Chapter 217 – Travel (1)

“Wait here with me for a moment.”
“What?”
“Your colleagues will be here soon, so send them down first.”

As Adella and Rochear’s soldiers prepared to withdraw, Caroline caught me.
When it comes to colleagues, you seem to be talking about Terra and Nova. Why are they coming all the way here?

“For what reason?”
“They said they found Sacreure. “I heard you have business there?”

Sacreure.
It was the only one of the four major secret sites of the empire whose location was not revealed.
Last communication said Terra was preparing for her journey, and she was looking for the dragon’s lair.
Then will I be able to see Lehel again?
Even if I couldn’t hear her chattering, just seeing her sleeping was enough reason for me to go to Sacre Lair.

“Then I guess I’ll have to wait. But what about you? “Aren’t you going with Seongguk’s kids?”
“Joy… “I’ll take care of it, so don’t worry about it.”

Is something bad happening?
Or maybe something to see at Sacreure?
I could feel her impatience from last time as she ticked and bit her nails.
Still, we wouldn’t be bored if we went together, so there was no reason to stop us.

“Then I’ll go and talk for a moment.”
“Anyway.”

I told Adela to go to the Baltic Mountains and help Liv.
Since the weekend had already passed, she did not forget to nag them to settle the skirmishers on the floating island as quickly as possible and then go to the academy to take classes.

And just as I was about to return to Caroline, I found Hublett at the Alliance camp.
As I approached, he turned his head to look at the vicinity of the Demon King’s Castle as if he were disappointed.

“Louis? “When did you come to the Demon World again?”
“I came here to see you for a moment. “I’m waiting for Terra and Nova right now.”
“You two are coming too? Is something big going on?”
“Didn’t I hear you were going to Sacreure?”

Obviously, Caroline said her colleagues, so she must be referring to Terra and Nova.
Hublett was preparing to leave for the mountains as if he hadn’t heard anything from the two.

“That’s strange. “He didn’t say anything to me.”
“Aren’t you busy?”
“The northern border has never been as peaceful as it is now. “When I go back this time, I also plan to take a vacation and rest for the first time since the Great War.”

If We Bullet joined him, it would be like going on another trip with his old colleagues.
I’m glad to hear that, but it’s strange that I didn’t hear anything.

“Shall I ask you something?”
“As you wish. “We are planning to leave tomorrow, so if I get an answer within that, I will join.”

After getting Hubblet’s consent, I returned to Caroline’s place.
The troops of Seongguk, who had just finished their withdrawal, were scattering dust over the horizon, and only her tent and backpack were left where she was.

Caroline was whining and stuffing clothes into her bag when her eyes met.
I don’t understand why only she knows that he is going to Sacreure, which even Hubblet didn’t know about, and why they are together.

“What.”
“No, just… Are there any cigarettes there?”
“I said I hung up, you idiot.”
“Oh, I guess so.”
“… Hey.”
“Huh?”

She looked up at the sky nervously and then asked me.

“Are you in any pain?”
“It’s really okay. Have you gotten more sleep these days? … ?”
“Adella, it’s not like you’re doing anything wrong like she is?”
“Why are you doing that?”
“No, just… You’ve been like that often for a long time. I’m hearing hallucinations. What’s wrong…”

That was just something Caroline said to calm her down when she was at her most unstable.
Of course, in the past, I often had nightmares and had mental instability, but those are all past now.

“What, is that why you want to go together? “Because you’re worried?”
“There is that, but actually…”

Kaaaaang——!

The Alliance camp, which had not yet withdrawn, was disturbed by a cry that did not seem to be a monster.
As the huge shadow on the ground became smaller and smaller, a happy face appeared along with the dust.

“Louis. Long time no see.”
“Did you wait long?”

It was Terra and Nova who came down from the dragon’s back.
Both of them looked strangely different from usual.
Terawa was wearing the luxurious robe she received from the royal family, as if she had finally thrown away her work clothes that gave off a burnt smell when approached.
Nova wears a halterneck dress reminiscent of a dream catcher instead of the monster bones she used to wear around her neck.
Anyone who sees this will think that this is a ballroom, not the center of the demon world.

“What are you both wearing?”
“You’re going to have fun, right? “Didn’t you hear from Caroline?”
“That… Oh right! Hubblet is also there… !”
“Heavlett is busy.”

Interrupting the conversation, Nova placed my luggage on the dragon’s back.
But I just heard that they wanted to go together…

“They said their vacation was cut off.”
“… I see “I can’t help it.”

If Nova is right, then she must be right.
No matter what, my first vacation in 10 years is cut off.
I suddenly felt sorry for Hublatt.

“Then why don’t we go by ourselves? Caroline? “Give me your bag.”
“…”
“Caroline?”

Her withdrawal symptoms must have been so severe that she was biting her fingernails.
Her eyes were also full of distrust as she looked at my former colleagues.

