Chapter 372: You've Wounded My Heart (Subscribe Please)

Question:

"How does one pursue a mature woman (monster girl) who surpasses you in strength, status, and age?"

"Ahem! And on top of that, she's the type who is your direct superior…"

Urgent, waiting online!

Herbert looked at the unexpected visitor, a faint cold sweat prickling at his heart.

"Ah, this…"

He had been confident that anyone he'd conquered before could be conquered again with ease, but he hadn't expected one to show up right in the middle of the conquest.

Now that was a bit tricky.

Still, to be fair, the Ash Bishop's attribute combo did sound rather tempting.

If this character were dropped into a workplace from his previous life, Herbert wouldn't mind launching a little pursuit.

If it works, great; if not, no loss.

Older sister no good?

Older sister is great — that's exactly what I want.

In youth one didn't know how good a rich woman was, and mistook young girls for treasure.

Of course, Herbert had always been very broad-minded in his affections.

As long as the strike zone was wide enough, whether she was a mature lady or a loli, he loved them all the same.

All the same!

But right now… how should he open his mouth?

Herbert was silent, pondering how to break the ice, while the Ash Bishop's phantom across from him also said nothing, watching him steadily, quietly waiting.

After thinking for a while, Herbert decided to lead with a greeting.

No matter what, he'd get the conversation going first, then play it by ear.

Herbert waved his hand, flashed a bright sunny smile, and greeted her amiably: "Um, you… hmm?"

But just as Herbert was about to ask "Have you eaten today?", he suddenly stopped.

Hmm?

Herbert's brow twitched slightly; narrowing his eyes, he stared at the Ash Bishop and suddenly caught a whiff of something unusual.

Not right.

Her posture right now… wasn't it a bit too distant?

When facing Herbert, the Ash Bishop had always displayed an attitude that was relaxed and natural, exuding a lofty, casual air.

But at this moment, the Ash Bishop had subtly shifted her center of gravity backward, as though on guard against Herbert — ready to counterattack at any moment, or ready to run at any moment.

And whichever it was, what she was showing Herbert right now was wariness and unease.

Eh?

After reading the other's body language, Herbert's mouth corner twitched sharply.

Herbert felt deeply wounded — she actually trusted him so little!

No way, is she really that distant!?

Is it really necessary!

I just… bit her tail, didn't I?

You're an epic-tier powerhouse, and you don't even have that much magnanimity?

Is it really necessary to be this guarded against me?

I'm not some lunatic!

I wouldn't just pounce on you in broad daylight and lick your tail again, would I!?

Do you think I'm the type of person who'd do something like that?

No!

If I really meant to do it, wouldn't I have to… find another chance first.

If the chance arose, would Herbert repeat his earlier sacrilegious act?

Of course he would.

But he'd have to wait for the right moment — he couldn't just pounce on her with zero buildup. Two reasons: one, it'd be insane; two, he couldn't win.

He'd have to wait for a moment when heaven, earth, and people were all aligned.

Herbert felt the other's wariness was utterly pointless — it served no purpose except to hurt his feelings.

In a foul mood, Herbert cocked his mouth, folded his arms, and squinted sidelong at the Ash Bishop, his body language conveying a single message — you've wounded me deeply!

Neither of them spoke, and they just stared at each other in silence.

"…"

After quite a while, the Ash Bishop finally broke first, asking in genuine confusion: "Why… why are you looking at me like that?"

Victory!

Herbert had won this endurance contest.

He felt a secret thrill, then gave a light snort.

"Hmph, you don't know the reason? You wounded my heart, yet you try to laugh it off!"

The current situation was absurd.

Clearly it was Herbert who had "offended" the other party earlier, but the way he was acting now, you'd think he was the one who'd been wronged.

Of course, Herbert wasn't some Bai Chi who thought he was "never wrong" — what he was actually doing was playing the clown with the Ash Bishop.

Using a joke to break the ice, close the distance between them, and bring the slightly awkward atmosphere back to normal.

Herbert put on a little act, and the Bishop of Ashes laughed and scolded him a couple of times, and the matter was considered passed over.

But... the Bishop of Ashes didn't seem to want to play along, and didn't cooperate with him in completing this performance.

