Outside Carne Village, Sephis located Enri with ease using his detection magic.
On a stretch of emerald grass, Enri stared blankly toward the distant forest. The air was filled with the scent of plants, yet it did nothing to calm the turmoil in her heart.
The girl with the distinctive hairstyle, who had been brimming with energy not long ago, now looked completely lost.
That very morning, the village chief had returned from E-Rantel with supplies and brought news of Nfirea's disappearance.
Nfirea had been Enri's neighbor. As children, they often played together. He was somewhat introverted, while Enri was lively and outgoing. Perhaps because their personalities complemented each other, they had grown especially close.
His grandmother had been a gentle woman as well. As an apothecary, she would occasionally give Enri's family healing potions, something Enri had always been deeply grateful for.
In the eyes of others, the two were childhood sweethearts. People often teased them about it, leaving the shy Nfirea blushing red.
Later, Nfirea moved away from Carne Village with his grandmother to E-Rantel, where they opened an apothecary shop. It was warmly received by the city's adventurers.
Even after leaving, he often returned to Carne Village, and the two of them kept in touch.
Enri had always harbored feelings for Nfirea. They had grown up together, and their bond ran deep.
A faint, unspoken affection lingered between them. If things had continued like that, perhaps they would have ended up together.
But that future never came. The apothecary shop was attacked. His grandmother died, and he disappeared. Enri knew that the chances of him surviving were slim.
Unable to sort through the storm of emotions inside her, she left the village alone to clear her head.
"Feeling down?"
Sephis walked up beside her, glancing at the girl who now seemed drained of life, nothing like the spirited Enri of yesterday.
He had no intention of offering comfort. He had never experienced something like this himself. To him, showing such emotions served no purpose.
"Sephis-sama… my friend is dead…"
Enri did not turn around. She lowered her head slowly as tears slipped from her eyes.
"So you're hiding out here, crying by yourself?"
Sephis looked at her coldly. In his view, tears were among the most meaningless things in the world.
Only the weak cried.
He did not know what it felt like to lose a friend. He had very few. Excluding family, Demiurge barely counted as one.
If Demiurge were ever to die, perhaps he would understand Enri's pain. But that demon would not die so easily. Even death in The Great Tomb of Nazarick could be reversed.
"I don't know what to do…"
Enri kept her head lowered, staring into the distance. She felt lost, with no idea what she should do next. Crying was the only thing she could manage.
"Enri, tell me. Why did your friend die?"
Seeing her like this, Sephis decided he might as well guide her a little. Otherwise, the afternoon's training would likely be impossible.
"Because of his Talent…"
After a brief silence, Enri answered, recalling what the village chief had told her.
Nfirea's disappearance was widely believed to be tied to his Talent. His powerful ability had drawn the wrong kind of attention, and he was taken because of it.
"Foolish. It was about strength. In the end, he was simply too weak."
Sephis let out a quiet scoff. At its core, it was weakness. Too weak to protect himself. Possessing a powerful Talent yet lacking the strength to defend it—in Sephis's eyes, that was the real sin.
"You can cry now, Enri. But what if next time it's your sister? If she were harmed, what would you do?"
His cold words struck her like a blade, piercing straight through her heart. Enri jolted to her feet.
This time, it was Nfirea.
But if next time it was Nemu… what would she do?
Enri didn't know.
She had never truly thought about it.
Or perhaps she had never dared to.
"I…"
Enri opened her mouth, but no words came out.
"Think it through, Enri. Crying won't solve anything."
"What are you like this for? What do those eyes mean? What do those tears amount to? Can your tears save anyone?"
Sephis shook his head, then turned and walked away. He had said what needed to be said. The rest was up to her.
His words were cold, but they were reality. When things truly reached that point, tears were the most useless thing of all.
Crying would only earn the enemy's ridicule. Only strength could make them fear you.
Sephis did not think she would actually reach that situation. The items bestowed upon her by the Three Supreme Beings were imbued with warning magic. If anything truly went wrong, the Three Supreme Beings would descend upon Carne Village at once and destroy every enemy.
But he did not mention that.
A comfortable environment could only raise docile sheep. True strength would never be born in such safety.
"I…"
Enri stood there, staring blankly at Sephis's back. His words were harsh, but he was right. Her tears meant nothing.
Tears could not protect her family.
Tears could not bring the dead back to life.
"I understand, Sephis-sama…"
Thinking of her sister and the people of the village, the emptiness in Enri's eyes began to fade. In its place, a firm resolve slowly took shape.
She would become stronger.
She would protect her sister.
She would protect the villagers of Carne Village.
She would not let Sephis-sama down.
"Goodbye, Nfirea. I'll always remember you."
Looking up at the clear blue sky, Enri murmured her farewell. The turmoil in her heart gradually settled. There was no longer any need to cry for him.
Seeing Sephis about to disappear from view, she quickly got to her feet and ran after him.
"Sephis-sama!"
Hearing her call from behind, Sephis stopped. A faint smile curved at the corner of his lips. It seemed she had managed to pull herself together.
Perhaps I do have a talent for guiding others, Sephis thought to himself.
"Sephis-sama, please guide me in this afternoon's training."
Catching up to him, Enri bowed deeply, her small face filled with determination as she spoke loudly.
"Keep up. We'll eat first. Then we train."
"Yes, Teacher!"
Sephis's steps paused for just a moment before resuming as he continued toward the village.
"Teacher… That doesn't sound bad."