[LSB] Chapter 125: Unceremonious Happenings

“Oh. Boss, you still haven’t returned to Earth yet?”

“Hmm. I was still examining Crystalons.”

“That’s… its name?”

Dodona was now completely dark. But occasionally, a sliver of moonlight pierced through the thick fog rolling above them, but those moments were fleeting, swallowed up just as quickly as they came.

Their only light came from the fire. Flickering, shifting—dancing in the wind, but never quite going out.

Much like the way Juliet stared at Julian right now. Drawn in, never extinguished… but never allowed to bloom or it will raze every good thing in its path.

And so, she turned her gaze away from his face and instead fixed it on the twin weapons in his hands.

“Artemis really can get creative when she wants to,” she murmured with a soft giggle. “That’s probably the most ominous-looking thing you’ve ever forged—what, with all the jagged edges and serrated blades. And yet… the name sounds kind of silly?”

“Does it?” Julian tilted his head, inspecting the weapons even more closely now. “Hmm. Is Artemis truly the one behind naming and creating the description of these weapons?”

“Hmn.”

“That’s… interesting.” He hummed again, then slipped the Crystalons into the shadow behind him.

“But what about you?”

“...What about me?” Juliet blinked, quickly grabbing a stick as she played with the fire in front of them, “Am I… was I named by Artemis too? I… honestly don’t know. I think my parents did?”

“I meant,” Julian said, “why haven’t you gone to sleep? You don’t need to keep watch.”

“Oh…” Juliet gave a quiet laugh. “I wish I could just lie down and fall asleep instantly like you and Cyrus, Boss. I’ll probably get tired in an hour or so. You can rest if you want. Although…” She paused, tilting her head. “I guess you don’t really sleep, do you?”

“Hmm.”

“Does it not wear you out? Living two lives?”

“No,” Julian said. “Both are precious to me. I like it—moving.”

“Huh… I think I get that,” Juliet nodded, curling her legs closer. “Sitting still too long makes me anxious. I don’t know how Cyrus does it. Then again, he’s what—above level sixty? I wonder what he had to do to get that far. Maybe he’s just… tired now?”

“He told me there was no point in getting stronger,” Julian said, glancing toward the cot where Cyrus slept, buried beneath layers of furs. “Leveling up became harder. And in the end, he told me that Otherworld was just a job to him.”

“I… still can’t wrap my head around that,” Juliet whispered, her breath turning to mist as it left her lips. She watched it drift upward, fading. “To treat all this like it’s just a job… Like, living? A Job? You don’t feel that way, do you? You—”

She stopped before she could finish her words.

Julian had stood up and walked behind her without a word. She turned, startled, about to ask what was wrong, when she felt the sudden weight of a coat being placed gently over her shoulders.

“D…” Juliet instinctively clutched the coat close, her fingers curling tight into the fabric. She glanced at Julian, her voice trembling.

“Don’t… do that, Boss. Don’t be so nice to me.”

“Why not?” Julian asked, tilting his head as he sat back down beside her.

“Would you rather I not treat you gently?”

“That—wait, no.” Juliet sank lower under the coat, almost hiding in it. “D…don’t. I think… that would be worse.”

“Hmm. I thought so,” Julian exhaled. No visible breath escaped his lips—his body perfectly regulated by the Avatar of Searadyn.

“Ellie specifically told me to treat you with utmost care,” he added, “And… she asked me to tell you she’s sorry.”

“W…what? Again?” Juliet peeked at him. “Sorry for—?”

“For being the first in my life,” Julian said, glancing at her. “And, for what it’s worth… she’s truly happy you’re here with me.”

“She… said all that?” Juliet didn’t know whether to smile or bolt into the night. Her expression shifted between awkward and overwhelmed before she let out a breath and shook her head. “I… can’t really compete with that. Not that I’m trying to. I’m just…” she paused, trying to laugh, “What was that thing Cyrus always says? ‘Strictly professional from this point on.’ I told you that too, right? Last time… when we talked?”

“Hmm.” Julian nodded.

“A…anyway,” Juliet cleared her throat, desperate to steer the conversation elsewhere. “I don’t think Cyrus is coming with us tomorrow. He told me the cold’s too much.”

“He did mention it,” Julian said.

“And… we can’t bring the zautoros either,” she added with a sigh, casting a glance toward the stables. “Lloyd said it wouldn’t survive where we’re going.”

