Chapter 207 Sierra’s Trial (6/6),Fin.

On top of a mountain at a flat ground, there was a small pond and beside the pond was a big table where seven people sat as they talked about Wizard-related things.

One of those seven was Sierra and she now looked even more mature and beautiful. After all, five years had passed since she started her apprenticeship, but by now, she was a bonafide powerful wizard of the Arcane Order stage.

Unlike other people at the table, Sierra had a person standing behind her.

While everyone was talking about today's battle and training, a man in his late twenties looked at Arkhen and said, "Hey mate, the food should be ready. Go bring it here with others, I can't wait anymore. The rough day today added up the hunger even more."

Hearing that, Sierra frowned and said, "He will not go. Just wait for food to arrive or go eat in the kitchen if you are so hungry."

"It's fine. I'll go help the kitchen to make it fast. Haha, I am also a good cook, after all," Arkhen said with a laugh as he left.

Out of the seven people at the table, there was one Wizard who had just arrived recently. His name was Kishien. He had gentle white hair and a handsome face.

In this group of seven dual affinity wizards, only he didn't know that Arkhen was Sierra's husband. As such, he asked with confusion, "Sierra, he is just your servant. You don't need to get so angry about it right?"

Sierra creased her eyebrows before indifferently saying, "he is my husband."

The other five people at the table had various expressions. Some showed disdain, some pity, some mocking, and some thought it was such a waste for that normal human to have someone like Sierra.

"Your husband?!" Kishien was startled. He then looked at others at the table before stopping his gaze at Balth, who just ordered Arkhen to bring food, and asked, "did you know about it?"

"Heh, of course. We all know," Blath sneered as he glanced at Sierra. "But he is such a drag. Everyone is a Wizard here except for him. Just send him back to your kingdom, his own good."

"Aren't you ashamed?!" Kishien snapped as he glared at Balth. "Knowing that he is her husband, you still speak such things? What a disgrace to the noble cause you are here for."

"Huh? What the fuck do you mean by that?" Balth stood up as he kicked back the chair, a vein popping on his forehead.

"Hey, hey, stop it. What use is it if we fight among ourselves?" said Nira. A girl with long black hair. A beauty just a tad bit less than Sierra.

"Tell this idiot, not me," Balth said before snorting and leaving. "I'll eat in my room."

Sierra became uncomfortable with this atmosphere but then remembered something and said with a strong and arrogant grin on her face as she looked at Kishien, "It's fine. I don't care what everyone thinks. He is not holding us back, and I am also making the best progress among us. I am already more powerful than all of you, and that is because Arkhen is with me."

"Really? Haha, do your husband have some kind of hidden talent that increase your progress? What a joke," said Shrainy with a mocking smile. She was another girl in the group and was always jealous of Sierra.

…

Arkhen was helping in the kitchen, and suddenly, Balth arrived there as he stood at the door.

"Hey, trash. Why don't you become sensible and leave here? I'm sure you've realized how much of a burden you are on the battlefield. Unlike other servants who can support us, you can't do anything to help Sierra and instead make her look after you," Balth said with irritation.

Arkhen didn't say anything and just silently continued helping in the kitchen. The other servants in the kitchen also became silent after Balth arrived and just prepared food.

Arkhen was subjected to humiliation and mocking remarks many times, but all of them were done behind Sierra's back. They also knew that Arkhen wouldn't tell Sierra about it and distract her from her training because if he told her, she would raise the issue and waste everyone's time.

"Are you listening, trash? Sierra is strongest among us, but the result in today's battle was not up to par with her strength, and that's because of you," Balth said with a snort as he turned around and continued, "Leave her alone. She has more responsibility and a heavy burden on her shoulder. With you here, you are just increasing that."

Arkhen clenched his fist tightly such that his nails dug into his palm and even blood came out. 'I FUCKING KNOW THAT!' Screamed Arkhen in his mind, but he remained silent outside.

"Tsk," Balthin left after hearing no reply or reaction from Arkhen.

…

After a month…

On the bed, Arkhen and Sierra were sleeping. Sierra was tired and was deep in sleep while Arkhen's eyes were closed, but he was awake.

The last few years were also tough for him because he was just a normal human. However, he had tried his best....he tried his best not to become a burden.

Alas… It was getting evident that he was not able to keep up. His physical ability was not enough while he was getting mentally fatigued.

But he never showed his weakness in front of anyone and remained steadfast.

However, yesterday went very bad, and just thinking about that made Arkhen clench his fist in frustration. 'Should I leave for her sake? With the way this is going, I will only bring her trouble like yesterday.'

