"...What??" Cyrus was taken aback by the unexpected question, uncertain what Sylvie even meant. It was only after tears started to well up around the rims of her eyes that he realized what was going on.
"Are you asking if I'm going to abandon you?" Cyrus knew he wasn't really a tactful person. But this time, he couldn't help but stare at the red-haired girl who was still struggling to suppress her tears, as if he was looking at an idiot.
Shaking her head, Sylvie wiped those water droplets that had yet to cascade down her cheeks and answered seriously
"Won't you? You are now an adventurer! You can support yourself as long as you take on a few missions. But I... I know I am nowhere near strong enough for that! Won't you just abandon me, then?"
Cyrus stared at the girl in silence, not realizing that the old man behind him, the two middle-aged women on the other table, and even the woman who owned the store were all staring at him and Sylvie.
His calm grey eyes swept over Sylvie before he shook his head and answered in an emotionless tone
"I won't. Don't get this the wrong way, it's not that I care about you or anything. You are just useful to have around. Even if I've become an adventurer, it doesn't change anything. I still need someone to watch my back, and for better or worse, you are the only person I can trust."
Cyrus knew his words might sound cruel, especially since Sylvie had already proven her loyalty by getting him out of the Amethyst Forest while he was unconscious. It's not like he'd suddenly forgotten how she'd carried him on her back instead of just leaving him there to die. But that was exactly why he decided to be brutally honest with her. So honest, that it would hopefully calm her down.
For better or worse, Cyrus trusted Sylvie. He trusted her enough to share a room together, at least. Well, he didn't have much of a choice, really. She was the only person who had also gone through the Red Arena with him, so she understood how dangerous it was to try and survive alone.
Even though they were now in Novera, Cyrus didn't have any illusions that he was suddenly safe.
Firstly, he didn't know if the guards of the Red Arena had given up on their pursuit yet, or not.
Secondly, even if they had, it didn't mean that Cyrus was safe all of a sudden.
He was an adventurer? So what?
A random bird in the Amethyst Forest had ended up nearly taking his life, and Cyrus had only survived through a combination of his desperation, cunning, and luck—not to mention having Sylvie carry him out of there.
There was no way he'd suddenly become arrogant enough to think he was now safe.
That's why he needed someone to watch his back. Someone who understood the dangers of being alone just as much as he did. Someone who'd need him as much as Cyrus needed them. And that person was Sylvie!
Of course, it's not like there weren't other prisoners from the Red Arena he could try to find.
Cyrus was well aware that some of the stronger fighters from the Slaves' Pen must have also found their way to Novera. Even if some of them had been unlucky enough to lose their way into the Amethyst Forest, and possibly their lives, the majority should still have gotten out and made their way to the large city at the other end of the forest.
But none of them were as reliable a partner as Sylvie. Although she was weak and wasn't going to be much of a help in a fight, she was loyal, and that's what Cyrus valued the most. Since the red-haired girl hadn't given up on him, Cyrus wasn't planning to abandon her either.
"It would be stupid to look for a new partner here, anyway. Besides, even if you are weak, so what? Just get stronger! If I can become an adventurer with my divine affinity, shouldn't you become even stronger?"
Sylvie's eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment, she just stared at Cyrus in disbelief, as if she had yet to process what he'd just said. Then, all at once, the tears she'd been struggling to hold back began rolling down her cheeks almost uncontrollably.
Even then, the red-haired girl only let out a single choked sob before she swallowed the rest of it down. Her trembling hand quickly brushed across her eyes, wiping them clean, before she nodded her head, an almost inaudible "mhm" leaving her lips as if to prove she'd heard him.
After finishing the second jar of water and seeing that Sylvie had calmed down, Cyrus stood up and said in a low voice
"Alright, let's go back to the inn. We can pay a visit to the Adventurers' Guild in the morning. We should start completing some missions."
Even if he and Sylvie were untalented children with no divine affinity, Cyrus wanted to believe that as long as he pushed himself hard enough, he would be able to become an Ironbound warrior sooner or later! No matter how long it would take, he was going to make it!
But just as he and Sylvie stood up and were about to leave, an unexpected voice rang out behind them, one that made all the hair on Cyrus's body suddenly stand on end
"Excuse me, children," the voice said. "Can I have a word with you?"