Chapter 178: Damn You, Lin Wei! Give Iresha Back to Me!

Translation by: Weebsread👹

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“Who’s there?!”

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The sudden shout made Iresha’s heart leap into her throat.

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But the moment she glanced up and caught sight of the figure on the second-floor landing, all the wariness drained from her eyes. That proud, striking face drew an involuntary smile from her lips.

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“Oh! Lin Wei!”

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“What are you doing here?”

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It had been quite some time since they’d parted at the Wall of the Border. She’d half expected that their next meeting would be in the Imperial Capital, perhaps after she’d finished her Status: Training and picked up a few gifts along the way. She certainly hadn’t imagined bumping into him in a random border town like this.

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“Wait, Iresha!”

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Before she could hurry over, Oshu—who’d been lingering behind her, ready to retreat and call for reinforcements—suddenly stepped forward.

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He gripped his longsword in both hands, the blade flaring with a cold, dangerous light. His face twisted with raw, unfiltered anger, as though he’d suddenly come face to face with a lifelong enemy.

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“I’ll bet those clergy knocked out outside are his handiwork!”

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“I knew you were trouble from the first time I saw you near Lotai.”

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“So this is it, huh? You finally dropped the act and revealed your true colors?”

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This was the chance he’d been waiting for.

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Ever since Lin Wei had entered their lives, the Hero’s Party had been thrown into chaos—especially when it came to Iresha. They’d gone from fighting side by side against the Demon Lord, sharing resources and trust without question, to this: tense, awkward, and lately, Iresha barely even listened to orders. She always insisted on picking her own targets for Status: Training.

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And the only thing that had changed… was this damned Lin Wei.

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“It’s been over a decade since we last saw each other. I thought maybe, as childhood friends, I’d finally have the chance to take things further. But all Iresha ever thinks about is fighting the Demon Lord; she couldn’t care less about romance. And now this bastard comes along and makes everything worse!”

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Oshu’s hands trembled on his sword hilt, fury radiating from every muscle. After all this time, here was his chance.

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“So my gut was right back in Aurens Town! This guy isn’t just some ordinary adventurer—he’s rotten to the core!”

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“Admit it—what the hell are you—”

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CRACK!

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A staff, swirling with magic, smacked down on his head and shattered his momentum.

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Oshu stared at Iresha in disbelief. She lowered her staff with a calm, practiced motion, her face—so bright with a smile only moments before—now dark with irritation. She looked at him as if he’d grown a second head, her disgust nearly palpable.

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“Enough, Oshu. Are you brain-damaged, or do you just have it out for Lin Wei?”

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“Why do you pick a fight with him every single time you meet?!”

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“…Wait, are you the one who knocked out those clergy outside?”

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Having finished scolding Oshu, Iresha finally turned to Lin Wei, her tone inquisitive. Anyone watching might have thought Oshu was the true culprit.

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“Yeah, that was me,” Lin Wei said, unruffled.

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“See? He admits—”

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Oshu jabbed a finger, ready to launch into another tirade, but Iresha ignored him entirely. She walked directly to Lin Wei, her expression open and honestly confused.

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“Why did you bother knocking them all out, anyway?”

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“Did they do something unforgivable, or did you just lose your temper for no reason?”

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There wasn’t a hint of suspicion in her voice. Not even the faintest shadow of doubt. The moment Lin Wei admitted it, all Iresha thought was: He must have had a good reason. The idea that he might be in the wrong didn’t even cross her mind.

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“More or less. The clergy here are rotten to the core. Figured they needed a wake-up call.”

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“Not just them—the cathedral’s priest is out cold in the back, too. Actually, you showed up at the perfect time!”

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“There’s something I need your help with, Miss Iresha.”

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Lin Wei didn’t bother hiding anything. He smiled at her, relief flickering in his eyes—as if some long-held tension had finally eased.

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“Oh? You need my help? Didn’t think country folk ever ran into problems they couldn’t solve themselves.”

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Lin Wei rarely asked her for help. Iresha’s face brightened, eager for praise and ready to spring into action.

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“Hmph~ Say something nice about me and I’ll help.”

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But as her gaze drifted past Lin Wei, she froze.