She hesitated—her voice softening.

“Boss… can I even help you this time? You’ve already surpassed my level, and I…”

Julian, on the other hand, didn’t hesitate.

“Of course. The only reason I’ve made it this far… is because of you.”

Juliet blinked. She looked at his face—and found nothing but truth in his eyes. But even then, a chuckle slipped past her lips.

“That’s not true at all. You—”

“Ack! Enough, enough!”

MEGAN suddenly burst out of Julian’s chest, flailing her arms wildly before pointing straight at Juliet.

“I can’t take it anymore! It’s too painful! You need to fall in love with someone else, Juliet!”

“What—” Juliet’s face turned bright red, her whole body freezing, but not from the cold this time.

“We already talked about this!” MEGAN flew right up to her face, eyes narrowed. “X! Out of coverage area! Restricted access! You are forbidden from falling deeper in love with Julian!”

“I’m… I’m not!” Juliet jumped to her feet in a panic. She glanced once more at Julian—then ran. “G-good night, Boss!”

She then just suddenly disappeared into the frozen cottage, the door thudding softly behind her.

“And as for you, young man…” MEGAN turned slowly, hands on her tiny hips as she glared at Julian. “I think Dr. Sanchez was wrong. You need more therapy. Emotional therapy. Social therapy. Read-the-room therapy!”

Julian blinked. “But I’m not doing anything. If she misunderstood my actions… then perhaps she’s the one who needs therapy?”

“AAH!”

MEGAN let out a dramatic shriek and hurled herself at his forehead with a thud.

“I take it back—there’s no hope! No hope! Just go back to Earth! Go!”

And so, without another word, Julian did.

He returned to Earth.

Surprisingly, Julian was finally able to return to his routine—even with his popularity now skyrocketing far beyond what it had ever been.

He found time to spend with Juliet again, and even managed to return to the martial arts gym for the first time in ages. This was only possible thanks to Humanity Engineering. They had erased nearly every trace of his public activity, making it nearly impossible for the media to pinpoint his exact location.

And when that wasn’t enough, private security handled the rest—shadowing him from a distance, blending into crowds, never seen unless needed.

Ever since Julian had shared his visions with Victoria, it was clear she had begun funneling a major portion of the company’s resources into supporting him.

He’d also reconnected with Talia and the others, and even met with representatives from several major brands interested in endorsements. Naturally, he turned them all down—except for the very first one. His signature clothing brand. 

Thanks to Julian, it had grown into the largest fashion label in the world.

In short, Julian now had more money than he could ever use.

And for the first time in a long time, he had a taste of something close to normal.

Perhaps if there was another great change, it would be the fact that they also finally bought Ellie her own LinkGear.

***

“W-wait. You mean I… I could meet Ellie now!?”

Juliet could barely contain herself when Julian returned to Artemia and told her the news.

“No, she would be on Archon right now.” 

“Archon…? That small village near Ethaca? Wait, so after this… we can meet her?” 

“I suppose so, yes.”

Juliet gasped, covering her mouth. “What do I even say to her? She knows so much about me—and I know nothing about her. This is… Oh, no. No. Maybe let’s not think about that right now.”

She lightly slapped her cheeks and turned her attention to the bleak, dark, and frozen horizon ahead.

“Right now, we need to focus on surviving this journey.”

“You guys… y-you guys be careful, okay? I—ah… ha…”

Cyrus stood shivering behind them, layered in just about every scrap of warmth he could find. Maldan and his party were also beside him, but unlike him, they were extremely calm in the cold while he looked ready to collapse.

“I’m… really sorry I can’t go with you…” Cyrus wheezed.

Juliet gave him a disappointed look, shaking her head at him. “You’re the one who needs to be careful. You’re not… dying, are you?”

Cyrus opened his mouth, but all that came out was a loud, miserable sneeze.

Maldan stepped forward in his place, his face serious as he looked up at the two of them.

“We’ll care for your friend,” he said. “And I pray your journey is guarded by Artemis, Shadow Blacksmith.”

“Don’t be too troubled by his words,” Nuru added with a sigh, stepping forward beside Maldan. “Your path ahead will be quiet… until you reach the end. And then that is the time I will be joining the little one in his prayer.

She bowed low. The rest of the group followed her lead, including Cyrus, before Hobs gently carried him back toward the fire.