Arkhen got into danger yesterday, and Sierra had to save him. Not just Arkhen, but Kishien also got in danger.

However, Sierra chose Arkhen as her priority before she helped Kishien. But since she helped later, Kishien was gravely injured.

In everyone's eyes, Arkhen was worth nothing compared to a wizard… which was even more evident against a dual affinity wizard.

Everyone witnessed that and felt disgusted and annoyed at Arkhen. It was like useless glue stuck to Sierra.

But Kishien was inherently kind-hearted and shrugged it with a smile. He said that it was his own lack of strength that injured him. Sierra or Arkhen were not to blame for that.

He even said that if he was in Sierra's position and his wife was in danger along with other dual affinity wizards, he would also prioritize his wife. Naturally, he was not married but just said hypothetically.

Alas… there are some things that everyone thinks are right but does not agree with.

Today morning, a big argument ensued among the Radiant Wizards. Arkhen was not aware of that, but he knew that Sierra seemed exhausted and weary after returning from the meeting, which was probably regarding him.

However, Sierra said that there was no problem and that she would work even harder to prevent such a situation from occurring again.

When Arkhen heard that, he felt a huge lump in his throat and just wanted to burst out crying right there and then and leave because… Sierra was already working too hard!

She was already at the peak of Arcane Order Wizard, and her mental fatigue was way worse than before!

Her progress was monstrous among everyone and this was also the reason why she had more say and could fight off everyone in the meeting.

After all, she was a very valuable force. A leader powerhouse in the final battle that will start after several years.

But… she was shouldering too much as each day passed, and Arkhen could see that very well. He knew that if he left, her burden would instantly decrease significantly. She could take a breather instead of always working too hard.

Arkhen didn't want to burden Sierra any longer! 'If only I was a wizard... Damn it!'

Looking at the ceiling, Arkhen thought with frustration as his eyes became slightly red and tearful. He wanted to support Sierra, but he had no strength!

"Mhgh…" Sierra frowned in her sleep and turned to Arkhen as she hugged him and put her leg over his.

Arkhen turned to her and couldn't help but drop tears as he looked at her.

Since the past year, Arkhen was also seeing frowns on Sierra's face in her sleep instead of the usually peaceful and smiley expressions.

'It's probably me… She is saving me from some evil demon again,' Arkhen thought as he gritted his teeth.

Suddenly, Arkhen felt a sting in his head before hearing a voice. The voice belonged to Elora, and it was directly transmitted to his head, telling him to come out.

…

After Arkhen left the house silently, he saw Elora alone outside.

Soon, she led him to the meeting hall where Radiant Order Wizards were sitting at a round table.

Seeing them made Arkhen nervous, but he clenched his fist and took a deep breath. He had already made a decision.

The decision to leave.

"Arkhen, we don't need to say why we called you, right?" said an old man with gray hair and a gray beard as he continued, "we can't keep you here any longer. If you weren't here in the first place, Sierra would've saved Kishien first."

"Even though Kishien doesn't mind it, we do. After all, they are the pillars of hope."

"Sierra is the possessor of Shadow and Ice affinities. One advanced and one legendary affinity. Her role is much bigger, and her power will be highest among everyone in history once she becomes a Radiant Order Wizard."

"Moreover, her Hybrid Magic is also vastly superior to everyone's. Arkhen, are you sure you want someone like Sierra to waste her life on you? What if she gets injured saving you tomorrow?"

Elora just sighed and didn't say anything. Although she felt bad, this was the correct choice.

"We can't convince Sierra, and we also can't put pressure on her. So you should be the one to understand the situation and leave."

"I understand," Arkhen nodded with a self-deprecating smile and said, "I will leave tomorrow morning after telling her."

"Good. You can leave now. Your absence here will give her the liberation that she needs but is not aware of."

Arkhen nodded as he knew leaving was the right choice and left the meeting hall.

The next morning, Arkhen and Sierra had a talk.

Sierra didn't resist and agreed easily. After all, she was scared and worried as well. Worried about Arkhen's safety and was scared that she might not be able to save him next time.

To her, Arkhen's safety was more important.

…

Three days later…

Sierra and her group of dual affinity wizards were resting after another battle and training session as they worked with Radiant Order Wizards to push back the dark lands and spawn spots.

Alas, the atmosphere in the meeting hall was quite tense because of the news they just received.

The news was about Arkhen.

"How did that happen?"

"A bunch of Evil Dredoflies attacked the ships in that route and killed everyone. Despite having protection jade talisman and bracelet, Arkhen died."

