Ifira is back early.

  You know, I can't help but notice that the first thing that comes to mind once I realize Ifira is here again is... Rather calm? I shouldn't be expecting her to come back! Even if it's impossible for anyone in this world to actually stop her, I shouldn't just casually think that she'll come back to me one day!

  Her being here does make things easier for me though, at least her presence will be able to mitigate the problems that will come when spring is here.

  Like for example, the church questioning what happened to Folsan, or Nogjaf being killed, which I have no doubt would attract the attention of his family, one that's basically a corporation with government influence.

  So a regular corporation, I guess, they just flaunt their political might out in the open instead of hiding it like the rich people back on earth. Neat! I'm about to fight actual nobles, not just their sorry excuse for a family member who used to lead this swamp.

  Even then, I would have preferred to fight an entire family of nobles— politically, financially, physically, and magically. — than deal with Ifira on a daily basis.

  No, I probably shouldn't run away from this, I'm confident I'll be able to survive whatever she throws at me so the only thing I need to worry about is the pain she'll inflict on me if I somehow piss her off... Which can happen often.

  However, I will recover no matter how many times she hits me, that's a fact. I can escape death even!

  Doesn't this mean that being friends with Ifira is more beneficial than annoying? Sure, she's gonna hurt me, but I'll be fine anyway! It will totally work out!

  Somehow, my own thoughts sound like I'm trying to convince myself about the benefits of having Ifira by my side.

  ... Correction, she will have me by her side, because our relationship will be one where she has the upper hand, and that won't be changing anytime soon.

  "I'm here!" Put some energy into my call-out, make her think I'm somehow excited that she's looking for me, but don't do it too much. "Ifira! I was the one holding down the Misery Crayfish so I had to find a place to hide!"

  How did canon Rontress do this? Screw all the other reasons I theorized of why she became the way she did in the game, being friends with Ifira for years must have been the reason why she's the Queen of Misery Swamp.

  "Yes, I noticed." The girl who I think will corrupt me eyed the crayfish, well, her gaze is probably focused on the plants all over it. "Why didn't you kill it? You could have ended it so easily and yet you're here, pretending like you're weak?"

  "Hey!" I hissed and was about to rush forward to cover her mouth but quickly realized that will just break my arm. And possibly sour my relationship with this girl. "Don't just randomly say that, okay? If I'm hiding it, then there's a reason for it!"

  "There's no reason for you to hide it anymore." Ifira looked at the crowd surrounding us. "Everyone knows."

  "Yes." My eye twitched, damn it. With the boosts in stats becoming Inhuman granted me, can I fight this girl? I just want to teach her a lesson. "You're right."

  "Yes I am, I can see that your plants are wrapped around the heart and lungs of the monster, you could have crushed them instead of waiting for the villagers to kill it, you do realize that they wouldn't have killed it fast enough, yes?" Her question— and just general observation of the situation. — made me see Ifira in a new light.

  Holy hell, is this girl actually a lot more observant than I initially expected? Seriously? On top of her overpowered stats she also gets top tier talent for fighting? Or I guess battle IQ? That's the term most people that played the game would use in the past when referring to people like her, geniuses, so to say.

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  And apparently Ifira is part of that group? So what, is she just blessed from birth or something?

  "... You know, I can't exactly disagree with that or say that you're lying." I concede while mentally noting that I should be careful when interacting with her from now on.

  "Because I spoke the truth, and you can't exactly refute facts." And there goes her general lack of social intelligence, in one moment, she shows me why she's the endgame boss and in the next, she reveals why she might have become that way.

  The Ifira in front of me is still young and would not become her end-game state for at least a few more years, maybe I can fix her?

  Can I do that? Of course I can. I'm fixing her.

  Unlike Rontress, who's lead up to her fate was unknown, Ifira's arcs were pretty clearly defined in the game and they are events that span years into the future. All I need to do is clear each one and she'll probably become humanity's greatest ally won't she?

  Okay! I'm helping her become the best version of herself!

  "Yep, you're right!" I nod, the excitement in my voice clear. I don't know why I became energetic so suddenly, maybe I'm just happy for her maybe? I dunno. "So, what brings you here?"

  "Oh, yes, I forgot but..." Ifira's expression, which was stuck between being skeptical and confusion, cleared up and she smiled. "I have not found more information about my existence while staying in the capital."

  And she's smiling because she failed? I don't get it?

  "Okay? Isn't that bad?" I tilt my head.

  "No, not at all." Ifira denied quickly, she walked up and held my hands. "It means that we have to scour ruins in the future, you and I! Aren't you excited?!"

  Does she mean Pricorian ruins? The military bases? Is that what she means?

  "Yes?" She didn't really infect me with her excited energy, I don't think she ever will, I know that Ifira only ever really feels excitement whenever she fights. That or if she hurts someone.

  "Why aren't you happier? We're about to explore important ruins together?"

  "Well... I might die?" I watch her face closely as I say that, as I thought, no change in expression.

  "I don't care? So what if you die?" She laughed. "Wait, no, you're actually useful to me and I shouldn't kill people like that, so you're saying you are weak, right?" After a brief pause, she actually looked thoughtful during it. "Wait no, that doesn't make sense, you're not actually weak, so why are you so hesitant?"

  "Maybe I'm just not in the mood for something like that?" I murmur, not really knowing what to say. The best I can hope for is that she mistakenly assumes my speechlessness as something like fear, not a lie.

  Me being scared will just make her laugh, if she thinks I'm lying though?

  "Not in the mood? But it's uncovering Pricorian Ruins! That's what most people dream about! It's a historical thing!" Ifira was still very much excited.

  Maybe that's where I can start? That sounds good. Okay, I'll go with that.

  "Listen, Ifira..." I trail off while I mentally prepare a speech. "Maybe we can wait it out for a bit? You do know that I can't just enter dungeons however I want right? If I get strong enough, I might die from it."

  "Since when can you die from being too strong? That sounds stupid." Man, I can't help but agree with her. It is stupid, I hate when games put a cap on a player to keep them from reaching a certain level of strength during parts of it.

  "Magic corrupts, remember?" Sadly, I can't blame this world for having bad game design because there's a genuine reason why magic is like this. "If I get too strong, it will do the same to me and I might just turn into an aberrant."

  "Hm... You are not wrong." Ifira agreed? Did she really just do that? I need to get used to this...

  "Right, that means that you and I have to wait for at least a few years before diving into dungeons head first!" I smile, falsely believing that it would get through to her. It didn't.

  "A few years?"

  "Don't be impatient." I chided her, feeling a bit braver now. "You do know that we will remain at the top even as we grow right? I mean, who can contest your strength? Definitely nobody."

  "That is true... But I also want to make people respect me right now instead of later." Huh, that's why she's doing this? To get people's respect?

  Personally, I'm not the kind to worry about that but Ifira is still a kid and I used to be that way as well so I can't really fault her for it. Eh, it's fine, I can slowly urge her to lose such childish fantasies over time.

  "Please, there's plenty of ways to get respect other than to become the chosen one." I say with a shrug, I can see that she bought into it which is nice. "And wouldn't you want people to already know you when you do become the perfect vessel? You know, already have a good reputation before it happens so that they're even happier... And all that stuff?"

  "You make a good point." She says, guard lowered and listening to every word I say. This is way too easy isn't it? I forgot that she's just a kid right now and that I didn't really need to stress so much about her. "So, how do I do it?"

  "Well..."