Adventure Awaits! Huzzah! 14

"I'm fine. Those guys weren't much." Alm was the first to recompose himself. And as if that was a signal, everyone else began to answer as well.

Faye shuddered in disgust. "I'm okay too, that guy didn't even touch me because of you, Himmel." Good to hear. If there was a woman worth killing a king for, it was Faye.

Kliff was next. "I'm fine as well... I'm sorry that I hesitated to act..."

That attitude was no good. "I wouldn't have blamed you for not acting in the first place." It was a terrifying situation, and he was a kid. "But you still helped in the end. Thank you." A thirteen-year-old kid.

Alm and Faye were fourteen.

He had made them all accomplices in the murder of a king. He had made them all criminals who would be hunted for the rest of their lives. And the worst part is... that he saw no other way this could have ended differently. That demon was a demon, he would always act demonic, and he would always have lost his head for it.

So Himmel could only try and survive the demon's downfall for now.

He took a deep breath and then looked at Clair. "And you, are you alright, milady?" The king had tried putting his hands on her as well.

Clair slowly nodded. "Yes... I am quite fine, Lord... Seliph." Still on that, huh? But at least color was returning to her face. "But... the king... he... you..." He couldn't blame her for being paralyzed like this.

As a noble, she was the one here who truly understood what the punishment for such a crime would be.

"I know, Clair. I'll deal with that later." It was possible that she would become an enemy even.

She could easily spin some story about how Himmel was some bastard who struck down the king while she watched on helplessly. Since she was the daughter of an earl and Himmel was a nobody, she could probably get away with it. He would need to keep an eye on her.

And now, it was finally time to check on the last person in the room. "And you, sister, did that man wound you? I know Recovery, I can help if that's the case." At least if it was a light wound.

The nun's answer was not what he expected. "I-I'm fine, young man, thank you... Thank you for saving me! T-that fiend, he was going to... going to..." But maybe he should have expected it.

She was just a poor priestess, why the fuck would she care about some king whom she had probably never seen before? As far as she was concerned, she just watched her wannabe rapist lose his head. A good thing.

Himmel tried comforting. "It's fine, sister. I understand." He didn't want to force her to say it.

A sigh escaped his mouth. "But now that all is said and done... what do we do next?" He stared right at the decapitated head of Lima IV. The man who used to have the most power in the entire country.

Until a fourteen-year-old with some special blood and a few years of martial training snuffed his life.

Once again, the sister surprised him. "I-I won't tell, young man! I won't tell a single soul!" He did not know if she was saying that out of fear or out of gratitude.

Himmel's eyes widened. "You won't?" That could make her an accomplice. She would get punished as well.

But she didn't seem to care. "I won't... that man was no king! He was no chosen of Mother Mila!" On that, Himmel could agree. "I... I hate him! Everyone did! T-this is not even the first time he desecrates the sanctity of such a place!"

She continued. "There were rumors around... rumors that the perverted king had begun to specifically look for priestesses so he could... relieve his lusts. Clearly they were true." The demon had a fetish, huh...?

Alm tilted his head. "Then... um... I guess this is all fine? If she's not planning on telling anyone... We can just leave."

Kliff's hand burst with flame. "First things first, we should get rid of the corpses." Not a bad idea.

But on the matter that Alm brought up. "First things first, we should accept reality." Even if it was a shitty one. "There is no way we are going to get away with what we did today, even if the king was hated."

He looked at the priestess, who immediately put a hand on her heart. "I swear by the Mother that I—."

"Do not misunderstand, I believe in you. Truly." He put a hand to his chin. "The problem is that knights have their way of making people talk. I have no desire to submit a sister to torture." The priestess blanched, horrified at the idea.

It was the truth, though. Torturing a priestess may seem like too much, but the king had been murdered. It could definitely happen...

There was the solution of just killing her, of course, but Himmel would not do such a thing. Both because even he wasn't that awful and because his friends would step up and stop him if he tried.

Kliff interjected. "Even if that's the case, how will they find out about this anyways...?" He looked at the corpses. "If we destroy these, there aren't exactly many clues left for them."

Himmel nodded. "Indeed, destroying the bodies is definitely wise... but clues will be left behind." They always were. "Like, for example, whoever saw us heading this way or whoever saw a hooded man walking this way."

"And people will definitely be interrogated for that information, the knights will be on full alert." He gritted his teeth. "In fact, we have to act fast. I imagine once the king doesn't return, the city's gates will close."

Kliff's body trembled. "That's..." It was probably beginning to dawn on him how serious this was.

Himmel had doomed this child. "I'm so, so sorry, Kliff."

This journey had only started in the first place because the adults of Ram Village had trusted Himmel because they thought he was mature enough to keep them out of trouble. Kliff's mother thought he was capable of protecting her son. And yet he had doomed them all.

Faye snapped. "D-don't apologize! You did nothing wrong...! You just protected everyone! You protected me..." That was true.

It was just an awful situation. Something caused by a force beyond their control... Himmel couldn't help but remember when Gray had warned them to not get involved with the nobility of Zofia.