Elora smashed her fist on the table as she glanced at everyone and said, "If any of you had hand in this, then tell me before I find it out myself."

"Stop it, Elora. It was an unfortunate accident and nothing else."

"I have investigated it thoroughly. Three Evil spawn spots appeared in that area that spawned monsters. Among them were high-class Evil Dredoflies. They targeted all nearby ships and killed everyone."

"I suggest we keep this news secret from Sierra."

"Secret? Rubbish! She will find out sooner or later when she tries to contact him. It's better to tell her the truth."

"Telling her the truth will result in two possibilities. First, she will become depressed, her mental condition will become unstable, and she will not be the ideal powerhouse and leader we need. The second possibility is…

"… Her hatred for the Dark Lands will increase even more as she will progress by leaps and bound with the sole focus of eradicating all evil forces."

"She is a headstrong individual and also mentally strong. Telling her the truth will result in the second possibility more than likely."

…

After discussing for an hour, everyone reached the conclusion of telling the truth to Sierra.

Indeed, Sierra became berserk after hearing about Arkhen's death before bursting out crying. She cried and mourned for a whole day in her room.

Everyone also sensed an upheaval of mana on the mountain, with her house as the center.

That phenomenon made the senior Radiant Order Wizards happy and then guilty for being happy.

p The next day, Sierra came out of the house with a face that caused a chill to crawl up everyone's spine. Her long hair was gone, turning into short white hair. The aura she was oozing out also became more powerful because…

She broke through from the peak of Arcane Order Wizard last night and became a 1st Order Supreme Wizard!

"Sierra…" Elora uttered softly.

"Let us continue. Where are we going today?" Sierra spoke in a deadpan voice. Her eyes looked as if she lost her soul as not a single expression or ripple was present in her eyes.

…

As time passed, everyone tried to break Sierra's ice shell slowly while she continued making great progress.

Sierra's progress was monstrous as always. she became a Radiant Order Wizard after two and a half years.

"Sierra, a commander-level Evil Spawn spot has appeared. We must go," said Kishien as he entered the room and saw Sierra in meditation.

"Alright," Sierra nodded and stood up.

"Sigh, you should take some rest once in a while," Kishien said with a sigh. He loved Sierra, but he knew that Sierra's heart was closed forever. Despite that, he was still trying his best to break her ice shell and open her heart.

"I was resting in meditation. Now let's go. Don't waste time," Sierra said plainly as she left the house.

After leaving, the dual affinity wizard group of Sierra and another group which consisted of six dual affinity wizards gathered to fight the Commander-level Evil Spawn point with other senior Radiant Order Wizards.

Commander-level Evil Spawn points were the strongest spawn points and they would always bring much destruction if the Radiant Order Wizards didn't stop the rampage.

Battles of this level would always bring a few causalities to Wizards as well. However, Sierra's prowess shone through the brightest today.

One of her new hybrid magic, Eternal Shadow Ice Formation, trapped the entire area of the Commander-level spawn point and made it easier for everyone to kill all Evil Monsters.

In the formation, all monsters were blinded and couldn't move properly because of the shadow and ice magic weaving together.

In the end, the battle resulted in a big victory with no casualties.

While everyone cheered in joy, Sierra left after the battle was over. Kishien saw that and quickly followed her.

After a while, Sierra frowned and turned around before saying, "Stop following me."

Kishien didn't say anything, but when Sierra turned around and continued flying, he once again followed her.

Sierra frowned after sensing that Kishien was still following her and said as she snapped, "Stop it, Kishien!"

"Just ignore me. I want to follow you because I care for you. It doesn't matter what you think of it. You are doing a noble sacrifice for everyone, so, please… Just allow me to be there," Kishien said as he released a long sigh.

"If you disturb me, I'll kill you." Leaving these words, Sierra continued flying.

…

As minutes turned into hours, and hours into months… a year soon passed.

"Kishien, that bastard… When will he realize the futility of his actions?" Shrainy said as she saw Sierra sitting at a chair near the pond as she read a book while Kishien sat at the edge of the pond as he looked at Sierra and talked alone.

Shrainy and Nira sat at a table nearby and watched Kishien. He was speaking about various things, but Sierra paid him no mind, except for occasional nods of her head. But those nods also made Kishien happy.

"Oh my poor, Shrainy," Nira said as she patted Shirany's head and smiled wryly. "If you know Kishien's actions are futile, but he is still trying, then you should also act upon your feelings. You love him, but he will never love you just like he loves Sierra, but Sierra will never love him."

