Chapter 135: Half Loaf of Bread

Vinny felt himself being swept off his feet by a tremendous force. It seemed like only an instant had passed, his vision blurred, and the surroundings changed. He was transported to an unfamiliar, unknown place.

“Ouch!” Vinny, clad in heavy armor, fell to the ground but didn’t feel any pain. The ground felt soft, like a marshmallow.

Hmm, the floor smells quite nice, a mix of citrus and nectar.

Strange, why are there two soft, large pillows on the ground? And why does it smell so familiar?

Wait, this seems like...

“Ah! Sorry, Princess Mirexia, are you hurt? I didn’t know I was lying on you. Are you okay??” Realizing he was lying on Mirexia, Vinny quickly got up and helped her to her feet.

“I’m fine,” Mirexia shook her head.

Perhaps because of the thick front armor, Mirexia didn’t feel much discomfort.

Mirexia glanced at Vinny. Given the urgency, Vinny didn’t do it intentionally, and they were separated by clothes and armor, with no direct contact. So she didn’t blame him, but she still silently averted her gaze.

“Thank goodness, Princess Mirexia, you had a protective pendant that teleported us back. Otherwise, we would have been in real trouble.” The atmosphere between them grew silent, and it became a bit awkward. Vinny had to initiate a conversation to shift the topic.

“We are not out of danger yet,” Mirexia sighed, closing her eyes wearily.

“Huh? But didn’t your pendant teleport us away??” Vinny looked around and noticed the sky above was still a chaotic, blood-red mess, indistinguishable between day and night.

Oh no, they’re still in the Demon God’s plane and haven’t escaped??

“That enchanted pendant was a one-time use item. It only teleported us a certain distance, but it didn’t cross dimensions to return us to the Terraria continent from the Demon God’s plane,” Mirexia sat up straight and shook her head.

“So, you mean??”

“So, we are still in the extended plane of the Demon God. It’s only a matter of time before they find us,” Mirexia leaned against the rock wall behind her, breathing lightly.

She needed to rest as much as possible to regain her strength.

“Ah, this is troublesome... Wait, Princess Mirexia, why didn’t I see you using your Soul Armament when you were fighting them??” Vinny frowned, spotting a blind spot.

“They poisoned me. I can’t use any Soul Armament or Divine Blessings related to the dragon,” Mirexia slightly opened her eyes to explain.

“Poisoned? What kind of poison can prevent someone from using specific Soul Armament and bloodline powers??” Vinny had at least attended half a semester of alchemical potions and knew some basic principles and common knowledge of alchemy.

For example, alchemical poisons were generally broad in effect, either causing death, draining stamina, or depleting magical power.

It was unlikely that some alchemical master would spend decades researching a poison specifically designed to target a single person, with no guarantee of success.

So alchemical poisons were usually versatile, mostly posing a direct threat to life, and couldn’t be so finely differentiated. There were very few alchemical poisons designed for specific groups.

Moreover, Mirexia’s words confused Vinny. Mirexia had the Wrathful Golden Dragon bloodline, which made her immune to toxins.

The idea of a descendant of the Wrathful Golden Dragon bloodline being poisoned was as laughable as a chili pepper being burned by its own spiciness.

“Besides, Princess Mirexia, isn’t your bloodline immune to toxins?”

“They are the Bronze Blood, fanatical followers of the Blasphemous Demon, Erunes.”

“So you mean the poison used against you was provided by Erunes??” Vinny frowned. “Such poisons usually need to be ingested, right? At the very least, they need to enter the bloodstream to take effect.”

“Indeed, that should be the case,” Mirexia’s breathing was erratic, beads of sweat glistening on her forehead.

“This isn’t the place to talk,” Vinny looked around and noticed a cave above them.

“Princess Mirexia, there seems to be a cave up there. Let me take you there to rest.” Vinny removed his armor and, seeing Mirexia’s weakened state, hesitated for a moment before turning his back to her and squatting down.

He let her arms wrap around his neck and carried her on his back, holding her soft, white thighs clad in stockings.

“Sorry, Princess Mirexia, it’s an emergency. I hope you don’t mind.” Vinny carried Mirexia up the mountain.

Honestly, given his strength, carrying someone was quite a challenge. Plus, Mirexia, with her dragon bloodline, was not exactly light.

Though she knew it was an emergency and not the time to dwell on trivial matters, recalling the earlier scene, Mirexia felt her skin where it touched Vinny’s back grow inexplicably warm.

Vinny struggled to carry Mirexia into the cave. After setting her down, he was drenched in sweat and collapsed nearby, gasping for breath.

Having a hiding place was better than being exposed in the open plains.

Man, that tired me out.

“How did you end up here?” Once inside the cave, Mirexia seemed to recover a bit, regaining her usual composed and calm demeanor.

“Huh? Me?” Hearing the blonde girl beside him speak, Vinny sighed. “Princess Mirexia, you might not believe it, but I followed a particularly foul smell and stumbled upon those Demon God worshippers having a barbecue. And then I found you being held captive.”

“Oh, right.” Remembering the captivity, Vinny took out a small vial of alchemical potion from his pouch and handed it to Mirexia, speaking with a mix of helplessness and guilt.

“Sorry, Princess Mirexia, it was necessary at the time. I had to play a role in front of those beasts. If I didn’t hit hard enough, they wouldn’t have believed me. I hope you understand.”

“I don’t blame you,” Mirexia shook her head.

“This is a minor healing potion. I know it might not do much for you, but it’s better than nothing. Use it to treat your wounds.”

