Chapter 80

“Starting tomorrow… you’re leaving for 3 days?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

After I roughly packed my things,

I headed to the cafeteria to eat dinner.

Lisa was waiting for me as usual, and I began eating with her.

Everything was the same as always.

At least until I brought up that I would be away from the Academy for 3 days starting tomorrow.

“I’d be gone from Wednesday to Friday, and… I think I’d return to the Academy on Saturday.”

“…I see. So I won’t see you until Saturday. Right, you told my mother last time that instead of a gold coin, you wanted 3 days of break…”

“Yes, so Lisa, could you take care of the Disciplinary Committee work alone for those 3 days while I’m gone? In return, once I come back, for 3 days I’ll do everything alone, no—if you want, I can even handle everything alone for the whole following week…”

“No. You don’t need to. You don’t need to do that…”

Lisa stared at me silently for a moment, then nodded as if she had come to a decision.

“You said you’re leaving for 3 days, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Alright. Then after dinner I’ll go straight up to the dorm to prepare.”

“…Prepare for what?”

“Prepare for the trip. I’m leaving with you tomorrow.”

“…Yes?”

I tilted my head at Lisa’s words.

But Lisa herself looked completely serious.

“Then what about attendance? Attendance is a big part of the graduation requirements…”

“It doesn’t matter. You’re more important than graduation. I can’t be separated from you for 3 days.”

“Is it because of my blood? If that’s the case, I can give it to you separately before I leave…”

“It’s not because of your blood. I can go without drinking it until Saturday just fine. But being away from you… I can’t. I can’t endure that. How am I supposed to be apart from you for 3 whole days?”

Lisa spoke calmly with an expressionless face, but her eyes were sharp enough to feel dangerous.

“If you’re going, then go with me. I want to see you every single day. And what if you go traveling alone and get hurt or stranded? Yes, I should go with you. Just imagining being apart from you…”

“Lisa, please calm down first.”

I held her hand and smiled.

Lisa’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, but soon she nodded and looked back at me.

“I don’t want you to be absent because of me.”

“…If it comes to it, I can just tell the instructor and skip. It won’t be a big problem.”

“I understand that. But still, I want you to stay at the Academy. Someone has to handle the Disciplinary Committee work, and more importantly… this time, I want to go alone. I think that’d be better.”

“Come to think of it… what exactly are you doing that you need to leave the Academy for 3 whole days?”

“I’m planning to get a rune.”

Lisa tilted her head.

“A rune?”

“Yes. I’ve been looking for a way to grow stronger…”

“If it’s runes, there are plenty in our family vault.”

Lisa tightened her grip on my hand.

As if declaring she absolutely wouldn’t let me go.

“I’ll give you a few, so… can’t you just not go?”

“I’m looking for a specific rune, and it’s a bit far away. That’s why I need to go in person. Besides, 3 days isn’t that long. I’d appreciate it if you could wait just a little.”

“Three days… that’s long…”

“I’ll do anything you want once I return, so please wait just a little.”

“…You’ll do everything I want?”

“Yes, well… as long as it’s within my abilities, I’ll do anything.”

For a moment, her eyes gleamed in a frightening way, but I brushed it off as my imagination.

“Alright. Three days… I’ll try waiting. But that’s a promise, okay? That you’ll do anything when you come back?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Okay. I’ll wait. So where are you going? Can you tell me?”

“I’m planning to go to Muktaba.”

“Oh, going to Mukta—huh? Muktaba? Sara’s hometown?”

“Yes, that’s righ—”

Bang!

Lisa shot up from her seat.

“No. I can’t let you go alone.”

Her face darkened instantly.

For someone whose expression rarely changed, it was a very intense reaction.

“Do you not know how dangerous that place is? Going there alone is suicide. Anywhere else is fine, but I absolutely can’t agree to you going there alone.”

“But Lisa, still…”

“I said I can’t agree.”

Lisa looked firm, and she had every reason to be.

Muktaba was a dangerous place to travel alone.

But I wasn’t going there without a plan. Even if something went wrong, I was confident I could make it back safely.

Convincing Lisa of that confidence, however, was an entirely different matter.

“If you get hurt or die… do you know how much that would hurt me?”

Seeing her desperate expression, I could only give a sheepish smile.

After that, Lisa and I talked late into the night, and somehow, in the end, I managed to persuade her.

“You’re not eating breakfast before you go?”

“No. I’m planning to eat on the way.”

The next morning.

I headed toward the Academy’s main gate to leave right away.

On the way, I happened to run into Luke, and he accompanied me to the gate to see me off.

“You said you’re taking a carriage from Daigon Village, right?”

“Yes. I heard they have a carriage heading north.”

“Alright. Then travel safely, and I hope you return unharmed.”

“Thank you, Instructor.”

“Well, that’s all I can say… and now this clueless instructor will step aside, so say your goodbyes properly.”

Luke chuckled awkwardly and glanced at Lisa—who was tightly holding my hand beside me.

Luke had run into me by coincidence, but Lisa…

“So, uh, Lisa. I’ll pretend I didn’t see you two coming out of the boys’ dorm together, but from now on, you should be a bit more careful about—”

“There’s nothing going on that you’re thinking of.”

