[This should be far enough—no one’s following, right?!]

I scanned the area warily. Everyone was still crowded around Aerin and Tia in the labyrinth plaza.

Perfect. Time to switch back to my original gear before anyone spots me. I planted the Darkblade into the ground and pulled up my inventory window to change outfits.

[A once-in-a-lifetime chance to show off—why waste it?]

[Too many people! I’m freaking out!!]

I’d daydreamed about this scenario a thousand times, but my cringey phase still lost to my paper-thin confidence.

[Leaving those two girls alone—is that really okay?]

[Relax. Tia’s nobility. This is nothing to her.]

She’d handle the credit and intel just fine!

[Then can you at least stop putting me away??]

[Putting you away????]

Wait—WHO was I even talking to just now????

I slammed the inventory window shut and whirled toward the voice.

[I hate being locked in that stuffy place.]

A tiny girl stood before me, her skin porcelain-white, violet hair cascading like silk. Her cerulean pupils seemed to pull at my very soul.

[Hold up!! Who ARE you????]

[You were just swinging me around like a toy! Now you’re acting like you don’t know me?!]

The violet-haired girl glared, cheeks flushed.

[That makes me sound like a creep! This is a crime! A real crime! Minimum three years!!]

[And you trapped me there for so long! Only taking me out when you felt like playing, then locking me away again!]

[Now it’s life sentence for real!!!!!!]

[Just promise not to lock me up again, and I’ll let you play with me however you want!]

[That’s the death penalty, you idiot!!!!]

[Stop messing around! If you don’t get to the inn soon, those girls will be swarmed by thugs asking questions.]

She yanked my arm, dragging me toward the inn.

[Wait!!! Who are you really? I genuinely can’t remember!!]

[Ugh, seriously!!]

Purple aura flared around her.

[I am your Darkblade. Apothis.]

Huh?? I whipped around—the spot where I’d planted the sword held only an empty scar in the earth.

[So the Darkblade turned into a spirit??]

[Turned?! I’ve always been alive, you dummy!!!]

[But—you’re supposed to be a cursed, bloodthirsty blade! The one that slaughtered tomb raiders in the Howling Cave and turned them into puppets!]

[That’s just lore! LORE! I’m nothing like that!!! And in a game with dozens of Darkblades, we can’t all have the same personality!]

Wait—what is she even talking about? Different personalities? Aren’t you all just data?

[Hey… do you remember your past life before crossing over???]

[Of course! I remember everything you did in-game. I watched you chat, spam scrolls, blast announcements… But I was just stuck in your inventory!]

Apothis pouted, utterly disgruntled.

Sorry! I had no idea a little girl was hiding in my bag.

[Now that you know who I am, let’s go~~ I can’t wait to see the world outside.]

[Hold on!!! You can’t just walk in like this! How do I explain you to everyone??]

*"Hi everyone~~ This is my Darkblade, Apothis-chan~ Sorry for keeping her locked up all this time~~~"*

Yeah, that’d get me a life sentence for real!!!!

[Hmm… just say I’m your little sister. I traveled from home to find my cringey older brother who ran away, and fate led us to reunite here.]

Where did she learn these tropes? Was she spying on my in-game chats?

[Anyway, "little sister" works~~ but we need a new name. Can’t call you Apothis.]

[Why not?? Apothis is a beautiful name!]

[It screams "terrifying Demon God" to everyone!]

[Only to you. No one here knows.]

[No way!! Wait—Apothis… Phothis… Phyllis!]

I scrambled for a pretty name fitting a little girl.

[Got it! Phyllis!]

It was my old teammate’s name—same "Phy" sound~~

[Whatever! Just move!]

Phyllis dragged me toward the inn.

***

[Pupil!!! You’re back!!!]

The moment I opened the inn door, Aerin’s tear-streaked face greeted me.

[What happened???]

Did something else go wrong??

[The Guild summoned me!! I got promoted to Gold!!!!]

[That’s great news!!! Why are you crying?!]

[I’m just so overwhelmed!!!!]

Tears streaming down, Aerin clung to my leg. I peeled him off—only for him to latch onto Phyllis next.

No useful info from him. Time to find Tia.

[Tia~~ what happened after I left??]

I found her on the balcony, gazing at the distant labyrinth.

[My husband~]

[Huh?? What’s wrong??]

[Meeting you… is the best thing that’s ever happened to me~]

She melted into my arms.

Since when did she get so sentimental???

[Umm… can you first tell me what happened later??]

[The Guild found us—they kept asking about you!]

They must’ve meant the guy in Black Sky armor.

[Though they pressed hard, we only said we’d met by chance. We recounted the battle with the Dragon Deity… but never revealed your identity.]

Tia never disappoints. Noble blood really does breed unshakable calm.

[In the end, the Guild awarded us for our aid. I’m Platinum now. Aerin’s Gold.]

= =!

What exactly did you tell them?! How did the credit get split like that?! Noble privilege at its finest…

[We also received the title "Dragon-Slaying Aide."]

Tia pulled out a plaque-sized certificate to show me.

Eh… credit doesn’t matter. They’re family anyway. As long as they’re happy.

[Wait! Did I level up too???]

Excitement flared—I’d finally escape the "Bronze" label.

[You’d already run off. No one knew you were there!]

So I’m still… Bronze…

OTL