Pick Me Up!-Chapter 313: Embers (3)

Amkena.

Siris mouthed the unfamiliar name under her breath.

It wasn’t the first time she’d heard it.

She had once investigated the waiting room where her Master had lived.

According to her findings, Amkena had been a weak Master—one who merely relied on Loki to get by.

“I should’ve researched more deeply.”

Siris knew the basic overview of Townia, but she had never studied the four Ancients or the imperial mythology tied to them. Maybe if she had, she could’ve stopped her Master’s change of heart.

But what was done was done.

Siris shook her head and spoke.

“That Master was suspended, wasn’t he? And the access server is already closed.”

<Reinstating him is within my authority. Granting Amkena access again won’t be difficult—I’ve got spare gems for that.>

Siris’s eyes narrowed.

How had most Masters treated their Heroes?

Disposables. Playthings. Tools for entertainment and nothing more.

Except for rare cases like Loki, the average Master never viewed their Heroes as living beings.

Still... I can’t refuse.

Han, who had once been your Hero, now needed help.

There was a high chance Amkena wouldn’t even believe her—but not trying was worse.

“I’ll handle the contact myself.”

<Understood. I’ll provide the link the moment this call ends.>

“...Thanks.”

Beep.

The call ended.

It’s not a question of whether I can...

It’s something I must.

Siris opened her eyes.

[Siris, that call just now—]

“What time is it?”

[Uh, 2:35 a.m.]

“Summon Party 1.”

Niselle stared at her, stunned.

Then she nodded wildly.

[Got it! I’ll bring them in right now!]

Poof!

Niselle vanished in a puff of stardust.

This...

is Niflheim’s final mission.

Resolve burned in Siris’s emerald eyes.

She pinned the red badge of authority to her black uniform, flung her cloak over ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) her shoulders, and strapped Levatein to her waist.

Let’s go.

By now, the summons should’ve gone out to the other four.

The rendezvous point: Niflheim’s 13th Floor, Garden of Mist.

The place where Yurnet had once greeted Loki.

***

Haa...

Fresh air filled Siris’s lungs.

She stood at the center of the garden, having followed the dirt path to the clearing. A white wooden table still bore a teapot and cups—remnants of a tea session between Yurnet and Nysled, perhaps.

Master...

Siris had made her decision.

She would accept her mistake.

The reason the Master kept me at his side...

Just as Ridigion had said—this wasn’t her first failure.

Even during her initial summoning, and in many missions after that, she had made critical errors.

But the important thing was—

What you do afterward.

Never repeat the same mistake.

Even in impossible situations, find a way forward.

Never give up.

That was the way of Siris Argentheim.

It was why she’d once been acknowledged by the ancient Flame Spirit that ruled Niflheim.

Rustle.

The wind blew, stirring the leaves.

Siris stood silently in the center of the clearing.

“I have something to say to all of you.”

To the empty garden, she spoke.

“First, I’m sorry. Because of my poor judgment, I made a grave mistake. Ridigion was right. Driving the Master away like that—it was my failure.”

There was no reply.

Even so, Siris continued.

“Our homeland has been restored. The waiting room can now be maintained. But if the Master is not here... then to me, it means nothing.”

Shuffle.

Petals on the right flowerbed rustled.

“Please... grant me one more chance.”

Her quiet voice echoed.

Then the flowerbed stirred again—

“What’s with waking us up so suddenly? So this is why, huh!”

A girl with platinum hair burst out, clad in a black uniform.

Her feline eyes narrowed sharply.

“Sirini, this really isn’t like you.”

“...Nihaku.”

“I’m too dumb to think deep, but I don’t think you were wrong to care about the Master. Maybe your method was a bit off.”

Nihaku Guestfel.

A former spearwoman from Niflheim, once a daughter of a brothel that fought the White Oni.

Her mother had had her tongue cut out from birth. Siris used to wonder why Nihaku spoke the way she did—but now she understood. Nihaku’s speech was an homage to her mother’s voice.

“Master’s cold, but I think he’s a good person. I don’t wanna say goodbye yet. We didn’t even get to properly talk.”

Crack!

Nihaku spun her hand in a full circle.

A flash of lightning cracked, and a golden bow materialized in midair.

“Right?”

She smiled brightly and glanced around.

“Less than a day, and here you are. Did you find a way?”

From beyond the dirt path, Ridigion appeared.

His cold gaze swept across Siris’s entire form.

“Big talk’s meaningless. If you summoned us, you must have at least something in mind.”

Siris took a deep breath.

And opened her mouth.

“There is... one unconfirmed method.”

“Unconfirmed?”

“I can’t guarantee success. But I think it’s better than sitting around doing nothing.”

“Anything’s better than doing nothing.”

Ridigion leaned against the tree behind him.

“What are the chances it’ll work? Have you identified specific steps? What’s the plan, and how will we—”

“That part will be mine to handle.”

A woman in a robe emerged from the mist beyond the flowerbeds.

Her hood fell back, revealing pure white hair.

“I’ve been looking for options myself. If you really have a method, I’ll take charge of verifying its feasibility. I’ve always done that, haven’t I?”

Yurnet Seed smiled gently at Siris.

