Under the dusk sky, two figures shuttled rapidly through the woods.
One in front, one behind. The one in the back seemed to be competing, constantly picking up speed in an attempt to catch up to the person ahead.
Xia De ran at a leisurely pace, turning back from time to time to give Finn a friendly smile.
Letting him interpret the meaning for himself.
Naturally, Finn took this as a taunt, pushing his speed even further to catch up to Xia De and throw a taunt of his own right back.
Before long, the two reached the outskirts of Windmill Town.
Xia De stopped, standing at the entrance of Windmill Town, and looked at the panting Finn with a smile.
“So, how is my strength? I wonder if I passed your test.”
Finn was currently sprawled on the ground like a puddle of mud, completely abandoning his image as he gasped heavily for air.
Hearing Xia De's words, he tremblingly raised his right hand to give a thumbs-up, wheezing, “You... passed. As expected of someone helped by this genius, you're a genius just like me.”
After Finn had finished speaking and run off earlier, he had still been worried that Xia De wouldn't be able to keep up. Just as he was about to slow down, he had turned his head to look—
And was instantly startled!
Because Xia De was already less than five meters behind him!
And the gap was constantly shrinking, igniting a long-lost sense of excitement within him.
Although his previous words to Xia De had been slightly exaggerated, there was one thing he had not exaggerated in the slightest.
He truly was a genius!
He possessed an extremely strong affinity for the wind element, a talent that allowed him to move as fast as the wind itself.
Even without the enhancement of wind magic, his normal speed was already at the limit of Tier Three, Rank Seven. With wind magic, he was faster than some folks at Tier Four, Rank One or Two.
Therefore, normally in town, no one of the same tier could keep up with his speed.
Seeing that Xia De was about to catch up had given him a fright, especially since he had gotten a head start.
Because of that brief moment of distraction, Xia De had overtaken him.
He had then tried to overtake him again, but no matter how much he accelerated, he couldn't catch up to Xia De.
Not only that, but he also realized that the distance between him and Xia De remained completely fixed, with Xia De occasionally turning around to give him an encouraging smile.
This meant Xia De had not only surpassed him but was also holding back.
To his eyes, that friendly smile felt like a mockery, especially since he had just bragged about how fast he was.
Damn it!
Unwilling to accept defeat, he had cast wind magic on himself, wanting to overtake Xia De and mock him right back.
In the end, he still couldn't catch up, ultimately collapsing from exhaustion at the entrance of Windmill Town.
Utterly devoid of dignity.
“What a wicked guy. And here I thought he was a good person just because he's as handsome as me.”
Finn stole a glance at Xia De, grumbling inwardly.
Then, he felt a warm current wash over him. The fatigue in his body melted away like early snow, leaving him feeling cozy and warm.
Seeing a green magic array appear over Xia De's hand, his eyes widened slightly in surprise.
Xia De looked at him and smiled. “I'm actually a Healer, you see.”
“What a monster.”
Finn's eyelids twitched. Looking at the amiable Xia De, he grumbled under his breath.
Of course, no matter how softly he spoke, it would still reach Xia De's ears, though Xia De didn't mind.
Just as Xia De was about to speak, he saw Finn's expression suddenly change. The playful grin that had been plastered on Finn's face vanished instantly.
With a solemn and serious expression, Finn began to tidy his clothes and groom his appearance.
And then...
“Darling Peishan!!!
You are so beautiful and moving today. No wonder I couldn't feel my own heartbeat; it turns out it was with you all along!”
He threw himself toward a woman ahead with a dramatic expression. Xia De even saw him pull out a flower from who-knows-where.
Dropping to one knee, he offered the flower to the woman, puckering his lips as he leaned in for a kiss.
In the next second, he went flying.
The woman had healthy, wheat-colored skin and a tall figure. Her midriff-baring top tightly wrapped around her ample chest, and she wore tight shorts that showed off her long, toned legs.
She wore two leather bracers on her arms, and her light brown hair was slightly messy, exuding a wild temperament.
Peishan withdrew her fist and clapped her hands as if she had just finished dusting, then looked at Xia De and asked, “And you are?”
Xia De immediately replied, “I'm just a passing adventurer. I heard there's a Windmill Festival being held here, so I came to join in the fun.”
Peishan frowned, staring at Xia De as she pondered, her eyes filled with deep vigilance.
“Sweetheart Peishan, Xia De is definitely a good guy! He even helped heal me just now.”
Finn, who had been punched away, had returned at some point.
“Healed? You were injured?”
Hearing Finn's words, Peishan immediately asked, and Xia De could detect a trace of subtle concern in her voice.
Finn scratched the back of his head sheepishly, grinning foolishly. “Just overused my magic power and got a bit exhausted.”
Hearing this, her expression softened slightly, and she muttered in a very quiet voice, “Idiot.”
Xia De looked at the two of them.
...
He suddenly felt like he had just been fed a mouthful of dog food.
“Since Finn, this idiot, is guaranteeing for you, then it's fine. I hope you will abide by our rules.
Lastly, I hope you can enjoy the Windmill Festival, traveler from afar.”
“So it's because of me! I didn't expect to be so trusted. Darling Peishan, I'm so moved.”
Tears of gratitude welled in Finn's eyes as he thrust his head forward, leaning in to kiss Peishan again.
Looking at the approaching Finn, a black popping vein seemed to appear on Peishan's forehead, and she clenched her fist.
“Get a hold of yourself!”
With a loud bang, she punched him and walked away.
“Are you alright?”
Xia De looked at Finn, who was lying on the ground with a massive bump on his head, and asked hesitantly.
Instead of responding, Finn suddenly sprang up from the ground, giggling foolishly.
“Peishan is as energetic as ever. How wonderful! Hehehe.”
This guy was a lost cause.
Xia De sighed, rubbing his temples with one hand as he said helplessly, “Could you introduce her to me now?”
Finn finally snapped out of it and began to explain, “Her name is Peishan. She's my childhood friend whom I grew up with.
I'm an orphan, raised by my master since I was a child.
Peishan is my master's granddaughter. Her parents lost their lives in a monster invasion. Before I was adopted, she and my master depended on each other.
Later, after I was taken in, our relationship gradually grew closer.”
“Those punches she threw just now weren't light. Is that what you call a good relationship?”
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