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Behind him stood a girl in a flowing, pale dress, peeking out from behind Lin Wei as she regarded Iresha in return. Her features were delicate and youthful, as though the Goddess herself had sculpted her from moonlight. Her eyes were a crystalline blue, so pure they seemed untouched by the world—beautiful, flawless, almost ethereal.

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“Um… Who’s that girl behind you?”

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“Haha, wait, are you traveling with your girlfriend now or something?”

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She looks elegant, refined… Probably a noble’s daughter?

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The pleasant mood Iresha had felt a moment before vanished in an instant. She swallowed hard, instinctively taking half a step back, desperate for an excuse to be alone and wash her face with a cleansing spell. She’d come straight from the Labyrinth outside the Wall of the Border—hadn’t even changed clothes, let alone freshened up. Sweat still streaked her cheeks!

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“Girlfriend? Are you trying to get me killed? If Selena the Pope heard you say that, she’d have me sent straight to meet the Goddess herself!”

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Lin Wei’s panic was even more frantic than hers. Yalis hadn’t even had her coming-of-age ceremony yet—calling her his girlfriend was practically a death sentence.

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“Let me introduce you: this is Miss Yalis, the Holy Maiden of the Holy See.”

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“And this is a member of the subjugation squad… and also Princess of the Silver Harbor Kingdom—the wealthy, beautiful, and unfortunately acrophobic mage, Miss Iresha.”

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“Princess, acrophobe—seriously? You don’t need to introduce all that, you jerk. Ahem… Anyway, I’m Iresha Aurelian, mage of the Hero’s Party. It’s an honor to meet you, Miss Yalis.”

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So she’s the Saintess, not a lover.

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Relief washed through Iresha, and her smile returned, brightening her sweat-damp face.

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“Hello, Miss Iresha. I’m Yalis Perseus, Holy Maiden of the Holy See.”

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“…But, I feel like we’ve met before.”

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“If you ever attended a Glenfield family banquet, you might have seen me tucked away in a corner… though that was years ago. I haven’t visited the Imperial Capital much recently.”

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So Yalis is the Griffin Duke’s daughter.

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Iresha nearly jumped again—she’d thought Lin Wei had picked up some suspiciously young girlfriend. She didn’t visit the Imperial Capital often, but she could still recognize most of the prominent noble families’ children, even if only by sight.

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But if she was the Holy Maiden, then there was nothing to worry about.

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“Lin Wei wouldn’t dare get involved with the Holy Maiden, no matter how brazen he is.”

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“Otherwise, forget the Griffin Duke—even Selena the Pope would probably call down Alicia’s Legacy and blast him clear out of the Empire.”

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Her stormy mood settled back into its usual, easy rhythm.

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Iresha looked up at Lin Wei again, but, worried he might catch a trace of her after her long journey, she instinctively took another half-step back. She made a mental note to find an inn and scrub herself clean at the first opportunity.

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“So, Lin Wei, what exactly do you need my help with?”

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“You must’ve heard about the situation outside town—the refugees from the Northern Countries, and how no one’s lifting a finger to help them. That’s why you came to the cathedral to pick a fight with the priest and the city lord, right?”

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City Lord Tawatz, who’d been playing dead this entire time, wiped the cold sweat from his brow with a trembling hand.

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The people here were terrifying—every one of them someone you couldn’t afford to offend. Even the other members of the Hero’s Party kept their heads down.

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Thank the Goddess he was just greedy, not wicked. Otherwise, the sunlight he’d seen before entering the cathedral might have been the last he’d ever see.

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“Yeah! That’s exactly it. Is this what you wanted my help for, too?”

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Of course, only someone from the Northern Countries would truly understand.

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Iresha smiled at Lin Wei; had she seen what he’d seen outside the city, she’d have stormed into the cathedral just as furiously—there was no way she could have stayed calm.

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“Some party we are, huh?”

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“Can’t even understand each other’s feelings…”

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No, it was always easier with Lin Wei.

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“I came to the cathedral for the same reason. Priest Doro is useless at disaster relief and most of the clergy are corrupt, so I knocked them out—they’re probably still lying there in the Holy Light, repenting their sins.”

