Chapter 66, True Self

Translator: Barnnn

 

“All right! I’ll go get them!” Odelya said before spinning on her heel and dashing out of the room.

 

Elene watched her go, a quiet chuckle escaping her lips, her voice light with amusement.

 

“Have you two known each other for a long time?” Ize asked after a moment.

“Let me think…” Elene tilted her head, considering. “We met within my first year as an adventurer, so it’s been nearly seven years now.”

“Seven years… that’s a long time.”

“It is, but it passed in the blink of an eye. We fought, party members joined and left, and eventually, things settled. Once our current team came together, we finally found our rhythm. Just recently, we even made it to C-rank.”

 

Ize had heard from the Royal Capital’s Guild that reaching C-rank could take anywhere from five to ten years, depending on one’s dedication. Seven years seemed an average pace, yet it was still an achievement — the sheer persistence required was no small feat.

 

“Odelya and I were fortunate that our skills suited adventuring,” Elene continued, “But you know, they weren’t the ones we wanted. At first, we fought against them, convinced we could carve our own paths, shape ourselves into something else entirely.” Her expression shifted then, her features softening into something wistful — almost like a mother weaving a bedtime tale, one spun from the fabric of her own past, distant yet deeply personal. “I even got mad at Odelya for not using her skill ‘properly’ — not that I had accepted my own, mind you. We ended up in a full-blown fight over it.”

 

She let out a quiet laugh, but Ize could only blink. That was quite the revelation.

 

“And you’re… fine now?” Ize asked hesitantly.

“Of course. We realized, eventually, that the problem wasn’t our skills. It was how we saw ourselves. The moment we stopped fixating on what our skills should be and instead thought about who we wanted to become, everything changed.”

“Who you want to become…” Ize parroted, turning the words over in her mind.

“Exactly. Take someone with a strength-enhancing skill. They could use that power to take from others, or they could use it to protect them. A healer could demand steep fees, tending only to the wealthy, or they could heal those in need, regardless of payment. Skills don’t define people. It’s how we use them that reveals who we are.”

 

Elene’s gaze was unwavering, and Ize found herself straightening her posture in response. No one — neither her teachers nor her parents — had ever spoken to her like this, not about how to live life, not about making important choices. The lesson settled deep in her chest, heavily and profoundly, something she instinctively knew she would carry forward.

 

“Thank you, Miss Elene,” she said earnestly. “No matter what skill I receive today, I want to live in a way I can be proud of — something that won’t bring shame to me or my family. Though…” She hesitated, her voice softening as uncertainty crept in. “I can’t help but hope for something that will make me strong — let me protect those who matter to me most.”

 

It was a selfish wish, perhaps, but it was what she truly wanted.

Elene’s expression warmed, and she reached forward, taking both of Ize’s hands firmly in hers.

 

“That’s all right. Just offer your wish to the Goddess with all your heart. Even if the skill isn’t what you expect, your resolve will shape what it becomes.”

“My resolve…” Ize murmured, fingers tightening around Elene’s. “Yes. No matter what skill I receive, I won’t let it control me.”

 

Elene’s smile deepened, full of approval and quiet encouragement.

A sudden knock at the door interrupted the moment.

 

“Elene, I’ve got them!” Odelya’s voice rang through the wooden frame.

“Okay!” Elene called back before turning again to Ize, her expression resolute. “Hold your head high and step forward with confidence. May the Goddess’s blessing be with you always.”

 

With that, she moved toward the door.

 

“Miss Elene!” Ize blurted out, prompting the latter to pause. “Thank you. Truly. Let me repay you sometime.”

“You don’t need to.” Elene chuckled. “But if you insist, I won’t refuse. Just know that Odelya will expect something too.”

“Of course!”

 

With that, Elene slipped out of the room, and two familiar figures stepped inside — Hal and Fieda.

 

“That must’ve been tiring,” Hal greeted.

Ize turned to them, inclining her head in gratitude. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

 

Hal’s reaction was just as expected, a casual smile, relaxed shoulders — but Fieda… Fieda froze the moment he crossed the threshold.

 

Ize tilted her head. “Fieda?”

Hal, standing beside him, waved a hand in front of his face. “Fieda?”

 

The older man jolted as if snapped from a trance, blinking rapidly before awkwardly clearing his throat.

 

“Ah — uh, I’m fine. Completely fine.”

[Is he, though?]

[No idea. Let’s just keep an eye on him.]

 

Ize and Hal exchanged a silent glance before setting the matter aside for now. There were more pressing things to focus on — like the photo shoot.

 

“You look adorable, by the way,” Hal said as he prepared his tablet. “Want to take a solo shot first?”

“I… guess…” Ize hesitated, cradling the bouquet in her arms. “This is my first time wearing makeup, and honestly, I’m a little nervous. Does it look strange?”

“Not at all! It’s subtle but really well done. Suits you perfectly. Elene’s work, right?”

“Yes, and Miss Odelya did my hair.”

“She did, huh? No wonder it turned out so well. She always does the coolest styles.” Hal nodded in approval. “I’m really glad I asked her.”

“Mm-hmm.” Ize’s grip on the bouquet tightened slightly as she smiled. “Hal, thank you. Truly.”

 

With care, she positioned herself by the window. The light streaming in cast a soft glow around her as she struck a pose. The tablet’s camera clicked, then clicked again, each shot capturing a moment in time. At first, she felt awkward, but as she moved through the motions, she reminded herself — Elene and Odelya had worked hard to bring out the best in her today. She wanted to honor that effort. She wanted to remember this moment with pride.

 

“All right, take a look.”

 

Hal held out the tablet, and Ize carefully settled the bouquet on her lap before taking it from him.

Her breath caught slightly.