"..."

She even slowly backed up some distance under Herbert's shocked gaze.

Herbert:?

No!!?

Does it have to be this absolute?

Didn't you say earlier that you'd forgive me this once, and it wouldn't happen again?

How are you still secretly holding a grudge!!?

And just as Herbert was wondering what exactly he'd done wrong this time, the Bishop of Ashes spoke.

Her silver eyes were slightly different from before, her voice full of confusion: "I'm sorry, I don't know where I hurt you before, I don't even know you."

"Could you remind me? If it really is my fault, I'm willing to offer you an apology." She tilted her head and asked, puzzled.

"You don't know? You do know! You're clearly hurting me right now... huh!!?" Herbert complained, then suddenly froze up entirely.

What did she say?

Herbert swallowed, furrowed his brow tightly, and slowly asked: "You said... you don't know me?"

"Yes."

The Bishop of Ashes nodded lightly and said calmly: "I'm very sorry, but I really don't recognize you."

"White hair like yours is easy to leave an impression, but I have no impression of you at all."

Hearing her explanation, sincere yet tinged with distance, Herbert nodded silently.

"... Mm."

At this moment, he looked calm on the surface, but inside a storm of thoughts had already begun.

Doesn't know me?

What does that mean?

Angry? Doesn't want to see me anymore?

Stranger play?

Or... does she really not know me?

Lost her memory?

No, this isn't a Korean drama, why suddenly pull this kind of plot!

Herbert grumbled in his heart for a long time, feeling the current situation was extremely bizarre.

His first reaction was that the Bishop of Ashes was sulking, deliberately pretending not to know him.

It was clearly just a joke with you earlier!

Why suddenly so distant, so unable to take a joke?

But at the same time, Herbert had another guess in his heart.

What if everything the Bishop of Ashes said was true?

What if... she simply had no memory of this at all?

After searching for a while, he slowly raised his head, took a deep breath, and asked: "Sorry, I'm a bit confused right now, could you tell me what year it is?"

"What year?"

The "Bishop of Ashes" tilted her head, a little puzzled, but still answered him: "The Faith Era has just passed its second millennium."

Upon hearing the answer, although Herbert was somewhat prepared in his heart, his heart still jolted.

The second millennium, that means... Faith Era year 2000!

A thousand years ago!

His sixth sense was right after all, this Bishop of Ashes really was off.

The Bishop of Ashes before him wasn't the one he knew well, but her from a thousand years ago, in her "maiden period" (questionable)!

Was it a spacetime displacement? Or an ancient memory?

Herbert leaned more toward the latter.

Under the unknown effect of 【Silence and Clamor】, he had encountered a memory from a thousand years ago.

Or, if we go by the earlier speculation that "the phantom isn't just from his own memory," then this was very likely a memory from the Bishop of Ashes.

Seeing Herbert lost in thought, the Bishop of Ashes waited a while before asking: "So, can you tell me where we met before? And how I hurt you?"

She was genuinely a little puzzled about what exactly had happened between her and this man.

Eyes can't be faked, his earlier joy was real, he clearly truly knew her.

Yet she herself had no memory of it, which made her feel a little apologetic.

At the same time, the holy knight aura emanating from him couldn't be faked either, further proving he wasn't lying.

Who are you?

Who exactly are you?

"... No need."

Herbert took a deep breath, looked at the Bishop of Ashes, and shook his head with feigned strength.

He lowered his head and sighed: "Since you don't remember, there's no need to recall it. Let everything in the past be as if it never happened."

Herbert's voice was low and hoarse, revealing deep weariness.

His appearance of a devoted man hurt by a "heartless woman" did, as expected, leave the Bishop of Ashes somewhat at a loss.

"... You?"

The Bishop of Ashes was a little dumbfounded.

What was going on?

It seemed like he had somehow inexplicably taken on a very heavy debt of emotion — but he didn't even know her at all.

"Since you don't remember me, that's fine too, then... let's just say this is our first meeting."

"Yes, that's right!"

Herbert suddenly raised his head, shook himself hard, swept away the dejection on his body, a glint once again flashing in his eyes. He looked intently at the Bishop of Ashes and said in a deep voice:

"Let us get to know each other again."