Himmel relented. "Then I'm sorry that I said sorry." If that even made sense.

He took a deep breath. "And sister, Clair, I'm sorry, but could you two go to the back of the shrine?"

Clair momentarily snapped out of her shock. "And why would we do that?"

The reason was pretty simple. "Because, as I've said, there's a big chance you guys will be forced into talking." Maybe Clair would even talk out of her own volition. "So the less is known about our plans, the better." In essence, he wanted them to leave so he could make an escape route.

The priestess nodded. "I understand... I pray that Lady Mila will be by your side." They were so damn lucky that the nun was on their side. This would be much more difficult otherwise.

Clair was more difficult, however. "That is fine and all, but why am I getting kicked out as well!?"

Himmel raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you hear me? I just don't want people knowing my plans."

Clair scowled and began walking towards him. "Seeing as I will be helping you execute those plans, I would very much like to hear them!" Once she was right in front of him, she crossed her arms. "Unless you perhaps wish to use me as bait while you run?"

Who was he!? A lizard discarding his tail!? "That's not it, Lady Clair... It's just that you don't need to get involved with this. You're a noble, so just claim that you were innocent here or something."

Clair squinted her eyes. "Last I checked, you are part of the nobility as well, Lord Seliph... if that's even your real name..." It actually was!

Jokes inappropriate for the time aside, Clair had heard Faye calling him Himmel and Faye calling Alm by his real name. Even if she was recovering from shock during those times, she was definitely putting the pieces together.

Himmel flinched. "I... really think hard about this, Clair. Going with us means abandoning your family. Forever. Not to mention how they can get in trouble too." Having a woman who helped kill the king in your family couldn't be good.

Clair huffed. "It is fine. I'll find a way to return to my family eventually." She was delusional. "And my father is also politically savvy enough that he won't take a heavy blow from this." Absolutely delusional.

She continued. "And besides... you stopped that... thing. If I left you to your fate now, I would not deserve to be part of the Aumonts. Nobility must not just run through my blood, it must run through my actions." Adorably idiotic.

But just like with the gift of his clothing, he could only reject her for so long. If she insisted on getting herself into a mess, then there was only so much he could do to stop her.

So he finally relented. "Very well then, welcome to the team, Lady Clair." At least this way he could keep an eye on her, which meant she couldn't snitch.

Maybe he should take the poor priestess with him as well? That would be pretty cruel though.

She smiled. "Finally, I got through your stubbornness." She looked at the priestess. "Now, I know this is cruel of me to ask, but..."

The priestess bowed. "I understand, of course." As it was previously agreed upon, she left the room.

Clair cleared her throat. "Now, may I know the real name of everyone here? And the reason why I was given the wrong name in the first place?" Well, he was about to embarrass himself.

He wanted to say this wasn't the time for this, but... "My name is Himmel... a commoner." Her eyes widened, somehow she looked more shocked now than before. "And we lied because we wanted to see a pegasus."

"E-excuse me, you lied because of what...?" Yeah, that was a normal reaction to have.

Himmel looked away. "W-we lied because we wanted to enter the palace and see a pegasus." It was strange.

Should he really be blushing about something like this while five corpses rested on the ground? It felt inappropriate. Disrespectful. Nonetheless, he did need to clear this up with the future Pegasus Knight.

Kliff pinched his nose. "And before you say it, yes, it was an absolutely idiotic idea that Alm came up with, and Himmel approved it for some reason." So did you eventually! And she still didn't know who Alm was!

He motioned to himself. "My real name is Kliff, by the way, and I'm certainly not Himmel's servant."

Alm raised a hand. "And I'm Alm, the guy who came up with that idea... which actually worked." It wasn't the time to feel proud about that. "I'm a commoner too... Well, my grandpa is a knight, you probably heard of him before. His name is Mycen."

The girl gasped. "Sir Mycen sired children!?" Maybe.

It was clear that Celica was not actually related to the old knight, for example. And Alm had a Brand, which maybe could still fit in that family, or maybe... Mycen had a habit of adopting problematic children.

Alm nodded. "Yeah, though that doesn't matter right now." Being the son of a legendary knight would not protect someone from having been an accomplice in murdering the king.

Then it was Faye's turn. "And I'm... um... my real name is Faye, I'm a commoner too." She looked down. "I really was the one who wanted to see the pegasi..."

Clair let out a frustrated sigh. "You all are impossible. Perhaps Ferdinand is correct when he claims a commoner is far too stupid to function without firm guidance." Hey, that wasn't fair.

Himmel probably outranked this Ferdinand guy.

She glared at the sword in Himmel's hip. "But if you are all commoners, how did Lord Seliph... Himmel hold such a fine sword? And what about the horse? Or all the money? Did it all come from Sir Mycen?" Wasn't she even thinking of the possibility that they were thieves?

"It's... um... complicated. I'm pretty well off financially even without being a noble." Which wasn't impossible. Merchants and the like did exist. "But about our next move... does anybody have any ideas?" He had one of his own, but he would listen to theirs first.

