Greg rolled his eyes inwardly, unhesitatingly blocking out the demonic whispers of the bad kitty in his head.
He stopped, turned around, and looked Silvia directly in the eye, his voice firm and clear.
"Of course. You helped me a lot this time."
He paused, and seeing Silvia's eyes suddenly light up, he added, "Without your augmentation magic and timely support, the battle wouldn't have gone so smoothly. Your Light magic also played a role in distracting and purifying those monsters. You did well, Silvia."
"R-Really?!"
Silvia's eyes instantly sparkled, and a relieved, somewhat shy, brilliant smile blossomed on her face. She instinctively patted her chest.
"That's great... I thought... I was just a burden to you again..."
Seeing her genuine happiness mixed with a hint of lingering fear, Greg suddenly remembered that in the original game's setting, one of Silvia's defining personality traits in the early stages was a severe lack of self-confidence.
Unlike Victoria, who also came from a commoner background but was proud and resilient, Silvia felt nothing but immense pressure from her status as a Candidate Saintess. She also faced subtle exclusion and malice from another faction within the Church, which even led her to develop a sense of loathing and a desire to escape her identity.
It was this mindset that caused her to appear timid and hesitant, unable to fully utilize her power despite her powerful Light-attribute talent and Church background.
According to the original plot, this issue would gradually be improved and resolved with Victoria's help later on.
However, considering that Silvia really had been a big help this time—both in providing support and in following his orders to lead the others out—Greg felt that, in all fairness, he should provide some positive feedback.
As he continued walking forward, he spoke in a conversational tone.
"There's no need to always doubt yourself, Silvia. Your power is very special and very strong."
He glanced sideways at Silvia and saw her listening intently.
Seeing this, Greg's voice softened even more.
"Besides, you aren't alone. You have friends like Victoria by your side, who will stand firmly with you no matter what happens. And of course..."
He paused, his gaze looking calmly at the deep passage ahead.
"If you have any trouble in the future or need help... I'll certainly help you too. So, you can... try to believe in yourself a bit more. You're much more reliable than you think."
These words weren't some profound enlightenment, but coming from Greg—who had just displayed immense strength in a desperate situation and whom she viewed as a reliable upperclassman—their weight was entirely different.
Silvia listened blankly, feeling as if her heart had been gently squeezed by something, and then it began to beat violently.
A strange, burning heat surged from her heart to her limbs, and her cheeks grew hot.
She looked at Greg's tall back as he walked ahead of her, his profile as he spoke calmly. A certain hazy emotion in her heart seemed to be quietly awakened by these words, beginning to sprout with trepidation and confusion.
Upperclassman Greg... he said he would help me... he said I'm reliable...
She instinctively covered her chest, trying to calm her abnormal heartbeat, but her gaze could not move away from Greg's back.
Before they knew it, they were near the exit of the dungeon. Not far ahead were the stairs leading to the academy's surface.
Greg, walking at the very front, stopped before the stairs.
He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the four people behind him before finally landing on Silvia's face.
"You all go out first. I have some other matters I need to take care of."
Alvin and the other two at the back looked as if they had been granted a divine amnesty. They nodded frantically, casting a look of mixed gratitude and fear at Greg before quickly stepping onto the stairs and disappearing into the light above.
Silvia looked at Greg, her eyes showing clear reluctance to leave.
The words he had just spoken had left her heart in turmoil, and separating now gave her an indescribable sense of loss.
But thinking that Upperclassman Greg had other matters to attend to, she figured they must be very important.
She suppressed her reluctance and nodded gently. "I understand, Upperclassman Greg. Then... please be careful."
"Mm."
Greg gave a short response and watched her turn to step onto the stairs.
Just as Silvia's foot was about to touch the first step, Greg's voice suddenly came from behind her.
"After you go out, enjoy the honor you deserve."
Silvia paused, looking back in surprise, but she only saw Greg already turning unhesitatingly to walk back into the darkness of the dungeon's depths. His figure was soon swallowed by the shadows, giving her no chance to ask questions.
