very least, we had to inform Liana.

"You don't have to meet him if you don't want to."

"..."

All things considered, it was better not to meet.

Whether Cliffman sided with us or not, it didn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

But Liana was one of the most important people on our side.

There was even a slight possibility that Cliffman could harm Liana. So, it was better not to meet.

The potential gain was minimal, while the potential loss was enormous.

With a simple calculation, this meeting wasn't even worth considering.

However, I could make a calculation, but I had no intention of involving the result in the decision.

There was only one important thing.

Did Liana want to meet or not?

Liana could make such calculations without me even telling her.

If she didn't want to meet, she didn't have to. Whatever the reason.

The decision was up to Liana.

Just as the outcome and reality of this world were not the results of a cost-benefit analysis.

In the end, what's important is not the gains and losses.

Liana was terrified.

It was strange.

During the temple days, Liana was undoubtedly a superhuman with enormous potential. But her power at that time wasn't that strong.

However, Liana had always been brimming with confidence and self-assurance.

What about the Liana now?

It wasn't an exaggeration to call her the most powerful Supernatural in the entire world.

Now, Liana's power had reached a level that not only Supernaturals, but even the most powerful mages couldn't rival.

As Liana grew incomparably stronger, her personality, ironically, became the opposite.

She easily became depressed, struggled, and suffered.

She had changed to be more passive.

Upon hearing Cliffman's desire to meet her, she was paralyzed with fear, not knowing what to expect.

As Liana became stronger, she also became weaker.

Liana spoke.

"Yeah."

"Uh."

Liana's eyes were trembling.

"I'm, I'm too scared"

She hadn't even met him yet.

She didn't know what Cliffman was thinking.

But Liana's eyes were filled with hot, red tears.

"I'm so scared I feel like I might die"

There was only one reason for such an intense reaction.

It was because Liana cherished Cliffman.

She was afraid that someone so precious to her would treat her differently than before.

That fear was so overwhelming.

It was so terrifying that she couldn't help but say she felt like dying.

Yes.

It was a similar context to how much I hated and feared facing the changed Ellen.

Liana bowed her head and trembled for a long time.

She had shown vulnerability many times before.

But this was the first time she had ever appeared this weak.

"Still I have to meet him, don't I?"

She thought that as Liana de Grantz, a human being, regardless of her position as the Thunder King, she couldn't refuse.

"You don't have to meet him if you don't want to."

Was it absolutely necessary to meet?

I wasn't sure.

Instead, after meeting, there's a chance she might be hurt physically or emotionally, but she might not get hurt as well.

"Let's think about it later."

"Later?"

"Yeah. I don't know what will happen, but let's consider it for later."

The future was uncertain.

But now, she was in a situation where she could make a decision about meeting Cliffman.

Later.

"If you decide not to meet now, do you think you'll regret it later? Or do you think you won't?"

She didn't know whether she would have another chance to meet Cliffman later.

But if, at this moment, she said she wouldn't meet him.

If she delivered such an answer to Cliffman or completely ignored him.

What would happen?

What would Cliffman think, and would Liana regret it later or not?

Setting aside whether she should or shouldn't meet, she thought only about regret.

Would she regret not meeting him, or would she not?

"I'm scared to death right now... But"

Liana raised her head.

"If I decide not to meet him now"

Tears finally fell from her flushed eyes.

"I feel like I'll live with this feeling for the rest of my life"

She didn't know whether this situation was an opportunity or a crisis.

However.

If she didn't meet him, she felt like she would regret it for the rest of her life.

That's what Liana seemed to think.

Were there things that one must face, even if they were frightening and scary?

Couldn't they run away, avoid it, or pretend not to know?

But there were such things in the world.

Things that would definitely be regretted later.

However, if one avoided something out of fear, they would inevitably regret it later.

Thus, there were things that were frightening and scary, but had to be done to avoid regret later on.

For Liana de Grantz, this was that very task.

"I can go with you," Reinhardt had said.

Liana shook her head. "No... I think it's better to meet alone."

She didn't want to give any hint of preparation for a possible confrontation, so Liana chose to face it alone. Although she would need someone's help to come and go, they should be alone in the moment they faced each other.

Even if it couldn't atone for the time when she had left without a word, it was, at the very least, a matter of courtesy. Liana thought as much.

There was no reason to accept Cliffman's request in the first place.

The messenger Heinrich who relayed the message to Louise.

Louise, who had heard the absurd request.

Rowan, who had passed on the message.

Charlotte and Reinhardt as well.

Liana was no exception.

And finally, Cliffman himself, who had made the request.

None of them could have imagined it would come to this.

However, through each person's judgment, the message was passed on and, by Liana's own decision, the meeting was arranged.

The world had changed, the era had transformed, and people were different.

Although they used to be close enough to meet by simply knocking on the door of a dormitory hallway, now countless people had to be involved to convey even the simplest of messages.

Just to see each other once, so many people were involved.

Merely passing on a single word had become much more difficult.

A meeting that had been arranged in such a way took place deep in a forest, beyond a field strewn with the corpses of defeated monsters.

Had the time that had passed been long?

However, due to the characteristics of the era when one could only feel the passing of more time than had actually elapsed, psychologically, it felt as if decades had passed.

Cliffman could have the meeting he desired at a certain tree stump in that place.

"..."

There was the face Cliffman had wanted to see.

Always confident, sometimes even overbearing.

The person who used to firmly grasp Cliffman's arm and drag him around, confidently swinging the young boy around as she told him to trust and follow only her.

Now she stood with her hands together, her eyes downcast.

As if she didn't even deserve to make eye contact.

As if she had committed a great sin, making it impossible to look the other person in the eye.

"Hello."

Her voice was barely audible, struggling to get the words out.

And so,

"It's been a while"

Cliffman was able to see Liana de Grantz, who had shrunk to a size she could not possibly become any smaller.

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