Faye awkwardly interjected. "Can't we just go back to our village and... be forgotten about?" He couldn't blame her for wanting to go home, but...

"That's probably not going to work. You're right that we need to be forgotten about, but that won't happen while we stay in Zofia." Or at least in easy-to-access places of Zofia. "They'll probably send soldiers to the south to look for us."

Alm hummed. "We are going to need to leave Zofia, huh? How about we march to the Rigellian border then? We can cross it and kick the ass of any guy who tries to stop us."

Himmel flinched. "That might be our only solution, but let's try to think of something else first. Especially since kicking the ass of anyone who tries to stop us would make us enemies of Rigel too."

Kliff interjected. "But maybe we don't need to come kicking and screaming? Rigel is an enemy of Zofia, maybe they would let us in." He frowned. "Though that would mean we could never return, even when people do forget about us."

It would be a miserable life in general, seen as traitors by Zofians while being seen as dishonorable by Rigellians. However, that was still far better than execution.

So he would have to keep Kliff's idea in mind. "Trying to do that is risky though, Rigel might wish to not rock the boat with Zofia." Would sheltering them start a war? Himmel didn't know. "But if the opportunity to defect arises... we might need to take it."

Clair glared at him. "We cannot betray our own nation, H-Himmel." She was still struggling with his name...!? "In fact, forget about running away at all. Instead, let us clear our good name."

She put a hand to her chest. "Nobody did anything wrong here, that is the simple truth. Naturally, I understand that nobody will hear our case under normal circumstances, but with my father's help we may be able to buy some time!"

She continued. "So as far as I am concerned, we go towards the palace this instant and relay the situation. Afterwards, we prove our innocence and continue on with our lives."

Kliff said what Himmel had been thinking. "You're delusional. There's no way that would work... maybe they would spare you, but some scapegoat needs to lose his head."

"But...!"

Kliff cut her off. "None of that. You know damn well what would happen, so if you want to ruin us, you can at least try to be less subtle about it."

For a moment it looked like Clair was about to argue back, but in the end she threw in the towel. "You... are most likely correct. My apologies for giving such a worthless suggestion."

Himmel waved her off. "It's okay, any idea is welcome at this point." It did remind him of something, though.

The death of his father.

Supposedly the man had marched with his army to Belhalla to try and prove his innocence, and then he got executed for it by Arvis' hand. If Himmel went along with Clair's plan, he would have most likely met the same fate as his father.

So there's no way he would agree to going with her idea in a million years. People were supposed to learn from history to not repeat it after all.

Clair hummed. "Any idea... Well, here's another way we can possibly clear our name! We move towards the north and meet Mother Mila!" Oh? "She shall see that we are correct here and give her protection!"

She continued. "And even if we fail to meet her, since we would be so far ahead to the north, we could pivot to Alm's plan and try to slip past the border should the need arise." That was a great idea.

With the knowledge she had at least. Himmel knew things would be a lot more complicated.

First of all, there was the matter of Mila's sanity... Duma had gone senile, so maybe the same thing had happened to the Mother. Admittedly, this wasn't likely, since Zofia had yet to go to complete shit.

But then there was the matter of his and Alm's Brand, and Himmel's status as a reincarnator. What if Mila decided they were innocent but decided to put an end to people with such traits anyways?

Though there was also the possibility she would actually welcome them due to the brands... Having Holy Blood in Zofia could be a massive boon...

It was a coin toss, essentially.

Himmel's smile was as brittle as it could be. "That's a great idea." Probably better than the one he had. "I guess we might as well go with it." Maybe he could just not enter the temple? Naturally he would force Alm not to either.

Well, whatever the case, this was an opportunity he couldn't ignore due to his own selfishness. Once they reached Mila, Himmel would just have to get on his knees and ask that the Mother at least spare Alm.

Kliff put a hand to his chin. "How would the Mother even know that we are telling the truth though? We would be going from one hopeless trial to another."

Faye pouted. "She's the Mother, of course she would know the truth." As expected of a good religious village girl. "She is just, and kind, and—."

Kliff cut her off, rolling his eyes. "And didn't know about this, clearly. Or she just didn't care... So she might not be as helpful as we would like." Was it wrong that Himmel was really happy to discard the Mila idea?

Faye looked down. "Well... maybe..."

Kliff scoffed. "I'm hearing a lot of maybes. Maybe they'll hunt us down for killing the king. Maybe the priestess will be forced into talking. Maybe they will close the city. Maybe Clair's family can save us. Maybe Mila will save us. Maybe we can get past the border..."

He crossed his arms. "We need something more concrete than a bunch of maybe's."

"You won't find it." Alm was shaking his head. "This is just like... like war... you can't make a plan that is guaranteed to work, instead, you make something flexible and adapt it as you progress." Mycen really had taught him well.