*stomp!*

"That's irritating!" Shrainy said as she stomped on the ground with frustration. "At least, Kishien is alive! Why can't she just accept his feelings?"

Sierra's ears twitched as she looked at Shrainy, her gaze cold.

Shrainy slightly shuddered but then snorted.

On the other hand, Sierra stood up and left.

"Thank you, Shrainy. But it's fine," Kishien said with a smile as he also stood up and followed Sierra.

…

After a month, the much-awaited final battle began.

Sierra was literally the strongest Wizard of this time and in history. She led the battle with her large-scale Hybrid Magics and controlled the battlefield.

In the core Dark Land, she fought against the Evil Core, which was a gigantic ugly flower with other Wizards.

After a struggling battle, everyone managed to eradicate the Evil Core, putting an end to the misery of the world once and for all.

As the battle finished, Sierra stood on the ground as heavy rain poured.

All Wizards present on the battlefield knew that without Sierra, things wouldn't have gone the way they did.

Alas... While everyone was cheering and crying in joy, Sierra just stood there silently and gazed into the sky.

Kishien stood behind her silently while Sierra's group of wizards cheered for a bit...but then felt a tingle in their hearts when they saw Sierra.

Everyone was happy except for her.

Looking at her, it just felt like she finished the job she has picked up years ago.

Everyone was aware of her loss but didn't know the depth of her loss. However, her lonely back told them many things.

Kishien started tearing up as he felt a huge lump in his throat when he looked at Sierra's back.

The other members of her group, who had stayed together for years also cried looking at Sierra's back.

Elora became tearful and wondered if she made the right decision. She felt that she…did make the right decision that benefited everyone but was not the one who brought happiness to everyone.

The future that Sierra envisioned with Arkhen was never going to become true. The dreams she watched were never going to be achieved.

Elora knew that as she remembered how happy Sierra and Arkhen were together and their wishes... instantly, her heart broke as she started sobbing.

…

Everyone started leaving one by one, leaving only Sierra's group and Elora on the battlefield.

"Sierra… Let's return home." Elora said as she approached Sierra and held her hand.

"Home?" Sierra muttered before a faint smile appeared on her face.

"Sierra!!" Kishien suddenly loudly shouted, startling everyone.

Sierra and Elora turned around and looked at him. Others also looked at him.

"I can't replace Arkhen, but I don't want to see you like this. I love you, Sierra! Please, marry me!" Kishien shouted with a tear-stained face.

Sierra looked at Kishien and sighed before shaking her head. A pair of shadow wings appeared from her back as she flew up and left.

"I am not giving up!" Kishien shouted.

…

After a few days, Sierra returned to the old farmhouse where she and Arkhen used to live. Entering the bedroom, she saw that it was filled with cobwebs and cleaned it off.

After cleaning everything, she took a deep breath as if she was taking in the smell. Opening the cupboard, she saw her and Arkhen's clothes were still there and smiled.

Then her gaze went to the only painting of Arkhen and her together in the cupboard. She took it out and walked toward the bed.

After lying on the bed, she closed her eyes and started reminiscing.

She relived all of the memories she had with Arkhen since her childhood to her last moments with him as a happy smile bloomed on her face after so many years.

…

A day later, two people arrived at the farmhouse.

Elora and Kishien.

"So this is her house?" Kishien said with a smile. "This is indeed a peaceful and beautiful place."

"I doubt you can change Sierra's mind and heart but well… I also want her to be happy," Elora said with a sigh as she knocked on the door, but it suddenly opened.

"It's not locked?"

Both of them entered inside and felt cold.

"Why is it so cold?" Kishien said with a frown as he got a bad feeling.

Both of them quickly traced the source of the coldness and walked toward the bedroom.

*clak…*

Opening the door, they saw Sierra lying on the bed with a peaceful and happy smile on her face. In her hand was a frame with a picture of her and Arkhen.

However, she was encased in crystal-clear ice.

"No…" Kishien muttered as his heart trembled. He walked towards Sierra with unstable steps. Stretching his hand, he touched the ice shell...only for it to shatter!

The ice shell broke into tiny dreamy blue motes and started vanishing along with Sierra and the painting.

Kishien started bawling as he knelt on the ground and looked up at the motes vanishing.

Elora's eyes started dropping tears as she felt a stab in her heart

But soon, a hopeful expression with a smile appeared on her tearful face. "Ahh~ I bet she reunited with Arkhen. That lass…"

'Sierra… I wish you can live the future you envisioned with Arkhen in your next life. I am sorry, dear. Farewell...' Elora said in her heart as she saw the last of the dreamy blue mote disappearing.

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