Chapter 405: Didn

【“Hehe~”】

The voice that arose in his heart was gentle, brimming with comforting tenderness and ease.

【“I thought I’d hidden myself well, but you found me anyway~”】

It was the voice of a deity.

For ordinary believers, hearing the voice of a deity would be a great blessing, filling them with excitement and bringing tears of joy.

Yet, compared to those pitiful believers who offered everything to a distant god and received no response in return, Herbert was immensely fortunate.

Herbert felt no surprise at the deity’s voice; he merely licked his lips slightly.

For the deity in his heart belonged to him alone.

【“My dear ally, you caught me again~”】

“So you’ve been here all along?”

【“That’s right, I’ve always been here~”】

This answer didn’t surprise Herbert—it felt exactly as he’d expected.

Herbert always felt he lived under Nenasha’s shadow.

Yet, unlike the cold, hostile gazes of others, Her shadow had always been warm.

【“Hehe~”】

The deity, who had no believers but one ally, laughed softly—her voice as gentle as water, whispering against a mortal’s ear.

Merely hearing that voice could conjure in the mind a radiant, maternal, and majestic image.

Unfortunately, the solemnity in that voice didn’t last long; it quickly reverted to its usual irreverent tone.

【“Hey! How exactly did you find me?”】 the deity asked, brimming with curiosity.

Miss Harmony was certain of her hide-and-seek skills—there was no way she could be found.

She’d planned to leap out and save him only when he finally broke down, but he’d dragged her out halfway.

Not fair! That wasn’t my heroic rescue script!

“How did I find you? Instinct, I guess.”

Herbert smirked, thinking casually: “To be honest, I’ve felt for a long time that you’ve been hiding nearby, watching me with ill intent.”

I knew it—someone’s been coveting my beauty. I’ve been watched!

Boys out in the world really need to learn how to protect themselves.

Otherwise, you never know when some weirdo will fixate on you.

【“Hey! What do you mean ‘ill intent’?”】

Nenasha (the hidden observer) huffed, complaining: 【“I admit I’ve been watching you—but it’s love I’m giving you!”】

You ungrateful bastard!

【“Huh!? This is divine favor—do you even understand what that means?”】

Do you even know the value of “a deity personally watching you around the clock”?

This is favor no one else can beg for!

I’m not even asking for more offerings—you should be overjoyed, and yet you complain?

Are you even human?

Hey? Do you still have a conscience?

Speak!

Answer me!!!

In response to Miss Harmony’s “indignant” complaint, Herbert’s lip twitched, and he mentally gave up:

“Fine, fine! It’s love! It’s love watching! Thank you for always watching me—I’m truly moved!”

After saying that, Herbert internally sneered, wanting to throw her a look that said: “What are you even pretending for?”

Sister, what the hell are you acting out?

Keep pretending?

Go ahead, play the victim—who can outdo you?

It’s just you and me—why are you still pretending? We both know the truth.

As Herbert expected, the moment he “apologized,” Nenasha reacted instantly.

【“Ha! Ha! You’re welcome!”】

Miss Harmony’s earlier “indignation” vanished in an instant, replaced by pure triumph as she burst into gleeful, rhythmic laughter.

【“Hm hm, hehe, ha! Ha↑ Ha↑ Ha↑ Ha↑”】

Won!

This time, it’s my victory~

Just a little trick, a tiny performance—and I win spectacularly!

This little knight is no match for this evil deity—I can easily control him.

Controlling him? Effortless~

Win!

As the deity unilaterally declared her overwhelming victory, the lucky mortal who received her favor nearly rolled his eyes.

This guy doesn’t even pretend anymore.

“Alright, that’s enough. Stop laughing.”

The oblivious mortal muttered half-heartedly: “Now’s not the time for this—I still have things to deal with.”

Their conversation seemed long, but it all happened in the blink of a thought—almost no time had passed in the outside world.

While speaking with Miss Harmony, Herbert’s gaze never left the reflection of his past self in the mirror, staring intently at him.

【“Hmph! I don’t care—you solve your own problems!”】

Nenasha declared—she was angry! And not to be soothed!