"Which is why Lady Clair's plan is good. As she said, it can easily pivot into my idea of crossing the border..." He nodded to himself. "So let's focus on plans like that. Plans that can adapt into other plans if necessary."

Himmel smiled towards Alm. "Well said." In the end there would be no solution, they would just have to live with that. "So allow me to give my idea, one that can also fuse with Clair's and Alm's."

He raised a finger. "We head to Zofia Harbor and take a boat. With that boat we can disappear in the many islands of Zofia until the heat dies down. And since it's on the way already, if we fail to find a boat, we can just head north and see Mila." Even if he was terrified of it.

Himmel blushed. "And... and since I'm a master magician, I can use my Wind magic to make us go faster." Zofia's navy wasn't particularly impressive, so outrunning them shouldn't be impossible.

Himmel didn't know how to sail, of course, but he had money, tons and tons of money. Surely that would be enough to find him a boat?

Clair clasped her hands together. "A fine addition to our plans... However, I must warn everyone that bandit activity has risen in our seas recently. It could be a perilous journey."

Himmel raised an eyebrow. "Bandit activity? And Lady Mila has not intervened?" What the hell!?

Well, historically Mila... and even Duma had struggled with pirates. It seems even gods had troubles when it came to the kings of the seas. And it also went to show that Zofia's navy really wasn't shit.

It made sense, of course, their enemy throughout the eras had been mostly Rigel, with the pirate kingdom being an outlier. Valentia pretty much never had any troubles with Archanea, Jugdral, or any other continent.

Clair nodded. "Yes... technically those pirates don't roam the land, so perhaps the Mother does not see them as an issue unless they do something particularly outrageous?" Maybe.

Or maybe, much like Duma, she was... No, it was too early to throw crazy theories around. Especially when Himmel's village still had plenty of resources and how they hadn't faced troubles on their way to Zofia's castle.

In the end though, their existence might actually be helpful. "Well, those pirates can act as just another smokescreen. Even if it's a dangerous one." He would rather face a bunch of pirates over a kingdom.

Alm fistbumped himself. "Besides, if a pirate does show up in our way, we crush them!" A truly simple spirit.

Hopefully that wouldn't change.



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Entering the city had been a scary experience. Leaving was proving to be a nightmarish one.

Nothing bad had happened yet, and there wasn't much of a crowd around the gate at night, much less hundreds of soldiers waiting for them. Nonetheless, Himmel's heart was beating out of his chest.

"Oh, it's you again, milord." The guard actually recognized him. "You're leaving already?" Why did he decide to question things now!? Was this a ploy to give him a heart attack!?

Himmel nodded. "Yeah, I got what I came here for." Actually, he didn't, considering he didn't give a single prayer to Lady Mila.

Maybe he should though.

The guard hummed. "I see... Well, good travels, milord." Just as he had done earlier, he committed no bigger checkup.

Good. They didn't have the time to waste. Their travel would be slow since they only had one horse, and so every second would count. They had thought of trying to acquire one for each person or course, but that was tough to do at such a late time in the night. And out of fear, Clair couldn't even go to the palace to get her pegasus.

Himmel smiled. "Thank you." And began walking forward.

But then the guard raised his voice again. "Wait, Lady Clair? Is that you?" Of. Fucking. Course.

Clair immediately blanched. "No, I am not this lady Clair that you speak of. I'm a common servant girl, with a common servant girl name such as... Celica." Maybe he should have left her behind with the priestess.

The guard squinted his eyes. "Okay, so what's going on?"

Clair pouted in response. "How do you even know who I am!? I certainly do not remember ever giving you the time of day! I do not remember you at all, in fact!" The worst she can say is no, or something along those lines.

The guard scratched his cheek. "Well, I've never personally talked with you, milady, but I've served under your brother." His eyes scanned the group. "And I know him well enough to say he would not allow his little sister to leave the city while accompanied by so many men and while walking like a commoner." Faye was right there!

And also... shit, not getting a bunch of horses was already backfiring, huh? Well, it couldn't be helped.

Clair gritted her teeth. "Have you perhaps considered the fact that my brother cannot tell me what I can and cannot do!?" She walked closer to Himmel. "Or what, do I need him to sign a document before I spend some time with a friend, you oaf?"

The guard winced, Himmel almost felt bad for him. "O-of course not, milady, but..."

Clair huffed. "But what? Tell me, I insist."

The guard gulped. "But nothing, milady..." He blushed. "Just please remember that a lady's... honor is not something that should be given without a second thought." Wait, a lady's honor? What does that even—.

Oh, he thought Clair was leaving the city to secretly get bent over something without her brother knowing about it. Zofians sure did have some powerful and perverted imaginations.

Clair exploded. "Excuse you!? What did you mean to imply just now—!?" Without a doubt she was about to end this man's soul.

But that would take time, and so Himmel interjected. "I'm sure he meant nothing by it, Lady Clair."

For a second Clair looked like she was about to explode at him as well, but after a moment of consideration she crossed her arms and took a deep breath. "I suppose you are right, friend. This guard did not mean anything indecent."