Enjoy... the honor I deserve?
Silvia's mind was full of confusion as she chewed on those cryptic words. With a sense of bewilderment, she continued upward.
When she finally stepped out of the dungeon entrance and was bathed once more in the bright morning sunlight of the academy, the sight before her made her freeze on the spot, her mind going blank.
The dungeon entrance square, which should have been deserted in the early morning, was actually crowded with people!
There were students in academy uniforms and teachers with serious expressions.
The crowd was a sea of people, and the moment she appeared, every single gaze focused on her in unison.
Then, someone in the crowd shouted first.
"She's out! It's her! The three who came out earlier said this junior saved them!"
Like a stone thrown into a calm lake, those words instantly stirred up a thousand waves.
"Great job, freshman! Those three who were missing for days—we thought they were long gone!"
"Impressive! To be able to bring people out from the deep area... this year's freshmen really are full of hidden talents!"
"I think she's from the Church side?"
"Truly remarkable!"
Praise, amazement, and curious discussions surged from all directions like a tide, instantly drowning the still-clueless Silvia.
Countless gazes converged on her.
Silvia froze in place, her pink eyes wide, her cheeks rapidly turning red from the sudden, overwhelming attention.
Only now did she suddenly realize what Greg had talked to those three about in private. She also completely understood what he meant by 'enjoy the honor you deserve.'
He had given all the credit to her.
While he himself chose to remain behind the scenes, still carrying the previous insults and misunderstandings.
"N-No! That's not it!"
Silvia waved her hands frantically, desperate to explain, her voice faint in the noisy crowd. "It was Upperclassman Gre—"
She didn't get to finish her sentence.
A familiar gray figure cut through the crowd like a gust of wind. With obvious urgency and joy, she rushed straight to her, opened her arms, and hugged her tightly.
"Thank goodness! Silvia! You're okay! You really did it!"
Victoria's voice rang in her ear, filled with the excitement of relief and the trembling of lingering fear. The hug was so tight it made Silvia gasp for air, yet she could clearly feel the unreserved concern.
"Vic-Victoria..."
Infected by her friend's excitement, Silvia hugged her back. But then she remembered the more important matter and quickly whispered a defense into Victoria's ear.
"No, Victoria, listen to me. It wasn't me... Upperclassman Greg did everything! I-I just followed him. I didn't actually help much..."
Hearing this, Victoria released the hug. Her hands still rested on Silvia's shoulders as her gray eyes looked at her seriously, her brow furrowing slightly.
"Greg? Right, where is he? He didn't come out with you?"
"Upperclassman Greg said... he had other things to handle, so he went back into the dungeon."
Silvia answered in a small voice, her gaze unconsciously drifting toward the now-empty, dark entrance.
"That guy..."
Victoria sighed softly upon hearing this. A look of realization, mixed with a bit of helpless complexity, appeared on her face as she shook her head.
"Given his personality, don't you understand why he did this? Even though he didn't say it outright, he definitely pushed all the credit onto you on purpose. He really is... an impossibly stubborn fellow."
"I-Is that so?"
Silvia was still a bit uncertain. Her heart felt pained by Greg's sacrifice, yet she felt at a loss because of this heavy gift.
"Based on my understanding of him, that's almost certainly the case."
Victoria's tone was firm. She patted Silvia's shoulder.
"He must have his own plans and considerations. Since he arranged it this way, let's try not to disrupt his plans and just accept the current situation for now. At least you came back safe, and that's what matters most."
Hearing Victoria's confident analysis, Silvia nodded half-understandingly, and the panic in her heart calmed slightly.
But at the moment she nodded, a tiny thought quietly crossed her mind.
Victoria... why does she understand Upperclassman Greg so well now?
This thought carried a hint of an indescribable bitterness, making her instinctively look up at the profile of her friend, who was currently fending off some of the overly enthusiastic onlookers.
A subtle sense of rivalry was born in her heart.
Rate on N.U.
