Chapter 72 - Trust

After dinner, Sheila told Sara that she'd be staying with Ria in her room before heading upstairs to the room and didn't forget to lock the door. Her father appears to be deep in thought as he was not as talkative as Sheila used to. She thought that her father, Anthony, must have been thinking about work even though he is at home on a day off. 

Before heading upstairs, she looked at her father for a few minutes in silence before Ria comeback after washing her hands and urging her to go to her room. While Sheila was walking on the way to her room, she wonders why and how did her father have such an aura around him. As far as she knows, only those who were influenced by the mana would be releasing such aura around them. Sheila only has one such example which is Ria, and even though Ria is still weak, she could tell that there's a powerful aura around Sheila. 

She looked back in her memory and remembered the talk she had with Ria after asking for backup. I didn't notice it before, but after a bit of leveling up, I could feel that there's an aura surrounding you although it was faint, that was what Ria said. And if that was the case, then does it mean her father is also someone who is in the same circle as her? 

Let's say it is, but why would her father keep it a secret from his family? What, afraid of the secret getting exposed to the public? That shouldn't be the case, is it? After all, she had met a goblin back then, and it was not in the Trial Tower. And to be honest, she had wondered about it this entire time. Is my world actually fantasy? After all the stuff that I have experienced, it can't be helped for me to come to such a conclusion. 

Is there other monsters out there in the world? Since I have seen goblin myself, isn't it possible? But there was no news about such finding happening. Perhaps, it is possible that the government keep it confidential from the public's eyes, and that was why she didn't know. But there should at least be one or two who couldn't keep their mouth shut and in the end, exposed it to the whole world because YOLO. 

She had really research hard about everything she could find on the internet back when she first got the leveling system on her phone. She also did it again after the battle with the goblin, yet the result was a massive disappointment. 

And the time when she could ask one question to the system, she had wanted to ask about how the goblin comes to existence in her world yet she managed to hold it back and instead asked about the system origin. What she learned from it was nothing, but that the red-haired girl was s.u.c.k.e.d into the void when space was falling apart due to the disturbance of a third party. 

Is it possible that the disturbance also influenced the world she lives? Having such thought crossing her mind, Sheila feels a chill creeps all over her body as she shuddered. It was such scary thought that one would immediately vanquish it, but she couldn't completely ignore it because of how strangely weird that she finds it possible. 

If the world was already filled with mana, why is it that no one was able to use magic in the modern day? Although there is some miracle that happened to a certain group of people, she didn't entirely believe such news because it was on one of the popular social media. 

Everything can be made up, especially when it comes to a modern world in social media; one can get money from simply people viewing their contents. No matter how real their 'proof' is, it is more believable when one experienced it themselves. Yes, just like how she did. 

"Sheila? Are you thinking about something?"

A sudden voice brought her back to reality as she looked up and saw Ria's face on the front that was staring at her. Sheila shook her head and opened up her mouth to speak. 

"It was nothing."

She didn't want Ria to needlessly worried about something that even she doesn't understand it herself. She would rather shoulder the burdens herself instead of causing Ria to be concerned for no solid reason. But would Ria let it slide just like that when she saw how Sheila appears to be in trouble with something? 

"it's alright if you didn't want to tell me. I'll just share your embarrassing moment online—"

"Argh, fine!"

"It's good that you understood. Now, come and tell me what you have been thinking about this entire time after entering the room and completely ignoring me who was right by your side. And when I asked, you simply—"

"I got it! Stop! I'll tell you, alright!"

Ria simply smiled in response to Sheila, who is pouting. Sheila let out a sigh before she started talking about the theory she comes up with. 

"So, what you were saying is that the goblin is actually from another world? The world where you have seen in the origin system's memory?"

"Yes."

"And you thought that perhaps, the red-haired girl who was s.u.c.k.e.d into the void was actually transferred or maybe teleported into our world somehow?"

"Yes, yes."

"And due to that, the mana that was s.u.c.k.e.d from that world was released into our world at the same time?"

"As for the goblin, you thought that perhaps, the space in that world is still unstable due to disturbance of the third party and because of that, the resident from that world would occasionally get s.u.c.k.e.d into the void and sent here?"

"Or so I believe. I mean, is that even possible? My logical sense was telling me that I'm crazy, but my sixth sense is bugging me so hard that I don't know what to do."(Sheila) 

"...You mean to tell me that you shoulder this entire burdens on yourself?"

"U-Umm, that's not the point, as I was saying—"

"YOU IDIOT!"

Shocked by the sudden shouted from Ria, Sheila could only stare with her eyes wide open, completely clueless on why the Ria is so upset to her. 

***

Ria POV

"YOU IDIOT!"

I couldn't hold back and shouted at the clueless girl in front of me. After all this entire time, I had been there with her and yet, she always put the burdens on herself instead of asking for my help or assist. I could understand that she didn't want me to get worried, but why must she keep it a secret from me? 

No matter how absurd the theory seems to be, if even this idiot thought it was possible, there's no way someone like me would not understand the danger it poses. I had tried my best to level up faster so that I could catch up to her, only because I could see how her expression would be stern from time to time, probably thinking about this. 

But even so, I didn't know it was this level of danger. If I hadn't known about it, I might have gone easy after reaching a sufficient level. 

The reason I was so upset is simply because I feel like I was unneeded. I didn't know why but a sudden uncomfortable feeling started to creeps in which caused me to shouted at her earlier. I don't understand where this strange feeling came from, but I don't like it. 

"Do you want me to tell you why am I upset at you, Idiot Sheila?"

"Cough, U-Umm, yes please, ma'am."

Looking at the girl in front of her who was bowing her head down in earnest, Ria feels like it was a waste of time even to feel upset at Sheila. She let out a sigh before opening her mouth and said. 

"Look up to me."

Sheila flinched in response before slowly raising her head to look up. When she saw Ria's hands getting closer, she immediately shut her eyes and wait for the imminent pain. The pain she expected to feel did come, but it was not exactly the one that she had expected. 

"This is the cheeks that have the gal to keep a secret from me, isn't it?"

Ria muttered slowly while she was pinching on Sheila's cheeks. 

"If hufts, Fia!"(It hurts, Ria!) 

"You should be thankful that I only do this. Or do you prefer to go that route?"

"Fno! Fhis is Finne!"(No! This is fine!)

Sheila tried her best to speak when she saw Ria making a creepy smile when Ria muttered such a scary word to her. She didn't know why, but that smile caused the chill to spread to her whole body. It's bad news! 

After having my time of squeezing Sheila's cheeks, I let it go and nodded my head at the artwork that I have accomplished. Sheila pout while she rubbed her hands on the red mark on her cheeks. 

"Now that you understood that it is bad for keeping such an important secret from me, what would you do?"

"U-Umm, Err, I should tell you?"

"Full mark. Yes, you do."

After saying that, I get closer to Sheila while the latter flinched and tried to move away but was stopped by my hands that is now wrapped around her waist. The distance was so close that I could feel her hot breath on my face. I looked at her with my most serious expression before opening my mouth and said. 

"No matter what, I'm still your best friend. We're close, right?"

"Mhm."

"Then you should put more trust in me, can't you? Although I'm still weak, I can at least help you with something you can't do. I don't need to say the rest, do I?"

"...Mhm. I will try."