Effie sighed.
"You wouldn't understand. But for some of us, the real world was more of a hell than the Dream Realm."
Sunny turned away, thinking about his one life in the outskirts. The reason he was able to adapt so well to the ruthless terror of the Nightmare Spell was because, at its core, it wasn't that different from his own reality.
"Still. What kind of a paradise is this?"
A sad smile appeared on the young woman's face.
"The only kind we deserve, I guess."
Then, she looked at Sunny and asked:
"Say, Sunny. You're from the outskirts, right? So you didn't receive a lot of education, I bet?"
He shook his head.
She chuckled.
"Well, not like it would have changed anything. The schools are basically propaganda camps, anyway. They teach kids some useful stuff, but also turn them unable to ask questions and blind to the truth."
Sunny raised an eyebrow.
"The truth?"
Effie gave him a nod.
"The truth that our world is dying. Well, not the world, really. Just the part of the ecosystem that we need to survive."
Something moved in his memory. A year or so before Sunny was born, a whole continent was lost because a Category-Five Gate had opened on its coast…
But the huntress quickly overturned his expectations:
"And I'm not talking about the Nightmare Spell. I'm talking about what we, humans, have done to our planet without anyone's help. There were more than ten billion people on Earth a couple of hundred years ago, did you know? But now, there's barely three. And half of them only have food and shelter because of us Awakened and the powers we possess. Which were given to us by the Spell."
She wasn't wrong. Sunny remembered the poisonous, acrid air of the outskirts. The inhuman conditions in the underground factory where his mother had worked. The towering barriers protecting the city from the deadly winds of the wasteland outside. He knew, of course, that the planet was not in a good shape, compared to the past.
But he never really thought about it that much. To him, this was simply how life always worked.
Effie shrugged.
"Who knows how many of us would still be alive without the Spell? I honestly don't know. But if you ask me… I think that one day in the future, more people will believe that this Realm is a paradise. Just like me."
On that ominous note, she stood up and stretched her whole body, making Sunny hurriedly look away.
'Damn... pure thoughts, Sunny!'
"Anyway, it's already morning. Time to meet up with Princess and the others. Let's go…"
***
Soon, they were standing in front of the cathedral. The morning sun was slowly crawling through the sky, washing the ancient city in its pale light. Sunny and Effie did not have to wait long before Nephis and her companions appeared from the ruins.
Sunny blinked.
There was Changing Star herself, Caster, Cassie… and Kai.
What the hell was he doing here?
Once the four Sleepers approached and greeted them, Sunny immediately stared at the beautiful young man.
"Night… uh… why are you here, buddy?"
The archer smiled.
"Ah! I'm very happy to see you too, Sunny, my friend. Lady Nephis has asked me to join her on this expedition, and after careful consideration, I have decided to agree."
Sunny blinked a couple of times.
"Alright, I know that I'm crazy, but when did you lose your mind too?"
Kai looked at him with a strange expression.
"Wait.. crazy? What do you mean, you're crazy?"
Sunny sighed.
"Nevermind."
Then, he turned to Neph.
"About your request. I'm ready to join the expedition, but on one condition. I will not become a part of your cohort. Rather, you can provide sufficient compensation to acquire my services."
Nephis looked at him for a while, an inexorable expression on her face. Then, she said in an even tone:
"Do you have something in mind?"
Sunny grinned.
"As a matter of fact, I do. Behind us, you can see a magnificent ancient cathedral. Inside that cathedral lives a creature which is called the Black Knight. He's a Fallen Devil. In return for my help during the expedition, I want your help after it is concluded. Once we return…"
He paused for a moment, and then added:
"...I want you to help me kill it."
A dead silence fell on the small square. After a while, Caster finally spoke, an expression of subtle shock on his face:
"Sunny… did you perhaps misspoke? We are only Sleepers, after all. How are we supposed to kill that Black Knight of yours? A Nightmare Creature of his rank and class…"
Sunny's grin widened. Then, with an immense feeling of vindication, he looked at Caster and said:
"...It's just a fallen devil."