She looked right into the man's eyes. "Isn't that right?"

The guard saluted. "Yes, Lady Clair!"

Zofia's Castle needed better soldiers.



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Himmel felt like a criminal. Which he was after killing the king, of course, but to be more specific, he felt like a thief.

Travel from Zofia's Castle to Zofia Harbor would not be a long one, definitely nowhere near as long as travel from Ram Village to the king's home had been. But it was still something that would take at least a day or more... when on foot.

Which they basically were since they could only bring Epona.

And to make matters worse, they weren't exactly traveling through the Zofia roads. Instead they were traveling closer to its forests, hoping that they could hide should they be pursued by cavalry. This is why he felt like a thief.

Naturally, it sucked. Taking Epona through it was a chore, and nobody had been allowed to sleep either.

It was only a matter of time until someone complained. "This is hell." And to Himmel's shock, it had not been Clair the noble.

It had been Kliff, the village boy. It made sense really, he was the only one here who didn't have much in the way of physical training. Life as a village boy and the travel from Ram Village had made him tougher, but not tough enough for this.

Himmel couldn't deny his words, however. "Don't worry, we shouldn't be too far." Not that it would change much, they wouldn't get any rest once there.

Instead they would have to find a boat, and failing that they would have to go north. Hell, they might immediately go north even if they did find a boat.

Kliff looked down. "O-okay, if you say so, Himmel..."

Himmel contemplated for a moment, then had an idea. "How about you ride Epona? It's hard to go through this terrain with her, but at least your legs will get some rest." Besides, much like everyone in the village, he was a good horse rider.

A glimmer of a smile appeared on Kliff's face. "That does sound ni—."

"Everybody, hide and get ready for combat!" Alm's voice cut through any illusion of comfort.

There wasn't much hiding done, as shameful as it was to say, but Himmel at least put a hand on the hilt of his sword. "What's going on...?" He couldn't hear anything.

Alm pointed at the skies. "Can't you see it?"

He could now, even if it was difficult to do so through the foliage of the trees. Up above, hundreds of pegasus knights covered the skies. Himmel hadn't heard them because they were simply way up above.

They were all going to die. "Alm, take everyone else and run. I'll distract them." But maybe Himmel could buy some time.

He couldn't actually defeat a group of that size, but a well-placed Excalibur from a master mage was bound to cause some chaos at least.

Alm growled at him. "Like hell...! There's no way I can accept something like that!" Himmel didn't want to accept it either.

But this was his second life. Better him than them.

Faye grasped her spear with as much strength as she had. "I can't accept it either, Himmel..." She gulped, pale. "I'll fight by your side."

His grooming chose the worst time to backfire! "You'll die by my side! That's what your decision leads to!"

She giggled. "That's okay... I've figured that's how things were going to go from the moment the king died." That's...

Alm interjected. "I, for one, have no intention of dying. I won't leave you behind, Himmel, but I'll win! Just watch me!" Even if his words were strong, Himmel could see the hidden worry in them.

Kliff's worry was far more visible though, the boy was outright shaking. "We... we of Ram Village have to stick together." But nonetheless, his courage ran through.

They were a bunch of idiots, a bunch of idiots that were going to die. "I... So be it, let's give them hell." He had once awakened his major Holy Blood to protect Alm.

If any other such hidden power slumbered inside of him, then now it was the time to awaken it...! Please...!

And then Clair spoke up. "As inspiring and beautiful as this show of comradery is, I do not think it is necessary, Himmel." Hah? "Look at them, can't you see... what's wrong?"

"No...?" Was he missing something? Clair was training to be a Pegasus Knight, so did she notice that something?

Clair looked at them as well. "I do not believe they are coming towards us... They should have begun lowering their flight at this point." Was that the case...?

Maybe... "They haven't seen us yet?" The tree thing actually worked!?

"I do not know, but unless they start a battle... we should remain idle." Yes, she was right. There was no need to make a predator angry when one was prey.

And so the group waited with bated breath.

The pegasi eventually flew past them without looking at their direction even once.

Himmel's jaw hit the floor. "That's..." Good, of course, but what the hell!? "Is being blind a requirement for being a Pegasus Knight?" Sure they were hidden in the forest, but he expected more of an elite squad.

Clair rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. They most certainly did see us. It is a requirement to have the eyesight of a hawk for a Pegasus Knight, one will be frequently used as a scout after all." That made sense, but...

"Why did they ignore us then?" Or maybe... "Or were we lucky enough for a miracle?"

Alm put a hand to his chin. "Maybe those Pegasus Knights are completely unrelated to us. Like..." He looked at Clair. "Are you guys required to do patrols or something?"

Clair nodded. "Yes, but not with such a... large squadron. It was like they were ready for war."

Alm hummed. "Maybe they were... We talked about pirates before, right? Maybe those guys were going after them." It would be a nice counter to the supposed sea kings.

Zofia may have a weak navy, but that did not apply to their fliers.

