Conquering The Novel

"What exactly do you mean by that?" I asked, perplexed.

"It is exactly like it sounds Ares,...I am at the end of life," Ivica stated as she took off the camouflage, her beautiful face going pale and the clear black circles under her eyes becoming obvious.

!?

"T-This—" As I watched her, I was left dumbfounded.

"Don't you dare tell me you find me ugly now?" Ivica spoke with melancholy.

"...Of course not, you are still as stunning as ever," I hurriedly retorted.

Ivica laughed and added, "Pftt hehe, don't worry, I was just teasing you, but I appreciate the compliment."

"...."

"How much time do you believe you have left?" I asked with seriousness.

Nonetheless, I'm unable to help her because the dungeon where the alleged strengthening fruit is hidden hasn't yet materialised.

"Hmm, I'm not sure exactly, but I can tell you that I won't be alive to see the upcoming tournament," Ivica replied, trying to smile.

"...."

When I heard her, I was at a loss for words since I wasn't sure how to respond to that information.

'Where did everything go awry? Ivica was supposed to play an important role in the upcoming events, and I can't believe my involvement would have changed Ivica's entire fate. And besides I don't believe she's lying either.

There must be something I'm missing,...a missing puzzle piece.' I took a time to think to myself.

"Ivica, I sincerely regret that I am unable to help you," I said with a stiff look.

"Haha, please don't be, it's not your fault I'm in this situation, in fact I'm grateful you agreed to help me," Ivica said hurriedly.

"...Do you need anything from me?" I spoke abruptly and swivelled to the left, using my hawk eye skill.

!?

"...Who are you speaking with?" Ivica said with her brows knitted together.

"Why don't you come out and introduce yourself, Miss— oh, what should I call her?" I asked, turning to face Ivica.

"...."

"Hehehe, Pftt!" Ivica burst out laughing when she heard that.

...

—Fuuu!

"All right, I think you should come out and introduce yourself," Ivica said when she finally stopped laughing.

"Tsh! I don't like him at all," I heard a woman's melodic voice say.

And then, out of nowhere, a woman with dark blue hair and dark green eyes with the same facial features as Ivica appeared and stood behind her.

'Here she is, 'The missing puzzle piece!' When I noticed that woman, I thought to myself.

"So... given our similar features, you might have guessed who she is, right?" Ivica inquired curious.

"...Is she your identical twin?" I replied.

"Ding, ding, ding! It is the correct answer!" Ivica exclaimed with delight.

"I understand you are nearing the end of your life, but that does not excuse your childish behaviour. What happened to that indifferent sister I know?" Ivica's twin sister commented as she shook her head.

"Cut me some slack, will you? Let me just enjoy the moment while I still have the opportunity," Ivica responded.

Meanwhile, I just sat there and watched them argue.

I had my suspicions when I noticed Ivica telepathically conversing with someone at the time, as well as when she appeared at the hospital during the Aretrus incident, when Rose had already informed me that she had seen Ivica leave the academy.

"How did you pick up on my presence?" With a straight face, Ivica's twin inquired.

"I used one of my skills," I replied, smiling.

I increased the mastery of the skill Hawk eye using the ★, which was one of the quest rewards.

And it was well worth it because I can now detect camouflages using it, which might be quite handy.

"...."

"Well, I was about to introduce her to you anyway because I still need your help getting that strengthening fruit," Ivica said, pausing for a moment to catch her breath before continuing.

"She is my twin sister, which you have already guessed, and you are the first person to have met both of us at the same time. As we are identically named Ivica, and we both share that identity.

She shares several characteristics with me, of course, including being a half dragon, but her situation differs from mine; in contrast to me, she has little to no mana," Ivica clarified.

!?

'She says she has a limited quantity of mana? which means she isn't as powerful as her,' I wondered inwardly.

"...So how should I refer to her again?" I asked, turning my gaze to Ivica's twin, who turned her head sideways when she noticed my gaze on her.

"Haha, you can just call her Ivica, because she'll be the complete Ivica after I die," Ivica replied while chuckling.

"...."

"...I see; Having said that, may I ask why you still require that strengthning fruit?" I asked with curiosity.

"Oh, the thing is—" Ivica was about to explain when she was interrupted by her twin.

"You don't have to know that, my naive sister may believe you, but I still can't trust a foreigner with unknown intentions," Ivica's twin remarked.

"Don't be like that, sis; now that we all know each other's secrets, isn't that reason enough for us to trust each other?" Ivica stated.

"...."

"No you are right; I don't need to know why you still require that fruit; in any case, I will keep my promise and provide that fruit to you when the time comes," I replied.

"...I will be grateful," Ivica's twin said.

"All right, I suppose I should leave now," I remarked as I rose from the sofa.

"Ah Ares, hold on," Ivica immediately yelled, which caught my attention.

"Sis, could you please give us a moment, I have something I wanted to discuss with him alone," Ivica said, looking at her twin sister.

"...Seriously?"

Ivica refused to answer her twin's question and instead continued to stare at her.

"Tsh, all right," she said, giving me a long look before leaving me and Ivica alone in the office.

After she left, there was a brief moment of silence.

"Please forgive her if you thought she was disrespectful Ares, she still doesn't know how to behave around others," Ivica said.

"Don't worry, I didn't take it seriously, and even I would have been sceptical of trusting a foreigner from another world who didn't know what his true purpose is," I replied.

"Haha, thank you for your understanding," Ivica responded and there was awkward silence between us for a moment.

"...You know, we didn't have anyone else other than each other when we were young, and in a world where power is everything, she was born with very little mana, so I always took care of her as my little sister by sharing my identity with her.

We always acted as one, even though we were twins, because it would have been difficult for her to survive if the world knew about her powerless self.

'A beauty is nothing but a sin if it lacks the ability to defend itself.'

And I already knew that I couldn't always stand up for her," Ivica halted briefly, her eyes welling up with tears.

"...."

I didn't know how to comfort her, so I just stood there and watched her sob.

"I am sorry for showing you this terrible self of mine Ares, but she is the most precious thing to me," Ivica apologised and stated while wiping away her tears.

"May I make an unreasonable request of you, Ares? You can think of it as my final wish," Ivica said as she approached me.

"...I will do my best to fulfil it if it is within my power," I replied.

"Would you please look after my sister for me?" Ivica smiled and leaned in close to my ear, whispering.

"I—" Ivica's lips touched mine just as I was going to reply, so I had to stop.

!?

She kissed me gently before pulling away.

"...It was a pleasure meeting you, Ares!" Ivica stated with a gorgeous smile.

"...."

"Ah, and I don't care if you wanted to do me that favour or not; I'd rather die in peace believing that you accepted my request even if you didn't," Ivica made a remark.

"...Don't worry, I'll be there for her if she ever needs me," I reassured her, returning her smile.

"Hehe, now I can finally die in peace, and it would be wonderful if you could also attend my funeral so my sister won't feel lonely," Ivica said.

"...Okay, I'll try to find time to make it to your funeral," I replied.

"...."

After that, there was once again an awkward pause between the two of us.

"Do you have anything else to say?" I inquired.

"...Hmm, no— Oh wait, there is indeed something I wanted to warn you about," Ivica abruptly stated.

"Warn me?" Perplexed, I inquired.

"... Don't put all your trust in Irethiel; I know she's your slave now, but I still wanted to warn you about her.

A Demon can never be trusted! Consider it my final piece of advice to you," Ivica stated.

***