[Complementary Reward: 100 Stat Points received]
[Complementary Reward: 10,000 Arthum Received]
[Thirteenth Heaven Entry Permit received]
'Whoa! I didn't know there were complementary rewards this time.' I thought as I checked up on the rewards I had obtained. 'I mean, yeah, I knew about the alternative heaven permit, but Stat points and Arthum weren't listed on the rewards anywhere—not complaining though.'
The stat points were a big deal to me. Since my current core attributes were a little misbalanced, so I decided to use most of them to balance them. Actually, I ended up using them all.
[Core Attributes have been updated]
[Core Attributes]
[STR: 56]
[AGI: 61]
[DEF: 55]
[ACC: 54]
[PEN: 60 (+20)]
[INT: 54]
[VIT: 52]
Heh-Heh, at least they looked fine, I guess. In any case, now were the main rewards for clearing the sub-quest—the ones I was waiting for.
[Congratulations! You have obtained the first Fragment of the Frost Daiken]
[Additionally, the fate of the Nora Clan is up to you]
The fragment which was held by Yuukimura, the leader of the Nora Clan, flew towards me. Yuukimura was still dismayed. He couldn't believe that I had defeated his warrior. He fell to his knees, but at the same time, there was a strange expression behind his paled face.
I didn't want to care more about him. I was victorious—and that mattered to me right now. I shifted my focus to the rewards again.
I knew these were the main rewards I had obtained. However, I wasn't the person who could use them—not like I wanted anyway.
I looked at Shika who stood at a distance from me—and was still feeling embarrassed to hug me like that. Her cheeks were white again.
"Shika," I called out as I ambled towards her, holding the fragment of the Daiken. "Here, the first fragment."
I gave it to her. She took it and brought out the hilt. As she brought the two pieces near one another, the broken parts attached themselves within a second—it appeared as though it had never been apart from the beginning.
"That's a relief, isn't it?" I said to her, seeing the warm and soft smile on her face, "We now need to collect three of them more. Then you can revive your fallen clan again."
"Yes! Thank you, Zanthrix. I couldn't have done without you!"
She smiled a warm and radiating smile—and tilted her head joyfully.
*****
Our first objective was now completed. We got the first fragment. We got the next-floor entry permit. We avoided heavy consequences this time.
However, the situation wasn't entirely resolved—not yet at least. There was a bigger issue right now.
What to do with the Nora Clan?
I mean, we could get revenge on them by destroying their shrine and habitats, forcing them to go through the same misery the Mavi Clan had been going through.
But, we weren't monsters. Just because they had done something wrong didn't mean we had to do the same. We could do better.
I think Shika felt the same.
"So, what's now?" I asked her, "Now that we've got what we were here for, what's your next course of action? Are you planning to get revenge or forgive them with a second chance?"
"That… That I don't know." She mumbled, seeming perplexed as she hung between decisions. "Zanthrix, do you have any suggestion what I should do right now?"
'Come on! Don't throw your responsibility on my shoulders, will you.' I told myself inwardly. I didn't reply the thought, though. Instead, I threw it back at her—a possible way to make her aware of her responsibility.
"Don't do anything reckless or something a great leader won't do." I continued, "Whatever emotions you have right now, put them aside and consider the situation from a great ruler's point of view—the one who leaves footsteps behind not stigma on his character. It will make you a great leader of the Iceborn without any regret."
She might not look or perhaps her beauty hid her that side, but she was pretty considerate. She understood what I meant, and acted accordingly. The aftermath was something I could only watch what Shika did.
My interception might have prevented her from becoming a good ruler—which she was destined to become someday, so I just stood there by her side.