“…Right. You’re very clear about these things. Same for Gideon. Alright.”

Luke nodded, then turned back the way he came.

Which left only Lisa and me standing at the gate.

“So, Lisa…”

“Why?”

“As Instructor Luke said, sleeping in my dorm… we might need to reconsider th—”

“Isn’t it fine? Like I said earlier, I really only held your hand while sleeping.”

“That’s not the issue… If we come out of the dorm together, people could misunderstand… And since we’re part of the Disciplinary Committee, we should be mindful of that…”

“I’ll take all the responsibility.”

Lisa spoke with a perfectly calm expression, and I couldn’t help smiling at that.

“Lisa, isn’t it better to avoid situations that require taking responsibility in the first place?”

“But… I like sleeping beside you. Your sleeping face is so pretty that I want to keep looking at it.”

“I’ll let you look as much as you want after graduation.”

“I don’t think I can wait until graduation.”

I hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Then… during vacation?”

“Vacation is too short.”

“Then… no, forget it. Let’s talk about this later. I should get going now.”

“Yeah, let’s do that. Then Gideon, travel safely and… hold on, lower yourself a bit.”

“Like this?”

I bent down slightly.

Then Lisa kissed my forehead.

“Be careful. Don’t get hurt and come back safely. You must.”

“Yes, I’ll be sure to stay safe.”

“…Mm.”

Lisa looked around hesitantly as if thinking about something.

Then she kissed me on the lips.

“…Lisa?”

“Sorry. I couldn’t hold it in. Anyway, travel safely… and don’t forget our promise. That you’ll do everything I want once you get back.”

“I won’t forget. Then I’ll see you on the weekend, Lisa.”

“Yeah. And if anything happens, contact me through the Crystal Sphere. I’ll run to you right away.”

“Yes, understood.”

After finishing my short farewell with Lisa, I set out toward Daigon Village.

Once I got far enough from Lysquare Academy—

“Woof?”

“Yeah. You can come out now.”

“Woof!”

“You’re all excited, huh? But you really did grow a lot.”

I began walking with the Hellhound who now stood taller than my knee.

Thanks to Siri joyfully trotting around beside me, the walk wasn’t boring at all.

‘Let’s see… If I remember right, around this time the carriage heading north should be…’

After arriving in Daigon Village, I headed straight to a farm on the outskirts.

Right in front of that farm stood a huge carriage, and from early morning people were loading crops onto it.

“You’re heading north, right?”

“It’s true we are, but who might you be? If you’re a traveler asking for a ride, I’m sorry but there’s no spa—”

“One gold coin, will that do?”

“…We’ll probably reach Tuinta by evening, and we’re not going any farther. Is that fine?”

“That’s no problem at all.”

“Then get on the back. And make sure that black dog doesn’t eat the crops.”

Just as planned, I could board the carriage heading north without trouble.

All thanks to knowing exactly which carriage in Daigon Village went where.

“Woof? Woof woof woof!”

“Calm down. You’ll be riding this all day, so what are you going to do if you’re already like this?”

Just as the words implied, I traveled the whole day—from early morning until late evening.

Eventually I arrived at a place called Tuinta, located in the northern region of the Empire.

By the time I arrived, it was already very late in the evening.

But I didn’t rest and moved immediately.

‘In the game, if I went roughly this way, it was around here…’

I walked, passing by countless ranches.

For reference, Tuinta was known as the largest livestock breeding ground in the entire Empire.

As expected from its reputation, numerous cows, pigs, chickens, ducks, and other animals were being raised everywhere.

Passing the massive ranches, I made my way toward the center of Tuinta.

There, merchants were loading meat onto large wagons.

“You’re heading to Muktaba, right?”

“Hm? What is it? We are going to Muktaba, but there’s no room, so turn ba—”

“One gold coin, will that do?”

“…Do you think I’d take you and your dog for just one gold coin—”

“What about two?”

“…I’ll find a spot for you in the back.”

Once again, I was reminded that money truly is the best solution.

If something can’t be solved with money, consider the possibility that you simply don’t have enough money.

Anyway, after some effort, Siri and I were able to board the carriage headed for the northernmost edge of the Empire.

“Woof… grrr…”

“Get some sleep. We’ll arrive tomorrow morning anyway.”

I looked at Siri sleeping on my lap for a moment, and then I, too, slowly drifted off in the back of the carriage.

After riding all day, the fatigue had piled up quite a bit.

After sleeping soundly in the carriage for several hours—

“Ugh… mm.”

I slowly opened my eyes, feeling an intense heat from outside the carriage.

“Woof?! Woofwoofwoof!”

It wasn’t just me who woke up.

Siri also got up and barked in amazement while staring outside the carriage.

“Stay still. If you jump around here, it’ll be dangerous.”

I patted Siri’s head and looked outside.

Rivers of lava flowed like actual waterways, and far-off volcanoes large and small spewed lava little by little.

‘Seeing it in person is even more spectacular.’

I let out a faint laugh.

The volcanic city, Muktaba.

Here, I needed to find the Water Rune.

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