Don’t ask if I’m really angry or if I just laughed triumphantly a moment ago.

I don’t care!

I’m in an angry state now, and you must comfort me properly!

“I know you’ve always been here.”

Herbert didn’t humbly coddle her to make her stop being angry—he spoke calmly in his mind.

“Every time I faced danger, you’ve always been there, giving me tremendous help.”

He didn’t manipulate emotion or beg for sympathy—he simply stated, quietly, the raw, unvarnished truth in his heart.

“You… never let me down.”

Herbert lightly licked his lips and whispered in his mind: “Thank you for always watching me. I’m truly grateful.”

After facing his past reflection, Herbert’s heart was slightly stirred.

He rarely expressed his inner feelings so openly.

Gratitude.

【Silence and Noise】 was no simple trial—especially since the potion had triggered unusual changes in him, its effect nearly equaling the oldest divine elixirs.

Without Nenasha’s presence, Herbert might still have escaped the illusion—but the process would have been excruciatingly hard.

He’d likely have broken free by sheer desperation, exhausted and disheveled, like everyone else.

Why could Herbert remain awake in the illusion?

It was only through Nenasha’s protection that he could remain perfectly outside the illusion.

His own willpower could hold out for a while, but he couldn’t have stayed awake forever—he’d almost certainly have sunk deep into the dream for a long time.

Thanks to the deity’s gift, he clearly recognized he was in an illusion—even when touching their illusions, he wasn’t dragged deeper into the dream.

Of course, merely staying awake in the illusion meant nothing—he had to find a way to shatter it.

Overcoming the illusions relied mostly on Herbert’s own efforts—it demanded precise skill.

But there was no denying that Nenasha had played a crucial role and lent great aid in this trial.

Especially when facing his past reflection, Herbert had briefly begun to doubt himself.

Even a man as proud and confident as he was felt inner tremors under such a massive shock.

A soul that shouldn’t be here. A face that shouldn’t be here. A conversation that shouldn’t be here.

If he’d faced any other threat—even a deity—his heart wouldn’t have stirred much.

Legend?

Ordinary. I often pin legendary Qiangzhe to the ground and grind them into dust, making them kneel and sing surrender.

Epic?

Worth a fight—fifty-fifty. I’ve beaten them before, had fierce hand-to-hand battles.

Saint?

Nine-one… cough, better avoid the Fengmang for now, yield temporarily.

Old man? Just a rotting corpse—I’ll capture him eventually.

Deity?

Who are you trying to scare? Like I’ve never seen a deity before.

If he’d faced anyone else, he could have faced them calmly.

But Herbert was facing himself.

A person can deceive anyone, but cannot truly deceive their own heart.

For a moment, doubt and insecurity filled his heart.

Had everything he experienced been nothing but a bizarre, beautiful dream? Was he merely a personality within the dream? Was it time to wake up?

He was terrified, uneasy, unwilling to lose everything he now possessed.

Because he had lost before, he cherished everything he had now more than anything.

At his most vulnerable moment, he felt Nenasha’s presence—the instant surge of peace that nearly brought him to tears.

That is why Herbert now clearly expressed his gratitude.

【“…”】

Nenasha was thrown off by Herbert’s honest, obedient demeanor—she couldn’t decide whether to keep smiling or stop.

She did not know what he had encountered in the illusion, nor what Herbert had seen in the mirror…

But Nenasha knew Herbert’s heart had likely been wounded.

She also understood clearly that all she could do was stay by his side, so he would not face it alone.

After a moment of silence, the Harmony Goddess softly said: 【“Herbert, I must thank you too.”】

【“You truly… did not disappoint me.”】

What was she expecting?

Like every child playing hide-and-seek, the purpose of hiding is to be found at last.

Nenasha too longed to be discovered—longed for someone to understand her thoughts, to find her while she hid.

The Harmony Goddess had never hoped for this, yet Herbert, a mere mortal, fulfilled her wish.

Without any hint, merely through intuition, he noticed her subtle actions.

And this was not the first time.

Before, she had hidden many times, yet each time Herbert found her, effortlessly and often unintentionally.