Clair looked down. "Perhaps... Although I feel I would have heard rumors of such a group being formed, because amassing a group as big as this one should take days... Unless it was an emergency." An emergency, huh? Like the king being killed.

It brought a terrifying idea to Himmel's mind. "Maybe they were sent to capture us because they don't know who the criminals are. Maybe they were sent to close off any possible escape."

They could have read their intentions of trying to escape through the harbor or through the border and sent people to stop that from happening. If so, that would be the worst-case scenario.

Alm looked down. "Then if they predicted our move, should we turn around and head for the other side? We can go through the border by west instead."

Himmel waved him off. "No guarantee that they haven't done something about that too." At this point they should just proceed.

Going west also discarded any dream of taking a boat and disappearing in Zofia's seas or seeing the Mother and begging for forgiveness. It would essentially lock them in the plan of trespassing into Rigel.

Kliff nodded. "At this point it would also mean going through Zofia's castle once again and..." His face paled. "Extra walk." He cared about that when his life was at stake?

No, he was right to consider their stamina. Not to mention how they were so slow without mounts that moving around was very much not a free action.

So in the end they only had one option. "I guess... I guess we just gotta keep going and hope we won't get caught." At this point there was no going back.

The group became filled with the tense sight of defeat.

It was one thing to know that an army was after you for committing a gigantic crime against your own country. It was another thing entirely to actually come face to face with a part of that army.

Faye clapped her hands, getting their attention. "I-if that's the case, then we should go already...! I mean, we somehow didn't die here, right? T-that's a sign from Lady Mila." It most definitely wasn't, and Faye definitely knew that.

But right now they would take what they could get. "You're right. As long as we aren't dead, we can keep moving." He chuckled, trying to alleviate the tension just as Faye had done. "Although my heart might not handle another situation like that well."

It didn't.

Hours later, an army of mounted knights passed near them, they did not give a single care for their little group.



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Zobia Harbor was big, it was Zofia's largest trade port even, and yet it wasn't very important.

It was pretty much the only place where trade from other continents flowed in, which makes one think it would be a crucial city, and yet... Zofia didn't really need that trade. Due to the Mother, they were a pretty self-sufficient country, they didn't need to communicate with outsiders.

So the city existed more as an adornment than anything else.

Full of pretty, shiny things from other continents, but overall nothing that was necessary for one's survival. Himmel also imagined trade had been rougher than usual these past few years, with Jugdral closing its borders completely and Archanea being locked into war. The rampant piracy that Himmel had heard about recently probably didn't help things either.

With all that considered, he expected somewhat lax security.

He was... a bit wrong. "So, what are your intentions in coming to Zofia Harbor?" He had actually been stopped by a guard.

He should have expected it. Since this was such a busy place for trade, some amount of effort to stop contraband had probably been put in place. Therefore, it had higher security than your average city.

For a moment Himmel froze, but he soon came up with an answer, even if a weak one. "To waste coin. No better place in Zofia to do that than in here."

The guard laughed. "Oh, you are going to be oh-so disappointed, lordling." Another guy who confused him for a noble!? Well, at least he was dressed like one this time. "The city's still recovering from that uprising that happened sometime ago. So it doesn't have much to offer."

The guard must have been referring to that merchant rebellion that Clair's brother had supposedly quelled. That wasn't good, if the city had not yet recovered, then finding a boat willing to take strangers could be difficult.

Himmel sighed. "What a shame. Although I'm sure I'll find something to get swindled over." It seems they would have to head to Mila's temple.

He could almost feel his brain itching, and definitely not in a good way.

The guard nodded. "You lordlings always do, huh." Wasn't this guy way too casual about this? "Do try and find an inn though, your servants look dead on their feet."

So it had gotten to the point where it was noticeable? It was inevitable, Himmel supposed. While he and Alm could manage such endless travel because of their Brands, that didn't apply to the rest of the group.

Himmel had the decency to look guilty, but before he could say anything about it, Faye snapped at the man. "Then can we just get through already? We're tired." This was unusual for her.

But she had been awake for way too long, it was to be expected that she would act a bit ruder than usual. He also knew her well enough to know that the girl felt offended on his behalf.

The man chuckled. "Yeah, yeah... That said, I gotta ask something." And now Himmel wanted to snap too. "You fellows come from Zofia's Castle, yeah?" A very suspicious question.

He had to answer though, and lying wouldn't get him far. "We do. Why do you ask?"

The man sighed. "Just curious if you know why, in Mila's name, an army just passed through the city and headed towards north." Those must have been the knights...! "The sky was filled with pegasi too... I can only assume they came from the castle."

Himmel shrugged. "I don't know. They did pass through us, but they certainly did not waste time chatting." So did this really mean those knights weren't after them...? "I'm definitely not privy to their goals, at least."

"Ah... I figured." The man scratched the back of his head. "Well, even if you did know, this sounds like the type of thing that can't be spread around... Anyways, have fun being swindled, lordling."

"I-I'll try."



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Finding an inn was easy. By its very nature, Zofia Harbor was a city with a good amount of tourism, and so people had to take advantage of that somehow.