***

This man gave his whole body to save the world.
He seems somewhat immature and even unstable.
Probably all the women who were even remotely close to him know this.
The fact that Lewis’ behavior and way of thinking are slightly different from normal people.

“Everyone is gone. Now, let’s leave.”
“Wasn’t it like flying on a dragon? “I heard you’re going to Sacre.”

It’s not that there aren’t some aspects that make sense.
Caroline stayed in the demon world and learned how this terrible land drives people crazy.
On the first day of the cleanup, hundreds of priests collapsed and vomited blood.
Being her saint, she also continued her work, which was close to hard labor, using her holy spirit to its limits.

For five years in that land.
That’s not unreasonable since I spent most of my growing up years there.
But–

“Of course, I would like to, but unfortunately, according to kingdom law, a maximum of three people can ride on a familiar.”
“Is that so… ? Obviously, when attacking the Holy Kingdom…”
“It was a wartime time.”
“Umm…”

Lewis once again agrees with the words of his old colleagues, or rather, his sisters.
Every time she watched him by her side, Caroline’s insides burned.
Although she usually doesn’t listen to what the princess says, she stops thinking and just nods her head even when she makes ridiculous excuses like that.
It seemed like it had been tamed so well that it was almost ridiculous.

“Hey, come here.”

Caroline pulled Lewis to her side, as far away from Terra and Nova as possible.
However, there is not much time left to protect him like this.
She had to part ways at the beginning of the Demon World and return to the Holy Kingdom.

“Why are you doing that?”
“Shut up, you carry my bag.”
“Why leave a strong kid alone?”
“I’m allergic to dragon scale.”

Wow——…

The sad cry of a dragon waddling along was heard.
Thus began the four people’s journey towards Sacreure.

***

“The reason I go to Sacré is not just because of you, Louis.”

Terra, who received both admiration and jealousy from everyone, knew a lot like his nickname.
She even had extensive knowledge about the ecology of dragons that disappeared hundreds of years ago.

“There is nothing good about baby dragons being handled by humans.”
“So you want to take me there?”
“Yes. You must create a rare, become self-reliant, and see the world through your own eyes. Then you will naturally awaken to magic.”

She held my hand tightly, saying that humans’ inherent magic is similar to awakening.
As I said before, it was not easy to start a fire in the demon world.
Light was a dangerous substance that would soon reveal our location to the enemy, and in extreme cases, we couldn’t see each other’s faces for days.

So she would tell me different stories every night to keep me from getting scared.
About the empire’s civilization, magic, all the mysterious creatures on the continent, or the existence of God who led me here.
It was like listening to her grandmother tell her old stories, but she felt completely different.

“We can’t go to the secret areas of the empire all the time, so if the dragon lives there, we will be able to meet Yunhoegong on a regular basis. “Is that good for you too, Louis?”
“Yes…”

Soft warmth flowing through both hands.
Golden eyes that sparkle like stars so much that it’s difficult to look at them.
Especially because of his tall height compared to me when I was young, his adult-like body, and his beautiful clothes that you can see when you avoid looking away.
In the end, rather than the stories she tells, the only thing that remains in her memory is the movement of her lips in the dark.

“Lewis-.”

And every time I can’t concentrate, he always raises his eyebrows and makes a request.

“Would you like to call me sister?”
“I don’t want it…”

Normally, I would have rejected it a long time ago.
Because my personality is not one to treat older people kindly.
However, unlike before, perhaps it is because a warm bonfire surrounds us.
Or maybe it’s because her outfit doubles her charm as a woman.

“Only once… “Why not?”
“…”

I couldn’t shake my head easily.
Right then.

Widely!

“Hey, eat.”

Caroline nervously placed her food down between us.
It was a snack brought from Seongguk.

“Tsk.”

As Terra took her share, she took her share and sat down next to me, sighing in relief.
And throughout the meal, he kept a wary eye on the two people sitting across from him.

“You need to come to your senses.”
“?”
“And then you get eaten, you idiot.”

After listening to the incomprehensible nagging, it was almost time to go to bed.
I felt like I could sleep comfortably anywhere under the stars.
I helped Caroline set up the simple tent we brought from Seongguk during the day on flat ground.
In the past, we would have taken turns keeping watch, but at a party with this much power, there was no need to worry.

“Wouldn’t it be narrow? “It’s for two people.”
“Of course it’s narrow. “You sleep outside.”
“Don’t do that. “What are you so upset about?”
“Who is upset? I’m just…”

Due to Caroline’s personality, she must be full of disappointment even if she doesn’t put it into words.
It must have been quite difficult to stabilize the defeated nation and organize the inside of the church, but I didn’t write a single letter.

“Louis.”

But just as I was trying to squeeze into the seat next to her, she was grumbling.

“Nova?”
“Me… I’m sleepy.”

Nova approached me and spread her arms.