Shadow Slave: Not a very laid back life.

Asher pursed his lips as all eyes turned toward the glowing orb. Caster looked especially rattled—his expression caught somewhere between shock and a deep, furrowed frown.

15/12/6073.

He remembered that day vividly.

The day he swore an oath.

Kai's voice broke the silence, eyes wide. "Wait... Isn't that the signature orb of—Saint Zerei?!"

Asher scratched the back of his neck, forcing a sheepish chuckle.

"Uh… sure…"

"He is Zerei," Nephis said flatly.

The room froze. Every head turned toward Asher, disbelief thick in the air.

He quickly dismissed the orb, lips still pressed in a thin line. "Sorry. That echo of mine tends to pop into existence at the worst possible times. Real nuisance, honestly…"

He glanced around at the silent crowd.

"Heh… tough crowd."

Caster turned away without a word. Sunny and Effie walked out, their deadpan expressions saying enough.

Kai stepped forward, hesitated, then stopped. Even he couldn't find the words.Nephis's gaze lingered on Asher—then flicked briefly to Caster—before returning to him with a narrowed look.

"You don't have to lie, you know…"

No one believed him.

"I'm not lying!" Asher protested, throwing up his hands. "This echo has a mind of its own, I swear!"

Nephis only shook her head, disappointment flickering in her eyes. One by one, everyone began to leave.

Moments later, Asher stood alone in the lodge.

It wasn't like he could explain the truth.

That an ancient being, masked as his dream girl, was living in his soul.

Yeah, try saying that out loud.

Asher slumped into a chair and groaned.

"…I hate my life."

***

Just like that, my wait for the end of the week began.

I continued my work as Zerei as usual—minus the scamming. It felt strange at first, like something was missing, but surprisingly, we were still raking in solid profits. Hou eventually revealed himself to the public as Aiko's assistant, and "Zerei" only grew more famous.

Thanks to the charity we'd set up, everyone assumed we were giving away all the soul shards we earned. That made people even more willing to bet. It wasn't just the hunters and castle guards anymore—even a few of Nephis' men and some citizens from outside the castle started joining in, eager for their chance to "fight back," as I'd called it.

Of course, to keep the charity act believable, we had to keep donating a large chunk of what we made. Despite all her visible pain, Aiko convinced us to keep giving away at least 100 soul shards out of the 200 to 250 we averaged. It hurt, but it kept up appearances.

Even with all that going on, I didn't neglect my training. I roamed the darker parts of the city, hunting for awakened monsters to stretch my muscles on. That alone was a workout. I still jogged around Bright Castle out of habit and ran into Neph a few times.

She waved back every time! I didn't understand if her appearance while I was jogging kicked my PTSD or made me happy.

Caster, on the other hand, looked like he'd fallen into a depression. Honestly, I did feel a little bad about humiliating him in front of the cohort.

Like, chill, Dahila!

Speaking of Dahila… she still wasn't talking. I had no idea what her problem was, or what exactly a domain even meant. I knew it had something to do with the Sovereigns, but beyond that, I was clueless. Nothing explained my aspect or my True Name either.

Whenever I pressed her, she'd just say,

"Even if you knew, what could you do about it?"

It annoyed me at first. Still does, but I've gotten used to it.

My visits to Kido had become less frequent, though I finally managed to pay off my debt! She gave me more apples as a reward—they were insanely sweet.

And then… The last day of the Saint's Mercy Lottery arrived.

*** 

Asher scanned the crowd, a strange mix of emotions swelling in his chest. Nearly 200 people packed the den, the air thick with heat and anticipation. It was almost hard to breathe.

He glanced at Aiko, who was practically drooling at the towering pile of soul shards. He let out a sigh.It was time to announce the winner of the final Saint's Mercy lottery.

Despite the donations, Asher's soul core still wasn't fully saturated—just about 250 fragments shy. But with today's haul, he'd likely close the gap.

Hou stepped onto the stage, carrying a box filled with folded chits. Aiko took center stage, pitch high.

"For the reveal of the FINAL SAINT'S MERCY—!"

She looked toward Asher with sparkling eyes. He stepped forward and pulled a random chit from the pile, unfolding it slowly before announcing,

"One-eighty-seven."

A hush fell over the crowd. Then—

"LET'S GOOOO!"

A cheer erupted from somewhere near the back. A young hunter pushed through the crowd, eyes alight with disbelief and excitement. As disappointed sighs echoed through the den, the hunter climbed onto the stage, practically vibrating with joy.

Everyone leaned forward, eager to see what the final prize would be.

Zerei—no, Asher—extended his hand and placed it gently on the hunter's shoulder. Murmurs rippled through the audience as Zerei's armor sparked out of existence as the hunter's eyes slowly widen. He slowly looked at Zerei, who put his hand on his mask.

[Ash! What the hell are you doing!] 

Hou screamed at him mentally while Aiko's eyes mirrored the guard. Well, it made sense, Asher didn't say any of this to them. He... was not Zerei. Not anymore.

He didn't need the identity anymore and thus:

Asher pulled the Hunter's arm to him as he placed his mask in hi palm.

"It's your turn." He said, a small smile on his face.

Asher gently pulled the hunter's hand toward him and placed the mask in his palm.

"It's your turn now," he said softly, offering a faint smile.

The hunter stared at the mask, then looked up to meet Asher's face. Around them, jaws dropped.

Zerei had unmasked himself.

But more importantly—

"Hey… isn't he, like, weirdly good-looking?"

"Wait, this is Zerei?"

"I thought he'd look intimidating… not like a poster boy."

Asher ignored the whispers, pretending not to hear the ripple of confused admiration spreading through the crowd. The hunter, still stunned, straightened and saluted.

"Yes, sir! Saint Zerei! I—Gorn—will carry on your legacy with pride!"

Asher blinked, half-laughing.

'Why is this guy so formal…?'

He nodded and clapped Gorn on the shoulder. The irony wasn't lost on him—he was fairly sure he was younger than the guy.

Just as Gorn opened his mouth to say something else—

"What's going on here?"

The air in the room shifted.

Asher turned toward the voice and froze. A towering figure had entered the den—imposing and utterly out of place in the cheerful chaos.

He was someone who could only be described as a morose giant.

Aiko visibly flinched. Hou's expression turned grim.

[That's Tessia.]

_______________

[A/N: All the boring Zerei parts lead up to this! Can't wait for you guys to read it! PS, extra chapter when we reach 1000 collections!]