“I’ve made mistakes too. You don’t need to shoulder all the blame. Everyone here... we’re all guilty.”

“Hm?”

“Have something to say, Ridigion?”

“Well, I suppose I bear responsibility for not stopping it.”

Ridigion smirked bitterly.

Nihaku pumped her fist into the air.

“Then we all messed up! No need to blame anyone. Let’s fix it!”

“How do you plan to fix it?”

“I’ll submit a full plan by tonight. Please review it.”

“Got it. I’ll draft an executable strategy.”

Yurnet cleared her throat and turned to Siris.

“By the way—does your plan involve Amkena?”

“That’s... right.”

“Then it’s probably similar to what I’ve been thinking. It shouldn’t take long to finalize.”

“Let me say this up front. If the plan fails... we don’t know what’ll happen to us.”

Siris lowered her eyes.

If it were only her life on the line, she wouldn’t hesitate.

But this operation... carried all of their lives.

“If anyone wants to return to the homeland—raise your hand. I won’t say a word. We swore loyalty to the Master, yes—but you each have your own life. He would understand.”

“Our own lives... huh.”

“This is your last chance.”

Siris looked around at her comrades.

None of them moved.

They only stared back at her—faces full of resolve.

“Our fate is sealed.”

All except for one.

“By the way, where’s our little brother gone off to?” Nihaku asked, twirling a strand of her platinum hair.

Only four stood in the garden.

One person was missing.

“Müden, who went to Townia, hasn’t responded. He was scheduled to return by today.”

Siris glanced around.

Niselle’s summons should have reached Müden as well.

And yet he hadn’t shown up—

‘So he’s chosen his own path.’

Siris let out a bitter smile.

That man had said it to her more than once.

If he disappeared one day, don’t come looking for him.

“I’ve tried scanning again, but there’s no sign of him here.”

“This is bad. If even one person’s missing—”

Siris shook her head.

“We have to respect his choice. If that’s what he’s decided, it’s our job to let him go.”

“Still, doesn’t it feel off? He should at least say goodbye, don’t you think? It’s not like we’d force him to stay. I mean, we’ve spent so much time together it’s almost sickening.”

“His personal decision, huh...” Ridigion clicked his tongue.

A trace of regret flickered in his eyes.

“So that man finally reached his limit.”

“Limit? What do you mean by that?”

“Nihaku, I’ll explain it to you later.”

The matter could wait.

They could look into Müden’s whereabouts tomorrow.

Even if he wasn’t here now, he might join them later.

“Anyway.”

Shing.

Siris drew Levatein.

The crimson blade gleamed with a cold, ominous light.

“As of this moment, we are bound by a shared fate. The four of us gathered here will prioritize one goal above all else.”

“And that goal is...”

“To save the Master.”

There was a mountain of problems they had to solve.

Loki, who had lost his humanity.

The Fragments that infested the Boundary.

The fact that no path even existed to reach that place.

What they could possibly do when they finally stood before him.

One thing is certain—

She wouldn’t stop moving forward.

Siris held Levatein out in front of her.

“Yes.”

Ridigion gave a thin, frigid smile.

“It’s been a while since I’ve done something like this.”

Shhhk.

With a rasp like metal scraping against metal, his saber slid halfway from its sheath.

The curved silver blade crossed above Levatein.

“I... will not retreat any further.”

Yurnet opened her book.

The Naglfar Codex rested upon the drawn saber.

“Little brother’s not coming?”

“......”

“Too bad. Guess we’ll have to go ahead without him for now.”

The golden-refined bow gleamed from its place atop her shoulder.

Siris looked at the three of them in turn.

“From today forward, we will hesitate no longer.”

“Yes.”

“Understood.”

“Of course.”

“In that case—”

Ding.

A metallic ping rang out.

Siris caught the object flying toward her face.

This is...

A steel badge, shimmering in violet.

A ram was engraved at the center.

“...!”

Siris looked up.

Down the dirt path leading into the garden...

A young man was walking toward them with a spear strapped to his back.

He stopped and glanced around at the four standing there, his mouth silent.

“Huh? That spear—?”

Nihaku’s jaw dropped as she stared at the youth.

“That’s little brother’s weapon! Where’d you get that!?”

“Master left it to me. He entrusted it to my care,” the young man replied flatly.

“What about little brother...?”

“......”

Siris fixed her eyes on the young man before her.

Müden had bragged about him so often that even meeting him for the first time, she could tell immediately.

That steady gaze. That weight beneath his quiet demeanor. He resembled the boy who had always seemed carefree but had carried a deep seriousness.

Siris spoke.

“Are you ready? That spear isn’t light.”

“I’ve already made my resolve.”

If Müden had truly passed Ruine to this young man, then Siris had no right to refuse him.

Even Nihaku, who had looked uncertain at first, now set her jaw firmly.

Now was not the time to dwell on Müden.

“Why are we gathered here?”

“To save—”

The young man paused, then corrected himself.

“To save my brother.”

He drew his spear and placed it atop Brionac.

“To save the Master.”

“Good.”

Siris smiled.

“To our King—”

The voices of five warriors became one.

“Victory.”