Sleep for Himmel, however, had been a stressful endeavor. One where he constantly worried whether some soldier would wake him up by stabbing him. Still, it was a necessary thing at the end of the day.

Now that they got their rest, though, it was time to get to work. "Okay, so as much as I'd like to ignore it, there's something we must talk about... Why the hell is an army marching northeast?"

Alm waved him off. "Why can't we ignore it, though? As long as they ignore us..." A very hopeful attitude.

But not a wise one. "Because now it might mean going north towards Mila means facing an army... maybe. Clearly they haven't found us yet." He put a hand to his chin. "Basically, what I'm asking is... do we keep heading north?"

Alm nodded. "Of course we do. We just have to buy some horses from the town and go as fast as we can." He smiled. "The hard part of our journey is over."

Kliff rolled his eyes. "As much as I like to agree, getting to talk with the Mother or crossing the border will be much more difficult." And considering the journey was already hell for the poor villager...

Clair sighed. "I, for one, can see only one reason why an army would go north like that. Some type of confrontation with Rigel..."

Alm shook his head. "No way. I mean, I'm not saying Rigel wouldn't try something, but you would think if they did, it would be from the northwest. Coming from northeast head-on on means facing the Mother head-on." It was suicide.

For Rigel, at least. "Assuming it's them who are the provokers and not us." They may not know it, but Duma was pretty much gone.

So if we wanted to get rid of our neighbors... this was the golden opportunity.

Clair winced at the mere mention of a war. "I do not believe a war would be started shortly after the king passed away. Even if they did have plans in place, I believe they would be canceled."

Starting a war without solid leadership was indeed unlikely...

Faye awkwardly cleared. "Um... maybe this has nothing to do with war? They could be going to see the Mother. The king didn't have children, right? So now maybe they're seeking the Mother's guidance."

Himmel hummed. "I wouldn't discount the possibility." The king and his lineage were supposedly divinely chosen. "Does he really have no heirs though?" He knew his children had been massacred, but...

That had been years ago. Also, Celica was around. If he had guessed it correctly, she was his child.

Would it be strange to say he felt weirdly accomplished about taking the future queen's first kiss? He should probably feel shame about taking her father's head instead.

Faye looked down. "I mean, that's what everyone in the village talks about. I don't know if it's true..."

Kliff crossed his arms. "We personally saw what a despot he was, there's no way he doesn't have some kids lying around... Although maybe that is a reason to find Lady Mila so she can find them a missing bastard."

Faye gasped. "You think they would put a bastard on the throne!? The Mother would never allow it!" The Mother allowed a lot of shit.

Kliff shrugged. "I don't know, I'm just theorizing—!" He stopped himself. "But it doesn't matter. What does matter is that going north now is dangerous. There's an army there, and we don't know what they're up to."

Himmel nodded. "That's where my mind was as well..."

Faye frowned. "So... we won't go to see the Mother?"

As annoying as it was... "No. At least not for now. Instead I propose that we try to go with the idea of finding a boat and disappearing for a while. Once things have settled down a bit, we can return and see her."

He sighed. "Assuming we can find a boat, of course."

Honestly, he really hoped there wouldn't be another setback.



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There was another setback.

Almost nobody was willing to help them, and even throwing Clair's name into the mix didn't help. In fact, it might have made things worse sometimes, seeing as her brother had most likely destroyed the plans of quite a few merchants. Not to mention how most people simply didn't believe her.

That was not to say there wasn't anyone willing to help them. It just meant that they had to go for the lowest of the low.

"So, you guys want a ride, huh?" The captain was smiling from ear to ear.

He gave off a strange presence... not an intimidating one, but more the presence of someone very easily excitable. Himmel wouldn't call it endearing, however, because there was definitely something off-putting about him.

Still, he was their golden ticket. "Yeah, that's us. Considering you didn't immediately shoo us away, I'm guessing you're considering?" Himmel really hoped he was.

At this point his group had been rejected by countless seamen. This was pretty much the only one they had yet to talk to.

The man hummed. "I never shoo away an opportunity to make coin." His gaze shifted to Clair and Faye. "I'll say though, pretty lasses shouldn't take a ship while surrounded by men. Tends to not end well in long journeys."

Clair huffed. "I can handle myself, thank you." At least she could with a weapon.

Himmel would make sure to buy her a spear before they left. Just as he would make sure to buy Alm a new sword... maybe two even, since he loved to break them so much.

Faye smiled. "If anybody touches me, I can just kill them." Wow.

The man chuckled. "Hah! True enough! And I gotta say, that's the kind of attitude I like in my ship."

Himmel pounced on his comment. "Then you will take us?"

The man stepped back. "Woah, calm down there, kiddo." Shit, his desperation showed, didn't it? "I mean, you don't even know where I'm going, do ya?"

Himmel squinted his eyes. "I was told you could take us anywhere...?"

The man shrugged. "Normally that would be the case, but I've already got a journey in mind. I set sail for Novis Island. Got some stuff to sell there." Oh?