 

“Wow…”

 

She swiped through the photos, studying each one closely. One shot, in particular, caught her eye — an angle just high enough to reveal the intricate braiding at the back of her head, something she wouldn’t have been able to see otherwise.

 

“It’s so detailed,” she murmured in awe.

“Right? How’d they even do this? Does it even come undone?”

Ize shot him a look. “Hal, stop poking at it.”

“Oh, my bad.”

 

The variety of angles and lighting in the photos made each image feel distinct, drawing her in despite the fact that she was the subject.

 

“You’re really good at taking pictures, Hal.”

“Well, when you work in places you might never see again, you learn to take good shots. It’s part of the job — documenting things properly.”

“I see. That makes sense.” She handed the tablet back to him. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

 

Hal tapped through to the next set of photos — the family portraits they had yet to take.

But before they could start–

 

“Fieda?” Ize called.

 

The older man was still moving sluggishly, almost absentmindedly.

 

Hal sighed. “Hey, snap out of it. We’re taking the pictures now.”

 

With little patience for further delay, he guided Fieda to a chair and sat him down.

Ize adjusted the bouquet in her arms before taking her place just behind him, standing slightly to his left.

 

“Fieda, you good? We’ll take a shot like this first.”

A beat passed before he responded. “…Yeah. Sure.”

 

The tablet’s shutter clicked several times in rapid succession. Hal checked the results, his brow furrowing slightly.

 

“Hmm…”

Ize glanced over. “What’s wrong?”

“You know what? Now that I think about it–”

“Yes?”

“How about we take a few shots without the Camouflage?”

Ize blinked, momentarily caught off guard. “You mean… with our real hair?”

“Yeah.”

 

Currently, both of them had brown hair and eyes, a disguise maintained by Ize’s Camouflage ability. Dropping it would reveal their true appearances — black hair, dark brown eyes — their unmistakable markers of Japanese heritage.

She hesitated, glancing at Hal, who seemed just as uncertain as she was.

 

“Should we ask Fieda?”

“Would he even be able to handle it right now…?” Hal murmured under his breath before shaking his head. “Hey, Fieda, question for you.”

“…H-huh? What?”

“You remember how I mentioned we’re using Camouflage on our hair? Would it be okay if we removed it for a bit?”

Fieda blinked at him, momentarily taken aback. “…Will you be able to change it back before we leave?”

“Yeah, no problem.”

“Then…” He exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t see an issue with it.”

“Thanks. Ize?” Hal prompted.

“All right.”

 

Ize drew in a steady breath, then released the ability. A soft shimmer flickered across their hair and eyes. A shade of black washed over their hair, and their eyes darkened to a familiar brown — a return to something so strangely nostalgic.

 

“…Black!?”

 

Fieda’s stunned whisper barely escaped his lips. He was staring at them as though he had just witnessed an apparition manifest before his very eyes.

 

“Fieda? Why do you look so shocked?” Ize tilted her head.

“You — You never told me your real hair was black!”

“Didn’t we?”

Hal scratched his cheek, exchanging a glance with Ize. “We didn’t? Huh. Guess it never came up,” he said with an easy shrug. “Anyway, let’s get these pictures done. We should retake Ize’s solo shots too.”

“Two versions of the same photos? Feels like a bonus.”

“You two…” Fieda let out an exasperated groan. “You always take everything so damn lightly!”

“I assure you, we do not,” Ize countered. “Right, Hal?”

“Yeah, this is just normal for us.”

 

Fieda groaned again. Then, as if only just now noticing, his gaze flickered to the sleek device in Hal’s hands. His brows drew together in suspicion.

 

“Also, what the hell is that thing, anyway?”

 

Hal turned the screen toward him, displaying a crystal-clear image of him and Ize. The moment Fieda’s eyes landed on it, he flinched as if physically struck.

 

“You… you do know what a photograph is, right?” Hal asked.

“Of course. There are places that take pictures, but it takes days before they’re printed onto paper.”

“Ah, makes sense… Feels like they’re about thirty years behind our tech.”

“Yeah, no wonder he didn’t recognize the tablet,” Ize added, tilting her head in curiosity.

 

Her fingers pinched the screen, zooming in on Fieda’s face with idle amusement.

 

He recoiled instantly. “Ize, don’t play around with my face!”

“Sorry, sorry,” She relented with a small laugh. “Now, let’s take the family picture already.”

“Yeah, we don’t exactly have all day,” Hal agreed, flipping the tablet case into a stand. “Fieda, sit back down.”

“Same position as before?”

“Yep. I’ll set a ten-second timer.” Hal tapped the timer, stepping back as the countdown began. “I’ll stand on the other side of Fieda. Six, five, four…”

 

Hal positioned himself behind Fieda’s right shoulder, their formation falling into place effortlessly.

 

“Three, two…”

 

The tablet captured a burst of images in rapid succession.

 

“All right, let’s see how that turned out.” Hal picked up the device and scanned the photos, but his lips pressed into a slight frown. “…Fieda, you look way too stiff.”

“What did you expect!?” Fieda shot back, exasperated. “I’ve been shocked nonstop since this started!”

“Was the hair and tablet really that surprising?”

“That too, but…” Fieda’s expression shifted, his gaze flickering toward Ize. “Ize… I didn’t know you were a woman.”

 

Silence.

 

“…Excuse me?”

“What!?” A metallic clatter broke the quiet — Hal had nearly dropped the tablet. He spun around so fast that he almost lost his balance. “Wait. You seriously didn’t know!?”

“How the hell was I supposed to know!?”

“You’re kidding, right!?”

 

For a moment, all thoughts of the photo session were forgotten. But really, with a revelation that unexpected, perhaps it was only inevitable.