He strode forward, came before the Bishop of Ashes, and bowed to her with the highest formal salute of a Holy Knight.

"Holy Knight, Herbert Albert, I salute you!"

And facing Herbert's "respectful salute," the Bishop of Ashes was a little at a loss for what to do, but after a moment of silence she still chose to return the courtesy, bowing in the same way.

"Keeper of Secrets, Ophidia, I salute you."

After finishing the salute, Herbert nodded at Ophidia and revealed a gentle smile.

He let out a long sigh of relief in his heart.

Good.

Very good.

The name — obtained!

When he had previously interacted with the Bishop of Ashes, he had always been in a relatively low position, without the qualification to communicate with her as an equal.

This was still the first time he had learned her true name.

And after obtaining the name, it also allowed Herbert's little act to continue being performed.

Otherwise, if you claimed to know someone, and even claimed to have been hurt by them, but didn't know their name, that really would be a bit hard to explain.

Herbert nodded secretly, then noticed that the Bishop of Ashes... no, Ophidia, was still silent after having her name tricked out of her.

Like a closed gourd, not a single word could be squeezed out of her mouth for a long time.

"Why are you so silent? Don't you have anything you want to ask me?" he asked strangely.

That can't be right?

In the current situation, even if you remained silent, shouldn't you still ask a couple more questions?

Moreover, in Herbert's impression, the future Bishop of Ashes was certainly not a socially anxious person who was unaccustomed to speaking.

"..."

The Bishop of Ashes was silent for a moment, shook her head, and said with some weariness: "Keepers of Secrets are silent. Words are not our weapon — silence is."

Hearing this answer, Herbert suddenly understood what the biggest difference was between the Ophidia before his eyes and the future Bishop of Ashes.

If the future Bishop of Ashes looked like a carefree boss who had seen through everything and no longer cared so much about the precepts,

then the Ophidia before his eyes was like the most standard Keeper of Secrets, strictly adhering to every precept of the Keepers of Secrets.

Hiding her face, maintaining silence, enduring solitude.

Like a tightly strung bowstring, pulled to its absolute limit, ready to snap at any moment.

Herbert did not understand the situation from a thousand years ago; he did not know what had happened to Ophidia, did not know what she had encountered during that period.

But he could see that Ophidia was carrying a great many things on her back.

That invisible shadow was like a great mountain pressing down on her, as if it was about to crush her spine.

So, he chose to speak up and ask directly.

Herbert looked at Ophidia and asked softly, with a hint of heartache in his tone: "Carrying all of this, it's very hard, isn't it?"

He did not mention what specifically Ophidia was carrying — because he did not know.

But Ophidia understood.

The face hidden beneath the hood shifted slightly. She bit her lip and slowly shook her head: "... This is my duty."

She did not deny that it was hard, did not stubbornly insist she wasn't tired.

Instead, she answered with "duty."

"After they departed, since I chose to bear their souls and guard these secrets alone, then I should shoulder this responsibility."

Ophidia's answer was very firm.

Whether because she had been asked too many times, or because she had rehearsed this countless times in her heart.

She was a Keeper of Secrets, destined from the very beginning to keep company with solitude.

She had long been clear about the duty on her shoulders.

Herbert was silent for a moment, shook his head, and asked: "Ophidia, you don't need to be so hard on yourself. Can't you find someone else to help you share the burden?"

"Share the burden?"

Ophidia did not feel the anger of being looked down upon; she knew Herbert was worrying about her, and slowly explained: "Herbert, I understand your concern, but... this is my own choice."

Everyone has their own choices.

Some choose to keep the precepts for life, some choose to walk with Miss Xie Shen, and some choose to bear everything.

"Besides, who could I go find?"

Ophidia shook her head, calmly stating the facts: "Since that catastrophe, the Keepers of Secrets of the Mist Monastery have existed in name only. There is no need for any new sacrifices..."

"Me."

A steady, forceful voice cut off Ophidia's sigh.

Herbert's expression turned solemn, and he stepped forward once more.

He looked at Ophidia, who clearly had not anticipated this development, and said in a deep voice:

"I have come to become a Secret Keeper."

"Please let me go with you!"

(End of this chapter)