Everything unfolded exactly as she wished.

Herbert did even better than Nenasha had hoped!

“Uh, no thanks?”

【“Mm, you too—no, don’t thank me.”】

“…”

【“…”】

After mutually thanking each other with formal politeness, the conversation ended, leaving an awkward silence.

It was like the shyness and embarrassment after sending a late-night confession essay, then meeting the person the next day.

“Cough!”

After waiting a while, Herbert changed the subject: “By the way, you really do like pretending to sleep after waking up—do you enjoy secretly observing people so much?”

His tone returned to normal, laced with teasing amusement.

Nenasha gladly took the cue, smiling lightly: 【“Oh my, I merely wanted to see how far you could get without me~”】

That’s right! I’m training your independence!

“Heh.”

Herbert chuckled softly, turning back to the mirror’s reflection—only a few breaths had passed since Nenasha first spoke.

The mirror’s past self still frowned at Herbert from within, asking sternly: “What did you just say? Who were you talking to?”

Oh?

Herbert raised an eyebrow, amused: “So, you can’t see her?”

As Herbert suspected, the mirror’s reflection knew nothing of Nenasha—her presence was entirely absent from his account.

The final trial attributed all Herbert’s achievements to his own talent, not divine aid.

But what Herbert didn’t expect was that his question… addressed three people at once.

Mirror reflection: “I see nothing. What are you talking about? What should I see?”

Nenasha: 【“I can’t see anything~”】

Luka Liya : Huh? What am I supposed to see?

All three thought he was speaking to them.

One question, three confused replies.

???

This final trial, tied to 【Fate】, was visible only to Herbert.

Even Nenasha could not see the mirror’s presence—she only knew Herbert seemed to be speaking to his own shadow.

The mirror’s reflection knew nothing of Nenasha and could not comprehend Herbert’s words.

Luka Liya , the Mirror Sprite who had watched this solo performance for so long, saw nothing else—only her own reflection in the mirror.

She was now the most confused.

He… he was just talking to the phantom in the mirror—so now he must be speaking to me?

There’s no third person here—so it must be me?

Am I… here?

Should I be here? Or shouldn’t I?

Wait, aren’t I right beside you? Why are you asking me?!

And what am I supposed to see?

The Mirror Sprite had never been so baffled.

Herbert paid no attention to Luka Liya ’s reaction—he focused all his attention on the mirror’s reflection, speaking softly: “Though you cannot see her, it doesn’t matter—I can tell you about her.”

“You should have seen someone who is extremely important to me.”

Herbert slightly turned his head, trying to look toward where Nenasha hid behind him—only to catch Luka Liya ’s stunned expression beside him.

Hm?

Why are you looking like that?

A strange thought flashed through his mind, but Herbert had no energy to dwell on such details—he continued speaking to the reflection.

“You see nothing of Her, yet I cannot live without Her.”

“It is because of Her that I stand before you, that I have come this far.”

“Without Her, I would have shattered long ago.”

Had Nenasha never appeared at the beginning of Fate, Herbert would likely still be a mid- or even low-rank Holy Knight, training in a monastery.

The mirror’s past self pondered for a long while, then spoke: “You mean you met someone in this world so important that you chose to abandon true reality and drown completely in this dream.”

“Mm.”

Herbert smiled, nodded, and winked: “Also, I now know your words are not true—no need to keep pretending.”

“And even if everything you say is false… I would still abandon that world for Her.”

Herbert spoke with unwavering seriousness—and silently added in his heart: “Also for her, her, her, her—yes, for them.”

Herbert did not think this was a player’s confession.

He simply loved everyone equally—he was a saint of boundless love!

He was merely more universally affectionate than others.

For Herbert himself, what he abandoned was the dull, unreachable past world he never wished to return to.

But for Nenasha, who heard these words, their impact was immense.

【“!!!”】

She could not hear the mirror’s words—only from Herbert’s fragments did she deduce the entire conversation—he was willing to abandon this entire world for her!!?

Nenasha had never imagined anyone besides a devotee would say such a thing.

Willing to abandon the entire world for her?

