Chapter 320

We left through the west gate of the Imperial Capital and ran as if to shake off the emotion that clung to us. Well, I was the one who was doing the running. I carried Daniela while being boosted by Legs of the God Wolf. The platinum and jade wind carried us as if we didn’t weigh anything at all.

“Firsts stop, Yukka. Right?”

“Yes. We will stay there for one night and then move on to Arkaroid. Then we go through the swamp and to Usk.”

“Yukka should be a lot more lively now that the matter of the Loup-Garou has been taken care of.”

“Do you want to explore?”

“Time is precious, but there are a few people that we know.”

After everything was said and done, there were people there that had helped us. It would be rude to ignore them when passing through.

“Perhaps we could have dinner with them.”

“If there’s time.”

I wouldn’t mind enjoying the night like that either.

I had completely healed from the wounds I received during the stampede, and since Legs of the God Wolf was working well, we passed the giant tree in no time. The attack of the blood apes during the night had traumatized me a little, and I couldn’t help but we wary when we came close to it. Though, it had been somewhat of a massacre, and perhaps there were not many of them left. But even if we didn’t see any, I had no intention of resting anywhere near it.

After we passed the great tree, there wasn’t much to see for a long stretch. The forest was still far away, and we could see the sun getting closer to it. And so we decided to search for a place to rest.

“I hope there’s a good spot around here…”

“It does not really matter.”

“Well, I suppose you’re right. We have the barrier tools, after all.”

Those barrier tools had the thunderstones inside of them, and so anyone who came close to them would be electrocuted. Thanks to them, we didn’t have to be as careful when choosing a place to camp. Still, all my prior experience ensured that I had a habit of searching.

I used Presence Detection to do a quick scan of the area from above, but as there was nothing to find, we landed on the ground and then set up the barrier. You just needed to place the four devices so that they made a square and then add mana while pushing a switch. Then they would be activated. After that, it would just continue to run off of the mana in the air. When it was time to leave, you just pushed the switch again to deactivate it. But if you forgot to turn it off, your punishment would be electrocution.

“Finished.”

I returned to the center where our belongings were. Daniela had used wind magic in order to blow away all of the snow and expose the ground underneath. And so I took some firewood out of the hollow bag and lit it with a magic ignition tool. Yes, you couldn’t have a campsite without a bonfire.

The snow itself wasn’t that deep. Just around ten centimeters. And it wasn’t frozen solid either, so things were quite easy for us.

After her work was done, Daniela wasted no time in taking out some meat skewers from her bracelet and sitting down for a break. Seeing her relaxing like that put a smile on my face.

She looked at me with annoyance. And then I started to set up the tent. This one used a single pole and was quite popular with campers. You just pulled the tarp over the pole that was in the center and pulled the edges to the ground and nailed them. There was something about these tents that really matched a bonfire, visually. And better atmosphere improved your dining experience as well.

I hammered the last peg into the ground and pulled the tarp to make sure that it was secure. I nodded. There was no need to worry about it collapsing during the night. As it was still very cold outside, it would have been nice to have a stove, but we didn’t have one. Adlus had had one in his tent during the stampede. We should have bought one too. It was too bad that I always seemed to remember these things when it was too late.

“Alright, let us eat.”

“You’re already eating.”

“This is just a snack. It hardly counts.”

“Right…”

That didn’t make any sense. And so I ignored her and started to cook some dinner.

We both rubbed our full stomachs and sipped our tea.

“It’s still pretty warm, considering we’re in the snow.”

“It is thanks to these clothes…and this jade wind dragon cape.”

“I haven’t heard that one in a minute.”

I chuckled at her smug expression. It had been a while since it was just the two of us camping out like this. And it was very comforting.

Now, we just had to sleep. The barrier tools were doing their job and Presence Detection told me that there were no monsters in the area. It really was true that the icesnow phase meant that monsters were less active. It made traveling easier. Well, if you ignored the snow. I guess it depended on what bothered you more. As for me, I preferred the cold to the heat, so it wasn’t so bad.

“I’ll take the first watch then. It’s been a while, after all.”

“No, I will do it. You can rest, Asagi.”

“Thanks.”

“It is nothing.”

I decided to take her up on the offer. Hmm. I suddenly felt very sleepy. If I let this chance go, the drowsiness would probably escape me for the rest of the night. It would be best to go straight to bed.

“Alright, wake me up when you get tired…good night.”

“Aye, good night, Asagi.”

I waved at Daniela, who was poking the firewood with a stick. And then I entered the tent. There was a thick blanket on the ground that I fell onto and then I tightened my winter clothes around me. Somehow, it felt as if we hadn’t left the empire yet.

I still felt warm and cozy… Hmm… I was too tired to think about that now. And there was no need to, anyway.

“I have no idea what I’m talking about…I’m so tired…”

I mumbled to myself as I closed my eyelids and fell asleep.

□ □ □ □

I slept a lot more soundly than I had been expecting. And so it was with bleary eyes that I got out of bed after Daniela woke me, and I started my watch.

“It’s so quiet that it’s disturbing.”

Not even the wind made a sound. There was something about it that was horribly eerie. Still, I suppose it was also a sign of peace. Once we reached the forest, we would probably hear the cries of strange birds and the roars of wild animals.

I looked up dazedly at the night sky. The sky was so dense with stars that I could never do anything but sigh when I gazed at them. It was so beautiful and unreal, that I doubted there was any place on earth that allowed you to see the stars in such a way.

And in the midst of the stars, were the three moons that gently shone down. It was so different from the sunlight. They were soft and mysterious as they created blue shadows over the snow. Only the light of the fire could overwrite those shadows.

“This is at least number two on my list of sights I wish I could see with Daniela…”

Number one was a sunset… Sunsets were my favorite. Once we reached the west island, I hoped we could sit together and watch as the sun descended into the sea.

The next morning, Daniela came out of the tent without oversleeping, and I quickly revived her with some breakfast. When we were ready, I activated Legs of the God Wolf and we continued on our way to Yukka. We took several breaks as we went, so it wasn’t hard, but it did take some time. It was near sundown when we arrived in Yukka.

“I think it took us about four days to travel to the imperial capital from Yukka… And yet it only took us a day and a half to return. Your skill really is useful, Asagi.”

“Well, I got it from Rachel.”

“Still.”

We managed to slide in through the east gates just before they were closed. We then moved through the town, just as people were preparing for dinner. It did not take us long to find a certain light green building. It was the inn we had stayed at last time. It had been on the expensive side, but we were able to afford it. Besides, it was only for one night.

We entered the inn, side by side. Last time, I had been horribly dirty and was nearly thrown out. However, Daniela would have none of that, and then related a number of embarrassing stories about me in order to somehow prove that I was a ‘famous Adventurer.’ It was the worst.

“So, will things go smoothly this time?”

“Don’t you dare share any stories about me like you did before.”

“Well, that depends on how they greet us.”

She looked like she had every intention of revealing things. Damn it…

As we walked to the counter, the clerk noticed us and flashed a smile. But, what kind of smile was it?