“Compared to me, you probably need it more,” Mirexia didn’t accept it. “Use it yourself. My Soul Armament is sealed. Even if it could help, it wouldn’t do me any good,” Mirexia refused.

“I’m not badly hurt, so I don’t need it. You, on the other hand, have taken quite a beating.”

“Don’t be polite, Princess Mirexia. Take it, I don’t need it.” Despite his insistence, Mirexia still didn’t take the potion.

Vinny had no choice but to give up, looking deeply at Mirexia’s calm face and sighing softly.

In the dim cave, the atmosphere grew silent once more.

“You should have left earlier,” Mirexia, who was resting with her eyes closed, spoke again.

“If I had left, wouldn’t Princess Mirexia have been scared being alone here?” Vinny countered.

“It’s better for one to escape. You could have quickly informed our mentors about what happened here,” Mirexia pondered for a moment.

“You’re my princess. I couldn’t leave you alone. If something happened to you during that time, wouldn’t the king skin me alive?” Vinny joked half-heartedly.

“And most importantly, didn’t you say, Princess, that the extended Demon God plane created based on the Terraria continent is unstable and won’t last long? If I left and you didn’t hold out until I brought reinforcements, wouldn’t that leave me with lifelong regret?”

Vinny glanced at the chaotic blood-red sky above. “Didn’t you notice, Princess, that the time flow in this extended Demon God plane is different from the Terraria continent? The time it would take for me to bring help might be enough for those Demon God worshippers to find and capture you multiple times.”

“Rather than that, let’s think of a way to stall for time and wait out the duration of the Demon God plane.”

“As a member of the royal family, it’s my duty to protect you and our people,” Mirexia’s eyes flickered with a strange light for a moment before returning to normal.

“Princess Mirexia, you...” Seeing her like this, Vinny hesitated.

“What?” Sensing Vinny’s complex and reserved gaze, Mirexia didn’t understand what he originally wanted to say.

“Nothing,” Vinny shook his head.

The two fell silent again, the long wait feeling like an eternity.

It would have been unbearable, but for Mirexia, having someone else’s breathing in the cave inexplicably brought her comfort.

Otherwise, hiding alone here, unsure when she might be discovered, anxiously listening to the wind howling through the cave, would have been torture.

As Vinny said, if she were alone, she might not have been able to hold out.

But hiding here wasn’t just a mental ordeal; it was physical too.

Thirst and hunger.

To make matters worse, Vinny hadn’t brought a food pack on this patrol, and Mirexia’s pack was lost during the earlier intense fight.

Time passed slowly.

“Are you hungry? Here’s a piece of bread. Take it.”

Hearing this, Vinny opened his eyes to see Mirexia handing him a small white bread sprinkled with sesame seeds.

“Princess Mirexia, aren’t you hungry?”

“I’m not hungry,” Mirexia said calmly, as if she truly wasn’t hungry.

But her stomach disagreed, growling in protest immediately after her denial.

Feeling her face heat up at her stomach’s betrayal, Mirexia silently turned her face away.

“Pfft... Cough, it’s okay, Princess Mirexia. You eat it. I’m not hungry,” Vinny suppressed a laugh, putting on a serious expression.

“You haven’t eaten for half a day.”

“Neither have you,” Vinny countered.

“I’m not hungry,” Mirexia insisted.

“Princess Mirexia,” Vinny took a deep breath and looked at her.

“What?”

“You don’t have to be like this,” Vinny’s gaze carried an emotion Mirexia couldn’t decipher, calmly watching her.

“Don’t have to be like what?”

“Mirexia,” this time, Vinny called her name without any titles.

For some reason, hearing this familiar address, Mirexia felt momentarily dazed and didn’t respond immediately.

“I know you’ve always been a good child,” Vinny continued. “You’re kind, brave, diligent, talented, and responsible. You always try to take everything upon yourself, handling everything personally.”

“You’re excellent and have done well enough. Since the king announced you as the future Queen of Camella, you haven’t rested a single day. Apart from official duties, you’ve been studying and training, with only sleep left.”

“What I want to say is, Mirexia, you’ve already tried your very best and done your utmost. So, don’t always push yourself, don’t always force yourself, and end up hurting yourself, okay?” The faint light illuminated the gentle face of the blue-haired young man, making it seem almost surreal.

Hearing this, Mirexia felt her heart skip a beat. She gazed blankly at the young man before her.

“Occasionally, try relying on others, can you?” Vinny unconsciously took Mirexia’s hand and smiled at her. “Though I might not be the most reliable, I remember I once said, I’m still here by your side.”

“...” Feeling the warmth from his hand, Mirexia was stunned, as if recalling many things in that instant.

“Then let’s split it in half, okay?” Vinny let go of Mirexia’s hand after a moment and broke the bread in two. “Just like before.”

Just like before?

“Mirexia, Mirexia, I have a really delicious cookie here. Let me share half with you!” The morning sun in the garden illuminated the playing boy and girl, their laughter buried under the passage of time, known only by the withered flowers.

It was as if an old, yellowed photo had been renewed, and blurred memories had been infused with new life. The past, with its changed circumstances, came vividly to mind.

The transformed blue-haired young man before her filled in the faces of those hard-to-recall memories, bringing them back to life.

They were childhood friends, playmates, and close companions, from a long time ago.

Mirexia took the half piece of bread from the young man, just as the girl had taken the half cookie from the boy in their childhood.

The broken crack represented not only their past friendship and their current shared hardship, but also the budding of unknown emotions in that moment.