Even the most fanatical believers rarely possessed such resolve.

Yet Herbert bore no trace of her divine energy—meaning his words came entirely from his heart.

!!!

How can this man say such a flustering thing with such calmness!!?

【“Hss!”】

Though Herbert had always been important to Nenasha—a uniquely special being she was willing to give much for—

At this moment, Nenasha felt ashamed. She realized her own resolve was not as high as Herbert’s.

She began to reflect: Had she done enough? Was she lacking somewhere?

The Demon Goddess was successfully sunk—she grew shy and unsure how to speak to Herbert.

Meanwhile, another woman present was also stunned.

Behind Herbert, the Mirror Sprite—utterly shocked!

!!?

Is… is he talking about me?

Luka Liya was utterly stunned!

She had no idea why Herbert gave her such a high evaluation.

She simply could not understand.

What “important person”? “Abandon the world”? Ah!!?

Is this right?

What did I even do?

How did I not know I meant so much to you!!?

And besides, Herbert treats me with such respect in front of others—he actually calls me “It”!

Saints are nearly equivalent to gods, and Shi Shi-tier masters possess power comparable to angels or even divine messengers, worthy of being called “It” by mortals.

Based on Herbert’s earlier attitude, Luka Liya had thought he didn’t respect her at all, held no reverence for her.

She never imagined he would be so candid in front of others, showing such profound reverence toward her.

“So… he actually respects me deeply inside? He’s just using his playboy demeanor to get my attention?”

After pondering for a moment, Luka Liya reached a conclusion—he’s in love with me!!?

Ha!

You said I was secretly in love with you, but it’s clearly you who’s secretly in love with me!

You little rascal were pretending to be the victim, trying to ease your own embarrassment with that trick.

Once she grasped this crucial point, Luka Liya became utterly triumphant.

Little one, still trying to hide?

I’ve caught you now!

Hehe~

The Mirror Spirit watched Herbert’s profile and smiled inwardly: “Since he’s this shy, I’ll be a little kinder to him from now on.”

The speaker meant nothing by it; the listener took it to heart.

Once words are spoken, how they’re interpreted becomes the listener’s own matter.

The reflection in the mirror fell silent, frowning as it stared into Herbert’s eyes.

“...Phew!”

After a long while, the black-haired youth finally slumped his shoulders as if drained, letting out a long breath: “No wonder it’s me—I can’t fool myself.”

“Let’s go.”

He stretched vigorously, pounded his stiff shoulders and aching lower back, then turned to leave without a word.

Since Herbert had fully awakened, this phantom had no reason to stay.

Behind him, the boy asked: “After all this, won’t you at least say goodbye?”

“Goodbye?”

The past reflection paused, turned back, and raised an eyebrow: “Goodbye to what? You’ve let go—you haven’t forgotten.”

Letting go doesn’t mean abandoning.

Life is never about severing ties with your past self; it’s about remembering every wound after each fall, seeing everything clearly, and moving forward anyway.

The past walked on, growing ever farther away.

Just as the phantom was about to vanish, the boy’s voice came again: “Am I disappointing you now?”

“Disappointing? Are you joking?”

The youth stopped again, raised his brow, and declared proudly: “I’ve never let anyone down.”

“Not even myself!”

The boy nodded gently, in quiet agreement.

“That’s true.”

Across the mirror named Fate, the one representing the past and the one representing the present locked eyes—and both burst into laughter.

“Ha!”

“Hahaha!!!”

After laughing for a long while, the black-haired youth shouted to his future self: “Herbert.”

“Since you’ve let go, now is the time to move forward.”

Forward?

“What did you say… hmm?”

As Herbert puzzled over his past self’s words, he suddenly felt his body grow light.

Thud.

With a faint, illusory sound, he felt something fall from his ankle, sinking into the shadow beneath his feet.

What was that?

No—he knew.

It was his past.

At this moment, the past that had bound him finally released him.

And before Herbert could even reflect...

He immediately felt a surge of fierce power erupting from his soul!

“What is this?”

Herbert’s eyes widened, dazed, murmuring:

“...Legendary?”

(End of Chapter)