Chapter 25

In this timeline, Adam hadn’t come to the temple to gather companions, which meant there hadn’t been enough time to build any close rapport with the High Priest. The temple had likely grown frustrated with the warrior who killed the Demon King yet didn’t align himself with them.

‘Even if Adam is the warrior, if he doesn’t show a friendly attitude toward the temple, people might start to see him as a third-party force.’

The High Priest was subtly testing Adam, gauging whether he could use him for his own influence or if he’d end up a nuisance, aligning himself with the Emperor’s faction instead.

That explained why Adam found the High Priest awkward to deal with.

Seeing Evelean’s eyes gleam with her theories, Adam let out a sigh.

“Sometimes I’m genuinely curious what goes on in that little head of yours.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, confused.

His expression was one of disbelief rather than surprise at her figuring something out.

‘Oh well, maybe I’m wrong.’

In any case, Evelean’s mood shifted quickly. She was just as eager to continue exploring the temple, much to Adam’s unease.

“So, I take it you have no intention of returning quietly?” he asked, already resigned.

“Nope!” she responded cheerfully. Adam rubbed his forehead as if his head were beginning to ache, but Evelean wasn’t about to back down.

If the High Priest wasn’t the issue, then there had to be another reason.

‘And after all, dawn is the best time for shady figures to sneak in unnoticed.’

If Adam wasn’t going to tell her, she’d have to find out on her own.

“Well, then… Let’s hear it. There’s nothing particularly fun here at the temple for you, you know,” Adam said, resigned.

“I’m here to protect you, of course!” she replied confidently.

“Protect me?” Adam blinked, clearly puzzled.

“Yes!”

“You… are going to protect me?”

He repeated, this time with a hint of amusement in his voice.

It was clear he was trying to hold back a laugh, but Evelean ignored his playful tone and launched into her plan.

“I’m going to make sure you don’t sleep.”

Anyone overhearing might easily misinterpret such a statement, but Evelean said it without a hint of shame.

“What?”

Adam was caught off guard by the unexpected answer.

Normally, she was the one insisting on making sure he got enough sleep. What was going on now?

“You’ll find out when night falls,” she said with a playful wink, putting her finger to her lips as if keeping a secret.

* * *

Knock, knock, knock.

‘Who could that be at this hour?’ Adam approached the door, trying to guess who would come visiting so late at night.

His eyes flicked to the holy sword resting on the desk.

If it was someone with ill intentions…

“Warrior! It’s me!” came a small voice from the other side of the door.

“Ah.”

Adam’s tension immediately melted away. It was Evelean’s voice, muffled as she tried to keep quiet, likely to avoid waking anyone in the nearby rooms.

‘But it’s just the two of us on this floor,’ he thought, slightly amused by her unnecessary whispering.

When he opened the door, Evelean rushed in, bundled in a large blanket. He closed the door behind her, eyeing her curious getup.

She had wrapped herself in one of the guest blankets, but it was far too large for her small frame, dragging on the ground as she walked.

Adam struggled to suppress a chuckle as he asked, “What are you doing?”

Instead of answering directly, Evelean opened her blanket like a magician revealing a trick, and out spilled a collection of items—cards, bells, marbles—all sorts of small games.

“I actually brought these along to pass the time with you during the carriage ride, but I fell asleep,” she explained as Adam bent down to pick up some of the fallen items.

It was a mix of toys commonly used by village children.

“So, why bring all this here?”

“Well, if you fall asleep, you’ll be vulnerable! So I thought we could stay up playing games all night to keep you safe.”

With that, she spread the blanket out on the floor, quickly sitting down and starting to set up the games. Adam followed, sitting across from her.

“You used to insist on making sure I slept, but now you’re planning to keep me awake?” he asked, amused by the sudden shift.

“The world outside a blanket is dangerous,” she said matter-of-factly.

The world outside the Demon King’s castle was indeed dangerous.

The thought of Adam sleeping defenseless in a temple full of strangers, without anyone on his side, made her uneasy. She couldn’t let him drop his guard, not even in his sleep. If keeping him awake meant keeping him safe, so be it.

Adam chuckled softly.

“What on earth did the High Priest say to make you so determined?”

Adam’s voice rose slightly at the end, genuinely curious for once. However, Evelean shook her finger from side to side and shook her head.

“You don’t need to know, warrior.”

“Hmm, alright.”

The way he backed off so easily didn’t sit right with her.

He should’ve been begging her to tell him! Why did he retreat so quickly?

Scoffing, Evelean expertly shuffled the cards in her hands.

“Have you ever played games before?”

“I’ve watched them a few times, yes.”

That was a distant memory from his childhood, long before he had been chosen as the warrior. After that, he hadn’t had any leisure time.

“When you get five of the same fruit, you ring the bell,” she explained.

“Understood.”

After quickly explaining the rules, they divided the cards.

As the game began, Evelean quickly realized her mistake.

‘This isn’t fair.’

The physical disparity between them was too great.

Sitting across from her, Adam, who had once dodged attacks from monsters and the Demon King himself, was no ordinary person.

There was no way she could win in terms of speed or reflexes. She had been smacking his hand in vain for the past few rounds.

“That hurts,” he said as his hand turned red from the repeated hits. In the end, Adam won the game easily, leaving Evelean grumbling.

Refusing to admit defeat, she pulled out a new set of cards.

“Let’s play another game!”

“Alright.”

Next up was a simple game of Old Maid, where the objective was to avoid being the last to hold the joker.

Each player was left with just two cards in hand.

It was Adam’s turn, and the joker was in her hand. The odds were 50/50.

This wasn’t about physical reflexes, and Evelean was sure of her victory. She had mastered countless games since childhood; there was no way Adam, with his limited experience, could outwit her.

But she had overlooked something.

Adam reached for her card, placing his hand on top of it.

“…”

Evelean’s eyes twitched.

“…”

Her lips quivered as well.

Without a word, Adam calmly pulled away and chose the other card, avoiding the joker at the last moment.

“Ah!”

A sigh of frustration escaped her as she tossed the joker onto the table.

Evelean, who had been staring down in disbelief, suddenly flipped the board over in a fit of frustration.

It was impossible to beat him.

“Why do you keep winning, warrior? You said this was your first time playing!”

“It is, but I used to watch the village children play.”

Besides, Evelean, you’re not very good at hiding your expressions.

He didn’t voice that last part.

“So this is how it’s done,” he mused.

Evelean, pouting without realizing it, puffed out her cheek in frustration. Without warning, Adam reached out and poked her inflated cheek.

“?”

“Oh.”

She blinked, staring wide-eyed at him, surprised by the sudden action. Adam, on the other hand, seemed more flustered than she was.

“Sorry. You looked like a squirrel.”

“A squirrel?”

Where did the squirrel thing come from? She was willing to let it slide if he handed the joker over, though.

Pressing the joker card against his arm, Evelean mulled over her thoughts.

He’s teasing me without even giving a proper explanation!

“Were there many squirrels where you lived, warrior?”

Adam hesitated for a moment before answering, his voice calm as he continued to gather the cards.

“Yes. There were a lot of fields where I lived, but there was also a small forest. Whenever I felt trapped, I’d go to the woods. One time, something fell on me from above.”

For the first time, he shared a piece of his past.

Evelean leaned in, listening attentively, intrigued by this glimpse into Adam’s childhood.