“You—

  “Surprised?”

  “How…”

  “I am just as surprised as you,” the red robed Alnea said, allowing his smile to spread into a grin. “After the talk we had, and the transformation you went through, I did not think that we would meet anytime soon. Though I must admit, I did gain some hope when I saw you resonate so recklessly with your Roots once again, but then, you went ahead and gave it such a rough shake—

  “Wait,” the Purplebud woman said, glancing between the two boys, one in Red, one in Black. “What are you talking about?”

  “I thought I was obvious. Besides, those words were not exactly for your ears. Though there may some difference between us, in the end, we are still the same person. Since you are his enemy, in a sense, you are my enemy too. But you did create an opportunity for me to come out. Not to mention that the girl you sent to assassinate him earlier also helped me have a good talk with him… Fine, for the sake of help that you gave me, even if inadvertently, I can help you clear some of your doubts.”

  “…You—

  “Do you need me to explain how Roots work? Though I must warn you first, I do not know much about how Roots work either. At best, I can only extrapolate some ideas on the basis of the things that he—that we learned, and make a few guesses from my experience. But that should be enough to return your favour.”

  “…I do not need you teach me how Roots work.”

  “Is that not what you were asking about? Then was it the battle that forced my stupid self to be so reckless? Or the things that I said earlier? If it is the former, then I can still give you some vague answers, but if it is the latter… then things will become a little troublesome. As natural enemies, I cannot reveal my secrets to you, yet I do not want to owe any favour to a Wanderer of the Lotus clan either…”

  “…Forget about the favour.”

  “How can I be so ungrateful?” said the red robed Alnea, shaking his head. “You may not care much about the favour, but if I leave it be, then it will become an indelible mark on my Heart. Especially since we might become enemies in the near future. Already, you have made seven attempts to tamper with my Heart. How do you expect me to fight you while I still I owe you a favour?”

  “…You are—

  “—not as you expected?”

  “—interesting.”

  “It is my honour to garner the interest of such a lovely lady.”

  “…And polite,” the Purplebud woman said, glancing at the black robed boy, before turning back to red robed self. “Are you really his evil side?”

  “Evil? Hardly. Origin is witness, I have never had any thoughts of harming the world. Neither have I ever killed anyone without any reason. At worst, I have only been a little impulsive from time to time, and beat up a few people, but that should not be enough to deem me as evil.”

  “Then—

  “No, before you ask, he is not the evil side either. On the contrary, he is a little too saintly for his own good. Maybe even a little naive.”

  “…That does not make sense. There must be—

  “—Someone evil amongst the two of us? Why? Just because one of us is Red, and one Black? Is that the limit of your understanding of the twin nature of Red and Black?”

  “But—

  “Having two sides does not necessarily mean that the two sides must be divided between good and evil. Just as Evil and Good is not the same as Red and Black.”

  “…My apologies,” the Purplebud woman said after a few moments of silence. “It looks like I still have a lot to learn.”

  “It is alright. I just have a little more experience than you in seeing through the twin nature of humans. Besides, you are not bad either. To have already reconciled… In any case, even without my help, you would have still come to the realisation on your own. I just helped you understand it a little sooner.”

  “…You can see through that part too?”

  “See through? I thought it was obvious.”

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  “…I guess, it is,” the Purplebud woman said, replacing the solemn look on her face with a wide smile. “You are even more interesting than I thought.”

  “You flatter me, lovely lady. I would be honoured if I was even half as interesting as you make me out to be.”

  “…I really want to know your story.”

  “Maybe, some other time, when we are not enemies.”

  “…Some other time, indeed. But you better not shirk me with excuses when I take you up on your offer.”

  “Of course, it would be my honour.”

  “…If only your other self could also be just as polite,” the Purplebud woman said, letting out a sigh, as she glanced at the black robed Alnea. “Did he take all your stiff and solemn parts?”

  “…Not exactly.”

  “Then—

  “We are both Alnea, he and I.”

  “…Not Good and Evil?”

  “We are both Good, and both Evil, but that is just a small part of our lives.”

  “…I still cannot understand—

  “Just think of us parts of an interlocking puzzle. I am a part of him, just as he is a part of me. In the end, we are just a part of the same—

  “Stop sprouting nonsense,” Alnea said, glaring at his red robed self. He could understand why the man enjoyed talking so much. After all, he had been trapped in a desolate world, all by himself, for years. It was a miracle that the man had not turned insane. Or maybe, he was already a little crazy. In any case, it was not surprising that his red robed self would rush to talk the moment he was given the chance.