That wasn't a bad place. That wasn't a bad place at all. It was an island with a decent-sized port, which meant escape from it was always possible, while also being decently far away from mainland Zofia.

He continued. "And then afterwards, I go to Archanea, Grust to be more specific, and—"

"You're setting foot in a continent filled with war!?" Himmel couldn't hide his surprise.

At this point the news of Dolhr's conquest was widely known even in Valentia. It was hard not to hear about an empire of dragons that apparently just loved to enslave humans. Honestly, it was a bit terrifying, and he imagined most people were probably happy that such a war was happening on a different continent.

The captain had the gall to not look concerned at all. "Eh, those are the best places to make money. Since trade's become so rare there, they will pay a lot of coin for pretty much anything."

"Besides, as long as I don't set foot in Dolhr itself, I should be fine. The real messed-up shit only happens in there..." Even so...! "And the war's probably about to end too, which means trade is about to stabilize. I gotta strike the anvil while it's hot and all that."

And so Himmel finally understood what type of aura the man exuded. It was the aura of stupid recklessness.

Really, really stupid recklessness. "How do you even know the war is about to end!? You could go and get yourself killed!" Himmel didn't know why he cared.

Going to Novis Island was good enough for him.

The man scratched. "Well, I can't guarantee the war is about to end, buuuut... A good pal of mine who did the same trip told me Archanea was facing a lot of trouble. Once it falls, the war is pretty much over, right? It ain't like Talys is gonna resist an empire the size of a continent."

That... was the truth. If Archanea fell, the war would pretty much be over. And considering news traveled so slowly in this day and age, it was possible it had already happened.

Himmel sighed. "I... Whatever you say." If this guy went and got himself killed, it was no skin off his hide. "So here's what I can offer to make my group useful."

The logical thing to do would be offering coin, but first Himmel would try something else.

He raised a hand and conjured a weak Wind. "I'm a mage, one that can severely speed up this journey, at least up to Novis. With me in your boat, the wind will always be in your favor."

The captain's eyes widened. "A mage...!? At your age!?"

Himmel smirked. "Not just a mage, a master of Black Magic." He motioned to his comrades. "And my friends here are warriors who can help defend the ship from pirates. Last I heard, Zofia's seas were infested with them."

The captain smiled. "That sure is a strong pitch... Sure, I'll take you guys along! I didn't hire any mercs for protection, so having a few fighters sounds nice!"

T-this guy was planning on sailing across pirate-infested waters with zero protection!? At this point he wasn't just reckless, he was suicidal!

Which Himmel appreciated very much, considering his current position. "Very well. When do we set sail, then—"

Before he could finish, Clair tugged on his sleeve. "My apologies, Himmel, but could we have a chat about this before we go?"

He hesitantly nodded. "Sure...?" And then he looked back at the captain. "Please excuse us for a moment."

"Don'cha worry, mister mage, take as much time as you need."



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"We should go towards Archanea." Clair decided to start the conversation by dropping a bomb on him.

Himmel didn't even know if such a stupid statement deserved to be dignified with an answer. "Why...? Let's just go to Novis Island." There he could restart his perfectly boring life.

Or at least try to.

She looked away. "I am not against that idea, but if we are to run away, would it not be better to go away as far as possible? There is a possibility of us being found on Novis, although small, but there is no such possibility on Archanea."

Yeah, there was something much worse there. "The continent is involved in a war. We shouldn't step foot in there. Ever." And a war involving dragons at that!

Clair crossed her arms. "As the captain has said, the war is about to end. And even if it does not, I doubt we shall see any battle unless we seek it out. We do not need to leave Grust at all."

Himmel's eye twitched. "Living there will be difficult. Even if war doesn't directly reach there, resources will be scarce." Which is why this trip was going to make so much money.

Clair hesitantly agreed. "Yes... But I believe the safety of it is worth it." She couldn't understand it.

She was a noble. A Zofian noble at that. Even if she knew in theory how awful war could be for a country, she couldn't actually understand it. However, if she insisted on it...

Then he could put it to a vote. "I... Fine, then let's do it like this, who wants to go to Grust? And who wants to stay on Novis?" His friends were surely not crazy enough to go with Clair's idea.

Clair raised a hand. "Well then, my vote is obvious. We head to Grust, stay there for a year or so, and then make our glorious return!" He doubted they would be able to return at all!

Alm seemed wholly unconcerned. "I'll protect everyone no matter where we go. So... I guess I vote for whatever is the majority?" A blank vote, huh?

Kliff smiled. "Archanea... seeing it... sounds nice, I guess." He nodded to himself. "I always did want to see more of the world." This was no time for travel lust!

Geez, what a mess... He expected to see common sense, clearly, he had been wrong. He would most likely have to veto this whole thing like a responsible adult.

Faye blushed. "I... Archanea sounds nice. I-I don't want to spend a year or more being scared of everything in Novis..." Oh?

Okay then, they were going to Archanea then.