“Thank you,” Julian said, bowing with Juliet before they unceremoniously turned to leave.

Each of them carried a heavy pack, loaded with enough food and supplies to last a full month in the frozen wilderness.

And with that, their journey began.

And they very quickly discovered why Nuru said the journey would be boring.

Because it was.

No monsters. No wildlife. Not even the sound of birds. Just the endless cold, and the unforgiving, empty expanse of ice. Their only true enemy was the tundra itself—harsh winds, unpredictable terrain, and the kind of cold that made every breath feel like punishment.

“B…be careful not to trip, Boss!” Juliet moved with caution. It was hard not to be careful—beneath them was a field of crystal spikes, sharp and jagged like frozen grass that could skewer them a hundred times over if they so much as stumbled.

Luckily, Julian had prepared for this.

He'd crafted reinforced boots designed specifically for the terrain—stitched and formed by hand. Juliet stared at them for a moment, then let out a shaky breath as her teeth chattered.

“I’ve… I’ve been meaning to say this, B-Boss,” she muttered through the cold, “You’re kind of becoming a tailor, huh? Are you just… really good with your hands or something?”

“Hmm.”

That was the most exciting part of the journey—talking. Anything to break the repetitive scenery around them. They talked about everything: life, quests, food, random memories—anything to distract themselves from the numbing sameness of their surroundings.

If it weren’t for the map Nuru had given them, they’d probably be lost. The Guidance of Artemis had stopped pointing the way for Julian. Now, it was just them and the ice.

More days passed. And then, without warning, Juliet paused. She reached for her coat, but this time, not to pull it tighter—she was starting to sweat.

The temperature had risen.

She turned to Julian, eyes narrowing as she scanned the horizon—and then she saw it.

“That’s… it, Boss.”

She glanced down at the map, then tucked it back into her pack. They didn’t need it anymore.

After all, their destination was visible now—looming in the distance, impossible to miss.

A mountain of ice, almost shaped like a cone.

No. Not a mountain.

A volcano.

Frozen in the middle of the endless tundra, but still very much alive.

***

Meanwhile, back in the humble Dodona village…

While Julian and Juliet unceremoniously reached the end of their trek, Cyrus was still freezing to death in the village.

He hadn’t planned to log in today. But the fans were restless—and, to his horror, already sending him death threats in the chat for not joining Julian in his journey.

So, for their sake, and his career, Cyrus returned to Artemia, spending a few hours a day pretending not to suffer.

Of course, he had another reason for spending time in his clone—Humanity Engineering had warned him that his body needed occasional use—or it might freeze, literally.

He’d just finished walking around Maldan’s village for a new segment of his stream. To his surprise, the fans seemed to enjoy the mundane pace. Just watching the villagers go about their daily routines, cooking, crafting, tending to the animals—it was… weirdly relaxing.

With their subscriber count reaching almost a billion now, it was not that hard to find an audience for any niche.

“The things I do for showbiz,” Cyrus muttered as he sat by the window, bundled in every blanket he could find. “Alright, that’s enough content for today. Ha—”

He sneezed.

But before he could leave Artemia and slip into his real bed, something outside caught his eye. A sound different from the village’s usual routine.

“Hmm?”

He leaned toward the frosted window.

A group was entering the village—dozens of them, hyums by the look of it. They moved in a line, organized… and it was clear which group they belonged to.

Because they were bearing a massive flag that flapped in the wind.

An emblem that no one could mistake for anything else.

The Order of Artemia.

“What the…?” Cyrus whispered. “Weren’t their inquisition on the other side of gnarfolk territory? What are they doing here already?”

He crouched lower, peeking just over the window’s edge. Maldan and several villagers were already greeting them, though to call it a welcome was generous. The Order had simply walked in without asking. 

Still, the soldiers stopped and bowed politely.

Because the one leading them bowed first.

Their leader wore a mask, full-body armor, and a shield nearly as tall as they were. It was impossible to tell if it was a man or woman from appearance alone.

But Cyrus knew exactly who she was.

There was only one person in the entire Order who fit that description. One person who carried a shield that size.

The person second only to the Pope. No, perhaps that was wrong too.

They were equal, but in a different way.

The Pope represented the Order’s will.

This woman represented its strength.

The Shield Saint.

Known for her blatant and illogically extreme hatred for Evil Spirits.

“…Oh, shit.”

***

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I feel you, Cyrus. I feel you.