  Yet just because he understood the red robed Alnea’s need to talk, did not mean that he could let the man reveal all their secrets. Especially to a Wanderer of the Lotus clan. Not to mention that the man was literally trying to steal his body. Or merge with him, but that meant the same thing. Besides, his teammates were still waiting for him. The sooner he dealt with the mess before him, the sooner he could get back to them. So, despite feeling some pity for his red robed self, Alnea still interrupted the man, and forced him to get straight to the point.

  “How did you get out?”

  “You should know the answer already, right?” said the red robed Alnea, not in the least bothered by being interrupted. Instead, he raised the edge of his lips in a smirk, before glancing at the Red and Black. “It is indeed beautiful. Red and Black.”

  “I knew that you would understand,” the Purplebud woman said, glancing at the black robed boy, while matching the smirk of his red robed self. “Or at least a part of you would.”

  “…Great. Since the two of you have so much in common, you can just stay here and chat, while I return to my teammates.”

  “…I am afraid that is not possible.”

  “…Are you finally going to show your true colour?” Alnea said, narrowing his eyes at his red robed self, tightening his grip on his sword, and shifting into a more aggressive stance. “I knew that you could not be trusted, but to think that you would stoop so low as to join forces with the Lotus clan…”

  “Me? Join forces with the Lotus clan? Are you even listening to yourself?”

  “…Get out of my way, or I will not hesitate to draw my sword.”

  “…Fine,” the red robed Alnea said after a moment of silence. “Go ahead. I will not stop you from leaving this place. And I promise you, neither will this lovely lady.”

  “Do you not know that you should not make promises in stead of a woman?” the Purplebud woman said, pursing her lips in a smile, as she glanced between the two boys. “If you did not have such a sweet mouth, and were not so interesting, then you would have been in some very big troubles.”

  “…And you still say that you have not joined forces with her?”

  “…That paranoid part of you is still such a pain to deal with,” the red robed Alnea said, letting out a sigh. “Even if you do not trust me, you should at least trust the promise I made, right?”

  “…It would not be the first time you abandoned your promise,” Alnea mumbled, but for the moment, chose to trust his other self, even if only a little. Sparing a part of his mind to keep an eye on the two figures, red and purple, he concentrated the rest of his Spirit on searching for ways to leave the strange world of Red and Black. Though there was still one problem. He did not know where to begin.

  The world of Red and Black, for the lack of a better name, was a world housing a Fortune Spring. But unlike other Fortune Springs he had experienced, the one unfolding before him was artificial. Or at least, the way he had entered the world of Red and Black was not natural. A summoning ritual… sacrificing thousands of Oren Beasts to the Origin Sea… Sin of wanton slaughter and a corresponding Virtue to balance it off…

  Alnea did not know how much of the Purplebud woman’s words he could believe, but there was one thing he was certain about. Since there was a way for Wanderers to enter the Fortune Spring, artificial or not, it must also have a way for them to leave after harvesting the Fortune. Or just an exit in general. In any case, Fortune Springs were not supposed to be prisons, or they would not have been called as such.

  At most, the Fortune Spring could only hide its exit. Or impose certain conditions. Only when those conditions were fulfilled, would the exit present itself. Like finding the Fortune, or taking a dip in its Spring. But he had already fulfilled both those conditions. His red robed self, standing about ten to fifteen metres away, was his proof. So, either he had yet to fulfil the Fortune Spring’s hidden condition, or its exit was still hiding somewhere around him.

  Regardless of what the answer was, at the moment, there was only one thing he could do. Let go of his hesitations and allow his Spirit to interact with the world of Red and Black. No, not allow. He had to actively reach out to the world, to cling on to its fluctuations, and experience its Fortune in all its glory, just like how he had experienced all the other Fortune Springs. And while he was at it, search for fluctuations that could be hiding within the fold of Red and Black.

  There were none. Just as how there was no glory for him to experience. Everything about the world was already before him. Red and Black, the twin nature of all things, dead and alive, constantly switching sides. Just as how there were two of him, Red and Black. The only difference between them was that he was not switching sides with his other self. But that was impossible. Without the Fortune Spring’s help, how could he—