Two hours passed. Lee Shin-Woo accepted his third cup of tea. Whenever he asked for another serving, Retadane would look enthusiastic, perhaps because of the mood.

"Uaaaaah. This is the worst."

"This doesn't make any sense. Senior Ethan was..."

"It's hard to accept, but it's the truth. Looking back after being freed from his brainwashing, there were lots of things that didn't make sense..."

The heroes were astonished by Lee Shin-Woo's revelation of Ethan's betrayal. When he added that Mentes Orun was part of this conspiracy, the mood turned for the worst. Lloyd was especially down and sighed deeply as he remembered Mentes Orun attacking him.

"Yasunori’s dead, and we survived because of the Heaven Defying General..."

"How did things turn out like this... Why would we heroes be forced to fight amongst ourselves? I feel like an idiot since I’d been fighting wholly unaware of all this."

"...Phew."

"We only killed two of the twelve generals, yet we lost three heroes in exchange. They weren't even killed fighting the enemy... Ah, damn. Prince is right. This is the worst."

Lloyd, Prince, and Erian were now privy to the undercurrents of the battle, and they looked as though they were going to cry; in comparison, Lee Shin-Woo drank his tea looking unconcerned after saying what he had to say. To be exact, he had been pretending to drink the tea while evaporating the liquid with fire as it went down his throat.

Since he hadn’t had to pretend to drink this much tea before, he hadn’t realized that by swallowing down the tea and evaporating it, he could feel its moisture, which gave the illusion of actually drinking tea. For an undead who couldn't eat or drink anything, there was nothing sweeter.

"...Do you like the tea I brewed that much?"

"Yes. It's seeping into my exhausted body and mind. Thank you very much."

"...Hehe."

Lee Shin-Woo's genuine appreciation caused Retadane to cover her mouth with a hand and laugh in satisfaction. Yeah, this woman got really hyped up over anything related to tea. He smiled bitterly; she was acting so differently from before. Perhaps the way to conquer her was over tea!

"You're amazing, Lee Shin-Woo."

"Excuse me?"

Lloyd said out of the blue, and Lee Shin-Woo tilted his head, not knowing what this was about. Lloyd still looked ashen as he explained himself in a disheartened tone.

"It's amazing that you can be so calm despite everything that's happened. You confronted the level 8 Ethan Cruz head on and even came face to face with the Heaven Defying General... I thought you of all people would've been the most tired out of everyone here."

"Didn’t I tell you? I was already somewhat prepared. Plus, I had never met Ethan Cruz before."

"Moreover, you even blocked Retadane's strike… Were you holding back against me in our duel?"

"No."

Lee Shin-Woo lied with a serious voice.

"I was only able to block her strike because she was exhausted. It was after she had fought two of the twelve generals. I may have gone through a lot, but I didn't do much and received help from everyone else. It's only natural that I have so much energy left. That's why I was able to block her attack."

"No, that's... Never mind."

Retadane instinctively opened her mouth to refute him since she had personally experienced his true strength and thus knew it wasn't so simple. However, she failed to find the words after opening and closing her mouth a few times.

"You're still amazing. I stood around like an idiot, but you reacted immediately… If we had kept fighting that group of undead, we wouldn't be here right now."

"I'd like to also give my thanks regarding that… Since I've been fighting the undead for such a long time, it's become difficult for me to control my emotions when facing them. That's actually the reason I didn't go after the twelve generals despite having the strength to do so."

Lee Shin-Woo nodded in understanding. Retadane was a lunatic on the battlefield, so much so that it would be fitting to call her a Berserker. Regardless of how powerful she was, if she were to fight like a raving madman against the twelve generals and their armies, she would be killed immediately.

The only reason she hadn't sustained a critical injury was because she had been moving with other heroes. Plus, Lee Shin-Woo had been supporting her as well, both openly and discreetly.

"Retadane. Don't you feel that something is strange?"

"What about?"

"Your absolute hostility towards the undead. The rate at which your anger grows as you fight the undead is abnormal."

Lee Shin-Woo went straight to the point boldly. The other heroes quieted; they seemed to be somewhat aware of her problem as well. Kratia was the only one unaware of this, and she tilted her head curiously.

Retadane slowly and carefully replied, "I'd be lying if I told you I hadn't noticed it before. I know it's unnatural."

"Then…"

"However, I believe it's something I need. I don't plan on rejecting it. It's not a curse, but a blessing, Lee Shin-Woo."

Of course she would give such a psychopathic response. While Lee Shin-Woo shut his mouth in shock, Retadane continued.

"There are no humans left in the Underground Empire, only undead. It's a place where there's nothing to be happy about, nothing to lean on, absolutely nothing. Although we have a few comrades, we cannot trust all of them. You cannot stay sane here. As time passes, it doesn't get any better, and our enemies are powerful. Yes, there's a chance I'm not the same person I once was."

"So..."

