Chapter Two: "But He Really Did Look Like a Dog..."
"Mommy, look! A dog!"
"Honey, that's actually a big rat, not a dog."
"But it really looks like a dog though!"
Lyle turned and saw a five-year-old girl tugging at her mom's sleeve, grinning brightly.
He couldn't help but laugh.
Standing on the town's street, surrounded by familiar scenery and busy crowds—
For two years, as a scholar, he'd had no free time.No leisure.He'd been buried in books most days.
Yeah… he really had been like a dog.
The thought made him chuckle softly.
When he first transmigrated, no team wanted this mysterious, unqualified scholar.
Only Moonlit Bloom and Xia had taken him in at the start.
She faced criticism and suspicion but insisted on keeping him.
Xia was the only one who reached out a hand to him.
To repay her kindness, Lyle gave everything.
Not just as a scholar—he did logistics, cleaned up battlefields, took care of everyone.All the dirty work, he did willingly.
But fame changes people.
He couldn't help but feel a little regret.
He still hadn't seen the depths of the dungeon…
Lyle let out a small sigh as he stared up at Eofre's dazzling night sky.
From now on, you'll have to walk your path without me.
I'm tired. It's time to rest.
…What on earth is wrong with Lyle?
Xia couldn't figure it out.
In fact, Moonlight Bloom had always been on the right track.
From a small team, in just two short years, they had become a well-known adventurer group throughout Eofre.
But despite such excellent configuration, Moonlight Bloom had never managed to break into the ranks of the Mythical Adventurer Groups.
After thinking about it over and over again, Xia turned her gaze to Lyle.
Only this scholar hadn't studied at any top academy—he came from a humble background.
So, what kind of nerve was he acting on?
Was it wrong to just hope he would work a little harder?
Xia slowly took off her white stockings and stood barefoot in front of the mirror, looking at her fair and delicate face.
She was a perfectly standard 160 cm in height, with slender calves in golden proportions and smooth, refined skin.
Yet she felt inexplicably irritable.
She kicked open the door of the bath, stepping into the marble hot spring where two figures were already soaking.
Hearing the noise, the girl on the left slightly opened her eyes, her black hair falling in strands across her chest, her expression a mix of intelligence and laziness.
This was Amelia, the priestess of the Moonlight Bloom adventurer group.
"You don't seem to be in a good mood. Want me to give you a little healing~?"
Amelia said playfully, cupping the snow-white roundness on her chest.
"So annoying!"
Even the warm and soothing hot spring couldn't ease Xia's irritation. She slapped the surface of the water hard. "I ran into a complete lunatic tonight!"
"Oh?"
Amelia became interested. "Who made our Lady Xia angry?"
"Amelia, why would someone suddenly become so annoying? He wasn't like this before."
The priestess tilted her head and paused for a moment.
After a while, she said, "It means that person let go of something, or something else became more important to him."
"Lyle doesn't even know how lucky he is! Do you know how many scholars are dying to join our team? Even top students from elite academies!"
"Lyle? Wait, you really kicked him out?"
Amelia looked surprised.
"I didn't kick him out! He told me he wanted to leave!"
Amelia raised a delicate eyebrow.
To be honest, when the team had been stuck on the 44th floor and couldn't advance, everyone had considered whether it was time to replace the scholar.
But Lyle had a really good temper.
If you vented to him, he would listen patiently.
You could even say you weren't feeling well and make him cook breakfast for a month.
There was one time when Xia had torn up a strategy he spent a week drafting, just because she was in a bad mood.
Lyle only gave a bitter smile and then spent three more sleepless nights in the library redoing it.
His professional skills might be average.
But he was definitely a people-pleaser who was overly kind to his own teammates.
Amelia liked that type.
All you had to do was lift your skirt a bit and talk to him sweetly, and he'd probably start licking your boots, haha…
But his overly emotional kindness and tolerance were basically useless.
Xia probably thought of him as nothing more than a pathetic dog.
But as a tool? He was quite handy.
Amelia rested her chin in her hand, a little troubled. "That's too bad… Lyle was an important teammate…"
She had also noticed that Xia's temper had been getting worse.
And she was becoming increasingly sensitive—every time Lyle did something slightly off, she would get angry and scold him.
Actually, in the dungeon, Xia was the one who ignored orders the most.
She probably believed deep down that Lyle wasn't worthy of being part of Moonlight Bloom.
"I only turned him down a few times. What, does every scholar who joins the team expect me to date him?"
Xia slapped the water again, splashing Amelia's face.
"But… Lyle never confessed to you."
The lazy sorceress, who had been soaking quietly, gave Xia a glance. "Is it possible he just wanted to be a good scholar, not a failed suitor?"
Xia instantly flared up: "Floro, you've never been pestered by him! How would you know?!"
After every dungeon run, Lyle would write a report and ask to meet with her for review and debriefing.
And he would subtly suggest small improvements.
Why didn't he go to the others? Why only her?
He even brought cake or pudding every time.
Wasn't that enough proof?
Floro shrugged. "Just saying. No need to get so worked up."
Xia snorted coldly.
"Ahh… teammates shouldn't fight."
Amelia clutched her chest with a worried look. "Maybe Lyle's just gone to clear his head. He'll be back soon."
Lyle was the kind of teammate who came whenever you called.
Amelia didn't want to lose such a useful tool.
Letting him serve her was practically an honor, haha…
"Come back? After getting rejected elsewhere?"
Xia crossed her arms. "What, does he think this place is a vegetable market? He can come and go as he pleases?"
"If we lose a scholar, we'll just get a better one. I want someone more knowledgeable anyway."
Floro stood up from the water. "That's a good thing. No need to sulk or take it out on us."