Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended

CHAPTER 272: Revelations & the Trap

“…I’m surprised you wanted to meet,” Daisuke said softly as he approached the edge of the small bridge, its wooden beams creaking underfoot.Fay’s cowlick stiffened at his close proximity. She immediately scooted a bit further to the side and turned away, hiding the blush that crept into her cheeks.

Daisuke smiled at her adorable reaction, a soft warmth settling in his chest. His gaze then wandered, drawn to the moonlight dancing across the lake’s surface like shimmering crystals.

“How is Silvie?” He asked.

She stole a fleeting glance at his face. “She’s fine… but there’s still no change in her condition.”

“I see.”

There was an uncomfortable moment of silence. Then Fay’s eyes drifted until they settled on the soft glow of two fireflies dancing above the water’s surface. As she watched them, she couldn’t help but be reminded of Silvestia and the way they used to play. Her friend had been just like the fireflies—radiant, graceful, and free-spirited.

All of a sudden, Fay’s usual shyness vanished. Her crimson eyes narrowed with rare intensity as she turned to face Daisuke. “Did you… ever find them?” She asked angrily. “The one behind the Mhaledictus—the person controlling it all?”

Daisuke studied the delicate furrow of her brows and the tight twist of her lips. Then his own eyebrows narrowed as his gaze drifted back towards the lake.

“Unfortunately, Zerbst and his goons didn’t know anything we didn’t already suspect. But,” he said as a memory resurfaced. “We did manage to acquire some additional information that may just lead us to the one we’re looking for.”

“…So, you intentionally allowed him to see all three of you?” Fay asked in surprise. “Isn’t that a bad thing? What if they find the orphanage?”

Daisuke held her worrisome gaze with a calm smile. “The orphanage should be fine so long as Lynn, Lumielle, and the king hold on to their sutra. As for Stynx, I have Midnight keeping tabs on him, so the moment he decides to inform his accomplices about us—”

“We’ll find out who the main villain is,” Fay added enthusiastically, a rare smile curving her small lips.

Daisuke gave a firm nod. “Even if they’re not the ones pulling the strings, capturing and interrogating them might lead us to someone who is. It’s a lead—one we can’t afford to ignore.” His gaze darkened, voice low and cold. “Then we’ll finally be able to avenge Silvie’s parents… and everyone else those bastards have hurt.”

Fay held his smoldering gaze, a silent plea stirring in the debts of her crimson red eyes. Daisuke immediately recognized what that meant.

“We’ll be careful,” he reassured sweetly. “I promise.”

Fay blushed, her cowlick bobbing up and down. Shyly averting her gaze, she stepped closer and began gently patting his head.

Daisuke blinked, caught off guard. “What’re you—”

“…You risked your life to help everyone escape from Reginald,” she said softly. “You saved Brek and the others, helped Tiphanna free the elves, and now you’re even supporting the orphanage. And despite everything, you’re still fighting alongside Princess Lumielle to free an entire kingdom.”

She turned her head slowly, her crimson eyes gleaming, burning into his. “What you’ve done… what you’ve accomplished so far… it’s nothing short of incredible,” she whispered in veneration. Then her delicate eyebrows crinkled. “I’m sure people thank you all the time. But, Haxks… who do you lean on? Who listens when you’re hurting? When you need support?”

Daisuke’s eyes trembled as her words sank deep into his chest—raw, unexpected, and painfully true.

It was clear Fay wasn’t speaking on a whim. Her words carried the quiet weight of someone who had suffered deeply—someone who knew all too well what it meant to endure heartbreak, isolation, and the burden of having no one to rely on. She, too, had been forced to carry more than any child should.

Daisuke lowered his head, his eyes concealed beneath the fall of his bangs as her small fingers gently combed through his hair.

“…When Silvie wakes up,” she murmured slowly, sheepishly, her eyes hopeful, “do you think… we could get to know each other a little more?”

Daisuke gave a faint nod, his expression unreadable beneath the veil of shadow. But something in the way his shoulders relaxed—just slightly—made it clear he had heard her. And that he genuinely welcomed the thought.