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“And I just finished discussing relief measures for the refugees with City Lord Tawatz here.”

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Lin Wei’s tone grew serious as he addressed the heart of the matter.

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Iresha nodded solemnly. As a daughter of the Northern Countries, she couldn’t turn a blind eye to her people’s suffering.

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“I plan to mobilize the city’s residents to build temporary shelters outside the walls, purchase all available supplies from the merchant caravans and distribute them freely, and make sure everyone gets a hot meal before nightfall to lift their spirits.”

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Three immediate priorities, each critical.

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Iresha nodded without hesitation, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Lin Wei.

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“But here’s the problem… I didn’t expect things to be this dire, so I didn’t bring any funding.”

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“I could go back to the Holy See for support, but by the time I returned, it would be too late. Do you have enough on you? Lend me what you can, and I’ll pay you back once the Holy See’s funds arrive…”

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“I’ll sponsor the whole thing, no problem! Lin Wei, get your people organized—I’m hopeless at logistics, but I’ve got money to spare.”

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Flustered, Iresha began rummaging through her bags—her coin purse, the emergency cash in her spatial pouch, her savings card, even a few precious gems she could pawn if needed.

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Within seconds, Lin Wei’s hands were piled high with riches.

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After double-checking that she’d given everything she could quickly liquidate, she looked at him, a little uncertain.

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“All together, this should be over two million gold coins.”

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“Most of my money’s at home, and I didn’t bring my adventuring funds, so this is all I have on hand.”

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“If it’s not enough, I’ll run to the nearest bank—I don’t care what it takes, as long as I can help them…”

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She just handed over two million in an instant?

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Forget disaster relief—she could probably buy my life with that much.

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“Iresha, if you give away our entire adventuring fund—”

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“Shut up! Since when do you get to tell me what to do with my money?!”

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Oshu’s interruption was met with pure fury—rare for Iresha, but now she glared at him with open disdain.

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How did I ever hang out with this guy as a kid?

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“That’s more than enough—twenty thousand gold coins should be plenty for the refugees.”

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“The Holy See’s support will arrive tomorrow, and I’m not planning to make the city’s residents shoulder all the work—there are plenty of able-bodied refugees from the Northern Countries, and we can mobilize them too.”

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This hero must be brain-dead to say something like that.

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Lin Wei shot Oshu a look that screamed “idiot.” He’d never expected to run into a situation like this.

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Even though he didn’t know Iresha well, it was obvious how deeply she cared for the people of the Northern Countries.

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As the Princess of the Silver Harbor Kingdom—a homeland destroyed—she felt more than mere sympathy for these refugees. She blamed herself for being powerless as a child, unable to protect her people. Now that she was grown and strong, she would never let them suffer if she could help it.

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And Oshu had the nerve to complain about how she spent her own money?

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Just what kind of hero had Alicia chosen this time?

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Compared to the old ones, this guy was in a league of his own—and not in a good way.

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“So, want to help me out?”

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“Miss Iresha!”

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Even though he wasn’t the one who’d angered her, Lin Wei couldn’t ignore the tsundere mage who’d come to his aid.

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“Of course I’ll help.”

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No matter how furious she got with Oshu, things always felt easier around Lin Wei.

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Iresha nodded without hesitation.

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“Then let’s get started, Miss Iresha.”

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With the money secured, the rest was straightforward.

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Lin Wei waved his hand, leading Iresha and Yalis out of the cathedral.

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All that remained was Oshu, hands clenched white around his sword, stunned and speechless.

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Everyone else exchanged uneasy glances, but he stood there alone, tense and bracing for a battle that would never come—a fool, left behind in the peaceful, sunlit cathedral.

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“This… this bastard!!!”

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Since becoming a hero, he’d never felt such humiliation.

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And every time, it was because of that damn Lin Wei!

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“Stealing Iresha away from me again…?”

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He couldn’t accept it.

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He was supposed to be surrounded by friends, admired by the Saintess, leading the charge against the Demon Lord.

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That was supposed to be his story. So why did Lin Wei keep taking it away?

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“Iresha… and that Saintess too…”

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Rage clouded his vision, everything tinged with red.

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“GIVE THEM BACK TO ME!!!”