"So that's why I'm so thankful. The fact that my hatred, which could've faded with time, has remained strong. My hatred reminds me not to forget my original goal. It's probably a blessing the world has bestowed upon us."

"The world's...blessing..."

Hearing that, Lee Shin-Woo realized just how broken she was after so many years.

For someone who had experienced the fall of the Empire, how much hatred did she harbor, and what were the extent of her feelings? She had shouldered all of that and survived thus far. Moreover, her unnatural hostility and anger must've continuously increased overtime, so it was only natural that she would be so damaged.

Trying to get through to her had been a mistake. Shino Rendu didn't have any luck either, as he'd tried to get them to work together without reading the mood.

"Lee Shin-Woo, I know that you're worried about me. Thank you. However, you don't need to be so concerned."

"If you can keep yourself together as it is...I have nothing more to say. However, as I mentioned before, it'd be a waste to ostracize them completely. There should be nothing wrong with us working together. This is just me prioritizing things. Who we have to be wary of, who we reject, and who we have to take down. You don't disagree with me, do you?"

"...No. It frustrates me, but you're right. Let's take our time to think about that matter. I'd like to ask you not to deepen your relationship with them too quickly, but... if there's something to be gained from them, I'll be counting on you. You should be able to make contact with them, as you haven't been so deeply affected by this world."

"Of course. I'll take care of it."

She was satisfied with his response, but her feelings didn’t show on her face. Then she picked up the kettle and asked Lee Shin-Woo, "Would you like another cup?"

"Yes, please."

"...You know, you two."

Once they were done with the serious conversation, and the atmosphere had become more relaxed like before, Lloyd spoke again without reading the mood.

"You guys are a good match."

"Excuse me!?"

"What!?"

"Pfft!?"

Retadane was surprisingly anxious. The same went for Lee Shin-Woo.

Wait a sec, how the hell did this conversation go from her emotional problems to relationships!? Just how bad is he at reading the mood!? Lee Shin-Woo supposed it made sense coming from Lloyd, as he was stupid enough to mistake Prince's gender!

"Kehek, what the hell are you talking about...?"

"But it's not so surprising, is it, Prince? Heroes are people too. They should be free to fall in love as well."

"...That's rich coming from you."

"Well, I’m...I'm not really interested, and no one has their eyes on me."

Once the subject of the conversation shifted to him, Lloyd became pathetically hesitant. Erian and Prince looked at Lloyd coldly, their gazes reaching almost absolute zero.

Meanwhile, Lloyd shook his head and said strongly, "You said it yourself, Retadane. You said there's nothing to be happy about or lean on… If you fall in love, though, both of those issues will be solved, right?"

"I don't think this is the time to engage in such trivial emotions."

"It's not trivial. It's the feeling that leads to birth, and it's human nature. What makes a human being human is their feelings. You're keeping yourself together through your hatred for the undead, or in other words, your feelings."

Lee Shin-Woo was moved; Lloyd was talking like such a typical hero. Wait, when he thought about it, this wasn't the time to be doing this. Retadane refuted Lloyd in Lee Shin-Woo's stead.

"...Even so, why are you bringing this up now?"

"I don't think I've ever seen you talk to anyone for so long, but you go on and on with Lee Shin-Woo. You were trying to hide it, but you've been smiling whenever Lee Shin-Woo is talking... It seems like you guys really understand each other."

"That's... I suppose you're right."

"Wait, hold up! So you want our junior to just accept all that crap Retadane is saying?"

"If I was smiling, it's because Lee Shin-Woo is someone who can appreciate tea."

"In other words, you're interested."

"..."

Retadane kept her mouth shut. She had given up on convincing Lloyd. Lee Shin-Woo wanted to tell Lloyd to mind his own business, but... in order to maintain some sort of dignity for the both of them, he opted for a lighter response.

"Love can't be forced, Senior Lloyd. It’s something that happens to you."

"...I just thought you guys looked good together."

"Haha, you should only say that kind of thing to people who are in love."

Lee Shin-Woo wasn't capable of love. He couldn't feel it. If he went into specifics, he'd be miserable remembering everything he lacked. Lloyd seemed regretful as he shrugged, and Retadane calmed down as well. For some reason, Prince was nodding in an exaggerated manner.

"That's obvious. Don't stick our junior with that old bag."

"...Prince Altania?"

"Eek!?"

However, Lloyd’s unwanted love advice did lighten the once gloomy and heavy mood, and all the other heroes began to smile a little. Lee Shin-Woo watched them as they became more energized than before, but then...Kratia came up to him from behind and whispered in a voice only he could hear.

"Shin-Woo, you won't be able to avoid it forever."

"Hey, stop with the sudden foreshadowing."

"I hope you can break through that illusion of yours as soon as possible."

Kratia gave him a small smile. And in return, Lee Shin-Woo hit her forehead.

The heroes' repose continued for a little while longer.