Story

Kailolo was incredibly nervous right now, so nervous she didn't know how to answer her.

Even though the cushion beneath her was soft and comfortable, she felt as if she were sitting on a red-hot iron plate. She wished she could drop the burning gold coin in her hand right now, turn on her heels, and run as far away from this overbearing big sister as possible!

But before she could put this thought into action, she sneaked a peek up, only to see Irene staring straight at her. Meeting that gaze, Kailolo couldn't help but shiver all over.

This feeling, like being looked down upon by an apex predator, caused the urge to flee in her heart to deflate like a punctured balloon, vanishing instantly.

Her body felt as if it had been struck by a legendary Binding Spell, unable to move even a fraction of an inch.

The two of them stared at each other in silence for a few seconds, until the tavern owner brought over their drinks, breaking the awkward tension.

Looking at the drink placed in front of her, Kailolo licked her dry lips. She stared down at her glass and asked in a small voice, “W-What... what kind of changes do you want to hear about?”

Irene had just poured herself a glass of Water of Life. Taking only a shallow sip, she felt a fiery burn in her throat. Caught off guard, even with a dragon's thick hide, her cheeks couldn't help but flush slightly.

She couldn't help but marvel in her heart: This alcohol purity must be ninety-nine point nine percent.

Forcing down the burning heat in her body, she looked at the girl in front of her, swirled the goblet in her hand, and after a moment of thought, a newspaper appeared out of thin air in her other hand.

It was one of the newspapers from the stack she had just “snatched” from Kailolo.

With a soft thwack, she gently slapped the newspaper onto the table. Irene tapped her finger against the large words “World Daily” on the paper, pretending to be ignorant, and asked:

“Why don't you start by telling me about the history of this World Daily? I remember fifty years ago, there was no such novelty.”

Hearing this, a light seemed to flash in Kailolo's moist, large eyes.

If asked about anything else, she might not know, but she was all too familiar with information regarding the World Daily.

It could be said that she had firmly memorized the World Daily's entire journey, from its creation out of nothing, its rise from humble beginnings, to its current development.

The reason she remembered it so clearly was, of course, not just because she was a papergirl under the World Daily, but because the founder of this newspaper agency—President Cezar, whose fame now echoed throughout the entire Eastern Continent—had a background similar to hers.

When she accidentally learned that such a grand figure had actually started out as an “orphan” as well, and was taken in by Lord Fido, the third-in-command of the Black Dragon Empire, before rising step by step to his current achievements through his own hard work, Kailolo had come to view him as her goal and “idol.”

The naive Kailolo felt that Lord Cezar had been taken in by Lord Fido when he was at his most helpless, and then, through his own efforts, achieved what he had today.

And she, too, had been taken in by Lord Arthas at her most desperate moment, and was now working hard in her own way.

How similar their fates were!

Like most children with active imaginations, Kailolo also frequently fantasized that perhaps one day, she could rise from humble beginnings just like President Cezar, growing bigger and stronger, and achieving great glory!

She felt that when that day came, Lord Arthas would surely be proud of her!

Perhaps because they had touched upon a topic of interest, the tension on Kailolo's face slowly faded. A hint of yearning appeared in her eyes, and she seemed less afraid of the overbearing big sister before her.

She opened her mouth and said softly:

“You might not know this, but the World Daily today is a colossus with branches spread across the entire Eastern Continent.”

Kailolo hesitated for a moment.

She seemed to be organizing her thoughts.

And she also seemed to be immersed in that history from decades ago.

“But back then, the founder of the World Daily, the great President Cezar... couldn't even step through the gates of the Human Kingdom...”

This was a very long story. Coincidentally, Irene had plenty of time to listen to it.

Thus, on this very afternoon, as the sun gradually dipped toward the west, inside this tavern called Fantasyland, Irene stroked her crystal glass with one hand. Gazing through the pure liquid inside, she seemed to see how a small organization named the World Daily rose step by step from humble beginnings...