CH 218

“Here is what I promised. Check it.”

I thought it was an unreasonable request, but they really did get me mithril in this short amount of time. I’m also told with an awkward smile that it was thanks to Bozen’s help.

And there’s a little more than I was expecting.

“Are you sure I can have this?”

“…Casey is my friend’s daughter. This is nothing considering you saved her.”

“I haven’t saved her just yet…”

“I’m hoping Bozen and the others can help with that. And that also plays a part in why you’re in such a hurry to go to the Dragon Kingdom, correct?”

He says with a look on his face like he knows exactly what’s going on. It’s actually true, so I don’t deny it, but the information net these nobles have really is frightening.

It also sounds like he’s in a good mood. Did something good happen recently?

“All I can say is wait for me, but don’t raise your hopes too much. The information I have isn’t certain.”

It’s not like I found clear information about it on a document, I’m just trusting Celes’ word. Still, despite what I say, I’m hopeful that I can find what I’m looking for. Celes seems like she has a lot of life experience.

I say goodbye to Will, and go check on Casey. But since I don’t really feel comfortable going to a sick girl’s room by myself, Mia is coming too.

When we get there, we see Leila is also here.

I can picture her being here most of the time when she’s in the mansion. Taliyah has been talking to her about that, but it doesn’t seem to be having much effect.

“I just came by to say goodbye before we left.”

“I see. Thank you for everything, Sora. It’s thanks to you that I’m still alive.”

Says Casey, and I can see out of the corner of my eye Leila closing her mouth tightly.

“We’re leaving the rest to the adults. It doesn’t look like the cures I can make right now will be enough.”

“No, you’ve done enough. I completely gave up back in the dungeon, but I’m actually still able to talk to Lady Leila like this…”

She smiles, but her face soon darkens again. She might be feeling guilty about worrying Leila.

Casey looks like she has fun listening to us talk about what we’ve been doing recently, mostly Hikari’s quest to conquer Majolica’s food stalls. But eventually she starts to look tired, and it’s time to leave.

“Hum, Sora…”

Leila comes up behind us and starts to say something, but it looks like she can’t get the words out, as she opens and closes her mouth several times.

“Leila, look after Casey.”

I say while giving her a small tap on the shoulder, and it feels like she lets go of that tension.

The next morning, in front of the place Will got for us, a few people are gathered, including Will himself.

“Please look after Elsa and Alto.”

“Don’t worry about that. They will become great maids under my guidance.”

Says Taliyah, full of confidence. Wouldn’t Alto be a butler?

Will and another person, Casey’s father, smile awkwardly. My eyes met theirs, so I nod as if asking to look after her, but they shake their heads.

Are you saying even the two most important people here can’t stop Taliyah…

Elsa and Alto themselves are talking to Hikari and the others. I think they’re finding it hard to say goodbye.

The Dragon Kingdom sounds rough, and it’s most likely not a good place to take two kids. But wait, isn’t Hikari around that age too? Then again, she did get a lot of training in the dungeon.

There’s a route that’s safe and can be traversed by wagon, but it goes through the Holy Kingdom.

That means we’ll be traveling by wagon through the Magic State, but we’re walking after that. I hear that crossing the mountains will be particularly tough.

“Well then you two. We’re planning to come back once we’ve done what we’ve set out to do, so listen to Taliyah and learn from her in the meantime.”

I say, and they nod deeply. I’m kind of worried too, but I’ll just trust that it’ll be all right.

I also ask them to look after a house Will got for us. I mentioned it in passing among one of my requests, because I don’t know if I’ll be living here in the future, and for some reason he actually accepted.

We get on a wagon that will take us to the border city Riel.

It would be best for me to just walk, but we’re going by wagon to save time.

We need to get that laurel tree fruit before they run out of petrification cures.

I talked about it with Bozen before we left, and he said he’d contact us if Casey’s petrification was fully cured. There’s an alchemist guild in the Dragon Kingdom too.

I also asked Leila to contact us through the adventurer guild if anything happened.

“Take care.”

We say goodbye to Bloody Rose, and we’re off.

A noble’s wagon really is something else, the way it shakes is nothing like the regular ones. Until we leave the city, that is.

The wagon was going along quietly in the city, but once we get out, we start going faster through the main road.

I did say we’re in a hurry, but… Well, at least it seems stable, so at least I don’t have to worry about that.

I look at Rurika and Chris, and they’re looking at the scenery outside with composed expressions on their faces. They’re used to traveling, so it’s different for them.

Hikari and Mia look like they’re having fun in a different way, and look excited. And Sera… Looks kind of restless.

The scenery outside seems to go by slowly, compared to what I’m used to in cars and trains, but going slowly feels right for this scenery full of nature.